homemaker

Some are big.  Some are medium and some are small.  They come in black, silver, white or red (usually).  Nowadays, they all look pretty much the same.  I can tell an SUV from a convertible but not a Honda from a BMW.

This makes my husband and son a little crazy because they know EVERYTHING about automobiles.  When they are talking horsepower, gear ratios or hydraulic fluid, it all sounds like “blah, blah, blah” to me.

Do I care if it’s a GS, a 280Z or an XYZ?  Nope.  As long as it starts when I turn the  key, hauls garbage to the dump as well as  butt on a five hour trip, has heated seats and gets good mileage, I don’t care if it won at Daytona or lost at Le Mans.  Just as long as it gets me where I want to go in relative comfort, I’m happy.

All that other stuff just doesn’t matter.  Sorry guys. 

Turning away from the clerk, I took a deep breath while my husband paid for the bread purchased at a new bakery which had opened near us recently.  “That will be $6.00, please.”

I tried hard to keep from hyperventilating as (from the corner of my eye) I saw my husband actually give the money to the clerk.  Now, let me see.  With butter going for $4.00 a pound, it is costing us $10.00 just to put bread on the table! 

Bread coated with the same stuff Jack puts in the bird feeder for $6.00?  As I  wondered how much he’d paid for the seed bought at the hardware store, the little crumbly things pooled in the bottom of the plastic bag, along with some wayward oats.

“Don’t worry,” he says.  “We can scoop up the crumbs and eat them with a spoon.  That way we’ll get our money’s worth.”

Well, for damn sure we’re not going to let it go stale and feed it to the critters outside our back door.  We will devour every morsel, whether we like it or not!  Toasted, slathered with peanut butter, enveloping baloney and cheese or just plain-plain, this bread will be eaten by humans long before any green stuff reproduces into neat little spores, rendering it unfit for anything but making our own homemade penicillin.

And, next week we’ll be shoppping at the WalMart Supercenter, day-old bakery, bread section.

After listening to all the post-inauguration hype, my head is spinning with repercussions of over 200 years of so-called “independence.”  This country is riddled with frustrated people who really have little to say about how it’s run, no matter what our political affiliations.

After handing over complete power to Congress and the President, we have to sit back and watch as these elected officials mess with our banks, the environment, our health care, sexual orientation, the military command and homeland security.

My husband and I have spent a lifetime taking much better care of ourselves than the U.S. Government ever could and I don’t expect them to start being good at it now.  Actually, if they would like some really good advice, they should ask us.  We’ve been handling finances, raising kids, dealing with medical conditions, recycling and keeping our home safe while paying for it on time for over 45 years.  All that with  high FICA scores!

Hey, Congress can you say that? 

I see where the Serbians and the Bosnians squared off after the Australian Tennis Open.  Plastic dining tables were used as weapons (sports equipment) and a few people were hurt (points scored).  I think this opens up a whole new type of event.  We can get a double header (twofer) with one game in the arena and one outside.  The Palestinians can face off with the Israelies using tube chairs, the Leboneese can challenge the Syrians with plastic cutlery and Zimbabwe can whip the Egyptians with brightly-colored place mats.

This all may sound silly but it is no sillier than the exhibition outside the courts in Australia.  Did those nudnicks watch themselves on the evening news?  There may even be some who think batting a ball over a net and calling it a game is silly.

Be that as it may, there seems to be a group of people out here who have a short fuse and will fight at the drop of a tennis ball.  Like there’s not enough fighting in the real world already.

I guess I’m missing something since I’m still seeing a lot of Bush bashing on the internet.  Didn’t the Dems win?  Haven’t they taken over the entire congress?   Do the people who swept the Republicans out of office want even more?  If so, what???

Why aren’t these people spending their valuable time volunteering to help make the perfect country that Republican opponents have been portraying for the last four years, instead of pursuing some vague type of political revenge?  Their type of “change” seems to encompass eroding the reputation of those who served their country despite rampant criticism and uncountable personal attacks that would not be tolerated by any private citizen?

