Candy's daily Dandy

I'm taking a little magic carpet ride this weekend!

A much needed little get away, because my mind is on overload these days. I know we are all busy and crazy with our lives and work, but lately I have been letting it get to me. Stress is a silent killer. I carry all my stress in my upper body. My neck and shoulders are the bearers of stress for me and occasionally I come up with a stress headache. And right about now I could really use a massage.

I'm so much smarter that that. I need to learn to let it go...

Now that I've got all this time to myself, instead of taking it slower I seem to be gearing up and trying to conquer the world. But I'm learning fast that you can't take on the world with out psychical consequences. So I've decided that a small respite, a cocktail, some warm weather and some me time is just what the doctor ordered.

I will be gone from Friday, Oct 3rd 2014 to Monday, Oct 6th 2014. I will return to the bloggersphere on Tuesday, Oct 7th, 2014 and hopefully I will have some hilarious situation that happened over the weekend that we can all opine with our fabulous wisdom.

Have a great weekend bloggers, and please...try to let it go. You know what I mean?

Derek Jeter is a class act.

I said it in a public forum as a true blue Red Sox Fan. And I meant it.

Derek Jeter, at the age of 40, is enjoying his swan song in the MLB which comes to an end this weekend. Since the Yankees nor the Red Sox will be vying for the post-season, it's somewhat romantic that Derek Jeter's last game as a major league baseball player will take place at Fenway Park. There has been so much hype surrounding the Jeter retirement that even Jeter is somewhat humbled by it. From the commercials, to the social media hashtag campaigns to his number on the sleeve of the Yankee's uniforms, it's hard to not get caught up in the whole Derek Jeter is a God thing. And I live in Red Sox nation.

I mean, he can't help it if he played for the wrong team his entire career, right?

So here's my dilemma:

I had a conversation with my BFF's about Jeter and the hype. One of them asked if we thought it was ok to wear a Derek Jeter shirt. Discussions ensued, and our conclusion was that yes, it's ok to wear a Derek Jeter shirt.
Just not in public.
Here in Boston.
Ever.
I might of even bought into all the hype and said yes when my friend inquired if I wanted a Derek Jeter t-shirt. (she lives in Manhattan)

So tonite that same BFF-who is a staunch Red Sox fan-who lives in NYC and is visiting me this weekend-is going to Yankee Stadium and texted me to ask what kind of Jeter shirt I want. All of a sudden, the thought makes me feel funny.

Like I can't do it.
Like how could I ever wear it?
Like ever?
Like this is so stupid.

So I have until 7pm tonite to make my decision.

Bloggers you have to help me., What should I do????
Comment here-or on Facebook-Instagram and visit the poll on my sidebar here and vote.

HELP!!!

Its been a royally crappy week bloggers, so I am ready for the weekend. 

One night a teenage girl brought her new boyfriend home to meet her parents, and they were appalled by his appearance: leather jacket, motorcycle boots, tattoos and pierced nose.

Later, the parents pulled their daughter aside and confessed their concern. "Dear," said the mother diplomatically, "he doesn't seem very nice."

"Oh please, Mom," replied the daughter, "if he wasn't nice, why would he be doing 500 hours of community service?"http://www.basicjokes.com/djoke.php?id=1120

So a friend of mine sent this to me and I loved it! I sooo wanted to share it with you.

So, I literally just saw this on TV, and I hardly wiped the tear from my eye when I ran here to tell you about it.

See that gorgeous Golden Retriever there? That awesome animal is part of a wonderful organization called K9 Comfort Dogs. A charitable organization run by the Lutheran Church, K9 Comfort dogs are a group of 60 dogs whose sole purpose is to be pet and provide comfort to those in need. These trained service dogs are providing the country with a whole lot more than comfort. 

Since the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary shootings, Maggie, a K-9 Comfort dog has been serving at the Sandy Hook Elementary School everyday since the deadly shootings. Tim Hetzner, President of the Lutheran Church Charities, says the dogs are sometimes better than a grief counselor. 

"Some people hold onto the dog for five minutes or more because that's what they need," Hetzner said. "It depends on the person and what they're going through."


Soon, Hetzner said, the people begin speaking to the dogs. 

"They tell the dog the story of what happened," Hetzner said. "Dogs are great listeners…. They can sense when someone is struggling."


Those fantastic K9's jetted to Boston the day after the Marathon bombings and laid on the bricks just outside the First Lutheran Church on Berkley Street to provide hugs for those in mourning. Studies have shown that just petting a dog can decrease a patient's stress. 


"Being around dogs helps decrease patients' stress by prompting the release of oxytocin, which is the hormone that bonds mothers to babies. Studies have shown that patients who are around dogs have increased levels of dopamine -- the "happy" neurotransmitter that helps relieve depression – as well as endorphins and adrenaline."

I agree. 

And there's no better way to take away the pain, if just for a brief moment, by hugging or petting a loving animal. I think the world could use a little K-9 Comfort. Don't you?

She walked away thinking, "Who am I to have been blessed with so much?" Then,"
Why me and not her?" Realistically there was a vast difference between them, but
what was it? Clearly it was more than just ten dollars.

