Archives for category: Entertainment

Movin’ & Groovin’ with the Oldies

August 31, 2015 //

This all started when I saw a news story on a senior center where the residents were playing Pickleball and I thought it looked like fun. Where have I been? There are Pickleball courts all over town that I knew nothing about. One of the most popular is less than a mile away, so I went down to watch. Wow! It’s in a senior center that uses a church area and gym and offers a wealth of programming for old folks (defined as 50 & over).

OK. I know I’m a senior, hopefully, a young seeming senior. This place was inspiring, positively inspiring. First, I joined at the crazy low price of $25 a year. A year! I started walking because they have an indoor track that circles over the gym floor, allowing me to watch all the various activities. And, then I took Pickleball lessons from the dynamite 81 year old instructor, who was obviously a gym teacher in her previous life. I also learned she had been a nun, so double whammy of discipline there.

In this place, I’m kind of in the middle of the age groups, so I fit right in. Nobody hesitates to welcome you or visit with you, so I jumped into Pickleball, where I’m also in the middle of the skill ranges at this point. Pickleball is a cross between tennis, badminton and ping pong, played with a paddle and a whiffle ball on a short court. I always feel like I’m on a giant ping pong table due to the sound of hitting the ball.

Don’t let the fact that I’ve been playing with 70 and 80 year olds make you think that these people can’t play. Good grief! One of the first people I talked to was a woman who retired last year after working 54 years for the same company. 54 Years! Unheard of for today’s workers. She retired because she had a stroke, but she’s recovered except for a little memory loss. I’d say she has also had knee problems from the way she moves. Anyway, she told me she also plays on the women’s basketball team in the 75-80 bracket and then she spotted a woman she said is on her bowling team. I will say she doesn’t always move fast on the Pickleball court, but she can sure hit the ball hard.

I played with a gentleman who I estimate to be 83 (my firm wild guess). He slowly walks onto the court and then, WHAM! I couldn’t believe this guy. He doesn’t move fast to the ball, but he hits hard with strategic shots. Several of the other women, good players I have played, with have asked him to go soft for us. Very deceptive, these old people. The line to play is always long, so they play fair with everyone changing partners every game and nobody is too obnoxiously competitive so far. Of course, I don’t play on the Advanced play days, so they may change in those games. This lady told me she’s been playing a year and she’s good. I think she’s finally accepted me as a player and won’t wince when we end up together. She also told me she sometimes lets shots go by because she doesn’t feel like running for them. My kind of player.

At the end of a game, the players meet at the net to touch paddles and tell each other what a good game it was. Very fun. You’ll note the knee brace on one player. I watched a game stop for a minute last week when a lady’s pacemaker came undone. She hooked it up and kept playing. She’s another very good player.From my walking vantage point, I watch some of the other activities, such as Tai Chi, a great activity for balance and strength. There is also Zumba Gold, a low impact dance exercise class. Watching these ladies, listening to the variety of music to which they were moving, I realized that these ladies were always dancers. They did ballroom, swing, cha cha and rhumba, Western line dances, and rock & roll. These ladies did the Twist when they were young and now they’re moving to those same tunes. They cooled down to Frank Sinatra after some faster numbers and I thought of how many dances they had been to in their lifetimes and how many of them were probably dancing without their life long partners these days since the women do tend to outlive the men, no matter what we’d like to think. The memories moving to this music must bring to mind…Another day, I walked my two miles very quickly, watching a Functional Movement class that made me tired to think about. These ladies were bending and pulling in ways that I’m not sure I could do or even want to try, although I should. In this one, they walked with a partner who pulled on the giant rubber band to give them resistance. That’s not so bad, but the floor exercises…Today, I walked while the basketball teams warmed up, watching gray and white haired ladies make basket after basket as they practiced their drills. I don’t know if they played a game or not, but the drills were fun to watch. They all arrived with their own basketballs, which is so amazing to me, although I have my own Pickleball paddle now.These aren’t the only ones moving or active around the place. There is a small gym with exercise equipment, Yoga, and seated exercise and seated Yoga classes which are always full, plus activities for the mind. There is Bridge, Mah Jongg, Skip-Bo, Canasta, a knitting group and a painting group. One of my friends goes to a group called Stories, where people meet to share memories and stories. Some of them bring things to read, others tell stories, some share things they have written. One lady in her 90s reads poetry she writes. There are several 90+ year olds in this group with a great collection of memories to share. And, of course, there are Pot Luck lunch on Fridays.

