Living forever

I recently read an article that caught my interest in Popular Science magazine about Aubrey de Grey and his theories about combating aging. His philosophy is not to look for one mechanism that causes aging, but rather to treat various aspects of it at the cellular level. A synopsis on de Grey can be found here.

The thought of living 5000 years really is not that appealing to me. Maybe several hundred, but thousands? Imagine the population explosion or the absolute devastation when a loved one dies of an accident. Instead of life getting cut short decades, it could be cut short in the thousands. It's hard for me to imagine such a world. Realistically, we are moving closer and closer to immortality. I guess that's why some people have their heads put on ice when they die.

Tsunami in Asia

As the death toll climbs well above 100,000, my mind is unable to grasp the horror. I see the pictures of mothers screaming for their lost children, body bags strewn across the beaches, hundreds of hands reaching for food and water and I desperately want to help these people. To ease some of their suffering. Disasters like this bring out the worst and the best in people. Millions across the world reaching out to help, a few bad seeds stealing from the destitute. No matter how humans treat other humans, it is a sober reminder that mother nature has the upper hand.

Thoughtful Christmas presents

I always try to put a lot of thought into the gifts I choose for people. This year was no exception. I found two really cool baseball books for my impossible to please uncle and he was obviously pleased. I made a scrapbook for my husband from the kid's perspective on why they love their daddy. I found a beautiful necklace for my mother. I also made my aunt a scrapbook of her surprise birthday party. She was moved to tears.

My husband came through this year with an incredibly thoughtful gift. It was an assortment of gifts, really. The first was a gift card to AMC theatres, with the stipulation that it could not be used for kid's movies. Next was a booklet of coupons for a hot date with the expiration date at the end of each month. The next was a gift certificate for a road trip, anywhere I want to go. And then a gift certificate to a plane trip anywhere I want to go. And last was a calendar and which he had filled out with trips he's planning. Tahoe in February, Lost Maples state part in March, and so on. It was so sweet and thoughtful. Of course we'd have to win the lottery soon for it all to materialize, but it was a very romantic gesture.

Maybe men are trainable :)

It Snowed!

For most parts of the country this would not be so surprising. It snows in Houston once every 10 - 15 years. And Christmas Eve was our night. We bundled up the kids and ran outside. A snowball fight started and soon we were running around, laughing hysterically and dodging snowballs. It was pure magic, no presents required.

My favorite day of the year

Christmas is my favorite day of the year. The anticipation Christmas Eve, knowing that in the morning my stocking would be filled and presents would fill under the tree. Gathering in the morning with my aunt and uncle and grandparents and cousins, eating homemade cinnamon rolls and drinking wassail. Tearing through the presents and playing all day until it was time to go to my grandparents house. The anticipation of opening stockings at my grandparents that evening. I love that I'm able to pass these traditions on to my own children and give them the same warm, loving memories I have of the holiday. And I can not wait until my son finds out that Santa is bringing him a trip to Disney World with his parents and both sets of grandparents.

Happy Holidays!

Totally Hilarious

Light entertainment.

Thanks to Mister Crunchy for the link.

What happens when people break?

4 nights of < 5 hours sleep. One sick baby. House guests all week. Still not ready for Christmas. Work stress. What happens when people lose it? Just trying to prepare.

Christmas Light

My son loves Christmas lights. He asked his Daddy for weeks when he was putting out our lights. One evening when we came back, he said 'I'm so appointed. Daddy STILL hasn't put out lights'. After several days of this, I told him he'd better get out there and just do it. I come home from work and the garland is around the door and there is one string of lights around one tree trunk. Some excuse about extension cords and being Jewish. When the boy sees this he asks if we can buy more lights and put more out next year. I reassured him we would.

A few nights later we go to hubby's parents for dinner. As we drive up to their house, we both start laughing. The yard has one small fiber optic lit snowman. The lone decoration. I guess it's genetic.

18 long days

Since I posted last. The sad part is it took my 5 minutes to guess every combination of user names and passwords to get back into my account. But I'm here. 5 more days until Christmas and I have it mostly under control. Work has finally slowed down to frantic. The kids are doing well and I'm able to stop and take a breath occasionally. Maybe even have a thought or two. But I may be pushing it with that.

Wonder where I've been?

Probably not, but I'll tell you anyway. Been busy! Seriously, hubby and I have been furthering our education to catapult our real estate investing into the realm of profitability. Several weeks ago, we attended a seminar for three entire days entitled "The Secrets of Closing the Deal" which was taught by Bill Twyford. His specializes in NLP, neural linguistic programming. Dry topic, but he made it interesting and fun to learn. As neither of us excel in sales, we felt this was important information to learn.

We have also discovered Robert Kiyosaki. He's most know for Rich Dad Poor Dad, but has many other books as well. Many of his philosophies are ones I believe in and have worked towards, but it helps when someone has already followed that path and can share their experience.

The problem with all of this knowledge is figuring out what to follow, who to believe, and how to not become paralyzed with too much information and put it all into action. We could spend the next 15 years attending seminars, listening to tapes, reading books and never accomplish a thing. Time to put our little bit of knowledge to use where it can really be dangerous.

Jealousy

Jealousy is such an ugly emotion. It's even more fun when mixed with self-pity. My life right now is beyond crazy. My job is more stressful than it's been in years, my husband's working more and more to keep us afloat, we finally got a tenant in our old house, our finances are terrible after 6 months of double mortgage payments, my sweet little daughter is growing into her own and very assertively expressing her independence, oh, did I mention that we're starting up our own business?

So, when my mother called 3 friggen times Saturday night to tell me how much she was enjoying the evening out with my father, brother and sister-in-law, while I was chasing the kid's around the house, trying to wade through the mess of crap everywhere, I'd had about enough. I look around me and see people relaxing, enjoying themselves and others and began to feel sorry for myself. Especially when hubby's off on another trip in Colorado, Utah, California, Mexico...... which leaves me with last night. The self-pity rising and my mom calls again from an enjoyable evening out with my dad. I call hubby, who's on his way to dinner with his coworkers in Salt Lake City. I try to remind myself that this is the life I chose, and then my kids start an impromptu came of chase. I'm sitting on the stairs, watching. They're laughing and running and it finally hits home; I'm the lucky one.

Why Kerry did not get my vote

An excellent open letter to the Democrat party on why they did not get the vote of most moderates...

Signed A Sad American

*gasp*

Just coming up for air. Work: crazy.

Many shades of gray

All the negativity and polarization surrounding this election made me think about why some people think that anyone who does not hold their same beliefs is wrong. I believe the root cause is seeing everything in black and white. This is my belief and my belief is right, therefore if you don't believe what I believe, then you must be wrong. It's much more complicated to realize that life is many shades of gray.

The limited view is what bothers me most about religion, in particular Christianity as it's the religion most familiar to me. The thinking that only they have the correct beliefs and that everyone else is wrong and they should 'spread the word'. Great way to keep a religion going strong. Go out and recruit! Even different sects of Christianity think others are wrong.

