So what do you think of autumn so far?

Autumn, or Fall, as we usually call it, is one of those seasons that can go either way. It can be considered; a cooling from the summer heat, a transition to what we know is coming, or simply the beginning of Winter. You remember Winter don’t you? It’s that time of year when, if you really must leave your house, you do so dressed like Na-Nook of the North.

Everyone has heard the story of how one or both of your parents had to walk five miles to school in blizzards. I’ve checked there hasn’t been a year in the annals of weather recordkeeping where any city, anywhere, has had blizzards every school day. So you can just tell your parents … well, you know what you can tell them.

Autumn, the leaves here in Connecticut are starting to turn bright red and orange and like any New England day it could be seventy degrees today and forty-five tomorrow. It’s the time of year when mum planting, pumpkin selections, and apple picking is taking place every weekend. Families are off to the fairs.

We then prepare for that blessed holiday, Halloween. My favorite. I may have mentioned this before but it is truly the only holiday where you can please people with twenty-five cents worth of candy. And they are happy. Try putting twenty-five cents worth of candy under your Christmas tree. It’s not going to work.

Following Halloween, that great family tradition of Thanksgiving – or as I like to call it, Food-a-thon. How many other days in the year do you sit down to a deliciously cooked meal and you’re already full? So why are we still making all that food? No one has given you permission to go off your, healthy living-low carb-low calories-lifestyle changing eating plan. So why do it? This year we are not, oh, we’ll have a turkey and definitely cranberry sauce, but we are going to be eating lite this year. Sweet Potatoes instead of mashed. Sautéed Brussels sprouts, boiled onions, maybe pie. Custard pie. And we are making enough for leftovers!

Don’t forget to donate to your local food pantry’s – visit a retirement home – write a letter to a soldier (hand writing not emailed) – do what’s right.

START NOW! , get a basket, throw in 2-3 canned vegetable this week, a box of stuffing mix next week, some pudding mix, and so on, you won’t even notice and when you go and pick up you big 35 pound turkey, grab a small frozen one, you know the 8-10 pound ones. What will that be $6.00? And deliver that to the family across the street whose father was laid off in September, or deliver it to the elderly couple down the road.

Times are tough for everyone, I know and things will get worse, many people are out of work. We need to help each other out.

Always remember my life’s motto: There’s always someone out there worse off than you!

What’s Wrong with Using a Power Chair?

Power Chairs. You’ve seen them on TV. The old lady who receives her new power chair doing wheelies in her kitchen, she’s doing her parade wave as she spins slowly around and smiling.

You’ve probably also have seen the power chair gang commercial where everyone outside (where ever they are) are riding in their power chairs. Yes, okay that one is a little un-nerving. But what’s wrong with having one or just using one in Wal-Mart?

I’ve seen plenty of people tooling around in Stop N Shop using them. Okay so you think when you see the extremely overweight person using the power chair that if they just got up and walked, they’d be in better shape and maybe wouldn’t need a power chair. Let’s assume they have other issues.

The power chair is fast becoming a symbol of, well, POWER! Imagine: you tool around your house in your power chair, get in your car and drive to the store, where you get yourself loaded into the stores powered carriage and do your power shopping.

Think about, don’t you give the right of way in the aisle to a power chair person? Of course, it’s polite. So you’re doing your power chair shopping, you are relaxed, you cash out, back in your car, get back home, and back into your private power chair – and you haven’t even broke a sweat!

Man…what a life. I want one!

For the younger crowd. Seriously my town, East Hampton, Connecticut, has just opened a new store. Are you ready for this? It’s called: Scooter-town. This townie went out and purchased fifteen to twenty scooters, (similar to a Vesper, but smaller) and sells them. You drive by the store and they are all line up on the grass, all different colors. There are colorful flags stuck in the grass...It’s something to see. The sad part of this is he isn’t what you would call a ‘healthy man’ – he is rather large and it’s a visual struggle to watch him riding one of the scooters around town at 10MPH. Not a good advertisement. No, it’s not. I bet the old lady in her power chair could beat him going uphill while doing wheelies and waving.

I might suggest to him to add a new line of power chairs.

The Ugly American Customs

The other day in class someone said, “Why are we expected to following and obey other country’s customs, but when they come here (to the U.S) they don’t follow our customs?”

