*Bounces in and lies down*
This is it Mr. Blog, the start of my next big adventure.
I spent all day yesterday shopping and packing for my trip to the
KNOP Port Angeles high school Home Show!
At the last minute I had the idea to make some Twilight photo op props for my booth.
Last summer I bought the Twilight poster, "So the Lion Lay Down With The Lamb"and
spray-glued it to cardboard and cut out Bella's face so people could stick their face in the hole.
When Terry and I took the Forks Twilight Tour I asked a few teen girls at the
Dazzled by Twilight store in Forks if they would want to get a picture with Edward.
The teens mobbed me and Terry laughed and laughed as
women of ALL ages got their picture with Edward. He said I could have charged a dollar but
I just did it for fun, because I could.
Well yesterday I woke thinking that Port Angeles is in the heart of Twilight country
and the teens at Port Angeles high school might like their picture in a poster.
I called Ostroms and they had tri-boards so I dashed over and picked up three.
When I get to Port Angeles in a few hours I'll try the Dazzled By Twilight store
and see what they have. Ideally there would be ones that I can cut Bella's face out of so
the girls can get their faces with Edward, Jacob or...BOTH!
It just sounds so fun to put my card table in the back of my booth for the teens to take pictures!
It is a typical wet, gloomy day this morning and reminds me of what Terry
said to me when I read him an article from the newspaper that said Americans
think November is the gloomiest, least favorite month of the year.
He said, "That is why God made you in November. You are the light in the gloom."
So with that in mind
I'm atta here until Sunday night.
Ciao! Mr. Blog
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
2/25/10 Pack 622 Blue and Gold Banquet
*Drags in smiling*
Hi Mr. Blog, better grab a pillow since this is a long story...*waits for him to lie down*
I have a casserole hangover from the cub scout blue and gold banquet last night.
It was right down the street at the Kenmore Community Center Clubhouse instead of KJH.
Teddy met me there and it was total, absolute pandemonium.
Take forty seven six to eleven-year old boys, add twenty siblings and fifty parents and it spells:
C-H-A-O-S!!!
Thank God I was a den leader there for a decade while still in my forties and my nerves could handle the deafening roar of screaming kids.
It was so awesome to see all my old and new scout pals, especially the Bushes and Meagan Colella. She was even signing up to take Michael to camp! I remember five years ago when we took Teddy and Chris up to Camp Brinkley and she told me how much she hated to camp.
We had the best time of our lives up there with NO COOKING OR CLEANING!
Just hiking and helping and enjoying watching the boys learn how to row boats, shoot rifles, shoot bows and arrows, learn and do skits and songs and enjoy friendship fires nightly!
So I got to sit with the Colellas and little Tyler Hass remembered me! He sat with me all night and is already in third grade. He lives with his elderly grandparents and you know what?
I'm thinking about taking him to camp since his grandpa is having so much trouble walking.
Greg Tanner and Alun Jones did a great history show since it was the packs fiftieth birthday and the Boy Scouts of America's 100Th birthday.
You should have seen the food! It was ten times better than anything we had when I was in that group! Part of the reason the pack has grown was the Arrowhead and Lockwood elementary schools' packs went out of business a few years ago. They couldn't get enough parents to lead the dens. It was the hardest job I never got paid for for ten years so I understand. Just sad.
We chatted and listened to the scout history story and near the end I asked Meagan when the skits were starting. She said, "No skits." Ugh! I love watching those silly kids in their goofy skits! I told her that the skits were the tradition at the blue and gold banquet and she said that traditions change. I told her I might have to go to camp. Think I'm in skit withdrawal.
Well, I sure enjoyed being with all those kids and their parents.
The Webelos IIs that cross over this year led originally by Greg Tanner and Alun Jones
are the first group of boys I coached when they were in first grade as tiger cubs.
My last four years as den leader, I started up the new tigers and gave the parents
training or information or any help I could and you know why?
I was Tyler Haas in 1962! My single working mother was exhausted when she got home
and she signed me up for Girl Scouts. God I loved my little Brownie dress and beanie!
I couldn't wait to sell cookies!
My den leader, Mrs. Wetmore, took a shining to me and I was friends with daughter Debbie.
This was when I was seven and we had moved out of the projects to a tiny house on 28th avenue south on Beacon Hill and I went to Van Asselt. My gang of girl scouts was awesome first to third grade! I still remember most of them although we moved at the end of third grade to the north end and I went to Bryant Elementary after that.
Our Beacon Hill group was: Debbie Wetmore, Theresa Lucretia, Lisa Malen, Sherry, Susan Chew and more that I no longer remember the names for.
