Just for fun...

After hiking in the 100 degree heat today, I thought this little ice cream quiz was just what the doctor ordered!

You Are Strawberry Ice Cream

A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core. You often find yourself on the outside looking in. Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works. You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Bar Coding Brings About The End Of The World!

While reading last night, a bar code sticker slipped out from between the pages of my book and fell to the floor. As I reached down to pick it up, a memory from my late teens flashed through my mind about bar codes. It was the late 70s and bar code technology for pricing was just starting to take off. Up until that time groceries and other things were still individually marked with price stickers and cashiers had to manually ring in the price of each and every item. So as companies were getting ready to implement bar code pricing and scanners at cash registers, the public was doing a lot of fearful grumbling. It didn't matter how much technology companies and stores explained that check-out would be more efficient and streamlined, there was still fear and ignorance. I remember some people scoffing that it would even be possible to track a price with a striped pattern of black lines. But the major fear with the new bar coding technology was that this was the first step for computers to take over the world! Cashiers feared losing their jobs to computers, and the public feared how far it would go. Would we all eventually lose our jobs to computers?

While bar coding hasn't brought about the end of the world, there have been some unforeseen side effects to this and associated technology. Certainly, bar codes and scanners have streamlined the checkout process especially at the grocery store. I still remember how long it would take to check out groceries when the cashier had to punch in each item....and forget about it if it didn't have a sticker. The price check on aisle 9 slowed the whole process down even more as Billy the Bagger had to run to aisle 9 to check that price. But there were lots of positives too. The cashiers were generally more savvy about the prices in the store barring the occasional price check and all cashiers knew how to make and count out change. For my first job as a teenager, I worked at an ice cream shop and when I began working there they still had one of those old mechanical cash registers...the ones that you had to manually push in the keys for the prices. And if you worked on an old mechanical cash register, you had to know how to make change!

So one of the negative side effects of bar code technology is that too many people have lost or never learned a very important skill....and that's counting out change. Should be a simple math skill. I can't tell you how many times I've had a cashier take my twenty dollar bill, but punch in the wrong amount...and to see the panic, fear, and confusion on their faces when it comes to trying to figure out the correct change! And if your total is $3.07 and you give them $10.02 because you're trying to divest yourself of pennies, but the cashier forgot to punch in the added two cents...well you would think the end of the world was near! Even if I tell them immediately how much change I should get back since it only took me a few seconds to figure it in my own head...they look at me uncertainly and fearful. The saddest cashier memory for me is from a few years, I bought a soda at the gas station and it was $1.07. I gave the cashier a ten dollar bill and he mistakenly punched it in as $1,000.00. That still should be no worries, right? Well I thought the man was gonna cry! And he almost had to call the manager to help him! I told him not to panic and that all he had to do was move the decimal over two places to figure the change and give me $8.93. He didn't want to believe me, so I had to walk him through step by step and count it out. I don't know why I was so patient. I should have just said...yeah dude you owe me $998.93!!

You know though, I think this problem works in reverse too. I've noticed that lots of customers have trouble with this also. In the days before the computer register, customers generally knew how to count change too. I mean afterall, customers were relying on the cashier so counting out your change in your head while the cashier did it was good for checks and balances. Plus a good cashier would always count it back to you, too. Not state the amount of your change, but count it back. Some older cashiers still do this...which I think is good. But for the most part, hardly any of us check to see if we've even been given correct change because we know that the computer figured it and well if it was done by the computer...it must be correct. That's not necessarily flawed reasoning, but that doesn't mean that the cashier actually pulled the correct amount from the drawer. I admit to being complacent in this area much too often myself. I just grab my change without looking and stuff it in my wallet assuming it's correct.

So no, I don't think that bar coding will bring about the end of the world, but I do wonder how much computer technology has contributed to the dumbing down of our society. So while technology has lots of advantages, I think that there have been some unforeseen negative side effects...and the decline in basic math skills may be one of them. But I'm not sure what the answer is though....

