BoomerChicks

2011 Blew By

So I am reflecting over the past year.  Yes, that year in which I completely disappeared from this blog! Don't think it wasn't on my mind as I have over two hundred posts started that never got finished.  

It was a year of big, no huge, changes for me.  I made the big move from California to Montana.  I lost my precious Golden Retriever to lymphoma and I became a grandma for the first time.  This, in addition to getting settled, made for a very busy year and I am still knee deep in busy!

RJ and I arrived in Montana in the midst of the coldest, whitest winter in thirty years.  But hey, would it have worked out any other way for us?  I don't think so.  Everything was white for months and the snow just came and came and came with temps often falling below zero.  In hindsight it was probably the best way to become introduced to winter.  It was the whole winter scenario that really kept me from moving here sooner.  I quickly learned though that winter is really over-rated.  Being in an environment that dances with the four seasons is actually wonderful, especially after having spent years in only one season.

It really wasn't the weather that was the most noticeable change to my new environment.  It was the people.  Now I wake up every morning to a picturesque small town where everyone waves and the compassion that flows out of here is tough to beat even for the 80 degree Christmases from my past. Politeness and kindness are king, but I have to admit, it takes some getting used to.  Coming from California, RJ and I are skeptical people.  To find this genuiness is beyond our expectations and often we ask each other if we are reciprocating properly, as it has been a long time since either of us have been around human beings who are so mannerly.  

It takes an hour or two to get to any big box, logo loaded stores but that's okay too.  You find out that there really isn't much that you need after all.  You discover that you don't miss the crowds and traffic that go along with living in a place that has everything. The Internet is always available if you really need something if you must have it.  We are finding that the good life is void of consumerism and stuff, and simple is far better.  

We do miss our Murphy dog.  He passed away in April despite the wonderful treatment he received from weekly vet visits a hundred miles away.  Along with being a great dog doc, we were shocked at how reasonable the vet bills were enabling us to provide care that we would never have been able to afford in California.  Murphy is sorely missed by us, not to mention by his compadre, Vinny.  I am happy that despite our winter arrival, Murphy was able to walk along the creeks, climb the nearby mountains and discover new species of animals like deer before he became too disabled to do so. 

The very best event this past year was the birth of our granddaughter who almost arrived on Easter Sunday! Thankfully we were at the birth--and can I tell you how incredibly proud I was of my daughter!  She is a true member of this family, no whining, no screaming, no self-pity and bounced back like a chipper little bird once the torture was over.  She was stellar!  I actually felt a little guilty that she was NOT a wimp, thinking that perhaps she had been raised too much in the grin and bear it mode.  

Our granddaughter is a beauty so we took a quick trip to see her again at age two months and then we had the long enduring wait for their visit to Montana six months later.  They arrived during our cold spell but seemed to thoroughly enjoy all that is offered by small town mountain living.  It was so fun to became acquainted to the adorable little personality the baby has developed.  She is an angel.  Like her mother, she is a good baby, actually a perfect baby!  I did fear she would scream every time I tried to hold her, being that she didn't really know me.  My fears though were put to rest as she was more than willing to let me into her little world.  I can't say enough about her and I am sure there will be future postings full of grandma bragging rights.  

 

Fred Sanford Has Left the Building

I am all tuckered out and I need a shower.  That is probably more information than anyone really wants to hear from a boomer chick, but it's true.  Welcome to day two of Clean Sweep at the Boomer household!

While RJ toiled away at the tile work in the downstairs powder room, my son and I tackled the garage.  Now most people would think this is no big deal, but our garage is and has been for many years, a beast of burden that has weighed heavily on our psyche.  We clean it out and it goes right back to the same old monster, packed to the gills, floor to ceiling with little makeshift pathways between the disarray in order to maneuver.  I mean literally, our garage is like a pregnant rabbit -- stuff just keeps multiplying. 

