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Friday, August 31, 2007

Back to School


In many parts of the country kids are back to school already. As for us in the northeast,
today was the last day of summer vacation. Starting Tuesday for me but Wednesday for students, it's back to school. After spending 5 years in fifth grade I am going to kindergarten. While I love the little ones I have to get out of the 10 year old mindset and into the 5 year old mind. I'm looking forward to it!
And I love Dinosaur Comics.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Sex appeal





Do you ever wonder why some people look good to you? I think it has to do with sex appeal.

The first thing I look at on a guy is his eyes. Eyes can be very sexy and I don't prefer one color over another. Then I look at his mouth, his smile. As for hair, dark. And of course put a man in a uniform and that's all he needs to attract the ladies. Police, Firemen, Military even UPS!



I've have never been interested in the classically handsome, the movie idol look or any man who looks slightly feminine at all. I like the rugged type. Sam Elliott, Bryan Adams, Sean.





If you watch Flight of the Conchords on HBO you will recognize Jamaine Clement. A very funny show but the best part is you get 30 minutes of this guy. Maybe it's his accent, he hails from New Zealand and its ever so nice. Give me a guy with an accent anytime as long as I can understand him. A sexy southern drawl from Louisiana is nice. :)






He just has a certain sex appeal for me but if you cleaned him up, took away the glasses I don't know how I'd feel.

I do know that he looks like Jim Morrison and Jeff Goldblum.








Jim Morrison sexy? Yes Jeff Goldblum? Sorry, no

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Male vs Female

Scientists don't know everything about the brain and I know very little about it but a book at the library caught my attention. It's entitled, "The Female Brain" written by Louann Brizendine MD. It is chock full of interesting information.

For instance, did you know that all brains start out as female brains? It's true. At 8 weeks gestation if a fetus will be a male several things will happen in the brain. It will be flooded with testosterone which kills some cells in the area responsible for communication and reduces the hearing cortex. By growing more cells in the part of the brain that processes sex, it makes it twice as large as in females. In the male brain, the most primitive part of the brain, the amygadala, men have larger processors where fear is recognized and aggression is triggered.


A female brain is outstanding in verbal agility, women use more adjectives when they speak and write. It has a greater ability to connect deeply in friendships. It can read faces, tone of voice and cues for emotions making it good at defusing conflict. The communication center is bigger and emotional memory is better. This all comes down to the female hormones.

In the areas of sex, male brains are more endowed in this area. Men and women have the same hormone that triggers sexual desire called androgen testosterone. The difference being that men have 10 to 100 times more of this hormone. It works the same way in both sexes by turning on the hypothalamus, lighting the fire with erotic feelings, triggering fantasies and physical feeling in the erogenous zones. According to research, men think about sex every 52 seconds (really guys?!) while most women think about it once a day, on fertile days as many as 3 or 4. Of course everyone is different depending on how much androgen testosterone they produce.

So women, when your men don't seem to hear you when speak or don't communicate well, blame it on their brains. And as for men, when your women don't feel sexy at the drop of a hat, blame it on their brains.

Sundays not Sundaes



Here it is, another Sunday. I don't like Sundays. I'm not really sure why but have felt this way for most of my life. It is different from the other six days of the week. I know for some that it's a joyous day that they celebrate in church. It just seems like a more subdued day.











Even as a kid I knew if didn't like Sunday's. I would've just liked to skip over it and go right to Monday but then Saturday would become my new Sunday.

As I got older Sunday became the day before I had to return to work, a job that I wasn't crazy about that had a Monday deadline which many things had to fall into place perfectly to meet it.

Then I had children and it became the dreaded day before I had to take them back to daycare.




Today my kids are well past that age and I have a job that I love going to but I still am not a fan of Sundays. I just find them somewhat depressing. Not every Sunday but enough of them. Several times a year I am overwhelmed with it. Actually heart wrenchingly sad. Anyone who has suffered with depression knows that empty aching feeling. I will go back to bed and hope to sleep most of the day away. I think of days gone by, that my parents are no longer young, they won't live forever. The carefree days of youth when you didn't have a care in the world are gone. Then Monday comes and things look better. Can I be the only person that likes Mondays?