I find this group so inspiring to watch and be a minor part of, especially since these are my peeps after all. It’s also a nice contrast to the days when I work on the university campus and feel every bit my age watching the students pass me by. I have a lot of things going on in my life, so I’m just walking and playing Pickleball, unlike some of them who are there every day for many things. Mostly, I love seeing that they laugh and share and think and remember and play and, most of all, move! We all need to move, no matter what our age. And, I like movin’ with these nice people. I’ll let you know if I get good enough for the Advanced group in Pickleball. I’m not sure I’m old enough!

Tags Pickleball, seniors

Categories Entertainment, Places, Reflections

The Bay Area and Beyond

July 8, 2015 //

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay area is rich with adventures, so each day of my recent trip was spent exploring something new, including revisiting San Francisco to see the things missed on previous trips. We passed the incredibly ornate City Hall (those city fathers wanted to make a statement) and buildings with the old state seal.

There were the obvious places, such as Fisherman’s Wharf, which was so crowded with tourists (not that we weren’t) that we skipped stopping there.We did join the crowd at Lombard Street, only because I hadn’t seen it and felt I must. Driving the crazy curves in the line of cars and standing for the obvious pictures was actually pretty charming, only because it is what is is. We drove through the business district with the imposing iconic TransAmerica building…And this delightful lady reaching between tall buildings…Streetcars are as delightful as ever…And we visited the waterfront, enjoying the sailboats and fishermen…Leaving the city, we passed this delightful mural…before reaching the Golden Gate Bridge, which never fails to delight…On this day, we headed towards Sausalito, changed our minds and I suggested the beach, which looked pretty close on the map. Of course, I forgot that this is the coast and that short road was crooked and narrow and the trip to Stinson Beach took way too long for what we were planning. But we got there and dipped our feet in the ocean and enjoyed the views and people watching…

…before heading back along the same long, curvy road…On other days, we headed into Berkeley, driving through the campus of UC Berkeley, intrigued with its ties to the incredible Phoebe Hearst and her son, William Randolph Hearst, along with buildings of every architectural style. A hodgepodge of buildings strung through the hills.

with the classic Clock Tower at the center…Looking for a late lunch, we found the Gourmet Ghetto district…opting for Oscar’s, a classic burger place, over the fancier trendy restaurants nearby. The selling point was that Oscar’s had been there since 1950 and was destined to close in a few weeks to be replaced by yet another salad restaurant. We wanted to experience the history not the health. That day, we drive north to the towns of Benicia and Martinez, the location of the historic home of one of our national heroes, John Muir. Entering Martinez, we were struck with the irony of the oil refineries in the home of the man who protected our wilderness areas. We found his home on a major thoroughfare, back by an interstate highway. You have to wince, but the site at least has preserved enough to let you envision the way it used to be. Looking at old photos of the rich orchards that covered the hills, you look out at the modern mess of franchises, motels, and fast food that have replaced the fruit and trees. But, if you look the other way, it’s the way it was, somewhat. You get the idea. This is the home where Muir took over his father-in-law’s orchards very successfully and began his writings that so enlightened the world. I had read much about him, but had forgotten how painful it was for him to write since his words are so lovely.

I should have realized when I saw the mess of his office with papers strewn around the floor as he did. It was nice to pay tribute to this genius of a man.On another day, we drove to Palo Alto to see the Stanford campus, probably the most beautiful campus I’ve seen. In contrast to the variety of building styles at Berkeley, from classic to contemporary, Stanford has consistency (like my own Oklahoma State University), which gives it much beauty. This 8,000+ acre campus is casual and elegant and impressive as we entered through an avenue of magnolias and beautiful homes, followed by streets lined with oaks and shops and restaurants and then through the campus gate and an avenue of palms leading to the heart of the campus.

The Stanford Memorial Church has a simple name that belies its grandeur. Having toured many cathedrals and historic churches, I have to admit that this lovely sanctuary reached me with its beautiful warm details. The incredible mosaic murals on the outside stand over the central quad of the university.

and the interior somehow comforts the worshipper.Across the campus, there are architectural details and fountains that delight. Students walked through them casually in their shorts and tanks. A group played in the elegant fountains, a perfect example of the atmosphere. I reminded myself that these are the brightest of the bright, playing and not studying at the moment.

