I had barely made it inside the apartment door and the phone was ringing. Dropping my mail on the chair I checked caller ID. It’s my mom, of course. She has been reading news on that damn Internet, I realized.
“Hi, Mom.”
“What are you doing home so early? It’s not even five.”
“I put in almost nine hours, Mom. Besides, I work for the government. Five-week vacations, long lunch hours, you know.”
“You should be working more. Get on that fast track. Take on more than you can handle easily.”
“Mom, what in the hell are you talking about?” I said this, knowing full well where this conversation was leading. I also had been reading the news over lunch.
“Haven’t you seen the news about stress? Stress is good for you. Stress prevents breast cancer, for god’s sake! Did you call your Ex today about the payments?”
“Mom, I love talking to you. But I need to unwind before I start dinner.”
“Tension is good. Stress is good. You do not ‘need’ to unwind. You need to get a second job. Maybe that way you could meet someone nice and get married again.”
“I have to say goodbye now, Mom. Thanks for the healthy dose of stress.” I hung up gently and headed for the wine rack.
I was going to write something about curdled breast milk and cancer and stress, but kept my wits about me. Of course, none of the above is true—but can’t you just see this? What on earth is the media thinking when they report this stuff so out of context!!! We need more qualified medical journalists.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Monday, September 05, 2005
Smokin some stuff
I am taking a note from The Cerebral Outpost and trying to find humor in the chaos of news these days. This morning on the Channel 9 morning show they were going outside the studio to introduce a new barbecue restaurant. Standing at the back of the building was the chef with some really great looking ribs on the grill. The newscaster (spokesman) joined him and said, "Well today, folks, we are here to help you plan an outdoor dinner for the Labor Day holiday. I am sure some of you are planning on smoking some stuff over the holiday." He really said that. Didn't even blink. I am sure his studio folks were falling off their chairs.
Insomnia 1 in White
I am off my sleep schedule due to grandson's visit last night. He had a bad night and was up every two hours! So tonight I went to bed at 800 and now I am totally awake at 2:00! My glasses are back in the bedroom, so I can't really see what I am blogging here.
But, I had fun cropping these two photos I took this weekend. One in a greenhouse and one at the side of the road on a bike ride. One has to fend for itself against the elements to survive and one is totally nurtured by man. The luck of the draw.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Can There Be Too Much Togetherness?
I get to reading blogs on an early Saturday and come across some stories about spouses and their disagreements that make me wonder how the people can still be together. But, having said that, there are days when I wonder how my hubby and I are going to work out this 24/7 retirement thing.
Right now he travels about 30% of the time. So, even though we go to work together, there are times when I have that precious, marvelous, restorative alone time that I so need.
When he is home we do most things together except for work time. We are not a glued-at-the-hip couple, but we do enjoy each others company and like similar activities and adventures. The hurdle that I see coming in the time ahead is my hubby's addiction to water activities and fishing. I mean, if he could, he would take out his canoe or boat every single day until he died to make sure he has found every fishing hole, every school of fish, every bird feeding group, etc. He even jokes that if he gets too old and has to be taken care of by others, that he wants me to put him in the canoe with his best fishing pole (like I would know out of the dozen he has!) and just push the canoe offshore into the ocean. I tell him that even though I love him, I am NOT going to jail for him.
Well, the problem is that he does not have a real fishing buddy other than I. His friends and colleagues are all busy with their lives. And even though we have the rare dinner together, they are not giving up their free time for fishing. And I can take fishing or leave it...usually leave it. We 'fight' over our weekend time. I like to run errands, work on crafts, take pictures, houseplan, watch chick flicks, blog, garden. He likes to fish. And on the days that have crappy weather he likes to fish even more. So I hope when we move into the new area there are fishing addicts and boating addicts to feed his needs.
I realized a few years ago and re-realize it every year that some (many?) women frequently give up our fun times to babysit while hubby golfs (my daughter), to go on long outdoor fishing vacations with husband (my sister) or to go boating on rare free times (me) to keep those we love happy. Then as we get older and the children fire us and maybe hubby slows down, we realize that we have put that whole creative self-pleasuring side of ourselves on a shelf somewhere. See that picture of that high school girl or college graduate? Who were we anyway? When was the last time we focused for so long on something we loved that we forgot the time? We need to be more like men.
Right now he travels about 30% of the time. So, even though we go to work together, there are times when I have that precious, marvelous, restorative alone time that I so need.
When he is home we do most things together except for work time. We are not a glued-at-the-hip couple, but we do enjoy each others company and like similar activities and adventures. The hurdle that I see coming in the time ahead is my hubby's addiction to water activities and fishing. I mean, if he could, he would take out his canoe or boat every single day until he died to make sure he has found every fishing hole, every school of fish, every bird feeding group, etc. He even jokes that if he gets too old and has to be taken care of by others, that he wants me to put him in the canoe with his best fishing pole (like I would know out of the dozen he has!) and just push the canoe offshore into the ocean. I tell him that even though I love him, I am NOT going to jail for him.
Well, the problem is that he does not have a real fishing buddy other than I. His friends and colleagues are all busy with their lives. And even though we have the rare dinner together, they are not giving up their free time for fishing. And I can take fishing or leave it...usually leave it. We 'fight' over our weekend time. I like to run errands, work on crafts, take pictures, houseplan, watch chick flicks, blog, garden. He likes to fish. And on the days that have crappy weather he likes to fish even more. So I hope when we move into the new area there are fishing addicts and boating addicts to feed his needs.