Not only do we as a humans try to label everything and everyone as right and wrong, we also try to lump people together into nice, neat labels. And pick the worst from those groups to define everyone we placed in them. Some terrorists are Muslims, therefore all Muslims must be terrorists. Some Christians are hypocrites, therefore all Christians must be hypocrites. This is obviously faulty reasoning, but it's subconscious in most of us.

What would happen if instead of framing the world in right and wrong, us versus them, everyone tried to understand and accept others for who they are and what they believe in and saw them as individuals?

Tattoos

One of the core attributes I try to install in my children is to try not to judge others (ignore hypocrisy with post below). It's fighting against human nature and quite frankly, our current society. But this is what made my conversation with my 4 yr old so challenging.

We had an hour long conversation on tattoos. His teacher has one and he wants one, the kind that you can't rub off. I tell him right away he has to be 18 before he can get one, but I still want him to make the decision for himself. I try attacking this from the perspective of he has it forever.

Me: What would you get?
Son: A Power Ranger!!
Me: Think you'd still want that when you're 28?
Son: Yes!

Hm, that's not working. Well, he hates needles.

Me: They make tattoos by sticking you with needles over and over and it really hurts.
Son: Do adults cry when they get shots?
Me: No
Son: Well, then I won't cry when I get my tattoo when I'm an adult

Is it bad when your 4 yr old can argue a case better than you can?

Son: Can I make my own tattoo?
Me: Oh, no.
Son: Why?
Me: It would look terrible, a tattoo artist does them
Son: Who's a tattoo artist?
Me: I don't know any.
Son: But we have to find one.
Me: Well, they work at tattoo parlors.
Son: Where?
Me: I don't know, but maybe you can ask your teacher where she got hers.
Son: Yeah!

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he asks his teacher where she got her tattoo and tells her he's getting one too.

Can't wait until November 2nd

And not because I can't wait to see who wins. Frankly, I don't care. Neither candidate excites me. I am just SO sick of the negativity. "Democrats are stupid and if they'd just think they'd realize that the Republicans are right." "The right is so crazy they believe anything the shrub tells them".

SHUT UP!!!!! All of you! Can't you see that both sides have valid points and respectfully agree to disagree. NO- I don't want excuses and I don't want reasons why you're right and they're wrong. You're both wrong and being complete idiots. There, you happy, you made me stoop to your level.

Whew. I feel better. Carry on.

He said what I couldn't

Eric, at Eric's Random Musings, verbalized quite eloquently why I disagree with religious based law making in his post Secular Ethics vs. Religious Morals. For example, abortion rights. Although many religions oppose abortion as seen here, not all do. By outlawing abortion, you are imposing religious beliefs on all, regardless of whether or not they have the same beliefs. I have no issue with John Kerry personally not believing in abortion, but also knowing that he can not make that decision for every person. That is about the only thing I agree with though. Bush is guided by his religion and while I admire his convictions, I do not agree with his beliefs and I feel his decisions are based on his beliefs only. The good news is that the Texas ballot has a libertarian candidate, Michael Badnarik, so I don't have to do the unthinkable and vote for either Bush or Kerry.

Queensryche ROCKED!

Or so I heard. The concert was Monday night downtown. I bought tickets as a surprise for my husband several months back. They were 8th row seats, bought them presale. I was so excited. Found out that day he couldn't get off work and we gave the tickets to a friend. The review from the friend is that the concert totally rocked. I am still upset today that I didn't get to go. It bites.

Sports watching is stressful

I used to love watching sports. The Oilers, Rockets, Astros, I loved all the home teams. Something happened during the Rockets three years on top. Maybe I became too emotionally involved, because now I no longer find watching sports enjoyable. Last night I turned on the tv to watch the final innings of the Astros and Cardinals and was able to watch 2 minutes. I got nervous and started reading a magazine to keep myself distracted. It's just a game! It's supposed to be entertaining and a stress reducer, not a stress inducer.

Finally put out of my misery

I signed up for Mister Crunchy's Survivor hoping to improve my writing skills. And I thought it would be fun. It was a challenge, and I'm not planning on quitting my day job for a writing job anytime soon. I have shamed my English teachers.

Frustrated

My job really frustrates me. I don't think my potential is even in the same building while I'm here. For years, I wanted to lead a job. I believe that is where my strengths would shine. I like working with people, organizing, solving problems. I hate the finite details and doing the same thing over and over again. And each time I am close to my wish, something happens that screws it up. For example, I was selected as a lead for a project. A different project develops and it happens that I've worked with this client before and he wants me back. Pulled off the other project, replaced with someone else, and now I'm still waiting on the other job. It may never materialize and I'll be working for the person who replaced me.

I know I shouldn't care. Quite frankly, I have enough on my plate without all the responsibilities here at work, but I do care. It does bother me. I feel useless, and totally unmotivated.

Weird conversations

I had a funny conversation with my son in the car this morning on the way to school.

Son: Why is not everyone was decorating for Halloween?
Me: Some people don't decorate for Halloween (wondering if I should dive into the objection some Christians have to the pagan origin of the holiday).
Son: Aren't they going trick or treating?
Me: Not if they don't have kids.
Son: I won't go trick or treating when I'm a 'dult?
Me: Not until you have kids.
Son: Me have kids???
Me: Yes, when you get married, you will have children of your own (I really, really hope).
Son: Who will I marry?
Me: I don't know, but you don't need to decide that right now.
Son: Hm, maybe Eleana (a girl from his class).
Me: Maybe.
Son: Maybe I'll marry you.
Me: (thinking to myself, uh-oh weird Oedipus thing happening). No, I'm already married.
Son: You're married to who?
Me: To your daddy.
Son: So, who's not married?
Me: Miss Elizabeth's not married (the director at his school).
Son: Maybe I'll marry Miss Elizabeth.
Me: Maybe.
Son: Who's my sister going to marry?
Me: I don't know.
Son: Maybe Miss Lisa (the owner of his school).
Me: No, she's already married (not wanting to dive into gay marriage rights and secretly hoping this conversation will end soon).

What NOT to do

Recipe for disaster: take one sick baby, throw in a bit of medical knowledge, results from one blood test, and add all the panic you can imagine. Now mix all together and throw key words into google search. Bake at 100°F for 3 days. Pick the worst of diseases found.

Now you have a almost nonfunctioning mom.

Jackie Sherrill

Talking to The Husband last night, he poses another of his random, odd questions to test my current events acumen. He asks, do you know who Jackie Sherrill is? I said, of course. Not believing, he asks who he is. I answered he was the coach of the Aggies in the mid 80's. He's surprised I know that and carries on with his story. He's checking into the hotel and a man next to him sees his ring.

JS: Are you an Aggie?

TH: Yes, turning towards JS.

JS: What year did you graduate?

TH: '95. Are you an Aggie?

