It feels good to be validated. Red Beats Blue. Duh!

I take a lot of grief from my friends for being able to pick the winning team of any sporting event. Doesn't matter what sport, just as long as I can look at their uniforms and can pick the one with the colors I like best. This works MOST of the time, not all, but MOST of the time and it annoys my friends because they will have stats and all that blah-blah boring stuff, but my color picking system beats them all.

I once worked in a place with about 125 guys. The guys would use stats to pick their teams in the weekly football pool. I will tell you right now that I know nothing, or as little-as-on-purposly-possible about football. Bores me to tears. Anyway, the guys thought they would take my money and run because they knew the "stats" and I didn't...sooo wrong! hehe

I ended up picking the teams by asking the guys, "Umm, what color is this team? What about this one? What are their helmets like?" and so on and so on. I ended up winning every single week. And to top it off and tick them off even more, they had a Super Bowl party that I attended. I couldn't tell you who was playing, and really don't care and didn't care at the time, but I did end up picking the winning squares for all four quarters. hehehe Ok, that last part about picking the squares had nothing to do with the colors, but I did pick the winning team because of THEIR colors and won that part too! That ticked everyone off. Hey, I can't help it if they didn't listen to me...

Well, again, I get a lot of grief from my friends because MOST of the time the RED team will beat the BLUE. Not ALL the time, but MOST. But, since my friends think I am crazy, even though I have a great record for picking the right team, imagine my surprise today when I opened the Sports section of our local newspaper and right there in printed word for the entire world to read, it said, "RED PREVAILS OVER BLUE". Well, duh! What else would have happened??? Sheesh. The RED team almost always beats the BLUE team. It feels good to be validated and to see that in print. Oh sure, scoff all you non-color-picker-people want. Scoff away. I will keep going on the colors and you use your stats and let's compare at the end of the season, shall we?
Cindy Breninger 2009

Sometimes, I guess, ya just gotta suck it up and get on the damn boat!

I have always been terrified of lakes, I mean terrified to the point where I don't even like to look at pictures of lakes. I don't like anything about them as I see them as a big puddle of cloudy water with who-knows-what underneath. My fear of not knowing what "could" be in that lake water is very strong, even though I really have no idea what's under there. Heck, there could be dead bodies, fish, turtles, scuba divers, animals, and even things that I don't even know exist. In my mind, there is "something" and whatever that "something" is, it wants to grab my feet. That thought totally freaks me out. I know it is lame and I guess that's why it is called a fear.

This weekend, a friend took my kids and I camping. He took us to a lake as he owns a boat and that is probably where most people with boats go. Great. Oh, not only am I terrified of lakes, but I get motionsickness pretty easily. I have puked on rollercoasters and on curvy roads. Great. A lake and a boat - this oughta be interesting.

Since I was pretty sure I wouldn't be going on the boat, with my fear of the lake and my motionsickness and all, I brought three books and was prepared to sit on the dry shore where nothing was going to grab my feet and just relax and read for the day. Sounded like a nice time to me. Somehow my friend and kids didn't think so.

When we first got to the campsite and set up our tent, I was so scared with the lake being about 50 feet away, that I wouldn't even look at it. I just kept my back towards the lake. I was nervous and my stomach was turning and my palms were sweating, I was secretly hoping for a freak snowstorm or an earthquake, or well, anything so I could go home. But, none of these things happened. The sun was out, tents were up, and the kids were putting on their life jackets.

After they set up camp, they wanted to go in the boat. They wanted to put that boat in the water and float around on it. That is something I have never, ever, ever, wanted to do. But, hey, that's what they wanted to do so I went with them to drop the boat off in the water. I was in the front of the truck and my friend and my kids were in the boat at the launch place. As they were backing the boat into the water, my friend and kids asked me to get in the boat with them. I said, "Naw, it's ok. I brought some books and I'll just read. I will meet you guys at the camp in a while." I saw the expressions on my kids' faces go from happy to "what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-mom?" to "you-can't-be-serious".

I honestly was so scared, my hands were shaking and my palms were sweating and I did not want to get on that damn boat. I was so nervous, but here were my kids wanting me to go with them and so was my friend. If I quit and went back to camp, what would that be showing my kids? That I am a chicken-quitter and a giver-upper? Pretty much. I didn't want them to know I was that big of chicken, so I slowly walked towards that boat and even worse, that lake. (I swear I could hear that music from the Psycho shower scene.....) or Jaws.

I stepped onto the boat and even though it was still on the trailer waiting to be launched, I was terrified. I could just imagine all the things under the water waiting for me to get in there and then grab me. I was soooo nervous, I had never been this afraid of anything, ever. I just sat in the boat, took a deep breath and then the boat hit the water and was floating. Oh man, I wanted to get off the boat right then and there, but all I could see was the truck driving away and here I was, stuck on the damn boat! The only way to get off was to get in the lake and back to the land and that wasn't going to happen.

I almost wanted to cry, that's how scared I was. I looked at my daughter and she smiled, asked if I was ok, and was being really sweet and trying to make me not so scared. When I realized how silly I must have looked, I smiled and we both laughed because it was kind of stupid that I was so scared. I just took a deep breath and looked around and it was actually really fun.

I ended up having the best day. The kids got to ride on a tube-thing and loved it. We had a great day and I was happy I took the chance and faced my fears. It felt good and I was glad to be there for my kids and watch them have a great time. As for the motionsickness, I learned that if I looked at the floor or the canopy of the boat, I could feel the nausea creeping up. If I looked at a mountain far away and got some fresh air, it seemed to really help. I was kind of woosy most of the day, but not to the point where I had to get off the boat. So, look as far away as possible and that might help.

I will say, though, that lakes still freak me out. Oh, I forgot to mention that when we pulled to the shore, in order to get off the boat and to the land, I had to somehow get from the boat through about 10 feet of water to the land. That meant going IN THE LAKE WATER. It took me quite a while to muster up that courage, and if I could have run across that water, I would have. When I first put my foot in the lake water to get to the shore, I was so grossed out. The rocks were all slimy and I couldn't see my feet. Gawd, that was awful. I went so fast and tried get out of there as fast as I could. I want to thank the other kids playing in the water near the boat who were "helping" me by saying, "Oh no, Cindy, I think one of the dead bodies under the water is grabbing my feet! Help!" Yep, so helpful. I would have dunked them, but that would have meant going back in that water and there was no way I was doing that.

But, I will say, if you have a fear and there is a way to face it, face it. I went from being so scared that I couldn't even look at the lake, to going in a boat, to having to get in the lake to get off the boat - and I lived and nothing grabbed my feet. Do I still think there are things under there that will grab my feet? Heck yeah. Will I go swimming in the middle of a lake? Heck no! But, will I at least go to the lake, get on a boat, and wade the 10 feet to get off the boat so I can enjoy spending a nice day with a friend and my kids? Definitely. I would even go again.

