Eau Claire Dells

One lousy lens, no uv filter, 3 dead batteries, pain, 10 million bugs, a govt employee hot on our tail so we wouldn't climb over the rail, and a backwoods billy who brought his own banjo, but I managed to get a handful of pics @ the Eau Claire Dells.

Alzheimer's Walk - 9/24/2011 - Please Help!

Those who know me know all about my interest in helping others. I don't feel the need to pat myself on the back, or even share most of what I do with the rest of you. I do because it needs doing... not for any credit, or gratitude, even.... although the satisfaction that comes from helping others is priceless.

For the past couple of years, I have participated in the MS Walk. This year, we'll be in a new community, and since Alzheimer's is so important to me, I decided to participate in the Alzheimer's Walk on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

I will be writing more about that at a later date... but for right now, I will say the biggest treat is that I get to wear purple instead of orange. I never looked good in orange.... ;-P

More on that soon.

OH! And if you click the blue "title" of this blog entry, it will take you to the page where you can donate money to me personally, for the walk! We are also looking for team members to walk with us - so come join the fun!

Holy Moses!

Our "new" cat..... Moses.... got him from the animal shelter a couple of months ago. We had our last cat for 20 years, and then had to have him put to sleep. We weren't going to get another, but after two years, decided to get one.

Racist Hoops and Yoyo? haha

About a year ago, Native Americans were upset with McDonald's, for featuring General Custer in their Happy Meals.

Now, the NAACP is upset over a "racist" Hoops and Yoyo card? Puh-lease. They obviously don't know Hoops n Yoyo, because one spokeswoman refers to them as "a group of children". Another is adamant about the fact that you can hear the "R" in black holes. Um.... huh? lololol I listened several times, and cannot hear an "R". Furthermore, it's clear from the writing on the card that it's about the solar system, and not some loose black women. Why on earth would any card company include "ho's" on grad cards in the first place?

Hallmark pulled the cards, as did Walgreen's and other retail establishments. I wasn't liking Hallmark lately. Greeting card prices are crazy, and Hallmark has been offering less and less, apparently thinking their name stamped on a product is enough greeting to impress the recipient.

But I'm liking them even less now, for giving into a group of "colored persons" (isn't that racism?). Still, it won't keep me from adding to my ever-growing collection of Hoops and Yoyo cards. I love the lil guys.

Racism is very real. But this isn't it. And incidents like this do nothing but diminish the real charges of racism. The boy who cried wolf?

back.... again?

Wow. I can't believe that it's been months since I've been here. I'm back again, hoping to stick around for awhile this time. We'll see. ;-)

So many changes in life. Births, deaths, changes in health, changes in family, changes in perspective on so many things.

And changes on Blogger, too! I remember spending hours on html code and hunting for backgrounds, trying to add a third column, changing font over and over again, and now - with the current set-up - all it takes is a couple of clicks, and you can have an entirely different look. Okay... I guess I'll still be spending hours clicking. heh

I guess the biggest change these past few months (and before) has been family. I gained new family members, and lost a couple of long-time members. It's been a real learning experience.... sometimes joyous, other times incredibly painful. But it's all made for an interesting life.

So let me see if I can't dedicate more time to this mess, just in case someone stumbles upon my blog. I went for so long with no comments, and now that I've returned, I see that I've missed a couple of visitors. My apologies to you... and thanks for your feedback. I feel loved. haha

"Next Blog": Reason #243 for not keeping up with a blog

I know, right? I always thought the "next blog" link was neat. Anytime I visited my own blog, I'd click that button and see what the rest of the world was up to. Sometimes I'd find some amazing blogs - where people obviously know what they're doing; or had spent a lot of time getting help from blogging guides, so it looks like they know what they're doing...whether it was amazing grapics, or content so interesting that an hour or so had gone by and you were still reading - it was fun.

Sometimes, though, I'd get really irritated at that button. I'd end up at a blog where there was no "next" button... and I'd have to hit the back button, and try again. Other times, the blogs were written in a foreign language, and unless it was Spanish - or pig latin - I couldn't even begin to understand what was there - even after looking at the pictures. Often I'd find an amazing photo...so amazing that I just had to leave a comment. "Awesome photo" is what I wanted to say. Typically however, I'd use one of those online translating sites that don't really work well, and instead of paying someone a compliment, I'd end up leaving a remark that said something like, "I've painted your horse with fried eggs while you weep". When I returned the particular blog to see if they had acknowledged my comment, the response left by the blog author was usually the same.... written in the universal computer lingo that we all understand.... an "LOL!" Hmmph. Convinced that I had paid them a compliment, I decided that they really didn't take their photography seriously, OR the feedback they received, I promptly removed their blog from my "favorites" list - never to return.

