Calling for Actual Reform

I have not had the time, the energy, or the inclination to read every single draft of the health care bill that has come out of both houses. Who has that much time? I have been lucky to read 1/4 of the news articles on the subject. But, even with the little bit I have read and understood, I am pretty sure this is not what I signed on for.

I wanted health care to be reformed. I wanted every single person living in the United States to have access to health care, from birth to death, and I didn't want them to have to give up their retirement for it... or sell their souls.

As I said, I have not had a lot of time, so if I am wrong, please let me know, but my understanding is that the reform that is coming through Washington is going to allow the insurance companies to get richer and will not change how the poor accesses care.

If this is true, this is not Change I can believe in.

Happy Holidays

From our House to Yours! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Hanukkah! Or just Please Enjoy Your Time Off!

The News Is Overwhelming

It makes me sad that I have spent the last 4 months with my head stuck in books attempting to get a degree in Political Science and I have had almost 0 opportunity to figure out what is going on in this country politically.

One of the classes I took Term 2 (Oct - Dec) was State and Local Politics. It was a tough class, but I really enjoyed the way the instructor taught it. It has to be difficult to try to actually teach an online class, I think. So, we had weekly quizzes which guaranteed that we read the chapters. I learned quite a bit about the actual processes used in different states, about different state constitutions and that I need to start paying closer attention to what is happening locally, because there is probably more I can do there. One of the requirements of the class was to attend, and write a report on, a local meeting. I chose the Bay County Commission Meeting of 3 Nov. It was interesting. It was also held in the brand new Bay County Government Center, with almost no one there. Where did this money come from, I wonder? This room would have held several hundred people and it was NICE. Maybe I should run for county commissioner if I ever graduate? It is a part time job and pays more than I am making now.

The brand new library was right next door. I knew this was being built, because the old one had leaking walls and the books were being ruined. I didn't know it was going to as big as it is or as nice. It is a library. Why does it need huge glass windows? In hurricane country? I looked for a picture or link online, but couldn't find one. Shouldn't they be proud of this monstrosity?

My tax dollars are wasted every single place they are touched, not just on a federal level. Isn't that just great?

Free At Last!

Well for a few weeks anyway. I have been so busy and so stressed out and so tired, is anyone actually still out there? I haven't posted anything in almost 2 months! I have apparently started many posts since August, but have never had time to finish them, CRAZY!!

I turned in my final last Thursday night. Grades were due in yesterday, so they should be posted on the Troy website. I do not even have the guts to look. I did have A's in both of my classes, but I am not sure that I did very well on either final exam, so I am scared to look. Maybe after Christmas.

DSD is still out of work. He is looking, but no one is hiring. He has an interview this afternoon. Another one. Apparently he is #1 on everyone's list, but no one has any money.

His daughter did bring a little happiness to our lives by making us grandparents at the end of September. Grandparents! Crazy. I have pictures, but they are at home and I am at work. She has brought us an entire new family, because her... well, we'll call him husband, is a widower with 2 daughters ages 10 & 13. The baby is precious (we saw them in Nashville in November) but he is, you know, kind of a blob. The girls have well-developed personalities! They know how to behave in social situations! They can speak (and write) English! Correctly! Spelling words! Correctly!

I know it is crazy to be so excited about the fact that my 13 year old grand daughter can spell but my 15 year old step son can not. And many, many, many of the people I am taking classes with are having a little difficulty. I don't many accidently putting in "to" for "too" I mean putting in "pitchers" for "pictures" and writing the way they would speak, instead of correctly. It makes me insane! Hmmm, so maybe I will still get A's because I can write using correct grammar?

How is everyone in BlogLand (I did see squeeze in time to take BabyBoy to see "ZombieLand" Incredibly stupid! I loved it)? I hope your lives are not as crazy and stressed out as mine is. So much happened since the start of Term 1 that I couldn't possibly get it all into one post. So I wanted to say Hi and I'm back temporarily and then maybe throw in some more posts between now and the time school starts back in January.

I really do have pictures: Lola, grandchildren, Nashville, Opryland, Florida Gators, Me, new & improved with short hair.

Soon, I promise!

Really Quick

Hello!! I hope everyone is well. I am well. Just insanely busy. Still.

Term 1 is completed. I managed 2 A's and 1 B. That World Politics class was TOUGH. I am really lucky I got a B, I think.

Into the 2nd week of Term 2. Working my butt off. I keep thinking I am going to have a stroke or something, but I keep getting up and going to work and going home, cooking dinner, studying and sleeping. Wow.

This weekend, I have 3 papers due on Sunday for ONE class (assignments in the other class are completed and turned in) and DSD and I are leaving in the morning for Starkville, MS to watch UF play @ Mississippi St. I figure I can write the papers (2 are started) on the way and type them on his laptop on the way home. I hope.

Keeping a close eye on the President. I want the rest of the TARP money to go toward healthcare. I don't think bailing out anyone else is a good idea, but I do like the idea of capping salaries for those businesses who have not paid the taxpayers back. Is that legal?

Why is Glenn Beck still allowed on the air? I have emailed and called sponsors. I have complained. How does anyone with a brain believe the lies on put out by the hate mongers? Sad state our country is in.

Trying to eat healthier, less processed food. It is more work to PLAN the meals, but not really to cook them. I spend a lot of time on FoodNetwork.com.

That isn't all, that isn't even CLOSE, but I have to shut down the computer and get out of here for a doctor's appointment. Maybe I will have a minute before the end of the month?

I Asked you NOT to say anything

I need some advice from anyone stopping by here.

In this morning's stupid, "let's all get along" meeting the boss (who was on speaker phone) began to give her opinion on the current President and his administration. I (loudly) asked her NOT to give her opinion, explained that I leaned left and that I had voted for this President. She then went on to say she didn't like this administration, she felt it was not doing a good job and she didn't like democrats. She got off the phone shortly after that and I left the meeting.

WTF?

I have just gone several rounds with an employee who steals time and who does not do her job and lost. I do not know that I have the energy to go several more and I will probably lose again.

But her comments were completely inappropriate and unprofessional for the setting. Obviously she is entitled to her opinion, but it was not the time or place to express them.

Any ideas on what I should do from here?

I Should Be Working on My Final Exam

I have completed 2. I got an A in the 1 credit Orientation class and an A in Western Civ II. I had an A after the mid-term in World Politics, but I am not holding my breath on that one. This is a very difficult class. The Final exam is a scenario that must be answered by a no more than 5 page paper. I think I have a page. Maybe. But my brain hurts.

DSD is out of town, playing golf. I know, I know, he is unemployed, but this has been paid for quite some time and he does go most years. I am actually enjoying the peace and quiet and the remote. I am experimenting with new foods and foods that DSD does not enjoy or (most likely) will not try. Saturday I made an avocado dip. Not bad. Sunday was broiled burgers smothered in Emeril's Creole Seasoning. Monday was homemade pizza. The sauce is the homemade part, I can't imagine ever making my own pizza dough. Today there is a pot roast in the slow cooker. My husband, bless him, does not like pot roast. Ok, he always loves it when I cook it, but he doesn't like the IDEA of it. Ever.

BabyBoy and I are going to see "Zombieland" tonight. Over the weekend I am going to take him to see "Capitalism - A Love Story."

Soon, I am going to HAVE to finish that paper. But not today.

'Pain fades. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever.'

I do not know why that quote has been stuck in my mind for weeks, but I figured if I shared it with you (anyone who still actually stops by here) it would go away.

The quote is by Keanu Reeves playing scab quarterback Shane Falco (not to be confused by real life quarterback Flacco) in "The Replacements." I love that movie.

Boy, am I tired. Right this minute I should be actually working (oh, didn't we tell you we were going to need a letter on each of those projects? AND another 3 page form?) or finishing my paper on the industrial revolution that is due Sunday or reading the 17 page lecture on... something. But I figured 10 minutes to say Hi wasn't going to put me anymore behind than the fact that I am not going to do anything at all tonight.

I do have an A in each of my classes at this point. That could be a thing of the past after this weekend. I was doing wonderfully until I went to the Troy @ Florida game on 12 Sep. Then I started getting behind and I seem to be scrambling to catch up. Only a couple more weeks in this term... then it starts all over again. Did I mention I was tired?

On top of all of that, I am not doing really well physically, some aches and pains that are not normal for someone my age. So far they are only affecting me in minor ways (I am sleeping more, I have to wear shoes in the house) but none of it bodes really well for the future. I'm 42. I'm on Celebrex and it isn't working all that well. What next?

Then I talked to my mom last night & one of my aunts (my mom's sister) is going downhill very quickly. The sad thing is her will to live seems to be gone. Is there anyway to make someone want to live? Can we make her see a counselor? Can we make her divorce that bastard she is married to? I am afraid my mother is going to kill him if something happens to my aunt.