So, even though fears are real in a person's head, facing them may make them not so powerful that they won't control your life. I would have missed out on a great day if I didn't at least try to get over my fear. Sometimes, I guess, ya just gotta suck it up and get on the damn boat!

If you are going to get hurt - make it worthwhile.

Broken bones? Check!
Sprained ankle and/or finger? Check and check!
Sore muscles/new bruises/possibly soft tissue damage? Check, Check, and triple check!

Ah, the injuries of skier. I love skiing more than anything, but, it seems that the older I get, the more injuries I seem to rack up. I could stop skiing and stop getting hurt, but then what would I do? I am lost without skiing. Once that snow melts, I am kind of a lost little sole wandering around looking for something to do to take my mind off the fact that I am not skiing...but, luckily for me, I found something! That something would be shooting clay traps with a 12 gauge shotgun. (See picture below of me shooting a double barrel.)


Oooh, shooting a 12 gauge is almost as fun as skiing a black diamond. Not quite as much fun, but close. Standing there holding that big gun, yelling pull, and then waiting for the little clay pigeon go flying in the air - it is like a real life video game! SO MUCH FUN! After the trigger is pulled, it is scary, cool, and fun- all at the same time. Total rush!

But, as I have learned with skiing and with most fun things, you can't have the fun things without the injuries. Sure, I could take up knitting, or gardening, or walking, but borrrrrr-ring! No thanks. I want something to make me scared, make me feel alive, make it worth the injury. Skiing and shooting both are so worth the injuries because they make life fun for a few hours. If I am having a terrible time with life, well, stick me on the chairlift, or let me fire a few rounds and whoohoo! Life doesn't suck for a while and I can't complain about a thing.

But, back to the injuries. I don't like them, yet I do seem to get my fair share. I once hurt myself moving my bed to another part of my room, so let me say this, if I am going to get hurt, I would much rather it be from skiing or shooting than moving my bed around my room.

I was complaining about my most recent injury from the shotgun, when a friend said, "Well, at least you got hurt doing something you enjoy." Whack! That was the sound of me getting whacked in the face by the "Duh! Now quit yer bitchen' because you got hurt doing something you loved" hand. It could have been worse. (See the part about the moving the bed injury.) So, no more complaining outta me!

I can't imagine how much it would suck to come to work and have to explain my injury if I got hurt doing the laundry, or pulling weeds, or washing dishes, or something like that. No thanks. The way I figure it is, if my injury happened when I was doing something I love to do, then I can't complain. So, if you are going to get hurt, make it worthwhile and be doing something that you will end up with a good story that brings a smile to your face every time you think of it. If you can smile about what a great day you had, then was all worth it.
2009 Cindy Breninger

A Phillies/Red Wings Fan in California...Hear Me Out.

I am a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, and the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Been a fan of both of these teams for over 30 years. I often get asked two things about why I like these teams. Question Number One: Since neither of these teams are anywhere near California, why did you become a fan? And, Number Two: Are you are bandwagoner since the Phillies won the World Series last year and the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup last year?

I was born, raised, and currently live in California and have lived in northern California my entire life. The only time I have been to Philadelphia was on a cross-country trip with my family when I was five. I don't remember it. I don't think I have ever been to Detroit. I moved all the time as a kid and never once lived in a city with a professional sports team. I live in a smaller town near Sacramento and we have the Sacramento Kings as our sports team, but I don't like basketball so wouldn't call myself a fan. With that said, I don't have a home town team as I have never lived in a home town with a team and never lived anywhere long enough to call someplace home. So, I never had a hometown team to root for.

I am guessing on the year, but around 1978, I would have been 7, going on 8, I saw the Phillies play. I thought they were the best team ever and said they were going to be my favorite team. Sometimes that is how it happens. We would sometimes travel to San Francisco, which was a few hours away, and go to the Giants games. I do like the Giants, but just not when they play my Phillies. I loved when the Phillies played and would often get popcorn thrown at me for cheering when the Phillies would get a hit, or the Giants would get a strike. Apparently the home team crowd takes offense to that stuff. (hehehe)

That same year I heard a Red Wings game on the AM radio in the car with my parents. I liked the name and that was all it took. Plus, they ended up winning the game I was listening to, so I knew I made a wise choice. Oh, California is not a big hockey place. Some people in the bay area go to the San Jose Sharks, and LA people go to games, but some of the people up north, well, not even sure if they know we have hockey or what hockey is.

I wear a Phillies hat on hot days and I watch every Phillies or Red Wings game I can. I annoy my friends by often randomly mentioning that the Phillies are the World Series Champs and the Red Wings are the Stanley Cup Champs (Oooh, last season was great! It was fun to be me! haha) and I hope for a repeat this year. The way the Phils are going, and with the Red Wings thisclose to winning the Stanley Cup AGAIN, my hopes are high. I know close to nothing about football and basketball and am ok with that because I don't like either sport.

I often pick teams to win by their colors. Yes, laugh all you want, but it works a good percent of the time. I pick the red team over the blue and people say that that doesn't work. Kinda funny that last year the Phillies and the Red Wings both won - huh, they both wear red. It is not a fool-proof system, but when it does work, I like to point it out. (point point point)

Sometimes it is hard being a Phillies/Red Wings fan out in California. Or, even on the internet. The guys in the Phillies group give me grief about liking a team from Detroit and the guys in the Red Wings group can't figure out why I like a team from Philly. I just do and it really gets to some people. It also gets kind of lonely being a fan of two teams all the way across the country. When the Phillies won the Series, well, my son and I were the only ones highfiving and jumping around as no one else cared. Doh! Same with the Red Wings. Double Doh! Oh, the Mets (Rivals of the Phillies) one and only fan in CA happens to be my mailman. He hates the Phillies as much as I hate the Mets. He said he almost didn't deliver the two Phillies World Series DVD's I ordered. He said they "Almost got lost in the mail." Typical Mets fan. I did ask him if he wanted to borrow the DVD's, he flipped me off and went about his route. I put a little Phillies sticker near my mailbox and I am sure he enjoys that very much.

So, for over 30 years now, I have been a fan of two great teams that I just picked randomly a long time ago. I love their players, their colors, everything. I have stuck with them through good and bad. I can usually count on the Red Wings and don't worry too much about them as they tend to win a lot. But for 28 years without a World Series win, the Phillies about gave me an ulcer. My 10 year old son, who is also a Philies fan, grew up with, "Well, honey, there is always next year...He heard that every single year of his life." But, not anymore! Whoohoo! Thank god they finally won. I about wanted to smoke a cigarette when they did win as I was so excited! It was awesome! And I don't even smoke! ;)

P.S. If some people still think I am a bandwagoner, well, after 30 years I think I just might qualify as a fan, so I am going with that.
2009 Cindy Breninger

Men Vs. Women: Watching Sports

Disclaimer: Not all men are like this and not all women are. I am only referring to the men I have talked to and about myself. I know there are women who are not like me at all, but I am not talking about those women, only myself. Ok, read on.

