tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830007451554362222024-03-13T07:13:34.593-04:00This Ole BroadRandom thoughts as they comeThis Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-24478874233954516962020-03-15T07:52:00.000-04:002020-03-15T08:07:04.746-04:00Every Hundred Years Or SoSo, I've lived long enough to see: the birth of Television, (me and TV are the same age) The Korean War, McCarthyism, Bay of Pigs crisis, Watergate, The cold war, The Vietnam War, The War in the Middle East, the race riots, the assassinations of Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Bobbie Kennedy, landing on the moon, (yes, it really happened) a couple recessions, 911, May 4th at Kent State, the Watts Riots, Woodstock, the Civil Rights Act, the first Super Bowl, the invention of cell phones, microwaves, voicemail, digital everything, I know there's more, but that's just what came to mind in the last 5 minutes. And that's just up through the 60's!<br />
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There have been very good and very bad events in the last century. But there have been very good and very bad events in EVERY century.<br />
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Maybe that's why we're concerned and cautious but not panic-stricken over the Coronavirus. It's not our first rodeo. There have been lots and lots of times we've felt like we were sitting on a precipice, and this is another one. Mother nature definitely has a way of smacking us up side the head from time to time.<br />
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I do believe this will be seen by historians as one of those every 100-year events. So, do our future generations a favor. Document the hell out of it. And stay well.This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-31040381373496837502020-02-08T07:39:00.000-05:002020-02-08T07:47:32.798-05:00IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! AGAIN!One day, I met a friend for coffee and during the course of our conversation, she began telling me about the horror story of her most recent family vacation. It included arguments, fighting, disagreements along with periods of silent treatments. She said she dreads it every year. Naturally, I asked why she would go back for more each year and she just shrugged her shoulders and said, "That's what we do". This isn't the first person to tell me about disastrous family vacations, so it was with a good amount of trepidation that I considered trying it with my family.<br />
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I love spending time with my kids and grand kids but trying to get us all together for even a simple Sunday dinner is like trying to herd cats. And while my favorite location for a vacation is next to a quiet lake with loons in the distance, I knew the one weakness all the kids had was a love of the beach. So a few years ago, I suggested a trip to Outer Banks for a week. We could rent a house right on the beach together. I pointed out, if we went in the off season, we could get a house that would normally rent for $12,000 a week for only $2500. The one we chose had 6 bedrooms, 5 baths, an elevator, private swimming pool, hot tub, and our own private walkway to the beach. It was spectacular! That first year, when we got home, Emmett asked, "When can we go back to that house where we pretend we're rich?"<br />
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And that was the beginning. Jen created a countdown of days till departure and we were all consumed with vacation planning for months. Jan and I worked on surprise goody bags, Jen labored over pages and pages of 'things to do in OBX' and naturally, I worked on menus.<br />
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There was only one rule for the week. Everyone do what you want, when you want. No rules, no schedules, just relax and enjoy the week in whatever way pleases you. I figured we would only see each other at dinner time, but here's the interesting thing......to my absolute delight, everyone really wanted to be together.<br />
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That first morning and every morning after, I got up before the sun (like I always do) made the coffee and prepared to go out on the deck and watch the sunrise. As I was pouring my first cup, there was Bob, Shane and Mark, waiting to pour theirs, then Jen (who NEVER gets up early voluntarily), then Jessy, then Emmett. Side note: Jen told me Emmett's favorite part of vacation was getting up early and watching the sunrise with Granny. (Picture me teary-eyed)<br />
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So the routine was established. Each morning, all but the true late-sleepers met on the deck and had coffee together and watched the sunrise while delving into conversations of deep and thought-provoking subjects. After breakfast, everyone dispersed to their own endeavors. Some headed straight for the pool, some went to the beach, some sat and read a book while a couple of us went off to meditate. Nearly every day, Jen had an outing planned for anyone who wished to participate.<br />
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At night, we would all have dinner that someone would volunteer to make, then either watch a movie, play a game or just disperse to our rooms for quiet time.<br />
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For the entire week, there wasn't a single harsh word toward anyone. Only laughter. Only fun. Only love for one another. It did my heart good to watch my adult children enjoying each other's company so much and watching the grandchildren bonding together which from my own experience will continue throughout their lives.<br />
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So, mission accomplished. So much so, as soon as we got back, they started planning the next vacation with a final countdown set.<br />
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And here we are, planning our fourth family OBX vacation. As of this writing, we are at T-minus 236 days! Every couple days, a group text will go out with countdown updates and more ideas of things to do.<br />
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I am so grateful for my little tribe and our own annual Pow Wow. Because that's how I see it. It's a coming together to renew, share and strengthen our relationships with each other.<br />
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I highly recommend it.<br />
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<br />This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-88703043816558314292018-07-07T08:25:00.000-04:002018-07-07T08:25:17.000-04:00You absolutely HAVE TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER!!Haven't posted for a long time but desperately need to share what's on my mind.<br />
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It hasn't been that long ago but I can remember when, driving up to Cleveland, you couldn't see the top of the buildings for the smog and the horrible smell as you entered the city that made your eyes water. I remember when the Cuyahoga River caught fire because of all the pollutants in the water. I remember when they warned against eating the fish in Lake Erie because of the pollution. Some may remember the lime fields near Barberton that looked like an alien planet.<br />
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All of these terrible things improved with the long-range visionary work of people who realized the importance of taking care of <i>the only world we will ever have</i>. The air and the water got cleaner.<br />
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But don't get excited that Scott Pruitt resigned, thinking we're going to be okay now. Turns out his replacement is even more dangerous. Now we have a coal lobbyist and climate denier who clearly has an agenda to help big business, regardless of damage done to the planet and environment. This is yet another person in the current administration who cares nothing for the future of this planet, and nothing for the future of our children and the world in which they will be living.<br />
