2010 Thankful Moments.

I am so very thankful that 2010 is almost gone – Good Riddance!!

I am thankful I got to experience dog love no matter how late in life – who knew? (okay so Peta did)

I am thankful that it’s uncommonly cold here but no snow!

I am thankful that I have gone beyond that really ugly point of growing out very short hair – finally!!!

I am very thankful that Rick is my husband. (Yes, dear I got that in there for you)

I am thankful for those who made the first wine discovery – Whoever you are I love you!

I am thankful for great hair colorists.

I am thankful that people can’t read my mind most days!

Who knew I’d ever be thankful for the invention of a bra? But I am at my age.

I am thankful that I found a new doctor and am on my way to being healthy again.

I am thankful I was not one of those poor families stranded in New England while visiting family over the holidays– I am very thankful I was not stuck with my family for days. I am so thankful I will say it again – Thank you for not stranding me with my crazy family for days on end with no out!

I am thankful for Tanqueray the best damn gin in the world. (which would be necessary if stranded with family over holidays)

I am thankful for bifocals but not thankful that I need them to grocery shop for heaven’s sake.

I am thankful that my husband can finish the next line in the song I was singing under my breath as I loaded the dishwasher last night. I am thankful he is my age and he knew the next line, “Want some whiskey in your water, sugar in your tea, What's all these crazy questions they askin' me” (He said) For that reason alone I could never date a younger man.

I am thankful for moisturizer that I swore at the ripe old age of 25 I would never ever possibly need on my greasy Mediterranean skin.

I am thankful for bio-identical hormones!

I am thankful that my husband’s eyesight is going at the same time my looks are.

I am especially thankful for all my blogger friends who read me, comment here and send me emails. Thank you for your friendship and gift of your time!

See you in 2011!
Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

My husband always likes to ask people, “Do you remember what you got for Christmas last year”

You see it bothers him that we put so much importance and stress on ourselves for gifts that no one remembers. Oh, it’s not that he doesn’t want to give. He loves to give.

It started like this...
He pointed out to an old friend of mine who each and every year makes a list of extravagant things (usually jewelry) she wants from her husband to buy her.
(she collects and doesn’t wear or go anywhere)
When she was asked this question by Rick she couldn’t remember a single thing.
She couldn’t remember a thing that her husband, who is on disability, saved to get her.
That was his point exactly.

Rick has asked this question to a lot of people and there has only been 1 person who could list what they got a year or two before.
Of course he never says to that person, “See you didn’t need that”
He normally just smiles and they ask him if he remembers and the conversation goes that direction.
It genuinely upsets him that people can’t remember. He feels that maybe once again we are so selfish and self entitled that we can’t even appreciate a thoughtful gift. And that the whole warm family Christmas is gone and replaced with stuff.

I see his point and fluctuate on both sides of that spectrum to be honest with you.

I sincerely don’t recall a single Xmas gift I got as a child.
What I remember is the feeling. The excitement. The family. The traditions.
The warmth and love in the house. I remember my father told me one Christmas Eve that Santa really didn’t like milk with his cookies, he would prefer a beer. So a beer was left for Santa from that year on. I guess I was too young to ask about Santa drinking and driving. That makes me laugh. A few years ago I mentioned that to my Dad and we all got a kick out of it.
My sisters and I never thought a thing of it. That was our normal.  Santa had Kohler beer with his pizzelles (ethnic cookies) at our house.

I remember all the cousins, aunts and uncles visiting and the food and the smells, the party atmosphere for days/weeks and the snow. I have wonderful and I mean truly wonderful memories of my family holidays. But I don’t recall a single present.
I guess that was my husband’s theory at it’s finest.

Many years ago when he asked me that and I couldn’t answer we decided to not buy one another gifts. Thing was he couldn’t either and it really, really bothered him.
At this time we both were fortunate to have great careers and making very good money.
We didn’t have a need and if we did along the way we bought it.
So we decided to do what my father did every year. We would pick a family in need and anonymously buy them something. We got family needs and names from a different church each year. It was fun to get the information of the family and go shopping.
Sometimes it was food as well as a doll for the little girl or lego’s or whatever.
It was always such fun for us.  We hoped it was a fun surprise for them.

Some years we have bought ourselves something together that we wanted for our home.
But mostly during those times we just bought for others and hoped they would remember.
Those were our new traditions and they made us both feel so fortunate and thankful.
Our friends actually thought we were crazy. No gifts for one another?
:Nope just for others", we'd say.  It seemed to upset them and they asked so many questions. Don’t you feel badly on Christmas morning? Hell no!! Doesn’t it upset you that Rick didn’t buy you something? C’mon what did I need?  Besides we made other types of holiday memories that were fun for us. Kick ass homemade eggnog for Christmas eve with great music and dancing with only the lights from our tree. We have made our memories and traditions they are just without gifts. For some reason that freaks people out.

Besides as you all know who have been reading me for any length of time that my favorite holiday is my birthday. We seriously celebrate our birthdays. And I am spoiled every single day in some way by my hubby I don’t need a special gift from him on Christmas.

Fast Forward to today.
We no longer make good money and have lost those jobs like millions of others in our country. 
Times are very difficult right now for us.
It saddens us that we can’t buy for another family this year.
Sadly, I am sure there are more families this year than in the years past who need the generosity of others.

My wish for those families is that they will be able to make their warm memories of love, family and the feeling of Christmas somehow.

I am wishing all my blogger buddies out there a very Merry Christmas.

I hope it is everything you want and need it to be!

Merry Christmas Everybody! – See ya’ll next year.

The Christmas Party

But I don't want to go!

Yes, I said this like a whiny child on Saturday.
I gave him a ton of hints and he just was ignoring them.
Then I said it outright and he continued to ignore me.

Since having a dog I have met an abundance of people with dogs in the neighborhood.
My husband is the social butterfly of this relationship and he will talk to anyone and everyone. I will smile and say hello and on I go.  Oh no, this man will pet their dogs, chat with them, make them laugh and next thing you know they are pals.  I see them later when walking the dog and they know me now from my dog and they tell me, "Oh your husband is so nice and my goodness he is funny."  It generally will make me have to smile and chat.  This is not what a misanthropic person wants to do.  But seriously I should have been an actress because I fool 'em every time.  Now my husband comes home and tells me how people tell him how "charming" and "friendly" I am.
"I want to accept this award on behalf of all you little people haters out there"  will be my academy award acceptance speech.

