My Magazine Article

10/31/2012

Special Blog Edition!   Read all about it.  I am now an officially published author!  I have done my best with scanning in the article below so you can read it.  I believe that you can highlight each page to make the text bigger.  I was afraid to say anything sooner because I didn't want to jinx my luck. So here it is and I hope you enjoy.  P

Halloween

10/31/2012

Halloween

Things have changed a great deal about this special night since I was a child.  The biggest change?  We were allowed to go out by ourselves and shockingly EAT the candy long before we got home.  I don't even think that my brother and I had "real" costumes most of the time.  I think we went as ourselves - the mission - get candy.

When we lived in Kansas my mother made us king and queen outfits out of royal purple crepe paper (do they even make that anymore?).  It rained that night and we returned home - wet and purple.  Not the best costume in bad weather.

Another time in France we went out as hobos and had our cigars filled with probably baby powder or an equivalent.  In the military compound we lived in every house had a mail slot in their front door (remember those?).  So if we didn't get candy then we could "puff" the powder through the slot. Messy maybe but a whole lot better than eggs tossed on to a vehicle or house I can assure you.

By the time I had children, things had changed considerably and one parent went out while the other stayed home.  When the two youngest boys were quite small and we still lived in California, my sister and I would pull them along in a wagon to prevent cries of "I'm too tired".  Because while they were tired, their older brother in comparison, definitely was not.  By the end of the evening the wagon not only held two little guys but most of their costumes as well.

Another change sadly is that my children and all that followed them were not allowed to eat candy until they got home.  In the 70's the first scare was razor blades in Pixie Sticks and/or inside apples.  When we would get home and put the "loot" out on the table, the first thing that went in the trash was the sticks and any homemade treats.  We were not trusting even back then and nothing has changed over the years.

Tonight, because of the weather, there may not be as many goblins at the front door as usual.  I have bought candy (the good kind Scott assures me) for any children that show up.  How does he know that the candy I bought is good?  Because half the bag of variety Snickers is gone!  Just helping me out he tells me.

My deepest regret is that children of today and tomorrow will never enjoy the freedom we had and took for granted back in the 50's and 60's.  It was a fun time to be a kid and I'm sorry that things changed for the generations that followed us and not necessarily for the better.  When I was a kid we were fearless and so were our parents who allowed us more freedom than you'll see today.

I'll load up my bowl of candy (perhaps minus the Snickers that Scott loves so much) and wait for the doorbell tonight.  And tomorrow most, if not all, the leftover candy will be taken to the office and put out for community eating.  Of course everybody else does the same thing so we literally eat candy for weeks on end.  And, just like when we were kids - the good stuff goes first.  Eventually, the bowl only holds the less desirable stuff which takes a long time to disappear!

Trick or Treat everyone.

P

Days Off

10/30/2012

Days Off

Well Sandy has moved on for the most part and we came out of the storm unscathed.  To be sure the front yard is a disaster zone with all the downed leaves but all of our trees remained in the ground.  This is a good thing!  Jeff was nice enough today to blow the wet leaves off the driveway and sidewalk because they are slippery when wet.

So what does a person do with two extra days of down time?  Hmmm.  Sleep in was the first order of business - until 10:00 one morning.  It was like being a teenager again.  Secondly, I downloaded some new books from my friendly electronic store and sat in my chair and watched the wind swirl around while I got in massive amounts of reading time. 

I did some paperwork up in the office but not much I can tell you.  I did what was required and then booked it back downstairs so that I could return to reading and/or watching my cheesy tv shows.  I particularly like Kitchen Nightmares and Shipping Wars and have lots of old shows to watch in my down time.  Yesterday and today qualified as official down time so I watched Gordon Ramsey yell at restaurant owners and I watched shippers try to move everything from chicken coops to water towers.  Fun stuff.

I may have occasionally tilted my chair back just a tad and checked my eyelids for holes.  I can sleep pretty well in my reclining chair for a bit of time and then body parts tend to fall asleep and I hate that tingly return to life feeling.  At that point, you either get up and move around or if you're really committed to sleep - go to bed.  I have standards (though they're not very high) so I remain upright.

The last two days off have been kind of like vacation days without any stress, responsibilities or worries.  In other words, really fun.  I have been able for these past two days to kick all my stress to the curb and allow myself to do pretty much nothing.  And it felt wonderful.

Tomorrow it's back to work and whatever awaits - but I still have another hour or so of tv watching before bedtime.  My lunch is already packed and my clothes are laid out, so I'm organized as usual.  This blog is supposed to be my morning blog for tomorrow, so don't cheat and read it tonight!

It was nice to have extra days off in October because there is a really long stretch between September and November in terms of holidays. 

The other thing I'm particularly thankful for is that Jeff was not away on business during all this mess.  I'd have been fine but likely not as relaxed.  Timing is everything.

Happy Halloween.

P

Coffee

10/30/2012

Coffee

Maybe while you're reading this you're enjoying a cup of Joe.  I know as I sit here writing I'm sipping on my favorite morning beverage - black coffee.

Before I met Jeff I had never even tasted coffee, I was more of a hot tea drinker.  Sometime during the dating process Jeff told me that most people asked if you wanted a cup of coffee rather than tea and that I should give coffee a try.  Oh and I should drink it black so I didn't have to fuss with cream and sugar.  I tried the coffee and eventually developed a taste for coffee - black.  Thirty-eight years later I am proud to say that I can literally drink Jeff under the table when it comes to coffee.  I have, unfortunately, developed a bad habit of leaving half drunk cups of coffee throughout the house.  They don't go to waste though because I am more than willing to drink them at room temperature.  I know this habit of leaving cups wherever I was last probably drives Jeff crazy but it seems so natural to me.  When I return to my desk there's a cup of coffee waiting or one by the sofa.  Very convenient.

I have over the years developed a quirk about drinking coffee from clear cups, which is all I use at home.  I like seeing where the coffee is.  Stainless commuter cups drive me crazy - you look inside and you can't tell if the coffee is close to the top or way down at the bottom.  I don't like surprises.  

