Winning

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I bought a Wii for Christmas. The mii's that play the games with you give facial expressions as they win or lose. Winning miis jump up and down, raising their arms up over their heads. If you lose, your mii hangs their head and shakes it back and forth.

I figure, I win even if I lose. I'm up and moving, burning calories and firming muscles wheather I win the actual game or not. I've gotten to be a pretty good bowler on the Wii. I bowled a 247 game last week, something I never did when I was in the bowling league years ago. I wonder if I would do as well if I dusted off my 14 pound ball and went up to the bowling alley ? Oh, well if you hear on the news that a crazy redhead in Florida through her bowling ball backwards through the concession stand, you'll know my ball was too heavy for my fingers to hold on to. Remember, if you can't hit the kingpin, make sure your miss is spectacular.

Empty Nesters Syndrome

My husband and I have entered a new phase in our lives. We are officially, Empty Nester's. Our one and only daughter gleefully went off to college this past August leaving us in her dust. She hasn't stopped since. When friends and family ask how she is doing, they are not surprised she is making excellent grades but they are surprised that she has yet to be homesick. Then they ask how we are adjusting to our new life style. Again they are pleasantly surprised to hear that we are doing well. My husband continues his work with the Henry Nehrling Society and watching the stock market while I have started volunteering two mornings a week at a local elementary school. We also have a young family living in our Mother-in-law apartment. I have had the best time playing Honorary Grandma to their two year old.

Do I miss my sweet girl? Absolutely. Am I pining away with a bottle of Wild Turkey in one hand and a Napoleon in the other? No. After all, isn't it the goal to raise our children to go forth and forge their own lives? The fact she wanted to go out of state to college and is excelling tells me we did a great job getting her ready for adulthood. I have no doubt she will make her mark on the world. Her fourth grade teacher told me, "She's going to invent something big some day." I have no doubt she will and her dad and I will be right there telling all the embarrousing baby stories we can remember.

Am I Stupid?

Last night I went on the website, E-mails From Crazy People, one of the off-beat websites my daughter introduced me to this past year. In the side bar was a link to an on-line quiz, Are you Stupid? I was curious, what kind of questions would be on such a quiz? Would it prove I was off-balance? Normal? In my own world? I clicked on the link.

It instructed me to answer a series of questions. They seemed innocent enough. I finished the first twenty. Now, the quiz asked me for personal information in order to get my score results. I became a little leery. I tried to by-pass the personal info without success. I decided to give false info in an effort to fool the quiz masters. I became Lucius Malfoy living at 23 Hogwarts Lane. I clicked continue. It said there were errors on the page. I rechecked the information fields. Lucius was accepted, Oxford California was O.K. The Hogwarts Lane and bogus zip did not. I finally made it to the next series of questions. Every time I finished a series of questions I was asked for personal info, e-mail address, cell phone number etc. I gave bogus info for each.

To make a long quiz short, it kept leading me in circles, promising to give me my score after answering their questions about my shopping habits and cell phone carrier. Now, I may not be the brightest bulb in the pack but what does my cell phone carrier have to do with my stupid score? By the time I said the @$#%^&#$ with this it didn't matter what my stupid score was, I felt plenty stupid without the score.

Never Say Never

Oldies like myself will remember how Sean Connery said he would never do another James Bond movie, yet years later he stared in "Never Say Never Again". When our daughter was born and was old enough to want a hand held video game player, I said, "Never. I do not want one of those in our house." Our daughter, now 19 is a good student, and an excellant reader. While most kids her age are playing video games, she likes to curl up with a good book. This Christmas has brought a major change to our home. I bought the family a Wii for Christmas. I got the sports pack that includes tennis, bowling, golf, etc... Unlike the old video games, you have to get up off the couch and move around. We actually broke a sweat playing tennis. Playing singles inside is easy, doubles with two people swinging their arms around gets a little tricky. In fact, I got clobbered on the head as I went for a backhand shot. We need a bigger living room to go with the new Wii. When playing a game you have virtual players called Mii's. Each person creates their own Mii. My husband's looks pretty much like he does. Mine not so and Susan's almost. My husband likes the boxing, he can get his manly aggressions out without hurting himself or anyone else. I want to add a Wii Fit program so I can exercise with it. Well I need to go and get my Christmas letters out, I guess I could wait until July and say they are Christmas in July letters. Nah, I'll do it now. Until next time. Don't worry about eating too much Apple pie, it's just fruit after all.

Shopping on Black Friday

My daughter and I ventured out on Black Friday. Resisting the pull of the Tanger's Outlet Mall was futile. We left on our adventure in shopping after lunch, after all, the die hard bargin hunters would be tiring and going home to rest and sleep it off.

