Thursday, October 28, 2010

98 ~ 85 ~82 ~ 1 ~ October 27, 2010

Harry Hodson, 85, who is meeting his waiting wife in the next world is my friend Scotts neighbor.

Ralph Thomas, 82, WWII Marine is leaving behind his beloved Betty "Caboose". He is also leaving in the virtual world many stories, photos (some of them very funny) and some of Caboose's great recipes which he shared with his Findagrave family. Findagrave will certainly never forget him, :)

Harry Cooper was just one half of the famous OG's.
The Original Grandparents. Being a 98 year old blogger is only one of the things that made Harry original.
Harry is leaving Barbara "Cutie" to continue telling their wonderful stories and insightful tips. After 73 years of Harry and Cutie flying like one bird with two wings, Cutie must somehow grow another wing and learn to fly on her own.

Our friend Lupe's sister's Great-Grand baby drowned in the bathtub a couple of nights ago. Returning to sit and swing on rainbows and smile from the skies after blessing her parents with her spirit for just ONE Year.

Harry, Ralph and Harry seem to have had what we have come to expect as long lives. Their combind ages are 266 Years. I'm sure they were filled with many events along the way. Blessings, heartache, tears, joys, greatness, love, and the changes of the world.
But I'm sure when you get closer to 98 or 82 or 85 and you think of leaving your loved ones, you might be thinking you'd like more time. I think I would.

I can accept the passings of the Harry's and Ralph. Well, what choice would I have in the matter anyway? It's the circle of life, I guess.

What I can't accept is the passing of a one year old baby! What is the purpose of that in the circle of life?

I have a friend who lost a child several years ago. The members of her church came to visit. Their basic message to her was "What is God trying to teach you?" WTF? As if God would punish a person for a sin by taking their child. Often times people make comments of "It will get better with time." or "You'll have other babies." Right, as if one could replace one soul with another and things will get all better.

I've not lost a child but I lost a sister. I can tell you these things. Time heals nothing. Words do not help. There is no platitude on earth that can be a comfort to someone in their loss.

The most helpfull thing you could ever say to a person who has lost someone is:

"I'm here for you day or night, I'll listen, just call me."

Also, don't start acting as if the lost loved one never existed! Many people have told me they didn't want to mention Sherry as they didn't want to upset me.

She. Was. My. Sister.

But the biggest thing people need to remember is that SHE WAS. She was here. We had fun, we laughed, and we cried. We did all the things me and my living relatives do and talk about. It does me good to have those memories of her too.

What a very short list of memories parents must have of a baby.

I have often heard that once a loved leaves you can take all of your time greiving or you can try to honor their life by living your own. The things you do in your life can be a tribute to those gone before. It may be something as simple as tending a special garden that you know is in their honor. Perhaps taking a new hobby that you know you both had talked about but never did it.

Even simpler just walk out into a beautiful day, look at what nature has laid before us, listen to those wonderful birds chirp, look to the sky and say:

"Hello, Baby, Is she pushing your Rainbow swing just right for you today?" ;)

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Alice Cooper in Corpus Christi, Texas ~ October 24, 2010

Scott, Jerry, Laura, Jasun and I had a great time at the show.  Although I had to leave the wild pit area due to the pushing and fearing further back inury, I had a good time walking around and seeing the show from different views.  I usually don't get to do that so it was a novel approach this time! We had dinner before the show at Blackbeards, a haunted restaurant right close to the Lexington War ship. The waitress put on the Alice DVD "Alice Cooper Trashes The World" for us. I guess she could tell we were Alice fans.  I wonder how that was?

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Sweet Poison ~ October 26, 2010

I want to love you, but I better not touch
I want to hold you but my senses tell me to stop
I want to kiss you but I want it too much
I want to taste you but your lips are venomous poison
You're poison runnin'thru my veins
You're poison, I don't want to break these chains
~alice cooper~

A milestone today. Six months ago today I decided to stop drinking all colas and carbonated beverages. It was a bit scary at first. I was after all raised in the Coca-Cola Generation.

"It's the real thing" ~ "Grab a Coke and a smile" and the Dr. Pepper company with their 10-2-4 slogan. Those companies pulled off every trick in the book to get you hooked and they certainly got me.

