Friday the 13th TGIF

Ah yes, Groucho understood how it works.  :-)

I have always liked Friday the 13th (the day, not the movies) - I'm not sure if it's because of my contrary nature, or that I love black cats (or any cats, let's face it), or I just enjoy other people feeling uncomfortable (OK, admittedly that does always amuse me).  But in any case, today is Friday the 13th of March, and though it started out rainy in Philadelphia, the sun is supposed to appear this afternoon.  

In the ever-present world of coronavirus updates, an event I was really looking forward to enjoying next week has been cancelled.  The Free Library of Philadelphia Author Series had scheduled a talk by Hilary Mantel and signed copies of her new book, and we had bought tickets a few months ago.  It was cancelled yesterday, which is truly disappointing but understandable.  

A few of you commented on my post yesterday that if I couldn't work from home, at least I could get some knitting and reading done.  Which is a lovely thought, but I would come into work anyway, since the deal is that if you can't work from home and don't come into work, you don't get paid.  And I need to get paid, so that's that!  For now, the place is still open, so we'll see what does or does not happen.

However, I had already planned long ago to take a few days off next week, partly because my niece and her husband were going to come up from Baltimore for the now-cancelled book talk.  I am not cancelling my days off though because they were approved long ago and in some ways, I'm looking forward to them even more now ...

Moving along - let's do a TGIF, shall we?

Thinking about - how people in charge of things can be so mercenary and cruel.  With so much going on and so many people having trouble anyway, the addition of cancelled work and school puts many in a true bind.  Not everyone has a large savings account to rely on, or the ability to telecommute when they don't even have a home computer.  Some people say, "Go to the library," but even libraries have to limit computer times for individuals in the interests of fairness.  It seems so many businesses are only worried about the bottom line, not their employees.  And at least in Philadelphia, all schools have not [yet] closed because for a lot of the kids, the only meals they get on any given day are those they get at school.  But at least there are already plans to help bail out banks, so our priorities are straight, right???

Grateful for - working on the assumption that I will indeed wake up tomorrow morning and be able to live my life, I am grateful that I will have made it to my 64th birthday.  Not only that, but for the most part, I am doing well and functioning in life.  That is the true gift.  I plan to enjoy it all, even if this is not the happiest of times in the world.  

Impressed by - the individuals who are going out of their way to help not just their friends and neighbors, but complete strangers.  I read a thread on Twitter yesterday about a woman who was walking into a grocery store, and heard someone calling her.  An elderly man and woman were in their car, afraid to go into the store because they were already not in the best of health, but they needed some basics.  The elderly woman asked the other one if she would mind picking some things up for them, gave her $100 and a shopping list.  The woman not only picked up their groceries, but gave them their $100 back because, "if you can't help a neighbor, who will help you when you need it?"

Feeling - introspective.  I am by nature a rather introspective person, but especially as the years go by and I reach another birthday.  Are there things that I wish I could have done?  You bet!  Do I wish I had done some things differently?  Of course.  But you know what?  At my age, my father had already been dead for 11 years, and my mother was in the throes of her decline in health and ability.  I need to remember that living a good life is an accomplishment, whether anyone else knows or cares.  

Here's hoping you have a lovely weekend.  Ours will involve CAKE (I can never convince The Tim that I should have a birthday cake and a birthday pie for Pi Day), wine, kitty cuddles, and probably lots of laughter.  Even when things are bad, life can be good.

Take care, everyone.

Are You Saying That TGIF Means Something Else?

I couldn't resist this image - it made me laugh out loud and I hope it at least amuses you.

There are some weeks where you just wonder ... about a lot of things.  This has been that kind of week for me.  Granted, I'm always wondering about something or someone, but this week outidid itself.  

Because I am privileged to be able to do so, and in order to remind myself of the good, I've decided to do a TGIF post about the good.

Thinking about - The Tim's birthday on Monday.  I have a couple of gifts that I know he will like (this is one of them), and he has requested to go to a new pub attached to a local brewery on Sunday night, followed by stuffed cabbage and birthday cake on Monday.  Sounds good to me, as we have been wanting to try the pub, and stuffed cabbage and birthday cake are always a good idea, as far as I'm concerned!

Giggling about - this morning, when the Koodle entered the room meowing.  I said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Koodle!" and the Tim immediately followed with (in a deep, annoucer voice), "Straight from his groundbreaking act in Las Vegas!" and for some reason that is still making me crack up.

