Month: September 2015

Economics of the Fitbit

After I write this I solemnly promise my readers will never have to read another post about my Fitbit, but I thought some of the presidential candidates might need this information. It could be a game changer.

I’ve decided that the Fitbit might be a great boon to the economy and should be touted as such. Janet Yellen, heed my words! If every American had one the economy could make a complete recovery. Here’s my breakdown of benefits to the economy directly linked to the Fitbit:

1) Initially I drove to Best Buy using gasoline I purchased at a local gas station.

2) I bought a Fitbit Charge HR for around $150.

3) After purchasing my Fitbit I dined at Chicken Salad Chick where I spent $11.00 on my favorite scoop of Cranberry Kelly with a side of fresh fruit. 

4) I needed good walking shoes, so I purchased a new pair at a local shoe store, spending another $80.

5) My socks irritated my toes, so I drove across town to a place that sells specialty socks and plunked down $12.00 for a pair. I like these and will soon buy more.

6) It’s been too hot most days to walk outside, so I drive to one of the malls in Tallahassee to walk in air conditioned comfort. Malls are dangerous places for me financially. I have purchased thus far:

  • A new sports bra  ($58)
  • Moisturizer ($48)
  • Jeans and two blouses ($179)
  • Face cleanser and assorted cosmetics ($44)
  • Food Court food — mostly grilled chicken (approximately $35)
  • Miscellaneous items ($20)

Keep in mind that I also must drive to and from the mall. I’ve spent a lot of money this month thanks to my Fitbit.

Maybe this post wasn’t such a great idea. Forget I wrote it, and whatever you do, Don’t Tell Studly!

(But I have lost 8 pounds.)

  
Peace, people!

Sleep Patterns

i’ve been accused now
by the abrupt
no kiss good night

the ensuing silence may be
construed as rest
or as fomentation.

too still, no easy patterns
of inhalations, no
gentle exhalations.

the clock measures time in
unslept minutes
awaiting judgement.

when the eruption occurs
i can think only of
future accountability.

i seem to have gotten it,
every bit of it,
wrong yet again.

no easy answers and now
i feel damned
either way.

we really are much too
old to live like this,
i sigh.

the sigh sets him off
anew, fuel to his
unspent fire.

sleep finally intrudes;
we can only say
so much.

  
Peace, people.

Making Sense

Wearing toe shoes because
they make her feel graceful,
even though she cannot stand,
let alone walk or dance in them.

Pretending she has appointments,
important happenings in her
date book, when in reality her
days are void of any excitement.

Scribbling furiously in her
notebook, intent on making sense
of the empty days and lackluster
nights, praying for intervention.

Where is the muse who heads the
department of sensible thought?
She’s the one in comfortable shoes,
keeping time with the pendulum.

  
Peace, people!

Five Things Young Women Should Know about Life before Roe v. Wade

Please read. And then read more at redswrap.wordpress.com.

Jan Wilberg's avatarRed's Wrap

Tomorrow night I am going to the campus of the small state university where, as a sophomore 47 years ago, I discovered that I was pregnant and agreed reluctantly to have an illegal and unsafe abortion, the effects of which hung on me for years like a wretched, filthy grey sweater.

I look back at that time, the winter of 1967, six years before Roe v. Wade, and I just thank God I survived. Many women didn’t. The coat hanger that has become the universal symbol of the risk of illegal abortion? It’s not hyperbole. It was really used. In my case, it was a wire. Small difference. Same outcome.

As they should, young woman regard that time as prehistoric. Why would an American woman with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy use a coat hanger or a wire, drink lye, or douche with turpentine? This answer is this and remember it, it’s important. They…

View original post 597 more words

That Awkward Moment

I don’t call into comment on talk radio programs. Or at least I don’t call in with the expectation of actually getting through to the host. But yesterday I was listening to Pete Dominic’s show, Stand Up with Pete Dominic on Sirius/XM 122 Insight and became horrified by what was being said by a guest on the show. 

He was defending Donald Trump’s false accusations about President Obama. I was furious. I pulled to the side of the road and dialed the number on my radio display, ready to come to the defense of my president, as if the Commander-in-Chief needs a retired teacher in Florida to protect his virtue.

Almost as soon as I hit “send” on my phone I realized that the show’s host was mocking the Donald and his supporters. It was a satirical show. Rather than hang up I waited until my call was answered a few seconds later and explained my mistake to the intern who took my call. 

She said, “I’m going to put you on with Pete. Hold on.”

Well, crap. What was I supposed to do now? Say, “oopsie” and be done with it? When Pete Dominic came on the line I explained my mistake. He laughed and asked if I’d ever listened to his show before. I admitted to being a first time listener, first time caller.

After poking a bit more fun at the Donald I went on my way and enjoyed the remainder of the program. 

Now, kiddies, what did we learn from this experience? If you want to be on a national radio program do not stop to listen to all the facts. No. Make a snap judgement and act on it. That’s what the Donald does. 

FYI, this is the exchange at a town hall meeting hosted by Trump’s campaign that prompted Trump’s comments, thus leading to the satire on Mr. Dominic’s program and my error:

Mr. Trump call on a man in the audience who said:

“We have a problem in this country. It’s called Muslims. We know our current president is one. We know he’s not even an American. Birth certificate, man!” the man said, alluding to the “birther” movement. “We have training camps growing where they want to kill us. That’s my question: When can we get rid of them?”

