Boss Beggars

 I'm getting rather tired of people trying to raid my pocketbook whether is is professionally or personally for (fill in the wonderful and indispensable cause here).  I am a generous person.  However, I'm tired of "repeat customers" thinking that because I have donated in the past X amount that I will continue to do so indefinitely -- as if my resources are indefinite - for which they are NOT -- and that my past donations are somehow stamped into their next years budget going forward as an automatic "gimmee."  

I got the email today begging for money.  What makes it weird is that the solicitor is my treasurer's wife.  She is all wound up in this organization that is supposed to help kids aging out of foster care.  The cause sounds all good and what not, but here is the raw truth.   The organization is being sued for having one of their take-ins murder their social worker (yes, the murderer had a track record of violence that was overlooked).  

Sorry, not feeling it this year.  We have donated $10-$15 thousand each year for the past 10 years or so.  I wish we got an accounting for our donations.  We don't.  The cause sounds all legit and all..... helping homeless kids who are aging out of foster care find their way.  We were totally into helping.....until we are not.  We feel like chumps and being taken advantage of.  

All we get is a dog and pony show at their annual beg-a-thon dinner held in their wine country vineyard where they try to rape their donors even more and guilt them into donating even more money for which we have no clue as to where it actually goes.

I feel sorry for the kids.  They are pawns in this money grab.  

I keep going back to the basics.  I housed kids on the verge of being homeless.  I still do to some extent.  I was not associated with any charity nor did I receive donations.   I fed them and housed them on my own dime.  I did not need to set up a "non profit" to help kids out and try to make a tax-exempt salary for myself.  

Bottom Line:  Take in a couple of struggling kids.  They will eventually get it together and the love will pay it forward tenfold.  Trust me. 

 

Luigi Mangione: United Health Care Murder of Brian Thompson

 The Santa Rosa Press Democrat had an article today stating that suspect Luigi Mangione had been apprehended for the murder of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson.  The main stream media has gone on to state that murder was not an acceptable form of protest for the high insurance rates and frustration of the multi-layered, inhuman bureaucracy that drives countless Americans into bankruptcy or death due to deny, delay, and depose due to tactics to avoid paying for treatments that could save lives.

Wait.  Murder was not an acceptable form of protest?  I disagree.  The insurance industry murders thousands upon thousands each year due to their byzantine practices and impossible to decipher policies written in incomprehensible legal gobble-de-gook that makes sense to none, but of course, is ALWAYS turns out in favor of the insurance company. 

Sorry, I'm NOT crying for Brian Thompson earning over $10 million annually while people who are suffering from a multitude of illnesses get DELAYED, DENIED, DEPOSE....and die before their authorizations come through.  

Who needs $10 million annually?  Really?  I'm so glad (not) that denying a cancer treatment drug to one of my loved ones helped you pay for your effing yacht, mansion,  and private school tuition for your spoiled brat offspring.  I'm sooooo glad you PROFITED off our illness and suffering.  FUKR!.

Sorry....no mercy from this corner.  

Brian Thompson:  I hope upon death the first thing your spirit guide asked you for was for "prior authorization" to enter heaven as you have not gone through the proper channels to enter and you will be denied entry.  Burn in hell....and take the rest of the health insurance rapists with you. 

That's a Great Question

 I detest hearing any politician reply to a citizen, "That's a great question."

Translated, that means the citizen caught the politician in a lie or the politician got caught feeding the populace bull s+*t and the politician does not have a clue, either. 

There is something very condescending and patronizing about hearing, "That's a great question."

Below is a pathetic example, but you will get my vibe.

Citizen:  You want to promote density housing with no parking as the government is pushing public transportation and electric vehicles.  Yet there is no plan for parking nor where people would charge their electric vehicles.  Public transportation is inadequate to get people and families to their jobs, schools, doctors appointments, etc.  Exactly how will people get around, where will they park and charge their electric vehicles with all this new density building with no parking and no real public transportation system, and how do we meet our carbon emission reduction goals simultaneously?

Politician:  That is a great question!

Bottom line:  Hearing "that is a great question" is the equivalent of hearing "I have no effing idea myself and I am full of bull-oney."  Any political campaign manager who encourages his client to use "that's a great question" when caught in a lie or flat-out does not know the answer should be fired immediately. 

Thanksgiving :) and Orange Cheetos

 My favorite holiday is just around the corner - Thanksgiving!!  It will be a very manageable number this year and cooking for them will be a joy rather than penance.  I have shed the ingrates, as I've made it clear that I will not be disrespected - especially in my own home.  I have no idea where they are going to leach a Thanksgiving dinner.  Not my problem.  

Hey, have you heard the Orange Cheeto will be our commander in chief?  I'm certain you have.  I refuse to name him as any kind of attention feeds his ego.  I have very mixed feelings about it.  I listened to him live during the debates where the media could not spin anything.  I thought he was worse than Biden as far as mental decline.  And no, I'm not a fan of Camel Toe, either.  I know too much of her backstory in San Francisco.

I can honestly look in the mirror and know that I did not vote for either one of them.  I can honestly state that I voted my own way, and trying to convince me that I was "throwing away my vote" fell on my deaf ears.  I do not believe any vote is wasted.  That is what the two dominant political parties want you to believe because their worst fear is competition.  I honestly believe there are more people like myself who were not impressed with either candidate, but felt compelled to hold their nose and vote for one of them, as they were successfully manipulated into thinking that "they would be throwing their vote away" if they did otherwise.  

The Orange Cheeto has a stupid mouth.  While I do believe our borders should be more secure - there is a BIG difference between LEGAL and illegal immigration - I don't think his solution of rounding them all up in a mass deportation will get anywhere.  However, every country has a right to orderly entry.  If you think I am full of it, try emigrating to another country - LEGALLY.  You won't like the forms, expense, wait times, and other requirements for entry.  Why should rule breakers trying to get into the United States get preferential treatment?  There are MILLIONS of people who would LOVE to live in the United States.  What is our answer?  We coddle the rule breakers, and punish those who are patiently waiting their turn.  

Controlling entry into the United States will benefit immigrants from employers looking to exploit them.  If they are here legally, immigrants will be more confident in exercising their rights by calling out employers who treat them poorly.  We all benefit from that. 

I can understand the appeal of the Orange Cheeto as he is really the only option we have had as far as candidates who were not already pre-selected, career, politicians.   He does support law and order - but to a fault.  I think many Americans feel abandoned by the democrats who tend to want to "de-fund the police" and provide (at tax payer expense) sex change operations for incarcerated felons while we, who are law-abiding citizens, can't even afford basic health insurance. The democrats were too busy wringing their hands and obsessing about which pronoun a person uses (rather than just focusing on the person) whist the rest of Americans just wanted a steady paycheck (and hopefully benefits) and hope that they will get out from underneath oppressive rent, health insurance, homeowners insurance, auto insurance, taxes, and grocery expenses.

We would not be in this mess had the democrats been honest about Joe Biden's mental decline (as many of us had suspected for a LONG time and our accurate speciousness was adamantly dismissed by the media) and put forth a candidate who could stay up past 6:00 PM.  We would not be in this mess had the republicans put forth a candidate who was not a bombastic blow-hard and could conduct themselves in a more refined fashion.  One would think name calling and bullying were limited to elementary school yards.  Nope.  

Well, I got off on politics and turkeys.  What's the difference?

 

Elderly Frustration Part II

 If you have not taken care of elderly relatives, your turn is coming.  Looking back, I see how as a child I used to go with my mom to the old folks home in rural Minnesota to visit Aunty Emma Krummel and other elders to whom I am related.  Some of these elders did not speak English.  They spoke their native Czech (Bohemian).  I knew when they were talking about me - I understood just enough to know I was being insulted.  My dad refused to go along for the elderly visits as they all hated him because he was a protestant and they objected  the marriage.  

Enough of that.  

I received a call from my sister last night.  She is pulling her hair out with dealing with my mother.  She wanted to know if there was room enough for one more at our Thanksgiving table.   Of course there is room!  Get on a flight, sister!  I'm here for you!

One of the issues is my older brother.  Yes, the GLORIOUS first-born BOY where the sun RISES and SETS out of his ARSE HOLE.  My mom cannot see anything wrong with him.  The birth order is:  my sister, older brother, myself, and then my younger brother.

The problem with my older brother is that he will tell people he's coming to an event or holiday, and then not show up.  We all want to get on with our food that we have been preparing all day and serve it to the people who have had the decency to let us know we have the honor of hosting and actually show up.  It's getting late.  People are getting hangry.  Mom calls brother.  He is not answering his phone.  Brother is not answering texts messages.  All we want to know is if he is showing up or not.  We all want to eat.  Mom makes excuses for brother as to why we should hold off and pulls the emotional blackmail card and starts to cry.  

We've had it with waiting.  We serve the food.  Everybody is having a great time.  Now we are cleaning up the kitchen.  Brother finally walks in with his wife and wants to know what's going on as he holds out his bag of Tupperware containers expecting us to fill it with leftovers.  

EFF YOU BROTHER.  

The point of this post is that my sister is taking all the brunt of dealing with my mother, and my brothers just show up periodically wanting food, money and to use the house as an air BNB.  They do NOTHING to help. 

