Can you hear me now?

"Number Please"...those were the words I would hear each time I picked up the telephone.....back in the 50's and 60's.  I would answer by saying "628 please" (cottage number), or "429M3 please" (Lee's house) or even "Number 9 please".... that would connect me to Hewitt Brothers.  Within seconds, I could have asked..in Lily Tomlin fashion, "Is this the party to whom I'm speaking?"   It was all so very simple then!  Today, we have chosen to not have a hard-wired land line in our house. Who the hell ever thought I'd even be saying the words, "hard wired land line?"  We each have a cell phone and have chosen to have those be our only means of communication. I had recently decided that I would delve into the world of smart phones...an oxymoron for me.  Verizon is premiering the iPhone4 on their networks next week with an early introduction to it's existing customers this Thursday morning....and I mean morning.. 3 AM !  I can't believe I even entertained the idea of setting my alarm..(I'm not sure I even have an alarm,) No one is even assured they'll get one.. first come-first served! Anyway....with the new iPhone, I needed an extra data program, which of course was $20 + taxes.  The real reason I even wanted a new phone was to have a way to access Face Book and Yahoo mail while we were on the road.  The screen and fonts on my phone now are so small it frustrates me to connect and then even see the words.  So Jess said, "why don't you just get the Droid X.. It's all touch screen (which I Love) , it has Apps (OK), it's ALL screen with large fonts (cool) and we can SKYPE (see and talk to each other) each night" .  OK, Nix the iPhone and bring on the Droid.  Before we could order the Droid, we needed to upgrade my data plan.. OK, done...(we, being Jess)!  OK, really need to speak w/ a representative... done.  After all the rigamorole...my account would be charged with $323 and change..

I DON"T THINK SO!  A week of research, endless minutes conversing w/ a service representative, final phone decision made and I am now talking on...................... the same God-damned phone I've had for 2 years. I guess I'm a cheap SOB and one of the those darn dogs that are too old to teach new tricks! I think I'll see if I can get a ring tone that says, "Number Please!"

check the phone #'s on the calendar!

Giving in

Well it appears I have non-verbally acquiesced. I've started my lists. My motor home list, my grocery list, my what to do before I leave list and my list to give Jess so she knows what to do list.  AA has a 12 step program,  SH has a 5 step one.

1.     Make the ultimate travel decision        /check
2.     Begin the "list" process                       /check
3.     Prepare all bookwork & bill paying    /check  (This involves an extreme amount of the "robbing Peter to pay Paul theory")
4.     Prepare food and clothing and travel supplies
5.     Kiss Bailee good-bye and get your fat a-- in the motor home...This is just a vacation.. you're not going into the Witness Protection Program.

Oh Crap

Looks like there will  have to be a change in plans. Check this out:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_social_security.........Social Security can maybe remain solvent until 2037... I'm not sure whether I'm unhappy that I didn't work and contribute MORE or I'm tickled shitless that my measly penance wasn't added as I won't be getting it back anyway.  It appears I should be sowing my wild oats now ...just when I really feel like I should be put out to pasture.  Pasture isn't really such a bad thing.  As long as the grass is plentiful, there's a fence so I don't get lost and I'm free to poop anywhere at will...it actually sounds quite pleasant.  I may have to be transported to a warmer climate in the inclement months but they have rigs for that. As long as one day they don't load me in and say we're "Going to the show",,,,,,,,, I'll be fine.

The Show Story:  When Jess was little.. maybe a bit older than Bailee, she would patiently wait each Monday morning at the shop for Mr. Young (Kenny) to pull in with his truck and trailer and invite her to go along w/ him to"The Show."  She loved the ride and watching as the animals were unloaded.. Thankfully they never stayed for the festivities........................since the Show took place at the slaughter house!!!!

For better or worse

Well, Bailee is better but Jess's little daycare guy, Hunter is worse.   He must have caught Bailee's conglomeration of dribblings and spewings...Get the mucinex and delsym into him and hopefully he'll be better fast.  The joys of school and daycare and -1 one day and 35 the next.  I think all doctor and medicine bills should be sent directly to Al Gore......Global Warming .
With the "day off" for Jess, I think the girls need a trip to WalMart, where there won't be anyone sneezing coughing or puking, yeah right.  We need this week's triple S releases: Secretariat, Social Network and Saw 4. The last of which will not ever be viewed by me.  If I want to be frightened, I'll look in the mirror.  A stop at Burger King or A & W will top off our afternoon.  Catch you later!

