There once was a man who was a slob,
He married a woman who was a snob.
He threw her into a craze,
Whenever he ate snacks made by Lay's.
Wherever he wandered he left a trail,
A mess to be sure, he'd make without fail.
A lesson he needed to be taught,
But how to do it?, she thought and thought.
So she came up with a plan, that would "fix" her man.
After one day of him eating his Lay's,
She went room to room with a dustpan and broom.
Sweeping up his trail, that he'd left without fail.
Back in the bag she deposited the munchies,
Along with the dust, lint, and kitty-crunchies.
It's for certain he never would listen to her lecture,
Let's just see if he'd notice the strange taste and texture.
Clean up you mess!, you lazy man!!
Disclaimer: dear readers, while this blog was inspired by a true story, it does not reflect my views or descriptions of these people. I merely had to come up with words that rhymed. No offense intended!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
My Vue on things
Let me tell you about my Vue on today's technology...
First off, I didn't mispell "view", "Vue" is the name of the new SUV we purchased last night. Yes, I said purchased. I hope never again to lease another vehicle. Hate leasing!!
My Mazda Tribute was nearing the end of the lease agreement, and it was starting to have things go wrong with it. While I have enjoyed driving it, it was time to start fresh. I didn't want to buy my Mazda, as I've been paying on it long enough. I wanted something with lower payments and better gas mileage. We've been exploring our options and have spent the past 2 weekends going from car lot to car lot.
Before we headed out last weekend, I made it a point to leave the checkbook, savings book, credit cards, & debit cards at home, and to drive John's vehicle. Too many times in the past we've said, "we're just going to go look", and end up driving home a new car. I was bound & determined that wouldn't happen this time.
Our first stop (against my better judgement I might add) was at the Hyundai dealership on Shelbyville Rd. I've nothing against Hyundais, just that particular dealership. We had a very bad experience with them several years ago, & it's left a bad taste in my mouth ever since. We had barely opened the doors on John's car when the sharks started to move-in for the kill. John held them at bay by mentioning a particular shark by name. The sharks moved off, and the known shark, Deano, moved in. I took an instant dis-like to him. He was a sleaze, there's no other way to describe him. He looked like a used car salesman, & wasn't going to let us walk away easily.
I didn't go to the dealership with a closed-mind on looking at the Hyundais, I was curious as to how they stacked up. But, upon looking at them, I decided they wouldn't work for our needs... the back end was just too small to comfortably contain at least 2 Great Danes, and the headroom was too low. No, I wanted no part of these Hyundais. Deano wasn't willing to let us go, but I was firm on my decision. My husband hung his head & pouted, as he was sure Deano could get us a great deal. I rolled my eyes & snorted in disgust.
We left & headed towards Hurstbourne Ln. & the umpteen dealerships along that stretch of road. Our next stop was the Saturn dealership. We had bought a small Saturn there back in '97. It had been a good car, reliable, but it was just too small for us, & we had finally traded it in on my Mazda. So now we were back, looking to unload the Mazda on another Saturn.
I knew about how much we could afford to spend payment wise, therefore, I knew about what the sticker price needed to be. Needless to say, we were looking at a lot of used vehicles, despite my husband's spoiled attitude about always buying new. We walked the lot, looked at a lot of cars, & were never hounded by a salesperson. We finally found a 2003 Vue that piqued our curiousity, as it seemed to have everything we wanted, except a price sticker on the window. We sought out a salesman, Chris Ernspiker. I asked if he was related to any of my kinfolk, but he said "no". The Vue in question had just been traded in a couple of days prior, & therefore lacked the sales sticker. But we test-drove it anyway. It was nice. Fully loaded, leather interior, heated seats, yadda, yadda, yadda. I liked the ride. But, it wasn't officially for-sale yet. It would take a few days to clean it up & do the safety-inspections on it. That was fine. We left our name & phone number & said to call us when it was ready.
We then drove to Indiana and looked at several dealerships, but as dealerships are actually closed on Sundays, we were never hounded by the sharks, & never really got to look inside anything.
Finally, this past friday, Chris called me. I had just gotten out of p.t., & was hurting way too much to go car-shopping. I put him off 'til Saturday afternoon. When John got off work, we went to see what could be worked out. Chris had told me that he would make it a point of taking himself off the floor so he'd be available when we arrived. Well, needless to say, when we got there, he was with someone else who had "just happened in", & we were pawned off on an older guy who'd obviously been in the business a lot longer, & had more sales-pressure experience.
We told him what we wanted to put as a down-payment, & about what we wanted the payments to be. He gave a rough figure of what he thought they'd be, $291/mo., but went to "see what could be done". So we sat & played the waiting game. This is the part I truly hate about car-shopping. Why can't they just give you the lowest price up front? Why can't they sit & "work" the numbers in front of you? Why do they have to take it to someone else's office & "pretend" to be doing you a favor?
The old guy came back out and presented us with 3 payment plans, according to length of financing. The payments ranged from $325 - $380, depending on the number of months. I just looked at him & said, "I don't think so!"
Now the haggling starts. He started in with the "if you put X amt. of dollars down, it will lower the payment", but I just shook my head. I was firm in the amount I was willing to put down. And besides that, what happened to the $291 he'd first mentioned?? He went back to his financial guy again, made us wait a few minutes more, then came back out, pretended to do us another favor by asking for a larger down payment, which I still refused to budge on. I finally said, much to my husband's horror, "Nope, sorry, I guess we'll just look elsewhere." And with that, I stood up & walked out. I never looked back. My husband on the otherhand, kind of stood there, scuffing the toe of his shoe on the ground, hung his head & looked like a child denied a new toy.
Sunday afternoon, we again went carshopping, this time over to Dixie Hwy. I hated driving all the way to the opposite side of the county, but sometimes, you have to go out of your way to get a better deal. We stopped at the Toyota & Saturn dealerships, which were right next to one another. A not-so-aggressive shark came out of the Saturn dealership, Pam. She was just as friendly as could be, & I didn't feel like I was immediately put on the defensive. She was a good ol' country girl. We looked at more used cars than I could begin to count. We test drove another 2003 Vue, this one not quite so loaded as the previous, but it too handled nicely. We also looked around the Toyota lot, but couldn't find anything in our price range that we like, so we walked back to Saturn & sought out Pam again. I'm not sure how she did it, but she finally "sold" us on a 2006 model that was on the show-room floor. We never haggled over the price or payments either. We had told her up-front, while test-driving the other Vue, that we had the lease car to turn in. She said they'd probably ask for the equivilant of one payment, or maybe $350 down. I told her I'd planned on putting more down, but whatever. When we sat down to start working things out, the idiot floor manager, who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground, said we owed nearly $1000 because of the miles we'd gone over our limit on the Mazda. I disagreed. My figure was $460. We argued. He told me to call the leasing company on Monday to get it straightened out, & promptly dismissed us. Jack ass!!
