Style is in the Eye of the Beholder

Marty took a picture of this lady as we were taking a leisurely drive along US-1 in Ft. Lauderdale. Although she is odd with her orange dreads and camo boots, she has her own style, which is commendable in my book. I also like that she is saving money and being environmentally conscious by riding her scooter to the store to buy her Arizona Tea.

Dear Potential Landlord...

It's been a good long while since I've blogged, but this lady beats the cake.  I have an ad on Craig's List to rent my 3/2 house. I'd like to rent to a nice normal family who pays their rent on time and doesn't destroy the house, but in this day and age this may be asking too much. This is an actual letter I received from a lady who would like to rent my house: 

"Hello my name is XXXXX and I am emailing you in response to the house you have listed for rent on craigslist. I would really like to come by and take a look. Alittle about me and the family, there are 4 of us soon to be 5 in July by surprise. We have a son who is 8 years old and a daughter that is 6 years old. I work full time as a comptroller at a big car dealership located in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. My boyfriend Richard lays pipes for a subcontractor for Palm Beach County. We do have animals we have a 5 year old female Boxer she is very small for her breed and she is a good girl. We also have 3 cats 2 boys and a girl all of which are fixed, they have never messed anything up or used the bathroom anywhere other then there litter box or outside. They are very clean cats, they have to be because I am allergic to them. We also have 2 small birds peach face conuors, and 2 bearded dragons but they are also all very well taken care of and are all in there cages.
Are lease is up the end of January and I really want to find a new house for us and the children I don't like the neighborhood we live in now. Alittle about my rental history, I rented a house in WPB for 13 years prior to moving here I loved that house and would probably still be there today but unfortunately my landlord passed away and left the house to his stepson who decided to sell it and gave me 60 days notice, so I came about the place I live in now from a friend of a friend but like I mentioned before it was in a pinch, and I have come to really dislike the neighborhood because I feel that it is not safe for my 2 children, so of course I bit the bullet and I have lived out my one year lease like I said I would do. I am the type that Hates moving..... I am looking for a place for my family that we can live in for the long term until we decide to purchase a house, and with the market now we just don't have the means to do so anytime soon.

So I do work full time in Ft. Lauderdale and normally do not get home until at least 6pm, so the best time for us to come look at the house would be over the weekend. We do have plans to go look at a few this weekend and would love to fit this one in our route. If you are ok with all the above please either email me or call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX. it is easier for me to email but if you call and I don't pick up please leave a message and I will call you back asap just an fyi I am using my sons cell phone because mine was dropped in a bath tub full of water oops!! I will be replacing it this weekend as well.

Ok thank you for your time and we really look forward to hearing from you!!!!!"

XXXXX

She'll be waiting for a long time to hear from me... like forever. Now, some people may think this is normal, but it sounds like nut-bar rambling to me. Sounds like a load of drama just waiting to happen :-) Call me judgmental, but I would rather wait a lifetime to rent out my house than let this lady any where near me.

Our Crazy World

I have not written any blogs lately, but I have not forgotten about my followers. I am just studying and getting ready to graduate this summer with a bachelors in Health Administration. What is it that makes me keep working towards this degree? It's pure motivation to get that second piece of paper that says I have completed something (I have my AA in business). I would love nothing better than to write blogs for the rest of my life, but... life gets in the way sometimes. At any rate, I thought I would share some odd things that I read about and that actually happened to me this week so you all don't get bored with "Odd Is Not Contagious."

First, I read about this pastor who decided to squat in a house that he thought was vacant and up for grabs. This is wrong on so many levels. I'm not sure why he thought it was okay to take over a house that was not his. Just because there is a ridiculous law in the Florida statutes, does not mean the house is free. There were people legally purchasing this house, and they actually closed on it. They own the place, and were going to move in on Monday, and now this dumb ass has made them homeless by moving into their house. He is siting some obscure statute about squatter's rights. With a pastor like that who needs enemies? I am just wondering who would ever go to a church run by this guy...

Then I read about the bed bugs infestation that is spreading across our nation and how this lady killed herself with insecticides in order to get rid of them. When you read about this lady, you will understand that the poor thing was just uneducated about all the different toxins that are in this world and how they can kill you. I mean... really??? She put pesticides on her head and then put a shower cap on? She and her husband did not even bother to read the instructions on the bug foggers that they had used. She will probably be on 1000 Ways to Die in the next few episodes.

