Evolution of Dance

Happy New Year Everybody!!!!

Bittersweet Ending

I'm ready, or at least I thought I was ready. I'm ready to dismantle the tree, and put all the decorations away. I already put away my Christmas dishes so the ball is rolling. I feel somewhat refreshed and renewed this time of year. I'm ready to watch HGTV to get some new ideas, and I am ready to declutter, and unload a lot of items. This is the time that I love to spring clean. Tonight as I sit and peruse my first issue of Martha Stewart Living, I noticed that the cover consists mainly of whites and yellows. As refreshing as a fresh cut lemon. I'm ready.

And then I had to go look to see what was recorded on the DVR. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas. Suddenly I don't feel so eager to move on with things. It isn't even New Years yet and I'm suddenly so sad. I'm so sad that the culmunation leading up to that one glorious day is over. I'm so sad that once again it all has to come down for another three hundred and some odd days. I'm so sad that time is going by so fast and I feel like I'm stuck spinning in the wind. My children will never again be 8 and 6 at Christmas. I'm so sad that in the whirlwind of time, I never did get my Christmas cards out.

I thought I was ready. I really did... and I am, but I'm also sad too. It's a bittersweet ending.

HOB JOBS

"Mom" he declares, "I want the Ove Glove for hob jobs around the house". " Hob jobs around the house?" I question. "Yep. That way when I get older, I have the ove glove for hob jobs and I can make money".

Child B is so eloquent, and so matter of fact. Plus he has such a conscience. The other day while we were out, he said something he shouldn't have. Of course Child A was right there to point the finger. "MOM! He said the B word!". "What did you say Greg?" I asked sternly. And there it was... coming out of my precious childs mouth were the words, "Son of a B****". Immediately, Child A bursts into laughter. Of course, I do too, but don't want him to see me. I could NOT believe my child just said it AGAIN... even though I asked him to. I honestly thought he would say, "I said the B word". But NOPE... he said it and used it in a sentence too!

"If I EVER hear that word or any other bad word, come out of your mouth again, I PROMISE you that you will have soap in your mouth!" End of subject.

Shortly after we arrived home, the kids got ready for bed. I came out of the hallway, to find Greg sitting on the hearth of the fireplace, rocking back and forth, sobbing... holding onto a stuffed Santa. Quite alarmed and sympathetic I asked, "WHAT is wrong?" "I'm getting coal. I just know I'm getting coal. I said the MOTHER of all bad words and I feel so guilty". Speechless. I felt HORRIBLE for him in that very moment and realized how sensitive he is, and that he does indeed feel guilt. Horrendous, looming, elephant on your back, guilt. I reassured him that everyone makes mistakes, and that I was fairly sure he would NOT get coal for Christmas.

Never have I seen a child mind his P's and Q's as much as he did from that day forward... and Santa did NOT leave him coal. In fact, he made out quite well. Lucky boy.

Santa Baby...

Write an AFLAC check out for me... Puhlease...
I got injured playing the Wii... yippie...

Get a Wii for Christmas?

Make SURE the floor is clear when you are playing... and that there are NO toy helicopters for you to land on. Yep. Rotator blade... right into the bottom of my heel.

They don't call me Grace for nothin!

Whats in YOUR stocking???

The Snowman

Merry Christmas!!!

Hilarious Christmas Beer Commercial

Ok, lets try this again...

Pioneer Woman

PW on CNN today!

Hilarious Christmas Beer Commercial

OMG... I can't stop laughing...

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!

Poll Time...

Inquiring minds want to know... do you like receiving Christmas letters in your cards? Today I opened up some of the most wonderful letters. From people that I haven't seen in YEARS!!! Wendi Gallagher... remember her? Great photo came from her along with the news of a new baby in March! And my cousin... his wife homeschools, and they lead a very interesting life. If their kids don't end up being nuclear physicists then something went haywire. They are into so much....

I am debating on doing a letter. There are a lot of people that have no idea what goes on here. But then I think of how boring it is here sometimes. zzzzzzzzzzz... But of course I could go through my blog archives over the past year and pull out the tidbits.

Your thoughts please... Oh and BTW... I'm a crafter. I LOVE paper and usually make my cards, but you know what... Hallmark won. I bought my cards last night because frankly my dear... I just don't have the time right now.

So vote now so I can figure out what to do, because if you know anything about me... I can't make a decision to save my life and by the time I make the decision... the time has run out.... as it did with what card I was going to "make" this year.

Steaming Hot Cup of....

The Starbucks Barista arrived on Monday. THANK YOU Mr. UPS man... for venturing down my knee high, snow covered street.

Since I bought this on Ebay, I was waiting to see what condition it arrived in, before I left feedback. I opened the box, and there it was - packaged better than anything I have EVER received on Ebay before. I pulled it out, set it on the counter, and started removing all of the utensils from the box.

I can't believe I own an espresso machine.

Because it was used once by the previous owner, I thought it necessary to thoroughly clean it, inside and out using Starbucks Descaler. It probably didn't need it, but I am not into other peoples funk.

Two days... It sat for 2 days as I walked by, looking at it.... stalking it.... intimidated by it. Ok, so one of those days I had to work.... but today... today was my day. I woke up with a date with the espresso machine. I bought all the fixings for a Caramel Macchiato or a Cinnamon Dolce Latte (which smells like a warm buttered cinnamon roll btw). Be advised that I drink 1% milk and most times, I get soy in my lattes, so I won't be porking out - more than I have. I have no intentions on making this a daily thing... but $4 per latte, 10x per month.... you do the math.

I followed the instructions and steamed the milk first. Note to self... buy earplugs. I got the milk to 160', then made my 2 shots of espresso. OMG... the color. The way it separated in the shot glasses. 3 PRECISE layers. 2 pumps o' Cinnamon Dolce into the cup. Next in when the shots. Then the milk. YUMMMMMMMMMMMY......

Then for kicks which I don't normally get on my latte's.... whipped cream BECAUSE PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING. As the whipped cream slowly sank down into my cup... it all came together. I could barely stand it. I took a sip.... mmmmmmm warm melty whipped cream..... WONDERFUL.... Morning coffee just got SO much better..... and then I tasted it.....

My VERY first, Homemade Latte.... that tasted EXACTLY LIKE........................HOT MILK -YUK

Next time.... I won't use such a tall cup. lol.

BTW... the kids were eating breakfast, getting ready for school and screwing around the entire time I was at ONE with the machine.

Lash Out...

I Adore These People...

My Mom & Dad

Photo taken 09-14-1996

I know the photo is old... but it is one of my favorites, because there aren't too many photos of the two of them together... at least I don't have that many (remember to change that...).

Today is Sunday. I spent yesterday with my sister, and the kids were with my parents, baking Christmas cookies. They spent the night there, and I spent the night at my sisters.

I woke up early, and went out into the blizzard to pick up my kids. It took me about 20 minutes to clear the 2 feet of snow from my car. The drive to their house was nerve wracking at best. I had atmospheric music on... Thanks to XM Radio Channel 77... to try and keep "breathing".

My parents live in Harrison Township. There is only one road leading to their house. They are sandwiched between Lake Saint Clair and Selfridge Air National Guard Base - which you see on the news frequently.

