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.

Random Saturday Thoughts

• Every day I check the Panda Cam at the San Diego zoo. The camera focuses on Zhen Zhen (which means Precious) the baby panda and mother Bai Lun. This is one of those feel good sites because each time I see those pandas I smile. The coloring and shape make them look so hugable and cuddly. So if you need a happy pick-me-up during the day, look at http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/ex_panda_station.html.
  
  
• We were in Home Depot today and Dan wanted to look at tools -- power tools, hammers, wrenches -- and I was sooooo (yawning) bored. Mall air revives me, Target air cheers me up, even Shopko air lifts my spirits. But Home Depot is not the store for me when it is a snowy, gray January day and I need some good store air to make me want to live.
  
• I like my dog more than most people. No news flash there but just felt like typing it. I judge how much I like a person by how often I will pick up the phone when they call. If I pick it up immediately, I like that person lots. If I let it go to voice mail and get back to them (and how long I wait to get back to them is another indicator) they are middle of the road in my life. If I don't return the call, well.....that speaks for itself. At this point I immediately pick up for Ann, Patrick, Dan, Brian & Vicky, Julie, and Brenda.
  
• Obama won South Carolina which makes me pretty happy. At this time he has 53% to Clinton's 28%. Super Tuesday (February 5) should be interesting for those two.
  
• Last night the History Channel discussed the potential for Yellowstone National Park to blow like a volcano and create and horrific nuclear winter. I tend not to pay much attention to disaster warnings like this but for some reason I want to stock up on canned goods..... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/supervolcano/article2.shtml This website indicates that no one is sure when Yellowstone will erupt and it probably won't be immediately. But, one can't be too sure. I didn't stock up on plastic and duct tape as advised by Homeland Security for a terrorist attack since I think Homeland Security is a crock;t he history channel and the BBC are more credible sources than anyone in the Bush government.
  
• Cupcakes are the newest cutesty decorating item, and Ann and I are quite taken with them. Just saying the word "cupcake" makes me want to eat one. At Target we picked up cupcake kitchen towels, picture holder, plate and dish, juice cup, and slippers. I came across some cupcake stickers and craft paper and made some cards. Ann and I briefly discussed getting matching cupcake tattoos but haven't decided firmly on that. I would get it on my shoulder blade so I won't get tired of it and it won't sag and look like the frosting is melting when I am 80. It would be fun to do that with her. I ordered some cupcake stamps and a cupcake die cut pattern so I can make more cards. I look in all stores now for cupcake items.
• I need to get online and order some candidate buttons. I have a collection of them starting with Nixon. I don't have every candidate's buttons since then, but I like to get as many as I can.
  
• Told Patrick I want to host a hookah party in the front yard this summer. Tobacco only, of course, but it would be so fun to tweak the neighbors (Gladys in particular) If not that then I'd like to have a front yard party....set up lawn chairs, have coolers of drinks, and hold hair dryers aimed at cars that drive past.
  
• Julie and I are going to meet Brenda for coffee next week. Neither Julie nor I are sure how Brenda is doing. Julie talked to her Monday, and Brenda just said that the doctors are making her comfortable. Julie and I find comfort in each other since we are both cowards and unsure how to deal with her illness but we know we don't want to abandon her.
  
• We went to see the movie "Untraceable" last night and can't stop thinking about it.
  
  Guess that's enough of Saturday random thoughts. Good night and sleep tight.

Mad Bomber Hat

In honor of the -1 degree temperature (-20 degrees wind chill) Packer v. Giants NFC championship game kickoff, I am posting pictures of Dan and me in mad bomber hats. Dan is sitting at Lambeau Field enjoying the game in the frosty weather, possibly even wearing the pictured hat. I am toasty warm in my home watching it all. If I was at the game I would look like a thermal burka clad sausage....layers, layers, layers, layers, and a sleeping bag.

Everyone knows that to keep warmer, covering one's head is the first body part to cover. Okay, the players wear helmets. Media of all kinds have broadcast that appropriate dress in this desperate cold is to layer clothing. The majority of players I am watching have bare arms. (Bret is wisely wearing his Under Armor) The sports announcers made a special point of telling viewers that the Packer line will not cover their arms for this game. Uh......can someone explain to me why? I understand that they are running around. I comprehend the adreneline rush these guys must get. But I also get the notion of frostbite, pain in falling on frozen ground, and numbness that occurs when skin is exposed to such temperatures. I do hope the reason for the bare arms is not.....please tell me it isn't true.....machismo.

Guys who get pounded by 200+ pound men, who are continually tackled and lay at the bottom of a pile of six of those 200+ men, guys who display those impressive muscles week after week don't need to provide any more evidence of their masculinity. I get it without them showing how tough they are in the face of the "frozen tundra."