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Climate deniers will quote from scientists who have no background in environmental issues. Virtually every scientist in the field and every other advanced country agrees we are killing our world. And the most frightening thing is, <i>it may be too late to stop it.</i><br />
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I don't buy it that the Trump administration doesn't believe in climate change; I believe they refuse to acknowledge it because it cuts into their profits. And what do they care? They won't be around to deal with the damage.<br />
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This is only one dangerous issue of the Trump regime. The hurtful and inhumane immigration policies, the unleashing of white supremacy, the total disregard for elderly and impoverished and the dangerous national security policies are just a partial list of what this administration sells. And believe me, he's selling it hard and unfortunately, too many are buying it. And what saddens me most is, when I talk with a Trump supporter, the only thing they care about is how they believe he is going to help <u>them</u> without regard to anyone else. Sadly, they believe every promise and every lie.<br />
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Which brings me to the point of this post. WE ALL NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE REGISTERED AND THEN WE ALL NEED TO GET TO THE POLLS IN NOVEMBER AND VOTE. We are truly the only thing that stands in the way of Trump's total control. We have to change the numbers in Congress and in the House. WE HAVE TO.<br />
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<br />This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-26267756376678928712017-03-06T09:54:00.001-05:002017-03-06T09:54:32.914-05:00Now is the time for courageHaven't written anything in a long time. But there's so much going awry in the world, I can't keep my trap shut any longer.<br />
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I don't think I'm the only one feeling anxious these days. Anxious and angry and puzzled.<br />
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I'm puzzled at how all this happened with Trump becoming our president. I realize now that I've been living in a bubble, thinking racism and discrimination has gotten better. But the ugliness that reared its head during Trump's campaign was heart-breaking. I struggle with the realization that there are so many backward-thinking people in this country and I'm angry with myself that I haven't seen it sooner. Here, I thought I was a well-informed, fully aware person but realize I've been living as I said, in a bubble of ignorance and I'm ashamed of myself.<br />
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I'm anxious because I worry about dear friends of mine who are subject to anger and cruelty. It seems our new president has given permission to openly express these vile emotions, reminiscent of the pre-civil rights years. Apparently, these feelings haven't gone away, but have only been suppressed. And that's frightening to me. <br />
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And, I'm especially angry that so many of these hateful feelings found their beginnings in so-called Christian environments. Forgive me, but the saying, "love the person, hate the sin" is total crap. This only gives hate-mongers an excuse to treat people horribly without feeling guilty for it. Like putting a thousand little white crosses on the church lawn to shame the person who made probably the most difficult decision of their life; not caring how much it might hurt or humiliate them. How is that a loving Christian action? Or telling a gay person they're not welcome in their church. How is that a loving Christian action. How is it they don't see the hypocrisy? The foundation of Jesus' teaching is love your neighbor as yourself. Sadly that concept has nearly disappeared in many conservative Christian churches. It's more like, 'I'll love and care for my neighbor as long as he/she thinks like I do and I will shun everyone else'. Thankfully, there are churches who are open and affirming. But not nearly enough of them. Progressive Christianity teaches what Jesus taught; love and acceptance.<br />
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I know for sure, the only solution to hatred is knowledge and education. If I've angered anyone, too bad. This is my blog and these are my opinions and we are in serious trouble with the current administration which is based on greed and hate and discrimination.<br />
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Please don't be afraid to speak out when you see injustice. Please don't be afraid to speak out when you see hatred. And please don't be afraid to speak out when you see decisions being made that will harm us, like removing safeguards that protect our environment all for the sake of greed.<br />
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Now is the time for courage. And now is the time to find a way to educate.<br />
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<br />This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-79725995861452990862015-02-09T08:40:00.001-05:002015-02-09T08:40:14.174-05:00I saw this post on Facebook this morning and felt like commenting on it. <br />
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The post read: <br />
"It doesn't matter who you used to be; what matters is who you decide to be today.<br />
You are not your mistakes. You are not your mishaps. You are not your past. You are not your wounds." <br />
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Well, I couldn't disagree more.<br />
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You ARE your mistakes. You ARE your mishaps. You ARE your past and you ARE your wounds. These are the life experiences that have helped you learn and form who you are today. They are not to be disregarded. They are to be reviewed and explored and used to grow into the person you really want to be. <br />
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I spoke once of a grade school friend who I hurt deeply and how awful I felt. I learned from that experience not to intentionally hurt people. <br />
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I've blogged about the wounds I have from my mother's upbringing. I learned what kind of parent I wanted to be. <br />
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Don't dismiss your life experiences and mistakes as though they never happened and feel you need to start with a blank slate. On the contrary, use them to learn and grow and become the person you want to be. Someone once said, 'No one gets through this life without pain. It's what we DO with our pain that defines our life. It doesn't mean you have to dwell on them. But rather, determine how you will learn from your mistakes, mishaps past and wounds to become the best you EVER! <br />
This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-87075279153893822462014-08-03T07:15:00.000-04:002014-08-03T07:15:42.588-04:00Akron, Ohio's First Safety TownSo, now that I'm retired, I have no time clock to punch, no place I'm required to be, and the freedom to do only what I want. Which means I have a target on my back to be recruited for anything working people don't have time to do. So when my good friend Pastor Debbie asked me to 'help' with coordinating Akron's first Safety Town event (actually make that plural...eventS) I said ok.<br />
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Next thing I know, I discover I am the official SAFETY TOWN COORDINATOR. <br />
