“It’s strange for there not to be doughnuts on a Saturday, is it not?”…harped one white-haired, but beautiful woman recently. I think I suggested she buy a cake instead. Although the doughnut line seemed poetic, somehow.

I can always tell what time of day it is by the increase of older customers in the store: Sunday, church is out…it must be 1:00pm.

Immediately after my encounter with my new friend, I started to wonder what kind of older person I will be. Will I be alone? Will I be kind? Sour, bitter, energetic, valued…? Will I cook? Will I travel…have a dog?

I hope I become like one of those fabulous women who’ve decided to write a novel at 60…get it published and then end up on the (older) Oprah show. I’m thinking I’d like to start a foundation of some kind.

And I do plan to be living in New York or England, and stroll the avenues together with one of my other fabulous older women friends.

And I hope to be kind. With lots of doughnuts.

Post from: Blisstree

My Older Self

If you are marooned out in the suburbs–and you don’t have children, it can sometimes be like living in Superman’s “Bizaar-O” world, where everything is the opposite of what it really is.

Once again, I take you to my local “gi-NOUR-mo” store…the supermarket: Have you seen the size of milk and juice containers? They’re huge–why is that? And 16 pork chops in one package? Why, is Rachael Ray on the pork council now too? And why are loaves of bread the size of small cars?

You practically have to wear a trench coat and sunglasses to even think about breaking apart a dozen eggs in to 2 half dozens.

I totally understand that I live in two-car garage country (one car with ballet slipper sticker and one with soccer ball sticker)…and that it’s much easier for moms to make one or two food-shopping jaunts per month, rather than what I do, which is several times a week.

But honestly, we who dare to dine out several times a week, take multiple vacations each year, have jelly-free homes…have needs too. If the supermarkets would realize that and sell pint portions of milk…one or two pork chops…teeny boxes of cookies and mini loaves of bread…THAT my friends would be –

THE HOLY GRAIL!

Post from: Blisstree

The Real Da Vinci Code

There are some products which have been “improved” by crack research and development folks that have been designed to do nothing but trick and lull the consumer into purchase mode, and nothing else. And PC green cleaning products do not clean.

Here is my current list, to which you are more than welcome to add or you can just snicker and critique:

Windex Surface Wipes: total rubbish and makes streaks so you have to go out again and by real Windex.

Mayonnaise with flip top lid: useless mid-way through the container, unless you don’t mind Hellman’s all over your sleeve.

Wet Swiffer: Those are just Huggies — you could have invented those, they are really just Huggies diapers, upside down–and the liquid makes animals sick.

Press-n-Seal Glad Wrap: a confounded way to wrap food…and noone wants to look at food wrapped in blue plastic.

Nabisco calorie packs: those are just cookie (or biscuit) crumbs.

Clothes detergent with fabric softener: No. Just no, do not buy…regular Tide is the best.

Any celebrity endorsed product (Rachael Ray’s knife? Please. She’s NOT a chef.)

Reynold’s Release Non-Stick Foil for grilling. Don’t even get me started on how dumb this product is. Clean your grill! lol

Jarred pasta sauces: if you make tomato sauce yourself, you will save lots of money. Really…there are only 4 ingredients in home made sauce.

Pre-packaged cheese…just by the hunk and use your grater.

Low-fat ice cream…for obvious reasons.

This is a total non-sequitr, but who the hell invented those kid shopping carts that look like cars? They take up entire aisles!

And why, oh why, can’t someone invent re-sealable pasta packages.

Happy Fourth!

Post from: Blisstree

10 Worthless Consumer Products or Do Not Mess With Windex

If you are like me, you might consider saying something if you saw a parent hit a child, or if you saw a dog locked in a car, with the windows closed. But rarely does anyone ask this question: Would you say something if you saw a child hit a parent? You woldn’t dare, correct?

Recently, I witnessed a young mother and her two young children in the parking lot of a large supermarket with, with what looked like, a two year old boy in their cart and, a 5 year old girl walking beside them.

Suddenly, the five year old pushed her mother so hard in the back, the mom had to hold on more tightly to the cart. When they reached the car, the little girl started yelling at the mom, packages still in the cart, for her to open the door, “now!”

Of course, when I was growing up, I would have gotten a “who do you think you are” and a slap from my mother…but today? Perish the thought?

As I walked to my own car, I could not get the sight out of mind of this spoiled, aggressive, little brat and her innate sense of entitlement. I started to wonder, what is she going to be like in the office in about 15 years? How far in her career will her behavior get her (assuming she gets worse over the years, even with intense personal development training)?

The incident led my thoughts to wondering about the kinds of bosses there are out there, probably as many as there are personalities, right? — There’s the angry boss, the perfectionist boss, the “I just want to be loved” boss, the stab-you-in-the-back boss, the chauvanist boss, the “I’m smarter than my boss” (aren’t I?) boss — and the list goes on.

The type of manager with whom, I’ve most eagerly worked, have been the “fair and balanced” type…those who’d given me the autonomy I needed, those who insisted the work environment be team-oriented, and those who offered support and maybe a little nurturing.

I can’t picture this little girl as the empathetic boss…but if she continues on the path that she’s moving, she’ll become known as the bi*tch boss.

Post from: Blisstree

Child Boss.