A New or Renewed Pet Peeve

In my new job, I demonstrate new products, mostly food. Recently, I decided to open a new box of the product even though I was close to the end of my shift. I figured I could give away larger portions of the product. It was a Saturday, lots of people shopping with their kids, so I was able to give out quite a lot of the product. Unfortunately, by the time I needed to finish and get everything cleaned up, I still had 2 unopened cartons of product left. I ended up having to discard them in the garbage. That night I got to thinking about all of the food that gets thrown away, demo products opened but not completely used, products at their "use by" date, foods that some customer has dropped or otherwise disturbed the packaging,all this stuff that may be still consumable, but which can't be given away or donated due to whatever regulations there are. There's a lot of food just going to waste! You'd think that it could be given to the homeless, or even to animals in the zoo for pete's sake. I think of how wasteful Americans are and it bothers me. It doesn't help my feelings when I see the public service ads on TV about the children in third world countries who are starving and seeing their pictures. I guess that we're generous with donations and food and that is good, but what about all the food that ends up in the landfills? There should be another way!

Dream Life

Have you ever had a dream that just sticks with you and won't let go? It's not fun if it's a remembered nightmare, but even if it was a pleasent dream it can be uncomfortable when it seems like an obcession. Most dreams start to fade after you awaken and start getting on with your day,though if it was really nice, the feelings it engendered last awhile. This morning I was rudely awakened by my cat just as this dream was getting intense. There was a kind of "magicness" about this dream that has lingered all day long and the actual scene of the dream has remained clear as well. When I have a dream like that, I always wonder whether it has meaning. Is it prophetic? Gee, I hope so, but I don't think I've ever had a prophetic dream before. Is it something I really want or need and my subconscience is tryiny to give me a nudge? Maybe. Maybe I'm supposed to make a story out of it. Hmmm?

The Feel of Autumn--Wonderful

I suppose not everyone welcomes Autumn, but it's my favorite season. Maybe because school starts then, it feels like a new beginning to me. I get a little of that feeling in spring too, but in Utah, spring starts and stops so often, it's more frustrating. Here, the leaves are turning and it's getting colder. In fact, we have snow on the tops of the mountains already, a dusting that we received a few days ago. That is a little earlier than usual, but it's not that rare. Now I'm thinking of pumpkins and corn stalks. Soon I'll be putting something spooky on the front door. I usually try to decorate my door with colored leaves or autumn flowers that can be left for Thanksgiving and use the spooks on the deck where they can be taken in. Sometimes the pumpkins even survive for Thanksgiving. We haven't had them smashed for a couple of years. Hope that isn't an invitation. We usually drive in the mountains to see the changing leaves, but the early snow may have knocked a lot of them down. Oh well, this year I have a different job and I'm working weekends, so I may not have time anyway. I can still enjoy the rest of the season and it's inevitable slide into winter which I only enjoy for a week or two, then I get tired of cold and snow.

The Path to 9/11

After making such a big deal about the ABC production of "the Path to 9/11", I figured I should at least watch it, or part of it. Sunday night's presentation was 3 hours long. I managed 2 hours, then turned over to Ted Koppel on Dicovery network and watched an hour of that.
At the beginning of the ABC presentation, I noticed a small reference to the fact that the presentation was taken from many sources, one a book called "The Cell" and of course the 9/11 Commission report. They noted several times that this was a dramatization. It wasn't that badly done I guess, but thoughout people make statements and you're left to wonder, did that person really say that or was it part of the dramatization to make good theater? That was the problem for me throughout the 2 hrs that I watched. What was real and what was theater? Was someone trying to make a point or just entertain?
Parts of it got a little tedious, with lots of jumping around. Had it been a purely fictioal story, I doubt I would have lasted 2 hours. Will I watch the rest tonight? Maybe, but probably not.

Email From the Democrats

I just got an email from the Democrats describing a new docudrama that's to appear on ABC TV as a mini series entitled "The Path to 9/11" It supposedly follows the path leading up to the 9/11 event and lists as source the 9/11 commission. The only advisor listed from the commission is a Republican congressman. There supposedly have been some prescreenings but only to conservative bloggers and commentators. The Democrats have done some digging to find out what is in the docudrama and have fould some things that indicate that the blame for 9/11 will be laid at the Clinton adminstration's door. Tom McMahon,the writer of the email, lists some things included in the film that are actually things that never happened. Of course, this could be propaganda by the Democrats, but then, it is an election year and the Bush team is playing the "fear card" as often as they can. I wonder if those 14 prisoners to be transferred from CIA custody to Gitmo would ever have seen the light of day unless there was a political payoff for the Bush administration?

Sharon's opinions

A Touch of Fall,
Here in Utah, we've been having some cooler weather.In fact, I've needed to close my balcony window the last 2 or 3 nights and even felt a bit chilly in the mornings. I love this timeof year! The end of September and through October are usually the best time of year. October can sometimes fool you though and we even get freezes in September.