We were on JP Patches twice! I remember the shock the first time when we went downtown and I kept looking for the garbage. Boy was I surprised that we weren't in the city dump!
We toured a taffy factory and Lucern Milk and Hostess cupcake factory and guess what?
They all gave out samples!
So anyway, when I was Little Gretchen, I always wanted a baby to grow and scout with and expected a bunch of girl scouts since I only had sisters and nearly all girl cousins.
Well surprise! Back to back sons for me!
When Troy was in kindergarten I called Katy Wilkens and asked if I could be a den mother
and she laughed and told me I had to wait another year.
I couldn't wait to be a den leader!
I was so excited to help those little boys learn songs and skits and games and
go on huge adventures to camp and sleep over at the Seattle Aquarium and
tour the Turner Joy battleship!
I just like people Mr. Blog. I think they are funny and interesting.
Scouting is the best place in the world to make friends.
Hi Mr. Blog, better grab a pillow since this is a long story...*waits for him to lie down*
I have a casserole hangover from the cub scout blue and gold banquet last night.
It was right down the street at the Kenmore Community Center Clubhouse instead of KJH.
Teddy met me there and it was total, absolute pandemonium.
Take forty seven six to eleven-year old boys, add twenty siblings and fifty parents and it spells:
C-H-A-O-S!!!
Thank God I was a den leader there for a decade while still in my forties and my nerves could handle the deafening roar of screaming kids.
It was so awesome to see all my old and new scout pals, especially the Bushes and Meagan Colella. She was even signing up to take Michael to camp! I remember five years ago when we took Teddy and Chris up to Camp Brinkley and she told me how much she hated to camp.
We had the best time of our lives up there with NO COOKING OR CLEANING!
Just hiking and helping and enjoying watching the boys learn how to row boats, shoot rifles, shoot bows and arrows, learn and do skits and songs and enjoy friendship fires nightly!
So I got to sit with the Colellas and little Tyler Hass remembered me! He sat with me all night and is already in third grade. He lives with his elderly grandparents and you know what?
I'm thinking about taking him to camp since his grandpa is having so much trouble walking.
Greg Tanner and Alun Jones did a great history show since it was the packs fiftieth birthday and the Boy Scouts of America's 100Th birthday.
You should have seen the food! It was ten times better than anything we had when I was in that group! Part of the reason the pack has grown was the Arrowhead and Lockwood elementary schools' packs went out of business a few years ago. They couldn't get enough parents to lead the dens. It was the hardest job I never got paid for for ten years so I understand. Just sad.
We chatted and listened to the scout history story and near the end I asked Meagan when the skits were starting. She said, "No skits." Ugh! I love watching those silly kids in their goofy skits! I told her that the skits were the tradition at the blue and gold banquet and she said that traditions change. I told her I might have to go to camp. Think I'm in skit withdrawal.
Well, I sure enjoyed being with all those kids and their parents.
The Webelos IIs that cross over this year led originally by Greg Tanner and Alun Jones
are the first group of boys I coached when they were in first grade as tiger cubs.
My last four years as den leader, I started up the new tigers and gave the parents
training or information or any help I could and you know why?
I was Tyler Haas in 1962! My single working mother was exhausted when she got home
and she signed me up for Girl Scouts. God I loved my little Brownie dress and beanie!
I couldn't wait to sell cookies!
My den leader, Mrs. Wetmore, took a shining to me and I was friends with daughter Debbie.
This was when I was seven and we had moved out of the projects to a tiny house on 28th avenue south on Beacon Hill and I went to Van Asselt. My gang of girl scouts was awesome first to third grade! I still remember most of them although we moved at the end of third grade to the north end and I went to Bryant Elementary after that.
Our Beacon Hill group was: Debbie Wetmore, Theresa Lucretia, Lisa Malen, Sherry, Susan Chew and more that I no longer remember the names for.
We were on JP Patches twice! I remember the shock the first time when we went downtown and I kept looking for the garbage. Boy was I surprised that we weren't in the city dump!
We toured a taffy factory and Lucern Milk and Hostess cupcake factory and guess what?
They all gave out samples!
So anyway, when I was Little Gretchen, I always wanted a baby to grow and scout with and expected a bunch of girl scouts since I only had sisters and nearly all girl cousins.
Well surprise! Back to back sons for me!
When Troy was in kindergarten I called Katy Wilkens and asked if I could be a den mother
and she laughed and told me I had to wait another year.
I couldn't wait to be a den leader!
I was so excited to help those little boys learn songs and skits and games and
go on huge adventures to camp and sleep over at the Seattle Aquarium and
tour the Turner Joy battleship!
