Category Archives: A Couple of Things…

A Couple of Things…

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With my mom and dad1. Happy 82nd birthday to my father, Gilbert.  This is one of my favorites.  He was around 26 years old in this photo.

lettuce2. Yeah, this is happening on my window sill.  It works!  I’ll get back to you on whether the regrown lettuce is tasty or not.

See original post, item #3

3. I’m leaning towards naming my car either Janet, Mabel, Beverly or Floyd.

candy-corn-facts4. It’s candy corn season again!  I totally get candy corn haters (haters gonna hate), they say it’s nothing but sugar wax, but I totally disagree. You don’t need a bunch to satisfy a sweet tooth, and there’s only about 7 1/2 calories per piece.  Brachs candy’s nutritional facts state there’s 140 calories in a serving (about 19 pieces).
My favorite way to enjoy candy corn involves nibbling on them in combination with a small bag of movie-popped buttered popcorn.  I’m sure that increases the calorie count somewhat. 😉

5. Jealousy, envy, resentment are very close first cousins all of them bad.

Mike Strahler6. There are a few items over the course of my life that I could never bear to throw away including this baseball card.  It was given to me by Mike Strahler when I was a waitress at Bob’s Big Boy on Beach Blvd in La Habra, CA. I came across it while sorting through some stuff and decided to Google him; sadly, Mike passed away this past July.  I did a little research and learned that a non-signed card is going for $1.25 on Amazon and a signed card sold for $24.99 on Ebay.

7. The worst:  Having someone sit next to you at a bar and it slowly – and painfully – becomes apparent they have a bad case of gas.  Do they think you don’t notice?  Or do they just not care?

8. Have you ever feared being killed by a shark?  I hope this helps to put things in perspective:
(average annual animal-caused fatalities in the US 2001 to 2013)

Animals most likely to kill you…per year:
  1 – Shark
  1- Alligator
  6 – venomous snakes/lizards
  7 – spiders
  9 – non-venomous arthropods (various ants & other bugs)
  20 – cows
  28 – dogs
  52 – other mammels (horses, pigs, deer, raccoons, etc.) RACCOONS????
  58 – bees, wasps and hornets

Source article

Mauna Kea Road

Mauna Kea Road

9. Did you know it snows in Hawaii?  It actually snows there every year on their three tallest volcanoes (Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Haleakala).  This totally blew my mind!

10. Geek Alert:  When I was in grade school, I loved school so much I would make up homework to do at home.

11. Do you know anyone who is perpetuating a culture that promotes violence against women? Is there any chance that you help to perpetuate it, without realizing it?

Please do the women that you love a solid, and take a look at this video.  I love his honesty when he says, “I don’t know what her ass has to do with my hamburger, but I’m gonna drive thru the very next day.”   Perhaps you have friends who might benefit from viewing it.

12. From my favorite quotes file:  “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” – Leo Tolstoy

Thanks for listening.

A Couple of Things…

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1. My last post spoke of the use of the word “pussy” and the one way that word offends me.  I thought it prudent to also state for the record I find Trump’s statement as a whole offensive; he stated in graphic terms that he gropes women without their permission. I didn’t go there for two reasons.
A. I didn’t want to debate whether Trump is suited to hold the office of POTUS, I’ve done my best to be non-political.
B. I took it for granted everyone thought it offensive.
I believe no one should have to endure an assault, be it male, female, sexual, physical or verbal.  Of course some acts are more egregious than others, but no act of assault should ever be condoned.

2. My co-worker posted recently on social media a blog regarding “The Dutch Reach.”  Sure it sounds like something Donald Trump might do when nobody’s looking, but it’s actually a potential life-saving technique everyone should use before they open the driver’s side door while parked on a street.

According to the article, “The Dutch Reach is a practice where instead of using your near hand — usually the driver’s left hand — to open your car door, you use your far hand. Your right hand. In doing that, you automatically swivel your body. And you position your head and shoulders so you are looking directly out. First, past the rearview mirror. And then, you are very easily able to look back and see if there are oncoming bicycles or cars or whatever.”
door-zone-illustration

Use The Dutch Reach to avoid this scenario.

3.  I have some words of advice for those struggling on what life is all about: “Be kind, help where you can and don’t look inward…look outward. See your environment, and truly see the person in front of you.”

