Getting older

What is so bad about getting older?

It means we're still here, right? What is the alternative? (I shudder to think of it.)

One of my writing pals, Kelly Kirch, mentions that she saw a reality TV show where women in their 40s and 50s were competing to become models. How cool is that?

I see many women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s that still look awesome. It used to be that it was mainly the more mature men who looked debonair and the majority of women looked old and haggard. Not anymore. Women are taking care of themselves and look terrific.

Why would anyone think that women are no longer sexy or interesting or not wanting to face new challenges just because we hit that 40 mark? I'm with Kelly all the way on this one.

One of my day job co-workers became an airline stewardess when she was about 40. She's in her 60s now and still very gorgeous.

I'm in my late 40s and don't think I'm done living yet. I still see many many many great years ahead and a lot of accomplishments to be made. My dad is 79 and he's very active and his mind is one of the best, if not the best I know. He's a very forward thinker. To give you an example, he thinks we've gone just about as far as we can with computers. He thinks the next stage of evolution is in the medical field, specifically using human brains to control things.

Of course, I'm very proud of my smart dad. He was one of the first computer people. He designed one of the first computers and was active in the field from the beginning. So I'm not totally surprised. I have to admit, however, and slap my own wrist, that I'm a little amazed at how well he's keeping up with everything now that he's been retired more than twenty years. It's so refreshing talking to him, not only because he's my dad, but because he has such radical, future-thinking ideas. Because he's so on top of things and even out and ahead of everyone else I know.

Someone else told me this about ten years ago, while I was still in my thirties: The forties were the best years of her life. I sort of wondered at the time how she could say that and really mean it. But now that I'm in my 40s, I have to say that I'm loving them. They've been great. I'm more sure of myself, I'm happy with myself, and yet I'm still young and physically active and able to participate in a lot of fun sports and activities. Hopefully, I'll be like my dad (I plan to be) and still taking long bicycle rides and walks, etc., when I'm in my late 70s.

If you've not read about their contest, hop over to Amarinda Jones and Anny Cook's blogs to find out how to win their free books. Don't miss it. Don't miss Kelly's blog, either. They're all always amusing and informative. I learn so much blog hopping. I just wish my butt got more exercise doing it.

Also, CJ Parker is in the running for the first best line contest. She asks that you go and vote for your favorite at: www.smrwonline.org/dandy2

Don't forget, I have a new release coming out at http://www.total-e-bound.com/ this coming Monday, July 21st. "Liquid Heat" is a M/M short story in the Heat Wave sizzling summer series from TEB.

Blurb - Liquid Heat:

Joshua Daly never dreamed he’d fall in love with a man, but when he’s stranded in a nudist colony, it's the super sexy Paul Norris that he wants.When Joshua Daly wrecks in Georgia, aka Hillbilly Hell, he’s put up by his rescuer, Paul, while his car’s being repaired—in a nudist colony. He thought he’d be turned on by all the heavenly female bodies, but to his surprise Paul’s beautiful bod is the one that turns him on. It’s not his fiancée Carole who makes him hesitate to shuck his clothes and give up the corporate life; he’s not sure a Yankee will be welcome in the deep South.

** My internet's still down so I'm on DD#1's computer. Her mouse is broken, so I won't be posting many pictures, maybe only this one till I'm back up on my computer. I can't drag images where I want them. I can barely copy more than a word - at least it's a pain and takes so many tries it's not worth it. So bear with me. I'll also not get much chance, so I presume, to visit many blogs. I will when I get my computer fully operational again.

Thursday Thirteen: Thirteen Things about my dad

Thirteen Things about my dad My dad's a great guy and in honor of him and Father's Day this past Sunday, I'm going to list thirteen out of the many great things about him. 1.... My dad was my best buddy growing up. 2.... Dad taught me how to water ski. We spent many hours boating and water skiing on the Ohio River when I was a teenager. 3.... Dad taught me how to shoot pistols, rifles, and shotguns. We also spent many hours shooting trap, skeet, and at stationary targets. We also loaded our own bullets in the basement. I had my own shotgun. 4.... Dad makes GREAT potato pancakes. 5.... Dad introduced me to Skyline Chili, only the world's best food. 6.... Dad taught me how to drive. No matter that he stomped on my foot and almost broke it when he thought we were going to be piled into by a semi-tractor trailer. 7.... Dad is great at grilling out hot dogs and hamburgers. 8.... Dad is a lot of fun. Not only does he water ski, shoot guns, golf, but he likes to take long walks, ride bikes, and go to movies. 9.... Dad really pays attention to me. He really listens. He'll spend hours talking to/with me. 10... Dad's taught me many things, and still does even though I'm an adult. Ditto for the grandkids. 11... I know I can count on dad. He's always there if and when I really really need him. 12... My dad is extremely handsome. No wonder my mom fell for him. My oldest son is blessed to be a blond/blue-eyed younger version of my dad. 13... My dad loves me. He says it in so many little, different ways.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Vacation

