Can you believe that? SO cute! You can seem more pics here.

If you stop by here every now and then, you know that the gym I frequent has a certain demographic which has been growing steadily over the past couple of years (yes…the dirty old men who like to look). After going to the gym at many different times from fairly early (8:00 a.m.) to past one in the afternoon, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is absolutely no time at all during the weekdays that one can go work out without being oggled by gross, disgusting dirty old men.

Seriously, it’s been so bad lately that one guy whom I’ve never seen there before (I’d moved to the lower level to get away from most of them) took the brunt of my displeasure with this practice. I actually got off the stairs, walked over to his bike, and asked him if he was enjoying the view. Of course, he acted like he didn’t know what I was talking about.

So last night and this morning I’ve been trading emails with different gyms in the area to find out about pricing, equipment, and most importantly demographics of gym clients. It seems they all have settled on a $80 sign-up fee, which sucks. But most of them have month-to-month memberships, so no contract. I won’t incur any additional cost except the $80 since I can find a membership that fits what I like to do – cardio and weights.

There are some other bare-bones, smaller type gyms in the area. But after careful thought I’ve decided to go with this one. When they first opened a couple years back, I vowed I wouldn’t cave to the trend. But damn, it is REALLY nice in there. I went when the parking lot was full, and there were still tons of cardio machines of the two types I like free, they had my favorite news on the T.V., and also if I go later they keep my soap channel tuned. Also…free towels, lockers, and shower towels. And they wipe down the equipment every 30 minutes. There are even leather couches here and there, a full service restaurant, and a spa. Also a lap pool, and a huge water park with double-decker slides. And rock climbing. And tons of classes. I probably won’t use any of those things (except the towels), but still it’s kinda cool the other stuff is there.

Best of all? The way they have the place set up it’s not very staring-friendly. Very little space around the cardio to walk back and forth and stare at bums and chests. And the people there didn’t seem interested in staring anyway. Most of the women were in classes or doing cardio with head phones and there weren’t very many guys there at all – old or young – staring.

So yeah, I’ll be caving to the trend. Some time this week I’ll start the 30 day refundable trial and see how it goes. I know…weak. But I have to think that I will be much more comfortable without the disgusting ogglers, and I’ll get a better workout if I’m not pissed off the whole time I’m there. Right?

I first noticed a sharp trend in this area when I was working at my last job. The majority of the employees were in their early 20s and seemed only to care about themselves and what was going on with them and whether or not they got noticed. It was much less about team work and helping the other guy so the overall project got done.A recent study found that over the last 30 years. narcissism among college students had sharply increased.

Today’s college students are more narcissistic and self-centered than their predecessors, according to a comprehensive new study by five psychologists who worry that the trend could be harmful to personal relationships and American society……narcissists tend to lack empathy, react aggressively to criticism and favor self-promotion over helping others.

The self-serving behavior among the 20-somethings I worked with at my last job seems to prove this out. I totally agree with one of the researchers on the cause of this:

“We need to stop endlessly repeating ‘You’re special’ and having children repeat that back,” said the study’s lead author, Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University. “Kids are self-centered enough already.”

Clearly we are not doing our kids or society any favors by constantly telling them they’re perfect and not pointing out how their actions can impact others. Not making them suffer consequences for behavior that has a negative impact on the family, themselves, or others is not the right approach.

I do think the lack of empathy in these college aid kids and the unwillingness to help others when there is not an opportunity for self-promotion or anything “in it for them” is a problem. I think we’ve spent so much time in recent years making sure kids don’t have negative experiences that the result can be that they have absolutely no ability to put themselves in another’s shoes and do the right thing when it’s called for…whether it furthers their position or not.

Actions have consequences. Whether we make our kids aware of them or not. I think parents need to do a better job of teaching their kids that sometimes other people are more important than they are and sometimes they need to step back and figure out how they can help a situation for the sake of making it better rather than trying to figure out what they will gain from it.

But you can’t argue with hard data.

The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average….Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.

Now, I’m not saying he’s taken up his cause so vehemently only for political gain but the numbers do look a little suspicious. I’m sure this article would be hard to find on most news sites, but not on all of them….word will trickle out eventually, but most likely it will be ignored by most. Still, it is interesting.

This has to do with an inconsiderate smoker, so if you smoke and might be offended by negative comments about a fellow smoker then you prolly don’t wanna read this.

