March 31, 2004
Outdoor or Indoor Pets?
Do you have pets? Should they be kept inside or out?
We have two cats and a dog, Mouse, Amber and Buddy. Buddy is young and dumb and needs lots of exercise so he should be kept outside during the day even if he can’t figure out what to do with himself out there. He’s getting fresh air and that’s good for him.
On the other hand, my cats stay inside. I don’t know if it’s a matter of should or not. I keep them in for their own safety. I know cats like to go outside, sun themselves, play and hunt. When I was much younger, our cats did go outside during the day. That all ended after what happened to Puffy.
Puffy was my cat first and then my mom’s. We lived in our other townhouse when we got Puffy. Our neighbor, Mrs. Rick, was a cat lover. She had about 6 of her own so when she found two abandoned kittens, she asked if we could take one. The kittens were so tiny! They weren’t old enough to be weaned. My mother didn’t really want one of the kittens but I badgered her into it.
The kitten was so tiny, not even as big as my palm. She didn’t know how to drink from a bowl and so we fed her milk with a medicine dropper. My mom was sure the kitten would die but when the little thing hung in there, I think she became attached to it. Eventually, the kitten was big enough to drink water and eat cat food from a bowl.
We called her Puffy because her fur would stand on end while she was playing. She got ahold of a chicken neck one day and was happily throwing it into the air and then jumping up after it. My mother laughed so hard she was crying. Another time, Puffy played on the stairs. She’d hop up and down the steps moving sideways, all her fur puffed out around her.
When I was around 13 or 14, we moved from that townhouse to a bigger one in a different neighborhood in Southwest Baltimore. We had a nicer yard and Puffy enjoyed going out to sun herself. She was a skilled hunter. She caught a mouse once and played with it, throwing it high into the air. The poor mouse must have broken its back or legs because it just lay there helplessly. I thought it was really cold-blooded but then, that’s what cats do. We had a bout with the 17 year locusts crawling out of the ground and infesting all the trees. Puffy would catch them out of the air and eat them. Yuck.
One of our neighbors got really mad at Puffy because apparently she was eating the leaves of some of his plants. It didn’t cross our minds to keep her indoors. If we saw her going to that yard, we’d call her away. One day, she went out and didn’t come back. The next morning, Mom was frantic. We called Puffy over and over. We were about to give up when she crawled out of tangle of bushes lining one side of the house.
She meowed pitifully. She was dirty and smelled of excrement. Worst of all, she was dragging two limp hind legs behind her. Mom screamed for a towel. When my brother brought it, she covered Puffy with it and then lifted her gently. We all piled into the car and my dad drove to the vet’s.
The vet told us Puffy’s spine and back legs had been smashed. Mom wanted to know if a car had run over her. The doctor said no, it looked like someone had taken a baseball bat and tried to kill her with it. I was trying to interpret for my parents and I just went cold and started crying. How could someone be so mean?
Now the vet was asking if we wanted to put Puffy down. My mom was crying so hard I had trouble understanding her. She wanted to know if the doctor could save her. The vet said he could try but it would be expensive. I could see my dad wanted to say no, we couldn’t afford it but he couldn’t. Mom wanted the vet to try.
The doctor operated on Puffy. He told us later that he had to “pin” her legs back together and he wasn’t sure if she would recover. My dad thought it would have been better to put her to sleep so she wouldn’t suffer. Puffy had to stay at the vet’s for two weeks. Every day Mom would buy chicken livers and take them to the vet, knowing that Puffy loved them.
Puffy lived through the surgery and recuperation and finally it was time to bring her home. She had a really stiff legged gait and a limp but she could walk.
We were pretty sure we knew who’d gone after her like that. That’s why I stopped letting my cats go outside no matter how much they wanted to. It’s bad enough when cats have to contend with other animals but it’s just too much when you put people into the equation. There probably aren’t that many cruel people around but I’m not taking any chances.
Do you have any special routines for Spring Cleaning? Any rituals, semi-annually performed chores, ways of welcoming the warmer weather and preparing your house for it?
I wouldn’t say I have any special routines. I’d like to pull the furniture away from the walls and vacuum behind and underneath them. It’d be a good time to turn the mattress on the bed. I’d like to go through my stuff and organize it or toss it. The winter clothes and blankets can go into the hope chest and the spring/summer stuff can come out.
Wednesday Whatevers
1. What noise bothers you the most?
The sound of kids whining and/or fighting
2. Which emotions seem to take the best of you?
Anger and frustration are the most draining
3. What do you take pride in the most?
My family
March 29, 2004
A thing is growing on my finger
I have a disgusting thing growing on my left ring finger. I thought at first it was going to be a wart. I thought we could take care of it with Compound W. But, no, the thing began to mutate and turned scary looking. TB took me to the doctor and I found out it is a pyogenic granuloma. It sounds about as gross as the thing looks.
The evil thing is not that uncommon. It’s most often found in younger kids or pregnant women … and sometimes other adults. A viral or bacterial infection can start one of these things growing. This might be from a virus I had around the holidays. I’m sure this thing has been around a good 8 weeks. Ewwwwwww.
The doctor is cauterizing it and that should get rid of it. It’s a slow process which began about 2 weeks ago. I just went and had the procedure again today and it looks like I’ll be going back in another two weeks. Meantime, I keep it covered. It’s sensitive to the touch and I have already banged it enough times. Not only that, it truly turns me stomach so I’d rather not look at it.
Actually, covering it with a bandaid is a good thing or so the doctor thinks. He says the bandaid will force the medicine further into it. Whatever.
How is it I’m so lucky I get these things that rarely hit adults?
When I was pregnant with Heidi, I had a case of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease. Doesn’t that sound repulsive? The other name for it is Coxsackie virus which isn’t a whole lot better. Billy got it first. He had these chicken pox like blisters on his hands and feet. A day or so later, I got them and they were in my throat too! It was painful for a few days but then it went away. Now I’m supposed to be immune. I hope.
Blogger Seeds:
What's your favorite fruit and way to eat it?
I have a lot of favorite fruits so this is hard for me to answer. Right now, my favorite is ripe strawberries. I like to eat them whole, like popcorn. If I have cereal in the morning, I’ll cut the strawberries into pieces to mix in with the milk.
Monday Madness:
1. Describe what you believe is a "good" driver.
A good driver follows the rules of the road – doesn’t speed, tailgate, run red lights or stop signs.
2. Describe a "bad" driver (your opinion of course).
Bad drivers don’t signal when they change lanes or make turns. They run red lights and stop signs. They tailgate or drive too aggressively. They drive too fast. Other bad drivers go way below the speed limit which is dangerous too.
3. Which category do you fit in? Please back up your answer. Feel free to use examples!
I am a good driver. Just ask TB. Heh …
No, actually, I try to drive safely. I don’t go much above 5 miles over the limit. I signal before I change lanes or make a turn. I leave plenty of room from me to the back of the next car. I don’t weave in and out of lanes. I stop at red lights and stop signs.
March 28, 2004
Birds and the Bees
I have told this story to family and friends and I crack up every time I do, so when I saw one of my daily prompts ask How did you learn about sex? I thought it’s about time I wrote it down.
My parents weren’t forthcoming about the facts of life. I think that, like many parents, they didn’t know how to approach it. They kept waiting for my brother and me to ask questions and we kept waiting for them to tell us. They had this medical encyclopedia that had just about everything in it … except for that. I’d look at the pictures of a man and then at a woman, skinned to show the muscles and bones, and I just couldn’t imagine how a baby was involved in any of it.
One day, I came home to find a book on my pillow, Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth. I picked the book up and looked at the back cover. This is going back like 35 years or so. I don’t remember the exact working but I remember it was funny and it was about sex. So I supposed my mother left it for me to “learn something”. That’s exactly how she’d put it, too. My mother must have been giving a lot of thought to it all. Since I wasn’t asking questions, she must have decided to leave the answers lying out. Well, that’s what she thought she was doing. I began reading.
I learned something all right! I could hardly believe that people would or could do these things! I brought the book to school to show my friends and they were amazed too! At some point during the day, the book passed from the girls to the boys. They were getting some education too!
A teacher tore it out of the hands of some hapless unsuspecting boy during class. The teacher’s eyes were about popping out of his head and the boy told him that it wasn’t his book. “Well, whose is it?” The boy pointed right at me.
I was mortified. I think my mother was too. I don’t think she’d read the book at that point but she did once it was returned. Then the book disappeared forever. The next book to show up was much more informative if less interesting: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask by Dr. David Ruben.
Not too long after that, I began to receive “Modern Romance” and “True Love” and magazines like that. They were addressed to me but I hadn’t sent away for them. They weren’t as informative as the books but they were definitely interesting. I asked my mother where they came from and she said she’d ordered them for me so that I could “learn something” about people.
I did.