The road leading in drives next to the fence of SANG, and the Clinton River. When it snows, as it has today, the snow is blown across the airport runways (2 miles of FLAT LAND) and blows all over North River Road. I white knuckled the steering wheel the whole way there. This road winds and curves almost the entire way there. Taking a turn too fast and your car is sliding towards the river, or into oncoming traffic. Today, the road was cleared wide enough for 1 car to fit through... no mather if you were coming in or going out. By the time I reached their house, I was nearly hysterical. I went straight for the bathroom, so I could "let go" and have a quick breakdown. It was that horrendous of a drive... and I had to turn around and go back the other way... with kids.

My parents IMMEDIATELY knew I was a wreck. My mom made me take off my coat and stay. She made me pancakes, sausage and bacon and offered me coffee. Their house was the warmest and most welcoming I had felt in years. Exactly what I needed. As I sat at the table, my Dad came and sat next to me, and broke bread with me.

Shortly after... I was ready to try the journey again... only this time, I wasn't an emotional wreck. Because my parents gave me exactly what I needed. I don't think there is a word to describe what they gave me, but what it was.... it was priceless.

And that is only one small tiny thing out of a million things...

That I adore about my Mom and Dad.

I'm going to hurl....

Where do you put your purse???


This is true see http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/purse.asp

HANDBAGS...Have you ever noticed gals who sit their handbags on public toilet floors then go directly to their dining tables and set it on the table? Happens a lot!It's not always the 'restaurant food' that causes stomach distress.Sometimes "what you don't know 'will' hurt you"!Read on...Mom got so upset when guests came in the door and plopped their handbags down on the counter where she was cooking or setting up food. She always said that handbags are really dirty, because of where they have been.Smart Mom!!!It's something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what's inside our handbags, do you have any idea what's on the outside? Shauna Lake put handbags to the test - for bacteria - with surprising results. You may think twice about where you put your handbag.Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the floor of the car. Most women won't be caught without their handbags, but did you ever stop to think about where your handbag goes during the day?"I drive a school bus, so my handbag has been on the floor of the bus a lot," says one woman. "On the floor of my car, and in toilets." "I put my handbag in grocery shopping carts, on the floor of the toilet," says another woman "and of course in my home which should be clean."We decided to find out if handbags harbor a lot of bacteria. We learned how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake , and then we set out to test the average woman's handbag.Most women told us they didn't stop to think about what was on the bottom of their handbag. Most said at home they usually set their handbags on top of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared.Most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn't be surprised if thei r handbags were at least a little bit dirty. It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked.Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick.In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and that's not the worst of it. "There is fecal contamination on the handbags," says Amy. Leather or vinyl handbag s tended to be cleaner than cloth handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role. People with kids tended to have dirtier handbags than those without, with one exception. The handbag of one single woman who frequented nightclubs had one of the worst contamination's of all. "Some type of feces, or possibly vomit" says Amy.So the moral of this story - your handbag won't kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat. Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don't put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop.Experts say you should think of your handbag the same way you would a pair of shoes. "If you think about putting a pair of shoes onto your countertops, that's the same thing you're doing when you put your handbag on the countertops"- your handbag has gone where individuals before you have sneezed, coughed, spat, urinated, emptied bowels, etc! Do you really want to bring that home with you? The microbiologists at Nelson also said cleaning a handbag will help.Wash cloth handbags and use leather cleaner to clean the bottom of leather handbags.THIS IS WORTH SHARING!!! AND MEN PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO YOUR WIVES, GIRLFRIENDS OR DAUGHTERS!

The Box of Rocks

Last week, I took Greg to the dealership with me, to get an oil change. As we are sitting in the waiting room, he is perusing the paper, looking for a map of Japan. The woman sitting across from us says, "He is reading the paper... he is a smart little boy". I told her that Mr. Man wants us to move to Japan, where he thinks he is joining the Japanese Army, so he is looking for a map. She chuckles. She talks to him for a moment and out of the blue comes....

My sister? She's... She's a box of rocks.

Everyone in the waiting room is now laughing. And many are laughing, trying to conceal their laughter. See, the night before, Emily - the queen of procrastination, was doing her math homework. And through the whole thing, she is verbally abusing herself, calling herself a box of rocks because she waited till the last moment to do her homework, and now that it is due the next day, she's struggling.

Box of rocks.... the statement still reverberates in my head.

More Templates...

You have all inspired me to kick it up a notch with my template... but I'm so bored with the blogger templates. So I've been working on it and have found some really cool stuff. So bear with me while I try to make the changes. I want it to be very cool, but at this moment, it is getting on my nerves!

I'm telling you... my nephews blog has turned into the total Jerry Springer show. I swear, in the time that he has been blogging, there are maybe 5 comments. Suddenly he posts about a childs death and the flood gates to the trailer parks have opened. It is shocking. The thing I don't understand is, all these people seemed to know this child and obviously her parents, yet they did nothing to prevent what happened. It doesn't make sense to me. But if they don't know this child and her parents... what are they going to do? Go commit homicide? These are some extreme people. I swear they are as guilty as the parents are if they chose to do nothing about this situation.

I think I'm going to quit reading his blog until he changes it. The tempers are flying and so is mine... dealing with this stupid template issue.

Schizo

No, I'm not schizo. If you've peered at my blog more than once today, you will see that I'm on my 3rd template. I'm working on it. I found a ton of new templates online, but of course they are difficult to download. So that is what is up with my blog. If you want a Jerry Springer show, go look at the comments on my nephews blog. Unbelievable.

In Mel's Boat

Wow, am I ever irritated... I am jumping on Melanie's boat and her rant about customer service. For 2 weeks now, I have been waiting for someone over at MarthaStewart.com to reply to my mutiple emails regarding my subscription. On top of that, I have 2 things I sold on Ebay (which I have NEVER had a problem with until now), in which I can not read any emails that I have received on Ebay.com I am waiting to see if something I purchased has been shipped, and can not see if the seller has replied. I wrote to Ebay twice as well.

Finally, I also have a Reward Zone card from Best Buy. On it you accrue points with your purchases and in return they send you checks. We've had this card for at least 2 1/2 years. Have we EVER received a check? NOPE. Not one... but we sure have dropped a lot of cash at Best Buy. So again... I fired off an email to their customer service.

I have a feeling I'm going to be making A LOT of phone calls this week...

Now that I've sucked the life out of you, look over to my nephews blog. You will find a link on the side. Look for Navy Bound Nephew.

Everybody's Doing It!

Merry Christmas!

Click the link, wait a few, then enjoy!

Cuz I'm Crazy Like That....

Grande, 2 pump Ginger Bread Latte w/soy, no foam.

Yep. That's my call sign.

I am back in the saddle again. My headaches are somewhat cured. Well they were, until some virus has invaded my sinuses. The left side of my face is suffocating me.

Rest assured that I am NOT turning into a whine bag, I'm just having an issue and need a tissue.

Soooo, I decided NOT go get a Keurig, OR a Tassimo. Nope. I decided to go for the big guns...

Introducing the Starbucks Barista!

