Having grown up as a teen in the wild 60's, I've seen the lines between what's MORALLY right, and what's LEGALLY right blur. Sex before marriage was frowned upon when I grew up.........now it's accepted. There was one girl in my high school class of 1000 + kids who got pregnant and she was literally shunned and talked about.  Girls who got pregnant before marriage were loose and whores.  My best friend's sister got pregnant when we were both about 14 or 15.  My mother said she was a whore and a slut.  And since my mother was always right, I told my best friend that 's what my mother said so she must be a whore or a slut. My best friend stopped talking to me for many years. But it was different then. Taking drugs was a whole different thing then too.  You were rebellious and wild if you smoked pot then.  Everybody did it.........everybody got high. Not me. I was too moral. My other best friend's brother (whom I had had a crush on since we were 7) asked me to smoke pot with him one night on the porch............so I went home. We were taught that lying was wrong, that stealing was wrong, and Hell was real. We knew respect for our elders, called everyone Mrs. or Mr., never ever dreamed of talking back to our teachers.  It was terrible if you got bad grades in school. It was different.  And maybe because my generation was so restricted, that's the reason things are so loose now. Nowadays, if someone steals, it gets laughed about. The president lies! You can't trust anyone in Washington. Pregnant teenagers?  They're proud of it!  WHAT HAPPENED TO MORALS? Morals aren't old fashioned! They're guidelines to live by. We need them and we need them now more than ever. Parents need to become parents again, not their child's best friend.  You don't just hand your child whatever they want......make them earn it!  And just because they want something doesn't mean they have to have it. You have to provide discipline with your children. It's so lacking these days. Why?  Because if you spank your child.......it's child abuse!  You could lose your child!  Did I get spanked or even a good beating when I was a kid?  Darn right I did.  And it kept me in line. I didn't want another one. All a kid these days has to do is to tell a teacher that daddy hit him, or mommy touched me and wham! The parents are in trouble and the kid is in a foster home. It's a mixed up crazy world now.  I don't get it.  I don't understand parents who brag about their teenager who is pregnant and let her do whatever she wants to without regard to the baby she created. And then let it happen all over again. 
Was I tough on my kids?  Some.  One more than the other, but only because the second one didn't want what the first one got.  Did the first one deserve it?  Not always. Was I a perfect mother?  Absolutely not. I made tons of mistakes, cried myself to sleep many nights about decisions I made, worried that they would hate me for it (sometimes I'm sure they did), and cried many many times worrying that they just wouldn't get it and screw up their lives.  But fortunately, my moralistic teachings might have actually gotten through to them because they grew up okay!  Guess morals aren't such a bad thing after all. We just need more of them in our lives.

Run for your life!  The kitchen is full of dead cats and dogs!

This past weekend we were invited to the wedding of a young man that is a friend of my daughter first, her brother in law second.  Which meant that my daughter was subject to her in-laws and the family and us. And we were all exposed to the bride's family. What a strange bunch of individuals the brides family is. Sullen and rude, definitely not hospitable.  Never came over to introduce themselves.  And I'm pretty sure they weren't even in the receiving line after the ceremony. They gave grief to the bride and groom and left the reception right after dinner.
This is the kind of stuff I don't understand. I guess because I like to believe that my children and I have a different kind of relationship.  Not perfect by any means, but we know we can each depend on each other when we're needed or to help celebrate those special times in life.
I had a very odd relationship with my own mother.  More of a love/hate relationship.  Towards the end of her life, I did what was required of me and grieved when she died, but there is still animosity there for things she did in her life that affected me. She was a good grandmother, and treated her grandkids well... spoiled them actually.  But the bond was never there with the two of us. We talked often, but only because it was expected. She was a very predjudiced person, always passing judgement on everything I did or what anyone else did, and I know I've picked up that trait from her (but I'm working on getting rid of it).  She always interfered in my life, passing on her opinions (another trait I find I've picked up, but am also trying to get rid of).
I guess it's true that children learn what they live, no matter how old they are. I learned some bad habits from my mother, but at least I am aware of it and trying to stop.  Occasionally I do slip up and the big mouth opens (more often than I like to admit), but my saving grace is that my kids know this about me and let it slide. Hopefully I'll learn to keep the mouth shut before I alienate my kids, and my kids will learn that people can change for the better.
I think the whole point of my ramblings is that we all do what is expected of us. Not things that we want to do, but what is expected when it comes to family.  On holidays, we are all expected to be with the "family".  That's fine when you're single, but once you're married......you now have two families demanding your time. And if you go to one home and not the other, you risk hurting the feelings of the one not attended. To me, I couldn't care less. I always just invite the kids, and if they're there........great. If not, that's okay too.  Because I've been there. I remember what kinds of hell you can feel when your "family" comes down on you for not being "first" on the list of who to visit at Christmas, or where you opt to have Thanksgiving dinner. 
My kids know that there will always be food on the table and the door always open on any holiday, and that they are always welcome and wanted.
I feel sorry for the bride.  Somehow I don't think that her mother will ever accept that her daughter is grown and now has her own life to forge.  And it will be her loss.  While I still have ties to my children, I've accepted their adulthood.  And I'm enjoying my new relationship with my husband.  It's now just the two of us again. And I still talk to my kids every day, and see my granddaughter almost every day.  What a gift that is. I only hope that the bride's mother realizes what she is missing before it's too late.

