Problems at the car wash

The other day I decided I couldn’t put off having my tank – that’s what I call my Volvo – washed. It hasn’t been washed since Teri shipped it to me from Los Angeles with the “check engine” light burning brightly. So I decided to go to my car wash, but I checked the owner’s manual first to see how I could get the antenna down before I left. I would have called Teri to see how she managed the antenna, but she’s in London right now on business and won’t be home for a week. I figured the antenna would have to be down before they would take me, but the button wouldn’t work and it just stayed upright. But I thought I’d give it a try anyway. I always have trouble getting on the tracks at the car wash. My hands get all sweaty and I become extremely nervous while I try to maneuver onto the tracks. I thought it would be really hard with the tank as it’s bigger than my little tin can – my Toyota Echo – that I had before the tank, but I managed to get on with the first try. I was so excited that I thrust my money out the window with a big smile on my face. The guy just looked at me and then told me I couldn’t go through with the antenna sticking up. So I had to back off the tracks which was not easy for me. By then I was really pissed, so I came home and washed the car myself. It wasn’t warm outside – this is still winter, you know – but I did it. I missed a few places, but it looks a lot better. The next time I see my mechanic for a “check engine” fix, I’ll have him either fix the antenna or break it off . . . whichever is cheaper, and we know which one that will be.

So when I was through with the washing, I came in to warm up. Cindy called about then and she had me laughing right away. She’s so funny and can always make me feel good. She should be on the radio making other people laugh or at least doing something other than what she’s doing. I told her Teri was in London for a week, and she said, “Teri’s in London and I’m selling fucking fences!” That’s my girl! Cindy is a sales rep for a fencing company which never sends her to London. She’d like to be doing something more like what Teri is doing, but we are never quite sure just what it is that Teri does. I guess that’s because it’s so much more complicated than what I ever did, although what Cindy does is not easy . . . boring maybe, but not easy. We talked about our trip to Manhattan this summer to visit Teri and have another Betty Broderick sorority meeting. Cindy’s the president, but I don’t know if she’s done much recruiting lately as she’s been too busy with the fences. Teri is the godfather so maybe she’s been creating havoc in Manhattan. I’m the housemother and I don’t even keep house here very well. We’ll just have to see if we become energized again at our next meeting. I’m sure we will as there are no limits as to what my daughters can do when they set their minds to it.

Before we hung up, we discussed the lottery. Why is it that when some old guy wins a gazillion dollars, the best he can do is say he’s going to buy a new four-wheel drive truck first thing in the morning! I’m sure when Teri, Cindy and I win the lottery, things will be a little different. No four-wheel drive trucks for us!

And then we hung up.

CANTERBURY’S LAW

I just watched the pilot episode of this new Fox show which will be starting March 10. When I read that one of the creators was Denis Leary, I could hardly wait to see it. Denis does “Rescue Me” which is my all-time favorite, and I wasn’t disappointed with this one. It’s about a woman, Elizabeth Canterbury, a defense attorney – played by Julianna Margulies - who crosses the line frequently while trying to save her clients. She is a very strong woman, but flawed emotionally by the unsolved disappearance of her son, and she and her husband are attempting to get their marriage back on track after that shocking incident. Elizabeth is having an affair while all this is going on in the hopes it will bring some feeling and life back into her existence. When I read that in the promotional material I said, “Right on!” It’s about time there’s a serious show where the woman is playing around – it’s usually the man who is portrayed as the philanderer.

I’ve always liked Julianna Margulies. I remember her from the old “ER” series and was always hoping she and George Clooney would ride off into the sunset together. I’ve seen her in many things since and always liked her acting. This episode moved along quickly and accomplished a lot in just an hour. I like the fact that this is a very fast-moving show which should be good for people with short attention spans. It gives you no time to think about what to wear tomorrow or what your creepy neighbor might be plotting. In other words, your mind won’t be wandering in this series. In the pilot episode, you learn a little bit about a lot of the people we’ll be seeing in the coming episodes. This is my kind of show, and I know I won’t be missing any of them. This one came to an end in a courtroom scene with a . . . . . . POW!! I loved it! I thought it was a very cool ending . . . not the usual kind. I can hardly wait until the season starts.

Caucus, Caucus, Caucus . . . . . . .

When I reached voting age, it seemed comparatively easy. I’d go to a school, community center or some such place where a few old ladies ( retired women) would be sitting, passing out paper ballots. I’d take the ballot into a private stall and vote. Then I’d be on my way. No problem – just plain, old voting.

Now things are so different it all gives me a headache. For starters, I vote by mail now which is ok with me, but does my vote even count anymore? And what in the hell is a caucus? I just spent time on Google, my bible, and am more confused than ever. No one can explain caucuses to me so that I can understand. Is it that I’m really that dumb, or are they so mysterious there is no explanation for them? One explanation Google gave was the following: “Caucus is merely an old word for a meeting or session that is necessary to establish the credentials of the presidential nominees, similar to the primaries.” Another explanation from Google was: “The word comes from the Algonquin tribe of Native Americans, meaning a ‘gathering of tribal chiefs,’ and the custom dates back to the 18th century when political power-brokers met to discuss candidates.” I always thought the public voted and that was it. But apparently not. Who gets to be in the caucus? And why would they even want to? Are they the delegates?

And where did the super delegates come from, and who and what are they? Who appointed them? Google didn’t help me on that. Are they a bunch of old presidents, power-brokers, influential old-timers – definitely not run-of-the-mill persons I’d meet in my everyday, humdrum life? Are they going to be the people who, at the last minute, pick our next president? Should I even vote?

