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Archive for the ‘BY THE WAY’ Category

I Got Lost In An Electronic Jungle Today

Posted in BY THE WAY, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , on October 3, 2012| 1 Comment »

Wi-Fi Signal logo

Wi-Fi Signal logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I consider myself to be pretty well-versed in computer technology considering my age (which means it’s possible Finley is better at it than me lol).  BUT today, OMG, what a freakin’ nightmare.  Here’s how it went down…

I opened up my new MAC PRO and attempted to log onto the WiFi in the apartment.  I tried at least 15 times to access it and each time I got an error message telling me the password or the WEP whatever that is was incorrect.  What to do?  I  had brought my new MAC PRO to New York so I could look at the screen  on my pc desktop and read the directions on how to install my company’s remote connection.  I did this because I thought it would be easier than trying to read the PDF on my ‘Droid.  I mean every time I try to widen and enlarge the screen on the phone, it either goes bonkers big or expands and contracts at will all the time moving around the page!  Geez, what a pain that is.  But aha, I have my very own personal IT support person!  I contacted him through  Skype on the DELL to see if he could walk me through the dilemma.  I have TeamViewer on my DELL and also had it on my old laptop which meant he could access my computer remotely and fix any problem I had.   Well of course I don’t have that program on the MAC yet and as he reminded me, I needed to be on the internet in order to install TeamViewer, duh!!! Finally, and I have no idea what I did differently on the 16th try, the MAC picked up the WiFi network.  

When I opened up the desktop  to look at the PDF,  I knew right away this was going to be a problem.  I had come back to New York last week and discovered that my screen had the shakes!  I had left the computer in sleep mode for several weeks and apparently something happened to it. With the screen blurring due to the wiggling pixels it was impossible to read some of the instructions – most specifically the last 3 characters of the website I needed to access.  How ridiculous!  I even tried using  a magnifying glass to discern the words – all to no avail.

OK, thinking that there is more than one way to skin a cat (What a horrible idea!), I thanked God that I had brought my iPad home also and could connect to the company through it.  I was able to access the company files and proceeded to spend 20 minutes trying to retrieve the email sent to me by our IT support person which had the PDF in it.  For some reason, I couldn’t get the side slide bar to move easily up and down the list of emails while trying to find that one.  Maybe I am so used to using a mouse that I couldn’t finesse the electronic touch pad.  Finally, yes finally I found the email and opened the PDF.  Now at least I had the website where the instruction were supposed to be.  How MANY times do you think I typed in those 25 or more characters, underscores, forward slashes and dots?  I don’t know!!!! I called the company IT support person and left a whiny message about how the web address he gave me didn’t work.  I can’t believe I did that because I KNOW it’s never the computer, it’s always the operator.  Sure enough after re-typing it for umpteenth time, I got it right – apparently the address was auto-filling in a lot of the wrong characters I entered earlier and in the end, I realized it was missing the http:// OMG! I had to make a second phone call asking IT to disregard my previous message 😦 (read embarrassed).

I now had 3 computers open in a triangle of about 2 feet AND a large Starbucks Americano.  Well of course the inevitable happened- I knocked it over, screamed and scared the cat right out of the chair and quickly tossed the red-light-flashing mouse out of danger.  After that fiasco, I was able to download and install the remote connection program.  I had this cute little open box icon on my screen and when I clicked on it, the installation directions came up again. Ai yi yi.   I went back to the iPad and managed to move the cursor down enough to get to page 3 and 4 of the instructions and there it was – a picture of the program’s icon not just the box it arrived in.  I looked down at my task bar and there it was.  Needless to say I had already looked there and in the Finder and Mission Control (oh god, I love these MAC terms lol) and never recognized it!

Finally I was able to open the program to make sure it was working and it was.  Time to close the pc, turn off the iPad, pick up the ‘Droid and shut down the MAC and leave!!!! It felt good to get out of the jungle and see the light again.