JS: No, I'm Jackie Sherrill, I was the head coach of the A&M football team.

D'oh! Later, The Husband has his comeback. Didn't recognize you without your headset.

Sick Baby

The family went on our annual trip to Leaky in the hill country. We stay on a game reserve and it is absolutely wonderful. Saturday, The Baby started acting sick, just not herself. Sunday evening she felt warm, so I took her temp. 101.7. Monday morning I planned on taking her to my grandparents since she couldn't go to day care. I took her temp Monday before we left and it was a whopping 103. Called the doc and took her in. The doctor was concerned because she didn't have any obvious symptoms. They pricked her finger and ran a CBC. Her white blood cells were elevated meaning infection. She was so cute with that band-aid on her finger. She would stare at it and hold her fingers apart and not use that hand for anything. I had to hold her drink up for her.

Then doc sent us out to the lab to get blood drawn for more tests. The tech was horrible and I almost cried, having to hold down my screaming daughter while they tried to get blood out of her arm. Then we drove back to the doc where they gave her two shots of antibiotics. As I am again holding down my screaming daughter, the nurse tells me these shots are very painful and they burn.

She still had a high fever this morning and we're going back to get her finger pricked again soon to see if her white cell count is down. Poor little sweet baby.

I have a new nephew!

Really, he's my first nephew. I have a niece who's 2 1/2 and her little brother was born last Wednesday. He's the cutest little thing! Not that I want another of those any time soon...

Anywho, we tell the boy his new cousin's name is Marlon and he exclaims "like Nemo's Dad!". I think everyone should run their baby name ideas past a 4 year old.

Scrappy Time

It all started out well. A group of women, lots of food and drink, headed down to the beach to scrap away the weekend. We arrived in surfside early Friday afternoon to find the air nor the water had been turned on in the house and it was HOT. Mom and I got there an hour after the first batch and when we walked in, they had all the drapes closed, fans on high and were putting wet washcloths on their foreheads to prevent heat stroke. A few hours later, dinner was started. And that's when the real fun began. Roaches jumped on anyone who walked in the kitchen; it was totally infested. A can and a half of raid later, and we were still finding roaches, even in the refrigerator!! No one wanted to go to sleep, but we finally gave up around 2:30 am. Everyone started making excuses to leave early. In case you were looking for beach rentals, avoid surfside rentals, we stayed in the Chelsea. I'm sure the owner was not pleased with renting to us either as we called over 10 times Friday night. Disgusting.

The garage door is stuck

Um, the dog ate my car keys. All the power went out and I just woke up. I feel a little ill today. The voices in my head told me today's the day to clean the guns. Obviously, I'm not at work. There is nothing in parenting that beats having 2 kids sick, each with stuff spewing out opposite ends.

I'd rather be working.

Wrong Number

Actual transcript of a message I received last week from a wrong number:

Okay, I don't know if I have the right number.
Um, I'm going to check to see if I do or not.
And then if you do, then call me back
If you don't recognize my voice,
You know what, I'm checking my phone and
you probably won't recognize my voice.
So, don't worry about calling me back.
Just have a wonderful evening.
Be blessed.
Bye.

Own a Dodge Avenger?

If you own a Dodge Avenger, dump it NOW. We started having problems with it running rough, so we took it to our mechanic. He replaces something, it runs great for a day, and then it runs like crap again. This goes on for months and then my dad takes on the challenge. He works through the whole system, methodically checking each system and replacing various parts. Runs great for a day. Then we take it to another mechanic who uses up every resource he has in town including the Dodge dealership. No one can fix it. Another mechanic from the shop happens to be scrounging the junkyard looking for parts for another car and sees two pristine Dodge Avengers just sitting in the junk yard. Perfect condition inside and out. Obviously something is seriously wrong with the cars. Dump it NOW, you've been warned.

Fortune Cookies

Yesterday was my scheduled day to run. Michael was a bad influence and convinced me to go to lunch instead. Today, I had another good excuse why I should not go to lunch: saving money. Besides, this was day#2 that I brought the same salad for lunch. But he just wouldn't take no for an answer and quite frankly, eating lunch with him is much more pleasant than chomping on old lettuce at my desk, so I relented. We went to the best Chinese restaurant around, Panda Garden. And my fortune read:

"Avoid agreeing with people merely to keep peace." Ironic, don't you think?

His was "You are a true friend." A true friend to who? The fortune cookie?

They speak Spanish!

The Boy is in pre-K and part of the lesson agenda is Spanish. He quickly caught on that you add an 'o' to the end of most words, and your chances of getting it correct are vastly improved. Dad took The Boy to the park one evening and playing near him were two Hispanic boys speaking Spanish. The Boy turns to dad and says incredulously "Daddy, how do they know Spanish?" like his school has a lock on foreign language.

TIVO failed me

For the first time in months, we watched live tv last night. I am so spoiled by my TIVO as it was thoroughly frustrating to sit through the commercials. Caught the newest spinoff from CSI: CSI NY. Nothing's ever as good as the original. Part of the story line was the lead detective's wife was killed on 9/11 and they end the episode with him grieving at ground zero. I have mixed feelings of television incorporating the tragedy of 9/11 into our normal programming. Seems exploitive to me.

My point was I saw an preview for tonight's Survivor and it mentioned all new episode. Wait a minute, not season premiere?? Arg, I missed it because they change the titles of the shows, so my auto record from last season is no longer valid. Caught up on cbs.com and found the tribes were split by gender again and the girls won the first competition.

Wrong lyrics

I have a quirk. All right, I have more than one, but one that irritates hubby to no end is me always singing the wrong lyrics to songs. I love to sing. I'll sing along whether I know the words or not and if I don't know them, I'll make some up. Sometimes (okay, more than sometimes- shut up), I 'mishear' the lyrics.

Classic example:

'Voices Carry' by Til Tuesday. I always thought the lyrics were:

Hush, hush. Keep it down town, Mr. Scary.

Or Salt N' Pepa's 'Push It' which I thought was "ah, bull sh*t". In my young mind, that was much more naughty than push it, since I did not catch the oh so subtle innuendo.

But it's really easy to remember words to every song if you've made them upyourself. Try it.

Beach Boys anyone?

In the mood for some Beach Boys? Or maybe badmitton or Tex-Mex? Jump on over to Mister Crunchy's site for round one of his survivor challenge.

Walk to Cure Diabetes

Seems like every time you turn around, someone at the office is trying to squeeze money out of you. Diabetes, United Way, Red Cross, backpacks for kids, shoes for kids, my son's baseball team, daughter's band, all worthy causes but it grows tiresome.

Today, a pamphlet was handed to me with an eraser attached in the shape of a shoe. The kick-off for the walk to cure diabetes tomorrow. Here's what it says at the bottom:

" Hear about a day in the life of a child with diabetes

cookies provided"

Am I the only one to catch the irony? Or is this some tactic to pull our heart strings by telling us this poor child can't even eat a cookie like we're doing now. Hm, I think I'll go run instead.

