Twinsters

July 15, 2015 kathygetto 8 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

I’m a sucker for any story about twins. Here’s a great one…

Getting a celebrity to answer your messages is tough, but it helps when you look exactly alike.

When Anaïs Bordier spotted a woman who looked exactly like her in a movie trailer, she knew she had to write the actress.

“Dude, we’re totally twins!” Samantha Futerman wrote back.

They totally turned out to be just that.

Once they started talking, they discovered that not only did they have the same birthday, but they were also born in the same South Korean clinic before being adopted by parents in France and the U.S.

The two women met in London, had a DNA test and the results confirmed that they are identical twins.

And Samantha, who has appeared in “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Law and Order,” is adding a directing credit to her resume — she’s creating a documentary, “Twinsters,” about the unlikely reunion with the twin sister who found her.

I haven’t been to a movie in over 15 years . This movie is one that I might actually go see in a theatre.

I’m intrigued by the concept of finding the perfect best friend in an instant and yet not sharing any past…

Cerebrations

Hocus Pocus

July 14, 2015 kathygetto

Meridian, Idaho

Years ago, Carol and I bought a series of CDs called the SMART Technique Automatic Fat Loss Program.

The CDs were supposed to help us lose weight simply by listening to them.

Alas, they didn’t help with fat control 🙂 , but they were amazingly effective at helping us take a nap each day while listening to one of them.

Each session on the CD lasts between 35 and 45 minutes–just the right amount of time for a quick afternoon nap. Between the warm up for the nap and the wake up from the nap, the actual nap is about 20 minutes. Perfect!

It’s hard to describe how listening to the CD induces naps with a combination of music, guided imagery, and silences using a type of self-hypnosis…

Melissa called them “Hocus Pocus” whenever we talked about them. Carol, her daughters, and I all giggled at the name and the name stuck.

I’ve been using Hocus Pocus for the last few weeks to help me both take a nap and to fall asleep at night because I went through a period of insomnia.

It’s rather weird because within each session the talker reminds me to wake up to the bell if I’m just napping or to sleep through the bell if it’s night time and I want to stay asleep.

Nine times out of then, that suggestion works.

If I’m really tired, my nap goes over the preferred 20 minute power nap time because I don’t hear the bell.

But a long nap isn’t necessarily a really bad thing. 🙂

Especially because I know I can Hocus Pocus later that night and fall right back asleep again. 🙂

Sports

Cruisin’ Big Dogs, Governors, and Ranchers

July 13, 2015 kathygetto 4 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

Over 10,000 golden-agers are competing in the National Senior Games this month in Minnesota including Dick Johnson, a 75 year old pickleball buddy of mine from Boise.

Yes, they pitch horseshoes and play shuffleboard at the National Senior Games. But this 13-day event, which begins Friday in the Twin Cities, isn’t your grandfather’s sports festival — unless your grandfather is a triathlete, javelin thrower or point guard.

Stereotype-busting is not among the 19 medal sports and two demonstration events at the Games, an Olympic-style competition for men and women ages 50 and older. Still, the perception they are fusty or frail is likely to take a big hit, as nearly 10,000 golden-agers go for gold in everything from three-on-three basketball to archery to pickleball to disc golf. Their message is that no matter how many miles are on their muscles, sports can provide lifelong nourishment to both body and spirit.

I just love looking at individual and group stories about people. Here are a few of athletes competing in the games.

Women’s Basketball 3 on 3 Competition

From NBC News:

With all of its members in their 80s or 90s, the “Albuquerque Cruisin’ Big Dogs” prove age is nothing but a number.

Best quote from that story: The more you don’t move, the less you’ll be able to…

Track and Field Competitions

Former South Dakota governor Frank Farrar has completed in over 300 triathlons over the last 23 years after battling knee surgery and cancer. Farrar placed second at this year’s National Senior Games.

And retired rancher John Zilverberg, who turns 102 in a month, is competing in discus, shot put, javelin, and softball throw events.

Cerebrations, Laugh Out Loud

Diet Pepsi Dilemma

July 12, 2015 kathygetto 2 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

I’m a Diet Pepsi junkie.

If there were DP Anonymous meetings, I’d be tempted to go. But thankfully, as far as I know, there are no meetings.

I have been drinking Diet Pepsi for at least 40 years. Yep, that long…

I gave it up for Lent once–longest 40 days of my life!

94aaa5815ffc70bb1f6bf72ada5973fd Lately, there’s been a change in the bottling methods of Diet Pepsi and it’s creating a dilemma for me.

They’ve changed the sizes of many of the bottles.

I used to buy it in two sizes: 24 ounce to drink as I was in the car and 2 Liter to drink at home in a glass over ice.

Both sizes were perfect!

Today’s post concerns the 24 ounce bottles.

The 24 ounce was enough for a long car ride, and I even had a bit left to share with Rich.

But as of this spring, there are no more 24 ounce sizes sold.

There’s a 16.9 ounce which is almost one-third less than the perfect 24 ounce size. Alas, I don’t have enough to share with Rich anymore when we go on drives. 🙂

I thought I was the only one who missed the 24 ounce bottle, but then I found a support group on Facebook.

I got the giggles when I read some of the posts on the Pepsi please bring back 6 pks. 24 oz bottles Facebook page.

