HAPPY NEW YEAR

Oh give it up, tomorrow will be a brand new year and what the hell, each one brings us challenges and somehow we always cope. Get a life and get real -- life is good, deal with it.

Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year -- its gonna get cold around my neck of the woods tonight, so cold they can't really say how many degrees below zero it will get or how many degrees below zero the wind chill will be but suffice to say its GONNA BE FLIPPIN COLD!

Just one little bit of advice. Do not get Preparation H and Poli-Grip mixed up. A friend did and now she talks like an asshole but her gums don't itch!

America is great ---read to the end

In a few short days, an African American man will move from his private residence into a much larger and more expensive one owned not by him but by the taxpayers. A vast lawn, a perimeter fence and many well trained security specialists will insulate him from the rest of us but the mere fact that this man will be residing in this house should make us all stop and count our blessings - because it proves that we live in a nation where anything is possible.

Many believed this day would never come. Most of us hoped and prayed that it would, but few of us actually believed we would live to see it. Racism is an ugly thing in all of its forms and there is little doubt that if this man had moved into this house fifteen years ago, there would have been a great outcry - possibly even rioting in the streets.

Today, we can all be grateful and proud that no such mayhem will take place when he takes up residency. It's much more than a simple change of addresses for him - it's proof of a change in our attitude as a nation. It is an amends of sorts - the righting of a great wrong. It's a symbol of our growth and our willingness to judge a man not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character".

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I just wanted my stuff back your honor

Welcome to the Big House, OJ.

CHRISTMAS TRAIN –DE-HELL-LAY

I really am gonna try to make this as short as possible but that is gonna be one hell of a challenge! It was the best of times, or was it the worse of times? Oh ya, it was the little train that could, only this sucker would not go on icy rails -- such a flippin wimp! Look, this trip normally is two days out and two days back and while on the train, we have a sleeper car and yes, we can and do sleep. The upper bunk is like being in a coffin but hubby seems perfectly content to climb up thar vs. flying, so he's a happy camper. I on the other hand, take smaller suitcase and have it on the end of my bed, meaning I can't completely stretch out but as I am short, this works -- hey, did you really expect to sleep soundly on a train?

You know that lovely ditty "weather is beautiful wish you were here?" Well, anyone who tracked the weather the week before Christmas and the days after, knows the snow storms hit first the east and mid-west and then, the west coast and back to the east coast and some where it hit the middle of the country too. Ya, all the upper areas, screw the rain and 65 temps in the southern states, sorry about the flooding but we were freezing our asses off!

So train schedules got all screwed up and that included canceling some trains due to weather conditions. Which meant when the train did ride the rail, passengers were overbooked on trains that didn't have enough or adequate accommodations. Like we lost our sleeper car from Chicago to Grand Forks and ended up in "coach." That's the price of delays -- sleeping in coach. For some they were put in a car that had been in deep freeze for weeks and it would take days to thaw out and feel warm, so those folks bundled up and tried to stay warm or constantly roamed the warmer cars, sat in the observation or cafe car to keep warm. Oh ya, everyone was singing, happy and cheerful as hell -- how they managed to smile with ice hanging from their lips is beyond me!

We spent so much time in the Chicago train station, I was about to take up residence! Its a lovely station but damnit, after a few thousand circuits, you have seen it all and there is nothing new. Oh wait, thar are the homeless people who beg for money and police personnel trying to run them out and away from you -- that was a fun scene to witness. Hey, I'm not even sure some were homeless vs. stuck passengers like us!

Weather delays are not fun and drive you nuts but hey, nobody can fight Mother Nature. She gets her knickers in a twist and you just cope as she is callign the shots and if that means delays, canceled trips, so be it. And it wasn't just trains, oh no, Mama was delaying and cancelling planes and buses too. She was one pissed off woman and we all felt it.

Now the one delay that still has many of us shaking our head was the idiot in Fargo, who decided the railroad crossing bars were down too long and decided to drive in and out of them. Well, he didn’t quite get all this accomplished when the train began moving and ran into him. Hey, you do not stop a 20-car train very quickly and although moving slowly, it still managed to do major damage and of course, delayed us about 50 minutes while wreckage and tickets were issued.

This is one train trip that has many stories attached to it and how we sat in train stations a lot and almost had Christmas with total strangers who over the course of waiting almost became members of the family! It was unreal but everyone remained in good spirits, smiled a lot and tempers were not flying to high or often. Hell, the train personnel could not be blamed for horrible weather conditions.

Yes, Christmas with the grandkids was delightful. As is the tradition with my dau-in-law, we all gather at her parent’s house for a BBQ and lemme tell Daddy Jim can cook one hell of a good steak and this country gal definitely pigged out. There was tons of food and if you went home hungry, you were one dumb shit because there was plenty of eats!

So I am back, glad to be off the train, sleeping in my own bed and not hanging around a train station. I think it will be many years before we even contemplate doing another winter train trip – the train is fun but let’s do this in warm weather because hanging out in train stations and dealing with all the weather-related delays is just flat ass not fun.

Oh ya, I shall write more about this trip but for now, consider this Part I and II, III and other parts to follow in due course, including Mother Nature's determination to give us all some major weather news to share with each other!

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body; but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”

Soon..

Well, departure is getting closer and pretty soon the dreaded packing cannot be delayed any longer and must be undertaken…holy sheet!

Regardless of what either of us says, we’ll both pack what we want, need and a few things the other said were not needed just to drive each other bonkers. After 40 years of marriage we can still find ways to challenge each other and that includes the bonker number – gotta love it!

Last night over dinner we were talking about the trip and both of us had the same question or hope; “we will have heat in our compartment, right?” I mean, we have traveled by train before but during warm months, this is the first winter train trip so what in hell do we know. Could be a very cozy two days if there is limited heat!!! Naw, I’ll just fine the booze car and that’s body anti-freeze and that’ll keep the body warm and the mind numb. Hey whatever works, right?

