Tanda's Blog!

Happy Anniversary My Love

2006-12-06T00:04:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, December 6, 1997, at 1:00 PM, Tanda and I were married. Today is our 9th anniversary.

I can hardly believe it has been 9 years since we both said I do. A lot has changed over those 9 years. We now have 3 wonderful boys to share our life with. We have made it through a lot of good times, and a handful of bad times. We have made it through these 9 years hand in hand and heart to heart.

Though many things have changed over the years, one thing has remained the same (and will always remain the same); I still do.

I love you Tanda.

Joe

One for Jay Leno.

2006-10-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

I was looking through the local employment ads online this morning when I came across this jem:

"------- seeking to fill the following position: Weekend Supervisor (coming in at 4:30 pm. On Fridays and not leaving again until 8:30 a.m. on Monday morning). Must have clear driving record and criminal background. Email resume to ----@------.COM"

Did you catch that? lmao!

Have you seen this??

2006-10-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

Now, I know it's been a little while since this aired, but I just get a kick out of it everytime I watch it.

Al Gore at the 2006 Mtv Music Awards, bringing "sexyback".

Dressing Down. :0(

2006-10-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

I changed the template of my blog this morning. I'm on dial-up now and I couldn't get my own blog to load. It was taking FOREVER with all the pics and scripts. So, here I am. Dressed down. Should load faster for you guys. :0)

BTW, Happy Friday! What are your weekend plans?

Ugh!

2006-10-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know what to write about anymore. I'm taking requests.

Sock That Celebrity!!

2006-10-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

Name a celebrity that you'd like to sock right in the kisser--

Give a reason, don't give a reason.

Mine is Lindsey Lohan. I just don't think she gets it.

My toaster...

2006-10-06T19:34:00.001-07:00

suffers from premature ejaculation. (Why are you looking at me like that??)

It doesn't matter what setting I have it on when I pop my frozen waffles in and push the toggle down. It always pops up in less than a minute.

I was sure it must have been suffering from poor self-esteem. So instead of making a big deal about it, I simply decided to cheer it on until the first pop happens and then wait until it finishes the second round.

Hey, it's not my fault my appliances have issues.

Peekaboo!

2006-10-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

I stopped blogging for a bit. I was hoping that, by now, I would have a regular job and something to write about. BUT, I'm still awaiting word. I had an interview with the hospital, which went very well. However, I still haven't received an invitation for the second interview. Maybe I don't have enough experience for the job...

So, I applied for a position at the university as an insurance clerk, which I do have experience with. I took a skills test yesterday and did fine and I have 2 more skills tests to take on Wednesday morning. I really hope I get that one instead anyway. It's more up-my-alley.

I fractured my pinky toe this morning. :^0 I don't need a doctor to tell me that it's cracked. It's purple, swollen, and stiff. I can't get mad about it though because I broke it while stumbling over my new (and favorite) vacuum. :0P

Ciao!

Good News!

2006-09-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting an interview! Geez. 3 weeks after I apply, they get around to giving me a date/time. (rolls eyes)

I'm a little nervous. I've been out of the full time work force for 6 years. I haven't had a job interview in 4 years. I'm feeling kinda rusty. Care to provide me with tips and pointers? I don't want to ruin this opportunity just because the ole gal isn't prepared to face the firing squad.

A simple observation.

2006-08-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

When a dog pee's on a tree, it's his way of saying, "that's mine".

When a dog poops on a tree, it's his way of saying, "that's yours."

:0P

A 3 year old's Freudian slip.

2006-08-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

J.J. calls Andre the Giant "Hungry the Giant", and rightfully so. The late 7'4" Andre had an incredible appetite and an almost nonexistant resistance to alcohol. J.J. was right on target there!!!

We watch wrestling. We don't JUST watch it. We buy it!! And the boys eat it up. After watching a wrestling DVD they'll throw the bean bag chairs in the center of the room, grab a radio, and throw their own matches.

A few nights ago, this is exactly how things began. B.J. (7yo) brought the radio in, plugged it up, and found a good hard rock station. At which time, he announced himself to the tune of a good guitar riff. Then he reached down and promptly changed the station to a classical station and announced his brother (3). --If he was my brother I would have stomped on his toes.

OMGosh, I feel like crap.

2006-08-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

I'm sick today. I took some "non-drowsy" Theraflu, but I'm sitting here like a zombie nonetheless. I don't want to move.

The boys just brought in a pack of cookies from the kitchen. The sight and smell almost makes me want to vomit. Ugh. Today's going to suck.

Hope you're all doing better than I am today.

2006-08-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

* To update: Christy has a medical condition and was unable to complete the audition. BUT, I am SO proud of her for braving the crowd and conquering her fears to get there! She's the toughest gal I've ever known. Love you, sweety!!

I married a comedian!!

2006-08-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last night I was on the phone with the local movie rental store when Joe stepped in the room. I was in the middle of telling the clerk which movie I was looking for when I heard Joe say, "Oh, man! The dog just shit on grandma again!!" At which point I exclaimed, "Oh my god!" I wasn't trying to be a part of the joke. It was just the only thing I could say. I hung up quickly and Joe and laughed our asses off. He's evil.

What was your best prank?

Is it just me?

2006-08-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

Parenting is such a strange position. I cry when my babies reach their milestones. Yet, when they get older I spend more and more time saying, "do it yourself". When they are teenagers I imagine I'll be saying, "want me to help you with that?", to which I'll get a reply of "no thanks. I can do it myself."

Ticked Off Thursday

2006-08-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

This morning my gripe is with my little sister (the drama queen). Somehow it never occurs to her that in order for conversation to be interesting, it need not constantly involve the whole of what's going wrong in her life. And I suppose, as compensation for this highly annoying thing that she does, I spend a great deal of time talking about what good is going on.
But even that is a two edged sword. Because I spend most of my time in the conversation talking about what good is happening to me, she believes (as does the rest of my family) that my life is perfect.
I AM perfectly happy with my situation in life, but things don't always occur the way I wish them to. I remain steadfast in my quest to keep the drama on the down low. Ya dig?

Share a gripe or two. It'll make ya feel better.

For my friends.

2006-08-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

Take some time to visit my blogger family! Here's what everyone is saying today:

Joe says "The 2006 college football season is almost upon us. To me, there is no conference in this country greater than..."

Laurie says "One of my office friends just came in here and looked at my XM radio and looked at me and said..."

Liz says "When I was in school, it was weird and unpopular to think..."

Cheryl says "I'm not awake yet. I refuse to castigate my own mind for the way it was working this morning..."

Lorna says "I subscribe, in my pathetic need for mail in the box, to Merriam-Webster's word of the day, and the Word of the Day for August 11 is..."

Jac says "Vande...Matharam ...to all my readers of Indian origin as today is your..."

November says "They had talked about sex but it was always..."

Prydwen says "HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to..."

Scot says "On July 11, I called my mother to wish her a happy birthday. As I was talking with her, I could hear..."

Edouard says "Here's thefotokid for July 2006, a very special month - thefotokid turned one year old on..."

Tara says "Hello friends. I am taking a break from..."

Miss Vickie says "Most of you know by now what happened to Monica over the weekend that and another friend’s sudden loss of her mother..."

Jaba says "Your Theme Song is Born to Be Wild ..."

Jean Luc Picard says "I think it's time to visit my darling daughter on the Enterprise again."

Master Yoda says "My weekly visit to Steve Spider, Professional Therapist, I had today. Pretty stressed out lately..."

Laura says "So here's the dealio: sometimes I read information about a certain topic and then get a crazy idea in my head about..."

The Luckiest One*** says "I don't feel like telling you any gambling stories today. The sun is shining, the unreasonably loud construction outside of my apartment has ceased, and I feel good."

The Superficial says "Nicole Richie was spotted eating pizza in Malibu yesterday in her bikini. Which she should really stop doing because it's..."

Halley says "There's something happening at schools, I think it's about the allergy thing, that you can't bring food into school..."

