Raymond's Blog
Today is Friday the 13th. I’m not superstitious but I can’t help but notice that the date is the 13th, considered unlucky by some people.
That made me take a look at the calendar. How did I miss the fact that this year is a leap year? February has 29 days this year and there are 4 months that have a Friday the 13th in them.
At my age, dental care becomes very important. The dentist says that people over 40 years old are at increased risk for gum disease, so regular checkups and treatments are very important.
So I go to my dentist every 6 months for a good cleaning. I’m glad we have not had to deal with cavities or fillings in quite a while. But I want to make sure that I keep my teeth and gums in good shape.
And I got a free toothbrush out of it. Woot!
Looking back at 2011, there were a lot of news stories and a lot of drama over the year. Between all the bad and extreme weather, like earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and drought and the pomp of the royal wedding, it was quite a year. This coming year is going to be heavily political because of the coming elections. But I have high hopes that 2012 will be good to us. Let’s hope.
We started a small 10 gallon aquarium this year. It’s only got goldfish in it, but they are lively and pretty and I like having fish in the house. So today I needed to pick up a bottle of fish food. Of course, I could not go into the pet store and not look at all the fish they have for sale. I ended up buying three little tetras to join my goldfish. They eat the same food and they should get along OK with the goldfish without territory issues. Its kind of fun to bring home new fish and add them to the tank.
Ever notice how all the carved pumpkins have bad and missing teeth! It must be from eating all that candy corn! But at least this guy is dealing with the bad teeth problem – he put braces on his pumpkin!
Gift wrapping is a lost art. When I was a kid, getting a gift was a big deal. The wrapping was usually very elaborate. Fist, the gift was placed in a large square or rectangular box. Then a special patterned paper was used to wrap the box. Then a ribbon was wound around the box and a fancy bow, sometimes adorned with ornaments, was the final touch. Every gift was also accompanied by a greeting card. The best cards were Hallmark cards. The other cards were cheaper and considered inferior to Hallmark.
When we opened the gifts, we did not tear into the wrapping. We gently removed the ribbon, saving the bow, and then gently pulled the wrapping paper loose. Sometimes if the paper was in good condition it was salvaged and reused at a later date. Even the boxes were knocked down and saved for later use.
And most important, even if the gift was not exactly what you wanted, you were expected to display a look of surprise and gratitude. A proper thank you was expected and putting the item to use or shared with others with an acknowledgement to the giver was the proper thing to do.
This week I am cleaning out the closet and the laundry room. The focus is on clothes. Anything that does not fit, has tears or stains, or has faded badly will have to go. I can’t stand to have a lot of useless things laying around the house. This whole week will be devoted to purging the old and making way for the new. Its going to be a lot of work, but it must be done.
Had the chance to go to a different part of town today during the lunch hour. I took advantage of the time over there to get lunch at a deli that I used to go to once in a while. The deli is still there, and crowded as ever. You know its good food when people are lined up out of the door and don’t just skip over to a different place because they are willing to wait.
I ordered a muffaletta sandwich – it was a great taste and very satisfying. For only $6 I had enough food for two meals and it was delicious. I’ll look forward to going back soon.
Some people have to endure terrible things in their lives. My heart goes out to victims of any crime and war. What a terrible thing war is – it makes me sad to know that people can be so cruel and hateful and treat each other so badly.
If you have spent any time with someone who has survived a tragedy or ordeal, you begin to notice a pattern of certain behaviors. I don’t see any of the news media sharing this information, but it would be helpful to know how to interact with people coming back from war.
When did Pringles get so expensive? They used to be 75 cents for a tall can. I swear that’s what I paid for them last year when I stocked up for a party. Now they are $1.79 for the same size can. I really don’t think there was a disaster with potatoes. Maybe there was? I don’t know, but more than double the price in less than a year tells me something is very wrong. I still like them, but I guarantee that I will be eating less of the Pringles at this price.