a99kitten's Musings

Spent a few hours today washing, vacuuming out and emptying out my old car in preparation for selling it. It’s weird. I got kinda sad. Not that I don’t love my new car – I totally do. Like…more than I thought I would!

But I’ve had my old car since December 1995. That’s a long time :) I bought him (yes, he’s a him..not a her..just felt like it) after an accident in my previous car – a Miata. Not so long story short – driving it in the rain on Highway 280 which is very windy in some parts and spun out in the rain. Hydroplaned, spun out up an embankment and ended up in the emergency lane facing traffic in a torrential downpour. But everything was OK. Didn’t hit anything, I was OK. I went to work early for stock market hours so few cars were on the freeway. As I started my car back up (it had stalled out I guess) I saw headlights coming at me. I was partially in the emergency lane and partially still on the grass. No part on the actual freeway at all. But the headlights were coming fast right at me. I jumped out of my seat and towards the middle of the car (Miatas are small – not much room to jump! And BAM – a truck crunched the entire drivers side into the middle of the car. Rain was now pouring in and I was basically sitting in the center console. I wasn’t scared though – I was angry. What the hell?

I had a car phone (an old relic nowadays but then it was quite fancy!) and called 911. I also called my boss to let him know what happened and that I’d be late.

When the police arrived, they pried my door open and got me out. Made sure I was ok, etc. After taking statements, turns out the driver of the truck saw my headlights facing him and in that split second slammed his brakes…in the rain. He hydroplaned just like I did but hit me instead of nothing like I did. Thanks. Oh…turns out uninsured, unlicensed illegal Mexican immigrant. Great. The police were very nice, very fast and got me a tow truck quickly. The tow truck driver said to me, lucky you thought to jump out of your seat or you would be part of that twisted metal. Ok.

After that, I decided I wanted a tougher car. Especially if I was going to be driving up to Tahoe a lot (which I was since I took up snow boarding the winter before and my boyfriend at the time was a pro snowboarder.) So I test drove a couple and decided on the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was quite the luxury SUV at the time since Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, etc didn’t make SUVs then. And it drove so nicely. I loved it.

Broke up with said *cheating* snowboarder boyfriend and met my husband. So I’ve had my car longer than I’ve had him. In fact, he will still remember how on our first trip up Tahoe with friends (we weren’t dating then) I wouldn’t let him bring leftover dinner food in the car. Hey pal – it’s a nice, new car. Keep your food out of here! I will be the same with my new car now. The huskies, they can do what they want but people – nope.

So over the years as we worked all the time, he went to Stanford Business school, we started our own company, etc. I lost interest in snowboarding. Sliding my face on ice didn’t help either. But then I got a puppy. And then another. And my car was their car. And so it went from the “cool, snowboarding chick’s” car who kept it immaculate to the fluffy, sandy, muddy, snowy husky mom car :) But they make me much happier than any day/trip snowboarding could. Yes, it gets fluffy. Yes, it needs to be vacuumed and cleaned a lot. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So 200K mikes later, it became clear I needed a new car soon. I wanted the H2. Yeah, yeah..gas-guzzler, carbon footprint, big American beast, whatever, whatever. I love it. Kinda the same reason I loved the Miata when it first came out (I had the first year) – it didn’t look like any other car out there. It was totally different. Plus it was DEFINITELY safe. I test drove – LOVED it.

But, the back was pretty small and it was higher than my car which means harder for the buds to get in. So I did eventually give up on that car. But didn’t really want any others. All other SUVs looked the same – boring. And I wanted a SUV and more room for the buds.

