Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot

 Back in the early 80's a radio station in the Twin Cities (that's Minneapolis and St. Paul to those who are not familiar with the moniker) that played a song on WLOL every morning during the morning show with Heinz and Berglund.  I guarantee this Swedish jibberish will stick in your head.  Bonus points if you can translate.  LOL

Did You Gather With Others?

In scrolling through what's left of my social media accounts, I saw so many pictures of family gatherings opening gifts, having dinner, etc., all indoors and without masks.  Even the people who earlier in the pandemic self-righteously posted #staythefuckathome posted pictures of their kids crawling all over their aunts, uncles, and grandparents,. 

So much for staying home and not mixing households.  

People are playing with fire.  You know what happens when people play with fire;  people get burned.  Unfortunately, when the spike happens in about a week or so, hospital beds will be tough to come by and the medical staff simply too depleted and exhausted to care if you get treated or die.  

Quesadillas and Bean Dip with Corn Chip Scoops

 It's an unusual Christmas Eve.  Usually about now I'm racing around making preparations for our annual gathering after attending church service.  

Not this year.  The church service is online and nobody is coming over.  

Yesterday I made the trek to San Jose to drop off gifts for my son and his husband.  I did not even get to hug him or go inside his house.  Usually they come up and stay for a couple days over Christmas.  On the bright side, I got to see his face and not an image on a screen.  

Another tradition buster:  Mexican food for Christmas Eve dinner.  I'm going to make quesadillas and we will have M's bean dip with corn chip scoops.  It's been a long time since I've made M's bean dip.  I had to call her to ask what was in it.  It's been a long time for her as well and she had to dig through her memory bank to recall the recipe.  M's bean dip is *really* good.  I remember one party I had some years ago and M brought her famous bean dip.  One of my husband's friends commented, "I am going to marry whoever made this bean dip - even if it's a guy."  

At the time my husband's friend was, what he thought, to be happily married.  Nope.  The wife decided to run off with some guy in a motorcycle gang.  M is now single as well.  Perhaps the bean dip marriage will really happen. 

Age of Aquarius

Yesterday was a very special solstice.  There has been a colossal shift in cosmic energy the past week or so.   We had a lunar eclipse that was packed with energy along with Jupiter and Saturn conjoining on solstice.  What a TREAT!  We will be feeling the after effects for decades if not millennia.  

We are moving away from the material and into spiritual or virtual if you will.  Our whole way of operating over the last two hundred years with focus on amassing material things is dissipating.   It's exciting and scary all at the same time.  Like any transition, it will not be without growing pains.  Yesterday marked the door closing and locking on years of exploiting the planet and people for material gain.  It's over.  There is no going back.  Innovation and technology awaits us moving forward.  Feeling as though everything is up in the air is the new norm.  Aquarius is an air sign and it's also very intellectual. 

We've been hearing about it for decades - this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.  

The System is Down

 The system is down.  The system is down.  The system is down.  

I went to log on today and guess what......the system is down.  

It's been a while since the system has given me trouble.  Computers and associated programming are not perfect.  I had a flashback to when my son was in his early teens and he would have LAN parties in the garage.  This little song was one that stuck in my memory and still sing to myself when.....the system is down.  You're welcome for the ear worm.  

Cancelled Christmas

 Christmas has been cancelled at our house this year and I'm strangely OK with it.  Usually, it's standing room only at breakfast.  We're not even wrapping gifts this year.  They are going under the tree in their boxes or bags they came in.  One less environmental crime we are committing; the obnoxious waste of wrapping paper.  The presents themselves are of practical uses.  

It's the stay-at-home order that is allowing us to just be.  THANK YOU!!  It's puzzling as to how many social gatherings and in person meetings I'm still invited to during the pandemic.  Even invoking the stay-at-home orders reason for opting out draws mild criticism.  A fat percentage of the meetings are a complete waste of time, anyway. 

I'm loathing the end of the virus stay-at-home orders and when the world returns to it's hectic pace.  It's so peaceful not running around all the time and not having people in my face. 

COVID Vaccine

 Everybody is anticipating the arrival and distribution of the COVID vaccine.  Not so fast.  I'm no doctor nor scientist, but I do know that vaccines take years to develop with in-depth testing.  How did the COVID vaccine jump though all the scrutinizing so quickly?  Is it because it's an emergency?  Yeah, I guess I could buy that.  At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, I know of nurses who work the COVID units who do not want the vaccine for that very reason - the long term effects are unknown.  

One theory is that the vaccine should not be given to younger people as the long-term effect will be sterilization.  This is supposedly on purpose as over population is what's going to kill us all.  We can't seem to control our own reproduction at sustainable levels so it has to be done for us.  The government will somehow think we will have a choice to get the vaccine, but the 'choice' will not be a choice at all.  Proof of COVID vaccination will be required to fly, attend events, etc. 

In any event, one of the most helpful things you can do is to get the pneumonia vaccine.  No, it will not prevent COVID but it can help you survive it.  I've heard that's one of the reasons the US death rate is so high; we don't vaccinate ourselves for pneumonia like other nations do.  The pneumonia vaccine has been around for a long time and I personally trust that more than some vaccine that has been rushed through the process.  

In the meantime please stay safe out there.  I don't wish the virus on anybody - even those I have angrily roasted in this dumb blog. 

 

California Taxes

 If taxing was the solution, why is California so poor?  We have extremely high taxes, but every agency keeps crying for more and more money.  

 

Wasn't it GREAT?

 I'm sitting here smiling ear to ear.  This has been one of the best Thanksgivings ever.  Of course, I miss my Minnesota family and they are not fodder for any of my angry holiday rants.  I'm venting about my in-laws and their offspring.  

COVID has allowed us to ditch traditions that have grated on hosts nerves for decades.  For years I would cook large meals for holidays.  As all the kids in the family grew so did their entitlement attitudes.  It became expected that holiday meals magically appeared without effort on my part and I, as a host, should know to plan via telepathy if these now grown kids were going to show up at all and on time; and if they did, if they were going to bring a plus one.  Answering invitations in a timely manner, or at all,  is something that is completely lost on them.  

This year I got the big BOW OUT.  Nope, not hosting.  We were fine just with our household bubble.  It's much safer than mixing households.  Another family member, who I will refer to as K, lives in town and invited her elderly mother and father over.  Pretty soon it was the elderly parents and the Melting Snow Woman (their completely useless, lazy, and nasty alcoholic daughter who is 53 years old and sister to K).  Then it was Melting Snow Woman's daughter, toddler, and husband.  Then it was Melting Snow Woman's other daughter who decided at the night before Thanksgiving that she wanted to come and also bring along her girlfriend.  

Stop right there.  K's invitation was to her elderly parents.  The others are like toilet paper on a shoe that wanted to trail along uninvited.  It's so unfair to K.  She was planning on a very small gathering and it morphed into a circus of several households.  The toilet paper brigade is like a swarm of locusts.  They will find a host, completely consume them, and then move on.  I was so proud of K when she put the brakes on hosting the toilet paper locust brigade.  She simply stated that was too many without notice and it was not safe.  

K's parents ended up hosting the locusts, which is sad as they are elderly and not in the best of health, and K was trying to do something nice for them.  I'm sure the locusts sat on their bottoms while the elderly lady cooked and cleaned and did not contribute one bit as that is what they are known for.  However, the parents are reaping what they have sown.  

The point is that the locust toilet paper brigade landed exactly at the source of their hatching.  It's sad that they will consume and kill their hosts, but I have no control over that and I'm glad to be rid of the pests.  LIBERATED AT LAST :)

COVID Curfew

 We here in Sonoma County have been issued a curfew between the hours of 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM.  I'm not exactly sure what that means, but everything is pretty much shut down anyway.  Now everybody has their undies in a bunch because there's concern that it won't be enforced by law enforcement.  I don't get that, either.  These same people who want the police to drop what they are doing and hunt down anybody who is not donning a mask don't think we need law enforcement, anyway.  

Which has me go to the "defund the police" battle cry as of late.  The do-gooders think that monetary resources are best served for mental health professionals and the like instead of cops.  Let's think that through for a minute.  Are psychologists going to ride along with cops?  How will it be determined that mental health is needed instead of arrest and incarceration?  That line is awfully thin and blurry.  Cops get called for seemingly routine 5150 that can turn ugly and violent without notice by the time the 911 call is placed and the cops arrive.  Sometimes even non-emergency calls turn ugly and violent.  Are psychologists also willing to put their lives on the line for these first responder calls? 