 

Lahaina, Maui

 My last post was about wanting to live alone on an island to rid myself of people who think they should have access to my pocketbook because of their own poor planning and even poorer spending habits.  Yes, people who have inherited $$$$$ and BLEW IT are now expecting me to wave my magic wand to replenish their bank accounts and wipe out their debt.  

The list of people wanting "loans" from me is growing.  

I am NOT a bank.  I am not a financial advisor.  I am not a credit counselor.  I am not a retirement planner.   What is ironic is that the people who want me to fork over $ on their behalf have a newer (and fancier) car than I do and also a larger house in a fancier neighborhood.  

One of the guys I work with told me I could become a loan shark, but that is not my personality.  He is a loan shark himself and is paid quite handsomely.  Being a loan shark does not come without its drawbacks.  I don't want to be in the money loaning business.  I don't want to have to send Tommy over in the middle of the night to rough anybody up and bust knee caps for non-payment of money due.  

I digress.  I'm being overly dramatic and taking a poetic license to vent my frustration about mostly family members thinking that I am nothing but a cash dispenser.  

Wait.  The post title is Lahaina, Maui, Hawai'i.  How did I go off on a tangent about loan sharks and family moochers?  

This is where me wanting to be on an island comes into play.  I've spent the last 5 days on Maui in Ka'anapali which is just north of Lahaina.  I was there for a work meeting.  Many parts of Lahaina burned to the ground 15 months ago.  It was haunting to see the blackened concrete and remnants of the devastating fire that ripped through there August 2023.  It was like reliving the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa all over again.  What really got to me was seeing pictures of fire victims staked along the highway adorned with leis and crosses.  I busted out crying.  

So, maybe being on an island is not so great after all.  Is it better than being sucked dry by mooching family members?  

This post does not make sense as I have been awake for almost 24 hours straight and I realize I'm rambling.  I would usually blame alcohol for the rambling, but I have not imbibed. 

One more topic to throw into this rambling rant.  

Did you hear Trump got re-elected?  I'm certain you have.  Here is the best part about the election results while being in a resort hotel room on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean:  Nobody freaked out one way or the other.  The next day life went on as usual.  Nobody even talked about the election results.  Keep calm and carry on.  

Here's my personal fear with the election results.  Trump is his own worst enemy.  He says some REALLY dumb stuff.  Please, somebody chop his social media twitter thumbs off.  He only incriminates himself. I was dumbfounded at his performance with his debate with Kamala Harris.   Trump said some really stupid stuff that bordered on Alzheimer-ish that made me question his mental capacity like Biden's slipping cognitive ability.  That is what really scares me.  Should Trump die in office, that means Vance would be president.  THAT SCARES ME.  

So, from what were we to choose?  Let's be honest.  Kamala was never presidential material.  She was the box checker for female-black-asain-whatever-ethniciy-minority-vote getter to launch Biden into presidency as he was your average, the run-of-the-mill old white dude who needed a bi-racial person-hood who acknowledged having vagina and identified as female to seal the deal for "diversity, equity, and inclusion."

The democrats effed this whole thing up themselves.  They should have admitted that Biden was in cognitive decline a long, long time ago (like we all suspected and were told over and over again by mainstream media that Biden was just FINE until the disastrous debate on live television the media could not spin) and put forward a plan for a real 2024 presidential candidate.  Instead, we now have Trump who is also in cognitive decline, and his succession plan with Vance looks to me a lot worse.

One thing I need to give Trump credit for:  The stem of illegal immigration into the United States was a lot less under the Trump administration, and I dare say that international "terrorists" did not pull the crap they are doing today.

Well, I'm just a middle-income American who gets hosed as I pay a lot in taxes.  I'm too rich to get any government freebies (as I am also white so I am automatically disqualified) and too poor to get the big business corporation contracts and related tax breaks.  Maybe I should not speak any English and claim a homeland government tyranny so others can work themselves to the bone to support ME.  

Wait.  My homeland government tyranny is California. 

 

 

 

Why is it MY Problem YOU did not SAVE YOUR $$$$$$$$$$$

 It's headed there.  Yup, there is trouble in my marriage.  I'm angry.  I'm frustrated.  My sister-in-law, who is elderly and broke, is now showing signs of dementia.  I'm now taking care of her personal bill paying.  I can't ask her anything, as she tap dances and does not give me a straight answer.  I have to go online to her accounts to see balances and activity. 

Hubby defends his sister and gets upset when I ask uncomfortable questions like, "Your sister is broke.  She owes $15,000 in credit card debt.  Her IRA distribution of $400 per month will run out in 2.3 years.  She needs that money to survive.  She has $250 in her checking account and zero savings.  We pay for her property taxes, fuel, auto registration, cell phone and more.  She can't get a reverse mortgage because she lives in a mobile home.  The rent on her mobile home space is going up January 1, 2025.  She blew her significant inheritance on crap made in China.  Yes, I have her on a wait list for low-income senior housing, but that wait is 3-5 years.  When we asked her POINT BLANK yesterday at our kitchen table what her long term plan was, she said she does not have one."

What frosted my behind was when I told her she does not have one nickle to spare she just giggled.  

I don't want her living here.  I think that is her passive-aggressive plan.  Plus, she does NOTHING to better her situation.  She does not take care of herself.  She does not exercise.  She can get a free hot lunch at the senior center Monday - Friday to either eat there or take it to go.  She won't do it.  They have services at the senior center.  She won't participate. 

Please people, don't dump your own elder care onto others.  You will get old someday.  You will need care.  Also, don't expect the money fairy to appear out of nowhere (whether it is the government or family members) to bail you out.  

Living alone on an island is sounding better and better.

David Allen Novitsky

 Scorpios.  I'm surrounded by them.  I have tumultuous relationships with Scorpios.  Someone once told me that the most complicated and explosive, intense relationships are between Scorpios and Pisces.  I don't know if that's true or not, but it's been my life experience thus far.  

After the death of my "first" love, I've gone back and read all my journal entries from high school.  Dave was mentioned almost daily for three years.  So much emotion, so much angst, so much insecurity on my part.  I finally got the strength to pull away from him.  Fast forward 41 years.  I never thought I would be participating via streaming for his funeral.  Dave was a huge chapter of my life, despite a confusing and awful one.  

I have pictures from high school dances that I almost shared on this blog.  I got an unnerving chill that Dave did not want that.  I'm not so sure I'm compelled to honor him after the way he treated me.  He certainly did not honor ME.  I might post the pictures, anyway. 

Yes, Dave was an abusive asshole.  One of my coven said it best that what I'm feeling is an uncomfortable sadness.  That assessment was spot on.  All of the memories came bubbling up to the surface watching his service this morning.  Dave could be incredibly funny and charming - he could also be very sadistic.  He was almost like a Jekyll and Hyde.  Believe it or not, I started crying when the priest went to the urn and blessed it, and then watching people come up to the urn after the service and have their moment.  Now Dave is a pile of ash.  Gone. 

Dave's own family did not speak to him (and vice versa) at the end.  Tells you a lot about his character.

https://www.millerfuneralfridley.com/obituaries/david-novitsky

Trader Joe's = Yuppie Wal Mart

 Trader Joe's is in trouble these days for listeria outbreaks in their products.  Well, to be fair it is more than just Trader Joe's.  I'm not sure where my rant will go today.  It will either to be the poor quality of American foods (overly processed and full of chemicals) or the type of people who shop at Trader Joe's.  

Hmmm,,,  decisions decisions.

Despite it's popularity, I've never been a huge fan of Trader Joe's.  Sure, they have some good deals on wine from time to time, but I've never been super impressed with their foods.  The customers at Trader Joe's are Whole Foods wannabes.  There is a reason Trader Joe's has the moniker "Yuppie Wal Mart."

Even Whole Foods has taken a nose dive since Amazon acquired them a few years ago.  When an acquisition happens, corporate ALWAYS promises they won't mess with the way things are currently done.  They always do.  Everything is profit driven, remember that. 

Bottom Line:  If you can't pronounce the items on a products ingredient list, it is more than likely harmful for your health.  Eat at home.  Make what you can yourself.  No, I'm not a food Nazi, but be leery of anything that comes in a bag or a box.  Buy locally. 

The Last of My First

 This is difficult for me to write.  I found out that my first serious boyfriend (and the one I lost my virginity to) died over the weekend.  I don't know any other details of the death as of yet.  The weird thing was that I had a dream about him on Friday night.  In the dream he kept on wanting to get back together with me, but I did not want to.  He kept rubbing my back like he used to do when we were together.  In my dream I thought that was going too far as I'm married to somebody else.  He then was holding a baby girl that seemed to be about 6-9 months old.  She was our daughter????  She had the big, blue eyes ex-boyfriend had.  He took her away from me because he I would not get back together with him.  The whole dream was weird, and I told my husband about it when I woke up in the morning.

The first thing I said was, "Why on earth would I dream about HIM?"

He was a big chapter in my life.  We had a very tumultuous relationship that lasted 3.5 years.  That is a long time when you're 16 - 19 years old.  I can honestly say he was a mistake, but for whatever reason I needed to learn something from him.  

I did not keep in contact with him after we broke up. I know he wanted to keep in contact.  I never knew if I would bump into him in Nordeast when I was visiting my family and friends in Minnesota.  

I guess where I'm going with this is that I'm emotional about his death, and I don't know why.  He was not a "good guy."  Death is just so final.  The universe has deemed that no other lessens are to be learned during this incarnation for us.  Our karma is complete for this lifetime. 