I also don't like super duper hot coffee such as you will get at a fast food place.  I am more of a large gulp temperature drinker - I don't want to have to blow and sip on coffee - it just shouldn't be that hot.  If it can scald your taste buds then it's too hot.  It's pretty hard to explain in a drive through that you want a half cup of coffee with several spoonfuls of ice dropped in.  To solve this problem I just don't order "to go" coffee.  Jeff will order coffee and after an hour or so he will assure me that the coffee is now drinkable (by my standards).

I don't get coffee from fancy coffee bars and stores either.  A couple of problems with getting coffee there.  First, it's too darn expensive and second it's too strong.  Coffee in these places is made strong on purpose and the majority of customers add cream (lots) and sugar to make it palatable.  I doubt that many people who order coffee in such places ever order it black - what would be the fun in that?  

At work we have gourmet coffee for sale downstairs in the cafeteria or at several places on each floor are free coffee stations.  You can literally drink coffee 8 hours a day if you choose - for free.  Is it good coffee?  Not really.  It doesn't have much of a taste but the price is right.  I see no reason to pay for something that I can get for free.  

At work I veered away from a clear coffee cup and chose instead an English bone china dainty cup decorated with flowers and super feminine.  I veer away from cups advertising some product or company, they're ugly and generally very heavy.  Heavy cups is another quirk of mine - I prefer lightweight ones and I can't really say why.  Just me being me I guess.

After 38 years of drinking coffee, I don't drink it for the caffeine, I just like the taste. 

Enjoy your coffee today.

P

Discretionary vs. Non-Necessary

10/29/2012

Discretionary vs. Non-Necessary

I live in an area where occasionally Mother Nature makes it difficult if not impossible to get to work.  Whether to go or stay at home is a decision I make that is fraught with worry and guilt.  On the one hand, if I don't go and everybody else makes it in - I'll look wimpy.  But if I do go to work and I'm the only one in the department - does that make me a hero or a fool?

I really appreciate the news broadcasting that all non-necessary employees of the U.S. Government may stay home.  All I can think of is - we have non-necessary employees.  Take me for instance.  I'm pretty sure in the big scheme of things where I work I could be considered non-necessary.  I'm a secretary.  I don't make big decisions or attend meetings.  I do secretary stuff.  I hate to think of myself as non-necessary, I think that's a horrible demeaning description of some one's job. But facts are facts.

Discretionary is another word that I hate to hear about going to work.  Is it your discretion not to go to work or does that decision belong to your boss?  At some level folks can work remote, so they can stay home safe and get paid.  I don't have that luxury.  If I don't show up and the building isn't closed I take it as PTO or without pay.  

Last night the Feds closed down for today but my employer did not.  The recording on the phone was use discretionary leave.  I couldn't enjoy my Sunday shows adequately because I was fretting about what to do today.  We have, of course, established that I worry endlessly.  This morning instead of bounding up at 5:00 I knew that the recorded message isn't changed until 7:00, so I remained in bed.  At 7:00 when I got home I heard the words that free me of all worry and guilt - the building is closed.  Yeah team.  

Outside it's dark and raining so I did what every school kid and worker who has the day off does.  I fed the dogs, returned to bed and slept for another 3 hours!  Gotta enjoy an extra day off to the fullest!  

Hope all of you are safe and that your power stays on.

P

Storm Sandy

10/28/2012

Storm Sandy

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that a large hurricane type storm is headed up the east coast today or tomorrow.  I'm sure storm patterns are hard to predict so weathermen always get a pass when they get it wrong - which unfortunately is a lot.

D.C. should not bear the brunt of the storm but we will more than likely see lots of wind and rain which can play havoc with power lines and our local utility company is not known for its reliability in bad weather.  That would explain why in my backyard we have installed a whole house generator that runs off the natural gas in our house.  Another words, "Jenny" could run to infinity which is comforting with a storm bearing down upon us.

If the weathermen are predicting snow you can't find a snow shovel for miles.  For this storm there's been a run on flashlights, batteries and perhaps umbrellas.  If you were to go to the grocery store I'm sure you would find a shortage of bread and milk, which are known to be two must haves for bad weather.  The completion of the "must have" triangle is, of course, toilet paper.  

The interesting part of preparing for a storm is that some people act like we're never ever going to be able to get to a store again which makes for the aforementioned shortages.  This storm will give us rain and perhaps lots of it - but it's not the same as snow where you may actually be housebound for days until your street is plowed.  

If you really want to prepare for the storm you should buy ice cream, preferably lots, and then when the power goes out - you will HAVE to eat the ice cream before anything else and there will be no guilt on your part in doing so - you're just saving your food!  I like that idea.  Life is short we should always eat dessert first anyway, so this storm may be a good reason to get started with that theory.

Our storm plans are simple.  Jeff is going to gas up my car today and buy some ingredients so he (not I) can make chicken noodle soup and/or chili this week.  Jeff took over the soup/stew/chili making a few years ago and I see no reason to change.  He may go to the airport and check on 874T.  We know that a few of the flight school's employees are going to go out there this morning and make sure that all the planes are tied down so they don't move around in the wind.  

Obviously, with the generator parked in the backyard we're not overly worried about losing power, unless something prevents Jenny from staying on.  If that happens, I'll go to my standby plan, a flashlight, a lantern, my Kindle (adequately loaded) and some ice cream.  Even if we don't lose power I may still eat ice cream - I'll just have to pretend that it's about to melt!

Stay dry and I hope your lights stay on.

P

Man Chores

10/27/2012

Man Chores

Since the beginning of time and for many generations women have worked in the house and men worked outside.  Admittedly, the lines have gotten a little fuzzed up by now because so many women work outside of their home and we have finally become enlightened enough to know that a man is also capable, but maybe not willing, of running a washing machine.

I, for instance, always take out the trash and recycling and for many years mowed the lawn because I loved it.  I do have my limits though and it has to do with multi-legged creatures with antennas and beady-eyed rodents.

I keep the dogs' kibble in the garage in a plastic trash can with a lid.  Each morning as I scoop out the kibble I invariably spill a piece or two.  My garage can fast become mice heaven so a trap remains set right next to the dog food and earlier this year we had company visit us for several nights.  Apparently, before we captured all our visitors one or more found my kitchen pantry.  I didn't notice the evidence right away but when I did a major cleaning and tossing out of food was undertaken.  I probably tossed out more than was necessary but I was bothered by the vision of little feet scurrying around my bags of food.

