You know you love someone when.........

..........you have been up 16 hours and your wife asks you if you will go get her some Yocco's and you do.

I was willing to go to McDonald's and get her an Oreo McFlurry as well, but this way I got to get an order of Pirogies.

I also got the inspiration for this post. What food inspires the romance in your life? What food do you have a romantic relationship with?

My personal food love is almonds and walnuts in Vanilla Ice Cream, in a sugar cone. That is what tickles the happy of my taste buds. I have been known to put a couple scoops in a blender with Nacho Cheese Chips, when I want to put a "Twist" in it.

So how do you Spice up your food love?

Sentimental Journeys: A road to Hell paved with good intentions

Sometimes I get asked what inspired me to write a certain post. Well this post has its roots in posts I read over the weekend that from two other Lehigh Valley Bloggers. The first influencing post was from Renee James blog, "It's not me, it's you." Her post was titled "Winding Down" and she wrote about the generational divide between people who still wear watches and those who don't, but carry blackberry's or I-phones.

The second post that drives my own was by Kathy Frederick, the very funny woman who writes the Junk Drawer blog. In her post on Sunday she opined about saving her best blog efforts for her worldwide readership, and not just her Facebook posse. She admitted that sometimes when commenting on other blogs, great ideas for her own blog jump out.

That is what happened to me. I was commenting on Renee's post, and this one came to me.

I consider myself an observer. I like to watch society as it evolves, and I see a culture that is losing its sentimentality. We have this notion that technology is making our lives better and we are bridging gaps that allow us to communicate in ways never considered. The intentions of the technology are arguably good, but I think we are losing something in the trade off for convenience that we will regret. I think a bit of our humanity and empathy for each other has been discarded.

I feel we are losing our appreciation for those things that are old. Not just goods, such as typewriters, watches, calculators, et. al., but we are losing our appreciation for basic emotional values.

We look at business partnerships, relationships, friendships, as mere things we use to transition to the next, best thing. We discard our friends and lovers as easily as we trade in our old car or go to Home Depot to buy a washing machine.

Too many of us don't do the necessary maintenance to keep our appliances running, because we know we can run down to the store and get a new one whenever we want. It is sad, but we have begun to accept that ideal as okay for all aspects of existence. We don't like our collection of Facebook friends? Maintaining these connections isn't worth the bother! Delete them and start over. It's easy! Get a new batch!

So to borrow from the current hip lingo, I guess I am "Old School." That's why the thumbnail I chose for this post is a wedding band. (IT's just a picture, that's not mine, by the way.)

You see, I am Sentimental. On my left hand I wear a wedding band that has been there for more than 13 years. Before I had it, it was on my Dad's hand for almost fifty. I have this crazy idea that some things are worth doing the maintenance on, and are not disposable. Some data can't be transferred by way of cyberspace, sometimes you have to pass the hard drive on in person. My Mom gave me my Dad's wedding band when I told her I was getting married, a year after he died. I don't know if anyone will ever want my wedding band when I am dead and gone, but at least for now, it still means something to me.

Here come Da' Judge!

Today's walk down memory lane is inspired by Judge Judy. Last night I was writing while Judge Judy's top rated show was on in the background. The Show is called Judge Judy, but it should be titled "America's Biggest Idiots."

What in God's name would possess people to go on national television and air the stupidest things they have ever done for all to hear?

Last nights show included a guy who beat up his girlfriend's TV because she wouldn't let him in the house after he had been drinking.

When I was growing up in Columbus, Ohio there was a locally produced TV show that aired once a week after the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. It was called simply, "THE JUDGE." Unlike Judge Judy, "The JUDGE" dealt with such amazing cases like a teenager who called in false fire alarms, or a Mom who let her kids drink wine to keep them quiet. Every week there was one case involving bad kids, and one case involving bad adults. It was a bonus when a case had both. It was no "Judge Judy" which is why it didn't last all that long.

I think I am bothered that our legal system is such a joke. There are so many judge shows on that I think they should have their own channel. How about the "Judge Channel?"

We already have TLC, how about TJC? It would be the perfect place for America's sweethearts, Jon and Kate Gosselin. They could host a show that specialized on divorces.

Think of the ratings! I even have a title: "Jon and Kate's Celebrity marriage train wrecks!"

My only casting problem is I don't know who to get as a judge. I know Mills Lane was a boxing referee, and could handle a divorce show, but I like Judge Judy's spunk, the way she slams stupid people. What do you guys think? Should we look forward to "The Judge Channel?" Would you watch? People like to watch car crashes, and that's pretty much what divorces are, intimate relationship car crashes. So maybe what we need is a Judge with experience as a traffic cop. Or did they already do that show, called Traffic Court? who knows.

This is why I watch so little TV. Thank God LOST is coming back. That's another post, on another day.

Puttin' on the Ritz!

I don't consider myself a snob. but there are things I will pay a little bit more to have. One of them is Ritz Crackers for my soup. I like Soup. I probably have a bowl of Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup at least three or four times a week for a meal.

Yesterday after I worked out at my gym, (Only Snobs would say that, right?) I stopped at Redners (Where the little people shop) to pick up a few things I did not find in the grocery section at Walmart in Trexlertown. (The official store of Rednecks, Side note: Wouldn't it make more sense if Rednecks shopped at Redner's? Several of the Cashier's have matching Kate Gosselin scare hairdo's, so I was wondering.)

Anyway at Redner's I had a choice between a one dollar box of regular saltines, or paying $3.29 for the standard eight pack box of prepackaged Ritz. I put half a package worth in my can of soup, so that is 16 servings at 20.5 cents a serving. The saltines would have lasted almost twice as long at around 4 cents a serving.

I chose the Ritz. I always do. Funny thing was I hadn't been in the grocery section of Walmart in over a year, but I had a ten dollar gift card from my Christmas stocking and decided to use it.

One thing I had reinforced is that while Walmart may have the best prices, their selection sucks. I like Bear Naked natural cereal to put in my vanilla yogurt. Walmart only had one flavor, CRANBERRY. YUCK. but their price for a 12.5 ounce bag? $3.00

Redners, on the other hand, had the flavor I like, banana nut with walnut and oak clusters. Their price? $3.79. I would rather get the product I want and pay a few more cents for it, than buy the bargain and hate it. If that makes me a snob, I don't care. I'm going to have my yogurt now, with my bear naked cereal. Maybe for lunch I will make a pork roll sandwich and put some grey poupon mustard on it. Now that's snobby, right?

Holidays are over. Time to flush your humbug and whatever other baggage you have been carrying away.

If you haven't already, it is time to flush your Christmas spirit away. Whether it is good or bad, just let it go.

Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays but I think starting the Christmas season on October first is a bit early. It doesn't seem all that special anymore.

So now we head into the "DEAD" of winter. I tried to look it up on Google for a good definition, but couldn't find one.

I have my own theory, probably one already posted somewhere else. Did you know that the elderly are more likely to die in January than any other month? Some experts speculate that old folks live for the Holidays, and then give it up. There is always a big die off of certain mammal herds in winter. That is nothing new.

This is a pretty depressing post, huh? That's what pops out of my head and into my blog and mostly into my journal late at night. Scary isn't it?

I saw this picture on Google images when I used "FLUSH" as a keyword, and thought it appropriate. New year means new beginnings, and flushing all the baggage, or in this case crap away. I hope you started the New Year with a good healthy Flush. Now get back to work.