Coff-tastrophy

After finishing my last post, I ambled into the kitchen for another cup of coffee.  I have a Senseo coffeemaker that takes little paper pods that have to be put in correctly or … disaster strikes, as it just did this morning.

The water comes out of a tank on the back of the machine, floods the little paper pods, and drips coffee into my mug.  Great system when it works, but if one gets the pods in upside down or not perfectly seated, water goes … everywhere, which is what just happened.  Luckily, I keep the coffee maker on a glass plate, so most of the water pooled on the plate, but as I started to clean up that mess, I hit my coffee cup, knocked it over, and splashed coffee everywhere, but most especially on the floor.

Wonder of wonders, Sparkle came over to see what was going on, and she started lapping up all the coffee on the floor.  She must have liked it as she did a great job of getting the liquid off the floor for me.  I dealt with the mess involving the coffee maker, and pretty quickly I was ready for round 2, which went a whole lot better than my first attempt.  I don't know if coffee is good for dogs, but we'll soon know the answer to that question.

Charity

Every year, I send checks totaling right at one thousand dollars to various charities, not including donating scholarship funds to my former colleges.  It's not a lot of money, but it's my contribution to organizations that do good for a variety of people who need extra help with their lives. I'm happy to be a small part of the bigger picture, but this year -- well, it feels that I haven't sent enough and need to do more if I read all the "begging" letters in my mailbox.

The holiday season is big for playing on the sympathies of people like me who feel like they should "do something" to help with the problems plaguing our society. My mailbox is flooded with appeals for help from numerous charities/organizations who do what I don't do. I'm not going to walk the streets giving handouts to the homeless, so I donate to charities that do help those people with basic necessities.  I'm not going to work with the doctors without borders who do such a tremendous job of helping those less fortunate than the average American.  Another organization comes to the Coachella Valley twice a year and provides dental services for those who otherwise would not have that option. There are food kitchens open and doing an amazing job of serving food to those who would do without if the kitchens were to close. I give to organizations who are trying to save animal species from extinction; I give to organizations who help those who are on the streets or in situations that are fragile from day-to-day. I support the Wounded Warriors Project, and the list goes on.

For me, writing a check seems … too easy, but it's my little way of saying I support all the people who make it their life's work to help others.  If we all gave, those who do the footwork on a daily basis wouldn't have to wonder where the next dollar is going to come from to keep their charity open and serving those in need. A thousand dollars spread over the course of a year is doable for most people if they really try to make donating a priority in their lives. I can't save the world, but I can help those who dedicate their lives to at least trying to make a difference.

Christmas

Y has to work both Mon and Wed, so we decided to have our Christmas on Sunday.  I had purchased about a dozen gifts for him (mostly clothing) and stacked them around a small ceramic lighted tree I put in the living room.  He was so excited to get to open packages, even though all the items were practical, and holiday paper was flying all over the carpet as he tore into his packages in a flurry of activity.

I had purchased a couple of novelty items, including two Nestles chocolate chip cookie cast iron  "frypans" for us to each make a single cookie, and a set with novelty Christmas mugs, hot chocolate, and S'Mores. It was fun to work together to bake our cookie and fix our hot chocolate (which tasted like sour milk, so we didn't drink it.  Sour milk was my fault as I used some milk in cooking a couple of weeks ago and didn't buy fresh milk for our hot chocolate.)  Y also made toffee to take to his co-workers as well as enough to give to 2 of my desert friends who love it when Y makes toffee because it's so good. Once the cookies were baked, we fixed the leg o'lamb and put it into the oven for our dinner, which also features mashed potatoes and fresh broccoli.

This year, I promised myself I would actually send gifts to my children and their families, so I spent the month of November shopping online and finding gifts that are probably a whole lot more practical than fun.  The postage to send the 2 boxes, one to each recipient, cost me $100, so I quickly remembered why I always send money!  If I had been thinking better, I probably could have had the gifts shipped to their home addresses, but live and learn. Watch out for my newly-acquired experience next year … right?

So, how did it go with me "doing Christmas" for the first time in a long while?  I enjoyed myself a lot. I had fun picking out presents and I really loved the look on Y's face as he opened all his packages. It wasn't the cost as much as it was the joy he shared with me as he admired all of his gifts. The gift he likes best is a toss-up between the 2 long-sleeved sweaters I bought for him and the 2 pairs of lounging pj's.  He's determined that he can wear the loungewear "out" of the house, maybe even with one of the sweaters that I got for him, but I've told him that what he's wearing is definitely pajamas--and he doesn't want to wear his pjs out and about the community!

What did Santa bring me?  The most gorgeous, all-leather, navy blue Coach handbag.  There are small shaped tea rose flowers on both sides of the bag, along with  hand-painted floral detail.  It is the most gorgeous handbag I've ever had and I think it should only be used for dress-up events, but Y told me to use it every day because if anything happens to it, he'll buy me another bag.  He really is a sweetheart who takes very good care of me and my dogs. and I'm glad he's in my life.

Happy Holidays to all of you from G'ma, Y, Cinnamon and Sparkle

Thanksgiving

Fifty years ago, I gave birth to my first child, a girl, on the Monday before Thanksgiving. She came out fully developed and about the size of a child of 2 months. I named her Michilinda as I loved the melodic sound of that name (Michael-linda is how we pronounce it) and it went perfectly with her last name. She was quite alert and tuned-in to her surroundings and I was so thankful for her birth as she had been due at Halloween and decided not to show until T-giving!

Thanksgiving morning, we brought our little baby home to meet her father's parents and brother, John, and enjoy her first holiday feast.  We passed her around from grandma to grandpa to Uncle, then to her daddy and finally to me for a diaper change and a nap.  Once she was settled into her crib, we all gave special thanks for her safe arrival and enjoyed our turkey dinner.

Once Mindy went to college at age 17, I didn't get to see her for T-giving as she was far away enjoying her college years, and then, after receiving her BA degree, she moved to PA and later down the road married her first husband.  I always missed my "little girl," but most especially on her birthday.  I tried as often as I could to be with her on her birthday, but as distance has a way of doing, I couldn't be there every year.

And the years rolled by as they have a way of doing. Mindy gave birth to her son 21 years ago and circumstances allowed me to be with Jack for part of his first 6 months, but then I relocated to accept a job and the distance interfered with our being together.  However, I tried as often as I could to be with Mindy and her family either at T'giving or at Christmas, but it just wasn't the same.

This year, however, I asked Mindy what she wanted for her birthday and she said she just wanted her people with her.  I told her I could make that happen, went online for a plane ticket, and packed my traveling bag. This was the best birthday ever, the big 5-0, and Mindy did it her way. We had a wonderful time together just chilling and then going out and about a bit, even to see one of the biggest "tacky" Christmas tree light displays in Richmond, VA.  Mindy brought me a piece of hummingbird cake, so I was in sugar-rush heaven.  On "the day" Mindy took me and her husband out to a really special dinner that featured good food, good wine, and good fellowship.  I had already given her her gift when she was out here last month, the 50-year ring my children gave me for that milestone birthday, so I didn't wrap any presents and just gifted her with my presence.

I could not have enjoyed anything more than sharing this special milestone with my first-born. This will always be a memory of joy and love for me and I know my daughter feels the same way.

Sad Day

This morning, I took Daisy to the vet and had her put to sleep.  It was a difficult thing to do, but coming on the past several weeks, it was the best decision I could make.  So, why am I bawling my eyes out and feeling absolutely rotten?!

For the last few months, Daisy has been going crazy and attacking Cinnamon--viciously, often when Cinnamon was on my lap or under my chair.  I thought it was a phase Daisy was going through and that she'd stop.  Wrong on both counts: Daisy's attacks intensified until this past week, when Daisy picked Cinnamon up by the head and jaw and shook her until I thought Cinnamon's head was going to come off.  The whole time Daisy was growling and completely out of control and I was in the middle of the attack, trying to protect Cinnamon while hopefully getting Daisy to let her go.

This past week has been intense, with me never knowing if/when Daisy would attack, so I isolated Daisy outside in the back yard, leaving her kennel and food/water out there with the gate firmly locked.  I hated to do that to my beloved dog, but I knew that Cinnamon would die from Daisy's attacks and I didn't want that to happen.  Yucheng didn't understand the intensity of the attacks until this past weekend when Daisy came after Cinnamon and Yucheng realized how dangerous Daisy was.  I told Yucheng that I was going to have Daisy euthanized, and he was reluctant to agree until he was part of this last attack.  He realized that "our" Daisy was gone and an evil spirit had taken over her body.

I went into the backyard to get her for her final ride in the car this morning and it was the "old" Daisy, cuddly and the sweetest dog in the world.  However, as I brought her through the house, she saw Cinnamon and starting pulling on her leash and growling.  I knew then that for whatever reason, Daisy was gone and the dog who had taken over her body was far too dangerous to live.  I called the vet, explained the situation, and they told me to come right in.  They gave her a sedative, then let me into the room to say goodbye, and administered the final injection.  Daisy was peaceful and gone in a minute. The tears started to flow as I really loved Daisy, but I knew in my heart that I had made the right decision.

The vet told me that sometimes the dogs get a parasite that can cause their personality to change. She also said that there could have been some kind of brain tumor or issue that altered her behavior and we'd never know why she went from  such a sweetheart to devil-possessed.  I have to leave this Wednesday for my trip and couldn't go without resolving the issue first.  I'll let today be my crying day and then we'll get on with life the way it used to be, before Daisy became a dog we didn't know and could no longer love.

