CAN'T GET THAT SONG OUT OF MY HEAD: Daily Thoughts

Our Carving Party

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:34:09 GMT

Oooooooh! It's Halloween---the night all the spooky ghosts and goblins roam the streets looking for treats and tricking if they don't find any. Well, that's the way it used to be. Sunday afternoon we held our Annual Pumpkin Carving Party. The burgers and dogs went FAST along with most of the other food, brought by the partygoers. Then everyone grabbed their pumpkins and began cutting and cleaning them out and designing them. The parents got into it almost more than the kids (who were busy in our ga-ga pit, playing ping-pong, or blowing giant bubbles). Then, when all was finished (and hands and arms hosed off), we lined up all the pumpkins for the pumpkin contest judging. There were prizes for the Scariest, the Goofiest, and the most Original. There was fun for all! The kids all got prizes and everyone went home with full bellies, carved pumpkins (we took care of the mess) and big smiles. Another successful pumpkin carving affair! HAPPY HALLOWEEN --- and to all a SWEET night!!!

Nearly Halloween!

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:53:55 GMT

(this pic is not mine...just borrowed it)

Nearly freezing outside this morning---33 degrees---brrrrrrr. Fall is upon us, blanketing our yard with yellow leaves and threatening to dump more from the still partly green-leafed trees around us. Our annual pumpkin Carving Party will be next Sunday so it's time to finally drag out all the Halloween decorations and GO CRAZY!!!! I love this time of year, but unfortunately it always seems to be over before I get started. Yes, my son still trick-or-treats, but this may be his last year---boooooo hooooo! But it is soooo much fun to have the Carving Party and see all our friends again. Everyone looks forward to it and we usually get a lot of great pics of the kids. What fun. So today, it looks like I get to DECORATE outside ----once it gets a little warmer.....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

ARGH! It's a Piano Emergency!

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:57:04 GMT

I know most of you know I am a piano tuner by day (and sometimes at night!) but I'll bet you didn't know there could be "Piano Emergencies." People always laugh when I mention this---"What kind of an emergency could a piano have???" they ask with a gafaw. Well, laugh no more---I just had one earlier in the week-- that I've never had before. Most emergencies stem from live performances where a string will break or a piano must be tuned before the curtain goes up, or something is stuck down in the piano, causing the keys to hang up, or a pedal suddenly doesn't work. This, however, was a tax emergency. Yes, you read that right. My client donated his grand to a local High School and had until Oct. 15th to get an appraisal for tax purposes done and signed to be able to write off the donation. It was a sizable amount and he volunteer to pay me "whatever you say" to do it. Well, we got it done and he is a happy camper.

So, the next time a piano tuner says he has an emergency, don't scoff him (or her)--- it may not be life-threatening, but it is a real emergency which only a trained expert can deal with.

Stay in tune and keep humming!

Soccer season is here....

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:49:50 GMT

SOCCER SEASON IS DEFINITELY HERE!

Although I'm sad to see that the WOMEN'S US NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM lost to Brazil in the Semi-finals of the Women's Soccer World Cup, I'm amazed at all they have accomplished! I saw a story on the news the other night where they were referred to as "the best team not known" and boy, is that the truth! Of course, you remember all the hoopla a year or so ago when the winning goal maker ripped her shirt off and sank to her knees--hardly a disgrace, as they were trying to make it out as. That team is truly an amazing one that has broken record after record not only with women's soccer, but men's as well. Read more about them at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_women's_national_soccer_team

It's a shame we don't hear more about them and cheer them on. They are such a great bunch of role models for the young girls in our society. You don't hear anything about them carousing and getting arrested or doing stupid things in their private lives---they work too hard at what they do best to get involved in things like that. So, even though they ended up in THIRD place at the World Cup this year, my hat is off to them! Can't wait to see them in the Olympics again!!!! GO FOR GOLD, girls!!!

Please hold....

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:30:46 GMT

This just came across my desk...

Hello and thank you for calling The State Mental Hospital -
Please select from the following options menu:

If you are obsessive-compulsive,
press 1 repeatedly.