So I am making it. Barely. And things are not going to slow down for another 11 weeks.

I hope you are all doing wonderfully. I do have some pictures to post.. as soon as I get them off my camera.

Discrimination or Just Stupid?

Just stupid, I guess.

Once or twice I have alluded to the fact that one of the people I work with is not really great about doing her job. She likes to throw her weight around and tell the rest of us what to do and she likes to play the injured party and blame everyone else when things go wrong. My work life is complicated and I am not comfortable going into a lot of details here, but we work pretty autonomously with little to no supervision. She has come and gone as she pleases for more than a year, very seldom putting in 40 hours a week. She attempts to change policies and procedures which are in place for a reason (and she seems to be getting away with it, the world bows to her).

I am not one for a public fight. This blog is my attempt to fight the injustice of the world and I prefer to do it with the written word, instead of verbally, because I communicate better this way. So I tracked her. From the week after 4th of July 2008. I kept very detailed notes about her attitude (completely unprofessional) about the fact that NO ONE has that much leave time, about the fact that she is fairly stupid and has 0 communication or leadership skills.

One of the other ladies who works here received a promotion and a very large award at the end of last year, so the focus of the first person's rage (let's call her Bitch, so we are all on the same page) was redirected away from me. But life still wasn't great, walking on egg shells, never really sure what was going on or who was responsible for it.

Then Bitch was in a car accident and things went from bad to worse. She doesn't have health care (her choice, because we are offered really great stuff here for pretty cheap if you aren't covering anyone else!) and she apparently isn't getting any better. It has been over 7 months and she still can't turn her head and the stairs are painful and... and... and... whine, whine, whine.

Still I sat here, did my job, kept my head down and kept my notes. Day after day.

About 2 months ago I had to contact the higher ups for something (don't even remember) and was asked how things were here. I gave the standard, "busier than a 1 armed paper hanger speech" and was PUSHED for the truth. PUSHED. I realized that, eventually, something was going to have to be done and I told B2 (the higher up) that things weren't great. She came down, I (and the other girl who received a promotion) spilled our guts about how difficult bitch is to work with. We weren't the only ones. Others, who don't have anything to do with us, have said she is difficult, said it aloud.

And the other girl (understand not Bitch) was almost fired yesterday. Thisclose is what she was told.

There is more to this story, of course. But I can't give half the details and the other half are boring. The bottom line is that I (with help) attempted to make everyone's life better. I tried to save the company money. I tried to make the environment better and improve morale.

I thought that, just this once, life would be fair and the good guys would win.

Now I am polishing up my resume' and searching Craig's List. I am an excellant administrative assistant/office manager. I know the Office Suite and I can fix my own broken PC AND trouble shoot network and printer problems.

I love this job and the people in my building. But I am now on anti-anxiety medication; I can't sleep and my joints are achy & swollen, working with her is starting to affect my health.

Time to move on.

Right.

Football and Facebook and Schoolwork and Crazy

I have started at least 2 possibly more posts on the health care bull hockey floating around. I am not even certain NPR is giving it a fair wrap. I am, personally, sick of the fighting, but then I realize most of the people doing the fighting are those with jobs who provide decently priced benefits. Or those who are older and on Medicare who shudder at the thought of "socialized" medicine. Damn hypocrites.

Today was the first day of UF Gator football. Ok, it was actually a scrimmage game against Charleston Southern University, who drove to Gainesville for the $450,000 they were being paid to get their behinds kicked. 62-3 is a pretty nice behind kicking for that kind of money. DSD and I were in the Swamp last year when the Gators did a beatdown of the University of Kentucky Wildcats. Final score 63-5 and they didn't make any money from the game.

I will be in the Swamp next weekend for the Gator beat down of the Troy University Trojans. Yes, I am, technically, attending Troy University. Yes, I am cheering for the Gators. I have been a fan for at least 25 years that isn't going to change. Ever.

I should be working on my book report. Ok, it isn't technically a book report, but that is what I call it. I have to do assignment, 1 other and 2 mid terms before I leave town next Saturday morning. I should do that now. Any of it. But it is late and I am tired. I will work on it tomorrow, I swear. Maybe.

I have been spending too much time on Facebook. I have mentioned the fact that some of my family is slightly insane. It isn't just me, I have confirmation from others that they are crazy. On Thursday I posted the following on my 'status'

"Daddy Bush spoke to school children across American and no one thought anything about it. Maybe, those of you who have a problem with the duly elected President of the US speaking to your child(ren), you should search your hearts and ask yourself "Why?" I am pretty sure I KNOW why. And none of those reasons are very Christian. Yes, I went there."

In case you have not heard, the President is supposed to speak to the nation's school children on Tuesday. He is supposed to speak on the greatness of education. I am not certain how that is going to hypnotize our children into murdering Jewish people (there was a Hitler reference in the comments to the above status), but I guess it can be done in less than half an hour.*

On top of everything else my life at work has been... uncomfortable. Two of us have blown the whistle on a third and the investigation is moving slooooooooowly. So person #3 is still there until it is over. I am constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I am also job hunting, because I will not be comfortable continuing in my current position if that person stays.

So, all in all, a fairly busy week in front of me. Probably a busy month. I am trying to make sure I stop by all of your blogs as often as possible, although it isn't often enough. I will try to do better.

I am working on getting a guest blogger, so that someone else can talk about the political stuff that I am missing, because I know I am missing a lot.

Thank you all for your patience.

*I hope I have done a better job of raising my child than that. If his mind can be swayed in less than 30 minutes, maybe I should let the crazies have him?

A Sad Day for Us All

We all knew this day was coming, most people do not live for over a year with brain cancer and he had made it for several months past that. But I was not ready to hear about it this morning on the radio. I would never have been ready to hear about it and I can only imagine how heart breaking it is for his family, friends and co-workers.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the liberal lion of the Senate and haunted bearer of the Camelot torch after two of his brothers fell to assassins' bullets, has died at his home in Hyannis Port after battling a brain tumor. He was 77.

He owed this country nothing. He had money, he didn't need to work, but he spent almost 50 years toiling for a better, brighter America.

He wasn't perfect and there will be many stories about his failings over the next days, weeks and months, but it is my belief that we, as a nation, should appreciate the things he worked so hard to provide. Today is a sad day as we remember him and there will come a time when the health care bill is signed into law and the day will be bittersweet because he is not with us to celebrate.

My thoughts are with his family.

RIP, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, D - Mass. Thank you for your service.

Too Much To Do!

What a week! What a month!

I don't know about you, but I am tired. And I am not sure I am ever going to get caught up.

Henry and the LittleMan are GONE. Safe and sound in California. LittleMan may be back for Christmas (who knows, his mother changes her story from minute to minute) but Henry should never, ever be back in the state of Florida. I am eternally grateful for that and Lola does not seem to be lonely as DSD said she would.

Claudette was a big fat nothing. I guess there were those who panicked over the impending doom that she was bringing, but, honestly, she cooled things off nicely and filled up the pool. I didn't notice a lot of thunder or lightning or even much more than a brisk breeze. I had to work yesterday, the storm was a bust.

I am back in school. On line classes at Troy University where I will eventually receive my Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. I am taking 7 credit hours, which didn't sound like much until it hit me that these classes are given in terms, not semesters. I will not be taking these 7 hours for 16 weeks, but for 9. NINE. Which pretty much means if I have a free minute, it is spent reading or writing something for class.

I am not abandoning this blog. I am not even really taking a break, at least not one I have control over. I will be around. I will post when I can. I will do my best to pop in on your blogs as often as possible. But it won't be as often as it has been. :-(

Until Christmas break, then I will have some free time.

I'm Out of Here

Because the LittleMan is in the process of moving to California, we are headed to Central Florida for the weekend to celebrate his birthday and spend time with his grandparents. I love them all, but thinking about this makes me want a nap.

I will be back on Monday. Maybe Sunday. Have a great weekend and don't let the WingNuts get you down!

A Brain, and an Athlete, and a Basket Case...

A princess and a criminal.


So ends my absolutely favorite John Hughes movie.

I came of age in a John Hughes era of teen coming of age movies. They, and the Brat Pack, defined who I was, what I wore and what I wanted to be when I grew up. And my speech is still peppered with John Hughes movie references to this day.

John passed away today of a heart attack at age 59. His movies were amazing and I will never forget him or the charactars he brought to my life. I have even introduced many of his movies to my 20 year old son and we watch them together.

Thank you, John, for the fun, for the charactars, for the quotes ("Smoke up Johnny") for the laughter and even for the tears.

RIP John Hughes, director extraordinaire.

