Vacation!

When we planned our vacation for the end of May, there was no sign of the pandemic abating. People were/are being vaccinated but most of the country was still under a mask and social distancing mandate. I knew we would have to wear our masks at the airports and on the planes. I was ok with that.

We had no idea though, that so many states would have lifted those mandates by the time we left! 

We were heading out west; Vegas, Utah, So Cal. Holy WOW! The airport was packed. Busier than any other time we've ever left at 6:30 AM. The plane was full. It was just nuts. We changed planes going, in Phoenix and coming home, in Denver. Indy has a nice airport. That's why it's been given the title of BEST airport for several years running now. We flew on Southwest. While I like Southwest's prices, I wonder if other airlines are similarly cramped in their cabins. It's hard to be uncomfortable for 3+ hours. But...the flights were uneventful, so there's that.

Our first stop was a day in Las Vegas. That's what this post will be about, Las Vegas. I don't even know where to begin. Their mask mandates had been lifted just a few days before we arrived. I want to preface this by saying, I grew up in the 70's. I lived the 70's, in every way you might think. I'm pretty far from being a prude. I'm pretty open minded, about most things. It's been 12 years since I've been to Vegas. OK, now that I've said that...Vegas is a horrid place. I use to really enjoy going to Vegas. The people watching was fun. The hotel lobbies and casinos were cool. Cheap and endless food. Cheap and fun shows and museums. Except that I got to see some family there, I can't think of a single good thing to say about it. You know that saying, "sin city?" It's no longer just a term of endearment. It really IS sin city now. I saw girls walking down the street wearing pasties. I saw girls wearing fishnet stockings and thongs with crop tops. I saw very little that required any kind of imagination. Lots of foreign speaking people. LOTS of people. Lots and lots of them. It feels a little grimy and it smells. I can't put my finger on it either. My brother said it's like a cross between stale beer and dirty underwear. Yeah, that's gross. If any of us weren't exposed to COVID, I'd be shocked. If any of us weren't exposed to any other vile behavior, I don't know what it was. Ewwww. Maybe it was just the freedom everyone was trying to experience after being cooped up for a year.

I don't think I'm that old. Maybe I am. I don't know. I know for sure though, that I wouldn't go back to Las Vegas to have any kind of fun. Maybe it's just the strip. Maybe if you go and stay in a nice hotel/resort and never go out to the strip, you'd have a good time? I thought it could be fun to go to Freemont Street buy my brother said, no, don't do that. It's like the Vegas ghetto now. That's a bummer.

Greed is the most powerful source of evil. I'm convinced.

Self love

What is self love anyway? I always thought self love was just accepting yourself the way you are, for who you are. Warts and all.

Wiki says; 

Self-love, defined as "love of self" or regard for one's own happiness or advantage", has been conceptualized both as a basic human necessity and as a moral flaw, akin to vanity and selfishness, synonymous with amour propre, conceitedness, egotism, narcissism, et al.

In general, other articles say;

* stop comparing yourself to others
* don't worry about others' opinions
* remember your value doesn't lie in how your body looks
* be kind to yourself

I see crap all the time about loving yourself and being good to yourself. Oh, I get it. It just seems like they meant something different 30, 40 years ago when they started saying it. Back then they meant, hey, you can't give a 100% of yourself away, it's ok to say no to people and to ask for help and be yourself. I don't think they mean that anymore. Now it's more like, hey, do whatever the hell you want that makes you happy. Don't sacrifice yourself for other people. Love who you are, but remember...you could be so much better if you had perfect teeth, a high paying job, bigger boobs, a partner who agreed with everything you said, a different hair color, bigger muscles, longer eyelashes, an expensive car, zero wrinkles and were thinner/taller/shorter. That's not self love. No wonder people are so stressed out and unhappy with themselves all the time!  

Maybe that's why the world is such a mess. Everyone is just looking out for themselves and doing what they want. Putting themselves first, or trying to. 

Just do your best  people. Do the right thing not the expected thing. And remember, no one is indispensable. As a matter of fact, someone gave me this poem when I was in high school and feeling like I ruled the world. It really stuck with me too;

Sometime when you're feeling important;
Sometime when your ego's in bloom
Sometime when you take it for granted
You're the best qualified in the room,

Sometime when you feel that your going

Would leave an unfillable hole,

Just follow these simple instructions 

And see how they humble your soul;

Take a bucket and fill it with water,

Put your hand in it up to the wrist,

Pull it out and the hole that's remaining

Is a measure of how you'll be missed.