Bug killer

The weekend before last I went on a road trip to visit friends and on the way back, I drove through a storm of love bugs. Literally. They were hitting the windshield as fast as rain drops and I had to stop twice to clean off the windshield so I could see. I knew hubby would think I was exaggerating, so I took a picture as proof. If you've never had the pleasure of trying to scrub 10 billion ladybugs off the front of your car before they eat through the paint, just know that they stink, bad. The smell lingered for days.

Back from vacation

My family has vacationed in New Braunfels since before I was born. Every summer, we would spend several days floating in the frigid waters of the Guadalupe and Comal, relaxing by the pool, listening to bad country music on the old jukebox. So many good memories of jumping off the big rock with my cousins, dad getting German pastries for breakfast, running to my grandparent's cabin for treats, almost drowning in the flume. Several years ago, we just stopped going. And my husband, who has his own summer memories of New Braunfels growing up, decided it was time to start the tradition again for our own kids. We always stay at Heidelburg Lodges, metal A-frame cabins that project sound better than a bullhorn. The place hasn't changed a bit in the 30 years I remember, except for removing the diving board from the pool. Liability reasons, I guess. Worries and day to day stressors melt away and the time passes too quickly.

Fog

I lost a dear friend this morning to a tragic motorcycle accident. My friend survived open heart surgery and then a stroke all to lose his life to some jerk who plowed through an intersection and then ran over him again as he tried to get away from the scene. I am so numb right now with bursts of sadness and anger coming through. I can't even begin to imagine the pain and despair his wife and son are feeling right now.

Ahhhhnold

I didn't actually hear much of the Republican convention last night because I was busy reading between the lines and adding my own little comments for my husband's amusement. Only he wasn't amused. Like when Arnold talked about coming to the country and listening to Nixon running for president and me repeating "I am not a crook" over and over or when Laura Bush came on stage and they started playing "Isn't She Lovely" only I was singing "Isn't this cheesy". So, I got a whole lotta 'shhhhh' out of him. Then he started throwing out insults about the democrats. So I had to explain AGAIN that I don't think Kerry's a good candidate for the presidency either. I think he's a spineless politician who lies continuously. But Bush scares me more. I know what he believes in and I know his path forward. And if you're beliefs are not exactly in line with his, too damn bad. And I happen to believe in equality for all, not just conservative Christians.

But back to the convention. The Bush girl's introduced their father who in turn introduced his wife. And while they were speaking, I was wondering to myself if this was an introduction or a roast. They jabbed their grandmother, Barbara Bush, Cheney, and almost the entire cabinet. What was the point?

But as boring as I find all this political hoopla, can't wait to irritate hubby again tonight and then follow up with more hilarious commentary from The Daily Show.

Pay to wear jeans

My company has been trying innovative techniques to raise money for United Way. Raffles, paying to have pie thrown in executive's faces, and allowing you to wear jeans on Fridays. Now, I am all for donating to charity and I am all for wearing jeans to work, but I just can't see coughing up $5 to wear jeans. And I see my fellow engineers agree.

Would you like some cheese with that whine?

The Olympics are over, I'm losing the battle against getting sick, and it's Monday. Blech.

Olympic ratings

The ratings are higher for this Olympics than 4 years ago in Sydney Olympics. What is it about watching athletes swim, run, bike, shoot hoops, bump, set, that draws so many fans? Why are more people watching now than ever before?

I have several theories. One is the pure escapism. With all the politics playing out right now, it's nice to take a 2 week break from the mud slinging. Also, our world in the US has changed from the past 4 years. It is reassuring to envelope yourself in something historic and predictable. The athletes representing their countries are competing in harmony and allows us to imagine a world without terror. The Olympics also give us hope. And we witness real human emotion hour after hour, joy, elation, despair, without having to think of our own problems.

Or maybe it's the hard bods in skimpy attire.

Memories

Michael, at Chasing the Wind, has a touching story today of sorting through his son's room after leaving for college. It makes me think of this morning when my daughter woke up really early. I picked her up out of her crib and rocked in her the glider for a few minutes. And I was having flashbacks to when she was a tiny little infant and I would rock her in that chair. I was trying to remember every detail of the moment realizing that with just a blink she'll be starting kindergarten, middle school, high school, getting her driver's license, going to prom, leaving for college. The reason behind our actions as parents is to prepare our children for these life events; to become independent. And yet when that time comes, it bittersweet. And the time we've had nurturing and caring for our children and witnessing their firsts is all too short.

Shout Out

To a swimmer at the Olympic games, Scott Goldblatt, who is blogging his experiences in Athens. I just can't get enough of the olympics and I am still struggling with why these 16 days are not considered a national holiday. Summer games come only every 4 years, you'd think the least they could do is close down the office for us so we can watch 24/7. I could handle working through the winter olympics. Being a native Houstonian, it's hard for me to relate to snow and ice.

On the cusp

Butterflies in my stomach, pounding headache, my breathing is rapid. Life is getting ready to make a huge turn and I'm excited. I need to calm down because I know it will be slow to change, but I can feel the changes happening. The confidence is slowly starting to build. I am in control of my own destiny which is as terrifying as it is exhilarating. For the stable, safe engineer these changes are slow, methodical, yet still revolutionary. For once, I am allowing myself to float among the clouds and dream big. I see the future, I am planning for the future, have already determined the steps necessary and I believe in myself. This journey will not be easy, will have many forks in the road, will most likely be filled with sleepless nights, but the rewards are big. And I will not take this journey alone, I have a teammate, a partner, a perfect compliment to myself. And together we will make our dream a reality.

History of the marathon

It's an inside joke among marathon runners- "how far was the marathon you ran?" It's a joke because everyone asks it and a marathon is always 26.2 miles. The distance is the same as between Marathon and Athens. Here's a link to more history than you ever cared to read.

I'm training for the half marathon this year. The pain of the full 26 miles is still too fresh in my mind.

4 yr old computer whiz

I went to the computer at home last night and noticed the defrag was running. I thought to myself, I've been needing to do that and in fact searched for it a few months ago, but couldn't find it. I asked my husband where he found it and he answered- the what? The defrag program. Huh? You're defragging the hard drive, right? No, must have been 'the boy'....

Thanks, son. Keep up the good work!

Glued to the Olympics

It's funny how the Olympics can turn active, athletic people into complete couch potatoes. It does my family anyway. I have been glued every spare moment since Friday night. I love watching the women's gymnastics because the flips and turns are unbelievable. I have a love/hate relationship with watching swimming. Seeing the athletes messing with their goggles, adjusting their caps, swinging their arms around to loosen up the muscles, stepping on the blocks, waiting for the start...it brings back floods of memories. I was on a swim team from the age of 6 all through my high school years.