But now, NOW that the folks at Blogger have made it so that when you click the "next" button, you're taken to a blog with subjects similar to what's on your own blog. And no matter how slight the connection, I've been finding all kinds of interesting blogs. So far, all of them have been written in English. So far, all of them have had lots of things I've been interested in. And so far, I've managed to leave comments that don't involve fried eggs, horses and tears.

Of course the same excuses for not working on my own blog are still valid. I've found all kinds of ideas... from subtle to sublime... a certain background color, some spectacular graphics, clever categories, photo layouts. I've tried several, and although I've always gone back to my bland and boring layout... I have hope that soon I'll find the perfect layout and color combination that I'll be content with - forever. And then I'll be able to add substance to my blog, in the form of interesting, humorous, thought-provoking posts. I wouldn't make any wagers on that happening anytime soon, but - it could happen!

Monetize me! heh

Did anyone ELSE think that when you clicked the "customize" button on your blog, and saw the "Monetize" tab - that you could visit that section and turn your blog into an amazing work of art with just a few clicks/choices? I did... at least until I clicked on the tab, and found that it was merely a way to ad those annoying advertising links to your blog. meh

back again... i think

I'm back... once again thinking I have time to maintain a blog... um, make that an interesting, worthwhile blog that draws millions of viewers! Hold on... I dunno how anyone types with music in the background. I start listening to the music, start singing along, and before you know it, I've got my hair brush and my 70's/80's moves, and... well, it's not a pretty picture. But the point IS - is that I cannot concentrate here - if I'm somewhere "out there". (and believe me... some days, I'm really out there). ;-)

I've had time to visit blogs all along... and have kept up with some of my favorites. When they seem to disappear for a month, a couple of weeks - even a day - I feel compelled to email and ask where they've run off to - if everything's all right - if they're one of the obituaries I read in the paper, recently. I'm not sure why I have time for their blogs, and not my own. Maybe I just find them more interesting than I find myself? That's a possibility!

In looking at others' blogs, I've found that I have no problem reading small, black font. With my own blog, I cannot seem to read the font. It's either too small, too black, the wrong font - something. So I change it. And change it again. And again, and again, and again.... until I find a combination that seems to work. And then I come back the next day and change it again. I wish I had images of every layout that I've had for this blog. Hey - I could do a blog just with those!

I've changed things again. The font still looks too small... and I don't know whether I like the background color. I suppose I won't quit changing the background color until I've tried out every html color code that there is... and then I'll start emailing "the experts" - asking if anyone has come up with any new codes.

they followed us from florida?

Nope... not our home. But not too far away! These flamingos were only in this yard for a short while... I dunno the story behind it, but, it was funny to see! Every size & shape (a couple of orange-ish ones, also)... cute!

last days of winter

happy valentine's day...

random ramblings for the day....

No intention of writing anything about this particular holiday. It's not that I don't enjoy it (chocolate is my middle name), and it's not that I don't celebrate... I just had no plans to write anything about it. But if you enjoy the holiday, then I hope you had a special day!

When I told my pal Jason that I was returning to Wisconsin, and told him that we were seriously considering this area, he asked why... and added that it was so rednecky up this way. Well, kinda, sorta, I thought... but no more so than any other place. (definitely not as bad as where we were at in Florida!).

But I've been readin the email addresses in the "to" field when I get one of those mass-emailings from a Wisconsinite - and when they forget to use BCC. Names like "Bubba", "schlong", "grandpasmokey" - even "banjos_in_the_woods" (I kid you not) - show up on a semi-regular basis. Maybe Dorothy & Toto weren't in Kansas, but it was still a step up from this place!
Joking, of course. The senders of these emails are some of the most genuine people on the planet, and I'm sure their family & friends are, as well. And Wisconsin really is one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

Was going to blog a bit more about McDonald's - and their inability to do anything correctly, but if I shared all of my Mickey D experiences, it would quickly turn into a book.

This morning I went for my steak bagel meal, with a large Diet Coke - and an extra steak bagel. I ended up with one steak bagel, and one "what the heck is this?" I had never seen it before... a sausage patty between what looked like mini-smooshed blueberry pancakes? (at least I HOPE those were blueberries). It turns out that this was a McGriddle - not a McRiddle, as I had originally thought. It wouldn't have been half bad, had they provided some maple syrup 'dipping sauce'... but after two bites I had enough. At least I know what not to order next time. I can see where the confusion came from, however. I ordered a No. 13 meal... what they gave me was a No. 8 meal. 13 and 8 sound so similar, you know...

