31 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

2 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

It's the very last day of March and I'm going to be sorry to see it go. April is going to be a very, very busy month. I'm looking forward to it with mixed feelings. Anticipation and dread. I hate packing. My son went back to school this morning and he hasn't packed a thing. He made cookies but he didn't pack. I may not have time to blog every single day in April. I'm going to be packing, moving, packing, moving, packing, moving, and packing and moving. This doesn't mean that I don't have to keep doing the normal everyday stuff. I just have to find the time to do that and pack and move too.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Words of Wisdom From the Buddha

"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting."

"Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others."

32 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

3 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

Either Blogger developed a stutter and double posted my blog or they just felt that my blog was so wonderful that it was worth repeating. Observant person that I am, I didn't notice the problem until yesterday. I hope they've corrected the problem because it takes all kinds of manuevering on my part to correct the situation retroactively. If you see my posts stuttering and repeating themselves, it's Blogger's fault, not mine. I still remain with all...or most of my faculties.

On a completely different topic (I have to add this because I don't want there to be any implication of relativity between loss of faculties and my sister), it's my favorite sister's (older sister, though there is no implied meaning behind that statement either) birthday today. Happy Birthday Sister! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday Dear Sister! Happy Birthday to You! I only have one sister so it's OK to say that she's my favorite sister. I strive to be PC. That's Politically Correct. I don't strive to become a Personal Computer.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Words of Wisdom From the Buddha

"We are what we think."

"Let us be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die. So, let us all be thankful." (and if we died...we wouldn't be reading this. At the risk of blasphemy, Words of Wisdom From The Old Grey Frog.)

33 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

4 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

Our first walk through was completed. To give them credit, someone had come in and cleaned up the mess throughout the house. They actually made me throw a tantrum about the excessive variation in color for the cabinets. They were remarked and re-marked. I'm not holding out too much hope for a fix. I was patted on the head and told that I should expect some variation in graining and color. I hate it when they do that. It's not like I haven't seen decent oak cabinets before. It's not that I'm not paying an upgraded fee for these cabinets. I do not want calico cabinets. I want oak cabinets. I really don't think it's too much to expect that all the oak in the kitchen be stained the same color. Right now they'v got red, blond, dark and medium all combined in just one door panel. It wouldn't be so bad but the blond sticks out like a sore bleached thumb next to the dark which abutts it. I was told that they plan to have the cabinet people come in and take a look. They already did that! The cabinets were marked! They removed the marks! I want the cabinets fixed! Closing is still scheduled for April 2nd. I'm supposed to be understanding if they don't get to all the fixes before we close.

On a positive note, my window coverings arrived today. It looks like the right stuff was sent. I checked. HTP and son will have to get busy installing said window coverings as soon as the painting is done.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Wisdom from the Buddha

"In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their minds and then believe them to be true."

"It is a man's mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways."

Originally this was posted for Sunday but Blogger decided to hiccup so I had to see if I could fix things.

34 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

5 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

Sunday. Since I played at church for two services this morning, "Gimme That Ole Time Religion", I had to get up at 5:15 AM so I could be ready to leave the house at 6:15 AM so I could get to church at 6:30 AM so I could run through all the music for a full hour before the service started at 7:45 AM. I played for three hours. Little wonder that my reed was about ready to flop and my mouth was leaking and I have a pronounce red splotch from my lower lip to my chin...I was able to remove the black marks left by my oxidizing ligature. I don't have to be at church until 6:15 PM this Wednesday. I'm sure the red splotch will have healed by then.

I picked up my friend after church and we went over to check out the new house. Nothing has changed. Nothing. I don't know what they did this week but they didn't work on my house. Actually, some did change. Many of the red tags that someone marked my calico cabinets with had been removed but the calico cabinets remained the same. HTP and I have a walk through of the place scheduled for tomorrow at 11 AM. I will be amazed if they actually get the place cleaned up by then much less get all the repairs accomplished. I'll be amazed if they get all the repairs done by April 2nd (closing day).

I felt a lot better after lunch. We had salad and bread at Arizona Wildflower Bread Company . Ahhhh!!!!! Bread!!!! The salad was good too but the bread was GREAT. I may be prejudiced. I think at this point of my low-carb diet any bread would be GREAT. Right now if someone were to ask me if I'd rather have a 16-oz. porterhouse steak, cooked just the way I like it or a 16-oz. loaf of home-baked bread, white bread, I'd take the latter....or a fully loaded baked potato....or garlic mashed potatoes with gravy....or...you get the idea. But the Emerald Spinach Salad was really good too.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Wisdom for the Buddha

"Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace."