I realized a few years ago and re-realize it every year that some (many?) women frequently give up our fun times to babysit while hubby golfs (my daughter), to go on long outdoor fishing vacations with husband (my sister) or to go boating on rare free times (me) to keep those we love happy. Then as we get older and the children fire us and maybe hubby slows down, we realize that we have put that whole creative self-pleasuring side of ourselves on a shelf somewhere. See that picture of that high school girl or college graduate? Who were we anyway? When was the last time we focused for so long on something we loved that we forgot the time? We need to be more like men.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Going Back in Time
For a total of 10 days over a three week period, I was the daytime caregiver of my little guy. Ten things I learned as a new grandmother in charge of daycare:
1) Your daughter (son?) will remind you of yourself at times in her approach to things and at other times you will wonder where she gets such crazy ideas.
2) “Quality time” for working parents consists of two hours in the evening which also includes changing out of office clothes, sorting the mail, cooking dinner and watching some stupid reality show that has been TIVOed. If you don’t know what TIVO is, you are better off than the rest of the world because you actually have a life. The kid does get some eye contact time, some belly time and usually a diaper change in all of this. Morning quality time, while more peaceful, rarely lasts more than a few minutes before everyone is off and running to greet their day.
3) When taking a baby for the daily stroll you actually think about things like the breezes in the leaves, happy dogs with wagging tails, the sounds of the suburbs and approaching fall colors.
4) Don’t expect to get any lengthy sleep while you are there overnight. Especially if parents are trying to get baby to drop night feedings.
5) Most Daddies are not intuitive about babies and it is sometimes funny to watch the discombobulation.
6) The strangest songs will come back into your memory when you are talking to the baby and you will actually sing them to him…at least partly, if you can remember most of the words.
7) Bath time: Babies are slippery as hell when wet!
8) There is nothing more addictive than ANY drug imaginable as having a little guy (gal) curl up tight in your arms, look you straight in the eye, and then drift off to blissful sleep.
9) Baby smell is certainly the next addiction…didn’t want to shower when I got back home!
10) You will lose weight ( a little). Lifting baby up and down, getting up and down from the floor, pushing a stroller, going up and down the stairs dozens of times each day and forgetting to eat all contribute to this.
1) Your daughter (son?) will remind you of yourself at times in her approach to things and at other times you will wonder where she gets such crazy ideas.
2) “Quality time” for working parents consists of two hours in the evening which also includes changing out of office clothes, sorting the mail, cooking dinner and watching some stupid reality show that has been TIVOed. If you don’t know what TIVO is, you are better off than the rest of the world because you actually have a life. The kid does get some eye contact time, some belly time and usually a diaper change in all of this. Morning quality time, while more peaceful, rarely lasts more than a few minutes before everyone is off and running to greet their day.
3) When taking a baby for the daily stroll you actually think about things like the breezes in the leaves, happy dogs with wagging tails, the sounds of the suburbs and approaching fall colors.
4) Don’t expect to get any lengthy sleep while you are there overnight. Especially if parents are trying to get baby to drop night feedings.
5) Most Daddies are not intuitive about babies and it is sometimes funny to watch the discombobulation.
6) The strangest songs will come back into your memory when you are talking to the baby and you will actually sing them to him…at least partly, if you can remember most of the words.
7) Bath time: Babies are slippery as hell when wet!
8) There is nothing more addictive than ANY drug imaginable as having a little guy (gal) curl up tight in your arms, look you straight in the eye, and then drift off to blissful sleep.
9) Baby smell is certainly the next addiction…didn’t want to shower when I got back home!
10) You will lose weight ( a little). Lifting baby up and down, getting up and down from the floor, pushing a stroller, going up and down the stairs dozens of times each day and forgetting to eat all contribute to this.
Taking it One Day at a Time
Watching the news this week, the discouraging images were so familiar to me. In the late 1970’s upon returning from living in the South Pacific, Hubby and I excitedly purchased our first real home as a married couple in southern Texas. The house was located in a small and lovely suburb surrounded by shady live oak and sweet gum trees covered with Spanish moss and bordering lush green lawns. The house was a three bedroom, two bathroom ranch in excellent condition. We owned about a half acre. The back yard also had a garage-size greenhouse that kept all my tropical plants protected through the short winters of southern Texas. The former owner was a landscape addict and the yard was spectacular; we even won an award one year from the local garden club. Across the street was a slow moving bayou that my husband explored in his canoe on weekends. My daughter was almost four at the time and my son was about 8 months old. I was still nursing him, which later became a blessing.
Hurricanes were common in the summer months in this area of Texas but none ever reached our area. In 1979, Tropical Storm Claudette moved in from the gulf and while we expected lots of rain and flooded lawns, we knew it would move on as these tropical storms always did. But Claudette was contradictory and decided to stay awhile. She moved up to Alvin, Texas and then proceeded to sit there like a drunken sailor sucking up moisture from the Gulf and dumping it on our heads. 42 inches of rain fell in 24 hours. According to Wikipedia: “Claudette was a long-lived (August 15 - August 29) but fairly weak storm that spent almost its entire life as a tropical depression. Claudette formed in the mid-Atlantic east of the Windward Islands. It had two spells as a tropical storm; the first was a brief one east of Puerto Rico. The storm passed directly over the island just after weakening, where it killed one person from flooding. The depression moved casually through the Greater Antilles and moved into the Gulf of Mexico. Claudette restrengthened into a tropical storm south of Sabine, Texas and made landfall near Port Arthur, killing one person from floods. Damages from flooding in Texas were enormous, totaling $400 million dollars. Claudette was one of the costliest storms on record that never reached hurricane intensity.”