Warning to Ex-Boyfriend:  I won't forget our relationship and what you put me through.  Plan your next life accordingly.  I'll be waiting - it's your turn to be on the suckie end of things next time. LOL.  

Oh NO!!! Politics in my Coven :(

 As it turns out, not going to the Bahamas was a blessing in disguise.  When the wine starts flowing, so do mouths.  Our country is so divided right now politically, and sadly that has seeped into the coven.  One comment led to another comment and the heated debate was on.  I knew SSP would be the neutral one, as that is her nature.  Even if she holds beliefs that are not the same as others she does not stir the pot nor inflame a a tense situation.

Maybe this is why SSP and I are "soul sisters."  We don't throw gasoline on fires.  Maybe it's because we both have relatives who are on opposite ends of the political spectrum, and having different viewpoints is not something that we think of as a big deal - nor do we personally shame and ridicule anybody who does not share our viewpoints.  

I feel so badly for PMF.  She grasciously opened up her home and ended up getting yelled at and insulted by guests.  PMF did not start the argument. 

I hope this all blows over.  I love all of them too much to let politics get in the way.  I hope they feel the same way eventually after time calms the emotions.  

It's been a week of weirdness.  

My son was in a serious car accident coming back from Reno.  The car is totaled.  It's a miracle the car spun the way it did and the back ended up taking most of the impact.  They were lucky in that regard.  My son-in-law drove from San Jose to Reno to pick him and bring him home.  

The very same morning my son was in the car accident in Reno, I got my bumper tapped on 101 just north of Todd Road.  We both pull over to the shoulder to assess the damage.  Here it is a guy I work with who was heading to the very same meeting I was.  I started laughing.  He was sooooooo embarrassed.  There was zero damage that he caused.  Sure, my bumper has a couple of very minor scrapes, but it had nothing to do with him tapping it.  We both arrived at the meeting at the same time.  He walked into the conference room and said, "Hey everybody, guess who I bumped into today."

Other weird things kept happening this week.  I'm going to blame the full moon.  

My daughter's favorite chicken died unexpectedly. 

Bahama Mammas

My Minnesota coven is heading to the Bahamas on Wednesday.  I should be with them.  One of my besties, PMF, and her husband bought a place down there and she is gracious enough to host us for a week.  

I feel badly as I've not been with my group for the past few times they have gotten together.  The timing just has not worked out.  I miss them.  

Well, lo and behold, my last post was about traveling and getting sick.  I just got back from San Diego after being there for about a week for a work trip.  We all started falling like dominoes with COVID.  I've had the 'jab' five times and have contracted it twice before.  A couple of my colleagues are in the hospital - and these are tough guys who don't get sick.  

Going to the Bahamas just was not meant to be.  

PMF, JLB, TYD, SYB, SSP, I will be with you all in spirit.  Sorry I've been so absent this year.  :(

Travel BUG

 It's been a very busy year for Quiet Rage.  I have not posted the usual number of rants I usually do for lack of time.  I can hear the universe cheering for that.

Well, I'm going to burst the universe's bubble and post.  Again, feel free to move on if you don't like what I write.  Your open eyeballs are not stitched to the screen.  

I have been traveling quite a bit this year - most of it is for work.  I'm in the contract negotiating cycle, which happens once every three years.  November 30 will officially mark the end of it.  Everything with my work travel is back into full swing now that COVID travel paranoia has passed.  My industry LOVES in-person meetings in far-flung locations (mostly on the east coast).  It is for this reason I miss COVID.  

Anyway, the title of this blog post is Travel Bug.  I emphasize the BUG.  Nothing spreads germs more than airports and travel.  You can pretty much bet that if you fly, you will get sick -- especially this time of year.  Granted, most of the sickness travel causes is nothing more than the annoying cold.  

Here's my grievance.  WHY DO PEOPLE COUGH INTO THEIR HANDS?  They then want to shake your hand.  They are also the same people who will cough into their hand AND THEN USE THE SERVING UTINSILS AT THE FOOD BUFFET.  

GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate buffets for this simple reason.  

Why don't people cough and sneeze into their elbow crease?  Using the elbow crease, unlike your HAND, won't be used to push elevator buttons, open doors, shake hands, use food serving utensils, etc., spreading slimey germs everywhere.   

Here's the kicker.  So many people think they are being sooooooo classy when they cough into their hand like they are so refined, well-bred and considerate of others.  NOPE.  Oh, and I don't even want to guess what they do (or rather NOT do) after they use the toilet.  

TRAVEL BUG!!!!!!!  DON'T GET IT!  WASH YOUR HANDS!  COUGH INTO YOUR BENT ELBOW.  

Welfare Queen

 Riddle me this.  My niece, who is not married to her baby daddy, does not work.  She has toddler and is expecting another one in November.  She was "shocked" to learn she was pregnant again.

She whines and cries about how tight money is.  However, they jet off to San Diego to visit baby daddy's mom.  Baby Daddy flew down to San Diego yesterday for a football draft (totally unnecessary expense).

My niece, KAB, was explaining today to us that her toddler needs and receives all these special services because of some trauma he experienced in utero that are FREE for her.  I had to bite my tongue.  Nothing is free.  I'm paying for it through taxes.  

KAB and Baby Daddy are staunch Trump supporters.  They ran away from Texas because the social safety net is not what it is in liberal California.  

The hypocrisy is not lost on me.  Accepting FREE social services is OK if it's for your own kid.  Anybody else who utilizes services for their kid it is a drain on the system and should be sent packing.  

How Much Help?

 Life is complicated.  Marriage is complicated.  I've been married for 37 years - to the same man - and I can tell you we have had our peaks and pits.  Sigh.  Long story. 

Here's where it stands right now.  My husband's sister is going to drive us to our boundaries with each other.  I'm growing increasingly frustrated with hubby's sister who wants my financial advice and help, but won't give me the whole truth on her finances.  I only get bits and pieces.....and then tap dances when I ask pointed questions.  

Sorry.  If you want my help you need to fess up the truth of your financial status - even if it equals disaster. She asked me for help.  It's not like I'm soliciting and prying for personal, private financial information.   

God bless my sister-in-law Sassy, as she really is a good person.  However, she is like dealing with a 5-year-old. However, she is STUPID with her money.  

Sassy will turn 79 on Tuesday.  Yup.  Sassy is the perpetual toddler.  She was the youngest of 4 kids for 17 years until...... her mother announced on April Fools Day that she was pregnant with my now husband at the menopausal age of 45.  

At first the pregnancy announcement was thought a menopause joke.  It was no joke.  Along comes Husband *SURPRISE* two decades  after his siblings.  His brothers and sisters were more like aunts and uncles because of the age difference.  In fact, mother and daughter were pregnant at the same time.  My husband's niece is only 4 months younger than himself.  Talk about an interesting family photograph.....and they don't even live in the south.  LOL. 

My sister-in-law, Sassy-the-80-year-old-perpetual-toddler-who-is-currently-in-financial-straits, was ALWAYS the annoying kid sister you wanted to punch in the face (even when she was age 50+).   She still sings the bratty, gap-toothed, lisped, freckled face, messy-red-headed- kid-songs-seven-year-olds sing that make us all want to push her off the ledge.  

Think a female Denis the Menace - but worse.  Think "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas and All I Want for Christmas are my Two-Front-Teeth" songs where you want to tear the radio off the wall and smash it to bits.  Annoying AF.

What's my point?  Well, today Sassy calls and tells me that "her broker" called her to tell her to move her money into an IRA at Bank of America.   

So many questions.

I've been trying to help with Sassy's finances for two years.  I have never heard of her "broker" until today.  Just so you all know, "broker" is a term meaning they are making unjust commissions off of you and not acting as a fiduciary.  

I asked Sassy about this "broker."  She said, "Oh, <tap dance, tap dance, tap dance, tap dance, tap dance> I've been working with him for about the last 15 years or so."

Me:  Why am I only hearing about him now?  I need you to be transparent with me if you want me to help with your money and finances.  In what capacity does this guy work for you?  Is he a financial planner?  How much of your money does he handle?     Is he a fiduciary?  Where are your accounts held? 

Sassy:  Oh, I handed over all my money.  I don't know where my money is at.  It's been a while since I've looked at a statement.  He called me to tell me that I'm running out of money and that I should transfer out of his care and roll over to an IRA account at Bank of America. 

Me:  ARE YOU KIDDING???????????????????????????????????????

Yes, this is what I'm dealing with.  Unscrupulous financial "advisors" who prey on elderly women - my own mother included.   

Now the onus is on me to clean up this mess with Sassy and also a similar situation with my own mother who has entrusted her finances to a "broker" because he is Catholic.  I told my mother that Catholic priests molest boys.  Not all Catholics are good.  Dead silence from mom. 

Bottom Line:  If you are in a position to guide your elderly kin to a reputable financial person to do so sooner than later. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trip Home to Minnesota

 I just got back from visiting my family and friends in Minnesota.  Let me start by stating that my friends often feel more like my family.  It's a long and complicated story, but the connection I feel with my coven is extra special.  We have been friends since we were weeeeeeeeeee ones.  We are still friends to this day - BY CHOICE.  

Another thing I must state out loud.  Mosquitoes love me.  I am all bit up.  The love affair mosquitoes have with me is not reciprocated.  Minnesota is laden with mosquitos.  I have all sorts of lotions and ointments on my body to relieve the itching from the many bites.  It does not work all that well (for me).  

