Cheers, DIY girl!

   Thanks DIYGirl for making my humble blog your site of the day, even though it was back on Jan. 19th and I'm just learning of it.   According to their "About us" page, the site "is dedicated to all the “DIY” Girls, we will be featuring fabulous sites by and/or for women!! It’s all about the power of you!"
  Check them out! 

Thank you, Hulu. Thank you, Jon Hamm.

I love Hulu.com.  It allows me to catch the rare really funny skits on Saturday Night Live without staying up 'till all hours.  As Jon Hamm's No. 1 fan, I particularly love his face and body this sketch in which he shows his hilarious side, and a fair amount of skin.

Opting out of the swimsuit edition?

My husband rocked my world this week.  Then, it was over.

Jailhouse shock

   I haven't posted anything since Thursday, the day I went to jail.  I was on assignment for the newspaper, working on a story about a men's poetry class.  I sat for an hour with medium and low security inmates, including the man who trained his kids to beat their mother over the head with a baseball bat in her sleep.  He sat right next to me which, strangely enough, is creepier in hindsight than it was at the time.
  I'll post a link to the story when it's finished next week.  You'll see how talented some of these guys are.  A couple are especially gifted.  I was amazed at their work.
  After the class, I received an extensive private tour of the jail.  It's a modern facility, separated into "pods" based on security level.  (The women's pod includes all levels since there are far fewer incarcerated women.)  Different colored jumpsuits indicate the security level of each inmate.
  The men all have private cells.  Women share a double room.  Research shows male inmates behave better when they bunk alone; women are happier when they have someone to talk to.  They all sleep on concrete beds topped with a thin futon-style pad.  Small sinks and toilets without lids are in each cell which measures about 8 x 9 feet. Communal time is highly restricted.  Pat-downs happen several times a day.  There's no laughter on the pod.  On the women's pod, there's lots of crying.
  We've all seen jail and prison depicted in movies, often in a dark and grim manner.  But there's something about seeing it in person - even a shiny, new facility like ours - that drives the concept of punishment home. 
  I came away wishing that all American teenagers could get a tour of their county jail.  It is truly a life-altering experience.
   I should add that I got these photos from Google images.  No photography is allowed in jail. But this is pretty much what it looks like. Doors with windows, not bars; tables and chairs bolted to floor, etc.

Best places to retire abroad

   This just in:  GlobalPost has put together a slideshow of some of the best places to settle down after retiring, right when you need to make your dollar last. They favored countries that not only have low costs of living but also offer beautiful, relaxing settings; access to good medical care; and a range of activities to keep new residents busy. 

   Here's the list:

   Costa Rica

   Equador

   Thailand

   Mexico

   Uruguay

   South Africa

   Panama

   Malaysia

   Argentina

   Buglaria

Bulgaria!  Now, that one was unexpected.  

   Where would you like to go?  I'm leaning toward Argentina, although that would be quite a haul for my kids.

   See the slideshow here.

Examining your feelings toward your ex

Interesting piece in the Denver Post about dealing with old flames in the digital age.

Who's the Super Bowl halftime act!?

   The Who.  Seriously... The Who!!  As in "Pinball Wizard."  As in "Baba O'Riley" (which, as recently as our '09 New Year's Eve party Charades game, I thought was titled "Teenage Wasteland.")  As in "My Generation." As in the entire rock opera, "Tommy," which remains one of my favorite theatrical experiences, to date.
   I'm totally excited about the Super Bowl now.  Not just about the commercials, which I always enjoy, but about oldsters Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend taking the field and making Brett Favre (if he gets there) seem, well, young!!!

Go, you chicken fat, go away!

   Lately, I've been taking advantage of the time I spend waiting for the dog to do her business in the yard by engaging in simple calisthenics.  Squats and arm circles, mainly.  I just stand there by the garage and do a couple sets of them while Lucy takes her sweet time to go.
   This morning, while doing deep knee bends, that 1961 Robert Preston tune, "Chicken Fat," inexplicably popped into my brain, and it's been there ever since.  I remember how the nuns used to put it on the record player on rainy days and lead us in the routine by our desks.
   'Wonder how many American kids could get through this deceptively simple workout now?
  

Conan's last words

   "All I ask of you, especially young people...is one thing. Please don't be cynical," O'Brien said. "I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen.
   Bravo.

Best 'Save the Date' ever!