B & G Pizzeria

Welcome to B & G Pizzeria.  All pies are handmade and homemade.....Well, they are!  We made them at home with our own four hands!  What a treat to see the smile when Bailee asks, "Can I do that Grandma?" and I respond, "Sure". She has never really been a fan of getting dirty so this was a fun experience...after the initial look of "eeew",   Bailee added all the ingredients from yeast to flour and stirred w/ all her might....when  it came time to knead......she was on a roll...literally. Her oiled hands were a bit tentative when it came to flipping. "What if I break it?"....."No problem" I replied.".it mends easily."   After a couple choruses of Volare' and some robust shouts of Mama Mia..... we had the crust ready to decorate.  What a foursome of picky eaters.  This one didn't want pepperoni and this one only cheese (guess who that was?). One didn't want peppers (me) and one wondered where the mushrooms and sausage were?  Hey for the price of our pizzas, you get what you get.  Finally it was time to chow down and it appeared the Pizza Princess wasn't fond of the sauce. She also announced that she preferred her Dad's "pancake pizza" to our freshly prepared entree'.  Papa and I were not quite sure what the hell a pancake pizza was but he ended up winning the prize when he figured out she liked round pizzas better than rectangular. So, Grandma has now asked for a round pizza pan for her birthday. Bailee is sure there must be something I want more than that...like Rapunzel or a Sponge Bob movie. I'll give it some thought !

Whiners

I am surrounded by whiners. They whine when it's cold, they whine when it's hot, they whine when it rains, they whine it snows, they whine at gas prices, they whine at food prices, they whine about white people, they whine about black people, they whine about sports and they whine about taxes.....they even whine when they have to listen to other people whine...WTH.  Give it up people.  If you don't like the weather......move. I guarantee there will something you won't like about weather there too.  It wastes a whole lot of energy to complain about things you have no control over. Now, if you could delete calories by whining, we'd be in pretty good shape around here...literally!  So let's take this week alone and turn our jeers into cheers. Wow, what a gorgeous morning it is. I'd dare say we all woke up in nice, cozy, warm beds, had hot showers, the availability of good breakfasts and hot coffee, warm clothes to wear to our cars, dry roads to commute and good health to accompany it all. So, quit your bitchin' and count your blessings. I'm really pretty sick of hearing it!

Miscellaneous

1.   4 more inches of snow last night and snowing again now
2.  Temperatures expected to dip to -15 with wind chills down to -30 in "outlying areas"
3.  Couch OUT of the motor home... commence cleaning and rearranging (I knew they could do it)
4.  Bailee down with infection trio.. sinus, respiratory and ear :-(
5.  Week-end switch with the Sperm Donor.. (Bailee's Dad)... now she can stay home and cuddle w/ her Mama
6. Jets are landing in Pittsburgh ground Big Ben
7.  Heather closes on her new home today.....very exciting !
8.  Whitney turns 17 today....Holy cow, we all survived 1 year of driving
9.  Jay safely home from South Africa with lots of tales to tell
10. A week-end in the Theater.... football, The Social Network, Little Fockers (don't
 ask where that came from)

RV..

Isn't that an abbreviation for renovate?    It is now.  I happened to tune in to HGTV's "RV-2011".  It could have been very hazardous to my wealth..or lack thereof.  They had some absolutely gorgeous RV's on display at the 2011 show in Harrisburg. Some had 2-4 slide-outs, a bath and a 1/2, washers and dryers, hardwood floors, granite counters and one 5th wheel even had an upstairs with a spiral staircase.  The staircase wasn't for me... it was pretty narrow and I'd hate like hell to get stuck half way up.  What I did love and have talked about for awhile is having a recliner (or 2) in the "living room instead of a sofa.  The couch in ours is undoubtedly the most uncomfortable piece of furniture, mobile or otherwise, that I've ever plopped my big arse on.  We don't have company overnight, so we don't need it to fold down or up or any other position....I just need it to fit through the door.  Of course, when I mentioned that I would "like it gone", everybody said it wouldn't fit. Well how the hell did it get in there?  Lee's next excuse was, "nobody ever really uses it."  In which I replied, "I do!  you go to bed @ 7 p.m. but I stay up till 11 or after...even traveling, and there's no way to get comfortable on it."  I've already had the chair by the door taken out and that gave us so much more wiggle room.  I'm not a couch fan. I'm a recliner fan and it just so happens that I have an extra one.  Well I just got the phone call I've been waiting for.  The motor home spent a warm night inside the shop and the verdict is...(from our illustrious panel of 3.(.Lee, Chip and Mike)  that the couch will probably fit through the doorway...... YAY...It will be one less place to pile things. It will give us way more room to maneuver and I can stretch out and watch TV or read while Lee's catching some Zzz's.  I did mention this morning that we could purchase a new(er) motor home...I'll bet that's what made the couch able to fit through the doorway.