My husband comes home one evening and tells me that we are going to get an invitation to a Christmas party.  (Oh great, can I get seriously ill by then?) 

Who Rick is inviting us to a Christmas party?

Dave and Krista

Who the hell are they?

Their dog is Hope.

Well  our dog is lucky...that doesn't tell me squat.

Margaret, you know who they are.

No, Rick I don't know all these people you bond with.

The guy who lives on blankity blank Square.(street omitted to protect the innocent)

Honestly I don't know who the hell this is.

His wife is drop dead gorgeous with black hair and ice blue eyes and carries a gun.

She carries a gun?  Like a purse that looks like a gun?
He is laughing at me now.

Margaret they have the black lab, they are cops.  He is an undercover cop  & he now has long hair remember?

Ah kinda.  I think I remember you pointing him out to me.  I don't think I have ever met his drop dead gorgeous gun toting wife though.  And why the hell did she have a gun you could see?

I saw her when she was coming home as I walked by her house and she was in uniform, she is not undercover.

Did you walk by her home with our dog Izzy or were you stalking drop dead gorgeous woman with gun?

Funny woman.

I knew I did not want to go but I honestly thought, "he may be full of shit and we'll never get this invitation and I won't have to think about it."

But lo and behold we got an invitation on our door. Yipee.
Rick saw it first.  DAMN IT.
Oh he couldn't wait to go.  He heard it was a fun affair, 80+ people and Dave just finished his man cave. (oh yipee)

I whined, I moaned, I promised sexual favors.
It didn't work. He said the sexual favors would be great but I was going and I wasn't going to be anti-social.  He promised we didn't have to stay long.
I began licking door knobs, going outside with wet hair, not washing my hands, really doing anything I could to get sick.
Great.  Fine time for my immune system to start working well.

Come Saturday I tried on outfit after outfit.
I had just gotten a pair of black slacks taken in and settled on them. 
It said casual but you never know what the hell that means. 
I had a major meltdown while trying to style my hair. (still growing out)
I screamed out of frustration and Rick came running into the bathroom and took one look at me and went, "eeww" and left. 
I ran after him and said, "please don't make me go I would so rather stay home and drink wine and watch a movie"
"I knew you'd say that, he laughed, but we're going even if you have to wear a hat on this"....as he circled his finger around my head.
I stuck my head under the faucet and started over again.  It was better but bad hair should be an out to not have to go to any damn party!

The party was lovely as party's go.  I knew NO ONE.
I am great at acting like I am loving this and I am super friendly and outgoing. 
I went to the bar and poured myself a Tanqueray - straight up no chaser of course.
Everyone was young. Most were in jeans and/or clothes too tight and trying too hard.
Ample bosoms falling out everywhere.
Oh to be young and stupid.

Rick was right - the hostess was drop dead gorgeous and nice as could be.
She was warm, gracious and a great hostess getting everyone to talk etc.
Her hubby had made his garage into a man cave complete with heat and huge screen TV.
All the beer was out there along with all the sports memorabilia and the TV with sports playing. (the bar was set up inside with the food)
The majority of the men found their way out there pretty quickly.
These men came in from time to time to get food (which looked fabulous) and or liquor.

I made my rounds and knew as soon as I saw my hubby I wanted to go home.
Everyone was nice but this was not my thing and the majority were so damn young.
(did i say that already?) 
Rick came up behind me and put his arm around me and whispered in my ear, "ready to go home?"
"I was ready before we got here."
So we found our host and hostess and thanked them for a lovely evening and walked home.

I was just about to say, "See how awful that was, why do you make me do this Rick?"
When he says, "See Margaret that wasn't so bad now was it?"

Elizabeth E.

I’ve had to wait a bit before I knew I could write this post.
I had such a sorrowful feeling about the death of Elizabeth Edwards.
Even now as I type this I have tears in my eyes.
Why?  I don't know this woman.  What the hell is wrong with me?

I admired her very much. For all the reasons the media beat her up were the things I admired, her strength and fortitude. Her love of being a mom and putting that first.
For going before congress to tell those rich old fat white men that she and Gov McCain had something in common and it was if they had different jobs neither would be able to be insured because of their health problems! They were speechless because it is so true. I love a woman with balls like that.
And lastly I admired the way she behaved when all the ugliness was surrounding her.
How when the tabloids were all a flutter with story after salacious story about the mistress, the wondering hubby and his child she decided to write her own book to be honest about her story. When asked why she said, “It’s my story and I’m writing it from here on out,” she said, “Nobody else.”  Damn this is an old fashioned broad and I cheered her on.

The first wave that hit me when it was announced a year or more ago that her cancer had returned were her little children. Two weeks ago when the media announced her cancer had returned and there was no treatment my mind and heart immediately went out to those 2 small children. I couldn’t help but cry.

Please don't get me wrong, I know it is very difficult for her adult daughter as well as her adult friends and family. But it pains me more than it should about a stranger to think that those 2 little children are with out a mom.
Rick seems to think this is because I lost my mom as child.
Maybe it does have everything to do with that.
I found that each time something about her illness was on television I always thought of her children first instead of her. How heartbreaking to know you are leaving your children.
But how damn excruciating to lose your mom when you are 10 and 12 years old.

I saw an interview of she and her adult daughter discussing what would become of her children if she didn’t get well. Elizabeth said that the youngest two have their father and she wanted her oldest daughter Cate to take care of them as well. Wow! ....was my first thought.
In my mind that is a big thing to ask of a 28 yr old who is just engaged and starting her career. I felt the pressure. But again I believe that is probably just because of my life and that is what I lived.  I was projecting I suppose.


Besides the alternative to the daughter caring for her younger siblings is their father’s whore. I want to assume that Cate and Elizabeth discussed this and both were okay with anyone other than John’s bimbo.

Elizabeth was a woman with class and dignity. I wish there were more in our world which now seems to be over loaded with skanky types and the likes of Housewives of Orange County.

Christmas Cards

Do you send Christmas cards?

We used to.  In fact way back when we used to send them with photo's if they were close family or friends or even a newlestter - yeah I hear the groans.

But I don't send many now.  My parents and a neighbor at the lake because it means something to both of them.