The front page of the local newspaper is once again bringing us local cheer or at the very least, junk to mull over. Once again we are seeing the County Administrator under the microscope and for what, doing her job? How dare her do her job – for crying out loud, what in hell is she thinking!

Here is wishing all of you a very safe, healthy and happy holiday season – oh sheet, Merry Christmas everyone….keep smiling, laughing and reading my blog, leaving comments and staying sane. Once again, if we’re above ground and breathing we’re just dandy!!!

Delay or Close?

School closed – those two words just make a child smile and a parent groan! But first we have to endure the “delay” nonsense. Excuse me but with a winter road advisory and sleet, that pretty much says “close the damn school!"

As a kid, school was rarely closed due to road conditions or just because snow had fallen over night. Plows were out all night and main roads were passable – after all, the principal and superintendent were able to get to school, hence school was open! For those of us who lived on side roads, plows got to us much later in the day and the thought of the bus getting down our road in the morning was totally impossible. However my mother wasn’t gonna let that stop us from attending school. Nope, bundle up warm my darlings, you’re gonna hike to the end of this road and the bus will pick you up – it was about a mile but as a kid it seemed like many miles!

Today if a parent did that, they’d be charged with child abuse, neglect or some other horrible term. In my youth we had this silly thing called respect for our parents and their word was the law and we obeyed them, what an amazing concept! And you know what, we survived too – we are not laying on some couch explaining a miserable childhood.


On those rare days when school was truly closed and Mom couldn’t send us anywhere, she would find ways to entertain us too. First we had to re do our homework and she’d check it – that was always fun. Then she’d haul out cookbooks and we’d march into the kitchen and begin making one mess after another – cookies, fudge, cupcakes and then Mom would shock us and say, “enough cooking, let’s play a game!” And within seconds, the Scrabble game was in front of us!

Mom loved scrabble and over the years she even used an egg timer to move the game along. When you got sick of this game, Dad usually showed up and without much fanfare announced; “get your coats, boots and gloves, we need to refill all the wood boxes!” By then, you were ready to do anything but continue playing Scrabble!

Once outside Dad would pepper you with snowballs because he’d made a pile before he called us outside to work and within a few minutes, we’d be in a full blown snow ball fight and Dad, well, he’d quietly sneak back inside and now both parents were sitting in a warm house, watching us kids throw snowballs at each other and inside it was peaceful and quiet.

Do what you want but make some memories with your kids today!

Hockey Moms

*A must read for Grandparents. Those who aren't will love it, too.

At one point during a game, the coach called one of his 9-year-old hockey players aside and asked. ‘Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?'

The little boy nodded in the affirmative.

'Do you understand that what matters is whether we win or lose together as a team?'

The little boy nodded yes.

So, the coach continued, 'I'm sure you know, when a penalty is called, you shouldn't argue, curse, attack the referee, or call him a pecker-head. Do you understand all that?'

Again the little boy nodded.

He continued, 'And when I call you to the bench so another boy gets a chance to play, it's not good sportsmanship to call your coach 'a dumb asshole', is it?'

Again the little boy nodded.

'Good', said the coach. 'Now, please go over there and explain all that to your grandmother'.

SNOW BIRDS

Isn’t this the term we “apply” to those Northern boys and girls who head south for the winter? Whoa, we can’t use those words—be nice!

Yes, many have gone south aka Florida mostly and it’s so cute to hear from them. No shoveling snow, worrying about road conditions or driving 2 days to see the kids. I bet they laugh like hell when they write that too!

I was gonna go for a walk, I mean it’s 22 degrees and a brisk walk sounded nice but guess what, all that melting snow and drop in temp has created some lovely ice patches on sidewalks and roadways. I’m sorry but I don’t care to wipe out again – I was lucky a few weeks ago, didn’t break anything but my silly pride but I’m not gonna test my luck. So I did the next best thing YOGA.

Hey, what did you think of the shoe tossing reporter? What gets me is he was a lousy thrower, hell he was close he should of made contact. But even more amazing is where in hell was the secret service – the man threw TWO shoes! That’s great protection! Holy sheet!

Then we switch to more local news and discover Caroline Kennedy is interested in Hillary’s soon to be vacant senate seat! And the former “Nanny” was also interested but most likely she doesn’t stand a chance. Anyone else want to take on the Kennedy Camelot concept? Let’s say Caroline gets the seat, do we need to send her directions so she can find upstate New York and that means, besides the state Capital?

For the birds: a dropping-filled face mask

At Santa Fe’s Ten Thousand Waves spa, the Nightingale Cleansing Mask includes a powder composed of “sanitized droppings” from the tiny wonder-birds. The high nitrogen content draws out bacteria from the skin and breaks down dead skin cells more gently than acid peels. Used for centuries by geisha in Japan, the facial is “an all-natural way to brighten and smooth the skin.” Is your old-fashioned poop-free exfoliator suddenly looking better than usual? We thought so.

Hey this poop-spa treatment is for 55 minutes and cost you – ready for this - $115. My brother has 3 chickens and I bet we could use chicken poop and a lot cheaper than this, shall I place your order now?

And that my friends, is all the “bird” news for today – have a grand Tuesday and if nothing else, get out and suck in that cold air, will do the body good! Oh, dress for the weather tho – naked airing is discouraged big time!!!

Pastor's Cat

Dwight Nelson recently told a true story about the pastor of his church. He had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down.

The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and pulled it until the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten.

That's what he did, all the while checking his progress in the car. He then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved the car a little further forward, the rope broke.

The tree went 'boing!' and the kitten instantly sailed through the air - out of sight. The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten So he prayed, 'Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping,' and went on about his business.

A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. This woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, 'Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?'

She replied, 'You won't believe this,' and then told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, 'Well, if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it.'

She told the pastor, 'I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her.'

Never underestimate the Power of God

Say what?

This is insane or perhaps all of us have gone bonkers but the temp today is – ready for this – 51 degrees. Oh no, here we go again, up and down temps that drive the birds nuts.

