It would be so nice if folks knew the difference between accusing and asking!
Wouldn't it be nice if people knocked on a closed door before entering?
Why am I under the gun if they can't plan ahead?
I can't be sorry if you feel overburdened but you keep adding things to your plate.
You can con your spouse into waiting on you hand and foot, but I AM NOT your lackey!
If you insist on working out, plan on a shower and NOT a whole bottle of stinking perfume!
Why should I schedule my life around someone else's stupidity?
Demeaning me because you don't want to do something is unprofessional.
Just some random thoughts.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Paying for Patterns
Why do I have such a hard time paying for a knitting pattern? Unlike my sister* and other people I know who (as my father used to say) wouldn't spend a nickel to see an earthquake, I tend to open my wallet probably more than I should. HOWEVER, spending money for a single knitting pattern just goes against my grain!
I do have to admit that I have many books with many knitting patterns in them; I have even begun a collection of the Debbie Macomber pattern books. But, to plunk down $6.49 for a pattern just doesn't seem right. And, yes, I understand the concept of intellectual property, et al. I could - if I had the time - reverse engineer a knitted item and figure it out. I just don't have the time to do it. I could probably even design/make one - IF I HAD THE TIME. Unfortunately, I don't have the amount of time I need to do these things.
If anybody cares....
*In later years, this has changed. She is now quite generous. But when we were growing up.......
I do have to admit that I have many books with many knitting patterns in them; I have even begun a collection of the Debbie Macomber pattern books. But, to plunk down $6.49 for a pattern just doesn't seem right. And, yes, I understand the concept of intellectual property, et al. I could - if I had the time - reverse engineer a knitted item and figure it out. I just don't have the time to do it. I could probably even design/make one - IF I HAD THE TIME. Unfortunately, I don't have the amount of time I need to do these things.
If anybody cares....
*In later years, this has changed. She is now quite generous. But when we were growing up.......
Thursday, September 17, 2009
We'll miss you, Mary
I am so sad today. Mary Travers passed away yesterday. Her voice will live in my head forever.
I cannot believe the impact her passing is having on me.
I have listened to and loved PP&M for more years than I can remember. I'm sure that I was introduced to them one summer at SLCC - not a bad thing. I can remember sitting through a drizzle in the Yale Bowl watching and listening to them - swaying to "Day is Done" for over 10 minutes. I saw them again at "Great Woods" up here in Massachusetts. They were always so vibrant and strong. I watched every special they produced for TV.
Whenever I heard "Jet Plane" I had to stop for just a minute. It brought back so many memories. Her voice would call me back home.
I loved their sincerity; I admired the respect that had for each other and for whomever they interacted with; I so enjoyed their sense of humor; AND, I was green with envy over their voices, harmonic capabilities, and their amazing talent with a guitar! They used chords I could NEVER master. My hand just wasn't meant to bend that way!
Five months ago I got tickets to see them in Worcester. They were on what I considered a "farewell" tour, though it wasn't billed as such. I got in touch with Sunshine and we arranged to meet for this event. She drove up from Ct. I wove my way down Rt. 9 into the maze of Worcester streets. Dinner that evening was "interesting" but the newly renovated theatre was an amazing setting. The audience was a sea of aging baby boomers/hippies/folkies. Some had aged better than others. Some never aged - including their outfits! Except for a few grandchildren accompanying their grandparents, there probably wasn't anyone under 50 in the sold-out audience.
Then the curtain opened. There they sat. ...as they said - "in their living room". Their usual pose - Mary in the middle, Noel Paul on the left and Peter on the right. I closed my eyes. I was back in the Yale Bowl; I was replaying my 1700 Album for the 10th time; I was singing at the top of my lungs watching one of their specials on TV. Time had been gentle. Peter and Paul were a lot grayer but with less to be gray. Mary's long straight blond hair was now still very blond but very short. She sat in a wheelchair. And, she sported - as Peter said - "new jewelry" - plastic tubing connected to an oxygen container on the back of her chair. All the effects of her leukemia and its treatments. But, even with the oxygen, she could still belt out those songs.
This concert was even more special than the previous ones. This one - despite the size of the audience - was much more intimate and special. We did feel like we were sitting in their living room. We heard funny anecdotes. We listened to and sang along with many of the old standards and even some newer ones. We even listened as they continued professing their political beliefs. {Ed. note: This is where PP&M and I took divergent paths; however, I respect their right to express their thoughts.)
