When I was younger, I listened to music all the time. Throughout the years my taste have changed. I have liked rock, country, pop, new age, oldies, etc. I would listen to one genre for a few years, then move on.
Throughout it all my favorite has always been 70s music. Things were simpler back then. I can remember riding down the road in the green Pontiac, all 6 of us kids in the back seat. Paul and Marcus usually on the floor. We would all be singing, pretending we had microphones. It is one of those memories that just exists in my mind with all the other jumbles of things.
It is funny how an old song can come on the radio and you just know what you were doing, where you were in your life, when that song was popular. To me, songs are like a diary. You don't have to put your own words down, they just say it for you.
Lately, it seems like I can't concentrate on the music. The words are all mumbled. Youtube has been wonderful for me to find out what they are really singing. Some of the songs still have a profound message, some are just plain crap. The crap ones are the ones that I am happy to have the wrong words in my head. The extra people in there can carry a better tune than I can anymore.
Maybe I have suffered a some sort of breakdown, maybe a stroke? Maybe, just too much going on. I can't remember things like I used to. Sometimes is it scary, sometimes it is just what I have become. I used to be able to write my thoughts down so that they resembled something readable. This post, like my thoughts, started as one thing then transformed into something completely off.
Reading back over what I have put here, just goes to show my mind isn't completely together. It used to be, before those people moved into my head. There used to be music in there......
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Facebook & Colonoscopies
Facebook is one of the newest social networking addiction. Since I haven't written anything in a month I decided to post a request for ideas for my latest installment. Tom, a guy I went to school with, came up with this wonderful topic. Considering I said I was blog blocked, why not colonoscopies.
Where to start. Maybe I should start at the bottom. Okay, I know, bad pun. Colonoscopy, the word alone sends shudders up many peoples spines. Which, if you have forgotten your anatomy, ends near your behind. Just the thought of a camera entering a very private area and snaking its way up is enough to cause palpitations in the strongest man.
The preparations for your big day are almost as much fun as the picture taking itself. I am told you have to drink a gallon of some really nasty, chalky stuff. Almost like the barium you used to have to drink before x-rays. This stuff is supposed to clean you out. Well, you might as well plant yourself on the toilet. Maybe set up a tv tray, laptop, books, anything else that would help you pass the time. You will be there a while. Don't even think about going more than 10 feet from the bathroom. Perhaps you have one of those nice hemorrhoid donuts to sit on.
A colonoscopy really is a useful diagnostic tool. They can see a lot. But, then they do have a camera shoved up your bum. I bet if you open your mouth the light will shine out. Since I have never had one, I don't know if it is painful. I think a lot of the problems is the anticipation of what is to come. The benefits outweigh the dangers I am told. As my brother-in-law once said, "That is an exit, not an entrance."
Colonoscopies aren't just for men anymore. Since women are now being instructed to have them for routine testing, maybe men should start having mammograms. Fairs, fair!
Where to start. Maybe I should start at the bottom. Okay, I know, bad pun. Colonoscopy, the word alone sends shudders up many peoples spines. Which, if you have forgotten your anatomy, ends near your behind. Just the thought of a camera entering a very private area and snaking its way up is enough to cause palpitations in the strongest man.
The preparations for your big day are almost as much fun as the picture taking itself. I am told you have to drink a gallon of some really nasty, chalky stuff. Almost like the barium you used to have to drink before x-rays. This stuff is supposed to clean you out. Well, you might as well plant yourself on the toilet. Maybe set up a tv tray, laptop, books, anything else that would help you pass the time. You will be there a while. Don't even think about going more than 10 feet from the bathroom. Perhaps you have one of those nice hemorrhoid donuts to sit on.
A colonoscopy really is a useful diagnostic tool. They can see a lot. But, then they do have a camera shoved up your bum. I bet if you open your mouth the light will shine out. Since I have never had one, I don't know if it is painful. I think a lot of the problems is the anticipation of what is to come. The benefits outweigh the dangers I am told. As my brother-in-law once said, "That is an exit, not an entrance."
Colonoscopies aren't just for men anymore. Since women are now being instructed to have them for routine testing, maybe men should start having mammograms. Fairs, fair!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Is it just us.....
We have done our fair share of stimulating the economy lately. TV, console, swing set, vehicle. That is a lot of stimulation. Now, here comes the kickers.