Yep. That is what I got. Because 1. Starbucks clearanced them out and I was lucky enough to find one! So now I can make my latte's for a song compared to the $4.45 that Starbucks charges. PLUS I don't have to go out in the cold to get one. SWEET!

I'm sorry Katrina and Janet. I just can't do it. I just can NOT give up my coffee. My passion runs deep for a good cup o' joe.

Now I'll just have to train my brother how to make my latte's when he comes to visit. Because he IS my coffee Biaaaatch, lol.

Go Fish!

Pretzel Sticks, Gold Fish, and Cream Cheese.

1. Pick up pretzel stick.
2. Dip in cream cheese.

3. Fish for a gold fish.
4. Make sure it sticks!
5. Enjoy!

Kids LOVE this snack. Especially in he classroom. Costco sells cream cheese in the little cups. It is quite tasty too.

Hockey Playing Hooligan

This FUR CHILD needs to STOP playing hockey with the little gifts Child A put under the tree!!!

Notice the undercarriage on this feline... who seems to have an eating disorder.

OMG it's Monday

And I haven't posted since Wednesday. I realized last night that not only have I not posted, but I am WAY behind on reading all of your blogs.... except Mel's in which I have read, reread, and reread again... because she doesn't love us any more. ;o) Just kidding Mel.

Tiffany VS. Debbie Gibson or both?

As I am in my whirlwind of house cleaning, Tiffany came on the radio. I started thinking... as I was dusting... I loved Tiffany, but didn't care for Debbie Gibson. Yet Den liked Debbie Gibson, but didn't care for Tiffany. See where I'm going with this?

Inquiring minds want to know.... Did you like Tiffany better or Debbie Gibson. OR did you like both of them equally the same.

I'm going to post a poll up on the right side for a week. Let's see who wins this one.

And The Doctor Says...

Well I'll get to that in a sec, but at this moment, I would like to vent that blogger is bugging me. Sometimes I will come up with multiple things to post on, so I write them up and save them. Well... did you know.... that when you do that, the day you wrote it and posted it, is the day it gets saved on, regardless of whether you have written and posted other things or not? I wish there was a way to change this.

Anyhoo... I went to the doc. Waited a LONG time, and was a bit bent out of shape about it, but when he came in, he spent a LONG time with me. That made it a lot better. There wasn't anything to forget to tell him, and he made me feel like there wasn't anyone else he had to rush off to. THAT is what medical care should be.

So he gave me some Astelin. He said that as far as holistic goes, this is not bad, because it is a surface absorption only and not a systemic pill. It should help with the sinus headaches. He also gave me Maxalt for the Migraines. THESE are only to get me going. He is going to look some things up, and will be calling me with information on what natural things I should be doing to get all of these headaches to stop. He also said he needs to ask me a few more questions as well.

I think the visit went very well and am eager to see what he comes up with. I also might add.... that he thinks I should NOT stop drinking coffee right now, because that will trigger a headache in itself. But I still haven't had any as of yet. I did have a cup of DECAF last night with coconut creamer and it was delicioso!

That is my .02 cents for today. Oh... I will be going to the chiro, and picking up Yoga ASAP too.

The light is at the end of the tunnel................I hope.

Out of Order...

I had a funny post regarding Child A that I wanted to post, but when I went to publish it, it went under my coffee post. So look down my friends. You will find the funny one under my day w/o coffee. :o)

The End of an Era

Chef Emeril Lagasse is shown in New Orleans in this, May 9, 2007, file photo. The celebrity chef's "Emeril Live" has been canceled after 10 years on the air, Food Network publicist Carrie Welch told The Associated Press."`Emeril Live' is out of production as of Dec. 11," Welch said Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007. "However, Emeril is under contract with Food Network. We love him, we support him and look forward to a long partnership with him." (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)



I'm so sad. Emeril has been on for the longest time. I used to watch Food TV with my Grandma at her house, because no one else had it on their cable. So she and I would watch it together all the time. Then when I started working midnights at the hospital, when it was slow (and sometimes I'm talking not even ONE patient), I would sit in the waiting room, and watch Food Network because it was the only thing on. That's when I got hooked on "Good Eats". Alton Brown is a fossil around Food Network. I hope he doesn't ever get cancelled.

No Coffee.... Day 1

I decided that there is no time like the present to start heeding some of your advice. So as of right now... I have had NO coffee today. I did however have 2 cups of green tea this morning. Once I get over my obsession with coffee, I will work on the green tea part - as it has caffeine in it too.

Wow, what a day it has been. At first, it was easy. Had my tea, chatted with Katrina, started to get withdrawl headache... popped 3 Motrin. Headache gone. Then, a Starbucks commercial came on... the one with the pretty winter cup. Almost sabotage. I knew I would be passing a Starbucks on the way to a friends house for a gold party. Luckily my friend Helen was there to save the day as I didn't want to inconvenience her - not that it would have, as she is very easy going. BTW, Helen reads this every day. Everyone say "Hi" to Helen... See Helen waving Hi? lol. So we get to the friends house and sell our gold - which was VERY lucerative by the way - if you get invited to a sell your old gold party, I HIGHLY recommend you go if you have stuff in your jewelry box. As Helen stated, she made more $ at the jewerly party than she would have at work today!

We get to the friends. What does she offer? Coffee. YUMMY, Hot, Creamy coffee in BEAUTIFUL coffee mugs. OMG... I almost started panting and drooling right on the spot. Did I opt for the soda? NOPE... because it has caffeine in it! Water please. I made it. I totally made it ALL day today, however, at Kroger, it took me 15 minutes to get out of the coffee aisle - we were in the aisle for something else that happened to be in the coffee section. I did however, pick up a bag of Decaf Dunkin Donuts coffee. I can have decaf, right?

I feel pretty good. Tired, but good. As I pop on to check emails, I find an email from Starbucks . Click the link and watch them make a Caramel Macchiato. I will make it, I can do this... but I have to go get some wipes to clean my monitor screen now. It's all gooey from me licking it.

A. E. I. O. U

Saturday, E and I were driving in the car. Somehow we got on the subject of rings. We talked about couples "picking out rings" over having the man surprise you with the ring of his choice... which I am in favor of. We talked about the engagement ring and then the wedding band.



"When you go to the church to get married, you do not wear any rings. You say your vows, then the man puts the ring on your ring finger. Then you put your engagement ring on after that. That way the wedding band is closer to your heart".



"You mean you have to say your AEIOU's?" asks E.



"Huh?" I replied, "What are you talking about?"



"Your Vowels, you said you have to say your vowels before you get your ring" she explained.



I had tears running down my cheeks. She was so honest and sincere in her questioning.

Wow! I didn't know you were that old!

The statement that was the shocker of the day. I went to work today feeling sort of down. Like I had a HUGE "L" on my forehead. I had a cruel realization today... before going to work. I have a degree. Yep. As a Paramedic. Do I work on an ambulance? Nope. What a WASTE of time. I mean... at that time it wasn't a waste of time. But here I am... 35 years old -working as a Medical Assistant in an Urgent Care.

