A Thanksgiving Thought

Gratitude unlocks the fullness

of life. It turns what we have into enough,

and more. It turns denial into acceptance,

chaos into order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a

meal into a feast, a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense

of our past, brings peace for today, and

creates a vision for tomorrow.

~Melody Beattie

Pharming

For those of you whose blogs I read and comment on, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth the last few weeks! I've been interning--read "working for free"--to become a pharmacy technician. I'm not used to an 8-hour day on my feet any more and it really kicks my butt! By the time I get home, all I want to do is have a glass (or 3) of wine and soak in the bubble bath my husband has waiting for me every night (God bless him)!

I'm enjoying this internship. Nat, the pharmacist, is a consummate professional; yet he's really nice, has a great sense of humor, and believes in laughing while getting the job done. His licensed techs are the same. It makes for a much more relaxed atmosphere and, I think, helps the learning process. Sure, we interns make mistakes (which are ALWAYS caught before any possible harm could happen), but it's not so intimidating because a joke is usually made and it's so much easier to learn when you don't have any personal stigma about what went wrong--you just do it right and get on with things. And hopefully get it more right the next time. Nobody expects us to get it ALL in one shot right away (which is a HUGE relief!). My God, it took me two days to master taping a label on straight on the stupid little plastic bottles, what's up with THAT?! (but then, I've always been adhesively challenged . . . packing tape is NOT my friend, lol!).

So I have about 50 hours done of my required 120. And I'm sure I'll be asking Nat if I can put in more "free" time while I'm waiting for my license and looking for a job. Several techs who haven't found jobs yet have come in to practice while I've been there. It keeps everything fresh in their minds, they help train us newbies, the scrips get filled quicker, and Nat has more people to joke around with--a win-win situation all around! Sometimes it feels like a little party, laughing and joking, but all the while, prescriptions are getting filled, people are getting what they need to feel better, and real learning is going on.

Very cool.

So don't give up on me! I'll be commenting more soon and keeping up better, promise!

RIP Henry Gibson

I was saddened to see the obituary for him in the LA Times on Thursday. He was awesome on Laugh In and I liked him as the judge on Boston Legal, too.

This was in his biography about his days on Laugh In. I remember actually seeing this episode and the thought of it still makes me laugh:

Gibson was best known as the poet, holding a large flower and beginning his brief recitations with his signature catchphrase, "A poem, by Henry Gibson."

"He wrote all those himself," Jon Gibson (his son) said. It was a point of pride that he only read poems that he himself wrote."

During one of his frequent guest appearances on the show, John Wayne spoofed Gibson by coming around the wall holding a flower and delivering "A poem, by John Wayne."

"Roses are red, violets are green," Wayne said, "Get off your butt and join the Marines."

Can you imagine being spoofed by John Wayne?! How cool is that?!

I'll miss ya, Henry.

I love my Mom & Dad

That's all.
Just wanted to say that.
They.
Are.
Awesome.
I am the luckiest person in the world, and I come from the 2 best people in the world.
Alice & Frank.
Or, as they are known on some mailing lists, Slice & Flank--which is really funny considering they both are golfers.
I love you.
Love, Susie

Julie & Julia

I loved this movie.
The books were awesome--and the movie does a good job. I laughed, I cried . . . well, who could possibly refute the talents of Meryl Streep?! And I have to say, Amy Adams has certainly impressed me lately. I've seen her in "Doubt"--also with Meryl Streep--and "Sunshine Cleaning." I like this girl! She makes all her characters believable, no matter what situation they're in. Yeah, that's a simplistic description of acting, but that's pretty much it in a nutshell.
I can't wait for this to come out on DVD--it absolutely gets a space in my collection.
Have you seen it? What's your opinion?

