12/31/2009

I promised someone I would write a blog on the last day of the year and I have about an hour, so here I go.

I must say, I won't miss 2009. It's been a pretty strange year. We've been lucky. We're at an age where the economic crisis didn't affect us as much as many of our neighbors. We went through our rough times when we were in our 20's and 30's so I guess we all have to go through some rough patches to learn how to deal with adversity. No one told us life wasn't fair, we all just assumed it was, and when bad things happened we blamed whomever was closest at hand...

2009 was a year of doctors, dentists, pharmacies, and therapies of all sorts. I won't miss the ass end of the year, and I look forward to 2010 being better than the last year. But honestly, whatever it brings, it will be my decision how to accept it.

A long time ago I learned that I have choices in my life. In the morning I can wake up and say, "Oh my God, what a crappy day" or I can say, "OK this is the first day of the rest of my life and I'm going to make it a good day". It's my own choice. I know it sounds all phony and fake, but it's really the truth.

The happiest people I know are those that are not millionaires. They're the folks that love life, all of life. They don't wait for good things to happen to them, they go out and make the good things happen. They don't have all the newest and greatest of things and material wealth, they have love and cheer in their lives.

Most of us in this country have more than we need. Some need more to make their lives easier, but if anyone in this country wants to get ahead, there are ways to achieve it. You have to be willing to accept less and do more. It's not hard to understand that, but it is hard to accept it as your lot.

I am in the middle of a "semi-crisis" within my extended family. None of the crisis will affect me in any way at all, but I have been asked to look at some affidavits and records and give a synopsis of the problem as I see it. It's not unusual for me to take on this role as confidant, but this is a bit more than I need to know.

I bring this up because the reason for the problem that exists with this family member is all about greed, and the need to have more than they were entitled to have.

For some reason, we in this country, (and look in the mirror, because I don't know many American citizens that don't fit this description) seem to think if we want something, we should have it. Some of us realize we can't have everything right away, but by damn, if we want it we'll get it. I'm not talking about some gazillion dollar doo-dad, I'm talking about something that may be a bit of a stretch for us in this paycheck, but we'll figure out a way to get whatever it is at our earliest opportunity.

The extended family member wanted it all, and now. They did something that was not legal to embezzle millions (think ENRON) and they got caught, not as quick as they should have, but finally were caught. Now, it's "hang your head down and beg for mercy time"...I don't think so...it's not going to happen. It's big time jail time and rightly so. They had the same choices that you and I had and chose to take from someone else, so they could buy the cars, houses, businesses, more houses, more cars, go on extended trips and say it was all because of a large inheritance...yeah..right...

They will pay dearly for the fun in the sun they once had, but will never have again. I hope they liked all the great road trips they took in the hotsy-totsy cars they had, it will be a cold day in Hell before that happens again. Life will go on for them, but not the life they had, nor the life they could have had if they had made better choices when they woke up that first day they decided to take what wasn't theirs to take.

It's about choices in life, and I think we all need to remember that we are our own destiny and the choices we make today will most definitely affect us tomorrow. Everything we do has some affect on us at some point in our lives. I could say it's Karma, but it's really Physics....If you push one way, something has to fall away from the push some other way. What goes around, comes around...Watch those choices....they could well put you away for many years.......That's the truth...

Good Bye 2009

Do you think the whole month of December will be about Tiger Woods and his paramours? Do you really care? Who the Hell cares? I think it's nuts.

When I heard the first murmurs about the "car accident" I was concerned about the guy. Then I heard a bit more... I said to husband Larry, "You know what I think? He took off out of the house for his life...yep...he did something that the big Viking heard about and she's pissed". Larry thought I was nuts and said, "No, not Tiger". I looked at him and said, "What? He's a man, he's got tons of money, with money comes power. Those are the things that women look for when they're on the prowl. You can't honestly think that any guy who thinks he can get away with it would say, 'Please leave me alone...I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I'm married and I can't betray my wife'. All this as she's grabbing him and probably hanging over him with her bodacious tatas hanging out.

"What? Are you nuts? He's been doing the deed and not with his wife. She found out and slapped him silly. He ran out for his life". Larry wasn't convinced, he thought I was a vindictive nasty thinking woman...he's right on that of course.

So for a day Larry thought I was nuts...then the story starts to unravel. Lo, and behold, it seems that Mr. Woods has indeed had some indiscretions in the past. Not nice, Mr. Woods, now you know what it's like when big blond Vikings get pissed. If this marriage lasts, I'll bet he's going to be a good boy for a looong time.

