Wave Goodbye to Winter

I love it, love it, love it.

We get Friday off and 1/2 day off tomorrow so it may be a nice long weekend. My lily is blooming - I guess watering your plants really does help. Go figure.

I wanted to let you know that I did get a website up for my friend Dale (see March 4th post). You can visit it at www.dalewolf.net. I think you'll like it.

I plan on driving with the top down (on the car, not me) tonight. Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

And Now The End Is Near

Yes, it's finally hit me -- this is the last season of "24." Now there is certainly no doubt that after 8 seasons it's probably time, but I will miss it. On the up side, now Jack Bauer will have more time to spend with me ... perhaps we can start a family. If any man could get a 55 year old post-menopausal woman pregnant, it would be Jack Bauer!!

Well I'll enjoy the last hours and hopefully next year Jack will come back in a new show "Jack Bauer's Day Care" ... we don't nap we go dark. (If you don't understand this, you don't know Jack.)

I better get out there and secure the perimeter.

My Labs Look Good!

I got the results from my blood test and I'm not pregnant so stop looking for a star in the east and three not-totally-stupid men coming to Minneapolis to see me. In the past couple of years my doctor has called me with the results the next day or so and when I didn't hear anything I figured 1) everything was fine, 2) she was busy, or 3) I had leukemia and she didn't want to tell me. That's how my brain works -- there has to be one great big kick in the ass along with everything good.

On another note, after watching months and months (or it seems that way) of the Lobster Fest commercials for Red Lobster I finally broke down and went to have lobster. I haven't had lobster in years and I love lobster ... or at least I thought I did. It was either not very good lobster or my taste has changed. My favorite part of the meal was the rice. $20 for some rice. Oh well live and learn. Hey, maybe it didn't taste good because of the leukemia --- no I think I'm getting confused.

Peek A Boo

That's It ... Just wanted to start the day with a little play

Peek-A-Boo to Y-O-U!!!!!!

Annie -- Not the Musical

This is an action shot ... you can't listen to Foggy Mountain Breakdown without moving around -- it's a law of physics.

What are you doing today? Well I get to spend part of the day with my friend Annie from work. We are going to play Uno, eat Messy Marys (my version of Sloppy Joes) and watch a movie. A couple of hours with Annie will put life in perspective.

So you go ahead and try to top that today ... good luck.

Happy Camper / Heavy Breather

This is the face of a happy camper. Even though it's been a bit "nippy" the past couple of days, I'm enjoying the sun.

Now, for this breaking news. The next big law that I think should be passed is that no one over the age of 50 should be forced to run for the bus. Yesterday as I got to the corner I saw my bus arriving. Unfortunately the corner was not where the bus stops and I had to run a block to catch it. This was not a pretty sight and I think I may have finally stopped panting. Thank God it wasn't in the middle of winter or I'd be dead by now (see yesterday's posting).

Well I work from home today so I won't have to hurry to get the bus but there is that long walk to the laundry room.

I Look So Lifelike

I have a Google alert set of Mary Hirsch just so I can see when I am linked with George Clooney, Keifer Sutherland, and Peewee Herman. The other day I found out I was dead. I also found out I had 13 children and was a wonderful homemaker. Wow, no wonder I'm gone.

Well, I want to assure you that I'm still here, at least today -- you know that river is rising and I'm not a strong swimmer!

Yesterday I went to pick up my prescriptions - $250 - so I've met half of my Rx deductible ... oh no wait the deductible went up $250 so I guess I'm back to square one. Perhaps I could stop taking them -- I mean after all I have passed on so I don't really need them.

Before and After

It's your basic before and after picture ...

Before = I just got up, my hair is a mess, I'm thinking about very early retirement, I'm hungry, thirsty, and my teeth feel like some sort of critter walked on them during the night

After = I've had a shower, my hair is gorgeous, I'm thinking about very early retirement, I'm still hungry, my teeth are fresh and minty, Freckles is sleeping and waiting for me.

So who would you rather spend time with?

New Time; Same Station

Today I start my new hours at work 10-6. This means I don't have to get up until the sun is shining -- yippee. It also means I don't have to rush around in the morning -- I hate that. So it's only 8:30 and I have an hour or so to kill before I have to leave to get my bus.

Yesterday I found out I have a little bit of arthritis in my left shoulder -- you know it's hell getting older. I actually have what is called a frozen shoulder where my mobility is limited so I'm going to get a little physical therapy (oh geez, more therapy).