Lastly, some scum bag attorney has decided to sue me for the accident that happened several months back, wherein some teeny bopper chickee was not paying attention (probably texting), and she rear ended me, pushing me into a corvette that was in front of me. Yeah, the guy that she pushed me into is suing everyone involved to see how much money he can get by the insurance companies settling with him. If you wonder why insurance rates are so high, it's because of scum bags like him soaking the system. I have one word for attorneys like this: DOOSHBAG!!!

You may be saying, "Wow, this sure is a negative blog!" Well, it's not all negative... I am happier and more blessed than I've ever been in my life, and because of this, I don't let all these annoying things bother me, but it sure is fun to put it all out there so everyone else can see that whatever problems they may be experiencing might not be so bad... Or, maybe they are really bad, and this will make them realize they aren't alone in this wacky world. I'm just chillin, laughin, and thinkin... Whatever....

Another Craig's List WTF??

Marty found another wacky car ad on Craig's List. I don't know what was going through this guy's head (probably nuthin), but it gave me a good chuckle. The ad says exactly this, "Truck was in accident motor intact it was only pushed back so everything else in the front is gone but the rest of the truck is perfect so... txt me or call..."

Jason Mask Is No Chick Magnet

I saw this as I was pulling out of the hotel parking lot in Daytona on Thursday, and I had to take a picture of it because, well... it's odd. What image do you think this guy is trying to portray? It's a good bet that he's single, so does this mean he wants to stay that way? Does he think he's cool? Everyone knows this mask is synonymous with murder, so I guess this guy could be trying to tell the world he's a bad ass, but it just made me laugh. For all you single guys out there, take a hint and leave the Jason mask at home unless it's Halloween. Any other time of the year it will make you look like an idiot, and the only ladies you'll score will probably be a bit psycho.

Jellies and Dragonflies

While driving to work last Monday at about 7:00 a.m. I remembered just how beautiful it is so early in the morning. The sun is usually rising at this time, and the temperature is just right. I said to myself, "I am going to the beach at this same time next week when I go on vacation."
This morning, which started my fourth day of vacation, Marty and I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and were headed east by about 8:00 a.m., not quite as early as I wanted, but that was okay. After all, I am on vacation, right? We had a cooler full of snacks and Perrier for a picnic on the beach. I had checked the ocean report and they said it was going to be flat like glass, just the way I like it. Everything was just right for a trip to the beach.
We ended up going to Phipps Ocean Park, found a free, shady parking spot and hauled all our stuff up the hill to the beach. There were zillions of dragonflies all over the place. I guess it is their mating season, but in all my years living in Florida, I have never seen so many. This was just one of a few odd phenomena that we encountered on our trip to the ocean today.
We were the only people on the beach with the exception of one of those metal detector guys. He was trying to find some hidden treasure and did not even look up. The water looked like it was topped with glitter from the sun, and was so inviting that I set up our chairs immediately, got down to my suit and walked towards the water. I saw a sign warning us of submerged rocks, so I decided to look carefully before just jumping right in, and I am so glad I did. There were many dinner plate sized jelly fish everywhere. No swimming for us :-( Again, I had never seen anything quite like this, and I have lived in this area all my life.
Marty suggested a nice walk on the beach instead of swimming, but it got so hot as the sun rose higher in the sky. I took a few pictures, and we started walking back to our chairs. It seemed that the metal detector guy didn't mind the jelly fish, as he was now out in the water with his all his metal detecting gear on (weirdo). I walked up stairs to the bathroom, and one of the park rangers was at the top of the stairs. He told me that the jelly fish had been really bad the past few days and that he had never seen it like this. He also said that when he was paddling out in the ocean on his row boat, the jelly fish were all over his oars as he brought them out of the water.
We decided we had enough. The beach just wasn't as pleasant as I had hoped for, so we went to City Place to sit in the park by the fountains on Clematis Street. We ate our picnic lunch in the shade where there was a nice breeze and enjoyed the rest of our morning.

Results of Random Voting

It takes a certain type of person to be in political office. Yes, some Senators and Congressmen have altruistic intentions, but even those with the best of motives are the selfish and greedy sort. It's all about power and connections, which ultimately lead to loads of money. At least that's what the media has led me to believe over the past 40 years. Yes, I watched the news when I was five, believe it or not. Well, I did not actually watch it, but learned of news through osmosis, as I sat in front of the TV playing barbies while my grandmother watched the news.