The Price of Progress

I love Friedrich Park, it's where I hike and run nearly everyday. It's nestled in the far northwest reaches of San Antonio along the southeastern edge of the Texas Hill Country. The park is about 300 acres and is located in a heavily wooded rural and suburban area. The park was donated to the city by Norma Friedrich Ward in honor of her parents, Emilie and Albert Friedrich. Because of its rural location, the park is a hidden gem. Not a lot of San Antonians are even aware of its existence let alone its location, and that's how I like it! The properties surrounding the park are all heavily wooded and are either undeveloped or are small family ranches. For the most part, you wouldn't be aware of the existence of the mini family ranches because they blend into the surrounding landscape so well. Once I exit the highway each day, I take a winding country road to the park where I often see cattle and horses grazing as well as a peacock or a wild turkey along the road. Every so often an escaped cow grazes along the side of the road because the grass is tastier on that side of the fence! I consider it a successful day at the park if I pull into the parking lot and see no more than a half-dozen cars. This means the chances of me seeing another soul during my hike are slim, and I'll have a good chance of seeing the park's wildlife, too. I know all this sounds very selfish of me, but I don't care. Do you know how rare the availablity of this kind of natural solitude is? Quite rare indeed especially in the country's eighth largest city. In fact, the country's eighth largest city has a shortage of nature trails and parks.

It seems my hidden gem will not remain hidden much longer. I received my Friends of Friedrich Park newsletter which had some disturbing news to me and quite frankly has me a bit bummed out. It seems that suburban sprawl has caught up to Friedrich which is located near I-10. Development has been progressing to the north and west in San Antonio like wildfire, and the gap between the bedroom community of Boerne and San Antonio is about to be closed. My beloved park is located in this narrowing gap. The unobstructed views that I have been enjoying are soon to change. Approximately 1,400 acres bordering the south of the park will be developed into houses. And the property located northeast of the park will be developed into a combination of commercial properties and multi-unit residential housing. The Friedrich Foundation fought both developments, but was unsucessful. The Foundation was able to get some development restrictions as well as an agreement that the developers provide a mini-wilderness preserve on the development located to the northeast and that a spring is preserved on the 1,400 acre residential property. Additionally, with the density of this new development, the Friedrich Foundation is concerned about the future impact and strain to the park. Yeah, me too. I fear vandalism and destruction. I fear the unknowledgeable and ignorant visitors who won't stay on the designated trails which will wreak havoc and cause erosion. I need to enjoy the solitude of the park as much as I can in the coming months because soon it will be no more.

I realize that life is in constant flux and change, but here's s reminder to me that what some people deem as positive growth there will be others that view it as negative change. What is the price of progress? Will there eventually only be postage stamp-sized areas of wilderness and natural areas located within cities and suburbs?

So I'm mourning the loss of the current character of Friedrich Park. However, I am ever so grateful to Norma Friedrich Ward for her foresight and generosity. And I'm grateful to other generous people like her who donate and preserve land for the rest of us to enjoy. Now I'm off to write another check to the Friends of Friedrich Park...it's the least I can do to say thank you.

And check out below one of the unobstructed Hill Country Views which will be changing.

A beautiful view in Friedrich Park...a view soon to change 

I was pooped on yesterday...

Yep, I was literally pooped on yesterday! It was Sarah's first day back at work and she brought the twinklets with her. I think that she really wanted to get some routine and normalcy back into her life as quickly as possible. Of course it helps that our corporate office is my house so that helps with bringing the girls to work! And mom and daughters looked great.

Do you think you can tell anything about a person by how they react in certain situations with babies? Brad was thrilled to see the girls, but wouldn't hold either one. Brad is a dad, so I thought he'd be comfortable around babies. But he really looked squeamish. I was really surprised by his reaction, but and not that I minded, I wound up holding Ripley and eating lunch one handed. It just really made me wonder. Why was he so afraid and unwilling to help? They're just teeny tiny little babies. I guess I'm having trouble seeing his point of view because I like to hold them, and I'm not even one of those women that goes crazy for babies in general...I'm really quite particular. I think it's so easy for me to bond with the twinkets because I love their mom and their big brother. So I realize that I don't want to hold just any baby...having a bit of an emotional investment is important for me. So even given that, I still had trouble relating and empathizing with Brad's fear. I just don't get it. He said that they were just too small for his comfort. Hmmm, yeah I still don't get it. But I held my tongue and held Ripley and ate my lunch. She was content in my arms and I was content to hold her and eat and chat through lunch.

Ripley was pretty much in my charge all day since she was a bit fussy. But as long as she was held, she settled down and was peaceful. Her sister, Malone, slept most of the day so it was easy for Sarah to keep up with her work while keeping watch over Malone. I had just finished feeding Ripley which of course in babytime means it's time to poop....and at the very same time Sarah was having trouble with her laptop. While Sarah asked for computer help, Ripley grunted and groaned in my lap while doing her business. I walked over to Sarah....who took one look at me and burst out laughing...it seems that Ripley was a bit loosey-goosey...and so the front of her onesie as well as my arm and shirt were covered in lots of baby poopsy! Apparently Ripley had been saving me a present! I burst out laughing too...it really was funny and a bit pungent...but poor Brad scurried into the next room fearful of the baby poop. Sarah started laughing at my dilemma but for a split second she looked at my expression...I think momentarily fearful of my reaction to being completely and thorougly pooped on! I saw her relief when I started laughing and just immediately went about cleaning it all up. But Brad hid in the other room scared of the baby poopsy! It really didn't bother me at all. I didn't think it was gross...just messy and quite funny. Figures I'm holding Ripley when she decides to go for the world record size loosey-goosey poopsy! Does that mean anything that it didn't bother me in the least to be pooped on?! Well other than I'm just plain weird?! Now mind you I think my good humor in this type of situation applies to baby poop only. But once again Brad was scared. I don't get it.

