Indiana Heckler - More Than Just Corn in Indiana

Happy Fall

2011-10-06T08:49:00.001-04:00

Happy Spring

2011-04-11T15:43:00.002-04:00

Are You Afraid of Heights...you will be

2011-03-10T08:49:00.002-05:00

This hike is only for the fearless. At least we know the guy survived to post his video; either that or someone found his camera and posted it for him. Watch if you dare: the scariest trail in the world.

Mayhem...it really is everywhere!

2011-01-17T16:01:00.003-05:00

Click on this link; wait for the guy to start talking. Got Allstate?
It's all about mayhem and heckling.

Here's my Christmas card to you

2010-12-06T08:58:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-0WVfj76bo

I love the gloaming

2010-10-19T14:23:00.003-04:00

Came across this blog of photos from Scotland that feature the gloaming, the time after sunset and before sunrise. Check it and be sure to bookmark it.
http://scotlandinthegloaming.blogspot.com/

Purple trees indeed

2010-07-28T16:23:00.002-04:00

Well, they aren't really purple. But adjusting the contrast made an interesting flick!

Tulips & Flamingos

2010-04-13T12:46:00.002-04:00

A sure sign of spring!

When I was just a little kid, my grandparents would go to Florida for a few weeks. For some reason I always thought they must be really rich to be able to go there. They used to have plastic flamingos in their yard; probably to remind them of their travels.

Here are my own flamingos, Fred & Erma, many years later. They look happy don't they?

Earth Hour is March 27th

2010-03-26T09:47:00.001-04:00

Saturday, March 27th 8:30 local time is Earth Hour. Switch off your lights and join the world effort
See the video

Really bad weather

2010-01-22T12:11:00.001-05:00

1/22/10 a direct copy/paste from weather.com, I kid you not. You don't want THIS kind of weather coming your way:

"By Sunday afternoon, colder air will change the precipitation completely to snow across the upper Midwest while the rain in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley will shit eastward out of the region"

I've been in Hawaii for 2 months.......

2010-01-15T16:02:00.002-05:00

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to say, "Oh yes, I've been in Hawaii the last 2 months" and that it was really true? So, I'll say it and wish it were true; but alas, the truth is we've just been sluggin through winter and complaining (not laughing) all the way. We got through our second Thanksgiving and Christmas missing our brother John and were looking forward to a new year with a leukemia-free nephew.

Then along comes January. I hate the month of January; seems bad things happen. My nephew came down with a weird type of pneumonia, my brother needs teeth pulled, and I've had to pump yet more money into my aging car. The good news today tho is my nephew is much better and back at home from the hospital all safe and sound. The car is repaired once again (for now) and I still am employed.

And really, I have no reason to complain as I think of the people in Haiti and their losses and struggles.

I dreamed a dream - so why does it feel like a nightmare!

2009-10-14T16:39:00.003-04:00

It’s supposed to be a natural thing for female species of all kinds to create and maintain a nest. Birds are meticulous when gathering twigs and materials to make their nests; same for squirrels. As for us humans, it’s safe to say that women are the nest builders and typically end up with most of the maintenance of those nests, the men just seem to live in them. Accolades should go to the women who teach their children to maintain the whole “nest” and to instill in them the importance and value of “neat” living.

So, I have this dream, one that seems unattainable in real life. This dream of no piles of paper or piles of clothes, no stacks of dishes to be washed, clean clear kitchen counters, a table where one can actually have a real dinner and not be surrounded by stuff all the time, a basement that has no clutter and a garage that actually holds two vehicles. I know it’s possible! I’ve seen garages that have nothing in them and I can’t help salivating over the possibility.

Somewhere I lost control of stuff. I look around and say “I bought most of this” and I sigh. Some things I “inherited” from my parents and my grandparents when we had to close down their homes after they passed away. Then there were the garage sale days when I would bring home yet more stuff; thank goodness I don’t do that anymore. There are the things I always wanted, like the rattan king chair that we purchased in California, the pie safe that is too big for my kitchen but I had to rescue it from certain doom, the rocking chair that belonged to my Grandpa and another that belonged to the Grandma I never knew.

My sister has the same issues. Our brothers have been the opposite and I have found that most amazing. I guess we can blame that on our love of shopping. Buying things we like is kind of a therapy, some call it retail therapy. However, we tend to overbuy, overspend and the result is all this stuff that clutters our lives and our homes.

My dream is a clutter free space, not the nightmare I face daily. I’ll keep pursuing that dream and maybe someday……

The Lottery – A One Dollar Conspiracy

2009-09-08T16:43:00.000-04:00

When I heard that one person won the $245 million dollar Powerball last month, I experienced a coniption! Why is it either no one wins week after week or just one person wins the whole enchilada?

I have a theory! I believe it’s just possible the whole lottery idea is just a conspiracy to get people of all walks of life to unknowingly turn over a dollar or more to a team of marketing experts holed up in some mountain in the Middle East. They are laughing their asses off as people around the country and the world fill their coffers with money to support their evil ways. As a cover, surely they must seek out honest looking people and offer them exorbitant amounts of money to pretend they won the lottery. The so-called winner must be sworn to secrecy to never divulge the truth or suffer severe consequences. How do they sleep at night?

Gotta love a heckler news source

2009-08-05T15:19:00.001-04:00

Keep up on the news: http://www.theonion.com/content/index.

How fitting!

Creepy House UPDATE

2009-07-27T15:24:00.002-04:00

Sunday, July 26th: We rode past that creepy house on 331 again. This time, and I kid you not, the dolls were standing in the doorway dressed in red white and blue with flags and there was a big oval shaped plastic halloween pumpkin in the front window!

Further on down the road there was an older man standing at the end of his driveway with a yellow puppet. I think we need to find a new route....

Answered Prayers and the Best Day!

2009-06-24T16:19:00.000-04:00

My nephew, Jonathon, got the best news today that his leukemia is in full remission. After 5 months of blood tests, needles, chemo, radiation, bone marrow tests and every other test under the sun, he is in full remission. It's all proof that God does answer our prayers! Thanks be to God!