I just like people Mr. Blog. I think they are funny and interesting.
Scouting is the best place in the world to make friends.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
2/24/10 Turbo Tax
*Walks in slowly and lies down*
Ugh. Haven't had my coffee yet Mr.Blog.
I was up until eleven sorting business receipts and got them sorted and started adding them up.
I only have three categories left to tally this morning
then it's time to enter everything into the computer and pray it goes through.
Terry is very tyrannical about doing taxes early to get his refund.
I told Brenda that Terry wants me to go back to work at the post office.
I told her how I was fed up with subbing a few weeks ago because the schedule is so erratic
and she said, "Which is worse? The post office or subbing?"
Well that woke me up and I smelled the coffee!
When I get back from PA I'm taking every sub job I hear and not turning anything down.
I know I get sick from the gooey kindergartners
but having Terry cheer up is more important right now.
Wish me luck?
Ugh. Haven't had my coffee yet Mr.Blog.
I was up until eleven sorting business receipts and got them sorted and started adding them up.
I only have three categories left to tally this morning
then it's time to enter everything into the computer and pray it goes through.
Terry is very tyrannical about doing taxes early to get his refund.
I told Brenda that Terry wants me to go back to work at the post office.
I told her how I was fed up with subbing a few weeks ago because the schedule is so erratic
and she said, "Which is worse? The post office or subbing?"
Well that woke me up and I smelled the coffee!
When I get back from PA I'm taking every sub job I hear and not turning anything down.
I know I get sick from the gooey kindergartners
but having Terry cheer up is more important right now.
Wish me luck?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
2/23/10 Kenmore City Council Meeting
*Walks in and lies down*
Hi Mr. Blog,
I'm just waiting for my coffee to kick in to get back to work on my taxes.
So last night I talked Terry into going with me to the city council meeting.
We went early so I could have my three minutes at the microphone first.
We met a nice reporter from the Northlake News and chatted before the council came in.
We know all of them since we have lived in Kookmore since 1990.
They all sat down and then the mayor looked at me and said, "Mrs. Kennedy, would you lead the flag salute?" Everyone stared at me since he was staring at me and so I turned in my chair and looked down the hall behind me. One of the council members said fairly loudly, "It's Nixon not Kennedy." Dave turned really red and said, "Oh, I had a senior moment. Mrs. Nixon, would you lead the flag ceremony?" Everyone laughed and Terry and I thought it was hysterical.
So I jumped up and led the Pledge of Allegiance and then we all sat down and I got
called up to read my letter. I had photocopies for the council members and the city clerk and manager and lawyer.
I only got through the first page of two in my three minutes before the red clock timer hit 0.
But they are all smart and can read it and be craving that river walk trail just like we do!
Before all the bridges washed out over the creek, we were down on that river every single day.
I was looking for Earl and Winston at the trailer park down the street last week and went
to the river and saw how beautiful it was and got in a frenzy to get a river walk trail again.
I could put my canoe on my wheeled cart and roll it right from my house!
So now I'm trying not to panic but it is really hard.
Terry told me last night he wants me to go back to work at the post office.
When I carried mail for ten years I was never late or absent and I was tied as faster mail sorter with JoAnn and the supervisors still harassed me half to death every day of my life there.
I still get nightmares about it and I left working there in 1987!
So he said that I need to make cash on Nixpix or pull the plug soon.
Then he went to get milk and I got requested to sub next week!
The teachers are so darn healthy that no one could make a living as a sub.
They give all the long term sub jobs to retired teachers who are already pulling down
full retirement and social security which forces any primary breadwinners to quit subbing if they are not retired teachers.
So I don't regret that I didn't go into teaching right out of college after high school.
I'd be retiring this year.
I met so many wonderful people when I carried mail and dug ditches and was a custodian and a flight attendant. I don't regret any of it because it was all very fun and interesting.
But, I do regret that Terry can't seem to cut me any slack and is beginning to sound like a postal supervisor to me. Well, I'm going to file a grievance!
Hi Mr. Blog,
I'm just waiting for my coffee to kick in to get back to work on my taxes.
So last night I talked Terry into going with me to the city council meeting.
We went early so I could have my three minutes at the microphone first.
We met a nice reporter from the Northlake News and chatted before the council came in.
We know all of them since we have lived in Kookmore since 1990.
They all sat down and then the mayor looked at me and said, "Mrs. Kennedy, would you lead the flag salute?" Everyone stared at me since he was staring at me and so I turned in my chair and looked down the hall behind me. One of the council members said fairly loudly, "It's Nixon not Kennedy." Dave turned really red and said, "Oh, I had a senior moment. Mrs. Nixon, would you lead the flag ceremony?" Everyone laughed and Terry and I thought it was hysterical.