The Caffeinated Geek Girl says "This morning I caught the episode of 30 days where an Atheist lives with a Christian family..."

***If no one else, visit this guy.

"The only way I'd do this is...

2006-08-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

if they paid me."

What is "this" for you?

Tandamonium.

2006-08-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

I was at MySpace looking up old friends (with little sucess) when I threw my name in there just for fun. Now, I've never ever met another "Tanda". But, acccording to MySpace, there are over 91 pages of "Tanda's"!! How is it that I've never run into one of them??

It's taking me forever to hang of MySpace. There are SO MANY things to do there. Please, PLEASE, if you get a MySpace, don't trick it out. The more crap you have on the page, the longer it takes to load. Some pages even make our computer turn itself off. (Do me this favor.)

Have you gotten sucked into MySpace or are you ignoring the hype?

2006-08-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

This Thursday I'm ticked off because the University engaged in less than spectacular communication which resulted in a phone call that went something like this:

"Hey, Joe." (Lady at the Univ.)
"Hey." (Joe)
"There's a problem with your paycheck."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, your PA (contract) was denied. The higher-up said that you could not work here part time and take 15 hours this semester at the same time (even though you have to take 15 hours)."
"What?"
"We're writing a letter to the higher-up to ask him to override his decision."
"Am I going to get paid for the past 3 weeks that I've been working there??"
"I don't know."
"Why didn't we know this 3 weeks ago?"
"I don't know."
"Well, I'm not coming back to work until I know that I'm going to be getting paid."

So, I dedicate this "Ticked off Thursday" to the guy at the University of Alabama who decided that my husband (a man who's in school, has a wife, three children, and bills) didn't need a job.

What pisses you off?

American Dec-idol.

2006-08-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

I'm considering auditioning for American Idol in Birmingham in a couple of weeks. I must be crazy.

The odds are that I won't get past the audition. BUT, if I did...I would have to travel across the country and be away from my husband and children for an undetermined amount of time. Joe would be stranded here with 3 boys to take care of. We've never been apart for more than 3 days in the 10+ years that we've been together and I'm afraid of flying.

However, I might be able to strike up a new and exciting career and that means I'll be bringing something significant to the dinner table. It's definately tempting...

Thank You!

2006-08-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

It's August 5th, just one day after our rent was due, and we made it thanks to some very special family and friends!!

I humbly thank the following for their help in the difficult and dangerous time that we found ourselves in after our move to the University of Alabama:

Deb (my beautiful mother), Christy (my big-hearted sister), Leggs (a wonderful and funny lady from freethoughtforums.com), Lorna (my dear friend from Canada), and Kenny & Judy (Joe's dad and step-mom).

To update, currently Joe is working at the university and waiting for classes to begin at the end of the month. I am still looking for work, but I have a couple of leads. Wish me luck! I need something soon.

Signing off for the weekend. God Bless you and yours, friends!

Linky links!

2006-08-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

If you're not already listed in my friends list, please feel free to add your link on the right sidebar. It includes a counter to tell you how many times people click your link! How cool is that??

;0)

Top advantage and disadvantage to being the only female in a family of 5:

2006-08-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

Advantage: I've got my own security force.

Disadvantage: I get in trouble for leaving the toilet seat down.

The fear factor.

2006-07-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

I've applied for a full time job at the local hospital as a unit secretary. Pays well and the hours are attractive. Hoping to get it and get started at the same time our oldest goes back to school for the fall.

BUT, all this also means that our youngest two will be in daycare. Josh, our three year old would do just fine being away from us during the day. He's very social and loves making new friends. Our 1.5 year old would be a different story though. He's attached. I mean attached to his pacifier, blanky, and (deep sigh) me. He's spent every day of his little life doing the same basic things in the same basic places in the same basic ways. What's going to happen when all of these things change for him?

What's going to happen to me? I'll start missing all those really elementary things that I used to spend all day doing like changing diapers, fixing bottles, tickling little bodies, hunting down pacifiers...

I'm sad. I feel like leaving my home for the work place is going to steal this very precious thing that I have going with our children. They have my time and attention now. But what will things be like in two weeks or so when I have to leave them for the day, only to come home for dinner and bedtime? Will they resent me, or will they be happier for having the extra time out in the world?

Sigh. This mountain is going to be a booger to climb.

Kiss the cook.

2006-07-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

I am notorious in my household for burning grilled cheese sandwiches. I also (after 10 years of married life) have just learned how to make sunny side up eggs without cooking the yoke through or having it stick to the pan. It took me 6 (six) tries to make Egg Custard Pie. And, my latest accomplishment is making home-made biscuits. Turns out I was using the wrong type of flour. Grimace.

What food can you just not make right?

Careful what you wish for.

2006-07-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

Joe and I were talking about the "R.S. Debate", otherwise known as the question of Richard Simmons sexuality. Joe tells me that for $2 million a year, he would wear tight booty shorts and prance around town too. You're wish is my command. (evil grin)

Step away from the pole.

Oh, if you haven't met Joe, my hunny, click here!

Urban confusion.

2006-07-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

Familiar with the popular rap song, "Riding Dirty"?

I've no idea what it means. So I took a housewide poll.

According to:

our one year old it means: "Da", which I translated as meaning mom forgetting to change his diaper before a drive.

our three year old it means: "Pooting", or relieving gas. (rolls eyes)

our seven year old it means: "Driving mean or mad". Ok. I'll buy that.

Joe it means: "Driving with illegal contraband". Why not?

Me it means: "The ride home after work".

Urban slang is getting less and less understandable.

Will blog for food.

2006-07-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's not quite that bad. But it's bad enough to invoke this post.

Our rent is due in t-minus 9 days and we're shy $333 (cute number, isn't it?). So, when you see my paypal button up, you'll understand why it's still there.

Joe recently started his new job at the university but won't be paid until after the first week of August. and I'm applying for a position at our local hospital, but I'll be in the same position regarding my paycheck. We're determined to make this work and we still need your help.

Our deepest gratitude to friends and family who have helped us this far. It's been a difficult and frustrating journey to get to where we are. But it's SO worth it.

We genuinely appreciate your kindness.

What's the strangest thing you've ever done for coffee?

2006-07-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

Standing in front of the coffee maker this morning, I'm tempted to do "the switch". You know: pulling the coffeepot out mid-brew and replacing it with a coffee cup. A quick pour from the coffeepot and -!Voila!- no more waiting! I'm addicted to decaf (is that even possible??)

What's your story?

P.S. I just finished this template. Let me know if you come across any bugs. Spank you. Spank you very much.

Looking for a shortcut.

2006-07-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

Having a conversation with our three year old is a little tricky. Because while I'm looking for shortcut in the conversation (I already know what he's going to say), he's taking the scenic route. So, right now, our talks are similar to this:

"Hi Josh."
"Hey Mom! You told me..."
"I know. I said we could..."
"You said we were gonna..."
"Cards."
"And you told me when you got back..."
"Yes. Cards."
"You said when you got back we could play cards."
"Yes, I did."

Hoping he'll get the hang of the shortcut soon. All this talk is making me thirsty.

I'm not ashamed to admit...

2006-07-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

that after a week of being offline, I've just spent the last 5 hours goofing off on the web. Now, about those blasted boxes beckoning from the corner of the livingroom...

Misadventures in Moving.

2006-07-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are. Back online. I'll give you the Reader's Digest version of the past week:

First, UHAUL called us at 4:30pm on Friday, the day before we were set to move, to tell us that we would need to travel 95 miles (out-of-state) to retrieve the moving truck that we reserved. Joe promptly told them to cancel the reservation and I took the next half-hour to locate another truck. Penske had plenty and at comparable prices. AND they guarantee their trucks will be where they say they will be.

Second, our phone wasn't on when we arrived. Two days after placing a call to Bellsouth, the repairman called us from the phone pole to tell us that someone had run into our phone pole last year and that they never reconnected our phone wires. So, our phone was on, but still no internet. There was a mix up somewhere and the never transferred our internet service. But, here I am this morning, online for the first time in a week, and loving it!!

