Dear Mom,

Prelude:  I feel a little lost in this world.  March 21st 2019 my mom was given a "death" sentence of Pancreatic Cancer.  They told her that she could take Chemo - and she did try one round - but in the end decided she couldn't do it.  She said she'd just fight it out.   I don't think she ever accepted that she would lose the fight - because every now and then she would say "oh when I can eat again...." In the end, it only took three months -- June 13th 2019.

I love my Mom so much.  I miss her terribly.  It's been a year and a half and it was like yesterday.  Before they told her -- she was not feeling well but she still acted like my Mom.   She was on my team - ALWAYS - unless it was me fussing at her.   She loved me and I loved her.  She loved my girl -- so much.   So whenever I go to the doctor, or my daughter does something cute or when just the weather is beautiful, crisp and cool......I want to call my mom.  I called her every day.   Every.single.day.  Some days we talked about nothing and some days we talked about everything.

This picture is one day when Mom went with me to find/try on a bridesmaids dress for a wedding I was in.   I was so unhappy because the dress I had chosen, I had to get in a size 22 or something crazy.   I felt huge -- but my Mom convinced me it was the dress's fault that they were sized so small.  :)

All of this to say, I feel a little lost without my Mom.  I miss her terribly and would love to just have one more day, one more hug, one more talk about nothing or everything.  This lump in my throat doesn't go away when I think about her.   So I'm going to write her letters when I get like this -- maybe they will help.  

Dear Mom,

I didn't get up until 11:00 today.  I slept great!   

I just really miss you.  The holidays are coming up and YOU LOVED Thanksgiving....I think I'll make Grandma Nita's fruit salad.  I didn't make it last year but I might try it this year.   Meredith and Maggie made pumpkin pies -- I wish I had watched you make them -- there was something a little different about the ones M&M made.   

So I went to the Rheumatologist last week like you made me promise.  He had ran labs and discovered that I don't have lupus...but Psoriatic Arthritis instead.   Both suck in their own way but I've found it hard believing I don't have Lupus -- just as hard as it was to believe I did have Lupus.  PSA makes more sense I know you think so too.  I cried after the visit because I hate PSA....I hate Lupus too.  

There is a CROWD of yellow butterflies near my dark and stormies that are soooo happy with those plants/flowers.   I'm sure it is you and your heaven friends and you approve.  There are a TON of them.  

I better get back to it.  I'm working today so this week won't be so hellacious.  I'm definitely looking forward to a break at Thanksgiving.

I love you so much Mom. 

Weighing heavily on my mind....

This may be a ramble of sorts....but it is something that is weighing heavily on my  mind.  The past few years have been difficult health-wise and stress wise for me and not excluding the weight "thing" either.   Needless to say that "big number" got bigger over the course of time despite my efforts to eat less, eat cleaner and / or exercise.    

My problem is with all of the people who can just lose weight -- without thinking about it - or with minimal effort (and by minimal - little dietary changes or adding a little exercise) but that think they have all of the answers and just don't "get" the overweight thing.  You  know the ones who like to freely hand out their superior wisdom on the eating habits of  "fat people".

If it works for them it should work for everyone, right?

WRONG.

That would be like saying, eating dinner with your family every night at the dinner table will fix your family connection problems.  Or going to bed every night not fighting with your spouse will fix your marriage.  Or perhaps, knowing all of the answers for our schools just because you went to school.

The problem with being overweight is that EVERYONE sees it.  EVERYONE.   What if all of these thin people went around every day with a sign listing all of your INSECURITIES and IMPERFECTIONS and even worse, PROBLEMS written in big bold letters on their backs.

OR

And then I come up to you and give you blanket statements for fixing these issues.  How would you feel?    Again, the problem with being overweight is it is written on the outside like a giant sign in big bold letters.

So the point of this rant, next time you think to judge someone who is overweight....or give them unsolicited advice....reverse the situation.   What if your biggest problem was on a poster that you wore around every day.  Would you want that judgement?  Would you want the blanket "free advice that you've heard a million times?   Does your problem have a genetic component?  A stress component?  A health component?   If no, then back off...be supportive - not critical and stop judging.

