Ask Bonnie

Today my husband and two children travelled on an airplane back home from a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. As we waited to board the plane I couldn’t help but notice how many wheelchairs were lined up at our gate getting ready to board. I counted about twenty-two of them.

Now, most of the people in the wheelchairs looked about eighty maybe some were seventy. I’ll give most of them the benefit of the doubt and say they probably really needed the wheelchair for a medical condition. But, I’ll bet you that most of them just needed a reason to board the plane first.

This particular airline that we were on was somewhat “general seating.”
When the original announcements came on to get ready to board they announced that families with small children may board after the wheelchairs—which makes sense.

Well, as we were getting ready to give our boarding passes to go on the plane this nasty(older) women opened her “big” mouth and shouted at us by saying, ” you have to go behind me—look at my ticket!” “I go first!”

I couldn’t help but open my mouth back to her and really told this woman off. Here we were the only family basically on the plane and she had the nerve to mouth off to us so she could get on the plane first.

We then had to wait and let her and alot of the other “older” people on first because of this certain letter that they had on their ticket. I was so annoyed.

Most of the people were arguing with each about who is supposed to get on the plane first. It was so ridiculous. A lot of these “older” people really think that they own this world just because they are older than most people. I really hope that I’m not like that when I get old.

The plane ride was so tense and crazy. Even the flight attendants never experienced such a terrible flight with these inconsiderate people. They expect younger people to worship the ground they walk on.

Now believe me, I know there are plenty of Senior Citizens who are kind and very sweet people. This experience that I had today is hopefully an isolated one.

Happy Travelling!!!

Today my family went to New York City. We were typical touists walking around while looking up at every building. My kids were amazed because they are natives from Florida. We told them that they will definitley see Santa Clause at every corner in the city this time of the year—it was a couple of weeks before Christmas. We started out driving to see my old apartment and then my husband’s, where we met and had our first drink together, and talked about the stores and restaurants that we loved. There was no sign of any Santa yet ringing that bell.

I told my kids, they will definitely see Santa on the way to the famous tree at Rockefeller Center. As we drove uptown on Fifth Avenue, we passed by some of my favorite stores, Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman, and every other great designer store. The windows at Saks were so beautiful with dancing snowman. What a beautiful time to be in Manhattan! We also couldn’t forget to eat a very hot salted pretzel. That was the best!

We finally got to the beautiful tree. My kids couldn’t believe how tall it was. There was not even a Santa there either.
Where were all of the Santas? My husband said, “what happened to all of them?” We were sadly disappointed.

Take a look around your town and let us know how many Santas you can find. Is Santa coming to your town?

Ask a group of guys what turns them on about a woman, and you’ll sometimes get the predictable answers: full lips, full bosom, full booty.

These are a few quick-and-dirty biological imperatives that will turn many a man’s head. But a lot of women fulfill those requirements already. So what makes certain women boy magnets, and leaves others spending Saturday nights watching Saturday Night Live skits?

As always, men are more complicated than a lot of people give them credit for, and when it comes to turn-ons, the masculine gender has plenty of surprises up their metaphorical sleeve. Here, some of the ways to effectively rev the masculine engine:

1. Standing Tall

Don’t get me wrong: it’s not that we want a woman who can balance a beer tray on her head. It’s what good posture says about her. A woman who stands tall typically a) dresses well, b) exercises often, and c) is confident about her body and what it’s good for. And if she’s proud of her figure no matter what shape or size, that makes men take notice, as well.

2. True Grit

Men know that women cry. Men know that women can get hurt. Men want to be there to help whenever they do. But there’s something insanely attractive about women who can bite their lips, buck up, and grit out some of life’s twists, turns, sprains, and pains.

Note: Before you throw e-daggers my way, I’m not suggesting that it’s not OK to cry or that women shouldn’t seek proper attention when they’re in pain, either physically or emotionally. (Nor am I saying that lots of men don’t need to heed this advice as well.) I’m simply saying we’re often drawn to partners who can walk off life’s minor insults.

3. Baseball Caps

When we were growing up, we used them to show our team allegiances. In college, we used them to hide bed head. Past the age of 30, we mainly wear them to cover our bald spots. But no matter what team we root for, we like a baseball cap the most when it’s worn by a woman. The look sends all kinds of messages about the kind of woman she is: sporty, strong, comfortable kicking back, Sox fan. (All the better if it’s a Cubs hat - she’s an optimist with a great sense of humor.)