Otherwise, everything has been going well. We're enjoying our new place and our new neighbors. We're still trying to recover financially from our move. Joe begins his new job tomorrow, but we don't know if he'll get paid in time for August rent. We're determined to make this work, though.

Hope you and your families are well and enjoying the summer!

Signing off for the weekend.

2006-07-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

They're about to turn off our phone/internet because we're moving tomorrow morning so I'm writing quickly to say...

Have a fabulous weekend, dahlings!!

Found!

2006-07-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

Oh My Gosh! I've been trying to hunt some of my very good friends down from high school (some 13 years ago) and I found the funnest one!! I found my good friend, Amy, at MySpace. Yay!!

I have some fun memories with Amy! We went to the mall once and convinced a shopkeeper that we needed to try on dresses for a banquet we were having that weekend. There was no banquet, of course, but we did have fun playing "all grown up" in beautiful gowns and minidresses!

And at her birthday party she hopped on the hood of her friend's car and rode around...until her father peeked out the window and caught her. Naughty girl, lol.

AND at halloween she dressed me like a cat, which was completely adorable, and we went to her friend's house for a little pre-trick-or-treating party.

I'm so happy that I found her!! lol. Have you tried looking up old friends lately? Try it! It'll make you feel young again!

The countdown.

2006-07-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

We have 3 more days in this apartment. I must admit that I'm a little scared.

Our new apartment is a little smaller than this one and when I think about all the boxes of "stuff" that we have to store I'm wondering if we'll have any room left in the closets for everyday items.

Our new kitchen has almost no counter space and there's no dining room so I cut the middle section of our dining room table out to make it small enough to fit in the kitchen.

This will be a big move for us because this move means we have a future to look forward to again. Joe will have his master's degree in two years and by then 2 of our 3 boys will be in school and I may be able to go back to work to help out. I'm looking forward to that. It's hard for him having to shoulder all this responsibility, though, of working and going to school. I hate that for him.

Well, I'm off to pack more boxes and clean more carpet. A happy day to you all! :0)

Happy Fourth!

2006-07-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up I never used fireworks. I was afraid of them. But after I got married Joe convinced me to try lighting a few. So I started off with bottlecaps which I set in a coke bottle half filled with water and set off. Not too bad. Not too scary.

I graduated to a roman candle later that evening. I set it at the end of the driveway, away from the cars, lit it and ran. Unfortunately, it wasn't stable and fell over on it's side and proceeded to shoot at our neighbor who was quickly herding his 2 children into their car. I'm certain that he wanted to strangle me.

I've been pretty close to smoke bombs and sparklers ever since.

Do you have any good Fourth of July stories?

"Pretend like you know how to behave."

2006-07-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a friend yesterday on the telephone. We were discussing the behavior of our children. She told me that when she wants her daughter to behave she will say, "act like you know how to behave". At which point I laughed and told her that I may need to send my boys to acting class! (They're boys. Need I say more?)

The conversation rolled over to how we, as parents, react when our children misbehave. And we came to the conclusion that we, as parents, sometimes have to pretend like we know how to behave also.

We may be the bigger players, but we're all on the same playing field. If I'm going to expect my child to control his temper, I must also expect myself to control mine. This realization humbles me.

So...what happened?

2006-07-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever found yourself in a position in your life where it seemed like no matter what you did someone was there to take a great big crap on you?

Joe and I are stuck in a small town with no work and no future. So we decided it was time to get out. Problem #1: finding the money for the move. Problem #2: everytime we had finished making a plan, something (or someone) stuck their big finger in the middle of our plan and stirred until it was so mangled that we had to start over. Problem #3: finding a place to live.

Frankly I couldn't find anything nice to say so I decided not to blog for a while.

Today? Well, we still don't have a lot of moo-lah to work with. But it might be do-able. We're fighting all those big fingers. And, (drum roll please) we found an apartment. Not JUST an apartment. An apartment right across the street from the university. Literally. And the football stadium is 2 blocks away. And there's a pool. And, and, and. :0)

We leave next Saturday. So, I'm home packing boxes in the livingroom while the boys unpack the boxes in their bedroom. And I'm making repairs around the apartment in hopes that our current landlord will be generous enough to return our deposit unharmed.

The sun is shining on me. It feels so good.

Back on track!

2006-06-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

Good news! We're moving. It's wonderful. It's fantastic. It's the best news that we've had all year!

Joe's going to get his master's at UA in Alabama. Our new apartment is less than a mile from his dept. building and even less than that to the football stadium where he will no doubt spend a good deal of time, lol! Things are looking up!!!

I came to my blog for the first time in a month and saw all the familiar faces that just made my heart smile. You're my blogger family.

I hope the sunlight is shining brightly on you and yours. Sincerely.

Life sucks.

2006-06-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

That's all.

Taking a break from the blog world.

Hugs and Kisses.

I FINALLY

2006-05-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

got my carpets cleaned. Is there anything nicer than being able to walk barefooted on your own carpet without having to worry about stepping in spilled drinks or chewed gum?

sigh.

I thought about...

2006-05-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

putting my blog down temporarily. We're so busy trying to prepare for our move that I rarely have time to write.

However, I realize that using this medium to vent about all the frustrating aspects of relocating our family may help relieve my rather testy moods as a result of "moving stress".

So, here we are now: We still don't have an apartment to move into yet. We aren't impressed with the locations of the apartment complexes. We want to be close to the university, but don't want our kids around all the complexes that house hormally challenged college students. We don't want to live in crime infested areas (the police department there tells me that it cannot tell me which areas are not safe to move into for "legal reasons"). Plus, we have a budget, so finding something affordable that's not 100,000,000 miles from the campus is a challenge.

I've already started packing even though we don't know when we'll be leaving. Organizing is tricky when I have 3 boogers who are unpacking the boxes that I have already assaulted with duct tape as I'm cleaning out closets. That's okay though. I've stuffed two 30-gallon garbage bags with some of their older (and least played with) toys and they don't know it yet. ~evil grin~.

I also started looking into mortgage loans. Maybe it's time that we purchased a house instead of renting an apartment. It's getting more and more difficult (and even less affordable) finding an apartment that will allow 5 people to reside simoultaneously in their units. It couldn't be impossible...

How are YOU doing? Is your world spinning satisfactorily? Give us some good news to chew on. It'll feed my soul if no one elses. :0)

Obviously I was wrong.

2006-05-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

This past month, nearly every time I started fixing our youngest a bottle, he started screaming at me. I (in my "mother is superior" way) believed that he was screaming because I wasn't going fast enough. So, I began putting my method on speed hoping to avoid "the scream".

It was three days ago that I thought I had it beat when, after popping his bottle into the microwave for a warming up, I realized that his screaming had nothing to do with my speed or my aptitude for fixing bottles. I looked over to see him crouched on the floor drinking from a cup. There's an open quart of milk on the floor, milk spilled on the carpet, and the fridge is open.

Yup, you guessed it. He wanted COLD milk.

Mother.

2006-05-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

Mothers are the place that we call home.
On them we rest our heads and close our eyes.
There's no one else who grants the same soft peace,
Happiness, contentment, sweet release,
Erasing nighttime tears with lullabies,
Restoring the bright sun that makes us bloom.
~ Nicholas Gordon

Happy Mother's Day to all you Mommys.

Yesterday.