We have so many restaurant choices just a short drive from here, I'm not sure why I bother with McDonald's at all. When I figure that out, though - I'll let ya know.

The doorbell just rang. Our next-door neighbor has her little nieces visiting again. Don't they know my feelings about kids? Unless they do windows, they're likely to end up in the oven.

It seems these cute lil girls have recently discovered "Ding Dong Ditch" (or ring the doorbell and run)... but they're a little young, so they ring the doorbell - and they just stand there. haha That in itself is kinda cute. I asked what they wanted... they didn't know... but apparently they wanted me to see how cute they are when they giggle. I'm actually glad to see someone carrying on the tradition. I will have to give them some pointers... and teach them the many uses for a slightly-melted Baby Ruth bar. >;-)

The "change" we've been needing?

The site where our new president gave a speech that included a call for Personal Responsibility....

John Paul II...we still love you!

That's me in the corner.... that's me in the spot..light...losin my religion............
Those who know me know that I've been really confused lately, about religion... beliefs... spirituality. Born & raised Catholic... I'm not sure I want to be Catholic anymore...

Anyway, I am a big fan of John Paul II, and so is a friend of mine. I'm working on an "art project" for my pal, and I need to find as many interesting photos of JP II as I can. I've found a few, and of course the ability to do a Google photo search helps a lot, but thought I would ask around, just in case someone has - or knows of - an interesting photo of JPII that I may not have come across. So let me know!

Seasonal fruit?

I gotta laugh whenever I'm reading a restaurant menu during winter and there are menu items that list "seasonal fruit" as an accompaniment. The last time we went to Perkins for breakfast in the middle of a snowstorm, and our (now favorite) waitress showed up to take our order, I asked the obvious.

"The menu says 'seasonal fruit'". Then I pointed to the blizzard through the window and asked, "Exactly what fruit is in season at this time of year?"

Her mouth dropped open, and after a couple of minutes she laughed and said that she had no response whatsoever.

The only choice that came to mind was the winterberry, which isn't really a fruit, and apparently poisonous to humans. We decided however, that this might be a good choice for the manager of this particular Perkins, who - despite continual complaining about the 'long, hard hours' she works, only ever seems to have time to hang out at the front counter on personal calls, while playing with her hair.

(the photo? Probably some underpaid restaurant worker sent out to look for seasonal fruit).

happy anniversary.....

"If I know what love is, it is because of you..." - herman hesse


happy anniversary......... to you.... to me.... to us!

Happy New Year!

Where do you pee?

I've never been to NYC, although if and when I go, I think it would be great to visit during Christmas/New Years.... but they would have to have a full moon, and just enough snow to make Central Park look like one of the beautiful photos you often see.

Up until just a few years ago, I thought it would be great to celebrate New Year's in Times Square. But I guess I'm getting old, because the idea is no longer appealing.



And now a new ball? I like most things the way they are, but I have to say, that even with the LED lights and the 'light show', the ball isn't a change that I necessarily object to.

No New Year's resolutions... at least none that I care to share... (or keep?). Losing weight, putting an end to procrastination, helping to make the world a better place... the usual. I'm not going to make any resolution to quit smoking. I actually enjoy smoking every once in awhile (yeah, I know)... but I've found that every time I make a resolution to quit, I don't - so why bother? Maybe one of these days...

I hope everyone reading has a healthy, happy & prosperous New Year... it definitely has to be better than this past year, hey?

(the rest of this post was deleted due to the fact that it was written before my first pot of coffee...and therefore, didn't make much sense at all!)

two turtle doves...and a screwed up, inconsistent blog...

Happy Holidays!

Yeah, happy, happy. I had plans to go to Chicago & Florida this past week, and spend Christmas Day with my sister & her family on Christmas day (here in WI). Instead, I developed the worst illness known to mankind (at least it felt like it, you know), so I spent the entire week mostly in bed. sheesh. Poor me. I wondered how many others were sick in bed on Christmas... and felt bad, cuz I mean Xmas only happens ONCE every 365 days.... couldn't the illness wait? But... Santa brought me what I wanted... my 'adopted' sister-in-law sent us two of the greatest hand-made ornaments that will mean a lot for years to come... I did get to spend the week with at least one loved one... so all in all, it wasn't so bad. Of course New Year's is yet to come - and an anniversary - in case someone in particular is reading - so it's not all bad.

I also had plans to maintain this blog on a more regular basis. I figured 6, 8 - even 10 months of winter would give me lots of indoor time. But since I've been in Wisconsin, I've been as busy - if not busier - than I was in Florida, Nevada, or Illinois. I'm hoping things slow down a bit soon.

