The dreaded sickness

Well, sickness reigns across the land. No man or woman shall be left unscathed or without tissue. Mucus flowing is every direction and pulled rib muscles stretching beyond their intended function. For 1 solid week the flu resided in my house AND my work. Everyone and everything was sick. I think even my cats were ill. It seemed like spiting up and wiping noses was the only activity that anyone was partaking in. 3 boxes of Puffs Plus between my husband and myself (I’m sure my cats stole some too) in 5 days.

Side Note: I just wanted to thank the makers of Puff Plus, actually my nose would like to thank them. It’s still attached to my face because of that lovely lotion they put in their tissue.

Now that we are all feeling better, time to get back on track. I’ve decided to go the homeopathic route from now on. The ionized silver that my Aunt Eve brought me really is the way to go. My husband got an antibiotic and a steroid from his doctor and he is taking longer to get better than I am. From what I’ve been reading, there are many different versions of the ionized silver. My aunt Eve gave us “Silva Solution” by Trimedica. A 1oz shot a day and I’m good to go. It tastes like water, which I guess doesn’t have a taste, depending on the town you live in. This stuff is amazing, not only does it work better than antibiotics but it can be used externally for cuts and even sun burn. I haven’t gone as far as that, I was just happy to get rid of the mucus.

I’ve tried other homeopathic stuff in the past. Sometimes the “rules” are a little difficult deal with and the pills are so small you have to wonder, in this “Bigger is Better” society of ours, will they really work? I normally don’t take any types of meds, if I don’t really need to. I can deal with a headache or sore muscles. I honestly believe that all the chemicals we put in our body on a daily basis (food, drink, breathing) are going to either preserve our bodies for hundreds of years or destroy the earth so it won’t matter if I’ve got the flu or not. Just make me another martini and I’ll feel better (right Cheryl?).

The Flag

It's taken over 3 years but I've finally noticed my neighbors flag in their front yard. Nice tall flag pole, big beautiful flag complete with spotlight at night. That's what I really noticed, the spotlight. Not that it was shining in my house or anything but usually our shades are down by dark, when their spotlight lights up the flag. It's a beautiful view, seriously.

I never realized what the flag represented until 9/11. That day, I saw America, United, One Nation, united in our grief, unified in our anger, righteous in our hatred and ready, for the perfect, the ultimate, vindication of our victimization. We were viciously attacked, without provocation, without any warning. 3,000+, dead... ... Oh My God. ... ... why?

That's what I remember feeling and thinking that morning. The horror, the sadness, the uncertainty of what was to be next, the fact that it was wasn't even lunch time yet. This was going to be a very long day. A day of calls checking on family and friends, watching the news on line, talking to co-workers. Did you know anyone? Wait, where's Joe? He was flying out today. What do you think is going to happen next? Another plane? ... Oh MY GOD?!

Osama, yeah, that's the guy, he did it. We'll get em. Really? How scary is it to now realize that your own government may have been the Osama of that day? oh my god. please, no. Wait, ok, my blinders are in place, I'll be ok. Just don't look.

That's how I begin to grasp my new World.

So many years later and we still are trying to figure out what is true and what is false. The age of computers and the internet and we still don't know when someone is lying. We still want to believe, at least I know I do, that we are all honest, good people. The pursuit of happiness and all that jive. One for all and all for one. The amount of money I have does not dictate what I am or who I want to be. It should only be the means to a happy life. The culmination of good deeds and a generous spirit. Love your fellow man. At least know and accept they neighbor, no matter the differences. A bomb won't help to get your point accepted.

To accept that money and greed has replaced the gift of love and life is hard. The realization that our own values and morality are being made a joke of by the same people who represent US as a nation and a peoples is absolutely frightening. I know that we are misled, lied to and basically treated like sheep lead to a slaughter but what happens now?

My generation is use to being lied to. do you think we honesty believed Clinton? What is the definition of IS, indeed.... Come on. We laughed when the stain on the dress hit the eBay listings. We made jokes about Al Gore and his miraculous invention of the Internet. George jr. was the icing on the cake. The son following in Daddy's footsteps. Broccoli anyone? Joke after joke. Hey, I wasn't into Voting, who was? Who cares? Nothing serious enough for me to pay attention until I had to start paying taxes.

Sad, I know but look where I'm (we're) coming from for a moment. Born 1972, okay, 35 (and looking good :) , 70's, too young to have any clue. 80's, ages 8 - 18... Ronald Regan. Even Chernobyl couldn't daunt our vision of the future. Need I say more? We were happy in the 80's, admit it. The "evil empire" caved under Reagan's savy negotiation with the guy with the coffee stain on his head (coffee, coffee, coffee, cfoofoee)...sorry... ummm.. oh yeah... Nancy was all about Saying No to drugs but then saying yes to $5000 dresses. I'll give her points for having the strength to deal with Ronnie in his later years and breast issues in her later years. The lady should run for President... someday, after Hilary.... way after Hilary. That chick is giving women a bad name.... tame that tramp of a husband or leave his ass in the dust... moving on...

The 90's ... no more broccoli, heheheh puking on the Japanese guy.... hahah, wait... do they have nukes?

So, what happens while we're laughing and thinking the world is one happy love fest? The internet, journalist in tanks, oil wells exploding and gas prices skyrocketing (which at our level, compared to the environmentally conscious world is pitiful... but still...) it's time to wake up.

War. Our war. The war that WE brought to the world. Time to wake up.

