Hi,
the clock is finally running out on 2011. Where does the time fly? Why did 364 days take so long to get through when we were kids and now they whiz by in the blink of an eye? It's New Years Eve already and I haven't a thing to wear....
What happened to 2011? What did I truly accomplish? Why didn't some one warn me that the sand was running out on the clock? It's not fair. I was just getting used to saying "2011" and now I have to start practicing this "2012" number. I don't even have a 2012 calendar yet to start keeping track or ticking off days on.... wait, I'm not ready for 2012!
I can't seem to type fast enough to get ahead of the clock. It just keeps ticking. Before I know it I'll be kvetching about 2012 being behind me. It's just too scary. Time used to go much slower. I don't understand how it picked up speed over the years. I used to own a lot more of this 'time' commodity, now it just slips through my fingers like water. Tic, toc, tic..... oh be quiet!
Making every day count is now harder than ever as I feel there are far fewer days to count. Where did the endless amount of time go? Saying "I'll do it later" is now a very scary sentence to me. Later may get here too soon, or not at all. 'Right now' is even a potential panic mode. It also flits by. I need to slow it all down but I don't know how. Forget about more bandwidth, I want them to come up more time, slower time, endless time. Something I could really use in life.
Plastic surgery is an interesting way of trying to slow up or erase time. Our faces tell the time of our life. I'm keeping every one of my lines and wrinkles. That way everyone can tell I've put in my time, and earned it. I'm good with that concept. What I'm not that good at is wasting time. It's too precious. I get crazy watching people fritter it away. Don't they realize there is a finite amount we are all given and throwing even a second away is a horrible waste? I guess not, just watch the stop and start of a football game. What a way to waste time!
In 2012 I hope to make the most of my time. All of it.
Happy New Year.
xox
m
Day Lily!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Do you ring, ping or ding?
Hi,
cell phones, I hate them. I see them as a necessary evil for some people, but most of them are just plain annoying: the phones and the humans using them. The world-wide phenomenon of them makes me want to get off the planet some days.... actually, most days.
I have to admit I own a cell phone, but I own it, it does not own me. I rarely carry it, I never have it on even when I do remember to bring it along and I never using while driving a vehicle or operating heavy machinery. I don't give out the number because I don't want anyone calling me on it. If you need to talk to me, call me at home. If I'm not there, leave a message and I'll call you back, I promise. I'm not that important that I need to be found 24/7. If I ever have an emergency I'll ask someone for help who is driving by or standing next to me.... or I'll figure out how to solve my own dilemma at hand. I've lasted 52 years on this earth and have managed just fine without having a phone attached to my head 99.9% of the time.
I am amused by one cell phone occurrence. Lately I've noticed more and more people have adopted a 'ring tone' that sounds just like the ring of an old fashioned dial telephone. It's very funny to me to hear these phones go off and see people pull out their IPhone to answer it. It is as if we have almost come full circle on the phone evolution. I would not be surprised if phone booths start to make a come-back just for the novelty or the spiral rubber handset cords reappear to attach your cell phone to your purse or knapsack. Why not? Retro looks are everywhere.
Cell phone addicts, and their addiction, seem to get worse ever year. When they are not talking about absolutely nothing at the top of their lungs they are zombies watching angry birds die on a 2"x4" screen. This is what their life has been reduced down to. Forget about looking at beautiful sunset, smiling at a person you just walked past or taking the time to do a good deed. It's all about the phone and themselves. I watched two cars collide right in front of our house as both drivers stopped paying attention to the road at the same time and crashed into one another. They were still talking into their phones as they got out of their cars and started to accuse the other of being a jerk.... I considered the whole incident to be poetic justice for them both.
Will we survive as a race with cell phones glued to our ears? I'm looking at it as a thinning out of the genetic pool. Those left standing will probably know how to hang up when their quarter is used up... and if you don't understand that reference, than you probably won't be one of the survivors.
xox
m
cell phones, I hate them. I see them as a necessary evil for some people, but most of them are just plain annoying: the phones and the humans using them. The world-wide phenomenon of them makes me want to get off the planet some days.... actually, most days.