"Every human being is the author of his own disease."

35 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

6 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

Vitamins. I hate vitamins. Every morning I have to swallow a fistful of those little suckers. I don't care how buffered they are, they always bother my stomach. If I buy the chewables (not Viactiv...they taste good), I end up feeding them to my dogs (not Viactiv...they taste good) because they taste so awful. The liquids taste awful too...even the ones that claim to taste good. Why can't Viactiv make a Glucosamine with Condroitin vitamin? Get busy guys, you'll make a fortune. Instead I'm either supposed to swallow this huge horse pill three times a day or I can chomp on this huge yellow, supposedly lemon flavored disk three times a day. Yuck! My dogs love them. The disks...they won't touch the horse pills. These things are expensive and they're collecting dust on my pantry shelf. I need to go out and buy more of the disks for the dogs though. They've been bopping all over the place. No sore joints for them. The vet said that it was OK. In the meantime, I spend half the day burping up vitamin fumes and avoiding the horse pills because they make me gag, and complaining about my knees because I haven't taken the horse pills. But I do take the rest of the stuff so I suppose I'll live longer, see better, think more clearly and my skin and nails will look nice when I finally do "shuffle off this mortal coil". "Must give us pause..." ( Hamlet. Gotta love that play.)

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

More Wisdom from the Buddha

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."

36 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

7 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

It's Friday! Time is speeding by. I arranged for the movers to come and move us in April. We'll start moving some of the stuff over to the new house before that. I can start on that in a week. Only a week!

In the meantime, my son plays with his jazz group at the Chandler Center For the Arts on Saturday night. I play at the church with my "jazz" group for two services on Sunday. HTP and I have our walk through for the new house on Monday. And I have to get my son busy on packing. No progress on that front as yet.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Siddhartha Gautama, known at the Buddha, or "Enlightened One", died in 489 B.C., but his wisdom lives on. I will devote my Trivia section for the next few days on this wisdom.

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."

"Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else."

37 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

8 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

You know it's spring when you start receiving gardening magazines in the mail. I'm trying not to read them because I really can't do anything about them right now. I have to focus on the important issues right now. It's a real strain because there are some really neat things in gardening magazines. I must focus. I'm moving from a house that is over 3000 sq. ft. to a house that is less then 2000 sq. ft. I need to get rid of stuff. I need to get rid of 1000 sq. ft. of stuff. Some of the stuff will be brought to Wisconsin with us when we return there this summer but that only accounts for less then half of the stuff because it just isn't possible to bring it all to Wisconsin (I wish I could bring it all there). I got rid of lots of stuff when we moved the last time (four years ago) and I can do it again. I hate getting rid of stuff. I have to be strong. I have to be ruthless. I have to find a home for my extra patio furniture. I really need to have a garage sale. Too bad garage sales aren't allowed in my neighborhood. To bad they aren't allowed in our new neighborhood either. I suppose that's why you can find such neat stuff at thrift stores. I can't go shopping at thrift stores right now either. It's so hard to get rid of stuff when you're a hoarder.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

"In April 2001, police in Vancouver, British Columbia, ended a three-year crime spree when they arrested 64-year-old, Eugene Mah and his 32-year-old son, Avery. The Mahs had been stealing assorted lawn and garden items from homes in their neighborhood, including garbage cans, lawn decorations, recycling boxes, and realty signs. Why did they steal them? Nobody knows. Eugene Mah is a real estate tycoon worth a reported $13 million. One local psychiatrist said the thefts may be due to an obsessive compulsive hoarding disorder. They reportedly stole a neighbor's doormat...and each of the 14 other doormats the neighbor bought as replacements." - Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader.

38 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

9 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

So what does a person who has a little over a week before she can start moving do with her time? I did the laundry. I went shopping with my youngest daughter. I arranged for pest control for the new house. I haven't started packing. I played Pogo Fortune Bingo. I wrote all kinds of emails. I placed an ad in the online classifieds for my living room furniture that I need to sell. I played Pogo Mahjong Garden. I cleaned the kitchen...and then I cleaned it again after my son cooked. I cleaned my son's room...again. I didn't pack. I need to pack. But first I think I'll play more Pogo.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What Happened in 1989?

Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa (death sentence) on Satanic author Salman Rushdie.

Time, Inc. and Warner Communications anounced plans to merge.

The oil tanker Exxon Valdez crashed, causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

Chinese troops squashed pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square.

Sega Genesis was released. (It now rests with our historical collection of electronic greats, Pong, Commodore 64, Atari, and Nintendo which must be saved for future generations).

The Berlin Wall fell.

The #1 movie was Batman.

The top TV show was The Cosby Show.

39 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

10 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

Details. There are so many details that a person has to take care of when they decide to move. To complicate things, we're not just moving into a new home, we're moving into a home that we're going to call our "vacation" home. We're also going to move our son into this vacation home, temporarily, because he's going to be moving with us on a permanent basis to Wisconsin in June. So we have to pack things in such a manner as to take this all into account. Unfortunately, it's been a bit hard to get my son to co-operate in the packing process as yet (he's on vacation don't you know...when do I get a vacation?) so all I can do is pack and repack things mentally. This leads to mental exhaustion. This all reminded me of an "funny" that my mother sent me a long time ago.

*****

I just wanted to let you know that I have recently been diagnosed with a very serious condition and there's no hope I will ever recover. The scientific world is frantically searching for a cure.

This is an ailment many of us suffer from and may not as yet have been diagnosed, however now you may be able to discuss it with your loved ones and try to explain what really happened to you all those times you tried so hard to accomplish something and couldn't.

I call it the "But First Syndrome." You know, it's like when I decide to do the laundry, I start down the hall and notice the newspaper on the table. OK, I'm going to do the laundry.....BUT FIRST, I'm going to read the newspaper.

After that, I notice the mail on the table. OK, I'll just put the newspaper in the recycle stack....BUT FIRST, I'll look through that pile of mail and see if there are any bills to be paid. Yes, now where's the checkbook?

Oops.....there's the empty glass from yesterday on the coffee table. I'm going to look for that checkbook, BUT FIRST, I need to put the glass in the sink. I head for the kitchen look out the window, notice my poor flowers need a drink of water. I put the glass in the sink, and darn it, there's the remote for the TV on the kitchen counter.

What's it doing here? I'll just put it away.....BUT FIRST, I need to water those plants. Head for door and.....Aaaagh! Stepped on the cat. Cat needs to be fed. Okay, I'll put that remote away and water the plants.....BUT FIRST, I need to feed the cat.

End of day: Laundry is not done, newspapers are still on the floor, glass is still in the sink, bills are still unpaid, checkbook is still lost, and the cat ate the remote control.

And, when I try to figure out how come nothing got done all day, I'm baffled because I KNOW I was BUSY ALL DAY!!

********

Oh well...we've got other details to consider. We ordered our garage cabinets yesterday to be installed in April so I can move some stuff over to the new house before we move the big stuff. I'm still checking out moving costs from various movers. I've got cleaners coming on Thursday. I'm doing the laundry. I have to arrange and mark my music for Sunday. Life goes on.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What Happened in 1988?

George H. W. Bush was elected as the 41st U.S. president. He defeated Michael Dukakis.

After eight years of fighting, the Soviet army began withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Oliver North was indicted for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal.

Pan Am 103 crashed in Lockerbie, Scotland.

The #1 film was Rain Man.

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader debuted. (I'm going to have to see if I can find some of those back issues.)

40 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

11 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

OK. So can we please go over this again. How was killing an elderly man in a wheel chair with a rocket as he came out of a mosque supposed to defuse the middle east problem? I will grant that he had extremely fanatical views when it came to Israel, Islam, and the U.S. but I really don't think that he's the only one out there with those views. It didn't take a mental giant to figure out that they'd place the blame on Bush and the U.S. I wouldn't be surprised if Bush wasn't responsible for hurricanes, floods, global warming, and...wait a minute...I think I heard that too. I've got an idea. Why don't we all go out and find a killer bee hive and have at it with a baseball bat? Who's with me?

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What Happened in 1987?

Televangelist Jim Bakker resigned after the sex scandal with secretary Jessica Hahn.

The Best Director was Oliver Stone for Platoon.

October 17, Black Monday, the stock market crashed.

The #1 single was George Michael's "Faith".

Van Gogh's painting "Sunflowers" sold for $39 million.

British humanitarian Terry Waite was kidnapped in Lebanon.

A Yugoslavian baby was declared Earth's five billionth inhabitant.