If these bashers are trying to set an example of how this country should be run, they are sorely missing their target.  All they are managing to do is embarass themselves and the very political party and president which they claim to represent.

Hey, let’s all wake up and move on!

There are two women I’ve met during my lifetime whom I admire more than anyone else beside my family members (of course).  The first, I met in a hospital many years ago, while I was awaiting surgery.  A growth, pressing her spine was making it difficult for her to walk and she was going to have it removed.  Despite her painful, frightening ordeal, this mother of very young children was cheerful and optimistic.

A few years later, when I met her again, she was in a wheelchair and had the same upbeat, positive outlook.  Although I could never remember her name or details, I will never forget meeting someone who endured great loss and sadness with such strength.  She is an inspiration to anyone who has had the privilege of knowing this special lady.

The second, was a bookeeper in a law firm where I was once a receptionist.  This woman was tiny and crippled but had the best attitude of anyone I have ever met.  She arose each morning, caught the local bus, rode a few miles to our building and cheered up everyone she came in contact with.  She was smart, funny and extremely helpful all of the time.  I can’t remember her name either but wherever these two people are today, I hope they know how much others truly admired and appreciated them.

1.  Arrogance.  If find this quality in anyone to be unforgivable.  If you’re that perfect, you won’t want to hang around with me anyway.

2.  Bossiness.  Combined with arrogance, this would make a person unbelievably annoying.

3.  Know-it-All.  If I knew an arrogant, bossy, know-it-all, I would go mad in less than one hour in their presence.

4.  Penny-Pinching.  These people can be aggravating.  Actually, I have this trait, so I’m the one who does the irritating.  Sorry.

5.  Spend Thrift. This trait really kills me.  Why throw away money when it’s absolutely unnecessary?  Think of all the things you can do with your “saved” dollars–especially in hard times.

6.  Slobiness.   Is this really a word?  I don’t care if someone lives like a pig.  As long as I don’t live with them, who cares?  But, if you are a neat nick and do, heaven help you!

7.  Talks-Too-Much.  If you find yourself placing your hands on either side of your head and rocking back and forth when you’re near one of these people, get away as soon as you can.  Or, if you’re one of the talkers, practice listening to someone else for a change.  People love it when you really listen to them.  Now there’s a chick magnet.

What traits do you hate?

Ask yourself this: can you drive with the radio on?  Does music interfere with your ability to focus on your driving?

I have been using a car phone since the early ’90’s.  For some reason, this has not created any problems for me.  I can still see what is in front, next to and behind me but I think text messaging should be banned from autos.  Surely no one can concentrate on anything else if their eyes are focused on their message screen.  

How will anyone know if we are text messaging during an accident?  That’s simple.  It shows up on our cell phone accounts.

Actually, dialing the phone is my biggest problem.  But, if we have a hands-free phone set, talking (and listening) should be no different than if there is a passenger in the car or we are listening to talk radio.

If not, be a responsible adult and just don’t do it!

Friday the 16th of January (noon) because January will be one half over!

“Brideshead Revisited” is now available on DVD!

The new president can get to work on fixing the economy, bringing about world peace and assuring everyone gets super healthcare!

Flu season will end soon!

The January thaw!

Great Skiing in New Hampshire and Vermont!

Cheap air fares to the Bahamas!

Super Bowl Sunday!

Valentine’s Day!

Days get longer in February!

And, last but not least, St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner!

What great things are you looking forward to?

Hey, how about a self-cleaning house?  You switch on vacuum suckers (placed around the molding) and all the dust goes into a thingy located in the cellar that you empty once a month.  Add drain holes in the bathrooms and kitchen where you just spray soapy water all over, rinse with a hose and big fans dry the whole area.  Talk about a dream house!

I can’t believe we don’t have self-cleaning refrigerators.  It seems like a no-brainer after spending $2,500.00 for these new appliances that don’t even clean themselves.  That is outrageous!

I would LOVE a mode of transportation (like a luxury train) that you can board in one town, have a great meal and arrive at your destination (anywhere in the U.S.) rested and full.  Who cares how long that takes?

What would you like to see invented?