Oh come on, you remember – we’d have a few cold days, then wham a heat wave would roll in and even the trees started to bud and some flowers actually tried to pop up and then, back to cold weather and man, we did have some cold weather last year.

So we go from 4 below zero last week to 51 today – this is just ducky. Stuff is melting the wind is blowing like a banshee but it’s not all that chilly outside. However, don’t get to excited, it’s suppose to go into the 20s tonight and for the rest of the week we are in for snow, rain, and a mix of both….yuck!

Got up and head to Potsdam to do my Curves workout and man, did I feel like I needed to go today – after baking cookies all weekend and you know that means “tasting” cookies, right? Well, sheet, got there and the place is closed – what the hell? No sign, no indication of life and I said, screw it and came home. My workout then turned into moving stuff about in the kitchen so I could really scrub that floor – something about cooking making that gets a floor dirty – must be that damn flour!

While on this kick I scrubbed the front (guest) bathroom too. What the hell Monday is quickly becoming a cleaning day – holy Martha! Of course the washing machine is going full blast – and will most of the week as we prepare to depart for Minnesota. It never fails, regardless of what I wash, hubby always has something he wants to take and another load must be done!

Tell ya what, once things are dried and I get a shower, I think this would be a good day to finish up my holiday shopping. I am left with stock stuffers and then, some goodies for the trip – knock out pills seem like a good item. So you all have a lovely Monday and who knows I may be back with more bull before this day ends.

FUN HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

Oh come on, you must have some traditions that are fun this time of year? Not everything is hustle, bustle and muscle (hell, I was trying to rhyme and that was the only word that came to mind – well E-X-C-U-S-E me!).




Let’s look at few things folks call fun and a tradition they do each year:

Ø Tree Decorating – personally this is not “fun” in my book. First you gotta deal with those damn lights and then, once that is done, you’re damn lucky if anyone is still around to do any decorating.

Ø Shopping – Ya this is supposedly fun – kids all excited, get to see Santa and with any luck, have lunch with Mom and Dad at some nice restaurant. Plus, they get to see YOU shop and if they behave, they might get something nice too. Oh ya, this is a fun exercise (for idiots).

Ø Going to Grandma’s – pack everything up, kids, presents, and food, clothes and so on and get the car and drive to Grandma’s and every flippin year you get lost – how in hell does that happen? Did the route change from year to year or did you just get dumber?

Ø Gift Wrapping – now this can be fun if everyone is in the right mood (booze helps). Some gifts need that special paper which only Santa has so you can’t wrap those gifts. Again, I dislike wrapping gifts, hell, put’em in a Christmas bag, toss in some paper, and I’m golden. Why? I’m a lousy wrapper – hey, a 3-year-old wraps better than me!

Ø Cookies – Finally something that is actually fun! Even tho my children are grown adults and only one lives close by, we still gather to bake Christmas cookies and laugh like crazy. We truly do have a good time and the kitchen floor will get a good washing the next day too! What makes this even more fun is trying new recipes and discovering those cookies are not very good! Plus always making the tried and true cookies – nobody messes with perfection, right?

Ø CHURCH – Okay, this isn’t for everyone but for many, this one time of year folks go to church or some holiday services. Candlelight services are wonderful memories and traditions that truly should be done each year and I will get to do this with my grandkids this year.

So, the list can go on and on but that’s for you to think about and implement. Whatever you do, enjoy yourself and be thankful you are above ground and breathing!

Now, on to the Sunday football games – later, my friends….enjoy your day!!!

RULES OF THUMB

Oh give it up, I did not write this stuff, I actually am taking it from the Reader’s Digest – saves you having to buy one, eh? Whatever, some of this advice is kinda cute and you can do what you wish with it – so thar!

• To measure water for cooking rice, rest the tip of your index finger on top of the rice and add enough water to reach the first visible joint. This works for any size pot. {hell, rice in a bag is a lot faster and less measuring]
• For every day you spend in the hospital, plan on one week to recuperate. [Does this include visiting or must you be a patient?]
• To avoid lunatics on city buses, sit in the middle. The friendly lunatics sit as close to the driver as they can, and the unfriendly ones sit as far away as they can. [And you want public transportation up here– why?]
• Keep white wine in your fridge and take it out 30 minutes before serving. Keep red wine out of the fridge and put it in 15 minutes before serving. [Holy sheet, just drink beer, and yes, keep it in the fridge].
• You are wealthy enough to give some money to worthy causes when you can buy all the groceries you need. [So let’s see hands of those who do this – what? That many hands, wonderful].

Here is the word of the Month (this would be for January 2009) – ready?

Perkonomics – a marketing technique that involves adding new perks and privileges to a brand’s regular offerings, in an attempt to satisfy a customer’s need for “novel forms of status and/or convenience.”

Things do not change; we change.

EARLY RISER

It is safe to say or even claim that growing up on a farm you just had to get up early. Now it wasn’t like I had to go out and milk cows, but once the boys were awake and making noise, any thought of continued sleep was useless.

Trust me, there was plenty of things to do regardless of sex and if you stayed inside, you helped stoke the fires and prepared breakfast and if you went to the barn, you collected eggs, help feed the cows and if you got really lucky you got to shove manure too. Now that is a wake up call you never forget! What a lovely aroma – coffee can never top that smell!

Actually once anyone started rumbling around, it was pretty hard to stay in bed, the noise level just got higher and most figured if they were up, so should the rest and laying it bed was wasting a perfectly good day! Hey in a big family, sleeping in was never truly tolerated and someone would insure you got up anyway, so you might as well just get up and stop moaning about it.

Now it has been many years since I was on the farm or even had any reason to continue this early morning rising but it is to ingrained, I continue to do it to this day (much to the puzzlement of my husband who cannot for the life of time understand why any sane person would be up at this hour).