4. Software Savvy

Maybe it’s a giant sexual metaphor, but women like men who know hardware, and men like women who know software. Show a guy a woman who knows her way around systems, networks, and connections, and he’ll be dazzled by her smarts - and appreciate her talents.

There’s something sexy about a woman who can click a few buttons and get something working exactly the way she wants it to. (That is, as long as the buttons she pushes aren’t his.)

5. Sexy Shampoo

Men typically are stereotyped as needing visual cues to feel attraction. While it’s true that men need their share of eye candy, they also are mightily turned on by the olfactory sweets, as well. Perfume and body lotion are nice and all, but the smell of her freshly washed hair that’s nestled up under the chin on a Sunday morning is a reminder of all that’s good about relationships.

6. Understated Underwear

Slinky and small lingerie works for anniversaries, birthday surprises, honeymoons, and other seduce-me moments. But the look that makes men feel both comfortable and excited is when she’s wearing boxers (waistband rolled) and a thin-as-can-be T-shirt that’s neither too tight nor too big. Call it supreme sexiness in the understated. The same effect can be achieved by wearing his old dress shirt and a pair of panties.

7. Dirt and Sweat

Of course, men like to see their women dolled up for a night out. But many men appreciate the exact opposite: The woman who hikes, bikes, mows the lawn, hacks trees and branches, and otherwise pulls her weight. Seeing the dirt, mud, sweat, and occasional road rash is something that stokes our primal side.

8. A Few “Duh” Moments

Men like smart women (see “software savvy,” above). But there’s a small part of a man’s brain that wants her to have an occasional dollop of ditziness. Why? Because if she can show that she may not know everything, it reinforces something deep inside a man that he’s needed, that he’s trusted, that he can be there to help.

And it says that when we screw up on occasion (and we will, oh yes, we will), she’ll understand. Hypercompetence is something we just can’t compete with. And ultimately, this game isn’t about competition, it’s about crossing the finish line together.

by David Zinczenko

As you may have learned from watching that new Nickelodeon show, “Hi-Jinks,” it’s all the rage these days for parents to prank their own kids—and what better occasion than April Fool’s Day to display your own practical joking skills? Here are some ways to “gotcha!” your little devils before they have a chance to do the same to you.
Instructions
STEP 1: Wake ‘em up early. For years, your kids have been creeping into your room at 6 a.m. and screaming you out of bed with a loud “Mommmm! Daaaaaad!” Set your alarm for 5:30, sneak into your son’s room, and get some payback with a loud “Timmmmy!” After you scrape your kid off the ceiling, the three of you can have a good, hearty laugh.
STEP 2: Pretend it’s a school day. This year, April Fool’s falls on a Sunday, which gives you the perfect opportunity to roust your kid from bed, wedge a piece of toast into her mouth, and shove her out the door equipped with lunch and knapsack. Let her wait outside for a few minutes (or hours, if you need some peace and quiet) before you let her back in the house.
STEP 3: Serve something really gross for breakfast. If your kids are accustomed to corn flakes and buttered toast in the AM, throw ‘em a curve and prepare some fried octopus tentacles or escargots a flambe (that’s French for “flaming snails” for those of you who don’t have a continental bent). Don’t give up on this prank quickly—extra points if you can get your son or daughter to actually choke down what you’ve made. STEP 4: Hide all their stuff. While your kids are sleeping, sneak into their rooms, remove all their toys and stuff the booty into a hall closet. When they come downstairs for breakfast, calmly tell them that you’ve decided to teach them a lesson about charity and globalization by donating all their belongings to a third-world aid organization. Won’t it be fun to watch their heads explode!
STEP 5: Declare “opera and ballet” day. For as long as you can keep it up, communicate with your kids only via song and interpretive dance and insist that they do the same. At first, they’ll stare at you like you’re nuts, but remember that kids are naturally mimics and will quickly follow your lead. Later that afternoon, when your son sings “Dad, can I watch 15 minutes of Pokemon before I do my homework?” stare at him like he’s nuts.