Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my Mother's 64th birthday. She doesn't seem that old to me, but I know that before I know it she will begin to look her age. My Dad will be 65 on June 26th. He already is starting to look old. Since he has had 2 heart attacks, 1 mild stroke, broken a hip & just recently narrowly escaped death...it's no wonder he is beginning to look old. He is still very young at heart though.

Back to my Mother. I LOVE her to pieces & I look just like her. So much so that she could not deny me being her daughter if she wanted to. Unfortunately, I also inherited her obesity problem. It's not just in the genes either. I grew up watching her do the typical Mom things, eating while standing up & cooking dinner for the rest of us. She would grab fast food or order pizza becuase she was tired, or busy. She was a Stay At Home Mom that also worked in the home. She used to babysit at our house, often 6 days per week & over night. She ran an alteration business & handled many alterations from the local dry cleaners as well. For awhile she sold t-shirts. All of this was in additon to her regular household duties, driving her four children to band and orchestra pratice, dance lessons, bicycle races, Boy Scout meetings or Brownie Scout meetings. At one time I remember her being a Cub Scout Den Mother, a Brownie Scout Troop Leader & A Weblow Den Leader! Both of my parents were also active in Round Circle with the BSA. Until recently, I think Mom still had copies of Pack-O-Fun magazine in storage in Illinois. In the later years she served as one of the two adult leaders of the SHS Pep club. All four of us kids did our fair share of walking to &/or from these things but in the dead of a Northern Illinois winter, walking wasn't often an option. It was also a yearly thing that she would make most of the costumes for my sister & I's dances & usually at all of the costumes for at least one of the "honor dance class". By that I mean the top dance students were in the opening & closing numbers of the yearly recitals. Mom usually made the costumes for that class that would usually consist of around 25 girls. She did this from my 3 rd Grade school year until I switched dance studios my Sophmore year in high school. That year I was also in the opening number class...for which I had a spotlight dance with the lone guy in the studio. She made that costume as well.

Anyway, the point of this LONG story is that not only genitics caused her weight problem, but I belive that putting her family first & not taking time to care for herself was a big factor in her weight today. I love her, but I don't think I would live to see 64 years if I didn't tackle & conquer my weight problem right now. Not only did I inherit her predispostion for obesity. I also learned from her how to be a kind & compasionate human being with strong character & an independent spirit.

Thanks Mom & happy birthday.

I love you.

Memorial day Weekend

in Arizona's Rim country.

We went camping near the Mogollon Rim last Friday. We arrived shortly before the sun fell behind the tall pines. We managed to get our tent set up, the air mattresses inflated, our camp kitchen set up, a fire ring built & the girls into their pink leopard print sweats before the sunlight faded entirely. We also had to build a fire ring, the first time we have had to do so. We managed to do all of this while keeping our eyes glued on our 5 year old & our 2 year old. She turns two today actually. Yes, we were working at break neck speed. It is the first time we had been camping in 5 years. The last time we went camping was May of 2002 when our oldest was our only child & she was just 6 just 6 weeks old.

The oldest had fun during the day, but was cold at night. The little one is going through the seperation anxiety phase & when she woke up at 3 am, she cried non-stop. She didn't calm down until I jumped in our car with her, cranked the heat up & watched Charlotte's Web on our DVD player. She FINALLY went to sleep again about dawn. Once she went to sleep, I turned off the car, cracked open the door & used the restroom in the wilderness. While I was out there, I took a few photos. My hubby & our oldest were curled up in their sleeping bags in the tent. Do you think I remembered to take photos of our camp? NO! I sure took photos everything else though.

We camp in undeveloped sites in the Apache-Sitegraves forest. There was a small clearing of trees so we pitched our tent there. The forest service allows camping in these sites, but no more than 300 feet from the road. If we would have gone 300 feet from the road, we would have been invisible.

We drove to both of the nearby lakes. To get to Bear Canyon Lake you have to climb down a 1/4 mile path that is steep & winds back & forth 4 times. We did this & our legs were TIRED after we did so. The little one walked all the way down & 3/4 of the way back up before her Daddy plooped her on his shoulders. The oldest hiked the entire thing.

We only had to go through the bait & tackle shop to reach Woods Canyon Lake. We stopped & I took many photos of plants, trees, the lakes, the kids & my husband.

We played horseshoes & kicked balls into our mini soccer net. We read books, drew pictures & went on walks. A little bird even visited the edge of our camp! The youngest took a nap along with her daddy for awhile. Then we packed everything up & headed back home.

I was enjoying myself, but I was exhausted & I didn't feel like dealing with another sleepless night courtesy of the youngest. On the way home, the youngest vomited all over herself, her carseat & the toys she was holding on her lap. After that she was feeling better. Thank goodness she did it near a place we were able to stop & I could clean her up & change her clothes.

We had fun. It just got a little too cold at night for the kids. Maybe we will try again later this summer, if the forest service doesn't have a no campfires rule again.

