SkyWatch and Feeling Spring

I'm finally back to SkyWatch Friday.  Where I live, spring is definitely on the way.  The grass is starting to turn green, the temperature warms up nicely in the afternoons, and a shower means rain instead of snow.  No blossoms yet, but they won't be long.  

The Pine Valley Mountain still has snow, but I've traded in my coats for light jackets.  Hooray!

I know I'm at the warm end of the state, some of my family and friends are still shoveling and wearing hats and gloves.  But then, that's part of the reason I'm now here and not there.  For other cool pictures visit SkyWatch Friday.

More bad parenting examples

I'm afraid this is another example of the consequences of lousy parenting. A short piece was in the news today about two 19-year-olds who had escaped from a drug treatment facility in southern Utah and were found in Arizona.  Sometimes kids don't have much of a chance.  One's single mother was on disability (for what, we don't know since the mother was seen running with her dog), but couldn't be bothered getting her 5th grader to school. He would show up sporadically, usually just before lunch, sometimes having walked (a long way). When asked why he was so late, his answer was often that his mother had slept over at her boyfriend's and wasn't home.

I could post about stuff like this for months, but I won't. It is too distressing. Maybe I'll try and find some really excellent examples of solid parents raising responsible, hard-working children. I know there are some out there because I've met many of them. I hope there are enough.

Ranting about Children

My hubby and I are very worried about the future. Not just because of the economy, but because of the children. There are so many selfish, messed-up parents out there. I posted about problems with the gene pool back in July, and I feel even more strongly about it now.

Yesterday, we sat in a booth having breakfast next to some young people. The young man--probably early 20s--was talking about how his girlfriend got him back (after breaking up) several times by telling him she was pregnant, but she wasn't. Yes, his father knew he sometimes slept over at the girlfriend's house. GOOD GRIEF! Obviously, this young man has no respect for women--why should he? The young women seems to have no respect for herself. And where were her parents? To these booth neighbors, it was all a joke.

A slightly older female was there too, with a small boy probably not two years old. I couldn't tell if she was his mother, but I think she was a sister to the young man. The whole time we were there, she spoke five words to the child. Meanwhile, she discussed having her tongue pierced again, the young man's sex life, and various social activities. The little boy ate potato chips (they must have brought them) and stood quietly, nose running. I guess he's used to being left out of things.

Then, the article in the paper about the 11-year-old boy who killed his father's pregnant girlfriend. Our first thoughts were about what a horrible life that boy probably had. What kind of situation would cause an 11-year-old (we have a grandson that age, and I spent 18 years in classrooms filled with them) to think that was his only option? His own family torn up--there was no mention of a mother--but a women moves in with two small children and takes his father away too. I read today that the jail where he is locked up is trying to get him moved to a juvenile facility--I should hope so, he's 11!

I'm not a person who thinks we can take care of everyone; I don't believe in absolving people from their own stupid choices. However, I do think children deserve care and consideration. Too many narcissistic parents are disregarding their children's feelings and/or discarding their responsibilities. Children are very perceptive, and we are going down a very dangerous road toward a future where entire generations will have no good parenting role models:
Everyone does what feels good at the time.
Who cares what others think?
I want what I want and I deserve it.
If I can get it, it's mine.

What will become of them?

Traffic Dance

It seems to me that vehicles on the roadways are like the dancers in a very large performance. Each has places where they are required to slow, stop, go forward, or turn. If they miss their marks or stumble out of position, they risk stepping on other performers. Those who fail to follow the choreography force others out of position and into the possibility of the failure of whole sections of the dance.

In order for the dance to continue as intended, dancers must follow the design. There are, I've observed, several types of dancers who are unwilling or unable to stay in step:

1) The Impatient dancer. He/she doesn't want to wait for other performers to make their movies. He/she is intent on making their moves first, even if it causes others to slow or lose step. He/she is forever trying to gain seconds in the dance.

2) I'm Important dancer. This dancer has an exaggerated self-worth who sees his/her time as more valuable than anyone else's. He/she will move out of the dance pattern to shove into a spot farther up the line. This dancer assumes that others will automatically recognize his/her importance and make way. These dancers stop in places where not permitted, and imagine themselves as stars above the rules.

3) Distracted dancer. This person sees the dance as one of the least important things to do while driving. He/she will often be talking on the phone, eating or drinking, fixing hair, sending or reading messages, or napping while trying to stay in the dance. Neighboring dancers must be vigilant around this performer.

4) Isolated dancer. This performer behaves as though no one else is in the dance, often changing from one line to another without regard for other dancers. He/she is unconcerned with dance protocol and fails to make other dancers aware of his/her intent to change position, speed, or direction. After all, no one else need be concerned.