Then my mind starts to wander. I remember consciously making a decision that I didn't want to be the best swimmer. In order to be the best swimmer, I would have to give up everything else and join the USS swim team. They had practice after the school's practice. I had more important things to do with my time- like chase that Junior stud swimmer (who now happens to be my hubby). That sums up how I live my life, always trying to maintain a balance. Which means I'm not the best at anything. But that's okay; I'm happy with my life.

I have no idea what this means

But I'm sure it was something I was supposed to blog. So, here goes. I'm reviewing the notes in my palm, which has completely changed my life. In a good way, like TIVO. But anyway, I digress. The note was jotted down Saturday August 7th at 8:18 pm. That would have been while playing pool at Fox and Hound. And all it says is "Mike swinger".

I really wish I knew what that meant.

Christmas in August

I went to Garden Ridge to buy a simple black shelf that was on sale. After wandering around aimlessly, I finally found an employee and asked where I could find them. She pointed me first in the craft area. No, I want the ones that are prefinished. Oh, those will be in furniture. After roaming furniture for several minutes, I finally locate another employee. This one's walking fast and is hard to catch. Excuse me! Where can I find the wall shelves? Oh, they're in the craft section. No, I want the prefinished ones. I'm not sure where those are located. I locate someone new because third time's a charm, right? Where can I find the wall shelves that were advertised for $9.99 that are normally $19.99 and come in three different finishes? (I'm getting wiser, can you tell?) Oh, we're out of those.

Now what does any of this have to do with Christmas? When I first walk in to Garden Ridge, I'm bombarded by Halloween decorations. Panic sets in because I haven't bought the kid's costumes yet. I calm down when I realize it's only the beginning of August. The next section I come to is Christmas decorations!! In August. That's just wrong, whatever way you look at it.

Just waiting

So, Mike and Jo and Jo's husband and my husband had a mini-blog party this weekend. We met at Fox and Hound, which seems to be a little confused about it's identity. They claim to be an English Pub, but the menu contains: nachos, pizza, philly cheesesteak, quesadillas, burgers, etc. After dinner (and continually harassing our waiter) we headed to the pool tables. I was thoroughly embarrassed with my skills, or lack thereof. Joe and her husband are great fun and it was so pleasant to have an entire conversation without being interrupted by "Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy..."

But anyway, I really want to talk about it but I'm waiting for Mike to get in gear and put up the pics that I gave him this morning.

Boys

Last night, my son was super tired during dinner and was therefore uncooperative. Normally, he'll eat what I fix, but last night he would not even put a bite in his mouth. My dad and my husband were trying to convince him to eat his asparagus because it would make his pee stink. Don't you want your pee to stink? Yes, that was their argument.

Did you know that some people don't have the gene necessary to smell their stinky pee? In case you need more information about the sulfur containing compounds that are actually causing this, go here.

I must be insane

What would happen if we all decided to stop pointing fingers and blaming everyone else and instead directed that energy to working together? You know what, it doesn't matter who's right or who's wrong, let's just figure out a way to make it better. I get so sick and tired of the mud slinging election years. Everyone acts like a bunch of 5 year olds.


I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony....

Yeah, I've lost it. I know.

Mellencamp for Kerry

Mamamontezz wrote a fitting tribute for Kerry sung to the tune of Jack and Diane. Here's an excerpt:

Little ditty 'bout John and T'ray-za
2 priv'leged kids politic-ing cross the heartland.
John, he wants to be a big Lib'ral Star
T'ray-za's dillitante-medicated Dill Pickle Czar.

See the rest here.

Mother-in-laws

I really feel for people who do not get along with their in-laws. My mother in law was in San Francisco visiting her mother and she came back with gifts. She always has gifts for the kids, but this time she had a gift for me. My favorite snack in the whole world that I can't get here- Trader Joe's chocolate covered soy nuts. I completely forgot she would be in Trader Joe country, but she didn't :)

Ug

If you ever have the stupid idea of 'I know I just ate dinner and am still a little tipsy from the glass of wine, but I am sure jogging would be a great idea' then

Just Step Away from the Running Shoes

Apparently, the stomach gets mighty upset when you try to divert blood flow to your extremities.

Everyone's waiting

Finally, a pic of me and Dale Jr. and the kids. Ain't we cute?

It's from Christmas several years ago. Alas, I can't remember the last time Dale has seen the kids :(

Nonstop entertainment

Some days I think I'm nothing more than a firefighter, putting out fires. Always on emergency mode. My plan for this weekend was to go into the office and get caught up. Saturday morning, hubby went running early and when he got back, I was going in. Only I couldn't get into the bedroom to get dressed. We were locked out. And one would think this a minor problem. However, this is no simple lock. This is a keyed lock and low and behold, we did not have the key. Multiple phone calls to a locksmith, both our dads and my grandfather, a pipe wrench, needlenose pliers, 20 minutes of drilling later, metal shavings everywhere- success! Only by this time it was already the afternoon.

Baseball, cops, & sharks

I took off work yesterday at lunch to visit with friends who are staying with us this week.  I would have loved to take more time off, but for some odd reason I'm expected to get my work done.

Anyway, we found out the Astros had $5 seats for adults and $1 for kids for the game yesterday afternoon.  After we spend 25 minutes locating a suitable parking spot, pay the $10 to park, and hike it to the stadium, we find out those seats are sold out.  And the only ones left are $17.50.  Even for the kids.  The men decide to go talk to the scalpers who were hounding us when we walked by.  First they had to get cash.  After finally locating a cash machine, they start the negotiations.  The Mr. Undercover Cop in the Straw Hat pops out of the parking lot and asks for everyone's ID.  Not knowing the law on scalping, they dutifully stand by awaiting punishment.  Meanwhile, we are watching the whole scene.  After 15 minutes, with the cop completely ignoring the guys, I call my husband.

Me: "Hey- you busted?"
Him: "Don't know yet."
Me: "So, why don't you just walk away then?"
Him: "Think I should?"
Me: "Yeah."

Two other guys walk up to the group and ask if they have any tickets for sale.  Note the cop is still writing the citation and has a huge badge hanging around his neck.  Cop tells them that selling tickets is illegal.  The other guys ask what about buying them?  Cop says no, our men decide they can leave safely now. 

We all start the long hike back to the car and one of the scalpers is walking off, citation in hand.  He asks us if we still want the tickets.  The game started over an hour before by this point, so we decide to head over to the Aquarium.  If you haven't been, don't bother.

Blogging NOT Journalism

Well, isn't that special.  The Houston Chronicle stating that blogging is not journalism because:

"mainstream journalism, which strives for objectivity and embraces professional standards of reporting"

Yeah, right -insert eye roll here-.

Trading Spouses

Trading Spouses happens to come alphabetically right behind Trading Spaces.  So, as I'm scrolling through the TIVO list, I decide to record.  Basically, two moms switch houses for one week and then they each get 50K.  Sounds interesting enough.  One family is a very affluent and the other is very middle class. 