Husband finally got me to test drive the Range Rover Sport and I liked it. I knew I would – I’ve been an anglophile all my life so it was quite likely. And it’s quite fancy which I kinda like :) (and now I have an excuse need to buy more shoes, bags and jewelry to fit in with my car!) Plus it’s FAST. So I set out to find one. Found one at 50% the sticker (who pays that for a car???) in Texas. Supercharged even (I really, really, really need to watch my lead foot) and the color I wanted (silver). Bought it – love it. Really do. I bought a fan for the dogs and just put a bed in there today for them. We’ll see if they like it more now. They are used to having the run of the Jeep and this car has super soft fancy leather so none of that….for now anyway…

Also had a license plate frame made for it – chrome silver with black lettering “My Millennium Falcon”. Geek? Sure :) But that’s ok. My personalized plate (husky related) is now also on and it’s officially 100% the car I drive now. No more Jeep driving.

But in emptying my old Jeep today I did get oddly sad. Not that I don’t want my new car. Trust me – I do! But I’ve had that car longer than anything else I possess (except a raft of Star Wars toys and collectibles which will NEVER be sold.) Have had even longer than I’ve had my husband. So it’s weird to say good bye to him. But he’s worked hard protecting me and the huskies. So he deserves some rest now :) And my Falcon awaits some new travels!

I saw 2 TV ads for “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” last night. It’s a show by a celeb chef aimed at getting school kids healthier lunches in public schools and families to eat better at home. The ad made me sick. I applaud the effort of the show. But the fact that people have allowed themselves to be so consumed by unhealthy lifestyles and then pass it on to their kids makes me angry.

I am not saying everybody should be a Size 0, or 2 or 8. That’s fine. But what I am saying is when you are a size “tent” and you have problems finding shoes that fit your sausage feet, or can’t walk up a small flight of stairs without getting winded, or need more than 1 seat on the airplane – that is not genetics. That is not “just the way my body is and it’s ok to love it as it is.” That’s get off your ass, exercise more, eat less and eat healthier, better for you food.

Look, I love junk/fatty goodness food. I mean I **love** it. I would eat McDonald’s and Taco Bell and french fries and fried chicken and fried rice and garlic bread EVERY DAY if I could. But guess what – I can’t. Not if I want to stay healthy and thin. And honestly, after you eat that food you do feel heavier, weighed down because of how heavy the food is. So do I indulge and have junk every once in a while – of course. No big deal. But you cannot eat food like that every day.

And it’s not just a superficial, how you look in a bikini thing. If you weigh too much, you die faster. Your body cannot handle it.  You are susceptible to all sorts of ailments (I won’t get started on the effect it has on healthcare costs – whole other rant.) So when I see fat people (and yes, I am calling them fat and not some stupid PC thing – get over it) eating junk – I get grossed out. Literally. Call me mean, I don’t care.  But come on. And when I see fat parents loading up their fat kids with junk – that pisses me off.  It is your job as a parent to teach them healthy eating habits, get them outside exercising, make sure they are healthy. Not just like you. And kids are mean – when they go to school they will be ridiculed. Period. And it will effect their self-esteem. Do you really want that for them?

Do I think every person should strive to be a size 2? No. That’s unrealistic. And probably very unhealthy for people that do have bigger frames, are taller, etc.  But that is no excuse to be a size tent. You should be strong/firm, able to go up and down flights of stairs with no issue, walk a few miles with your dog every day, and yes, fit into ONE airplane seat.

I see nothing wrong with Southwest, or any other airline, charging passengers for 2 seats if they can’t fit into one. You are TAKING UP two seats. You feel embarrassed? Well too bad. Kevin Smith’s recent tirade was ridiculous. I’ve seen the guy live – he is frackin’ huge. Like…HUGE. He sweats sooo much just walking back and forth on the stage. And sounded winded half way through his show. That’s unhealthy! So yeah – pay for 2 seats pal. I don’t care if you’re rich and famous. And frankly – first class seats are bigger so maybe you should have ponied up for the United or American first class cabin. But sorry to tell you this – you are fat. And if you squeezed in next to me – I would have been annoyed. Does this make it OK for people to be mean and rude to you – no, of course not. But don’t get offended by the fact that you have to pay for 2.

