Tuesday, April 10

Odds and Ends ~ or ~ What Could It Mean?


I was driving to the radiology office to get a mammogram Monday morning, and coming up to a stop light, I noticed 5 white cars stopped around me. I started counting white cars, and by the time I arrived at my destination (7 and 1/2 miles later), I had seen 99 of them! That didn't include white trucks, of which there were about a dozen. When did there get to be so many white cars on the road? Do you see this many where you live? What do you think our choice of car color says about us?

We used to own a white car, in fact we had three of them, and after that I said "No more!". Maybe it has changed now, but back then, the black rubber window gaskets would "bleed" rivulets of color down onto the car's paint and before you knew it, you had a striped car. To avoid that, you had to either wash your car every 3-4 days or use rubbing compound to remove the stains. Do you now - or have you ever owned a white car? Did you have the same problem?
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An article in our morning paper says that "Tai Chi may thwart shingles". If you read that as "singles", you're not alone. I had to read it twice to be sure.....LOL.
Alicia Chang, in a story carried by the AP, says:

"Tai Chi is already known as a good low-impact exercise for older people. Now a recent study suggests it offers benefits beyond improving fitness and balance: It may help prevent shingles, a painful skin condition. Researchers found older people who performed the slow, graceful movements of tai chi had a better immune response against the virus that causes shingles than those who only got health education, according to the most rigorous test to date. ........The message is that older people need to maintain healthy behavior" (Duh, I insert!). The study appears in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and was led by Dr. Michael Irwin of UCLA.


"Who gets shingles? Anyone who has had chickenpox - about 90% of adults - is at risk of developing shingles, which causes intense pain and can lead to scarring, nerve damage, blindness, hearing loss and even death, when it develops in frail patients."

The intense pain I can vouch for, having had shingles about 8-10 years ago. I also found out recently that there is now a vaccine for shingles and doctors are recommending that their patients over 60 get the shots. What they may not tell you up front is that they cost $275 (or thereabouts) and most insurance companies are not covering them. Since I can get free tai chi lessons as a part of my health club membership (which costs less per year than the shot), perhaps that is a better preventative for me.
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McDonald's seems to be taking a page from the Bojangle's menu. I saw an ad on TV last night for McDonald's new sweet tea, which you can buy by the gallon as well as in a cup. Last week they were advertising chicken biscuits. What's next? Dirty rice and pinto beans?

They better watch out! Bojangles will start selling hamburgers!




22 comments:

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Hey Judy...I love this 'this and that' post!
No, I have never owned a white car...Always preferred some color in my wheels...(lol)..And I would have to say here, in L.A. I see lots of SUV's...more than one would believe...and most of them are Black and Gray. I do see white cars for sure, but I do't think they are predomiant here...But nowe that you have brought this up, I will have to take better notice, and let you know.

Tai Chi...very very interesting. Does it help someone who already has Shingles or is it just preventative? I know someone who has been suffering with Shingles for a very very long time and he cannot seem to find anything to help it.

Anonymous said...

Shingles, I hear, are a real pain. It will be interesting to see if more or fewer people get them since they've started immunizing against Chicken Pox. The myth used to be that if you got a walloping case of those you wouldn't get shingles but I don't think that's necessarily so.

White cars- don't really like 'em. My Honda is a metallic sage green kind of color. Rich's car is black and its the one we have down here in Florida- hot!Dan has a white Honda and he loves it just because, well, it's his car. :-)

Beverly said...

I don't think I've noticed that many white cars...vans and trucks, yes,but not cars.

I hope I never get shingles. I understand that they are so very painful.

I'm trying to get caught up on my blog reading and commenting...takes a while.

Loren said...

I don't know about preventing shingles since I've never gotten them, but Tai Chi is one great exercise for older people, and for not-so-old for that matter.

It helps to develop a better sense of balance, both by building strength and by emphasizing balance and how to achieve it.

Most of all, it actually leaves you feeling more energetic, unlike most exercises which, while building overall strength, often leave you tired afterwards.

Peter said...

