Personalities

We have at least mainly, 2 different personalities.

One is the at home personality.

We have what we are like with our
family. Relaxed mostly. Usually
what you see is what you get...
inside and outside alike. You have
your way you take care of your house.
Neat freak, Martha Stewart type. Or
the house looks like the relax person.
Clean but cluttered. Especially if
there is young children in the house
hold. It is home.
Some like anyone to drop by, others
are the, please call first type. Some
are open house, some are private.

Then there is the job personalities.

This is usually the uptight you.
Or at least reserved you. You
know your job, you expect
certain things of your fellow
employee's and you know
your boss expects certain
things of you.
There are exceptions to this rule.
Some are happy campers, no matter
what. And some are real uptight
no matter what.

Then there is the blogger personalities.
That person is the inter you.
And the more unknown you are
to others, the more relax you are
to say what you want. The shy,
can talk to anyone. You relax,
and have fun... and then there
are some who are angry. So
they will let their hair down and
tell the world how it is, according
to them. I have found that
most bloggers have fun and
have a great sense of humor.

Those who have an ax to grind,
or on a soap box, leave me
shaking my head and wondering
why they are so angry.
Once in a while I do get on the
soap box myself. The When did
Children become Disposable,
is one. But for the most part, I try to
find the humor in life.
So what are we really like? Ask
8 people and you probably get
8 different answers.

As a blogger, I think I take life
lighthearted.
As a worker, I was serious, and
tunneled vision and accused of
being tactless, because I expected
the same out of others as I would
do myself.
As an everyday person, I am
concern about my friends, and
family. Hope to always be there
when needed. At home, I am
a cluttered person, trying to
reform... and play it loose.

Taxes....Gas or Mileage?

I read with interest this past
weekend that they are thinking
of a different way to get money
for roads and bridges repair.

The Government doesn't think
they are getting enough money.
They say they aren't getting
enough to keep up with the repair
prices. But I find that hard to
believe..after all they tell us all
the time, that more and more
drivers are hitting the road. More
and more families have 2 to 4 cars.
So as all those cars are gassing up,
aren't they getting all that tax money?

Seems in the works is a tax
on Hybrid cars. Now that ought
to just tick off the owners of them.
After all they went to those to save
money. Well, the government thinks,
that they should pay extra because
they aren't paying enough gas taxes.
Seems the government has figured
out that being they don't buy as much
gas, therefore not enough taxes are
being paid by them. But they use the
roads just as much as us gas hogs do.

Then there is the pay as you travel tax
they would like to pass instead of
a gas tax. Or maybe they want to
have both.

Seems Oregon has a voluntary GPS
installed in their vehicles and then pay
as you travel instead at the pump.

I am not sure how they do that. Do they
send you a monthly charge by what the
GPS tells them the miles you drove?

Will they give a break to the people
who commute to their jobs that are
50 or more miles away? Some how
that doesn't seem fair. The guy who
lives 3 miles from his job pays little.
And the guy who works in Spokane
or Coeur d' Alene, but lives in
Sandpoint pays thru the teeth...
or rather the GPS.

Then you have the Big Brother
attitude I am sure the people will
fight. While I don't go anywhere
of interest to anyone. Still the
fact that the government knows
where I am at....at all times.. well,
that kind of unnerves me. How about
you?

Monday morning after....

One..two....one ... two...
No, that is not an earthquake in
Sandpoint.That is all of us, trying
to lose some of those pounds we
put on over the weekend. I even
made it the full 2 and half miles on
my walk today.

After all we have Christmas coming
up. And if that isn't bad enough,
think food.... food everywhere.
Go visit friends.... have some
Christmas cookies.
Office party, got to have food..
pot luck food, and of course
seven kinds of cakes, pies,
candy, and all the rest. Then
the big dinner itself.

And it keeps coming. The stores
are full of it. And the worse is after
Christmas. Everyone is sick of food.
All the New Year diets coming up.
So you got to get rid of this food.
So you send home care packages
with your friends. You pack it up
and leave it at work in the break room
in hopes the MIKIE'S will eat it all.

Ah, yes, One...two.. one .. two..
jumping jacks, walking miles,
got to get rid of this weight.
All I did was take one tablespoon
of everything across the counter.
Then went back just for the
in-turkey stuffing, and yams, and
salad...just a little... But it
was just tablespoons. Trouble is
there was 35 different things to
take a tablespoon of. Filled up the
plate, those tablespoons.