Someone once said to me that she realized after years of hating how skinny I was that I was thin because I did deny myself stuff. I didn’t get to just eat whatever I wanted. Duh. I’ve been watching what I eat since I was 24. Exercising every single day since I was 20. Actresses and models over the age of 20 that say they eat whatever they want and never exercise and just stay super skinny are most likely lying. Or doing coke, or Adderall, or whatever the new speed is they can get. Are there people who are naturally, ridiculously thin with no effort. Yes. But is that a normal thing? No. Most people need self control and discipline to manage it. But it’s 100% possible. It’s also 100% up to you.

Now, do genes play into it. Sure. Body frames are different. I have teeny, tiny bones courtesy of my Mom. But thanks to my Dad’s side of the family, if I don’t pay attention to what I eat and exercise all the time, I’d probably get hippy. And anyone who knows me, knows I hate hippies :)

Yes, yes, I know women are supposed to be curvy, have hips, blah blah. I do agree. But I know what is supposed to be on me and what’s not. How my hips, butt, legs should look and how they shouldn’t. So I work to make sure they do. But no one should be so big you can’t find clothes that fit, or chairs to hold you. If you can’t ride the rides at Disney World – get a clue.

And there is not one person that can convince me that the actress from the movie Precious is actually 100% happy with how she looks. Maybe she doesn’t cry every day about it or gets depressed – which is great. But she would trade her body in for Halle Berry’s tomorrow and we all know that. Does not excuse Howard Stern being a mean ass clown to her though. But he is Howard, and we now he will be a mean ass clown so whatever. But the fact that we are supposed to applaud her confidence and that she loves her body is wrong in my opinion. She is huge. And that is simply unhealthy.

Does that mean people should be judged by how they look? No. There are plenty of nice, funny, smart, awesome people that are over-weight. But that’s all the more reason they should be healthier – so they stay around longer. Now, I do judge you if you teach unhealthy habits to your kids. I absolutely judge the parent I see out with their fat kid and loading them up with junk.

But this ad for the TV show showed these HUGE people eating heaping plates of fried, fatty food. And little kids. Little (or I should say young) kids – probably 8-12 age range – who probably weighed more than me! GROSS! NOT RIGHT.

If you have time to watch TV, you have time to exercise. Period. If you have children, you should not let them watch TV, mess around on the computer or play video games unless they have already spent time outside running around and playing, riding their bikes, whatever.

And if you care about them, or yourself, at all – stop feeding them/eating frappucinos, junk food, sugar cereal, candy, fried foods, etc. all the time. Ok for a treat or every once in awhile but regularly? No.

And no – you do not get to blame Starbucks, McDonald’s, Kraft and Coke. They sell the stuff. They don’t point a gun to your head and tell you to buy it. It’s your job to have self control for yourself and your children if you have any.

I do not accept:
it’s genetics
I can love myself at 300 lbs
you need to accept me as I am
it’s discrimination against over weight people
there is nothing I can do

BS. It’s called self control people. Get it. Teach it to your kids. You owe that to yourself and to them.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100319/en_afp/entertainmentuscrimepeoplesmith

Ummm…Penniless? Did she not work for a living? And make her own money?

And heirs? Surely they are just talking about her one daughter and not that scumbag lawyer Howard Stern (who is the only person from her will alive)?

She (Anna) didn’t deserve any of that money and I’m glad the judge ruled this way. That a lawsuit can stay alive in court for so long on such a baseless claim is ridiculous. The old guy’s will said what he wanted. If he told you something different to get you to marry him (eww) then you should have got it in writing first. I believe she got a house and jewelry out of the deal so she should have been happy with that. Especially if she loved him as she claimed. Although my guess is most of this was Howard Stern’s plotting.

There should be no will challenging allowed unless the person is truly not in their right mind and a change is made then (or under duress obviously.)  Actually, had he changed it to give her a huge chunk of his fortune right before he dies, his son/family would have had more of a right to question it and sue in court.

People don’t “deserve” anything. My money – if I want to leave it to my dogs, I should be allowed. If I want it all in cash and thrown out of an airplane – my right. My money. If you have minor children, then that is your only true responsibility to ensure are taken care of until they grow up. And any outstanding debt you have.  Beyond that – do what you want with it.

