Bah humbug!!!

After working retail during the Christmas season for several years now, I can appreciate how a person can get burned out, when on the "receiving side" of the register.  Normal rudeness increases exponentially at this time of the year.  Common sense just flies out the window. 

 Just how important is that gift anyway?  I can hear you saying...

 ..."I knocked an old lady down, but I got the gift!"

..."I totalled my car on the way to the Mall, but I got the gift!"

..."I maxed out my credit card, but I got the gift!"

..."I couldn't afford to donate to the Bell-ringers, because I got the gift!"

..."I didn't make the mortgage payment, but I got the gift!"

TV, radio, newsprint all screams that we should get that "special someone" the gift at all costs, but how important is the gift, if all those other variables appear.

There's an old lady that could have been hurt.  A car that should have lasted for a few more years.  A debt that didn't have to be incurred.  A charitable donation that may have bought a cup of coffee for someone who couldn't even afford that.  A house that didn't have to go in to foreclosure. 

These are all hypothetical scenarios, but they can and do happen.  Just because someone wanted to get the gift.  Couldn't/wouldn't the received be happy with just any gift?  As long as it was given with love, and care, and sincerity?  I could and would be.




 

Dead Santa

I was driving to a garage sale, in a middle-class neighborhood, when I saw my first dead santa on the ground, in front of an otherwise nicely decorated house.  Further down that same street I saw a dead snowman, and some dead elves. 

I was sure that this was the work of vandals.  That people without the Christmas spirit had indeed probably sliced open, or shot BB pellets at these poor, forlorn inflatable forms we see at Christmas.  What a way to deflate your Christmas spirit!  And this surely did not look like the kind of neighborhood that such things would take place.

Then, later that same day, I went to another garage sale, in an even  nicer neighborhood, miles away from the first "killing field."  The same thing...dead santas everywhere.  And this neighborhood even has a resident cop in their midst.  At least the squad car was parked in front of the same house, as was seen on a previous ride through.  How could we have so many vandals roaming the streets causing mischief?

Then a light bulb went off!

These inflatable santas, and snowmen, and elves, are all kept inflated due to a small air pump that they're attached to.  And to conserve electricity, the home owners are turning off the pumps during the day, hence the inflatables DEFLATE, and thus cause the seeming carnage of dead santas. 

It's still an eerie sight, but now I know the cause!

What next?

Sheesh...if this doesn't beat all! 

We park our cars under a nice, big oak tree next to the house.  Sorry, no garage, or car port, just the wide open spaces.  So during a (not so recent any more) rain storm, one of the branches broke off the tree, and fell on the jeep.  Or rather fell INTO the jeep.  Who could have predicted this happening?

Yep, a tree branch right through the top of the jeep.  What are the odds of this happening?  Why didn't it fall horizontally rather than vertically?    Of course our auto insurance deductible is as much as the cost of replacement, so the burden of fixing it was on our shoulders.  We opted to get a large tire patch (as is used for semi-trailer tires) and patch it that way.  Actually looks quite nice, and it's waterproof!

Oh, if you notice the "rubber" snakes on the dash, and visor...those are just for fun!
 

Olive oil...and it worked!

I have a confession to make.

I made brownies last weekend as a thank you for some people who had done some good deeds for me.  They were from a store-bought mix.  I did read the package to see if I needed milk, or eggs, or whatever to finish the mix.  I did need eggs and so I bought a dozen.

What I neglected to notice was that I also needed oil, preferably vegetable oil.  I didn't have any.  I didn't buy any.  I didn't want to go back out and buy any either, as it was a long day, and I just wanted to finish the brownies!

I did have olive oil, extra virgin olive oil.  High quality olive oil.  Expensive olive oil.   And it is a vegetable, isn't it? 

So I figured that I would try it, and taste sample the mix before I put it in the oven to bake.  It seemed to taste fine, so I made the brownies.  After they were cooled, and cut up, I again sampled a small piece.  Still seemed just fine, and so I delivered the brownies and went home.

I did save a couple for my husband.  I did not tell him how I made them.  Of course as soon as he saw them, he had to eat one.  I held my breath.  He pronounced them very, very good!  I then told him what I did.  He said, if anything they were not as overly sweet as usual, and he appreciated that.

I don't know as I'd do that again, as olive oil is more expensive than vegetable oil, but if I do, I'm still not going to tell anyone. 

You want hummingbirds?

Try planting this flowering vine!