Another thing I must state out loud.  Minnesota has TERRIBLE drivers.  Wait.  We all thought they were all known for being nice, right?  That's how they market themselves.  Minnesota NICE.  What a bunch of hooey.  Minnesota drivers tailgate right-up-on-your-butt.  And no, I don't drive like an old lady.  I'm used to California Bay Area traffic and all the weird stuff that can happen on the roadways.  Minnesota drivers are two inches from your rear bumper and staring you down.  It makes California drivers super considerate in comparison as you can't see the whites of the tailgater's eyes in your rear view mirror and the associated eye daggers being lodged at you like you can with Minnesota drivers who are driving on your beeeee-hineeeeey.

Trip highs:  I got to see my friends.  Wait.  Calling them friends seems a disservice to them.  They mean more to me than friends.  I truly believe we are connected at the soul level.  It's no accident we were born at the same time/location.  We were meant to interact with each other.  Seeing them always brings joy to me.  We just GET each other.  

Another high was being together with ALL my siblings and my mom at the same time.  That does not happen very often.  I *know* my dad was there.  I can't explain it, but his favorite songs would suddenly play on the radio.  They are very specific songs.  There was also the cardinal on the telephone wire that stayed and stayed and stayed.  A cardinal is a sign of a beloved spirit who has passed.  There were also little things that would move themselves around the house like tools and whatnot that my sister SWORE she put in a certain area.   Plus there were the smells and shadows that were definitely dad.  He died in the house.  Of course his energy resonates. 

 I also got to see my nieces.  Two of my nieces drove a long way just to see me.  I feel honored for that.  However, there is one niece I'm very worried about.  Long story.   

My friends all took the time and trouble to come and see me.  They brought Tasty Pizza!!!  We missed SYB and TYD, but I get it.  Everybody has stuff going on.  Still, my besties showed up in force.  SSP, JLB, and PMF came to see me at my mom's house.  I do NOT take that for granted.  I'm so honored to have friends like them.  xxoo  PMF stayed until well after everybody else went home.  It was nice to hear what was going on in her life. 

Trip lows:  I did not get to go to Dairy Queen for my blizzard.  LOL.  I did go to the White Castle drive-thru for my brothers and nephews at some ungodly hour for double cheeseburgers, onion chips, and french fries.  The ozone layer now suffers from the consequences of my brothers and nephews for emitting toxic gasses into the universe.  Yup.  They are causing global warming.  I dare say they contributed to the general warming of mom's house as well.  Nobody can go upstairs after my brothers and nephews have feasted on White Castle without gagging and choking.  Please.......open the windows....even if it's -40*

Other trip lows....and this is on a serious note.  

Mom's mental capacity is slipping.  She sure can hide it temporarily when she has an audience.  Mom knows how to put on a show to make others think she's not losing it.  Anything to make it look like it's everybody ELSE and not HER who is is losing it.  

My sister and I had a two-hour conversation today about the things she gets upset about that have nothing to do with anybody except herself.  Yet, she wants to blame somebody else.  

Talk so me at some point about the chair condoms.  I kid you not.  I can't make this stuff up, people. 

 

 

 

 

Keith Richard and Richard Simmons

 Here's a brain twister for you all.

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones has been half dead because of heavy drug and alcohol usage since the 1960's.  Keith Richards is still alive and is 80 years old.

Richard Simmons was a fitness nut who died at age 76.  

Who had more fun? 

Fun is subjective.  

Bottom line:  live your life.  We will all die around age 80-90 ish if we are lucky to make it that far no matter how many green spirulinas we drink and miles per day we jog.  I'm not downplaying taking care of yourself.  I'm stating that we are overly obsessed with our "fitness' and "health" rituals that may turn out to be the death of us because following them causes the stress that kills us.  

Truth bomb:  The oldest people I know of are of Minnesota ilk who smoke, drink, eat lard, red meat, etc.  Here's the difference.  Their food is NOT PROCESSED.  They are NOT STRESSED.  Minnesotans hang out with their neighbors for casual chit chat and have created a social network.  Most other people in other states hide behind their fenced off yards and calls the SWAT team if anybody rings their doorbell. 

Here's another truth bomb:  stress is the number one killer.  

Here's yet another truth bomb:  Take five minutes to get chat with your neighbors.  Get to know them.  You don't because you think you are sooooooooooo busy and self-important shuttling yourself from one event to another.......Here's yet another truth bomb:  you're not nearly as important as you think you are.  

One more truth bomb:  Our families, friends, and community are all that really matter in the long run.  And no, I don't mean this to create ties to create relationships only to exploit said relationships for gaining votes while running for public office.  That is FAKE.  We all know politicians exploit relationships for personal gain.

Be real.  People will reciprocate by being real.  If people are not being real with you, let them go.  They don't deserve your attention.  Who wants fake friends with materialistic aspirations? 

How will you know if somebody is being real with you?  Simple.  You will feel it in your soul.  No words necessary.  

Keith Richards:  Still alive at age 80.  Smokes, drinks, and did drugs for decades.  Does not give a flying monkey.

Richard Simmons:  Dead at age 76.  Became obsessed with his body image after somebody made a comment on his being fat.  He did a total 180* and lost weight.  Richard became the "fitness and health guru" for at  least two decades preaching his deal-a-meals and exercise videos to bored, overweight housewives.  What did that get him?  Dead at 76.  

Hey....I'm not knocking the bored, overweight housewives.  Richard Simmons paid attention to them.  Richard Simmons made a boat load of money.  Capitalism ignores females over the age of 50 despite our growing numbers and political largess (no pun intended).  We have money and yet we are ignored.  Good on Richard Simmons for at least giving the mature women a presence in the fitness world.  

I could go on and on about how the fitness world ignores women over the age of 50 despite our eagerness to participate.  GOLD MINE FOR ANYBODY WHO DARES TO TAP INTO THIS MARKET.  Yes, we are still sassy and want to have fun.  No, we are not wearing depends and use walkers.  Don't treat us like we are one step away from Menopause Meadows.  We have plenty of sass and will show you up on the dance floor.  Don't patronize us. 

 

Oneth by land, twoeth by sea, WTF if they arrive by other means?

 Wellllllllll...it's OFFICIAL.  The British are coming!  

Let's backtrack to 1976, which was the bicentennial for American independence from England.  

I remember 1976 very vividly.  It was the 200th year of our separation from England.  I was 9 year-old girl in Minnesota.  I remember fireworks.  I remember watermelon.  I remember waiting for the parade.  I remember mosquitos at dusk.  I remember sparklers.  I remember firecrackers.  Oddly enough, I remember slime (the toy) and pop rocks (the candy) for which both are now banned for being toxic to children.  

Perhaps that is what is wrong with me. 

What were we celebrating?  Oh yeah, we sliced ourselves off from the English throne.  Did we know what we were doing?  Some say yes and others say no.  Some say we never really separated ourselves. 

Truth be told, we have more in common with the English than any other ethnic group.  Despite other ethnic groups migrating to America, the English still hold onto the title of "we dumped our losers and misfits onto your shores.  You deal with them."  

Other areas of Europe were already dumping their "undesirables" onto our shores long before the English.  New Amsterdam was New York before it was New York.   How many of you knew that? You all thought New York was the original name.  NOT. 

America became a dumping ground for the offspring of the royal's extra marital affairs the crown did not want to acknowledge nor provide for.  I'm living proof of that. 

Yes, we have many who escaped Europe (mostly northern and western Europe at the time) and we became the pioneers who carved out the west.  We have had many entanglements with other groups along the way.  Some became part of family.  

The Pennsylvania Dutch  is the other ethnic group I closely identify with.  They are really German, but the English thought they thought "deutch" was the same as "dutch."  

Then there are the central Europeans on my mother's side who arrived around 1900 from Bohemia (present day Czech Republic).  There is a story there.  Apparently, there was a huge fight as there was a railroad that ran along the German/Czech/Bohemian border or whatever it was at the time????????  They had to leave.  Now.

Bottom line:  I am an American SUPER MUTT.   

Mutts are loyal and just want to love.  

 

Kamala Harris - President?

 Well, our presidential candidates are certainly fodder for political sarcasm.  The Orange Cheeto could have been something good once upon a time.  He capitalized on America's frustration with the current system.  He seized that opportunity and ran with it.  Well, we can't totally blame him as he is a businessman after all.  He is a capitalistic opportunist and he took full advantage.  Shame on our government for allowing the people's frustration level come the point where the Orange Cheeto was viewed as the only viable savior with the gumption to take on the corrupt and disconnected-from-the-citizens Capitol Hill.

Ole Joe has been a career politician.  He kissed the right buttocks at the right time to milk a career from the democratic party that catapulted him to the presidency as a reward for all his brown-lip-puckering over the decades.  He needs a kleenex to wipe off the brown residue on his upper lip that still identifies him as a "dirty Sanchez."  The scary part about Ole Joe is that he is the marionette being played by unknown manipulators orchestrating his every move.  Ole Joe may bear the title of president, but he is an empty shell being directed by the unnamed men behind the curtain.  We really don't know who the president is.  That troubles us. 

Now that the democratic party realizes Ole Joe has a snowball's chance in hell of winning to the Orange Cheeto, he drops out of the race four months prior to the election.  

