Tag Annoyances

Several of those days

Michael 5 Comments

Now that the day is half over (in my time zone), it’s probably time to do something with it. Heaven knows I have a lot I can be doing. But do I really want to? Clearly, the world doesn’t want me to.  And why, you may ask??

I’ve tried several times to get to work on a writing project and Word does not want to cooperate. Odd thing that is. I use a machine based version and every time I open it, it lets me type a sentence or two and then it disappears, just like Scotty beamed it up. Or down. Or somewhere. But not on my screen any more. And of course the autosave doesn’t seem to be doing any better than the native program so I can’t even retrieve the sentence or two.

Pre-orders for Bad Impressions opens today and naturally there’s a glitch, specifically with the hardback version. Fortunately it doesn’t look like any hardcover orders were rejected. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like any hardcover orders were rejected.

I have a conference all later today for an upcoming Toastmasters conference and I’m not looking forward to it primarily because in order to accommodate various people’s schedules, it’s right in the middle of the evening, interrupting my usual dinner hour which seems to be trending later and later because lunch has been trending later and later because my day starting hour has been trending later and later. I said I’m not looking forward to the call primarily for that reason but there really are not secondary or tertiary reasons so I guess I not looking forward to it solely for that reason.

I should be cleaning the deck and putting away things that are put-away-able and covering things that are not so easily put away but because of the brief deluge from yesterday, it will be a good 2 or 3 days before everything is dry enough to consider covering up or storing away.

And those are just the things that I woke up knowing I’d have to/want to/should consider to do. It looks like it’s going to be one of those days several times over. Oh well, tomorrow will be another day. Hopefully not another one of them.

What’s in a word

Michael 6 Comments

I met a friend for lunch last week. He said, “how ‘bout the Dive Bar.” “Sounds good to me.” Now, you might think a dive bar is an odd place for a meal, but notice in its first appearance in this tale, the D and B are upper case. Hmm. A proper name. And in fact, this Dive Bar is a far cry from a dive bar (where lunch can also be had if you don’t mind a microwaved frozen pizza).

The Dive Bar has a beautiful bar, horseshoe shaped, trimmed in walnut, high tops in wood and marble, comfy banquettes, dim lighting. It features a separate dining room with a wall of windows that bathe the space in natural light. When it feels like letting its hair down and recalling its namesake, an entire separate bar upstairs hosts happy hours, karaoke nights, and bar specials so the lower level remains up scale. Truly, the Dive Bar is not a dive bar. You can’t always rely on your expectations and assumptions. There could be untold millions who have missed on out a fabulous lunch because they didn’t want to eat at a dive bar.

Fifth century Pope St. Celestine I, founder of the papal diplomatic service said, “We are deservedly to blame if we encourage error by silence.” I am following the good pontiff’s advice and calling out some of the more egregious errors of the week. Think of it as real news. Or maybe stupid news. Don’t worry though. Thursday I will return with the good news from the week.

My favorite piece of erroneous thought this week comes from our favorite source of errors and little thought – yes, Mr. Orange-Aid himself, the dingiest, the dongiest, the dingdong-in-chief. When asked about the weak jobs report, the bozo of all bozos said (out in public mind you), “We’re doing so well – I believe the numbers were phony so you know what I did? I fired her.”

That narrowly beat out Last week’s headline news: “Federal officials to repeal Obama era climate change findings.“

Of course, anyone who grachatated the sixth grade knows that’s not how math and science work. But that’s okay. These are the same people who told you illegal immigrants are on Medicaid. I suppose they got sick from eating all the dogs. Sorry – that’s old news.

Okay. Here’s a sneak peak at some good news. Not really news, more like good people. I discovered a new Instagram account this week. beverlymahone  She goes by Auntie Bev and she is retired journalist who has features a word of the day series on that site on TikTok. Word of the Day accounts are nothing new but she brings a new twist to it, calling out words that you may hear on the news and finding words that explain what you hear on the news.  For example, a word I did not know existed, but it does – trumpery. Looks good but is worthless. She also corrects misunderstandings about words, like when Donnie the Driveler claimed he made up the word “equalize,” reminding everyone that it’s been around since the 1500s. My kind of Word of the Day site.

