Drum Roll Please....

Well, I've been blog absent for a week now.  It's been a long, rough week.  I've been battling a bad cold that just won't go away.  I didn't let it get me down completely, though.  Nothing was standing between me and Bon Jovi!

My friend, Cindy, and I made our second trip to a Bon Jovi concert since I last posted.  Once again, they were awesome.  I just don't know how people can live the lifestyle they live.  The energy it requires to put on a show and the strain on one's voice seem like it would be impossible to sustain for thirty years.  Not for these guys!  They sound as good as ever.  It really is true that most men get better with age.  Jon looks better now than ever.  I think their concert is the perfect concert scenario for me.  It's not hard-core rock and roll.  There's no partying going on.  We are still on the younger end of the crowd.  It's sort of a grown-up version of a rock concert.  There's still a lot of screaming, standing, and singing along.  Unfortunately, there are your occasional drunks to deal with.  We were, once again, seated in front of a woman that drank WAY too much beer and made a dozen or more trips to the bathroom.  Aside from her, the atmosphere was great.  I coughed my way through the night, but I managed to still enjoy the experience.  It was a great chance to make more memories with one of the best girls I know.  Thanks for the fun times chica!!

I hope to get completely over this illness crap and pick back up with a daily blog soon.  Stay tuned...I'm not gone, just down for a while.

Brilliant!!

Contrary to the title of this blog, there is no great meaning behind today's posting.  I just found the most brilliant new air freshener.  It's a sort of gel type of freshener that you open to spread the scent.  Nothing new, I realize.  Renuzit has been making these forever.  BUT...this one is made by Snuggle fabric softener.  Why hasn't anyone thought of this before?  I LOVE the smell of clean laundry.  There's little that pleases me more than climbing in between freshly washed sheets.  So, this concept is absolutely genius to me.  I only wish there were more variety to choose from.  Come on Tide and Downy!  Jump on this idea!

Very soon I will be attending a Bon Jovi concert with a great friend.  This will be our second BJ concert.  You might think this should make me feel old.  That's what I expected before going to the first one.  I figured we'd get there and feel like old fogeys.  Quite the contrary!  We were amongst the younger attendees.  I've talked before about my love of music.  A song can take you back in time.  I have grown up to the music of Bon Jovi.  Jon is the only rocker that I ever had a poster of while growing up.  It was just a page out of a teen magazine, but I cherished it.  'Slippery When Wet' is my favorite album of theirs.  "Never Say Goodbye" can take me right back to a school bus trip to a ball game.  Also, "Living on a Prayer" has to be my favorite song of theirs, all time.  Anyway, I can't wait to relive old memories and make new ones at another concert of theirs.  I encourage everyone to go see a group that stirs your memories whenever possible.  It's an awesome experience to share that live energy with the crowd and the band. 

The Calm After the Storm

I really don't like storms.  I can enjoy a good thunderstorm, but once it becomes severe, I'm not digging it.  Last night had its moments.  I knew there was a chance of severe storms.  I was even keeping an eye on the TV for updates.  I could see that there was a severe thunderstorm warning to our South.  However, the local weatherman didn't seem too focused on that storm.  There were tornado warnings taking precedence over our storm.  Then the thunder and lightning really increased.  I decided it would be best to just unplug our TV.  It's fairly new, after all.  The boys and I decided to sit on my bed and listen to the radio.  That's when we heard the hail starting.  At first, it was tiny, like little pieces of styrofoam.  The next thing we knew, it was marble size.  Still not worrying me too bad, but I had the closet all prepped to take cover if necessary.  Suddenly, it became so loud we could hardly hear each other talking.  The boys jumped in the closet, and I took a quick look out the back door.  We had hail the size of golf balls or bigger.  It was insane.  It sounded like our roof was going to cave in.  It only lasted a few minutes.  Then, as if a switch had been flipped, it stopped.  This was when I really got worried.  I've always heard there's a calm right before a tornado hits.  As the silence wore on, I realized it was over.  We had been spared any damage or trauma.  I reached for my phone to look at the radar, only to find we were under a tornado warning.  Doppler radar had detected a tornado right in the area where we live.  YIKES!  Boy am I glad I didn't know this while the storm was pounding us?! 