We offered to put a deposit on the Vue to hold it until the next day. Pam was all for it, but Jack Ass said it was against company policy. So we left, somewhat disheartened.
First thing Monday morning, I called our leasing company & went over the contract with them word for word. They assurred me I was reading it correctly, & the amount I'd figured was correct. Again I thought, "Jack Ass!" Now we're going to have to pay more mileage, because we've had to drive across the county two more times plus me driving it to work. Jack Ass!
So I called Jack Ass after I'd hung up with the leasing company & told him the news. He could've cared less. Said it didn't matter to him. ARGHHHHH!!! I wanted to wring his neck!
I left a message for Pam that we'd be there that evening. It was a good thing we didnt' have to deal with him upon our return!!
After we signed the papers for our new SUV, drove off the lot & headed home, it suddenly occurred to me & I pointed out to John, "they never asked us for a down payment." I can honestly say that's the first time I've ever bought a car & had that happen!!! Usually they want more, more, more!!!
While this Vue is lacking a couple of features I'd like to have, like the leather, heated seats, I suppose I can live without them. It does however have a few options I could live without, & could care less about having... like the On-Star. Good grief! I was trying to adjust the rear-view mirror when I accidentally pushed the on-star call button. Next thing I know, some mystery woman is talking to me. How un-nerving!!
As it was dark when we arrived home and past our bedtime, we didnt' have time to go over the buttons and gizmos.
This morning I sat down & was reading the owner's manual, which my boss promptly made fun of me for doing. Typical man's response... as we all know they don't read/follow directions.
I tried, several times, to set the clock. I followed the directions word for word, but nothing happened. I guess I'll have to wait 'til we take it in for the first oil change. These new-fangled cars are just too high-tech for me. Do we really need a car that talks to us and tells us when our gas-cap isn't tightened down tight enough??
That's my Vue on things.
First off, I didn't mispell "view", "Vue" is the name of the new SUV we purchased last night. Yes, I said purchased. I hope never again to lease another vehicle. Hate leasing!!
My Mazda Tribute was nearing the end of the lease agreement, and it was starting to have things go wrong with it. While I have enjoyed driving it, it was time to start fresh. I didn't want to buy my Mazda, as I've been paying on it long enough. I wanted something with lower payments and better gas mileage. We've been exploring our options and have spent the past 2 weekends going from car lot to car lot.
Before we headed out last weekend, I made it a point to leave the checkbook, savings book, credit cards, & debit cards at home, and to drive John's vehicle. Too many times in the past we've said, "we're just going to go look", and end up driving home a new car. I was bound & determined that wouldn't happen this time.
Our first stop (against my better judgement I might add) was at the Hyundai dealership on Shelbyville Rd. I've nothing against Hyundais, just that particular dealership. We had a very bad experience with them several years ago, & it's left a bad taste in my mouth ever since. We had barely opened the doors on John's car when the sharks started to move-in for the kill. John held them at bay by mentioning a particular shark by name. The sharks moved off, and the known shark, Deano, moved in. I took an instant dis-like to him. He was a sleaze, there's no other way to describe him. He looked like a used car salesman, & wasn't going to let us walk away easily.
I didn't go to the dealership with a closed-mind on looking at the Hyundais, I was curious as to how they stacked up. But, upon looking at them, I decided they wouldn't work for our needs... the back end was just too small to comfortably contain at least 2 Great Danes, and the headroom was too low. No, I wanted no part of these Hyundais. Deano wasn't willing to let us go, but I was firm on my decision. My husband hung his head & pouted, as he was sure Deano could get us a great deal. I rolled my eyes & snorted in disgust.
We left & headed towards Hurstbourne Ln. & the umpteen dealerships along that stretch of road. Our next stop was the Saturn dealership. We had bought a small Saturn there back in '97. It had been a good car, reliable, but it was just too small for us, & we had finally traded it in on my Mazda. So now we were back, looking to unload the Mazda on another Saturn.
I knew about how much we could afford to spend payment wise, therefore, I knew about what the sticker price needed to be. Needless to say, we were looking at a lot of used vehicles, despite my husband's spoiled attitude about always buying new. We walked the lot, looked at a lot of cars, & were never hounded by a salesperson. We finally found a 2003 Vue that piqued our curiousity, as it seemed to have everything we wanted, except a price sticker on the window. We sought out a salesman, Chris Ernspiker. I asked if he was related to any of my kinfolk, but he said "no". The Vue in question had just been traded in a couple of days prior, & therefore lacked the sales sticker. But we test-drove it anyway. It was nice. Fully loaded, leather interior, heated seats, yadda, yadda, yadda. I liked the ride. But, it wasn't officially for-sale yet. It would take a few days to clean it up & do the safety-inspections on it. That was fine. We left our name & phone number & said to call us when it was ready.
We then drove to Indiana and looked at several dealerships, but as dealerships are actually closed on Sundays, we were never hounded by the sharks, & never really got to look inside anything.
Finally, this past friday, Chris called me. I had just gotten out of p.t., & was hurting way too much to go car-shopping. I put him off 'til Saturday afternoon. When John got off work, we went to see what could be worked out. Chris had told me that he would make it a point of taking himself off the floor so he'd be available when we arrived. Well, needless to say, when we got there, he was with someone else who had "just happened in", & we were pawned off on an older guy who'd obviously been in the business a lot longer, & had more sales-pressure experience.
We told him what we wanted to put as a down-payment, & about what we wanted the payments to be. He gave a rough figure of what he thought they'd be, $291/mo., but went to "see what could be done". So we sat & played the waiting game. This is the part I truly hate about car-shopping. Why can't they just give you the lowest price up front? Why can't they sit & "work" the numbers in front of you? Why do they have to take it to someone else's office & "pretend" to be doing you a favor?
The old guy came back out and presented us with 3 payment plans, according to length of financing. The payments ranged from $325 - $380, depending on the number of months. I just looked at him & said, "I don't think so!"
Now the haggling starts. He started in with the "if you put X amt. of dollars down, it will lower the payment", but I just shook my head. I was firm in the amount I was willing to put down. And besides that, what happened to the $291 he'd first mentioned?? He went back to his financial guy again, made us wait a few minutes more, then came back out, pretended to do us another favor by asking for a larger down payment, which I still refused to budge on. I finally said, much to my husband's horror, "Nope, sorry, I guess we'll just look elsewhere." And with that, I stood up & walked out. I never looked back. My husband on the otherhand, kind of stood there, scuffing the toe of his shoe on the ground, hung his head & looked like a child denied a new toy.