As you know, I'm home. Home as in where I grew up. Home with my dad, aunts, and uncle. Today, Dad and I went to lunch with my aunt and uncle. This was a lot more amazing than it sounds. This was my mom's older brother and his wife. Ever since my parents divorced there's been war between my dad and my mom's family. Finally, finally, after thirty years, long after mom is gone, they're making peace. I don't know that they'll ever be best friends, but they seemed to get along fine. Thank God. This evening, I visited with Dad's neighbors, people I grew up with. I've known them all my life so they're family, too. The oldest son, who is two years younger than me, still lives next door. I swear, he gets more handsome every time I see him. He's 46 and man is he ever hot. Nice, too. And single. Unfortunately, I'm not single. Bummer. I could go for him in a big way. Isn't there a joke about the boy next door. I'm not joking. He is so cute. Tomorrow, Dad plays golf in the morning so I haven't decided whether I'll sleep in or get up and get a pedicure and manicure. Do I really need them? I like them. However, the manicures only last a couple days before they chip. If I get one tomorrow, it'd probably be ruined before Friday when I attend Lori Foster's event. My toes look bad though so I have to do something, even if I do it myself. I don't have a steady hand and so I usually end up painting my skin as well. Maybe I'll pay someone else to do it after all. I'd told Amarinda that maybe I was wrong about Cincinnati being heaven on earth. Okay, I was wrong to say I was wrong. Why do I love it so much? First, it is home and I have wonderful memories. Secondly, I still have people here I love very much. Third, I love the country and suburb areas around Cincinnati. I love the farms and the hills and the profusion of tall trees. It's got a wildness, a freshness, South Florida's lost. South Florida is so overpopulated there are hardly any empty fields left. It's all buildings. It's all city. It's totally flat. Believe it or not, palm trees get boring after awhile. Maybe I'm a country girl at heart. Dad's place is perfect for me. It's on the outskirts of the suburbs where the farms are just beginning. Thus it's not city but it's not so far out in the country that it takes forever to get a gallon of milk or go out to a movie or a restaurant. The air is so fresh here. Dad's yard has a lot of beautiful tall trees and a forest behind his yard. There's not much traffic so there's no much exhaust. The yards and houses around his are all well-kept. They're not cookie cutter houses like so many in South Florida, and yet, they don't clash. My first night in town, Dad asked me where I wanted to go and I chose this little old country restaurant where we went when I was a kid: Les Flick's. Well, we drove down to River Road, well into the country which was beautiful. Then we reach an old run down country farm house. It looked really run down from the outside in a country sort of way. We went in anyway to check it out and it was pretty cute and charming inside so we stayed and had dinner. It seemed much smaller than when I was a kid, but at first, everything did. Later in the week, I'm going to my aunt and uncle's house for dinner. My cousin who lives in Zanesville is coming up and we'll get together. Next week, my aunt wants me to come up again and spend two nights and one of them is a camping trip. I want to go with them and yet, I want to spend a lot of time with Dad, too. And of course, my aunt asked if I'm going to call and see my other aunt and my neighbor asked if I'm going to call and see my old friend/neighbor on the other side of her. I want to see everybody and yet there's only so much time. I'm going to try, and yet my number one priority is my dad. By the way, Dad seems to be in pretty good shape. If he hadn't told me about his two bouts with the heart, I would never know except maybe for the fact that he's slowing down a tiny bit. He's not power walking daily around the mall and tomorrow is his only day of golf. Usually he plays golf at least 3 times a week. But I'm still trying not to wear him out. Maybe because if that I should go more to my aunt and uncle's. We'll see. I'll probably spend some time at the campout but maybe not two days. How I long to live back home again, full time. Barring that, I wish I had more time and funds to come home more often. Even once a year isn't nearly enough and it's been four years since I was last here. It didn't help that DH was out of work for a year. But now that he's back at work, I'll have to make sure I get here a lot more.

Home Again

I'm home - home as in Cincinnati, the place where I grew up.

Not just the town, but the house, with my dad.

It's so good but so weird. I don't get home often, unfortunately.

Anyway, the area's built up a lot, and not in a really good way, also unfortunately. It looks haphazard and there's no great master plan for a beautiful city - well, not in the Colerain area. I've not seen the rest of town yet.

Everything looks smaller.

Dad's woods are mostly gone and it looks like a golf course - he did that. He was afraid trees would fall on the house plus he loves golf.

There's a lot more traffic out on Colerain Ave all the way down to Old Colerain.

Oh well... There's bound to be change in 30 years.

I found these pics on Dad's computer of my last vacation with him four years ago. How do you like our snowman? The facial features, of course, are Dad's golf balls. If you knew him, it'd make perfect sense. It was such a pathetic little snowman, but because it was the first time I'd played in the snow for about 15 years and because Dad helped me make him, it was my favorite snowman of all time.

I'm spoiled because my small town in Florida is planned and so it's been kept very pretty and it's won the governor's award for best city in Florida several times. However, the city can be a pain as they have so many regulations and code enforcements.

I'm enjoying being with dad and because I'm here primarily to be with him, let me not stay on the computer any longer.

I'll pop on and off a lot, don't fret. Maybe more, maybe less than usual when I'm slave to the day job. I'll play it by ear. His internet connection's much slower than mine.

Oh! I had to stop in and get REAL White Castles on the way to Dad's house. They're not that much different than the frozen ones in the store. Maybe I should've stopped at Frisch's for a Buddy Boy. What I really need to do now is to hop on Dad's treadmill.

I'm definitely psyched to go to Lori Foster's Readers N Writers' event next weekend. I also need to let the rest of the family know I'm here.