It's just creepy!

2009-06-15T16:24:00.002-04:00

There is a house on a southern St. Joe county main road that has a real creepy feel to it. In the front window are two 3 foot tall dolls with their arms in the air like they are waving at passersby. At times they can be seen standing at the front door in the same pose as if to say go away or come in; I'm not sure. But I am convinced that somehow the owners of the house no longer exist. My theory is their computer took over running the house and put the dolls in charge of keeping people out. It's even possible the computer had the dolls take out the people while most likely paying bills and maintaing the property by performing online bank transactions. Hey it could happen!

I'm just out!

2009-06-02T16:19:00.001-04:00

The Indiana Heckler is:

out to lunch
out of her mind
out of time
out of patience
out of post ideas for the moment

Positive Thoughts - A New Twist

2009-05-12T16:35:00.001-04:00

Interesting blog that promotes the positive side of life:

http://www.positivityblog.com/.

A Life Altering Decision

2009-04-21T10:39:00.001-04:00

This is a scary decision. It’s a defining moment. It could be life altering. I could regret it, I could be happy with it. I’ve resisted it. I’ve dreaded it. But, I am going to do this! So now you are asking what’s all the fuss about? Well, I’m going to stop coloring my hair! EEks! Will the world end? Will the sky fall? Maybe not today!

I’ve already changed my hair style in prep for no more coloring. Several years ago I “forced” my hairstylist to promise she would never layer my hair no matter what I said; layers made me crazy. I went to a straight bob style and liked it for the most part. But a week ago I said to Nita “I want you to cut this with long layers and here’s a picture of Ellen DeGeneres’ hairstyle.” Nita steps back and says, “but, you made me promise not to layer your hair ever again.” Well, times change so we took the plunge. And in a couple weeks Nita will add very light streaks to blend in the, dare-I-say, gray/white hair with the color that’s left. I think I’ll cover my eyes and brace for the outcome. Maybe I’ll like the salt/pepper look…or not. We’ll see. Oh, and by the way, with my new hairstyle, I’ve received lots of compliments and even some Wows! I’m expecting whistles with the new color, or lack thereof. Afterall, I can change my mind and go back to coloring it, right?

Facials, Twitches and what?

2009-03-06T16:02:00.002-05:00

Isn’t the internet amazing? Talk about an explosion! I remember way back when I was so excited to figure out on my own how to build a web page. My biggest dilemma was that I couldn’t figure out why my text wasn’t displaying on my blue background. I kept checking, searching for what I did wrong. Then as I hit my forehead with my hand, it dawned on me…blue text on a blue background just isn’t going to display. Ha, what a newbie I was. Some help desk staff would label this situation a UTS (user too stupid). Yeah well, so that’s how you learn. I’ve come a ways since then.

I don’t spend a lot of time building websites now, except I really do enjoy that kind of work. I always learn something new. But now I’m blogging. Ok, my blog isn’t chock full of images, ads and whatever other gadgets there are available but some “professional reviewer” thinks it rates a “Very Good 7.0”. Thank you blogged.com!

Seems like now that blogs are old hat all I hear about is facials and twitches. Oh, right, you know them as Twitter and Facebook. I did a quick search on Facebook how-to sites and a friend sent me her Facebook entries. Frankly, I don’t get it. I’m not much interested to know that someone is sitting at their computer or leaving for lunch and I don’t need to collect friends this way. Honestly, I live on Instant Messenger throughout the day and now I learn there are Twirls and Snitter and Twitterfox. Enough already! If I want to have a real conversation with a real friend, my telephone still works.

Happy blogging!

Happy Birthday!

2009-03-03T15:48:00.003-05:00

March 2nd is my birthday. I won’t say how many years I’ve reached and there is no need for anyone to ask. How many people have you actually met that have the same birthday as yourself? I’ve met one! March 2nd is also the birthday of Dr. Suess and John Bon Jovi; pretty good company I’d say.

I checked my horoscope for something amusing to read and to see if the year has any cool things in store. If you stop and read your horoscope (for whatever that is worth to you), it’s kinda amazing how it matches or doesn’t match. It can be like reading a medical book. I try not to read medical books, because I start thinking that I have every ailment and condition in the book…freaks me out! Turns out the horoscope or astrology stuff is pretty close. Except for the fish part (Pisces)...not fond of fish.

I knew it would be too much to ask for a warm sunny day for my birthday. In keeping with Indiana winters it was a very cold sunny day. Sun is good; it does lift the spirits and there can’t possibly be one soul in Indiana that isn’t sick of winter! Winter just needs to go away!

Happy Birthday to all the Pisces whoever you are!

Ah, to dream of summer!

2009-02-20T15:59:00.002-05:00

I was driving home on a cold, sunny, snow-covered day and wishing for summer and wondering how many summers I have left. I love summer. These thoughts came to mind. It's not poetry, it doesn't rhyme, but I'm calling it "Ah, To Dream of Summer"

I can taste the homegrown sweetness of a strawberry in June and see the fireflies twinkling over the fields of corn.

Ah to feel the warm sun and a cool breeze on my face. I can just see diamonds of sunlight dancing on a clear blue lake.

That's it. Don't worry, the Indiana Heckler won't quit the day job.

What is it about throwing shoes?

2009-02-04T09:32:00.003-05:00

In recent world events hecklers of one sort or another have chosen to hurl a shoe at our former president, and now some Chinese diplomat in Britain was at the receiving end of a shoe. Apparently this act is meant to be some kind of insult. Personally, I think it’s absolutely ridiculous. When the statue of the tyrant in Iraq came down, Iraqi’s threw their shoes at it. I watched it on the internet. So, I’m wondering now about all the shoes collected by organizations that provide them to 3rd world countries. Are they really providing shoes to those who really need them, or is there a stockpile somewhere waiting to be tossed at someone or something?

Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a pair of shoes that fit? It takes hours! First you have to look at all the styles, the colors, heel height, the durability, where they are made, and determine whether they will go with all your outfits or just one, and don’t forget the outrageous price tag. Then, if you are in a shoe store, you have to find a “sales associate” to go get the shoes you want, only to hear “I’m sorry, we don’t have that in your size”. Grrrr!

I hate shopping for shoes. I can’t figure out how a pair of shoes can feel good in the store and then when you get them home, it’s like they depreciated in value and fit, just like a new car. Oh sure, it’s all shiny and new and smells good, but get it home and you start thinking you should take them back to the store. Some of my friends have so many shoes it’s incredible. I’ve been known to buy two pairs of shoes at a time because I can’t decide which one I want, so I choose not to choose and buy both! Saves on stress so I recommend that approach!

Have you seen the commercial on tv where it’s raining shoes? The woman in the scene stops her car and gathers up as many as she can. Has she no shame? What if they don’t fit? How does she know she grabbed the right size or even a matched pair? Oh, wait, I get it..it doesn’t matter..she was collecting them to send to some 3rd world country so they could be thrown at people. Very clever indeed.

What’s my preference in shoes you ask? Thanks for asking. I would prefer the real ruby red slippers in size 6 ½ thank you very much. I would put them on, never ever let them leave my feet for moment, click my heels three times and be whisked away to a perfect world where we don’t need no stinkin shoes!

Woodpeckers Foiled!

2009-01-25T10:48:00.008-05:00

We built our house on wooded land some 20 years ago. When we first moved in, the woods was very quiet. We wondered where all the wildlife was. But soon after, the woods came alive with deer, raccoons, birds, and other forest friends (as we call them).

But living in the woods brings unexpected knocking. Not the knock of a welcome visitor at the front door though. I'm talking about the knocking going on on the outside of our house both back, front and sides. There are trees, trees, and more trees and plenty of places for critters to make their own homes. But, no, that's not good enough anymore. Some of them think our house looks pretty inviting especially the woodpeckers. If our house held water, we'd be leaking all over the place. Time for action!

- Some of the damage inflicted..and this is small compared to some!

This winter the woodpeckers seem to be targeting our house more frequently and with a vengeance. So I figured it's time to do something other than using a BB gun or 22 to scare them off (that's another story). Research showed me all these gadgets I can buy including woodpecker repellent spray (yeah right), sound emitting devices, plastic owls, and balloons. One site recommended iridescent ribbons which led me to an idea that foil should do the trick. So I proceeded to cover pieces of cardboard with foil and some iridescent wrapping paper leftover from Christmas. I used electrical tape to create a scary face. I attached string to each face and we hung them from the gutters on the roof. And it's working! I am including some pictures of my masterpieces and also a flick of the damage these guys have done to our house. Can't we all just get along? But for now, I've foiled the pesky woodpeckers.

2008 - A Year of Potholes

2009-01-09T12:56:00.004-05:00

Every year the media has to rehash the previous year’s events. The Weather Channel has to review all the bad weather. Personally, I don’t want to re-live the year’s events. But in today’s post I’ll change may stance on that this time for that year. That year, 2008, filled with so many, many “potholes”. It’s been a really long and rough road.

This is the time of year for potholes in the streets, you know, the bone jarring, alignment-bending ones. You are driving along thinking, watching, singing (maybe), talking and life is just going ahead, when all of a sudden a pothole engulfs you.

Last January brought the sudden and shocking death of my brother, John! The hole left in our lives is immense. The effect has been widespread, the reactions intense, the loss immeasurable. The “road signs” may have been there, but he didn’t see them or maybe he chose to ignore them. I prefer to believe he didn’t see them. Sometimes we think because we are young that we and our bodies can do anything, that we’ll have time to change our ways later. But it’s not true. No one knows when our “time” is up. I just wish we weren’t so intent on speeding up the date. And I wish everyone would take a look to see how their lives and ways affect others. I’ve seen self-centered people in action, and I was dumbfounded.

February, March, April, May, June were a blur. The best we could do is maintain. Somewhere in there my brother’s possessions were sold at an auction. It’s amazing how much less your things are worth monetarily than you think they are. And it’s surprising that when you have to finally make a list of your own really important possessions, you realize there really are not that many. We finally made out our wills this year and realized that no one is going to put much worth on a lot of things we have that are important to us. But it’s all just stuff anyway. And, as they say, you sure can’t take it with you.

July was a difficult month in more ways. On July 1st I calmly stepped outside the garage to feed my cats and was immediately stung by bees, 5 times! It was like being stabbed with a dart. That same day our oldest cat Punky, disappeared. She was blind and mostly deaf. We asked the neighbors, we scoured the woods, but she was just gone and never returned.

Somehow we enjoyed the summer. The weather was good! I decided to create a memory garden in memory of those we’ve lost-- family, friends, pets and to honor our veterans. You can see it at http://shadetreegardener.com/. It was fun, it was therapy. And it will always be a work in progress. I’m already thinking of changes for 2009.

Late summer/fall brought trips to the doctor for me and my husband, stress tests on the treadmill and positive reports that we are indeed doing well physically.

Fall brought the raking of leaves and closing up the garden and my porch for the winter. We planted pumpkins and proudly produced one, yes, just one. We named him Pud!

Thanksgiving was looming out there. I was rather dreading it. We decided to skip Thanksgiving. And I really didn’t care. I cleaned the bathroom and did laundry. The Rose family has never skipped Thanksgiving before, but oh well!

Winter arrived way too early and it’s still here! Cold, snow, ice…enough already. When the weather turned crappy, we found ourselves adopting an abandoned kitten whom we have named Harley. What matter is it whether it’s male or female. Harley is a real character. He races all around the garage and is really cute. Poor thing has a broken, kinky tail tho.

December brought another emotional crash. I came home from work to find my favorite cat, Marty, dead in the garage. He had supper at 4:00 and was fine and an hour or so later, dead. I researched sudden death in cats on the internet and now I suspect heart worm. We miss him.