I’ll see you with good news from this week on Thursday. Don’t go away!

7 Highly Successful Habits

Michael 12 Comments

I have always hated the seeming simplicity of the seventies self-help series. Truth be told, they were mostly from the 80s but I don’t get to use alteration often, so I fudged it. You know the ones I mean. The One Minute Manager, Seven Habits off Highly Effective Name Your Interest Group, The Four Hour Work Week. Mind you, they were transformative and had, and still have great insights, but taken literally you will be a lousy manager, rather ineffective, and likely out of work.

But I found a simplistic approach to life that really can be done in 7 steps, in a matter of minutes, and have oodles of hours leftover for balancing all the life you want. And I found it on the Internet. On social media even! The seven things one must master to become an adult. It was actually one of those cutesy images and its title was ‘7 Habits Every Child Needs to Learn Before They Move Out.’

I have a feeling that the person who posted it might have been holding tongue somewhat tightly to the inside of check, yet still it is the best expression of satisfied human needs since Mazlov drew his pyramid. It is truly to road map and/or GPS directions to a fully fulfilled human type person, stupendous in its simplicity. Unfortunately, I estimate 99.7% of the people out there never mastered, mayhaps never attempted, Habit #7.

What are these magical machinations fledgling humans should be attempting?

1.        Do your laundry. Okay, this was written as what young adults need to learn before moving out of Mommy’s house, but I tell you I know people who do not do their laundry. Grown up people of both sexes and/or genders still transporting bags of laundry from their apartment to parents’ laundry room. And others who use laundry services. This isn’t New York City I live where apartments may or may not have adequate laundering facilities. This is the ‘burbs where washer/dryer combinations are status symbols. Learn to wash you own clothes.

2.        Cook simple meals. I think most semi-adults can pull this off. It might be three different kinds of eggs but I’m willing to go out in a limb and say we got this one. Frozen pizza does not count.

3.        Manage a budget. I’m quite convinced there are too many folks to count who cannot balance a budget. I’d say balance a checkbook but I’m not sure how many people still use a checkbook. If people were good at managing money, why would we be so concerned about needing an account without overdraft fees? I firmly believe banks have gone way the frack overboard with fees of all sorts, but “As long as the machine still takes my debit card, I still have money,” is not a financial plan.

4.        Keep your place clean. I’m not at all against cleaning services. If you can afford a maid, have at it, but know how to handle the basics.

5.        Know how to make appointments. Again, I think most of us can do this. You gotta have one or two gimmes.

6.        Basic maintenance. Yes, the “Check Engine” light means something. Yes, you too might need to work a plunger, and those lightbulbs are not lifetime regardless of what the package says. I’d say this is another gimme.

But now, here we hit the one thing that I think too many adults who have been on their own for decades still cannot figure out, especially those with part time jobs in Washington, DC.

7.        Take responsibility. Need I say more?

Have a happy week!

Summertime in the city

Michael 5 Comments

Greetings buddy bloggers, blogging buddies, responsible readers, and children of all ages. I missed yesterday. The last two days have been whirlwind days for me with more than the usual appointments, commitments, and after dinner mints. But not to fear, I am alive a well. Wonders truly do never cease.

Over in the ROAMcare site, this weekly uplift took a swipe at bad behavior and defending oneself against it. Summer heat seems to bring out the worst in the worst of us. The best of us have to be on guard. Check it out.

The big news is ROAMcare’s Flashback Friday brings back an old favorite, here and there… in fact it is the most widely read Uplift post… Middle Seat Hump Syndrome. Flashback Friday is a ROAMcare subscriber “exclusive” but this is just too good not to share with everybody.  

The post was first published in June of 2021. We were just rounding the corner from the pandemic back to normal. If you can forgive the couple lines that address the Covid years, we think you will find a lot still right with the thoughts that gave rise to the Middle Seat Hump Syndrome.

And don’t forget, it’s National Donut Day. Make it an especially sticky one! 