I have no recollection how this recent garage project began.  I am too tired to remember.  I am in a stupor, a WTF happened moment!  I vaguely recall my son wanted to pack some of his grandpa's stuff so he could have some closet space.  I freaked knowing that there was no place to store the packed containers.  My son casually suggested that we clean out the garage and have another yard sale.  One thing led to another and here I am today -- sore, tired and desperately in need of that shower. 

My past experiences working with my son on projects hasn't been all that successful.  Usually he is around to start the project, but then suddenly disappears, leaving the mess for me to finish.  Of course, in those days he was younger, but my expectations of how this would all turn out were not very high.  So, I have been in shock these past two days while he has buzzed around me like a bee in flight.  Who has that kind of energy? 

When this is over, it's over!  I will never, ever buy too much, save too much or take anything off of someone else's hands.  Craig's List is going to be my new BFF.  Tomorrow I will be taking pictures of my Barbie dolls, yes mine, from the 1960's, my daughter's Cabbage Patch doll collection -- some are still in the original box, never opened and my son's Tonka trucks and rocking horse.  There will be lots of other things going up on Craig's besides the vintage toys.  And, lots will be going to Goodwill or the trash.  Can you imagine finding a box with your maternity clothes in it?  Well, I did that today and my youngest is going to be thirty!  Who in the hell saves their maternity clothes?  I should probably donate them to the Octomom!

The garage though has finally been emptied and storage now lines the walls for things we use and need.  My son and RJ purchased a vintage workbench off of Craig's List today, installed extra cabinets we had hanging around, redid the electrical, and put up bicycle hooks.  I know we still have a month of Sundays left though before we finish.  I also know the neighbors are thinking where in the hell did they put all that stuff?  This is the like the umpteenth time they have had a spring cleaning! 

I really thought I had this clutter issue beat, but I now realize that despite the yard sales and seven dumpsters we rented over the past years, many things just went from the house to the garage.  The garage was fertile ground for our multiplying junk and everyone else who stopped by and dropped something off!  Honestly I was just too sentimental to part with most of the stuff, but that has all changed and I can say with certainty that Fred Sanford has indeed left the building!

March Madness, Spring Fever, Whatever!

March has been a very weird month and frankly I am happy it is almost over. 

Like most people I talk to, we are all tired of the cold weather.  Despite even sunny days here in California, the nights and mornings are cold.  It is time to open windows, take off our jackets and sweaters and work outside in the yard.  I want the aroma of barbecue in the air, not chimneys, and kids playing hockey in the streets. 

Equally frustrating has been income tax return/property tax preparations and for us, yearly car registrations.  What makes it pissy this year is the fact that while I am paying the Feds and the State, what...sixteen of the bailout companies are not fulfilling their tax obligations!  Even my poor father who is no longer with us, got slammed by Uncle Sam.  I really am failing to see how this bailout business is doing the average American any good. 

I am also finding myself in a somewhat of a survival mode these days.  Nothing seems particularly jovial out there and I am beginning to think that I need a plan.  I am not the type who falls into depression, in fact I am not sure if I have ever really been depressed in my lifetime.  I am serious.  I have been sad, bored, frustrated and perhaps in denial, but depressed, I don't think so.  If I have been, it has been nothing but a fleeting moment, so fleeting I don't remember it.  I get angry with enthusiasm which I am told wards off the depression bug!  So while nothing seems good at the moment, there is no need for depression.

My survival mode has provided yet another interest to take on, namely gardening.  I purchased a portable greenhouse and a pile of Burpee seeds so I can start growing what food I can in the city.  I even looked into buying a couple of chickens to produce eggs, but honestly I can't deal with the mess, especially since I want cage-free chickens.  I researched this and found out that chickens poop a lot, scratch that!

