Month: July 2019

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DESPERATELY SEEKING SWEET CORN

This July was  a bummer for sweet corn in Indiana.     Just a couple years ago, there were farm stands all over the city, with piles of corn just picked that morning. You didn’t have to wonder if it was fresh, because you knew the guy who sold it, and trusted his college age kids who were bagging it and ringing up your sale.

It’s been a bad year for Hoosier farmers.   It rained so long and hard that they  weren’t able to plant corn in May.  Even at the first of June, the ground was still too wet.  They were finally  able to plant in the middle of June, but this was not good news for corn lovers.  The grocery stores had sweet corn over  the 4th of July,  but they imported  it from someplace else, and it was old and starchy.

Seet corn should be fresh picked and cooked for 10 minutes
Serving good sweet corn starts with choosing fresh ears, then cooking to perfection

Serving a delicious ear of corn  on the cob is a two step process.  First, and most important, is making sure that the corn you buy is fresh.  If it’s not, don’t even bother putting it in your basket. I’m always surprised at supermarkets that  sell sweet corn with dried husks and moldy tassels.  More surprisingly is that people will buy it.  Do they not know how good sweet corn should look, and taste?  You don’t just buy sweet corn, you choose it.  The husks should be green and almost damp to the touch, not dry, shriveled, or slightly yellow.

Fresh sweet corn is a heavenly treat, especially when cooked to perfection and slathered with honey butter.  Once you’ve purchased your ears of corn, you must know how to cook it. Over boiling will make it hard and starchy, so it pays to use a timer.  Boil  between 4 and 10 minutes.  

 Sweet corn on the cob is a perfect accompaniment to any entrée—especially salmon.  And it’s easy on the cook.  No peeling of potatoes or steaming of rice.  It’s one of the best things about summer.

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WHAT IF YOU DON’T MOW YOUR GRASS?

Most people who live in a house with a yard mow their lawns..   But what about those who won’t?  in my city, lax code enforcement procedures actually encourage lazy property owners.  The officers are supposed  to patrol the city and find violations.   But in fact, they sit back and wait to receive a complaint before taking any action.  Shouldn’t they be more aggressive?   What if you don’t mow your grass.?

MANY CITIES IMPOSE STEEP FINES ON THOSE WHO DON’T MOW THEIR LAWNS

If you contact Code Enforcement here about someone’s overgrown lawn, the department will issue a citation which says they’ve received a complaint.    This creates a tense situation between neighbors.   Consequently, very few people will call to complain about their neighbor’s yard. Anyone driving around  our town will see numerous empty houses  and vacant lots with sky-high grass and weeds.  One housing developer, located directly across from a beautiful park, is allowed to let tall weeds proliferate on  acres of land.

Other towns have more pride in the appearance of their city.   This year, In  Dunedin Florida,  one man was fined $30,000 for not mowing his lawn

https://www.tampabay.com/pinellas/dunedin-fined-a-man-30000-for-tall-grass-now-the-city-has-foreclosed-on-his-home-20190508/

Many cities impose fines, liens, and even foreclosure on property owners who refuse to mow their grass.

https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/landscaping/fines-liens-foreclosure-refuse-mow-lawn/

Along our street,  one  able bodied homeowner has been reported to Code Enforcement more than once for letting weeds and grass grow way beyond the allowed 8 inches.  Obviously, this  devalues all of the surrounding property.  You would think this individual would be on probation, or on a list of problem homeowners.  But apparently, the agency has no follow up procedures.  This homeowner continues to violate city codes –mowing only when he chooses– with no apparent  repercussions or penalties imposed.

If code enforcement officers  in this town can’t get up from their desks,  they should at least make it easier for those who complain.  Anyone should feel free to report a problem anonymously, without fearing reprisals from an angry neighbor.

You would think the Economic Development department might take a stand on lax code enforcement.  A city that takes no pride in its appearance isn’t appealing to new business.  In fact, our city has been steadily losing population for decades.

There are times when a homeowner is going through a bad time due to illness,   disability or family problems.  In this case, kindly neighbors might volunteer to help out with the yard work.  Most would be glad to do whatever it takes to maintain the appearance of their neighborhood.

Lax code enforcement is bad for the city,  bad for economic development,  and bad for homeowners who spend money and effort to maintain their property.

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WHY DID RUSSIA DO IT, & HOW?

Now that we’ve endured endless hours of Mueller’s testimony before Congress,  we know for sure that Russia interfered in our election.  The question is: Why did Russia back Trump, and how ?  You have to dig pretty deep to find out.

why putin hated clinton
Putin hated Clinton for interfering in his 2011 election

Back in 2011 , when  Prime Minister Putin was running for President,  then Secretary of State Clinton interfered with his election bid against a guy named Medvedev.   It seems she bet on the wrong horse.  Putin won, and he’s held a grudge against Hillary ever since.  I think it’s important for Americans to understand why Putin didn’t want her to win. .    https://time.com/4422723/putin-russia-hillary-clinton/

Speaking from personal experience, I can remember many Facebook advertisements  slamming Clinton and supporting  Trump.  I saw them as spam.  I was annoyed when Facebook allowed  all of these unwanted posts on my page. Why aren’t they  now sharing some of the blame for what happened?  It was quite obvious that someone had it in for Clinton.  Are we supposed to believe Facebook executives  didn’t know the origin of these posts?