Sunday afternoon, we again went carshopping, this time over to Dixie Hwy. I hated driving all the way to the opposite side of the county, but sometimes, you have to go out of your way to get a better deal. We stopped at the Toyota & Saturn dealerships, which were right next to one another. A not-so-aggressive shark came out of the Saturn dealership, Pam. She was just as friendly as could be, & I didn't feel like I was immediately put on the defensive. She was a good ol' country girl. We looked at more used cars than I could begin to count. We test drove another 2003 Vue, this one not quite so loaded as the previous, but it too handled nicely. We also looked around the Toyota lot, but couldn't find anything in our price range that we like, so we walked back to Saturn & sought out Pam again. I'm not sure how she did it, but she finally "sold" us on a 2006 model that was on the show-room floor. We never haggled over the price or payments either. We had told her up-front, while test-driving the other Vue, that we had the lease car to turn in. She said they'd probably ask for the equivilant of one payment, or maybe $350 down. I told her I'd planned on putting more down, but whatever. When we sat down to start working things out, the idiot floor manager, who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground, said we owed nearly $1000 because of the miles we'd gone over our limit on the Mazda. I disagreed. My figure was $460. We argued. He told me to call the leasing company on Monday to get it straightened out, & promptly dismissed us. Jack ass!!
We offered to put a deposit on the Vue to hold it until the next day. Pam was all for it, but Jack Ass said it was against company policy. So we left, somewhat disheartened.
First thing Monday morning, I called our leasing company & went over the contract with them word for word. They assurred me I was reading it correctly, & the amount I'd figured was correct. Again I thought, "Jack Ass!" Now we're going to have to pay more mileage, because we've had to drive across the county two more times plus me driving it to work. Jack Ass!
So I called Jack Ass after I'd hung up with the leasing company & told him the news. He could've cared less. Said it didn't matter to him. ARGHHHHH!!! I wanted to wring his neck!
I left a message for Pam that we'd be there that evening. It was a good thing we didnt' have to deal with him upon our return!!
After we signed the papers for our new SUV, drove off the lot & headed home, it suddenly occurred to me & I pointed out to John, "they never asked us for a down payment." I can honestly say that's the first time I've ever bought a car & had that happen!!! Usually they want more, more, more!!!
While this Vue is lacking a couple of features I'd like to have, like the leather, heated seats, I suppose I can live without them. It does however have a few options I could live without, & could care less about having... like the On-Star. Good grief! I was trying to adjust the rear-view mirror when I accidentally pushed the on-star call button. Next thing I know, some mystery woman is talking to me. How un-nerving!!
As it was dark when we arrived home and past our bedtime, we didnt' have time to go over the buttons and gizmos.
This morning I sat down & was reading the owner's manual, which my boss promptly made fun of me for doing. Typical man's response... as we all know they don't read/follow directions.
I tried, several times, to set the clock. I followed the directions word for word, but nothing happened. I guess I'll have to wait 'til we take it in for the first oil change. These new-fangled cars are just too high-tech for me. Do we really need a car that talks to us and tells us when our gas-cap isn't tightened down tight enough??
That's my Vue on things.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Catcing up
Greetings faithful blogger readers! I'm sure a few of you probably thought I'd dropped off the face of the earth. Sorry, that didn't happen.
I've been extremely busy these past couple of weeks, and haven't even had the time to read other bloggers, much less write my own.
So I'll catch you up on what's been happening.
Actually, not much new or exciting has been going on... we've been busy at work, and haven't had much of a break in between funerals for me to dally, but when I have had the spare time, I've been searching relentlessly on the internet for missing classmates. I'm still working hard on my 20th class reunion, and have reconnected with quite a large number of people... more than I ever expected to, that's for sure. Only a small handful remain totally at a loss, and another small handful that we're going to have to contact by snail-mail, as we can't find a phone number or email address. With the exception of 1 person (who I can honestly say, is still an ass-hole, even after 20 years), and a couple of more who've been polite, but firm in their opinion of not being bothered, everyone else has been very receptive, and I've delighted in forming some new "friendships", even if they are over long distances and via email.
So far, I've not come across anybody that has said they are a grandparent as yet... that helps in keeping us feeling young, if only in our minds.
It has amazed me, the number of people that married, either while still in high school or shortly after, that are still together after all theses years. I guess it goes to show that sometimes, 16 year old girls do know when they are in love and that it's "for keeps".
Then again, on the other hand, there are quite number of people that I've come across that have been married/divorced umpteen times.
It's also been a bit of a surprise to me, the number of classmates that have remained childless, and I just don't mean the people that have never married. It would seem that quite a few people, like myself, have chosen to raise 4-legged children intead.
In other news... I'm still in physical therapy, down to 3 times a week. I have my good days and my bad days. Today is a so-so day, not pain-free, but not with a lot of pain either. It's truly frustrating, as I can't really do much work in my flower beds, and believe me, they are in much need of some weeding!! The dogs need a bath, but I don't think, scratch that, I know I can't handle being bent over to accomplish that task. John has been helping out with the laundry somewhat, if only to put the clean clothes away... I'll take whatever I can get. Too, he's been getting himself up in the mornings, usually without any prodding what-so-ever from me, so I guess it just proves he can really do it if he sets his mind to it.
John & I will be celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary on Sunday, as well as mom's XXth birthday. We also have an upcoming family reunion in Glasgow the following weekend, so we'll be busy in the weeks to come.
That's about all the news from the pita-woman.
I've been extremely busy these past couple of weeks, and haven't even had the time to read other bloggers, much less write my own.
So I'll catch you up on what's been happening.
Actually, not much new or exciting has been going on... we've been busy at work, and haven't had much of a break in between funerals for me to dally, but when I have had the spare time, I've been searching relentlessly on the internet for missing classmates. I'm still working hard on my 20th class reunion, and have reconnected with quite a large number of people... more than I ever expected to, that's for sure. Only a small handful remain totally at a loss, and another small handful that we're going to have to contact by snail-mail, as we can't find a phone number or email address. With the exception of 1 person (who I can honestly say, is still an ass-hole, even after 20 years), and a couple of more who've been polite, but firm in their opinion of not being bothered, everyone else has been very receptive, and I've delighted in forming some new "friendships", even if they are over long distances and via email.
So far, I've not come across anybody that has said they are a grandparent as yet... that helps in keeping us feeling young, if only in our minds.
It has amazed me, the number of people that married, either while still in high school or shortly after, that are still together after all theses years. I guess it goes to show that sometimes, 16 year old girls do know when they are in love and that it's "for keeps".