5) Opps, I need to be there dancer. This dancer fails to plan ahead or frequently changes his/her mind about the dance destination. The last minute desire to move across three lines to make a turn characterizes this scatterbrain participant.

The amazing part of this dance is that it so often works, thanks to the dancing abilities of many. The defensive dancing of the majority keeps the dance disruptions to a minimum.

Everyone, dance carefully.

Do Opposites really attract?

Hubby and I are the same age (actually I'm a bit older), we went to the same high school and college, and because the schools were small, we had many friends in common.  His parents are each a year older than mine, and both families consisted of three girls and two boys.  Our fathers both did stints in the Navy and mothers were homemakers.  We are both oldest children.  Strange, weird, a little eerie? 

Yet, we are very different personality types, opposites even.  I was the good girl, honor student, rule follower.  Hubby was a wilder rebel teenager, and he did things that he would never have permitted his sons to do--not that he had permission from his parents either.  Yet we found each other.  As you might guess, his parents were more pleased about that than mine were.  

Hormonally overcharged, struggling for independence, we married young.  We have had disagreements--many of them--but have never considered divorce.  We think very differently; it is like our personal joke that we often do not agree. We expect it.   Sometimes we convince each other of the value of our opinion, sometimes we just give in, sometimes we stay on opposite sides of the fence. 

I do think that we balance each other.  Together we have more skills than we each would alone.  Maybe that's why opposites seem to seek each other out.  One's weaknesses can be supported, one's strengths can boost both.  And the similarity in our backgrounds gave us a firm foundation to hang on to.

When asked how long we've been married, my hubby will say, "All my life."  There's quite a bit of truth to that.  Our 41st anniversary is on Monday.  

Confused cook

I found a recipe in a magazine that seemed to be something I could make and might like--fewer than 20 ingredients, no unusual herbs or exotic spices, simple instructions. My only change was making it about half as much as the recipe called for. If I had made the whole thing, I could have fed a big crowd. As it is, I'll have plenty of leftovers to freeze.

The illustration looked tasty, so I gave it a shot.

Surprise, mine didn't look anything like the picture.  I take that back, I could see the spinach and the chorizo.  I can't figure out where the yellow color came from.  Was there some saffron that wasn't mentioned? Some ingredient that was left off the recipe?

It could have been a difference in lentils, but since it called for red ones, mine looks more like I thought it would.  By the way, mine was pretty tasty, but no one would think it was the same dish.  

Disappearing Adverbs

I think adverbs are disappearing from our language.  I suppose in these days of instant messages adverbs are unwieldy with too many syllables.  

Why would anyone write "Drive Safely" when "Drive Safe" is shorter?  Why should people be admonished to "Eat Healthily" or "Eat Healthy Food" when we can "Eat Healthy"?  Apparently it doesn't matter whether or not it is grammatically correct, as long as it fits on the signs or doesn't take too many letters.

A business commercial says that their company "... does it right and does it complete."   The assumption must be that they are thorough and careful, but I guess that would be more words than they wanted to use.

"Well" is soon to be relegated to simply a hole with water in it, because people don't seem to know when else to use it.  How are you?  How did you do on your test?  How did you feel? Good is the common answer these days.  Few people will respond with a verb-modifying adverb.

Now I'm going to walk on a treadmill for a while, but I'll try to walk steady, hydrate smart, and step careful.

I was tagged....

Okay, Lin tagged me and she's such a frequent commenter to my blog, I think I'd better cooperate.  Normally, I'm a very private person.  Other than the occasional bragging about my grandkids, not too many people really know much about my life.  Okay, here goes.

Eight TV shows/movies I watch regularly:

Without my TiVo, I doubt I'd watch much television at all, with it I watch

 CSIs (original and NY--don't much like Miami)

NCIS

The Mentalist

Stargate Atlantis (original Stargate is over)

Eleventh Hour

Fringe

The Sanctuary

Criminal Minds

Eight things that happened yesterday:

Drove from Salt Lake to my home in Washington

Stopped almost halfway for a burger and Coke (and chips of course)

Visited with Mom for a while

Picked up accumulated mail

Skyped with hubby

Read some J.A. Jance on my Kindle

Caught up on a little TiVo time

--not much else, too much driving time

Eight favorite places to eat:

Lone Star Steak House--when I get a craving for steak or prime rib

Taco Time (not Taco Bell or Del Taco)

Ruby Tuesday--excellent lunches

Famous Dave's--when I need barbecue

Applebee's--generally dependable food

Golden Corral--when I'm really hungry

Arctic Circle for its burgers and fry sauce

La Costa--a little place with terrific Mexican food

Eight things I'm looking forward to:

Warmer weather--I'm a real summer person

Lunch with my former colleagues--maybe next week

Playing with my grandchildren again--just don't know when it will be

Watching my nieces' college basketball game--also next week

The cruise we're planning this summer--hubby's parents celebrating 60 years together

Going back to Alaska and Hawaii--both beautiful in different ways

Learning how make beaded jewelry--especially watch bands

More grapefruit from Costco--they are wonderful and this is the best time of the year for them

Eight things on my wish list:

More exploring of the wonders of the U.S.