I have to admit I own a cell phone, but I own it, it does not own me. I rarely carry it, I never have it on even when I do remember to bring it along and I never using while driving a vehicle or operating heavy machinery. I don't give out the number because I don't want anyone calling me on it. If you need to talk to me, call me at home. If I'm not there, leave a message and I'll call you back, I promise. I'm not that important that I need to be found 24/7. If I ever have an emergency I'll ask someone for help who is driving by or standing next to me.... or I'll figure out how to solve my own dilemma at hand. I've lasted 52 years on this earth and have managed just fine without having a phone attached to my head 99.9% of the time.
I am amused by one cell phone occurrence. Lately I've noticed more and more people have adopted a 'ring tone' that sounds just like the ring of an old fashioned dial telephone. It's very funny to me to hear these phones go off and see people pull out their IPhone to answer it. It is as if we have almost come full circle on the phone evolution. I would not be surprised if phone booths start to make a come-back just for the novelty or the spiral rubber handset cords reappear to attach your cell phone to your purse or knapsack. Why not? Retro looks are everywhere.
Cell phone addicts, and their addiction, seem to get worse ever year. When they are not talking about absolutely nothing at the top of their lungs they are zombies watching angry birds die on a 2"x4" screen. This is what their life has been reduced down to. Forget about looking at beautiful sunset, smiling at a person you just walked past or taking the time to do a good deed. It's all about the phone and themselves. I watched two cars collide right in front of our house as both drivers stopped paying attention to the road at the same time and crashed into one another. They were still talking into their phones as they got out of their cars and started to accuse the other of being a jerk.... I considered the whole incident to be poetic justice for them both.
Will we survive as a race with cell phones glued to our ears? I'm looking at it as a thinning out of the genetic pool. Those left standing will probably know how to hang up when their quarter is used up... and if you don't understand that reference, than you probably won't be one of the survivors.
xox
m
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
It only took 7 months
Hi,
Last June my husband and I were in Singapore and it was my birthday. I love celebrating my birthday, especially when it's in another time zone. Then it doesn't count and you don't get older, but you still get to party. My birthday, my rules.
We were strolling the main drag in Singapore and it was a 'special' shopping extravaganza week so the store were running big sales. If you wanted 10% off in Channel, and thought that was a bargain, power to you. We did go into a favorite store of mine, Desiguel. It's a funky line of clothing out of Spain. I have bought some pieces from them in their New York location. Marshall got me an awesome jacket and a fun skirt as my birthday gifts. I was thrilled.
Getting home to Pennsylvania and unpacking my loot, I noticed a hole in my new skirt, right in the middle of the material. It hadn't been worn so it was a flaw in the manufacturing. Bummer! I contacted the company, explained my problem and requested a solution. Little did I know that this would take 30 e-mails, 20 phone calls to Europe and 7 months of my time to get corrected.
They have been very nice about the whole thing but if I wasn't so tenacious, a lesser pest would have given up long ago. Finally, we should be getting a credit sent to our bank this week. For some odd reason they couldn't just credit our VISA card, they are wiring us money, and covering the cost of the wire transfer. If there was a hard way to do this, they found it. It's not my business but I'd have a return/credit policy that works a little easier than this. I wanted them to just have the shop in Singapore issue a VISA credit and be done with it..... silly me trying to make life easy.
By the end of this week we should have the money in our account and I still have the skirt. They didn't want me to send it back when I offered. I've done an adequate mending job on it and it's certainly wearable..... only I know where the hole was. Next time I'll inspect the garment much closer before walking out the store and traveling 10,000 (actually 9945.9) miles. Save myself the aggravation.
xox
m
Last June my husband and I were in Singapore and it was my birthday. I love celebrating my birthday, especially when it's in another time zone. Then it doesn't count and you don't get older, but you still get to party. My birthday, my rules.
