Life Junkie

I'm still not tolerating intolerance

2010-10-21T13:27:00.001-07:00

There is a big bru-ha-ha that started with Bill O'Reilly causing a ruckus at The View and sparked this exchange on The O'Reilly Factor which resulted in NPR's recent firing of Juan Williams. At first, I didn't know what to make of it but after mulling it around for a day, I have to say that I agree with their decision to terminate his contract.

You might not be able to control feeling fear when you see a Muslim dressed in traditional garb on your flight. I myself am guilty of having felt this way in the past. That being said, there is a lot you CAN do.

You CAN recognize that the fear is irrational based on ignorance and limited experience with the Muslim culture/world.
You CAN realize that giving voice to this fear begins to legitimize it in your mind and in others.
You CAN be aware that there is a significant group of radicalized Islamophobes who try to block the construction of new mosques, vandalize existing mosques, harass people who look as if they could be Muslim, organize Koran burnings, and believe all Muslims are terrorists.
Being aware of this group, you CAN realize that it is best to be careful and not use your position in the media to add fuel to their fire.

I am going to try extra hard to fight this irrational fear the next time the situation arises. I know that most Muslims are peaceful people and have more similarities with me than differences. I am going to remind myself that this discrimination is a struggle for any ethnicity added to our giant melting pot, and has gone back to way before the slaves came from Africa, the massive influx of Europeans, and the Mexicans that have been coming across our borders.

To fear any of these groups is not rational. It is based on ignorance pure and simple. I may not be the smartest person on this planet but I will do my best to rise above this mindset.

Fact? Fiction? Or a little of both???

2010-07-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what to make of this. It's pretty frightening but is it all true? Who made it and what is their agenda? Who is that guy that's narrating? What's with the rainbow boarder and the cheesy ending graphics? Near the end, there are some quotes that it asks you to Google so I did this one, "Your thoughts and beliefs are modeled after partisan interests to turn you into slaves." That sent me to Lisa Loves website where it looks like it's a message from aliens trying to warn us. I printed it out so I can read it on my beach vacation but it looks kind of hoakey. Whatever will help motivate us to stop using oil is what I want to encourage so, that's why I'm posting this before verifying. (Plus, I hope all of you on "the internetz" will help me with the verifying.) Watching a time lapse of our what our ocean will look like in one year, if we don't get the BP well capped and seeing the courts overrule the drilling moratorium has me feeling pretty hopeless at the moment....

The video is kinda cut off so, if you want you can just link to it here and watch it on YouTube.

What is fair?

2010-05-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

Let's say you live on a world where there are two separate societies. Both societies consist of the same species but in one society, let's call it Ellitopia, they have a high quality of life. They have an established set of rules that allow all their citizens the potential to prosper and treat everyone equally, they have an abundance of natural resources and they recognize the value of an education, As a result, their society has amassed a great amount of wealth. In the other society, let's call it Palinbeckistan, things aren't as good. The have scarce natural resources, they have not yet discovered the value of an education, they have corrupt leaders who exploit their positions of power and oppress the majority of their population.

Now the people in Ellitopia realize how good they've got and and want to protect it. They don't want the Palinbeckistinians coming over and causing problems so they set up rules to keep the Palinbeckistanians out. The Palinbeckistinians, of course, look on the Ellitopians with longing and wish life could be better for them. They think the solution is not to fix their society but to become part of the other society.

Now here's my question. Are the Ellitopians within their rights to say, we don't want any Palinbeckistinians in our society? How did they get this right? Is it the random advantage of being born an Ellitopian that gives you access to the good life and gives Palinbekistinians the misfortune of living a life of misery? Is that really fair? I'm just curious.......

They take so much for granted.....

2010-04-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

Conversation with my son:

D: I'm packing my lunch on the field trip tomorrow.

Me: OK, so you need to get up earlier than when I usually wake you up.

D: No, I'm packing so you have to make it.

Me: No, I paid for a cafeteria lunch for your field trip so I'm not packing you anything.

D: So I have to pack my own lunch?!

Me: Yes.

Let's see if he actually does......

The problem with standardized tests in our schools....

2010-03-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

As critical adult thinkers, I want to see if you can come close to answering what my 3rd grade son is expected to parrot back in writing on his Virginia Standards of Learning exam. Remember, these are questions based on living in the United States. Good luck! Here we go.

These are things that people must or must not do.
Which decision making requires comparing both the opportunity cost and the monetary cost of choices with benefits?
What are rules that people live by?
All choice require giving up ____________. (opportunity cost)
What is the purpose of rules?
Name three natural resources.
Tell the three purposes of government.
What is a place where people can live, work and play?
Who protects the rights and property of individuals?
What is the choice of or decision among alternatives or possibilities?

The E.T.Scarf

2010-03-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

The other day my four year old nephew called. It was our first real phone conversation! He was so cute when he asked me to knit him a scarf. He said, "Tia Ellie, can you make me a scarf with stripes?" How could I even think about turning him down? I asked him what his favorite colors were and he very carefully told me they were, "Red (long pause), blue (more thinking), green (are you still there?), and black." Then he remembered one more thing. "Please put some tassels on the ends." How polite!

I was at Mosaic Yarn Shop yesterday and bought all the supplies. My first attempt was a little too short but I kept going hoping it would lengthen once I took it off the needles. No such luck. It wasn't even big enough for his two year old brother but it fit E.T.'s skinny neck just right. That's how the scarf got its name. Now am at work on the real one with enough yarn left and should have it done in time to give it to him during the Easter weekend when I will see him. I think I'll give him the E.T. doll too, if it doesn't freak him out too much!

I hope that every time he wears it, he will feel his Tia hugging him from miles away.

My knitting group

2009-09-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

I've been knitting for a couple of years now. My friend, Julie invited me to a knit shop out in the country. The owner Carole stays open late on Wednesdays and there's an open invitation to come knit and drink some wine. Those who gather only have one thing in common, a love of knitting. We have working knitters in their 40's, like me and some older and younger. Some of the participants are retired. Some have young families, some have teenagers and some are empty nesters. We have married, single and divorced knitters in all different socioeconomic levels. Most of the knitters have a never ending supply of stories to tell. I love hearing each and every one. Last week I heard about the history of the post office in Brownsburg. We talk about relationships, infidelity, spirituality, kids, parents, animals and I'm sure I'm missing a lot of other topics. Nothing is taboo and it's surprising how unflappable the older women are! If anyone is struggling needing advice, you can find it with this group!

The group also has started meeting outside of the yarn shop and I took some pictures at a recent Sunday afternoon gathering. The temperature was perfect and we spent the entire time on Sandy's porch. I am so lucky to know these beautiful people!

Things I want to do with my parents

2009-07-28T10:59:00.001-07:00

I'm going to be visiting my parents soon. I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. We live about a six hour drive from each other. Since our visits are only a few times a year I like to get the most out of them. I've put together a list of things I want to do with mom and dad. I plan to use it as a check list so I don't forget anything. We'll see how well I do.....

Stamp and create cards with my mom
Learn to crochet a granny square
Listen to and document stories of their past
Discuss life, religion, parenting, family (this one comes naturally and will be easy)
Discuss their finances (for the sake of of curiosity and understanding and not because I think they're in trouble or plan on asking for a loan)
Make a plan to celebrate my dad's 70th year of life milestone
Get an update on my mom's health and Parkinsons progression
Learn some traditional Mexican songs
Help my dad with figure out Facebook
Play board games
Be pleasant, cheerful company and not revert to the self-centered, whininess of my youth!

Time seems to be moving faster and faster so I trying to get the most out of life and live in the moment!

You want to be a parent? You have to pass a test.

2009-07-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Today I read about a horrible event. A woman who was clearly not of sound mind, did something unthinkable to her newborn infant. Something that should never be allowed to happen. I don't know where things fell apart.

Before I adopted my two children, I had to go through an adoption agency's program which included interviews, questionnaires, inspections of my home, etc. I didn't resent any of it because it's important to ascertain that people are qualified to be parents before any child is placed in their care. What I want to know, is why isn't this a requirement for EVERY parent? It should be. The standards don't even need to be that high. Just verify that the people living in the home are not clinically diagnosed with mental illness, that their home is not a death trap, that they have the funds to feed, clothe, care for a child. Just basic stuff.

The other sad thing is too many people are afraid to speak up when they see something that looks wrong. I myself have seen moms lose it in public places with their kids and thought it wasn't enough to say something. Who knows? It could've been just a bad moment but it could've been something that happens regularly. At least once a day I act in ways that I am not proud as a result of my children pushing my buttons. Nothing big, just little things like lowering myself to their childish level in an argument or digging my heels in about something that I could let go. It's so hard being a parent!

If there were free ongoing classes on how to manage through parenthood, I would so be there to learn more. I feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants most of the time. How cool would it be require all parents to attend classes throughout their parenthood years to help us be the best we can be? Then you'd be able to catch all the whack-o's who are veering off track before bad, crazy things happen.

It's just part of my plan to make this world more perfect.......

A balanced life

2009-07-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

In the frightening amount of time I spend on Facebook, I've noticed something. First of all, I have all types of friends; those who work, those who don't, those who are parents, those who aren't, left-wing, right-wing, those who are politically apathetic. I could go on and on.

What I've noticed, though, is what kind of statuses people post versus who they are. There are parents who post about their kids and parents who never even mention them. There are people who have definite political opinions and shout them from the rooftop and others who think they might alienate others if they profess what they believe. I think that you can tell something about how balanced a person's life is by the statuses they post. I, for example, do not put a lot of time and energy into my career. I like getting paid and I do a good job but I don't get any personal satisfaction out of it. You can tell on my statuses because I barely even mention that I have a job.

That got me to thinking about the pieces of a balanced life and how much weight should be given to each of them. I don't think there is a set answer for this but what I can say is if you dip too heavy into one area at the expense of another one, it's not good. Spending too much time on a career at the expense of your family or spending too much time having fun at the expense of taking care of yourself is not a good thing. That being said, here are the categories I've come up with for evaluating whether or not you live a balanced life.

Family - the time spent with your spouse, your kids, your parents, your pets, etc.

Friends - your support system who also help in the recreation area

Career - whatever job you have, whether you like it or not, and where you want to take it

Citizenship - your responsibilities to your community and the planet (includes volunteering, being green, social activism, etc.)

Recreation - Vacations & play fall in this catergory. It's important to allow yourself to do what you want to do sometimes!

Health & Fitness - taking care of yourself so that you are able to do everything you want to do (exercise and medical maintenance)

Spiritual Growth - I originally forgot to put this on the list which shows you the priority I give it. I DO believe it is important to a balanced life, though.

I think that I live a relatively balanced life. I suppose the career aspect would become more important, if I was the major bread winner (which I'm not). Health & Fitness is another area that I could do better at attending to. I could probably shift a little energy out of recreation to devote to that!

So how balanced is your life? Did I forget any categories? Let me know what you think!

A story my mom used to tell me

2009-07-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time in a very poor neighborhood in Mexico, there lived a very cute cockroach named Cucarachita Mundinga. She longed to get married very much, but she didn’t have any money for her dowry or anything. She was a very clean little cockroach. One day, while she was sweeping the sidewalk she found a coin. She was dancing with joy thinking, “What should I do with it?” If I buy meat, I’ll eat it and it’s all gone. If buy candy, I’ll get all sticky and it’ll be all gone. “I know!” she said. “I will buy a little red ribbon and I’ll put it on my head and sit in front of my house to watch the people pass by.”

