Auld Lang Syne: 2010-2011

Today is the last day of 2010

Ringing out the old

and reflecting

what an interesting year it's been

I've learned much

screwed up horribly

had some drama

grew a lot

I suppose as far as years go

I could have done more

been a better person

focused

I'm not bad, but I could improve

so 

I think my goal for 

2011

will have to be

 to 

strive for excellence

push myself harder

and

always take the high road
even when I don't want
to

★

It Takes Two

I think trust is a 2 way street

if I trust you

I'll give you everything
with an open heart
and mind

but

I cannot keep it up if I'm alone

A grin for today....

On Being Human

I didn't write this, but I definitely feel this is a perfect way of describing what we're all going through.

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, “life.”

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately “work.”

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There’s no part of life that doesn’t contain its lessons. If you’re alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. “There” is no better a place than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will again look better than “here.”

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life’s questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You WILL Forget All Of This.

The Bus Driver

When I was a kid

I rode the school bus an hour each way

Every day, sitting with my friend Janet

without fail

We got a new driver who seemed pleasant enough

but

as the months went on

she grew more and more nasty to me

saying things under her breath

glaring at me and my siblings

until

one day 

I was alone

my sibling weren't on the bus with me

and Janet was home with the flu

something snapped

this driver pulled the bus over

unbuckled her seat belt and walked toward the back

I was reading, not paying much attention

until she stood next to me

nearly touching

I looked up

wondering who was getting into trouble

then realized she was addressing me

She unleashed a barrage of hate
a tirade of epic proportions

spewing words intended to inflict the most pain possible

she stuck her finger in my face

called me and my family 'a bunch of snobs'

(which we weren't)

and predicted dire things would happen to me if I didn't 

'change my ways'

I remember
being close to tears

red faced and embarrassed

I didn't say anything to her as she continued yelling

the entire bus was strangely silent and appalled

nobody said a word

nobody knew where to look

in those days, if an adult said something to a kid

with our rural upbringing

kids didn't talk back

ever

This incident remained one of the most horrific of my childhood

because it was so unfair, so angry and so unexpected

  Imagine 

my surprise

the other day

I received a Facebook friend request

from her son, Bruce

with whom I had graduated

I completely hesitated

Bruce was always friendly to me

supremely confident

older than his chronological years

and now a retired police officer

so

with some trepidation

I agreed to be his FB friend

We wrote a few notes
catching up the last 30 years

He informed me I was ''a really nice person in school''

to which

I relayed the incident with his mother

I could tell

he was completely shocked and upset
by my letter

then he told me something about his home life

apparently

during those years

his mother was being beaten and abused

by an alcoholic husband

she began drinking heavily as well
their home was in shambles

they moved every few months

due to evictions and money issues

they had 5 sons they neglected

terribly

Bruce didn't have to tell me all of that

he could have brushed off the incident

but 

he seemed to sense the closure I needed

His revelations changed the way I saw his mother

and in understanding her home life

I was able to process that awful bus incident

in a more adult way

because

now I realize

She was lashing out at her life

not at the 14 year old girl

reading quietly on the bus

that rainy April 

day

Note: Bruce's step father died years ago,
and
his brother committed suicide at the age of 33
Bruce's mom is no longer an alcoholic
I wish her well

On being married....

♥♥♥

Too late, Wes realized

the romance had

pretty much 

gone from 

our relationship

♥♥♥

.....

Happy Holidays

Best Wishes 

for 

the Holiday Season

to you

To Floss or Not to Floss

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

When
I went through

Hygiene School

I was under the impression

flossing was the ONLY

way to keep interproximal spaces clean

(that's the space between your teeth)

as a person who loathes flossing

(shocking I know)

I grudgingly flossed every day

that is

until I researched alternatives

then

I started using Soft Picks

I keep them next to my computer

in my car

anywhere I'm likely to land for a space of time

every 24 hours

I take all of 30 seconds

slide these picks in between my teeth

its simple

as effective as flossing

and

I have no floss resentment

What I like most about them

is when I've recommended them to non-flossers

with the advice to keep them handy

I almost instantly have converts

Folks

who have never bothered to floss

are using these things like crazy

and really

isn't that better than doing

nothing

?