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Movies That Make You Cry

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, From My Point of View - Personal commentary on Movies and Books, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , on October 2, 2012| 6 Comments »

Cary Grant

Cary Grant (Photo credit: twm1340)

I just walked into my apartment after having dinner with  a dear friend who told me all about her wonderfully romantic vacation.  My husband had left the TV on in the den and of course it was tuned to  ONE OF THE ONLY TWO stations he watches – TCM (Turner Classic Movies).  

And what did I see? OMG I had the good fortune to walk in on the last scene of An Affair to Remember!!!! OMG (again) that scene just rips your heart out and then puts it back in its appropriate place…

Cary Grant was beyond gorgeous in this movie.  Perfectly groomed, hair with a part as straight as I-95, impeccably dressed in his own clothes always sporting French cuffs and there he is pacing nervously around Deborah Kerr‘s living room.  She is posed and poised on the couch dressed in red (after all it is Christmas) and a red coverlet covers her lower body.  Well I’m crying as soon as he starts carrying on about how he never went to the Empire State Building  and she plays it so cool yet conveying through some facial expressions the tumult of emotions at play in her mind and heart.

Tears are dropping down my cheeks and I know that the crescendo of this emotional scene has yet to unfold but it definitely on its way.  The shawl, the confession of waiting and waiting, the deep looks exchanged between the two former lovers….He moves to the door and in true Hollywood pull-at-your-heartstrings style, he stops and turns for one last look.

And then slowly in perfect timing, he explains to Terry why he didn’t take money for the painting…I’m bawling now, sobbing at each passing moment.  The climax is heartfelt and Nickie’s face is a road map of discovery, pain, realization and heartbreak.

What movies make you cry? I have some more, but I think An Affair to Remember is my all-time-guaranteed-to-make-you-cry movie.   Would love to hear from some of my readers which movies cause their eyes to fill up!

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That Delicious Black Hole of Ecstasy

Posted in 100 Word Challenge, tagged , , , , , on September 28, 2012| 2 Comments »

Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women'...

Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Sexual Fantasies (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With each kiss Rose’s resolve slipped away.  It’s not as if she were a virgin but she  didn’t want Jack  thinking she was easy.  Up until tonight, they hadn’t gone much beyond necking and some heavy petting.  Now as Jack’s hands were cupping her breasts, she felt her nipples stiffen.  As he slid his hand up her thigh, she knew she couldn’t stop either herself or him.  Every nerve fiber in her body was screaming for more!  Rose fell into that delicious black hole of ecstasy and each wave  of orgasm took her beyond anything she had ever felt before.

*This is a fictional entry in Velvet Verbosity’s 100 word challenge and a blog hop: http://www.velvetverbosity.com

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5 Phrases UNKNOWN to Generation X andY!

Posted in Obscure Origins of Common and Not So Common Phrases, Thursday's Top Ten, tagged , , , , , , , on September 23, 2012| 1 Comment »

This image shows a whole and a cut lemon. It i...

I bought a lemon.

Today a friend of  mine called and mentioned that she had an errand to do first and then she would go to the (1) Beauty Parlor.  Now when is the last time you heard someone say they were going to the beauty parlor?  When exactly did the beauty parlor turn into the hairdresser’s?

Then tonight we were around some ladies that were indulging in a lot of wine and my husband said, “Yeah, well she was (2)three sheets to the wind.   Every generation has had their own slang and lingo.  I think it was more likely my parent’s generation that referred to being drunk or (2b)tipsy as three sheets to the wind.  My generation got smashed or plastered (now there’s  a visual) (and another phrase that needs explaining).  Generation X and Y get pounded, hammered or wrecked.  The origin of  the phrase three sheets to the wind is based in nautical terminology as you might have guessed.  I was wrong because I thought the sheets referred to the sails.  In fact, sheets are the chains or ropes that are attached to the corners of the sails.  If the ropes are loose then the sails flap in the wind, causing the boat to lurch about like a drunken sailor.

