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 |   Nadanother blog...sheesh, I guess I DO blog. Completed. |
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I've had a rich past, yet am making a new one with plenty of life's experiences to draw from! I invite you to come along and see what trouble I get into. I'll blog about my life, present, past... whatever comes to mind at the time. I'll try not to be too serious most of the time, heck we get enough of that just living. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Happy New Year! For the mirroring blog series we do on Saturdays:
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| I think I know why people like to pop that wrapping insulation stuff, bubble wrap. You can control when you hear the "POP" sound, so you are not scared out of whatever dimension your mind was exploring. I absolutely despise the sound a balloon makes when it gets popped suddenly. Actually, there isn't such a thing as it popping slowing. It can deflate slowly from a pinhole leak made near the blow-up area where there is no strain, but if you poke it where it is thinnest, fullest it always "pops". Balloons are good analogies to life. Slowly life fills you up with the breaths of experience, exhaled by you into the sum of the total, your balloon, if you will. You can't inhale them back into you, for they have changed from being the oxygen of your driving life force, into the weight of carbon dioxide. Pure poison when inhaled too much. Sure, you can taste little "old" breaths sometimes, but only mixed in with the inhalation of the new experiences does it become life sustaining. We learn from multiple tastes of mixing those exhales, or we should. If we don't, our body takes the poison of the carbon dioxide and blows it into the next similar shape that comes along, thinking it is a perfect fit. Soon, our life is surrounded by the bad balloons of our choices and until we bunch them together and realize they are all the same color we keep doing it. Then we see we don't want bouquets of balloons in just one color anymore. Smart people will let go of those balloons, letting them soar up and away from you, leaving you free to start collecting the new colors of your life balloons. You can be walking along holding your new bouquet, happy and content you have achieved this when suddenly one pops...it is gone. A perfectly good day is ruined by the loss of one of your prized balloons. You are sometimes left with the little bits of its colored shell, mourning the loss, wondering why. But once the balloon is gone, it's up to our memory to bring it back, or not. At other times, you look at the bounty of your balloons and notice one is getting smaller. Soon it drags on the ground beside you, unable to rise with the others anymore. What do you do? Do you feverishly try to blow it up again, or do you tuck it away in your scrapbook, where you can see the small, original form and relish how much pleasure it gave you? The choices are not always yours, to pop it or deflate it. But when one startles you by popping, remember it had a weak spot and a strong spot, it pays to know where they are in your life. Do you know yours yet?    |
I Second that Emotion-Part 9 ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** "Wild Thing" 1966 Sung by The Troggs Please follow the link to find this entry:
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| Yes, it seems our niece Ashley is expecting their first child in August. I received the invitation to her baby shower yesterday. I knew just from the Tiffany box blue-colored envelope that some event in their family was about to happen. I'm sorry, but I never have been one of those people who goes to a stationery store and ordered elaborate, clever printed theme invitations. Okay, so I have had invites printed twice twice, once for my wedding, and once for my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary. But you won't catch me ordering engraved invites for our ......hmmmm, anything actually. They are nice, festooned with seahorses, French silver ribbons, etc., but 69 cents just to mail the thing? I suppose I was raised under a different set of priorities. I like to think I am more...um practical, but then I live in a broken down ranch-house, not a Villa in Montecito. Oh, and to carry out the theme I was asked to, "Splash my reply by June 20th."  O-h-h-kay.Anyway, I'm thrilled to be invited, it's going to be at Christine's home, one Sunday in late June, for lunch. Also in the invite was a handy little see through, underwater stylized, seahorse and ribbon tied gift registry list. Yep, three stores, two were online, so quite handy. Until I went online to the first registry, I didn't know they were expecting a boy. I guess they are pretty sure as all the clothing etc. is for a boy. I also didn't realize the extent of "organic" stuff for babies. I read through them...and then I started laughing. Is some of this for real? I mean, am I so out of touch with reality anymore? I know, you're dying to know what the heck I'm talking about. Okay, here is my list of the most stupid things I ran across with prices...and I'm sorry, I may have to exceed five, but I'll keep it in a multiple of five. 1. Bamboozles-a fitted diaper consisting of four layers of bamboo fabric that is fantastically soft and beautiful. $18.50  About the fiftieth time you reuse this do you really care how beautiful it is?2. bumgenius! 