Am I showing my age, or just a bit of class?

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So, I went to lunch with my BF today, to a nice place that would be categorized as a sports bar/restaurant, but a rather upscale one. Lots of beautiful dark wood, well shined brass, and pool tables with the balls placed just so with 2 pool queues crossed on each table. There are TVs lining the walls, high up, and at least 25 of them or more. We've been there before so we knew what to expect and what we were looking for to eat.

I wasn't aware that our waitress would be on the menu. At least she sure looked like she was offering herself up for something unsavory.

I know I am middle aged. I know I have kids the same age as most of the wait staff there. I tend to be conservative about some things but in no way would anyone who knows me consider me a prude. Still - I was offended by what this girl was wearing. And no, my BF did not get whiplash trying to watch her, he is so much smarter than that and wasn't nearly as aware of this girl as I was.

In the past the wait staff has always worn - hm-m-m, I guess I don't know what they have worn. Which to me is a good thing. I like a friendly server, I don't expect them to be seen and not heard, engaging is good. But I don't expect their clothing to be distracting, or their voice or their hair.

Today we had a waitress who was in her early 20's I'm guessing, with a fabulous body. Yes of course I'm jealous, but that wasn't what influenced me. She was wearing very low pants, cargo pants, with all the big pockets. They were low enough that the elastic band of her underpants could be seen all. the. way. around. She was wearing a top that was so tight I thought it resembled bicycle shorts except made of some material that was so thin I was afraid it would just shred from the sheer pressure of her breasts pushing outward from within.

Did I mention her back tattoo? I have nothing against them, I have a small one on the small of my back as well, no big deal. But her shirt was short enough that we had a full view of her bellybutton in the front and her whole back tattoo and those 2 little back dimples that meant if the pants moved down another quarter of an inch we would have had full butt crack exposure in the room. My salad just didn't quite taste the same with those pants swishing back and forth past our table teetering on the butt crack.

She did decide to sit on a stool for a few minutes, I believe that was right after she tried to pants a co-worker. Oh yes she did. She yelled across the room to someone else inquiring as to whether he had made out with someone she knew apparently. She let him know that usually when she asked that questions the guys answered in the affirmative.

Luckily I could not see her from the back when she was sitting, but she did treat all the fellas in the room to a stunning display when she raised both arms in a luxurious stretch, ended by intertwining her fingers behind her neck and arching her back. Amazing.

It didn't look like she combed her hair, although that may have been a style, I'm not sure. Her hair looked dry and teased, and it was pulled back into a loose pony tail which was neither quite at the back of her head and not quite to the side. A bit off kilter. She topped it all off with a baseball cap which made the whole look - um - trashy-fabulous? Ugh. Not appealing to me.

This girl was actually a very good server in terms of keeping an eye on things, refilling drinks without having to be asked, etc. And maybe she gets better tips from some of the guys dressing like that, but it was enough to make me think twice about going back because I found her so unpleasant. To me, she what was could be described using one word. Her dress, her demeanor, and her speech were all inappropriate.

Am I the only one offended by things like that? To the degree that I may reconsider going to that restaurant again? And to be clear, if I had seen her at the mall, or walking down the street or at a movie theater I would not have given her a second thought. But as my waitress? I didn't like it.
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Some days I waste my time looking back...

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.....and feeling bad about some of the choices I have made. I need to come to terms with those choices and how they have affected my life. And maybe I need to hang this up in a few places where I will see it every day. Just a reminder to put my big girl panties on - and deal with it.

More Graphics at pYzam.com

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She's 78 years old and uses email

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This is an email I received and it really only needs to be sent to one person in my address book.

Dear Mom,

I must send my thanks for sending me the email about the roach bug poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet towel with every envelope that needs sealing.

Also, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time. But it’s a good kind of broke.

I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program. I am so excited!!

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

Thanks to you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes. No wonder I never got the beautiful pink and fabulous Barbie car I wanted when I was a kid. No email to reinforce those prayers!

Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas. Thanks Mom.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make those products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans .

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

I never ever use margerine because it is only one molecule away from plastic.

And thanks for letting me know I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face...disfiguring me for life.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because you told me I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS. To think I have been risking my life for years!

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer answer the phone (you tried to call? Sorry) because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda , Singapore, and Uzbekistan .

I no longer use the rest-room in any restaurant because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

And thanks to your great advice, I won't ever pick up a $5.00 bill dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

And thank you so much, for letting me know to call 911 IMMEDIATELY should I find myself in my bathtub, submerged in ice and missing my kidneys. I would not have known what to do otherwise.

Now Mom, if you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 PM this afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician.

OH! And if you send this email to enough people something really cool will pop up on your screen after you hit enter!! Just wait Mom, you’ll see!!

I’m sorry, one more thing. I know all of this to be true because you checked it all through Snopes.com before you sent any of it to me which means it must be the God’s honest truth.

I really appreciate it Mom.

Love,

Your Daughter
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Yeah, this again.

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In cruising around the Internet peeking in on people's lives through their blogs, I am somewhat alarmed at how often I find people, mostly women, talking about sadness and hopelessness. Not just - oh I'm having a really crappy day, but - how am I going to face another day? Why am I here, and is this all there is?

I know those feelings well. I know the feeling of being at the bottom of a well looking up to the circle of light above - just knowing there is absolutely no way to reach it. If you feel that way every now and then and it goes away, and you know how it feels to feel joy or excitement or happiness then it may not be a big deal for you.

But if you are hopeless and sad all the time, if you can't see what point there is to anything, or feel you are worthless or so flawed that you can never be loved or love yourself - that's not normal. It.is.not.okay.

If the idea of being considered mentally ill is frightening to you, look at it as being traumatized by your life events, or a chemical imbalance, or being more sensitive than most. However you look at it or label it, please do something. See someone. Talk to a doctor.

In my case, I did talk therapy but in the end it was my meds that saved me. That is not the case for a lot of people and I never want anyone to feel like I am pushing medication. Exercise and the natural endorphins it floods your body with, helps a lot of people. Getting out and facing your fears and sharing them with friends and family, helps others.

Please search for your help. Thyroid problems can cause depression, so can hormonal imbalances. There are all kinds of things that may be causing how you are feeling and you don't have to just accept that's "just the way you are". Go to the Mayo Clinic Online, or Web MD, or Women's Health.gov. Call your doctor or your pastor if that works for you. But please reach out because there is help out there.

Life really can be good, joyous even. Join us. :)
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Sigh-h-h.

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Here is the new 'piece of furnace' I got today. I believe it is a gas valve. It's not the heating guys fault, I mean - I'm sure they would make a bunch more money if they said the furnace was just plain broken and had to be replaced. They are being honest when they recommend the furnace be replaced, but still fixing a part that can be fixed to make it work. At least I have a brand new Carbon Monoxide detector right outside my bedroom door, right?


To make myself feel better and to show that I have more things in my life than big rusty appliances, here is a picture of the lovely flowers my lovely BF brought me today. Nope. No reason. Lovely, right?



Oh and this? This is my cranky old man cat, Riley, having a bit of a snack when my back was turned!

Yummy!
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