Corn Flakes for Anti-Masturbation: Dr. Kellogg

I have the most interesting discussions regarding sex and religion with my son (age 27 and living on his own -- so immediately get any Duggar references or Jared the Subway kiddie porn dude out of your mind).  We have always had a very open dialogue and no subjects were ever off limits; hence, both my kids talk to me about anything and everything. 

I am planning a short trip down to San Diego this weekend and I will see my son along with other family members who will also be down there from Minnesota.  One family member my son is quite fond of is my younger brother.  So, in talking with my son last night we got to talking about my immediate family dynamics and commented on how my brother is the most typical-atypical Midwesterner he has ever known. 

The conversation segwayed to how uptight Mid-westerners could be and that led to Dr. Kellogg and his famous corn flakes dry cereal for breakfast.  I thought at first my son was joking that Dr. Kellogg promoted a bland diet to prevent boys from masturbating.  It turned out to be true.  Unbelievable.   People actually bought into that line of idiocracy and the popular Kellogg Corn Flakes appeared on just about every breakfast table in America. 

Guess what?

Masturbation kept on happening and now we have the famous Kellogg's  'frosted' corn flakes.  I know you will never see corn flakes the same way ever again.  I bet you will never eat corn flakes ever again.  Sorry if I grossed you out, but my point is that people believe so much garbage that is just down-right wrong if presented from somebody perceived to be 'educated.'  People are so easily led and brainwashed that it's scary.  It's still happening with politics and religion. 

I can't make this stuff up, people. 

William the Silent: Coming To See You, Grandpa

Planning on a month in Europe next summer.  Finally.  Yes, it's a work trip but I will have some latitude to wonder around on my own.  I'm not sure exactly how much free time I will have as events unfold but I'm determined that it is my turn to travel a bit. 

I will be spending some time in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.  I'm thrilled to finally be able to visit all three places.  I've been to Amsterdam before but did not have enough time to venture out of the immediate city.  France and Belgium are new for me.  I better learn French.  Fast. 

Anyway, one place that is on my 'bucket list' is to visit my Grandfather's (17 generations back) tomb at Nieuwe Kerk in the Netherlands.  My grandfather x17 was William the Silent who the Dutch relate to much like our George Washington.  I remember hearing stories about him as a young child way before the internet and getting the impression that he was a 'bad man.'

Well, he definitely got around and managed to marry multiple times and father even more children with wives, servants, etc.  I am one of his bastard offspring.  I think there is still resentment lingering somewhere in the family stories.  I guess Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned. 

As I grew older I began to study his life and figured out that perhaps he was a hopeless, horny womanizer; he was also a celebrated rebel and went against the establishment.  Gee. I guess the apple did not fall from the tree - even 17 generations later.  What *really* freaked me out was seeing a portrait of William the Silent for the first time.  Damn.  My dad looks just like him.  Eerie.  One would have thought that so many combinations for genetics over the generations would have washed out such a striking resemblance. 

My plan is to visit Delft, Netherlands and Nieuwe Kerk to have a silent, heart-to-heart with Grandpa.  I think he would be proud that some of his seeds sprouted to carry on the rebellious spirit and questioning authority.  I want to deliver that message personally to his grave.  Nobody will know what I'm doing as silence is something we are both extremely capable of.   Making a spectacle out of myself and drawing attention is not in my being. 

Presidential Election

The circus has begun and its traveling road show will come to a location near you if you have not already been subject to the pompous, arrogant, car salesmen who are dominating the media.  I refuse to name them as that just gives them more of what they are looking for -- the unobstructed spotlight and perceived power.

Do any of the candidates really think they can change things?  It's all an ego fest.  It will take me time and effort to sift through the orchestrated propaganda and find factual information (which never appears in sound byte headlines) and vote for the person I feel will best represent the people.

I'm saddened that our system of government has become such a mockery and a venue for narcissism.  My American Government instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College said it best over 20 years ago, "Democracy is the WORST form of government, except for all the others.  It's current format is designed to give people instant gratification through a popularity contest.  There is a reason why we can't always get what we think we want."

Minnesota Weather Wimps

It's all come around full-circle, people.  It always does.  I remember going back to the 1960's and 1970's how tough the Purple People Eaters (Minnesota Vikings) were and also the Minnesota Twins. Both football and baseball games were played outdoors.  

Well, then the players and their fans got tired of:   getting snowed on, rained on, hailed on, sitting outside in sub zero temperatures, sitting outside in extreme heat and humidity, getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, etc., etc., etc., so they had this idea to build a domed stadium downtown.  I remember it well like it was yesterday. 

Both teams began to suck -- except for the Twins, who managed to win two world series under the dome. 