41 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

12 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

I've been so busy that lately my diet has not been conducive to weight loss. I haven't gained that much but I've decided that I really need to crack down again before I have to buy all new clothes. There is a workout gym with all kinds of exercise equipment at the activity center that serves the community where we're moving. I plan to check that out. I may even drag my son out there to join me. There is water aerobics too. I can do that. But in the meantime, I thought I'd try a program that one of my friends recommended. She's a nurse. I plan to start on her program tomorrow. Of course, ALWAYS consult your doctor before entering into any exercise program.


Monday:

Beat around the bush.

Jump to conclusions.

Climb the walls.

Wade through paperwork.

Tuesday:

Drag my heels.

Push my luck.

Make mountains out of molehills.

Hit the nail on the head.

Wednesday:

Bend over backwards.

Jump on the bandwagon.

Balance the books.

Run around in circles.

Thursday:

Toot my own horn.

Climb the ladder of success.

Pull out the stops.

Add fuel to the fire.

Friday:

Open a can of worms.

Put my foot in my mouth.

Start the ball rolling.

Go over the edge.

Saturday:

Pick up the pieces.

**********

Whew! What a workout! I hope that it'll hold me until I can get to the gym. Maybe I'd better check with my doctor. I wouldn't want to overdo it.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What Happened in 1986?

The space shuttle Challenger exploded.

The Russian space station Mir was launched.

The Soviet nuclear plant Chernobyl had a major meltdown.

20-year-old Mike Tyson became the youngest heavy-weight champ ever.

The album of the year was Paul Simon's Graceland.

Miami Vice, Cheers, and Family Ties could be seen on T.V.

My son was born.

42 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

13 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

SPRONGGGG!!!!!! That's the sound of me losing my mind but more important it is also that of : "Spring has sprung! The grass' riz! I wonder where the flowers is?" Actually, that little poem doesn't really apply out here where I live in Arizona. I have flowers blooming all winter long and since I overseeded my lawn with winter grass, I had grass all winter long too. It's that thought that counts. I wonder if the grass has riz in Wisconsin yet? I wonder if the snow has all melted even? Oh well. There's time.

I notice that I always seem to be counting down to some event in my life. Right now I have less then two weeks before I can start moving stuff in to my new home. Thankfully, I have a bit more time then that before I have to vacate this house. After that I'll start counting down the time until my son graduates from high school. And then there's the time until we return to Wisconsin for the summer months. It just goes to show that life keeps moving on and on. Time keeps flowing. If I didn't have anything to count down to I'm not sure if I'd really be living anymore. I hope that never happens. One should always have something in their life for which they can countdown to.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What Happened in 1985?

New Coke flopped; Coca-Cola reintroduced "classic" Coke.

Reagan met Gorbachev in the first U.S./Soviet summit.

Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's record of 4,191 base hits.

Live Aid concert was held in New York and London simultaneously.

The #1 movie was Back to the Future.

The Calvin and Hobbes comic stip premiered.

A Yugo cost $3,990.

43 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

14 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

I've got two weeks left before I can start moving things into the new house. Actually, I have to wait for a bit before moving things in because, believe it or not, we're going to remodel the house before we move in by adding an interior wall which wasn't offered by our subdivision builder and we are having the entire interior of the house repainted too. I can start moving things into the cupboards and the pantry and the closets though...but not the garage until the garage cabinets and the water-softener are installed. I really need to interview movers. I should have done this already but HTP and I haven't even decided when we should make that final move other than before the 30th of April.

I am selling my living room furniture. The ad is in the paper right now. I've already had two calls. I've decided that I'd better tell people that my wing chairs are a dusty rose color instead of pink. For some reason the word pink tends to scare people. They're not really pink...not Mary Kay pink anyway so I think I can call them dusty rose without any qualms.

HTP and I were over at the new house yesterday. The landscaping in the front has been installed...as it were. I'm not all that happy with it but it came with the house. I'm going to have check the planting list though because I really don't remember reading anything about fountain grass and they've planted three clumps of the stuff. I hate that stuff. It always looks messy and it's a pain to maintain. After we move in I plan to sneak out in the dead of night to replace the stuff...one clump at a time. Shhh. Don't tell anyone.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What Happened in 1984?

The first photos of missing children were placed on milk cartons.

Bishop Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated.

The Soviet Union boycotted the summer Olympics in L.A.

Dan Marino (Miami Dolphin) threw a single-season record of 48 TD passes.