Mistake.  

If the democrats had been truthful with us, they would have disclosed his cognitive decline instead of trying to deny and hide it from the public for so long.  Had the live debate not have happened, I doubt Ole Joe would have dropped out.  

Well, now that leaves us with Kamala Harris as the democratic nominee.  Here's the truth that nobody will publish nor address despite what the vast majority of American's think.  

Warning.  This is not for those who like to play the "victim" and "race" card.  This is not politically correct.  This is not for whiny liberals. You can close off this page right now.  If you go onto read, do so at your own risk.  I gave you ample warning to leave as you will not like what I have to state.  

Truth:  The United States will not vote a Black-Asian woman from California to the White House.  Why?  Kamala was nothing but a D.E.I. box-checker-vice-presidential choice for Ole Joe who wanted to garner support from minorities to get as many female and "brownie" points as possible.  Pun intended.   

Truth Bomb.

Kamala is from California, which is the state every other state loves to hate.  I do not blame the rest of the United States for hating us.  We have the highest taxes coupled with the highest poverty.  We have the highest homeless population along with illegal immigrants overwhelming public services.  We have the highest housing prices.  We have homeless people harassing and verbally abusing law-abiding, tax-paying citizens.  The homeless crap and camp wherever they want without repercussions.  When the Safe Team approaches them offering shelter and services for counseling, they refuse and continue their antics.  Yup.  Homeless people who crap on the public sidewalks, camp on public sidewalks, and harass people have more rights than we do. 

Then there is this.......Kamala, when you speak you sound STUPID.  Your word salads are on par with Ole Joe's alzheimers gaffs.  It's hard to distinguish which one is more mentally fit, or should I state unfit.  We all know you got to where you are because you sucked Willie Brown's dick when he was the mayor in SF.  

Now everybody wants to send me hate mail for stating the truth.  

 

 

 

4 Generations Playing Cards

 I came across this video and laughed so hard I spit coffee on the keyboard.  Just so you know, I belong to Gen X.  Copy and paste into your web browser.

https://fb.watch/tqCnkjGM5C/

The Crazy Homeless Guy

 There is a "frequent flyer" homeless guy who has been around downtown for some time.  I can't describe him, or I would be labeled as a racist despite the description being true.  This guy is NASTY and yells obscenities at passers by and runs around leaving his piles of garbage everywhere. 

Problem #1.  We can't describe the guy to authorities or we would be deemed racist and intolerant.  We can't really even describe as him as male, as perhaps he does not identify as male.  

Problem #2:  He disturbs the public with his rants he screams into mid air.  Sally from Mill Valley is now outraged as she moved to Sonoma County to rid herself of such human trash, despite her EQUALITY FOR ALL democratic bumper stickers on her effing Tesla.  

Problem #3:  The "Safe Team" does nothing.  They were called to the scene this morning.  They were there for a few minutes, and then they left.  The "frequent flyer" homeless guy refuses services, but he is allowed to remain to be a public nuisance.  The homeless guy is obviously unstable.  Who knows if he will turn violent on a whim?  It does not matter, because an unstable homeless guy who refuses services has more rights than tax paying citizens who simply want to enjoy public spaces without being harassed or killed. 

Despite all this negativity aimed at the Chronically Homeless Brother from Oakland, the homeless brother does have a few valid points.

Some of the rants Homeless Brother is screaming state that how the government is out to screw everybody, and how the government is corrupt.  

I can't sit here and think that he's wrong.  

Which makes me think.......who is the crazy one?  Should we be trying to silence the homeless guy for speaking his truth?  His truth rings true.  I rant about the corrupt government as well.  I suppose that makes me equally crazy and there are those who want to shut me up. 

Yes, I texted it

 There are a few lingering family issues that are unresolved.  For starters, my recently impregnated niece, who already has a toddler, just ran back from Texas to her mommy and daddy in Sonoma County, California, after a four month stint in Texas because she "accidentally" got pregnant.  The services in Texas to do not match California benefits

Here's the kicker.  They moved to Texas because they were sick of liberal California policies.  Now that they got a taste of what Texas is really about, they rushed back to liberal California in a heart beat because they were what Texans despise -- Californians moving to Texas trying to California their Texas.   

I don't blame Texans for despising Californians moving there.  I get it.  Our own local version is people from SF moving to Sonoma County and us despising them.  

Here's where I go off the rails.  Do not the 30 year-old mother and 40-year old father not know where babies come from? ??????  And the pregnancy is a SURPRISE????????

WTF???  Do you not KNOW where babies come from?  Hellollooooooooooooooo.  I donate to Planned Parenthood just for this reason!  JFC!!!!  There are so many options for birth control out there!  Rubbers, pills, diaphragms, foams, etc.!!!!!!  You name it!!!!!!!!  I donate for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It's available FREE OF CHARGE.

Word to Niece:  Don't come whining to me for items for a baby shower because this one is a girl.  The pricey item I got for the last kid that was born was sold on FaceBook marketplace for pennies on the dollar.

Besides, what if your "girl" does not want to be identified as a girl?  How do you know?  You can reuse the same items we gave you for your son's shower.  

Wait.  What?  You sold those as well?  

My, you really effed yourself didn't you?  

Lord of the Flies

 Ok, do you remember reading Lord of the Flies in junior high school?  I do.  I have distinct memories about specific chapters in that book that still haunt me to this day.

I have my own personal version of Lord of the Flies that has nothing to do with the book, but everything to do with my upbringing.  

My parents were born and raised in rural Minnesota farms located in the west central portion of the state.  My maternal grandparents had cows, hay, soybeans, corn, etc.  My paternal grandparents had pigs, corn, barley, flax, etc.  

Where am I going with this?

Place yourself here.  It's 1976 and you're a kid in rural western Minnesota on your grandparents' farm.  Some of the relatives still do not have indoor plumbing and the out-house is a real thing.  Some of them still don't have electricity nor a telephone.  Here's my terror.

FLIES ARE EVERYWHERE

There are flies in the outhouse.  There are flies in my grandma's kitchen.  There are flies in the barn.  The flies are EVERYWHERE.  Then, there are the dreaded HORSE FLIES that BITE.  Oh yeah, that's how we knew it was going to rain.....if the flies were biting, rain is in the forecast. 

 To see a fly land on food makes me want to barf.  Sorry, grandma, I said it.  The proliferation of flies on the farm has had an impact on me my whole life.

To this day I have a phobia about flies.  I hate them.  I won't even go into mosquitos and wood ticks.  

 

The Presidential Debate

 The media has created a circus with our presidential candidates.  The media are selling newspapers profiting off of this train wreck.  Television and internet outlets are also profiting off of this political train wreck.  

Again, I don't care for either candidate.  I refuse to name them by name as that would only encourage an algorithm.  

That's what it's all about these days.  Selling advertising and profiting off of algorithms.  

Sad to say that democrats have severely castrated themselves with their front runner.  He could not complete a coherent sentence last night.  He stammered, he stuttered, he stared off into space.  He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named ate him for lunch.  It was almost pathetic to watch. 

Our current vice president, who is nowhere to be found these days, is nothing but a "diversity, equity and inclusion" box checker whose sole purpose was to appeal to as many ethnic groups and women as possible.  

Look where that got us.

Sonoma County: Proposition J

  I've seen some pretty gruesome things happen on the farm growing up.  No matter what anybody tries to tell you, nature is not always pretty....most of which is without rainbows and unicorns.....and it has nothing to do with what farmers are being accused of doing things to animals.  It's what animals do to other animals and all sorts of other stuff that nobody would understand unless they actually lived on a farm.  

Attention Berkeley vegan zealots......Wipe the Walton Family country farm innocence off your faces right now.  It's a war zone out there with animals eating other animals whether or not you're a vegan.   

But here they come....pushing Proposition J.......bussed in radicals from Berkeley who never spent a summer working on a farm telling Sonoma County families with roots 150 years in the community how to do things.  Never mind they don't live here and can't vote on the measure they are pushing.  They just want to shove their beliefs down our throats and watching our founders implode in the process. 

Attention Bezerkeley radicals:  You don't live here.  You don't pay taxes here.  You don't belong here.  

We have been fine for the past couple of centuries WITHOUT you.  You need us more than we need you.  You want to move here.  We don't want you.   

 

Sissy

 My sister is out here visiting from Minnesota.  I love it.  I especially love the fact that she is here visiting and there is not a graduation, wedding, nor any other family occasion that is distracting from the visit.  

We stay up until 3:00 AM sitting around my fire pit simply talking about our childhood experiences and reminiscing. We talk about things that mean absolutely nothing to anybody except to us.....as that is our right sitting by the privacy of my fire pit......we speak of our royal ancestors who escaped the Catholic vs. Protestant fight with William of Orange.  We are William of Orange's bastard offspring he shipped off to New Amsterdam (before it was New York City) to escape prosecution as he *knew* $hi+ was about to hit the fan.  Granted, we are his bastard offspring.  He cared enough to put us on a boat for New Amsterdam to escape the prosecution he saw coming.  He cared enough make sure we all did not get killed in the political upheaval - as he did.

Now that we are established in North America, we speak of the fights involving our ancestors while moving westward and pioneering.  Do we remain faithful to our homeland?  Do we pledge allegiance to the flag....of the United States of America......... Do we even know at this point where we even evolved from?  We are so interbred and removed from Europe at this point we don't have a clue to whom our "mother country" even is.  