Addendum:  Cinnamon has been out from under my bed and sleeping peacefully next to me on the couch for the first time in about 2 months.  Since Daisy made Cinnamon her target, Cinnamon's life has been hell.  Confirms my decision.

Doggone Good Decision

When I was told that the vet recommended Sparkle's leg be amputated, I was flummoxed!  I've never heard of a fractured bone leading to amputation, especially in a dog, so I decided to take some time to think the decision through based on Sparkle's use of her leg.

When Sparkle first came into my family, she was limping almost all of the time, and carrying her leg high up when walking and running.  I thought about what I might do to change that and decided to massage her leg and hip where the bone had been broken and healed without treatment.  Sparkle liked the attention and stayed quite still while I was treating her, so I got in a good 15-minute massage each day, and some days, twice a day.  I noticed that her holding her leg up wasn't the issue it was at first, and within a couple of weeks of the message, she was mostly walking on all four legs.  She still held the broken leg up when she trotted or ran, so we had some work to do.

I've been massaging Sparkle's leg for about a month now, and she seldom holds it up, even when she's running.  She has a nice firm stance and isn't favoring the leg at all.  I'm convinced that there is no need for an amputation and will continue to massage her leg/hip until she uses the leg when she runs. She is such a joy in our lives and I want to do what's best for her, which seems to be helping her to regain complete use of her injured leg!

A Star is Boring

I went to see A Star is Born and didn’t like it at all.  The movie dragged its way through a weak storyline that lost all the zest and zip of past versions of the story. Bradley Cooper over-played a dirty old man, rather than a washed-up singer who is drowning his lousy life in booze and pills. He looked far too old to be with Lady Gaga, and she looked too young and naive to be attracted to him. 

I cringed when they were in the love scenes, especially since the word “fuck” was the primary vocabulary of the movie.  Gaga's character had gone from naïve to salty, and I just didn't buy the changes she made to be with Cooper's character.

I finally turned to my movie buddy and told her I was out; she quickly agreed and we left the theater. Outside, we both agreed that this movie just didn’t have any spark to it, and we were disappointed--especially after reading all the reviews and seeing how highly-rated Rotten Tomatoes listed it.

As far as Oscar-worthy, I say nay—unless there is a new category for “Most Often Used F-word.”

Music Cities Tour

When the announcement of a "music cities tour" was made on my website, it sounded like a lot of fun, so I contacted my travel buddy and we decided to join. It was a good decision as the tour was excellent.  We began in New Orleans, moved to Memphis, and ended in Nashville.  Along the way there were little excursions that were both informative and entertaining. I don't remember everything, but can highlight some of the places.

In New Orleans, we went to a culinary school and had a chef prepare food for us (like a TV show, with the demo on screens so we all could see what was happening).  Along with the food he prepared, he talked about how the food in New Orleans reflects both the history of the city and it's diverse population, which gave us a feel for how the food developed as the people came into the city and made it their own. We went to a "dive bar" called Daisy Dukes, and had excellent food that was as good and diverse as our culinary guide had described! We also went to a jazz bar for live entertainment and found out that New Orleans is alive and well 24/7!  The streets are packed with people who really cut loose at night.  There was a lot of construction in the French Quarter, which made it challenging to get where we wanted to be. The night of the jazz club, it was raining buckets, so as we made a dash for the hotel, I misjudged a curb and ended face down in a huge pool of water.  I was able to get up and slosh my way back to my room, but I was totally soaked, with a couple of boo-boos on my shins and knees. And my brand-new umbrella was trashed!  I had just bought it that afternoon because we were warned it was going to rain, but I fell on top of it and it was too flimsy to sustain the fall.

Yes, we went to the famous Café Dumond and had beignets, but they were just folded pieces of dough with far too much powdered sugar piled on top.  Across from the Café, we went to a "French" street fair, but it was just like the well-known street fair locally in Palm Desert. We also saw the famous cemetery and learned how the deceased are stacked up in huge vaults, and when the vault is at capacity, the next person to come in comes into the oldest vault, where the remains from that vault are dropped into a holding area at the bottom. It sounded weird to me, but our tour guide let us know that was why there weren't a lot of remains unearthed during Katrina: they bury people in vaults.  Good to know.

We also took a swamp tour while we were in New Orleans and it was great! We saw lots of 'gators and learned about the swamp while we toured it.  At one point, the tour guide held up a baby gator and let those of us who dared touch it.  I held it in my hands and was amazed at how soft and supple the skin was.  I also was surprised to learn that for most of the swamp, if your boat had a problem, you could get out and stand up as the water is only about 5-6 feet deep.

In Memphis, we got the whole Elvis experience, beginning with our stay at the new Guest House at Graceland, which is a new hotel and huge.  We did visit the Graceland property, including a walk-through the mansion, and then we went to the entertainment park, which was mostly empty of people.  It's mostly static displays, no rides, and some very pricey "park" style food, so nothing to entice anyone to go there more than once.

We did a lot of tours of the city, but one stop proved to be memorable: we went to the music studio where Elvis and his buddies recorded tracks.  There is the Steinway piano Elvis played (I have a picture of me on the bench of it), and while we were there our group gathered 'round a microphone and sang Dream Lover.  Little did we know that we were being recorded--and we were given a copy of the disc for our memory book.

In Nashville, we toured the original Ryman Theater and then went to the new locale of the Grand Ole Opry, which is so much bigger than I ever dreamed a venue could be!  We were there on a Thursday, and the venue was packed with audience members. We watched as the radio show personnel kept going through the short breaks, and had a great time.  The funniest person I've ever heard was Gary Mule Deer, who did a short set of hilarious comedy.  I did not know who he is, so my buddy told me she's heard him in the desert before, and, sure enough, he's going to be here next week, on the bill with Johnny Mathis, which seems like an odd pairing. The other big stop was at the Hall of Fame Museum, which was, again, a very large venue.  There is too much to see and too many people to see much at all. After fighting the crowd for about 15 minutes, I retreated to the lobby coffee shop and took my coffee and cookie outside, where it was much less stressful.  As I was sitting there, I saw the "float" style tourist bike, with 6 people on each side pedaling, loud music blaring and passengers singing along at the top of their lungs.  It may have been homecoming for one of the colleges in Nashville as the streets were filled with young people partying their butts off.

It was a good trip, lots of fun, and very informative. Our tour guide talked us through the bus trips with interesting info about people, places, and events. Somewhere along the way to Nashville, we stopped at Belle Meade plantation and had docents in costume tell us about the house and its history.  As I was leaving to find our bus, I saw "mending wall," with the rocks stacked and parts of it in disrepair, and I had a flashback to many, many years ago when my daughter took a picture of a stacked rock wall she came across, and then my son typed up Robert Frost's poem, which is still one of my favorites, and they framed it for me.  It's still on the wall of my office, where I see it every time I'm at my desk.  It's a treasure to me, and I enjoyed seeing the wall in person (although the wall my daughter photographed is a different wall) after all these years.

Hurricane Remnants

In the middle of the night the cell phone alarm announced a dangerous weather condition, but the warning was too late: a huge cell from the last hurricane in the gulf made its way to our neighborhood and it was impressive.  The remnants of the storm were ferocious, with lightning striking very close by and rain falling in massive amounts. The dogs were upset by the weather conditions and cuddled closer as we were all awake from the noise of the lightning.

This morning, as we took our walk, we could see where the sudden thunderstorm brought heavy rain with it.  The streets are covered in sand and weeds, but there is no standing water. In a way, the deluge of water refreshed the landscape, smoothing out the sand and leaving it looking groomed. The debris on the streets will soon be gone as the cars driving through the debris will break it into pieces that will then sweep away with regular traffic.

My best guess is that we were in the eye of the storm as it moved through. The lightning strikes were louder than usual, which means they were closeby, and one of the  strikes actually shook the house.  We're lucky that there was no damage caused by the storm. With all the sudden rain that came with the storm, we'll have yards full of desert weeds that crop up quickly after the rain falls -- and take hours to remove from the landscape when they get tall enough to use the weed-wacker.

Welcome Fall.

Me Too

My perception of the Me Too movement is that there are far more females putting themselves out as victims of sexual assault than the bandwagon can hold.  If we are to believe the numbers by the rallies they hold and the protests they make, one would be hard-pressed to find a woman who has not been a victim of some sort of sexual assault.

And I don't believe that.

I would ask these protestors how many of them made credible accusations and/or involved law enforcement at the time of the alleged assault. Suddenly coming forward 20-40 years after an alleged assault diminishes its credibility to being a "me too" accusation without merit. It's really easy to jump on a bandwagon these days, making accusations without any credible proof, and these kinds of actions can destroy a person's life.  Public demonstrations bring out people who need public approval of their lives; people who truly are traumatized don't seek the limelight.

Ms. Ford, however, came across as a credible witness in her testimony at the confirmation hearing for Judge Brett Kavanaugh.  She was not hysteric and histrionic, but composed and right on point with her accusations and evidence of sexual assault all those years ago in a school setting.  Yes, she was clearly emotionally engaged in her testimony, and I believe her truth in a way I would not have had she been one of the group at the elevator who accosted Senator Flake and screamed their accusations of sexual assault at him.

