Shopping

Yesterday, before going to the theatre, I stood in front of my closet wondering what I could pull out that would actually fit. Once again it seems that extra 10 pounds crept back on. Too late to take it off. Only solution was to go shopping. The solution, one pair of black dress pants, that stretch two ways and two sweaters because I couldn't decide which would be best. Oh, and I threw in a long black skirt in case I wanted to be a bit dressier.

Stopped off at Starbucks. Had coffee and caramel bar (Okay niece K - don't tell me the calorie/fat count this time).

Got home. Reached for the skirt. It was too tight. Now how can one afternoon coffee and one tiny caramel cookie do that? I wore the stretch pants vowing to never eat fat again.

Breakfast this morning with the Uncles: Waffles, butter, syrup, bacon, bowl of fruit, coffee. It's all the uncles fault..

Chicago

It was good to see the live Chicago at the Golden Gate Theatre. I had heard there were bad reviews. And with the first couple of scenes, I was considering that perhaps the reviews were right. However, we sat it out, in row T, kind of on the side, sweltering and found the rest of show reasonably rewarding. Would I go again? Probably not. But then again... Naw, it wasn't work the $85 per ticket.

Getting to the theatre. Now that's another story. Took Bart. Walked several blocks to the theatre, past the homeless, clinging my bag closer to my side. Relieved to get in the door. Going back, past the homeless now drunk or passed out, I walked briskly trying not to breathe in the stench of it all. Unfortunate that good theatres must be located in such rotten neighborhoods.

Indian Names

Last night at dinner my husband announced he was going to call me White Swan.

"Why?" I asked.

"Cause you should have an indian name."

"because?"

He looked at me, "just because."

So I looked back at him and said, "Okay Snorting Hog."

Do you know that today he just couldn't wait to tell everyone he knows what I will now call him? Oh no, what have we started?

Obuscation

I just gotta do this. I know it was due on Friday but I just happened to find out about it. So here goes: You figure out which are true or false - I don't have comments, so you'll have to email me.

#1. When I was seven years old I was visiting a friend who just happened to be living in an old farmhouse where I had lived for several years. We walked down a long dirt road to town, a small town in Michigan with maybe half a dozen stores. On the way back to her house, we stopped at a corner gas station. When the owner wasn't looking, we each snatched a candy bar. While we were enjoying the chocolate on our long walk home, a guy in an old station wagon pulled over and asked where we were going and if we need a ride. I didn't know who the guy was and my first reaction was that he had seen us steal the candy bars and we were doomed. I stuttered a bit but told him that we would rather walk. My friend looked astonished that I wouldn't take the ride. When we got back to her house, I found out the guy in the car was her father.

#2 I have always had a problem figuring out locks, especially on bathroom doors. One night I was riproaring drunk and had to go to the bathroom in the worst way. My husband pulled over in a city park and pointed to a portapotty. Being under the influence I could have cared less where I was so I got in there, did my duty, and reached for the lock. I couldn't get the trigger to work. Meanwhile my kids who were in their early teens thought it would be really funny to tip the portapotty. I woke up in the morning, sniffing my clothes, not quite sure if I could remember the adventure. They were quick to fill in the details.

#3 In the mid seventies streaking the neighborhood was a popular fad. Our friends had no problem participating in this activity so it was no surprise when we all went out and streaked the snowed in streets of Tahoe on a weekend retreat. The only trouble is, I was at the tale end of the line and they all thought it would be funny to run back, lock the door and leave me stranded out in the snow. Scared and shivering, I screamed and pounded on the door. Roaring laughter came from the other side of the door. Moments later the police cruiser arrived flashing lights on my naked body.

What's that noise?

For months I've been driving my car around with the most irritating noise emitting from the left front end. I've taken the car to the shop three times. Three times something was fixed under warranty. Three times they fixed the wrong thing. The noise remained.

What I can't figure out is why, each time, the mechanic could not hear the noise when he test drove the car. He asked what it sound like. I responded, "I don't know, some kind of squeal, drive it and see." He asked when it happens, when it's hot or cold, when the car has been running for a while, etc etc. I responded, "there is no such trigger as to when it happens. Drive it in my driveway and you will hear it." So, each time I picked up the car, I was assured that the repairs took care of the sound. Perhaps I was just hearing things.

I started to figure out that if I continued to take the car to the same mechanic, eventually I would end up with all new parts. Voila instant new car! But I made a mistake this week. I had my husband drop the car off. He told him there is a noise that has been reported three times and never fixed. The mechanic asked him what the noise sounded like. His response, "a caged hamster on a squeaky wheel."

Wouldn't you know it. The car no longer has that obnoxious noise. Is it the squeaky wheel or is it a kind of man to man thing?

Whatever

I need to write. Not that I have anything in particular to say but because I find myself posting less frequently. Maybe some of you think that is a good thing. Oh well. Here's todays drivel.

I'm lazy. It's all the fault of the lady at the Pilates Studio. You see I signed up to be personally evaluated to see if this kind of training might help out my back problems. I had it on my calendar that the appointment was yesterday at 2pm. She wasn't there. Another trainer looked at her calendar and insists that I have an appointment for next Monday. Today my trainer called and apologized. I told her, "oh no problem, I must have written down the wrong date." Seems I do that more and more these days. Anyway it gave me an excuse to...

not exercise yesterday. I could have gone to the Pilates Mat class that I usually take on Monday nights but no, I was still too miffed because I was sure I was right about the date. What did I expect anyway - that she would call and fit me in somehow? Anyway I didn't go exercise at all. Instead I...

ate too much food. Went to a mexican restaurant and pigged out on a huge vegetarian burrito. Vegetarian as in mostly rice and beans, very little vegetables. And while I was waiting for that burrito I ate more than my share of chips and salsa. Talk about out of control. When I got home I ate Ben & Jerrys ice cream. And then...

this morning I stepped on the scale. Oh why did I do that? No wonder my pants are all too tight. There is just something about these weekends where I wear long shapeless dresses, elastic band pants, and baggy workout clothes. All clothes that allow that extra bit of space to fill up with junk food. So tonight I...

at a frozen cardboard diet entree. Shopped for low fat foods. Ignored it when my husband stuck the Krispy Kreme donuts in the cart. Overlooked when he put in the cookies, ice cream and chips. Got home, looked at his stash of goodies, looked at my stash of low fat foods and...

I didn't touch his stuff!!! ... yet

CD Release

Yesterday we were honored to be invited to the CD release by our dear friend, Dave Chapman. Quite often Dave joins a number of singers at the Alley on Grand Avenue in Oakland. Proceeds from the sale of the CD go directly to the trust fund of the daughter of Jeff Bond. Jeff was a great musician who played on the Snow Train from the Bay Area to Reno. He died in a car accident about a year ago.

Some of the songs on the CD include Bye Bye Blackbird, As Time Goes By, What Kind of Fool Am I. It's all good. The CD is $15 and is for a worthy cause. Tell me if you want one.

Mutterings

1. Only you:: can make my dreams come true....
   
2. 33:: and 1/3
   
3. Foundation:: strong
   
4. Accidents:: oops
   
5. Hometown:: lots of them
   
6. Natural:: disaster
   
7. Bombastic:: not me
   
8. Bachelor:: buttons
   
9. Far away:: Norway
   
10. Tony::award
    

In the News Again!!!

OMG - it happened again - we are in the Contra Costa Times


I have a feeling we may be in the Healdsburg newspaper tomorrow. See our latest Red Hat Adventures here.

In the News

OMG - I made it to the front page

of the

Rossmoor News