2006-05-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

We traveled 90 miles to the city where we will try to move to before the summer is up. No luck finding an apartment/house yet. But some noteworthy things did happen yesterday. Here's a rundown:

I was introduced to a woman yesterday who works in the department of the school my husband has been admitted to. It was a spur of the moment thing so while I was shaking her hand I was flipping through my short list of intro lines. I was tossing around "it's nice to me you" and "I'm happy to meet you" and what actually came out was "I'm nice to meet you." I stumbled a bit afterward and I'm hoping that she quickly forgot my error.
We visited Books-a-million (a bookstore chain) and let the boys play with the train set they have in the kid's section. B.J. was getting aggrivated at his baby brother (1.5 yo) who kept assaulting his line of train cars. B.J. exclaimed "crap!" when he got fed up with M.J. Shortly after another small boy who was playing uttered the same word. His father was a few feet behind and I kept thinking to myself "that little boy is going to get a spanking today and it's all my fault." Shrug.
I found a tape measure at the store. It was painted in girl's colors and had a tassle on the end of the tape. I was thoroughly confused until I pulled out the tape and realized it was for measuring parts of the body. I was so sad. Is body proportion such a concern to little girls that they feel the need to take measurements?
Finally, Joe went into the grocery store to pick up some snacks before we headed home. While he was inside there was an announcement: "Roll Tide to aisle 3 for cleanup". "Roll Tide" is the nickname for the city's university football team. Not very flattering and slightly obsessive, I would think.

Anyway, that was our day. We have to go back next week to look for lodging again. Hopefully we'll return with a signed lease.

Have a great weekend!

"The Ugly American."

2006-05-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Source: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alarmed by the relentless rise of anti-Americanism around the world, a business-backed group is trying to change the behavior that spawned an enduring stereotype of Americans abroad -- loud, arrogant, ill-dressed, ill-mannered and lacking respect for other cultures.

Business for Diplomatic Action Inc (BDA), a non-profit organization founded by advertising executive Keith Reinhard after a worldwide survey of attitudes toward Americans convinced him that "our collective personality is one of the root causes of anti-Americanism."

"We are seen as loud, arrogant and completely self-absorbed," said Reinhard, chairman emeritus of the advertising agency DDB Worldwide. "People see in us the ultimate arrogance -- assuming that everybody wants to be like us."

World Citizen's Guide tells Americans to (amongst other things):

Think as big as you like but talk and act smaller. In many countries, any form of boasting is considered rude. Talking about wealth, power or status -- corporate or personal -- can create resentment.
Speak lower and slower. In conversation, match your voice level and tonality to the environment and other people. A loud voice is often perceived as bragging. A fast talker can be seen as aggressive and threatening.
Dress up. You can always dress down. In some countries, casual dress is a sign of disrespect. Check out what is expected and when in doubt, err on the side of the more formal and less casual attire. You can remove a jacket and tie if you are overdressed. But you can't make up for being too casual.
Listen at least as much as you talk. By all means, talk about America and your life in the country. But also ask people you're visiting about themselves and their way of life. Listen, and show your interest in how they compare their experiences to yours.

-------------------------------------------------------

Your thoughts?

The backyard.

2006-05-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

Several years ago we lived in a duplex with a large open field behind it. B.J. was just 4 and loved running around back there. We would go play baseball, go bug hunting, play tag, whatever struck our fancy. It was a great place for a kid to romp around.

The only bad thing about the field was that it was at the end of a decline so whenever it rained it got muddy and slippery. It was difficult to say "no" whenever B.J. wanted to go play out there so when it was muddy I got frustrated. One particular week it rained and rained and rained. I didn't want to go out and get mud all over our shoes and clothes. I didn't want to have to clean our shoes and the floors from the mud (AGAIN). So I told him that I hated the backyard and that I didn't want go back there anymore. I more or less whined.

B.J. was sad and left the room. He came back a few minutes later singing softly. These are the word that I heard: "Don't hate the backyard...". It was a song just for me. I felt aweful for losing my temper. He's pretty good at disarming me. But, I admit, sometimes I need that.

Cinderella would be so mad.

2006-05-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

I've been drowning her little mice friends in my kitchen.

In the past, I had to keep a bucket under the kitchen sink to catch water that was spilling from the pipes. Occassionally I would find a mouse or two in the bucket. I think they crawled onto the pipes and dropped into it (stupid boogers).

Anyway, that seemed to be doing the trick. So, even after we got the pipe problem fixed, I still kept the bucket (half full) under the sink. Since then I've caught 4 mice with it. No blood. No guts. Just a "clean kill". Hey, it's not my fault they're committing suicide in my kitchen (no, Joe, it's not because of my cooking).

Poll:

2006-05-06T06:13:00.000-07:00

Buy a house or build a house?

Naughty.

2006-05-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I was naughty. While I was cooking dinner, I grabbed a box of cream cheese, a jar of peanut butter, some sugar and milk and, somehow, was able to mix it all up without anyone knowing what I was doing. I transferred my yummy concoction into an empty butter container, sealed it up and snuck it into the fridge. Nobody knows that it's there except me.

giggle

I've been reading a book...

2006-05-04T06:08:00.000-07:00

called "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. At risk of making myself sound ignorant, I'll go ahead and admit that until I read this book my understanding was that the only mentions of Jesus were in the Bible.

I was really surprised to read that, outside of the New Testament and other Christian writings, we know (from writers such as Josephus, The Talmud, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, and others) that "Jesus was a Jewish teacher;...many people believed that he performed healings and exorcisms;...some people believed he was the messiah;...he was rejected by Jewish leaders;...he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;...he had multitudes of followers even after his death;...and all kinds of people from the cities and countryside-men and women-free and slave-woorshiped him as God."

I had no idea that so much of the New Testament writings could be corroborated outside of the Bible! I've been a Christian for 20 years and I never knew. Why don't churches take the time to go over this stuff? It seems to me that it would make people's faith stronger if they were taught these things!

Lawsuit challenges use of gay-themed storybook.

2006-04-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

I don't usually post news items, but here's a link to a story I found this morning.

Long story short: "Two couples who say a suburban school district undermined their parental rights by giving out and reading storybooks with gay themes without telling them first have filed a federal lawsuit against school officials."

While I won't speak publicly about homosexual relationships amongst adults, I just wanted to say that if an official at my son's school handed him a book about homosexuality (or any other type of sexuality), I would be suing also.

The schools should not be teaching children how to have romantic relationships with anyone.

Mr. Bling

2006-04-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Looking for a better grill? Check out Mr. Bling.

(WINK)

Well, this was a nice surprise:

2006-04-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

Your Power Level is: 74%

You're a very powerful person, and you know that all of your power comes from within.

Keep on doing what you're doing, and you'll reach your goals.

How Powerful Are You?

"Gifted Classes"

2006-04-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

We received a letter from B.J.'s school indicating that he qualifies for an evaluation for "giftedness" and the opportunity to be in special classes this next school year. It's not a big surprise to us. When we introduced him to his first teacher (kindergarten) we told her that he's already adding 3 digit numbers and reading well. In first grade we told his teacher that he had taught himself how to multiply during the summer, and his reading skills had reached the 2nd-3rd grade level. It's what we always knew was going to happen.

BUT, I'm a little wary now. I want him to excel (it's what he does naturally). However, I don't want him to have a complex about it. It's important that he be able to fit in with his peers without that extra "baggage", if you will. Is there a way that I can approach this with him that will help him to understand that this is a learning opportunity and not a way to think himself better? I'm also afraid that it's going to put much more pressure on him and that learning will cease to be fun for him.

Am I worrying too much?

Election Day, 2008.

2006-04-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how happy I'll be when Election Day, 2008, finally rolls around! Who would you nominate for president if you had your way? Real or imaginary, dead or alive, good or bad.

I can't come up with a name, but my nominee would be a cross between Andy Griffith and Darth Vader.

Magnolia Politics.

2006-04-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Joe started Magnolia Politics back up! He's added a lot of global news links.

I love his commentary so I'm really happy that he's doing this again! :0)

The Invisible Post (ooooohhhh...mystery!)

2006-04-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

I've been abducted by my own weakness and it's holding me captive at my favorite new online hangout (freethought-forum.com). I can't seem to pull myself away from the large variety of personalities that post there. So, if you don't see me around for a couple of days it's because I'm getting my fix.

Glad you figured out how to read this post. :0)

Dreams.

2006-04-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamt that my family was out shopping. We stopped in a store that was next door to a hotel. While we were in the store some bad weather came. The clouds were a whirling, insane mass and tornados started coming. We couldn't leave the store so we just stood there looking out the window at the hotel that was being destroyed.

