To 2008 - A Much Better Year

Has it ever occurred to you that human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come back home. A fact I truly appreciate as I sit in my father's house looking for a job. Lots of people tool around the park in golf carts. A woman a street over had her golf cart stolen two nights ago and I feel so bad for her. She and her small dog rode around all over here, even over to the strip mall a half mile or so to the grocery store. Now what? She can't walk it. And last night, Dads 3 wheel bike was stolen. His bike was old, desparately needed painting and not worth much, so why steal it? A crime spree has hit LaPlaza Park.

Weather has been great the last couple of weeks. Although a few days it was mid eighties. A little to warm for me, so I went to the pool. (I know it is a dirty job, but somebody has to do it) And Wednesday, the high is projected to be 49 degrees!!!!!! What a change. I will look forward to that. I miss winter. (Yes, I said I missed winter). I don't miss the ice and Indiana has had a fair share of that this year. But I do miss the cold and the snow.

There is a park right down the road that is absolutely filled to capacity each weekend with family fun. One family brings their Potbelly Pigs with them. They are on a lead and everything although they drop it and let the pigs wonder around. Dogs jump back thinking they are the weirdest looking dogs they have ever seen, I'm sure. Oddly enough, I have never seen a dog bark at them. Especially herding dogs, I would think nature would tell them to round up the stock. We use to have a little sable Sheltie that would try to herd the kids playing basketball in the park behind our house. The boys would come to the door and say, "Rocky is trying to herd us again, will you put him inside?" That was back in the day when my children were little. I am proud of all my kids. They have grown to be responsible adults and very good parents.

Hollywood Squares wisdom: When aked, "According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people? Charley Weaver responded: "It got me out of the army."

Have a safe and Happy New Year!!!!! Hopefully, 2008 will be a good one.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Well, it is official. An 8' alligator was seen going back into the lake that sits behind the pool here where I live. (People, keep your dogs in!!).

I have been reading a Blog of a man that is a recovering alcoholic and each day he posts the things he is gratful for. He has been 1490 days sober and 900 days without a cigarette. I do admire his strength of will. Hell, I can't even stay on a diet. And that is just my vice, reduced, not totally done away with. It makes one think of all the things we are greatful for. I am grateful for:

1. My children and every one of my precious grandchildren.
2. My friends.
3. Puppies with their unconditional love.
4. TV remote controls!!!!
5. Living in a country where I have free will.
6. Personal Hygiene!!! Back in the stagecoach days, I am amazed they didn't have zero population growth. Can you imagine the upleasant smell. People took baths only once or twice a year and summer is summer. That is why brides carry flowers, to help mask the smell.
7. Audiobooks. I use to be on the road anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours a day. I got hooked on Books on Tape (Or CD's now) and I still am. Love, Love, Love!!!!
8. Rain storms.
9. Spellcheck!!!!
10. Cool breezes. (There is only 3 things wrong with Florida. June, July and August)
11. Fresh red grapefruit. There are trees all over this place and neighbors are always saying, "Help yourself, we won't eat any. And I do)
12. Airconditiong, home and car!!!!!!
13. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
14. CHOCOLATE!!!!!!! Remember, a balanced diet is chocolate in both hands.

Hollywood Squares Wisdom: When asked "When a couple have a baby, who is responsible for it's sex?" Charely Weaver responded, "I'll lend him the car, but the rest is up to him."

Palm Trees With Christmas Tree Lights???????

Now all we need is an alligator with a Santa Claus beard and red hat to make everything truly bizzare. We actually had rain last night and we needed it desparately. There weren't any tropical storms this year and not much last years. Water levels are very low. What kind of place rejoices when tropical storms come thru? The thought terrifies me. They had tornado warnings last night in Pasco county which is the next county over. (Am I back in Indiana?) Sunny and breezy today, but the breezy part is nearly pulling the lights off the roof.

The writers strike is taking a toll. They were showing the picket line and Robin Williams was marching with the writers and he held a blank sign. He said with his writers on strike, he didn't know what to say. I laughed so hard I nearly wet myself.

Back in the days of the Mayflower:

1. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle and guests got the top, or "the upper crust".
2. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then, the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
3. Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach into the food, causing lead poisoning deaths. This happened most often with tomatoes. So for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
4. Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone coming down the road would find them, take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around. They would eat, drink and wait to see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of "holding a wake".

