The time is now 9:53 am
You last visited
April 29, 2024, 9:26 am
All times shown are
Eastern Time (GMT-5:00)
http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/outposts/post/lion-cubs-greeted-with-roars-in-first-meeting-with-dad/
Absolutely ado"roar" able! Well...maybe not. It looked like any moment he was going to have them for lunch. If you want to see what 500 lbs of cat looks like take a look :)
I suppose I'm just as guilty of this as the next person. Sometimes (all the time?) we get so caught up in our own little worlds we tend to forget all of the crazy wild things that are going on in THIS world.
Came across this on yahoo this fine rainy morning and it made me feel....well....kinda like I live in a cave? LOL. WHERE ARE half these places that these kooky things go on? Covered up women throwing rocks...a little boy getting his cheeks pierced in some kind of religious ceremony...a missing plane that vanishes into thin air....wow.
Maybe I DO live under a rock. I live so....quiet. Do you live....noisy? Maybe I need to get out more,lol.
That first picture of the guy with his oxen...that drew me in. Makes you think,doesn't it? What the heck am I doing on this computer when I could be out wrestling oxen!!!!!???? Looks a heck of a lot more fun.
But...guess it will have to be another day. It's warm and cozy in here.
That Bing Crosby biography I've been wanting to read for ages is looking real inviting on the bedstand. (so does the one on Andy Warhol! decisions...decisions...) Ho Hum 
.....
Sounds like that's all I'll be wrestling with today!
It has been a couple of weeks now since Mother packed up and headed home. (Or somewhere around there. It takes me about a week to get my balance back,lol.)
Mom always has a "mission" that has to be accomplished when she comes to town. This time it was to buy and bring back some Cal-King sheets for my sister's bed since she can't seem to find them in Texas. Also to buy some Stagg Laredo Chili in cans since she can't seem to find this in Texas either. I find this ironic because isn't that a city there? After running around town,both missions were accomplished. Sheets? Check. Chili,check!
Oops! We forgot the eyeliners! A special kind my sister likes.
Off to the local Rite Aid to pick those up. My mother never needs an excuse to run over to Rite Aid as soon as she arrives. It's just down the block and according to her they have the absolute BEST milk,Berkeley Farms. She just HAS to get a half gallon on arrival.
After awhile I wonder if she really came to visit or if this was a disguised shopping trip.
"Can't you find ANYTHING in Texas? What the heck DO they sell over there?" I ask.
Seeing as my mom and sis are transplanted Californians I suppose they are still getting used to it even though it's been a few years. Sis moved there because of her job and mom soon followed. Even to this day it's hard for me to believe they live there. They seem to fit in,they say people are so much nicer there but the weather is pretty strange. It can be 80 degrees one day and 30 the next. THAT,for me,would take some getting used to :0
But,anyway,the question at hand was how to shove all this stuff in the suitcase?
"I'll just arrange a few things" my mother says.
3 cans of chili are heavier then you think. So are sheets. How much arranging can you do to fit all THAT in?
We came to the conclusion that I would just ship it to her after she left.
"That sounds good. Now....What's for dinner?" Mom says.
My mother will never come out and say what she wants to eat. I start throwing out suggestions. I said do you want a baked potato or mashed potato?
"Baked potato sounds good."
Okay,I say. I usually start them out in the microwave and then throw them in the oven to crisp up the skin.
"I always wrap them in foil and put them in the oven" says guess-who.
I do all the cooking when mom is here. Since I have a hundred and one other things I'm always in the middle of doing there are times when short-cuts in the kitchen are necessary. But these are the little "messages" mom always sends me. I tell her how I do something...she tells me how SHE does it. Since she's only here for a couple of weeks at a time HER way usually wins.
So into the oven with the potatoes wrapped in foil.
Another one of HER ways is to tie up any loose packages in the kitchen with Bread Ties.
"That'll get STALE if you don't close it up!" Mother's famous words.
I don't know about you but I never "tie up" the bag in the cereal box.
A box of cereal is gone around here before it ever has the CHANCE to get STALE. Plus it takes so much time to undo that little twisty tie when you're starving for breakfast!