So I was pooped on and survived....and I even thought it was funny! All in all it was a good day yesterday, and I look forward to more just like it... poop and all!

A National Socks & Underwear Program

I just returned from a shopping trip where I had to buy socks and underwear. I hate having to buy that stuff, and I don't think that I could be the only one who hates it, can I? There's just something about having to spend money on what I deem disposable everyday essentials that I have trouble with. Maybe it's the cost of these items that I find so irritating. Have you seen how much companies charge for a lousy pair of socks? It's ridiculous, and I'm gonna have to throw them away in a few months once they wear out anyway. And I almost don't even want to mention how ridiculously priced women's unmentionables are. Now I'm not cheap by any means. I have no trouble spending $100 on a pair of shoes. I guess I just have a mental block in this area though. How can a teeny tiny bit of material cost so much? It seems that companies price these items in inverse proportion to the amount of material. How can a skimpy little thong cost four times as much as a white pair of granny panties with three times the amount of material? The thong has a fraction of the material as the granny panties. Have you seen how much material there is in those granny panties? You could carry groceries in some of those, but they cost a fraction of the price of a thong! I sense a conspiracy among underwear manufacturers. They prey upon people's vanities and desires to be fashionable. Luckily I don't have that problem! My underwear cheapness prevents me from going overboard and spending too much on a bra or panties. Don't get me wrong, I like sexy lacy bras as much as the next woman, but I don't want to have to spend very much money for one. And I don't think I should have to either. Come on there's hardly anything to that little skimpy bra, why does it cost so much? I just wait for a really good sale to get my lacy bras. Of course I think the sale price that I'll pay should be the regular price. I do have a smidge of vanity though that prevents me from buying those white granny panties. Yes, they are the best buy for the money, but I just can't do it. For some reason I gravitate to the color purple for my underwear and bras, and I've noticed that to get my sensible little purple cotton bikinis I've got to buy a whole pack of other colors and quite often the manufacturer sneaks three pairs of white panties that I wouldn't buy in the first place. So now I really think I spent too much for my purple cotton bikinis because to get them I had to buy three pairs of white panties that I didn't want! It's a conspiracy I tell ya! Why can't I buy a whole pack of purple or even blue cotton bikinis for a reasonable price? Why?

I think the reason is because there aren't enough underwear cheap people like me. Case in point, my friend, Sarah, told me a very amusing underwear story a while back. Several years ago she and her husband rented out the room in their garage to a very nice fellow. Sometimes this guy's girlfriend would stay the night. Well one day the girlfriend called Sarah and asked her if she had seen a pair of panties that she had left at her boyfriend's. Right before the girlfriend called Sarah had come in from the backyard carrying an elastic waist band that she found. Her dogs have a penchant for stealing and eating fragrant unmentionables! That part of the story didn't faze me since my dogs raid the kitty litter for poopsicles! Anyway the woman was frantic because they were a $60 pair of imported silk panties! As she was holding the elastic band, Sarah calmly told the woman that no she hadn't seen them, but she'd certainly look! Naturally later Sarah reported that she couldn't find them anywhere. Now most folks would be focused on the amusing and gross dog part of that story, but all Sarah and I could think of was who the hell spends $60 on a pair of panties!! Let me tell you, I better be getting a whole year's worth of panties for that!

So this got me to thinking. These underwear prices are simply out of control kinda like health insurance and we all need health insurance just like we all need underwear and socks. Okay some people may not wear underwear, but I bet they still wear socks! There's been a push for a while now for a national health care program. I'm not sure it's gonna happen, but we do have to do something. Well I think socks and underwear prices are out of control too, and I think manufacturers much like health insurance companies are taking advantage. So I propose a National Socks & Underwear Program. Everyone would be provided with decent quality whatever color they wanted within reason cotton underwear. It would come in briefs, bikinis, string bikinis or thongs. You want imported silk? Sorry you've got to buy that yourself! You know I think this is a really good idea. I think I should call my congressman right now....