It's little experiences like this that make me stop and thank God for all I have.  I try to do this anyway, but I feel just a little more appreciative after safe passage through a stressful time like that.  As it happens, we ended up taking refuge with some friends for the remainder of the night.  I knew I wouldn't sleep, worrying about the chance of more storms.  So, we nestled into their safe basement and slept the night away.  Thank you Lord for great friends. 

There's a gospel song I love called "Master of the Wind."  I am so glad I know the Master of the wind and the Maker of the rain.  Regardless of what may come my way, I am safe in His arms.  Are you?  I hope you are. 

Who Am I?

Are you ever amazed at the wonders of communication technology?  I know I've touch on this before, but I'm still in awe.  We have instant access to most everyone we know. 

I found yet another new show I love..."Who Do You Think You Are?".  This show takes celebrities and traces their ancestry.  The one I watched the other night mentioned that in the mid 1800s a letter would've taken months to reach its recipient.  So, word of a loved one's death might have come many months after their burial.  Can you imagine? 

Now we have the world at our fingertips.  I wonder what people thought the first time they were able to use a telephone.  It must have been a most exciting treat to hear the voice of friends and relatives from miles away.  This is yet another convenience we take for granted.  We would feel handicapped if we just had to give up email and texting. 

I am considering taking full advantage of today's technology in an attempt to trace my own ancestry.  My dad has done some work on our family tree.  I know his mother's side of the family has been traced back several centuries to Wales.  Still, I think it would be fascinating to learn my personal American heritage story.  I feel fully American, and I've never given much thought to the lineage on my family's arrival here.  I think we could all get to know ourselves a little better by learning our personal history.  Just a little food for thought....

Analyze Me

Do you ever wonder what a therapist would find wrong with you if given the opportunity?  I do.  I'll admit that I'm not a real fan of the field of psychology.  I'm not saying that it can't help some people.  I do feel that too many people use "diagnoses" as excuses to avoid making changes in their lives.  It's just a little too convenient to claim illness instead of owning laziness, hatefulness, or irresponsibility.  Again, I'm not diminishing the good that comes from therapy for those in real need of it. 

I don't feel I need therapy.  My curiosity does leave me wondering what a therapist might uncover in my psyche.  Some of my friends on Facebook take all the little quizzes that supposedly reveal their personalities.  One particular friend took one the other day that diagnosed her as having OCD.  I clicked on her results to see what symptoms it described.  It was funny.  I would NEVER call myself obsessive compulsive, because my house is never spotless.  However, I did relate to one aspect of the explanation.  It asked if you organize your foods, like M&Ms, and eat the ones you least like to most like.  HA!  That's me!  I don't do this every time I eat them, but if I have the time and can see them all at once, I will sort them by color.  I'll eat the brown first (least attractive), and I'll save the greens for last.  I don't know why.  I do something similar with french fries.  I like the softer fries best.  So, I'll eat the hard crispy ones first, saving the best for last. 

I have often felt a little bipolar, thanks to hormones.  It's the strangest feeling, because I know I'm being unreasonable and can't seem to control it.  Thankfully, this is a passing phase that doesn't afflict me every month. 

One of my new favorite shows is "Hoarders" on A&E.  These people become paralyzed by the clutter that literally fills their homes.  Oddly, I see glimpses of myself in some of these people.  I am not one that keeps my house completely picked up and clutter-free.  I try to keep it decently presentable, and that's enough for me.  So, I'm not suffering from the disease these people have.  Yet, I relate to some of them in so many ways.  I have trouble letting go of some of the smallest, most insignificant items that hold sentimental feelings for me.  I still have a Valentine that was given to me by a boy in my class in 5th or 6th grade.  I cannot throw away any school pictures of my friends from grade school.  I don't need the pictures, and they're not in albums.  Still, I am unable to part with them.  Some of them are of kids that I wasn't even close to.  It doesn't matter.  Throwing away pictures just seems wrong to me.  I save things that I know I'll never need again but just can't bring myself to get rid of. 