Future trips to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Spain, who knows where.

Seeing the Great Wall of China

Staying healthy, no more messy heart surgeries

Maybe losing 10 pounds--can I do it without suffering too much?

Lay's bringing back Dill Pickle potato chips (are last two incompatible?)

Finding more good books to read on my new Kindle

Lots of time with grandchildren

Eight people to tag:

Don't feel comfortable tagging specific people; don't know that many who would want to do it.  Would love to see what others have to say.

Bon Appetit

I know French food is supposed to be..ah....fancy.  I know France gets credit for fine cuisine (like Italy for lovers, Germany for cars, Switzerland for banks, you get the idea).  What I don't understand is why American chefs find it necessary to use French terms to describe things.  Wait, yes I do.  It makes the foods and preparations sound so much more elegant, and pretentious, and difficult.  

Duck confit, topped with fresh raspberry compote and creme fraiche; or steak tartare covered with aioli and surrounded with a rich bechamel. 

Doesn't that sound...expensive and delicious?  What about this?

Duck cooked in its own fat, topped with fresh raspberries in syrup and sour cream; or raw steak with garlic mayonnaise and white sauce. 

They're right, the first one sounds much better, even without all the stress and accent marks that I've left off the French words.  Just be sure you know the meanings when you order.  Then you can avoid any unpleasant surprises when you get your food.

Unsophisticated taste

I watch the Food Network sometimes.  I enjoy watching the recipes come together and imagining the  flavors.   Some of the personalities and foods prepared seem more to my liking than others, but I've decided that my tastes are not sophisticated.   I think having sophisticated tastes mean that I have to like everything.  Well, there are lots of foods prepared that I'd be very hesitant to taste: pancake cake with avocado frosting, seared frogs' legs casserole, or goat stew?  Ordinary foods are paired in such unusual ways that I can't envision how it would taste.  Sixteen ingredients for a tiny scallop, or a lovely piece of salmon buried under a crunchy sweet topping and a fancy sauce.  What exactly are they trying to taste?

Exactly how does one get "sophisticated tastes"?  Do you have to eat in expensive restaurants, trying new things each time?  Do you just put odd things together and see how it turns out?  Maybe one needs to buy a snazzy cookbook and try some of the recipes.  I have it feeling it would take quite a while to accumulate an adequate pantry--how often do you use sweet Hungarian paprika or pickled artichoke hearts?

I remind myself that the chefs on television have staffs who make sure everything is on hand and within reach.  There are always fresh herbs of all kinds, unshrivelled lemons and limes, and heavy cream that hasn't spoiled.  My kitchen is not like that.  I will still watch the Food Network, but I'm not pretending to want to enjoy (or even understand) all the recipes.

More driving entertainment

Tomorrow I make my 300 mile trek back to the city and hubby's small apartment.  I have a yearly checkup with my Cardiologist and I'll have my hair trimmed and gray (gasp) covered while I'm there.  I decided I had better clear my cell phone of the messages I've left myself--mostly personalized license plates I've noticed--so I have lots of room to record more.

Some of the cutest were a bright orange Chevy HHR (they look very retro) that said PUMKEN, and a lime green VW beetle that said FROG (I think I saw this in Hawaii).  I think some people let their attitudes show a little when they are buying a special plate.  A big, Dodge 4X4--black I think--said BURNED.  I'm not sure of the reference, and another truck said ON EDGE.  I steered a little clear of those.  A red Mitsubishi GT was JUSTFAB but I think that definitely shows the driver's age; as does the pale green MiniCooper that said OVER 50.  

Then there are some that just confuse me.  A lovely new Toyota Camry said MRSFXIT; I wondered if there was a MRFXIT too or just a handy Mrs.  A new Mercury was PEGASOS--because it can fly and other spellings were taken?  And a pretty Chrysler 300 was MORDOTS.  That must have a meaning I'm missing.  I also wasn't sure about the red Mitsubishi that said DOGTOWN.  I didn't see any dogs inside.