We've had so much snow (much of which has melted the past couple of days), so lots of shoveling. Lots of unpacking, arranging, re-arranging, catching up, etc.

I finally found time to get here and write some things down that I wanted to share... but instead of just doing that, as usual - I decided I wanted a different look. Here I am, hours later, with a blog that pretty much glows in the dark. I'll keep playin with it (probably until I accidentally delete the whole thing), but in the meantime, if yer readin, and there's something that looks hideous to you, please feel free to point it out to me. I like the new "roads" pic... and that's about all. I want dark colors, but then you're stuck with lighter font - which causes extreme amounts of pain to my eyes. So.... back to the html color code charts, I guess.

Hopefully, you're all doing well and having a great holiday season - whatever holiday you happen to be celebrating. And as always, hopefully I'll get back here again soon. I have big personal changes in store for the coming year. Yeah - weight loss - again. And a new job.... guitar lessons (thanks, Santa!), maybe some more piano lessons... back to school.... and a drastic personality change, as well. bwahahahahaha Seriously. I've spent most of my life being "nice", and realized it just doesn't get you too far. So I've been kickin around a couple ideas for a new persona. I think you'll be really pleased! Or really terrified... either way, as long as the new personality affects you drastically, I'll be a happy camper!

Talk soon!

Moving............

What a skyline, hey? ;-)

I didn't take this photo... and hopefully once I move, maybe I can get something a little better.

But yes.... the house (finally) sold, and we're on our way back to Wisconsin. Yay! We close on 10/30, and then we'll be on our way back to the land of cold n snow. Since we didn't decide exactly where to be (Green Bay or Appleton, city or country), we'll be renting - in Neenah - at least til Spring.... so we have time to really check things out, make an informed decision, and then hopefully, this will be the very last move - ever.

I had forgotten everything that's involved with moving... lots of funny stuff, but not a lot of time to write about it. From the incompetent realtor to the buyers asking for almost everything in the house (!!!), to the demands on the part of the buyer to have this or that fixed... the cancellation of utilities & services and the set-up of new utilities & services... the very equally divided list of pros & cons of staying vs moving... the need to come up with an entire new wardrobe (even the lightweight jackets we had are packed)... shorts & t-shirts just won't cut it in WI.... so much stuff involved.

So I probably won't be around here much at all for the next month.... but now with 11.5 months of winter, I think I'll be spending more time indoors, and might have more time here. I hope so!

dumb people and other funny strangers... continued

It seems that I got sidetracked with my other ramblings. I didn't really intend to carry on so much about Walgreen's... my intention was to talk about dumb people, and my conversations with Sandy.

When I told Sandy about my experience at Walgreen's, we were talking about why people were so dumb these days. Cell phones? Living to close to power lines? Dropped on their head when they were babies? I really don't understand it at all.

Anyway....... Sandy was telling me how she had just bought a motorcycle. She said she had gone into the DMV to register the bike, and when it was all over with, evidently they handed her all kinds of paperwork "to carry with her at all times." Sandy looked at the mountain of paperwork, looked at the girl behind the counter and said, "I guess I'll just put all of these in the glove compartment." The DMV clerk replied, "Yes, that's a great idea. That's where most people put the paperwork." !?!?!?!?

The other evening I headed over to MACDonald's (the way it's pronounced by many, here). I ordered a Southwest chicken sandwich meal, large, with a diet Coke, and an extra chicken sandwich. In the 5 years that I have been going there, while their service usually stinks, and while I sometimes have to book a motel room while waiting for the food, there had never been any communication problems with their speaker box. Yet on this particular visit, the girl behind the box says, "Okay, that was one chicken sandwich, a Coke, and an extra chicken beverage? I replied, "ONE Southwest chicken sandwich meal, LARGE, with a diet Coke, and an extra chicken sandwich." "Okay... that was one Southwest chicken sandwich meal, with a large diet Coke and an extra chicken beverage?"

What the hell? What exactly IS a chicken beverage to begin with? Wouldn't that be soup? They they don't serve soup. Even if there was such a thing as a chicken beverage, since she eventually got the first part of the order correct, she would know that I hadn't asked for a chicken beverage to begin with. So why would I be asking for an extra one? SHEESH! I wanted to pull around to the window, grab her by the ears and shake her until she turned into a chicken beverage. BUT - these kinds of things are so ridiculous that all you can really do is laugh... and I'm grateful that she added a little humor to an otherwise 'annoying as hell' visit to Mickey D's.