Pissed me off that some judge thought he had the right to change Leona Helmsley’s will when she left it to her dog. And have the nerve to dole some of it to the grand kids she specifically disinherited. Who the hell are you to question what I do with my money and my family? And then decide what charities/organizations to give it to. Who are you to make these choices with MY money? Grrrr.

The End.

I *might* have just accidentally ordered these….

I think for khakis, skirts and dresses, these will be great in the summer….or spring which is officially next week :)

I fully and completely blame a friend who pointed out a St. Paddy’s Day sale code plus Bing cashback making them a pretty good deal! And with the platform they are 4.5″ tall :)

And they might just look really cute with that pink Kooba….hmmm….will  need to compare shades of pink!

“The White House emphasized the human benefits over the technical details, returning repeatedly to a letter Obama received from an Ohio cancer patient who wrote that she gave up her health insurance after the cost rose to $8,500 a year.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100316/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul
So wait a second…this woman, who has cancer, gave up her health insurance which undoubtedly paid tens of thousands (if not much, much more) of dollars in medical bills because her portion rose to $8500 a year? And this is viewed (by her and the White House apparently) as too high of a cost for a person to pay for their health care? No – it’s actually not.

And guess what – those “technical details” are billions and billions of dollars. What money tree has been found to pay for that? Who exactly will be covering her $8500 portion now? But no – people don’t want to think about that. They’ll think about that tomorrow…when it’s too late.

WTH is wrong with people? Why shouldn’t you have to pay a portion of your own health care costs?? It is ridiculous, and frankly disgusting, that the House is trying to sneak such a huge piece of legislation through. And the reason they want to sneak it through is because they know they can’t get it done any other way.

Disgusting. Worst Congress in recent history.

Went on a great snowshoe hike today! Over the past couple years I have definitely moved away from other snow sports and to snow hiking or show shoeing. Plus I get to spend more time with the huskies this way (although they don’t always go with me.)

When I first moved to California I learned how to ski. My old boss got me private lessons at Northstar. Cute instructer = bonus :) After 2 years I moved to snowboarding. All the cute boys were just starting to do it so my girlfriends and I decided to learn :) Back then a lot of girls did not snowboard. So we were pretty cool ;)

I was/am a decent snowboarder. I liked trying to learn/do tricks in the snowboard park. And I did enjoy myself. I never hurt myself skiing, but also never tried anything other than cruising down the standard runs. With snowboarding, I did try more stuff.  Jumping, trees, etc. One time I almost plowed right into a tree. I did actually plow into the tree but not Kennedy or Bono style. I was careening through the trees, lost control but thought with my head and covered my head with my arms and hit the ground with my butt so I could slide into the tree – whew. My friend said she heard the thwack against the tree and was freaked out. Meanwhile, she found me laughing since I was imagining in my head how that looked to anyone watching! Not hurt at all.

But then a few years later I tried a jump in the snowboard park and landed wrong. Slid half way down the run on my face….on the ice. Ow. My husband had taken the jump first so he was down the run going “what are you doing, just get up and come down here.” Ummm…yeah..sure pal. A girl boarded down to me and saw I was hurt and my bleeding and red face. She got the ski patrol and I rode down with them on the lift.  From that point on, I basically thought to myself – is this really worth it? Is the level of fun worth the potential outcome? No..actually…not really.

So since them I go boarding a few times a season. Between the ridiculous cost of the lift tickets (ridiculous since I get bored after an hour or 2) and the fact that I really get bored and don’t want to break anything means I find other things to do in the winter now.

Now…the very first winter I came to Tahoe I decided I wanted a house in the mountains. I love it so much.  And when we were able to, and decided to, buy a house here, I was ecstatic. In the spring/summer/fall, I hike around and love the beauty of the mountains. In the winter, I now hike around too. I love it.