After hours and hours of gray rain, fear was starting to set in. By early evening I could hear the water gurgling beneath the bathtub in the children’s bathroom. It was a strange and unsettling sound. In the dusk, I tried to see where the level of the bayou was in the neighbor’s backyard across the street, but the rain was so heavy I couldn’t make out anything but gray water against the window. Uneasy, we put the kids to bed and then headed to bed ourselves. The numbing sound of rain continued throughout the night. We slept on and off, and in the morning, woke up to about six inches of water in the bedroom! We hurriedly packed some clothes, got the kids dressed and talked about what to do next.
I remember getting my daughter her breakfast before we left. The water had come up another 8 inches by that time. I put her on the kitchen table and fixed her cereal. Although the electricity was out, the milk was still cold from the fridge. She was fascinated with the swimming pool that had previously been our home. While eating she suddenly squealed in delight. When I looked up, she giggled. “Mom, look, there’s a fish under the table!” In verification, there was a small 4 inch fish swimming around the legs of our kitchen table as if it was his own small wooden reef.
The water continued to rise, and we eventually had to leave our home by that reliable old canoe. As we paddled down our street I noticed that the waters were teaming with balls of fire ants climbing over each other in order to avoid drowning. We had to be careful not to brush up against those lovely live oaks and sweet gums branches, as they, too, were covered in fire ants and harbored their share of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes as well. We paddled out to the nearby freeway and then hubby returned to pick up our neighbors. Eventually a school bus took all of us to the local elementary school. While the rains stopped, the water continued to rise for another day. We got over 3 feet of water in our house. When we realized that it would be days before we could get back home, friends took us in. After several weeks of living with them, we accepted that we had to find some place to rent for the longer term and fortunately we had the limited resources to do that. I remember thinking that although I had lost the inside of my house and most of my belongings, I was so thankful we were alive and uninjured.
We returned to a neighborhood of refuse-covered lawns. People were trying to determine what could be salvaged and what had to be thrown out among their treasures. I still have in my mind the nightmare images of soaked furniture, buckled oak flooring, and days and days of doing laundry when the electricity was finally restored. My neighbor’s dryer worked and my washer worked and we ran them non-stop together for days. You have to wash EVERYTHING you ever owned that is washable. We probably thought we were washing the flood away.
We retrieved the chest freezer from the neighbor's swimming pool where it had floated out of our garage. All of our food was lost, of course.
Months passed before we could get a contractor to help us rebuild. We gutted the house ourselves in the interim. The fireplace had not been pushed off its base and we did not have a can of diesel oil on a counter to tip and spread everywhere as one of our neighbors had experienced.
I ended up having to wean my son earlier than I wanted, because we had to shop for cars (both of ours floated away) and handle tons of insurance paperwork and loan paperwork. (This was the flood, by the way, that gave Texan, Dan Rather, his first big newsbreak and helped move him forward as a major news anchor.)
As I see these people in the Gulf who are so thankful just to be alive, I know that months from now when they will have to accept they have a long road ahead after the initial shock wears off. They will need the help of the charities more than ever and the support of their relatives and friends to help them see the light at the end of the tunnel. As my blog emphasizes, you get through these things One Day at a Time.
Hurricanes were common in the summer months in this area of Texas but none ever reached our area. In 1979, Tropical Storm Claudette moved in from the gulf and while we expected lots of rain and flooded lawns, we knew it would move on as these tropical storms always did. But Claudette was contradictory and decided to stay awhile. She moved up to Alvin, Texas and then proceeded to sit there like a drunken sailor sucking up moisture from the Gulf and dumping it on our heads. 42 inches of rain fell in 24 hours. According to Wikipedia: “Claudette was a long-lived (August 15 - August 29) but fairly weak storm that spent almost its entire life as a tropical depression. Claudette formed in the mid-Atlantic east of the Windward Islands. It had two spells as a tropical storm; the first was a brief one east of Puerto Rico. The storm passed directly over the island just after weakening, where it killed one person from flooding. The depression moved casually through the Greater Antilles and moved into the Gulf of Mexico. Claudette restrengthened into a tropical storm south of Sabine, Texas and made landfall near Port Arthur, killing one person from floods. Damages from flooding in Texas were enormous, totaling $400 million dollars. Claudette was one of the costliest storms on record that never reached hurricane intensity.”
After hours and hours of gray rain, fear was starting to set in. By early evening I could hear the water gurgling beneath the bathtub in the children’s bathroom. It was a strange and unsettling sound. In the dusk, I tried to see where the level of the bayou was in the neighbor’s backyard across the street, but the rain was so heavy I couldn’t make out anything but gray water against the window. Uneasy, we put the kids to bed and then headed to bed ourselves. The numbing sound of rain continued throughout the night. We slept on and off, and in the morning, woke up to about six inches of water in the bedroom! We hurriedly packed some clothes, got the kids dressed and talked about what to do next.