On our final morning in the Oakland area, we visited a beautiful botanic garden, the plants displayed by the region of California in which they grew.

Around another curvy road (that’s all they have – I’m sure of it), we delighted in an old fashioned carousel with its colorful, fanciful animals and lovely paintings of California history. Built in 1911, one of the last original merry go rounds in the country, it has been in this location since 1948, hidden away in the California hills.

And so ends my tour of the areas around Oakland, an area of history, natural beauty, and absolute delights wherever you go on your adventures. Put it on your bucket list again and again because there is always something new to see.

Tags Berkeley, John Muir home, San Francisco, Stanford University, Tilden Merry Go Round

Categories Entertainment, Memories, Nature, Photography, Places, Reflections, Travel

Waiting for Star Wars

June 12, 2015 //

Here we are, almost 40 years later, waiting for the next Star Wars movie to open. When the original was released, I read about this phenomenon in the newspaper and took the family to see it. My youngest, my son, was only about 1 1/2 years old, so it was his first movie. I remember spending part of the movie walking around the back of the theatre with him, little knowing how much it would affect his and our lives. From then until now, I can’t remember a time that Star Wars wasn’t around me – or under my feet.

There were the movies, anxiously awaited by the entire family. The first thing we recorded when we got a VCR was Star Wars. I still have the tape somewhere. And the toys! Packed in my garage are the figures and the tiny guns that I picked up so many times that I can’t count. The toys I waited in line for, the special figures only available from some cereal or by mailing off something. Some are stored in the big Darth Vader carrying case that’s out there somewhere. There’s the Millennium Falcon and the At-At and the Storm Troop Carrier (it actually spoke when you pushed the button) and planes and one of those big snow creatures they rode and no telling what else. My son collected lunch boxes and his Star Wars box is a prize. Later, we had Star Wars talking figures and large collector figures and whatever else came along. By this time, my son was in college and my daughters were marrying guys who had also grown up with Star Wars. One of my sons-in-law has his figures intact with their guns, packed away for safe-keeping. Nothing to snicker about either. This is important stuff.

They re-released the first three episodes in theaters when my oldest daughter was pregnant with her first son. She could feel him jumping as we watched our favorite scenes. Another generation has come along and all eight of my grandkids are familiar with the stories and the characters. I was at a 2 year old’s birthday party, a child named after my son, and he knew Darth Vader in his limited vocabulary. Good job, Dad! Here’s my son with one of my grandsons many years ago, passing down the fun…

So here we go again and I couldn’t be more excited. The next series will start and the comparisons to the old ones will be rampant on social media and we’ll all be swept into this wonderfully fun world again. Last week, I traveled to Oakland, California and was amused to hear all the references around the Bay area. First, I spotted this book in a gift shop. Where was this series when I needed it for my kid?

Then we drove by the entrance to George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, pointed out by a local. She remarked that the woods we were passing through were the setting for the Battle of Endor (she didn’t say that and I had to look it up). You know the one where the rebels and the Ewoks fight the stormtroopers in the woods. Of course, you know. That great scene where they rode those fast things that raced through the trees. Anyway, I could see what inspired it and where it was filmed (except for the computer stuff, of course). It looked like this area…

I learned that the cranes that we kept passing on the way across the Oakland Bay Bridge into San Francisco were the inspiration for many of the big machines in Star Wars. After all, George Lucas passed them all the time. It makes sense. From then on, I tried to capture the images as I was driven by them. Can’t you see them marching across the movie screen?

I guess I’m getting too excited. There are still months to go and more trailers to entice us and more products to show up in the stores and I know that we will all be in that theatre, waiting for the music and the opening and the familiar heroes. I’m excited that there’s a new generation getting their own episodes and new parents walking around picking up the beloved toys and just crazy fun for this old grandmother to share. Silly…

Tags Endor, Ewoks, Oakland CA, Star Wars

Categories Entertainment, Family, Friends, Memories, Photography, Places, Reflections, Travel

An Eagle Family

March 28, 2015 //

We love to see eagles soar, but I love watching them nest even more. I’ve watched eagle cams, cameras placed by eagles’ nests, before, sometimes with tragic storylines, and am always fascinated. It’s reassuring to watch the parental instincts kick in and know that we share some of those traits with other species. And baby eagles are cute, like all babies.

