Category: Travel

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Love and Marriage

Last night the news had an interesting segment about love and marriage in terms of the percentage of baby boomers who are now happily divorced.  The statistics did surprise me slightly.

The news report stated that 39% of people believe in not getting married.  The average age of men getting married currently is 28, while females average is 26.  Nearly 51% of marriages will end in divorce.  That is why most couples currently are waiting at least four years before walking down the aisle.

I was surprised most by the percentage of people not believing in marriage.  This must have multiple reasons behind it.  Like I mentioned earlier baby boomers, the oldest this year turning 65, most have already been married have decided that now all they want in a relationship is more of a friendship with no strings attached.  they are discovering that they are much happier not getting remarried.  In a way this is a shame.  Marriage traditionally was meant to be a good thing but unfortunately, with the state of the economy among other factors, marriage has transformed into another hassle/ complication that people are realizing they do not need in their lives.

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Free Shipping

Knowing that there is Free Shipping being offered can make or break my decision on whether or not to actually purchase something online. I have done must of my Christmas shopping on the computer this year and I have not paid a dime for shipping and/or handling.

I work hard for my money and I just can’t afford to throw my money around, especially since this year money has been tighter than usual. I am working as many part time jobs as possible. I seem to be always running somewhere to do something for somebody and it isn’t paying enough for what I need to have.

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Black Friday

Today was the so called Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It is called the biggest sale day of year, I have never went out shopping on Black Friday, I do not like huge crowds and hate the rudeness of the people on this kind of a day. I saw one report of a Wal-mart employee killed by a stampeding crowd in New York. I would hate to think how those people would act if it was an emergency or a natural disaster. Makes me want to stay in my house with my dogs with the door locked.

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Leaf Peeping

It’s that time of year to view beautiful fall leaves.  I like to take a fall foliage trip every year.  I have not yet decided where I would like to go but it will be in New England.

I think New England has some of the best fall foliage.  My favorite colors are red, yellow and orange all displayed on the same tree.

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Cool Nights

As I went to work tonight the cool night air made me shiver. It was down in the low forties and breezy. Made for a cold night riding around with the window to the truck rolled down.

I know it will warm up later on but it was plain cold last night, the first really cool night of the fall season and I know that we have many more to follow, It takes me a while to get used to the cold I am cold blooded so it takes me a while to get used to the cold weather when it starts. Looks like tomorrow will be about the same so it will be bundle up time for me for a day or two I guess.

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Confused Driver

I could not believe my eyes coming home from work tonight.  As I was traveling my regular route home, I saw in the distance ahead of me a car that appeared to be trying to merge.  There is a short stretch of construction in this area where the right lane has to merge with the left.  This particular car was riding the shoulder right up to the point where the barricades begin.  I thought that this person was going to cream into the barricades!  I was afraid to pass him, so I let him in front of me.

Next, I watched this car stay in the lane that must turn left onto the interstate – with the intention of traveling straight.  Just as I tooted my horn to tell him to proceed through the green light and just as he was about to proceed, the light changed to red.  The driver then decided he was still going to proceed through the red light and nearly missed two lanes of traffic that were turning.  Hadn’t he swerved, they would have both T- boned his right side.

When the light changed to green I proceeded to dial the local police and inform them of this erratic driver.  I was able to get up in back of him and get his plate number and a description of him.  As I was on the phone with dispatch he attempted to pull over on the right side of the road.  During this attempt he used his left clinker to pull to the right side.  I hesitated to go around him but I did.  I then pulled into a store parking lot and finished giving directions to the dispatcher.

What a scary few moments that was.  I highly doubt that the local police will ever catch up with him, but I felt it was my civil duty to at least report it.

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Medicare for Mom

As I have mentioned briefly, I care for my 74 year old mother. She came to live with me almost three years ago after taking a bad fall. I love her to death but honestly with her doctor appointments, and prescription refills all the time, it can feel like a part time job. She sees her regular doctor every two months, her cardiologist every three months, and then there are the quarterly appointments to have her pacemaker checked. Luckily, I have a job that allows me to leave and take her to her appointments without any trouble.

We are fortunate that she has good health insurance, including medicare part d. Most of her prescriptions are very inexpensive and very affordable. One, new prescription is $80 per month which is steep! We are fortunate that she is actually on very few prescriptions considering her heart problems.

She is worth it though and has always been there for me, throughout my entire life. I am happy that I am able to have her live with me and care for her. I will never be able to repay her for everything she has done for me in my life, but this feels like a small step towards that.

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Carbide Bits and Vrious Other Tools

After the Labor Day holiday is all over and done with comes early on the first Monday of September this year, I am going to have to look for some handyman services in order to get some of the issues taken care of around the place that I just don’t have the time or the tools or the experience to tend to. I gave up trying to find the carbide bits that I had just purchased last year and other various tools seem to have taken a hike during the spring and summer season. I get so frustrated with trying to find things around here. One day I will get organized, but I don’t think that will happen any time soon.

If you are a home owner you well know how much time, effort and money it takes to keep the house up and running in so many ways, it just isn’t possible to get it all done on my own so a good quality handyman will come in “handy” for most of my needs that should be taken care of before the cold winter months hit us. Something tells me we are going to have a real long and cold winter this year. A winter that starts early and last forever and a day, raising havoc on the population.

There are a few friends and family members that can and do come over on occasions to lend a hand with some projects but it seems that people are getting busier and busier these days and it isn’t always possible to impose on their time and talents. And now with the holidays and then the cold winter months ahead of us it will be more of a challenge so I’m just going to go ahead and pay a professional and get things moving.

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Baby Spiders

Recently I inherited some baby spider plants. I have always wanted spider plants in my house. They are just so unique looking!  At first I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with these gorgeous specimens. I have a green and white striped one and a solid green one.

Then one morning I woke up and while I was enjoying my morning cup of chai tea I spotted the perfect location for these plants to live. My large picture window will be their new homes.

Tomorrow I shall march down to the local hardware store and purchase a couple of plant hangers for the wall. I can then hang one plant up on each end of the window and the mixture and light and shade should be just right. These plants do not like bright sunlight all day.

If they receive this then they have a chance of burning. While I am at the hardware store I will also pick up matching pots. I can’t wait to put this project together. They are going to look fabulous!

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Flower Care

This year was pretty much a disaster as far as my back yard. Usually I would be reaping the rewards of a small backyard garden and giving extra produce to friends, neighbors, family and co workers. Between the weather being crazy and my lack of interest and energy this year, it just didn’t work out.

I did manage to get a few tomato plants that are producing although usually there are plenty of red ones on the vine by now. But they are taking their time in ripening. It is actually a bit better for me because I can only use and give so many tomatoes in the first week of August.

This year’s month August is being call Autumn in August, even some of the bushes and trees are totally confused at to what time of the year it is. There has been several mornings that I have gone outside, the wind is blowing and it’s overcast, that I have witnessed a good amount of leaves on the ground as well a a bunch of leaves being tossed around in the cool breeze.

I think I will back off on some of the food items in the garden next year. A nice break from this yearly chore. I would love to start planting some nicer plants and buses around the yard.

I have all winter to learn what I need to know and do for caring for orchids and all the other beautiful and colorful flowers that I am looking forward to tend to next spring and summer. I can’t wait to start getting all the seeds and flower catalogs that I always find in my mailbox right before the up and coming spring plantings.

In the mean time I’ll be looking around online to do a bit of research which will make all the decisions as an educated consumer.