I remember getting my daughter her breakfast before we left. The water had come up another 8 inches by that time. I put her on the kitchen table and fixed her cereal. Although the electricity was out, the milk was still cold from the fridge. She was fascinated with the swimming pool that had previously been our home. While eating she suddenly squealed in delight. When I looked up, she giggled. “Mom, look, there’s a fish under the table!” In verification, there was a small 4 inch fish swimming around the legs of our kitchen table as if it was his own small wooden reef.
The water continued to rise, and we eventually had to leave our home by that reliable old canoe. As we paddled down our street I noticed that the waters were teaming with balls of fire ants climbing over each other in order to avoid drowning. We had to be careful not to brush up against those lovely live oaks and sweet gums branches, as they, too, were covered in fire ants and harbored their share of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes as well. We paddled out to the nearby freeway and then hubby returned to pick up our neighbors. Eventually a school bus took all of us to the local elementary school. While the rains stopped, the water continued to rise for another day. We got over 3 feet of water in our house. When we realized that it would be days before we could get back home, friends took us in. After several weeks of living with them, we accepted that we had to find some place to rent for the longer term and fortunately we had the limited resources to do that. I remember thinking that although I had lost the inside of my house and most of my belongings, I was so thankful we were alive and uninjured.
We returned to a neighborhood of refuse-covered lawns. People were trying to determine what could be salvaged and what had to be thrown out among their treasures. I still have in my mind the nightmare images of soaked furniture, buckled oak flooring, and days and days of doing laundry when the electricity was finally restored. My neighbor’s dryer worked and my washer worked and we ran them non-stop together for days. You have to wash EVERYTHING you ever owned that is washable. We probably thought we were washing the flood away.
We retrieved the chest freezer from the neighbor's swimming pool where it had floated out of our garage. All of our food was lost, of course.
Months passed before we could get a contractor to help us rebuild. We gutted the house ourselves in the interim. The fireplace had not been pushed off its base and we did not have a can of diesel oil on a counter to tip and spread everywhere as one of our neighbors had experienced.
I ended up having to wean my son earlier than I wanted, because we had to shop for cars (both of ours floated away) and handle tons of insurance paperwork and loan paperwork. (This was the flood, by the way, that gave Texan, Dan Rather, his first big newsbreak and helped move him forward as a major news anchor.)
As I see these people in the Gulf who are so thankful just to be alive, I know that months from now when they will have to accept they have a long road ahead after the initial shock wears off. They will need the help of the charities more than ever and the support of their relatives and friends to help them see the light at the end of the tunnel. As my blog emphasizes, you get through these things One Day at a Time.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Number One
I am back for tonight and leaving once more to grandbaby sit through Tuesday night. Then I have to suck it up and go back to the real world of work. Tonight, I have just finished three loads of laundry...quite a feat when I have to carry everything back and forth across the hallway along with keys and the machine card. Sometimes I forget the softener or drop a sock. Anyway, taking a break and posting photos of the most beautiful grandson for bloggers who want to see how he has grown.
The first is a morning energy activity at his music studio and in the second he is showing off the new booties that his auntie purchased on a recent trip to Central America. (The photos are compressed from large size.)
Yawn--off to bed for now.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
And Now for Your Moment of Zen (as Jon Stewart would say)
The world is certainly a lovely place, so for those of you sitting a home I thought I would share a few more of the dozens of pictures I took on the anniversary trip to West Virginia.
Not sure which wildflower this is? Similar to a loosestife.
This waterfall is blue and milky and the rocks red due to the high iron content--North Fork of the Blackwater river.
ENJOY! Now I am packing and doing some casseroles for this next week a my daughter's. Blog next week will have some photos of this really good-looking guy!
Not sure which wildflower this is? Similar to a loosestife.
This waterfall is blue and milky and the rocks red due to the high iron content--North Fork of the Blackwater river.
ENJOY! Now I am packing and doing some casseroles for this next week a my daughter's. Blog next week will have some photos of this really good-looking guy!
Saturday, August 20, 2005
I'm Baaack
I am here, just for the weekend--pay some bills and catch up on laundry. I return to my daughter's house Sunday night and stay until Friday night. I actually feel like I am on vacation there, since I don't do anything but play with the baby and help with some light housekeeping. I am actually getting quite a bit of reading done!
But now for the days prior to visiting x-man---our anniversary trip. After a drive of five hours, we checked into the park lodge which was quite nice and at a $60-a-night special rate, a good savings. On the Saturday afternoon of our arrival, the lodge was busy with the activities of a summer festival. There were lots of people in the huge swimming pool, kids on the rock climbing wall, and some bungie jumpy thing. Inside a newly built shelter at the foot of the hill behind the lodge there were arts and crafts tables with of all kinds of things for sale. People were sitting at picnic tables eating food, dogs lay at their feet and children were running in and out. It was sort of like a family get-together. A wonderful Celtic music group of four was singing and playing for the crowd. We liked their music so much we bought the CD, "Wolf Creek Session - Between Two Shores." We also bought some honey made from the tulip poplar tree.
In the early evening we took a very short walk around the grounds of the lodge which has several easy trails. We came upon this deer grazing in the high grass. It clearly had some health problem, as he did not try to avoid us and had terrible mange.