One thing I have learned about my mother is, in spite of her shortcomings, she wanted what was best for me. She couldn’t hear and didn’t know what kids were talking about but she did understand that people are people. Some things never change, no matter what era we live in. I used to laugh when I remembered the books my mom left for me. But now I honor her for coming up with some way to communicate with me. She signed and couldn’t speak and I hadn’t learned sign language (another long story best saved for another time) and so she used her imagination well to find a way to make sure I knew about “something”.
I say … and you think …
- Pitbull:: dangerous
- TD:: touch down
- Carter:: President Jimmy Carter
- Japan:: ally
- 50:: middle age
- Streak:: run naked
- Rifle:: gun
- Trap:: animal
- Easter:: Christ’s resurrection
- Mitt:: baseball
March 27, 2004
Which Simon & Garfunkel album ... ?
I love these things!
I'm Bookends!
Which Simon and Garfunkel album are you?
Rainy Saturday
Billy's been wanting a job for a while. He's filled out several applications but no one was hiring at the time. Now places are hiring for the summer. I know he prefers "fun" places to have a job ... like the movie theater or the 6 Flags theme park an hour's drive away. This morning we are taking him and Heidi to apply for jobs there.
No, we're not plannning on driving 4 hours a day to get the kids there. There is a bus or shuttle that will pick the kids up so I am all for this.
Heidi's been trying to find a job but not many want to hire 15-year-olds. Six Flags does hire kids her age.
I don't know if they'll actually get the jobs but it's worth a try!
We're also going to pick up Linda and T and go shopping. Linda needs some stuff.
Yesterday the doctor put a shot of cortisone into my left thumb. It aches and throbs but that is supposed to go away in a couple of days. Meantime I'll just put up with it.
What are some of your favorite web-sites to visit?
This is a good question, especially for today when I don't feel like doing a lot of typing.
Some of my favorite places:
I have many more but it's almost time to get going and pick up Linda and T!
March 25, 2004
Where is my beach?
What is your favorite comfort food?
My favorite all time favorite comfort food would have to be ice cream. My favorite flavor is a blend of chocolate and peanut butter. The ice cream just tastes so good and is so soothing. It has a rich flavor I can savor. I don’t eat it really fast. In fact, I take my time eating it. Slowly I begin to relax. By the time the ice cream is all gone, I begin feeling much better.
This is a good prompt for me today.
My weakness has always been ice cream first and then candy. They are the first things I reach for when I am stressed. I haven’t found an effective substitute yet that will satisfy me and soothe me. Is there one out there?
Last night I had to have ice cream. I wasn’t feeling well to begin with and then I felt surrounded by quarreling kids or kids with attitudes. I’d just sent Billy and Kristin upstairs because they wouldn’t stop bickering with each other. I was listening to something TB was telling me in the kitchen. Heidi suddenly goes, “What is wrong with you? You seem so ANGRY.”
Well, I don’t know if I was or I wasn’t but why was she interjecting herself into a conversation I was having with TB? If I sounded pissed to him, he could tell me so. I told her to butt out and the next thing I know, we’re both yelling at each other. So TB and I bail out and go for a ride … to WaWa’s and I picked out a pint of ice cream for myself.
What could I do instead?
I don’t know … I can think of all the right alternatives and *maybe* one or the other would help me feel better. I think if I was at the shore, I could go walk on the beach. That would do it. But the beach is an hour away and walking in the neighborhood wouldn’t do it.
Today I would like more ice cream but I’m not going to buy any.
I was napping and woke up suddenly to Heidi’s voice screaming something. By the time I got out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, she’d already run upstairs and slammed the door.
There was another incident on the bus, another bus substitute unwilling to do anything. There was a kid on the bus named Chuck. He was wearing a Santa hat that had a penis on it and he was poking Billy with it. I guess he wanted Billy to fight him from the get go. Billy said he wouldn’t fight him and advised Chuck to get away from him.
Chuck didn’t. He started insulting Billy who gave back whatever he got. Chuck was getting more and more obnoxious, trying to get Billy into a state where he’d fight. They got off the bus together and Billy said again, he wasn’t going to fight. Chuck was still running his mouth and then Heidi decided she had to step in. She tried to kick Chuck and he slapped her face.
Billy did not step in to fight Chuck.
Heidi was furious. She was embarrassed and angry with Billy.
TB was trying to talk to her when she started screaming. Then she ran upstairs. She came back down a few minutes ago and understood that she shouldn't have provoked Chuck but she is still furious with Billy.
I called the school and placed a complaint with the assistant vice principal. Does all this sound familiar? I wonder if we'll get any further with this complaint than we did with Heidi's?
And if I’m not getting ice cream, where the heck is my beach?
March 24, 2004
Smoking in public places & New Jersey
What is up with this state?
Don't get me wrong. I used to smoke a pack and a half of cigarettes a day. I smoked until I found out I was pregnant with my first child, Billy. I saw this commerical on TV that gagged me out. There was a little fetus in the womb, smoking a cigarette. And the line went, "Every time you smoke, so does your baby." I read some information about it and learned that every time I took a puff of a cigarette, the placenta would contract and no oxygen would get to the baby's brain. Have enough puffs of the cigarette and that would be how many times the baby would be deprived of oxygen. No way was I going to smoke after reading that!
Ironically, I have smoke induced asthma attacks. When I am exposed to cigarette smoke, I have a lot of trouble breathing and I start wheezing. It seems really ironic to me because I was such a smoke stack. Anyway, for several years I couldn't go to a restaurant and eat out because I couldn't tolerate the smoke. Good thing fast food restaurants had drive through windows.
There was a lot of controversy in Maryland when the first ban on smoking in public places was passed. Oh boy, restaurant and bar owners raised a lot of hell about it. They were afraid they would lose business but it turned out the opposite was true. Now non-smokers could eat or drink in comfort and they did. It felt great to be able to go into a restaurant and sit down to eat and to be able to go into the mall and not worry about wheezing. Tobacco is a crop of some of the farms in southern Maryland. I don't know what kind of hit the farms took but I sure was glad smoking was banned.
When we moved from Maryland to New York, I was a bit worried. I was sure I would have to give up restaurants and malls again. I was very happy to learn that on Long Island, smoking was banned in public places and in federal buildings. What a relief!
Okay, so now I am spoiled. I move to New Jersey and I just assumed they have a law against smoking in public places. They don't. They have the rather silly smoking/non-smoking sections. I call them 'silly' because sometimes there's just a low wall separating the sections. I mean, where do they think the smoke is going to go? It sure isn't staying around the smokers. It drifts. And I choke sometimes.
Even Ireland has gotten into the act. Once again, the pub owners are having a fit because they think a ban would hurt their business. However, there was a poll conducted and it turns out that more people say they will go to the pubs once they are smoke free.
So why hasn't New Jersey gone smoke free in restaurants, malls and other public places? It's not like NJ is a tobacco state. If NY can do it, why can't NJ? I don't have answers to those questions. I don't know that any answer would make much sense. I was daydreaming again about retiring to Ireland and of living in a little stone washed cottage and breathing nice clean smoke free air.
I guess I am not in a great mood because I don't feel very well. Kristin has been home sick a couple days and Billy and Heidi have been hacking. Now I am feeling very tired and achy. I think I'm getting it too. 
We had a wonderful visit with Linda and Little T yesterday. And we heard from Michele. She had an ultrasound that showed that she is almost 4 months along. She's at about 13-1/2 weeks. The baby is looking good right now. I am so relieved and so is TB.
On this day in 1898, the first American car is sold. What kind of car do you drive? What is your dream car?
I drive a Toyota Sienna van, my favorite vehicle! It is roomy, handles easily, and is very reliable. Before that, we had a Ford Taurus station wagon. It was nice but had lots of problems, particularly when it got older. Before that, we had a wonderfully reliable red Chevy Nova. The only drawback was that it was too small for our growing family.
I don’t exactly have a dream car. I’d like a nice big car like a Lincoln Continental but I wouldn’t want to drive it. Maybe have a chauffeur?
What's On your blog Right Now? Happy Wednesday!!!
Well, it's not too exciting. I have a premade template. There is the text of the journal. On the left, there are links to other favorites of mine, links to my archives, and links for some webrings I belong to. If I knew much about design, I'd try to do something with the template.
March 22, 2004
Perish as Fools
"We must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools."
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
I turned the news on this morning and learned that Ahmed Yassin was killed in an attack led by Israelis. I didn’t know who he was at first and was puzzled by the reporter’s description of Yassin as being a spiritual leader and a quadriplegic. Why would someone attack him, I wondered. As the morning went on, I learned who he was.
Yassin founded a Palestinian terrorist group called Hammas. He and that organization have been responsible for countless terrorist attacks on Israel over the last three years or so. Now I understood. Most recently, a Hammas action killed 10 Israelis. Israel follows a policy of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” and naturally they would try to take out terrorist leaders. They want to show they cannot be intimidated by terrorists.