If you are co-dependent,
please ask someone to press 2 for you.

If you have multiple personalities,
press 3, 4, 5 and 6.

If you are paranoid, we know who you are and what you want.
Stay on the line so we can trace your call.

If you are delusional,
press 7 and your call will be forwarded to the Mother Ship.

If you are schizophrenic,
listen carefully and a little voice will
tell you which number to press.

If you are manic-depressive,
it doesn't matter which number you press,
nothing will make you happy anyway.

If you are dyslexic,
press 9696969696969696.

If you are bipolar,
please leave a message after the beep,
or before the beep or after the beep.
Please wait for the beep.

If you have short-term memory loss, press 9.
If you have short-term memory loss, press 9.
If you have short-term memory loss, press 9.

If you have low self-esteem, please hang up.
Our operators are too busy to talk with you.

If you are menopausal,
put the gun down, hang up, turn on the fan, lie down and cry.
You won't be crazy forever.

If you are blonde,
don't press any buttons, you'll just mess it up.

Laugh, Enjoy and have a great day!

CARUSO

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:33:19 GMT

Yes, this is our NEW ADDITION to the family----Caruso. We named him that because he has such a big, powerful voice---even as a kitten! And he uses it all the time! He is about 5 months old and a real lover---although he can be quite the fighter when he has the "cat crazies." But, all in all, he'd rather cuddle up and purr than roughhouse. He does have one bad habit that we are trying to break---he likes to suck on your arm, or shirt or anything he can when he is purring. People seem to think he may have been weaned too early---all I know is it is HARD to break him of this habit.

Our dog and (finally) the cat are slowly accepting his presence. The cat, Kit-Kit, had her nose out of joint for almost a week before she could be in the same room and not growl at him. He is such a bold kitten, that he strolls right up to her all the time and wants to play. She, of course, hisses and screams at him, so he simply backs away. He doesn't seem at all intimidated by her. He'll learn. Kit-Kit isn't much of a fighter, though...she'd rather run from a confrontation.

We had forgotten how much energy kittens have! Every morning and night, Caruso goes crazy and races around the house, attacking anything in his path. What a character! And what a voice!!!!

The trip is over --- boo hoo!

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:43:56 GMT

Well, the trip is at an end and I'm back home. But what memories I have, what with all the photos that were taken. Take four girls (who haven't personally seen each other in 7 years) and four digital cameras and that equals every event photographed to death! CarolDee has pretty much covered the time we spent together, and since her pics are more prolific than mine (and mostly better), so I won't bore you with those details again. However, my son, Max, and I did some things without the girls.

While in Marshall, Michigan, we walked around the historic town, admiring all the old architecture of the numerous mansions. This was my favorite, the Abathan Place, which is being refurbished even as we speak. I've been on line and can find NO information about it. Amazing place. It looks like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock story: The name of the house was on the bottom edge of the front porch along with the date, 1835. Talk about OLD!

Max and I also visited the Museum of Magic right downtown Marshall. This museum is filled with ORIGINAL posters and various tricks and memoralbia from such greats as Blackstone, Alexander, and of course, Houdini. Tours were personally done by appointment only. What an exciting, amazing place to experience! They also house the largest library in the U.S. of magic books:

Another "cool" place we visited was HELL, Michigan. Now we can say we've been to Hell and back! (Eat your heart out Audey Murphy): HA! Another ice cream place!!! Talk about temptation....

We then visited a cousin of mine that I haven't seen since we were in High School. He and his wife live on a nice ranch, not far from Hell. It was a most relaxing place complete with horses, dogs and cats: Hope to be able to stay with them the next time we get to MI!

So, there you have it. It was all in all, a wonderful trip to the midwest. Quite different from sunny CA--everything was so nice and GREEN! What a treat!

Still here in MI....

