Saturday Night Live 40

Do you remember watching the first season of SNL?

I was 10 years old.  Word spread about this great new show on Saturday nights.  So, being rebellious, and very curious, a group of friends got together and we had a sleep over at someone's house.  Let's call this someone Mary.  Mary's Dad went to bed early.  He was sound asleep by 10, the sound of snores reverberating throughout the house.  We bid her parents good night a little before 10, and sat and giggled until 11:30, when we watched this magical thing called "Saturday Night Live".  We laughed, we cried, and we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if her, or any of our parents caught us watching this forbidden fruit, we would all be grounded until we graduated from high school.

Every couple of weeks, we would have another sleep over at another house. We'd sit silent and still as church mice until 11:30.  Gone were the seances and make overs.  The only thing we wanted to do was watch Saturday Night Live.  We'd laugh into our pillows, and bite hard on our fingers until tears ran down our faces.

When I was in high school, I'd occasionally get to watch SNL, but it wasn't an everyday thing.

And then, came the wonderful, magical year of 1984 happened.
Martin Short
Christopher Guest
Billy Crystal


It was an amazing year.  Nothing since then has ever quite measured up to that magical year.

I've watched on and off since then, and last night, my husband watched the 40th anniversary and reminisced.

 I've included are two links from the NBC Website below.  Enjoy!

Enjoy!

Bucket List

There has been much talk of bucket lists for a long time.  Older people will write lists of things they want to do before they die, and then they rush out to accomplish everything before they finish.

I remember writing my bucket list when I was in college.  I've been searching for it for a while now.  I'm not sure exactly where it is, but I know it's in the house.  Once I finish it, I will run the list.  It was the list that only a 20 year old can make.  I believe one of those items was to eat frozen dinners in a house filled with mahogany furniture and a Cadillac sitting out front.  Weird, right?

Meantime, I'm preparing for the 14th anniversary of my 36th birthday this year.  I've begun thinking of all of the amazing things I've done in the past, and what I want to accomplish in the future.

So, until I can find that list from college, here is the grown up version of my Bucket List, 2015 edition.  I will continue to add to it as time goes on.  Because you're just not finished until you finish!

1) Visit all 50 states.
2) Go to New Zealand, hike the Hobbit Trail.  (Lord of the Rings sites)
3) Visit Mile 0 in Key West.
4) Travel up the Pacific Coast Highway in a Convertible.
5) Hike most of the Appalachian Trail.  (This will have to be done in parts, as I'm older now, and not sure I could through hike it again!)
6) Visit Australia
7) Ireland
8) Scotland
9) Great Britain- especially London.
10) Go to Prince Edward Island, visit Avonlea (home of Anne of Green Gables)
11) Meet a President of the United States. 
12) Start a successful business.
13) Become a successful author.
14) Pay off our house.

Those are the top 12.  
I'm going to add them to the side bar of my blog.  As I make progress towards them, I'll keep track of them.

It's actually been kind of daunting.  For so long, my focus has been on growing my kids that I've kind of forgotten about my own goals and dreams.  You notice I don't have many personal goals on my list?  I need to work on that some more.  I really need to think that through a little bit more.  The trip parts are great, but I really need to set some personal goals that are not related to my kids!  Believe it or not, I've been working on the personal goals part for a while.  Earning my Master's Degree was a life long goal, and I achieved that two years ago.  Last year, I finally wrote "that book".  Kind of a great feeling to get it written.  I received a national award for Excellence in Volunteerism last year.  I feel like I'm at a crossroads right now... I know I've got another act, I just need to define what that act is going to look like.

So, have you put together a bucket list?  What items do you have on your list?

Nice to see you, too.

I'm just going to state up front that this is a rant.  If you don't feel like listening to the rant, just close out the window and come back tomorrow morning for something completely different.

I had a meeting at Panera Tuesday night.  I was meeting with a group of several other people.

I walked in the doors, saw someone that I used to work with, waved at her, and went to sit down at the table with my friends.  I had just pulled out my pen and paper, and we had fired up the laptop that had the information we needed on it when this former co-worker came over to "join" use.

Let me give a little bit more background information here:
I worked with her for 3 years.  I left that place of employment 7 years ago in order to substitute teach.
For 3 years after that, we were both part of a knitting group that met every Wednesday.
Since the group dissolved, the leader of the group has gone through a very ugly divorce, and another woman is getting ready to have open heart surgery that she might not survive.