The media has led us to believe that Trump was doing something illegal by trying to establish a hotel in Moscow.  If that is true, what about the other 3,000  American companies that currently do business in Russia?  My former brother in law was with a big accounting firm that  had an office in Moscow over 30 years  ago. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2016/08/03/headline-halah-t/#6db933635f99

After listening to hours of tedious testimony by Mueller in the hearings this week, It seems to me that it was all much ado about nothing.  As FBI agent Peter Storzok said in his famous e mail, “ I’m afraid there’s no there , there.”

Let’s stop wasting money on this investigation that means very  little to the average American.   Why doesn’t Congress focus their efforts on lowering prescription drug prices,  cleaning up the mess at the border, improving our crumbling infrastructure, and changing the way we grant student loans?

Get to work, guys.

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ARE BAREHEADED CYCLISTS SELFISH?

My first day on the job as a hospital dietitian many decades ago was memorable. One of the patients I saw while making rounds was a young man paralyzed from the neck down.  The nurses said he had been in a motorcycle accident.  He was handsome, well built, with curly blonde hair.  And he would never walk again. This was not only a tragedy for him, but for his family, and the health care providers who would have to take care of him for the rest of his life.  So now, when I see a motorcyclist without a helmet, I can’t help but wonder: Are cyclists who refuse to wear helmets selfish and/or irresponsible?

INDIANA IS ONE OF TWO STATES IN THIS COUNTRY THAT DOESN’T HAVE A HELMET LAW

In most states, the law requires cyclists to wear helmets.  But not in my state.     In Indiana, it’s unusual to see motorcyclists wearing helmets.  Often, a male passenger will have a female on the seat behind him, hair blowing in the wind.  They look free and happy.  While I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle, I envy the joy they must feel as they embrace the outdoors with abandon.  And, I can understand why they prefer not to wear helmets.

Their counterparts in Amsterdam would agree.  https://www.treehugger.com/bikes/why-dutch-dont-wear-helmets.html  Accidents involving cyclists are rare, because it’s a smaller country where people don’t drive crazily.

But, in fact, traveling without a helmet on a motorcycle in the US and  other countries has been proven unsafe.   An international study concluded that the “protective effect of helmets was about a 42 percent reduction in risk of death in a crash and 69 percent for risk of a head injury in a crash.”

https://www.cochrane.org/CD004333/INJ_helmets-are-shown-to-reduce-motorcyclist-head-injury-and-death

Back to the hospital where I worked.   Once, a nearby nursing home was flooded, and had to be evacuated. Our hospital took  about twenty of the most critical patents.  Of those patients, three were  permanently disabled victims of motorcycle accidents,  who would live out their lives while Medicaid paid for their care.   I’m not sure whether wearing a helmet would have saved these men from this fate, but since head injuries are the most frequent cause of death and disability while driving a motorcycle, it would seem that a couple of these tragic situations could have been avoided.

I’ve never tried on a motorcycle helmet, and I’m sure they can be somewhat annoying.  But it seems to me a small price to pay to save one’s family from the heartbreak of caring for a brain damaged loved one.

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7 THINGS YOU NEEDN’T DO AFTER 80

     1. Host holiday meals.   No one expects you to do that much work anymore.  If your children can’t do it, there’s always carry out from the supermarket.

   2. Get your teeth capped.  At this age, you’re lucky to have any of your original teeth at all.  Maybe they’re a little crooked and stained, but they’re yours.

     3. Go to church every Sunday.  Organized religion is the reason we have a civilized society, so I’m not knocking it,   But by the age of eighty, our own moral compass is set,  and we don’t particularly need spiritual direction.  If we want to go for fellowship and inspiration, that’s great.  But sometimes, we’d rather just stay home on Sunday mornings.

     4. Keep  up with the Joneses.  There was a time when we  envied our more fortunate neighbors. We wanted a bigger house, a newer car, and a more exciting social life.  Now, we’re satisfied  just to be in familiar surroundings and able to get around. Half the people we once envied are either dead or disabled.  Traveling is a hassle and we don’t have the energy to go places and do  the things we once craved. .

