From Left, Walter, Ninja and the recently shaved Alfie. 2013.
She Said: The cats’ fur does so much better when I feed them some bacon grease. I need to cook more bacon.
He Heard: You are going to get more bacon soon.
She Meant: It’s spring. The cats are shedding, and I need to help them process all of those fur balls. So, I’m going to cook bacon and feed them the grease. They’ll feel better, their coats will look better, and they won’t be throwing up so much. Oh, and I’ll be cooking with more bacon.
Four siblings from everyone’s favorite fictional family of gingers: The Weasleys.
I am a part of the 1%.
Proudly.
I have red hair. Just like Thomas Jefferson, Mark Twain, Brigham Young, Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Calvin Coolidge, Vincent Van Gogh, Andrew Jackson, Axl Rose, Martin Van Buren, Tina Louise (her most famous character, of course, was Ginger!), Dwight Eisenhower, Ulysses S Grant, George Washington….
Well, I used to, anyway. My mother commented recently that my hair has more sawdust in it than she remembered. But it’s red. Honest.
In my heart, I am a ginger.
My senior picture, 1974, when the sawdust wasn’t flying so much.
I’m an award-winning red head, actually, as I won the contest for the baby with the reddest hair at the Graham Street Fair. How I ever beat out Kathy Linville, I’ll never know … maybe she won an award for some other cuteness. By the time we were in elementary school and our mothers belonged to the same club, we were mistaken for twins. Why? The hair. Believe me, it was only the hair.
Today, I read that red heads are known to react differently than other people to things other than the sun. Specifically, novocaine is known to not affect people with red hair as quickly as it affects the other unlucky 99% of the population.
Perhaps that explains the time that Mom took me to the dentist – I was probably 6 years old. Old-time dentist in Savannah, MO. How long ago was this? He had a water-cooled drill, but didn’t have a suction machine to take the water out of your mouth. Think about it.
In any event, the dentist gave me a shot and dove in … and when he started to drill, I grabbed his arm and yanked his hand out of my mouth. While the drill was working on my teeth that WERE NOT NUMB.
At the time, I blamed the dentist. I still do. But maybe, just maybe, he would have blamed my red hair.
Doesn’t matter. His hand did not belong in my mouth.
A good friend of ours is snake bit. That’s a technical term in sales for a person, that no matter what you try, always has a bad sales experience with a particular company.
Jill is snake bit by Amazon.com. No matter what she buys, no matter what delivery she chooses … it’s wrong. Snake bit.
I, on the other hand, love Amazon.com’s prime shipping. Buy practically anything on their site (which means, buy practically anything) and, with Amazon Prime, you’ll have that item in two days with “free” shipping. You actually pay something like $90 per year for that “free” shipping, but when you buy everything from there, it is worth it. IMHO.
Jill’s mileage may vary, after being snake bit so many times.
However, one item I don’t buy from Amazon – or from a regular brick and mortar store – is my breakfast food of choice. The only place to buy Post Cereal’s Great Grains Crunchy Pecan, uh, cereal, is Walmart.com, where you can buy a box for only $3.28. Amazon.com charges $5.86/box when you buy 7 (or $12.49/box when you buy two, or $8.50/box when you buy one. No, it doesn’t make sense).
So I buy my cereal at Walmart.com … except you can only buy 4 boxes at a time. And, to get free shipping, you have to have a minimum order of $50.
So, last night, Velda and I had to get creative with our purchase from Walmart.com to get a $50 order. We bought cat food, kitty litter and soap. And my maximum order of 4 boxes of cereal. $51 order = free shipping. Done.
Except Walmart.com told us we wouldn’t get the shipment until March 4. OK, no problem, I just won’t have breakfast cereal for a week.
And then they delivered the entire order TODAY, in less than 24 hours. After telling me that delivery would take 8 days, it took less than 1. And they didn’t even tell me that the shipment would be here sooner! They just got it here earlier than promised and expected me to be happy about it.