This year, I’ve been watching the eagle cam in Hanover, Pennsylvania. All of my screen shots have this credit:

Image courtesy of Pennsylvania Game Commission, HDOnTap and Comcast Business)

The eagle cam website is: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1592549&mode=2

When I was in high school, our team mascot was the Eagle and our publication of student works was titled Eyrie, which is the name for an eagle (or other large bird of prey) nest. So I’ve been watching this Pennsylvania eyrie from the comfort of my home office on my computer or iPad for the past few weeks. It started with the eagle on the nest being covered up to her neck in snow as she sat patiently waiting for her two eggs to hatch. This week they both hatched and today I started my day with the treat of both parents in the nest with the babies.

When I first tuned in, the mother (the larger of the two birds) was sitting there, looking around with her eagle eye, and watching snow start to fall again. I’m sure her thoughts (because I’m relating her to my experiences as a mother) are “Snow!!! Again??? Dang!” At one point, she peeked under herself like she was telling the babies to stay still. Later she actually snapped at the snow, catching some for a drink, I suppose. And the wind began to blow her feathers. They’ve fixed the nest up pretty nicely, as I watched them rearrange the grasses before the eggs hatched. And they’ve been stocking up on fish. There’s a wing there, too, so I’m guessing they got a smaller bird. Anyway, there’s plenty of food around.I didn’t have to watch long before the father showed up. The expression on eagles’ faces is always stern, so it’s hard to tell if the mother was happy or not. I have to go with their body language, I guess. He hung around, looking like he didn’t know what to do and then picked up a stick, a large one. And then he moved it to the other side, getting in the mother’s face to do it. Not hard to interpret what she was thinking here…She got up at that point. I mean what else is she going to do with wiggly eaglets underneath her and him rearranging her nest right in her face?The eaglets turned to the mother for food, of course. I’m not up on my eagle parenting and I had a husband who helped me with babies, so I’m not sure if this father is the norm, but he stood around looking like he didn’t know what to do while the mother started feeding them. He had picked up the fish and brought them home, to his credit. Big fish! He was walking around, watching the mother feed them when the camera stopped, which it does every once in awhile. I just checked again and he’s gone and the mother is back on the nest. I love to watch her settle down on the babies because she rocks side to side while she gets in position, appearing to be rocking them to sleep. That’s my interpretation, again based on my own motherhood.

What a unique experience it is to be able to watch a live feed of these mighty birds as they raise their babies. I know it can get seriously sad because there are so many things that can happen to babies before they leave the nest, but it is so very engaging to watch them go through it. The eagles stare towards the camera sometimes and I wonder if they sense they are being watched. Their expression is the same mine would be if I saw a camera there, but that’s always their expression.

Please take time to visit the website and watch this family – soon!!! The babies are growing. I guarantee it beats what’s on television most of the time! Really!

Tags Eagle nest, eaglets, eyrie, Hanover Eagle Cam, Pennsylvania Game Commission

Categories Entertainment, Family, Nature, Reflections

Cinderella – Awesome Girl!

March 21, 2015 //

As a little girl, I devoured books of all kinds, but I had a love affair with fairy tales and magic, advancing into the OZ books as I grew older. I can remember checking out anthologies of fairy tales over and over from the library. I don’t know if Cinderella was my favorite, but I loved the story. The Disney animated version came out when I was about 4, so I may have seen it later in a re-release.

We had a set of books called My Book House at home. I still have the well worn set, which I read and re-read through my childhood. One volume had the story of Cinderella, so I may have read this one before I saw the movie. Or at least around the same time. This is adapted from the French version, which is the one we all know so well. No matter how many versions I read or saw, I believed them all. I was a little girl who got caught up in the magic and didn’t really care if it was plausible or not. I loved these stories.

The Disney version of the story is definitely a classic because who doesn’t love seeing Gus Gus and Jacques outsmart the wicked cat, Lucifer? Who doesn’t want a plump Godmother to appear and wave her magic wand and sing “Bibbidi, Bobbidi, Boo?” And a handsome prince to fall in love with. Of course. The vivid colors and wonderful songs and humorous characters are favorites around the world. I met a young African American girl yesterday who said it was her favorite movie as a child. We all seem to identify with Cinderella, even in her blonde-haired, blue-eyed version.