It is Jeff's responsibility to set the traps as well as empty them when needed.  My job is to sound the alarm "MOUSE" and he then springs into action.  Same with a bug - doesn't matter what size - it's Jeff's job to do the deed.  I am merely an alarmist!

If I am alone and have to tend to a bug by myself, I use an entire roll of paper towels (not really but close).  Bugs creep me out for no reason that I can think of but they do.  

Digital clocks is also a man chore.  While Jeff was away last week we lost power for a nanosecond but it was enough to throw all the digital clocks into a frenzy.  I spent the remainder of the week in a house full of blinking red clocks.  Don't ask me why I can't set a digital clock - I just can't seem to master it.  Obviously, on time change weekends Jeff is very busy running around the house setting clocks, sometimes the night before.

Untying knots.  I am forever getting the laces of my tennis shoes in a knot.  I did it again this morning and it was a doozy.  Jeff had to use his pocket knife to untangle the lace.  I am not a good knot undoer but I wasn't a very good girl scout either so maybe that's where the problem stems from.

So let's recap.  I can't speak for all houses, but in mine, Jeff's clearly defined chores, which will never change, is bugs, rodents, digital clocks and knots!  My involvement is limited to "announcing"!

Happy Saturday.

P

Advertising

10/26/12

Advertising

I love magazines.  There is something about brightly colored glossy paper that enthuses me.  Fridays are my special day because the People magazine arrives so when I get home from work, I kick off my shoes and catch up on all the Hollywood news!

Here's what I don't like about magazines.  Those little 3x5 cards that they liberally sprinkle inside the magazine that fall into your lap the minute you open the darn thing up.  I don't believe that there's anybody still out there that fills out a postcard to order or request anything.  That method has gone the way of typewriters, carbon paper and dial telephones.

Most ladies' magazines are filled with pages and pages of gloriously made up beautiful women trying to sell you powder, hair color, shampoo, nail polish, eye make up, jewelry, purses and anything else you can think of.  There is one publication in particular that the first half dozen pages or so are all ads.  One time just for fun I took this rather large magazine and tore out all the ads.  The magazine was half its size when I was done.

Now before reading a magazine I shake it to get all those nasty loose cards out and then I tear out any additional cards that have been stapled in to the magazine.  I haven't gotten so desperate that I rip out the ad pages too - but I'm close.

Even if I used ALL those beauty products and knew how to apply them (which I don't), there is no way that I would remotely look like a professional model or an actress.  They have "people" who dress and make them up.  I have only myself, a comb, a few curlers, and some beauty products that I bought on a whim and seldom, if ever, use.  Just last night I bought a new blush because it's consistency is like foam and I thought that was unique and fun.  I used it this morning and while it was fun to push my finger down through the middle and watch it rise back up, the actual product is no better or worse than anything else I've used.  I'll add it to my collection of advertising "gotchas" because every now and then I buy into the hype.  The drawer's not completely full yet so I still have room for the next greatest beauty product to come along and catch my eye.

Happy Friday.

P

Cigarette Butts

10/25/2012

Cigarette Butts and Gum

Everybody has the right to smoke if they want to and I'm fine with it.  Here's what I'm not so happy about.  The disposal of the butts.  I have, and you have also, driven behind someone who when they are through with their cigarette just toss the butt out the window.  Why do they do that?  Just use the ashtray inside your car, that's what it's there for.  Besides everybody knows you can't sell a car until the ashtray is full!

Last night I had to stop at the drugstore and when I got out of my car I put my foot right in the middle of butts - not just one or two - nope somebody had mindlessly emptied their ashtray out onto the pavement.  This annoyed me greatly.  Cigarette butts may not rank up there as large road trash but it's trash just the same and should be disposed of properly.  Do you suppose that the "dumper" gave any thought to who was going to clean up after him?  Somehow I doubt it.  His ashtray was clean and I guess that's all that mattered.

When my oldest son smoked I would find his butts in my lawn and I fixed that.  We had what I called a "GI" party and he had to go around the yard and pick up each and every one.  This exercise only needed to be done ONCE.  Somebody invented the ashtray - use it.

Another pet peeve of mine and lots of folks is gum.  Please don't throw your gum on the ground.  Unlike stepping in cigarette butts which merely annoys me - gum sticks to the bottom of my shoe - and my annoyance level really cranks up.  Why?  Because now I have to take time to try and clean the bottom of my shoe preferably before I get into my car or walk into my house or store.  From time to time I chew gum and when I'm through with it, whether I'm home or at work, I always wrap it up in a tissue before I put it in the trash can.  I can assure you that nobody wants to touch your used gum. 

I guess the real message here is that trash is trash regardless of how big or small it is and we should think before we toss.

Happy Thursday.

P

Mail

10/24/12

Mail

Do you remember when you looked forward to getting your mail?  When you actually received mail that wasn't addressed to "recipient"?  Growing up and living far away from my grandmother, we used to receive regular letters from her.  Now the only time you are likely to get a "real" letter is at Christmas and most of those are newsletters.  I used to handwrite letters at Christmas time to all of my correspondents, most of them in California.  In return, I received a card with a scrawled signature.  I know it's better to give than to receive - but still.

I gave up on handwritten letters several years ago and I even tried the tried and true newsletter approach.  Some how I just couldn't keep that up year after year trying to stretch another ho-hum year into something interesting.  All that sugary goodness can only go so far.  Maybe folks don't want to depress us by telling us that they're behind in the mortgage or little Johnny is behind bars again.  But as a friend I'm interested in the real you so if your big news for the year involves jail time, I can handle it.  After all one of my sons has "visited" there a few times.  Admittedly, in my own letters I downplayed anything negative that had occurred during the year which sometimes left me very little to say.

Now I'm down to a picture with our names already printed on.  The picture of late generally involves our plane or something to do with flying.  This makes sense to us since flying is what we're into now and for the foreseeable future.  I know it's the easy way out - but you got to do what you got to do.

I've gone through my address book and realized that a lot of the people, most of whom were Jeff's parents' friends, have died.  So why are they still in my address book?  For memory sake perhaps?  This year I've decided to cull a few folks from my card list.  I know it's cold but with some friends all we do is exchange cards, no words.  All that tells me is that they're not dead yet.

