First day of CNA classes and blown out of the sky

I had just started my first class of CNA classes... Not

sure of myself.. after all I hadn't been in a class for

...what 29 years?  So here I am listening the best I can and

hope I can retain this information.  The classes were

going to be for 3 months.

We started at 8am... and then at 10am we took a break

...10 minute break, then back to class.

As soon as the door opened up, in rushed the Director

of Nurses...  THE SHUTTLE BLEW UP... they just

announced it just a little bit ago.. thought you would

like to know. 

Now this was before the days of instant media. No

Facebook, or internet..  This was 30 years ago.

So we all got a drink of water, went pee.. and came

back for class. After all it would be at least a hour

or so for the news to get it together...and who knew

how long before they would have why.

We were all sad, and then it dawn on us.. it was the

Challenger...with the teacher on it.  We talked a few

minutes about how horrible it would be for the kids.

And then back to school class.

We all went home at noon, and I am sure we watched

updates on television all day long.. The pictures of it

going up, blowing up.. coming down.. smoke, clouds,

and the look of those who were watching from the platform

near by.

Lot different from the day I was getting off work and

learn on the way home, that the plane flew into the

World Trade Center. And the media lit up from 6am

our time here ... until how many days later?  While

Facebook wasn't what it is today... but the internet

lit up. Searching for more information...

How does that work like that???

We have all heard about the incident in Flint, Michigan

with the water having lead in it... All because the Governor

decided to save money by changing the system.  Which

just happens to be loaded with lead.

So now they have sick kids, and others.. with more

to come.  The government of Michigan has known

this since April of 2014. And have had full knowledge

of it since summer of 2015..... but decided not to tell

the good citizens until winter of 2015. 

And here we are in 2016, and the water company is

still charging these people with homes there, for their

poison water. How does that work like that? 

Oh, common sense isn't used here... forgot that.. 

because common sense would not have changed

the water system in the first place,

with out testing it... and then after they knew for sure

common sense would have told the people...  But now

common sense really went out the window... with

charging the good people of Flint for the water.

Not much conscience there? 

And the bell will keep tolling.... as the results of the

damage will be here for years to come..

Health damages...and  damages allowed for in

courts across the town. 

Trump's new theme song....

Lately as I hear more and more people

getting on the Trump train.. the song

from the King and I came to mind.

Getting to know you
Putting it my way
But nicely
You are precisely ..My cup of tea

Getting to know you
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you
Getting to know what to say

Haven't you noticed
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day
Read more: The King And I - Getting To Know You Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

The more that people get to know about the backside of Trump,

the good side that is.. not so much in the media side... 

people are going from .. WHAT? THAT JOKER?  To seeing who else is out there..

and thinking maybe he wouldn't be so bad. 

But I can just see it with the head of states meeting with him..

maybe he better meet them here first... as he might not live to go home from their country.. And then again.. maybe not. maybe he might gain respect for us over there, that we aren't the push over of the last bunch for the past 30 years? 

Who knows.. but I have to admit.. this election is not dull, that is for sure.. well, maybe on the Democrat side.. I still can't believe that woman want Hillary... To me it is the

AOBH for me.... you know.. Any One But Hillary.

Well, Park my Car in the Harvard Yard....

This past weekend we celebrated the 65th

birthday of my brother-in-law..

Many people showed up and the rooms

were buzzing, and finally ended up with the

boys in the men's cave (better known by

me as the LIAR'S CLUB...as there have

been some pretty wild tales told there,

my husband being a member).. and

the women in the front room.  And that

pleased us just fine..  We had more

laughter going.

One of the swing my head around was,

a man who was there, and I have talked

to him many of times over the years.. But

for some reason, his speech stood out

over the weekend.. It made me smile.

Music to my ears..   Maybe because he

usually answered most of the questions

with one word sentence... where this time

he was talking quite a bit.

So was it a Party we were at or a potty?

Cotter was a man or was the man's

name Carter?   It was just nice to hear

him talk, the more relaxed he was, the

stronger it was..  Nice to hear a little

bit of back home. 

