2010 – A New Year

Well, all of you reading this have almost made it through another year. And now 2010 yawns before us like a vast stretch of sand – no footprints, no debris, just a smooth pristine surface.  So, what does it hold in store for us?

For the resolution-makers, there are vows to quit smoking or to lose weight, vows that many make each year with good intentions but often poor self-discipline.  But, good luck to them, anyway!

Then there are those who worry about how the poor economy and rising jobless rate will affect their lives and the lives of those they care about.  It’s really a shame that “we, the people” have so little power over such things, having given it to politicians who betray our trust time and time again.

I, personally, don’t make New Year’s resolutions because I feel like I’m constantly trying to improve and do my best.  If I fall down, I’ll just pick myself up and try again.  But I don’t need words on paper to make me do what I know, deep inside, is right.

What I will do, is try to face 2010 with hope in my heart.

I hope for more peace and understanding in the world.

I hope for health, not only for myself, but for my loved ones, as well.

I hope there will be less crime, less suffering and less selfishness.

I hope that the “good guys” start winning and the “bad guys” just blow themselves up.

I hope I win the lottery.  (Hey, it’s my list!)

I hope that little spontaneous acts of kindness start springing up everywhere and become an everyday thing.

I hope some major cures are found for diseases and illnesses.

I hope everyone reading this enjoys a year of good fortune, prosperity and happiness.

And, finally, if few of these glorious dreams come to pass, I hope I’ll have the faith, the serenity and the grace to “keep on keeping on” in my own small way in my own small world.

Happy New Year to You All!

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This And That…

For all of you who may be disappointed, thinking Santa Claus forgot you this year, I believe I’ve found the explanation.

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I came across these so-creative tea bags and thought you’d enjoy them as much as I do.  Why don’t they have stuff like this at my grocery store?

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Last year, Nicole at This D*mn House, talked about how impressed she was with the Twin Draft Guards that you put on your doors and windows.  Well, this year I noticed a terrible draft under my front door.  I had tried everything, to no avail.  Then the last time I was at Walgreens, I noticed the Twin Draft Guard kit for only $9 and remembered what she had said.  I bought it and when I took it out of the box, I must say I had my doubts.  It consists of the cover and four styrofoam tubes, which you convert to two tubes by connecting them with the enclosed plastic collar.  The whole set-up appeared somewhat puny to me.  But, I went ahead and installed it on my front door.  And all I can say is WOW!  Where previously there was almost a breeze under the door, there is now NOTHING!  It is wonderful.  Truly.  If you don’t have a Walgreens store, you can also get it online HERE.

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And finally, a little tip my friend, Babs, thought I should write about.  When you get new fruit, but you still have some old fruit left, how can you make sure that you eat the oldest fruit first?  Here’s how I do it:

Before I fill the fruit bowl, I put smiley faces on the pieces that are already there.  That way, I know to eat them first.  And besides, nothing will cheer you up faster than a piece of friendly fruit!

That’s all for now.

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White Christmas? Shut Up!

The picture says it all.  That’s my solar light, buried under our freakin’ “white Christmas!”  I have some friends, and they know who they are, who always long for a white Christmas.  As a matter of fact, they long for snow all the time.  So I guess they are the perfect ones to blame for our first blizzard since the 1980′s.  Okay, you guys, ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?  I hope so, because I feel like I’m trapped in my house till I-don’t-know-when!

It started here in the Midwest on Christmas eve with light flurries and bone-chilling temperatures.  You just had to step outside to feel like Nanook of the North.  This was the kind of Arctic wind that freezes your eyeballs and makes the hair in your nose feel stiff.  We have a new mailbox where I live called a “cluster mailbox” that’s made of plastic and has little compartments for about eight townhouses.  Okay, so I grab my umbrella to go out to get the mail on Christmas eve because, in addition to the wind, there was freezing rain,  and the key wouldn’t fit in the slot, because the slot was frozen! Well, it takes more than that to come between me and my mail!  So on the second trip, I struggle out with the umbrella and a fireplace lighter, thinking I’ll heat up the key and the slot and I’ll be able to get it open.  NO. So, on the third trip, I go out with the umbrella and an ice pick and start attacking the slot with that. NO. I can only imagine what my neighbors were thinking by this time, but, what the hell!  On the fourth trip, I’m carrying not only the umbrella, but a cup of boiling water.  I start dashing the water against the slot and the key fits in! But the plastic door is frozen shut!  Great.  By now, the umbrella is attempting to blow away and I’m close to blowing my stack…I dash the rest of the water on the door, itself, and it opens! So, my question is – am I going to have to do that every danged single day?  They’re saying the next seven days will be below freezing.  I hate winter.