There was a time when a woman with a “reputation” was known to have (3)round heels!  I’ll bet you have already figured this one out-if someone was wearing shoes with round heels, then the slightest push would tip them over onto their back and you get the picture from there.

And  (4)trollops,  those loose women of the last generation. NOT to be confused with Trolls.

(5) Party Lines: Can you imagine trying to explain to your 30 something children that when you were little, not only did you NOT have a cell phone, you didn’t even have a house phone with a private line.  So funny to even write it because I’m sure they don’t consider their house phone lines as private since they have never known anything else.  Prior to WWII multiple lines or party lines were the norm for telephone subscribers.  You shared a telephone line with 2 or 3 other households and each home had their own “ring”.

Bonus phrase: The car is a lemon – that term has been around since 1950’s when used to describe defective automobiles.  Lemons, those cute little yellow citrus fruits used so often to impart a slight tartness to a dish, to make refreshing lemonade in the summer and to make that glass of water in a restaurant a bit more appealing.  How did it ever get to be associated with bad quality and poor workmanship?  I read that it probably came about because lemons leave a sour taste in your mouth and so does a purchase that turns out to be a, a lemon!

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100 Word Challenge – Doing Dishes

Posted in 100 Word Challenge, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 19, 2012| 8 Comments »

I Even Asked Martha!

I don’t have a dishwasher so doing the dishes is done by hand by me in a plastic basin with hot water and Dawn. Silverware first, then glasses, then dishes. I change the water often and rinse everything in hot water.

My husband says I’m washing the dishes in dirty water! He thinks you should wash dishes under running water and doesn’t care about how much water he uses.

My mother washed dishes in a basin: This is how I LIKE doing the dishes.

I sent my question to “Ask Martha” but didn’t get an answer!

Unwashed dishes in a sink; an authentic situation.

Unwashed dishes in a sink; an authentic situation. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The 100 word challenge at http://www.velvetverbosity.com

This is a blog hop!

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Meals On Wheels!

Posted in Everyday Food, Friends, Ha-P 2 B in OG, tagged , , , , , , , on September 14, 2012| 1 Comment »

English: Meals on Wheels 'HotShot' delivery ve...

English: Meals on Wheels ‘HotShot’ delivery vehicle, Hamburg Township, Michigan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I knew I was getting old (-er by the day) and certainly not making the money I once was BUT I didn’t know I qualified for Meals On Wheels!!  Apparently I do because yesterday my cousin Janet (you know the one I like to call Janie) called in the morning and asked Peter if he would like to have a dinner with the most delicious sauce and the pasta of his choice.  That was pretty sexy in Peter’s mind –  and the fact that he found that sexy is yet another story.

We knew we were in for an all-around great day.  We love when Danny and Janet come because we can talk about so many things.  First of all we always like to spend a little time discussing her sister Marian ( my cousin) and the ongoing saga of what to do with the house in Vermont?  Whether to sell the condo in Florida and why not buy or rent something in Ocean Grove?  You know how easy it is to talk about someone else’s business lol lol.

But most of all we love our political conversations.  We are kindred spirits when it comes to politics and as the current presidential election draws closer and the antics escalates, we have much to talk about.  We breezed through the RNC which amounted to a substance-lacking, misinformation fest and liars convention and moved onto talking about the DNC.  Of course since we are all Democrats, it was a lovely conversation praising the eloquence of Bill Clinton, the directness of John Kerry and intelligence, demeanor and character of President Obama.  No surprises there, as I said, we are all Democrats.

However, before we convened on the front porch with drinks and a fabulous antipasto, we spent a couple of hours on the beach.  Is there anything better than sitting on a virtually empty beach on a beautiful warm sunny September afternoon?  Hard to beat that not-too-hot, not humid, soft warmth of the September sun.  The sun has quickly shifted to a new slant in the sky, it knows summer is over even if we don’t want to believe it!  Did you ever notice your shadow at about 11am during this month?  I did a few days ago and realized how intensely dark and visibly outlined your shadow is.  This doesn’t happen during the long hazy lazy days of summer.