When I turned 18, my grandmother encouraged me to vote. She said, "you have to sign up as a Democrat." Of course I had to register as a Republican because she told me to be a Democrat. I was 18 and no one was going to tell me what to do by God. Now, I cannot stand either party. In fact, I cannot stand anyone who sits in Congress on their high and mighty thumb, voting aimlessly while the little guy suffers. Do these congressman have a tough job? Probably. However, I believe if they are sitting in Congress, they need to have enough brains and common sense to pass a budget. They also need to have enough responsibility to do what is in the best interest of those who put their sorry butts in there.

Maybe, just maybe, there are a handful of these congressmen who don't care and are being passive aggressive, or think it's funny to just randomly vote the opposite of what everyone else is voting. You remember the kid in class who took those Scan-tron tests and filled in random bubbles to make a smiley face while he hysterically giggled to himself? I think that's what some of our leaders up in Washington DC are doing just to piss off the president.

This brings me to the importance of voting. Voting does not mean going to the polls on election day and filling in the bubbles randomly just because you like a politician's hair or his smile. Please, for the love of all that is good, please do research on the candidates. I will give you some examples of people who were voted into office who never, should have been there. They got into office with a flashy smile and some quick talking, so be careful who you vote into office.

Remember Rob Lagoyavich? He actually tried to sell President Obama's Senate seat and was also extremely arrogant. He did not have a charitable bone in his body. Who the hell voted that idiot into office?

Then there was Anthony Weiner. What a complete doofus that guy was. He obviously got into office and was able to get a beautiful wife by being a master manipulator; a fast talker.

Lastly, there is Obama. I am highly disappointed in what he has done with our country. He got in there because he could talk a good game. His speeches were so eloquent and he bamboozled the world with his, "Yes we can" baloney. Now look at the mess we are in.


I for one am tired of these politicians thinking they can do whatever the hell they want with no consequences. Our futures are in their hands. Do you feel confident that they will make the right decisions for our lives; for our kids lives?

The Wal-Mart Lady and the Pee Bag

On occasion my fans will send me unusual Wal-martian photos, but this one sent to me by my dad yesterday really takes the cake. This is definitely a fashion no no for those who have no clue about how to dress themselves. If you have to wear a pee bag, please for everyone's sake wear long pants. OMG!!!

Drive By Shooting Prompts Lady To Don Helmet

This past Saturday night, there was a drive by shooting next to the industrial park in which I work.

This is nothing new. We've had swat teams running through the parking lot (twice), men arrested right in the street in front of our building, kids vandalizing the floor in which our office resides, the locks on our cars punched out, etc. It's gotten much worse since we moved into the area about 12 years ago, and needless to say, our office will be moving out of this area at the end of this year. We've had enough.

At any rate, when Marty drove me to work this morning, just a few days after the shooting, we got an eye full of an elderly lady standing on the corner, wearing a football helmet.

We could only surmise that she now feels the needs to wear one to deflect bullets that may come her way. Although it is sad in a way that she feels like her life is in danger and believes she can protect herself by wearing a helmet, we could not help but find a small bit of humor in her costume. I thought I'd share it with my blog fans to show that no matter how bad we may think our problems are, there is always someone who is worse off.

Woman Missing For 40 Years Re-appears

Have you ever thought to yourself how wonderful it would be to just run away to another state or even another country and never come back? Something stops you, right? Honestly, I have thought about it, but then I think about how hurt my family members and loved ones would be. I love them too much to do something so selfish. I also think about how the grass is not always greener on the other side, and if I did this, what kind of job could I possibly get that would provide a decent enough paycheck to keep me in the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed to. This lady apparently got ticked off enough to run away and never come back... until now. How odd is that?

Alien Space Ships... Really???!

This is just another video taken by people who think they saw Alien Space Ships in the sky over London. Like I have said before, I believe it is possible that there are other forms of life out there, but how come whenever an earthling sees something like this, they automatically think it's life visiting from somewhere in outer space. The below video in particular just looks like some kind of reflection on the lens, or maybe the video just didn't do it justice. I am curious. Has anyone seen real proof of alien space ships, other than white dots flying around in the sky or an obviously enhanced video? If so, I am interested in seeing it.

One Of My Favorite Places - Clark's Fish Camp

On June 15th, 2011, I went to Clark's Fish Camp for the second time. The first time was about 6 years ago, and it was just as scrumptious as I remember it. This restaurant is a real treat! It is tucked back in the woods behind a suburb and sits on the St. John's River in Jacksonville; Mandarin, Florida to be precise.