After 80, you can stop worrying about what other people think
Eleanor Roosevelt had her own moral compass; she didn’t care what other people thought

5. Care what other people think.  As long as you ’re not hurting anyone, you can feel free to express your opinion , even if it’s politically incorrect.  Your  kids may cringe, and you  might make some people mad, but that’s their problem, not yours.   Anyway, as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “ you wouldn’t  worry so much about what others  think of you if you  realized  how seldom they do.” ”

     6. Read  self help books.   You  aren’t going to be any more attractive, successful, confident and sane than you are right now.  This is as good as it gets.  You’ve  done a lot of changing over the years.  In fact, you aren’t the same person you  used to be.   .\https://www.huffpost.com/entry/personality-changes-age_n_58ac6736e4b02a1e7dac16b3  But after 80 , you’re pretty much a done deal.

   7. Improve your game.  Whether it’s golf, tennis, bowling or racquetball, you probably aren’t going to set any new records. .Just relax, and enjoy the exercise.

Finally, you no longer need to worry about an early demise.

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BEWARE: TIRE SCAMMERS TARGET SENIORS

A hot summer Sunday afternoon is not a good time to see this warning on your dashboard:  Check left rear tire pressure. Yikes! Who wants a flat tire in this heat? I take a few deep breaths. Auto repair and tire shops are closed on Sunday.  That leaves the big  box discount store out on the highway as my only alternative. I drive into their garage and tell them about the warning.  The mechanic  looks down and says, “You need a new tire. This one has a nail in it.”  An alarm  goes off in my head:  Beware: tire scammers target seniors.

A nail in your tire doesn't always mean you need a new one. Beware of tire scammers who target seniors.
DON’T PANIC IF THERE’S A NAIL IN YOUR TIRE; IT CAN OFTEN BE REPAIRED

And yet, I’m afraid he could be right.  I ask how long it will take, and he tells me there are several ahead of me.  I say I can’t wait, and he agrees to give me some air, which should last until morning, but a new tire is a must.

Now, my  left rear pressure is back up to 35 psi.  I get home and look at my tire.  Sure enough, I see the head of a nail. The guy wasn’t lying about that. My husband and I agree we must do something by morning, before the tire goes flat. But hey, wait a minute  We have a trusted tire dealer who always pumps up my tires for free after I hit a pot hole.  Why not get a second opinion?

Next morning, I pull into the dealership.  Service man looks at my tire, sees the nail.  Since my pressure hasn’t gone down, he thinks it’s safe to wait a few hours, when they can work me into their schedule. He thinks the tire can be repaired, not replaced.

They put the tire up on the rack while I sit in the waiting room.  Service man  returns in half an hour , says they removed a two inch nail and patched the tire.  I reach for my purse, and he smiles.  ‘No charge, ma’am.” He walks me to my car and shows me the treads are still good.  The repair job should last as long as my tire.  Ihttps://www.yourmechanic.com/article/my-tire-has-a-nail-in-it-what-should-i-do     I  thank him profusely,  and drive away.

I drive home on a cloud.  Yes, there are some are some  good, honest  people in this world!    Then my mood turns south. What if I had waited a couple of hours yesterday, while they installed an unneeded  new tire at the discount store?  Why didn’t that mechanic suggest a repair? I can’t say for sure, but I think I was being scammed.

Beware of tire scammers who target seniors.

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HOW LONG CAN YOU HOLD A GRUDGE?

Last year’s shooting of the newspaper staff in Annapolis got me thinking about the downside of  holding a grudge.  I doubt if there’s anyone in the world who doesn’t feel some resentment  over a long ago insult or perceived wrong.  How long can you hold a grudge?

 
I held a secret grudge for many years against a young man whom I overheard jeering, and saying I was “crazy” at a teenage party. This was right  after my older sister had a mental breakdown that required hospitalization.  His words were like a razor across my heart. There was a huge stigma surrounding mental illness in those days (still is). His taunts reinforced the assumption that I was “tarred with the same brush” as my sister, as the saying goes. Thank God there was no Facebook, or I might have been bullied into suicide.  Soon after, I went away to college and started a new life in Chicago upon graduation.

Fast forward: twenty years later.  I’m back in my hometown with a new job, and I’m seeing this guy at public events and social gatherings more often than I would like.  At first, I managed to avoid him.  But then I would see him again, and the knot in my stomach told me I was still holding a grudge for that long ago incident. It was not pleasant; I hadn’t felt that way for a long time, so I took another look at this man, and realized he wasn’t really a monster, just an ordinary guy fighting serious health problems and a failing business. He had probably forgotten making  such cruel remarks, and  hopefully, he had matured enough that he would not do it again.

Then I remembered the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.  “Hate is too great a burden to bear, so I chose love.” I won’t say I began to love my former detractor, but carrying a grudge was too great a burden for me to bear, so I let it go.

The scary thing about grudges is that they become a self defeating obsession. https://medium.com/productivity-revolution/6-reasons-why-holding-grudges-makes-you-unhappy-7e2198de26fe In the case of the Annapolis shooter, he  preferred killing 5 people and living the rest of his life in prison, to letting go of that grudge.