Even just less than 6 years ago I was sending them.  I remember taking them on a trip with me to the midwest while on business.  I sat in my hotel room and addressed them all so I could send when I got back. I would do most anything to get them out on time.

Over the years the ones we received and those we sent seemed to have dwindled to very few cards.  Are we all too busy?  Is it the expense?  Or just another damn thing that feels like a "have to" during this stressful season?  Is it because everyone now only uses technology so writing a Christmas card is dated? (oh no, not the pen!)
Or is it because we don't send them so we don't get them back? 

Are you sending Christmas cards this year?

Randomness

I have some random items rolling around in this vast wasteland of my head.

Did you see this guy?  You can marry your dog but not someone of the same sex.  We live in a strange @#$% up world. Wonder if you can get your dog on your health plan?  He told his 30+ guests at his wedding that they were going on a honeymoon.  I am ever so curious of where that will be.

You know those lists of anniversary gifts by year? 
Year 1 is paper and Year 2 is cotton etc.
You see I was looking for something for my hubby for a gift.
He always buys me the best thought out gifts.
Our first year anniversary, which is paper, he gave me a calendar.  Now before you think that is a lousy gift keep reading.  He took pictures of things we had done over the years and each month was a different photo of us.  Most matched the month.  Like a honeymoon photo of us in December.  Each month made me smile.  It was so well thought out and planned and that alone made it one of my favorite gifts.
So I looked up year 17 for some inspiration.  Nada, nothing at all to be found.

They have years 1-15.  Then nothing until 20 years. 
Then it's every 5 years after 20.
Who knew?  Did you guys know this?
So I will have to use my own imagination this year.
I'm so not a good gift giver like he is but I try, I really try.

I've been reading a lot of blogs and various articles about Holiday Survival Guides.
Is there really a need for more than just liquor and advil?  Just wonderin'

I got a new coat and it's not exactly a pretty coat but it sure is a warm coat.
Since it is now cold here and it never was in the 1st 8 years I lived here so I never really had a need for a parka before.  Last year during that whole snow debacle I had to wear a coat that was way too big. (remember when I first got sick I gained weight) But as this weight is slowly coming off this coat was way too big and it not only looked ridiculous it wasn't all that warm.  So yesterday in 12 degree weather with 30 mile a hr winds I wore a sweatshirt, a fleece coat and that big old coat over that.  I still froze!!

Late yesterday afternoon the UPS man dropped a package at my front door. 
LL Bean it read and I knew it was my new parka.  I was so excited.  More excited than one should be about a stupid coat.  It pains me to have to spend the money.  I could think of so many other things to do with that money....like you know keep the lights on.  But I'm freezing and can't keep walking the dog with teeth chattering. 
I saw the coat online and put it in my shopping cart.  Then I didn't go back.
They sent me an email that it was on sale and still in my cart.  Hmmm.....
Then they sent me an email that shipping was free and a reminder that it was still in my cart.
So I bought it.  Having buyers remorse until the weather dipped to 15.

So this morning while walking the dog in only a t-shirt and this coat in 12 degrees I was warm. (okay I did have pants on)  Not only was I warm, I was sweating.  I am now in love with my new coat.  It has great little treats that I have discovered.  It has these hidden pockets over your breasts and they are lined in some fabulous fabric that actually made my hands too warm!  A place for your MP3 and goggles.

I am beginning to think this is another sign of old age. 
Seriously, who gets this excited about a damn parka!?

And lastly I found this article to be so spot on.
This man writes such great  movies and television shows.
Who knew he had this in him?
I'm one who is glad he did.

Christmas Flashback

Below is a little ditty I posted in December 2008 when none of you were around.
I think it may be my favorite Christmas video.
(remember I'm a scrooge so of course this is my favorite)



As I said back in '08 this really cracks me up.  There is a lot to hear in this video all at once. 
Yes, it is long but so worth it.

Listen to the PA system in the background while the men are in the "dog house" the subliminal messages make me laugh my ass off. 
I hope you enjoy it too.

Geeky Arrogant Boy

Did any of you catch Mark Zuckerberg on 60 Minutes Sunday? 

I found this kid snarky!
I watched the whole thing and looked at my husband and said, "he is one slimy bastard and I don't think 50% of what he said was anywhere near the complete truth." 

There were times during this interview where his eyes darted and I kept thinking, LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE.  I wished the guy from Lie To Me was there to share with us exactly what his beads of sweat, darting eyes, and wringing of the hands all meant.  I think I know but I wanted to be sure. He is a geek with power.  The only thing worse is a dumb geek with power. I am frightened by them. (see: Palin)

Putting aside your love of his invention, Facebook, do you see that with this guy? 
I think back to when Bill Gates was all over the media for his little invention and he was only 20 something.  Arrogant like Mark but much more kind and philanthropic. 
Geeky not snarky. I get the arrogance for what they have accomplished at such a young age. Who wouldn't be I suppose. I certainly don't begrudge that one bit!

But this guy is a different arrogant. Not for what he has built and done but that arrogant who thinks he is better than you. I suspect he was like this way before he ever became a billionaire. The arrogant  kind who thinks he can get away with murder because he has an excuse and because he is smarter than you. He would deflect when asked a question. Is it the generational difference or is this kid just a shit head as I suspect? 

Deflecting is a sign of lying or avoiding the question to me. Why did he need to do that when one can say, "I'm not comfortable answering that question" unless you are lying. I have seen a couple of interviews with the 2 guys from Google who like Mark are young, rich and smart etc. They too were like Bill Gates in the sense of not being snarky.  This kid is a bad egg to me. 

No, I didn't see the movie about him.  He says the only thing that is correct in the movie were the T-shirts and sandals. Since I didn't see it I know nothing about it.  Did they portray him as a snarky, arrogant, back stabbing, mean spirited control freak? 

I just wouldn't trust this man for anything in the world.
I believe he'd kick your dog and push Grandma if he had to, to get what he thinks he's entitled to.

And since my gut has never failed me about someone it's a damn good thing I will never meet him isn't it?

Sad Senior Moments

I am having senior moments.
Not to be confused with blonde moments.
I am having senior moments too frequently of late and I must admit I am a bit concerned.

I have a topic I wish to write about and by the time I open the computer it's gone. Vanished into thin air.  Completely out of my head.

