Can you guess what this is?

Perfume? Spiced Cooking Oil?

“WHY DO I NOW SMELL LIKE A DRUNK?!”

I thought the red liquid with raspberries & lemon rinds was body splash or perfume.  I don’t think it’s cooking oil — come on, Jessie knows me better than that! 

Take a close look. Is that a new rap artist or the Uni-bomber? No, just me Doc after my Epi-Lasik procedure over the weekend. I can’t believe my family would dress me like that when a man can’t see. It’s horrible the way I’m treated by my so called “loved ones.” That’s my “I can’t see and I don’t give a crap what I look like” look. Pretty trendy, huh? The good news is that just three days after my eye sight has greatly improved. Thank you Dr. Steven Vale at Acuity Laser Eye and Vision Center on Meadow Ave. in Scranton. Call 1-800-520 EYES (3937). Once the endorser…always the endorser!

I’m not proud of the fact that I have a lot of ex-girlfriends in my past, and I’m not proud to admit that I may add a few more to that number before my dating days are over, but I’m least proud of the fact that very, very, very few of these women that I’ve dated are on the “I still want to talk to you list”. In fact that list has really only one name on it, the rest of my interactions with ex’s are nothing more than awkward, stale, “forced to be cordial” conversations that usually end quickly.
To me relationships require a lot of commitment for them to work. They take communication and trust, balance and sacrifice, not to mention passion, and when a relationship ends, so too usually does the desire to continue doing the work to maintain any of these things, with that person.
In truth, it’s not that I didn’t try to stay friendly with more of my ex’s, it’s that I really didn’t want to. Once I’ve turned a corner, I usually stay on that path that I’ve chosen, and seldom if ever look back. I really think that maintaining a relationship that has ended leads to “arrested development”, or to put it a differently: It keeps you living in the past.
I guess what I’m saying is that in the long run, if the wounds heal and time erases the damaged feeling, I suppose it is possible to be friends with an ex, I just don’t think it’s probable. There are sooooo many variables that had to happen to put you together in the first place, that now when you’re apart, it would take that same lightning to strike twice for you to truly remain friends.

I’m one of those who grew up with A Charlie Brown Christmas. I watch it every year since I was a child. Last night it was on ABC, the problem was my wife and kids were not home because they were working on a local Christmas play. I found myself at 8 O’Clock in bed watching it all by myself. How creepy is that? I have the whole house to myself for a few hours and I watch A Charlie Brown Christmas all by myself. Pathetic huh? Good Grief!

I was sitting in a mixed group of friends several years ago next to a woman that I was chatting up for about an hour. We liked each other, and we were the only two that were outsiders to most of the group. Eventually the topic of conversation turned to confirmations and the events that surrounded each of theirs respectively. As we both tried to awkwardly stay away from participating I said to her:” I don’t know what they’re talking about, cuz I’m not catholic.” she smiled broadly and said “neither am I”.
We exchanged numbers and soon found ourselves on several dates. We got along really well, and if I ever had a “type” she was it- to a tee. I’m not sure how it happened but one evening we got on the topic of “party music” and she began to tell me about all the great songs that the DJ had played at her batmitzva. I was enthralled as she glowed while telling me the story… then she asked about mine.
“My barmitzva?” I said, “I didn’t have one, we protestants get baptized as young adults and don’t really have big parties to celebrate them… but I like classic rock.” I watched her smile dim as I explained and I knew there had been a big misunderstanding. As the next several minutes passed she explained how her mother had kept a very strict, very traditional Jewish house and that since I wasn’t of the same faith, she would have an uphill fight to convince her mother to accept me. We, as a couple, were doomed. She eventually stopped answering my calls and we lost touch.
As you may imagine it hurt, badly. I had lost the chance at having a great girl in my life over something that I had absolutely control of, but it taught me something about myself: that I hate the things that separate us as people! I could never understand why people ask a question about your religion, or ethnicity, or politics, or about the neighborhood reside, in an effort to form a bias opinion of you.
So, whether you are Baptist (which I am) Jewish (which she is) Muslim, Hindu, scientologist, agnostic, atheist, or otherwise… I don’t care… and you shouldn’t either!
It is the walls that we place between ourselves that are the reasons that we stay unhappy, and in our ignorance, believe we’re not.

I’ve never been the type of person that (in a relationship) likes wearing matching outfits or having pet names, or for Pete’s sake, “Couples Photo Christmas Greeting cards” (which usually contain both of the aforementioned items that I hate)! It’s so hokey, and sappy, and sickeningly sugary… whoa!
Then one day I got a Christmas photo-card from one of my lifelong friends. It wasn’t just he and the missus in it, the photo showed his two kids with them around the family Christmas tree, presents, dog and all, the same sad sappy stuff you’d expect, but somehow it looked… well, “right”. It illustrated how much older his kids had gotten since I’d seen them last, it showed how happy as a family they were, and it showed me how I had to reconnect with them, so that I could never let that much time pass by us apart again! The card has hung on my fridge from that day on, and was joined by the other five or six they’ve sent since. The point I’m trying to make is that I’ve softened to the idea, but only under a few conditions.
If you are: a married couple (with, or without kids), are planning on getting married, should be married, have been together so long the entire civilized world thinks you’re already married… (you get the point) then by all means send out a picture of yourselves, et.al., framed by a holiday backdrop… if you don’t fall under that criterion, then don’t bother!
“Why”, you ask… well, a) you’ll look really foolish, b) you’ll be wasting a sizable amount of better spent money, and c) you’ll incur the wrath of all the sane, currently unattached, level thinking addressee’s that will never let you forget the year you sent a picture of yourself in a sweater that has a scene on it that echoes the vinyl winter wonderland that’s draped behind you and yours.
To quote and old Billy Squire song: “Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You”, please don’t say it with a holiday card that will be a punch line for the rest of the coming year!

Come January 1st, your electric bill may shoot up 30%! 

Due to the deregulation of the electric industry, electric providers will now be able to compete for your business.  Similar to having the option to choose your cellular or cable provider, you’ll now be able to choose your electric supplier, too. 

We spoke with a PPL spokesman on The Doc Show this morning, and the company is ENCOURAGING all customers to shop around for an electric supplier that will work best for your needs.  PPL will continue to operate the transmission of your electricity, but consumers will now be free to purchase power from a private supplier.  If you do not choose a private supplier, PPL is stressing there may be 30% increase on your bill; PPL will buy the power and pass through the cost without profit, but this extra process comes at an extra cost to the consumer.

Here is the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocates website we mentioned: http://www.oca.state.pa.us/Industry/Electric/elecomp/ElectricGuides.htm
Use this site to compare rates offered by competing electric suppliers. 
Happy (and smart!) Shopping!!
-Selena

This video was sent to my wife from her brother Ray who I consider a true hero spending Christmas in Afghanistan serving our Country. This Holiday Season remember all of those serving and their families right here in NEPA. It’s a tear jerker…Click on Dear Santa below:

Dear Santa

Taylor goes straight

Taylor straightened the signature “BOING” out of her locks!  She was recently spotted in New York rocking the new look. 

I wonder what’s harder to maintain:  frizzy curls, or hours of straighening.

Do you like the new look, or should she go back to her “natural” look?

I first thought Taylor was going incognito under a wig!

 It’s nice to be able to change things up; embrace it, Taylor!  But I hope you don’t stray too long from the curly locks we admire!     -Selena