Maybe This Will Spur the Right Wing

This is a tragedy. A family torn apart by disease. I watched the video twice, but still couldn't hear the name of the disease causing this poor child's suffering, and that of her family and friends. She is obviously very ill, unable to walk. It appears that she can not speak or sit without help. It does not appear that she is being kept alive by artificial means, just public assistance.

I have no problem with public assistance helping out this child, this family. Situations like this are exactly why we have medicaid and welfare in this country. Situations like this and so, so many others. But I am hoping, since this child is barely more than a vegetable, barely more than a mass of cells with a beating heart, the right wingers will be able to realize that healthcare reform will help her. It will help those like her, like Terri Schiavo, who are in permanently debilitated states.

Since, obviously, the Rushpublican party can only help those who have no brain power or thought processes of their own.

Send your love, your thoughts, your prayers, whatever you have or believe to this family. They need all the warm thoughts they can get.

But write your Congressman. We can't let the crazies control this country any longer.

A Facebook Exchange **Updated**

A Facebook friend posted, "is almost finished readng "The Cashflow Quadrant." If you have to ask, then you are NOT in the know. If you are not in the know, send me a message. I'll get you there."

I commented something like, "Sure let's all get rich selling a book about how to get rich."
I do not know exactly what my comment was because my 'friend' deleted it.

He then emailed me,

"Subject line: Why So Cynical?

typical dummy-crat comment: if we all can't be rich, why should anyone? you guys need people like us to subsidize those of you (not saying "you" literllay) standing in line waiting for universal handouts. LOL"

WOW! dummy-crat, really? I am offended.

So I emailed back,

"Oh, X, my friend. And all these years, I thought I loved you for your brain. Obviously that wasn't it at all.

I didn't say "no one should be rich," I said, "stop reading stupid books about 'get rich quick' schemes" Trust me, if you knew my dad and my brother anything that even hints at one day not being a working stiff is suspect.

And, no, I don't need or want your handouts (or anyone else's), but it is amazing to me that the Rushpublicans are so against lending a helping hand when it is needed. Maybe if we all helped out a little the government handouts wouldn't be necessary. What is wrong with helping your neighbor, even if that neighbor is across the country?

I am, at times, a cynic, but I think that is because there are so many people in this country screaming about God and country and then shitting on the first person that walks by. I would rather be a cynic than a hypocrite."

I thought I handled that very well. I will post any further exchanges.

Update: My friend replied, apologized, said he is not a right wing nutjob and that he was just teasing me. He said he hoped I continued to love him for whatever reason.

I wrote him back and said that there was a tiny little chance that I had over reacted. I am a wee bit stressed out (and exhausted) and tend to fly off the handle quite easily.

So, we will continue to be friends. But, man, my response was well written. :-)

Are You A Citizen?

Is anyone?

I have stayed away from the entire Obama birth certificate crisis, because, well, the entire thing is just re-damn-diculous and others were handling it so very well. Then a co-worker came in earlier while I was watching an MSNBC clip with ol' crazy herself, Orly Taitz, and proceded to tell me that a "Certification of Live Birth" is not the same as a "Birth Certificate." Of course I realize that he is a little nutsy, because what if he is correct? What if a "Certificate of Live Birth" is not proof that you are an American citizen? What if you MUST have a "Birth Certificate?" Because, if so, people, I am screwed.

As is my son. As is my mother. As is my bff's son. As is every other person born in the state of Florida. Because Florida issues only a "Certificate of Live Birth."

Also I realized that with all of the BS about the current President, I had never considered where the first 43 Presidents were born.

John McCain's birth certificate is available on the web. Or a fax of it, because if that is your scanner with that problem, you need a new scanner. A couple of sites are making a big deal of the fact that he, apparently, was born downtown in Panama, not on the Naval installation. It doesn't matter people. Did he have the option of a Panamanian citizienship? Probably. But, even if he had had dual citizenship at birth, he had to give up any other to attend the Navy Academy and be in the Navy. 'nuff said.

But I can't find anything when searching for a birth certificate (or a certificate of live birth) for George Bush (which should cover 41 & 43), Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan.

Maybe they weren't natural born citizens?

Or maybe they weren't black.

I Didn't Do It.. But I've Thought About It*

I love Monopoly. We played it a lot when I was a kid when the electricity went out. Monopoly by candlelight is pretty fun.

I also like to win. I am a very gracious winner. I am not as good a loser, but I know this about myself and try to fake it. So I would never react this way:

A game of Monopoly has landed a Michigan man in jail. WDIV-TV reported a 54-year-old man was playing the board game Saturday night with a female friend when he tried to buy Park Place and Boardwalk from her.

When she refused, Fraser police Lt. Dan Kolke told WWJ-AM he hit her in the head, breaking her glasses. The man was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery.

In other stupidity around the nation:

Jobless Grad sues college for $70,000 - she says the college didn't help her find a job. I say she is a moron for paying $70,000 for a Bachelor's Degree.

A bank teller caught a would-be robber and was fired. It was against the bank's policy; the teller should have just handed over the money.

And a little piece of strangeness from across the pond:

BERLIN - An Audi sedan written off by an elderly German woman as stolen two years ago has resurfaced — in her neighbor's garage beneath a thick layer of dust.
Police said Thursday the 82-year-old from the northern city of Hildesheim took the car in for repairs two years ago and had the mechanics drive it back to her house and park it in her garage.
She got the keys and papers from her mailbox, but when she went to get the car it was nowhere to be found. So she reported it stolen.

Fast forward to Wednesday when her neighbor went to clean up his unused garage so it could be rented. He found the car under "a centimeter-deep coating of dust."
It didn't take police long to piece together that the mechanics had parked it in the wrong garage.


*I know that there are real news horrors and tragedies going on in this country and around the world, I just couldn't process them today. So I thought maybe a little laugh at the stupidity of others would, at least, brighten my day.

Rats and Brats and the End of Summer

On June 1, we were a happy, healthy family of 3. DSD, Lola and I had our routine down whether it included taking the baby girl for a walk or cooking dinner. Then my son moved back home. I have missed him and am glad he is there, but it changed things up a bit. Then DSD's ex moved to California leaving LittleMan with us until the middle of August. LittleMan AND Henry, a 5 year old, anti-social West Highland Terrier.


So our family of 3 became a family of 6 and I am not dealing well with it. I love LittleMan, but that does not mean that I LIKE him. He is incredibly socially awkward. He may actually be slightly mentally challenged he is just that awkward. DSD and I had a discussion yesterday afternoon, about Henry, with LittleMan standing between us and when DSD asked him a question LittleMan looked around like he was coming out of a trance. This was in the kitchen, so he wasn't watching TV.


On top of that, Henry is not well behaved at all. He is house broken, but he has NO doggy manners. He does not sit, he does not stay, he does not come, he.does.not.listen. And Lola thinks he is her brand new chew toy. She wants to squeak him. She will cease and desist once you get her attention, but she really is still a puppy. An 80 pound puppy. I spend a lot of time hearing, "Lola stop. Lola quit. Lola leave him alone." And it pisses me off.

And the ex 'forgot' to check whether Henry could fly out with LittleMan. And she 'forgot' to find out what paperwork would be required to let him on the plane. And, so far, she has 'forgotten' to make Henry reservations.

So DSD decided it would be swell for us to go visit his parents before the LittleMan leaves the state. They are six hours away. Frankly, it makes me want to kick something to think of my lost weekend. I actually love my in-laws, but they EXHAUST me. Did I mention that I was completely mentally exhausted already? And I am supposed to start back to school in 13 days?

Maybe I will run away instead.

Movie Review: "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

I normally do not like movies made from books. There are a few exceptions, as there are to every rule, "The DaVinci Code" and "Jaws" to name 2, but they are few and far between. I have seen every Potter movie so far, in the theater. I have seen most of them on opening day and I reviewed the last one, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" on this blog. It wasn't exactly complimentary. I was expecting to leave "Half-Blood Prince" as angry and annoyed as I left "Order of the Phoenix."

BabyBoy and I had planned to go to the midnight premiere. I bought tickets online, but, due to the fact that everyone I work with and my entire family laughed at the fact that we were going at midnight, I didn't expect anyone else to be there. Silly me. We arrived at 11:15 for a 12:01 showing. All four theaters were sold out and there were A LOT of people standing in the lobby. BabyBoy worked at this particular theater for almost a year and informed me, later, that each theater held over 300 people. So, at a guess, there were about 1,000 people in that lobby.

We had a brief discussion about whether or not to stay or go back the next day. I picked up my prepurchased tickets and handed them to the nice man patiently waiting (and politely begging) next to the ticket window. He paid for the tickets and BabyBoy and I went home!