So much.  The truth about the Iraq war, the truth about Viet Nam, the truth about the Kennedy assasination, the truth about the moon walk, the truth about all the illegal gvt. spending, and all the dirt on the senators and congressmen that manages to be kept hush hush.

This is a different kind of meme. Only post in bold what pertains to you.

appearance:
- i am 5'4 or shorter.
- i think i'm ugly.
- i have many scars.
- i tan easily.
- i wish my hair was a different colour.
- i have friends who have never seen my natural hair colour.
- i have a tattoo.
- i am self-conscious about my appearance.
- i have/had braces.
- i wear glasses.
- i'd get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free, scar-free.
- i've been told i'm attractive by a complete stranger.
- i have had more than two piercings.
- i have had piercings in places besides my ears.
- i have freckles. (had)

family/home life:
- i've sworn at my parents.
- i've run away from home.
- i've been kicked out of the house.
- my biological parents are together.
- i have a sibling less than one year old.
- i want to have (more) kids someday.
- i have children.
- i've lost a child.

embarrassment:
- i've slipped out a "lol" in a spoken conversation.
- disney movies still make me cry.
- i've snorted while laughing.
- i've laughed so hard i've cried.
- i've glued my hand to something.
- i've laughed till some kind of beverage came out of my nose.
- i've had my trousers rip in public.
- i've had stitches.
- i've broken a bone.
- i've had my tonsils removed.
- i've sat in a doctor's office with a friend.
- i've had my wisdom teeth removed.
- i've had serious surgery.
- i've had chicken pox.

travelling:
- i've driven over 200 miles in one day.
- i've been on a plane.
- i've been to north america.
- i've been to niagara falls.
- i've been to japan.
- i've been to europe.
- i've been to africa.

experiences:
- i've been lost in my city.
- i've seen a shooting star.
- i've wished on a shooting star.
- i've seen a meteor shower.
- i've gone out in public in my pyjamas.
- i've pushed all the buttons in a lift.
- i've been to a casino.
- i've been skydiving.
- i've gone skinny dipping.
- i've played spin the bottle.
- i've crashed a car.
- i've been skiing.
- i've been in a play.
- i've met someone in person from the internet.
- i've caught a snowflake on my tongue.
- i've seen the northern lights.
- i've sat on a roof top at night.
- i've played chicken.
- i've seen the rocky horror picture show.
- i've eaten sushi.
- i've been snowboarding.

relationships:
- i'm single.
- i'm in a relationship.
- i'm available.
- i'm engaged.
- i'm married.
- i've gone on a blind date.
- i've been the dumpee more than the dumper.
- i have a fear of abandonment.
- i've been divorced.
- i've had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
- i've told someone i loved them when i didn't.
- i've told someone i didn't love them when i did.
- I've kept something from a past relationship.

sexuality:
- i've had a crush on someone of the same gender.
- i've kissed a member of the same gender.
- i've had sex with someone of the opposite gender.
- i've had sex with someone of the same gender.
- i've had sex with more than one person at the same time.
- i am a cuddler.
- i've been kissed in the rain.
- i've had sex outdoors.
- i've hugged a stranger.
- i have kissed a stranger.
- i have had sex with a stranger.

honesty/crime:
- i've done something i promised someone else i wouldn't.
- i've done something i promised myself i wouldn't.
- i have lied to my parents about where i am.
- i am keeping a secret from the world.
- i've cheated while playing a game.
- i've cheated on a test.
- i've driven through a red light.
- i've been suspended from school.
- i've witnessed a crime.
- i've been in a fist fight.
- i've been arrested.
- i've shoplifted.