Where I'm going is that answering a police call, whether 911 or not, is like a box of chocolates for law enforcement - they never know what they're going to get. 

COVID Deaths

 Everybody is pointing fingers about the US death rate with the COVID virus.  Here's what the media is not telling you.  For every chronic underlying health condition (i.e., heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, etc.) raises your chances of dying from the virus exponentially.  Many in our population have multiple underlying issues, mainly obesity and high blood pressure, that the rest of the industrialized world does not suffer from.  

Who's fault is that?

Our lifestyle is full of processed, chemically infused crap full of fat, salt, and empty calories that we call food.  We count walking from the fridge to the couch as exercise.  Smoking and drinking are the least of our problems in comparison (poetic license invoked).  

Again, who's taking responsibility for their underlying health conditions?  It's so much more fun to blame, isn't it? 

Love Fool

 Nobody has more fun in ordinary places than I.  I can manage to have people break out in song in the grocery store aisle.  Take yesterday, for example.  I was at the grocery store picking up totally mundane, routine items when a song from yesteryear came over the sound system while I was in the pet food aisle.  There were two other women in the pet food aisle as well.  When this song came I started it off with singing the lyrics, the others joined in.  Pretty soon everybody who came in the pet food aisle was singing along.  

It's Official: The Holiday Season

 As much as 2020 has brought us challenges, it's about over.  We are living in a brave, new world.  Things are not going to get any easier, my friends.  Life is and always has been difficult.  There is no such thing as an 'easy' life.

Off that subject as there is good happening even if you need to search for it. 

Are you already tired of Christmas commercials the day after Halloween?  There's a bright spot.  Nobody is obligated to host ungrateful family this year.  WHOPPPPEEEEEEE!!!!!! Nobody is obligated to host anything :)   I GET A YEAR OFF :)     I can just have me immediate family here without any residual guilt from extended family members wondering why I won't include their snotty, entitled, ungrateful, brat offspring for holiday gatherings.  Just to be clear, these are adults who should have learned basic manners by now (reflection of parenting that coddles them and makes excuses for them). 

This is a dream come true for me.  I'm already envisioning my perfectly roasted turkey with all the trimmings with those I truly love around the table.  After we eat we will put on our comfy clothes and play games, watch a movie, or fall asleep on the couch - maybe all the above.  We can take off and go for a beach walk or hike at a local park as well if we feel like it.  Bottom line is that we have options and can do things on the fly with our much smaller numbers.  It will be the same for Christmas - small numbers means more quality time with my kids without their snotty cousins being around brooding on the couch and sneering at everybody.  

Added bonus this year:   NO COMPANY CHRISTMAS PARTIES :)   I don't understand why employers think that giving up our sacred free time to be with people we are are forced to interact with all week long is supposed to be joyful.   NOT.  There's not enough alcohol in the world to make company parties tolerable.  Speaking of which, here comes Fred from accounting.  He's making a bee-line for you to corner you to talk for hours about creating an ESOP.  RUN!!!!!!!!!

Do We Have A President?

Do we have a president yet?  Who really cares.  Presidents are purchased by corporations and the uber wealthy.  Everybody has their undies in a bunch like it's going to make a difference one way or another when our lives will go on.  

Want change in the world?  Be it.  No excuses.  That especially goes to the fake liberals who wave flags and post signs for the oppressed, but don't want to share their gated neighborhood and fight every low income housing under the guise of environmentalism. 

Pointing Fingers

The biggest cop out in the world is blaming others for problems no matter if they are personal, political, global, whatever.  Somebody much wiser than myself once said that whenever you point a finger at someone, three are pointing back at YOU.  

Think about that when you get on your self-righteous high horse.

The "Others"

I'm doing my civic duty and filling out my ballot.  I find it interesting that there are six choices for president on the ballot, but we only hear about 2 of them.  Why the radio silence on the other contenders?  Why does not the media cover them?  If they made it to the ballot, why are they not invited to any televised debates?  

Don't tell me it's because the "others" are complete nutso-whack-jobs with no experience.  Look who's sitting in the Oval Office at this very moment. 

Wake Me When It's Over

The countdown is on, folks.  Only days until the election.  However, this election is like unleashing an atomic bomb; the fall out will be just as bad if not worse than the actual bombing with lingering effects.

I do not swear allegiance to any political party.  I don't want to trap myself - I want to keep an open mind.  People who blindly follow without acknowledging the flaws in their own political party (and they are there, my friends) scare me to death.  No political party is perfect.

One thing is for certain:  The problems we are facing today did not magically appear when Trump took office.  They were decades in the making.  Who is the media going to bash when our problems are not resolved and somebody else is sitting in the Oval Office? 

Biden Campaign Contributions

Does anybody else wonder why Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are listed at the top of campaign contributions for Biden?  I smell something rotten and it won't bode well for our digital privacy and information manipulation, workers' rights, and small businesses.   

That's our real threat, people.  Big tech ranks right up there with climate change as our top issues.  Think about that before you follow blindly without questioning. 

Social Dilemma

 One documentary that came out about 9 years ago or so was "Terms and Conditions."  Even back then the nascent world of the internet and social media was being scrutinized for nefarious business practices and privacy concerns.  If you have not watched it, please do.  You can get it on Netflix.

After you watch "Terms and Conditions" then watch "Social Dilemma" also available on Netflix.  Social Dilemma came out in January of this year.  You will see how our democracy is being torn apart with the proliferation of social media and the other adverse effects on society.  Social media was not born evil, it morphed into something nobody anticipated.   You will hear it straight from the gurus of Silicon Valley. 

The genie is out of the bottle, folks.  Nobody knows what the truth is, and nobody believes anything that may go against their preconceived beliefs.  Without a common ground on what truth is we will implode.  Now what? 

 

Weird Al Yankovic: The Debate

When I was younger my friends always said that I should marry a guy like Weird Al with his witty humor and creativity.  Here he is with his take on the debate. 
 

The Debate :(

I was sorely disappointed with both candidates last night.  The debate resembled two teenage brothers arguing and talking over each other while mom the moderator was trying to restore order.  Each side called the other a liar.  The orange cheeto just did not know when to STFU.  He did not do himself any favors with his decorum.  Sleepy Joe dodged answers and did not want to answer how his kid got millions of dollars from Russia and China.  

Each side made some valid points; however, the behavior displayed by both actually made me cry.  This is the best our country can do?  What a horrible example.  I'm weeping because we lost as a country.  

I'm not voting for either.  Please, people, there are other candidates and political parties who are not getting airtime because it would upset those in power.  The democrats are extremely corrupt.  Don't believe me?  Try volunteering and getting involved in the democratic party at your local level.  You will see for yourself how slimy they really are and protective of their own positions despite what the people may want.  

The only way we will change the trajectory of our nation is to say NO to all of this and vote against the madness.  I'm imploring all of you to look beyond the two-party system.  If we don't all we will get is more of each side pointing the finger at the other and NOTHING will change.  

No vote is a wasted vote.  Don't ever let anybody tell you that. 

The Debate

 Are you going to watch it tonight?  I am.  I'm curious as to how each candidate responds to questions.  Hopefully, it's not scripted and we can see without any filters uncensored speech. 

Sven's BBQ Sauce

 Only in Minnesota will you find Sven's BBQ sauce.  Here's an actual customer review:

HEY DARE,

YA OK, HERE’S DA FUNDS. THANKS FOR SAVING US FROM HAVING TO CONSORT WITH SOME OTHER INFERIOR, LAME, TASTELESS STINKY, NO FLAVORED, FAKE INGREDIENT, SECOND HAND KETCHUP DAZZLED, PIG PUKE MEAT COVERING SLOP THAT SOME BIG CITY KITCHEN GURU STUMBLED UPON WHILE DRUNK.

LOVE THAT SVEN’S

Bonus points if you know what Uff 'Da means.  

Bad Dancer: Yoko Ono

I'm an avid Beatles fan.  I've been in love with Paul McCartney since I was 14.  Well, I guess I was in love with all of them as much as a 14 year old girl could be.  Sigh.  