Wrong!! We arrived at the Mall only to find it full of cars circling the parking lot in search of a space like vultures cirling a desert in search of road kill. We joined our fellow vultures zigging and zagging around cars big enough to park over curbs and small cars shoe-horned inbetween trees. After 20 to 30 minutes of fruitless searching we decided to leave. I spotted a family leaving the mall and walking out into the crowded lot. I pointed, said, "Follow that family." The more anxious we became, this was after all our last chance of finding a space, the slower they walked. The mother of the group feeling they were being watched glaced over her shoulder at us. We felt like stalkers. The family finally found their car and started opening doors. "Turn on your turn signal so others know we are waiting for this space." As the red car inched back a large SUV came around the corner facing us. It started into our space!! Without thinking, I waived my arms maddly, mouthing the words, NO, NO, NO. The man driving saw me, smiled and waived as he passed us in search of his own space. We sighed in releif. The rest of the trip was fruitful. I found a pair of white sandles for 70% off retail and Susan found a dress to wear at Christmas Mass. We had fun walking, joking and sharing time together, something we don't get to do as often now that she is in college. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I can't believe my last blog entry was in September. I did have another entry but I got lost on my way to post it. Actually, I had the entry almost finished, accidentally hit the wrong key and zap! it was gone. I was not pleased. In the meantime I have been busy, planting a garden, cleaning out my father-in-law's apartment and volunteering at a local school.

I love the fall. Cooler weather is refreshing, working outside is easier and a lot more pleasant. I mentioned a garden. I am trying garlic for the first time. My husband ordered garlic bulbs, I was expecting one or two bulbs, I think there was half a pound. I planted the cloves off of two bulbs and suggested that the rest make their way to the office. I also planted okra, squash, chives, sweet and hot peppers, onions and spinach. Soon we will have our greenhouse that was damaged in Charlie back up and running. The new roof is on and soon the sides will be replaced. Having a greenhouse is wonderful if you like plants. It protects them in the winter and you turn a knob and you get an instant rain shower. I'm already looking forward to hot-house tomatoes this winter.

The holidays are speeding toward us. I am planning our Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner. As always we will be together as a family. I need to start my annual Christmas letter. Many people, including my mother don't like Christmas letters. She finds them too braggy and sugar sweet. I have one fast, simple rule. What can't fit on one sheet of paper doesn't get put in, I keep it fast paced, humorous and I limit the bragging. I have had people write me after the holidays to complain they didn't get my letter. I then send them one ASAP. Well that's it for today. I do have a snappy, witty Christmas Letter to mastermind. I'll leave you all with this thought, I saw it on a t-shirt in a catalog, Don't Moon a Werewolf.

New Tricks

There's an old saying, You can't teach an old dog new tricks. My question is, how old is old? Are you too old after a year, two, three...six...ten, when?
Well, I can definitely say nine is not too old to learn something new for a dog. Of course I have the most brilliant dog on the face of this Earth. We( my husband) found her on the side of the road as an older puppy. How old, we don't know. We already had a dog who was around four years old. Angel became an outside dog, while Esther remained inside. Then the hurricanes of '04 hit. Our yard, resembling a battlefield was no longer safe for Angel to roam freely through. She came inside (we said) until it was safe for her outside again. She never left. I wondered how I was going to house break a four year old dog. No problem. When Esther asked to go out, and she wasn't timid about it, Angel went too. Angel watched Esther and did what Esther did. A four year old dog can learn a new trick.

It is now five years later. Esther is happily chasing cats across the Rainbow Bridge. Angel at age nine no longer has her spokes-dog to ask for what she needs/wants. Angel never asked to go out, for a treat etc. Esther did all the talking.

The first few months without Esther were quiet. I would pass the front door to find Angel quietly standing, facing it. I'd open door, dog would go out. Awhile later I'd notice her standing, facing the door waiting to come in. At mealtime, Esther would bark her head off until you fed them. Angel never asked for her dinner or snacks. A few times we almost forgot to feed the poor thing because we got so tied up in our own endeavors we forgot. She never said a word.

It is now ten months without Esther in the house. What a difference. Angel found her bark. At dinnertime she demands her food and if it isn't to her liking, she leaves it. In the morning, she prances around, nudges us and barks until she gets her new favorite treat, Marrow Bones. Like Lassie used to do, she will walk up to me and bark until I follow her to the door or kitchen depending on what she wants. So I guess nine isn't too old for a dog to learn new tricks. I wonder what Angel will learn at age ten? Until next time, this old dog is going to the library to learn something new and I'm much older than nine.