The #1 movie was Ghostbusters.

The #1 single was Prince's "When Doves Cry".

Newsweek magazine dubbed 1984 the "Year of the Yuppie".

44 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

15 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

Leftover corned beef. Mmmmmm. I made a reuban-like sandwich to share with HTP for lunch. No complaints at all. He'll be happy to hear that I plan to make the other cabbage I bought into cole slaw.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What Happened in 1983?

The U.S. invaded Grenada.

President Reagan first proposed SDI (Star Wars...the program, not the movie).

Vanessa Williams became the first black Miss America.

America's first poet laureate was Robert Penn Warren.

A truck bomb in Lebanon killed 241 U.S. soldiers.

Michael Jackson's Thriller became the bestselling album of all time.

M*A*S*H ended after 251 episodes.

Terms of Endearment won 5 Oscars.

45 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

16 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I've got my cabbage and I have my corned beef and I have my red potatoes and I have my beer (no green beer...I'm not that far gone). Actually, the corned beef looked so good yesterday at the store, I bought two. I made one batch last night for supper and plan to make the second brisket tonight for supper tonight. HTP's only comment was, "What did I do to deserve this?" Diner Whiner! My dinner tasted great! I'm going to have to see if I can find the mustard sauce recipe I used last year though. My son reminded me about it. I had found the recipe on the net. With any luck (of the Irish) it'll still be there.


Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What Happened in 1982?

The Falklands War began and ended.

The first issue of USA Today hit the stands.

Graceland opened to the public (adults:$6.50;kids:$4.50).

The first artificial heart transplant was performed on Barney Clark.

Time magazine's man of the year was Pac-Man.

Late Night with David Letterman debuted on NBC.

The #1 movie was E.T.:The Extra-Terrestrial.

46 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

17 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

Oh my! I've got to go shopping. Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day! I need to go out and buy my corned beef brisket, cabbage, and new potatoes! Now! St. Patrick's Day is the only day HTP allows me to cook that sort of thing without making negative comments. OK. He still makes negative comments but he doesn't throw himself on the floor to throw a tantrum.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What Happened In 1981?

President Reagan and Pope John Paul II were shot. Both recovered.

The whole world watched as Prince Charles married Lady Diana.

Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court.

52 U.S. hostages were released from Iran (you could actually see the powers that be in Iran thumbing their collective noses at Jimmy Carter).

AIDS was identified for the first time.

MTV debuted.

Chariots of Fire won an Oscar for best picture.

My daughter was born....not Mink...the other one.

47 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

18 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

I thought this was so good that I decided, at the risk of repeating myself, to share. A friend of mine forwarded the following email to me.

****

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. " An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

-George Carlin

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What happened in 1980?

Ronald Reagan was elected as the 40th U.S. president, defeating Jimmy Carter.

John Lennon was assassinated.

Mount St. Helens erupted.

The #1 movie was The Empire Strikes Back.

The U.S. hockey team won Olympic Gold over the Soviet Union team.

Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again" won a Country Grammy.

1% of American homes had a PC

48 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

19 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

My son had to march in the Ostrich Festival Parade yesterday. Today he has to sell snowcones at the Ostrich Festival being held at Tumbleweed Park. Spring is getting ready to spring. My iceplant are starting to bloom. My dogs are losing their undercoats in huge tufts. The ducks are still swimming in the pond. I saw a goldfish jump out there yesterday. Sometimes I think my life has elements of the surreal. I wouldn't be at all surprised if a bunch of Blue Meanies showed up or maybe even a yellow submarine.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Animals That Have Been in Space

1. Dog
2. Chimp
3. Bullfrog
4. Cat
5. Tortoise
6. Bee
7. Cricket
8. Spider
9. Fish
10. Worm

49 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

20 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

My son is on vacation for the next two weeks. I had to buy loads of groceries because he'll be EATING at home and not at school. He's going to need his strength because although he may think he's on vacation, he will in actuality be kept very busy packing up all of his stuff. Poor boy. Poor me. I'm going to be doing the actual packing but I have to have him there to help me. There is no way that I would ever know what he'll want to keep, what he'll want to toss, what he can't live without until he gets to Wisconsin, what he can't live without for even a day. Decisions. It's going to be hard. I know. I already am looking longly at some of the boxes of books and other things that I packed away when we put this house up for sale.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Roman Delicacies, circa 200 A.D.

