Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Today is 'Blogging Day' for Virtual Online Learning members. Every month we have a special day for the 'Bloging Challenge'. And we have another special day for the monthly 'Twittering Challenge'.
We also have various other special days every month. We have important subjects for Helping Others, important Charities to assist, and to donate to. A day to introduce ourselves to other VOL members. Always a very interesting day. As our members are all over the world, and on various Time Zones, making it a real challenge for those who have to Blog or Twit all night.
#1

It is interesting to think of all the different things I could talk about. I am old and no longer organized, so all of my notes for the special days, are somewhere -- but unbeknown to me, as I don't remember I have something in my hand and it gets laid down somewhere, & soon something else is unknowingly laid down on top, and the cycle goes on. Does this happen to anyone who isn't old?
I don't have such a marvelous memory anymore, and rack my poor brain trying to remember just anything I thought would be interesting to write about. And FUN to write about. Things I can make a joke of, about myself, are really the greatest of all. (Maybe because there are so many things to make fun of)
When I was younger I had a very reliable memory that could relate the facts for so many things, forever. I was the Master of remembering a multitude of minutia. Probably called Trivia, now.
Present days, if it is important, -- guess what!! Pretty sure bet I am not going to remember.
So, young people (ages Twenty to Sixty) how is your memory, present date? I bet you remember things, and can locate your things, much better than I am able to.
#2

For many years I have asked myself WHY don't my finger nails work? Fingernails that are a little long, and protrude past the the flesh, should be able to spear things, and should be able to pick things up. Right? Does anyone know of a Scientific reason that deletes the use of fingernails?
I have Arthritis in my hands and fingers, making them less than helpful. But why would that affect my fingernails? If they are long, they should work!!! I had a sudden thought recently.
My only explanations are, possibly, the acts that caused the Arthritis in the first place. Like playing hardball without a glove. (My hands were too small for the gloves of that era) More likely, the reason could be from having my hands stepped on numerous times by horses, as a child, and adult. Partly from being bucked off, and partly from doing tricks that didn't pan out perfectly. But I think even more likely, is being pulled off by so many friends not used to riding double, and bareback. And, of course, I always ended up beneath my friends, as they desperately held on tight, for dear life. It wasn't always my hands getting stepped on, sometimes it was my feet or my leg. Sprained ankles weren't much fun either.
Anyone with ideas on this, please enlighten me.
#3

I have four Daughters, and I have twelve Grand and Great GrandDaughters, and eight Grand and Great Grandsons. I can not stand for any thing bad or unpleasant to happen to a child!!!
I wish the worst Plagues of Hell on the Tuscon Murderer. And I wish our Justice System believed in "An Eye For An Eye". Evil people deserve to have their evils revisited on themselves. They do not deserve to be housed and fed and given TV.
The death of little Christina Taylor Green is so terribly unjust and horrible, and bothers me immensely. I played an organ tribute for her. And for all of the injured and murdered.
The 1972 Acadamy Award winning score for the movie "Nicholas and Alexandria" is haunting and beautiful and I especially love the song "Too Beautiful To Last".
And the Love Theme that runs through the score (Karen's Theme I II III) of the movie "Out of Africa" is also haunting and beautiful, and I love that song "The Music Of Goodbye". They both are loving tributes.
#4

I love mysteries. My favorite books, movies, tv shows, etc are Mysteries. (and I'm always sad when great TV mysteries have their final "Finale"). I always enjoyed jobs with Bookkeeping. When something didn't balance, it was a Mystery for me to solve. Or if something couldn't be found, I enjoyed trying to find it. If I didn't solve something before going home, it went with me, in my head, for me to work on, and puzzle over, at home. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I would awaken with a sudden thought, that would be the answer. (not always, of course) But whenever the answer finally came, it was a joyful relief.
Too bad that being slightly Psychic couldn't be controlled to find answers. But it was more fun working on the problems and trying to figure them out, anyway. And it still is.
#5

How many people are "The Absent Minded Professor" like me? I am so good at it, that my Husband tells people that I can hide my own Easter Eggs!!!! A terrible thing to tell people, right? But true.
I don't prefer to take a multitude of multiple single steps if I can prevent it, so I put things close to where they need to end up. If they go upstairs, they'll probably be on the first step. and soon they are part of the step. I don't even see them as I step over them going up the stairs. If I eventually trip on them, I'll possibly notice them. And might even take them upstairs. And might not.
#6

I became interested in the 'Phobias' lately. For a number of days, the friends I've talked with have all had the fear of heights, as I also do. But we have forgotten the term, the name of it.
I "googled" it and found four names & I don't remember ever hearing, or seeing, three of them.
Acrophobia (Greek) is the one I have heard before. Altophobia, Hypsiphobia, and Hyposophobia I'm sure I had not heard before. And Batophobia is fear of being near a tall building.
I must have all five. Since a child, heights, and open heights especially, turn my legs to liquid and they collapse me to the floor. Rather embarrassing in public. Even in 'High Rise' elevators, I want a railing to hang on to.
The only time I was forced to overcome it, I actually did. -- but only for that job. After, I was a murmuring mess on the floor again.
I was a Customs Inspector in the Aleautians, for ships and planes. We had a 36 foot tide, and the dock was about half way in between the 36 feet. We were a very small place, and no such amenities as an extending lift or stairs. Lucky me the first time a Japanese ship came in, it was high tide. They were prepared tho, they threw a very long, but not wide, plank of wood down to the deck & indicated I had to walk it up to the ship. -- over open, freezing water. My heart was a lump in my throut!!! It felt like everything was in my throut!!! Treasury Department Federal Agents don't wimp out. Have to be tough. And I gingerly stepped on the skinny board and somehow walked up and on to the ship. And after my Inspections, back off again.
Then at low tide a Japanese ship refused to come in to the dock, sitting way out in Cold Bay, and demanding I come out to them. Luckily we had a bullhorn, and more luckily, I took Japanese living on Maui. I insisted they had to come in to dock, as I could not swim that far in freezing water.
I wasn't a very impossing figure, standing there in my navy blues, but to prevent freezing to death, also in my only jacket, a bright orange one. (not Standard uniform.) and at 90 lbs 5' 2" I probably looked like an ant on the dock, that they would not have seen at all, if not for that outrageous orange colored jacket. They finally did come in to dock, discovered they didn't get
lodged in mud, and threw that very long, not wide, plank of wood up to the dock. Fun Fun!!! I had to walk over open, freezing water, down to the ship. And after, back up the plank. So I kind of know the feeling of people who had to "Walk the Plank". These scenerios were an often occuring pattern. Up then down, or down then up.
The Japanese were in to load up on Salmon Roe to take back to Japan for Sushi. We used the salmon roe for Bait!!!
The International Jet Fuel tankers were in to replinish our huge tank with fuel for the Flying Tiger airplanes, North West Orient, Air Canada, Canadian Airlines, etc. --- But that is another story for another time.
#7 (time is 11:38 PM EST)

I'm very sorry, but I still haven't figured out how to put the number banners under each blog, or how to link the the blogs to the site.