Well I'm going to go fix myself some breakfast, some real breakfast like eggs and fakon (soy bacon). I'm trying to eat as little meat as possible and use supposedly cage free eggs. Yep, the old tree hugger in me is rising to the surface.

Have a good day.

It's A Good Day

Boy have I had a good day. Well, even the start was good.

1. I went to the doctor for my yearly exam. She just returned from Haiti where she goes every year to volunteer and she was kind of tired. I think she forgot to do the probing portion of the exam -- yippee.

2. I applied for my passport so I can go swimming with the dolphins next fall.

3. Got my license tabs.

4. Found a good birthday present for my friend.

5. Went to the Container Store -- one of my favorite stores in the world.

6. Got a LeeAnn Chin salad.

Now I'm home with Freckles. We are going to go renew her dog and off leash park licenses. She was suppose to do that last January but she keeps putting it off and putting it off so I guess I'll just have to do it for her.

Finally, I'm happy the Congress finally passed a health care bill. I realize many see it as the downfall of the nation, but I just hope that it will really help people who need it.

Okay, I'm out of here.

Get It Over With Already ...

With any luck, today, Congress will vote on a health bill and we can talk about something, anything, else. I don't see the big discussion -- everyone should have access to health care, no matter what they make. At a minimum there should be 1) no denial for previous existing conditions; and 2) no one should have to pay more than one paycheck a year in deductibles and one check a year in premiums. That would mean everyone would have to pay 1/12 of their income for health care. That seems fair to me. But what do I know .... huh?

I'm sick of the whole thing and just want to get it over with. I use to be a news/politic junkie but I can't stand it anymore. If the Democrats say the sky is blue, the Republicans will say it's purple -- and vice versa. I'm thinking it would be nice to just have a benevolent dictator -- someone like Mister Rogers. Boy life would sure be different then.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

See, I look disgusted but actually I'm not. It's Saturday morning (probably my favorite time of the week) and I have the whole day to do whatever I want -- no commitments, no running around. I get to have dinner tonight with my friend Nancy who I've known for over 25 years and I get to surprise her with a ticket to see Simon & Garfunkel (shhh don't tell). She's a hippie like me -- actually she's more of a hippie than me. She has survived a double masectomy and is about to lose her health insurance (but we don't have a health crisis in America) but she keeps on going. I can't wait to see her.

Have a great day ... I'm going to too (and perhaps wear a tutu or see Bishop Tutu).

The New Wrinkle Cream Is Working

I look years younger, don't you think? I'm getting in touch with my inner child and she likes to tap dance and wear big bows in her hair.

So the sun is gone, the cold weather is back, and I don't care because I know it's only for a little while. It's kind of like having your teeth drilled without novacaine. You know it will be over soon so you just take it.

And, on top of everything else, it's jelly bean season. My favorite time of the year.

Look Out Flipper Here I Come

As you can see on the right hand side of this post is my count down clock to when I go to swim with dolphins (no, not -- as Geri thinks -- the Miami Dolphis).

I have wanted to swim with dolphins for a long time. Not sure where the desire started -- perhaps when I read "Island of the Blue Dolphins," or watched "Flipper", but I am now going to do it.

And I don't want to swim with dolphins that have been captured and put into tanks for us to swim around with -- that is like fishing in a stream that is stocked. I want to swim where dolphins just hang out. I found a place that does just that. For five days you go out on their sailboat and look for pods of dolphins and then get into the water. Sometimes they swim with you, sometimes they don't -- but it's their decision. I like that.

You can read more about it on their website. Check out the videos too.

So I'm at 199 days and counting.

Erin Go Braugh

Yes, this is the day when everyone is Irish -- like they should be that lucky.

One year I made the mistake of going to a bar on St. Patrick's Day and everyone kept coming up and rubbing my head for luck. I felt like a troll, and by the end of the night I looked like a troll.

Well I better get out there and let the world bask in my smiling Irish eyes (not to mention my Norwegian nose, my Scottish ears, and don't get me started on my multicultural boobs).

This Post Brought To You By Tic-Tacs

I was thinking it would be nice to get a sponsor for my blog ... you know athletes get sponsors (and money) so why not writers.

Okay, here is another reason why we need health insurance reform. I learned at our benefits meeting last week that every year we can have an annual exam that is covered at 100%. The idea is that if something is wrong, and it's found early, it can be treated early and will not cost as much money. But here is the catch, and boy what a catch. If you have a yearly physical and during that physical something is found --such as a lump, an oozing sore, or an alien coming out of your stomach -- then the exam is no longer covered 100%, it is now a regular office call. What a crock. After 50 it is more likely that something will be found that isn't quite right. I mean let's face it, your body is collapsing slowly. So when I go to my annual exam next week, I'm going to tell my doctor that if she finds anything wrong -- don't tell me or treat it -- that's the Blue Cross way.

