Thursday, October 30, 2008

I'm done



I am so done with this decision. I have researched, I have debated, I have watched WAAAAYYY more CNN & NBC than I would like to admit to, I have snoped the ridiculous emails, I have taken the candidate to candidate tests, I have asked myself what is important to me, and then last night, I watched the 30 minute infomercial and ....

I cried.

I actually cried. Not because I believed that he could do everything he said, because I don't, but I really believe he thinks he can... or at least he wants to try. I WANT TO BELIEVE in the life he is talking about. He is not promising a flat screen in every TV room, but he says he is going to try and help settle things so we don't feel like we are all one bad decision away from living out of our cars. He is not saying every student is going to get a blank check for college, but if you need help, you'll get help as long as YOU help your community or your country. A good education doesn't start with regulations and policies... it starts in the home when parents turn off the TV and start reading books with their children. He doesn't believe in FREE health care... he believes in making health care affordable and requiring people to sacrifice i-pods for x-rays.


Those concepts are important to me... concepts I believe in.

The may not be concepts you believe in... and that is the beauty of this country. We can live in an neighborhood where side by side neighbors have opposing McCain/Palin - Obama/Biden yard signs and still be friends on November 5th.... well.. maybe more like December or January 5th... this has been a rough campaign.

Speaking of rough campaigns... the worst part of all of this is hearing people discuss things that sound so incredibly absurd to my ears, and yet hearing people whose opinion I hold dear discuss them as if they are straight from the Bible. Things that within 3 seconds can be completely proven as false with a click of the mouse and yet over and over and over I get the same emails of hatred and ignorance. Why couldn't this campaign simply be about differing opinions? Why did it have to be sexist, racist, anti-Muslim, anti-Christ and all the other crap that just kept coming up over and over?

So in case you haven't figured out yet who I voted for, I give you the following story:

We voted today as a family. All of us went together and waited patiently in the long line. When it was our turn to go through the 3 station verification process prior to the voting booth, Max offered the following information:

1st station - checking your ID
Max: Barack OBAMA!!
Me: Angel - this is not it yet!
(huge smiles and laughter from the lady checking the IDs she had to stop what she was doing to compose herself)

2nd station - signature
Max: Is THIS where we vote for Barack OBAMA??? I already voted for him at school!!
Polling Lady: No, not yet - but good for you!

3rd station - receiving your voting receipt and pin number
Max: WE are voting for BARACK OBAMA!
Polling gentleman: Well, then you need to go right in there to do that!


And we did, and then we got our stickers, and went and had dinner.

And I am hopeful... for someone who is never okay with change I look forward to this one.

And if I am wrong, I'll change my mind in 4 years.....

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Right back atcha, Tiff....



.... and since we are at 8958 emails since August 2004 - I really, really would miss those emails!!

Edit - after reading that number in a published blog.... that is just absurd!! 8958 EMAILS?!?! We could have found the cure to cancer or solved world peace in that time... but it would not have been nearly as much fun!! Thanks for being the St. End to my Be Fri for 19 years!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Politically Torn


So I am having a very difficult time this political season. I have tried very diligently to stay on top of the issues and give the benefit of the doubt, I have even googled the names on the sample ballot so I wouldn't be playing inny-meany-miny-mo on the lesser known races once I was in the voting booth.

I do not claim to be republican or democrat - hell, I do not claim to be political. There have been many conversations recently where, God forbid, I have been called a socialist! And no.... that is not what I am - but I do believe capitalism has been blown off the marker and people are making up their own reality. Literally making up money that is not there or pumping up value that does not exist. And yeah - I am pissed that I have to pay for people who created this mess - people who bought homes they could not afford or bought too many i-pods or i-phones on one of their 10 different credit cards so that they could keep up with the Jones who did the same thing. I am PISSED that when I needed to go by a new TV my ONLY choices seemed to be $1800 flat screen wall mounts! But you know what? I didn't buy the TV - I still have a warped screen, but it works and that is the way it has to be.

Any way - I am digressing here, as I normally do - I was googling these names and deciding what candidate to click in that new fancy digitized voting booth, when I realized I was creating grid lock - my choices, which seem to balance the scale, only cause equally head strong rams that will continuously beat each other bloody and get nothing accomplished. But I can't pick a straight Republican or straight Democratic ticket. Yes I believe in gay marriage, no I do not think you should extend unemployment rates, yes I believe health care is out of control and needs to be over hauled, but NO - STOP MAKING MORE RULES AND REGULATIONS AND LAWS - government is literally big brothering and micro managing us into destruction.