This morning, when I took B.J. to school, the radio DJ announced that we would be having severe thunderstorms including heavy rains, hail, and possibly tornados.

Weird-o!!

Give us your weird dream experiences. :0)

Who IS this guy?

2006-04-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

Okay. So, I sent an email to my grandfather this morning. Apparently I entered his email address wrong because 2 seconds after I clicked "send" I got a message from "Mailer Daemon". I think he should be fired for gross incompetence.

Here's what he said: "I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses. This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out."

After 2 seconds of work, he gives up and puts my undelivered email to rest (no doubt in a drawer where he keeps all of his incomplete work).

And he appears to be a fatalist as well; "permanent error", "given up", "didn't work". Why all the drama??

So, may I suggest to you, Mr. Daemon, that you give your job to someone who is willing to put in more time and effort, see a psychiatrist, and go on vacation?

Sincerely, the common e-citizen. ;0)

Have you ever...

2006-04-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

thought about writing a book? How far did you get?

King Kong-less.

2006-04-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Warning! Spoiler!! (To be frank, however, if you decide to read this spoiler, you may end up saving a few bucks and a couple hours of your time). Moving on...

Joe made a run to Blockbuster and picked up "King Kong" (with Jack Black among others). The movie went from to in the first hour. The inevitable romance was underdeveloped and premature. The mysterious "Skull Island" was impressive with it's "ship bumping up against rocks" scene. And the natives were disgustingly exciting with their "voo-doo-ish" practices and manners. However the history of their existence and why they served the mighty "Kong" is not established and leaves the viewer feeling confused. Oh, and I forgot to mention the DINOSAURS. Yes. The dinosaurs, which came out of nowhere and whose purpose in the movie was only to show how mighty and protective the great Kong was, just made me go .

One of the most annoying aspects of the movie is the cinematography. At the stupidest times the camera did that quick zoom-in move with music that didn't seem to match anything that was happening. And the graphics were disappointing at times.

I'm no expert but, considering that I fell asleep halfway through the movie, this one's a waste of an evening. Put your money back into your pocket and back away from this movie slowly.

Debate!

2006-03-29T06:46:00.000-08:00

(Image unrelated to story)

I was skimming headlines at CNN this morning when I came across yet another story of a child who brought his parent's gun to school. This one was a five year old boy and he was suspended from school for 10 days.*

I was pondering his "sentence" and I don't think I agree with the punishment. It seems to me that the parents are responsible for this mishap and the parents should have received the punishment. If the child didn't understand the dangers of handling guns and felt that it would be okay to bring it to school, I have to assume that it's because the parents neglected to address the issue sufficiently.

On the other hand, if a child makes a serious mistake he should be reprimanded in a way that makes him remember, in the future, not to repeat it.

So, here's the question in black and white:

If a child brings weapons/drugs to school, who is more responsible for the mistake? Parent or child?

Sound off!

*Note: In fairness to the family, I should mention that the ammunition was kept separate from the gun, the gun was not loaded, and it was kept in a place where the parents did not think the child could access it. Therefore, the parent's were not reprimanded.

What a Boob!

2006-03-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

I found this article at one of my favorite "news" sites:
------------------------------------
A WOMAN who had breast enlargement surgery to transform her B-cup to a DD-cup is taking her boss to court for looking at her breasts too often. Sabrina Pace, 26, who works at a Cardiff car-hire firm, said that after she returned to work following her breast operation, her manager, David Ford, began to pay her unwanted attention.

At an employment tribunal this week, she said Ford had suggested she pose for a calendar.

"You will have to close your cardigan, Sabrina, unless you want me to talk to your breasts," he is alleged to have told her.

The tribunal failed to support her claim of harassment.
------------------------------------

For a visual demonstration of how VERY different she would look after such an operation I pulled up these pics.
From...
To...

I suspect that she'll be sueing a lot of people in the near future for gazing at her grotesquely huge boobers. Be careful what you wish for, dear girl...

I've been thinking...

2006-03-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

about going back to work. Well, not now. But sometime in the near future. I left a good full-time job to stay home with our children. It's been completely worth it. The plan is to go back to work full-time when all of them are in school, which will be in about 6 years (god, that's a long time).

We've talked about manufacturing just one more homosapien, but that would mean waiting even longer to go back into the work force full-time. So, now I'm questioning whether I even WANT another kiddo. Sure, it would be fun to have another baby around and my affinity for symetry would make our domestic population perfect: 6.

But, do I want to wait until I'm in well into my thirties before I enter the work force again? I don't want to return too battered and winded from the motherhood storm.

Side note: So I'm not misunderstood...I understand that to a lot of people work is not a choice. I mean no disrespect by whining. Thank you. Drive around.

Back in the saddle.

2006-03-22T11:12:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am. Three days after beginning my hiatus from high tech gadgets and it was much more difficult than I thought. Here is the journal that I kept while I was gone:

Sunday. March 19, 2006:
I just spent the last 6.5 minutes looking for a pen. My first stop was the toybox which ended in surprise when I pulled out a days old, blueberry poptart. Then I remembered where Joe hid his pens (sorry, hun).

So, I haven't used the computer or the PS2 for over 8 hours. But since our phone battery prematurely deceased I had to use the cell phone to find out when our rented movies were due back. Late, of course. And I confess that it was a challenge not to pull out the laptop to start my 3 day journal of life without high-tech devices. Alas, I am weak. As I write, Eminem is gracing the headphones of my MP3 player. A couple of hours into my experiment and I'm already struggling. One step at a time, Tanda.

Monday. March 20, 2006:
It's been 21.5 hours since I last got online. This little experiment is not as easy as I thought it would be. Several times this morning I felt "the itch" to type something (ANYTHING) and had to fight the urge to just go to our lifeless keyboard to type a few ghost sentences. And I had to use the cell phone again today because of our land phone's battery issue.

I'm seriously considering the possible theory that there really is a legimate addiction to instant information. I almost long to just peek at CNN.com (and whether you believe me or not, I just wrote [b] [/b] around the work "peek" on my paper).

On the upside, I am generally less frustrated with everything that would normally frustrate me and I have this alien feeling that suddenly I am in complete control of all aspects of my life. Perhaps this is a feeling of power from denying myself the very thing that I want the most at this moment: to obtain the most information in the least amount of time, which I have convinced myself is what I "need".

I also started reading Al Franken's "Why Not Me" and I am determined to read all 289 pages before noon Wednesday.

Tueday. March 21, 2006:
45 hours since I last got online. I realize now that the most difficult part of this experiment is not knowing everything that's happening in the world around me. I feel detached from society. I am feeling a little depressed today. Perhaps it would be reaching to call it a symptom of withdrawal, but I'm tempted to do so nonetheless. I don't think it's because of what I'm missing from being online. But, rather, from having much more time for retrospection.

Instant information appears to be a kind of mind drug. It destracts from life and gives us a feeling of power (the saying, "Knowledge is power" comes to mind). In an ironic twist, however, the internet destracts us from not only the bad things going in life, but also the good. I can look back now and see times where my oldest son would come to me to ask if I wanted to wrestle and I can hear myself saying, "Hang on a sec, hon. I want to check on something online first." I'm disappointed in myself. All those times when I got online telling myself that I was stressed out and that the internet and its endless well of activity would make me feel better ended up being a farse. It was, instead, a cause of my stress. Ironic.

Wednesday. March 22, 2006:
It's been 70 hours since I last got online. I'm feeling much better today. I've been organizing our apartment, reading, and exercising. I don't miss the internet right now and I speculate that perhaps it's because I know I will be logging on again today for the first time in 3 days. I'm not looking forward to sorting through my email which I should have, but neglected to, clean out before I began my hiatus from the internet.

It occurred to me yesterday as I was sweeping the floors that the real problem behind instant information and the use of the internet can be cured with one word. And, interestingly enough, this cure is applicable to almost every other problem in life. It's moderation. This simple, ten-letter word seems to escape our minds when it comes to things that we enjoy the most. I'd love to spend every hour with Joe. I adore him and my heart is utterly giddy when we're together. But if I spent every moment with him and I never had time alone to "analyze and defragment" my mind, this thing that I enjoyed the most would become a burden.