disclaimer:  The attached photo is the dream sequence... (slide out)... but you get the idea!

Ponderisms

There's nothing better than a heaping serving of food for thought...especially if it's accompanied by a side of humor.Here are a few "ponderisms" that might make you chuckle and then give pause to a little.....''thinking".
I didn't think much of 1 so I scratched it....
2.  Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing section  in a swimming pool?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 3. OK..... So if the  Jacksonville Jaguars are known as the 'Jags' and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers  are known as the 'Bucs,' what does that make the Tennessee  Titans?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
4. If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from  diarrhea does that mean that one  enjoys it?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
5. There are three religious  truths: a. Jews do not recognize Jesus  as the Messiah.
b. Protestants  do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian faith.
c.  Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store or  Hooters.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 6. If people from Poland are  called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called  Holes?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
7. If a pig loses  its voice, is it disgruntled? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~  *~*~*~*
8. Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they  just stale bread to begin  with?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
9  Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives  a race car is not called a racist?
*  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
10. Why isn't  the number 11 pronounced onety one? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
11. If lawyers  are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians  can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree  surgeons debarked, dry cleaners depressed .
*~*~*~*~*~*!  ~*~*~*~*
12. If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it  Fed UP?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
13.  Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee  breaks?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
14. ! What hair color do they put on the driver's  licenses of bald men?*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
15. I was thinking  about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older;  then it dawned on me ... they're cramming for their final  exam.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
16.  I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and  forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use?  Toothpicks?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
17. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the  Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them?
Why don't they  just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for  them while they deliver the mail?
*~*~*~*~! *~*~*~*~  *~*
18. If it's true that we are here  to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
19. You never really learn to swear until you learn to  drive!*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
21. Ever wonder what  the speed of lightning would be if it didn't  zigzag?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
22. If a cow laughed, would she spew milk out of her  nose? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
23. Whatever happened  to Preparations A through G?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
24.  At income tax time, did you ever notice: When you put the two words 'The'  and 'IRS' together it spells ... 'THEIRS'?

Sorry.....slow brain day!

J-E-T-S !!!!

How sad that a nearly 60 year old woman, no less, could get so excited over a football game. I was on my feet, in my chair, dancing around, sitting still.....such mixed emotions.  I am a bit superstitious, so in the last 5 minutes, I had made the decision that the entire game was on my shoulders... If I were to move from the position I was in.....something bad would happen.  So I didn't get up to pee, I didn't uncross my legs, I didn't take a drink or even shift slightly in my chair.  I did, however, cross my fingers on both hands as I clapped      ( not all that easy) and sang, in my outside voice...."J-E-T-S- Jets, Jets, Jets".  Sometimes it's a good thing if your spouse is deaf! Although he had been nestled warmly and quietly in his bed for 90 minutes prior to my vociferous outbursts. ( I love that word..vociferous... That's how the Albany newspaper described my great grandfather, the Senator, upon his demise).  Sometimes being an apple close to the tree isn't a bad thing!!  After all, New York is the Big Apple! (shut your pie-hole on the New Jersey thing)   Well, long story short...it worked.  Solely because of my stoic stillness... the Jets will be moving on to crush yet another famed, unbeatable quarterback.... Manning....check, Brady....check.....Roethlisberger...on the radar.
I just might have to get "Tiny" out of storage. I'm not sure how well he'll fare in this -13 weather but he's strong and if anchored , he'll be able to weather the storm. I'm sad thinking there's only 3 week-ends left of football but we'll make the most of them.  We're staying in the north to take in the Super Bowl in 73 inch fashion... then head out the next morning to the sunny, yeah right, south.  Hopefully, I can get one of those tacky little Jets flags and fly it proudly as we weave our way down the highways toward a couple weeks of R & R.