If you are ever in this area, it is a must see if you are a hunter, a lover of nature or someone who loves exotic food. I will not go into enormous detail, because it is one of those special, secret places you will have to experience for yourself, but I will tell you that I experienced the wonderful flavor of Ostrich, Kangaroo, Gator Tail and Frog's Legs, and this was just a tiny example of the foods they serve. Although I am not a huge fan of fried food, Clark's is the only place I know that can do it right. I have never experienced fried food that is consistently fried to perfection like they do it. It's very lightly battered, and I am quite sure they must change their oil daily, because there is no hint of that nasty oil taste when some restaurants don't change their oil often enough. If you want to visit, it is at 12903 Hoodlanding Road in Mandarin, FL 32258--904-268-3474. Check out the slideshow below:

The Desire To Get Caught

Marty and I were talking about Congressman Anthony Weiner because of his little weiner scandal. We don't completely agree about the reason for this man's moronic behavior. I say he's just a dog like all the other cheating dogs out there (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, etc.). Marty says that men like Congressman Weiner have a mental disorder where they have low impulse control. He also says that humans are genetically designed to reproduce, and society has imposed moral rules that are good, but make it difficult for these people with low or no will power. I say that diagnosis is a bunch of BS. Call me judgmental, but Congressman Weiner is a perv and a liar to boot. My opinion is that it's fine for these guys to do whomever they want and as many as they want, but if they know they are dogs, why do they need to get married? Stay single --duh. When Weiner was caught, he said his computer was hacked. That lie is unimaginative and shows lack of intelligence, because if his computer was truly hacked, it could be easily revealed by law enforcement. Instead, his ridiculous lie made him look even worse.

There was another diagnosis that Marty and I both considered, which was that he wanted to get caught. Sometimes people who become highly successful tend to sabotage their success for some strange reason, and we agreed that this is what probably happened to Weiner. He just had the desire to get caught. What else could explain this type of stupid behavior, especially since his wife is so beautiful? Regardless of his reason for cheating and lying, his lack of regard for his wife, family, friends, and the Democratic party, makes him an extremely selfish human being who only thinks about himself. Some people say he deserves a second chance, but why would anyone want him in a position of power if he cannot be trusted? This country is in turmoil right now because of selfish people in power. I think his punishment should be to work at Wal-Mart until he earns back the trust of the public and everyone he's hurt in this scandal. What do you think his consequences should be?

Winner of the Odd Contest

One of my Facebook friends, the only one to be cool enough to enter her story into my Odd Is Not Contagious Contest, won a spot on my blog as promised in the contest rules. Thanks Katrina for being a good sport and taking the time to tell your funny, odd story :-) If anyone else out there wants to share their story on this blog, become a fan of Odd Is Not Contagious at: http://www.facebook.com/oddisnotcontagious and send me an email.

Katrina is from Australia and is an avid follower of my blog. Apparently in 1981, while she was working at a cinema part time, she became very good friends with a gay guy named Tim. He asked Katrina to accompany him to the "Alternative Miss Australia Ball" where there were 7 men dressed as women, each one from one of the 7 different states in Australia. Additionally, each man wore something special about the particular state they were from. While attending the ball, one of the men struck up a conversation with Katrina, and about 10 minutes into their discussion, the man realized Katrina was not a man dressed in drag. He said to her, "Hey, you're for real." This is a picture of Katrina wearing the dress that Tim loaned her to wear to the ball:

Late Comers and Crying Babies

Is it too much to ask that people show a little consideration for others when attending a special event like a play or recital? For those people who are chronically late, please do everyone a favor, and show up at least 15 minutes early. If you have to bring your baby, and they start crying during the event, tend to them in the lobby.

I find it so odd that people these days think nothing of showing up 20 minutes late to an event like this and disturb everyone else who left early enough to get there on time. Yesterday at my nephew's dance recital at Royal Palm Beach High School, at least 10 people on our side of the auditorium and several others all over the facility showed up well after the show started. These late comers interrupted all of us, trying to find their seats in the dark, chatting with the usher, stepping on everyone's feet trying to get to their seats in the middle of the row. Why couldn't these people just be on time? I'll tell you why. They are an inconsiderate bunch. At the risk of sounding self righteous, my entire family of 8 people coming from different parts of the area, three coming all the way from Jupiter, showed up a half hour early, just so we would not ruin the show for everyone else by tromping through the rows during the show. There are always the rare exceptions that something out of the ordinary happens, flat tire, dog/kid throws up moments before leaving, car won't start, etc. However, there were far too many late comers, and I am quite sure they all did not have conditions that were out of their control. If this blog pertains to anyone who is chronically late to everything, please think of someone other than yourself for a change, and plan accordingly so you can be a little early.