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 11:53:52 GMT

Whew! Time sure flies! Already it's Saturday and there's only a few days left! Arrived in MI on Monday near midnight and everything went smoothly on the flight for me and my son, Max. Got BLIZZARDS at DAIRY QUEEN in the airport (havent' had one in years!!!). (Sorry, no pics yet, until I get home and sort them out!) Found our car and luggage and went to a motel and CRASHED for the rest of the night.

Tues: Drove to Carol's house and yakked with her and her Mom for a while, then went on to Rondi's cute little place in a neighboring town, where we've been invited to stay during our time here. It's been raining here so things have turned wet as well as hot --- not a good combination. At any rate, we talked until we were hoarse and Max thought we were NUTS! Max and I went to a great icecream shop and got ice cream to cool off ! Vowed to quit this off-my-diet treat then and there.

Wed.: Drove Max, Carol and Rondi up to Anita's house where we saw the bras on the line (go to Carol's for the pictures) and had a wonderful barbeque. We went crazy with our cameras and played pool with Max and picked fresh veggies from Anita's overflowing garden! A great day, in all, reliving our High School years and other times together. Went to a cute neighboring town with shops and stopped for...you guessed it...ICE CREAM! (somebody, make me STOP!)

Thurs: Met my Mom and her friends (two that drove up with her and two we met here) for lunch at MI's famous Win Schuler's restaurant. What fun! Haven't been there since I was a little girl, but remembered it all when I stepped through the door. Then I drove Mom up to here sister-in-law's place about an hour away where we also met up with a cousin I haven't seen since my High School days. What a treat! We went to dinner and....no, I didn't have ice cream (what self-control!). My Mom got to celebrate her Aug. 3rd birthday twice today with two special desserts at lunch and dinner! She turned 90! Still going strong and alert as ever. Stayed with Cousin Jim and family for the night at their ranch.

Fri.: Had Breakfast at McDonalds then later, Max and I went over to Hell, MI! He really got a kick out of that! Got a sign for his room that says "WELCOME TO HELL" and we took a few pics at photo ops around the small community. It really is the name of the town and a lot of fun. Passed up the opportunity for more ice cream then drove back to Rondi's, stopping along the way to say HOWDY to Carol and see the SIMPSON'S new movie at the theatre of my childhood.

Today: We are going to a magic museum and a concert in the park this evening. Will fill you in later to answer that burning question: Will we have ICE CREAM today?????

Goodbye CA, Hello MI!

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:48:30 GMT

Well, it's finally time for out trip! Yes, I'm headed for my friends in Michigan for a short visit. While there, we'll not only see pals but also meet up with my 90 year old mother who is visiting in MI also! I volunteered to drive her around while I was there, so she can see friends and relatives. I know how lucky I am that she is able to make this trip by herself and I'm anxious to have her touch base with her 11 year-old grandson too. My son has grown quite a bit since she last saw him two years ago! I'm only sorry my older son won't be able to join us, but he is still in the Navy over in Guam. I'll just miss my older brother who is picking up Mom and taking her back to Kentucky (where he lives) on the same day we are scheduled to return! Bummer.

Oh well, at least we'll both get to see Mom and I can show my younger son where I grew up and went to school. He's old enough now to remember.

OH HAPPY DAYS! AAAAAAAAAY! NOTHING COOLER THAN FRIENDS!!!

Whitewater rafting!

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:06:30 GMT

WOW! Last Friday, we went rafting down Cache Creek only an hour from where we live. Cache Creek actually empties out into Clear Lake but by the time it gets there, it's just a mild mini-river, dried up almost completely. However, further upriver, it looks more like this:

The people in the picture are NOT us, but that was like the raft that four of us were in (or rather "on") and those were the waters we navigated. IT was a lot scarier than I thought it would be but great fun. When we went through the section called "the Mother," we nearly lost Steve, my husband who was in the back. This picture (not STEVE) shows how one has to perch up there in the back:

He was bucked off when we went through the Mother and had to climb back in as the rest of us fought to stay upright! But we all made it and NO ONE GOT HURT! Yeah, I'd be crazy enough to do it all over again....

Remember these guys??