You can splash all you wish when you enter,

You may stir up the water galore,

But stop and you'll find that in no time

It looks quite the same as before.

The moral of the quaint example

Is do just the best that you can,

Be proud of yourself but remember,

There's no indispensable man.

                    1959 - Saxon White Kessinger

locally....

Do you ever just pick a destination in your home state and go there? We don't either. But we're trying to now. There's actually a lot to see in my home state. Last weekend we went to Vincennes. It's the oldest city in Indiana - it was a place before Indiana was a state and founded by the French in 1732. William Henry Harrison was it's first Governor and the 9th president of the US. His house was the first brick home in the territory and it's still there! Vincennes University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the US. 
There's a lot of history in Vincennes! They even have a military museum. I know that sounds dorky, but it was pretty cool. I'd never seen a tank in person. And it was a glorious Spring day and we didn't have to have our masks on :-)

Amazon

This is a FABULOUS list of FABULOUS things!!!! Also, she's fun to read.

I am proud to say that I already own several things on this list :-)  But there are several more that I want now! 

https://twentytwowords.com/31-handy-gadgets-amazon-hmast-mpx/

Prancer

Prancer is a Chihuahua that was in need of his furever home. A couple weeks ago, his foster mom posted the most hilarious description of him. It went viral. It should have, it was the funniest thing ever!!! Anyway, Prancer was finally adopted over the weekend, by a lesbian who works in a women's rehab center. Perfect for both of them :-)

Here's the ad;

Ok, I’ve tried. I’ve tried for the last several months to post this dog for adoption and make him sound...palatable. The problem is, he’s just not. There’s not a very big market for neurotic, man hating, animal hating, children hating dogs that look like gremlins. But I have to believe there’s someone out there for Prancer, because I am tired and so is my family. Every day we live in the grips of the demonic Chihuahua hellscape he has created in our home. If you own a Chihuahua you probably know what I’m talking about. He’s literally the Chihuahua meme that describes them as being 50% hate and 50% tremble. If you’re intrigued and horrified at how this animal sounds already, just wait....there’s more.

Prancer came to me obese, wearing a cashmere sweater, with a bacon egg n cheese stuffed in his crate with him. I should have known in that moment this dog would be a problem. He was owned by an elderly woman who treated him like a human and never socialized him. Sprinkle in a little genetic predisposition for being nervous, and you’ve concocted a neurotic mess, AKA Prancer. His first week he was too terrified to have a personality. As awful as it sounds, I kind of liked him better that way. He was quiet, and just laid on the couch. Didn’t bother anyone. I was excited to see him come out of his shell and become a real dog. I am convinced at this point he is not a real dog, but more like a vessel for a traumatized Victorian child that now haunts our home.

Prancer only likes women. Nothing else. He hates men more than women do, which says a lot. If you have a husband don’t bother applying, unless you hate him. Prancer has lived with a man for 6 months and still has not accepted him. He bonds to a woman/women, and takes his job of protection seriously. He offers better protection than capitol security. This also extends to other animals. Have other dogs? Cats? Don’t apply unless they like being shaken up like a ragdoll by a 13lb rage machine. This may be confusing to people, as he currently lives with my other 7 dogs and 12 cats. That’s because we have somewhat come to an agreement that it’s wrong to attack the other animals. But you know that episode of The Office where Michael Scott silently whispers “I’ll kill you.” to Toby? That’s Prancer having to begrudgingly coexist with everyone when I’m around.

We also mentioned no kids for Prancer. I think at this point, you can imagine why. He’s never been in the presence of a child, but I can already imagine the demonic noises and shaking fury that would erupt from his body if he was. Prancer wants to be your only child.

So what are his good traits? He is loyal beyond belief, although to tell you a secret his complex is really just a facade for his fear. If someone tried to kill you I can guarantee he would run away screeching. But as far as companionship, you will never be alone again. He likes to go for car rides, he is housebroken, he knows a few basic commands, he is quiet and non destructive when left alone at home, and even though we call him bologna face he is kind of cute to look at. He also “smiles” when he is excited. His ideal home would be with a single woman, a mother and daughter, or a lesbian couple. You can’t live in an apartment or a condo unless you want him to ankle bite your neighbors. We already addressed the men and children situation. If you have people over he would have to be put away like he’s a vacuum. I know finding someone who wants a chucky doll in a dogs body is hard, but I have to try.

