Atypical Virtual Associates

My great-grandmother used to be a little forgetful.

Then she was a little more than a little forgetful.

As a family, we consider ourselves lucky that at 93 she still knows who we are once in a while. My grandmother lives with her and cares for her…but she, too, has begun forgetting where things are - like the milk.

While they might stay the way they are, they might also get to the point they never know who their children or grandchildren are again.

The least I could do is walk for them. You should consider it too.

The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk® is the biggest awareness-raising event in the country when it comes to Alzheimer’s research, care and support. Like most organizations, it relies on volunteers to keep it running smoothly. Find a local Alzheimer’s Memory Walk in your area…it shouldn’t be too difficult because right now there are more than 600 walks all over the US. They’re typically held in the fall and it’s only a two or three mile walk.

You owe it to yourself and your family to find a walk and participate.

My grandmother told me this story once about diet pills she was taking. She said, "Everyone took them, becasue how else could you get everything done?" She didn’t know what they were called, but when she took them the house was clean, dinner was on time, and the kids were always bright and shiny from being bathed on time.

Unfortunately for gram, she told her doctor that one morning she looked out the kitchen window and everything was black and white for about a minute. The doctor took gram’s diet pills away…never to be seen again.

Now diet pills are healthier, but I have to rely on coffee for the energy I need to get through the day.

Well that or, goodness forbid, vitamins and nutritious food! LOL

I have so many vacation plans I could be Tattoo from Fantasy Island. From relaxing in one of the best Outer Banks rentals to watching my kids splash in the hotel pool at Disney there are so many ideas floating in my head I barely know what to do with half of them.

Because I want the perfect vacation for my family. Something that mixes the kids having from with the adults having fun. Something kid-friendly but with child-care. You know, the best of all worlds!

One of the biggest fears I had when we downgraded from central air to the window unit in the living room was that within a month I’d be barely recognizable for the deterioration of my skin and hair and everything else. I’m not sure where I got the idea, but I always thought heat was bad for your skin and hair.

Of course, humidity does make your hair (well my hair) frizzy so it stays firmly in a bun, but I didn’t need the seven hundred barrels of acne cream I was afraid I’d have to invest in. My skin actually is more hydrated and looks healthier than it has in a while.

Guess heat isn’t all bad, after all!

I’m telling you, shopping for a new computer is always a chore around here - I’m picky and keep thinking if I don’t wait I’ll buy right before the next "new big thing" comes out.

Plus the people at Best Buy hate me because I go in and ask a whole bunch of questions about memory and speed and performance and pretty soon they’re looking at me like I’m crazy.

I guess I just want the perfect computer.

I know more than a few people this summer that gave up on business success as a potential outcome and went out to get a “real job.”

Unfortunately, the market for real jobs is almost worse than the market for clients for your business.

Scan Career Builder or other sites that focus on (in my case) Chicago jobs and you will find slim pickings.

If you’re running a business, put the time you would use for a job hunt into your business. You have better odds.

When I was young I remember my great-grandmother as this dynamic, amazing woman. She was vice president of a company in downtown Chicago. One of the first female VPs, no less.

So the other day when I saw she was researching medicare insurance I took a moment to reflect.

After she left her job she didn’t keep in contact with many people and only got together on holidays. She left it all behind when she retired. Now she doesn’t really leave the house (she’s 92 after all) but I offer to take her here or there and she doesn’t seem to want to leave.

I’m glad I have networking as a skill-set. I don’t want to be alone when I’m old, with only kids that don’t understand yet and clamoring grandchildren at my feet. I want compatriots. I want to surround myself with people that see the world the way I do…networking, I think, is a great way to keep up with people.

I have a friend that is planning on getting married. I feel right in the thick of it, because we’re relatively close.

From cakes to bridal lingerie, from dresses to bridesmaids.

I’m actually having a lot of fun with it, and I know she’s going to make an awesome bride. Not a traditional girl she’s looking for a dress with some color in it, a band with some funk in it, and a honeymoon with some adventure in it.

It’s going to be a blast.

I’ve been wanting to get my little ones a computer to share. My plan is to make it a December holiday gift.

The easiest thing to do would be to wipe the memory on my current computer and give them this one and get myself a new top-of-the-line computer.

I’m not selfish, just practical.

I’ve always had Gateway computers. Well for the last ten years anyway – and I’m wondering if that’s still the best option. I hear Macs don’t crash (my husband uses a mac at work and tells me it’s a blatant lie, btw) I hear dell memory is the fastest, but then anything with the same processor would be just as fast, wouldn’t it?

I wish I was techy enough to just build my own computer from scratch. Maybe I will.

Just me and New Egg. Rocking the computer.

Even if I don’t it’s a nice thought.

I went to the doctor on Monday and she sent me in for some blood tests.

Ironic that I had to go in and get said tests on Saturday (I managed to get back home before my party started, thankfully!) I’m wondering how long it will take to get the results back.

You see, I’ve never been on any kind of medication for my health. Sure I took birth control back in the day, and like most anyone that’s heavier than a size 10 I’ve considered getting some of that Phentermine without prescription stuff. But this, I don’t know.

I think I’ll find out this week.

Oh, you’re wondering what they checked? My pituitary gland. Like, the one they check to see if you’re growing or not. I think. I’ll keep you updated.