Start by making this planet better by enhancing another’s life, one person at a time.

4. I can’t express how much I miss my dog Sammy, and so I’m allowing the possibility of adopting another pound puppy.  Yes, we got Candy last Spring for my dad, but she rarely Lost puppyvisits me, so I started perusing pet adoption sites of the local animal shelters.  It didn’t take long before I came across this photo and I had to go see if we were a match.
How sweet is she?  9 pounds and about 2 years old (a little younger than I want, but look at that face!)
Well I drove directly to the Camarillo shelter after work just in time to see her owner get reunited with her.  She was so happy; it was a bittersweet moment.  When I was leaving I saw her and her owner walking away, it appears he is homeless, which is sad, but they made a lovely couple, and hopefully he won’t let her get away again.

Fast Food Coupons5.  I’ve mentioned before how stores rarely cater to single people and if they do, it’s more expensive; but now I have another pet peeve and it has to do with fast food coupons. All of a sudden, they’re two for one!  WTF!!  I don’t need two burgers.  I need a discount on the one meal I want to buy.

And what PR firm decided I’ll fall for “Free Burger” then in a much smaller font “with the purchase of another burger”  instead of “Two for One?”

And speaking of coupons…

6.  From my Grammar Nerd file:
If the majority of people mispronounce a word, does that then make it correct?  One of my pet peeves has always been the coo-pon vs cue-pon debate. I’ve always sided with the coo-pon camp, so I was surprised when I stumbled upon a blog on this very topic.  They said that Coupon.com commissioned a nationwide poll and found that 57 percent of the people polled pronounce the word as cue-pon.
Furthermore, if you look up the word on Dictionary.com (Random House Dictionary) they give both pronunciations.
Source Article
I investigated further and found a Pronunciation Note on Dictionary. com explaining the origin of the difference which gives understanding:
“Coupon, related to copeand coup,is of French origin. It has developed an American pronunciation variant [kyoo-pon] with an unhistorical y -sound not justified by the spelling. This pronunciation is used by educated speakers and is well-established as perfectly standard, although it is sometimes criticized. Its development may have been encouraged by analogy with words like curious, cupid,and cute,where c is followed by a “long u” and the [y] is mandatory.”
Source page

Grammar police7. Apparently you can push semi-illiterate people too far.

8. A quick of word of advice, don’t text questions, unless the question can be a five-word-or-less response.

Downton Abbey9.  I have a confession, In less than a month I got through the entire PBS Masterpiece Theater series, “Downton Abby.” It’s just soooo good!  I now understand the term “binge-watching.”

10. I saw a headline recently which read, “Why ex-KKK leader’s son fled the movement.”  Do we really need to ask why?

11. Have you ever walked into a bar or music venue and thought to yourself, “These are not my people”?

12.  From my favorite quotes file: “Good manners are appreciated as much as bad manners are abhorred.” – Bryant H. McGill

Thanks for listening!

A Couple of Things…

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1. There are few words that offend me, but one that does most likely has to do with my feminism, and I’ll even allow for generational gap ideology,  but I don’t like when women are refer to as “pussy”.  I’m not offended when this word is used as a noun (in a loving committed relationship, wink-wink), I don’t even mind the word being used when stating someone has no backbone, or they’re being a coward, but just referring to women as a whole as “pussy”, TOTALLY offensive.

See, Donald Trump’s use of the word didn’t actually offend me. I’m certain other presidents have used the word in a lewd manner before in private and it’s Trump’s lot in life that he’ll always be known for saying stupid things…caught on tape intentionally or not; but I used to have the biggest rock star crush on Bush’s lead man Gavin Rossdale (pre-cheating days on Gwen Stefani)…that is until the day he responded live on Las Vegas radio when asked if he would be getting call girls for his crew again this tour, and he said, and I quote, “No, they get enough pussy already.”

And like that, I was over my crush.

2. Little did my daughter know when she named her new kitten Molly that a  female cat is  referred to as a “queen” or a “molly.”  So not only is she called Molly, but she actually is a molly.
It’s pretty appropo too, a “queen” is when the cat is currently raising kittens or is a soon-to-be mother, but female cats that aren’t nursing or pregnant are typically referred to as a “molly”, which connotes less of a motherly feel.

