THE BEGINNING

When I was pregnant with my first child, I walked for exercise. My son was born at the end of August, and that heat kicked my butt all summer. Still, I went out everyday to walk. My father would be on his way home for lunch, and there I’d be practically crawling up the street toward our house. He’d pull up alongside me and call out, "Ol’ Soul, you need a ride?" That was fifty years ago and, today, I am truly an "Ol’soul."

Not too long ago, my daughter and I moved to Los Angeles from the east coast. My one regret is a short list of friends -- two maybe.



We came from this ...



Coupled with being an ol' soul, I have an insatiable desire to chat, but how many times a day can you phone the same two people?  What to do? What to do?  I tried Facebook, but mostly I'm confused by it. Could be the multiple generation gap, but between friending and unfriending people, farm animals and zoo animals, well, it just wasn't working for me. Blog, maybe? Well, here I am reaching out. I figured this would be good, because I can just talk about stuff, and it's ok that no one answers.

To this ...Sun and sand.

Thinking of fifty years ago. Has anyone else realized that forced digital TV, without benefit of cable or satellite, has taken us back to the dark ages of black and white TV and rabbit ears? Whose idea was this anyway? This Ol’ Soul thinks it’s a conspiracy. You know, the way big cities got rid of their clean, electric-powered street cars for gas-fueled motorized buses? Now we get to breathe polluted air from monsters that blow dust, dirt and black smoke in your face if you’re anywhere near them. Ok, off the soap box but, as I was saying, this Ol’ Soul thinks it’s a conspiracy so that we will be forced to rely on cable/satellite service. But, I decided not to play the game.

About a year ago, the cable/satellite companies (they're all the same) and I had a parting of the ways. My "monthly mugging," wasn’t fun any more, no matter how many channels I had. I snatched out those cable wires, and unpacked those government sponsored digital converter boxes, as visions of dollar signs danced in my head. We were going to save about eight hundred dollars over the next twelve months. Little did I know how much we would grow to hate the sound of rain (in drought-ridden California), or the tinkle of our wind chimes when a soft breeze blows. God forbid anything larger than a VW passes the house; the picture breaks up, and the people start speaking some language that includes belching and burping. My mind had not conceived the number of times someone would have to get up and adjust the rabbit ears --sometimes we wait to see who will get pissed off first -- or step over – not on – a certain spot on the floor. I’m about to cave, and restart the "monthly mugging;" the family has begun to throw peanuts at me when the TV is on. Perhaps there's a good reason why digital was forced on the whole country, but, trust me, It's probably A CONSPIRACY.

So long for now, and please excuse the imperfections. Will try to do better next time.