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I should start by saying the reason this event came into being is because of an article that was written in the Akron Beacon Journal stating that in the City of Akron, a child is hit by a car on average of every 12 days. This inspired a group of people to do some research and what they discovered is, there are Safety Town events in nearly all the outlying suburbs of Akron but none in the city itself. So they decided this was something that could be remedied......that's where I come in.<br />
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So my friend Ann and I began the herculean task of making 5 Safety Town events a reality in only 3 months. From getting 10 safety town buildings designed, assembled and painted (all by volunteers), to designing and compiling a week's worth of curriculum which included songs, stories and art projects, to designing a registration and release form, to determining locations, to lining up teachers and volunteers for each event, to figuring out how to transport the buildings from site to site, to planning a week's worth of snacks, to designing and purchasing t-shirts,bike helmets and low-rider tricycles, to lining up the police and fire departments to come and give presentations and trust me, the list goes on and on. I had no idea how monumental this project was going to be.<br />
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The biggest hurtle was when I was told that 95% of all the children at one of the events would be non-English speaking and we would need to find interpreters that speak Nepalese. Really????<br />
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What I can only attribute to divine guidance, the event was successful. Exhausting, but successful. We educated over 200 kids on street and bicycle safety, stranger danger, fire safety, good touch-bad touch, and more. One of the most interesting (and disturbing) exercises was when we had a sweet young woman try to lure the children away from the group by offering them candy and all but one child out of 60 kids went with the lady! <br />
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When I asked one sweet little boy if his parents told him never to go with strangers, he said yes. "So, why did you go with the lady then?", I asked. His reply...."Because she had candy and we don't have candy at our house." <br />
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<span style="color: red;">So the real purpose of this blog is to let parents know.....</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">If you believe you've covered the topic of safety enough times with your kids....believe me.......</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">YOU HAVEN'T!!! Do it again, and again and again and again and again and...........</span><br />
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SERIOUSLY, IF YOU THINK THEY GET IT, THEY DON'T. REMEMBER, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND............it's never enough.<br />
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So, I gave up my summer of relaxing and fishing but I'm absolutely sure we saved some children's lives. I think that's a fair trade off, don't you?<br />
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<br />This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-33384553367374191942013-04-22T09:29:00.002-04:002013-04-29T09:56:37.389-04:00EARTH DAY SHOULD BE AN EVERY DAY OCCURANCELast Monday was Earth Day which I suppose was created to encourage attention to the environment. That's fine except I believe we're missing the point. <br />
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During my spiritual journey get-together last week, we were discussing the environment and how important it is not to just appreciate it but consider nature from a spiritual perspective. <br />
We are CONNECTED to nature. We are not separate from it. EVERYTHING is connected. Everything is related and I mean that in a literal "family" way. When you stop and think about the moon, the stars, the earth, the air, the water, the animals as part of your spiritual unity family, you begin to see all this in a different light and sense a deeper responsibility to care for it but more importantly, to love it. <br />
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For millenia, man relied on nature to exist. Now, we have stores with food and stores with clothes and stores with communication devices and no longer have respect or reverence for what we have or how it was obtained. If you remember that everything in the universe is part of creation just as you are, you can sense the greater family ties of it all.<br />
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For example, a fish isn't just a fish, put here for me to consume. It's a relative of mine. I need to care for and nurture it. The earth isn't just a planet I happen to call home. It's a part of me. When you remember that we and everything in the universe is created from the same cosmic STUFF (to quote Carl Sagan) you begin to know this is absolutely true. Everything is connected; every one and every thing is RELATED. <br />
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I love the custom of the American Indians who, after killing an animal for food or shelter, will thank its spirit for giving itself to help the whole.<br />
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It should be in our minds to protect the environment as fervently as we would protect our children. <br />
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I suggest thinking of something you can do today on Earth Day to help protect that to which we are related. How about Recycling? That's an easy thing to do and makes an enormous amount of difference. <br />
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This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-22323493242155112422013-04-17T11:26:00.000-04:002013-04-17T11:26:08.307-04:00FREE AT LAST! FREE AT LAST! My first job was 48 years ago. I was a dish washer at my father's restaurant. I also bussed tables and hostessed from time to time and this was a gratis job. I got no pay except for the tips the waitresses gave me for cleaning their tables fast and I enjoyed it. <br />
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My first<em> PAYING</em> job was about the same time. It was babysitting and I hated it. Seriously, it was tortureous for me. I didn't like kids, had never spent time around them and had no idea how to deal with them. This is weird considering how much I adore my kids and my grandkids. But at age 15, for me, it sucked.<br />
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I figure babysitting is probably where I first began to develop the concept that being poor is better than doing something you hate no matter how profitable. I wonder how many times in my life I've absent-mindedly said, "There's not enough money in the world to get me to.....". Boy, if I had a nickel for every time I said that......hahahahahahaha! Unfortunately, I ended up sacrificing my principals worked A LOT of jobs I didn't like. Some were worse than others but when you're the sole supporter of a family, you do what you gotta do. <br />
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So here it is, 48 years later, age 62 and I'm retiring the end of May. I don't have a lot of money saved up (BIG understatement there) but I'm doing it anyway. And the funny thing is, I plan to spend most of my time hanging out with my grandkids. Life is one big irony, huh?<br />
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This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-43396419539350725212012-06-15T08:40:00.000-04:002012-06-15T08:40:05.920-04:00Homage to DadSince Fathers Day is this weekend, I decided to give myself a present and spend some extra time reflecting on my dad. <br />
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I know I've mentioned before that my relationship with mom was less than great. (It sucked, actually) But my dad is a different story. He was a bigger than life person to me, not just in stature but in personality. Dad was one of those people that everyone loved. Everyone wanted to be with him. He played piano, guitar, sang, told the best jokes ever, inspired stimulating conversations and on and on.<br />