The Fruits of My Labor (Part II)

The plants we put in a regular pot did REALLY well! Look at this little guy--isn't he cute?!
Here's a good way to eat tomatoes: cut them into bite-size wedges and add to a sliced avocado in a shallow dish. Sprinkle on some garlic powder, and pour balsamic vinegar over it all. Let it soak for a while, basting occasionally, then enjoy! And the seasoned vinegar is GREAT to dip bread into!

The Fruits of My Labor (Part I)

Yes! We have tomatoes!
The Topsy-Turvy ones didn't do very well. I don't think they liked being watered upside down because the excess drained on the plants. We got a few from there. We're thinking of maybe planting a flower in there next year.

Progress Report

My baby is growing!!!! (Scroll down a few posts to see photos of the newborn). And it has a friend!!!

And does anybody know what that squiggly line is on the leaf there? I spray the plant weekly with veggie-bug killer and haven't seen any pests, but who knows?

I Liked This . . .

"For attractive lips,

Speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,

Seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,

Share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,

Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise,

Walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone."

-Audrey Hepburn

My First One!

For our 5th wedding anniversary, Hubs got me one of those Topsy-Turvy planter things (as seen on TV!).

Ta-da! My first tomato!

Stay tuned for further developments . . .

The Zen of Painting

I never really painted much. I think I did the inside of my apartment one time, but it didn't really strike me then how mentally relaxing it can be.

Right now hubs and I are painting the exterior of my stepdaughter & her husbands' house (they work all day and since our biz is slow, we have the time, so why not?). We paint in the mornings, before the sun hits the yardarm and blazes down on us in all its southern California intensity.

Right now I'm doing the priming of some new wood siding. Coverage is key. I feel kinda like Tom Sawyer, white-washing that fence--except I don't want to give up my brush to anyone!

I find my mind wandering at will, replaying the conversations I had on my morning Starbuck's run, remembering my Dad's 80th birthday party for which I flew to Ohio last week, pondering things other bloggers have mentioned and the comments made . . . how often do we get the chance to just mentally BE? Even though life is moving at a slower pace right now, it was a huge relief to not be thinking four steps ahead on things I need to get done, deadlines I should meet, etc.etc.etc. It was like my mind was taking a big deep cleansing breath and exhaling contentedly.

Who knew painting could feel so good?!

Things That Make Ya Go "Hmmmmm . . ."

When I read other blogs, I try to get into the spirit of the post. I try to comment accordingly. I'm not out to make people feel bad or to make fun of them or whatever. I'm just trying to be a part of it all.

A few bloggers have been deleting my comments lately and I really don't know why. If I've offended, I apologize. If I've horned in where I'm not wanted--again, sorry.

I'll still check in and read these blogs, but I'll refrain from commenting.

I guess I just don't get it. H'mmmmmmmmm . . .

Fun!

Ever been miniature golfing--in blacklight?!

Way awesome! We went a few weeks ago for a birthday. It took me right back to the late 60's & early 70's, when blacklights were really popular and everybody had one in their bedroom to highlight those posters with the black velvet on them; remember those?! (if not, even tho' you're younger than me, you missed some *ahem* high times!)

The trick of blacklight golfing is, you can't tell where the darn floor is and the putter keeps hitting the carpet before it hits the ball, d'oh! I did manage to make a hole-in-one, tho--yay me!

Now if I could just do that on a REAL golf course . . .

Yeah, Baby!!!!!!

Did NOT have to report at ALL for jury service this week!!!!!!!

Excuse me while I do the "No Jury Time Dance" !!!!

Shall We Start The Bidding At . . .

C'mon--you KNOW you always wanted your own stadium . . .

Any Opinion?

I have jury duty this week. So far I haven't had to report, so that means two days down, three to go. I've felt like a kid out of school both days!

People are divided when it comes to jury duty. A lot of people just dread it, like going to the dentist. Others find it immensely interesting and don't mind it at all. Personally, I find the thought of passing official judgement on somebody intimidating. What I say will affect lives, possibly in a huge way. What if I'm wrong? I was summoned once before but wasn't chosen.