I remember feeling content yet sad during the concert. I felt joy and nostalgia. I shed a couple tears, but I also laughed out loud. All I know is I did not want that evening to end. And, even as we all slowly left the theatre after their standing ovation, we all seemed to leave with a heavy foot and sadness. Maybe we all knew it would be the last time we would see them all together. Maybe we were trying to remember that last harmonic note. Maybe we missed them doing "Goodnight, Irene".
So, Mary,
- I loved your voice
- I envied your singing partners
- I envied your straight blond hair
- I prayed when I heard about your illness
- I later understood your gratitude for a donor
- I gasped when I saw your short hair and new "jewelry"
- I pray you are at peace and have already taken your place in God's choir
- I know you will be missed by not only me but others more dear
- I want to thank you for sharing and caring like you did
God bless you, Mary Travers. You done good! "I hate to wake you up so say goodbye."
Love,
Sheryn
Friday, August 21, 2009
Selling a Kidney
Man Says He Sold Kidney in US
I find this situation sickening and mercenary! That $20K should go to a charity - a REAL charity.
I know from whence I speak.
Three and a half years ago I received a kidney - a DONATED kidney. Now, I will admit, I was EXTREMELY lucky to have had my niece step up and offer one of hers and even better yet, to have her be such a great match. They did put me on the waiting list for a kidney, but I also had several friends along with my sister and niece who volunteered to donate.
Outside of PRICELESS, there is no price anyone can put on a donated organ. I have maintained this stance for as far back as I can remember. Ask Donna! When she was in college, she mentioned on a ride back from Boston to Waterbury that she had donated blood for $25. Well, I reamed her up one side of the car and down the other the entire ride about how immoral and disgusting that was. Having two cousins who were/are hemophiliacs, I knew how priceless a pint of blood is and how there is NO substitute for it. You can't use generics in lieu of brand names. Although they keep trying, it still is not possible to manufacture synthetic blood. Some of the components may be synthesized, but vein-gushing, heart-pumping red "life" can only be manufactured by the human body. Donna and I talked about that day not too long ago and she remembers it as vividly as I do and she now understands where I was coming from and has not sold her blood since. She is now DONATING. Nice going, Donna!
The same holds true for a kidney. Yes, I know, there are dialysis machines. There are more and more dialysis centers coming on board at a regular pace. But those are temporary and VERY limited substitutions for the real thing. Again, only a human body can manufacture a healthy, functional replacement.
Now, I understand the dilemma of needing a replacement organ and not being able to locate a donated one. And I also understand the angst a patient and their family goes through waiting and wondering. But, should the mighty $$$$ win? I'm sure in Mr. Rosen's recipient's case, he felt he deserved the kidney more since he could afford to pay for it. What about the person having the EXACT SAME needs and requirements of the above recipient who has been waiting a lot longer or who is much sicker but does not have the $20K to pay? Is his life worth less because of that? I don't think so. If Mr. Rosen wanted to be so magnanimous, he should have sought out the person with the most need and not the one with the largest bank account!
I thank God every day for my niece and her generosity. She wasn't coaxed; she wasn't bribed. My insurance DID pay for her surgery and all aspects of the testing. And I have bought her several pounds of Dunkin Donuts coffee and a few other gifts. But that's what it's all about. Donating is not selling. Organs are to be donated - not sold.
I find this situation sickening and mercenary! That $20K should go to a charity - a REAL charity.
I know from whence I speak.
Three and a half years ago I received a kidney - a DONATED kidney. Now, I will admit, I was EXTREMELY lucky to have had my niece step up and offer one of hers and even better yet, to have her be such a great match. They did put me on the waiting list for a kidney, but I also had several friends along with my sister and niece who volunteered to donate.
Outside of PRICELESS, there is no price anyone can put on a donated organ. I have maintained this stance for as far back as I can remember. Ask Donna! When she was in college, she mentioned on a ride back from Boston to Waterbury that she had donated blood for $25. Well, I reamed her up one side of the car and down the other the entire ride about how immoral and disgusting that was. Having two cousins who were/are hemophiliacs, I knew how priceless a pint of blood is and how there is NO substitute for it. You can't use generics in lieu of brand names. Although they keep trying, it still is not possible to manufacture synthetic blood. Some of the components may be synthesized, but vein-gushing, heart-pumping red "life" can only be manufactured by the human body. Donna and I talked about that day not too long ago and she remembers it as vividly as I do and she now understands where I was coming from and has not sold her blood since. She is now DONATING. Nice going, Donna!
