Matching Earth and Sky

The sky and land color match today ---- grayish white. However, it did snow while the sun was out this afternoon. I wonder if there are ever rainbows when it snows? If so the name would have to be changed to snowbows (thank you for the name, Steven) and what a great shot of color that would be....Roy G Biv bow in the grayish white sky.

Sometimes It's a Jackass World

Did Barack snub Hillary at the State of the Union Address? OMG -- this is as newsworthy as the latest Brittany update! Okay, maybe a bit more newsworthy but only because Barack and Hillary are actually important national figures who could hold the future of our country in their hands. Is there anyone out there who can say they haven't avoided a person who has been irritating them greatly? If Obama truly did snub her I know exactly how he was feeling as I've done it and had it done to me. So what.

The Giants v. the Patriots at the SuperBowl on Sunday. CBS News just aired a segment on fans who have heart attacks from the stress induced by the angst, excitement, passion felt during such an event. Can anyone say "get a life?" Wonder how these people react to truly stressful crises in their lives.

It's cold outside. Really? Are we in Arizona? No.

Are we in Wisconsin and is it January? Yes. Well then it's supposed to be cold, stupid!

Driving along in a car/truck/van/RV and a turn/lane change is to be made......what does a responsible, alert, polite driver do? Turn On A Blinker. My driver education teacher wore coke bottle glasses because he had tunnel vision, he never took us out of our little town and onto a highway to drive, but I learned to use a blinker! This is not calculus, people. A little flick of a finger or wrist and ta dah, the blinker is on!

Don't yell at your crying kid in a store. The kid doesn't need it, and the rest of us don't need it. Your yelling just makes us think you are an icky mom. Kids fuss and cry when they are tired or hungry and if you have made the bad choice of hauling your kid to Walmart during nap/lunch/snack time then you are the one who should be yelled at. On the same note, if you are in a store and your child continues to cry for more than 5 minutes, please don't think the rest of us are amused, understanding, tolerant, feeling benevolent by this noise. If there weren't laws against homicide you would be road kill and your child adopted out.

Why don't people put their grocery carts in the "cart corral?" Geez, the cart depository even has a cute name that should make you want to take care of your little cart (pony) so it doesn't run away? If you are able to drive to the grocery store, buy enough groceries to warrent using a cart, and can take the cart to your car you are able to put the cart where it belongs! I don't care if its raining. I don't care if its sub zero weather. I don't care if your child/husband/mother/friend is crying/complaining/criticizing/in a hurry you can put the cart where it belongs. There should be parking lot police who ticket lazy shoppers who don't comply with this simple responsibility. Okay, maybe there would be pass cards for the elderly who are really really frail but they would have to pass a frailty test first.

Little things matter, and it doesn't take much effort NOT to be a jackass. So give it a try.... work to clean up your act.

Walgreens

NL 's Walgreens opened in November and while it is like every other Walgreens having in NL means I don't have to go to Walmart for certain products.

In case any readers aren't familiar with Walgreens it contains the following departments: pharmacy, beauty products, skin care, cards, magazines, holiday items, beverages, select groceries, cleaning products, bakeware, tools, and a photo department. I haven't covered everything but you get the general idea. The stores are brightly lit and clean. I don't know how the prices compare with Walmart prices but I'm not greeted at the door by a Walmart greeter. I have yet to hear a screaming child whose mother screams back at said child. I haven't run into anyone in too narrow aisles. The store clerks at Walgreens haven't sneezed into their hands and then handed me my receipt. The people I've seen at Walgreens have all their teeth and haven't permed their hair into tight curl hell.

Today I shopped happily at Walgreens. I purchased Crest mouth rinse, cotton squares, witch hazel, soy care, crackers, milk, and almonds. When checking out I told the clerk how happy I was to have the store in NL. I was horrified when she informed me that the store was not very busy! She is from NL also and stated that they are all shocked at how unbusy the store is. How can this be?? Why aren't people flocking to this clean, shiny, conveniently located, pleasant, diversely stocked addition to this retail deprived town. The clerk thought that if the Walgreens flyers were inserted into the Buyer's Guide more people would know about the sales (the flyer is only inserted into the Press Star but are also located in the front of the store), and she said that Walgreen's prices are a bit higher than Walmart's prices. I don't know what those price differences are but my sanity is worth whatever I don't save at Walmart!

When it was being built everyone I know was excited about the Walgreens coming to NL. Are these people not putting their money where their excitement was? People, people, people...how is it going to look if this town can support three Dollar Stores, a Cash Store, numerous bars but not a hardware store, a Sears store or a Walgreens.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

I just watched "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" for probably the 15th time and it remains such mesmerizing movie. The benevolence, inquisitive and openminded nature of man and other, the univeral musical communication never cease to fascinate me. There is a hopefulness in this movie -- there is intelligent life in universe; we as humans can meet other life without hostility; there are men, such as the Richard Dreyfuss character, who take risks to find their dreams; the explorer in us is till alive.

Besides all this I love the space ship, the musical tones for communication, and the French actor François Truffaut (if for no other reason than his accent). As in "ET" Spiegleburg creates extraterrestrials whom we care for and want to help.

Just a random thought her but maybe if Mexicans could convince Americans they are from outerspace they would be better accepted.