How do you feel? Aside from the inconvenience, missing work or school, and having to sit around all day, how do you feel about performing jury service? Has anyone sat in a jury on an interesting case?

Why?

That's it: Just . . .why?

Fill in your own why.

I've had wine, but I know I wonder . . . why?

My faith says believe.
So I will.

You Can Run, But You Can't Hide . . .

They WILL find you.

Stolen from bluepaintred, and a fun license plate

I saw this plate when I went to the bank yesterday. I love having a camera phone that takes good pictures without a lot of skill on my part.

And here's a new meme I hadn't seen before--stolen directly from bpr, one of my favorite blogs.

ABC'S

A - Age: 47

B - Bed size: Huge, thank God, because I'm doing the hot flash thing these days.

C - Chore you hate: Dusting. Never liked it; never will; been known to avoid it for months.

D - Dad's name: Frank

E - Essential Start Your Day Item: Caffiene, in any way, shape or form, but preferably a grande 5-pump skinny vanilla latte from 'Bux

F - Favorite Actor: Love Sean Connery forever,but am now very partial to Clive Owen

G - Gold or Silver: White gold

H - Height: I am definitely challenged in this category, coming as I do from a family of 3 older brothers all over 6 feet tall. I'm about 5'4" and not shy about asking the nearest taller person to reach something for me in a store.

I - Instrument(s) you play: (I love blue's answer on this so I'm stealing that too) Keyboard. As in, on my computer. I tried to learn the harmonica but it kinda freaked out my pet birdies so I gave up(that was just me, I don't if Blue ever tried the harmonica)

J - Job Title: Office manager, and hopefully soon "Pharmacy Tech"

K - Kids: None of my own; 5 stepkids. no, 6. the hubs qualifies in this category more often than not.

L - Like: Coffee. Email. 4-legged creatures. Traveling. Books. Seeing nasty people get taken down a few pegs.

M - Mom's Name: Alice (altho somehow on mailing lists it got changed to "Slice" which we think is hilarious because she's a golfer)

N - Nickname: "Jesus Christ!" (usually employed in disbelieving tones)

O - Overnight Hospital Stay Other Than Birth: having a cyst removed from my cheekbone when I was like, 11. I was the only patient on the children's ward who needed a bra under my pj's (I had those girls chopped down later on, woo hoo!)

P - Pet Peeve: People who firmly believe they are ALWAYS RIGHT, ALL THE TIME, and refuse to even consider another point of view

Q - Quote That you Like: "I can't brain today; I have the dumb" --Sam, and "Trust, but verify"--Ronald Reagan

R - Righty or Lefty: Righty.

S - Siblings: 3 older brothers and 2 sil's

T - Time You wake Up: Which time? One of the many when I need to use the facilities, the time I wake up worrying about stuff, or the ACTUAL time I wake up to get out of bed?

U - Useful Tool: Computer. Cell phone camera. Sense of humor.

V - Vegetable That You Dislike: Lima beans & cooked peas GAG ME.

W - Ways You Run Late: I'm usually on time, if not early, for stuff. Except when I'm visiting in Ohio; I usually run late there because I'm having so much fun with Person A, that I run late for Person B, THEN I'm having so much fun with Person B, I run really late for Person C, etc. etc. etc. Thank God for the understanding of good friends!

X - X-rays You've Had: chest, ankle (multiple times), hand, teeth, carry-on at the airport . . .

Y - Yummy Foods You Make: Turkey chili, molten chocolate cakes, cashew brittle, shrimp scampi

Z - Zodiac: Aries. Sometimes I wish I actually had those rams' horns--I would do some SERIOUS damage to some nasty people.

In the meantime, I'll just keep an eye out for fun license plates . . .

Overheard Stuff

The LA Times puts out a magazine occasionally in the Sunday paper. Mostly it's full of high fashion crap and ads for expensive bling for bodies and houses.
They do have one column that's fun, however. It's called "Overheard" and they encourage people in the LA area to email things in.