It seems to me that men and women watch sports in very different ways. When I watch a game, I don't care about the stats or numbers or any of that stuff. I just care if they guy gets a hit, or catches the ball, or if he is wearing his pants tucked into his socks up to his knees and how I wish he wouldn't do that. I look to see if he is chewing something. If he is, then I wonder if it is Big League Chew or that gross nasty brown stuff that they spit out. I look at who is gaining or losing weight, who has a new goatee, or wearing a cool necklace. Men don't care about that kind of stuff and I get it. My brother could tell you stats on guys I have never even heard of. I, on the other hand, just don't care about stats while he doesn't care if the pants are tucked into the socks or not.

Most men write about hard core baseball facts, while I don't know many facts and don't want to look them up because I don't care. Men will often pick a team based on their win/loss record, or stats against the team they will be playing, etc. I pick the winning teams by their colors. (One exception, I ALWAYS root for my Phillies no matter what.) Don't laugh, I once worked in a place with 125 guys and I participated in the weekly football pool. I knew NOTHING about football (still don't) and would ask the guys what color the teams were. I would think that a cowboy could shoot an eagle, or things like that, so that is how I picked the teams. Ya know what? I picked, on average, 90% correct and won the pool EVERY SINGLE WEEK. Here's a tip: Red teams usually beat the blue teams, unless the red team has gold or ugly yellow pants, then that is not good. Also, don't root for a green team. Yuck. Oh, and don't go for the ugly helmets, that is the number one rule. Tips are free and you are welcome! hehe

Anyway, I love reading about baseball and a lot of what is written is very informative. It's not that I don't understand the stats of a player or game, it's more that I don't care. But, I love reading about things that happened during the game as I love baseball and it is fun to watch, read about, talk about, and so on. I have been a life-long Phillies fan. I will never forget the heartbreak of Joe Carter's homerun. (Oooh, hate him!) I will also never forget Brad Lidge falling to his knees with his arms up after throwing the final out to win the 2008 World Series. (Ohhh, love him!) Those things will be with me forever. Will I remember how many rbi's were in the game? Or the lineup of the other team? Or how many bases were stolen? Noooooo. And I don't want to. I like to remember the feeling I had while watching what happened. That is what is important to me. Will some of my guy friends remember the rbi's and other stats? You bet they will, and they will write about them and discuss them, even as my eyes glaze over in total boredom, but they will never notice me and my total lack of disinterest because they are talking about stats and get very excited about rbi's. Whatever. Blah blah blah. Oh, one last thing, when you want to talk about who the cutest players are in baseball, I will be right here. I could talk about that for hours and hours and hours and...

2009 Cindy Breninger

Blogging About Blogging. Just Doing My Part

Blogs. Some blogs are funny, some are sad, some are random, and some actually have a point. Not mine usually, but some do. I like to blog, so I thought today I would blog about blogging.

I was thinking about how strange it is to blog. What makes a person write their thoughts, feelings, and/or observations out for the whole world to read?

*Side note, I like to think that the entire world reads my blog so just go along with me, K? Nod and smile, folks. Nod and smile.

I am not a good writer by any means, but I enjoy writing, so I keep doing it. I especially like when I have written something and someone else identifies with what I have written and it makes them feel something. No, nauseous does not count, sheesh! I mean, it makes them feel happy or sad or moved. It's even better when they want to share their thoughts with me about what I have written and how it made them feel, good or bad. Any time I can move someone enough to want to write to me, that is a good time.

I also like hearing both sides of an issue, even when I don't agree with any of the wrong side, er, the other side. When I wrote about the gay marriage, (I am all for it. Go Gays! See my blog post on One Penis Per Household) people on both sides told me how they felt. I only agreed with one-half of the people, but I loved hearing how the other side came up with their reasons. I totally don't agree with them, but it was interesting to hear their side.

Other times, if I think something is funny, I like to share it with others. I like to think that I am helping the bored people in life. Take for instance, there could be someone at a totally boring job right now who is just itching for something, anything, doesn't-matter-what-it-is kind of stuff to read and they need a distraction. I like to think that my little blog helps entertain that person for a few minutes of their day. If you are one of those people and I provided a distraction, then you are welcome. Glad I could help. Just doing my part, is all. Well, that's enough blogging about blogging. Later.
2009 Cindy Breninger

If You Are A Black Widow, Don't Get Married!

My ten year old son and his buddie were talking about black widow spiders. They wanted to know why they were called black widows. I said the black part was because of their color, and the widow part was because after the woman spider makes a baby with the man spider, the woman then eats the man spider and then she becomes a widow when he dies.

Both boys were quiet, or shocked, and they decided that it was mean of her to kill the male. But, after thinking about this awhile, one of them had an idea about what the male spiders should do, or what he would do if he were a black widow spider, it went something like this:

"Ya know, if I was a black widow, I would just hang out and be friends with the girl spiders. I wouldn't marry one or have babies or anything. I would just be a black widow spider who has lots of friends who are girls and I wouldn't get married and I would say no to making babies! I think that would be the safest thing to do." Hehehe. Kids kill me.
2009 Cindy Breninger

Are you stupid or a cheat? Please Stop Letting the Fans Down.

Lately, it seems, more and more baseball players have been caught using steroids, supplements, or hormones that they should not be using. I don't know much about that stuff, but I do know that certain things have been banned and everytime a player uses a banned substance, he is breaking the rules. One would think that the players were told what they could and could not take, so, with all the information they were most likely given, why are the players still taking them?

I have a hard time with this ignorant "I didn't know it was banned" defense. With all the rules saying what the players can and can’t take, it seems that someone, be it the doctors or players, should be smart enough to figure this out and look at the list to see if a substance is ok to take. If they had a question as to whether or not they should take something, they should get it in writing from their higher-ups to verify if it is ok to take or not. If not, don't take it. If ok, get it in writing, guys. Seems pretty simple to me. If it was my job and was told about a substance that was banned, or I had questions about it but was still unclear, and then I took it anyway putting my job in jeopardy, that would make me an idiot for taking it, or a cheater. Same with these guys.

These players that do this are either really stupid for taking things they are not supposed to be taking and putting their careers and names on the line because they "didn't know", or were trying to cheat. Which is worse? Being really stupid or a cheat? If I was paid the amount of money some of these guys get paid, I would definitely know what I could and could not take, especially if it meant losing my money and reputation. Some of these guys appear to be either really dumb and so do their doctors for putting them in that position, or they are cheaters. We may never know which. This is disheartening as my son and I are huge baseball fans. (Go Phillies!) My son and I look up to these guys. When one is caught with the banned substance, well, that makes the player look like an idiot or a cheater and makes us feel stupid for looking up to someone like that.

It is sad because some great players’ names will forever be tainted. We will never know if they were great players, or if steroids, supplements, or hormones made them great. Could they be just as great if they never took any of this stuff? Who knows. Are they they are just cheaters who got caught? Again, who knows. Either way, it is sad and such a let down. Guys, please, knock it off. I would like to keep you on your pedastal and think you are smarter and better than that. Please stop letting your fans down. Just stop it.
2009 Cindy Breninger

Smile and Say Thank You

If a child opens a door for you, please, please, please smile and say thank you. Those two words show the kid that you appreciate that he or she went out of their way to do something nice for you.