Christmas came around. Everyone deserves to celebrate Christmas, no matter what. You must have good food, some fun, and Christmas music. My sister, brother, brother-in-law and I got together, had way too much food (again). I sort of learned how to play Euchre, a very confusing game for sure. But we had some laughs.

Two weeks off of work! By far, the best benefit to working for a university. Time to rest you say! Ha, I don’t know what rest is, I had too many things to do!

My good friend Peggy gave me the movie Mama Mia as a gift. She has been ranting about this movie for weeks saying it’s a "feel good" movie. So, I figured, ok, we need this. So for Christmas Eve my husband and I watched it. And Peggy was right, it’s a good movie!

New Year’s Eve! Typically we stay home, safe away from the crazy drivers and parties. But this year I was invited to my nephew’s house. We got to meet the newest family member, Maya, a yellow lab puppy, cute as a button. And this time Maya’s new brother, Austin, didn’t bark at me. I could have dog-napped Austin. He’s just too cute! My niece treated us to her Grandma’s lasagna recipe. My sister and I both agree that it was better than ours. Now if we can get Katie to share it! It was a good time!

The last day of vacation my good friend Sue and I went antiquing. We just like looking at all the old things. Once in awhile we find something we both remember having as kids. And once in awhile I can get her to buy something. Actually, she was the spender this time. I still think she should have bought the silver tray! We still can’t find any of the elusive Homer Laughlin pitchers that I collect. And, oh by the way, if you want to visit an interesting store that has a hippy feeling to it, go to Moon Beads in Niles, interesting place.

And so, 2008 ended, finally. And so has this very long post! Many, many people endured bad times and loss in 08. Here’s to hoping we have smoother roads in 2009. May God continue to bless us all in so many ways.

Sadly, I have SATS

2008-10-22T16:51:00.000-04:00

I have succumbed to a dreary sad condition I’ll call SATS; SickAndTiredSyndrome.

The cause you ask? 2 years of political crap thrown at us from every direction; newpapers, print, tv, email, internet, snail mail. It appears to me the media has already decided the winner of the presidential election and I believe the media is responsible for a lot of the world’s woes. And frankly, I am sick and tired of this monster.

Can I have another Advil please? I don’t feel well…….

Buy Beans & Bullets

2008-10-06T16:33:00.002-04:00

I am a flip-flop voter! Oh, did I mention I am also a Middle Class American? Seems like that “label” (see my previous post) is worn out, old, and just depressing. Every time I hear it, I think that the wealthy elite in our government and others places are so concerned with us Middle Class Americans that they fear for their continued wealth. If we don’t work, they don’t get more tax money to waste. And if they keep taxing us, what will be left?

I don’t know who I will vote for. Which candidate is the lesser of the two evils? I have no idea. I can’t believe half of what they say, they misquote history, the back biting is horrendous, and I don’t trust any of them. So, what happens if I don’t vote? One day I think McCain would be ok, and then I’m not so sure. If something happened to him, I just can’t see Palin running our country...but maybe...I just don't know. And Obama? Holy cow, who knows what’s lurking there!

McCain wants to tax my health benefits? I sent his website an email to tell him I thought that was absurd! No reply yet on that one.

The next 4 years or “to infinity and beyond” will be…well, who the hell knows! Buy beans and bullets just in case, and don’t forget the can opener!

Whoa Nelly, what's that smell?

2008-08-12T12:55:00.001-04:00

The air quality is once again being tested in the building in which I work. We know there is asbestos here, but it must be “safe” because we never hear the bad reports if there are any. But on this day I wish they would place the monitor in front of a co-workers office. Holy Cow, the readings would go off the chart and the CDC would be on immediate alert. It’s because of that person’s breath. I’m not the only one that noticed the odor. I wanted to sneak some mints on his desk. Honestly, how could one not notice their bad breath? And speaking of odors, what’s with the people who feel the need to wear so much perfume or cologne that they leave a “trail” wherever they go. And what about the ones that insist on placing air fresheners all over. Now, where’s that Listerine bottle…….

Labels - Got'em, Hate'em

2008-07-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

Have you ever bought a shirt that had a label that stuck you? Finally you get so annoyed that you rip it out and get rid of it. I hate labels. We all have them; they are in our clothes, our lifestyles are labeled, our skin color is labeled, our attitudes are labeled, our jobs are labeled, and so it goes.

Politicians label some of us as middleclass Midwesterners who are depressed and cling to our religion and guns. I label politicians as just complete morons who have sold out our country. Presidential candidates who care more about foreigners than they do the American people, yeah, they are morons too. In business we have what’s called a Mission Statement. It’s a label given to a short description of why the business exists in the first place. I wonder what the Mission Statement is of the U.S. government. Does it include World Police Force? Just wondering about that….

Some labels are simply self-inflicted. I don’t understand why the term African-American is so prevalent. Most of the people who call themselves that were born right here in America, not Africa. My ancestors from way long ago were born in France and Germany; I don’t call myself a French-German-American. Frankly, the way the French and German governments behave, I wouldn’t want to be known as such. You can label me an American!

A couple random (but important) thoughts

2008-06-20T09:56:00.002-04:00

Heard on a newscast the other day: If you have to evacuate an area there are at least 3 things to take with you:

Proof of your identity
Proof of insurance
Proof of residence

And a thought for all you managers out there from an old chinese proverb:

If you think you are a leader and nobody is following,
then you are merely taking a walk.

Thanks a whole lot Mr.Bush

2008-06-05T16:30:00.002-04:00

Well, this week we received our big stimulus check from Mr. Bush. I would like to thank the lender who loaned the money to our government and put us deeper in debt.

We paid off our house this year so now we have no escrow. The county tax board should have received the check instead of me....I could have saved a stamp...oh wait then the post office wouldn't have any income. sigh!

Libraries - Just inject the knowledge why don't you?