I did understand the silver Mitsubishi that was STLCRSN (wow, lots of Mitsubishis this time), and I had to chuckle at the little black SUV that said LALALAA.  There's an attitude, or an easy plate to remember.  Keep reading, I'm sure there are lots more fun plates out there.

Glass half empty or half full?

I was a little depressed yesterday.  After I read the morning newspaper, it seemed that there was no good news.  The glass was definitely half empty.  Here are some samples of the headlines:

Stocks extend decline as bank worries persist 

Utah 13th in nation for ’08 foreclosures

Islamists attack Somali forces

Crackers pulled in salmonella scare 

Financial meltdown not a result of deregulation, free enterprise

Teacher held on voyeurism 

Vets given wrong Rx

It takes more than a newspaper to bring me down, but there are always the other worries in addition.  Our children or grandchildren have struggles and problems we wish we could prevent.  There are worries about parents, other family members.  My hubby just did a rough estimate of our taxes and that is an entire post for another day.  All in all, it just felt like there was not much good news, no reason to be optimistic.

For whatever reason, today's headlines were different.  Maybe the newspaper even thought yesterday was too much of a downer---though I doubt it.  Perhaps it is just life's ebb and flow. From today:

‘Miracle on the Hudson’ Pilot saves lives of all aboard crippled craft

Bomb fails to injure Iraqi Official

DVD can teach autistic child what a smile means 

Economists predicts midyear turnaround

Astronaut speaks to students

Good things can be newsworthy.  I think what we need right now is more optimism.  This is an amazing place to live, populated with millions of talented, hard-working, insightful, creative, dedicated people.  We'll be okay--better than okay.  There is nowhere I'd rather be.

False Advertising

I have lived long enough to know that advertising is just propaganda for companies to lure consumers.  I have talked with kids about how cool toys look in commercials, compared to how they look after they are purchased.  Camera angles, action, close-ups all serve to make the toys seem so desirable.  By the time kids are 12, they've been disappointed enough times to recognize the game--but sometimes they still want to believe.  Me too.

I've eaten a few TV Dinners in my time and have often wondered if the companies realize how little their actual dinners have in common with the illustrations on the boxes.   Then, again, if they put a real pictures of the dinner on a box, who would buy it?

I don't want to unfairly pick on LeanCuisine, but that's what I have.  As long as I'm eating a frozen dinner, I might as well have it calorie controlled so I feel better about it.  It is also obvious that I thought the chicken and rice dinners held promise.  

Even if I took it out of the container and arranged it nicely on a plate, I couldn't make it match the picture on the box.  The number of chicken pieces is off, the ratio of meat to rice doesn't match, and the whole thing is saucier.

For years, I've been tempted to take pictures like these and send them to the companies, but they probably already know.  I wonder if they know that we know?  If I run into any that have pictures more representative of the way the food actually looks, I'll let you know.  Don't hold your breath.

Special day

I don't very often do SkyWatch Friday two weeks in a row, but today is special.  First of all, I ran into a beautiful sky on my way back to my southern Utah home.  It was a post-storm clearing and such gorgeous clouds and sky colors.   I know I'm also late, but at my house it is Friday morning.  Enlarge the picture for the full effect.

Second, it is my BLOGAVERSARY!  It has been one year since I decided to take a stab at this.  I haven't been terribly consistent, but I have enjoyed it.  I've met some special people I wouldn't otherwise have known, and I am learning all the time.  I have lots of things still to master, but there are some fabulous bloggers out there who provide inspiration and encouragement.   Thank you to all who stop by, especially those who take a moment to leave a comment.  I will try to be interesting, informative, and/or entertaining as I continue posting in my second year.

Christmas would be boring without kids.

Our holiday began in South Carolina with two of our six grandkids.  It was unusually cold and rainy, but our 4-year-old's excitement was not dampened.

Great-grandma (my mother) got soft blankets for all the greats, and had their names embroidered on them.  The kids loved them.
It was fun taking video (of grandma taking a picture) with the new camera.  We had lots of video taken.
In his sister's words, she got "way more presents" than he did, but the nearly 11-year-old got the laptop he really wanted.  A very early morning in line at Best Buy made him happy.
The new kick 'n go scooter will be fun when the rain stops, but it's too slippery to get much traction now.

Now we're home and the California kids (four of our six) are at our house where each gets a post-Christmas gift.
For some reason these sunny, southern California people think snow is fun to play in.  
The other great-grandparents provided the back yard and sledding hill (not shown--grandma was cold).
We managed a SKYPE video conference for the kids using the new laptop in South Carolina and grandma's MacBook.  They had fun with it because they don't get to see each other very often.  
We found time for a warming dip in the community's pool.
There were lots of card games.  31 was the favorite, but with Dad and Grandma involved there was some Gin Rummy too.