To walk through the door and ignore a kid who is standing their holding it open for you, well, that is just rude. Please don't be one of the rude people. Saying thank you really does make a difference. Trust me, I have two kids and they tell me about this stuff.

Thank you in advance.
Cindy Breninger

P.S. Adults, if another adult opens a door for you, use the same smile and say thank you approach. It shows you appreciate the person not slamming the door in your face, which is always better than the alternative.

Some advice to the stoner in the car next to me on the freeway this morning

Some advice to the stoner in the car next to me on the freeway this morning,

If you happened to be on the freeway this morning and were driving to work...no wait, you probably don't have a job, so let me rephrase that, if you happened to be on the freeway and were driving to the Quickie Mart for some munchies, read these words:

LEAVE YOUR BONG AT HOME. Really.

Yes, I saw a classic this morning. This stoner person was steering with his knees while holding a bong and lighting it while driving down the freeway. Too stoned to notice the COP in the next lane WATCHING HIM. Well, too stoned to notice until he got pulled over, anyway. hehehe. Some days it must be fun to be the police.

Stoners, do what ya gotta do AT HOME and I could care less. It doesn't hurt me so I don't care, same goes with drinking. But, get stoned or drunk and then get in your car and drive on the freeway where you could kill my kids or me? I hope you end up in jail. Don't get behind the wheel of the car. Duh. Maybe it is the mom in me, but pul-lease. Don't be lame. Just stay home and save us all the worry of being killed by you.

But, I did get a good laugh by the surprised look on the guy's face when that cop "mysterious" appeared. So thanks for that.
Cindy Breninger

Be Nice to Yourself. No More Waiting-Except for Donuts.

So, lately it seems that I have been doing a lot of waiting around. This is not like me, especially since I believe that that only thing worth waiting around for is when you are at a donut shop and they are putting the custard filling inside the donut. I would wait forever for a custard filled donut. Where there is a fresh donut with new filling.....oh yummmmmm….waiting for that is just a given.

But, I am not talking about donuts, I am talking about my dating life over the last few months and all the time I have spent waiting on phone calls. Waiting is no fun. It sucks. It does not make a person happy. You can trust me on this one.

The last few guys I dated were all nice enough, but well, for one reason or another, things just didn’t work out. With each of these men, I noticed that somehow I ended up waiting by the phone for calls that never came. I would get happy when I talked to them, but then sad if they didn’t call. I would wait and wait and wait, when instead I could have been doing something fun. That is time I will never get back. Pitiful. Pathetic. Lame.

All that waiting around was a total bummer and I don't recommend it. But, in my defense, I was distracted, er, blinded by, er, umm, dumbed-up by six pack abs, a gorgeous face, and/or a really cool Harley, so you can see why it is not my fault. Right? Ahem. Cough cough. Ok, moving on...

I don’t know how it happened, but I somehow found myself waiting for “the call”. I would think about it and if only my phone would ring, it would make me happy. Oh gawd, I feel lame even writing that, but that is what happened. Again, pitiful, pathetic, lame. I knew something had to change and I had to find what made me happy. Somehow waiting around for the phone to ring just wasn’t doing it.

I made up my mind the other day that I could find things that made me happy and I concentrated on those things. I didn’t need that phone to ring anymore as I was busy thinking and doing other things and not depending on one person for that happiness, as that just does not work.

Plus, if that person decides to take their attention and happiness elsewhere and leave you, you are screwed. Once they leave, you better have a good backup plan or you will walk around feeling sad and miserable and feeling like a fool with a phone in your hand waiting for that call that is never going to come. Not a good look.

It is so important for people to find their own happiness within themselves or life can be miserable. My happiness might be getting a new custard filled donut, yours might be something totally different, but try to find it. Try not to depend on another person to provide that to you.

I decided that no matter who is in my life, or if I am alone, I am going to make my life fun, and doing whatever I want, when I want, and with whomever I feel I want to do it with and no more waiting around.

You gotta live for you. You gotta figure out what makes you happy. You gotta depend on yourself as when it comes down to it, you are all you really have in the world. No more being lame and trying to please people who don't want to be pleased or looking to them for happiness. No more waiting by the phone for calls that might not come.

Be nice to yourself. When it comes down to it, you are all you really have and you are kind of stuck with yourself, so you might at well make sure you are happy, as no one else will.

Peace out.

P.S. If I can make one person who is sitting and waiting by the phone for either a call that will never come, or a call that "might" come realize they are better than that, then I will feel better about my day because I got to help someone.

Cindy Breninger
www.adayinthelifeofcindy.blogspot.com

F You Diabetes

I know I have written about this before, and most likely will write about it again, but when I have to live with it every morning, every noon, and every night, well, it is kind of on my mind a lot.

I am talking about Diabetes. In plain English....Diabetes sucks. Totally. I hate it and I want it to F off.

But, putting all whining aside, I have Diabetes, I must deal with it and must live with it whether I want to or not. I can't take a day off, I can't forget about it, and I can't get it out of my body as it just won't leave.

I can control it most days, but days like today, even though I have eaten the same things as yesterday, it reminds me that it is still around and not a damn thing I can do about it. Pisses me off, actually.

I could eat the same thing every single day for a week and be just fine. Then today, same food, same everything and the diabetes has to let me know it is here and can kick my butt anytime it wants to. So annoying.

So, right now I feel like there are ants crawling around under my skin. Like, I wish I could take out my blood and clean it out and put it back all free of sugar. It is irritating. The worst is that I know what is coming in a few hours: I will feel extremely tired, almost like I took a sleeping pill and I will want to take a nap. My vision gets blurry and my brain feels kinda fuzzy. Not a good feeling being that I am at work for a few more hours. But, once the rollercoaster of highs and lows start, it is hard to get it back to normal.

So, I am writing this out of frustration, beats yelling at co-workers. So, F you diabetes for not letting me forget about you. F you for kicking my butt anytime you see fit. F you for just irritating the heck out of me and F you for making me so tired it is hard to work. Thanks.
F. You Diabetes.
There, that feels better.
Cindy Breninger

Gay People: From a kids' point of view

My kids and I met up with a friend for lunch yesterday. The man is handsome, funny, nice to my kids, charming, has a ton of friends, and just an all-around good guy. Oh, he is also a gay man.

I did not tell my kids he was gay before the met him. I don't put much thought into if a person is gay or not as I really don't care. I judge people on the other traits, such as the ones I listed in the above paragraph.

Well, my kids and I met my friend for lunch. At first they were shy, as they are when meeting any new person, but soon enough, the kids were over being shy and they were betting each other if they could put ice down their own backs. (Yes, I have weird kids, that's no secret...let's move along).