Prancer is available through Second Chance Pet Adoption League. He is in New Jersey but can be adopted anywhere in the general tri state area. If you’ve always wanted your own haunted Victorian child in the body of a small dog that hates men and children, please email njwoof@cs.com. Oh, also he’s only 2yrs old and will probably live to be 21 through pure spite, so take that into account if you’re interested.

Movies

 I love movies. I have a whole long list of movies that I could watch a 100 times. I'm not a 'go to the theater and see a movie' kind of gal though. I prefer to be at home, where I can pause it or fall asleep if I want :-)  Every once in awhile though, I do want to see something on the big screen. Sometimes because I know the visuals will demand that. Sometimes because I know you have to hear it. Sometimes, both. 

I don't watch all the award shows anymore though. I don't care that it's all about their egos, that doesn't bother me. It use to be fun to see all the actors, smiling, excited, dressed in clothes and jewelry that cost more than my home. You know, I love an event! Also, there are a lot actors that are so wonderful at their jobs. I just got tired of listening to their opinions, as a captive audience. Not cool. I want you to entertain me, that's your job. I don't care about your religious or political views. Geez.

Also, these days they're trying extra hard to make the award winners diverse. It's so obvious, come on! It's like Hollywood's version of affirmative action. And, they aren't even interested in giving the award to the best actor anymore. Need proof? Regarding Anthony Hopkins and Chadwick Boseman, both nominated for best actor. Hopkins won but I saw this in an article about them; "Hopkins' portrayal of a man struggling with dementia was worthy of an Oscar and should have been victorious, perhaps in any other year. Here's the thing: We're going to see that Hollywood legend again. The same can't be said of Boseman." So, they didn't want Boseman to win because his performance was exceptional. They wanted him to win because he died last year. 

The best picture Oscar went to a movie called Nomadland. Have you seen it? It was pretty good. It's on Hulu. And the story behind that kind of lifestyle is fascinating. It was melancholy and lonely and independent and purposeful. I liked it that it made you feel all those things. But have something happy to watch afterwards.

Edit: I saw last night that the Oscars had a 58% decline in viewers from last year. A historically low number. Hmmmmm. Well, no one went to the movies!!! Plus, I think people are like me, they're tired of being told how you should feel. I was thinking about that this morning and I wondered, if those celebrities that preach about social/racial/sexual injustice on award shows would do the same thing on their own dime. If they truly were activists, they would/should spend their own money and buy an ad spot or something. Really make it about the issue. 

the psychology of color

I love color. Allllllll the colors! I like earth tones together. I like cheerful and vibrant colors together. I like pastels. Pantone's color of the year this year is gray. Interestingly, gray is my new favorite neutral color! (And if you ever wanted to know about Pantone, here's a great article; https://learn.g2.com/what-is-pantone ) I love that colors make you feel something. Who knew that restaurants use red a lot because it makes you hungry!  Yellow makes you feel happy. Blues and greens are considered calming colors. Purple makes you feel creative.

And color makes you associate things together. Like, why does white and navy blue together make you think of something nautical? Orange and black are great together but you'll always think of Halloween when you see them. Why is pink assigned to girls and blue assigned to boys? I LOVE black and white together but WHY are there so many shades of black and white????  

No wonder it's so hard for me to choose a color theme. I would like to have a house that could change, seasonally :-)  In the summer it would be cheerful, red, bright blue and yellow. In the autumn, rich earthy tones. In the winter it would be all blues and gray. In the spring, pinks - orange - lavender - greens. See?!?!?! This is why I've had FIVE comforters/bedspreads in the last 10 years!! 

Sorry honey.

Wow!

 I am truly mesmerized by these!

All painted by a fellow named Richard Oliver, in Los Angeles. This style is called Plein air painting.

Just amazing!!!

picking on old people

This list was all about what older people should get rid of or stop doing in order to be considered younger.
humph. First, I don't really want to be younger...been there done that. Second, only about a 1/3 of it made any sense. See what you think;

* The mall - young people still go to the mall, I've seen them.

* Cable TV packages - I win!

* Writing checks - I win! I've been on the same box of checks for over 10 years!

* A briefcase - I guess the cool kids all just have backpacks now

* Catalogs - hey, I don't ask for that crap! That's not cool

* Socks with sandals - that's always been old

* Diamonds - really? That one surprised me. Young people are buying fake ones?!

