Sunday, March 29, 2009
The 9-12 Project
If you are watching the news or reading the newspaper and not liking the direction our country is heading in, what our government is or is not doing, and the legacy of debt they are leaving for our children and grandchildren, you aren't alone. We've gone off track on what our country is about, what it was founded on, what was good about our country and it's damn scary to me.
Guitar Hero Metallica
Guitar Hero just released Metallica!
We did just buy the Dance Dance Revolution High School Musical 3 for our seven-year-old as an early birthday present. She's a huge HSM3 fan. The kids loved it.
Earth Hour
Well, I missed it...didn't know what it was. If you didn't either, I'll tell you according to Wikipedia:
"Earth Hour is a global event organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. "
For being a world-wide event, it wasn't publicized very well. Apparently, from 8:30-9:30 p.m. last night (local time), people around the globe participated. I would have if I'd known. My kids, two of whom belong to their school's environmental team, would have liked participating.
Read more...
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Prom Night
It's the time of year when juniors and seniors in high schools everywhere start thinking about prom dresses and the perfect tuxedo. What an exciting time! I didn't go to my proms (my boyfriend was already out of high school and didn't want to go); it's a small regret that I have.
I hope parents talk to their teenagers about drinking and driving and really hit home with the fatality of combining the two. It'd become a dangerous night for teenagers and it's a sad ending to a night of fun when an accident happens. They also need to be aware that even if they aren't drinking and driving, there are others on the road who have been and they need to be very careful driving that night.
Emotional Affairs
Some people think emotional affairs can't be considered as cheating and then others would say it would be worse than the physical affair. While both would be devastating (and something I would never forgive my husband for), I think the emotional affair would be worse. I don't have personal experience to base this on with my husband (and I hope my husband never gives me that kind of personal experience because then I'd have to dump his ass) but if my husband felt that emotional connection with another woman, it would cut very, very deep.
How do you know what an emotional affair is? Yahoo Personals has this to say about it:
- 82% of affairs are with someone who was "just a friend".
They give a list of things they believe is an emotional affair and let you know if you've crossed that line. Some of them are:
- Are you checking yourself out in the mirror more or taking extra time with your clothes before you are supposed to see them?
- Are you telling him or her more about your day than you do your partner?
- Does talking to your partner about this person makes you uncomfortable? If you begin to cover up your relationship, better watch yourself.
- Is there increasing sexual tension between you?
How do you know when you are going to cross the line into a physical relationship and you better step back if you don't want to ruin your current relationship:
- When you turn to this person for support rather than a trusted friend or your partner.
- Sensual or suggestive talk (in person, via email, texting, phone).
- When you find yourself putting yourself into situations where you can be alone with them.
If this is you, or you see your partner in this position with another party, and you want to save your relationship, it's time to take steps to fix things.
Unless we are talking about a serial cheater, who are just slugs, I believe cheating is the symptom of a problem in the relationship and not THE problem. Unless you are a serial cheater, people don't just randomly set out to hurt themselves, their partners, or any other people involved. There is a reason they are going outside the relationship to have a need or needs met (I'm not saying it's right but it's reality for many people) so if you want to save the relationship, better find out what problem (or problems) lie between you and fix it.
My way of fixing a "cheating" problem would be to dump his ass but that's not for everybody. I'm just not capable of that level of forgiveness. If my husband felt there was a problem between us and he didn't talk to me about it before cheating, it'd be too late for me. Read more...Wondering how to force a company to stand by their warranty
Our roofers never showed up to look at the roof vent that blew off in the storm. The roof is only 14 months old so shingles shouldn't have blown away! I am so mad and already planning a few words with them on Monday like if they don't think they are liable under their workmanship warranty, that I am going to contact at least three local roofing companies for new quotes to fix their shoddy work. I will tell each new company exactly who did the last roof and how they refused to cover the workmanship warranty. We live in a small town. This will ensure that all future residents these three companies give quotes on, will hear the word about this other company who won't stand by their warranty. It won't take long for the word to spread in this area. Hopefully, that will get their shoddy backsides out to my house to fix the damage!
We did try to get insurance to cover it first. We have a local insurance company, though I am considering looking for insurance online to get other quotes. Anyway, our deductible wouldn't cover it and they said the roof vent was higher than all our neighbors which is why it blew off to begin with. So, we are back to the roofers fixing their shoddy work!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Periodic Gimp
After an early morning of rushing around to get the kids ready and myself showered to take the kids to school, we rushed into the school with two kids heading towards their wing of the school and me following my middle schooler to her wing to sign some papers for her reading class. I get that done, she hugs me, and I tell my daughter and her friends good-bye and start the walk back to the parking lot. Half-way there, my ankle gives out, leading me into all kinds of cursing in my head towards my parents while I limp in pain back to the parking lot (which seems a lot farther away now).