Palestinians don’t see it that way. All they know is, their popular leader has been killed. Militants threatened both Israel and the United States, declaring they will send ‘death to every house’. The United States is indirectly involved because we are the one country in the world that will support Israel, no matter what.
I don’t have a problem with that. Israel became its own country (again) in 1948. The USA supported them. The surrounding Arab countries totally did not support Israel and over the years, there have been wars and suicide bombings and all sorts of terrorist actions. Israel has hung in there, stubbornly refusing to give up or give in. In fact, if anything, they’ve proved to have a far superior military than the Arab countries attacking them. After the second war with Israeli about 30 years or so ago, the countries have backed off. Now almost all of the actions are coming from Palestinian terrorist groups.
The one I’m most familiar with is the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) led by Yasser Arafat. What terrible people, I thought. I got so angry with them because of the awful things they did. Arafat was a criminal, I believed. He became the Palestinian President, leader over a group of people but not a country. He sort of redeemed himself in my eyes by agreeing to negotiate some sort of peace agreement when President Clinton was in office. Unfortunately, there was never a total resolution or agreement.
Why are the Palestinians so mad? Hundreds of thousands of them were displaced after Israel’s war for independence in 1948. Neighboring Arab countries weren’t enthusiastic about taking the refugees in. They blamed Israel because they lost their homes.
Arafat wasn’t such a meanie anymore after that and other Palestinian militants thought he’d gone soft. That must have been why Ahmed Yassin formed Hammas. Arafat worried he might be next on the hit list but Israel has since said no, he’s not.
Israel and the Palestinians are going round and round in a vicious circle. When one is attacked, they retaliate. Then the other retaliates and then the one retaliates again and then the other one retaliates. I think that’s what Martin Luther King meant by his statement. They are going to “perish like fools” in the Middle East … and in Ireland … and in Kosovo and where ever else two sides clash because of a difference in religion or culture.
I admit I support Israel. Having said that, I still think the violence there is just an exercise in futility. Israel will never convince the Palestinian militants that they have a right to their own country and land. The Palestinians will never convince Israel that they should have their own little country too. The Brits and the Orangemen will never convince the rest of Ireland that they should be allowed to keep the counties in Northern Ireland to themselves. The Irish Republican Army (IRA), the main terrorist organization in Ireland, and the rest of the country will never convince Northern Ireland they are a part of the whole and shouldn’t be kept separate. And in conflict in Kosovo, no one is going to convince the Croats, Serbs & other ethnic groups that none is superior to the other.
The USA isn’t free from bigotry either. We just aren’t having a war about it. We’ve had extreme militant/terrorist groups before (like the KKK). During the 1960s, black people didn't have all the same civil rights white people did. It boggles my mind when I look at black and white TV coverage of policemen turning dogs on protestors who just wanted to be treated equally with whites. I remember another clip of fire hoses turned on full force against peaceful demonstrators. Dr. King might have been thinking about the white-black conflicts when he made his statement but boy, it sure applies for everywhere in the world.
Maybe we can never be as close as some real brothers can be. Some brothers grow up and they are never close. Still, they are civil to each other. That’s what the Israelis, the Palestinians, the Protestant and Catholic Irish, the Serbs, Croats, Albanians, and all of us need to do.
There is a quote attributed to Albert Einstein. ‘The definition of insanity is doing something over and over and over again and expecting a different result.’ So yes, if the fighting back and forth continues unchecked, if the Palestinians bring ‘death to every door’ then we will perish like fools – insane fools.
Monday Madness:
1. What was your favorite TV show as a child?
My favorite was “Combat”. I had a big crush on Vic Morrow, who played Sgt. Saunders.
2. What show did you hate?
I don’t think there was any show that I hated. I didn’t watch much TV as a kid and I only watched the programs I wanted to see.
3. What show did your family gather around the TV to watch?
Believe it or not, The Ed Sullivan Show. My parents are deaf so you wouldn’t think they’d enjoy a variety show. My father could hear a little if the sound was turned way up.
4. What show is currently your favorite?
Survivor
5. What show do you hate now?
King of Queens
March 21, 2004
New Baseball Stadiums
Today I watched an implosion. Veterans’ Stadium, home to the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, came down around 7 a.m. this morning. It had been wired with explosions moving clockwise around the stadium. Lots of people were there, and many were sad. Yes, they’d complained about rats, the grass and other problems at the stadium but now that they were losing it they became very sentimental. Home owners also worried about the damage the dust might cause.
Veterans’ Stadium opened in 1971. The Phillies have been around a lot longer than that so there had to have been an earlier stadium. Stadiums are just not meant to last, I guess. There are a few originals left but not many. People want high tech and comfort and newness. There’s a lot of money to be made on stadiums in cities with popular teams.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against making improvements. What bothers me is that the new stadiums are large and beautiful but … they are cold, not homey or friendly places. I say that because of the new names for the stadiums. A lot of them are named after the banks or businesses that funded construction! I mean … what is more sterile than that?
Take the stadiums in Pennsylvania as a for instance. Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh is a cool, homey sounding name. The stadium was located at the juncture of … what else? … three rivers. It opened in 1970 and I’m sure it replaced an earlier stadium. What a nice name though. It doesn’t sound clinical or hospital-like. Veterans’ Stadium is a nice name, too, honoring the people who served in the armed forces. The new stadiums are named PNC Park and Citizens Bank Park, respectively.
What kind of names are those for baseball stadiums? Not that football stadiums have much better luck. The Washington Redskins used to play at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, a nice way to honor the late senator. His family was well known for their games of touch football on the lawn. RFK Stadium isn’t being used anymore. Now the Redskins play at Fedex Field.
Isn’t that heart warming? Now going to see their beloved teams playing at their home stadiums the fans are going to be reminded of the warm, homey memories of … mail that arrives in 24 hours or, even better, banks that handle cold hard cash. I am really sad to see such impersonal names given to the stadiums just because that’s where the financing came from. I suppose this institutions are thinking that with a more meaningful name, 10 years down the road the fans are going to forget who the financial backers were. Well…so what? They’ll make their investment back over again several times.
I keep wondering when this is going to happen to the oldest of the stadiums, the ones that haven’t been knocked down yet. In Boston, there is Fenway Park with the infamous Green Wall (makes it hard to hit home runs). It opened in 1912. In New York, there’s the “house that Ruth built”. Yankee Stadium is in the Bronx. It opened in 1923 and lots of baseball greats played there, from Babe Ruth on down the line. Shea Stadium, home of the NY Mets, opened in 1964. I can’t imagine these stadiums ever being replaced but it’s inevitable … we all grow old, even buildings. There is no way I can possibly imagine such commercially cold names for the replacements. I don't even want to think about it!
I saw a movie about 25 years ago called Network. I found it shockingly funny but I had the cold chills at the same time. The country was changing and what it was changing to was kind of scary. Basically, the story is about a frustrated and slightly mad network commentator named Howard Beale who goes off the deep end and exhorts his viewers to shout “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” Well, his antics caught the attention of the movie’s Mr. Big. I can’t remember if he was chairman of the board or the network president or what but I did remember his message. It literally gave me goose bumps.
I looked it up so that I would quote it correctly. He says to Howard Beale, “The world is a business, Mr. Beale. It has been since man crawled out of the slime. ... It is the international system of currency which determines the vitality of life on this planet. That is the natural order of things today. That is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today. And you have meddled with the primal forces of nature. And you will atone. Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? You get up on your little 21 inch screen and howl about America and democracy. There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today.”
Howard Beale says, “I have looked upon the face of God.” Scary scene!
Here are the names of some ball park stadiums around the country now:
Bank One Ballpark
Petco Park
SBC Park
Coors Field
Miller Park
Minute Maid Park
Pro Player Stadium
Busch Stadium
Great American Ballpark
Comerica Park
Network Associates Coliseum
Safeco Field
U.S. Cellular Field
Tropicana Field
I couldn’t begin to guess where these stadiums are located. They don’t honor teams, like Tiger Stadium did. They don’t honor a part of the city like Comiskey Park (in Chicago) did. They don’t have imaginative names like Candlestick Park or Mile High Stadium did. The new names just don’t roll off the tongue. They don’t inspire any warm or friendly images.
When I was little, I loved the Baltimore Orioles. At the time, they were playing at Memorial Stadium. The first game played there was in 1954 and I went to games there from 1966 - 1976 or so. The name honored those Baltimoreans killed in the wars. It was pretty to look at, made of red brick. I loved going there. I always had a great view of the game even if I was out in the bleachers. I was thrilled when the players would autograph my program book. All good things must come to an end, though. A new stadium went up to replace Memorial Stadium.