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:08:14 GMT

These guys never fail to AMAZE me! You so seldom hear about them these days, but I guess they're still together and still entertaining audiences wherever they go. We rented a documentary about the HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS for my 11 year old son and his friend, who thought it would be boring. But like all kids (and most grown-ups too!), they were glued to it and couldn't get enough of the cool tricks and stunts these guys could do. It's just a shame you don't see them as often as you used to and that most kids have no idea who they are. How many of you have seen their show in person?

What a great incentive for kids to see these guys play and know how fun basketball can be! I'm not a big basketball fan, personally, but I sure love these

HARLEM GLOBTROTTERS!

Potter-mania!

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:42:35 GMT

Greetings from the Land of Potter!!!

Yes, we are Harry Potter fans in this house and went to a Potter Party last night to receive our new copy of "The Deathly Hallows", the 7th and last in the series. It was a much more exciting night than I thought it would be. The bookstore, WILD ABOUT BOOKS, had the 4th movie projected out side on the back of the building for those who wanted to watch something and inside, there were games and puzzles all having to do with the previous 6 books. We arrived near 9 p.m. and the books were distributed around 12:01! There wasn't a moment of boredom the entire evening! We were "sorted" into one of the 4 houses upon arrival, then each time we completed a "task" we put our names in our house box and prizes were give out at the end of the evening. Although I didn't personally win a prize, it was a lot of fun to commune with all the kids and adults who read the books. What great fun and what a thrill to be part of this Pottermania that is sweeping the nation! Our children will remember this time in their lives as they grow and be proud to have been part of this historical last book release in years to come.

I, for one, can't wait to read the final book --- all 700+ pages of it! Just leave me alone for a few days and although I won't get much accomplished, I'll be happy to help Harry relive those last days at Hogswart!

More laughs from Tom Swift

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:19:33 GMT

Here are a few more of those unusual Tom Swifties:

"It's made the grass wet," said Tom after due consideration.

"The radio reception is much better now," said Tom ecstatically.

"Ein, zwei, drei, fünf," said Tom fearlessly.

"I won't finish in fifth place," Tom held forth.

"Someone bumped into me while I was brushing my teeth," said Tom with a gleam in his eye.

"I'm a lot taller than I was yesterday," said Tom gruesomely.

"The doctor had to remove my left ventricle," said Tom half-heartedly.

"I'm not leaving the chapel until I finish this painting," said Michelangelo insistently.

"Let's eat kosher tonight," said Tom judiciously.

"I like ragged margins," said Tom without justification.

"She even flies her own jet," Tom leered.

"I've been feeding the crocodile," said Tom offhandedly.

To a BEST FRIEND!

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:45:20 GMT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL

Well it's not exactly her birthday any more. She had the 7-7-07 day, which was yesterday. There is no doubt she is one of my dearest friends---this woman is truly AMAZING! She not only cares for her invalid mother 24 hours, but has been instrumental in helping promote my book BLIND SIDED and runs several groups and web spaces. She has always been there for me to cry on her shoulder and given me sound advice, when I was blind to most options. We've laughed together, cried together and had remarkable adventures together all of our lives. We met in High School and have visited LA, northern Michigan and she has visited me in Santa Barbara and Montana during the years. She has been an "Aunt" to my two boys and a steady force in my everchanging life. So, here's to you, Carol and all your GOOD VIBRATIONS!

AHHH, those were the days: of county fairs, skating parties, tailing 87, harmonizing around the piano, guys experimenting with our hair, Mr. Baldwin's cheers, Ouiji board readings, and tape recorders!

Stinky problem!

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:05:20 GMT

Last Saturday night was a stinky one! Do you ever get accused of having gas attacks when it isn't you??? Well, that's what was happening. I kept telling my husband and son "It isn't me!" but they wouldn't believe me. When I awoke during the night, I could still smell it and STRONG coming from our son's bathroom. My first thought was broken sewer pipe under the house. Yech! The next morning it was really BADDD. We were on our way out for the day, so we just closed the door to the bathroom and opened the window. When we got home later in the day, it was still bad, so my husband opened up the area under the house so air could get through. The next morning (Monday) he crawled under and found what was causing it. Yup. You guessed it....a dead oppossum! He said it was small enough, it might have been a baby, but the body was so bloated and covered with maggots he couldn't tell for sure. Well at least we found the problem and it didn't cost us a plumber (or even an arm and leg) to get it fixed!!! So nice the smell is finally gone!