2008-05-11T16:36:00.002-04:00

I visited my local library recently. I knew where the computer reference section was so I didn't need to ask for assistance. Upon checking out, I scanned my library card, scanned my two books, pressed PRINT HERE for receipt on the computer screen and walked out of the building. It felt weird; like I was taking something that no person had "authorized" or asked me for any infomation, payment..not even a "have a nice day" greeting (which I don't like anyway).

So I'm thinking the library of the future might look like this. I drive up to the window of a dark building. I speak into a computer monitor and a pre-recorded computer voice asks me what books I want. Then the "computer librarian" searches for the computer file that contains the information I want. The "librarian" asks me to extend my arm and it connects a USB device to my arm which also has a USB port and the information is uploaded directly to my "brain". I can elect to save the file for later viewing or install it now at no charge. When the file hits the expiration date it is automatically removed from my brain stores. Freakin scary!

I know it's Spring now!

2008-05-08T14:53:00.002-04:00

Every May a great event occurs! The flea market at Shipshewana opens! They have new hours this year; 8:00-5:00 Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You can check out their website at: http://www.tradingplaceamerica.com/fleamarket.php. There is something for everyone!

The Dash --------

2008-04-19T17:54:00.000-04:00

The Dash - what a powerful poem this is.

http://www.lindaslyrics.com/thedashpoem.html

Death, Taxes, and Incompetence

2008-03-17T13:46:00.002-04:00

Death, Taxes, and Incompetence:
Those are the 3 things you can always be sure of. Except, it probably should read as taxes, taxes, death, taxes, taxes, taxes, taxes and I’ll reserve the incompetence part for later.

From the day you start working for a living (which means you start trading your time for money), the taxman is going to take your earnings before you even see them. Then, you spend some of the money you are allowed to keep and you pay tax on that purchase. While you are sitting snugly in your chair spending your money on the internet, the taxman is charging you tax on your heating bill, your electric bill. And somewhere in a brightly lit meeting room, the property tax assessors are plotting ways to tax the earth that your house sits on. The school systems want more of your money in the form of those property taxes to make a new entrance or add on more rooms to the schools that sit empty half the year. And it goes on your entire life.

But wait, then you die! Don’t think the taxes stop then. If you leave behind property for your survivors to inherit, they will pay taxes. There are taxes on your funeral, taxes on your burial space, someone has to figure and file your taxes for the previous year and your estate may owe more taxes!! This whole thing is just so taxing it makes your head spin.

Then there is the “taxing” of patience, stamina and relationships throughout our lives. Family members can’t get along with each other, partners become foes (just look at how much Paul McCartney is having to shell out to get rid of his now ex-wife, $48 million buckaroos..or maybe it’s yuros!) And I can speak from experience about the taxing of my emotions and well being lately due to my brother’s sudden death. I expect to be “paying” that tax for quite a long while.

But what about the incompetence part you ask? Holy cow! That is going to require a post in and of itself. There is just so much incompetence everywhere. And frankly, I’m overtaxed at the moment so “I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

Note: things to do tomorrow....pick up my tax returns from the tax lady! Sigh!

More poetry that I like

2008-02-24T16:15:00.002-05:00

I always thought it would be great to work for Hallmark with such creative people. This poem was on a sympathy card that I purchased recently. I don't know that my brother, John, listened much to birds but for some reason this poem makes me think of him. I miss him dearly.

Though you cannot always see the bird singing,

If you listen with your heart,

You can always hear his song!

Each Life Affects Another's by Amanda Bradley

2008-01-18T19:37:00.001-05:00

My Mom had this poem on a plaque in her living room for the longest time. We go through life not really realizing how each of us touches others, but sometimes we see it in the faces of those who support us in times of need.

We may not always realize that everything we do
Affects not only our lives but touches others, too,
For a little bit of thoughtfulness that shows someone you care
Creates a ray of sunshine for both of you to share--
Yes, every time you offer someone a helping hand,
Every time you show a friend you care and understand,
Every time you have a kind and gentle word to give
You help someone find beauty in this precious life we live,
For happiness brings happiness,
and loving ways bring love,
And giving is the treasure that contentment is made of.

Brainless and Clueless Once Again.

2007-12-09T15:28:00.000-05:00

My brain is on vacation, shopping for inspiration because there isn't any here! In the new comic "Pearls Before Swine" the brain of the main character has gone to "Club Brain"..that's where mine is as well.

Was it a ghost or an axe murderer?

2007-10-27T17:11:00.001-04:00

After all these years this experience still creeps me out. It was a dark breezy fall night. I had gone after work to get my hair cut in Mishawaka at a small salon on McKinley. It was an old building probably renovated several times to suit the tenants throughout the years. One side was now a hair salon and the other held insurance offices. At that time of day the people who worked in those offices had long left for home. My appointment was the last one of the day so it was just me and the stylist. I’ll call her Norma for this post as I have changed her name to protect the innocent. Norma washed my hair and there was the normal chitchat with me sitting in the chair facing the front of the building. All of a sudden I saw the front door open and the figure of a man appeared. He had on a long dark trench coat with the collar turned up and an old time hat covered his head. He was faced away from us as he stepped inside the door. Just at that moment Norma turned my chair away from the door and when I looked back, there was no one there. Norma asked “did you see someone?” I told her I thought I had. She went and locked the closed door. There was no one there, not at the door, not in any of the offices! We agreed it was time to hurry up and leave and I waited while she gathered up her cash box and coat and we walked out into the dark parking lot and we drove off in different directions. To this day I’ve always wondered, was it a ghost? Or could it have been an axe murderer? Fortunately, I’ll never really know, but I wonder whatever happened to Norma! Happy Halloween!

What the ?? Dumbledore was gay?

2007-10-22T16:07:00.000-04:00

Recently JK Rowling announced she always thought of Albus Dumbledore as gay! Heavens to mergatroid! I’m thinking that celebrities just are irresponsible..they can’t give their newborn children decent names and now they don’t know when to NOT make a comment. Did JK intend to plant that image of the “greatest wizard who ever lived” cavorting with children at Hogwarts? And doesn’t this send a message to the younger Harry Potter fans that it’s normal to be gay because Professor Dumbledore was? It’s too painful to comprehend!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/10/20/harry.potter.ap/index.html

Pack a scarf, grab a stick and just run away!

