Random Tuesday Thoughts: SCORE!!!

My daughter flew home from Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving.  She got body scanned in Pittsburgh.  When she arrived in Philadelphia, there were protesters outside the ARRIVALS, where there is no security.  All the security is at the DEPARTURES terminal.  DUH!


One of the protesters approached her, trying to give her info on refusing the scan.  She promptly said, "Nope!  I liked it!"   This kid cracks me up!


I had to drive her back to school, near Pittsburgh.  My only worry was hitting snow as I drove over the mountain near Altoona and points west.  We did see snow on one side of the mountain that isn't exposed to direct sunlight, but the day was sunny and we had no precipitation.  Score one for me!


I didn't have to do up and back in one day.  My ex got me a room at the Marriott in Altoona (about an hour from school).  He travels a lot for work and has about a bazillion Marriott points.  I had a nice room that even had a sofa.   I enjoyed a nice quiet evening.  Another score for me!


It would have been more special if I still had kids living at home.  I get solitary a lot of the time, so this was no big deal.


I want that bed though.  I woke up with no back ache for the first time in a while!  Score!


I had to take a day off work to do this but I discovered they weren't busy and spent the better part of the day decorating.  Score another for me!


I go back to work tomorrow, after having 2 days off in a row.  Then I get my regular day off.  Score!


I think I'm randomed out.


Keely  is the host for Random Tuesday Thoughts.  Go check her out at The Un Mom for lots more fun Randomness!!  

Monday's Music Moves Me: Christmas Carols

Amanda at Bloggin’ with Amanda hosts Musical Monday – What Move’s You?. You can get the instructions by clicking here. 

Lorie at The Shrewbridges of Celebration, FL told me about Monday's Music Moves Me, so here's another cool music blog meme to do!


Tis the season!  


Okay, I'll confess a little secret.  Christmas music makes me cry, especially the hymns. And more so if either or both of my daughters are singing them. I truly do love to listen to Christmas music and especially the ones I learned in Catholic grade school.   All month long, our Monday's Music Moves Me theme will be Christmas songs.  I'm going to start by posting my very favorite, all time Christmas hymn ever.  "O Holy Night" is such a beautiful hymn and no one can sing this song like Josh Groban!  Enjoy this lovely Christmas hymn with me.





O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angel voices!
Oh night divine! Oh night when Christ was born!
Oh night divine! Oh night! Oh night divine!

Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother,
and in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise his holy name.
Christ is the lord, that ever, ever praise we.
Noel! Noel! Oh night;oh night divine!
Noel! Noel! Oh night; oh night divine!
Noel! Noel! Oh night; oh night divine!

A little musical fun

My daughter sent me a couple of really good youtube videos that I thought I'd share.  The first is by an a cappella group called Straight No Chaser.  It's there version of uh, well.... The 12 Days of Christmas... sort of.  Hope you find it as amusing as I did.




This next one is also by Straight No Chaser.  When I was in high school,our mascot was the Lion.  The night before a football game, the opposing team would most like get the local radio station to play The Lion Sleeps Tonight.  I guess the rest did our team good... we had a championship team for quite a few years!  Here is SNC's version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight.



Last but not least is another a cappella group called Perpetuum Jazzile, doing their version of Toto's Africa.  This group makes all the sounds you hear in the song.... the rain, the thunder.  It's incredible!  Enjoy!

Six Word Saturday : Upside/Downside

Oy vey!  Do my feet hurt!

Upside:

Yesterday was Black Friday.  I'm a server at TGI Fridays, located in a mall.  Needless to say, we were quite busy!  

Downside:

There was no time for any of us to sit down and eat.  We never stopped from 11 am until after 3 pm, when it slowed down for a bit.  

Upside:

Thankfully, night shift comes on at 3:45 on the weekends.  I sure was happy to see them arrive!  

Downside:

Tomorrow I expect more of the same.   Boy do my feet hurt!

Upside:

I do get a 2 day break after tomorrow.

Downside:

That's because I have to drive my daughter back to school on Sunday ... a 520 miles round trip drive.  

Upside:

At least I don't have to do it all in one day.  My ex travels a lot for work and has tons and tons of points for free Marriott hotel rooms.  He got one for me, so I can break the trip up.    

Downside:

I'll miss work on Monday, so I'm not making any money that day!

Upside:

I have a date with John tonight, and by date I mean I go to his house and fall asleep on the sofa because I'll be too tired to move.   I bet I can get him to rub my feet for a while!

I just hope there's no snow in the mountains when I drive Dani back to school on Sunday!  I hate driving in snow!

Want to try your own Six Word Saturday? Go see Cate at Show My Face and link up!

Black Friday

Black Friday.  Just the thought of shopping with all those crazed people, looking for bargains, makes 
me want to go screaming back to my bed.  


