"An Indistinguishable Clump"

     A friend of mine who is familiar with commuting suggested to me that I start listening to books on CD to make my time productive while I commute.  I never had the need before, but I do now, and I hate wasting time. So, I checked out a couple of websites, and then opted for my local library, since the price is right.  In other words, free!  I chose for my first selection, "Milkweed", a book about the Holocaust. (Nothing frivolous for me!)  In listening, I thought the dialogue was bordering on juvenile, but I attributed it to the author's writing style. I have read authors who narrate from a child's point of view, although the book is very much an adult read.  

     I subsequently read about this particular author, and I discovered that he had received some awards... for writing children's books.  I took a closer look, and came to the realization that my book of choice is on an 8th grade reading level.  Well, duh!  (I say that pretty often, don't I?)  I would have thought that the library might have differentiated between the various reading levels, and not simply have had the audio books grouped together in a big, indistinguishable clump.  Well, this isn't the first time in my adult life that I have "read" a children's book.  Besides, it sure beats "reading"  "Psych of Aging", or listening to the same oldies that I've been hearing for forty years.

"A Future Encounter"

     In case you haven't noticed, my blog of late has not touched on my college escapades as much as in the past.  I don't exactly know why, but this semester is kind of a drag.  (Isn't that the name of a song?)  I can't pinpoint why.  I'm not sure if it's the subject matter (why I would find Psychology of Aging boring?), or my (former) unemployment blues, or my preoccupation with my new job, and the rigors of becoming acclimated to working and commuting.  Oh, and let's not forget maternal guilt.  Poor Buddy is now alone a good portion of the time, and I am loathe to leave him at night.

      I am struggling to get through this semester, and, to be blunt, I can't wait for it to be over.  I have to say that there are nights I come out of class feeling quite depressed (like I need any encouragement in that arena).  I am on a downhill slide, and I know it.  One of my classmates was quite frank when she indicated that this particular class "scares the crap out of her".  Me too.  Except I'm old enough to be her mother.  Maybe that's it-too much reality.  Our text book is about me, in the not too distant future. As I have mentioned previously, many of my fellow students are younger than I, and are pursuing careers in health care.   Consequently, I have a much different attitude than they do.  By the way, I guess I should be nice to them.  Chances are I'm destined for a future encounter with the gerontology majors.

"A Scathing Movie Review"

     I went to see a movie (my choice) with two of my girlfriends this evening: To the Wonder.  It's a wonder my friends are still speaking to me.  It's a wonder I didn't sleep through the whole thing.  (I actually wish I had.)  I am 50-something years old, and this was, literally, THE WORST movie I have ever seen.  I wish I had stayed home to write my paper that is due on Wednesday, or perhaps cleaned the bathroom, or maybe picnicked with my neighbors.  (Told you it was bad!  I wasn't kidding!).  It was so bad that the Digiplex Theater should have paid us to see it.  It was so bad, that I'd like to see the movie's director choose a new career path.  It was so bad, that I would rather have sat through a George Clooney movie.  (Anyone who knows me gets this.)

     About 2/3 of the way through the movie, the screen went black (one of the highlights of the film).  The disappointing aspect was that "The End" did not appear on the screen.  We were lulled into a false sense of security, and then the rug was pulled out from under us as the female lead reappeared onscreen.  

     Throughout the movie, she barely spoke.  We spent two hours watching her, and the other equally boring characters,   walking.  I haven't seen that much walking since the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  When she wasn't walking, she was twirling, in a demented, childlike dance. I leaned over and asked my girlfriend "who does that?".  She didn't know either.  

     My movie buff son warned me about this movie.  He knows my taste in film, and didn't think I would like it.  I should have listened to him.  Next time, I'll know better.

"Two for the Books"

      Everyone knows how anal I am about correct spelling.  Well, I saw two for the record books this past week. I had dinner at a restaurant that had for one of the entrees "spaghetti and meetballs".  As irked as I was by that, I would have liked to meet up with the server when he got off of work...

     The other word was so badly mangled, that I couldn't have even imagined it. It was so badly mangled, I could feel the vibration from Daniel Webster spinning... It was so badly mangled, even spell check couldn't figure it out. Can you guess what this is:  con-ceiled.  OMG!  Did the person mean concealed?  I could barely conceal my horror when I saw this one...Perhaps I should devote an entire blog to misadventures in spelling...

