Potpourri

No.  Today’s post is not about those nasty little bowls of dried flowers and whatnot, the scent of which gives me a migraine…  It is a post about a lot of things…

I am not blogging as much as I thought I would.  I think it’s the weather or my feelings that I do not have much to say of interest.  But then, I go off into blogland and see that a lot of people are blogging happily away and have nothing to say of interest so why not me?

I was waiting for the uptown #1 train the other night when I noticed a couple a few feet away from me.  They were wearing t-shirts proclaiming the words “Just Married.”  They were adorable.  Two older men, probably late 60s or so, proclaiming their status and their love for all the world to see.   I was delighted.  They looked as if they had been together for many years.   Love seems hard to find and harder to keep and I think it should be celebrated at every turn.  This nonsense about marriage being only between a man and a woman has  to stop.   I do think it needs to be limited to 2 people mainly because it makes things messy emotinally to go beyond that.  And I am afraid I must exclude dogs, goats and other livestock as they have no free will.  But I have never seen what the problem is for gay people to marry.  They are raising kids, they own property together, they often stay together longer than a good percentage of married couples today.  If they want to get married, let them.  I really don’t see who is being hurt by this.   Disapproving family I guess…   At any rate, they were sweet to see and I wish them both well. 

This week was busy.  Had dinner with assorted friends 2 nights, lunch with another friend and went to 2 readings at bookstores.  I have not yet finished the book but will post about it when I do.   It was written by a woman I am acquainted with who is a real hoot.  She gave good readings.  Better than I could ever hope to give assuming I ever finish my own book.  I can tell you that a lot of people are out there writing books judging by various coversations I took part in or overheard.  We all got some story to tell I suppose.

My nephew called to tell me that he has lost a tooth.  I asked which one and he replied “The loose one.”  The purpose of this call was for me to tell the tooth fairy that he will be in AZ tonight on his vacation and he wants his money tonight.  I promised I would text her today.  See, when my nephew was much younger I told him that I was having a terrible time.  I was going to meet Santa for cocktails and Santa was going to ask for a full report on him and I had bad reports to give.  I pull this out whenever he is behaving abominably and he straightens right up.  (The story has grown to include college parties attended with Santa and many other embellishments).  So, in his mind, it stands to reason that since I am chummy with Santa, and occasionally go to tea with the Easter Bunny, I must know the Tooth Fairy.   My time with these stories is running out.  He will be 6 in a few months and has already begun looking at me suspiciously from time to time.  So I assured him I would text the Tooth Fairy with this vital information.  I adore my nephew.  He is funny, he is smart and he is all the proof I need to know that life is worth living.

This humidity is killing me.   It is really horrible.  I am one of those people who gets nauseous from it.  Why the heck I still  live here I don’t know.  I need to buy a new air conditioner.   Another expense I do not need!

Nothing on the job front.  I doubt anything will turn up this week either since it is 4th of July week and tons of people will be on vacation.   Wish I could get out of here as well.

I feel PMS setting in.  This feeling  of depression, misery and sore boobs.   I have been getting my period for more than 30 years now.  Enough is enough.   I have been advised that menopause is brutal.  Great. 

And that is the end of my little happy mix of things for today.

It is both rainy and sunny at the same time…

Making me wonder if good old Mother Nature is going through a touch of PMS.

But it is a pretty good summation of my life as well these days.  Lots of sun and rain often at the same time.

I am still unemployed.  But have been keeping busy with many pleasant projects.

