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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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| Because I think we need to be reminded sometimes, just what a "speck" we are, I leave you with this link I got this morning. I'll be off to London tomorrow...so the next report should be from there. Until then, I hope you get an opportunity to enjoy this link as much as I did.  http://www.greatdanepro.com/Blue%20Bueaty/index.htm |
| What the hell is wrong with this country? They think Obama made the "Lipstick on a pig..." comment about Sarah Palin?? I'm sorry, but I don't buy it at all. In the context of the whole sentence it clearly was NOT about her, and I don't care how anyone twists it. Are we so stupid as to reduce ourselves to thinking that? Hell, don't fall for this stuff the media wants you to believe. It is no wonder Bill Clinton had to parse his words; "It depends what is IS" comes to mind. The political climate is completely ridiculous. Political correctness has tipped the scales on the side of being absurd. The last I looked Senator Obama was married with two daughters. I hardly think his wife would approve any message he utters in public, or privately, that would be disparaging to a woman, much less a Vice Presidential nominee. No matter what side of the political fence you are on, this is just not right to make such a fuss about. She is a nominee, and a tough one, she can handle the media...when they are being reasonable. I truly hope there is no response from her to this absurd charge, which would give the appearance of it being valid. Sometimes you need to ignore what's being said and get on with the business on hand. Clearly this is one such time. Oh and newsflash....McCain used the exact same phrase and it is on tape, I heard it on...gasp...The Fox News Channel as I was flipping radio stations. That's fair, and attempting to plug the stupid-gap of the media spin. Could someone please shut the freaking media up, and quit second guessing every word the candidates say, and let them tell us what it is they are proposing to do for our country? I can hardly wait to leave the country and hear the European chatter about the USA. Groan. Cooler heads must prevail...somewhere. |
| First of all, my dad's wife made it through her surgery no problem...WHEW! She should be released from the hospital Friday. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. Now, where was I? Oh yes, were were trying to get a photo of the Hollywood sign...I believe Karen finally (after my very expert...NOT...driving instructions to Jacque) got a picture. Prior to that, obviously my memory of the order is as it should be for a woman of my age, we went shopping on Rodeo Drive. Window shopping mostly, but by then due to the heat and the fact we had been walking for awhile, I was in pain from what were about to become blisters. A drug store was very high on my list of stores to find. I got some Band-Aids, a toothbrush somehow I had forgotten to pack, bottle of cold water and decided to purchase a pair of flip-flops to give my feet an open-air break. There was exactly one pair one non-rubber ones in my size. Whew...I was in heaven. We walked in and out of shops, made a small purchase in Chanel, much to Lance's delight...cough-cough. I wanted to validate the parking ticket with a purchase. Then we took photos in front of YSL, all holding the Chanel bag.  We actually were looking for something specific, a unique Blackberry cover for Jacque's Blackberry...no such thing in these stores though. In Gucci, a salesman told us, "They change the models so often it didn't make sense to sell them." Oh. Isn't that also true of shoes, clothing etc? Go figure. At one point we had a wonderful view of The Beverly Wilshire hotel (of "Pretty Woman" fame) and Karen stopped to get a photo casually saying, "Wouldn't it be great to have a picture with a hooker in front of it?" "You already have one." I responded...in deadpan. We busted up laughing. I had forgotten to validate our parking ticket, you get one hour free with another two hours free, if you validate when you make a purchase. Gawd....talk about expensive parking when you factor in the Chanel purchase. We also stopped at the LaBrea Tar Pit, so we could smell the tar and bubbling methane gas...seriously it is a very rich, active archaeological site for prehistoric dinosaurs. No, I don't mean of the Nada Age. It's in the heart of what's known as the Miracle Mile, a stretch on Wilshire Boulevard. Oddly enough I had worked as a secretary twice during the late seventies/eighties in that neighborhood, as had Jan. No telling how many times our paths may have crossed before. I remembered to bring my new video cam, so I whipped it out while we were driving, thinking I'd shoot some video inside the car. I was in the back seat, sitting on the hump...I volunteered because it is easier on the short person, and as I hit record and whipped the camera around...I discovered somehow it was on ZOOM. I could look deep inside pores....not very flattering on anyone, and I had no idea how to un-zoom it. So...what we have is a very odd video recording the sounds of me cursing for not having read the instructions, and all of us laughing and saying, "No...don't" when I'd turn the camera on them. By the time I figured out the un-zoom...I ended up with a shot through the seats of Wilshire Blvd., full of traffic and stoplights. By now, the new flip-flops were giving me blisters in-between my toes, and...on the bottoms of my feet (because of the fabric, should have gone with rubber, g-r-r-r-r). Time to head back to Anaheim...besides, we had not eaten since breakfast and I had to suffer a bout of, "Where is there a bathroom because my intestines are going to explode?", making the gals wait for me while I walked a block, quickly to the only public restroom on the street. (I knew there was one in the one hotel actually located on Rodeo...from when Lance and I had the shopping day for my birthday two years ago.) We got back in time for me to go change into some other shoes...