Told him I was jealous, that even tho

both of us have been away from New

England for 30 + years, he has kept a

lot more of his than i have.   And yes

he was from just outside of Boston. 

I wouldn't invite him to dinner....

The politicians are still crazy.. On both sides..

I watched about 20 minutes of the Democrat

debate...  As you know, I am NOT a Hillary fan.

And while I like what Sanders has to say...

especially when they point out all the countries

who have free medical.. I know I know. nothing

is for free...  My friend who lives in France tells

me she pays $10 for going to the Dr.  $20 to

go to the hospital..  so how is that?  They pay

$6.something a gal for gas..  which has a tax

to pay for health care.  And from what I have

heard from her about it.. it is worth it.. After all

she went in last November and had free surgery.

I know .. I know.. nothing is free..but it was free

to her.  They are not low income.. it is just the

way it is there..  Be nice if we all had the same

insurance. Congress and the rest of us.

But what surprised me of the debate was... Hillary

wrapping herself up in Obama and her husband

Bill.. Time and time she quote the good of Obama.

Considering how the whole country feels about

our President.. I was surprise... And Bill. oh, my

gosh.. her remarks of ... yes, I will send him out

for being a goodwill ambassador... (I bet she

would make him an ambassador or even Sec.

of state) .. I will listen to his suggestions and

ask questions ... I will value his input.... all of

this she said at the debate..  What the hell is

this?  A rerun of Bill and Obama?  You would

think that would be a deal breaker for the voters.

And now Sarah Palin has come out for Trump

for President...  boy that has to have Cruz

holding his gonads...  what the heck?  I thought

she was one of those tea party gals.. and Cruz

is one.. so you would have thought she would

have camped out in his camp.. Wow.. politics

does make some strange bedfellows.. 

Trump might be saying what so many Americans

have said at one time or another..   And I love the

way he mixes it up his fellow candidates.. He has

stirred up the Republican party stew more an

another one ever has.. and I think it is funny...

But I wouldn't invite him to dinner.

WASTED DAYS, AND WASTED NIGHTS....

I always thought that these days came in Feb.

or even March.....  but for me it is early... the

doom and gloom of the weather...

I don't do non sunny days.. I can handle maybe one,

but more, it is just not for me... I loose all my energy.

They say turn on your lights, especially if you have

neon type ones...  Which I have in my kitchen.. doesn't

help.

It just saps us... this isn't cabin fever.. cabin fever

is when you can't get out and do anything..  This

is just a drain on you.  No matter how many places

you go to. 

They have a applicable name for it too. At least the

initials for it is.. S. A. D.  (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

listed as this...

SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.

I usually start after the first of the year, as I am too busy

in the fall, for it..  Maybe because the holidays are over,

and nothing going on?  I don't know.

It is surprising to find how many people suffer from this,

and it is not age biases either..  I found out about it when

I was still working about 20 years ago.. One of my partners

was talking about it.  And when she started listing each

thing.. I thought, holy cow, it is a real deal..

Some even attempt suicide, it is that bad.. Lucky for me

I am not that bad.. but it sure does sap me..

And only 41 more days to Spring... sigh.....  

Unbelievable gullible.....

With most of us on Facebook in one way or

another... personal accounts or business..

You must have seen the latest posting

dealing with the recent billion dollar Powerball

contest..

These latest one.. and there are so many people's

pictures that have been photoshopped or just

plan out taken from some sites.. They go like

this:

MY SISTER... BROTHER IN LAW.. FATHER.. MOTHER

(you put in the proper association)  won $259, 000 (or you

put in the amount as long as you make it hundreds of

millions) and wants to share it with YOU... just like our

site and we will send you.... $5,000.00 or $10,000.00

(both have been mention).. just join us by liking our site.

And the crazy part of all this insane gullibility is, it is forward

by your friends... Friends who you know to be good level

headed people..  So it make it hard for you to make fun

or just say are you kidding me???.. you actually believe in

this?   Because then you would be ridiculing your

friend.. in front of all of Facebook.   Something you

never want to do to your friend.. if you want to keep

them... after all, they have a lot of other good qualities.