When we left California all three of the boys had attended a wonderful nursery school run by Mr. Bill and Miss Mary, his wife.  I wrote to them every year faithfully and sent pictures of the boys because I knew they would want to see how the boys were changing.  Eventually I was writing only to Miss Mary after Bill passed away.  One day I received a phone call from a man who identified himself as Bill and Mary's son.  Mary had passed away and he found my name in her address book and he wanted me to know.  I was deeply touched that he would reach out to a complete stranger 3,000 miles away.  I appreciated the call very much and was glad that I wouldn't receive a card that year marked "undeliverable, recipient not at this address" which would have left me wondering what happened.

Since we're talking about "real" correspondence I want to acknowledge both of my sisters-in-law (California and Illinois) who do a better job of sending me real mail than I do in return.  Thank you both for taking the time to drop me a line or send me an interesting newspaper article.  It's appreciated very much.

Well that's my thought for the day folks.  Since October is almost over (using my thoughts on calendering) that means you only have one more month before you'll start receiving real mail!  Exciting.

Happy Wednesday - the week is half over and Jeff will be home in two days (I don't count today because it's already here).

P

Dieting

10/23/12

Dieting

I don't know about you but I have always had a hard time losing weight.  Heavens I know I have lost the same 10 pounds (give or take) a hundred times over.  I did the Atkins thing, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers and even resorted to the old fashioned calorie counting.  To be sure I'd have a  small weight loss which generally meant that I went out and celebrated my good news - um with food!

A year ago I went through the process to prepare to have weight loss surgery.  You must attend nutrition classes and support groups to hear all the things you should do - which by the way you already knew - just weren't doing them.  The support groups began to be a testament to my patience.  We "heard" from the same people over and over again and the universal cry about getting enough protein.  The best sob story was a woman who carries a tiny bottle of water with her into restaurants so she doesn't have to order a glass of water.  I don't know whether this had more to do with her concern over wasting water or was afraid she would over indulge.

I did the surgery and the weight does come off slowly but consistently and I was thrilled.  New clothes were added to the closet and it was all very exciting.  Just because you only have a tiny bit of stomach left and definitely have to eat less doesn't mean you can be lax about eating.

At the office there are regular group birthday celebrations that involve grocery store cake.  You know the kind, cake covered thickly in that cloyingly sweet frosting with the super large decorations of flowers that are guaranteed to give you an automatic overdose of sugar.  So when the cake is cut, I decline.  I bring a little snack to munch on - yesterday it was a graham cracker - not as exciting to be sure but not loaded with a zillion calories either.  To set the record straight I still eat desserts, love them in fact, but I want them to be worth every bite I take.  Grocery store cake isn't worth the calories to me, I just don't enjoy them and never did.

Invariably at a celebratory gathering someone(s) will ask if I want a piece of cake.  And I decline.  My weight loss surgery is not a secret - at the office or anywhere for that matter.  I'm okay with letting people know that I couldn't control my weight any other way and I waved the white flag - and gave into the solution of last resort - surgery.  Oh back to the piece of cake.  Even though I've declined (graciously I might add) there is generally a nudge about "just have a little piece" or "such willpower".  I continue my assurances that I'm good, as I nibble my cracker, and that I really don't want a little piece of cake.  Folks I don't have much will power or else I would never have resorted to surgery in the first place.  I love cake and I could certainly down a piece if I wanted to - but that much sugar would be hard on my body not to mention the scales.  

So when you're out and about and someone politely declines dessert, for whatever reason, just leave it at that.  It's a personal decision and shouldn't be challenged in any way and the dieter means no offense.  No means no and leave it at that.

P

New Week

10/22/2012

New Week

Today marks the first day of my week - and yours as well.  It also marks the first day of my week where I'll be all alone.  Yes, Jeff will be away on business travel until Friday night and we are both out of practice.

When we lived in California, Jeff was a regular road warrior and was gone more than he was home and it was what we expected and what we knew.  Since we moved here his road trips have been rare almost to the point of non-existence.  And, we have gotten used to Jeff being home all the time.

Today, though his bag is packed, laptop charged, headphones ready and lunch prepared for his trip this morning to the West Coast.  It will feel odd today to receive no emails or phone calls from him while I'm at work.  Stranger still will be coming home to an empty house and the long stretch of a solo evening before me.  

When the boys were little and Jeff traveled, we indulged ourselves in dinners of Happy Meals, macaroni and cheese or pizza and chocolate pudding or ice cream for dessert.  We went to G rated movies in the evenings if their homework was done - basically we pretended we were away at some kind of camp.  And we survived.  Living in California has one thing going for it that Maryland does not.  First and foremost there is no weather, it's either 70 degrees or 110 depending on the month of the year.  No worries about snow, ice, sleet or for much of the time even rain.  Here winter weather puts me in a tailspin at the mere mention of the "s" word.  There will be no "weather" to contend with this time and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that remains the case as Jeff begins to travel more.

We're both out of practice about getting him ready to go on the road.  We struggled more last night with packing than we used to, and had to make sure he was within the three ounces limit on toiletries.  When you travel regularly you get a routine down to a science and clearly we have none. Things are a little different at home than they used to be too - I no longer have children to care for by myself in the evening - no now I have the family business to deal with.  If I had to vote for one or the other - I'd take the children every time!

Plane travel has changed a great deal and not for the better.  There is little if any food on the planes and you travel in steerage shoulder-to-shoulder with little or no amenities.  Gone are the glory days of plane travel.  A few trips on a commercial plane will make Jeff long for a certain little plane sitting in Frederick!

On the plus side I remain hopeful that while Jeff is in California he will be able to sneak through an In-n-Out restaurant.  They make the most spectacular hamburgers anywhere and french fries are cooked fresh for your order.  It's not a "fast" fast food place - but the wait is worth every minute.

To buck myself up I have loaded up my Tivo with hours of silly, useless shows (the kind I particularly like) and my freezer is stocked with single person meals.  I'm sure that tonight I will enjoy plopping down on the sofa with remote in hand to watch my shows - but it's more than likely that my enjoyment will fade as the week goes on.  A little silence is sometimes a good thing.  A week of silence is not.

Happy travels to anyone with a suitcase sitting by the front door.