We were strolling the main drag in Singapore and it was a 'special' shopping extravaganza week so the store were running big sales. If you wanted 10% off in Channel, and thought that was a bargain, power to you. We did go into a favorite store of mine, Desiguel. It's a funky line of clothing out of Spain. I have bought some pieces from them in their New York location. Marshall got me an awesome jacket and a fun skirt as my birthday gifts. I was thrilled.
Getting home to Pennsylvania and unpacking my loot, I noticed a hole in my new skirt, right in the middle of the material. It hadn't been worn so it was a flaw in the manufacturing. Bummer! I contacted the company, explained my problem and requested a solution. Little did I know that this would take 30 e-mails, 20 phone calls to Europe and 7 months of my time to get corrected.
They have been very nice about the whole thing but if I wasn't so tenacious, a lesser pest would have given up long ago. Finally, we should be getting a credit sent to our bank this week. For some odd reason they couldn't just credit our VISA card, they are wiring us money, and covering the cost of the wire transfer. If there was a hard way to do this, they found it. It's not my business but I'd have a return/credit policy that works a little easier than this. I wanted them to just have the shop in Singapore issue a VISA credit and be done with it..... silly me trying to make life easy.
By the end of this week we should have the money in our account and I still have the skirt. They didn't want me to send it back when I offered. I've done an adequate mending job on it and it's certainly wearable..... only I know where the hole was. Next time I'll inspect the garment much closer before walking out the store and traveling 10,000 (actually 9945.9) miles. Save myself the aggravation.
xox
m
Thursday, December 15, 2011
What a scam!
Hi,
today's episode involves fudge.
I received a delivery of packaged fudge from a company called "Figis". I've never heard of them, have you? It's a lovely round tin filled with 4 flavors of fudge. I haven't opened to taste it but I looked the product up on the internet. The problem with this 'gift' is I had no idea who sent it. The only message on the box said "two of best friends, Bobby". Certainly not proper English grammar and I have no idea who "Bobby" is. I have an Uncle Bob (who never uses the name Bobby), a cousin in California who I haven't seen since his Bar Mitzvah, my dad's best friend who I still call Mr. Scolnick (or Robert if I'm feeling brave) and my girlfriend Bobby in Washington.... no one who would buy us fudge.
I called Figis to try and back-track where this order came from. After 15 minutes on the phone I finally get to a supervisor who tries to help me out. One of the odd things about this gift is that it is addressed to "Mr & Mrs Marshall Naiman". Anyone who knows us is very aware that Marshall's last name is not Naiman, that is my name, his is Aurnou. Red flag! Eddie, my customer service supervisor, is telling me, after 10 minutes of looking at a computer, that the order was phoned in by a "Marshall Naiman" and sent to us, to be billed to us. Crap! Five minutes later I have Eddies assurance that we are not to be billed for this product and I am very happy for them to come and pick it up. He promises me that we will not be billed for this fudge and to keep the product as an apology for the mishap... well, I paraphrased, he wasn't quite that eloquent.
My best guess is that this is a total scam. I think the plot is that this company sends out a bunch of these 'gifts' assuming no one will check to see who ordered it. Then next month they start sending a bill for it and, in the confusion of the Christmas shopping frenzy, most people will just assume that they did order this product (or feel guilty about already having eaten it) and pay the bill. I'm very "bah-humbug" this time of year.... and I think elves are totally dishonest Soviet spies and Santa is really Dr. Strangelove. It's all a plot. I'm sticking to my story, elves and all.
I hope the fudge is at least decent tasting.
xox
m
today's episode involves fudge.
