A strange growth appeared on my bumper - I swear I didn't hit anything - that sort of looks like an "outie" belly button. Hubby offered to drill it out, fill it with Bondo, sand it with rubbing compound and repaint it. OY is what I thought but what I said was "how about a nice bumper sticker?"
So off I went to peruse Cafepress.com. There are literally thousands of bumper stickers so surely I could find one to do the trick. I ruled out anything political or religious, not wanting to tempt any crazies to do additional damage to my ride. Of course I have no Honor Students to brag about, no Baby-On-Board, no family members in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. I don't brake for much of anything except red lights, stop signs and jaywalking pedestrians. My Other Car is not a Cessna Airplane nor do I love Soccer, Gardening or Zumba. I definitely agree Cancer Sucks but I think I'd like something a little less depressing on my car's rear end. And Please! Do NOT Honk if you love Jesus - I may have an accident.
I think this one may be the winner....
;-)
I'm about halfway through Dan Brown's newest blockbuster novel Inferno. The bad guy is obsessed that our planet's population is on an unstoppable trajectory that will result in a hellish existence of starvation and brutal fighting for survival - a good reason to want to unleash a 21st century Black Plague and sharply reduce the citizenry.
I remember the stir The Population Bomb caused when it was published in1968. And there have been many others who predict the end of human existence due to our bad habit of reproducing.
But I do not worry a great deal about this. Why? Because I believe we will invent our way out of our most vexing problems. We desalinize ocean water, have nuclear powered electric plants, grow crops in deserts and breed fish in farms. We no longer worry that we will run out of whale blubber to light our streets or that the need for paper will destroy all trees on Earth.
Then again, maybe things won't be so great. I read this article that makes the case for insects (bugs) being one of the best hopes for a sustainable food source for the 9 billion people who will be sitting down to dinner in 2050.
Hey, are insects kosher? :-(
As I'm slowly working my way to "antique" status myself I am lucky to have a few really nice pieces to keep me company. I've come to appreciate these "oldies but goodies" more when I see other old treasures appraised on Antique Roadshow. But most surprising of all are the "great finds" the guys on American Pickers are willing to pay for uh, junk in the attic. Who Knew?? I would have saved more stuff ;-)
While passing through Puyallup Washington in the late 1970s a gentleman offered us this radio for $25. He said "take it, you will be happy you did". It was the last thing I needed or wanted at the time. Guess what? Its "golden throat" that runs on vacuum tubes still works! Years later we bought two extra sets of tubes and we listened to the first Gulf War on its short wave.
The bit of rug shown in the picture is from hubby's grandmother's oriental rug, purchased almost 100 years ago at Nahigian carpets in Chicago. It has a genuine horsehair pad. A few years ago we had it refringed and cleaned for $900. The specialist at Odabashian carpets said it was well worth it. I would not part with it for the winning Powerball lottery ticket.
The curved oak chest is one of two (the second is a smaller version) that my BFF sent me. She loved to go to estate sales and hunt for antiques. I loved these pieces when she got them and loved them even more when they arrived from Chicago.
I have other old treasures too. But I'm keeping the Pickers far away from my door!
The summer preview issue of Entertainment Weekly (EW) magazine arrived yesterday with a big headline "99 Ways To Spend 99 Days". And truthfully, I am indeed looking forward to spending those lazy, hazy days of summer in blissful dilatoriness. And thanks to EW I've added a few TV options to my plans for total self indulgence.
I don't have plans for all 99 days of summer but here are a few...
I read this great story about how a total stranger captured this couple's Magic Moment (no explanation needed) and went to great lengths (well social media anyway) to track them down.
I wish I had captured a few more of the moments that were special to me. I've taken a lot more pictures since I started carrying a smartphone but truth be told, I didn't even recognize a lot of my Magic Moments until years afterwards.
I don't have enough pictures playing with my godchildren when they were babies. Not enough pictures of friends from high school or snippets of daily life. Not a single picture of my graduation from college or my bit part onstage in a Temple youth group production penned and produced by the now truly famous director Stuart Gordon.
Truisms: Blessed are the Pessimists for they have made back-ups. And Blessed are the Photographers for they have preserved our memories...