What a difference a day makes!!

Wow, there is a lot of truth in that statement! By yesterday afternoon, I had myself wound up pretty tightly until I thought I was going to explode! I guess the stresses in my life and my high expectations of myself converged this past week until I was close to melt-down. I think my disturbing dreams were my wake-up call to listen...and listen I have with the help of some friends.

Isn't it funny how you can have something staring you right in the face, but it takes a friend standing next to you to point out what should have been obvious to you in the first place? The burdens and stress that I have been carrying as well as my high self-expectations have been staring me in the face for quite a while. But have I been choosing not to see them or have I just not been paying attention? Does it even matter?

There was a good kind of covergence of events that began yesterday afternoon. First, I went for my hike, but I didn't treat it like the Olympic Trials and instead decided to enjoy the scenery first and put the exercise second. And guess what? It was an enjoyable relaxing walk and run. I didn't see another soul the whole hike with the exception of two deer grazing along the trail, and I stopped to watch them for a few minutes. I never get tired of seeing deer and these two let me get close enough tolgaze into their beautiful brown eyes. Upon returning from my hike, I had a wonderful e-mail waiting for me from a friend. The note brought me a smile and a laugh, and it was a playfully sarcastic reminder to take a chill pill and cut myself some slack. I got the message! Then last night I began reading a book called, Start Where You Are...a guide to compassionate living. And talk about the synchronicity of life...the chapter that I ended on last night was about not letting the big stuff in life get to you...treat it as no big deal...Regard All Dharmas As Dreams or stated another way...Every Situation Is A Passing Memory. I won't go into detail here about it, but suffice it to say the book isn't New Agey crap but good common sense advice that we too often forget for ourselves. And once I got to the section of life being a dream...and all of life is nothing more than passing memories upon passing memories....well it just added to the seed of peacefulness that I had begun feeling. I slept well last night and had pleasant escapist dreams. I worked in my beloved gardens this morning. And just before I sat down to write this post, I received yet another email from a friend. In it she empathized with my plight, and then she wisely reminded me that perhaps I should heed one of my posts from earlier this week, Laughter being the best medicine. Ah-ha I have been well and truly caught! Thank you and point well taken!

So why am I writing all this down? Well for one, somehow it feels good to dissemble onto paper, so to speak. Somehow it helps me release any remaining anxiety and I figure like my laughter post, this post may come in handy to me in the future as a helpful reminder. Also, I figure that the events and feelings that I've discussed here don't just apply to me, they really apply to most of us. Too many of us let things pile up on us until they become a large burden and our high self-expectations make the burden that much heavier. So maybe someone else reading this may see a glimpse of themselves and maybe in that way by helping myself I can help someone else too. And that's what it's all about...helping ourselves and each other.

So remember if you're having a bad day...don't worry it's a passing memory...and if you're having a good day...make sure you embrace it....because it's a passing memory! And take a chill pill, and smile and laugh...it can only help!

Pleasant Dreams?

Pleasant Dreams? Ordinarily I would answer this question with yes. I usually look forward to sleeping and dreaming. My dreams usually provide me with a certain amount of pleasurable escapism from my daily stresses. But what has been going on the last two nights?

This morning I awoke from another disturbing dream. Since I awoke from this dream, the imagery and associated symbolism were clear to me. And I've had variations of this particular dream when I've been under stress in my waking life. I was on an airplane, and sitting at the back. I had been asleep on the plane when I suddenly woke up to see out the window that we were flying barely above the ground. In my dream, the plane nearly skidded the top of a very long pier and the pilot held on until we were over the water. The plane began to climb steeply and we tore through some power lines. The pilot announced that he was going to have to look for a place to land, but by this time we were over water. At this point, I asked the people sitting near me on the plane what had happened to the plane, and they very tersely told me that since I had been sleeping during the initial crisis, they weren't going to tell. Needless to say, this upset me in my dreamscape and I begged them to tell me while the plane continued to struggle on. I awoke just before it crashed.

The symbolism of this dream was easy to decipher especially since I've had variations of this dream in the past. I wasn't paying attention, and consequently while I wasn't paying attention events and/or my life spun out of control. And not just out of control, but on a crash course.

When I'm under stress, the life out of control and paying attention themes are common to my dreams. The disturbing dream from the night before last involved someone very close to me and the dream was about them deceiving, betraying, and lying to me, and I didn't see these events until it was too late. This is the dream that's been with me for a couple of days now, and I think it's this one that affected my concentration yesterday. In this case, it's not so much the themes of the dream, but who was starring in the dream.