This morning while walking the dog in 30 degree weather with my teeth chattering I remembered.  I thought to myself that there is no way I will be able to forget this as I headed back to the house. By the time I got upstairs to my office it was gone.  Not a trace of it remaining. I sat and stared at the blank computer screen and nothing came.

A customer called and I spent a lot of time going over colors, options etc. Then the idea popped back to me for a fleeting moment. I thought I should write this down just as the customer asked me another question.  I began to answer and we went off into another area of her remodel and BOOM it was gone yet again.  Aargh!

If this keeps up I will in a rubber room soon.
Senior moment?  Too much multi-tasking? Too much stress?

Friday Notes

It's finally here.
It seems like it took an exceptionally long time to get to Friday this week.
Was it just me?

Some random TV trival notes here.

• I love this show.  Last year was season 1. Season 2 starts this coming Monday and I have gotten the DVR all set and ready to go. Here is a link all about the show.  All 3 actors are so great.
• HBO has some upcoming specials that I am also looking forward to.  Bette Midler, Ricky Gervais and Carrie Fisher.  I read Carrie Fishers book, Wishful Drinking.  This special is a one woman show based on this book.  I have read all her books.  She is so smart but she is also so twisted and funny to me.  She sees things a bit different than most, like Gervais. I think that is why I like her. She can make the darkest things so funny. December is cold here where I live so some good TV is always something I look forward to in winter.
• In Treatment, my favorite show is ending this coming week. I wish the seasons for these HBO and Showtime shows would have a longer season.

Remember how I told you that I don't really like when my hubby goes to Costco?
He stopped at Costco on his way home a two weeks ago and came home with things we don't need again.  He just makes me laugh. Honestly if they had a commercial for Costco they should use my husband.  He holds the things up that he bought to show me and he describes them so proudly.  Like this 2 ton bag of potato chips that could feed an entire school.  No one needs that many potato chips.
He then tells me that "Margaret I have saved the best for last for you"
I am assuming this will be some great cheese since this man is a cheese freak.
Or perhaps flowers because he always buys flowers from there.

But no, it's an enormous box of Belgium Chocolate.

Okay I admit I began to drool.
But my goodness this was  a big ass box.
This chocolate was so rich, smooth and decadent and delicious.
All for only $10 he tells me excitedly.
I love good chocolate and that usually means its not American.
American chocolate is not our best export.
This box is filled with milk chocolate and dark chocolate truffles.
These truffles are dusted with cocoa and chocolate shavings.
If you are a chocolate lover these are orgasmic!

A friend stopped by and I offered her some chocolate. (it goes great w/red wine)
She said, "Oh I'll take a milk chocolate because I hate dark chocolate."
I told her she thinks she hates dark chocolate because she is thinking of American dark chocolate which is usually bitter.  "Just try this , I say- if you don't like it spit it out - I won't be upset. But I will be upset if you don't experience this great chocolate!"
So she tried it.  She moaned. Her eyes got as big as saucers.
She asked if she could have a 2nd piece.....dark chocolate.
I didn't count how many she had but it was more than 2.

Okay I admit Rick did a damn fine job this time.
This is all that we have left.

I am amazed we've had it last this long.
But the weekend is coming.

A movie, some red wine and this box maybe just what the doctor ordered.

Rehash/Refresh

I am blocked......I'm stealing from myself as I have done in the past on things I wrote before there were any followers.
I haven't done that in awhile and Raquel reminded me of the idea. Thanks Roc!

This below is from 2007...
____________________________________________   

I read a few blogs and I have to say I really enjoy a lot of funny men and women bloggers. There are several that never fail to make me laugh.

One such blog taught me a new word. That is always fun even if you aren't playing scrabble. But here is what I want to know. How in the hell could I have never known this word? I am the mere definition of this word. How could I not have seen it or read it in all of my years when it defines me. Was my picture not in Webster’s next to this definition?
How could I have done so well on the ole verbal part of the SAT's if I didn't know this word?

I read her profile and I said to myself she must be my long lost younger sister. My parents had a child that got away....or perhaps I’m adopted. Who knows but could there really be two identical people out there that are open minded, kind, do-gooders by nature that yet have such a disdain for most people? Two adult females who feel the way they do about people and yet work in a people person and customer service oriented industry? Hmmm.....

My new word is misanthropic. An entry I found for this word was as follows.
Function: adjective
1: of, relating to, or characteristic of a misanthrope. (really does Webster think this helps if you don’t know what the hell the word means. Honestly)
2: marked by a hatred or contempt for humankind. (Bingo- see previous blogs below)
Synonym see CYNCIAL

I said to a good friend over labor day how I hate people. She laughed and said, "Oh you do not you are always smiling and laughing." Okay true for the most part but does that mean I have to like everyone because I am generally happy? Can’t I be a curmudgeon with a smile? Another friend said that she knew I felt that way but it was the exact opposite of how I live my life so it wasn’t making sense to her. Oh c'mon let me have this one thing, why the hell can’t I be both? No one is 100% anything are they?

Okay maybe W is just stupid and only stupid -he may be the exception here.

My husband says it’s really stupid people that I dislike.
I am not so sure that’s the only ones but they are sure as hell right up there. Here are a few of those Mensa’s that I have run into this week – tell me what you think.

• A vegetarian who smokes cigarettes like crazy and then tells me that if I eat that steak how bad it is for my body –Vegan’s who smoke giving me a lecture about health!
• How about the nut jobs who think that I should not be allowed to do what I want with my own body. People who call themselves pro-life but believe in capital punishment? Oh so it’s okay to kill once they are out of the womb but not before they are actually formed into a human.
• How about that dumb grocery store clerk who couldn’t give me change because the cash register was broken. The drawer is open so she can give me change if she knew how to count it back to me. She just stared at the machine hoping the numbers would pop up there until I finally told her what amount to give me back. I could have told her anything and the bubble head would have given it to me.

Those are a few examples of my week. Sadly there are more of those morons by the minute. Who is to blame for this? Or are these stupid people breeding more than others?
We need to get them birth control - stat.

Now none of this can be confused with having blonde moments. Blonde moments are funny. Blonde moments don’t hurt anyone. I wish there was another name so blondes wouldn't be offended but we all know blonde moments are fun.
Blonde moments if only moments are not a bad thing.
If you're blonde and Paris Hilton – then it’s not a moment it’s just Stupid.

