Do they have any clue???

This has been on my mind quite a bit lately so I thought this would be perfect blog material. Nothing like an outlet for random, rambling thinking. My question to you is this: Do annoying people realize just how annoying they really are to the rest of the world??? Before I continue on, I will freely admit that I am fully aware that my actions may be seen as annoying at times. I do make a concerted effort to be respectful of those around me so I don't become "another one of those annoying people".

Let me throw out a few examples of the people that I am referring to that you may have run across at some point in your life:

* the non-stop sniffler on the airplane. Have you ever thought about using a Kleenex??

* the car in the left lane driving 55 m.p.h. - do you ever wonder why people are blowing by you and shooting you dirty looks????

* while I'm on the subject of drivers...how about the driver that LOVES to ride your bumper?? Nothing like not being able to see the headlights on the car BEHIND you on an icy road. Can you say "accident waiting to happen"? Insurance companies LOVE these drivers!

* or how about the person that refuses to allow you to merge?? I must say, I LOVE the feeling of drag racing a semi in order to merge onto the freeway - NOT! What's up with that????

* the LOUD talker at the coffee shop....you know what?? I'm really not that interested in what is going on in your life so STOP screaming! Everyone else just wanted to stop in and enjoy a relaxing cup of hot coffee amidst the low buzzing of random voices. Did you notice I said "LOW"???

* the incessant talkers during staff meetings..Come on people! You're all teachers! How annoying is it when your kids are talking in class while you are trying to teach??? Enough said!

* while I'm on the subject of talkers......don't you love it when people talk on their cell phones like they are in the privacy of their own home while in a doctor's office waiting room???? Have a little courtesy for those around you and either leave the area or make the call very BRIEF!!! T.M.I. from strangers!

* I know that we are taught that there are NO dumb questions but I beg to differ! There are SOME dumb questions. You know them when you hear them. Those are the questions that people ask that are typically not paying attention to what is going on around them or perhaps they really are clueless! Ughhhhhhhhhh.

* people that continually complain about the cold temperatures and snow. Ummm, "Hello"...you do live in Wisconsin. What are you expecting???? This weather happens every year so why the surprise when we get 8-10 inches of snow on any given day during October-April??? Why the shock when we are dealing with below zero temperatures???? This isn't Hawaii! What was your first clue????????

I'm tuckered out just thinking of how frustrating it is to deal with said individuals. Gotta run. To be continued........

Tears

From the distance, I saw her sitting on the leather couch in the airport lobby with a blank look on her face. Her brown eyes looked vacant as she stared off into space. Her face remained expressionless; the television blared in the background as children raced around the lobby. I eased into an empty seat near her. I quickly glanced over at her out of the corner of my eye and saw tears rolling down her cheek. I fumbled around in my bag, hurriedly looking for a kleenex to hand to her.



Why was she crying?? Why was she so sad?? I reached out my hand and gave her my pack of kleenex; she slowly reached over and took hold of the small, clear package. She quietly said "Thank you", never once allowing her eyes to meet mine. She kept her head down and wiped away the tears that were now streaming down her face uncontrollably. I tried not to stare at the young lady sobbing on the couch but couldn't seem to keep my eyes off of her. What was it that was making her so sad? What happened in her life? Did something happen to a family member? Did she just receive some horrible news about a friend? As I was about to ask her what was wrong, I heard a cell phone ring. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the ringing phone. She listened carefully and hung up without saying a word. As I was about to ask if she was O.K., she got up from the couch, grabbed her bags and left; tears still streaming down her face. I tried to catch up to her but lost her in the crowd.......

I suddenly opened my eyes and realized that my pillow was damp. I touched my cheek and felt the water streaming down my left side. Those tears were my tears. I reached for a kleenex to wipe them away but they kept coming like raindrops in the midst of a spring shower. The emptiness returned and the sadness overwhelmed me once again.........

Address Labels

Are you like me when it comes to address labels? If I lived to be 1,000 years old I still would NOT use up all of the address labels I have acquired over the course of a few short years! It is sooooooooo out of control!!! Approximately every three days, I receive a solicitation for money, along with a page or two of lovely address labels. I have labels with hearts, cats, dogs, flowers, flags, random little people, Olympic symbols, holiday scenes, summer/spring/winter/fall scenes, the initial in bold print of my last name, etc...... I know I have many more but I can't keep track of all of the labels anymore....it's overwhelming. While I happen to be "old school" in the letter writing department (yes, I am one of the few and the proud that keep the mailmen and women toting around my letters to friends and family), there is no way humanly possible to use up ALL of the labels that I have jammed into my junk drawer. I have now begun to attach two labels to every letter and bill that leaves the comfort of my home just to reduce my label supply!

Some of you out there may be scratching your head for several reasons. You're probably thinking, "Why don't you just throw them out when they arrive??". Welllllllllllllllll, I'm somewhat (I will use that term loosely) of a "pack rat"; therefore, I have a difficult time throwing them out because I think, "Surely there will be an occassion when this particular label will be perfect (i.e., the label with the candle and cake for a birthday card, the snowman label for Christmas cards, the label with the golf balls for my friend that is an avid golfer, etc....). Can you see where I'm coming from??? Makes sense, right???