I remember the back and forth negotiating about the name. No one wanted the new stadium named after a bank, thank heavens. I don’t know if there was any fighting in the kitchen about that. Anyway, I think the new name is pretty cool: Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The name honors not only the team but also the part of town it’s built in. This new one in Philadelphia – Citizens Bank Park – is not only cold, it’s anonymous. What is in that name to link it to the city or to the team?
Baseball is supposed to be as American as apple pie. If that’s the case and the new stadium names reflect that, what does it say about us and where we are going? “There is no America …” There is only PNC Park, U.S. Cellular Field, Comerica Park …
Scary.
I say … and you think …
- Wife:: husband
- Criminal:: jail
- Campaign:: election
- Infection:: sickness
- Portland:: Oregon
- NASCAR:: race
- IMAX:: huge screen
- Martian:: My Favorite
- Nike:: shoes
- Trial:: Scott Peterson
March 20, 2004
Feline Relationships
It is a curious truth that many cats enjoy warmer, more convivial, even affectionate relationshops with humans than they could ever do with fellow felines.
--Bruce Fogle, DVM, "The Cat's Mind", 1991
When I read this quote, I thought right away about Mouse and Amber’s relationship with each other. They tolerate each other but that’s about it. Sometimes they chase each other and I used to think they were playing. I’m not so sure anymore. They also wrestle just about every single morning and sometimes it looks deadly. They are not fooling around here. Mouse especially seems to like biting hard and clawing with her back feet. Sometimes I have to break it up before one of them gets badly hurt.
I am not surprised that many cats have a better, more loving relationship with we humans. Mouse is used to being the center of our attention. When she is in the right mood, she is so affectionate. She enjoys having us pet her, scratch under her chin and massage her shoulders.
Amber likes the attention too but she seems more timid especially if Mouse is around. Mouse is jealous of any attention we give Amber. Once we start to go on our merry way, Mouse jumps at Amber and bites her ears or her neck. Sometimes Amber sees Mouse coming into the room and jumps away from me as I’m trying to pet her.
Years ago, I had a gray tabby called Kushna. My roommate Alice and I rescue adopted a cat that just didn’t get along with Kushna. As much as I didn’t want to bring the cat to a shelter, I couldn’t have my kitten abused. Before we were able to take the cat, a friend of mine visited us and said, “Oh, when are the kittens due?” Well … how was I supposed to know? I never had a pregnant cat before.
The cat had a litter of six and we did end up giving her away with 4 of the kittens. I moved to Washington and chose one of the remaining kittens to go with me and Kushna. The kitten was an orange striped tabby I called Leo.
Kushna and Leo seemed to love each other. They would rough house and play but then they would curl up together and sleep. Sometimes Kushna would wash Leo’s ears or his face. It was so cute to watch. Even better, they both seemed to love me too. Kushna would sleep on my bed curled up against my shoulder. I can’t imagine Mouse and Amber grooming each other. They’ve never curled up together either.
Cats have a totally different relationship with us inferior humans than dogs. Many people don’t like cats because of their independence and superior attitude. Dogs absolutely worship humans. They fall all over themselves with joy at the least little bit of attention. Cats have too much dignity to fawn over a human pet the way dogs do. Still, you can tell that a cat is loving the attention too. They might act like they are doing us a favor but they’re just hiding the fact that they love the loving too.
The girls:
Amber
Mouse
And let's not even get into feline-canine relationships! ;-)
The Weekly Leak:
• yay or nay for math?
Ick! Math! Yay for the basics, nay on stuff like geometry!
• who gets your taxes done?
My sweetie TB. He’s got the programs to help him.
• have you ever *gasp* cheated?
• do you usually make plans for your refund or do you save it?
We had plans for our refund last year and probably will use it again this year. Someday it’ll be possible for us to save it which would be cool. We could save toward a long well-deserved vacation!
March 19, 2004
Mad!!!
We got a letter from the court today, stating a day and time for the hearing against that punk who sprayed Heidi in the face with cologne. Well ... the parents of that kid Tony also got a letter and the father called us to find out what was going on. Hey, how did they get our phone number? And then I saw ... Heidi's name and address is on the letter and he got a copy! Well, he was hot and wanted to know why no one told him what was going on. And we told him we'd been trying for a month to get his name and to meet with him but were stonewalled by the school administrators. Why? Because it would "violate" Tony's civil rights or something. Great. Well, the father was upset because now he's got to take a day to come to court. Oh, sorry! He says he would have taken care of it on his own if he'd know. Then he wanted to know if Tony pestered Heidi repeatedly. That's not the case but Tony does cause trouble with other kids. Well, the dad downplayed what happened ... what happened to Heidi was not harassment because it happened just one time. ARRRRRRRRRRRGH! Well, it doesn't matter what he thinks. We are still pressing charges.
I think the last time I wrote about this was on January 29th I can't figure out how to make a link back to just that entry. :P
***Thank you, Liz, for helping me figure this out!!! 
The exact link s are:
January 22nd and
January 29th.
Dave McNally & Dem O's
There are a few journals I like to read when they're updated and one is Ramblings. Imagine my surprise about a sad blast from my past! It turns out that Measi knew the McNally family from her hometown and she was saddened to read that Dave McNally died in 2002.
Dave McNally used to pitch for the Baltimore Orioles in the mid-60s. My parents, my brother and I lived in Baltimore then and we went to Memorial Stadium frequently to watch the Birds play. I was wild for the Orioles. My favorite was the friendly and lumbering first baseman Boog Powell.
I was in awe of McNally's pitching ability. I remember the Orioles going up against the LA Dogers in the 1966 World Series. I think McNally pitched two of those games, including the 4th and last one. It was a sweep!
What a team! If I couldn't go to the stadium, I loved to watch the games on TV. I remember that during the World Series I would run home from school as fast as I could so I could see the game. Now the series are night games only. I'm not sure they have afternoon games anymore.
Baltimore is nicknamed "Charm City". Well, I was sure charmed by "dem O's." People in "Bawlamer" have a striking accent. A big conversation starter was one person saying to another "hal 'bout dem O's!"
I never did follow another team with the same enthusiasm I felt for the O's in the 1960s. I'm glad for all the opportunities I had to see them and to collect autographs. They are very happy memories.
last snow of winter
I hope we just had the last snow of winter! Tomorrow is the first day of spring and it was like Old Man Winter wouldn’t slink out the door. He wanted us to know he’s still got a wallop and will be waiting for us next year! We’d been having such beautiful weather lately so it was hard to believe when the heavy gray clouds gathered. The temperature dropped over night and the snow began accumulating. We might have gotten a lot of snow but we were lucky. I think we got about 3 inches on the ground before it changed over to rain. I don’t think we have much left out there! The kids were hoping to have a day off from school but no such luck -- well, for them anyway.
Over the weekend the warm weather returns. I am so happy! The snow was beautiful but I am itching for spring!
Describe the perfect friend.
The perfect friend is supportive and caring. The perfect friend listens without making judgments. The perfect friend enjoys being with me. The perfect friend and I share interests. The perfect friend and I can sit in silence sometimes. The perfect friend loves me. The perfect friend is TB.
March 18, 2004
What makes me laugh
What makes you laugh?
I am like the laughing guy who floats to the ceiling in Mary Poppins. I love to laugh. I would rather laugh even when I am very sad and I usually do come up with some morbidly funny lines. Laughing hurts a lot less than crying does and it really does lift my spirits. I can remember making jokes during times of financial and other personal disasters. It didn’t make the problems go away but it did relieve the stress for a little while.
Babies can make me laugh. They have the funniest expressions when they’re newly born. I held Little T not so long ago. He makes the most adorable gurgling sounds and I can’t help but smile at the changes in his facial expressions. It will be even more fun when he is older and he begins to mimic our expressions. I remember sticking my tongue out at Kristin when she was an infant and she learned how to do it back almost immediately.
I also laugh at dog and cat antics. My cats entertain me every morning. Some mornings, they play some sort of tag. One chases the other up and down the stairs, around the family room and down the hall to the living room and back again. Sometimes one has enough of a lead to hide and then springs out at the other. They roll on the floor wrestling. It’s fun to watch them wrestle, too, but I often think it’s not in fun. They clutch at each other and kick each other with sharp back nails. One will go for the other’s throat. Luckily they always stop before it gets too violent.
I laugh at some of the things TB says or does. Sometimes he says something really lame and I’ll give him a hard time about it. ;) Most of the time, though, he is very cute and I appreciate his humor.
I laugh at funny scenes on TV or in movies. Sometimes I love slapstick but not always. I really like irony in humor.
Tomorrow when I look out the window and see no snow, I will laugh at the silly forecasters. On the other hand, if we really do have a foot of snow out there I will laugh at how silly it is to have snow a day before the first day of spring!