Dreams aren't literal or mine aren't anyway. But I can't shake the dream from the other night. Why did my mind choose someone so close to me to star in this dream of betrayal and deceit? I dunno.

I noticed that the disturbing dreams began after I visited with Sarah and the twinklets. I've been terribly worried about her these last two weeks and I have been feeling a bit helpless in that regard too. So since I saw that she is really okay on Wednesday, are these dreams just a pressure valve release for the stress that I've been under? But I can't see how the betrayal dream would apply to my worries and fears for Sarah. Could that be something else?

Things have been stressful of late with my other business partner, Brad. And distrust and deceit have been themes with him in the very recent past. But days before Sarah delivered the girls, all three of us had a meeting and seemingly resolved, at least for the time being, the trust issues and other concerns that Sarah and I were having with Brad. Or am I just kidding myself on that one and my mind is telling me so with the very disturbing betrayal dream?

At a minimum, I think I've been under more stress than I allowed myself to think. I tend to be so self-reliant and determined that maybe things piled up on me and now my mind is giving me a warning. Or maybe it is just a pressure valve of release now that I see the danger that Sarah was in appears to be over for the most part. And maybe part of it is that I expect so much of myself in everything...mentally and physically. Maybe I need to give myself a break and cut myself some slack. I cut the slack for other people, why can't and won't I do it for myself? I dunno.

Some relaxation is in order though. And a little more introspection. I can only hope for pleasant dreams tonight....

I must be tired still...

I got a good night's rest last night and woke up refreshed. Or so I thought anyway. As the day wore on I noticed that I had trouble concentrating and this lasted all day. I also felt a bit unsettled all day and I don't know why. Could I still be tired from babysitting the twinklets yesterday? Or is it something more?

By the afternoon, I thought my usual hike/run would be just what I needed to clear the cobwebs! No cobweb clearing today. From the very beginning of my hike, I felt myself dragging. Boy what a difference from Monday and Tuesday! I dragged all the way around, but still I pushed myself through all the running sections despite being tired. And being the stubborn cuss that I am, I even made myself do the "Big Hill" twice today. I did it, but with cement feet the whole way up. And since I was feeling off, I had to be extra careful running down the somewhat treacherous hill. I didn't want a repeat of the tumble that I took a few weeks ago and wind up with another bloody knee.

Could the twinklets have tired me out that much? Usually when I take a day off from my hike, the first day back is usually really good. Not today. Even the chocolate pudding an hour before didn't help today!

So no spectacular hike today. Just a weariness that I feel still as I write this. Another good night's rest is in order I think. And I can only hope that tomorrow is not a repeat of today. Time will tell...

Doh!......Fatalism

I really try to be an open minded person...and keep my mind open to other views and opinions outside of my own....and I've even changed my opinion on some things over the years, but there is one viewpoint, one philosophy that has me seeing red and one in which way too many people seem to espouse...Fatalism and more specifically Theological Fatalism. What a load of crap!!.

I'm all riled up about it again because it seems to be popping up here and there. Just this week the newly elected mayor's wife stated in an article in the paper that she's a fatalist and when it's your time to go...it's just your time to go. WHAT?! Again I say what a load of crap. That kind of thinking drives me crazy. My own mother thinks the same way! I can't tell you how many people I've heard being interviewed on the tv news after a preventable car crash say....well you know it must have been God's will...and when it's your time...it's your time to die.

What a bunch of bullshit? How can so many people embrace this silly idea? I'll tell you who espouses it....it's all the sheep out there! Sheep, sheep they're everywhere! And they seem to find comfort in this philosophy. How can you find comfort in a philosophy where you are nothing more than a pawn on God's chess board at the mercy of his every whim? It just doesn't make sense.

I think the folks attracted to fatalism are those that need some kind of explanation for why bad things happen to good people. Fatalism does that...it was God's will or it's part of God's Plan for us. I'd like an explanation too, but the Fatalist reason for bad things happening to good people doesn't cut it for me.

I suppose the biggest problem with theological fatalism that I have is that I don't believe in God in the first place or at least the Judeo-Christian idea of God...so naturally I'd have some trouble with the idea that things happen because it's God's will. But even the little more ambiguous idea of....when your number's up..it's up....well I still have problems with that. It still implies that someone or something is calling the shots and you are only a pawn in the game. Phooey. I don't like it.

And another thing...Fatalists are too ready to abdicate responsibility. Following preventable car crashes where some live and some die, I've heard the principals and families involved actually explain the disparity in who lived and died by citing that it was God's Will. Hey stupids...how about Billy Bubba shouldn't have been drinking and driving and racing!! And Billy Bubba's friends shouldn't have gotten in the car with him. No, of course they didn't deserve to die...but they made poor choices and unfortunately paid for it in the most costly way. How about owning up to poor choices?