The second bit of rudeness that we had to be a part of, was a lady in the row behind us who had her baby and two toddlers with her. When her baby started crying loudly she decided to sit there instead of getting up to calm her baby down outside. She just sat there with the baby screaming and her two young toddlers loudly asking silly questions through the entire first half of the show. That was just rude! She was not the only one who did this either. There were at least two others in the auditorium. Mommies, when we have young babies, we just have to face the fact that we'll have to miss some special moments to take our crying babies out of an event like this. For those who this pertains to, don't just sit there. It's extremely rude and disrespectful to everyone around you. I have two kids and when they were babies, I used to leave them with a sitter. If I had to bring them to a show or event, and they cried, I was embarrassed and left immediately. Can I just point out the obvious to the oblivious out there? No one wants to hear a baby cry continuously at these things. I'm sure I will get tons of comments for both sides of these situations, but the truth is, the late comers and mothers who don't properly tend to their babies will lose the argument, hands down.

How to Pack a Pick Up Truck

Marty and I were driving through Palm Springs today on our way to the best local pizza place ever, Palm Springs Pizza, when we saw this truck loaded with all kinds of stuff. I don't think I've ever seen junk piled so high on a pick up truck. At least the guy skillfully stacked all his earthly possessions so they wouldn't fall off and hurt someone, although his substitution of duct tape for bungee cords was probably not the wisest choice. It gave us a good chuckle and felt it was blog worthy.

My Wonderful Husband Marty

I am writing this blog about my wonderful, but sometimes odd husband Marty. I asked him if I could put him on my odd blog, because he just asked me if I would clean up my side of the desk. He said he had too much stuff on his side and needed more room. If you look to the left of this desk, you will see my little pink computer with an area of about 1 X 1.

I laughed so loud, and kvetched a bit about that, but I removed my bills and other hoarded mail from my side of the desk because, well, he's a genius, and I know he is going to create something fantastical that will make our lives easier. Currently he is learning about all the hidden benefits of an Apple computer and teaching me what it can do as well. Additionally, he is setting up one of his buddies' new Mac Mini.

Marty is one of those people who is a jack of all trades, but also a master of technical and mechanical devices. We are completely wired up in our house. Before I met Marty, I had a lousy Dell desk top and the only thing I ever did was check my email and surf occasionally for nothing in particular. When I started dating Marty he set me up with wireless and showed me the benefits of having a laptop computer, and I never looked back. He showed me how to sell things on Ebay and Craig's List; how to shop online wisely for the best deals; and also how to make the computer work best for me, including having me switch to Mozilla Firefox for my browser (way better than Explorer).

I say he's wonderful for many reasons, most of which have nothing to do with his technical savvy, the main reason being that he's a loving, caring husband and stepfather. However, another reason I am very grateful for Marty is that he opened up my eyes to everything technical and science related, which has made my world tons more interesting. I say he's odd because he likes to take things apart and often times he reminds me of Rick Moranis in "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" :-) Of course his oddness is one of the many reasons I love him too.

Please visit Marty's website: http://getamacnow.com/ if you're interested in getting an Apple computer for less.

He does not want to be a juror!!

A man named Jonathan Greene blabbed his mouth to the media, so that he would be kicked off Jury duty in the Casey Anthony trial, and the judge fined him a whopping $450.00. I guess Mr. Greene didn't know that he could have just told the judge that Casey was guilty, and he would have been dismissed. I cannot say I blame the poor guy for wanting to get out of it though. I know it is our responsibility as Americans to do jury duty if called upon, but seriously, what do the people in our justice system expect when they don't sufficiently compensate us for performing this duty? The Anthony trial is expected to take weeks and, if it is the circus that most of these crazy trials are, it could take months. I just checked and a juror in Pinellas County (where the Anthony trial is taking place) gets paid $15.00 a day for the first three days and $30.00 a day for each day after that, IF he is not paid by his employer. Doesn't seem worth it, does it? A juror that is sequestered, as he would be in this case, has to spend days away from his family and friends, and does not get paid even minimum wage to be away from his job. This is why many people don't take jury duty seriously.

This is my suggestion. The people who are caught in the act of a heinous crime, meaning that they are caught red handed, get a trial but only one. They do not get to appeal squat. The money that the justice system would save from not wasting time with all those silly appeals could be used to fairly compensate jurors for their time spent on legitimate trials.