OH MY GOODNESS.  I try really hard to not be judgmental, but one of the moms was beyond belief.  I mean a real piece of work.  First, she starts in on the other mom's daughter about her weight.  Talking to her about carbs and carbs are bad and chicken wings will kill you, etc.  The lady's own son is overweight, but I guess that's excusable since her daughter's not.  What a double standard.

One of my favorite scenes is the kids going in to wake her up at 8 am and she yells at them and tells them she's not getting up.  Or when she's hungry and wants the husband to go out and get her a sandwich.  He tries to explain that they don't have the money to just go out whenever they feel like it and she needs to eat something they have.  No, I don't want that.  You need to do something quick, I feel sick. 

One of the assigned tasks is to host a party for the family's friends and family.  Well, she gets on the kids to start cleaning and turns off the tv.  No tv watching today.  Then she tells the camera she believes in leading by example and next scene she's watching the baseball game in her room while the kids are doing chores. 

The other mom, the middle class one, was a sweetheart.  She really connected with the other family.  She was very uncomfortable with the family's lifestyle where the live-in mother-in-law was treated like a slave.  I bet her family was extremely thankful to have her back.   Ahhh, trash tv at it's finest.

Voice mail

I return from my afternoon break to find my message light blinking.

3:41 pm "Hey, it's me.  I did something stupid.  Call me."
3:42 pm "I'm on my cell phone."
3:50 pm "Never mind.  I'm getting the oil changed and I forgot my wallet.  I have to leave my cell phone as collateral.  So don't call, I won't answer"

Computer highjacked and cat's at the vet

This morning I had the fun task of watching the computer technician try and remove all the crap from my computer.  Even ad-aware couldn't catch it all and it would crash every time he tried to run it.  Over two hours later, he finally has it cleaned up.  Of course then I got the lecture, be careful where you go on the net, blah, blah, blah.  Yeah, I know.

Sunday, when my cat didn't wake me up at 6 am for his morning feeding, I started growing concerned.  He'd been vomiting and I thought it was a reaction to the shots he got at his checkup Friday (another story in itself).  When I realized Sunday he couldn't walk and he couldn't pee, I rushed him to the emergency clinic.  He had to have a catheter inserted and the next morning and $620 later, we take him to our regular vet.  This morning he's having his urethra removed.  Hopefully he'll be home tonight or tomorrow night, poor little guy. 

I feel guilty because he's really been an annoyance since having kids.  I really thought I didn't care about him.  But when the thought that he wouldn't make it crossed my mind, I realized I still hold him dear in my heart.  And completely broke down.  At the clinic, in the car, at home, at work.  He's going to be okay.  He has to.

No time right now

Too busy playing with the Palm V that Michael let me borrow.

Did you wash your hands?

I'm walking out of the building after work today and I hold the door open for the woman behind me.  For some reason, I say thank you when she walks through.  Has motherhood consumed me so much that I'm now teaching manners to adults?  I'm just glad I didn't say "now say thank you" in my best mother knows best voice.  Oy.

Fire Drill

As Michael and I are enjoying our afternoon diet coke break, we notice masses of people exiting the building.  That's strange.  Maybe it's quitting time.  Why are they still hanging around?  Next security guards are abuzz with activity.  Official looking people with orange vests strut by.  We're still sitting, watching, quietly sipping our sweet, caffeinated nectar.  More people exit.  The tension is high- is it a fire drill asks one?  No, answers official man in the orange vest.  We weren't informed of one.  It must be a real fire. 

After several phone calls by security (who were they calling anyway?) everyone was told to return to their desks.  So what would have happened if it actually was a fire?  Would we eventually have been asked to go outside? 

Lotto winner

Feel good post of the day....

Soldier Home from Iraq Strikes it Rich in Lottery
http://www.click2houston.com/money/3563669/detail.html

FINE! I give up.

I'm not sure what my aversion to PDA's has been.  Maybe I thought I was avoiding geekdom if I didn't have one.  I must face the fact that I'm a geek anyway, right now just an unorganized geek.  Or maybe it's if I actually saw everything I needed to do, I would just collapse into a heap of tears.  Whatever the reason, I must face my fears.

My post-it note method of organization is beginning to fail me.  I have lists on this one, phone numbers on this one, to-do's on another and I never have the right one at the right time.  I'm tired of transferring appointments between the calendar at work, the calendar at home, and the calendar in my planner.  I can't cram one more "to-do" in my head without 10 falling out.

Maybe I should just hire a personal assistant.  Or get a wife.

What did the author mean?

I never understood this exercise in school.  My engineering mind always thought "duh- he means what he says, right?".  Apparently not, or at least not to those wanting to read between the lines.  I'm in the mood to use my brain today.  I've always been intrigued by Rush's lyrics and thought I would try to figure out what they really mean.

One Little Victory
(Vapor Trails)

A certain measure of innocence
Willing to appear naive
A certain degree of imagination
A measure of make-believe

A certain degree of surrender
To the forces of light and heat
A shot of satisfaction
In a willingness to risk defeat

Celebrate the moment
As it turns into one more
Another chance of victory
Another chance to score

The measure of the moment
Is a difference of degree
Just one little victory
A spirit breaking free
One little victory
The greatest act can be
One little victory

A certain measure of righteousness
A certain amount of force
A certain degree of determination
Daring on a different course

A certain amount of resistance
To the forces of life and love
A certain measure of tolerance
A willingness to rise above

Let's see.  Fight for what you believe in even if it seems you are fighting the impossible.  One person can make a difference.  Told you I wasn't very good at this.

Today's the day

My husband has an interview with Southwest Airlines today.  It's an 8 hour interview by three different pilots and is intense.  He has been working towards this ever since he got his pilot's license 17 years ago.  And the day is finally here. 
 
I remember in high school when he decided to get his private pilot's license.  And the first time he flew me in the plane.  And when he moved to Florida for flight school.  And when he got his first job as a commercial airline pilot.  It all seems like just yesterday.
 
17 years is a lot of pressure to cumulate in one day.  I am so proud of him; his determination, discipline, and foresight.  And whether he gets the job or not, I'll still be proud of him.  He is my hero.

Naked cheese

http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2004-07-20-snack-bust_x.htm
 
Police arrested a drunk, naked guy covered in cheese in Tennessee on his 23rd birthday. 
Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday to drunk, naked guy,
I'm covered in cheese! 
 
Or perhaps he was inspired by the group, Big Naked Cheese.  I'm not making this up:
 
http://bignakedcheese.4t.com/

Interview with the CIA

Here's an article from USA Today interviewing a terrorism expert in the CIA:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2004-07-20-snack-bust_x.htm
 
Basically, he says that Al Qaeda is attacking the US because of specific policies in the Middle East, not because of our culture.  It is rather egocentric to assume a group of people want to kill us because of who we are.  It does make more sense that they hate what we are doing to them.
 