(And yes, that is the THAT GIRL theme in the background.)

Pesky Palm Pilots

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:23:34 GMT

If you are traveling this summer, beware of these pesky Palm Pilots!

Windy!!!

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:41:20 GMT

Boy, is it windy today. Another restless night because I HATE the wind so much. Perhaps it's because of the fire danger, which really scares me. Besides, we have these huge poplar trees on one side of our property that I envision falling onto the house due to high wind. I lay awake at night thinking about escaping a collapsed or burning house and what I would try to take with me. I think it would be my family (including the dog and cat), the briefcase of important papers, my laptop, my booklet of photo CD's, probably my loose-leaf Charlton Heston collection and of course my purse. So, what would you grab up if you only had a few minutes to collect something of value? I know I probably shouldn't obsess about such things, but I HATE not being prepared for whatever fate flings at me. Well, it's off to Court today for a settlement conference. It's hell being sued by your own relatives...

Ahhhh CHOOOOOO...

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 14:40:53 GMT

The allergy season is upon us once again and I, for one, am suffering greatly this year. I came across this article about taking care of allegry problems without drugs and thought you might find it interesting:

Preventing exposure to airborne allergies is another powerful way to treat allergies at home. To this end, a HEPA filter can be an excellent investment. These High Efficiency Particulate Arresting filters, available at discount drug stores for about $60 - $100, can remove 99.97+% of the pollen, dust, and animal dander from the air. I highly recommend placing one in the room where a child with hayfever sleeps.

When kids are playing outside during hayfever season, pollen from grasses, weeds, and trees clings to their clothes and hair. Taking off the outside clothes as they enter the house, and perhaps rinsing the hair, can greatly reduce the pollen they are exposed to that night as they sleep. Every little bit of exposure reduction helps. If a child is allergic to pollen, dust, and cats, minimizing exposure to pollen and dust will make the cat allergies less severe by cooling down the allergic response.

The Old Farmer's Almanac advises tying a bag of onions around the neck or around the bedpost as a good home remedy for allergies. My guess is that this works by stimulating tear production, which naturally washes pollen particles out of the eyes and nose. A less smelly way to accomplish the same thing is the liberal use of saline nose drops or saline eye drops (artificial tears). Saline drops are not the same as the eye drops that are advertised to "get the red out." While "get the red out" drops do help to reduce the red appearance of irritated eyes, they are not a good choice for preventing or treating allergies.

The Almanac also suggests turning a piece of orange rind inside out and inserting it in the nose. We now know that some of the ingredients in citrus fruits (including vitamin C) block the histamine response in a safe and natural way. The most potent of these appears to be a vitamin-like compound called quercitin that is found in citrus fruits and buckwheat. Increasing these foods in the diet makes sense. Quercitin/vitamin C supplements are available in health food stores. We know that these reduce hayfever symptoms in rats, but their effect in human children have not been established. They do appear to be safe and gentle, however, and many people report success with them.

Stinging nettle is the other natural remedy that shows a lot of promise. Also available in health food stores, this herbal supplement is now known to reduce the histamine response in test tube experiments. But again, although I have heard many testimonials, the scientific evidence in support of its effectiveness in humans is sparse.

The last remedy suggested by the Old Farmer's Almanac is swallowing a spider. Yuck--the cure is worse than the disease!

I don't know about that last one, but some of the others might be worth a try. I also don't think you'll find me stuffing a piece of orange rind up my nose any time soon. Hope you all aren't afflicted with the allergy thing this year! Happy Spring!

Sad News...