The same holds true for a kidney. Yes, I know, there are dialysis machines. There are more and more dialysis centers coming on board at a regular pace. But those are temporary and VERY limited substitutions for the real thing. Again, only a human body can manufacture a healthy, functional replacement.
Now, I understand the dilemma of needing a replacement organ and not being able to locate a donated one. And I also understand the angst a patient and their family goes through waiting and wondering. But, should the mighty $$$$ win? I'm sure in Mr. Rosen's recipient's case, he felt he deserved the kidney more since he could afford to pay for it. What about the person having the EXACT SAME needs and requirements of the above recipient who has been waiting a lot longer or who is much sicker but does not have the $20K to pay? Is his life worth less because of that? I don't think so. If Mr. Rosen wanted to be so magnanimous, he should have sought out the person with the most need and not the one with the largest bank account!
I thank God every day for my niece and her generosity. She wasn't coaxed; she wasn't bribed. My insurance DID pay for her surgery and all aspects of the testing. And I have bought her several pounds of Dunkin Donuts coffee and a few other gifts. But that's what it's all about. Donating is not selling. Organs are to be donated - not sold.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Pharmacies
Well,I'm changing back.
For almost all the years I've lived here in town I've gone to the pharmacy at the medical center. They were fine. Right downstairs from my doc's office. Convenient. They had changed hands a couple times but about 2 years ago they were bought by Walgreen's. I wasn't sure I liked a HUGE pharmacy, but what the heck. Everything was fine.
About the same time as they were bought by Walgreen's, a new pharmacy opened in town. It was on my side of town. But I had been going to the other one for a long time and had all the pharmacists and techs broken in. And, when I had my xplant, Mary, the pharmacist, worked tirelessly with my xplant nurse arranging for all my new meds. When I showed up the day of my discharge to get all my meds, they were ready and waiting when my sister walked in. Mary was awesome!
I had thought about switching, but... Then, one day I went in and there were balloons and presents. I was mad that I wasn't invited to the party. LOL Then I found out that it was Mary's last day! They were transferring her to another store. It was a sad day. That was when I decided to switch pharmacies.
This, however, taught me to do my homework before undertaking a change like that! First, my SHPS card wasn't recognized. Next, I discovered that I couldn't call in a refill. I had to do it online or wait until they opened and talk to a live body. Not convenient or user friendly. Then I found out that they do not have a 3 for 1 program. At Walgreen's, if you pay a yearly fee of $29.95 or something similar, you can get 3 month's worth of scripts for the price of one on MANY of the scripts. This change was getting expensive and inconvenient!!!
After I had switched my scripts over, I got a call from my pharmacist at Walgreen's asking "why?". I never returned her call - just didn't get around to it. Well, after thinking about what I wasn't getting at my new store, I decided to go back. So, I called Stacy and asked her to switch things back. I told her why I had switched and she understood completely.
So, I'm back to Walgreen's. My store may not be open on weekends, but, if I REALLY need it, I can go to one of the stores that is open - - - even 24/7. And, I just found out, I can get even more of a discount because I have AAA. This is sounding better and better all the time!
For almost all the years I've lived here in town I've gone to the pharmacy at the medical center. They were fine. Right downstairs from my doc's office. Convenient. They had changed hands a couple times but about 2 years ago they were bought by Walgreen's. I wasn't sure I liked a HUGE pharmacy, but what the heck. Everything was fine.
About the same time as they were bought by Walgreen's, a new pharmacy opened in town. It was on my side of town. But I had been going to the other one for a long time and had all the pharmacists and techs broken in. And, when I had my xplant, Mary, the pharmacist, worked tirelessly with my xplant nurse arranging for all my new meds. When I showed up the day of my discharge to get all my meds, they were ready and waiting when my sister walked in. Mary was awesome!
I had thought about switching, but... Then, one day I went in and there were balloons and presents. I was mad that I wasn't invited to the party. LOL Then I found out that it was Mary's last day! They were transferring her to another store. It was a sad day. That was when I decided to switch pharmacies.
This, however, taught me to do my homework before undertaking a change like that! First, my SHPS card wasn't recognized. Next, I discovered that I couldn't call in a refill. I had to do it online or wait until they opened and talk to a live body. Not convenient or user friendly. Then I found out that they do not have a 3 for 1 program. At Walgreen's, if you pay a yearly fee of $29.95 or something similar, you can get 3 month's worth of scripts for the price of one on MANY of the scripts. This change was getting expensive and inconvenient!!!