I love the stillness of the morning and witnessing “day break,” and seeing what the day will look like – after it being so dark. It’s magical, mysterious and amazing. And if you go outside, there’s a stillness that just engulfs you and you just inhale it and keep it with you all day. Ok, too philosophical for you at this hour, right?

At 5:30 daylight has not really started however a full moon was shining brightly and I grabbed my camera, pair of boots and headed outside. Like a fool I thought a few clicks and I’ll be back inside, no need to put on a coat. Hey, dumber than a box of rocks, it’s 4 below zero; a coat would have been nice! Next time check the temps before you rush out the door to “embrace” a new day or we’ll find you frozen to the ground!

Regardless of my stupidity, I got some great shots and yes, I plan to share them. Let me know what you think and if you want any put cursor on the photo, right click and click on “save picture as,” and then put it on your computer. Yup, it’s that simple – see you did learn something today!!!



Yes, this is a moon light source showing the ice, snow and frozen berries...amazing!





This was taken around 5:30 -- Moon is still shining bright and man, it was cold but so peaceful.


Now the sun is just starting to rise over downtown Norwood -- peaceful, cold and quiet.

This one was taken earlier in the week -- just kind of caught my eye.

Hey, you all have a grand ole day -- oh hell, get out there and finish up that Christmas shopping, might as well join the rest of the folks and endure the holiday crowds!! Just smile, be polite and remember this is the season to GIVE!!

FREAKY FRIDAY

I had something else in mind when I started this blog but it went off to never-never land and who in hell knows when or if it shall return.


So, we got ourselves a nice white mess out there, don't we? I loved it when they (the weather people) said a "dusting" is expected overnight...then you get up, it's snowing like hell and we're in a winter advisory -- that's a dusting?


What makes this nasty is this is a mix of rain, snow and sleet and honey child,that makes for some damn slick roads and we got some who think they don't have to worry. Mommy and Daddy gave them a flippin Hummer and it can go anywhere. Ya, right into the ditch, dipstick, ice doesn't care what you drive, it rules -- face it, live with it and stop being a jerk!


I'm messing with a new photo program - new in that I haven't use it before, who knows how long its been around. Basically you can take negatives and/or slides, scan them on this cute device, download and then do whatever editing you feel is necessary. One thing I have learned as I was doing slides was, "clean them first!" Holy sheet, there's a lot of dust on slides that have sat in boxes or even slide trays for years.



Now this is quite a program and I'm driving my kids nuts sending them photos of them when they were really kids -- like 3 and 5 year olds. Talk about a hoot -- holy Mama. And I even included some of me and that is even funnier -- we sure had some weird hair styles and the glasses. I look like Bat Woman -- oh we were special.



Ya, I may bore you with photos -- okay, you talked me into it, here's one wood pile from my childhood - hey, this one was closer to the house so it was our favorite.

You did not think I'd include a photos of me when I was young, now did you? Shame on you for even having such strange thoughts!!!

This Diet Works

The Dawn Keye Diet.

This really works.

A friend of mine, who is a nurse; talked to me about the Atkins Diet, Jenny Craig,Weight Watchers, & the latest of course,The South Beach Diet.

Since she is a nurse, and has done a lot of study and research on dieting, I truly think she has found the real answer to weight loss:

The Dawn Keye Diet:

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Seniors Know

I just got this and thought I’d share – it’s questions and answers from an AARP Forum. These brain sticks obviously need a new outlet for all their creative juices:

Q. Where can men over the age of 60 find younger, sexy women who are interested in them?

A. Try a bookstore under fiction

Q. How can you increase the heart rate of your 60+ year old husband?

A. Tell him you’re pregnant.

Q. How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly wrinkles?

A. Take off your glasses.

Q. Seriously! What can I do for these crow’s feet and all those wrinkles on my face?

A. Go braless. It will usually pull them out!

Q. Is it common for 60+ year olds to have problems with short term memory storage?

A. Storing memory is not a problem, retrieving it is a problem.

Q. Someone has told me that menopause is mentioned in the Bible. Is that true? Where can it be found?

A. Yes. Matthew 14:92 “And Mary rode Joseph’s ass all the way to Egypt.”

Q. As people age, do they sleep more soundly?

A. Yes, but usually in the afternoon.

Okay, last one – enjoyed it so far, right?

Q. What is the most comment remark made by 60+year olds when they enter antique stores?

A. “Gosh, I remember these.”

SMILE, You’ve still got your sense of humor, right?

READ & LEARN

Oh what the hell, like you got something else to do this morning? Learn a little something to impress your friends. What the hell, someone has to be a show-off, right?

Today we shall look at historical facts for December 11:

1816 –Indiana became the 19th state

1844 – Nitrous oxide was used for the first time in dentistry

1936 – King Edward VIII abdicated the throne of Britain for the woman he loved, Mrs. Wallis Simpson (see you do remember this).

1941 – Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.

1946 – The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fun (UNICEF) was established.

1994 – Russian troops invaded Chechnya in an unsuccessful attempt to restore Moscow’s power in the region

1997 – Housing secretary Henry Cisneros was indicted for conspiracy, obstructing justice, and false statement to the FBI


Thar! All done and see, some of this stuff you did remember but maybe not the exact date, right? Not as dumb as you thought, were ya?

Here’s another banister of life to remember:

The difference between the Pope and Your Boss, the Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.

For doing such a good job, here's your new throne

Christmas Cactus

Okay, here is my Christmas Cactus which is doing quite nicely considering I am "hard" on plants and most die for whatever reason. This be a baby, wanna see Momma -- scroll down -- please:

Now this is Momma and she is damn pretty!!!!

So do I believe one day (if I live long enuff) that my "baby" will get big like this Mama? Sure, why not, believe -- what the hell!!!

As you slide down the bannister of life, remember:

A husband is someone who,after taking the trash out, gives the impression that he just cleaned the whole house.

Snow + rain = ICE

For some the idea that schools closed seems a bit unnecessary, after all, folks are driving through Norwood and even Potsdam without too much trouble. So what’s the big deal?