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:40:21 GMT

Commander Frank O. Green passed away Sunday, April 22nd. This 89 year old ex-navy fighter pilot has been my mother's companion since 1978. We all loved Frank like a father and grandfather. He treated both of my boys like grandsons, teaching them morse code, all about flying, puzzles and jokes, and just how to be a gentleman. He flew in the South Pacific during WWII off a carrier, then when he left the Navy, he taught High School math for several years until the death of his wife (slightly before the death of my father), when he met my mom. Frank was the ONLY "grandfather" my kids knew and he treated them like his own grandkids. When my oldest son was still in High School and had to write a report about the person he most admired, he wrote about Frank. In fact, he almost went into the air force instead of the navy because he wanted to fly....like Frank. However, because of his color-blindness, my son can not fly, so he went navy like Frank, and his own dad and my father (who was on a ship in the Pacific during WWII). Frank personally knew most of the astronauts from the 60's and 70's and had posters and other memoralbilia with their signatures adorning his house. He took my younger son to the space museum outside of Phoenix twice in the past three years. We'll always remember Frank fondly and miss him greatly. Thanks, Frank.

Brothers

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 13:42:33 GMT

Don't they look COOL! My older son, who is in the navy and stationed on Guam, is home on leave. What a treat to have him home! His "little brother" who is 11, is nearly as tall as he is....plus they wear the same size shoe! The brothers have missed each other so much these past four years...it is indeed fun to watch them wrestle with and tease each other. The older one loves to sail and took the younger one out in the little El Toro on the lake near where we live. Although I would love to have the older one living around here, I am proud and happy that he is doing so well in the Navy. He has grown into a responsible, honest, mature adult in the past four years and plans on re-inlisting in Dec. when his time is up. However, he won't probably still be on Guam. At any rate, the military experience has been great for him----plus a great relief for us all that he hasn't been anywhere near Iraq.

Hope you all had a happy Easter and have a great Spring...in spite of the high pollen counts! Ah choooooo!

Another Judo win!

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 13:40:30 GMT

Just got back from another Judo tournament; this one being in Cupertino (which is near San Jose). Our son took another 3rd place in his weight division. They actually pick the pool of kids according to weight, age and rank, so they can compete against someone of their same ability. Last year he got 3rd in this tournament too. This picture is an older one as he still has his orange belt. Now he is green belt rank and the competition was much tougher. Really proud of him --- he won 2 matches and lost 2. However, the last one he lost was only by a quarter of a point. BUMMER! But there is never any arguing with the judges. The tournaments are always fun to watch---and one is amazed how well these kids take losses! Once in a while you see someone stomp off in disgust, and there are a few tears from the really young ones, but mostly everyone loses with dignity. It's not unusual to see a loser shake hands voluntarily with the winner of a match. After all, it's all in the name of FUN! Not too many sports you can say that about these days. What great kids these Judo kids are!

We've come a long way, Baby...

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 16:55:41 GMT

This interesting fact came across my desk this morning. I remember when a computer took up one entire room:

Its a hard disk in 1956....

The Volume and Size of 5MB memory storage in 1956.

In September 1956 IBM launched the 305 RAMAC, the first computer with a hard disk drive (HDD). The HDD weighed over a ton and stored 5MB of data.

Let us start appreciating our 10 GB thumb drive!

Be Aware...

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:23:50 GMT

Yes, BE AWARE! I received the following true story that gives one pause. Think about it and try to picture what YOU would do if faced with the same situation:

I live in Alexandria , VA , but I often work in Lafayette , LA ,
staying
with friends when I'm there. You may know from America 's Most
Wanted TV program, as well as the news media, there is a serial killer
in
the Lafayette area.

I just want to let you know about an "incident" that happened to me a
few
weeks ago, and could have been deadly.

At first I didn't go to the police or anyone with it because I didn't
realize how serious this encounter was. Since I work in a jail and I
told a
few people about it, it wasn't long before I was paraded into Internal
Affairs to tell them my story.

It was approximately 5:15 a.m. in Opelousas , LA. I had stayed with a
friend
there and was on my way to work. I stopped at the Exxon/Blimpie Pie
station
to get gas. I got $10 gas and a Diet Coke. I took into the store two $5
bills and one $1 bill (just enough to get my stuff).