1. Yourself? On a journey
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend? married
3. Your hair? In need of a dye job
4. Your mother? Sassy
5. Your father? Daddy
6. Your favorite thing? Material possession....my camera
7. Your dream last night? dry
8. Your favorite drink? Water...at the moment
9. Your dream car? I honestly don't have a "dream" car
10. The room you're in right now? The messiest room in the house
11. Your fear? Which one
12. What you want to be in 10 years? At healthy weight & at home with my kids
13. Muffins? YUMMMM....MUFFINS!
14. Who you hung out with last night? The family unit
15. What you're not? shy
16. Time? 12:51 A. M.
17. What you're wearing? Capris
18. Your favorite weather? Fall
19. Your favorite book? Horror (Stephen King)
20. Last thing you ate? Taco
21. Your worst vice? Pizza
22. Your best friend is? I'm not sure I have one anymore
23. What you're thinking about right now? This list
24. Your car? Malibu
25. Your life? Moving forward

I'm a Canna? What kind fo flower are you?

I am a Canna What Flower Are You?

Pee BEFORE you read this!

I just thought this photo was approproate for this post.

This is toooooo good not to share, but I warn you, go pee BEFORE reading this....

All in all, it hadn't been a good day. Bad traffic, a malfunctioning
computer, incompetent coworkers and a sore back all made me a
seething cauldron of rage. But more importantly for this story, it
had been over forty-eight hours since I'd last taken a dump. I'd
tried to jumpstart the process, beginning my day with a bowl of ass
cleansing fiber cereal, following it with six cups of coffee at
work, and adding a bean-laden lunch at Taco Bell. As I was returning
home from work, my insides let me know with subtle rumbles and the
emission of the occasional tiny fart that Big Things would be
happening soon. Alas, I had to stop at the mall to pick up an order
for the wife. I completed this task, and as I was walking past the
stores on my way back to the car, I noticed a large sale sign
proclaiming, "Everything Must Go!" This was prophetic, for my colon
informed me with a sudden violent cramp and a wet, squeaky fart that
everything was indeed about to go. I hurried to the mall bathrooms.
I surveyed the five stalls, which I have
numbered 1 through 5 for your convenience:

1. Occupied.

2. Clean, but Bathroom Protocol forbids its use, as it's next to the
occupied one.

3. Poop smeared on seat.

4. Poop and toilet paper in bowl, unidentifiable liquid splattered
on seat.

5. No toilet paper, no stall door, something growing near base of
toilet.

Clearly, it had to be Stall #2. I trudged back, entered, dropped
trou and sat down. I'm normally a fairly Shameful Pooper. I wasn't
happy about being next to the occupied stall, but Big Things were
afoot.

I was just getting ready to bear down when all of a sudden the sweet
sounds of Beethoven came from next door, followed by a fumbling, and
then the sound of a voice answering the ringing phone. As usual for
a cell phone conversation, the voice was exactly 8 dB louder than it
needed to be. Out of Shameful habit, my sphincter slammed shut. The
inane conversation went on and on. Mr. Pooper was blathering to Mrs.
Pooper about the crapy day he had. I sat there, cramping and
miserable, waiting for him to finish. As the loud conversation
dragged on, I became angrier and angrier, thinking that I, too, had
a crappy day, but I was too polite to yak about in public. My ass
let me know in no uncertain terms that if I didn't get crapping
soon, my day would be getting even crappier.

Finally my anger reached a point that overcame Shamefulness. I no
longer cared. I gripped the toilet paper holder with one hand,
braced my other hand against the side of the stall, and pushed with
all my might. I was rewarded with a fart of colossal magnitude -- a
cross between the sound of someone ripping a very wet bed sheet in
half and of plywood being torn off a wall.
The sound gradually transitioned into a heavily modulated low-RPM
tone, not unlike someone firing up a Harley. I managed to hit the
resonance frequency of the stall, and it shook gently.

Once my ass cheeks stopped flapping in the breeze, three things
became apparent:

(1) The next-door conversation had ceased; (2) my colon's continued
seizing indicated that there was more to come; and (3) the bathroom
was now beset by a horrible, eldritch stench.

It was as if a gateway to Hell had been opened. The foul miasma
quickly made its way under the stall and began choking my poop-mate.
This initial "herald" fart had ended his conversation in mid-
sentence.

"Oh my God," I heard him utter, following it with suppressed sounds
of
choking, and then, "No, baby, that wasn't me (cough, gag), you could
hear that (gag)??"

Now there was no stopping me. I pushed for all I was worth. I could
swear that in the resulting cacophony of rips, squirts, splashes,
poots, and blasts, I was actually lifted slightly off the pot. The
amount of stuff in me was incredible. It sprayed against the bowl
with tremendous force. Later, in surveying the damage, I'd see that
liquid poop had actually managed to ricochet out of the bowl and run
down the side on to the floor. But for now, all I could do was hang
on for the ride.

Next door I could hear him fumbling with the paper dispenser as he
desperately tried to finish his task. Little snatches of
conversation made
themselves heard over my anal symphony: "Gotta go... horrible...
throw up...
in my mouth... not... make it... tell the kids... love them... oh
God..." followed by more sounds of suppressed gagging and retching.

Alas, it is evidently difficult to hold one's phone and wipe one's
bum at the same time. Just as my high-pressure abuse of the toilet
was winding down, I heard a plop and splash from next door, followed
by string of swear words and gags. My shit-mate had dropped his
phone into the toilet.