The next morning we headed out to one of our favorite areas in West Virginia, Dolly Sods. This is a misnomer based on the name of the Dahle family which owned the area. This German family raised cattle on the high rolling hills before it became a nature park on one side and a private hunting area on the other. It is a unique ecosystem in that the climate is much like that of Canada with places as high as 4,000 feet. Weather is quickly changeable at that height and so you have to be aware when camping or hiking. This place has special memories for my husband and I as we have been hiking and camping here when the children were younger.
We selected one of many trails...all of which are fairly level at the end of the road. Our trail which was a combination of several numbered trails ended up being 4.5 miles in and 4.5 miles out. I know this, as my husband is enamoured of his gadget GPS. This is the trail head labeled Bear Rocks Trail #522, which we didn't exactly follow. We stopped and talked to some young campers that had just come out and they provided us with a map they used and recommended a good day hike. We were passed by three horseback riders and their little beagle as we reached the trees at the end of the picture above. But that was really the only people we saw the whole time.
We were surprised that the park provided snacks this late in the season. There were two types of blueberries. The blue ones were the sweetest, but the darker blue berries had a pungent flavor like fine wine. We felt very healthy eating them and were sorry that the horseman missed this stop.
Once we cleared the first set of trees the trail becomes less clear as the tall grasses cover our footprints. Thus the value of the GPS so at least we can get back to where we have been.
That square thing on hubby's head is the GPS---he likes to wear it that way. He always was a fashion maven.
We still have to make it over the next knoll in the distance before we can justify a rest.
At the top of that hill it was so lovely and ended up being a perfect spot to take a break. The breeze was gentle and the weather had not yet heated up by mid-morning, although the afternoon of our return was quite hot. We were high on the hills and the breeze was so welcome as were the clouds that drifted between us and the sun.
We came to various steel posts at times, some with directions and some just posts to indicate the trail. But it took careful observation to make sure we did not get lost on some other footpath. This area is so open and beautiful that one can hike for days.
The terrain changes from rolling hills to marsh/bog valleys that support the blueberries and cranberries. It can get quite muddy, so you have to wear good hiking shoes, which we did. We spotted the footprints in the mud below. Seemed to be too big for a mink or martin and probably not a raccoon. Where is Daniel Boone when you need him?
Finally--the crest of the ridge and our reward is the view. Time for lunch, a break and we head back out.
But now for the days prior to visiting x-man---our anniversary trip. After a drive of five hours, we checked into the park lodge which was quite nice and at a $60-a-night special rate, a good savings. On the Saturday afternoon of our arrival, the lodge was busy with the activities of a summer festival. There were lots of people in the huge swimming pool, kids on the rock climbing wall, and some bungie jumpy thing. Inside a newly built shelter at the foot of the hill behind the lodge there were arts and crafts tables with of all kinds of things for sale. People were sitting at picnic tables eating food, dogs lay at their feet and children were running in and out. It was sort of like a family get-together. A wonderful Celtic music group of four was singing and playing for the crowd. We liked their music so much we bought the CD, "Wolf Creek Session - Between Two Shores." We also bought some honey made from the tulip poplar tree.
In the early evening we took a very short walk around the grounds of the lodge which has several easy trails. We came upon this deer grazing in the high grass. It clearly had some health problem, as he did not try to avoid us and had terrible mange.
The next morning we headed out to one of our favorite areas in West Virginia, Dolly Sods. This is a misnomer based on the name of the Dahle family which owned the area. This German family raised cattle on the high rolling hills before it became a nature park on one side and a private hunting area on the other. It is a unique ecosystem in that the climate is much like that of Canada with places as high as 4,000 feet. Weather is quickly changeable at that height and so you have to be aware when camping or hiking. This place has special memories for my husband and I as we have been hiking and camping here when the children were younger.
We selected one of many trails...all of which are fairly level at the end of the road. Our trail which was a combination of several numbered trails ended up being 4.5 miles in and 4.5 miles out. I know this, as my husband is enamoured of his gadget GPS. This is the trail head labeled Bear Rocks Trail #522, which we didn't exactly follow. We stopped and talked to some young campers that had just come out and they provided us with a map they used and recommended a good day hike. We were passed by three horseback riders and their little beagle as we reached the trees at the end of the picture above. But that was really the only people we saw the whole time.
We were surprised that the park provided snacks this late in the season. There were two types of blueberries. The blue ones were the sweetest, but the darker blue berries had a pungent flavor like fine wine. We felt very healthy eating them and were sorry that the horseman missed this stop.
Once we cleared the first set of trees the trail becomes less clear as the tall grasses cover our footprints. Thus the value of the GPS so at least we can get back to where we have been.
That square thing on hubby's head is the GPS---he likes to wear it that way. He always was a fashion maven.
We still have to make it over the next knoll in the distance before we can justify a rest.At the top of that hill it was so lovely and ended up being a perfect spot to take a break. The breeze was gentle and the weather had not yet heated up by mid-morning, although the afternoon of our return was quite hot. We were high on the hills and the breeze was so welcome as were the clouds that drifted between us and the sun.
We came to various steel posts at times, some with directions and some just posts to indicate the trail. But it took careful observation to make sure we did not get lost on some other footpath. This area is so open and beautiful that one can hike for days.