BUT I was strong.... I did not
have any pie. Nope, no pie, cake,
or any of those... did I partake in.
That is until the next day, that is.

Well, can't type and do jumping jacks.
So here I go ...off to pound those
pounds off. One... two .. one ... two...
maybe if I do an extra mile of walking
this afternoon,..... do you think?

Good luck all you partakers of food.

Happy Thanksgiving Day

As many of you set out today and
early tomorrow, to go to enjoy your
Thanksgiving Dinner with friends
and family, please keep in mind, to
keep it safe.

We are heading out to have dinner
and times with old friends. Ones that
go back 30+ years. This is our first
non-family dinner. And with the lost
of one of my Head Chefs, this month,
from the past, aka Dad, my thoughts
will be with his family.

So I wish you all a wonderful day with
friends and family. Eat well, and count
your blessings.

And if the creek don't rise, and the snow
doesn't drift,
I will be back here early Monday morning...
tossing words again..

God Bless

3 Styles of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving……Mom’s style

Many years ago, when my husband
Marvin was alive, we had moved to
R.I. And then there was the first
Thanksgiving dinner together at Mom
and Dad’s house. We went to sit down
at the table, and I saw the look on
Marv’s face. I whispered in his ear….
Outside in…

You see on the left is 3 forks… on
the left is two spoons and one knife.
You say WHAT? Well, it gets worse
for those of us, who use one plate and
one fork, one spoon and one knife.
There is a large plate, but don’t put
food on it. There are extras and after
all these years, I have forgotten some
of them. I am sure there is someone
who was raised like I was, who will tell
you all of them. Because they still use
them all. Me, I am a 3 utensil gal.

So what does Outside in, mean? It
means to use the utensil from the
outside and go inward. The first fork
is your cocktail fork. The second one
is the main fork and the third fork is
your dessert fork. But then again, there
might be a fourth fork. That one would
be between the cocktail fork and the
main fork. Because that would be your
salad fork. Got it? Cocktail fork,
salad fork, main fork, and dessert fork.
Now going over to the other side…
you have a large head spoon. That is
your soup spoon. And then your main
spoon. And of course every one has to
have a knife to cut with.
Then there is a tiny bowl with salt in it…
it has a teensy spoon in that. And if it is
really done up right, there is a tiny bowl
of water. To wash your fingers off. All
these are of course, as my mother would
say… are sterling silver.

But what about the large plate? Well,
that one is called a serving plate. You
NEVER EVER eat off the serving plate.
That is to sit each course on. First the
shrimp cocktail cup sits there, then the
soup bowl sits there, and then the main
plate sits on top of that..(that being the
second large plate.) and then to finish it
up, the desert plate or bowl sits there.
BUT never eat off the serving plate.
One of my uncle did that once.
Oh, what a rise that was. My mother’s
friend got up from the table and went
into the kitchen and said… Betty, do you
know what he did, of which … my mother
looked. Oh, the Horror of it all. And it
was the tale of many years later, Thanksgivings.

Thanksgiving Dinner was served as this,
year after year…and my duty as a child
and as an adult was to wash and polish
all that silver. Which, I hated with a passion
as a child. As an adult it wasn’t so bad, as it
was like polishing up an old friend. (my
real friends will like that phase). And this
is what was served.

Shrimp Cocktails,
Onion Soup,
Turkey, mashed potatoes,
mashed summer squash,
mashed turnips (my favorite)
gravy, stuffing,
Relish dish was 3 kinds of pickles,
black olives, green stuffed olives,
tiny pickled onions, stuffed celery,
green onions
Rolls.
Choice of pies, usually apple,
mince and pumpkin
Ice cream for the pies.

I am sure my brother could remember
more of these than I, as he attend more
of them than I did. He always lived in R.I.
Me, being the wayward child, only did
the first 17 years and then 4 more with
my family in the 70’s.

The other Thanksgiving is California style

Skip the cocktails and soup. But the
rest was pretty much the same. Oh,
yea, skip the fancy table settings.
And add about 10 more people. The
Chef? My Uncle.. better know as Dad
to all of those of us who shared our
meal with him.

Both dinners were quite filling.
Both great cooks.