P

Christmas Music

10/21/2012

Christmas Music

I'm listening to Christmas music this bright, sunny fall Sunday morning.  It may sound weird, but we've already established my weirdness so no worries.  I don't understand why music as beautiful as Christmas music can only legitimately be played for one month each year.  Why?  It's the most joyous music I've ever heard.

Jeff and I own upwards of 50 Christmas CD's and all old stuff.  Music from my parents' generation - Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Mitch Miller and Frank Sinatra.  I am just this minute listening to a tuba instrumental CD and it's beautiful.  A lot of the CDs that we play are in fact instrumentals of the classics: O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night and Hark the Herald Angels Sing.  

I could say that I'm playing this music because it's almost November.  But the real reason is that I just love it.  So while my music is playing, my crockpot is making homemade applesauce so the house will soon be filled with not only good music but the smell of cinnamon as well.

Go ahead be brave. Dust off those CDs and fill your house with the sounds of holiday music.  Your secret is safe with me.  

P

Every Day

10/20/12

Every Day

I got to thinking - and probably shouldn't - about the things that occur every day every where to somebody.  I decided to leave out the obvious stuff like buying groceries, paying bills and running errands because they're boring.  So here's what I came up with while I was thinking:

Every day:

Somebody is being born (approximately 267 every minute) and somebody is dying (approximately 108 every minute)
Getting married (6100 a day) or divorced (10,000 a day)
Getting a driver's license (3,000,000) or giving one up
Starting or stopping a career 
Take a vacation (86% each year)
Having a birthday (approximately 18,375,323 today) or an anniversary (couldn't find any numbers)
Laughing or crying
Buy a house (average 900,000 in the US) or sell one (approximately 13,780 every day)
Buying a car (approximately 16 million new ones or 450,000 used) or selling one (16,153,952 sold in 2007)
Watching sunrises and sunsets (sadly no statistics for this)
Learning to swim or dive
Getting a speeding ticket (over 100,000 a day)
Having an accident (approximately 1 every second or 5.25 million each year)
Buying flowers (only statistic I could find is that in 2009 37 million people bought flowers on Valentine's Day) or jewelry (nice but no numbers)
Buying a lottery ticket (in the UK about 32 million every week)
Winning a lottery (about 1500 a year in the US or about 3-4 a day)
Reading a book (average 24 a year for an e-book versus 15 a year for non e-books) or writing a book (approximately 15,000 agent queries a year)

For some things we do there are just no statistics.  Why do we care so much about how many accidents we have and there are no numbers for something as delightful as sunrise/sunset watching?  Don't beat me up about the statistics.  The internet is full of numbers and I grabbed a few.  If you did the research you might come up with different answers.  Once I started looking at the statistics I found them interesting and wanted to share.

Have a great Saturday.

P
 
 Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable - Mark Twain
 

Zippy Boxes

10/18/12

Zippy Boxes

What's that you ask?  You know those plastic boxes of all sizes and shapes that you cart around your leftovers in.  I just happen to think that zippy boxes is a better name and everyone seems to get it.  I hope you have a designated place for all your plastic containers.  Maybe you are highly organized and have a lid for every box?  If so, congrats - because I don't.

My "plastic" cupboard is a mess.  There is no other word that would adequately describe what's going on in there.  Martha Stewart would have a heart attack at the disarray.  There are two shelves completely devoted to all things plastic and I can never find a thing.  I have red square bottoms but no lids and round green lids but no bottoms.  I try and stick with one brand of zippy boxes but occasionally a different kind will sneak into the cabinet and then I'm really screwed.

The solution is simple.  I know this and so do you.  I should sit down and pull everything out of the cupboard (ugh) and fit tops and bottoms together.  And if I end up with orphans then they should get tossed out to be recycled.  But in my mind the minute that I throw out a perfectly good bottom/top the mate will show up.  My orphaned plastic will be like the lone sock that you keep around for years hoping that it's mate will pop out of the washer unexpectedly one day.  Like that's ever going to happen.

So my boxes teeter inside the cupboard and I push everything inside as fast as I can and close the door quickly before something falls out.  I have everything in there from the itty bitty jars that hold mere spoonfuls to the behemoth boxes that hold an entire meal.

The cleaning of the plastic cupboard is very low on my priority list.  Reading, napping or watching cheesy tv definitely takes precedence over rummaging around in a bunch of plastic bottoms and tops.  Maybe if popcorn or a  glass of wine was involved I might be persuaded to become more organized.  But I doubt it.

P

Almost Heaven

10/18/2012

Almost Heaven

You may have noticed that there was no blog this morning.  Reason?  A genuine lack of sleep caused me to oversleep!  I had barely enough time to swallow a cup of lukewarm coffee much less come up with something chatty for my blog.

Benjamin stayed the night with us and everything started off just fine.  Books were read, lights were turned off and two out of three of us (that would be Jeff and I) were ready to go to sleep.   The other person in our party was a bit chatty and wanted to be sure that I knew his tummy was growling and we should get up and feed it.  I assured Benjamin that if he went to sleep then his tummy wouldn't know it was hungry until breakfast.  I guess it was a good enough reason because he drifted off to sleep immediately.

Somewhere around midnight I realized I was being pummeled by a set of tiny but sturdy legs.  I decided it was easier to get up and sleep in the other room.  Good thing I did because after I got out of bed I realized that Benjamin was sleeping diagonal and I knew it would be a losing battle to try and straighten him up.

While sleeping (not really) during the night I heard Benjamin wake up and tell Jeff that his tummy was growling and they should get up.  I remained, in the other room, very still - there was no way I was going to get involved in this discussion!  Benjamin thought milk and cookies was the way to go but Jeff didn't see it that way.  I don't know what Jeff told him but he went right back to sleep.

I woke up at 5:50 this morning and was out the door by 6:15.  With all my natural beauty I just wash and go!  My hair dries on my way to work and my makeup consists of just lipstick so I hardly need anytime at all to be ready.  Luckily, Benjamin didn't wake up while I was getting dressed so there were no teary good-byes for the two of us.

Up to the point of being kicked around a bit, Benjamin curled up in my arms and we hugged and said our "I love you" to each other.  When doing this with a child, particularly a small child, it's almost heaven.  And definitely worth one night of not sleeping.