We arrived back at the theater the next day at 12:30pm for a 1:00pm show. We had no problems buying tickets or popcorn or finding seats. By the time the previews were over the theater was pretty well packed, but we didn't care. Again, I prepared myself for upset, anger and disappointment.

And was pleasantly surprised that I had very little of all three. Even better, I laughed out loud on several occasions. This movie was the one I had been waiting for. This movie showed us the characters and made us care about them.

*****WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*********

There was Harry, obviously carrying a torch for Ginny, but not sure what to do about it.
There was Ron and Hermione, carrying a torch for each other but not sure what to do about it.
There was Ron, accidently consuming a love potion meant for Harry and falling all over himself
(Sue me, I enjoy a little slapstick humor)
There was Draco, sobbing alone in the bathroom.
There was Hermione showing what an awesome witch she really is.

There were parts which were left out:
Memories of the Gaunts and other Riddle memories.
Harry's detentions.
The battle at the end.
The funeral.
The Dursleys.
Kreacher and Sirius' will.
Dobby.. again?

There were parts which were added:
The Burrow BURNED?
Tonks and Lupin together? Already?
Ginny and Harry together in the Room of Requirement

Those were all odd or strange, but the parts that made me nuts were the parts which were changed:
Harry standing quietly while someone he loved is threatened? Right!
Exactly where the potions book is now.
A better explanation of what other Horcruxes could be out there.

DSD took LittleMan a week after BabyBoy and I had seen the movie. DSD enjoyed it, LittleMan, not so much, but the reasoning behind that is another post that will, hopefully, be up soon. DSD, who has never read the books, understood about Horcruxes (and even figured out one not mentioned in the movie) but had many questions about other things that the movie did not explain, including Fenrir Greyback, because he had no idea who he was or why he looked so funny.

All in all, this was a much better movie than Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire or Order of the Phoenix. As a book adaptation it was lousy, but, just as a movie on its own, it was pretty good.

There will be two movies made out of the last book. Hopefully, between the two of them, they will answer all the questions, those of the book readers and the non-book readers. If not, I hope they are at least entertaining, as this movie was.

Facebook Crazy

I like Facebook.

I was never a MySpacer and I don't really understand Twitter, so any social networking I do, I do on Facebook.

I have reconnected with BOTH of the boys I had a crush on in 5th grade. I have reconnected with my best friend from Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade and many other people I have not seen in many years. Facebook has made me sad about the lost opportunities with the friend I lost last year since I am now friends with her husband. I hear all about what he and the children are doing most days.

But Facebook makes me very uncomfortable with the religious craziness of MANY of my friends and MOST of my relatives.*

A recent post read, "The only comforting thing I found was knowing that Derrick was covered by the Blood of Jesus and God does still hear and answers Prayers."

Not only is this statement grammatically incorrect (and typos happen!) it is just plain odd. One of my cousins recently begged her Facebook friends to PRAY that GOD sends her family a mini-van! (I can't make this up!) She didn't want it for free; she was willing to pay for it. I guess she just didn't want to be bothered with Autotrader.com.

Maybe I am the odd one, but I don't think God reads Facebook. I think if I want to thank Him for my fabulous husband,** I should just do so and move on. If I get an A in my next class, I should thank Him (quietly) for the brains to do the work. I am not depending on Him to take my tests.

If my mother is having surgery, I am not even sure I would post it on Facebook, but I am CERTAIN I would not TELL everyone to pray for her. How am I supposed to respond to that since I am not a huge prayer?

Am I being a little judgmental? Maybe. But I am pretty sure that is still allowed in this country.
At least for now.

*Ok, 99% of my relatives on Facebook, there is the one cousin who doesn't constantly talk about God, but she is 32, has 2 kids and still lives at home with her parents.

**I am not crazy about my husband right now, so I would probably be yelling at God about him if I felt the need to discuss him with God. I am sure it is a passing thing, but STILL!

A Raise For Many

Just after I graduated high school, while in my first year of college, I worked at a day care. I thought, at the time, I wanted to be an elementary school teacher, so the day care was a good idea. Plus I was 18 and this left my nights and weekends free. :-)

I made $3.35 an hour.

I netted (if I remember correctly) about $113 a week.

I was living at home. The only bill I had was a car payment, but I was considering moving into an apartment across town with a friend. 2 BR/ 1 BA. $220 a month. I would have been stretched pretty thin, my friend got engaged, we decided against it.

Several years ago Floridians voted on whether or not to raise the state minimum wage from the federal level of $5.15. My brother and I had words over it. Of course I voted to raise it. He said, out loud, "It was only $3.35 when I graduated; it's gone up since then. Why are people complaining?"

Of course he doesn't make minimum wage and he can't make ends meet. But, according to him (and others), raising the state or federal minimum wage just causes the prices of everything else to be raised, therefore making the raises null and void and causing the rest of us (who make more than minimum wage) to lose spending power.

I am not an economist. But I think my brother is full of shit.*

Because prices have continually risen over the last 24 years since I graduated high school. The price of gas, bread, milk, green beans, cars and houses (to name a very few) has skyrocketed in the last 10 years alone.

Here is a cute little website showing the average cost of things in 1985 when I graduated and minimum wage was $3.35.

Here is the same website updated for 2001, the last year the cost of living is available when minimum wage was $5.15.

Prices had gone up tremoundously, minimum wage not so much.

There are also many who say raising the wage will put some people out of jobs, because smaller businesses can't afford it. Maybe, but the truth is that there are many businesses who CAN afford to pay their employees more than minimum wage, who can even afford to pay their employees a living wage and they don't. Why? Because the company owners may only be able to afford two trips to Europe this year, the poor babies.

If people were paid fairly by those who can afford to pay them, we would not need a law. But people are hateful, horrible and greedy and must be FORCED to pay.

And we wonder why our country is sinking to quickly into the toilet!

*My brother isn't an economist either, he is a dipshit.

Uninspired

There is a lot going on in the world. In my life. I should be blogging up a storm on health care reform, Walter Cronkite's passing, Sotomayor's confirmation hearings, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," all the people in my house now and how I really don't like my 14 year old step son. But all I am managing is a few healthy yawns.

Maybe this is due to the help I have been giving a friend in her English comp class, proofing and editing her papers. Maybe it is due to all of the writing I am going to be doing next month when school starts again. Maybe it is due to the time I am spending trying to gather enough evidence to get one of the people I work with fired.

I don't know.

But this has happened before and I have returned more long winded and wittier than ever. So says I. Hopefully this doesn't last long.

Not Around Much This Week

I am around, just not on the computer much. I am having what is affectionately called a staycation. This is where you take your vacation time, but don't actually leave town. I think staycationers are supposed to do day trips to the beach or museum or something in their local area to relax and save money at the same time, but I took the time off to get things around the house completed that I never seem to have time to do. Like clean out my closet and my filing cabinet.

Plus I have not taken more than a couple of days off in the 20 months since the weddding and I am tired!

Of course, I was planning to spend a portion of each day in the pool, and, wouldn't you know it? It finally rains! We need the rain, because we received almost none in June, but every.single.day?

Oh, well. I am actually at work right this minute. Yesterday was a deadline and I had to come in to see if anyone made it and clean out my emails and voicemails, but I am leaving shortly.

I hope your week is going well.

Let Freedom Ring

I wanted to write something inspirational on this lovely day where we remember those who started this great experiment we call the United States of America. I wanted to write beautifully about the Declaration of Independence and how we see it now, 233 years later.

I just don't think I have that kind of talent, or that kind of time, since we are headed to the lake shortly. But Mustang Bobby does. Read his thoughts and then, if you have time, read the Declaration. We aren't perfect, but we are the best experiment going.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July.

Happy Birthday America.

I Wish This Was Good-bye!

Sarah Palin is stepping down on July 26th as Governor of Alaska. Why? Why knows?

I was thrilled when I first heard this; I thought that maybe she had realized that she was way out her league and over her head and that she would serve Alaska, this country, and the world better if she returned to car pooling and hockey momming and putting lipstick on her pit bull. Alas, I am probably wrong.

Most likely she is stepping down to stick her nose into the rest of the business of the country and possibly get more coverage for her 2012 campaign.

Hey, more power and press coverage to her, I say. The more she appears publicly; the more stupid she appears.

And, part of me felt sorry for the people of Alaska, but the other part was, "You were stupid enough to elect her, you deserve what you get."

Say It Ain't So!

According to a report by CBS news, Sarah Palin is, are you ready for it? A liar!

The entire point of this article seems to be showing that ol' Sarah and the McCain staff didn't get a long very well. But what I got out of it was the fact that she was trying to cover up her husband's involvement in the Alaskan Independence Party. He was a member. He wanted Alaska to be its own country and his wife was a candidate for Vice-President of the very country he no longer wanted to be a part of. And she wants to run for President in 2012.