A big bull walked in front of her and said, “MOOO, Cucarachita! How beautiful you are! Will you marry me?” Cucarachita said, “How would you call me?” The bull gave a loud bellow and said “MOOOOOOO!” “Aye, no, no, no!” said Cucarachita Mundga. “That scares me!”

A while later a donkey passed by and he had long, soft ears and sweet eyes. He said, “Oh cucarachita! You are so beautiful will you marry me?” She answered, “How would you call me?” “Heee haw! Heee haw!” He answered and almost knocked her down. “Aye, no, no, no! You frighten me!”

Then a dog passed by and looking at her red ribbon said, “Oh cucarachita! You are so beautiful will you marry me?” “How would you call me?” she asked. The dog filled up his lungs with air and said “WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!” so loud that he knocked the red ribbon out of her hair! “Ay no, no, no!” because you scare me!

The sun was setting when out came a little mouse named Ratoncito Perez. He said, “Oh! Cucarachita Mundinga! How beautiful you are! Will you marry me?” Cucarachita said, “How would you call me?” “Eeek, eeek, eeek, eek.” “Oh yes! Yes! Yes!” said Cucarachita Mundinga.

So they got married and had a very beautiful wedding with Cucarachita Mundinga wearing her beautiful red ribbon on her little head.

Ratoncito Perez didn’t like to get up early in the morning. One day Cucarchita was going to church as usual and she shook Ratoncito Perez. “Please Ratoncito, I let the pot of beans on the fire.” He said, “Uhuh uhuh.” “Would you please stir them so they don’t get burned?” asked Cucarachita. “Do not use the short spoon. Use the long spoon so you can reach the bottom.” “Uhuh,” said Ratoncito, who turned over and fell asleep again. Half and hour later Ratoncito sniffed the air. Something was burning in the kitchen! He jumped out of his bed and ran to the kitchen. Sure enough, the pot of beans was bubbling. So he stood there and thought, “Big spoon; little spoon; big spoon; little spoon.....” Finally he just grabbed the closest one to him which happened to be the little spoon. He stood on the edge of the pot but couldn’t reach the beans. So he creeped over a little bit more and still couldn’t’ reach the beans. He leaned forward a little bit more and kerplunk! When Cucarachita Mundiga came back from church, she called out, “Ratoncito! Ratoncito!” Then she smelled the beans burning, so grabbing the big spoon, she started to stir them. It was then that she found poor little Ratoncito cooked in the beans!

The end.

Green Balloon Friday

2009-06-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

There's been a call to release green balloons today to show our solidarity with the plight of Iranian citizens. You can read more about it here. Here's my contribution in western Virginia....

They're there - click on the picture so you can see 'em!

Cheating

2009-06-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

I'm at the point in my life where friends are starting to get divorced. It's scary because I feel like I'm surrounded by stories of infidelity (these politicians lately aren't helping) and I wonder if it could happen to my husband and I. I don't see how it could, though, because it's black and white as far as I can see it. When you're married, certain things are off limits. Can you think someone is attractive? Of course. Can you flirt with them? You're starting to cross the line. Can you develop an emotionally dependent but non-physical relationship? That sounds like cheating already. Can you sleep with them? What?! Are you crazy?

I hear all these rationalizations from married people. Oh, I wasn't getting my emotional or physical needs met. I had a moment of weakness. I didn't mean for it to happen. All of this is a load of you-know-what. The bottom line is the cheater is a selfish, short-term thinker with not enough self control. It's not wrong to think or feel all those things, it just doesn't justify the cheating. If you're that miserable, then you should end the marriage and THEN feel free to do whatever!

Then there's the whole "I'm sorry. Forgive me." routine. Sure you're sorry! Sorry you got caught! Where was the sorry when you were having your fun? The forgiveness thing I'm going back and forth on. It's good to forgive and let go of the anger but should you forgive something that could happen again? Is there any way to know whether or not it will? I think more often than not, people say I'm sorry and ask for forgiveness but then do not follow it up with serious steps to prevent it from happening again. My kids say "I'm sorry" automatically whenever they do something wrong. It's a reflex and they do it without any thought or true remorse. There are very few apologies given that are truly meaningful.

I've said my piece. It's easy to preach from a safe perch, which is where I'm sitting. To all of you down in the trenches: tell me if you think I'm wrong...

observing the wonder of nature

2009-06-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the coolest wasp/hornet/yellow jacket (help please) nest that is under construction outside my daughter's bedroom window:

What's wrong with the American education system

2009-05-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

In Virginia, we have these exams that start in grade three and continue on each year from then on. They're called SOL's, which literally stand for "Standards of Learning" but I think philosophically stand for what first came into your mind when you read that.

The schools are accredited based on these scores and people falsely judge the quality of education at the schools from these scores. Teachers are hired and fired based on these scores as well. While I don't have any documented proof of these claims, I do have anecdotal evidence and this is a blog so, like Glenn Beck (whom I deplore), I don't back my claims by any fact checking.

So, back to SOL's. I hate what they have done to our schools. I understand that the thought process behind initiating these tests was to hold all schools and students to basic standards which is a good thing. The behavior that is rewarded by implementing these tests, however, is a drilling of facts without context and without a passion for the subject. Bottom line is it makes learning boring and is not bringing out the best in young minds. My fifth grade daughter spent a month after spring break taking multiple choice practice questions and nothing else to prepare for her social studies SOL. Can American History get any more boring? I was helping her with it, and I didn't know half of the obscure facts she needed to know!

Now that there are only a few weeks of school left and the SOL's have been completed, there is no homework coming home, my kids are watching movies in school, field day is tomorrow, and there are picnics planned for next week. So besides the three months of summer vacation, the last month of school is basically a free ride and the first month back is reviewing what they've forgotten. That means there are only seven months of true learning (and I'm keeping Christmas and Spring breaks in the learning portion)!

I'm THIS close to home schooling. I totally see why our kids fall behind so many other countries!

UPDATE (5/25/09): I just read this in the elementary school newspaper under the Opinion section. You think there's a little propaganda getting out from the teachers/administration???? I think the kids who answered "ice cream" have it dead on!

Thoughts on Menopause

2009-04-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

I was visiting a friend of mine who is going through menopause. She's 49 and has been dealing with it for awhile. Her family told me about it first because they say she's transforming before their eyes. They say she's more high strung, quick to lose her temper and very un-fun to be around. They were begging me to convince her to start some kind of prescribed medicated therapy. At first, I didn't think she had changed at all but, after a few days, I kind of saw what they were talking about (but not to the extreme they described). My friend is aware that she's not herself but doesn't want to alter this natural process that all women go through with medication.

My first reaction was to tell her family to be supportive of her wishes and leave her alone and it will eventually pass. The more I think about it, though, I wonder if that's the way to go. If I change so much that I'm making my family miserable, I think I would consider drug therapy. Especially since I now realize that menopause lasts for years and years. I started to think of it in the context of any kind of illness. If you're sick and there's a drug to help, shouldn't you take it? The reason I hesitate, though, is because I think that our culture makes us susceptible to quick drug fixes (think ADHD, diet pills, etc.) rather than the slower, more disciplined approach of correcting our problems naturally. Then there is the other extreme of those whackos who let their children die while praying over them rather than medically intervene to save them with simple modern day cures.

I guess, when it's my turn, I'll have to decide on some middle ground between these two extremes and hopefully won't change that much when I start my menopause. I think the first thing I'll do is a happy dance at not having to buy birth control pills, maxipads and tampons anymore!

If any of you have advice on natural ways to deal with menopause that I can pass on to my friend, I'd love to hear from you!

........

2009-04-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

so....... yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......... um...... how are you?........... me? good......... yeah, well............... not much new to say............ is my blog dying?........ maybe............ so, um, i guess that's it............. um........... bye............

My Message to the Palestinians

2009-03-31T13:43:00.001-07:00

My husband laughed at me for doing this but I think it's pretty cool! If you go to this website, you can pay a nominal fee and they'll spray paint your message on the barrier wall between Israel and Gaza. My husband thinks they photoshopped it and it's some scam being run in Pittsburgh or some less exotic place but I'm thinking it's legit.

Anyway, the purpose of my message is to let the Palestinians know that I am thinking of them and wish them happiness. Of course I want the Israelis to be happy too. I wish they could both find a way to do this.

My messages says, "Ellie in the USA wishes Palestians could move freely & be happy." Here are the photos they sent me (they guy spraying it is kinda cute):

Click on any of the photos to enlarge....

Earth hour is coming

2009-03-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've been going back and forth with a few people on global warming. I am not a scientist but neither are they. I think that unless you're really, really smart, you'll never be able to sift through all the data and form an informed conclusion. In fact, even if you're I.Q. is through the roof, you still might not be able to do it. That being said, I think it's happening and it concerns me.

For those of you out there who are shaking your heads and thinking it's not so, I have a question for you. Even if you don't believe that the earth is warming, shouldn't you still do what you can to pollute less or be more "green?" You might not believe it will have any impact on the climate change but it sure wouldn't hurt it either, would it?

Now that we have that settled, everyone watch this cool promo video for Earth Hour. It's happening on March 28, 2009 at 8:30pm. Everyone shut your lights off for one hour. If nothing else, it'll look really cool from space! You can even go to their website and make a pledge to do so. If you need another reason to do it, here's the last one I'll list: Do it to make Ellie happy!

Blog Malaise

2009-03-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my sister-in-law rightly pointed out how Facebook has drawn my attention away from my lovely blog. Last year, the same thing happened with MySpace but it didn't last because MySpace turned out to be a very sad, place full of narcissistic people taking risqué pictures of themselves. Facebook is much more fun and I've found a TON of old childhood / high school / college / past work friends (and a few old boyfriends - harmless because there are none of the old feelings left and I am happily married, OK?). All of you readers of my blog should join! Anyway, for those of you who don't "facebook," here's just a week's worth of my life through status updates:

Ellie is wearing her jelly bean necklace so it's gonna be a good day!

Ellie thinks VMI's new lunch spot is awesome and almost peed her pants because there's a Quiznos in it!!!!

Ellie is reliving her battle with the intestinal bug vicariously.

Ellie just spent $2.84 at Goodwill to entertain her kids for the rest of the afternoon!

Ellie is blinded by the whiteness!

Ellie is listening to her daughter sing "What I Like About You" on the karaoke machine. She's pretty good!

Ellie doesn't want to start any blasphemous rumours.......

Ellie has had a change of heart and decided she shouldn't pass judgement on Sunday morning stoned guys.

Ellie saw some robots today and was relieved they didn't stage an uprising.

Ellie wants her mom. Mamita....¿Dónde está usted cuando estoy enferma?

Ellie is Blago got Burris' son a job?! C'MON!!! Resign already!!!!

Ellie HAD to add salt to her low sodium soup......
Ellie thinks those raised as only children should be required to enroll in sharing seminars.

Ellie just ate a ham sandwich on Ash Wednesday! D'oh!!!
Ellie is putting on her nurse hat today but promises not to call anyone "pathetic."