Whenever we go to the grocery store,my mother turns into the "Tie Thief". In the produce section it doesn't take long for her little fingers to dig into the bag tie cup and swipe a whole crapload of those things.
She'll hold them up to show me and PLUNK....into her purse they go.
My mother is a "thief" of sorts anyway. I believe this comes from her childhood. She didn't exactly grow up in poverty but she wasn't well off either. My grandpa was a cook in the navy and as a child they moved all over the country.
I always remember my grandmother telling me one day they didn't have anything to eat while they were on the road travelling somewhere and all of a sudden a box fell off of a truck driving in front of them. They stopped and got out to see what it was and it was a box full of shrimp! Grandma said it was "manna from heaven" and they ate it all up.
So when I used to find things in my mother's purse that really shouldn't be there, I chock it up to that. Things like handfuls of paper napkins,ketchup and mustard packets....the salt,pepper and sugar packets too...yeesh. Toilet seat covers,straws...mounds of them!
"They're free anyway!" she says.
She can also stash away cookies from a buffet faster then anyone I've ever seen. She'll come back with them on her plate and before I know it....now you see them,now you don't.
The problem I have with this is that she doesn't NEED to do it. She HAS napkins at home along with sugar and salt and etc,etc. It runs deeper. Didn't really understand it when I was younger but now I do. It's that "filling-up" problem that a lot of people have. Whether it's love or attention or food...some of us just can't get filled up or feel we "have enough".
Meanwhile...during lunch today,I was trying to do a little "filling up" of my own. I decided on some spinach to go along with a piece of chicken so I reached into the freezer to find the bag.
Wouldn't you know! Mother's still here in spirit. Another attack of the bread ties! Even my frozen spinach wasn't safe.
As I was twisting it off I just had to shake my head.
No matter where we are....we are always "tied" to our mothers.
And the best part is..... it never gets stale!
I came across this article on the internet. Absolutely adorable and heartbreaking at the same time. I was sobbing by the end of the video....make sure to have a tissue handy!
http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2014/02/penny-chicken-and-roo-2906154.html
I get a call from my sister a couple of days ago.
"Do you think you can handle mom for another week?"
NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
What day are we on now? LoL. She's been here since the 4th. We're hitting the 2 week mark today. It was supposed to be her return date and boy,was I looking forward to that!
No such luck.
Since my sis works for an airline,mom flies free but it has to be on standby. And since this week was kind of a "holiday week" with president's day and all, the flights are a little jam-packed. The earliest we can get her out will be this coming Saturday. (Gulp!)
I have never spent this much time with my mother since...geese. Probably since I was a baby!
Well..she's always been high strung. My grandmother (her mother) told me that when I was a teenager.
"When your mother used to come home from school and tell us about her day your grandpa used to tell her to take it easy and calm down."
She's a different sort of "drama" queen. She gets so excited over...well,nothing really. The problem is she doesn't have enough drama in her own life...so I suppose everyone else's seems so dang exciting even when it's not.
And as she's gotten older her movements and the way she talks (or "bursts" as I call it) are getting even more exaggerated.
She startles me when trying to make a point or just any old thing she feels needs emphasis.
She'll slam her fist into her palm. SMACK!
A big smack too. And over what?
Oh,probably because they changed the time her favorite program comes on or because the neighbor put his garbage out early.
Mom always rides in the backseat whenever we go anywhere. That is a MUST. She's very dangerous and distracting in the front seat. Think I mentioned this before in my very first blog how cars always seem closer to her then they really are.
"Whoa!" or "Watch it..Watch it!" she's always saying while gripping the handle or dashboard.
But now even the backseat is getting dangerous. What's left...the trunk? LoL.
If she starts talking...(well,not IF but WHEN) all of sudden I'll feel these claws grabbing the tops of my shoulders. As if I can't hear her she'll then do the "lean-in" between the seats to make sure I can hear her.
My mom watches way too much television. I know this because when I call her at her own house she is full of news about all sorts of people...T.V. characters!
"Did you watch this? Did you watch that?" I'm constantly getting grilled.
"No,mom. No,mom."
Since my mother retired she thinks everyone else did too and they have nothing better to do then veg out watching the tube.
