Thoughts From The Passenger Seat

2025, Healthy Living, life

Give Blood

Posted on November 14, 2025November 12, 2025 by nancyb422

On Wednesday, I attempted to give blood for the first time in over 20 years.

I was a regular when I lived in California because Sonoma County had a “blood bank”. I could make an appointment during my lunch hour, pop in, give blood, and head back to the office. Unfortunately, Connecticut doesn’t have that. Donations are through blood drives.

After moving to Connecticut, the first or second time I went to give blood, I was rejected (deferred they say) because my hemoglobin was low. I never tried again.

My sister and a friend give blood on a regular basis so I thought I’d give it another shot.

I was signed up and ready to go, headed to the app and answered all the health questions (about 56 of them!).

My sister coached me on how to pass the hemoglobin test. Get “hot hands” and wear mittens. Bring the hot hands in with you while waiting. I googled the reasons and evidently cold hands slow circulation and slow circulation give an artificially low reading. In the past, they would prick your thumb to test your blood, but now there is a machine with a sensor that goes around your thumb and can measure the hemoglobin level.

I tried, I really tried! I had a Hot Hands but didn’t know about the mittens. I could sense the tips of my thumbs were not warm but I hoped I would make it. The minimum Hb level is 12. My right thumb was an 11.7. The technician said, “let’s try the left”. Unfortunately, the left was only 9.8.

As I left the table, I told the man at the check in that I was rejected. He said, “not rejected, deferred”.

I’ve read up on giving blood and how to prepare for it – warm hands, red meat and green leafy vegetables, avoid coffee, get a good night’s sleep – so I look for the another local blood drive, sign up, and buy Hot Hands!

Do you give blood on a regular basis?

2025, Healthy Living

Beautiful Connecticut Ride

Posted on November 13, 2025November 11, 2025 by nancyb422

Last Thursday, our crew headed up to the Northwest corner of Connecticut for a bike ride. We started out in Colebrook which is just over an hour from our home. The ringleaders of our group, Mark and Marilyn had completed the ride over the weekend and instantly knew we all would love it.

There was a brief shower on our way up and the car said it was 42 degrees outside by the time we got there. I definitely wasn’t prepared for cold – even though I was told it would be! That is typical me, I just can’t understand a temperature change until I’m in the middle of it totally unprepared. Thankfully, Marilyn lent me a pair of gloves with battery pack heaters, and some toe warmers. My husband lent me an extra buff he had in his bag. At least I was wearing long cycling tights so I pulled my wool socks over the ends of them, but really wished they were my fleece lined pair! Dressed and off we went!

The ride was a mix of country roads and packed dirt roads. I was happy to not be riding on dirt roads with ruts and rocks like our central Connecticut rides! There were a couple of intense hills that for the first time on this bike I kicked it into Turbo. If we didn’t have e-bikes, we’d be sitting home on the couch instead of riding.

We don’t stop very often. Always for lunch, meaning whatever we can fit in our small bike bags, and occasional water breaks.

This time we happened upon a small cemetery – the Munson Cemetery. I only took a picture of one nearby stone, but google led me to the Find a Grave website. The Judd and Munson families are interred there. The oldest grave is for Sarah Booth Munson and she appears to have ties to Hamden and New Haven. I’m not going down that rabbit hole though!

Our ride also took us through the Great Mountain Forest which is a 6,042 acre forest that within Norfolk and Falls Village. It has 13 miles of road to ride on. We went in one entrance and came out another. And we saw a porcupine! It looked so cute waddling away.

The last 2 miles felt like 10 miles and it felt like it was all uphill back to our cars. 28.9 miles (I need to start riding around the parking lot to get that whole mile!).

*Just kissed the border of Massachusetts*

We definitely warmed up during the ride, and on the way home we celebrated ourselves with a cup of Dunkin’ pumpkin spiced coffee and an a glazed donut stick. I think we earned it!

2025, family, life

Veterans In My Family

Posted on November 11, 2025November 11, 2025 by nancyb422

In honor of Veterans Day, I’m sharing the story I wrote in June of 2024 for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge on my family blog. It’s called, The Effects of War. There are links within “The Effects of War” that share the details of their time served.

Beginning with World War I, there was my biological maternal grandfather, Jacob Engram and my paternal grandfather, Charles Jakiela.

My Great Uncle Bronislaw Liro went back to Poland before World War I broke out, fought for the Austrian Army, was captured, and escaped from Siberia.

