What the hell do I know?

Taking a day off & trying not to hurl

2009-01-12T14:06:00.005-05:00

Yes, I'm home today. I didn't take much time off over the holidays so I decided to take two days off this week and try to get some relaxation time. But of course, like any other working mom, I've filled my schedule for these two days with appointments, grocery shopping, and other random chores, so I can't really say I'm going to be doing much relaxing, but at least I'm not at work!

So anyway, here I sit, catching up on some news and I run across this. Now there's a part of me that has thought about visiting the website he's reporting for to read the pearls of wisdom he is generating, but I don't dare contribute to increase of hit stats that will be contributed to him. I thought the first statement, that the "media should be abolished from, you know, reporting" was bad enough, but to then to say that when living in a conflict zone "you can’t plan your day, you can’t take a picnic" just cements that this guy is a FRACKING IDIOT!

OK... I apologize for the pseudo-foul language. On second thought, no I don't. This person is obviously so in love with the fame he has received since being pushed into the spotlight that he is willing to make the juvenile assumption that he has something intelligent and worthwhile to say about the complex issues at play in Gaza.

I can go on, but honestly, I don't want to give this idiot any more attention then he's already getting.

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T19:11:00.001-05:00

Here's hoping for the best in 2009: good health, laughter, and peace of mind.

Take care everyone!

I'm still here

2008-10-13T21:50:00.002-04:00

Howdy all!

Ok... took a break for quite a while. What can I say... school, work, kids... it all finally piled up and I had no time to blog.

Anyway, I'm going to try to start this up again and throw out my two cents once in a while. I can't guarantee that it will all be exciting (or even interesting), but what the heck... my two cents are worth something, right?

So here's my first post:

OBAMA IN '08!

2006-06-16T22:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's been forever I know. Sorry to disappoint. School, summer projects, and a 5 yr old have been keeping me pretty busy.

I had to post when I saw the following trailer: An Inconvenient Truth

Please watch this trailer.

Better yet, see the movie: Find A Theatre

Glad to see Al back.

Two awesome pics

2005-12-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

The first snowfall... This was taken from my 3rd floor window. I get to look out into the tree top level. Makes living in town bearable.

This was too cool not to pass on....

YEA CHRISTMAS!!

2005-12-01T18:29:00.000-05:00

So I sit at my desk everyday and listen to the radio piped in over the corporate system. The local soft rock radio station started broadcasting all christmas music on black Friday. I've gotten to hear some of my favorite music this past week:

Jingle Bells ...The Ray Coniff Singers

All I want for Chistmas is You ...Maria Carey

A Christmas Medly ...some symphony (The local high school plays it in their christmas concert each year, as did my own high school band. I can still remember the fingerings for the flute and alto-clarinet parts!)

Christmas in Sereavo ...The Trans Siberian Orchestra

Anyway, it's gotten me in the spirit. I've gotten about 80% of the shopping done. Most of it I got online. I love online shopping!

Speaking of the TransSiberian Orchesta... here's a great video clip to give you a christmas related chuckle. (thanks sam)

who said college rocks?!?

2005-11-27T08:20:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've changed my position on the college thing. It sucks.

In psych class I have a research report to write and a cumulative final to study for. In education I have a non-cumulative, 1/2 semester final to take, a lesson plan to construct, a paper discussing my own education philosophy to write and my resume to revise for submission. I've got the outline for the psych paper and the works cited page pretty well done. Today I finish the first draft and start on my resume. The paper has to be done for Wednesday. I hope to finish the resume by Friday. The tree will be next weekend. That'll give me 2 weeks to finish the education papers and several days to study for the exams. Before, I was always smiling. I'm still smiling, although now it's through gritted teeth.

But, the good news is that I got about 1/2 of my christmas shopping done yesterday. I'll place an online order (bulk orders get you free shipping!) tomorrow that will get me 3/4 done. I bought beautiful christmas cards. I want to write a brief note to stick in the card too.

A little christmas fun

2005-11-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

15 Things to do while christmas shopping when your spouse/partner is taking their sweet time:

1. Get 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they aren't looking.
2. Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
3. Make a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the rest rooms.
4. Walk up to an employee and tell him/her in an official tone, 'Code 3' in housewares..... and see what happens.
5. Go the Service Desk and ask to put a bag of M&M's on lay away.
6. Move a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
7. Set up a tent in the camping department and tell other shoppers you'll invite them in if they'll bring pillows from the bedding department.
8. When a clerk asks if they can help you, begin to cry and ask 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?
9. Look right into the security camera; use it as a mirror, and pick your nose.
10. While handling guns in the hunting department, ask the clerk if he knows where the anti- depressants are.
11. Dart around the store suspiciously loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme.
12. In the auto department, practice your "Madonna look" using different size funnels.
13. Hide in a clothing rack and when people browse through, say "PICK ME!" "PICK ME!"
14. When an announcement comes over the loud speaker, assume the fetal position and scream "NO! NO! It's those voices again!!!!"
And last, but not least!

15. Go into a fitting room and shut the door and wait a while; and then very loudly yell, "There is no toilet paper in here!"

Thanks for the chuckle, Mom. Great way to start a turkey day.

Going to the in-laws for dinner today. Get to drive thru the rolling hills covered with a fresh snow. :-)

Back from vacation

2005-11-21T19:40:00.000-05:00

Just got back from a few days visiting family. Took one day to go to my favorite city... Pittsburgh. I love that city. If I were to ever consider pulling a reverse Green Acres, I'd move to Pittsburgh.

I got to roam around the Carnegie Museum of Art for several hours. I sat in front of Monet's The Water-Lily Pond for 20 minutes. It was so peaceful. There was also very cool Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition and an impressive photo exhibition titled, "Witness to the Fifties: Selections from the Pittsburgh Photographic Library."

Unfortunately, I didn't find #7 and I endured listening to them loose the game as I drove home Sunday.

: - (

Calling all readers....

2005-11-21T19:32:00.000-05:00

WAKE UP PEOPLE!!

Guy is feeling a little neglected. Please go give him some love.

take a moment

2005-10-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'll admit I'm posting more this weekend than I have for several months. I've purposely ignored the web in deference to my studies. The last few days I've caught up on some blog reading and I've found some incredible articles. Here's one that struck a cord...

The False Moral Superiority of the Bush White House
2,000 Americans killed. 15,000 horribly wounded. $200 billion gone. And a Muslim world -- and a non-Muslim world, for that matter -- that hates our guts. Al Qaeda is recruiting terrorists faster than we can kill them. And there is no end in sight.

But thank God there were no blow jobs. They really are Better People.

Hat tip: Guy Andrew Hall

What are we doing?

2005-10-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

If you are not appalled by reaching the 2000 dead mark with the Iraq war...
If you think that compared to Vietnam and World War II, that Iraq is a war without death...
If you think there is glory in the sacrifice for democracy...

watch this.

The above link is the brilliant photo montage "Bitter Fruit" by Paul Fusco, produced by Magnum in Motion.
There's no pictures of fallen soldiers..., no blood..., no gore.
Just honest pictures and compelling commentary.

After watching this piece I'm left with a heavy heart and a single thought... if Iraq does, somehow, end up as a lasting, free democracy... how can the Iraqi citizens possibly pay homage to those who sacrificed their own freedom? The unnamed faces of America's soldiers who paid the ultimate price and who's family suffered a horrible loss, are being hidden.

hat tip: Robert Freedland

WOOT!

2005-10-29T23:27:00.000-04:00

I'm ecstatic. I'm Jean-Luc! I've never been so honored!

Do ya think Wil (in exile) would score as Wesley?

Yum

2005-10-28T19:45:00.000-04:00

I know he's young, and I know he's a bit religious, but in my fantasy life, none of that matters. In fact the youth is a bonus. I don't even care if he owns that bike as long as he takes me for a ride (yea baby!).

Keep it going, #7. You're making Sundays my favorite day of the week.

COLLEGE ROCKS!

2005-10-27T20:51:00.000-04:00

I'm just over 1/2 way through my first semester back in college and I must say that for the most part, I'm having a blast. Everything is going well, but after much contemplation, I've decided to switch my major from education to psychology. There's many reasons for this that I won't bore you with, but if you're really interested, we can discuss it via email.

Recently, there was a discussion thread created by a fellow student in my on-line course about "under God" being removed from the pledge. I quickly found out that I am the only dissenting voice supporting the removal. Many of the posts that appeared in support of the phrase boiled down to the "what is this world coming to?" chicken-little squeals.

Within other discussion threads I showed myself to be a drum-pounder for seperation of church and state, and my posts elicited many posts of disagreement. Finally, one post gave me an opening to write in much more detail. My reply was rather long, but I'm quite proud of it and thought it is blog worthy.

There's a history of debate between myself and another student (hereafter referred to as Student B). Long story short: Student A stated that the minority is trying to force their beliefs on the majority by demanding the removal of the "under God" phrase from the pledge. I posted asking "With all due respect, how is that any worse than the majority imposing their beliefs?" Student B then posted a statement that twisted the original wording of Student A's post to make it look like I misunderstood the point. My reply to Student B directly quoted from Student A's post, supported my question and made his rebuttal look off the mark and unnecessary (which it was). This is what Student B then posted:

Are you sure you want ot be a teacher. You sound more like an attorney and would probably make a great litigator!
My post stands, including your quoted quote - "a majority of Americans...a small minority of Americans."
You will note that the majority is not forcing their beliefs, which vary on to the minority, whcih, by the way, is what happens in a representative democracy such as ours - the one that allows a dissenting opinion an equal voice.
I would like to drive at 100 mph on Route 66 and the majority of speeders don't - are my rights being impinged?
If I am ever in trouble, I'm calling you for the defense.