You couldn’t get any less motherly than this terrorist of a cat Molly.   Just sayin’.

3. One of these days when I have nothing better to do, I’m going to try to regrow Romaine lettuce.  Did you even know this was possible?  Just cut off the bottom (which you don’t eat anyways) and place in a half an inch of water in a container (like a cleaned out cottage cheese container), place near sunlight and wa la.. the lettuce will start to grow new leaves and you have perpetual lettuce!
Source article

4. Speaking of being “green”, food waste has become a hot topic the last few years, I’m glad because I honestly hate wasting food.  At a restaurant I take my leftovers home for additional meals which is very economical for me. But I find shopping at the grocery store is extremely difficult for a single person. And if you do find single-person items, they’re typically more expensive!  A loaf of bread rarely gets eaten before mold starts growing and I never use up a whole can of beans, or pasta sauce or anything.  I’m sure I should be freezing and then defrost to use the remaining product, but I’m just not that industrious when it comes to cooking!  I would rather have economically fair single person portions available.

5. I find that it’s easier for me to help than to accept help.  Probably because it’s easier just to figure out and do something myself.

6. I guess I am a Type-A personality when it comes to certain areas of my life, it would be those areas where I have a strong commitment (i.e., VenturaRocks.com). But other areas?  Not so much. I can create or un-create at will.

7. It was a brilliant idea whoever came up with the Nicotine patch to help people stop smoking; that is until someone came up with an even more brilliant idea to wear the patch to get them through those periods where they were not allowed to smoke and they couldn’t wait for their break, or worst yet, they wear the patch in addition to smoking.

Creative thinking, yes. Self-destructive behavior, absolutely!

8. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only person who has never seen Game of Thrones…and I’m alright with that.

9. I love endorphin rushes!

10. It always blows my mind when I come across someone who does not value music, and to a lesser degree someone who does not like to read. I can understand people being so busy they don’t have time to read a book or the paper, but music?  That’s just sad.

11. Here’s a quick car update, I still haven’t named her, but I have established that my car is female, so I’m getting there.

12. I came across this blog called “How to ruin your band name.”  It’s really funny.  My favorite way to ruin your band, “Band Names with Unfortunate Acronyms.”  Jimmy Eat World, Saves the Day.  They recommend, “Before you settle on your band name, do a quick check: do the letters spell out something potentially embarrassing like POO or ASS or KKK?”

Source article

From my favorite quotes file, “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” – Plato

Thanks for listening.

A Couple of Things…

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Pam's new car1. I decided to turn in my car and lease a new one for a number of reasons. For starters, my Nissan Sentra reminded me of those Disneyland motor boats where it takes a few seconds for the mechanism to recognize you’ve given it gas to proceed. SOOO slow on the uptake.  Truly a gutless wonder.  Secondly, I can’t remember having a car without a loan payment (except my ’67 VW bug which was given to me by my father.  I had to push start it everywhere, I LOVED that car…but I digress).  I’ve had the Sentra three years and I’ve only put on 13,000 miles plus I’m saving over $100 monthly for a much better car, so why not lease?  I’m liking my car so much, I’m considering giving it a name!

2. I’m going to miss my next High School class reunion because I’m attending the Topa Topa Folk Fest in Ojai.  I either really love music, or I really hated high school.
To be honest, I was an honor school student, and I continue to enjoy taking classes to further my education, but I couldn’t wait to get out of that place.  I had intended to go originally, but didn’t realize it fell on the same day as Topa Topa. So now I’m going to Whittier the following afternoon to meet up with a handful of friends…the only ones I really cared about seeing anyways, plus I’ll save $150, AND, I get to drive my new car!

3. There is some new commie rat bastard around the area who has taken it upon himself to tag local businesses with his obnoxious graffiti. Thankfully, we have the best graffiti team at the City; they respond quickly to all complaints. I just hope PD nails the fucker sooner than later, and I don’t run into him myself.

4. I use to wonder if anyone else covers the camera on their laptop, then I read in a NY Times article that Mark Zuckerberg does; not only that, he also covers his microphone.  Be afraid, be very afraid.  Apparently, the practice is fairly technologically simple: Hackers trick people into clicking on links or unfamiliar websites containing malware that allows them access to the devices.
Consider this my public service announcement to protect you.
Here’s the a link to the NY times story.