• "I just had my wisdom teeth pulled--now I don't know which teeth to turn to for advice." - Twentysomething on his cell at a medical plaza in Century City

• "I am so pro-knife." - Two women discussing their noses at Whole Foods

• "I'm almost forty. Maybe it's time to self-publish." - Customer to the cashier at Starbuck's in Little Tokyo

• "Enjoy the movie, kids--that was your college money." - A fortysomething dad paying for a family of six at the AMC Century City

• "Where was Hitler's mother?" - Ten-year-old watching the History Channel with his parents

• "No nonsmoking section? I need a minute to meditate." - Frantic woman on the patio at an Art LA opening

• "I'm looking for one that will appeal to a jury." - Older man shopping for a tie at Kohl's

• "Wait, are we talking about Nietzsche or the Oscars?" - College students in a late-night discussion at Jerry's Deli

• "I have the status symbol of the 21st century--a job." - Reply to, "You went from a Beemer to a Saturn?"

WTF????!

Why is it that insurance companies persist in being such total dictators?

We moved our business. The building we were in was about 7 miles away, in an industrial area that experienced some crime (e.g. gas stolen from delivery trucks, OUR truck was stolen and later found abandoned behind another building down the street--of course it was a total loss) and we did NOT have any electronic alarms on the premises.

Now our business is at home, in a quiet residential neighborhood that hasn't had any crime in the 6 years I've been here, our neighbor to the north is a CHURCH, and we have an electronic alarm system AND motion detector activated lighting all around the perimeter.

WHY, then, does the insurance company want to TRIPLE our rate for business insurance?! They SAY it's because we moved to "a different area." It's not like we moved to WATTS, for Pete's sake! And since everything is IN the house or garage, homeowner's would cover anything lost, damaged, or stolen.

I say this is yet ANOTHER example of the small businessman getting royally SCREWED by the SAME companies that allow people to rebuild their houses next to rivers that flood every year, and allow yet MORE tin can trailers to be parked in the paths of hurricanes.

Bastards.

I Miss You Already

"A joyful heart is like a sunshine of God's love, the hope of eternal happiness, a burning flame of God . . . And if we pray, we will become that sunshine of God's love--in our own home, the place where we live, and in the world at large."--Mother Theresa

This is my friend, Bernice Fifer. She and I worked at the same flower shop in Ohio. She was a floral designer from way back--by the time she'd come to our shop, she'd already retired from another, and worked with us and another florist part-time. She was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and was in a water ballet troupe while in her teens. She learned to drive on the backroads of rural Ohio--her husband, Darl, lay across the hood of their big old 40's sedan on his stomach, shotgun at the ready, for when the noise of the car would scare pheasants, rabbits, or wild turkeys out of the underbrush. She had a wicked sense of humor and kept us all laughing, even on those long exhausting days and nights at the shop right before Christmas or Valentine's Day. Her faith helped her survive cancer. She eventually had to stop working to take care of her beloved Darl full-time. I feel bad that I don't know when he passed away. She and I lost touch after I moved across the country. I just happened to look at the Akron paper online the other day, and saw her obituary (it became a habit, working for a florist, to check the obits every day; funerals would keep us afloat during the lean times).

How I wish I could have gone back for her calling hours, to talk to her children and let them know what she meant to me and how much she taught me about everything. I would have been one among many, this I know. I pray the others brought them comfort.

It's raining in LA right now, but I know that when the sun comes back out, Bernice is going to be right there, shining down on us all, because I know she has always been the sunshine of God's love.

The Wonders of Vegas

Hubs decided we needed to spend SuperBowl Weekend in Las Vegas (never mind that he decided this while ripped on wine--my computer was on and I had reservations at The Sahara in approximately 8 minutes).
It's about a 4-1/2 hour drive from LA, just a nice little jaunt across the desert, which is gorgeous in its own way.