My addiction(s)

We all have addictions. For some it's food, alcohol, drugs, neopets, youtube, eBay, cat nip, toe jam, coffee...

Article excerpt "Among the less common: addiction to peanut butter. Some researchers have even suggested that there is an enzyme in peanut butter that causes people to crave it all the time.

Other strange addictions: addiction to ferrets, addiction to bananas, addiction to Styrofoam and addiction to pencils. "

Yeah, oooouuuuu Styrofoam..........wait, huh? Pencils I can see but Styrofoam?

My major addictions.... softball and my mothers eggplant parmigiana and amber jewelry
Minor addictions... girl scout cookies, the SciFi channel, my cat Quila (see picture at the top of the page), and being my bed with a good book (and/or my husband) :)

Softball is the strangest addiction. Being in NE we can only play ball from April (maybe) to October (if your lucky). The 5 or 6 months off are a depressing time for me. Not that my personality changes but my body does. Getting the muscles back into shape for playing usually takes a few weeks of stretching, practicing and figuring out how many teams I can play on in one summer. This year, I went into it with a lot of expectations for my Coventry Woman's league and the gaggle of friends I enjoy playing with. Instead, the league screwed us royally!

What now? I still have my co-ed team but I want to be on the field with my girlfriends (Cheryl, Sue & Julie) We are the ultimate core for a team in personality and talent. My girls ROCK!

Sue and Cheryl managed to bribe another team in Johnston to take them in. I think Cheryl promised to show everyone her tattoo. No room for anymore girls though, OK, I'll take up golf. ??

No offense to my husband who is dying to tech me how to play golf, but .... golf over softball? hmmm, I have to wrap my brain around that one. Can I hit a home run with that little white ball? How about pulling a double play? Nope, for me it would be a double bogey (at least) and hitting a mean slice into the water. My husband loves golf and really wants to show me how to play. I'll work my way into it since I know he enjoys it so much that we even listen to it on the radio when we're driving (snore). Baseball on the radio, yes but golf? Even the radio announcers are whispering! Makes me want to shout out "Hey batter batter... swing!"

Well, last night I went to see Sue and Cheryl play their first game. As murphy's law would have it, I didn't bring my equipment (it's always in my truck but Cheryl picked me up last night) and I was asked to play since they didn't have enough girls show up. So, work clothes, and the coaches glove and off I go. It was one heck of a game. Cheryl was a mad woman on the mound and an Ortiz wannabe at the plate. You go girl! Sue and I held our own. It was more of a pleasure to be on the field with my girls and a fantastic team. I'm still juiced up and soooooo sore that I can't sneeze or I'll pass out.

In the end, the coach asked me to come back. The girls are together again! Now we have to get Julie for next year. This year she is torturing our old team in Coventry by playing for another team. They play against each other Sunday. We're going to go cheer Julie on and hassle the old team by throwing rotten veggies at em.

I love my addictions.

Global Ignorance & Bad TV

I don't know if it is a characteristic of my generation but I feel globally ignorant most of the time. I'm not intentionally ignorant, I have an education, and the student loans to prove it. I'm not sheltered, my family is very vocal and open minded about the world but there is so much crap that I have a tough time wading through it all. What to believe? I wonder if there is an "Idiot's guide to current events" or "Political Propaganda for Dummies".

It's a scary world, getting scarier as the "information age" shows us what it like to be in a "war", up close and personal. Can you imagine what the world would be like today if we had news correspondents trekking through Vietnam, reporting on all the horror and death? Would the world be the same? I don't think so. Reality seems to have a devastating effect on the overall happy factor of the general population. They would rather watch Survivor (as if you can really not "survive" on that show) or American Idol where the general populace can vote on the next teenager to influence the younger generation, at least until the next season. In my humble opinion it is all poppy cock, crapolla, just plain trash.

I don't know what to watch or what to believe anymore. I've taken to reading the European newspapers more than our own American bred propaganda. Anything is available on the internet, in some freaky instances, a little too much of "everything" if you ask me. TV sucks, newspapers are lacking the "real" story and music has more sex education in it than my high school class did. What a wonderful world.

Perpetually Happy People

Some people really should be shot. There are a few that are so perpetually happy I have to wonder what the real story is. Are they really evil and hide it from the world with a shiny smile or are they pumped up on drugs, serious drugs like caffeine? I always try to smile (it confuses people) but there are days when if would like to shoot elephant tranquilizer darts out of my eyeballs if anyone dares to get in my way. The mood doesn't last long and it can be enjoyable to see people running away from me but after a while I just have to breathe deep and realize it really doesn't matter. Whatever "it" may be. I need to find good in all that is aggravating me, maybe I'll smile for the rest of the day.

Today, "it" seems to be a few things:

Bad / Good
Cold Rain - Yuck, burrrr / Happy spring flowers, soon!
Rechargeable batteries not charging in mouse / Excuse to buy new mouse
3 weeks of dealing with 1 stupid user's whining / Gave him the "look" (see above)
So frustrated I'm not hungry / Need to lose a couple anyway
Management not able to make a decision / Less for me to work on
Home furnace not working right / Haven't found a good one for this yet.
Everyone around me is sick / I'm not... yet

Well, I'm still cranky, it's still raining and I still don't trust our furnace to deliver heat and hot water when I get home. My husband seems to be OK with it though. Men. (Just think honey, I can blog about all the things that you do that aggravate me! I feel better already! Just kidding.... big smile) :D