Does anyone still blog?

So here I am...reset my password after 3 years hiatus. It was a hoot reading my old stuff about how I will continue to post regularly. I'm not even sure if anyone still blogs - so if any of my "followers" are out there - let me know. I'm not up on Twitter, and can barely text on my phone. Let me know if this thing is still on... LOL

The aging process or just a rant?

Clearly, since this is my second post of the year, I'm having trouble keeping up with my goals for 2007 and the blogging. I'm still here, but it takes me a while to get riled up enough to write about it.

Anyway...

I have come to the conclusion I am getting older, but I don't have to like it. These are just a few things I've noticed in myself, but had hoped they weren't true.

...When did it become ok for the local "oldies" station to start playing 80's music?!? I did NOT get a memo about this. I swear it wasn't THAT long ago when I was hearing music from the 50's, 60's or 70's and I was fine with it. All of a sudden I've started to hear songs by Duran Duran, Richard Marx, or Elton John (more later about him). I nearly drove off the first bridge I encountered after this discovery. This is NOT okay!

...When did I start making those groaning noises my parents made when they got out of bed?!?

...When did 9pm or 10pm become too late to go out and do anything?? Nowadays, if I'm already out it's fine, but if you want me to go out at 9pm it had better be important and I really have to like you. Although you can always call until 11pm - just don't make me go anywhere.

...When did loud music, or loud cars or both start to bug me?? This may be attributed to the teenagers/kids/punks that live behind me.

...When did I start calling them teenagers/kids/punks and stop calling them my age group or just a few years younger??

...When did I start getting a little giddy about cutting coupons? They do not have to be grocery coupons, but can also be Bed Bath & Beyond coupons or something similar.

...When I did start thinking I have to get my domestic duties done before I can go out and play with my friends?

...Oh and back to Elton John. The man is an icon and has about a million songs, give or take. Why is it the only songs I hear on the radio from various stations are the following:

Benny & the Jets, Don't Go Breakin' My Heart, Rocket Man, and last but not least Daniel

I am a fan of Elton John, but it's time to let these four songs rest and some of the others out to play. Another victim of this is Billy Joel - again a million hits, again I'm a fan, but the one hit I hear over and over is Piano Man.

Let it go...

Changes for 2007

So here it is 2007 and my first posting of the year. My, my how time flies. I certainly wasn't jet-setting around the world or anything...it was just a hiatus. Oh and just because I've been on a writing hiatus - does not mean I've been out of touch with your blogs. Congrats to MapleMama and Contessa on their weight losses!! Kudos Ladies!!

I made a list of Things to do in 2007. Let me be clear they are not New Year's Resolutions. They appear that way, but once the word resolution comes out - it's over. Why? Because I fall into the majority of people who ditch the resolutions after a week.

So what's on the list...well here are a few.

1. I feel obligated to put on the top of my list...be a better blogger.
By that, I mean I will try to post at least once a month (and since this is February, I'll try for twice this month.) I will learn how to make my blog a user-friendly space with links. So more bells and whistles as well as links to all the great blogs I like to read.

2. Lose weight...really no explanation is needed, but I've set my sights on 10 pounds.
It's a small amount, but yet if I lose 10 - then I can lose another 10. I have an asterisk next to this item onmy list, because it will be an ongoing thing. I've done it in the past and I can do it again. Recently, I went to the Dr. and was told I was 3 pounds lighter than last year. This is good. However, I thought I was 3 pounds heavier - so does this mean I can count it as 6 pounds?! LOL!! I have made slight changes in my diet to date and have increased the amount of water intake. Small steps...and speaking of steps...

2a. Exercise.
When the temperature hasn't been below zero (with or without wind chill), I try to take a walk during one of my breaks at work. It's only around the block twice - but it's twice more than I did before. There have been as many as four of us at one time, and the fresh air is good to clear our heads as we get into the homestretch of the workday.

3. Save money.
Again, I've set my sights on a small amount, but with another asterisk. If I meet my asterisk goal - I can shoot for another. I haven't started this one yet. The experts always tell you to pay yourself first...not always as easy as it sounds. Although I do admit to having a recent spurt of retail therapy, but everything was on sale. (yes, really!)

3a. Build my wardrobe.
I bought 3 pairs of shoes and actually threw away 3 pairs of shoes. I bought 3 new tops, after I had cleaned out my closet and donated 2 bags of clothes.