P

Time

10/17/2012

Time

Everybody gets the same 24 hours every day.  How you choose to spend them is up to you.  Everybody is different as are their priorities.  The more disciplined among us may decide to work more (boring) while we sloths pick sleep or time on the sofa preparing to go to sleep.

The interesting thing about time is that it seems to be different through the week than the weekend.  Oh I know it's the same 24 hours, I'm not completely off my rocker.  It's just that time zooms by on Saturday and Sunday.  One minute you're reading the paper and enjoying a second cup of coffee and before you know it, it's time to fix dinner.  Where did the day go you wonder?  I ask this question each and every weekend.

Contrarily, those same daylight hours during the week drag by.  An eight hour day seems to be well an eight hour day.  The difference in these 8 hours is that they take forever to end.  Or does it just seem that way as we sit and watch all the various time devices on our desk tick the minutes off.  Both my computer and telephone will tell me, to the minute, what time it is - which generally is one minute later than the last time I looked!

I do know that when you are heads down on a project and hardly break to eat, those kind of days definitely zip by.  A slower day is harder to bear and all you want to do is pound your head against the desk and literally wish the time away.  Or, if you're not into head banging, pack up your bag and go home (which sounds like a great idea)!

Time is not created equally - 8 hours is not always 8 hours - it just depends on what you're doing.  Everybody knows that fun time always ends too quickly while the same can't be said for our work time.

Go to work - count the minutes!

P

Benjamin

10/16/2012

Benjamin

For those of you who don't know, Benjamin is my 4 year old grandson who lights up my world.  And today Benjamin is coming to stay until Thursday.  What a treat.  When Benjamin visits he divides his time between our house and our neighbor Kim.  Kim, now referred to as Auntie Kim, and her family were a big help (and still are) to Jeff and I when Benjamin was a baby and lived with us.  Kim is much more physical than I am so she helps out with the running, jumping and burning off little boy energy.  I am the quiet spot at the end or beginning of his day.  We read books, play in his kitchen and watch his favorite movies while munching on popcorn.  It's unique,  it works and always has.

My reward after working all day will be to come home and see Benjamin and we hope those eight hours go by really fast!  Experience tells me that the hands of time will move just as fast today as they did yesterday.

I hope you have something to look forward to at the end of your day.

P

Little Treasures

10/15/2012

Little Treasures

What little treasures do you keep?  I'll share mine and you can share yours.  In my dresser is a small jar of teeth (gross to some of you I know) that the tooth fairy collected from three boys over many years.  Who they belong to, I have no idea.  Why do I keep them?  Can't really answer that either I just know I can't toss them out.  I'm pretty sure that some day the boys will come across the jar of teeth and give them the heave-ho.  But for now they don't take up much space and I'm going to keep them.

I keep acorns.  Oh not just any acorns just special ones.  We had a large oak tree that died and had to be taken down and it was sad.  So before it was hauled away I collected some acorns from that beautiful tree and kept them.  Silly?  Sure but again they are small and impossible to throw out.

My new cleaning lady who is very efficient and thorough found a pair of Ben's little bitty socks behind the dryer one day.  If you're thinking I tossed them out you'd be wrong.  I washed them and clipped them to a magnet on the back door.  Creepy?  I don't think so, they remind me of Ben when he was small and that's a treasured memory for me.  

I collect rocks and shells and have filled several large jars with the things I've collected over the years.  I can't tell you where I found these beauties, I just know that I picked them up somewhere and some time.  I carried the wet and sandy shells and rocks home with me to be washed and put on display and that's a good enough reason for me to keep them.  On my desk at work is a jar filled with sand from various beaches and shells.  On a really bad day I open the jar and the ocean is right there.  It's an "ah" moment when I need it the most.

My cedar chest is full of Ben's art, I keep it all.  I date each piece and pack them safely away.  I am very sentimental and know that once you toss something out you are never going to get it back.  The things I save are my memories.  I can reach out and touch and smell them whenever I want.  When I open up my cedar chest memories flow over me.  Ribbons from flowers, sympathy cards, baby things, my wedding dress and the last letter I received from my mother.  It's all there and they're mine.  When the chest becomes full I will have to make a difficult decision - clean out the chest or buy another one.  I think you already know what I'm going to do.  I'm keeping my treasures around me for as long as I can.  They are mine, they are unique and I love them.

P

Money is No Object

10/15/2012

Money is No Object

My sister recently asked me if money was no object what three things would I buy?   It took me about three seconds before I had my answer.  Apparently back there in the cobwebs of my mind I have pondered this subject before - many times.

Since we can't buy world peace I decided to just go all out materialistic.  At first I thought tummy tuck.  What woman at my age wouldn't want that.  BUT then I thought maybe I should have everything pulled from my ankles up and then they could just cut all the excess off (quite a bit) and I'd get an entirely new body.  That would be much better than just fixing one area of the old bod.  Don't you agree?

Second, would be my most wished for trip to Italy and the Isle of Murano in particular.  I am an avid collector of Murano glass and would someday love to see these Italian artisans at work.  I would also need to bring an empty suitcase for all the treasures I would surely buy.

Thirdly, a second home.  Close to the ocean, big porch, lots of windows, large library and filled with all the electronic reading devices I've accumulated over the years!  Maybe I'd throw in a few real books for looks. 

Well that's my wish list.  Emphasis on wish.  It's true I could probably make the trip to Italy happen and my second home I already have sort of.  My second home just happens to have a tail number and resides at an airport but thanks to my "mobile" home my address isn't permanent and can be changed at a moment's notice (weather permitting)!  Maybe what I'm really looking for is a "mobile" home that is bigger and faster than the one we currently own.

What do you wish for?

Enjoy Monday.

P

Elevator Music!

10/13/2012

Elevator Music!

Why the exclamation point you ask?  Because the music that is piped in to sooth us at stores, doctor's office and on the radio commonly referred to as elevator music happens to be the music of my youth and probably yours.  Hence the exclamation!

When did the music of the 60's (which I remember the clearest) that drove my parents and yours insane become background music?  An instrumental version of Yellow Submarine?  Really?   In the 60's we had great music (in my humble opinion) and I still listen to it today.  We had love songs such as Tell Laurie I Love Her which was one downer of a song and yet was a hit and still played often today.  Herman's Hermits were Standing on the Corner, the Beach Boys were Surfing USA and Dionne Warwick was On Her Way to San Jose.  There was Elvis of course (who didn't love him), Rolling Stones, Three Dog Night, Brenda Lee, Connie Francis, Mamas and Papas, Peter, Paul and Mary and The Chiffons (lovely songs) just to name a few.  Ever listen to any songs by the 1910 Fruit Gum Company?  Good stuff.