I am not embarrassed to tell you that I have a ton of those Blonde moments myself.
Two I will repeat here –

It was October a few years back. I was living at a home at the time with a staircase up to our front door. There was an olive bush at the end of the staircase right by the driveway & garage door.
We had friends that had just arrived from LA. They were getting out of their car and my husband and I walked out the front door to say hello. As they were removing their luggage from the trunk my husband and I were waiting for them at the top of the stairs. I got a heavy whiff of the very fragrant aroma coming from that olive bush. It was such a sweet beautiful smell, almost like perfume. My friends down below had just reached the bottom of the staircase by the olive bush when I said, “Rusty can you smell my bush from there?”
At which time he and his wife began to howl and he replied, “Oh Margaret not now, I am standing here with my lovely wife.” And everyone began to laugh. I didn’t even realize at first what I had said but it still cracks me up.

I was driving down the street in my little convertible that I had at the time. It was a gorgeous sunny day. The day before my husband said he was going to clean the car and do the windows for me. I struggle with the windows for some reason and he does such a great job of getting them streak free.
As I am driving down the street I look in my rear view mirror and think to myself, "wow he really must teach me how he gets these windows so streak free"
I go a bit further and I look in my rear view mirror again because seriously I can't get over what a clear window I now have. I get to a stop sign and can't stop looking in my rear view mirror at my back windsheild. When suddenly I realize the top is down and there is no friggin' window/windsheild right now. I laughed out loud and the woman crossing the street with her dog heard me and looked at me like I was crazy. Hell I was! (am)
Now the fact that I went home and told my husband may make me lose a few IQ points I'm afraid.

See not stupid, just a blonde moment.
I didn't breed though just in case.....

Be Warned - I am fired up today.

I am going to vent. Big time vent.
You have been warned!

Right now all over our local news is this pay freeze for 2 yrs for the federal employees here in DC and around the rest of the nation where federal employees may work.

I am so tired of seeing these people on the news whine and moan about not being able to get a raise. Hello? Have you heard about this recession? Have you not heard that there are thousands of people who have lost their jobs? They would gladly be in your position.

There was a man in his expensive suit standing in front of his big BMW
Oh no, not the cute little one like the 328i.
But the 750i that ranges in price from 82,500-89,400 base price and goes way up from there.
(I know this only because everyone around here drives one so I have looked this up- I drive an old 2007 Highlander.)

So this man on TV in his nice suit standing in front of his nice car is whining that he will not get a raise this year or next. . If he can afford this car he must be making some serious cash. He has a GREAT pension, medical and a job. A JOB. I know a lot of men and women who would just like to make a year what his car costs. Let’s say he makes $100,000. This year his raise was $1900.00. He makes more than that now in one week. It's probably a car payment. So over 52 weeks that comes to $36.54 a pay. That doesn’t even put gas in his fat car if my math is correct. That isn’t going to make him or break him. This next year it would only be 0.9% if it follows the 1990 law. That is mere pittance to this guy. So his whining just really fries my ass.

How many people watching this newscast are unemployed and would love to be in his shoes?
Then this woman was going on and on about taking a federal job for job security and annual raises etc. Really?
She had the same self entitled attitude that makes me want to slap them – hard!

The average income (not household but singular) where I live has been reported to be 109,000. Now to some that is a lot. To others that is not much. But in a recession I think if you have a job making 109K or 30K you sure as hell should just be thanking your lucky stars you have a job, can buy groceries and keep a roof over your head. PERIOD.

C’mon let’s think big picture for minute. This took us 8 long painful years to get to this mess from our own greediness and letting those in control do things while we passively sat and turned our heads. Do you think it’s going to change overnight? Hell no. Do you think it will ever change when the powers that be only fight for their agenda’s and not ours? Hell no.

There are countries going bankrupt all over Europe. Spain, Greece, Ireland, and Portugal. Iceland as well. This makes the Euro dwindle.
Now that affects our stock market and not in a good way. Things will probably not get better soon.
We are in melt down mode and people are whining that they aren’t getting their raises.
Whine when you can’t feed your kids, when you’ve lost your job, when you lose your home, when you can’t pay for health insurance. That allows you to whine a bit.

A friend pointed out to me that these people have contracts.
Who doesn’t that loses a job? I had one too and I lost my job.
Trust me they can find a legal way out of that contract each and every time.
I have seen it done several times in corporate America.

How about all those union airline employees who had to not only not receive raises that were stated in their contracts but they had to take pay CUTS.
They lost benefits. Having worked in the travel industry I have seen that time and time again. The airlines were always bailed out and the people who do all the work never got bailed out. The CEO’s got money from the government to restructure but when they were solid again the employees NEVER got their money or benefits back. Oh but the CEO and his cronies got their huge bonuses. 

I have a friend who worked for an airline who lost 35% of his pay over the years, benefits cut in half and they never ever made it up to him in anyway other than having a job.
That was 15 yrs ago. But he was thankful to have been able to keep the job he loved. So he believed them when they said they would make it right. He never whined. He wanted to do his share to help his company. They never did make it right.
Suck on that whiny federal employee. Think about someone other than yourself for a minute.

I want to tell that man whining on my tv to stop your bitching because those around you are hurting. You’d know that if you left your self consumed little world for a minute.
If you are so miserable give someone else your lousy job where you work less than the average American and get paid more than the average American.

There is a woman who owns a small company in Florida. Her company was feeling the recession and she realized that she had to begin layoffs to keep her company afloat. She instead fired herself. She couldn’t bear to lay any of her employees off because as she said, "My employees are the most trusted," she said. "They've been here for years. They've been loyal. They've been dedicated. It was just the right thing to do in my opinion"

This woman did not whine. She did not make promises she couldn’t keep.
Her employees are running her business and keeping it going and all can still feed their families. In the mean time this woman took a lower paying job as a social worker.
She is surprised at the passion she has found at this new job and truly feels that this being able to be done is a blessing. Imagine that, no whining but working hard and making a solution. I wish others could be this way. All working together for the big picture.

Instead we have whiny self entitlement issue plaguing our country.
That is what got us into this mess. When will we learn?.

Now to those of you who don’t agree with me. Oh well.
Don’t write me comments to try to change my mind.
This is my blog and my forum to vent. I did.
If you don’t agree – plesase just disagree on your own blog.

Back to the normal tone tomorrow.