My Home

Pretty much the same as
the California style. And in the past
18 years the Chef changed to the King.
He loves to cook. He does a great job.
Although the King cooks his carrots
and turnips together. No squash.

May you all have a great Thanksgiving…
great food, great friends and family and
many great conversations. And remember
you are adding to the memories of
Thanksgiving for your children and theirs.

Life is a Bowl of Cherries,But

Life is a bowl of Cherries….
But watch out for the Banana Peels

As I live each day since retirement,
I have spent it by having a positive
attitude and doing things to enjoy life.
Not that life is a bowl of cherries,
of course. We all know that there is
ups and downs in life. But I figured
I had it pretty well in hand. So when
I slipped on the banana peels of life,
I was surprised.

See last Friday, my daughter took me
to see the movie I WALK THE LINE.
The story of Johnny Cash. She, of course,
living with me 2/3’s of her life, knows
what a Johnny Cash fan I am. I use to
have over 48 of his albums. Back to the
days of Sun Records. Giving them away,
was hard to do. But I was going to be
moving again, and the records would
be in storage a long time. So do I keep
them in storage and have them ruin,
or do I give them away so they would
be save. I chose to keep them safe.
I don’t regret that, not even with the
knowledge that the Sun Records ones
would have a money value.

So there we were in the theater, watching
the movie. Being the fan I am, I know
he was not a choir boy. I knew he did some
not so admirable things in his life. I
really enjoyed his, or actually the actor’s
singing. The actor, did a great imitation
of him, singing and all. But as the end
of the movie came, and they had the read
out of when June had died and then 4
months later, Johnny died, (all of which
I knew) it started to hit me. We got up
and walked out side to the brightness of
the day, I felt sad. A lot of emotions hit
me all at once. One of appreciation of
my daughter surprising me, by taking me
to the movie. See she drove to the parking
lot of the theater on the pretense of taking
me to get a latte. As she got out of the car,
she said come on, we are going to the movies.
Hurry, it starts in 15 minutes. To say I am
shocked, and surprise is an understatement.
So her thoughtfulness, the emotion started.

On the way home, I told her it dawn on me
how much Johnny Cash and his music was
involved with my life. I started liking Johnny
Cash, when he was on the Tommy Dorsey
Show, which covered for Ed Sullivan Show
in the summer months. While all my school
friends were screaming over Elvis, I loved
Johnny Cash music. And it kept going thru
2 marriages, and even now. That the last cd
he did, still was heart felt in my heart.

Then as I walked into the house after telling
her how much her gift of love meant to me,
the surprise and the movie too, it hit me.
I found myself, in tears. The King asked
me what was wrong, and I couldn’t tell him.
You see the banana skin has laid me low.

I was facing my own mortality as well as
Mr. Cash’s. As I thought about how I
appreciated 50 years of his music.. it hit
me, that I too, am in my winter of life.
Something I don’t usually admit to others.
I guess because I don’t like to dwell there
myself. I rather think of what I can do
with this last 15 years, if I am lucky, rather
than think about the 15 years themselves.

I guess it goes back to the time I was
talking to a resident, who was weak from
the flu and losing her husband. So she
thought she came to the nursing home
to die. I asked her, did she want to sit
around and wait to die, or did she want
to live until she died. Which is what I
remind myself, when I hit these low spots
on the rare occasions.

And I chose to live until I die,
I chose to live it to its fullest,
and I chose to live it in humor.

P.S.
The resident checked out 2 weeks later.
And as she was packing her bag, she
called me in her room, gave me a hug,
and said Thanks. She and I knew why.
She chose to live life. I saw her a year
later at her sister’s wedding. She was
laughing and looked at me and winked.

Guest Commentator

Today, I am running a comment
from my niece in R.I. who read
Education on my blog. Because
I think her comments have merits,
I decided to run it today.

When I was in H.S. (1974-78) there
was a program which gave you
hands-on. The girls mostly went
into the nursing program and every
morning they went (by bus) to the
technical school for nursing. This
program gave them a grade in H.S.
and allowed them to cut time from
college also.
I am not sure what the boys did but
I think in was machine shop and auto
mechanics.