Then again, on the other hand, there are quite number of people that I've come across that have been married/divorced umpteen times.
It's also been a bit of a surprise to me, the number of classmates that have remained childless, and I just don't mean the people that have never married. It would seem that quite a few people, like myself, have chosen to raise 4-legged children intead.
In other news... I'm still in physical therapy, down to 3 times a week. I have my good days and my bad days. Today is a so-so day, not pain-free, but not with a lot of pain either. It's truly frustrating, as I can't really do much work in my flower beds, and believe me, they are in much need of some weeding!! The dogs need a bath, but I don't think, scratch that, I know I can't handle being bent over to accomplish that task. John has been helping out with the laundry somewhat, if only to put the clean clothes away... I'll take whatever I can get. Too, he's been getting himself up in the mornings, usually without any prodding what-so-ever from me, so I guess it just proves he can really do it if he sets his mind to it.
John & I will be celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary on Sunday, as well as mom's XXth birthday. We also have an upcoming family reunion in Glasgow the following weekend, so we'll be busy in the weeks to come.
That's about all the news from the pita-woman.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Runner's take your mark...
I've been to p.t. 4 times now, and the first three visits were anything but pleasant. I usually left in more pain than when I arrived. But last night, compared to how I'd felt for the two previous weeks, I almost felt like I could've run a marathon.
I've been grumbling, and I thought they'd have taken a hint before now, that lying on my stomach was uncomfortable for me. I've never in my life liked sleeping on my stomach. And no matter how reasonably good I felt when I walked into their office, by the time they'd had me lying on one of their massage tables while they either sent electrical impulses into my back, massaged it, or whatever, each time, it was torture trying to stand up afterwards.... and not because of what they had done to me, just simply because I'd been lying face down. I even mentioned to one of the P.T.s the other day, it would be so much simpler if they could do these things to me while I sat up. But would anybody listen?... no.
So yesterday, I walked in, almost with a bounce in my step, I was feeling not half bad. But after the round of electrical impulses, again, it was all I could do to crawl off the table. Finally, a therapist (the only woman working in there I might add) that wasn't even assigned to me, declared, "there's no reason they can't do those things to you sitting in a chair, in fact, I'm going to mark it on your file not to lay you down anymore." And bless her, she did just that. Thank goodness for a woman's good sense.
When I moved over to the area that they use the vibrator on my back, they sat me on a stool, and when done, I actually stood up from that thing without any assitance, without any pain. The whole rest of the evening was getting better & better. By the time I got home, I felt almost like my oldself.
The doctor & I discussed whether I wanted the quick-fix just to get rid of my current pains, which meant maybe another week to 10 days of treatment, or whether I wanted the long-term therapy, which hopefully should much improve a lot of other things, not just my back. This would mean about another 3 months of treatments. Hey, that's what that top-of-the-line insurance that we're paying through the nose for, is for. I'm all for making it right.
Maybe when I'm all done, I actually could run in that marathon.
I've been grumbling, and I thought they'd have taken a hint before now, that lying on my stomach was uncomfortable for me. I've never in my life liked sleeping on my stomach. And no matter how reasonably good I felt when I walked into their office, by the time they'd had me lying on one of their massage tables while they either sent electrical impulses into my back, massaged it, or whatever, each time, it was torture trying to stand up afterwards.... and not because of what they had done to me, just simply because I'd been lying face down. I even mentioned to one of the P.T.s the other day, it would be so much simpler if they could do these things to me while I sat up. But would anybody listen?... no.
So yesterday, I walked in, almost with a bounce in my step, I was feeling not half bad. But after the round of electrical impulses, again, it was all I could do to crawl off the table. Finally, a therapist (the only woman working in there I might add) that wasn't even assigned to me, declared, "there's no reason they can't do those things to you sitting in a chair, in fact, I'm going to mark it on your file not to lay you down anymore." And bless her, she did just that. Thank goodness for a woman's good sense.
When I moved over to the area that they use the vibrator on my back, they sat me on a stool, and when done, I actually stood up from that thing without any assitance, without any pain. The whole rest of the evening was getting better & better. By the time I got home, I felt almost like my oldself.
The doctor & I discussed whether I wanted the quick-fix just to get rid of my current pains, which meant maybe another week to 10 days of treatment, or whether I wanted the long-term therapy, which hopefully should much improve a lot of other things, not just my back. This would mean about another 3 months of treatments. Hey, that's what that top-of-the-line insurance that we're paying through the nose for, is for. I'm all for making it right.
Maybe when I'm all done, I actually could run in that marathon.
Monday, August 14, 2006
It's all relative
Ever notice how if you just drop one little letter in a word, or even, if you change the first letter from Capitalized to lower-case, that the meaning of a word totally changes?
Like Jean = woman's name, while jean = type of pants or material, Gene = man's name, while gene = our biological make-up, Poole = common spelling of a last name, pool = a still body of water, a game of billiards, or a resource.
But when someone speaks these words, we can't hear whether or not the first letter is capitalized or lower cased, so we have to rely on the rest of the sentence to figure out it's meaning.
Why do I mention all this you ask? Well...
Not long after I started working at my current position (3 1/2 years ago), someone made the comment that "so-and-so" was a Jean/Gene Poole baby. I remember thinking to myself, "oh, okay. I don't know who Jean/Gene Poole is, but I'm sure I'll meet her/him eventually."
Then a few weeks later, that same person again commented that someone else was a Jean/Gene Poole baby. I still didn't know who Jean/Gene Poole was.
Finally, after about the third or fourth time of hearing how this person or that was a Jean/Gene Poole baby, I finally asked, "Who is this person? They seem to get around a lot. Exactly how many children does she/he have anyway?"
Needless to say, this brought on some hardy guffawing as this person tried to explain that it wasn't Jean/Gene Poole but instead: gene-pool. Well, just saying the words still wasn't meaning diddily squat to me and I gave them a perplexed look. Finally she explained herself and declared that there had been some "in-breeding" going on in that family, and thus, the offspring were "gene-pool" babies.
So the light bulb finally went on in my head as the realization set in. Okay, I get it. It's just a nicer way of saying that somebody was the product of incest.
Like Jean = woman's name, while jean = type of pants or material, Gene = man's name, while gene = our biological make-up, Poole = common spelling of a last name, pool = a still body of water, a game of billiards, or a resource.
But when someone speaks these words, we can't hear whether or not the first letter is capitalized or lower cased, so we have to rely on the rest of the sentence to figure out it's meaning.
Why do I mention all this you ask? Well...
Not long after I started working at my current position (3 1/2 years ago), someone made the comment that "so-and-so" was a Jean/Gene Poole baby. I remember thinking to myself, "oh, okay. I don't know who Jean/Gene Poole is, but I'm sure I'll meet her/him eventually."