And the Republican party does not seem to think this is an issue?

I think it is an issue.

No More Contractors!

Ok, the house looks great! New windows, new siding, new gutters, new shutters. Pretty much, except for the garage door (which should probably go on the list!) and the roof, which was replaced in '03, the entire exterior of the house is brand new.

But I was absolutely sick and tired of contractors all around the house all day. Many mornings someone was here before I went to work and still here when I arrived home. They were nice guys and did an excellant job, but I am so glad they are gone!

I will get some pictures posted as soon as I take the time to download them from the camera!

A Quick Water Update

Just to let everyone know, I did shower with HOT water this morning. I got it so hot in their I had to put on my makeup in the dining room or risk passing out. Ooops.

The line was accidentally cut and we were concerned that another line would have to be run the entire length of the house. The circuit breaker is at one end of the house and the hot water heater is at the other. But DSD said a junction box was installed instead. It took them less than 2 hours and only cost $180.00. The vinyl siding guy is going to charge us $180 less so it didn't cost us anything.

I think we should split the difference though. It was an accident and he has gone out of his way on more than one occasion to help us out. I haven't mentioned this to DSD yet, but I hope he will be onboard with it.

I love HOT water!

It Wasn't a Big Deal

My little brother played Little League baseball, basketball and a couple of years of football. We spent a lot of time at the city park when we were kids and most of the young boys (very few girls in those days) were the same from season to season and sport to sport. We were kids, they were kids, my brother played ball, I hung out with the older brothers and sisters of the kids playing and my parents sat with all of the other parents cheering for the kids. Well, my dad coached a lot so he was on the field.

One of the boys was my brother's age and played with him in baseball and basketball. We'll call him Chuck. He was an adorable kid, blond hair, blue eyes, freckles across the bridge of his nose. Chuck lived an all female household with his mom, his little sister and his Cindy. The four of them were a family. The mother (I have no idea what her name was) and Cindy were at every game, every practice. Sometimes Cindy (who was an excellant ballplayer herself according to my dad) helped out with practices.

Now I grew up in a small town in NW Florida, a place we lovingly call LA for Lower Alabama. Not the most sophisticated place in the world and this was the mid to late 70s and early 80s, but no one thought about the fact that Chuck had 2 moms. The women were not ostracized or ignored, the kids were not teased or taunted. I remember a brief moment of "Ewwww" when I found out the 2 women slept in the same bed, but I was older then and fairly self absorbed so I'm certain my thoughts went immediately back to self. And while I don't actually remember the conversation, I am positive my parents delivered the information in a straight-forward matter of fact way and moved on.

So a recent CNN article on children of homosexuals saddened me

Dealing with teasing from classmates and the community isn't so easy, same-sex children say. It's not unusual to hear children of same-sex couples say that they were teased by classmates, but some of that may depend on their age and where they grew up.

Maybe it was easier for Chuck and his sister because there had been a father in the picture somewhere, originally. Maybe it was easier because he had a mom and a Cindy and not 2 people wanting him to call them mom. Maybe it was easier because, for all our small town ways, we didn't seem really judgemental. Maybe I was kid and have no idea what those 2 women went through to be together. But, at the ballpark, they were always treated as just another family there to support their son.

Where Did My Weekend Go?

I am back at work (shhhh!) and happy to be here. Maybe I can get some rest!

My plan for Saturday was to be up by 9, bathe Lola, then myself and be at my parents' by 11 for several hours of pea shelling. The best laid plans, you know.

BabyBoy texted me a little after 9 to let me know he needed coolant for his car.. and had no money, so Lola's bath was postponed, so I could get to the bank and deposit some money in his account. (Yes, he is spoiled)

I showered before I went to the bank with.no.hot.water. DSD was preparing to paint the hallway bathroom as I got out of the shower telling him the water never heated up. He went and played around with the hot water heater only to discover there was no power to it. Apparently the man installing the vinyl siding hit something electrical on Friday (he did tell DSD this on Friday morning) and, from what we could figure, it cut the power line to the water heater. Call an electrician out on Saturday? Suck it up for the weekend? We sucked it up. But the electrician was at my house before I left for work this morning.

I finally arrived at my parents' a little after noon. I was late leaving the house, plus there was a 4 vehicle accident on the way. They had already started the shelling so I got right to it and shelled and shelled and shelled. Until after 9pm. Wow! And we weren't finished, but I was tired, my back hurt and I still had at least a 45 minute drive home.

It was great to spend time with my parents, but I honestly didn't expect to be there that long. I had taken Lola with me to see how she would do and she was an angel. But she was starving by the time we got home. She seems to be weaning herself off 2 feedings a day and she barely eats in the mornings. And I didn't take any food for her; I fully expected to be home by dinner time.

Sunday morning began with blanching and freezing the peas I had brought home with me. Scrubbing down the hall bathroom (which DSD did manage to paint on Saturday) so the shower was useable and then helping BabyBoy move home. Then, cleaning our bathroom, showering in a cold shower and making a quick trip to the grocery store.

I barely read my book all weekend and didn't play my video game at all! What is up with that?

This afternoon I am treating myself to a manicure and pedicure and 2 hours of complete relaxation!

Sarah Palin, Give It Up, You Are Not Funny.

Ok, well, sometimes her accent is funny, but her cutsie thing during the campaign always made me want to vomit.

And, now, she makes fun of John Kerry's face?

"But the way he said it, he looked quite frustrated, and he looked so sad, and I just wanted to reach out to the TV and say, 'John Kerry, why the long face?"

Except that isn't funny. Governor Sarah Palin, right wing nutjob, alleged Christian, making fun of someone for the face given to them by God Almighty? Why would she do that?

The Boston Herald reported that on Wednesday, before South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's exact whereabouts were widely known, the Massachusetts senator mused to reporters the wrong elected official had dropped out of sight.
"Too bad if a governor had to go missing it couldn't have been the governor of Alaska," he said, according to the paper. "You know, Sarah Palin."

Now that's funny.

Tsk tsk, Sarah. What would Jesus do?

Maybe, in Memory of Michael, we should take these words to heart

And For a World That is Mourning

The best, brightest and most caring of a generation of immense musical talent.

Thank You for the Music

I refuse to remember the laughingstock he became.

I refuse to remember the blanket covered baby, nicknamed Blanket, dangling over a balcony.

I refuse to remember the pedophile's oddly misshapen nose in court.

I refuse to remember the bankrupt whiner swearing he would never return to this country which had treated him so badly.

I am going to remember the music.

The #1 selling album of all time.

The most amazing, show stopping video of all time.

The voice.

The baby faced singer leading his 4 older brothers on stage.

The moonwalk.



This is the Michael Jackson I want to, and will, remember. The boy. The voice. The music.

Thank you for the music, Michael. May your rest be ever so much more peaceful than your life ever was. My thoughts are with your children in this awful time in their lives. RIP

Who Didn't Love Her?

Who didn't want to be her?

I watched the premier of Charlie's Angels as only a rapt 10 year old girl with her entire life before her possibly could. Those women were cool! They were hot! And they could run in heels! (Not sure why they didn't kick them off, but still.)

I loved her as Jill Monroe and always looked forward to her brief returns to the show.

I was sad when she and Lee divorced and she became, once again, Farrah Fawcett, instead of Farrah Fawcett-Majors.

I thought she showed the critics who called her only another pretty face in, first, "The Burning Bed," and then, amazingly, in "Extremities." (That movie still creeps me out)

There was always a girl next door quality to her. There was always a feeling that you could run into her at the mall and she would be happy to sit down and talk about shoe shopping with you.

And, if you saw the recently aired "Farrah's Story" on TV, you know that she has given everything she has to others so they will know the horrors of this cancer and what it can do. Maybe Congress should watch it and understand that, if she had not had money, she would have been gone two and a half years ago.

Farrah Fawcett has passed away after a 3 year long battle with anal cancer. My heart breaks for her family; long time partner, Ryan O'Neal; her poor father, who has now lost 2 daughters to cancer; and her only child who must now find his way without her.

RIP Farrah. You will be missed.

It Was For Sex

Damn, I was hoping that the missing South Carolina governor was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, but (as I listen to his news conference over the phone) I am discovering that he disappeared to have sex with some woman in Argentina.

What an ass.

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

I loved that show when BabyBoy was young. It is really great for teaching geography, which is not one of my best subjects. The world is a big ol' place and I don't know where 99% of it is.

However, just for the record, I can come pretty close to the Appalachian Trail on a map. I could even get in my car right this minute and drive there in a couple of days. I mean, get real, it is mountains and it is north east of here. I should eventually run into it.