OMG! That means I change my status 2.14 times a day! Besides doing that, I am checking out everyone's pictures, posting my own pictures, IMing, posting links & clips, commenting on everyone else's stuff, taking care of my SuperPoke Pet (it sounds ridiculous, even as I'm typing it), giving out virtual gifts. I'm out of control! Cheri is right!!! No wonder my house is such a mess!

I plan on getting a grip soon, just one more quick peek at Facebook......

The Right Way to Age

2009-03-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

I just turned forty-four last month and will be lucky, if I make it to eighty-eight so, given that, it seems my life has already reached the halfway point. It's morbid to think about and most people would rather not but that's not me. I've become more diligent about taking care of myself in recent years - at least doctor-wise. I recently went through the required six month dental exam, and the always fun pap smear exam. I came out with referrals to schedule a dermatology appointment for my sun damaged skin, and a mammogram as well as some physical therapy for my right arm which isn't quite right. Man, do I sound old, or what?! While I recognize the importance of a healthy diet and exercise, I have much room for improvement in these areas. All these things, I know, will help me prolong my life and achieve a better quality of life in my remaining years but here's the thing.....

If I do all the things that I'm supposed to and have a body that is in peak condition in my senior years, I could very well have a brain that doesn't keep pace. Then my old brain will be trapped in a very healthy body with years and years to go. I've seen it happen and it's awful!

So, should I worry about flossing, less exposure to the sun, eating rabbit food all the time, working out, drinking less, and all the other un-fun stuff I'm supposed to be doing or should I throw caution to the wind and go out and do what I enjoy? Or is there a balance? That's what I'm trying to come to terms with now.....

Go ahead! Give me your 2 cents!

My birthday present

2009-02-17T16:34:00.000-08:00

Today I'm another year older. I'm not really reconciled to the aging thing but had an experience today that made me grateful to be where I am in the whole life voyage. I made an appointment to make my 44 year old self feel younger and did the whole haircut/dye/highlight thing. My regular hairdresser wasn't working today so I went with a younger cosmetologist. She told me her age (20) and I did some mental math and came to the realization that I could be her mother. She was a sweet girl and we talked about each others' lives, TV, and local gossip. To hear about her life, I recalled my life at 20. It was during my heyday at Ohio State. I had not yet met my husband. I was basically still a kid who did not take college seriously, nor did I behave responsibly in much of the rest of my life outside the classroom. Thank goodness I did not make any life altering decisions about career/spouse/life at this time because I am not anything like that person now. In listening to her current experiences, I tried to temper my advice and opinions because I knew my twenty year old self would never listen to the me that I am right now. I don't think I interacted with many women twenty four years older than me at that time anyway (except maybe my mom).

Anyway, to Summer, I dedicate this post. You gave me a perfect hairstyle/color which made me feel younger, and, at the same time, made me appreciate being the age I am! Could I wish for a better birthday present?

P.S. This post is also dedicated to Judy who wants me to update my blog, already!

Set the frump factor dial to high!

2009-02-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

I've outdone myself in frumpiness today. Maybe I'm feeling old because of my impending birthday. Check out the different elements of the look I've pulled together for today:

A frumpy hairstyle that allows me to go one more day without washing my hair.....

A frumpy shapeless sweater.....

Pleated pants that I either need to lose weight to wear or buy a larger size.....

...and need to be a little longer to cover the hideous frumpy sensible shoes......

...and here is the final result. Ultimate frumpiness!

Wow!

2009-01-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

This made me cry....

2009-01-19T14:44:00.000-08:00

MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge

A message from last year's me!

2009-01-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

I posted something last year about receiving a message from one-year-younger me. I got another message today. In it I say:

I'm so hoping that the next time I read this Barack Obama will be our president! Is he???

I love answering that one!

Here are some other highlights:

I'm at *** lbs. lately, I'm hoping this message finds me way lighter! HA!

I'm working on getting a new roof for the house, getting it painted, finishing my son's room, getting a kitchen table, painting the great room and cleaning up the garden.

On January 19th in 2007 & 2008 I've colored my hair purply red. Will I do it again???

I hope I'm not feeling like a total failure when I read this again.....

I still like you, though, future me!

Good thing the past me likes me because I'm not lighter, I still haven't finished my son's room, got a kitchen table or cleaned up the garden! I'm calling today to get an appointment to get my hair colored!

I love these messages! I'm going to go send future me another one now!

My poor uneducated son!

2009-01-15T10:49:00.001-08:00

Last night, I let me ten year old daughter stay up thirty extra minutes to read. This did not go down well with my seven year old son who was told to go to bed. What followed was an emotional plea using his most persuasive arguments to try and convince us to change our minds and let him have the same privilege. It was so hard to listen with a straight face but it went something like this.

"You don't care about educating my mind because she gets to read books with new words and is learning new words and I have to go to sleep." (note: his choice of reading material was a Lego catalog that he's looked at and studied for about twenty solid hours already) "I'm horrible at math and Adam can do it way faster than me and you don't care about my mind's education at all and he will always be better than me. All I want to do is educate myself and you let her get smarter but not me. You make me sleep and sleep won't help me get smarter."

I kept having to look down while he ranted because if he saw the smile on my face this would've enraged him further. When he was done with me and realized I wouldn't budge he then began the process all over again with dad. This went on for about thirty minutes so he DID get to stay up afterall! I guess he got us!

MUST. STOP. POSTING. VIDEOS!!!

2009-01-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

I'm having an inauguration party at my house on Tuesday. I can't wait to see this:

Congressional Committee Debates Merits Of Proposed Inauguration Dance

Walmart is scary!

2009-01-13T18:57:00.000-08:00

I know I'm being lazy and not posting like a should. Most of what I want to write about is off-limits, though (family rules). In the meantime, you have to see this. I am a victim of a Walmart exclusive town. There is literally not another choice. This video graphically shows you their frightening expansion:

Saying goodbye

2009-01-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

Goodbye Mr. President. I must respectfully say that I am so happy to see you go and will try to pretend the last eight years were a really bad dream. It's the same kind of feeling I had when Ohio State fired football coach John Cooper and hired Jim Tressel but on a much larger scale....

This video from 23/6 captures his term in office quite nicely, I think!

Gaza conflict resolution

2009-01-06T11:05:00.001-08:00

Tim Minchin is awesome! He's talented, smart, funny, sexy and has a cool accent! Not only that, but he has the solution to this mess in Gaza. I am so fed up with the adolescent logic on BOTH the Israeli and Palestinian sides about who started it and why they HAVE TO do what they're doing. All their arguments are lame and the need to figure out how to get along and stop making innocent and even non-innocent people suffer. That's why Tim's solution is so great! After you watch this, go to YouTube and check out his other stuff! My favorites are Canvas Bags, Not Perfect, If I Didn't Have You and Take My Wife. Enjoy!

And don't forget to.......

TAKE YOUR CANVAS BAGS WHEN YOU GO TO THE SUPERMARKET!

Ohio State prediction

2009-01-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

GO BUCKEYES! BEAT TEXAS!

Show all those lame-O's out there who think we don't have a chance that they're WRONG!!!!

Show the rest of the Big 10 (except Iowa, of course) how a Big 10 team is supposed to play a bowl game!!!!

My final score prediction: Ohio State 24 & Texas 17

An anniversary

2009-01-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

A year ago today, we brought Pichu home. The past year has been a blur. I must've swept up about one ton of dog hair, picked up about a million poop piles, taken him on a gazillion walks. Still, my kids love him and I miss him if he's not here. I guess all in all, it's been OK, and there are no regrets. Scott will be taking his "you-got-a-dog ski trip" next month......

Happy New Year Stocking???

2009-01-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my Christmas stocking. I'm doing one a year and this one is for my daughter. I believe I'll try felting it one more time - such a messy process! After it's shrunk a little more, I'll sew on the jingle bells at the points. I'll start my son's a little earlier next year....

Prolonging Christmas

2008-12-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of people out there who can't wait to yank down all the Christmas decorations and let their normal lives resume. Then there's people like me who wish it were Christmas all year! I will not even THINK of pulling anything down until after Epiphany. With my Mexican heritage, I have an excuse! The three wise men will visit our house and leave something in our shoes on the morning of January 6th. I have to keep it Christmasy for their visit!

Here are a few festive snapshots to keep the Christmas spirit going a little longer!

Gift tags

2008-12-23T19:07:00.000-08:00

Every year, my husband and I overindulge our children with numerous gifts. It's not that we spend a lot, we just like to see them open presents! In the past, we've had enough for them to open one every hour all day on Christmas Eve. This year, the presents aren't quite as numerous and that tradition will end (no matter how many tears my seven year old shed this evening). With so many gifts, it just seems too boring to make them all from mom & dad so, each year, we get creative about who they come from. It's influenced by whatever is important to them at the time. We've had gifts from ghosts of our dead cats (macabre, I know), Bernard the elf (pictured right) from The Santa Clause, superheroes, and beloved stuffed animals.

My favorites this year are one from a dead mouse that my daughter found in a glue trap on the driveway last week. It says, "To Katie from the ghost of the dead mouse on the driveway." Another one is from the deer that frequents our back yard with a bad leg who we've named "Gimpy." The kids love getting these gifts from the most unlikely of givers and my husband and I amuse ourselves with what we make up! We're such nerds! It's definitely a win-win!

Thoughts on prayer

2008-12-21T15:55:00.001-08:00

I came to the conclusion recently that I don't believe in the power of prayer. My thought process went something like this: A. God is omnipotent. B. Good things happen to bad people. C. Bad things happen to good people. D. Both B & C seem to happen randomly. Therefore, if prayer had any impact, wouldn't good things happen to good people more and bad things happen to bad people more? Also, wouldn't it be safe to assume that millions are praying for starving Africans yet they keep starving. If God is omnipotent, and prayer worked, wouldn't starving Africans be seeing some kind of relief by now?

Here's the problem, though. I've been praying all my life. I can't just stop. I can't just quit saying bedtime prayers with my kids. My husband is currently out west in all that crazy weather. I can't not pray for his safe return. I know it's crazy to be so ambivalent about prayer but I don't know how to move on to the next step and be at peace.

I wish everyone but do not pray for everyone to have peace this holiday season!

Small tokens

2008-12-18T17:18:00.000-08:00

I've been very busy today with getting gifts wrapped and out for shipping as well as putting together teacher gifts to send with the kids tomorrow - their last day. My inspiration was "A Christmas Story." Do you remember when Ralphie put that HUGE basket on his teacher's desk in hopes that his theme would get a good grade?

Well, I bought two baskets - one for each of my kid's teachers - and filled them with assorted goodies. In them, I put some citrus from a ginormous crate I bought from the HS band fundraiser, a lottery ticket (an idea I got from Kindness Girl) , a cracker, a bag of popcorn, a miniature Kahlua that I got from buying the gift box that included a mug and 3 minis for only $2 more, and a homemade card from my children. I bought plain baskets at Walmart and hot glued the ribbon on. Tomorrow, I'm going to add some fresh cuttings from the yard to fill it out and I think it'll look really nice.

In a smaller version, I bought a funky snowglobey kind of cup and put in another lottery ticket and a clementine in tissue paper for the janitor of the school. He's our secret pal for the year and is diabetic so I didn't want to put in candy.

Hopefully it'll make them all smile!