I have 19 cousins and all of them loved to hang out with Uncle Dick, especially in Canada. Always the life of the party, I recall one night around the campfire, listening to dad play his ukelele and making up a song about my cousin out in the boat making out with her boyfriend. (If you've ever been around water, you know that sound carries and you can hear EVERYTHING that comes off the water, but they can't hear you.) hehehehehe<br />
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Dad was also just a big kid and would love to find a back country road with a big hill and get the speed up to about 80 and then put the car in neutral and see how far we could coast down the hill. <br />
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A baker and cook by trade, I used to love to sit in the kitchen and watch him work his magic. I miss that little whispered whistle he did while he worked and I now catch myself doing the same thing. <br />
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We are partly of German descent and all my life dad's nickname for me was Hootz Footz (phonetic) All my life I loved that he had a special name just for me. Then one day when I was in my 30's, I finally asked him what it meant. With a chuckle, he told me it meant Dogs Foot. Really????? That was the endearment he came up with for me? Dogs foot??<br />
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Mom and dad lived in Florida and the summer before he died, he came up to Ohio (no doubt to get away from mom) and spent the summer with me and the kids. Bob and I had just started dating and to quote a line from Forest Gump, the two of them were like peas and carrots. I'll spare you the recalling of the farting contests.<br />
Anyway, I would wake up in the morning and dad would have the coffee ready and he would sit at the kitchen table working on a crossword and would have a second newspaper there so I could work on it too. At night I would come home from work and he would have dinner ready. That's when it occurred to me what I really needed was a good wife!! <br />
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One month before he died and a month before my wedding to Bob, dad wrote me a letter telling me how happy he was that I had found such a wonderful guy and that he felt he didn't have to worry about my any longer. I think he knew his time was up. <br />
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That was 22 years ago and I still miss him like hell. When he got older, he just wanted to relax and enjoy a simple life but he never got to go to Australia like he wanted and he literally worked the day he died at age 73. He got screwed out of a lot of pleasure he should have enjoyed. <br />
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He died suddenly and I never got to say goodbye. Probably better that way though cause the memory will always be of the bigger-than-life man and not some feeble, needy old man. He would have hated that. <br />
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So here's to dads that weren't just fathers but were dads. There's a difference. I love you Pop.<br />
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<br />This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-27354845907489896752012-06-07T09:29:00.003-04:002012-06-07T09:29:59.273-04:00Ok, not my last political rantIt has always been my opinion that one of the most important freedoms in this country should be the right to have an opinion that differs with other people without experiencing persecution for it. <br />
I work in a predominantly republican/conservative environment and there are a few here that know I lean more toward non-traditional and less than conservative views.<br />
<br />
This is the conversation I had this morning when I walked in the office carrying my extra-large $1.00 iced tea from Steak and Shake. <br />
Co-worker - "Won't be long before you won't be allowed to buy those big drinks, thanks to the liberal left wanting to control everything we do!". (No, he didn't even say good morning first)<br />
Other co-worker - "Yeah, thank you Miss Democrat!!"<br />
Me - "Good morning, everyone. <br />
First of all, I'm not a democrat. I'm an independent. I've voted on both sides of the fence. <br />
Second, I agree that regulating the size of drinks is stupid. <br />
Third, how the hell is this my fault? <br />
<br />
These two people always lash out at me and ridicule me whenever ANY political conversation begins and I'm sick of it. I usually bite my tongue but this morning, when one of them quoted one of the inane Fox News people, I couldn't hold back any longer and told them it's my opinion he's an idiot. <br />
<br />
Then I got control and just walked away. <br />
<br />
This is a very minor indication of how things have changed so much. There are no polite discussions of differences of opinion anymore. Everything is mean-spirited and angry and I'm sick of it. <br />
<br />
I mentioned once before that someone at work actually said to me, "How can you call yourself a Christian and still vote for Obama?" Seriously??? How insulting is that?<br />
<br />
People....can we just agree to disagree, be respectful and be nice to each other? Please? This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-15005459822186033172012-03-08T08:09:00.003-05:002012-03-08T08:13:14.758-05:00My final political rantI will affirm right off the bat that I'm voting for Obama. I can't stomach any of the republican candidates this time around and frankly, I'm sick of hearing how ineffective Obama has been. Yes, we still have a long way to go, but we have had 22 straight months of growth, Ohio's unemployment rate has dropped, Bin Laden is gone and I believe there would have been a lot more progress if the republicans in congress had cared more about helping the American people instead of hurting President Obama. I do not intend to vote for any incumbent. They don't deserve their jobs. I believe what Obama says and I can't say that about any other candidate. <br />
Ok, I'm done. Thanks for listening.This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-90114284001345217432012-02-29T08:24:00.004-05:002012-02-29T08:24:58.092-05:00And then there's.....................And then there's Newt Gingrich. There are so many cliches that come to mind with this guy, but <br />
A LEGEND IN HIS OWN MIND is right there at the top. I don't think I've ever seen a more egomaniacal person. And, honesty is definitely not one of his character traits. I've found <a href="http://www.politifact.com/">http://www.politifact.com/</a> to be quite useful in distinguishing between truth and fiction with Newts comments. Often, they earn the "pants on fire" rating. And, he still refuses to admit his peers in Washington admonished him for unethical practices. This guy is nothing more than a bully with a teflon hide. I shutter to think how he would handle our foreign policies. This one scares me the most.<br />
