Twitter - I think I get it now

So the girls are both on Twitter now, and my nephews too. I'm learning that it's not just a place where celebrities enter every little detail of their pathetically boring lives, but so does the average joe.

I even have my own Twitter account. Seeing how all the possible Wanda-names were taken (who'd'a thunk it?) I was forced to come up with something more original. I did, and here's my Twitter name: WanskiMinski - great, isn't it? Just kind'a rolls off the tongue! Ha! I love it!

Last night, Eric and Kevin showed us a little Twitter for Dummies video that explains why and what Twitter is for. The video explained that emails are for sending documents, notes, and information about something or someone. Twitter, on the other hand, is for letting folks know little tidbits about you or what you're doing, to gain a better insight into who you really are.

Take for example someone who might Twitter "can you believe that the Donald actually FIRED LaToya, instead of that bitch Starr"...would provide an insight to others about (1) they watch the Apprentice, and (2) they don't care for Starr Jones. This is not something you would normally email someone to tell them, but by Twittering, you're still communicating without really formalizing it.

Okay. I think I get it.

Gotta go - now that I'm t'd off again about Donal firing LaToya instead of Starr, I'm going to Twitter it!

Until tomorrow....

Ridiculous dog owners

The other week we were out browsing the line of cars at a local dealership. Me, Rick and Charlie. The salesman was following us closely, adding a comment every now and then. When I found one I liked (car, not salesman) we decided that we would buy it. The salesman needed to get the odometer reading for our car that we were trading in....so Rick headed towards where it was parked. The sun had set, and the wind was picking up....and I was getting cold, so I headed into the dealership. Charlie, ever faithful puppy, didn't know who to follow and was pulling on his leash, this way and that. The salesman stepped up to the plate feeling a deal close at hand, took Charlie's leash from me, told me to go on inside to get warm, and he walked Charlie towards where Rick was. Clearly, earning commission means taking care of ridiculous dog owners and their pets.

Next, we all met with the business manager who's job it was to sell us an extended warranty package. Yeah, right. Not. But we sat there listening to him, blah, blah, blah....while Charlie wandered around the office whining. Finally the guy stopped talking about the warranty, and asked if the dog had to go outside to do his business. Naw, we said. He just wants his own chair.

So, in came salesman with an extra chair for the dog. Charlie jumped up on the chair, smiled and the deal was finalized. We got our new car, Charlie got his chair, and the salesperson took great care of us and ignored the weird glances of other customers who probably thought we were ridiculous dog owners. Which we are.

Fifty hasn't been fun....I've returned to 49 for a while.

Okay, I hate excuses as much as the next person, but here I go again. Excuses. Yes. Truth. Yes. What more can I say?

Just getting over a nasty run of bronchial asthma - whatever. All I know is that I made it this far in life without asthma....and here I am unable to breathe, coughing so much I'm sleeping alone - even the dog won't hang around me for the night...and two days off with my 2 puffers and narcotic strength cough medicine which I ran out of yesterday. Boy, do I ever miss that stuff! Wonder if I go back to the clinic and say I need more, if he'll really see through my now subsided cough and realize that I just want more - i'm no better than a junkie. Sad. Never had junkie thoughts in my 40's. And, so after running to Shopper's to get some decongestant b/c I am so congested that even I can't hear myself talk and have given myself a headache just by trying to clear my sinuses...bought some extra strenth sinus stuff.

Anyways so sorry for the morbid details - if you've signed off by now I totally understand.

Good news - got my nails done tonight. Have a job interview on Tuesday. Going to look at houses in Richmond Hill and Aurora. That's three! Whew. Good things do happen in three. Better sign out while I'm in a positive frame of mind.....

Until tomorrow,

Wanda
age: 49 years, 589 days.

I'm baaaack

it's been a while since I've written, and there's no greater motivation that a man saying "well, that phase was over fast". Guess what? It's not over; never was; and... I'm baaack!

