March 21, 2011 · 9:23 pm

Time to Cry Tuesday – Laughing Baby or Tragic Toddler

Not a tough choice, right?

This morning I logged onto facebook and found this link to the most adorable baby laughing.

How can you not smile when you see something like this? I shared it with Gary. And then I shared another one I had seen last week that was similarly charming. We smiled, laughed a little and said, hey this is not a bad way to start a rainy monday.

And then the damn morning news spewed its usual horror stories, one in which a toddler was left in the hospital in critical condition. Sandwiched in between tsunami/earthquake/irradiated spinach/air strikes… yadayad-bad news-yada.

Talk about a buzz kill.

That is when I turned to Gary and said, “We can choose to start our day with the laughing baby or the tragic toddler.” These 2 videos currently have over 7 million and 12 million hits. I am thinking perhaps if more of us started our day with the laughing babies we would probably be a lot healthier.

I am not saying that we should not empathize or be outraged by the tragic toddlers… but maybe if more people unwrapped their day with a little more joy and a lot less tragedy we would be a hell of a lot better off.

Just saying.

3 Comments

Filed under Time to Cry Tuesdays

Tagged as , , ,

March 20, 2011 · 10:57 pm

Honeycomb (hold the Earl Grey)

Gary came on today’s walk with Mel and I and check out what he found. Just beneath some rudimentary beekeeping apparatus were all these spent honeycombs. Now, of course if it was not March and in the ’50s you know I would have been writing this post from the ER (allergic, thank you very much… to bees, not honey).

I thought it sort of ironic that he was drawn to this. If you have ever eaten with us you would know that he is a man who loves a big-ass cup of tea (Earl Grey) with honey. He does not ask for much, but this is very important to him. So much so that those who are close to us stock both in their homes for when he visits (like Riki did tonight… thanks for never disappointing).

Hey, there are worse vices. Like tennis, perhaps. (just kidding)

Leave a comment

Filed under carry a camera, gary

Tagged as , ,

March 19, 2011 · 7:53 pm

Pet Toilets

This one comes from my dear friend Dani. She posted it on facebook and I knew she had me in mind. This is at South of the Border (where else?). I wonder if it is just an open field or if they have set up something cute with dividers. You know, to give the furry little creatures some privacy.

I have always been amused by the JFK Airport Pet Relief Area sign. I googled it and found this picture. You have to love the fire hydrant in the middle. To make them feel less self conscious and more at home, I suppose.

FYI, Philadelphia has 7 pet relief areas at their airport. So I am guessing that when you fly through there you best be carrying a second pair of shoes,just in case.

I know what you are thinking. Only I could write a whole post about pet toileting. Yeh well, it amuses me, what can I say?

Leave a comment

Filed under absurdities, humor, pets, road signs, road trip, signage

Tagged as , , , ,

March 19, 2011 · 1:00 am

The Dalai Lama is on facebook?!

Yeh, he really is. And thanks to my friend Gail who liked his page I know that because it came up in my recommend section. I clicked on the page and found out that 8 more of my friends liked it too (you know who you are).

So how do we feel about his? I mean, why not, right? 600 million people can’t be wrong and 1,387,251 of them have actively liked his page.

Imagine how many like him off facebook.

I love that his location is listed as Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I don’t know, I just never thought of him as having an office.

The whole thing seemed sort of odd to me at first but then when I thought about it, isn’t social media fully aligned with his teachings. And hey, where else can you connect with so many with such little effort.

And I thought being followed by Jesus and Moses on twitter was a big deal!

2 Comments

Filed under facebook, humor

Tagged as , , , , ,

March 17, 2011 · 9:39 pm

Orthodox Chews

This hysterical item was sent to me by my BBFF, Liz. I do so love a good play on words. And the font is perfect. This rivals the yarmulkap, or as I affectionately called it the yid lid.

Not sure when salt water taffy became ‘A Chewish Tradition’ but I have to give this company credit for coming up with the whole concept. This, I am sure, will be a hit at every Passover seder this year.

Of course I had to check out their website and they had me at the opening line:

For over 5000 years, your family and friends have been waiting for you to treat them to something special. With one simple act, all is forgiven. Delicious Orthodox Chews Gourmet Salt Water Taffy are the answer of the ages. A gift of Orthodox Chews or Orthodox Chews SugarFree is a gift of love.

The call to action is simply priceless:

Order now! Don’t let another 1000 years slip by!

The tagline?

Orthodox Chews. The Chosen Chews.