drugs/alcohol:
- i've consumed alcohol.
- i smoke cigarettes.
- i've smoked pot.
- i regularly drink.
- i've taken painkillers when i didn't need them.
- i take cough medication when i'm not sick.
- i've done hard drugs.
- i've been addicted to an illegal substance.
- i can't swallow pills.
- i can swallow about five pills at a time no problem.

mental health:
- i have been diagnosed with depression.
- i shut others out when i'm depressed.
- i take anti-depressants.
- i have an eating disorder.
- i've slept an entire day when i didn't need it.
- i've hurt myself on purpose.
- i'm addicted to self harm.
- i've woken up crying.

death:
- i'm afraid of dying.
- i hate funerals.
- i've seen someone dying.
- i have attempted suicide.
- someone close to me has attempted suicide.
- someone close to me has committed suicide.

random:
- i can sing well.
- i've stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.
- i open up to others too easily.
- i watch the news.
- i don't kill bugs.
- i hate hearing songs that sacrifice meaning for sake of being able to rhyme.
- i fucking swear regularly.
- i sing in the shower.
- i am a morning person.
- i paid for my mobile phone ring tone.
- i'm a snob about grammar. (Spanish grammar at least)
- i am a sports fanatic.
- i play with my hair.
- i have/had "x"s in my screen name.
- i love being neat.
- i love spam.
- i've copied more than 30 cds in a day.
- i bake well.
- my favourite colour is either white, yellow, pink, red or blue.
- i don't know how to shoot a gun.
- i am in love with love.
- i am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
- i laugh at my own jokes.
- i eat fast food weekly.
- i believe in ghosts.
- i am online 24/7, even as an away message.
- i can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.
- i am really ticklish.
- i love white chocolate.
- i bite my nails.
- i play video games.
- i'm good at remembering faces.
- i'm good at remembering names.
- i'm good at remembering dates.
- i have no idea what i want to do for the rest of my life.
- my answers are totally honest. 

Wow. I got to watch my granddaughter be born, and I can't begin to explain all of the emotions I felt. The first one would be pride. I am so proud of Krissy. She did so beautifully dealing with the ordeal of childbirth. She is so strong. I was so filled with pride and love for her. Then when little Allison Noel popped her head out her eyes were open! I mean, when her head was the only thing out, her eyes were open! And when she was born and on her mommy's tummy, she didn't want to cry cause she was just so darn busy looking around! It was almost commical. But she did cry eventually, but just a little bit. That sweet little mewing cry of newborns. She has soft, soft fuzzy red hair and the sweetest face. She loves to make faces and I adore just watching her expressions. Then when she wakes up and opens those eyes, she just stares at you so intently, like she's trying to remember every detail of your face. I know all babies are sort of weird looking when they're born, but she is just beautiful. She is so petite. TINY little hands and TINY little feet. I hope she stays that way. I hope she takes after her mother and not her dad or me. I think she's going to be very bright like her mom. God, I'm a grandmother. I can't believe that many years have passed. Rich and I will celebrate our 35th anniversary in May. Unreal. Our first grandchild. Wow. Thank you Krissy. I love you very, very much.

It was so nice today.........mid 50's to low 60's. I had my window down on the car and the sunroof open just a hair, but enough to get a nice breeze. It was wonderful having the window down, having a sweatshirt on and being 'warm enough". Now tomorrow they're calling for a high of 39 and snow by the weekend. This is just the beginning and I already wish it would go away. The Corvette is ready for it's five month sleep, all that's left to do is put the winter cover on it. All that's left to do now is to wait for spring. The reservations are made for our hotel in Ocean City for the Cruise In..............four days at the beach and cars. Can't get a whole lot better than that. And we have our reservations for our hotel for Corvettes at Carlisle in August. But if you don't book that hotel now, you most likely will be out of luck by the first of the year. It's strange how much I've come to enjoy the world of car shows and cruise ins. I've met so many wonderful people who will stop and admire your car, or just strike up a conversation about some small detail. And of course, while I'm always flattered that my husband's hard work is appreciated, I enjoy walking around looking at all the things others have done to their cars too. I now see beauty in cars that I never saw before we got the Corvette. I like all cars. Not just Vettes, but I really like the older cars, muscle cars especially. So till spring now, I'll spend my time on the computer checking websites for upcoming shows and marking my calendar, and looking at pics from past years. It's fun to relive places we've been and people we've met over the years. And while I'm looking forward to the new granddaughter, I'm looking forward to spring and freedom again.

