Tuesday Thoughts…

I started a Facebook page a couple weeks ago so that I could join The Rant fan base. Within a couple hours of setting it up, I got a friend request from someone I went to high school with!!! I was amazed!!! From then on, I have found and connected with several of my high school friends on Facebook!! I also found a bunch of friends from work and fellow bloggers, but it is the high school friends that I am most surprised and pleased to have found! We graduated in 1974, so this coming June will be 35 years since graduation and just about that long since I’ve seen some of them! I think I like Facebook!!!

I heard some sad news today — El Rancho, the Caribbean restaurant on Wicker Street, went out of business! I always hate to hear of any business that doesn’t make it, but I know the owner – Jose – and he had such a passion for bringing his specialized cuisine to Sanford. It is a really tough year for small businesses — just recently, we’ve seen Casa Toscana and Julia’s Cuban Sandwich restaurants go out of business and now El Rancho is closed. I’m sorry to see them all go – they each brought a unique ethnic touch to Sanford!

I went to Myra’s Kitchen tonight to show her past Gala photos and talk about what she can expect as one of the participating restaurants. While I was there, she mentioned that she is going to have Pot Roast as one of her specials this week – probably Weds or Thurs! I’ve had her Pot Roast and it is WONDERFUL…….she doesn’t offer it often, so if you want to give it a try, call to check which night she decides to have it on the menu and go enjoy!!! You won’t regret it!!!

The girls are whining at me to go to bed, so I’ll end my thoughts here and say good night!

Pat Paulsen For President

Does anyone remember the Pat Paulsen For President campaign in 1968? Who was Pat Paulsen, you ask? Well – Pat was a comedian on the Smother’s Brothers Comedy Hour – a TV show that aired in the late ’60s – click here for his Wikipedia page. As a way to make fun of the 1968 Presidential race, Pat launched a nation wide campaign as a write in candidate for President! The act was continued in subsequent years and was HUGE! His name appeared on ballots as late at 1996 and actually received votes!

Sadly, Pat passed away in 1997, so we can not vote for him this year — but, we can keep his memory and vision alive through You Tube! So he’s dead – “Picky, Picky, Picky!!!” Dear Pat, If you’re listening, we sure could use you this year!!!

Update: Per the comment left on this post by Noma Paulsen, you can get more info about Pat on his website: http://www.paulsen.com/

It is the simple things…

Dogs are so great — it doesn’t take much at all to make them ecstatically happy!! The girls are no exception — the simplest things send them into a frenzy of total pleasure! Sometimes that means they get all excited and crazy, sometimes it means they wag their tails and wiggle around, and sometimes it just means they get all content and relaxed!

Here is the one particular simple thing that makes each one happy:

  • Katie loves to hold hands! She’ll sit next to me and I’ll put my hand out and she’ll put one of her paws in it. I hold it and rub it and she’ll sit there holding hands for as long as I’ll hold it – I am ALWAYS the first to let go cause she’ll sit there for hours just holding hands! When I do start to let go and pull away, she’ll grip her toes around my hand to keep me from getting away!
  • Amy loves to be close and have me put my arm around her shoulders! She’ll sit next to me and if I don’t put my arm around her, she’ll scrunch closer or wiggle or lay her head on my shoulder or something to get me to put my arm around her! When I do, she just leans into it and lays her head on my shoulder! If I am standing on the deck at the railing looking out over the back yard, she’ll put her front paws up on the railing so I can put my arm around her and we’ll both stand there looking out over the yard together!
  • Megan loves to play ball! She’ll squeak her balls and bring them to me to throw – over and over and over – and if I am busy and don’t take it to throw, she’ll relentlessly squeak it in at me until I give in!

    Here are just some of the simple things that get them ALL in a state of bliss:

    • Hearing their name!
    • Hearing my voice!
    • Scalp massages!
    • Snuggle-fests!
    • Wrestle/tickle-fests!
    • Singing and dancing around the house with me!
    • Their pool!
    • Their toys!
    • Anything that moves!
    • Laying on the bed!
    • Going for a ride in the car!
    • Meeting new people!
    • Laying in the sun!
    • Biscuits!!!!!!!
    • Chews!!!!!!!

    And that is the “short list”!

    Well – it is raining…..duh!