;-)
I'm watching the devastation in Moore Oklahoma on the news. I remember another tornado from 34 years ago.
When we pulled into Wichita Falls Texas in our tractor-trailer on April 8, 1979, hubby said he was feeling awful and did not argue when I suggested the emergency room. A bad sign. He was immediately admitted with a case of pneumonia. We were sitting in his room when news of an impending tornado came over the TV. "We don't have to worry" he said "until we hear a train coming". As soon as he said it there came the sound of a locomotive that felt like it was right next door. He got dressed and by the time we left his room injured people were already filling up the hospital lobby. We made it to the truck somehow and luckily it was OK. Hubby chased away two would-be thieves with his pellet gun (it looked real) who were trying to siphon our fuel (silly them, it was diesel and not much use to them) and we drove away from the devastation. We headed to Amarillo and when I saw the Big Texan Steak sign I finally exhaled.
At least here in Florida when a hurricane is on the horizon we get plenty of advance notice to buy supplies and formulate a plan. With a tornado you can go from OK to sheer terror in a matter of minutes.
My prayers are with the folks in Oklahoma...
Reader's Digest had a regular article called "Most Unforgettable Character". After seeing the new movie Star Trek - Into Darkness this afternoon, I realized that Kirk, Spock, Checkov, Sulu, Bones, Uhura and Scotty are some of the most unforgettable characters that ever entered my consciousness. I, like everyone else, have never forgotten them and just like old friends, I hurry to see them whenever they reappear after a long absence.
From watching the original shows from hubby's parent's vinyl-clad sectional in 1967 to seeing Into Darkness on the big screen 46 years later, Star Trek captured my imagination and never let go. Although I am not an expert on Trekkie minutiae, I reveled in the little references to old stories (think Tribbles) and the personality quirks that first endeared the crew to their audience.
Back in 1967 I saw my life as a continuing adventure and thought I would boldly go where no one had gone before. Time stretched out as far as space.
It's gone by at warp speed...
;-)
I conked out early last night and went to bed at about 9 pm. I must have been awfully tired because I fell into a deep sleep and had a bad dream. Basically it was about a Reversal of Fortune that found me liable for a (non violent) crime and penniless. I blame the new CNN jailhouse interview with Bernard Madoff for putting such icky thoughts in my head and triggering insomnia.
But the dream did remind me of how good I have it. Instead of trying to find work at Wal-Mart or cleaning houses, I am planning a cruise. Instead of scrounging meals of spaghetti and stale bread, I am planning lunches out with friends. Instead of seeing U-Verse cancelled I am planning to see Star Trek - Into Darkness at an IMAX theater. Instead of taking the County bus to a free clinic I can call the renown Cleveland Clinic today to discuss my latest test results.
Maybe having a bad dream occasionally puts things into perspective...
:-)
Nuclear disaster. Giant Meteors. Aliens. Pandemics. Volcanic eruptions under the Earth's surface. Global annihilation. Body snatchers. I really do not care much for those post-apocalyptic themes in movies and TV but they seem to be everywhere these days and a few seem to be actually semi-believable and well written. They all have a central core: We Will Survive.
My favorite of the bunch was Jericho, a TV show that was out a few years back and despite a loyal following in the "right" demographic (18 to 34 year olds) was abruptly cancelled. Such is the curse of most of the shows I really like. My least favorite was the Will Smith movie I Am Legend, mainly because it scared the bejesus out of me in a way the others did not quite manage.
I think I can trace the roots of the popularity of disaster films to the 1983 TV "event" The Day After. Although its debut was watched by 100 million people, I assure you, I was not one of them. I cannot be sure but my guess is that I was probably hiding out in the kitchen with a half gallon container of ice cream.
Just in case there ever is a real-life apocalypse, I've stashed a few cans of Ensure in the back of the pantry and a few cans of sterno in the garage.
We Will Survive!
;-)
A strange growth appeared on my bumper - I swear I didn't hit anything - that sort of looks like an "outie" belly button. Hubby offered to drill it out, fill it with Bondo, sand it with rubbing compound and repaint it. OY is what I thought but what I said was "how about a nice bumper sticker?"