As a general rule, I don't watch MTV. But I'm sitting here waiting till 10:00 waiting for another show to come on, and flipping through the channels,when I come across a show called "Little Beauties". It's like America's Next Top Model for the toddler to pre-teen set. We as women have worked so hard through the generations to be taken seriously, to be able to vote, to have a voice. And yet, there still exists in our society these "blond" minded, unfulfilled women who live their pitiful lives through the lives of their daughters. Specifically, in these "little miss" type beauty pageants. These poor children. How can any mother put their daughter through these things? To tell your daughter that "you didn't win anything because you aren't pretty enough". A mother just said that to her daughter! These little girls are about 6-8 years old and they look like Miss America. They wear more makeup than I have ever worn in my life. Outlined lips. False eyelashes. Butt stick to hold their bathing suits to their bodies. eye liner!. Tanning salons! Get a grip! The mothers are all overweight,and were probably cheerleaders in their teens. I can't stand it. I'm having a granddaughter soon, and if my daughter EVER does this to any of my grandchildren I'll file for custody! (not really) But I would have a serious problem. These poor little girls are so crushed when they don't win. It's so tragic. The mothers are happier than the girls when they win. They all try to please their mothers. It's just sick and all these little girls are growing up with the wrong image of themselves. No wonder girls have bulimia and anorexia, are alcoholics, drug addicts, and prostitutes. Guess we really haven't evolved that much after all. So sad.

It's been so hot and humid lately and we've been having really bad thunderstorms. Very much like it was thirty years ago when Johnstown (my hometown)had its third major flood. What do I remember?
The sky. That's what I remember first about that night. It was a little after five pm and we were headed to Vinco to my husband's cousin's house to watch the Pirate game on tv. The sky was like nothing ever before. It was so black. Not dark like night time, but black. Black clouds like never before. And they were rolling in like waves. The rain started and the storm just kept up. Lightening and thunder that didn't stop. We finally headed home around midnight and I remember going down Franklin St at the corner of Franklin and Valley Pike. The water was over the curbs at this point, but we never thought to look over towards the river. It never even occured to us that there could be a flood. We all thught the river walls were wide enough and deep enough to protect us.I was seven months pregnant at the time. We got home and went to bed, but around 4AM, the lightning struck right beside our house turning on the outside lights, but they weren't bright, they were sort of orangy. When the lightening hit, we were both sound asleep and I remember I sat straight up in bed. Our electrical boxes in the house were smoking so we stayed up the rest of the night, too afraid to sleep. Around 6 am, my brother in law, who was a city garbage man, called us to tell us that the city was flooded and not to try to go to work. The rain had stopped and we got in the car and drove over to the Incline Plane in Westmont. There were a lot of people there, even though it was so early. But the strangest thing was that you couldn't see the city. Not at all. The entire city was covered with a blanket of fog, and all you could see was church steeples peeking out. The fog only covered the city though, because it was bright and sunny in Westmont.
My grandfather lived on Bedford St. and we had no way of knowing if he and his wife were dead or alive. The phones worked in some areas but not there. So on the third day, my hubby and I drove our Blazer to Dale. We had to get a pass to get into the flood area (I still have it). I think we got as far as David St and had to walk the rest of the way. There was so much debris, and cars piled up. His house was still standing and I remember seeing him standing on top of the mud piled up against Homesstead UM Church. Turns out both of his cars were in the mud there. He looked so old, and only had on a pair of plaid shorts and an undershirt, black socks and shoes. He had a huge gash on his leg, that I found out later was from a tree that crashed through his house and knocked him into the water as he was trying to get up the stairs to the second floor. The basement and first floor of the house were totally encased in mud. You can't imagine how much muck and muc was there. They had a white sofa that was now brown. And the stove was upturned. This used to be such a beautiful old home. I remember the smell.....there was a body in the mud off the back porch of his house. That smell doesn't leave you. They came and lived with us for a couple weeks after the flood, and my basement was full of whatever they managed to save from their home. Their home was condemned, but was never torn down and there are people living in it now. They moved to Tire Hill a week before my son was born. I found out later that they moved into a house with no electricity and slept on the floors. They were worried about ME! The helicopters would land at WJAC, the local tv station,and right next to my house, so the noise from those things is still in my head. We would walk up the hill and watch them land. I remember seeing the governor. And we made national news, so there were lots of different media trucks in town. Different time.
My due date was Sept. 23, but on August 12, my son decided to be born. Lee Hospital re-opened that day for the first time since the flood. My water broke at home, and when I called the hospital I was told I'd have to sit in the emergency room of Lee until 7 am till the OB floor opened up. That was funny. I remember my room faced Main St. and Olbum's furniture store was across the street. They threw out all that furniture onto Main St, and a truck would come along and pick stuff up. When it didn't rain, there would be clouds of dust everywhere, and when it rained,people held their breath. My mother was a secretary for a business that sat along side the river called General Cleaning Service. She would go in to work every day for weeks in old clothes just to clean the office, and people were calling them to clean THEIR houses. Very bizzarre.
Bethlehem steel never recovered and started pulling out over the next several years, same as Penn Traffic and Glosser Brother's. If you ever want to see what Johnstown looked like before the flood, rent the movie Slap Shot. It was filmed here. Woolworth's and Grants are gone now, and so much of what you see in the movie is gone. Even the dog statue, Morely's Dog, no longer stands on a pedestal in the heart of town. He has been removed to a museum somewhere. The town is still here, but it sure isn't the same anymore. It was good before the flood. Not so much anymore.

