Downton Abby

1/6/2013

Downton Abby

 

I don’t know if you love this show as much as Jeff and I do, but be aware that season three starts on Sunday.  My Tivo is prepped to record, because Sunday night seems to always have the best television and requires a certain amount of juggling to fit everything in.

In an article in The Washington Post I was able to find a list of foods  that a family and/or staff possibly would eat during the period of time being depicted.  Some of the dishes sound downright reasonable and others not so much.

French 75: a sparking wine cocktail

Deviled Eggs: no explanation needed.  Probably the same today as then.

Broiled Oysters with Peach and Paprika:  Okay, I would definitely pass on this one.

Basic Roast Chicken:  Still a staple in many homes today.

Beef and Guinness Stew:  Sounds yummy but this dish was definitely made for the staff.  Uppers didn’t eat stew!

Shepherd’s Pie:  Another down under the stairs dish.  And one I like very much.

Shiitake Beef Wellingtons:  I was fine right up to the mushrooms, which I just can’t stand.

Irish Whiskey Cake:  Probably not recommended for children or tea drinkers.

Victoria Sandwich Cake:  Sounds yummy to me.

Sticky Toffee Pudding:  I know just by the name that I would love this dessert very much.

So on Sunday night, grab your pint of ice cream, which requires no preparation, except for getting the spoon out of the drawer and sit down and enjoy a really good show.  Oh and in keeping with appearances remember to raise your pinkies when drinking your tea!

P

Routines

1/5/2012

 

Routines

Though Sam and Maggie cannot communicate with words – they do manage to get their wishes known using other canine methods.  For instance, in the mornings when my alarm goes off, I am safe up and until I turn off my CPAP machine.  Once I have done that all bets are off about snoozing just a bit longer.  Maggie, in particular, believes that her throat has been cut during the night and she will perish without her food NOW.  Sam, isn’t much of a morning eater, but he MUST pee on the boxwood by the front porch every morning and every night before he goes to bed.  I do feel sorry for the boxwood.

While Sam is busy outside sniffing around to make sure that he gets the correct bush, Maggie is busy dancing around in circles waiting for Sam to return and the eating to begin.

Sam gets a very little amount of food in the morning compared to what Maggie has in her bowl.  Doesn’t matter.  It’s a no contest about who finishes first – yep Maggie every time.  Sam seems to enjoy every bite that he takes while Maggie, like most labs, is an “inhaler”.  The food disappears quickly and often before I have even got a cup of coffee warmed up!

Once fed the dogs return to the bed where Jeff remains sleeping and now they are quite content to spend hours lounging.  They aren’t exactly couch potatoes – definitely more bed potatoes.  Once the blinds are opened, they can patrol while resting on the bed and without having to move anything heavier than eyelids.  A perfect world.

In the afternoon when I get home the dogs receive their small package of “burger” food.  This is Sam’s favorite so the package is divided 90% for Sam and 10% Maggie.  If I want any peace when I get home, I must feed them immediately and THEN I can change my clothes and read the paper.  If I delay, there is a lot of pushing and barking until I notice them.

Television time is generally quiet but there is a fair amount of jostling between Sam and Maggie for the coveted middle spot on the sofa.  Our sofa has recliners on both ends – so those are definitely not designated as dog sitting spots.  But the middle cushion is a highly desirable piece of real estate in the dog world.  You will normally find Sam smack dab in the middle of the cushion with Maggie looking forlornly at Jeff and I.  What she wants of course is for us to “encourage” Sam to move.  Sam is willing to sit on a lap but this requires cajoling on our part.  Once Sam has moved, sometimes reluctantly, Maggie moves in.  The sofa at this point is full and no person or animal wants to get up and leave an empty spot that would then be ripe for invasion.

How do the dogs know when it’s time to go to bed?  Once the television and the lights are off, Sam bolts off the sofa like he is rocket fueled.  He KNOWS that it’s time to get to go out front and mark his favorite bush once again.  Once he has done that, he is quite happy to go upstairs and claim the best spot on the bed. 

It amazes Jeff and I how easily the two dogs maneuver for position.  Maggie was already here when we adopted Sam.  Initially, it wasn’t pretty; but, now they seem to respect the other’s rights to the prime spot in the bed – the middle equipped with a pillow!

My dogs, and likely yours as well, don’t need clocks to tell them what time it is, simple routine marks their days and deviations are upsetting.  Jeff is traveling next week which means that Sam will miss him to the point of not eating.  Last time Jeff was gone Sam went into a steady decline all week and I was convinced he was going to need medical attention.  The minute Jeff came home, Sam became the bouncing terrier he always is – he just missed Jeff and he showed it by not eating and doing a fair amount of crying.  I think next week I will give Sam an old shirt of Jeff’s to lay on, perhaps that will help.