I’m not. I’m frustrated that they can’t control their inventory. I’m frustrated that they won’t let me buy the quantity of cereal that I want. I am just plain frustrated with Walmart, so I’ve apparently joined a pretty big club.
I also went online shopping this week at HomeDepot.com, because Mrs M’s Handmade needed LED light bulbs for our new booth lighting. I wanted a color temperature of 5000 degrees (“daylight”), so I chose a specific bulb … and I needed 12 of them. I elected to shop at home, pick up in the store so I could get the bulbs when the lights arrived. This is the first time I’ve done this shop online/pick up in-store with Home Depot.
What happened? The merchandise was exactly as ordered, and picked up within 30′ of the front entrance of this big box store (wow, that’s great!). The only negative was the clerk that processed the transaction didn’t see a need to bag the 12 light bulbs … she just handed me the display units with the 12 lights mounted on cards and stuck in slots, and thought she was done.
Well, OK, then. I guess she was.
What’s it all mean? No clue, but as of now, I don’t think anyone is getting online shopping right all of the time. And that’s a big frustration, because I’d really be OK if I never walked into another store again.
1. Plot revenge on Velda, who has infected me … twice this month. There is nothing good about that. I mean, what did I ever do to her?
2. Do a guy thing, and watch ESPN. Unfortunately, it proved to be unwatchable with wall-to-wall coverage of Sunday’s Superbowl … which just doesn’t interest me that much. The players seem to be thugs: millionaires that I could care less about. The coaches are proven cheaters. No UCLA fan could ever support Pete Carroll. I’ll watch the game, but could I watch hours of breathless coverage about what these league champions say or don’t say? No way.
3. Binge watch a TV series … I watched 10 episodes of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I thought the show was good … but since I could enjoy it in my condition, maybe I should reconsider.
4. Sleep.
5. Drink.
6. Take drugs.
7. Go to bed early, which I did … only to wake up at 2am. So, what to do?
8. Watch a romantic comedy, of course. The movie was About Time. As the movie poster says, from the creator of “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill.” The protagonist (Domhnall Gleeson, who you may remember as Bill Weasley) is described as a ginger, and he got the girl (Rachel McAdams). I remember having red hair, and anytime a guy with red hair gets a beautiful girl, that’s a good thing. I mean, it happened to me, so it could happen to anyone.
1. Nag her to call in. She hasn’t seemed to connect the idea that she cares for SICK PEOPLE with the idea that it’s bad to do that when she IS a SICK PEOPLE.
2. Enjoy nagging her. It’s your only opportunity to do that.
3. Make her repeat everything she wants. Two reasons: 1) it is really annoying to her, and 2) she says everything wrong the first time, anyway. It’s really funny. When she’s running hot, the brain doesn’t connect names of things very well. Or, maybe, she really doesn’t know the name of anything in the first place. In any event, never rely on her first description of anything, from bottles of drugs to locations for the thermometer. And the TV remote. And her glass of water. And any thing else that’s now on her “Go Get Me…” list.
My little paid professional, when she graduated with her RN from the LA County School of Nursing. 1980.
4. Avoid her as much as possible. Clearly, she’s infectious. Ewwww.
5. While avoiding her, work in the garage woodshop and make a lot of noise. It’s best if she isn’t comfortable being sick. That’s just for her own good.
6. When you inevitably get sick, don’t allow her to care for you in any way. She won’t, anyway, because she always expects to be paid to care for sick people. Since you can’t afford her daily rate, just suffer. Publicly. Maybe you’ll get some sympathy, eventually. If not, at least you still haven’t had to pay her for medical care.
7. Don’t tell other people she is sick. After all, since she is a paid professional, this could serve to undermine her professional reputation.
8. Don’t do her household chores. If you do it and make it look so easy to keep up, it’ll be your job next week. She’s still making fun of your cooking after 15 years … so don’t go there.