Why curse my parents when they aren't even in the same state? Usually, I don't think you can blame your parents for things that go wrong in your adult life based on your childhood. I think people who do that choose to play victim to their past, use it as an excuse not to make better decisions. However, in the case of the lame ankle, yup, I blame them.
When I was in 4th grade, I was playing kickball at recess. Running around the bases, I slid into 3rd base to avoid getting out, turning my ankle in the process. In pain and not wanting to put any weight on my foot, I figured I'd done some damage and it'd get fixed up. That's what parents do right? They take their child to a doctor for x-rays, wraps, casts, etc...whatever is needed. Not mine. They wouldn't take me to the doctor. I remember sitting in pain on the couch and being flabbergasted that they were refusing to take me to the doctor. We had medical insurance so why wouldn't they?
After that, that ankle became my problem ankle. In the 18 years that followed my 4th grade slide into 3rd base, my weaker ankle gives out on me periodically. I'll be walking along and them Bam! Instant gimp!
To this day, I don't know what I did to my ankle all those years ago. I'm not a doctor or a nurse, but I sure wish one had looked at it all those years ago so that I wasn't getting taken by surprise by the weakness and pain suddenly (and embarrassingly). I doubt after all this time that anything can be done. So, I continue to curse my parents out periodically when I am walking along and suddenly become a gimp.
Why wouldn't a parent take their child to the doctor (let's assume for the sake of argument that it's not against any religous beliefs, that there was definite pain, and it was covered by insurance) if it was needed?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
President Obama has ANOTHER TV Spot
I think President Obama needs to actually spend more time in the White House working rather than on television. It seems like he's been on television an awful lot lately. I, personally, don't need so many media spots to go over what he is, or is not doing, while in office so far. If he'd put it all on the internet, like he promised to do while he was campaigning for full disclosure to the American public, we'd have all the information we need!
In Corporate America, you don't see the big CEO on television every other day. He has too much work to do to keep a company running. If a CEO spent so much time in make-up and going over his speeches to the nation, how much actual time would he be spending solving his company's gigantic problems? Not enough I would think.
Since he likes to give so many of them. I'll give one myself.
My Address to President Obama ~
You are not a celebrity. You are a politician despite the "hope" and "change" platform you ran on. My hope in dwindling and fears for my children and grandchildren's futures grow. Not all are in love with your image and don't want to see it every other day on television giving speeches, making insulting jokes, or laughing during interviews over inappropriate topics while the country crumbles around our feet. Please work more and try to resolve this country's gigantic and mounting problems (which I believe you've failed to do, and have possible hurt more, so far). That's my opinion. I assume I am still allowed to voice one since we aren't a fascist country (yet?).
Florida Car Insurance
If you live in Florida and want to compare florida car insurance rates for yourself, Online Auto Insurance will provide you with free quotes so you can find the lowest rates. We haven't had our insurance quoted in years. I should really do this to see if we are paying more than we should be paying. In today's economy, every dollar saved in insurance can help elsewhere in our tight budgets.
Read more...Monday, March 16, 2009
Missing An Old Friend
Tomorrow would have been the birthday of an old friend who was a former coworker and boss, and a man who was like a father to me. He passed away several years ago in a car accident when a semi hit him. The accident wasn't his fault. I was angry for a long time over his passing, over him being taken and shed a lot of tears. I regretted not accepting his job offer after he left the company we both worked for. I missed out on a lot of time with him that I would have had if I had not turned it down.
Anger, regret, despair, sadness - stages of grief I guess. I wonder, though, if you ever get past sadness, past missing a special loved one. It doesn't seem like it.
He was a great boss. He was fun, always making me laugh with jokes and teasing. He was fair. He helped me out personally when I was struggling; he looked out for me. On maternity leave, I went in to show off my baby and ended up needing to change her (which I did on his desk). An executive with a huge company and I'm using his desk as a changing table!
The last time I saw him, he'd called to take me out to lunch. When we parted in the parking lot after lunch, he kissed my cheek good-bye.
I remember the day my firstborn was born, he called me at the hospital first thing that morning. I picked up the phone and said, "Hello." He said, "Hi. This is dad."
I miss him.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Unclaimed.org and Missingmoney.com
There are a couple web sites people should be aware of for unclaimed money and property. The first is www.missingmoney.com (Missing Money) and the other is the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators' site, unclaimed.org.
You never know what you may have out there that you don't know about.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
What Parents Should Know About Gardasil
I've put all the information (and adverse reactions) that I have gathered so far onto my health blog at Healthy Me. If you are a parent of a girl, you should definitely check it out. If you are a parent of a boy, you should probably read up on it too since they are talking about vaccinating boys with it now too.
Read more...Do All Auto Mechanics Think Women Are Stupid & Mousy?