Regardless of what the FBI background check affirms, Brett Kavanaugh is finished in his quest for the Supreme Court. His behavior while on the stand at the hearing demonstrates that he is too egocentric and arrogant to be a good Supreme Court jurist. He also has too much dirty laundry hanging off the lines to be at the highest level of jurisprudence, and I doubt he'll even be returned to his current Court position in light of the past week's revelations.

UPDATE:  So, I am wrong.  Kavanaugh is already sworn in as the newest Supreme Court Judge. Let's just hope that his old drinking buddies don't suddenly start talking about the good ole days when they've had a few too many beers.

Updating Sparkle

The people next door have finally both said it’s okay to find a forever home as they simply are gone too much, leaving Sparkle on her own.  She won’t stay in their yard as she has no food/no water when they’re away, and she literally climbs the chain link fence to get out. I talked with the husband the end of last week and he said “take the dog,” which I did.  Evidently, he didn’t transmit that message to his wife, who sent over the oldest son to see Sparkle on his way to school. I went over and talked to her and she said they really don’t want the dog, but the kids love her, and I told her they can come over and play with her in my yard (which she so far has not escaped).

Meanwhile, Sparkle is always right beside me whether we’re in the house or outside. She likes to be up on my bed, too, along with Daisy and Cinnamon.  Sparkle learned quickly about our morning cookie routine and waits for her bite to be fed to her.  She’s very quiet for a big dog and loves chewing on my favorite pair of sneakers that I left out – it’s been a while since I’ve had a puppy.

Friday we’re going to the vet for a check-up, rabies shot, etc., and I asked for an x-ray for the leg that the children injured when they were “playing” with her about 3 months ago.  I’m sure it’s healed and nothing can be done to undo the injury, but I’ll feel better knowing what happened.  Sparkle used to hold her leg way up, but she now uses it and puts her paw on the ground when she’s walking, so it can’t be too serious, but I need to know.  I’m also going to have her neutered as I don’t want a litter of puppies to deal with.

UPDATE:  Sparkle's leg was broken when the children played with her too roughly.  There is nothing that can be done about it now -- except to have an expensive surgery by an orthopedic surgeon, which I'm not in a position to fund right now.  She uses the leg, so it's not impeding her movement, but it's not right.  I also got all the shots she needed, and had her chipped, and got a voucher for a discount on having her spayed.

I don’t want to have 3 dogs, especially with my upcoming trip, but sometimes we receive gifts we didn’t know we wanted, and mine is a female German Shepherd dog.

Uplifting

Yesterday, the new garage door system would not work.  I had been out and about and when I returned home, I hit the down button and nada: the garage door wouldn't shut.  I tried about a dozen times to get the equipment to work, but it would start to close and then go back up.  Frustrated, I called the installer business and asked for a service tech to come close the garage door for me.

He arrived and the system worked like a charm.  He raised the door, closed the door, raised the door, closed the door a dozen times and it worked perfectly.  Feeling like a fool, I told him that I had tried to get the door to shut and it hung up at the same place every single time I pressed the button.  He said he believed me, but he can't fix a problem that he can't see.

Okay, so now, every time I leave, I'm going to wonder if I have to cast a magic spell to get the door to close!  Technicians always say that the most challenging problem to fix is an intermittent problem as they have to be able to replicate the problem to find a fix for it.  I'm going out later this morning, so I'm just going to remain optimistic that the darned door will close for me.

Caught in the Act

The General Manager for some Denny's restaurants in our area called me.  She had received my comments from the Denny's website and wanted to apologize for the experience we had at the I-10 store. She said that she had negative feedback before, but mine was more specific and gave her something to work with.  She asked me to go back to the restaurant Monday and see if the experience was different. She would comp our dinners and we would be "secret shoppers."

I agreed and last night, we went to Denny's.  The crew must have been expecting us because we were treated like visiting royalty!  Every single person on the crew greeted us personally and came back during our dining experience to see how things were going.  Last visit? No service; This visit? Too much service.  I told Y we had been made and they knew who we were and were going way out of their way to provide us with the ultimate in service.  He asked me how they would know who we are, and told me that maybe I was just overreacting.

As we finished dining, the supervisor came over to our booth and thanked us for coming back and giving them a second chance to get it right. She apologized for our previous experience and told me we are always welcome at their restaurant.  Nope, we hadn't identified ourselves … but she knew.

I'm not sure how informative our feedback would be about this visit as they obviously knew who we were and went overboard to see that we had a good dining experience. The food was prepared properly, the service was good, and the experience was fine. I'll recommend to the GM that she send in another couple of secret shoppers to see if the crew performs as well for strangers.

Dining Out!

Denny's has a newer menu than what it was in the old days, and most of the dishes are tasty.  Denny's is also a quick stop, so it's a nice place to eat when you don't have all day.  In my experience, Denny's has a lack of consistency both in the physical appearance of the restaurant and in the quality of its food.  Last week, Y and I went to the Denny's on I-10 in North Palm Springs and man! was it NOT a good experience.

The restaurant is clean enough, but there is no ambiance and no sound damping, so every scrape of a plate is magnified into a significant noise. I became far too aware of the noise as I listened to the staff gossip and giggle, rather than come over to our table and take our order. Once the order was on the way to the kitchen, the gossip and giggling continued, often involving the cook in the conversation, which became very clear when our meals arrived.

My broccoli and chicken skillet was charred on the bottom; I've had it before at other Denny's and it was cooked perfectly, so I think the cook was distracted by the gossip girls.  It was impossible to get the staff's attention from our seats, so Y got up and went over to the group to ask for a refill on our water. Another couple at a booth near ours kept looking toward the staff huddle and I told them they may have to go over and break up the gossip group to get any service.  The best part of the meal was the apple crisp; the rest of the dining experience was sub-par.

I complained to the supervisor, who was one of the gossips, that the staff acted in a totally unprofessional manner and ignored customers who were there to be served.  She apologized and gave me a "free entrée" card--but it's only good at that Denny's location and I'll never eat there again!

The dining experience begins when the diner enters the parking lot, so the appearance of the business has to attract attention first and then be supported by what's inside.  The staff at this Denny's gave the impression that they really don't want to be there doing the job they were hired to do, and if I were their boss, I'd fire the whole crew and start over with people who want to be there and work hard to do a good job representing the venue and the menu.

As for the free meal card?  Thanks, but no thanks.

When is an idea a bad idea?

Is anyone else concerned that The Purge will implant some dangerous ideas into the heads of suggestible individuals who may think that a real “purge” is a good idea and implement it based on what they see on TV?  Today's populace seems to be unable to distinguish between what is fact and what is fiction. Far too many people believe that if they see it on TV or on their phones, it is truth and actionable.  Those who are on the verge between good and evil may not be able to comprehend that "it's just a TV show," and decide to get in on the purge program to right many of what they perceive to be wrongs in their lives.

It takes quite a while for an idea to become a TV reality, so I'm frankly amazed that this concept went through a vetting process, has been produced, and is now awaiting its season premiere. 

The Escape Artist

Our morning and evening walks are the same route: around the block.  It's not fancy, and it only takes 20 minutes, but the dogs have set their routine and we follow it.  The past mornings, since I returned from my trip East, Sparkle has come bounding across an empty lot on the street behind me.  She is evidently getting out the back of her property as easily as she gets out the front.

The first time she met us, I didn't have a leash, so I unhooked Cinnamon and clipped the leash to Sparkle and finished the walk by depositing her back into her own yard.  Since then, I just carry a spare leash, hook her up, and finish the walk by putting her back into her  own yard.  This morning, however, I put her back into her yard and she literally climbed the trash cans against the fence and was back in my yard before I could get to the garage door!  She has a leg injury that somewhat limits her movement, but it doesn't slow her down getting out of her yard.

She's still here as the man I talked to next door doesn't speak English and just stands there, smiles at me, and says, "Si"  to whatever I try to communicate.

I'm going to be away today, and I don't want Sparkle in the house while I'm not here.  I pretty much have her potty trained by using the doggie door, and I've given her some serious chewy toys for those big canines to bite into, but I don't want to not be here when she decides to try chewing on my furniture or one of the many afghans I keep on the seating spaces.  However, if I lock her out of the house, I also have to lock my 2 dogs out as I have to block the doggie door to keep Sparkle in the yard.

If the next-door neighbors are going to keep her, they need to replace the 4-foot fence with at least a 5-foot fence, and then become more aware of the fact that they have a dog and it must be cared for.  Leaving a dog outside 24/7 is not a good way to keep an animal, so I don't blame Sparkle for wanting to come to my house, where there's always food/water and a person there to interact with.  She loves to come up onto the couch with me, and seems to favor putting her head into my lap where she'll get some head scratching and some baby talk.

But, as I said and continue to say, I already have 2 dogs and I don't want a 3rd.

The Pants Order

I hate to shop on-line because I never know what the product really looks like, nor how it will fit. However, a few months ago I bought a pair of khaki pants that fit me, look nice, and hold their shape while wearing, so I decided to purchase a couple more pairs of the same pants for my upcoming tour of the major music cities.

Yesterday, I ordered the pants; today I realized I had ordered the wrong pants. I called to cancel the first order and make a new order, but it had been 24 hours since the original order was placed, so I have to wait for that order to arrive and send them back.  Okay; I can deal with that. I went ahead and placed the replacement order and was pleased with the service and the attitude of the CSR, who was very nice and friendly.