So here's what I replied.

I wasn't going to reply to Student B's post from Thursday, but I'm bored and am looking for a reason not to do my laundry, read yet another chapter, or watch TV. It's off topic a bit, but consideration of the constitutional issues does provide some points to ponder on the current topic.
I’ll also add that the environment of an on-line discussion, at times, doesn’t allow the personality or disposition of the involved parties to come through clearly, so I’ll state up front: I have the deepest respect for anyone who stands firm on their opinion(s) and are willing to back up their statements. I never intend to come across as mean or judgmental, as that is not my nature. I am a warm, accepting person, and a proponent of diversity. I take civil liberties very seriously and have done a lot of research, reading and contemplation. I am also a fascinated by the political process and how it’s evolved.
So in the spirit of friendly debate…
Student B wrote:
"You will note that the majority is not forcing their beliefs, which vary on to the minority, whcih, by the way, is what happens in a representative democracy such as ours - the one that allows a dissenting opinion an equal voice."
My rebuttal:
But the religious majority is forcing their beliefs with the continuing inclusion of references to God and their attempts in the legislature to define policy according to their religion’s practices, which I will note (I know, I know... ad nauseum) was against the intent of the founding fathers. Consider how many references to God and religious beliefs have been very publicly discussed by everyone from the political pundits on Sunday morning TV up to the President himself when referring to the Iraq War, same sex marriage, and most recently the nomination of Harriet Miers.
What makes the protection of the rights of the minority provided in the Constitution even more important is that the "representative democracy" currently in play is not truly representative.
First consider the power of lobbying groups, which in essence negate an equal voice to a dissenting opinion. These lobbying groups can coerce the elected officials, mostly through slippery campaign contributions and threats of voting blocks on upcoming elections. One possible end result is that the elected official may vote against the wishes of the majority of his/her constituency.
Second, you must keep in mind that a large percentage of the potential voting population doesn't vote. This is the major inherent flaw in a representative democracy. According to a US Census report, in the 1996 presidential election only 58% of the citizens who could possibly vote actually did. In 2000, it was 59%. When you further break down the percentages to each candidate, it becomes clear that roughly 30% of the population elects the leader of the nation. In local elections, which routinely get even less voter turnout, the true percentages are much lower. Is that really representative? That these non-voters are not well enough motivated and in many cases not well enough educated, shouldn’t impinge their rights as provided by the Constitution.
Third, look at the reasons people vote for a particular politician. In other words...the continuing effects of negative campaigning have made a representative government almost impossible. A significant percentage of voters will vote based on emotions evoked by TV & newspaper ads and the deluge of mailings received instead of a candidate’s stance on a position.
(I could add a few more, but I'm afraid I've already bored at least some of my potential audience.)
I've really enjoyed these discussion threads and the debates that have ensued, but as a potential English/composition instructor, I feel that I would be doing you a disservice in not addressing the following statement.
Student B wrote:
"I would like to drive at 100 mph on Route 66 and the majority of speeders don't - are my rights being impinged?"
While I understand why you typed this, in the disciplines of rhetoric and debate, your statement would be considered a false analogy. Unlike separation of church and state, speeding is illegal and not guaranteed in the Constitution or Bill of Rights.
In closing, the Constitution and it's amendments in many instances were specifically intended to protect the minority from the wishes of the majority: slavery, civil rights, free speech in general, etc.. Very few will oppose those examples. Separation of church and state is simply another instance of the Constitution’s aim to protect the rights of a minority. It’s not an attack on religion, an opposition to it, or support of the non-religious. Unfortunately, the strength of the majority’s personal religious beliefs interferes with the backing of separation of church and state.

The only problem is that the discussion has basically stopped. Student B has not responded other than to say, "While I typically don't shy away from debates, here I was just sharing another view, nothing more."

Might I add... "chicken"

Damn! I was hoping that the debate would continue.

Where've I been, you ask... ?

2005-09-17T19:14:00.000-04:00

I've been busy with school. I have resumed taking college classes after a 20 year hiatus. I'm having a good time with it, but it has eaten up of the time that I used to surf the net and read the blogs. I do miss it, but I'm keeping my eye on the prize...an education degree. I started this quest with the goal of teaching high school english. Now I've been exposed to pedagogy and educational psychology.

Anyway, one of my classes is online (I couldn't cut the cord completely) and we have discussion threads on various topics that we must comment on. It's been fun, and so much like blogging that I decided to copy my posts to my own blog.

The first topic is 'the role of parents'. This was one of my first posts. I was a bit reserved as is typical in the first few days of class.

Subject: young women and father figures
Author: The Professor
More and more as I teach in the public school system I see children coming from
nontraditional families. Sadly young girls coming from families
without a strong-positive father figure act out in school, desperately seeking
attention of any male figure. How do you believe the role of parents has
changed and how has this impacted school age children?

~The Professor

Subject: Re: young women and father figures
Author: Weenus
Compared to most of the posts in this thread, I had a privileged childhood. My parents, who are still happily married, were very involved in my activities and education. Most of my peers also had highly engaged parents. As an adult I realize their involvement was a primary motivator for our own commitment to education and strong work ethic.

My experience now is that few parents are participating in their children’s lives, both in school and extra-curricular, be it due to lack of interest, time or ability. I have attended countless school board meetings where I was the only parent in the audience, and many field trips where I was one of two or three chaperoning mothers. I cannot estimate the number of soccer games where the parents simply drop the kids off in order to pursue their own interests, hoping that the kids will find a ride home. In our local community, the same few families have organized the youth programs, coached the teams and created/sustained many of the functions that provide a safe environment for the area kids.

The by-product that I’ve witnessed is two fold:
(1) Many kids aren’t encouraged by their parent(s) to commit themselves to their
education and respect their teachers and other authority figures. They end up creating a more difficult community in and out of school, making it even more challenging for the kids who are dedicated.
(2) Teachers, already distressed by having to deal with too many students per class, cannot easily provide the instruction and mentoring that is necessary to produce successful students when much of their time is wasted on disciplinary measures, or tactics to gain and focus their student’s attention.

How I spent my summer vacation

2005-08-08T08:30:00.000-04:00

I won't tell you where, because we don't want any more people to find it. This is somewhere in Canada, a beautiful lake where we rent a cabin each summer.

We spent the week playing in the water and sitting around the campfire. It was a great time.

The now-4-year-old Sunfish on her way to play in the sand. This area of shore is protected by the docks. They've brought sand in over the last several years. The little ones loved running around in the shallows, picking out sparkly rocks and watching the minnows swim.

We had one evening of bad weather so we stayed inside, drank a little too much and played Texas Hold 'em. After 4 hours, Hubby beat his sister in the final hand.

Thought for the day

2005-07-17T20:53:00.000-04:00

A dear friend sent me this. It cracked me up. Thanks, Ski.

Some people are like Slinkies...

Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

Holy Crap....it's July 14th!!

2005-07-14T22:35:00.000-04:00

No significance to the date, really, I just cannot believe that I haven't posted in almost a month. I'm sure all of my regular readers have been highly disappointed. The truth is that I've been enjoying the summer... swimming with Sunfish in our little pool, tending my garden and hanging out with the teenagers. What little time I've been on the web has been spent reading the sparring between Rational Blues and SYFF.

I must also admit that I'm growing more and more depressed with the farce we call our government. Between Rove's treasonous act, the increasingly right lean of the judiciary, and the fleecing of Homeland Security money, I've just about had my fill of it all. The most depressing realization is that I see no signs that any of the appalling wrongs are going to be corrected. I know I shouldn't stick my head in the ground but my sanity is eroding. My older kids are soon heading out into the big bad world and I'm in no way confident that they'll succeed, despite their intelligence and talents, without a silver spoon. And what about Sunfish? Her fourth birthday is quickly approaching and I'm incredibly anxious about the state of the world as she grows up within it.

So I swim with Sunfish, tend to my garden and hang out with the teenagers. These three acts enrich my psyche enough to keep me from cowering under the covers with my head under my pillow. I'm sure I'll snap out of it eventually, maybe when I start classes in the Fall. I'm fully anticipating that I'll be too busy to think of anything but reading and essay assignments.

Am I dreaming?

2005-06-18T21:13:00.000-04:00

Can it be true? This post on Shakespheare's Sister brought a tear to my eye.

Since I haven't been speading much time on the net lately, I assumed that all was status quo. Although I must admit that my inner voices are telling me not to get my hopes up.

The end of an era

2005-06-13T13:57:00.000-04:00

...and the beginning of another.

Mr Independent graduates high school tomorrow night. I'm not exactly sure how things will go from here. He's enrolled at the local college and will continue to work his current part-time job as well as work with a friend who has his own remodeling/small construction business. I'm trying really hard to transition to the role of parental advisor as opposed to parental enforcer. Don't get me wrong, there's still rules of the house that will be enforced on the inhabitants of this house, no matter what the age. I'm referring to the decisions he makes about his own stuff. It certainly will be interesting, if not entertaining.