UPDATE: Adding cuttings from the yard when your husband is off on a ski trip and you have to shower, dress, fix breakfast, pack lunches, put a crockpot on the front porch for someone to borrow, throw toddler furniture in the trunk for someone who is willing to take them off your hands, pop a bag of popcorn for your daughter to have at school when she watches her Christmas movie, and get the kids to school by 8:15am is not a realistic expectation......

Rick is spending Christmas with me!

2008-12-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

Finally! My Christmas is complete! Rick Springfield has recorded a Christmas CD. Is it good, you ask? How could it NOT be? Its got Rick in it, doesn't it? He could be singing with a bagpipe and a banjo (he didn't) and it would sound awesome! All proceeds from the recording of "Christmas With You" are donated to support the US Military Veterans Organization American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. Rick is so cool!

Decorating!

2008-12-10T09:51:00.001-08:00

I made these pretty orange and clove ornaments to hang outside. The Crafty Crow gave me the idea. They were fun to do and the kids loved decorating them with the cloves! I'm thinking it'll be an annual tradition.

Lego drama

2008-12-06T15:17:00.001-08:00

About a month ago, my seven year old son got it into his head that he HAD to have a Lego Boba Fett. He came to this conclusion after trying to alter no less than three Lego Clone Troopers with a Sharpee (pictured on the right) and not being satisfied with the results. The problem with wanting a Lego Boba Fet is that Lego does not sell them anymore. That makes them only available through third parties who charge crazy inflated prices for discontinued/rare items. We located one on brickninja.com for a mere $34.98. That the price.....for ONE, ONE INCH Lego guy. My son thought that was totally reasonable and forked down his entire lifetime savings in front of us and pleaded for us to order it. We thought, "Wow! He must really, really want this!" So the order was placed.

He seemed happy about his purchase until last week when he decided that what he really wants is 99,999 Clone Troopers to form an army (this has actually now been requested in his letter to Santa despite my warning that greedy kids end up with coal). He asked my husband if it was OK to trade his Boba Fett for a Clone Trooper from Jeremiah. My husband said no way and then made a tactical error, in my view. He offered to buy back Boba Fett and let our son have the money to buy more Legos! My son did this one other time when he got the Transformer Helicopter guy and then, after playing with him for awhile, decided he really wanted another Transformer and got my husband to buy him another one in exchange for giving the helicopter guy to Scott.

Today, he LOST Boba Fett! He posted this sign on his door:

He was inconsolable surrounded by his thousand of Legos MINUS the Boba Fett. I had zero sympathy for the guy. Seriously. Does this not sound spoiled to you? I wish I had the guts to actually go through with the coal threat (I don't). What I do have to do is get my husband to quit making it worse. We have since found Boba Fett after he got stepped on by one of my daughters friends. I think I'll kidnap him tonight and hold him ransom......

Parade planners note

2008-12-02T14:12:00.000-08:00

Marching camel in a nativity - bad idea.....

Ask the planners in Delaware, OH. It was front page with a headline along the lines of "CAMEL CHARGES CROWD."

Here's the picture I snapped!

B KND

2008-12-01T13:08:00.000-08:00

That was the license plate in front of me as I drove to work today. It struck a chord. It's something that I need to remember to do no matter who I'm dealing with. I think too often, we get into a mindset that we should only be kind to people we like. If there's a stranger or someone who annoys us or someone we genuinely dislike, we don't feel obligated to be kind anymore.

I was having a beer with my husband before the Buckeye game and the bar was completely packed. In the midst of the wall-to-wall people, there was a table with about 12 open chairs around it. There was an attractive couple sitting at the table but the rest were empty. I went up to them and asked if we could sit at their table and the girl said they were saving them for their friends. My husband and I leaned against the wall and drank our beers. During the twenty or so minutes it took for us to finish, their friends never arrived and they sat there as content as could be while a bunch of us found places to perch with our drinks. I saw them turn a few more people away after us. Would it have killed them to let us sit there until their friends arrived? It was a very small thing they could have done for the sake of kindness but it never occurred to them.

Back in October, I was waiting in line to buy an apple pie. In front of me was a woman with about four really big, really heavy pumpkins. The cashier next to the one we were waiting behind opened and the lady told us we could move over there to pay. The pumpkin lady didn't want to because she had small kids and was having trouble managing them and her pumpkins so I thought she was going to wait where she was until the first cashier came back. I took up the second cashier's offer and went over there to pay for my pie. My brother was standing behind the pumpkin lady and heard her say something bitchy about me cutting in front of her. Honestly, if she would've starting moving her pumpkins over, I still would've finished paying for my one pie WAY before she finished so I don't see how I inconvenienced her any. After my brother told me, I thought, life is too short to get that pissed off at a stranger and made a mental note not to send bad thoughts towards anyone that gets in front of me in line.

Yesterday, someone advised me that since I can't control any one's actions except my own, the best I can do is to be kind without expecting anything in return. I think that's good advice. Today's license plate reinforced that message. I will be working hard to achieve that goal - especially through the holidays.

Peace!

Oh! The people that I met!

2008-11-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

I just took a quick weekend trip by myself to Chicago for my nephew's baptism and met a few new people. I am fascinated by all the different people in the world and their backgrounds and what makes them tick. Here's a few encounters from my trip:

Old Man vs. City Girl - I was walking down the sidewalk in Park Ridge, doing a little shopping and an ancient old man was wobbily walking out of the pharmacy with his cane. If I blew on him, I could have knocked him over. I said hello to him and he stopped me. "Hey!," he said, "C'mere!" I hesitated but thought I could take him, if he tried anything, so I followed. He walked over to a fall sidewalk display and pointed to this picture on the right. "What is this?!" he asked. I looked at him thinking this guy doesn't know what planet he's on and said, "Um, a bale of hay????" He said, "Wrong! You city girls don't know nothing! This is a bale of STRAW. It's not good for anything! You can't feed cows with this! You can't feed horses! It's useless!" Alrighty, then. He continued on. "Here's something else you city girls don't know! See this ear of corn?" (There were corn stalks tied to the lamp pole.) "You will never find a cob of corn with an uneven number of corn rows! NEVER!" I smiled and said, "Thank you for teaching a city girl a few new things." He smiled back and said, "You're welcome! Have a nice day!" I almost asked him if I could take his picture but I was afraid I'd set him off again so we went our separate ways.

Here's a bale of hay. See how different they look!? NOT!

MS Guy in the Airport - While I was sitting in O'Hare yesterday, a guy in a wheelchair rolled over to me and we talked for about 45 minutes. His story made me sad but, at the same time, I didn't feel sorry for him. Marco introduced himself to me and told me he was on his way to Arizona with his parents for the winter. He's forty years old and was diagnosed with MS in 1995. He told me all about his divorce, his subsequent relationship with his ex (totally for the sex - TMI!), his beloved Pit bull, Lucky who recently died from cancer, his aversion to voting because he doesn't want to be called for jury duty (I told him he should rethink that one), and his career as a tool and dye tradesman. He seemed to have a kind of George Costanza type relationship with his parents and they all looked very similar to the Seinfeld characters. He didn't complain at all about his bad luck in developing such a horrible disease. In fact, I think it made him a bit more likable. The way he talked, it sounded like he was a pretty big jerk before the diagnosis. He called his wife all kinds of horrible names, he drove a Camaro and thought he was hot stuff, he declared himself a racist to get out of jury duty, he hated kids (still does). I told him I might blog about him and he had no idea what a blog was. He said he doesn't go on computers anymore because he accidentally bought a bunch of porn without knowing it and he's afraid it'll happen again. I guess he just keeps magazines under his bed now.

Bottom line, though, is he's lonely living with his parents and has no other social outlets. The MS has taken away his independence, his career, and his ability to have a normal relationship. I was glad to spend a little time with him in the airport and make him feel like a worthwhile person.

I met some others too (all without even making it downtown where all the interesting people are) and have a few more stories but this post is long enough, I think!

Thank you.

2008-11-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

This Veterans Day, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and the Ad Council are launching a campaign to help the men and women who have served and are serving in these wars. Go to http://communityofveterans.org/ to find out more.

Everyone please remember to take a moment today to thank those who have served or are serving in our military. Here's a video to show you how:

He still has his hand out!

2008-11-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

Alright, I volunteered to help the Obama campaign. I put in time and money to help the cause. Throughout the whole process, I received weekly emails asking for more money. I would then turn to the TV and see a barrage of ads from my candidate (some good and some bad) and think, do I want to help fund more of this?! I stayed firm for the most part, but did fall for the "dinner with Barack" bait. My chances of winning were probably smaller than playing Powerball. I DO think that all my time, energy and monetary donations were worth it in the end and I have no regrets.

But, TODAY, almost a week after the election was called, I received in my inbox ANOTHER request. In it, the campaign says,

The Democratic National Committee poured all of its resources into building our successful 50-state field program. And they played a crucial role in helping Barack win in unlikely states like North Carolina and Indiana. We even picked up an electoral vote in Nebraska.

The DNC took on considerable debt to make this happen.

Then they ask me to donate $100 and I'll get this t-shirt.

Does this look like a $100 t-shirt to you????? It sure doesn't look like it is to me! Do I feel beholden to the DNC for spending money they didn't have to help out? No, I don't. Do I find this email way tacky? Yes, I do! As far as I'm concerned, everyone who helped out in the campaign should get this t-shirt for free and Barack Obama should make campaign finance reform a goal before the next round of elections.

Other than that, I have no complaints and think President-Elect Obama is doing a FINE job!

UPDATE - 11/12/08 - I just received another email informing me that you now only have to "donate" $30 for one of these fabulous shirts......Nah!

I'm kinda like this.....

2008-11-08T17:17:00.001-08:00

I laughed at this but the bullet hits pretty close.....

Another package from my punk rock knitting pal!

2008-11-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

My package from Dawn arrived Thursday but I'm just now getting to post it. Dawn is such a talented, creative person so I feel very lucky to have been matched with her! Let me tell you about the goodies I got!

DPN's
A tiny treasure box
Pom Pom maker
Tape measure
Marzipan Chocolate which my kids watched me eat with puppy dog eyes
Fun magnets
Face oil made by Dawn that smells so good!
One skein of Rowan felted tweed
Three skeins of Lion Brand wool in lovely lemongrass (can anyone recommend a good pattern for a cabled bag for this?)
Turkey with a hand knit scarf by Dawn

Thank you, Dawn! You're the best!

It's a sunshine day!

2008-11-06T12:19:00.000-08:00

I'm still so very happy! This is the song that's been in my head all day.......

Missing out

2008-11-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

As you might have guessed, I am on cloud nine right now. The sun is shining. The world is good. Humanity is good. There is hope.

What's starting to dawn on me is that, while there are millions out there who are feeling the same way, there are also people out there who are feeling scared, angry, and hopeless. I have friends and family who are experiencing the same historical moment in a total alternate universe. They are afraid that we are moving towards socialism, that scary Democrats are in total power and we will all suffer, that Barack Obama will pull out his turban and yell, HA!

I'm at a loss. I will not let them burst my bubble but I feel sad that they can't share the elation that I'm feeling. My husband reminds me that Barack Obama cannot live up to the expectations I have of him. Maybe so. Still I am overjoyed. We have turned a corner and things can't not get better. I'm going to tune the naysayers out for a little while and bask in the special moment in history that we are all living. I hope that the dark cloud will lift for those of you out there who are not happy with the election results and that you can see things through my rose-colored glasses soon.

