It's My Birthday!

Oh yes, oh yes! That's lil' ol' me! I don't look very happy do I?

This is a bit of a re-post from last year, with a few portions deleted, and an update.

"Lucky to be alive".

It's just a commentary on how times have changed and how someone of the ripe old age of 49 (did I type that?) is lucky to be around considering all the shenanigans we got into as kids and considering all the new fangled safety devices that are around to protect our children today.

As a child:
We never wore seat belts. Not required. Most cars didn't have them. And us kids fought over the front seat. The most unsafe spot in the car for a child!
We never wore bicycle helmets. What helmet?.
We never had any anti-bacterial soaps or cleaners.
We never had hand sanitizer.
We drank tap water without a second thought.
We drank from the garden hose all summer long. Every summer!
We ran wild through the neighborhood, or the next few over and our parents were none the wiser as long as we were home on time for lunch and dinner.
We trick-or-treated by ourselves and ate most of our candy before we got home.
We used insect repellent products containing 100% Deet or some more deadly carcinogen.
Rambunctious toddlers ran loose and our parents didn't have a care in the world. There were no toddler leashes or GPS Nanny Devices. Speaking of nannies, we didn't have nannies or governesses unless we were British royalty or our names were von Trapp.
We didn't have to worry about "R" rated movies. There were either movies everyone could watch, or XXX movies. And us kids didn't know about those, unless we had some pretty cool teenage friends.
We raced on our bicycles chasing the ice cream truck like starving orphans, without any regard to other vehicular traffic. And it came every single summer day.
Mr. Rogers was our neighbor and he came into our living rooms every day and no one thought that was the slightest bit odd, this kind of man-child who played with puppets and trolleys in the neighborhood of make-believe.
If our parents were smokers, they smoked literally everywhere. At fast food restaurants, bars, grocery stores, airplanes. Just about anywhere but church. There was no consideration for secondhand smoke. It was smoke em if ya got em.
There was no stranger danger.
Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint and the space between the rails was dangerously large enough for us to get our heads or even or bodies stuck in.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets.
Toys were painted with lead paint and had dangerously sharp edges. Recalls were unheard of.
We spent hours at construction sites, watching the big equipment from close-up.
If we got hurt at a friend's house or at school, there were no lawsuits. They were accidents and no one was at fault!
We drank Fresca and Tab with saccharine and cyclamates.
We didn't have computers and a television in our rooms. We had Commodore 64 (if we were really lucky) and the lone television in the family room. (Color, if we were lucky.)
We did not have PSP's, Nintendo DS's, Game Boys, Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, Wii's, video games at all, 99 channels on cable, Blueray movies, DVD movies, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, Iphones, Droids, Personal Computers, Internet chat rooms, Facebook ... we had friends.
Our actions were our ours. Consequences were guaranteed! If we broke a law, our parents were on the side of law enforcement!

Think of it.

How is it we survived? And how did so many of us survive?

I'm so glad you did, so you can join me in celebrating my birthday!

Thank you for stopping by.

I don't know exactly what my plans are, other than we will be briefly attending a bbq and a wine tasting was suggested. Makes no difference to me...I'm happy with the company and it doesn't matter where we are or what we do.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Lola Knows How To Treat A Lady...Date Night

A date night on a weeknight? What could be more special?

Thursday night, as a thank you for being a member of MyBlogSpark network, my girlfriend and I headed to downtown Chicago to attend a special dinner at Ben Pao. We arrived about a half hour late due to traffic. I started out with a glass or Shiraz and my girlfriend started out with a glass of Merlot. It was our first date in the big city.

Our dinner began with a flavorful hot and sour soup. We then had appetizers of chicken lettuce wrap, potsticker, spring roll and crab rangoon (not the traditional shape, it was tube-like and resembled taquitos and was delicious).

For our entrees we selected the Beef & Broccoli and Kung Pao Chicken to share. The entrees were good, but we definitely felt something was up with the Kung Pao Chicken. Normally that dish ordered at a Chinese restaurant is hot, as in spicy, knock you off your butt spicy. This was not and there were no spicy red chillies to be found.