Prepackaged Meal Plans

In my quest to make food at home and NOT eat out, because quite frankly my family hates eating out...I signed up for Blue Apron.  We shall see how this fares.

Our first meals come next week and we are getting:

Looks pretty good.  I'll show my version.  Should be interesting.

Going Postal at the Post Office

Let me start out by saying - when I worked for the government, we had STRICT rules on dealing with the "public" - one was definitely use your best customer service skills!     I feel like Public Service is a privilege and not an entitlement.  I had great benefits and an awesome pension / retirement option and awesome sick leave and vacation -- way better than corporate America.  Lots to be grateful for in that position....

So today, I go to the post office.  It's a rare thing, that takes about an hour in just driving time alone.  I use the self service to ship my packages and I thought -- while I am there -- buy stamps.    I bought 100 because like I said -- we RARELY go.

Well now the Self Serve station actually PRINTS the stamps in sheets inside the machine.  When they came out -- they were messed up.    They had QR codes and some were distorted, some were not.  Sometimes you could read the "forever" on them -- but it was always distorted and sometimes not there at all.  Some were cut in half.  It was crazy.  Some were more problematic than others but all 10 sheets were messed up in some way.   So I went and stood in line with my daughter at the counter.

Well when I got up there, the agent had to get - I guess the manager.

The manager looked at them and said   "she just changed the stamps in the machine -- just now." 

She looked at them and said "I can replace these two sheets -- but that's it" Every sheet had messed up stamps.  I'm not sure why she could only replace the two sheets???

I said "well I just don't want to chance it and would like them all replaced with real stamps."  (In my defense THEY WERE CRAZY PRINTED....)

"We can't do that"  she said.  "And these will probably work"
(I'm thinking -- probably? - really, we're going with that)

I was honestly surprised.  I had my receipt. I had just printed them.  This is a no brainer.  We aren't talking 20 cents of stamps -- but $49 worth of stamps.   I said "I just want to replace them with  a roll of stamps."  

She said -- " that machine is different from in here (what?!?!) and you'll need to come back tomorrow to talk to a supervisor. "

I was frustrated.  I admit it.  I was thinking -- if this office doesn't fix this issue - WHO WOULD?   And I said "Ugh - Why does this have to become my problem?"

And she instantly got FIRED UP.  Her complete attitude changed.   "It isn't YOUR problem!!!!"

I said " Actually it is, I now have to come back over here tomorrow." 

She said "(while storming off) let me see if I can take care of this with a phone call"

When she came back she had a roll of stamps...saying "we don't usually do this...I find it unreasonable...."

I said "are you calling me unreasonable?"

She said loudly "I am trying to fix your problem MA'AM" while walking away from me -- she started heading back to the counter and said to her colleage "You've got my back don'tcha"  Like this was some battle we were in.

She handed me the stamps FINALLY and said "we don't do this..." and she started to say something else but she hesitated after looking at my daughter.

I said "Thank you - have a nice day" and walked out.

I did a sample poll online to see what others would have done....here is what I got (names masked to protect the innocent):

Lessons in Forgiveness from an 8 Year Old

For several weeks, we've had an event on our calendar that my 16 year old niece to take my 8 year old to breakfast before church (Niece's idea).  We had to move it from last week to this week, because we had company last weekend...so to say Mere was looking forward to it - is an understatement.

So this morning we got up at 6:30a and got ready. (Well Mere did -- I was sleep walking.)  Around 7:00, we ventured downstairs and waited in my office for Molly to arrive.  Mere was sitting at my desk, staring out the window.   Around 7:30, I was getting worried; my niece wasn't here.  I didn't want to text or call if she was driving, so I texted my sister to see if she had left.

Long story short, Molly wasn't coming.  She called to apologize and I let her speak to Mere.

"Hi Molly"

"Yeah..."