The terrain changes from rolling hills to marsh/bog valleys that support the blueberries and cranberries. It can get quite muddy, so you have to wear good hiking shoes, which we did. We spotted the footprints in the mud below. Seemed to be too big for a mink or martin and probably not a raccoon. Where is Daniel Boone when you need him?
Finally--the crest of the ridge and our reward is the view. Time for lunch, a break and we head back out.
Friday, August 12, 2005
4 day vacation
Just got back from March of the Penguins...Morgan Freeman does a terrific narration and the documentary itself is lovely and moving and makes you COLD! It totally amazes me that these emperor penguins are not extinct. But then we do have global warming which may improve their survival chances. See this movie if you like animals or documentaries.
Heading out to the mountains for our anniversary tomorrow...can't remember which anniversary...it's just a number folks. Anyway, we will do some hiking and I will bring back some pictures of the natural beauty. BUT I will be babysitting for the rest of the week and all of the next week after that. Hopefully, I can do some blogging on the weekends when I get home, but I am not making any promises. I know, you will miss me.
Heading out to the mountains for our anniversary tomorrow...can't remember which anniversary...it's just a number folks. Anyway, we will do some hiking and I will bring back some pictures of the natural beauty. BUT I will be babysitting for the rest of the week and all of the next week after that. Hopefully, I can do some blogging on the weekends when I get home, but I am not making any promises. I know, you will miss me.
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
As an update for those who do not have a life and are curious---WE GOT TONER YESTERDAY! All things come to those who wait....and wait...and wait.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Tokyo After Midnight
Many many (many) years ago ( probably before you were born) my husband and I spent some time in Japan on business. We spent several days in Tokyo and being the young adventurers that we were, we stayed out late and visited hotel bars, etc. It amazed us that in such a large city at 2:00 A.M. one would see a few drunken men in business suits stumbling down the street, but never see any scuzzy or threatening people. We never felt in danger at any time, as we might have in a large American city during that time. We weren't even concerned if we got a little lost in trying to find our way back to our hotel. I haven't been out late in Tokyo recently, so don't know if that culture has changed. I think the lower crime rate there has to do with the homogeneity of the population.
In reading my latest issue of Newsweek, I came across this article. The photo itself is certainly compelling. I cannot imagine how any mother could send a six-year-old across a city by him or herself on a public train. There would be so many what-ifs in my mind that I just would NOT send my kid to school until I lived closer. It seems that this is a somewhat common thing in Japan.
In reading my latest issue of Newsweek, I came across this article. The photo itself is certainly compelling. I cannot imagine how any mother could send a six-year-old across a city by him or herself on a public train. There would be so many what-ifs in my mind that I just would NOT send my kid to school until I lived closer. It seems that this is a somewhat common thing in Japan.
Beauty Can Be Deceiving
Five years ago in the spring of the year I took a day's walk down this lovely road below. Enjoying the spring weather and the company of others. It was one of those perfect days when the breeze was just right, the walk was not challenging and the natural beauty was everywhere. The end of the road led to a grassy knoll and this view of the ocean.
The grassy knoll was probably the home of the enemy. The enemy gave no sound and was never seen. 24 hours later I found a tick on my thigh and 48 hours after that I got sick. In three days I had the bulls-eye on my leg and my neck glands were sore and swollen. Yep, Lymes disease. Fortunately, we caught it in time because I had the textbook symptoms. But I went to a seminar a few months later on Lymes and was told that I could get it again in another bite with or without the symptoms showing up. That was reassuring.
The grassy knoll was probably the home of the enemy. The enemy gave no sound and was never seen. 24 hours later I found a tick on my thigh and 48 hours after that I got sick. In three days I had the bulls-eye on my leg and my neck glands were sore and swollen. Yep, Lymes disease. Fortunately, we caught it in time because I had the textbook symptoms. But I went to a seminar a few months later on Lymes and was told that I could get it again in another bite with or without the symptoms showing up. That was reassuring.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Work It Baby!!!
I have been sluffing off. I used to be so good about exercising 30 minutes most mornings and 60 minutes on the weekends. This came about because of some back difficulties that I had about 8 years ago. I went into therapy and then, being the type A person that I am, I decided to bump it up a notch when the insurance company stopped paying for the therapy. I got DVDs, video tapes, weights, benches, etc. and WORKED it baby... My back pain completely went away! It was such a good reward after a year of debilitating pain, that I committed myself to never returning to the slug mode I had been in. I had been spiraling into a depression (and since I had never been depressed in my life it was both fascinating and frightening).
My posture has benefitted and even a dance teacher noticed. I also lost a 'little' weight and my clothes fit better, which was also a reward since I could justify buying some new clothes. So exercise became my mantra.
Well, this final move to the apartment (maybe it is just the aging process as well) has changed my exercise routine. There is not so much room ( I HATE PUBLIC GYMS) and I can't be as aggressive in exercising since my husband is usually still sleeping. These excuses are preventing me from exercising as much and as regularly as I used to. Oh well. Oh hell.
My posture has benefitted and even a dance teacher noticed. I also lost a 'little' weight and my clothes fit better, which was also a reward since I could justify buying some new clothes. So exercise became my mantra.