So I jumped up and led the Pledge of Allegiance and then we all sat down and I got
called up to read my letter. I had photocopies for the council members and the city clerk and manager and lawyer.
I only got through the first page of two in my three minutes before the red clock timer hit 0.
But they are all smart and can read it and be craving that river walk trail just like we do!
Before all the bridges washed out over the creek, we were down on that river every single day.
I was looking for Earl and Winston at the trailer park down the street last week and went
to the river and saw how beautiful it was and got in a frenzy to get a river walk trail again.
I could put my canoe on my wheeled cart and roll it right from my house!
So now I'm trying not to panic but it is really hard.
Terry told me last night he wants me to go back to work at the post office.
When I carried mail for ten years I was never late or absent and I was tied as faster mail sorter with JoAnn and the supervisors still harassed me half to death every day of my life there.
I still get nightmares about it and I left working there in 1987!
So he said that I need to make cash on Nixpix or pull the plug soon.
Then he went to get milk and I got requested to sub next week!
The teachers are so darn healthy that no one could make a living as a sub.
They give all the long term sub jobs to retired teachers who are already pulling down
full retirement and social security which forces any primary breadwinners to quit subbing if they are not retired teachers.
So I don't regret that I didn't go into teaching right out of college after high school.
I'd be retiring this year.
I met so many wonderful people when I carried mail and dug ditches and was a custodian and a flight attendant. I don't regret any of it because it was all very fun and interesting.
But, I do regret that Terry can't seem to cut me any slack and is beginning to sound like a postal supervisor to me. Well, I'm going to file a grievance!
Monday, February 22, 2010
2/22/10 Monday Monday...Thank God for Mr. Blog
*Walks in with a spring to her step*
Hi Mr. Blog,
I am so glad you are here today. I woke up hearing The Mommas and the Papas song,
'Monday, Monday', over and over again in my head.
I pushed hard to get the house and chores sorted from being gone to the RV show.
Yesterday was busy with church and then Troy's basketball game.
The Sonics won by ten points and Troy played brilliantly scoring ten points of the 52.
When we got back I sent group e-mails to all the DECA advisers in the state
asking them to share my website with their students. Carlos, Troy's best friend, said that starting today they learn to write business plans. He won't write me one, the little butthead. After I've made him and Troy a million gallons of Kool Aid too! So I asked some other DECA friends of Troys. Brendan Meese and Junior Vi. They are both great people I admire.
When I was flying back from Honolulu, the gal across from me had several friends with businesses and she said half of all businesses fail simply because they don't have a business plan. I wrote one I made after reading, 'Small Business for Dummies' but it wasn't very good.
I e-mailed Megan Sun to volunteer at the March DECA conference March 4th and she sent me a form to be a judge. I am going to do that for her. I like her and the DECA program.
At church several women I like asked me if I was going to the women's retreat in Indianola.
Well, I've been wanting to do that for years.
My mom used to go to CWF through the University Christian Church that my grandma had started going to after she moved here from Montana when she was a young woman.
But it starts the same day as the DECA conference and runs through both boys basketball games. What do you think I should do? I live for watching my kids play basketball
but most of the time my belief in God is what keeps me going in my business.
I feel like at this, the last quarter of my life, that I found my calling.
To produce games that help people learn and succeed at mastering tough subjects.
Games that make them smarter and feel better about themselves.
Ugh. Everything always seems to happen at once for me.
But, I do my best work under pressure so I am determined to finish sorting these tax receipts today. Terry's day off is Wednesday and I want everything ready to feed into the Turbo Tax program on the computer. It is a much better program than H&R Block's program or the Federal Government website. The H&R has so much color and graphics eating up the memory space that it runs too slow and the Federal Government's is too austere to be user friendly.
The Turbo Tax program falls right in the middle of those too. User friendly, yet fast.
It is still breathtakingly sunny this morning Mr. Blog.
If it hadn't been sunny this week I would not have gotten through my lack of success from the RV show very well.
My half-sister Heimy loaned me a book last fall that I read while licking my wounds called,
'The Historian.' It was a historical fiction about Dracula and now I'm in a frenzy to go to Romania and Bulgaria and all over that region.
Supposedly our great great great grandmother on my dad's side of the family was from Armenia. That would explain my love of folk dancing which I have only done a few times as a kid at summer camp. But my business is not taking off and right now I'm losing my shirt on it and travel is very expensive.
