Tough Love.....

Tough love..second amendment style.  This you-tube video went viral pretty quickly and I like it.  I wasn't thrilled with the cigarette in hand but the message was pretty "spot on!"  Somehow during this 21st century we (parents), have lost a bit of our edge.  It seems our offspring have been barraged with all the ammunition they need to excuse their behavior and ignore our rules.  This gal thought it would be funny to vent and place her personal rantings on her Face Book page. Obviously she never got the memo or heard the discussions on "what you place on the Internet is there forever for everybody to see anytime".... ie: friends, parents, college administrators, prospective employers, etc.  In this video reply, this particular Dad, loaded with I.T. knowledge, and his 45, found a letter addressed basically to him. His lovely daughter vented about chores she was expected to do and what a persecuted life she lived in their home.  Poor Baby!
In the end.... he fittingly exterminated the tool she had used to impugn her folks and most likely impede her college acceptance hopes and maybe even future or present (if she ever got motivated enough to look for one) job opportunities.  It was all pretty southern and maybe a bit crass but he got his point across.  It reminded me of a story from Jess's college days or should I say DAY!  We had her all settled in at Cobleskill. Culinary Arts was her major. She was just the right distance from home and things were good.  Her stay was short....her roommate was less than desirable and a few gals were making life pretty hard for her.... Long story short......very short.......home she came. After being home a few days, she came to me and asked if I wanted to buy her laptop...............I swallowed several times, bit my lip and explained....in my ever so calm parental way that I already purchased her laptop ONCE and how the weather might need to be for me to ever purchase it TWICE.  She understood and therefore it was unnecessary for her Dad to shoot her laptop. Our northern skills are maybe a wee bit more sophisticated than this southern Dads but the empathy is there and we're betting this teenager turned the corner....even if she still has a broom in her hand
http://youtu.be/vUpOABtY_nE

Outloud!

There are things that just shouldn't be done out loud.  Farting..shouldn't be done out loud!  Burping.. shouldn't be done out loud! Probably swearing..shouldn't be done out loud! Arguments..shouldn't be done out loud..in public.  Hawking up a lugee or continually blowing your nose..shouldn't be done ..out loud..in public!  My daughter will probably say that, while dining with me in public, there are things I shouldn't say..out loud.....even if the man at the next table is hawking and sneezing while I'm trying to eat my breakfast (and keep it down!)
On the flip side, there are tons of things that absolutely should be done out loud. Singing..should be done out loud.  No matter how poorly you belt out a tune...you should do just that.  It's life altering...and lengthening!  Bailee and I sing out loud all the time!  Cheering..should absolutely be done out loud!  Syracuse and Duke could never have won their games last night if I weren't on my feet, cheering and clapping. "I Love You".. should definitely be spoken.. out loud.  If you think it, say it!  Wouldn't it suck if someone all of the sudden was gone and you'd never said it ...outloud♥

Jo, Java,Coffee......

No matter what you call it, it appears, this week anyway, that coffee is good for you!  There are now at least 5 good reasons to drink at least 2-3 cups in the morning....

1. It may lower your risk of dementia! Researchers believe the antioxidant properties of coffee may work to reduce vascular forms of dementia.
2. For men at least, it cuts your chance of Parkinson's Disease by 25%!!!Researchers aren't sure what the protective mechanism at play is, or even whether it's the caffeine or other protective compounds that are behind the benefit.
3. It slashes your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes! Coffee is thought to improve the body's tolerance to glucose by speeding metabolism and improving insulin tolerance
4. Counters cancerous cell damage : Coffee contains hundreds of chemical compounds -- among them antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can decrease markers for the damaging process of inflammation.
5. It may buffer depression! Nobody's sure, but one theory is that coffee drinking causes a short-term boost to energy and mood.

I would say they are 5 pretty good reasons to perk a pot (or drip or stop at the local coffee shop) and give your body the well deserved wake up call it yearns.  If you don't like coffee, I'm sure that tea or cola or maybe even chocolate will help the cause.  After all...it has to be the caffeine that does the trick.  I send my poor body so many mixed messages a day, it doesn't know to sh-- or get off the pot.  I have caffeinated coffee in the morning, caffein free diet soda during the day and a dose of chocolate syrup on my 10:00 ice cream. My sugar's fine, I don't shake yet, I've passed my yearly "tests", I still remember what my keys are for and I'm pretty happy....So far, so good!

Arguably Forever

Interesting article in the morning paper. "Couples who argue together, stay together!" Well that explains that!  I wonder if they need a poster couple?  Actually, that's an exaggeration. I try with everything I have to get a good argument going.........usually to no avail.  One of Lee's aggravating yet endearing qualities is the fact that he will not argue!  And try as I may, it's really fruitless (and not much fun) to have an argument with yourself.
The article contends that "small disagreements iron out small differences before they become major issues!"  That makes perfect sense.  If your mouth is moving, you're communicating...not always well but they say communication makes or breaks a marriage. The quoted counselor explained that often it's a case of "you're not listening to me, so I'm going to tell you louder."  In my case, we didn't need a marriage counselor, we needed Miracle Ear!  If you can't hear me bitching, you don't respond!
Women bring up issues of conflict 80% of the time......Shocker!  Here are some tips for a fair fight:

• Never dredge up old issues ( I can't believe old gf's aren't still fair game after 40 years!)
• Never bring in 3rd parties ( I still affirm, if my Dad agreed with me, I was right!)
• Avoid using "You always" and "You never" (I'm in trouble with this one!)
• Treat your partner with respect (still think you have to earn it for each dispute)
• If you owe your spouse an apology, make it. (Does that mean I have to admit I was wrong?)

