Embrace your congestion, and pass the tissues!

I'm going to take a bold move here on this blog and just say that all of are sick.

We're all sniffling, sniveling, coughing, if you're lucky. If not, you're dead in bed recovering from the flu, or flat out on the couch hoping that flu cough will go away soon.

As most of you know, I've been fighting a cold for the past two months, and I've named it "Polish Cat Flu"!

As odd as this may sound, I'm just going to give it all up, get good and sick so that I can get this damn thing out of my system.

Really, this isn't a strange idea; you're tired and beat, right? Eat something healthful, take your OTC meds of choice and go to sleep.

And, in the morning...do what needs to be done for the day, eat something, take your meds, have some tea and take another nap.

Believe me, you'll feel better!

Can You Hear Me Now?

Well, let's just say that it wasn't quite the "welcome home" greeting that I expected this evening.

I'm sorry, but after a day of baby-sitting highly educated engineers who can find one little fault in the plans for pouring concrete but who can' t seem to find an entire box of copier paper in the construction trailer, I'm entirely convinced I'm just one big 'ol babysitter for highly educated men who can't be bothered to find things on their own.

"I need legal folders"

"Well, they're in there, on the lowest shelf."

"I can't see them."

"You're not looking...fourth shelf, on the bottom."

"These aren't them."

"No, those are the hanging folders, look to the right of them."

"Oh, you mean these?"

Next!

"Dee, we're out of pens."

"There are at least ten boxes of pens in there, assorted colors, too!"

"Oh, I see..."

"Did you find them?"

"Yeah, but these aren't the ones that I like. Can we get some more, please?"

So, it's always fun to come home to discover that between my mom and her partner neither of them were able to set up his new TracFone, so the minute I walked in, there was a true "full-press" from both of them.

I normally don't blog about my home life, but let's just say for now they really, really tried. They're in their late sixties, and they did give it their best effort.

No need to hijack a nine year old for this task, of course, especially if you have me in the house. ;)

Ahem, she says.

"Try it now...I'm calling you, and see if you get my message."

"Let's try changing the ring tone from vibrate to a ring tone."

"No, this is how you get your voice mail."

"It's not a great idea to hold the phone away from your ear while you're checking your voice mail."

"Did you put in your password for voicemail?"

"You need to hold the phone closer to your ear."

"Let's try this again."

Sigh.

Yes, I did get the phone all set up for Bob, taught him how to answer his email and all of that good stuff.

"I mean, really...is this the payback for all of the bicycles and "Barbie Doll Houses" the two of you put together 0n Christmas Eve when we were kids? Payback is a bitch, you know."

Well, it only took an hour, but he's all set up, and good to go!

It's no wonder why I smoke.

With A Little Help From My Friends

So, on Saturday, a bunch of friends and I got together and did what we always do, three times a year.

We didn’t go out drinking, have dinner together, or go our clubbing, dancing, bowling or ice-skating.

We came out in force and supported our local public radio station; ten women and men strong, all friends with a single purpose…to support the station and the music that we love.

I’ve been putting our “Boardies’ Shift” together for almost three years, and I’m always pleased to see the same names crop up again and again. One vol takes three trains down from Bergen County in northern New Jersey; three others make their way down from the far reaches of northern Bucks County in Pennsylvania.

Yes, they’re all good friends of mine, but it’s also incredibly gratifying to see them all in one place to support one worthy cause.

Thanks, all, and let’s forget the music for a moment.

All of you really, seriously rawk!

So, What's For Dinner?

So, let’s talk about food, shall we?

Even better, let’s talk about the way we all think about food.

We’re bombarded day after day with media ads that provoke us to “Eat This!” And when you’ve finished gorging yourself, you’re encouraged to “Have This, Too!”

The most stomach-turning ad I’ve ever seen is for “Taco Bell” who is encouraging the time between dinner and breakfast is the “time” for something they call a “Fourth Meal”.

No one needs a “Fourth Meal”; all you need to do is look around at your fellow Target or Acme shoppers to understand that a fourth meal should be the last thing on their plate.

No one really needs a doughnut, either, but when there’s an “Apple Cinnamon” one in the box (with all of that good, sweet apple filling?) still sitting there from a morning meeting, I’ll cut it in half, because as we all know, one half a doughnut has no calories. It’s only when you eat the whole one that totes those puppies up.

Right?

But, I digress.

Michael Pollan (the author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “The Eaters’ Manifesto”), has a great idea that all of us should follow:

“If it doesn’t look like food that your grandmother wouldn’t recognize, don’t eat it.”

Or, as my late stepfather used to say, “Good food doesn’t make you fat. Junk makes you fat.”

So, those “Dunkin Donuts” are out, and homemade desserts are in, since I know what goes into them.

It takes exactly twenty minutes to put together a batch of cookies, and perhaps an hour so to bake them off. Yeah, it’s a bit of work, but it’s a lot of fun, too. And, they freeze beautifully!

Now, go and pull out all of your cookbooks. Drag out that crock pot that you haven’t used since the first Bush administration, too.

Go forth, and cook!

Football and a Political Football

So, let’s review today, okay?

It’s Monday, the Giants won the Super Bowl last night, and as “AllMusicFan” is my witness, I woke up this morning at the goddess-awful time of five saying, “I still can’t believe that the Giants won the Super Bowl.”

It doesn’t quite have the cultural significance of “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly”, but still.

For this dedicated sports fan of all things Philadelphian, this is one big hurt, since the Eagles were thisclose to winning that one game two months back.

Ahem.

Please allow me a minute to two to lick my wounds.

And, for this sports fan that works and lives in “Giants’ Country”, it stings even harder since I’ll have to live and work with all of these rabid fans for the next year, even though I’m secretly wondering where I can hang a dartboard made out of Eli’s picture at work.

Or, perhaps a voodoo doll. You know, I’m just saying.

However, I’m a good-natured, generous soul, and I’ve got a big heart, so I’ve been congratulating all of the Giants fans I know for one terrific well-played game, and it was one of the best Super Bowls that Paul and I had ever watched.

But, I’ve asked all of the Giants fans to do just one thing for me…

“Please don’t turn into those entirely obnoxious and rude ‘Yankee fans'

Oh, and just a reminder...

Tomorrow is “Super-Duper-Tsunami-Performance-Enhanced Tuesday" primary election day here in New Jersey and New York.

I don’t know how many people read this blog, but if you live in one of the 24 states that will be holding a primary or a caucus tomorrow, please, please, get out there and vote for the candidate of your choice.

And always, remember...if you don't vote, you can't bitch.

Yes, the Giants won the Super Bowl, but we have other things to consider…like, who will take the “Oath Of Office” next January?

Yesterday, the Giants and the Pats were just playing for just a game; tomorrow, many of us will be voting for who we want to lead our country next year.

In other words, this is the real "Super Bowl Showdown!"