Due to our arriving late, as we ate our appetizers, most diners were just finishing their entree or beginning dessert. Fortune cookies were passed out and a camera crew hit each table and interviewed diners. The interviewer asked each diner their name and asked them what they thought of the dinner. We realized that my girlfriend had to pick a blog name on the spot. We've discussed this before, but never came up with a name. We frantically brainstormed and came up with nothing. Fortunately the camera crew called it quits before heading back to our table.

As we dined on our dessert, a wonderful Lemon Ginger Cheesecake, we overheard other diners talking about their interview. "Were you fooled?" At that point we decided to open our fortune cookies. This is what they said:
No, we weren't fooled. Remember this commercial? This is what our evening was like:

I've tried many of the frozen Chinese and Asian entrees on the market, Wanchai Ferry is by far the best in my opinion. I've previously tried several of their entrees. As far as the Kung Pao Chicken goes, I'd like to see them provide a packet of freeze dried chillies to add to the entree to your taste. That would definitely make that entree as close to take out Chinese as it could be.

After retrieving my car from the valet and beginning our drive home we joked about how our waitress wasn't frozen from a box and how we half expected the Bounty quicker picker upper lady to show up to clean our table and Madge to come by with a saucer of Palmolive.

I must admit to being slightly embarrassed at the turn our date took, but my girlfriend assured me that she had a great time. Yes, we were punked, but she said it was fun...and it was.

Disclaimer: My girlfriend and I were provided with the dinner, a gift card, coupons, and product information through MyBlogSpark. Thank you to Ben Pao for the great service and atmosphere.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Dear 17 Year Old Me

This post is inspired by Rita @ Look It's Megryansmom and Weasel Mamma @ World Of Weasels.
Check out 17 year old me. This is my high school graduation photo. Look how I'm rockin' that perm!

Dear 17 year old me:

Ok, first off, stop being so shy. Don't wait until you're almost 40 to come out of your shell.

Hello! You're GAY! Yes! Don't try to live the lie, or do what you think everyone expects of you. Be you! Wonderfully witty, strong, passionate you!

When you move to Chicago and go to The Closet, don't wimp out. You'll go several times, but don't be a chicken and leave without at least ordering a drink and hanging out. You will feel comfortable there, just give it a few minutes. Make it your hangout. Believe me, it will be worth it, it will feel like home.

Don't take what that first guy said to heart. You don't belong with men anyway and he was an a**.

Don't marry the second guy, or if you do, get out after you have your son. You will have a daughter first. A wonderful, loving daughter who is friendly and a true joy. Your son will grow up with your sense of humor. (Yes, it's a blessing, not a curse.) Get out of that marriage before it goes south, because it will go further south than you or anyone else imagined.

Don't let that 2nd woman from Michigan move in with you and the kids. It will seem wonderful at first, but turn ugly in 6 months, just like her ex told you. She will kill your self esteem and belittle you and it will take a long time to recover. Don't let her verbally beat you up and call you a bad mother. You are a wonderfully caring, hands on parent who will raise 2 great kids.

It's ok to go through that wild period after her, don't put yourself down about it. You deserve happiness, just go into it with your eyes wide open and see it for what it is, a transition.

When you meet your second partner, stay honest and stick to your guns. When she tries to convince you to stay friends with the motorcycle chick, don't do it. Only bad will come of it and you will end up regretting it the rest of your life. Think for yourself! You will know it's a bad idea, so don't let your second partner influence you.

When your second partner moves in, keep your wits about you. If something doesn't seem right, question it right away. Don't rely on her past to influence how you deal with this. She is not who she seems to be.

You will gain strength from all of your experiences, even though at the time you will think you can't get through it. You can and you will! And you will be a better person for all of it. "God doesn't give you any more than you can handle" will be a statement said to you often. BELIEVE IT! Some of it will be very difficult if you stay with him. Stay strong, keep your eye on the prize and keep that house. You will more than double your money and it will give you a fresh start.