Lady tells it like it is

A few months back I saw a post on Facebook where some lady caused an accident because she was attempting to shave her bikini area while driving. Apparently, she was getting ready for a date. This article written by Celia Rivenbark provides a few more details about how it happened, and it is laugh out loud hilarious.

Seriously though, this type of behavior is odd, but I have also witnessed a number of other, just as dangerous, activities people take part in while driving, and I am shocked every time I witness moronic conduct behind the wheel of a one ton potential killing machine. What type of person does these things while operating a motor vehicle? They are, what I like to call, the stupid people. They are just not as bright as everyone else on the planet. They often end up becoming a valuable lesson for others on what not to do in order to remain with the living.

Am I being judgmental? The answer is probably yes, but these people need to be told flat out that they are stupid because, well... they are, and they continue to put our lives in danger every day with no regard for anyone. Have you ever wondered how many people driving next to you are impaired (even just a little) by drugs or alcohol? I would guess that it is a lot, probably close to 50%, but that is definitely an estimate on my part. With as many people who come to South Florida to purchase Oxycontin, I believe it is a good guess too. There are a lot of sellers, buyers, and users all over the United States. The DUI statistics are staggering too, so yep... it's a safe bet that at least half of the people on the road are impaired in some way. Here are just a few statistics from Lifetips.com:

* One person is killed every half-hour due to drunk driving
* Each year approximately 16,000 are killed in alcohol related crashes
* Alcohol is a factor in almost half of all traffic fatalities
* Every other minute a person is seriously injured in an alcohol related crash

How about the women who just love to put on their face while driving to work or a hot date? What is that all about?? I see this all the time, and it baffles me. Why can't these ladies put their make up on while they drink coffee and watch the news in the morning? This way they could have everything all done before they get in their car. It only takes a little time management.
However, the worst offenders of common sense these days are the ones who text and drive.

If you are a follower of my site, you know that I enjoy putting a good public service announcement out there whenever appropriate, and I know the above has been reiterated many times, by so many people. However, it keeps happening, so I feel a desperate need to say it again. For those of you who don't understand what it means to drive an automobile correctly, please note: The only things you need to be doing while driving is paying attention, keeping your eyes on the road with two hands on the wheel. No one needs to be putting on makeup, eating a burger, reading a book, texting, drinking an alcoholic beverage, etc. All of this can wait until you get to your destination. It only takes one second of looking anywhere else other than the road, and your life could end, or you could end the life of someone else. It really is simple.

Idiocy is Rampant --Argh!

In my travels today, I saw some things that made me take pause. I often say, "To each his (or her) own," meaning I try hard not to pass judgment on people who don't think or behave the way society deems normal. I also hate that word normal because there really is no such thing. Everyone, and I do mean everyone is abnormal, even if it's just a tad bit. As much as I tried to keep my mouth shut, I could not help but judge the people I witnessed today because... well... they just deserve to be pointed out.

The first thing I saw was this big black truck displaying a Rebel flag with the words "Git R Done" scrawled on the tailgate. The lady had a pink frilly shirt on and her arm hanging out of the window holding a lit cigarette. To each his (or her) own, right? However, as a co-worker of mine often points out (ad nauseam), there is "nothing positive that comes from smoking cigarettes." This lady will probably eventually die a slow and horrible death and live her last moments desperately gasping for air. Why does this concern me? It doesn't. She can smoke until she croaks and it matters little to me. However, our tax dollars will probably pay for the illnesses that she will incur from her risky habit or, at the very least, she will contribute to an increase in our health insurance rates. A few car lengths ahead was a man in a white Suburban, also sucking on a cancer stick. I thought to myself, "that is so unattractive." At any rate, I just wanted to get my public service announcement out there and say, "smoking is SOo not fashionable. Quit before it's too late. That's what Chantix is for" The alternative is quite scary.

The second thing I witnessed was another black truck with children in the truck bed. They were not seat belted in and were crawling around, poking another child in the back of the cab, who was also not seat belted in. This enraged me, mostly because there were three children whose lives were being jeopardized by their idiot parents, especially on Southern Boulevard where accidents happen almost daily. Then there is the problem that, if the driver gets into an accident and the kids flip out onto the road, the other drivers behind said truck get to experience the horror of running the children over. The mother was in the back too. What a wonderful Mother's Day that would be, eh? Lastly, if the children survived an accident and ended up in the hospital, if they don't have insurance, who pays for it? You guessed it, we do.