11 Comments

Filed under humor, products

Tagged as , ,

March 14, 2011 · 10:29 pm

Time to Cry Tuesday – Just Kids

I don’t usually do book reviews here at Time to Cry, but this one I could not resist. I just finished reading Patti Smith’s Just Kids and it left an indelible mark on me. A promise made to a soul mate on the day before he died to write their story makes this all the more poignant.

Not because I am a fan of Patti Smith (although I am) or of Robert Mapplethorpe (I am(ish) with a caveat that some of his work is just way too graphic for me). But because this is the story of two of people who were their art. And simply because this is one of the truly great love stories. Not just of romance, but of  two people who were inextricably linked. The story of young artists feeding each other’s souls in a way that is almost difficult to understand. In many ways they were but one soul. Their relationship started as a romantic one and transcended Mapplethorpe’s coming out.

With NYC of the late 60s and early 70s as it’s backdrop, Smith has woven their story almost as if it were poetry.

As with any biographical account, I am sure the omissions where plenty and the story romanticized a bit, but the net of it all is that these two people were so incredibly connected. In many ways, one completed the other. They reveled in each other’s fame and suffered from each other’s failures. Their sense of responsibility to one another was inspiring.

If you create, this will give you chills. If you don’t, it gives you insight into the minds and hearts of those who do. And if you have ever loved deeply, this will give you a good old fashioned Time to Cry at the end.

4 Comments

Filed under art, book review, friendship, photography, Time to Cry Tuesdays

Tagged as , ,

March 12, 2011 · 10:50 pm

Life with a Diabetic Dog – Part 2

In case you did not read Part 1, you can see it here.

Basic facts: dog is diabetic and needs to have insulin shots 2x a day. On the weekends I stay in bed a little later and my sweet husband takes care of feeding and ‘shooting’ the dog before he leaves for tennis.

Last time the note on the counter was shit. shot. fed.

Today, he was feeling a little abbreviated, I guess.

Gottta love it.

Leave a comment

Filed under gary, pets

Tagged as , , , ,

March 9, 2011 · 11:24 pm

Ultimate Kid Travel Meal

I admit it, I was incredibly indulgent with my kids when it came to food. If I had to do it again I would probably not have done that. (sorry kids)

It would appear this family took it to the next level. I snapped this pic on a flight (from hell) home from Florida.

Macaroni sandwich anyone?

Have to admit, this one was pretty creative.

5 Comments

Filed under absurdities, food, humor, travel

Tagged as , , , ,

March 8, 2011 · 9:27 pm

Retirement Camp

We used to visit my kids at camp in the summer.

Now we visit my in-laws at camp in the winter.

I am happy to report they are having a wonderful time and we are pretty sure we won’t have to send any care packages… Publix is right down the road.

 

2 Comments

Filed under carry a camera, family, travel

Tagged as , , , , , ,

March 7, 2011 · 10:33 pm

Time to Cry Tuesday – Coping

Air travel in the year 2011… it’s a crap shoot. Weather. Fees. Lack of customer service. Delays. It all makes leaving the basement a little bit harder, but worth it. And honestly, I do sort of live for the little bag of animal crackers.

It seems once things start to go wrong, they do so in a really big way. The more you bitch the worse it gets… the harder you pull the tighter it gets.

Like the man at the counter who asked the woman, “why did the later flight to LGA leave before us?” AND, he was nasty about it.

My answer? “Because it did.”

Really? I mean sir with the white hair and the white sweater at JetBlue gate 14  at PBI last night… did you really think that poor woman needed to be tortured by the likes of you?

Weather makes planes late. Period.

And when it does, it can do so with a vengeance. Here is my tale:

3 hour delay, 1 hour on runway, the worst turbulence – which is not an issue for me but others… yikes, circled JFK for 1 hour, (pilot talked of low fuel – why do they do that exactly?), diverted to Newark – oops no runway, circled some more, diverted to Dulles, circled some more (um about that low fuel comment?), turbulent landing (remind me why I am now in DC, again), hour and a half on ground IN hot cranky plane in DC, turbulent take-off, turbulent landing and finally landed at JFK around 2AM . Not bad for a 4PM flight from PBI. Oh and of course an hour for the bags to come out… on the wrong carousel.

And what did I learn? Basically, when it starts to go wrong you just have to roll with it. Coping makes it less unbearable – panic makes it worse and bitching just makes you… well, a bitch.

Yes, it is uncomfortable, yes it is an inconvenience, and for many it is traumatic.

And then its over.

15 Comments

Filed under stress, travel

Tagged as , , , , , , ,