We had a really nice lunch. When we were done eating and in the car, I asked what they thought of my friend. They both said he was nice and funny and they thought he and I should go on a date. I laughed a little and then asked them, "Did he seem any different to you? Any different than any other man?" They both said no. I asked if he looked or acted any different than any other person. They both said no, but they kept saying he was really nice and he should ask me out. I was laughing and then I told them, "My friend you just met is gay. He is a gay man. He likes guys the same way mommy does." I let that sink in not sure what their reactions would be.

My kids were quiet for just a second and then one of them said, "Oh. I have never met anyone who is gay. He was totally nice and normal." I asked what the thought a gay person would be like and they said they didn't know. They said that some people make them out to be mean or scary and he was neither of those. They wanted to know why some people were so afraid of gay people when they are just like us, only they like the same people as themselves. Good question kids.

Then one of them asked, "So, how come he can't marry someone he loves even if it is another man?" Huh, another good question. Both of my kids thought it was lame that my friend who is a nice, charming, handsome guy couldn't marry a man if he was in love, but that I could.

I am not sure what my kids thought a "gay" person would look like or act like, but after meeting "one", I think they now know they are just like you and me. They just happened to be attracted to the same sex. Big flipping deal. If my kids can see it is not a big deal, why can't adults? What are people so afraid of?

Oh, and to all of you who think kids will be ruined or hurt or whatever by finding out about "gay" people. Well, news flash, my kids were just fine. They hung out with one, talked with one, and well, they were just fine. No cooties or anything.

They actually were bit bothered at the way some adults were trying to make gay people out to be bad or scary. So, for those of you who want to shelter your kids from two people in love who want to get married, no matter the sex, you are not doing them any favors. You are instilling in them a fear that when they meet a gay person, they will wonder what YOUR problem is. Just something to think about.
2008 Cindy Breninger

To Forget About Life For A While

So, let's just say that this weekend was not one of my best. I would chalk it up with one of my worst in a long time. But, at the same time, it was one of my best. It was all over the place. I owe the bad to, well, just random bad things that I don't want to bore you with, and the good to my good old reliable skiing.

If ya don't know by now, I am kind of addicted to skiing. Ok, totally addicted. Before you ask, no, I have never snow boarded and don't want to. I have no desire, and plus, that would be a wasted ski day and I don't want to waste a ski day for anything.

Anyway, as bad as things were/are in my personal life, I woke up Saturday and headed up the hill to the ski resort. As I was driving, I didn't want to think about all the stuff that was bugging me. I was going skiing and didn't want anything to ruin it. Instead, I turned on the radio, opened the sun roof and just tried to enjoy the fact that I was going skiing. Life was good for a while.

I got the ski resort and it could not have been any more perfect if I ordered up the day myself. The sun was shining and there was a ton of fresh powder. Trust me, to a skier, a ton of fresh powder is about as good as saying, "You have just won the lottery." It is definitely a pick em' if I ever heard one.

I skied and skied and skied some more. I didn't want to come home. Had I not had plans for that night, I would have been tempted to stay in my car so I could get up and be the first on the mountain come Sunday.

Well, my plans fell through at the last minute and I was not happy as I came home an hour earlier than I needed to. If leaving a ski resort is not up there with "The World's Worst Things That Can Happen To A Skier", then I don't know is.

I woke up on Sunday and was bothered by my cancelled plans from the night before. But, good thing I had skiing on the brain and an open ski resort with fresh powder. I headed up there and forgot about my problems for a few hours. I had a great day, a cold beer, met some nice people, and skied a lot. For a few hours, nothing else mattered. Nothing.

As I was driving home, reality crept back into my brain. I hate when that happens, but I can only escape it for so long. It just wormed its way back in there and the clouds came back over me.

I can't wait to ski again. I love it and I wish everyone had an escape like that; somewhere they could go to forget about life for a while. (Thanks Billy Joel for that line.) Reality sucks sometimes and it is nice to have an escape. I hope you find yours and can do what makes you happy. One of my favorite quotes is, "Do what you love and do it often." I try to live by this and it makes the bad stuff seem not so bad. So, go find what you love and do it as often as you can. Makes the bad stuff seem bearable and the good even better. :)
Take care,
Cindy Breninger

Prop 8. Make like a straight and keep me employed.

Prop 8 says that two gay people cannot get married to each other. I was thinking about this earlier today as I heard someone talking about how if the gay people were able to get married, the divorce rates would go up and it would be all the gays' faults. This got me to thinking about who is really causing the divorce rates to go up. After thinking on this, this is what I came up with...

I work for a divorce attorney. During my day, I work with people who once took their marriage vows to love and honor and all that, very seriously. But, these same people are now getting divorces. Who are all these people getting their divorces and causing the divorce rates to go up? Is it the gays' fault? Let's find out, shall we?

These people are people you know. They are your friends, relatives, and maybe even yourself. Some of these people are religious, some are not; some are thin, some are not; some are rich, some are not; some are parents, some are not; some are straight, some are.....hummm, wait a minute, they are all straight. Now, who is to blame for all these divorces? Well, looks to me like the only ones getting divorces are the straights. Looks like the straight people are the ones causing the divorce rates to go up, not the gays. Wow! Whudathunkit???

So, if I hear one more straight person say that the gays should not get married because it will increase the divorce rates, I am going to puke. I cringe when I hear that they think the gay people will get married and then get a divorce and that that would be horrible - because that is so unlike what a straight person might do. (wink wink) So please, just stop with that one. The straight people are doing a fine job with keeping the divorce rates up and also keeping the divorce attorneys quite busy. I can personally vouch for that one. Let's just stop blaming the gays for this one, shall we??

With that being said, I want to thank you straight people who have had the opportunity to get married and then got a divorce as I enjoy having a job and without you getting married and then divorced, I would be out of work. So, again, I thank you. Now, let's give the gays their chance to get married and if they happen to be make a straight person and get a divorce, well, that is ok by me. In this economy, the extra work is appreciated.
2009 Cindy Breninger

Checking in. My poor, neglected, little blog...

Hi all,
Just checking in and letting you know I am still alive and kicking. My poor, neglected, little blog. Sigh. It reminds me of a certain house plant that is wilting and needs to be watered and I keep saying, "I'll water that tomorrow..." Well, not exactly the same thing, but close enough for my liking.

My home computer is pretty old and very slow and it is annoying. My keyboard will not let me capitalize half of the letters, so that makes writing a little awkward. But, I will see what I can do and maybe get a new keyboard one of these days. It has been well used and most of the letters are worn off of the keys, so I know it has a lot of miles on it. haha Ok, lame attempt at a joke.

Anyhooooo, I just wanted to pop on by and say hello and I will start writing again here real soon. Take care all and I will be in touch. :)
Cindy Breninger

Rain, Rain, Go Away. Come Back.....NEVER!(Unless you are snow!)

I didn't really want to ski in fresh powder anyway.....that would be silly. Give me melty slush with a few rocks poking out any day. Feels great when that rain hits ya in the face, especially when mixed with a bit of ice. Yep.....