Why do some automotive mechanics try to rip you off? After spending almost $700 getting my bald and bulging tires replaced on my SUV (god did that hurt to give that money to them, lol), we took my husband's car in for an exhaust system and hood latch. It'd been sitting in the driveway for about six months waiting for us to get money (aka income tax, lol) to fix it. It was going to cost $150 for an exhaust system for it. OK. We can do that so we took it to them and then picked it up from them after their closing hours.
They charged us $150 and only replaced the muffler...not the pipes. WTH? So, I made a phone call to get some back up on muffler prices from other repair places. I called another muffler place and they said they would have charged $84.72 for just the muffler and labor. Back to the phone to the idiots who fixed the exhaust...I told them what was supposed to have been done (muffler and pipes) and what was done (just muffler). He offered to give us a break on another car repair. No, I want the price we were quoted to include what was quoted! Geez! (It's not like I will ever take our trucks back to them again after that anyway!). I reminded him of the price we'd just paid them for my SUV tires (hint hint...I have 30 days to change my mind and return them to you so do you REALLY want me to do that, lol). "We're so sorry. I can get the pipes in tomorrow and get it on for you. That price should have included the pipes." Ya think?
I may not have the same body part the mechanic man did and that may think that entitles them to try to take advantage, but it doesn't. What it did was made them lose all future business. Did they think because I was female, that I would just quietly accept it? They don't know me very well.
Next time, I will crawl under the car to look while they are open though so I can complain right then and there instead of picking the car up after closing hours and having to complain to them later.
TO ALL MALE AUTO MECHANICS: Being female doesn't make me stupid. Dumb ass.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Easter Basket Ideas
My stepkids are coming for Spring Break so instead of sending them small gifts that can be mailed long distance or a gift card for Easter (they are teenagers and would prefer the gift cards I am sure), we will be filling Easter baskets for them like we do for our other four children.
Now I just have to figure out what small, but meaningful, gift can I put in an Easter basket for a teenage boy and teenage girl that won't get tossed into a closet (or most likely thrown away by their mother when the kids aren't around which has happened too many times before). I want it to mean something to them. The thing is, I don't think "we" mean much to them so I am not sure what gift to add to their basket. If it is a personal, family type of gift, it has even more likelihood of ending up in the trash. Tip-toeing my way through the ex and stepfamily landmines are so much fun!
Pastor Shot in Maryville, Illinois
What is this world coming to when you can't even go to church without violence entering the door? A pastor was shot and killed in a First Baptist Church in Maryville, IL. The gunmen walked in and fired several shots at the pastor. The parishioners brought the suspect down with several people wounded, including the suspect.
The pastor had a wife and two children. I hope his children were not in church to witness their father's shooting. Sad.
Read more of the story here.
I was having a discussion with my husband the other day about people being released from prison who have taken a life. He thinks if they've served their life sentence, then they get released. It is what they were given and that's that. I believe if you take a life on purpose, you shouldn't get a chance to live yours again and should rot in a cell somewhere. If somebody killed one of my family members, you could put me in the room with the killing bastard, give me a bat, and leave me along for a little while with him. I'll take care of him and no tax payer dollars would need be wasted to keep this person in jail for years with better health care than tax paying citizens who abide by the law get! Why should you get a shot at a life, even if it is relatively short after a life sentence is served, when the person who you killed doesn't? Yes, I have strong feelings on the subject.
Is Leather Your Style?
I was enjoying my weight loss (until I got back on the scale yesterday and it said I'd gained back some of it!) and looking at apparel that I haven't felt comfortable wearing in a long time. I found Lingerie Diva. They carry different kinds of leather wear. I already have two pair of leather pants (that I am not sure I can fit into now). *sob* They also carry leather dresses and skirts, leather corsets, and swimwear to name a few things. If you want to sexy yourself up a bit, and I felt like I wanted to until I got back on the scale and disappointed myself, check out Lingerie Diva.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
How to stop dogs from destroying lawn?
Last summer, we paid to have aluminum fence installation completed for our three dogs' safety. We fenced off an area of our backyard for them so they could run and play safely. They love it but they've dug holes and ran most of it down to mud.
I am going to plant grass seed next month, but is there a way to keep it grass? I don't want them destroying the lawn again. I'm not sure how to maintain the lawn and prevent the dogs from destroying it again. How do you stop a dog from digging holes?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Planning for Spring: Landscaping with Trees
I get my first site of a robin (see previous post from this morning) and I get planning for spring!
We have at least a dozen trees on our property but I want more. I was thinking about adding Oak trees or red maples to the one side of the property that doesn't have any shade for the kids. I would really LOVE to add a Japanese Red Leaf Maple like this one here as a more ornamental tree in a designed landscape setting:
Isn't it pretty? They're so expensive though. It is said that they will grow in most areas of the United States. With that kind of tolerance, not even I should have too much worry about killing it since I don't have much of a green thumb with plants. I think trees are different than plants though. Once they get established, you pretty much just let them go on their own, right?