If it is true that people come into your life for a reason, she wanted to know
what the reason was? The woman told her she was her angel. An angel disguised as
a person but she was beginning to think it was the woman who was the angel.

It was a quiet Sunday in November and she found herself with something she
hadn't had in weeks; time. But she wasn't complaining. She was on top of the
world, feeling a high she hadn't felt in years. She was living out her dreams
and watching them come true. And she had the love and support of her family.
She knew they believed in her. That morning was not unusual. She had stopped off
to get some cash at the ATM, then on to the nail salon to pamper herself. The
few extra minutes to the city were worth it because they do the best job. She
almost stopped to do ten other things that morning before the bank, but she
didn't.

She pulled up to the closed bank in her expensive car, a pricey , designer
handbag dangling from her arm. As she took out her ATM card to gain access to
the door a man and his young daughter were exiting. They hurriedly pushed past
her when she immediately heard the bellowing sobs from within.

The woman stood shaking, short of breath, almost hyperventilating, fumbling
with her cell phone, her greasy nails and hands visibly shaking uncontrollably.
"Are you alright?" she asked the woman.
"No," the woman said through heavy sobs. "That machine just ATE my ATM card!"
the woman screeched. "I came here to get ten dollars and that machine ate my
card."

Immediately, she felt a small sense of relief. She put her hand up to the
shaking woman and said,
"Relax honey. It's happened to me before. You can come back tomorrow and get
your card." she said. "Don't worry."
This only made the woman cry harder, as the tears streamed down her slightly
grey complected face and dropped onto her grease stained jacket.
"But that was my last ten dollars." the woman said. "I haven't eaten in three
days and I needed that money to get some food. I can't wait until tomorrow" she
cried.

She knew what was coming next, but she wasn't sure if the overwhelming feeling
of doom was because she knew that the woman was going to ask her for the money
or because she already knew that she was going to give it to her.
"Can you give me ten dollars? I haven't eaten in three days." the woman sobbed.
"I'm having a bad week."
"Why don't you call the bank and see what they can do for you?"she said.
"I already did," the woman replied. "I have to wait until tomorrow. Oh God, I'm
having a bad week. Can you give me ten dollars?"

She stood there, in all of her abundance. The blessings practically dripping
from her body and she quietly wondered why me and not her? She felt like a
little girl doing something she shouldn't. Like when you know your going to get
into trouble with your mother, but she didn't hesitate.
"I'll give you the ten dollars. OK? Now take a deep breath and calm down. It's
going to be alright," she said.
"Oh thank you. You're an angel,"the woman said as she paced back and forth
within the small ATM crucible. "I'm having a really bad week."

She kept repeating, "Take a deep breath." to the woman as she effortlessly took
out ten times the ten dollars so desperately needed . The two then walked across
the street to change the $20.00 bill that the ATM dispensed. "It's going to be
OK," she kept telling the woman, to which the woman kept replying, "I'm just
having a really bad week."

She knew she had to ask, but she felt a bit guilty after she did, "You are going
to buy food with this money, right?" she said. "Not something you shouldn't be
buying."
"Yes. I'm going to Hannaford Farms right now. You are an angel dressed as a
person. Thank you," the woman sobbed.

They then parted ways. She was left to feel the mixed emotions of that exchange.
Why her? Why that morning? And what makes them so different? Aren't we all just
ten dollars away from having a bad week? What was ten dollars to her on that
day? How could she say no, with everything she has been blessed with? It made
her feel sad because she knew that it was a lot more than ten dollars that
separated the two women.

She remained quiet for the next hour or so. Even her regular nail girl
commented, " You're so quiet today. Not your usual self." She had lots to share
about her own life, all the good news that was happening to her right now, but
it wasn't important any more. She just wanted to be quiet.

She didn't tell anyone about it either, because that's not why she did it. She
did it because that woman needed it and she knew she had to help her. She knew
there would be those who would tell her she got fleeced by a con artist, and
taken for a ride. Maybe she did but maybe she didn't. Maybe it was a cautionary
tale for her, but she decided to keep it to herself.

Until right now.

OK, now I'm pissed.  Another Twitter virus???

WTF!!! How does this happen?

Does this mean I'm Twitter vulnerable? I got the virus from my daughter's friend. Her Twitter feed sent me a message yesterday that said, "OMG, I'm laughing at these pics of you (followed by a link)". Last year, the same thing happened and I totally fell for it and tried clicking on the link. I must have tried three or four times, then I started to get the messages from my followers that someone had hacked my account. I changed my password and did what I had to and proceeded on. Problem solved.

This time, I knew it was a virus and did not click on the link. I ignored it. Was that my mistake? Then last night, I got another message from my daughter's friend that said, "Someone is saying terrible things about you (followed by a link)".  Even though I didn't click the link this time, my followers still got the virus. WTF??? How annoying. I have since deleted all the messages, changed my password, but I want to know how it got into my account. Now I'm a Twitter hazard, since it's happened twice.