Election excitement

2008-11-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the kids and I hung door hangers in the neighborhood to remind people to vote. After I finished my packet, we all stopped by Democratic HQ to drop it off and the place was buzzing! Peeking around the corner, I found out the source of the excitement because Terry McAuliffe was sitting right there! That man cracked my husband and I up during the final stages of the Clinton campaign when he'd get on TV and act like they had all but won! The whole family got to shake his hand and hear about his exploration into the possibility of running for governor here.

Today I went out canvassing with my friend Beth for the first time. It was cool to see everyone so excited about the election (we didn't look too closely to see if the guy who answered the door in his underwear was excited). After I voted, I started walking out and was stopped by the photographer of one of the local papers to see if I was willing to pose for a picture. If I get in, I'll post it so you can see what a celebrity I am! I can follow in Joe the Plumber's footsteps!

Now it's time to sit and wait for the results! I have no fingernails left to bite off so it's time to move to the brown paper bag......

GO OBAMA!!!!!!!

Vote!!!

2008-11-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

A video postcard from our fellow Americans in Alaska:

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

What should I be???

2008-10-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

There's a Day of the Dead party my husband and I are invited to on Saturday and I haven't decided what I should go as. I bought a giant Whoopie cushion costume which is easy. Or, I could borrow my daughter's Mother Nature costume that I'm currently assembling. I'm still toying with the Sarah Palin idea but don't want to kick the poor woman while she's down and don't have the $$$ to dress like she does, so that one is probably out! In the past, I've been a carrot, a gypsy, an alien, Sally from A Nightmare Before Christmas, a devil woman, and a hippy so I don't want to do a repeat of any of those. I could just go as the character that my family has type-cast me as which is a drunken, belligerent, provacatively dressed Obamamaniac...... maybe not. Suggestions?????

Hippy Ellie - Halloween 2005

Me as Sally - Halloween 2006

Keeping busy

2008-10-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

This activity was a hit this weekend! It kept my and the neighborhood kids occupied for an hour or so. I just bought these foam pre-cut pumpkins and let them decorate with Sharpies, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes. They used glue dots so there was no messy sticky glue to deal with! We stuck self-adhesive magnets on the back and they're going all over my refrigerator.

We also did these baked apples which were quick and easy. I found them on The Crafty Crow blog which linked me to Little Momma and Company . This is a blog worth visiting just for the fantastic playlist she's put together for you to listen to as you peruse her blog!

If I make them again, I will have the kids pre-mix the ingredients in a bowl before stuffing them into the apples and add oatmeal.

I love the fall!

Letter to a fake plumber

2008-10-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Joe the Plumber,

I’m used to politicians misrepresenting themselves, but you?! A blue collar, nine-to-five, hardworking father out playing football with his son in northern Ohio? I didn’t expect YOU to be a fake! What a slap in the face to find out 1) you’re passing yourself off as a plumber when you’re not licensed, 2) you’re passing yourself off as undecided when you registered Republican and voted in the Republican primary, 3) you don’t make anywhere near $250,000 (unless you significantly bumped up your earnings since 2006 when you made $40,000) nor (by your own admission) do you have the money to purchase this plumbing business as you told Barack Obama, 4) you OWE back property taxes which means you can’t even pay your fair share under the CURRENT system.

To steal a quote from Ms. Palin, who stole from a White Sox fan, “Say it ain’t so, Joe!”

Sincerely,

Life Junkie

So good!!!!

2008-10-15T13:26:00.001-07:00

Just finished this yesterday. What an awesome read! Even though I'm forty-three and this book was written for young adults, I highly recommend it. This is the perfect month to read it too because of the vampire theme.

Now I'm excited because the movie is coming out November 21st. Here's the website.

I watched a few clips and the character casting looks right on the mark - especially Edward.

I'm going out and buying the next one in the series right away!

Do I want a smart president? You betcha!

2008-10-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

On CNN, Paul Begala recently called George Bush a 'high-functioning moron.' Far be it from me to argue with his judgment on our sitting president. Can we all agree that G.W. will probably not go down as the most intelligent president in our history? If so, and seeing where his leadership has taken us, can we also agree that our next president should be a little more intellectual? That would be a good thing, right? With that being said, here are the four candidates and their educational accomplishments:

John McCain - BS. Ranked 894th of 899 in his class. No post-graduate degree.

United States Navel Acadamey. Class of 1958.

Sarah Palin - Degree in Journalism. GPA not released by the campaign. No post graduate degree.

Hawaii Pacific University - Fall 1982.
North Idaho College (2 year college) - Spring 1983 & Fall 1983.
University of Idaho - Fall 1984 - Spring 1985.
Matanuska - Susitna College - Fall 1985.
University of Idaho - Spring 1986 - Spring 1987.

Barack Obama - BA Political Science. Concentration in International Relations. Law Degree (Magna Cum Laude & President of Harvard Law Review).

Occidental College - Fall 1979 - Spring 1981
Columbia University - Fall 1981 - Spring 1983.
Harvard Law School - Fall 1988 - Spring 1991.

Joe Biden - BA - (Majors: History and Political Science) Ranked 506th of 688 in his class (not quite as bad as McCain). Law Degree. (where by his own description he underperformed - but still... he completed and graduated on time)

University of Delaware - Class of 1965.
Syracuse University Law School - Class of 1968.

Now I know education is not the only factor in measuring intelligence nor is intelligence the only factor in the making of a good president. It is interesting to compare, though.....

Dustin is HOT and VOTE!

2008-10-12T19:18:00.001-07:00

Muslims are just people!

2008-10-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

So I just watched this clip of a bunch of McCain supporters talking about crazy stuff. They all are convinced that Barack Obama is a closet Muslim or something (he's not). What really gets me is that, in their minds, Muslim = Terrorist. McCain and Palin KNOW this and are feeding this frenzy. I find it completely disgusting and feel sorry for them.

I just want to share a few examples of nice Muslims. Just in case anyone else is thinking Muslims are scary.

Benazir Bhutto - First Muslim female head of state for Pakistan. Assasinated on December 27, 2007. She was a brave woman. She had been exiled twice and came back to again run for public office. She knew her life would be in danger but she did it anyway. Now THAT is putting your country first!

Kareem Abdul Jabbar - I guess he's a famous basketball player or something. I've seen him on TV (not playing basketball). He seems nice.....

Dave Chapelle - Now he's a funny guy! OK - he looks scary in this picture but that's only because he's playing the artist formerly known as Prince. Prince is a scary person (not Muslim, though)! His music is awesome, but he gives me the heebie jeebies! But, back to my point. You see?! Muslims can be funny too!

Keith Ellison - Congressman representing Minnesota. Has anything blown up since he's been if office (he started January 2007)? NO. That just goes to show you that Muslims can be just as ineffective in congress as Christians, Jews or Atheists. Rep. Ellison doesn't flaunt his religion much but can you blame him with the climate out there?

I think everyone who is scared of Muslims should go to therapy where they have to sit in a room with a Muslim and see that they're normal people who share many of the same beliefs as the rest of us.

Everyone say it with me, "BEING MUSLIM IS NOT BAD OR SCARY."

A fall walk

2008-10-09T16:22:00.001-07:00

After picking up the kids from school, we all went out with the dog for a fall walk. Here are the highlights:

Learn about gasses

2008-10-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

My kids love inhaling helium! I better not show them this video.....

Well, he has imagination.....

2008-10-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

A story by my 2nd grade son:

Todd and the Magic Surfer

One day in the 1580's, a boy named Todd, well he's not really a boy, he's an onion, met a magic surfer. They met on the battlefield in the desert. Todd and the magic surfer said hi and they started to fight. They made a bunch of people start fighting. Then, somebody said, "Will you hang me?"

Everybody said, "YES!"

So Todd's friend said, "Ahhhhh! I am hit!" Todd tried to kill the evil monster that hit his friend.

"Hiya," said Todd.

Superman fought and fought and fought. Batman came out of nowhere...BOOM... POW... KICK... CRASH... DONK... DESTROY ... KILL... BOOM... DESTROY... CRASH... BOOM! Then Superman turned to the dark side. Batman said, "No, not again!" BOOM!!!!!!!!!! Batman killed Superman? "Yes," said Batman, "I did!" Catwoman hurt Todd.

The End.

I love it!!!!

No thanks...

2008-10-04T10:13:00.001-07:00

My son came home from school the other day begging to go to this:

He has a little friend who doesn't believe dinosaurs existed who was handing these cards out in class. It was a tough explaining to a seven year old that as cool as it would be to see a strong guy rip a license plate in half, it was a trick to get him to go to church. You could see the wheels turning. How come we don't have any WWF wrestlers standing next to Father Joe on Sunday and squeezing washcloths (what exactly is that guy doing???). All our lame church does is sing and pray and stuff! I was more thinking, "What kind of bizarre church lures people in with greased up muscle men?" I looked 'em up online. It's very cryptic. I can't determine a denomination. I guess this Power Team spectacle is their way of not being "a bunch of bologna."

I don't think this church is the answer to all my religious uncertainty, though - muscle men or not.

Homer wants change!

2008-10-02T09:43:00.001-07:00

Feeling lower than the stock market...

2008-09-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this school year I volunteered to be a literacy tutor at the high school. It is part of a pilot program that re-teaches literacy skills one-on-one using a proven method called The Barton System. I went through a few training sessions and some DVD’s and I was ready to meet my student.

My student is a male, seventeen year old, with a literacy level of a first grader. How could this happen?! This student is now a Junior in high school and CAN’T READ! I don’t think there is any dyslexia involved but I’m not sure. The more I learn about him, the more hopeless it all seems to me. He has a full time job. He is chronically tired, ill, and underfed. It seems like he has no academic support at home and that education is not valued by anyone in his family. In fact, I think there is a general attitude that school is the enemy.

It all came to a head last week when he showed up thirty minutes late. He overslept. When he sarcastically told me he was sorry, I lost it and laid in on him. I wanted him to understand how important it was for him to learn how to read and how it would impact his entire life if he threw this chance away. I might as well have been talking to myself because he didn’t want to hear any of it. He just got really angry and shut down.

Since then, we’ve met twice and the animosity in the air is off the charts. He’s cooperating but it’s apparent he hates me. It’s been hard enough to carve this time out to go over to the high school three times a week and keep up with my work, kids, and other volunteering. Why should I do it if 1) he has no interest in learning how to read, 2) he thinks I’m the Wicked Witch?

I am so mad right now! What kind of parents does he have that don’t make sure he’s fed, well rested, and are constantly fighting with the very people who are trying to help their son? What kind of school system keeps promoting a kid to the next grade without addressing this serious problem? How many more of these kids are out there?

The whole situation is making me very, very sad…….

A surprise in the mail!

2008-09-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

My package arrived today! It came during the Ohio State game and it must have brought me good luck because we SO won the game! I should have taken a guess who my pal was before the package arrived because I suspected it was DawnRays but since I didn't say so before, it doesn't sound so credible, does it?