A Thursday laugh...

This made me laugh out loud.... Hope you enjoy it too:
    A good laugh for people in the over 50 group !!!  
 When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30-year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter. I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grandkids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

 That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.

 My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

 The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I got a little loud.

 I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-u-lating."  You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead. Well, it was not a good relationship.  When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

 To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.

 The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them in with me.

 Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual."  Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look.  I was recently asked if I tweet.  I answered, No, but I do toot a lot."  
P.S. I know some of you are not over 50.  I sent it to you to allow you to forward it to those who are.
  Us senior citizens don't need anymore gadgets.  The tv remote and the garage door remote are about all we can handle.

Resolutions vs. Just plain common sense

I'm not so good at Resolutions...New Years or otherwise.  I'm pretty fair at setting attainable goals and even better at explaining why I don't reach them. Jeff's girlfriend's Mom (Pam) sent me this "Handbook for 2011".....I think I can do this:  OK, some of this         / = check..I can do it or have done it!

HANDBOOK FOR 2011

Health:

1.       Drink plenty of water./

2.       Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar./

3.       Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.(do cows grow on trees?)

4.       Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy/

5.       Make time to pray./ every night!!

6.       Play more games / I'm the master @ Cinderella Bingo

7.       Read more books than you did in 2010./

8.       Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day//

9.       Sleep for 7 hours./

10.     Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.I'll work on this one

Personality:

11.    Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about./

12.    Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.I'll try

13.    Don't overdo. Keep your limits.// I'm good!

14.    Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.//

15.    Don't waste your precious energy on gossip/

16.    Dream more while you are awake/

17.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..//

18.    Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.  guilty

19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.I'm trying not to

20.    Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.      "

21.    No one is in charge of your happiness except you./

22.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime./

23.    Smile and laugh more.////////

24.    You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.   Hmmmmm

Society:

25.    Call your family often.//

26.    Each day give something good to others.I pay my bills :-)

27.    Forgive everyone for everything.oooo...toughie

28.    Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.Got that covered

29.    Try to make at least three people smile each day. /

30.    What other people think of you is none of your business.//

31.    Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch./

Life:

32.    Do the right thing!I try

33.    Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful./ (moving helps)

34.    GOD heals everything.  hope so

35.    However good or bad a situation is, it will change./

36.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.(breakfast club is waiting)

37.    The best is yet to come./

38.    When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.///

39.    Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.//

40.    You're the only one who can make YOU happy!

             AND YOU ALL MAKE ME HAPPY BY READING THIS CRAZY BLOG!

Let it snow.....

Global warming?  Come on Al..where exactly would that be on the globe?  Arkansas....8 inches, Charlotte....6 inches, Myrtle Beach...snow and ice, Rock Hill....6 inches, Atlanta....8 inches, Orlando...frozen fruit.......Moravia.....normal.  I'm sure there's much I don't understand about global warming and if I did I might understand that all of the tidal waves, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and snow storms the world has been afflicted with of late were a direct result of it.  Maybe that's a great case of TMI.  Once again, the crazy weather is just an added reason why I like home sweet home.  I will, however, for the sake of my husband's sanity, venture in Jerome to the cold, snowy, tundra of the south.  As of late, south is merely a direction on the compass, a chance to fertilize our fruit trees (if they're even living), a rendezvous with kooky friends and relatives who use deer meat as a party excuse, a chance to see Heather's new (old) house and an opportunity for Lee to spend a week golfing w/ Jeff....... for me, it's a time to add more wrinkles to this already sagging skin, catch up on a few books, plan a new project...or two and count the days until I'm back...north.  I know there are those of you who think I'm a spoiled brat and would love to have the opportunity to spend any time in the south. To all of you, there's room in Jerome.....and you're all welcome to squat in our concrete condo any time you'd like..."mi casa o su casa"....Right Dora?...OMG, maybe I do need a bit of vacation!

Do you see what I see?

