Celebration of Life Together

February 8, 2014

Coke, grass, chips and chocolate make for a successful party, the first two catch your attention, the latter two make it sound completely boring. The cat climbs into laps that don’t belong to him.

One of the guests put the fuzzy Vera Wang slippers on the wrong feet. She gloms the pair from the variety, in a basket, near the door, and obviously isn’t paying attention in her excitement. Upon discovery, she covers her mistake well by sharing a story from when her daughter was little. As her mother pointed out the same predicament, the four year old pipes up “These are not on the wrong feet, mom, they’re my feet!” Who could argue with that?

For those of you who were unable to attend the function, we spoke of allowing our grown children to fall down and make mistakes, after much consoling,  arguing, Judge-Judy-advice-giving, and hand wringing. We decided the best way to come up with a co-op purchase is at a bar, on a napkin. Having it readily available, not to mention legible, at the first sign of a bump-in-the-road-conflict is another story. The group collectively agreed that a cat cannot be shared between three parties, no matter how much they would like to think an animal is like a shirt, it is certainly not one-in-the-same. Needing drama in our lives sometimes lights a fire, and excites the crowd. In the end, we choose not to pile in the car, and rescue the cat from a certain compromising demise.

Since there is no universal signal for gratitude, I am fortunate to be able to use my words. Thank you to my good friends, all of you for coming to my home and celebrating the warmth of camaraderie.

VISA Victory

February 7, 2014

     Her utter joy is audible through the phone lines. The long-awaited official Turkish VISA arrives, intact in the much anticipated Express Mail envelope. One small hiccup made us nervous that the document would not arrive in time for the Flight to Toronto, Istanbul and Izmir on Thursday. It is a weird and wonderful system of permission to travel around the planet. Cash, documents to prove citizenship, official papers verifying sufficient savings, credible signatures from authorizing institutions and an agreement to arrive and leave on designated dates. It appears to be a game that rivals Monopoly.

     As any other great undertaking, this one instigates foreboding and dizzy excitement. Sleepless nights twirl the busy mind into the unknown cave of adventure. Pinpointing the cause of nervousness is a feat. How will I be accepted at the University, what are my two roommates like, will we get along, can I be happy, safe, effective, secure, do I have enough money, can I get around easily, will I be healthy and wise? Breakthroughs happen in breakdowns and challenges. Confidence and taking a Wonder Woman stance is most helpful to conquer all.

     One VISA down, seventeen thousand tests to go!

Death Agreement

February 6, 2014

Imagine having to sign a lease agreement, determining when you will be dying? Mrs. “B”chose an eight month contract, last year, she outlived her nine month signature. She must give a two month notice to vacate and create a list of people who can come and go in her apartment, from that date on. It isn’t enough to decide what precious cargo to leave to whom.

Unbeknownst to me, the doodads I moved around on top of the bureau made it impossible for Mrs. “B” to access the stations on her radio with the remote. The ribs were just undercooked enough that the meat didn’t pull easily away from the bone. The meals I prepared and stored on the top shelf of the frig were too far over to the left for said client to place her water jug to cool. I was “written-up,” once again.  

I have to laugh and complete my pilates, walk daily and eat a lot of chocolate or “someone” would be left, tied to her lift chair with gauze and medical tape across her mouth. Watching “Nurse Jackie’s” wrath gives me plenty of ideas for revenge. The only problem is- the simple fact that I am the solo caregiver, aside from the family. Cops would show up at my house, knowing I am the only suspect, haul me away, and throw away the key. I assume a friend would be willing to bring me a cake with a hidden knife. I would do the same for you. That’s what friends are for.