I have returned!

2005-06-10T21:20:00.000-04:00

Yes, I was gone for quite awhile. I do have reasons.... surgery for one, a fried Ethernet connection for two.

The surgery went well. I'm 10 days post op and I can't believe how good I feel. My neck and back pain are completely gone. I stopped taking the pain killers 4 days post op and now only seldom take Tylenol. The incisions are healing well and we think I'll have only one or two areas that will have big scars. The rest should be barely noticeable. I love the way "the girls" look and I have absolutely no regrets. I saw my surgeon today and he removed the 5 or 6 sutures. How is the rest of it being held together??? For crying out loud, I've got incisions from side to side! Modern medicine is amazing. For those interested, a total of about 7 pounds was removed.

The computer issue was a pain. It seemed to be a result of a lightening strike from one of the nasty thunderstorms that rolled through the area Monday night. Now I never claimed to be a big time techie, but I worked as an application trainer and analyst for several years and I'd like to think I gleaned a lot of knowledge from the brilliant techies that surrounded me. At first I thought the cable modem or rotor was zapped, but we were able to connect to the net from any of the other PCs in my house on the same LAN. Only my PC was having the issue and receiving the message that there was no or limited network connectivity. So I crawled under my desk (not an easy task...remember...5 days post op). I saw the lights on the Ethernet connection, one green and one orange. I knew the green was good, I couldn't remember if the orange was a bad sign. I knew not seeing any light was bad, but an orange light I just wasn't sure. I tried to go down a logical list...swapped the cable with another connection that worked, ran through all the typical Windows repair processes, nothing seemed to fix it. I finally decided to just buy a new Ethernet card. The only problem is that when I opened the CPU case, there was no Ethernet card. The port for the cable (as well as the two adjacent USB ports) was housed by a little silver box that was connected directly to the mother board. SHIT! I had no idea how to deal with that. There was one open slot that I may have been able to put the Ethernet card into, but there were other unknown items plugged in around it so it appeared not to be an option. Luckily we didn't open the package yet, so I went back to the store and exchanged it for a compact USB network adapter. It took all of about 3 minutes to get it setup and be back on the net. YIPPEE!!

Two good things came out of this episode. I tested the connection speed and it appears to be just as good, if not better, than before and I vaccuumed the inside of the CPU and hopefully the sucker will run cooler.

Bottom line... I'm back in action. Let the cheering begin.

Since I'm always on a quest to gain knowledge, if you're so inclined, leave a comment to tell me what other troubleshooting I could do.

Mission Accomplished!

2005-05-21T21:25:00.000-04:00

Yes, this one really was! (unlike you-know-who's)

We planted our garden today, AND we planted a new tree. 4 lettuce plants, 4 yellow banana peppers and a packet of carrots. Some sweet cherry tomatoes now reside in containers and a new dogwood tree is proudly standing tall, all 5 feet of her. She has several different varieties of blooms; solid cream, white with pink tips, solid pink. I absolutely love her! She is also the anchor for a new flower bed that I'm putting in this year.

Maybe I'll post pics tomorrow. Hubby & I are going to his sister and bro-in-law's house to finally see Return of the King. Grandma and Grandpa are going to take Sunfish and her slightly older cousin for a few hours so the adults can watch the extended version on the wide screen tv. I'm bringing my infamous taco dip and my newest find, a cold asian chicken salad. I'll make them first thing in the morning.

Okay, watching the All Star Race and last weeks deparate housewives (on tape). I cannot deal with another form of media. Signing off...

Friday night...

2005-05-20T18:53:00.000-04:00

Not much to do. Sunfish is watching a movie. Mr. Independent is at work. Hubby & GeWyPIE (formerly known as Girl-With-Phone-In-Ear) are at the high school Spring Concert. Next year we should be able to get Sunfish through 2 hours of chorus & band, but certainly not now.

I just got caught up on the news and now, I'm bored. Another night of blogrolling? I'm sure I'll get there, but the sun is still out and my pansies are in full bloom, so I'm going to stroll around the yard... maybe even rock on the back porch swing for a few minutes.

I'll catch up with you all later...

I repeat... Where's the retraction?

2005-05-17T20:42:00.000-04:00

Well?

They got their's. But I'm still waiting for mine!

I feel so violated!

2005-05-17T20:21:00.000-04:00

I've had a rough couple of days. If you've read any of my recent posts, you know. I'm just starting to get back to "normal" after being extremely exhausted; mentally, physically and emotionally. Today was the first day I functioned with anything close to clarity.

And then it happened... I opened the invite to the family reunion. I was informed that it was "something else" by my sister-in-law when I saw her over the weekend. She said that she thought it was a joke and that I had to read it. This did not prepare me for what I was about to read. This is the actual text:

[all names have been changed to protect the dead and the sane]

"Dear Expectant Relative,

A monumental, friendly, cataclysmic event is scheduled to take place on July 23, 2005. This event pales into insignificance in the light of the fast approaching rapture of His Church and the return of Christ for His Bride. A wedding will take preeminence over a reunion, (Even the long awaited Moron Reunion) any day. You are invited to BOTH events. However only the latter has a known, herein publicized date.

The first wedding invitations went out over 2000 years ago. They are still being issued. There is no expiration date on then, as the bride doesn't know exactly when the Groom will return. She has to be ready 24/7. Should the Groom return before the reunion, we will host the Moron Reunion in the Throne Room of the King. What a reunion that will be. It'll be like old times with Rudolph, Marie, Adolph, Robert and others we know who have gone on before and are cheering us on.

Should the Groom tarry and you can grace our humble abode, bring your 2 favorite dishes, meat and drive and tableware will be provided."

It went on to provide directions and there was a request to stay as long as you like. The closing was "Because of Him."

I believe my mouth was hanging open by the end of the second sentence. I just couldn't believe what I was reading. After a flash of memories of the people named in the second paragraph, I knew I had to respond. My recollections of those named individuals provide a completely different impression.

So I've drafted a letter. There are so many more things I can add and points I can make, but I'm worried that they'd just toss the letter aside with a flick without absorbing my most important point... tolerance and respect.

Here's what I've written. Go ahead and put in your two cents.

"Man and Wife:

Sadly, for many years I have been unable to attend the Moron family reunion. It is an event that I had always intended to get to.

Unfortunately, after reading your invite I am asking that you please remove our names and address from the mailing list for the Moron family reunion. My entire family is deeply offended by the opening paragraphs of the invite and your presumption that we share the theology you so readily espoused.

While I understand you find joy in your beliefs, I also expect that you would have realized and understood that not everyone holds those same beliefs, and then use that knowledge when creating and sending invitations for an event that could be attended by a wide range of individuals.

There are many branches on the Moron family tree. I certainly envisioned them to be more progressive and broad-minded than what your invite portrays.

With best wishes for you and your family,
Weenus"

Tributes

2005-05-14T11:43:00.000-04:00

Richard King
(as written by his brother, my Uncle Dave)

Fellow friends,

As many of you may know, last Thursday my older brother Richard suffered an aortic aneurism. He went thru open heart surgery at St. Vincent's hospital on Thursday night/Friday morning. Since that time he suffered numerous strokes. On Tuesday afternoon, life support measures were removed due to the damage that the strokes had caused. He lost his battle with life at approximately 10:30 p.m. last night........

Dick was a very avid fisherman and had spent many years in Florida catching lunker bass and thousands of pan fish. Other than family, fishing was his love of life. My dad, George had a fishing tackle shop and made fishing rods in the 1950's. He too also died of heart problems in 1958 when I was 5 years old. I guess fishing doesn't cure all your heart aches... Dick really enjoyed to fish with "Brownie, Bill, George, and other friends" each week at Wawasee... the guys would then hang at Jim’s tackle shop and tell those infamous "caught the big one lies."

As I sit here teary-eyed, I guess I am sending out this e-mail as a tribute to my dad and brother for which I know are catching the really "big ones" together now. I know this is top-8 weekend... for which I know Dick would tell me to go to if he could. Mary, his wife said to go because if I didn't, Dick would be upset. I will be attending this week-end as a tribute to my dad and brother... so if I am quiet and reserved this week-end, please understand........

Barbara J. Graham
Born in Manhattan on Aug. 25, 1950, daughter of the late Richard and Marion Littauer Graham, she was a graduate of New York's High School of Music and Art and the State University of New York at Albany. She held a master of science degree from Columbia University Teachers College.

She moved to Scranton in 1975 to work as an audiologist at the Scranton State School for the Deaf, where she remained until her recent retirement. She was renowned throughout the area for her ability to test children, and was instrumental in writing a grant for laptop computers to be used in the Parent/Infant program, to enable families of newly diagnosed deaf infants to learn sign language.

Her many community activities included the board of the Scranton Council for Literacy Advance, Friends of the Weinberg Library, Hearing-Impaired United Public Supporters, Scranton State School for the Deaf PSO, SSSD Superintendent's Search Committee, PA Society for the Advancement of the Deaf, and various committees on audiology and deafness for the departments of Health and Education. She received the state Department of Education's 1987 Employee of the Year award.

She was also co-chairwoman of the Women's Campaign for the Jewish Federation, plus a member of its allocations and shalom committees and board of directors. She was a life member of Hadassah. As president of Temple Hesed, she served as the congregational representative at the Union for Reform Judaism's Pennsylvania Regional Council. At the Jewish Community Center, she chaired the Yom HaShoah program and served on the Sunday Simchat series committee, as well as lending her considerable artistic talents to many programs and events. On June 19, she will be posthumously honored as the 2005 recipient of the JCC's Woman of the Year Award.