"Ok."

"It's ok Molly"

"Bye Molly"

(hangs up)

"Mom, can I have some cheerios?"

She had gotten up super early and was so excited about her breakfast.  But was completely forgiving when it all fell apart.    She wasn't angry or upset, (maybe a little disappointed) nor did she complain.  I was so proud of her...and I need to be more like her.  I was so proud of how easy it is for her to forgive and move on - and what an example.   So precious.

They ended up spending the afternoon together - pizza and fro-yo.   All is well...and I am one proud mommy.

Black Friday....OUCH

I Am Thankful For.....a lot of things

This year has been a tough one....in a lot of ways.  But I am thankful - for a lot of things.  Too many to list here but my daughter and husband and puppy are at the top of the list.

I hope you feel full of thanksgiving this Thanksgiving.

Happy Day to You!

2014 - I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas - Annual Post

So...you can always count on me to do an annual Christmas - White Christmas map.

Look at this gem I found:

Trick or Treat - a thing of the past?

The day goes by soooo slowly.  I remember my younger days with a plastic mask and some cheap vinyl or plastic cape looking thing -- that would resemble a costume but kids today would still google it.  Tick, tick tick....when are we going Mom?   ....when your Dad gets home from work  ....Dad is HOME!  ....after dinner  .... after it turns dark  ...REALLY how long can you put this off?!?!?!  And then we head out.  Visiting all of our neighbors.  Most of our neighbors went to our church so we got invited in a lot.  Come in!  Let me take your picture!  We would get yummy goodness by the handfuls and then we were off again.  Not before our Dad dug deep in to our bag to find his favorite candy bar to snack on along the way.   If it was cold, we didn't notice.  Luckily our grandmother was "halfway" through the process so we could warm up if we were cold or get a drink if we were thirsty.  We would do the entire neighborhood -- down streets our bikes would never go....just to be sure we maxed out our candy search - and our parents. Then, once we had rung every doorbell, we went home to evaluate our efforts.    A long night worth every step as we counted chocolates and sweet tarts and traded for our favorites.

Those were the days....

Now we have sexual offender finders so we avoid those houses.  We have people lacing swedish fish with marijuana.  We have all sorts of crazy I can't even think of.  We have grown "kids" prowling the neighborhoods and scaring the little kids.  And yet, I still take my child trick-or-treating.   WHY do I do this?  I guess I want her to have that same nostalgia that I have about my Halloween days but it just isn't the same.  Also kids get an abundance of candy from various sources these days.  It's not an elusive "treat" that you won't get again for another 12 months.  As a matter of fact there are stores filled with every possible candy you could ever want.  And kids have money!  So they can go to said stores and buy whatever they want.    There are office trick or treating events, trunk or treats, church events etc.   I would bet money that my daughter will not be taking her child(ren) from house to house - because recreating the nostalgia is just not the same.

InsideOut in Merida 2014 - Ready to Serve: Simple Faith in a Complex Place

I love this story of my baby girl -- and my growing up ever so quickly niece....



InsideOut in Merida 2014 - Ready to Serve: Simple Faith in a Complex Place: So, faith. It’s an small word with an enormous impact. And from all the enormity, there’s a book that states it is necessary to ta...

Doing the right thing...

Sometimes doing the right thing involves giving up something of yourself or your person or your tangibles. Many times - often times - We have the opportunity to do something random for someone else yet we don't...today I gave my seat to a soldier in the military who is going home for 5 days after graduating from officer camp. His parents had flown to DC to see him graduate. I told him I would trade seats so he could sit with his dad. He didn't want to because he was in a crappy seat but I insisted...and I am so glad I did.  

To the Graduates of 2014...It's time to grow up.

I love seeing young people grow up and be successful.  It's awesome when you know they have worked hard and after all of that time get to finish something and start something new.

Some are wrapping up high school...a huge milestone.  Going off to college is exciting, scary and a big grown up thing to do.  Some are jumping out of the world of exams, class and their parents $$ to a giant world of business, professions, and performance reviews.