March 17, 2004
Li'l Abner Pix
TB took a lot of pictures during the Sunday performance of Li'l Abner. He put them on his journal today. I enjoyed looking at them again and remembered how good the performance was. It's not just a matter of being proud of my kid, although I am. School plays don't always go off well. I've interpreted a couple and had to strain to hear or fight to stay awake. Billy looked and sounded like a southern gentleman. The young woman who played Mammy Yokum was right on too. I can't think of anyone in the cast that didn't do a good job!
St. Patrick's Day
There wasn’t much festivity at our house this year. We had the traditional and very delicious corned beef and cabbage and I wore my County Sligo sweatshirt but that was about it. At the last minute, I thought to try and get the kids some greenery to wear. By the time I got around to going to the store, though, all of it was gone. All of it was probably gone the first week of March. Anyway, the kids didn’t wear green today – unless it was on their underwear.
Well, I thought to myself, we are American. I don’t think we’re hyphenated Americans anymore. Before I got married, I was very much an Irish American. My grandparents came to the United States from County Sligo sometime before WWI. The whole family could sing. Just about the whole family drank, which is not something I’m particularly proud of. We always had corned beef and cabbage for dinner and my father always wanted a toast. We’d click our glasses and he would try to say “Slainte.”
When I was 15, I happened to see the Scanlon family crest. It was really cool looking, with fierce looking anibeasts on the shield. I think they were crowned lions but it’s been a long time. Anyway, I made a template and used it as a design for my hooked rug project at school. I had the most fun working on it!
My father fell in love with it and decided he’d like to have a beach towel with the family crest. When it was shipped and he opened it, though, he was majorly pissed off. Instead of white and blue, it was something like orange and blue. He was madder than I’d ever seen. I asked my mother about it and she told me that orange was an English color, not an Irish color.
Huh?
So I did a bit of reading. I knew my family was mad at the English for some reason and that’s why they knew lots and lots of war songs. I read up on some Irish history and that’s when I got it. I especially got it when I read Leon Uris’ Trinity. I’d never heard of “the famine” before and boy did I get some education! Not only were the English gentry grabbing up the land, they also had a hand in the massive starvation during the years of “the blight”.
Irish families lived in these little cottages on small bits of land owned by an English lord or something. They had to pay their taxes in stock and grain. So what did the Irish people eat? Potatoes. Potatoes grew very well and could be prepared lots of different ways. Potatoes were filling although a man had to eat lotsa pounds to have the energy to go out and plow the fields.
One year, though, this nasty spore got into the potatoes and they all went bad. These spores could travel on the air from farm to farm so the destruction was wide spread. The farmers didn’t have anything to fall back on and now their staple was black mush. I read that the English could have put a moratorium on collecting stock and grain to pay taxes … but they didn’t. While all that stuff was shipped to England, the people in Ireland starved. Thousands of people died. So many thousands emigrated to the U.S. to escape the catastrophe left behind in Ireland.
My relatives did not emigrate during the Famine and I often wondered why. Well, it turns out that the landlord of Sligo County didn’t collect rents and taxes. He let the people keep the cows and the pigs and the grain so they could eat. Eventually the landlord was fined and maybe even thrown into jail. By then, I am guessing the worst of the plague was over. I felt kinda good knowing that some of these landlords had a conscience and I was glad to know Sligo’s was one of them.
Ireland was a predominantly Catholic country and the English landlords and gentry belonged to the Church of England. Most of the English settled in Northern Ireland but they controlled the whole country. The Irish natives just wanted to be free and to govern their own country, especially since the Protestants were so down on the Catholics.
So there were uprisings to try and get free of the British and to commit violence on the other religion. All in the name of God, I’m sure. Irish men killed during the uprisings became martyrs to the cause. The violence just kept on and on. In 1949, most of Ireland finally became independent of Great Britain. The British still held the counties in Northern Ireland and they do to this day. Some years are bloodier than others.
My aunts and uncles know the war songs. They are scary songs, full of blood and death. But they never learned the fun Irish songs or the ballads. I was shocked when I found myself teaching them words to “Molly Malone”. I had several albums of Irish folk songs and none were war songs. I was glad to teach them the fun songs because the others were so darn depressing.
Where did St. Patrick’s Day come from? There was a young man taken into slavery back in the 400s A.D. He escaped and made his way to France. He became a priest and renamed himself Patrick. When he was done with his training, he went back to Ireland to convert the pagans to Christianity. Yeah, we started out as pagans! Patrick went around the country building monasteries, churches and converting people. He died on … March 17.
Green is a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day because the color is associated with spring, new life. The shamrock is a symbol because of the 3 leaves. St. Patrick used them to demonstrate the Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Ghost. The three become one entity/shamrock. A 4 leaf clover is very rare and that’s why it’s considered lucky.
Leprechauns – the little people – are supposed to be from a more ancient Irish race, one that was forced into hiding when the island was conquered by invaders.
Leprechauns aren’t the only little people, but they are the best known. The others live under fairy mounds. I’m not sure where the leprechauns live but they seem to interact with people more because they supposedly hoard gold. If people catch a leprechaun they can try to get the gold for themselves. Maybe that’s why the little people (2-3 feet tall with proportioned bodies) are so grumpy and anti-social.
Someday I want to visit Ireland. I don’t drink now but I’d like to visit the pubs and listen to the music. I still have Irish cousins. I’d like to look them up and learn as much as I can about Ireland. I fantasize sometimes about retiring there. It’s a nice dream to have.
March 16, 2004
Battle!!!!!!
They really have got to put something interesting on TV Tuesday evenings at 9 ...
But I had fun! I saw this at Otto's:
Nothing on the Calendar!
How wonderful it is to wake up and realize that there’s not a single place I need to be today! I almost didn’t know what to do with myself! It actually snowed here today -- a lot! I did a bit of snow watching. I think we got about 3 or 4 inches of wet snow. Other days, I wouldn’t have enjoyed the snow. Today, it was pretty to look at and I could enjoy that because I didn’t have to drive anywhere! It looks like a fairly quiet week, too. The only things we need to do are tomorrow -- I'm going for an Xray, Linda needs a ride for her doctor's appt and Billy and Heidi have karate tomorrow night. Compared to days we've had in recent weeks, this'll be a cakewalk.
We got a call from Michele who is doing pretty well. They are having nice, mild spring weather in Tennessee. She gave us and update on the kids. Brandon and Ryan both have IEPs for school and the district in TN has better services than in NJ. It's a relief to know that the kids are making friends and doing so well in school. We miss them a lot but still it's good to talk to them on the phone!
I'm still working on my story. I'm not sure if I'll finish it in 8 weeks. There are days when I think I should just give up on that particular story. Sometimes I think I should have chosen to work on another story. I think I'm just scared I can't write a good story or finish one or something. I would like to work through the fear so that writing stories is fun again.
Spring is finally here!
1. What two things you enjoy about Spring?
I enjoy seeing the flowers coming up. Different flowers bloom throughout the spring and I love watching them all. I also enjoy the fresh smell of the flowers.
2. What two things are you going to miss about Winter?
I’ll miss the Christmas spirit from December and early January. I’ll miss any snow that keeps us home and off the road.
3. Spring Cleaning: "Of course, I get to clean out my house." or "Nope. What's the point? It's going to get dirty again anyway."
I definitely want to clean out my house. I have to have help with the lifting and moving of things though.
4. Spring Flowers: "Tulips and all flowers are blooming. I love this time of the year!" or "Allergy season is kickin' in. Pollen! Enough already."
The former. I am really lucky and don’t seem to be that allergic to pollen. I know that I could become allergic at any time though. :P Until then, I will enjoy!
5. Spring weather in you area means: "Outside activities!" or "It is still freakin' cold! I am going to be inside, thank you!"
If the weather is mild, I’m all for outdoor activities! If it’s cool, I can always put on a sweater or a coat!
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I remember as a child I used to think 30 was old. Well, now that I'm 47, I don't even think 50 is old! How old is old anyway?
This is so true for me! When I was a child, even teenagers seemed “old”. When I was in my early 20s, my parents were the age I am now and I remember they seemed old. Well, not so much my dad because he would walk every day. My mom didn’t want to do anything because her arthritis hurt her. Now I am 49 and I don’t think my mind is old. My body aches a lot though. I think I’d be a lot more active if the pain wasn’t there. Some days I’m feeling pretty good and I enjoy walking. When I was 46, I felt well enough to go up one of those big inflated slides and that was fun. How old is old? I think it’s more a state of mind. Old is when you don’t enjoy yourself anymore. Even if you are 80, if you still enjoy life then you are not old.
March 15, 2004
Busy Weekend
It was very hectic but also very nice.
Julie's baby shower was on Saturday and I think she was surprised! Most of the people who'd been invited showed up. She looks like she is going to have that baby any minute now so it was a good thing her mom & grandmother had the party when they did. Julie's mother Amy and father Tim are divorced and things have been a bit strained. But Amy and Lucille set aside any differences they might have had for Julie's sake.
I was in seventh heaven holding little T. Heidi wanted to hold him, too, and so did Pam, TB's sister. He was such a little angel!