The "study" says arguing with your spouse at least once a week makes for stronger, longer marriages. So by my calculations, we've had 1898 healthy arguments and we'd better get one in by Thursday to stay on track. :-)  I can do that!

Here We-Go!

Football is over:-(  It did end on a happy note.  Nothing puts a smile on my face like Tom Brady's handsome little butt plopped in the middle of the field...defeated!  Unfortunately for them, they beat themselves.  Their play was less than stellar and the safety at the very beginning put them on a spiral that wasn't pretty...straight downhill. The Mannings are not my favorites in all of football but Eli definitely deserved to bring home the Lombardi trophy this year.  If any of the chatter comes to fruition and Peyton ends up in New York Jet's green.... 2012 could be an interesting year for NY football fans.
I'll have to satisfy my sports fix with college hoops... We have a few weeks left until March Madness begins and I'm hoping that the Laurel and Hardy line "This is a FINE mess you've gotten us in" doesn't overshadow the really good SU team that takes the court each game.  Never has their bench been so deep, their foul shooting so improved, their rebounds so refreshing and their teamwork so necessary!
Someone reminded me yesterday that baseball is right around the corner... Ehhh.... I love my Dodgers but they so resemble the path of Big Business that it's taken the fun out of the game for me.  I long for the days of Tommy LaSorda, Vero Beach spring training and the rosters of Valenzuela, Garvey, Monday and Sax.
NASCAR is OK but I can't make myself sit inside and watch cars go round and round and round at 120 mph when I could be outside, relaxing and rocking in the fresh air going zero...Hey, I'm old!
Watching Golf isn't even on the table.  Paint dries quicker!  I might tune in to the skins games.. I enjoy it when the stakes go from hole to hole and a good shot could win big money.
Spring horse racing is enjoyable.  I learn all I need to know in the pre race shows. I choose my horse, or sometimes I choose by jockey, and my attention span is able to survive the 3-5 minutes races.  I like the hats, the cocktails and the back stories of all the "little men!"  Secretariat is one of my favorite movies. I like a  happy ending, especially if a tail is wagging!!

So, I'll try to keep myself entertained until late August when the pre-season football mayhem returns. And speaking of tail wagging... I might look for my own "We-Go!"

Guilty Pleasure

I know I should feel guilty about not having to go to Florida.  Most people I know would kill to have the opportunity to go for a few days much less a month and here I am, "shickled titless" to stay home.  I do enjoy sitting on my patio, enjoying my morning coffee or my afternoon bloody mary with my fresh lemon, reading and soaking up some Florida sun but I've sadly realized.. my skin needs no more sun!!!!
Sometime in the last few months, someone came during the night and replaced my arms, hands and knees with my mothers!!!!!!!!! It's not pretty and I'm afraid it's irreversible:-( If I twist my arm just right,  it resembles a botched job of a cowhide purse.........and the brown spots hardly look like polka dots.  My knees could easily be mistaken for a young elephant who's been practicing for the circus.  I remember saying I would never have my "Aunt Janet's knees!" I lied... They're here!!! just below my Uncle Harold's ass :-(   So needless to say, I will enjoy my porches in my rocker and try to reduce my direct intake of Vitamin D rays.  I realize that 60 years of damage probably can't be erased but I can soften things up with my recently delivered case of original scent Jergens lotion!  I can still preach to those young worshippers and show them the sagging evidence I carry with me daily. They probably won't listen (I sure didn't when I was their age.) So I look forward to warmer weather in NYS where I can languish away from the sun and banish my guilt for being happy I'm where I want to be.  

Happy Camper

Last night, as I sat warm and toasty, I thought about how spoiled I am and what I actually couldn't live without (totally in my own mind and not literally.) The list is short....and sweet!

1. Clothing:  The form is no longer attractive to anyone,  appealing in any aspect and should be covered at all times. (it also provides warmth)
2. Electricity:  I need it, I pay for it and I must have my technology fully juiced.
3. Diet Pepsi:  There's no sugar, no calories and it contains no alcohol. They won't give me a ticket for drinking it and I make back a nickel every time I down one!
4. Chocolate: Just because.
5. My house: It's my favorite place on earth. I care nothing about traveling the world, seeing the 7 wonders or learning of life in far away places...that brings me to number 6
6. TV and Internet: These bring me to and teach me about the 7 wonders and life in far away places. It's cheaper, no bugs, I don't worry about what to pack and I can do it in #5!
7. My family and friends: This includes my husband (oddly enough), my kids and my beautiful Bailee. The extension of family (except for Mom) ends here! My friends are awesome. Old friends remain great and new friends are a blessing...In my opinion, blood is not thicker than water...I cannot live without water!) [disclaimer- family in this statement excludes my Hatfield clan]

So, there you have it.... My 7 wonders of the world......At almost 60, these are my essentials... some may be frivolous, some awkward but all are off the table for change.  What you see is what you get and as long as I have my 7 wonders, I'm a happy camper....You really wouldn't like me as an unhappy one!