When Benjamin visits the routine and hierarchy changes a bit.  That coveted spot on the sofa?  It becomes Ben’s place and Maggie makes sure we know she is displeased by shooting us looks with the saddest eyes possible.   As for the bed – that prime middle spot becomes Benjamin’s as well.  I have on more than one occasion heard Benjamin speak up in the middle of the night to tell Maggie to move because once Benjamin is asleep Maggie begins to push herself in between Benjamin and Jeff.

Once trained, dogs as well as cats, fall into the rhythm of a household easily and they don’t like change very much.  Since I don’t like change either, Sam, Maggie and I get along famously with our near constant routine.

P

Guns, Pretend Guns and Children

1/4/2012

 

Guns, Pretend Guns and Children

I am just as opposed as the next person about children being able to access guns, take them to school or out to play, and in a moment of curiosity someone dies. 

What I am at odds with is the severe punishment being dispensed toward children who, while at school, point their finger in a gun-like fashion. These children are young and are being suspended from school.  Really?  Have we lost all sense of right and wrong?  Appears so.  Perhaps in this day and age, and Sandy Hook being so recent, a child who is pretending to shoot could be talked to, but I disagree with suspension.

Our boys did play with guns when they were growing up and they enjoyed playing cops and robbers or Indians and cowboys.  They also had water guns with which they actually “shot” at one another.  Did this kind of play damage them?  I can assure you it hasn’t.  What they were engaging in as small children was play – nothing more.

I’m not suggesting that every parent should buy their children toy guns.  It’s a personal decision, I know and I respect that.  My experience though has taught me that boys can pretend almost anything is a gun.  They will use their fingers, a ruler, stick, pencil or pen.  It’s imagination play and they grow out of it. 

Apparently in Hawaii the legislators sought, but failed, to make it a crime to sell a toy gun to anyone younger than 18.  I’m astounded that anyone would try to push through such a bill. And had it passed what would the consequences have been for a child owing/having a gun?

Maybe I’m too liberal and was too lax when raising the boys.  I allowed them to eat dog kibble, play in the mud, have pretend wars and eat raw cake mix.  And trust me that’s just naming a few of the things that the boys did while growing up. You have to let children play – it’s one way they learn. 

I don’t think toy guns or finger guns are the problem.  Seen any of the video games the kids play today?  They are all about killing (violently) and children sit and play these games for hours.  These games make toy guns look mild in comparison.

Unfortunately, violence is all around children today – but they must still be allowed to be children.  Parents can and should teach their children how to know the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.  

Here is a quote from Jonathan Turley who is a professor as well as a member of USA Today’s Board of  Contributors.  “Toy guns are no more the cause of violence than toy kitchen sets are the cause of obesity.  Hundreds of millions of men grew up with toy guns and never turned to a life of spasmodic violence. On this issue, kids seem a lot more sophisticated than their parents.  They know it’s just a game.”

P

Weirdest Parts of "Fiscal Cliff" Bill

1/3/2013

 

Ten Weirdest parts of the “fiscal cliff” bill.

I don’t generally pay too much attention to politics or world affairs, but I happened upon an article whose title above was too hard to resist reading. Timing is everything because just yesterday I sent a notice to all my drivers that their paychecks were going to get smaller starting next week.

So forgetting the big stuff in the bill let’s explore some, but not all, of the corporate tax breaks and provisions that managed to get pulled into the bill.  I didn’t know about “tax extenders” or the roughly $205 billion in tax breaks for corporations.

Nascar.  Sec. 312 extends the seven year recovery period for motorsports entertainment complex property”.  Or putting it simply allows anyone who builds a racetrack will get a tax break. This is projected to cost $43 million over two years.

Railroads.  Sec. 306 provides tax credits to certain railroads for maintaining their tracks.  This is worth roughly $165 million a year.

Disney.  Sec. 317 is an “extension of special expensing rules for certain film and television productions.  Clearly a subsidy to Hollywood studios and is projected to cost $150 million for 2010 and 2011.

Mining.  Sec. 307 and 316 offer tax incentives for miners to buy safety employment and train their employees on safety.  Really?

Goldman Sachs.  In a nutshell Goldman got $1.6 billion in tax free financing for their new massive headquarters through Liberty Bonds.

Tax Credits for Foreign Subsidiaries.  This provision cost $1.5 billion from 2010 and 2011.  It is a provision that allows US multinationals to not pay taxes on income earned by companies they own abroad.

Banks.  This allows American corporations such as banks and manufacturers to engage in certain lending practices and NOT pay taxes on income earned form it.  Supporters of the bill include GE, Caterpillar and JP Morgan.

