Bfth's Boring Blog

It's a gray day today in NJ.  And I'm reminded of 7 years ago when Sandy swept through.  ( https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/an-anniversary-to-forget.html ) Leaving a path of destruction that will be forever embedded in my heart (and I'm sure the hearts of so many others.)  So much was lost...not just on one day, but in the months and YEARS that followed.  (And still continues to this day: https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2017/10/stronger-than5-years-later.html )  A community burned to the ground and will never be the same ( http://brick.shorebeat.com/2019/05/five-homes-proposed-for-portion-of-camp-osborn-destroyed-in-sandy/ )  A beloved house of worship (and local landmark) was razed to make way for townhomes that will sit uncomfortably close to one another in between the north and south bound highways.  Not just the landscape of an island was changed, but the heart as well.  Yes, we were (and are) stronger than the storm, but we are not the same.  T

Least you think this is a depressing post and that I have given up on life, let me assure you that it's not true.  I'm not talking about the typical American Dream.  I'm talking about the shopping mall.   (Ski slop is on far left; rollercoaster is on the far right.  Office buildings block my view of the rest of the mall) For those of you not in the tristate area, after nearly 2 decades (yes, you read that right), this monstrous mall is finally opening today.  Well, sort of.  Like the Mall of America (which is larger as the American Dream is "only"3 million square feet) it's more than your "traditional" mall.  Besides having shops (which are not yet open nor does the general populace know exactly WHAT shops there will be) and food, there will be a water park, ice skating rink, ski slope...and yes all of this is INDOORS.  However, on "opening day" the only thing that will be open is Nickelodeon Universe and I'm not paying $50

I walk pretty much every morning.  I prefer to walk outside; early morning walks clear my head and help me get ready for the day.  Often while walking I will come up with a blog post idea.  I know walking is good for me health wise (even if it's not helping me that much taking off the pounds...but that's another story and another struggle).  But I usually stop walking in late autumn and don't return to a regular schedule until the spring.  It's a combination of things that prevent me from those early morning walks.  Cold is not my favorite thing to be.  When it's cold, things get icy.  In the autumn leaves fall and it gets slippery.  And my early morning walks are done in the dark.  In the spring and summer when I am out the door at 4:30ish, it's light or if it's not yet light, it will be as I return home.  As the year starts to come to an end, that's not the case anymore.  I don't want to be the lady who falls down and can't get up; parti

Just a disclaimer before I start...the following is not all that serious.  It's about sales orders and shipments.  It's about an annoyance.  It's NOT end of the world problem status and certainly there is a lot more stress in my life and problems that are ten times, bigger...but in the spirit of being able to publicly whine.  (I don't think this post is too whiny...but if you do, let me know and by all means don't finish reading.)  And now I give you a tale of two packages: Package 1:  Back on September 26th, I ordered 6 items from a small on line store.  Actually I didn't know the vendor that well and I WILL admit that I was drawn in by social media advertising. The company offered some cute items; one of which I thought would be a PERFECT gift for a friend.  Although we are not close friends, this item jumped out at me and screamed her name!  All of the items this vendor offered were inexpensive and I thought:  What the heck.  I placed my order (which was

You'd think in this day and age, grocery shopping would be getting easier.  While there are more options (do it yourself, have someone else do it and just pick it up or delivery), things are NOT getting easier.  Options are great and while I appreciate delivery (especially when the weather is bad or I'm returning from a trip and have nothing in the house), I like to do my own shopping.  I like to make my own selections and find my own bargains.  Both of which are getting MORE complicated. Why?  A couple of reasons... First reason is not a bad one.  My church sells scrip (gift cards) for several grocery stores.  When you buy a $25, $50 or $100 card, the church gets back 5%.  You don't pay any more or lose anything.  It's just like spending that amount in cash at the store.  You shop, the grocery store gets paid and the church earns a little money.  So I've been trying to do that regularly.  However, my son is now part of the high school music program and t

Once there was a 2nd hand shop that sold lovely clothing.  Some items had never been worn; some were a little worse for wear and some were in need of serious need of a good seamstress.  All the items were priced fairly based on the wear and tear.  Flaws were not hidden and pricing was not negotiable. One day a high society woman came into the shop and there she found a gorgeous red suit.  It was NOT a designer suit, but it was well made.  One might call it a classic.  A scarlet red color, the jacket and skirt were made of quality wool.  It was a size 12.  One of the buttons on the jacket was loose and there was a small stain on the back of the skirt most would have never noticed. The woman looked it over and examined every inch. "I love this suit," the woman declared.  "I want to buy it." "It is a beautiful suit," the shop owner agreed.  "I am selling it for $500." "It is well worth it, “said the woman.  "But I do