2007-09-26T12:17:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, my best friend, Peggy, and I would sometimes feel like we wanted to just run away. We thought the hobo life would be just fine. So we would put stuff in a bandana or whatever we could find, tied the scarf to a stick and pretended like we were running away. Of course we never really did. But once in awhile I remember those times and think, “Hey, I think I would like to just run away.”

Sometimes I think it would be a good idea to just pack up the car (a scarf just won’t hold all my stuff ya know) and fill up the gas tank (like I’d almost be able to afford it), kidnap my husband and maybe head west. I’ve been south (it sucked), north is too cold and east is, well…maybe east would work. But I think west would be my first choice. I want to see the Grand Canyon and I want to ride a horse across a prairie filled with wild flowers…..sounds like a movie now….. And while we are out west, stop for dinner at the Hungry Hunter restaurant in Carlsbad, California. When we lived in California, that was our MOST favorite place to eat. The prime rib was the best of the best! Sauteed mushrooms were served in small kettles and the décor was like a hunter’s lodge complete with canoes and waterfall. Hey, where are my car keys….I’m ready to leave now!

I Hate Bugs - Plain & Simple

2007-09-04T16:30:00.000-04:00

I hate all bugs, especially the buzzing, biting, blood sucking mosquitos.

Ever since it rained the mosquitos have been “ruling” our activities. No more evenings enjoying our swing outside. When I get home, the pesky critters swarm my car, they swarm the dog and irritate my cats! They wait for us to open the door and then rush inside only to be met with a fly swatter or whatever it takes to take them out. Enough of this already!

Backup Jack & Read the Manual First!

2007-08-06T13:01:00.000-04:00

All I wanted to do was backup some files just in case our hard drive might decide to bite the dust!

I followed the instructions for installing my ZIP drive that I’ve used successfully before, installed the software and promptly proceeded to kill the computer. It didn’t make any sounds, it just got slower and slower and finally decided to just stop working. Everything I tried was a futile effort. So I had to haul it in to have the experts fix the problem. And fix it they did. But I was still pretty miffed that I couldn’t fix my own problem so I decided it‘s time to do something about this and see if I had any brain cells left to learn something new. Surprisingly enough my boss approved my request for training…seven days (seven long days) of intense lecture and a little hands on work in the area of Microsoft A+ Certification. Whew! I knew there was a lot I didn’t know about computers and I learned quickly that this was going to take some work. Gheez, I didn’t even remember how to study.

I survived the seven days of training. The other two students were techie geeks who were there to get the requirements to take the BIG test. The instructor knew or at least sounded like he knew absolutely everything about computers..he’s been working on them since the 80s so I guess he qualifies. But, honestly, how can one person know so much? Anyway, I learned many things but remembering them for a test will be quite another thing. So, I’m studying, I’m taking quizzes, I’m re-reading. I finally know what SIMMS, DIMMS, and RIMMS are and the difference between static RAM and dynamic RAM. But why should I have to memorize how many megahertz something runs on. My motto has usually been “if I can look it up, why should I memorize it”. I have nightmares everynight about gigabytes, hard drives, adapter cards, IRQ settings and “should I choose A or B”.
But alas, if I want to pass two exams to get a piece of paper that says I’m certified, then so be it. But it’s not the paper that really counts, it’s what I’ll learn along the way. I sure would like to see that A+ cert reference on my resume.

Stay tuned! And remember to back up those files….the trick is to get an updated software driver BEFORE you install the device!

The Micromanagers Among Us

2007-06-25T15:24:00.000-04:00

I’ve been tossing ideas around for my next post. I’ve decided to address the micromanager. They seem to be popping up everywhere these days. There is at least one (probably hundreds) working for the state of Indiana. This particular person has her position because she, well, sucked up to the former director and got what she wanted. Nevermind that she wasn’t qualified for the job and still isn’t. She is running her department into the ground and to make matters worse, she hires her co-hort (equally unqualified) as her assistant director. Both of these women have huge egos to feed. They both seem to have had a difficult life with men and so they have taken advantage of their positions to get back at the men who work in that department. They give women managers a really bad name; and I’m sure these two have been called every bad name in the book and then some.

But wait, there are men micromanagers as well. Do a google search and see how a micromanager functions and how they can make work life intolerable to those they attempt to manage. But heck, if you’ve worked for one, you already know. It’s a sad state when someone gets promoted to management when they should never be a manager.

My sympathies to those who have to work for such people. And my congratulations to those who don’t have to anymore. You know who you are!

Memorial Day

2007-05-30T12:34:00.000-04:00

I saw this sign on a local church: America, the home of the free, because of the brave. Thank a soldier!

Thank you to all who serve and have served our country!

Sycamore Down - Ode to a true beauty

2007-05-26T16:40:00.000-04:00

5/30/07 Update: What's this? The tree I spoke of lives! The one I was thinking of did survive the storm! It's a good day! Upon closer inspection, I found that it was another sycamore that we lost that day.

On Tuesday, May 22nd a tornado warning was issued just about 5:00 as we were preparing to head home for the day. Many people were standing just outside the building watching the sky and trying to decide if they should leave or stay. As we stood there contemplating, the wind really picked up, spewing sand, debris, branches and destruction through the campus. We all headed for the basement as the warning sirens were wailing. About 30 minutes later, the all-clear was issued and just about everyone left. We could already see the damage brought by the storm. It wasn't until later that we learned that one of the spires of the Bascilica at Notre Dame had been blown off the roof. The next day I took a walk around campus to view the damage. That's when I found a great big beautiful sycamore tree had been a victim of mother nature's wrath. That tree stood by the Grotto for, well, forever. It had a huge "arm" that you could climb up and sit on. Well, ok, you would need a boost, but countless people have climbed on that tree over the years, I'm sure. The sycamore offered so much shade from it's spreading branches. It truly was a beautiful tree. Alas, it is no more. I saw it's trunk lying on the ground, stripped of it's branches as the workmen had already cut down what was left. It was a sad day!