As for me feeling trapped, here’s the problem.  Even though the plows have been out, the streets are still snow-packed with a layer of ice underneath.  There have been 21 deaths in the Midwest from this stuff.  On Christmas day the bridges were a sheet of ice and cars were spinning out of control left and right.  Even the police and tow trucks are getting stuck.  And I fear the ice isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.  There are cars along the highway which have been abandoned for the time being.  Here is a picture from The Kansas City Star showing snow that was plowed from one of our shopping areas.

I don’t know where they get the “picture-perfect” part.  As far as I’m concerned, it sucks.  So, to all of the Susie Sunshines out there who say inane things like “I just LOVE snow!” I just want to say, “BAH HUMBUG!”

Did I mention that I hate winter?

“Prisoner of the Elements”

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU FROM STAR, SIMPLIFIED!

To all of you who read this blog regularly and those of you who are here for the first time, thank you for your comments and support.  I wish you all the happiest of holidays.

And may we never forget the reason for the season.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

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Almost Christmas!

For those of you with many obligations, the holiday stresses of shopping, wrapping presents, cooking, decorating, trying to please everyone and doing your best to be in the Christmas spirit, are probably starting mount up.  Now is the time to take a moment and breathe!  That’s right!  Relax your muscles and slowly breathe in and breath out.  And because Dr. Star is always on the job trying to take care of you, I’ve brought you two things which should, at the very least, bring a smile to your face.

The first is my idea of decorating.  (Psst!  I’d be the house on the right!)

And before you return to your hectic pace, take a moment and watch this short You-Tube video of “The Silent Monks Singing Hallelujah.”  I’ve watched this so many times and never grow tired of it.

See?  Now don’t you feel better?  I thought you would!

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Bits And Pieces #13

Ah, so many little bits and pieces of stuff have been floating around in my brain!  It’s funny how the news is really no longer truly “new,” if you know what I mean.  Every day I turn on television and just know that there will be another revelation about Tiger Woods.  And also at this time of year, you can bank on the story popping up wherein a house has been burglarized and all of the kids’ Christmas presents have been stolen.  And, if you listen a little longer, you’ll hear another story of how the neighbors or some organization all pitched in a replaced all of the presents.  Awww!

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This past week the Consumer Protection Agency recalled 150 million Roman shades because children could get choked by the cords. And my first thought was – “Big Brother is intruding more into our lives every day.”  I mean, come one, people, for crying out loud!  Of course the cords are dangerous to small children and babies!  What isn’t?  Using their rationale, shouldn’t we recall toasters?  Little fingers could be burned!  Well, hell, what about anything on a kitchen counter with a cord?  Little hands could pull things down.  What about recalling bathtubs and sinks?  They are clearly drowning hazards!  Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!  But wait!  I have a better idea that will help protect children!  Why don’t we recall (or imprison) all toxic parents who are too damned dumb to watch out for their own children? Wouldn’t that solve a whole lot of problems?  I think so!

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I came home one day this past week to find that Santa had left something on my library floor to be assembled.  It looked like this:

So, I translated the instructions the best I could and ended up with this!

Whoopee!  An air hockey table!  I wonder how he knew I wanted one?

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And my final topic is the holiday traffic.  Don’t you just HATE it when you get stuck behind some dick in a pick-up truck?

Sorry.  And here you thought I was this little angel!  Well, I guess it’s better the truth came out now, rather than after I was nominated for the Supreme Court or something…  

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Three Quick Updates

Sometimes I’m guilty of writing a post in which the ending is in question and then forgetting to follow-up until someone asks me, “Whatever happened with such and such?”  So, here are three updates on things I haven’t talked about lately.