Personally I think it is sick mind who puts those up in

the first place.. it is cruel.

Happy birthday .. 76th TS... 

Another Generation of dying....

At my age, I kind of expect to see different

entertainers from my youth to be dying now.

After all, most of them are or were about 5

or 10 years older than I.   So talking about

80+ years... 

But of late, it is my kid's generation who is

leaving us.

Donna Douglas.... Beverly Hillbillies

James Best .........Dukes of Hazard

Alan Rickman ..... Harry Potter and so many more

Dan Haggerty.......Grizzly Adams

David Bowie.........  Singer, among much more

David Magulie........ Ghost Busters...

Pat Harrington......... One Day at a time

Natalie Cole............. Singer 

All of these, especially the movies and television shows

are the shows that my kids watched.... And these are

not ones who died of drug overdose, that can be the

case, for many dying early. 

Times passes us by... 

STOP THAT!!!!!

It is that time of the year.. even if you did

not make it a resolution.. you still try.

Lose weight. Be it 10 pounds or 60.. something

about the fresh of the year, makes you think

you might make it, this time..

But the elements are against you. 

Every where you look.. FOOD ...FOOD.. FOOD.

and not just the normal soups and sandwiches.

But the cookies, fried bread.. bacon wrapped

anything.. jalapeno stuffed with cheese, or

onion stuffed with meat loaf type food, all of

which is wrapped in the magic food of BACON.

They are everywhere.. on the shows, on Facebook,

(and I have been guilty as others of sharing some

thing good)...and magazines, the elements are against you.

Get so you feel like you are part of that dog

food treat, that we use to heard.. bacon, bacon

bacon..   Everything goes well with bacon...

I like a weekly magazine like called Woman's

World. I like the crossword puzzles in it. and

some of the foodies articles..

But I have to laugh every time I pick it up.

See there is a well known person usually, with

huge headlines of articles inside, of how some

one lost 50 to 100's of pounds.. yet when you

look at the bottom of the front page what do you

see?  The latest and best of delicious goodies.

So easy to make steps.   Kind of counter

productive, don't you think?  

Who says I have to act my age?

NEVER EVER UNDERESTIMATE the older generation..

I am sure there is a lot of you, who are out there, who

have seen on Facebook, or the internet.. You tube and etc.

Where there are woman and even a few men who are in

their 80's and more.. who dance... like a 20 year old.

Well, ok, maybe like a 30 year old... But they are doing

the Charleston, Samba, Salsa and etc.. dancing. Even

some are in races.  SO don't underestimate the older ones.  

See we have come to find out.. that age is just a number

of how long we have been here...NOT to limit how we feel,

how we act... or what we do.. 

And just for the record..

NO, I can not do what they did... and that is my fault, for

not staying limber...

So those who are heading that way..

always loosing up.. bodily and mentally.  I am hoping

it isn't too late for me.. but what ever I get loose in

my body, will be a plus from what I am now.. Don't get

me wrong.. I still do a lot of what I use to do.. and

maybe more than the average 75 year old.. but I have

so much more to work on. I have let computer time

overflow in the winter... and that I am going to change.

Oh, the cars you could buy....

The trading and visiting door has open to Cuba.

And for the car lover, that is great news...

Especially those who love 1950's cars. And

they are in beautiful shape from the looks in the

magazines and papers you see.

So if you win the 1 Billion 300 Million, there

is another deal for you.. going to Cuba and

see how many of those taxi guys are willing to

sell or trade those wonderful cars.

With that kind of money, you can buy the cars

AND afford the shipping..  Of course you might

have to trade a new car or vans from America to

replace the ones you are buying.  

The thought that came to mind when I saw

those beautiful cars, .....why haven't they bought

newer ones... after all we are not the only

country that manufacture vehicle of all sorts.

Even Russia, has cars.. 

House for sale....2000 MILLION

With everyone going out to buy their Powerball tickets,

I figured you all might be interested in uptowning your

house.. It is in California.. so no more snow..  It is just

a mere 200 MILLION.. so you will have lots left over.