Yes, some of us were out and about this morning and although it was (still is) snowing, the roads were a bit slushy and in some places slick but we were moving along. I was in 4-wheel drive and traveling about 40 mph and keeping a safe distance between the cars in front of me. Hey, if this hadn’t been my Curves workout day, I wouldn’t have left the house.

When I heard schools were closed I for one was glad folks were smart enough to make the right decision. While main roads are being plowed and driven upon, country roads are not and they are slick and slippery. I don’t want to think of any child riding on a bus that is trying to navigate in that kind of stuff – nope, have a day off and enjoy it.

Better yet, send the kids out there to shovel the driveway, sidewalks or even the deck. No reason they should stay inside bugging you all day. Hell, give’em a job and let’em see that staying home isn’t as wonderful as they think!

As a kid I was more than willing to go outside and shovel vs. staying inside an enduring Mom’s never ending cleaning quests – holy sheet, those never ceased and she could always find another room to declare a disaster and in need to a very thorough cleaning, top to bottom. You literally removed everything that could be moved out and scrubbed walls, mop boards, windows, etc. When sparkling and had that clean smell, you now tackled the items you took out and they too had to be cleaned. Eventually everything made its way back into the room and your job was done. WAIT! She found another room that needed the same deal. You see by keeping us busy, she was able to read a book, knit, bake or whatever without a kid bugging her every two second complaining about the weather and having nothing to do.


No wonder I preferred shoveling snow…once that was done, you high tailed it to the flats and went skating or grabbed a sled and ran to the longest hill to slide down the hill with childhood abandonment. Only a total idiot would go back inside and claim boredom...then, you got stuck cleaining rooms -- dummy! Ah the good ole days!

Oh for those keeping track – drum roll please – I lost FIVE pounds this week! Ya, don’t ask me how that happens but I’m gonna take it. Oh give me a break, of course I checked the scale, four times in fact and each time it showed this loss. Hey, I can sit there with a pound gain or just maintain for weeks, then suddenly something happens and I drop 3 or more pounds. This is my first 5 pound drop but I’m taking it and saying “Ya done good.” (Dad would be so proud that I’m using his favorite phrase).


As you slide down the banister of life, remember: Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggert have written an impressive new book. It's called ----

"Ministers Do More Than Lay People"

PLOP, BURP, POOP

I hope I can stop laughing long enough to write this latest bit of “save the planet” crap!

Are you ready? Seems the Federal Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a “gas tax which would fine every cow in the country because their farts contribute to global warming!

Can you say – why stop or pick on just cows- what about horses, pigs, dogs, cats, llamas, sheep, donkeys, turkeys, chickens, etc. – I mean, let’s not get too narrow minded about this flatulent issue, let’s spread the usage around, right?

You want more on this? Please read Pat McKeown column in the Tuesday, December 9th issue of the Daily Courier Observer – she really did a fine job on this issue. Her closing sentence; “Some times it’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry,” is perfect! As for me, I am laughing!!!

Tickle Me Elmo

There is a factory in Northern Minnesota which makes the Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms.

Well, Lena is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 am.

The next day at 8:45 am there is a knock at the Personnel Manager's door. The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee. He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule.

The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the 2 men march down to the factory floor. When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo's all over the factory floor and they're really beginning to pile up.

At the end of the line stands Lena surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmo's. She has a roll of plush Red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles. The 2 men watch in amazement as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo's legs.

The Personnel Manager bursts into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics he pulls himself together and approaches Lena.

'I'm sorry,' he says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, 'but I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday...'

'Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles.

CRAZY CONTINUES

Sometimes it just amazes me what we folks are subjected to as far as news worthy items. Let me attempt a few examples, just for the pure hell of it hey, what else you got to do but read this blog? Ya I thought so – avoid all chores as long as possible, life is good!

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama says you won't catch him lighting up a cigarette in the smoke-free White House. Here’s the question, “where” will we see him lighting up – outside? Have they built him a smoking shed? Hey, he’s a law-biding citizen did any of us think he’d smoke in the White House! And aren't we now able to sleep knowing he won't light up in the White House! Hey, leave the man alone, he will quit when he wants, not one minute before - amen!

Does life suck? Go from crappy to happy
Consultant and life coach Michelle DeAngelis writes that finding joy is all about knowing your options and making good decisions. In her new book, "Get a Life That Doesn't Suck," she shares tips on taking control of your choices. [don't ask me why this underlined, I can't make that go away -- damn computer -- needs an attitude adjustment big time]. Ya I'm gonna rush out to get this book or wait I got a better idea, I'll write my own book and call it,"Hurry Up and Shit," now that sounds like a fun writing, whatcha think?


SEKIU, Wash. - A woman said she was shot in the leg by her stove. Cory Davis told the Peninsula Daily News she had just stoked her cast-iron heating stove Sunday when she heard a loud bang and was struck in her left calf. Davis said a case of shotgun shells spilled about a month ago at her home and one must have landed in the newspapers she used to light the stove. She removed a metal fragment herself and was treated Monday at Forks Community Hospital.

Doesn't this just bring a smile to your face? Obviously she has a gun and shells, and she's one tough lady who can pull metal fragments out of her leg and I'm assuming driving herself to the ER. Now Helen Reddy had her in mind when she sang; "I
Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!"

Okay its 6 degrees outside, snowing like a banshee and I’ve got laundry to do- ya, it can wait a bit longer! I still gotta do my morning exercises,[inside today and not for the reasons you think] It’s not just a case of it being cold and most likely slippery but more a case of drivers who tend to aim directly for pedestrians when they begin to slip and slide. Do they think we can stop them? At the same time, I for one get highly irked when runners, joggers or walkers who use and assume the road is strictly for them and cars, trucks, etc can just damn well go around them. Hey, we got enough to worry about without you nutcases, get on the damn sidewalk!