Here is some advice from a 40-something that has been there, done that.

• Having your parents address your graduation invitations makes you look like you really aren't ready to go out on your own....still have Mommy change your sheets too I bet.

• The people you invite to your graduation, speak to them when you see them.  If you haven't thanked them for your gift, MAN UP and walk over and say -- Thank you so much for the gift you sent.  Are you not prepared to do that?  Maybe you aren't ready for the real world.  These are people who know and love you...and wish for your success...what about those competing against you?  

• You sent an invitation to an event....that you know they will not attend.  You counted on it actually because you only had four tickets to the actual graduation.  (What would you have done if I REALLY showed up!?!?!?)   So let's talk about the REAL reason you sent the invitation....a GIFT.  Of course, you need to fund your dorm room...or maybe some of you will buy books a computer or something!  I'm in!  I did it!  But I wrote a Thank You note for EVERY gift I received and you should too.  Here's why:  People expect them.    If you didn't give me a hug, call me to thank me, or send a biplane over my house saying thank you (notice I didn't say Text me - for the love of God do not text a thank you)  for the gift, you better spend 2 minutes of your summer break thanking me for the monetary gift I sent you...Yes you have time - we're friends on Facebook -- remember?

• College Grads - create a linked in Profile and connect with all of these adults you are inviting to your graduation.  You never know who might connect you to your next job.   You're being responsible and sending them a Thank You note!

• Don't know what to say in your  Thank You note?  Come on, it's time to use that education your parents paid for....GOOGLE IT.

• Did your parents tell you that you didn't have to send a note?  You do.  They lied.  If you do not take the time to thank someone for a gift - you didn't deserve a gift.

So the devil's advocate of my rant would say...it's wrong to give a gift and expect something in return.  True.  And I'm not expecting a $100 out of their first paycheck.  The Thank You note is not about the note itself, it's about the time spent writing it.  Taking time out for others -- is the art of gift giving.

A Disney Vacation...a planner's DREAM...or so I thought

I am a planner. I like to plan fun things.  I like to plan events.  I like to plan out vacations for my family and then live a fun experience.

A Disney Vacation takes that to a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL- we are talking planning "on crack."  I should have known.  Have you seen the planner books for Disney?  They are inches thick!



So why isn't this fun for someone who likes to plan?  Because of the meal and fastpass planning.  First is the meal planning rant -   I don't like deciding dinner at home -- but this meal planning at Disney is even worse.   You have to make these reservations MONTHS in advance - TO EAT.  I don't know what I want tomorrow -- let alone 6 months from now.  Why why why does it have to be this way?  There is no getting around it -- if you want to eat on Disney property you have to plan REALLY FAR in advance.  Otherwise, you're having a burger and popcorn on the street or ridiculous fast food.  Hello we couldn't even order carryout from a DD restaurant.  "First come first serve"  REALLY??!??!?

Secondly is the FASTPASS system.  I like the Fastpass Option and love that I can do it on the app.  But you only get 3.  If you don't know the rides very well, you don't have a clue which FPs are worth it and which ones aren't.   For example, I got us fast passes to a newer ride that never has a wait.  So that was a total waste of a FP.  I guess with MORE RESEARCH on MY END I could have figured that out....and touringplans.com helps a lot in this aspect.   But then don't forget you have to plan your fast passes around your dinner reservations.  Oh and those things don't care if you overlap.   So you could have dinner at the same time you're on Space Mountain.

This was our 2nd Disney Trip...and probably our last for a really long time (even though we have 3 more days on our passes!!!)  My daughter isn't crazy about the rides, has met all the characters that she wants to meet....and hates the lines.  I think we just don't LOVE Walt Disney World.    We like it, but we don't LOVE it.    The planning takes all of the supercalafragilisticexpialadocious out of the trip....there is no room for spontaneity and you have to "build in" your rest days.    The planning is more work -- and lord help you if  someone throws a wrench in your plan.