3.0 On-Size cloth diaper (grasshopper green) $19.95 What can I say?3. California Baby calming massage oil $11.95 Maybe I need to send Brett certificates.4. Common Sense Baby Powder $7.95 If it is named Common Sense you should have enough not to buy this. 5. Common Sense Diaper Rash Crème $8.95 Need this with those bumgenious thingies? 6. Diaper Pail 7 gallon $38.50 Tried the hardware store?7. Ergo Ultrasonic Humidifier by: Germ Guardian $229.99 They live at the beach.8. Happy Heiny's One Size Diaper. Award winning. $18.95 And the judging was at what event?  9. Lucky Jade cashmere dandelion baby gown, ivory. There couldn't be a more perfect outfit to bring baby home in. $60.00 In August?10. Sophie the giraffe natural rubber teether $19.95 Think dog toy.Alright, I probably shouldn't make fun, but come on...those of us who have had children recognize the excitement of your first born. Yes, it is a wonderful thing to start a family. Yes, we want to make sure our babies will be healthy, happy and well dressed, but....am I the only one who thinks this has gone a bit overboard? I love shopping for baby gifts, I really do. But what I don't understand is where it is written that you can't just use natural cotton diapers and who in the heck needs "hemp" diaper liners? Yes, I said hemp. If people the world over think we are "nuts" in California, I'm thinking we may be deserving of this. I also hear my niece wants to have the baby at home with a midwife, thanks to some Michael Moore style film she saw. I suppose that would explain her "freak out" after finding out the new couch she got was not filled with organic material as she thought, but ...gulp....acrylic stuffing! I heard it went something like this, "I..I...can't be expected to breastfeed on a non-organic couch!" Nope, we can't have that. How ever will I be able to keep a straight face at the shower? |
| No. That's the short answer. I'm still going to the gym, and the way I have it figured in 36 more sessions I should be seeing some results. Sure sounds better than three months...or does it? Hmmm. I must say I am not nearly as sore as the last few times, and this is a good thing. I like that they do supervise and not only do they point out when your form is not right, but they also compliment you when your form is perfect. That's so important. Tearing people down is so easy, building them up may take a little creativity, but the results are so much better. Who doesn't want to feel good about themselves? Today was my appointment with JoPaulo. What a great way to reward myself after doing something for my health, to follow it up with some time to pamper. He is a man who knows how to make a woman feel beautiful, no matter the age. I had him tone down the stripes...at least for this month, maybe a new pic later, but really I have tons to do with writing. I'm enjoying reading blogs, there are some very funny ones to lift my spirits. Ok, there are also a lot of bloggers with big problems, and I feel for them too. I'm not leaving comments in each one, but I will eventually, if the mood strikes. I don't expect ya'll to do it for me. I write for me, and if you enjoy or get something out of it, great! Time for me to end this for today. Dinner of Veal Picatta is calling.  Have a peaceful night. |
| Doing the weekly series has brought up a ton of memories for me, as does digging through my photos. Sometimes it is not enough to rely solely on my memory, so I took some steps recently to help me get a more complete picture. One of them is to register on a site that helps you to find school chums. Gawd, I had no idea who was going to come crawling out of the woodwork, if anyone. I put "now" and "then" photos in... apparently not many women people do. In fact, out of all the kids who graduated in my year, maybe a dozen even put in a photo. Gawd, how am I supposed to remember people if they don't put in a pic of themselves then? I mean I went to fourteen different schools in my life, I knew a ton of kids growing up. Anyway, I've been registered at both the high schools I went to, hoping to connect with the few I was close with. Interestingly enough I'm starting to get a trickle of emails. This site also tells me how many times people have been by to read my bio...oh, and it tells me WHO. So I see some names quite a few times...names I do not know, some who graduated in 1963...yes men. I get little notes, "Too bad you're married." Uh-h-h, too bad for whom? Do they really think I'm going to answer them? I haven't found any of the guys I actually knew. WHEW! However, today I did hit paydirt! Yes, somebody claims to maybe actually remember me! A woman whose name I remember emailed me: "I think I remember you, 40 + years is a long time. But I lived on the base at the time, and went to Highland. We weren't really close, but I remember being at your house a couple of times, for some reason. I think we may have had mutual friends. You look familiar, and at that time the name Sheila was unusual, I remember that. We talked about boys and cars, no surprise there. I think I remember you were just a little bitty thing, with a huge presence." Well, it is a beginning. I took a look at her profile and OMG, this is an old woman...has she not heard of haircolor? Well to be fair, she probably doesn't have a JoPaulo, and she does live in Oregon...her photo is um-m-m, very woodsy. Hey, looking at her gray hair reminds me I need to make an appointment. Seriously though, we are the same age, and I made some kind of impression, which is amazing to me.I also got a "visit" from a man who was in my class who went on to become a DJ ...so I wrote him saying I didn't know him, but does he have knowledge of a certain DJ? Of course this was back in 1963...something I plan on writing about in the expanded version. All in all I joined the site for three months, so it will be interesting to see who turns up, before I fade away. |