I can not, however, get in my car and drive to Argentina in a couple of days. Hmmmm, can I even drive all the way to Argentina? And, if I can, I would at least have to run by my house for my passport. Argentina, you see, is not in the United States. It is not even in North America. And I didn't have to Google it to find out. I actually already knew it.

So how exactly did Gov Mark Sanford end up in Argentina when he told his staff he was hiking the Appalacian Trail? And why didn't his wife know where he was?

There is something really fishy in Denmark, I mean, South Carolina. They are practically the same thing, aren't they?

After Another Trip to the Doctor

I have some answers. Woo Hoo!

Discoid Lupus (aka skin lupus or cutaneous lupus). Of all the possible diagnosis available under the "collagen vascular" umbrella, this one was the best. The rheumotologist asked me a lot of questions, checked my joints, looked at what is left of my rash (it is barely there now) and said there wasn't a lot he could do for me. I don't have pain. My rash is almost gone. My joints and/or lymph nodes are not swollen. He said to keep using the cream (pretty significant chance the rash will return in the same or another place) and let him know if anything changes.

I am not positive why my regular doctor could not tell me all of that, except maybe it was to ensure a spot with this guy, in case things get worse. They could. But, then again, they may not. So there is no need to borrow trouble.

I am working on getting the entire family back on an eating plan that is healthier for us, including lean meats, more fresh fruits and vegetables and less pre-packaged crap. :-) Less sodium and less MSG. I am also trying to up the amount of exercise I am getting, but it is difficult to spend much time outside when the heat index has been in triple digits for the past week and the one time I took Lola for a walk after dark something bit me, four times.

But this has been an eye opening experience and I do realize that I need to take better care of myself.

I'm not 18 anymore.

Happy Father's Day!

Originally published in 2008.


To my dad, who is the absolutely most wonderful dad in the world. Sure, we went weeks without speaking to each other during my teen years. Sure, he told me (at the top of his lungs) I was making a mistake when I decided to marry the X (and he was right!). Sure, he could be tardy when I needed a ride and managed to find SOMEONE he knew everywhere we went (no joke, we were on our way down a ski lift in Gatlinburg, TN and there was a guy at the bottom calling my dad's name!)

But he was always there. Everytime I did anything, whether cheerleading, band, chorus, softball, basketball or the time I was picked to do my Helen Keller in 6th grade in front of the PTA. And he is always there to this day. I could pick up the phone right now and say, "Daddy, I need ..." I would have it if it was within his power.

My wish is that every little girl have a Daddy like mine. The world would be a much better place.

I love you, Dad.

It Was a Fly

We've all seen video or read an article about President Obama's impressive fly killing ability. I, for one, don't consider this an actual news story, so I haven't paid a lot of attention.

Until now.

Because PETA apparently thought he should not have killed it.

The group has sent Obama a device that traps a fly so it can then be released outside.

It was a fly.

And he did give it a warning.

Maybe PETA should be a little more concerned about things that really matter. Cruelty to animals is unacceptable, but I wish I had been faster last night in fly killing while walking Lola. I was bitten four separate times by what I assume were yellow flies. I wasn't bothering them, why did they have to bother me? I would have gladly killed them if I had seen them.

I Beat Snopes!

As I mentioned just a few weeks ago in this post, I spent a very long Friday night searching for information on whether graduates at the United States Naval Academy were barred from wearing their ceremonial swords due to the visit of President Obama.

Snopes.com was one of the first places I checked and they had no information on this issue. But now they do! In their What's New section is a link titled Ceremonial Swords where they debunk the myth also.

But I did it first!

I am so proud!

Missing You!

How can you miss someone you have never met? Never spoken to? Never known their real name?

I am here to tell you that you can.

I was just checking some of my blog links and I came across Mustang Bobby's latest post letting Blogland know that Andante, author of Collective Sigh, passed away on Tuesday June 16, 2009 after a battle with cancer.

I never met her, but I admired everything about her. She was always so upbeat in her postings, even in the ones that blasted people. We all knew she was fighting a long, difficult battle, but her hope convinced me personally that she would make it. Each time her postings lagged, I was concerned, but I knew in my heart that she would beat this horrible disease.

Sadly, she did not and she is gone. My heart is breaking for her husband and beloved daughter. May they get through this with loving memories of her.

RIP Andante, you will be missed more than you ever could have known.

A Little Power Hungry Maybe?

I understand that things are different today than they were when I graduated 24 years ago and a very large beach ball bounced over my head during the graduation ceremony. Certainly they are different than they were when my brother graduated 21 years ago and handed the principal a condom in exchange for his diploma. Schools are stricter now in some ways (and, sadly, not as strict in others), but some things should not be up to the school administration. The young man in this video was singled out for nothing more than being slightly exuberant.

While we've all heard sad tales of high school students not being allowed to graduate at the last moment because of senior pranks gone wrong, a student losing his diploma for blowing a kiss to his mother as he walked the commencement stage has to be a first.

Really? This is not acceptable. Something needs to be done about power hungry school administrators.

And just for the record, my son did not receive his diploma at the time he graduated. No one did. He received it a week later, but graduation was 2 weeks before school actually let out.

And when I graduated from the local community college on Mother's Day, I didn't receive my diploma for almost a month.

Am I The Only One Having Problems with Blogger? UPDATED

I have a YouTube video to display and comments to make on it, but Blogger isn't letting me paste the embed code. I have tried every way I know how and there is not an option to paste the information. Is it Blogger or is it my stupid new IE8.0?

What a pain!

For some reason, I am not longer allowed to paste to Blogger in the "Compose" window, only in the "Edit Html" window. How dumb is that? I am assuming this is a Microsoft issue, not a Blogger one. I think I have IE6.0 at work, so I will test this on Monday.

Home Improvement

I was on travel last week for work and did not think about taking any 'before' pictures before I left. By the time I thought about it, some of the work was already completed, but DSD did a decent job of capturing what was going on. The previous windows (installed in 1985 when the house was built) had black frames. The new ones are white and the difference is amazing.

The front of the house 'before.' We are looking at the sofit (the part at the very top)

The sofit 'after.'

One of the new windows in the living room. DSD forgot to get any before pictures of the regular windows.

The bay window before.

The bay window with no windows. That is a fairly big hole in my wall.

Big hole seen from outside.

And the new bay window. It makes the dining room look so much larger.

More pictures next week after the vinyl siding is up! Hopefully this will help our energy bill for the rest of the summer and into the winter.

Too Little?

I understand that President Obama has a lot on his plate right now. I understand that this country seems to be sliding down a mountain with no brakes and he only has so much time in a day to accomplish the many, many, many things that need to be done.

I also understand (from my blog reading) that there are some in the GLBT community who are not happy with the fact that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has not been repealed. I do believe it needs to be repealed, but I do not know that it should be #1 on the President's agenda. Of course, I am not homosexual and, if the issue were women's rights, I may well feel differently. So I don't judge.

Today, however, the President will be signing a memo giving "health care and other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees." This is a wonderful step, but it feels like a slap in the face to me after he just defended the Defense of Marriage Act. Believe whatever you want on same-sex marriage, but the DOMA is clearly unconstitutional. Article IV Section 1 clearly states, "Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof."

Which means the very second ONE STATE granted same sex couples the right of marry, every other state had to, by LAW, accept those marriages and treat them as such. The other states do not have to allow the marriages to occur in their state, but they have to accept them.

President Obama is not a moron. I am certain he understands far more about the U.S. Constitution than I do.

So why is he willfully going against it?

Sarah Palin, would you please shut up?

Your phony concern about men who joke 'about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls' is just that, phony.

If you were concerned about the exploitation of our children, male or female, you would not have run all over the country with your winking and your inane bullshit doing everything in your power to set back women's rights 100 years. If you were concerned about our children, you would not be so quick to deny them the right to a better PUBLIC education, sex education, or birth control. You certainly would not have put your pregnant 17 year old daughter in the public eye as much as you did, spoke so lovingly about her future husband and then turned your back on him.

I do not understand how the people of Alaska elected you governor. I do not understand why John McCain picked you to be his Vice-Presidential candidate. I do not understand why you can't just go back to Alaska now. Letterman apologized. You accepted.

Now.Please.Go.Away.

Babbling About Everything And Nothing

Last week I was at a seminar in Jacksonville without my computer. Since I have a desktop, it would have been a little difficult to take it with me. I meant to make a quick post mentioning that I was going to be away, but time got away from me.

The seminar was interesting, for the most part, and informative, for the most part, but Jacksonville was as hot as Hades. 95 degrees F with 100% humidity every day. Stepping outside felt like trying to breathe underwater. We get that here in Bay County, but not until mid-August. I am so glad I do not live in Jacksonville.