In the ad, that is making it around the internet, they

aren't very forth coming on how much land or how

many bedrooms... but they do mention one bedroom

is off limits..   See the house comes with a roomie..

The owner who is selling it.  Hugh Hefner.

Now who wouldn't want old 89 year old Hugh

for a roomie, right?  Especially when you kicked

in 200 Million for it.  Sound like to me that Hugh

is looking for a person to pay for the upkeep of the

place.

Don't know what he is going to do with the things

in the house. One room keeps a multi-shelf of books

about his life in his business and houses.  That is a

room in itself.  And what about his deco furniture.

Well, some of it might be up to date. 

And then there is of course the girls who come to visit.

I guess if you are a name dropper, you might like it.

Because his friends stop by from time to time. to

booze and have a little of his drugs, as he is well

know for having at his houses.

But you are stuck with Hugh until he dies, or

you might have to hire a nurse and caretaker, as

there is probably a cause in there about not putting

him in a nursing home.

Me, I will pass... never like Hugh in the first place,

and like I said, it just looks like to me, like he is wanting

a person who will keep the upkeep on it. Paying for

lawn service, pools and grottos service say nothing

about what ever needs repairs inside. 

Be careful what you leave behind...

You know the saying...on the ad on television...

What is in your wallet?  Well, a better question

would be... what is in your drawers...

We all have extra stuff in our dresser... don't know about

men...but women it is usually the underwear drawer..

Guess it is the drawer  that she figures no man or child

would venture into... to see what is in there..

But also, one should be careful what one has hid

in their bathroom closets and drawers.. way in the

back.

As we have been going thru our love ones things,

trying to decide what to do with each thing.. it made

me go back in my memory of 15 years ago.  I was asked

to help clean out an elderly lady's apt. 

We got rid of the clothes to Goodwill, we did the same

for the kitchen stuff... pots and pans, silverware and etc.

By the time we got to the bathroom we were running

out of steam.  And we each had to go home to our

families...   So I got a big tote.. and told them.. you

guys take the closet, I will take the drawers.. and

proceeded to dump out the drawers in this tote I

brought with me.   They filled up their boxes and

we all left for our homes.

The next day, after my husband went to work, I

got the tote out.  Got the garbage can on the other

side.. and started going thru it.  Shampoo's like 8

of them in varies amounts of fill in them. Conditioners.

Disposable razors, jars and bottles of creams... curlers

of old.   You know the metal ones with the red roller

on the end of the snap. Keys to who knows what.. screw

driver...bobby pins, cotton swaps and etc.

And THEN.. IT APPEARED... my jaw dropped and

I started to laugh... not just giggle, but real belly laugh.

Good thing no one was home.  You see when I got to the

bottom, I turn the tote upside down, so I didn't have to

dangle over the side... and IT rolled across the floor.

I had seen them in magazines over the years... You know

the ads that say, you can use it on your neck to vibrate

the aches out..... But if you read some of the other catalogs,

you know what it is... It was about a foot long, off white

in color, and about inch and half around... with a batteries

door on the end...  I am still almost doubling over .. laughing.

Well, my dear miss..  xxxx (her name) I am so surprised...

Where she got this item... I don't know...  But how the hell

do I get rid of it?

So I kicked it on to a newspaper (after all you don't know

where this has been, but then again.. you might know)  I

wrapped the newspaper around it.. then I took another

newspaper and wadded it up into a ball.. and put it on

the end... and taped the whole affair.  Now looking

like a bomb... so wadded up some more paper and

balled it around it...and taped it.. and then I bagged it

and taped that...    As I had visions of throwing it in

the garbage can and then the garbage man throwing

the garbage with vigor into the truck.. and seeing it

unwrap, slow motionally... and mortifying me... down

the pile towards the garbage man...and him looking at me

as I come out to get my cans...

Thankfully this time there were not any embarrassing.

But got to admit, the girls and I had a new admiration for

the old gal of 15 years ago, as we giggled over coffee

about my find... ... Way to go grandma.... 