These are just the tip of my psychological iceberg.  I'm not ready to delve into the analysis of my mind, but I can't help but wonder about it from time to time.  Just how many meds would a doctor prescribe to me if given the chance to explore my psyche?  We will hopefully never know!

Reel Me In!

Do you ever wish your words were like a hook at the end of a fishing pole?  You could cast them out and quickly reel them in before they could hurt anyone?  I sure do.  I am quick to cast out hurtful words at times.  So many times, I just wish I could take them back. 

I am not coping with the teenage angst of my son very well.  I realize it's a sort of right of passage that a lot of teens go through.  The permanent unexpressive face, the rolling eyes, the sighs at everything you say.  I could do without all of it.  Robbie isn't a hateful child.  He's voted friendliest and most polite by his peers in middle school.  He always manages to be awarded student of the month at some point of every school year.  His teachers go on about how they wish all their kids were like him.  He's so easy-going.  Hmm.  I take all this in with a smile and a nod.  Secretly, I'm wondering if they have the same child in mind as the one that lives with me.  Don't get me wrong.  He's a good kid.  I know and appreciate this.  However, I just don't understand why every bit of his darker side seems to be aimed at us, his parents.  Primarily, he reserves most of it for me.  I guess my lack of patience probably brings out the worst in both of us.  I tend to snap at him in response to his attitude, an attitude he denies having when confronted.  Maybe if I could meet his demeanor with more understanding and less reaction we would mesh a little better.  I don't know.  I do know that I need to find a better way of coping.  Right now, I feel like he's drifting farther and farther away from me into the vast world of teenagerhood...  Come back!  I still love you, I do!  You're still my little boy.  I just don't know how to make you laugh and smile anymore.  Tell me.  I'll try!

I learn new things about my parents every day through my own parenting experiences.  I realize there was a time that they probably felt me drifting away, too.  Why didn't I hear their cries to stay close?  Why was it more important to me what my friends thought than what my parents thought?  I guess it's normal, but normal doesn't always mean good.  I am hoping to find a way to buck the system and keep my kids close to me even as they venture into the world of high school and peer pressure.  If you have any suggestions, I welcome them! 

The Ref, Again...

Okay.  So, did you watch The Marriage Ref??  Overall, I found it pretty entertaining.  At first I thought it seemed a little stiff and scripted, but it seemed to get better as time went on.  I can see that I am not going to agree with the ref some of the time.  For those who didn't watch, I will recap...

The first couple was a retired cop and his wife from New Jersey.  The wife was complaining about her husband spending too much time on his appearance.  This guy goes regularly for manicures, pedicures, tanning, waxing, etc.  All the while, his wife is at home doing the more "manly" chores.  I whole-heartedly agree with the wife.  No man of mine had better spend more time on his appearance than I spend on mine.  I don't want a tanned, waxed, manicured man!  It honestly makes my skin crawl just a little.  WIFE wins in my book!!

The second couple had two issues.  The first was the wife insisting on only using their formal dining room and table for Thanksgiving.  The rest of the year, it just sits, fully set but unused.  Okay.  I have never understood people that have rooms or furniture that is off limits.  What exactly is the point??  What are you saving it for?  My great-uncle's wife was like this.  They had a beautiful, grand, stately home.  It was brick with white columns and gated drives.  It was really what I would have considered a mansion for this area.  I went there twice.  The first time we went for a visit.  I only caught a glimpse of the main area of the house on that visit.  We were ushered into the basement right away.  Even the basement was nice (gold bath fixtures), but it was more lived-in.  My second trip there was an actual tour of their home.  The carpets and furniture were white.  Some of the furniture was covered in plastic.  Other areas of the home were literally cordoned off with velvet ropes.  This couple lived in the basement of her dream home, while the main areas of the home went unused.  Maybe these experiences have shaped my opinion on this issue.  Clearly, I agree with the HUSBAND all the way!  Use and enjoy what you have while you have it!  The ref agreed with the wife, and told the husband to just pretend the room doesn't exist.