The strange thing is that after stopping the colas I googled for side effects of going cold turkey of stopping them. I didn't get any results for that but I sure got results for drinking diet colas. Scary results. It turns out artificial sweeteners are not good for you at all. There was one website called 'Sweet Poison' that listed the side effects of using them. The FDA recognizes 92 side effects. I had about 30. I had been slowly poisoning myself since the mid 1980's. So two days after quiting diet colas I stopped artificial sweeteners. Do you have any idea where that stuff hides? Sugar-free gum, sugar-free syrups, low fat yogurt, just about any low calorie food has some form of it in there.
Luckily, I found the Stevia plant. You may have heard of Stevia as a brand powdered sweetener such as Truvia. There are others. We have found the most effective and pure method of using Stevia is the liquid form. NOW products makes a stevia Glycerite that is very strong and only takes a few drops. Stevia liquid is made from the Stevia plant so it is all natural. Organic yogurts are using Stevia. A good organic yogurt is Nancy's, another is Stoneyfield. They do have a Stevia cola called Zevia, but alas, I don't drink carbonated beverages. Crystal Lite is using Stevia in their product Pure Fitness. I have found a gum called GLEE made from a tree in Africa that is all natural, yipee!
It's a bit harder to carry a dropper bottle of Stevia everywhere we go but well worth the benefits I've received. I think if we can travel three weeks cross country on a motorcycle with it with no problems it has passed the test.
This whole thing started with Ruby Gettinger. She is the star of Reality Show Ruby. She once weighed 700 pounds and is now down to around 380. She hit a platuea and her therapist told her to change your life you have to change ten habits. She was addicted to colas. Hummmm...was I addicted to colas? Yes, I thought so. Hell, if Ruby could take the challenge so could I! So, in a way a stupid reality show put me on a path to better health. I never thought I could live life without a diet Dr. Pepper or a Diet Root Beer. The fact is I don't miss them one single bit.

Thanks Ruby!


Six months and counting.....

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Going to Corpus Christi, Tx, Four Fenders Style! ~ October 24, 2010



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Revival In Corpus Christi, Texas ~ October 24, 2010

Today is the much anticipated Alice Cooper show in Corpus Christi, Texas. Big Daddy and I are meeting our friends Scott, Jasun *Bat*, and Laura at Blackbeards Restaurant to catch up before we go and experience The Master.

Scott and I met several years ago through the now defunct Alice fan group "Sickthings". We met in person at an Alice show in Houston at the Verizon Wireless Theatre in 1997. After many shows and countless (he is always welcoming) visits to his art yard 'Smut Putt Heaven' he has grown be a true friend to Jerry, Philip, Ari and me.
As almost any true Alice fan can attest, there is almost an insane obsession to meet the man. I was so close to that meeting so many times over the years. The very closest encounter I had was at The Woodlands Pavillion when Brian "Renfield" Nelson, Alice's longtime assistant took me and my sister backstage. Michael Bruce was at the concert that night. He sat right in front of us at the show. Unfortunately, I blame my lack of meeting Alice that night on Michael. But that is another story. Michael was nice and signed our things that night.

In 2008 I got an email with the title "Alice in Dallas". It was Scott letting me know that the featured VIP at Texas Frightmare Weekend was Alice Cooper. For the price of a VIP ticket you would get to meet Alice, attend a VIP party with the other celebrities and get a custom t-shirt. The time had finally arrived. 2008 ~ 36 years of waiting and trying would finally culminate in The Event.

The plans were made and we took the trip to Dallas where we met Scott and his friend Jasun. Jasun, who was destined to become the only person I know who has ever met Alice in person before he ever saw him in concert. Quite a feat! We all had our meetings and took our photos and got the autographs we wanted and it was a great time.

In 2009 Alice was to be in Houston at the Verizon Wireless Theatre. Ah! A reunion. Scott, Bat, Bat's wife Laura, Philip, Ari, and I met at the Hard Rock and then went to the show. Me flying my new Alice tattoo.

Some think my Alice obsession is over the top and crazy. Okay. Perhaps it is. Some people are obsessive about sports teams, cars, golf, fishing. I have Alice.

If nothing else I have gained valuable friendships through the Alice circle - and it keeps growing.

So tonight while I'm enjoying my Nightmare at the Halloween Hootenanny think about your passions in life. Mine are my family, friends, motorcycles and Alice Cooper. It's a good idea to take advantage of those passions now, enjoy them, cherish them and have fun with them. We won't be here forever.

Hello, hooray, let the show begin, I've been ready....