I saw my doctor last week who looked at me with shades of dismay that prompted me to go to a WW meeting right after.  I did let my weight run away with me and now I have to rein it back in.  I also have to go for a blood test tomorrow to measure some levels because of a med I take as well as the standard cholesterol, etc. levels.  Sigh. I get soooo squicked at the sight of blood and needles.  And then after that bit of rain I have to go to my 2nd WW meeting where I am sure I will have lost a pound or two.  I have been good.   Have not really eaten anything not on the approved lists all week.  But dear Lord was i not tempted the other day.  It was hot and I was cruising past a BR ice cream shop and desperately wanted their large chocolate shake.  Which clocks in in the neihgborhood of 900 calories.  *gasp*  I walked home and had a glass of Diet Pepsi instead.   While I felt good about passing up pure pleasure I was annoyed because I couldn’t have that pure pleasure.  Yeah, yeah, I know you are supposed to be able to work anything you want into the diet. But I also know all hell would have broken loose and I would have chomped and tore my way through numerous other things since “I blew it already for the day.”  It is this kind of thing I need to work on.  A dear old friend of mine from my college days has taken the bull by the horns and even drifted into the land of soy milk and tofu and has done really well losing about 7 dress sizes.  But I have to make it work with everyday food because to me tofu is like chewing on an eraser.   I don’t NEED to get used to it so I won’t.  Pass me some grilled chicken, thanks. 

The boy friend and I are clicking along pretty well at the moment.   He called earlier and was extremely enthusiastic about our upcoming date on Wednesday.  He blew even more kisses down the phone than he ever has before when we were hanging up.   Guess since he has not seen me since last week he has the good sense and taste to miss me.    The relationship is not really going anywhere at the moment.  Which is okay for the moment.  And I am not expecting anything to change on Wednesday.  But he was all excited about something.  My guess is he found the menu he was looking for last week and we can try a new bbq place.  God love him, it really takes very little to make him happy.  Some yummy food, plenty of sex, interesting conversation and not having to sit through “Idol” and he is good to go.

Despite being unemployed I got a promotion last week.  The original owner/moderator of a group I belong to has decided he needs a hand with our group as he runs like 63 others.  (I cannot imagine.)  So he asked me if I would step up since I am a regular participant and he thinks I know quite a bit about baseball.  I don’t think I know that much but it is one of my grand passions so I said yep and now have a shiny crown by my name on the members list.   I was tickled.   Proving it takes very little to make me happy either.

I have been growing agitated over the state of my baseball team.   We have been on a Manager Death Watch for weeks now.  My thinking is that if getting paid several million dollars a year to play a child’s game is not enough to motivate you to play your hardest and win games, I don’t know what a manager can do.  He is a good manager and has been a solid member of the New York baseball community for forever.    We shall see.  But it is getting wearing.

Speaking of wearing, time is wearing on and I have things I need to do.  Bills to pay, dishes to wash and trash to take out.   I do indeed live the most glamourous life, don’t I?

Are We Losing Our Compassion?

Yesterday, a man was hit by a car in Hartford, CT.  The driver who hit him sped away.  While someone called 911 and others caught the scene on their cellphones no one went to assist of comfort the man.  

Is this a sign that we are losing our compassion?

It is not the only sign I have noticed lately.   I read various articles online and often there are comment sections.  The articles will cover assorted tragedies:  Deaths, accidents,  deadly tonadoes, people stricken with cancer, etc.   And inevitably there will be comments alleging that “it was deserved,”  “the parents are to blame,”  “God sent a tornado to kill those people because we still have Roe v. Wade”.  Many are profanity laced.  Most are ignorant.  But why even say these things?  Someone is suffering and the only emotion others express is crassness.

Last week a teacher had her kindergarten class tell an autistic child why they didn’t like him and then, Survivor style, had him “voted off the island.”  Apparently the teacher egged the kids on.  Instead of helping children to understand and accept people with differences, she chose to teach ridicule and a lack of compassion.  She was removed from the class but has so far not lost her teaching license (as far as I know).

You Tube has been featuring videos of kids being beaten up by other kids while still more kids stand there and just watch.  I don’t get it.  What is the point of that?   Is technology turning us into barbarians?

I know that for every one of the above examples there are hundreds of people helping those in need, teachers demonstrating compassion,  kids standing up for other kids, people adopting special needs kids, or helping elderly neighbors.  That we as a nation have a high rate of volunteerism, and contribute to charities and jump in when disaster strikes but it is no less disturbing to see and read about times when people show no compassion or concern.

It just makes me sad.  And I worry that this is becoming more prevalent.