I am a person who was raised in faith, not necessarily the church. I've been baptised three times (Brethren, Presbyterian, and Catholic) so I'm fairly familiar with a couple of doctrines. I raised my two children in the Catholic faith mixed with protestant Bible school in the summer so they could see that "church" isn't all "stand up, sit down, kneel and obey". I like to think that if nothing else, they've developed their own faith in a higher being. At least I hope so. My daughter has for sure, but I have no idea if my son ever even considers the existance of God.
Somewhere in my adulthood, once the kids were done with catechism, we stopped going to mass. Simply because I don't hold or believe in most of the Catholic doctrine. I never believed in confessing to a priest (even though I did it because it was required of me).I don't believe that he is somehow closer to God and my sins are forgiven through this man. He's just in there doing his job and collecting his check just like the rest of us. I do believe in praying to saints, maybe because I figure they're a lot closer to God than I am and it can't hurt. I don't like hypocrytical priests who tell you how to live a holy life, and then go out and break the commandments, screw around, and molest children. And I'm going to tell this guy MY sins?? Uh, nope.
So I do my own thing. I watch an occasional church show and listen to the sermons. I actually enjoy a good sermon when it actually explains a part of the Bible or a teaching. I read the Bible on occasion and do believe in Christ and God, and that Mary was Christ's mother.
But I also believe that the Bible is a story book. I mean, that's really what it is. It is the writings of stories that have been passed down through generations and re-interpereted by countless people and countless faiths. But if you really think about it, is it all just that? Stories? Stories that are meant to be the basis of decent living for all humans? Now the new Gospels have been found which have been hidden for centuries which wreak havoc on the Catholic faith (probably the reason they were buried). The Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Judas, and the Gospel of Mary Magdeline. Gospels which explain that Christ did walk the earth, but he was a man. In every sense. Did he in fact have a child with Mary Magdeline? I find tha possible. If God had sent him here to live as man, to learn about men in general, wouldn't he have experienced that part of manhood too? I've been hearing and reading various accounts on these gospels and it makes Christ more real and less "commanding". I think what it all boils down to is that there is a "God" or some sort of creator who just wants us all to be good people. To do no harm to each other. To live decent lives. To teach our children morals and values and live by them. To enjoy what is here on this earth and appreciate what we have been given. I think He hears my prayers at night and instead of asking for what I want, I thank Him for what I have been given. I don't think that a person who goes to church is guaranteed a place in Heaven. Especially if they live an amoral life the other six days of the week. Organized religion to me is a business, a scam placed on people who willingly follow like sheep and continue the routine through their children, and believe that what they believe in is the 'right' way to live. And that all others who don't believe like they do are heathens. Oh well. Guess I'm a heathen. Organized religion is a very powerful, dangerous thing. Doctrine is a dangerous thing. Think I'll just keep on trying to be the best person I can be, and thanking God every night for another day.