Wouldn't a history game about Romania be fun? The players could travel in time and be hunted by Vllad the Impaler. Yikes he was a scary guy. *Shakes head to remove him*
Bad idea. Too much violence in history and I'm trying to promote peace and good cheer in my games not more awful thoughts.
So I was dreaming about my cousins Care, Boo and Dan right before I woke up and I didn't send Care a birthday card and I want to think a little about that. I'd like to mail her some pussywillows and I'm short on time but long on loving her.
It takes tons of time to be thoughtful and helpful
but life is so complex and difficult that I have made it my mission to
lighten peoples burdens in any way I can.
Usually just listening is the biggest help and I have trained myself the last two decades to
perfect that skill. I look at the clock and tell myself not to speak for five or ten minutes unless asked a direct question. At those check points I ask the person I am listening to if they want any feedback or advice. I don't believe in giving unsolicited advice in any form.
Or opinions either. It is not a person's place to give an opinion as an active listener.
That's why I love you Mr. Blog. I can tell you anything on my mind!
If I was to tell a real person the stuff I tell you
they would die of boredom!
Have a great day. I'm going to start my daily routine of coffee, reading the newspaper and jumping around with my Jane Fonda tape.
Ciao
Hi Mr. Blog,
I am so glad you are here today. I woke up hearing The Mommas and the Papas song,
'Monday, Monday', over and over again in my head.
I pushed hard to get the house and chores sorted from being gone to the RV show.
Yesterday was busy with church and then Troy's basketball game.
The Sonics won by ten points and Troy played brilliantly scoring ten points of the 52.
When we got back I sent group e-mails to all the DECA advisers in the state
asking them to share my website with their students. Carlos, Troy's best friend, said that starting today they learn to write business plans. He won't write me one, the little butthead. After I've made him and Troy a million gallons of Kool Aid too! So I asked some other DECA friends of Troys. Brendan Meese and Junior Vi. They are both great people I admire.
When I was flying back from Honolulu, the gal across from me had several friends with businesses and she said half of all businesses fail simply because they don't have a business plan. I wrote one I made after reading, 'Small Business for Dummies' but it wasn't very good.
I e-mailed Megan Sun to volunteer at the March DECA conference March 4th and she sent me a form to be a judge. I am going to do that for her. I like her and the DECA program.
At church several women I like asked me if I was going to the women's retreat in Indianola.
Well, I've been wanting to do that for years.
My mom used to go to CWF through the University Christian Church that my grandma had started going to after she moved here from Montana when she was a young woman.
But it starts the same day as the DECA conference and runs through both boys basketball games. What do you think I should do? I live for watching my kids play basketball
but most of the time my belief in God is what keeps me going in my business.
I feel like at this, the last quarter of my life, that I found my calling.
To produce games that help people learn and succeed at mastering tough subjects.
Games that make them smarter and feel better about themselves.
Ugh. Everything always seems to happen at once for me.
But, I do my best work under pressure so I am determined to finish sorting these tax receipts today. Terry's day off is Wednesday and I want everything ready to feed into the Turbo Tax program on the computer. It is a much better program than H&R Block's program or the Federal Government website. The H&R has so much color and graphics eating up the memory space that it runs too slow and the Federal Government's is too austere to be user friendly.
The Turbo Tax program falls right in the middle of those too. User friendly, yet fast.
It is still breathtakingly sunny this morning Mr. Blog.
If it hadn't been sunny this week I would not have gotten through my lack of success from the RV show very well.
My half-sister Heimy loaned me a book last fall that I read while licking my wounds called,
'The Historian.' It was a historical fiction about Dracula and now I'm in a frenzy to go to Romania and Bulgaria and all over that region.
Supposedly our great great great grandmother on my dad's side of the family was from Armenia. That would explain my love of folk dancing which I have only done a few times as a kid at summer camp. But my business is not taking off and right now I'm losing my shirt on it and travel is very expensive.
Wouldn't a history game about Romania be fun? The players could travel in time and be hunted by Vllad the Impaler. Yikes he was a scary guy. *Shakes head to remove him*
Bad idea. Too much violence in history and I'm trying to promote peace and good cheer in my games not more awful thoughts.
So I was dreaming about my cousins Care, Boo and Dan right before I woke up and I didn't send Care a birthday card and I want to think a little about that. I'd like to mail her some pussywillows and I'm short on time but long on loving her.
It takes tons of time to be thoughtful and helpful
but life is so complex and difficult that I have made it my mission to
lighten peoples burdens in any way I can.
Usually just listening is the biggest help and I have trained myself the last two decades to
perfect that skill. I look at the clock and tell myself not to speak for five or ten minutes unless asked a direct question. At those check points I ask the person I am listening to if they want any feedback or advice. I don't believe in giving unsolicited advice in any form.