Their second issue was the wife expecting the husband to be able to do all manual labor, because he's a man.  She had purchased a do-it-yourself screened-in porch for him to assemble.  He was arguing that some of these things are impossible to understand, and he wasn't able to do them.  I'm really a little torn on this issue.  I, too, would like it if my husband would do all the manual labor around here all the time.  However, I have watched my husband trying to assemble things before.  It almost always ends with me right beside him the whole way, walking him through the instructions.  He, like most men, looks at the hardware in front of him and thinks he knows what needs to go where.  It's only when it doesn't work that he resorts to consulting the instructions.  So, we've found that it's just simpler if I work right next to him the whole way and help decipher the instructions.  I guess that means I would side with the HUSBAND, again.  The wife should be willing to step up and help out if the husband needs assistance.  The ref agrees with the husband on this one. 

The third couple had the shortest and simplest argument.  The wife went to bed every night with dental floss.  She would then proceed to aggressively floss her teeth, making a flicking noise with every tooth.  The husband complained that it was gross and annoying.  The entire panel and the ref agreed.  I'm with them.  Go in the bathroom already!  HUSBAND, no question, wins this one.

The fourth and final couple were arguing about the husband taking off his wedding ring to play basketball and hang out with his friends.  They showed clips of the husband playing basketball.  He was claiming that wearing the ring would just completely throw his game off.  Let me tell you, nothing would've hurt this guy's game.  Who knows?  Maybe a ring would help!  He was terrible!  This particular argument hits very close to home for me.  Reuben has never worn his wedding ring.  It's always been a hazard for his work.  I understand that, however I don't understand not wearing it the rest of the time.  It's always bugged me that he doesn't wear one.  I wear his on another finger a lot of the time.  Men, why can't you understand that part of being married is adjusting to wearing that little band on your finger?  It's not that big of a sacrifice!!  Women wear theirs all the time, and I don't know of one woman that has lost a finger in some freak accident with her ring.  Take yours off for work if you must, but turn that finger over to us when you're not.  The WIFE wins in my book, and the ref agreed.

I realize this isn't really true blogging.  I've had a little writer's block over the last few days.  It's a busy time for us, and I hope to do better next week. 

Oprah & The Marriage Ref

Last night I stayed up and watched Oprah.  I have my DVR set to record her show every day.  I enjoy watching a lot of them.  Yesterday was one that made me chuckle out loud.  She had Jerry Seinfeld and Tom Papa, from The Marriage Ref, on to discuss their new show.  I had seen a couple of commercials promoting the new show and wasn't sure if I would like it or not.  I'm still not too sure, but I sure enjoyed Oprah's version of it.

The premise of the show is to bring on married couples that have an ongoing feud and to let a third party, the marriage ref, decide who is right and who is wrong.  The actual show will have a panel of celebrities that will weigh in on the subject with their opinions, too.  The ref will have the final say as to who he believes to be correct.  Tom Papa, a comedian, is the ref.  Jerry Seinfeld is the producer and creator of the show.  Oprah and Jerry served as the panel yesterday and Tom as the ref.

The first couple was a man and woman that were arguing over whether to put up a stripper pole in their bedroom.  Of course, the man wanted it, and the woman didn't.  The man claimed that it could also be good exercise for the wife, in addition to a way to spice up their love life.  HA!  The woman was adamantly against the idea.  Now here's my thinking on this...if the woman doesn't want it, does the man really believe she's gonna climb up on that thing and provide any sort of pleasant show for him?  Come on!  Also, what exactly do you say to any houseguests you may have as to why you have a stripper pole in your bedroom?!?  Men, try and understand that you are going to have to reserve some things for just fantasy land in your minds!!!  A stripper pole is one of those things!  The ref agreed.

Another couple was on there with the wife complaining about the husband never using anything completely up before starting a new one.  She complained about him leaving the last little bit in the peanut butter jar, the last little bit in the juice container, the last little bit of the toilet paper, etc..  He always just opened new of whatever he wanted if there was only a little left of the other.  This was driving the wife crazy.  Jerry and the ref both sided with the husband.  Oprah agreed with the wife.  I found this argument so entertaining.  I am like the husband.  I hate trying to get the last little bit of food out of a container.  I also, almost always, end up throwing out the last little bit of milk or juice or koolaid.  I even tend to throw away that last little bit of the toilet paper.  You know, the two or three squares that inevitably get left on the roll.  What am I gonna do with two squares of paper?  I know it seems wasteful, but I like to have the new fresh stuff.  The ref suggested that the wife feel free to use up the odds and ends of things if it bothered her so much.  I agree.