This is growing on our fence.  It's native to the area.  It's known around here as Trumpet Vine.  Huge orange flowers, with deep throats for the hummingbirds.   Can become a nice woody vine, with rather large, stout stems.  I've also seen a yellow variety, but orange seems to be more prevalent.  I don't know how it propagates naturally, although I do know you can take a cutting from a more tender spot, and get it to grow from that start.  I did find these pods on the end of a branch, and so assume it may also start from some sort of seed?

It can spread by trailing branches on the ground or by discarded cuttings.  It can also be considered a pest, due to the spreading, but it is my experience that it's no where the problem that honeysuckle can be, plus it's a much more showy plant.    This particular plant also bloomed twice this year; once in June, and again in August, drought nonwithstanding!

If none of this appeals to you, you can put up the obligatory feeder, in  place that doesn't get direct, hot sun (at least that's what I think), with some trees or shrubbery closeby that they can nest in.  This picture was taken on my covered porch.  The bird was competing with a bee, which if you look closely,  you can see in the picture.    The birds are very bold, and very wary at the same time, and can be hard to photograph with just an inexpensive digital camera!

The bird won!
 

Recycling at it's best!

This is something you don't see every day.  And it makes my heart swell!  This building was in an area that is slated for a new road interchange among other things.  I watched as the contractors carefully pulled off the brick, and I was wondering what their intentions were.  I thought the building was too nice to tear down, but in this day and age of "everything's disposable", I assumed the worst.  I thought perhaps they were just saving the brick.  Then I saw the truck with the I-beams inderneath the building!  They're gonna move it!

This used to be the office of my insurance agent.  He's moved into another facility.  Don't know if he's waiting for this to reach it's new home.  But whomever is moving it, kudos to them as this was a nice building, and I assume moving is much cheaper than rebuilding from the ground up!


 

This is what a drought looks like!

 

This picture was taken from ground level, looking at the "grass" that WAS my front yard. 

 

 

The few leaves of green are some weeds that just won't die.   You may say that the grass looks like it was long and never cut, and so fell over.  Well, that's only part of the story.  It was at the length that we may have cut it, but we didn't, and it started dying before we could, and it's better to leave it a bit long in case of drought, etc.

 

Then the trees started taking a hit.  This is a picture of our cypress tree, which is a water hog, and it's even sitting on or close to a septic (we don't actually know where the septic is for that part of the property; we have 2.) 

 

Obviously turning more than a bit brown.  And this is at the end of JULY!!!  This is a close-up of one of the branches. 

 

It would appear that the tree is trying to hold on, and therefore losing all the leaves down to the tips of the branches, trying to hold on for dear life.  Since this picture, the brown leaves have all fallen off, but the green remains.  Since that time, we've also had about 2 inches of rain, although not all at the same time.  We're expecting more tomorrow, and perhaps next week. 

 

You may ask why we don't water things that are stressed, or perhaps even dying.  The truth of the matter is that we live in the country and are on a well.  If the well were to run dry, we'd have to dig a new one, and that costs thousands of dollars.  If we baby the well, we can get by, and save some money.   Save a LOT of money actually.   The grass will grow again.  The trees seem to be hanging on...we'll know more in a few months, IF we get the rain we still need.  (We're about 16 inches below normal for the year.)

 

If you live on city water, you can water your lawn, flowers, etc, but there is that cost to you.  Well water costs us electricity; city water costs you like a utillity.  And if the grass doesn't need trimming, then you can save money either on your lawn service, or your back, mower and the cost of gas.  To us, it was a no-brainer.

 

This has happened to us before, about 30 years ago.  It was not as bad.  We got through it.  We'll get through this, or adapt to a "new lifestyle."  Time will tell.

 

 

 

Let me tell you about my aneurysm...

...so you might recognize similar symptoms in yourself or others and get help!

It started a few weeks back.  My work demands I do quite a bit of driving.  I noticed that one eye seemed to be a bit weaker than the other.  Thought it was just eye strain from driving.  Then I had what I can only describe as a pressure around my head that was reminiscent of wearing a tight cap.  No pounding, no pain, just a tightness. This had lasted at least a week already.

We went out of town a few weeks ago now, and while I was waiting in line at an event, I had a sudden short sharp pain in my head.  Thinking I was just getting a tension headache, I ran to the car, got out an aspirin, took it, sat down for a few minutes, and then got back in line, and finished the day.  On the ride home, which was several hours, I slept as I was not interested in looking out the window or reading, even though I had a good night's sleep previously.