This was a very busy bee. He was very interesting to watch. Click and enlarge these pictures, he's a very cute worker bee.



Just one of the several things I don't like about Blogger is that you can spend lots of time laying your post out, getting it just right and when you publish it, Blogger does it the way it wants to anyway.


Thursday, August 23, 2007

Back to School

Number 1 son leaves for his senior year in college tomorrow. This year he finally has his own car so he can drive himself down. For three years we have driven him and helped him move into his dorm. I always make his bed and leave a card with a little cash in it under his pillow.

His car is a Honda Civic, pretty small and he has a lot of stuff to take down. He's going to be living in an apartment for the first time although it's on campus. Several times we have commented to him that he will not get everything in his car, we'll need to come with him to bring the overflow. He always sort of blows off the idea saying things like, "that's going to take extra gas or I'll get it all in or I have to come home for a weekend in Sept. to work at the hospital, I can take the rest then."

Tonight I told him that he needs to let us know, Sean has to take the day off from work and we have to make arrangements to get Number 2 to work. He comes over and sits on the couch with some heavy sighs. "What's the matter?" I ask. Welllllll... Finally I just ask him, "do you not want us to come down with you tomorrow? Do you not want your parents to help you move in? Do you think no one else's parents will be there?" "I won't be mad, honestly I don't care if we come or not." "Yes, I don't want you to come" he says looking at me sheepishly.

I purposely said I didn't care and of course I wouldn't be mad but I did want to come down. As I said, we've done it for the last three years. After he told me that he left to go out for the last time with some friends. I couldn't help it, I cried. Not really because he didn't want us to come but for the reason that my son is really growing up, becoming independent, separating from his parents. I guess maybe it's a mom thing. I have never been one of the parents that can't wait for their child to go off to school. I enjoy him immensely. He's smart, funny and opinionated. I miss him when he's gone.

While I'm sitting there all teary, Number 2 comes over and gives me a big hug and tells me, "Mom, you still have me, I'm not going anywhere for a whole year!" which in turn makes me cry even more. Times flies, to think that we have these kids for only 18-21 years, then we have to turn them loose to live their own lives and hope we did a good job.

sniff, sniff

Tuesday, August 21, 2007



My dog probably gets more attention in our house than anyone else. We love our dog and he's part of our family. I never understood why people get a dog and then leave them tied up outside all the time. I'm talking about people that leave the dog outside 24/7. Of course people have dogs that are working dogs, farmers for example and they aren't house dogs. Cody is a big dog, takes up a lot of space and his tail is knocking things over. He sheds too and at any given time we're picking up dog hair tumbleweeds. Yes, he drinks out of the toilet. We have tried closing the door and leaving water in a dish but he doesn't want that so we just put up with his quirks. Only a dog lover understands it.

What I am just sick over is this whole thing with Michael Vick. How can a human being with any shred of compassion do what he has plead guilty to. Those poor dogs, what a life, being trained to fight and kill for the entertainment of people. What kind of person wants to watch that? To make it worse he then allegedly killed dogs that didn't preform well or didn't have the killer instinct by strangling or hanging them. I feel for these dogs. There is no way now that they can be acclimated back to a normal life. The dogs had no choice in the matter, they were bred to fight. What kind of man is he? There's something missing in his soul. If he treats animals like that I bet he treats people that he has no use for not much better.

Vick really had no choice but to plead guilty, imagine the details that would come out in a trial. He knew, hence the plea agreement. The maximum prison term is 5 years, I doubt he will serve that long but I think his football career is over. Maybe that's just me but I wouldn't want him on my team. Your quarterback is the leader of the team, he is your marketing, kids look up to the quarterback but in fact morally he's a thug. Now maybe I'm wrong and some team, somewhere will snatch him up after his jail time, as for me, there's a special place in hell for him.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

A Love Story



This is a story about a young man who lived and went to school in New York. During his college days he was in the co-op program, meaning he went to school for 3 months then worked at a job in his field of study for 3 months, school, work, school, work...

Also in this story is a young woman living in a very small town in Ohio with her parents and brothers.






This young man had a friend he met while working his co-op job in Ohio who set him up on a blind date with the young local girl.