.......NOT


Cindy

P.S. Apparently my moods are dependent upon the snow levels....

If it snows later today or tonight, totally disregard this post.
:)

Proud or upset...let me think about it.

Kids. How can two kids that came out of the same person (me) be soooooo different from one another?

Take for instance my son. He is 10 years old and a self-proclaimed momma's boy. He listens to what I say and actually thinks I am pretty smart.

Then there is my daughter. She is 8 going on 15. She is the complete opposite of her brother. Enough said.

I took the kids skiing on Sunday so I could give them another ski lesson. My son listened to everything I said and is turning out to be a pretty good skier. He can stop, turn, go, and even tried a little jump.

Real quickly here, I ski about 20+ times a season, and have since I was a teenager, so I sort of know my way around a ski hill.

I have taken the kids skiing several times and every time while my son listens to my instructions, my daughter, well, doesn't. She acts like am nuts, and then totally ignores everything I just said and goes down the hill like a bonsai crazy girl. I worry about her because she does not know how to stop or turn and I don't want her to get hurt - or hurt someone else.

Well, I came up with an idea on how to get her to learn. On Saturday night, I found a video on the internet, with a person who is not her mother, teaching the basics of teaching kids to ski. My daughter watched it and said, "Oh, that's how you turn and stop...." like it was the first time she had ever heard of those things. Ok, it was EXACTLY what I had told her and shown her fifty bazillion times before but since it wasn't me, suddenly she understood. Please don't mind the bald spot from where I just pulled out my hair.

Well, back to Sunday. My daughter was at the top of the hill and we were watching my son turn and doing everything I had taught him. She said he was good, but all that turning seemed boring as it just slowed him down. I told my daughter that she needed to learn to stop and turn before I would take her on the bigger hills for her safety and other people's on the hill. She said, "But mom, I know how to stop. Watch..." and before I could say anything, she put her little skis together parallel and jammed down the hill.

I watched her as she stayed in a straight line all the way down. I mean she was flying down the hill as she didn't turn, or lean, or tilt, or anything, just straight down - flying. When she got near the bottom, she sort of leaned back (good thing I make them wear helmets) sat on her butt, slid, and then eventually stopped. I raced down to make sure she was ok and she said, "See Mom, I can stop just fine!"

I think she should be a racer as all she needs is a hill and a straight line. I told her again she really needed to learn to stop and she said, "Mom, if the other people would just get off the hill and let me go as fast as I wanted in a straight line, I wouldn't have a problem! I could go fast and you wouldn't have to worry." My son was annoyed with her and said, "If you had listened to mom, you could stop like a normal person." She said, "If I skied like you, then it wouldn't be fun as I wouldn't go fast. Boring!"

I don't know if I should be upset that she didn't listen to a word I said, or proud that she is one of the fastest little kids on skis I have ever seen. Let me think on this a while...
2009 Cindy Breninger

Not Ready for Normal! 11 More Months and Counting!

Hi all!
Well, can you believe the holidays have come and gone? Didn't they just start? I feel like I was just getting into them and poof! they are done and over. I am back to work and everything is back to normal. Boo. Blah. Boring.

Really. The holidays are over. Bah-hum-bug. I am not ready for life to be back to normal. No, I'm not crazy (at least I don't think so...hehe) but I really enjoy the holidays and wish they could last a few more months, like maybe into June or stretch it into July. Just when I was getting in the swing of things, the clock hit 12:01 am January 1, 2009 and the holidays were over and life went back to how it was.

The part I miss the most is not having Christmas music on the radio. I am kind of a geek as I love Christmas music and one of the local radio stations played it 24 hours per day from Thanksgiving until Christmas. My kids would get in the car and we would sing along and be happy and smiling and all Christmasy. Now it is just regular old non-Christmas music. Whatever. Boring. One can never hear "Have A Holly Jolly Christmas" too many times....just not possible.

Oh, since I don't have a fireplace, I bought two, get that(???) TWO yule-log DVD's. That means that when I hit play on my DVD player, a yule-log appears on my TV. This is so exciting and totally makes me happy. Oh! Not only does it have one yule-log scene, but between the two DVD's, there are five different yule-log scenes! EEEE! Oh! And I can get it where the fire cracks, or doesn't crack; there is music, or there isn't music; OR BOTH or NEITHER! Does it get any better than that I ask you???All, the long, rainy Saturdays I sat and read next to my lit Christmas tree while having the yule-log with crackling and music....I miss those days. Sure, I could always put the DVD back in, but without the Christmas tree, it's just not the same. Trust me on this.

Well, my tree is down, the decorations are put away, and my yule log DVD is turned off. Welcome to the new year. I hope it is a good one for all. And, if you are like me, only 11 more months to go until the tree goes back up, the music gets turned back on, and the DVD is back in. :)
2009 Cindy Breninger

Have...You...Had...The...Sex..Talk...With...Your...Kids?

Have...You...Had...The...Sex..Talk...With...Your...Kids? Pretty uncomfortable, eh?

My kids are at an age where they have been asking a lot of questions. I believe in being honest with my kids, upfront, and would much rather they get the information from me than from other kids at school.

Talking to them seems easy enough in my head, but gawd, in reality, having to explain the boy parts and why they do what they do and what will happen to girls in a few years...not sure why, but it embarrasses the hell outta me.

I try to keep things scientific and just think that I am explaining how an elbow works or a foot or something - a body part is a body part. Right? Riiiiiiiight. Not when it is THE BODY PARTS.

Anyway, this is kind of a new thing in my house as the kids are getting older and while I try to act all nonchalant about it, my insides are about dying of embarrassment. But, as a parent, I will do what I have to do, even if it doesn't always work on the first try. Take for instance the other day....

The other day, one of the kids came home and out of the blue asked me, "Hey mom, what's doing it?" I about died as I tried to keep a straight face and ask where said child heard that. (I am not going to write which kid said it, as they would kill me if they found out.) The child said, "Well, some kids were talking about "doing it" so I was just wondering what they were talking about doing. So, what's doing it?" Oh man, did NOT see that one coming!

I tried my best to explain as little as I could, but still tried keep the child happy and feeling like they had learned something. And yes, the word sex came up. I explained in kid language that in order to have a baby, two adults would have to have sex. I kind of left it there and did not explain what sex was. I think I mumbled something about two people in love and have they have sex and then can have a baby. I was so nervous I don't remember a lot of what was said. Anyway, the child seemed happy and left the room, thank god.

The next night I was going out to dinner with a friend and I joked to my kids and asked, "Do I look sexy?" in a joking manner and twirling around showing off my outfit. The same child seemed bothered and jumped out of the chair and said, "Mom! You are not sexy! And you had better not come home with a baby! Sexy people have babies so you are not sexy and don't bring home a baby!"

Hummm, I think I am due for another talk....

2008 Cindy Breninger

RIP Ellie Nesler

To Ellie Nesler,

As a mom, I totally get what ya did, and would have done the same.

A Case of the Bah-Humbugs. Yes, Diamonds Would Help.

