Mediation Meditation

Well, it looks like the mediation for my divorce is set for the third week of August. I am not entirely sure how the entire process will go, but I do have a general idea about the give and take process involved.

Mediation as a rule
Can be a very useful tool
To solve the conflict between two
Who need to start their lives anew

The mediator does the dance
As each contender takes a chance
Give a little, get something back
Each one tries to fill their sack

Back and forth the verbiage goes
While each contender tells their woes
Somehow before the session 's done
No one is sure who 's really won

I am hopeful that we can resolve most of our issues during one session... the main thing we are in disagreement about is the alimony. There are some other issues, but those I think can be easily resolved. The alimony will be the sticky wicket. Time will tell. Some of you may have been through this before... any suggestions?

Uhhh...

...Appologies for being such a delinquent blogger! I will try to do better!

Neverending....

Took today off from work to try to get some cleaning and packing done. I guess when you have lived in one place for thirty years, it takes a bit to get things sorted for a move. Right now it seems like the neverending move preparation! There is sooo much to sort through!!!

Jimmy Buffett Sure Is Looking Mighty Old...

... and where does that leave me? What do I do with the knowledge that the symbol of youthful fun in the Florida Keys is looking like he has been President of the USA for the past few years? Maybe it has been too many hurricane seasons?

Summertime and Jimmy Buffett just seem to go together. His singing is not opera... his stuff is just downright fun and not to be taken too seriously. The raunchier stuff I just skip over. He has enough good songs to keep me singing along as I drive around town dreaming of another trip to the keys. Some of my favorites are:

Cheeseburger In Paradise
Pencil Thin Mustache
Margaritaville
Trying To Reason With Hurricane Season
Come Monday
Son of a Sailor
Fruitcakes
Fins
Volcano

How can you go wrong with lyrics like "Half baked cookies in the oven, half baked people on the bus. There's a little bit of fruitcake in everyone of us" OR "I wish I had a pencil thin mustache, the 'Boston Blackie' kind, or a two-toned Ricky Ricardo jacket, and an autographed picture of Andy Devine." They are sing-a-long songs meant for fun.

Why does fun have to start looking old?!?

Then...

And now...

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Global warming, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, volcanic landslides, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, floods, draught, asteroids, pandemics, Oh No! What a dilemma. Is there any place safe?

Yes, I have been watching educational TV again. The Discovery Channel, Science Channel, Weather Channel, and even the History Channel have lately been filled with worse-case scenarios of all sorts of possible disasters and their aftermaths. Tonight it was the History Channel and its programs about mega-tsunamis and their causes lurking around the world waiting for the right moment to wipe out one coastal region or another of the United States. The previous few days offered such topics as global warming and the melting of the polar caps raising seawater to a level where coastal areas and, of course, the entire state of Florida would disappear underwater. AND, it goes without saying that during hurricane season we have also had our usual programs regarding the probable impact of the inevitable major hurricanes hitting vulnerable areas of Florida like where I live in the Tampa Bay area.

I had already decided that when I retire, unlike half of the population of the good old USA, I am not going to retire in Florida. Recent hurricane seasons have convinced me to consider looking elsewhere. Also, recent home hunting and housing prices in my area have also convinced me that it would be wise to retire in an area with more reasonalbe housing prices.

So now I am wondering... where will I go? I wish to avoid winter blizzards as I have no idea how to deal with living in a real winter and snow. Tornado alley is out of the question... I think I fear tornados more than hurricanes. I don't do earthquakes or wildfires. Volcanos are out of the question. I love the mountains... for a great vacation. I hope to live where I can feel fairly confident that water will still come out of the tap, and where I can venture outside without feeling like a charred frankfurter on a barbecue grill.

Any suggestions?

Mmm Mmm Good!

I took my youngest daughter to lunch yesterday at a little place close to work. It has very few tables, but the food is wonderful! I tried out one of their specials they had listed for the day and discovered a new taste delight!

It is a salad that is a combination of two of my favorite salads. Now, I have to admit that I love to savor the flavor of yummy food probably a bit too much, but this salad is worth the calories AND could be adjusted to make it lower in calories. Personally, if I am going to go through the trouble of making a special salad, I am not going to worry about the calories. I can always skip the meat at the next meal!