Several years ago, I was working with a curriculum called “Different and the Same,” developed by Mr. Rogers’ company for students in grades 1-3. The programs are wonderful and I was privileged to be able to take this into some of our public schools to talk to the students about diversity. One of the units was called “Cinderella and Me,” and my research while preparing for classes found that there are over 1,200 versions of the Cinderella story, which appears in every, yes every, culture. There are even versions with boys in the lead role. I know of a cowboy and an Irish male version, among others. Because many of the students I met were Hispanic and Native American, I took versions from those cultures with me to read to them. You can’t imagine the joy on their faces seeing versions with heroes and heroines who looked like them. I borrowed the Hispanic version, but I still have my copy of “The Rough Faced Girl,” an Algonquin Cinderella. Look at this illustration of the cruel sisters off to try and marry the “Invisible Being.”

I also have a copy of the Thai version of the Disney classic, which a friend gave me to show the students. It was an easy lesson to show them that children around the world enjoy the same things.My grandchildren have grown up mostly with the Disney version. I hadn’t though much about it in the last years until I heard that Walt Disney Co. was bringing out a live version of Cinderella. I was a little doubtful, thinking that it might be a bit silly, being a live movie from a cartoon. Still, it looked interesting and I took my 5-year old granddaughter along with my friend and her 6-year old granddaughter. They were both familiar with the animated version, being of a princess generation. Like all little girls, these two have their own personalities, with my granddaughter liking dresses and frills and her friend liking monsters and sporty clothes. Mine hadn’t been to a movie except animated ones, so this was a definite adventure.

Well, I have to tell you that the reason that we love Disney movies is still there. This is a wonderful version, one that I keep thinking about. The story is ages old, but there was magic and love and humor and some lessons to be learned, no matter how old you are. I sat down in the theater next to a couple I know well, who laughed that they didn’t have their grandkids here as an excuse, so they came by themselves.

In this modern age with amazing computer generated images to take your breath away, the movie is lush and the characters are well developed. In this one, we learn more about Cinderella’s parents and their life before the mother dies. At one point, my friend’s granddaughter was frightened that everyone would die, since we had seen Cinderella lose both of her parents. The evil step-mother is still evil, but we have more of her story and there is a chance you might even sympathize with her situation in life, although not her treatment of her stepdaughter. I found that very brave of the movie makers to not make her just a black and while villainess. At my age, you can have a second of pity for her. A second. There’s still no excuse for being mean, no matter what has happened to you.

Cinderella promised her mother to always “Have courage and be kind.” How simple does that sound? Those words get Cinderella through all the cruelty that her stepmother and comical stepsisters heap on her and win the heart of the Prince, who has his own issues with his father and his lot in life. This is no wimpy Cinderella and mindless Prince. They actually discuss what his marrying a non-princess will mean. They make choices. Very cool.

I was mesmerized with the scenes where the Fairy Godmother worked her magic, without uttering one single Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo that I detected, although the loudness of the sound track scared my granddaughter. She was also frightened by the final scene with the Stepmother, although I reminded her that she should know that Cinderella will be ok and marry the prince. Such is the way our minds suspend what we know in the throes of a story. Who knows what goes on in the minds of our little ones? I was more obsessed with the tiny waist Cinderella had, hoping they used computers for that and didn’t cinch up the lovely actress. That’s where I am in life.

In the end, this will be another Disney classic, another version of the timeless story. The final conclusion was that we all loved it. My friend and I were actually blown away, in our grandmother ways. I plan to return with my three daughters, daughter-in-law and 13-year old granddaugher, if she’ll go with us. Me? I recommend you read all the versions of Cinderella you can find, watch all the versions you can see. We’re following a tradition that has found its way around the world again and again through centuries of telling the story. This new one is definitely a keeper!