I know she's got an exercise bike but am wondering if it's really being used or is now a decorative clothes hanger.
During this trip I've been trying to get her out and walking more. One day when it was raining I put in an exercise DVD. One of those by Leslie Sansone who does all the "indoor walking" tapes. They are simple marching steps and different movements at a certain pace that add up to walking a mile (or miles). Thought we would start with just one mile.
I decided to do it with her to give her more encouragement.
We start with the warm-up. Just a r e a l l y light gentle marching.
I look over at my mother.
She's stamping up and down and got her arms pumping like she's out to run a marathon.
"Slow down." I say. "You have to save your energy...we just started!"
Next comes side steps. Step twice to the left...step twice to the right. Back and forth a few times.
STAMP...STAMP...STOMP...STOMP, I hear next to me.
Then we add some arm movements.
Reach your arms out and bring them back in.
Mom's arms are going up and down and this way and that. They're all over the place.
My mother had turned into the "The Funky Chicken".
Twenty minutes later we made it through a whole mile.
I got more tired watching her then if I had gone ahead and done my regular 5 mile tape!
Deep breath,lottolaughs.
You're almost there.
And guess what?
This year's extra special.
Mom's planning on 2 visits.
In August you get to do it all over again :)
Buck! Buck! Bucker Up,Buckeroo!!
Regarding Plushenko's recent pull out of the men's skate in the Olympics right now, I can't help but think of him when he was just starting out.
My sister and I have been huge figure skating fans since the 80's. Sis has been writing music since she was 9 and has made several demos of her music in Los Angeles using professional musician's. For a couple hundred bucks an hour (probably way more now) you can hire the pro's who've played on movie soundtracks,etc. It's all pretty exciting as I've gone with her on a couple of occasions to watch. It's really amazing how the musician's can step in the studio,look at your sheet music for the first time in their lives and an hour later you have a CD that sounds like they've been rehearshing your song for the past 6 months. I know how to read sheet music but wow!
We have always paid close attention to the music that the skater's use during their programs. Wouldn't it be something to have a skater actually skate to one of sis's songs? Well,I'm sure you know where this is going,lol. Sis did write a song for a skater that wowed us back in the 90's...Alexi Yagudin. She wrote words to it and had her Russian friend who was also a singer translate it into Russian and took him down to L.A. to record it. It translated into "To Bloom" in Russian though I can't recall exactly what that was in English...however,the lyrics referred to a young man growing up and blossoming I suppose. Which made sense because Alexi was only about 15 or 16 back then with this incredible talent.
Now the hard part. How to get the song to the skater for him to listen to and maybe consider? LOL. Of course,this was all on "speculation"...just a big dream for us at the time. I can't remember how we did it but somehow we got his coach's phone number in Russia. My sister had her friend call the coach since the friend spoke Russian and we weren't sure if the coach knew English or not. The coach actually gave us an address to send the song to him. Turns out the coach did know some English...so there were some phone calls back and forth with my sister also over a few months time. We were hoping that even if Alexi didn't use the song during competition that we could film him skating to it at least. We thought it would be cool to send a "video" of him skating to her song along with her music to record companies.
Alexi had won a few medals in competitions but nothing real big yet so he was still "accessible". In 1998 sis and I had tickets to go to the World Figure Skating Championships in Minneapolis,MN. Alexi was going to be in it and my sister told his coach we were going to be there so we set up a time to meet. We were ecstatic to say the least. Here we were going to the Championships and actually getting to meet the coach of one of our favorite skaters! AND the skater!
We agreed to meet at one of the practices. If you're a ticket holder you have access to go see the skaters rehearsing their programs before the competition which is pretty exciting itself. So here sis and I were sitting on the benches watching the skaters and we see Alexi and Mr. Mishin the coach come into the building directly across the rink from where we're sitting. We get up and go over to them since they have no idea what we look like. We introduce ourselves. And Mr.Mishin starting talking about the video and where we might film it and it was a slow conversation because of the language barrier. Alexi didn't say anything...he was standing there and then went off to the ice.