But what about the innocents in the other car? Unfortunately, I don't have a good answer to that...sometimes Shit Happens. It doesn't mean that it was supposed to happen...it just did. I believe cause and effect along with free will are responsible, but the relationship isn't always obvious and may never be understood. That's the universe. We don't always see the intricate relationships and interdependencies, and we may never understand why some events occur.

Fatalists are often the ones to point to terrible things like the 911 attacks or the AIDS epidemic and say, it was God's will. Or for those poor souls in the Towers they say of the ones that died... it must have been their time to go and for those that lived...it just wasn't their time. Again I say Bullshit!

So the sheep take limited or no responsibility for their actions....because it's God's will! Well I wish God's will was that the sheep think for themselves. DOH!

Adventures in babysitting....

Okay well no hike today. I am too tired to even think of going to the park! I'm sure the peanut gallery that already thinks I have inhuman amounts of energy is secretly and maybe not so secretly glad to hear that! What is it that has conquered my seemingly endless energy reserves? The heat I can handle. The exercise I can handle. I mean, hey, I can even fall down and tear up my knee and still keep going much to the chagrin of the peanut gallery! But what is it that has managed to finally knock me on my ass??!!

Well they have great power in inverse proportion to their size and have been known to make grown men cry...whoops I guess that last part is a bit much. Two magnificent creatures weighing no more than 18 pounds put together and who have only been on this earth for a little over a week....my honorary nieces, Malone and Ripley, made me too tired for my hike and have me contemplating going to bed really early tonight!!

Today was the first day that I got to see them and I went over to Sarah's to babysit to give her and Chad the opportunity to get out of the house for awhile. The girls are beautiful and each weigh a little over 8 pounds. When I saw them, I couldn't believe that they ever even fit inside Sarah! It was amazing. Neither one was really fussy or anything like that. I guess I've just forgotten just how tiring it can be to take care of a baby. And in this case two of them! And let's not forget, big brother makes three.

On one hand it made me a smidge nostalgic for when my nearly grown sons were babies. But it really was only a smidge of nostalgia. I have lots of good memories and believe me that's enough for me! I've already fallen in love with my honorary nieces and love their big brother. I love Sarah too and I love being able to help her out. But I also really, really love the ability to give them back to their mama at the end of a long tiring day!!

So it'll be a nice relaxing evening for me. I just hope that I can build up some babysitting stamina for next time though. Even if they knock me on my ass each and every time...it's worth it!

Laughter, it really may be good medicine!

I just read an interesting article in the paper yesterday about a new research project studying the health effects of laughter. The researchers discussed the fact that there have been quite a few studies done on the health effects of negative emotions including depression and other negative stressors. And there's plenty of research that shows negative emotions trigger all kinds of negative body reactions including releasing unwanted biochemicals into the body. So the researchers wondered what effects, if any, do positive emotions such as laughter have on the body and subsequent health.

So they took two subject groups and sent one group to watch a dramatic and very angsty movie while the other group got to watch a comedy. Testing which included drawing blood was performed on both groups prior to the movie and immediately after. Guess what they found? Yep, it appears all sorts of good things happened in the bodies of the folks watching the comedy while some not so good things were going on in the bodies of the angst movie watchers. It seems that the comedy watchers experienced lowered blood pressure and the release of endorphins as well as other beneficial biochemicals into their systems among other things. The researchers are cautiously optimistic though and said that their results warrant further testing.

Does this mean that hospitals should consider banning CNN and other hard news stations in patient rooms? Should the only news that hospital patients see be quasi-news programs hosted by Jon Stewart? Should the Cartoon Network and the Comedy channel be the only two stations piped into the hospital for patient viewing? I think this may be a good idea. What if recovery rates could be increased by watching Conan O'Brien or Bugs Bunny? It couldn't hurt, right?