There was a lull in my production, and the restroom became deathly
quiet. I could envision him standing there, wondering what to do. A
final anal announcement came trumpeting from my behind, small chunks
plopping noisily into the water. That must have been the last straw.
I heard a flush, a fumbling with the lock, and then the stall door
was thrown open. I heard him running out of the bathroom, slamming
the door behind him.

After a considerable amount of paperwork, I got up and surveyed the
damage. I felt bad for the janitor who'd be forced to deal with
this, but I knew that flushing was not an option. No toilet in the
world could handle that unholy mess. Flushing would only lead to a
floor flooded with filth.

As I left, I glanced into the next-door stall. Nothing remained in
the bowl. Had he flushed his phone, or had he plucked it out and
left the bathroom with nasty unwashed hands? The world will never
know.

I exited the bathroom, momentarily proud and Shameless, looking
around for a face glaring at me. But I saw no one. I suspect that
somehow my supernatural elimination has managed to transfer my
Shamefulness to my anonymous poop-mate. I think it'll be a long time
before he can bring himself to poop in public -- and I doubt he'll
ever again answer his cell phone in the loo. And this, my friends,
is why you should never talk on your phone in the bathroom.

**Note** I hope everyone gets a laugh out of this, if it offended
anyone, Im sorry. :)

Photos I have taken

I have turned these photos into book plates for my Book Crossing releases.



Trees in Autum on the Grounds of the St. Louis Arch in St. Louis, Missouri



Trees outside of the Field Museum in Chicago

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Flowers at the zoo.

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The Desert Botanical Gardens


You can tell me what you think of these photos in the comments section of this entry. All I ask is that you be kind. Constructive critisim is fine, just be nice in the words you choose please.

Pink Elephant

A few days ago my daughter & I made this money bank for her. She wanted a pink elephant. I have been trying to use things I already have on hand. Instead of going out & buying a bank we made this. We used an old, clean chip container, acid free construction paper, gel pen, glue, foam stickers & embrodrey floss. The floss was braided by me & turned into a tail that is not shown in this photo.

When her Uncle & Grandpa came by for an unexpected visit, she just HAD to show it to them. Gee, I guess she likes it!

Michael Moore is at it again

'Sicko' Spawns Moore Fever in Cannes

From Associated Press
May 21, 2007 4:39 PM EDT

CANNES, France - In Cannes, Michael Moore is a rock star - mobbed by fans, assailed by cameras and forced to wolf down a plate of pasta between his latest interview and his next live TV appearance.

Moore's documentary "Sicko" - a ferocious attack on the U.S. health care industry - is the talk of the film festival, and he is hot property. Moore caught his breath Monday to tell The Associated Press about the urgent need to reform America's health system, and why he thinks the Bush administration is out to get him.

"It's a government that's funded by the pharmaceutical companies and the health insurers, so I'm not surprised they're coming after me," said Moore, who is being investigated by the U.S. Treasury Department for traveling to Cuba for one of the segments in his film.

"I'm surprised they're doing it so soon. I didn't think they'd want to draw attention to the movie this early on."

Hurriedly eating spaghetti near the end of another whirlwind day, Moore said he was informed he was under investigation just days before the film's premiere here on Saturday. He was given 20 days to respond to questions about the trip, which he took accompanied by a group of sick Americans that included Sept. 11 rescue workers, to Cuba seeking treatment.

"They want me to name names," he said.

Moore says the group went to Cuba only after failing to gain admittance to the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay - where, he claims, al-Qaida suspects receive better medical care than millions of Americans.

Treasury officials will not comment specifically about Moore's case.

The Cuba segment of the film has drawn most of the attention, but occupies relatively little screen time. Much of "Sicko" consists of moving testimony from Americans who have suffered at the hands of insurance companies, drug firms and HMOs. That includes a mother whose daughter died because the nearest hospital could not treat her, and a man who was told the cost of reattaching his two severed fingers would be $60,000 for the middle finger and $12,000 for the ring finger.

Several interview subjects died before the film was completed.

"It was pretty somber working on this film," Moore said. "We just kept thinking, the only reason this person is dying is because they hold American citizenship. If they lived in Canada or Britain or France, they'd have a chance."

"Sicko" has been rapturously received by audiences and critics at Cannes, where it is screening out of competition. Moore's last film, the President Bush-bashing documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," won the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, in 2004.

The acclaim means Moore's schedule has been frenetic. Almost as soon as he sat down with the AP for a quick supper, he was hauled from the table and bundled into a van - reporter in tow - to head to a live appearance on French television.

As Moore's driver crept along Cannes' packed main drag, tourists and paparazzi thrust cameras at the van's open window until motorcycle police carved a path for the vehicle.

Moore knows that a rockier reception awaits back in the United States.

While Cannes has embraced him, Moore's critics say "Sicko" is overly rosy in its depiction of other countries' systems of socialized medicine. In Canada, happy emergency-room patients speak of short waits and free treatment. A British doctor in the state health system speaks happily of his six-figure income and million-dollar house. French interviewees glow with satisfaction at their quality of care.