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

I just discovered Justin Hines.....

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

In this age of 

''if you aren't perfect, you don't get into the club''

I find this guy to be a refreshing change.

Wheelchair bound

unbeautiful

he lets his songs spill from his heart

No frills

No bells and whistles

Just a simple soul that speaks volumes

Listen

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Ahhh.......Youth

(My son's friend decided this was the perfect way to pop the question)

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

When I first heard the expression

''youth is wasted on the young''

I didn't understand

because I was too young

Youth

causes you to do things that 

you'd never do when you're older

(and supposedly wiser)

perhaps it's simply ignorance
instead of courage

youth

takes more chances

lives in each moment

doesn't worry as much about the

''what if''

youth doesn't really plan for the future 

 nor hang long
onto their oh-so-perfect dreams

with both hands

When you're young

you let go of the branch high above the water
pretty fast

allowing the stream to carry you

as far and as fast as it wants

and you

don't look back

nor do you have enough life
experience
to have massive

regrets

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

(She said yes. Their wedding is set for next summer)

Coming Clean....

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

This
past week

I've been making soap

goat's milk and olive oil
gentle and safe
enough for a baby
(or even my ridiculously sensitive skin)

different scents, exfoliates and colors

I've made
chocolate, sage, green tea

spice, lavender, oatmeal honey

orange, lemon-lavender

the possibilities are endless

however

I have to be careful
to eat lunch
before

I'm deciding on a scent

since at one point
in my hunger induced crafty euphoria

the jar of salsa 

sitting quietly in my cupboard

started to seem

like a great idea as

an 

additive

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

What I know for sure

1. Friends come and go, but family is forever

2. Some people are toxic--stay away from them 

3. Sometimes it's worth not saying a word

4. Sometimes you have to stand your ground , just make sure you are 100% firm in your beliefs. There is nothing worse than a wishy washy stand.

5. Avoid negative people and don't let them taint your world . You cannot bring them up, but they certainly can bring you down.

6. There are at least 3 sides to every story

7. There is nothing more dangerous than stupid people in large groups. 
(yep, organized religion comes to mind here)

8. If you listen, you will hear

9. Don't bad-mouth someone's choice of a mate. They won't appreciate it after they are done being mad at him/her.

10. Don't EVER tell someone that their hubby/wife is having an affair because YOU will end up being the bad guy. 

11. Keep your heart open. You never know when you'll meet a kindred spirit 

12. True friendship has no age barriers

13. There are different degrees of trust and friendship. Not everyone is on the same plane as you are with the relationship. 

14. Shared experiences grow friendships.

15. Don't say anything to a friend that you don't want thrown back at you later.

16. Only best friends can go bathing suit shopping together.

''Oh, THERE you are......''

Perky Anyone? Anyone?!

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Its a rare person who is perky all the time

to be fair

I find perennial perkiness to be quite annoying actually
just as
being a constant downer is ridiculous
anger only hurts yourself
I admit

I occasionally delve into  the depths

of

snarky

irreverent

sarcastic
because that's how I'm hardwired
what makes me the most comfortable
how I was raised

but
over the years

I've learned to temper

these bits

with the softer side of myself

something that almost looks like

caring

concern

shyness

because in my constant battle for
that elusive balance

I  think I

needed to look very closely
at my own outward

persona

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Let them eat cake...

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*



I've been going through my old photo albums

when

I came across a photo similar to this one

18 kids

all about 7 or 8 years old

a teacher in a dress

as was the rule back then

I looked at the fresh faces of these kids

most of whom I grew up with

my gaze fell upon a kid named ''Pat''

he was skinny

dirty

unkempt

with a smile

that didn't quite meet his eyes

threadbare clothes 

a speech impediment

I wonder what happened to Pat

He was never shunned

but never popular

we kids just never thought about Pat
adding to his sense of isolation
I'm sure

I'm embarrassed to tell this story

but

I remember

watching him shiver one cold morning

at recess

in his old zip up sweater with many holes

and wondering why

he didn't bring a heavier winter coat from home

Having

never had to face any kind of poverty

I didn't know

he was thin because he didn't have enough to eat

he was cold because he didn't have a coat

In

looking at his picture

35 years later

I feel so ashamed

for not helping him more

giving him my lunch

or

making him feel more included

I hope

Pat was able to overcome his obstacles

and grow into the man

he should have

been

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Party Line

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*


I've decided to quit having dinner parties

the last few I had

the guests sat down to dinner

and

most of the food I prepared was bypassed

here are the reasons

''I don't eat dairy"

"I don't eat any gluten (flour, breads, etc)''

"Allergic to ______''

"I don't eat red meat"
"Was this fish line caught, do you know?'