(pair #3 for those keeping count) a pair of heels. Groan...the other pair of shoes I brought were orange in-between the toes, absolutely impossible to wear now. Since the entrance fee to Disney is now $89 EACH and again, no alcohol...we were steered to a new section...called Downtown Disney. No entrance fee, all shops and restaurants with bars. More walking, once we drove there (great job Jacque, and thanks), but we found a place to eat outside, Mexican food with a pitcher of Margaritas...WAHOOOOOOOO! Feeling no pain, we joined the throngs in a quest to go shopping for? Actually, it was disappointing...nearly all of the shops could be found in any mall...but the Disney Store was...a block long. I wanted some Mouse Ears...preferably sparkly. If I may say so, it was an amazing experience....not the shop so much as trying to keep FIVE women in reasonable proximity to each other in a shopping mall. GAWD. We did manage to survive the night, and got very lucky...we were again leaving just as the fireworks were going off, the valet parking we talked ourselves into, took only a nano-second to retrieve our car because the throngs were standing around looking in the sky...as if they had never seen any fireworks before. The advantage of eating there was getting the validation securing five hours of parking for..$2.00...clearly the best value in the park. Again, we were exhausted, laughed out and ready for our beds. Come Sunday morning, we had breakfast, Jan arrived and passed out adorable pink-leather cellphone carriers with our initials...to remember the weekend by. Then it was time for the drive home, and to savor how special all of the gals were then, and now. It was one of the best weekends I can ever remember...and I have put a couple of photos here...there were three of us with cameras...so I'll add to the pics...when I get more.   |
| I’m ba-a-c-k!!! I have had quite the time with the “girls”! I hardly know where to begin, but I suppose the best way is to begin with a picture of the four of us... ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Or as I lovingly refer to us now as "Our Fab Four". Left to right, Kathy, Jacque, me, and Jan. Kathy's daughter Karen took the photo...thanks Karen! It only took me around two and half hours to get to the hotel, the traffic was remarkably light even though I didn't get out of Ojai exactly when I had had planned...but no matter, I was at the hotel several hours before anyone else. Of course the hotel told us no check-in until 4 pm...uh-huh, no problem before 2 pm.  Of course everyone else planned on 4-ish, so I took advantage to unpack.The other four (Kathy had her daughter Karen with her) arrived later. I went down to the lobby to await there check-in since I was in cellphone contact...but I hadn't planned on what greeted me in the lobby...a convention of Women of Faith was just arriving....nearly all of the 40 or so of them were in our age group, plus they were also arriving in twos or threes...and I had not even seen a recent photo of any of them...I tried to imagine what they would look like... I finally gave up, and soon my cellphone rang. "Hello." I answered. "Turn around." OMG...they had walked past me to the check-in desk! (In all accuracy, it was three of them, Jacque was coming about an hour later I knew.) Kathy brought a photo album, and while they unpacked the memory-sharing began...soon Jacque knocked and in she came to join the gabfest in earnest. When you stay across from Disneyland...well, I'll just say there are NO BARS and we didn't want to drive to a bar and then try driving back...nope, not us now...when we were teenagers we may have; on very rare occasions. Ahem...anyway, we went to a cafe next door to the hotel, where they would serve beer and wine and pounced on them for a table for dinner. Amidst much laughter, giggling and sharing to catch up on the past 44 years I'd not heard from nor knew where anyone was...we discovered we don't drink much. We had one wine or beer each. My gawd...but it just proves you don't need alcohol to have a good time...apparently contrary to when we were teenagers. Since Kathy and Karen were the ones who flew in from Albuquerque...we decided to turn in early...9:30...however that is when Disneyland does their fireworks show...so like everyone else we stood around and watched it, oohing and ahhing as though we'd not seen any before. The noise of them (across the street) was deafening...not to mention setting off car alarms for blocks. About 10 the next morning we all met up...having decided that we would go sightseening...you will never guess where....Rodeo Drive. Then big homes in Beverly Hills, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Boulevard...(which I will say to anyone planning on driving it and simultaneously trying to take a digital photo of the HOLLYWOOD sign....DON'T! You will fail. The buildings and trees block it, except for a fleeting glimpse...not enough time to capture it on a normal digital cam.) Oh, and don't even try to turn off of a side street and go towards it in hopes of pulling over to get one...the trees and buildings have grown up in the twenty years since I was living there. Gawd. (I'll upload some pics into an album and will try to do part two tomorrow. As you know, we also leave for London Friday, so I'll do my best.) I have been at the hospital with my dad, and need to go back now...my dad's wife is having surgery tonight. |