Anyway, the music that I listen to while getting my teeth drilled or before falling asleep at night tend to be the instrumental versions (most often) of groups such as these.  The youth of today may scoff at our rock 'n roll era but that music has stood the test of time.  And, I'm pretty sure that we won't be listening to the songs of today on an elevator anytime soon - at least I hope not!

Tune into an oldies station and dance down memory lane, you'll enjoy it. 

P

 

Battle of the Leaves

10/12/2012

Battle of the Leaves

If you live somewhere besides where palm trees sway, then you know what time of year it is - leaf pick-em-up time.  I have a love/hate relationship with my oak tree.  The majority of the year she is magnificent; but, right now I'm in the getting tired of picking up after her phase.  Admittedly, the squirrels are no help, they chew on the small branches and send them to the ground.  The wind blows still others down and before you know it the yard looks like a hurricane just came through and you know it's time to rake - AGAIN.

Our neighbor also has an oak tree and for all the years that we have lived next door to them, there is only one couple picking up leaves and it's not them.  The theory that folks don't understand and it's really simple is this - eventually somebody HAS to pick up the stupid leaves.  They can blow all over your yard and down the street but eventually some poor sap is going to actually have to bag them up or we'd be buried in oak and maple leaves.  Well guess who that sap has been for the past 26 years?  Yup, you're looking at her.  Why you ask?  Two reasons: I can't stand a messy yard (something to do with my OCD I think) and I also don't believe that my leaves should be allowed to blow willy-nilly into my other neighbor's yard who doesn't own a leaf dropping tree.

Trying to always be positive, we think of leaf bagging as intentional exercise which it is. But does that mean I have to pick up all the leaves on the street?  Apparently so since I'm among the minority who have those lovely brown bags lined up at the curb on recycle day.  For now I'm clinging to the vision of the tree in all it's glory during the summer!

P

Parenting

10/11/12

Parenting

I have three adult sons which means that I survived their growing up years.  And, I use the word "survived" loosely.  If you are at the present time raising children, let me give you hope.  The child years that are currently causing you to pull out your hair will seem like a piece of cake once your little ones grow up and become adults.  I know I've been there. 

I remember on an occasional bad day(s), wishing I could hit the fast forward button on life - theirs in particular.  And then it happened.  While I wasn't looking I was watching my youngest son graduate from college and while I should have been focused on the speaker, I instead concentrated on my memories and where the years had gone.  Where was the rewind button? Believe me when I tell you that once they grow up you don't get those years back - ever.

With small children you mostly have small problems that in reality are only big in the moment.  Small children have fewer options since we as adults tell them when to go to bed, when to get up, what to eat and where to go.  For the most part they comply at least while they are really young.  Attitude seems to come with the business of growing up and I will tell you that I had push back as the boys became older and bigger than me!

The boys are all on their own now which is the way parenting is supposed to turn out.  You - empty nest.  Them - on their own.  However, with adult children come their adult-sized problems.  You are no longer dealing with a scraped knee or a hurt ego both of which can easily be fixed.  Now the problems they bring to you are biggies and there's not much (or anything) that you can do about it.  So you listen and allow them to blow off steam in your general direction because that's what kids do.  This letting go process may be cathartic for them but may leave you feeling drained and helpless.

My parents had a very different outlook on parenting and perhaps yours did as well.  Once you left the house at 18 you were no longer their problem.  I doubt very much that my parents spent many sleepless nights worrying on my behalf after I became an adult.  I can't say the same for myself.  I want to wave my magic wand at all their problems and make them go away.  I still want to protect them the way I did years ago and know that I can't and shouldn't.

Watching your child stretch his wings and "fly" away is a major accomplishment for all of you and part of life.  I get that it needs to occur - but it comes so quickly (at least that's how I see it now). 

My job now is to sit back and watch the boys tend to their own business as adults.  Yes I can offer advice when it's solicited - but not before.  They have their life's to live and if I've done my job well then they have all the necessary tools in place to succeed.  Believing that I did my job the best way I knew how allows me some peace (but not all the time!) as I watch them move through the world in their own and unique ways. 

P

The Weirdness of Eating Food

10/10/12

The Weirdness of Eating Food

I know you're thinking seriously, but just give me a minute.  There are people, and I'm thinking of myself now, who have some quirks about eating food. 

Here's an example - candy corn.  What kid didn't grow up eating those cute little sugary bits.  I, for instance, NEVER just popped one in my mouth - nope, first I bit the yellow part off, followed by the orange and finally the white tip.  Candy corn was always eaten that way - no exceptions.

Oreos are another fine example of food that some people eat differently.  As a child I'd separate the cookies and scrape the white filling (best part) off before eating the leftover cookies.  Trust me if they had just sold the white filling, I'd have been first in line.  As an adult, I have learned to control myself and no longer feel the need to unscrew a cookie in order to eat it.  But you can bet that I made sure Benjamin knew that the cookie came apart!

I worked with a man who separated his M&Ms by color before eating.  I have no earthly idea, he just did.  He also swore that certain colors tasted differently but through many trial sessions of my own still don't know what he's talking about.

I had a friend who ate his pie from the wide end first.  He liked crust and the wide end has the most so it made sense to him to start there.  Looked a bit odd; but, who are we to judge.

Then there are the dunkers.  And you know who you are.  I confess I'm a dunker but try not to do it when Jeff is around.  He finds the bits that fall to the bottom of a glass or cup disturbing and I think it's more like finding buried treasure.  AND, there is a science to dunking.  You learn, through trial and error, which cookies can be dunked longer and which ones will quickly disintegrate in liquid.  By the way biscotti is the super best for dunking - you can dunk them for practically forever!

Peanut butter and Karo syrup.  Super icky but one of my Mom's favorite snacks.  She stirred those two foods together and I'm not even going to try to describe what it looked like but she swore that it was good.  Maybe it was but I was too chicken to even try it.