All I can state is that my sister and I are having a spirited discussions about our ancestry.  There are a lot of moving parts to it on both sides.  

Yes, my siblings and I are EuroTrash mutts.  We check pretty much every box for the central and northwestern Europe genome.  Yes, there was "intermingling" with the American Natives and god-only-knows-what-else-along the way since the European ancestors landed in North America.     

Who's counting that?

Again, I am a MUTT.   We lowly mutts are loyal and will love our masters and defend them till death.  

 

Bachelorette Parties

 My daughter is at an age where her age group is getting married.  Yea for them :)  

My, how things have changed with this generation.  For starters, these "weddings" and associated celebrations drag on forever.  By the time the engagement party, bachelorette party, wedding shower and  rehersal dinner are over with, everybody is exhausted and broke sucking any gleam of hope that this is supposed to be SUCH A HAPPY TIME.  To top it off, the wedding has not even happened yet.

.......And that is assuming you are not dragged off to some locale for a "destination" wedding.  I have no idea why the bridal couple think all we want to do is spend our limited vacation time and money for THEIR wedding!  I don't subscribe to the "make our wedding your vacation plans." 

I digress.

There is a new trend out there where every bachelorette is trying to outdo the other one with their party.  It's out of control.  Jetting off to Hawai'i for the weekend - jetting off to Vegas - jetting off to god only knows where.

Here's the truth.  Nobody really wants to go.  Sorry, Brittany, if this bursts your self-absorbed little bubble.

It's a huge hassle to book airline tickets and they are expensive.  Everything about flying is a hassle, and just for a weekend?  Come on. Wait. It's for the entire week you say?  Great.  You're obligating your bridesmaids to use vacation time they probably don't have AND asking them to use up their vacation pay (assuming they get any paid vacation at all) for YOU.

There's more.

Now it's onto the activities that bridezilla will want to schedule that will be even more expensive and draining.  I have not even touched on the cost of housing and food.  

By the time the party is over, the cat fights are on as everybody is at each others' throats because Ashley did not pay her fair share and was a pain-in-the-@$$ the whole time.  Then there is the added bonus of  flights being delayed or canceled and now there is the mad scramble to get home in time for work the next day. 

Oh, I forgot to mention that Bride Brittany, who's GREAT idea this was, now wants everybody to chip in and pay HER share as well. 

End result = nobody enjoyed the trip and staying home doing something locally would have been better.

Attention Bridezilla:  If you think emptying your bridesmaid's wallets while simultaneously sucking up all their vacation time is a good idea, you need to reevaluate the true meaning of friendship.  Nobody really cares about your pageant, oops, I meant wedding.  

Trust me.  

 

Our British Friends Are Coming !!!!!!

 I feel like Paul Revere running around yelling, "The British are coming!  The British are coming!"

Yes, indeed.  The British are coming.  Too bad American history did not give us any means of arrival other than, "oneth by land, twoeth by sea."

Today the British are arriving via aircraft and we could not be happier.  It's been a long time since J and P have graced us with their presence.  I can't wait to get the dates nailed down.  It will be so much fun to hang out with them and show them what's new in Sonoma County since their last visit.  

:)     :)     :)     :)   

AI - I Saw It Coming

 Back in August of 2013 I blogged about artificial intelligence.  I saw it coming.  I don't see everything coming, but I saw *that* coming.  People have told me I should make a career out of being a short-term futurist.  Here's the problem with that.  Nobody would believe me.  I don't use charts, statistics, and graphs.  It's 100% intuition.  I can't point to anything concrete to prove my credibility on this plane of existence that the limited five human senses can process.  

Enough of that.

Here's my thought of AI.  Let's look at its definition.  Artificial intelligence.  Key word = artificial.  It makes me wonder where the *real* intelligence is at?  Are we going to operate on AI and give the keys to our critical thinking to something artificial?  

Intellectual laziness and spoon fed information from a screen, in which the words and images on the screen may or may not be the truth, will test humanity in the coming years.  Oh, and ADD will impact everybody with our constant beeping, chiming, glitter bombing, and sensationalizing of everything makes us numb.

Check back in with me in 10 years.  You are free to say that I am full of bee-ess if I'm wrong. 

KAB is Pregnant AGAIN

 My niece decided to provide womb service to her boss.  Here's the five-words-or-less-version of what's going on.  

My niece, who was going to graduate school to get specialized teaching credentials, decided to have an affair with her boss at the school where she was working.  He was the "principal," for lack of a better word, for the student delinquents there are trying to rehabilitate.  My niece was told to "keep quiet" their relationship.  If everything was on the up and up, why the secrecy?  Red Flag.

It happens all the time.  It's the boss/secretary hot romance-type dynamic.  Doctor/Nurse.  Teacher/student. Whatever.  It's all been done before.  No shock to anybody.  Cliche to the max.  Neither my niece nor her Principal Lover were legally married at the time this all conspired.  Again, another big WHATEVER as romance is complicated and bites when one least expects it to.  Which begs the question.....why the needed secrecy?  What is going on behind the scenes? 

Well, now my niece is pregnant.  AGAIN.  She had Principal's son not quite 2 years ago.  In the meantime they have moved to Texas as California did not suit their needs.  Funny.  Now that my niece, who is not married to Principal, is knocked up again she needs medical insurance.  It's hard to get Covered CA when living in Texas.  Being just a baby-momma does not have any legitimacy in Texas.  

Now it's the heated rush to move back to California.  My niece needs medical insurance as she is not married to Principal and I don't think they really want to be married to each other.  Their chemistry is very business-like.  She pumps out kids, and he takes care of the kids financially.  My niece is left on her own lacking spousal benefits and support.  

They will be living across the street from us for at least the next six months.  Long story there, but they need to move back in with mommy and daddy with their f&&&&&& ugly, hyper french bull dog that jumps and pZZZZZZZ all over my furniture.  

For the four months my niece and baby daddy were gone living in Texas it was a welcome relief to all.   Obviously, my niece and her baby daddy can't stand their own s^^^ and need to move from Texas back home to live with mommy and daddy.  Even the niece's mother was happy when they cleared themselves out when they moved to Texas as they*finally* had their own house to themselves. 

Yup.  A they keep reproducing and all of them will live across the street from us for the foreseeable future.  

Sad to say, but it makes me long for the days when my niece was single, carefree,  and hopped up on cocaine at my son's wedding while she was taking photographs.  

Hmmmmmmmmmm pick the poison for my niece:  Single, fun-loving cocaine sniffer and having fun, OR baby momma to Mr. I Will Never Marry You But Want You To Pump Out My Kids.

Life is full of twists and turns, isn't it? 

Best Gnome Ever

 Sometimes this is how I feel.  I don't want anybody coming to my door pushing a ballot initiative, religion, solar panels, etc.  I just want to enjoy my home IN PEACE.  What's so wrong with wanting to be left alone in the privacy of my own home?  I'm so tired of being bombarded with people who want to tell me what they *think* I need.  

Having a ring camera has derailed some earnest, self-righteous busybodies from inserting their uninvited selves at my front door.  However, I think this gnome is more to the point.  

Which brings me to Freddy, who is our ailing friend.  

We dropped off some food for Freddy on Sunday at his house.  He had a gnome very similar to the below photo on his doorstep.  I laughed so hard I almost dropped the barbecued chicken and the cowboy chili beans I had brought all over his front porch.  Freddy said the gnome was given to him as a gift.  I want one.  LOL.  

Misheard Lyrics

 I'm not on social media much...... because...well.....I just don't want to be.  However, last night it was a late one for me because of work and I got home waaaaaaaaay past my bedtime.  

I needed to unwind.

For whatever reason I ended up on Instagram or Facebook and came across this guy who has a series of videos on misheard lyrics.  I laughed so hard my stomach hurts today.  One of my favorite videos of his references songs by the BeeGees.  

Enjoy!  I promise you one of two things:  you will never hear these same songs the same way ever again, or you will hear these same songs the same way you've always heard them.  LOL

https://www.facebook.com/reel/720399433574732

Half Moon Bay

 I have not blogged for a while.  I'm sure nobody notices nor cares.  Work has been stressful and busy.  Thankfully, things are settling down and I have a "girls" trip planned next weekend with my daughter, my sister-in-law, and my niece.  

Yup.  Just the four of us.  

We are going to head down to Half Moon Bay for the weekend just because.  We are all craving slow mornings drinking coffee and staying in our pajamas until noon.  Truth be told, all of us have been under the gun as of late with our jobs and life responsibilities and want some down time. 

We may feel like walking on the beach - or not.  We may feel like going window shopping at Cartier - or not.  We may want a spa day (always a YES).  

The point is that we really don't want to be on a schedule.  We don't want to deal with airports.  We don't want to deal with long car rides.  We don't want to deal with dressing up to go anywhere.  We don't want to deal with crowds.  Half Moon Bay is perfect for what we want.  

Our cottage on the beach is waiting for us :)

Omega Mart Weird Retro Commercial, Meow Wolf Las Vegas

Cain's Apology - NOT

 For those of you who care, and I'm guessing not many if any at all, Acid's death has left Cain scrambling to find her "sucker" base.  Her chief enabler has died.  She knows this.  She also knows she has alienated most of the family.  