So... when my co-worker came over, I was expecting her to say "How are you?  It's been so long!!  What have you been up to lately?  How are the other girls in the group?"  Or, possibly some such variation on that theme.

Nope.  She came over to sit down and tell us about this unique business opportunity she and her husband were offering, and how we had the opportunity to "get in on the ground floor." 

Can you say pyramid scheme?

I politely explained that we were just getting started with our meeting, and she walked off.

An hour later, our meeting was over and we were talking about an incident one of our kids had recently had.  Co-Worker comes back over, stands there through the entire duration of the story (it was a long one), and then gives everyone her phone number so that we can all "take advantage of this unique opportunity".

As she turned to leave our table, the bitch in me finally came out.

"Nice to see you, too."  I said. Without any acknowledgement whatsoever, she just kept walking away.

Rant over.  Thanks for listening to me.

Book Review: The Root of Chinese Qigong

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming.  The Root of Chinese Qigong.  1997.YMAA Publication Center, Boston Mass, USA.

This book is a fascinating look at the "whys" of Qigong, and how it helps clear your channels and thus helps you prevent a build up of bad energy within your body that can cause the body to get sick.

With an eye towards Western Medical practice, the authors explain how Chinese Medicine works/ relates within the understanding of Chinese Medicine.

I found this a fascinating read.  While I am not versed in Eastern Religions, the authors did a thorough job of helping me understand how the different Qigong practices relate to meditation, prayer, and Eastern religious practices.  There is also a lengthy explanation of the history of Chinese Medicine and Qigong.

This book does not give the layperson the tools to develop their own Qigong practice.  Instead, the in-depth explanations give you the why's behind why certain moves are done, and the safe way to do these moves.

If you are interested in Eastern Medicine, or expanding your knowledge of Qigong, this is an excellent book.

For me, this book has given me a better framework for the field in which I now work.  It gives me enough of a grasp of the field so that if someone comes up and asks me for books about Qigong, I know enough to be able to ask the follow up questions and related search terms to help them find the book.

Am I going to start practicing Qigong?  I would if I could find someone who taught a class and guided me through the exercises.  I am fascinated by the thought that some simple movements will help keep my body moving and healthy for a long time to come.

One point made in the book, which has stuck with me, regards longevity.  To paraphrase: the body that moves lives longer than the body that sits around.

That's a truism worth taking to heart.

A Little of This... and a Little of That

Skin Biopsies-
No cancerous cells were present.  The mole on my arm was an "Atypical Mole".  These are the kind that most commonly turn to skin cancer.  All of the margins of the mole were removed, along with some "extra" just to be on the safe side.  The wounds still hurt, but I am so glad to know that there were no problems.

The Cats-
In general, the cats drive me nuts, waking me up at 5:30 in the morning, chasing hairbands up and down the hall all night, and squabbling on the bed somewhere in the middle of the night.  But then, we have a moment like THIS:

Luna (left) & Tiger (right)

Water Glass-
Daughter asked this question the other day: "Mom, why do you keep a mason jar full of water - with a lid - next to your bed?"
Me: "I keep the glass full of water next to my bed so that I can get a glass of water if I get thirsty."
Daughter: "But why do you keep the lid on the jar?"
Me: "Because I went to get a drink of water in the middle of the night and got a sip with a stink bug in it."

Reading-
Do I really read this much?  Or am I listening to books on tape?
I am actually reading every word of every book I list on here.  I am a fairly quick reader.  I have my Kindle, and I not only read books I've purchased on my Kindle, I also check out electronic books from my public library.  Getting the software up and running was a little more challenging than I was expecting to begin.  When I took my Kindle into the Library, the very helpful librarians showed me how to set up and access my account.  God I love my librarians!  They are awesome!

I know, you're asking: Do you actually understand what you're reading?
Excellent question, actually.  I do have excellent reading comprehension.  Had it tested when I was in college as a part of an Educational Testing class.  Comprehension is a crucial part of reading.  I really move fast when I'm reading fiction with a fantastic plot.

My Kindle!