My interest in this year's elections has trickled down in our household. Max (5 turning 50) has advised me for several days:
We have to go and vote
Yes, you are right, we do, but mommy is not quite ready to go, but this week, I promise.
I voted.
You did? Where?
On the computer at the library - there were three names - Barack Obama - John McCain and somebody else - I think it started with a "B" (Those poor Libertarians - no recognition - no glory)
And who did you vote for?
Barack Obama!
Really? Why?
Well, he gives great speeches!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Because you asked!



These are the most fantabulous easy to make party appetizers that have become a massive hit at my get togethers ever since I started making them last Christmas. I cannot tell you how wonderful they are... they are very unassuming sitting there on the platter, but then you pop one of those artery clogging delights sent from heaven into your mouth and all of a sudden there is a crunchy salty bacon-y burst of amazing-ness. Happiness - pure happiness! I never make enough to satisfy the crowd.

And to make them for yourself, ya gotta go visit The Pioneer Woman! . If you have time to root around, it is an amazing website and you will find even more amazing recipes here. What I love most about her, is that she gives you step by step photos of the process so you know you are on the same page as you go. I hate it when I follow a recipe and somewhere around steps 7 and 8 something goes wrong and MY dish looks NOTHING like the one on the pic on the recipe card!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Thank you!

A great big thank you to all the little ghosts and goblins who made it out to the party last night!! We had such a blast that it may have to be added to the annual get together list!!

Oh... and apparently I was having such a great time that I didn't bother to take my camera out once, so could those of you who took pics please forward them to me??

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Waiting until the last second

I always wait until the last second.
I have people coming over for a Halloween get together tonight and I have yet to finish the decorations....

Are we surprised?

Friday, October 24, 2008

Mother of the Year Nominee

I hereby offer the following information for my "Mother of the Year" nominee file application:

- So yesterday I was not feeling well, and I had not been feeling well the night before, so I took a nap yesterday afternoon. I was sleeping so hard that when the radio went off, it was merely background music to my dream. It was not until I heard the preliminary screeches of the bus slowing to a stop in front of my house that I FLEW out of the bed, threw on my pants and pulled my long shirt down far enough so that you could not see that I had not zipped and snapped them as I slammed the door open and waved casually to the bus driver as Max ran up to the house!

- This morning, as I am still having trouble getting going, I scramble through large bins of old clothes looking for a long sleeve shirts and long pants that would fit my children since I have not done the ole switcher-roo of the summer to winter clothes yet and thanks to a lovely cold front last night, it is 40 degrees here this morning.

- After finding clothes that are tattered and faded and one size too small, but they are just gonna have to do, I kiss my child and send him on the bus. As I return to the house, I glance over at the counter to see the form I was supposed to fill out and send a pre-payment for Max's VERY FIRST SCHOOL PICTURES EVER - the ones that he will look like a cross between Alfalfa and a rooster because he needed a haircut 2 weeks ago. An Alfalfa rooster with faded clothes that are too tight - for his first ever school pic.... go me.

- And to add the cherries and sprinkles to the top of the best mommy in the world sundae....I made a big deal that if he was a good boy all week, mommy would buy him Spanish books out of one of those reader flyers that come home from school.... which he was a good boy... which I forgot to select and buy the books from and send back to school... which was due... today..... And I wish I could say that I could wander over to any Barnes and Noble or Walmart to pick up some books, but not with my MAX... OH NO!! The books are different!! The ones that come from school presented by the teacher have magic fairy dust sprinkled on them and are easier to read!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Out for the day

Uhm...out today... needed the sleep anyway.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Surprise, Surprise!

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Marilyn!

mm.marilyn_.jpg


You are a Marilyn -- "I am affectionate and skeptical."


Marilyns are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.






How to Get Along with Me

  • * Be direct and clear

  • * Listen to me carefully

  • * Don't judge me for my anxiety

  • * Work things through with me

  • * Reassure me that everything is OK between us

  • * Laugh and make jokes with me

  • * Gently push me toward new experiences

  • * Try not to overreact to my overreacting.




What I Like About Being a Marilyn

  • * being committed and faithful to family and friends

  • * being responsible and hardworking

  • * being compassionate toward others

  • * having intellect and wit

  • * being a nonconformist

  • * confronting danger bravely

  • * being direct and assertive




What's Hard About Being a Marilyn

  • * the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind

  • * procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself

  • * fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of

  • * exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger

  • * wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right

  • * being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations




Marilyns as Children Often

  • * are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn

  • * are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger

  • * form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent

  • * look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel

  • * are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent




Marilyns as Parents

  • * are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty

  • * are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence

  • * worry more than most that their children will get hurt

  • * sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock




My Dearest Sister, Karen,

So we have entered that last 2 months of your thirties today.... only 61 more glorious days until you reach the top of that hill and go, is that a hot flash or am I just closer to the sun up here?