And, March brought Women's History Month which I completely failed to participate in this year.  I had no time for advocacy.  I did manage some emails and phone calls to my congressional reps regarding the "idea" circulating from the Obama administration that our wounded troops should pay for their battle injuries via private insurance.  I have been reassured that this was only an idea and that it has been trashed.  I hope so!  Even private companies have Workers' Compensation insurance, providing medical insurance to employees injured on the job.  Let's put a poor PFC in harm's way on a nothing salary and tell him/her, "by the way, if you get wounded, you better have some good health insurance!"  Ludicrous, no matter what our thoughts are regarding war.  The fact that this even materialized as an idea sort of inflames me, especially given the bailout issues of late. 

We also had that damn time change in March.  My printer broke down.  I filled out forms to settle my Dad's estate until my fingers were numb.  RJ has been away all month working while I have been holding down the fort fighting off bees, putting a band-aid on a kitchen sink leak, and mowing the lawn.  I know, poor me, right?  However, you should have seen how high the grass was...the lawn mower actually started spewing smoke, it was so overworked.  Besides at my age, I freely allow myself these rants. 

The dreaded flu bug also paid us a visit.  It's hard to accomplish anything when every joint in your body aches, your head is throbbing and your nose is running like a faucet. 

We also had to endure a month of political craziness.  For instance, congress including the bonus allowance in the stimulus bill and then taking it back because the public was outraged.  The public, more outraged at the people who received the bonuses than the politicians who allowed it, stalked, actually stalked, the homes of these people!  This is dangerous business folks.  Likewise, the congresswoman from Minnesota ranting on about some crazy revolution that we should all be preparing for...yikes!  And that lovely man, Tim Geithner, wanting more power and authority than this country has ever provided any individual in history was almost to the point of being shocking.  I say almost because these days shock value is becoming a rarity. 

The absolute worst occurrence in March though on a personal basis was the fact that the beginning of the month offered hope of job opportunities.  All the time I spent sending out resumes and cover letters though has resulted in zilch.  Not one damn email or phone call for an interview!  I am really starting to develop a complex! 

So call it March Madness, Spring Fever or Whatever...I am ready to put March behind me and cross my fingers that some semblance of normalcy along with some warm weather lies ahead!

Spring Forward

My how time does fly especially today when we spring ahead turning our clocks forward one hour.  Further complicating that situation (losing a whole hour), where did last week go?  Actually where is 2009 going?  Here we are beginning the second week of March already.  Things that just happened in January seem to already be a distant memory.  I am not sure I like watching as time flies so quickly. 

In the big picture there are advantages to losing that precious hour -- longer days, driving home from work in daylight, more energy and the reminder that warmer days are ahead.  It is difficult to live through that actual first day though. 

While I freak out over the hour that I lost today, I am still obsessing over everything I must get done.  True to how my life works (and probably a lot of other folks out there), the to-do list grows.  It is tax time, the yard needs immediate attention, my Dad's affairs still need work and the job opportunities of late have been heating up requiring cover letters and resumes to be sent, along with the usual follow-up.  Then there are the little nagging things like jury duty forms to fill out, an error on a credit card bill that needs a response, trying to get the car insurance combined into one policy instead of two, junking my old Jag and a whole long list of other little nagging loose ends. 

It hasn't left much time for the things I like to do.  I'm working on my recount blog post of my Seattle trip with my Aunt and cousins.  I was so fortunate to have had those few days with them and grateful for the good time!  I was completely aware prior to flying up to Seattle that they would teach me a thing or two about this scrapbooking venture I have been wanting to dive into.  They kicked my butt into gear and that is currently where my enthusiasm is directed.  However, I have to make time for everything.

So what to do? 

I spent some time last week dusting off my Franklin Planner and prioritizing.  It was the only saving grace I had when I worked and managed numerous projects.  I've done the planning, filling up the pages for the next five days and I am committed to having a very productive week.  It's all about time management 101, right? 

Let's see how the week goes.  God forbid anyone gets in my way.  I didn't plan for any distractions!  May be by the end of the week I'll be singing Tiiiiiiimmmme is on my side, yes it is!