Anyway…I’ve been fighting off a cold so my sinuses are all messed up. I ran into the store to get something I’d forgotten and as I was standing there I got this huge whiff of smoke in my face and started coughing.

I looked all around, because clearly whomever was doing the deed was stationed quite close to the doors. And it’s windy out so all their putrid smoke was bing catapulted right into the store for everyone to “enjoy”.

So I finished the self-checkout and walked out the door, and there he was…a fiftyish, sallow-sickly looking fellow in sweats bent over with a cane (prolly because the nicotine has decreased feeling in his back so his legs hardly work anymore) with a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth….puffing away and coughing as he reviewed the instructions on the Coin Star machine.

What an ASS!!! I said, “I can’t believe you’re smoking in here! People are sick, you know. You need to go outside!”

He barely glanced in my direction, didn’t answer me, and kept puffing away. And BTW there were young brownies just outside the door selling Girl Scout Cookies and they were right in the middle of it too since the doors were opening and closing in both directions.

I walked out and grabbed one of the kids getting carts from the parking lot and told him to get that guy out of the lobby because he was blowing smoke all into the store.

Who does that?! Oh yeah…an inconsiderate ass. He’s prolly that way about everything, not just smoking. What is WRONG with people?

No way in HELL will I ever let The Boy even consider this place. I understand that college is a chance for kids to get out there in the world, experience freedom, and express themselves. But at the end of the day, they are there to learn and gain the tools necessary to succeed in life.

And I’m not talking about succeeding as a sex worker. Sorry, but it’s just not the route I want The Boy to take (and hopefully not one he would like to take either…he’s more into the computer stuff thank God).

The College of William and Mary in Virginia last week hosted a Sex Workers’ Art Show for a crowd of more than 400 in an auditorium in the University Center, reported The Virginia Gazette. Another 300 people were turned away.

The goal of the show, which was sponsored and hosted by a number of student groups, was to empower the actors by portraying the realities of their careers, according to the Gazette. Money to host the event came out of student activity fees.

The fact that the cost for this came out of student activity fees required by the college is reason enough never to consider, much less ever apply to the place. You can see the whole article here if you’re interested. The cross thing I can maybe understand? But this? No way in hell.

What is WRONG with people?

No…not this bush baby:

THIS bushbaby:

Anyway, apparently some chimps have been fashioning spears and hunting the poor things.

The researchers saw 10 different chimps fashioning spear-like tools to forcibly jab at nocturnal primates known as lesser bushbabies…, which sleep inside hollow branches or tree trunks during the day.

After their attacks, the chimps sniffed or licked their weapons, as if to see whether or not they shed blood.

Wow. I thought it was interesting that only the younger juvenile males and females seem to be taking part in the activity.

I wonder if Simon had seen the article before he made his mean comment? One can only guess….I will say that bush baby singer dude didn’t deserve that..not on national T.V. Poor guy.

Oh, and…poor bush babies of course. Mean chimps.

Normally my answer to this question would be that I went to the gym. But I’ve moved my workouts to late morning or even after lunch just to avoid the dirty old men (geysers, jerks, dirt bags….whatever you wanna call them). I’ve been much more productive at the gym since I haven’t had to worry about being stared at by gross old men.

Anyway, yesterday while I was out running errands (or getting a flat tire if you ask Tommy) I went to a fabric store to see if there was anything there that would work for the small window above my cook top. We have a cheap plantation blind up there from Lowe’s that was supposed to be a temporary fix like years ago. It’s gotten pretty gross over the years, what with the grease and spaghetti sauce, etc. that’s splattered on those flat, hard to wash slats.

Well, I found some material, so I spent the last hour and a half or so measuring, sewing, and placing the curtains. I’ll give you a before and after.

Old and busted:

See how plain and dreary? Looks worse because I forgot to turn lights on before the pic but you get the idea. And NOW, behold the new hotness:

Our wallpaper has dark red in it so I figured this material will work. I was going to ask Tommy to take the blind down when he got back but it helps cut down on the light so I might leave it there until we re-do the kitchen. Less work to leave it there, right?

Hey, I’m no Suzy Homemaker. But I can cut material, measure and pin the seams, and sew in a straight line (they have little marks right there on the cheap machine I bought for like $149 at Penny’s on a special Internet deal six years ago). I’ve sewn major drapes for our front rooms and the guest room (Buffi’s seen those in person!), and also some cute little curtains for the window over my garden tub in the bathroom and some for The Boy’s room too. Anyone can do this. It’s not rocket science. But…you have to have the time. Which I do. So I sew drapes when I want them.