I returned home to new soffit (sp?) and facia (sp?) around the top of my house. I shall return home from work today to some new windows (Energy Star! Lower the Electric Bill! Tax Rebates 2009 only!) I spoke to DSD about an hour ago and the installers seems to be averaging a window an hour so they should be mostly finished by the time I get home, except for the big bay window in the dining room which will most likely take all day tomorrow. It is built to 1985 code so has to be updated to 2009 code. That window alone is costing as much as the other 8 combined. But it is going to look so great when they are finished and should save us a fortune in heating and cooling since we are pretty sure that window is where most of the energy waste is.

Next week the vinyl siding will be placed around the new windows. I am going to have a completely new exterior. Unfortunately, I am also going to be out of money so the interior is going to have to wait!

I have an appointment with the Rheumotologist on Jun 23 which will probably include more blood work and still no answers, but my rash is looking so much better. Honestly, unless you know what you are looking for it is almost gone. Except for the scar from the punch biopsy. I'm pretty sure she should have used more than two stitches.

It looks like BabyBoy will be moving home before the end of the month. He has discovered that living paycheck to paycheck while saving nothing and not having much money to spend on fun is not where he wants to be. So we will be spending this weekend painting his room because I want it done before he moves back in there!

I am slowly catching up on all my blog reading, but I am not taking a lot of time to comment. I don't have that much time! I will be back to daily reading, eventually.

Health Update

I had a followup appointment with my family physician yesterday. According to him, my test results did not appear to be systemic Lupus. It may still be what I call "skin Lupus*" but that is treatable with creams and such and the rash on my left arm does not appear to be quite as red or quite as large as it was just a week ago.

So this is good news.

EXCEPT, he still used the words "collagen vascular disorder." So, of course I googled this when I got to work. And none of it was good. Even if it is only "skin Lupus" it can change later and become systemic and of all the associated diseases that can be found on MedicineNet or Answers.com none of them are pleasant.

A properly functioning immune system protects the body against infection, however, in cases of autoimmunity, including collagen vascular diseases, the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues. Antibodies may be targeted against antigens in the blood, skin, muscles and other organs, resulting in chronic inflammation and gradual degeneration of the affected tissues.

Ewwwww.

So I am being shipped to the rheumatologist for further poking, prodding and testing. I have an appointment on Jun 23, which is about 2 months earlier than I expected to see him.

Just another waiting game until then.

Thank you to everyone who commented. It was nice to know you were thinking about me.

*Really called Cutaneous lupus erythematosus. And you can click that link and see all sorts of rashes. Of course none of them look like mine. Not.One.

The Unexplained Rash

I have a rash. On my upper left arm. It was on the upper section of both arms when I originally saw it, 1 day over 5 weeks ago now, but the right arm has cleared up considerably. Except for the red dot I noticed this morning which may or may not be the same thing.

I work with medical doctors and I use their knowledge shamelessly. They can not treat me, if treatment is needed, but I use them to decide if treatment is needed, antibiotics or testing. I showed 4 of them this rash. They all said the same thing, "Hmmmm, isn't that interesting." Not helpful at all.

One said it looked like bed bugs. It isn't, but it does look like the pictures of bed bug bites on the 'net.

My rash does not itch. It is possible that I have had it for more than 5 weeks, because the only way I noticed it was looking into a mirror without a shirt on.

So 2 weeks and 3 days ago I went to see a dermatologist. Ok, a dermatologist's P.A., but it was in the dermatologist's office. She said, "Hmmmm, isn't that interesting," and took a plug out of my arm. This is called a punch biopsy, because it is like using a hole punch to remove skin. I didn't look until the 2 stitches were completed. I had no interest in seeing down to the fat layer of my arm.

The PA called me on Tuesday 19 May, 6 days after I was there to tell me the biopsy showed a "collagen vascular disorder." I wrote it down, so I could google it later. Then she dropped the bomb, "Lupus." She did explain that this was not certain and that we would need blood tests to confirm or refute this. I was still slightly hysterical, but my work doctors said not to be. They did say she should never have mentioned the word, but that blood tests would probably show this was incorrect. So off I went to give blood on the 20th, expecting the results (because that is what I was told) on the 22nd. Nothing.

I waited patiently until Thursday the 28th. Then I called. Then I played phone tag, then the PA called again and told me it was fact. I have Lupus.

Except I may not have it.

My work doctors, without access to my lab work, said the chances that one test proved Lupus was slim.

My family doctor, who finally had to send someone to the dermatologist's office to pick up my paperwork, because only 2 of the 3 pages had been faxed to them, said it was possible, but not all that likely.

So I gave more blood yesterday and I have a follow up appointment with my family doctor next Thursday, the 4th. Hopefully I will have some answers then, but it is possible that I will only have more questions.

Until then I wait.

I Wish I Could Find That 'Blog Again!**UPDATED**

On the night after President Obama gave the address to the Naval Academy graduates, I was clicking around the Web, probably bored, possibly actually looking for something, who knows? I seem to have wandered into a 'blog that I don't normally read. Or maybe it was a 'blog I do normally read and they were having an "I am a liar and I hate President Obama" moment, I am not sure.

Either way the post I read was complaining that the graduates were not allowed to wear their ceremonial swords because of security reasons, simply because the President was going to be there.

Hmmmm, I said. I googled it. I snopesed it. I searched everywhere I could find and found one vague reference (on a blog!) to the swords and the fact that they had not been worn since 9/11.

Where do I find this information? Where do I look? I am really curious now.

So I emailed the Naval Academy. And waited. And waited. And waited.

Frankly, I had forgotten about it and now, today, I receive an email back from them (THANK YOU!) with an answer.

My email:


Good evening,

I was happy to see President Obama's speech to the 2009 Naval Academy Graduates, but I have heard a lot of grumbling about the fact that the graduates were not allowed to wear their swords to the ceremony. I saw somewhere that this has been the policy since 9/11, but it was not on any official site. Has this been the policy since 9/11 or was this a new policy specifically for President Obama's address?

Thank you for your time and attention in this matter,

LeftLeaningLady*
Navy Spouse (retired)
AF Veteran

Their answer:

Ma’am,

Swords have never been worn to graduation by Midshipmen or others anytime in recent memory. They are only worn for ceremonial purposes such as parades, and then only by Brigade Officers.

Respectfully

Unfortunately I do not remember which blasted website had the original post! How annoying.

But I know the truth and will be able to pass it on to anyone else I find who does not know what they are talking about. On this subject. Because it comes up so often.

*Yes, I signed my real name in the email.

**UPDATE**
Apparently I did NOT read a 'blog whining about this. On Friday afternoons, DSD and I have drinks with friends. There are a large group of people we know who go to this same bar. I like it on the Fridays I get off work early enough to drive home first, so that DSD can drive us both to the bar. (Many Fridays I don't get off work early, then I am stuck drinking mostly soda). Apparently on the night in question, I had gotten off work early, DSD had driven us both and I had, to put it politely, over-imbibed. On the way home DSD told me about one of the guys complaining about this. "It was a great speech, but it is ridiculous that the graduates were not allowed to wear their swords." So, the result was the same. I found the answer. I will print the email and carry it around with me until I run into this man again, since he may or may not be there this Friday. I just figured I should confess my drunken state. Still the email I sent to the Academy was pretty well written for a drunk a$$.

Shame on Them

Banning gay marriage is just wrong. It is illegal and immoral and, while voters have the excuse of stupidity, the California Supreme Court should not. The Constitution gives equal protection to all.

Let's start accepting each other as we are or we are never going to move past this nightmare we are in.

Heartbreaking

I can not imagine how a person survives the death of a child. I hope I never find out.

My sympathy goes out to the Tyson family in the loss of their 7 year old daughter.

Gone too soon. Rest in Peace, little miss.

No One Is Perfect

After seeing that President Obama had made his announcement for his Supreme Court nominee, I checked several different news pages to try to form an opinion of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. There are things to like about her, of course, but I am not sure I am happy with her for this position. There seems to be several issues that I am not comfortable with, but the main one is whether or not she is going to vote based on the Constitution or based on some other criteria. Some things she has said made it sound like she would be going with the latter.

I hope not. I hope I misunderstood and she is going to do a great job.

Time will tell.

Fun On a Rainy Saturday

The weather here is atrocious. Rain. Wind. Nasty. I have to go grocery shopping shortly and I am dreading it. So it was a nice thing to find a little Saturday morning memory over at UncommonSense. I have so many favorites I can't even remember them all. But this has always been one of my favorite favorites, maybe because I remember an entire class humming this tune on an AP History test.



Have a great weekend.

He Can Crawl Back Under His Rock Now

I remember thinking, in the days and weeks post 9/11, that hadn't seen ol' Dick in a while. Honestly, I wondered at times if he had died and BushCo was afraid to announce it because they had the entire nation whipped into such a fear frenzy that it may push us over the edge.