It's been one long week - in a nutshell, visited Sunnybrook emerg yet again, but news was better than expected; followed by a couple nights on the hardest couch in TO - my mothers - then back to work to catch up on being away - then shopping in NY - then the long weekend - the hot spell - a couple hours with Bell internet to get back online - and now, my sore throat.

Man, 50 isn't turning out the way I fantisized. Too much like real life. So, here's to sitting in front of a fan, body temp back to normal to coolish....and here I am writing!

I'm going to make 3 stops on the way home from work tomorrow. Promise. To myself.

1. get my throat looked at (,...may go to the clinic at lunch)
2. stop at the yoga studio to sign up for some beginner classes
3. I forget what the 3rd one was going to be.....grrr.

oh yeah, i'm getting my nails done at 5, so #2 may not work out....but I think the nails was #3, so i'm feeling pretty good about remembering. Sort of.

Did I mention how much i'm loving 50?

There's always tomorrow..,..,

Wanda

Reality

We don't watch that much tv - never really did - except....and there are always exceptions....for REALITY shows. Come on and admit it - everyone who has cable or a dish must watch some kind of reality series. Well I'm coming out of the sitcom closet tonight and fessing up to my addiction. It all started back a few years ago, with what I'd consider the first reality show - Trading Spaces! That got us hooked on other such shows like, Take this House and Sell It, or the ever popular Devine Design - sense a decorating your house theme here?

Pause - okay I just asked Rick for the name of Candice Olsen's design show b/c I couldn't remember what it was called (see Sunday May 16 blog ref altzheimers) and he wanted to know why I wanted to know, so I said I was doing a blog on reality shows, and he said 'that's not a reality show' and I said 'yes it is' and flipped to Wikipedia and googled the definition of reality shows which states,

"Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humourous situations, documents actual events and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors. "

Anywho (new word, not a typo - thx Kail), from decorating shows we progressed to food shows - my all time fave has got to be Hell's Kitchen (Gordon Ramsey is my uncle's next door neighbour in London, England - really - but don't mention his name to my uncle b/c he has no use for the man). Also on our list of food show addictions have been YanCan, Emeril - Bamm!, competitions around cake decorating, restaurant makeovers, 30 minute meals, etc. etc.

Also in the top ten are The Bachelor (only some seasons), ditto for Big Brother, Amazing Race, The Apprentice, and of course Dancing with the Stars - which I became addicted to in 1995, when I started working in the city, and spending one night a week sleeping on my mom's couch which happened to be DWTS night, and hence my mom made me an addict.

But, to commemorate the final episode of American Idol (in progress as I type) - this is hands down the one show that I prefer not to miss.

And, after this week we will shut off the television and begin living our own reality series - picked up from where we left off a few months ago - get up, go to work, come home, play with dog, make dinner, walk dog, sleep, do it all again....reality.

Until tomorrow....

Wanda

Out of body experiences....

...aren't that uncommon, are they? Because I had one yesterday....I was telling my sister about this conversation I had with a friend at work. Her name is Liz. (My friend's name is Liz, not my sister's name. ) And I was recounting this story along the lines of "so I said to Liz...." and then "Liz said to me..." and then "I said to Liz...." and then "Liz said to that other girl..." but here's the kicker - the whole time it was just Liz and I having a conversation, but when I was telling my sister about it, I switched and refered to myself as "that other girl". My sister thought it was hysterically funny. Me, not so much.

Kinda makes me wonder....like last month went I went on vacation and my daughter gave me a paperback to read called "Still Alice" about "a woman who turns 50 and begins a descent into a battle with mental illness and ultimately altzheimers. Every time I forget something, or can't remember the silliest little thing - like what I had for breakfast, or what day of the week it is, or where I parked my car, or if I took the train to work or drove - I begin to wonder......could I be losing my mind?

But then I think, "Naw....it's probably that other girl".

until tomorrow...

