I'm sure many of you won't know or appreciate who Ed Yost was. Not to be confused with "Eddie Yost," the baseball player. But I appreciate who he was and I actually had the privilege of meeting him. He was a character & a half! A real hoot. He was one of the most fun codgers I ever had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with. I'm sorry to say, he passed away this past Sunday (5/27/07) at his home, near Taos, NM. He was 87 years old.
Ed Yost (born Paul Edward Yost, 6/30/1919, near Bristow, Iowa) was the Father of Modern-day Ballooning. He was an inventor and a pilot, both fixed-wing and balloon. And in ballooning, he was rated for just about every type of ballooning you could imagine! He was rated for hot-air balloon "with air-borne heater" (as the FAA terms it), and for gas balloon. He kinda wrote the "book" on ballooning. I realize that here in New Mexico, there are a few other guys around who have a similar "title," but Ed was the one that really kind of educated them. Ed really was the Father of modern-day ballooning. . . the others were off-shoots. And, I think none of them have been as gracious, kind, friendly, and "real" as Ed always seemed to be.
I won't take up bunches of space here with the story of his life. His accomplishments were many and he was an amazing fellow, although what I knew of him, he was also a bit modest and never took himself too seriously. That was one of the things I really liked about him. He was fun to be around.
I'll give you a few links that you can check out if you'd like.
http://www.lighterthanair.org/ellis/ed_yost.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Yost
http://www.balloonlife.com/publications/balloon_life/9801/9808/deIIyost.htm
http://www.nysun.com/article/55436
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=357233&Category=23&subCategoryID=
http://sev.prnewswire.com/travel/20070529/AQTU09129052007-1.html
That should be enough to get you started! haha Like I said, he was a real character!
I had the opportunity to meet him . . . Let's see, what was the year? I'm pretty sure it was Summer of 1981, in Amarillo, Texas, at a hot-air balloon rally. I was only a student pilot at that time. (I got my private pilot license in November of 1982.) I was at the Amarillo rally with my husband at that time, Norm. The Amarillo Balloon Rally was also affectionately called "the high wind landing practice rally." I think there was something like four flights scheduled, but I think we only got in two of them, in the mornings. The afternoon flights were "winded-out" as we say in ballooning. Those turned into tailgate and BS sessions.
I met Ed the first morning of the rally, after flying. We had all flown, landed, packed-up and returned to the launch site, as was customary back then. That's when the tailgating & circulating began. Ed Yost was making the rounds, just talking to everyone. I think that he lived in the Amarillo area at that time, and so I suppose he was wanting to check in with everyone to make sure that a good time was had by all. He stopped by our truck and we hung out with him for a while.
Ed had founded the Balloon Federation of America (the BFA) a few years prior. But he had since had a falling-out with them. Ed vehemently disagreed with their strict focus upon competitive ballooning. He felt that went against the spirit of what he had founded the BFA to be. So he not only came up with another name to fit their acronym (I'll be polite here and say it was Big Farging Aiceholes, but you get the idea) . . . but he also founded the UN-bfa. The UN-bfa was a tongue-in-cheek group he had made-up patches and stickers for and he handed them out to fellow balloonists. It was his way of getting the word out that he disagreed with the (then) current policies of the BFA, and that he felt that the focus should be more on the fun of sport ballooning and safety and education. . . but definitely the fun. He later resolved his differences with them, and they now have at least an equal, if not bigger focus on ballooning safety & education, as he had always intended.
So Ed was telling the group of us (about 5 or 6 people at our truck) about the "UN-bfa" and one of the Yost rules (there were about 10 of them, if only I could remember them, they were funny) mandating that whomever was the last to receive an UN-bfa patch & sticker, was the "president" of the UN-bfa. He was in his early 60's at that point and I was (I think) the only gal in the group. Back then, I was a pretty, 20 year-old woman, with long hair and. . . well, he was a guy! So he was flirting it up with me and I managed to finagle one of those UN-bfa patches from him. Of course, he reminded me that I now held an awesome responsibility, I was "president" of the UN-bfa. That lasted for all of 10 minutes, until the next person got an UN-bfa patch.
It was a fun weekend hanging out with Ed Yost. He had so many great stories to tell and cool experiences to relate. He was different from some of the other "famous" balloonists in that he was more "down-to-earth" (pardon the pun) than any of the others. He was NEVER full of himself. He was kind, fun, friendly, and warm. He was a joy to be around. And. . . he was a wealth of information.
I have seen him many times since that weekend, at various other rallies and fiestas. He always seemed to be the same ol' fun-to-be-around guy I met back in 1981. I know he will be missed a great deal.
Farewell Ed. Thank you for everything you did for us and everything you taught us. And most of all, thanks for the memories.
~Paulena
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Thyme Management
Greetings! I hope you all had a terrific holiday weekend. Memorial Day weekend is kind of a mixed bag. For some, it's very recreational, and for most it would seem -- signals the "unofficial beginning of Summer," as I keep hearing the newscasters say. And for others, it's very personal and somewhat introspective, I suppose. Ideally it's a time when we remember all who have served our country and respect what sacrifices they made for the citizens of our country. We should respect the freedoms they have fought for and have afforded us. Freedom has never been free. I know that's kind of a worn-out phrase now, but true none-the-less. I for one, am very grateful to all who have served our country. I am thankful for all my freedoms. Thank you!