Next up Obama.This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-9080413419807035952012-02-28T13:23:00.001-05:002012-02-28T13:23:24.699-05:00More political rantingsAnd now, let's talk about Romney. As clueless as Santorum is about the definition of separation of church and state, Romney is clueless about nearly everything else. Everyone's heard the latest flubs about cars and sports, "My wife has two cadillacs." "I don't follow car-racing but I have close friends who own some of the Indy teams". (For some refreshing and fun entertainment, I STRONGLY suggest you go to Hulu.com and watch the last few episodes of John Stewart's Daily Show. There are several things that bother me about this guy, but I want to stress one very important point that's bugging the hell out of me. Did you know that Romney is a Mormon? This will be no problem if he can keep his religious views out of the Oval Office, but after having a fascinating discussion over lunch with 3 Mormon women, I discovered Mormons (yep, men and women both) believe that women should only have positions of authority over other women? Seriously??? I can't help but wonder how this religious point of view would affect his cabinet if he's elected and it amazes me that no one has asked him that yet. If I had a corporation that needed a slick CFO, I might consider Romney but putting him in charge of this country and our relationships with the rest of the world, (many of them poor as hell) that's something else. He is simply unable to relate to anyone but the elite and seems to have no sympathy for anyone or anything that would help those less fortunate. Of course, there are those that abuse the system and take advantage. There always has been and always will be until the right group of people re-vamp this broken system. But let's not forget that in addition to those people who feel they have an automatic right to entitlements, there are also those who truly need help. Again, we need a shift of mentality that realizes health care for all children, (hell, everyone) is a moral issue, not a political one. I just haven't seen anything indicating Romney is interested in anything but furthering his own political career. At least not from what I've heard so far. Next up, Newt Gingrich. <br />
This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-5855624284238112612012-02-25T10:47:00.001-05:002012-02-25T10:48:00.436-05:00Can't stand it any longerI was really going to try and avoid all the political crap, this being an election year and all, but I just can't help myself. After hearing all the people who intend to vote for Santorum or Romney and worse yet, Gingrich, I just can't hold it in any longer.<br />
Let's start with Santorum. He says he wants to preserve freedom of religion but never misses an opportunity to share his religious views and how they will affect his presidency. 1. Opposed to birth control. Does he know it's not 1950 any longer? Is everyone aware that he actually said (with his out-loud voice) "a pregnancy that comes from rape is a horrible, unfortunate GIFT". ? OMG 2. Opposed to same sex marriage. Who the hell cares who lives with who? How does that impact you personally? Why shouldn't the loved-one of a gay person have the same legal rights that I have with my loved-one? What possible harm does it do to someone else? 3. Pro-life. Come on, really? Everyone is pro-life. No one likes abortion. But sometimes (and I'm thinking of a teenager or a raped woman) it's a reasonable choice. The point is, it's THEIR choice to make, not the governments. In a speech at Ava Marie University in Florida, Rick Santorum actually said, "This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war at all. This is a spiritual war. Obviously he doesn't understand the concept of separation of church and state. What Santorum really stands for is INTOLERANCE. This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-9425021172271165292011-12-21T11:40:00.004-05:002011-12-21T11:40:43.717-05:00The Emancipation of Helen Thought I would write about the day I realized I was self-sufficient and could do anything I put my mind to, or rather, anything to which I put my mind. It was 1979 and it was the day I fixed the vacuum cleaner. Seriously, this was a life-changing event for me.<br />
I know this sounds like no big deal, but to someone who had been told all their life they were stupid, it was a revelation. The proverbial lightbulb went off in my head and illuminated like a blinking neon sign screaming, You are woman, hear you roar!! Then, I beat my ex at chess. Life was never going to be the same again. I beat 'The Intimidator' at chess. I'm struggling to find the words to describe all the emotions. Suprise, glee, cocky, sailing, floating, flying....well, you get the idea. <br />
I had always felt diminished by the people closest to me so something as simple as fixing the sweeper made me realize, "Hell, if I can fix the sweeper and beat meany-butt at chess, I can do anything!! Living with confidence was a whole new and lovely experience. So, don't underestimate or dismiss the little stuff. It can actually be HUGE and life-changing if you're paying attention. <br />
The moral is, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER let someone else define who you are. You decide and then be it. One of my daughter's favorite sayings is, Whatever you are, be a good one, Abraham Lincoln. The other one she has that I love is: <br />
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"You are always already happy. The reason you don't experience it is that it's covered up by layers of suppressed emotions and negative thoughts. Shift your attention and your inherent happiness flashes forth." -Steve Ross<br /> Be yourself. And enjoy everything that entails. <br /> </div>
<br />This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-5019387872599197532011-12-06T09:02:00.001-05:002011-12-06T10:48:12.898-05:00Christmas Memories -I was reading my daughter's blog this morning. She was telling about helping her 5 year old write his first letter to Santa. It made me start thinking about some of my Christmas memories. <br />
When I had kids, I resolved to make Christmas a big deal because my parents put a miniscule amount of energy into Christmas. Thanksgiving was another story. Since my dad was a chef and baker by trade he went all out for that. One time he even closed his restaurant and had the whole extended family come to dinner. There were enough people to fill the restaurant. But Christmas was another story. We had a tree, but I remember being 5 or 6 and my brother and I decorating it. This always included burning my fingers on the old-fashioned lights that got so hot they would melt the icicles....and skin! I think this was the exercise that taught me to swear. But I still love those lights even though they're dangerous as hell. I also remember putting up a string of snowball lights across the fireplace mantle. I loved those lights and have looked for some like it ever since. I hope to find them in an antique store someday.<br />
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These days, Christmas stockings are a huge deal. It's all a huge deal actually. From making the cookies, to looking at Christmas lights, to wrapping presents, to watching White Christmas while decorating the tree, to hiding the Christmas Pickle (do a Google search) and on and on. More time often goes into stuffing the stockings than buying the regular presents. There always has to be; a slinky, silly putty, a back-scratcher, candy, Swenson's gold coins, a various other fun stuff to reach in and find. When I was a kid, our stockings held a 50 cent piece and an orange......every year. <br />
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I do remember gifts like the huge (at least it seemed so) Mickey Mouse cardboard clubhouse that my brother Mike and I sat in to watch the Mickey Mouse Club show on TV until it finally disintegrated.<br />
I also remember a baby doll one year that accompanied me to Canada and was in my hands practically the whole trip. That was the only time I played with a doll. I usually wanted my brother's bb gun and army men instead. <br />
I think my fondest memory though was one Christmas morning when Mike came into my room and woke me up very early and we sneaked downstairs together to check out the Santa stash. It was one of those few moments spent with a sibling that stays with you. I know my kids have a similar memory of running a string from one room to the other and putting a bell at the end so Jen could tug on the string and wake Mark up so they could sneak downstairs to check out the presents. But Jen evidently tugged a little too hard and the bell fell on Mark's head. <br />
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I also remember one Christmas when I was about 12, my parents were working at the restaurant and hadn't even bothered to go buy a tree. So Mike and I walked to the nearest tree sales lot, picked out a tree, dragged it home and put it up and decorated it all by ourselves. We were incredibly proud of that tree. There were several years when my brother and I were at odds and it has occurred to me that my fondest memories of my brother are mostly centered around Christmas, probably because we were pretty much on our own. <br />