But there was a young skater sitting next to Mr. Mishin...his new student,Evgeni. We'd seen him, I think, once on t.v. but he was a real rookie and up and comer,only about 14. Mr. Mishin kept trying to get us interested in him...he was sort of "offering" Evgeni instead of Alexi to skate in our video. But Alexi was the "name" at the time and we weren't too interested in Evgeni,lol. So we chatted a bit more and were encouraged. Everything sounded like it was a "go".
I don't know if Mr. Mishin understood that we weren't exactly film-makers or famous...we were just "fans" but I know he was looking for any way to help promote his skaters,as well.
After our "meeting",sis and I retreated back to our seats across the ice and watched the skaters. We noticed Mr. Mishin looking in our directiion and conferring with Alexi. A minute later Alexi skated right in front of us on the ice and did a HUGE triple axel. We thought it was Mr. Mishin's way of showing off his skater and impressing us,lol. But,then again,it might have been just practice :)
Well...wouldn't you know. Alexi wound up winning the Gold Medal while we were there.
He was the 1998 World Champion! Evegeni came in 3rd.
| Discipline | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's singles |  Alexei Yagudin |
 Todd Eldredge |
Evgeni Plushenko |
(Todd Eldredge made the silver. I walked right past him going into practice rink one day. I almost stepped on him he was so short,lol. The skaters are all much tinier then they look on TV.)
To make a long story short (or is it too late for that? lol) we found out that as soon as Alexi won he changed coaches!!
So all of the negotiations between Mr. Mishin and us were now a NO instead of a GO. We would have had to start all over with his new coach.
Yeesh.
And then Alexi's career really started taking off. So did Evgeni's.
Sis and I made it to the 2002 Olympics to watch them win Gold and Silver.
 Gold |
Yagudin, AlexeiAlexei Yagudin | Figure skating | Men's |
 Silver |
Plushenko, EvgeniEvgeni Plushenko | Figure skating | Men's |
By then we kind of gave up. They were getting too famous for us "dreamers".
Now we just have our memories and the "To Bloom" CD.
Ah,well. That's the way the ice melts!
Well,it's that time of year again....mother's annual visit! Every nerve in my being is getting a workout,lol.
My latest adventure began 5 days ago as soon as I saw the SuperShuttle pull up and mom getting out of the van. Already I could see her lips moving...chatting to the driver as he helped her out. My eyes rolled upwards. I knew I was in for a blow by blow account of the drive from the airport to my house. Oh,and naturally,the entire flight. THAT was my dessert!
I opened the garage door to give her plenty of room to pull her wheely luggage in. She's chatting but I can't hear exactly what she's saying and then she's looking up at me and saying "HELLLLLLOOOO!" while rolling through my dirty laundry next to the washer. I watch my unmentionables being dragged along behind her as she's still announcing herself.
"I'm here!"
Yes,mom. I can see,lol.
She stands inside the dining room now and waits stiffly. I know she wants to "hug" me. Her hugs are a little different then most people's. They are more of a "patting on the back" that you give an aquaintance. So we "pat" and then it's the blow by blow of the drive from the airport....how she was the only one on the van....blah blah blah. For some reason,this is all very exciting to her. But,then again,she can make a trip to the grocery store sound like she was just back from Paris.
Mom always gets her hair done before visiting. Don't know why but she always shows up with some pixie-like doo that looks good on a 10 year old. She is the eternal school girl, I always call her. I admit, she does exude a lot of energy (she's always been high strung) and walks faster then me and can out-eat me for sure even though I'm about 3 inches taller.
She is a "tornado" and I mean this literally. 
A 5 foot 4 inch dynamo.
She can be in your house for about 5 minutes before everything starts getting stirred up and destroyed,lol.
I never know what I'll wake up to.
There is always a handle to something or a screw with a note left next to it.
"I don't know how this happened...it just fell off".
The other morning walking into the bathroom I found the toilet lid down with "THE NOTE" and the plunger next to it.
"Dear,the toilet's flushing slow".
Well,no mother. The toilet's not flushing at all...you plugged it up with paper!
She loves to play my casino games on my laptop. After a few minutes,the screen usually gets minimized. I really don't know how she does it.
"How come the screen got small?"
She asked me how to turn the computer off. Something looked askew and then I notice that my task bar is now at the top of the screen instead of the bottom.
