Inmates need their floss!

I was cleaning up the house a little today as Teri is coming to visit in about a week. That means I have to make my condo look like I clean every day and care how things look. Actually, I don't care at all. But I decided to do a few things anyway and then lie down and rest up. First I checked the top of my fridge. I'm not tall enough to see up there, but it's where I always put newspaper articles that I think are worth saving. But by the time I check them out, too much time has passed and they mean nothing to me. Also, they're covered in dust, so I just throw them all away. However, today I found an article in the newspaper from 2012 about dental floss! I'm a  floss addict - I floss three times a day - every time I eat. 

So this is what the article was about. Seems like 11 inmates at the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla, NY,. filed a $500 million lawsuit demanding access to dental floss. I say, "Good for them!" But authorities say they have to consider security issues. Floss has been used to braid into ropes and escape over prison walls. It has been used to sew up gunshot wounds after escaping and stitch up a dummy left in the bed when the inmate escaped. Experts say floss or the plastic container it comes in has been used to strangle someone, to escape, to saw through bars, etc. The lead plaintiff, Santiago Gomez, said the jail was violating inmates' federally protected civil rights by not allowing inmates access to dental floss because they know it will cause cavities if you fail to floss your teeth. I'm with Santiago! The jail has furnished the inmates with "Floss Loops," circles of rubbery floss with no hard plastic so they can't be used as weapons. I don't know if that was ok with the inmates and if they dropped their suit. It wouldn't be ok with me!

New York's state prison system permits dental floss, but only the unwaxed variety as the waxed is much stronger. Now I don't go along with that. I use only the waxed kind because it is stronger! I hope I am never incarcerated in a NY state prison. I wonder if Teri could smuggle some in for me if that time ever comes.

The picture I used is of Teri, 5 months old, and me, over 5 months old. I used it because it looks like Teri may have some dental floss around her neck!  

Prom Night!

Harry and Reggie are going to her high school prom together in a few weeks! That's exciting! Harry is my grandson, Teri and Mark's son, and lives in Brooklyn, NY. Reggie is Rita's daughter who lives here near Portland. Rita is Teri's high school friend and is still her friend after many years. Not too many years . . .  but a few.  Harry and Reggie see each other when they visit each other's cities, but not too often. They fight with each other and do all sorts of things. They even make cookies at my house sometimes - I've posted pictures on my blogs of cookie-making times. I think it's great that this will happen, but I have never heard of a high school kid going that far for a prom. Is that what happens these days? Harry will fly out here and come to my house until he can be rescued by Reggie and go to her house for the fitting of the tux which they will be getting for him. I'd like to say this all brings back memories of my prom, but it doesn't! I didn't have a guy fly clear across the country just to take me to a dance. Of course, I didn't know anyone clear across the country.

I hear Reggie is worried her girlfriends will try to steal Harry away to dance with all the time. That's a given. I would like to have posted a picture of Harry and Reggie, but since the prom hasn't happened yet I was unable to do that. However, I did find an old photo of me and a date posing for pictures before our prom. I looked really pissed as my hair didn't turn out the way it looked in the magazine, "Gorgeous Prom Hair Styles." So all I can do is hope Harry and Reggie have a wonderful prom experience and take a better photo than I did. But for God's sake, Harry, don't do anything to embarrass your grandma! 

How About a Goat?

I just read a very interesting article by Josh Sanburn in the latest "Time" magazine about ESAs. An ESA is an emotional support animal. They are used to counteract depression and anxiety in people and seem to be very successful at it. Many people take antidepressant medication for help, but others are wary of the many side effects they can cause. So ESAs are used as well as is sometimes regular counseling. For pets to be certified as ESAs, all you need is a note from a mental health professional stating that you need an animal to help with your symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, this wouldn't apply to animals such as spiders, snakes, elephants, skunks . . . use your head! It would be for animals such as dogs, pigs, cats, birds, mice, rats, iguanas and so on. These are not to be confused with therapy animals that are used by the blind, or animals trained to perform tasks for their owners. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other authorities have acknowledged the fact that just the presence of a pet has positive health benefits. Petting a dog can lower blood pressure and heart rate. I don't have a dog, but I do have two little sparrows - Larry and Larry - whom I feed on my deck. I love watching them but I don't touch them so I don't think petting them is a consideration. But I do love my two little ESAs and hope they are working on my blood pressure even though I don't pet them. I'm feeding them - what more could they ask for? ESAs don't have to be trained as do service animals. It's just their comforting presence that helps lessen depression and anxiety in their owners. 

The article mentions a young woman, Danielle Forgione, who lives in Queens, NY, and has an ESA pig. But she is about to be evicted from her co-op unless she gets rid of Petey, her pig. From reading about her circumstances, I think she really needs the support she gets from Petey as she's had some sad happenings in her recent past. She is fighting the eviction and has contacted her New York state senator. She has until July 1 to get rid of Petey or else she'll be evicted. A neighbor complained that she had a farm animal in her apartment and that's what started the brouhaha. Who cares if she has a farm animal in her apartment? Isn't that better than the bed bugs that were all over New York? Pigs are clean with no hair. I doubt that Petey will be rooting around in any mud in her apartment.

I hope for the best for Danielle and Petey the pig. I think Petey is much better than the green iguana on some guy's neck that is pictured in this article. That iguana is creepy as he looks like he's ready to take a bite out of the guy's neck! Petey would never do that. And neither would my ESAs.

Cindy is having another birthday!!

How many birthdays are my daughters going to have anyway? It seems like it happens every year and that's too many as it means I'll be having another one. But the three of us just keep on going, year after year. And that's the way I like it! 

Cindy had to give up her crazy card shop recently so is now looking for a job as are 10 million other people. She had many loyal customers, but unfortunately none had any money. Many were into drugs which she wasn't selling - maybe she would still be open if she had.

Cindy has been through many hard times and many different circumstances. I've never seen anyone with so much fortitude and courage to keep going when the going is really hard. Both of my daughters are that way, so maybe I did do something right even though I can't think of what it was. 

There has been so much talk about bangs on women lately. Mrs. Obama  cut some and the entire world went crazy! Now everyone has hair hanging in their eyes. But I found a picture of Cindy when she was younger with bangs, and I think it's the best of any bangs I've seen. I love it! So I think she's a perfect example of how they should look. Sorry, Michelle.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CINDY!

Your mom loves you lots and lots