There was a time when I was secretly insanely jealous of any woman who held the heart of a Beatle.  WHY NOT ME????  Well, first there would have to be an actual face-to-face meeting and by the time I was old enough they were all married.  

There was also a time when I believed the evil Beatle women were the ones who broke up the band.  My take is that the band got together when they were still teenagers and spent a lot of time together.  It's only natural that as a man gets into his mid to late twenties life moves to another stage - marriage and kids - and life gets very complicated.  

Gone are my jealousy of Linda McCartney (God rest her soul) and Yoko Ono.   In fact, the older I get the more I appreciate Yoko Ono.  I can see why John loved her.  Here she is with "Bad Dancer."  It makes me appreciate her originality every time I see it.  

Crashing the Economy

Sometimes I wonder if 'the virus' isn't a ploy to crash the world economy so that the mega corporations and big tech can come in and swoop up the leftovers to advance their agenda of world domination.  Think about it.  Small business is nothing but a thorn in the side to the mega corporations.  

....and now onto something completely different.

There is a spot on the US Supreme Court to fill.  Like it or not, the current president has every right to nominate somebody.   The democrats are already assuming that they will hate anybody the president may nominate and posturing warfare - complete with "arrows in their quiver."

That's not teamwork, folks.  Here is a perfect opportunity to show us all you CAN work together.  Instead, each side is digging in their heals and threatening the other.  I'm not impressed.  In fact, it pisses me off even more.  Grow up already. 

Who Are You Going To Vote For? Satan or the Devil?

 hmmmmmmmm.   I don't think I will vote for either.  I don't like Satan nor the Devil as candidates.  It's like asking Americans if we want to be killed by a firing squad or a guillotine.  That's what my choices feel like.  

I don't like the two party system we have.  It's guaranteed to fail.  We need a third party (or more) to make real conversations.  Each side with the current two party system just digs in their heels and nothing gets done.  Each side blames the other.  How convenient for them as they sit in Congress and collect their obnoxious salaries and benefits while we suffer.  The only thing they have in common is that both sides are financed by mega corporations and we don't mean jack poo to anybody.  I blame the media as well as they only give airtime to democrats or republicans, and both have their HUGE flaws with their whacked-out extremists they feel they need to cater to.  

I don't buy that Biden is "the guy."  He's been in politics for several decades and has not done jack shit other than secure him and his family handsome incomes.....and sell us out to China.  Same for Pelosi.  California did not turn to shit overnight.  She and her nephew Gavin Newsom, along with the Browns and the Getty's have had a direct hand in all of it.  

Oh, you did not know that Gavin Newsom was Pelosi's nephew?  Of course not.  The media does not want to touch that truth with a ten foot pole.   

I also want to hear WHY Biden deserves our vote other than for bashing Trump.  What is Biden going to do for us?  More of the same crap that we've been dealing with for the last 40 years (cough, cough, NOTHING)? 

I tell ya, we in the middle are VERY frustrated.  We ultimately pay for everything, but politicians ignore us. 

Bring Out Your Dead!

When word of the virus first hit us all in March and things got shut down I had the below scenario imagined.  

Money Centric Society

Everybody is wondering when things will return to normal.  The short answer?  Never.  See, Mother Nature has handed down a directive that we need to change our ways or she will smite us.  Business is bad for the environment.  Pretty much everything humans do is bad for the environment.  We can't continue with a money centric society.  We need to evolve beyond jobs for cash.  We need to get back to our source of living in harmony with nature and not trying to control it for our own personal comforts and desires.  

What does that look like?  I'm not sitting here claiming I have the all the answers.  Humans are flawed creatures with the innate trait of greed and unchecked egos.  

We are playing the fiddle while Rome burns. 

No More Spotlights nor Stage

Those who thrive with a need for a live audience and perpetual adoration (politicians, actors, narcissists, etc.), are really bummed out these days.  Their stage and spotlight have been taken away by the virus.  All those business people who think their physical presence at meetings where they are seated at the head of the long conference room table (the phallic symbolism is intentional) is absolutely necessary are now looking for the equivalent of Viagra for their egos; everybody is pretty much equal on Zoom.  

Now that in person meetings have been pretty much eliminated, everybody is scrambling as to how to stay relevant and still retain that spotlight, attention, and sense of importance.  Out of sight out of mind, right?

Hurrying out the door to catch a flight across the country dressed to the 9's with a first class ticket and with laptop in hand is no longer necessary.  The LOOK AT ME AND HOW IMPORTANT I AM no longer fits in today's world.  The captive audience of the conference room or convention or whatever have dissipated.  Everything can be done in your pajamas from your spare bedroom.  

Zoom is the great equalizer. 

It's heeeeeeeeere

It has been so hot and smokey in Sonoma County.  It's downright miserable.  Fires are burning out of control.  Global warming is here.  While it's true the earth has been heating and cooling since the beginning of time it's human activity that is causing most of our current misery.  Yup, it's self-inflicted.  Yes, it's also true that it's idiots doing things they are not supposed to be doing that also are causing the fires.

No matter how you slice it, it's PEOPLE who are the cause of the fires and climate change.........and we keep pumping out more and more without thought to the impact on the planet.  The media does not want to touch that truth with a ten foot pole.  

Oh no, I'm not letting anybody off the hook.  What have YOU done to lessen your environmental footprint?  Are you going about your business like nothing is going on?  I'm betting that's pretty much the case.  Tossing your recyclables into the proper bin does not cut it.  Don't you know it all ends up in the general trash anyway?  You need to DO more, not talk about doing more. 

People think that cutting back is for others to do as that would impact your lifestyle.  Worse yet, you're one of those who have the 'Keep Tahoe Blue' bumper sticker on the back of your fossil fuel sucking, gigantic SUV.  Every time you get in your car or travel on a plane you are part of the problem.  Every extra square foot of your house that you really don't need is part of the problem.  YOU are part of the problem.  Before you get all pissy at me, I'm calling myself out on my own environmental imperfections and changing. 

We have to change, sorry if it's not convenient for you.  It's time to put our own self-interests aside and think of the collective good.  Not even the threat of the virus can keep us at home and not running around polluting.  Everybody is whining and disobeying the stay-at-home orders.  Just look at this past weekend where people crowded the beaches.  To add insult to injury they all left behind piles of their trash.  Idiots.  We almost deserve to be killed off by mother nature. 

This is just the beginning, folks.  You will all be whining a lot more soon. 

The Lonely Man

There's a certain type of guy while in his younger years was Mr. Stud and broke many hearts.  Sure, he's been with several women over the years and perhaps married a couple of them.  Even while married his wandering eye got him into trouble.  

This was Mr. Macho at the gym and he would strut around like he owned the place.  For long, complicated reasons my family and I befriended this man (no, I did not have anything to do with him romantically) as he did know a lot about certain subjects I was also interested in.  His love life was no business of mine, but he would mention during our conversations certain women he was currently dating.  It did not take long to figure out a pattern that none of his relationships ever really lasted.  

Time catches up with us all and looks, along with strength, eventually fade.  We all get older.  It's a simple fact of life.  Mr. Macho had to retire and the gaggles of women who used to admire his looks went away, which was a complete blow to his ego.  

I bump into Mr. Macho from time to time around town.  He is personable and friendly, but I can see why his relationships don't last.  He's pretty easy to spot.  He's always sitting alone with wine (or beer) and a book.  It's OK to say hello to him despite his desperation for female company.  

There's a reason he's alone.  

p.s. My California bestie, M, also knows Mr. Macho.  She bumped into him very recently while she was out listening to music.  She had the same impression as I with the reasons he's never in a relationship for long.  

I love M.  She is so funny and to the point.  Here are M's words, "OMG, these guys.  When will they ever learn?  They love to fool around and treat their wives/girlfriends like they are disposable with their insatiable sexual quests.  We do so much for them and then they turn around and trade us in for a newer model like we are a car.  We clean up after them, cook for them, organize their lives, have their babies, plus wash the shit out of their underwear and suck their dicks.  How are we thanked?  They leave us for somebody else because THEY drained the life force out of us.  Then one day their dicks break and they are looking for real love and companionship.  Too late, assholes.  Have fun dying alone.  You reap what you sow."

I laughed so hard at the truth of it all. 

Fire Pit Politics With M

 Our backyard is now the oasis we have always wanted complete with a built in covered BBQ area, fire pit, putting green, garden, you get the picture.  It's like going to a resort without having to go anywhere.  That's the point.  