But don't worry, you are not alone. Since the topic of turning 40 is sooooooo foreign to me I decided to google it and find out some information that might help your transition be a little easier!

I will start off this final 61 one day ascent to the top of that hill with the following information.... all of these woman have turned 40 this year, you know - 2008 - 40 years after you were born in 1968:

ASHLEY JUDD


CELINE DION



DEBRA MESSING


KYLIE MINOGUE


LISA MARIE PRESLEY


LUCY LUI


NAOMI WATTS


SARAH McLACHLAN

Monday, October 20, 2008

Crash course in Spanish 101

So today we went to a training session for Max's Dual language program. The lecturer was the person where the majority of the educational resources come from in his classroom - the songs, the tricks, the worksheets, etc. The purpose of this day was to give the parents, most who have no exposure to Spanish, a crash course in the language so that they can assist with the practice and homework after school.

Let's just say, if I could dip the resource binder and CD in gold and give it to each one of you, I would! It was wonderful. As I was sitting there, I was thinking, EVERY parent, whether their child learns in English, Spanish, whatever, should go through a workshop like this. I am a college graduate with an education background, and I had no clue WHY my child was learning what he was learning, just that it was important that he learn it. I didn't know HOW my child was absorbing the information, just praying Novenas that he was. Night after night, Mike and I would sit with Max and practice reading and work with his "sight" words, but I had no clue their purpose other than "they are supposed to know __(X)__ by this __(Y)__".

Another Max moment - The children all came in during part of the class to show us how important the songs were and how quickly they pick up the language through the help of the music. Max was chosen to be the leader and use the pointer as they read the words and sang the song. Well.... the lecturer was so impressed by this 5 year old red head that she asked if he would sing alone with her, which then turned into the parents clapping encouragement and his classmates yelling his name,"MAX! MAX! MAX! MAX!" Well, my pumpkin panicked and turned as red as his hair and just couldn't do it. The lady was a stranger and rather than singing along with the CD which is what they had been doing, she had a guitar and they were singing live. I was sitting in the back of the room and I almost burst into tears out of the anxiety I was feeling bursting out of those red cheeks. I could tell he wanted to soooo bad, but he was so nervous and embarrassed at the attention, and then when the time had past and they were all singing again, Max was very quiet and solemn in the back, full of regret... again I could cry.

I am so very pleased with our decision to pace Max in this program. He has blossomed more than I could possibly have imagined. I am amazed at how much he has learned and I am amazed at how much I have retained now that I am forced to use it more. I will not lie, I am re-learning this right along side my little hijo. But isn't that the point in the big picture, aren't we all learning right along side our own little pumpkins?

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Done

Stick a fork in me.... because I am done.

WE are done.

The sale was a success, we managed to box the remainder and the house is completely empty short of the few remaining items that were to be picked up and one bedroom set that we still need to find a home for.

I am so tired I think my fingernails hurt.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

I do it to myself


But the truth is... I like it.

I really do. I know it is exhausting and I know that I should hold back and pace myself better, but I feel like if I stop, I have stopped and I can't get going again. I know the grace in resting, but I also know the joy of opportunity. And Fall presents itself with lots of opportunity for me, it always does, and I happily load up the calendar and pray the post it notes stay stuck.

The weekends from here through the rest of the year are pretty much accounted for. Not with major events EACH weekend, but I can name something we have to do or something we should do each weekend. And it excites me.... I get excited when setting up my hurdles and then I get a little rush after I have cleared them... take that TO DO LIST!!

The problem happens when I don't clear the hurdle and I find myself on the floor of the track bruised and bleeding a little from the knees and elbows, or if I turn around and see my family can't seen to jump over the high hurdles as well as I can. But I think I am learning my lessons. I think I am learning to brush off the mistakes and walk around hurdles with little to no guilt residue. I think I am learning that there is nothing wrong with making the plans and taking the opportunity, but there is also nothing wrong with putting on your Pj's and piling 4 across in the king size bed to watch Star Wars for the ump-teenth time while waiting for the pizza dude.

Life is good.....