There were a couple other husbands and wives on there with little issues.  One couple was fighting over their five pet turtles.  The wife didn't want to take care of them anymore, and the husband loved them.  I can see the wife's point, but where was she when they got the things?  That's when she should have put her foot down.  The other couple was fighting over their sleeping arrangements.  The wife sleeps alone inside in the bed, while the husband sleeps on the floor of their screened-in porch.  He has a bucket outside that he uses to pee in every night.  He empties it once a month on their compost pile.  HUH?!?  These people do not live in a tropical climate, either.  The temps dip below freezing, and the guy still chooses to sleep out there!  Hmm.  They claim to have a completely normal marriage otherwise.  I don't buy it.  I can see couples needing to sleep separately due to snoring or whatever.  That wasn't the case here.  He just said he likes the feeling of sleeping outdoors.  I know the feeling of sleeping separately.  I slept on the couch for years when Robbie was little.  We, like so many parents, made the mistake of letting him sleep with us.  I got to where I couldn't take it.  I preferred just sleeping alone on the couch to trying to share a queen bed with the two guys.  We finally were able to overcome this problem.  Now, I wouldn't give up my place in my bed for anyone!  I think, as long as that wife doesn't have some strange habit that keeps her husband awake, he should move back into the house with her.  What is their two-year-old son learning from seeing his dad sleeping outside every night?

As you can see, I found the show very entertaining.  I don't know if I'll enjoy the actual show as much.  I do like seeing what other couples go through in their marriages, though.  It makes me thankful for my husband.  It also helps me to feel normal when I can see myself in someone else.  

What pet peeves do you have about your spouse?  Do you need a marriage ref?  There are times I think one would come in handy around here!

When In Doubt, Smile!

I don't know what it is about cloudy days, but they tend to kick my butt.  I have only been out of bed since a little after 9:00am.  That's ridiculously late for me.  I blame the clouds.  We have wood blinds in our bedroom to block out the morning sun, since our window faces east.  However, the sunshine manages to sneak in through the smallest gaps.  That little bit of light is usually enough to raise me in the morning.  Sure, I enjoy sleeping in like most people.  It just seems like I never have as good of a day when I stay in bed too long.  So, I'm frustrated with myself this morning for taking advantage of the clouds. 

Most people hate Mondays.  I really don't.  I know I might hate them if I had to go to work.  As it is, I kind of look forward to the restarting of my weekly routine.  The day is filled with housework that went neglected over the weekend.  I could do without that, but if I didn't have it, I wouldn't know what to do with myself all day.  I like having purpose.  I like direction.  So, I will soon start the chore list for this Monday.  

The background distraction for today is an old black and white movie called "Philadelphia Story."  It has three of my absolute favorite actors of all time...Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and Katherine Hepburn.  It's not the greatest movie ever, but I just love the wholesomeness of the old movies.  I have my DVR set to record all Cary Grant movies.  I love him.  I would imagine that he was sort of the George Clooney of his day.  He, too, improved with age, just like Clooney. 

Why is it that men get more attractive and distinguished with age?  Us women just don't seem to enjoy that same fate.  That's not to say that some women don't age beautifully.  It's just that most don't improve with age.  I find this very strange and unfair.  I guess it's this very reason that there's a billion dollar industry devoted to anti-aging products.  I've been dabbling in them for years.  I think it's time to do a little more than dabble, though!  I'm watching like a hawk for the first sign of wrinkles on my face and forehead.  My eyes already show a little age.  Thankfully, my hair decided to gray instead of my forehead giving into wrinkling.  The gray I can fix.  I find myself ever mindful of the need to avoid frowning or squinting too much.  I can't furrow my brow without considering the consequences.  Could I be more vain?  Oh well....that's just part of time marching on.  So smile!  Crows feet are much more attractive than frown lines!