    Actually, not so much right now, but Hanna has made things pretty soggy! Right now, it there is a heavy misting going on and the breeze isn’t as strong as it was a little earlier.

    Last evening, as the wind started to pick up, I realized I should take in my beautiful new patio umbrella that I got at the Arden sale and not risk having the wind ruin it! So, I went out in the rain and pulled it out of the stand and brought it in the house (I didn’t want to walk through the already soggy grass to the shed). Since it was wet, I put it in the tub in the guest bathroom – it was the best place for it – out of the way and where the drips could be contained! Well, this morning I woke up, let the girls out and went into the guest bathroom to splash some water on my face and brush my hair – as usual, I didn’t turn the light on and as soon as I entered the room, I caught sight of that big umbrella in the tub out of the corner of my eye and jumped out of my skin!!!! I leaped sideways and banged my hip and wrist on the sink cabinet and stubbed my toe – ouch! It only took me a second to realize that my first thought (that someone was standing in my tub) was, of course, incorrect and that it was just that darned umbrella! But it sure succeeded in waking me up – fast!

    My mushroom crop is gone – the mower ate them all!!! Maybe all this rain will sprout a new crop……..

    It is going to be a good day to hibernate with the girls and be lazy! I see a marathon of LifeTime movies in my near future. Right now, I am enjoying “The Family Stone” on FX – good movie!

    Hhmm – curious things I’m finding….

    I have discovered two very curious things this week…..
    1. I did a load of laundry and when I pulled the clothes from the dryer, they had all these white silky threads clinging to everything!! The threads were all the same length – about 6″ and looked the same! The load I washed was all just dress pants and tops for work, so I couldn’t imagine what these threads came from! But I was terribly annoyed that I had a mess on my hands! I pulled the filter screen out and it was FULL of these threads, too!! What in the world were they and where did they come from????? Then it hit me!!!! I took down the shear curtain I have on my back door and washed it a few days ago — it has (or had) fringe all along a valance type top. I didn’t even notice when I took it out of the dryer and put it back up on the door that the fringe was gone and only small balls remained!!! The fringe was all now in my washer AND dryer!!!! I have no idea how I missed noticing it BEFORE I put in a load of my good clothes!!! Uugghh!!!
    2. I let the girls out the other day and noticed what looked like a pile of white something out in the back yard. I kept looking at it to see if I could figure out what it was — I imagined they had tore up something or found something to play with and there it was! But – I was still in my jammies, so I didn’t go out and look at it up close. Later in the day, I let them out again and it caught my eye, so I went out to see what it was and toss it out! Well, it wasn’t a toy — it was a crop of mushrooms!!! BIG mushrooms!!! With all this rain we’ve been having, they sprouted up like they were meant to be there! There were 5 or 6 of varying sizes – the largest was about 5″ across and the smallest was about 3″ across – but most were in that 4-5″ range — BIG!!! And they just popped up over night!!!

    So – mysteries solved!

    Mid Week Rambling….

    Since I was off on Monday for Labor Day, I can’t keep what day it is straight in my head! Today is Weds, today is Weds, today is Weds……..only problem with doing that is that tomorrow, I’ll STILL think it is Weds! ha-ha-ha

    My Mom sent me an email this morning that cracked me up!!! It was related to my use of the term “The Girls” when I refer to my dogs – Katie, Megan, and Amy! I make it a priority to allow time to go home and take care of the girls when I have a lot going on – I don’t care what I’m late for – the girls come first!!!! I write her all the time to say “I ran home and took care of the girls and then (fill in the activity or destination)….” or I’ll say “I got up and took care of the girls and then went about my business…..” and so on! Well, she got a real kick out of this morning’s Good Morning America (I think that’s the show she mentioned) — apparently there was a lady on there promoting her new book “Taking Care of the Girls” and she laughed her butt off when she found out the book was about Breast Health and Self Exam……….ha-ha-ha-ha She said she would forever have a very different picture in mind when I say “I ran home to take care of the girls….” ha-ha

    I was listening to the podcast for The Rant this evening and they were making “fart” noises to make a point on one of their topics during the first half of the show. It drove Katie nuts!!! ha-ha I make motorboat sounds with my mouth to get them riled up and they dance a round and whine and growl and howl………it is fun!! Anyway — when Katie heard the “fart” sounds on the computer, she thought it was me making my motorboat sounds — but, it puzzled her when she came up beside me and I was obviously NOT making the noises! She jumped off the couch and ran around the living room trying to find out where the sound was coming from and it just drove her nuts!!! Megan and Amy just slept through it…….but Katie really enjoyed it!!

