With the cooler weather I find myself cocooned in a comfy chair in front of the TV. Computer on my lap, books of study and pleasure on the hassock in front of me, Diet 7-Up to my right on the coffee table, I feel warm sunshine radiating through the window and warming whichever side of me is facing said window.
As I scan to my left I notice the window is dirty.
A combination of rain splatter, grass clippings thrown up and sticking from mowers, bird outlines (why the birds would hit such a dirty window is beyond me but their perfect outlines dot the big pane of glass), and corner spider webs keep the most severe of the sun's rays from becoming uncomfortable for those inside sitting where I have already described to you.
There was a time last Spring that I had a lead on a window washer. He was a high school senior and performed odd jobs including washing windows during his summers. He was dating one of the grand daughters so I thought, quite mistakenly as it turned out, that I could call him sometime in the summer to take care of mine. Alas! They ended their relationship before my windows got washed and I thought it would be like rubbing salt in wounds to call and employ him.
So now it is Fall and my new excuse is that everything on the picture window, itemized in the paragraph above, keeps the sun's rays from putting a glare on the TV picture, a glare on my computer screen, keeps from increasing the heat on whichever side of me is facing the window, keeps the air-conditioning from working overtime thus conserving money and energy, and keeps some of the wildlife outside the window in their homes.
I'm a down-right Conservationist. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
And that's what I think about it.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Two things to know for Tuesday
1. While having breakfast this morning at a local establishment we sat near a group of teachers from a near-by high school who meet for breakfast regularly to help each other figure out the generation of students they are now attempting to make into outstanding citizens.
Although we were not following their conversations closely, one statement did jump out at us when one of the female teachers was heard saying, "If it'd been me, I would have shot him in the front."
Yikes!
2. While walking along the Ohio River front in our little town we came across several folks out walking their dogs. We stopped and talked to each owner and petted each animal, each on a designer leash. We made contact with a Standard Gray and While Poodle, a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier and a Brindle Dachshund.
Apparently mixed breeds 'need not apply' to live in our little community.
Although I must add that the Terrier was a rescue from an apartment on the east side of New York City and had been crated during the day. Now he has the run of the riverfront and a gaggle of grandchildren to herd.
And that's what you need to know for Tuesday. And that's what I think about it.
Although we were not following their conversations closely, one statement did jump out at us when one of the female teachers was heard saying, "If it'd been me, I would have shot him in the front."
Yikes!
2. While walking along the Ohio River front in our little town we came across several folks out walking their dogs. We stopped and talked to each owner and petted each animal, each on a designer leash. We made contact with a Standard Gray and While Poodle, a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier and a Brindle Dachshund.
Apparently mixed breeds 'need not apply' to live in our little community.
Although I must add that the Terrier was a rescue from an apartment on the east side of New York City and had been crated during the day. Now he has the run of the riverfront and a gaggle of grandchildren to herd.
And that's what you need to know for Tuesday. And that's what I think about it.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Irritating Doofuses
For a few months I have been taking pictures of cars parked erratically, willy-silly around town. Many of these vehicles have been parked in handicapped spots but I use the word 'parked' euphemistically as none of the photos I've taken have been of cars in or near the lines outlining their space parameters. I have labeled the driver a Doofus, the plural being Doofi...or Doofuses, take your pick. My suggestion, for the DMV, is to incorporate an eye chart with yellow lines and have the wanna-be driver place the car within the lines using the computer mouse, like a video game. My next suggestion would be to simply erase all lines everywhere and let everyone have at it, after all it is a free country...and apparently filled with Doofus Drivers.
My next item on the current list of stuff that irritates me comes out of Washington, D.C. where children in grown-up garb are name-calling and bullying one another daring the other to blink. No party is innocent. Our current events teachers in the schools have had to take a break from instructing students on emulating our elected officials. Parents are attempting to stifle bullying without role models in the very place we all should be able to find them. If they had parked their cars, they would all be Doofuses.
Next on my list is the 'depressed' lady shot in Washington, D.C. this week by capital police after a chase down Pennsylvania Avenue. Depressed? I read the news, I'm depressed too, but I don't get in my car and take pot shots at neighbors. Doofus.
If you do not follow, on Facebook, Chief David Oliver of the Brimfield (OH) Police Department, you are missing daily doses of wisdom ALA Will Rogers. From the weather report to local drug stops, to high-fiving kindergartners to reading the exploits of the K-9s (Havoc, Joker, Nitro, and Drogen) Brimfield ranks second only to New York City in the number of people who 'Like' them (from 29 countries) on Facebook. It gives you a personal look at a profession that these officers take very personally. It is only a short mind-hop to realize that your own local law enforcement departments deal with the same stuff every day for one reason, to protect and serve. Unfortunately, most other departments do not have the creative writing ability of Chief Oliver. Jim and I purchased two of the chief's books, No Mopes Allowed, for our two local favorite officers.
It irritates me that you can pick out a parent's child on the soccer field because that child has every bad trait exhibited by the parent. Last night we watched as a student who had been juggled some by an opposing player on the soccer team, lose focus on the game and red-faced seemed determined to strike back...and not necessarily at the goal. The referee cautioned him about his play and encouraged him to take a deep breath and get back into the game. He didn't seem to be able to. This 18-year old has some life lessons to learn. For sure our kids copy what they see. Doofus parents.
Cheers to the veterans who ignored the government shut down that closed their war memorial. This is civil disobedience at its finest. One said he had been shot at all over Europe during the war and he wasn't much afraid of capital park police. For their part, and to their credit, no effort was made to stop these veterans. Doofus government.