I am so confused!

2007-04-15T17:26:00.000-04:00

Let's see, what to wear today.....wool sweater, hat, gloves. No wait, sleeveless shirt, shorts, flip flops. No, better wear the sweater. I'm confused because Mother Nature is so completely out of her mind with this weather. And it's making us all nuts!

Just another day in Indiana! Ah, to bask in 75 degrees again!

I Need Transition Days – Let’s Rename Monday and Friday

2007-04-04T16:23:00.000-04:00

I finally figured out why Mondays are so depressing for me. I suffer from separation anxiety! Who needs a shrink, I eventually figure out my own problems (well, sort of). I live for weekends; afterall, I was born on a Sunday, doesn’t that mean something? So I’m thinking that if we could rename Mondays and Fridays, I might be ok with working 5 days a week. Of course my preference would be to work 3 days a week for a few hours with the same pay and benefits. Because they say, if you are going to dream, you should dream BIG! And, this is big!

So, I propose we refer to Mondays and Fridays as LMAD days. LMAD….as in Leave Me Alone Day! Rules would apply. Like, well, lets’ see….no meetings to attend. A lot of people I know would love that. Then there could be the “don’t bother me with silly things” rule. The possibilities are endless. And to build upon my earlier post on ordering lunches, I think management should always supply us with food on Mondays and Fridays, I mean LMAD days, …no, not donuts, real food and the management should place the orders for delivery! What must it be like to work at Microsoft! Doesn’t Bill provide food for their employees and more?

And, those LMAD days should be blue jean days, maybe a fun t-shirt, flip-flops if ya got em! I worked at a place where on Fridays you could come into work without having washed and styled your hair…we wore a scarf if it was really bad…ah the old days! Work was kinda fun then……

Fridays should absolutely be half work days, so we can transition into the weekend! Who really works until 5:00 anyway?

So, can we take a vote? LMAD……transitioning and distressing in the workplace!

New Year Resolutions

2007-01-07T16:19:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! How can it possibly be 2007? It seems like yesterday everyone was in a tizzy changing from 1999 to 2000. Yikes, time flies!

So what are your resolutions? Honestly, I don't make them, because I won't keep them. I have this mental list of things to do that just keeps growing as the years pass. Some things I will never do, others will get done when I get around to it, while there are some things I will do. Like the formidable task of organizing important documents. Our main goal is to establish a procedure to follow in the event something happens to me or my husband. This is a huge task and certainly not a fun one. But once it's done we can put it aside and breath a sigh of relief.

Then there is the basement! I wouldn't be without one, but in all reality we shouldn't be allowed to have one. It's the place where way too much stuff has accumulated. My advice to anyone is say NO to other people's stuff and if you don't love it, get rid of it. So now I have two huge tasks for the year. Whew, I'm tired already.

Have a great 2007!

Disappointment..It's out there

2006-12-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

I found this on a website and wanted to put it somewhere so I could reference it when things looked gloomy!

Seven tips for handling disappointment:

Get in touch with your spiritual side
Fight feelings of self pity
Start making new plans immediately
Count your blessings, twice
Believe in yourself
Realize right away that something greater may be in store for you
Always have a contingency plan

Weather Drama, The Movie!

2006-12-01T15:44:00.000-05:00

There should be a movie made about weather because the way the media reports it, weather has all the makings of the stuff that gets people to the theaters. Think about it, there is intrigue, tragedy, fear, pain, damage and glamour….all the angles that reporters love to elaborate on.

I admit it, bad weather scares me! Ever since the 4th grade when I got caught in a probable tornado just as school let out, I get stressed out when the winds start howling and the thunder and lightning rattles the windows. And now with winter starting the first thing I hear on the radio in the morning is the roads are slicker than a (you fill in the blank) and there is a 100 feet of snow headed our way. The radio and tv announcers love this stuff. And they can, because either they are already at work or someone is going to pick them up in a H3 and take them to work. Often times, the roads are not even as bad as they make them sound; but they manage to plant that element of fear in our heads as we head out into the rat race of the daily commute.

If you ever watch the Weather Channel, you know how “entertaining” weather reporting can be. These guys really get into the action with their satellite images and swooping arm maneuvers as they tell us what the map says. Then they bring in an “expert” to tell us the history and the impact of the impending storm..thus the intrigue. And talk about glamour, have you noticed how one weatherwoman has influenced how the other weatherwomen look now? It’s as if they had to be “dressed up” so they wouldn’t look so “plain” next to the other. And do you think Abrams and Bettis have a thing going on? They are so cute.

Last year I told myself I wouldn’t let the radio announcers scare me and I think it actually worked….the off button helped! Guess I will have to psyche myself out again this year. Bring on the snow! I can handle it…..I hope. But the next vehicle I get is going to be a big-ass truck so there will be NO FEAR!

Where does your inspiration come from?

2006-11-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

Ok, yes I know, I haven't put out a new post in like 3 weeks. I would like to say I've been on an island in the pacific basking in the sun and sand, or that I finally won the lottery and have been busy looking for mountain property. But alas, the sole reason is that my inspiration has been somewhat lacking lately. Maybe it's because we've spent the last several weekends raking leaves. We are surrounded by woods. So we don't just rake leaves. We use a blower, we rake, we pickup and we tote, and we rake some more; then we mulch with the mower. Finally the yard looks good. But overnight there are move leaves and so the story goes of autumn in the midwest. I was going to write something about my love of trees, but decided to address inspiration.