I will not be doing any shopping today.  I will, however, be at the mall.  Because that's where I work.  


I'm a server at TGI Fridays at our local mall.  I do hope we're busy today, so I can earn lots and lots of good tips.  I do not, however look forward to trying to find a parking space at the mall.  If Dani wasn't so exhausted, I'd have her drop me off and pick me up at the end of my shift, like I did for her last night and early this morning. But she can't because she's asleep and she really needs the sleep.


You see, when she's at home, she works at  our local outlet mall.  That place is I-N-S-A-N-E!  

Dani learned her lesson last Thanksgiving.  She was scheduled to work midnight to 8 am.  She left for work about 45 minutes early.  After driving around for over an hour and not being able to secure a parking spot, she drove home and got a friend to drive her back and drop her off.  She was an hour and a half late for work. I picked her up in the morning when it wasn't as insane.


So this year, I dropped her off around 9:30, before it got crazy.  She was scheduled to work until 8 am.  She told me she might stay and work later, if possible.  At 6 am, she sent me a text message.  "I'm leaving at 8.  And not a minute later."  (I think she had a rough night... not to mention a serious lack of sleep).  I was there before she got off work and was able to get a close parking spot. (it had calmed down somewhat)

Dani has to be back there at 7 pm tonight, but she's taking my car.  She's finished work at 2 am. And again on Saturday.  On Sunday, I drive her back to school.  


So I'm on my own for getting to work today.   I just hope it's worth my while!


Wish me luck!

Glad I wasn't at THIS Thanksgiving feast!

This is a re-run from last year.  I thought it was, well... amusing, I suppose, so I wanted to tell it again.

This is a story that was told to me quite a few years ago.  My ex-brother-in-law told us this tale about his aunt, many years ago.

Bryan's aunt was hosting Thanksgiving dinner.  All the relatives were there.  Everyone was having a good time.  Lots of food and drink on the table.  They all enjoyed the great spread.

Some hours later, one by one, the relatives started to feel sick.  Then they started to  "lose their lunch".  Since it was a holiday weekend, the doctors' offices were closed, so they each went to the hospital.  

It took a while to get the facts, but it turned out that Auntie served a fresh turkey.  She bought it live and had to kill it and remove the feathers and other fun stuff before she could cook it.  

Now the way to kill a turkey is to wring it's neck.  Auntie didn't have the heart to do this, so she poisoned the bird !!!  She had no idea the poison would still be in the bird, and she ended up poisoning her entire family!  

Luckily, everyone recovered, but you can be damn sure Auntie wasn't allowed to cook any more holiday meals!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

One Word Wednesday: Splatter

SPLATTER

When I first saw the word for this week, which happens to be SPLATTER, I thought, "How in the hell world am I going to come up with something for Splatter?"  


Then, it came to me.  Jackson Pollock!   I have to say I'm not really a fan of his work.  I don't understand how throwing paint and smearing it and flinging it onto a canvas with a brush can be considered art.  I think a lot of it looks cool, but give me a good Monet or Van Gogh and you'll see me smile.  


The thing is, I don't think I understand what his message is.


Anyway, here is a photo of Jackson Pollock at work.

And here area  few of his paintings that I thought looked cool.

I think I like the bright colored ones the best.

 Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) 


Jill, from Jillsy Girl, our host at One Word Wednesday is getting some real life stuff done and Sally from  Sally G. has been gracious enough to host One Word Wednesday for the next few weeks.  Check these ladies out, they're awesome!!

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Guess who!!

I did something I've never done before.  I wrote blog posts for the next 4 Mondays, for Monday's Music Moves Me and Musical Mondays. I downloaded songs from youtube, added lyrics (in case you are of the mind to sing along).  You see, the theme for the next for weeks is Christmas Carols!  I have a few favorites, so I wanted to make sure I had them all while they were fresh in my mind.   You will have to wait for the next 4 Mondays to find out what they are!  The only hints you get are I'm Catholic, and they're all hymns.  No holly jolly Christmas songs on my blog this year (although I did think about it).


I'm going to be making another road trip to western PA before the week is out.  My younger daughter is flying in from Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving (Daddy Dearest probably bought her a plane ticket)  Guess who gets to pick her up on Wednesday night from Philadelphia Airport?  Guess who gets to drive her to work before 11 pm  on Thanksgiving night (she works at an outlet mall and they're open ALL NIGHT LONG AND IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A PARKING SPACE).  Guess who gets to pick her up at 8 am or 9 am the next day, before she herself has to go to work and fight for a parking space at a different mall?  And guess who gets to drive her back to Pittsburgh on Sunday?