So how did I spend my time over the holiday weekend? Well I didn't get enough done, but it will still be there next weekend too! This weekend I spent doing mostly some landscaping and gardening in my yard. It's been a multi-layered plan of attack . . . It just takes time! Lots more work to do, but I'm chipping away at it. A few more trips to Home Depot &/or Lowe's, should help. I have (and have had all along) a series of plans that I want to accomplish each year for the yard. Eventually it will be "done" the way I want it. But due to time and expense, it will take a couple more years. At some point this year, I'll make it over to "Plants of the Southwest" and choose a tree for my back yard. On Sunday, I did manage to relax a bit. I was back at landscaping on Monday. So nice to have that extra day off. More time please!! I came to the conclusion that ALL weekends should be 3 days . . . and holiday weekends should be at least 4 days! haha Let's vote on that, shall we?
When I bought my house in December of 2003, the backyard was very desolate. I saw it as the proverbial "blank slate" on which to paint my gardening & landscaping aspirations! It didn't appear that there was anything alive in the yard. 
There was one small tree (or large bush) that was in question. I had to give that some time and wait until Spring 2004 to ascertain it's condition and variety. Oh . . . yeah, there were two pyracantha bushes in each back corner. Wouldn't you know -- THOSE had to be alive and well! I intensely dislike pyracantha bushes -- it comes from a bad childhood experience. But they are banned from all my yards. So my Dad & I wasted no time and took those out right away, in January 2004!! Other than that, my back yard appeared to have no other life. It was all rock . . . that gray, medium-size stuff, and the questionable tree/bush in an oval-shaped, brick-outlined, sandy-dirt area. Since the property had been abandoned for about a year and a half before I ever bought it, there were a lot of dead weeds to deal with.
Come Spring of 2004, I was mostly done with the house interior cleaning and painting. But I still had a lot of work to do -- in the yard. Such is life buying a HUD repo, but Oh-so worth it! Then, I discovered the
questionable tree/bush was indeed very alive and it was a Desert Paradise tree. Seen here, is the little tree in it's first bloom as my tree. At the time of this photo, I had also just planted my little butterfly bush (only about 8" high) opposite end of the brick bed, and some garlic chives and some Greek Oregano in that same bed. Also here, a close-up photo of the tree's blooms, complete with a cooperative bee.I also discovered a wonderful little surprise rose bush (in the back there, very small, near the fence) that struggled through and made it. It has yellow roses. So that was it for life in my backyard initially. Then I set to work on it. I started with what I could initially afford that first year and began planting various herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, feverfew, sage, curly parsley, garlic chives, bee balm, yarrow, chamomile, & tarragon) and flowers along the back edge and the sides . . . making flower beds as I went. But the edging had to wait. That's when I planted the little butterfly bush that I had been nurturing in a pot for a year. It was in a 8 inch pot and only about 8 to 10 inches high at that time. It is now almost 7 feet tall!
My second Spring there (2005), I started working to build two raised, brick flower beds. One in each back corner, both of them three-tiered, quarter circle. I had never tackled anything quite like that before. Except for hauling the castle-bricks from the store to my back yard, I did all of it myself. My trusty friend Carol helped me haul the bricks for that project.
Then I was on my own. I smashed one of my index fingers in the process. OUCH! That will never look right again! Since it was my first attempt at building a raised brick flowerbed, I would do a few things differently now. I have since learned a lot, but all-in-all, the flowerbeds turned out fairly nice. I also began edging the side
flowerbeds with matching castle bricks. A pointer for any aspiring landscapers out there: Don't wait until next year to finish getting "the rest of the materials" for the project you began this year. I did that with the castle bricks and now two of the colors I was working with I can no longer find. Oh well! Punt! That year, I also ordered three Fairy Rose bushes from a catalog. Of course when they arrived, they were not much more than sticks with a little bit of root system. But they were guaranteed so I had nothing to loose. I planted those next to the wood fence on the south side of my yard. Now, each of them is about 3 or 4 feet around! Amazing what a little time will do!
Once I finished my nice, pretty, brick, raised flowerbeds that I was SO proud of . . . Well, then wallboy entered the picture. A new next door neighbor arbitrarily decided to cram an ugly, 6-foot, cinder block wall (down my throat) into the picture. It replaced the old 5-foot, wood fence. Sure, it had needed a little bit of maintenance work, but the wood fence had character, it breathed better, it didn't radiate heat, it was more
colorful, and just looked better. Oh . . . and I could see my beloved Sandia Mountains and the city over that fence. But the new, ugly wall has since blocked that view, and has added about 10 degrees of reflected heat to my yard in the Spring, Summer and Autumn. 