Cain has hated me for decades.  I know this.  I don't really care.  I got a text message out of the blue from Cain stating how sorry she was for being "cold" at her mother's funeral towards me after I went to give her a hug to acknowledge her loss.  There is an entire backstory to that one.  For starters, I'm not so evil to not acknowledge a loss for someone who hates my guts.  Losing a mother is traumatic.  I was not going to pour salt into a wound on the day of the funeral.  I gave Cain a hug and said I was sorry for her loss.  She recoiled.  

Anyway.......a couple days after Acid's funeral Cain texted me.  I don't know how Cain got my number as we are not "friends."  The text stated how sorry she was for being cold.  I did not buy in.  I know the horrible things she said about me and my family.  I was not about to let her hide behind a text.  If Cain hates me, bring it on.  Say it to my face.

I replied to her text, "This situation deserves a genuine, face-to-face-conversation."

She knows that I know that she knows that I know.  LOL.  Besides, I've learned never to try to settle disagreements via text.  I just does not work. 

After Cain read my text message she then wanted to bring in her sister, Abel, to act as a mediator to our face-to-face meeting.  Fine.  Bring that on as well.  Bring in your older sister to try to fight your fights for you.  I'm ready.  

Now it's excuse after excuse after excuse as to why she can't meet me face-to-face.  

Yup.  I'm holding her accountable.  Nope, she can't handle it.  All of Cain's life somebody has shielded her from facing her own s+*T.    Shield is now dead. 

Anybody who knows me knows that I will rip open the jugular if you mess with me or my family if it's unjustified.  Be prepared.  I *will* own you in the argument.  On the other hand, I am fair.  I will own my own part if I'm guilty in a disagreement and will work toward a resolution to move forward.  

Bottom line:  most people can't face their own s*** when called on it. 

Acid's Death

 My sister-in-law died Tuesday morning.  She was my husband's eldest sister.  The very first time I met her was at Kaiser Hospital in San Rafael 38 years ago.  She had tubes running down her nose.  She told me, "It's nice to meet you, I've looked better."

I thought the comment cute but somewhat out of place.  Nobody expects anybody to look glamorous while lying in a hospital bed.   Looks and appearances were very important to Acid. 

I will be skipping and jumping all over as I've been running the gamut of emotions and associated family dynamics that are six generations deep.  Yes.  I said it.  Six generations deep.  I've known my husband's family for SIX generations of women.  How many of you out there have personally known family members that spanned six generations?  I'm guessing not many.  Does that make me an expert?  NO!  What that does make me is a very keen observer in how family karma and issues are passed down.  There are patterns that play out generation after generation.  The eldest female of Clan Whack-O I met was born in 1896.  The newest female was born in 2017.  ALL of them live(d) in Sonoma and Marin Counties. 

My sister-in-law had a name that one does not hear everyday.  It's not over-the-top weird, but it is not a name that is widely used.  When I was texting one of my CA besties letting her know what was going on with us (my friend lives up the street and the noticed the flurry of cars and people) autocorrect spelled my late sister-in-law's name as ACID.  

Yup.  That about fits it perfectly.  

Acid was the family enabler and head feces re-arranger (a.k.a. $h*+ disturber).  Acid has been mentioned several times over the seventeen year span of this blog.  Acid had two daughters, whom I refer to as Cain and Abel.  Cain, over the course of her life, would spend time in jail for various reasons ranging from voter fraud to stealing to auto theft to lord-only-knows-what-else.  

Cain would neglect her children to the point where the authorities had to be involved, drink herself into a drunken stupor and then trip at the doorway of Safeway.....and then SUE Safeway for selling a 50 year-old woman liquor (Safeway should have KNOWN better to sell liquor to an adult with a valid identification).  They just wanted a cash settlement from Safeway for more booze money. 

Oh, we have not even mentioned where Cain felt up her preteen nephew at a holiday family dinner function and Acid took the side of Cain (oh, it should be excused as Cain had too much to drink to which I said -- BULLSH*T!

That was the end of it for me.  I don't care how much booze you've had.  You don't feel up your preteen nephew as the 45 year-old aunt at a holiday dinner (or any dinner for that matter) and not expect repercussions from the rest of us wanting to toss Cain out into the street IMMEDIATELY.  

Again, I am the BAD GUY for holding Cain accountable and ruining the holiday dinner and telling her she is a sick f***!  Somebody had to  stick up for my nephew, who is the victim of incest and sexual assault.  Yup.  I am the one exiled from Clan Whack-O along with my husband and kids.  What a blessing.  When my kids got married it was a few less wild cards at their weddings as we did not invite them to either one. 

Whew.  Bullet dodged.  Anyway, I'm getting off track.

All of this child molestation, alcoholism, child neglect that Cain did was excused by Acid.  Cain was NEVER responsible for ANYTHING.  Acid would defend Cain to a fault.  I dared to speak up to the dysfunction only to be shot down.   I never played into their sick little dysfunction game and never coddled nor enabled Cain; therefore, I was the "bad guy" and continue to be to this day.  

As you can tell, Cain could do no wrong.  Cain is the Sim character you want to put in the pool and then remove the pool ladder so the character drowns. 

Where was Abel during all of this?  She was rescuing both Acid and Cain from whatever she could because she is also an enabler of sorts.  

Well, well, well...........Acid is no longer around to enable Cain.  Cain is grasping at straws wondering what is next.  Her meal ticket and defender has died. 

Freddy's Beach House

 Over the past four or so years our family has befriended Freddy.  We have befriended Freddy because he is really close to my daughter's in-laws.  Freddy is always at family holidays and events.  He is a really congenial guy and also very smart. 

Freddy is the kind of guy who is generous almost to a fault.  He is also the kind of guy who has roots here in Sonoma County to where thoroughfares you drive on daily are named after his family and you don't even realize it. 

Great.  Steep roots in the county.  $$$$$$$ galore coming out his ga-zoo.   Freddy thinks nothing of spending $100's on a bottle of wine for a crappy back yard BBQ at our house where cheap beer would suffice.  

Where I'm going with this is Freddy has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  His days are numbered.  He is not sitting around feeling sorry for himself.  He is building a deck for my daughter and son-in-law for their home (build date 1880's - so it's DUE).  

We were all at a family party not too long ago before Sissy and I knew of Freddy's condition.  Sissy and I were talking to Freddy and just engaging in party-type chit chat.  Freddy let on that he had this gorgeous beach house and one of his dying wishes was to have a blow-out party there before he got too sick from his cancer to enjoy it.  He wants the party to be his funeral.  He does not want people sad, crying, and having a downer of a time.  He wants to draw everybody together at his beach house while he is alive and have a kick @ss party while, in his words, "I don't have to have anybody wipe drool of my chin nor my @ss."

Well, the party has been scheduled.  I'm going to a funeral while the person is alive and cognizant.  That is the way he wants it.  He knows it is about to change rapidly.  

PARTY AT FREDDY'S BEACH HOUSE!!!  

I can't help but have mixed feelings about it.  I want to honor Freddy and his wanting to have a blow-out party at his beach house, but I'm still hopeful there is treatment for his cancer.  He truly is a good guy.  I want to help his wife plan for the party as one of my talents is cooking for large crowds.  I know they have butt-tons of money and could easily afford to cater everything but that is not the point.  I truly just want to show appreciation for the happiness Freddy has brought to our lives.   

Where I'm going is that all of Freddy's beach houses and all of his friends, could not put poor Freddy back together again.  

From the outside Freddy looks like he has the world by the b@llz.   He has all the exterior trappings our society fawns over.  He has houses galore, property galore, blah, blah, blah, galore.  Here's the truth:  He is sad and dying.  He is lonely despite being married.  

All the glitz means NOTHING when the final days are being ticked off on the wall.  

 All your material possessions, no matter how fancy and desirable, mean absolutely nothing at the end.  Why do we fight so hard during our lifetimes to accumulate? 

That's all. 

 

 

French Bulldogs Part II

 Sonoma County is a small place.  My hairdresser's father had a litter of French bulldog puppies about a year and a half ago.  Several female members of my family go to the same hair dresser that I do....why?  Because it's Sonoma County.  If you find a decent hairdresser you hang on for dear life.  

Why does any of this matter? Because my niece got one of my hairdresser's father's French bulldog puppies.  

Are you following the bouncing ball?  I don't blame you if you don't.  It's my in-law's family and I can't even keep track.

Here's where I'm going.  Nobody likes their French bulldog pup.  They are hyper.  They jump and piss all over everything.  They are obnoxious.  

My hairdresser, who loves dogs, told me how sorry she was for taking in a pup from her dad's French bulldog litter.  Same statement from my niece, who also took one of the pups.

Moral of the story:  Don't get sucked into the "breed of the day" fad.  

Want to See Tesla Drivers Loose Their $h*+?

 Here's a new sport for you all.  We all know the self-righteous environmentalists who claim they love the earth, save baby seals, photograph polar bears, etc., etc., etc.....

Here's where they have cognitive dissonance (a-hem hypocrisy) when called on their own bull.  

Did you know that those who drive around their electric vehicles, over the course of one year, eradicate their so-called care for the environment with ONE plane trip?  

Yup.  One plane trip wipes out what they think they "saved" the environment from.

Air travel is a HUGE component to fossil-fuel emissions that contribute to global warming.  However, the self-righteous Tesla drivers, et al, don't want to deal with that little inconvenient truth.   