"I Second That Emotion"~Part eight ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** "Satisfaction" Sung by The Rolling Stones~1965 Please follow the link to find this entry:
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| That's a great song by the group called the Guess Who, and it came to mind when I realized exactly what I had done this morning. Look, I'm not Catholic or anything, but I find my blog to be a great confessional type place. It helps to get my brain crappola out where I can see exactly what color of brown I have managed to step in this time. So...this morning I took a shower, got most of my game face on and slipped into ....and I cringe saying this, some workout clothing. Hey, if this shocks you imagine how it felt to me to open one of the closet doors and see not one, or two, but three workout outfits left over from my foray into "gym-land" in....gulp...2004. Heck, I wasn't even blogging then. And to think I moved all of them TWO dang times since then and hadn't even worn them...gotta say that is some long term planning I was not even aware I WAS CAPABLE OF.So what happened to the ankle weight bargain I made myself...no shower until I worked out? Ummmm, it lasted one day. It's no fun laying on my closet floor all alone, with Frasier thinking I'm dyin' or something and drowning me with face licks. Today I drove down and joined ™Curves....again. ALL TOGETHER NOW..... "She's come undun She didn't know what she was headed for And when I found what she was headed for It was too late." This time I was smarter though, I'm not letting them into my checking account for a monthly withdrawal. Nosiree. I sat there and bargained hard with them...and saved myself a whole $45 by arguing I had paid the "one time fee" in 2004. And then I paid a year in advance and half of the one time fee. ALL TOGETHER NOW.... "She's come undun She didn't know what she was headed for And when I found what she was headed for Mama, it was too late." After that successful negotiation I was given instructions, ahem...a resfresher course on how to use all of those machines. I huffed and I puffed and cursed the day I ever set eyes on the building. Side note, this is a brand new building on a corner I made Hubby sell three years ago. ALL TOGETHER NOW..... "She's come undun She found a mountain that was far too high And when she found out she couldn't fly Mama, it was too late." Once I'd finished the punishment lessons I let them schedule me in for Saturday morning and got the heck outta there....straight to the drugstore to buy some Ibuprophen. There better be some kind of payoff, because to go through all that...I'd better be able to get into a bikini pair of Bermuda shorts and not jiggle, or there will be an Acura run clear through the front door. Ahhhh, I love confessionals....now where's my dang wafer and wine? |
| Just a little survey here, please raise your hand if you have done any of these. 1. So who has eaten fast food in their car? Uh-huh. 2. So who has eaten fast food in their car while driving? Yep, thought so. 3. So who has been on their way out of a mall store and made the "dreaded spur-of-the-moment purchase" without trying it on?Okay I see a couple of halfway raised hands. 4. Who has been eating and talking on their cellphone in the car while driving? Come on....oh okay that's better. 5. Lastly, who has almost wrecked their car while doing any of the above? Nobody huh. Me either. I suppose I just wanted reassurance that I am not the only one who thinks to herself, "Look, it's just two chicken strips...no lettuce, no tomato, no pickles, no onions, no mustard...nuffin' dangerous or difficult to eat! So there I was heading home from a tough day of returning an ill-fitting garment to the mall store and buying the soon-to-be-required BlueTooth thingamajobby for my cellphone...see # 3 above, when in the fast lane of the freeway you see the grocery store exit and realize I need to pick up something for dinner. No-o-o-o problemo. I look left. I look right. It's all clear so I make a 75 mph beeline across four lanes of the freeway and into the exit lane. A-h-h-h-h-h. I love it when a plan comes together. I arrived at the market with no unexpected delays. In fact I got to be a nice guy and let someone get into the left turn lane ahead of me. One never knows when driving kharma will come back to you. Found a parking space so close to the entrance I had to look twice to make sure it wasn't a blue Handicap marked one! I popped into the market to pick up the veggies I wanted for grilling. My arms laden with the yummy goods my stomach began to speak to me...okay, I'll hit the deli/take-out counter. There was a big guy in front of me, and when I finally got my head up to look at the back of the head ....I recognized that pony tail! Yep, it was Brett, the guy who sees