It seems like forever that we would buy things by the price, not quality. After all, most things are now termed "disposable", Things like lawn mowers, vacuums, and even refrigerators, washers, and dryers. So it was not surprising that there would be missing pieces, instructions incorrect, and just overall poor quality. They say you get what you pay for.
We have finally decided that we would try to buy quality to make it last longer. Makes sense to the smart man. After years of having to fix or deal with missing parts, broken pieces, poor instructions we have traded up on things.
So, lets start with our first big purchase, a new TV and console to sit it on. We paid $1200 for the two. When dear hubby got it home, the console was cracked on the bottom. The dang thing weighs about 150 lbs. He didn't want to take it back, besides he says it is on the bottom in the back you can't see it. He calls the company and they send us $50.
After about a week, the TV starts to turn green. Yes, green lava all over the picture. Wonderful!! So he calls this company, they talk him through some setup things. Seems to work, painless, lasts about 3 hours. Then back to green. Calls them the next day, they say return it. Sam's Club was very nice, didn't question it and exchanged. That was our fastest trip in that store ever.
On to the swing set. The box said it takes 2 people, 4 - 6 hours. It is pre-drilled, all parts included. Well, they are nuts! I wonder who they timed in the setup of the swing set. It took 6 people (at assorted times) over 12 hours and it still isn't all together. The instructions were crap. It would give you the list of what was needed for a page. 10 - 2 x 29 1/2 boards. The proceed to tell you to take the 13 - 2 x 31 1/2 boards and nail them in. There were not 13 of any board, much less boards of that size. They would flip pictures around and it was terrible. Some of the boards weren't pre-drilled either.
But Papa, G-Pa, Uncle Zack, Uncle Jake, Uncle Andy, and Aunt Shell finally got it together enough that at least Gavin can swing and slide. Thank Auntie & Uncles for helping.
The new vehicle, knock on wood, hasn't been a problem yet. But, then we have only had it for 3 days.
Is it just us? Are we the only ones that it happens to? No matter what we get, there is something wrong. At least I am not my sister, who had all the restaurant problems!
It seems like forever that we would buy things by the price, not quality. After all, most things are now termed "disposable", Things like lawn mowers, vacuums, and even refrigerators, washers, and dryers. So it was not surprising that there would be missing pieces, instructions incorrect, and just overall poor quality. They say you get what you pay for.
We have finally decided that we would try to buy quality to make it last longer. Makes sense to the smart man. After years of having to fix or deal with missing parts, broken pieces, poor instructions we have traded up on things.
So, lets start with our first big purchase, a new TV and console to sit it on. We paid $1200 for the two. When dear hubby got it home, the console was cracked on the bottom. The dang thing weighs about 150 lbs. He didn't want to take it back, besides he says it is on the bottom in the back you can't see it. He calls the company and they send us $50.
After about a week, the TV starts to turn green. Yes, green lava all over the picture. Wonderful!! So he calls this company, they talk him through some setup things. Seems to work, painless, lasts about 3 hours. Then back to green. Calls them the next day, they say return it. Sam's Club was very nice, didn't question it and exchanged. That was our fastest trip in that store ever.
On to the swing set. The box said it takes 2 people, 4 - 6 hours. It is pre-drilled, all parts included. Well, they are nuts! I wonder who they timed in the setup of the swing set. It took 6 people (at assorted times) over 12 hours and it still isn't all together. The instructions were crap. It would give you the list of what was needed for a page. 10 - 2 x 29 1/2 boards. The proceed to tell you to take the 13 - 2 x 31 1/2 boards and nail them in. There were not 13 of any board, much less boards of that size. They would flip pictures around and it was terrible. Some of the boards weren't pre-drilled either.
But Papa, G-Pa, Uncle Zack, Uncle Jake, Uncle Andy, and Aunt Shell finally got it together enough that at least Gavin can swing and slide. Thank Auntie & Uncles for helping.
The new vehicle, knock on wood, hasn't been a problem yet. But, then we have only had it for 3 days.
Is it just us? Are we the only ones that it happens to? No matter what we get, there is something wrong. At least I am not my sister, who had all the restaurant problems!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Nagging
Why do people nag? I think it is an art form. Some are nagged more than others. Some nag more than others. Today I think I am nagged more than normal.
Sons are nagging me, one to use the van, the other to make dinner. Daughters are naggin me, one to take her somewhere, the other to get answers that I don't know. My husband knows better than to nag me today.