5. A quick Grammar Nerd hint on how best to use “two”, “too” and “to”.
In a really good dictionary, there are over 25 definitions of the word “to.”  Crazy, right? So at the very least, you should learn the other two really well.  We all know the definition of “two” (and if you don’t, move along). So really learn the definitions for “too”.  Get them down pat.
1.  in addition; also; furthermore.
Example: He was handsome and funny too.
2. excessive, beyond what is desirable fitting, or right.
Example:  He was too sick to travel.
3. extremely; very.
Example: The plant was too near the window.

Everything else is most likely “to”!  You’re welcome.

6. I subscribe to Yummly where they send me an email several times a week sharing recipes all types. I saw one recently entitled, “Lazy Chicken Soup for One.”  Wouldn’t that just be adding water to a condensed can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup?

7. My girlfriend Linda and I were discussing how much I hate to shop when she  suggested that I could just make myself comfortable in the store of my choice’s dressing room and she’d bring me items within my budget and my fashion sense (what little of that there is).  I’m willing to go along as long as I can bring a glass and a bottle of wine.  Now that’s shopping I can get behind!
Sydney Rose, what do you think of that idea?

8. I found a blog called, “A list of rules for being a gentleman in 2014” and I confess that No. 9 truly confuses me. It reads: “Do not refer to things as ‘gay’ that aren’t homosexual human beings. People who call things ‘gay’ as a pejorative are truly the raisins in the trail mix of life.”

So, raisins are bad?  That’s just a horrible metaphor.  I can think of much better figure of speech to demonstrate using ‘gay’ is unacceptable; such as, “People who call things ‘gay’ as a pejorative are truly the booger flavored treats in a bag of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.”

Me with Brother Rob and Tammy9. I’ve mentioned Tammy and Brother Rob before because it’s always so much fun when we get to hang out together. Tammy makes it out to Ventura a couple of times a year to work on special events (Beer Fest, Wine Walk, Tequila and Tacos) and Rob can only go out when he has those night’s off. So it’s always a treat when we make it go right. We yap it up, and reminisce about when we worked in radio together back in the 90’s. Those were such good times! I especially love it when they joggle my memory and bring up something I’d forgotten like giving the morning show guys a “cease and desist” notice when they’d make fun of our afternoon drive guy. I so loved being the program director of an alternative rock radio station. I’m sad those days are gone, but so happy they happened.

10.  Well it looks like the crew in Transportation Engineering will be dressing up for Halloween this year.  Photos to follow 😉

Candy Corn on the Cob11.  Speaking of Halloween, I’ve been thinking of buying my first bag of the year of candy corn.  When I went to find a photo I found this great idea of making candy-corn-on-the-cob!  This gal used cookie dough for the center which only makes it more intriguing!
Here’s a link to her recipe: http://www.instructables.com/id/Candy-Corn-on-the-COB/

12.  From my favorite quotes file: “I’ve been shopping all my life and still have nothing to wear.” ~Author unknown

A Couple of Things…

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Post Surgury BB1.  Well I did it!  Nine months after my total knee replacement surgery, I got back out on the basketball court and worked up a sweat. It felt so good!
I most likely could have gone out earlier,  but I didn’t want to push my luck.  I’ve been lifting weights for upper body strength in the gym and walking briskly (just before breaking into a jog) on a treadmill.  I felt strong, albeit still proceeding cautiously on sprints to retrieve the ball.   No pain, just stiffness and a little bit of numbness.  YAY!

2. My daughter still holds an unhealthy amount of resentment that her parents did not get her a Barbie car when she was a little girl.   Baby, “TIME TO LET IT GO!”

Avocados3. My department at City Hall is famous for their guacamole which they prepare several times a year, some batches are spicier than other.
The most recent notice went out via email from Sergio.  It read:  “Ventura Guac, Yeah it does!”  Hehehe.  Now that’s funny!  See, it’s a play on…nevermind.

4. From my “Women are Making Progress” file, I recently saw this news article on MSN.com originally from Woman’s Day magazine article that Lawyers who call Women “Honey” and “Sweetie” will now be fined.  Right on! The American Bar Association voted in favor of an amendment prohibiting lawyers from using harassing and discriminatory language while practicing law. Now, lawyers can be fined for calling women darling, honey, sweetheart, and other sexist terms.  Please read the article.