My ex travels a lot for work, as does Maleficent (they work together... how cute), so they get lots and lots of frequent flyer miles and Marriott points.  Guess who got her ex to get her a room at the Marriott for Sunday night so she doesn't have to drive to and from Pittsburgh on the same day?  Score!!


Our company is being sold.  The deal should be done by the end of January.  This is a long story that I"ll write about when it's a done deal and we know what's happening.  All of our jobs should be safe.  I'm just hoping I don't lose my seniority.   One thing I might lose is my 3 weeks paid vacation.  It's not much, but a lot of restaurants don't give their wait staff paid vacations.  My anniversary date is Feb. 11 and I have 1 week of vacation still coming to me.  Guess who's taking a week in January, just in case?


My Christmas shopping has been started.  I haven't started this early since my ex left. (my kids were lucky we had Christmas that year!  I was not in good shape for Christmas 2005.  Christmas 2004 was no picnic either.)  Anyway, the kids know my budget and are staying within it.  My son keeps telling me he doesn't want anything for Christmas.  Not gonna happen!!!  The girls?  They have no problem coming up with ideas for me!  To top it off, my youngest has a birthday on December 26.  Guess who won't have any teenagers starting on that date?  Hard to believe that Danielle will be 20!

Guess who is the host for Random Tuesday Thoughts?  That's right!  It's Keely!!  Go check her out  at The Un Mom for lots more fun Randomness!!  

Musical Mondays Moves Me!: songs that begin with T (in honor of Thanksgiving)

Amanda at Bloggin’ with Amanda hosts Musical Monday – What Move’s You?. You can get the instructions by clicking here. 

Lorie at The Shrewbridges of Celebration, FL told me aboutMonday's Music Moves Me, so here's another cool music blog meme to do!


This Monday, in honor of Thanksgiving,we are supposed to submit songs that begin with the letter T.


This old favorite from the 1970s popped into my head immediately!  I've always been a fan of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.  Their album, Deja Vu is one of my all-time favorites!!!  As a matter of fact, the very first concert we (my ex and I ) took our kids to was a (much older) CSNY concert in Philadelphia back in 1999.  Gina was 15, Tim was 11 (and HORRIFIED that people were (gasp!!)  smoking MARIJUANA!!) and Dani was 8 (she fell asleep).  I still have the T-shirt we purchased and I wear it as a night shirt quite often!


So, without further ado, I give you... Teach Your Children.







Teach Your Children
by Graham Nash

You, who are on the road
Must have a code
That you can live by.
And so, become yourself
Because the past
Is just a goodbye.

Teach, your children well
Their father's hell
Did slowly go by 
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick's
The one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would die
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.

And you (Can you hear and) 
Of tender years (Do you care and)
Can't know the fears (Can you see we)
That your elders grew by (Must be free to)
And so please help (Teach your children)
Them with your youth (You believe and)
They seek the truth (Make a world that)
Before they can die (We can live in)

Teach your parents well
Their children’s hell
Will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick's
The one you’ll know by.

Don’t you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.

Sunday Cinema

Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for.


John loves to collect movie DVDs.  When a new movie comes out, he usually waits until the price drops a bit before purchasing it.  


Sometimes, John find "deals"... you know,  2 movies, somewhat related on one DVD and usually quite cheap.  A few weeks ago, John bought several such DVDs.  Some even have famous actors starring them.

Last Sunday, we decided to watch "Allan Quartermain and the Temple of Skulls"  This movie was made in 2008, not to be confused with the 1986 movie "Allan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold".   The later movie was filmed in South Africa, with a South African cast.  It was, without a doubt, beyond  bad!!  The 1986 movie, while not an Academy Award winner by any means was considerably more entertaining.  It starred Richard Chamberlain, Sharon Stone and James Earl Jones.

Along with The Temple of Skulls" was the movie "The Land That Time Forgot" and John said this was nearly as bad.  Thankfully, I was spared watching this one.

Today, another Sunday afternoon, here we are, watching another "bargain basement " movie.  This one is called "The Magic Sword", a movie about knights, an evil sorcerer and the mythical magic sword.  It stars Basil Rathbone as the evil sorcerer and Estelle Winwood.  It's mildly better than the movie from last week.  I'm rather amused by how hokey it is.


I can't wait (said, dripping with sarcasm) to see the other DVDs he bought that same day.  The Guns of the Magnificent Seven (sequel to The Magnificent Seven) with George Kennedy and James Whitmore.  Then there is the THREE movie DVD!!  I Am Omega (yet another version of I Am Legend), Monster, about the terror that's unleashed when an earthquake  hits Japan and the third gem is Alien vs. Hunter, when aliens attack earth.  


Oh boy!!  Get the Popcorn ready!!


Thank goodness tonight I get to see a really GOOD movie!  We going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!!