After I had switched my scripts over, I got a call from my pharmacist at Walgreen's asking "why?". I never returned her call - just didn't get around to it. Well, after thinking about what I wasn't getting at my new store, I decided to go back. So, I called Stacy and asked her to switch things back. I told her why I had switched and she understood completely.
So, I'm back to Walgreen's. My store may not be open on weekends, but, if I REALLY need it, I can go to one of the stores that is open - - - even 24/7. And, I just found out, I can get even more of a discount because I have AAA. This is sounding better and better all the time!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
1183 Days
....and I can't wait. You know things are pretty bad when you spend parts of your days holding back tears because you hate being here so much.
Lately, it seems I'm about 6th on everyone's list. I'm getting pretty tired of it. I try to be thoughtful and inclusive. Too bad it's not reciprocated.
Oh, well. I'll survive. ON MY OWN!
Lately, it seems I'm about 6th on everyone's list. I'm getting pretty tired of it. I try to be thoughtful and inclusive. Too bad it's not reciprocated.
Oh, well. I'll survive. ON MY OWN!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Julie & Julia
Julie & Julia - ****
What a fun movie!
That being said I had a real problem with all the commercials I was forced to endure before the movie began. We got to our seats about 15 minutes before the movie (I thought) was supposed to begin. The ads began about five minutes after we sat down and almost 25 minutes after the movie was schedule to begin, it finally did begin. We saw several of the trailers two or three times and commercials for TV shows almost as often. They were announcing the opening dates of movies in September and October; I was convinced I would still be in that theater waiting for Julie & Julia to start when those shows were going to open!
Anyway, once I got through the 30 - 35 minutes of ads and the movie started, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Meryl Streep was GREAT as Julia. I thought the casting was excellent. There were some VERY funny scenes and lines.
It gave me a new perspective on Paul Child. I always envisioned him as a quiet, mousy sort of guy and he wasn't; he had a great sense of humor and was a rather strong, enchanting fellow.
I guess I also never gave any thought as to why Julia never had any children; I just never thought about it. But, in the movie it makes it clear in several places and she was not childless by choice. That was sad.
I also give credit to whomever deserves credit for this, but on several occasions during the movie, Julia and other characters were wearing outfits that they had worn in previous scenes. That humanized it and didn't make it a showcase for Edith Head or Bill Blass. It's nice to know that Julia wore her outfits more than once!
So, considering I probably haven't been to the movie theater in AT LEAST 20 years, I am very glad I went to see this movie. And, I actually did see a trailer of another one that I might even consider seeing. Can't remember the name of it, but it stars Sandra Bullock and I love her.
P.S. The average age of the people in the theater watching Julie & Julia was probably my age (I'll get you for that, Mike!!!!!). That probably made it a better experience.
P.P.S. I want her recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon and will make it AND I want a copy of that cookbook.
What a fun movie!
That being said I had a real problem with all the commercials I was forced to endure before the movie began. We got to our seats about 15 minutes before the movie (I thought) was supposed to begin. The ads began about five minutes after we sat down and almost 25 minutes after the movie was schedule to begin, it finally did begin. We saw several of the trailers two or three times and commercials for TV shows almost as often. They were announcing the opening dates of movies in September and October; I was convinced I would still be in that theater waiting for Julie & Julia to start when those shows were going to open!
Anyway, once I got through the 30 - 35 minutes of ads and the movie started, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Meryl Streep was GREAT as Julia. I thought the casting was excellent. There were some VERY funny scenes and lines.
It gave me a new perspective on Paul Child. I always envisioned him as a quiet, mousy sort of guy and he wasn't; he had a great sense of humor and was a rather strong, enchanting fellow.
I guess I also never gave any thought as to why Julia never had any children; I just never thought about it. But, in the movie it makes it clear in several places and she was not childless by choice. That was sad.
I also give credit to whomever deserves credit for this, but on several occasions during the movie, Julia and other characters were wearing outfits that they had worn in previous scenes. That humanized it and didn't make it a showcase for Edith Head or Bill Blass. It's nice to know that Julia wore her outfits more than once!
So, considering I probably haven't been to the movie theater in AT LEAST 20 years, I am very glad I went to see this movie. And, I actually did see a trailer of another one that I might even consider seeing. Can't remember the name of it, but it stars Sandra Bullock and I love her.
P.S. The average age of the people in the theater watching Julie & Julia was probably my age (I'll get you for that, Mike!!!!!). That probably made it a better experience.
P.P.S. I want her recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon and will make it AND I want a copy of that cookbook.
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