So I’m thinking…What exactly are the customs of the U.S

First I thought it would be best to define what a custom is, as opposed to something being a tradition or culture.

Definition: A usage or practice common to many or to a particular place or class, or habitual with an individual. Long established practice considered as unwritten law. So yeah… the definition didn’t help me.

So I quizzed my good friend, Mr. Internet… and although I found the information I was looking for, I had to find it on web pages that were made for people coming to the United States.

Our customs are very generic – holidays, 4^th of July (but not Easter or Christmas or Chanukah) ... fried chicken, meatloaf with tomato sauce on top, county fried steak, Thanksgiving (another food related thing), so I’ve come to the conclusion that we really don’t have any US customs. (with the exception of partying and food!)

America is ultimately a nation of immigrants and as a result is a cultural mish-mash in every sense of the word. Not only is the country populated by people from foreign countries but all Americans in one way or another trace their ancestry back to another culture, whether Irish, German, Italian or Scottish. Looking around any major city one will notice the ‘melting-pot’ that it is. (stolen from the web)

I believe to solve this problem we have to make a decision – a federal decision!

The United States does not have an official language. (can you believe that?) Eighty-two percent of the population speaks English, but apparently the federal government hasn’t decided yet what the language should be. Why?

While searching for the incredible information above, I did find some critical warnings provided to our visiting international friends, please pass these on to your foreign friends:

When two Americans are standing and talking to each other they stay at least 16 inches away from each other. (else they will be labeled and possibly beat up)

In America, time is a very important commodity. People 'save' time and 'spend' time as if it were money in the bank. (so please, make sure you stop and ask for assistance I am sure each of us will stop and politely help)

It is also not acceptable to spit, blow your nose with your fingers or urinate on the street. 

(damn, I wish someone told me this – no wonder I get looked at strangely)

Can you imagine the look on the face of the 75 year old Finnish grandmother coming to the US to visit her grandkids after reading that?! No wonder the rest of the world calls us the Ugly Americans!

Today is Saturday … We have an EMERGENCY blog!

Well I’ve finally done it. I’ve hit a new all time low in life.

As most of you are aware I have health “issues”… which I try to take care of as best I can. Which, if done properly will enable me to live a normal, healthy life.

And as you know I’ve started back to school.

So Wednesday or so I notice a little twinge in my left elbow (now we all know I’m left handed) so I figured “ah I must have done something”, but like every other ache and pain you have you schlep it off and keep going.

Thursday, it was still there, still achy. By Friday afternoon I couldn’t straighten my arm or bend my arm, so walking around I’m looking a little Quasimodo’ish. Not pretty.

Let me tell you ONE important rule of life, when you hit 50, EVERYTHING is starting to fall south! Your face, eyelids, chin, arms, knee caps, thighs…EVERYTHING… so to compensate you MUST have very good posture and smile a lot! With good posture and a smile you can pull off being Sixty! People will walk by and comment to friends…”look at that poor old woman…but she looks happy!”

So I’m doing the Quasimodo shuffle, holding my arm up at this gawd awful angle, not moving my left shoulder to compensate the non-movement of my left arm. I’m thinking to myself “this isn’t getting better is it?’ and I said back to myself, “No...No it isn’t”, so we decided to take our sorry ass to the emergency medical clinic in town.

Now I’m not one to run to the doctors every five minutes. I really need to be pretty bad to get me to go. (must be some family trait) but I decided I should go when getting into the car I couldn’t close my door OR put my seat belt on. Luckily my housemate was there. We did look pretty regal, him running around the other side of the car to close it, then getting into the passenger seat, reached around and pull the shoulder belt around and clipped me in. And off we went.

Once arriving I immediately started with the “it’s not really an emergency” … “it’s really not that bad” but they took X-Rays and after checking them out, determined I have Bursitis, WHERE DID I GET THAT?

When I got home I did a little internal investigation. Where/What could I have possibly done? And then it came to me – writing. I’m in a sling for 3-4 days, I’ve been issued pain killers, I’m suppose to ice it, heat it, rest it, stationary for 3-4 days. All from taking notes! This is the only thing I’ve been doing differently, Note taking.

So now mothers, keep an eye on your children, school has started, they will be around, alcohol, drugs, sex, and notes!

I'm Baackk!!

Okay let me see if I can get this going… it’s been seven days since I’ve posted and I must have a lot to say…let’s see …um..