For example, this morning, my daughter didn't wake up until 10:00 AM.  We had lunch reservations at 11:20.  We RAN out the door and into MK and BARELY made it to our time.  As a matter of fact, my husband and I had to run to the restaurant from Main Street and left my Mom and Daughter behind just so we could check in.   After we ate, we were so over it -- we did a few meet and greets with Tinkerbelle and Tiana and just came back to the resort.   After a swim, we were starving -- and yep without a reservation...so we ended up with fast food....ugh.  That is soooo annoying.    We went back to Magic Kingdom but there wasn't a table to be found.

In my next rant, I will focus on the wait time for Anna and Elsa at Norway in Epcot.  Don't even get me started on that mess.

Poster-Sized

All this talk about the galaxies comic made me nostalgic.   I went and bought the print of the crazy thing!
I took a picture...this is how I can tell I'm getting old -- I don't have a stitch of makeup on...and yep -- I just posted it -- blotchy and all.

My Fifteen Minutes of VIRTUAL Fame

Most of my close friends and gamer friends know this story, but the forums where it originated have unfortunately shut down - YEARS after the game ended.   I like to imagine a dusty, drafty old wooden stage like in Phantom of the Opera.    Regardless,  I think it says a lot about the power of online relationships - to have an independently funded forum stand years after the game ends.  Star Wars Galaxies created a community and a group of friends that were changed like no other MMORPG.  Now, after marriages, divorces, births and even deaths, our group is a simple Facebook group who posts on occasion....

So here, for posterity, I post my SWG:Intrepid, 15 minutes of Virtual Fame

Back in 2005 I played a game by Sony called Star Wars Galaxies.  For the record, Husband created a Wookie before I started playing and I really hated the game at first.  REALLY hated it.  I couldn't do anything -- not even chat.    It was very frustrating....

I finally got the hang of it -- by meeting people who helped me along the way.   It was fun and I put in countless hours mastering professions to get my jedi character.  At that time, you had to master a magical profession (there were 27+ at the time) in order to open your Jedi slot.  Finally, with Musician, I unlocked my Jedi.  It was so exciting!  I was so pumped.  So pumped my husband bought me a Jedi Christmas Ornament that year!  Still cracks me up to this day when I hang that on the tree.




Anyway,  I stumbled upon an independent forum which consisted of players from the same "galaxy" as me and we all would post about the game, make our own content etc.  It was there that I learned about the "Player Dupe", Brucelee, and the innocent player ban from Sony Online Entertainment.  SOE for short.  


Basically what happened - there was a glitch or bug in the game that on funds transfers, would cause the funds to duplicate.  This bug was repeatedly exploited by several people in the game and could (and in a lot of ways did) wreck our in game economy.   If you don't know this already, in game economies are very much like the economies we see in real life.  It's a balance of goods and services, supply and demand.   In the situation where the credits were "duped", cheaters were rapidly becoming very wealthy causing an unbalance in the economy.    Sony learned of this behavior and immediately started banning players.  Not just the players who "duped the credits" but those that received (innocently) those bad credits for goods  / services.  This is what caused the uprising...revolt...and ultimately the protest.

I knew NONE of this at the time of the protest.  I knew everyone was pretty upset...and there were people furious about several popular players.  I CERTAINLY wasn't one of those players and I was not well known AT ALL on our server.    (Yes, we even had celebrity status players in our online world -- it was crazy!).    I certainly hadn't received any of the duped credits -- I probably had 100 credits at the time and the dupers were millionaires 2 & 3 times!