It's been a work in progress pretty much all summer.  I had M come over last night to check it out.  We went out by the fire pit and talked non-stop for hours on end.  My coven NEEDS a fire pit for our rituals, right?  LOL

We got on the subject of politics.  I've known M for over two decades and no topics are off limits.  We can debate and counter each other's view points without taking anything personally nor getting nasty.  M is the most liberal person on earth, which is fine.  She participates in all the local demonstrations and such.  Here's where it gets a little dicey.  There's been an uptick in burglaries around here.  M was a victim.  The suspects are black and this is a very white neighborhood.  M has called the police department to request more patrolling of the neighborhood.  The police are paranoid about 'profiling' given all that's been going on.  There's no crime for black people walking around the neighborhood, but the description fits the suspects. 

There you have it.  Cops have their hands tied. 

So that led to the conversation about our upcoming election.  What we found interesting is that each side is insisting that if the other side gets elected our country is doomed.  Who's right?  Sounds to me we are effed no matter what. 

It's Official!!!!

My daughter's boyfriend FINALLY proposed.  I can stop walking on eggshells now for fear of slipping up and letting the cat out of the bag.  He was very romantic about it and did it up right.  :)

Now, planning a wedding.  The only experience I have is my son's gay wedding which was very nontraditional and low key. 

Wish me luck.  One thing I will NOT put up with is a bridezilla nor going over the top on stupid stuff that in the big picture does not mean anything i.e., making sure the bridesmaids shoes are the perfect shade to match the flower stems.  Nobody cares. 

Sexy at Home

Hold on, people.  I bet you had no idea such risque behavior happened at my house.  It's that time of year for the annual football draft that happens at my house.  About 10 or so guys gather here so they can participate in the draft.  One of the guys was my kids' principal from school.  He usually ends up naked and farting in my chair.  He is so hilarious and calls himself Fat Bastard!  He reminds me of Chris Farley with his style of humor.  He truly is a one man comedy show.  

Because of COVID the annual gathering did not happen and it was virtual.  Here's a pic to feast your eyes upon from last year when the strip-down was in progress.   GET IN MY BELLY!

Joe Biden is Max Headroom

Don't ask me why I'm dredging up Max Headroom lately.  I remember when he was on MTV back in the 80's.  I guess it's because I spend so much time on Zoom and GoToMeeting these days and the choppy, twitchy internet connections and the behavior that I can't quite pin as genius or idiotic.  

Here's my latest Max Headroom theory:  Joe Biden IS Max Headroom.  Biden is AI (artificial intelligence) that has been programmed by his puppet masters.  Have a good look.

The Engagement

After over a year of dating, my daughter's boyfriend asked her father and I permission to marry her.  He has the ring in his possession and now is waiting for the perfect moment to propose.

I can hardly stand it.  It's so hard not to slip up and ruin it for them.  

I made it to the finish line, people.  Both kids married.   

 

Life Is Not Supposed To Be Easy

Who ever said that life was easy and that it's fair?  

Nobody.

It's not supposed to be fair nor easy.  We are all put here on this plane of existence with innate good, and innate evil; not only within ourselves, but within society as well.  Nothing is perfect and it never will be. Where are you struggling?  Where are your fights?  Where are your frustrations?  That's where you need to grow your spirit and learn.  

How do you do that?  How do we grow our souls?  That's up to you, my friends.  What good is a test if somebody gives you the answers?  

Somebody once told me that you reach maturity when you stop blaming others for the ills of yourself and the world.  It's when you stop blaming others for whatever is happening is when growth can truly take root.  It's when you can call yourself out on your own crap is when the magic starts to happen.  

It does.  I'm learning. 

I'm Not Doing Your Job For You

 I administer a very large pension plan.  I collect the contributions here, make certain it's all in order including people's names, social security numbers, employer, hours worked, and gross earnings.  I then send it off back east to the Mother Office.  

The Mother Office is a huge fuster cluck.  The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing and I swear they hire most idiotic, lazy people.  I got a call on Friday stating that my local collection area is due a refund of over $4,000 for double contributions.  

What?  No way.  

As much as I would want to jump on the chance of getting money returned, I know better.  Plus, I'm very meticulous at what I send to the Mother Office and I balance out each and every month before I export the data and the money.  Everything matches to the penny.

I asked the Mother Office where and how the duplicate payments and reports were, and I get back a bunch of summary reports that have nothing to do with the so-called duplication.  

They are sending me their piles of stuff to wade through to figure it out.  I've already responded that I don't show any duplication whatsoever, and to NOT send me the refund.  I'm not doing their job for them.

Ghost Town

I have an office in a downtown location in one of Sonoma County's cities.  I've had it for years.  It's in a premium location and it is quite lovely.  I have the rent on auto pay so I don't even have to think about submitting the monthly rent payment in a timely manner.  I am also very quiet and clean.  Let's just say that I'm a building manager's dream come true - steady income, no maintenance.  I just renewed the lease for another two years with no increases. 

My building used to be very busy and there was a wait list for tenants.  Now with the economic melt-down it's a ghost town.  Several of the offices have been vacated and 'for lease' signs are posted all over the place.  

Where I'm going with this is that the building manager is there on Mondays and Thursdays.  Today being Monday I saw not another living being all day.  Why?  Most of the tenants are behind on their rent and don't want to bump into the building manager on Monday for fear of being reminded of their past-due status.  I'm betting I'll see a scattered few in the building tomorrow and Wednesday, and then nobody on Thursday.  

I pretty much have the entire building to myself. 

Trump Blaming

 For whatever ails the world, Trump is being blamed.  I'm not the biggest fan of the reigning orange cheeto, but I'm really sick of the media attacks.  What is the press going to do when he's out of office?  Who are they going to hate on?  What is the democrat's platform for this election other than blaming Trump for everything?  

Our country did not get to where it's currently at in the four years Trump has been in office.  It's taken a few  decades.  Who has been in office for the the long haul?  Pelosi.  She's the common denominator.   Take a look in the mirror, democrats.  You're just as much to blame.  Want to prove me wrong?  Stop taking corporate campaign contributions.  

Silence.  I thought so. 

Biblical Plagues

With all that is happening here in California, I keep looking for the locusts, hail, and whatever Biblical plagues that could be unleashed upon us.  This is not fun, people.  Most people think climate change means rising sea levels, which it does (what's Amsterdam's future?) but it also means a change in weather patterns.  California is experiencing strange weather the past few years that lends to all of these fires that are happening.  We've always been prone to fires in late summer due to the vegetation drying out, but now it seems to be constant.

What can you do about it?  Be conscious of what you consume and throw away.  Be conscious how often and how far you travel.  All travel pollutes unless you are walking or biking.  Be conscious of where you live.  Do you really need that huge house?  Be conscious of how many kids you have.  We are already straining the earth's resources.  If we all just cut back even a little bit.  S I M P L E   I S  G O O D. 

Karey

I usually don't post personal pictures or use real names, but 37 years after her death I think it's safe to post as Karey died long before social media, the internet, and whatever online profile she might have had by now had she lived.  

Karey was my cousin-sister.  Our mothers were sisters and we were very close growing up.  I LOVED going to their farm in North Dakota to spend my summers.   There were so many happy memories.  One day back in October of 1983 I was not feeling right.  I did not go to school that day, and I wore for the first time matching shirts that Karey and I bought a few weeks earlier.  The whole day felt off and I did not know why. 

The call came about dinner time.  My aunt had called my mother to say that Karey had died in a one car accident in rural North Dakota.  The theory was that she was fiddling with the car radio and went into the ditch.  She tried to over correct to get back onto the gravel road, but the gravel sucked her in and the car rolled crushing her.  

Where I'm going with all of this is that today is her birthday.  Happy birthday, Karey.  I miss you so, so much.  p.s.  I still have the necklace you are wearing in this picture.  

COVID, Fires, Heat, Smoke, Power Outages

Life is pretty complicated lately around here.  We need to dodge:  COVID, fires, smoke, heat, ash, and rolling blackouts.  Let's see, did I forget anything?  

Oh yeah, it's an election year locally and nationally and all these bobble heads are promising Utopia if we elect them.  Somehow, I'm not holding my breath.  Wait a tic.  I have to hold my breath because if I breathe I will suffocate from the smoke, ash, and oppressive heat.  