"I don't eat non organic''

"I don't eat sugar"

"I avoid salt''

"Is this free trade coffee?''

Pretty discouraging, really

since

I literally cannot accomodate all their needs

so

the next time I throw a big

dinner party

I'm making what *I* want

and
my guests will just have to go home

hungry

I suppose

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Porky Single Seeks...

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*


I had no idea they made

Spam Classic Singles

and
after

looking at the lengthy ingredient list

of

lips, assholes and hair

pork by products

I can certainly see why

they're still

single

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Face It

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*


I have noticed

so many people

seem to have their heads in the sand

as if

not confronting

or

talking about something

means it isn't there

 I have news for those folks

long after the dust has settled

and the party winds down

theyll eventually have to

shake off the sand

and face

themselves

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Inspiration

One Man
One Purpose

One Love

No religion

No lies

Just one person

making a difference
daily

Fire Proof

(me-age 1)

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*



My cousin recently endured a fire in his business

which started me thinking

(of course!)

what would I grab

if my house ever caught fire

besides the dog

some art work

off the walls

I

would snatch up all my photos

because they are the most precious

my memories

on paper

black and white

colored

bent, torn

cracked and faded

everything else

besides these few things

are completely

replaceable

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

New Horizons

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

When presented with a new opportunity

it's easiest to say no
cocoon yourself
in
cotton and bubble wrap

stay in the house
take the safe route
the one you already know

but
 fear of failure
never  made anyone's life
interesting
I'm learning

sometimes

you just have to jump

off a cliff

trust yourself

 trust others

and

always remember
all you ever have to do in this world
is to remember to

breathe
in and out
repeatedly

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Unhooked

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

I'm not the most techno person

on the planet

I have toys that I love

cell phone, phone, computer

but admittedly

I still don't know how to load a movie

onto my blue-ray

on a side note

the blue ray was a lovely gift

and I was screwed over assisted by the

nicest saleperson

anyway

so just this past week

imagine my alarm

when I unknowingly downloaded

a horrible, no good, very bad

virus

onto my main computer

my laptop is running terribly slow due to

all the viruses and other fun things

on it

and now

both my home phones have decided

they really don't feel like holding a charge

for more than

10 minutes
 GAH
!!

It's True.

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Sometimes

you need a Daily Affirmation

because
(say it with me here)
you ARE

good enough

smart enough

and yes

doggone it
people 

DO 

like you
 !
*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Happy Chanukah

This pretty much explains

the mentality
at
WalMart

Good Intentions

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

I'm starting to understand those old cliches'

the ones like 

''No good deed goes unpunished''

How I wish

I could hand someone a 

stethoscope

microscope

&

sonogram

so they could actually see inside of me

where my good intentions lie

but alas, I cannot  

so

in the future

sadly

I will be much more 

wary

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

I wonder....

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

I often wonder

how Karen Carpenter's 

family

feels as they are toodling 

down the road

radio on

 during holidays

and one of her songs
come on
I would imagine

it must be bittersweet

gut wrenching

and completely

sad

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Holidays

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Instead of a 

big tree

tons of food

and too many gifts

I think this year

I need to gather up my family 

and friends

head on over to the Bahamas
do a little scuba diving
eat gigantic lobsters

and 

make a snowman out of

sand

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

Two Thumbs Up

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

I don't typically wax poetic about good companies

I also don't gripe too badly about horrible companies

I just don't use their services

but

when I find a GREAT company

who exceed even 

my  

ridiculously picky normal expectations

I think they deserve a shout out

I have a few I'd love to mention

NetFlix: Stellar service, great value, no hassles

always striving to be better

their rates go down and their service gets better

who wouldn't love this?