Getting to the point I don't care....

I don't know if I have the strength to deal with all this

foolishness...  The Trump .... Hilary b. s.

After all, we still have 11 more months to go before we

can cast our vote...   11 MONTHS of flowing bs... no

matter who wins the primaries and the conventions.

It is sad, that these are the  ones we see in the debates and ads...

are the best that the SHIP OF FOOLS (Republican party) can produce.

The Democratic party isn't any better...

These are suppose to be the best of the crop??? Well, folks,

if someone doesn't step up soon... we are all going to hell

in a hand basket.  There isn't even a lesser of the evils.. in

the bunch.

You know, I have a lot better things to do with my time..

Not going to waste it on watching this Ship of Fools and

their companions float on... wading thru waste water...

(also have to come up with a name for the Democratic

party as well.... THE BLAB BLAB BLAB ship?)

Life is precious... my husband, my kids, my grandkids and

great grand kids.. my friends... got chores to do... goals

to meet..  Papers to go thru for taxes... Yep, don't have

time for their foolishness...    Not like I can do anything

anyway.. Iowa, New Hampshire, California and etc will

decide...   Here in Idaho.. the Ship of Fools party is so

paranoid, they won't let us Independent minded vote for

their people, even local.. You have to swear your allegiance

to the party and quite frankly, the thought of that makes me

want to gag... of late.    

First the grieving.... and then.......

In two more days, it will be a month that we lost our

family member...

First there is disbelief.. then there is the WHY...

then there is the taking care of business.... mixed with

anger.

There is the funeral, of course, to take care of.. that is

immediate... the planning...trying to make the right

decisions... 

Then comes the awakening of having to deal with all the

paper work...   all of which you find out is pending because

of the need of the death certificate. That took almost 10

days...

There is the returning the vehicle back to the loaner.

Finding out the bills... checking the papers to find out

what bank?  What insurance company for the car. What

credit cards?  And what the heck are all these cards?

Then getting rid of personal effects...clothing, the things

we all collect.  Seeing if a family member wants anything,

friends...  going thru ones life thru boxes, storage sheds,

gathering up things left with different friends... And never

ending amount, that you finally get the bigger stuff done

and have to stop... Getting burnt out on papers...so many

...  what is important? what is not needed,  useless to us,

papers.. magazine that were saved.. and etc.

We have got 5/8 of it done.. we are at the stage of taking

a break...   And then there is the memorial that her friends

put on.. and we attended.. such a outpour  of love... 4 hours

of hugs, tears, kind words... cards... food.... music...  our

love one would look down and be in wonderment.  We

so appreciate everything.. but the hugs were the best of all.

The room full of love... It all helps and replenishes us to carry on. 

Chores of the start of the year...

As always the beginning of the year starts up with the constant

reminding ourselves for a week or two... to write or type a 6

instead of a 5.

Then there is the gathering of the papers of 2015.  For the next

season.. TAX season..  So all those folders, drawers, and where

ever else we put our receipts are to be seek out.

There is new calendars around the house... We have one in our

hall that is a huge one, like one has on a desk (at least years ago

they did, before computers).  It has areas big enough to write

appt. of all sorts..

Then there is (at least for me) the setting up the books so I have

the bills listed with the months spread out.. to keep track that

each one is paid monthly... with check number, and amount.

Also a page for the quarterly, semi and annual bills  to be

accounted for as well..

I have a folding bookkeeping folder, with all the receipts in

each month's slot set up for 2016... and now I have a full one

for 2015, which I have to go thru and see what is important

enough to file..... to keep to take to the guy who does our taxes

in February.

And to make life more interesting.. over the weekend we

discovered an area in a corner not used.... that has mold.

There was plastic bags in the area.. so don't know if they

helped by having a area that sweat or what.. but I have to

move furniture to get to it.. and find a process of how to

clean this mold out of here. It is our own fault as we saw

some dampens last year.. and thought well, when summer

comes we will tear it apart..  ... out of sight.. out of mind.