I didn't even know you could do that! Now I do.
There are 3 things my mother will never admit to:
#1--She can't hear
#2--She can't see
#3--Needing sleep
While in the kitchen cooking I was telling her that I need to get some new Pyrex storage containers because I'm running out.
"What's that? You're running out of projects to do?"
Not with you around,I wanted to say,lol.
I'm always telling her to put on her glasses. Don't know if it's a vanity thing or not but she absolutely refuses to wear her glasses even though she goes around squinting.
One time I got so angry about this while we were driving... I said..."Alright then....What does that street sign say?!" And darned if she didn't read it back to me.
According to my mother she is never tired. I know at her own house she stays awake most nights and sleeps in the early morning. Well,not around here. We go to bed at a normal time and she follows suit. When watching a little television in the evening it's not long before I hear..."Uhhhhh.." and look over at my mother's head rolling around and snoring.
But she's never tired,right? She'll wake up and immediately does a laugh like she's been watching the program all along. I sit and snicker to myself. Who does she think she's fooling? And,why does she even have to fool me at all that she doesn't need sleep?
Mothers! Can you ever really figure them out?
I gave up years ago.
Bless her heart...it's difficult watching your parents age and the roles reversing. I am the parent now. She reminds me more and more of my grandmother (her mother) each and every day.
Oh,but that's another blog entry.
Grandma was another piece of work! Runs in the family,I suppose.
Well...back to mom.
We're only 5 days into the visit with 9 to go.
Gotta go batten down the hatches....never know when the next storm will hit :)=
The things you find on ebay,LOL. Now you no longer have to worry about fretting and worrying over your lottery numbers. You can actually grow them!
Apparently you plant this little bean seed and when it sprouts....WAH-LA! Your lucky winning lottery numbers are revealed on the bean.
LOTTO PLANT is what it's called. Check it out if you want a LOTTO LAUGHS :)
It's late...it's windy and chilly outside and brain is working overtime,lol. Was just in bed reading Little House On The Prairie for the umpteenth time. This time of year I always feel like spending time in Laura Ingalls Wilder's world out on the prairie with Ma,Pa and the fam. And we think we have it hard in today's world,huh! How'd you like to churn butter every time you wanted some on your bread? Or have to go out and shoot your dinner meat?
Christmas was just as special to Laura and her siblings back then as it is to children now. How they looked forward to their stockings. A cane of peppermint candy, a little cake and pair of mittens were joyously received and fawned over and appreciated. Those tiny gifts probably meant more to those children then all the modern gadgets given out and discarded the next by today's youth.
But,anyhoo. Reading these books always tunes me up. Sometimes it makes me feel very lucky to be living in these times...and sometimes not. I wish I could enjoy a pair of mittens the way the prairie children did.
Then that got me thinking of all the poverty,hunger and homelessness that still runs rampant through our good old US of A. I think of that almost every day and give when I can.
But then an idea came to me. I'm sure I'm not the only person who's ever thought of this.
What is a penny these days? Pretty worthless. But a huge bunch of pennies is worth something.
Then I started thinking...wow. There's 315,000,000 people in the USA. If every single person gave a penny a day to some sort of one pot "fund" think of all the good it would do. That's $3.65 a year from every person. Is that a lot to ask?
$1,145,750,000
That's one billion one hundred and 45 million seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Nice chunk of change. Think of all the people and animals that could help.
The 365 Fund. How could we make it happen?
Well,it's too late for my brain to go any further,lol. Just my 2 cents today. I'm going back to the prairie for awhile then I'll sleep on it. They say where there's a will there's a way. There must be some way. Of course not everyone could even afford that much but then again, there are others who could afford to give WAY more than that. Could you do without...say...4 lottery tickets a year? Or a coffee at Starbucks. Just think of some small thing you could give up during the year that equalled $3.65. Imagine the smiles and happy tail wags that small sum could bring to a lot of faces who are needing help this very second :)
Happy Holidays!
Yes,that time is almost upon us again. Answer all 8 questions below and win your first present of the season...step by step instructions for my Pick 3 system "Weekly Pairs".
A new Christmas tradition that I started a few years ago is buying myself one thing I really wanted all year.