Wanda

Two new goals! Maybe three? Four?

We're planning a bus trip to Buffalo to shop. You know, one of those all-girls weekends across the border to eat, drink, shop and hang out with 48 of our closest friends. Planning to hold it the last weekend in September....let me know if you want info on how much, when and where exactly we'll be shopping.

Next we're planning to go to Manhattan for a weekend - hopefully fly - but this time I definitely want to do a tour of the city b/c I've never really been off 5th Ave and Central Park. I'd like to see ground zero, the statue of liberty, empire state building, etc. Not so interested in seeing the plays b/c I've been there, done that, and think the TO productions are just as good and a lot cheaper. Would love to stay at the Helmsley Central Park Hotel (Leona Helmsley's old digs)again.

Then, A and I are still planning to go to Italy - Florence or Rome, and Capri - so exciting! I've wanted to go forever....and it looks as though it will happen this year!

Also, return visit planned to Nica...probably after Christmas, but before K's b-day. Hey, a mom needs to see her kids more than just a few times a year, right?

And tonight just got invited to the Yukon in June. Now, that's a cool trip - but checked flights and they're a little pricey....so we'll see how do-able that will be to add into the mix.

All in all, it's shaping up to be a year full of more travel goals - I hope they come true.

Until tomorrow...

Wanda

p.s. To follow up on yesterday's blog post, definitely feel healthier today.
p.s.s. Note to self - "Buy more organic red wine."

Skinny Bitch recommends Organic Red Wine

My girls recommended that I read "Skinny Bitch" (not for timid readers) I skipped right to the section on wines and antioxidants.

Just got back from the liquor store, bought a bottle of organic red, and ready to try it with nia-nia. Tune in tomorrow to see if we're any healthier....

ta-ta!

Wanda

Time to get the chain-saw out...

At home today feeling blah - napping and doing a little light reading by going through some magazines on the coffee table, and here's my 'pick me up' (not!) for today - it's my horrorscope for today....way too deep for a sick day. It makes my head hurt.

Now I'm thinking to myself,

"you don't have a headache....you've got hang ups."

Grrrr.

Horoscope - Aquarius
" Can you produce the piece of paper on which your limitations are laid out? Is there some binding agreement that keeps you from happiness? Are there no loopholes or ambiguous phrases that could be given a more liberal interpretation? No chains tie us tighter than the ones we create in our own minds. No enemy, opponent or perverse person now prevents you from finding freedom and fulfilment. But if that's what you want, you've got to let yourself off the hook you've been hung up on for too long."

Which is it?

I've been thinking since I saw SNL last week with Betty White co-hosting....they did this skit, and I can't for the life of me remember exactly what it was about, but it had this line in their about bangs. You know, the hair that some people have coiffed between heads and eyebrows. Well, it got me thinking about how for some people, bangs are a must - the alternate would be too weird.

There are lots of things that could be either way..... and it makes me wonder.....is it just me, or do others feel the same way?

For example,

• brushing your teeth every morning before breakfast? (always, and then again after breakfast)
• toilet paper roll fed over the top of the dispenser, or from underneath? (over the top, of course!)
• bangs or no bangs (did you ever see my forehead?)
• hanging your clothes according to colour? and colour coding hangers for each member of the family (I'm sure most people do this)

Okay. There might be a few other things I've been thinking about, but my gut tells me to stop now before you think I'm quirky.

Until tomorrow...

Wanda

ps okay just 1 more - all the coffee mugs need to be lined up with the handles facing the same direction in the cupboard, or in the dishwasher. Normal, right?

Go ask your Father

No. Not that father. That Father. You know. The one up there. Look up. Higher. Yup. That's the Father you need to go and ask. I'm serious....just ask Him anything. You will get an answer. Especially, and this works for me, if you say something like "blah blah blah this is what I need fixed" or "blah blah blah is what I really want" or "blah blah blah I don't know what to do about..." or whatever. And, I find it especially helpful to add something like "oh, and by the way, I need a sign to know You've responded. Not just a subtle sign because I probably will miss it. I need a 'hit me over the head' kind of sign so there's no way on earth I'm gonna miss it".