Well, this final move to the apartment (maybe it is just the aging process as well) has changed my exercise routine. There is not so much room ( I HATE PUBLIC GYMS) and I can't be as aggressive in exercising since my husband is usually still sleeping. These excuses are preventing me from exercising as much and as regularly as I used to. Oh well. Oh hell.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Remember that baby a few weeks ago?
This from CNN today.
I am so glad that people don't grow this fast!
I am so glad that people don't grow this fast!
My new lifestyle
I am learning to live like many Americans live in the city.
This apartment has only one washer and one dryer on each floor, and while I can usethe laundry room on other floors, the thought of carrying a basketful of laundry, the keys to the laundry room, the money card for the machines and all the cleaning supplies into the elevator and out only to find that the machine on that floor is busy, has convinced me that it would be easier to use the appliances on my floor.
The laundry room is just across from the kitchen door to the hallway, so I can easily check to see if the laundry room is busy and then run like a crazy person pulling sheets off the bed, towels outs of the bathroom and small rugs from the floor. In addition, I have learned to set the kitchen timer so that I will be reminded when to pull the stuff out of the washer and into the dryer, etc. (Don't want anyone to steal my clothes or throw them on the floor in anger because I am busy drinking wine and blogging!) This whole process is a big change from the luxury of having my own washer and dryer. I no longer have the luxury of doing a small load of delicates. All loads cost the same--$1.50--so I tend to clump stuff together that I hadn't previously. Doing hand laundry and hanging unmentionables in this small apartment could be disastrous. (At least I bought a bunch of new underwear a year or so ago!)
But, I am still better off than my daughter. In her intelligence to bite off more than she can chew (much like manababies methinks) she has decided to gut and remodel her basement. This decision occurred when her baby was less than two months old. What this means is that she had the 'guy' come in and gut the basement--take out all of the bathroom fixtures down there and the new washer and dryer she had purchased a few months ago. The 'guy' is not licensed, but has done some work for them that they liked and so now she or her husband have to go to the permit office to get the permission to do this so that they can be sure the plumbing is done correctly. Therefore, weeks later she is still without a laundry room and is running next door to do her laundry (wonder how long the neighbors will be friends?)
I am so glad there is a hole in my lot! Counting the months.
This apartment has only one washer and one dryer on each floor, and while I can usethe laundry room on other floors, the thought of carrying a basketful of laundry, the keys to the laundry room, the money card for the machines and all the cleaning supplies into the elevator and out only to find that the machine on that floor is busy, has convinced me that it would be easier to use the appliances on my floor.
The laundry room is just across from the kitchen door to the hallway, so I can easily check to see if the laundry room is busy and then run like a crazy person pulling sheets off the bed, towels outs of the bathroom and small rugs from the floor. In addition, I have learned to set the kitchen timer so that I will be reminded when to pull the stuff out of the washer and into the dryer, etc. (Don't want anyone to steal my clothes or throw them on the floor in anger because I am busy drinking wine and blogging!) This whole process is a big change from the luxury of having my own washer and dryer. I no longer have the luxury of doing a small load of delicates. All loads cost the same--$1.50--so I tend to clump stuff together that I hadn't previously. Doing hand laundry and hanging unmentionables in this small apartment could be disastrous. (At least I bought a bunch of new underwear a year or so ago!)
But, I am still better off than my daughter. In her intelligence to bite off more than she can chew (much like manababies methinks) she has decided to gut and remodel her basement. This decision occurred when her baby was less than two months old. What this means is that she had the 'guy' come in and gut the basement--take out all of the bathroom fixtures down there and the new washer and dryer she had purchased a few months ago. The 'guy' is not licensed, but has done some work for them that they liked and so now she or her husband have to go to the permit office to get the permission to do this so that they can be sure the plumbing is done correctly. Therefore, weeks later she is still without a laundry room and is running next door to do her laundry (wonder how long the neighbors will be friends?)
I am so glad there is a hole in my lot! Counting the months.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
HANGING ON
Some days I feel just like this old tree at the edge of an abyss.
Due to lots of leave taken during the summer by our public services staff, I am pulled from the privacy of my office to staff our public desk a day or two a week.
While sitting at the desk I noticed that the FAX machine would ring and then nothing would print. When I asked a co-worker she explained that it had probably run out of toner. Thus the scenario that followed in text below. (Note: You have to read it from the bottom of this blog up now, since that is the chronology. Note: Yes, you are paying the salary of these idiots who do not understand English. Note: that this whole process has now taken a month and the FAX machine is still out of toner!) Go the end of the blog post now.
*************************************************************************
Updated by Who Me...I don’t WORK here Tue 2 Aug 2005 16:43:37 -0400 from IP address.
I checked up here and we do not have any cartridges for your fax. When I and (other named worker) installed the fax we gave your everything related to this fax. I will check on Wednesday if I can purchase some cartridges.
Updated by Co-worker Tue 2 Aug 2005 12:49:50 -0400 from other IP address.
Samsung SF - 5100 Fax -- SF-5100D1 (XAR)
Updated by Co-worker Tue 2 Aug 2005 12:48:15 -0400 from other IP address.
Note, we don't need anyone to service the fax machine, I just need for you to order the toner cartridge, and then I can replace the cartridge.
Updated by Who Me...I don’t WORK here Tue 2 Aug 2005 11:01:42 -0400 from IP address.