Doesn't sound like a lot of fun,does it,lol.
Oh,but it is! And this year,especially! Because this gift is something I've been waiting for for years. It's silly and all but still can't wait to "open" it. (and yes, I will wrap it :)
So what could it possibly be? I'll give you the first clue. DVD's.
Get your thinking caps on and GOOD LUCK!
#1--This family drama/comedy show started in the late 1970's. What is it?
#2--It took place in my hometown. Which city?
#3--What year was this show last marathoned on TV?
#4--On what channel?
#5--One actor who joined the show in the last season was a contestant on Dancing With The Stars. Who was it?
#6--What newspaper did the father work for?
#7--There is no such newspaper here. But we used to have 2 papers. Name them both.
#8--One member of the cast made an album. Which one?
OKAY,kids....the race is ON!! First contestant who correctly answers all 8 will get exclusive instructions for the system :)
Many years ago I used to be a waitress at Lyon's Restaurant. They were mostly here on the West Coast. Somewhat similiar to Denny's but a little better quality for a 24 hr restaurant.
Talk about workin' your ass off,lol. Tough work but I got spoiled coming home most nights with $100+ tips in my apron. And that was years ago. I used to feel very rich :)
As comes with the territory, waitresses always get their "regulars". On Friday nights sometimes it used to be annoying because I'd have quite a few people requesting my station and once people become familiar with you..they expect you to stand and around and chat. It's okay if you have a table or two but a full station? YIKES. (I still have, to this day, what we called in the business "server nightmares". Those dreams where I get sat a ton of people and I can't get to anybody...like walking in quicksand and moving in slow motion. ERRRR,those are such frustrating dreams! )
One couple I used to wait on often were so cute together. They must have been in their late 70's. Come to find out the wife wrote Silhouette Romance books,lol. Here this cute little old lady writing romances..it always struck me as kind of funny. (But,hey why not? Proves you're never too old to fall in love!) Then I found out that they lived just a few blocks from me. Since I always wanted to be an author this was somewhat encouraging :) She told me she would bring me a copy of her newest book and sure enough she did. And autographed it to me! Phyllis Halldorson. Sweet Sweet lady...sweet sweet couple.
After they told me they lived in my neighborhood, once in awhile I'd see them walking down the streets....HOLDING HANDS! They had been together since high school or college, can't remember. Wow..to spend your whole life with the same person...gotta give that a high five. Beautiful.
A couple of years ago I went searching for some more of Phyllis' books to see if she had anything new. Unfortunately I saw that she had passed away.(December 28, 2007) Immediately my heart dropped because I thought of her husband "Jiggs" (his nickname) She always dedicated her books to him. After 33 years of marriage and raising her family she started writing and sold her first Silhouette novel in 1980. So doing the math they must have been married 60 years. I can't even imagine how broken his heart was.
Cut to yesterday at the supermarket in the produce section. There he was! Jiggs! A little older (it has been about 14 years since I've last seen him) but very recognizable. I quietly went up to him and touched his arm.
"Mr. Halldorson?"
"Yes."
"Hi, I wonder if you might remember me? I used to wait on you and your wife at Lyon's?"
"Yes...yes.."
And he grabbed my hand and pulled his cheek next to mine. He made me want to cry when he said "We lost her". But he was smiling....he always was smiling. Now I'm not really sure if he remembered exactly who I was since it was such a long time ago but he was chatty and told me he's 94 now and he keeps pretty busy with his "kids" (who I imagine are probably all in their 60's) He had a "Life Alert" button around his neck and he said he still lives in the same house which I was happy to hear. Just writing this makes me tear up because I know that he was the love of someone's life and she was the love of his and what could be sadder than that?
It made me heartbroken but at the same time it was really delightful to see him, in the flesh, and know that the "Jiggs" I see in the opening dedication pages of Phyllis' books is doing okay. She wrote romance because she LIVED it and what a great legacy to leave behind. Love..True Love..it really DOES exist! :)
RIP Phyllis Halldorson. Thanks For The Stories!!