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The best part of Christmas every year was going to my grandmothers on Christmas Eve. This is what Christmas should look like; lots of family, lots of kids, lots of food, lots of laughter, and my grandmother holding court instructing who should open which present next and the kids (20 grandchildren in all) not-so-patiently waiting for their turn. It was always awesome and more than made up for the stark reality at our house.<br />
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So, to say my folks weren't the best parents when it came to holidays is an understatement, but the holidays were always special nonetheless. <br />
I guess it's like anything else. If you wait for someone else to create your joy, you will often wait a very long time....sometimes forever. Moral of the story....make it what you want.<br />
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I hope I've made up for their indifference with my family. I'm pretty sure I did because Jen is already counting the days until next Christmas!!! This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-45523779096220111922011-11-10T12:15:00.000-05:002011-11-10T12:15:30.013-05:00Getting old can be sucky or sweet. Your choice.Ok, I've avoided the subject long enough. I'm going to be 61 in another few weeks so thought I would dwell a little on the pros and cons of getting old....er. <br />
Here are what I believe to be the top 10 reasons why it sucks to get old and the top 10 reasons why it is AWESOME!!<br />
Always wanting to leave here on a positive note, I will start with the reasons why it sucks.<br />
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10. <strong><em>Every freakin part of me hurts. </em></strong> Yeah, yeah, I know, need to exercise more and lose weight. Not so easy when the arthritis has kicked in and you feel blessed if you can get out of bed in the morning and not limp to the John. (hasn't happened for at least a year now) Unlike when I was younger, I can eat less, a LOT less actually and still not lose a pound. Eventually, you just say, 'To hell with it. I'm old now. I can do what I want!'<br />
9. <strong><em>Memory is not what it used to be.</em></strong> In the past, on very rare occasions, I would walk into a room and forget what I went in there for. Now, it's pretty common. After researching how the brain works and finding out it slowly deteriorates over time, you get to the point where you say, 'To hell with it. I'm old now. What's so damned important anyway??'<br />
8. <strong><em>The medical procedures</em></strong>. Good grief, there are colonoscopies, egd's, cat scans, mri's, heart caths, stress tests, skin biopsies, mammograms, surgeries and on and on and on. If there was a cure for old age, I'm sure it's been buried with the Q (lost biblical scripture) so doctors will never have to worry about going out of business. <br />
7. <strong><em>The cost of medications!</em></strong> I literally take 7 pills a day! Five in the morning and two at night. I'm told they're keeping me alive, but you can't convince me by how I feel when I get out of bed!<br />
6. <strong><em>Reflexes aren't what they used to be</em></strong>. Response time when driving has been altered. I think I'm still a pretty good driver, but it scares the hell out of me when I see someone use a walker like Tim Conway's bit to get into their car and drive away. If they can't pick up their feet without a walker, how are they going to lift it to put their foot on the brake in a hurry? And then I realize that's going to be me someday. YES!! I SAID SOMEDAY!! SHUT UP!<br />
5. <strong><em>Your hair gets thinner and your belly gets bigger.</em></strong> I used to have the thickest hair of all my friends and the smallest stomach. (I have pictures to prove it) Now, I could knit a sweater with the hair that's left in the shower. <br />
4. <strong><em>Old age spots.</em></strong> They're just gross. And why the hell do they always have to be on your hands where EVERYONE can see them? <br />
3. <strong><em>Old people always talk about their bowel movements.</em></strong> I'm not sure what the fascination is with feces when you get old and forturnately I'm not THAT old yet, but I've already told my daughter, if I EVER start that crap (pun intended) to put me out of everyone's misery. I was a little unnerved when she replied, "No problem."<br />
2. <strong><em>More life at the end of the money.</em></strong> Budgeting takes on a whole new meaning when you get older.<br />
And the number one reason it sucks to get older.<br />
1. <strong><em>You become invisible.</em></strong> There was a time when I could turn a head or two. Not beautiful, but not offensive to look at. But when women get older, people seem to look right through you and you wonder when you became invisible. So those are the reasons it sucks. <br />
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NOW let me tell you why it's WONDERFUL to get older.<br />
10. <strong><em>You can say whatever the hell you want.</em></strong> People expect old people to become eccentric and say stupid stuff. This comes in handy when you want to give your doctor shit about all the medications you're taking.<br />
9. <strong><em>You can eat ice cream every day if you want to.</em></strong> (Remember number 10 from the other list?) And now they have those neat individual serving sizes to reduce the quilt levels even more! Than you, Edys!! I love you!!<br />
8. <strong><em>You can</em></strong> <strong><em>go to bed early.</em></strong> Thank God for our DVR or we wouldn't have anything to watch while we're having our morning coffee!<br />
7. <strong><em>You don't have to shop if you don't want to.</em></strong> When you get older, people don't expect presents.....they expect money in those cool money envelopes you get from the bank. <br />
6. <strong><em>You can feign deafness</em>.</strong> At least Bob does.....all the time.....especially when I'm the one talking!<br />
5. <strong><em>Being a grandparent is loads more fun than being a parent.</em></strong> We always threatened our kids that when we became grandparents, we would teach their children to put their feet up on the coffee table, stuff candy wrappers in the couch, play practical jokes, and load them up with sugar right before mom and dad get home. I think we're keeping up our end of this bargain nicely.<br />
4. <strong><em> Rocking your grandchild to sleep.</em></strong> There are no words to describe it. <br />
3. <strong><em>Turning over the holiday responsibilities to the younger generation.</em></strong> No one expects old people to do all that work, right? My daughter still makes me cook some stuff, but we go to her house now so she's the one who has to clean! <br />
2. <strong><em>People respect my opinions and experience.</em></strong> (At least they humor me and let me think so) <br />
1. <strong><em> The prospect of retiring.</em></strong> After working for nearly 50 years, retiring and doing exactly what I want every day is a delicious future goal. If you've been reading along on my blog, all I can say is, if I die before I get to retire and before my house remodeling is fininshed, I'm going to be TOTALLY PISSED!!! This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-73692400526128714612011-11-07T15:07:00.000-05:002011-11-08T12:11:01.684-05:00I love a good coincidence, don't you?Oddly enough, my previous post was about The Thankless Deed and my discovery of great music and then this afternoon, I saw the blog titled, <a href="http://thekidshouldseethis.com/">The Kid Should See This</a>. I'm a fan now. It has this video of Thelonius Monk playing Round Midnight: <br />
