Hey, go out and party like a rock star, but drive home like a parent or a child, or a sibling or a spouse. Be safe. Crash at a friend’s if you have to. Don’t let friends walk out the door drunk with car keys. I’d rather you call me to come get you drunk in the middle of the night than have to go identify your body.

Fresh berry parfait

We’re anticipating a big blow out here in Andrealand tonight. I just got back from the market where I bought fresh strawberries, seedless white grapes, bananas, raspberries, vanilla greek yogurt  and a box of Nonni limone biscotti. I’m going to make little parfaits of sliced fruit layered with the yogurt and berries to snack on.  I also bought sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes which I’ll add to a light soup of chicken broth flavored with lemon grass and ginger, maybe one goat pepper chili, some star anise maybe add a few shrimp or piece of tilapia.  Light eating today!  I’m ending the year 11 pounds lighter than I began it.

You know those moments when you think about whether or not you should say something? Here are 5 rules you can follow.
1.  Is it true?
2.  Is it kind?
3.  Does it need to be said?
4. Does it need to be said by me?
5. Does it need to be said by me now?

I just looked at couches at Kane’s Furniture, even tho they’re always overpriced, they don’t negotiate and they charge $100 for delivery. The one I liked best was $742. Then I went to Furniture Liquidators while I was on 192 and for $512 out the door they delivered (for $25 and two hours later) a similar couch that I liked just as well.   I bought my big puffy recliner from Kane’s two years ago; they delivered the wrong chair 3 days late and the right one a week later.  I almost drove by Furniture Liquidators without going in, thinking they only had beds since I knew I’d bed shopped there in July.   I was stoked to find the perfect couch today and to get it hours later. Grace was the sales chick and she was really fun.  The drivers were two young handsome 20 something dudes who carried the couch around like it weighed nothing.  They were very cool.  I have interesting things here so it’s fun when visitors ask questions, like about the multi-denominational altar that takes up the living room.   We did have to hack a path through the eleagnus hedge surrounding the back porch to bring it in through the sliding glass doors since it would not fit through the front doorway, but I didn’t hesitate.  Even though I’ve been growing that hedge across the doorway for 6 years and have just gotten it thick enough to hide the door – I made the cut!  Onward and upward.  New times!  Prune away the old to make way for the new!  And now, for the first time in many years, I have a couch in the living room.  Not just a recliner and straight chairs and a gazillion floor pillows.  A couch, just like real people have.

I was showing a galpal my new phone yesterday and told her I really like the Google maps feature that shows me on a map where I am and what direction I’m heading.  My car does not have a gps, so it’s a handy feature to have.  She was quick to tell me that also means whoever wants to find me via my cell phone can now do it with the same technology.  “Do you want everyone to be able to find you anytime?”  Um, everyone like who? “Oh, the police, the government, anyone…” What are we, like spies now?  The police and the government can find me thru the public records and my tax returns, too.  She also doesn’t vote or have homeowner’s insurance.  She’s also always in boundary fights with her neighbors and zoning issues with the city since she raises animals.  She might live a life where she thinks she has to hide what she does, but I don’t.  The thing is, she doesn’t even do anything illegal or borderline, it’s just always in discussion.  I know several people like this. Always focused on the latest conspiracy, how the government is out to get us now.  Pullease.  It’s just the government.  Let them get us.  Do what’s right.  Live a life you’re proud of.  Pay what they tell you to pay.  Trust that it will work out and it will.  Don’t limit your life to a mere small slice of what it can be.  Live transparently and live out loud.

I’ve had ATT cell phone service way back from when it was Cingular.  I never had a problem with service or dropped calls.  I’ve been out of contract for years.  I just switched to Virgin Mobile for cost and am stoked they offer the option of porting my current ATT phone number to the new phone.  Over the years, I’ve connected with many authors and speakers and publicists and they all have the old number.  I usually hear from them when we all happen to be at an event together out of town and we’re after hours looking to see who else might be there to goof off with.  No one has the old number that I want to avoid, like a bill collector or anyone I’m hiding from. Those days are long gone.  So, it was easier to just take the number with me.   If I gave you the new cell phone number, toss it.  If you have my old cell number, that’s the current number.  Also, I love the voice to text feature on this phone, so I no longer bite your head off if you text me 😉

I wrote on Facebook tonight, “So if I buy a new computer now, Microsoft Office (with Microsoft Word for Windows) is no longer included? Is there any typing program included with basic new computers?”  Dave Fulton reminded me that Wordpad, a very basic word processor, comes with Windows.   Stan Lewis told us, “Try Open Office – http://www.openoffice.org/ – The Free, Open Source Office Suite.  Completely compatible with MS Office, WordPerfect, etc. and free.” Good to know!

My across the street neighbor has been driving out early each day and when he’s gone, I open my office window and blinds and let the morning sun stream onto my desk. This is the window that if I have the lights on at night and the blinds open, it is like I am on a tv screen for everyone on the street to see.  In the daytime, I have more privacy though, since the eleagnus bush at the street line hides me.  You literally have to stand at a certain spot on the driveway or in the yard to see into my office window and you have to know where to look.  So when the neighbor drives out for his early errands, I open my blinds all up and feel like I have a giant picture window onto my street as the sun comes over the treeline. Continue reading →

My friend Domino has for 30 years made Christmas cookies for her hubby from Halloween through New Year’s.  There were a dozen types he liked and she was such a good cook.  She denied him nothing.   Two years ago, he had some health problems that necessitated a change in his eating habits.  He still loved his treats.  Domino realized it was up to her to take charge of his health as long as she was the one who cooked for him.  If she wanted to keep him around, that is.  She decided she did.

Fruit and Berry Kabobs

She put away the flour, butter and sugar and began making protein, vegetable and relish trays for him each evening, including chunks of grilled chicken tossed in buffalo sauce, cubes of low fat cheeses, or his favorite celery sticks with lowfat peanut butter.  She bought fresh and canned fruit and made him banana, berry and fruit kabobs.   She’d mix him light and healthy drinks with sparkling water, lemon slices and fruit, as well as fragrant and relaxing teas and lowfat cocoas and cappuchinos for after dinner.  It’s such an elevated way to honor your beloved, to feed him only what keeps him healthy and whole.  And if you know it is his habit to munch in front of the tv, have something good for him.

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