The Bet5. I hit another milestone, or accomplishment without even trying!  I got my name on the credits of a feature length film.  I showed up to be an extra for local musician friends (Army of Freshmen) and they were sweet enough to include me (and other Ventura locals) in the credits.   So for my first acting credit on my upcoming resume, I was, “woman in stands at neighborhood park cheering on baseball game.”
Now to make it onto IMDB.com.   Check out The Bet.

6. Every year I go to the fair and every year I think I’m going to eat a load of crap…because that’s what you do at the fair, but every year I end up with corn on the cob. This year because it would actually be good to gain a couple of pounds I was planning on indulging in deep-fried Twinkies and other fair fare; but, I ended up not dining there at all.
I’ve really trained myself to eat well, and to budget my money…but there’s always next year (when I’ll probably be watching my weight again)!

7. I hope there is a special place in hell for people who use their kids as pawns.  Whether it be a divorce, or cutting off ties with other family members because you’re mad at them….tsk tsk. I’ve personally witnessed it a number of times and it’s pure evil.

Buttered Popcorn8. I think buttered popcorn might be one of my favorite foods.  I’ve actually gone to see a movie  on more than one occasion because I was craving popcorn.  A rib-eyed steak, with a fully loaded baked potato and a big bag of fresh buttered popcorn along with an ice cold Arnold Palmer, might be my last meal request on death row…that is, if I ever decide to go homicidal.

9. Another grammar nerd observation:
“It’s so funny when someone rants on Facebook about how stupid someone or something is, and then they misspell a word, or use “there” instead of “their”.    It instantly takes their credibility away.  Just like misspelling “Grammar” on one of my previous post (now corrected) 😉

10. I’m totally digging the app from my bank which allows me to take a photo of
my check and deposit it. I no longer have to go to the bank. This rocks my world!
I know, it’s the little things…

11. I’m not naming names, but the athlete in the news getting all kinds of coverage and backlash for sitting during the National Anthem has me a little confused.  Isn’t having the right to exercise our first amendment rights part and parcel to our freedom?  We can sit down during the National Anthem, we can burn an American flag. We can protest in ways that don’t harm others. WE CAN.

11. From my Favorite Quotes file:  “You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man’s freedom.” – Clarence Darrow

Thanks for listening!

 

 

 

A Couple of Things…

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1. Due to recent circumstances I have found myself watching TV more than I have in years.  The causation of course started with my knee replacement surgery and being confined to bed rest for weeks. I started by re-watching episodes of “The West Wing,” and movies, but graduated to reruns of “Sex and the City,” “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory.”  So during this time I was inspired by a few television commercials, but none more than by ROBO TWIST!! I’ll be honest, I just have to have it! The device actually twists off hard to open lids. They say it works on any size jar and it’s ideal for seniors, kids and perfect for arthritis sufferers….and weaklings like me. 😉

Seriously, I’m getting it and I’ll report back!

2.You know those commercials where they claim, “These are real people not actors”? I can’t help but wonder if we’re suppose to assume that actors are not real people.

3. I accidentally came upon a program while working on the computer. It kept pulling my attention away and I was getting more irritated by the moment. It turned out to be a program called “Housewives of Orange County.” Now I had heard of these “Housewives” “Reality” shows, but seriously, what a load of crap!!! I am embarrassed for womankind!

4. So why does this society feed into the quasi celebrities that are created by “reality” TV?  The whole Kardasian, Housewives of the Orange County, New York, Dallas, or that TV show on MTV show where they all lived together?  Is this society THAT bored that these shows are entertaining?  Sadly, the answer is yes.  These shows continue and become more inane because the numbers show enough people watch that they can charge money for advertising.  That’s all fine and good, because I don’t have to watch them; but when these “celebs” start showing up in news feeds, or on the cover of magazines, that’s when I get really annoyed.

5. As much as I love having people taking advantage of the hiking trail up above City Hall (called the Botanical Gardens), I’m sad to report I have not seen any deer since they opened it a couple of years ago.  It was amazing to have deer pass by while shooting hoops.

6.  Did I mention I’ve been lifting weights? I can’t believe how quickly one loses their muscles when you don’t use them for a while. Sure I started with curling 5 lbs, but I’m proud to say I’m up to 7.5 now!