World War II saw my Uncle Connie and my dad enlist in the Army Air Force and my Uncle Walt and Uncle Mal in the Navy. My Uncle Walt lived through the horror of Pearl Harbor 3 weeks fresh out of Navy radio school.

While cleaning out my aunt’s home, I found a letter from my Great Uncle Antoni written in 1947 describing the aftermath of World War II.

My father in law Harold served in the Korean War as a cook, his brother Ronald as an infantry tank driver, and my step father in law Paul was in the motor pool.

It’s an honor to have these brave men in my family.

2025, Memories

My Brief Career as a Frog

Posted on November 10, 2025November 9, 2025 by nancyb422

After we moved back to Connecticut from California in June of 1995, I had a job at the local ABC affiliate, WTNH, in New Haven. I worked there for two and a half years before I left for California and it was my best job ever.

Unfortunately, this second time around was, I think, my worst job ever. In this position, I spent 8 hours each day at a computer entering commercials sent from the New York agencies over a dot matrix printer that never slept. I think I mentioned this in post about Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford. I lasted at the station for a year and a few months.

At the beginning of that year, WTNH signed a “local marketing agreement” with the WB and began operating WTVU. My friend Connie signed on as the Promotions Producer for the new station so she was in charge of promoting and drumming up news of the station. That’s where I come in….

I had already left the station for a new job with better hours and closer to home. Connie was looking for someone to wear the Michigan J. Frog costume at events. Of course, I said, “hey! I’ll do it!”.

*Cody and Michigan J. Frog November 1996*

In the comfort of your own home and with just your own child nearby, it’s not so bad.

My two times in public were both at Hartford Whalers hockey games at the Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut! What was I thinking!

For the most part it was fun because no one can see your face, so I could be as silly as I wanted to be. But it wasn’t so much fun when kids, and guys, would smack me and push me! That’s why Connie was always by my side as my handler.

The craziest part of the job was that I got to ride on the Zamboni! That’s right – the driver, me, and my butt on a tank of propane gas!

Two times was enough for me. I passed the suit off to Connie and who ever else was crazy enough to wear it.

2025, Healthy Living

It’s Special(ized)

Posted on November 9, 2025November 9, 2025 by nancyb422

Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).

It’s a good thing I love to ride a bike because my most expensive personal item recently purchased is a new gravel e-bike I brought home in September. It replaced the first e-bike, a Salsa Confluence, I bought in February. It quickly became evident the Salsa was not up to speed (pun intended), for the rides our group takes. The Salsa was half the price as the Creo, had a smaller motor, thinner tires designed more for bike paths than dirt roads, and unfortunately for me on dirt roads with rocks, no shocks in the handle bars.

My new, best bike is a Creo Turbo 2 Comp with a 1.2 SL lightweight motor, and SRAM hydraulic disc breaks. A really crazy feature is the “etap levers” for changing gears. If you’ve ever shifted gears on a bike, you can hear it going on down at your feet as the chain moves higher or lower. Not this bike because it’s electric! There’s only a delightful little “click” as I press the right or left lever, and the chain makes its move on the cog.

It is worth every penny because my hands no longer ache after a 30 mile ride, I’m more comfortable and confident barreling down a hill, and I have more electric power for that hill at mile 27!

2025, Writing

Replay by Ken Grimwood

Posted on November 1, 2025November 1, 2025 by nancyb422

Is there an age or year of your life you would re-live?

I happened upon a book in the late 1980s named, Replay, by Ken Grimwood. It starts out with a middle age may having a heart attack at his desk. When he comes to, he’s 18 years old and in his college dorm room.

Think about that – being able to replay your life. What kind of changes would you make? Would you be kinder? Study harder? Take more changes? Or be less reckless?

As much as I would like to do all of the above, anything I did would change the trajectory of my life. If I don’t date that dolt again, it wouldn’t lead me to the love of my life because how would I know what I shouldn’t put up with? Or would I seek out the love of my life sooner, because I know where he is? But doesn’t he have to go through his own situations to work his way to me?

So I guess if I could replay my 20s with the knowledge of where I need to be at a particular date and time, I’d live them smarter both in brain power and common sense.

2025, Memories

Baby Naming and Brush with Fame

Posted on October 31, 2025October 30, 2025 by nancyb422

I was pregnant with our son and due in July of 1990. I found out we were having a boy around the fifth month. I admit I cried because I was not sure I could raise a boy. I had wonderful names for girls but nothing for a boy.