Interested in - watching the new season of "The Crown."  I really love Olivia Colman for one, and though I am not a fan of the royal family, I love costume and historical shows/movies.  I hope it will be as good as the previous seasons.

Feeling good about - being more on top of things this year regarding birthdays and holidays than I have been for the last few years.  Granted, last year I had a legit reason to struggle, since I had the broken wrist.  But without really much effort on my part, I feel like I know what I want to do for the people I buy/make gifts for.  I've even started thinking what kind of baking I might do (WHO AM I??).

I hope you can think of at least four good things, and that you have a good weekend. :-)

A TGIF Where the First Thing Is a Rant

For a lot of people, Labor Day means the end of summer.  Schools either have already started or will start next week, vacations have been taken, and school supply lists are providing a last gasp of required shopping.  Around here, it usually means that last of the big beach weekends, and on Monday the news will spend a whole lot of time covering traffic jams from the beach back to the city.

We didn't make it to see the ocean once this summer.  Sigh.

Anyway, I've decided that it's time for a TGIF post, and as warned above, the first one is a rant.

Thinking About - how correct spelling seems to be lower and lower down on the list of things people care about.  This morning on the local news, they were teasing a story after the commercial about Hurricane Dorian threatening those in Florida.  It showed am image of a marina, with the caption "YATCH CLUB THREATENED."  The other day, they promised us a "WENDSDAY FOURCAST."  Really?  I understand that on social media for example, not everyone is a native English speaker and I am willing to let a lot slide there.  But one would hope that on a TV station (or print media or wherever things are "official"), that there are people checking things, and then correcting them if there is a problem.  Yes, I knew it was a Wednesday Forecast coming up, but that's not the point.  When The Tim used to work in publishing, he would often receive resumes with cover letters saying that the sender was interested in a job as an "edditor." 

Having said all of that, I guess I'm glad that I don't own a yatch, and have to worry about it.  I mentioned this to The Tim, and he agreed, though he did point out that it's unlikely we could afford a yatch anyway ...

Getting Ready For - the long weekend, and all of next week, when I will be off work!  For once, my vacation time was approved, and I'm trying to make a more conscious effort this year to be able to use my vacation time so I don't lose a lot of it, as has happened over the last few years.  We have an extremely short-staffed department, so it's hard to get time off approved in the first place.  And since we can't carry any time over, you just lose it, which galls me to my core.  I have no specific plans for next week, other than to just not be at work, which is the best plan of all!

Interested In - spending at least some of the next week getting rid o' crap.  Too much is piled up and it's making me nuts, so I'm hoping to do enough of a cleanout to feel that I've made a good dent in all of it.

Feeling - happy that the summer is winding down, though I know there is still plenty left.  And looking forward to next weekend, when we are going to the New Jersey Sheep and Fiber Festival, which is always so good.  It's not that far away, and it's extremely manageable.  I don't necessarily have plans to buy anything, but I love looking at all the yarns and other goodies, and especially seeing the sweet animals. 

I hope those of you that live in the U.S. have a lovely long weekend for Labor Day, and that everyone else has a good weekend.  See you next week!

Another Friday, Another TGIF

I don't know about you, but today on the way to work, it seemed that it was The Super Crazies Are Out Day.  My entire walk was one weird thing after another, and I was actually starting to feel like one of those people on the old "Candid Camera" show, who started looking for the hidden cameras.  Sadly, I'm 99% sure there weren't any, just actual craziness on the streets.  Which made me especially glad it was a Friday!

And so, I have decided that it's as good a day as any for a TGIF post.

Thinking about - what is it that makes others mean-spirited?  An acquaintance made a comment the other day about "People who get food stamps and buy lobsters all the time," which irritates me because that is so not true, but also because it was spoken as someone who clearly never had to rely on assistance of any kind.  When I was a kid there were many years when even though my mother worked full-time, we relied on food stamps to buy groceries.  And it never failed that people in line at the grocery store felt compelled to comment on what was being purchased.  Because, you know, they were the ones "paying for it."  God forbid she buy a treat for us on a birthday or special occasion, then the uproar would be the worst.  Because poor people are not ever supposed to enjoy anything.  Sigh.

Giggling about - my friend Johanna's birthday is today.  She is the person who introduced me to Gams, and every year I try to find a knit-related photo to post on her Facebook page on her birthday.  This year's photo has the caption, "I hope your birthday is filled with music and hot guys."

Nailed it, don't you think???