4. De-clutter my abode.
I started off with a bang at the beginning of January and as previously mentioned cleaned out my master closet. I have plenty of empty hangers and while I don't intend to refill them all, I do intend to use some of them. However, every room in my home needs some sort of de-cluttering work. I tend to start on one pile in one room and next thing I know...there are bright shiny objects distracting me and the piles have multiplied. I have paperwork to sort and, of course, receipts to go thru for tax purposes. I have various items for a yard sale which I can't do in this climate in February. I have just regular old stuff to toss - but I have to go thru some of the piles in order to get a toss pile. Oh and while I only have to support myself, I work a full time job, and 2 part time jobs. This leads me to...

5. Enjoy more of life...it's too short not to...
Simple enough to write, but have work to accomplish. Enjoy friends and time with them. Take time to read, laugh, have fun and sleep. I've decided to try one new recipe a month. It might have only 3 ingredients, but that counts. I'm not going to be on Iron Chef America anytime soon, so it doesn't have to be fancy.


So until the next posting this month - enjoy my Random Thoughts...and feel free to share your own "Things to do in 2007".

In Memory...

I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but sometimes life gets in the way...
I'll try to be more consistent - I have a lot of topics to cover.


Today is Veteran's Day - November 11th. We are thankful to all the Veterans who have protected us in war, to those who have lived and died to save our country. While I am thankful to all of the Veterans, this is not a memoriam to them.


Today is the 8th anniversary of my Mom's death. She died at the young age of 60 after suffering a brain aneurysm. She had hip replacement surgery the week before. It was her second night home from the hospital. There are a million conversations we never got to have, funny things I never got to tell her and everything else in between. But the events of 8 years ago between the 10th and 11th of November I can re-live almost every moment. It was 10 of the longest hours of my life from the onset of her aneurysm at home to her last breath at the hospital. While I can re-live those moments, I can't bring myself to type them, this is hard enough.

I can remember the phone calls made afterwards to friends and family. I had some friends and family at the hospital, some stayed all night, some stayed a few hours, some called other family. I had to have my favorite Uncle on my Dad's side tell my best friend, MapleMama, because I couldn't do it. They work at the same place. MapleMama had to tell her Mom. The four of us had become somewhat of a team. MapleMama and I are only children of divorced parents. We may as well be sisters. Our Moms we had nicknamed Betty Crocker (mine) and Martha Stewart (hers...but when Martha was good not evil). One of my friends lives on the West Coast - I live on the East. It was about 4a.m. California time when I called her. I remember the sweater I was wearing. I remember making the ultimate decision that no child or parent should have to make about keeping their loved ones alive. She was not a candidate for surgery as she would have had a 20% chance of survival, and of that 20% chance - there was a nearly 100% chance she would have been in a vegatative state for the rest of her "life". If you knew Mom - you know she was far too much of a live person to have been kept alive like that.

No matter what the experts tell you about the grieving process, you don't get over it. You get through it as best you can from moment to moment, day to day, year to year. People have asked me how I survive or tell me how strong I am. Some days I can't explain either. I'm not strong or really a survivor, but I don't know any better. I still have to get up, go to work and pay my bills.

I was told to move out of my house where Mom and I lived together. In fact, I still live here. I was told to get a dog, because that would fill the void?? I know the cat wouldn't have liked that idea too much either. I'm sure I was told a lot of things (good and bad) and those details have escaped me over the years. I remember the smell and colors of the flowers, even a couple of neighbors I didn't know well dropping off flowers to express their condolescences. I remember the cat having the best days with all the flowers in the house. The spider mums were the cat's favorite as well as the baby's breath.

Some of the good things she has missed include friends' weddings (MapleMama's was the best), vacations, boyfriends - specifically Brian. He's a Yankees fan (hey - opposites attract). He has a good sense of humor, and they would have hit it off, but she still would have been quicker with her wit. She was the baseball fan who "trained" me and therefore, became the Red Sox fan I am today. She was more of a fan though, I think. How I wished she could have lived to see the Red Sox break the curse in 2004.

It wasn't all peaches and cream. I'm not trying to re-write history, but the good stuff is better to remember and the bad stuff I try to forget. Don't get me wrong there were plenty of tumultuous times while I was growing up. Of course, if I had known at 15 she was going to die before I turned 30 - I might have been a better teenager.