I came across this little guy on some rescue website back in July and couldn't stop thinking about him (or wanting to adopt him!) I found a recent update yesterday on Facebook that he is now in a foster home. (Thank you,wonderful people!) Bubba is a "special needs" dog as he has trouble with his hind legs.
God Bless this sweet boy...I just love him! (I put him on my Christmas List. Hope Santa's listening!!)
Here's a video all about him...
http://www.animalfriendsrescue.org/looking_for_a_home/lfh_bubba.html
As far as the other doggie that I was hoping to adopt...still haven't seen her come up yet for adoption. Still waiting. It takes months to rehab these dogs so still hoping!!
Yes...yes...I do find myself addicted to old TV shows,"Knight Rider" being one of them,lol. And who woulda thunk it but my Saturn turned into K.I.T.T. last week.
Sneaky little fellow. Can't take my eyes off him for a second. Don't know why but have always felt like old Satty is a "he". I often talk to him when driving. Rub his gearbox when cranking him up and he never lets me down. He always starts. His birthday is this month. Have had him since September '95 even though he was the 1996 model. Brand spankin' new. We've had lots of good times these past 18 years.
He's usually parked in front of my house and have never had any trouble at all.
Until this past year.
Around June it was,I think,I was set to do my grocery shopping one day and noticed that things were askew on the front seat when I went to get in.
I'd been ruffled through!
The door was NOT left unlocked,of that I was positive. Some sticky fingers had gotten in and creeped their way all through the car. Had just put 2 big bags of pennies in the trunk to cash in at the Coinstar machine a few days before. Checked and yep...they were gone. Goodbye $50.00!
Car break in's are no biggy nowadays. I'm sure you've been "ruffled through" a few times yourself through the years. This was my first time.
It's a numbers game just like everything else...my number came up and I was chosen. Nothing else was taken but the pennies so I considered myself lucky.
Fast forward to about a month ago. Went out to my car to run another errand but heard a strange noise when approaching Satty. WHAT?? The windshield wipers were on! I automatically stuck my key in the door to open it but it probably was already opened.
DING DING DING DING...the warning bell was ringing like when you leave your door open. Noticed that my ignition was pushed in and stuck. I unstuck it with my key.
So someone was trying to steal you,Saturn? Here you are...the oldest car on the street and people just won't leave you alone. The thieves must have tried to jam something in the ignition to start it and accidently pushed up the wiper handle.
I didn't report either of these incidents to the police. What for? What can they really do? It's not like this is a Rolls Royce...he's just my cruising around the neighborhood car and used for grocery runs. He usually doesn't travel 2 miles further then my home and is semi-retired.
But I still love him and wouldn't dream of getting rid of him though I've had several notes left under the wipers over the years with phone numbers asking if I want to sell.
I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised last Tuesday when upon awaking at my usual 4:30 a.m. and glancing out the front window that Satty wasn't in his usual place.
He was GONE! I mean here I am staring at this huge empty space in front of my house and my brain just isn't computing....SATTY's NOT THERE. POOF! Out joyriding somewhere? I closed the shutter..opened it...kept looking. Nope,still gone.
I didn't immediately call the police. Waited till around 7 or so. I was calm but in a state of disbelief really. Just couldn't believe I'd never see him again.
So I make the dreaded call. They took all the information over the phone. No policeman comes to your house anymore to make a report (guess you're just not that important,Satty...except to ME)
I spent the morning puttering around trying to keep my mind off it. Still I was pretty calm...not like it was earth shattering or anything. Oh those thievin' thieves! If there's one thing I can't stand it's thieves! Taking something that's not yours....just don't know how thieves can sleep at night. (Oh,that's right....they don't! They're up all night taking your things!)
Was on the Lottery Post when a phone call came about 11:00 am.
It was the police!
"This is Officer So and So. We found your car."
What!!? That was fast!!! Satty was found about 5 blocks from my house on a street right next to the grocery store (one of his favorite haunting grounds. See? He doesn't like being far from home :)
I got a ride over to pick him up.
And there Satty was.....just sitting there waiting for me. Nobody in the driver's seat...just like he drove himself over there. Just like KITT!!
Apparently a witness had seen 2 guys in a gray car TOWING him around 4 a.m.
If only I'd been up just a wee bit earlier!!