The last thing Marty and I experienced was this inconsiderate man who blocked our storage unit with his truck and all his belongings strewn about. We wanted to pull some more stuff out of our unit to get ready for our yard sale and could not get past this man. We asked him why all his stuff was all over the place, but he did not understand what we were saying. He did not care anyway. He was blah blah-ing on his cell phone and gave us a dirty look. He was just another inconsiderate person in, what seems to be, a growing number of inconsiderate people in our world. In the quest for world peace, I refrained from spraying him with my pepper spray and went home. I can look back and smile, so no harm done.

Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day, 2011, and this mother's day has to be one of the best to date. Carley gave me a framed picture of her wearing her graduation cap and gown as a gift, which made me smile the biggest smile. It warms my heart that Carley completed high school, especially when, not too long ago, it seemed as if this would not be in her master plan.

After she gave me my gift, we all went to the Red Lobster for lunch, which really brought back fond memories of my own mom (who is traveling today) and grandmother, Nan, who is no longer with us. As a family, we used to go there almost every Sunday after church and also celebrated major events there when I was growing up.

Today, in celebration of old times, I ordered my favorite comfort food, popcorn shrimp, and I also had to have a few of those cheesy biscuits that only Red Lobster can make.

Carley told us we were odd because we brought our mega camera. She said, "Who brings a huge camera like this to Red Lobster??" The answer is, "We do because it really does take the best photos," and we had such fun trying to find pretty places to pose for our Mother's Day pictures. Carley took this picture of Marty and I.

To top the day off, my son David called from San Fransisco to wish me a happy Mother's Day. Today's events may seem simple to most people, but it's the simple things like spending time with my daughter that make me so happy :-)What did you do for your mother today?

My Son David

Litter Box vs. Bureaucracy

So... I started my day hearing a breaking news announcement that Osama Bin Laden is dead, so you could say it started off good. However, as the day wore on, it just got lousy, and I just wanted to throw something (anything) out the window. I tried the "smile" thing thinking that it might make me feel better, but nope, nothing. It was just one of those crappy Mondays, so I ended my day by washing out Carley's cat's crappy litter box (say that 5 times really fast). Although it is a disgusting job, I felt remarkably accomplished after my chore. It felt so good to actually complete a task simply, with zero bureaucracy for a change, and Stinky was so happy. He even thanked me :-)

Odd Man Abandons Car on Interstate --DUH!

Yesterday (4/27/11) I was on Interstate 95, on my way to the Ft. Lauderdale office, and was approaching Boynton Beach when I saw the traffic backing up ahead. As I have many other times, I began slowing down and came to a complete stop behind a beautiful, bright yellow Corvette. I was the last person to stop in a line of approximately 10 deep in my lane (give or take), and I could not move to the left or to the right because of the heavy traffic. I was freaking out a little, because I was picturing someone not paying attention and smacking me in the rear end. I decided to take a peek in my rear view mirror, because it's one of those things you just have to know, right? At first the lane just behind me was empty, and I looked back in front of me for a second. When I looked in the rear view mirror again, I saw a Ford Escape, which was coming up on me very fast, appearing to be fish tailing a bit, and you guessed it... She had not been paying attention. BANG!!! She hit me at about 45 miles an hour, which pushed me into the Corvette in front of me.