How do I protect against this happening again? I mean, I use my Twitter for business and today one of my favorite clients emailed me and asked me personally if I knew who it was that was saying bad things about her. I immediately explained to her that it was a virus and that I was sorry for the inconvenience, but that can't be good for business.

Any advice? I'm so pissed.

So it's that time, you know, time to pony up and buy some new outdoor furniture. The set I have is over 11 years old and beginning to look a wee bit tired. I have been doing my due diligence and researching sets on the Internet and going here, there and everywhere to see the furniture. There is lots out there, but I'm at a crossroad. The question that keeps nagging at me, while I sleep at night, in my spare waking moments is this;

Do I go with wood or iron?

What is the best value for my money? I tend to lean towards the wood. Teak, to be exact, and I think the beauty of the wood is unmatched. The thing that holds me back is how the wood ages in the elements. My 11 year old set is also teak, but every year I have treated it and the color of the wood has remained pretty much intact. But do I want to go through with the maintenance of a beautiful teak set every year again? It's kind of a pain in the a**. I wonder if an iron set is easier and lasts much longer.

I have found an incredible value. I found exactly what I want, a beautiful teak set with cushions included for an amazing price, but I'm wondering how it will wear. Even if I treat it I worry about whether or not I'm going to need a new one in a few years because the teak will grey and look spent after a few seasons.

Give me your wisdom, oh wise bloggers. What do you know? Hit me with it.
I can handle it.

I'm just about ready to blow my vacation load and I've got one week left till I get the hell outta Dodge and hit vacation nirvana. Here's why:

10. SNOW. Snow, then more snow and if that wasn't enough here's a little more snow. And by now, it's not even pretty. It's fricken black and yellow and dirty, icy and dangerous. The snow banks are so high you literally take your life into your own hands by getting into your car. The street I live on is too narrow (because of the snow) for two cars to pass. If you get caught with another car, one has to find the nearest driveway to pull into.

9. It's February. Besides being the shortest month of the year, (thank God) February has got to be the WORST month of the year. We are still on that "most wonderful time of the year" hangover and stuck in the middle of "nothing to look forward to". February's only redeeming quality: GREAT SALES, on winter clothes and shoes, but I can live with that.

8. White skin. Yeah, my milky white legs and arms just aren't doing my psyche any good at all. And I've been working out like a highly trained athlete. Still, it's not attractive. Even a gradual self-tanner (which I highly recommend for this time of year) isn't doing the trick. I need good old vitamin D to pump things up a bit.

7. Burn out. Try as I might, that same old, same old is getting just plain old. The comfort of my everyday routine just isn't the same when it's frigid outside. Although a glass of wine always seems to help.

6. My Dogs. Now, you all know I love my dogs, God bless em', but lately THEY SUCK! Too much snow and bitter cold makes them think that it's OK to piss and shit INSIDE the house instead of outside the house like they are supposed to. Then, they look at me all innocent, like I'm the bad guy.

5. I haven't had one since my honeymoon. September 2010. Need I say more?

4. Did I mention burn out? What is it about this time of year that signals the crash and burn mode? No wonder they call it Spring fever, cuz right now I'm suffering from the Winter flu.

3. Every thing seems better when you are on vacation. The grass is greener, the food tastes better and everything looks better when you step outside your surroundings for a few days and take on another perspective. Even things that annoy the crap out of you don't seem so bad when you are away on vacation.

2. Everything seems better when you come home from vacation. Global crisis is much easier to handle after you've spent two weeks in the Caribbean soaking in the sun. Taking it on the chin from your boss just seems tolerable after you've toured the South of France for a week. Don't you agree?

And the number one reason Why I Need A Fricken Vacation?

1. Cuz I can. Don't be a hater...

Hemingway I'm not and chances are I'll probably never be, but if there were a time when I needed to call upon the great literary artist's soul, it was never more than now.

I awoke this morning at 4:45am filled with worry.

I have to write my ENTIRE wedding ceremony. More accurately, I have to SCRIPT my entire wedding ceremony, down to the very last second and I just gotta ask myself, HOW THE HECK DID I GET ROPED INTO THAT ONE???

I know how. The second the JP who will be performing the ceremony said,
"I don't really say much of anything other than ,'do you take this person'. So if you want the ceremony to be longer than three minutes, you have to write it yourself."
Oh yeah, Candy, you're a writer, you can do it. Script it? No problem. All those years of sports journalism copy you have written for broadcast?? It should be a piece of cake. What the hell was I thinking?? Writing a script for TV is one thing. Scripting the most important moment of your life is another thing entirely.

So here I am staring at a blank page, my writer's credentials never more paltry than now.

Have any of you done this before? What the hell am I going to do?

I tried brainstorming, the usual catalyst to the floodgates of my mind spewing forth but the best I can come up with is a theme; Love and Family. I have a template for the all-important "do you take" stuff, but everything else I write seems sophomoric and cliche. And I'm all about wow-ing the audience with my glittering prose, just not so much in this case. Cuz it's important and it has to be meaningful.

I need your help bloggers.
Chances are I'm not going to get voted off this wedding script island, so since I'm out here alone I need some inspiration. I'm confident I can handle the personal details but I need some direction, and I want it to be memorable.

Any ideas??