A friend of mine at work said that she thought she had seen this salad done on the food channel. She thought it sounded like it would be a good recipe to try. So for those of you who like to try out recipes, here are the basics...

Start with a basic coleslaw recipe. Add finely chopped apples and raisins. That's it! I am telling you that it was out of this world! I think that when I make it I will try adding walnuts like you have in a Waldorf salad. I haven't decided about the celery. I think the crunchiness of the cabbage is enough.

As I was savoring the flavor of this salad I was thinking of what else I could possibly add to coleslaw that would be tasty. Strawberries? Maybe not blueberries. Nectarines? Pineapple? I think I may have to spend some time trying out some of these ideas.

So how about some of you? Any ideas for some great ( and easy) summer salads?

Some Things Should Just Never Be Seen

It never ceases to amaze me about the things that one can see on the internet. I will go to look for some pictures related to some word or phrase and find the most unexpected results. I was looking for something related to pink... which anyone who knows me very well, knows is my favorite color and always has been... Not that pink is appropriate for everything... There are many things that pink fits just fine...

pink flamingos, for instance... goofy looking birds, but the color suits them...


pink flowers... this is my favorite camellia called Pink Perfection...


cute pink tops for jeans on cute girls...


pink lemonade... the best kind!


pink is a good color for Easter eggs...


pink has been used in famous artwork...


pink gemstones like this pink star sapphire, or pink topaz, or pink jade...


pink stuffed animals for children or sometimes childish adults (I do have this one, by the way)...


pink birthday cakes for little girls are acceptable...


and, of course, we do have pink tongues...


there are also some funny novelty items that one could argue are appropriate in pink...


pink hearts on Valentines Day...


and for those who wear hats, a pink hat could be seen as fashionable...


pink cocktails or drinks could be okay...
as long as they don't look like Pepto Bismal like this one...


in the right setting, I could even argue for pink chairs...
perhaps as accent pieces...


pink telephones I can do without, but some girly-girl teenager might like one...


Even a VW Bug might be tolerable, although barely...

However, there are some things that should never, and I mean never, be even remotely related to the color pink...

Good grief !

"It's Rhodent Time..."

Well, L at Random_Speak is finally back to posting, and her current post provides a link to The Advertising Slogan Generator. I found this to be waaay too much fun. So here are some of the slogans (minus the ones that were a bit too risque) that came up for this blog and amused me the most...

Don't Leave Home Without Rhodent.

Get The Rhodent Habit.

My Doctor Says"Rhodent"

Please Don't Squeeze The Rhodent.

Look, Ma, No Rhodent!

Run For The Rhodent.

We'll Leave The Rhodent On For You.

Give That Man A Rhodent.

Wait Till We Get Our Rhodent On You!

Got Rhodent?

Rhodent Comes To Those Who Wait.

You Can Do It When You Rhodent It.

Rhodent Stays Sharp 'Til The Bottom Of The Glass

When You've Got Rhodent, Flaunt It!

No Rhodent, No Comment.

Nothing Acts Faster Than Rhodent.

Obey Your Rhodent.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Rhodent.

If You Want To Get Ahead, Get A Rhodent.

Thank Rhodent It's Friday.

I Am Stuck On Rhodent 'Cause Rhodent's Stuck On Me.

Can You Tell Rhodent From Butter?

It's That Rhodent Feeling.

I'm Cuckoo For Rhodent.

Rhodent. It's What For Dinner.

Show Me The Rhodent.

More Than Just A Rhodent.

The Rhodent That Eats Like A Meal.

Rhodent Takes Me Away.

Mama Mia, That'sa One Spicy Rhodent!

Get Serious. Get Rhodent.

Does She Or Doesn't She? Only Her Rhodent Knows For Sure.

All Rhodent, All The Time.

When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Rhodent Overnight.

Give The Dog A Rhodent.
(Okay, that one was for you, Cliff!)

Got A Rhodent? You're In Luck!

Double The Pleasure, Double The Rhodent.

Takes A Rhodent, But It Keeps On Tickin'.

We Bring The Good Rhodent To Life.

You'll Look A Little Lovelier Each Day With Fabulous Pink Rhodent.

Moms Like You Choose Rhodent.

Feel The Rhodent.

If You Really Want To Know, Look In The Rhodent.