The met, they dated and 10 weeks later they were married. This was August 17, 1957. They spent the first years living between Ohio and New York, finally settling in NY. Yesterday on August 17, 2007, my parents along with their 3 children and spouses, 4 grandchildren and her two brothers and wives, celebrated 50 years of marriage.

My father was in college at the time and didn't have money for an engagement ring. Soon children came along as well as a mortgage and the expenses of life and living. During dinner last night my father surprised my mother with the engagement ring that she never received 50 years ago.

We took them out to a beautiful restaurant on the lake where we wined and dined them then returned to my sister's home to celebrate with a wedding cake and champagne. We spent the evening listening to stories of their married life together as well as stories about my mother and uncles growing up.

My parents have nurtured and taught us three girls how to grow into responsible adults and have inspired us in our married lives today. They have helped us become the people we are today.

Thank you Mom and Dad and Happy Anniversary!

I love you!
XO

Monday, August 13, 2007



Happy Left Handed Day!
If you're a lefty that is. My youngest son, the curly headed one, is a lefty. Neither Sean nor I are lefties. My sister and her husband are both left handed but both of their kids are righties.
Number One is right handed but golfs, bats and shoots hockey pucks left handed.
Number Two is a lefty and golfs and bats right handed. Hhhhmmmm.
Being left handed can be a challenge. The world is made for righties. Desks, scissors, the computer mouse, knives, spiral and composition notebooks some power tools and more I can't think of are all for the rights. One thing a lefty has an advantage over a rightie is the keyboard. The left side of a keyboard has more of the most common letters in the English language than the right.
I found out that mothers over 40 have a 128% of having a left handed child than a mother in her twenties. More men are left handed than women. Years ago children were forced to use their right hand if they favored the left. Thank goodness not anymore. I love my lefty and was happy when he went left, just something different from others.
Some famous left handed people: Albert Enstein, Leonardo Da Vinci and David Bowie

Sunday, August 12, 2007



We went to the wedding of our niece on Saturday and had a great time but I came to the conclusion that I'm getting old.

Why's that you may wonder? Two words: The Music. I can rock with the best of them. I grew up listening to The Who, The Stones, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin. I enjoy all kinds of music; soft, hard, R&B, some country, classical, bagpipes but I don't listen to very much current music at all.

This wedding had a lot of loud music I didn't know. I had a headache when we left.




It reminds me of a conversation that I had with a friend the other day about May/December romances. I don't mean someone 10 years younger or older, I guess I don't understand what people see in each other when one is 20 plus years older or younger. That's a whole genreation apart. He said maybe men like trophey wives and trophey wives like powerful men. I think young women are looking for a father figure or someone that has been through lifes trials and is ready to take care of someone.

What do you have in common? Where are the shared experiences? What happens when one is 80 years old and the other is 40? Are you his nurse then? What about children? A 20 something may tell her 40, 50, 60 year old beau that she doesn't want any children but that can and will probably change. If you acquiesce you will be an old man for most of said child's life. I'm sure that there are many older man/younger woman or older woman/younger man relationships out there and I'm sure many work. I think of Hugh Heffner and his 3 young girlfriends, gross. For me I'd much rather chat and get to know someone around my own age plus or minus 10 years. More age difference than that and what would I talk about? Of course this is just my opinion, I certainly can't tell someone what they should do, it's a personal thing. Only you can say if it's right for you. (Hi John) I can just point out the facts.

By the way, isn't the bride beautiful?? Notice her husband's cuff links! :)

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Time Marches On



Time. How much of it do we have? Have we used it to our best advantage? How much of it have we wasted?

It seems like yesterday that I was in high school and had the rest of my life ahead of me. Where did that time go?

I married at 24 years old. I was at the begining of my life as I know it now. We bought our home. Went on some nice vacations. We both had good jobs and the money was flowing.






I had my first child at 28 and my second at 32. Life started to pick up speed. As a young mother, I thrived. I was born to be one.You never know how fast time flies until you have children. Everything in your life becomes measured by their growth. First smile, first steps, first words, kindergarten, driver's license, first job, high school graduation, first girlfriend, taking them to college for the first time.






What a wake up call when the day comes that you're no longer the most important person in your children's life. You realize as much as your children have aged, growing into fine young, you have aged as well and so have your parents.