I no sooner logged off the order and went to my email to find a coupon for 20% off my order and free shipping.  The 5-hour time limit for the sale was 8am to 1pm East Coast time. I immediately called back to Blair and talked with a CSR about the code and the 5-hour sale and my order.  She placed me on hold for a couple of minutes and then came back online.

In very small print at the bottom of the email message is the caveat that the sale is on East Coast time, not Pacific time, and I had called in on Pacific time--so no 20% off and/or free shipping.  I told her that I didn't read that and apologized, but she also said that my order had to be made on-line and not over the phone. I told her I was sorry that I had not followed the directions in the small print and told her to cancel the order I had made earlier.  She asked me to hold for a minute, which I did, and when she came back to me she said that her supervisor said they would give me the 20% off and the free shipping because I had made an honest mistake.  I thanked her, but told her I was willing to cancel the order and call back later -- but she said we were good.

I cannot stress the value of excellent customer service!  I made the mistake and was willing to do it over, but the CSR realized that would just generate a lot of unnecessary paperwork for both the company and me, and she contacted her supervisor to offer a solution that saves them the paperwork and gets me a good deal that will bring me back to Blair the next time I am shopping for clothes.

It's a Case of Open and Shut

So, yesterday I was leaving the house to go to the post office (which is a short walk away), and pushed the button on the garage door opener to lift the garage door.  Nothing.  No sound, no movement.  I tried again and it opened with a very loud grinding noise that didn’t sound good.  Once I exited the garage, I pushed the button to lower the door and it did so in a jerky movement; again, not good.  Of course, when I returned I had the same experience, so decided to call the garage door man.

He arrived right on time, asked me about the symptoms, then climbed a ladder to check things out. He asked me to join him on the ladder, which I did, and I could clearly see the debris from a mechanical piece, meaning it was slowly disintegrating and the noise I’d been hearing was that metal-on-metal grinding.

All in all, not a good symptom of proper garage door operation.

I held my breath when I asked how much to fix it and got the expected answer: not fixable; needs to be replaced. Gulp. I mentally adjusted my in-my-mind cost and asked how much to replace the whole system and guarantee it won’t break within 6 months and need more money thrown at it.  He was very matter-of-fact: $600, all new system, and warranted.

It took us longer to have the conversation than it did for him to take out the old system and replace it with a new system.  It’s now very quiet; as a matter of fact, I can’t hear any sound when the system opens/closes the door, which is eerie.  I have to look to see if the door is raising or lowering.  He told me that there is no more chain; it’s a more sophisticated system than the one I’d been using for the past 15 years.  I have an option on the keypad next to the garage “house” door that will lock the system so no one driving by can open it remotely, which is nice to know if I’m going to be gone for a few days.

The good news is that I have a new system and can rest easy about the door falling on my head when opening/closing it, which was my fear with the old system.  The bad news is that it cost $600, which is a lot of money out of my pocket.

And there was a hiccup (isn't there always a hiccup?).  I left the garage to go do some errands and the garage door wouldn't close.  I must have tried a dozen times to get it to move and it simply wouldn't, so I called back to the repair service and asked for someone to come get me out of my garage so I can do errands.  Chris, the installer, arrived within an hour, walked up to the control console, and voila! down comes the door.  Of course I stood there feeling like a fool!  Deep inside, however, I knew that it didn't work for me, so I explained that it was hanging up at a certain place in the process and I pointed it out as he worked the control switch.

Yep, there was a hitch in the performance, so he adjusted the big spring at the top of the garage door opening and it worked fine.  Haven't tried it today, but I'm going to be positive that he fixed the problem and I have $600 worth of reliable operation out of my new system.

But the best part of the whole deal is that I “earned” another $25 certificate to use at a very pricey Italian restaurant that serves delicious meals.  The certificate should cover the cost of the tip should I take advantage of the deal, which I may because the food is out of this world good. After all, the certificate was “free.”

Great Expectations

I was up early this morning, putting the final touches on packing, dressing, and straightening up my room and bathroom before leaving for the airport and a visit to see my two children.  I am spending half my time with my son in Canada and the other half with my daughter in Virginia, with a bridge flight taking me from Canada to Virginia. Today's start time was 8 a.m., so I got up nice and early for a shower, dressed in comfy clothes, and got dropped off at the airport a bit before 7 a.m.

On the mark, get set -- go!

In this case, however, it was no-go.  There was an issue with the plane, but it should be back in service within a half-hour, so just relax and we'll be on our way soon.  The half-hour turned into an hour, then an hour-and-a-half, then two hours, at which time we were assured that the crew was in the waiting area with us and we'd be on our way soon. Well, I'm not sure of the airport's definition of soon, but we went from believing the every 15-minute update, to the half-hour update, to the 45-minute update, and all the passengers and the flight crew were still grounded.

At noon, I gave up. I was tired, cranky, and wired in a bad way, so I wanted something done NOW!

That was when we got the real news: the flight was cancelled and no one was going to San Francisco without a complicated process of rebooking through a different carrier.  I stood in the queue as long as anyone else who hoped to find a work-around, but I finally gave in and asked if I could try this again tomorrow:  just forget that I ever showed up, change the date on my itinerary, and I would go home, regroup, and then return tomorrow.

I'm home now and all rebooked for tomorrow, which involved rebooking one "leg" of my 3-legged vacation trip.  I'm going to Canada, then to Virginia, and then home, which is 3 separate "trips" and 3 separate itineraries.  Because I wanted to add back the lost day to the Canada leg of the trip, I had to rebook leg 2 of the trip (from Canada to Virginia).  I approached that undertaking with some concern because I was afraid it was going to cost me to make the change, and cost me it did:  I basically had to repay for that itinerary as if it were a new ticket, which was a bit of a jolt coming at me as it did after an unexpected trying morning.

We'll try this again tomorrow and see if I can get to Canada and start my va-ca at 5:15 am, the rebooked time, and a 7-hour lay-over in Toronto. You take what you can get and just suck it up.

There's always a good that comes from the upset:  my dogs were thrilled to have me back home if only for a few hours before I leave again.  God bless the dogs and their undying love.

Sparkle

This is a months' long story about a stray dog, a beautiful German Shepherd pup that has wandered the neighborhood for at least 6 months. She looked so lonely and emaciated that I finally got her to trust me and come with me to my yard, where I fed her and gave her water. I called the pound 3 times and had them pick her up, but she'd be back out wandering around within a day. I couldn't put any pieces together, so I just kept feeding her and watering her and being friendly.

Fast forward to learning that the next-door neighbors "own" the dog. Their idea of taking care of an animal is to leave her in the yard with a pail 1/4 filled with filthy water -- and no food. The dog kept getting out of her yard and coming over to my home, where she received good, clean water and fresh food. One weekend, the neighbors took off for Mexico and left the dog tied to a post with a dog leash, which is probably 3 feet long.  She quickly wound the leash around the pole and was well and truly stuck: she couldn't get to the pail of filthy water, much less any food.  I tried to look the other way, but that's not who I am, so I went and freed the dog and brought her to my house.

I called the pound and asked them to take the dog away from the neighbors, but when the pound worker came to the house, the neighbors were back from their trip and promised to be better dog owners, so the worker left the dog with them. Sure enough, the next day the dog had escaped from the yard and was at my house for food and water. That was the beginning of what would become several months of me caring for the dog at my house, then returning her to the next-door neighbors when they came to get her. It wasn't ideal, but I didn't know what to do when the pound kept returning Sparkle to her "home."

A woman who works for an animal rescue became involved as she, too, was appalled at the abuse. I told her I had called the pound 3 separate times, but they kept returning the dog to the neighbors and I didn't know what else to do. She said she would take care of the situation, so I thought we were done with watching this beautiful, smart dog be abused.

Nope, she took the dog to the local shelter, where a call was made to the owners to come pick up their dog.

I spent weeks with the dog at my house, and we were working on potty training, but I'm going to be gone for 2 weeks, so I had to "do something" other than keep the dog here while I was gone.  I talked to the animal rescue lady again, and we decided to find her a foster family.  Meanwhile, the dog has been injured by the 2 boys living with her, as they like to pile onto her and wrestle, and they injured her leg in one of their play sessions. I asked the woman owner if she was going to take the dog to the vet to see what happened to the dog's leg and she said yes, but since then all I've heard is that her husband is gone, she has 3 children, and she can't drive.  I offered to take the dog to the vet, but Y had a fit and told me no, this is not my dog and I need to let go of it.

Last night, the dog rescue lady and I were sitting outside with the dog, talking about what to do and how to go about it. When I reached the point of not knowing what to do, I told Nancy that I just had to give this to God and let Him do what's right. About 10 minutes later, the lady from next door came over to us and said that if we wanted to find the dog another home, she was willing to let the dog go.  She realized that her children pose a danger to the dog, and that she isn't taking very good care of her. Nancy said that I must have a direct line to the Big Guy in the Sky to get a response that quickly after putting it in His hands!

There is no end yet, but I'm hoping that Nancy can come through and get the dog a foster family before anything else happens to her.  I've been going next-door and getting Sparkle each day and keeping her with me, but my trip starts next week, so I have to wean her off being at my house.  I thought that Animal Control would at least keep her away from the family, but I guess that's not the way they operate the shelter. I'll be sad to see her leave, but I know she has to find a family to love her and take proper care of her, especially in t he 120-degree heat we've been having in the desert.