This little experiment has reminded me of my most important job: to protect myself. And sometimes the best way to protect myself is by telling myself "no".

Going on break.

2006-03-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

CNN posted an article about kids and technology. I don't think it only applies to children, though. It applies to everyone who feels the emotional need to connect to people via electronic devices; game systems, cell phones, the internet, etc.

I've decided to take a break from my devices. Let's say three days. Three days where I won't be PM'ing, text messaging, emailing, phoning, or gaming.

My theory is that I will have the most productive three days ever. The house will be clean and organized, the children will be entertained and well mannered, and my husband will get so much conversation from me that he'll have to beg me to stop talking.

So, I'll see you Wednesday and I'll bring my pros and cons with me. Adios.

Cats and Dogs.

2006-03-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder if my 7 year old and I will ever really get along.

Our personalities are so very different and it seems that all we do is clash. He is a brilliant boy. He's intelligent, thoughtful, resourceful, creative, and loves to learn new things. And he is also aggressive, over-confident, zealous, and reckless. This is where our trouble begins.

Perhaps he is the garden variety 7 year old. And perhaps I'm the garden variety mom. But we're definately not in the same garden, lol.

Lately I've been trying to diffuse our clashes with humor. For example, when I find myself getting angry with his behavior (the particular behavior that tells you all he wants is some attention) I will tell him something like, "if you don't stop doing that I'm going to strap you to a rocket and send you to the moon with nothing but a bag of cheese puffs". Seems to be working.

But I do feel badly when we spend the day arguing. It's not how I want things to be. It's not what I want him to remember when he's older.

I'm using...

2006-03-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

our on-screen keyboard. It's torture, one click at a time.

I'll never understand how this happened, but the most expensive keyboard we have ever owned was destroyed when our 3 year old got into the flour and spilled some on it.

It has survived two spilled drinks. It has endured banging, shaking, and jerking. But flour delivered the death blow. That's why this post took 4 mintes and 56 seconds to type.

Grrr. Back to Walmart.

Joe took pics...

2006-03-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

of the boys last week. Here are our babies: BJ, JJ, and MJ.

Some days...

2006-03-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

I just want to stay in bed and run the house from under my comforter.

We have a snake...

2006-03-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

on our patio. It's like his vacation spot, I guess. He comes and goes as he pleases. We weren't certain what kind of snake it actually was so we decided to have a talk with the boys about it, just in case.

Joe broached the subject this morning after breakfast. He was stressing the danger of playing around snakes, especially if they haven't yet been identified as poisonous or non-poisonous. He tells the boys how snakes bite and what can happen if they bite. But our oldest is unswayed by his warnings and guffaws his Dad. Becoming frustrated at not getting through to him, Joe tells B.J. "Snakes can put you in the hospital!" And our fearless child replies with a crooked grin (as if he's won the debate) and says, "Dad, snakes can't drive!"

Oh, gah. That was priceless. Gotta love this little guy.

My salad dressing...

2006-03-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

tells me that I should refrigerate it after opening, but that it should be served at room temperature. I've never had high maintenance dressing before.

Update:

2006-03-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

Those of you who read about our "bad date" incident (located 2 posts down if you're not familiar) will understand this update to the story.

B.J. came home from school talking about having his friend over on Spring Break. Apparently, his mother and he had talked about it amongst themselves and decided that this would be a better time for them.

Did I mention that she still has not called to apologize for not showing up or contacting me when she realized that they wouldn't make it?

Now she is making plans to bring her child over to my house without consulting me. Apparently the children are running communication between us now.

Hate to have to tell B.J., but his friend isn't coming over to my house unless his mother calls me to a) apologize, and to b) get my permission to bring her child here.

Okay, I feel little better.

Word up!

2006-03-08T05:45:00.000-08:00

I was listening to the local radio show this morning while taking B.J. to school. A popular DJ on the show was going to do a stunt on-air. He was going to lift a 100 lb cheerleader over his head (which, I guess was an achievement to him).

He was introducing the cheerleader to the audience and asked her a series of short questions. He wanted to know her name (Nicole), how much she weighed (101 lbs), and finally if she had eaten anything after being weighed. Her response to this question was: "I have ate nothing", at which time they teased her language skills. She "corrected" herself by saying "I haven't ate anything". The radio personalities cheered her for this, although she still wasn't using correct grammar. -Sigh-

I firmly believe that using the English language correctly is a huge step toward success in life. People don't take you seriously when you walk around using slang, incorrect tenses, and words that are only accepted by default (such as the word "ain't"). Call it a peeve, but I want my children to speak correctly and to speak well. It is the second thing that people notice about you (the first being your appearance).

I suppose that being in certain areas of the world you get so used to hearing certain words like "ain't" that it seems natural to use them. I have worked hard NOT to use that particular word because it has a controversial history with the English language and was really only accepted by default. Read more here if you are interested.

I'm not saying that I'm better than others. I just think it's important that we use our languages correctly. You are only as good as you make yourself, and I want to be great.

Bad Date.

2006-03-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

B.J. called one of his favorite classmates last week. His mother answered the phone and asked to speak to me. I got on the line and she asked if her son could come over to play this weekend. We had talked about this idea before and it was an open invitation, so I accepted.

Last night I went to the movie store and got them a "cool" movie and some popcorn. B.J. cleaned his room (a miracle in itself), and I spent all morning cleaning the house for company.

The agreement was that the mother would call me Saturday morning to tell me what time they'd be coming over on Saturday afternoon. It's 5:04pm and so far, no call.

B.J. is beside himself. He's called their house about 60 times with no answer. He's bored, disappointed, and aggrivated. This was a big deal to him. I'm listening to him cry as I write this and I'm just so upset that things didn't work out for him.

I'm mad that we have to make this up to him, like we did something wrong, because the Mom didn't give me the courtesy of a simple call to tell us that they couldn't make it or that they simply forgot and just remembered that they were supposed to come over today.

I'm mad.

Hey!

2006-03-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

Today's "Short Story Friday"! Pop over to Captain's R.J. blog to catch the most recent addition to his story. Then choose the ending for next Friday's addition! Hurry! Do it now!

Here's a tip:

2006-02-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

TIP!!

(Pet peave alert, people.)

Customers that sit down to eat or drink and then don't leave a tip, or don't leave enough to buy their server a pack of gum, irritate the heck out of me.

People who serve make less than $3 an hour from their companies. What you tip is supposed to make up for everything up to at least minimum wage.

When you don't tip your server they hate you. Okay, not really. But it makes their life harder knowing that when they get home they can't use the money to pay their phone bill because table #9 didn't have the courtesy to leave a tip.

I know, I know..."Why I should I pay someone else just so they can pay their bills? What am I? The Welfare office?" No, of course not. That's just the nature of the unwritten agreement between the server and the customer. "I'll bring your food to you as soon as the kitchen has it prepared, I'll refresh your drink as soon as it becomes half-full, I'll fill your every request, and I'll do all that with a smile on my face AS LONG AS YOU UNDERSTAND THAT I'M TRYING TO EARN A LIVING AND YOU'RE ESSENTIAL TO MY QUEST."

Thank you. Yall come back again soon.

:0)

Why...

2006-02-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

would you purchase a $20,000 heavy duty truck and then drive it like it was going to fall apart at any moment?

If I'm going to pay that kind of money for a vehicle I'm going to take it down the bumpiest roads I can find and drive it like there's no tomorrow.

Just sayin'. :0)

So Much Racist Drivel.

2006-02-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

Recently this post arrived on a thread at the message board I frequent. While some responded by saying "excellent post" and "love it", my response was "Wow. That wasn't racist at all"(Note a thick side order of sarcasm). I began questioning my affiliation with these people. And it's not just that the post was racist. It was cold and thoughtless. Anyone who has read anything about the experiences of those caught in the aftermath of Katrina will understand why this post made me livid.