Thankful

Reflecting on my Thanksgiving Holiday I will tell you what I am thankful for.

• I am thankful that we got 5 days away.
• I am thankful that it was quiet and relaxing.
• I am thankful that I had the opportunity to catch up on long needed sleep. Why can I sleep so much better at the lake house?
• I am thankful that we got 3/4 of our bathroom upstairs at the lake house finished.

It went from this -

and this -

To This -

And This -

This all started because we were given free tile so we used it on the floor.
I still need to do a 2nd coat on the walls and the frame around the mirror needs to be finished.  I couldn't wait to repaint from the horrid blue color. 
The rest won't get done until spring now but we got a good portion of the work completed and we were both so thankful.
The only thing in the room that is new is the sink and tile around the counter top.
Oh my hubby made the counter top as well.  Everything else was either free or we had or I just painted it to give it new life.

So that was my Thanksgiving.  I watched some PPV movies, drank some wine, was no where near family and had a delightful time!

Thanksgiving

Since yesterday's post was a long one, I'll be brief today.
Leaving town tomorrow for the holiday.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and time off from work.
May all the goodies you eat this holiday cause you to lose 5 lbs.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Some Ghostly Stories.....since I brought it up last week.

I lived in a haunted house. There I said it.

My Aunt owned this home. She gave me a great break of only $200/month rent plus utilities. It was in a fine neighborhood and close to work for me. Why wouldn’t I take it?
The rent alone was a steal. I had just moved out of a place that my sister and I lived in together but she had just gotten married so I was for the first time living alone.
With rent costs like that I could do it. I had always had roommates so this was exciting to me to have this house and live alone for the first time.

It had 2 bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom, sunroom, a room off the living room that went up stairs to an attic type room. I used that room to store my holiday items and bikes etc. There was also a back deck and a real attic off the kitchen for the entire house.

I would go to work and come home and sometimes find things in different places or positions of how I left them. As I have said before I am anal retentive. I like everything in it’s place and I notice everything when it’s moved.

I came home one day and the photos on the top of my dining room buffet were all as I had left them except my one sister’s photo. It was faced down. I picked it up. This happened several times and I figured I just needed a new frame because of the thingy in the back not being able to prop the frame up. I bought a new frame and inserted my sister’s picture. A week or so later it was faced down again. None of the others were ever moved.

I came home to find the flowers in the middle of my dining room table moved a bit to the left. It felt creepy. I shouted something fearing someone was in my house. I called my Aunt and asked if she had been in the house. I told her I didn’t mind but I would prefer she let me know because I was scared. Normally when she has come into my home I can “smell” that she’s been in there, because the woman was never without a cigarette hanging from her mouth. She laughed and said she would never go in without telling me and I probably moved the flowers and didn’t even realize it or forgot. I wanted to believe her so I let it go. But I knew I had not moved them.

In my small hall bathroom the sink was very close to the hall door. I could brush my teeth and stick my left foot into the hall. That close. While brushing my teeth it always felt like someone was either behind me or walking down the hall. I felt it.


When it felt like someone was behind me I would lift my head up quickly and look in the mirror above me thinking I would see someone there. Never saw anyone. But oh how you could feel it. One day while my head was down in the sink brushing I felt like someone had walked by me in the hall. I felt that a lot too when showering. I lifted my head again quickly to look into the hall and of course there was no one. But I felt it all the time. When showering I would swear I’d hear footsteps down the hall and I would quickly snap back the shower curtain and of course no one was there.

I saw someone at the foot of my bed a couple of times. A man and a woman. Something woke me up and I sat upright quickly and screamed at them to leave me alone and they would dissipate. Now I’m awake with every light on in the house unable to fall back asleep.

The things that happened didn’t happen every day. I guess it would be more accurate to say that I didn’t notice them every day. I did over time notice that certain times of the year they were quite active.

A friend of mine was visiting and we were in the living room on a Friday night. We got together after work to just sit at my house and “chill”. We had a pizza delivered and we cracked open a bottle of wine and put on some music and were talking about our weeks. She was telling me about this guy she had just met and then stopped and said, “Those people who live upstairs sure are making a racket” To which I replied, “Connie I live on the top floor.” The color drained from her face. She said, “I always thought you were full of shit about this ghost stuff” She began to gather her stuff. She said, “Peggy I can’t stay this is freaking me out” It will stop in a couple of minutes. As I said that it indeed stopped. She said, “Ah, I’m going home” and she left. The noise did not start again.

She and I had always lived in apartments where someone did live above us. But not this time. My house was a flat. That is what they were called there anyway. Think of a duplex but instead of side by side it was on top of one another. My Aunt “lived” in the one below. I say “lived” because all of her things were there including her office which she worked out of but she was always at her friend Mary’s home and she slept there 99% of the time. This was before people were comfortable “coming out” We all knew but we left it alone.

I was indeed on the top floor. The noise was coming from the room off the living room where I stored my holiday items like Christmas lights etc. It sounded like people were throwing things down the stairs and running around.

I didn’t live there long before I was transferred out of town for a career move.
Rick was my friend who I had just met 2 weeks prior. He loved my apartment with all its windows and great light. Since his lease was running out he asked if my place had been rented yet. I told him no and my Aunt would be thrilled to have a man above her since she was a single lady. I just knew she would tell him it made her feel safer. I never once told him any of the things that I felt in my apartment. I didn’t know him well yet and I really didn’t want him to think I was crazy.
He could figure that out on his own later.

As expected my Aunt was thrilled that he wanted to move in and she didn’t have to go through the whole process of looking for someone. She did raise his rent to $250.00 which was a joke. Rick couldn’t believe his luck and told her he’d mow the lawn and take care of snow removal since she did that. So both parties were thrilled to be living there.

He moved in as I moved out and a month or so later he called me in Ohio and said, “What the hell is with this apartment?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean there are some strange things that go on here. Did any of this stuff happen to you?”

He began to share some stories – all of which I had experienced. We ended with the bathroom scenario of feeling like someone either was walking down the hall or behind you while brushing your teeth.