Rather than setting the man straight, Mr. Trump said that he would look into that.

Donald Trump has a really tough time speaking the truth. That he is the Republican front runner is disturbing. God help us if he lands the nomination for his party.

Peace, people.

A post 

The man I love, aka Studly Doright, is playing in a two day golf tournament. He had to rise at 6 a.m., drive across Tallahassee, and play a stupid game for four hours.

I spent my day sleeping in until 9:45 a.m. and then walking through the Super Target where I purchased enough Tylenol Severe Sinus medication to last me at least a month. 

At this exact moment I am enjoying a tasty Momo’s personal flatbread pizza and a pint of their exquisite Oktoberfest brew. I’d say that I win. I haven’t broken a sweat and I have a beer in my hand.

  
Peace, people!

Experience Speaks

we’re told
everything happens
for a reason.
i’m not sure
i agree.

we’re told
we’ll never be
given more than
we can handle.
that’s a lie.

we’re told
that what doesn’t
kill us only
makes us stronger.
i beg to differ.

experience tells us
that sometimes crappy
things happen for
no apparent reason.

experience tells us
that sometimes what
we’re given would
make Jesus weep.

experience tells us
that sometimes what
doesn’t kill us leaves
us wounded beyond repair.

so if the platitudes
seem too saccharine
to swallow,
rejoice! there’s
always tomorrow,

or so we’re told.

peace, people!

emilymcdowell.com

Traveling American Southwest, Part I

Beautiful! One of my very favorite bloggers, inesemjphotography.com.

inese's avatarMaking memories

three gossips

I have this image of Three Gossips taken in color at the sunset, but I added  gradient and changed color balance to make it look like a distant memory, because I will share some almost forgotten, and for most of you, unknown memories… in my next blog, Part II 🙂 But first, let’s go back to the story about our Southwest travels.

We have made two trips to Southern Utah and Northern Arizona, in 2007 and 2008. Our first trip included:  Arches National Park, Four Corners, Little Colorado River Gorge, Marble Canyon, Grand Canyon, St George, Cove Fort – a round trip  we had made in five days.

There is no photograph that could adequately depict the stunning beauty of Arches National Park. You come there in awe, and you leave in awe. If you are short of time and cannot stay longer than one day,  I would…

View original post 1,355 more words

College Mascots

Studly Doright and I have lived in five different states, and have adopted a “bloom where you’re planted” mentality.

When we moved from Texas to North Dakota we learned to enjoy knoefla soup and rivel. In Kansas we learned to pronounce Arkansas incorrectly, and in Florida we learned to value SPF 90. In Illinois we learned the value of a college mascot.

We’re Texans, Studly and I. Having grown up near Lubbock, I was convinced that Texas Tech was the best university in the nation and that Raider Red and the Masked Rider were the absolute best mascots anywhere. They’re still close to the top of my list.

   
 
Studly was more of a University of Texas guy, so I accepted Bevo, as well.

   
 When we moved to North Dakota I attended the University of Mary in Bismarck. So I had a new mascot in my life, the Marauder:

  
From North Dakota we moved to Kansas and fell hard for the University of Kansas Jayhawk mascot. Both of our kids attended KU and Big Jay is a dandy mascot. There’s even a Baby Jay:

  
After Kansas we ended up in Melbourne, Florida, but didn’t form an attachment to any of the Florida college teams during that four year period. But when we moved to Mahomet, IL, just outside of Champaign, we quickly adopted Chief Illiniwek, proud mascot of The University of Illinois.

  
Unfortunately, the Chief’s reign as the Illini mascot ended shortly after we moved to Illinois. I promise we had nothing to do with his demise. Eight years after the end of the Chief the U of I still has no mascot. That makes me sad. I understand that Native American groups found the portrayal of the chief disrespectful, but shouldn’t we have had an alternative in place? 

We currently live near Tallahassee, Florida, the home of two universities: Florida A&M and Florida State.

FAMU’s mascot is a rattlesnake.  

   
Not exactly a cuddly mascot, but I love it! 

Florida State has Chief Osceola and his faithful steed, Renegade.

  
I understand that the Seminole people have an agreement with Florida State University that allows FSU to use the likeness of one of the most famous Chiefs in history as their mascot. It’s sad that the University of Illinois couldn’t have worked out a similar agreement with the Illini.

At any rate, Studly and I are enjoying our new mascots. Soon I want to attend football games at both FAMU and FSU. I need to see what those mascots look like in action. 

Peace, people!

Update on Cooking for Studly, Dammit!

One of the key ingredients for cornbread dressing is, duh, cornbread. Instead of making my cornbread from scratch I bought a mix. It was a new brand and I read over the list of dry ingredients to make sure there was no sugar in the mix. Sweet cornbread does not make a good dressing base. Trust me on this. 

The cornbread baked up beautifully. And sweet. I must’ve missed the sugar listed on the box. Perhaps I was just weakened by the manual labor. Poor, poor me.

Thank goodness I tasted the cornbread before I began putting together all of the other ingredients. Of course now there’s no time to bake another batch of cornbread, but fortunately I had some Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix on hand. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed and will appreciate it if yours are crossed, too. Unless you’re doing something important, like brain surgery.

Peace, people.