OK, Time for the Christmas carols to seize and desist!  Starting out the new year with one of my top 5 pet peeves:  TABLE MANNERS.  I do not want to see what your chewing or hear that you're even eating... Especially if I'm sitting at the table with you!!!  Unfortunately, etiquette seems to be generational.  We were taught!  We tried to teach our children and I can only pray that they will teach theirs!  Some things are NOT traditions, they're just plain supposed to be.  We never horsed around at the table.  We sat up straight (or Dad would walk behind us, put his hands on our shoulders and say, "Shoulders back, knockers up").  That was as much comedy as our table could handle. We never ate until Mom joined us at the table. We kept our elbows off the table, chewed w/ our mouths closed and didn't speak if they were full. We tried a bit of everything and ate what we took....even if it meant sitting at the table until way after bedtime trying to swallow cold codfish gravy on rice.. Both of which, to this day, I haven't and will never, eat again! Meals weren't all bad.  We all ate together, the food was generally hot and good.  There was no juice or soda at mealtime. You drank milk which btw, was delivered daily on our back porch in the milk box. 
This isn't rocket science, folks.  It's not odd behavior that is out of date.  We're not asking kids to curtsy or bow, wear girdles or crinolines or be married off to the "not so" handsome son of a dear friend.  We're asking you to teach your children, who in turn will teach theirs to chew w/ their damn mouths closed, appreciate that even eating has boundaries and rules, pass things on the table rather than reaching, be thankful you're all together and have food on your table and maybe, just maybe, compliment the cook and ask to be excused.  Even my 4 year old granddaughter does that......with possibly a bit of occasional prompting.  Nobody's perfect but if you live it, you learn it!

p.s.  I mentioned this on Face Book and got many neat ideas and stories of how families handled their rules and mealtimes.  So....it's NOT just me......

Epiphany!

Today is the "Epiphany" or the Feast of the Epiphany which marks the end of the Yule festivities or the 12th Day/Night.  I hate to tell the Yule labelers but the holidays were a hell of a lot longer than 12 days.  I started shopping in late summer and actually found one gift still stuck in the tree when we took it down last Sunday. That encompasses at least 5 months.... I've actually jotted down some gift ideas for Christmas 2011...yeah, I know.  I'll try to hold off my shopping till at least July...at least for Christmas...I can't promise everyday shopping will cease anytime soon.
This January we'll remain in New York and then head south for just a couple weeks rather than months. I have a few books that need reading and I have a new "project" in mind for EIEIO. It took a year to complete the H.U.T. but it's just as I envisioned (and planned).  My new project will be a special place for Bailee and Grandma, individually or together, to listen to music and read. I will continue to learn the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Song and the Hot Dog Dance and she,Wooly Bully and the Jitterbug. Our new space will be "Over the river (creek) and through (near) the woods" and full of light, music and books.  A few names are bantering around my finally uncluttered mind.(I'm not sure why naming our spaces and projects evolves but it does). So maybe in the next several months, you'll hear about the Reading Room or the Book Bungalow or maybe the Story Shed or the Culture Cottage. Whatever moniker emerges... I bet you'll know more about it's progress than you ever cared to...  It's kind of an epiphany of my own....and I'm off to feast on the possibilities!

Flash Mob

I'm assuming (and you know what that does) that you all know about the newest viral hit of the Flash Mob.  If not, it's the act of a substantial group, supposedly randomly appearing in a public place and breaking into song and/or dance.  One is planned for Moravia this Friday at 4 p.m.  I know, all the details are a bit less than random but without the details...no one would be there to randomly sing and dance  (that they have not so randomly rehearsed for days).  This MOB was the brain child of a Syracuse news columnist to keep his kids occupied during school break, honor Millard Fillmore and most assuredly get some publicity for him and his newspaper.

http://www.syracuse.com/kramer/index.ssf/2011/01/millard_fillmore_flash_mob_fri.html

Today's morning paper had a rather humorous letter to the editor :

Dancing together in a place never heard of

To the Editor:
I was excited when I read about Jeff Kramer’s upcoming flash mob and really looked forward to participating. But as I read the Jan. 3 column I became progressively more disappointed.

What has me so frustrated?

1) It’s not a singing one. My wife says I can’t dance to save my life.

2) It’s in a place called Moravia, which I’ve never heard of. I don’t even think my passport is up to date.

3) I’m working until 7 p.m. this Friday, so, even if it were in Syracuse or DeWitt, I couldn’t be there by 4 p.m.

4) Most disappointing, I was excited about singing in honor of my favorite Post-Standard comics character, Mallard Fillmore, and learned that this one is about some dead president named Millard Fillmore. I wanted to sing for Mallard Fillmore, not dance for Millard Fillmore. If Kramer has another flash mob, maybe in one of our two mutual former hometowns, Bellingham, Wash., or Orange County, Calif., I can plan on being there.

