The INDEPENDENT, August 7, 2003
By Jacqueline Ramsay
L if e
goes on.
I’ve been
gone;
ca m e
hom e,
still hot,
c le a n e d
house. I
must be
fe e lin g
better? It’s been three weeks
since I last wrote you. Well
kids, only about six weeks left
before school starts. Have you
noticed the gleam coming back
into your mother’s eye?
I’m on my soap box this
week. Did you even try to buy a
$2.00 item to fix a piece of
clothing that cost ten dollars to
fifteen dollars to replace? Only
to find “Oh, we don’t carry
those any more and no, I don’t
have any idea where you can
get it”. Have a nice day. They
cost more if it’s Victoria’s Se
cret brand.
I’ve been running so late
lately that I’ve had to stay up for
the 11 o’clock news - A pro
gram after the news caught my
eye. “Who’s fault is the obesity
factor in today’s society?”
1. The companies that make
and advertise?
2. The fast food folks that en
tice you to “Buy Me, I’m Better"?
3. School Boards for allow
ing in junk food machines?
4. Parents?
5. Kids?
6. Lawyers who accept
clients who wish to line their
pockets by blaming anyone but
themselves for not being able
to control their hand to mouth
action?
Inner feelings don’t count
here.
Kids at a summer camp for
overweight teens all said no
one forced them to eat, eat, eat
junk foods.
Here’s 10 cents worth from
my soap box, and I’m offering
no apologies for my view. We
all have a brain and ears, also
eyes. Doctors for years have
said - watch your weight - eat
fruits, vegetables, cut down on
fried (deep fat included) meats
- Do the parents listen? Not re
ally - because this is where a
child learns - Mom and Dad
can say No and mean it - Fast
Food joints can “STOP” push
ing upsize for only $1.00 more
and STOP giving away junk
toys if you order this, this or
this. One other thing, water
tastes good. Pop was not in
vented to replace it.
True, some of us are born
with fouled up genes and we
have to get medical help at an
early age and watch our weight
for health reasons - so - most
of us are what we eat. If you
develop your “Will Power” - by
whatever means, you won’t
have to pay the fat farm money
takers.
OK, I’ve said my piece, so
put me in the stocks, tell me I
just don’t understand
baloney. I can gain five pounds
overnight with just one day of
careless eating, with no trouble
at all.
I wasn’t in town for the Ore
gon Trail Rally event, but when
I left town that Saturday morn
ing, I met every car that came
into town - all the way to the
Sylvan Hill exit.
Those cars were something
to see for miles. As I turned
onto 26, I watched in my rear
view mirror the string turning
onto 47. It chilled me when I
read in the Aug. 17 paper of the
accident claiming two lives.
But, for those left behind, the
men chose their own paths and
when they passed away, they
were doing what they enjoyed
doing. Testing their skills
against what nature gave them.
Took a trip the other day, but
had a dickens of a time trying to
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find out how to get where I face. “About three hours," she
wanted to go. Going to Rainier, says. Well, there was a cabbie
decided to cross the Longview in the parking lot, so I tell him
Bridge and go up the Washing what she says - he shakes his
ton side to Long Beach - sim head, smiles, says - this corner
ple, you say - ho ho
so had light, left turn, straight ahead
to go forward into traffic, past park and school, highway
stopped at the Burger King for sign Big One - turn left and
“simple” directions - Gal says you’re on your way - How long,
“go over the Bridge, turn right, says I? Oh, ‘bout an hour and a
go to Astoria, cross Bridge, half. Thanks, says me. Beauti
hook left and bla bla bla. Said I ful drive, different view of the
- No, I just came across the Columbia - yes - one and one
bridge. “But it's faster”, she half hours, and that’s what it
says - says me - I want to go takes on the Oregon side from
up the Washington side - “Oh", Rainier. Thank heaven, I
she says. “Well, go to this light, thought, she was wrong, or I
cross, go straight for three wouldn’t be home yet - ho, ho.
miles - turn left and you’re at
By now, you should all be
the highway intersection - left well fed and foot sore from the
to Long Beach." How long does Jamboree.
it take, I say, with doubt in my
Thank you, Lord, for the
mind and a dumb look on my good weather and good
Page 9
friends.
Feeling Blue? Blame it on
the air conditioner. It removes
negative ions from the atmos
phere, the ones that make you
feel good.
P. S. Just got my Social Se
curity and Medicare Advisor for
July and August. In 2004,
Medicare Premiums are ex
pected to go up to at least $66
a month - Oh! Joy. And, our
members of Congress got a 3.4
percent raise in 2002. In 2003,
they got a 3.1 percent raise,
while we got a 1.4 percent
COLA raise - who is caring
what happens to the general
public? We all eat, sleep, pay
bills and have medical costs
(but they are not the same).
When was the last time you
bought new clothes?
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M A R K E T
I