She was noted for her quick wit and her willingness to help those in need. She was especially adept at befriending children of all ages and entertaining them with her artwork and paper roses.

She will be greatly missed by her many close friends, who were all a part of her extended family.

Sadness is the rule of the day

2005-05-13T08:57:00.000-04:00

Within the past 36 hours my mother has lost both her brother and her best friend. The first was unexpected, the second was a culmination of a several month decline.

I'll be spending the next few days with her and offering whatever comfort I can.

Where's the headlines?

2005-05-08T12:48:00.000-04:00

Media minions asleep at the wheel again. I've only seen this story online, and not at the "major news sites."
Soldier lifts lid on Camp Delta
For the first time, an army insider blows the whistle on human rights abuses at Guantánamo

Quite the contrary. CNN.com has a link to a Time.com story:
Can This Man Help Capture bin Laden?
The arrest of al-Qaeda's No. 3 raises hopes of a breakthrough in the fruitless hunt for his boss

I agree with the headline on Just a Bump in the Beltway:
OFF THE RADAR

So where's the retraction?

2005-05-08T10:20:00.000-04:00

The administration and their media minions reported, nay, advertised that they got the #3 man, Abu Faraj al-Libbi . The facts show however, that he is just an agent among the flotsam and jetsam of Al-Qaeda network.

Worse yet, there's no correction, no retraction... just silence.

So much for truth in advertising... or government.

Never-ending...

2005-05-07T22:20:00.000-04:00

Looky what I found at WWdN:

calendar/clock

This is just way cool.

Fucking funny...

2005-05-07T12:59:00.000-04:00

mycroftdavis has posted a bit of fun....

The FCC is ruling that the "F-word" will be acceptable language on public television and radio as long as it does not refer to the actual sexual act. Therefore we must ask ourselves, When is fuck Acceptable? There are only eleven times in history where the "F" word has been considered acceptable for use. They are as follows:

11. "What the fuck do you mean we are sinking?" Capt. E.J. Smith of RMS Titanic, 1912

10. "What the fuck was that?" Mayor Of Hiroshima, 1945

9. "Where did all those fucking Indians come from?" General George Custer, 1877

8. "Any fucking idiot could understand that." Einstein, 1938

7. "It does so fucking look like her!" Picasso, 1926

6. "How the fuck did you work that out?" Pythagorus, 126 BC

5. "You want WHAT? On the fucking ceiling?" Michelangelo, 1566

4. "Where the fuck are we?" Amelia Earhart, 1937

3. "Scattered fucking showers, my ass!" Noah, 4314 BC

2. "Au c'mon. Who the fuck is going to find out?" Bill Clinton, 1999

and a drum roll ........... !!!!!!!!!! .......... !!!!!!!!

1. "Geez, I didn't think they'd get this fucking mad." Sadaam Hussein, 2003

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

Can you think of any others?

Unknown stories

2005-05-07T12:07:00.000-04:00

While trolling through my blogroll I ran across Joz's To Late for Justice post. I had never heard the story of Vincent Chin and was thoroughly saddened by the extent of the injustice.

I had a conversation with my teenage son (aka Mr. Independent) yesterday about some trouble he got into at school on Thursday. He and several others were talking in class and when the teacher requested them to stop talking, they talked back that they were discussing missed assignments. Apparently since the subject of their sidebar conversation was school work, they felt it was okay to disrespect the teacher by talking while she was instructing the class. Mr. Independent ended up with a detention since he threw a little of his famous "attitude" at the teacher.

As typical with cornered children, at one point he resorted to "But I wasn't the only one doing it!"

To which I replied, "I never said life was fair. In fact, life if unfair. Get over it."

But with Chin's story I am slapped back into reality as there is unfairness that one cannot get over.

WMD error

2005-05-06T20:57:00.000-04:00

I nearly pissed my pants with I jumped into this site (thanks to dr. jimmy). I'm sure many have seen it by now, but it's still funny even if it's a repeat.

dr. jimmy is new to the blog scene, and he's has many differing opinions compared to those on my blog roll, but he's a long time friend and a good guy (really, I'm not joking there). I'm sure you'll see a lot of debate between him and mycroftdavis. So stay tuned...

Don't break out the syrup yet

2005-05-05T22:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Guy Andrew Hall posted (Makes Sense) about the back door politics occurring at the hands of the current administration, specifically "the desperate attack against the Judiciary and the push to make a specific law/constitutional amendment defining marriage."

I couldn't agree more. Hubby and I have discussed innumerable times how The Court and it's true purpose are in jeopardy. In fact, it was one of the three main points of our discussions with anyone who wanted to engage in conversations/debates during the past election.

The cohorts/advisors of the current presidency are attempting to flip The Court like a big fat pancake, in order to side-step the Bill of Rights. On a daily basis I question the logic of those who are sitting at the table, knife and fork in hand, napkin tucked neatly in their collar, waiting for the pancake to be turned and considered "done" so that they can start carving. How could they not see that their vehemence about same-sex marriage is in directly violation of the 1st amendment? What exactly does the presidential oath of office ["I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."] mean to W and can we try him for perjury?

It all makes me want to tilt my head back and scream "AAUGH!" like Schroeder when exasperated by another advance from Lucy. I can only hope that Guy is correct...that the bulb is about to burn out.
Someone, please tell me where I need to go and what I need to flick to get the filament to just break already!!

btw...for those interested...the other two points were Education & Environment.

4 - 0

2005-05-04T21:40:00.000-04:00

WO-HOO!!

The final score was 4 - 0. The high school girls varsity soccer team, of which my teenage daughter (a.k.a. Girl-With-Phone-In-Ear) is the 2nd string goalie, has finally captured their first earned victory! Not just of the season, but of the entire history of the program. They're in their 3rd season and it's been a long 3 years.

They had a victory credited earlier this season which they gained through a forfeit created by the opposing team's coaches (who couldn't keep their tempers in check and were thrown out of the stadium). While it was a tick in the Win column, the players wanted to have one that they earned through their play.

It was all very exciting. These girls have worked so hard. More than 1/2 of the starting varsity are sophomores (as is G-W-P-I-E) who have been playing together, starting in the youth program, for 6 years. They play well, and are consistently improving, but they weren't able to bring it home until today.

It was joyous to watch their celebration.

31 days...

2005-05-01T21:39:00.000-04:00

Thirty-one days to the big day...my surgery. I'm not nervous yet, but the implications are starting to occur to me more and more often. I won't be able to raise my arms, carry in the groceries, hug my Sunfish. I won't be able to sleep lying down for a few days. But the payoff will be great...no more neck and shoulder pain. Plus, I get 3 weeks off work to recover.

I will also be using the surgery as a kickoff to a change in lifestyle...better nutrition, more exercise... "Fit before I'm Forty" is my new slogan.

But still...at times all I can say is "eek."

he's back...

2005-04-30T21:44:00.000-04:00

Finally mycroftdavis of Rational Blues has resurfaced and posted a time or two. I know he's been a bit busy, but I'm glad to see him out there. Since I know him to be a compassionate, opinionated (in a good way, really) fellow, I'm sure he'll create some drama from time to time.

He did find a pretty nifty Political Compass. It didn't surprise me where I ended up on the scale. Take the quiz and see if you end up where you think you should fall.

My hero...

2005-04-23T23:07:00.000-04:00

Have you ever read something that hit you like a baseball, square in the middle of the chest?

I jumped into the blog Badtux the Snarky Penguin a few weeks ago (if I remember correctly, by way of Rook's Rant). Today I read his most recent post, Untermenschen and Ubermenschen and felt overwhelmed. This post is brilliant.

Bravo Badtux.

You just can't make this shit up...

2005-04-23T22:30:00.000-04:00

I received these via email from one of my closest friends. I wish I knew where she got them so I can give the deserved credit.

There's a lesson in here somewhere...

If he's stupid enough to do this, then he's stupid enough to think it's gonna work...

Bring on the entertainment!...

I'll take the cat...

I never believed that this could really happen...

The highs and lows of adulthood

2005-04-23T22:08:00.000-04:00

Boy, I've been hit with a few highs and lows lately. Luckily none of the lows are horribly low (although one has the potential to be). Here's a breakdown:

Low: Found out that my minivan needs a new catalytic converter. This is the last big repair I will make. Last year it was the transmission. Two years before that, a head gasket. It will be sold once it's fixed. 108,000 miles. Not bad for a 95 Ford Windstar. Any takers?

High: I successfully transplanted several blue irises from my mother's perennial garden into my front yard. None of them appear to be suffering any major ill effects. I cannot wait for them to bloom. They will be a beautiful accent around my maple tree.

Low: Spent 3 hours of my afternoon unclogging the kitchen sinks. Whoever invented the plunger was a genius. Unfortunately it didn't work until after the 2nd bottle of Drano Max Gel. Now my hands smell of chemicals.

High: Spent 2 hours shopping around the local Kmart & Walmart to find and buy Sunfish her first bike. She then spent about a hour in the kitchen with it learning how to get on and off and use the brakes and steering. Only slight damage to one wall near the fridge.