So she was a great cook, had a quick wit, was a Red Sox fan, enjoyed the daily crossword and doing crossword puzzles. She had her hair done every week. Before she met Dad and before I was even a thought in their minds, she was apparently quite the style maven. She had told me stories about being able to get one of kind dresses from "the" store in town. The woman had gone to NYC to shows or top notch stores to get them and bring them back. The owner would call Mom and say - "I found just the dress for your next party". We played Scrabble or cards, while watching movies on Sunday in our comfy clothes and eating snacks all day. Holiday meals ended up being whatever we felt like, not what was expected. We had the occasional Easter or Thanksgiving Chinese takeout. Christmas Eve we generally had seafood. Although from reading this you may not get the impression she was full of life, but she was. I have her hands and see her when I type. She was a secretary (when they were called secretaries)at a hospital in different departments for 20 years.

I don't know what I believe in or if I have any faith left...but I can only hope she may be at peace. I can only hope she tries to point me in the right direction. If peace isn't possible, then I hope she has a Dewars on the rocks with a twist nearby and some of her friends to party with...I'll have a margarita and silently toast to her honor with my friends.

Pet Peeve

I can't stand it - and sometimes it really bugs me. Today is one of those days.

Could someone please tell me WHY the directional on a vehicle is hardly ever used? It's NOT an OPTIONAL feature of a vehicle.

I'm not saying people should use their directional signal if they're the only people on the road for miles, turning into their driveway at 2 a.m. I'm not advocating a "blinker-happy" society. Perhaps a happy medium.

Everyone does it at one time or another - c'mon, yes you do. It might be you, the soccer Moms, executives, college students (or teenage drivers) and your neighbors just to name a few. This particular peeve knows no boundaries, race, religion or ethnicity. I admit I don't always use my directional signal - but if there's no one behind me, no one in front of me, or even sideways (highway) to me...it might be okay once in a while.

But honestly...is it SO much effort to use the directional signal in 2 lanes of traffic (or more) to let the people behind you know where the hell you're going?

I'm not stalking you - I would just prefer to NOT rear-end you. Now by that statement you might be thinking - well she's following too closely - sometimes I admit that may be the case and my own fault. HOWEVER, in most situations I happen to be behind you at the intersection along with 10 other vehicles who would like to go straight while you are waiting to turn left. But we don't know you are trying to turn left - perhaps the vehicle stalled, you've had a seizure, or you're letting someone cute cross the street. Whatever the reason may be - if you had your directional signal on - there wouldn't be any question as to why you aren't moving.

I used to think driving was a privilege, but from what I see on a daily basis, I'm not so sure anymore.

Please, please...try to use both hands while driving, remember the rules of the road. Oh yeah and those rules don't include talking on your cell phone with one hand, smoking with the other, and drinking your coffee. I know and understand the concept of multi-tasking in our modern society, but couldn't you slow down long enough to be slightly courteous to those around you?

Just try it for tomorrow, we can take it one day at a time.
Thanks.

Revenge shall be sweet...

Ah, you may be thinking, I am a woman scorned and plotting my revenge against the evil-doer called "man". Well not this time. Read on, my friends.

I am fortunate to work about 15 minutes from home. This is a blessing and a curse. It means I sleep 15 minutes later than I should and might be a little tardy to the office. It also means I can never get home in 15 minutes. Except for lunch. Sometimes I come home for lunch, for tasty leftovers, something in the freezer to zap or I may stop and pick up something - but either way I come home. Once in a while - it's a day or two before payday and the occasional extra expense (or gas for the car at these prices) just may send me over the edge. Today, was simply to get away from the office and my co-workers. I had leftover pizza, not exciting by any means, but it takes away the hunger pains...(and alleviates the annoyance that a particular co-worker inflicts simply by speaking.)

So I take the leftover pizza from the fridge and place two pieces on a paper plate and pop them into the microwave. I figure one minute at 80% power won't burn the roof of my mouth if I let it sit for a few seconds. I pour a glass of Diet Coke and flip thru the mail whilst waiting.

POOF!!

What? Whaddaya mean "POOF"?? The Micro stops in its tracks, no final beeping to signal hot leftover pizza is ready for consumption. First thought - oh great the power went out. Nope, the clock to the left is still on and not blinking. Second thought - blew a fuse. Ok so I trot down the hall (well not really trot, but I have a long hallway) to check the breaker. Nope - nothing wrong with the breaker either. Back down the hall. Hmmm, third thought - maybe it's the outlet itself. So I plug in the toaster and throw a piece of bread in it. Nope - toast comes out like it always does.