I was very scared at this point because if she wasn't paying attention, how many others would not be paying attention? As the traffic had now stopped to gawk at us, the Corvette was able to move to the left, past the HOV lane, into the emergency lane, and I was able to move there too. I saw the guy in the Vette get out and look at the back of his vehicle. He began walking towards me, so I slowly rolled down the window (in case he was a wack job and wanted to kill me for wrecking his Vette), and I told him I was very sorry but someone had hit me and caused me to crash into him. He was very nice and said he saw the whole thing happen, so he knew it was not my fault. He said that amazingly enough, there was not a scratch on his Vette. That's when the Escape pulled up behind us in the emergency lane. The girl inside couldn't have been much older than 21 and was crying hysterically, apologizing all over the place. She said she was on her way to Florida Atlantic University to take an exam. Just at that moment, I looked out into the middle lane of the highway, at what had probably caused the accident in the first place. There was an abandoned Chevy with a flat tire in the middle lane. I was wondering how that car had been involved, and was told later at the hospital that some guy had abandoned his car because it had a flat tire. I'm not sure why the guy left his car there, but his stupidity caused the entire accident. At any rate, the next thing that happened was a guy on a motorcycle (crotch rocket) apparently did not see the abandoned car and crashed into it, flipping over the top of the car and rolling over the hood, landing on the highway in front of the car. The guy got up and pulled his motorcycle from behind the car. He was going to ride off, but a cop who had come onto the scene made him pull over into the emergency lane as well. By this time, I had started to look for my license and my registration per the order of the policeman. I then realized I could not stand anymore because my back and leg were hurting pretty bad, so I sat in my car. The paramedics came and assessed me. We all decided that it would probably be best to take me to the hospital to get checked out. The nice paramedics put a neck brace on me, put me on a board, and drove me to the hospital. I got x-rayed and was very lucky to have only cervical and lumbar strain. The state trooper involved came to visit me in the hospital to give me a report and to return my license. He told me that everyone involved was very lucky to be alive, because this type of accident on the interstate more often ends up with serious injuries or even death. The lesson for everyone to learn from this, is that if your vehicle becomes disabled for any reason while you're driving on the interstate, move your car off to the side immediately (that should go without saying, right?). If you notice that your car is slowing because of mechanical difficulties, you should have enough momentum to get to the side. If you get a flat like this guy did, just ride on the wheel to the side. A wrecked wheel is better than the alternative. The second lesson is never take your eyes off the road when driving. If that young lady had been paying more attention, she would have realized that the traffic had stopped. It all turned out fine, my sister picked me up from the hospital, bought me a frosty McFrap, and took me to her house where my husband, parents and daughter were waiting for me. The two people at fault (the stupid flat tire guy and the young college lady) both received citations for their part in the accident. The best part of the story is that no one was seriously injured, so there was a happy ending for all :-)

Meet Keenan Cahill

I saw this 16 year old boy, Keenan Cahill, on the Today Show this morning, and I had to do a little blog post about him. People like Keenan, who have handicaps of some kind and are still able to have such a positive outlook on life, fascinate me. Every so often someone like this shows us that our problems are not so big, and the best way to live life is to have fun, despite issues that get thrown our way. Keenan has a rare genetic condition that stunts his growth and causes a multitude of other health problems for him, but he still has a marvelous sense of humor. His lip syncing antics finally got him a viral video when he was just 13 years old, and now he has many popular videos on You-Tube. My favorite of all his videos is this one:

What are you going to do the next time a big problem gets in your way? We can all learn something from Keenan. Check him out on Youtube!

Littering our World

There are people in our world who think only about themselves. Of course this statement is not shocking, and self centered people are even more prevalent in today's world than in years past. I find it odd that there are some people who don't even think any deeper than what they can see with their eyes, not realizing that their actions can have negative effects on not only nature, but all of civilization. Not all of these people, but many of them litter our world with their garbage. How many times have you seen someone toss a bag of fast food out of a car window, or how about the idiot who leaves his old couch on the side of the road for someone else to take to the dump? It does not happen as often as it did back in the 60's and 70's, because environmental ads have educated people about the effects of littering. Although our world has come far in preserving our earth for future generations, we still have a long way to go. There needs to be more realization that many natural treasures in this world will disappear or be destroyed if we don't stop to think about what's outside of our own tiny box.

In the 1970's I saw two public service commercials that would change my life and many others' lives forever. Do you remember the Indian standing on the side of the highway crying about all the garbage strewn about our land?

This ad made a mark forever and caused many people to think further than their own backyard. Do you remember Hootie the Owl? I loved Hootie :-)

I guess people became desensitized to these commercials, but I wonder why there have not been more of these catchy ads over the years. Our environment is even more fragile than ever today because of the garbage that we don't see; garbage that was buried or lives under the sea. Everyone needs to do his or her part in keeping this world clean.

One of the semi-invisible environmental phenomenons that opened my eyes most recently, is the ocean dump below the surface of the water in the Pacific between California and Hawaii, commonly known as "The Garbage Patch." Several different currents in the Pacific Rim have pushed all of our litter into one large clump that is larger than our entire United States, all in one spot. Sea creatures of all kinds get caught and tangled up in this garbage patch and worse yet, they swallow all the plastic and it clogs their intestines. Need I say more?

There are strange and ignorant people in this world who still do not know that throwing their garbage on the road is bad or understand about the effects of their littering on the earth. Pass this blog on to anyone you know, so they can pass it on. As we did back in the 70's we need to educate the public any way we can, thinking about others, specifically future generations. Let's leave this world a better place.