Denny's Item7. For Father’s Day this year I decided to surprise my dad and go out to breakfast and attend Church with him that morning. He was super jazzed.  What I took away from our outing, and to be honest, it’s a little unnerving, was this item on the menu at Denny’s.  If I get below 115, I’m trying the Maple Bacon Sundae!!

8. Call me naive, but I didn’t even know this was a thing:

“I quit my job to breastfeed my boyfriend every two hours.”

Here’s the story in the NY Post online.

9. THANK GOD!  Somebody finally was bold enough to reveal what the Gay Agenda really is:

Gay Agenda

10. From my favorite quotes file:

“Who would give a law to lovers? Love is unto itself a higher law.” -Boethius

Thanks for listening!

A Couple of Things…

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1. Adding insult to injury after five months of pretty intense pain due to knee replacement surgery is the fun you get to go through coming off the pain meds when you no longer need them.  But I’m happy to announce that I made it through the withdrawals this week.  I’ll be honest, I was whining and complaining and dragging my ass while my body adapted to working without them, until I saw a movie where a guy was going through morphine addiction withdrawal.  All I’ve had to endure is low energy, flu-like symptoms and crabbiness…and the kicker is, I was down to only taking two a day (at the beginning it was two every four hours!!) and I still had to endure adverse physical effects.  But I’m feeling much better and looking forward to gaining my strength back.

2. I’ve never understood the concept of what a training bra is suppose to train breasts to do.

3Basketball court. Not to be a smart ass or anything, but I saw a LeBron James quote just days after winning the championship which read, “No Plans to go nowhere at this point.”
So that would be he has plans to go somewhere?
Here’s the quote:  https://www.yahoo.com/sports

4. Another Grammar Nerd Observation:

It’s funny enough when someone talks about themselves in third person; but even stranger when they start talking to you in third person. Example, “Maybe I’ll go see Pam about this” instead of “Maybe I’ll go see you about this.”

Happy Memorial Day5. Memorial Day recently passed and it occurred to me that we should stop saying, “Happy Memorial Day! What’s so happy about people dying while serving their country?  I saw a ton of those memes and advertisements saying such that weekend.  How about “Honoring Memorial Day” or “Remember and Honor” instead?  Now we just need a catch phrase when you want to convey it orally to each other.  Thoughts?

Honor Memorial Day

6. I don’t know why I feel more compelled to buy a lottery ticket once it’s reached 250 million dollars. Like 200 million dollars wouldn’t be enough? Or for that matter, one million.

7. Father of son convicted of rape said 6 months in county jail steep “A steep price for 20 minute of action“. He could have faced 14 years in prison.  Prosecutors asked for six.

I wonder if he’d think the same way if it were his daughter assaulted by someone else’s son.

Vote 20168. I would like to thank Bernie Sanders for engaging people. Just under 10,000 came out to see him speak in Ventura alone!  I love that the younger generation found a voice which spoke to them and they supported someone who did not look like them.  No matter what party one is affiliated with, you have to admit, this rocks.

9. One more political-type observation that’s as funny as shit.
President Barack Obama on Jimmy Fallon writing thank you notes (wait for Obama’s third one):

10. I’m a little over a month away from my next birthday.  Here’s a little bit of trivia about my youth…more to the point, about my parents.  They once confessed to me that they had celebrated my birthday on the wrong day for years!  IT’S THE 30th, not the 31st!!!

From my favorite quotes file:

“Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.” ~Oscar Wilde

Thanks for listening!

A Couple of Things…

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1. New Year’s Eve analysis (3 points)

#1 – A Critical Error
Not hydrating

#2 – A Stupid Error (non critical)
Texting

# 3 – The Smartest Plan
Having a designated driver

New Year’s Eve was great and exactly how I thought it should go.  Lots of fun, music, dancing, hugs from friends, walking downtown from venue to venue running into even more friends, cold drinks, hot texts, getting home before midnight to avoid that awkward moment, and the highlight of every New Year (this one no exception), a phone call just minutes after midnight from my daughter Sydney Rose.

Going to sleep on the first day of the new year knowing everything is all right, is comforting in every way.  Waking up later that morning with a hangover, not so much.