As I pulled away from the store, a man approached my truck from the
back
side of the store (an unlit area). He was an "approachable-looking" man
(clean cut, clean shaven, dressed well, etc.).

He walked up to my window and knocked. Since I'm very paranoid and
"always
looking for the rapist or
killer," I didn't open the window I just asked what he wanted.

He raised a $5 bill to my window and said, "You dropped this."

Since I knew I had gone into the store with a certain amount of money,
I
knew I didn't drop it. When I told him it wasn't mine, he began hitting
the
window and door, screaming at me to open my door, and insisting that I
had
dropped the money!

At that point, I just drove away as fast as I could.

After talking to the Internal Affairs Department and describing the man
I
saw, and the way he escalated from calm and polite to angry and
volatile....it was determined that I could have possibly encountered
the
serial killer myself.

Up to this point, it had been unclear as to how he had gained access to
his
victims, since there has been no evidence of forced entry into victim's
homes, cars, etc. The fact that he has been attacking in the daytime,
when
women are less likely to have their guard up, means he is pretty
BOLD.

So think about it...what gesture is nicer than returning money to
someone
that dropped it?????

How many times would you have opened your window (or door) to get your
money
and say thank you... because if the person is kind enough to return
something to you, then he can't really be a threat....can he????

Please be cautious! This might not have been the serial killer... but
anyone
that gets that angry over someone not accepting money from them, can't
have
honorable intentions.

The most important thing to note is that his reaction was NOT WHAT I
EXPECTED!
A total surprise! But what might have happened if I had opened my door?
I
shudder to think!

Men's Answer to Maxine

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:38:49 GMT

Men strike back!
How many men does it take to open a beer?
None. It should be opened when she brings it.
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Why is a Laundromat a really bad place to pick up a woman?
Because a woman who can't even afford a washing machine will probably never be able to support you.
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Why do women have smaller feet than men?
It's one of those "evolutionary things" that allows
Them to stand closer to the kitchen sink.
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How do you know when a woman is about to say something smart?
When she starts a sentence with "A man once told me..."
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How do you fix a woman's watch?
You don't. There is a clock on the oven.
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Why do men pass gas more than women?
Because women can't shut up long enough to
Build up the required pressure.
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If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first?
The dog, of course. He'll shut up once you let him in.
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What's worse than a Male Chauvinist Pig?
A woman who won't do what she's told
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I married a Miss Right.
I just didn't know her first name was Always.
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Scientists have discovered a food that diminishes a woman's sex drive by 90%.
It's called a Wedding Cake.
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Why do men die before their wives?
They want to.
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Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
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In the beginning, God created the earth and rested.
Then God created Man and rested.
Then God created Woman.
Since then, neither God nor Man has rested.
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Genderisms

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 15:10:54 GMT

I love anything that has to do with words. In most languages, words have a gender but in English we don't bother with that. However, here are a few definitions that could possibly be true:

Ziploc Bags are Male, because they hold everything
in, but you can see right through them.

Copiers are Female, because once turned off; it
takes a while to warm them up again. It's an effective
reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed,
but can wreak havoc if the wrong buttons are pushed.

A Tire is Male, because it goes bald and it's often
over-inflated.

A Hot Air Balloon is Male, because, to get it to go
anywhere, you have to light a fire under it, and of
course, there's the hot air part.

Sponges are Female, because they're soft,
squeezable and retain water.

A Web Page is Female, because it's always getting
hit on.

A Subway is Male, because it uses the same old
lines to pick people up.

An Hourglass is Female, because over time, the
weight shifts to the bottom.

A Hammer is Male , because it hasn't changed much
over the last 5,000 years, but it's handy to have
around.