"Bittersweet"

    I long for a past
    Forever out of my grasp.
    Disappointed the days of my youth
    Did not last.
                                                          

"Single serving frying pan"    

     I bought this little frying pan today to take with me to my new apartment, where I will be living alone for the first time ever.  In a way, I am excited by the prospect.  I am looking forward to decorating my apartment in a very "girlie" fashion, with hearts and flowers everywhere.  I will have no one to clean up after (except Buddy), the bathroom will always be free, and I will have an abundance of space which is all mine.  However, as I prepare for the next chapter in my life, I can't help but ponder the sorrow of life. I was blessed with three beautiful baby boys, whom I love with all of my heart.  The sad part is that they evolved into men more quickly than I ever could have imagined.  My mother used to say that "the days are long, but the years go by fast".  I didn't understand that when my children were young.  I understand only too well now.  There were days when I was so tired, I couldn't hold my head up, yet I had to stay awake to care for the children.  Those days seemed so long.  As did the days after I walked the floor all night with a crying baby.  Oh, but what wouldn't I give to have even a day or an hour holding those precious babies in my arms.  My little boys, whom I read to, took to parties, and the movies, are now a distant memory, captured only in pictures for me to remember.  They are now men, living their own lives.
     I don't look at old pictures too often anymore.  It only makes me long for a past that is forever out of my grasp.  This new chapter, to me, is a true depiction of bittersweet.  A new life, filled with promise and opportunity, has had its price.  I've had to let go, as we all do, of my old life.

"What a Difference 8,760 Days Make..."

 The pic to the right is my employee photo I.D. from April 2013.



This pic was from an employee photo I.D. taken in 1989.



     What the heck happened???????  I look like two different people!!!!!!!!!  I can't imagine (and certainly don't want to) what the recent picture would look like if I wasn't in a committed relationship with Miss Clairol.  Let's see, in twenty four more years, I will be 81. Ooh...I won't be posting that picture on my blog, that is, if I remember that I even have a blog, or what to do with it...This was a brilliant idea.  Now I'm depressed...

"Doggie Diction"

   

      My Chocolate Lab, Buddy, was mad at me today, and he let me know it but quick.  I had been out for a couple of hours, and when I came home, I promptly went to feed my son's guinea pigs, coaxing Buddy out of the room.  When I emerged, he had emptied the bathroom wastebasket on the living room floor, and shredded everything in it. 

     Buddy actually attempts to communicate with me.  I forgot to feed him this afternoon, so he followed me to the kitchen, and was pointedly looking from his food bowl to me and back again, until I finally got it.  Last week when I took him to the groomer, he was walking towards the place so slowly, you'd think he was going to be executed.  He kept looking over his shoulder, in a blatant display of his desire for me to take him back home.  I never put two and two together before, but this dog really tries to communicate.  My Husky, Aurora, suffered from seizures.  When she was having one, Buddy would summon whomever was home at the time, jumping on us until we followed him to the quivering Aurora. He isn't as dumb as he seems.

"A Lonely Little Girl"

My niece Sandy is a very talented photographer.  Her amazing pictures inspire me.  This is a collaboration of ours:

"Directional Dunderhead"

      In the last twelve years, my sense of direction has not improved in the least. In fact, my sense of direction is as impaired as my technological ability.  Last evening, I had plans to meet my girlfriend at a nearby strip mall for dinner and some shopping.  The mall was actually en route to my son’s home, about 40 minutes away, or so I thought.  A short time after I left, my friend texted me (fairly quickly, actually) to let me know she had arrived.  Now I was compelled to call her, in a total sense of frustration, as I had passed the turn off to my son’s place, but had not located the mall.  I described the route to her, indicating that I had turned left onto the highway by Sears, which is only about 10 minutes from my apartment.  Well no wonder you can’t find it, she indicated, you were supposed to turn right... Oh, no.   To add insult to injury, the entire time I was driving, I had been watching the eastbound traffic, in a state of gratitude that I was going west, as east was quite congested, rather like a mall parking lot on the Saturday before Christmas.  I now had to make a U-turn and head east.  Finally, after traveling eastbound at a snail's pace, I passed Sears. One minute after that, I turned into the mall, where my starving friend was patiently waiting for me.  Kind of makes me wonder how I found my way to my various job interviews…Must have been due to the GPS.

"Buddy Hooked on the Cabinet Door"

                                         Waiting for Mommy to come to his rescue...