Last Summer, I began my irrigation project. But I ran into trouble when the person who was helping me with that couldn't finish the project right then. We got as far as trenching, laying in the pvc piping, designating where the risers would go & getting those put in, and then filling in the trenches. Connecting the pvc piping to the works - and connecting that to the water source and timer . . . that remains to be done. There was a time when I wasn't sure if he could ever help me finish it, or if I would have to hire someone to finish it. For a time, I got all depressed about that. It set back my progress too. Turns out if he is able to help me finish it, it will have to be sporadicly, or he will refer me to someone who can finish it for me. So in the meantime. . . here we are a year later trying to tie up those loose ends! So I'm still getting out there with the hose-sprayer every evening. I suppose it's "quality time" spent with my garden?Right now, my yard is kinda ugly as it moves through it's transition phase. No photos of that yet. Check in soon, I'll post some. But for the moment, the irrigation phase is not yet complete. There is pvc piping sticking up in weird places, and while the trenches where the pvc pipes were run have been filled in, you can still see where those trenches were. I have not yet rehabilitated the ground along those lines. I keep thinking, "What if I need to dig that up again to troubleshoot a pipe issue? I don't want to have put a bunch of time & work into it and then wreck it." So this
year, I'm getting my flowerbeds back in order. I'm finishing the castle-brick edging of the side and back flowerbeds, that I began last year (or was it the year before?). And oh My, how that Honeysuckle bush has grown since last year!!! This year I'm having to put up some lattice to train the Honeysuckle to, so I'll be putting it up on that whole fence. The plan is to also put lattice up on the ugly cinder-block wall, on the other side of my yard. I'm hoping that will cut the reflective heat and replace some pleasant character to the yard. It will also give a place for future vines to grow. . . hopefully beginning this Summer!I've planted one small tree -- a Mimosa tree that will eventually grow to be medium-sized. I have marked and designated another spot for another tree, and I'm moving around lots of rock. I'm redistributing almost ALL of the gray rock in the entire backyard. Eventually it will be mounded-up as the banks of a rock river running through the yard -- that I've had kind of outlined with an old gray edging. Talk about back-breaking! Moving those rocks? Eeeks! I have to take a lot of breaks!! This will make the space for what will eventually be a "meadow area" on the back-side of the yard. Like I said, there is still lots of work to do, but I'm chipping away at it. I'm not sure what I'll have time to complete by the end of this Summer, but we shall see.
Before wallboy and before beginning the irrigation phase, I thought my yard was kinda pretty. Definitely much prettier than Before I started! I guess it's in that "awkward stage" right now. But eventually, I'll have the peace restored to the yard.
Redoing the deck? hahaha THAT will be another project for . . . another year. Maybe even railing and a patio cover to go with it. One thing at a time. Sometimes I get antsy to get it all done. All good things in time! There's that word again! Oh well . . . That should be no problem, now that I'm growing thyme! So far, I have "Mother of Thyme," "Creeping Thyme," and "Lemon Thyme." I suppose it's all about Thyme management!!~Paulena
(BTW -- All of these images are my photos and they are copyrighted. I hope you enjoyed them.)
Friday, May 18, 2007
Something Wicked This Way Went?
Today at work, we had an interesting distraction. The building I work in is a suite of offices. It's a relatively small, but long building that houses suites A,B,C,D, & E. Each suite has office or storefront space in front and warehouse-type space in back. I work in suite A. At the other end of the building is a business that occupies suites D & E. THAT is where today's action took place.
I wasn't immediately aware of the activity. One of my coworkers came in about 10:00am and told me that the police were checking out the dumpster near suite E. It's the dumpster for our entire building, and it is partially obscured from the street by a clump of bushes. I'm not sure who called it in, but it turned out that someone had deposited a gray, curb-side type of garbage receptacle into our dumpster. That was odd enough, but the gray garbage container was wrapped and sealed in plastic. This happened to be the usual day the truck comes to empty the dumpster. So perhaps it was the sanitation workers who first saw the suspicious sight and called the police. Of course the first thought my twisted, mystery-minded brain came up with was, "Gee, I wonder if it's a body!? And why would they have chosen this specific dumpster? There are other dumpsters up and down the street that are more visible and more accessible, so who would have chosen this one?" You see how my spooky mind works.
Over the course of about an hour to an hour & a half, the saga unfolded. Once the police got there, I guess they did some investigation to determine that the parcel wasn't booby-trapped. Then they managed to extract the gray container out of the dumpster. They set it in front of the dumpster. Of course, I had to be indoors during most of this . . . I was at work after all. So I was periodically looking out my window or poking my head out the door to see what else was going on. I happened to step outside to check on things just as they were about to unveil the mysterious container. One of the sanitation workers tore open the plastic . . . and stepped back. There was a look of disgust on his face. I thought, "It's got to be awfully bad if that guy is grossed-out! After all, he deals with stinky trash everyday!"
The police officer stepped forward a step, as if to see through the top. But the lid was not yet opened. The one sanitation worker stepped forward again, very carefully. It was as if he expected something to jump out . . . or worse! He apprehensively opened the lid and flipped it backwards. The other nearby sanitation worker looked horrified. He ran from the container and over to the bushes and he puked. Meanwhile the first sanitation worker had a rag up to his face, covering his nose and mouth. He stepped forward and peered into the gray receptacle. He reached in and grabbed out a small, closed garbage bag and tossed it into the dumpster. It made a metallic clank-sound as it hit the side. He reached in again and grabbed out some Styrofoam pieces that appeared to have once been a cooler. He tossed those into the dumpster. Then he stepped closer and peered deeper into the trash can. He began pointing at something inside and saying something to the nearby police officer. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he repeatedly pointed and backed away. There seemed to be a bit of urgency to his communication.
After a few times of pointing at the contents, I suppose the officer told him to get it out. The sanitation man moved closer and freakishly pushed at the gray trash can and tipped it over. At that point, my coworker and I could see a medium-sized, white trash bag lumped in the bottom of the container. I assessed the sight and decided, "Hummm, I suppose it could be a body, curled up maybe." Just then the wind shifted, and we got our first odoriferous whiff of the cargo. It was awful!! This is the part you don't get from watching CSI! I understood why the other sanitation worker had lost his breakfast! It was truly nasty. Then the wind thankfully shifted again. The officer stood by and supervised as the sanitation man continued poking at the bag and trying to pull it forward and out of the overturned container. They finally pulled it forward enough that I suppose they decided they could see through the bag well enough. Deciding it might be somewhat safe to open the bag, they declared it was old, rotten, discarded steaks. After making their declaration, they pushed the bag back into the gray garbage container and hoisted the entire thing back into the dumpster. They dusted off their hands as if to say, "Good riddance!" Then they talked and laughed a bit. I would imagine it was a huge relief to the sanitation worker.