It won't stay cool though. It's supposed to warm up in a day or so. We can get some warm Falls too. Then I'll be hoping for a freeze to ease my Autumn allergies. Some people are never satisfied, Right?

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsToday, Salt Lake City had all it's demonstrations. I'm glad to report there were only 5 people at the "Down With Isreal" demo. Sort of restores my faith in my fello citizens. President Bush said all the things he usually says, nothing new. I guess that's to be expected. Looks like Salt Lakes 15 minutes of glory is over and we survived. All in all, I prferred the Olympics.

President Bush to Visit the Reddist of Red States

It's that time of year again, the American Legion Convention. This year, President Bush will speak, as he did last year. This year we even get Sec Rumsfield and Sec Condi Rice. Both spoke on Tuesday, saying the usual things about the war. Mr. Rumsfield thinks that anyone not in favor of the war in Iraq is morally confused. He said these were the same kinds of people who tried appeasement with Hitler. (same old rhetoric) Sec. Rice was more diplomatic. That is, after all her job. She admitted there were some unhappy things coming out of Iraq. She also said we had the right to protest. (tell that to the Utah GOP) She was upset that people were saying bad things about her boss, the President. She believes he is a truthful, moral man. I suspect Pres. Bush believes that too.

We here in Utah have around 5 demonstrations scheduled for today. One at least pro Bush, one against the war, one pro imigration and one called "down with Isreal". That last one bothers me a bit. Still, they got their permission, went through all the proticals, so they've the right to express themselves.

Lots of people in the state don't believe our SLC mayor Rocky Anderson has that right though. He's supposed to be the office,welcoming the federal office. Just play nice. The GOP in this state thinks their the only party(they almost are) They took out radio ads asking people to flood the city phone lines with protests. The city added people to answer the phones. When someone called the Republican party headquarters to ask some uncomfortale questions, the receptionist hung up. Such is politics in Utah. Can't wait to hear what Pres. Bush has to say, assuming it will be any different from previous speeches, of course.

On Being My Own Worst Enemy

In my last post, I talked about needing to find a job. I am actually doing some looking and doing some online applications, but many want a resume. There's where I'm shooting myself in the foot. I have it started, but I just can't seem to finish it. I'm using a different program, so when I get problems, I try once or twice to get past them, then throw up my hands, save what I have, and quit. I have an interveiw on Thursday and thought I should go get my shaggy hair trimed today. Instead, I took a nap. Of course, getting awakened by a fire engine and an ambulence at 3 am this morning didn't help. There I go making excuses for myself again. At least I got my daughter-in-laws birthday gift shipped yesterday. Maybe if I recognise the things I do get done instead of carping on and on about my failings, I'd start doing better, ot at least feeling better.

Changes -But I Don't Want To!

I've been home, not employed for over 2 years now. The first 2 years I was the primary caretaker for my 80 something Mom who needed dialysis 3 bdays a week. I was'nt just sitting around, but I had time to keep up the house work, do some reading, play on the internet, etc. I had my early retirement money and the severance package my company gave me when I was downsized, plus Mom's social security and what we'd managed to save. By the time Mom passed away,we'd gone through quite a bit of the money, but not all.

After Mom died, I didn't know quite what to do with myself and I was more depressed than I expected. I figured Mom had been released from a lot of suffering that last 6 months so I expected to bounce back. I didn't really and I made some bad decisions with money.I bought so many things that were going to get me earning great money on the web, but either did'nt work. I couldn't understand, or I didn't follow through on.

The result is, I need to go back to work. On the one hand, I'm okay with that, but on the other, I'm as scared as I was when I had to take care of myself after my divorce.There's the added problem of being embarrassed and a little ashamed of myself.

I'll survive, but It's a pain too. I guess some things we don't seem to outgrow.

Early Mornings are Worth It

I usually get up early every morning because my cat insists on being fed. Imagine that! He's very persistant, first patting my arm or face, then jumping on me. I usually grope my way downstairs and feed him, then make coffee and sit, half asleep waiting for it. Yesterday, while on my first cup of coffee, I looked out to the east through my patio door and became mezmerised with the unfolding of the sunrise. I live in a valley with mountains on both the west and the east so both sunrise and sunset can take a little time.
Yesterday, there were just enough clouds to really hi-light the changes in the light. First the lower surfaces were a deep pink with small spots of white on top. Gradually,the pink lightened and spread higher in the sky and farther west with the cloud tops brightening. Within minutes, the clouds closest to the mountain became rosy gold and pink spread farther across the sky. Amazingly, hundreds of small birds chose this time to leap into the air, flying toward the mountains as if welcoming the sun. By now, the clouds on the east were bright with sunlight.
The fun part is, it can happen again tomorrow, different each day, but always the same.

Fish Tank as Decor

At this years National Kitchen and Bath Assocciation Show in Chicago, HGTV showed some of the new ideas. One of those ideas turned out to be an aquarium of fish as an island in the kitchen. They showed it with colorful gold fish, illuminated to show it off. There's a small opening on top with a lid which allows you to feed the fish. They didn't mention if you were also expected to clean the tank through that small opening too.