We stayed from Friday to Monday and had a great time! Surprisingly, we only gambled a few times, playing video poker. We came out about $150 ahead, all told. And won on the game--again, a BIG surprise, given the way the Steelers played like some peewee league team who'd never seen a football before. Back to rooting for The Browns next year!

Most of the trip was spent wandering through the hotels and casinos,
window-shopping, people-watching, and eating at favorite restaurants. The picture is of one of the items for sale in The Dale Chihuly shop in Bellagio. The man is a wonder. Many of the fixed displays at Bellagio are works of his--the ceiling in the check-in area, sculptures throughout the hotel and in the several bars and restaurants of the property.

My other favorite place was The FAO Schwartz Toy Store in The Forum Shops at Caesar's. They sell arcade games on the 3rd floor--you can buy tokens and try them out before purchasing (in case you have a house big enough, and an extra $30,000 burning a hole in your pocket). It was more of a ride than a game--you recline on benches and hold on, because the benches move in tandem with the scene on the screen--going down the first hill of a roller coaster, soaring out over the Grand Canyon, landing on a dirt road and roaring around a sharp curve, etc.). Lots of fun and action for a mere $2! People were looking askance at us when we finished our ride--were we really yelling THAT loud?!

Something fun!

I really love my sister-in-law, M. She's smart, funny, down-to-earth, and we hit it off the first time we spoke on the phone. She has this little southern drawl going on (she, like Hubs, was born and raised in South Carolina) and of course has some great sayings. This is my favorite:

"He's about as screwed up as

a harelipped hillbilly in a whistling contest!"

So how's about it? What things like that have YOU heard that just cracked you up?

The Ohio Report

So, yeah, the driving was interesting last week during my visit home. And it was C.O.L.D. But I've been going back to visit for 5 years now, twice a year, and this is the worst I've run into. Anybody who lives in the northeast will tell you that's pretty good.

I wasn't able to visit as many people as I wanted to, as I said before. Sorry about that; I did try! My last evening there was supposed to be spent visiting at my brother J's house, with his wife, 4 kids and my 2-year-old great-nephew. Got halfway there and the road was completely covered--the snow plow passed me heading the other way, and it was STILL covered where he'd just scraped. It was coming down thick and getting dark outside. So I pulled into the parking lot of St. Joe Church and made the calls to cancel. Suckage.

Had yet another cozy evening with L&J--it's a good thing we all genuinely like each other!

I did get to see K, whom I met at the flower shop where we worked (we were both drivers). She works for another florist now--he's amazing. He does those weddings where people spend tens of thousands of dollars on the flowers alone. He also does football hall of fame induction parties (e.g. Troy Aikman's), decorates homes for Christmas, he has a wedding gig coming up in Puerto Rico, you get the idea. Very nice guy, very talented and very worth his fee. K, L & I had lunch at VegiTerranean in Akron, Chrissie Hynde's restaurant. The food was great and reasonably priced for the venue. I had an awesome portobello wrap with orzo salad. The conversation flowed and we ended up sitting and chatting for 2 hours.

Also got together with friends for dinner at Ray's Place in Kent (the very place Hubs insulted earlier, hahaha!). Another great time! Saw a few people I hadn't seen since I moved so that was definitely bonus. And Gertie's chili still rocks.

I left Ohio on Thursday. Dad drove me to the airport and all went smoothly . . . until our plane was late coming in. The American Airlines people did their best, no fault there, as far as I'm concerned. They did a quick turn-around once the plane did get there, and it was a full flight--which meant that about 30 business people who tried to carry on their bulging briefcases and overstuffed overnight bags had to valet-check them on the jetway. Bummer for them--and the rest of us, because THAT took another 10-15 minutes before we could finally take off.

We landed in Chicago and I had about 10 minutes before my connection to LA would start boarding. Everyone was on tenterhooks, worrying about making their flights. Too bad! As the pilot informed us, "We've been directed to standby until a gate opens up for us. We'll be sitting here about 20 minutes. Sorry, folks."