I think this lousy weather is getting to me. That or I need a hobby. I'm watching Beluga whales mate. And I just posted a weird entry to Krissy's journal about Snuggle bear being eaten by jaws. Maybe I just really, really need to go to the beach. Krissy's going on Monday and I'm soooooooooooo jealous. Not because she's going to the beach, but because she's going to Key West. I've always wanted to go there. I doubt I ever will. That's my repressed free spirit inner flower child speaking. In my inner mind, I always picture myself someday being a free spirit, with long free hair, wearing sandals, growing organic food, riding a horse bareback (yes I can do that)in a field of wildflowers. But I'm too co-dependant. I've never ever had to be responsible only for me. Someone has always done that. I need a shrink. Perhaps I should go to college and get a degree in psychology or philosophy. Or theology. I could have fun with that one. God is real....no He isn't... prove it! LOL. Odd night. I'm in a very strange mental place. It's the weather. I need sun. And warm. Guess I'll go to bed.

I love chick flicks. I watched the final episode of Sex and the City last night (for the fourth time) and cried again when Carrie and Big found each other in Paris. That's one of those shows that you root like crazy for the girls to find true, lasting love and you cry like crazy when they do. I mean, all the girls on that show were promiscuous, but hence the title. But down deep inside, whether they wanted to admit it or not, they were all just looking for that one true love. The one who eclipses all others, the one who accepts all your faults, the one who isn't perfect, but you know is true to only you. Through the years, these girls were on again/off again with their soul mates, but it was always there that these were THE ONES. I loved Carrie and Big (who they tell you in the last scene that his name is John ........could have left that out). They were so obviously in love but he denied it to himself over and over again. So when he finds her in a Paris hotel, in a beautiful Dior gown, crouched down on the floor picking up the beads of her broken necklace, she looks up, sees him, and cries, and falls into his arms, and he says,"Carrie, you're the one." Oh, it's such a YEAH!! moment. And Charlotte, who turned Jewish for her bald headed man, and could never get pregnant, finally gets a picture of her little Chinese baby that they are going to adopt. She sees the picture and says "That's my baby! I just know it. I was just waiting for her to come to me." Another sniffle and YEAH! Miranda was the one who was already settled in the burbs, had finally given into the homemaker lifestyle and had a baby, but still fought against giving of herself completely to love until Steve's (her husband) mother with Alzheimers comes to live with them and gets out alone one day. Poor Miranda is frantic searching for her and finds her eating pizza from a trash can. She takes her home, and gently bathes her, and finally gives up her heart and realizes that sometimes love IS painful, but it's better than not feeling anything.(sniffle) And then there's Samantha. She was always the vain, man using sexpot on the show. She never thought of anyone other than herself or her three best friends, and men were just toys. But she finally found love with a much younger man who couldn't see anything but her. And when she developed breast cancer and lost her hair and looks to chemo, even though she tried to push him away, he stayed. And loved her. (another sniffle)
I love these silly "love conquers all" type shows. It's nice to remember, after all these years of marriage, that first rush of feeling when you've met "the one". That glow you feel inside. That permanent smile you wear. That "I can't sleep at night" feeling. And that wonderful feeling from holding onto the one man who you never want to be without..........ever.
(sniffle)

Okay. So it's 12:30 AM and the tv is on and I'm watching Law and Order when a commercial for Viagra comes on. I'm not really watching tv cause I'm on the computer vegging. The tv is really just on for company. ANYWAY, this commercial for Viagra comes on and it's the usual thing.........see your dr. if pain persists, don't take it if you are on heart medicine, if you get an erection that lasts for more than four hours (that's a bad thing??). But the last thing they say puts me in tears laughing. The announcer says "with the value card, every fourth prescription is free". How much freakin Viagra does a man need in a year?? I mean, geez, a value card?? Do you hang it on your key chain? Do prostitutes give you discounts? All I can picture is a guy with a permanent boner to warrant a value card. And humping knot holes in trees or a VERY tired wife. Don't think I'll be ordering any of it for my hubby in the near future. I'd probably be giggling through the whole thing.
And my mood isn't really mischievious, the little icon just fit the subject.