"The facts are indisputable," Moore said as the van pulled up at a beachside TV studio. "People in those countries live longer than us, they have a lower infant mortality rate, they spend only half the money that we spend per person on health care and yet they have a healthier nation. There's no part of that picture that I'm painting that is untrue.

"Are there flaws in those systems? Absolutely. But those are flaws for the people in those countries to correct, not me."

And with that, he disappeared into another cheering crowd.

The end of April

Let's see, I got really sick on my Husband's birthday. That meant no B-Day nookie of him. By sick I mean, a fever, coughing & hacking, painful sinuses & the runs. Yes I was REALLY VERY SICK. It lasted about 4 days.

Next my daughter came down with a mild version of what I had, but husband had the same thing as me. Luckily, the youngest never got more than the sniffles.

Last weekend, we drove up to Roosevelt Lake to scout out possible camping sites. We were very dissappointed with the. In addition to our dissappointment, it was only about 10 degrees cooler there than it was at home. It will be a great winter camping site, but not for Memorial Day weekend. I did get some good pictures of Superior, Miami & the Queen Creek Tunnel areas.

I have always thought he did it.

Brown Simpson estate wants in book auction

From United Press InternationalApril 14, 2007 10:30 AM EDT
SACRAMENTO, Apr 14, 2007 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The estate of O.J. Simpson's slain wife wants to be able to bid in the Sacramento, Calif., auction of his book, "If I Did It."

In the book, the former NFL star and actor explained hypothetically the killings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Nicole Brown Simpson's estate has asked the judge to be allowed to use a portion of the $33.5 million civil judgment against the football player as a "credit bid," estate attorney Greg Hafif said.

Hafif asked Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman's father, to join with the Brown Simpson estate in making the bid at Tuesday's auction. But David J. Cook, who won the court order giving the Goldmans the rights to the book, balked at the request.

Cook said the Goldmans spent the last decade trying to collect from Simpson, who was found innocent in the criminal case.

When Los Angeles County Judge Gerald Rosenberg ordered the auction, he specified that its proceeds and profits from a resulting book be awarded to the Goldman family. Sacramento was chosen because it's the California headquarters for HarperCollins, which canceled the book's publication in November.

URL: www.upi.com

How was Easter?

Lets see, we woke up before the kids...of course & played Easter Bunny.

I told the oldest that the Easter Bunny had called me & asked to to go to the store to look for a few things. I had to say something because I needed a few things for the baskets & I had to bring the kids with me. This year it worked. She even told me that she has the Easter Bunnys phone nu,ber & has called him on her pretend phone!

Anyway, he filled eggs with a few jelly beans, some pretty hair ties & some pocket change for the kids piggy banks. The kids really enjoy hunting for eggs & have fun opening them all up.

In the baskets he left them each a small chocolate bunny, some Easter lollipops from the dollar store & one small toy each. Since I knew he would be visiting both fo the Grandma's houses, I didn't do as much as I have in years past.

We got to my MILs house & indeed the Easter bunny had been there as well. This time he left REAL hard boiled eggs to hunt, complete with melted crayon names on each egg. He also left about 4 toys each & a box of Animal crackers for each girl.

When we reached my parents house the Easter Bunny had struck yet again! They each got a few more toys, a stuffed animal & ....another box of animal crackers each. Who would have guessed that the Easter Bunny liked to give out animal crackers! LOL! I had nothing to do with the kids getting animal crackers. I just thought it to be a bit funny.

We had left our home about 9 am & returned home about 9 pm. It was a long day & the girls slept well shortly after we returned home.

The weather was beyond beautiful, yet it was too chilly to go swimming at Grandma's. That was fine with me. I'm not big on swimming pools since I got fat & even sassier than I once was.

Right now, we are working a project for my husbands birthday. It is a book. The story was made by my oldest daugter, age 5. She told me it was about our trip to Disneyland in Feb of 2006. She told me the story as I wrote it down. I of course helped with the wording & she requested that I draw the pictures. She just wanted to color them.

The little one will be scribbeling on 2 pages. One being the title page & the other will be the page that only reads "The End". I am sure my husband will love it, even though he isn't big on books.

I am excited to get it finished & see how it turns out.

So, how was your Easter?

Happy Birthday! Where does the time go?

Today we are celebrating a birthday at our house. Our oldest is 5 today.

It doesn't seem like five years ago today my water broke, & 10 1/2 hours later she came into the world....without pain meds. Where does the time go?

2 years ago today we took her to the zoo. It was SUPER hot, I was SUPER pregnant & beyond uncomfortable. She was so excited to see the animals she wanted to run from one exhibit to the next. I finally told my husband to go ahead, I had the cell phone & I could call him to see where he was.

Today we are expecting MORE rain. As I type we are hoping that we can get off our property tomorrow to take the kids to the birthday girl's party at my MIL house.

My parents are making her a Barbie house along with having made most of the furniture for it. There will be about 30 people at her party, including us. All but 3 are family members. They will only be 6 children, but that is plenty for me.