This has been a strange year for me. Usually I am over-the-top in love with Christmas; I am in love with the decorations, the music, and the whole Christmas spirit stuff. I love everything about it. But for some reason, this year has been different and I just don't have the warm, fuzzy "Christmasy" feeling that I usually have and it is bumming me out.

I am not sure what the deal is, I just know I don't feel all that jolly.

I am thinking that since I don't have much money, maybe that is the problem. But, then again, I didn't have much last year and last year I was filled to the brim with Christmas cheer.

The kids and I moved to a new apartment a few months ago, so maybe because I haven't unpacked all of my Christmas decorations, maybe that is it. Naw, I have a lot of decorations up, but they just aren't working.

I just feel a little Bah-humbug this year and it is bugging me. Ya know, last year I was spending more time with the homeless and it felt good. This year, I haven't done a damn thing for anyone and I think maybe that is the reason for my blah-ness.

I think I need to get up and go help someone or try to brighten someone else's day. I think that might be the answer. Yep. I am going to help someone or make their day better and then things will feel like they are supposed to at Christmas time. I am not sure how or what I will do, but I will figure it out.

As to what gives me "that Christmas spririt" feeling, well, I don't think it is about money, or decorations, but instead, it is a feeling. A feeling of doing something good for someone else. It is not getting something (unless diamonds are involved-they always make me happy and cheerful) but making someone else happy. I feel that I haven't done that this year and I have let myself down. There is still time to redeem myself to myself, so I am going to get on it. I am going to try to figure out a way to make someone else's day better and then maybe their happiness will rub off on me. I think that must be how it works. Right?

Well, glad I got that all straightened out.

Happy Holidays!
(P.S. I would never turn down any diamonds of any size or shape. Just so ya know. Never. That would go against everything I have ever stood for.)
;)
Cindy Breninger

Type II Diabetes. A Day in the Life.

Type II Diabetes.
Let me be the first to say that I can't stand having it, but knowing I can't change that I have it, I am trying to learn to control it.

I don't have health insurance, so I don't have a doctor I can talk to. All my information has been from other people who have it and have been cool enough to share their knowledge with me. I am not going to write anything medical or anything close to medical, just my own account of what Diabetes feels like.

This is for those of you who don't have Diabetes, but know someone who does. What I want to write about is what it feels like in my body when the sugar or insulin or whatever it is, is "off". I say off, because I don't know the real term. Sometimes I just say "out of whack" as that seems to sum it up how it feels pretty well.

When my sugar is too high, I get antsy. I feel like there are ants crawling around under my skin and I want to take out my blood, clean it, and put it back in. It annoys me like crazy. It hurts in my kidneys and is just a constant pain. I also get extremely tired and crabby. My kids will attest to that. I get shaky and my vision gets blurry. Things that are normally easy, suddenly seem very hard and seem like they would require more energy than what I have left in me. Almost like being awake for 24 hours, or just being really sick, just feeling exhausted and everything seems difficult. I try really hard not to let it bother me, but after about a half hour of feeling like there are bugs crawling around under my skin and being tired, well, my cheerfulness gets the boot.

We all know that what goes up must come down. Same with sugar or insulin. When it crashes, or drops, or whatever the term is, it feels like an elevator that goes from the top of my head, down to my feet, and takes all my energy with it. It sucks. I get dizzy, lightheaded, tired, and just "out of whack".

Right now it is high and I don't feel right. I am annoyed and wish I didn't have this. I am trying to keep a good attitude as whining won't change anything. (But, sometimes it does help.) So with that said, that is my day right now. I wish I could somehow fix this as it is irritating as all hell. But, I can only try to control it, which I am trying to figure out every single day.

The weird part is, if I ate the exact same things that I did yesterday, and even though I was fine yesterday, today the Diabetes might say "screw you" and mess with me today and make it go high or low. That is the part that sucks. Every day is like trying to figure out what will work for the current day. Bug!

Ok, I am off my little soapbox now. Huh, whining does seem to help a little. ;)
Cindy Breninger
www.adayinthelifeofcindy.blogspot.com

Please Give to the Needy. No Tennis Bracelet Will Be Turned Away

Hi all,
I am just checking in to let you know I am still alive and kicking, just been busy. That silly "life" stuff just gets in the way of my little blog writing sometimes.

But, things are going along ok. No complaints. My baseball team, the Phillies, won the 2008 World Series (After waiting 28 years of my life for that win and it being their second championship in 126 years, I just can't say it enough and am super happy); my hockey team, the Detroit Red Wings, won the Stanley Cup AGAIN (Whoohoo!); and a ton of new pow-pow dumped in the hills so I have lots of fresh stuff to ski on. (I can never complain about too much snow...ever.)

Overall, things are not bad. Kids are healthy, I have a roof over my head, a job, food, my skis and my season pass, and enough gas to get to the ski resorts. Other than that, can't think of anything else that I need.

Well, wait a sec, I can think a few necessities that I need. These necessities would be stuff like, say, a new diamond tennis bracelet or diamond necklace, but other than that, can't think of a thing I would need. Oh wait, maybe a few extra hundred dollar bills, but that is it. Done. Finito.

Oh shoot, did I mention I need a few diamond rings too? And maybe a new car? How about an all expense paid vacation somewhere? No? I didn't mention those? Well, if you have any of those things left just sitting in the corner gathering dust, you just get yourself in the holiday spirit and give them to someone in need. (That would be me) You could kill two birds with one stone. You would get rid of those unwanted tennis bracelets and hundred dollar bills, and I would make sure they went to a loving, needy home. ;)

Have a great holiday season!

P.S. I was out on December 1 for Cindy's Christmas Song Game. My kids made it till the 6th or 7th. Whatev...there is always next year. Happy holidays! :)
Cindy Breninger

&^*$^#% Stupid Chestnuts! I am out!

Flippin' Chestnuts is on the flippin' radio and not more than five minutes since my last post. I am out. I got dinged three times. It is December 1, and I am officially out of Cindy's Christmas Song Game. Jeeze. Ho ho ho.

Update on Cindy's Christmas Song Game - Day 1

Oh bug. If you read my blog, then you might know about my annual December Christmas song game called Cindy's Christmas Song Game. If you do not, let me give you the long version short:

Starting December 1, of every year, pick three Christmas songs you DO NOT want to hear. If you hear one of your songs - over three seconds of the song - then you get dinged and only have two songs left. The object is to make it to Christmas day without getting dinged.

Sounds easy? Right? Riiiiiiight.

This morning my kids and I wrote down our three songs and happily got in the car to go to work and school. We all share one song in common, White Christmas, and we thought we would be safe for a few days.

Well, the Cindy's Christmas Song Game gods were not having it. First thing on Monday morning, December 1, 2008, (today) we got in the car, turned on the radio and BAM! White Christmas came on. The kids and I looked at each other in amazement and started cracking up. How in the heck could we be dinged first thing on December 1? Jeeze!