I'm old school, so I'm just getting used to those 'save the date' postcards that come in the mail a year before the wedding invitation.  Now, 'save the date' videos posted on YouTube are apparently all the rage.  Well, listen up, brides and grooms to be, two kids named Jeff and Erin just set the bar in the stratosphere with one of the best faux movie trailers I've ever seen.  I can't begin to list how many things I love about this, starting with the adorable couple themselves.  Watch it below or here (full screen) and see for yourself. Wow....

Quote for the day

  "Blessed is he who has learned to laugh at himself for he shall never cease to be entertained."
- John Boswell 
  My mother always said she wouldn't worry if I was stranded alone on a deserted island because I could always entertain myself.  That used to be true.  Now, without my laptop, I fear I'd just be adrift at sea.  

Cheers for Cindy!

Unlike her husband in '08, Cindy McCain gets my vote for her decision to come out in favor of gay marriage.  ('Gotta love a gutsy broad.)

u @ 50

   Thanks to my friend, Barb, for passing along the following:

   A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward.  Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite.This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is brilliant.   Make sure you read as well as listen…forward and backward.

   This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old.   The contest was titled "u @ 50"  by AARP. This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause.  So simple and yet so brilliant. Take a minute and watch it.

 

Let me see clearly now, the fog is gone

   Here in Kansas, we've been under a fog advisory for SIX days due to the snow keeping the ground cold and the warm air above.  (At least, that's my guess. I'm not a meteorologist, although I'd love to play one on TV.)  And, unlike in San Francisco or wonderful Cambria CA (where we visited last summer), this fog doesn't burn off by early afternoon.  Why?  Because there's NO SUN to do the burning!

   I don't know if it's a coincidence, but my brain has been as foggy as the atmosphere lately... and not in that lovely London-esque way. 
   Guess that's why I can't seem to think of anything more scintillating to post today.
   I am watching the Massachusetts senate race with bated breath, though.   Something tells me our future will be even less clear in the morning.

MLK's dream remembered

It's worth taking a few minutes today to experience again the inspirational eloquence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I'm somebody's favorite!

   I was just notified this morning that my humble blog, BoomerGirl.com - that of gratuitous sexy man postings (I'm thinking of making that a regular feature) - is now listed on AllMyFaves!  I am honored and grateful, thank you.      
   To find me, you have to go to Blogs then "Seniors" (oh, how I wish we could come up with a better term for people over the age of 50) and there I'll be, listed among some other interesting sites you may not have heard of before.
   In fact, while doing a quick browse-around, I found a lot of new and interesting sites in all categories. 
   I'm making AllMyFaves my personal fave (and not just because they like me.)

Gratuitous sexy man post

I was ga-go over Chad Everett back in the 70s.  (Dr. Joe Gannon on "Medical Center," remember?)

But, I've got to say, I think I'm still ga-ga now.  Wow.  Talk about a man who's aging well. 

Jimmy Fallon sings "Pants on the Ground"

Those of you who saw the original "American Idol" performance last week will love this.  Especially if you dig Neil Young....

My personal, hellish gray area

My column this week was a true confession about the one and only downside of going gray. 

Hey, Katie...check out the BoomerGirl Effect!

   When I picked up my husband after his colonoscopy yesterday, the recovery room nurse told me she had my two colonoscopy columns (this one and this one ) on her bulletin board at home.  She said about two weeks after my last one was published, they had an uptick in patients on the endoscopy floor and a few people mentioned the BoomerGirl as the reason they were there.  I felt great about that.
   Now, have YOU had your colon put under a microscope yet?  If you're 50 or older, do it now.  The prep really isn't that bad and the drugs are great!  Don't wait until you look like this guy....

Help Haiti

   I haven't posted anything on the Haiti catastrophe, mainly because I've felt so overwhelmed by it all.   What to say, where to start?  Then, Craig Ferguson (host of the "Late, Late Show on CBS") said something that got my attention, especially in light of my recent Conan post:  "Haiti is more important than which white guy gets millions."  He's right. Seriously, people.  The millionaires will all be fine.
   I've chosen to help the earthquake victims in Haiti by donating to Catholic Relief Services.  If you haven't yet been moved to do so, I encourage you to help in any way you can.
   Thank you.

Nooooooo!

Question for the universe:
Why do the Girls Scouts pick early January, two weeks after New Year's resolutions are made, to deliver their cookies?

You go, Conan!