Today we still live in that house we bought when we were first married and money is tighter than it ever was. I always thought the older I got, the more money I would have. I'm disappointed, that's not true these days.

The other day Number Two was watching a movie while I was in the kitchen. Listening to the music, words and phrases they used I went in and asked him, "what movie is this and does it place in 1976?" "Dazed and Confused he answered and yes, it's 1976." He was astounded. "How did you know that?" he asked. "Because I was in high school at that time and some things you never forget." It seemed like that was just yesterday. Mentally I still feel like I'm about 25, physicially, some days like I'm 80.

How much time do I have left and will I have any regrets? I don't know if I will have any regrets but I sure have some things that I would have done or handled differently. I consider them learning experiences. Did I waste any time? I look at it this way, if I enjoyed doing it, then it wasn't time wasted.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Ramble On




It's late, 2:25 to be exact and I can't get to sleep. Even the boys are in bed. I haven't been sleeping that great lately. When I am asleep I have strange dreams. Not good or bad dreams, just weird ones that seem very vivid. And I remember them. While I enjoy the quiet, no Guitar Hero being played or TV blasting, did you ever notice how really quiet it is at night? I can hear things I never hear during the day. The clock ticking, creaks in the house, the blades of the ceiling fan and a drip from the kitchen faucet every few minutes.


I got a jury duty questionnaire today in the mail. This means that within the next 12 months I will be called for it. I don't get it, I know many people that have never been called and this is my 5th time. Leave me alone please. I have been on federal jury duty twice and city twice. The very first time (federal court) I was the first name called, sat in chair number one. Survived all the questioning by the judge and lawyer while others were questioned and let go. I ended up being the jury foreperson because I was in seat one. I was so nervous that when I read the verdict and gave the form to the judge I had forgotten to sign it. He was very nice and told the defendant that it wasn't too late for me to sign, he was still going to jail. You're eligible for federal jury duty every 7 years. Almost 7 years to the day I got another summons. I must have done a better job than I thought. :) These days there is no getting out of jury duty, if you're excused as I once was because my students were preparing for the 5th grade state social studies test, the court signs you up automatically for a date 6 months later. For me that happened to be during spring break. How lucky was that. Insert eye roll here.

I hate going to the doctor but not for the reason that most people do. I love my doctor and the staff. I go there several times a year to monitor my diabetes. What I hate is that he is in an office building attached to the hospital and the only parking is in a parking garage. First, that means you have to pay to park and second, I once forgot where I parked (that seems to be a problem I have so whenever I go to stores that I go to regularly I always park in the same general area every time. It makes for a smaller area to search.

I also get somewhat panicked when I don't see my car right away. That comes from a trip to Canada when I took my sister and a friend to an away game of our AHL hockey team. We had never been to St. Catherine's before and and parked in a lot of a small store that was closed for the night. The lot had other cars in it. When we came out of the game, the lot was empty. WTF I go up to the closed store to see if there was a pay phone around and posted on the door is this tiny sign that says "no hockey parking" Now what do I do? Luckily I recognized a local women that traveled to our home games when we played her team. I approached her and told her my story. Apparently this store and a local towing company were in bed together. They post this tiny sign to cover their ass and the towing company gives them a kickback for the business. Claire, the Canadian, takes me to the impound lot where my car is and the guy tells me how much to get my car back. CASH only. Canadian cash only. All I had was American money and not enough of it either. I had to save some to pay the toll on the bridge and thruway. This was in the days before ATMs so I have no way to get any money. I told him I had 45.00 American money, that's all he was getting from me. No good he says. I told him that my money was worth .47 more per dollar than his, he'd make it up at the bank when he turned it in. Nope was his reply. I then told him to call the cops because the jig was up. Long story short, well sort of, Claire was my guardian angel while he was the only Canadian I had ever met and I've met lots, been there many times, who was ever rude and obnoxious. I have always found Canadians to be very friendly and nice. Where this whole thing is going is here, when I come out of a store and can't see my car right away I have this irrational fear that it's been towed for some reason. Thanks a lot Mr. Greasy Tow Truck jockey.

It's now 3:10 am, time for me and the dog to go back to bed and try again. Thanks for reading my ramblings. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