A Remote Control is Female. AHa! You thought it'd
be male , didn't you? But consider this - it gives a
man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he
doesn't always know the right buttons to push, he
keeps trying!

i-pod vs. MP-3 players

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:29:57 GMT

Well, I finally did it! I RETURNED the i-pod my dear husband gave me for Christmas. I had to because I couldn't get the software to download from Apple. I know that seems like a stupid reason, but without the software -- the APPLE software, the machine is useless. You can't even upload things from your own computer without their software. It took me 3 hours to try to download it the first time (I have dial-up) and then it wouldn't all download,so I couldn't open the file without an error. So, I had my computer guy/expert download it onto my NEW XP Media Edition laptop and he did it three times but wasn't able to open it as well. He tried every which way to make it work, but couldn't get it to. Soooooo, I took the i-pod back and picked up a nice little Sony MP-3 player for HALF the price which works great and I can use with both of my computers. The other thing I hated about the i-pod was the fact that they didn't provide the buyer with any instructions on how to use it -- all that was inside was a foldout paper with a bunch of pictures and diagrams explaining how to attach it to your computer and such. It took me forever to figure out the WHEEL on the front and how it worked. Has anyone else had this trouble with Apple's i-pod??? I was totally disappointed by all of this, but convinced that the MP-3 is a better choice.

Hunters Delight

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:00:04 GMT

This one's from our neighbor to the north and is for all you hunters out there. Personally I don't hunt -- I couldn't bear to shoot an animal unless it was attacking me. My husband used to bow-hunt when we lived in Montana, but hasn't picked up his bow for anything other than target practice since we moved to CA. That's OK with me. There is an overabundance of ratty looking deer here and a small herd of wild boar along with an ever increasing flock of wild turkeys. You don't see or hear many hunters around here, though. We are strictly a target-archery family these days and I am secretly glad of that! I suspect the animal population will thrive and expand back in MI since there's been very little winter this year. I wonder what all this warm weather will do to the animal population as a whole. Hmmm......

25 Signs You've Grown Up

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:51:04 GMT

Yes, I know it is HARD to grow up but it happens, folks. I'm reminded of it every day when I get out of bed. So here are the signs:

25 SIGNS YOU HAVE GROWN UP

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

2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.

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

4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.

5. You hear your favorite song in an elevator.

6. You watch the Weather Channel.

7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of "hook up" and "break up."

8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.

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

10. You're the one calling the police because those %&@# kids next door won't turn down the stereo.

11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.

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

13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.

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

15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

16. You take naps.

17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.

18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.

19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.

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

21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.

22. "I just can't drink the way I used to" replaces "I'm never going to drink that much again."

23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.

24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar.

25. When you find out your friend is pregnant you congratulate them instead of asking "Oh shit what the hell happened?"

Bonus:

26: You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you and can't find one to save your sorry old ass. Then you forward it to a bunch of old friends 'cause you know they'll enjoy it too. And now you know why I am forwarding this to you... :)

Cat sunbathing

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 14:38:46 GMT

Although it has warmed up a lot here these last few days, it really isn't hot enough for this type of activity. However, these cats do seem to be quite modest in their bikinis. Personally, I will be out on the tennis courts today, maybe even in shorts! No snow for us. We are just grateful for sunny days with no rain here. Hope you all had a good holiday and will continue to reap good luck in the following year!

An after-Christmas Birthday

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 16:27:11 GMT

Well, yesterday, the 28th, my "baby" turned 11 years old! Boy, is that hard to believe! He is already almost as tall as I am. But as with all moms, I'm very proud of him. He is every parent's dream: kind, happy, smart and with good common sense. I know we are getting close to those dreaded teen years, but I think he will make it through with flying colors. So, here's to you, Max,

Happy Birthday!

Happy Holidays to you!

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 15:32:03 GMT

Have yourself a WARM and COZY holiday! Things have improved here weather-wise, but I know there are a lot of COLD, SNOWY places out there yet. So, be like this kitten and keep warm this season---preferably next to that fireplace or woodstove!

And have yourself a Merry Christmas

Women over 40...

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:48:28 GMT

This great article, "Women over 40" was written by Andy Rooney from "60 Minutes" and I think you'll find it quite enlightening:

As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting.

Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.

For all those men who say "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!