Aflac: Got cancer? They pay you. Accident? They pay you.

Short or long term disability? They pay you.

Seeing a trend here?

AAA: Beyond a simple towing service

the unexpected discounts I enjoy with the card

leave me speechless

Did you know if you shop at Target.com

you get free shipping with a AAA card?

And I'm not even going to mention 

the $12 off each oil change

hotel discounts

free maps and travel guides

There you have them

my 

3 favorite companies

Check 'em out

*:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*    *:-.,_,.-:*`*.¸.*´`'*:-.,_,.-:*

It's just a machine....right?

After a nasty glitch
I copied and pasted the above

directly from my computer
screen

I had no idea computers

even got embarrassed

I guess this means 

from now on
I'd better watch
what I
Google

Fairy Godmothers

I used to roll my eyes at people
who called themselves

''Life Coaches''

after all

who would ever need a
Life Coach

?

As for me

I had my entire life mapped out

tied up with a pretty ribbon

perfectly perfect in every way

what I didn't count on

were a few road blocks

stumbling points

and places

where I could have used

another person 

without their own agenda
adding clarity
someone just for me

someone like

a Life Coach

to 

reach out

help me to navigate the rocky bits

and keep me on the 

perfectly perfect path

I had originally

chosen

Wait....WAIT!

 Why do I always think 

certain people will never grow old

?

In my head, they are frozen in time

suspended age animation

then 

they do something silly

like appear on a

''whatever happened to...''

program

and I find myself gasping

because

they don't look the same

gray haired

wrinkled 

their star power has left

leaving them 

mellowed

grateful

 somewhat rueful

and almost 

human

A New Twist

Quite unexpectedly

I was offered a writing job

which I happily accepted

In this position
I'm supposed to be

writing humorous things

random

fun
The best part
I can do this job at home
wearing jammies
with a cup of tea in hand
nonetheless

I had a weird thought
when I agreed to do this
If
I'm actually getting paid to write

I guess this makes me 

a

(gasp)

writer

Falling Apart

Melt Downs

we've all had them

low moments

negative times

someone makes you angry

feeling out of control

but

I think if this is happening

on a regular basis

you really need to look at yourself

why you do it

 who you surround yourself with

 because

rage 

meltdowns

&

tantrums

are something you're supposed
to grow out of

eventually

''OMG-What IS this?''

Have you ever made something

and you just ''know''

it's an instant classic

something you'll make again and again

this 

Whiskey Cream Sauce

originally by Ree Drummond

(tweaked a bit by me)

is exactly one of those things 

that 

I refuse to live without

ever again

Whiskey Cream Sauce  

aka

''Holy HELL, what's in this sauce?''

• 6 Tablespoons Real Maple Syrup
• 1 pint (2 cups) Whipping Cream
• 4 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
• 3 Tablespoons Whiskey



Add the first 3 ingredients to a heavy saucepan. Heat to simmering, stirring constantly

Takes about 20 minutes. This will reduce the cream and make it thicker.

Add in the whiskey. Stir for about 2 minutes.

Chill for a couple of hours (overnight is better)

Pour over pumpkin pie, apple pie, chocolate cake, peach cobber....a rock....it's all good.

Plan B: The Other Option

My daughter has taken over Thanksgiving festivities

As we were standing around, drinks in hand

 watching her work her butt off
because she wouldn't accept any assistance 

attempting to make the holiday look effortless

(and all of us knowing how much stress is involved)

I loved seeing this note on her fridge

because when I hosted Thanksgiving

I felt incredible pressure

I never

ever 

allowed for a Plan B

and oh

how I wish 

I had

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

I have many things to be thankful for

and sometimes its nice to take a day

and realize

exactly how lucky I am

 

Thanksgiving Prank

This family decided to stuff a cornish game hen

into the cavity of a turkey

as a prank

apparently

the prank-ee didn't realize right away

turkeys lay eggs

Let it snow!

It snowed!!