Or opinions either. It is not a person's place to give an opinion as an active listener.
That's why I love you Mr. Blog. I can tell you anything on my mind!
If I was to tell a real person the stuff I tell you
they would die of boredom!
Have a great day. I'm going to start my daily routine of coffee, reading the newspaper and jumping around with my Jane Fonda tape.
Ciao
Sunday, February 21, 2010
1/21/10 Tax Time/Texting/Cell Phones
*Walks in cheerfully and lies down*
Hi Mr. Blog, how are you today?
I've cheered up a bit from the blow of the RV show.
Took a few days to haul everything in from the van.
So Monday I put my selling table in the living room in front of the picture window
and fished out the form that H&R Block gave me last year to record business expenses
and I began the long tedious job of sorting two years worth of receipts
for my business start up.
It has been shockingly sunny all week and that helped my recovery greatly.
I'm not claiming anything on my taxes that I don't have a receipt for.
I look awful in orange so I'm not about to go to Federal prison for tax evasion.
I might be the only person that enjoys paying taxes I know.
I love the roads and bridges and services for the less fortunate that our taxes help pay for.
But, I hate wasteful spending and can get riled up over unnecessary taxes.
So a job was posted for the City of Kenmore for a custodial position I am applying for.
Our beautiful publics works building is very large and would take lots of effort to clean.
But I was a custodian for the Poncho and Bathhouse theaters in 1978 so
I know what is involved.
The pay starts at $3,000.00 a month!
Takes money to make money.
The snag is, last year when I applied for jobs at all the local businesses including a custodial
job I was told with five years of college that I was overqualified. Bleh.
So I'm a bit between a rock and a hard place.
Overqualified for blue collar jobs
and too old to get hired as a full time teacher!
I know the principals want teachers that can push the kids to success for thirty years
and the only thing I'll be pushing in thirty years is daisies from my grave.
Plus, our culture is a youth culture.
Madison Avenue does everything in its power to make American women think
that their value is based on an external rubric of physical beauty
and they spend billions in advertising this ideal of beauty
for the promotion of sales of the billion dollar
cosmetic and fashion industry.
Sad thing is, most young people fall into believing all this hogwash
and some older people too.
Thus making an older person like myself undesirable to look at by most people in
hiring authority.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!
I am one of the few people that prefers to converse with others my age or older.
And heaven forbid I try to have a conversation with anyone in their twenty or thirties!
I avoid them like the plague because they have these new
devices called cell phones that have managed to bring the level of American rudeness
to new heights!
I have cut short a few budding friendships because these people engage in a new activity
called texting in the middle of a conversation.
While less rude than talking on a cell phone during a visit
it is still the epitome of self-absorption and bad manners.
Technology, like televison, video games and cell phones
have lowered the levels of human bonding
by removing the need for companionable elocution.
I long for discourse with people that still value the spoken word.
Of conversations regarding global, regional and local issues
on all topics.
I think that is why I sometimes get lonely in my own home of four people.
Terry and the boys love television/video games and hate conversation.
So now I'm trying not to feel overwhelmed by my mountains
of chores and tax papers and job applications and everything else.
I'm going to remind myself to eat my elephant the way I ate the last hundred elephants,
one bite at a time.
Hi Mr. Blog, how are you today?
I've cheered up a bit from the blow of the RV show.
Took a few days to haul everything in from the van.
So Monday I put my selling table in the living room in front of the picture window
and fished out the form that H&R Block gave me last year to record business expenses
and I began the long tedious job of sorting two years worth of receipts
for my business start up.
It has been shockingly sunny all week and that helped my recovery greatly.
I'm not claiming anything on my taxes that I don't have a receipt for.
I look awful in orange so I'm not about to go to Federal prison for tax evasion.
I might be the only person that enjoys paying taxes I know.
I love the roads and bridges and services for the less fortunate that our taxes help pay for.
But, I hate wasteful spending and can get riled up over unnecessary taxes.
So a job was posted for the City of Kenmore for a custodial position I am applying for.
Our beautiful publics works building is very large and would take lots of effort to clean.
But I was a custodian for the Poncho and Bathhouse theaters in 1978 so
I know what is involved.
The pay starts at $3,000.00 a month!
Takes money to make money.
The snag is, last year when I applied for jobs at all the local businesses including a custodial
job I was told with five years of college that I was overqualified. Bleh.
So I'm a bit between a rock and a hard place.
Overqualified for blue collar jobs
and too old to get hired as a full time teacher!
I know the principals want teachers that can push the kids to success for thirty years
and the only thing I'll be pushing in thirty years is daisies from my grave.