This week we also celebrated our wedding anniversary. I woke up to a pair of drawings my daughter had made for me & her saying "Happy Anniversary Mommy!". Next I see a card on the island in the kitchen. The note on the back said "Look Outside". I look out the back door to see a huge bag of potting soil, several packets of seeds & a large pot to start a mini-garden. I have been wanting to start a garden for YEARS, but we never had the money, or no time, or I was pregnant & in no condition to start one, or ...you get the idea. To say I was touched was an understatement because I had not mentioned starting a garden for at least a year now. My gift to him? A card & some homemade bread. He LOVES my bread & I don't make it often...plus money is still tight from our trip to Illinois last November.

I took the kids on a tour of the school the oldest is to attend this fall. She was so excitied to see her school. The school is on spring break but some of the staff & the principal were there. I like that they have a seperate playground & entrance for the Kindergarten classes. She will have to have a uniform though & did you know that Kindergarten has P.E now? It is fine with me, but I was a little surprised about it Registration is sometime in May, I will call in April to find out when that is happening & how much $$$ registration will cost.

Daddy's Day Off (will post photos when blogger will LET me)

Yesterday we had to drive for over an hour to get to the Dr. My husband had a follow up appointment with our Dr. from a physical back in December? I think it was December. Anyway, he had borderline high blood sugar & they are testing his blood for thyroid trouble again. If there are still problems, the Doc is sending him to see an Endrocronologist. His Thyroid meds made him gain like 20 pounds in less than a month, so he stopped taking them. Let's hope we can get it under control.

After the Dr. appointment we headed to the zoo. Daddy rarely has a day off during the week so this was a special treat. The oldest asks to go on the Endangered Species Carousel everytime we are at the zoo. I tell her we have to have Daddy to ride because I can't hold on to both of the kids at the same time on the carousel. Well, the first thing we did was ride the carousel. Daddy took the little one & I took the almost birthday girl. The little one got excited when she saw the shark, the oldest choose the otter.

Next we headed to Sting Ray Bay. This is a new & temporary exhibit at the zoo. It will be there until April 18th. The last time I took the kids in January, Liz wanted to touch the rays but got scared. This time she actually did touch one & loved it. The little one wanted to touch the rays but each time they got close, she would squeal with delight. After about 10 minutes, she lost interest.

After that it was time to see the giraffes at the African Veldt exhibit. In January the zoo was building a new set of steps & observation deck. It was finished this time & very busy. Daddy took the oldest up on the deck & sat her on his shoulders. After she was off her Daddy perch, he took some photos.

It shows that it allows you to be at eye level with the giraffes. I'll go on that the next time we are at the zoo. Since each time we go to the zoo, seeing the Giraffes is a must...I'll go next time when it's not so busy.

Another animal display we must see each time we visit the zoo is the Flamingo display. I think she likes the birds because they are pink. This time we didn't watch them for long.

This time we saw the Giant Tortise, Elephants, Turtles, Wallabys, the Giant Anteater & a small Toucan type bird.

We packed our lunch & found a secluded shady spot to eat. Daddy had fun throwing popcorn into the lagoon to get the ducks & turtles to come over for food. Thankfully, the ducks stayed in the water & didn't approach us for food.

After lunch we headed back up to the Elephants, as it was feeding time for them. The zookeepers passed out carrots to all the kids so they could throw them into the Elephant display. Then one was talking about the Elephants & asking for questions. The oldest child asked me how elephants talk. I told her we could ask the zookeeper, so she did. He looked a bit surprised at her question because she isn't even in school yet. He said it was a good question & talked about it for at least 5 minutes.

Then it was to the Water play area. It was 90 degrees yesterday so the waterplay area was busy. Unfortunately, the water smelled like swamp water. It has never smelled that way before. My only thought about this was that it must be in it's first days of operation for the 2007 season. Thank goodness I had extra clothes for the kids.

After that, we headed for the gift shop, bought less than $10 in zoo stuff & headed for home. All in all we had nice, hot, inexepnsive day at the zoo. being zoo members, we don't have to pay to get in. That saves us $$$ each time right there. Next, we had to pay $1 each for String Ray Bay instead of $3 each. We also get 10% at the gift shop with the basic membership we have.

I always pack a lunch....so that saves mega $$$. Since refills on drinks in zoo cups are $1 each, I always take both of them...just in case I want some soda pop. After going to the zoo, seeing how easy it is to use the membership & the money it can save, I don't think I'll have any trouble talking my Husband into renewing our membership this year.

This Week In My World

Last night I finally got my blogs upgraded here on blogger. Then I had fun making a few changes. I did things like changed colors, changed a couple of fonts & FINALLY added a few of my favorite links under "Puddles I Splash In". I will add more, but with the upgrade it was easy to do.

This week my best friend got a puppy. The pup is beautiful & she looks much like my "Scooter". I almost got teary eyed when I saw pictures because she looks so much like my beloved Scooter. It has been 1 year & 4 months & I still have this huge hole in my heart from his death. I don't miss having a dog, I miss HIM! I am happy for Barbie & her kids though welcoming a new fur baby to their family. We are giving her a dog house...the one we had for the pup we couldn't keep. She was going to take the DH with her, but the house wouldn't fit into the back of her SUV. We even took to apart & it still wouldn't fit. She said she would have to come back without the kids to get it.

My friend brought her kids out yesterday for a play date. It was the first time since we moved here 1 year & 5 months ago that she has been here. Her & her husband helped us move so she had seen our place before....after moving us all day, driving an hour one way with two exhausted kids in the car & going back to her house at 11 pm. So, she saw our house...but full of unpacked boxes & only a couple of lights.