Tying up Loose Ends

Well the countdown is almost over.  I am tying up loose ends right now (there seems to be a lot of those) and heading out for Seattle to see my peeps.  There is no denying that I am looking forward to this trip.  There will be no shortage of conversation or laughter because we just know how to have fun.

A couple of things...

I did watch the Presidential address last night.  I was glad to hear Obama's tone was notches above his usual doom and gloom rhetoric of late.  Neither was it so drippy with hopey-dopey rhetoric as during his campaign.  I felt there were things that I could look forward to and it was nice to hear that two trillion dollars of cuts has been discovered so far in our current budget.  We just don't know exactly what those things are yet, but I plan to make use of the watchdog website soon.  Watching Nancy behind Obama was a bit of a downer though.  I can't help but be reminded of her role in this madness (along with Dodd and Frank -- yuk). 

These speeches are always amusing though.  For years we have watched as the Republicans rose to their feet cheering on their man, and now that the tables are turned, we watch the Democrats cheer themselves into a frenzy.  The Republican response by Bobby Jindal though...what in the world was that other than pathetic.  He obviously wrote his rebuttal before he heard Obama speak.  At least I can count my blessings that I am not a resident of Louisiana during this time, although I have to say, living in California right now is no picnic. 

I did stop and think for a minute, while watching a bit of the pundits afterward -- I did say a bit, you can't watch too long before you get nauseated.  Anyway they made such a big deal about Obama's race again especially given that February is Black History Month.  My stop moment was that his race never entered my mind during the speech.  To be quite honest, it seemed quite natural to me that he should be where he is at, standing at the podium, leading the country.  Likewise with Jindal, nothing seemed different or "out of place" from my perspective.  I was only reminded of "race" by those paid talkies on television.  

Switching subjects...my cover letter and resume are ready to send.  I'd like to return from Seattle with some good news from the effort I put into it.  This job is really tailored made for me and I hope that I conveyed that point effectively.  The position really has purpose and to wake up to that every morning would be beyond any word I can find to describe it.   So keep your fingers crossed and keep me in your thoughts. 

Now about those loose ends that need to be tied up, I am off and running.  I'll see you when I get back!

Dust, Dog Hair and Paperwork

There are three things in life that truly demotivate me.  They are dust, dog hair and paperwork.  If these things were not a part of my life, I could get so much more done and breeze through my day happily. 

For some reason I can't seem to control these three pests unless I spend a good portion of my day working to eliminate them.  Well actually they aren't that time consuming, but it sure is boring... dusting, brushing, vacuuming and shredding.  As soon as you think you have conquered these creatures, they are right back in your face.  The furniture is always dusty.  The floor always has a wad of dog hair lingering about and my desk is constantly filling up with paperwork.  Despite my best effort to stay organized, these three things suck the life out of me.

I am well aware that the real solution to eliminating these things will never take place in my life.  I need and use my furniture.  I don't understand anyone who can live life without a dog (or two, or three...okay four).  Paperwork will never be passe as long as we have to file taxes, pay bills, fill out forms...well you get the idea.  

Many investments have been made to soften the blow of this tiresome maintenance.  Microfiber dust mitts, electric brooms, Dysons for the upstairs and downstairs, undercoat brushes, and a shredder that can practically tear through titanium are all mainstays of this house along with a standing appointment at the dog groomer.  

There is nothing that can be bought though that takes away the dread of having dust, dog hair and paperwork as permanent fixtures on my to-do list.  I guess I just need to stop obsessing about these intrusions in my life because some things just aren't worth what you have to give up in order to eliminate the problem. 

Sore Buns

RJ and I just finished a bike ride, stopping off at a local eatery for a good breakfast.  We are both getting much better at cycling, pedaling faster, using the gears wisely, no shortness of breath, stronger starts after a stop and great balance and turns.  That may sound really hokey, but after years of not riding, you get a little rusty.  I was shocked at how terrible I was on my first ride.  What is that old saying, "it's like riding a bike, you never forget."  I definitely had to relearn balance!