Another question that may have popped up is, "Why are you not in the 21st century where address labels are pretty much obsolete due to the internet, e-banking, on line bill payment options, e-mail, text messaging, etc.?" Once again I will plead "old school". I like to have control over things pertaining to my bills, banking and the like so I don't want all my "business" out there (yeah, yeah, I know all of you hackers just scoff at me because within 5 minutes you could probably find out everything about me, including the fact that I have a glass eye (O.K. j.k. - I really don't have a glass eye but you get my drift). Let's be honest...who here does not love receiving a card or letter from a friend or family member in the mail??? Letter writing is a lost art. Typically, I don't get anything very exciting delivered to my mailbox other than bills, the usual SURPLUS of junk mail and of course, MORE address labels!!!!!!!!

Perhaps my 'New Years Resolution" (if I ever make one) should be to rid my drawers of all those address labels. Wait, I just thought of another use for the labels...I could use the labels instead of scotch tape to wrap my Christmas presents this year. If I did that, everyone would know who their gift came from!!!! What do you think??? What a great idea!!! Does that count as "going green"?? Just think, I won't need to use all of the gift tags that I have purchased over the years during the after Christmas holiday clearance sales. I have more gift tags then I could ever use.....that will be my next post. Ughhhhhhhhh, when will this ever end?????? Don't they have medication for people like me????????????

Time Flies

Wow - I can't believe that almost a month has gone by since my last post! I guess that's what happens when summer ends and school begins. I don't have the 3 or 4 hours that I did this summer to sit around and peruse blogs and update my own blog everyday.

As I sit here on my couch on this frigid Friday evening, I feel compelled to update my blog. I'm in a quandry as to what I should write about, however. Do I write about the economy??? No - BORING and a bit too depressing (and to think I was a business major! What was I thinking??).

I could write about the falling gas prices. I drove by a gas station where gas was $1.72. I nearly ran into the car in front of me while I craned my neck to double check the price on the sign. Weren't we almost nearing $4.50 a gallon a month or two ago. How does that happen? Oh, that's right...I vowed to not talk about the economy (my condolences to those of you out there that are economists. It takes all kinds to make the world go 'round!).

Hmmmm, let's see, what else is there to write about??? Politics?? Absolutely NOT. All that talk is too political for me. I'm all for doing the "eeny meany miney moe" method of selection. It seemed to work just find for games of tag, kick the can, etc.

Deer huntin'??? Nuttin' like the start of deer huntin' weekend to get the blood flowing like fire through the veins. Up in these there parts it's a sea of blaze orange. It gives new meaning to "Blinded by the Light"!!! For the record, I'll have you know that I have never taken part in any form of hunting (other than for Easter eggs) and have no desire to, nor do I have a desire to eat a bi-product of the above mentioned animal (i.e., jerkie, steaks, etc.). The thought of "Bambi" on the grill makes my skin crawl! YUCK!

There's always the weather.....that would be pretty boring since my post would be one single word: COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remind me again why I haven't moved from the balmy state of Wisconsin to somewhere more tropical. I despise chilly weather. As we speak, the number 20 appears in the right-hand corner of my t.v. screen followed by the degree symbol. Last time I checked there is no Eskimo blood flowing through my very frozen veins.

Oops, I almost forgot. Why not talk about Thanksgiving, seeing as it is 6 days away. What's your favorite thing to eat?? Is it the turkey itself? Are you a white meat eater or a dark meat eater?? Mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes??? Fresh cranberry sauce or the jellied kind that comes out of the can??? Pumpkin pie or apple pie? With or without whip cream????? So much food, so many choices. What's a person to do???

I know what I need to do and that is end this post for Friday, Nov. 21st, 2008. Hopefully this has gotten my creative juices flowing and I will be back to blogging more regularly. One can only hope!
Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for???? Hey, that could be the topic for my next post.......what do you think???

A Year Without a Christmas

I spoke to Ashley today regarding a problem that she was having in her math class. Math is a difficult subject for Ashley so we discussed the option of her moving from Algebra into Pre-Algebra. I gave her the class change form and told her to talk to her math teacher about her concerns and to get his input with regard to her switching classes. I signed off on her pass and was ready to send her on her merry way. When she turned to leave, I noticed a slight hesitation so I asked her if everything was O.K. She turned back towards me and said, "Well, I guess.....". I took that as my cue to ask her what was going on.

Ashley is a 14 year old 9th grader who was diagnosed with leukemia approximately two years ago. I have only known her for a few months but I can tell that she is an incredibly strong and courageous young lady, in spite of her dimunitive stature. She stands about 5'5" and weighs roughly 100 pounds (on a good day when she actually has an appetite to eat even the smallest amount of food). I don't know all of the specifics of what Ashley has been through the last two years but I have seen the scars from the treatments, I have had glimpses of her bald head underneath the wig that she wears everyday and I have seen her struggle to walk because of her ailing right hip (apparently a side effect of her leukemia and/or a result of the toll all of the medications she has had to take). It takes every ounce of strength for her to carry her backpack from class to class! One cannot help but fall in love with her enthusiasm for life and the optimism that exudes from her. What an AMAZING person young Ashley is!!!