Your daughter will go through a very rough period. You'll do the right thing. You'll advocate for her and things will turn out better than you ever expected. Stick to your guns and don't let the doctors or administration push you around. You are in the right and you know it. Stay strong!

Happiness will come. It will take awhile, be patient.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Wordless Wednesday - Skinniest Me...

Check out skinniest me rockin' that shag do! And the outfit! I white t-shirt and jeans? How much more dyky could I be? This was taken in Florida at Disney World when I went with my sister, grandma, aunt and cousin. This was June, just after 8th grade . My Mom and I had gone on the Perma-Slim Stay Slim System (a low rent version of Weight Watchers) and both of us lost quite a bit of weight.
(Yes, I found the actual trademarked logo online. It's amazing what you can find on the internet.)

Picture an overweight teen being dragged to those weigh ins! I was miserable. I vowed I would never join an organized weight loss plan where weigh ins and cheer-leading were required. I also cannot stand yellow mustard. My snack of choice when I was starving was hamburger pickle slices with yellow mustard. Both items were freebies on the plan and you could eat as much as you wanted.

I haven't joined one of those plans since.

An update on the weight loss...I haven't weighed in at the doctor, but the Old Navy clothing I purchased awhile back that was a bit tight, is now baggy. I'd say that translates to several more lost pounds.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: Meme Of Many Odd Questions, Part Two

Cheers to all of us thieves!

23. Do you rent movies often? Not nearly as often as I should. I have the Blockbuster by mail membership and I literally end up keeping movies for months.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you’re in? My personality.

25. How many countries have you visited? Only the one I live in.

26. Have you made a prank phone call? Ages ago when I was a kid, before the advent of caller id.

27. Ever been on a train? I used to take the train every day to work. Blah! I definitely don't miss it.

28. Brown or white eggs? Who cares as long as they are fresh?

29. Do you have a cell-phone? Yes I do, but I covet my girlfriend's Droid and all the Iphones everyone I know owns. AT&T SUX! It won't let me upgrade now without literally paying $405 for an HTC Aria (very much like the Droid :-)) or $400 for the Iphone 4g. That SUX! I am tired of my Samsung Magnet texting phone. Accessing the internet from it is a joke, it rarely is able to load a page.

30. Do you use Chap Stick? Chapstick or Burt's Bees. Whichever I have nearby and feel the need to have kissably smooth lips.

31. Do you own a gun? Squirt gun, calking gun, what kind of gun did you mean?

32. Can you use chop sticks?Yes I can, and I love to use them when I have Japanese food or Chinese food. Because more coordination is required, my theory is that I eat at a slower pace and possibly eat less and have no stomach issues from eating too fast.

33. Who are you going to be with tonight? I'm not sure yet.

34. Are you too forgiving? Yes, I think so. Sometimes I feel like I let people walk all over me. (Mostly just certain people.)

35. Ever been in love? Hasn't everyone?

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow (or the next soonest week day)? Umm, probably going to work. Hello! Week day!

37. Ever have cream puffs? Only every time I go to the Wisconsin State Fair. It's been a few years...wonder if there are any camping sites in that area???

38. Last time you cried? Oh grow up! That's highly personal and private and noyb!

39. What was the last question you asked? To my son...can you make me some coffee? (And yes, he's making it right now. Woo hoo!)

40. Favorite time of the year? I like cool weather. Early Spring, and Fall.

41. Do you have any tattoos? I don't currently have any, but I'd like to get one. I just can't decide on what to get. (It's kind of a permanent decision, no?) Got any suggestions?
42. Are you sarcastic? Hell to the yes!

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? The movie? Yes. And I think I may have the 2nd movie sitting on my shelf, waiting to be watched or sent back to blockbuster.

44. Ever walked into a wall? Uhhh yeah. And I've held one up too. :-)

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010