You know who I'm talking about right?  Ellen DeGeneres; who had the NERVE to sit in the Dallas Cowboys owner's private box and sit next to former president George Bush, who she considers a friend.  And then when people freaked out about it. (A Lesbian calling a CONSERVATIVE a friend?  One who doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to equal rights for ALL.)  In response, Ellen spoke on HER talk show about kindness and having friends who didn't necessarily share her beliefs.  (Hey, didn't I say that before?  She is STEALING from ME?!?!?)  And then people bashed her some more for the whole kindness thing.  (Is she saying that we should have given hugs to Hitler?) I'd like to say (okay, write) a few things.  And you don't HAVE to read them.  As a matter of fact you don't have to read this blog if you don't want to.  Most people on this planet don't.  I'm including Ellen DeGeneres AND George Bush in that group.  (I can probab

Apologies to the late John Lennon, but it's not.  God knows I WISH it was.  Waiting is so frustrating, but I believe in karma and what goes around will come around.  That thought sustains me when I am truly angry, frustrated, annoyed...well you get the picture.  All to recently I've been thrust into a situation where I've been faced with subtle manipulation and deceit that makes me want to scream with rage.  And for better or worse, I really want to be around when karma bites the deserving individual in the butt. Now usually I am not that type of person.  At least I TRY not to be.  I believe in being kind to my fellow man.  In general I am an honest and trusting person.  My flaw is that I often expect the same in return.  When it doesn't come...well it really gets my dander up.  (Is that even a term anymore?  Or am I just showing my age.)  Lies and general dishonesty (or false face) gets under my skin and makes me crazy.  REALLY CRAZY; as in stark raving looney!

It's a dreaded phrase:  we've always done it that way.  Or:  it's always been that way.  It's also a big fat lie. Everything in life changes. NOTHING stays the same. To say it's always been that way cannot be true.  To say we've always done it that way in reality means that it's been done that way as far as I can remember and I want it to stay that way.  (While not a great answer; it is at least an honest one.) Traditions must begin somewhere.  Traditions can be good.  But traditions do not HAVE to last forever.  Life changes.  What once might have been a very valid tradition and one that was best for or enjoyed by the majority; it's not ALWAYS going to be the case.  People get older.  People move away.  A person's life ten year ago can be very different than it is now.  (Heck, a person's life 5 years ago or even a year ago can be very different!)  Things change and for something (or someone) to be successful, traditions and actio

It's a dumb question.  Really it is! I remember when I was in college (EONS ago), the heat didn't come on in the dorms until October 15th.  And there was no air conditioning. When DO you turn on the heat?  The answer is quite simple:  when you are COLD.  It doesn't matter if it's October 15th or August 15th.  If it's cold; you turn on (or turn UP) the heat.   The same goes for when you are hot.  IF you are hot you turn on the air conditioner.  I don't care if it's July 4th or December 4th.  If it's hot; turn on the a/c. WHY wait for a certain date? What is the point of waiting?  What are you trying to prove?  That you can tough it out?  Who cares?  It's cold!  Turn on the heat!  It's hot turn on the air conditioner.  (Or at least put on the fan.) Mother Nature is NOT ruled by the date.  It can be hot in December; even in the northeast. (I'm thinking back to that middle school concert in December when the heat was on because it wa

Tuesday, Epcot celebrated its 37th birthday and premiered its new nighttime show "Epcot Forever." (The show will NOT last forever, but only till 2020; which makes me wonder why they had to kill my favorite show "Illuminations:  Reflections of Earth."  Yes, I know it was old, but I never grew tired of it.)  Epcot is my favorite Disney Park; only slightly edging out the Magic Kingdom.  But let's face it, there are 4 wonderful (major) parks in Disney World and "ranking" them is like ranking your favorite wines...they are all pretty darned good and depending on your mood or your palate for the day, they change. In honor of the anniversary, let me give you 37 Bfth thoughts and memories on Epcot. It was the first park I visited with my husband on our honeymoon back in 1996.   These were the days before the internet as we know it (yes it existed, but it wasn't as expansive or easy to access).  My husband had purchased the Unoffici