Sister is nagging me to post something on my blog. Or maybe it was a threat? She did say she would have to drop me from her "list". LOL Does this suffice? Is this enough to keep me on the "list"?
You can't ask for quality blogging, when it is forced. It is kind of like high school and college papers. I had to dwell on them for weeks, to kick out a 10 page, A paper in one night. I write better under pressure, if I have time to stew on the subject.
So, please dearest sister, please keep me on your reading list, as you never know what I can come up with!
Sons are nagging me, one to use the van, the other to make dinner. Daughters are naggin me, one to take her somewhere, the other to get answers that I don't know. My husband knows better than to nag me today.
Sister is nagging me to post something on my blog. Or maybe it was a threat? She did say she would have to drop me from her "list". LOL Does this suffice? Is this enough to keep me on the "list"?
You can't ask for quality blogging, when it is forced. It is kind of like high school and college papers. I had to dwell on them for weeks, to kick out a 10 page, A paper in one night. I write better under pressure, if I have time to stew on the subject.
So, please dearest sister, please keep me on your reading list, as you never know what I can come up with!
Friday, February 27, 2009
The fall of hometown video stores.
Our hometown video store, not connected to any video store chain, has closed. I feel like we had a hand in the store closing.
Brian and his family have entertained our area since I was young. First, they owned the small movie theatre. It was downtown and had all the things you remember from "the old days". You know the ones, broken seats, sticky floors, the wonderful balcony. It always smelled of stale popcorn. This theatre hung around for years. They even started renting out movies in the mid 80s. People were more mobile and were going to La Crosse to the multi-plexes. The ones that had 4 movies at once. Woohoo. They closed the theatre and opened a video rental store. This was in the late 80s I think.
They also owned the drive-in. I miss this the most. We could grab some food, take the kids and go see a double feature. When we were in high school, we stuck people in the trunk to get in. It was a great place. Just like the drive-ins you would see in the movies. Towards the end of the drive-in phase they stopped repairing the silver voiceboxes and you just tuned in on a radio station. They closed this in the mid 90s.
The family moved their video stores to various buildings around town. They also had a few stores in neighboring cities. We followed Brian and were faithful customers, that is until Netflix. We would spend around $30 every weekend on videos. You probably think how would losing you as a customer affect a business. Well, multiply that by many, many family over the years switching. If you could spend $18 a month, for unlimited, no late fees, no having to go to the store to get them, you would change too.
Brian couldn't compete with Netflix or the other online rentals. Convenience and saving money always win. Netflix is wonderful. We make our lists, they send them to us, we send them back. We average 15 movies a month. That makes it around $1.20 each. That is a huge savings. Plus, they have 100s of 1000s of movies. Many, many obscure movies.
We went to the sale that Brian was having before he closed. He is always very nice, happy to help. Always has a smile on his face. I think he truly loved dealing with people. I asked him what he would do now. He said he wasn't sure, he had never worked for anyone else before. Brian is around 40 and now starting his life over.
Good luck Brian, our family wishes you luck! You will be missed, even if we didn't see you often anymore.
Brian and his family have entertained our area since I was young. First, they owned the small movie theatre. It was downtown and had all the things you remember from "the old days". You know the ones, broken seats, sticky floors, the wonderful balcony. It always smelled of stale popcorn. This theatre hung around for years. They even started renting out movies in the mid 80s. People were more mobile and were going to La Crosse to the multi-plexes. The ones that had 4 movies at once. Woohoo. They closed the theatre and opened a video rental store. This was in the late 80s I think.
They also owned the drive-in. I miss this the most. We could grab some food, take the kids and go see a double feature. When we were in high school, we stuck people in the trunk to get in. It was a great place. Just like the drive-ins you would see in the movies. Towards the end of the drive-in phase they stopped repairing the silver voiceboxes and you just tuned in on a radio station. They closed this in the mid 90s.
The family moved their video stores to various buildings around town. They also had a few stores in neighboring cities. We followed Brian and were faithful customers, that is until Netflix. We would spend around $30 every weekend on videos. You probably think how would losing you as a customer affect a business. Well, multiply that by many, many family over the years switching. If you could spend $18 a month, for unlimited, no late fees, no having to go to the store to get them, you would change too.