Oh, to make matters worse, I heard my second song, Little Drummer Boy, at lunch. That is usually my reserve song as I rarely hear it and it is usually the last song to get dinged. So, getting dinged with that one only leaves me with Chestnuts. Doh! Not starting off to a very good start this year.

I would love to hear how you are doing. I hope better than I am. My kids were smart about it this year and picked songs like Silent Night and The Christmas Canon. Who EVER hears the Canon??? Sneaky, but smart. Jeeze, now I have to go home and tell those two that I got dinged twice today and watch them snicker and giggle. Bug! hehe
Cindy Breninger
2008

Cindy's Christmas Song Game (REPOST)

It's almost that time of year again....Holidays, ornaments, giving, presents,and all the good that goes along with this time of year. I love the holiday season. I love almost everything about it, everything, that is, except three certain Christmas songs.

When I was ten, I went to the mall with my mom to buy Christmas presents. While waiting in one of the mile long lines to pay for our presents, I heard White Christmas, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, and Little Drummer Boy. There was a guy behind me who was whistling the songs along with them. Nothing sounds worse than a Christmas song being whistled. Drove me nuts.

The next store we went to, we ended up in another mile long line, and we heard the same three songs! Uggg!

The third store we went to, we ended up in yet another mile long line, and we heard the same three songs again! I vowed from then on, I never, ever wanted to hear those three songs again, especially while standing in line buying presents, and hence, Cindy's Christmas Song Game was born.

This game does not start until December 1 of every year, and it goes until Christmas Day. The rules are simple, and since it is my game, they are not to be broken, bent, twisted, or anything else, unless express written permission from me is granted; but, it won't be as I don't allow anyone to deviate from the rules. The goal is to make it to Christmas without hearing your three songs. If this happens, you win. If not, you lose.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. Pick three Christmas song you do not want to hear from December 1 until December 25.

2. If you hear one of your songs, whether on the radio, the television, a commercial, the mall, the post office, the grocery store, if your in-laws put in a holiday song CD that they randomly decide to play, or anywhere else, when you hear your song, you get dinged and are down one song. If you hear over three seconds of any of your songs, THREE SECONDS ONLY, you are dinged and that song is out. No second chances. None. And yes, it is appropriate to loudly exclaim, 'I got dinged!" People may stare, but who cares? You got dinged and they have a right to know.

2. Once you hear your first song, it is kind of a warning and you are on notice that you only have two songs left. Laugh now, but it gets stressful. You might be fiddling around with the radio and think, "I hope I don't accidentally click on a station playing a commercial with one of my songs." Or, "What if some carolers show up and sing one of my songs?" Or, "I hope the car next to me isn't blasting one of my songs." Or, "What if I hear it in the grocery store? The dentist's? A friend's house?" See? Stressful.

3. Once you have heard all three of your songs and been dinged, you are out. Done. Total loser. Don't feel bad as I have been playing this game going on 27 years and once was out on December 2 - not my best year. Only once have I made it Christmas Eve only to have my now ex-in-laws play a CD, unknowingly, with my last song. Doh! Dinged. Out. Loser. I have only made it once in 27 years if that tells you how difficult this is.

So, any questions? I am putting this up now so you can all get a head start and think of your songs. Pick good ones as once you pick them, you cannot change until the next year. I will re-post this on December 1 for a reminder. If you get the kids involved, they are awful and will make sure to point out your songs, just in case you missed one of them. Helpful little buggers, aren't they? So, anyway, you have a few days to think of your songs so write them down and no cheating!
(c)2007 Cindy Breninger All Rights Reserved.

Straight and Against 8. Cindy's Soapbox

Straight and against 8.

As my kids and I drove by the peaceful NO on 8 rally yesterday, my kids asked me, "How come you can marry any of those gay men at the rally, yet they can't marry each other?"

Good question...

Essentially, I could marry and divorce 100 times to gay men and straight men, and no one would care. Yet, gay people just want to get married to each other and some people act as if hell is freezing over. I just dont get the fear they feel. What are people so afraid of???

I have a fear, as I am afraid of lakes, so I just don't go near them. So, with that being said, if you are afraid of gays getting married, don't marry a gay. You say you're not afraid but just don't agree with gays getting married? Again, don't marry a gay, but don't stop gays from marrying other gays.

It won't hurt you or your marriage, so have a heart. This just doesn't sit well with me and disgusts me.

To all those who want to "protect the children", MY 8 AND 10 YEAR OLDS KNOW ABOUT GAY PEOPLE AND ARE JUST FINE WITH IT AND EVEN THEY FOUND THIS TO BE UNFAIR...huh.

Prop 8. Only One Penis Per Household, I Guess.

I was just thinking that I, a straight woman, could legally marry a gay man and no one could do a damn thing about it. Or a straight man could marry a gay lady and no biggie, or a gay man could marry a gay woman. But, heaven forbid if two, loving, gay people wanted to get married and enjoy life together.

Basically, I guess it comes down to anatomy. I could marry a woman-beating, child-rapist who is in jail for murder if I chose because he has a penis and I do not. That seems to be the only requirement. Only one penis per household.

Huh...But because two people have the same anatomy, they are shunned and forbidden, even if they are church-going, law-abiding, loving people. I work for a divorce attorney and this marriage being sacred between a man and woman crap is such a crock.

I don't know why I am so bothered by this, but I really am. It is so unfair and unjust and ticks me off.
Cindy

Two tins cans and some string is all I need

Well folks, times are a changin'. Something happened last night and it just keeps happening and I can't stop it no matter how hard I try. I want it to stop or slow down, but it just won't. This "it" I am referring to is technology. The older I get the more I realize just how much about technology I don't know. The more I realize I don't know, the more I don't want to know what I don't know.

My cell phone died yesterday and it was sad day. I was looking at my phone at lunch and the screen halfway blanked out. About an hour later the entire screen was gone. Dark. Done. Dang. Just when I was finally getting the hang of all the features on my phone, it goes and dies on me. I only had it about two years and I did not want to have to start over with another one. Doh!

The kids and I went to the phone store and started looking around. I wasn't looking for anything too fancy as I would never figure it out. My eight year old was off playing with one of the "fancier" phones, and by fancier, I mean that it had all kinds of buttons that were more than just the numbers zero though nine, and of course the talk and hang-up buttons. On one of the "fancy" phones, the whole thing sort of flipped to the side and then on the inside in a secret compartment, it had an entire mess of buttons and whistles and I believe it even had a kitchen sink. Way too high tech for some of us. Ahem cough cough.

The part that kills me is, I couldn't figure out how to open the fancy phone, yet within about 10 seconds, my daughter, who is eight, had somehow managed to open the thing, find her way around it, and was playing a game. How did she even know it had games? She is only eight and can figure this out, I am sooo not eight and couldn't even figure out how to open the thing. Oh gosh, it is exhausting!

I think technology is complicated and I feel that I am so far behind that I will never catch up. I am going to buy two tin cans and some string and whaalaaa! There you have it. Now that is my kind of phone.
2008 Cindy Breninger