One of my woolen dryer balls has escaped. The other two won’t give him up, but I figure he’s hiding in the sleeve of something I washed and dried. Let me know if you see him on the street. He is off-white and fuzzy. Thanks.
It is so annoying when you wash your hands in the ladies room and the counter around the sink is full of water. I always end up getting something wet besides my hands.
When I was a kid, our choice of sneakers was limited to PF Flyers and Keds. My father, a shoe salesman who specialized in children’s and ladies' shoes, always bought us Keds. Now, sneakers have become items of fashion – and very expensive. But in addition to the cache of fashion, there is a new niche: Slip-ons. You’ve seen those ads for Sketchers that you step into and the back by the heal pops up? No more tying and untying your shoes, no more bending over to put them on. I own a pair of blue Kiziks and red and black (for Rutgers) Zebas, both of which I love for the benefits listed here. We have come a long way from the “Run Faster, Jump Higher” PF Flyers, the first athletic performance shoes (PF stands for “Posture Foundation”). And who wants to bend over anyway?
No one I know sleeps well anymore. Sure, we may enjoy an epic nap every now and then, but staying asleep ALL NIGHT? People I know are up at 3-4-5 AM and cannot get back to sleep. If I go to bed early, that just means I’ll get my “core four” hours and then wake up earlier that usual. I think we all suffer from lack of sleep.
Why is it that Kohl’s can put my items in a nice, strong paper bag with handles and supermarkets can’t even give out plastic bags for the 28 items we buy at one time? If Kohl’s carried food, I’d do all my shopping there (with Kohl’s cash, of course).
Someone needs to explain to me the advantage of changing the clocks back from Daylight Savings time. Sure, I get that we have one extra hour in the fall, but most of it is spent resetting the clocks or trying to figure out what time it is on the clock vs. on our bodies. I was ready for dinner at 4:30 on the day when Eastern Standard time started. One time I was in Chicago when we had the time change, which gave me two extra hours since Chicago is in a different time zone than New Jersey. That was a treat, but normally, the move from EDT to EST is just confusing for everyone.
When the seasons change and I start looking for my sweaters and sweatshirts, I’m always surprised to find something I didn’t remember I had. Today it was a pair of Adidas sweatpants that I don’t remember buying last year (I’m guessing). The fun of growing old! New clothes every season!
Is it just me or does anyone else think about what to wear to a doctor’s appointment? If I know I will be getting blood work done or my blood pressure taken, I’ll wear a short-sleeved top and layer if necessary. If it is the dentist, I’ll wear a top that won’t show anything if I dribble on it while I am rinsing. If I’m at the eye doctor, I need comfortable pants because I have to lean forward and put my forehead against a bar for the doctor to test my eyes. Do you think I think too much? Do you think they notice what I wear?
I now have received three text reminders and several emails about my upcoming doctor’s appointment. Normally, I would be annoyed, but this time it helped because I had it marked down for the wrong day AND time. Oops!
These streaming services are driving me crazy! You never know what show or series is on what service or broadcast station. And then you have to subscribe. But you can “bundle” and get Showtime with your subscription to Hulu or watch Peacock in some other way. If I am looking for a basketball game or movie to watch, I don’t want to have to research the streaming services or guide. Shouldn't there be a better way?
This is something like season 241 of HGTV’s “House Hunters,” which means that if these were annual seasons, the show started around 1752! Have I seen all of them? Not quite – but many. This is also season 45 of CBS’ “Survivor,” and I am sure I HAVE seen ALL of them! Yes, this is how I spend my time when there are no basketball games to watch at Rutgers!
Speaking of HGTV, it seems like the stars of “Home Town,” Ben and Erin, must have renovated every house in their home town of Laurel, Mississippi. How big could Laurel be? I know that the perspective homeowners have their choice of two houses, so maybe Ben and Erin have only done half the homes in their home town. But soon they will be able to point out the few homes that they haven’t renovated, because the supply must be dwindling.
After months of construction on the streets of Manville, NJ (the town next to mine), a notice just went out to people in the area that indicates there will be construction. Seriously? It has been like driving through a war zone there for months, and NOW they tell us there is construction? The crews have put pavers down on the sidewalks and bumped them out to place trees. From a practical standpoint, that means it will be tougher to plow the streets after a snowstorm and there will be less parking in a town that has one municipal lot accessible from the main street. You’re making the streets look nicer but giving people no place to park? Yeah, that will attract visitors.
Most of you know by now that I came down with Covid in October, just before my 55th high school reunion was scheduled, so, after working on the Committee all year, I could not attend. It looked and sounded like a great weekend of activities, but after fending off Covid for all of this time, I finally succumbed. I started with symptoms on a Tuesday, right after getting my Covid and flu shots, which I scheduled for that time thinking that any aftereffects would be gone by the time Reunion started. Instead, I gave myself a test on Wednesday and the line that is supposed to be very faint and hard to identify was big, bold and immediately identifiable. I lost my sense of taste and smell for a couple of days and had lots of body aches, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. My timing really stinks, though.
I was just getting over Covid when my brother-in-law Hank unexpectedly passed away after a long battle with kidney disease. For four years he went to dialysis three times a week without fail; even on trips to Chicago to see his son Brandon he had to schedule a dialysis session. That really took a toll on him, and eventually, his body just gave out. The poor man was on the kidney transplant list for a long time but had to pause when he was hospitalized earlier this year and underwent a quadruple bypass for previously undetected significant blockages. He never really recovered, though he gave it his best effort. He leaves behind my sister Nancy, his wife of 41 years and his devoted caregiver, and his beloved son, Brandon, who is getting married next October in Chicago. I know how much he was looking forward to that wedding, how much he adored Brandon’s fiancée Julia and her family, and how devastated Brandon is at having lost his father, who loved him so much and told him that all of the time. Brandon delivered a magnificent eulogy at the funeral service that was equal parts humor and love, straight from his heart. My heart breaks for him, even as he made me so proud of his words. Rest easy, Hank, and may your beloved Orioles finally make it to the World Series next season in your honor.
Sadly, I have attended several funerals and memorial services recently. The eulogies and comments from friends and family were so warm and so complimentary to the loved ones they have lost. It made me wonder: Did the people who died know how much their families and friends thought of them? I hope so, but that inspired me to be kinder and more expressive to the people I love. They should feel the love now, hear it directly from us and not leave this earth without knowing that they were special and loved.