Rest Haven

February 4, 2014

The SafeZone is a service for homeless youth. They have medical clinics, GED programs, find and subsidize housing for six months, job assistance, shelters, clothes closet, case management, food shelf, meals, walk-in counseling, shower/laundry service, computer lab, resource room, independent living skills, sexual health education and street outreach. I pitched the agency to hold a series of courses for young women in their system. My topics include but are not limited to:

Heartfelt Living
Humble Forgiveness
Opportunistic Vulnerability
Creating Right Livelihood
Underemployed Power
Spiritual and Financial Prosperity
Transitional Relationship Success
Creative Calm
Loving Altruism
Enlightening Eating for a Healthy Body
Loving Kindness
Truthful Compassion
The Journey for Best Place to Land
Open Vulnerability
Splendid Acceptance

This simply means that I will not be able to go out and play very much in the next…oh, say, ten months, but I promise to keep the noise down to a dull roar and drink responsibly from the couch, with the laptop glaring in front of me.  If only I knew someone with a little hut on the beach in some tropical island or a remote cabin at the base of a mountain, to hide away, hammer out the details of my curriculum. Wringing material out of my noggin is not always a simple task. Lots of snacks in small bowls within arms reach are helpful.

Stand corrected

Hello!

Thanks to one of my PEEPS, I stand corrected on my misinformed statement regarding an "increase in domestic violence calls during Super Bowl Sunday." I was under the impression, the uniformed cop on the Big Island of Hawaii, was correct in his assessment of said issue when he barked the stats from under his Ken hairdo. I did not check with snopes.com before posting, and should have. Many untrue rumors have been spread this way. My apologies to those of you who were shocked and appalled.

I cannot promise to check with snopes.com at every turn...or my Blog will be definitively more boring. On the upside, at least I know one person is reading it.

My toes are numb. Although we are much above the zero mark outdoors today, I have several layers on inside the house. Sweating and shivering never suits me. Doubt I have the flu, just have to bite the bullet and turn the heat up. Most of the time, I feel as though I am only increasing the air temperature to the floor above my head, since I can only feel a difference if I sit or stand near the radiator. The utility bill increases and I only get warmer when said bill shows up in my mailbox. Heat rises and my head is much warmer on that particular day of the month.

My new Sorted Affairs brochures appeared in the mail last week. The mailman always avoids me since I jump for joy every time I get a package. He lunges away simultaneously tossing the item, seemingly to dodge human contact. I am told I give good hugs but he doesn't know that. Perhaps I should send him to snopes.com.

Go Seahawks!

February 2, 2014

Eating my nose-is-running hot tomales from the El Burrito market down the street. Wow! Contemplating what I want for snacks for the Super Bowl later today. Hm. Nachos, pretzels, popcorn, stuffed baked potato, cheetos, beer, wasabe trail mix, chocolate, tea, pizza or egg rolls. Triple hm.

Thanksgiving is the only day of the year that beats out the high caloric intake during the Super Bowl. What about watching the finale of the football season makes people crazy for junk food? It is also the highest domestic violence activity day of the year. Is there a connection? I just feel flat out lazy and lumpy when I watch the game, hollering and jumping up and down on occasion takes up all of my excess energy. I couldn’t hurt a flea today. My arms are sore from keeping them above my head for hours, okay minutes on end. Seattle Seahawks are playing. Suppose I should root for them since I have never lived in Colorado, just passed through the airports and spent a bit of time in Boulder and Denver on business, Colorado Springs to visit friends and skiing at a number of the resorts for a week or two. No long-term relationship category means they don’t deserve my cheers.

Soul Savers

February 1, 2014

My shoes say I am not one to stick to the path. They eagerly plunge into the pebbly mud, fresh snow, where things are unclean and messy. My dog adores my shoes. He knows it is time to take a walk as I carry the pair across the room to sit in the chair, to pull them on my feet. We all stroll the familiar streets at a rapid pace, especially when the temps drop below zero, and the wind whips back and forth across the wide space. My shoes, sensible and sturdy, supportive, and at times, unpredictable, march through life with determination and obstinacy.  Though not appearing weak or timid, they cover-up the uncertainty in rough terrain or slick surfaces. Courageous and consistent, my shoes do not waver. Sizable and typically one shade of brown or another, they last a good long time since there are so many of the pairs. Who doesn’t love a closet full of shoes?