Solutions For A Small Rhodent.

Sharing The Rhodent of Your Life.

Melts In Your Rhodent, Not In Your Hands!

Do You Eat The Rhodent Last?

A Rhodent Is Forever.

It occurs to me that this slogan generator could really come in handy! Just think how much fun our November elections would be if candidates could only use slogans generated by that link? I might even pay attention to some of the commercials! Also, I am tempted to try using the above slogans as titles and inspirations for future posts. That could be fun! As I was typing out the slogans, I tried to imagine which of my blogging buddies would use which slogan... case in point... the one I indicated was for Cliff Morrow.

So, what do you think? Which slogan would you choose and why? This could be interesting!

Since tomorrow is the 4th of July, I will be enjoying the company of at least one of my offspring and some of her friends and not posting. I will take some time to read your posts, however! I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday! Or, if you are Canadian, that you HAD a wonderful holiday. If you are from someplace else, have a great day no matter what day it is! And... if there are fireworks in your vicinity, be careful and stay safe!

Elusive Packing Rat Comes Up For Air

Gasp!

I am coming up for air. This is the neverending cleaning/packing spree. It is a good thing that I have never had to earn my living by cleaning. I do get the job done, but I am just not very efficient at it.

I have become more efficient at filling up garbage pails and bags. It is getting easier to throw things away. My cat Scud also helped out by deciding to pee all over a box I had in the closet. It seems that all of this commotion is not to his liking. There is nothing like cat urine in an enclosed space. Another reason that I have had to come up for air!

Sorting through clothes is under control. I am stacking many vacant hangars as I decide what to go ahead and pack for storage, what I will need over the next few months, what should be donated, and what needs to find the garbage pail.

I should have enough boxes since people have been collecting them for me. I just hope that I don't end up filling all of them!

So, you see, things are moving along. I have also been spending time looking at condos and townhouses. Unfortunately, I seem to have champagne tastes on a beer budget... probably cheap beer at that. But I will adjust and keep looking. Somewhere there is a home just waiting for me to find it... hopefully before they raise the interest rates again!

Have a great holiday weekend and think of me in that stinky closet, cleaning out closets, sorting through household items, and going blind on the computer finding more condos to go see.

The Elusive Packing Rat

Another Episode In The Life Of Mary Who Cannot Help Herself

Mary is quite an organized person and always does a good job at whatever she chooses to do. She is known for doing things to the Nth degree. She also has a knack for getting herself into predicaments. If you don't remember Mary from my previous posts, check out the post I suggested you read in yesterday's post.

Friday night I took dinner in for Mary since she is currently a bit incapacitated. We had a nice dinner, some wine, and talked about divorce, starting over, friends, decorating and a number of other things. It was a nice evening and one which happened because of Tropical Storm Alberto and one of Mary's whims.

We didn't get too much rain and wind from Alberto, but we knew it had brushed by on its way for a visit a little north of here. As Floridians often do when we get a storm like that... nothing too serious... Mary was participating in an impromptu hurricane party... even though Alberto was not really a hurricane. She and some family and friends had been out to the pier to look at the bay and were back home. That is when Mary who cannot help herself got it into her head to take her son's razr scooter out for a ride in the wind and rain.

Mary was having a grand time until she hit that innocent looking puddle. How could she possibly know that it hid a slick slimy spot? After Mary went flying over the handlebars and landed in the puddle, it occurred to her that perhaps it had not been the best or wisest of ideas. Her chin hit the pavement along with both hands and arms and her left upper thigh. Ouch! The end result was not as bad as it could have been. She had not knocked out any teeth, her chin only had a scrape. She was alive with no concussion. She did however sprain her right wrist, break her left wrist ( just about a compound fracture, but the bone didn't come through the skin) and acquire a bad bruise on her upper thigh... with a bit of a nasty bone bleed.

So Mary who cannot help herself really could not help herself! She has had surgery to her broken wrist including some pins to hold things together and is sporting a sore leg and left wrist. All of this makes it difficult to do things like get dressed, open a bottle of wine, play the piano, and cook. The doctor has told her that she may never have full use of her thumb again, but she is determined to play that piano anyway.