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(I love a good coincidence) When I became a professional singer, I was working with some fantastic jazz musicians and I remember the first time I heard them play Round Midnight and I was blown away. It became my all-time favorite song, but I never sang it. It seemed too difficult to tackle vocally, but I was so drawn into the melody I almost didn't want to spoil it with words. It was probably 10 years later before I discovered it even had words. The last recording I made, (about 20 years ago) I sang that song. I was in a commercial studio and the lights were dimmed and I was standing in front of a mic and I couldn't see the musicians but I could hear them through my headphones. The guitar player was Bob (The Fras) Fraser of Cleveland and the bass player was Ray (Baby Noodle) Parker from New York. Ray said, "Why don't you sing Round Midnight?". I had never tried it before but decided to go for it. As I expected, it's a bitch to sing but I was pretty happy with the outcome. Thanks for the revisit of another wonderful memory. I still have the recording and will go home tonight and find it and dim the lights and let it take me back there again.<br />
Also, if you'd like to hear something from the piano player in my previous post, do a google search for Herman Chittison. Fabulous stuff.This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-53831696151869141692011-11-02T08:06:00.001-04:002011-11-02T08:06:21.169-04:00The Thankless DeedIn honor of November, the Thanksgiving month, I'm thinking of THE THANKLESS DEED. That phrase has been sticking in my head lately. I heard it the first time years ago by my first life mentor. "Helen, don't forget, the most important deed you can do is the Thankless Deed". (Thanks, Bill)<br />
When I say, THE THANKLESS DEED, what's the first thing that comes into your head? One of my co-workers responded, "...when I bring flowers home to my wife for no reason, but my wife's response is usually, "Ok, what did you do??". <br />
My daughter instantly responded with, "That's easy! Being a mom. It's the million little things you do that nobody notices, but if you didn't do them, they'd notice". (You can see lots more of her wisdom at her blog, <a href="http://www.diff-path.blogspot.com/">http://www.diff-path.blogspot.com/</a>) <br />
My favorite thankless deed memory was a Christmas Eve night when I was just a kid; parking a block down the street from someone's house; (strangers to us) sneaking in the dark up onto their porch with my folks and placing a sack full of food and presents on their porch. We knocked on the door and then ran for all we were worth before the people inside answered the door. That's one of the few really fond memories I have of my parents.<br />
So, the thankless deed is something you do, expecting nothing in return. Right? But do we really get nothing in return? My daughter is getting some great kids and the love of her family. <br />
I was a recipient of a profound thankless deed when I was 5 years old. I come from a musical background. Both of my parents were talented musicians and back in the 50's, they used to have jam sessions at our house. Professional musicians would come from all over town. We lived in an upper middle class, all white neighborhood so the African American musicians had to be smuggled in. (How sad is that??) Anyway, you'd think you were in a concert hall. There would be a drum set, a bass fiddle, a piano, several horns and even once there was a vibraphone.<br />
The wonderful music that came out of those nights is what made me fall in love with music and eventually become a professional singer. One night, one of the older (black) musicians noticed my interest and let me sit next to him on the piano bench and watch him play. I was enthralled. The next day, he came back to the house and spent a couple hours with me, teaching me scales and chords and worked with me until I had a whole song memorized. He didn't have to do that, but his love of music led him to the thankless deed which, in turn, led me to a career path and a love of music I've carried all my life. Thankless??? Well, here it is 55 years later and I'm still talking about him. (Thank you, Herman) <br />
<em><strong> Make no mistake</strong></em>. The thankless deed is an event that starts in motion, all the right energy. We are all made up of energy...cosmic stuff, and what we do affects everything else and everyONE else....everywhere. <em>NEVER</em> think your actions don't have an impact because they <em>ALWAYS</em> do. <br />
Have you ever been involved in a thankless deed that made a difference in your life, either on the giving or receiving end? I would love to hear about it.This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-89380087005336611302011-10-31T11:50:00.001-04:002011-11-04T18:43:58.353-04:00Another "Life With Bob" storyAs a continuation of the Life With Bob series, before Bob and I got married, I was living in a cute little bungalow in West Akron that I had purchased after my divorce. It was a great little house for me and the kids, but it was really drafty and cold in the winter so, Bob enters my life and offers to help me insulate it.<br />
He went to great lengths to explain the best kind of insulation to use was the kind you blow into the walls and what the insulation was made of and what the procedure was and of course, all I heard was, "blah, blah, blah" and I'm thinking, 'don't care, just make it so. BIG mistake. I should have paid more attention. <br />
The first issue was, we foolishly decided to do this in the dead of winter when the temperature was in the teens. So we go to the Army/Navy store and buy bright orange survival suits that will withstand below-freezing temperatures for days. We also bought big huge black boots called Mickey Mouse boots, evidently because they look like Mickey Mouse feet. Then we bought the insulation which came in 40 big bags each shaped about the size of a bale of hay and weighed about 30 pounds apiece. The store then lets you use the machine to blow the insulation in. It was a hopper about as tall as me.<br />
So, a couple days before the big event, Bob went around the house and drilled a bunch of 1/2 dollar sized holes all over the house in which to blow the insulation. And on the big day, we suited up in bright orange and black (so the neighbors couldn't miss how stupid I am!) and gloves and ear muffs. Bob set up the hopper just inside the garage ("to keep you out of the wind so you won't get too cold") uh-huh. Then he attached the 5,000 foot ( yes, an exaggeration) hose. <br />
My job was to open the bags and dump them in the hopper. This entailed slicing open the bags, hoisting them up on my shoulder and slowly dumping them in. The first 10 or so weren't too bad, but after that each one started to feel substantially heavier. I couldn't see Bob because he started on the other side of the house. (The sly fox)<br />
Half way through the bags, I had to take a break to get the feeling back in my shoulder so I decided to walk around the house to see how Bob was doing. And there he was...............just standing there...................whistling...................eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich..................with a hose sticking in a hole.<br />
Of course, he did a deer-in-the-headlight when he saw me or more likely <i>felt</i> my laser beam stare burning into the back of his head. He stood there frozen for just a second.....and then started laughing his ass off and comments sailed out of me like, "YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!!!!"<br />
He tried to weasle his way out by telling me that you had to know just how to blow the insulation in and how to be alert to when it was time to change holes and blah, blah, blah.<br />
The only redeeming part of the whole day was when we went back in the kitchen and I opened one of the cupboards only to have insulation pour out and cover the kitchen floor. Three guesses who cleaned<i> THAT</i> up! This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-82762080925070157792011-10-19T10:24:00.000-04:002011-11-04T18:44:20.238-04:00My life with BobDecided to start a new category, "MY LIFE WITH BOB" and share a few stories and experiences. The first one that comes to mind is the year we were the youth leaders at our church and for a fund-raising project, the kids decided to have a 'Kiss the Pig' Contest. They took pictures of several leaders of the church and put each one on a glass jar. The congregation would then vote for who they wanted to have to kiss the pig.<br />