Tags Cinderella, fairy tales, My Book House, The Rough Faced Girl, Walt Disney

Categories Books, Entertainment, Family, Reflections

Mimi goes to Comic Con

November 10, 2014 //

Going to a Comic Con wasn’t on my bucket list, but you do a lot of things for your grandkids that you wouldn’t ordinarily do. That, plus the fact that a friend of mine, Scott Wilson, was appearing as one of the guest stars when Wizard World Comic Con came to Tulsa. And, I was naturally curious about a phenomenon that has grown from a comic book convention to a group of Trekkies and Star Wars fans to a show that highlights a whole pop culture world of comic books, graphic novels, movies and television shows. These things are huge. The Comic Con in San Diego draws A-list stars. There had to be something to it. Right?

There aren’t so many grandparents there because it’s noisy, you walk a lot on hard floors, the crowds are big, and other things that make it not as attractive once you’re older and more curmudgeonly. But, there are people of all ages. It’s a diverse crowd because there is a universality to costumed characters that transcends race, gender, sexual orientation, income levels, age.

I also learned a new word…cosplay. That’s short for costume play. There were signs saying that you needed to ask before taking photos of cosplayers. That amused me because I guarantee that the majority who spend hours and dollars on elaborate costumes are there to have their pictures taken. This guy strutted around all day, posing with anyone who asked. I have no idea who the character is, but his costume is cool. If you go to a Comic Con, take lots of money. There are booths with everything you want in this fantasy world. There are toys and action figures. I loved this little girl in her fancy Robin costume picking out a toy.There are swords and other props, and, yes, the swords are real metal. Wow! These guys are armed for any kind of invasion or apocalypse There are helmets and hats And beautiful masks crafted of leather and t-shirts and huge tote bags to carry all your purchases This father showing his kids the incredible light sabers amused me. The father probably grew up with Star Wars and is passing it down to his sons. I saw people playing with the light sabers they bought at costs of $200, $300, and $400 and up. They were definitely cool.And, of course, there are comic books and graphic art of all kinds…Meeting celebrities is another plus. The Tulsa World featured a piece of custom art for the Tulsa show created by this artist who was selling prints of his other work. You could meet Lou Ferrigno of The Incredible Hulk, as my grandson did. Here is Robert Englund, who played Freddie Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, strapping on his sword-like hands for a picture with a fan. I watched a little boy wearing a mock hand and Freddie Krueger hat gasping in awe as he watched him. There were lots more stars from shows and movies from William Shatner from Star Trek, to stars from Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, Superman, Harry Potter, and others I didn’t know. There were question and answer panels that drew thousands of fans. My friend, Scott Wilson, has a long career in films and became a Comic Con star playing Hershel Greene in the Walking Dead series. The four actors from that show who came to Tulsa were by far the stars of the show, with Norman Reedus, who plays the crossbow wielding anti-hero Darryl, being the rock star. Their lines were continuous. I have to say that Scott goes above and beyond with his fans, giving them all hugs and personal conversations. He is a gentleman and a jewel in my book. Here he’s wearing the t-shirt featuring Tulsa’s iconic Golden Driller that I gave him when he got to town.He also stayed an extra hour to give free autographs and pictures to the show’s volunteers at the end of a grueling weekend of activities. Comic Con has the reputation among the non-believers of being only for nerds. Well, maybe, but this is where these fans can meet their peeps and mingle for a delightful weekend. After all, I’ve been to Renaissance Fairs and re-enactments and the Scottish Games and October Fests which are not much different. It’s all a festival where adults can remember what it’s like to be a child again. Comic Con is a place where families can play – or cosplay – together. Here’s a family with oddly colored children. Couples can fantasize about whatever or whoever they enjoy being… Children can meet their action toys in person. And grown men can bring the Oklahoma Ghostbusters out to play. Some of you are rolling your eyes that people actually do this, but it’s really great fun to watch people enjoy themselves in whatever fantasy they choose. There was an atmosphere of camaraderie and festivity for all who attended. I got a huge kick out of watching it. Way more than I thought I would. As my little friend, R2D2, said to the crowd…Beep! Beep!My own memories flash. How many Star Wars figures did I pick up off the floor when my son was little? Why did my mother throw out all my brother’s comic books? Who knew?

Tags Comic Con, Scott Wilson, The Walking Dead, Tulsa, Wizard World Comic Con

Categories Entertainment, Events, Family, Reflections, Style

Remotely in control

August 8, 2014 //

My DVR was crashing, so I called the cable company. The first thing they did was thank me for being a customer for 39 years! That was so shocking that I had to stop for a minute. We’ve had cable for 39 years?! Wow!