Rum Tax.  Congress currently levies an excise tax worth $13.50 per gallon on rum produced in or imported to the United States.  Most of that money is transferred to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands who use the revenue to support their rum industries.  In 2009 this tax raised $547 million.

Electric Scooters.  Section 403 of the bill extends a credit for 2 or 3 wheeled plug in electric vehicles. 

What makes me angry?  That my drivers, who work hard and have mouths to feed, are going to receive less in their paychecks this year.  But we certainly don’t want the corporations to have to suffer along with them.  Again, I really do feel sorry for the little guy, for it seems that he perpetually gets screwed.

P

Yesterday

1/2/2013

Yesterday

How did you spend New Year's Day?  There were parades and bowl games on television to watch and possible hangovers to nurse.  Back in the day it was considered a real holiday and stores were CLOSED.  This is no longer the case and there are a number of stores open yearning for your business and tempting you with after Christmas sales of seasonal goodies that you will have to STORE for 364 more days!  It's amazing to me that people even want to enter a store, except for necessities, so soon after the holidays.

I spent yesterday in a whirlwind of effort bustling around the office and really getting things done.  I have marked and sealed up three boxes of old battery sales for Kenny to take away this afternoon to store at his house.  I cleaned, filed (yes I really did), sorted, tossed and in general tidied up - at least my half of the office!

Before you announce me a saint, trust me I took my coffee breaks.  Lunch was taken while watching some new kind of show called Mystery Diners where they go into your restaurant "undercover" and see what your employees are doing when you're not around.  What they're doing is downright amazing and led to terminations.  It's too bad that they don't have a show called Mystery Battery Workers!  With our cameras we see enough stupid stuff so I can't imagine what goes on where we can't see!  Maybe ignorance is bliss.

In the afternoon Scott came over to take Jeff out to play.  They drove to Lancaster, PA to "look" at a generator for Scott's new house (yet to be built).  Apparently if you go out to look at a generator it has the same effect on the buyer as does new puppies and kittens!  This generator is huge and stands about 5' tall and is 9' long!  Basically, the Tim Allen of generators.  Did Scott like it?  Nope - he loved it and this wonderful machine is now his.  Good news?  The seller has agreed to store the generator until Scott is ready to install it, which will be much later this year.

Jeff and I really started something among the boys when we bought our generator "Jenny" a few years ago.  Since Scott and Andy are both going to be living out in the sticks, with septic tanks and wells, it means real sense for them to have their own Jennies.  Now that all of us are equipped and the search for a generator is over, I just can't imagine what the next gadget (although calling a 50W generator a gadget is a bit of a stretch) on the wish list will be.  Men and their toys!

Today instead of lounging around and having a leisurely read over a second cup of coffee, I'm finishing this up and getting myself dressed and ready to hit 270 for the morning commute. I only dread going to work while I'm getting ready - once I'm tucked in my cube all is good.  

Have a happy Wednesday.

P

Happy New Year

1/1/2013

Happy New Year

How many times in the coming weeks will you forget and write down 2012?  From experience I know that it's more than just a few times until your brain permanently disengages from the old year.  Jeff and I were watching a movie last night and actually saw in the new year.  Have to say as I headed up for bed, it felt exactly like the old year.

On my here's hoping list of things that I would like to see happen this year is:

1. World peace.  You can't start a list without that one - it's never gonna happen - but you must list it anyway.
2. I would like Congress to actually accomplish something this year.  I believe most of us agree on this one.  Cross the party lines and fix something - anything.  That's what they get the big bucks and all the perks for.
3. Legalize gay marriages in all states and give ALL relationships the same rights.  
4. Provide better and accessible mental health to everyone.  This is a biggie in my book.
5. Get tougher on drunk drivers and aggressive ones as well.
6. Protect the children.
7. Feed the hungry.

It's not a long list I know but it's my top beefs in no particular order.  I'll check in at the end of the year and we'll see how much has been accomplished - but I'm not holding my breath on some of these issues.

Tomorrow officially marks the end of the "fa la la" season and everybody who has been off since the 24th will stagger back into their offices and face the mountain of emails that are waiting for them.  Christmas decorations will be taken down in cubbies and returned to the filing room to collect dust for another year.  Old calendars will be taken down and replaced with fresh new ones that have not yet been scribbled on.  Leftover and stale holiday goodies will be tossed out for two reasons: (1) they're stale and (2) everybody wants to start the new year off without overdosing on sugar in the first few days.

It is a new year and it feels like one.  Everybody starts on a new page and has another year within which to make history, make a difference, make amends or make new friends.  What you do with the new year is entirely up to you - ultimately you control you and the things that you do.  Let's raise our coffee cups to the possibilities of the new year.

P