She really liked it & until she saw the boundaries of our property, she didn't realize just how much landscaping we have to do here. We have 1 1/4 acres to landscape. That is equivalent to 9 parcels of the property we moved from when we moved here. All we have done is part of our driveway. We were going to use our income tax refund to finish it & make a few other improvements but the fuel pump on our car took a dump. replacing that ate up the "extra" from our refund. It sucked to have to spend it on that, but at least we had the money to replace it. I have to find the bright side...right?

As for me, my activities on PX are picking up. I will do my best NOT to get over my head on exchanges this year. I plan on going back to taking part in my tags & fewer travelling notebook projects. The notebooks get expensive to send across the Pacific & Atlantic Oceans. I had fun with them, but I want to be able to do more & or save a few bucks. Therefore, most notebook projects are out of the question.

My husband wants to have child #3. I told him at my weight I feared another pregnancy would literally kill me. I told him in March of 2oo8 we can seriously discuss it with a few stipulations.

1. I had to lose no less than 50 pounds.
2. He had to lose no less than 50 pounds.
3. We have to improve our communication skills.
4. He had to help out more around the house & with the kids.
5. If we have another child, I get to have my tubes tied while they do the c-section.

So when March of 2008 rolls around, we will see if all 5 stipulations have been met. I don't think it is unreasonable to request those five things. Especially since I weight 235 pounds at 5 ft 2 inches tall & my sweet husband weighs 285 pounds at about 5 ft 7 inches tall. Since I don't want my kids to be without either of their parents, I don't wish to be a widow or make my husband a widower...losing the weight needs to be done. It needs to be done with or without another child in the house.

As far as the tubes being tied go...that one is NON-NEGOTIABLE! My husband has a problem with it, but it is a must for me. I will be 40 very soon & I don't want to be having children at age 40+. Not only because pregnancy is hard on me, but I don't want to be raising teenagers while I approach my 70's! It doesn't make emotional or financial sense to me to be doing that. His attitude is 'Whatever happens, happens!". Well, I'm sorry but when it comes to my body...that doesn't work for me at all.

This makes me sad.

Chief Illiniwek to Perform for Last Time

By DAVID MERCER (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated PressFebruary 21, 2007 11:02 AM EST

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - After 81 years of war paint and feathered headdresses, the University of Illinois' controversial American Indian mascot is performing his last dance.

After that, Chief Illiniwek's image and regalia will continue to be a subject of negotiations.

The mascot, whose fate was decided by school officials last week, will take center stage at Assembly Hall for one last performance Wednesday night during the men's basketball game between Illinois and Michigan.
Removing the chief frees the university of NCAA sanctions after the organization deemed Illiniwek - portrayed by buckskin-clad students who dance at home football and basketball games and other athletic events - an offensive use of American Indian imagery and barred the school from hosting postseason athletic events.

The sanctions, which were issued in 2005, will end after Wednesday night's appearance.

"We knew we were going to have to do something to get off the list," chairman of the University of Illinois board of trustees Lawrence Eppley said after the decision was announced.

Still, the students who currently portray the chief and their predecessors want the chief's image and the mascot's related history to be celebrated by the university, perhaps in a museum.

And merchandise containing images of the chief continues to be made by suppliers and sold by vendors at Assembly Hall and sporting goods stores. No deadline has been set to stop making Illiniwek paraphernalia, which the university is paid for the rights to use.

The chief, who debuted in a homemade American Indian costume during an Illini football game in 1926, has been a controversial subject for decades.

Supporters see the dancing mascot and his elaborate costume as an honored symbol of both American Indian tradition and Illini sports.

Detractors, including some American Indians and university academics, say the chief and his dance are racist and insulting.

Under the plan announced last week, the university still will be able to use the name Illini because it's short for Illinois, and the school can use the term Fighting Illini, because it's considered a reference to the team's competitive spirit, school officials said.

Neither of those ideas sit well with the activists who opposed the chief. They say they next want the university to end the use of the names.
Graduate student Dan Maloney, who dons the costume at men's basketball and football games, was to portray the chief for the final dance Wednesday.

Maloney, along with assistant chief Logan Ponce, a sophomore, even launched legal action to keep the mascot out of retirement, but a judge rejected their request.

Last Friday's decision by the school meant that Ponce had already appeared as the chief for the last time.

"My last performance, my parents were here for that," he said. "If it was my last, I was happy with it."
---

On the Net:
University of Illinois: http://www.uiuc.edu/

Giving MORE than 100% (received via e-mail)

This is strictly a mathematical viewpoint . . . it goes like this:

What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?

Here's a mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

is represented as: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then: H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K 8+1 +18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

and K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But, A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

And, B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T 2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far ass kissing will take you. A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G 1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that while Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's
the Bullshit and Ass Kissing that will put you over the top.

"REMEMBER SOME PEOPLE ARE ALIVE SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL TO SHOOT THEM."

*****************************************************************
I agree with the entire e-mail, with the exception of why some people are alive.

Prince Kicked ASS during half time!