 

 

Days Are Getting Shorter But Triple Digit Heat Persists

 Yes, the days are starting to get notably shorter;  the sun is setting earlier and earlier with each passing day.  However, this heat wave we are experiencing is persistent and will not go away.  It used to be a maximum of three days of extreme heat before the lovely San Francisco fog would roll in and act as nature's air conditioning.  

Where is the fog?  

She is not here.

Instead, we are baking in triple digit heat with a humidity index that parallels Florida.  

I do not do well with heat and humidity.  Give me the arctic!  That's what my blood is native to. 

Imagine if you will

 Here's a fictional story that plays out in my head.  Imagine if you will all of the leaders of the world getting together.  The leaders all agree that climate change is going to cause more collateral damage and destruction than several atomic bombs.  The leaders also agree that our way of living, including economic policies, is horrible for the environment.  

We have to change or we all trash the planet and die.  Nobody wants to change.  Change has to be forced.  

The 'virus' is unleashed onto the public because there simply was no other choice to get us to stop consuming and polluting.  

Kamala Harris

Hey, have you heard?  Kamala Harris is running for president.  I'm not apologizing for the tongue-in-cheek remark.  Why even bother with Biden?  Harris is an OK senator.  The only reason she was chosen is that the can check the most boxes for ethnic diversity and female, not because she's the best choice for the position.  She got knocked out early in the democratic presidential debates when she threw her name in the hat because of lackluster performance, and now she's the best VP choice?  It's a complete shallow, sell-out move by the democrats.  

There's that theme again, democrats selling out.  Sigh.   

My favorite is still Bernie Sanders.  Why?  Because he's the ONLY politician whose campaign was not bankrolled by billionaires.  I can't say that's true about the rest of them.

If the Biden/Harris ticket wins, it will be shown that nothing will change.  What are people going to complain about then?  Who are they going to blame?  

Democrat, Republican, whatever, follow the money and that's where the loyalty lies.  We are just going to get more of the same, people, as long as that's the case.  

Democrats are nothing more than republicans in sheep's clothing. 

NIMBY's

 Yes, I'm a NIMBY.  I'll own it.  I don't want any more development around where I live.  Why?  Because people are a pain in the @ss.  The more people, the more problems, the more pollution, the more noise, etc.  Yes, I'm a hypocrite and I will also own that.  

There's controversy here in town about a housing development.  I find it ironic that the people who are complaining the most are the ones who are living in a housing development that was also fought against not so very long ago.  They are using the guise of nature and wildlife to prop up their opposition to the project.  I've got news.  Each and every one of us is taking up space where wildlife once proliferated.  

Own your hypocrisy, people.  We are all part of the problem. 

Welcome to the COVID California

 (sung to the Eagles song Hotel California)

Welome to the COVID California

--------------------------------------------------

That's where it ends for right now as my creativity is being sapped for other issues at the moment.  I'll come back later to finish my lyrics.  To give you a sneak preview, the lyrics will be about how those cruise ships and their passengers that have been exposed to COVID are quarantined, while prisoners at San Quentin exposed to COVID are released to the public by the thousands to spread the disease.  

Great. 

Eleanor Roosevelt

I just finished reading "If You Ask Me" which is a book by Eleanor Roosevelt.  As blogged previously, I have a signed copy of it and is a cherished possession.  While I do not agree with her viewpoints on everything, she was definitely a very wise woman who was ahead of her time.  

Eleanor was known for being color blind to races and evaluating people on their individual merit.  She valued all races and religions.  I wonder if her book would even be published today as she stated some pretty blunt answers to the questions asked of her.  She did not sugar coat anything nor coddle any ideals.  

We think racism and sexism are bad today?  We've come a long way although we are far from perfect.  You would be shocked of the questions asked of her as the questions are a direct reflection of the American psyche at the time (1945).  

News Diversity

One ideology I wish to depart upon the masses is to NOT get your news information from one source (or only from viewpoints to which you agree).  All news is biased.  All news wants to manipulate.  You know the old saying, "Tell a lie three times and it becomes the truth."

Sadly, society believes what is pounded into our heads by the talking heads.  Don't fall for empty half-truth, incomplete, emotionally charged sound bites people post on Facebook and other social media and network news.  If you ever notice, people ONLY post their own points of view.  That's a sure sign of a weak mind that is easily manipulated.

In a weird way I don't blame Zuckerberg for not wanting to interfere with what people post.  What is the truth, anyway?  My truth is different than your truth.  Who is right?  Truth is dependent on who sees it as such. Once we go down that path of censorship path it's a slippery slope of who gets to decide what the truth is.

Everybody is so gung-ho on diversity, so why do we want to limit it on obtaining news information? 

If You Ask Me - Eleanor Roosevelt

This book was copyrighted in 1946.  It is signed by Eleanor Roosevelt herself, and it's something I would save in a fire.  This book is a compilation of questions asked of the former first lady by people of all walks of life.  What I find so fascinating is that we are STILL asking the same questions and grappling with the SAME problems 75 years later despite numerous government and social programs later.  See for yourself just one example.  This one is about free and honest press.  It's as relevant today as it ever has been.  

Birth Control and Viagra

I can't believe birth control pills are still an issue.  Which century are we living in?  Some employer health plans want to ban covering birth control pills as it's against their company philosophy.  Since when does an employer get to also be my doctor?  Birth control pills are prescribed for more than preventing pregnancy.  They are used to also treat endometriosis and ovarian cysts, which are very painful conditions.  Does my employer get to deny covering treatment for that when it's readily available?  

I've ranted about this before.  I sit on a health trust that once upon a time covered viagra but not birth control pills.  I lost it.  I put my foot down and was adamant about that if we cover one, we cover another.  There is no medical necessity for viagra other than ego.  That's not true for birth control pills.  We cover both now.  I was not going to back down. 

Bottom line:  If pregnancy is God's will, and that's the reason why some employers don't want to pay for birth control pills, then a limp dick is also God's will. 

Workers' Comp Claim: COVID

It's happened.  All COVID cases will automatically assume that they were contracted at the workplace in California.  As an employer did you follow all the guidelines?  How are you going to prove that your employee did NOT contract the virus at work? 

Good luck with that.

This is the death knell for small businesses who employ about 1/2 the workforce.  They simply don't have the bottomless resources to comply with all the safety issues the virus has brought on. 

On another note, do you know who the biggest winners are in the economy right now? 

• Amazon
• Microsoft
• Netflix
• Facebook
• Apple
• Alphabet (Google)

Yup, that's right.  Big Tech is winning the game big time.  It should be concerning that 6 companies control 25% of the S&P 500.  That's way too much power in the hands of a few.  That's our real issue here, people, not political candidates.  This issue scares me more than whomever ends up living in the White House.  It's also one that neither political party wants to touch, but it's impact will be felt by all of us.  I think it should be a question for the presidential debates.  Wait a minute.  Even if the question is asked during debates politicians don't have a good track record of following up with promises, nor telling the truth. 

We are no better off than we were 100 years ago with the Bell's.  They had to be busted up because of the concentration of power in the hands of the few.  History repeats itself. 

The Drive

We have been long-time friends with a family for over 30 years here in Sonoma County.  We love them and treat them like family.  We have shared EVERYTHING together including our pregnancies and births of our kids.  We have a tradition of going to Christmas Eve church service each year (and no, the walls don't fall in when I enter) and crying on each other when the church lights are dimmed and the soloist sings O Holy Night while we light the candles across the pews for each other and the other congregants.

We have shared camping trips, Thanksgivings, Independence Days, birthdays, funerals, weddings, Christmas, softball, LIFE.  My kids look to this family as their other parents and siblings.  Wearethisclose. 

The father male of this family, let's just call him Sonny, is the nicest guy in the world.  He grew up in a very financially privileged family in Pebble Beach complete with house servants, private schools, gated communities, etc.  Sonny's mother was a friend of the Hurst Family and they spent time in their mansion(s).   However, Sonny's parents ended up getting a divorce and none of the money was making anybody happy.  Sonny ditched the goal of being financially "rich" seeing what money did to people, and pursued a humble but dignified life for himself and his family working an honest job.

Yes, Sonny ended up getting VERY rich, but not with material wealth.  His family is everything to him.  He volunteers for several community causes.  He does not do this trying to get points for running for public office or other ego-filled reasons.  He does it because he truly cares.