Here's what she sent me:

I've got three skeins to use as I wish (2 Katia peru skeins with an alpaca/acrylic/wool mix and one very punky Noro skein). Dawn MADE me the fishbone lace cowl which is WAY cool! The stitch markers (also made by Dawn) are my very first fancy markers. I got the spiderwebby cloth and pumpkin which will stay out as Halloween is approaching. She also sent me notecards and a shower sponge which will both be put to good use. How can someone I've never met know the exact right things to send?!

With a Buckeye win and my package, I can call this a perfect day!

Dogs or cats? A definitive answer

2008-09-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

After watching Katie Couric's interview of Sarah Palin on CBS. Here's how I think Sarah Palin would respond to the question,

"Do you like dogs better or cats better?"

"I think that a dog can be fierce and loyal and a cat, ya' know, can be, oh - they have their good points. But you can't say that a dog or a cat is better or worse because, gosh!, we live in America and the people here are good, hard-working, folks. And everyone should put their country first and follow John McCain who is a maverick and has been a prisoner of war. And there were no dogs or cats in Vietnam to offer him comfort. So what I'm really trying to say is dogs are good and cats are good but we have to stand up for Main Street America and fight this economic crisis and not wave a white flag at people who are hell-bent on destroying America and our way of life like Barack Obama wants to do. Because that's just not right and all those American dogs and cats - we owe them more than that."

Check out her very own explanation to Katie about how the proximity of Alaska to Russia gives her foreign policy experience. It makes just about as much sense as the dog/cat argument:

You go, Sarah! I can't wait to watch you debate!

A beautiful weekend sigh

2008-09-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

I spent this weekend at Skylark again. It's a beautiful treasure on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A group of us gathered to knit, drink wine, talk and celebrate life. In being there, I created another moment to add to the collection of precious memories that make up my life. The women that were there were conservative, liberal, young, old, traditional and wild with a common love of knitting. We talked about religion, love, family, politics, and shared life experiences that made me laugh so hard I cried. I can't tell you how lucky I am to know and hang out with this group of amazing women!

I have to share with you the receiving blanket that I FINALLY finished and will be shipping to my cousin's baby in Mexico soon. I'm so glad to get it off my needles! It's made of Baby Bamboo and is SOOOO soft!

Three of the women there made these amazing shawls and I asked if I could take a picture of them. The colors are brilliant and I can't make to make one myself.

We enjoyed our cocktail hours with a 360 degree view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the food was better than any five star restaurant!

It was so sad to see the weekend come to an end but we were running out of wine anyway....

Bill Clinton and teenage blow-jobs

2008-09-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

I just got back from book club. The book was I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. What a great book but that wasn't what we talked about for the majority of the evening. Politics reared it's head and I'm not sure where everyone in the room fell on the political spectrum. I might have offended some with my Sarah Palin impression (I've decided that's who I'll be for Halloween - pretty scary, huh?). At one point, though, one of my friends expressed her belief in the correlation between Bill Clinton and the Monica Lewinsky Scandal and a rise in teenage girls giving blow-jobs. Can this be feasibly true or measurable? I don't know. I'm going to try and find out, though.....

I think perhaps, a picture wouldn not be appropriate with this post....

Sarah's Tanning

2008-09-17T11:22:00.001-07:00

While some of you out there think that the new revelation that Sarah Palin has installed a tanning bed in the governor's mansion has nothing to do with her qualifications for vice president, I beg to differ. For those of you who know me, understand that I am fully aware of the irony in judging someone for their irresponsible tanning behavior. I am humbled and will think twice before next applying SPF 4 one time for an entire afternoon at the pool. Then again, if John McCain called me and wanted to put me on his ticket as the #2, I WOULD blink and turn him down and would not dream of subjecting the American people to my inept leadership!

My list of arguments below go towards general intelligence, lack of leadership abililties, possible ethics compromises and elitism. Here's why it's wrong:

Tanning beds have been proven to increase the chances of skin cancer so someone using one is either ignorant of this fact or is choosing vanity over health (neither which reflects very well on the user - apologies to all my tanning bed friends out there...and yes, I used them in college and it was STUPID for me to do).
She is setting a bad example for her children.
She is increasing the odds that she will not be there for her children should she develop skin cancer which is selfish. (ouch! see above reference to irony....)
She is a role model in Alaska and, in May 2007 declared it "Skin Cancer Awareness Month." She can't say one thing and do another and be a good role model.
It doesn't help with Seasonal Affective Disorder as noted in this article by the American Academy of Family Physicians where I pulled this quote: "It is important to note that no evidence indicates that tanning beds, where the eyes are generally covered and the subject's skin is exposed to light, are useful in the treatment of SAD. Furthermore, the light sources in tanning beds are relatively high in UV rays, which can be harmful to both the eyes and the skin."
It doesn't help with Vitamin D deficiency as cited in Wikipedia here where it says, "However, because tanning beds use bulbs that emit mostly UVA light (95% UVA and 5% UVB), tanning beds do not appreciably help the body produce vitamin D."
It's elitist. How many of you out there have a tanning bed in your house?
There has been no evidence put forward proving she used her own private funds to buy and install the tanning bed. Even if she bought it second-hand, if a discount of over $150.00 was given, it violates the gift limits to which all elected officials must adhere.

Show us receipts!!!!!!

I wanna win!!!!

2008-09-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

As part of this knitting swap I'm doing with PRGE, there is a new contest. My secret pal (a.k.a. Pink Floyd or Knitsum) has sent me three songs that I must match up with knitting/crochet projects. She went with a political theme. Hmmmm. I wonder where she came up with that???? Do I sound a bit obsessed with the campaigning maybe???

The first song she gave me is "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen. I found this on Ravelry which I think fits perfectly and made me laugh. When I asked permission to use the photo on my blog, I got this reply: "Sure, you may use Greaseball's USA picture on your blog! Anyone who is not for Palin is a friend of ours! ;)"

Here is Greaseball in all his glory! Doesn't he look like he wants to take a bite out of someone for dressing him up like this?

My second song is "I'm Just a Girl" by No Doubt. This made me think of a pattern I bought at the Knitters Connection last June in Columbus, OH. I took a class by Lucy Neatby who is as punky a knitter as you can find! I think it fits perfect with the song because it's so frilly and feminine!

Lastly, Pink gave me "Holiday" by Green Day. What an awesome band! For that I came across this in Ravelry. I went with the British meaning for holiday which they use instead of the word vacation. This looks like a quick easy project that would be quite useful, don't you think?

Aaaaaaaaahhhhh? No - I mean Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!

2008-09-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

Does this sign make anyone else crazy? Whoever in the Taco Bell marketing department authored this, should be fired as far as I'm concerned.

Let's stop discussing lip stick, please!!!!

2008-09-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

I received an email from my friend yesterday asking me to write about my reasons why Sarah Palin should not be elected as the #2. They're all being posted on a blog called Women Against Sarah Palin. Not to be confused with this Women Against Sarah Palin site. These forums will hopefully have more rational discussion than what the McCain camp is putting out with all these bogus demands for apologies for percieved insults that they don't even believe themselves.

Here's what I sent in:

While my list of cons for Sarah Palin is getting longer and longer each day, I'd like to share with you the most current disturbing facts.

She has been saying, at as many public speaking opportunities as she can, that she told Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks on that Bridge to Nowhere." This has been established as an outright lie by many reputable sources and she is aware of that yet she continues to make this claim. All I can think is that she doesn't give the American people enough credit to figure out she's lying. Apparently she's counting on the fact that we all still have the high school mentality that being popular is more important than telling the truth.

Regarding the Troopergate investigation, she deliberately and calculatingly used her position as governor to get her ex-brother-in-law fired AFTER a judge ordered her sister and sister's family to stop harassing the man! Granted, the guy is a scum who tasers kids but there's a bigger issue. To me this is evidence of the Bush trait of thinking you are above the law. Sarah Palin apparently thought it was OK to ignore this judges order and administer HER brand of justice.

No other Vice Presidential nominee has gone for this long without granting an interview with the press. The fact that the press is hounding the McCain camp for an interview is fully justified! It has nothing to do with the left-wing media trying to crucify her because she's a woman!

Brutus Buckeye

2008-09-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

I was in Columbus, Ohio over the weekend to see my Buckeyes play Ohio University (we won but that's a whole other story). Before the game, I saw in the morning paper that there would be all these Brutus Buckeye statues around the Schottenstein Center and I had to go check 'em out.

For those of you who have no idea who Brutus Buckeye is, let me enlighten you. First of all, he is the most awesome mascot on the planet. Besides that, though, he is first and foremost a buckeye. What is a buckeye? It's a nut similar to a chestnut and VERY POISONOUS! When he was first introduced as Ohio State's mascot, he looked like this:

He gradually evolved to this in the 80's and 90's.

While I didn't get any pictures of the actual Brutus last weekend, I took a ton of the statues! They were so fun to check out!

There's John Glenn Brutus

Jim Tressel Brutus

Statue of Liberty Brutus

A tribute to the legendary man, Woody Brutus

Christopher Columbus Brutus

They also had Dave Thomas Brutus, a hippy Brutus, drum major Brutus, and so many more! If you're in Columbus, it's a must see!

A new game!

2008-09-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a game that Scott and I played last night that should be fun to repeat tonight. Turn on the Republican National Convention (but not the FOX coverage because, if it's anything like it was last night, the commentators are so full of themselves that they talk right over the speakers that they're gushing over and you don't get to hear a single speech) and every time someone says "9/11" or "terrorist," you have to drink! Last night we did it during Giuliani's and Palin's speech and got pretty happy!

P.S. For those of you who want to stay sober, only drink when they mention "health care" or "George Bush."

Good advice relevant to today's political climate.....

2008-09-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

There's so much going on in politics that my mind is a jumble trying to sort it all out. Instead of going off on some half hatched opinions, I thought I'd share with you something inspiring that was emailed to me today from the president of Washington & Lee University, Ken Ruscio. It was a message on the university's non-discrimination policy but I think the way he framed it was nicely done. It is also an apropos reminder to all our representatives in Washington D.C.

Respect for each other is a cornerstone of this community, respect that is not based on one's status within the community, one's race, one's gender or one's sexual orientation. We share a common humanity that obligates us to be mindful of the benefit each of us derives from working alongside individuals with unique talents, strengths and backgrounds.

I think I'll print it out and post it on my wall is a constant reminder.

Democrat Office Grand Opening

2008-09-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited to the grand opening of a Democratic office in our town. This was a big thing because I live in a red state and there hasn't been an office in my city in many years. I went, even though I am an Independent, because I thought it would be fun and I brought the kids along.

While there I handed the camera off to my seven year old son and he actually did a great job. He was more interested in the displays than in the people but that's OK. Here's the results of his first photo journalist assignment:

I'm still checking this Sam Rasoul guy out. My initial impression leaves much to be desired. He's running against an incumbent (Bob Goodlatte) that, as far as I can tell has done a pretty decent job. Sam seems too polished and too young and too well off to be credible but I have to dig deeper into the issues to make a final decision.....

Our illustrious governor with the disturbing eye brows, Tim Kaine.

Our former governor running for the Senate, Mark Warner. My question to him is, "What have you been doing the past two years since Tim Kaine assumed your guberitorial responsibilities?" He's running against Jim Gilmore who's website I just checked out and it totally turned me off with it's negativity.

...and the Pièce de résistance.....

A love story....

2008-08-31T08:17:00.001-07:00

The cat's expression at the end says it all! Enjoy.