I received a delivery of packaged fudge from a company called "Figis". I've never heard of them, have you? It's a lovely round tin filled with 4 flavors of fudge. I haven't opened to taste it but I looked the product up on the internet. The problem with this 'gift' is I had no idea who sent it. The only message on the box said "two of best friends, Bobby". Certainly not proper English grammar and I have no idea who "Bobby" is. I have an Uncle Bob (who never uses the name Bobby), a cousin in California who I haven't seen since his Bar Mitzvah, my dad's best friend who I still call Mr. Scolnick (or Robert if I'm feeling brave) and my girlfriend Bobby in Washington.... no one who would buy us fudge.
I called Figis to try and back-track where this order came from. After 15 minutes on the phone I finally get to a supervisor who tries to help me out. One of the odd things about this gift is that it is addressed to "Mr & Mrs Marshall Naiman". Anyone who knows us is very aware that Marshall's last name is not Naiman, that is my name, his is Aurnou. Red flag! Eddie, my customer service supervisor, is telling me, after 10 minutes of looking at a computer, that the order was phoned in by a "Marshall Naiman" and sent to us, to be billed to us. Crap! Five minutes later I have Eddies assurance that we are not to be billed for this product and I am very happy for them to come and pick it up. He promises me that we will not be billed for this fudge and to keep the product as an apology for the mishap... well, I paraphrased, he wasn't quite that eloquent.
My best guess is that this is a total scam. I think the plot is that this company sends out a bunch of these 'gifts' assuming no one will check to see who ordered it. Then next month they start sending a bill for it and, in the confusion of the Christmas shopping frenzy, most people will just assume that they did order this product (or feel guilty about already having eaten it) and pay the bill. I'm very "bah-humbug" this time of year.... and I think elves are totally dishonest Soviet spies and Santa is really Dr. Strangelove. It's all a plot. I'm sticking to my story, elves and all.
I hope the fudge is at least decent tasting.
xox
m
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
new exercises
Hi,
I'm battling a bad case of bronchitis, and losing. The cracked bone in my foot is better but still not great and it's been like this for 5 months. I'm falling apart quickly, age isn't helping. I can't swim with this cough or do any standing with this foot problem... but I have found a solution to my lack of exercise.
Yoga Housework.
I need to trademark this and get the patten going so that I can make millions of dollars and do infomercials at 3am. My new series of moves lets me get some exercise and Zen out while I clean. I use my "Ugai" breath to calm before tackling the oven. Down Dog position is perfect for wiping the baseboards. Sun salutation help me reach new heights to sweep cobwebs away. Leg lunges are fabulous for getting under the tables and couches. Looking for dust bunnies has never felt so grande.
For all the hundreds of Yoga poses there are, I can find uses for them while I clean & scrub. At the end of a couple of hours I have bent, stretches, rolled, swept, wiped and worked every muscle in my body... plus I found 35 cents in the couch. I am a tower of power in my Yoga house cleaning practice. I haven't quite found a use for head stands yet but I'm working on it.
I'll need a name & a slogan for this new fitness craze, too bad they've already cornered "Zumba". I'm taking a poll on what you think the best. All suggestions are welcome. I'm thinking something along the lines of "Yocle"... sounds jolly, fun to do and easy to pronounce. "Yocle your way to a clean body, mind and home". Are you still with me here?
Maybe this has all been brought on by all the drugs I am on to get rid of this bronchitis or the fact that I have been house-bound for over a week... I'm getting a little stir-crazy here and running out of things to clean. No, I won't come over to your place to practice my "Yocle" on your floors.... but I'm happy to offer lessons for those willing to join the craze.
xox
m
I'm battling a bad case of bronchitis, and losing. The cracked bone in my foot is better but still not great and it's been like this for 5 months. I'm falling apart quickly, age isn't helping. I can't swim with this cough or do any standing with this foot problem... but I have found a solution to my lack of exercise.
Yoga Housework.
I need to trademark this and get the patten going so that I can make millions of dollars and do infomercials at 3am. My new series of moves lets me get some exercise and Zen out while I clean. I use my "Ugai" breath to calm before tackling the oven. Down Dog position is perfect for wiping the baseboards. Sun salutation help me reach new heights to sweep cobwebs away. Leg lunges are fabulous for getting under the tables and couches. Looking for dust bunnies has never felt so grande.