On Sunday we went to see Billy in Li'l Abner. All those months of driving him to and from the high school really paid off. The play was fantastic, one of the best performances I've seen ... ever. And Billy was truly hilarious as Senator Jack S. Phogbound (there's no Jack S like our Jack S ... try saying that really fast and you'll know why everyone cracked up!). His mannerisms and accent were right on.
After everything that happened -- even though it ws good stuff -- I was totally wiped out and could have slept for days it seemed. The fun extended right to this morning when Kristin dressed up in a cute, creative pirate outfit for 'Pi' Day. Read more about it in TB's entry.
How "Irish" are you on St. Patrick's Day?
I am proud to be of Irish heritage. My grandparents came to the US from County Sligo sometime before WWI. They settled in Harlem and lived there for years when my dad was a kid. Years later, they moved to the Bronx. I loved being around these relatives but they also scared me. I remember they were warm, loving and loud … and easily prone to violence. They are sort of your stereotypical Irish, sentimental and hard drinking, and I guess that’s why those irritating characteristics are emphasized so much.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always worn something green and have always eaten corned beef and cabbage. I love Gaelic music! The Claddagh ring was my wedding band when I married Rich. As an adult, I began watching The Quiet Man on St. Patrick’s Day. Is that a movie! It’s so romantic and hilariously funny too! I have never been to Ireland (yet) but I want to go there someday. I would like to meet some of my relatives some day.
I think it’s really sad that Ireland is not united, not after all those years of being under British rule. The British have let go of all their colonies now. I guess that Ireland is not a colony to them and so they continue to hold Northern Ireland. Some years the violence in Northern Ireland is downright horrifying.
It’s all about religion – so they say. Ireland was a Catholic country. But well-to-do English families settled in Northern Ireland. They weren’t Catholic, they were Protestant. They think of themselves as British first. The two sides are about as far apart as they ever were. It’s hard to imagine the country being at peace after hundreds of years of fighting but it’s something I hope and pray for.
By Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney
Give Ireland back to the Irish,
Don't make them have to take it away.
Give Ireland back to the Irish,
Make Ireland Irish today.
Great Britain, you are tremendous,
And nobody knows like me.
But really, what are you doing
In the land across the sea?
Tell me, how would you like it,
If on your way to work,
You were stopped by Irish soldiers?
Would you lie down, do nothing,
Would you give in, who can say?
(Chorus)
Great Britain and all the people,
Say that people must be free.
And meanwhile, back in Ireland,
There's a man who looks like me.
And he dreams of God and country
And he's feeling really bad.
And he's sitting in a prison.
Say, should he lie down, do nothing,
Should he give in or go mad?
(Chorus)
Monday Madness:
1. What is your solution for cabin fever - you know that feeling of being penned in the house all winter?
My solution is to get out of the house as soon as the weather is nice enough and go to the beach! If that’s not happening soon enough, I’d go to the mall and walk around. The important thing is to get out and away from the house.
2. Who are the people in your neighbourhood...in your neighbourhood, in your neighbourhood.....?
Most are families with both parents working. Most have kids 12 and over. There’s a few with little kids but not many. A lot of neighbors are in the service. Fort Dix and McGuire AFB are very close by.
3. What's the best thing about spring?
All the beautiful flowers!
4. Any Easter traditions?
Not anymore.
Traditions we used to have:
Dressing up in new clothes for church, parading around in our new bonnets
Looking for the dyed Easter eggs
Eating lots of candy!
5. How old were you believing in the Easter bunny?
It’s been so long I can’t really remember.
March 13, 2004
It's Always Something
Today was pretty good! I got to hold little T a lot and enjoyed the shower for Julie. I'd write more about it but I'm very sleepy and very pissed that we haven't heard from Billy. He told us he would call after the play (which ended at 10:30) and that he would call when he got to the diner for the cast party. So now it's 11:10 and we still haven't heard from him. So to distract myself, I took a quiz.
March 11, 2004
Love, Love, Love
Here's a unique idea ... when there is so much to do and you know you're not going to finish anything by half then it's time to waste time!
I am backlogged on everything today. Right now we are waiting for pizza to be delivered. We have about a 45 minute wait and so I figured I'd spend that little bit of time doing something ... absolutely useless! But it's fun ... like this:
| 87% Of The Internet Loves Me! |
| I am loved by 87% of the population, including: 10984 people who love people who like cake 8796 people who love people who like vegetables 12687 people who love writers In return, I love 81% of the population, including: 1162 teachers 8889 bloggers 9593 artistic people |
| show the love at spacefem.com |
What's your zodiac sign? How much stock do you put into it?
I am a Sagittarius, the archer. I had a passing fascination with it years ago. I thought it was cool some of my traits matched the sign. I found the horoscope to be interesting but pretty useless. I don’t put any stock into it. It’s fun, that’s it.
How much spam mail do you get per day in your email box? How does that compare to the junk mail in your snail mail box?
I get entirely tooooo much spam in my email box. I have a filter set up that is supposed to direct junk mail to a special folder. Well, I get at least 30 emails directed there a day. The frustrating thing is that 30 spam mails still come into my inbox. I feel like I’m swimming against the tide here. I think it’s ridiculous that the incoming mail is half junk. I would say I get a ton more spam mail than I do snail mail. It stinks! I wish we could just outlaw spam mail!
A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it."
~ Alfred Hitchcock
Onesome- The dinner: What's your favourite meal? Is it something you get out or can you get it at home?
My favorite meal would be prime rib, a baked potato and a salad. Prime rib is pretty expensive. I think I’ve had it at home maybe once or twice. It’s something I get out and only if I’m at a steak house.
Twosome- the theatre Admission: What's your favourite movie and/or play and why?
I love a lot of movies and so it’s hard for me to narrow it down and pick just one. Tonight I’ll say my favorite movie is Forrest Gump, not only because of Tom Hanks’ excellent portrayal but because of the message. It was a funny movie, all about a “slow” kid who grew into a rather naïve but very sweet adult. He had some bad things happen to him but he had a basically sunny attitude about things. He happened to be in the right place during history making moments. People found that ridiculous. I didn’t think of that too much. What I thought of was that things can get pretty bad for you but with enough prayer, sweat and a positive attitude, good things can definitely follow.
Threesome- and the babysitter: We've all been left with a babysitter atone point or another. Did you have a favourite childhood babysitter? What made that person special?
My favorite babysitter hands down would be my Grandma. She treated me so special, I felt like a grown up little girl.
March 09, 2004
Eating Ourselves to Death
I just happened to see a news article on yahoo, “We’re Eating Ourselves to Death”. It should have frightened the crap out of me. Apparently, poor nutrition and obesity is quickly becoming the #1 preventable contributing cause of death in the United States. Smoking is still #1, but obesity is right up there. Being fat puts me at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke, cancer and diabetes.
Young people are at increasing risk for one of the aforementioned. Now that is scary. It happens so fast, too. Kids are bombarded with food commercials on the TVs they watch instead of going outside to play. It starts even earlier than that! Some parents give their babies sugar-water so they will stop crying. Or they'll put cereal in the bottle so the kids will sleep through the night. One thing that does is grows the kid a sweet tooth!
I have been reading Dr. Phil’s book and trying to digest it. You wouldn’t think a normal person would engage in destructive, dangerous behavior … knowing what it could lead to! You wouldn’t … except there is still a payoff. If there wasn’t some sort of positive reinforcer then I think the temptation to overeat wouldn’t even be there. I tried to think about what my payoff is. It’s something as simple as the bad stuff tastes good and it works fast to relieve physiological stress. I’m assuming the idea would be to change the payoff or remove it somehow.
So, of course, when TB left to pick Billy up from play practice, he said he needed to stop at CVS (the drug store). Did I want anything? Well, of course I said no … right? Wrong!
I used to get so mad at Rich for not keeping the weight off. I really used to stomp all over him and say if he wouldn’t take care of himself for himself and he wouldn’t for me couldn’t he just please do it for the kids? Easier said than done. Could it be a secret death wish? No … I sort of think we’re all in a kind of denial about it. Yes, I could develop all these health problems … but maybe not yet. Maybe I’m too young.
Ha.
People younger than me have had heart attacks.
So … what now? One thing I’ve noticed is a slight change in my thinking. Okay, so it’s not a big change but it’s in the right direction. I’ve become more aware of making a good or bad food choice. It’s not entirely automatic anymore. Now I stop and think to myself, is it a good idea to eat this? Sometimes I actually say no and I feel really good about that.
This is not about losing weight in six months by following a diet. There is no diet. It’s a life long plan.
Dr. Phil is also right when he says it’s not what you eat, it’s how much. One other little change: I am trying to weigh or somehow measure my portions. Instead of going for all the leftover corned beef and cabbage (which I dearly love), I weighed the meat and only took 4 oz. I took only carrots and cabbage, not potatoes. And I didn’t eat butter. I didn’t eat butter on my Irish soda bread either. I used low fat cream cheese which has like a third of the calories butter has.