When I got the new DVR box, I brought it home and got it hooked up all by myself, but ran into a problem programming the remote. It took a phone call with a lovely customer service rep and a service call from a cute young technician, who fixed it in about 10 seconds. In the meantime, HORRORS, I had to get up and go over the television and physically adjust the sound. Talk about a flashback!

My family got our first television when I was in grade school, way back in the early 1950s. We had rabbit ears and there were only about three channels and whoever was sitting closest to it had to reach over and change the channels, adjust the volume, adjust the picture (which was often full of lines with a fuzzy picture) or the antenna. Programming started with the 6:00 news and ended with the 10:00 news, with a test pattern on the screen in between. We often sat watching the test pattern, waiting for the shows to come on.This technology was actually pretty slow compared to today’s standard of new technology every few months. The only change in our house was a newer antenna and a larger screen, soon in a fancy console, and finally color television. I was about to turn 30 years old, married with four children, before cable came – 39 years ago, like the cable rep said. The biggest things about this were the fact that we didn’t have to have an antenna and we now had up to 36 channels with a cable box with a long cord. My kids probably hit each other over the head with that box arguing over who had control of it. I remember having a key to lock off HBO with its possibility of shocking programming.You still had to get up and change the volume and turn the television off and on by hand. The next great step was a tv with its own remote to do those menial tasks for us. Now we just had to fight over who got the remote.

Look at us now. Hundreds of channels and still nothing to watch, fancy remotes that you need a manual to learn to use, and the ease of never leaving your chair to control your program. Actually, I have three remotes – one for my television/cable, one for Apple TV, and one for my combo VCR-DVD player. I have to get up and cross the room to change something so each of those will work. Poor me.

I have no doubt that everything will be very different in a matter of minutes, so I’m going to make sure I can at least operate the remotes I have. Just shoot me if this is the worst problem I ever have…

Tags Cable, remote, television, test pattern

Categories Entertainment, Family, History, Memories, Reflections

Sights & Signs of St. Louis

July 31, 2014 //

It’s hard for me to believe that I’d never spent much time in St. Louis since I’ve been by, through or around it many times, so I stopped for a quick day there, studying up on the history and geography of the city as I traveled. First, you have to see the Arch, gateway to the West. What a great structure, simple and pure in its message. I’m so glad it’s surrounded by a park and all the museum, gift shop, ticketing, etc is located underground. You approach the arch and look out to the Mississippi River.Entering the pods to go to the top of the arch is like being in a sci-fi movie……but the view from the top is 30 miles in each direction.The arch is glorious in all lights and weather.The history of St. Louis is intertwined with the expansion of our country west with the Mississippi River an important part.From the old LaClere’s Landing, the neighborhoods expand westward, each a piece in the map of history. The Hill had been recommended to us as a “must go to” place for Italian food. This area developed around the Italian immigrants who mined the hills. Today it is a wonderful neighborhood of extreme pride and an Italian restaurant on just about every block, sometimes on every corner of an intersection. I tried to find out which ones were the best and they all got great reviews. We settled on this one for a lunch of toasted ravioli, a local favorite.Yummy! We left the neighborhood with its Bocce Cluband drove around the city with all its diversity. There are the French homes around Lafayette Squareand brick homes around the city that matched my image of St. Louis from before I arrived. Downtown is the wonderful old train station, now a hotel…and the beautiful areas around the University of St. Louis where this old standpipe at the Compton Hill Reservoir rose above us as we drove.Driving around, there were so many signs of the city that tell some of its story, like this one from the days when it was sometimes referred to as Mound City for the many ancient Native American mounds in the area,or this old bath house. We know there were at least six of them.Or this Farmer’s Market sign. That’s an OLD business…I can’t leave out the food and drink that are St. Louis traditions, starting with the beers…with the gargoyles on the building across from the iconic Anheiser Busch structures. There are Ted Drewe’s famous custard shoppes with frozen custard called the “concrete” because you can turn it upside down and your spoon won’t fall out…and ooey gooey butter cakes. This one was ranked #1 in St. Louis for the past six years. I attest to its deliciousness.