Parrot tongue
Ostrich brain
Thrush tongue
Peacock comb
Nightingale tongue

50 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

21 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

No time to blog right now. Check back later. While you're waiting, I'll try to think up something interesting to write. Oh...and better dig out your fly-swatters because the Cicadas Are Coming or maybe you should just go out and buy a new pair of earplugs.

On further consideration I can't think of anything interesting other then this little piece about the Attack Sea Lion that I just read. After that I can't see how you'd be interested in knowing that I picked out the window coverings for my new house and that I'm going to be spending the weekend trying to find the lowest possible price quote for said window coverings.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

I was horrified to find out that John James Audobon, 19th-century naturalist and pioneer of American wildlife conservation, found the birds that he wanted to paint and then shot them. In addition to painting, he was an avid hunter. According to David Wallechinsky in Significa, "He achieved unequaled realism by using freshly killed models held in lifelike poses by wires. Sometimes he shot dozens of birds just to complete a single picture."

51 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

22 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

Do you remember when the two weeks that students got off in the spring was called Easter Break? Do you remember Christmas break? The students still get the time off but it is now Spring Break and Winter Break. I wonder what my children's children will call it?

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

One of the most famous paintings of American history, that of Washington crossing the Delaware, leading his men into battle against the redcoats on Christmas Eve 1776, was painted 75 years after the battle by a German artist named Leutze. He used American tourists as models and substituted the Rhine River for the Delaware. He got the style of boat wrong; the clothing wrong; even the American flag was incorrect. This is a good example of artistic license.

52 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

23 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

My new house has granite countertops. They look great! Woohoo! Our carpet is being installed too and I've got a sample so I can go pick out my window coverings. Also we met with our new neighbor and our walled fence for the back is going to be installed on April 6th. The carpet isn't completely installed yet so I can't say that it looks great. The carpet installer didn't like it but what does he know. He thought it looked too dark. He probably would think my current carpet looks too dark. I bet he runs a carpet cleaning operation on the side for all those people who buy light colored carpets.

HTP and I were supposed to go to my son's concert at his school last night. We are awful parents. Sigh. We did go to the school. Our intentions were good but we discovered when we arrived at the school that there were an amazing amount of people at the school. It turns out that if we'd stayed, we would have had to sit through a concert featuring not only our son but two bands from the middle school, the varsity band and the concert band from the high school and our son would be finishing up the concert with his symphonic bands. Each of the bands, from the program, looked like they planned to play five numbers. My son's band is actually very good but I'm sorry. I just couldn't sit through all that in those horrible auditorium seats. I'm not sure my nerves could have stood the music of the other bands either. We ran in terror. Sorry. It's one thing to sit through a concert in which your own child is a participant. It's a whole other story when it comes to enduring a concert put on by someone who doesn't really know how to play too well yet and you don't even know any of them. I figured that by the time my son's band came on, I'd have worn down my back molars and I would have developed an eye tic. Plus, I would be inviting a migraine for today. I feel guilty but I don't have a migraine.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

You can't spread poison ivy (or poison oak) by touching, or even breaking, the blisters. The belief that poison ivy spreads through the bloodstream is equally false. If poison ivy resin is not washed off, the oil from the plant can last almost indefinitely at full strength. Clothing, shoes, gardening tools, etc. If you were unaware you'd encountered poison ivy (it can take two to four days for the first red spots or blisters to show), the resin could have spread to everything it touched. I've been fortunate so far and have never experienced the discomfort of a poison ivy reaction even though I know that I've come in repeated contact with the stuff. This doesn't mean that I ever plan to make floral arrangements with this plant or roll in it in my birthday suit. Adding it to a green garden salad or using it to fuel a fireplace fire would probably be a bad idea too.

53 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

24 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

We skipped right on past the 70's and the 80's. Yesterday the temperature was in the 90's. Ahhhh!!!!! Global Warming!!!!! I came within a hare's breath...I know...hair's breadth, of turning the air conditioner on yesterday. I do love this time of year in Arizona. I finally can leave the windows open...most of the day...but not if it's going to be in the 90's. At least I don't need to concern myself with the furnace anymore.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

A 2002 study by the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Vermont found that studies are often misleading. I could have told them that.