I thought that if the tightness continued, I'd go to the doctor.  Monday morning I felt better, and worked all week.  That Friday night I was out and about doing what I normally do on Friday night.  I bent down to put something in my car, after shopping, and I got a sudden, more prolonged pain above my left eye.  It may have only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like I was hit in the head with a hammer.  Again, there was no more pain.  I just knew this was something I had to have looked into immediately.

I drove to the fire station, and asked them to drive me to the ER.  They called the ambulance service and I was taken there.  Let me say at this time, my vital signs, with the exception of my blood pressure were normal.  Normal pulse, normal respiration.   I did request something to cover my eyes as lights were bothering me.

Once at the ER I was again given tests that confirmed that my vital signs, with the exception of my blood pressure which was off the charts, were normal.  The doctor on duty was a neuro-surgeon, and he suggested a cat scan.  It was unremarkable.  After hearing me repeat what I had experienced, he decided that perhaps I needed a spinal tap.  It sounds worse than it was.  He explained that there would be no pain, and there wasn't, and the worst thing I might experience would be a headache from the spinal tap.  I could endure a headache, as long as that sharp, shooting pain didn't reoccur.

As it turned out the spinal tap indicated blood in the spinal fluid, and another, more intensive cat scan (actually an MRI) was ordered.  That scan definitely indicated an aneurysm, and surgery was scheduled for later that morning.  All I remember of that is being wheeled into the prep room, talking briefly to the anesthesiologist, and the next thing I knew, I was back in my room, with my head bandaged, arms full of IVs,  talking to Dennis and my doctors. 

The next five days were spent in the hospital, one more day in ICU and then the rest of the time in the neuro-surgery ward.  Except for having to take medicine every four hours, non-stop, and being asked the same repetitive questions (name, birthdate) it seemed uneventful.   I was then  sent home, with medicine that I was to take every four hours for three weeks!   Most of the first week I spent in bed as I just felt too weak to get up and about.   After that I did start getting dressed, and after another week, I ventured out of the house for short periods, or just to sit on the deck, in the shade, and enjoy the cooler weather.

Took the last of my pills on a Saturday, and have not had any adverse effects or withdrawals, so I can only assume they did their work.  The worst part was having to set the alarm for the middle of the night so I could take them.    Now the worst part is waiting for my hair to grow back.  I did get  an impromptu hair cut from Dennis, with my guidance, and it's defintely short.  He suggested shaving the rest of my head, but I was not willing to do that.  For now, I'll just wear a scarf. 

I didn't realize how common aneurysms seem to be until I heard from many of my friends and acquaintances about people who they knew had them, only with much more disastrous results.  All I can say is...know your body, and if you've had migraines in the past, this is SO much more than that!   And don't wait!

Affordable housing

Who says you can't find a nice home at a good price, and not inflated as they were in the late '90s or early 2000s.

I pass by this place at least once a week, and its still vacant!  The location is on a nice highway that they're improving upon as I write.  They're widening the road, and even straightening it.  Right across the street there's a gas station-convenience store, and they even sell bait.  Remember threre are two lakes quite close by.   Of course, there's a bank on the other corner, for convenient local financing. 

You can see from the picture that the highway department put up a drift fence so you don't have to worry about all the street dust and dirt flowing down to your doorstep.  And look at the trees around you.  Shade and seclusion.  This picture was taken in the very early spring; they're much more green now.

Road construction should be finished before the year is out, so get packing!  But don't forget to bring a few tools.  As the sign says, this is a "fixer-upper."

Thank you, Alice Walton!

She's the power behind the new art museum, in of all places, Bentonville, Arkansas of course!  It's called "Crystal Bridges."  And unfortunately, there seem to be too many people who live in the area who know nothing about it, or how to get there!

We went a fewSunday s ago, and everything went "swimmingly" (it was pouring down rain), except the closer we got, the more we knew our directions were spotty.  So we stopped at a few gas stations to ask directions.  Almost no one knew what or where we were walking about.  Although obviously, we did get there.

The museum is all about American art and artists.  A few were immigrants, but they probably came over on the Mayflower, so we can excuse their lack of a birth certificate!

To me, the best exhibits were the original Rosie The Riveter, by Norman Rockwell.  The guard told us an interesting story too.  Seems Rosie was portrayed by a 19 year old girl.  Then Rockwell looked towards Michangelo's painting of "The Creation of Adam" for the musculature he wanted to depict.  Needless to say, Rosie is a bit too mannish, and supposedly Rockwell apologized to the original model for the way he portrayed her physique.  There are also some areas of the painting, that were omitted from the Saturday Evening Post.  I'm not going to say what...if you go see the painting, you'll know!   (...depending upon your age...)

