For posterity’s sake

 As President Donald J. Trump prepares to leave the White House, I am making this post so it will show back up as a future memory on my timeline. This isn’t a political dispute. I am genuinely curious what the next 4 years will bring:

Today is 1 day until the Biden/Harris Inauguration. President Trump has returned to FL 

• Gas is currently $2.19 per gallon.

• Interest rates are 2.25 percent for a 30-year mortgage.

• The stock market closed at 30829.40 though we have been fighting COVID for 11 months.

• Our GDP growth for the 3rd Qtr was 33.1 percent.

• We had the best economy ever until COVID and it is recovering well.

• We have not had any new wars or conflicts in the last 4 years.

• North Korea has been under control and has not been testing any missiles.

• ISIS has not been heard from for over 3 years.

• The housing market is the strongest it has been in years.

• Homes have appreciated at an unbelievable rate and sell well.

• And let’s not forget that peace deals in the Middle East were signed by 4 countries—unprecedented!

• Unemployment sits at 6.7% in spite of COVID.

Joe takes over on 1-20-21. Let's see how the next four years fair.   Copied from a friend.

Stinky burgers

 This noon I fried up two hamburger patties I found in the freezer, age unknown. It has been a while since I have done such a thing, but since Justin has moved out, it is up to me to take care of such cooking. There were also some cheese slices in my crisper drawer, found when I cleaned out the fridge last week, age unknown on them also, which I used to make cheeseburgers. They spit and spat all over my stove top, a mess I will clean up shortly. 

As I was enjoying one of the burgers, eaten not on the moldy bread in my kitchen, but on a brat buns, a memory from my newly wed days came to mind. Part of the time in our first year of marriage found my husband laid off or on strike. We were often short on money. One time we were grocery shopping and came upon a deal for pre-pattied burgers for an amazingly low cost. We bought the box and figured we were all set for quite a while with that basic food. The first time we made a couple of burgers, we were surprised by the smell. Cooking in the house versus making on the grille??  Shrugs shoulders...And the taste?  Not good, not good at all. Something was off about these burgers.  Upon closer examination, the fine print indicated these might not be made from beef! What it actually was I cannot remember but it was not cows.

                           

Now what?  We have this box of possibly 40 burgers, minus what we cooked up the first time. To throw them out seemed horribly wasteful and sinful but we sure could not eat them, not able to stand the smell of them cooking nor the flavor or texture. Now that I think of it, there might have been soy involved in those patties. Then we had an idea...My former spouse's brother-in-law and six kids also lived in Milwaukee, with Ernie being a butcher. He would never make a mistake like we did but his kids would be none the wiser. 

We had a get-together with Ernie and his family, the adults having real hamburgers and the kids being served the boxed burgers.  That is where my memory stops--I cannot recall if they noticed the off- scent or taste, or even how many of those burgers were consumed. What I recall is pawning those 2nd class (or 3rd class?) burgers off on the kids. Lesson learned is to always check the label and when it seems too good to be true, it probably is!  By the way, I think I cooked up my two frozen patties just in time. My burger was good, but not like a fresh, hand-pattied burger from The Loop! 

Some sage advice

Now that I am 65 years of age, yes, it is true!, here is so advice I snitched from elsewhere to share. Most of it is easy enough to follow, while some might take a bit of effort to achieve: 

1  After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.

2  I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.

3  I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.

4  I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.

5  I stopped telling the elderly that they've already narrated that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past.

6  I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.

7  I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me.  And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say "Thank You.”

8  I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.

9  I walk away from people who don't value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.

10  I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.

11  I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.

12  I have learned that it's better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.

13  I have learned to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last.

14  I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!

Why do we have to wait to be 60 or 70 or 80, why can't we practice this at any stage and age?