Then a few weeks later, that same person again commented that someone else was a Jean/Gene Poole baby. I still didn't know who Jean/Gene Poole was.
Finally, after about the third or fourth time of hearing how this person or that was a Jean/Gene Poole baby, I finally asked, "Who is this person? They seem to get around a lot. Exactly how many children does she/he have anyway?"
Needless to say, this brought on some hardy guffawing as this person tried to explain that it wasn't Jean/Gene Poole but instead: gene-pool. Well, just saying the words still wasn't meaning diddily squat to me and I gave them a perplexed look. Finally she explained herself and declared that there had been some "in-breeding" going on in that family, and thus, the offspring were "gene-pool" babies.
So the light bulb finally went on in my head as the realization set in. Okay, I get it. It's just a nicer way of saying that somebody was the product of incest.
More back stuff
I made a 2nd visit to the chiropractor/physical therapist on Friday. We went over my x-rays, and all I can say is: Holy Crap!
As I sat and gazed at one x-ray inparticular, I couldn't help but ask the doctor, "was I sitting sideways (bent over at the waist) when this one was taken?".
Of course I wasn't, but that's how it looked. I have scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. Normally, as you look at someone's back, the spine should be straight up and down. Instead, mine comes down and fish-tails to the left. I also have a disc that is compressed quite a bit on it's left side, which is causing a lot of the problem too, especially the dropped left hip.
My side view x-rays weren't any better. There should be about a 45 degree curve to the neck, but instead, mine is nearly straight up and down, thus not allowing the spinal cord to move as freely as it should.
Makes me wonder how I've been able to walk at all these past few years.
After more time on the various tables, again with the vibrator bringing me to tears, and a session with the mini-jackhammer, I was sent home with a TENS pack to use as needed. I'm noping that won't be a long-term necessity, as it annoys me to no end. If the electrode-pads aren't coming loose & sticking to my clothes, then they're pulling the tiny hairs out of my back when I remove them. Or I'll accidentally turn it up too high, too fast, and give myself a serious jolt. Or, the dangling cord will catch on something and either bring me up short, or come unplug the pads from the pack. It's just not a convenient gizmo to be hooked up to all the time.
Over the weekend, at times, I've actually felt halfway decent, but that feeling doesn't usually last more than an hour or so, and I'm right back where I started.
I go back again this evening, and to a work-shop of some sort tomorrow evening.
As I sat and gazed at one x-ray inparticular, I couldn't help but ask the doctor, "was I sitting sideways (bent over at the waist) when this one was taken?".
Of course I wasn't, but that's how it looked. I have scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. Normally, as you look at someone's back, the spine should be straight up and down. Instead, mine comes down and fish-tails to the left. I also have a disc that is compressed quite a bit on it's left side, which is causing a lot of the problem too, especially the dropped left hip.
My side view x-rays weren't any better. There should be about a 45 degree curve to the neck, but instead, mine is nearly straight up and down, thus not allowing the spinal cord to move as freely as it should.
Makes me wonder how I've been able to walk at all these past few years.
After more time on the various tables, again with the vibrator bringing me to tears, and a session with the mini-jackhammer, I was sent home with a TENS pack to use as needed. I'm noping that won't be a long-term necessity, as it annoys me to no end. If the electrode-pads aren't coming loose & sticking to my clothes, then they're pulling the tiny hairs out of my back when I remove them. Or I'll accidentally turn it up too high, too fast, and give myself a serious jolt. Or, the dangling cord will catch on something and either bring me up short, or come unplug the pads from the pack. It's just not a convenient gizmo to be hooked up to all the time.
Over the weekend, at times, I've actually felt halfway decent, but that feeling doesn't usually last more than an hour or so, and I'm right back where I started.
I go back again this evening, and to a work-shop of some sort tomorrow evening.
More reunion stuff
I got a phone call over the weekend from an old classmate. He & I spent about an hour yacking on the phone, catching up on each others lives. He was one of the small handful of guys in our class that I always felt comfortable around and could talk to. We fell right back into our easy chatter, just as if it hadn't been 20 years since last seeing one another.
He emailed me a photo that was taken at the 15th reunion (which I did not attend), and I've had more fun looking at how some have changed (annoyed with the ones that still look exactly the same), and scratching my head over a few that I've absolutely no idea who they are. I finally had to email him back & ask him to identify them. I'm sure I'll be kicking myself when he tells me.
Seeing the picture also put me at ease somewhat, as I see I'm not the only one that has put on more than a few pounds since graduation. Oh sure, I knew in my mind that I wasn't the only one, but seeing the picture was a reassurance just the same.
Can't wait 'til it gets here.
He emailed me a photo that was taken at the 15th reunion (which I did not attend), and I've had more fun looking at how some have changed (annoyed with the ones that still look exactly the same), and scratching my head over a few that I've absolutely no idea who they are. I finally had to email him back & ask him to identify them. I'm sure I'll be kicking myself when he tells me.
Seeing the picture also put me at ease somewhat, as I see I'm not the only one that has put on more than a few pounds since graduation. Oh sure, I knew in my mind that I wasn't the only one, but seeing the picture was a reassurance just the same.
Can't wait 'til it gets here.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Broken down
Well, I finally did it... I broke down and made an appointment with a chiropractor. It's been close to 25 years since I last went to one. I used to accompany my parents/grandparents all the time to our family chiropractor, Dr. Weber. I doubt he's still in practice, but irregardless, I didn't want to drive to New Albany to see him. So I finally looked on our insurance's list of PPO's and found one within walking distance of our house (assuming I could actually walk the 1 mile to get there).
My memories from going to Dr. Weber's office are of a single exam room with a single "bed" in the middle of it, and of the room smelling like menthol or camphor or whatever. The patient would lie face down on the bed and he'd push, pull and twist the "victim" back into alignment.
Gee, how times have changed! I got an appointment for 5pm yesterday, arrived at 4:50. Spent 30 minutes just filling out paperwork. That was almost a torture test in and of itself!!
Gone are the single exam rooms to be poked & prodded. Nowadays, everyone is put through the wringer out in a large open room amongst all the other patients. I could see some of the other clients at various stations, do a variety of things. There were two or three of them either lying on a bed or walking around with some kind of wierd gizmo hooked to their heads. I had visions of Dr. Frankensteins monster being created.
