Buy patterned socks!

That's my new mantra!

I'm doing the laundry, and as usual, I'm coming up with a couple odd pair of socks.  You know, the kind that don't match, so the mate must have been turned into lint in the dryer screen.  I mean, what other explanation is there?

Earlier, as I took the socks out of the dryer, of course I had to pair them up, and, although this may be rote to some people, I finally  noticed how easy it was to pair up socks when they had a pattern.  No all- black, or all-navy, or all-brown again!  Give me a bit of color, or a small, unassuming pattern, and I'm all set.  Should make the missing sock easier to spot also, in case it got caught in the static electricity of a shirt that also went through the same spin cycle.

If you want to go overboard, you could buy colored socks, such as yellow, red, green, but then just one of each, otherwise you're still in the dilemma of matching up the correct reds, yellows, or greens.  But patterns are individual.

My money's now going towards patterned socks on Day 214!

I'm not a hoarder...

...but I could be, I think.

I hate to throw some things away.  A favorite shirt, a favorite pair of shoes, even some older underwear, even when they're in somewhat tattered condition.  I guess I think maybe they'll "repair themselves" when they're stuck away in the closet or a drawer.  Maybe I think i can get just one more wear out of them before they definitely have to go. 

I find myself keeping old newspaper clippings thinking that I may write an article to combat what I've read.  I cut coupons for a while, thinking that I'd use them, but I always left them at home when I went shopping.   I bought hard back books thinking that they were a better value than a paperback, or a trip to the library.  Mind you, I still buy an occasional hard back book, but then I donate it to the library so others might have a chance to read it, in case the library didn't see fit or ahve the money to buy it themselves.

I try to purge myself of some of these things on a yearly basis, when some piles just seem to get too high.  But it's two steps forward, and one step back.  It always seems  that as soon as you throw out a favorite "thing", that "thing" is needed in some way, shape or form, and you end up buying another, and swearing you'll never throw it away again!

I don't hoard old newspaper.  I don't hoard food; that I eat! Enough said there!  I can walk comfortably from room to room.  I don't have to "find" a place on the bed to sit, or sleep.  I'm not that addicted.  I cannot understand how that can happen, but I can understand some clutter.  Or at very least, I make allowances for those who keep things a bit past their prime, as long as it won't smell bad.

I could see my desk last week, but not so much today, so I guess that's my next area of concern.  Here's to yet another trip to the trash can, on Day 213!

Whatever happened to permanent press???

When permanent press was invented, I thought the age of the iron and ironing board was close at hand.  Finally, you could wash and wear your clothes, and never worry about slaving over a hot iron, trying to keep them from get "re-wrinkled" while repositioning them to make sure you got all the little corners of your collars, and cuffs.

Oh sure, if you didn't get the clothes out of the dryer on time, you might have to iron out wrinkles.  That being said, I did have a "boss" who put his clothes on directly from the dryer, but not right after they were dried; more like a week later.  I'd like to think that was the story, rather than he just dumped everything on his floor, and took whatever was needed to wear.  He was way beyond wrinkled.  He was absolutely disheveled.  But I digress.

Today's fashions seem to have spandex included in all of them.  So my pants, and blouses have a bit of stretch.  While I like this particular factor, when they come out of the dryer (on time) they still do not have that "finished" look.  They aren't wrinkled, in the old fashion sense, but they're not smooth or crisp either.    So tonight I took to ironing all the things I've not worn, as I thought they needed to look better, fresher.  Perhaps no one would notice any way if I wore them directly from the dryer, but it makes me feel better knowing I'm not "wrinkled." 

I used to iron a lot more things in my youth...sheets, pillowcases,  blouses, shirts, skirts, pants, never underwear.  I even made money ironing men's shirts, as that was almost a special skill.  Or maybe it was because it was such an awful chore, it was worth it for people to pay me to iron those shirts.  The bottom line of all this, is that I believe I even need a new iron!  After all, I did get mine almost 35 years ago. 

You may find me appliance shopping, on Day 212!