Since the story seemed to be resolved, my coworker and I went back inside, and yes, back to work. I kept expecting to hear the loud, heavy garbage truck to drive through the parking lot to empty the dumpster. I never did hear them come through. Thinking that perhaps I was in the warehouse when they came through, I decided to look outside and see if the infamous gray garbage can was gone. It's still there!!!!!!!! It's still in the dumpster, just as they left it! So, it would appear that they intend to leave it there over the weekend! Great! Sometimes the workings of the city services really astonish me.
So that was our excitement for the day. Sad, I know . . . that trash would elicit such drama! haha I know, I watch too much NCIS and CSI. But these days, you just never know! What was possibly some scary, wicked drama with much at stake, turned out to be nothing major and only discarded steak.
Wishing you a good and uneventful weekend!
~Paulena
I wasn't immediately aware of the activity. One of my coworkers came in about 10:00am and told me that the police were checking out the dumpster near suite E. It's the dumpster for our entire building, and it is partially obscured from the street by a clump of bushes. I'm not sure who called it in, but it turned out that someone had deposited a gray, curb-side type of garbage receptacle into our dumpster. That was odd enough, but the gray garbage container was wrapped and sealed in plastic. This happened to be the usual day the truck comes to empty the dumpster. So perhaps it was the sanitation workers who first saw the suspicious sight and called the police. Of course the first thought my twisted, mystery-minded brain came up with was, "Gee, I wonder if it's a body!? And why would they have chosen this specific dumpster? There are other dumpsters up and down the street that are more visible and more accessible, so who would have chosen this one?" You see how my spooky mind works.
Over the course of about an hour to an hour & a half, the saga unfolded. Once the police got there, I guess they did some investigation to determine that the parcel wasn't booby-trapped. Then they managed to extract the gray container out of the dumpster. They set it in front of the dumpster. Of course, I had to be indoors during most of this . . . I was at work after all. So I was periodically looking out my window or poking my head out the door to see what else was going on. I happened to step outside to check on things just as they were about to unveil the mysterious container. One of the sanitation workers tore open the plastic . . . and stepped back. There was a look of disgust on his face. I thought, "It's got to be awfully bad if that guy is grossed-out! After all, he deals with stinky trash everyday!"
The police officer stepped forward a step, as if to see through the top. But the lid was not yet opened. The one sanitation worker stepped forward again, very carefully. It was as if he expected something to jump out . . . or worse! He apprehensively opened the lid and flipped it backwards. The other nearby sanitation worker looked horrified. He ran from the container and over to the bushes and he puked. Meanwhile the first sanitation worker had a rag up to his face, covering his nose and mouth. He stepped forward and peered into the gray receptacle. He reached in and grabbed out a small, closed garbage bag and tossed it into the dumpster. It made a metallic clank-sound as it hit the side. He reached in again and grabbed out some Styrofoam pieces that appeared to have once been a cooler. He tossed those into the dumpster. Then he stepped closer and peered deeper into the trash can. He began pointing at something inside and saying something to the nearby police officer. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he repeatedly pointed and backed away. There seemed to be a bit of urgency to his communication.
After a few times of pointing at the contents, I suppose the officer told him to get it out. The sanitation man moved closer and freakishly pushed at the gray trash can and tipped it over. At that point, my coworker and I could see a medium-sized, white trash bag lumped in the bottom of the container. I assessed the sight and decided, "Hummm, I suppose it could be a body, curled up maybe." Just then the wind shifted, and we got our first odoriferous whiff of the cargo. It was awful!! This is the part you don't get from watching CSI! I understood why the other sanitation worker had lost his breakfast! It was truly nasty. Then the wind thankfully shifted again. The officer stood by and supervised as the sanitation man continued poking at the bag and trying to pull it forward and out of the overturned container. They finally pulled it forward enough that I suppose they decided they could see through the bag well enough. Deciding it might be somewhat safe to open the bag, they declared it was old, rotten, discarded steaks. After making their declaration, they pushed the bag back into the gray garbage container and hoisted the entire thing back into the dumpster. They dusted off their hands as if to say, "Good riddance!" Then they talked and laughed a bit. I would imagine it was a huge relief to the sanitation worker.
Since the story seemed to be resolved, my coworker and I went back inside, and yes, back to work. I kept expecting to hear the loud, heavy garbage truck to drive through the parking lot to empty the dumpster. I never did hear them come through. Thinking that perhaps I was in the warehouse when they came through, I decided to look outside and see if the infamous gray garbage can was gone. It's still there!!!!!!!! It's still in the dumpster, just as they left it! So, it would appear that they intend to leave it there over the weekend! Great! Sometimes the workings of the city services really astonish me.
So that was our excitement for the day. Sad, I know . . . that trash would elicit such drama! haha I know, I watch too much NCIS and CSI. But these days, you just never know! What was possibly some scary, wicked drama with much at stake, turned out to be nothing major and only discarded steak.
Wishing you a good and uneventful weekend!
~Paulena
Monday, May 14, 2007
Clueless Wheels
"What are 'wheelies'?" my grandmother asked me. Ok, so why was my grandmother asking me about such things? Ah . . . where to begin.