Low: Found out today that my Mom's best friend of over 25 years (and a big influence on both my and my children's lives) is in her last days of fighting CHF and now kidney failure. The world is about to lose a great and brilliant woman. She taught me that you can find enough strength to overcome your most paralyzing fears. She taught my kids how to make origami roses and to never judge a book by it's cover.

High: Had a blast with Sunfish in the parking lot of the local supermarket splashing around the puddles in the midst of a downpour.

I love my life. I'm getting more comfortable with the world around me and am making efforts to improve those areas that still need tweaking. But still there are those days that I want to jump up and down and screech like a brat throwing a tantrum at the unfairness. Afterall, as I am fond of saying... I never signed up for this "grown-up" thing.

Make your own character

2005-04-06T22:40:00.000-04:00

When you've got nothing better to do...follow the rest of the drones and create your own South Park character.

This is mine. I call her Calli. I have no idea why, it just came to mind. The hat is an homage to Gandalf.

Of all the characters I've seen on random blogs, I must say I like Lab Kat's the best. But right now, Rook's Rant has the best portrayal about my overall feelings of our country's current political atmosphere.

But I'm just tired. Too tired to complain, too tired to eat, too tired to get my clothes ready for work tomorrow.

g'night

Hugs

2005-04-03T17:45:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge fan of WWDN and Wil Wheaton. He's an incredible writer and even greater man. He and his family are going through a tremendous loss with the passing of their beloved cat, Felix the Bear.

I send my deepest sympathy and warmest affection.

Hang in there Wil, Anne, Nolan and Ryan.

What's up Guy?

2005-04-03T11:28:00.000-04:00

As any long time reader of my blog will know I am a fan of Rook's Rant.

He posted a tasteful "marker" today about the death of the Pope. I tried to add my two cents and a compliment and received an error.

Here's what I typed:

"...assuming something exists beyond this realm.

You're a man of class Rook."

This is the error I received:
Your comment submission failed for the following reasons:
Your comment was denied for questionable content.

What's up with that???

Worth a nomination...

2005-04-02T13:30:00.000-05:00

The AV Guy is apparently the genius creator...and the song by Jim's Big Ego is killer.

I am pleased to present:

Asshole
starring: Acme Inc.

FNC blogging...

2005-04-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

smitty

He's about 8 yrs old. This is the bed we bought him when we picked up Spike. We wanted to give him a space to get nipped and relax while still being able to watch over us all. This basket sits atop a cabinet that stands just under 6' high. Turns out Spike likes to curl up in it occasionally too, but Smitty has it occupied most of the time.

spike

She's 4, short and stubby compared to Smitty (who is about 15 lbs of muscle). Spike also has a short tail. It looks a little weird. She's still a whiner. Hopefully she'll grow out of that. She's an affection slut too. She was a stray that we took in during a period of frigid weather just over a year ago. She still has a little of the street minx in her.

Bah Humbug!

2005-04-01T21:08:00.000-05:00

Not a single April Fool's joke today. What a boring life I lead!

Let's talk cars...

2005-03-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

Which one's your favorite?

My new favorite was unveiled this past week. The 2006 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500. Lab Kat has the best pics I've seen so far. Here's the skinny from ford media.

Please excuse me while I mop up the puddle of drool. The very first car I owned myself was a Stang, during their boring 80's stage. I didn't have the fastback/hatchback. I had the 2-door sedan. Black with red interior. I drove around pretending it was a 68 Stang.

Sorry for the pause... had to mop up the puddle again.

Leave a comment about your current car crush.

The latest snowfall :-)

2005-03-24T21:48:00.000-05:00

Imagine waking up to this....

My parents did. These pics were taken where I grew up. But that's not their house, although the decks are theirs. I can't wait to pay off the current mortgage and buy a new house in the mountains. Only 5 years to go...

Thanks for the pics Mom!

How many?

2005-03-14T18:36:00.000-05:00

Q: How many Bush Administration officials does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: None. There is nothing wrong with the light bulb; its conditions are improving every day. Any reports of its lack of incandescence are delusional spin from the liberal news media. That light bulb has served honorably, and anything you say undermines its lighting effect. Why do you hate freedom?

Welcome the newbie!

2005-03-07T22:02:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Blogstonia mycroftdavis! He's been lurking around for a while and finally decided to add his considerable two cents to the universe. You can find him at Rational Blues.

I have to smack him though...he got to post an awesome link before I could get to it. Drat. Oh well...go read it anyway.

There Is No Tomorrow
by Bill Moyers
The Star Tribune

a must read

2005-03-05T22:16:00.000-05:00

I took the advice of Guy Andrew Hall of Rook's Rant and read A Promise to My Grandfather: A Follow Up on Daily KOS.

Well worth the time...and the tissues.

What is this world coming to?

2005-03-05T18:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I've successfully completed my first week at my new job. The first two days were a bit hard, but in retrospect, more so because I was outside my old "comfort zone." I work in a completely different building now. I no longer get to see my two closest friends, nor eat lunch with them. So I felt a bit lonely and disheveled. The last two days have been much better. I'm starting to settle in and get my sea legs. I still have a ton to be exposed to and learn, but I have no worries about being able to handle it. Best of all, I can honestly say I have no regrets.

I was listening to the radio on the way to work earlier this week and a comedian talked about an alternate Google-like search engine....Gizoogle. I thought it was all a joke, part of his routine. But no...it's real. The returns are in izzle-speak and ebonics.

Now before I say any more, this is not about race. I do not have a prejudiced cell in my body. I grew up with a grandfather who was fond of spouting very unethical statements and from an early age I could see the unfounded hate within those comments and the hurt that they inflicted.

But, I have a problem with the dilution of the English language. Yes, occasionally slang terms become mainstream and are folded into what is considered "proper", however the whole ebonics debate is a symptom of a much larger problem that exists in our country...the vilification of intelligence. You see it on tv all the time...the smart people are made to look nerdy...dorky...foolish, while the characters who make poor choices have a brief 2 minute conversation of how they'll do better next time and then get all the rewards. While I'll admit that there are many story lines on crime dramas and movies-of-the-week where the intelligent people are the cool ones, consider what our adolescents are watching. Certainly more often than the crime dramas, kids are watching sitcoms, music videos and playing video games, where the triumph of the witless over the knowledgeable is far more pronounced. So at a time in their life when peer pressure is taking hold, kids see being smart as more of a negative than positive attribute.

I don't blame the people who make these shows and videos (although I wish they'd also make better choices), I blame the same people who are by-and-large failing the most at getting our youth on the right path...parents. I see it around me everywhere (I'll admit, sometimes in my own home)...parents are too wrapped up in their own pursuits to see the influences at work on their children. Who are the heroes to our youth...Stephen Hawking? Marie Curie? Bertrand Russell? Mark Dean or Dennis Moeller? No. More likely it's an over-priced, over-paid celebrity or sports figure.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!! There's a reason that the U.S. is in decline. We're not focusing on educating our youth. How do we expect to have an population that makes smart decisions (such as a presidential election) when they're not educated? It leaves room for the Carl Roves of the world to make a detrimental impact.

new dawn

2005-02-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day...the start of a new job. I'm very excited. Now I just have to figure out what to wear!

There's another big thing on the horizon. One that I'm a little nervous about mentioning. I'm finally going to bring it out in the open cuz I've done a bit of surfing around and I've found great comfort in running across others with my same story. So if my story can help even one woman, it's worth my initial worry. So here goes...

I'm scheduled to undergo a breast reduction (BR) in June. I've thought about this for about 20 years but the neck and back pain that have developed over the last 3 years have finally gotten me to squelch my fears and see a plastic surgeon. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I was immediately put at ease and felt comfortable with the surgeon, his staff and the specifics of the procedure. My insurance will cover the operation so I'll only have to worry about the deductible. I'm still dealing with alternating periods of anxiousness and impatience, but I will go through with it and be much healthier and (hopefully) pain-free.

Hubby, my kids, and the few other friends and family members that know are being very supportive. I just hope all goes well so I have no regrets. My mom, who has more need for the surgery than I do, has stated that if it goes well for me, then she will also look into a BR for herself.

I won't bore you will the details, but I will be posting about this topic from time to time. So you're all duly warned!

YIPEE!!!

2005-02-19T19:49:00.000-05:00

YEAH!

HOORAY!!

YAHOO!!!

and every other happy exclamation you can think of...

I've snagged myself a new job. I'll be working for the same company, just in a different department and completely away from the career track that I'm currently in.

It'll be blissful... same take home pay, no take home work, no extra hours, and an incredible decrease of job stress. But best part... I'll be able to go back to school. I cannot wait!

Only one more week of hell....

remembering the jukebox

2005-02-06T21:38:00.000-05:00

On Friday professoreric posted a request on jozjozjoz. He asked people to write about their favorite jukebox and it's location. In the midst of creating my comment, I realized this would be a great post to my own blog.

For several years of my early childhood I would accompany my father on his "errand days". Back then I had no idea what errands were. To me it meant driving to the big city to walk around several of the huge buildings, most of which were gothic in design and completely fascinating to me. Of course now, being an adult with all the responsibilities of self and family, I am keenly aware of what those errands were. He had no online bill payment or auto-withdrawal options. To pay the bills at the last minute and on time, he had to trek around the city and visit the bank, electric company office, and various other business offices to drop off his hard-earned money.