I think you are getting the idea that I have little to no tolerance for stupidity. On the flip side, these are my Doofuses. I elected some of them, I live around some of them, and I interact with some of them daily and enough of the time I am probably the Doofus in someone else's life. And so it goes. Like Judy Judy says, "Beauty fades but dumb is forever." I wish Judge Judy would use the proper term, Doofus!
And that's what I think about it.
My next item on the current list of stuff that irritates me comes out of Washington, D.C. where children in grown-up garb are name-calling and bullying one another daring the other to blink. No party is innocent. Our current events teachers in the schools have had to take a break from instructing students on emulating our elected officials. Parents are attempting to stifle bullying without role models in the very place we all should be able to find them. If they had parked their cars, they would all be Doofuses.
Next on my list is the 'depressed' lady shot in Washington, D.C. this week by capital police after a chase down Pennsylvania Avenue. Depressed? I read the news, I'm depressed too, but I don't get in my car and take pot shots at neighbors. Doofus.
If you do not follow, on Facebook, Chief David Oliver of the Brimfield (OH) Police Department, you are missing daily doses of wisdom ALA Will Rogers. From the weather report to local drug stops, to high-fiving kindergartners to reading the exploits of the K-9s (Havoc, Joker, Nitro, and Drogen) Brimfield ranks second only to New York City in the number of people who 'Like' them (from 29 countries) on Facebook. It gives you a personal look at a profession that these officers take very personally. It is only a short mind-hop to realize that your own local law enforcement departments deal with the same stuff every day for one reason, to protect and serve. Unfortunately, most other departments do not have the creative writing ability of Chief Oliver. Jim and I purchased two of the chief's books, No Mopes Allowed, for our two local favorite officers.
It irritates me that you can pick out a parent's child on the soccer field because that child has every bad trait exhibited by the parent. Last night we watched as a student who had been juggled some by an opposing player on the soccer team, lose focus on the game and red-faced seemed determined to strike back...and not necessarily at the goal. The referee cautioned him about his play and encouraged him to take a deep breath and get back into the game. He didn't seem to be able to. This 18-year old has some life lessons to learn. For sure our kids copy what they see. Doofus parents.
Cheers to the veterans who ignored the government shut down that closed their war memorial. This is civil disobedience at its finest. One said he had been shot at all over Europe during the war and he wasn't much afraid of capital park police. For their part, and to their credit, no effort was made to stop these veterans. Doofus government.
I think you are getting the idea that I have little to no tolerance for stupidity. On the flip side, these are my Doofuses. I elected some of them, I live around some of them, and I interact with some of them daily and enough of the time I am probably the Doofus in someone else's life. And so it goes. Like Judy Judy says, "Beauty fades but dumb is forever." I wish Judge Judy would use the proper term, Doofus!
And that's what I think about it.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
A Very Nice Gift
A lovely graduation present from my husband found us in London last week.
I am not a good flyer. By that I mean I'm an 'awful-izer' imagining every possible terrorizing situation that could possibly happen in the skies. I'll save you the list but think 9/11.
Although, truth be told, I was not a good flyer decades before.
The flight was short, only eight hours, not like the 13 hour one to Australia that had me pacing the aisles looking for an exit a few years ago.
Planning to read during the trip, I had picked up a John Grisham paperback because it had a really shiny cover. By chapter two it was beginning to sound familiar and by chapter four, I realized I'd already read it but it was either the book or SkyMall and Jim discouraged the latter. My standard operating procedure on a trip is to tear off the chapters as I read them and leave them in the seat pocket thereby alleviating all extra weight in my purse. It's somewhat sad to desecrate a book in this manner and this mayhem is reserved for flights of long duration. Jim read the parts of the book I was discarding. The only downside to this system is that you can't turn back a chapter or two if you missed something or want to check on a character. Those previous chapters could well be on another flight to another continent.
Delta takes good care of their customers. It seemed that every time we turned around, which is a euphemism of course, we were getting food or hot face towels or drinks and snacks. Jim, bless his heart, mentioned...sadly to my ears...that he really was enjoying airplane food. I couldn't even be insulted.
And so began a most memorable week.
And that's what I think about it.
I am not a good flyer. By that I mean I'm an 'awful-izer' imagining every possible terrorizing situation that could possibly happen in the skies. I'll save you the list but think 9/11.
Although, truth be told, I was not a good flyer decades before.
The flight was short, only eight hours, not like the 13 hour one to Australia that had me pacing the aisles looking for an exit a few years ago.
Planning to read during the trip, I had picked up a John Grisham paperback because it had a really shiny cover. By chapter two it was beginning to sound familiar and by chapter four, I realized I'd already read it but it was either the book or SkyMall and Jim discouraged the latter. My standard operating procedure on a trip is to tear off the chapters as I read them and leave them in the seat pocket thereby alleviating all extra weight in my purse. It's somewhat sad to desecrate a book in this manner and this mayhem is reserved for flights of long duration. Jim read the parts of the book I was discarding. The only downside to this system is that you can't turn back a chapter or two if you missed something or want to check on a character. Those previous chapters could well be on another flight to another continent.
Delta takes good care of their customers. It seemed that every time we turned around, which is a euphemism of course, we were getting food or hot face towels or drinks and snacks. Jim, bless his heart, mentioned...sadly to my ears...that he really was enjoying airplane food. I couldn't even be insulted.
And so began a most memorable week.
And that's what I think about it.
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