Gathering some odds and ends

I had a strange dream earlier this week. I was at a store, and as I walked out into the parking lot, I saw a silver car drive up. It was an odd, new design, sort of boxy, and was a convertible. I thought, "Cool! It's a concept car!" and went over to ask the couple in the car what it was. They told me it was a Chrysler Coldplay. I halfway woke up and thought, "That's strange. I need to write it down so I can remember to tell my blogger friends about it." I reached over and scrambled to find the notepad and pen on my nightstand, knocking a couple of items off onto the floor (not my glasses, thank goodness). I found the pen and paper, quickly scrawled "Chrysler Coldplay," placed it back onto the nightstand, and went back to sleep.

When I woke up that morning and remembered my dream, I realized that what was especially odd about it is that I don't keep a notepad and a pen on my nightstand, and I hadn't written anything down. That was just part of the dream. Have you ever had a dream so vivid that you just knew it was real? I really believed that I was writing something down on a nonexistent pad of paper with an imaginary pen. It was a very strange feeling. I did like it, though, that I was being thoughtful and wanting to remember my dream in order to tell you all. And I had to chuckle at the "Chrysler Coldplay." Somehow it doesn't quite have the auditory appeal of the Ford Mustang, for example, and I doubt that Chrysler will be making that model anytime soon!

*****

I got a couple of nice things in the mail this week. When Cousin Shane was in Arizona, he visited Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's western home and studio. He picked up this journal for me (A blank journal! Heaven...I'm in heaven....) for taking care of his cats for the week he was gone. Wasn't that sweet of him? He knows he never has to do that--he takes care of Sheeba whenever we're gone--but it was very thoughtful. This is really a cool journal, too, because it has some FLW prints in there, as well as some of his quotes. I think I'm going to save it for something special, like part of our Route 66 trip. I've probably mentioned my interest in architecture and especially Frank Lloyd Wright at some point. I love his clean, minimalist lines, and his attempts to include nature as part of the design. Shane and I still laugh about when we toured the Dana-Thomas House (one of Wright's designs) outside of Chicago on our Route 66 trip. A class of English-as-a-second-language students was in our tour group, and their teacher felt the need to supplement the tour guide's commentary with frequent (and loud) comments. One of those was "Frank Lloyd Wright tried to bring the outside...inside," complete with sweeping arm gestures indicating bringing the outside (spread arms wide) inside (bring arms in towards your chest). That has become a part of our personal phrase dictionary.

I also got a nice note from my sister Sue (she's the middle one). She was just saying hi and sent along my nephew's new address in California (he's the Marine). She makes her own cards, and the one she sent me is in the above picture. Can you believe how cute that is? I especially like the "little sis" part. Awww! She makes some of the most beautiful notecards, and you should see her craft room! She even has a couple of those tall, red Sears tool chests to keep her supplies in. I think she could definitely sell them at a gift shop or flea market, but I don't think she has any interest in doing that. She just has fun making them and sending them to family and friends.

*****

From yesterday's South Bend Tribune:

Flat-panel TVs turn out to be plywood

MISHAWAKA — At least two people have been scammed by a man selling sheets of plywood wrapped to look like flat-panel television sets, police say.

According to Mishawaka police, twice last week, a man in a dented white mini-van approached customers in parking lots at businesses along Grape Road and sold them what he claimed were flat-panel televisions.

Police said the man offered two stories. In one, they said, he needed the money to support his family. In the other, he couldn't return the sets because he had lost the receipts.

A man paid $300 for two sets, police said, and a woman paid $600 for one. Not until they returned home and unwrapped the sets did they realize they were plywood.

Police said it's likely more people have been scammed but are too embarrassed to file a report.

As they should be. Good grief, people, how often do you have to hear "If it sounds too good to be true...it IS!" One commenter on this story said that the price these people paid for these bogus flat panels was the "sucker tax." I couldn't help but laugh at the plywood TV's. "Hey...this picture is terrible! Something's wrong with this set!"

*****

Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. Look who’s here! Another Anonymous! Oh boy oh boy!

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The end of an ERa":

You're [sic] life must be really empty for you to write all this clumsy drivel about.....a stupid TV show? Maybe you should shut off the television and read a book, exercise, meditate, cook, ANYTHING but obsess over something idiotic like ER. Hand me a barf bag, please!