What’s wrong with this picture

Michael 9 Comments

I am having a hard time this week with a post. Not true. I’m having a hard time this week coming up with an intelligent post. I’ve taken a swipe at this over 3 or 4 days. Most of the world has gone crazy and I’m worried about putting something intelligent out into the ether.

The craziness for me culminated Sunday morning when I read the news report that the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg Pennsylvania was the target of an arsonist. Someone had scaled a 7 foot iron fence carrying homemade incendiary bombs, broke into the banquet room, and set off his explosives. He later “surrendered” and confessed he did it because he “hates the governor.” He also had a small sledgehammer he planned to beat the governor with if he had a chance.

Is it coincidence the arson targeted the room where Governor Shapiro with his family and guests had used just hours earlier to hold their Seder dinner on the first day of Passover? Is that why the lunatic “hates the governor”? Or is it because Charcoal Charlie has a nifty little criminal record and maybe resents Gov. Shapiro from his time as state attorney general. Or could it be that the ding dong was having a boring Saturday night and was hoping to come up with something to impress the bar crowd and random acts of violence are always in style among that class of primate.

But let’s not stop at one ding-a-ling with a match and a pocketful of explosives. That was almost sane compared to what else is going on in the world. The federal “government” “refuses to say” what their plans are (translation = “refuses”) to bring back a mistakenly deported man, who is most likely only one of thousands mistakenly deported people.

Measles continues to spread primarily in Texas but also in significant numbers in 4 other states, even though it was declared eliminated in the US in 2000. Of the 700+ confirmed cases reported to the CDC through last Friday, 97% were in unvaccinated patients. For those interested, it’s not just children. 198 of the 712 reported cases, that’s 28% are in adult patients.

Random shootings continue. Helicopters and planes are falling from the sky. The House of So-called Representatives passed a budget plan that includes cuts to even more social services. The stock market is in shambles. Through it all, Daffy Donald has spent millions pursuing his personal favorite pastime, combining golf while screwing whoever is handy, this time the American taxpayer, who is footing the bill for these excursions this year through March 31 to the tune of $26,127,531.

And I’m worried about putting something intelligent out into the ether.

Appropriate Attire Optional

Michael 13 Comments

I think I’m turning old fogie. Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to an Alton Brown live show. Alton Brown is the cinematographer turned chef turned celebrity who created the long running Food Network show, “Good Eats.”

I grant you, this was not a symphony concert nor a Broadway marquee performance, but it wasn’t the Grateful Dead either. As such, I was not dressed in my Sunday go to Meeting Clothes (even though it was Sunday), but I looked respectable in a collared shirt, slacks, and blazer.  My daughter was with me in a flowy spring dress. Sprinkled among the crowd were others like us but most looked like they would have been more at home at that Grateful Dead concert.  One particular couple who caught my eye, she with what appeared to be a beach coverup (although I don’t know what it was covering, not even close to beachwear weather) and he with a sweat stained t-shirt, cargo shorts, and grass stained work boots. She was wearing a rock on her left hand the size of the Hope Diamond and they were in the VIP session with us so I guess the lawn business is a profitable one for him and perhaps she just flew in from the yacht to catch the show.

This is all on the heels of another event on Saturday. I can’t recall if I ever mentioned here that I am a member of the Toastmasters. We are in the midst of contest season. Every year, Toastmasters around the world compete for a spot at the World Series of Speaking, moving through Club, Area, Division, District, and Regional contests in search of that spot on the International stage. Saturday was the Division contest and drew about 100 people from 18 local clubs. Of the 12 speakers, four looked like professional speakers, suits and ties, or at least blazers for the men, and a dress on the one woman.  The others looked like lawn boy’s cousin. I’m sorry, but that is not how you present yourself if you want to be taken seriously. (Unless the style of dress is a reflection of the topic like a tropical shirt if you’re discussing surfing. Nobody talked about surfing.) (Or even lawn care.)

But…through it all, whoever it was and whatever anybody looked like, I noticed a lot of people nodding and saying hello. I was flabbergasted! It was just last week in the ROAMcare Uplift post that we talked about how the world needed more Hi Guys. If you haven’t already, take a look at it.