The specific policies mentioned are:
 
  "Support for Israel that allows the Israelis to dominate the Palestinians.
    U.S., Western troops on the Arabian Peninsula.
    Occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.
    Support for Russia, India and China against the Muslim militants there.
    Pressure on Arab energy producers to keep oil prices low.
    U.S. support for corrupt Muslim governments.
    Source: Imperial Hubris"
 

Running season has begun

Timing's right.  It's ALMOST the hottest part of the season.  What better time to get consistent on my running again.  Did I mention that I run during lunch?  Fortunately, I'm used to the quizzical looks and comments of concern when I come back sweaty and red-faced: "are you okay?" but mostly "are you crazy?". 
 
I'm not officially running with http://www.houstonfit.com/ this year, but I will be following along with the schedule.  I figure I can train for the half marathon on my own and I really don't feel like waking up at 4 am on Saturday mornings for a group training run.
 
Now that you know, keep me honest.  Ask me how my training's going.

Martha's sentenced to the slammer

Well, I lost the bet.  Martha's sentenced to 5 months in prison: http://edition.cnn.com/2004/BUSINESS/07/16/martha.stewart/
 
Here's my question of the day: she also gets 2 years of probation.  Isn't the purpose of probation to make sure no criminal activity occurs during this time?  Drug offenders, child molesters, armed robbers, hey- I can understand how they'll check up on this.  But liars?  Will she have to take a polygraph every time the probation officer comes for a visit?
 

Baptists are Saving Homosexuals

This is the funniest read I've had today. Okay, it's still early, but thanks to Mister Crunchy for the link.

Is Bush Gay?

Random Musings

I was thinking this morning about the purpose of debate. For me, it's more than entertainment or a game. It's to get the other person to hear your view point and not necessarily to accept it, but to at least gain additional perspective. Often, I try to take the opposite stance just to point out issues that person may not have thought about. Some call it being a contrarian. I think of it more as developing compassion.

I was not born a compassionate person, but I continually try to think about the reason why others make the decisions that they do and to not judge them for it. It's not an easy task, but it helps to read about other's lives. My childhood was safe and full of people who loved me and wanted the best for me. But many people did not have this luxury and it affects every decision in their lives.

I also figured out why statistics annoy me. It's not just because you can pretty much prove anything you want to by picking the right people to interview (like the LA times, as reported by Michael at Chasing the Wind) but more because it reduces people to a number. They no longer are a human being with feelings, emotions, loved ones, and stories.

My wish for the day

I wish common, network printers were able to sort by person sending the job. That way I wouldn't have to sort through 10 other people's printouts and the schmuck who printed right before I did wouldn't walk off with my stuff. Makes me think I'm crazy. I printed it, I KNOW I printed it, didn't I? Maybe I didn't.

Gay Marriage

I don't get the argument that marriage is a religious institution in addition to legal as being a fair argument against gay marriage. Are there not religions that accept homosexuality? Does this mean that only religious people can marry? Sorry, atheists, all your marriages are considered null and void. Here's someone who says it better than I can:

"I don't care if 90% of the country is against gay marriage; that only means that 90% of the country is wrong and unConstitutional. You can't argue that whatever the majority wants is right for the country. Who cares what the majority want? In America, we make our laws based upon what is lawful, just and equitable; not upon what the majority want. We've never done it that way and we never should."

And

"I don't care what your church wants. I don't even care what I want or what you want. I only care what is fair. And treating gays as if they have no right to marry is unfair, unConstitutional and unAmerican."

Bushisms

Even the most die-hard Republican has to admit that our president does not come across as the most, er, intelligent human being. I stumbled onto a site with various Bushisms. Here are some of my favorites:

"I mean, there needs to be a wholesale effort against
racial profiling, which is illiterate children."

"Our nation must come together to unite."

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to
pass a literacy test."

Master at stating the obvious, eh?

"For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-
fatal shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in
America. It's just unacceptable. And we're going to do
something about it."

Here's one to inspire the kids:

"To those of you who received honors, awards and
distinctions, I say, well done. And to the C students, I say
to you: you, too, can be president of the United States.
-- George W. Bush, receiving an honorary degree at Yale,
quoted from Newsweek, June, 4, 2001

What's the point?

I was enjoying my morning read of the Houston Chronicle as I read Tom Brokaw's candid review of F9/11:

"(The movie) is very skillfully done, and he's a master at getting his point of view on the big screen," Brokaw said. "The right has Rush (Limbaugh), and the left has Michael Moore, and they are very good at presenting their points of view, saying, 'This is factual.' Truth is a little more elusive, and it's the arrangement of those facts. I do worry about young people (who are typically not viewers of the evening news) seeing the movie as the gospel."

But then a quote from a political pollster rubbed me the wrong way:

"John Kerry — his campaign is more effective than he is. George Bush's ad campaign is completely ineffective because it is all produced in an editing studio. If you look at his ads, there's no humanity, there's no personality, there's little of him except for him walking, which is stupid. And I apologize if you're from Texas, but there's something wrong with the way people from Texas walk. I mean, these people walk like they own not just America but Europe, as well."

Seems like a great quote to put in the HOUSTON Chronicle. So, not only is there something wrong with the rifle hanging in the back of my pickup, my cowboy hat, and horse, now there's something wrong with the way I walk. *snort*

Moving to Israel

Saw something on the news this morning that disturbed me. (Actually, every time I watch the news it disturbs me which is why I rarely watch the local news.) There is a group, Nefesh B'Nefesh, who is loaning people money to move to Israel. If you stay for at least three years, it becomes a grant. A couple with young children was featured on the show this morning. Now, let me preface this by saying, I am not Jewish and therefore do not understand the spiritual connection to Israel. But why would anyone move their children to that environment? Of course they showed this bit right after the scenes from the latest suicide bomber. If people have to be paid to move to a country, what does that tell you? The first job as a parent is to protect your child from harm. Not move them to a war zone.

Received good customer service from your cell phone carrier?

I bet Mister Crunchy's phone hasn't stopped ringing to buy his latest ad idea. Check out his rendition for Sprint.

My personal favorite are the new Verizon commercials with everyone waiting for their contract to expire. The irony is I'm doing that with them; can't wait for the contract to end so I can switch to Cingular.

Politicians lie!

I found a refreshing rant on Asymmetrical Information about lying politicians and a lying Michael Moore trying to pass of his propoganda as truth.

Here's my favorite exerpt:
If you want to sign off on Michael Moore's tactics because George Bush misled people, you will have not a leg to stand on when your guy misleads people. As he will. Of course, you and everyone who agrees with you will stand around yelling very loudly that what your guy did wasn't lying, not a bit like what those scurrilous bastards on the other side got up to. However, as you may have already noticed, no one except people who already agree with you pays any attention when you say things like this. And the reason that they pay no attention is that it is not true. If you'd step outside the college pep rally atmosphere that passes for partisanship these days, you would already have figured this out.