No one on the message board has responded to my response. I suspect that they never will because they know that I'm right. But, just for fun, read the article and tell me what you think:

THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MOMENT ...really think about this.

North Dakota News

This text is from a county emergency manager out in the western part of North Dakota state after the recent snow storm.

WEATHER BULLETIN

Up here in the Northern Plains we just recovered from a Historic event --- may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10's of thousands.

FYI:

George Bush did not come....

FEMA did nothing....

No one howled for the government...

No one blamed the government

No one even uttered an expletive on TV...

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit

Our Mayor's did not blame Bush or anyone else

Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else either

CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snow storm

Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.....

No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House....

No one looted...

Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something

Nobody expected the government to do anything either

No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera

No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be found

And

Nope, we just melted the snow for water

Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars

The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny

Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snow bound families

Families took in the stranded people - total strangers

We Fired up wood stoves

Broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns

We put on an extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die"

We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.

Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early...we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.

"In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% of most of the world's social problems evaporate."

It does seem that way, at least to me.. I hope this gets passed on..

Maybe,, SOME people will get the message,, The world Does not owe you a living....

I just can't get it right...

2006-02-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

I've been doing this blogging business for less than a year and I still have trouble figuring out how to do it consistently and effectively. Sometimes I want to write things that my friends will read and laugh at, other times I just want to write to get something off of my chest, even if it doesn't make any sense to anyone but me.

I'm just wondering, do you blog for the benefit of your readers, or do you blog for your own satisfaction??

Dirty Little Secrets

2006-02-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

I've spent some time fixing all the bugs at Dirty Little Secrets this week. Joe and I were playing around with it and realized that people weren't able to submit their secrets because of the form that we were using. So we switched to a different form and !VOILA!...Sucess!

I also added a music video of the (very aptly titled) song, "Dirty Little Secrets" by The American Rejects. Whoo!!

I've gotten some really ridiculous, and obviously phony, secrets lately. Bummer. But, somebody out there has to have something juicy to share. It's completely anonymous.

Click here to reveal your secrets!

Comments

2006-02-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

Thank you Lorna and Jac for letting me know my comments were not working correctly. I have made a change in my template and I think that will clear up the mess. Let me know if you notice any other problems and thanks for stopping by my sleepy blog. :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2006-02-14T06:12:00.000-08:00

Couple Reunite After More Than 60 Years

ADRIAN, Mich. - Willard Mason and Ilah Ost are giving new meaning to the phrase: "Love is patient." More than 60 years ago, the couple were engaged to be married, but life's circumstances got in the way.

Now, after they each married others, raised families and their spouses died, the two are together again.

"Ilah was my first girlfriend," Mason told The Daily Telegram. "I first met her when I was a sophomore at Blissfield High School."

The two began dating and got engaged.

But in 1941, Mason moved to Ypsilanti to work at the Willow Run bomber plant. There, he met a woman named Helvi, and broke his engagement to Ost. He married Helvi in 1942.

Ost later married her husband, Marvin, and had three children before he died in 1974.

Mason's wife died in 2003, and by chance, he ran into Ost's brother in Blissfield in 2004, and he encouraged Mason to call Ost.

The two started dating, with Mason driving from his home near Houghton Lake to Adrian, where Ost lived.

On one of his trips to Adrian, Mason blacked out and struck a tree with his car. Tests showed he needed a new pacemaker, Mason said.

He then moved to near Adrian and invited Ost to move in with him.

"We get along perfectly," Mason said. "We've never had an argument. She's a great cook, and she takes care of me."

Mason and Ost spend much of their time with friends and family, and Mason marvels at how the two have gotten back together after so many years.

"You don't know how our lives might have turned out if we'd gotten married in 1941," Mason said. "But now, she has a wonderful family and so do I."

Riddle!

2006-02-13T07:53:00.000-08:00

The one who makes it doesn't need it
the one that buys it doesn't keep it
the one that sells it doesn't use it
the one that's using it never knows it being used
What am I?

Answer in comments. But don't look before guessing!!

:0)

Choose your own adventure.

2006-02-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

I found a blog today through Joe's links. It's called "Short Story Friday". Here the author, R.J., posts part of a story and at the end gives the reader a choice on how this part of the story should end (or rather how the next part should start). It's a fun read and a great chance to participate in the making of an exciting story.

Check it out here!!

Blazing blazer (&^%*(^&!!)

2006-02-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

We took a trip to Jackson this weekend. Just got back. But the trip there was interesting.

The day before we left the handle on the driver's side broke. I had the handle fixed just last year. (@#$%^!!)

Halfway through the trip the dashboard froze up. We had to play "Guess My Speed" for over 70 miles. (#$%^&!!)

When we arrived at our destination (Dad's house), we turned off the car and it wouldn't restart.
(@#$%$!!)

Luckily Dad is great with cars and was able to fix everything while we were visiting (poor guy).

But on the way home we realized that the heater went out. It was below freezing and we were bundled up in the car with all the blankets for 2 hours.

There were some better parts of our trip, but this part really pissed me off. I told Joe it's time to take the Blazer out into the woods and introduce it to bonfires. :0)

Quiz!

2006-02-09T06:37:00.000-08:00

You Are A Romantic Realist

You are more romantic than 50% of the population.

You tend to be grounded when it comes to romance.
Sure, you can fall hard... but only for someone you've gotten to know.
And once you're in love, you can be a total romantic goofball...
But you'd never admit it to your friends!

Are You Romantic or Realistic?

Caption!

2006-02-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

Strange News

2006-02-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

Confidential patient data sent to wrong company -- for 15 months
Doctors and clinics in the U.S. have been faxing information to an herbal remedy distributor

News Story by Jaikumar Vijayan

FEBRUARY 06, 2006 (COMPUTERWORLD) - A small Lockport, Manitoba-based distributor of herbal remedies has for the past 15 months been mistakenly receiving faxes containing confidential information belonging to hundreds of patients with Prudential Financial Inc.’s insurance group. The data exposed in the breach -- and faxed to the company by doctors and clinics across the U.S. -- included the patients’ Social Security numbers, bank details and health care information.

So far, at least, efforts to deal with the issue appear to have failed, said Jody Baxmeyer, vice president of marketing at North Regent RX, the company that’s been receiving the faxes.

The situation has been caused by North Regent’s toll-free fax number, which is nearly identical to one used by Prudential to receive medical claims-related information from doctors, Baxmeyer said. In fact, the two numbers differ by only one digit, Baxmeyer said.

As a result, North Regent’s Lockport office has mistakenly received thousands of documents sent to the wrong fax number that involve more than 1,000 claims. The documents contain detailed patient medical histories, Social Security numbers and bank information meant for Prudential’s insurance division.

Baxmeyer said his company contacted Prudential about the problem in October 2004 -- when North Regent first began operations -- and then followed up again in April 2005 when it had not heard back from the company. “Prudential’s point of view was that, ‘We are not the ones faxing the information,’ which is ridiculous,” Baxmeyer said. “They are the ones that solicited the business from doctors and clinics, and they are the ones setting up the protocols for receiving the information.”

In a statement today, Prudential officials disagreed, saying the company cannot be held responsible for third parties who are sending the information to the wrong fax number.

“Prudential Financial’s fax number is accurately listed on all of our forms and communications,” the company said in an e-mailed statement. “Effective immediately, North Regent RX will forward to Prudential Financial all faxes it has received, as well as any it may receive in the future.”

Initially, North Regent contacted the doctors’ offices, clinics and even patients directly when it received a fax meant for Prudential. But the company doesn’t have the resources to continue doing that, Baxmeyer said. “What happened was it became a point of distraction for us. It would have taken an effort that we were not capable of.”

According to Baxmeyer, North Regent in April offered to sell its toll-free number to Prudential for a fee that included the costs of acquiring and publicizing a new toll-free fax number for North Regent. Another option it suggested was for Prudential to give North Regent some sort of legal protection for receiving the unsolicited confidential information, he said.