So many horrible photos that night, but here are a couple of my favorites with Diego from Bombay’s, Mike from Amigo’s, Brian from the Dive Bar Messiahs who was REPRESENTING!:

2. Twin babies born in Ventura are making news.  The first at 11:59 am December 31, 2015, and the second at 12:01 am on January 1, 2016.
Sage words of advice to the baby girls.  For sure it will be a thorn in the side of the younger girl up until she’s about 35 that her twin is “one year” older than she, but then all of a sudden, FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES, you will forever be the younger one.  Wear it well baby girl!! Wear it well.

3. True story:  A gentleman – who I assume was hitting on me – was telling me bluntly how having deep long kisses are more important than the Big Chalupa (yeah, I know a horrible metaphor, but he was too graphic). In any case, I wasn’t offended until he referred to me as me a seasoned older lady.  So honestly, I don’t know if he was hitting on me because I didn’t stick around to find out.  #NotAGreatPickUpLine

The slippers4. I have to admit these bad boys were my favorite Christmas gift.  I asked for slip on slippers, and well…no doubt about it, my family has a sense of humor!

4a. My second favorite is a brand spankin’ new Spaulding basketball my dad bought for me as incentive to get back on the court. I keep it in plain view for inspiration.

5. I saw an article on USAToday.com about the world’s first “smart bra.”  I guess it measures a woman’s biometrics (measuring heart rate, steps, etc…) At $150 a pop, I’m thinking, not-so-smart bra, and anyways, I still consider the “Wondrabra” the first smart bra!

6. People walking around with a giant chip on their shoulders very rarely get the cognition that they have anything to do with it.

Portland7. Sydney Rose walking to work on Sunday, January 3, 2016 sent me this photo from Portland, OR.  BURRRR!!!  So glad I got her that jacket that has an internal heater for Christmas!  She sold her car and canceled her insurance and either walks, Ubers or uses public transportation.

8. I read somewhere that if you’re using a period while texting, you might be coming off like a jerk, in fact, some people think it’s a sign of insincerity

9. I thought I would share with you this amazingly quirky video of a small dog enjoying a head massage.  I not sure why this particular piece of music was chosen to go with the video, it just makes it even that more goofy.

tajin14oz10. Have I mentioned that the guys at work introduced me to spicy seasoning you shake onto fresh fruit? OMG!!!  Sooooo good!  It was a tad bit hard to find because it was not on the seasoning rack in the market, in fact it was found along side the fresh fruit in the produce department.  The guys first squeeze lime all over the fruit, be it watermelon, apples or oranges, then generously season the fruit with this godlike spicy goodness.

11. And with my knee surgery on the horizon, I choose this one from my Favorite Quotes file: “Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.” – Paul Theroux

Doubtful I’ll blog until after my surgery.  So wish me luck and see you on the basketball court as soon as humanly possible!

Self Portrait from my photography class a few years ago.

Self Portrait from my photography class a few years ago.

A Couple of Things…

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Skype1. Christmas morning I woke up, made coffee and updated VenturaRocks.com.  Then it occurred to me that I haven’t woke up alone on Christmas morning since before I was married, over 28 years ago. I either had my husband, or by daughter with me. Times are changing and I can fight the changes or adapt, or make new traditions…like Skyping with my daughter who is in Portland, OR, for over an hour.

Sammyxmas2.  Look what Sammy got for Christmas!!!  She must be the most stylish pup on the street!  And yes, she was with me this morning, so I was not totally alone 😉

 

3. The tradition of going to see a movie on Christmas afternoon continues today.  I’ll be meeting up with the Mimiagas to see The Big Short downtown.  I have to see the movie early enough so that the popcorn doesn’t interfere with Christmas dinner. 😉

4. In preparation for my knee replacement surgery, I’ve been taking advice on how to keep busy, while being bed ridden for a couple of weeks.  One that piqued my interest was “adult coloring books”.  It was with some mild trepidation that I searched on the internet with those key words, but alas, it turns out, not porn. 😉

5. I mentioned before that I have never EVER been able to touch my toes without bending my knees, my back just doesn’t allow it.  And twice I’ve been told it’s because I have long legs.  HAHAHAHA!  I have short stumpy legs.  But thanks!