I tried a Mantra..."I am so fortunate to be going to work today, I am so fortunate to be going to work today". I repeated it to myself over and over as I drove my 1 mile to my job. But the "I'm going to be 36 and am a Medical Assistant" part just kept getting to me. HUGE "L" still on the forehead. I am also one of the oldest people at my job. Even my BOSS is younger than I am.

So in an effort to GET RID of these headaches, I have decided to make an appt with one of my doctors partners. Dr. T loves holistic medicine. He is an MD and will only offer holistic advice to his patients if they request it. So I'm moonlighting on Dr. K, and going to see Dr. T on Wednesday.

As I am making my appt, Joyce says, "WOW!!! I didn't realize you were THAT old!". And the thing is... she said it nicely. I am willing to bet Joyce is a touch older than I am, and I KNOW she didn't mean it in a cruel way.... however with my mindset that I had before I went to work, her statement went right through me. I was speechless.... She did add that I don't look my age, that she thought I was much younger. I'm holding on to that part of her comment. The only other time I felt speechless was when I was at Farmer Jack one day... I was purchasing a bottle of wine and when I handed the cashier my ID, he says, "We only card if you look under 40".

Yep. 35 year old bandaid applier. Such a novel job. Pardon me while I go feel sorry for myself now and go lick my wounds. ;o)

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Fresh, Frozen Corn

BLING BLING!!!!

My thought of what every girl should have...

Service for Twelve....

My beautiful mom bought me the 12 white plates, because sometimes.... you need REAL plates. I believe certain meals DO NOT get served on chinet.

I bought my flatware. I LOVE it. I got it with a 20% coupon at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Whenever we have company for Thanksgiving, Christmas or a Holy Communion, I use "the good stuff". Oh... and I also use white cloth napkins too. They go with every holiday, and they are EASY to clean.

So You Think I Can Cook.....

This is G after I told him that I made the potatoes on Thanksgiving. FYI, I used Pioneer Woman's recipe, and got RAVE reviews.... except for one......

Looks like we made it.........

Yep. Up at 4:15 and immediately thought.... how bad do I want that TV? Pretty darn bad I tell ya. I got up, got ready and out the door. MY the car is mighty cold at that time. I went to Target where I met Suzy and Donna. Thinking we were smart, we stayed in the nice warm car. But smart we weren't. I warmed myself right out of the TV! They were gone mere seconds after the doors opened. I did, however, get some much needed shopping done for some of the people in my house. Plus they had the cool long sleeve tee's for $6. I am stocked up for the season!

It was a lot of fun, even thought I did not get what I intended on purchasing. To me, saving the extra few bucks isn't worth standing in 19 degree weather for over an our. Nope. Not gonna do it.

I also might add that as I type this, the moon is rising out of the east. When I woke up this morning, it was setting in the west.... I have been up for THAT long....zzzzzzzzz.

Oh AND I have to add; remember my Early Riser posting from last week? And Katrina's comment was... Have a good time. I have never been up for that challenge. But I was offered a spreadsheet on it oddly enough, nothing is more tempting that Good Morning America viewed from my bed. Well... LOOKIE HERE.....KATRINAS BLOG I'm laughing big time on this one...

I wonder if Diane Sawyer noticed Katerina was not there??????
Hope your Thanksgiving was awesome!

Not Gonna Make It...

Costco has the Keurig on sale for $120, including the pods that come inside the box, there is another box strapped to it with like 90 additional pods!!!! You have NO idea on how crazy this is making me. I have been trying to talk myself out of the damn thing for the longest time. Yet, spending $4 on a latte every time I pass through Starbucks threshold, tells me that I should get a Keurig or Tassimo. Then THIS comes by email to me... I'm never going to make it. Dear Santa...

Last but not least...

In Contrast...

Giving Thanks...

Girl Talk...

I am becoming my own worst enemy. I always start sending "a hem!" emails to people that don't update their blogs. And here I haven't posted since Thursday. The reason why?

I have a headache. I've had this dumb thing since Thursday. I have taken Tylenol, Excederine, Imitrex which I was just prescribed, Tylenol and Motrin together, and I still have a headache.

I went to the doc last Monday for my "yearly". I told him that last month, I had a headache that lasted a whopping 5 days, and almost had me vomitting. He said it is a menstrual migraine, and told me that my estrogen level is dropping so much that it's triggering a migraine. He then prescribed the Imitrex. He told me to take it AS SOON as I feel one coming on...

But like my sister in law said, how do you know when it is a migraine or a regular headache. My que is when it lasts more than a day or three. By then I think I missed that "as soon as I feeling it coming on" window.

So my question to you.... my friends, how do I make this go away? What holistic thing can I do to get these to stop. I already know a few things. 1. lose weight. 2. stop drinking coffee. 3. Ask your girlfriends for advice.

With that, the ball is in your court. Open forum time. Tell me what to do. On my end, I am making an appointment with my MD to go for a full physical. I want blood work done. I want to know my levels. From there I am taking my information with me on my crusade for better health, because THIS SUCKS.

So fire away your comments. Operators are standing by...

Early Riser

I'm so excited. BTW, last year, I made my conversion to one of those wack jobs that gets up at 3:30 the day after Thanksgiving to SHOP! The deals are just too amazing to miss out. Especially in this economy.

The Black Friday ads are out!

Enjoy! Oh and on the list this year... An LCD flat TV for our front room. It is going to be converted into an office/guest room. And being that it is like 17 x 10 it is an odd shaped room, so it needs a flat tv for the wall. Wish me luck!

P.S. I'm making PW's mashed potatos for Thanksgiving Dinner. YUMMY!

Instant Replay ~ long but worth it.

Growing up in the country, you have friends, but not too many living near you. Out of the ones that do live near you, there may be one or two your age, that you like to play with. Melanie and I grew up across the street from each other. Now that I live on a postage stamp lot, in a cookie cutter house, I am very appreciative of the fact that she was there, even though I couldn't see her house. We all had acreage. Many of us with HUGE trees. Wow, do I miss that.

Unfortunately I have a memory that isn't so pleasant. And now E is going through a very similar situation. Melanie and I always got along beautifully. We played together all the time. But there was one girl on our street that just couldn't manage to be friends with both of us. And if we were friends with her, she would make us choose sides. She was a wedge. With her it was all or nothing. When you are so limited on your friends, you sometimes have to take the bad with the good, just to have someone to play with. Until you suddenly realize that the one person that remains consistant, and true is the one you want to be with. We all know who that is.... Melanie.

E is in 3rd grade now. She is really coming into herself and is such a beautiful person. She is very fair, and loves to play with her friends. Occasionally she gets what my neighbor calls "cruise director" syndrome. But not too often.

A couple weeks ago, on a Thursday, I told E that if she got her Dumpola cleaned up, she could have a friend over. This child spent 6... count em' SIX hours cleaning her room. She talked to her friend, got all the OK's and was in her glory. Personally I'd wished she asked someone else, because this friend sure seems to yank E's chain quite a bit. For example, during E's birthday sleepover with 6 other girls, the girl that I am writing about, called her mother about 7 times, hanging on the phone line. She lead E on for hours, not knowing if she "wanted" to spend the night or not. At 10 pm that night, her mother comes in, carrying A's "sleepover" stuff.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. That Friday, A came home with E. At first she was unsure if she wanted to spend the night. I told A that we needed to know, because I like things to be set in concrete. I don't like to "not know" what is going on. (You knew that about me, right?)
They had the BEST time playing all day. We went out to dinner. Then S came down the street. She is in class with A & E. They all play together at school. they played, did computer games. They really had fun. Around 7 pm that evening, E disappeared. A & S thought she hid on them to scare them. When we went looking for E, I found her. Curled up in her bed, sobbing. My heart broke.