This is the scene last night from my front porch

 around midnight

If you care to zoom in

you can see exactly where 

I fell on my ass

I made a really pretty snow angel

This will be a short post

I need to go soak in a hot tub

and 

take some more aspirin

because

being that enthusiastic about new snow

has it's price

Readers

When I started this blog
I truly didn't expect that anyone
would
actually read it
I rarely glimpse at my statistics
other than the stats that tell me
overall numbers
so you can imagine my shock
when I popped into my statistics page
and decided to see exactly who my readers are
and discovered
this wee little blog
is popular mainly in the USA and Canada
which I'd expected
but the #3 spot in popularity
is South Korea
and #4
would be Denmark
#5 is the UK
and so
I must say to all of my international
readers
Welcome Aboard
the
Tooth Fairy Express
and please remember
to
lock your tray table
place your seat in the upright position
secure your belongings
and prepare for a
(sometimes)
bumpy
ride

Group Think

Recently a teacher kicked a student out of his class
when the student said he didn't ''accept gays''
Another student stood by him and also was asked to leave
The teacher was suspended 1 day without pay for
violating the student's right to free speech
This made me think
that
even though the student was parroting
his religious and parental upbringing
he did have the right to say what he did
if it was done in a respectful and thoughtful manner
I was wishing the instructor
could have had a ''teaching moment''
at that time
to combat ignorance
but it's pretty tough to go against
many generations of bigotry
After much thought
I realized
I don't like what the student said
but
true freedom in America
comes from
allowing ALL groups
to have their say
not just the ones
we collectively approve
of

Lies

My parents lied to me
Not all the time, mind you
they were right when they said the monster
I had envisioned in the closet didn't exist
but
they lied when they said
if you were
a good person
worked hard
didn't get into trouble
walked the straight and narrow
were responsible
took care of everyone around you
loved your friends and family
then you would
be rewarded
I hate to say it
but it seems the ones getting the lion's share
of the pie
are the ones who
didn't and don't adhere to those
philosophies
I'm sitting here watching
the mean people
the screw ups
the liars
the users
pass me by without a backward glance
as I hang onto my
straight and narrow branches
alone

The Sock Monkey

Am I the ONLY
person on the planet
who thinks sock monkeys
are
totally creepy?

The Uninvited

I have a little etiquette
advice for people
Even
if you know someone wont be able to make
an event you're planning
due to
distance
work obligations
short notice
health reasons
I highly suggest
you invite them anyway
because as most of us already know
hearing about an event
you weren't invited to
is so much worse than
having to refuse
in the first
place

The Googler

The Internet is a powerful tool
and
even if you admit it or not
we've all been guilty of doing
a bit of light ''checking out''
Googling names of friends and acquaintances
finding out where a lost love is now living
reading marriage and divorce certificates
or seeing
what that mean girl in high school looks like
30 years later
so
imagine my shock and dismay
when I found out way more
than I ever should know
about someone
I was aghast and appalled
by the information
I saw
The sad part of this
is
I can never see this person
again in the same way
this experience has caused me to
stop looking up people
because
even a little bit of searching
and digging
no matter what you call it
is
really just
stalking

''Necessary Expenses''

There's a reason I don't watch much television
I was walking by the TV last night
there was a new reality program on
it's called
''Downsized''
about a blended family
(above)
hit with tough economic times
after losing their home to foreclosure
and declaring bankruptcy
they are using food stamps
and
are on a type of
welfare program in Arizona
The went to a financial planner
because they couldn't meet the final $300
of the rent
on their new place
during
this question and answer session
with the planner
they revealed
(and defended)
they were spending
$500 a month eating out
$5 a day on Starbucks coffee
$145 a month for a child's cheerleading lessons
$85 a month on cable TV
Plus: every kid has a cell phone

Holy cow
Do these people not get it?
They are on public assistance
and
still spending $1200 a month
on crap
like this
?
This show was enough to have
me shaking my head
and talking back to the television screen
especially when the 14 year old
sold his prized baseball mitt
for the final $100
and they were miraculously
able to meet their
rent payment
(albeit a week late)
While
I think it's great the kids
are starting to understand
the situation
Personally
if this happened to my family
My God
I would have sold plasma
or whatever it took
to have avoided
putting my kid through
something like
that