A groan swept through the cabin and cellphones were deployed. I called Hubs to let him know I probably wouldn't make the flight and we hoped his sister from Detroit--whom I had arranged to meet up with in Chicago so we could fly into LA together--wouldn't freak out if I wasn't there. He told me about the plane landing in the Hudson River and we decided that God was needed elsewhere, so possibly missing my connection wouldn't be such a tragedy after all.

Finally we got to the gate and deplaned--it was COLD! in that jetway--I checked the departure boards and zeroed in one the big red letters for Flt. 557: FINAL BOARDING!

I seldom actually run.

As I approached the gate, the door started to close. I called out, "Don't shut that door!" but it probably sounded more like, "*pant* Don' *gasp* shuuu *wheeze* th- *cough* doorrrrrr! *puff*"

VICTORY!!!!

I collapsed into my seat, huffing and puffing and getting hugged by M (Hub's sister), to the applause of nearby passengers. Well, I think they were applauding me, but maybe they were reacting to the announcement of the flight attendant:"Ladies and gentlemen, it is minus 21 degrees here in Chicago, and in LA, where we are heading, it is 68 degrees--that's about 80 degrees warmer. Prepare for take-off!"

Timely Words

"None of us knows what
the next change is going to be,

what unexpected opportunity

is just around the corner, waiting

to change all the tenor of our lives."

Kathleen Norris

I can think of different contexts for this--my personal life, my professional life, the coming inauguration that will certainly affect us all.

I didn't vote for Obama, but I hope and pray he is what this country and this world needs to bring us back from this downslide.

There's also the theory/belief that he's the anti-christ, as read about in the Bible. Very scary in itself.

Whichever way it goes, it's in God's hands. I'm keeping the faith.

Man plans, God laughs

So here I am in Ohio--lovely state! Really. Snow swept vistas as far as the eye can see--and this includes the ROADS.

Flights in went without a hitch--got into and out of Chicago before the delays kicked in, L&J met me at baggage pick-up in Cleveland with smiles and HUGE hugs as usual. We stopped at WalMart on the way home to pick up some pictures of L in her elf costume--curly shoes and all!--that she wore for her choir's show. I fell down in the MAIN aisle of WalMart (don't ask--all I can say is--sometimes it's GOOD to be from out of town). Had a nice day Friday with Mom & Dad. Who KNEW Manwich made such great sloppy joe's?! This will definitely be served at my house from now on. Mom gave me a band-aid for the owie on my knee from the WalMart incident. Yeah, I'm home *sigh* of contentment . . .

Saturday--snowed IN. Drove the 15 minutes to brother Mike's house and that was it. Didn't want to risk putting Dad's car in the ditch (flashing back to high school), so L&J and I put together an entire puzzle and had a very cozy day. Sunday was better--L & I actually made it up to the (as it evolved) Girls' Afternoon of Wine and (this time) L2's (I have 2 friends named the same L name) Texas Chili, Veg Soup, Cornbread, GA's salad and L's homemade cinnamon rolls--YUM!
So anyways, now I'm trying to work 6 day's visiting into 3 days--sorry, can't see everyone I'd hoped this time. Oh, and THEN there was the episode with MOM'S car--but that's a later post--don't worry; no ditches involved.

Let's just say this visit has managed to pretty much go cattywampus on me, so I'm just going with the flow and still having a really good time. Family and friends RAWK!

It's supposed to be a high of 8 degrees on Thursday, not counting the windchill factor. I love my peeps but I don't care if I have to de-ice that plane with a hair dryer, I WILL get back to sunny Southern California. ;0)

Homeward Bound

I'm flying back to Ohio tomorrow for a week, to visit with family and friends. I go twice a year. I always look forward to these visits! When I moved 2500 miles away, I didn't realize how much I would miss my people, and how much I'd come to rely on their support and familiarity. Sometimes I think one of the reasons God brought me here was to open my eyes and heart to that.