Brian couldn't compete with Netflix or the other online rentals. Convenience and saving money always win. Netflix is wonderful. We make our lists, they send them to us, we send them back. We average 15 movies a month. That makes it around $1.20 each. That is a huge savings. Plus, they have 100s of 1000s of movies. Many, many obscure movies.
We went to the sale that Brian was having before he closed. He is always very nice, happy to help. Always has a smile on his face. I think he truly loved dealing with people. I asked him what he would do now. He said he wasn't sure, he had never worked for anyone else before. Brian is around 40 and now starting his life over.
Good luck Brian, our family wishes you luck! You will be missed, even if we didn't see you often anymore.
Monday, February 23, 2009
In my head I am 18
Oh my, what was I thinking? I am almost 45 years old. Putting 4 slick wheels under each foot might not have been a wise thing.
Saturday night we attended my 10 yr old, great-niece's birthday part at a roller rink. I grabbed a pair of skates, laced them up. Which means I put them on and held them up for Michael to lace up. LOL I wear slipon shoes or clogs for pete's sake. What was I thinking??
After a few rolls up and down the carpet, Annie (niece, mother of b'day girl) and I decided to hit the skate floor. Dang that floor is slippery. Whew, made it one lap. I needed to rest. Okay, out for 2 laps. Then made it 3 laps. Need to rest. For some reason I couldn't pick up my left foot. I was just pushing with my right. What was I thinking???
In my head I was still that 18 yr old, skinny girl that could skate with passion and elegance, speed and fearlessness. I used to be able to move with the music that was playing. I wanted to be able to spin, skate backwards, dance like I did years and years ago. What was I thinking????
I have a few theories for my poor skating ability. Never wear rental skates. They really suck. The wheels are so worn out they are as slick as the floor. Since I now had to wear a size bigger, the front wheels were set back farther on my feet it seemed. Also, I swear my left leg is longer and that is the reason I couldn't pick it up. LOL Okay, maybe not. But, it sounded good.
How will I ever be roller derby queen I always dreamed of if I can't skate any more? I am looking at buying my own skates. I do want to go more. I will practice my butt off. I do love roller skating.
In my head I am that 18 year old, roller derby queen. My dreams will keep me young!!
Saturday night we attended my 10 yr old, great-niece's birthday part at a roller rink. I grabbed a pair of skates, laced them up. Which means I put them on and held them up for Michael to lace up. LOL I wear slipon shoes or clogs for pete's sake. What was I thinking??
After a few rolls up and down the carpet, Annie (niece, mother of b'day girl) and I decided to hit the skate floor. Dang that floor is slippery. Whew, made it one lap. I needed to rest. Okay, out for 2 laps. Then made it 3 laps. Need to rest. For some reason I couldn't pick up my left foot. I was just pushing with my right. What was I thinking???
In my head I was still that 18 yr old, skinny girl that could skate with passion and elegance, speed and fearlessness. I used to be able to move with the music that was playing. I wanted to be able to spin, skate backwards, dance like I did years and years ago. What was I thinking????
I have a few theories for my poor skating ability. Never wear rental skates. They really suck. The wheels are so worn out they are as slick as the floor. Since I now had to wear a size bigger, the front wheels were set back farther on my feet it seemed. Also, I swear my left leg is longer and that is the reason I couldn't pick it up. LOL Okay, maybe not. But, it sounded good.
How will I ever be roller derby queen I always dreamed of if I can't skate any more? I am looking at buying my own skates. I do want to go more. I will practice my butt off. I do love roller skating.
In my head I am that 18 year old, roller derby queen. My dreams will keep me young!!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
birds, birds, birds, then a few more birds
So, I was able to get off work early today. Yeah me!! When I arrived home I looked in the backyard. I am not exaggerating, which I have known to do when it comes to birding, but there were over 100 finches in my yard. They were everywhere. It looked like the trees and ground were alive. It was very loud out there.
I bundled myself up and took a pillow to sit on and a blanket. Hey the bench was cold! I sat there for a good 10 mins before a few decided it was safe to come back. Then holy moley did they come. I sat and rythmically tapped the button on my camera. Took over 200 pics and drained the battery. Here are a few of the "action" shots.
I bundled myself up and took a pillow to sit on and a blanket. Hey the bench was cold! I sat there for a good 10 mins before a few decided it was safe to come back. Then holy moley did they come. I sat and rythmically tapped the button on my camera. Took over 200 pics and drained the battery. Here are a few of the "action" shots.
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