At least 4 times that I can easily recall off the top, I've been whacked over the head with a 'no way you're going miss this sign' kind of answer to my prayers. Crystal clear.

And, other people that I know have for certain learned how to make the 'ask' using the same principles through a book called The Secret. Not religious. Really.

Just the other night I asked for a sure sign for Kail, to help her make the right decision...and it was a big decision. The very next day, a lady in the photocopier line in Nica struck up a conversation with her, and her decision was made. Crystal clear. Really.

Thank you. No, not you. Thank You! Him. The one upstairs.

Until tomorrow...

Wanda

I hate purses

I mean, of course when out shopping I always head straight for the purse section. And I do have a few of them - not lots, but more than enough. My favourite is a mustard yellow one I bought in Poland a couple years ago...it's smallish, rectangle, with a zip, one inside compartment and a really long strap. For me, it's a deal breaker if the purse doesn't have a long enough strap. Anyway, I never use that purse. It's because I like it too much, of course! So instead, I use one of my other purses. They're all basically the same. Big. Huge. One massive compartment that's big enough to fit some files from the office, or a change of clothes and some make-up. Don't get me wrong. I like my big purses....it's just that they frustrate me to no end!

Like this morning, Monday, of course. I drive up to the Costco gas bar....and reach into my massive cave purse that's growing by the second to look for my wallet. No easy feat. I pull out my wallet, upside-down of course, and all of my cards empty into the bottom of my purse. It takes me another 5 attempts of groping into the bottom of my purse before I find the Costco membership card. I need to resort to dumping the entire contents of my purse onto the front seat of the car before I can find my debit card underneath my container of leftover spagetti. (Lunch.) Only wasted about 7 minutes. Not bad if I only had to waste 7 minutes once a day. But nope. Not me. I go through this exact same process exactly 6 more times before the day is through. Six. Count 'em.
1. Tim Horton's drive through to buy a lemon tea. Cost $1.35 - coins, all at the bottom of my purse. Good thing the line up at the drive through was ubber long, and the person in front of me ordered coffee's and breakfast sandwiches for everybody in their office, because I needed that full 11 minutes in the drive through line to find two bucks. Oh. And the change from the tea. I dumped it back into my purse, of course.
2. Elevator at work. Of course, in this day and age of high tech security, I need to swipe my ID card across the black box inside the elevator so that I can get to my 4th floor office. Because I have to do this every day, I used my smarts and attached my ID card to a purple lanyard that goes around my neck. That makes it easy to find in my purse. You'd think. Time wasted looking in my purse for my lanyard and ID swipe card....4 minutes.
3. Office keys...On my office keychain I have 13 keys, a purse sized rosary thingy, and a special cylinder key for my computer lock, and a mini flipflop (souvenier from Jamaica) - all strategically added to make my office keys easy to find. Not! But, no time wasted here....I keep a single spare office door key in my secretary's desk. Smart.
4. After work, have to stop at the pet store for some dog food. I did find my airmiles card quickly...only one grope at the bottom of my purse and instant success! Too bad my total purchase only came to $12.69 - You need to spend a minimum $15.00 to be able to use your airmiles card. Darn.
5. Next door to Shoppers Drug Mart - just needed 1 thing, but little did I know they'd have my fave Oil of Olay soap bars on sale - a 4 pack for $1.99 (regularly $7.99)....and a bunch of other random products that I discovered I really, really needed (ya right)....but alas....and I know you know how this is going to end by now....could not for the life of me find my Shoppers Drug Mart optimum card so that I could get the loyalty points for my $33.43 purchase. The cashier let me look for a loonnnggg time before she informed me that I have 30 days to bring in my card and receipt and they'll add the points for me!
6. While dinner was baking, I dumped my purse on the counter and put everything back in its place.