Alas, he was there the entire time, pulling the puppet strings from behind the curtain.

I miss the days when he was MIA. Could he just go away and STFU?

Believing in the CIA

The CIA has been in the news a lot latey, claiming that the entire Congress (but especially Nancy Pelosi) knew exactly when the torture started and how it was being done and that they (she) had approved it and it just wasn't their fault. Following orders, you know.*

Ms. Pelosi is not very popular across America, although she does not seem to have a lot of trouble getting re-elected to her seat. I don't pay a lot of attention to the hoopla surrounding her. She is from a different state and I can not vote for her or for her opponent and I have a difficult enough time following the bozos.. I mean, politicians, in my own state.

But this is the same CIA who fed us information on WMDs. Non-existent WMDs. WMDs which led to a war that has cost this country far more than any dollar amount could explain.

Plus, there is old Newt screaming about her. Screaming that there should be an investigation into what she did or didn't know. Can that be proven at all, either way? Why isn't Newt screaming about those who have ADMITTEDLY authorized the torture?

And why isn't anyone other than NPR carrying this story about former FL Senator Bob Graham?

former Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, is also disputing the CIA's version of the briefings that he received at the time.
...
Graham is known as a meticulous note-taker and has maintained a daily log that fills hundreds of spiral notebooks
...
I called the CIA and asked for the dates in which I had been briefed," Graham tells Robert Siegel. "They gave me four: two in April of '02, two in September."
Graham says he consulted his logs "and determined that on three of the four dates there was no briefing held."
He adds: "On one date, Sept. 27, '02, there was a briefing held and, according to my notes, it was on the topic of detainee interrogation."

Because corroboration of her story makes her seem slight less insane? Sen Graham does go on to say that waterboarding and other torture techniques were not mentioned. At.All.

And he makes the same connection I did above about the CIA and the WMDs, but does a better job of it.

Maybe the CIA needs to rethink its approach to this issue and go back to pointing the finger at those who authorized this stain (one in a long line) on America.

* The military are required to follow orders, but only those considered "lawful" and active duty military personnel can be prosecuted for following "unlawful" orders, as can be seen by the Abu Ghraib scandal. If 18 or 19 kids are supposed to be able to tell the difference, why aren't the grown up in the CIA being held accountable?

I Like Sharing Good News!

Even when it proves that I can be wrong occassionally.

BabyBoy has been looking for work just like the rest of the country. He is 20 with very little experience outside of fast food, but he called a couple of weeks ago and asked me to help him with his resume. He and one of his roommates had created one for him. Could I look it over and print it for him? (They don't have a printer)

It sucked. I fixed it and the entire time I was thinking, "How is having a resume going to help him? Fill out an application, get a job! What a waste of time!" But I did it for him, changing things in it from "cleaning" to "ensuring area met all sanitary guidelines" because it sounds better.

I also added all of his theatre work, 2 roles and 4 times as a technician to show that he HAS been busy even when he hasn't been employed.

He called yesterday! He has a job! Full time. Ok, seasonal, but still.

And that blasted resume is what got it for him. He went to a local 'resort' (I like to call it a hotel, but whatever) and was filling out an application for a desk clerk or something and he handed his resume to the HR person. Well, I guess this particular resort has a kids camp and would BabyBoy like to spend his summer dressing up like a pirate or a parrot and entertaining the little darlings? And when he isn't doing that, would he like to arrange Rock Band competitions for the teenagers? And, since this is a brand new game, would he like to PLAY the game, ON THE CLOCK, to open up the songs which are not yet opened?

Of course he would. He starts tomorrow!

So, I was wrong about the resume. AND all those times I told him, "Playing video games is not going to help you in your future!"

I'm okay with being wrong. Just.This.Once.

I Are a Graduate!

After 24 years and four different majors (I think only 4) I have finally attained an Associates Degree from the local Community College. Due to my misspent youth, I missed cum laude by .8 of a point. Oh, well, better luck next time.

I am taking the summer off and plan to start at Troy University in the fall. That is the plan, we will see how it works!

For now, I am just basking in a job well done!

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom did not have the easiest life growing up. She was the youngest girl of many children whose parents were... well, they sucked. She was not shown love, respect or taught how to love or respect others. She wasn't really raised; she just survived.

She swore that when she had children their lives would be different. She was going to be a good mother.

And she has been. She has been the best mother that any girl could have asked for. She has been there for me every single time I have needed her or thought that I needed her and many many many times when I didn't know that I needed her. She never got beyond a high school diploma. She never made millions. But she definitely attained her goal of being a good mother.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you!

Oh The Horror!

Some people in this world need to get a life.





Just for the record, I don't eat a lot of mustard.

But my husband eats his hamburgers with mustard and mayo (NO KETCHUP!) and, if we have it in the house, he prefers spicy mustard. According to him, that is the way an average guy eats his burgers. This isn't news.

H/T to Badtux

I Don't Like What She Says

Or, frankly, what she believes in. But I do believe in the Bill of Rights, so I will respect her right to believe in it and say it.

That seems to be the difference between people like me, compassionate, caring, liberal and people who are not like me, hate filled, war mongering, conservatives. Liberals believe in the Bill of Rights and a person's right to their own thoughts, feelings, beliefs. Conservatives believe in telling people they should shut up and sit down or get out of the country.

Carrie Prejean has every right to the belief that homosexuals should not be allowed to marry. She also has the right to SAY that homosexuals should not be allowed to marry. That does not give her, or the state of California (or any other state) the right to not allow homosexuals to marry.

It also does not give something called "The Dirty" the right to bad mouth her about tastefully done modeling photographs or call her a whore.

Carrie Prejean is illinformed, due to her upbringing and her inability to allow a fresh thought in her head. But that is her right.

Just as it should be the right of couples over the age of 18 to pledge their undying, forever love to each other.

One day, maybe, the Bill of Rights will cover both.

Happy Birthday Lola!

Ok, she is the dog. But she has brought so much joy to my life! She is so happy, so loving and it so great to go home to her after a long day at work.

We're not having a doggy party. And she is not getting a doggy cake (why would I feed my dog cream cheese?). But I do have a nice present for her and a can of dog food, which we save for special occassions.

I hope her birthday is wonderful and she has many, many, many more of them.

What is Best for our Daughters?

I do not have a daughter. I always wanted one, but it just never happened, so I celebrate my son and wish to one day hold a granddaughter in my arms. Maybe if I had a living, breathing daughter, I would feel differently, but I do not have a problem with 17 year old girls having the ability to buy Plan B. I, personally, do not have a problem with girls younger than 17 having the ability to buy Plan B. Without their parent's permission. Without a doctor.

There are those who disagree with me.

Mike Galanos, who hosts "Prime News" from 5-7 pm ET Monday-Friday on CNN's Headline News apparently disagrees with me.

He argues that because a prescription is required for birth control pills, one should be required for Plan B. He argues that states that allow abortion without parental consent are wrong and that wrongness should not be perpetuated by other wrongs.

The argument he uses that really gets to me, though, is this one:

We are making it available to high school girls. We're enabling teenagers to act carelessly with an easy way out. During a recent discussion on my show, Jackie Morgan MacDougall, supervising producer of the Web site Momlogic.com, said it best. "Teenagers are known for thinking they're untouchable and here we are saying that they can continue to do that and that there aren't any consequences." With Plan B, they can do it now and deal with it later.

Don't tell me high school dynamics won't play in here. The boyfriend will talk his girlfriend into unprotected sex with the promise of buying the "morning after pill" the next day. Any 17-year-old boy will be able to buy this drug, just as any 17-year-old girl will.

Isn't this the same logic used by the right wingers to deny their daughters Gardisil? That vaccinating a teen against HPV is giving them permission to have sex? And what teenager, in the throes of passion, is thinking long term consequences? I would rather have my daughter (or my son, for that matter) wake up the next morning and think, "Oh crap, we didn't use a condom," and head right down to the pharmacy.

In a perfect world that teenager would want to speak with a parent about what had happened. Would want the parents input into their lives. In a perfect world, the parent would already know that child was sexually active and would not come unglued. How many of us live in a perfect world?

And the child who has been raped? By her father or step father? Whose own mother does not believe her? Who is going to take that child to a doctor for a prescription for Plan B? No one. Who is going to sign the paperwork allowing her to have an abortion? No one. So now she has been raped twice, once by the rapist and once by society.

Teens are going to have sex. There is nothing we can do to stop it short of locking them in the basement. I prefer that those teens have 100% of the information available and 100% of the alternatives available. Maybe that will stop unwanted pregnancies. Maybe that will slow down the downward spiral into poverty in this country.