Both requests were turned down by Prudential, which instead asked North Regent to simply forward all of the faxes it received back to Prudential via prepaid mail, Baxmeyer said. Prudential also informed North Regent that it had sent out a memo urging doctors offices and clinics to use extra caution when sending claims via fax.

John Pescatore, an analyst at Gartner Inc., said that Prudential cannot be held responsible for mistakes made by others. “In this case, the person who is sending out the information is the one that’s responsible. Prudential did not give them the wrong number.”

Faxes containing sensitive information often have disclaimers instructing recipients to either destroy the faxes or contact the sender in case they are sent to the wrong person. It is the responsibility of the recipient to destroy the faxes or follow any other instructions, Pescatore said.

Said Baxmeyer: “Our point of view is that it’s ridiculous to be sharing information that is sensitive in nature, whether financial or medical, by the use of faxes,” he said. “We want Prudential to realize that their technology is out of date, and they are not paying attention.”

Caption

2006-02-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Bob was too embarassed to tell his new girlfriend that her kisses sucked the life out of him.

(that sucks, I know. But now you have incentive to "one-up" me)

Game Day!

2006-02-02T19:13:00.000-08:00

Where have YOU been?

I took a week off of blogging. I used all my blogging time to do homework! Go me! lol. Now it's Friday again and time for a new game. How's about...

Shuffle Bowl!!

How to play:

• With your cursor, click on the puck to gain control of it.

• Still holding down on the mouse button, imagine that the mouse IS the puck. The way you push the mouse forward controls both speed and direction of the puck.

• Fling the mouse forward and release the button to shoot the puck.

My score was 69! Good luck.

Game Day!

2006-01-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

I'm throwing up a link for "Boardwalk Bowling", also known as "Skee Ball" or "Skeet Ball", depending on where you are.

My highest score was 310. Let's see how you do!

http://candystand.com/play.do?id=17832

It's All About Time.

2006-01-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

My blog has become an extension of me. It's kind of like my diary/personal newspaper/scrapbook. And I don't have to tell you, fellow bloggers, just how theraputic having a blog really is.

I've started yet another semester in community college (this is #12, I think) and I'll by busy with homework, as well as housework, taking care of the boys, spending time with my Lovely (Joe), and keeping up with my blog (not optional). So, I decided to create a themed schedule for my blog. This way, I can keep up and not be stuck with posts that say "I'm too busy to write so I'll just write about how busy I am." Here is the schedule that I've settled with:

Monday-Riddle Day! I post the riddle. You post the answer (don't worry if you suck at riddles. You response is guaranteed to be entertaining either way).

Tuesday-Strange News Day! There is an unlimited supply of strange news online. I'll post my fav's.

Wednesday-Caption Day! Pretty much speaks for itself. Winner will get a writeup on the weekends.

Thursday-Quiz Day! Find out more about you and post your results. You'll probably find out that you're stranger than you thought.

Friday-Game day! I'll post the game. You play and post your score. Lowest score gets made fun of behind their back.

The weekends will be my free writing time. And since today IS Thursday, here is your assignment:

What Kind Of Seducer Are You?

Your Seduction Style: Au Natural

You rank up there with your seduction skills, though you might not know it.

That's because you're a natural at seduction. You don't realize your power!

The root of your natural seduction power: your innocence and optimism.

You're the type of person who happily plays around and creates a unique little world.

Little do you know that your personal paradise is so appealing that it sucks people in.

You find joy in everything - so is it any surprise that people find joy in you?

You bring back the inner child in everyone you meet with your sincere and spontaneous ways.

Your childlike (but not childish) behavior also inspires others to care for you.

As a result, those who you befriend and date tend to be incredibly loyal to you.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

Your turn!

Stinker.

2006-01-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

This morning I had the extreme misfortune of hearing a radio talkshow host spew his disgusting ideas for ending poverty. In my own words...

1-We should leave politics and politicans out of it.
2-We should enlist rich entreprenuers to pay for relocating people in poor areas (if they choose to accept the offer) to areas where there is more opportunities for work.
3-We should built "Habitat for Humanity" homes for them in the areas that they are moved to.

And while all of this seems like a nicey-nice idea, let me present my arguement. First, relocating people to nicer areas of the world where there is more work does not guarantee a) that they WILL work; b) that they will seek a better way of taking care of themselves; c) that they will be responsible. It's a quick fix. And it's cheap. You see, the radio talk show host explained how it would save the american people money. Yes, that's a big part of his idea. Save poor people to save money.

And it's an insult to boot. All I hear is this guy saying to poor people "it's obvious to the world that you cannot take care of yourselves or your children. Therefore, we well-to-do's will do you a favor and pay for you to leave this area and move to an area where there will be more work and more opportunity for you to become more like us. Because we don't like poverty. It makes America look bad."

I don't have an answer. I just think this guy's answer is arrogant and insulting.

Joe and I always said that if we ever "came into money" that we would purchase used cars for people in poverty areas so that they can have transportation for doctor visits, work, school, etc. I don't want to change any part of their lives. I just want to give them a tool to make doing what they want and need to do easier.

What would you do to help the poverty areas if you had the money?

All In The Family.

2006-01-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

Joe decided to reopen his original "Magnolia Politics" blog and I am SO glad. He's VERY good at dissecting politics, politicians, and policy. His writing style is witty and sarcastic which makes politics more interesting (to me anyway, who already has trouble understanding it all).

We always said that it was in Joe's blood. And his articles are a clear indication that politics is his passion. Stop by when you have the chance!

Magnolia Politics!

Also, here is his personal blog for your viewing pleasure:

Joe's Rambles & Rants!

And, if that wasn't enough family plugs, here is our oldest son's blog. He's 7.

B.J.'s

:0)

Mural

2006-01-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

I tagged myself to add to this mural via Novy. Here are the directions if you want to add to it:

Overlapping the graphics is OK. The image is a PNG file. Save, open and add your artwork. Please save-as ‘mural.png’ when finished and post to your blog tagging others. (It is preferable to leave the file as PNG rather than JPG so the quality won’t suffer over multiple edits.)Add your URL (permalink to the post would be best) here:1. ben.run2. JustPureMood3. Lyndsay (TheMartinTimes) 4. BSTS 5. Novy 6. Tanda

Crazy

2006-01-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

Finish this statement:

Luck is...

Tanda's Blog!

Happy Anniversary My Love

One for Jay Leno.

Have you seen this??

Dressing Down. :0(

Ugh!

Sock That Celebrity!!

My toaster...

Peekaboo!

Good News!

A simple observation.

A 3 year old's Freudian slip.

OMGosh, I feel like crap.

I married a comedian!!

Is it just me?

Ticked Off Thursday

For my friends.

"The only way I'd do this is...

Tandamonium.

American Dec-idol.

Thank You!

Linky links!

Top advantage and disadvantage to being the only female in a family of 5:

The fear factor.

Kiss the cook.

Careful what you wish for.

Urban confusion.

Will blog for food.

What's the strangest thing you've ever done for coffee?

Looking for a shortcut.

I'm not ashamed to admit...

Misadventures in Moving.

Signing off for the weekend.

Found!

The countdown.

Happy Fourth!

"Pretend like you know how to behave."

So...what happened?

Back on track!

Life sucks.

I FINALLY

I thought about...

Obviously I was wrong.

Mother.

Yesterday.

"The Ugly American."

The backyard.

Cinderella would be so mad.

Poll:

Naughty.

I've been reading a book...

Lawsuit challenges use of gay-themed storybook.

Mr. Bling

Well, this was a nice surprise:

"Gifted Classes"

Election Day, 2008.

Magnolia Politics.

The Invisible Post (ooooohhhh...mystery!)

Dreams.

Who IS this guy?

Have you ever...

King Kong-less.

Debate!

What a Boob!

I've been thinking...

Back in the saddle.

Going on break.

Cats and Dogs.

I'm using...

Joe took pics...

Some days...

We have a snake...

Blogroll.

My salad dressing...

Update:

Word up!

Bad Date.

Hey!

Here's a tip:

Why...