The Elf and her 1,000 earplugs

 [I think I've turned into an elf]

"Spark Plugs".  Joe gave me "Spark Plugs." An earplug dispenser containing 1000 tie dyed, multi colored earplugs. Unlike most people, I use earplugs as frequently as some people eat cheese.   Without earplugs, there is no sleep for me.  I also use them to secretly  block out unwanted conversation.  Prime example, earplugs are my first line of defense  against my business partner, who I am sure purposely talks loudly at me just me for fun. No one knows that I often have my ears plugged  up  (rammed into my ears). I  cannot hear anything at all and I  just pretend I can hear and answer "yes or no" most of the time, shake my head and smile. You might want to try it out when annoying people are in your presence. It really works.

James Brown. I loved his music, he was an amazing musician.   Strange thing is, I did not know he was still alive. I hate when that happens, I feel so out of tou. Honestly, if you would have  put a gun to my head and asked me 3 days ago if he were still alive,  I would have been very nervous about the getting the correct answer.

I hope everyone made it through the holidays without too much stress and confusion. On Christmas Eve, I spotted a 6 foot fiber optics tree in Walmart (God only knows what I was doing there Christmas Eve, I rushed like an idiot back to the store the day after Christmas hoping to find the tree and there it was waiting for me,  marked down to  only $14.99.  I had to buy it. Hopefully I will be around in a year to enjoy my new fake tree. Cutting down real trees really bugs me and makes me so sad to see them tossed out on the street like sick dead people in medieval times, completely disregarded and disrespected. Doesn't anyone care about killing these beautiful trees?

I have now added K-Mart to my list of Florida shopping experiences. Target, Walmart, K-Mart(cool Martha Stuart stuff there which I never knew about), Publix and Walgreens. I am starting to have nightmares about the zombie like people shuffling around these stores buying stuff that they do not need, wasting precious money and time , just because they can. Am I one of them? A strange American phenomenon.  In New York City and  Brooklyn, thousands of people protest whenevera big store tries to build in a neighborhood.

The Weather.  Janet's big brother told me that once you start to discuss the weather, it means you are getting old. Trying to avoid this subject, I cannot. Today December 27th, it is in the mid 70's here in South Florida. I am sitting outside by the pool, reading the New York Times and writing, still recovering from my month long bought with an on and off again cold/flu. Cold remedies do not work. I have come to this conclusion. They seem to be making me sicker although I am not sure. Hundreds of dollars later...I believe that Vitamin C in high doses and drinking tons of water and tea may work. Don't waste your money like I did.