For all the hundreds of Yoga poses there are, I can find uses for them while I clean & scrub. At the end of a couple of hours I have bent, stretches, rolled, swept, wiped and worked every muscle in my body... plus I found 35 cents in the couch. I am a tower of power in my Yoga house cleaning practice. I haven't quite found a use for head stands yet but I'm working on it.
I'll need a name & a slogan for this new fitness craze, too bad they've already cornered "Zumba". I'm taking a poll on what you think the best. All suggestions are welcome. I'm thinking something along the lines of "Yocle"... sounds jolly, fun to do and easy to pronounce. "Yocle your way to a clean body, mind and home". Are you still with me here?
Maybe this has all been brought on by all the drugs I am on to get rid of this bronchitis or the fact that I have been house-bound for over a week... I'm getting a little stir-crazy here and running out of things to clean. No, I won't come over to your place to practice my "Yocle" on your floors.... but I'm happy to offer lessons for those willing to join the craze.
xox
m
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Pearl Harbor Day
Hi,
today is December 7, 2011 and while it is noted in the USA as "Pearl Harbor Day", in Toronto it is Cara B. Naimans' birthday.
CB, as my brother & I call her, is the baby of the family. As the last child of the brood she got more than her share of attention. She was so cute as a little kid and did the funniest things. We taught her to play "Hearts", a card game where if you get all the hearts you win and everyone else looses. Cara was very sneaky at getting all the hearts before the rest of us realized that she had them, there by whipping us at a simple card game.... by a 4 year old. Cara could also do 3 or 4 complex jigsaw puzzles at the same time. She would dump all the pieces out of the boxes into a huge pile then spend the day sorting them and making up all the puzzles at once. Her favorite thing to do was to hide a few pieces so that even if we helped her she always got to put the last piece in.... this would make her howl with laughter. She thought that was the best, I guess you had to be there.
It's hard to imagine that the baby is 47 years old today. When did I get such a mature little sister? I still think of her as a kid learning to sing "I'm a little tea pot..." with a punch line of "Sock it to me baby, let it all pour out!" I think that was where her musical talent was first noticed. Many viola lessons later we would all watch her in awe perform at the UofT (University of Toronto) concerts. Is that really my sister playing with that group of musicians? What happened to "I'm a little tea pot?" When did Brahms & Beethoven get into the mix?
As Cara has grown up she has picked up languages as if they were always on her tongue just waiting to be spoken. Friends from her travels around the globe are plentiful. Her partner, Andy, cats Haroon & K2, are all a huge part of her life. Cara makes a great gefilte fish and reminds me of our grandmother in many ways... and that's a good thing.
Happy Birthday CB, and many more.
xox
m
today is December 7, 2011 and while it is noted in the USA as "Pearl Harbor Day", in Toronto it is Cara B. Naimans' birthday.
CB, as my brother & I call her, is the baby of the family. As the last child of the brood she got more than her share of attention. She was so cute as a little kid and did the funniest things. We taught her to play "Hearts", a card game where if you get all the hearts you win and everyone else looses. Cara was very sneaky at getting all the hearts before the rest of us realized that she had them, there by whipping us at a simple card game.... by a 4 year old. Cara could also do 3 or 4 complex jigsaw puzzles at the same time. She would dump all the pieces out of the boxes into a huge pile then spend the day sorting them and making up all the puzzles at once. Her favorite thing to do was to hide a few pieces so that even if we helped her she always got to put the last piece in.... this would make her howl with laughter. She thought that was the best, I guess you had to be there.
It's hard to imagine that the baby is 47 years old today. When did I get such a mature little sister? I still think of her as a kid learning to sing "I'm a little tea pot..." with a punch line of "Sock it to me baby, let it all pour out!" I think that was where her musical talent was first noticed. Many viola lessons later we would all watch her in awe perform at the UofT (University of Toronto) concerts. Is that really my sister playing with that group of musicians? What happened to "I'm a little tea pot?" When did Brahms & Beethoven get into the mix?