2009 has been a year I want to forget. Honest. There's been so many dumb things that have happened, I'm glad it's almost over, I've had it.

Ever notice we all go through these cycles. It might be a series of illnesses, or maybe everything you touch falls apart in your hands, or it could be that every appliance in your home decides to die at once. It happens to everyone...but not at the time it's happening to you. No, you're going through some kinds of craziness and everyone else is eating bon-bons.

I thought when I got to this age I'd be cool, no problem, I can handle everything and still keep on going strong. Not.... I'm tired and not physically. I'm tired of watching the same three news stories every night...some kind of frenzied news reporter telling me with sensationalism that the world is coming to an end...and soon. If I change the station, another 10 year old looking news person (got to be P.C. you know) will be telling me the same story, only this time with a different and probably more sensational spin on the story.

I thought this year was one of the worst for news reporting. I think if you pitted the crucifixion of Jesus Christ against the death of Michael Jackson, Jackson would be the clear winner in the news reporting category. One day, all the channels on my TV has something about the Jackson death at the same time, even the weather channel (I didn't check the golf channel...but then that was before the Tiger story so who knows what they were reporting on).

Between deaths, illnesses, lousy TV reporting, and an assortment of other weird and strange things, this year will be a pleasure to see go.

I do have some things to be thankful for however, I wrote the NaNoWriMo book (74523 words) and I have a new grand baby coming any minute now...so I guess the end of the year was pretty good...I don't know if it made up for the rest of the year though....

Where is everybody?

It's the day after Thanksgiving, "Black Friday". My neighborhood is quiet, deathly quiet. I can't believe what I'm thinking, but there's really no other explanation for it...They've gone to all the sales. Imagine that?

The last time I woke up early to go to a store was over 20 years ago, and the only reason I did that was because I had to open the store. It was a frantic, ridiculous thing. I arrived at the place at 4:00 a.m. The place had to be opened at 5:00.

When I got there, there was a line of people waiting to get into the store. They had blankets, chairs, and snacks. I still think about it and wonder why they thought it was so important to be there to get the sale on the piece of junk that would end up in a dump not long after this all important waiting game.

When my kids were younger I would try to get to the sales, but I didn't go nuts. It wasn't that important to me to get things for $10 or $20 dollars less than the regular price. I didn't, and still don't understand the mind set that seems to permeate through this society.

Why do we think everyone has to have the newest, biggest, greatest and best new piece of junk? I think back to the days of the Cabbage Patch Doll frenzy, and wonder where those dolls are today. I'm betting they're in a dump somewhere, at least the majority of them.

Then, remember the Beanie Baby frenzy? I do. I bought a couple because they were cute and put them on my desk to humor kids who came in. I swear those things started to breed. A few days after I brought in the couple I bought, there were more added to them. After a short time I had to buy a storage shelf for them. Customers and clients kept bringing them to me. They spilled over the filing cabinets and onto another desk. I gave them away to kids who came in, but that just seemed to make them breed faster.

One morning I arrived at the office to find a policeman waiting for me. We had been robbed in the night. The officer asked me to look around and see if anything was missing. I went into the office and noticed the only thing missing I could see was the Beanie Babies. Can you believe that someone broke into the office and stole Beanie Babies? They did. They took some other stuff as well, but the majority of the theft was those bean filled animals.

In a way I was kind of glad. They were getting out of hand. I had too many in the office and I couldn't stand them all. I still have some of them in my house today, but I keep them separated so they won't breed.

I hope my neighbors are getting good deals today. Gosh, I wouldn't want them to be losing out on any little doodads that someone else will get. Something like that would be so sad...

I think people are nuts, and at this time of year they really show their nutsiness most.

O.F.T.

So, the title is O.F.T.. Want to know what that stands for? Old Farts Travel...

You can sit there and laugh and your younger self can think, "What the Hell is she talking about?" Guaranteed though, some of the "more mature" of the readers will understand and take pity.

Let me enlighten you to the "fun" of old farts travel. You decide you're going somewhere, anywhere, it doesn't make much difference if it's far away or a day trip, the drill is pretty much the same.

You go to bed the night before trying to remember all the stuff you must take for the upcoming trip. If it's a day trip it's not as bad, but gees, if it's a trip that you'll need a suitcase, God help you...