Informational texts or textbooks are another story.  I've slogged my way through a factual text from work that I hope to review on here tomorrow.  It's an interesting book, and has expanded my knowledge of the field that I work in considerably.  But, as with all factual textbooks, I have to read slower so that I can make certain that I understand what I am reading, and I will go back and double check what I've read and find definitions of new terminology.  This book has had a lot of rereading and definition checking.

Social Media-
I had been a member of an online group for our community on Facebook.  I found myself getting sucked into unnecessary drama, and was sitting as an observer when someone would post something, and other people on this site would attack them, their spelling, their career, their lack of education, you name it... the insults, bigotry, and racism were just too much to bear.  If you stood up and said "Hey, you're out of line", you were the next person up in the line of people to be attacked.
When you looked at the content of what was being posted, it ranged from "What is the best nail salon in town"  (we have 16 of them) to "Best Chinese Food in Town?"  We have two establishments that serve Chinese Food.  You'd think trial and error would work... All the way down to personal insults about the way people drive.
Finally, on Saturday morning, I made the decision to drop the drama, and I left the group.  My Facebook Feed now only has posts from my friends and family, and I have no drama.  NICE!!  That was the reason I joined Facebook in the first place!

Lent Madness-
IT'S BACK!!!  If you are a Christian, Lent Madness is one of the best ways to celebrate Lent.  6 crazy weeks of face-offs between Saints.  Every day, you read the story of a Saint of the Christian church, from the early years of Christianity to the modern day.  It is a fascinating read as you read and find our more about the people who's faith has brought us to where we are - for better or for worse.  Lent begins in just 9 days... are you ready? 

 

Click on the button to go to the website.

No, the SEC does not reimburse me in any way for sending web traffic their direction.  But, I do get notifications in my news feed on Facebook each morning letting me know of the previous days' decision.  Nice of them, don't you think?

Have a fantastic week!

Disclosure Notice:  Mini-Van mom is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program.  The picture of the kindle above is a link to my Amazon Affiliates account.  Your purchase through this program will support this site.  Thank you for supporting Mini-Van Mom.

How Can Anyone Ever Tell You

Written by Libby Roderick. Shared today in a class I attended. 

Skin Check

Do you check your skin for suspicious moles?  Have you checked your skin for suspicious moles?
On your arms, your back, your face, your legs? 

Did you know:

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.  More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually.
• Each year, there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
• One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.

(Source: http://www.skincancer.org/)

Skin cancer can grow not only on the areas that you expose to sunlight, but also to areas that never see the light of day.

All of my life I've had three really big freckles.  One on each arm, and one on my behind.  I've always freckled very easily, so now I tend to stay out of the sun.  I didn't do so well with that when I was younger.  Remember the 80's?  Remember slathering yourself in baby oil to get a good tan?  Remember going out to lay out in the sun and get a really good burn to begin the season?  While I never used the baby oil, I did get several "good burns" through my teenage years.  None were intentional, but I had friends who did it on purpose every spring.

For the last 15 years, I've kept a very close eye on the freckles.  I don't get out in the sun as often as I used to, and I do apply a moisturizer that contains sunscreen daily.

I had one mole and one of the big freckles cut off five years ago.

I went back to see my dermatologist earlier this week.  She took a look, and off came the second of the big freckles, and another "thing" on my head.

Everything will be sent off to the lab for analysis, and I'll get the results later this week.

The actual removal process isn't horrible.  The doctor gives you several small shots of pain killer around the area that they will be removing.  I don't actually watch them take things out... I did see an X-acto knife.  (okay, a scalpel).  The doctor dug wide around the freckle in order to get out any cells that might be cancerous, and she dug deep, to get at the root.  She dumped it into a container to send it off to the lab.  I didn't feel a thing until after the pain killers wore off!

All in all, I'm glad that those spots are gone.  Skin Cancer is deadly, and it kills people every year.  But, if it's caught early, it is treatable. 

I'm hoping that it isn't cancer.  If it is, I'm hoping that it was caught early enough.

What I'm finding as I get older, is that staying healthy is a matter of vigilance.  I need to take my own health in my own hands, and be vigilant.  Mammograms, skin cancer screenings, colonoscopies, losing weight, eating right... it's all about vigilance.

Because we all know that we're going to die.  But what if something horrible happens and we don't die? 

I really want the quality of my last years on this earth to be as amazing as the rest of my life.

Have you checked your skin lately?