1.) The mysterious next-door neighbor’s invisible son. Would you believe it has been at least another month since I wrote about this and I still haven’t seen FedEx’s son!!!  But the weird thing is that during the day when he is at work, I have seen lights on in his kitchen.  So, maybe rather than the son being a decomposed mummy, which was my favorite explanation, he was just in a terrible industrial accident in which he was exposed to radiation.  Maybe he has greenish skin that has sort of melted all over his face and body and he glows in the dark!  It could be that this mysterious son only sneaks out of the house in the dead of night, wearing a mask and cape, to search the woods out back for woodchucks, which is the only nourishment he can keep down.  Boy, that would be a relief!  For awhile there, I was afraid something odd was going on.

2.) The quitting smoking. Remember back this summer when I decided to try using electronic cigarettes to see if they could replace regular cigarettes in my life?  Well, I am very proud to report that I haven’t smoked a tobacco cigarette since June 13, 2009!  Now, if you’ll recall, I never felt an urge to stop smoking like a lot of people did.  But, I felt that if the  e-cigs could free me of the tars and carcinogens of smoke, well, that would be great -  IF, and only IF they would fulfill my oral fixation.  And they have!  I can honestly say that since I went with the e-cigs I haven’t had the slightest yearning to smoke a real cigarette.  And I know in my heart that I never will again.  As a matter of fact, since I quit regular cigarettes I’ve developed a superwoman-like sense of smell.  I can be in a store and smell smoke on someone a mile away.  So, do electronic cigarettes work?  They sure have for me.  Praise the Lord!

3.)  Did my lip surgery work? On November 25th I had lip surgery to repair a varicose vein that I’ve had on my bottom lip for years, a result of much intensive dental work.  Well…here is how the lip looked BEFORE

And here is how my lip looks today, or AFTER!Can you say “Hallelujah?!”

Okay, now that you’re all updated and everything, I guess we can all go take a nap.  Sweet dreams!

Till later,

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My TV Report Card

We’re  just beginning to enter that vast TV wasteland known as “holiday programming.”  For some reason,  the networks seem to believe that at this time of year, when the kids will soon be out of school and people will be taking vacation time, no one will be watching TV.  It makes no sense to me!  Nonetheless, one by one, all the regular shows will revert to reruns and the schedule will be padded with holiday specials and any old rejects that had been gathering dust in the bottom of some drawer.

So, I thought this would be a good time for me to compile a report card of sorts for some shows I’ve watched up till now.  Some are old favorites and some are new this year.

House = A- Since House came out of the mental institution, I’ve been pleased to see his character evolve in a believable way.  Those new oh-so-tiny touches of humanness have given him a vulnerability that’s touching.  I gave this show a minus because we had to wait so long to get the team of Thirteen and Taub back.

Castle & The Mentalist = A I put these two shows together because they basically have the same concept.  Both men act as consultants with a team of detectives, Castle as a mystery writer, Patrick Jane as a psychic/mentalist.  In both shows the team is led by a woman and each team consists of enjoyable characters.  The only difference is that Patrick’s family was murdered, thus creating his motivation, while Castle has a delightful mother and daughter.  Both of these shows are so fun to watch – filled with excitement, sexual tension and enough witty banter to fill an hour.  If you’re at a loss for something to watch in the next couple of weeks, try to catch a rerun of either of these shows.  You won’t be disappointed.

The Good Wife = B+ When this show was announced, I couldn’t see how a show could center around a woman whose husband was a politician who went to prison for corruption after being caught in a sex scandal.  Turns out, the show is really about his wife re-entering the workplace as an attorney.  Back when Julianna Margulies was in the show E.R., I wasn’t particularly fond of her.  But in this show, I find her fascinating.  The plots of the stories are good, as are the other cast members.  This is definitely worth a watch!

Fringe = A I wrote a post about this show when it started last year, and I’m happy to report it has maintained its suspense and wonderful “grossness!”  Although Olivia and Peter are the main male and female leads, it is Walter, the mad scientist who, judging from what I’ve seen on the Internet, has won the public’s heart.  Love this show!