    I couldn’t get to sleep last night — I tossed and turned all night long and might have actually gotten about 3 hours sleep! I sure hope tonight is better! I hate it when I have a long bout with insomnia! I hope this isn’t going to be one of those!

    So – I’m heading to bed to see if I can get some real sleep tonight! But – I need to take care of the girls, first — the four legged girls, that is! ha-ha-ha

    Temple Theater Review – A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline

    I finally got my chance to go to the Temple Theater and see “A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline” today! All I can say is WOW!!!! This show is playing until September 28th — be sure to see it!!!

    I am so glad I spent my Sunday afternoon at the Temple today — the show was fantastic!!! It started out with her first time on the radio at age 14 and went through to her death in 1963……. There was a narrator (played delightfully by Temple staffer Michael Brocki) that told some stories behind the songs and what was going on in her life about the time she either recorded the song or sang it for something special.

    The stage musicians were amazing and Lisa Dames did an incredible job as Patsy Cline!!! Her voice was amazing!!! OK, so she isn’t a perfect match to Patsy (there was, and always will be, only one Patsy Cline), but she’s as close to perfect as you can get without being Patsy herself!!! She really belts out the songs and has that growl and crack in her voice at all the right spots — only someone who can close their eyes and instantly listen to the real Patsy sing the songs could tell the difference — very, very good!!!

    It brought out all kinds of emotions — hearing the songs, seeing the costumes, etc — it was very moving!!! I teared up a few times, but broke out sobbing when she sang “Sweet Dreams” and “Crazy” — then, the icing on the cake was after the narrator portrayed a radio announcer telling the news of her death — they shined a white spot light on a lone microphone stand and she talked from off stage saying how her fans will never know how happy they made her by loving her music and caring so much about her — then, she came out and stepped into the spot light wearing an impeccable white suit and sang the hymn “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” — she had the entire audience in the palm of her hands!!!! And I lost it!!!!

    I can not imagine anyone not loving Patsy and her music — if you do, you don’t want to miss this show!!! But even if you aren’t a big fan — if you enjoy listening to an incredible voice — go see this show!!! You won’t regret it!!!

    It was incredible — so well done — so beautiful — so well worth the time to see it!!! I just may have to go again before it is done…..correction I WILL be going to see it again before it is done!!!

    My Ring Tones

    Picking a ring tone is a very personal decision that takes a lot of thought and reflection. Your ring tone is a reflection of your personality and/or what makes you smile. So, I have never been one to just pick the first ring tone that sounds half way decent to me.

    My old cell phone didn’t have a lot of features and, therefore, not a lot of choices for ring tones. But, I was able to down load ring tones from a limited selection. I went through all the choices over and over again trying to decide what ring tone would suit my style. I settled on Henry Mancini’s Pink Panther Theme. In my previous position, part of my responsibilities included investigations and auditing, so it was kind of cool to use the Pink Panther Theme to signify the inspector/auditor part of my life!

    In my current position, I don’t do much of those types of tasks. Also, over the past year or so, I have been trying to focus more on my private life and bring that part of my life out more. So — when I got a new phone a month or so ago, I wanted to find something very special to me personally…… The search began!!!!

    The first ring tone I downloaded and used for a short time was My Girl by the Temptations – in honor of the girls – I sing that song to them all the time! I liked that and thought I found my ring tone! But, in searching further, I found Mustang Sally by Wilson Pickett! BINGO!!! I couldn’t down load it fast enough — it is perfect for me — it makes me smile — it makes me want to just let the phone ring, sing along, and call the person back later! ha-ha

    I also downloaded (for future possible changes to suit my mood) a couple of classical instrumentals for mellow moods, I Love Rock ‘n Roll by Joan Jett for my rock side, and a crazy one — it starts out yelling “Hey, Kim!” and goes into a really cool guitar riff, then yells “Come on!” and goes into a great rock melody. The last one is pretty cool, but irritating when it goes off in my office or the grocery store, so I will have to be in a really wild mood to use it! ha-ha

    So – after a lot of searching, thinking, and trial & error, I settled on Mustang Sally – with a few back ups in case I get a wild bug telling me to change it up a little! If you are in a store somewhere and hear a Mustang Sally ring tone go off on another aisle, look around – you’ll probably find me answering my phone (or maybe just letting it ring and bee bopping around the produce section….)!