So now they decided that both teams were 'tougher and meaner' when they played outside in the elements.  New outdoor stadiums rose up out of the dirt. 

Now that they are out in the elements, the problems are arising from the fan base.  See, many travel for 3-10 hours from all around and take time off to attend a game as the Vikings and the Twins are the ONLY pro teams in the 5 state area (Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin -- we do not count the Packers or the Brewers as pro sports teams).  When there is rain delay or other weather related cancellation or delay is messes up the fans even more than the players.  They can't easily exchange their ticket for another day or time.  It's too much of a hardship.  It was not an issue when the sports teams played inside.  You can't always get time off of work or make another trip from western North Dakota to take in a game. 

It just goes to show how fickle people are.  When the teams played outside, they wanted to be inside and vice versa. 

Business Games

The fun never stops with catching unscrupulous business practices and then calling the owner/perpetrator on it. 

My daughter is in a housing transition.  She vacated her apartment along with her two roommates (which was a horror story all in itself as my daughter and I were the only ones there to do the deep cleaning and heavy lifting of their sofa and other stuff they left behind -- the other two roommates said they had to "work" and just dropped off their keys and walked with insincere apologies) leaving us to deal with the property manager who must be Satan incarnated. 

As you can tell, Quiet Rage is already in a bad mood.  One positive trait I do have is that I will not mess with you and make your life miserable unless you deserve it.  If you to try to pull one over on me,  I go for the jugular and will have you choking on your own words in an instant in a pool of blood.  I will own you.  Guaranteed.

Anyway, knowing that my daughter was going to vacate I gave written notice 2 months prior that the lease was not going to be renewed.  I know slum lords will try to work any angle they can to try to screw you out of your security deposit.  Phone calls mean nothing.  Everything has to be in writing.  I know this game. 

The lease ended mid month.  Again, knowing how unscrupulous slum lords operate, I asked in writing what the prorated rent was for the partial month.  I wanted them to set the amount - in writing.  Ok... so I get the prorated amount.  I then put in writing how the last rent check was going to arrive via my online bill pay service to their address in Novato.  I've paid the rent the EXACT same way each and every month of the lease.  It's nothing new.  I issued the check earlier than usual because I suspected they would try to play games. 

Sure enough, they did.  The check was returned to me after two weeks, unprocessed, stating that they could not accept it because it was issued by me and not my daughter.  They now said they needed a cashiers check as the rent was late and we were going to be charged a late fee.

I went nuts.

I immediately went to my bank and they had my back.  I obtained all of the transaction records that the rent had been paid via the same means each and every month of the lease and now suddenly they have a problem with the last one?  Hmmmmmmm  I'm not a moron.

I drove down to Novato to see the property manager in person and hand delivered the bank records.  Of course, she wasn't available.   I did not get any response.  So, I kept faxing, emailing, etc., asking why they would not accept my last rent payment.  The excuses were so lame and pathetic and I called them on all of it.  I had them caught in their own web of lies and they finally ended up admitting they made a mistake.  I ended up submitting an invoice to THEM for my wasted time and effort.  I charged the same hourly rate and mileage that they would have charged to clean the apartment had it been left trashed (which it was not). 

Now... I have to wait 21 days for the security deposit.  Tick tock.  I'm certain they will not pay my invoice for my wasted time and trouble.  I can't wait to take them to small claims court and see Satan try to argue in front of a judge as to why they dicked me around.  The money is irrelevant.  I just want to see Satan squirm. 

Third Time is the Charm

There is a guy I work with who just got married -- for the third time.  Let's call him Mack.  I've known this guy for 20 years and have worked with him on various projects.  Being he had kids the same age as mine from his first wife, I got to know the family pretty well.  He and his first wife split up, but I remained friends with his first wife as our kids went to school together and we would see each other quite a bit at functions and what not.  Wife #1 never bad-mouthed her ex and I never asked any questions although the kid would mention things from time to time that somehow did not surprise me.  

Mack was single for a short stint and got married again to wife #2.  She looked amazingly like his first wife.  It was kind of weird for me as I would almost slip up and call wife #2 by wife #1's name.  Big no-no.  She was younger than him by about 10-15 years and they had a baby together.  Needless to say, that marriage did not last.  Like I mentioned earlier -- I've known Mack for 20 years and have worked closely with him on various projects.  I'm surprised that neither wife actually killed him.

Fast forward to 2015.  In between wives, Mack (now I will call him Mickey Rooney), would comment on how he loves dating and getting married.  He likes the rush of a new romance and marriage.  I told him that usually for women getting married means something permanent.  Usually when women say 'yes' they expect something long-term, for better and for worse, and are adult enough to realize that the rush of romance fades and a solid base exists for the long haul.