I do know what you mean regarding
a lot of adults returning to school and
somehow it does seem backwards.
Here is some thoughts:

Maybe when you have a child getting
up at 5:30 in the morning to catch a
bus at 6:45 to be in school at 7:15 and
then get out at 1:30 they are just too
tired to learn.

Maybe when the parent doesn't get
home until 5:30 they don't do homework
and the parent is too tired to check.

Maybe the parent doesn't understand the
homework.

Maybe the child doesn't understand the
homework and knows the parent doesn't
understand the homework.

Maybe the teachers don't have enough
authority over the children and therefore
don't care like they used to.

Maybe the classes have too many children.

Maybe the teachers have too much job
security and the Union protects them
too much.

Maybe the teacher thinks the student
read the assignment before class.

Maybe the student has a part-time job
and thinks he/she is rich.

Maybe the student is in the hole with
a car payment and insurance and
doesn't see the whole picture.

Maybe there isn't enough guidance
at the school level.

Maybe the students are thinking too
much of drugs,sex, and rock-n-roll
or maybe they are not thinking about
it but actually doing it.

Today I took my daughter to UMASS
to interview for an internship with
Disney. I am surprised at the many
opportunities students now have with
so many BIG companies! The interview
was very informative and I am so
impressed!

Here is how it works (more or less):
You interview like a regular job.
In about 2 weeks they extend and
invite (or not).

You go to Disney from January to
May living in the Disney Apartments
Disney pays you $6.40 per hour
while you work an average of 30
hours a week.
Disney provides the uniforms
Disney has a private college where
you choose a college course you take
while at Disney. The grading is either
(P or F) or grade, your choice.
You get Thursdays nights and Fridays off.
Free transportation to work, college,
shopping (Wal-Mart's) and other destinations.
Free pass to enter the parks.
Attend Disney enrichment programs on
subjects like: networking, time
management, job shadowing and such.
Disney extends the benefits to visiting
family members with 1/2 price on lodging
of choice and park tickets.

Then on the other side of the coin:
Her college in Quincy gives her 15 credits
for the internship with the completed
assignment of a daily journal, read 2
books with a book report on each, and
communication with the Disney contact.

The downside is the competition!
You can imagine (get it?) how many
students apply for this.

Another thing that I shake my head on
is the school bus issue. They say they
have to cut extra activities because of
the cost of running the buses. But there
is also a rule of the student who lives
within 1 mile (sometimes more) from
the school has to walk. Well, if that
child has to walk, why not have the child
who is bused ...walk 1 mile to a pickup point
where they meet many other children
who had to walk (that mile) and make
1 pick up (instead of 50) then drop them
off at the front door of the school. This
way you save $$ and time. The child
walks (overweight children in America)
and you know that every child has
walked at least 2 miles per day, the cost
of transportation goes down in the form
of money and time,there is money for
the extra activities and the child doesn't
have to get up at dark o'clock because
they need that school bus to pick other
children up at their front door.

This just seems to obvious to me, I must
be missing some details!

I told her that out here in our area,
that wouldn't work as our bus stops
can be 5 or more miles apart. But in
other areas it might be something to
think about. The other downside of
course is, predators, both kinds.
But she made some good points.

Rodney Dangerfield Town

We get no respect…. I live in the
town of Kootenai.
Sometimes I wonder if anyone
knows we are here.This election
time it really showed up.

Spokesman Review did an article
on the people, who had put in for
office in Idaho towns.They listed
Priest River, Sandpoint,
Ponderay, Clark Fork, Hope….
But not the Town of Kootenai.

So I wrote an email to the
“Ask the Editors”. But I happen
to hit the time when most of the
Editors were on vacation…so it
was a while before I got an answer.
Then it was “I will check and see.”
Then several weeks went by, and
nothing.

So I wrote again. Telling them
I wasn't mad at them, but
I thought we were the Rodney
Dangerfield of the communities.
Of which one of the editors,
did answer, explaining he had been
gone but he would pass it on to the
Idaho office and one of the Idaho
employee’s answered in the Ask the
Editor on line as well as an e-mail.

It was the reason, no one
running against anyone, so it really
wasn’t newsworthy. And she was nice
enough to apologize for not giving an
answer sooner.

Then they gave the results in the
paper. For, Sandpoint,
Priest River, Hope, Clark Fork
and Ponderay…
see anything missing?

So I wrote to the reporter who
did the article. And this was her
answer.