This study made me think of my own health history as well as a couple of friends with some current health issues. I think back in time to over 18 years ago when I was in the hospital following a c-section. I had been in hard labor for about 15 hours which in the end resulted in an emergency c-section. It all turned out alright, but I was exhausted. Later that night, my husband and I were watching David Letterman to wind down from the trying day. It was during the relatively new Stupid Pet Tricks segment where both my husband and I were thrown into hysterical laughing fits. It was the silliest dog trick, which really requires a visual, that even threw Letterman and the studio audience into laughing fits. And the dog wouldn't stop which added to the hysterics! I laughed so hard that I started to cry...and then literally I was both crying and laughing because it felt like my stitches were splitting apart! But neither my husband or me could stop laughing. He even ran over to the hospital bed to help me hold and push the pillow laying over my stomach to keep my stitches from splitting. I finally had to beg to please turn off the tv and yet I laughed on...and cryed too because it really hurt! Anyway, I slept great that night. That laugh was just what I needed. And to top it off, my recovery progressed so well that I was released from the hospital a little more than two days early. In fact each time that I've been hospitalized, I've managed to be released early.Of course I haven't been in the hospital much,thankfully. But I've always been quick to heal, and I always assumed that it was because I hate hospitals and doctors so much. So now after reading this article I have to wonder, is the fact that I'm so quick with a smile and a laugh partially responsible for my excellent recuperative powers? I hope it has something to do with it...because that's something I have some control over.

So now back to those two friends. This whole idea that laughter may have some tangible positive health benefits gives me some hope. There really isn't much in a tangible way that I can do regarding the health of either one and that makes me feel a bit helpless.And like most people, I don't like to feel that way. Sure I can offer comfort and support, but I'm a Do-er and I'd like to do more. But if smiling and laughing have real health benefits, well this is something that I can help with. So Dr. Renee is gonna to do whatever she can to get them to smile and laugh. It couldn't hurt anyway, right? Oh well, I guess it could a little, but it will be worth it!

Another Great Hike!

I did it again! I had another great hike today. Despite the blistering temperatures and sweating like a pig.....hey where does that phrase come from anyway...do pigs really sweat profusely?....but I digress as usual....despite the extreme heat, I tore up the course. The running sections were a breeze. I felt great the whole way around and the time flew by. I even tackled the "Big Hill" twice again today. So once again I wonder, did I feel so great because I was present in each moment or was I just having a good day? Or was it because of the chocolate pudding that I had an hour before my hike?! Who knows?! Whatever it is, I just hope that it continues. Only time will tell.

Customer Service

What has happened to customer service? Being a Vegetarian can't be that unusual these days, can it? Maybe it's because I live in a big meat state such as Texas. Can Texans absolutely not fathom the possibility that you can have a good meal without meat? Not all restaurants have vegetarian fare, so I've learned to be flexible and have begun asking restaurants to hold the meat on some dishes. Most are acommodating but they need to train their waitstaff properly. Case in point, and this has actually happened to me several times and with different waitstaff at different restaurants. I'm at a restaurant for lunch and I want something more than a salad. Great they have a turkey sandwhich so I'll just ask them to hold the turkey. That should be easy, so that's what I do.

" I'll have the turkey sandwhich, but hold the turkey please. " This request is followed by silence and a bewildered look from the waiter and then...

" Ah ma'am, you don't want any turkey at all? "

"That's right, I don't eat meat. So just hold the turkey, please. "

"Ah ma'am, are you sure? The turkey's the main part of the sandwhich? And the turkey's really good. I can put it on a plate on the side for you. Are you sure you don't want me to do that?"

"Yes, I'm sure...I don't eat meat and it's a perfectly nice sandwhich without the turkey. "

I get one more bewildered look from the waiter until he finally acknowledges my request and moves on to the rest of the table's orders. The waiter finishes taking the orders and walks away and it's at this point that I begin to relax and my companions chuckle over the whole exchange. Okay, so I've seemingly convinced the waiter that I don't eat meat. Sheesh, you'd think I had three heads or something with the looks I get. So I think I'm in the clear and a few moments later he returns to the table and asks,

" Ah ma'am I forgot to ask you earlier, would you like bacon on that sandwhich? "

SERENITY NOW!!! I think to myself. Patience Renee, if you lose your cool, you're gonna wind up with a nice big juicy spit sandwhich.

I take a calming breath as I feel the frustration beginning to bubble up and I reply as calmly as possible, "No thanks, I don't eat meat. "

He nods and walks away. I roll my eyes and my lunch companions laugh. Sadly this has happened more than once. Even more sadly, it's happened to me at a vegetarian friendly cafe. None of the vegetarian fare appealed to me, so I asked for a sandwhich without the meat. Even the vegetarian friendly restaurant waitstaff gave me the business.

I can't help feeling annoyed that I have to jump through hoops just because I asked them to hold the meat. The funny thing is that I know that if I were to have asked for twice the amount of turkey...the waiter wouldn't have batted an eye and probably would have informed me that there would be an extra charge.

The thing that bothers me the most is that too many of the waiters and waitresses border on being argumentative about it. Why is asking to hold the meat some sort of tacit invitation to debate me? Why is it if I ask to hold the pickles or something they don't bat an eye....but ask to hold the meat and you'd think I was asking for something illegal?