About 20 years ago Sonny got prostate cancer.  Good thing they caught it and he recovered.  About 5 years after that he came down with colon cancer, and he got through that.  Then his wife came down with breast cancer, and she got through with that.

Enough of the cancer, right?

Finally, a reprieve.   Life is kinda normal for a while.  We celebrated Thanksgiving together this past year.  We each went around the table saying what we were thankful for.  When push comes to shove, we are thankful for each other and our health.  Oddly enough, my husband had a heart attack the next day but that's not what I'm focusing on right now.  I'll save that story for another time.

Then comes Christmas and we celebrate with our annual Christmas Eve church service (so much to be thankful for) and annual Christmas breakfast.  Then comes January and the trip to Tahoe.  Then comes February and our birthdays, then comes March and COVID.  I decided to host a kick-ass party before we were all sent into isolation - I saw the lockdown coming.  It was a party to end all parties.  People were singing, dancing, eating, and just cutting loose having a great time.  Even normally reserved people were cutting loose, which I take as the highest of compliments.

It's been FaceTime conversations since with Sonny and his family ever since as people with compromised immune systems need to take extra caution.  We wanted to get together for the 4th, but with the spike in cases we nixed the idea.

Then comes the phone call.  Sonny called to say his cancer had returned.  This time it's in his blood and it's very aggressive.  It's not leukemia, but another type of blood cancer.  Sonny is not one to complain about anything - ever.  He was saying how tired he was and how crappy he felt.  The doctors are scrambling to get him into UCSF as soon as possible.  In the meantime he had a platelet transfusion here in Sonoma County.  He was released to go back home after the platelet transfusion.  He is getting weaker by the day and it can be heard in his voice.

Sonny's main concern was getting to UCSF as his wife does not drive on the freeway.  He asked if I could drive them, which of course I immediately agreed to do.  The catch was they did not know of the exact date nor time he would be admitted to UCSF.  It was a two-three day window and he had to be ready to get there when they called.  We were all on-call. 

The call came yesterday afternoon.

I picked them up and Sonny was not himself. His voice frail, his energy off, his coloring ashen.  His wife was visibly upset and scared.  I wanted to burst out into tears, but I had to be strong for them.  On the drive to San Francisco we talked about positive topics as I wanted to keep the energy as light as I could without being phony or patronizing.  All the while I was driving all I could think about was, "Is this the last time I'm going to see Sonny?"

The last 30 years flashed back and everything we have shared.  Upon arriving at UCSF I said the words I don't throw around lightly as I dropped them off, "I love you."

When it comes down to it, people, love is all we have.  Nothing else matters. 

My Grandma is Giving Me WHAT for Christmas?

Take a look at the below photo.  It was a gift from my maternal grandmother, who was so Catholic she would have made the Pope look like a heretic (God rest her soul), for Christmas in 1984. 

My jaw dropped to the floor when I opened it.  I thought to myself, "Why would my loving, Catholic, wholesome, grandmother be giving me birth control pills for Christmas?  What kind of girl does she think I am!"

This was 1984.  I was 17 years-old and my father had nightmares about keeping the boys away.  I had "done it" with a boyfriend I thought at the time I loved.  How did grandma know?  This is so humiliating!  Why would my grandma stick birth control pills in my stocking as a Christmas gift?  The last thing I would ever want to discuss with my grandma would be my sex life.

This is the WORST Christmas Day EVER.  Grandma knows that I'm having sex and gives me a pack of birth control pills.  Please.  Please, just leave me in the corner to DIE of embarrassment and humiliation as my dozens of cousins looked over to see what grandma got me.  I did not even know where grandma would even GET pills to give to me, let alone to know what they actually were.

Ohhhhhhh the SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait just one minute.  This was a lesson on jumping to conclusions.  Look what happened when I opened up the pill box.

It was a calculator.  I still have it in my possession to this day.  It reminds me to not jump to conclusions.  Many times we form a strong opinion about something without listening to the entire story and only seeing just the surface or one side of an issue.  Things are not always as they appear to be.  Just think if I would have gotten upset and assumed my grandma was giving me birth control pills, in front of the entire family no doubt, and stormed out causing a scene?

Life lesson learned, grandma.   

Nasty Door

My faith in humanity has taken a dip.  I ditched social media with the exception of a couple people I follow on Instagram who actually post some really fun stuff.  Wait a tick.  That's a lie.  I'm also on Next Door, but I renamed it Nasty Door.  I thought Next Door would be more community building, but people on there can be just as obnoxious, political, and self-righteous as Hatebook.  I don't look at the posts anymore as some people are downright mean.  What ever happened to love thy neighbor as thyself? 

Going to send some love vibes out to the universe. 

Max Headroom

Ok, do you all remember Max Headroom?  I believe he came around 1985.  Anyway, with all the online meetings I'm doing these days, I feel like Max Headroom has been reincarnated.  So many people on my meetings actually sound and look like Max - complete with the crappy internet connection.

Sons of Liberty

The latest binge watching we are doing right now is Sons of Liberty.  It's all about how the United States of America was formed and how we separated from England.  Of course, the English are all betrayed as evil and we are all heroes. 

There are always two sides to each story.

I wonder how the English teach their students about the American Revolution?  What's their viewpoint?  I'm no history expert, but from my limited knowledge there were some missteps on the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts that were amended, but the colonists did not get the news before violence went past the tipping point. 

Are we better off separated from England?  I really wonder sometimes. 

4th of July 911 Bingo

Both my brother and nephew are 911 dispatchers for the same department.  When on duty for the 4th of July holiday they have this little game.  It's dark humor, but so what. 

Commercial Real Estate

I'm glad I'm not invested in commercial real estate.  Can you imagine?  Tenants are bailing left and right.  Nobody is coming to the office anymore due to COVID and it does not look like they will be returning.  Leases are being broken.  Why pay rent on a space you can't even use?  Offices need to be totally reconfigured to allow for social distancing, etc.  What about shared spaces like kitchens, break rooms, and bathrooms?  There are many workers who are not comfortable sharing a bathroom, and I can't say I blame them. Retail space and office space are going away like the DoDo bird. 

Switching gears, my industry is embracing online meetings.  Finally.  These old geezers are finally getting a grip that they don't have to fly across the country to hear themselves talk.  Our industry is transforming from a meeting based organization to an online organization.  I'm excited about the transformation.  Many of my colleagues are wanting to retire because of it.  My role going forward is to help the organization make the switch. 

Have a wonderful Independence Day.  What are we doing?  Pretty much a lot of nothing except household chores.  We are in the midst of a huge project and it's been sucking up a lot of time. 

M's Dating Life: Part XXVI

Poor M.  Her dating life continues to be very complicated.  I think she has some subconscious issues where she finds herself attracted to men who are not available for one reason or another whether they are emotionally unavailable, married, whatever.  She's had her share of decent guys who are available, but she finds reasons to ditch them.  My arm chair psychological assessment is that she is terrified of real, raw intimacy.  A solid guy scares her to death.  There needs to be something complicated or 'forbidden' for her to want to continue the relationship. 

Yet we go for lengthy walks and I listen to her lamenting about her lonely single status and how she aches for a real love. 

SSST

Ever have a teacher who was so good you remember lectures 40 years later?  I did.  Her name was Miss Rand and she was my 7th grade American History teacher.  She had a reputation of being no nonsense and tough, but you will learn a LOT.  I was scared the first day of class as her reputation preceded her.

My fear quickly dissipated as the key to being successful in her class was to pay attention and study.  No mystery there.  She also had a way of delivering lectures that somehow got burned into your memory.  She also had a way of pointing out how complex history really was and not something you can brand into one bumper sticker slogan.

Example:  Everybody thinks the American Civil War was was about slavery. 

Enter SSST.  Slavery was not the main reason for the war.  The reasons were sectionalism, states' rights, slavery, and tariffs.  Nobody ever talks about the other three reasons - only slavery.  To me, that's a real tragedy.  We are only recounting history as we want to remember it, and not how it actually was.  We never look at the entire picture at anything anymore.  We only want to pick and choose the issues with how we create our own spin on revisionist history.

To this day I can still see Miss Rand writing SSST in huge letters across the chalk board.  I can still see her spin to face the class after she wrote SSST on the board and said to us with a smirky grin, "You think the American Civil War was all about slavery?"