As a treat for keeping him company on those days, my father would take me out for lunch. Sometimes we'd eat at the restaurant at the downtown department store where my mom worked, but more often we'd go to the little luncheonette at a busy intersection on the north side of the city. We'd always sit at the counter and were greeted by the same waitress bringing a black coffee for Dad and a chocolate milk for me. I'd always order the same thing... a grilled cheese sandwich. On one such occasion, the waitress noticed that I always ate the dill pickle slices first. She asked me why and I told her they were my favorite part. From that day forward, I got about 4 times as many slices as the normal serving.

At the back of the countertop sat a small jukebox, a pedestal version with the round disc on the top that you'd spin to flip through the "pages" of song selections. My dad would give me a choice... money for the jukebox or a dessert. On a hot summer day I'd go for the chocolate ice cream, but typically the thrill of picking a song would be enough to forego the sweets. I'd peruse the titles, having absolutely no idea who most of the artists/groups were, and eventually I would pick a song. The Jackson 5's "ABC" was the most frequent selection but several other favorites would make rotation: "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, "Vacation" by Connie Francis, and Donnie Osmond's "Puppy Love".

There we'd spend time... me kneeling on the stool, eating my pickles and my dad sipping his coffee. With the tunes playing in the background he'd tell me stories from his own childhood or about the plans he was making for our extended family's next gathering or camping trip.

I look back on my youth so fondly. It's the most precious gift my parents have given me. Sometimes I wonder... are my own children going to have similar memories? Have I done enough?

I love blogging!!

2005-02-03T21:07:00.000-05:00

I have found so many great reads the last few days while trolling around checking out other blog rolls.

This could seriously worsen my addiction to the net.

oh my...

2005-02-01T10:40:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Shakespeare's Sister and Pam's House Blend, I found an article on the Chicago Tribune that makes me very, very sad.

President Bush on voting rights: Is he savvy or just clueless?

Again I ask....IS EVERYONE PAYING ATTENTION?

Come 2008, I will be reminding everyone about the filth in politics and how hard we must all work to get a better group of people in the White House.

sunday night bird blogging... ?

2005-01-30T19:46:00.000-05:00

I have 2 cats. I've been meaning to post pics on Fridays, but I just haven't gotten there yet.

I got these pics from my mom and they are too beautiful not to share. Just another benefit of mountain living...

cardinal

downy woodpecker

blue jay

twilight

2005-01-30T18:10:00.000-05:00

football blues

2005-01-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

I am going through Steelers withdrawal. Don't get me wrong...I'll watch the Superbowl (loudly rooting for the Eagles to get creamed). But today, only NFL films to watch. While I saw a bunch of brilliant footage of Superbowl XIV, it just wasn't enough.

If you look closely at this picture, you'll see Mr. Independent's snow angel on the left and the sled run down the "hill" that he built for Sunfish behind the skinny maple tree. She's a snow lover too.

Special thanks to Ski for sending me this pic... It's just too funny not to post.

No way...

2005-01-29T11:19:00.000-05:00

I shake my head constantly. How could this be happening? Are bloggers and satellite radio stations the only ones paying attention?

Where is the attention of the mainstream media? Isn't this more important than the Clinton BJ? Where is the air time? I continue to grow more and more cynical about the TV network media. Totally sold out.

I agree with Guy..."I am against torture and I am against Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General Of The United States."

Pardon my giggle

2005-01-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

Veeeeery interesting...

Third columnist caught with hand in the Bush till

Thanks to Skippy for leading the way.

moment of zen ...

2005-01-28T22:20:00.000-05:00

TGIF...

2005-01-28T19:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know "TGIF" is cliche', but...I just must say... TEE GEE EYE FUCKING EFF!

[okay, got that outta my system...my work week has just concluded]

Last night I went to bed just after I posted. Seriously...at 8:45pm, I was in bed, asleep by 9:00pm. I feel better today, but still sick. The pills are wearing off, so...sniff.

I must say that I'm pleased with this blog so far. There's still a bunch of needed changes, which I'm trying to figure out how to make, but I'm growing more comfortable.

Anyone have any suggestions?

sniff, sniff

2005-01-27T20:37:00.000-05:00

i'm sick. not flu, more sinus. my eyes are watering and my nose is running and I can't stop sneezing.

i want a cup of hot cocoa and a big thick comforter.

Does anybody really care?...

2005-01-25T20:51:00.000-05:00

About fonts? Seriously...help me out. Do they really matter? Is Ariel really easier to read than Times New Roman? Should I take the time to change from this default?

I AM SERIOUS!! You have no idea how much time I spend fretting about this, both here on the bloggity and at work.

So come on...help a girl out...give me your two cents.

Tribute...

2005-01-25T20:47:00.000-05:00

Molded by memories

This article was written by one of Hubby's cousins. Today I have been stuck multiple times by the sadness of his loss. A thought keeps coming back....we've lost a great man. I know the impact of his life on ours will continue, but I can't help but feel that there was still so much that I could learn.

Is today a full moon?

2005-01-25T19:17:00.000-05:00

Okay, someone has got to tell me if the world was full of insanity today, or if it was just my miserable life... I was fully reminded today of why I have to find a new job. I really don't know how much more I can take.

So I've decided... I'm going to start taking college classes again. It's stupid not to. I need to a degree to get the job I really want. Plus, Hubby's a prof so I don't have to pay tuition.

Wow, the last time I was in a college class I had a "Flock of Seagulls" up-swept hairdo and thought I was cool in my fluorescent pink izod (with the turned up collar of course) and 4 bangles on my wrist.

Blogging

2005-01-24T18:54:00.000-05:00

Read a few articles about blogging today. Wow, didn't know I was part of such a revolution. I thought it was just something that the kids do these days.

snow pics

2005-01-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

Those piles are in the middle of the road. There's LOTS of snow. Enough to satisfy the "big snow" part of my brain, but not enough to make life miserable. Now if only the wind would stop!

Here's the front patio:

Why do I have teenagers?
One for the front yard...

And one for the back...

Why do I live in the mountains?
Where else could I turn the corner and see this...

Sad day today...

2005-01-24T09:59:00.000-05:00

House is quiet.

Kids are still asleep (school closed due to snow). Except Sunfish. She's playing with some stuff she acquired at her cousins house yesterday.

I'm gonna get some hot chocolate and wrap up in an afghan to get the morning chill out. Plus..I gotta get the camera from the 1st floor. We need a dumb waiter in this house.

One day...several losses

2005-01-23T22:20:00.000-05:00

We went to Pop's memorial today. [sniff]

Johnny Carson, late-night TV legend, dies at 79.

and much less important...

Steelers run out of time.
Lose 41-27 to Patriots.

Bummers all around.

Pop would have loved today. Crisp, sunny and white all around. Several snowmobile stories were told.

I got some fun snow pics on the trek north. I'll post them tomorrow.

StormWatcher Update - YIPPEE!!

2005-01-22T21:52:00.000-05:00

5 PM:

16 degrees. About 4" fallen in 5 hours. Not quite what they predicted.

Everyone is home and tucked in for the evening.
Dinner (meatloaf, baked potato, corn and salad) is almost ready.

Be back in a few hours...

9 PM:

About 6". Still snowing, fine but steady. I cleaned off all 3 vehicles in about 20 minutes. The snow is too frozen to stick together. You can literally blow the snow off the glass. It's supposed to be very windy tonight. I should have let Mother Nature take care of it for me.

THANK YOU JUDY!

2005-01-22T15:02:00.000-05:00

I am going to the supermarket, buying a Vanity Fair magazine and getting a subscription.

Judy Bachrach is my new hero. She was a guest on Fox News and made a fool of the newscaster, who's name I cannot track down.

StormWatcher

2005-01-22T13:00:00.000-05:00

About 3 hours in...

It started about 3 hours before they predicted. Hubby and I have both gone driving in it. We have a Subaru (which kick ass in snow). Since it's so cold (currently 5 degrees) the fine snow packs really hard. Slippery.

Went to KMart on my little trek. Bought Sunfish new snowboots. We'll take her out later to frolic. I'll take more pictures.

Happy Birthday Hubby!!

2005-01-20T22:30:00.000-05:00

My husband is not upset about getting older. But he is deeply saddened today.

Sad day indeed. Worsened considerably by the extravagance. Well said Tony.

Visitors...

2005-01-20T19:22:00.000-05:00

Mountain Man is in for a visit. Always good to have Mountain Man around. I'll probably have a humorous story to post somewhere along the weekend.

4-8" of snow predicted over the weekend. tee hee hee.

Today was better

2005-01-19T22:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was horrible. But at least I have a story to tell...

I have a 12 mile trek to work. About half way there, while sitting at a stop light, I noticed steam curling up from under the hood of my vehicle. There wasn't a lot, but I immediately looked at the temp gauge...smack dab in the middle of NORMAL. Phew. I didn't see any more steam so I wrote it off to the frigid temp and the wind swirling the exhaust from the car in front of me. I continued to watch the temp gauge as I drove further away from home. It didn't budge. About 4 miles from my office, I stopped at another light. This time I saw a lot of steam. There was no denying it...something was going horribly wrong. I fought my way across 2 lanes of traffic and pulled over. By the time I put it in Park, I could smell the last thing I wanted to smell at that moment...coolant. I believe my exact words were, "Aw, crap." I opened the hood and peered inside while on the cell phone leaving a message for Hubby. Then I saw it...a puddle of green liquid pooled on one of the crossbars under the engine. I looked in the coolant reservoir and there was only about 1" remaining. I muttered to myself, "Okay, that's good. There's still some coolant left and I didn't overheat the engine. Score one for me."