I didn’t do great, but I didn’t do as terribly as I started out thinking. I’ve been making little changes. Eventually I will get turned in the right direction.
One more change: more activity. I’d begun walking on the dreadmill again when I became sick. I’ve stopped for the moment because I feel yucky. But I must do that again because inactivity is not healthy. And I am really happy that Heidi has a friend living in this development, someone to go walking with.
What I would like to do as I make changes is to effect changes in my kids. I was reading another article that said menus for kids become unhealthier once they get into middle school. Most kids don’t want to go for veggie sticks and fruit if they know they can get pizza and cookies. Maybe we’ll get to a point someday where the unhealthy snack stuff will be banned from schools.
I’ve encouraged the kids to take food to school, healthy snacks. I know Heidi doesn’t like to sit down and eat a big meal so she’s been taking a bag of carrots or broccoli/cauliflower or unbuttered popcorn. Billy’s taken some plain slices of chicken or beef – no bread for his sandwiches. And Kristin’s begun packing her own lunch, usually bringing yogurt and a piece of fruit.
I think that Dr. Phil is right in that once we get rid of the fatty, salty, sugary snacks and force ourselves to snack on veggies and fruit, we’ll begin to develop a preference for them. I never would have dreamed that I would prefer water over diet soda. I do.
We’re learning to like the Klondike low fat or low sugar ice cream.
Small changes add up and will become a big change.
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Please comment on the following quote: "Don't find fault, find a remedy." ~ Henry Ford
It’s really easy to complain about something that you don’t like. ‘It’ can be anything, from an object to a person. The problem isn’t solved by whining and moaning about it. That works for maybe the first couple of times but after that, the complaining becomes tiresome. If it’s so bad, make a change! Don’t go there, don’t do that, buy a better one. Change the way you treat grouches, maybe they’ll cheer up. There is another old saying … if you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
March 07, 2004
Sick Sunday
Feeling sick is so frustrating.
Today is a really nice, sunny day. I have nothing on the schedule and I figured, oooh, I can write all day! I opened Word and then sat there staring at the screen.
I can’t think right. My sinuses are throbbing and I’m sneezing and hacking. Yuck.
Then I thought, well, I can try a journal entry instead to warm up. I sat there staring at the screen.
Well, there was no use sitting there feeling a severe case of agita coming on.
I sat down to watch TV with TB. There’s not a lot of anything on today. Are Sundays like that? SciFi is running a Scare Tactics marathon.
When that show first premiered, I thought it looked like an invitation to a heart attack. It’s Candid Camera over the line. That show was a classic. The idea was to set up a victim for a practical joke and then film it and the results. Sometimes people would get quite excited until they realized they were being hoaxed. I wish I could remember some of the episodes I’ve seen. They were hilarious!
Well, Scare Tactics involves very elaborate and terrifying hoaxes. I remember a couple of clips I’ve seen. The victim gets into the car and the driver gets involved in a high speed chase. The victim yells, “Stop!” and when that doesn’t happen, starts screaming. In another, there are a couple of kids inside a camper trailer of sorts and this “monster” attacks the vehicle.
I thought the show went too far scaring people but it was on TV, I was bored and frustrated, and I began watching. It’s like passing a car wreck on the highway. I feel repulsed and yet fascinated. I mean, there might be blood and bodies … there’s already wreckage and parts of cars all over. Yet the almost overwhelming curiosity is there. That’s the way I felt watching this show. I felt like it was too awful to watch but I couldn’t turn it off. Now I think I’m getting hooked :P I sure hope I’m feeling much better fast!
March 06, 2004
Rainy Saturday
We got a lot of rain today. Our street was partially a pond again. I think it was colder, damper, and rainier than other days mostly because my sinuses are inflamed again. I get another antibiotic prescription and hopefully this will knock the infection out quickly!
The day was basically hectic but I still managed to type on my story. I finished another 6 pages and although it's not the quota, hey, it's better than 0!
I was just messing around in between writing and waiting for our Chinese food (yum!) and this was fun ...
Welcome to the next edition of "GETTING TO KNOW YOUR FRIENDS" What you're supposed to do is copy (not forward) this entire e-mail and paste it onto a new e-mail that you'll send. Change all of the answers so they apply to you. Then, send this to a whole bunch of people you know *INCLUDING* the person who sent it to you. The theory is that you'll learn a lot of little known facts about your friends and family........
1. WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING:
6 a.m. on weekdays and whenever I can’t sleep anymore on weekends.
2. IF YOU COULD EAT LUNCH WITH ONE FAMOUS PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Billy Joel
3.GOLD OR SILVER?
gold
3. What was the last movie you saw in the CINEMA?
Return of the King
4. FAVORITE TV SHOW?
That 70s Show, Survivor, CSI, Cold Case, Joan of Arcadia and most old comedies on TVLand and so on
5. WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?
Different stuff so that I don’t get bored, usually have some fruit with breakfast
7. WHAT WOULD YOU HATE TO BE LEFT IN A ROOM WITH?
A rat
8. CAN YOU TOUCH YOUR NOSE WITH YOUR TONGUE?
No
9. WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Courage, honor, loyalty
10. WHAT'S YOUR MIDDLE NAME?
May
11. BEACH, CITY, Or COUNTRY?
beach
12. SUMMER OR WINTER?
summer
13. FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Chocolate peanut butter cup
14. BUTTERED, PLAIN, OR SALTED POPCORN?
Gotta be buttered
15. FAVORITE COLOR?
Purple, shades of purple
16. FAVORITE CAR?
My Toyota Sienna van
17. FAVORITE SANDWICH FILLING?
cheese
18. WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO YOU DESPISE?
Bigotry, total lack of empathy, cruelty
19. FAVORITE FLOWER?
Rose
20. IF YOU HAD A BIG WIN IN THE LOTTERY, HOW LONG WOULD YOU WAIT TO TELL PEOPLE?
When the newspapers broadcast it
21. FIZZY OR STILL WATER AS A DRINK?
Still water
22. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHROOM?
Blue
23. HOW MANY KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING?
I have NO idea, a lot!
24. WHERE WOULD YOU RETIRE TO?
Somewhere along the coast, near the beach
25. CAN YOU JUGGLE?
No
26. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK?
Thursday
27. RED or WHITE WINE?
Red.
28. WHAT DID YOU DO FOR YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY?
Went out for dinner
29. DO YOU CARRY A DONOR CARD?
It’s on my driver’s license
30. SAY SOMETHING NICE ABOUT THE PERSON THAT SENT THIS TO YOU:
I have no clue who that was. Okay: very nice
31. WHO DO YOU LEAST EXPECT TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
I have no idea who to not expect
32. WHO DO YOU EXPECT TO ANSWER YOU BACK THE FASTEST?
Whoever’s the most bored
my friends are coming into town today, and it's one of their birthdays in a few days. so, to honor her, this weeks' sat-8 is all about celebrating.
1. where were you born?
Bay Shore, NY, which is on the south shore of Long Island
2. i was born at 4:05am. do you know your exact birth time?
I think it was at 6:34 a.m.
3. what's your sign, baby?
Sagittarius
4. what was the most memorable birthday party you've every had ... either as a child, or as an adult?
The only one I remember from childhood was my 10 th birthday. My parents threw a party for me, and my cousins and good friends all came. Since it sticks so clearly in my mind, it must have been special
5. what was the worst gift you ever received for your birthday?
Hmmm… hard to answer. I never classified gifts as better or worse. Gifts are from the heart and so I like them
6. what was the best gift you ever received for your birthday?
I don’t remember the ‘best’ one either! I love all the gifts my kids, my hubby & my friends give me
7. if you could plan your 'perfect birthday,' what would it include, where would you go, what gifts would you get, and who would be there?
I would have my ‘perfect’ birthday in Hawaii! I’m sure there wouldn’t be any snow there! I’d like to have a big luau on the beach, with hula dancers and wonderful music. Gifts? Doesn’t matter. Books, CDs, clothes, whatever. Who would be there? Everyone that I love.
8. are you doing anything interesting this weekend? if so, tell us about it. if not, what would you LIKE to be doing that is exciting?
I hope all the excitement happened today! I have another nasty sinus infection. I had to go to the doctor this morning, take Billy to school for play rehearsal, go grocery shopping, pick Billy up … juggle prescriptions and pain relievers and yadda yadda. Tomorrow I hope to stay home all day and write write write.
March 05, 2004
It's funny how a visiting baby can just light up everyone's faces! Linda came over with Little T (my new name for Tomas) and we took more cute pictures. It was a very nice visit, especially because Kennan came in and stayed awhile too.