Recently Larry and I went on a Fossil Bus tour (read below if you don't know what that is). We were really in trouble the very first moment of the day we were going on the %^&$ bus. Our bus left the meeting site at 5:30 am. The last time we left that early for something we didn't go to bed the night before knowing full well if we did it wouldn't be a pretty sight for anyone who saw us that early in the morning. We should have remembered that.

Larry has a routine in the morning that CAN NOT BE MODIFIED or else life as we know it will cease to exist. I hear him get up and I pull the covers over my head. I know better than to rise at the same time as he. It's either get up earlier than him, or wait until the coast is clear to get up after him. There is no exception...usually.

His day starts as follows: You hear him swing his legs off the bed with a resounding "THUD!!". Then the expletives start..."Holy #$%^, jesum-h-christo, life sucks, omigod, %^&$#, whatthehell....oh gees, freakin'foot^&%$%, (now mind you this is all before he stands up). Then you hear the movement to the bathroom (it's not walking...it's kind of a shuffle with a bunch of expletives thrown in for good measure). The bathroom must have some kind of hidden agenda because the room gets a slap as he walks through the door. I'm still under cover at this point so I'm not sure what's going on, and I'll be damned sure I'm not getting out of my blanket fort to check it out....I know when I'm safe.

After a couple of minutes, I hear the toilet flush (a good sign... there is life and the toilet hasn't been demolished in the morning "hate") then the "clomp, clomp. clomp" sound of heavy footfall down the hallway. Our hallway is short, but honest to God you'd think it was the length of the corridors on the way to "old Sparky" to be electrocuted.

When he gets into the kitchen, he hits the button on the coffee pot...(thank all that's holy for that invention). He ambles into the living room where he drops into his chair...The TV goes on and he waits with half opened eyes until the coffee pot extends its welcomed hand toward him in the form of coffee scent...

OK you have the idea. Now, put all that in your mind and imagine what it's like when you have to be somewhere early in the morning. Do you think the sight is pretty? Do you think it's easy to get out the door in time?

I usually have everything I need in a pile on the table. I take time a day or so before to assemble the necessary items I'll need. No sweat. Larry however, has a different approach. He waits until the last minute to decide he wants something to wear that was stored in the cellar last fall... You get the idea. He has gotten better as he's aged, but there's still something that won't be where he wants it, when he wants it and it will be the worst thing that's ever happened to anyone ever, ever, ever. I don't buy into that, by the way. I go on my merry way getting myself ready.

In the past we could grab stuff, put it into a back pack and be on our way. We had sports cars so we couldn't take much stuff anyway, but we didn't need much. However, times have changed. When we go any place these days we're looking at plastic bags filled with patent meds, lots of patent meds. In the bag (which we have one always at the ready now-you know "grab-n- go") we have: aspirin, ibuprofen, salon pas (stick on liniment pads), tums, q-tips, Maalox, moleskin patches, nail file, tiny scissors, a pillbox (filled with enough meds we can sell on the street for big bucks if we find we need money???why???), eye drops, tucks pads (if you don't know what they're for you're too young to be reading this) and an assortment of other "necessities".

With the bag and at least one change of clothes we're ready, almost, to go. Then there's the question...do I need a jacket? do I need a sweatshirt? What if I spill something on myself, I may need a different shirt, oh gee, if I bring a different shirt, I'll need other pants, should I bring another pair of undies? The list goes on...

When you think everything is correct, you're ready to leave, after you go to the bathroom again... and that dear friends is a shortened version of Old Farts Travel...

I'm walking on Egg Shells

Have you ever had days when you knew you should have stayed in bed, but were too stupid to listen to yourself? I don't know why I'm asking that, because I know you have had days like the ones I've had lately.

Through no fault of my own, and that's not the usual case, I seem to be in some weird dimension that revels in making my life a living Hell. Since the past weekend I have had some of the strangest things happen to me and all I'm doing is breathing. Honest, all I've done is breathe. I haven't tried to alienate folks, but I have. I haven't tried to hurt myself, physically, but I have. I haven't tried to make people uncomfortable in my presence, but apparently my being alive is enough to put some ill at ease.

Now, maybe some folks would think this weird ability I seem to have attained is a positive asset. Maybe some would think I have control over others just because I'm breathing, but I have to tell you, I'm not crazy about this feeling as though I'm walking on egg shells. For the next few days I'm planning on staying either in my house, or when I do go out, I'm going to keep my mouth shut. Keeping my mouth shut is going to be rough, but I must do it, either that or find a nunnery somewhere I can stay for a while.