Sure enough, Mickey just returned from his home country in Europe and he was flashing his new wedding band at the meeting yesterday and gloated to me that 'she said yes.'  At this point, he must have quite the collection of wedding bands.   This is wife #3. 

OK...  getting married the first time and divorcing.  Everybody makes a mistake.  By the second marriage one should realize that this is not the first rodeo and go in eyes wide open and not have any false or unrealistic expectations.  The third marriage tells me that any stability or anything long-term with him is non-existent.  No surprise for me. 

Like I said, I've worked with Mickey for 20 years.  I know his pushy, demanding, narcissistic personality better than any of his unsuspecting wives.  I'm giving wife #3 about four years before his new bride throws herself to her death over a cliff into a rocky ravine. 

The other two ran away screaming as well. 

Cash Offers

Oh NO!!!!!  It's starting.  The cash offers from people wanting to buy my house are starting to arrive from both real estate agents and individual offers.  The solicitors are generally techie-types or "earthers" who love:  the location (city sewer and water, but still a country setting, and walking distance to downtown), large lot size, renovations done (permit pulls from the building department are public), floor plan, proximity to the neoNazi incubator run by the Bored Moms on Prozac (a.k.a. schools), and the fact that it's not a McMansion but a smartly thought-out design with low-maintenance. 

I have to admit the prospective buyers have done their homework.  Some of them have admitted making several drive by's.  I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be flattered or creeped out.  My house is being stalked.  It's like vultures circling waiting for my life circumstances to change due to death, divorce, disability, or whatever. 

Be careful what you wish for.  A few years back I suspected that McMansions were out of style as they are now viewed as nothing but a waste of resources for selfish and pretentious people.  Liken it to driving around a Hummer polluting.  It's soooooooooo not "in"  

Well, I had the fore sight to see it all coming and luckily made a home purchase long ago based on that despite the Bored Moms on Prozac who live up the hill thinking I was not flashy enough for their club that obsessed about material trappings and accumulating bright, shiny objects. 

I never fit into that "club" anyway....thank goddesses.

The Village at Corte Madera

My daughter and I have a long-standing tradition of shopping for her birthday.  She does not want a party, and she does not want gifts.  She wants Momma to spend the day with her.  Our routine is to first go to The Village shopping mall in Corte Madera where she has her favorite stores before we head to Sol Food in San Rafael on our way back to Sonoma County for lunch.

One store we both agree on is Nordstroms.  I was surprised that they had a big, black guy mixing 70's funk music on loud speakers by the escalator.  Instant smile for me.  I had to stop and feel the beat near the speakers while waiting for my daughter was at the cosmetics counter.  I took a look around and saw a bunch of stuffy, stiff, unhappy people who were not phased one bit by the music.  There was a moment I felt a tad of sadness for them.

So, being me, i broke out in dance and sashayed my way over the the cosmetics counter where my daughter was getting helped by one of the cosmeticians.  There was a black cosmetician who gave me the biggest grin and thumbs up and said, "You got the moves, girl. I wish more people would lighten up and enjoy life. You're my kind of person."

I immediately thought of my African dance troupe comrade and how much I miss feeding off her energy in dance class.

It did not take long for the black Nordstrom employees working on that floor to gather 'round as I was obviously a rarity and source of amusement for a white, middle-aged woman to dance right there at Nordstroms.....old school funk-style.  My daughter commented that I'm like a magnet for black people.  LOL

Meteor Showers and Random Thoughts

Early to mid August brings the annual meteor showers.  I have a fond childhood memory of going out on top of the garage roof as a kid with my older brother, who ordinarily never gave me the time of day, but this was something we both found cool.  We would lie on our backs and watch the wonder of the meteor showers.  It was pretty spectacular.  He was also the first one to show me the northern lights.  I had seen them prior, but did not really know what they were.  It was a giant "a-HA" moment for me.  I remember looking up at the sky, admiring the wonders of the solar system, and feeling incredibly small in comparison. 

In Sonoma County it's not so easy to view this annual celestial show.  Fog and light pollution put a damper in just walking out your front door to see nature's wonder.  Bummer. 

The 'big picture' is something I'm really trying to embrace these days.  We all get caught up in our petty daily irritants and annoyances, but fail to see the greater life lesson that is being taught.  The grand lessons of life are disguised in the seemingly boring and ordinary. 