Can I Bum A Light?

I’m thinking of taking up smoking again. It has been 28 years since I quit smoking. I use to have a pack-and-a-half a day habit. I thought it was outrageous that I had to pay $20 for a carton of cigarettes which today would cost me around $50. But I don’t care, because I want to have four or five breaks a day from work to go outside and hang out for 10-15 minutes. That’s what I see every day here at work. Now, in the winter it does not seem like such a treat, but when it’s nice and sunny I wouldn’t mind spending an hour or more a day standing outside, while I’m getting paid to do it. Employers should give non-smokers extra vacation days to compensate for the time they don’t go out for a smoke every day. That would be a great incentive to stop smoking. Of course, the way the emphasis is now on obesity I’m thinking the next thing will be no junk food eating inside – you’ll have to go outside to eat a Twinkie. That would be an interesting group of people, huddled together eating their HoHos and Snickers. The new talk on the street would be “Hey, could I bum a Milky Way?” I suppose after that we won’t be able to get all liquored up in the office either. How will I make it to 5:00?

Look Out World ... I'm Going Topless

Yes, it's true ... today is the start of convertible weather. I have to take a little bit of a drive with the top down ... it's a requirement on the first great day of the year. If you don't they come and take your car away.

And speaking of cars, there is one good thing about daylight saving time ... the clock in my car is now correct. I never change it -- too much work, so half the year its correct and half the year its correct if I was living in New York. I can live with that.

Okay, let's go cruisin'

Wow, Did I Sleep In

I slept until almost 10 this morning ... not usual for me. I'm very lucky I have a dog that will just stay in bed as long as I will. In fact I have to drag her out of bed to go outdoors.

I hate that daylight savings time starts tomorrow. SPRING FORWARD SUCKS. I hate losing the hour so early because it's just starting to get light in the morning, now it will be dark again. I know, I know "but it will be light longer at night." I don't care, the reason it's called NIGHT is because it's suppose to be dark -- MORNING = Light; NIGHT = Dark. When it's nice and warm out, yes I like it to be light longer but it's March for cryin' in the beer, who cares if it's light now. Not that I really have an opinion on it or anything.

When I took Freckles to the park this morning there is barely any snow/ice left. That is a good sign to me. Of course she wants to roll in the slush and muck that is currently disguising itself as grass and she gets mad when I say "NO!" -- well it's more like "NO" -- okay "No" -- alright "Pretty please don't roll in the muck." It's probably a good thing an old softy like me didn't have children -- they would have run wild and today would be on some reality show and not in a good way.

Have a good Saturday.

New Look?!?

Hey, I like it.

So we had a meeting at work yesterday about our health benefits. The premiums are going up and the benefits are going down and our salaries are staying the same. Oh well.

You know what really irks me? It's those idiots in Washington who can't stop arguing long enough to do what is right and fix this health care mess, people who talk on their cell phones while driving, and why ads for prostate medicines keep saying that women shouldn't take it. Why would we have to be told that? Why don't birth control pill ads tell men they shouldn't take them? Have we become so stupid that we would take the wrong pills or go on television and lose our dignity just to compete for a husband or wife? Oh, never mind.

And in other stupid news, Lindsay Lohan is suing E*Trade saying that the baby girl in the commercial is suppose to be her because her name is Lindsay (along with hundreds of thousands of other females). Well if she wins I'm going to sue the Catholic Church for naming their virgin Mary.

Give Me A Head With Hair

I'm getting my hair cut today ... can't understand why. After all, this is a very glamourous look. It's called the Toss 'n Turn and is what all the hot chicks are wearing.

I hope I get the look I want. I never seem to be able to explain to Ann (the person who cuts my hair) exactly what I want, and I don't have a picture of it. I've had my hair short and it's okay, but I like a little bounce and sassiness to work with. And it's almost convertible weather so it has to be good hair to fly in the wind. Oh the trials and tribulations of being M.E.

Tune in tomorrow and you'll see what I end up with. Wish me luck.

My Family Went To Vancouver ...

And All I Got Were These Fabulous Mittens.

I love my new mittens, but I hope I won't have to use them until next December. Sure I'll look fab-u-lous in them and I'll be the envy of the bus riders but I am more than willing to wait until the end of the year.