Well, I can't avoid it much longer, I gotta get some Christmas cards written and in the mail. I don't do many these days, email works very nicely and its cheaper. But a few folks don't have computers and don't do email, so they need a card. Hey someone has to make it possible for them to hang cards off door frames, right? Oh no, I don't think so -- a Christmas Update Note in each card too -- not in this lifetime.

If things go as planned, I may be able to get the "dough" ready for the cookie baking number my dau and I shall do real soon....lovely. That too is always a fun event and we look like "flour" children when done too.

Life is good – just enjoy it!

Please Send A Card

XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL

If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq .

You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services. How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them.

This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do.

We can never say enough thank you's. Thanks for taking to time to support our military!

REMEMBERING A GREAT ICON

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half baked schemes.

Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions. Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven.

He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else that may be having a crumby day and kneads a lift.

NUT- BUSTER – CRACKER

Bridge to Canada -- Kelly hates driving on this bridge - she can be such a wimp at times!

It seems my blogs have gotten quite lengthy of late, so my challenge now is to keep them shorter (like me I guess). So here goes my first attempt – ye gads!

I think it is safe to admit neither my dau nor I are ballet fans or we didn’t really remember what the Nutcracker was about because in a word it was BORING! Then again, and keep in mind this is my opinion, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet company is good but not as good at the group that performs in Syracuse! Okay, perhaps we just didn’t follow (understand) the story line but after the first hour, it was a no brainer – we are done, outta here, finished, let’s haul ass!

However we found an excellent restaurant – Casa Mia (of course Italian what in hell did you think, Greek?). You definitely need reservations and it’s not very big but it is cozy, friendly and most welcoming and the food, OMG it’s just wonderful - hey, we pigged out and had no room for dessert and we are dessert eaters! (No I am not that lumpy but I do look like another arm is growing out my shoulder blade -- lovely photo! What the hell, a freak of nature?)

Okay the best part of the entire adventure was spending time together – oh did we have some laughs and of course captured stuff on film too. Hopefully you are enjoying the photos scattered in this blog? Special thanks to my daughter for a most lively evening (see, if you had stuck with ballet lessons, you might have been on stage too).

I can't believe I am posting this photo! Taken while we sat in our nose bleed seats (high balcony, any higher and we'd of been on the roof!). This was vertigo at its best -- testing, testing, are you feeling lightheaded, dizzy or okay?

One last thought Kel, does this constitute our "bonding" moment for this past week? Ya, I thought so too -- love ya!

Just some downtown Ottawa lights -- they are fantastic!

OTTAWA BEWARE

My Saturday is going to be damn exciting and fun. Why? Well, later on today my daughter, that would be Kelly (I only have one daughter) and I shall drive over to Ottawa; do a little shopping, find a nice restaurant and have dinner and then, head to the National Arts Centre to watch The Nutcracker!

However before that happens certain Saturday “to do” items need to be accomplished:

· Laundry (you didn’t think I was doing his work shirts did you?)

· Breakfast (gal’s gotta eat, right?)

· Weekly grocery shopping (oh hell, let’s put this off until Sunday, why cram everything into one day!)

· Pack the box with the Minnesota Christmas gifts and mail it (now this will stop any further shopping for that group, so this is probably the number one thing to do without failure!)

See, just a few items to accomplish and then, a nice drive to Ottawa and a fun outing with my daughter – now that is how to spend a great Saturday!

I didn’t do my two mile walk this morning based on the above happenings and knowing I’d get more than two miles under my belt before this day ends anyway, so stock up the energy level and be prepared to walk lots once we hit the Arts Centre!

You all have a grand Saturday and whatever you do, smile, laugh and enjoy. Ya, bite ya right back!!!

WANNA SKATE?

In keeping with holiday memories I am reminded of when my siblings and I were more than willing to show new members to the family how to skate – even though we hadn’t donned skates in many years. And make no mistake here; ankles do not remain firm like they were when we were kids!

This story begins during the summer when everyone has those damn yard sales. I say damn but let’s face it, one person’s trash is another’s person’s treasure and even I have gotten some good deals at yard sales. This particular summer and with no particular reason that I recall, my sister-in-law started buying ice skates.
Keep in mind that her children (five of them mind you) were grown and only two remained in the area. And those two had their own kids now – three each so that makes for a variety of shoe sizes, right? It wasn’t just kid sizes but adult sizes also – meaning us older adults not just her children and their spouses.

So as winter was in full force and colder than hell outside, we gathered to swap stories in the warmth and comfort of my brother’s home. And it wasn’t long when the booze loosen our memories and we began regaling the group with various skating stories. Warren had played hockey so he told about his hockey days – ya this was a spell binder! The rest of us told how, if necessary, we shoveled a huge area off the flats [aka creek]- behind the farm and skated there for hours. If the snow wasn’t too thick, you could literally skate for miles and miles. And of course we all were accomplished skaters and we all played hockey too.

The newest addition to the clan had never skated and wanted to learn, and she was also determined that her children would take skating lessons. That was all Shirley needed to hear and within minutes, she hauled this huge box out and announced everyone was to don warm clothing, including socks, their drinks and follow her, we were going ice skating and she had skates for everyone! Holy sheet, we're gonna ice skate and with this buzz -- no way!

Well in our “cheerful” state this was no problem and we followed her without hesitation. Oh, wait, some of us did stumble and fall but the snow was thick, it was dark and some trees just jump out at you – damn trees! Eventually we got to the creek aka flats and the moon was now shining so we had a bit of light. It wasn't much light but it did allow us to "see" a bit,which was helpful -- damn helpful!

Everyone grabbed a pair of skates and some actually helped others get skates on and stand up. Patty was the newcomer and she would receive all kinds of instructions from us pro-skaters. All was going along smoothly, some falls, encouraging words, lots of laughter and stops to sip on your drink. Suddenly I was noticed and I was not skating -- I was still on the same log I had been on since we arrived and now I was the new target.