My husband hates that I don’t snowboard much anymore. Moans and groans every season. Says I “tricked” him. Um…yeah…people never change what they like.  Who cares. I am doing what I enjoy. Plus I get so much more husky time :)

Had to read through some IRS publications today. Boatloads of giddy fun times *yesthatissarcasm*. However, it did provide for some smirks. Here are some of my favorites…italics are my own personal comments and not those expressed by IRS :)

Bribes. If you receive a bribe, include it in your income. You should choose now to be honest to ensure the IRS gets their cut…

Babysitting. If you babysit for relatives or neighborhood children, whether on a regular basis or only periodically, the rules for childcare providers apply to you. might as well learn the rules and start paying early kid..and let’s talk about that lemonade stand..

Astronauts. You also can exclude death payments for astronauts dying in the line of duty after 2002. new for 2010 tax rules – awesome (?)

Host or Hostess. If you host a party or event at which sales are made, any gift or gratuity you receive for giving the event is a payment for helping a direct seller make sales. You must report this item as income at its fair market value. so your Mary Kay free lipgloss for hosting the neighborhood party is taxable – better report that

Indian financing grants. Nonreimbursable grants under title IV of the Indian Financing Act of 1974 to Indians to expand profit-making Indian-owned economic enterprises on or near reservations are not includible in gross income. indian? they are sooo in trouble for this horribly un-PC statement – 20 tomahawk chops

Old-age, survivors, and disability insurance benefits (OASDI). OASDI payments under section 202 of title II of the Social Security Act are not includible in the gross income of the individuals to whom they are paid. This applies to old-age insurance benefits, and insurance benefits for wives, husbands, children, widows, widowers, mothers and fathers, and parents, as well as the lump-sum death payment. also horribly un-PC – “old-age”? shouldn’t that be youth-challenged or something?

Exxon Valdez settlement income. Include in your income on Form 1040, line 21, or Form 1040NR, line 21, any qualified settlement income you receive as a qualified taxpayer. still unsettled after 20ish years? i guess you deserve your own category in the IRS rules for holding out so long…

Found property. If you find and keep property that does not belong to you that has been lost or abandoned (treasure-trove), it is taxable to you at its fair market value in the first year it is your undisputed possession. an expansion on the finders/keepers philosophy…

Free tour. If you received a free tour from a travel agency for organizing a group of tourists, you must include its value in your income. so i guess we need to re-define free…

Gambling winnings. You must include your gambling winnings in your income on Form 1040, line 21. If you itemize your deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040), you can deduct gambling losses you had during the year, but only up to the amount of your winnings. and if it’s $9,999.99 or less I’m sure everyone does…

Hobby losses. Losses from a hobby are not deductible from other income. A hobby is an activity from which you do not expect to make a profit. If you collect stamps, coins, or other items as a hobby for recreation and pleasure, and you sell any of the items, your gain is taxable as a capital gain. However, if you sell items from your collection at a loss, you cannot deduct the loss. that seems completely fair (??)

Holocaust victims restitution. Restitution payments you receive as a Holocaust victim (or the heir of a Holocaust victim) and interest earned on the payments are not taxable. Excludable restitution payments are payments or distributions made by any country or any other entity because of persecution of an individual on the basis of race, religion, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation by Nazi Germany, any other Axis regime… but what about the new Axis of Evil? what if I get a payment from them?

Illegal activities. Income from illegal activities, such as money from dealing illegal drugs, must be included in your income on Form 1040, line 21, or on Schedule C or Schedule C-EZ (Form 1040) if from your self-employment activity. ok…

Kickbacks. You must include kickbacks, side commissions, push money, or similar payments you receive in your income on Form 1040, line 21, or on Schedule C or Schedule C-EZ (Form 1040) if from your self-employment activity. ummm….again…ok….

Prizes and awards. If you win a prize in a lucky number drawing, television or radio quiz program, beauty contest, or other event, you must include it in your income. For example, if you win a $50 prize in a photography contest, you must report this income on Form 1040, line 21. If you refuse to accept a prize, do not include its value in your income. $50 eh? want their cut of everything!