Something that I take for granted are relationships on all levels.  We always think that so-and-so will be around forever.  They won't.  How are you going to express your appreciation  on how they impacted your life?  My African dance partner has been absent and not shown up to class.  I walk in only to see her spot empty on the floor -- which was next to me.  For a couple of moms, we were truly a salt-n-peppa team that could draw observers.  My African dance partner became gravely ill suddenly.  I miss her.  This song is one where she would turn to me and say, "take it away, sistah."

Birthday Parties

I enjoy a good party.  There's not much to NOT like about food, drink, conversation, and dancing.  However, I'm sooooooooooo SICK of everybody recording everything with their iPhones.  The following is a true story:

I attended a birthday party here in Sonoma County for a friend this past weekend.  Yes, she has the large, lovely house on the hill with a view and all the trappings.  Yes, she likes to throw parties in her own honor.  Yes, she is a Facebook/social media whore.  No, she can't pass up a microphone.  No, she can't pass up the spotlight.

Regardless, this friend and I go back a long way and I have my own quirks that she finds equally annoying.  Fair enough.  We call each other on our own issues that the other one finds annoying.  That's why we've been long-time friends.  We take the good with the bad.  That's the definition of a good friend. 

Anyway, despite my repeated requests to NEVER tag me in any Facebook posts she went and did it anyway.  I removed the tag immediately and changed my settings (yet again) as Facebook has a way of undoing your privacy choices every few months.  

What was even more annoying was that her guests were walking around the party the entire time taking iPhone videos.  Really?  Grow up. 

The creep factor set in for me when the dance music started.  This is what did it for me.  The hired DJ played a song that most women can't help but get up to dance to.  Sure enough, the women all did.  I looked over my shoulder as I was dancing and saw a guy sitting there all by himself with his iPhone carefully capturing our dance moves as he was unnaturally engrossed.   CREEP!  In the old days I would have said, "Take a picture, it lasts longer."

Well, nowadays they take videos....and go home and beat off to them later. 

Room mates and Slobs: One of the Same?

I have four rules for my kids:  be respectful, fair, responsible, and CLEAN.  That's it.  This is not rocket science, people.  The pre-stated four principles will get you far in life.  Advanced degrees from Lah-Ti-Dah Univesity are not required.  I have zero tolerance for slobs and unorganized people.  It costs nothing to be clean or organized.    Being "poor" or "overworked" does not fly in my book. 

Funny, but the slobs/unorganized find plenty of time and money to do the "fun things" they like but when it comes to paying rent on time, cleaning up their dishes, etc., they are suddenly placed in some sort of quasi-vague disability of stress, hormones, you-name-it syndrome and can't be expected to pull their weight or live up to the promises/contracts they made.  They try to  blame somebody else for their own crap.  Literally. 

It's usually the slobs and unorganized people who conveniently skip town to go to Monterey or wherever when the moving date draws near and cleaning the oven that they incinerated with burnt lasagne and god-only-knows-what that will require a HAZMAT team to quarantine and sanitize.  Hmmmmmmm the expiration of the lease date has only been known for a year.  This is no surprise to anybody. 

Hmmmmmmmm the slobs are nowhere to be found when the real work is to be done....but they are already leaving me voice mails and text messages about getting their "fair share" of the security deposit back. 

News Flash:  Nobody likes slobs.   Nobody wants to clean up YOUR mess. 

Quiet Rage LOVES this type of ass-hole-ish-ness.  Bring it on.  They have no idea what I am capable of and the meticulous records I keep.  Little do the slobs know the entire security deposit is coming back to ME.  I will gladly and promptly forward any amounts over and above what I originally put down for the security deposit -- that is if they clean up after themselves. 

I serve revenge cold and silent.  Do NOT mess with me.  Literally. 

Mille Lacs: Hunting and Fishing Paradise

En route to the Coven Cabin we witches must go north up Highway 169 past Mille Lacs.  It's a pretty drive and we pass through a mish-mash of towns, landmarks, and assorted establishments:  Half-Breed Motorcycles, various Ojibwa reservations and casinos, the giant walleye statue, hunting lodges, and roadhouses. 

I could not help but take a picture of the sign on the door at the Y Club when we stopped in for a bite declaring that guns were not allowed on the premises.  My coven gave me the strangest look and one of them said, "Why are you taking a picture of that?  Does that really stand out in your mind?"

The other thing that I found amusing was the proliferation of  what I call the 'anti-political' bumper sticker.  No endorsements for politicians or causes.  People just put random, borderline gross (but humorous), statements on their cars. 

I have obviously been away from my childhood roots too long.

Dark Horse

I love this video.  I also love the lyrics to this song.  I know it's been around for a bit but I still have it on my play list -- and I always will.

"So, you wanna play with magic?  Boy, you should know what you're falling for.  Baby, do you dare to do this?  'Cause I'm coming at you like a dark horse."