Juries vs. Congress

    Is one more important or is it the reason? If a person's life is at stake, the legal system expects an answer sooner than last minute as is going on now with our government. If the jury doesn't have an answer most times they are sent back until an answer is agreed on and or locked in hotels rooms, no contact, no newspaper, no phone calls, nothing to do with the outside.
      Sure you think or we think the same thing is happening in congress. BUT look at how long our government has had to fix this ! They don't get locked in a room, sent back to deliberate without contacts, phone calls etc. WHY NOT ?

     Maybe we just tell them that should you not reach an agreement thirty days before it's due, then you senators, congressmen/women, speaker of the house and Obama go not only without pay, but any and all benefits you so greedily accept that you give yourself but deny the country.  REMEMBER ELECTION DAY !

Renters vs. Landlords

      Both side are always right, right? But whose side will a judge take ? In my opinion, usually the landlord. WHY ??? Because they pay taxes on the home. As we all know there is good and bad in, just about everyone, but if you're a renter going to court to get a security deposit back, beware !
      That landlord has records and they usually always keep very good records since they have to file and pay taxes on that home. SO everything is deductible. What they tell you, you can do over the phone is never good enough.

      Renters, do everything in writing and keep written records such as make a book/file specifically for your rental time. Take pictures when you move in, during and after you clean up just before leaving. I know from what I speak. I rented a long time ago, gave a deposit and everything was fine for five years, thought I had a great landlord and landlady.
      One day they hired a young man to sandblast the house to paint. It was an old lead painted two story home and the paint seeped into, through windows into dresser drawers and into my children's lungs. I had to take them to the doctor, go to a motel a few night and the doctor found they had lead poisoning . This infuriated the landlord when I put my rent into an escrow account in the same bank where his wife worked.
        You won't believe the next series of events. When this Male person found out I was not paying rent in this quiet little town, but escrowed it as the painter was also using water I was paying for, doctor bills, hotels bills , all of which I expected to be reimbursed, he and his loony wife came to see me and he had a baseball bat in his car near the seat.
        He arrived red faced and angry. I called a few older friends from church to be with me. An older man came with his son-in-law. The older man saw the bat and told me, I should just give him the rent and move fast.
        IN the next few moments the male owner told me, if you don't pay me my rent I will blow your head off with a double barrel shot-gun. I called the police who gave me a detective. This was in York county Pa. I lived outside of York in a small town. The detective told me, you should move as soon as you can, I believe this man is serious. He also told me if I pressed charges he felt the man would carry out the threat.
       In the next two months, and yes I gave him rent but when I moved I took them to court for my three hundred dollars  deposit as I gave thirty days notice.
Now they tell the district justice I broke a glass shade at the top of the stairs-true=15.00 which I offered to pay. But a big lie was about wall papering. I asked over the phone if I could wall paper and paint the bathroom, Sure you can she said. In court they lied about it and so the DJ would not order my deposit to be returned. I even paid a lawyer( cheap) to help. It was he who told me I didn't stand a Chance because I was renting. WOW! Why didn't he tell me before I paid him ?
     So I know all situations are so different, but please, while they're are many great landlords and landlady's, when it comes to MONEY, people leave their saint hood behind. Pictures, written statements and make sure to do the exact thirty day notice and have another person check out the lease.

Les, Miserables-Hugh Jackman, Sensational, Spiritual, Voice and....

       He was so much more. As a rule I don't care for many musicals but while at the library yesterday I rented two movies for two bucks, total. See the library has it all.
       Only know Hugh Jackman for his fang like Wolverine character, I was overwhelmed by his part in Les, Mis. Russell Crowe is a good actor but they could have done better as his voice was barely okay. Jackmans voice was not only professioanl, but done with such feeling, leaving you wanting more.
       In this, Hugh Jackman gets nineteen year in prison on a chain gang for stealing bread to help a woman with child eat. Caught, he suffers immeasurably. Finally getting released he is on parole for life. He has to show papers anywhere he tries to live or work and finally one day  he enters a church where he is fed, warmed and gets a good nights sleep.
       But he decided to leave, with the silver from the church. Outside waiting in the night was his prison guard,( who stays on Jackmans heels throughout) played by Russell Crowe. Brought back to face the priest, the forgiving priest also offers him a pair of silver candle sticks, telling the prison guard he gave them to Jackman. When Jackman leaves the sanctuary, he rips up the papers he is to keep for life, travels on and in eight years becomes owner and respected by a community but not that same prison guard, reassigned.
     The singing goes on with so many wonderful songs by Jackman, as he enters into different travels and situations.  Jackman rescues a young girl, only to have her die and he then raises her child, learning what love is, real, giving and unselfish love for the first time.
      I don't want to say more. This is a movie worth watching but be sure to have tissues and someone you're comfortable with crying-or watch it alone. If ya need a good cry and reminders about faith, giving, standing up for your convictions, you'll see a little boy who does just that along with Jackman.
     By the way, I had a fifteen year old teen watch it with me. He didn't have to, could have left, but watched. At the end, I said nothing, but he said WOW!