I hate bugs. I mean REALLY hate bugs. Not all bugs. Butterflies are okay. But there is one bug I just plain freak out over. June bugs! I had one in my hair when I was a child and now it's a mental thing. I totally freak out when one is on the screen, and if one gets into the house and everyone is asleep except me, I curl up on the chair and cry. Yup, I'm that afraid of them. So tonight, I'm watching a real life emergency medicine show on The Learning Channel. This lady comes to the ER almost insane because she keeps hearing helicopters in her head. And she doesn't know why. She's hysterical from the noise and when the dr's try to examine her, she gets worse. They finally calm her down enough to examine her nose, eyes, and ears and find some blood in her right ear. This sends her over the edge to the point they have to give her a mild sedative. Finally the dr. gets a light and a tiny camera and looks into her ear and guess what he finds? You got it. A live June bug. Yeah, I know. I should have, could have changed the channel, but by this time it's like watching an accident. You know, you just can't look away. Well, this poor woman is now almost inconsolable (I'd be jumping off the roof by now) learning the bug is still alive and in her ear. To top it off, the only way to get rid of the bug is to kill it by pouring alcohol into the ear. When they do that, the bug goes nuts inside the ear, the wings beating wildly, and the woman by this time is screaming and flailing, almost insane. (I would have chopped off my head) Finally the bug dies and the dr removes it from her ear. And of course it isn't small. AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! That is absolutely my worst nightmare. I know I'm not going to sleep at all in the summer. I hate them. I hate them. I hate them. Just knowing that they only come in summer makes me appreciate this lousy cold, snowy winter. Early spring? Who cares. Come on winter.

Lately I've been having a little bit of trouble seeing things clearly even with my three year old glasses,which I very seldom wear, and with my seven year old glasses that I see better with. I found some recipes on line that are supposedly restaraunt recipes so I printed a bunch off and have been trying them about once a week. So far, so good. No bad results yet. I really enjoy Chicken Fried Steak, you know,the breaded fried chop steak with the spicy white gravy. I found a recipe for Shoney's Fried Steak and decided to try it tonight. Pretty simple recipe to follow and all was well. While the meat was in the deep fryer I started the gravy which called for 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef, browned, then add 1/4 cup of flour, 16 oz of chicken broth, 2 cups of milk and salt and pepper. So there I am with the potatoes almost ready to mash, the green beans in the pot, and I'm browning the beef. Lots and lots of beef. A pound and a half of beef for gravy. Huh? My hubby comes out and looks at the beef and says "what's that for?" The gravy I tell him. "That's enough for sloppy joes" he says. " How much meat did you use?" "Just what the recipe says. See, 1 1/2 lbs."

"Honey, put your glasses on". Oooops. The recipe says 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS of ground beef. Just a little mistake.

That was pretty rich gravy. Time to call Dr. Mucker before I mistake the Preperation H for Fixodent.

Now I know that I've met some of these people.

Some guy bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: "Free to good home. You want it, you take it." For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it. He eventually decided that people were too un-trusting of this deal. It looked to good to be true, so he changed the sign to read: "Fridge for sale $100.00" The next day someone stole it.



One day I was walking down the beach with some friends when someone
shouted...."Look at that dead bird!" Someone looked up at the sky and
said..."where???"



While looking at a house, my brother asked the estate agent which direction was north because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, "Does the sun rise in the north?" When my brother explained that the sun rises in the east, and has for sometime, she shook her head and said, "Oh, I don't keep up with that stuff."



My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we
overheard one of the administrative assistants talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the beach. She drove down in a convertible, but "didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving".



I told the girl at the steakhouse register that I wanted the half pound
sirloin. She informed me they only had an 8 ounce sirloin. Not wanting to make a scene, I told her I would take the 8 ounce steak instead of the half-pounder.



My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car it's designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped She keeps it in the trunk...



My friends and I were on a beer run and noticed that the cases were discounted 10%. Since it was a big party, we bought 2 cases. The cashier multiplied 2 times 10% and gave us a 20% discount....



I was hanging out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring
attached to an earring by a chain. My friend said, "Wouldn't the chain rip out every time she turned her head?" I had to explain that a person's nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned ...



I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area. So I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. "Now," she asked me, "Has your plane arrived yet?"...



While working at a pizza parlour I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time before responding. "Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6 pieces.



Sadly,not only do they walk among us, they also reproduce!!!!