* Hip clip for your phone - umm, ok, yeah

* Conspiracy theories - it's not surprising that the generation that was first exposed to media is the one most manipulated by it.

* High waisted jeans - see, this one doesn't make any sense to me, that's the fashion trend now!
* New Balance tennis shoes - because?????

* Denim shorts for men - I don't get this one either

* Phone books - I win!

* Cursive - NO! we're all still arguing about this one.

* Dress shorts for men - oh yeah, I'm in on this one

* Velcro shoes - stop it. Just because we believe in function over fashion?

* Knick knacks - oh come on?! Young people don't have knick knacks because they're young! They haven't had time to collect anything yet. 

* Paper bills - I win!
* Word art on walls - again, I see plenty of younger people with these. 

* Police dramas on TV - who wrote this list? That's all that's on! 

* Ironing - yeah, they want us all to look like we slept in our clothes.

* Fuzzy toilet seat covers - I win! But, have YOU ever known anyone with these? Me either!
* Crocs - ridiculous. I never  liked crocs but they sure are popular.

* Potpourri -I win!

* 9 to 5 work weeks - hahahahaha, yeah, we don't do that because we're retired! duh. Regardless, this one is stupid too. I mean, you can't telework from a bank. ((eyeroll))

I love lists. Some of this one was fun but mostly it was a head scratcher for me.

I miss....

 ...so many things!

I miss live entertainment. I miss the anticipation of a live performance. I miss big events. My hometown is hosting March Madness this year. Not just the big 10 or the championship, the whole tournament. I'm not a sports fan but I sure miss the excitement of a big event. Indianapolis would be going crazy right now if these were normal times. It would've been fun to see the excitement of it all. I could've seen Michael Bublé. I was going to see Jesus Christ Superstar, and probably so many other things. 

I miss hugs. 

I miss lunches at work with coworkers and friends. 

I miss walking around downtown. 

I miss shopping at TJ Maxx. Ours has been closed since the riots. 

I miss seeing all the cars parked at the movie theater. 

I miss shopping for clothes - all the fitting rooms are closed. 

I miss smiles. You never get to see anyone smiling. It stinks. 

Even though my sweet, sweet husband packs my lunch everyday and makes me breakfast on Thursday and Friday, I miss going to the cafeteria at work if I just want a change of pace. 

I miss planning vacations. 

I miss planning anything!

I miss salt shakers on restaurant tables. Now I carry my own - in my purse!

There are a couple TV shows I miss too. 

I miss seeing people at work, since the majority of them have been working remotely for the last year.

It's been a year since the world pretty much came to a stop. sigh

Ch ch changes...

 Change is hard, for a lot of people.

I don't mind it when things change. But if I'm the one who has to change, suck it! For example, at work we are getting new office furniture. I have to get used to a new chair. But I didn't have to change anything. I don't mind the change in seasons. I don't change them, it just happens :-)  When my fella remodeled the kitchen, I would leave in the morning and when I came home after work, magically, something would've changed! 

A couple years ago I bought a new car. It was hard. I had to change the way I did everything in the car.

When you move into a new home, that change is hard. You have to decide where everything goes...you're making that change.

When we ditched cable and went straight to streaming, it was hard. I bet it took me a year to actually make the jump!

Over the weekend we switched cell phone carriers. We've been talking about doing it for awhile now. But it was a change I had to make, so I dragged my feet. Not only did we change carriers, but we changed phones too! OMG!!! I like to think I'm not dumb but when it comes to new technology, I really struggle sometimes. I can figure out most things but damn. By the end of the day I was so exhausted! I'm not kidding. And Google and I are best friends right now, while I'm trying to figure out how to do things on my new phone. Also, we bought a couple new area rugs for the house. They're a little smaller, which I like because you can see more of our beautiful wood floors now. But one them is dark. Dark brown, red and blue. I looked at it online for a month before I bought it because it's so different from what we've had in the past. I LOVE it now that it's in the room. 

I know I just had a weekend off, but now I feel like I need a day off!!

Proof reading

Proof reading is a lost skill. 

You know, occasionally I'll come across a typo in a novel, but not very often. I make typos and leave words out all the time! But I'm not paying someone to correct my work. And if you're getting paid to be an editor/proof reader and you miss something, you shouldn't get paid. How about that?! People should be held more accountable. There's more than just "showing up" you know. I'm not a grammar nazi or anything but some things make me crazy...there/their/they're, your/you're for example. You wouldn't believe how many times I see crap like that in a news article or story. Don't they have people to proof read?