Addendum:  I was sitting in the livingroom this morning, watching one of the early talk shows, when I heard barking at the back gate.  I went outside to see what was going on, and there was Sparkle.  I opened the gate, she came into the house, went directly to her bed I made up for her, and hasn't moved in 2 hours. I'm not going to go over to the house and tell them she's here -- and I doubt that they will even wonder where she is.  I just hope that Nancy and I can find her a new home soon.

Banking Schmanking

Finances are not my strong suit: I usually try to do things simply and carefully because I just don't have the mind that likes figuring out issues involving math.  I have one checking account and one savings account, and I have to balance those each month and keep accurate track of what I'm spending or saving so everything is kosher.  That is enough financial world interaction for me.

Since June 5, my on-line records show that I did no savings account transactions, which I know is not accurate as I paid for my October trip and transferred the money from savings to checking.  I also have a couple of credit card bills for my upcoming August trip, and I did the same thing: pay them out of checking and transfer the money from savings.  Today I decided it was "the" day to go online and figure out why, in the course of the month of July, my savings account grew by $4000+ dollars, rather than depleting by the cost of my two trips and monies spent for them.

I waited on the phone for a full 15 minutes before Darcy came on and then I presented the issue to her very simply:  why can I spend money from my savings account and, rather than losing money, it grows by $4000+.  She went through all of my records and told me that I had zero activity on the account in July, which I know is not the case, and the balance showing on my screen is correct. I disagreed with her assessment, but she was adamant that my records are correct.

And, maybe she's right:  maybe I didn't do any transactions involving my savings account since June 5, but if that's so, how do you explain the extra money?  Isn't that a "transaction" that came from somewhere and appeared in my account?

There comes a time when it's prudent to give up, quit the argument, and end the discussion. Darcy assured me that the records are accurate, so I'll accept that and move on.  No, I won't go hog-wild and spend money I don't have, so I'll leave it as a nice little "egg" in my financial basket.

Amazoning

I'm going on vacation in a few weeks, so I've started the pre-packing we all do before dumping it all out and starting again the day before we leave.  I've been enjoying my adult color books, so decided to go to Amazon and find a new book for my journey.  As I browsed through the selections, I found 4 that were kinda the same, but different slightly, so I selected them, one at a time, so I could make my choice and then purchase it.

I don't know what I did or how I did it, but I ended up receiving all 4 of the coloring books in the mail today.  I laughed, then decided that I would not send the extras back because I'll probably use them in the future, but I still have to decide which book to take with me on vacation.

I don't know anything about marketing strategy, or maybe I'm the only one who has ever selected a product to review and ended up receiving it, but I'll be more careful in my future "browsing" tactics. I did also order a new coffee maker as my 15-year old Senseo finally gave up the ghost -- hope I don't get 4 of them as this is an expensive coffee maker!

UPDATE:  What is that song, Oops! I did it again?  I remember ordering coffee on Amazon, and dithering between a 2-pack combo and a single bag, but I thought I ordered the double-pack, which I did receive today--along with a single pack too!  I bought a new coffee maker, which arrived today, and that came with 6 sample packs of flavored coffees, so I now have enough coffee to last through the coming winter!  And, the good news is that I only received one new coffee-maker.

I'll figure out what I'm screwing up and stop making these order-on-top-of-an-order purchases. In the meantime, I have to find a place to store all the coffee.

AH-HA Moment:  I pressed the "cart" option, so the item went into my cart, and then I checked out and got all the items I thought I was just previewing.  I now know NOT to press the "cart" option unless I want to purchase the item.

Silly Girl

Having already seen the "big" film of the week, MI, my movie buddy and I decided to see Eighth Grade because she supervises student teachers and wanted to know if this movie was of any help with working in the middle school setting. We left the theater thinking that the film would be appropriate for middle school students to see, but they can't because (for some unknown reason) it's R-rated!

The basic story is somewhat poignant, watching an 8th grade girl struggle to be accepted and normal. She doesn't dress flashy/splashy, and she doesn't have the steady stream of cool speak ready at a moment's notice, but she's a nice girl trying really hard just to have a safe place to be in a sea of really cool classmates. She makes a weekly film blog about being strong, being courageous, putting yourself out there, but it's easier to make the blog than it is to make it happen in real life.

There is no reason for the film to be rated R, and if the target audience is teens, they cannot be admitted to the theater to see the film, and many of that demographic would benefit from seeing the film. The "tuned out" life of a teen is portrayed well, always on the phone/computer and totally removed from what's going on in front of her.  The dismay of not being popular is portrayed quite well, and the movie lets its star have lots of acne and angst, as well as being just a bit chubby. The scene at the pool party said it all:  all the cool girls have on itsy-bitsy bikinis, while our girl is wearing a one-piece with cut-outs. In my opinion, she's dressed more appropriately than the showing it off girls, but I'm out of step with today's trends.

No, I wouldn't recommend this film to an adult audience, but conversely, the entire audience viewing it with me were adults and they seemed to enjoy it.  The two men who came together to the film (for whatever reason) laughed and applauded and had a great time, but perhaps they have a fixation with young girls that got a boost from the pool scene?

Mission Impossible

I used to love watching the Mission Impossible series of movies as they were clever, exciting, and thrilling. The viewer got caught up in the "impossible" nature of the task and the people who comprised the squad of doers. You never really knew what was going to happen--or how it would happen--until the end of the film.

Not so with Tom Cruise's kick-ass adventure Mission. The viewer is told he's clever, but he's not as he just goes straight-on at the stunts to carry the film. The latest MI is a long stream of Cruise doing his own stunts, ending with a heliocopter event that was so ridiculous as to be funny. There really was no story to the film, just the endless chase scenes where, again, Cruise did his own stunts. The viewers in my audience all said the same thing when "that" scene came on: oh, here's where he broke his ankle. Guess I wasn't the only one not caught up in the story!

I would give this film a C: nothing spectacular and really missing the essence of the "impossible" stories that used to be the foundation for the MI franchise. I'm sure it'll be box office gold as everyone goes to it expecting a clever, well-crafted "impossible" storyline. I wonder how many viewers will be honest and admit that this film missed the mark?

Where There's Smoke, There's Fire

Palm Springs sits in a basin between Mt. San Jacinto to the west and Mt. Gorgonio to the east. There is a natural funnel created between these two mountains that sends sheets of sand blowing every time we have wind, and it follows I-10 from west to east.  Today, the basin is shrouded in grey and black clouds of smoke due to a forest fire, The Cranston Fire, that is burning on the western side of Mt. San Jacinto and heading toward Hemet. We can see the deep red halo created by the flames along the top ridge of the mountains, but, so far, it has not climbed to the top and crested into the basin.

This fire was deliberately set by an arsonist who drove along the main thoroughfare through the small city of Idyllwild.  He lit flares and threw them out of his car window; thankfully, someone got a make/model and license plate and the man was found in Hemet, where he was arrested.  But he left behind a huge conflagration that is roaring out of control. If it summits and comes down the valley side of Mt. San Jacinto, it could easily destroy all of the population centers between the mountain and I-10 as there would be nothing to stop it. Palm Springs sits at the bottom of the mountain range, and it would not take much to drive a fire straight across the valley basin.

The wind is still blowing strongly, so everyone is hoping that the winds die down overnight and give fire-fighters a chance to get a hand on the fire.

Lousey Lasagne

You ever buy a product, prepare it according to package directions, then sit down to have your first bite and find out that it’s awful? That was my experience this evening with a Signature Select Six-Cheese Lasagne. The package bragged about the rich blend of six cheeses, complemented by a “Delicious Chunky Tomato and Red Bell Pepper Sauce,” but what I tasted was a pasty, gluey white “cheese” spread with overly-sweet tomato catsup.

To add insult to injury, I bought the Family Size/5 Servings size so there would be left-overs tomorrow – and all I want to do is trash the remainder as I did the piece I served myself for dinner. No way was I going to eat this crap, and it took only 2 bites to confirm that it was really an unpleasant dining experience.

Yep, I went to the website and detailed my complaint, but I’m sure that will fall on deaf ears. After all, they don’t intentionally make a poor product as they expect repeat consumers purchasing their various products to keep the cash flowing. But, I wonder, wouldn’t they realize how awful this product is if, say, someone took a serving of it and tasted it before sending it to the stores for consumers to buy?

Bone Bruise Update

My leg hurts where I banged it during my sleepwalking fall, so I did some investigation into bone bruise. Basically, it's the injury where the bone doesn't break, but it's damaged enough to bleed and hurt like hell. The bruise is currently from the wound site to the bottom of my foot, which, according to  my research, is from internal bleeding. I've iced, elevated, and massaged, but it really hurts to touch the site, so the massage is some very gentle touching.

As long as I put ice on it, it feels better, but then starts hurting again when I take the ice off.  According to my research I have 8-10 weeks before it begins to be better and less painful.  I've broken both of my legs during my lifetime, and it was 8-10 weeks before the cast came off!  This is "just a bruise," so I'm not sure why it takes so long to heal.

Whatever.