I imagine the mothers of each of those bare armed players are wringing their hands in worry over their "babies's" decisions to tough the cold without the benefit of Under Armor. I know I would be. This is the coldest game in NFL history, and players aren't listening to their mothers.

As a side note, it is good to see that both the AFC and NFC championship games were played outside instead of in whimpy, pansy-ass domes. The dome players are definitely not as manly as outdoor stadium players. Football began as an outdoor game and it should be played in the elements. From a quick count it appears that 24 teams play outdoors with only 7 indoor teams. A California journalist whined about the ridiculousness of playing such important games in these icy temperatures........figures it was a writer from California. While I am not a fan of winter, cold, and snow I do feel a sense of pride in the citizens of our state who go about their daily lives in such weather. The Packers reflect the hardiness of the state. Players have the option of dressing warmer and fans have the option of not attending the game or dressing to suit the conditions.

While the machismo could take time off for this game, I salute the hearty players of both teams and give cheers to mad bomber hats, Under Armor, Carthart, handwarmers, long underwear, layers-layers-layers, outdoor football stadiums.

Green Bay Packers fan Jeff Kahlow walks outside Lambeau Field prior to the NFC Championship football game between the Packers and the New York Giants, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Snow Storms

I've always liked a hearty snowstorm. The snow swirling about, the hope of no school the next day, lighting the fireplace and snuggling under a cozy comforter with a hot drink.

When I was in 7th grade we lived in Glenwood, Illinois, which is about 30 miles south of Chicago. One winter day school was closed early due to a fierce snow storm. A friend and I struggled to walk home from school. Many people in our subdivision worked in the city and ended up stranded there for days. Some children at our school could not make it home so my father and I made it to the school and brought a girl home with us until her family could reach her. The snow accumulation was such that Illinois had to borrow plow equipment from Wisconsin to dig out and that digging out took several days. People were unable to make it to work, grocery stores, or school.

This is an actual photo from that 1967 Chicago blizzard.

Our family socialized with two neighbors. The Rimsniders had 9 children. The other couple, whose names I don't remember, had a baby and the husband was stranded in Chicago. In order to "survive" the hardship of the storm, the three families pooled food, made meals together and ate together. It all had quite a festive atmosphere, and my parents still talk of it today. To illustrate the "hardships" suffered during the days we were all stuck at home my father tells the story of how the oldest Rimsnider boy, Gib, complained that the butter wouldn't melt on his mashed potatoes because they weren't hot enough.

We moved to Wisconsin when I was a freshman in high school and I have fond memories of friends and I walking at night in snowstorms. We seemed to be able to predict when school would be canceled due to snow so we would head out and walk around in the falling snow.

I taught in Burlington, WI, from 1977 - 1980, and there was a snowstorm that canceled school for 3 days in a row. It was the first time I could remember being notified the day before that school would be canceled the next day! If memory serves me correctly, the drifting in the country was so bad the roads just couldn't stay clear. Can't say I was disappointed not to have to make the drive from Milwaukee to Burlington those three days.

The last significant storm I remember was also when living in Milwaukee during that above time period. Right before Christmas my fiance landed in the hospital after being hit in the eye with a raquet ball. He had to lay still (they valiumed him up) and remained in the hospital for about a week. On Christmas Eve his parents drove down to see him and headed back to NL. I left Milwaukee shortly after them so I could be with my family for Christmas. Mike was so drugged up he didn't even remember his parents or my visit so I'm pretty sure he didn't even know it was Christmas Eve. A snow storm was hitting the state hard that night and I drove from Milwaukee to NL in my sturdy little Datsun B-210. I passed cars in the ditch but that little car stayed the course and made it to NL without an incident.

After that storm it seemed winter weather was not inclined to snow storms anymore. We had many a winter with little snow and few snow storms. The last few years, though, we are back on track and getting quite a bit of snow. On Thursday this week it snowed all day and while it wasn't a full blown snow storm it was good enough for me.

In the spring and summer I love a powerful thunderstorm. Although I am not a fan of lightening (I have a healthy respect and fear of electricity), I love the driving rain, thunder and darkness of a thunderstorm. Since the climate is changing, for whatever reason, we managed to have thunder a week ago. Nothing like thunder in January as a way for Mother Nature to say, "Hi, ya'll -- see, the times they are a changin'."

Weather is one of the forces man has yet to conquer and sometimes humans forget their vulnerabilities. Storms remind me that their are forces out there still out of man's control and that if we don't have respect for Mother Nature, she will humble us pretty quickly.