"the most radical, leftist president in American history."

Gees...let's not mince words, Newt!  After all, you are the paragon of all things good, correct, and fair, aren't you?

The man never fails to amaze by his virtiolic words concerning people who seemingly stand in his way!  Now that he's officially out of the presidential race, he'll probably take back some of those things he said about Romney, because he needs some of Romney's money to pay for the costs of his failed run for the roses.

He did say this evening he is totally not interested in being a VP candidate.  Hmmph...and why not?  You'd be a cinch to run Romney's candidacy into the ground!  You'd have about as much negative influence, with voters with a brain,  as Sarah Palin did when she was teamed up with poor John McCain.    Cute does not win elections and you ain't cute!

There has got to be someting more interesting to read and write about than the presidential election, but not as of Day 211!

Women

I find myself unable to come up with a catchy title to this post.  All I want to do is write about women, and complain about the way we're treated by others at times.  By others, I mean men!

In some countries women can't even go to school.  In some countries they're held accountable if they get raped, not the man.   In some countries abuse is tolerated and perhaps even condoned, to keep the woman "in her place." 

I have news for you fellows who think all the above is acceptable.  You seem to forget that if there were no women in the world, there would be no men either!   You would have no sons were it not for a woman.  You would not even exist were it not for a woman!

Keep us down, if that's your intent, but when we're all gone, you'll be alone with a bunch of other guys who cannot, will not, increase your ranks!    All the testosterone in the world will not make you a baby!

I'm not speaking for myself.  I'm speaking for all the other women, worldwide. We are necessary and needed, and not just for making babies.    Someday we will be appreciated for all we can do! 

Glad I'm not one of the wrongly oppressed, on Day 210!

Boys will be boys...

Right???

WRONG, especially when it involves the Secret Service among others. 

There has been plenty of news, other than election brouhaha, about men behaving as boys, and behaving badly.  Coach Petrino from Arkansas lost his job because he was running around with a woman who was NOT his wife.  John Edwards is going on trial because he may have used money, earmarked for his presidential bid, to set up his mistress and baby, out of wedlock, while he wife was dying of cancer. 

Although these guys may be called "pigs" by many women, they did not put national seurity at risk, or not that we know of.

The Secret Service though, could have done just that.  A team of them, along with other military personnel, while on assignment in a foreign country to do preparatory work for Obama's upcoming visit, decided to get a group of prostitutes and have a party.  The story goes that one of the girls did not get paid, or paid enough, so she squealed, and they were all exposed for their bad behavior.

I was listening to a talk show out of Oklahoma,  (narrator, guests and call letters unknown) and the narrator was concerned about potential national security leaks.  I thought that was a viable question.  One guest agreed; the other said that there are so many people involved in a presidential visit, that the possibility of a snafu is almost nil. This particular guest also said that the secret service are a testosterone-laden group, and basically boys will be boys.  Then a caller said while he was in the service overseas, it was common practice to visit brothels.  He went on to say that as long as you "didn't bring home a disease or a child" the wives didn't mind.  Oh yeah???!!!

Made me want to say "As long as we girls are at home, and our estrogen might be raging, should be just go out and 'shop' or can we find some guys and get laid also???!!"  As long as we don't bring home any diseases, or have an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy?

But regardless, these "men" were picked because they were (I assume) to be above reproach, and honest to a fault.  But if they let their testosterone take over their better judgement, what's to say they won't slip and talk about anything and everything, just for a "better experience?"

Thinking out loud with the head on my shoulders, on Day 209!

Did I really read that?

Did Rush Limbaugh really say that a college student, a law student at that, was akin to a slut or a whore because she was in favor of insurance-covered contraception?   I cannot even fathom that absolutely everyone who has a mother, sister, daughter is not up in arms over such a crude slur from this moron! 

After reading comments on the Huffington Post, I also cannot fathom that there are so many people who share his views.  I suppose the really well-informed aren't bothering to give Rush any credibility by replying to his idiocy and vulgarity.

I'm actually speechless about this poor excuse of a human being on Day 208!