| I'm sorry, but I did not get my portion done of the series this week. I got involved in the political thing, and now I'm heading out of the door to drive down to Disneyland for the weekend. I'm meeting three girlfriends I haven't seen in 44 years. It's slightly tempered by hearing from my father, his wife is back in the hospital. I'll get back in here as soon as is possible.I'm sorry, but know you will understand. |
| I should be writing the piece for Saturday, but I can't look back at 1979 with what is going on politically. I try to not jump into politics here, because frankly, I am not out to change anybody's mind about who to vote for. I'm assuming people will vote for who they feel most connected to. I'm here for one reason only, because last night speech by Sarah Palin was remarkable. She did exactly what her job was supposed to do, give a rousing, firing up speech to her constituents. I applauded her fighting spirit. I hear what the commentators are saying...and you know what? I think they were stunned that this woman could come out of seemingly nowhere and hold her own with the "boys". Am I bothered that she hunts? Obviously not. Does her sarcastic wit bother me? No....looked around WDC or tv lately? Does her stand against abortion bother me? No, as long as she is not being hypocritical. I don't see evidence of that. Did her daughter make a mistake? Maybe so, but at least her family is supportive. She's not throwing stones from her glass house on that issue. I fought that fight decades ago when I was younger...and I'm paying the emotional price, as are many women today. That's a fight I will leave up to this generation...just be careful what you ask for, either way. Yes, her speech was 99% written, so what? That's what people do, have speech writers. Even Obama and Hillary. Gasp. Let's see who knows what during the debates. I can wait, no rush...we have until November 4th I think. Besides, I no longer trust the media...I trust my gut. Have I heard another person running for office speaking to mothers of children with special needs? Not in my memory. I look over at my husband, my niece, and every other person who had a mother upon whose shoulders the responsibilities for raising a child different than others had...where were their advocates in the White House? Granted we had a President in a wheelchair many years ago, but even he hid that, because God forbid someone is different. Well, I happen to applaud her stance on this issue. If she helps people to be more compassionate, what is wrong with that? Couldn't we use some? Can't fault her for doing what all of the Democratic speakers leading up to Obama did, hard hit the other side during their convention/rally. And before someone calls me to task about her hunting, or being in a beauty contest...I would rather be living in a country where a beautiful woman knows how to hunt for food than, say a person who rounds up the neighborhood to discuss things....if when a natural disaster happens and the grocery stores are closed for an extended period of time. I refuse to vote by Party lines, I vote for a man...and now, just maybe for a woman who I think will do the best job given the times we are in, and so should you. |
| I've been going through all the "stuff" I have kept throughout the years. It amazes me the things I have stashed away at various times. I find sketchbooks, letters to myself I wrote after important (to me) events, letters from people I have forgotten who they are and various souvenirs from my life. I wonder if my little "packrat" instincts come from being so "mobile" and rootless for the first 34 years of my life? I'm much better about throwing stuff out now, but I sure haven't been in my past. Luckily for my memoirs I suppose. In some ways I have a photographic memory, which is extremely helpful for remember dialogue or knowing I have a photograph or other piece of personal memorabilia. It tends to drive me crazy though, because I am one of those unorganized organizers. in other words, I have no system, except to rely on my brain and remembering where I saw something. Oh, when we moved from the ranch a few years ago I took great pains to sort through the office I had at the time, throwing out thousands of papers and other things I deemed unnecessary. I even had most of the rest of them in some sort of filing system.  I should have known it couldn't last. I had a beautiful office, plenty of storage and plenty of room, and then we sold that house and it was "back to the ranch". We hired movers and they just filled up boxes, willy nilly. No organization whatsoever, except the notation, "Sheila's upstairs office." Cut to today, me upstairs digging around those boxes looking for things relating to 1979 for next week's entry. Gawd, not too many things, compared to some other years, but then I spied an 8 x 10 photograph that had me laughing hysterically. It was not from 1979, but rather 1987. Let me set the stage for you...A very rainy spring night in Los Angeles 1987. Lance and I were invited to a fundraising dinner at our friend's home. It was a fundraiser for the leading Democratic candidate. In those days it was not a two year campaign. We had contributed to political parties in the past, but never actually went to an "event". It was pretty incredible, as Al and Marilyn had a beautiful new home in Beverly Hills. They had tented their tennis court and the cocktails flowed, and speeches were made. Dinner was an elegant affair, even if we all felt slightly disheveled from the rain and extreme humidity. The capper was a photographic souvenir of each of us with the soon-to-be-next President of the United States. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Well, I do believe that is the last time we ever wanted our picture taken with a Democrat. Actually we don't have any photos with Republicans either! *To those who don't remember who he is, his name is Gary Hart. His campaign lasted just over a month before he was forced to resign after photos of him with Donna Rice on his lap aboard a boat called, Monkey Business, surfaced...he dropped out of the running. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** "Staying Alive” Sung by Bee Gees-1978 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQGQHSE-eLg&feature=related Sorry, this item has been closed. Hopefully, you can buy the book one day, lol. |
| 1. Why, when you give a few dollars one long-past election of a political party, do they automatically think it entitles them to: a. Call and name drop local politicians I wouldn't know except for the bashing the press does on them? b. Call and tell me that the economy sucks? c. Call and think I would want to increase my "donation" when the elected officials have not managed to fix anything? d. Call and think when I hung up on them it was an involuntary "disconnect"? 2. Why does government think I vote for a party and not a person? Surprise, I actually like making up my own mind. 3. Why do politicians (or the handlers) think I would want the dollars that the average person (me) gives to them to be used as a way to get matching government funds they can waste too? a. I want the money used to pay down debt, not incur more. b. I do not care about putting on splashy shows in some city to "woo" the delegates who already picked them. c. I do not want to pay for television ads, bumper stickers, pot holders, stupid buttons, unending mailers urging me to give money to be invited to have my name "listed" in some stupid book somewhere as a supporter. d. I do not want people being nasty to each other in order to make some point that probably has no real validity anyway. 4. Why can't one politician quit saying they are going to lower/raise taxes, fix the economy, fix potholes, reduce the national debt, give healthcare to everyone, make schools better, blah-blah-blah. I don't believe it. I don't need town hall meetings, I don't need 24/7 analysis of what was just said...just speak plainly and honestly and none of us will need a damn interpreter. 5. Why don't they think our country is tough enough to take the truth, pull together and sacrifice for the sake of making our country safer, stronger and respected in the world? I'll tell you why, because we all have turned our heads the other way for the past umpteen years...and if we don't like something we bitch and moan about our loss of entitlement. We have never been entitled to more than we laid out in the constitution. We have to earn respect, we have to earn our way and we damn sure cannot borrow our way to freedom, or happiness or anything else. We have turned into a nation of whiney-butts and if we don't watch out, someone is going to give a real reason to bitch and moan about things, only then we won't have the freedom to do it. *Climbs down off of my soapbox. And where has my sense of humor gone? Sheesh. |
| Good grief, what is it with all the drums? Hubby and I had enough drums to last a lifetime from the opening ceremonies. Seriously, besides that weird instrument the women had strapped to their waists, even the two children featured played the drums. What Hubby and I noticed was the lack of individuality. I mean the precision of all those people doing their drumming in synch is a spectacle, but outside of one or two Chinese popular singers, Jackie Chan and Yao Ming...didn't seem to be much room for anything resembling individuality. (I commented it was probably one reason they thought nothing of ripping off our talent's cd's and dvd's. Annoying to me personally, since I just paid for a dvd of my own film only to discover it was a Chinese copy, and not a good one.) I watched last night's ceremonies with an artistic eye, as it was probably intended to be viewed. I'd heard that the extinguishing of the flame was TOP SECRET, so I was all atwitter waiting for it. The handing over of the Olympic flag was clumsy. The little show the Brits put on looked hastily thrown together, Jimmy Page of Led Zepplin...and some youthful female singer who was good, but the contrast in ages was odd to me...but no drum! Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z. Good grief, so they slowly turned down the gas until there was no flame, a couple of the athletes standing sort of wistfully at top of what was stairs you would board an aircraft on. Big whoop. Then, came the 30 tons of steel, "tower of memories"....it was memorable because once again they used human power to make us marvel...but then it got a bit disorganized. Oh well, I'm pretty sure we won't be seeing this in 2010 in Canada. And I feel confident saying they won't be drumming it into my head. Okay, now on to the Democratic Convention....Ted Kennedy...promises to be on the Senate floor in January. I suppose if anyone can have a crystal ball it would be Ted. |
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I just reminded myself of the time you did jury duty!