Dejavu All Over Again

I finally got up the courage to go get my hair cut.  It had grown out to shoulder length, all one length, no layers, so I had a blank canvas as far as style went. When we went to the tea room, the lady who owns the shop had the haircut I wanted, so I asked her who her stylist was and called to make an appointment. Then, wanting to be sure about the style, I went online and found a picture of exactly how I wanted my shoulder-length hair cut and styled.

There would be no screw-ups this time as I had done my homework and even had a picture so there would be no questions: this is how I want my hair cut.

Yeah, not so much.

First, she colored it.  I’ve always been a blonde, so imagine me with brown hair with high-lights. Y likes the color but I’d rather be blonde as God intended me to be. Then, she began cutting. I refreshed her on the picture and remarked about how much I really liked the sides of the style in the picture: layered and brushed forward and really cute. She assured me she knew exactly what I wanted and kept cutting.

Well, I don’t like the color and I don’t like the cut, which looks nothing at all like the picture I brought with me or the lady whose haircut I wanted. It’s really short in the back, but long and “swoopy” in the front, which looks odd to say the least. The picture I used as my go-to do it this way tool had lots of layers that added interest to the cut. The long, swoopy pieces just make my hair look like a helmet with ear covers.

This time, it cost me $150 (yes, that’s correct) to get hair color and a cut I don’t like. I couldn’t complain when I went to the $15 haircut place as I got my money’s worth when the stylist cut it like Ellen Degeneres’s hair!  It’s taken me a year to grow that out so I could get a new cut, and now? A helmet with swoopy sides.

I’m not sure why this happens to me. I do the research, I articulate the style I want when I sit down in the chair, and I show the picture, and it still gets cut the way the stylist wants, rather than what I tell her I want. I thought using the stylist for the woman whose hair I admired and having a picture to back it up would do the trick, but I was wrong—again.

My mother was fond of saying, "It'll grow back," but in the meantime … .

UPDATE:  I went back today and told her I really did not like the haircut.  The back is fine, but the front/sides just aren't what I wanted.  We went through the whole picture, layered, cute front talk -- and I ended up with the length correct, but bangs. Bangs! Who the hell wants bangs when they are 73 years old?????  The good news is that the long swoopy pieces are gone, so I'll just have to wait out growing out bangs again.

Thunk!!

It wasn't until I heard and felt my head smack hard and loud against something that I "woke up" and realized I was on the floor between my bed and the dresser. Y heard my head hit too, from the next room with the door shut in the middle of the night. Y came running, asking me what had happened, for which I had no answer as I still couldn't process that I was not in my bed, sleeping.

My leg felt like I had broken it, but I had no idea how that could have happened, but judging from the bruise and swelling I still have, I hit the dresser--hard--with my right leg. As Y helped me up so I was sitting on my bed, I was still befuddled, but realized that I had somehow left my bed and fallen down. I remember pulling the sheet up over me, or that's what I think I remember, but as to being out of bed and walking, the only reason I can find is that I was sleep-walking, which is not something I know I have ever done in my past. Sure, I wake up at least once a night and go potty, but I had not gone potty this night and I was not awake.

The injuries turned out to be minor, the hit to my head bruising my scalp and the hit to my leg leaving two nasty bruises (called "bone" bruises) and swelling. I went to urgent care just in case, but I guess falling is simply part of the aging process and we just have to be happy when it's "nothing," rather than something that takes us down another road we don't want to travel.

Now, what's interesting is that I met my two friends for lunch/movie this week and told them about my fall and how scary it is not to know what happened. Believe it or not, both of them had also taken a fall in the past few days, one slipping on some loose gravel and the other getting caught up in a chair she was trying to exit. We all 3 were a bit bruised, but nothing serious, leaving us shaking our heads at this darned aging process we are all sharing.

We're all three thankful that there was "nothing" to our injuries and that we will all be healing from the minor wounds we received. I'm also really thankful for Y, as he got me settled until it was morning and then drove me to the urgent care just in case. The doctor there told me I had a hard head that was now decorated in a nice big bruise, and that my leg wound would respond well to icing, elevation and some Aleve.

Another catastrophe averted.

Raise the Pinky

There's a new business that opened its doors to the desert crowd, and we had to visit. It's called Amanda's Shabby Chic Tea Room and Boutique, and it's décor is beautiful. There is such a tranquility to the floral patterns, the muted colors, and the sure and steady table service that keeps the noise level to a minimum.

Upon entering there is a separate girls' room, featuring princess dresses, tiaras, and other little princess touches that so entrance little girls. They have their own tea table, so they can giggle and play princess as loud as they want and don't disturb the grown-up tearoom. If I still had a little girl, I would take her to the tea room just so she could have the experience.

The menu is a bit pricey, but it's such a fun eat! There are little tea sandwiches, which we knew to eat with a knife and fork ala Meghan Markel's recent tea with the Queen of England. There is a scone with raspberry jam, lemon curd, and clotted cream, and a biscuit (cookie). On the top of the triple server is a selection of hand-made desserts, which featured a delicious deep dark chocolate candy, a strawberry fancy, and a carrot cake bite.

My friends and I will definitely make a return visit just to share the experience again, which starts with selecting a garden hat or fascinator, which the guest keeps on for the entire tea. The tea menu features about 30 different kinds of tea, many of which are natural "herbal" teas, and the tea can be served hot or over ice.

I bought a t-shirt before walking out the door just so I could have a keepsake to remember what a fun experience I shared with my friends.

If you'd like to take a virtual look at the space, it's www.amandastearoom.com.

Free Speech is a Tricky Notion

Roseanne's comment about VT was totally inappropriate and rises to the level of "hate" speech. However, in this country we value the right to free speech, even when/if we make a total ass of ourself while exercising that right. What Roseanne said was vile, but she has the freedom of speech to say tasteless and offensive utterances.

The big question for me is whether an entire industry of workers deserve to lose their jobs because one person made an offensive comment on social media. I think not, and I believe the person who fired Roseanne acted in haste and now has to repent and fix the situation created with her firing. There is a small community that forms when a series is cast and then shot for TV, and that community of people does not deserve to be punished for what Roseanne did. Fire her if that's what you think is the best response to her hate speech, but don't punish the rest of the cast and crew.

I hope that someone will have the sense to walk that decision back and take another look at whether the response is appropriate based on how many others are punished by the decision to fire Roseanne. When cooler heads prevail, they may see that there are other actions that would have dealt with the offender, but not punish the rest of the employees.

Ebb and Flow

I am bi-polar, which used to be called manic-depression syndrome, with which I was diagnosed while in college, and which has caused me some major changes throughout my life. I’ve been back on meds for about 10 years now, which has totally smoothed out my days, so I have few incidents that cause me any concern. I do know that weather changes affect me, especially when a rain storm is coming through the pass and into the valley. My mood sinks like a stone in a pond, and I have to simply let time take the barometric pressure back to what’s normal for the area and my brain.

There are days when I simply do not feel like doing anything, so I don’t, which makes the next day more challenging to do something because it’s so easy not to do anything. Back in the day I was a manic machine, so I did three times the work that anyone else (in their right mind) would even think of doing, so I guess it’s not such a crime to not feel like doing much. Recently, as I’ve been a bit more withdrawn than outgoing, I was walking through WalMart and found a little journal that is also a coloring book. Since I loved to color while a child, I bought one of the journals and some colored pencils. When I arrived back home, I crawled onto the couch and thumbed through the journal and started working on designs at the bottom of pages. The journal I picked has a floral theme, so once I got the hang of coloring again, I tackled the front and back covers, which turned out really well. Then, having finished a lot of the smaller designs on individual pages, I went to the “divider” pages, which are more labor intensive, and colored them.

Since I had worked so long and hard on the cover and the divider pages, I covered them with packing tape to preserve my hard work. And, now that the journal was ready to receive entries, I found a list of “topics” that I could put one to a page to get me started. The first writing prompt was simply “Start Something,” which seemed apropos for what I needed to do. After finishing the first response, I went through the journal and put a topic on each page for half of the pages. Then, when I felt like it, I started picking up my journal and writing one 4”x6” page. It’s enough to say something, but small enough not to have to say too much.

I went back to WalMart and bought 2 more journals, along with some colored pencils at Pic'n Save, and took them to my therapist this week. I asked her to give them to someone who, like me, is going through the ebb and flow we get so used to doing, and who would like to both color and write. She immediately told me she knows just the two patients who will not only enjoy doing the “project,” but will benefit from it.

My work here is finished.

Alive and Kicking

I recently read a quotation that said, “Just because you’re not dead doesn’t mean you’re alive.” It struck me as profound when a man was interviewed on local TV, pleading for a doctor to give him drugs to put himself to sleep permanently. He said that he should have been dead a year ago, but the doctors keep giving him medications and treatments that extend his life. He doesn’t understand why they will fight so hard to keep his body functions working, but refuse to even discuss with him their providing him with end-of-life treatments. As he pleaded with the TV interviewer, “I no longer want to be alive because I’m not living, I’m just existing, and that’s not life.”

As I face another birthday and realize that I am well into the age category of senior citizen, I wonder how much longer I will be able to be as active and engaged as I am now. I remember when my mother celebrated her 75th birthday and then began to decline somewhat rapidly. She had memory loss that became Alzheimer’s, and as her mind shut down, so did her body. There was a full year of being basically bedridden before she died, and no one should “have to” suffer that indignity, whether they are the patient or the care-giver.