Friday, October 17, 2008

Today's the day


Today is the day!
Sale is open!
Please, God, don't have grandma ask for that thing we just sold! Because you know that is what is going to happen... Grandma is going to ask for the thing-a-ma-jigger.... and she will REALLY need it and HOW COULD WE have SOLD her thing-a-ma-jigger.... how much did we get for it? We only sold her thing-a-ma-jigger for $$??

Don't think about it... just sell.... don't think... just sell....

Thursday, October 16, 2008

To price or not to price


So today we are pricing things for the estate sale for my grandparent's house. This is such a hard thing to do. How do you put a price on the priceless. Some of it priceless because no one could ever understand the value of the memories or the love that item holds and some of it priceless because well... who the hell would want it!?!

This weekend I started to have my first moments of true anxiety about this sale. We have been sorting and gathering, and collecting and passing stuff out to the family for almost 2 years now. We have come to the point were we need to pull the damn band aid off and get it over with already!!! Well, now that we are here, the complete pack rat and memory whore inside of me is saying, "Oh God, I hope we got everything we want.....what if we should keep that?" I have images of myself following poor customers to their car emphasizing the importance of what they have in their hands and making sure they promise to take care of it and then realizing in their eyes that they don't deserve it and giving them their money back.

I will say this .... I have made a very serious effort not to bring too much crap into my house. JUST the IMPORTANT crap. A lot of her baking and cooking things; bowls that, quite frankly, they just don't make them as awesome and perfect as they used to. And her cast iron skillets.... do you have any idea how long it takes to perfect a cast iron skillet?? Well, I have one that has probably 60+ years of artery clogging delicious-ness seasoned into it now.

There are some other things that I am coveting, but I don't really need them and they could score a pretty penny if the right collector comes by. I am planning to take it if we don't sell it for the price we are listing, but if someone does come by and recognizes it and is willing to cough up the cash, so be it.... I just don't have the room in my house to absorb another person's house. I can see how easily people become overwhelmed with stuff.... houses packed to the extreme, multiple storage units... endless "if only I could organize it all".....

Oh well..... send on the shoppers.... the economy sucks and Christmas is right around the corner.... I got some great vintage stuff great for gifts!!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

1:30 AM

Roll over to a rush of wind going past my bed and lights being turned on in my bathroom. I wipe the sleep out of my eyes to see Max casually turning the shower on and getting naked. I force myself out of bed and ask:

Uhm.... honey... what are you doing?
I threw up down the stairs.

Mike bolts out of bed to check the damage on the stairs. I help Max get into the shower, cleaned up and into fresh Pj's.

We get back to bed and Mike and I toss and turn all night... I fell asleep somewhere between 3 and 4... I am not sure because I just stopped looking at the clock.

Just for the record... throw up on flat surfaces sucks.... throw up on stairs really, really sucks....

WHY do I have the THROW up kids??? It is not like he has any stomach issues, it was just a little post nasal drip that gagged him and he threw up.... because that is what my kids do... they throw up.....I am so tired of the throw up.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The big show



Last night Mike and I were treated to a fantastic show. It had wrestling, dancing, magic, gymnastics, music.... several curtain calls..... phenomenal!!

And we didn't even have to leave the house or get out of our Pj's.

Max and Ben were working very seriously in their room for an hour last night while Daddy and I were doing dinner and other various tasks. We get a shout out from upstairs..."Mommy, Daddy... the SHOW is gonna start in 10 minutes, okay?!?!?"

Uhm, okay... but can we see the show after dinner?

Okay, okay.....

Dinner.

Are you ready for the show???

Me- not realizing the complexity of the show, asks for shower time, then show, which after a sigh, was granted.

Shower time.

Mommy - Daddy!! Are you ready for the show?!?!

Okay - this must be serious.... they have now held on to this concept for at least 3 hours. So upstairs we go for the big show...... Daddy has been put in charge of the curtain and the music. I was told to just sit down and be the audience... Now for those of you out there already giggling, you are right, the idea of me JUST SITTING at MY children's first show is, well, poppy cosh!! I was trying to give them ideas, or help them with the curtain, and my efforts were greeted with exasperated sighs of "NO!!! YOU JUST SIT DOWN!!!" They finally gave in and allowed me announce them.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.... BOYS AND GIRLS.....PRESENTING, THE FABULOUS, AMAZING (our last name) BROTHER'S!!!!"

Once they recovered from their body shaking giggles of excitement at hearing their names announced they burst through the curtain and gave us a very well thought out show complete with taking turns and props.

And if you think this theatre momma wasn't bursting with applause and pride... you don't know whose blog you're reading!