Biking in New York

      About a week ago, I took a kid up to Brooklyn for lunch to my favorite place, The Salty Dog. The plan was then to go to Fao Schwartz, Central Park and Little Italy, ending back for supper at The Salty Dog.
       But I was warned, which usually never stops me. A friend told me about the new lanes for bikes and Mayor Bloombergs lane changes. Now I've been to New York plenty of times and drove in the city, but this trip blew me away. It wasn't just that bikes were metered and parked at angles but lanes added to an already over crowded city filled with traffic, horns blasting, pedestrians trying to cross, buses moving and business trucks weaving in and out and double parking.
      Cops are scattered everywhere, ready for anything. I weave in and out of side streets, avenues thinking I'll find one street free to let me pass on up to FAO, that toy store I love to visit and dance on the piano. It took half an hour to get down one street only to turn onto fifth avenue and see a media blitz because of APPLE and FAO also having some big deal happening. Not only could I not park, but I had to now find restrooms. That was easier. Just pretend you're going into a restaurant, ask for menu's and for restrooms. Have your guest sit and look at the menu, then as you are about to leave simply say, I'm sorry, he isn't feeling well, have to leave. Worked fine-all three times.
    Yes, I found a few odd parking spaces, and since I only needed them for  a few minutes, no one was bothered by where and how I parked.
     So off to Little Italy and lo and behold they were having the feast of St. Genaro. It used to be great years ago, but now it's all blown up prices, tents in the streets, greasy foods and a waste of time. Oh, also a good place to meet pick pockets.
     Well we walked one block and I told the kid, let's go to Brooklyn. Yea, home. I drove on the BQE back and right to the sixty-ninth street pier, took some pictures and introduced the kid to some fishermen. Trying to get this kid to just say hello wasn't so easy as he worried the fishermen might think he was stalking them. He's never been to Brooklyn before. So I said, hey guys, can I ask you to meet someone, and it took off from there. They were so friendly, talked fish, laughed, and him where he was from and told me I was nuts to drive in the city.
        I had one more stop to make. I wanted some knishes so bad I could taste it. Yet it wasn't to be. Not enough time to go where I knew to go, but we did stop in a small corner grocery store, bought some ginger ale and squashed in the outside corner was a book stand of used and cheap books. This kid was in his own happy world buying books and as I stood there and waited I looked across the street and suddenly really looked. The front door didn't look familiar as it was painted a tan color, but then I saw the number. I looked up at the corner street sign and back at the apartment building's number.
       My son was born there, his first home. That made this trip complete for me. What a way to end the day.
    

The First Snow...

      Just September? No, it almost time for snow. We know it will be here and most of us won't be ready. That's how I like it, like a child, unexpected and a wonder, all new, fresh and glistening. You know what I mean. When you look out the window and the new snow lays fresh and without people, it sparkles like ever so small diamonds.
       I have a long driveway, not that long but I wait until it stops snowing, and I wait. I don't want to shovel it, not because of laziness or a bad back, but I love to look at it and I love to see kids slide down by foot or sled or trash can cover. I have two huge and overgrown Norwegian Spruce trees on both sides of my driveway. Thers' nothing prettier than looking at the snow as it settles on the pines.
    Well yes, there is. A child, a child as he or she anxiously runs outside, rolls in snow, face becomes flushed pink and big winter smiles. You know the kind. It's too cold to smile but what else can you do when you're that happy to be in the snow. I can't wait !
      One last thing, just because you're an adult you don't have to be a grown-up when it snows. Really look at the kids and remember what it was like, and go for it. Dig in and go for it, with a smile.

Hello Salty Dog !!! Great Visit

       HELLO Brooklyn ! 
          
                       I was lucky enough to stop in for lunch on Friday, yesterday. Driving up from Pennsylvania, all I could think about was my as always first stop, The Salty Dog. I brought a teen with me who took a while to take it all in for a day trip. He's not an average teen, but a kid with some disabilities. I let him order whatever he wanted and he ordered Shrimp Scampi. It's been a while since I've had Scampi  as my usual is their great bacon cheese burger, cooked again as always perfect, medium.
     So this kiddo dipped into his scampi and he's s slow eater, enjoys his food. Without expression he tells me, this is really great Shrimp Scampi and I love this place. He asked questions, looked at the photos on the wall and I asked him to sit with the famous spotted firehouse pet, Salty as I call him. He let me know too how nice our waitress was. He said, she was really friendly to me.
    Megan our waitress, was friendly. This trip I was lucky enough to walk in just minutes before the lunch crowd poured in and this time I was lucky enough to take another look around, have a chat with Megan who I never made time for before as I just get so distracted. Megan took time with us, welcoming us and remembered me too which is always nice.
   My bacon cheeseburger as asked on rye bread, was mouth watering. It's a rare thing for me to get a half decent burger anyplace, so when I come up to Brooklyn I know I have not just great food to look forward to, but wonderful people. Megan I am very thankful for the time you gave us and paying the same attention to my young guest. He left feeling important and satisfied, as did I. On our way home, he asked so are you going back to the Salty Dog for supper? I do every time, but this trip, unfortunately I had to leave the Salt behind :)
    The Salty Dog is the place to be.  Kelly, Congrats ! Hope to see you all next month.
   

Thumbtack, a good place to locate a service...

       Somehow and by accident of course I found a service called Thumbtack.
<a href="http://www.thumbtack.com/pa/spring-grove/handmade-jewelry/children-s-blankets-bag-sets">Children&apos;s Blankets &amp; Bag Sets</a>

       Now the handmade jewelry was a few pieces of hemp , now two, a necklace and bracelet made by a local young man and I said I'd try to sell on  doozybags.com  Actually while I don't wear jewelry at all, these are a few cute pieces.
       Quite a few other responses I get is to ask me to make home made jewelry so if you do that, try and place things on Thumbtack-no fees at all. In addition to that I get people asking me to make quilts. I don't make quilts and don't know how in the world they thought I was a quilter.
    I also have an ad about counseling as in kids. What I get is responses for personal one on one counseling. I am not a licensed counselor, but many are and many are very good and needed. Try Thumbtack. It's worth it !