I asked her how things were going with her leukemia and she said that things were fine, that she will now only have to go to the hospital once a month for her treatments, blood tests, etc. I took that to be a positive, and judging from the expression on her face and the tone of her voice, I assumed that I was right. I asked her how things were at home. Ashley hesitated a bit and said that her dad was in jail again. This was his third offense for driving under the influence. I asked her how she felt about this and she responded, "Well, he doesn't have a job, he sells the stuff in the house to get money for drugs and he's always so angry that it's best that he's not around." I tried not to let the surprise show on my face as I continued to ask her questions about her family. She has two younger siblings, a brother in 7th grade and a sister in 3rd grade. Her mom was working 3 jobs for awhile but got let go from 2 of them because times are so tough. Ashley then said to me, "My mom said that we probably won't have any Christmas presents this year. We may be able to get something from the dollar store." My heart broke for this girl who quickly seemed much younger than the 14 year old girl that she was. I swallowed hard and tried to blink away the tears that were forming in my eyes. The bell rang and she was ready to leave to go to her next class. I told her to have a nice weekend and then asked if she had any fun plans. Ashley responded with, "Well, we don't have any money so we really don't do anything." and with that, she was out the door.

There aren't many guarantees in life but I can guarantee that Ashley will be getting more than "something from the dollar store" this Christmas!!!! You can count on that!!

Pilates anyone?????

I was at my local exercise establishment a few days ago and ran into a friend of mine while working out. Let me preface this last statement by mentioning that it has been waaaaaaaaaay too long since I last worked out. I had to wipe the cob webs off of my tennis shoes and dig between the cushions of my couch to find my membership card. Yeah - it's been awhile. With that in mind, I was trying to get a "light" work out in so that I wouldn't completely overdo it and pay for my overzealousness with a week of aches and pains in places that I didn't even know could hurt. Back to my encounter with my friend. She is a work out fiend. She is about 5'6" and maybe, maybe 100 lbs. She works out religiously everyday! The invitation to join her for a workout was a mistake on my part. On this particular afternoon she was doing a body pumps class. Have any of you ever partaken in one of these classes??? In theory, they are good......but in reality they are not so good for me. I am not opposed to exercise at all as evidenced by my health club membership. What I decided is that I am opposed to these structured exercise classes that are run by energetic, buff, fat-free women that are a bit too enthusiastic for my taste. I can hear the voice still resonating in my ears...."And one more time....let's hold that for a six count.", "Feel the burn, ladies.", "Three more sets, you can do it...", "Here we go now.", "Keep pushing yourselves...". I glance up at the clock and realize that 5 minutes, yes that's right, I said 5 minutes have gone by. Are you kidding me????? This class is an hour long class, there is absolutely NO way that I am going to survive for another 55 minutes.......The whole time I watched the clock, vowing that I would NOT stop until the clock reached 5:30 p.m. The last part of the workout consisted of sit ups which I thought I could handle. WRONG!! My abs, or should I say flabs, were on FIRE!!!! Seriously....I asked the woman next to me where the fire extinguisher in the room was located because I was being overcome by the smell of burning flesh. The good news is that I survived to tell about it. I don't think that I will be returning to the class; however, because I don't do well in structured settings!

The Fall Before the Storms

Fall is an incredibly beautiful time in Wisconsin. Over the last week or two, I have really taken the opportunity to appreciate and marvel in the amazing change of colors that comes with the change of the seasons. Fall is officially here! The colors of the leaves on the trees are so vibrant, especially when the sunlight hits the leaves just right. There is nothing like a walk through the park on a crisp fall morning among the brightly colored trees. The smell of burning leaves is in the air and you can see your breath. A hot cop of coffee or apple cider afterwards just makes the morning complete. Just thinking about it makes me smile! Once in awhile we are even treated to an "Indian Summer" day where the temperature warms to a 65-70+ degrees and we can wear shorts for one more day. Another reason that I look forward to fall is the appearance of caramel apples (with nuts) on the store shelves. I LOVE CARAMEL APPLES - especially when the apples are really crunchy and a wee bit on the sour side. Yummy!!!!! I wish that time would stand still because once all those beautiful leaves have been raked up and blown into curbside piles....we move into yet another season ------WINTER (my least favorite of the four)!!!!!


Out of nowhere, the storm hits. The storm I'm referring to is the storm that brings the pretty white stuff that turns into something not so pretty once it is cleared off the roads by the snow plows. Snowy days and freezing temperatures become the norm. Wind chill factor, snow advisories and below zero temperatures are phrases that become part of our everyday vernacular. Shorts, sandals and t-shirts are now replaced with sweaters, jackets, hats, scarves, mittens and boots. My hope is that this winter will be less chilly, less snowy and over before I know it. Keep dreamin'!!!!!!!!