   I've never been a huge fan of Conan O'Brien.  It's not that I don't like him; I've just never given him a fair chance.  Frankly, it's his voice.  I've always believed that if you're going to have a high-pitched voice, it ought to be rich in timbre.  Not Conan's.  It just rubs my cochlea the wrong way.  Ten minutes and I'm climbing the walls.  But, I admire the man greatly for the stand he's making at NBC.
   On the nights I do make it up past 10:30 pm CST, I choose Letterman over Leno.  Leno always seemed too safe and boring to me (although, as it turns out, Dave could have used a dose of 'safe' in his personal life).  Leno was my dad's comic not mine, but we both agreed no one could hold a candle to Johnny.         
    Now I feel sorry for Leno, too.  Not enough to watch him, mind you, but the sympathy's there just the same.
   As for NBC....what a fiasco!  They're lucky they still have '30 Rock' or I'd call for a boycott!!

Ice, dammit!!!

And now, the downside of Blizzard '10:  Ice dams!!!  As in, melting into the house, leaking into interior rooms, dripping on carpets, and creating dangerously lethal icicles that might detach and kill at any time.  Fun, fun, fun!

Say it isn't so, Simon!

You know it's official if Fox News is reporting it.  Simon Cowell is leaving "American Idol" after this season.  The end of the era.  The end of the end.  Oh well, he'll have one season to bandy barbs with Ellen.  Then, maybe this is a sign for me to give up another obsession.  Deprivation.  It's good for me, right?

My (stupid) right foot

No thanks to my friend Sue for sending this via email, thus ruining my day:
HOW SMART IS YOUR RIGHT FOOT?

You have to try this please, it takes 2 seconds. I could not believe this!  It is from an orthopedic surgeon. This will confuse your mind and you will keep trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but, you can't.  It is pre-programmed in your brain!

1. While sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand.. Your foot will change direction.

I told you so! And there's nothing you can do about it! You and I both know how stupid it is, but before the day is done you are going to try it again, if you've not already done so.

Freemasons and frigidity

    My story about the decline of fraternal organizations, like the Masons, is generating some interesting discussion. 
   In other news, it's still cold.

I love my Snuggie, but wear it to a pub crawl?

OK, this made me laugh.  Read the "Perfect For:" text box in ad above on Snuggie's Web site.  Then, see the photo of me below.  Granted it was taken at ten in the morning, pre-shower and make-up, but it's not exactly the look I'm going for when I go pub crawling, ya know?  Nice try, Snuggie makers.

An open letter to the makers of Snuggie

Dear Snuggie makers,
   I take it all back.  The jokes, the insults, the "I wouldn't be caught dead"s.  I apologize for the jabs at your late-night TV commercials.  I regret the derisive laughter at those people wearing your products on bleachers and airplanes.
  I didn't know.  I had yet to experience the cocoon of comfy-coziness that is the Snuggie.  Consider me convinced.  Count me as one of the converted.
  What can I do to make it up to you?  What can I give you besides the 18 bucks I plunked down for your new extra-plush model in midnight blue?  I don't know, but if you ever need a testimonial - dare I say, spokesmodel - contact me here, through my blog.  I'll do my best to spread the Snuggie love to BoomerGirls everywhere.
  Yours in Snugginess,
   Cathy Hamilton

Breaking: Hell just froze over

I know, I know.  I swore I'd buy myself a Snuggie when pigs flew, but the predicted low of -13 tonight (and that's NOT the wind chill index) has changed my mind. I'm headed out to the store right now to bite the bullet.  I figure if Meredith and Matt can pull off the look, so can I.  Wish me luck, and a good color selection.

Diet, My Arse!

    This is a book I wrote years ago which was licensed by Random House U.K.  The U.S. version sold under the title "Dieting and Other Weighty Issues."  When the book came out, I was concerned that the placement of my name might lead some to believe the big-bottomed woman on the cover was me.  (It's not, for the record.  I wouldn't be caught dead in a yellow maillot.  With my coloring, are you kidding me?)  Years later, it turns out this illustration makes a highly motivational statement when taped to my refrigerator door.

     The book is still in print in Great Britain (not here, unfortunately) but I've just discovered they have changed the cover to a less, er, motivational design.  More's the pity, if you ask me.

Resolved...finally.

OK, after thinking about it for three days (and here's why it took so long), my 2010 resolutions are these:
1) Lose weight
2) Exercise 5 times per week without fail
and, here's the kicker....
3) Accept the things I cannot change (including today's snowy weather - enough already!)
I've got a new copy of the new "Mayo Clinic Diet" to help with #1, a new gym membership for #2: and #3...well,  for this control freak, that's going to require divine intervention.
Here's to making all of our resolutions come to pass in "twenty-ten"!