“Unfortunately, because of our
limited staff here in the Idaho
office, we don’t cover Boundary County
unless something really big is
happening, and as far as election
results go, we didn’t have the space
to list every town in North Idaho”.

“I will pass your feedback onto
editors, though, so they can keep it in
mind for next year’s election coverage”.

Do you see a problem with this? Do you
wonder why we feel like Rodney Dangerfield
of the communities? For those who are not
familiar with our area. The town of Kootenai
Is in BONNER COUNTY, not Boundary, like
the young lady reporter suggested.

And I have to tell you, our own local paper
doesn’t do any better. Even though they
brag that they are a local paper. That they
cover the local news…

I asked our Mayor one time why the local
paper doesn’t report on our council meetings.
After all they use the paper for the legal part.
And she said, they told her to call if we were
going to have something really important
to report. I guess it could be worse. They
could ask for the town to send in our own
articles about the meetings. Shh, I didn’t
say that… it may give them ideas.

You know maybe it is better being the
Rodney Dangerfield of the
communities after all.

Education

I have a friend who went back
to school to be able to keep her job.
That the school district put
demands on the job description,
that one would need more education.
This is just for teachers aides.
Not for a teacher. So this
isn’t even for the big bucks.

Anyway, she did excellent in school.
Great grades. I should ask her if she
did as well in high school 30 years
ago. But it got me to wondering….

Where would we all be today, if we
had applied ourselves to school as
we do today. Are we smarter today
than we were at that time. Has the
school of hard knocks made us
smarter? Maybe we should postpone
colleges.Or do we become more
experienced by the employment?

I personally am not impressed with
college’s. I think they are over rated
and under educating when it comes
to the first 2 years. I believe in trade
schools. (Drs. and Lawyers being the
exception.) Let’s get with the program of
what your job is going to be. Let’s have
classes in what you want to do for a
career. I like to see that started
in high school. Some of it is… I
understand they have a Health class
that heads you towards nursing career.
Last I had heard that they downsized
the auto mechanic classes.

The girls seem to have a better jump on
a job, than guys do.There was always a
business subjects for girls to become
secretaries or bookkeepers. But is
there welding for guys and girls and
the other types of jobs classes? But for the
most part, high school really doesn’t do
a lot of heading our youths towards
a job. And the discipline leaves a lot to be
desire in high schools now. I am not talking
about punishment. I am talking about
showing up for class on time. Dressing
appropriately, Respect for their elders,
meaning teachers. 60% of the class is lacking
all this. So when they go to be interviewed
for a job, they don’t make a good impression.

Some ways it seems things haven’t
changed. College first year. is almost a
repeat of your high school last two years.
In 1986, when one of my sons was going
in to college, to get an education of
computers and even the mechanic of
computers, he wouldn’t be able to touch
a computer for a year and half. To me
that was a waste of time. They should
start off where the kid wants to go job
wise. Trade School would have serve better.
As it was he dropped out, because he
had 2 jobs as well. Ended up getting his
education thru the service.

But I digress… how much more would
you have done, if you had asserted
yourself at the right time of education?
Could you have been a contender? Were
you not, because of your attitude, or
because all you could think of was the
freedom from the parents rules or worse
yet, the financial condition of your
life at the time. After all college and
even trade school, is almost as expensive
as a home now.

The Price of Toys

Toys

$399. for one toy…

I know… kids call it a game..
And a game it is… but
considering that this is mostly
For kids… it is a toy.
$399. and that isn’t counting
the games.. Which run
from $29.95 to $45.95 a piece.
Which is a 1 and half inch
by 1 and half inch, and little
thicker than cardboard.

I remember when my kids
were being raised..$25.00
was the top price for their
major gift. I sure feel bad
for parents who feed into
this frenzy.

Heck, that gift is almost
the same as my monthly
S.S. check!

While at Costco, I saw one
of the toys from my days.
TINKER TOY..The super
size was $29.95. It was
$9.95 when I bought it
for my kids.

Also the Chocolate fountain
that I wrote about before…
I saw it at Wal-mart. For
$28.95, don’t know if it is
the same brand or not. But
this seems to be a hot item
these days. You can use it for
caramel too.

Still a lot of money to pay
for something you will use
once or twice and then put
it in your cupboard, to be sold
at a yard sale 3 years later.