My second favorite exhibit(s) were the Alexander Calder mobiles.  I just love them!  So simple and yet so unique. 

And the buildings and grounds are amazing.  Pictures cannot do them justice, so just go there!  I know Bentonville is NOT a destination for most, but if you're in the general area, or passing through, or passing close by, DO go there!  Oh...did I mention it's ALL  FREE???!!! (Closed Tuesdays.)

Again, THANK YOU Alice!

A case of mistaken identity.

We have mice in the country.  Of course there are mice in the city too, but in the country they seem to get into things, like your car!  And they do things, like chew on the wiring.  And that means a trip to the car repair guys, and lost time, and money spent, etc. etc.  Well, you get the picture.

So when I got in my car the other morning, and looked at the passenger seat, I thought I saw mouse droppings!  Oh no, not my new car!  Damn them...

I got out, went over to the paasenger side, opened the door, looked really really closely at the little black things (turds?) and realized...that they were thistle seeds that fell out of the bag that I bought the day before.

BIG, big sigh of relief!

They're baaacccccccckkkkkk...

The hummingbirds, that is.

Dennis went out the front door (where the hummingbird feeders usually hang) and said one flew up into his face.  I told him that's the way they tell us they're back, and want something to eat!  I had already cleaned out the feeders, and so it was a small matter to make up some food for them this morning before I went to work.  Never did get a chance to ask Dennis if he saw any more today.  I watched the feeders for a while, when I came home from work, but no one showed up.

At our old house, I had a window above the kitchen sink, and they'd hover in front of it when they came north for the summer.  Again, signalling they were back!

Interesting story about their arrival times...we have a local gal who is certified to band hummingbirds.  She gives demonstrations at the local Nature Center a couple times every summer.  She said the earliest she ever saw a hummingbird was in February, and NOT this past February, when it was so warm, but last year, when it was in the teens and twenties.  The hummingbird had probably, she surmised, come up with a load of flowers destined for Lowes' or some other big box store that get their plants early.  Not a totally unusual occurence. 

When it showed up at her house, she rigged up a light for warmth, and a feeder to keep it going.  The bird survived, and when the weather finally got warm enough, and the local plants started blooming, the bird left. 

Don't have hummers?  They need adequate nesting areas (think lots of trees and cover), and seem to prefer cedar trees (or at least those are my observations) as they can be preyed upon by a lot of things, including dragon flies!  No kidding!  And I saw a big dragon fly this afternoon...

Nothing is more relaxing that sitting on our covered deck, reading a good book as the sun sets, and listening to the buzz of the hummers' wings as they feed and fight and fuss over each other. 

Retractions and corrections...

If you've read my previous posts, you know I said nothing eats a skunk. Well, skunks are everywhere these days, dead on the road. And for the most part, they just seem to disintegrate, rather than be torn apart by a carrion eater. That being said, I did see a group of crows gathered around a dead skunk. I wonder if they were just curious, or if they actually took a couple bites. They will eat other dead animals. Maybe it was mom and the kids, and she was showing them what to avoid!

I also said, in an earlier post that I saw some turkeys eating on a dead deer. At another deer carcass, I noticed what I thought were the same type of birds. Turned out they were not turkeys, but black vultures. We have two types of vultures in SW Missouri, turkey and black. The turkey vultures are bigger, and uglier, and they migrate, whereas the black vultures stick around, or at least that's my best guess, and I'm sticking to it!.

So many similarities and coincidences...

...it's almost eerie.

I went to a 50th wedding anniversary this past weekend, and caught up with some of my relatives, whom I stay in contact with, but living 600 miles away, but not closely (think once a year or less.)

It was interesting, to me, to see how my family, although living far apart, have so many things in common.  Don't know if it's genetic (can't be as some of the relatives are only through marriage) or it's the water, or the environment.

I found out my cousin has similar tastes in art, and has the same "couplet" of pictures from a particular artist, that I have.  I found out another cousin works for a Subaru dealership, and drives a Forester, as I do.  Wish I knew that before I bought my Subaru...might have made a better deal.  Found out the person who "sponsored" my grandfather (and may have been a cousin, or uncle) when he emigrated from Germany, had the same first name as my nephew, even though we never knew this other person existed, until my cousin started her genealogy search.