We have never served fax machines for the PUBLIC OFFICE. We will check out as soon as time allow this week.
Altered by Tabor Thu 21 Jul 2005 13:50:53 -0400 from other IP address.
Change monitors from {person a, person b, person c} to {person a, person b, person c, Co-worker, another co-worker}.
Updated by Tabor Thu 21 Jul 2005 13:50:21 -0400 from other IP address.
It appears that a request for toner replacement for this FAX machine was sent out by Co-worker (https:link here ticket #8980) on July 11th that is identical to this help desk request.
Altered by Tabor Thu 21 Jul 2005 07:32:58 -0400 from other IP address.
Change monitors from {person a, person b, person c} to {person a, person b, person c, Co-worker }.
Updated by Tabor Wed 20 Jul 2005 10:42:39 -0400 from another IP address.
I am including Person b to determine the next step in this effort as both Idiot #1 and Co-worker are out today.
Altered by Tabor Wed 20 Jul 2005 10:41:40 -0400 from IP Address.
Change monitors from {Person a to} to {Person a, Person b}.
Updated by Who me…I don’t work here Wed 20 Jul 2005 09:55:49 -0400 from IP Address.
Please check with Co-worker or Idiot #1 for servicing. We are responsible for procuring the consumables.
Updated by Tabor Tue 19 Jul 2005 14:37:12 -0400 from IP Address.
Sorry, I meant to type CAN'T route this stuff elsewhere.
Updated by Tabor Tue 19 Jul 2005 14:34:41 -0400 from IP Address.
Haven't heard from anyone on this ticket even though it is a priority at our end. Please note that offices across the nation are faxing reports to us via this machine and that researchers and staff are waiting to pick these up. Once the memory buffer is full, we will have lost reports and will need to identify what was lost and what needs to be re-requested. Note: we can route this stuff elsewhere. Help please.
Created by Tabor Mon 18 Jul 2005 09:40:31 -0400 from IP Address.
The fax machine at the public desk - Samsung SF-5100 - is now out of toner (appears it may have been out late last week). Co-worker is not in today...don't know if our office has to supply our own toner or if upstairs office has supply for this machine. Machine receives several reports daily, so would like it fixed as soon as possible.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
A meme from Colleen
- What are the three stupidest things you’ve ever done in your life?
a.) As a Freshman in college, in order to act ‘cool,’ I made fun of someone I didn’t know very well in the cafeteria and then found out she was sitting right behind me. b.) Rode in a car coming down a canyon in the
- At the current moment, who has the most influence on your life?
My husband because is has good common sense and is still pretty naive.
- If you were given a time machine that functioned, and you were allowed to pick up to five people to dine with, who would you pick?
Erma Bombeck, Gandhi, Bill Clinton, Leonardo Da Vinci and my great, great, great, grandmother…With a little wine and some atmosphere we could talk all night.
- If you had three wishes that were not supernatural, what would they be?
Everyone I loved would have great health until they died in old age, people of the world would be more open minded to others ideas, and the earth would be returned to a ‘healthy’ state.
- Someone is visiting your hometown/place where you live at the moment. Name two things you regret not having in your city, and two things people should avoid.
I regret that the area I live in is not more crime free and I regret that it is not quieter. My visitors should definitely avoid rush hour and certain parts of the city at night.
The death of my middle sister at age 54 from melanoma.
I'll think about who to tag on this later.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Holding on to junk
I got a kick out of reading manababies struggle to simplify her life while preparing for a move and the sale of her house. She was writing about how old things (that are totally worthless) have memories attached that make you want to save them, instead of tossing them out. Manababies memory was attached to a piece of clothing -- a pair of old boxer shorts.
This is amusing to me because my daughter went to an O.A.R. concert the other night with our young cousin. While at the concert she remembered an incident when she was a pre-teen. One of the OAR singers stayed at our house with my son as a ten-year-old many years ago. He accidentally left his boxer shorts. Boxer shorts were all the rage then for 12-year-old girls, which my daughter was. So she put them aside hoping Marc would never ask for them, which he didn't and she decided to keep them. She would have been too embarrassed to go into the boys/men's department and buy male underwear of course.
Well, as one would expect, she no longer has these shorts--nor post pregnancy could she fit into them if she did-- but her cousin, who is a very young twenty-something, was most impressed when she learned this at the concert and wished that my daughter had saved the shorts. One person's treasure is frequently another person's junk and that is probably one of the primary things that keeps E-bay going strong.
This is amusing to me because my daughter went to an O.A.R. concert the other night with our young cousin. While at the concert she remembered an incident when she was a pre-teen. One of the OAR singers stayed at our house with my son as a ten-year-old many years ago. He accidentally left his boxer shorts. Boxer shorts were all the rage then for 12-year-old girls, which my daughter was. So she put them aside hoping Marc would never ask for them, which he didn't and she decided to keep them. She would have been too embarrassed to go into the boys/men's department and buy male underwear of course.
Well, as one would expect, she no longer has these shorts--nor post pregnancy could she fit into them if she did-- but her cousin, who is a very young twenty-something, was most impressed when she learned this at the concert and wished that my daughter had saved the shorts. One person's treasure is frequently another person's junk and that is probably one of the primary things that keeps E-bay going strong.
A Typical American Sunday
X-man saw very little of this nature behind bars, but he still was tired at the end.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)