Monday, June 29, 2009

Vacations

Age 5-21: Trip to visit someone I like.
Age 21-35: Trip to visit family that doesn't live close.
Age 35-65: Trip somewhere, anywhere
Age 65-70: Trip I'd rather not take.
Once in awhile I do get that urge to take to the road, remembering the good old days when it was thrilling to start on a vacation. A sudden happiness wells up in me and I'm really happy about driving somewhere.
But it's gotten so I would much prefer to stay home. My bed is comfortable (and doesn't cost $70 a night); the food is cheap and it's what I want to eat (not what the restaurant has to offer); I can water my flowers and bring in my own mail and papers, and most importantly, all my "stuff" is handy.
I hear others waxing poetic about the vacation they're about to take, and they just can't wait to get away. I may have felt that way one time, but now I have to MAKE myself want to go. I enjoy the trip while I'm on it, but if I didn't go, I'd be just as happy. The only really good thing about "getting away" is that the telephone doesn't ring all day with telemarketers.
Actually the trips I would like to take are all relatively short ones: to my daughters' homes, to visit my favorite cousin (100 miles), and to my brother-in-law's place in a nearby town.
You'll hear me rave about how much I like to "get away," but I lie.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Michael Jackson's Dead

I can't let Michael Jackson die (yesterday) without registering my opinion.
Talk about media hype! Talk about inane celebrity frenzy! Talk about ridiculous statements as to MJ's fame! I actually heard a Fox News reporter/announcer/whatever say that "this day will go down in history as one of the saddest ever!" And "Michael Jackson is the most famous man on this planet." And "Everyone will remember what they were doing when they learned that MJ was dead." (I'll bet Mr. Obama disagrees with the second of those quotes!)
Aw, c'mon! MJ was an entertainer, for cripes sake. He's no more famous or memorable than any of the other greats, and who can even recall them after a few years, let alone a generation? I remember where I was when I learned John F. Kennedy was dead, and my parents remembered where they were when they heard the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. But Michael Jackson is far from being important enough to merit such memories from the majority of people on this planet, let alone this country.
There have been oodles of famous, wonderful, important people who have died in my lifetime, but to say that MJ was the greatest is absurd.
People who think MJ's death is such a tragedy that they have to drop everything and go mourn need to "get a life!"