Unfortunately, I have a bit of experience with this type of problem. I've had to replace head gaskets in two vehicles that I've owned, a 1990 Chevy Cavalier (absolutely the best car I ever owned...heavy as a mack truck and could drive through any snow storm without even a shudder) and the very vehicle that I was currently cursing. I looked again at the puddle and traced the leak back to the side of the engine block. Damn. I couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from, but I was definitely getting a funny feeling in my gut. Either the head gasket had failed me again, or I had inhaled too much coolant steam.

Since it was 10 degrees, and I had a gallon of coolant in the van (always be prepared!!), I decided to take my chances. I called Hubby and left another voicemail that I was going to continue on to work. I think I watched the temp gauge more than the road (considerably dangerous since I was driving through center city). But I made it to work with the temp gauge just a nudge higher than the norm. Score two for me.

Towards the end of the day, Hubby arrived and arranged for the auto club to tow the bastard to our favorite garage. The owner loves us. We only buy used cars and we drive them until they have over 200,000 miles. At times I think we keep the mechanic in business. The tow truck arrived, put the van on the roll back and off he went...at about 3:45pm. I finished my work day and Hubby and I drove back to our quaint little hamlet and picked up Sunfish from pre-school. At this point, it was about 5:30pm.

We decided to drive past our favorite garage on our way back to our house. Now here's where the law of averages decided to kick our ass. The beast wasn't there. We drove past two other local garages to see if the tow truck driver has left it at the wrong place of business, but didn't see our vehicle anywhere. We stopped at the garage and Hubby asked if the van was out for a test drive...the owner replied, "I haven't seen it yet." Hubby returned to the car to break the bad news. Remember, I live 12 miles from my work. It was now close to 2 hours from the time the tow truck left with my van.

Now here's where the conversation turned amusing (I can say that now, at the time it was anything but funny):
"Okay," I said. "What's the name of the towing company?"
"I don't know," said Hubby. "Shorty something."
"Well where's the paperwork?" I asked.
"He didn't give me anything. Come to think of it, he didn't ask me for my Triple A card."

At this point my mind was racing. I had it all figured out. Some jerk-off intercepted the scanner dispatch and with his fake Triple A shirt, STOLE MY VAN!!! I was convinced.

We got home, and Hubby jumped on the phone to call Triple A and report the problem. Of course, he immediately got the hold muzak. After about 3-4 minutes I remembered that the tow truck driver called me on my cell phone when he got to my office. I whipped out the cell phone, looked up my recent calls and there was the number. Gotta love Caller ID!

I called the number and could barely contain myself when the driver answered, "Hi Honey!"
"No, this is NOT your honey. This is [weenus] and you picked up my van today in the city." While I'm sure that my voice was short of shrill, I can only imagine what I sounded like.
"Uhhh, yea" was the answer from the jerk-off.
"WHERE DID YOU PUT MY VAN? Cuz it certainly isn't where you were told to take it!"
"Um, I'm just now dropping it off. The traffic was really bad."

Now I could have really busted this idiots balls. I don't care how bad the traffic is...it doesn't take 2 hours to drive 12 miles. Maybe in Philadelphia, or Atlanta, but not around here. I could have ripped him to shreds, but I was just thrilled that my van was accounted for (Hubby quickly drove to the garage and confirmed the arrival). My only consolation is the gulp that the jerk-off had to swallow. Now I just chuckle when I think of him anticipating a sweet chat with his "honey" only to end up with a very pissed off soccer mom.

So why is today better?
Well, I was braced for the worst case scenario (blown head gasket) but ended up with just a leaky hose. Still a $113 jolt to my checking account, but at least not a $1500 jolt.

Also, I taught a great class today. The one student that attended (love the 1:1 ratio) was interested, participated and by the end of class, grateful for what she learned.

And finally, we've got significant snowfall. It's been snowing on and off all day. We have about 3-4" on the ground and I'M A KID IN A CANDY STORE!! I know it's boring when I talk about the weather, but I cannot help myself...I'm a snow freak and now I'm happy as a clam. Best of all, the temp is not supposed to rise so the snow will stick around for a while. AND...more snow over the weekend. I'm absolutely giddy. Go ahead... call me crazy.

i'm back

2005-01-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

Wow... 11 days since the last post. Shame on me. Too much going on. I think I'm back on track now.

Lots to report... some good... some bad.

First and foremost: Steelers 20, Jets 17
I have just one word to post about that game... PHEW!

Second: Attorney meets the 'jury pool from hell'
This has got to be the funniest article I've read in quite a long time. My favorite part is the quote from a member of the jury pool about an undercover officer... "I should have known something was up," he said. "She had all her teeth."

Third: I must take a moment to pay tribute to a man who passed away on Friday (1/14). "Pop" was Hubby's grandfather, and I must say the greatest and most inspirational human I've had the privilege to personally know. He died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 92.

He was a master carpenter by trade and served proudly in the Philippines and the Pacific Theater during WWII. He was a big NASCAR and Bill Elliott fan. At the age of 83 he was climbing ladders, hammering nails and building stairs & walls as he helped us remodel our then newly purchased fix-er-up home. He attended the races at the local speedway and hunted until he was about 85. He tended his own big garden and lawn until his late 80s. That's impressive enough, but consider that this man did all of this having injured his back in the 1950's which made it impossible for him to stand up straight. He spent the rest of his life bent over at about a 60 degree angle. But he never quit. Life kept going on, and so did he.

He always had a warm smile and a great story to tell. He always came to the aid of anyone who needed or asked for help. He has left behind many, many hand-made gifts. Every child, grandchild and great-grandchild has a bookshelf (or two), a cedar chest, a gun cabinet or numerous other treasures. My Sunfish is the privileged great-grandchild that inherited the beautiful bedroom furniture that Pop made for his bride as a wedding gift. Above one of the dressers is a picture of Pop holding Sunfish at 5 days old.

He will be sorely missed, but he will continue to be part of our lives.

Big Ben

2005-01-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

The Man of Steel
I ran across this article while bouncing around on CNN.com. Suffice it to say that I too have high hopes for the playoffs. I'll be holding my breath for the next two weeks.

Football has been a huge part of my life. Growing up in coal country you were completely immersed in football. Like every other boy in northeast PA, my brother played from midget league on up. Like every other girl, I was a cheerleader. That is, until high school... then I became a majorette. In either case, every Saturday was filled with local football, and every Sunday was reserved for the NFL.

The family, often including grandparents, would gather in the living room to watch a game on one of the three channels that we could pull in on the antennae (cable didn't come to our area the boonies until the 1984). It didn't matter which teams were playing. What mattered was that football was on. Life outside the living room ceased to exist. We'd cheer, we'd yell, we'd scream, we'd jump up and down. There was nothing more exciting than a great play.

I have always been a Steelers fan. Bradshaw & Swan were my heroes. I don't recall ever wanting to root for any other team. Why the Steelers? No idea. Mom was a Dolphins fan, Dad a Pats fan, bro was a die-hard Dallas fan. Of course that meant many fights between the two of us. Whenever the two teams would play against one another, we'd be at each others throats. I can remember the night before one particular game, I prayed for the Steelers to win. I begged god...please, please, please let them win. I promised a year of perfect behavior. Strangely enough I cannot remember which team won.

mother nature is a bitch

2005-01-05T22:08:00.000-05:00

It is January 5th for christ's sake! And all I can get from Mother Nature is sleet?!? It actually snowed here for all of 15 minutes, enough for a slight ground cover. Then, ho hum, it turned to that wonderful "wintery mix." My commute in the morning is going to be hell.

What's worse it that little Weather Channel icon in my system tray keeps blinking red at me... taunting me... teasing me... with promises of a winter storm... 2-4 inches of snow with a quarter inch of ice on top. Oh if only I could believe...

great story...

2005-01-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

If you're a hockey fan, and like me, is a bit depressed about the strike, go listen to this story.

The Hockey Sweater

It's around 20 minutes to listen to both, but the second passage is worth the wait.

I miss hockey. I want it to come back. I'm not a round ball fan so when NFL is over, I've got a considerable void until racing starts up again.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2005-01-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

While expanding my collection of links to foreign newspapers, I ran across this article.

Bush second time around

It's always interesting to see what the people from different continents think of us.

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

The party is just about over here. At one point we had about 10 teenagers (age 17-19) downstairs. There was a game of Texas Hold 'em in the kitchen, Xbox on the tv sitting on the couch in the living room, and DDR on the main tv in the living room. (Luckily, me, Hubby & Sunfish could retreat to the 3rd floor.)

aaaaahhh, the life of a teenager.

curious about the name?

2004-12-31T13:20:00.000-05:00

Visit

The Geometric Society

It's not the reason why, just something I ran across recently. Too cute.

3 going on 13

2004-12-30T19:59:00.000-05:00

Sunfish: Can I watch a movie?

Me: No sweety, you've got to eat dinner first.

Sunfish (a little whiney): But I wanna watch a movie.

Me: I understand that. But you've got to eat your dinner first.

(several minutes later)

Sunfish: Can I watch a movie?