I knew already that his middle name would be John and my husband and I struggled to agree on a first name. It had to flow for me. It had to have more than one syllable, because “John” was one. He threw “Paine” at me but it thankfully didn’t pass the syllable test. Everything sounds so common.

One Saturday morning while we were shopping at Safeway, I saw the People magazine cover…

Besides the gorgeous JFK Jr, there was Kathie Lee with her son CODY. Hmmm, Cody John! That was it!

It was appropriate in a way that his name would come from her because I was home on the couch during my first trimester after emergency surgery from a ruptured cyst. In fact, I found out I was pregnant in the emergency room! I had never watched her before and I looked forward to watching her and Regis until I went back to work in January.

It came full circle when we moved back to Connecticut and I went to work at the local ABC affiliate television station in New Haven. I worked for National Sales inputting commercials bought by the New York sales agencies. Ugh, such tedious work, I had carpal tunnel within the first month. But one perk was being invited to the ABC luncheon at The Rainbow Room on the 65th floor of Rockefeller Plaza by the National Sales Manager.

I don’t remember much about the afternoon besides the fact that Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford were there and we all had the opportunity to have our picture taken with them! People were shuffled in and out of standing between them. When it was my turn, the Polaroid camera ran out of film so we had to wait for it to be replaced. There was my opportunity! I told them how I named my Cody after seeing Kathie and their Cody on the cover of People magazine. The loved the story. Of course I didn’t have a picture of my Cody because I was carrying a small purse. Frank on the other hand, reached into his blazer pocket and took out pictures of Cody and Cassidy to share with me. He was so proud of them!

*Me with Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford 1995 or ‘96*

It was definitely a memorable day and I’m happy I was able to share my story with them.

2025, life

Mowing the Lawn

Posted on October 30, 2025October 30, 2025 by nancyb422

First it was the Roomba, now it’s the Automower.

We drove by a neighbor’s house this summer while he was watching his automower, mow his front yard. He sets a pattern and off it goes. Evidently, it can sense the end of the yard, but can you imagine, watching it get loose and go off down the street? At $2,000 for some, that would be a sad loss!

I live on just under a half an acre and it is all cut up into parts. Growing up, my sisters and I would mow the lawn pushing a little Lawn Boy machine. It was so light, that if I was in a hurry, I could power walk/run it over the lawn. Maybe not the greatest job, but I’m not sure anyone cared!

We had the front yard, near back yard, way back yard, tennis court, and under the maple trees, and that’s how we mowed. All of it was flat, except for a tricky part on the side of the house that headed down to the tennis court, which was not, but possibly was, as it was a large rectangle, great for games. The way back had an old patch of asparagus, that we mowed over. Under the maple tree section was barely any grass, a lot of dirt and sticks that would kick up and scare the sh*t out of me!

“Hey, I’ll do the way back today!” I liked mowing the lawn, putting my foot on the motor and pulling the cord to get it started. It was not even a self-propelled machine, just a straight up powered push mower.

After we moved back here, we’ve had a variety of mowers, self-propelled which I’ve used, but my husband prefers the riding mower which probably has a 0 degree radius for getting around the few trees left in the yard. We even had a lawn service for a few years, but I could do a better job with that old little LawnBoy mower!

Do you mow your lawn or would an automated mower be more your style?

2025, Business

Decisions Decisions

Posted on October 29, 2025October 29, 2025 by nancyb422

One of my least favorite parts of being the “operations manager” of our business is having to make decisions! I was just not born to make decisions.

Even this post! I had a long diatribe typed out about an insurance agency decision I had to make yesterday and this morning I eliminated all but the first block.

I’m a creature of habit. I don’t like change. I believe in the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. I believe in fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

My existing agency wasn’t servicing my account the way it should have been for five plus years. Not really in their defense but the agent who sold it was a “lone wolf” so our policy was renewed without any thought or discussion, unless I said, “hey don’t you want my current payroll amounts?”.

Someone came in and wanted to price our insurance and I said Sure! They were personable, had a good option to get our workers comp rates down, but in hindsight, it was tricky and could bite us in the butt at end of year audit.

New team came in from my existing agency (females), apologizing profusely, team players, used our excellent experience mod and some credits given by the carrier to reduce the rates. Will it be just for the year? Maybe. Will I hold their feet to the fire? You betcha!

So I had to break the hearts of the competing agency. I don’t think they understood and of course, now I feel bad!