Once I was called back, a young man, whose nametag identified him as "trainee", and whose real name escaped me because he was such a low-talker, informed me it was his first day... Great!... and asked what I ususally started off with. As he was talking so low & mumbling, I was sure I'd misunderstood him and just stared at him with a blank look and went "huh?" He repeated himself & I finally informed him I'd never set foot in that place before. Trainee asked if I wanted the grand tour. Sure, why not? He took me around to the different stations and mumbled their purpose in life. I was struggling, not only to keep up with his speech, but his pace around the room. The only thing I did hear him say clearly was that some kind of aqua-massage thingy was broke and wouldn't be fixed 'til the 22nd. Okay. Whatever.
He finally passed me off to another young guy. His name might've been Jason, but I'm not really sure. By the time I left the clinic, 2 hours later, I'd experienced (in a manner of speaking)a young, single-woman's fantasy... in that I'd been man-handled by more young, good looking young men under the age of 40 in a single day than one could even fantasize about. But alas, I'm a married fat-woman in a lot of pain, so there were no hormones raging from either side.
Jason, or whoever he was, did take me to a private exam room, and after I'd stripped from the waist up & donned a hospital gown, had me face the wall while he used some kind of gizmo that was hooked to a computer, and touched my spinal area at intervals, from top to bottom. Once done, I redressed. Then I was passed off to another hotty that took x-rays galore.
Then I was passed off again, this time to Dr. Steve (his name I do know for sure)... he kind of reminds me of Danny off the Partridge Family, only without all the freckles and the smart-alec-mouth... and he was nicer looking. Anyway, he had me stand in front of a full-length mirror and pointed out some of my posture problems. Some I was already aware of, especially in the neck area. But WOW!, the other problems I saw were unreal. I have a feeling I'll now be staring at everyone elses posture to see how they "measure up"... but I suppose this is better than staring at everyones feet. My left arm hangs out away from my body, whereas my right arm rests against it. My left shoulder is higher than my right, not to mention how my shoulders slope.
He showed me the computer results from the test that Jason took.
There are 4 color bars that could come up... yellow, green, pink and red.
Let me see if I can explain this correctly... In a perfect world, everyone would have green bars on their results. Yellow bars are bad, as they show a sign that there's been long-term injury(pain) in that area, and the muscles or nerves (or whatever) are now deadened and not putting out the electrical impulses they should. Red is the worst, as the nerves are on "high-alert" that there is a problem.
Needless to say, I had a few yellow, a few green, a few pink, and a whole lot of red.
We talked for a few minutes about my internal health, bodily functions, irritability (I just laughed & told himto ask my friends/family about that one). Once we finished talking, he had me lie down on a table while he bent me this way and that. Once done, I needed assistance just to get up off the table. Then Dr. Steve passed me off to Mike.
Mike had me lie face down on a table out in the big room, and hooked me up to some kind of electrical impulse thingy. While I was lying there, I heard the thunder rumbling outside and wondered, "if lightening strikes and there is a surge on the system, will I become a post-toastie?" After about 5 minutes, Mike unhooked me and took me over to another table. It was torture just getting up and I couldn't help but wonder why they just couldn't move the equipment to me and leave me in one place?
Now I'm on another table, and he proceeds to use a vibrator on my back. I had to clinch my hands together under the table, mainly just to keep from coming up off the table and hitting him when he hit a sore spot. Oh, it hurt sooo much! And he knew it too, so he tried to be careful.
Once finished, it was time to move to yet another table. I really had to struggle to get up off this one and Mike had to help me. By the time I was standing upright, I was fighting back tears, I hurt so bad. By the time I made it over to the other side of the room, I was wiping the tears away.
Mike passed me back off to Dr. Steve. He used some kind of device, though I couldn't see it, I can only describe it as being a mini-jackhammer. It sounded like one and it felt like one, beating on my back. He then placed a wedge under the right hip and the left thigh, and let me lie there for a few minutes. Once he came back to remove it, I again had to cope with trying to stand up, and again required assistance. He sent me home with the instructions of applying heat and getting a good nights rest (easier said than done!), and to come back on friday. We'd then go over my x-rays and he'd really get to work on me. Gee, I can hardly wait.
I gotta say, I did sleep better last night than I have the past few nights. But I don't know as it was really because I was in less pain. I think I was just exhausted. I slept the whole night in the same position... flat on my back, feet propped up. I finally awoke just before the alarm went off. I still required John's help getting out of bed, but at least it wasn't as excrutiating as the day before.
In some ways, certain positions I've been in today, I've actually felt better than I have in a while, but then again, other positions are still a killer.
My pain isn't going to go away overnight, I realize. So I guess I'll be in physical therapy for a few weeks anyway.
My memories from going to Dr. Weber's office are of a single exam room with a single "bed" in the middle of it, and of the room smelling like menthol or camphor or whatever. The patient would lie face down on the bed and he'd push, pull and twist the "victim" back into alignment.
Gee, how times have changed! I got an appointment for 5pm yesterday, arrived at 4:50. Spent 30 minutes just filling out paperwork. That was almost a torture test in and of itself!!
Gone are the single exam rooms to be poked & prodded. Nowadays, everyone is put through the wringer out in a large open room amongst all the other patients. I could see some of the other clients at various stations, do a variety of things. There were two or three of them either lying on a bed or walking around with some kind of wierd gizmo hooked to their heads. I had visions of Dr. Frankensteins monster being created.
Once I was called back, a young man, whose nametag identified him as "trainee", and whose real name escaped me because he was such a low-talker, informed me it was his first day... Great!... and asked what I ususally started off with. As he was talking so low & mumbling, I was sure I'd misunderstood him and just stared at him with a blank look and went "huh?" He repeated himself & I finally informed him I'd never set foot in that place before. Trainee asked if I wanted the grand tour. Sure, why not? He took me around to the different stations and mumbled their purpose in life. I was struggling, not only to keep up with his speech, but his pace around the room. The only thing I did hear him say clearly was that some kind of aqua-massage thingy was broke and wouldn't be fixed 'til the 22nd. Okay. Whatever.
He finally passed me off to another young guy. His name might've been Jason, but I'm not really sure. By the time I left the clinic, 2 hours later, I'd experienced (in a manner of speaking)a young, single-woman's fantasy... in that I'd been man-handled by more young, good looking young men under the age of 40 in a single day than one could even fantasize about. But alas, I'm a married fat-woman in a lot of pain, so there were no hormones raging from either side.
Jason, or whoever he was, did take me to a private exam room, and after I'd stripped from the waist up & donned a hospital gown, had me face the wall while he used some kind of gizmo that was hooked to a computer, and touched my spinal area at intervals, from top to bottom. Once done, I redressed. Then I was passed off to another hotty that took x-rays galore.
