Leaping' Lizards

I think I have become "Leaping Lena". Years ago, decades actually, when we first moved to Stillwater, I worked night shift at the community hospital. We got to know some of the local characters. One was nicknamed Buster and you would see him walking around town carrying a big stick. Occasionally, he would stop and pound on someone's car with the stick. I never heard of him hitting anyone, but I think people kept their distance. Rumor was he was a former boxer with a bit of brain damage. Another local "character" was Leapin Lena. You would see her bounding around town. She covered ground fast and walked everywhere wearing her funny hat and sunglasses and loping along. We had her as a patient once and I got the chance to visit with this "eccentric" woman. She would wear her sunglasses and either her hat in bed or cover her head with a bath blanket saying she hated the draft from the AC. At the time I thought this odd behaviour but you should see me now when Jon has the bedroom window open at night and the cold air pours in. I sat to visit with her one night and learned she had been a wardrobe mistress in New York for Broadway shows. She was an interesting person and I enjoyed talking to her. Now that I am "loping" all over town at a pretty good clip wearing my hat to keep warm and my transitional glasses turning dark when it is sunny, I realize I have become the new Leapin Lena. I prefer that to being the new Buster.
Everyone has a story. It is good to talk to the seniors and find out what their story is.

Run For Your Lives, You Turkeys

I do my sign at church on Mondays and yesterday's was easy. It was Veterans Day and the sign thanked and honored Vets. I thought next week"s was a slam-dunk too. It will be Thanksgiving week and I can put something about being thankful. One of my pet peeves is having the holiday dubbed "Turkey Day". Have we forgotten it is about thanking God? Non-believers could at least thank the turkey. Anyway I hate that phrase.

My daughter in past years has done a 5K run in downtown Mpls on Thanksgiving morning with a friend. It is promoted as exercise in anticipation of the big eat. One year she did "spinning" @ the Y with a huge group. This year she asked me if I would like to participate with her in a 5K walk. After being assured it was a walk not a run (optional, can do either) I said sure. I am walking 8 miles or 13K everyday now. Piece of cake. Last night when we met for dinner she gave me the entrants # and shirt. The shirt says "Turkey Day Run". Oh, my. Can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em. Maybe we can go "whole hog" and be "top dogs" and win that race. It should be fun and I am looking forward to it.

http://www.lifetimefitness.com/events/turkey-day-5k/

Happy 65th Birthday Jonnie B

The love of my life, my best friend, husband Jon turns 65 today. It is a milestone birthday that comes complete with qualifying for Medicare and enduring bad jokes. Actually you ease into 65. You see it coming. On his 64th birthday he asked, "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64"? Yes, yes, yes. We fed him good yesterday and the kids will feed him well tonight.

We started dating when he was 23. A few months later when he turned 24, his dad (an artist) made him a personal birthday card illustrating a young Jon running into the house announcing, "You had better clear out. There will be cops all over here in a few minutes." I raised my eyebrows. What was I in for? Not to worry, no jailbird. His name did come to mind for the local police when he was growing up when there were pranks pulled. Nothing serious. No juvie record, just his normal impish behavior.

That impish behavior persists. Last week he brought his "Fart Machine" (just a noise maker) to the Monday morning men's Bible Study group. When I invited one of those guys to the birthday party/dinner last night for our church people group, I told him "No Gifts." He said, "Good, I wouldn't know what to get a man who already has a fart machine."

Our "small group" from church helped us celebrate his birthday last night. We started out as a spiritual book discussion/support group and have continued meeting to laugh and eat great meals. We have a gourmet cook in the group (not me). Everyone has a great sense of humor and we have fun. We haven't been too good about following the format for small groups and our pastor will occasionally announce that there is another clandestine small group in church (us). We haven't been seeking new members. 16 is a big enough group for dinners and home meetings.

Last night one of the members who farms told a funny tale about a new use for Diet Coke. He employs several farm hands. One day he sent one to get him a Subway sandwich and a Diet Coke. The guy came back with a 2 liter bottle of the beverage. What do you do with that on the combine? He stashed it in the cab. A short time later he smelled a funny smell. Something was overheating. When he got out of the cab he discovered there was a fire in the engine. Not having a fire extinguisher, he grabbed the Diet Coke, shook it, and put out the fire. Who says God does not anticipate our needs?

Link to another use for Diet Coke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE. LOVE, JANE

MINNESNOWTA

We have had flurries a couple days this week. This am while I was on my walk, we had bigger flakes and a little snow sticking temporarily.

It is beautiful when it snows. We have had snow arrive later and later in recent years. Most agree if we live in a cold climate we might as well have the snow. There is no wind and lazy, big snowflakes in a calm world are gorgeous. I could live all winter without wind or ice, but hope we get some snow for the holidays. Winter doesn't have to last six months but is welcome for Christmas. My x-country skis await me.

When I was growing up my parents would tell about the Armistice Day blizzard of 1940. My dad was stuck in a house in the country for days. Because of the war climate, the weather forecast was not broadcast. My father in-law was at work when someone called his office from South Dakota warning them to go home. A nasty blizzard was coming. He did. Others were not so lucky and there was great loss of life. Many duck hunters did not have cover. The day had been warm and cattlemen lost stock who were out on the range.
Our Halloween blizzard of 1991 was worse, but we had warning. Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armistice_Day_Blizzard

4th Down and Goal to Go

Six more pounds to lose and I will fall into the "Normal" wt. range. No more obese. No more overweight. Normal. That sounds good and achievable. Here is my list of advantages of the diet.

1. I will fit better in an airline seat. It will still be small. It is for everybody.

2. No premium payment for life insurance or health insurance.

3. I can go to a high school class reunion.

4. A ride in a hot air balloon is possible. They ask your weight when they load the things.

5. The highway patrol could identify my corpse. My driver's license has never been accurate.

It still isn't correct, actually, now it says I weigh way more than I do. Got to fix that and the

photo.

6. Will get better gas mileage.

7. I can teeter-totter with thinner people.

8. I don't have to stand in the back row in group pictures.

9. No negotiating with the clinic nurse about that weigh-in before appointments.

10 I'm feeling great.

Groovin...

Kids grow up. A harried parent of young children might think, not soon enough some days but trust me, there are times you will wish you could turn back the clock.
Last evening our son, the college senior, called saying he was buying a new suit. Recruiters were coming to a Career Fair and he had updated his resume but needed to dress professionally. This is the first professional job he has sought. We gave him some advice on where to shop and he called after he had purchased a new suit and shirt. His girlfriend helped him make the selection. I told him to have her take a picture and email it to me. The picture just arrived. Doesn't he look smart? He is a young scientist. Will this outfit impress prospective employers? Not to worry, this is Andy in his Halloween costume--think Don Johnson in Miami Vice. He assures me he has cut his hair and the new suit is charcoal with a pinstripe. Gotcha.

Tired of Delays in Airline Travel ? Try This.

You should watch this video. My son in-law who used to race will enjoy it. It reminded me of how my husband drove our rented Audi on the Autobahn. Drove it fast. Drove me crazy. After all I was an ER nurse who saw damaged bodies from crashes. Someone who had driven in Germany reminded me they don't have to worry about response times of paramedics when those cars crash on the autobahn. The cars disintegrate. No survivors. I finally relaxed a bit knowing I was toast when he drove 125 MPH, but if we crashed when he slowed to 100 MPH in response to my nagging (actually screaming) I was toast anyway. Need for speed. Not my need for speed, it is a guy thing.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIfWPXGnj2o&NR=1