Plus, our culture is a youth culture.
Madison Avenue does everything in its power to make American women think
that their value is based on an external rubric of physical beauty
and they spend billions in advertising this ideal of beauty
for the promotion of sales of the billion dollar
cosmetic and fashion industry.
Sad thing is, most young people fall into believing all this hogwash
and some older people too.
Thus making an older person like myself undesirable to look at by most people in
hiring authority.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!
I am one of the few people that prefers to converse with others my age or older.
And heaven forbid I try to have a conversation with anyone in their twenty or thirties!
I avoid them like the plague because they have these new
devices called cell phones that have managed to bring the level of American rudeness
to new heights!
I have cut short a few budding friendships because these people engage in a new activity
called texting in the middle of a conversation.
While less rude than talking on a cell phone during a visit
it is still the epitome of self-absorption and bad manners.
Technology, like televison, video games and cell phones
have lowered the levels of human bonding
by removing the need for companionable elocution.
I long for discourse with people that still value the spoken word.
Of conversations regarding global, regional and local issues
on all topics.
I think that is why I sometimes get lonely in my own home of four people.
Terry and the boys love television/video games and hate conversation.
So now I'm trying not to feel overwhelmed by my mountains
of chores and tax papers and job applications and everything else.
I'm going to remind myself to eat my elephant the way I ate the last hundred elephants,
one bite at a time.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
2/17/10 Trying Not to Think About Mom and Lyle's Birthdays
*Walks in like a robot and lies down*
Hi Mr. Blog. How are you today?
I'm trying not to think of my step-dad's birthday today but it is hard.
He has been in heaven drinking coffee with my mom and doing crossword puzzles for
six years now already.
The heart surgeon said he'd be fine after a few days.
He wasn't fine.
He died.
I miss him so much.
Mom's birthday is the 19th.
I miss her so much.
Mom and Jim were divorced when I was two so I don't remember living with my real dad.
When we moved from my baby house in Alderwood Manor
to Holly Park Housing project in 1958
I thought it was great 'cause there were more kids to play with.
They were almost all black but I didn't know about color yet.
My first best friends, Michelle Price and Floydy Chaffin were both black.
Man we had fun when we were three riding our trikes.
I would sneak mom's transistor radio and listen
to Elvis Pressley. Mom said his music was devil music but I loved it.
Our black babysitters had great music in the 1950s and taught us all to dance.
I still love to dance fifty years later.
So mom had some boyfriends we liked and didn't like.
We ran off the ones we didn't like by being totally horrible.
Strawberry and Pam told me what to do.
When mom met Lyle in 1967 we all liked him.
Strawberry took off in 1969 with a bunch of hippies
to Vancouver Island and never came back.
When mom married Lyle in 1975
they moved to Pocatello Idaho for twenty years.
He was the campus minister at Idaho State University
and had a cute TV show called
News and Views from the Pews.
I didn't move with them because I wanted to start my own life at 18
and stayed with my grandparents until I got hired
at the post office on 4th and Lander in 1977
and could afford my own place.
I'd visit mom and Lyle every summer
and they had the dandiest house at
270 Skyline Drive
and loads of friends.
I think it was the happiest time of their lives.
They always had people over or
visited other people.
That was when I met Chuck and Raylene Naftzger.
Raylene was mom's best friend
from 1975 until she died in 2006.
When ISU couldn't afford dad anymore
he got hired by the United Church of Christ
as an interim minister to help churches
transition between ministers.
I was the only person that was able to visit every single place they lived
because when I was a flight attendant I could fly anywhere free.
They lived in Colville, Washington, Malta, Montana and Orem, Utah
and then Lyle retired in 1993 when I was pregnant with Troy.
Pam and I found them a nice mobile home right down the street
at Lakewood Villa mobile home park.
1993 until mom went to the nursing home in 2004
were some of the happiest years of my life.
I had a mom and dad together
nearby for the first time.
I quit flying when I was pregnant and hung out
with them every day.
Dad and I would do the crossword puzzles and mom
would putter around cooking or making coffee.
It was truly golden times.
I had always wanted a baby since I was a little kid in 1958.
At 37, my wish was granted and I had Troy.
I didn't know that a person could love that much!
So I took him to mom and Lyle's every day.
They had never had local grandkids when they were moving around
so they had a much fun as I did with him.
We'd all go to Mar Vista Resort
on San Juan Island every summer
and when Teddy came
he had our brown eyes.
One time at Denver Stapleton airport a gate agent said I looked just like my dad when
he was getting on a flight I was working. We laughed and laughed.