Did you notice I was late this week? If you did, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. If you didn’t, why not!?

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Positively Impossible

Michael 11 Comments

Every day can bring new reasons to be positive, and to connected with yourself and the world. Unfortunately, every day can also bring myriad opportunities to confirm the world really has gone bat shit crazy.

Take a look at the screen shot I’ve posted below. This innocent looking post violates Facebook’s terms of use or service or appropriateness or whatever they want call it. When I clicked in the “click here to find out how we arrived at this decision” the answer is, “this post does violates our community standards.”

I’ve had issues before with anti-social media. I’ve posted literally hundreds of posts for ROAMcare with artwork I’ve generated myself to have several of them removed because of suspicions of being AI generated without declaration. I’ve had posts removed because they included links to websites and therefore are spam and I’m trying to “trick” people into clicking to potentially dangerous sites.

So far, Instagram and Blue Sky are the only sites that haven’t come up with some stupid excuse for removing or limiting any posts.  Give them time.

Now, here’s the most annoying part of all this. We at ROAMcare make nothing from the site or posts. Nothing we do is monetized. We don’t ask people to for access, we sell no ad space. We don’t even ask people to “buy us a cup of coffee.” Everything we do is because we truly believe in what we post and publish and want to spread awareness that it is possible to be enthused about life.

Take the blog post that this post is about, Positively Powerful. A thoughtful discussion about the power of positive thought. Am much as I believe every word that we printed, I get increasingly discouraged by the blatant double standards of the social media world. Unfortunately, most of the outside traffic to our site is generated by the Facebook posts. Oh well.

Perhaps you can look at Positively Powerful or any of the other posts and clue me in on what community would be offended by our work.  While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

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just stuff

Michael 19 Comments

I’m not in much mood to write a post today. And I suppose I could just not write anything. Nobody has a paid subscription guaranteeing a publishable post. I’m on no program mandating so many words written per week. But because I’m a trooper (and. It just another pretty face), you’re getting a post whether you want one or not.

There has been so much going on since last Monday (and I’m not even considering what Dingy Donny, J(ust) D(umb), and the South African American immigrant were up to) . I already told you the biggest news, the loss of little Jingle. When Jingle first went to live with the daughter he was more than a handful. It wasn’t too terribly long before he was acting only like a little terror and a few more months until he because a reasonably well-behaved canine gentleman. He will be missed.

Thing  Two also was brought up in Thursday’s post. That was an already planned procedure that took way too long. It was a simple enough thing. A little quickly rerouting of a vein in my arm. We got to the hooray at 9am and left at 5:15 that afternoon for a roughly hour long procedure. To facilitate the actual surgery I was given a nerve block which rendered my arm absolutely useless for 2 days. Not just numb, but dead weight hanging off my shoulder. I had to carry my arm around in a sling or I’d leave it behind.

Item the third has been this headache I’ve been carrying around for the last 4 days. I used to be subject to terrible vascular headaches. Nothing helped. Somewhere along the way, while is was researching something at the hospital, I came across an old article (older than me even) that described very low doses of an old, old antidepressant (which was probably newfangled when the article was written) to treat headaches. I convinced my PCP it made sense to try it and if it didn’t make sense to her I knew a lot of other doctors I could go to. (These were really annoying headaches and I was not above threatening taking my medical business elsewhere.) Well…to make a long story short (I know, too late), the pills worked. Until Thursday.

And finally, I really want some ice cream.

There. Now you have your post, and in the process I actually feel a little better. It’s odd becuase there weren’t a lot of positive things mentioned and that’s a sure-fire way of feeling calmer and at peace. (Is that sure-fire or sure-fired?) Oddly enough, we wrote about feeling calm and at peace in last week’s Uplift. Take a look at Location, location, location.

While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

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What I Did Last Summ….er Last Week

Michael 14 Comments

Like I don’t have enough to do this week, now I have another chore to complete. Our favorite South African American has decreed all those working for the government will report today what they did last week or face the consequences. I suppose that means being confronted with the bright red chain saw some third world dictator, err some foreign dignitary gifted him. Considering I work and pay taxes I take that to mean that I work for the government, so I will comply and not face the consequences.