After all, I'm pretty sure I'll be repeating this scenaria again soon.

Until tomorrow...

Wanda

Moms....the new generation

First, a traditional Happy Mother's Day to my mom and my mom-in-law - neither of who follow blogs, or have internet for that matter. Neither have many of the 'bells and whistles', the extra stuff that clutters up my modern life and robs me of time to just sit down with a cup of tea at least 8 times a day. Neither have paycheques coming in anymore...but neither will say they do without, but rather have more than they need. Both have friends that drop by randomly, without invitation or any planning, just like the good old days - to sit at their kitchen tables and 'visit' - sometimes for hours at a time. Just to gab. Conversations. Friendships. Blessings.

They are both grateful for all the important things in their lives....their health, their families, their friends. Neither have 'perfect' health, but both are two of the healthiest people I know when it comes to outlook, a prayerful thankfulness for each day, and attitude. Sure, things could always be better....but both will say "but they could always be worse", and are glad they aren't. I continue to learn alot from these 2 moms in my life...especially at those times when I really think there's nothing more for me to learn. And I am grateful for the privilege of sitting at their kitchen tables, to share a meal, and bottomless cups of tea, for hours at a time. Just to gab. Conversations. Family. Blessings.

And today - I've been a mom for a quarter of a century now - this is my 25th Mother's Day. I thank God every day for all of the blessing in my life. For my girls who I continue to love more and more each day - is that possible? And to my sisters who are also mothers, whether of the two legged or four legged variety...may we continue to invest in our time together whether virtually or in-person. And to my two dear friends and my sister-in-law Alberta who have to get through this day for the first time ever, without their moms....I'm thinking about you...your moms were your angels...and now they always will be.

Until tomorrow...

Wanda

Losing my blog-ginity...

Oh...this is too much fun! Fun and scary. Scary and exciting. Exciting and ....well....nevermind. But OMG! I have a blog. My very own. How cool is that!?! Here I am. 50 years old. And, I have a blog. It just sounds so cool saying that....not the 50 year old part....but the blog part!!!

So, here's the thing. I have a lot to say about things. And, I have a lot of things to say.

So, here's the trouble. Rick (my husband) doesn't listen to me much anymore (he probably never did listen much in the begining either). Neither do my kids, but then this new generation doesn't listen much b/c they don't talk much - first they msn'd, then text'd, then facebook'd, now blogging is their mode of communication....none of which required 'conversation', and Charlie (our doggie) usually falls asleep while I'm talking. Like he is right now. Sleeping on the couch. And snoring! It's Saturday night....and I'm 50! So, I'm going to blog away like someone with a purpose....no social life, mind you....but now I have a purpose!

So, here's the plan. Yes. It's true. I'm 50 on the outside. But, inside, I'm still 17....or 6....or 40...those were all good years and so were the ones in between. But for someone who never liked history, and doesn't dwell much on the past (well, I am sentimental and like to recall things from the past, I just don't like to live in the past) I plan on going forward into and through my 50's with a purpose....a vengance....and a newly found attitude that models such coloquialisms as "just do it" and "go for it". For example. I just returned from Nicaragua. Yup. I did. Nope. I don't speak a word of Spanish. Yup. I went alone. Nope. My luggage did not arrive. Yup. My daughter met me there. She gave me the encouragement, the courage, and the idea for going... But, that story is for another post.

And my other daughter is the creative genius of the family and she gave me the encouragement, the courage, and the idea for going forward with "Fifty on the Outside"...and now there's no turning back.

So, here's to being 50....and to doing at least 49 more things that I normally would never do...but now can - because I'm 50 on the outside, and don't need anyone's permission...even if on the inside I feel much younger, and not quite so confident....but then, that will just be my little secret. The world need not know.

Until tomorrow....

Wanda