Apparently while they were playing, A asked to use the phone to call her mom. When her mom answered, she said, "Can you come get me? I'm ready to come home." The child that spent 6 hours cleaning her room, for this girl to come over, was devistated.

When A entered E's room, it was a war. I saw a side of my child that I have NEVER seen before. Literally, my hair was blowing back from the pent up aggravation that was releasing in my child. She went off on A, telling her what she had gone through, and how she spent all that time cleaning her room, when she thought A was going to spend the night. And here A just decided not to. It got so ugly that I called A's mom. Repeatedly at that because she was no where to be found. When she finally called me back, they were out to dinner. I told her, "A & E have had a serious falling out. I'm talking potential end of the friendship here. You need to come and get A."

The mother then says, "do you want me to talk to her?" "NO! That isn't going to change anything, come get her", I replied. "Ok, when our food comes, we're going to eat then we'll be there."

Helloooooooo? Is anybody home? I have two 8 year olds that are about to kill each other, but you go ahead and eat your potpie ok?! I'll just go throw on my referee shirt.

An hour later, A's parents arrive, and so did the theatrics. As soon as she saw her mother, A, who had not shown ANY emotion until now, turned on the faucets. My jawl dropped wide open.

I was SURE that this friendship was over, and personally, I was glad to accept that. Although my heart was broken, because so was my child's. She was devistated, then she said it, "You and Dad were right. I should have listened to you". Every parents DREAM statement. We had told her that we didn't think A was treating her right, which was apparent from the birthday manipulation".

To make a very long story short, I would like to say that E has forgiven A, and has NO plans to invite her to any sleepovers in the near future. However, they have been playing at school. Today E told me that A is ignoring her because she is playing with S again.

It's an Instant Replay of Jeni Lane... where I grew up.

30ish Has It Coming!

Here it comes. Another thorn in my side... BUT I would LOVE to know how many people agree or disagree with me.

Today while watching the Channel 4 news (this morning), they listed birthdays. Among all of the children, there was a woman who was turning "30ish".

"30ish"

Do you even know where I'm about to go with this one? I am 35. My birthday is in February, and I am PROUD to say that I am a healthy, but hefty 35 year old. Ok, not proud about the hefty part, but thats for another paragraph.

I don't understand peoples obsession with numbers when it comes to age. I actually don't understand most people, but anyway. I would be willing to be that if you ask a cancer survivor how old they are, they will PROUDLY declare their age. Because they KNOW they are lucky to be on God's green earth. I wish all people viewed their lives as a blessing. But disregard this statement because I'm about to go off about my weight.

On to other stuff. Did you SEE what Melanie wrote today? lol. I told her that I had a grin from ear to ear and to imagine the Grinch with a smile. Because I swear she looked into her mirror, but saw ME! OMG what has happened to me. I will tell you. Remember a while back when I told you about the drug reps and the food?

Well let's just say that in my first year of work, I have actually put on the "freshman 15" + some. I am a cow. I am the poster child for Mad Cow disease. I went shopping the other day. Bee Bopped into a store with my sister clammering on the cell phone. 15 minutes later, I left. Defeated, depressed, and feeling like a total chunky monkey. What happened?

Well. A MAJOR part is self control. If you looked back to my previous post on the drug reps and the food, it pertains A LOT to that. Plus a current foot condition that I am experiencing. More so to the food. I will go into work with the BEST intentions that I am NOT going to eat this stuff. But there it is. I HAVE to go punch out for lunch, and there it is. I'm not talking Taco Bell people.

I'm talking, Andiamo's, Red Robin, Jeff Baldwins, Italian Restaurants, Mexican, Chinese. EVERY DAY, and most days 2x per day. PLUS not to mention, that IF I have to use the restroom, I HAVE to walk into the breakroom, which is RIGHT where this stuff is kept. I'm doomed.

Imagine eating out EVERY DAY. You know you can't eat like that, so why should we? Cows, and I'm one of them.

Since I'm dealing with a foot problem, my remedy is swimming. I started swimming at the Rec Center. So I am very hopeful that it will work.

Here comes my honesty. I am 40+ pounds heavier than I was when I got pregnant with Child A, 8 years ago.

MOOOOO.

Dehydrated

I better increase my water intake. I don't know what my deal is. Everytime I watch one of my "shows", I cry when someone else cries. Brothers & Sisters, Kitty looses baby, she cries, I cry. Sara's husband gets custody of their kids, not only do I cry, but I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. I can't even imagine that one.



Moving along....

Grey's Anatomy is one of my MOST favorite shows. However what my view on this at this moment can be summed up in one word. If its even a word. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzz BOOORRING! Anytime Meredith and McDreamy are in the same scene, they are in bed, and they are "done". There is NO lust, no romance, no nothing, but a "come on Meredith, quit being a Biatch" from me.

Izzy and George? I really liked them, until they got together. Now all I feel is ZZZZZZZZZZz booorring! I do like how Kristina is being dissed by that manly chic. Boy did she put her in her place. But I can see how this is going to make Kristina a better surgeon, because she is showing how bad she wants to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. I would like to place my bet by saying that I am quite certain that the reason that manly chic is not attracted to Mark is because she is a lesbian. And by saying that, I am in no way implying that I have anything against anyone and their sexual orientation. I'm just saying that I have a 'feeling' on this one. When you see it and if she comes out, "remember me. I called it", lol.

Last night, we were so tired. Den was unconscious by 9. So I DVR'd Greys. After watching it, I almost deleted it. Because it was dumb, boring and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzz

BUT I must add before I go, that there is news that with this writers strike that is going on, MANY shows, including Grey's could be done by Christmas. Then what???? ZZZZZZZZZZZ

Jeff Dunham - Achmed the Dead Terrorist

This is hilarious.

Recap

Lets just say I'm heeding my own advice. I have slowed down and am enjoying every minute of everything I do. I'm not thinking too far past that moment either. I am more calm and I am happier.

Just another item to confirm what you all already know... that I'm nuts. I am so excited about this. I watch Food Network all the time, even though I'm a horrible cook. But this is pretty cool.

TV personality Giada De Laurentiis poses on the press line at the 3rd Annual Elyse Walker Pink Party in Santa Monica, Calif., in this Sept. 8, 2007, file photo. De Laurentiis, 37, the star of Food Network's "Everyday Italian" and "Giada's Weekend Getaways" says she is expecting her first child, a baby girl, in April. She announced her pregnancy on NBC's "Today Show" on Monday, Nov. 5, 2007, where she is a contributing correspondent on the morning show. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, file)

What's the point?

