This Dorothy started off her journey to the Emerald City in August 2008. With her red flip-flops on and towing 44 feet of stuff, drove cross-country from Tulsa, OK to Seattle.
Though the original destination of her trip changed earlier this year and most recently took another turn, she is still on the Yellow Brick Road in the Emerald City, seeking her way and finding new adventures while on her journey.
Example is not the main thing in influencing others.
It is the only thing.
Albert Schweitzer
1875-1965
We like to think that we are all wonderful, caring people when the truth is we are not. We are human and therefore subject to imperfection. Once we can face that fact, then the path is easier for us to be the wonderful person we envision ourselves to be.
In our imperfections, we often say one thing and do another. Whether we want to accept this or not, we have all been guilty of these actions.
We are capable of changing our behavior, it just takes a lot of conscience effort and hard work that most of us don’t want to do.
If you want the respect of others and want to be a positive influence, you must take a hard look at your actions...
Do your actions match the words coming out of your mouth?
Are your actions those of someone you would admire?
Sometimes when there are no words said, your actions can speak even louder.
It is sometimes the smallest things we do that can define who we are...
What kind of example are you setting with your actions?
I don’t remember learning to read but can’t remember a time I didn’t know how to read… I love the printed word and love the feel of a book in my hand. I always carry a book in my purse and keep an “emergency book” in my car…hey, you never know when you might get stuck somewhere…
With all of the reading I have done, it is always a great surprise and pleasure when I read a fiction novel that surprises me and one I can’t figure out before the end of the book.
The late Swedish writer, Steig Larrson (1954-2004) has done that with his trilogy of books, which include, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. Unfortunately, Mr. Larrson passed away before seeing his books published. They were published posthumously after his death in 2004.
I read the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo last year while on the plane to and from Hawaii and it was so atmospheric that I was almost shivering with the cold snow and ice of Sweden.
But that is all I am going to tell you about The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. You will have to read it for yourself. However, I would advise if you are squeamish, prudish, or don’t like crime novels, then Mr. Larrson’s books are not for you.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was written in Swedish and published in Europe in 2005 under the title Men Who Hate Women and when it was translated into English, the title was changed. When the book hit number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list, it made Mr. Larrson the first translated author in 20 years to hit the number 1 spot. The book has now been translated into 37 languages.
As I was reading the book, I kept thinking, I hope no one tries to adapt this book for a feature film. But, since the book was so outstanding, it was almost a foregone conclusion that at some point, a movie would be made. I also thought, please let it be a foreign film.
Foreign filmmakers, in my opinion, are much better at tackling complicated and dark storylines, especially if the material is foreign in its origin as these three books were.
As far as a movie goes, I got part of my wish… The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was released in Sweden on 02/27/09, in Swedish. It was released in theaters the US with English subtitles on 03/19/10 and was recently released on DVD.
I recently watched the DVD (several times) and was very pleased and thought the adaptation was excellent. I was curious about who could play the female lead, but director Niels Arden Oplev did a superb job with casting Sofia Ledarp as well as the rest of the cast.
There is now going to be an English version of this film, slated to be released next year. After hearing that David Fincher was going to direct, I am looking forward to seeing what his vision is. He has an amazing body of work that ranges from directing iconic music videos such as Madonna’s Express Yourself & Vogue, Aerosmith’s Jamies Got a Gun, George Michaels Freedom 90, to directing films such as Alien 3, Seven, The Game, Fight Club, and one of the most beautiful and introspective films I have ever seen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
This is a great new ad for the British retail clothing company Littlewoods featuring Colleen Rooney as the Fashion Boot Camp Drill Sergeant. Colleen Rooney is the wife of Manchester United and England Football star, Wayne Rooney.
Plus this song one of my all time favorite songs! It was released in 1966 (when I was a wee lass of 7) and I would listen to the little 45 and prance around my room pretending I also had a cool pair of go-go boots just like Nancy Sinatra. Darn it, though, I was never able to convince my parents that I absolutely had to have a pair!
I found an old classic video on You Tube of Nancy performing this song and have posted it below.
Kent,
Thanks for posting the article about drinkers living longer than tee-totalers! Great news to know...
As I always like to say, it's always Happy Hour somewhere on the planet. In Seattle, I think we could start the Happy Hour at 3 pm since in Oklahoma, it is already 5 pm!
Serously though, as most of you out there have also probably done, I quit drinking myself drunk several years ago, mainly because the next day recovering from it became increasingly harder to recover from.
For those of you who haven't read the article, here it the link to read it for yourself....
Anyone who knows me well, knows I am all about the discounts! I can strech a dollar further and budget tighter than anyone I know. It's always been like a game to me. Of course, it started in childhood with my shallow material love of clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelery and accessories. And since I know all about the quality of the aforementioned items, I can shop anywhere and spot a good deal at a great piece.
I thought you had to be 52 to join AARP. Periodically, I have received their solicitations in the mail and have always tossed them. So, a couple of days ago, I got another one in the mail and for some reason decided to open it. The information stated you only had to be 50 to join. Which means at 51, I have missed a year if not being an AARP member. But, hot damn, was I excited!! So, I am now officially a card-carrying member...
Now if Ross would only lower that Tuesday Sr. discount from 55 down to 51, what a treat that would be!
But I would have been happy to have gone my whole life without finding out that there are actually 37 ingredients contained in each little delicious cream-filled Twinkie!
But I am sure I have nothing to worry about with the large amount of Twinkies I ingested during childhood because the FDA would have discovered it before now – LOL! Right??
Since I am from the southern Midwest, the land of
“Let’s Fry Everything and See If It Tastes Good” (seriously!), we even have fried Twinkies.