"What in hell is up with you," a sibling yelled, "get your lazy ass up and start skating, you old poop."

"Can't," I replied.

"Can't? Nonsense, we're doing it and okay we ain't as agile as we once were but we're skating, now get up or we'll drag you up!"

"You can try."

"Oh, you want us to drag your sorry ass out here, is that it, well sister, that is no problem,we can do that too." And they proceeded toward me with a mission in mind and smiling the entire time.

"Now, one last time, stand up and skate or we'll yank you up, " they yelled.

"Look," I said quietly, "I can't skate because these skates have no laces!"

So that ended any further attempt to get me up on the ice and mutters were heard that said, "why in hell did we grab skates that had laces?" [if we had been smart like her, we wouldn't be out breaking our damn necks or at the very least an ankle or leg]? So now that it was obvious why I was not skating, I had a new role, I would go get more drinks -- ya, someone had to do that, they all had on skates, so it made sense to send me back to the house.

Everyone gave their order, which was mostly beer except Big Brother, who had to have a mixed drink and served in the same glass he had brought to the ice rink. Only one problem, he couldn't find the glass -no clue where he left it but he was positive it was on this, no that, well,it's on a tree branch -- just look for it.

That glass was not found until Spring and while I did go get everyone else, including me another beer, Big Brother was sadly without a drink until we all returned the house - it was some night and we still laugh about it to this day.


Oh and those ice skates? I doth believe Shirley put them in a yard sale and not only got her money back but made a few coins in the process. Some things are best left as memories -- none of us original seven think skating is something we should do these days -- nope,we'll just watch the kids thank you very much!

BRO IS BACK

I know many of you read his column when he wrote for the paper and got irked when he ended that column. Then started a blog and again, had a following but got busy with other stuff and failed to keep his blog current.

However he is back now and is “hinting” he will do better and I think he will. So damnit, check it out and leave comments –ya, he’ll respond to them (I’ll instruct him on how to do this). Here’s the link:

http://warrendean.blogspot.com/


Now we’ll see who can remember the most childhood stories – holy sheet, that could be dangerous.

MOTHER’S REVENGE

Hiding presents for seven kids at Christmas was a major undertaking for our parents. There weren’t many rooms not occupied or used and the barn, well, that wasn’t exactly the best place to hide certain gifts. And while our parents’ room was more or less off limits, if they were gone, that room was fair game for snooping just like any other room!

In some ways by snooping we spoiled our own Christmas and because we didn’t see what we wanted, we were angry and upset with our parents for weeks before the big day. And to think, they expected a gift from us (like we wanted to give them something nice after seeing what they were getting us – not bloody likely).

There was never any doubt that they knew someone had snooped, we could never put things back exactly as they had placed them, so they knew things had been pawed over. But one year they really shocked us and as we found gifts (in the usual hiding places) we were blown away. Man, we had hit the mother lode. Now there was no such thing as a lottery in those days but based on the gifts we found, someone either robbed a bank, a rich relative died and left them tons of money or our parents were in debt to their eyeballs. Not that we cared, holy sheet, we had some truly remarkable gifts coming to us Christmas morning.

Well, based on this find, we knew we had to earn some money and buy the folks a decent gift this year. No more of that watered down perfume or cheap cigars or ties that Dad only wore on Sunday morning. Nope we had to do better than that and we busted our asses earning money to buy them decent, meaningfully and costly gifts.

Christmas morning came and we literally were ripping into presents with joyful abandonment – this was the mother lode of Christmases and we were lucky kids. Wait! This gift we never saw until now, well, it’s nice but where did they hid this? The next gift was the same deal – in fact, all the gifts were nice, doable and appreciated but they sure as hell weren’t any mother lode. What the hell happened?

Our parents knew we had snooped and although each year they told us to not do this and it would spoil Christmas we, like most kids, did not listen. So, on this year Mom and her best friend, Lula, swapped houses to hid gifts and as we thought we’d hit the mother lode, Lula’s kids thought they’d found poverty plus!

You see unlike some parents, ours were not willing to go in debt to give us this fancy Christmas with gifts they could not afford just to prove something –instead, they worked hard and gave us what we needed and a few frills tossed in to keep our childhood fun and real. And after this house-swapping-hiding-gift number, I for one never snooped for Christmas gifts ever again.

Mom’s revenge worked so if you think your kids have found your hiding spot (most likely they have) think about pulling this little number and really messing with their minds – it’s a hoot! Who ever said Christmas is only about kids!!!

INNER STRENGTH

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment

If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct her/him,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

...Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!

Now for your daily giggle:

YA DONE GOOD!

Oh this time of year you’re liable to hear anything and some of it just conjures up good ole memories.

I never understood why Christmas lights were put away all tangled up when Mother was adamant that each decoration had to be wrapped carefully and packed away gently. Yet the lights, hell, they kind of got tossed into a box and forgotten.

Now in our family, you had to put the lights on before any other decorations…that were a firm rule and nobody ever tried to change it – it made perfect sense. But first you had to untangle miles of light cords and attempt to lay them out in a straight line – with seven kids straight was a punishment not a line aka “I’ll straighten you out, young man, get your butt in here NOW.”

But somehow we got the idea that we had to check the lights to insure each bulb would work and if one was burned out, replace it now because it was easier to find off the tree than on the tree, duh! This particular year, we managed to get the lights all set out and after a bit of a hunt, found an extension cord, plugged everything in and damn, not one bulb was burned out. We were utterly shocked and I think we did the “no bulb burned out dance.”

Now the lights could be put on the tree and again, there was a particular order in which they had to go and only certain kids were allowed to perform this part of the tree decorating. But you had to watch nonetheless – watch and learn was the process or so they told us. We would also learn some new words and ascertain that some remarks were physically impossible to perform (I’m gonna put your head up your butt and then make you sing O Christmas Tree).