It was almost like living in a parallel universe, and it was definitely a fun weekend!

My newest find...

THRIFT SHOPS!!!

My heavens to Betsy, I never went in one until a few months ago.  Now I turn in to one like some people turn into Garage Sales! 

I was working and needed to "kill some time" so I espied a "used clothing" store across from one of my jobs.  I went in and...wow...  Not only was it a bit "upscale" and well stocked, but the clothes were cheap, cheap, cheap, AND they have regular sales! 

So far I bought two blazers, a blouse and a coat, and haven't even broken a $20 bill!  PLUS the clothes are "American Made"  (a real plus in my book), and if they were brand new, would have been out of my price range.   I guess people who spend that kind of money on clothes, don't wear them threadbare.  Thank you for that!

I have to say that I did stumble upon one little store, that bordered on nasty, but that's primarily the fault of the people who manage it.  There's really no excuse.  Even Good Will or the Salvation Army keep their places neat and clean.  They just don't have the panache of the little gem I found in my travels. 

It's now an automatic stop when I'm in the neighborhood.  I have my eye on a leather coat, but I'm waiting for it to go on "sale!"

Food for thought...

...nothing eats a skunk!  Except possibly maggots?  Never got close enough to see!

Really, in the country we see more road kill that a person would in the city, or even in the suburbs for that matter.   And we see a wider variety of road kill.  From small stuff like poor turtles, to larger things, like deer.  

Many of those smaller animals are dragged off the road and disappear, most likely eaten by another animal.   Or we will see animals eating on them when we drive by.  Crows, vultures, I even saw a group of turkeys eating on a dead deer (should have taken a picture of that!) 

But hit a skunk...and that skunk will be there until the remains return to dust.   I can say this with some expertise as I witnessed such an event.  A skunk was killed at the edge of the roadway.  He was laying mostly on the white line at the edge of the road.  It was too late in the winter for flies to lay their eggs on it, and the resulting maggots to eat it, and so it just laid there, and laid there, and laid there.  I think it finally dessicated, and fell apart and in the spring will indeed be just dust.

As for vultures, which seem to eat anything, no matter how long it's been dead, well, during the warm season, I've seen them ignore dead skunks too.

Colonoscopy Day 2...

Yesterday went so well, I thought, although I wouldn't want to go through the gallon-of-water-prep again, the rest was a breeze.  Then I woke up this morning and...

I am in some pain.  Not too bad, feels like cramps, which any woman can identify with.  And gas!  I re-read the information from the hospital,  and indeed these are both after-the-fact side effects.  The cramps can be controlled with aspirin (or whatever pain killer you prefer.)  The gas...well, it wasn't as bad as I anticipated, thank heavens!   But if you're concerned, then do not go to work the next day.  Stay at home, walk around, and pat yourself on the back for taking care of your health!

Best suet feeder ever!

I put out suet year-round for the birds.  The woodpeckers love it, but I also see cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches, gold finch and a few others eating there.

I bought my first suet feeder a few years ago at Lowe's.  Loved it because it was so easy to use, somewhat sheltered the suet, and held two blocks easily.  Here's the first one I bought.

I have it hanging on a kind of shepherd's hook, in the fence row.   The top lifts up on the "strings" and you can slide the cakes into the holders.  Birds can eat on either side, at the same time,  and they usually do.  The woodpeckers are a bit more territorial than the other birds, so they spend time chasing other woodpeckers from the far side.

This is the new, improved (?) feeder that I found this year.  Also from Lowe's.

The only difference is that the "roof" is a bit more classy, and the string that the roof slides up and down on, is now some sort of heavy duty vinyl.  It's a slightly different color only because it hasn't weathered.

As far as I know, Lowe's is the only place where I've ever been able to find this particular type of suet feeder.  And they didn't carry them for a couple years, or at least I never found them (maybe sold out?)  The very best part of this is that they are American Made!!!  In Ohio, for Cedar Works LLC. 

I've looked at a lot of suet feeders, even tried another, and this is by far, the best!  Easy to use, not messy, birds seem to take to it easily, and it seems to be tough, as last winter we kept getting attacked by a raccoon, or opossum, or very handy squirrel who would take entire cakes out of the feeder and make off with them on a nightly basis.  I did stop this by hiding the feeders at night.  This year...no problems...yet...

Help the birds, help your fellow American, BUY THIS FEEDER!!!

Got a colonoscopy!

What fun!!!   I actually never felt a thing!!!