Six Word Saturday

I finally started my Christmas shopping!!!

Want to try your own Six Word Saturday? Go see Cate at Show My Face and link up!

Spin Cycle: Giving Thanks

This week's Spin Cycle is all about Giving Thanks.  It's also the last spin cycle we'll be doing for a while, since Jen from Sprite's Keeper is giving it a rest for a bit.  I hope she brings it back before too long.  Although I didn't always participate, I did enjoy reading everyone's contributions.  I'll miss them!  But please hop over to her blog and see what others are thankful for!


I have a lot to be thankful for these days.  Here are some of the many things I'm thankful for!


I'm thankful for the fact that I have a job that I like.  We could be busier, and I'd make more money (I'm a server in a restaurant), but I'm on the schedule 5 days a week.  I like my job most of the time.  I like most of the people I work with.  I get 3 weeks paid vacation.  The vacation pay is not a lot of money. but there are a lot of restaurants that don't give paid vacations to the wait staff.  And for that I am grateful.


I'm thankful that I have 3 really good, responsible kids.  They're all smart, resourceful, they've never been arrested.  I love them a lot!  I think I'll keep them.  I also really like who they love in their lives.  


I'm thankful to have John in my life.  He came along just when I was resigned to living the rest of my life alone.  We have our challenges, but we choose to agree to disagree on some things (politics, for example).  He treats me with respect and thinks I'm the best thing since sliced bread.  We love each other quite a lot.  Who knows?  Maybe someday I might even let him marry me!


I'm thankful for the wonderful advances in medicine, especially the strides they've made in cancer research and cancer treatment.  I'm thankful for Dr. Sunita Nasta (a brilliant oncologist and hematologist) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. who saved John's life last year when his cancer (Lymphoma) returned for the 3rd time in 2 years.  His stem cell transplant (they used his own stem cells) seems to have killed the cancer for good and he's healthy again.


I'm sure I could name countless other reasons to be thankful.  The ones I've listed above are the most important ones (and not necessarily in that order!)


So, what are you thankful for?


Check out the Over 40 Bloggers List below!  

How times have changed!

Times sure have changed!  I'm talking about medicine here.  I'm not sure if it's strides in the medical profession or the insurance companies that have made times change so much.  Let me explain.


I got a phone call last night from my daughter, who is away at school.  She was in the drug store looking for medicine for her boyfriend who was having terrible stomach cramps.  He felt bloated, like he had gas but he couldn't pass any.  He was really in a lot of pain.  I told her to try Gas-X, and then said I was getting on WebMD when I learned the pain was mostly on his right side.  I just wanted to try to rule out appendicitis.


I checked it out.

What Causes Appendicitis?

Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes blocked, often by stool, a foreign body, or cancer. Blockage may also occur from infection, since the appendix swells in response to any infection in the body.

What Are the Symptoms of Appendicitis?

The classic symptoms of appendicitis include:

• Dull pain near the navel or the upper abdomen that becomes sharp as it moves to the lower right abdomen. This is usually the first sign.
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and/or vomiting soon after abdominal pain begins
• Abdominal swelling
• Fever of 99° F to 102° F
• Inability to pass gas

• Severe cramps
• 
  

Call your doctor if:

• You have pain that matches these symptoms. Do not eat, drink, or use any pain remedies, antacids, laxatives, or heating pads, which can cause an inflamed appendix to rupture.
• If you have any of the mentioned symptoms seek medical attention immediately since timely diagnosis and treatment is very important.

If you have any of the mentioned symptoms, seek medical attention immediately since timely diagnosis and treatment is very important.

I called my daughter back and told her to get online and check out WebMD before she gave him any medication, because if he does have appendicitis, it could cause the appendix to rupture, and he sure doesn't want that!

She did and it turns out her boyfriend had almost all of those symptoms, so they headed off to the hospital.  She sent me a text in the middle of the night that his appendix were inflamed and they were going to remove them in the morning.  She said he was in a lot of pain.

This morning, he had his appendix removed, and the surgery went well.

Okay, here's where I'm talking about times changing.  

Way back in 1971, when I was 14 years old, I also had my appendix removed.  Actually what I had was a cyst on my right ovary and they removed my appendix while they were at it.  We were told since the appendix was exposed, it was possible there could be a problem down the road and it was better to get rid of it now than later.

I was in the hospital for 8 days after my surgery and home recuperating for 2 weeks after that.  I had a friend who was in all my classes (I was a high school freshman) and she came over every night and taught me everything I was missing.

My daughter's boyfriend will be released probably by dinnertime, and will most likely be back in class on Monday.

It's amazing to me how quickly they release people now, when I was laid up for 3 weeks for the same surgery!

Times, they sure have changed!