There should be a point in life, regardless of age, the point when infirmities take over the living process, that a person can say I’ve had enough, and die with dignity. Doctors prescribe medications for every other aspect of a human’s life, but they back off when it comes to end of life decisions. They all point to the Hippocratic Oath that challenges them to prolong life regardless of the quality of that life. When it’s a vegetative, non-responsive, non-vital existence with the patient confined to a bed, it’s time to be merciful and provide them with the dignity of dying quietly in their sleep.

I am very fortunate at this stage of my life to be healthy physically and mentally. I am still able to care for myself and function fully in just about any situation I encounter. I participate in life, both on a daily basis and in looking toward the future for things I still want to do, go see, or be part of. I’m not ready to take a prescribed pill, but I certainly would if I were unable to care for myself and become a burden to others. As the quote says, there is a difference between being alive and living, and I am still focused on living my life. When the time comes for me to go, I’ll do so knowing that I gave it my all and have no regrets.

I'll take the pill.

Late Late Night TV with James Corden

I’ve never been a fan of the late-late night entertainment shows, and when I have watched some of them, I’ve been appalled at the crudeness of the comedy and the skits. This week, however, James Corden’s show was on at 10 pm, so I decided to watch it and see what all the hoopla is about. Of course, I didn’t stay up much past 10 pm, but I dvr’d the show and watched it the next day.

What a funny, entertaining show! I enjoyed the skits and laughed so hard when he did the crosswalk playhouse routine that I thought I would wet my panties. What a great concept, and the cast he chose to perform The Sound of Music really sold the skit. Allison Janey was a perfect foil for James, and I don’t know how they kept from busting out laughing when they were performing.

I had, of course, heard about carpool karaoke, but had never seen the bit played out. James had a couple of cohorts in the car and the performance was over the top, especially with Christina Aguilera. It was quite the surprise when Melissa McCarthy popped up in the back row of the SUV and joined the hilarity, catching both Aguilera and Corden off-guard.

I tried to watch Saturday Night Live a couple of times, and it just wasn’t my cup of tea. The skits were more vulgar than humorous, and the actors seemed to play too much to the audience to get a laugh than letting it happen organically. I’m going to tape Corden's show a couple more times and see if it’s really as good as this episode before I commit to staying up late to watch the performance “live.”

Ready, Aim, Fire

Y was fired from his job this morning. The only “warning” he had came at a company dinner this past Friday evening when it was stated by the owner of the company that anyone who had made more than 3 errors during tax season would be fired. An interesting venue for the revelation – and the employees had to pay for their own dinners.

Y worked for the company for 10 weeks; during that time, he prepared about 350 tax returns. He used software he had never used before, but quickly learned and asked questions when he was not sure about something he needed to do. He was praised for his quick learning of his job, as well as told, “Chop, chop move faster” when he was first starting at the firm.

Needless to say, he was taken aback this morning when he arrived for work and was given his walking papers instead of congratulations on a job well-done.

This was not a good position with a preferred firm, and he already has been sending out cover letters and resumes, so it wasn’t a shock. He’s going to spend a couple more days in the LA area this week, then move back home, bringing his professional wardrobe and clothes steamer with him. I know he’ll find another position soon, so we’ll both move on from this experience and look forward to the next.

No Juice

Went out to drive the RAV to b'fast this morning and nothing happened. Finally called AAA to check whatever functions they check when a car doesn't start, and it turned out to be the battery. The AAA guy told me that the battery was installed in July 2016, which meant it was still under warranty at Auto Zone, so we kept the car running and drove the mile to the dealership.

Yep, it's an AutoZone battery, but it was installed at a different point of origin -- so no warranty unless we took it back to that source for service. Yeah, that's a great idea, but it's Saturday, and my installer doesn't work on the weekends. I told the sales representative that I wanted to buy another battery, preferably one with a longer warranty, and I'd forget about dealing with the battery I drove in with. She sold me a new battery with a 5-year warranty, so I'm hopeful that it won't die in the next 2 years.

Problem solved. Saturday errands underway.

Drained

I don’t know if I have it in me to knit one more fitted hat and matching fingerless gloves. When I cleaned out the yarn stash, I found a total of 7 skeins of either self-striping or ombre yarn, which is a subtle shading from darkest to lighter. I started with Y, and knit him a black/red striped hat. Didn’t have enough of the yarn to make matching gloves, but that remains in the to-do list as I can easily match either the bright red or the pitch black in a plain yarn hidden in my stash.

Next, I knit for Mindy, bright hot pink that is just for fun. I honestly don’t know why I bought that skein of yarn, but there it was and Mindy has a good sense of humor. Then I knit for Jack, making him primary crayon-color stripes on a black background. Turned out really cute, but I guess I can’t say that about something I made for a college man. Next came Rich, who got the blue ombre set of knit springwear that matches his new blue jacket I didn’t know he has. Then it was John’s turn, with manly brown tones, and, finally, the best of all the colors, the purple ombre yarn, which I finished up today and just have to box and mail to Melissa. Purple is one of my favorite colors, but I don’t wear it as often as I should because I never think to purchase purple.

I really like knitting hats and matching fingerless gloves, but I think I may finally have reached my saturation point: if I never knit another set, it’ll be too soon. However, dammit, I found one more skein of variegated yarn that I had put into the wrong plastic cubby, so when I feel up to it I’ll make that for myself as I’m the only one who doesn’t have a set of hat and fingerless mittens. I think the reason I overlooked this last skein is the color: it’s all bright fluorescent colors that won’t look good on anyone or go with anything! I don’t know how I ended up with it and can’t imagine that I actually bought it, but I’m going to set it out until it shames me into knitting it and getting it out of the reserves.

Yeah, I already know that I’m compulsive/obsessive, but just think of all the nice, warm knit sets that all my favorite family now have. The hats and fingerless gloves are perfect for the transition from winter to spring, so my product will come in handy for a couple more weeks as they all live on the eastern side of the country. Me? I live in the desert and it’s already been into the 90s! Guess there’s no hurry for me to knit up that last obnoxious skein of fluorescent variegated yarn.

Expansion

OK, so what am I going to do? The property next door is an illegal multi-family rental property, with a 3-bedroom house, and, in a two-story property, a one-bedroom unit and a studio apartment, a stand-alone building that is not up to code. This property has been vacant for at least 5 years, but recently a family moved into the “big” house, complete with kids and a dog. Soon thereafter, a family of 3 moved into the studio apartment, but I haven’t seen anyone using the one-bedroom unit upstairs. Yet. It may need some refurbishing as it had quite a history of use while the rest of the property was vacant. I actually called the police and told them that I thought there was some sex slavery/prostitution sort of thing going on as men would arrive with young girls and leave a couple of hours later—and the girls looked like they had been abused.

Anyway, back to the story of the octopus complex…

Last week, I noticed some workers enclosing the garage, installing two regular doors in the space that used to be the 2-car garage door opening. They’ve been doing carpentry inside and out, and had the former garage opening surface covered with spray-on coating that looks like stucco to match the rest of the house.

Today, the workers have been inside the two units, perhaps doing some of the finish work inside. I don’t know how they will bring plumbing to the new “apartments,” but they have to be hooked up to the city sewer, which may alert a sharp-eyed inspector to the fact that a property designed for a single family dwelling has now been “improved” to house 5 renters and their families!

I want to alert the city to this violation, but I’m not sure how to do that without giving away the fact that I am facing the renovated/ repurposed garage when I do dishes at my sink, so I know what’s been done. No one off-property will know that the garage is now two rental units because it sits behind the 3-bedroom house at the front of the property. But, the fact is that there are density requirements associated with property. This residential area is not zoned for the number of people who are going to be occupying it.

How do I get “someone” to come see the problem and, perhaps, offer a remedy? I don’t plan to live here for the rest of my life, but I have no plans to relocate in the near future, so I’ll have to live with the situation whether I want to or not. I’m concerned about retaliation if I sic an inspector on them as I would be the first guess of who ratted them out.

One of those damned if I do, damned if I don’t situations which make life interesting.

I Can Only Imagine

I can only imagine that potential audience members for this excellent film will pooh-pooh it and pick another film to watch because ... dadadadum ... it's a "faith-based" movie, which is a great reason to give it a pass. However, for those viewers who see the film, the story takes over the backdrop wash of religion and the movie is great. It's the story of a young boy who is horribly abused by his father, but he discovers singing in public while in high school, and that talent becomes the driving force of his journey to adulthood. Along the way, there are flashbacks to his abusive childhood, just enough to remind the viewer that this is the story of a journey that many make and some don't survive.

And, the boy's faith becomes stronger as he transitions from the young boy who is abused to the young adult who is on a remarkable journey to adulthood. He keeps searching for answers to the "why" of his childhood, but he doesn't get his answer until he finally returns home and learns that his father is not just dying from cancer, but has also turned his life around. It isn't easy for the young man to trust his father, but together they find a way to reconnect and build a relationship that benefits both of them. After his father's passing, the son returns to performing with his band, Mercy Me, which leads to a pivotal moment that changes his life, as well as his career.

The title of the film and the song it is about is "I Can Only Imagine," and it's worth a visit to the web to hear the song performed by the man who wrote it, Bart Millard, performed it with his band Mercy Me, and changed his life forever with 4 little words.