But back to the porch…we feasted on exquisite semolina bread brought from upstate – thank God because for some unknown reason, here in the heart of the Jersey shore, I can’t find decent Italian bread.  Janet brought the bread AND everything else you can imagine or will read about in the next few lines.  Perhaps you remember that this cousin Janet, is the one I  have referred  to in a previous blog as the one with the traveling pantry and bar.  Add to that, she arrived with a change of clothes and make-up!  Here’s what came out of that cavernous trunk: A liter of white rum, 2 limes, a cucumber, 3 packages of mint leaves, 2 quarts of her famous homemade macaroni gravy, 2 lbs of spaghetti, the loaf of semolina Italian bread, a container of simple syrup, a container of pre-washed lettuce, a container of tomatoes, special salad seasoning, a stick of pepperoni, a jar of fried Italian peppers, a jar of roasted red peppers, a chunk of provolone cheese and a package of brie, 2 bottles of water for the beach, and 2 quarts of seltzer for the Mojitos.  Gosh I hope I didn’t forget anything!!!  This is serious packing!  And so you can only imagine this delightful antipasto which we relished along with Danny’s famous Mojitos.  Added to all the delicacies she brought, we added Greek olives, green olives, olives stuffed with blue cheese, dolmades and stuffed red cherry peppers.  I am surely prejudiced but seriously you can’t beat a great Italian antipasto!

When the pesky mosquitos started nibbling on Janet and I, we quickly retreated inside where while they watched MSNBC (WHAT ELSE?) I set the table and prepped the dinner.  Eventually we sat down to dinner and once again just kvelled ( a Yiddish word meaning gushing, praising) over Janie’s fantastic sauce (aka gravy).  It was dark, dark red indicating how long it had simmered into a thick rich ragu laden with sausage, meatballs and pieces of pork. OMG! we ate a whole pound of spaghetti!  The salad was barely touched because there really wasn’t much room left after all the pasta we ate.  Except of course we found a bit of room about an hour later for some cookies, dark chocolate and tea.

Thank you Danny and Janet for making my day in not quite Clint Eastwood style – although he did make quite a few spaghetti westerns before he made an ass out of himself at the RNC.

With meals this good, I’m calling to sign up for regular delivery!

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WHERE WERE YOU on 9/11 ???

Posted in BY THE WAY, New York Speaks, Only in New York, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , on September 11, 2012| 1 Comment »

September 11, 2001,the day the world stopped turning, the day life changed as we knew it.  WHERE WERE YOU?   We remember where we were, who we were with and what we were doing on those days during our lives  that mark an unforgettable event.

September 11, 2001

September 11, 2001 (Photo credit: wallyg)

If you are a baby boomer like me, then you remember that infamous day, November 22, 1963.  I was in high school and an announcement came over the PA system informing us  that President Kennedy had been shot and school was dismissed so we could all go home and be with our families.

Our parents could probably tell us just where they were on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7th 1941 and VJ Day!  Life-altering events are etched in our minds and hearts.

July 21, 1969, “The Eagle Has Landed “-Neil Armstrong walks on the lunar surface. The United States has put a man on the moon.   I was at a lake in Connecticut with my   first husband.  We were visiting a friend of the family, it was a beautiful summer day and I remember the thrill of hearing that news!  Oh boy, it was great to be an American that day!

Some of us even remember where we were the day  John Lennon  was shot. December 8, 1980.  It wasn’t life-altering for me but it certainly was meaningful.

And that brings us to September 11, 2001 – This is my generation’s “A date which will live in infamy”.  Where were you that beautiful September Tuesday?  A day with the clearest of clear blue skies, all the better to see the planes as they careened into our Towers.  It was Primary Day in New York City, a day of  political aspirations and apparently also one of sinister aspirations. 