So let me start from the beginning.  I went to the doctor for a routine check, and she suggested a colonoscopy.    I know the hype is all about getting one when you pass a certain age, but since I'm never sick, except for an occasional cold, I didn't want to be the one to suggest such a thing.  Since she suggested it first, I thought I'd go for it.

An appointment was made, and she said I would be hearing from my doctor about some medicine I was to take before hand, for best results, etc.etc.  I got the call from the physician's office, and went to the pharmacy to pick up...a gallon jug, and some powder to put in it.    The pharmacist told me that if I didn't like the taste, I could put in some "flavoring" such as Crystal Light.  Fortunately the pharmacy also included some flavoring.

I was to mix the "special powder" with water, shake well, chill, and drink half (in 15 minute intervals) the night before the procedure, and do the same with the remaining the morning of the procedure.   I have to say that the taste was not bad.  The flavoring made no difference.  But I am not a water drinker, and downing a half gallon in 15 minute intervals was a chore in itself.  Along with this, I also had to FAST (okay I could drink clear liquids, and chicken or beef broth) the entire day before the procedure.  I had a diet soda, two cups of tea, and that was it.    I did make lasagna the day before and so I thought about the leftovers AFTER the procedure!

You'd be surprised at how many food ads are on TV, and how many fast food places you pass, when you're out driving around, and how many places you might go in,  have little candy dishes awaiting you at their counters.

So back to drinking the potion.  I knew I wouldn't be leaving the house once I got started, and I didn't.  I took a book into the bathroom, and just sat.   Except for getting up every 15 minutes for another glassfull, I stayed there for about 2 hours total.    The next morning went a bit better.

As for the procedure, I remember watching my blood pressure going up on the monitor as my apprehension rose about the procedure, and that was it.  Next thing I knew, I was talking to Dennis and the nurse who asked me what I wanted to drink.  I chose coffee!  And I got a fig newton.  I had visions of lasagna on my mind!

Then after all the post-operative instructions we went home.  Dennis went to work.  I watched Steve Wilkos, took a nap, and then went out to the library (even though I was "to be watched the rest of the day" and NOT drive!)  The best part?  I found a new book by Carl Hiaasen that I had not read yet.  He snuck one under my radar!  And I finished off the lasgna!

Bottom line?  The prep is far worst than the act.

"...my friends all have Porsches, I must make amends..."

Remember that old Janis Joplin song?  Only in this neighborhood, all my "friends" (neighbors) have tractors!  So they can mow their little patches of lawn, while I walk behind my DR Trimmer-Mower (it's like a lawn-mower on steroids.)

I admit I've been yearning for an "estate-size" or "commercial" (think golf courses) lawn mower, but they don't give them away.  In all truth it might be cheaper to get a small tractor and brush-hog, but I want to get around the trees, rather than  just mow them down, and up and down the hills "safely" rather than turning the tractor over on myself.

But I digress...today as I was out in the pasture I noticed that the fellow who lives behind me had a humongous tractor sitting in his yard  Think great big John Deere, or Case, or Massey Ferguson.  Don't know what it was, BUT, he only has 3 acres, or 5 at the most (we have 20 acres.)  And they're relatively flat, and he has no trees!  Maybe he's taking to putting in septic tanks on the side.

I thought I'd be doing good to get that zero-turn mower that I've got in my sights, but I may have to mortgage the farm to keep up!  Some of those big jobs cost as much as my house! 

Oh well, let him drive the Porsche, while I make do with my Honda (or perhaps pedal car is a better analogy.)  We all get the same results, even if mine take longer.

No, men do NOT understand women.

 Dennis and I had previously discussed what we (or rather I was) were going to do over the weekend (using the DR to mow some pasture, etc.)  So this morning (Saturday) I was putting on my makeup, after my shower, when he came into the room and said "What are you doing all that for, since you're going to be out cutting the pasture, and you'll be taking a shower later anyway."

Of course I said I was going to "leave the property" when we went into town to get coffee, the paper, mail, etc, etc.  therefore makeup is on the agenda.  Any woman would agree, when you leave the house, you put on makeup.  Maybe not as much some times as others, depending upon where you're going, but you DO put on some!

Many men, when they get up on Saturday, just think if they're not going to work  or out to some important place (the movie theatre, a party, etc) they don't have to shower or shave.  Just a swipe with a toothbrush is adequate.  Sometimes even clean underwear is on hold.

But makeup, for a woman, is a time-honored ritual, and men should know this by now...shouldn't they?