Heidi & Little T
Billy & Little T
Almost everyone seems to have some kind of plague. Kristin's got a sinus infection and Heidi has her usual allergies. TB hasn't been feeling well and I feel like my sinuses are inflamed again. Blah!
Heidi gave karate a try on Wednesday. She did great! She chopped a board in half on her first try. Master Britt told her to imagine she was chopping Billy's head. She let out this blood-curdling yell and the board just broke apart like an egg! Master Britt autographed the board. It was really cool. Heidi is looking forward to taking karate now!
I am taking this new online writing course. I haven't had much chance to journal this week because I'm trying to complete 11 pages a day. I am glad I didn't figure Saturday and Sunday as writing days because it'll give me some extra time in case I can't reach goal on a given day ... like today! :P
Even though the first week of March is just about over, I felt compelled to share this info. It's Chocolate Week! What is your favorite type of chocolate?
Well, now I am going to crave chocolate all night! My very favorite type of chocolate would be milk chocolate, the kind used in Hershey bars and stuff like that. My friend Elfie sends me Austrian candy every year and it’s delicious but I have a real fondness for the milk chocolate.
1. What is your greatest weakness? Explain.
I would say it’s compulsive behavior. Sometimes I just don’t think things through before I buy something.
2. What do you avoid at all costs?
Liver! Doing my taxes! Going to the dentist!
3. If you could stop time, what would you do?
I would enjoy each happy moment of my life for days at a time
What's On your 'places to go; people to see' list Right Now?
Places: Pemberton High School, Wrightstown, and the doctor
People to see: the doctor! And the karate instructor
March 02, 2004
Changing Behavior
Today was another really nice day. It was overcast a lot but I didn't mind because there was a lovely breeze! I am hoping that winter is over and from now on we'll enjoy springlike weather. There have been some years where the weather seems to skip fall and spring. Hopefully not this year!
Kristin and Heidi took some pictures and they were developed. I saw a picture of myself and was not happy at all. Today I have been careful with what I ate and got myself back on the dreadmill. As Dr. Phil says, it's not what I'm eating. It's what's eating me. I have been able to pick out self-sabotaging thoughts in my head. Once I become aware of what I'm thinking, I can act. Today I did. This is another addiction and I feel the same as when I quit smoking. I know I can't abstain from eating but it's just going to be a daily struggle.
I subscribe to a newsletter that sends me prompts and sometimes they just seem to fit, like the one for today:
I was reading about how it is helpful, if not a requirement to change ones behavior, that you must tell someone about the current undesirable behavior that you are doing. This echoes the AA & NA beliefs that one must do a moral inventory to be able to grow spiritually. What do you think? Is this your experience in life? AND can writing in your journal serve as the sharing of the current undesirable behaviors?
I have noticed that it's not so easy to go on with an undesireable behavior once you talk about it or write about it. As long as it's kept a secret you can pretend it doesn't really exist. Once you say it out loud or write it out in public, you have to do something about it. I'm not sure if just writing it in a private journal that no one sees but you would do the trick. You can tear the pages out. I guess you can delete an online entry too.
I've noticed that I make a better change when I talk about a behavior with someone else ... a therapist, a doctor, my husband. Tonight as we shared a Klondike lowfat ice cream sandwich I told TB what I was thinking. The ice cream sandwich tasted delicious but it didn't look very big. That might be an optical illusion. The sandwich is a square. A normal ice cream sandwich is a rectangle. Well anyway, I told TB that even though it tastes good I have this tendency to feel deprived because of the size ... "it's not enough".
That's exactly the kind of thinking I need to change if I'm ever to lose weight.
This evening, the news featured a success story. A woman lost 153 pounds, down from over 300 pounds. She did it by making changes in her diet and in her thinking. I can do this too. I just have to make changes in my messages to myself.
Today is the birthdate of Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss! Just about everyone grew up with stories by Dr. Seuss, what's your favorite?
My own personal favorite is Green Eggs and Ham. I remember reading it when I was a little kid and I read it (many times) to my kids when they were small. I can’t think of a single book by Dr. Seuss that I don’t like. For years, I could recite some of the books by heart. He made up such silly names for animals and plants they were just totally charming. Another book I enjoyed was The Cat in the Hat. When I was little, the cat seemed very intimidating to me. I think because he sort of represented giving in to temptations when adults weren’t around. My favorite book with a message is The Lorax. It’s rare that I’ve been so moved by an author of kid fiction. Well … his books are not necessarily just for kids. They all seem to have an important message and so adults benefit from the stories too. Maybe he had that in mind when he wrote the stories, that some parents would read the books to their kids.
March 01, 2004
MeMe Makeups
Today is Michele's birthday. Happy birthday, Michele! It was good to talk to her and to Brandon and Taylor. I miss them and I know that TB really really misses them! I'd typed out a lot more stuff but accidentally hit a wrong button. It all went where the light goes when you turn the switch off
Oh well.
My thumb and wrist are a little better. I have a whole lot of meme's to catch up on. Some of them:
Monday, March 1
March is Reading Month! What's your favorite book or author?
My favorite author is Stephen King. I have been reading his books for almost 30 years! I guess I enjoy being scared :P It’s not just that. Stephen King characterizes people very well, especially the ones suffering inner demons, like Jack from The Shining. I can identify with a lot of his characters’ thoughts and struggles.
Interestingly, my favorite book was not written by King. It’s called Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. This is a book that has a little bit of everything. I’m not a romance novel reader at all, but this book could be classified a love story. It could be classified as an adventure, as historical, and as fantasy/science fiction. The heroine, Claire, finds out by accident she’s a time traveler. She’s honeymooning in Scotland and her curiosity leads her to pass between a circle of stones to the past. It’s something like 1742, 200 years earlier. Well, then she meets, befriends and falls in love with a Scots Highlander. Throughout, there are fistfights and war-fights and witchcraft trials and all sorts of things that just kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the first two sequels but then I found the characters tiresome. Oh well.
Friday, February 27
Here is an interesting fact to write about: On this day in 1922, the Supreme Court unanimously finds the 19th amendment, giving women suffrage, constitutional.
I’m all in favor of giving everyone an equal chance to vote, not only women but all citizens of the United States.
I’m just not in favor with equality in all areas.
Women have pushed to rise higher in the corporate world and they have. But these women are beginning to show the same signs of stress as men. They’re having heart attacks and ulcers in rising numbers. This is not something I would choose for myself but if others want to, they can.
I am more angry about a proposed reinstatement of the draft. It’s not just for the guys anymore. The proposal says girls have to register with the selective service when they are 18, too. I think it stinks. There have been some female casualties in Iraq and females taken prisoner. I just can get reconciled to that. I guess I’m just old fashioned. I think to myself, what if Heidi or Kristin got sent to Iraq? It’s bad enough if Billy was drafted and got sent to another country… What makes me mad is that women are not being given a choice here. I don’t really think guys should be forced into the service either for that matter.
i really love movies. what about you?
• how much do you enjoy movies?
I truly enjoy good movies, where there is a compelling story to tell and the actors and actresses are believable!
• what're your top 3 favorites?
It’s too hard to choose! Well, there’s the Lord of the Rings trilogy and:
My three favorites in color: Pirates of the Caribbean, Forrest Gump, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?
My three favorite classics (b/w): Casablanca, It’s A Wonderful Life, Harvey
• are there any movies that you think are a complete waste of film?
Oh my yes! I managed to forget them all!
• are there any directors that you are partial to and can depend on for a good movie?
Peter Jackson, Alfred Hitchock, Steven Spielberg, John Ford, George Lucas, Ron Howard and a couple of others whose names I can’t think of offhand
• what actors & actresses get you to the theatre (even for a bad movie)?
Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp, and Mel Gibson
I’m figuring these would be living actors/actresses. There aren’t any living actresses I’d go to see even if the movie was bad.
I say ... and you think ...
- Hollywood:: movie stars
- Censor:: No!
- Nascar:: race
- Lube:: oil
- Mortgage:: house
- Freedom:: precious
- Champion:: hero
- Reality TV:: Survivor
- New York:: birth place
- Tease:: kid
1. Should the media be responsible for how they affect children?
They have a definite impact on children so I believe they should be … just as the cigarette makers are being held liable for the health problems of the consumers. It’s free choice, yes, but unless the parent is hovering around every second while their kids watch TV no one can depend on the children to make responsible choices. I think violence in cartoons appeals to kids. From there it graduates to violence on TV shows and movies. Kids like to watch it because it’s exciting. It’s like driving by a car wreck. Everyone wants to watch at least for a few seconds. Now there are studies that children become less sensitized to people and more inclined to become violent themselves as a result of watching that stuff on TV.
2. What is your strongest power surge?
Hmmmm… It probably happens at either extreme of emotion, anger or love. If we’re talking electricity then I guess it’s the computer
3. What supernatural power would you want the most?
I would like to be able to fly. That would be so cool!