I had a dialogue with a so-call environmentalist who cares so much about global warming and the earth the other day.  However, he thinks NOTHING of his own travel that involves planes, trains, and automobiles to photograph polar bears in the arctic while his photography blog laments about the impact on the bears because of global warming.  HE IS CAUSING IT AS WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do all the environmentalists want to pat themselves on the back for driving an electric vehicle and then turn around and pollute the air on their self-indulgent adventures?  

You have no idea as to the trouble I stirred up even bringing this up.  

I love it.

I Don't Get It

 It's Super Tuesday as far as elections go.  Here's what I don't understand.  Nobody likes the two supposed front runners.  However, how do they get to where they are?  

PEOPLE MUST BE VOTING FOR THEM

So, why do you keep voting for people you despise? You are ENABLING the corrupt SYSTEM.  Go outside of the box!  

Nobody likes our California congressional front runners, either.  However, they are getting votes.  WTF??????  The ones who can help us the most are getting the least number of votes. 

I just don't understand how people we can't stand keep getting projected into office.  There is a disconnect somewhere.  Who is voting for these candidates NOBODY likes??????? 

Bottom line:  There are other names on the ballot who may not have the $lick television advertisements.  Those are the people you really want to vote for.  They are not bought and paid for.  I wish I could shake people and tell them that glitter-bombing television ads does not a good candidate make. 

Low-Low-Low-Low-Low-Low=Low

OK, this is a mandatory song that is played at all wedding receptions as of late.  It is also a song that is played at my old lady exercise class.  At age 50+ I can still get low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low.  I proved it today in the park.  AND BONUS!  Turned around and got my big booty a slap! 

Another Trip Around the Sun

 I am a Pisces, so I just celebrated another trip around the sun.  How I went from getting a fake ID from SSP's sister so I could sneak into bars to obtaining an AARP card to get the "wisdom discount"  is both a blink and a blur.  

I have no idea as to whom reads this blog - assuming anybody actually reads it all - as I do have a reflection question for you all.  You ready? 

What advice would you give to your younger self? 

Plastic - The Beginning and Our End

 Sometime in the late 1940's to early 1950's my late mother-in-law was working in San Francisco.  At the company she worked for investors would come in and pitch their ideas.  She was not a "hot shot" at the company as she worked in the accounting department.  

One day, a man came in to pitch his idea for investing in plastics.  He pretty much preached to the entire company to get in on the ground level and invest as this is going to be HUGE and plastic will CHANGE THE WORLD.

My mother-in-law was skeptical, plus they did not have extra money at the time to gamble on an investment.

Well, well, well.....fast forward 70 years.  The man who pitched plastics was right.  It was a huge investment opportunity and those who got in at the ground level made piles of money.  

Sadly, it is now killing us and our planet.  Plastic is polluting our bodies and our environment to the point where even our hormones are impacted.  It is impacting plants and animals alike.  

I sure hope Mr  Investor enjoyed his piles of money at the expense of our planet.  

My maternal grandmother, who was born in 1903 and lived her life in rural Minnesota without electricity nor plumbing for most of her life was right.  Her stance on pretty much everything was, "If it ain't natural, it ain't good for you.  Anything that comes from a factory or laboratory is poison."

Gramma, you're not wrong.  Mother-in-law, you were right to be skeptical. 

Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup (Unedited Version)

In honor of Toby Keith and his red solo cup.  RIP Toby.  This party resembles my high school years.  We sure had a great time.  Maybe that's why I laugh everytime I see this video.   

 

The Beatles - 60 years ago today

It was 60 years ago today the Beatles made their first American appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.  America has never been the same since.  I have been an avid Beatles fan all of my life.  I love the boys from Liverpool and I always will.  Enjoy!!!

Toby Keith: Red Solo Cup

I'm very sad to learn that Toby Keith died.  He was my red solo cup hero.  There are so many people who are sick and dying.  Life is short.  Live it.  I've worked full-time since I was 18 years old.  I'm now looking at rounding the curve to 60.  I was also a student while working full-time AND raising kids.  I worked HARD to put myself through school, have a career, and raise a family with no monetary help. 

That's why I'm now hiring somebody to perform my fiduciary duties on my behalf so my husband and I can travel the world - FIRST CLASS.  We've earned it.  

Hey Toby Keith....we will proceed to party. 

Tortoise and the Hare

 One of Aesop's fables is the Tortoise and the Hare.  The tortoise is slow and methodical - dare we say BORING.  The hare is arrogant, brash, and overconfident in his ability to beat the tortoise in a race.  A tortoise beating a hare to the finish line?  Really?  In WHAT world? 

In my world.

That's exactly what I do.  

Sure.  Hares can jump up and down.  They can run fast.  A tortoise is so slow and boring in comparison.

I know lots of hares.  They may jump up and down and run fast, but they burn out just as quickly leaving a trail of destruction behind them.  If they don't burn out they get divorced, have money problems, get addictions, get health problems, get mental problems, or all of the above.  

Right now I'm on my fifth hare who is trying to beat me to the finish line.  Here is what is so amusing.  The hares are running a relay race where they keep passing the baton to the next hare via elections.  Each hare thinks he has the ALL answers to ALL of our industry problems and is worthy of dismissing my existance.  

Me?  I'm the lowly tortoise.   I'm just plodding along slowly and prudently without pomp and circumstance.  

I'm still around.  All these hares think they have all the answers.  They don't.  They just reshuffle the deck hoping you will forget what their last hand was.  They don't solve a problem without creating three new ones.  Maybe it should be the tortoise and the hydra. 

Next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

United Airlines

Please, for the love of God, do NOT fly United Airlines if you can at all help it.   At this moment, I am in St. Pete's Beach, Florida, and I *thought* I had a first class ticket home tomorrow afternoon from Tampa to San Francisco with a stop over in Houston, Texas.  Hey!  I purchased a first class ticket!  One would think United would honor that classification.

WRONG!

Getting to the conference from San Francisco to Tampa was no problem.  It's ALWAYS the return trip west bound flights going home that are giving everybody a headache as of late.  When I booked, I looked for flights that were NONSTOP as there is less of a chance of things getting effed up due to air traffic control issues, people not showing up for work, weather, etc.  

Yes, perhaps I sound snobbish to some of you.  Fortunately, I don't care what you think.  I've paid my airline traveler dues for well over 1/3 of a century.  After many, many years of traveling the not-so-friendly skies seated in the plebian-economy-leg-crunching- butt-sniffing seats that happened to be adjacent to screaming babies, I've earned my premier traveler status.  

United Airlines could not care less.  One million miles and United really does not care one lick.  I'm as good as a crated animal in the cargo section to them for all the money and loyalty that has been invested on my end. 

I digress.  Why am I in Tampa?  I'm here for a work conference.  The conference ends tomorrow, which is Wednesday, at noon.  I had my first-class ticket booked to leave Tampa at 3:30.  Perfect.  Or so I thought.

I go to check into my flight using my iPhone during a very dry presentation given by a woman with a monotone voice (think Lilith from Cheers) with lots of numbers and graphs.  It was either get up and get more caffeine or diddle on my phone to keep myself awake.   I decided to diddle on my phone to check into my flight using the "friendly skies" app.

It was then and there I discovered that the flight from Tampa to Houston was just fine and dandy; however, the flight from Houston to San Francisco was cancelled.

Great.

I find out about this.....now?  There was no effort from United to find an alternate flight with another airline or anything.  NOTHING.  The onus was on me to scramble to get on a flight to get me home in time for my work obligations the following day.

Now the fun part.  

I had paid for a first class ticket.  There are no first class seats available for the flight back to San Francisco I re-booked.  I'm in the dreaded middle seat at the back of the plane in the butt sniffing section. Now, again, the onus is on *me* to contact United to get a refund/credit for getting bumped out of a confirmed, first-class ticket that was PAID for a flight I did not choose for a seat that midgets would find uncomfortable.

Here's the rub.  I use their so-called sophisticated artificial intelligence online virtual agent that is supposed to have customer service super powers. 

Nope.  Their crappy AI (which stands for Artificial IGNORANCE in this case - but the ignorance is so REAL) can't handle crediting/refunding customers.  Capitalism at its best.  Policy is ALWAYS for the advantage of the business.  Screw you little customers.  You can be replaced by thousands more little customers.  The pool of little customers is endless......United does NOT CARE ABOUT YOU. 

In the end the super virtual agent told me that I had to call United's 800 number to get a refund/credit issued.  

I called the 800 number.  It told me to call back as the lines were overwhelmed.  <repeat> <repeat><repeat>

Sigh. 

I contacted the super virtual agent again.  Now, I'm supposed to go through United Airlines website to ask for a refund/credit.  

So far, there is nothing super about this virtual agent.  There is no credit/refund for the first class experience that I PAID for and did not receive unless I spend hours on the phone or internet fighting for it.  I have to spend MY TIME fighting for services PAID FOR that were not rendered.  What is MY TIME worth?  

Don't answer because United Airlines does not give a f***. 

Here's my advice:  Avoid flying at all costs.  Zoom into meetings whenever possible.  If you have to fly, do NOT FLY UNITED.  You are better off crawling on your belly for thousands of miles over broken glass.  Trust me.  You will get there before a United flight can.  

At least broken glass will not cancel your flight at the last minute and leave you hanging and not caring how you will get home.