She then went into a detailed lecture about the other reasons. 

For what it's worth, I aced the class and thought I was going to fail.  I've often thought about Miss Rand and where she might be today.  I have no idea where she is or if she's still with the living.  I've often thought about writing her a letter about the impact she had on my knowledge of American History.  I'm sure she would not remember me at all, but the impact was there. 

San Francisco - Now What?

The population the contributes to the tax base of SF has gone away.  I called that a couple of months ago.  Just what is going to prop up their economy?  I don't think drug syringes, crime, and homelessness will keep the city economy afloat, but that's all they have right now. 

All the cops who work in SF are going to bail.  I've heard the rumor.  They're sick of it all, too.  They are going to 'retire' in droves.  Just who will replace them?  Who will answer and respond when you call 911? 

The Art of Forgiveness - Don't Care

Think of all those people who have really hurt and upset you over the years.  No, don't.  That's expending energy that could be channeled to something else that is deserving of your attention.  None of us get through life without being scarred by others.  It's all part of the lesson book.  Let's face it, some people are just, well, yucky.  What's sad is that they don't ever think themselves yucky.  You wasting time thinking how yucky they are only gives them more power over you. 

Not caring is the ultimate response. 

A Little Too Crowded

I'm not so sure of this whole COVID, people.  I had my first COVID positive employee on a job site at a hospital - the victim a young, healthy male.  Up until this point everybody thought it was a myth and something that only happened to somebody else.  There's a reason why we are trying to slow the spread (notice I did not state eliminate it).  It's impossible to eliminate it. 

I'm afraid we are in for a long time with this, people.  All we can do as the human race is learn to cope and manage.  Be smart out there. 

Be The Energy You Want To Perpetuate

I'm calling myself out on my own crap here, folks.  I can be *very* cranky on my blog.  I'm not a physically violent person; however, I can be very energetically violent with what I spew on my blog.  For years I've given myself the pass that I'm just venting and all of this is just letting off steam into the vastness of cyberspace.

Energy is energy is energy is energy.

Even in the slightest doubt that anybody ever reads the crap that I spew on this dumb blog that I do not promote in any way, shape, nor form, I'm still releasing that energy out into cyberspace to potentially be picked up.  Not good.  I'm making a concerted effort to focus on my own short comings.   I have many short comings; I have too many to count.  I'm owning that.  It's one of the reasons I ditched social media.  It got me all riled up over things that are separating us instead of uniting us.  I am making a concerted effort to focus on what is uniting us as opposed to what divides us.

Now, I'm changing gears completely to the abundance of cherry plumbs on our tree.

We have a cherry plumb tree in our backyard.  We jokingly call it our 'rat feeder' as birds, squirrels, raccoons, and yes RATS, feast on it when the plumbs are ripe - like right about now.  The problem is that the cherry plumbs are messy when they hit the ground and our pets (especially our daughter's new puppy) want to eat them.  Of course, that causes digestive issues I will not describe in detail.

Enter the NextDoor social media site.

Yes, I said I was off social media.  I should have stated that I don't participate in social media that is politically dominant and divisive (cough, cough FB).  I'm on NextDoor which is locally oriented and nobody is on their soapbox preaching to others how they are going to save the world and how righteous their own viewpoints are and you're a moron if you don't agree or 'like' them.  Whatever.  Where I'm going with this site is where there is an exchange with people in YOUR own neighborhood you have to look in the eye (with mask on, of course) when you post stuff.  It's a lot more difficult to be a cyber bully when you have to look your audience in the eye. 

Enter 'post your free stuff'.

I was scrolling through the stuff that my neighbors are giving away for free.  Specifically, I'm looking for a traditional filing cabinet (so last century, I know...but somethings need a home for paper) and another chair for my home office.  Anyway, a lady posted that her plumb tree was going nuts and was begging people to come and take the plumbs.  She was overwhelmed with the responses she received.

Ding ding ding ding ding ding.

I posted that our cherry plumb tree was going nuts and now I'm overwhelmed with the responses that people want them.   Ask and the universe provides.  All of these people *want* something that I thought a nuisance.  Yes, I do make plumb jam from them but that does not really put a dent in the fruit the tree produces.

So, now I will go out and pick the plumbs and place them in bags for the many, many people who posted interest in them. 

 My point is that we all balance each other out in some way, shape, or form.  What annoys me turns out to be somebody else's pleasure.  I'm taking that forward into other areas of life. 

Summer Solstice

For freaky, witchy people like me today is a holiday.  My psychic hits come and go, and I have no control how or when they happen.  Some happen in dreams.  Some happen as a certain 'knowing.'  Some are just blurted out of my mouth.  I do have to be careful with whom I share this information.  It's not always welcome.  I've learned to respect people's willingness to receive what I sense.  I can see where it would be deemed intrusive.  Once told not to poke around somebody's energy I do stop, even if in their unconscious they really do want me to share.  I've had hits where I overshared with someone and they freaked out.  Later on I will have dreams or other hits where this same person who was freaked out does want to communicate with what I sense on an unconscious level, but I shut them down.  If they are not telling me in their conscious state of wanting to share, I don't want to share with them on an unconscious level. 

Yesterday I met up with a relatively new friend for a hike and then lunch.  She is very open to all this psychic stuff.  I don't know if it was her 'permission' for me to be in her energy, but my hits started going off the charts.  I don't know much (yet) about her family, but as she was talking I got a hit of her grandfather and his mother (her great grandmother).  It was not pretty.  However, she really wanted to hear what I was feeling so I told her.  I made her cry as I was spot on.  She now has information to heal the past.

Anyway, blessed solstice.

Vetting Information

The most important life skill society will need moving forward is vetting the onslaught of information we are bombarded with daily; most of which is sheer garbage.  I'm not sure how that will happen when everybody thinks they are correct. 

Try. 

Groove Is In The Heart

I did it.  I pulled the plug on my social media accounts.  I just could not handle all the one-sided, self-righteous political posts anymore.  I could not handle the passive aggressive bullying of, "If you don't re-post this you're part of the problem."


The whole social media scenario is toxic.  I miss FaceBook when it was just people giving updates on their kids and whatnot.  Whatever.  Things change.  My real friends know where to find me.  'Nuff said.

OK.......... Quiet Rage is remarkably social in this anti-social culture we are now in.  I've had more invitations to walks, driveway cocktail parties, dog walking adventures, covert parties, than ever.  It's ironic that this whole sheltering in place is making me incredibly social.  I guess I'm not a big fan of pomp  and I truly enjoy people's company on a one-to-one basis or in small groups.

With that being stated, I really REALLY miss my dance classes.  It's been early March since the last class.  This is so pathetic, but the grocery store I shop at plays really cool music.  My store plays:  Prince, Dead or Alive, English Beat, John Cougar, (fill in the blank fun music) and the music fills the aisles.  There I was in my mask in the produce section yesterday trying to hold myself back from breaking out in dance.  Here is what was playing.  Oh, and for the record.  I NEVER take offense when I'm told by black people, "Hey Vanilla Momma, you move pretty good for a white girl."

Stop Fanning the Flames

I'm begging people to stop feeding into media frenzy about, well, everything.  Name cause.  Watch media blow it up and sensationalize and create hysteria, emotions, panic, DIVISION, etc.  Ultimately, you only have control of your own actions.  It's you and you alone that you can control.  Be the positive change you want to see in the world.  You don't need a banner, social media post, whatever, to do that and tell other people what to do or not to do.  Why do people feel the need to label everything?  Labeling is just another word for division - meaning that it's different than something else.  Isn't that what we are trying to do away with?  Let your inner light shine; radiate that energy and act accordingly.  It's contagious. 

All we are saying, is give peace a chance. 

Two Days In A Row

Two days in a row I have come across two different new acquaintances and their dogs.  In both instances I bent down to give the dog a pat.  In both instances the owners of said dogs stated, "I've never seen Fluffy take to anybody right away.  My dog is usually very standoffish, but he likes you."

Moral of the story:  There is hope for my grouchy old soul.  I'm working on it. 

Nobody Wants Your Crap

Ahhhhhhh, I could take the title of this blog to so many places.  However, today I will be extremely literal.  Nobody wants your crap. 