Then I was passed off again, this time to Dr. Steve (his name I do know for sure)... he kind of reminds me of Danny off the Partridge Family, only without all the freckles and the smart-alec-mouth... and he was nicer looking. Anyway, he had me stand in front of a full-length mirror and pointed out some of my posture problems. Some I was already aware of, especially in the neck area. But WOW!, the other problems I saw were unreal. I have a feeling I'll now be staring at everyone elses posture to see how they "measure up"... but I suppose this is better than staring at everyones feet. My left arm hangs out away from my body, whereas my right arm rests against it. My left shoulder is higher than my right, not to mention how my shoulders slope.
He showed me the computer results from the test that Jason took.
There are 4 color bars that could come up... yellow, green, pink and red.
Let me see if I can explain this correctly... In a perfect world, everyone would have green bars on their results. Yellow bars are bad, as they show a sign that there's been long-term injury(pain) in that area, and the muscles or nerves (or whatever) are now deadened and not putting out the electrical impulses they should. Red is the worst, as the nerves are on "high-alert" that there is a problem.
Needless to say, I had a few yellow, a few green, a few pink, and a whole lot of red.
We talked for a few minutes about my internal health, bodily functions, irritability (I just laughed & told himto ask my friends/family about that one). Once we finished talking, he had me lie down on a table while he bent me this way and that. Once done, I needed assistance just to get up off the table. Then Dr. Steve passed me off to Mike.
Mike had me lie face down on a table out in the big room, and hooked me up to some kind of electrical impulse thingy. While I was lying there, I heard the thunder rumbling outside and wondered, "if lightening strikes and there is a surge on the system, will I become a post-toastie?" After about 5 minutes, Mike unhooked me and took me over to another table. It was torture just getting up and I couldn't help but wonder why they just couldn't move the equipment to me and leave me in one place?
Now I'm on another table, and he proceeds to use a vibrator on my back. I had to clinch my hands together under the table, mainly just to keep from coming up off the table and hitting him when he hit a sore spot. Oh, it hurt sooo much! And he knew it too, so he tried to be careful.
Once finished, it was time to move to yet another table. I really had to struggle to get up off this one and Mike had to help me. By the time I was standing upright, I was fighting back tears, I hurt so bad. By the time I made it over to the other side of the room, I was wiping the tears away.
Mike passed me back off to Dr. Steve. He used some kind of device, though I couldn't see it, I can only describe it as being a mini-jackhammer. It sounded like one and it felt like one, beating on my back. He then placed a wedge under the right hip and the left thigh, and let me lie there for a few minutes. Once he came back to remove it, I again had to cope with trying to stand up, and again required assistance. He sent me home with the instructions of applying heat and getting a good nights rest (easier said than done!), and to come back on friday. We'd then go over my x-rays and he'd really get to work on me. Gee, I can hardly wait.
I gotta say, I did sleep better last night than I have the past few nights. But I don't know as it was really because I was in less pain. I think I was just exhausted. I slept the whole night in the same position... flat on my back, feet propped up. I finally awoke just before the alarm went off. I still required John's help getting out of bed, but at least it wasn't as excrutiating as the day before.
In some ways, certain positions I've been in today, I've actually felt better than I have in a while, but then again, other positions are still a killer.
My pain isn't going to go away overnight, I realize. So I guess I'll be in physical therapy for a few weeks anyway.
Monday, August 07, 2006
7 Things...
Gee, I was so honored to see my name on a list... even if it was a list of "people I want to join in..." how could I refuse to participate?
Okay, here goes...
7 Things To Do Before I Die (not in order of importance)
1. Clean my house
2. Finish making out a will
3. Go on a cruise to someplace tropical
4. Go on an Alaskan cruise
5. Enjoy retirement w/my husband
6. Become a publish author
7. Make a million dollars
7 Things I Cannot Do
1. Run a marathon
2. Get my husband to balance the checkbook
3. Change the past
4. Win a “best dressed” award
5. Find clothes to fit me properly
6. Find the receipt for those pants the drycleaners shrunk
7. Can not sit through a Star Wars movie
7 Things That Attract Me To My Spouse/significant other
1. His sense of humor
2. His personability
3. Even though it irritates me some of the time... his willingness to help others in need
4. His innocence
5. His love of animals
6. His out-going personality
7. His dimples
7 Things I Say Most Often
1. Who died?
2. Have the dogs been outside recently?
3. When are you coming home?
4. What are you doing?
5. What did she want?
6. Time for bed!
7. Time to get up!
7 Books or Series I Love
1. Sidny Sheldon books
2. John Grisham books
3. Me & Marley
4. nostalgically: Laura Ingalls-Wilder
5. The Resident Witch (again, nostalgically)
6. Walter the Farting Dog
7. Scrapbooking.... does that count?
7 Movies I Watch Over and Over Again (or would watch over and over if I had the time)
1. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (the Gene Wilder version)
2. Just about anything with Tom Berenger in it.
3. The Ugly Daschund
4. An Affair to Remember
5. The Green Mile
6. Just about anything with Cary Grant
7. There are a lot of movies I pop in the vcr/dvd, just to have some background noise while I'm cooking, scrapbooking, etc.... movies I've seen several times, I do this so I don't have to pay attention to the movie, I can glance up at any point and know what's going on.
7 People I Want to Join In, Too
1. Misskya
2. Dairydudeswife
3. Lakeshorestrangler
4. Whitworths
5. Lifetimelearning (I know, you already did this!)
6. Anybody who reads this blog
7. I don't think I know 7 people.
Those of you without spouses/significant others (or those of you wishing you were) are free to delete that question. And, like me, you are allowed to procrastinate for up to one year.
Okay, here goes...
7 Things To Do Before I Die (not in order of importance)
1. Clean my house
2. Finish making out a will
3. Go on a cruise to someplace tropical
4. Go on an Alaskan cruise
5. Enjoy retirement w/my husband
6. Become a publish author
7. Make a million dollars
7 Things I Cannot Do
1. Run a marathon
2. Get my husband to balance the checkbook
3. Change the past
4. Win a “best dressed” award
5. Find clothes to fit me properly
6. Find the receipt for those pants the drycleaners shrunk
7. Can not sit through a Star Wars movie
7 Things That Attract Me To My Spouse/significant other
1. His sense of humor
2. His personability
3. Even though it irritates me some of the time... his willingness to help others in need
4. His innocence
5. His love of animals
6. His out-going personality
7. His dimples
7 Things I Say Most Often
1. Who died?
2. Have the dogs been outside recently?
3. When are you coming home?
4. What are you doing?
5. What did she want?
6. Time for bed!
7. Time to get up!
7 Books or Series I Love
1. Sidny Sheldon books
2. John Grisham books
3. Me & Marley
4. nostalgically: Laura Ingalls-Wilder
5. The Resident Witch (again, nostalgically)
6. Walter the Farting Dog
7. Scrapbooking.... does that count?
7 Movies I Watch Over and Over Again (or would watch over and over if I had the time)
1. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (the Gene Wilder version)
2. Just about anything with Tom Berenger in it.
3. The Ugly Daschund
4. An Affair to Remember
5. The Green Mile
6. Just about anything with Cary Grant
7. There are a lot of movies I pop in the vcr/dvd, just to have some background noise while I'm cooking, scrapbooking, etc.... movies I've seen several times, I do this so I don't have to pay attention to the movie, I can glance up at any point and know what's going on.