Usually the humor at McDonald's comes from the vehicle ahead of me. One morning a woman asked for an Egg McMuffin - without egg, cheese, meat or anything else in it. Um, isn't that bread? At the most, it's a plain muffin. Another time someone asked for unsweet tea - with sugar. Yet another time, an obviously frazzled woman was ordering for a carload. She managed to get in "one happy meal for a girl", "two happy meals for boys" - and of course each had their special needs - without pickles, extra catsup, etc.... When she finally got to the 'big people' food, she ordered 2 quarter pounders with cheese - one for a guy, and one for a girl. ?!?!? Maybe they put special vitamins or hormones in the burgers, depending on which sex you happen to be?

It's like I often say, truth is always more humorous than fiction.

dumb people and other funny strangers

Evidently I had been planning to blog a bit about dumb people, because when I went to check my photo files for something to accompany the post (posts seem naked without an image, for some reason), I found several "dumb people" images. Good! That will save time the next time I complain about stupidity on the planet.

My friend Sandy and I (or Sandra, for those of you in the world of International Business) were discussing dumb people via email. I had to tell her about the elderly couple I encountered on a recent trip to Walgreen's, who were telling the cashier - and anyone else that didn't even want to listen - that Russia had invaded Georgia; and that the 'Georgia' being invaded was the state above Florida. (!!!)

There was another elderly woman nearby, and it was apparent to me that she never left the house without her manners (obviously her lifestyle wasn't hectic; I often leave my manners behind. I'm sure some reading can understand that!). Anyway, this woman tried to explain the reality of the situation, but Mr. & Mrs. American Gothic (that's who they reminded me of - you know, the painting?) - would have no part of it. Russia was indeed on U.S. soil, and it would be just a matter of days (hours?) before we would see the hammer & sickle atop the castle at Disney.

While I felt some sympathy for this sweet couple, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. When the news story first broke, I'm sure that to a handful of people, a thought like this momentarily crossed their minds. But here were two people who actually believed that Russia had entered the state that gives us peaches, pecans & peanuts - and the Okefenokee Swamp. I believe the state was named after King George II..... maybe there's some unfinished business there? Maybe they were there to steal Vidalia onions? (apparently Vidalia onions can only be grown in Jawja).

At least the humor made me forget that just minutes earlier, I had knocked a box of tampons off the shelf while racing through the store to find whatever it was I went there for. (ammo, maybe, to defend myself against the Soviets). There's a clerk at Walgreen's who -in the five years she's been there - has evidently taken home everything sold in the store - and researched it thoroughly - so that she's able to provide info. on each and every product; and answer every question about a product- even those questions you wouldn't think to ask. She also has some magic powers, because no matter where you are in the store, no matter how hard you try and hide from her, she's never any further away from you than a whisper.

This clerk saw me knock the tampons off the shelf, and while I was picking them up (I should have taken off running like any responsible adult) - she was there immediately, asking if I needed help with anything. "Um, no. I heard that these were good for nose bleeds, so I thought I would try them." "OH! Well I don't know about that. Let's see if we can't find a better solution for you. Nose bleeds are quite bothersome. Do you have them often? Have you seen a doctor? They could be a sign of something serious. Have they ruined your clothing? You know, aisle 3 has something that works perfectly for removing blood stains from fabric." !!!! "No ma'am. I'm fine. Really. I'll just put these back. I have to go find a card for my aunt now." "Oh how sweet. What's the occasion? What age is your aunt? What kind of personality does she have? You know I stock the greeting cards so I should be able to find just what you're looking for. Have you seen the new musical cards we have now? Or the cards where you can record your own message? That might be a real treat for her!" Yeah... THAT card would be a treat. I'd hit the 'record' button and let the clerk ramble on until recording time on the card ran out. My aunt would love that. And even if she didn't enjoy it, I know I would. ;-)

Fortunately I was rescued by the call of the manager, who needed the clerk up front. I had miraculously remembered everything that I stopped at the store for - and even picked up a few things I have no use for. As I was making my way to the cashier, Harriet Helpful saw me and shouted, "Did you find something for your nose bleeds, dear?" I tried to be invisible, but knew that if I didn't acknowledge her, she'd come running over to offer more help. I mumbled, "Yes I did, thanks!" - and waved my right hand at her, which was holding a bag of fun-sized Snickers.


Evidently, she thought I was going home to stuff Snickers up my nose. Her face screwed up like she had just taken a big gulp of the bitter iced tea that came from the store's newly-installed 'refreshment center", and her mouth opened as she attempted to offer some more friendly advice. Fortunately, the manager called her again, and I was able to safely make it to the check-out counter, where there was an interesting discussion taking place about the invasion of the U.S. by Russians.