54 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

25 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

I enjoy my morning coffee while watching the various news stations on television. This morning a modicum of attention was spent on Iraq's new constitution...a tiny modicum. I wish they'd showed the same amount of restraint when it came to Martha Stewart. They've been going on and on and on like the energizer bunny ever since the verdict was read. They've dissected the whole issue until I finally had to run from the room and write my blog. Who cares? The only person or people who should care are Martha Stewart, her family and friends, the people employed by her company, and her shareholders. I have nothing against Martha. However, I now know far more about her then I'd ever care to know about someone that I don't know personally. I like the way she folds her towels, I think she's a bit anal about certain things, and I'll never understand why someone would only bake one dozen cookies, but aside from the fact that I wouldn't ever aspire to remake myself in her image, I really don't care to hear anymore Breaking News about Martha. Enough already. Tell me again how Bush is stonewalling the 9/11 investigation. Tell me again how upset 9/11 widows are with the new Bush ads. Tell me how we'd all be better off if Kerry were president because he promises to raise taxes. Inquiring minds want to know. But please no more Martha dissection. It's like watching a bunch of buzzards rip apart a fresh kill.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

In 2002 food industry researchers reported tht when children were told they couldn't have junk food, they wanted it even more. Industry spokespeople said that the study showed that children should decide for themselves how much junk food they should have.
I've been on a low-carb diet for over a year. Right now I'd rather have a loaded baked potato then a perfectly cooked filet mignon. Mmmm. Fresh baked bread.

55 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

26 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

I stopped wearing my watch on my wrist last year. It's almost been a year since then and I still have the mark left over. It's faded some but it's still there. I still wear my watch but I carry it on my belt. Unfortunately this becomes a problem when I don't wear a belt but I have noticed that I'm starting to lose my clock watching dependancy. Because of this, I don't keep a real close eye on my watch as I used to. Problems ensued recently because of leap year. It was an entire week before I realized that I was a date off. I say a date off because the day was correct and the date was wrong. Today is March 7th...not the 8th. Oh well...at least I don't need to worry about this again for another four years.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

In 2001 scientists at Cambridge University studied kinetic energy, centrifugal force, and the coefficient of friction...to determine the least messy way to eat spaghetti. I really hope my tax money didn't pay for this study.

56 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

27 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

After much research, HTP and I finally picked out our new refrigerator and washer and dryer for the new house. For some reason the people who bought our new house decided that they wanted our old appliances. Lucky me, I get all new appliances for the new house and I don't have to worry about moving the old ones. I'm excited about the new appliances that we just bought. They sure have changed things in the four years that it's been since we bought our last appliances.

We stopped by the new house yesterday and my tile has all been installed. We're told that the countertop and the carpet will be installed next week.

The rain has finally cleared out and we're told that we should expect temperatures in the high 80's by the end of the week. What happened to the 70's?

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

In 2003 researchers at Plymouth University in England studied primate intelligence by giving macaque monkeys a computer. They reported that the monkeys attacked the machine, threw feces at it, and, contrary to their hopes, failed to produce a single word. Sometimes I think monkeys are smarter then we think...especially when I have to deal with the hundreds of spam messages filling my email inbox.

57 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

28 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

Severe thunderstorm warnings? Enough hail to look like it snowed? Flooding in the streets? Yup. HTP said that we wouldn't see any rain until June. I heard thunder again this morning and it's still raining. But it's Friday and I'm sure that the sun will come out really soon. I say this because Arizona has been suffering a drought and maybe if I predict that the sun will come out and maybe if I say that we won't see any more rain until June; it'll rain some more and the drought will be over and I won't feel so guilty about overseeding my lawn with winter grass so that the house would look better when we put it up for sale. The dogs are really going to be disappointed that we can't go for our walk again this morning. Need I tell you that one of my little chihuahuas actually snarled at me when I suggested it last night?

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

A 2002 study in Saudi Arabia concluded that women were responsible for 50% of the car accidents in the country. Please note that women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. This all kind of reminds me of the first time my son tried to blame one of his sisters for something...but they couldn't have been responsible because they were both away at college. Oops! Of course, to be fair, it also reminds me of the time my eldest daughter tried to blame the younger daughter for writing her name (correctly I must add) in crayon on the window sill of our house. The younger daughter was only old enough to enjoy the taste of crayons at the time.