Monday, October 13, 2008

A shout out to Mom!

SO I want to give a little shout out to my mom, I am just so proud of her right now. She has come out of her comfort zone to try something different, and it is really hard, but she is keeping with it and I gotta just give her some props!!

She is suffering from a frozen shoulder. It is very painful. She as had it before on the other shoulder and it is a very long and very painful process. Last time she suffered through it she was also dealing with my dad's cancer, so I think she managed to suppress alot of the pain behind, He has BRAIN cancer... what is a little painful shoulder compared to that?? Well, let me tell you, it is agonizing just to watch her on a daily basis. She can't lift her arm, has very little range of motion, and will get sudden shooting pains that take her breathe away. Nothing has helped and all modern medicine can offer is meds and time.

She has been suffering sleepless nights for months now, and I think she finally found the end of her rope, because she finally agreed to TRY acupuncture. I nearly swerved my car off the road when she said she would give it a try. I was so excited and I didn't want her to come up with excuses as to why she couldn't, so I immediately hung up the phone, got her in touch with Linda ( the woman in the know about these sorts of things) and drove to work where I proceeded to print all the information I could about how scientific studies show how beneficial acupuncture is towards relieving if not curing the symptoms related to frozen shoulder.

She has been to 3 sessions in less than a week, and though she is still in pain, the pain is more specific to one area and not radiating like it did before and that is what the wise Chinese man told her would happen ( and what I read as well).

I am so happy she is trying something different and I am praying that it works!!!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

So maybe it is not allergies

Alright alright alright.... I concede.... it is a cold... an asshole of a cold at that. An "I can't breathe" and let's throw a blazing migraine and start your womanly time of the month all at once kind of cold.

I have been in bed all weekend short of a ladies night out that I should've stayed in, but the company was GREAT so I am glad I made it out, but then I was up all night with a blazing migraine, so okay, maybe I should have taken a rain check.

...sniffle.... going back to bed....

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Whew!!

So I was a little nervous there.... yesterday my blogroll was gone. I had that same minor panic you get when you misplace your cell phone. Ya know.... everyone's information is in there and you don't have it anywhere else, so if it was gone for good, your arm was just cut off kind of feeling.

But you all are back....

... now if you would just UPDATE those blogs!!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Happiness....

....thy name is Thursday night.

I have made a deal with my husband since we started dating.... I won't question what you do on Thursday night as long as you don't interrupt my TV shows. Thursday night has been MY TV night for .... well... I can remember the excitement of Thursday TV night all the way back to the Cosby Show and Cheers. Dinner will be made, the kitchen will be cleaned, but after that, I lock myself into our TV room and all requests, boos - boos, and night time rituals belong to daddy. And my kids know this. They know when they walk past the french doors to the TV room and they are closed and mommy is all snuggly in her chair with a blanket, the remote in her lap, don't dare come a knockin unless the house is on fire... and like fire, fire, like we should all get out fire.

Well.... with the invention of the DVR... Thursday night has exploded into absolute heaven. Because, I can now watch more shows in less time. An hour show is gone in 40 minutes. So now, I will purposely DVR all shows just to zoom past the commercials. I start my Thursday night catching up with Wednesday's Dirty Sexy Darlings...

then I can move into Grey's

and ER.

I shook things up a bit last night with Kath and Kim,
and I think they are gonna have to be squeezed into the mix, but it is going to be hard since Eli Stone starts next week...
and how can you pass up a show that includes fantasy musical numbers to George Michael while still giving you great drama....you just can't people.

I know shutting my family out and throwing things at the door when they try to interrupt isn't exactly motherly, but I make it up to them... Friday night is Family Pizza and Movie night....

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Phoning it in....

So today I am not exactly walking the red carpet. Mike and I were up late last night working on the "graveyard" for the front yard and let's just say this morning, I didn't feel like dressing to the nines since I had been up way past nine!

So I had some casual clothes on, hair pulled back in a clip. As I am putting my tennis shoes on Max crinkles his nose and asks:

Mommy? Why are you dressed like that?
What is wrong with the way I am dressed?

He lifts his eye brow and shrugs his shoulders with a silent - if you are okay walking out of the house that way - look.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

So many topics, so little time

Oh what to talk about today.... the debate? Neighbor's night out? AIG's $440,000 vacation we just paid for???? The fact that it is all going to hell in a hand basket and no one cares?