But the winner of the 'lack of editing' goes to our local art museum. A couple weeks ago they posted a job opening on line for a new art director. Part of the job posting said they were seeking a director to "attract a broader and diverse audience while still maintaining the Museum's traditional, core, white art audience."

Did anybody read this before they posted it? Didn't ONE person think to say, ummm, you might want to change that wording? Holy wow! In today's climate? Come on people! I get what they were trying to say but geez!

Anyway, the president of the museum has since resigned over the backlash.  Maybe people did see the issue but they didn't like him so they didn't say anything. LOL. That's one way to get rid of somebody. Some people argued that that attitude is so ingrained in art culture that they just didn't see anything wrong with it. Who knows. But if a competent at their job person had actually proof read it first, I wouldn't be talking about it. 

Travel

Sometimes in the morning, while I'm having coffee and gearing up for the work day, we travel the world on YouTube. Do you every do that?

There are so many great YouTube videos, via drones, that travel all over world. It's pretty awesome. Especially if you're not a world traveler. Do you want to be a world traveler? I was probably a lot more adventurous when I was younger. Now I see all the people and think, ummm, no thank you! 

Yesterday for example, I watched part of a video taken over Italy. It was so visually interesting that later in the day I went to Italy, via Google and walked all around Venice. Venice is amazing! I don't want to go there though. Too many tourists. Tons and tons of tourist. But Google street view was fantastic! I also went to Greece. Greece looks beautiful from overhead. But when you really get into the cities and drive around, it's not really that great. I did go island hopping though and that was cool. 

Next up, Norway. Honestly, this is a really nice way to travel the world. No tourists. No pricey hotels. No weird food. Oh sure, I know it's not the same as 'being there.' But it is the next best thing!! :-)

10 questions

Did you ever watch Inside the Actor's Studio? I really liked that show. If you've never seen it, It was an hour long show with host James Lipton (who died last year) and an actor. It was filmed in front of acting/writing etc. students of NY's Actor's Studio. It was a great show because it was only about the guests craft. No gossipy or tabloid or personal crap. Just how they felt about their craft and some of the movies they did and what they learned. It was cool. 

At the end of every episode, James Lipton asked them 10 questions. It was always the same questions. The answers were always fun.

Here are the questions, and my answers :-)

1. What is your favorite word? yes

2. What is your least favorite word? hate

3. What turns you on? creativity

4. What turns you off? selfishness

5. What is your favorite curse word? dumb fucker

6. What sound or noise do you love? children laughing

7. What sound or noise do you hate? foil/cellophane bags crinkling!

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Zoo Keeper

9. What profession would you not like to do? mortician

10. If Heaven exists, what would yo like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Way to go dude? come on in!

Books to movies

 Have you ever seen a movie adapted from a book you loved, that you liked?

I thought Gone With the Wind was pretty good, even though they left a lot out. And To Kill a Mockingbird was excellent. Harry Potter, Great Expectations, Shawshank Redemption, The Exorcist, Silence of the Lambs, In Cold Blood, all them were pretty good movies compared to their written form. I'm sure there are more. I've heard that The Color Purple was adapted to film very well. And Little Women. I've seen both those but never read the books.

I've yet to see a movie about Frankenstein that made me feel about the monster, the way I did in the book. Not too many Stephen King books have been good movies. I mean, look at The Shinning! That sucked. I loved The Time Traveler's Wife and I liked the movie but they were kind of separate for me. Also, I loved The Giver but the movie was just so much fluff compared to the anguish in the book! And one of Dean Koontz's best stories, Watchers, has had several film adaptions. They're so awful I've never watched one all the way through. This should be a no brainer...who doesn't love a great dog movie?!?! Why can't they get it right?

I bring this up because I just finished watching Stephen King's, The Stand. His best work. EPIC. The original mini series in 1994 wasn't bad, except for the actors. Only a couple of them were any good. I was really looking forward to the remake. It needed an update for sure. With the exception of Whoopie Goldburg (who was wrong for that part), I actually liked the other actors. I liked that 'new vegas' was SOOOOO bad. It needed to be. But all in all, I thought the remake was pretty disappointing. On many levels. 

Thank heavens the story I love is still alive and well in the pages of the book