Mark R. Sukoenig
DeWitt 

It should be a fun time but even if nobody shows up, with the exception of Jeff Kramer, his 2 daughters, whoever might need milk..or beer @ 4 p.m. on a Friday and ME..... it's given a little publicity to our quaint little town......and we could use some, short of that squealing incident.....

Inspiration

As I do most every morning, I was perusing the obituaries..  I've stopped looking at them individually as the ages are becoming way too familiar and a wee bit scary but I scan done through the listed names of recently departed. When a familiar name appears, I check it out hoping it really is no one I know or knew. Powers.. a very familiar and local and even related name caught my eye.  Duane O. Powers.  Nope, didn't ring a bell but at my age there's always the possibility of the person being a  child of someone I knew...(that in itself scares the hell out of me). Anyway, I decided to read and see if anyone "left behind" was someone I should respectfully contact. The obit began this way:

Duane O. Powers December 28, 2010

I, Duane O. Powers, kicked the bucket on December 28, 2010. I knew I was going to die sooner or later, but I had hoped it would be later. I lived a good life. I'm proud of the four years I served our country in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1957. I've enjoyed 50 years or more as a motorcyclist, heavy equipment operator and American Legion member. My greatest joy in life has been my family and my friends. Traveling by motorcycle has been another joy in my life, and I would like to share the stories of some of my most memorable trips: In August of 1954, my younger brother, Dale, and I left our home in DeRuyter, NY, on my Harley-Davidson motorcycle to visit our older brother, Roy, and his wife, Mae, in El Paso, Texas, where Roy was in the U.S. Army. Our entire trip was 5000 miles by the time we got back to DeRuyter, and we were gone two weeks. Then I rode back to North Carolina, where I was stationed in the U.S. Navy. In July of 1987, my 12-year-old daughter, Wendy, went with me on a two-week trip on my restored 1947 Harley-Davidson Knuckle-head from Austin, Texas, to Central Nebraska, visiting relatives and friends. The 1947 was my main ride for 15 years. In April of 2000, I bought a new Harley-Davidson and on June 1, 2003, I started a trip to Alaska with a riding partner. This ride had been at least a 40-year dream of mine. We were gone 47 days and by the time I got home I had traveled 13,020 miles. In my working career I operated bulldozer and other earth moving equipment in New York, Nebraska and Texas. My longest time with an employer was with Orchard Earth and Pipe Corp. of Solvay, NY, from 1989 to 2008. So must be I did not treat my employer too badly or he would not have kept me around that long. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I am survived by son, Michael Powers; daughters, Wendy Powers Kelly, Michelle Powers and Rebecca Thompson; and brothers, Roy Powers and Dale Powers. The calling hours will be held at Smith Funeral Home, DeRuyter, on Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. The funeral service will be at the United Church of DeRuyter on Monday at 11 a.m. I hope that when remembering me, family and friends will be more likely to laugh than cry. Instead of flowers, I would appreciate donations to the United Church of DeRuyter, the Woodford Burdick American Legion Post, the DeRuyter Library or Hospice in my name.

I never met Duane, I wasn't familiar w/ any of his family, I'd never ever even heard of Duane.....but I can tell one thing for sure... I would have liked Duane. His sense of humor came streaming through in every word and every line.  He was a content men who lived a good life and wanted everyone who knew him, and those of us who wish we had, to remember that life is short and most generally we make it what it is....or was.  This is the first obit I have seen written in the first person and I'm inspired.  I have penned my wishes for the immediate hereafter and made their whereabouts known to those who will be "following orders!"  I will now be adding one more item to my "bucket list"... Write your own obit! Pretty much follows my lifetime philosophy " If you want something done right, do it yourself!"  So this month after paying the property taxes, the income taxes, the estimated taxes, the sales taxes, the tire taxes, the homeowners insurance, the car insurance, the liability insurance, the boat, ATV and snowmobile insurances, the shop insurances, the Florida and Locke house insurances and the regular every month living expenses....................., if there's an ounce of strength left in my bucket.....I'll put pen to paper (or more likely fingers to keys) and document my last publication.  I can put down the when I arrived and hopefully the when I left part will be far down the road. At least I will be living up to my friend and mentor, in all things written and spoken, Shirley....I'd rather be ready and not go then to go and not be ready!