Ichthyology - OK, this is just a word I had never seen before, or heard of until I started working at my current job.  It intrigues me first of all, because of the whole "c-h,t-h" structure at the beginning, but also because I realized shortly after starting to work here, that "ichthus" is the word for this:

and then it all made sense and mind = blown.  For those of you still wondering WTF?, ichthyology is the branch of zoology that involves the study of fishes.  We have an entire Dept. of Ichthyology here at work.

Feeling like - it will be a good weekend.  First of all, it isn't supposed to be a zillion degrees with humidity, so that's a plus.  Tomorrow morning, Hamlet has an appt with the vet for his annual checkup, shots, etc., and it is always fun to see him at the vet's office, because he LOVES to go there, and is just so happy about everything involved.  That's the only specifically scheduled thing for the weekend, but there are some other things I'm hoping to accomplish, and they are the kinds of things that still leave plenty of time for just being and enjoying.

I hope all of you have a good weekend, and can enjoy some time to do what you want to do, rather than only what you have to do.  :-)

Let's Do Another TGIF, Shall We?

I have to be honest with you - I sincerely doubted that this work week would EVER end!  It has been one of the longest weeks ever, topped off by one of the stupidest/most frustrating days (today), and I have never been more ready for the weekend!  I am in the mood for a TGIF post, so here you go.

Thinking About - how in a couple of hours, the Summer Solstice will be upon us, and summer will officially be underway.  Perhaps this being the longest day is why this seems to have been the longest week?  Who knows.  Contrary to what you may think, I try really hard to be excited for summer every year.  It's my least favorite season, but it arrives anyway, and there is nothing I can do about it.  But when the weather report on the radio says "Next week, summer really settles in; right now, it looks like every day will have high humidity with temperatures in the mid-90s," it's hard to think positively.  I am grateful for air-conditioining, even though I don't like it, but it's frustrating when it is completely ineffective both at home and at work.  Yesterday, according to the little thermometer I keep on my desk at work, it was 85 degrees in our area, with 72% humidity.  So today I am trying to think of things that I enjoy that I want to do this summer - things like planning day trips "down the shore" as they say here, at least four times this year; or, going to our favorite place for fried clams at least once this season - to keep my spirit from spiraling downwards. 

Giggling About  - we both really like Stephen Colbert, and often record his show to watch the next evening.  The other night, one of his guests was Tig Notaro, and she told a story that I am still giggling about!  I mean, just thinking about it again right now has set me off!  Here is what I am talking about, I hope you get a smile from it.

Intrigued By - people who feel the pressure to be "perfect" on Instagram.  I do enjoy looking at beautiful photos, of lovely things, perfect shots, etc.  But I also enjoy most of what people post, because it's a little glimpse of their day, that moment, their thoughts - you know what I mean.  Just this morning I have heard two different people say (one in person, one on a podcast) that looking at Instagram makes them feel pressured to be perfect in every way.  I have to wonder why.  I am in no way a well-adjusted person with perfect self-esteem, but it never occurs to me to feel pressured - maybe because anytime my photos are perfect it's a result of dumb luck and no ability on my part.  Even my best photos that I post on Instagram - or on any social media - are, frankly, not that great.  But to me that's not the point.  I just enjoy sharing them.  Oh well.

Feeling - nervous, though I'm not sure about what.  Also grateful that it's Friday, and the weekend is here.  Also frustrated by the state of our country.  Also tired, since sleep was not my friend the past couple of days.  Also hungry because, well, I'm always hungry.  I'm working on feeling industrious so that I can manage to clean up our craft room/office/junk room at least a little bit in the next couple of days.  I would be pleased if I could even put a small dent into the mess. 

And that's it from here for now.  Here's hoping that all of you have an enjoyable weekend, even if it's not perfect enough for Instagram.  ;-)

In the Mood Again for a TGIF post

Well.  Here we are, another Friday has arrived and March is underway.  I am now on a once-a-week schedule for my occupational therapy, and it's scheduled for Friday mornings at 7:30, which works really well for me.  It means that I get it all done first thing, and then even when I have to still go to work, it's the last day of the work week. 

Having said that, since I am not at work until later in the morning, I have more time that belongs only to my and my brain.  Here's what was rattling around in there earlier.