You can find fried Twinkies at several venues like the State Fair along with fried pickles, fried peaches, fried Snickers, fried corn-on-the-cob, etc. These go just great with the huge caveman size fried turkey legs, plate sized funnel cakes. The only other thing needed is a 2 quart size soda!
Normally, blogging about America’s premier socialite and her latest escapades wouldn’t be on my list, but there was a detail about Paris Hilton’s arrest in Las Vegas over the weekend that didn’t add up to me. Maybe it means nothing, but it still made me curious about her story...
In the purse that is alleged to be hers, besides the .08 grams of cocaine, the police found a broken tablet of Albuterol, which is a prescription drug used to treat asthma. Ms. Hilton told the authorites the medication was hers.
I have had severe asthma my whole life and Albuterol is a drug I am well acquainted with but not fond of due to the side effects. However, I had no idea it came in tablet form.
Albuterol is the medication in my rescue inhaler, which is to be used in the case of an asthma attack. I also use it in liquid form in a nebulizer, which is the machine used by asthmatics for breathing treatments.
Asthma causes the airways in the lungs to become narrow or blocked, which causes great difficulty in breathing. Albuterol causes these airways to relax and open up so breathing becomes easier.
The main side effects I have always hated are the shaking, nervousness, not being able to sleep along with nausea, headache, muscle and back pain. I have always remarked that is made me feel as if I had taken amphetamines.
My research today found that if one is taking Albuterol tablets as the way to control their asthma, they have to take it on a very regular basis at the same time everyday in order to maintain the drug levels in the bloodstream. If it is not used in this way, the drug is virtually non-effective.
My doctors have controlled my asthma on a daily basis by prescribing Advair, which is a preventative drug and Albuterol is only used for emergencies. I would hate to be tied to taking a pill everyday four times a day, everyday in order for it to be effective.
My first thought was, is it possible Ms. Hilton was taking Albuterol because it has the side-effects of amphetamines??? Especially since she stated she thought the cocaine allegedly found in her purse was gum?? Maybe I am being too skeptical but I am not aware of a white, granular type of chewing gum being sold in retail stores.
As for the purse in her possession she says it wasn’t hers, but the cosmetics, money, credit cards and rolling papers inside did belong to her. But you do have to wonder at her mentality if the reports are true that the cocaine fell out of her purse when she took out her lip balm to use in front of police officers.
The funniest and most outlandish thing I have read about this incident was from Perez Hilton (one of my guilty pleasures) who reports a source as saying ..."This purse in question was a high street brand - and by no means up to her high fashion standards. Paris is hoping authorities will see sense and let her off the hook.”...
Perez also writes that this is her 3rd drug bust possession in months due to “misunderstandings”. http://www.perezhilton.com
So, is Ms. Hilton guilty, does she have entitlement issues, guilty of a poor accessory choice or is she just dumber than a bag of rocks?
9/11... These 3 numbers are now seared into the American conscience forever and need no explanation. Whenever we see these numbers, it always takes us back to that fateful day.
9/11... For the majority of us, we will never forget where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news.
September 11, 2001... It is vital that we never forget the events of that day. That we never forget those that died and those that survived that day.
There were also physical parts of the Twin Towers that survived the blasts. Because these building parts did survive, they became symbols of sentimentaility and optimistisim for us.
Sentimental because they survived and optimision because we are a nation whose citizens possess a strong history and strength of overcoming and continuing forward in the face of those who try to destroy us.
Last weekend, two of the surviving steel I-beams from the Towers were brought into western Washington State after being driven cross county. The beams will be used in Kitsap county to create a memorial to those who lost their lives and the heroes who helped in the aftermath.
The beams are each 24 feet long and weigh 5,000 pounds and were driven cross-country by Lee and Donna Summer, a husband and wife truck driving team. Their journey across the US took them 3,568 miles from New York to Silverdale.
As the Summers passed from Idaho into Washington and to Silverdale, they were accompanied by 787 Patiot Guard Motorcyclists.
I am proud to say that I know 3 of these men who were on the ride behind the truck carrying the beams. This was not their first patriotic biking event, but I believe one of their proudest and most personal rides.
Pictured above are Mike Warfel (whose son is currently in Colorado at the Air Force Academy), Ron Simmons (who was a Lt. in the Marine Corps during the 60’s) and Walter Harvey (who retired several years ago after serving 30 years in the Navy). All 3 are employees of Parametrix.
The weather Sunday, was cold, rainy and windy. Pretty brutal weather if you are on a motorcycle. However, as Ron Simmons said, “Sunday was hard work, but I would do it again in a second.”
I have no doubt that Walter and Mike and the other 784 motorcyclists are in complete agreement with his statement. I have posted a video in the posting below that shows the beams coming into Washington and the riders behind them.
I would like to personally thank Mike, Ron and Walter for their trip and for allowing me to write about them. It is an honor and privilege to know you.
Adam
lyca
MarisStella
Ralph Bruksos
Mayumi Nakamura
Team JYPG
Poptarts:D
DWS Recruiting
Example is not the main thing in influencing others.
I don’t remember learning to read but can’t remember a time I didn’t know how to read… I love the printed word and love the feel of a book in my hand. I always carry a book in my purse and keep an “emergency book” in my car…hey, you never know when you might get stuck somewhere…
Kent, 
One of my favorite childhood treats… 
Normally, blogging about America’s premier socialite and her latest escapades wouldn’t be on my list, but there was a detail about Paris Hilton’s arrest in Las Vegas over the weekend that didn’t add up to me. Maybe it means nothing, but it still made me curious about her story... 