Oh yeah, have you ever read the book: O Pioneer? It’s actually a pretty good story. It takes place in 1873. Swedish families move to Nebraska and attempt to make a go of being successful farmers. After the death of the father, the mother, two brothers, some cows, a stallion, pigs and their crops, they finally become successful and rich. Okay that’s basically the whole story.

In the past four days I have written; not one, no… not two, but FOUR different essays on this book! FOUR! Now I remember why I hated English class in high school. How many ways can you analyze one book! So my brain is slightly fried! Our next two books are: Never Let Me Go (which is about to be released as a movie) and that all time high school favorite: Brave New World! I went to high school in the 70’s… I don’t remember much about high school, but I do remember I hated that book then, why are they trying to punish me now??

My other class is International Management. So far we’ve done four chapters and what I have learned is: Never go to Saudi Arabia. Did you know that if you are an American, British, or French, whatever, female and you visit this country, you cannot leave without a male’s permission? Yes that’s correct. You could be oh let’s say, Hillary Rodham-Clinton on a Secretary of State jaunt , you’re all packed and ready to leave but before you board the plane, someone at the airport will need to call Bill and ask if Hillary can get on the plane. How easy would it be for Bill to say “No”? If he did, she wouldn’t be allowed on the plane and her passport would be taken. Oh I’m sure the President would get involved and rescue her ass, but, still. So lesson #1 – Avoid Saudi Arabia.

Okay here’s some odd news…

A woman from a village in southwestern England says that a severe migraine attack left her speaking with what sounds like a French accent - a striking example of a rare syndrome that neuroscientists say can leave lifelong locals sounding like they come from thousands of miles away.

Can you imagine? You’re home getting dinner ready, folding laundry, kids are screaming in the background which leads to a headache and BOOM you have a Russian accent. Explain that to your friends. Of course they’d think you’re faking it. So if you go to Russia for six or seven months would you then pick up a British accent? Hmmm bet those scientists didn’t think of that!

And we have some sad new for us. Our town friend Amber M. died last week. She and her husband had fight on Monday night (over money probably…what else do people really fight about). On Tuesday she left for a scheduled dental appointment, checked into a local hotel, took a bottle of pills and she was found on Wednesday. She left her husband and two daughters, 21 and 18. I know this is sad but there is a reason I’m mentioning this to you…depression is running rampant in this country, the medicos so easily prescribe pills to make us feel better… which we then become addicted to. Call your friends, let them know you are there for them, check on an elderly person living two doors down that is alone…be a good neighbor…be a good person. Your one phone call may just change someone’s despondent mood and you’ve saved a life.

A New Day – A New Beginning (insert tweeting bird sounds here)

Today starts a new beginning for me, the start of college, for the second time. This go-around is to obtain my bachelors degree in Health Care Management.

Now before you start thinking to yourself what an altruistic person I am…let’s get some facts straight. I’m not. I’m not out to assist the world, I’m not out to assist mankind, help the needy and poor. (Although those are very good attributes, but they are not just for me) I’m out for the one and only person who is in need of my talents and that person is … Me!

Yes, the greed is starting to show through. I do this for one simple undeniable reason and that reason is: I’M GETTING TOO OLD TO BE LAID OFF ALL THE TIME!!

I’ve worked at some terrific places in my life. All Fortune 500 companies. All with great benefits, all companies that I’ve busted my butt for – and all have met their demise.

Digital Equipment Corporation – I was there 14 years! Crawled my way out of the warehouse, put up with people’s crap, worked my way up to MRPII Implementation Team Coordinator. Um sorry...lay off.

Standard Register Company – a mainstay in the printing world...I was there 11 years! Crawled my way out of order entry, put up with people’s crap, worked my way up to Inside Sales/Customer Service III. Um sorry…lay off.

Bayer Corporation… c’mon Bayer has been around since World War II!! I was there six years! Um sorry…closing the plant.

I can’t do this anymore!! I can’t keep changing jobs! I can’t keep starting a 401K I’m running out of time!

So I’ve chosen the Medical field. Obviously the more stable of businesses. There’s sickness and diseases all over the place. I don’t think President Obama has any plans for curing all diseases in the next few years... have you heard anything about that? (Let me know)

So you and I are on our new journey, let’s see where we go.

The Labor Day Special Edition!

The Labor Day Special Edition!