It was a beautiful Mother's Day, and I was out for dinner at a popular restaurant with my family. The place was extremely busy that evening. There was an hour wait, just to be seated! The wait-staff was hustling and bustling at a quick pace to serve everyone. There was a booth of people behind me with 3 or 4 kids. That family was allowing their kids to pop in and out of the booth to run to the bathroom (or wherever), multiple times... indiscriminately, it seemed. They were never watching where they were going . . . just dashing in and out, without looking. It was a bit annoying, but what are ya gonna do in a public place? You generally just grin and bear it as best as you can. Two of their kids had those "wheelies" shoes with the wheels in the soles. I'm not totally sure how they work, but somehow the wearer can either walk in them like regular shoes, or they can choose to engage the little wheels in them and roll, like roller skates. They seem kind of cool, but not for everywhere!
It has been a topic in our local news lately, how several local business owners and store managers have recently banned wheelies from their places of business. Much to my astonishment, I have even heard a few people squawking about how unfair that is. But these kids are frequently not watching where they are going. They seem unaware of their impact on those around them. And it seems, these kids are not being taught that there is a time and place for things, and crowded places are NOT the place to use wheelies! The story I'm about to relate to you, is a perfect example of why they are being banned!
My family and I were sitting in the booth, just finishing our meals. We were chatting, as best we could in a noisy, bustling restaurant. I was looking around periodically. I saw one of the kids (I'm guessing he was about 9 or 10 years old) from the booth behind me, coming back down the corridor, from the direction of the restrooms . . . again. It was about his 3rd trip. He was solo, unaccompanied by parent or adult. Suddenly, he picked up just a little bit of speed and engaged his wheelies. He rolled right in front of a hurried waiter who was carrying a tray of plates with steaming-hot food. I gasped and held my breath for a moment, as if that might stop time and avert catastrophe! The quick-thinking waiter stopped short, on tiptoe . . . trying not to lunge forward with the momentum of his movements. For a half second, I thought the tray loaded with plates and food were going to keep going forward and land on people, then crash to the floor. Much to the waiter's credit, he slightly tipped the tray backwards, and then quickly leveled it again. It was an amazing feat to witness! The plates and food miraculously stayed on the tray, while the mindless child blithely rolled by, completely unaware that he had nearly cause a disaster for several people. "Hey, cool it on the wheelies!" I chastised him as he rolled past our table to his family's booth behind me. He gave me a sideways glance, but wouldn't look at me directly . . . as if my laser stare might singe him.
A couple of minutes later, that waiter stopped by our table. He smiled and said, "Oh don't we hate those wheelies?"
I said, "Oh Yes, and parents who allow them free reign on them in public places without teaching them to be responsible are also a menace. But you were so graceful!"
He chuckled. "Thanks."
"You know," I said, "A lot of businesses are banning the use of those things in their stores. The wheels are supposed to pop out... they just make the kids pop the wheels out if they want to come in. You should tell your manage to consider that."
The waiter's eyes lit up as he smiled again, "Hey . . . Yeah! That's a great idea! I'll tell him. That was just too close a call. Thanks for saying something to that kid."
He wished us a Happy Mother's Day, and he went about his job.
That's when my grandmother asked, "What was that all about?" I told her of the drama that had just unfolded behind her . . . the kid on the wheelies had rolled right in front of the waiter and almost caused the waiter to loose a tray of food. That's when she asked me what wheelies were. I described them as much as possible to an 87 year old lady. I related to her what I had told the waiter about businesses in town banning the wheelies. Then she said, "Good. And so you told that little boy to 'cool it,' right?" I confirmed that I had. She chuckled. "That's my girl!" she boosted, with a smile. You see, women in my family are typically not shy about expressing our views. Someday, perhaps I'll tell you about the time my mom bumped a low-rider in front of her, because he sat through three traffic light cycles. Like I said, not terribly shy!
I'm sure that stupid kid didn't learn anything. I doubt he ever even knew what a problem he caused. And since his parents were probably not paying any attention to what he was doing, most likely nothing was said to him, other than what I hissed at him. I swear! Sometimes I think people should have to have to pass a test to obtain a license before they are allowed to have kids! But don't get me started on that today!!
So now, my grandmother knows what "wheelies" are, not that she ever really wanted to know. And I'm sure the controversy about them will continue to heat up. I just wish that people would teach their kids to take responsibility for their thoughts, deeds, and actions . . . and to realize those actions have consequences and frequently affect other people. But then, when many of the parents have apparently not learned to take responsibility for their own thoughts, deeds, and actions . . . there is the rub. I wonder how far the pendulum will have to swing before our society gets back to what use to be known as "common sense."
What? "Other than that, how was Mother's Day," you ask?
Oh, actually pretty good. It was a beautiful day here in Albuquerque. I gardened in my back yard most of the day. Then it was great to have dinner with my mom & step-dad, my dad & step-mom, and my grandmother. We had fun.
Oh, and I got a live lizard for Mother's Day. One of my cats proudly brought it to me, while we were out in the yard. He seemed to be beaming over his thoughtfulness, and his prowess as a hunter. My little hunter. Last year, it was a live bird that he brought to me in my bedroom . . . and let it loose. What a sweet, thoughtful kitty!
That's all for today.
~Paulena
It was a beautiful Mother's Day, and I was out for dinner at a popular restaurant with my family. The place was extremely busy that evening. There was an hour wait, just to be seated! The wait-staff was hustling and bustling at a quick pace to serve everyone. There was a booth of people behind me with 3 or 4 kids. That family was allowing their kids to pop in and out of the booth to run to the bathroom (or wherever), multiple times... indiscriminately, it seemed. They were never watching where they were going . . . just dashing in and out, without looking. It was a bit annoying, but what are ya gonna do in a public place? You generally just grin and bear it as best as you can. Two of their kids had those "wheelies" shoes with the wheels in the soles. I'm not totally sure how they work, but somehow the wearer can either walk in them like regular shoes, or they can choose to engage the little wheels in them and roll, like roller skates. They seem kind of cool, but not for everywhere!