Better you than I on the mammogram Judy.... Australia is, and has been for years, over run by white cars.
They are much cooler than dark coloured ones in the summer and surprisingly don't seem to show the dirt anymore than other hues.
In most of Australia we do not get snow,
I can well imagine that white cars would be nigh on invisible in the snow... not a good thing at all would need some flouro red stripes or something to lift their visibility.

Unknown said...

Never owned a white car, a friend had shingles and it was so painful for him, I think I'd pay $300.

Never tried Bojangles, I'm a Popeyes man.

Cris said...

This is good to know about shingles, my friend's husband has it, will pass it on to her. And I never had a white car, ask any American who has been here what color they see mostly here... silver! By the way, mine is silver. :-)

Travelin'Oma said...

I don't like white cars, but my husband and I each have one. I just added up, and my kids have a total of 7 white cars. We must be very vanilla.

rosemary said...

No matter the color of paint on a car, around here they are always dirty 24/7/52. I had 3 red cars...when the kids were all grown up...each of them a sports car. Loved them. The only thing I will eat at McD's are the McRibs when they come at Christmas.

Diane Mandy said...

I read the the article on Tai Chi and found it so amazing! I think it goes to show how little we understand about what is really good for our health and well-being.

Pat said...

I had a white Spitfire sports car in which I travelled the length of France. Alone! Eventually it was stolen and vandalised beyond repair so then I had a gold one. Never the same. I'm sure tai chi and also Yoga are immensely beneficial both mentally and physically. I hope never to get shingles although have lived in intimate contact with three people who had it.

Eddie said...

Judy,
I am with the oldoldladyofthehills - well, not really "with" her, but I agree, this is a great "this and that" post.

utenzi said...

Interesting, Judy. I've got a blue car now and my last vehicle was a blue truck. I've never had a white vehicle of any kind--except for one white Peugeot bicycle.

I've not noticed a preponderance of white cars over here in Chapel Hill but I don't pay all that much attention so it's possible.

Raggedy said...

I like your odds and ends post.
I have a white car.
Shingles don't sound like fun.
I hope the mammogram went well.
Have a wonderful day!
*^_^
(=':'=) hugs
(")_ (")Š from
the Cool Raggedy one

Anonymous said...

I have never owned a white car. The next car I buywill be silver.

Tai Chi doesn't seem like great exercie but it must be.

My sister got shingles right when she was in the hosital having twins. Yay.

Bobkat said...

White is not a very common colour for cars in the UK. The great majority are silver!

My car is bright red. I have owned black red and dark blue cars. i don't think I'd like a white one unless I lived somewhere really hot!

Jamie Dawn said...

I wonder if Mickey D's is making those menu changes nationwide or just trying that out in a certain region? I hope they make GOOD sweet tea.
When I first read Tai Chi, I read it as Chai Tea. I must have had tea on the brain after reading about the sweet tea.
My daughter has a white car. It doesn't show any signs of trouble, but she NEVER washes the thing, so who would know?? :)

Weary Hag said...

Judy - eventually, I'll get caught up.

Meantime, hope all went well with your mammogram ... shingles are an awful affliction, and hey, you'd better be careful with all this 'white car' talk ... someone may become offended by it and cancel your blog.

Can't be too careful these days.

You're always so entertaining and so up-to-the-minute. Love it.

Tony Gasbarro said...

Well, Jamie Dawn let the air out of the tires of the "tai chi/chai tea" joke I was gonna make.

When I get old, I hope I'll get shingles. I'm sure the roof will need some work by then.

Ba-dump-bump!

I never had a white car. Mrs. Farrago and I have two green cars, though. How sick is that?

barbie2be said...

i had a white car once. a datsun B210. i fell asleep at the wheel and totaled it.

i thought a person could only get shingles if they had NOT had chicken pox.

sage said...

all the white cars? it means people have more time than me to wash cars!

Shephard said...

Never owned a white car.
The car situation is the same as the house situation... they all come ins "safe" colors. No one dares choose a bold color... except in recent years, cars are starting to get bolder in color (finally). Kermit green, purple, magenta, canteloup orange... :) I like it.

~S