Thinking About - how undervalued it is anymore to be average and/or normal.  Everyone is obsessed with the Most Wonderful People.  But it's the average, normal people who get up every day and go to work and do the things they are supposed to do  (often providing support to the Most Wonderful People).  And most people do well enough in their schooling to advance through the levels of school.  But only the Amazing Smart People get the recognition.  They go to The Good Schools - which has always made me wonder: Are there parents and teenagers who - if not Amazing Smart People - say to themselves, Oh well, I guess I'll just go to A Bad School, or An OK But Not Really Good School? 

Getting Ready For - a big week coming up.  We have Milo the Koodle's birthday, my birthday, St. Patrick's Day, and then St. Joseph's Day which means zeppoles!!

Interested In - trying to find the best way for me to get myself and my life organized a bit more.  Most people who know me think I'm already incredibly organized, and I am by nature someone who likes to be that way, but since I broke my wrist and have been recovering so slowly, things have fallen by the wayside.  I've decided to try and figure out something this weekend, or at least get some ideas.

Funny - this falls into the category of it's funny but I do know it shouldn't be.  I saw a link to this article on Twitter, and not only does the headline amuse me greatly, but a) it's ironic it would appear on International Women's Day, and b) some of the Twitter comments were hilarious.  My inner 12-year-old boy was amused by the person who said that it proves that "money can't buy happenis." 

Have a good weekend, and be careful out there.  :-)

Another TGIF Post for You

Oh it's been a week, let me tell you.  But you know what?  It's Friday, and in my case at least, leading to a 3-day weekend, as we have MLK Day as a holiday.  I don't even care that it's supposed to rain like a flood on Sunday and then freeze overnight because of the polar vortex, because I don't have to even leave the house except to take Hamlet for walks.  Mind you, I do feel cheated because the flooding rain on Sunday was originally predicted to be snow.  But since it's a long weekend, I'm gonna let it pass ...

Anyway, I have decided that this is a perfect time for another TGIF post to make me re-orient my thoughts.

Thinking about - how if you are someone who loves winter, you are considered some kind of weirdo freak.  But if you love summer, you are "normal."  Who decided that?  No, never mind I really don't care, I will always take winter over summer.  Sorry normal people.

Grateful for - the words of Mary Oliver.  Her poetry may have been dismissed by critics, but for someone like me, who has an ambivalent at best feeling towards most poetry, it made me happy.  Because words and language are a deep and meaningful part of my soul and being.

Inspired by - all of the voices raised to challenge, inform, and share knowledge and experiences this week on Instagram and other places as a result of a blog post by a woman getting ready to take a life-changing trip.  I am guessing that this weeks' events gave "life-changing" a different meaning than she originally intended, but I am glad that people spoke up and out to let everyone else know the real state of things.  I have many opinions (because, well, I'm me), but in cases like this I do a truly poor job of making them coherent.  So I would just ask that you read, think, and learn from all of this.  And try as hard as you possibly can to do better.  I consciously try, and often fail because I haven't give things enough thought, or I just did not know something.  No one should stop learning, ever.

Fun things - I have no idea.  Doing nothing is fun, but so is a good book, a good cup of tea, an old movie (particularly one of the ones that just have you thinking, "What?"), and animals to cuddle.  Or baking gingerbread muffins on a cold day.  Just being, when you are fortunate enough to be able to do that because it's what you want to do.

I hope all of you have a lovely weekend, and a safe one.  Be kind to each other.  And remember that we are all just passing through.

Penn and Oden

Trying Out TGIF

I always enjoy it when Kym does TGIF on her blog, and now Kat has done it a few times as well, so I've decided to give it a try today.

Thinking About - all of the things I want to get done around here this weekend.  None are things that will take all weekend, but all are things I need to just start, if you know what I mean.

Grateful For - the colder weather and the holiday season.  It makes me so happy, and though everyone else seems to wish it was summer, I love fall and winter and the dark nights coming early. 

Inspired By - physical and occupational therapists.  I've had enough therapy to know not just how hard they work, but how thankless it must seem occasionally.  I am always a very conscientious patient, and follow instructions, and do my assigned home exercises without fail.  But so much of the time, I see and hear others around me at the sessions that do nothing but complain, and who seem to truly believe that the therapists enjoy torturing them.  I say that as a joke, but I think you have to be foolish to really think that.  In any event, they carry on and most that I know seem to do it with a lot more grace than I could muster.

Fun - decorating the house and our tree for Christmas!  Those are two of the things on the agenda and I cannot wait.  I love it all, and we have a good time every year, remembering where we got some of our stuff, and who was with us, etc. 

Have a great weekend!