NEIGHBOR'S NIGHT OUT: Yesterday I made tortilla/cream cheese/ham pinwheels and marched them along with my family down to the nearest cul-de-sac for a lovely neighbor's night out celebration. Not as many people showed up as last year but, it was still very lovely. There was one other young boy there who played with our boys. As we were leaving, I asked where he lived to see if it was close enough to become "ride bikes" and "hang out" kind of friends, and sure enough, he did. I asked who his mommy and daddy were, and he excitedly led me to his parents to introduce them. The dad was great, the mom.... not so much. She was the kind of woman who has a face like something around her smells... and apparently it was me. The dad and I chatted for awhile while the mom begrudgingly gave us one shoulder and occasionally offered a bone of her opinion to what ever it was we were talking about.... (Me)"Oh I wanna get home soon, I have become some what of a political junkie this season!I was a little disappointed in the VP debate - not enough train wrecks (ha, ha, ha)" (Her)"Oh, I was in Mexico watching the vice presidential debate." I asked if we could exchange numbers and maybe try to get together since it is so hard to find neighborhood friends and the dad was all, that's great, you should come swim, we heat our pool... and I swear she almost put her hand over his mouth, like, don't invite THEM!!! She recovered by saying, well, they could ride bikes near us, it is safer... which it is... but... let's just say I am not getting the vibe that we will be sharing Saturday morning coffee at the kitchen table any time soon... which is fine because I don't like coffee.

THE TOWNHALL DEBATE: It was either early Parkinson's or absolute disdain for his opponent, but did any one else notice McCain shaking the entire night?? He would walk around the arena and his shoulders just shook, his voice shook. I was a little disappointed with him because he came across almost desperate sometimes with his just PLEASE listen to ME, NOT HIM approach to answers. Obama, looked uncomfortable, and he has GOT to learn that we are NOT stupid. You DO NOT need to follow up on every comment, especially ones that we clearly heard to be false. You said you would cross Pakistani borders if that meant you could kill Bin Laden, He said you were going to attack Pakistan. We are smart enough to know the difference between the two sentences, you did not need to go against debate rules to "comment" and "clarify" your position. And for goodness sakes people....ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!!!! Don't manipulate the question to be something that YOU want to talk about....because guess what, this is NOT ABOUT YOU!! It is about US!! And this is what WE want to know!!

A side note here - the term entitlements makes my skin crawl - I wish it would just all go away - as if we are all entitled to have the government create systems where the rest of your neighbors pay for you. I understand the concept was, give us some of your money now, when you can work, we will save it and then you can have it back later, when you can't..... but the term entitlement.... it just doesn't sit well with me.

AIG's POST BAILOUT, STRESS RELEASING SPA VACATION: I think I am going to throw up. I think I am going to throw in the towel and beg for relief because the amount of absolute stupidity on behalf of those in charge boggles the mind. I am willing to retract every word I am about to say if in fact it turns out to be a media twisted sub story with false info - but until then... I understand where the concept of civil revolution came from. It comes when people are SO PISSED they just can't handle it any more.

How, HOW, H-O-W can you possibly justify going from inches away from falling off the cliff of total company destruction to accepting a safety net from the American people to getting into your luxury cars and driving off to an exclusive California resort and spending $440,000 of that net on ONE WEEK's worth of rooms, dinners, GOLF OUTINGS and SPA TREATMENTS ($23,000)!!!!!!

I can't think about this anymore... I think my head is about to explode.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Come on, producers......

I don't know WHY I thought it was possible, but I ACTUALLY believed that a competition that states you can vote and your vote counts and will determine the outcome was in fact TRUE. I should know better. I have a background in theatre. I even know someone who has worked in production on "reality" TV, so I know from his mouth that it is all a facade..... BUT I STILL FOOLISHLY BELIEVED that the America's Got Talent model was in fact real.....

They didn't even try to hide the difference from the British version. For those of you who may not know - last year, on the British version of this show, there was a goofy looking adorable cell phone salesman who knocked the judges and audience members off their feet when he opened his mouth and an angelic opera voice filled the room singing Nessun Dorma. It was phenomenal. He ended up winning that season. He then became an underground Internet sensation because of his you tube clip and eventually went on to making a CD - which is great by the way.

Fast forward to America's version this season. An overweight, down on his luck, good ole country boy comes up to the mic.... and what should come out of his mouth (oh so unexpectedly)?!? That's right, Nessun Dorma. And what, pray tell, was the audience and judges reactions??? Roaring standing ovation....

Wait a minute... haven't I seen this before??