First Sign of Spring is Here
I saw my first robin today. That means the robins who migrate are migrating north again and spring will be coming to the Great Lake states soon!
The robin was squatting below the wheel well of my car. I thought my husband had hit him but he flew away when I went to the window to look closer. I'm glad the first sign of spring wasn't a victim of vehicular homicide.
Yeah, spring is coming!!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Facebook Security Breached?
Facebook has been the target of hacks five times in the last week - rogue applications, viruses. If you have a Facebook account, be careful about who you accept as a friend and what information you post. Read the article here.
I think I am going to re-think allowing applications on my Facebook after this.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The In-Laws
We haven't seen my husband's parents since last summer. One thing after another came up last Fall and then winter was too bad where they live to dig themselves out to travel out of state. My littlest one sure is missing her Ma-Moo.
My father-in-law HAS to stay busy or else it drives him batty. So things get done at my house when he comes. He has installed kitchen cabinets, dishwashers, sinks, bathroom vanities, built decks and porches. He's like Bob Vila!
The wind storm a few weeks ago did some damage. One piece of damage was to my light fixture outside my front door. The wind pulled the top off of one of them and when it hit the cement, the top broke off. I am hoping to put two new light fixtures on his list when he comes to visit. I feel a little guilty about having work for him to do after he drives 5-6 hours to visit but he expects it (and needs it or else it drives him nuts to sit still). He is almost 80 but he still wants to go, go, go!
It's the only time I can get my husband to do any type of home improvements (he didn't get the "Bob Vila" gene I guess). He won't do any unless his dad is here!
Missing The Way Things Used To Be
I've been on Facebook a lot the last couple of months. I never liked Facebook before but then I found some old high school friends and started chatting with them. Most recently, I've found cousins from my mother's side that I haven't seen in years! That's been nice. It's also made me a bit sad.
When we were younger, the families were close and had a lot of fun spending time together. They were hilarious - the jokes and the laughs that sounded like cackling hens. Swimming in the pond, riding around on a little motor bike, cook outs, climbing up the hay stacks, my favorite cow, Elsie. My aunt used to give me pickles she canned herself because she knew they were my favorite. My cousins were older and I thought my male cousins were quite cute. As a shy little girl, it was a lot of fun to be around my teasing older cousins (they're still darn cute now, believe me, lol). Once I was an adult, I had my own relationship with my aunt. I would call her; she was great to talk to.
Then some stuff came to light about things that happened before we were even born and it tore the siblings (the parents of all of us cousins) apart and never again was that closeness to be found between them. I doubt they will ever get that relationship back and I can understand why. However, I am not sure that bringing things to light that happened so long ago was a good idea now. At the time, I felt like sides were drawn and in doing so, lost the relationship with my aunt and cousins. I am also not sure that the kids should have been told about any of this information because, naturally, loyalty would come into play even though we (at least me) were only told the bare minimum...no details. Just enough to let us know "what" but not "when" or "how" or anything else. What good did bringing it to light do? Did it help?
Some of my siblings and cousins managed to leave their parents' conflict out of the relationship and maintain a close relationship. They didn't allow the conflict to affect their relationship. They still see each other and seem to be friends as well as cousins. Maybe it was because they were closer in age so it was more natural. I don't know.
I do know that I miss my cousins. I miss my aunt. She is getting up there in age and it makes me sad thinking about all the time that has been lost. "Seeing" them on Facebook has been great, but it's made me a little sad the last couple weeks too.
You can't go back to the way things were (and I would never want to repeat my childhood) but these were good memories and I guess when you don't have a lot of good childhood memories, the ones you do have mean more to you.
Rush Limbaugh CPAC Speech
If you missed out, or just want to watch the CPAC speeches again, it's on YouTube. I am watching bits and pieces of it now on the news. Rush Limbaugh may be controversial to some but he's made some good points (and gave me a few laughs).
Read more...Taxpayers for Common Sense
That's the name of a web site: Taxpayers for Common Sense
They describe themselves as: "...an independent and non-partisan voice for taxpayers working to increase transparency and expose and eliminate wasteful and corrupt subsidies, earmarks, and corporate welfare."
This is what they've found in the current omnibus bill:
"Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) has been going through the omnibus to pull together a total number of earmarks and dollar amount. TCS found 8,570 disclosed earmarks worth $7.7 billion." (See that full article here.)
Our tax dollars, oh wait...our children and grandchildren's tax dollars, will be paying that back.
Visit their web site here.
American Woman Wants Infant Son Back From Iraq
I wonder if this woman ever got her son back. I can't find anything but the original posts online. Read more...
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