An Open Note to Oprah

Dear Oprah,

You don’t know me, have never crossed paths with me, but I feel that I know you in a way that I don’t know others. You are at a crossroads in your life, with the public clamboring for you to step up and accept that you should be our next President of the United States of America. We can say, as women, it’s time, and we can say as multi-ethnicity Americans that it is time, and we can say as disillusioned Americans, it’s absolutely time for change.

And not just change for the sake of change, or to finally put a woman into the White House, or to give African Americans the chance to be filled with pride. It’s absolutely time for change because it is your time.

If you doubt it, listen to Josh Groban sing “You Raise Me Up” and you will be filled with the spirit of those of us who want you to be our next president. You raise me up to be more than I can be without you. You raise me up because I will never be in your position of being such a champion of the American people, regardless of race, color, or creed. You are a special person who has been called to a higher plane, one which few ever reach and you should not just honor the calling, but be honored yourself for what is your destiny.

Every moment before this one has led you to where you are now. Listen not just to your inner voice, but to the spirit of those who need you to raise us up.

PORCUPINE PROJECT

I have really dry skin, so when I saw a skein of Red Heart Scrubby yarn, I thought wow, that would feel good in the shower with some creamy lotion soap to exfoliate my dry skin.

I bought two skeins because I always think use one, have a spare waiting its turn. And, I love knitting washcloths because they take about two hours and outlast any store brand I’ve ever tried. I use Lily’s Sugar ‘n Cream all cotton yarn to make most of my washcloths, both for the kitchen and the bathroom, and I’m always satisfied with the end product of that endeavor. However, using Red Heart’s Scrubby yarn is an epic fail.

Yes, I finished the washcloth, and it was painful. Whatever gives the scrubby texture to the yarn is very abrasive on the hands while knitting the yarn. My fingers were chafed from working the yarn, and the shorter pieces of fiber wrapped around the yarn kept getting caught in my knitting stitches, giving the appearance of an extra stitch that I was tempted to work before I caught on to what it was. It was very challenging to monitor the stitches, especially at the beginnings of each row when I had to knit 1, knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together to make the border.

I would not recommend this yarn to anyone. It’s a much better idea than it is an experience.

Do-Nation

I have been collecting yarn for ... years, storing it in big boxes that I then hide in a closet. When Y moved in and needed the closet, I relocated the yarn to the livingroom, where it overtook a corner. Some of it I actually used, but there was a lot of it I would never use as I kept going to the JoAnn's Fabric store up the street from the Costco and WalMart across the street. Easy to make both stops in an afternoon, and I always bought yarn that I said I could use for ... whatever.

The bottom line is that my yarn hoarding was out of hand, taking up too much room without providing me with a finished project in return. So, I made it my mission to clean out the yarn stash, beginning with buying 6 clear plastic tubs for storage. I figured if I could see what was in the storage boxes, I would be more inclined to use what I have on hand than I would be tempted to stop at JoAnn' or WalMart. I can proudly admit that I now have just 6 clear plastic bins of yarn stash, and it's only that I think I will use. If there were any doubt, it went into another pile dubbed donation.

Okay, the final step was just as important as the actual starting to clean up the hordes of yarn: I had to get it out of the house. We have a senior center, the Mizell Center, and a couple of volunteers there conduct both knitting and crocheting classes each week. I put all the donations into the SUV and drove directly to the Mizell Center, where I dropped off all the boxes and plastic shopping bags full of yarn.

I did it. After talking about needing to complete this project for the past 3 or so years, I did it! I have moved from living in the Don'tNation to the DoNation and it feels good. The final step will be driving by JoAnn's and refraining from walking the yarn aisle at WalMart as I am committed to using what I have on hand, rather than buying more yarn, and I'm not sure yet how firm that commitment is.

And Red Heart is coming out with a collection of soft green shades that they call Succulents. I'm already dreaming about what I can make ... .

15:17 to Paris

Clint Eastwood's latest film is not one that will live forever in the halls of excellence, but it's a good movie that lets you know what it's going to do -- and then does it. The film provides the childhood of three men, their teen years, and then their struggle to find themselves as adults. When they decide to tour Europe and share adventures, it is the everyday decision that leads to their destiny when confronted by a terrorist who is going to kill and detonate a bomb on the 15:17 train to Paris.

The three men do a good job of portraying themselves, both in the delivery of their lines and in the action required at their moment that forever changed their lives. It's a very relaxing movie to watch because it doesn't purport to do any more than tell the story, which is a refreshing change from all the symbolic message movies that want you to "get" a message far larger than the screen delivers.

This is a good film for older teenagers to watch because it shows the challenges of growing up and away from what doesn't work in one's life during the quest to find what does work. The boys get into minor trouble as young boys, and struggle to find themselves as teens. When they graduate from high school, they each take a different path, but it's easy to see how their present and past are connected. As a matter of fact, if these young men had not taken the journey they did in their personal growth, they would not have seized the moment and changed the lives of the passengers on the 15:17 to Paris.

I enjoyed this film for the story, for the simplicity of the telling, and for the strength of the message of what we do when we are called upon to "do something" but find ourselves wanting to do nothing because we may put ourselves into danger. I recommend this film to anyone who needs to remember that doing something when it's called for is a greater challenge than simply sitting back and waiting to see what happens.

Phantom Thread

I don’t know what I expected from Phantom Thread, but the film left me feeling cheated on the way out of the theatre. Daniel Day Lewis is … incredible, but I’m not sure at what or why. The movie is the story of a dress designer whose life is consumed with his art; he meets a server in a diner, moves her into his life, and then the film continues. She poisons him with mushrooms once to get his attention, then nurses him back to health. When he fails to need her the way she needs him, she poisons him again – and he laughs and feels revitalized by her actions.

I left the theatre wondering why someone made this film. I thought it was going to be about someone sewing hidden messages into clothing, messages that were, perhaps, vital to the security of a nation, but that’s not what the film was about. The audience is privy to only two messages, neither of which is of any importance, so even the title of the film is iffy.

It was dollar day at the movies, so I saved some money on the ticket; had I paid full price, I would have wanted my ticket refunded.

Hostiles

Hostiles is a Western film that just hit the theaters. My film-going friend is 25% Native American, so she was anxious to see the film and its portrayal of Native Americans. I was nervous based on the title: if it would portray fairly the ethnicities of the story was a big issue for me.

Well, there are many "hostiles," and not just Native Americans. There is conflict of man v. man, man v. woman, man v nature. The American soldiers are tasked with taking some Native Americans back to their own people and, of course, that journey is fraught with danger. The white soldiers are apprehensive, but eventually come around to accepting the Indians in their care. The Indians are resigned to their fate, but are able to fight for their right to complete this journey to their native land.

This film reminded me of the one with the American trapper out in the wilderness who is then confronted by an angry bear and has to survive both his environment and his own personal injuries. The cinematography is excellent, and the journey through the wilderness becomes its own character. The Indians, of course the people we immediately think of as the hostiles, are quite docile until the trappers rape their women. Then, the Indians take care of business and kill the men responsible.

This film is not for everyone, but I enjoyed the storytelling, as well as the beautiful scenery of the journey. The key issue, to allow the Native Americans to return to their own land, is well-told and engaging. I give this film a B+.

Cuba Fantastico!

I am back from my trip to Cuba and had the best time I've had in a while! (NOTE: I FORGOT TO POST THIS TRAVEL REPORT, SO AM DOING IT A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATE) The people of Cuba are so nice, so friendly, so caring that it made the time just fly by. I was in Cuba on a cruise that supports a people-to-people cultural exchange, so we had lots of lectures and demonstrations that we then followed up with in-port visits in Santiago del Cuba, Havana, and Sienfegios.

In Havana, I was shocked at the condition of the actual buildings: the best comparison I can make is that the city resembles Europe at the end of WWII: lots of crumbling infrastructure and residential areas. contrasted with government buildings and private residences that are well-maintained. But their living conditions don't seem to impact the people's attitude about life: they are joyous, friendly, and very interested in anything American. It is challenging to see how impoverished the people are without wanting to do something to change their living conditions.

In Santiago del Cuba, we saw a neighborhood that has been covered with ceramic mosaics -- and it is beautiful. All of the homes are covered in mosaic, as well as the walls around the various homes. There was a street market set up to accompany the mosaics, and it's obviously a big tourist attraction for the visiting cruise ships.

In Sienfegios, we went to a neighborhood that is working very hard to improve its appearance, with lots of maintenance done on the actual structures, then highlighted with brightly-colored paint that really catches one's eyes. In one neighborhood, we visited with a group that is working not just to improve the appearance, but to improve the quality of life where they live. The project was begun by a painter who lives there and uses what would be the livingroom of his home to have an art gallery that is open to the public. Some of the neighbors were playing in a small music band, while other neighbors were dancing in the street. Some of the gals from our ship, who had participated in the on-board dancing classes, joined in with an impromptu street event and really enjoyed being able to do the dance steps.

All in all, I'd love to go back and revisit all the various spots that I enjoyed on this trip. I understand more about the symbolism of the artists, who capture what it is like to be malnourished in spirit, as well as in body. I understand more what it is like when the government controls the income of its people -- and there isn't enough money to break free from the lifestyle and the government. I understand more why the people are willing to risk the journey of 90 miles to Florida, where they can live free and earn as much money as they are capable of earning to improve their station in life.

And I definitely feel the difference between a free America and a socialist Cuba, including the free medical and schooling for all residents, but the holding of the people hostage when it comes to earning income and bettering one's self.