I have noticed though that this seems to happen mostly with sandwhiches. Is there some law somewhere that says all sandwhiches must contain meat? If so, then I've been breaking this law all my life even when I was a meat eater. Could I have been ridiculed all these years for eating tomato sandwhiches? Or what about cucumber sandwhiches...surely that would earn me some sandwhich scorn?

I need to take a new approach. Maybe I should ask what the difference is to them between asking to hold the pickles and asking to hold the meat. Better yet, I think I need to start telling them that for every second they stand there dabating me, their tip will be reduced. If I do that though, I'm afraid it will earn me the dreaded spit sandwhich! So I think I need to start asking to speak to the manager. The manager needs to train and educate the staff...not me. But I won't ask for the manager until after I've eaten my sandwhich!

I just want a sandwhich without the damn turkey! Oh well, I'll try to see the positive side. It could be much worse you know, I could be a Vegan!

Living in the present moment

Was I able to follow my own advice today? I went for my usual hike/run today, and it was in the mid-90s when I got to the park. By all rights today, I should have felt like I was going to melt into a puddle of goo. I felt that way last week under similar conditions, but I forged on as I always do. But somehow today was different. I felt great! Sure it was hot and I was sweating up a storm. But it didn't bother me. Every step was fabulous! I had energy to burn and I felt great even during the running portions. The time went by so quickly,much to my dismay, that I went back and tackled the 'Big Hill' a second time. I felt both energetic and serene at the same time. I enjoyed the sounds of the gentle breeze through the trees and the crunch of my feet on the gravel path. I enjoyed the scenery even more than usual too...and it's scenery that I've seen hundreds of times. But it was no matter. What a wonderful hike! Was it so wonderful because I was present in each moment? Or was I just having a good day? Does it really even matter either way? This I don't know. Will I be able to feel this way again tomorrow...and how about the next day? I guess I won't know until I try. And try I must...that's all I can do.

The Game of Life

Last Night watching Game 5 of the NBA Finals, I was reminded of one of Life's Truths that seems simple yet is so difficult to master. Be in the present and live each moment fully.

Last night's game was a nail biter between the Spurs and the Pistons which went into overtime. It was a must win game for both teams and the pressure on each team was evident throughout the game. But the Spurs prevailed in the end by 1 point with the game winning 3 point basket by Robert Horry. Horry was poetry in motion the whole game and he was clearly in "the zone". There was no evidence of the importance or extreme pressure in his game at all. He appeared to be poised and relaxed. So when he received the pass and turned to make the 3 pointer, he made it look like the easiest thing in the world to sink a game winning basket. His play was in complete contrast to teammate, Tim Duncan, who struggled the entire second half and who looked like he played with the weight of the world on his shoulders. In fact, Tim had the chance to make the game winning basket in the last few seconds of regulation play, but he choked. He was grasping for the future not living in the moment.

When the floor reporter asked Horry how he was able to handle the extreme pressure to make the game winning shot, Horry just smiled, shrugged, and replied that he just likes playing basketball and playing basketball is fun. Ah, so there it is. He was playing to have fun. He wasn't playing for the future outcome. Although I'm sure he was fully aware of the importance of the outcome of the game, he didn't worry it or grasp and claw for it. He played each moment in the moment and he had fun doing it! So the future outcome worked itself out.

So that's a reminder for all of us. Are you living in the present? Are you living and enjoying each moment as much as you can or are you fretting about the future? Are you too caught up in worrying about the report deadline? Are you too worried about paying the bills? Or worried about where you'll be living next year? Stop it then. Worrying about the future won't help the outcome and all that you wind up doing in grasping for the future is you lose the present. Live each moment and each moment after that and the future will take care of itself. Yes, you must plan for the future. So make your plans and do what you must to set them in motion. Once done though take a step back to the present. Take joy wherever you can because you won't get this moment back ever again. Of course most of Life is not a Game, but we can make it so here and there. Have fun when you can. Smile. Laugh. And know that the future will be better when you really and truly live each moment and find joy whenever possible in the present!!

Well, I did it!

I've been enjoying a friend's blog so much she asked me if I had considered having one of my own. And until she asked me...I hadn't considered it at all. As you can see, I've considered it afterall. So I think I'll give this a try and see where it takes me. I'm gonna try to post everyday.....and about what? I dunno...probably whatever strikes my fancy! So we'll see where this road takes me....and speaking of which......here's the inspiration for the title of my blog.....one of my favorite poems by Robert Frost:

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.