7 People I Want to Join In, Too
1. Misskya
2. Dairydudeswife
3. Lakeshorestrangler
4. Whitworths
5. Lifetimelearning (I know, you already did this!)
6. Anybody who reads this blog
7. I don't think I know 7 people.
Those of you without spouses/significant others (or those of you wishing you were) are free to delete that question. And, like me, you are allowed to procrastinate for up to one year.
Friday, August 04, 2006
We've become our parents
I'm writing this one just for you, Skooter! ;)
I had a long phone conversation today with an old school chum. Actually, it was kind of a one-sided conversation. I just threw in the occasional, "uh huh, oh sure", and tried to sound interested in what she was rambling about. My mind went into complete shut-down after 3 minutes of listening to her monologue. I think I even nodded off a time or two. I thought, the only way this phone call will end is when my cell phone battery finally dies.
HA!
Okay, that's not really what happened. But she was so afraid I'd blog about her, I couldn't resist.
But we did have a long phone call, and we laughed at some of the topics our conversation covered. We realized we've become our parents. All the things we used to make fun of older people for talking about, we now found ourselves discussing. Everything from gray hair, to prescription medications to incontinence.
Every parent has tried to cast their "curse" onto their children by telling them: when you grow up, I hope you have a child that is just like you! Obviously, I avoided my parents curse by not having any human children, and it would be hard to find a dog that is "just like me". Skooter did discuss the similarities & dis-similarities between her & her children. No, instead, we found out we've become our parents.
I'd have to say that the ultimate curse that a parent could wish upon their child is this: when you grow up, I hope you turn out to be just like me!
I had a long phone conversation today with an old school chum. Actually, it was kind of a one-sided conversation. I just threw in the occasional, "uh huh, oh sure", and tried to sound interested in what she was rambling about. My mind went into complete shut-down after 3 minutes of listening to her monologue. I think I even nodded off a time or two. I thought, the only way this phone call will end is when my cell phone battery finally dies.
HA!
Okay, that's not really what happened. But she was so afraid I'd blog about her, I couldn't resist.
But we did have a long phone call, and we laughed at some of the topics our conversation covered. We realized we've become our parents. All the things we used to make fun of older people for talking about, we now found ourselves discussing. Everything from gray hair, to prescription medications to incontinence.
Every parent has tried to cast their "curse" onto their children by telling them: when you grow up, I hope you have a child that is just like you! Obviously, I avoided my parents curse by not having any human children, and it would be hard to find a dog that is "just like me". Skooter did discuss the similarities & dis-similarities between her & her children. No, instead, we found out we've become our parents.
I'd have to say that the ultimate curse that a parent could wish upon their child is this: when you grow up, I hope you turn out to be just like me!
Thursday, August 03, 2006
It was good while it lasted...
Well, it's been a little over 7 months that I've been able to enjoy slumbering in our bed, next to my husband. But I'm afraid that run is over. My nagging back ache, which was the reason I slept in the recliner for so long in the first place, has returned (thanks mostly to having washed the dog on sunday afternoon), and isn't showing any signs of going away any time soon. So I'll return to the recliner tonight, and see if that doesn't provide me with some relief.
Have you ever noticed, that when you have a back ache, and it hurts to bend over, that you tend to drop things more than usual? I swear, in the past 2 days, I couldn't tell you how many times I've dropped my keys, bread twist-ties, bottle caps, pens, you name it!, I've dropped it. And my lower back screams in agony every time I have to stoop to retrieve these items.
It even hurts to cough or sneeze.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again... it's hell getting older.
Have you ever noticed, that when you have a back ache, and it hurts to bend over, that you tend to drop things more than usual? I swear, in the past 2 days, I couldn't tell you how many times I've dropped my keys, bread twist-ties, bottle caps, pens, you name it!, I've dropped it. And my lower back screams in agony every time I have to stoop to retrieve these items.
It even hurts to cough or sneeze.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again... it's hell getting older.
Class is in session
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I'm attempting, with the help of some friends, to gather as many of our fellow graduates together for a reunion as possibly can be gathered. I'm finding that it is a lot of work. No wonder nobody else has bothered doing it! It feels almost like a full time job. Thank goodness for the ones that are helping me!!
I'm also learning some lessons in the process...
Probably the biggest lesson is that this reunin isn't about me. I can't pick & choose who I want to invite, at least, not if I want to have it be an official reunion. If I pick & choose, then it's not really a class reunion.
There were a couple of people that I truly had no use for back then, and had no desire to ever see again, and I've no doubt that the feelings were mutual. But since 20 years have passed, is it really worth carrying a grudge? One person in particular, I can't even remember now, why I didn't like her. I just know that I didn't. But I've sucked it up, and sent her an email via the classmates website. If she chooses to respond, great. If not, oh well, I tried. Another girl (& I do remember why we didn't get along), I've decided it's time to let by-gones be by-gones. I'm willing to let go of the past if she is.
This hasn't been an easy thing for me.
It would be so much simpler just to contact the classmates that I was close to, or at least, were on the same "social hierarchy" as me, and omit inviting the others. But I know my feelings would be hurt if the tables were turned, and I was left out.
I can't wait for this to all come together!!!
I'm also learning some lessons in the process...
Probably the biggest lesson is that this reunin isn't about me. I can't pick & choose who I want to invite, at least, not if I want to have it be an official reunion. If I pick & choose, then it's not really a class reunion.
There were a couple of people that I truly had no use for back then, and had no desire to ever see again, and I've no doubt that the feelings were mutual. But since 20 years have passed, is it really worth carrying a grudge? One person in particular, I can't even remember now, why I didn't like her. I just know that I didn't. But I've sucked it up, and sent her an email via the classmates website. If she chooses to respond, great. If not, oh well, I tried. Another girl (& I do remember why we didn't get along), I've decided it's time to let by-gones be by-gones. I'm willing to let go of the past if she is.
This hasn't been an easy thing for me.
It would be so much simpler just to contact the classmates that I was close to, or at least, were on the same "social hierarchy" as me, and omit inviting the others. But I know my feelings would be hurt if the tables were turned, and I was left out.
I can't wait for this to all come together!!!
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