Another company showed a toilet with a clear,double tank which also held goldfish. Due to the double tank, the fish don't get flushed.I imagine feeding and cleaning are still problematic.

Deconstruction versus Demolishing

I read an article in the Sept issue of Better Homes and Gardens about a couple who discovered a way to get the bigger space they needed without betraying their principles on recycling. They didn't want to move as they enjoyed their location living on the shore of a lake. They looked at their options and dicovered a deconstruction company that would carefully dismantle their present one level home and save the reusable material for their new contruction or save it for someone else's construction.

They ended up with a new 2 story home with more size and they even got a tax credit for the deconstruction. They used some things from the old home and other things from elsewhere. They even carted up stones from their lake front to build a new fireplace. Considering all the deomolition and construction material that ends up in the nation's landfills each year, this was a great solution.
If you want details, go to Better Homes and Garden, Sept issue or try their website at http://www.bhg.com

People and Reality

I just read in the news that nearly 50% of the people polled believe that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq before we invaded. The article went on to wonder how so many people could have such a disconnect from reality. My simple answer to that question is that they choose to disconnect, from a reality they find uncomfortable due to currant news from the war, or wanting to disconnect from a reality where they might have to feel some bit of responsibilty for keeping the Bush administration in office. I think some of these people only pay attention to news sources that will bolster their version of reality, like Fox News and conservative talk radio and blogs. If you don't open yourself to anyone who might disagree with you, you don't have to change your mind or feel any guilt. You can remain somewhat comfortable. I'm afraid that sooner or later, reality will intrude though. (hopefully before 2006 elections.)

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsI was noticing recently, that Govenor Arnold Swartznegger of California has joined Tony Blair of Great Britain in trying to do something about global warming.I guess it's no surprise since California has been working on it for quite sometime. Our Mayor of Salt Lake City, Rocky Anderson has been making changes in our city for quite awhile. We've already met and in some cases surpassed goals for lowering greenhouse emmissions. Too bad Rocky isn't running for a third term.
It seems to me that even if you believe that this climate change is just part of a normal cycle, it still is a good idea to lower greenhouse gas emmission if only to give us cleaner air and better health. As far as I'm aware, this our only planet at present and we all have to breathe the same air, plenty to go around, just not very clean or heathful.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinions It was a busy weekend and I hardly touched my computer. After all the heat we've had lately, we got a pleasnt change today. It was in the low 60s this A.M. and I actually had to close mybalcony door. We got a huge rain storm this morning, one of those "frog stranglers" you may have heard about. Really nice. Of course I like rain storms. I just wish I'd had my car out of the carport to get washed, but by the time I thought of it, I'd have gotten washed too and I'd just got dressed. Oh well.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinions I thought today I'd strive to be a bit more positive in my post. Time to stop bitchin about the heat, the world, etc. Have you noticed it does no good to be negative except to bring about more negativity?
I've been reacting badly to the heat lately and it surely doesn't make the weather change. I decided to just go about my business. It was still hot and I still got sweaty and tired, but I didn't feel so bummed out, just living my life in the heat. Obviously, I still drink plenty of water, dress sensibly and rest when I need to, I'm just trying to be accepting of what I can't change. Yeah, and I don't hesitate to get into air conditioning when I can either!

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsThe headline on the front page of the Salt Lake Tribune this morning was very depressing though not totally unexpected. We've had a little 5 yr old girl missing for over a week and last night she was found dead in the basement of the next door neighbor. The buildings had been searched 4 times, but somehow she wasn't found. After 100's of people scoured the area and even into the canyons, she was that close. All the registered sex offenders were checked out and pretty much cleared. The young man who is now in custody has no record, but one instance of domestic disturbance 6 months ago. The police treated the disapperance as a " missing person" and didn't issue an "Amber alert" until yesterday.
It's just a sad, sad, thing when a little girl isn't safe in her own yard! I'm not sure what can be done. Maybe we need to see each other as lovable children of God,deserving love and protection. I don't know.

This is my cat Jake. He's 18 pounds, long of body and short of leg and when you see him walking from the rear, he looks like he's duck-walking. Give Jake 2 square meals a day, a sunny patch on the foor to lie in, birds to watch out the window and a comfortable lap to lie in once in a while and he's a happy camper. He's my alarm clock. I rarely get to sleep past 6a.m.--got to feed the cat! Jake loves tearing around the house for no apparent (human) reason. He has his own stuffed yellow cat that he grooms and talks to. Got to get him a friend. He surely makes life interesting around here

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsWe got the most wonderful rain storm last night, big huge drops at first, then it settled down into a steady rain for 20 minutes or so---pretty good for us. It cooled things off and freshened the air, wonderful! I slept well and this morning was beautiful and cool with streaky pink clouds as the sun was coming up. Of course we'll still probably get over 100 degrees again today but maybe only 98. yippee. It seems like most of the country is hot and even London and Spain are having people drop from the heat. Guess it's summer.