And of course! They couldn't start him because I have Loctronics...that wonderful magical little doohickey that disables the starter. They must have also tried pushing him because he had a couple of long scratches and some black rubber looking smudges on the bumper.
His window was open and when I got in the seat was pushed way forward and the radio was blasting on a channel I never listen to. The fusebox lid was on the front seat...they were trying to bypass the Loctronics but HA HA!! Neener Neener Neener!! They must have given up. There was also a long strap that had been wrapped around the whole front frame of the car hanging down that I guess they used to pull him.
Creeps! I washed everything down with some Wet Ones I had in my purse. They'd also wrenched out my change cup in between the seats...ERRRRRR!!! Looked around in the car but couldn't find it.
But Satty started right up as soon as I gave him his Loctronics. Thank God for that little chip. Saved his life twice now.
I just have one question...Satty,no one looked twice at you your whole entire life. Why are you so popular now?
You are like a fine wine....you just get better with age,I suppose.
He's in the driveway now and resting after his ordeal.
And so this episode is over for the time being.
Tune in next week for more adventures of "Saturn Rider".
Okay...Okay...confession time. I have some "girl crushes",lol. It doesn't matter what sex you are...everyone has crushes on both males and females at times.
Joan Crawford...check! Bette Davis? Check! Barbara Stanwyck? Check! Catherine Deneuve? Check! Lana Turner? Check!
That does it for the "movie world" but my main squeezes lately have been on the Food Network.
Ina Garten...otherwise known as the "Barefoot Contessa" really rocks my world :) Like my title says...I can watch this lady cook an old boot. Something about her voice and manner...her show is great to watch right before bedtime...she's very soothing. And I love how they film the show in the East Hamptons where she lives...it's so beautiful there. My dream date used to be Robert DeNiro but he has some stiff competition now,lol. Ina would be my dream date if she cooked me up one of her suppers...no contest!!
Alex Guarneschelli, a judge on "Chopped" is another chickie I just so admire. Love her demeanor...she's a tough judge but then when you see her compete on other food shows she's so humble and cute. I was rooting for her so hard to become the next Iron Chef and was SO HAPPY when she did it!!
Anne Burrell is one tough cookie chef but she's a character and so very knowledgable.
I envy all these women....they just know how to cook EVERYTHING. I'm a pretty good cook myself but sometimes don't know my flavors very well...like what spices to mix together.
Wow...to be able to go into the fridge and just know what to DO with everything..to come up with recipes at the top of your head...just WOW.
That's talent!
It's because.... "She hates California, it's cold and it's damp....."
THAT's why the lady is a tramp,lol. Never quite understood the lyrics to this popular Sinatra song but always love hearing this version as he sings it to Rita Hayward in "Pal Joey".
Yep,it's Kim Novak month on TCM and wound up watching this movie again tonight. Can't say it's one of my favorite Sinatra flicks since his character is a little smarmy and overconfident but when he sings to Kim Novak in one scene where she's wearing that beautiful purple dress...well...let's just say I wouldn't have minded being HER for the day :P
Kim Novak was a big deal back in the 50's-60's. Besides being gorgeous...there was something very vulnerable about her....very sympathic that you weren't expecting from this va-va-voom. She had such a perfect figure yet she was like a little girl. My favorite all time movie starring her and Kirk Douglas is "Strangers When We Meet". Made in 1960 it was the story of a married architect (Kirk) and married housewife (Kim) who meet at their kid's bus stop and start a little dilly dallying. It's a sad picture but when I saw it for the first time years and years ago I never forgot it. Was so happy they ran it on TCM one day and now it's forever on my DVR :)
So much talent forgotten from the "old days". Were they really that long ago? My sister and I used to hold our ears when my father played Sinatra songs when were kids. Now I listen with mature ears and know why my father loved that music. It really is timeless.
There will never be talent like that again. A crooner singing corny songs? Would that ever be accepted in this fast paced life we live today? LOL. I'm so glad I grew up listening to that stuff even though the Disco era was really my music. But so glad my father introduced that other world to me..of classical and crooners. Dean,Bing,Frankie. Wow.
Nobody today can hold a candle to these guys.
And nobody ever will.