Prince Rocks Super Bowl Halftime Show
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Prince performs during the halftime show at Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon

By DOUGLAS J. ROWE (AP Entertainment Writer)
From Associated PressFebruary 04, 2007 9:12 PM EST

Phew! CBS got through the halftime show without a "wardrobe malfunction." The Artist Formerly Known as a Munchkin of Wardrobe Dysfunction began by singing "Let's Go Crazy," but he didn't.
Prince, who became a Jehovah's Witness in the mid-1990s, no longer wears yellow, butt-baring pants as he did at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards (prompting Howard Stern's send-up at the '92 VMAs). The closest thing to a fashion statement Sunday night was an odd kerchief on his head. So the NFL had no repeat of the 2004 Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake show, which happened the last time CBS broadcast the game.

The 48-year-old Prince, who rose to stardom in the '80s with his distinctive fusion of R&B, funk, soul and rock, once looked androgynous and produced songs that (lest we forget) drove Tipper Gore nuts (and made her a fat target for anti-censorship types like Frank Zappa).
Musically, the diminutive, erstwhile prodigy from Minneapolis kept it old-school, rockin' the house with "Purple Rain" and other golden hits.
He delivered one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows - ever. Consequently, he didn't come across as a painfully safe choice - or a has-been, the rap against the previous couple of Super Bowl halftime acts, Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones.

By the time Prince took the midfield stage (shaped like his symbol when he was The Artist Formerly Known As Prince), Jim Nantz and Phil Simms had already given a bravura performance in the booth.
Making his Super Bowl play-by-play debut, Nantz kept viewers on top of the action. Simms managed to be self-effacing about at least one comment that was off the mark. He insisted the weather would not be a factor; after the third of four turnovers in the first quarter, he chuckled about what he said.

"The rain is absolutely having a little effect," he acknowledged. (Speaking of the rain, some cameras were foggy and speckled with drops, but the quick cuts made it less noticeable).

Now in their third season together, Nantz and Simms have a nice rapport.

As usual, much of the day's viewing diet had more to do with quantity than quality.

But, how can the nation's highest-rated TV program - and the run-up to it - NOT be bloated?

Ingesting 10-plus hours of Super Bowl coverage forces you to act like an anaconda: Just unhinge your jaws, swallow your prey and try not to be too conscious of your distended, distorted body.

There isn't enough party dip in the world to give you that much indigestion (although the food segment with chef Bobby Flay came close).

The six-plus hours of pregame hoo-ha began at noon EST with an NFL Films recap of the season, "Road to the Super Bowl," with Tom Selleck capably filling the old John Facenda role of narrator.

Next came "Phil Simms All-Iron Team," which the neurotic Caveman from the Geico commercials gave a lighthearted beginning, middle and end.

The ever-needy Caveman tried to wheedle the picks out of Simms on the golf course before they were announced on the selection show - with limited success, and limited satisfaction.

Derrick Brooks? "I just don't get it," said the Caveman, who would have picked, uh, Bonnie Raitt.

The quality of the players' character (including Brooks') was a big determinant in being chosen for Simms' squad, which gave the show a heartwarming touch and made it appealing to casual fans.

Then came the four-hour "The Super Bowl Today," which - in the true commercial spirit of the whole affair - began with Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr., who also was promoting "Norbit."

Just like every other Sunday of the football season, the CBS studio quartet of host James Brown along with analysts Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason and Shannon Sharpe made you miss the guys on Fox. They simply lack the chemistry of Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long et al. And no one on either show is as funny as Fox's Frank Caliendo.
T
he heart-tugging stories really kicked in during the last pregame extravaganza, almost ad nauseam - among them, Everson Walls' willingness to donate a kidney to former Dallas Cowboys teammate Ron Springs; Chicago Bears running back Thomas Jones' supportive family; a visit with soldiers in Iraq; and Bill Walsh's much-chronicled battle against cancer.

They even went all the way back to the tragically early deaths of long-ago Bears running backs Walter Payton and Brian Piccolo. (Hmmm. Might Netflix get a run on "Brian's Song")?

Almost all of the ground covered was well-trod: Marvin Harrison's taciturn tendencies; the Jekyll-Hyde performances of Rex Grossman; the matchup between the first two black coaches to lead their team to the NFL title game.

As you can imagine, all the feel-good segments got a lot more airtime than, say, the story about the Bears' Tank Johnson needing a judge's OK to get out of house arrest on gun-possession charges and travel to Miami.
The story barely got four minutes (remember: out of four hours!) including Esiason, Sharpe and Marino weighing in on whether Johnson should have been allowed to play. (Predictably, Esiason opposed Tank's participation, Sharpe defended it, and Marino came down hard in the middle of the issue).

Katie Couric, who can chant "We're No. 3" about CBS News, joined the guys, for yet another "very touching story indeed," as Brown put it after introducing the high-priced "Evening News" anchorwoman by citing her sports reporting credibility. ("She brings a sports background to the desk. She ran track - an outstanding cheerleader).
She tackled the topic of Hines Ward, last year's Super Bowl MVP, and his Korean mother, who was shunned in her native country because of her biracial marriage, winding up a single mother here, and the bigotry that mother and son were subjected to.

But isn't this a year-old story? Where's the fresh, hard-hitting news?