This whole election bit has become so confusing. It seems like it’s been going on forever . . . I guess it actually has. I know I’m tired of it all and will be very happy when it’s over, just so long as it goes the way I want. I came across this photo recently, and I believe it’s from a caucus meeting a few years ago. It looks to me as if it could have been a republican caucus for Bush. They somehow look like Bush people, don’t they?

Teri has a birthday!

A birthday is always a special day, so I wanted a special picture for Teri’s birthday, and this is what I chose. Teri was such a happy child and we loved her so much that we took many, many pictures of her. This one was special in that it showed her tiny fingers and how they were positioned. There are many pictures of her with her fingers shown the same way. I don’t know why, but it just touches me when I see those little fingers. I loved that, so that’s why I picked this one.

It was only after I decided to use this picture that I realized she was only half dressed! How could that be? I know I’ve used other pictures of her on my blog with her lower half exposed like the one where she was riding her horsey without pants and when she was in the wading pool with her shorts pulled down, but it made me wonder if, at that young age, she had a propensity for what is called “half-assed dressing.” That means you dress only the upper half of your body. At least, that’s what I call it. I’m not sure, but it may be just a regional thing some of us do in the Northwest. But she looked so happy, and my high heels seemed to pull everything together.

Now Teri has a career and reports to a real-live office every day. I don’t think she has ever been reprimanded for her attire, so she apparently knows not to revert to the “half-assed dressing” syndrome from years gone by. Or maybe she saves it for special occasions . . . like say on her birthday?

Whatever you do on your birthday, Teri, I hope you have a wonderful time. You have brought me so much joy and happiness throughout the years, and I don’t want it to ever end.

.

Exercise and drinking – old age remedy

You hear so much lately on television, in the newspapers and books on how to live a long, healthy life. We all know that means eating healthy, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, getting enough sex, thinking good thoughts and on and on and on. But now “Time” magazine comes out with an article I love! They say that daily moderate exercise plus moderate alcohol consumption (one drink a day for women) equals a lower risk of heart disease than that of people who either drink without exercising, exercise without drinking or do neither. How about that? If you ask if you can have an extra drink in place of the exercise, the answer could be yes, or so says an article in the “European Heart Journal.” But you don’t want to overdo that by any means. Doctors found that exercise and drinking alcohol each had an independent beneficial effect on the heart and a compounded effect when practiced together. This mainly applies to people 45 or 50 – not younger. The alcohol has many benefits, one which really interested me. It decreased dementia rates in older adults who had been consuming one to six drinks per week. I should be seeing results in no time.

So now I have an idea that might even be better. If alcohol and exercise go together, how about doing both at the same time? Wouldn’t that give you twice as much chance of a long and healthy life? I don’t jog, so that’s out for me. I do walk but would rather not do it while I’m carrying a wine glass. But I work on my treadmill every day, so why couldn’t I have a glass of wine while I’m treadmilling? That way I could kill two birds with one stone . . . that’s a horrible saying but it does have meaning. I’ve already been on the treadmill today, so it’s time for a glass of wine. Tomorrow I might give my idea a try . . . or not.

The article does say you have to use your head with the alcohol thing. You should never drink your weekly allotment all at once. “Time” always manages to come up with the goodies week after week.

“New Amsterdam” – new Fox series starting March 4.

I knew I’d love this show even before I saw the previews. It’s about three of my favorite subjects for a good TV show or movie: Homicide, New York City, and NYPD detectives. What could be a better basis for a show? And I sure wasn’t disappointed!

The premise of the show is way out there in that it covers hundreds of years. You see the star, John Amsterdam (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), who is Danish and began his career in Denmark and is also incredibly cute, is actually many, many years old. He is a brilliant NY homicide detective with a huge secret – he’s immortal. In 1642, he was a Dutch soldier in New Amsterdam which later became New York City. He stepped in front of a sword to save a Native American girl during a massacre of her indigenous tribe. So she rescued Amsterdam and wove an ancient spell that gave him immortality, meaning he would never age until he found his one true love. Only then would he become whole and ready for mortality.

John’s one true friend is Omar (Stephen Henderson) who owns a jazz club and knows John’s secret – he also has secrets of his own. John has a partner, Eva Marquez (Zuleikha Robinson), who is strong willed and doesn’t take crap from anyone. John has a unique perspective on crime fighting in New York City. Since he has lived there many years, he runs into people from years past. There are many flashbacks which show his connections with different individuals, and when it skips back to the present, you see how those connections tie in with what’s happening in the present. I don’t mean like 20, 30 years ago, I mean maybe a hundred years ago . . . or even more. All this information, to which he has access as he goes on his way, makes him very valuable to the NYPD. He is certainly one of a kind. I wish there were more like him . . . but I guess I forgot – this is all make believe.

John has a heart attack on a subway platform and is saved by a woman getting off a train. She just happens to be an ER doctor – surprise, surprise – and she gets him to a hospital and brings him back to life. It is then that he thinks maybe the Indian girl knew what she was talking about. He had a pain in his heart which meant that maybe he had found his soul mate and could finally be ready for mortality. But now he has to find the pretty doctor who saved his life. If the prophesy is true, does that mean he’ll get old, with gray hair and wrinkles like the rest of us do? I hope not while the series is going. The show has excitement and humor and is very touching at times. As the second episode ended, I had tears in my eyes. Now that’s what I call a good show.