I was suppose to be in Denver today at a conference, but decided not to go because I had a feeling it would be too much after the surgery. I had been practicing all my John Denver songs to sing on the plane -- perhaps I can serenade the people on the bus today. Watch the news for "BUS PASSENGERS GONE WILD."

Later Gator

My nephew, Perry, leaves today for Chile (yes, the place with the BIG earthquake). He went there as an exchange student in college, fell in love with it and returned to work as a teacher after graduation. Then he fell in love with a wonderful woman, and today he is moving there. When I asked if he was planning on coming back he said "Well for a visit." Chile is sooooooo far away and I will miss him very much. I am his favorite aunt -- or at least I always tell him so. From the time he was around five I have teased him about his girlfriend Mildred. He kept insisting he didn't even know anyone named Mildred but when she kept giving him birthday and Christmas gifts he finally accepted that he had a girlfriend named Mildred.

I am so proud of him. He has an adventurous spirit and is a good person. I look forward to seeing how his life unfolds. Of course I've warned him that I am getting a passport and will be coming to see him -- and I'm bringing Mildred.

Good luck Perry, take care of yourself.

Back At It

How am I feeling about going back to work? A picture is worth a thousand words.

You know who is going to have a tough time today? Freckles. She hasn't been in her cozy (that's what I call her K-E-N-N-E-L because I think it sounds like more fun than a K-E-N-N-E-L) for an entire day for weeks. She is going to have a tough time. I wish I could bring her to work, although I'm not sure if a full day in a C-U-B-I-C-L-E would be any more fun for her.

Well hi-ho, hi-ho, it's either off to work I go or the Lone Ranger is on the way.

Happy Birthday Fuzzy Wuzzy Little Missy

It is my friend Sue's birthday. I believe she is 32 ... at least that's the number I stopped at so it may be the number she stopped at too.

Sue and I met I think in 1998 or 1997, I'm not sure which. I was a temp at Norwest Bank (now Wells Fargo Bank, or Norwell Farwestgo as I like to call it). I worked for a manager in audit services on a special project that had to do with the whole OMG here comes the year 2000 panic. After being there for more than a few months, the manager I worked for (let's call him Wally because even though that wasn't his name, for some reason my mom always called him Wally) decided he wanted the job to be permanent and I wasn't all that interested in taking the job. So he ended up hiring Sue. She and I met when I trained her in for a week or two. I'll never forget when she said to me "What is a typical day in this job like?" I laughed hysterically and yet she decided to stay in the job. During the next year she would call me often to discuss the "challenges" (aka Wally) she was facing, many of them the same "challenges" I had faced.

Sue and I became best friends during this process and she and I have been through a lot together -- deaths, births, love, hate, marriage, surgeries, illness, moving, coming back -- and we have always been there for each other. And the best part is it has all been done with a lot of laughter. So Happy Birthday Sue -- have lots of cake and fun (although you have not been feeling great lately).

Can't Tell If I'm Coming Or Going (At least not by my pants)

I woke up this morning and I looked out in the hallway outside my bedroom and thought I had left the hall light on all night ... why, because it was bright and sunny. Yippee. Then Freckles decided to curl up as close to me as possible. What a great way to start the morning. Oh sure if it was Freckles and Keifer Sutherland who curled up as close to me as possible that would be nirvana but I'll more than settle for Freckles.

So in my previous blog I said I was going to start a website about my friend Dale Wolf and I am proud to say I have done so. It is www.dalewolf.net (because someone actually already had dalewolf.com). It's just a home page right now but if you go there you can hear her singing "Smile." I will post more soon.

And now for my Public Service Announcement: "Do you sometimes feel bad about yourself? Think that you are a loser? Well pick yourself up and dust yourself off because I bet you can say with all honesty 'Hey, I may not be perfect but at least I didn't go shopping at Target while wearing sweatpants -- backwards.'" Yes, yesterday I ventured to Target for the first time in over two weeks (I'm surprised they hadn't gone out of business) and when I got home I realized I had put on my sweatpants backwards. You know it's bad enough that my stomach still hurts too much to wear jeans so I have to go everywhere in sweats, but to have them on backwards. Oh well, at least I wasn't wearing two bras (or was I, and wearing them backwards). May God have mercy on my soul.

Wet and Mild

Well it's obvious where this blog is headed ... before long it will be one of those racy blogs.  Today I appear in my robe, tomorrow who knows.  Be scared ... be very scared.

Have I mentioned how much I love having the sun shining, especially at 7 in the morning.  It is so much easier to get up when the sun is out ... I think I was a rooster in a previous life.  Or I could have been a bear that just hibernated until winter went away.