Fast forward a little more - he has "humbly" made it through the entire season and it is time for his final performance ..... THEY DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO CHANGE THE CONCEPT OF THE BACKGROUND SETS!!! The background of the TWO (British vs American) songs, which again, were exactly the same, were almost identical down to the fire spark waterfall. (** Post Publish EDIT: I just tried to watch the below you-tube clips silumltaneously and I swear it is almost the same camera angles. It is certainly the same background tape/additional vocals, the same smoke, the same tux, the same concave vertical towers with digital blue bars projected on it)

I don't like being taken for a fool.... and so blatantly. Don't tell me I have a choice or a vote when I don't.... I might start suspecting you of modeling our government.


Paul Potts (British version - 2007):



Neal E. Boyd (American version - 2008):

Monday, October 06, 2008

Mental Zaps DO work!

Let's just say the journey of Max's school bus life has started out as a rocky one... first no bus, then, cars zooming past, yadda yadda.....

Well, there has been one thing that has been driving me crazy since the bus actually started showing up. He stops on the opposite site of our street. It is right in front of our house, but it is on the wrong side of the street, and where we are it is a very wide street (you could park 4+ cars across it). Then once he has picked up/dropped off Max, he does this 3 corner turn in order to be facing the direction he just came from. I have never made a big deal about this - it is no big deal to walk across the street to meet him, I am just glad he shows at all.... but... why not just do it in reverse and that way he is in front of our house when picking up/dropping off Max??

Well.... I have been mentally zapping him with this idea since, well, day one, and today - he got it. He told my husband that he was going to come this way every day because it was safer....

So I guess I will not need to take out Mike's shot gun after all!

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Just for the record

It is gonna be awesome....

I mean, AWESOME awesome.....

I mean people slowing down and coming around a couple of times just to see it awesome.

And we have only JUST begun.

That's right people..... this year's Halloween decorations are on like Donkey Kong....

Will post pics of the final masterpiece, but I will leave you with these thoughts....

Six ghosts, approx 5 ft long, lighted and hanging from the front tree...
Lime green lights in the windows, that have been boarded up to look like the house is abandonded....
The graveyard.....

Oh yeah, baby.... bring on the trick or treaters....

Saturday, October 04, 2008

I cannot find my tennis shoes....

Have you seen them????

I own upwards of 20 pairs of shoes but I can never find the pair I WANT...

Crappity crap....

Friday, October 03, 2008

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Dear Mr. I am in a Hurry for Work,

Hi, how are you? Did you get to work on time?

I'm sorry... you don't recognize me?

I am sure it was hard to get a good idea of what I looked like as I held my 5 YEAR OLD's hand as we crossed the street to load him onto the bus this morning and you came zooming past us.... you know... zooming right past that HUGE YELLOW BUS with BRIGHT RED FLASHING LIGHTS and A BIG RED SIGN that says STOP!!! I know.... you were going pretty fast to recognize a universal sign like that, much less the lives crossing the street to get to it.

Psst.... next time.... if I catch you zooming past our house in the morning and not stopping, I am gonna pull out my husband's shotgun and wait for you and I am gonna blow your tires out. I am not a very good shot, so I may miss, kinda like you may miss us crossing the street. But I may not miss..... that is a chance you are gonna have to take.

Anyway.... hope you have a great day!

Best Regards,
Your Neighbor, mother of an adorable red head I would like to see grow up.....

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Catching up

THE FOLLOWING POST WAS WRITTEN OVER SEVERAL DAYS WHILE I DID NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS:

So I hear we are in an economic crisis right now. I would have no clue as I am in an information vacuum. The only access I have to the outside world right now is through antenna that gets me the local stations that are in non stop recovery coverage. This morning there was a break in from the national affiliate to broadcast President Bush’s speech about the fact that we had a stock market 9-11 on Monday. Really? Didn’t know – too busy trying figure out how to get food and gas and praying the lights would come back on to worry about the fact the sophisticated game of banking on others to make money for you some how came crumbling to pieces. Besides, I really do not appreciate the term “stock market 9-11” as I don’t think terrorists purposely ruined people lives by taking their money on Monday, so let’s keep those witty little phrases to ourselves – those that were really close to those falling towers just don’t appreciate it, as I am sure many other feel the same way.
.
Sorry… I am tired and bitter right now. But I do want to try and document what happened in our Hurricane Ike experience before it all jumbles into one foggy memory. I am actually righting this in Word since I still have no access to the internet, a fact that I have to admit I am jones-ing for right now. Yesterday at work I needed to accomplish a couple of tasks that actually made my brain freeze because I didn’t have access to the internet. I am fully aware there were other ways to find the information I was looking for, but I am so used to using this tool as second nature that not having it made me have to stop and think, something I don’t do normally do – okay stop laughing…..