Our rides are really fun and relaxing.  We take different routes, stop and explore things of interest, and we seem to interact with more people who are out and about.  We decided to take up riding, not so much as a sport, but more of a means of enjoying the outdoors while using our vehicles less. 

The one thing that doesn't seem to be improving though is the stamina of our buns, the dreaded BBS (bicycle butt syndrome).  Despite adding gel pad seat covers, we both complain of sore derrieres after each and every ride we make.  This doesn't stop us from riding, but sheesh, how long does it take before the buns toughen up?  Nothing else hurts anymore, except the old backside. 

RJ replaced the saddle on his bike as it was one of those little skinny things that looked like an ice skate blade.  He has one of those "big bucket" saddles now.  I am hesitant to replace mine though as it color coordinates with my bike and is laden with embossed daisies, quite festive and fashionable, if I do say so myself.  Actually RJ's "big bucket" didn't seem to give him any relief so I probably wouldn't get any either by switching out my seat. 

I guess we'll just have to grin and bear it and ride even more.  I know I could do a little more pedaling in the standing  position (ouch), sort of shift that booty weight around. 

Tomorrow is going to be another beautiful day, temp around 74 degrees, and we'll be out there again in our quest to become hard asses!

Talking 'bout my Generation

The election of Obama seems to have brought out a lot of negativity regarding my generation, the Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964).  I have to admit that I am a little surprised just how much I have been reading and hearing about this from the infotainment folks who "report the news."

Apparently it is being written that the younger generation is tired of the divisiveness and partisanship of the Baby Boomer generation.  I have read that the younger generation thinks we are a bunch of hippies who need to crawl back to our caves to meditate with our drug-fried brains and chew on our granola.  Really?

First, spin it any way you want, but Barak Obama is a member of the Baby Boom generation.  He was born in 1961, he's 47 years old, he's middle-aged.  He is old enough to have a 20-year-old child, or for that matter, a child close to the age of 30.  He is not the youngest President elected to office.  Perhaps he is considered "hip" but that does not necessarily make him a "new generational" President.  Facts are facts.  He is actually three years older than my youngest brother. 

I never imagined that my generation would have been considered "washed up" in our fifties.  Whatever happened to fifty is the new thirty?  I agree that my generation has not necessarily utilized the technology of today in quite the same manner as our younger counterparts.  However, a huge majority of my friends in both my generation and my parents' generation use cell phones, email, digital cameras, DVD players, etc.  And, we suffered through crazy boring DOS courses to get technology to the point where it is today. 

We are not really that enamored with My Space, Facebook, Twitter, and/or text messaging.  During our time we certainly did burn up telephone lines, but you have to realize that we are not exactly in that phase of our lives where partying on a Friday night, talking endlessly on the phone or hooking up are priorities.  Been there, done that.  Life presents new priorities and we have transitioned to that phase.

It should also be pointed out that the younger generation has not cornered the market on hope and change.  If any generation brought about change, I would certainly credit the Boomers with throwing a few coals into that fire.  We made some pretty big changes that are taken for granted today.  So what's new?  This will also happen to the generations that follow. 

Each generation has brought their own style, culture, change, whatever you want to call it to the table.  From my point of view, each generation has had it easier than their parents too.  I don't see too many "kids" getting up at the crack of dawn to milk cows anymore.  This change in lifestyle, having it better, has certainly made an impact on what younger folks can focus on. 

