Is this the effect of a bad economy? May 26, 2009

Last week I was in the post office parking lot, gathering my packages together in my car when I heard a big crunch. I looked out my rear window and saw that two cars had backed up opposite each other at the same time and Crunch! Both drivers appeared to be middle age women. One car moved and re-parked next to the other car. The women then got out of their cars and started to exchange information.

Here is what is missing in this story; No yelling, no accusatory actions or loud words. I wonder if these women just thought, “Today is not going well”. Are they so resolved that things are going badly, what with the economy and such that this was just one more thing to pile it on? I was surprised. I knew if I was involved I would be yelling, carrying on, even if it was my fault.

 Recently during a down pour on a very gloomy late afternoon, I was backing my car out of a parking spot at a grocery store. I really did not see the car in the aisle. I almost backed into it before I stopped. The driver of the car had stopped. I pulled back into my parking spot and the other car drove off. No accident occurred but I was mad. Why didn’t the driver beep me with his horn? A horn would have alerted me.  I drive a Mini Cooper, which is an itsy bitsy car. The other car was a big SUV. Obviously my car would have suffered more damage if we had a collision. I am acknowledging that I have responsibility advancing into the traffic of the parking lot, but doesn’t the other driver have the responsibility to alert me too?

I told my stories to a friend and she admitted that she doesn’t use her horn and in the same situation would act like the women at post office, no fuss, just an exchange of information. No one was hurt so why cause a scene and make a fuss?

This was not a unique reaction to just this one friend, others had the same response. My question is; Am I too dramatic? I use my horn all the time. If people flip me off, I don’t care. I use the horn if some one is drifting into my lane, pulling out of a parking spot, or picnicking at a red light or stop sign.

I want to know about others. Do you use your horn? If you got into an accident how would you react? Can we blame it on the economy? Have the women in the post office parking lot transcended to a higher level?

Being a Middle Age Movie Extra May 18, 2009

About 10 years ago I started doing extra work in movies, commercials and instructional videos. It is fun, doesn’t pay that well, not very glamorous, but always interesting. It is show biz!

For some time I had a gig once a month. I even got my husband involved. He got a print shoot that paid well and was glamorous. We were cast together in a local commercial for a tire company. We were the couple nodding while looking at a tire. That commercial played so often that my husband’s brother mentioned he was sick of seeing us on TV all the time! The last work I had was for a dental instructional video. Like I said not very glamorous, I played a woman having a tooth ache.

Timothy Hutton is in town with his series, Leverage. I watched this show and thought it was entertaining but that was before they started filming season 2 here and won’t even give me a call back. The show is a bit slick and hip and maybe middle aged people aren’t right for background, but please, why not? If Timothy’s show doesn’t get picked up for a third season I know the reason. He needed some middle age background actors for the mass appeal.

Harrison Ford is in town making a movie. My husband and I put our game faces on and went for the casting call. Between the two of us, we have had 6 call backs and 3 postponements. Again this morning in my email and on my home phone and my cell phone, were messages that I was chosen to work in the film. This afternoon I was notified once again, that some one else was cast.

 

Call Me Harrison

Show Biz is all about rejection, and I can take it, I really can, but this is Harrison Ford! The movie has been shooting for over a month. How many more opportunities will I have to be on set with Harrison? Keep a positive thought for me, please.

It is so Cool to be a Hot Menopausal Woman Today May 12, 2009

Who knew going through menopause was going to make you cool, hip and very today? I just thought I was hot, but now I know I am HOT!

 Have you watched ‘The View’ recently? Whoopi and Joy are always fanning themselves, the international sign of a hot flash. Oprah does not admit to being hot but her BFF Gail is really the picture of today’s hot woman.

 Fashion has become the dearest friend of the menopausal woman. Sleeveless is in and hose and socks are out. Wicking fabric is made into lots of styles out side of exercise wear so now we can look fashionable and stay cool.

If these aren’t enough reasons to know you are cool, Jack in the Box has a commercial targeting us. There is a slight chance that Jack in the Box is making fun of us, but who cares!  Take a look at this video and have a laugh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUYhcYw1ksw

The Truth about Breast Cancer May 5, 2009

 The truth about breast cancer is that it happens. No one knows the cause or the cure. The only known causes of breast cancer are too many birthdays and being a woman. Every woman is shocked when she hears that diagnosis. I know I was. I couldn’t understand how I could have a fast growing life threatening disease when I felt great. Not until I started my treatments did I feel sick. Last week the NY Times ran a story with a teaser headline under the picture of an obvious cancer patient, “Non-smoking, vegetarian who exercised was shocked when told she had Breast Cancer”. This is a tough story for this woman because after treatments her cancer returned. For those of us familiar with breast cancer, that is what it does, it comes back. There is no cure for breast cancer. If eating blueberries, flax seed, walnuts, broccoli and such, and daily exercise was really the preventive cure we would see a drop in breast cancer statistics. This is not the case. Cancer is not one disease. Breast cancer may not respond the same way as treatments for another cancer, and varies from individuals. Researchers are always looking for funding from foundations and companies to find a cure. In 1971 Richard Nixon vowed that the United States would find a cure for cancer. 38 years later the Obama administration is vowing to look for cures. I am forever the optimist and would like to see a cure for breast cancer in my lifetime. This administration seems to understand the complexity of cancer and hopefully will make head way for cures or causes. Early detection is great. Healthy life styles are wonderful. The truth however is there is nothing to insure you against breast cancer. Like life, no guarantees, warranties or do-overs. Metastasis breast cancer, no longer a hasty death notice, is cancer that has spread to other parts of the body that can be treated as a chronic condition. Treatments are on going, meaning for the rest of the woman’s life. This is the status of the woman in the NY Times story. I wish her well.