I was with my husband, Peter and we had just voted in the Primary and as we left the polling place, we stopped to greet one of the candidates standing outside.  As we stood with him, a man rushed up to him and asked if he had heard about the plane that crashed into Grand Central Terminal?  We looked at each other in bewilderment and remarked to each other how could a plane crash into the GCT considering it sits in the middle of some very tall buildings – a plane would have to drop out of the sky straight down.

We got as far as the corner of our street and just then a crosstown bus pulled up so I quickly kissed him goodbye and hopped on the bus to go to work.  I normally took the crosstown bus as far as Lexington Avenue where I would board the Number 6 subway train to 59th Street.  The bus hadn’t even gone one block when it was obvious something was wrong.  Many of the passengers were on cell phones and exclamations of “What?” were heard all around.  One woman was on the phone with her mother who was watching a special report on TV.  This woman began to repeat what she was being told. OMG!  I called Peter immediately and said put the TV on.  The bus got to Lexington Avenue and I decided not to get off.  What I had heard and the smoke that I could see as we reached Lexington Avenue, convinced me that going underground was not a good idea.

I got off at Fifth Avenue, chaos and confusion was rampant. Where were the buses?  My cell phone isn’t working – what should I do?  Should I go to the office and if so, how?  Should I go home?  Panic, terror and desperation brings strangers together and so I got in a cab with 2 other women who were heading south.  We were tense, we looked at our cab driver, he wasn’t an American…

The office was in the cold clutches of uncertainty, misinformation and frustration.  What the hell were we doing here?  The TV wouldn’t work, who had a radio? Even the computers were not giving us any much-needed information.  After less than 2 hours I announced I was going home and advised everyone else to do so.

I walked out onto Madison Avenue into a sea of moving humanity.  The streets were filled with people moving northward in around whatever vehicles were on the road clogged in total gridlock.  I found a pay phone and called home to say I was on my way on foot.  I stopped at a bodega with an ATM machine and to this day I don’t know what inspired me to do so but was so glad I did.  I had a premonition that everything was going to be frozen.  I wasn’t far from wrong as shortly thereafter, Manhattan went into virtual lockdown.  You couldn’t get on the island and you couldn’t really get out so easily.  We didn’t want to leave, we ended up glued to the television for the rest of the day and night.  We fielded calls from friends around the country who wanted to make sure we were safe.

My friend Gail didn’t want to be alone, so she came over.  Every television in the apartment was on tuned to different stations.  My cousin Christine wanted to be with us, so she came over. Nobody was leaving, we clung to each other while crying and wailing the same montra over and over again, “Oh my God”.  

Helen called me and suggested we walk to Lenox Hill Hospital and give blood.  So I left with her filed with good intentions only to be turned away – No blood needed – No survivors!

I went back home in shock.  My daughter was living on East 27th Street and she was ensconced safely in her apartment.  Her aunt and cousin joined her to spend the night.  There is such comfort in sharing with those you care about and love, whether it be some joyful news or some tragedy.

That’s how I spent September 11, 2001, I will never forget it.  Where were you?  Let us know.

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SIX WORD MEMOIR MONDAY

Posted in Six Word Memoirs, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 10, 2012| 1 Comment »

I was pleasantly surprised this past week when two readers sent in their own SIX WORD MEMOIR.  As promised here they are:

1. “Less humidity, more energy and fun” – Susan

2. ” It’s simple, we kill the Batman” – Joker – Anonymous

3.   September is to remember summer’s fun – Me

4.  Facebook: Old lovers, new-found friends – Me

5.  Summer is over-September reality check -Me

The Joker as he appeared in The New Batman Adv...

The Joker as he appeared in The New Batman Adventures (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

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100 Word Challenge – FLEW

Posted in 100 Word Challenge on September 8, 2012| 3 Comments »

100 Word Challenge – FLEW

I’ve HAD IT! I can’t stand this raging anymore.  Every night ends in a scream-out.  I just can’t take it anymore.  He just goes on and on and on.  I’ve been trying to bite my tongue, to totally ignore him.  Silently I mouth a prayer while watching the vein in his forehead bulge out.  This could be the night that perhaps he’ll have a stroke or aneurism or anything that will put him and me out of misery.