    What’s your ring tone and why did you pick it? You can post a comment here or do your own detailed explanation on your blog!

    I Have a Voice….and more….

    Yep, I have a voice, folks! For those of you who have read my words over the past year, now you can actually hear me speak!!! The new Executive Director from Communities In Schools and I were guests on today’s broadcast of The Rant. If you missed the show, you can Click here to listen to the podcast. Hosts Billy Liggett, Gordon Anderson, and Jon Owens made our experience very – um – interesting! Just kidding – they were great and we all had a really good time! We join in the fun about 1/2 way through the show. The first half is filled with clever banter among the three hosts. If you haven’t gotten hooked on listening to The Rant, you should tune in every Weds morning on WDCC 90.5 FM at 8:00-9:00 — or, if you can’t listen in live, visit The Rant blog to listen to the podcast, which is posted later in the day each Weds. But, please check out today’s show and learn all about Communities In Schools and our upcoming Gala!

    BTW — don’t feel sorry for Tina and me when you get to the end of the show and discover that we are NOT smarter than a 4th grader and that Jon Owens shamelessly beats us at the game! We actually sandbagged the game because we thought it would be rude to beat the host in his own studio! ha-ha-ha Just kidding — Jon won fair and square — those questions are HARD!!!

    Hey — did you know that our blogs are on Wikipedia???? I was checking my stats page and saw that someone found me through a link from Wikipedia — that really peaked my curiosity, so I clicked on it and discovered that the Wikipedia page for Sanford, NC has a section called “Local Blogs and Discussion Forums” and most of us are listed there!!! WOW — that’s cool……now, anyone searching Wikipedia to learn about Sanford can read all the great things we have to say about our fair city!!! Click here to check it out – we’re listed right after the list of media info and The Rant!

    Another very disturbing thing I found on my stats page: Someone from Sanford found my blog by typing in “ugly people in Sanford NC” as the key words in a google search………was it the words “Sanford, NC” that brought up my blog or the words “ugly people” — not sure how to take that one!!!

    I wanted to go to Myra’s Kitchen for supper tonight, but it is raining so hard, I’m not sure I want to go out………….but, there’s literally NOTHING in my fridge, so I may have to go out!

    Nothing to talk about…???

    What??? I have nothing to talk about??? Is that possible??? Well, sorta……I have had a hard time coming up with something that would be worth writing about, but, I do have some thoughts rattling around in my head!
    • It was a rainy day in Sanford, today! Although I welcome the rain and know how good it is for the grass and plants and flowers and crops and water table and yada yada yada, I was pretty frustrated today when I had to be out in it going to/from my office and the main plant for meetings! I had an umbrella, but part of my travels was in the midst of the heaviest rain, so I still got drenched and my pants were soaked up to the knees…….
    • I came home to a torn up accent pillow today! When I saw the stuffing all over the floor, I said “who was the bad girl, today?” — Katie and Amy just stood there looking at me, but Megan tucked her tail between her legs, bowed her head down, and slid off behind the chair to hide! I think that identified the culprit! ha-ha
    • I’m really excited about the new season at the Temple Theater starting this week! “A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline” opens on Thursday evening and I am sure it will be amazing! I love Patsy Cline and her memorable music — I get chills whenever I hear her sing! You can bet I’ll be at the Temple at least once while this show is playing — maybe more than once! I sure hope I see a bunch of you there! If that show doesn’t appeal to you, check out the list of incredible shows that will be presented this season — there is something for everyone!
    • Be sure to listen to The Rant on local radio station WDCC 90.5 FM broadcast from CCCC this Wednesday morning at 8:00 – 9:00 am. Listen EVERY week, but especially this week because host Billy Liggett just might have a guest you may be interested in listening to! I’m not saying anymore……..just tune in! If you can’t tune in live, visit The Rant blog site later tomorrow evening to listen to the podcast!

    I do believe it is time for the Sandman……I have a doozy of a headache starting — think I’ll go sleep it off!