It has been a topic in our local news lately, how several local business owners and store managers have recently banned wheelies from their places of business. Much to my astonishment, I have even heard a few people squawking about how unfair that is. But these kids are frequently not watching where they are going. They seem unaware of their impact on those around them. And it seems, these kids are not being taught that there is a time and place for things, and crowded places are NOT the place to use wheelies! The story I'm about to relate to you, is a perfect example of why they are being banned!
My family and I were sitting in the booth, just finishing our meals. We were chatting, as best we could in a noisy, bustling restaurant. I was looking around periodically. I saw one of the kids (I'm guessing he was about 9 or 10 years old) from the booth behind me, coming back down the corridor, from the direction of the restrooms . . . again. It was about his 3rd trip. He was solo, unaccompanied by parent or adult. Suddenly, he picked up just a little bit of speed and engaged his wheelies. He rolled right in front of a hurried waiter who was carrying a tray of plates with steaming-hot food. I gasped and held my breath for a moment, as if that might stop time and avert catastrophe! The quick-thinking waiter stopped short, on tiptoe . . . trying not to lunge forward with the momentum of his movements. For a half second, I thought the tray loaded with plates and food were going to keep going forward and land on people, then crash to the floor. Much to the waiter's credit, he slightly tipped the tray backwards, and then quickly leveled it again. It was an amazing feat to witness! The plates and food miraculously stayed on the tray, while the mindless child blithely rolled by, completely unaware that he had nearly cause a disaster for several people. "Hey, cool it on the wheelies!" I chastised him as he rolled past our table to his family's booth behind me. He gave me a sideways glance, but wouldn't look at me directly . . . as if my laser stare might singe him.
A couple of minutes later, that waiter stopped by our table. He smiled and said, "Oh don't we hate those wheelies?"
I said, "Oh Yes, and parents who allow them free reign on them in public places without teaching them to be responsible are also a menace. But you were so graceful!"
He chuckled. "Thanks."
"You know," I said, "A lot of businesses are banning the use of those things in their stores. The wheels are supposed to pop out... they just make the kids pop the wheels out if they want to come in. You should tell your manage to consider that."
The waiter's eyes lit up as he smiled again, "Hey . . . Yeah! That's a great idea! I'll tell him. That was just too close a call. Thanks for saying something to that kid."
He wished us a Happy Mother's Day, and he went about his job.
That's when my grandmother asked, "What was that all about?" I told her of the drama that had just unfolded behind her . . . the kid on the wheelies had rolled right in front of the waiter and almost caused the waiter to loose a tray of food. That's when she asked me what wheelies were. I described them as much as possible to an 87 year old lady. I related to her what I had told the waiter about businesses in town banning the wheelies. Then she said, "Good. And so you told that little boy to 'cool it,' right?" I confirmed that I had. She chuckled. "That's my girl!" she boosted, with a smile. You see, women in my family are typically not shy about expressing our views. Someday, perhaps I'll tell you about the time my mom bumped a low-rider in front of her, because he sat through three traffic light cycles. Like I said, not terribly shy!
I'm sure that stupid kid didn't learn anything. I doubt he ever even knew what a problem he caused. And since his parents were probably not paying any attention to what he was doing, most likely nothing was said to him, other than what I hissed at him. I swear! Sometimes I think people should have to have to pass a test to obtain a license before they are allowed to have kids! But don't get me started on that today!!
So now, my grandmother knows what "wheelies" are, not that she ever really wanted to know. And I'm sure the controversy about them will continue to heat up. I just wish that people would teach their kids to take responsibility for their thoughts, deeds, and actions . . . and to realize those actions have consequences and frequently affect other people. But then, when many of the parents have apparently not learned to take responsibility for their own thoughts, deeds, and actions . . . there is the rub. I wonder how far the pendulum will have to swing before our society gets back to what use to be known as "common sense."
What? "Other than that, how was Mother's Day," you ask?
Oh, actually pretty good. It was a beautiful day here in Albuquerque. I gardened in my back yard most of the day. Then it was great to have dinner with my mom & step-dad, my dad & step-mom, and my grandmother. We had fun.
Oh, and I got a live lizard for Mother's Day. One of my cats proudly brought it to me, while we were out in the yard. He seemed to be beaming over his thoughtfulness, and his prowess as a hunter. My little hunter. Last year, it was a live bird that he brought to me in my bedroom . . . and let it loose. What a sweet, thoughtful kitty!
That's all for today.
~Paulena
Friday, May 11, 2007
Something is . . .
Do you ever have one of those days where you feel like you have forgotten something . . . something possibly important? It nags at you much of the day, "What am I missing? What am I forgetting?" There has been something about today, May 11th. I'm searching my brain for what in the world I might have forgotten today! I've checked my calendar. I'm not seeing anything for today that I would be missing. A friend's birthday is tomorrow, but nothing today. Season finale on one of my favorite tv programs this evening . . . but that's not earth-shaking. I have a meeting that happens tonight, but I already know it will have to happen without me (the season finale, remember?). So what could it be?
Perhaps my Angels are trying to get some message through to me? Perhaps it's their way of having me pay careful attention to things around me? I don't know. I only know that since I awoke this morning, I've had this vague sense that something is amiss, or skewed, or missing. Something seems to be . . . forgotten. Gracious me, this is odd.
Enough of this. Lunchtime is over now. Back to work with me!
Be well...