me naked and could care less! My masseur. Tap...tap on his back with the end of the baguette....he turns and...SQUEALS..."OMG..OMG!!" He is more girly than any girl I know. He tries to give me a hug..."What are you doing here?" "Oh, I wanted a massage." I deadpan. He looks at me quizzically. "Just kidding. I'm going to get a snack on my way home." "Your hair looks so cute!" Then he adds, "You look like a little soccer mom." Ugh. I spent all morning trying to look casual, yet very after What Not to Wear-ish. Sigh. "Well, I just want a couple of chicken strips for the ride home, I really gotta go Brett." More squeals and hugs and I got my strips and the last to-go Ranch dipping sauce. "Bye...." Back in the car I buckle up and head home. Once safely on the freeway I reach into the bag with the two chicken strips...pop open the little dipping container and look for a place to set it upright. Ah-h-ha-a...the little place where the ash tray used to go...the change holder, spare glasses kind of catch-all space. I wedge it carefully into a space between a pair of readers and a spare pair of sunglasses and a pen. Oh excellent! Happily listening to music and wedging the chicken into the small opening I am so proud that I am not dripping mustard or anything all over me. Then it happens, the chicken strip gets caught in the little container and WHOOPS the dang Ranch sauce flips over and is pouring out all over ...GAWD, what a mess...and nothing I could do about it until I was off of the freeway. Oh well, so I had to finish my chicken....DRY. Hope you all learned a lesson from this, I'm sure I haven't have! |
| I guess the word is out...and Mr. Can Hardly has used his extensive newspaper background to print out and distribute this. Heck, I thought I'd fetch more. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Gulp! I'd hang around and blog but.....I'm on the lam for a few days. P.S. Many thanks to the talented and timely sultry for sending this to me this morning. |
| Hmmm, maybe a bit of duct tape would do, but at any rate I need some kind of restraint. Why? I thought you'd never ask. It seems my mother-in-law needs a new car. She doesn't drive anymore, we learned that lesson a few years ago, but the woman we hired to be her companion does drive her to work a few times a week, and wherever else she wants to go. Her car is ten plus years old, and though it's been a good one, keeping her safe through all of her fender benders, the time has come to replace it. No problem, her sons to the rescue. That is there was no problem until Saturday morning. That's when Hubby called her to see how she's doing. "HELLO MOM." He yells, because she either doesn't have her hearing aid in, or the battery died and she can't remember to change it. So I sit here, working away on my laptop, trying to ignore the fact he's yelling a mere two feet away from my ear. Then I hear him say, "BUT WE GOT YOU A CHRYSLER." A pause, then, "DON'T YOU REMEMBER SCOTT EVEN ASKED YOU WHAT COLOR YOU WANTED?" I hear his frustration now, but I keep my head down and keep on writing. "MOM...YOU'LL HAVE TO CHECK WITH HIM, I THINK IT HAS ALREADY BEEN ORDERED." Finally, I can't take it anymore so I leave the room and go to the kitchen to rustle up something for dinner. Now cut to the two of us sitting at the kitchen table having our quiche and salad. Ahem...Cesar decided to leave a quiche for the weekend...though he'd never made one before. "So I knew there was a problem on Friday, when some salesman from a Cadillac Dealership called me at the office saying mom had come in, picked out a new car and said her sons would pay, just call this number." "No-o-o. I thought you said Scott had ordered her a new Chrysler in the color she wanted.""He did. I asked the guy who was with mom. He said, 'Oh, her lovely driver and a gentleman in a walker." I told him, 'He is no gentleman'. He laughed and said he understood, this happens alot." "Oh gawd...I knew it, Mr. Can Hardly butts into her life every time! Crap, he doesn't drive, he doesn't own a car, he simply mooches off your mother...who is far too kind to that...." Hubby cut me off by holding his hand up. "I know. I know. He told her he can't get into the Chrysler." "Oh what a crock, he doesn't want to be seen in a Chrysler, it's not PRESTIGIOUS enough....so he probably told her a Cadillac is a better fit for his big old CRANKY-ASSED self. He's so dang selfish." "I know honey. I told her I was sure it is too late because Scott already ordered it, in the color she picked out. But, to talk to Scott about it." "Scott will blow a fuse when he hears this." We smile knowingly. "Yeah, what a pity too, just had his birthday and won't be back until Monday. Oh, speaking of which, Mom wants to know when she can come up and we'll celebrate Mother's Day and Scott's Birthday?" "Is she going to bring Mr. Can Hardly? Because if she is... I think it's time I buy a firearm, that geezer has to go. Sheesh, he's not even in the family." Hubby laughed, "I think we all are feeling that way about him now. He's been butting in so long we sometimes forget he isn't. But he likes you." "Oh sure he does....only because I've told him off in private....so far." Hmmm, I'd hate to end up on a Wanted Poster. Now about the duct tape. People I need help..... |
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I just reminded myself of the time you did jury duty!