Finally, it occurs to me - Micro has met with an untimely demise. So young and in its prime - it can't be...

I eat the cold pizza while pondering this dilemma. Perhaps it was tired, or maybe it doesn't like pizza and refuses to have anything to do with it.

On top of Micro, I keep my mugs. If I store them in the cupboard I'll never use them. This way they are always at the ready for a cup of hot chocolate. I have to move the mugs to further inspect Micro. So I move them to the table.

I pick up and move Micro to the next available outlet - the living room. I plug it in - but alas - nothing, no lights. I have to face reality. I also have to get back to work. So I load Micro into the car for a trip. I face the Micro door towards the back seat. I don't want it to know where I'm going. It's not going to a farm to live out its final days.

After work, I went to Costco, that's where I originally bought Micro. I don't have my receipt as Micro is approximately 4 years old. My previous Micro was about 15 and just got slower, but no POOF. The customer service people at Costco are very helpful and courteous, but cannot find record of ever selling this particular brand of Micro. Uh-oh - now I have to think - where was I working at the time? Am I sure I bought it there? How much had I paid? So I think and think and recount as much of my past as is necessary for this situation. Did you know they can track all of your purchases by your Membership card? I did not know this, but today was happy that service was available. It took some time but Mr. Dan - Costco Customer Service - was able to give me a credit for Micro.

I walked away and didn't shed a tear. I don't think Micro saw me leave. I went and got a new cart and found New Micros. I only had two choices, but saw one comparable to what I had. I loaded white Micro 2 in the cart and moved on with my life.

The reason I titled this blog Revenge... - well my previous one was about my modern tech/appliance neglect. I think all the tech stuff and the appliances have been talking when I'm not around and perhaps Micro decided to take one for the team to teach me a lesson. If the hairdryer stages a mutiny over the next few days...I may have to call for reinforcements.

Modern Technology/Appliance Neglect

If you're waiting for the rest of my 100 things (or the last 40) - keep waiting. This isn't about that. It's about something else.

I've been neglecting my blog for a while, my own fault. I haven't had computer problems, and my hands are not broken. I haven't made any scientific breakthroughs on the design of my blog(obviously), although there is still work to be done. It's not my computer's fault at all (but just in case PC is mad, sorry PC - you rock!)

I would really prefer to blog while I'm at work, since I'm already on the computer. However, my employer frowns upon that and I need the benefits and paycheck for now. So by the time I get home and settled in, I really don't want to turn on the home computer. I think of topics at work (my collection of post-it notes is growing). Then I sort of format them in my head, but once I get here - poof, a bright shiny object distracts me. (oh yeah, that would be the disco ball, which I still haven't taken down - refer to my very first blog.)

This technological piece of equipment is not the only one suffering in my life. Poor iPod - she's been charging all weekend and I didn't give her any quality time either. There are tunes to dump, new ones to download and some to do over. (ooo - do overs - another future topic.)

My cell phone should be charged, but it's in the car and I didn't leave the house today. I don't get many calls on it, but it's nice for me to have when I want to order take-out and not use my stove or microwave.

Three appliances not showing signs of neglect this weekend are my washer, dryer and television. It was time to show them the love. Who am I kidding? My tv gets love all the time. I watch movies on DVD, movies on tv, movies I have on DVD on tv. Sometimes I just have the tv on for background noise. I watch sports...currently the US Open, but usually baseball. I watch hour long dramas and sitcom comedies, even during the summer when I know they are reruns. However, let me be clear, in my downtime I am not always a couch potato.

As for my washer and dryer...it seems like I always have some form of laundry to do. Have I mentioned I live alone?! It's not like I'm doing laundry for the neighborhood, I wear the same clothes over and over. I'd like to be a clothes horse, but then I just think about how much more laundry I'd have to do. Today's wash included clothes for work, sheets, pillowcases and blankets. Don't even get me started on the fact that I need a blanket on my bed in August. That just depresses me.

I'll try to be more regular about using all of the modern technology I have available to me, but they are all going to have to wait their turn. I am only one person.
I'm going to shut off the tv now. :)