He worked a lot so he wasn’t there much. But when he was he felt something or saw something but it didn’t make him want to leave. He had just wished I had told him before I left. How do you tell someone you’ve just met – “Hey I think I live in a house with a few others….ya just can’t seem ‘em.” He would have run for the hills thinking I was a nut job.
(he learned that later on his own)

If you’ve been reading here for a while you know that I ended up back there with him a few years later after my company was bought out and I lost my job. By this time my Aunt was full-blown living at Mary’s but kept this house as her home for others to keep up the facade.
I didn’t tell a soul. I have known Mary since I was a wee little thing. Mary cooked and my Aunt didn’t she would say. My Aunt said she didn’t like being alone in the house so she just stayed at Mary’s. Sad that she felt she had to do that.
But the point was I no longer had anyone to blame for things missing, moved, or hearing footsteps etc. If she wasn’t here who the hell was making this noise? Or moving stuff?

The house was old but full of great charm. Big moldings and wood floors. Since I had been downsized at this point Rick and I had decided to stay to save some money before we moved on to buy something. (I had just started a business) So we stayed and so did our “guests”

Here are a few things that have happened while we lived there.

• My youngest sister had had a fight with my parents. She was still in high school. She asked if she could come to stay with us for a few days. I talked to my mom and dad unbeknownst to her and asked them if it would be okay. Of course, it was and I kept them informed of what was going on. One day while in the shower she swore she heard someone walking down the hall (yep I know that one!) and she yelled out for either Rick or I. She thought we were both at work. When she got out of the shower she called me at work and asked if I came to the house and left. I said, “No why?” She said I will call Rick then. She asked Rick if he had come home and he said: “No, why did you hear something?” She called me back and begged me to come to get her to go home. She was completed freaked out. So she ran home and apologized to my parents and couldn’t wait to get to her room and be ALONE.

• One night when I was living with Rick the same thing happened to me as when I lived alone. I woke up and saw these 2 people at the foot of the bed. I could see them, describe their clothes yet see through them and not really see a face. I screamed at them to leave me alone and go towards the light. (someone told me to do that) I kept repeating, “LEAVE ME ALONE” They dissipated. But I woke Rick up who was now saying, “I’m not touching you!” Which is pretty damn funny now.

• We would get these horrific pockets of a smell. To me, it was like rotting fish. It was so gross. It would be between the hall by the bathroom and into that entrance to the dining room. You could put your head in it and out of it. The smell was just foul. We were having a bunch of people over for dinner and the smell arrived. We never knew when it was going to be there. I was setting the table and bitching, “Oh yea now you show up when company is coming. Please give us a break and go away.” It would remain and then just before they arrived viola it was gone. This happened a lot. This would show up and be gone just like it arrived with no notice. It always varied in length but always smelled just horrible.

• One night I had a girlfriend visiting while Rick was out with his buddies. We were in the living talking and having a couple of cocktails.  My friend and I were sitting on the L shaped sofa facing the entertainment center watching something on television. To the left of the TV was a rocking chair in front of a window with draperies. All of a sudden the rocking chair moved forward as did the drapes and then slowly back in its position. As though someone had gotten up and the wind outside made the drapes move. She and I both saw it and freaked out. There was no wind outside and even if there was the window was closed. But I saw the look on my friends face. I immediately lied and said, “you know how bad these old windows are, look at us with blankets over us this house is old and drafty”. She didn’t buy it. She was uneasy after that and didn’t stay a lot longer.

• One day when my niece was about 3-4 years old I was taking her to the beach. It was cooler than I thought so after I picked her up I went back to my place to grab a jacket. I picked her up from her car seat and said we were going to go inside to get a jacket so I didn’t get cold. She said, I don’t want to go in your house. By this time we are inside the door and about to walk up the stairs. She grabbed me and asked to be held. She held both sides of my face in her chubby little hands and said, “Aunt Peggy I do not like those people who live with you.”

I got shivers. I told her no one lived with me but Rick. She said no those other people. I told her I would not let her down she could stay in my arms. So we went inside and I grabbed my coat. She said, “I can get down now because they are not here.” She continued to look around corners and I never said a thing. Wow. Out of the mouths of babes huh? That really creeped me out though. She had no prejudice on the topic. She had no preconceived notion of the topic. She floored me that day.

• We had this sticky stuff that would ooze from the bathroom walls and ceiling. It was sticky. It looked like honey. I asked my Aunt if there were bees in the attic and could an exterminator come and take a look. The exterminator found nothing. Rick and I decided to gut that bathroom. Since we were living there dirt cheap and it was helping us save for a house we decided as long as we were there let’s make it nice. So we had that bathroom down to the studs. We put in new lights, new drywall, fixtures etc and painted. We thought for sure that would stop whatever it was that oozed now. I mean we were down to studs, nothing was there. Some told us it was lead paint and that was the cause. After the remodel we painted so that shouldn’t be an issue. Within the first week of using our new bathroom, it was like that again. We just gave up. There was no explaining it. So I just was forever cleaning it up – even off the ceiling.

•  When we got to the dining and living room portion of the updating we ripped up the carpeting and found beautiful hardwoods that we refinished. They were gorgeous. But the paint on the walls were buckling and blistering. We decided to pay a professional painter to redo the paint in the dining room and the living room. We sanded and stained the floors.

Within a couple of days, the paint started to blister. The blisterings were big areas the size of a dinner plate all over. We called the painter back 3 times to fix and he would do it again. Finally, he asked us quietly as though he didn’t want to say this too loudly, “do you have poltergeists?” We said, “We think so” which was the first time we admitted this out loud to anyone. He said that is the only time I have ever seen this happen. I can’t come back and fix this again for free. So when it blistered and buckled we left it.

• One glorious early summer evening Rick and I were sitting in our sun room on the sofa.
We had finished a bottle of wine and as sometimes would happen my hands began to swell. I took off my wedding band and tossed it on the coffee table. It spun around and fell onto the area rug. I didn’t grab it just then because Rick was making me an offer I couldn’t refuse. He had already grabbed my hand and as I got up I went from the sofa to get my ring and he said, “It’ll be there later” and off to our room we went.

First thing the next morning I went to get my ring. My ring was not there. I went crazy looking for it. He and I tore apart this room. We took out the area rug and shook it in the living room. We moved all the furniture and we removed all cushions and put our hands down all the corners and crevices of the chairs and sofa. No Ring. I was sick about this. I saw it land on the area rug and stop against the corner leg of the coffee table. Where did it go?