~Paulena
Perhaps my Angels are trying to get some message through to me? Perhaps it's their way of having me pay careful attention to things around me? I don't know. I only know that since I awoke this morning, I've had this vague sense that something is amiss, or skewed, or missing. Something seems to be . . . forgotten. Gracious me, this is odd.
Enough of this. Lunchtime is over now. Back to work with me!
Be well...
~Paulena
Friday, May 04, 2007
Often, I Feel so Lucky
Greetings and Happy May!
I've been thinking (a dangerous pastime, I know!). I have terrific parents!! I have been truly blessed in this lifetime. But it saddens me that not everyone can have such an experience. So... what brought this on?
A few days ago, dear friend of mine lost his father to a long illness. His father had been in failing health for a few years. And just a couple of weeks ago, my friend was notified that his father (who lived in another state) had been placed in a hospice... so he knew the end was coming soon. He was torn about it. Why? Well the thing of it is, in many (most) ways, his father was little more than a sperm donor. So now his father has passed away, and my friend is rather torn on the whole issue. I can only imagine what that might be like.
My friend's mom & dad made the final split when my friend and his brother were 4 and 3 years old, respectively. He & his brother were the first and second born... but his dad went on to father other kids, "all over the place" as my friend puts it. There were a few times when he was around his dad, but they usually resulted in disappointments. He can only recall a few times when his dad stood-up for him in a couple of situations at his school, involving teacher problems. But my friend gradually learned to expect disappointment from his dad. He told me there was a two year period when he lived with his dad and a new step-mom, his father's sixth wife. She already had seven kids. Anyway, during that period of time that my friend lived there, he turned 13 years old. The family made a big deal of the other kids' birthdays. Then came my friend's birthday... not a word. Not a mention of it. My friend (being just a kid) was afraid to say anything, for fear of being labeled "ungrateful." A few weeks later, his dad said something to the effect of, "Oh gee. Didn't you have a birthday recently? Hummm I guess we missed it." There was no apology... no offer to make it up, no nothin'!!!! And that was his own son!! That may have been the year that my friend learned to just expect disappointment from his dad.
Can you imagine??? Being just a kid and your own parent (one you are living with) can't be responsible, or thoughtful enough to remember your birthday... or to even try to make it up to you. What a message that would send to a kid!! I shudder to think of it... and I find it painful!! Just to try imagining it, brings a tear to my eyes.
So yes, I have terrific parents. Even after they divorced, they remained wonderful. And today, I am double-blessed, as I have wonderful parents AND wonderful step-parents! No one ever forgot anything. And even into my adulthood, they have remained wonderful and supportive. Of course they have their quirks and whatnot. We all do. So thank God they're not perfect... then I'd have a complex! haha For the most part, I have always felt loved and supported by my parents.
I wish my friend could have grown up with that. But I think he grew up trying to believe his dad just might "get it together" and come through some day. My friend is the kind of guy who wants to believe the best in folks. So he gave his dad other chances along the way. Once my friend was into his young adulthood, he and his father went into business together. The business had been running fine for a while (maybe a year or two), and then... One day, his dad did not show up, but the IRS did. They were looking for his dad. They shut the place down and seized everything... including all the tools & possessions inside that had personally belonged to my friend... and, of course, all the financial investment he had personally made into the business. All because his dad wasn't honest with him and owed some sort of back taxes from some other screw-up thing he had done. But without disclosing any of that, he dragged his eldest son into the mess. I suppose if there was a fortunate side to that... at least my friend was a very young man and had not yet accumulated so much that the loss was huge... but to him at the time, I'm sure it seemed huge. And I know the cost to him was even more than just the financial and material stuff.
So he finally gave up on his dad ever coming through for him. His brother wrote their dad off a few years ago and said his good-byes back then. But my friend, he at least stayed in touch enough to know how his dad was doing. Now for him, I think it's hard to know how to feel.
His Mom? Oh... after the final split, she apparently had a few years of trying to kind of "find herself," and put things back together. She was a very young mom and struggled a bit. We all have our paths to travel. From what he tells me, she eventually came through it all... a stronger person. He says she has emerged a terrific lady. She is now remarried to a very nice, caring, and responsible man. My friend talks to his mom frequently, and they often confer with one another on things in their lives. I'm glad to see that at least one parent worked out well for him.
Oddly, during that same week that was the last of his dad's life (a few states away)... back here, near the home front, my friend's mom went into the hospital. She was facing a possibility of surgery. He was so very worried about her. He went to the small town where she lives and went to the hospital with her. He did everything he could to make things easier and as worry-free as possible for her. As it turned out, she didn't have to have the surgery... I guess the prayers and healing thoughts helped a lot. She is out of the hospital now and recovering nicely. I know he was horribly worried about her. What a week that was for him! To have her on the healing path is a huge load off his mind.
Yet in the back of his mind, every now and then, the push-me-pull-you thoughts about his dad revisit him. It's got to be a weird feeling... losing a parent who was never there for you and not be sure what to feel about it. Just feeling torn.
I feel blessed that I will never have to experience that, first-hand. And yet at the same time, I hurt for my friend right now who goes through it. I know that in time, it will become a little easier for him. I know there are lots of people out there who have had similar experiences. I just wish everyone could have had terrific parents. But I suppose it might be a set of lessons some souls came into this lifetime to learn from. Perhaps those experiences were the best way for those individuals to learn? It seems so harsh, and yet I know all of us have harsh areas of our life experiences to get through. I don't have any easy answers. I also have had my harsh life experiences. But fortunately for me, I've had great parents to support me through them. That's why I feel so lucky.