NOT GOOD, no alimony that way!  He flew off the handle one time too many and I flew the coop! Bye Bye.

This is a blog hop: http://www.velvetverbosity.com

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WHY Am I Crying?

Posted in BY THE WAY, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 6, 2012| 1 Comment »

Official photographic portrait of US President...

President Barrack Obama

It’s been an emotional three nights watching the DNC.  And I’m SO SURPRISED at myself because I didn’t think I cared as much as I do or that I was as afraid as I am.   

Last week watching the Republican Convention, I was disturbed by the misquotes, distortions and downright lies.  BUT not to the point of arguing with anyone about it…No, it was more like a malaise, a mild depression set in.  I’ve been complacent and I think SO many of us who supported Barrack Obama four years ago, have become complacent.  And complacency is fertile ground for a disastrous upset.  We CANNOT let that happen!  I’m so glad I’ve watched the Democratic National Convention these past 3 nights because I am REALLY UPSET now!  I realize I have to sit up and take notice, speak up about my candidate, refute distortions, all the while trying to keep politics out of my friendships because I have several Republican friends.

The thing is being Republican is fine but not this new Republican mind set which seems to be based in racism, hate and distrust.  I saw on some station last week a bunch of hate posters, racist depictions of our President, angry words scrawled and this was in Tampa.  Extremism in anything is never a good thing as far as I’m concerned.

But this begs the question, Why am I crying?  NOT because of any of the above, but rather because my emotions are running so high, there’s been a lump in my throat every night, my eyes have filled with tears.  Why?

BECAUSE:

Michelle Obama is a lovely lady, who spoke from her heart.  She was invigorated with emotion and passion and of course she was also saying things I wanted to hear about women’s rights, the right to get equal pay, the right to choose what to with our own bodies.  I’m not a pro-abortionist, I’m not a right-to-lifer, but I am about rights!

Former President Bill Clinton moved my heart, my mind, and my soul.  I wept with admiration for his ability to capture the attention of thousands of viewers who listened with rapt attention.  He was AMAZING! He should have been a preacher (lol, lol,)well maybe not exactly a man of the cloth.  I was so damn proud to have supported him and voted for him.  Last night I was so damn proud to a Democrat, to be in the same party of beliefs that spawned the likes of John F. Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, Hubert Humphrey, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama.

And tonight between tearing up while Gabby Giffords pledged allegiance to our flag and Jennifer Granholm shouting out the f…….g NUMBERS that saved our economy from tanking further, possibly into a real depression- Had all those jobs been lost, the foreclosures would have been overwhelming and thousands of people would have gone bankrupt, lost their homes and gone onto welfare.  If that weren’t enough for one evening, we got Joe Biden.

The pundits are right when they say don’t underestimate Joe, he is REAL, he speaks the truth, he has lived the way MOST of us have lived and he just talks about what he knows. He was spot on tonight!

Helloooooo President Obama! I’m already teary so it won’t take much to make me cry some more.  As I type this, he is speaking and so far the tone and temperament of his speech is clearly about what he has done, what he knows he has to do, why he should do it AND this is what we NEED to hear. This is why we should re-elect him and let him finish the job he has so intelligently started.  And I am truly glad that so far he has not plucked at the strings of my heart.

I am crying because I’m thrilled with the caliber of speakers of these past three nights.  I’m crying because their ideology is based in humanity, because the ideals and proposals have their root in benefiting the most not just the few, because at my age, I have lived through a couple of recessions, watched and waited for the trickledown to actually drip down enough so I could taste it, because perhaps they are all about the middle class.  Hey I was born into the middle class, I am still in the middle class and 99.9% of all the people I know in my life are in the middle class.  It’s a BIG class, some making huge salaries, some just enough to be comfortable…yes it is a BIG class and since there are many more of us than them, I’m glad my party is working hard to keep the middle class intact.

This is why I’m crying tonight!

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