We did have to get dressed up a little for a wedding reception.  One of Dad's younger cousins got married.  Oh, wait, all Dad's cousins are younger; that's what happens when you're the oldest child of two oldest children. 
That was fun because they got to see lots of family.

Christmas is filled with gifts, treats, fun, and family.  It is best shown by the smiles of the two smallest.  I dare anyone to resist their joy.

I hope everyone's Christmas was a little magical too.

Okay, this is very frustrating

I've spent a couple of hours this morning loading pictures to share a little of what I've been up to for the past two weeks.  I added comments, explanations, thoughts, and had everything ready.

HA!  There was something wrong with HTML tags or code somewhere and Blogger wouldn't let me publish!  The explanation would only make sense to a code-writer and was certainly not anything I could attempt to fix.  Maybe there are those of you out there who would have known immediately what to do, but I just deleted and will start over.  It has been difficult enough because I keep getting the message that Blogger cannot be reached so I had to try and upload several pictures multiple times.  Perhaps it is me.  Maybe the technology has really left me far behind.  I will gamely try again.  I may not be the quickest chip on the circuit board, but I am a stubborn one.

Holiday traveling

I have been way too occupied to post for a while; but I will be back more regularly in a few days when my son's family heads back to California.  I did want to join SkyWatch Friday with this fun shot of the sunset--from the air.  I had hubby take a picture through the plane window on our flight from South Carolina.

Consider this my  quick note until I get back to regular posting.  Hoping everyone is having a wonderful New Year.

Brave young men...mostly

There was quite a buzz along the south shore of Kauai one day: the waves were far bigger than normal for the beach. The number of surfers grew as word spread. Current was so strong that we watched a young man--13 years old or so--try and try to get far enough out to catch a wave. He wasn't strong enough to paddle his board through the waves. It was fun to watch the surfers try and catch the right wave.

Another interesting thing--my sister and I noticed at the same time that one of the surfers was female. From the distance, in their surf gear, we couldn't anyone's looks, but we could tell by the way she moved. Isn't that interesting. She was pretty good too. If you enlarge the picture, you can see the surfer who caught the tunnel.

Another day, when the wind was blowing, the kite surfers were out enjoying themselves. They had no trouble getting to and from the beach and some of them had great control. There were a couple who were coming out of the water a long way. It looked fun but lots of arm and shoulder work. Their boards had straps like snowboards--something we learn about in Utah.

We only saw the one female surfer, but there were plenty of females on the beaches enjoying the shows.

Nervous about too much water

One of the lovely things we did while in Kauai is rent 2-person kayaks for a leisurely paddle down the Hanalei River.  I say 'leisurely' because hubby did most of the paddling--he was good at it, me not so much.  There was sunshine, flowers on the water, and scenery galore. 

We were surprised to see a Bison in Hawaii.  This one had an interesting hitchhiker.  She came to the river for a drink, but her bird friend hopped off when we were too close.

As we traveled downstream toward the ocean, I got increasingly nervous.  I'm not a strong swimmer and I could just imagine us being swept out and dumped by the waves.  Hubby laughed at me and got closer to the river's mouth than I was happy with, but we were fine (other than my increased heart rate).  We saw quite a few people standing on and paddling surfboards.  They made it look pretty easy, but we were thinking that balancing on a board, while working a paddle was probably pretty darn good exercise.

You can see more detail in the pictures by enlarging them.  More water sports--not mine--to come.

Love that humidity.

My hair is naturally curly.  During my teenage years, when the styles were smooth and very controlled, it gave me great consternation.  I put relaxers on it (some of the first ones--very icky), I ironed it,  I used pop cans with both ends removed as rollers,  and I generally fought with it.  Thank goodness the style was not the very straight look that so many young girls have now; I don't know which would have survived--my hair or my attitude.  I generally chuckle when I hear someone talk about how teenagers do things to be unique.  To be comfortable together, conformity is what matters.  (How else do you explain the odd, sagging pants?)

But, I'm wandering.  In lovely, humid Hawaii, I was uncontrollably curly.

It did make mornings easier because there was nothing to be done with my hair.  It was going to do what it was going to do, and no matter how it looked as we left the house within an hour it was going its own way.

It got even more interesting in a little wind--like on our catamaran tour along the magnificent Na Pali coast.   In addition to the scenery, we got a glimpse of a whale or two, watched flying fish (and a bird try to catch one), and had a group of Spinner Dolphins swim with us for a long time.

The captain said they enjoy riding the bow wave--kind of like dolphin surfing.  

Who cares whether or not my hair was out of control, it was very cool!