Pulitzer, Nobel, and similar prizes. If you were awarded a prize in recognition of accomplishments in religious, charitable, scientific, artistic, educational, literary, or civic fields, you generally must include the value of the prize in your income. However, you do not include this prize in your income if you meet all of the following requirements.

1.

You were selected without any action on your part to enter the contest or proceeding.
2.

You are not required to perform substantial future services as a condition for receiving the prize or award.
3.

The prize or award is transferred by the payer directly to a governmental unit or tax-exempt charitable organization as designated by you. The following conditions apply to the transfer. real reason obama donated his Nobel prize money.

Rewards. If you receive a reward for providing information, include it in your income. government deserves their fair share for you finding someone’s lost kitty or doggie..

Sale of personal items. If you sold an item you owned for personal use, such as a car, refrigerator, furniture, stereo, jewelry, or silverware, your gain is taxable as a capital gain. Report it on Schedule D (Form 1040). You cannot deduct a loss.

However, if you sold an item you held for investment, such as gold or silver bullion, coins, or gems, any gain is taxable as a capital gain and any loss is deductible as a capital loss. totally counting my star wars collection as ‘held for investment’ if I lose money on any of it..

Stolen property. If you steal property, you must report its fair market value in your income in the year you steal it unless in the same year, you return it to its rightful owner. just trying to keep thieves honest…

There are probably many more fun ones but I’ll stop now so I can uncross my eyes…

Totally want to see this!

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/03/11/george-lucas-documentary/

I’ll have to say that as a fan of Star Wars since I was a little kid, I do not believe George Lucas raped our childhood (dang funny song though – thumbs up!)

If the large number of bad (in my personal opinion that is) artists in this world can get away with making the complete schlock they spew out at Cannes, Sundance and other arty-farty film festivals, then George is allowed to do whatever he wants to these movies – they are his movies. They were his idea, his images, his characters. We don’t have to like them all. Of course…I will still wear my Han Shot First t-shirt proudly and with utter conviction :)

But calling out the latest trilogy as trash is an untrue statement to me. Were they as good as the first trilogy (to me) – no. Not at all. There are parts of each of them that I thought were really good but when I think “Star Wars” I will always think of Han, Leia, Chewie, the Cantina, Hoth, Endor, Ewoks and Darth Vader will always be a big menacing breathing apparatus. But the new trilogy did introduce Star Wars to a whole new generation of kids and this allowed them all to venture into our world(s). So you can look at The Phantom Menace and Jar-Jar Binks as the gateway drug… :) Plus the final 30 minutes of Revenge of the Sith kicked serious ass.

I view George Lucas as a genius really. He created some of my most favorite films of all time, pioneered special effects into previously unknown and unthinkable territory, is a marketing genius (bastard has taken a lot of my money – I think I should get my own room, or at least my own closet, at Skywalker Ranch!) and has stayed pretty private and quiet – away from all of the Hollywood crap. I love that about him.

I will buy the (hopefully planned) new Indiana Jones 4-movie set even though I already have the trilogy boxed set, much like I own the first trilogy on VHS, then the special edition on VHS, then the remastered anniversary DVDs, then the boxed DVD set of 6……and I will likely go see whatever movie he does next solely because he did it.

..his family said he always told them no funeral. No sadness. He wanted to be cremated and any gathering should be a big party – otherwise he wanted nothing at all.

So tonight we gathered at his favorite post-bike ride restaurant in the hills of Marin with the most beautiful views of the trails he loved and shared stories. Shared pictures. Laughed. Cried.

We all said at one time or another throughout the evening that we were just waiting for him to walk through the door and say “don’t tell that story!” But he didn’t. At least not in any physical form.

He definitely left behind many people whose lives he touched. Who he made smile and laugh. A friendship they clearly valued.

I hope he would have liked tonight. I think he would have. We will all miss him very much.

Time for bed. Long day after a long week. Always remember to tell your friends how important they are to you.