Once again, Mary who cannot help herself has done a complete job of something. Somehow, even though she has probably learned her lesson, I suspect that there will be other Mary episodes to relate to you in the future.

By the way, her new townhouse is beautiful, and she has offered to help me with the decorating in my new place when I get it! Yay! I'll hide the scooters, and maybe the scissors, knives, and any other potentially hazardous items.

My Week Ahead

Well, my cleanup is getting closer to being totally done at work. After sorting through boxes of files and shredding numerous unnecessary pieces of paper, I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It does feel good to walk into my office and see clean surfaces and know that I actually have deleted the need for some boxes and that I actually have created some room in the file cabinets.

Now I need to turn my attention to my not so organized home. Yup my mousepad needs some cleaning and organizing again. Maybe I will get started tomorrow. Maybe I will get started Tuesday night. Maybe I will take a break and wait until the weekend. Naw, I need to get started... tomorrow night it is! Tomorrow and the next night and the next night and the next night...

Boxes need to be packed and stored. Even though my storage unit is stuffed, I will need to fit in a few more storage containers. Hopefully, in another month or so, I will be unpacking that storage and moving into my new home. It still seems a bit surreal, but I am also looking forward to it!

Wassup With Me?

I'll tell you what's up with me! Last night I wrote a long post only to have it disappear because of some sort of blogger problem when I went to save it. To say I am frustrated is an understatement. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while may remember "Mary who cannot help herself." Well, Mary was the subject of last night's post. Those of you who don't know of Mary can look up a post referring to her using "Rhodent's Favorite Posts" under the title of "They Just Don't Make Them Like Him Anymore." I will try to reproduce the post this evening or tomorrow.

Once I Was Blind, But Now I Can See...

I had to laugh yesterday when my daughter Allison saw the picture of the mouse on my "Still Just Hangin Out" post... she exclaimed laughingly, "It's the Mission Impossible mouse!" That thought had never crossed my mind! Now it is absolutely obvious. It just goes to show you how easily perceptions can change when you are given a different perspective.

I have had other times when my perspective has taken a dramatic shift. It is those "aha!" moments that so often create growth in our lives. Many of those moments I view as God working in my life. Recently, someone said to me that they didn't believe God involved Himself in the everyday and little things in our lives. I don't agree with that. I think we look for the big things and often overlook the little things where God reveals His hand in our lives. Some of my most significant growth has resulted from some little adjustment in my perspective that has led to major changes in my life... like when you are missing a piece of a puzzle that when found finally reveals to you what the puzzle picture actually is.

So, I look for those little things. Life moves forward, or sometimes backwards, one small step at a time. Sometimes a step backwards is what creates the change in perspective, sometimes it is a step forward. Then, once in a while, I get to experience a leap forward. But I know not to wait for those leaps... it is those little steps added together that bring about the most change.

Another One

You Are 50% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird... But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

Still Just Hanging Out...

This all feels a bit precarious...

I am still just hanging out around the house today, but right now my whole life situation feels a bit precarious. It's like standing on a rug with the expectant feeling that any moment now, someone is going to pull the rug out from under me and send me on a flight that ends in a painful crash.

Missy Mouse

This cute creature is now sitting on my desk at work. I had found photos of this mouse, along with some other similar sculptures while searching for rhodent pictures to use on this blog. Then, one day while fooling around on ebay, I found some of these creatures for sale! In an instant the bid was done. In a day Missy was mine.

You are probably not wondering why I picked this particular creature, but I am going to tell you anyway. Besides the obvious mousy cuteness, I currently identify with her expanded plumpness. I feel like I have blown up like a balloon this past month and she looks like she has as well. Will I get a skinny mouse to replace her when I lose the weight again? I doubt it. She will still be the same mouse on the inside. Besides, I doubt that I will ever have any skinny days again! I might get her another mouse to keep her company though. Everybody needs a bud!

Since it is Father's Day, I want to wish all of you dad's out there a very happy day! I have such fond memories of my dad and tomorrow would be his birthday, so I thought a lot about him while at Mass this morning. He was a very loving, giving man. Like all of us he was not perfect, but I knew that he was there for his family every day of his life. I was lucky to grow up knowing that I was loved and important to him. He modeled the joy of generosity to others. That is a memory that I really cherish and a characteristic that I try to maintain. It's good for the soul.