Me: You need to eat dinner first.

Sunfish (getting a bit worked up): But I wanna watch a movie!

Me: You're not watching a movie until you eat your dinner.

Sunfish (in full woe-is-me mode): But this isn't the way it's supposed to work!

yes...it's really me

2004-12-30T10:55:00.000-05:00

The picture on the right is really me. Honestly. It was taken in 1975 by the camp fire at the Ponderosa Campground in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I don't think the campground is there anymore. All through my childhood and into my teen years, my family would camp there every Easter break. Since the water was always too cold to swim, my brother and I would spend hours upon hours flying kites on the deserted, windy beach. My mom & I would walk the beach daily, barefooted, with jeans rolled up to the calves and hooded sweatshirts keeping us warm.

My family was lucky enough to do a lot of camping through my youth. The Easter trip, weekends in the 1000 islands (beechnuts galore! YUM), Moc-a-tec and Breezewood Acres were fixtures through various stages of my upbringing. I love camping to this day.

My parents and my brother's family have moved onto vacationing by way of condo. We continue to have countless weeks and weekends having a blast in Ocean City, Maryland. There's something to be said about sitting on the balcony, drink on the table, reading a great book. Or sitting in the sand chair, watching Sunfish scurry through the waves doing her best to keep up with the sand pipers who are doing their best to get away from her as quickly as possible.

Hubby and his family spent all of their vacation time camping. A vacation isn't a vacation unless he has firestick in hand, poking at the coals. He & I have tried to get our kids camping as often as possible. Thanks to his family, we've had many years camping in Canada. Last year, we rented a cabin in southwestern PA. All 5 of us and Mountain Man spent 4 great days full of wonderful conversation and great camping food.

Yea, I'll admit, I've got the best of both worlds. If only it would snow...

Reader poll:
What do you prefer? Camping or condo-ing?

UUURRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

2004-12-29T20:23:00.000-05:00

Today I really hate my employer....hate, hate, hate....HATE, HATE HATE!!!

*jumping up and down, teeth gritted, hands in fists, eyes squeezed shut*

I won't get into the details as they will surely bore you, but suffice it to say that I'M GETTING SCREWED!!

One nice thing that they did for me today is give me a cool new cell phone. It even says, "Hello" and "Goodbye." But it certainly doesn't make up for GETTING SCREWED!!!

I am sooooo glad that I am off until Tuesday. Of course, that's when the fun is really going to begin. I'm going to unveil my politically correct, I-don't-give-a-shit-anymore attitude. I've been practicing for a long time. Tuesday will be Opening Day!

Gotta go program the phone....I'll only have it as long as I'm thier employee...which might not be much longer!

my blogging history

2004-12-28T21:28:00.000-05:00

jozjozjoz.com was the first - her site came up on a google search for Genevieve Gallen. Her's was the only blog I read for a long time. I lurked for quite a while, then started posting comments here and there.

On one post she told of seeing Wil Wheaton speaking at a conference. I used to say I was a Wil Wheaton fan from his TNG days. But now I proudly call myself a fan from WWdN. The tone of his writing matches the way I think. I especially love the stories about his family and hearing the joy when he talks about the new path he has found through life.

From WWdN I jumped into Tony Pierce's busblog. Around this time I was also starting to consider starting my own blog. Several of his posts offered great advice about being a blogger. He's also inspired me to stick to who I am.

Along the way I found Rook's Rant. His commentary is always funny and he links to some of the greatest articles, rants and blogs. His posts about The Fuskers are always fun. Plus he's a cat person...a man after my own heart.

The best think Guy linked to just recently was The Sneeze. I've been reading this just since Christmas, but I quickly added him to my daily blog circuit. Some laugh-til-you-cry funny shit on this site.

Blogging has brought an interesting change to my daily routine. In writing these posts I've found that I spend more time reflecting on what's going on around me. I look through my pictures more often, searching for something whimsical to post. I've seen pics that I haven't seen in years and am thoroughly enjoying the trips down memory lane. I find myself spending less time on "work stuff" at home and more time for my personal enjoyment. Cool.

Thanks guys.

Bummer

2004-12-26T21:53:00.000-05:00

Back to work tomorrow. Big bummer! I have 1/2 a mind to bring in one of my new DVDs and watch them on my laptop. But I won't...(maybe).

I will definitely bring in some of my new music. Got the latest from all my favorites and some great oldies too.

To love is to give...

2004-12-26T17:29:00.000-05:00

Hope every one had an enjoyable day. The highlight of my Christmas day was watching Sunfish as she opened the gift from Mountain Man. As she looked at the big, blue box in the shape of a lego, she was told that inside was a huge collection of legos. She looked up at me with her big blue eyes and exclaimed, "YEA! LET'S BUILD!!"

Leave a comment about your favorite Christmas moment, this year or past.

A tale of Christmas Eve...

2004-12-24T23:08:00.000-05:00

Scene location

“It’s a red, spiral-bound notebook,” Hubby said. He’d been looking around for a few minutes and had started to get frustrated. I stood up, scanned the room and walked over to the pile of clothes at his side of the bed.

“Stop honey, you’ll never find it,” Hubby stated from the opposite corner of the room, just as I was reaching down to remove the red, spiral-bound notebook from under the pile of clothes at his side of the bed.

“Oh, really?” I sarcastically drawled, immediately followed by the THUNK of the notebook landing on the desk.

Aahhhh, to be the wife with the well-deserved, smug look on her face….

Pop Quiz!

2004-12-23T23:30:00.000-05:00

Why is this car on the flatbed?

or

Name the vehicles purpose.

From me to you...

2004-12-22T23:38:00.000-05:00

Enjoy the holiday season.

I'll be back when I can.

Mine's bigger than yours

2004-12-21T20:44:00.000-05:00

I was an unfortunate witness to a totally ridiculous conversation today. Picture the setting...
-two men
-one 25 and inexperienced, the other 32 and stupid
-both thinking they know everything
-both with an over-inflated sense of importance
-neither wanting to concede a single point to the other

It was beyond a pissing contest. I fully expected them to whip out a ruler and measure their dicks. Idiots! The worst part is both of them had several good points, but neither would acknowledge what the other had to say.

Great way to spend a holiday luncheon, huh? I just sat there and ate my cold ziti and luke warm meatballs (guess the boss couldn't spring for a sterno).

Bah humbug!

2004-12-20T21:07:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally got some snow, but only a dusting...certainly not enough. We also got sub-freezing temperatures, but it's supposed to warm back up tomorrow.

Rain and 50 degrees on Thursday, so it'll be green grass on Christmas again.

I WANT SNOW!!

2004-12-19T10:04:00.000-05:00

What I wish my backyard looked like! The WeatherGuesser on the local news says we could get 1-2 inches over the next day or so. Promises, promises.

Spike....the turd culprit. She's an affection slut. She'll nudge your hand around until you pet her head. If you don't, she'll move her head back and forth under your hand to simulate the same action. Slut.

Get out of her way.... Sunfish at the races. Yes, we're race fans. Gotta problem with that???

Paradise

2004-12-18T23:07:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite spots. I won't tell you where it is...but a few lucky individuals will know.

Now you're all in trouble....I know how to post pics.

Things I Hate Today:
the McArthur Rd exit of Rte 22
running out of dishwasher detergent
cat turds under the christmas tree

Thing I Love Today:
taking Sunfish to Cabela's
christmas songs
teenagers watching the Steelers game at my house

Great article...

2004-12-18T22:08:00.000-05:00

10 Things Your Teen Won't Tell You ... but She Did Tell Me

If you have a teen girl, or one close to it, you should read this article. In my attempt to navigate raising a strong girl, the more help and insight I get, the better.

The shopping trip was successful. I am done!! Hubby still has a bit to do, but not me. Finished! Now to start wrapping......

Things to do before the Inauguration

2004-12-18T15:12:00.000-05:00

(courtesy of Mountain Man)

1. Drink a nice clean glass of water.
2. Get that abortion.
3. Cash your social security check.
4. See a doctor of your own choosing.
5. Spend quality time with your draft age child/grandchild.
6. Visit Syria, or any foreign country for that matter.
7. Get that gas mask you've been putting off buying.
8. Hoard gasoline.
9. Borrow books from library before they're banned - Constitutional law books,Catcher in the Rye, Harry Potter, Tropic of Cancer, etc.
10. If you have an idea for an art piece involving a crucifix - do it now.
11. Come out - then go back in - HURRY!
12. Jam in all the Alzheimer's stem cell research you can.
13. Stay out late before the curfews start.
14. Go see Bruce Springsteen before he has his "accident."
15. Go see Mount Rushmore before the Reagan addition.
16. Use the phrase - "You can't do that - this is America."
17. If you're white - marry a black person, if you're black - marry a white person.
18. Take a walk in Yosemite, without being hit by a snowmobile or a base-jumper.
19. Enroll your kid in an accelerated art or music class.
20. Start your school day without a prayer.
21. Pass on the secrets of evolution to future generations.
22. Learn French.
23. Attend a commitment ceremony with your gay friends.
24. Take a factory tour anywhere in the U.S.
25. Try to take photographs of animals on the endangered species list.
26. Visit Florida before the polar ice caps melt.
27. Visit Nevada before it becomes radioactive.
28. Visit Alaska before "The Big Spill."
29. Visit Massachusetts while it is still a state.