Before all those hours fully dedicated to hyping the game, "Face the Nation" with Bob Schieffer was broadcast from Dolphin Stadium. At least the conversation was a little more serious with new league commissioner Roger Goodell as a guest.

Meanwhile, Tim Russert's "Meet the Press" was busy with presidential candidate John Edwards. Who cares about that, right?

Political Correctness (sent in an e-mail to me)

Due to the climate of political correctness now pervading America, Kentuckians, Tennesseans and West Virginians will no longer be referred to as "HILLBILLIES."

You must now refer to them as APPALACHIAN-AMERICANS.And furthermore ...

HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT WOMEN AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT:

1 She is not a "BABE" or a "CHICK" - She is a "BREASTED AMERICAN."

2. She is not "EASY" - She is "HORIZONTALLY ACCESSIBLE."

3. She is not a "DUMB BLONDE" - She is a "LIGHT-HAIRED DETOUR OFF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY."

4. She has not "BEEN AROUND" - She is a "PREVIOUSLY-ENJOYED COMPANION."

5 . She does not "NAG" you - She becomes "VERBALLY REPETITIVE."

6. She is not a "TWO-BIT HOOKER" - She is a "LOW COST PROVIDER.

"HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT MEN AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT:

1. He does not have a "BEER GUT" - He has developed a "LIQUID GRAIN STORAGE FACILITY."

2. He is not a "BAD DANCER" - He is "OVERLY CAUCASIAN."

3. He does not "GET LOST ALL THE TIME" - He "INVESTIGATES ALTERNATIVE DESTINATIONS."

4. He is not "BALDING" - He is in "FOLLICLE REGRESSION."

5. He does not act like a "TOTAL ASS" - He develops a case of RECTAL-CRANIAL INVERSION."

6. It's not his "CRACK" you see hanging out of his pants - It's "REAR CLEAVAGE."

Sick as a dog

Right now, I am sick as a dog. I was feeling great all day long. I got a lot done & even spent some time on the floor with my kids. We were playing with toys & i even read them both a couple of books. They each spent time in my lap individually & together. It was a great day!

Then I deceided to make french toast for dinner. The girls don't like that so I made them scrambled eggs with a little pepper, vanilla & shredded cheese. They gobbbled it right up, as always. I ate my french toast & about an hour after doing so it hit me hard.

Without going into detail, I rear got acquainted with my toilet seat very well tonight. I made more than 10 trips in less than 2 1/2 hours. I probably lost 5 pounds, but that is NOT the way to do so. Gee, think I was feeling very well? I was hot & then cold & then hot again. I really hope it's not food poisoning, but I think it might be. I've never had it before to my knowledge. I do know that I won't be eating or making french toast anytime soon. I am glad that the kids didn't have any. My husband either for that matter.

I also got news Friday morning that my Grandfather (88) fell in the bathroom & broke his hip. My Aunt called & told me that the ball popped out of it's socket. Due to his age they replaced the socket & reset the ball. The Dr. said that if they replaced the hip, it would never heal. He already is at risk of serious complications due to his age & his weakened heart (a stroke in 2005). Today I got an e-mail saying that the Dr's are having trouble keeping his blood pressure stable & they are really concerned with fluid building in his lungs. They also told my Aunt that there is a high probability that he may suffer another heart attack or stroke. If that happens, I pray that he passes & doesn't suffer any longer. Since Grandma is basically willing herself to stay alive long enough to care for Grandpa, I expect that she will follow him to heaven not longer after his passing.

I told my husband what is happening & he asked if I was wanting to go see them. I told I didn't need to becasue we just saw them in November. He said that is good because we could not afford to go. I told him the truth. I told him that I was glad we went in November because I would rather have seen him one last time in life than to see his lifeless body in a coffin. I also told him that I fully expected that the trip home in November would probably be the last time I saw at least ONE of my Grandparents, probably all three of them actually. They are aged 88, 84 & 84 after all & all are in poor health. The T's live in an assisted living home full of Seinors. Grandma G. lives alone, but I'm not sure how much longer that will be the case. She gets a lot of help from her neighbor David & her 92 year old sister Margaret. My Uncle also drives down from the Peoria area everytime she needs to go see a Dr. in Saint Louis. We would go & help but we live over 1000 miles away. That makes it impossible for us to help out with things.

I am headed to bed. I will fix typos when I feel better.

Thursday Thirteen Week #4

Thirteen Things about This week 1. My husband went to Illinois to help his mom move across the country. 2. They thankfully avoided being involved in any of the crashes near Amarillo, Texas due to the severe 3. My Mom kept my oldest daughter for a sleep over to give me a mini-break. 4. All I did was worry about my husband's safety & take care of the little one. 5. My daughter had a blast at Grandma's house. 6. The little one & I had some fun as well. 7. Missed my husband so much it hurt. 8. My oldest one is acting up & testing her limits with me. 9. She has a little sassy mouth on her & it needs to stop. 10. I have not written any Haikus this week, even though they are all pretty bad. 11. I completed my 40 day Fast Food Fast this week. 12. It felt REALLY good to acomplish the fast successfully. 13. I am writing this on Wednesday while I have time to do so. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


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