Crown Candy is famous for its Heart Stopping BLT along with its candies. I went in but didn’t eat anything. An old soda shop that brings lines every day.We ate some St. Louis BarBQue in the old industrial area. Their most popular item was Snoots (pig snouts). While I stood there, every call was for snoots. They’re kind of like pork rinds, crispy. I figured I HAD to try them. How bad could they be if everyone was ordering them? They were good. I passed this bottle sign every day, situated at a busy place near Rams stadium. I liked everything about it.We ended our day with a baseball game, watching the St. Louis Cardinals. I’d grown up listening to the games on the radio. The new stadium is great, easy to get around, the crowd friendly and relaxed. From the stadium, you can see the Arch, a few blocks away, always framing the city.St Louis is celebrating its 250th birthday this year. Decorated birthday cakes are in front of businesses around town in support of this momentous occasion. There is so much more to see and do in St. Louis, but I’m happy I got to enjoy the birthday party. It’s an intriguing, entertaining city.

Tags Anthonina's Taverna, Budweiser, Busch Stadium, Gooey Louie, LaClere's Landing, Mississippi River, Smoki-O's, St. Louis, St. Louis Arch, Ted Drewe's, The Hill

Categories Entertainment, History, Places, Reflections, Restaurants, Travel

Geezers on the Road

July 24, 2014 //

I’m on the road again for a short trip. I’m not that young, but I still get around pretty well, love driving trips, love exploring new things. I can keep up pretty well with my grandkids, which is my goal.

You’ve all seen them when you travel, the bus loads of old people on tour, you’ve probably tried to avoid them when you can, along with bus loads of noisy kids. They’re both a nuisance, you may think.

This week I was in Hannibal, Missouri. If I have to tell you the main reason people travel there, then you need to look it up. At the hotel where I was staying, there was a bus load of Geezers, Geezers from Kentucky. I need to remind you that these are my people, I am one of them, some are younger than I am, I can actually relate to them. I watched them, wearing their name-badges around their necks, waiting to go to their next meal or their next tour, visiting with each other, laughing and telling stories.

My thoughts on the Geezers on the bus was “Good for them!!!” They don’t feel safe driving anymore, they don’t want to deal with reservations and bags, but they want to be out seeing and doing. Some of them had canes or creaked along, but they were out there doing it! They weren’t sitting around thinking about their lives, they were out there experiencing it. And laughing and learning and enjoying friends and making new ones. Thank you for these tours, for the bus drivers who take care of them, for the people who take them.

The other Geezers I watched in Hannibal on a Monday in July were the ones who were traveling with family. A few had brought a young grandchild along. I watched a boy about 8 rolling his eyes while his grandfather explained about Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer as we stood near the famous whitewashed fence. Someday, that boy may bring his grandson here, too. Hopefully, the memories will be strong when he looks back. The grandparents were loving watching their grandchildren ride on a riverboat for the first time, taking pictures, a gift for all generations.

As I travel around, I’m grateful I can still get there on my own, but I’m happy for my contemporaries and my elders, because there are still a lot of people older than I am, who are out there.

On a Monday night, visitors gathered to listen to a band play old tunes in front of an ice cream parlor. Many were older, sitting on benches, humming along. Lovely.

As Willie Nelson, a Geezer if there ever was one, sings “I can’t wait to get on the road again.”

Tags bus tours, Geezers, Hannibal, MO, travel

Categories Entertainment, Places, Reflections, Travel, Uncategorized

The Joy of Discovery

July 18, 2014 //

I hope I never outgrow the joy of discovering new things, new people, new experiences. I find myself, in my, hmmm, late 60s (GADS!) rediscovering things I remember from past years. I’m sure my perspective is different now that I’ve got more years behind me than before me and I’m not distracted by taking care of kids or working all the time. I’m more relaxed and more open to all there is out there.

Last weekend, I took my youngest grandchild, not quite 5, on a short road trip to the Oklahoma City Zoo and then on to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman. I’ve taken my other grandchildren, but it’s been a few years, so it was refreshing for me to revisit these places again. Watching a child, you have to wonder what goes on in their heads…

Seeing a wild bird, a lorakeet here, up close, and feeding it… feeling it sit on your arm…watching a rhino baby nurse…or looking into the eyes of an orangutan…Is the concept of dinosaurs more real when you stand next to one?And doesn’t a strawberry milkshake help the brain process all the new experiences?I’m always looking for new places to go and old ones to revisit. And then I come home and wonder at all I’ve seen in my life. Lovely.