However…when it comes time to get the roman shades for our great room I’ll probably buy those. Those just look too hard to do.

So…the question remains. What did YOU do this morning?

Okay, so here’s the deal. I was driving around running errands today while Tommy was home waiting to hear if I’d make it home in time to get The Boy so he could go do what he wanted to do (not sure what that was…playing Warcraft? Watching ESPN? Tinkering around the yard?).

Anyway, he was dutifully standing by just in case he needed to be called up for the trip to school. And….wait for it….I HAD A FLAT TIRE!! What does one do when they have a flat tire?

1. Cuss.

2. Look for a place to pull over.

3. Get out and see if it’s a for real and for true flat tire or just a low tire.

4. Cuss again.

5. Call the spouse (because that’s what girls do when they have a flat tire – no matter where the spouse is or what he’s doing).

What does the good, dutiful spouse do when he gets that call? Why, of course he says:

I’ll be there in a few minutes.

Now THAT’S what I like to hear! He was indeed there in less than fifteen minutes – with his huge-ass air compressor fully charged in the bed of the truck in case it was just air that was needed (always prepared, yes he is). He would up having to change the tire, and then he took me to the tire place to get the thing taken care of.

Yup. Good answer. And good follow-through. After more than 20 years, he’s still a damn good catch, no?

I’ve been driving around in the same old, reliable four door sedan for almost nine years now. I don’t go very many places, so the car doesn’t even have 80,000 miles on it yet. But it is getting a bit long in the tooth, so we are anticipating a new acquisition in this area some time during this summer or fall.

So…of course…..I’VE GOT NEW CAR FEVER!!!! I’m the type of person that once I know I’m going to buy something, I want it NOW, dammit!! I’ve been driving Tommy crazy with the spouting of various details of this car or that, this model or that.

But I can’t stand it!! I’m gettin’ a new car!!

Well…..”new” is kind of relative. We’ll more likely get a used vehicle with some, but not too many, miles on it. This way we’ll be able to get more for our money and the miles aren’t such a worry with us since clearly I don’t put so many on my vehicle.

So here’s the thing. Everyone in Dallas has a damn SUV or crossover SUV or truck…basically the majority of drivers that are on the road when I am ride higher than my short self in my little four-door sedan so I can’t see a damn thing when I’m in the lane next to them trying to turn into traffic.

And so….I will be getting some form of small SUV or crossover SUV. I know…gas fumes and global warming and all that…but considering the fact that I put WAY less miles on my vehicle than most people that are driving (SUVs or hybrids or whatever), I think it all evens out in the end. Besides, the sun causes most of global warming no matter what planet you’re on but that’s a subject for another day. The emissions certainly don’t help, that’s for sure.

Regardless….it will be a vehicle that rides higher than the one I’ve got. I refuse to test drive anything in front of a sales person because a) How the hell can you pay attention to what’s going on with the car, how it’s riding, where the controls are, etc. if you have a sales person prattling on about this or that trying to make nice while you’re trying to evaluate the car, and b) I admit that I’m not a stellar driver, and dealerships are located in unfamiliar areas on major highways, so I’m not going there. Tommy can do the test drive. I think he’d rather do that on his own anyway…I think guys like that sort of thing. I don’t. I hate to shop and deal with sales people no matter what it is I’m buying.

So anyway….I’ve narrowed my choices down to a few that I really like:

1. The Honda Pilot EX (gotsta have me some XM radio!).

2. The Cadillac SRX Crossover SUV (these things are sweet…but expensive, and there are very few used ones on the market).

3. The BMW X5 (because who doesn’t want a BMW?).

4. The Volvo XC90 (very safe, but VERY expensive).

Yeah, The Lexus ones are nice but I don’t really like their shape. So these are my top four. It’s likely I’ll wind up with the Honda Pilot because we both like those and it has everything that I’d want in a car and more.

But at the end of the day we’ll have to see what’s available when we’re ready to buy. Until then I can only dream of having my buns warmed and multiple cupholders (gotta have the cupholders) and built-in XM radio and…most importantly….being able to see over the hoods of all the other damn trucks and SUVs that pull up next to me and inch forward just enough to entirely block my view of the road!!!

Can’t wait for the “new” car. The anticipation is killing me….and driving Tommy crazy.