My mind is reeling. This morning, I woke up with a clean slate. Objective for the day? Nothing. So I sat with my coffee, and fuzzy warm blanket and watched Mannequin. From there, I started thinking that I should start firming up my holiday plans. Baking cookies with the kids, making gifts for teachers, the mailman and other people. I should get the invites out for Thanksgiving, but beautiful paper ones, not evites like always. Then there is the Cookie Exchange which has become a wonderful tradition. Christmas Eve, I am thinking of having catered, so that no one has to fuss...

Fuss. This sticks with me. Fuss. Rush, hurry, stress. Why has it gotten to that? This has hit me so hard that I have butterflies in my stomach.

Rewind to Thursday Night. Den and I are laying in bed watching TV. We are laughing about how Greg wants the tree up PRONTO- regardless if there are scary pumpkins rotting away on the front porch, waiting for garbage day. As we are discussing the holidays, I proceed to tell him how Christmas day is the culmination of the entire excitement for me. I LOVE Christmas. I always have. Everything leading up to that one day brings me so much joy.

I love going to look at Christmas lights. Putting up the tree, and the lights and watching all of the Christmas ornaments end up at the bottom because the little people can't reach more than 1' over their heads. I love watching holiday movies. Visiting friends and family with the intentions on doing nothing but that one thing. Bringing joy to all of the people I love and cherish.

Fuss. We're back to that one thing. Why has it gotten to this degree? Why is it when Christmas is mentioned, some people stress out because they see dollars blowing out the window? I am pretty upset by this.

My side of the family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve. We started doing so, because it was getting too hard to get so many things done in one day. Why is that? Why is it that we have an entire year to get so many things done and time to spend with people, yet we limit ourselves to that ONE day? Regardless, we started this tradition so that we don't have to rush around. Yet, as I think about it, we STILL RUSH through it. We rotate houses every year. This year, it is at our house. I am so excited about it. But I'm also a little bent out of shape.

I don't want to RUSH. It isn't FUSSING to me. THESE PEOPLE are my FAMILY. These people are the ones that I hold very dear to my heart. They are my family. The ones that used to scare the crap out of me on Halloween. They are the one's that taught me how to ride my bike. They are the ones that taught me how to curl my hair and put on make up. They are the ones that taught me that honesty and integrity are the most important characteristics that a person can have. They are the ones that put up red and green lights on the house every year so that we could go make snow angels in the front yard in the dark. I LOVE THESE PEOPLE. I don't want to RUSH anything with them. Because it is about us. It is about family. It is about YOU and YOUR family. Not just your immediate family. It is about the people that your siblings chose to marry and have children with. It is about CELEBRATING LIFE and how we are there for each other when the cards are down. Well you know what?

Right now the cards are not down. So it's time we stop rushing. It's not about killing ourselves for that ONE day. It's about time. It's about letting EVERYTHING else go for this one time in the year, and celebrating what we hold so dear.

When I think about how things have gotten, it makes me physically ill. What kind of person have I turned into, if I let my children see that the holiday season is about stress, fussing, rushing and monetary value? Because that clearly isn't why I brought them here.

So this year, my dear family, I ask that you come to Christmas Eve with no other items on your plate for that evening. It is about us and about time. If we rush through that one moment we have together on that one spectacular day, what are we telling each other? What are we telling our children? That our "other things to do" are more important than they are? So with that, I wish that all of you that read this, take time. Forget about what doesn't get done, and focus on what you want your friends, and family to know. That you love them, and that they are so important to you and your life.

Namaste.

Fired Up.... again.

Wow this week has been insane. I swear I lost about 4 days, but the thing is... I was HERE! I think I was here. I know I had coffee one day earlier in the week with Linda. Ah yes, that was Monday. I almost stopped for Starbucks again today, but being that I had the BEST Pumpkin Spice Latte with Deanna this morning, I figured I better be good.

Being good is quite difficult, considering the children pulled in the motherload of candy. Do you think anyone is excited about it?

Today, I find myself a bit fire up. I mean, I was fine and actually in this fantastic mood after having breakfast with Deanna today. Yesterday I spoke to the librarian at the kids school. I offered to help set up the book fair that starts next week. She says, "Oh good! Mrs. Blahblah is going to help too". OMG. I despise this woman. Not the librarian, the other person that is "helping" set up the book fair. She is the president of the PTA at the kids school. Here are my reasons why...

1. Last year, she worked the book fair and proceeded to talk about someone that helped set it up. That person happens to be my very dear friend Kim. So imagine the PTA biatch's surprise when I snapped at her, "You know what?! If you're going to talk about her, at least get her LAST NAME right!".

2. Field day last year. PTA jerk wears daisy duke shorts to work the event.

3. This year, she wears a slutty barmaids costume with stilleto heals to the kids Halloween partys. I'm telling you. When she bent over, you could see EVERYTHING. Not to mention she is like 6' w/o heels.

4. She is so full of herself that it makes people sick (see #2 & #3 above). So when the librarian said that I was working with her, I almost panicked. OMG, I don't want to work with her. I would rather eat shards of glass.

Then I started to think.... I wouldn't be me if I didn't stand up to this biatch. You know what... I'm not only going, but I'm wearing my game face. It's going to be on like Donkey Kong. I have no problem ripping into her and putting her in her place. I am ready. PTA girl, bring it, and bring your notebook too, because I have a few things I need to school you on.

With that... I give you Halloween:

E, "I feel like a Pimp"

Me, "Do you know what a pimp is?"

E, "Yeah, it's someone dressed in plastic.

Right and Wrong.

The photo posted below has my sister, Audrey in it. As I was shooting the photo, Audrey accidently walked in the way, and this is how it came out. So Yes it is Audrey and No, I didn't do anything to make it show up that way. It just did it, by itself.

Thought it was a cool photo for Halloween. Be sure to see the Christmas Countdown at the bottom of my blog!

Definitely NOT an orb!

I wasn't planning on posting anything until after Halloween, but this can't wait! We were at the Nursing Home tonight with the kids for the annual Trick or Treating. I went to take the "annual" photo of grandma with the kids and this appeared! My Grandma is sitting in the center of the photo.

We're totally freaked.

Road Rage USA

Today I had quite a bit of stuff to do, before I picked up Fumanchu from school. So I ran to the bank first. On the way home, as I'm driving down Garfield (think Grand River, but in Macomb County), this silver Lexus SUV cuts over in front of me. And I mean cuts over... no easing into the lane, no blinker. Nothing. Then as we proceeded to drive, the same SUV kept doing it to other drivers and started to seriously get on my nerves. What kind of jerk drives like that? I continue singing along to the radio, noticing that Air Supply has been reduced to playing at Macomb Center for the Performing Arts next week.

As I pull up to the road that we live off of, I am now behind said SUV. Out of the drivers window comes a bunch of wadded up paper. Loads of it. THAT WAS IT. Blood Pressure 210 /130, pulse rate 150. Still, I could not see the driver. I had to turn Left, while a$$hole of the century went straight. Isn't there a number or something you can call for something like that? I mean it wasn't worth calling 911, however that driver may have needed an ambulance after I dragged them out of the car and beat the ever living shinola out of them.

Yes. I am BIG on not litering and that means cigarette buts thrown out too. I don't throw USED toilet paper on your living room floor, put your butts where they belong. Or better yet eat them. It won't cause any more harm than smoking already does. Plus it's fiber with a healthy dose of carcinogens.