Toast and bacon is another area where people can be divided.  For instance, I want my toast black and the bacon cooked until it's nearly charred.  There is an advantage of being the one in a family that prefers food this way - nobody else will touch it!    I leave my boys to eat lightly toasted bread and limp bacon.  Maybe there is a method to my madness.

So as you eat your breakfast or lunch today and you realize that you dunk you tea bag EXACTLY 20 times or scrape the edges off of your sandwich or find yourself taking a cookie apart to eat it, realize you are in good company.  Most of us, at least those of us who will admit it, have certain quirks about food and that's a good thing - it makes us unique.

P

Possible

10/9/2012

Possible - Word of the Day

There are many things we control in our life.  For instance, I believe it's possible to make your own happiness and peace.  I believe it's also possible to create your own downward spiral into dark places.  I know I've managed to do both during my life time and with regard to that downward part, more than once.

It's possible to completely change a person's day with an upbeat voice, positive attitude and a genuine smile on your face.  Don't think so?  Try it - I've seen it happen countless times.  On my crummiest days (and I've had more than a few) I still try and meet folks at work with a smile and enthusiasm.  

It's possible to love many people all at the same time.  Your love your children, grandchildren, spouse, friends, extended family and most importantly - yourself.  There's enough love to go around so that nobody should feel short changed.  I'm enough of a realist though to know that sometimes people are on the short end of the stick and generally through no fault of their own. 

Our journey through life is filled with potholes, some of which might be expected and others that appear out of nowhere and swallow us whole.  Now how you approach these potholes will have a profound effect on how fast you hop back on your feet. I believe it's possible through positive thinking to get back on your feet faster.  I know I'm a fine one to talk about this because on more than one occasion I've been handed lemons and instead of making lemonade I allowed them to just leave me sour.  But even if I'm not the best example, I still believe it.

Here's the challenge.  Try the possible today.  Do something for someone and expect nothing in return. The size of what you do doesn't matter - the challenge is to just do it.  Give some spare change to a homeless person, smile at a stranger, hold a door open for someone, buy coffee for the person behind you.  Well you get the idea.  The possibilities are endless.  Once you've helped out a fellow man, it's possible that your day will turn out better than expected!  It's possible.

P

What Does Your Car Say About You?

10/8/2012

What Does Your Car Say About You?

Have you ever passed by someone's parked car and looked inside (and you know you have) and was literally blown away the accumulation inside?  I have seen cars filled with used coffee cups, tissues, fast food wrappers, gym bags, food crumbs, newspapers, clothes bound for the cleaners (hopefully) and even their mail.  I recently had to ride with someone and in order for me to get in the front seat, they had to literally empty the passenger seat and floor before I could sit down.

Cars with car seats means a parent or grandparent.  That's simple.  I have Ben's car seat (correction booster seat now since he's a big boy) bolted in the back.  Also, a minivan is generally an indication of a soccer mom - young children, carpools and sports equipment.  I owned several of those "Mom" mobiles until the boys thankfully became old enough to drive and I could return to a less obvious, and more fun to drive, car.

Inside of my car - in you're wondering - isn't much.  There is a small box in the way back that houses an extra sweater, umbrella, emergency blanket and a rain hat.  In the winter I add an ice scraper to the mix.  There are a few small toys sitting in Ben's car seat waiting for his return and a children's book in the side pocket of the door.  The DVD is preloaded with Ben's favorite movie "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" which I believe Jeff and I could now recite word for word!

During my daily commute I don't drink or eat anything and I strongly discourage others from doing so.  I'm in my car to drive - period.  I don't want crumbs or a spill on the seats or carpet.  Years ago I sold an old Volvo to a friend of our mechanic.  The buyer of my car apparently spent a weekend taking out the seats so that he could clean under them.  He found nothing, not even a run away M&M.  He was amazed.  I was not.

When Ben came along I relaxed my eating and drinking rules a bit, partly for the sanity it afforded me during our commute.  Once he was old enough he loved to eat raisins or drink milk from a cup while enjoying the scenery from the interstate.  I learned to live with the occasional drops of milk from a sippy cup and tried to remember to pick up loose raisins when we got home and BEFORE they were ground into the carpet.  Today, when Ben is riding in my car a trip to McDonald's is high on his list.  He always orders chicken nuggets, French fries, chocolate milk and the toy of course.  I ALWAYS sit in the backseat to help him maneuver the food and in particular the milk.  For a four year old he's actually pretty neat and so far (fingers crossed) have never had a chocolate milk spill (for which I'm grateful)!

What does your car say about you?

Sunday Night Television

10/7/2012

Sunday Night Television

What I'm about to write is somewhat (or maybe a lot) inflammatory.  But bear in mind it's my opinion and in the big scheme of things doesn't matter.  I just want to get it off my chest.

The subject: football.  I'm not a football fan, never have, never will.  I do, however, realize how important it is to millions of people.  And then there's me.  I have an impressive Sunday night television show schedule and one that is constantly being interrupted by football.  You want to watch football, great.  Couldn't football have it's own channel?  It would be heaven for the fans - one game after another.  And heaven for me as well.  I wouldn't have to start checking at 7:00 to see how long the game is going to go and how much time I'm going to have to add to my last show of the evening.  It's an impressive piece of juggling on my part.

I also fault the channels themselves.  There is GREAT tv watching on Sunday night which dwindles down as the week progresses.  I think the reasoning behind this is almost everyone is home on Sunday night, whereas Friday and Saturday nights would draw a lighter audience.  I had to upgrade to a 4 tuner Tivo to keep pace with the shows that run on Sunday.  Thank heaven for premium channels so I can move off a show (like Homeland) to another day.  Of course, if I didn't have some kind of recorder then I'd really have a dilemma.  Remember the days when you had to choose between this show or that one?  I do.  Of course there was some really good television being shown back then and reality shows weren't even a twinkle in anybody's eye.

So, there you have it folks.  I, would like to see football, or any sport for that matter, be sequestered on to a separate channel or channels.  Don't hate me for my opinion, just not a sports fan and have never pretended to be.  

I have already programmed my line up for tonight and managed to get in all the Sunday night shows that Jeff and I watch, including two new ones: Upstairs, Downstairs and Nashville. Lot of hype about Nashville so I'm anxious to see if it actually measures up.

P