The night of the big protest, I was online.  I told my husband I really didn't have a horse in the race as far as the protest goes because I was pretty poor as far as money went.    I didn't craft, I didn't go on great quests....I just played casually.    When it came to the credit dupe,  I knew people cared -- and it was a big deal for a lot of people on the forums.    Also, I felt like banning those who innocently received the credits was pretty crummy on the part of Sony.    So for the protest, I decided I would get my character, Allehe, do a live report on the protests and all that was going on.  That was the start of what would become Intrepid News Network - or INN.   I just started doing a "news report" acting as a "field reporter."  I made up (who was eventually taken over by another forum writer) Anchorman Dan in the "studio".   We bantered back and forth.  For over a year, no one but myself knew who Dan was!   It was a crazy fun night.   Hundreds -- no kidding - HUNDREDS of characters landed in the Theed Starport (imagine the Times Square of an online game.)   Sony was furious.  They were teleporting us to crazy places -- coord 0,0 , out in space, to the Death Watch Bunker (that is where my jedi Avalie ended up).    They kept broadcasting messages telling us to log out of the game or the area.  The more they tried to get us to go away, the worse it got.  Finally, we crashed the server.  I went to bed.  I was banned from the Sony forums (reinstated later after much reprimand!)

Here is my report:  The Allehe Report of the Theed Protest in Star Wars Galaxies 2004  (PDF File)

You may have noticed there were no images.  Unfortunately the images were lost years ago in a different server crash.  Many of the images had "interviews" with players who  had intimate knowledge of the credit dupe.   I do still have a hard drive with the information that also crashed -- but I haven't given up trying to get the images off of it one day!

On with the story -- so the protest was on a Friday.  A week from that day, I got an email from someone I didn't know - who asked me about my "report" and the whole protest.  I really didn't think a THING about it.  I replied that I had recorded the entire thing in a "report" here:  and I linked him to my report.   I told him if he had questions, just to ask.

Next thing I know, I am getting some instant messages from our forum administrator saying I was crashing the entire server.  The hits were coming in like crazy and people were trying to read the article.  Sony was having a fit!  The hosting service was really peeved -- as other business sites were crashing.  I'm sitting at my desk -- at my office -- wondering what in the world?!?

I got a message from one of my guildies -- telling me that I was suddenly being thrust front and center of this credit dupe issue and Sony.  I had no idea what was going on.  Then, I got the articles.   My friend sent me a link to this:  Boing Boing link which was the start of the crazy.

Guildies Rajh and Carrie....I am still friends with them today!  :)

We traced it all back to the email I received and a site called warbucket.com.   Warbucket is a gaming forum site who had some pretty hardcore gamers talking about the report, the protest etc.  Cool moment alert - When Penny Arcade (an online comic site) heard of the drama they created a cartoon based on the reports of my character!  

Here is the cartoon:

Most of the sites have faded away, been discontinued, lost in cyberspace or archived off the protest info.  At one point I had a listing of over 100 sites discussing the INN report!

Other resources:

• mmorpg.com discussion about the protests
• Intrepid News Network
• Clickable Culture
• IN A MAGAZINE:  p.88 of Computer Games
• Gamers' Mafia
• Neogaf
• FreddysHouse Forums
• RPG.Net
• G4TV
• Neocron-Game.com
• GamersCircle.net
• AdultSwim !!!!!
• Alienado
• Nasioc.com
• Xebuxoruk.com
• FFShrine
• Massively.com
• Rage3D
• BusyGamerNation
• Informative Article about the protest, economy dupe and Yale Law:  Fun!
• QuartertoThree
• Creeva's world

So it was really a Cinderella - Rags to Riches moment for my character.  Suddenly, I had very wealthy "friends".  I had "opportunity"  and Intrepid News Network became an in-game reality.  We hired reporters and I became very rich reporting on and hosting player events.  A group built and decorated INN Studios (see pic)....

After the word got out, we would have MANY inquiries about the credit dupe and protest.  Game enthusiasts, game reporters etc.   Several times, I was contacted college students doing a research project on Online Gaming Economies - asking questions.  

Now, the game has shut down.  The forums have shut down.  The lights are turned off and we all went our separate ways.  It was a fun time while it lasted.

May the Force Be With You,

Change in the Air

I think I'm ready to change the name of my blog....

The Lovers, The Dreamers and Me just doesn't fit where I am today.  I miss that carefree Ally but this Ally has different challenges, hopes and dreams.  