Initial thoughts on Sarah Palin

2008-08-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

I’m still processing this decision by John McCain in picking Sarah Palin as his running mate. Contrary to what some think, I am trying to read about her qualifications from sources on the left, right and hopefully some that have no political leanings. While my initial impression is that this is not a good decision and does nothing for the Republicans hopes of winning, my opinion could change as I learn more. Only time will tell if she has the right stuff.

I have begun to think about it from our shared perspectives as mothers of about the same age (she’s one year older than I am). I must say that I don’t understand her or the decision she has made to accept this nomination. She is a mother of five children who range in age from 19 years to 5 months old. The youngest one has Downs Syndrome. While her kids have their father as a full time caregiver, I can’t imagine that they see much of their mom. I heard that she didn’t even take any maternity leave with the birth of her last child.

I think it’s great to work and be productive and have a successful career but there is a trade-off. From this point forward, her working life is going to totally eclipse her family. She has no foreign policy experience and has said, “As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?” With this kind of background, she’s got a lot of preparing to do between now and the debates. Plus she’s going to be on the road campaigning full time. That’s a lot to have on your plate!

I know, I know, you could make the same argument for Barack Obama. His kids probably don’t see him a lot either. You know what? I think he’s made the same trade off that Sarah Palin has decided to make. Anyone, man or woman, who chooses to devote more to his or her career than to his or her home life makes the trade off. The more hours you put into your career, the less effective you are in assuming your parental responsibilities. You can’t have both and you shouldn’t pretend to think you do.

Is it bad to forgo your parental responsibilities and pass them off to someone else to advance a career? People have to make that decision for themselves. I think there are cases when the answer is yes and other cases when the answer is no. I also think that many times the question is never asked.

If Sarah Palin is doing this because she feels a call to serve her country, then she should do it. The same goes for Obama and I honestly think this is why he’s doing it. If, on the other hand, Mrs. Palin is doing it because of the fame, or the power, or the prestige, or the money, I think she’ll have regrets in the end. Only she know the answer.

Punk Rock Gift Exchange

2008-08-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Julie convinced me to do this gift exchange for punk rock knitters. I thought it sounded like just the kind of group for me so I recently joined. I'm a bit overwhelmed by the whole blogging/gift exchange process and being a beginning knitter (how many years am I allowed to use this excuse), I'm kinda clueless in this area as well. Julie promised to point me in the right direction so, here goes!

My first duty is to post my answers to the survey below. I didn't even realize I was supposed to do this until today as I have not been checking regularly but I'll try to keep up better going forward.

1. Why did you join PRGE?

I joined after hearing Julie's rave reviews.

1.a. Have you done other swaps? Are you doing other swaps right now?

This is my very first swap. I am a swap virgin!

2. What are your five favorite things? (these don't have to be knit related)

Buckeye football, traveling, my family, wine, reading

2.a. Do these things allow any hints into your personality for your punk pal?

I think so....

3. What are your three favorite things that you have made with knitting/crochet?

a fancy washcloth, a furry scarf, a hat (actually, I think those are ALL that I've made!)

3.a. What do you tend to make with knit/crochet?

So far, just the above and I am working on a receiving blanket now

3.b. What do you hope to make (or complete that you have started) someday?

socks, sweaters, cell phone thingy, mittens, baby clothes...starting to get overwhelmed.....

4. What five things would you love to see in a swap box someday? Why?

I think I'm too inexperienced to answer this.

4.a. What do you hope to never see in a swap box again (or ever)?

Nothing that's alive??? Wait! Plant's might work....

5. What are your three favorite yarns? What are your three least favorite yarns?

I'm still discovering what's out there so I don't have favorites.
Least favorites? Maybe avoid yarn in the discount bin in Walmart....

5.a. Do you like solid, self-striping, or multi-colored yarns?

Um, yes????

5.b. What are your favorite colors? What are your favorite colors to knit with?

It depends on what I'm knitting. Lucy Neatby's stuff is bright and funky and appeals to me!

6. What are your five favorite delicacies?

Smoked salmon, truffles (chocolate not mushrooms), good cheese, pepper jelly, cheesecake

6.a. What yarn do you hope to one day try and why?

clueless

7. What are your three favorite guilty pleasures?

wine, fritos & bean dip, Facebook

7.a. What are your favorite tv or movie characters?

Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, any Johnny Depp character

8. What are the five things you look forward to every week?

the weekend, sleeping, Buckeye football, seeing my husband & kids at the end of the day, wasting time on the computer

8.a. What do you do during your week (ie - work, take care of three kids, race walk)?

Work part-time, take care of kids, volunteer at the high school, PTA, blog, laundry, zzzzzzzz

9. What do you collect?

Barbies

9.a. What collects you?

huh?

10. When is your birthday?

February 17, 1965

10.a. What is your favorite holiday and why?

Halloween - I love dressing up and have added Mexican traditions from La Dia de los Muertos and all the decorations!

11. Do you have any wishlists?

I have a book list going on Amazon but I have so many I haven't read on my shelves that I shouldn't even acknowledge the list until I get caught up!

11.a. Do you have a "favorites" collection anywhere that your pal should know about?

I think I might have one on Etsy but it's been a long time since it was updated....

12. Do you have any allergies or health related conditions that your pal should know about?

Nah!

12.a. What drives you nuts?

My neurotic dog (adopted last January), bad drivers, racists, religious fanatics, spam

13. What do you do for work and what do you do for fun?

Work: I administer an on-line computer fluency course for college business students
Fun: BUNKO, book club, hang with friends, read, crafts, travel

13.a. What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Have my own talk show!

14. What would you like your pal to know that is not covered here?

I think this is more than enough!

14.a. Are you excited for the contests or will you just pretend that they do not exist?

I'm too overwhelmed to be excited but will give them a try....

Phew!!!! Finished!!!

No time.......

2008-08-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post as I am scrambling to put together a Obama house party for this evening and have been spending way too much time watching speeches and arguing with my family!

In the meantime, check out one of my favorite bloggers, Heather B. who is AT THE CONVENTION and has posted some cool pics on her blog, No Pasa Nada (love that name)!

Can't wait to see will.i.am and Stevie Wonder perform tonight!!!

Emails from my favorite person!

2008-08-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

I just receive a message from myself from last year. It's so cool! I've been doing it for two years on FutureMe.org. It's simple. You just type yourself a message, decide at which point in the future you should receive it (I've been doing exactly one year), and then forget about it!

Highlights from my first message that I sent in August 2006 and received August 2007 were:

I weighed 133 lbs! What I wouldn't give for that to be my weight today!
I thought we'd still be at war in Iraq.
I hoped Hillary wouldn't win the nomination. (It came true! YAY!)

The message the 2007 me sent to the me today set some goals. Let's see how I did:

I planned on making homemade Christmas gifts for everyone in my family. (Ummmm, not unless my entire family wants to share one knitted washcloth.)
I would finish the 2006 scrapbook and start on 2007. (No progress here.)
I wanted to travel to some fun new places. (I'm getting depressed.)
I planned on going to my 25 year reunion to see my high school friends. (They all bailed so it's not my fault this didn't happen.)
I wanted to grow spiritually. (Hard to measure but I actually think I did.)

So........ the goals were a bust for the most part. Future me will not be receiving any more of these, I don't think. I won't tell you what I did write because I want to forget so I can be surprised when I get my next message. ; )

The Olympics

2008-08-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

The Olympics are winding down and I've watched a total of maybe ten minutes. That's not to say it hasn't been on for major portions of the prime time viewing hours. My husband was late coming to bed more than a few times in the past two weeks. I personally am not affected by the spectacle, though, for some reason. Here are my observations from the hype I hear from everyone else:

Michael Phelps is a good swimmer but he's not all that cute and his swimsuit always looks like it's about to fall off (Is it deliberate?).
China cheats in gymnastics and all the other countries (including the United States) are too wussy to confront them.
There are a disproportionate amount of homosexual men competing in men's diving. ...not that there's anything wrong with that...
The U.S. women's beach volleyball team rocks!
The following Olympic events are silly - Badminton, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Trampoline
I feel bad for that little girl who sang the motherland song in the opening ceremony and think she is WAY cute!

So now that it's over, let's bring on the DNC!!!!!!

Natalie Dee is Funny!

2008-08-22T11:22:00.001-07:00

Next time I'm in Columbus, I want to hang with this girl! Go check her out here and buy something!

Even better in person!

2008-08-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

I scored two tickets to see Barack Obama at a town hall meeting in Lynchburg, VA yesterday. I tried to keep myself from squealing when the field organizer called and asked me if I wanted to go. I asked him if I could have two tickets, one for me and one for my daughter and he fixed me up.

It took an hour driving over a mountain on a treacherous windy road to get there. We got there around 4pm and the doors were opening at 4:30. The traffic people wanted me to drive a few blocks away and take a shuttle over because the school were the town meeting was being held also had freshman orientation night. I drove slowly through the parking lot looking for an exit and decided to screw it and park right there because I was afraid we wouldn't get in and the line was already looking HUGE!

It was fun hanging with fellow Obama supporters of all shapes and sizes. It didn't even dawn on me that there weren't any kids in the line. Over an hour later, when we got close to the door, one woman asked me how I got a ticket for my daughter because she had been told that only voting aged people could enter. That sent my daughter and me into a complete panic. I told my daughter that, if they told her she could go in and she was sad, she should cry her eyes out! Fortunately, we both got in without a hitch and made it through security camera and all!

Once we were in, we had to wait another hour plus, jam packed into bleachers. We entertained ourselves by calling people and telling them where we were and playing twenty questions.

After about five speaches by politicians and local party activists who I didn't even know, the big moment came and HE WAS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF US!

He gave a great speech and took some questions from the floor. It was very cool! Some of his more notable points were:

His story of Michele Obama's dad. His point being, you don't have to be rich or well educated to be a good dad. You do have to be there, though!
His reply to John McCain's sound bite, "I will chase Osama Bin Laden to the gates of hell." Obama retorted, "You don't have to go to hell to get him! He's in Afghanistan!"
His call to his supporters to help those who have justifiably grown cynical about politicians to see that he is different and will change the way Washington works and who it answers to (it's not corporations and lobbyists).
His promise to stay on the high road despite attacks that hit below the belt. As long as we keep bringing the focus back on the issues, he thinks the American people will chose him over McCain. I think he's right!

YES WE CAN !

Baby bunnies

2008-08-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

Are these not the cutest baby bunnies?! My daughter rescued them from her vicious cat this morning. We had them in a box and were trying to dropper feed them milk. We've since found out that the best thing to do is put them back in their nest so they are now back and waiting for mama. Hopefully the cat will leave them alone and mama will come back....

I like Obama, but not as much as these guys....

2008-08-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

I just scored a few tickets to see Barack Obama at a town meeting. As Dieter would say, "I am as happy as a little school girl." My husband accused me of being a sycophantic groupie as was portrayed in a recent McCain campaign ad. I vehemently denied this and know the difference between being a groupie and a political supporter. To demonstrate the difference, I am posting videos of those whose fame and devastating good looks have reduced me to that which I have been accused of:

I hate cancer

2008-08-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

I just found out today the Leroy Sievers died on Friday. I have been following his blog, My Cancer, ever since I found out my friend Ann had it which was back in the fall of 2006. I wanted to hear from someone who was going through it, what those around them could do to help. Leroy wrote about his illness, his frustrations, his triumphs, and everyday life with such honesty and humor that I couldn't stop reading. Even after Ann lost her battle last November, I have continued to check in and cheer Leroy on. Now he's gone and I had no idea that it was that close! I remember thinking the same thing when Ann died.