My husband and I decided to invite the family for Thanksgiving again this year. So, now all of a sudden inspiration kicks in. I'm inspired to pickup, cleanup, spruce up our home for the holidays. Except this year I'm not going to kill myself doing it. They'll just have to overlook the fact that this is not a Better Homes and Garden house..that would be my neighbor's house...I don't know how they do it. But Thanksgiving isn't about how clean your house is or how much food you put on the table. It's about being thankful for family and friends and the blessings we have.

So now that I'm inspired again I'm going to keep a look out for new inspirations and new opportunities. Let the leaves fall where they may, I've got things to do......

Pizza - The Good, The Bad, and the Just Plain Awful

2006-10-22T15:26:00.000-04:00

It has been said that "pizza is soul food". Who can resist the gooey melted cheese paired with warm thin or thick crust and any topping you can dream up; except anchovies, certainly they must be evil. I enjoy a good pizza, swashing it down with a Dr. Pepper, and the more mushrooms the better. And in keeping with the title of this post, I would have to classify the "good" pizza by brand name like Pizza Hut, Marco's and Papa Johns along with Papa Pepperoni's in Lakeville Indiana. But, the "Just Plain Awful" award must go to SBarro's pizza. Gheez, how can you ruin cheese like that! :-(

Really Good Jerky!

2006-10-15T16:12:00.000-04:00

Jerky! I always thought it was just a hard tough snack of some kind until I tried jerky from golean.jerkydirect.com. First, I tried the turkey nuggets. Surprisingly, they were soft, easy to chew and really good. Then, I tried the buffalo. They actually call this one Buffalo O's because they are round. This stuff is a great snack! It's all natural, made from the finest beef, turkey, and buffalo that have had no antibiotics, no artificial hormones. It's just a high protein, low fat, low salt snack. You can take it anywhere. And, it's good.

Well of course, you are wondering why I'm promoting jerky of all things! Jerky Direct, the company, offers a way to make money by offering distributorships and all the marketing tools you need to sell a great tasting food snack. You don't have to sign up to get their products at retail prices, but you can become a distributor and buy wholesale. Check out our site at golean.jerkydirect.com and find out for youself.

Ok, that's the end of my commerical! Oh, did I mention they have free shipping? They do!

.....of pumpkins and cardboard

2006-10-09T19:32:00.000-04:00

It's coming up on Halloween time again. My husband loves Halloween with all the pumpkins, spooks, and things that go bump in the night. And speaking of pumpkins--I was talking to a college student the other day who said she had never carved a pumpkin! Well, I was totally (well almost) speechless. Then, I realized that some people do not allow their children to participate in Halloween activities and all the fun. So, I asked her if she ever went trick or treating; of course, she said she had. Ok, so now I know Halloween wasn't against her religion. I told her what she was missing. The thing about carving a pumpkin is the smell, or aroma, if you please. That aroma can remind you of all the fun Halloween's you've experienced. My husband likes to stick his face in the pumpkin and smell that fresh cut pumpkin smell. Then, I get to scoop out the gooey stuff and create a scary face!

But, when it comes to cardboard, that smell reminds me of my fun childhood days when my best friend and I would trek down to the neighborhood appliance store and drag home a huge appliance box or two. We would then proceed to cut out windows and a door and make a house! We would even put up curtains. And, a dutch door was a necessity. We had the best of times in our mansions of cardboard. To this day, the smell of cardboard takes me back!

Yes, sweet memories linger in pumpkins and cardboard.

Maybe I'm a Dweeb!

2006-10-09T19:20:00.000-04:00

Ever feel like a dweeb? Once in awhile I feel like a dweeb. It sounds better than "idiot".

Don't get me wrong, I'm quite good at what I do; heck, I even got a department award for what I do (and I swear I did not stuff the ballot box). So, here I am working away at my computer and the boss comes in and rattles off some instructions about something I've not been involved with, and then, he leaves! He gets the "deer in the headlights" look from me because, well let's face it, I don't have a poker face? And I was kind of confused since he relayed his information to me so fast. It sounded like "hurry up and do this". Well, long story short, I did complete the task in a timely manner, but I still felt like a dweeb because the boss probably thinks I'm pretty much one; especially since I don't really have much interaction with him other than hello and goodbye. But, hey, ya know, it's not my fault...maybe I'm not a dweeb afterall! Whew! I feel better now. Just don't flash that light in my eyes again!

All Fizzled Out....

2006-10-02T20:22:00.000-04:00

First, let me say that pop and I go way back....back when pop (or soda, if you prefer) came in real glass bottles with the kind of cap that required a bottle opener to remove. No fliptop, twist tops there. With four thirsty kids in the family, we were allowed to have one full glass of pop, usually accompanied by popcorn (one of life's staples; I mean who can't live without popcorn?) Anyway, life was good! But the one glass each thing was not!

When I got married, my husband said I could buy all the pop I wanted. Life was better! Cans, bottles, whatever it took. But plastic! Honestly, the bottling companies killed a good product by opting to use plastic instead of glass, probably because plastic is cheaper, and they can make bigger profits that way. But just like everything else that used to be in a glass container and now "lives" in plastic or aluminum, the taste changed.

Which brings me to soda fountain dispensers. In a word, they are evil! Gheez, don't the people who sell pop this way ever taste it? I've lost track of the number of times I've gotten pop from the dispenser machine only to have it go flat before I drank half of it or worse yet, it was already flat because there was too much syrup. I hate that!

Where's the fizzle, man?

There's more than just corn in Indiana!

2006-09-30T11:21:00.000-04:00

Today is the day! I've been thinking about creating a blog for awhile now. And what a good day to start. My husband starts reading a book entitled "Be What You Are". So that inspired me to begin my blog and be what I am....a heckler! I'm actually quite good at it. Afterall, some of my heroes are the two old codgers from the Muppets; you know, the ones who sit up in the balcony and heckle the other muppets. Those guys are a scream!

Plus, my nephew says I must do this. So why not, here I am, being me! Of course everything I post won't be "heckled". And by the way, since this is MY blog, I can make up words like "heckled".

Today, Notre Dame plays Purdue on our home turf. Go Irish! Take the steam out of those boilermakers!