Today was a "me" day. I went to my usual stomp to have my nails done and after watching two other women get it done, got my eyebrows waxed. This was my first time. I thought about how much I really hate plucking eyebrows (painful one at a time)so I figured why not do it all at once. It didn't look too painful. So I bravely hopped into the chair and Wendy,my girl, dipped the little wooden stick into the HOT wax, applied it to my eyebrow area, put on the little paper and then ripped it off. Actually, it didn't hurt a bit. Surprise. So she did the second one and shaped them and I'm very happy. I need to talk my daughter into this. Anyhow, these two other women in the shop were having a girl's day out too. They both got manicures, pedicures, were going for massages and then to get their hair done. One was in her 40's and the other was in her 60's. The younger one is a bartender, but can't deal with people touching her feet. So there she is getting a pedicure and when the girl started to loofa her feet, she about came out of the chair laughing cause it tickled so much. We were both laughing at her predicament, but there was no way out. Then we laughed again on foot two. The older lady was a real hoot. Never had her nails done or her eyebrows done or a pedicure, so everything was "Oh my God!" to her. We had an aunt who was just like her. Too funny. But what was so funny was after her pedicure she was heading for the dryers with the little toe separaters and thongs on and wouldn't you know, she messes up the polish. Back she goes for touch up and makes it under the dryer. The whole time, she's saying "I'm gonna get lucky tonight for sure". LOL. She kept admiring her nails and feet, and sure enough, she bumps her fingernails and has to go for another repair. Then it's time for the eyebrows. "Take them all off" she tells Wendy. Well, Wendy just shapes them up really nicely for the lady and hands her the mirror. Again "Oh my God! They're BEAUTIFUL! I'm going to really get lucky for sure!" I'm cracking up. Now it's back under the dryer for her fingernails. By now I'm under the dryer across from her. She starts talking and tells me "I have a new attitude this year. Fuck everybody!" I about peed my pants. Geez she was funny. And to top it all off, the two leave together but don't make it to the car. Back she comes...........messed up another one. LOL. I can only imagine what those toenails look like under the boots she squeezed her feet into. She made me laugh.

Christmas and Thanksgiving are finally behind us. Thank God. What a weird holiday season. (see earlier post) Thanksgiving was a disaster which put me off for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Including not puting up a tree. But a little less than a week before Christmas, my hubby tells me he wants a tree. So up it goes. I have to admit, even though I gave it very little attention to detail and it's not one of my finer trees, it put me in a better mood. Family came to visit and stayed longer than expected (which was nice)and we have plans to get together with friends later. It was a strange different mix, out of the ordinary as far as what we've done every other year. I find that I both enjoyed it, but missed the family moments. Even though they all drive me bonkers at times, the key word is FAMILY. We are what we are, for better or worse, and if I've learned anything in my now 55 years is not to assume there will always be next year. Life isn't like that. I enjoyed having a stress free holiday, but wonder what this next year will bring. Hopefully we will all be together next year and will be able to have a holiday together again. Maybe by then, I won't mind the stress so much. Oh wait, Easter's coming. (sigh)

After tonight, I have decided that I have offficially retired from holiday meals, celebrations, or holiday parties of any kind. I was told that I was "stingy" by my father who called me the morning of Thanksgiving to tell me that he was too ill to come to dinner (after I bought a 23 lb. turkey), but proceeded to go out that afternoon, the next day, and on Saturday night went to a birthday party in Somerset. I'm tired of doing all the work with no help. I'm tired of sorry ass attitudes from people who so obviously don't try to hide the fact they don't want to be here. In other words.....I quit. So everyone can expect a check in their Christmas cards and that's it. No presents, no holiday cookies, no nothin. I'm not visiting unless I'm asked. I'm not beggging anyone anymore to tell me what they want. I'm also tired of a husband who wouldn't support me if he was made of cement. No help there either. I'm tired of his crabby ass too. I think I'm going to start looking for a house in Maryland.....just for me. At least the temperature is warmer there.

How in the world do I get out of jury duty? I'm not the type to lie or over exagerate things so that's out. But I'm going to end up on a murder trial and AAAAGHHH! I don't want to do it. I'm not going to be able to give him the death penalty. Not that I don't believe in it, I just couldn't live with myself knowing I was responsible for someone's death. Charles Manson should have died. I wonder if I had been in that jury and the death sentence would have been available (which it wasn't) would I have been able to send him to the chamber? Anyhow, this guy whose jury I'll be on (if I'm picked) killed a woman and rode around with her body in his trunk for a couple days. I don't want to see the crime scene pics, thank you very much. Amd he killed a guy in another county.I don't want to be sequestered with some middle aged mom or mid twenties career gal who does nothing but bitch on the phone with her significant other about "the woman in the other bed does nothing but watch tv till 4 AM." Oh well. I guess I'll just keep on hoping that I'll get a phone call saying "we don't need you". Happy happy. Think I'll go bake a pie.