The one thing the kids forgot to consider was, "where are we going to find a pig to kiss?". So of course, Bob, who can do anything (if you'll remember a prior post...."You're not Bob") told them he would find them a cute little Pot Belly Pig.<br />
After contacting some Pot Belly Pig associations, (who knew?) he found a local farmer who said we could use his. So he goes somewhere in southern Ohio and comes back with a pig in a cage in the back of his SUV. Now comes the fun part. The farmer said the pig had to be bathed before we could take him to church and trust me, the pig NEEDED a bath! Dang! Those things stink! Problem was, I had assumed a pot belly pig was a little pig. This pig was well over 100 pounds!<br />
Well, the big oink, oink goes to me! Guess who got stuck bathing the pig?!?!?!?! Yep, me!!!! But first, we had to get it out of the cage and put a harness on it. I was told I was just going out to help take the cage out of the truck. So it's 6:30 sunday morning, and I'm out in our drive way, in my night shirt, bent over, showing the neighborhood my business, holding the 100 pound pig's hind legs so it won't run away while Bob puts a hog harness on it. It's squealing for all it's worth and it was so loud, I'm sure it woke the whole neighborhood. The damned thing is kicking like crazy trying to get away and it's all I can do to hold on to its feet. It kicked the shit out of my arm so I had to go get a tetanus shot :o( But wait, the injustice is just beginning. Then I have to haul a bucket of warm soapy water out while Bob holds it's leash and I scrub the ugly beast with a scrub brush, ( a process they don't particularly like) then haul a bucket of clean water out to rinse it and then, (you're not going to believe this) the farmer said we had to rub it down with skin so soft! Our two dogs daisy and chelsea look like they're thinking, "That's the ugliest damned dog I've ever seen!". Then I had to hose out the cage, get it's food and water. All the time, Bob's standing there holding the pig because, "I better hold the pig honey. You're not strong enough to hang onto him." All the time, Bob's laughing his ass off! I GOT TOTALLY SCREWED!!!!!! <br />
There are several stories like this where I was duped by my loving husband. Maybe next time I'll tell you how I got screwed insulating our house.This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-45917892163629619832011-10-16T07:10:00.001-04:002011-10-17T10:57:41.520-04:00Heart Cath UpdateThe heart cath went well, and they were able to get me squared away without putting stents in my veins. They tried a new procedure of putting the catheter through my wrist instead of my groin, but that didn't work so I have two wounds to watch. Seriously folks, this procedure is not bad at all so please don't hesitate to have it done if your doctor wants you to. It only takes a few minutes, only slightly uncomfortable and can save your life.<br />
I've had all kinds of medical tests during my life and literally every time I dreaded having something done, I came away afterward saying, "That wasn't bad at all". Seriously, having Bob dig a splinter out of my foot is worse than a thyroid biopsy.<br />
So, do what you're told, get all the tests your doctor wants you to get and stay healthy. You still have LOTS to see and do.This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-56950656500353481232011-10-13T06:25:00.000-04:002011-10-13T06:25:42.003-04:00Can't they just run vinegar through your veins??That was a suggestion at dinner last night by a friend of ours while discussing my upcoming heart cath today. Why can't they just run vinegar or lime-away or something through the veins to clean them out like I do with my Mr. Coffee? Ok, we've put it out there so go ahead universe, make it so! <br />
Leaving in a few minutes to get the heart cath done and hope they can fix me. I'll report back with the details. In the meantime, take care of yourselves!!This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-58711292778937141682011-10-12T15:23:00.000-04:002011-11-04T18:44:59.010-04:00Living in Swiss Cheese As promised, here is a picture of my "living room". <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BXUczx4T_Uo/TpXidJQU3fI/AAAAAAAAAA8/W3ID7ib_S1k/s1600/livingroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BXUczx4T_Uo/TpXidJQU3fI/AAAAAAAAAA8/W3ID7ib_S1k/s320/livingroom.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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Obviously there is no living taking place in here except maybe for the neighbor's cat, David, who sneaks in through the doggie door at night and sleeps on the couch. Sure, HE gets to sit on my couch!!<br />
I'm told the new sink and cooktop is going in this week and two more cabinets will be finished in a few days so I will be able to start moving things out of the living room. Sofa, here I come!! <br />
And on a really cool note, we figured granite on our kitchen island was not going to be an option because of the price. BUT!!! We saw an article in our little local paper talking about this family owned business (Chippewa Stone in Medina, Ohio - and they are AWESOME!!) that sells granite and loves helping people achieve their decorating and remodeling goals. So, we decided to go check em out and these folks couldn't have been nicer. We walked in and my first words were, "Hi, we would like granite for our kitchen, but we're poor." And instead of them tossing us out on our ears, they took us through their warehouse and we looked at probably 200 huge pieces of granite. <br />
When I reiterated that money was a big issue, she helped us find a remnant piece that is a perfect match for what we want. So on a whim, I asked her to price it for us, not holding my breath since all the other places quoted between $1400.00 and $1800.00 which is NOT in our budget range. Well, it ended up being less than half of what we expected. And, they would even install it! Not even sex has ever excited me this much!! (Ok, that's an over-statement)<br />
This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683000745155436222.post-49937758609071541282011-10-11T12:14:00.001-04:002011-10-11T12:42:08.786-04:00Boob pancakes day!!So, as a continuation of my last post on the merits of staying in touch with your health, today is that wonderful day we (older) women look forward to each year. You know, the one where you voluntarily walk into a room that emits radiation and passively stand there while some woman (with a sadistic look in her eye and an evil grin) sweetly tells you to bare it all and walk up and lay your boob on a cold plate. She then applies pressure to a footplate, (still grinning) and lowers another cold plate on top of your boob and begins to, for lack of a better term, smoosh your breast until it resembles a pancake. At the same time, Cruella tells you to "stand a little sideways, put your arm up here, bend back a little and don't move". Uh huh. <br />
She then leaves the room so you are the only one who gets to reap the benefits of radiation exposure and leaves you standing there while you hear the machine you are hopelessly pinned to humming happily along. If you are the least bit claustrophobic like me, trust me, this experience is delightful.<br />
And the best part is, you get to do it on the other side too!! Woo-hoo!! <br />
Ok, I'm just funnin with ya. Seriously, while only slightly uncomfortable, it takes less than 5 minutes and it's the absolute best way (along with feeling yourself up) to protect yourself against breast cancer. So DON'T PUT IT OFF!! Make the damned appointment, get it done and take care of yourself!! <br />
This Ole Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10266444940059473567noreply@blogger.com0