Monday I did 8 hours reviewing charts then work on the first draft for next week’s Uplift post and did the final proof on last week’s.

Tuesday I participate in a morning program even though I said last year (at about this same time of year even) that I was through with morning speaking engagements. After that I took some personal time and went grocery shopping. (The “fresh” asparagus looked like it had come from a can and the eggs are still expensive. (Why is that Dingy Donny? I thought you were going to fix everything in Day 1.)) ( putz)

Wednesday I spent the day doing ROAMcare work including Moments of Motivation for March and selecting last week’s flashback post for Friday. I also did my part of the review for what will be this week’s Uplift post. In the evening I spoke at a venue so far out there that I swear the GPS got lost. At one point Siri told me “Take the next left, I think. If you see a barn with a cow painted on its side, you’ve gone too far.”

Thursday was another chart review day and in the evening another meeting. And yes, I told myself no more 3 programs in one week, but that will probably go the same way as the no more morning speaking.

Friday I did laundry and housework because I picked up a shift at the pharmacy on Saturday and I was running out of clean socks and- never mind.

Saturday I worked, but you already know that.

Sunday I went to church and to lunch with my daughter. (He won’t care about that but somebody has to pray for us and it’s not going to be  the “D.C.Christians.”)

I hope that meets with his approval. I wonder what Dimwit Donald’s list looks like. Monday, golf, Tuesday golf, Wednesday yell at Maine governor, Thursday golf, Friday tanning booth.)

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Clearly I’m working too hard.  Need to slow down. And wouldn’t you know it, there is an Uplift post that can help!

In last week’s Uplift, Life in the Slow Lane, we revisited our plan for daily resolutions and how they can keep us centered and present to ourselves. You should take a look.

While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

Bright lights, little city

Michael 9 Comments

About a week ago I was on my one home an evening. It wasn’t very late but it was very dark. The weather was cold but clear, remarkably clear, and dark, remarkably dark. I was north of home in my little suburban hamlet heading south on a classic dark and windy country road.

It was dark enough I needed high beam lights to see what lurked ahead. It was clear enough I could easily see oncoming traffic as we both neared the many twists and curves in the road. And all concerned politely reduced their lights it low beam lights before making the bend and blinding the oncoming driver. You gotta love people who know driving involves more than “put it in gear and go.”

As I got closer to town, the road straightened and lights mounted high above nicely illuminated the roads, eliminating the need for the super bright high beams. Another mile or so brought some roadside businesses and their lights added to the general brightness. 

It was then I saw the blur of white some distance ahead, heading north on the now almost ruler straight road through a little town-let. The blur grew and grew in size and brightness until it became clear that it was ye olde basic pick ‘em up truck with mutilple headlights, fog lights, and even lights across the bully bar over the top of the cab blazing while barreling merrily along, presumably by a backward hat wearing, plaid shirted, scraggly bearded truckster.

There ought to be a law addressing night time driving particularly discussing lights and illumination. Oh wait, there is, actually are. There ought to be people enforcing them.

It’s almost become SOP, ignore the laws that are inconvenient, or the regulation. Throw out the “way it’s always been done,” “doesn’t hurt anyone,” “anyone with common sense would know that.” Do what is right. 

Have you ever wondered why I’m so hard on backward hat wearing, plaid shirted trucksters? Little Rosemary is not the first little sports car I’ve owned. I had once had a 1979 Mazda RX7, the second year it was offered. It was about the same size as the later to come Miata but rounder. The year was 1985 and it was stopped at a red light where a large, jacked up pickup truck driven by a (you guessed it) backward hat wearing, plaid shirted, scraggly bearded, beer bellied amateur truckster did not stop at a red light and literally ran up and over the back of the low-slung car. Oh yes, there are laws.

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We all want to live long lives, maybe even live long lives in love. If you’d like to see what we had to say about long lasting love, pop on over and give But do you love me  a quick read. While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.