Once the lights were on, then everyone was permitted to help put on other decorations under the direction of General Mom. She had a certain order or place for each one and heaven forbid you change that placement – that would throw the entire scheme off and that, my friends was not allowed. You see Mother kept every damn decoration we ever made and lemme tell ya, some of them were damn ugly and done just to appease a Sunday school teacher or school teacher.
Finally everything was done and now we could plug in the lights and see everything in living color. Holy sheet, what happened, no lights – there are no flippin lights lighting. Now the light- placers are quickly checking to insure they connect each strand, knocking other decorations aside and getting yelled at but eventually they declare everything is secure. Secure? Then why aren’t the lights on Einstein?

Unbeknown to us Dad had been watching this performance for sometime and never said one word. As the volume of disgust rose and accusations became almost violent Dad uttered one word QUIET! And that room became very quiet and I do mean quiet. You could literally hear each other breathing.

Dad merely squatted down, grabbed the extension cord, plugged in the light plug and all of a sudden we had lights on the tree. In our haste to look important, nobody checked to see that the lights had never been attached to the extension cord aka power! Now Dad got to utter his favorite phrase “YA, DONE GOOD!” This phrase was used whenever we finally did anything a moron could do correctly!

And in case you wondered, we still toss the lights into a box and go thru this process every damn year. Well, some of us, not me, I went for a fiber optic tree so I don't mess with those flippin lights anymore! See I did learn!!!

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?

Holy sheet – have you ever started one simple project and before you realized it, time has been sucked away from you and you got ten damn projects underway at the same time? Sweet Mama, how the hell does that happen!

All I intended to do was move a few things to accommodate a simple fiber optic Christmas tree, holy sheet, this meant dusting, vacuuming and rearranging more damn furniture that I ever thought possible. What in hell happen to just putting up a tree? Damn!

But wait it gets better – it wasn’t just one room, hell no, I had to mess with three rooms and have all three in various stages of mess – dusting has to be the worse damn job on earth – it never ends! Then, you discover if you switch this item with one in another room, you get a nicer looking room but the whole friggin room is in disarray as you contemplate how all this stuff will fit together. Look it’s not even noon and I still don’t have the damn tree up and I haven’t had my shower and yes, the towels are in the dryer and at least one room is back in order. And now I am hungry – damnit, this is crazy.

Okay, here’s the new plan, at noon I’m stopping, I don’t care what is done and I’ll eat and stop and sit down and have a beer. After that I shall consider doing what I set out to do – put up the damn tree! If you drive buy and see no tree in my front window, you can smile and just say; “good on ya Mate, tomorrow the tree will be up!”

AH DECEMBER

Okay, I’m a day late bringing this to your attention, bite me (not really, I scream very loud when bitten – ear piercing loud, you would not like to hear that, trust me, it is not a sound you would enjoy!)

Anyhoo, it’s the final month for 2008 – wow, this year seems to have flown by but don’t we say that each year? Ya, I thought so and yet, I can recall a few months that dragged and dragged – like February, March and even April – because we all were sick of the damn snow and cold. Our flowers were pissed because the snow was causing them to close up after one day or opening their tiny buds.

So far December weather has somewhat escaped us up in here in God’s Country. We keep hearing that we’re gonna get some snow, temps are gonna drop and all that but so far, we have rain, some mix of snow and rain, but nothing is sticking and other than early morning slick spots, we have been relatively lucky for so - -ya, I know it’s only the 2nd of December. And you dipshits that want a white Christmas hold your pants, you’ll get it, rest assured it shall be a white Christmas!

Well, my mission today (or tomorrow) is to get the tree at least inside the house and if lucky, set up too. Ya, it’s one of those jobs that need to be done and it doesn’t happen on its own – sadly, it requires human hands – damn. Now I’m gonna leave ya with my personal thanks for various acts:

· I just want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.

· I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel or have them put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.

· I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.

· THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

· BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

· I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.

· I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans.

I no longer use Saran Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

Oh, by the way..... A German scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse. Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.


SO ONCE AGAIN, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!

LOCAL & WEATHER

Holy sheet, that’s some subject line, eh? Look, lately the newspaper editors are asking us to remember to shop locally this year. Huh? They don’t define local and I for one wonder if they actually have been in these unknown local stores! Look, if I can buy something cheaper at the Mall or Wal-Mart, am I stupid to say no to the lower price and go downtown just to claim I support our downtown merchants? Sorry, but I am not paying their mortgage this month so deal with it – I’ll shop where I can get the best bang for my buck, it’s that simple and that direct! Yes of course quality is needed but come on, quality happens in many stores – it’s the damn price that attracts and gets us to buy – and if you don’t believe that, go back to your own planet where stupidity reigns unchallenged.

Now about this weather – have we been lucky or what? Okay, we had a few chilly days and some snow back in October but hey, come on, this has been unseasonably nice weather so far. Let downstate deal with the “inches” of white stuff, we’ll get ours soon enough! I know that many went to bed thinking; “oh man, we’re in for it tonight, rain, snow, sleet, yuck,” and we woke up and thought the roads will be slick, schools will closed and driving ain’t gonna be fun but wait – none of that happened! As the temp rose the ice was gone, no school closings and folks were driving along just fine and dandy. Hurrah!

Look you can’t just sit there and say you want white for Christmas day and then it can disappear – forever and ever. That just ain’t gonna happen and while the rest of the week looks pretty nice it is gonna be damn cold – down into the low 20s or so they say. I’m not someone who puts much stock in weather reports – and I said this before, in my next life I want to be a weather person because this is one profession where changing your mind is totally acceptable and you get paid for it too!

In the meantime, when not shopping and folks aren’t to busy we have resumed a game we enjoyed for years – Scrabble – ya, it’s really fun now that we’re all adults (well, everyone but me) and its amazing how many words we now know that use the letter “Z.” Hey, gotta keep the ole mind active right. I mean, fitness of the body is one thing but the mind needs a workout as well.

Have a great Monday – look, the sun is shining – how about that?