Cranky Swamp Yankee

Packing is such sweet sorrow! I hate to do it because, well, I'm not a very organized person. I love doing it because, usually, it means I am about to go off on a wonderful vacation!
Hope you're haivng a ball!!!!

There is something so disingenuous about both of the candidates that I am once again becoming disallusioned with what has happened to our political system. It is a shame that every word that is uttered by them and every opinion that is forged by them is tailored simply to play well in sound bites on the evening news.
ALso, I agree with you 100% that religious beliefs or non-beliefs should have nothing whatsoever to do with the political campaigns or policies put forth by elected officials!

An excellent idea. I hope it catches on nationwide.

Always glad to help out, Sunny! (MAN! I really DIG those "uniforms!" Misty and Kerri won GOLD for the SECOND TIME last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I would really enjoy getting to know J! It also sounds like you two are absolutely PERFECT for each other, much like Mary Ellen and I!
I laughed out loud over J's embarrassment of his granny's frank talk. She reminds me of Mary Ellen's 102-year-old late Aunt Marie.
Marie lived alone for thirty years after her husband's death. Mary Ellen would go to Maine to visit her a few times every year, but I was not invited because when Mary would visit, she would stay at Marie's house. Marie didn't want me, A MAN, sleeping over in her house in case she had to get up in the middle of the night and use the bathroom!
Finally, she allowed me to visit.
When I first met her, Mary introduced us as follows,"Marie? I'd like you to meet my husband, Jim."
Marie sat in her chair, shook my hand, scrutinized me with a wary eye and said, "So you're Jim. I've heard a lot about you."
"I've heard a great deal about you too, Aunt Marie." I said obligingly.
"Yes," she went on. "But you're not like I thought you'd be."
"I'm not?"
"No," she replied. "I thought you'd be slimmer!"
God bless her! I laughed out loud when she said that!

#'s 5,6, & 15 are the most important here.
As for #5, I've NEVER equated who I am with what I do to make money. (I HATE the term "It's a living." It's NOT a way to live. It has nothing to do with WHO I am! It just a way to make money!) My life is MUCH MORE than that! When people ask me "What do you do?" I answer by saying things like, I love, I think, I enjoy myself, I feel deeply. I NEVER say things like "I'm a teacher, I'm an actor, or I'm a businessman."
#6? Well, if I spent my time worrying about what people thought about me, I'd never do ANYTHING! So, I do EVERYTHING, and to HELL with what they (whoever THEY are!) think about it!
And # 7 I learned from personal experience!!!

Wow! Thinking about all this stuff hurts my head! This is coming from someone who doesn't quite understand why the lightbulb goes on when he flips the switch. (I'm just glad that it does!)
As always, you put forth many interesting points here in this post. I am a HUGE fan of hypnosis, and have used it many times for psycho-theraputic sessions and for more mundane things like deep relaxation and quiting smoking.
As a big fan of Star Trek, there is a great story about Gene Roddenberry (The creator of the series) at a news conference. Gene made the claim that every invention on the series can be back up by existing scientific theories. One wag of a reporter said, "Really? Then how does Warp Drive work? Without skipping a beat, Roddenberry said, "Very well. Next question please?"
Also, it was just released that scientists in Grat Britain says that they are just months away from perfecting a device that bends light waves to render people and things invisible...much like the "Cloaking Devices" used on Romulan ships in the Star Trek series.

I understand and I am SO SORRY for your pain, Sunni! The separation between my father and I is sometimes almost more than I can bear, and he's been gone for six years! I think about him every single day of my life.
Remember what the poet said, "It is better to have love and lost than never to have loved at all."

I taught English/Literature for fifteen years, and my wife taught Jr. High/Middle School for thirty-six years.
I am curious to know what part of teach stresses you out. For me, it was dealing with the freaking administrations.
I had good control in the classroom, and I really got along well with the kids, but dealing with all of those Napoleons in high places used to drive me nuts.

I never realized before how grocery shopping can be such a varied, complicated and interesting experience! Being male, I usually "target shop", even in the grocery stores. I usually swoop into the place, zero in on the pre-selected items like a Komakazi pilot, and then blast out of there before anybody really has a change to notice me.

Absolutely wonderful post, Matt! I too am Polish, and we used to call my Great Grandmother, who came over from Warsaw, Bocci (Pronounced like the game "Bocce Ball".)
Family is the best. I'm so glad you appreciate the one that you have!

Forclosures are up this year 55% over last year! Yet the President insists that we are not in a recession. He's right, for once. I think "depression" is the more correct term.
My heart goes out to you and your family!!!!

I think I'd opt for the root canal.

Wow! Sounds like Avon is going really well! Congratulations!

Those eyes!!!! That kid is going to a HEART BREAKER when she grows up!