A year later Rick had to fix the chair in the sunroom because a spring was popping through its seat. He took it apart and repaired the springs and put it back together again. Then when one of my sisters was moving out they were looking for hand me downs and I told her she could have Rick’s old furniture that we kept in the sunroom. I, of course, wanted to vacuum under the cushions and give it to her in the best way I could. As I went to lift the cushion there it was, my gold wedding band sitting right smack at the tip of the front of the chair. (across the room from the sofa)
Do you know how many times we looked there? For 1.5 years! When Rick took off the fabric and fixed the chair it wasn’t there. How did it get there? Rhetorical because there is no logic to this.

• One day at work someone had dropped off a copy of a book they wanted to be added to a gift basket for their friend. (I owned a cookie company) Their friends mom had just died. While this woman had sent flowers she wanted this basket of goodies along with the book to arrive a few weeks later while she would be out of town. She wanted to show her friend she was still thinking of her. She wanted something not depressing and a cookie basket with coffees etc was exactly what she had in mind.

I looked at the book after she left and thought it sounded fascinating. I really wanted to read it and yet I knew I couldn’t open and bend the binding and make it look like it had been read. But one afternoon I did it anyway. I barely opened it and I read it ever so carefully. It was about a cardiologist who didn’t believe in God. He also didn’t believe in an afterlife or a near death experience. Then as time went on so did the number of stories that he couldn’t explain. He had a blind patient who died on the table who they brought back to life. She would retell him the story of what was said and what she SAW. Yes a blind woman who laughed that they were all teasing the doctor about his blue and brown socks. How could she possibly know the color of the socks? It was only mentioned that he must have gotten dressed in the dark. Then it began with children. All spoke about a peace and such a warm feeling of immense love. Whatever you believe this book was a fascinating read. I finished it and told Rick I really want to read his 1st book. He came from a different point than most because he was such a non believer and I found it so interesting.

Fast forward 2 days. I wanted to make a quiche. But since moving in with Rick I put all my boxes at the very edge of the steps of the attic. The real attic. The attic that was off the back of the house. You went up the stairs and it opened on your right. There were nothing in there but a big chest at the end against the wall. I never went too far into this attic because like the basement I got the creeps. Unlike the basement, this was not scary in the traditional sense like cobwebs and wires etc. It was a clean empty room. I put my boxes right on the edge by the steps so I wouldn’t have to go all the way. I faced the boxes with the contents written on it toward the step so I could grab things and run. And I mean RUN. So this day I went up to get my quiche dish in one of my boxes. I had just been up there a week or so ago and saw that box right at the top so it was going to be easy to get. As I got up there I found a book sitting on top of the box with the quiche dish. I picked it up and it was the 1st book of that cardiologist that I had wanted to read. It was from a library from a city I had never been. I ran so fast down the steps I twisted my ankle. I was screaming so Rick came running. I just threw the book at him because I couldn’t even speak. He looked at me and we both had no explanation. I wouldn’t go back up there to get my quiche dish or ever again for that matter.

I called everyone I knew. I asked my Aunt had she been to this city’s library and she laughed at me. She didn’t even like to read let alone go to this city to get a book. I still have that book by the way. A little girls photo is in the book. It looks like it was taken in the late 60’s or 70’s. I have no explanation for this at all.
I asked my Aunt for the 100th time about all the people who lived there. Only one was a non relative and it was a good friend of hers and she told me she would ask. Of course her friend called and told me it was not her book and she had never even been to this city before. Great, now how do I explain that one?

• And this one I’ll close with. We had an L shaped sofa. It was a snowy Saturday and Rick was taking a nap at one end of the sofa. I was knitting and watching TV way on the opposite end. I was sitting on the edge of the seat to be near the TV to hear it. I didn’t want it too loud due to him napping. He woke up and was stretching and I said, “Hey sleepyhead did you have a good nap?” He at first smiled then coiled his legs up to his chest and he began to point at me and gasp for air. I didn’t know what the hell was happening. I thought he was having a heart attack. And then all of a sudden he said, “She was sitting right next to you! Didn’t you see her?” Now I was thinking he was dreaming or still sleeping. I went over to him and sat by him and asked if he was awake. Oh, he was awake alright. His first thought was, “why the hell wouldn’t you wake me if we have company?: But then when he looked at her and realized he could see through her she looked at him and smiled and Poof was gone. It all happened so quickly.  When I asked him about it he told me he saw an old woman bent over sitting smack dab next to me and she was also looking at the TV. 

So there ya go. I was never scared when living there which I know sounds crazy. Except for one time and I'll save that for another time. And honestly, I don't know why we weren't afraid of them. I know it sounds ridiculous.  I just found them sometimes annoying. They didn’t harm us. They didn’t bug us every day. One day when leaving I yelled, “Hey clean up the kitchen while I’m gone would ya?” And Rick laughed. There were so many more events.
Honestly, I never used to believe in any of this shit until I lived it.

Fast forward 19 years and we had just moved back east. We decided to rent a place for a year before we bought a house to be sure of where it was we wanted to live. We came home one Saturday afternoon after a day of errands and I ran into the house directly to the powder room.  As I sat there I noticed the towels were askew. I came out of the powder room and said to my husband – “the towels are askew – let’s call the landlord and see if he was here.” Of course, Rick laughs at me. “I’m sure they were like already like that,” he says.

“Hello, Rick? Have you just met me? They were not uneven when we left, trust me on this. Or else something weird is happening again and I’m not going through this another time.”
So we called the landlord and sure enough, he and his kids did a walk through without our permission. His son used the bathroom and hence the uneven towels.

So it wasn’t anyone I couldn’t see doing this thank goodness. Just a dufus of a landlord that I had to set straight.  That our lease states he can’t just come in willy nilly or at the very least leave us a note that he came by so I am not so freaked out!  He couldn’t believe I noticed something so 'minor' as he called it.  So being me, I had to tell him the other things too because deflecting and calling it minor pissed me off. I told him that his kids were with him and their dirty hand prints were on the front of the fridge and how someone sat on our bed, and you moved papers on our desk.  All of which he now admitted to. I know he thought I was certifiable!
I told you I notice everything!

I know I should probably use this skill set for good or work for the FBI because I truly notice everything. It’s a sickness, unless of course if I got paid for it.  I admit I was more uncomfortable with this nosey landlord than the people living with me that I couldn't see.
But I sure didn't want this to be happening again that was for sure.
We moved shortly thereafter.