I also recently bought The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch who passed away recently. I'm halfway through reading it. I remember after buying his book, going to his webpage and thinking, "This guy is going to beat it." Then, a few weeks later, I found out he's gone too. Everyone should watch the lecture that inspired the book.

My friend Sonia died awhile ago leaving her husband and six year old son. That was my first experience with cancer taking someone I knew. After she died, I thought a lot about how I want to live the rest of my life and not take so much for granted. Sonia gave me that perspective but I'd trade it any day for having her back.

So far no one in my family has been diagnosed with it (I'm knocking on wood now) and I pray that no one ever will. I am so sad about losing friends and people I don't even know - what would I ever do if it happened to someone in my family? I would lose my mind, I think.

To all those who have lost someone to cancer, I am thinking of you today and sending warm thoughts. Rest in peace, Leroy, you made the world a better place and will be missed by many.

Disney has ruined me!

2008-08-14T15:09:00.001-07:00

Last year, at the tender age of 42, I experienced Disney for the first time in my life. My family and I spent a week at Disney World in Orlando, Florida and we spared no expense!

I was kind of skeptical about the whole Disney thing when my husband suggested it. He spent about six months researching and booking reservations for character lunches (lunch with Winnie the Pooh at the Crystal Palace) and learning the best strategies for visiting the parks (arrive when the park opens, go back to the hotel for lunch and a swim, head back in the evening when things have cooled off a little). I made fun of him the entire time but, once we got there, I was kissing his feet. His planning made our trip that much more perfect!

We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge which was a beautiful hotel! Just walking into the lobby made all our jaws drop to the floor! It had two beautiful swimming pools, two fabulous restaurants, a very cool gift shop, bunk beds made out of logs in our room and an erupting geyser outside!

I have to believe there is some kind of evil underbelly of systematic brainwashing to explain how perfect and sparkly everything was there. I've bought a few books to find out how it's done. I've grown too cynical to believe that things can be this good without some kind of horrible price being paid by someone. Isn't that sad?! Anyone with stories from the inside that prove my theory, please comment!

Here's a few more special memories from our Disney experience:

A signature from a REAL Power Ranger

Watching live rays during our wait to see Crush the turtle at Epcot

Giant fruit bats in Animal Kingdom

Zapping Zurg at the Magic Kingdom

Before this experience, I would go to local amusement parks (Kings Island, Cedar Point, and Kings Dominion) and think they were awesome. Things have changed since that Disney trip last summer.

Yesterday, we took the kids to Kings Dominion for the day and I saw the park in a completely different light. The food was terrible, the park looked dingy (especially the bathrooms), the characters were 2-dimensional, and the employees all looked crabby and tired.

Our kids are apparently too cool to pose with characters anymore so my husband and I did it instead. Below is Scott with Cosmo.

The only difference between my perception this summer and last is our trip to Disney. It has raised the bar and there's no going back now. Thankfully it doesn't seem to have had the same impact on the kids. They were just as happy riding the rides yesterday as they were last summer. The only thing they complained about was the fact that I stuck to my guns and did not buy them a single souvenir. They couldn't believe that I didn't crack!

The kids rode this one twice and it was actually a very pretty ride!

Let the testing begin....

2008-08-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

I broke the news to my daughter today that she's not allowed to bring her money on an outing downtown today because she's not allowed to buy anything else until it's time to Christmas shop. She came back with, "Well you go shopping all the time and buy whatever you want!" I calmly told her that the shopping moratorium will apply to me as well and that I will refrain from buying anything but the basic necessities from now until the holidays. I also told her that we're going to Kings Dominion tomorrow but that we will not be buying a SINGLE souvenir. This pretty much floored her and she disappeared for awhile. Later, she asked me to go to my bedroom where she left something for me (pictured above). It says, "Sorry for calling you a person that shoppes to much!" and it has a pile of money on top (she has some tens and twenties in her money stache so she isn't that sorry, is she?). I don't mean to say that any amount of money can erase the damage of saying something hurtful. She thinks this will weaken my resolve. I will not crack, though. In fact, I foolishly threatened during dinner that, if I hear even one request for a stuffed animal during our outing, she will be banished to the car for the remainder of the day. Yeah right! That was not a threat that was well thought out, was it? On the car drive there, I think I'll alter it to - you will not ride any more rides for the rest of the day.

I see more tests in the future.....

My materialistic kids

2008-08-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

My kids are always in need of some new toy or diversion. It is so out of control and it's usually at this time of year that I end up shutting it down for awhile. Honestly, how many Webkinz or tubes of lip gloss or Transformers or Lego sets are enough?

I think what happens is that during all the traveling in the summer, I get kind of lax about saying no and let them buy their cheezy souvenirs. Then they begin to feel entitled and expect these luxuries to continue freely flowing at every shopping opportunity. While in Ohio last week, I gave my kids a twenty to each purchase a beverage at Starbucks. Then, I indulged them a little more by letting them keep the change. When stopping on the drive back at a Bob Evans, I thought, I'll let them use their money any way they want and see if they make good decisions about what to do with it. They came back from the gift shop with their five hundredth stuffed animal and a three hundredth race car. Well, they failed that test!

My nephew recently told my children that all I teach them how to do is shop. Ouch! If that's what I'm teaching, then I'm not even doing that very well.

What I want to know is how to I turn things around. We have the disposable income to indulge them but that does not mean we should. I want my kids to realize how good they have it. The "starving kids in Africa" speech doesn't seem to hit home with them. Someone needs to start a "living frugal" camp where privileged kids can go to get a taste of doing without. They could serve them stew every night (maybe even skip a few meals as my kids have never truly experienced hunger), have one toy for every five kids, no T.V. or video games, and assign them work to help sustain everyone at the camp (like gather firewood, pick berries, fish, etc.).

We are going cold turkey from now until Christmas. I'm not buying them anything and I am making them put all their money in their college accounts. I will not break down - not even a piece of gum from a gum ball machine. I mean it!

The real Iraq

2008-08-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

What have we done?! This video is positively heartbreaking and the ending message is haunting. Not only have we failed to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice, we have bred a generation to replace him.

Twenty four hours in paradise

2008-08-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a twenty-four hour getaway at a place called Skylark. Me and eleven girlfriends spent the night up on the Blue Ridge Parkway eating yummy food, playing BUNKO and drinking "libations." We talked about nothing and everything and it was perfect! The sunset was even more spectacular than these pictures made it out to be! We've all decided that this will be event that happens at least annually.

Obama is still the best choice but someone else is also looking better than McCain....

2008-08-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Forget TV! Watch this!!!!!

2008-08-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

My friend just forwarded this link to me. This show is good on so many levels! First of all the story is tragically perfect, secondly the characters are engaging and unrealistically believable, and thirdly the music is beautifully embedded into the story line, with witty lyricism and memorable refrains. It was a joy to watch from start to finish. Watch the three episodes separately (about 10 minutes each) or the entire thing in a little over forty minutes. It's called Dr. Horrible's Sing A Long Blog and stars Neil Patrick Harris (a.k.a Doogie Howser). What an actor!

Hummingbird babies!!!

2008-07-31T14:38:00.001-07:00

My daughter befriended a hummingbird at the beginning of the summer. His name is Lavender. Recently, Lavender and his wife, who hasn't been named yet, had babies in a nest in our backyard. With my nifty new Sony Cyber-shot with 15X zoom, I was able to capture this nest which is the size of my fist. It wasn't until I downloaded the file that I noticed a second beak. Can you see it? (Click the picture to make it bigger.) They are such fun to watch and are very social little guys. We have two feeders nearby to entice them to stick around...

What a party!

2008-07-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share some fun pics from the recent 80's party we attended.

First of all, I woke up and went to the kitchen where I found my husband. I went to kiss him good morning and had to scream because the mustache/goatee thing he's had going for the past seven or so years was completely gone!

It went from this....

...to this!

All so that he could turn into this frightening character for the party!

The hosts outdid themselves with the music, Atari video games to play, commemorative CD sets to take home, a costume contest (to which we are still awaiting the results - I voted for the Magnum P.I. look-alike), Tiger Beat posters in the bathroom, and a keg! (I know kegs are still around but I haven't drank from one since the 80's.)

This last one was taken towards the end of the evening after my hair wilted. I didn't do like in the old days and go to the bathroom every thirty minutes to respray my hair!

Domo-kun cracks me up!

2008-07-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this guy?! Just looking at him makes me laugh. I first saw him this picture of some kittens being chased by two Domo's and thought it was the funniest thing ever! According to Wikipedia, he's a mascot for some Japanese TV station.

I just discovered these clips on YouTube that feature Domo-kun that are very entertaining even though they're all in Japanese. The bats are pretty funny too!

Is God egocentric????

2008-07-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

There other day, in a conversation about God, I asked what happens to someone who lives their whole life with kindness, compassion, and selflessness but who does not believe in God? Of course those who I put the question to all believed in an afterlife. I don't think any of them felt comfortable with this question, though.

It seems to me that most who believe in God think that it is a requirement to believe in Him in order to end up in heaven. As I mull this over, I have to wonder about a God who would condemn a person who lives in accordance with His commandments for the sole reason of a disbelief in Him. If this is how God operates, I find it very egocentric. I can't believe that God would have this character flaw so therefore come to the conclusion that belief in God is not a requirement for admission into heaven.

I guess that it's good though that I've come back to the conclusion that there is a God because I was going back on forth with that for awhile. There was a podcast recently that help me with that struggle to believe. It's an American Public Media show called Speaking of Faith and the podcast talked about God from a scientific perspective which was refreshing. Most religious people I've heard have to suspend rational thought when they talk about their faith but John Polkinghorne didn't do that. Speaking of Faith is a great show and I'm enjoying exploring the faiths of others and broadening my limited Catholic-influenced perspective.

My blog going forward

2008-07-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

When I first began this blog in October, I barely knew what blogging was. Amazingly, most of my friends are still at this stage. The other night at book club, I mentioned something I wrote on my blog and they looked at me like a had a third arm growing out of the top of my head. "You wrote in your what?!"

My posts in the beginning were innocuous with the subject matter limited to loving the fall season and posting my kids' artwork. Lately, I've been branching out in my posts and I must say I've pissed some people off. (I can say "pissed" now because my dad has told me he's stopped reading what I have to say due to one of these more controversial posts. Pissed! Pissed! Pissed!)

I hear the really big bloggers say that they have to grow a thick skin to be able to do what they do. While I admire their blogging savvy and success, I do not aspire to join their ranks. There is just too much pressure at their level and I do this for fun.

That being said, I do enjoy all the comments from people and hope to hear more from the cyber-world. I appreciate all sides and perspectives and it helps me to broaden my thinking. I plan on posting my thoughts on controversial issues in the future and not shy away from my convictions. I hope my friends and family will support me (even when they disagree with what I'm saying). If anyone I have a relationship with thinks that this will damage the relationship, I respect your decision to stop visiting. I'd rather have your love and/or friendship than your readership.