Freckles is so excited about all the new grass (aka as muck) that is appearing.  She has tried a couple of times to get down in it and roll but her mean mom won't let her.

Happy Friday to all.

Happy Birthday Dale

My friend Dale Wolf has been gone for almost six years, but it seems like yesterday that we lost her to breast cancer.

Never in my life have I met a person so full of life as Dale.  Today, March 4th, is her birthday.  She always said that she was born on the only day that gave an order -- March Forth -- and she did.

She was a remarkable person who kept her legions of fans posted on her "playful romp" (her words) through cancer via Caring Bridge.  This is the year that I find a publisher for her posts, or I publish them myself.  She entrusted me with the task and it will happen.  Here is her last post:

December 31, 2004

Can you believe it? I figured out how to send emails from the great beyond! It’s pretty easy…don’t know why more people don’t do it.

Since most people are not comfortable discussing death, particularly the specific death of someone you know and are probably very fond of (i.e., ME) I thought I’d do it now. I gotta love the one-sidedness of email, which affords me the opportunity to go on and on and on about whatever I want!

Did I Really Hear That?

First, I am no longer going to talk about you-know-what.  My blog is boring me so it can't be doing much for you.

So last night I picked up the phone and it was dead.  I've had that happen before and thought "oh oh."  I went on line to my telephone provider's website (let's call them West-quay) and discovered my phone bill was overdue.  I switched to paperless bills which was not so bright.  It is much easier to ignore yet another email than to ignore a bill in your hand.  But I did get an online bill the day before (March 2nd) and I immediately paid it through bill pay at my bank.  Apparently that was not good enough.  So I called West-quay and explained the bill had been paid, blah, blah, blah (I'm sure they hear that all the time so I wasn't surprised by the condescending tone of the kid on the other end of the line) and he agreed to turn my phone back on.  Then it happened, he said "I notice you have connected with our website so you must not have our internet service."  I told him no I had Omcast-cay because our association gets a deal and it is part of our association fee.  At that point he tried to sell me the internet service -- the service that I would not have had available if I had them as a carrier.  I tried to explain to him the irony of the situation but he insisted that I should get their service so apparently they would have total domination of my communication life.  And just when I was about to hang up he wanted to know how I had called him.  When I said I used my cell phone -- guess what -- why didn't I use their service.

I figured it out ... they want to hold me communicatively hostage and then hope that I develop Stockholm Syndrome where I not only agree to bondage, but come to love it.  I'm not going to fall for that again, unless we go to dinner first.

You Remind Me Of A Shirt I Use To Wear

They say people start to look like their pets after awhile ... I'm thinking I'm starting to look like my gray t-shirts.

It would be nice to be home from work for this long if I could do something but it's not so great when you just lay there.  Oh well.  I did take Freckles out for a walk around the entire block today and it felt kind of good to get out and move.  She, of course, is now filthy again from sitting in the grass/mud.  At least she didn't decide to try to roll in the grass.

Tomorrow I'm going to have to do at least one load of laundry because I'm run out of stuff to wear including the basics.  At least I don't have to take it down to the river and beat it on a rock.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Here's the update I know everyone is waiting for ... I actually got to lie down in my bed last night, for about three hours, then back to the lounger but it's progress.

Unfortunately more pain this morning than yesterday, but it all takes time.  Decided not to go to the conference I was planning on attending next week in Denver.  Totally bummed because I was looking forward to it but there is no way I could sit on an airplane for three hours or keep going all day and night for a couple of days.  Well maybe next year.

Hey it's Taco Tuesday ... I don't like tacos but it's nice to know that if I did, this is the day to get them.

Another Big Day Ahead of Me

Today's the big day ... yes I'm going to try to lie down on my bed, perhaps freeing myself from the La-Z-Boy cocoon I've been living in for the past week.  I so want to lie down, without using a lever.  Is that asking too much, I mean really?

It's March 1st.  February went by so quickly I love it.  I think all months should be 28 days only.  That means we would have to add another month ... it should be added between July and August and could be called Bauer, named after the great USA hero, Jack Bauer.  And it would be a national holiday month ... no one would have to work.  I could run for public office based on this one idea.

So my plans for the day: 1) I have to figure out a way to bath Freckles without lifting her into the bathtub; 2) I have to figure out a way to bath myself without falling in the bathtub; and 3) start training for the 2010 Winter Olympics ... Freckles and I are going to be the first owner/dog bobsled team.