So if you ever read this, Mom, Dad, Don, and Julie... Thanks so much for always being there for me, and being so supportive. You all are the best! I love you all so very much. Thanks!!!
That's all for now.
Be well...
~Paulena
I've been thinking (a dangerous pastime, I know!). I have terrific parents!! I have been truly blessed in this lifetime. But it saddens me that not everyone can have such an experience. So... what brought this on?
A few days ago, dear friend of mine lost his father to a long illness. His father had been in failing health for a few years. And just a couple of weeks ago, my friend was notified that his father (who lived in another state) had been placed in a hospice... so he knew the end was coming soon. He was torn about it. Why? Well the thing of it is, in many (most) ways, his father was little more than a sperm donor. So now his father has passed away, and my friend is rather torn on the whole issue. I can only imagine what that might be like.
My friend's mom & dad made the final split when my friend and his brother were 4 and 3 years old, respectively. He & his brother were the first and second born... but his dad went on to father other kids, "all over the place" as my friend puts it. There were a few times when he was around his dad, but they usually resulted in disappointments. He can only recall a few times when his dad stood-up for him in a couple of situations at his school, involving teacher problems. But my friend gradually learned to expect disappointment from his dad. He told me there was a two year period when he lived with his dad and a new step-mom, his father's sixth wife. She already had seven kids. Anyway, during that period of time that my friend lived there, he turned 13 years old. The family made a big deal of the other kids' birthdays. Then came my friend's birthday... not a word. Not a mention of it. My friend (being just a kid) was afraid to say anything, for fear of being labeled "ungrateful." A few weeks later, his dad said something to the effect of, "Oh gee. Didn't you have a birthday recently? Hummm I guess we missed it." There was no apology... no offer to make it up, no nothin'!!!! And that was his own son!! That may have been the year that my friend learned to just expect disappointment from his dad.
Can you imagine??? Being just a kid and your own parent (one you are living with) can't be responsible, or thoughtful enough to remember your birthday... or to even try to make it up to you. What a message that would send to a kid!! I shudder to think of it... and I find it painful!! Just to try imagining it, brings a tear to my eyes.
So yes, I have terrific parents. Even after they divorced, they remained wonderful. And today, I am double-blessed, as I have wonderful parents AND wonderful step-parents! No one ever forgot anything. And even into my adulthood, they have remained wonderful and supportive. Of course they have their quirks and whatnot. We all do. So thank God they're not perfect... then I'd have a complex! haha For the most part, I have always felt loved and supported by my parents.
I wish my friend could have grown up with that. But I think he grew up trying to believe his dad just might "get it together" and come through some day. My friend is the kind of guy who wants to believe the best in folks. So he gave his dad other chances along the way. Once my friend was into his young adulthood, he and his father went into business together. The business had been running fine for a while (maybe a year or two), and then... One day, his dad did not show up, but the IRS did. They were looking for his dad. They shut the place down and seized everything... including all the tools & possessions inside that had personally belonged to my friend... and, of course, all the financial investment he had personally made into the business. All because his dad wasn't honest with him and owed some sort of back taxes from some other screw-up thing he had done. But without disclosing any of that, he dragged his eldest son into the mess. I suppose if there was a fortunate side to that... at least my friend was a very young man and had not yet accumulated so much that the loss was huge... but to him at the time, I'm sure it seemed huge. And I know the cost to him was even more than just the financial and material stuff.
So he finally gave up on his dad ever coming through for him. His brother wrote their dad off a few years ago and said his good-byes back then. But my friend, he at least stayed in touch enough to know how his dad was doing. Now for him, I think it's hard to know how to feel.
His Mom? Oh... after the final split, she apparently had a few years of trying to kind of "find herself," and put things back together. She was a very young mom and struggled a bit. We all have our paths to travel. From what he tells me, she eventually came through it all... a stronger person. He says she has emerged a terrific lady. She is now remarried to a very nice, caring, and responsible man. My friend talks to his mom frequently, and they often confer with one another on things in their lives. I'm glad to see that at least one parent worked out well for him.
Oddly, during that same week that was the last of his dad's life (a few states away)... back here, near the home front, my friend's mom went into the hospital. She was facing a possibility of surgery. He was so very worried about her. He went to the small town where she lives and went to the hospital with her. He did everything he could to make things easier and as worry-free as possible for her. As it turned out, she didn't have to have the surgery... I guess the prayers and healing thoughts helped a lot. She is out of the hospital now and recovering nicely. I know he was horribly worried about her. What a week that was for him! To have her on the healing path is a huge load off his mind.
Yet in the back of his mind, every now and then, the push-me-pull-you thoughts about his dad revisit him. It's got to be a weird feeling... losing a parent who was never there for you and not be sure what to feel about it. Just feeling torn.
I feel blessed that I will never have to experience that, first-hand. And yet at the same time, I hurt for my friend right now who goes through it. I know that in time, it will become a little easier for him. I know there are lots of people out there who have had similar experiences. I just wish everyone could have had terrific parents. But I suppose it might be a set of lessons some souls came into this lifetime to learn from. Perhaps those experiences were the best way for those individuals to learn? It seems so harsh, and yet I know all of us have harsh areas of our life experiences to get through. I don't have any easy answers. I also have had my harsh life experiences. But fortunately for me, I've had great parents to support me through them. That's why I feel so lucky.
So if you ever read this, Mom, Dad, Don, and Julie... Thanks so much for always being there for me, and being so supportive. You all are the best! I love you all so very much. Thanks!!!
That's all for now.
Be well...
~Paulena
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