I have to go to a funeral tomorrow. A friend passed away unexpectedly, and I sort of wonder if this may be the reason for the strange events of the past few days. I'm not really into the "woo-woo" stuff but I'm beginning to wonder about some of it.

Oh well, one day at a time, I guess.......

Fossil Buses

If you Goggle "Fossil Bus" I think you get some buses doing archaeological research and some video tape of kids on a school bus, although I don't get that one...

The Fossil Buses I'm talking about are neither of those. No, I'm talking about the buses filled with Senior Citizens going on "adventures" to places they don't want to drive to, or can't go on their own, or don't want to go on their own. There's a definite place for these buses, but I have to tell you, it's a mind blower the first time you go on one.

We went down to NY city on one....I saw the trip advertised in the paper. It was inexpensive, going to a place we wanted to go to, and I knew some of the folks on the bus.

The bus trip was organized by a Senior Citizen group and it was...a bit different. I am a Senior Citizen. I know I'm old. I know I don't do things the way I did them in the past, but I don't think I'm quite old enough for Fossil Buses, yet.

I enjoyed the trip. We had a good time but, and you knew there had to be a but, I have a difficult time going on a bus with few folks I know, listening to horror medical stories about colons, gall bladders, lower intestines, stomach, pancreas, prostate, breasts and vaginal discharges. All spoken about with laughter and jokes...

OK, admittedly, these topics were common ground, but honest to God I thought I'd gone through to another dimension and came out in "Hospital-land". You'd think conversations about poop would be discussed quietly, if at all, but not this bunch. There was a discussion on one side of the bus about the best anti-diarrhea meds. On the other side the discussion was about constipation and how eating prunes wasn't the best method to alleviate the problem these days. At the same time I heard all about someones colonoscopy and the polyps that showed up. The answering comment included a dissertation about colostomy bags and where you could get the supplies almost wholesale (I'm shelving that for future reference).

When it wasn't about poop, and all it's facets, the topic morphed into the surgeries they have had, their spouses have had, they were going to have or someone else's surgery. Then it went to the Doctors they had. Who the Docs were. What their specialty was and how many divorces the Docs racked up...

I learned more on that bus trip about my neighbors colons and breasts than I really needed to know. The Docs, well I would've liked to hear more about the divorces and the rest of the gossip I couldn't hear. Next time I'm going to bring one of those ear phone things that make the conversations around you easier to hear... I think I missed some really good tidbits of info...

Why write?

Look, I will admit I like to gamble. I like the adrenaline rush of a winning hand or the sight of the numbers rolling the way I want and I'll admit it, I like the sound of the one armed bandits as they spin. I don't go into a casino with much money, only the amount I'm willing to lose that day.

The problem is, a casino of sorts opened less than 2 miles from my house. Knowing how I like the adrenaline and the sounds, I stayed away at first. Slowly I learned more about the place, so I decided to check it out.

It's one of those normal looking casino places, all glittery, noisy, people bustling around, officials and floor personnel walking the gauntlet of aisles searching for people either in distress or people getting ready to take a sledge hammer to the machines. It wasn't different from any other gambling establishment I've been to.

I've been going on and off since the place opened. I don't go everyday, but I go at least a couple times a month. The most I've ever brought in with me is $50.00, that's big spending to me. I play certain games that make me laugh or I try to figure out how they work. After that I leave.

Every month I get a flyer from the casino. It's as if there's some subliminal message on the page trying to entice me to go more often. Usually the flyer gives me some incentive to go into the place to get free "something". I don't pay for food there since they give me free points if I bring the coupons in that are on the flyer.

I've written before about the people I see in the Casino. The majority are o-l-d. I'll bet the average age in the "neighborhood" casino is 75. Sure, there are others who are younger, but honest most are old, in wheel chairs, those blasted scooters, walkers, with oxygen, canes, braces, you name it.

I have no problem with older folks, Hell, I'm one of them myself, but some of them shouldn't be in there with all those people.... Their sneezing, coughing, choking, grunting as they sit with the glazed over look in their eyes, hitting buttons on a damned machine.

My friends are concerned that I have a "gambling problem". Maybe I do, but I think, like the older folks I see, it's a "boredom" problem. Most of the folks I see in the casino are passing time. That's all. I know all of them want to win that "Big Jackpot in the Sky", but the reality is, if they won it, they'd be back in the casino as soon as they could to hit the buttons on the machine again.

It's time to think about this boredom thing. I need to analyze it...but I'll wait until I get back from the casino........