You know...I have to say that I am really glad Anon stopped by and left this comment. For far too long, I've been in denial. I know you all care about me, but perhaps you were afraid of hurting my feelings, so you've never said anything. Anon had the courage to intervene and bring my obsession with the show "ER" kicking and screaming into the light of day. It's true. I have no life and no interests other than watching "ER," over and over and over. Ken doesn't know it, but I bought the DVDs of all the seasons, and that's all I do during the day when he's at work. After he goes to bed, I stay up until the wee hours of the morning watching "ER." When I can tear myself away, I pretend that Sheeba is one of the doctors, and we carry on long conversations about how we should proceed with the critical patient we’re working on. I tell him, "Dr. Sheeba! I need a D5W and two units of O neg. CBC, Lytes, UA, CK-MB, and a drug test. STAT!"

It's time to admit my obsession and take steps to regain control over my life. Anon has opened my eyes to what I've been missing out on in my endless quest to analyze and memorize every episode from all 15 seasons. You mean I don't have to have the TV on all day and I can...read a book? An actual book? With pages and words? Wow...that is so cool! Exercise...hm. I'm not so sure about that one, but I'm game. And I can...can...cook? You mean in the kitchen, with food, and appliances, and all that junk that I never knew what to do with? WOW! That is awesome! And yeah, I can meditate, too! I can do that! I can turn off the TV and sit there and look into space with a really intense stare, and think really really hard about my place in the universe.

Gosh. Thank you, Anon. You have opened up a whole new world for me, a world I never knew existed, a world outside "ER." A world filled not with blood, bile, urine, and other unpleasant substances, but with love, laughter, and life!

[whirls around and tosses beret into the air]

Get ready, World, because here comes Beth!

Oh, and Anon? I'm sorry I made you vomit. I recommend 7-Up and soda crackers. That's what my Mom always gave me when I was feeling a little barfy. She's no doctor...but she plays one on TV. Hahaha!

She touched the Queen and she liked it

[sung to the tune of "I Kissed A Girl"]

Everyone is all aflutter over the Obamas' meeting with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip yesterday. It seems to have gone very well, and what has people talking is Michelle's brief touch on the back of the Queen. *gasp* Apparently it's not really good protocol to touch the Queen. However, after much discussion, and consultation with British experts on the subject, it seems that it is a tempest in a teapot (I love that phrase, and how often do I get to use it? Almost never!) and the experts pretty much said, "Everyone calm down." One guy said that the Queen has been at this for over 50 years, and she won't be offended by that. She put her hand on Michelle's back, Michelle reciprocated, and it's no big deal. Some have also said that the Queen seemed to take a bit of a shine to the Obamas, Michelle especially. Very cool!

I'm watching the President's press conference in London right now, and it looks like he is being very warmly received. I can't tell you what a refreshing change this is! Diplomacy always dictates politeness, no matter who the visiting dignitary might be, but I get the impression that he's really kind of a "hit."

Unfortunately, there have been plenty of protesters as well. Things seem a little quieter today. From what I understand, these people aren't really protesting the American President, but they do blame much of the situation on recent American policies, as well as British. I was shocked to see some of the violence...bank windows smashed, things thrown, etc. One correspondent said that the people doing this are simply anarchists, with no need to really make their voices heard or to start a dialogue, just the urge to destroy. From what I saw, I'd have to agree. One passerby appealed to people to stop such violence, that no one will listen to them if all they do is smash things. He was ignored. I'm glad it's calmer today.

I also thought it was very clever of the British police in how they dealt with the protesters. They simply surround them, form a cordon, and don't let anyone in or out. For hours. So there the protesters are...getting hungry, thirsty, and I'm sure becoming in urgent need to use the facilities! By the time the day is done, everyone is anxious to get out of there and they just slink off. Brilliant!

Natalie left a comment on my entry about the teaching of science: "I see where you are going here and may I add why do teachers get to teach politics in Spanish Literature? Or give their own political and worldly opinions of the world in English class?" That's a great question, Natalie. In my opinion, teachers shouldn't be doing that. I think some of it is inevitable and will come through in discussions, especially in Government classes, etc. But I've heard tales of teachers almost harassing students because of things they say concerning politics, and that's not right.

In thinking back on my own school years, I don't recall any of my teachers talking about their own political opinions. In any discussion that arose, they might say something like, "But what about this?" or "What if the situation were reversed?" Things like that would further the discussion, but gave nothing away about their own leanings. Science class leaves even less wiggle room--science is science and nothing more. I think it's important for kids to get alternate viewpoints, and I would hope that they are around enough people, both inside and outside of school, to hear a variety of experiences, rather than just the views of their own parents. Sadly, that's often not the case, and I fear for any kid who gets nothing but that. It's a big world out there, and such narrowness of view could make for a rocky road to adulthood, and a very rude awakening.

I probably won't be on here much tonight until after 11...it's the three hour series finale of "ER" tonight, and I'm sad already.