Hubs went back with me once or twice at the beginning of our marriage, but hasn't been since. He tells me it's because he knows I have a better time without him--which is true. It wasn't all about him there, so he got irritable quickly and made the week uncomfortable for everybody. He managed to alienate nearly all of my friends with crass observations and unfavorable comparisons--when I was absent. It was a good 2 years before I was told that on his first visit, while I was in the restroom, he looked around one of our favorite local hangouts and remarked, "My R (daughter) wouldn't even walk IN this place."

So yes, we ALL have a better time without him! And we all know it's his loss.

I stay with my best friends, L&J. My first full day back is always spent with Mom & Dad. We catch up on stuff, show each other pictures, etc, and usually head up to the local little diner/pizza shop for lunch. It's a typical small-town hangout, with the other regulars who come in every day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, gossip, world problem-solving, a friendly word, or heated debate over chili and (sometimes) crackers or creamers tossed at each other. The waitresses are local girls (3 nieces now have worked there--1 still does while she gets her teaching degree, and one who already teaches fills in sometimes in the kitchen on weekends or over Christmas break). The waitresses give as good as they get and laughter is always on the menu! If someone doesn't show up for a day or two, people check up on them and make sure they're okay. It's probaby saved a life once or twice.

The rest of the week is spent meeting people for lunch or dinner, visiting my brothers and their families, stopping by the flower shop where I worked for 15 years before moving here, and catching up on everyone's news--births, deaths, who's moving where, who went where for vacation, who married, who got divorced, etc.

I meet up with friends from high school for a couple beers and chit chat about the people we graduated with, some scattered far (like me) and some raising their own kids in the houses THEY were raised in, keeping our small town alive, well and growing, and a good place to come back to.

One night is "Girls Night Out" with L and 2 other ladies. I'm proud to say I brought this group of friends together! We drink wine, eat pizza, and I bask in the much-needed atmosphere.

My family and friends rejuvenate me and remind me of who I am and where I came from, and how proud I am of that.

The Ohio winter reminds me why I like living in California!

We're All In The Same Boat

Today another friend got laid off from her job.

It occurred to me that I've been basically "laid off" for weeks now; our family-owned and run business has been at next to nothing since about October. We closed down part of it, sold off that equipment and returned unused materials to the supplier for a refund--minus their 25% "restocking fee." This happened, mind you, in OCTOBER and we're just NOW scheduled to receive the check from them. Can you say, "Drag your feet" ?!

Like everyone else, we've cut down the spending. I ended my gym membership (which I admit I didn't use much), started finding less expensive alternatives for our vitamins and health & beauty products, and find myself shopping for groceries first at Trader Joe's (cheapest), then WalMart (less cheap), Target (mid-line) and THEN the regular grocery store. Lots more store branded products are in my cupboards these days, and I'm pleased that the quality is just as good. Although I knew that when I lived by myself, I kinda forgot when I married & moved in with my husband, who always liked to buy "the best." He didn't mind if I bought the name brand, so why not?! It was a luxury!

Does anyone else have a Sam's Club membership? Or Costco? We're Sam's people--the price of the membership is more than covered by what we save annually at their gas pumps alone. I also get milk there for $2.40/gallon--it hovers at $4/gallon in the grocery. Even clothes--I found Nine West jeans (the same people who bring us cute shoes & handbags!) there that actually FIT for $15 a pair--and they're trendy and cute!

What ways have you found to cut corners or costs and been pleasantly surprised by the results?

The Last Blast

Well, I didn't get up and walk yesterday (Sunday)--got distracted by hubs *wink wink* so that was okay!

Later we picked up R&J (sd & sil) and drove to Sherman Oaks to see Gran Torino, the new Clint Eastwood movie. It's good--vintage Clint, with the raspy voice and menacing glare, and worth the price of a ticket. We hear he may be hanging up his "starring role" hat after this film. We had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory--their fish tacos are awesome--and of course dessert--hubs & I shared a piece of Key Lime cheesecake and R&J shared the Tuxedo cheesecake.