Ah…Labor Day. The crispness in the morning air, the celebration of families and friends with cookouts, boating, and swimming…get it all in before school starts, before the snow flies! But do you know how Labor Day started?

I refer to my old friend Wikipedia:

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City.^[1] It became a federal holiday in 1894, when, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.

The Pullman Strike was a nationwide conflict between labor unions and railroads that occurred in the United States in 1894. The conflict began in the town of Pullman, Illinois on May 11 when approximately 3,000 employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company began a wildcat strike in response to recent reductions in wages, bringing traffic west of Chicago to a halt. President Grover Cleveland ordered federal troops to Chicago to end the strike.

The strike was broken up by United States Marshals and some 12,000 United States Army troops, commanded by Nelson Miles, sent in by President Grover Cleveland on the premise that the strike interfered with the delivery of U.S. Mail, ignored a federal injunction and represented a threat to public safety. The arrival of the military and subsequent deaths of workers led to further outbreaks of violence. During the course of the strike, 13 strikers were killed and 57 were wounded. An estimated 6,000 rail workers did $340,000 worth of property damage (about $8,818,000 adjusted for inflation to 2010).

So yeah. As usual we Americans are celebrating a holiday that really should be a ‘memorial’ day. The death of 13 people in 1894 has somehow spun into a three day celebration of food and fun.

I like to think of Labor Day as the celebration of all the working folk who need this day to reflect on themselves for the fine, fine job they do during the year:

To the Dunkin’ Donuts clerk in Marlboro Mass: Asked for a medium hot coffee with just cream…asked “Would you like a straw?”

To the McDonalds employee in Anytown USA, who cannot count back change unless the machine prompts them.

To the Walmart employee in Cromwell Ct, who if she just crack a smile, remove the scowl, and stop being such a cranky butt – customers may be nicer to her and she may just like her job a little more.

To the clerk at your local convenient store, look I’m sorry it’s not convenient for you right now that I am here disturbing your phone call, text message, or whatever you are doing.. please just cash me out!

I salute you all!!! Happy Labor Day!

Messed Up Week

I’d like to start by apologizing for not blogging for the last two days. I had an unusual personal crisis and to be honest… I wasn’t in the mood.

But today is a new day…so let’s see if we can crank this up.

I sit here patiently waiting for UPS to deliver my books for school. Classes start Tuesday. Labor Day is Monday. Yeah…

Labor Day. I have found since being unemployed that holidays are starting to feel ‘meaningless’ to me. As a matter of fact, the weekends are just as meaningless. There is nothing to look forward to.

I remember at work, in January, the Company Holiday Calendar would be sent out and we’d start plotting out our vacation days around upcoming holidays. It was exciting. Even looking forward to the upcoming weekend was exciting; it sort of got you through the week. Now each day is the same. I’ll assume this is how it will be when (if ever) I retire.

Last week I was walking into Stop and Shop and ran into an acquaintance who said “Thank goodness it’s Friday” my response back was, “Every day is Friday to me”. I don’t know if he took that wrong, I was just trying to tell him I can’t tell the difference between days anymore. One blends into another and I actually have to stop and think what day it is.

Hmmm No UPS yet!

I’ve been thinking to myself… ‘Can you say… RUT?’

So today I signed up to volunteer via AARP. I don’t know if I’ll be accepted or not, I haven’t got that far into it, but they are looking for volunteers to take a five week course (1 day per week) and after the course you are able to instruct older people on Medicare sign up procedures and explain things to them. I figure it’ll be good for them AND good for me. I’ll know how to do it PRIOR to getting to the point where I’ll need it. I’ll keep you posted (no pun intended) on what happens.

Okay… so UPS just arrived, I tore open the carton and BEHOLD!! (insert lightning bolt sound here) The Beginning of My New Career was contained inside. I’m kind of nervous.

I’m taking two courses: International Management (which should be cake because the job I just left I dealt with Germany and Thailand on a regular basis… and we aren’t at war with them, so I must have done it correctly. The second course I’m taking is English Literature, I received three books for that class: O Pioneers!, (that sound pitifully boring) Never Let Me Go, and one that seems very appropriate for me: Brave New World!

And with that I am off...To start my new adventure… my new career! … My new life! Now if I can just make through the weekend…let’s see...laundry… grocery shopping… weeding….. and so on.