FlashForward = A- This is a new show this year.  It’s about how everyone in the world blacks out for 2 minutes, 17 seconds, and sees their life 6 months into the future.  This show has been like a flower unfolding.  It’s compelling because we continue to see what different people “saw” during their blackout.  Some visions are wonderful while others are scary.  I absolutely can’t wait for it to return in January!

Grey’s Anatomy = B+ This show is an oldie but goody, and kind of a secret indulgence of mine.  It always makes me laugh and then cry at least once per episode.  I marked it down because they didn’t kill off the abominable Izzy, played by the obnoxious Katherine Heigl when they had a chance.  On the plus side, there are two couples, Christina and Owen and Mark and Lexi who have really given this show a boost.  Even if you’ve never watched it, it’s worth giving a try.

Okay, well, I’ve given you some pretty good stuff to fill in your TV gaps during the holidays.  As for me, I’ve still got a one of my reality shows left to take refuge in – Survivor.  Do  you have any really good programs I’ve missed?  I’d love to hear about them!

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Working On Cheer

Well, it’s ten more days until Christmas.  And it will be the second Christmas since my little sister and I went our separate ways.  Last year was pretty grim, but I have determined that this year will be better.  So, I have a Christmas tree in the living room, one in the bedroom and snowmen out front.  Now the only thing I have to watch out for are “heartwarming Christmas specials.”  You know the ones I mean.  They start out with people hurting and misunderstanding each other right before Christmas, making it look like all is lost.  Then, on Christmas Eve, (about five minutes before the show is over,) the doorbell rings, and it’s the black sheep on the doorstep, whereupon everyone falls into everyone else’s arms and they all have a Kodak Christmas.  I’ve simply gotta stay away from those things.  I’m an emotional person to begin with, and those kinds of shows just push me over the cliff!

So, in the spirit of keeping up my good cheer, I’ve been making a point of finding things to make me laugh every day.  Not only is that a good idea in general principle, but I recently read that laughing can boost your HDL or “good” cholesterol, so hey, it’s something we should all do!   That’s why I want to share two You-Tube videos I’ve found that make me smile every time I see them.

This first one is silly and simple.  A guy has a stuffed skunk that he inches beneath a bench to catch people unaware.  The results are really funny.

This second one is a free photo booth set up in Universal Studios.  The photo booth talks to the people who enter.  It’s very clever and gets funnier and funnier as it progresses.  I can’t watch it without laughing.

For those of you who have dial-up, I apologize.  I had dial-up for years and bemoaned the fact that I couldn’t watch videos on my computer.  (You might just want to get yourself cable for Christmas!  Just a thought.) For the rest of you who watched, I hope I added a little cheer to your day and a laugh or two.  After all, “’tis the season!”

P.S.  If you’d like, tell me which one you liked best.  I have trouble choosing.

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Before The Snow…

I knew it was just a matter of time before we got our first snow.  A few days before it fell, the temperature plummeted and there was just this feeling in the air that portended that winter, the real winter, was on its way big time.  So I was surprised when I stepped out onto my balcony to bring things in, to hear very loud and cheerful chirping.  As I looked around for the source of the sound, I saw this one little red dot in a completely empty tree.

Using my camera’s zoom, I saw that it was Stella, a bird from last summer.  There she was, proud and cocky, singing to beat the band.  My knowledge of bird isn’t as strong as it should be, but, roughly translated, her song was primarily a bragging one that declared that this whole tree was hers and hers, alone.  I just hope she doesn’t hang around too long and freeze her tail feathers off! 

The forecast also seemed to motivate my neighbors to get their outside Christmas decorations up before it got nasty.  I  really hadn’t planned on doing anything outside, but their pretty displays guilted me into it.  So, here is my meager contribution.  It’s simple, colorful and happy…kind of like its owner!

I like looking out the window and seeing the back of my little guys… (Note the green grass because that was destined to soon change!)

And then the dreaded SNOW hit!  And here are the guys braving the elements before sunrise.  Kinda festive, actually, as long as you don’t have to drive in it!

And so it begins, the season of cold, snow and ice.  I hope you all will join me in driving safely and keeping warm.  We’ll just make the best of it together!  I mean, it’s not as if we have a choice, is it?

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