All of this staying home has spurned the massive cleaning of closets.  Great.  Now, just where are you going to take the stuff you no longer want?  Nobody is taking donations of things.  They will take your money, but not your stuff. 

The parameters have changed.  Since the pandemic, people are more leery of accepting used goods.  Thrift stores are mostly shut down.  Mountains of used goods are accumulating.  People are desperate to unload their stuff.

Perhaps this is a good thing.  Think about that when purchasing things.  You will be stuck with it for a very, very long time.  Do you *really* need it?  It's about time that the disposable society we live in gets a wake up call.  We are very wasteful and our consumption habits could use an adjustment. 

Buffalo Springfield

Battle lines being drawn.  Nobody's right if everybody's wrong.  Singing songs and carrying signs.  Mostly say hooray for our side.
 

Domestic Violence

There's an issue of violence and murder that is so deeply ingrained it does not get any attention.  The whole world goes nuts when a black guy gets killed by a white officer.  The black community is up in arms.  They take to the streets and justify destroying property.

Stop right there before you mutter under your breath that I'm racist. I'm in no way condoning what happened in Minneapolis. 

My point is that for every black man who gets killed by a white officer, thousands upon thousands of women are killed, beaten, abused (both psychologically and sexually) by men.  Where are the protests?  The ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) still has not passed.  Women still to this day don't have the same rights as men.  The abuse against women is age old; older than whatever race wants to claim how they are victims of prejudice and suppression.

What I find ironic is that these same black men rioting against injustice will go home and beat the crap out of their wives because dinner was not what he was expecting.  We are so blind to it as a society that the song "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix about a guy shooting his woman down is played without anybody thinking anything of it other than, "Wow...Jimi sure could play a guitar."  When I read Malcolm X in college I was outraged that he treated women like shit, but was out there demanding respect for himself. 

You personally know of a woman who has been beaten and abused.  You can't say that's true about the other situation that I mentioned above about a cop killing.  Chances are that the abuse you witnessed was your own mother at the hands of your father.  Chances are that after your father beat the crap out of your mom he then went on to beat the crap out of you.  There are countless murders of women that happened by their husbands.  Think about that when looking the big picture of what's going on and the number of instances in which violence and murders happen. 

Email and Facebook

Want to know what email and Facebook have in common?  They are used by OLD people.  Never thought I'd type that 10 years ago, but here I sit typing it. 

I guess that makes me old.  If the shoe fits.......

This whole shelter-in-place deal has forced me to look to more streamlined ways of collaborating with my colleagues.  We can no longer meet up in person for lunch on a project.  We no longer sit in conference rooms together.  Mind you, this is not a complaint. 

There are collaboration platforms that make sharing documents, information, ideas, tasks, etc., that have eliminated the need to email.  When somebody makes a change or an edit I get a notification as to what was changed and as to whom did the editing.  Everybody is working with the same set of documents at once.  Thank goddesses.  My email inbox is still full, but I have eliminated quite a bit of it.  The tiresome procedure of group emails has finally been tamed.  It took a mandatory shelter-in-place to nudge me to learn this stuff (and I'm still learning).

Now I'm discovering that most email is junk from outside organizations trying to sell me something or phishing attempts.  If somebody really knows me and has business with me, it comes from inside the collaboration platform. 

So, the moral of the story is that if you are still using email as your means to communicate with anybody you work with you're out of date.  That goes for posting political crap on Facebook as well.  Well, that goes for posting ANYTHING on Facebook.  LOL  .   Out of touch old farts.  ha ha ha

News Media: Walking The Line Between Two Evils

We all bemoan the news media.  We don't trust it.  There's a reason for that.  News media has sold out not only to corporate (money) interests, but also to certain political parties trying to influence the masses.  News media is all about horrible, tragic, and controversial headlines trying to grab your attention.  Why?  Because that is what sells.  What is the news selling?  Advertising time or space. 

Well.....why don't we just have a government run news program completely funded by the taxpayers to keep money out of the news media?  Just ask China how that's going for them. 

It's a no win situation. 

I finally did it.  I stopped watching television news.  Go ahead, accuse me of burying my head in the sand.  What can I do about it anything anyway when we are ordered to stay at home?  We all live in a virtual world.  My virtual world just happens to exclude television and social media political posts. 

My Home Town On Fire

Minneapolis used to be this little city in the upper Midwest of of the United States where I was raised.  Nobody cared about us.  Nobody knew where we were located - they could not locate us on a map if their life depended on it.  People would always confuse us with Indianapolis or any other city in the frigid arctic circle (mostly Canadian cities).  Just please.  Do NOT and I repeat Do NOT confuse us with FARGO.  That is another rant for another time. 

As tempting as it is, I'm not going to go on my soap box declaring to the world how righteous my own political viewpoints are to try to grab .......000000000000000000000002 seconds of the public's attention on this lame blog (or FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatever).  


More importantly, going back to 1984 when we thought we all could catch a glimpse of Prince if we hung around certain parts of Minneapolis (note:  we did not give a flying %$#@  what his skin color was and there was no media circus nor social media fanning the riot flames).....this is what it sounds like...when doves cry.  Right now the doves are crying. 

Every 30 Years

Robert Charles riots of 1900.  Harlem race riot c. 1935.  Watts riots c. 1965.  Rodney King c. 1992.  George Floyd c. 2020.  Notice anything here?  All these racially inflamed riots are 30 years apart.  Anybody else see a pattern? 

Minneapolis

Attention Minneapolis and all the others who are rioting (notice I did not say protesting):  Two wrongs don't make a right.

Walking a Chicken

.....only in Sonoma County would you witness somebody walking a chicken like a dog down the street.

We Don't Care If People Are Not Happy

I have a friend who is a veteran in the world of human resources.  She worked at a large company for a long time before she retired.  She would often tell upper management that the employees were not happy.  The response?  They did not care if the employees were not happy.  They are there to churn a profit. 

It's profit before people.  Always has been always will be.  Think about that.  Think about that in your own personal business transactions.  You are always looking for the cheapest deal possible, too. 

No More Office BS

The other thing that is really wonderful with everybody working from home and online meetings is that all the pre and post office meeting BS has been eliminated.  It's a lot harder to try to corner me just prior to a meeting to persuade my viewpoint on an issue.  Business meetings are just that - business meetings.  No, I'm not your friend and I don't care what you have planned for the weekend.  We have a business relationship.  Don't take that as me being uncaring and rude, I just know BOUNDARIES.

The problem today is that the boundaries are blurred between business and personal relationships.  We are expected to be 'friends' with people we would not have anything to do with outside of work.  We are expected to go do dinners, concerts, sporting events....(gag).  Throw in all this  idea we should all be working in an open room instantly accessible to each other at all times of the day (and night thanks to email and text) and no wonder we all want to open fire on each other.  Our spouses don't have the same accessibility to us that our workmates do.

Thank GOD for the virus allowing us to work from home.  OOOOOOOOPS.  I forgot to pay my PG&E.  That means I'm cut off.  No access to internet nor email.  You'll have to send me snail mail if it's that important.  Thank God for the virus so you don't show up unannounced on my doorstep.

The rant for today:  BOUNDARIES

Respect them. 

Aren't You Getting Antsy?

.....ummmmm...nope.  The longer this whole shelter-in-place continues the more I'm liking it.  I don't miss the public at all.  Don't worry, I'm not the least bit offended you all don't miss me, either.  It goes both ways.  In fact, I'm annoyed when you're at the grocery store the same time I am. 

I'm getting my social fix by sitting outside with one or two friends at a time for cocktails and such.  Everybody brings their own drink and food.  We all sit at least 6 feet apart.  Everybody who comes over is within walking distance so if nature calls they can all depart to do their thing and come back so nobody has to enter anybody else's home.  Fortunately for me, I have a band that rehearses across the road and we also get live music.  Bonus:  The band is actually really good.

What's there to miss?  I get time with my favorite people and also get live music......all without a hefty price tag.

We have decided that we are going to invest heavily into our yard, both front and back.  It's going to be the ultimate outdoor hang-out space as I think that is where entertaining is going and will stay.

Speaking of outdoor entertaining, maybe it's time to bring back drive-in movie theaters and car hop service.  BRING BACK THE 50'S.  If you have a classic car you get a free burger.  How fun would THAT be?  Dressing up would also get you a free hamburger (or whatever).