Mom called Troy her Golden Boy and doted on him like crazy
and Lyle called Teddy his little Teddy Bear and doted on him like crazy.
We had mom and Lyle over for every single holiday dinner
and during the summer they had us down for bar-b-ques all the time.
Those were so great times Mr. Blog.
I felt like a real family for the first time.
I think that is why I love Terry more
every year.
Because not only is he wonderful
but he is the best dad in the world.
He doesn't have that tall man condescending attitude
that most tall white men have.
He is smart, funny, kind, outgoing, helpful, dependable and nice.
Just like Lyle was.
Our kids probably don't even think about what a great dad they have.
I am such a screw-up so much of the time that I am very happy I did one thing right
and picked out a really good dad for my kids.
When Mom and Lyle lived down the street it was the happiest time in my life.
Hi Mr. Blog. How are you today?
I'm trying not to think of my step-dad's birthday today but it is hard.
He has been in heaven drinking coffee with my mom and doing crossword puzzles for
six years now already.
The heart surgeon said he'd be fine after a few days.
He wasn't fine.
He died.
I miss him so much.
Mom's birthday is the 19th.
I miss her so much.
Mom and Jim were divorced when I was two so I don't remember living with my real dad.
When we moved from my baby house in Alderwood Manor
to Holly Park Housing project in 1958
I thought it was great 'cause there were more kids to play with.
They were almost all black but I didn't know about color yet.
My first best friends, Michelle Price and Floydy Chaffin were both black.
Man we had fun when we were three riding our trikes.
I would sneak mom's transistor radio and listen
to Elvis Pressley. Mom said his music was devil music but I loved it.
Our black babysitters had great music in the 1950s and taught us all to dance.
I still love to dance fifty years later.
So mom had some boyfriends we liked and didn't like.
We ran off the ones we didn't like by being totally horrible.
Strawberry and Pam told me what to do.
When mom met Lyle in 1967 we all liked him.
Strawberry took off in 1969 with a bunch of hippies
to Vancouver Island and never came back.
When mom married Lyle in 1975
they moved to Pocatello Idaho for twenty years.
He was the campus minister at Idaho State University
and had a cute TV show called
News and Views from the Pews.
I didn't move with them because I wanted to start my own life at 18
and stayed with my grandparents until I got hired
at the post office on 4th and Lander in 1977
and could afford my own place.
I'd visit mom and Lyle every summer
and they had the dandiest house at
270 Skyline Drive
and loads of friends.
I think it was the happiest time of their lives.
They always had people over or
visited other people.
That was when I met Chuck and Raylene Naftzger.
Raylene was mom's best friend
from 1975 until she died in 2006.
When ISU couldn't afford dad anymore
he got hired by the United Church of Christ
as an interim minister to help churches
transition between ministers.
I was the only person that was able to visit every single place they lived
because when I was a flight attendant I could fly anywhere free.
They lived in Colville, Washington, Malta, Montana and Orem, Utah
and then Lyle retired in 1993 when I was pregnant with Troy.
Pam and I found them a nice mobile home right down the street
at Lakewood Villa mobile home park.
1993 until mom went to the nursing home in 2004
were some of the happiest years of my life.
I had a mom and dad together
nearby for the first time.
I quit flying when I was pregnant and hung out
with them every day.
Dad and I would do the crossword puzzles and mom
would putter around cooking or making coffee.
It was truly golden times.
I had always wanted a baby since I was a little kid in 1958.
At 37, my wish was granted and I had Troy.
I didn't know that a person could love that much!
So I took him to mom and Lyle's every day.
They had never had local grandkids when they were moving around
so they had a much fun as I did with him.
We'd all go to Mar Vista Resort
on San Juan Island every summer
and when Teddy came
he had our brown eyes.
One time at Denver Stapleton airport a gate agent said I looked just like my dad when
he was getting on a flight I was working. We laughed and laughed.
Mom called Troy her Golden Boy and doted on him like crazy
and Lyle called Teddy his little Teddy Bear and doted on him like crazy.
We had mom and Lyle over for every single holiday dinner
and during the summer they had us down for bar-b-ques all the time.
Those were so great times Mr. Blog.
I felt like a real family for the first time.
I think that is why I love Terry more
every year.
Because not only is he wonderful
but he is the best dad in the world.
He doesn't have that tall man condescending attitude
that most tall white men have.
He is smart, funny, kind, outgoing, helpful, dependable and nice.
Just like Lyle was.
Our kids probably don't even think about what a great dad they have.
I am such a screw-up so much of the time that I am very happy I did one thing right
and picked out a really good dad for my kids.
When Mom and Lyle lived down the street it was the happiest time in my life.
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