58 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

29 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

HTP really shouldn't have assured me that we wouldn't be seeing any rain until June. It's raining again and it's cold. 48°F is cold for Phoenix, AZ. I suspect that we'll see a few cold days to come when we move to Wisconsin but I have a real fireplace there to sit in front of that uses real wood. I guess I won't be doing any dog walking today. Good thing I don't have to hang any clothes out to dry in the sun (HOA prohibits clothes lines of any kind so I can't do that anyway but if the HOA didn't have that rule I would hang stuff in the sun if there was any sun today). I still have to do laundry. STP doesn't have a thing to wear because I was in Vegas during the time I usually do laundry.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Folk Remedies

To cure swollen eyes, put crab eyes on the back of your neck.

A piece of deer hoof worn in a ring will cure epilepsy.

If you touch a sleeping person with a frog tongue, they will reveal their secrets to you. (LEAVE MY TONGUE ALONE !!!!!!)

59 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

30 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, as soon as we eat breakfast w'ell be heading out the door. HTP always rags me about packing my suitcases the night before when we're traveling. I just can't function well enough in the morning before my first cup of coffee to pack in any kind of logical fashion. HTP hasn't packed yet.

I had a really relaxing time here in Vegas and I'm all energized to return to Arizona to get ready for the move. Two moves really. One move to the new home and one move to Wisconsin. I won't start the countdown on that until I figure out when we're leaving. STP (Son Type Person) hasn't been told when he has to report for orientation and he wants to spend every golden last moment with his friends in Arizona before heading to the wilds of Wisconsin.

After a nice breakfast and a nicer visit with my parents, we drove the long drive back to Arizona, across The Dam where there was no real traffic (vehicular or pedestrian), and through the mountains and the desert. It was fast. We got some rain (not wrath of God rain or man the buckets we're sinking rain like in the Midwest but rain that you have to turn your windshield wipers on nonetheless and often tends to panic the locals who don't see it very often) all because HTP said there we wouldn't see any rain until June. Thankfully no-one panicked when they saw the wet stuff coming from the sky. We're safe and sound back here at home. All my bags are unpacked and I'm ready to eat.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

More Cures that Could Ail You

To fix a limp, rub the bad leg with skunk or wildcat grease.

To stop a nosebleed, pack you nose with cobwebs (actually...this probably does work in a pinch).

To reduce a fever, eat watermelon or chew turnips.

60 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

31 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

I had oysters again last night. Raw on the half shell with a whole tankard (looked like a pitcher to me) of Shiner Bock beer. Then we went over and ate supper at the Italian restaurant here at the casino. I should have stayed at the bar and had another dozen oysters. Usually the food at the Italian restaurant is better but last night...Does tomato paste mixed with water draw you a picture? This was poured over a bed of overcooked angel hair pasta and covered with equally overcooked seafood. I'm assuming that last night was a fluke because I have eaten there many times in the past and we'll just forget about that unfortunate case of food poisoning I got that one time. Stuffed salmon. Never eat stuffed salmon. Usually their food is great! Maybe we'll eat at the other restaurant tonight.

I'm going to meet my parents for breakfast this morning. Then I've got a hair appointment/spa treatment appointment which is supposed to take three hours away from my gambling time. Fine by me. I figure that the cost of this spa treatment will be a lot less then what I'd spend at the tables.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

I stole the following trivia from the this website because I forgot to pack my Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader in my quick escape to Vegas. I also forgot to pack the lemons that I wanted to bring for my Mom.

American car horns beep in the tone of F.

No piece of paper can be folded more than 7 times.

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

1 in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age or older.

The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.

The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.

61 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)

32 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)

I've escaped. HTP and I ran away to Las Vegas for a few days. I've been lolling around in front of the video poker machine. I don't do reel slots. I stayed up late and I woke up late. I think the sun must have risen. I'm only up right now because I need coffee. Coffee. I'm going to go down and get a coffee at the kiosk in the park. Anyone who knows me knows where I'm staying. I've got a gold card and my room and board is free. Too bad the machines aren't free. Oh well. So far I've made a profit but that will change I know. We're here to decompress from all the stress of house selling. We're here to build up the needed energy to tackle all the things that need doing when we get back.

My son is supposed to be taking care of the house, the dogs, the plants, and on top of that, he has to get to school on time. We waited until he was out of the house on a jazz band activity before we made our escape. I feel so guilty. We left him a note. I'm going to have to bring him a present. Chocolate? Ethyl M's. MMMMM. I think I'd better hold off getting that until we're just ready to leave or it'll never make it back to Arizona. Maybe I'll go down there after coffee and get some chocolate.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

On this day in 1974, an American grand jury issued indictments against President Nixon's top aides, including John Ehrlichman, in the Watergate case.