When I started this blog, I was in my early 30's, no children, awesome government job.

Since then,  I have had a life threatening illness, broken ankle & leg, moved from a small city to a big one, changed my job 2x - lost a job, had a baby, turned 40...maybe that is why I just haven't felt like posting.  I don't feel like I'm in the same universe as Lovers and Dreamers.   I'm in more with the survivors and thinkers.....

FIND the CAUSE to FIND the CURE...

In my battle with chronic illness that has no cure, I have noticed something about organizations and events surrounding these diseases -- the focus is "find a cure."

Most diseases -- lupus (mine!), diabetes, cancer, AIDS....their supporting organizations want to find a cure.  Do any of these sound familiar?  The RACE for the CURE.  Finding a CURE....Walk to CURE Diabetes?    Don't get me wrong, I would love to find a cure for these diseases. But why is the FOCUS on the CURE and not the cause?

When growing up, my dad used to say (and still does) "Remember where you come from".  It used to just get on my nerves but now, I see that he had a really good point.  My foundation, the core of who I am, is important and is a reflection of who I am and the people that I associate with whether it is family, co-workers, or friends.

Foundations tell us a lot.   The foundations of disease can tell us a lot about prevention and eradication.    But then there is the whole - what if we found that the cause was something like power lines or cellphone towers?  What if the cause is the mercury filled light bulbs? What if the cause is something that our government has deemed safe?  I'm sure there are groups who would FIGHT to disprove or even hide this information.

Do you want to know what I think?   This country has a viscious disease and it's called SPECIAL INTERESTS.  Our government is lobbied and the power is in whomever has the most money.  In the case of finding the cure instead of a cause -  BIG PHARMA has control.

Let's take diabetes for example -- do you know how much diabetes charged the US in 2012?

From: www.diabetes.org
The national cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2012 was more than $245 billion.

245 BILLION DOLLARS


If we stop diabetes from occurring -- we stop the CAUSE...someone is going to lose some of their pocket change.   There is no reason to find the cause (or the cure for that matter) to the people doing the research.  Look at the American Diabetes Association. If we get RID of diabetes all together....there is no need for the association.   The CEO of the ADA, Larry Hausner,  made over half a million dollars in 2012.  Where is his motivation to find a cure -- let alone a cause!?!    Also,  67% of the 8 MILLION dollars donated went to research.  Resource Where did the other 33% go?

This is something I've been pondering for some time now.  Curious to hear your thoughts....

FIND THE CAUSE.

I'm dreaming of a WHITE CHRISTMAS

I guess if there is ONE post I am good for, it's the white Christmas prediction....this year, like most, predicts NO SNOW for us...although it has been pretty cold here the past few weeks.

One can dream...of a white Christmas.  Regardless, I hope where you are in this world, you have an amazing Christmas with people you love surrounding you.   Cheers!


White Christmas

When did THAT happen?

So I'm at the pool with my daughter....this little guy swims up and starts talking to me.  He's cute and polite and then he swims on by.

Not too long after a man walks up and says -- "He will talk to anyone!"  Smiles.   And I'm like oh he's cute...no worries.  I told him "I appreciate it -- so many kids won't talk to each other -- let alone an adult."  I also mentioned that "Back when I was a kid, we met friends every where we went."

To which the man said "Well when we were kids things were a lot different."

I was....taken aback.  I mean -- I am A LOT younger than this dude.  But after I evaluated the situation, I realized -- I probably wasn't younger.  Hello maybe he was younger than me.  This big ole hairy man was my age.  Middle-aged.

Wow.  When did THAT happen????

Home Alone

Tonight I am home alone.  It's strange being here by myself....The TV isn't on.  No lights are on.  I don't hear toys or chatter.  Nothing is going on here.  I've just been here all afternoon -- in the quiet.

I think sometimes we need just - quiet in our lives.  It helps us recharge, re-energize.  Now do I feel this way?   Hmmm the verdict is still out.

Oops -- there's the phone.