In case you’re wondering, the flu bug has bitten Velda this week. She’s tried to hack up a lung, and nearly succeeded yesterday. Yes, she had her flu shot, and no, it did nothing good this year. Oh well. She got new drugs yesterday; I’m sure she’ll be better in a day or two. If I’m lucky, she’ll never see this top secret plan I have to, uh, care for her.
Mrs. M and Mrs. M, before they opened on their first day. Smiles on faces, and that is a very good thing!
This was a year of new beginnings.
Mrs. M’s Handmade, which began last year, really got going early in 2014. Alley filled out the paperwork and got a California reseller’s permit, and the business officially began on 2/1/14. Our first event was the Santa Clarita Street Fair in March (read about that here) … and total sales for that weekend were $420. Expenses we won’t talk about, but, believe me, no profit was made! Humble beginnings, indeed.
In the midst of preparing for that launch, we had an all-too-rare visit from any member of our Midwest family … Aunt Sis was in the house!
In April, we entered a new phase of life: the empty nest. Little Girl escaped to her own apartment, and hasn’t looked back. It seems increasingly difficult to get the whole family together for dinner … and we all live within a few miles of each other! In any event, Little Girl has left the nest and is doing wonderful on her own.
Ventura Beach, July 2014
Which is exactly right.
July found us on Ventura Beach, enjoying the Pacific and Miss P. Great times … and for a family living in SoCal, only Lauren really takes advantage of the beach being an hour away!
Christopher and Alley completed their transition out of their condo and into their wonderful new home in July. They now live about 40 miles from us, in Lancaster, CA.
Speaking of new homes, Eric also purchased a home this year, in Castaic, CA (where Michael and Brianna also live). He’s currently doing extensive renovations and anticipates moving into his home … well, when the renovations are done. This year, right, Eric?
October brought us another all-too-rare visit from family, with Tony and Claire Hubert visiting on Claire’s west coast college tour. We’re all holding our breath until she confirms that she’s going to be a UCLA Bruin. No pressure, Claire!
Here’s the Mrs. M’s at our first double booth at the big craft fair at Saugus High, where all 3 kids graduated. Quite a different look from their first booth, yes?
Mrs. M’s Handmade had a great first year (the website is here, and the Facebook page is here). From our humble beginnings in March, we ended up being a part of 23 different craft fairs (!) over the 10 months we were active. Sales for both Mrs M’s lotion products and Mr M’s cutting boards and cheese boards exceeded our expectations … so we’re committed to continuing into 2015. As a wise man once told me, “Be careful what you wish for!”
Here’s the family’s professional round-up:
I started the year with 2 clients, but the relationship with the second ended just in time for my sanity to endure. I continue on as the DOM for Smarts Broadcast Systems. I interview broadcasters for their blog (here), and have become proficient in social media for them.
Not that the children would ever agree with that assessment, of course.
I did an unusually small amount of travel this year, going to 2 radio industry conventions. I was in Las Vegas in April for the NAB, and then in Oregon in September for their broadcaster convention.
Velda continues with Kaiser Continuing Care. She’s begun a new program with regular visits to her patients in assisted living facilities, in anticipation of transitioning entirely out of her skilled nursing facility position by next April.
Christopher continues at Placerita Nature Center, a part of the LA County park system. Alley continues her position with the city of Palmdale.
Mrs. Mowry at the podium
Michael continues with Crane Aerospace & Electronics in Burbank. He and Brianna are in the midst of training for their first full marathon (that’s 26.2 miles), which will happen at Disneyworld in January. Why are they doing it? For the flashy medals, of course!
Brianna had the big job news, winning a full time position at Sierra Vista Junior High in Canyon Country. She teaches English, English for English Language Learners, and one Choir class. She directed her first junior high concert in December; my favorite photo from that event is to the right.