Caps-PB6. Most people know that I love to inspire people to support Ventura’s music scene.  I started with creating the website VenturaRocks.com, then writing a column for our local newspaper, The Ventura Breeze, and now I’ve been asked to host a local access TV show we’re calling Ventura Rocks for CAPS Media (Community Access Partners for San Buenaventura).  It took me years to get use to hearing my own voice when I was a radio broadcaster, and I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever get use to not only hearing myself, but now having to view myself.

7. Every now and then I have to share a mime.  This one literally made me laugh out loud!

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8. Remember the first time you saw Rocky Horror Picture Show?  Life was never the same again!

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9. You gotta see this YouTube video of a cat’s solution to keeping his paws dry.  It’s about the goofiest thing I’ve seen in quite some time:

10.  Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season and that 2016 will be a special year of love and good will from you, and for you.

11. From my favorite quotes file. “The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.” ― George Carlin

A Couple of Things…

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Syd-Christmas19971. I’ve been lagging on my blog.  It’s the week before Christmas and I’m “keeping it together” as best I can trying to always look at the glass half full. I will not be seeing Syd Rose this year other than a morning Skype appointment, and I don’t expect any surprises as she’s working two jobs and I’ll be flying her home to help me with my knee surgery in  mid January.  Oh yeah, I’m having knee replacement surgery, so hopefully I’ll get that skip back in my step, and I’ll be back on the court mid 2016.

 

snowflake_c_NOAA2. From the “Things that Blow my Mind” file:
No two snowflakes are alike.  Really???  That a snowman made up of millions of snowflakes does not have two alike? That up at Big Bear or better yet the Antarctic, you’re telling me that no two snowflakes during one winter’s snowfall are alike?  That around the world in one given year, no two snowflakes are alike?  That during the course of history, over billions of years around the globe, that no two snowflakes are alike?
I say, “Prove it pretzel boy!!”
I’m now filing it under the category of questions, with “If a tree falls in the forest…”
HOW CAN YOU PROVE IT?

3. When you expect something in return, THAT’S NOT HELP.

4. SPOILER ALERT: BIG BANG THEORY, move along if you did not see ShAmy’s Big Night.
ShamyI knew Sheldon and Amy would do the nasty, or as Sheldon puts it, “Have coitus,” this season and it was quite nice how they pulled it off. But if I had written the episode, post coitus, Sheldon’s voice would have dropped several octaves and started sounding like a man. 🙂 #BigBangTheory

5. A friend of mine suggested that if you don’t accept treatment for life threatening illness, then in his opinion, that is a form of suicide.  I want to be able to choose how to exit this life; to have it be on my own terms choosing the best quality of life over longevity.

6. Talk about drastic measures, I read a story that a small Italian town had banned death and threatened higher taxes. Because the town’s population was dwindling, the mayor was hoping to encourage healthier living.  http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/small-italian-town-bans-death-threatens-higher-taxes/ar-BBlDYSW

7. I hope I never lose the ability to find formations in the clouds that look like people, animals,  spaceships or phallic shapes.

8. I saw a post on Facebook about terrorists threats recently in LA and she said there was too much bullshit in the world to cope and she was going to crawl into a hole.  To that I say, “Congratulations terrorists, you’re winning.”

We (YOU AND I) must imbue our community with hope and love and joy more than the  evil that attempts to wear us down.  They win, when we give up.

hammerhead9. The problem with Hammerhead sharks is that it’s hard to take them seriously when they always look like a cartoon character; however that being said, I’m sure if I ran swam into one, I’d take them as serious as a heart attack!

10. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Saturday Night Live cast members from 1 – 141.

Top Ten:
10. Chevy Chase
9.  Gilda Radner
8.  Amy Poehler
7. Phil Hartman
6. Bill Murray
5. Dan Aykroyd
4. Mike Meyers
3. Tina Fey
2. Eddie Murphy

1. John Belushi

Not making the top ten?  Dana Carvey, Will Ferrell, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Jon Lovitz, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Dennis Miller, not to mention Billy Crystal, Martin Short, or Christopher Guest. 141 Not Ready for Prime Time Players.  Some of the skits I’ll admit are real yawners, but others are classically ingrained in my mind.

11. From my favorite quotes file: “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.” Buddy the Elf

If I don’t get around to it, may the holiday seasons bring you love and joy and 2016 be the best year ever.  PEACE!