I find it disheartening that the infotainment industry has turned this into an us vs. them situation.  They act like anyone over the age of 40 (with the exception of Barak Obama) has some type of learning disability, are stuck in their ways, and haven't experienced a damn thing in life.  The ridicule of John McCain during the campaign as some old fart who would drop dead his first day in office was ludicrous.  I know quite a few people who simply did not want him because of his age, but could not name one policy that he stood for.  Likewise, Obama got many votes simply because he was "young" and death would escape him on his first day in office.  None of these folks knew what policies he (Obama) stood for either.  But hey, Barak could send an email, a must have qualification to lead the free world. 

My mother, unlike myself, didn't wear bell bottoms, listen to Zeppelin and refused to install the latest technology of the time in her home, a dishwasher.  My grandmother, unlike my mother, didn't wear pedal pushers, listen to Elvis or install an automatic washing machine in her home.   And I, unlike my daughter, did not wear three inch heels, listen to Morrissey or create a My Space account.  We all had different beliefs on religion, politics, raising children, and many other topics.  These differences may have caused some rolling of the eyes, but they certainly did not elicit ridicule or tossing each other in the "washed up bin" of life. 

So when others claim that the Baby Boomers are the generation of divisiveness, I would suggest a re-evaluation of that stance. Is this "new" generation really not divisive themselves?  Ask yourselves who did the work in order to make this new, younger generation more inclusive or who did the work in order that this new generation could have a push button lifestyle?  I am not trying to blow my own horn here.  Yes, we made mistakes, we were not perfect, and neither will the upcoming generations be perfect.  In my opinion, we are just naturally evolving from generation to generation, the way it has been since the beginning of time. 

Merry Christmas

Below is a picture of the huge Christmas tree that is planted in the center of the town commons in Anaconda, Montana.  Although I no longer live in Anaconda, I always look upon the Christmases that I did spend there with fond memories.  The ground around the tree is frozen over and becomes an ice skating pond for the town's citizens.  It is a Norman Rockwell scene, for sure. 

 

Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Kwanzaa--it doesn't matter, rejoice and be merry!

Mimosa Yellow is In!

No folks you just can't make this stuff up.  I mean this is our hope for 2009, MIMOSA YELLOW!  I feel more cheerful already, don't you?  Be sure to run right out and spruce up your wardrobe and home furnishings so you'll get that euphoric feeling to numb the pain of what's really going on!  I guess it beats Prozac!

Yellow expected as a bright spot for 2009

By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL, AP Fashion Writer Samantha Critchell, Ap Fashion Writer Wed Dec 3, 1:34 pm ET

NEW YORK – Enough gloom and doom: There's a prediction from a leading color source that cheerful and sunny yellow will be the influential color of 2009.

Pantone, which provides color standards to design industries, specifically cites "mimosa," a vibrant shade of yellow illustrated by the flowers of some mimosa trees as well as the brunch-favorite cocktail, as its top shade of the new year. In general, Pantone expects the public to embrace many tones of optimistic yellow.

"I think it's just the most wonderful symbolic color of the future," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "It's invariably connected to warmth, sunshine and cheer — all the good things we're in dire need of right now."

In the spring fashion collections previewed earlier in the fall for retailers and editors, pops of yellow brightened the runways of Carolina Herrera — who called her favorite shade marigold — Badgley Mischka, Zac Posen and Michael Kors, among others. Kors even included a retro yellow polka-dot bikini that clearly harkened back to a more upbeat time.

The fashion world first embraced orange a few years ago and that has evolved into yellow, which had already been gaining popularity in the home market, too.

"People know yellow lightens up the atmosphere," Eiseman says.

Home-goods companies based in Paris and Milan, Italy, have already been heavily influenced by yellow, says Tom Mirabile, vice president of global trends and design at Lifetime Brands, Inc., whose portfolio includes Cuisinart, Farberware and Pfaltzgraff.

It helps that it looks good in florals and has a close association with nature, a driving force in the marketplace right now, and it complements current favorites green and purple. (In 2008, "blue iris," a purple-tinged blue, was color of the year.)

"I'd say you should get used to seeing yellow in places you're not used to seeing it," Eiseman says.