The Galleria still had their Christmas decorations up so I snapped a few shots with my phone cam. It was like, the last blast of Christmas. Blow out the candles, Jesus, and let's get this New Year rockin'!

On that note, today's walk was great! That hill wasn't such a killer this time, woo hoo!

Doin' good!

I've gotten up 2--count 'em, TWO!--mornings in a row and fulfilled Res #1 to walk around the block! Yay me!

It takes me about 35 minutes--"the block" is actually 1.3 miles with a looong uphill climb included about halfway. Not steep, but definitely an upward slope,the top of which is a pinpoint from the bottom (this hill is a notorious speedtrap--and today I did see someone going down the hill get pulled over). And the last bit, coming up the street to our house at the top of the cul de sac, is known as "Suicide Hill" amongst the bike-riding set, if that tells you anything.

I also carry 1.5 lb. handweights and pump my arms in an effort to firm up those wings hanging off where triceps are supposedly located.

The hardest part is to make myself keep walking PAST our Starbuck's on the corner. I won't allow myself to carry money or my 'Buck's card because I know the temptation would win every time. And since I get right out of bed and get going, I REALLY wouldn't want to go in 'Buck's with bedhead and unbrushed teeth. Bleh!

A day late but no less pithy!

My fav cuz (shout out to Juls!) sent me a collection of page-a-day inspirational quotes by women. This was for Jan. 1 and I had to share it.

I said to a man who stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown." And he replied, "Go out into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way."--M. Louise Haskins

Think about it. It gave ME pause.

I stopped by Blondefabulocity on my way here and liked the discription of her first day of 2009--so, I'm stealing her idea and this was MY day:

Didn't start Resolution #1 (walk around the block--1.3 miles--every morning)because hubs & I slept in. Oh well, I'll start tomorrow--because of Res #2: don't beat myself up if I don't walk EVERY day. If I don't love me, who will?!
Did the morning run to Starbuck's alone since hubs was working on a house project and wanted to jump right in (because of oversleeping). Got the latte and the drip w/ice, exchanged HNY's with other regulars and of course the wonderful people who make the coffee, came home, and got this blog set up. THAT took me into early afternoon ( I SAID I was new at this!).
Got most of Christmas put away and let hubs finish that because GOD FORBID anything happens to the artificial prelit tree while I'm packing it away. Let HIM do it.
Went to stepdaughter's & her husband's house for dinner and to play Seinfeld Scene-It, which they got us for Christmas. GREAT game, has anyone played it? R (stepd) won the first game and much to my surprise I won the second. J (stepd's hubs) made fantastic turkey soup and home made pot stickers--this guy can COOK! So can R, but this was J's night in the kitchen. Their wonderdog, Zoe, lavished us with her attention throughout the evening, which all you doglovers KNOW is aces!

Does anybody have anything they want to change this year? Not necessarily resolutions, but things you think will make your life and the lives around you better? I figure that by living a healthier life, I'll feel better and be a nicer person to be around (and maybe fit into some clothes that are too tight these days). Nothing too drastic--just common sense things like eating better and less, and exercising more. Something I can make a HABIT--like flossing. I was awful about flossing before--until the hygenist did a "deep clean"--now I floss EVERY NIGHT--if you've ever had a "deep clean" you know what I mean.

I have other goals & plans too but that's enough for one post--I don't want to chase you off with too much yada yada yada!

Thus it begins . . .

Welcome to PhinzStuff!
I have no idea what I'll be writing about, but I hope I can be as entertaining, deep, and/or encouraging as some other bloggers I read.

I don't think I'm the voice of reason or really the voice of anything, except the voice of me.

I'm new at this whole thing, and certainly not a computer genius, so bear with me as I learn about tags, communities, links, etc.

So here goes!