House Ingrate Germ Fest

Hello, I'm an 80 year-old co-dependent woman who fawns over her 53 year-old alcoholic, irresponsible daughter and her two daughters (my granddaughters) while my other daughter, who is a responsible and a functioning citizen of society is ignored.

I reward my alcoholic, irresponsible daughter with lavish monetary gifts.  She also lives at my house rent free. Her two daughters (my granddaughters) also live at my house rent-free.  There is no accountability.  There is a houseful of able bodied adults and I'm still the one cleaning toilets and mopping the floors.  Now my one granddaughter knocks herself up because the baby daddy's non-English speaking family wants an "anchor baby." 

Anchor Baby is now two years old and I babysit my great-granddaughter for free full-time.  My granddaughter, Anchor Baby's mother, can't seem to find a minimum paying job nearby so she commutes 40 minutes each way to work her minimum paying job.  I drive to pick up Anchor Baby and bring her back to my house where I will babysit for the next 12 hours.

Now Anchor Baby brings home a nasty virus.  My health is already compromised and I landed in the hospital for 5 days.  Now Anchor Baby's mother is upset because she has to provide and arrange care for her own kid. 

I'm so sorry.  I did not mean to land in the hospital unable to breathe.  Please bring Anchor Baby back to me so I can be killed by her. 

State of the Union Address

Did you watch it?  The state of the union address?  Sure, the economy is doing well right now, but at what cost?  The environment.  I did not hear the environment mentioned once tonight which concerns me. 

And, exactly for whom is the economy thriving?  The working class is choking with health insurance premiums (assuming we are lucky enough to have an employer sponsored plan) and stagnant wages.  Sure, incomes may have risen 10% but everything else has risen 15%. 

The other issue that was not touched tonight was the lack of retirement savings.  This, my friends, is the real time bomb that is going off right now and it's going to have more collateral damage than Hiroshima. 

Back in the '80's when unions were smashed, whereas unions were once the caretakers and watch guards of your retirement,  it was then at the dissolution of the unions that all that responsibility be placed on the individual employees to discipline themselves to save for retirement.  The bait at the time was a bigger net weekly paycheck as nothing was taken out to fund a retirement.  You all went for it.  Sure, you all bought fancy houses, speedboats, and took trips to Europe but ne're a dime to  retirement. 

So here we are.  The great social experiment to place responsibility on the individual has failed.  You all are all now broke and whining to the government to bail you out.  How is it now fair to those who willingly saved 25% of their pre-retirement earnings going without any trips, frills or toys?  Why should they now fork over any money to you who chose not to save anything despite working for the same company and at the same pay level? 

Silence.  I thought so. 

Half Time Show: Superbowl

The best part of the Superbowl is the half time show, and also the commercials.  This year it was Shakira and JLo.  Personally, I thought Shakira rocked it.  Not only can she dance, she can also sing.  JLo was flat in comparison.  Shakira is a natural performer who ooozes personality.  Her belly dancing and other dance moves she learned from her grandmother.  Critics are saying she lip synced, but tell me somebody who can dance with that level of intensity and also sing simultaneously. 

Super Bowl Sunday

I'm not even a  huge football fan and I love Super Bowl Sunday.  Why?  I love having people over for casual food with the focus on the game.  If people are not in the mood to hold a conversation they turn their focus to the TV without feeling guilty about being antisocial.  The food is all appetizers so there is no pressure with timing to put the meal on the table.   Grandma's china and linens remain put away as it's totally acceptable to use paper plates, paper napkins, and drinking beer from the bottle is not looked down upon.  The formal table setting and seating is non-existent.  There are no expectations of gifts.  There are no expectations to spend Super Bowl with "family" or other long-standing unspoken family contracts.

Don't get me wrong, I love using grandma's china and linens and keeping the sacred traditions of family meals and dinner parties alive.  However, it's a fun break to wear sweats and a sports jersey and eat with the fingers.

I really don't care who wins today or not.  I suppose the 49ers because they are a local team, but in my several decades on this earth plane the winner of the Super Bowl has had nil impact on my life.  Life will go on no matter who wins.  I bet you can't even name the winner of the Super Bowl 8 years ago.  See?  That's how much it really matters in the big picture.

Here's what's on the menu for today:  Chicken wings, tri-tip sliders, hot cheddar bean dip, ranch dip, onion dip, salsa, every kind of chip imaginable, deviled eggs, fondue, home-made bread, and some vegetables just to have something healthy available (laughing hysterically).  Of course, just about everything is home-made.  I know I get a pass on the junk food because it's Super Bowl, but but but....but I just can't help myself.  If we are going to eat junk food, it's going to be QUALITY junk food (an oxymoron, I know).

Get together with your family and friends today.  Enjoy this casual and fun celebration of men throwing and fighting over a BALL.