Now I'm off to go rip into something.

Need to post something...

Yes. I go to EVERY ONE of your blogs at least twice a day, looking to see what is going on in your life. Why???

Because there is too much going on here for me to post it all. Especially with Halloween coming.

Let's see... This week, I had a migraine from Thursday to Sunday with hot flashes included. Saturday I had my Tastefully Simple Blast off Party (send me your orders if you have them),
Sunday, Child B and I took Child A to a birthday party until 3. Meanwhile child B got a bath, then we picked up A and went shoe shopping and to buy bagels from Panera. Then we came home, the sitter came and I went to work, where I proceeded to laugh all evening and eat chips illegally with my boss and the doc. (We can get nailed for eating in our work space, but we all needed a fix, plus it was Sunday and the cameras aren't installed yet).

Today, I went shopping with my friend to buy stuff for a gourmet caramel apple class that we took tonight. The family and I went to Red Robin where I satisfied my other craving for none other than BEEF. HMMMM correlation here? Beef craving + Head Ache x 4days = iron deficiency??? Hmmm.

So that is about it. At this moment, my hair is a wreck, I am partially in day clothes and partially in jammies. I smell like chocolate and caramel, and I have a cat boring holes into the back of my head, because apparently he is EMACIATED like JRo's husband gets.

Yes all is well in the nuthouse. I may not have a chance to post tomorrow, or on Halloween, but I will for sure on Thursday. Jro, have a GREAT time in Disney. Melanie will be sappy all week, wishing she was there. :o)

Huh?

This photo gave me a chuckle. I found it off a link to PW's website. The printing in the middle was on the order form. It was supposed to read Best Wishes Suzanne, then underneath that write We will miss you.

Who's the Dingle Berry?

Hero performed by Michael Israel in New York

Takes a bit, but to see it come together is really something.

Feeling the Love...

Mr. and Mrs. Putter (my parents who putt around the canals in a little boat) have a cat. Or should I say another CHILD who happens to be covered in fur. Andy is his name. I have this feeling that he is their favorite out of ALL of us.

Andy has his own place setting at the table. He sits in a chair, and puts his paws up on his own "special" placemat and from there, they serve him treats. Andy is not fond of children, however he seems to remember me and Den quite well, since we saved him and gave him a life of luxury over at the house of Putter.

Apparently Andy has developed a "problem". Something on his face appeared askew. Mrs. Putter emailed her BIG BUCKS Vet and of course, "they needed to see him". So without hesitation, Mr. Retired Putter put the well pampered kitty into the limo and chauffered him over to Dr. Warbucks.

One hour later Mr. Putter and his precious flea bag return. Apparently Andy had a $160 pimple on his chin. As Mrs. Putter puts it, "they seduced him into Never, Never Land and popped the damn thing, but first the shaved his chin".

Along with his acne ridden flea bag, Mr. Putter came in with an arm load of medications. Dr. Warbucks apparently found ONE flea, so another $42 later, and Andy has a dermatological "ointment".

As a child, I once sliced my toe open on a rusty coffee can while on vacation. Not only did I NOT go to the hospital for stitches, we continued to play at the beach.

I will say though that as time has gone on, my mother has changed. When my sister and I were both pregnant, we weren't allowed to reach over our heads for anything for fear that we would "wrap the cord" around the babies neck. Instead we had to carry around a 50 pound step stool. One that makes you just about push the baby out - to carry the damn thing.

Enjoy your acne Andy and quit eating fried mice.

BTW... I would have posted a photo of zit face on here, but Mrs. Putter apparently is too busy filing his nails, brushing his teeth and massaging him to snap a photo.

Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!

Call me... Fired UP!

This article appeared yesterday in the Free Press. I am fired up about this, and have a story to tell about the TSA and my personal experience. Read the article, then read my posting below.

This failure should sound the alarms
October 21, 2007
BY MITCH ALBOM
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
This should make you angrier than you have been over almost anything since Sept. 11 -- and that includes the war in Iraq.
A recent report showed that 75% of fake bombs or bomb parts got past Transportation Security Administration security at Los Angeles International Airport and 60% got past TSA screeners at Chicago's O'Hare.

Those are two of the busiest airports in the world. Those are two of the juiciest targets a terrorist could desire.
Seventy-five percent? Three out of four times? We are constantly hearing the tired and misguided phrase "fight 'em over there so we don't have to fight 'em here."
They needn't bother with us over there. With a 75% chance of success, why would they go anywhere BUT here?
The heart of the matter
Now, the reason this news should have you outraged -- and more importantly, why our president and his national security team should be outraged -- is this failure draws a straight line to the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and that field in Pennsylvania six years ago.
Unlike Iraq, which had nothing to do with the actual explosions of Sept. 11, airport security was at the heart of that tragedy. Tighter security, from passenger identity to spotting box cutters, could have thwarted that day.
Can you imagine how our lives would be different if those 19 hijackers had been stopped? Think about every security issue you now face in daily life, think about the economic drain on this nation, think about the war, the lives lost, the political hate, and all of it goes back to how those men got on those planes.
So you would think, before throwing hundreds of billions at a conflict in Iraq, the first, the biggest, the most obvious use of money and effort would be at the real ground zero of the Sept. 11 terrorism plan -- the airports.
Instead, six years after the fact, we still have disinterested agents. We still have inferior equipment when better equipment is available. We still have more emphasis on stuff rather than on interrogating people. And we still have federal officials making excuses. The latest comes from TSA chief Kip Hawley, who, in response to previous bad results, blamed harder tests.
According to USA Today, Hawley told a House committee this week: "We moved from testing of completely assembled bombs ... to the small component parts."
Yeah? So? You expect terrorists to put a completely assembled bomb in an empty briefcase and slide it on the belt?
A very flawed system
Don't laugh. That, in fact, is actually how examiners used to test agents, by putting fake bombs in empty suitcases. You know what? There were still failures.
Now, examiners pack things like detonators or batteries inside a toiletry kit, or they hide watch-timers in carved-out books. And because of that, our TSA chief is justifying these unacceptable numbers? This is like a kid saying, "Well, of course I failed the math test. You wanted me to add AND subtract!"
The fact is, there is no excuse. None. And President George W. Bush, who vows to keep this nation safe, should be the loudest and harshest critic.
After all, it was the government that insisted on taking over airport security after 9/11, saying we couldn't trust such critical work to lowly paid private screeners. So the TSA was formed, and we doubled or tripled the pay, and what do we get? We get 75% at LAX and 60% at O'Hare. Meanwhile, the same tests showed that the San Francisco airport -- which employs private screeners -- allowed only 20% of the fake bomb equipment through.
And private screeners are what we had before the TSA. We're going backward.
I travel more than most people, so I am not shocked. Sadly, many of the TSA people I see seem more interested in their next break than what or who is going through security. I often see dazed looks, bored postures, shared jokes between agents.
The TSA should be ashamed. And if -- or when -- there is another attack involving planes, and everyone, as always, goes looking to blame someone, we can go back to these pathetic results, we can go back to 75% and 60%.
And we can blame ourselves.
Contact MITCH ALBOM at 313-223-4581 or malbom@freepress.com.