Here’s my favorite from a fan who thinks there’s a connection between the size of toilet paper rolls and Pepsi bottles:

I was a faithful Pepsi fan for the last forty plus years. Ever since the 6-pack of 24oz bottles came out I have purchased about six a week as it was about the only thing I drink. It is the perfect size to take a couple to work. I hate cans and am not fond of the small bottles. I feel you are doing the same thing the toilet paper people did. Make it smaller, charge the same price and maybe they won’t notice. Well, I noticed and I will no longer buy any of it. I now only buy toilet paper from Costco and I no longer drink Pepsi. I have done what my kids have wanted me to do and am drinking ice tea and more water. Basically, lost me as a faithful customer by treating us like idiots.

Obviously, “Faithful Pepsi Fan” and I are not the only Pepsi fans who are upset with the change…

Please bring back the 24 ounce bottles. I can’t even find the 20 ounce bottle anymore. 16 ounce bottles fall over in the cup holder in the car they don’t fit in my cooler cups come on Pepsi please get real.

Still giggling over that one. As I read through the posts on the Facebook page, I’m beginning to think that all of us who are addicted to Pepsi are just a tad crazy….

There are lots of smaller sizes of DP available, but for obvious reasons they won’t work for me.

When Rich saw the 8 ounce size at the store, he said, “There’s no way that would even be enough to get you out of the driveway.”

Ha ha ha… He’s right. 🙂

People Are Good, Thanks!, Wow!

Little Love Gift

July 11, 2015 kathygetto 4 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

I received a wonderful little love gift yesterday!

Rich’s cousin’s wife, Renee, sent me some lavender sachets.

She grew the lavender in her yard, harvested the lavender after the bees had finished their pollination, removed the flower buds from the stems, and placed them in pretty gauze bags.

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So thoughtful and so welcomed.

Just lovely!

(And perfect to help make my car smell better because it gets so stinky after I am done playing pickleball. 🙂 )

Cerebrations

Walking–Addicted to Love

July 10, 2015 kathygetto 6 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

After dinner last night, Sophie looked forlornly into my eyes…

…indicating that she would love to go for a walk!

Apparently, going for a drive in the mountains, taking a nap together, and playing a rousing game of fetch weren’t quite enough for a day’s entertainment.

So off we went for a short walk around our subdivision.

Didn’t try this, but I might next time. 🙂

Anyway, I like to listen to music as we walk and last night I listened to Robert Palmer’s Riptide CD.

Most of the songs have the perfect beat for taking long strides while walking, especially Palmer’s signature song: Addicted to Love.

It’s a great song that is most famous for its video.

Many people probably thought of Addicted to Love subconsciously if they were watching a particular portion of the final awards ceremony of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Soccer gold medal match last week — young women carried the medals in wearing black dresses and high heels.

What an odd way to honor and celebrate a group of women’s athletic victory–with sexist stereotypes…

Take a look at Palmer’s quintessential Addicted to Love video to see what I’m talking about:

How great the beat is to taking long strides while walking, and
Why those of us watching the soccer awards ceremony thought of the video.

Free Gift!

No Soliciting

July 9, 2015 kathygetto 4 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

I hate to be completely unsocial, but I don’t want any soliciters knocking on our door.

This has become a problem for us since moving into the city. When we lived 20 miles out of town, we got a few. But living in town has exponentially increased the number of soliciters we have knocking on our door.

I finally decided to put up a “No Soliciting” sign.

I was shocked at how many different signs there are. Obviously others feel the same way…

From the polite:

To the assertive:

To the pro Girl Scouts:

And the humorous:

I decided finally on this sign:

Square Sticker 3" x 3"

And I bought some extras. If you want one, please either send me an email or submit a comment on this post.

I’ll send you one as a free gift in the hopes that you don’t get any door-to-door soliciters during the upcoming election season. 🙂

Cerebrations, Laugh Out Loud

Butt Slap

July 8, 2015 kathygetto 6 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

I’ve been playing hours and hours of pickleball lately.

I’m learning lots. I’m sweating lots. And I’m having a blast.

There’s nothing new with all that…

But something new happened a few days ago:

My playing partner slapped my butt with his paddle and said, “Good shot, Kathy!”

(When you see a butt slap happen, it doesn’t look nearly as awkward as it does in still photo shots. 🙂 )

It’s only happened once, and I’m sure I don’t want him to continue the practice. It might lead me to play less effectively in order to avoid getting a butt slap as shown in this funny scene from The Office.

Stupid Questions

Are There Enough Cemeteries?

July 7, 2015 kathygetto 4 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

Periodically, I wonder about stupid things.

These are questions that don’t really have an answer, but still the questions keep popping up in my head.

So starting today, I’ll share some of my questions with you, dear gentle blog reader.

Ready?

Here’s one of the questions that pops up often:

Are there enough cemeteries in the world do take care of all of the people who have died?

It sure doesn’t look like it to me.

Think about it…

As you’re driving around a city and look at all the people in their cars, walking along the sidewalks, playing in the park…

Could they all fit in the cemetery you just passed?

Nope.

Now way, no how.

There’s just not enough graves to take care of all the people who have died over the last, say, 100 years. And that’s even factoring in the fact that many people opt for cremation over burial.

According to an article from NBC News, in 2011 42% of the 2.5 million people who died in America were cremated. That’s higher than I thought it would be.

Interestingly, that rate is double what it was fifteen years earlier.

Even more interestingly, cremation rates are higher in the west (where there’s more space) than in the eastern states. In Nevada 74% of its population are cremated (with a population density of 25 people per square mile). In Mississippi (where 64 people live per square mile) just under 16% of people are cremated.

Regardless of cremation rates, there still doesn’t seem to be enough cemetery plots to take care of all the people who have died…

Just Stuff