Photo by Maggie McKinney

1.  Every year, another year older and I’m told, another year wiser.  As I attempt to age gracefully I find throwing caution to the wind and embracing what makes me feel alive is the best medicine.  Live music, loud music, good friends, great conversations, an intimate connection, my family especially my daughter Sydney Rose making me proud, my pup Sammy hanging in there at 15 years of age, shooting hoops, giving to my community and feeling like I’m helping in some small degree. These are the things that for me, make an extraordinary life.

2.   I would much prefer to live in a world where trophy hunting does not occur.

That being said, Oxford University is reporting that Cecil’s brother is protecting Cecil’s cubs after a hunter illegally killed him in Africa. Usually the pride will slaughter the dominate male’s offspring after he has died.  So, this is a small victory and a definite miracle of nature.

3.  I understand Eleanor Roosevelt is very close to being the next person on the twenty dollar bill.  I wholeheartedly support this choice. What an amazing woman.

4.  From time to time I’ll see a Facebook post about when someone’s mom “left them”.  Something like, “It’s was 10 years ago today since Mom passed away…”   Well, it’s been 40 years since my mother died and honestly, I couldn’t tell you the day.  I remember it was winter. Her funeral was about the darkest day of my life. I could research it and find her death certificate, but I would rather remember her birthday which was July 24. She would have been 81 this year, and I fear one of those crazy cat ladies.  I would have loved it!

5.  I ADORED Emmett Kelly.  I took this doll everywhere with me when I was a toddler. Who couldn’t love this face?  Especially since it’s all I have left of him. I even went out as Emmett Kelly for Halloween one year and my mother put some sort of face cream and then coffee grounds on my face for the beard. That lasted about 10 minutes.

6. So I got bumped off Facebook and I was notified that my computer had a virus.  I tried to log back on and they would not let me without installing their virus program.  I did research and saw that a number of folks believe it’s a ploy for Facebook to download data or collect data from your computer.  I did not download their software; two weeks later I logged in, no problem.  Conspiracy theory?  This one I just might believe.

7.  Successful men are sexy.  Cheap ass successful men, not so much.

8.  Lives matter – PERIOD.  I’m behind the Black Lives Matter campaign, don’t get me wrong, but I recently saw a post putting down an old man of 70 saying he was probably going to die soon anyways. I’m sure the senior citizen was a jerk for eliciting such a response, but please.  I’m a little tired of people putting down race, sex, and yes age.  Babies, kids, teens, adults and seniors all deserve to be treated with dignity…until each individual proves otherwise.  Actually, let’s try to stop lumping people into groups. That’s called stereotyping. Stereotyping police, public sector workers, big business, lawyers, priests, feminists, nerds, toddlers, surfer dudes, musicians, alcoholics, the homeless, well, you get my point. Each individual has their story, all those groups have amazing people who want to make a difference, and a very small minority who are commie-rat bastards.

In the immortal words of The Osmonds, “One Bad Apple Don’t Spoil the Whole Bunch, Girl.”

9. I saw a “human interest” segment on a morning news show where the guest was suggesting women should shave their face daily.  Are you kidding me???  That being said, I know a woman who went into labor, but would not go to the hospital without waxing her upper lip first.  True story.

10.  Give a hand up, not a hand out is the message the City of Ventura is spreading. Local resources help those who want help.  This is true. So when I recently stopped at a signal where a woman was standing with a young boy sitting beside her with her sign asking for a handout, I politely asked her if she knew that there were resources.  She spoke back in a foreign language (not spanish), and I smiled kindly and remarked that she should remove the diamond earring in her son’s ear before asking for a hand out.  She promptly told him to remove it.  Yeah, she understood every word I said.

11.  I have to say that Dave Grohl has to be one of my favorite rock stars of all time.  Nirvana?  Are you kidding me?  And then the Foo Fighters?  Dave is such a great songwriter and artist and all around great person. He broke his leg during a concert, came back and finished it not wanting to let the fans down.  The man has serious integrity.  The latest incident to support this opinion is when this guy in Romagna, Italy, wanted the Foo Fighters to play in their small town, so he gather 1000 musicians to play Learn to Fly .  They did and Dave responded IN ITALIAN that he would in fact get the band there to play a concert. This YouTube Video has had over 20 million views since posted. IT IS AMAZING. I fuckin’ cry every time I watch it:

Here is Dave’s response – I LOVE HIM:

12. From my favorite quotes file: “In this day and age, when you can use a machine or computer to simulate or emulate what people can do together, it still can’t replace the magic of four people in a room playing.” – Dave Grohl

Thanks for your time!