A few years ago, the family and I were traveling. We were flying out of Metro Airport. One of the TSA screeners pulled Dennis aside to do that "wand thing" to him. Dennis started to empty his pockets as he was told. As Dennis handed me his wallet, the screener spun around, striking me, causing the wallet to fly through the air. He then proceeded to scream at me about how I shouldn't be taking anyting from my husband. I stood there, with tears rolling down my face because not only did he assult me, he also belittled my very existence. He took an everyday, American Housewife and turned her into a piece of shit terrorist. That was the way he made me feel. In an effort to not miss our plane, and more so to not end up in jail, we did not pursue this any further. But I can tell you, that experience was my LAST experience at Metro Airport for a while.
.

One Year Ago Today....

My brother Mike, married his amazing wife, Mary Ann in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Dennis, and the kids both stood up in the wedding.

One year later, I still feel so emotional about their wedding day.

Their wedding was very quaint which I think made it even more special. It is amazing how all of this came together to be such a beautiful ceremony and reception, considering the entire thing was put together from GREECE! Although I didn't stand up, I had my hand in it by being the "shipper". Many companies will not ship to FPO addresses, so it all came to me, and I forwarded it on. Bridal gifts, wedding dress, attendant gifts. I took great pride in my part.

In addition to welcoming Mary Ann to the family, I also gained 2 niece's. Rachel (standing next to Mary Ann pictured above) and Jessica, her sister who is on the left. While I have only met Jessica the one time, we have come to really know Rachel and what a wonderful person she is. I am so glad that she is part of the family. Jessica is in Seattle finishing High School, and Rachel lives in South Carolina.

Mike and Mary Ann compliment each other so well. We had an amazing time with them in Tennessee and will never forget how wonderful that weekend was.

Happy First Anniversary Mike & Mary Ann.

Cheers to many more wonderful memories together.

My Wish

To Kraig and Katrina... With Love.

Leave a message for Kraig and Katrina

Julia's information is now available on the funeral home website. If you wish you leave them condolences, here is the link Keehn Funeral Home

I appreciate every one of you that have left your condolences for them. Kraig and Katrina have been through so much and to witness all of this just breaks my heart.

Rest in Peace Sweet Baby

My heart is breaking for my dear friends Kraig and Katrina. Their beautiful baby, Julia, passed away last night. Please share your condolences with them at:

http://secondcitystories.blogspot.com

WAY TOO COOL!!!

A friend just sent this to me. Check it out. I played it and it is very cool.

HALLOWEEN HANGMAN

Our Home has Grown by 8 Feet!

Sunday morning, I was sitting in the living room, watching the local tragedy channel (aka the news), and a different squirrel showed up. I looked over and thought... uh oh. Fuznuts going to be quite miffed. I started wondering if squirrels are territorial. Sure looks like it the way they chase each other around. Then seconds later... another squirrel shows up. Then panicked I start thinking, OMG, what have I done? Dennis is going to kill me. My obsession and genuine interest in outdoor critters now has us overrun by the little rodents. But again, I am thinking of Fuznut. These sure surely not "our" squirrel, because they did not have the telltale bump on the nose. But they were definitely, in fact much smaller than Fuznut.






Remember the nipple picture above?

Instantly, I knew WHO they were. Not only are Chip and Dale tiny little squirrels, they are FUZNUT'S babies!

She showed up very shortly after we discovered them. I believe they are living in the tree in our backyard... the one we are shooting steriods into to make it grow faster. We lost all of our street lining trees last year to the emerald ash borer. So now it looks like we live in a new neighborhood... with old houses. Sunday morning was quite an adventure to discover them. They are very quick, and wirey. They are very little too. One of them lunged at the doorwall and gave Pumpkin a sudden case of alopecia. With a thud of the glass, the cats flew off their haunches and were pacing at their "Cat TV" - again, aka the doorwall.

I'm sure you are bored to death with my personal account of National Geographic, but for those of you who aren't I had to share this with you. And as you can see from before... I AM my parent's child... Enjoy the pic's. These squirrels don't seem to be at all camera shy. In fact, I had to open up the doorwall to shoo one of them off my screen! Kitty's were instantly thinking "Yummy, roasted squirrel for breakfast", but I quickly reminded them that they are the resident doily's and they are to REMAIN inside the house. Otherwise, they may find their bowls flying out the door behind them.

I'm so excited... I can't stand it any more!

My big news??? Well first off, I feel that I should wait until Monday to make my big announcement, but after receiving a couple emails from my Navy Bound Nephew (see bottom R link), I have decided to spill my beans...

Deep exhale.... and here it is.........

I have rejoined Tastefully Simple as a consultant. I know, I know... not big news to you. Whoopidie doo huh? Well not to me.

I used to be a consultant back when Greg was much smaller and needed more mommy/daddy time. Now that he is older, I started thinking.....

A. I LOVE and use their products all the time.

B. Whenever I call to place an order for myself, I always get my friends orders too. So why not omit the middle man and place the orders myself.

C. If I go to my Urgent Care job, I make a set hourly wage. If I were to omit the 4 hour shift, and do a party instead, my earning potential is up to me... instead of that set hourly wage. Plus I have always loved doing the parties. It makes it easy when you love the products. I am not afraid to tell someone that what they are looking at is a "lick the bowl clean" item.

D. I need more moolah. I want to replace my washer/dryer. Want to redo my kitchen. We want to buy a camper. So what do we do when we want stuff? We MAKE IT HAPPEN.

I am an able bodied person, and there is NO reason why I can't try to be a bigger contributer to our current. "Want List".

Many of TS products are either Open and Enjoy, or add 2 or less ingredients. They are awesome. My favorite thing to make? Add diced tomato to the Bacon Bacon dip, and voila... BLT dip! It tastes like a BLT minus the bread! Unless you serve it with bread.

I am so excited about giving this a retry. It is such a wonderful company. As for now... if you are local and want to do a party, I would love to come and help you earn free products. Or if you just want a catalog to possibly place an order, post me a comment.

All orders will be shipped directly to your house... unless you have a party. They will go directly to the person placing the order. Plus, all orders are shipped in 10 days or less. How cool is that?

And that my friends is my big news. I'm so excited!

Ooooooo I Have Something So Exciting To Share....

Which I will do tomorrow. Until then... I have a couple things on my brain. Yep. Just two this time! First off... let's talk Fuznut the squirrel. SOMEONE has crossed the line. I have put out this huge block of corn/sunflower seeds mixed with a bunch of other kibble for him, and he has eaten the WHOLE thing. Now... He's going after my bird block. "You've crossed the line buddy" I tell him. I purposely bought that hanging block to try and attract different birds. Song birds that is. And here he is... Mr. Mission not Impossible...

In an effort to try and deter him... I moved it.... it's now dangling from the clothes line. Good luck little buddy... and what's this... are those nipples? Could it be? Could he be a she?

Secondly, I have to show you all something. Last night I took a class through the Utica Public Schools Adult Enrichment book. Look what I made!!!

A hint for tomorrows exciting news. Look for a hint in the fruit bouquet photo! Post your comment if you know what it is!