Lauren is now in charge of kindergarteners at her Sunshine Daycare; she also won a full time position this year.
Eric is currently juggling his real job with the other real job of supervising contractors working on his house. It never ends, Eric!
And the best photo of the year is, again, of Payton (as if there’s any doubt!). The backstory to this photo: Payton was not yet 2, and had a complete terrible 2 meltdown. Alley took her outside to calm down, and she came back inside with flowers in her hair and an angelic smile.
Merry Christmas, everyone. It’s been a wonderful year, and here’s to an even better 2015 for you and yours.
Fascinating photography project was recently done by Natalie Slater. She chronicled the changes on Route 66, duplicating the angle and perspective of images from a collection of postcards from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s.
U.S. Route 66 (US 66 or Route 66), also known as the Will Rogers Highway and colloquially known as the Main Street of America or the Mother Road, was one of the original highways within the US Highway System. Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in America, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before ending at Santa Monica, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles. It was recognized in popular culture by both the hit song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” and the Route 66 television show in the 1960s.
Route 66 served as a major path for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and it supported the economies of the communities through which the road passed. People doing business along the route became prosperous due to the growing popularity of the highway, and those same people later fought to keep the highway alive in the face of the growing threat of being bypassed by the new Interstate Highway System.
Route 66 underwent many improvements and realignments over its lifetime, and it was officially removed from the United States Highway System on June 27, 1985, after it had been replaced in its entirety by the Interstate Highway System. Portions of the road that passed through Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arizona have been designated a National Scenic Byway of the name “Historic Route 66“, which is returning to some maps. Several states have adopted significant bypassed sections of the former US 66 into the state road network as State Route 66.
The signature pop song, “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” was written in 1946 by Bobby Troup, recorded that year by Nat King Cole, and later covered by everyone from The Rolling Stones to Depeche Mode.
After a grueling 12 weeks in my own classroom, I’ve put some passing thoughts together.
I call them “passing” thoughts because I haven’t had space in my brain for anything more than a passing thought. So here they are…my disjointed, unorganized, all-encompassing passing teacher thoughts.
1. This is really, really hard work. Disguised as easy work. (Don’t tell me our work schedule means we can’t complain. I might have to kill you.)
2. I sleep (usually at 9:00 pm) because I MUST.
3. This is expensive. Who knew classes needed so many things?!? How did it end up being $600 worth of things?!
4. If I didn’t have so many meetings about my students and what I must do for my students, I might have more time to plan fun things for my students. But I need the meetings and I need the information, so this is a pickle.
5. Why did I choose to train for my first marathon right now?
6. Alarm clock is set for 4:00 am.
7. I care too much.
8. I get grumpy easily.
9. Common Core.
10. If you love me, bring me potato chips. All of the potato chips.
11. Kids are hilarious.
12. What can we do to motivate our students? Why don’t they want to be here? Why won’t they try? Is it something I’m doing wrong?
13. Is it always my fault?
14. I miss cooking at night.
15. Sometimes, changing everything you thought is not only a good idea, but necessary. Teaching must be fluid. The class rules can change. The teacher’s ideas can change. The students can change. There is nothing in teaching that can’t change. Maybe it won’t happen now. Maybe it will. Maybe it will happen all at once, or maybe it will happen over many years. But the biggest thing I’ve felt is that the teaching profession is always changing. There is always a new teaching technique. There’s always something that can help out students gain the skills they need to be successful in college. In 8th grade, we are honing those skills. 8th grade. That’s how important college is. And yet…does our society need everyone to go to college? (If you’ve read my first post, you know how I feel about this.)
So I’ve taken this huge step in my life, experienced this huge change…and it just keeps going. I must learn to be fluid. I must learn to accept change. This is my path and my life. My passing thoughts.
A good friend of ours is snake bit. That’s a technical term in sales for a person, that no matter what you try, always has a bad sales experience with a particular company.
4. Sleep.