Wednesday was when things started getting serious – the storm was just not turning. It had shifted back north from Corpus, but not far enough to allow us to go, SO sorry Louisiana, this is your problem, again. Nope…. We would have to shoulder this one this time. I got home at my usual time which is earlier than most so I decided to head to the store. As I was wandering the store picking up water bottles and dry goods, my phone rings. It was my mother calling with the most recent coordinates of the storm – I pick up by saying – So I should put all this stuff back? And she said, Oh no…. it shifted North – it is coming right here. Crappity crap. You hear cell phones go off and whispers to other customers spreading the same news – and then people grab one or two more of whatever it was they were just grabbing off the shelf. I had forgotten the propane tanks for the grill and head back to the store and now EVERYONE is there. It takes me 45 minutes in the garden line to get 2 tanks of propane. Mike greets me at the house with “what took you so long?” and I give him the look from hell and say, “Are you kidding me? Are you KIDDING ME?!?!”

So Thursday – I spent prepping the office and getting our home care patients taken care of as best we could. We had quite a few that should have hit the road, but they just didn’t want to because “it is not coming here.” Get home late and Mike has already taken care of 90% of the stuff needed to be done at our house.

Friday – Wake up – try get as much laundry done as possible, clean up and change sheets because everyone in our family is hunkering down at our house. That is a total of 11 people – 5 kids under 8. I have the news on and I cannot believe the pictures of the waves that are crashing onto the seawall at Galveston and the storm is easily 15 hours away, still. Help my mother secure her big stuff in her yard and get her over to my house.

Karen’s family shows up at our house, we organize the supplies and start wandering outside as the breezes turn into winds – gusty ones at times. We played with the kids outside for awhile and even let them get into the pool to blow off some energy. It is around 5 o’clock and the first of many teases that night happens when our power flashes on and off – oh HELL to the NO….. we have not even seen one drop of rain and we are going to lose power this early!!! We rush inside to make dinner because what we had planned needed electricity – stove and oven – and we had air mattresses that needed to be blown up. The lights flash on and off several times through out the night. We went outside a couple of times to watch the whipping of the trees and took bets on which ones would no longer be standing in the morning. We were all going to stay downstairs so the kids were on the air mattresses in a main living area and we had put two reclining winged back chairs in my room – so between the big sofa chair already in there all 5 adults had somewhere to “rest” all night long. We were laying down watching the TV in my room when I say a huge lime green explosion outside my bedroom window and then blackness – our transformer was officially gone – 11:47 PM. No power – we had a hand held TV that we used as our info from then on.

Interesting point I will mention here – it is a good thing this storm hit PRIOR to the digital takeover because otherwise, we would not been able to watch TV at all during this time.

So – we drifted to sleep somewhere in here and got woken up by something around 2:00 AM – this was when the major Hurricane winds were here – it was dark so it was hard to see, but there were lots of limbs down and something very black at the bottom of the pool. Speaking of the pool – the winds were causing our own little flood surge – all the debris on the top of the pool was in one corner and the pool water would splash up over the top of the pool as the winds pushed the water in one direction.


I went back to sleep for awhile, and got up early. It was still raining and gusty, but the bad stuff was gone. We had cereal (to use the milk) for breakfast followed by an ice cream party at 8:30 AM – if we had waited much later there would have been ice cream soup. Mike took the melting ice cream as a challenge at ate 8 chocolate ice cream bars in one sitting…. not a proud wife moment.




We went outside to survey the damage. We lost 3 major limbs on some trees and countless other minor limbs, but no MAJOR damage – just a lot of clean up. The pool was so full of debris that Mike finally just jumped in with goggles and a rope tied to a milk crate. He would shove debris into it and we would haul it up and dump it out. The kids helped out too – they had nothing better to do and they pretended the sticks were swords.


This was a tree from one of our walks in the neighborhood:


We got power back sometime that day, only to lose it later that night. But miraculously we got it again the next day, so it was kind of a off and on tease for 2 days until we got power back completely. We did not get cable, phones or internet, but at least we had food and air conditioning. The kids were on DVD overload – they were going crazy in between killing each other in free play time, organized play around something ( like the trains) and the movie time.





By Saturday, a week after the storm hit, I am not sure if my sister was racing out the door or if I was pushing her, but the kids definitely had had enough extended family time.

So…. all in all…. we did great… the neighbors across the street didn’t have power for 10-12 days… I just tried to keep my blinds shut tight so as not to rub into their misery.