As Cara has grown up she has picked up languages as if they were always on her tongue just waiting to be spoken. Friends from her travels around the globe are plentiful. Her partner, Andy, cats Haroon & K2, are all a huge part of her life. Cara makes a great gefilte fish and reminds me of our grandmother in many ways... and that's a good thing.
Happy Birthday CB, and many more.
xox
m
Friday, December 2, 2011
Where to kvetch?
Hi,
today I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about employees who have been fired from their jobs because they posted 'derogatory remarks' about their employers, fellow workers or their actual place of work. I'm torn between the right to freedom of speech vs. the transparency of the internet and it's ability to go viral on issues or items. Should we have to watch everything we say and print for fear of losing a job or friends? Maybe the issue is that we, as a society, now think that ever thought we have is a brilliant one and the whole world should know it right away. Hence the popularity of Twittering. Did really need to know that Taylor Swift got a haircut yesterday and it looked cute? Was this news worthy? Did I care?
No and no.
I blog and so do millions of others. I try and be respectful of my friends and family, their privacy and their feelings. It's a fine line to walk when you want to kvetch. You used to be able to chat over the backyard fence. Then it was a cranky phone call that allowed us to vent. Now it's the internet and the whole world is listening in. Should we filter our thoughts? That's a slippery slope to censorship in some minds, but do we have the right to lash out either. I was always told that your rights end at the tip of someone elses' nose. In other words, you can swing that arm but when it collides with someone else it's not longer within your own right. Flinging words around can be just as dangerous. That pen (keyboard) is just as mighty as the sword (Ozi), if not more so.
Picking your spot to vent your woes is now a dicey endeavor. We all have items of concern and talking about them helps us deal with the stress of carrying them around on our own shoulders. Sometimes others are even able to help solve problems for us because they've been there themselves. The solution seems to be in the dialogue rather than in the tirade. I think if we went back to talk to people, face to face, there would be a whole lot less legal action taken because of the miscommunication in print. I say we all go out into the backyard and find a neighbour to yak with. It's still the best place to kvetch.
xox
m
today I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about employees who have been fired from their jobs because they posted 'derogatory remarks' about their employers, fellow workers or their actual place of work. I'm torn between the right to freedom of speech vs. the transparency of the internet and it's ability to go viral on issues or items. Should we have to watch everything we say and print for fear of losing a job or friends? Maybe the issue is that we, as a society, now think that ever thought we have is a brilliant one and the whole world should know it right away. Hence the popularity of Twittering. Did really need to know that Taylor Swift got a haircut yesterday and it looked cute? Was this news worthy? Did I care?
No and no.
I blog and so do millions of others. I try and be respectful of my friends and family, their privacy and their feelings. It's a fine line to walk when you want to kvetch. You used to be able to chat over the backyard fence. Then it was a cranky phone call that allowed us to vent. Now it's the internet and the whole world is listening in. Should we filter our thoughts? That's a slippery slope to censorship in some minds, but do we have the right to lash out either. I was always told that your rights end at the tip of someone elses' nose. In other words, you can swing that arm but when it collides with someone else it's not longer within your own right. Flinging words around can be just as dangerous. That pen (keyboard) is just as mighty as the sword (Ozi), if not more so.
Picking your spot to vent your woes is now a dicey endeavor. We all have items of concern and talking about them helps us deal with the stress of carrying them around on our own shoulders. Sometimes others are even able to help solve problems for us because they've been there themselves. The solution seems to be in the dialogue rather than in the tirade. I think if we went back to talk to people, face to face, there would be a whole lot less legal action taken because of the miscommunication in print. I say we all go out into the backyard and find a neighbour to yak with. It's still the best place to kvetch.
xox
m
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