Observations

The Tampa Bay area is filled with hundreds of fresh water lakes. So many businesses have small lakes on their grounds. Earlier this year I worked a temporary job at Bank Of America and they had three lakes within the complex. The view was breathtaking. It was so hot in July, I told one of the girls I worked with that we should go down to the lake and dangle our feet in the water. It would be cooling. She looked at me like I had turned green and spoke in tongues. Marilyn, she said, this is Florida. If there is a body of water, any body of water, you ASSUME there are alligators in it because there is probably at least one. One who might think the dangling toes are a treat especially for him. She smiled when I looked out across the lake. Honey, she said, when you see them, it is already too late. You will never out run one. (Yeah, I thought, especially if you are missing your dangling toes!) Then when I got home that evening, I went to the pool. Behind the pool is a small lake. And low and behold, there was a "beware of the alligator" sign and I had never noticed. I have since seen several signs stating "Don't give food to the alligators" I think it should read, "Don't BE food to the alligators".

I had a job interview yesterday and as I was leaving, I was intent looking in my purse for my sunglasses. (Yes, surprise, surprise, sunshine and breezy) and I miss stepped. I felt my ankle pop as I hit the pavement and I was so glad "grace and dignity" were not prerequisite to employment. I left them, along with about two layers of skin from my knee on the concrete. And I ripped my pants. By God, I had better get that job. Did you ever wish the ground would just open up and swallow you whole. I'm sure that would have been a kodak moment.

Hollywood Squares wisdom: When asked, "You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman? Don Knotts replied "That's what's been keeping me awake!!!!"

Car Repairs YULK!!!!!!

Well, my car left me stranded at the local Rally store after I stupidly turned off the engine to go in and get a fountain coke. When, upon my return, it would do nothing. It gave no sound at all. Oh, oh. I've been there before and it wasn't good. So I called for a tow. It did start before the truck got there, so I canceled the tow and drove "directly to the dealership, passed go and did NOT collect $200". (For you Monopoly fans)



At the dealership, my worse fears were realized. NEW STARTER!! Thank God for extended warrenties. The total bill was $365 (for a starter mind you) but my portion was only $107. And one is between the rock and the hard place with needing a starter because you ain't going far without one.



It is, surprise, surprise, sunny and breezy today. High of 75 degrees. Got the doors and windows open. But by evening, it is hotter in the house that it ever was outside. That is when you utilize the screened porch.



I ran across this in my old emails the other day and being a child of the 1960's, I laughed.



Signs You Have Grown Up



1. Your houseplants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.

2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question. (And laughable)

3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.

4. 6 am is when you get up, not when you go to bed.

5. You watch the Weather Channel. (God, I am old)

6. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up"

7. You're the one calling the police because those %&@# kids next door wont't turn music down

8. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.

9. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

10. You take naps.

11. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good shit".

12. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms.

13. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's leftovers.

14. You hear your favorite song in an elevator.

Holiday Resolutions

People are running all around, putting up holiday decor. Dad has been working on it all day. The neighborhood looks like a "winter wonderland" minus the winter part. Another weird thing.

Soon, we will all be planning the big weight loss stragety. And some of us will be more successful than others as we try to reduce our spare tires. (Although mine is more like the tire of an 18 wheeler). I have the tae bow tapes, bodyflex tapes, walk off the pounds tapes and a total gym. And the one thing I have come to, painfully understand is, just having them doesn't work. You actually have to USE them. That is far more effective. Bummer!!!!!!

I think Jay Leno speaks for me when he stated, "Today, there are more overweight people in America than average people. Therefore, overweight people are now average. Which means you've already met your New Year's resolution." Does this mean I can ditch the sugar free cookies???????????

It's Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!

Another strange thing about Florida is the weather. When I was in Indiana, on Thursday, you rush to the Weather Channel to see what weather the up coming weekend is going to be. And in Florida, you already know. Monday, sun and breezy, Tuesday, sun and breezy, Wednesday, sun and breezy, etc, etc, etc. Now is that boring or heaven? Just know Saturday and Sunday are replicas of the rest of the week.

Thanksgiving was a quiet affair here. And I missed the noise and commotion of lots of family around. Being of sound mind, I did not venture out to the stores on Black Friday. At noon in Tampa, the TV was showing the malls and there were lots of parking places and no waiting in lines. Perhaps it was not as successful as hoped. I think at noon, everyone was home taking a nap as alot of the stores opened at 4am. One store here opened at midnight.

Maya Angelou once said, "I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights" I know we will all be facing that in the next few days. Unless you all did what I did a few years back and bought a tree with lights already on it. That, by golly, it the better mouse trap!!!!!!

As you probably noticed, I love quotes. And frequently use them. Hollywood Square Wisdom: When Charley Weaver was asked "If you are going to make a parachute jump, at least how high shoud you be?" He responed, "Three days of steady drinking should do it"