Some people seem so clouded by their beliefs that they can't see the faults on their team. This is exactly what turns people like myself off to the whole process. Makes me crazy. Can't you see the mud you're slinging at the other side is the same mud on you?

Card carrying republican

The other day my husband said something that I felt was very enlightened. I asked him whether he's been filling me with hot air and just taking the opposite view of mine or whether I've been wearing off on him. He stated Courtney, I am a card carrying Republican. Then a pause, and then, aren't I? I answered no, I registered you as a Democrat. And you voted for Al Gore in the last election :)

That's what happens when you let the evil woman handle all the details.

Office Space

If you haven't seen the movie and you work for a large corporation, you must. This article lists some common office annoyers. I'm sure you know one or more of each. Now I'm just wondering which one I am....

Testing 1 2 3

Since Michael at Chasing the Wind was kind enough for the track back ping lesson, I just had to try it out.

So much to learn, so little time :)

My religion

There is something that most people don't know about me. I don't believe in God. I don't typically share that information not because I am uncomfortable, but because it makes others uncomfortable. Like I can no longer be a good person. That disturbs me to think others must believe in some higher power or be rewarded in some afterlife to keep them good. I strive to treat others how I want to be treated.

I was raised Disciples of Christ (similar to Methodist) and the church baptizes when you are around 13. I went through the weeks of study in preparation to the baptism and remember thinking, the bible's a great book and all, but to me, it's fiction. I felt like the biggest hypocrite, but I had no choice because I did not want to disappoint my family.

I met my future husband a few years later and discovered that he felt the same way I did. It was the first time I had discussed my beliefs with anyone else. When we were engaged, we had several people express their concern because he was Jewish and I was Christian. We have struggled on how to raise our children. I think religion (or lack thereof) is a deeply personal decision and I would like my children to be exposed to as much as possible to make an informed decision when the time comes. Our focus is on teaching them becoming good, honest people.

I do have spiritual moments in my life and those usually involve feeling at peace with myself and my surroundings. Like hiking up the Canadian Rockies and looking down on Lake Louise or hiking through the mountains in Vermont and overlooking the changing foliage. Or looking into my children's inquisitive eyes.

Technical problems

I've tried adding the referrals and at first, it stopped the page wherever it ended on the sidebar. So I deleted it and tried again. Then it deleted all my links. Now I'm trying to rebuild my links. ARG. I have no idea what is going on. Problem is I don't know what I'm doing and trial and error is not working too well for me. ARG ARG.

Howard Stern coming to Houston

I find it amazing all the uproar about Stern coming to Houston's airwaves. I've begrudgingly watched his show on 'E' thanks to dear husband several times over the years. Personally, I can't stand the guy. But I am not in the least upset over him airing here. I just won't listen. It's that simple.

Here's an interesting debate on chronically biased. What really gets me is how people get so offended when someone disagrees with their opinion. Seems some of the narrow-minded people are unable to have an intellectual conversation and resort to name calling. Ain't just liberals doing it, my friends.

Email lore

Swiffer Wet Jet killed my dog! Pass this on to at least 10 people and you will receive $100 check for each person! Rat droppings kill in Hawaii! Maybe you have people in your life who continually send on email urban legends. I have one in particular who continues to send me this crap. For awhile I would send these back with the appropriate link to snopes.com debunking the myth, but that was like trying to teach a kitten how to knit. I give up.

Nurse-In

Go Houston! A group of mothers met at the Galleria to protest a security guard's request for a breastfeeding mother to move it to the bathroom. I don't understand how others could be offended when a mother feeds her child. If they are not comfortable, they can just look away. Now I could understand if she stood up, got completely undressed, and proceeded to parade around in public with a baby hanging off her boob. I know I always made sure there was nothing in view to offend. People just need to grow up and gain a little maturity.

¡Venido en la gente responda!

Déjeme saber que usted está aquí y por favor interactivo. Está agujereando sin usted que comenta. Y si nadie está aquí y leyendo, por favor indiferencia justa.

A propósito, encontré este website realmente fresco (aceptable, no lo encontré, pero Michael ) que traducirá para usted. Compruébelo hacia fuera aquí.

My dear coworker

I am beginning to think my coworker and fellow blogger is dropping lines into his blogs to see if I'm paying attention.

For example, he states that independents are too busy watching senseless television to form an opinion here.

And an entire entry here about Bush winning the presidency due to 'missing voters'.

And again here a generalization about non-Christians that has since been corrected. I don't think this one was intentional, though.




Note to Michael: Adorable Rodent :)

I hate shopping

I went shopping during lunch yesterday and it was a miserable experience. One of my college roommates is having a party this weekend. I feel competitive towards her thanks to my mother and my husband always talking about how adorable she is. And now that she's pregnant, I get the "Ohhh, I bet she'll be one of the cute pregnant ladies!". Yes, I get the implication. Hard to be cute when you've gained half your body weight.

I walk in the store, determined to find an outfit that makes me look adorable. I'd wear something from my closet, but I still have 15 more pounds to get back to pre-pregnancy weight. The past year I've been stealing my husband's clothes and I'm tired of looking like a fat woman in men's clothes. So I pick out the cutest capris and vibrant shirts I can find. Only I'm not sure what size I wear right now. So I get several sizes. And everything looked terrible. White capris??? What was the look I was going for- Oompa Loompa? I ended up buying a khaki pair but they are more like high waters on my 5'3" frame. I think I'm taking them back. I'm really glad I resisted the swim suit rack.

So, I'll just return to my happy land of denial. Until Saturday night when I'm trying to get dressed for the party and have nothing to wear. Blue jeans and grey knit shirt anyone?

What makes me happy

A dear friend of mine who has heart problems was whisked off to the hospital this morning. I haven't heard any updates and have a pit in the bottom of my stomach not knowing. Since there is nothing I can do at this time, I'm trying to think of what in my life makes me happy.

1) A random kiss or hug from my kids
2) My son telling me he loves me
3) My husband getting home from a four day trip
4) A call, email, or letter from a friend
5) Spending the day with family
6) Crawling into bed after a long day
7) Bubble baths with a glass of wine and a magazine
8) Going for a run
9) Having the house neat and clean
10) Weekends

What makes you happy?

Fahrenheit 9/11

I have not seen the movie, nor do I plan to. I only see one or two movies a year, and I want to escape from reality, not think about current events. And nothing ticks me off more than propaganda. Facts, fine, but I don't need to be brainwashed with someone else's opinions and biases.

However, I did this very interesting review on feministe.

Don't mess with me- I'll write you a letter!

I learned as a little girl that when a business ticks you off, write a letter. And copy the better business burueau. That'll teach you. Thanks Mom! Here's a copy of what I sent to Hotel Galvez:

I would like to express to you my displeasure in your hotel’s customer service. My grandparents spent their honeymoon over 60 years ago in your hotel and myself and the other grandchildren decided to send them back as a Christmas present this past year. I ordered the gift certificate in November and received it shortly after.

In March, when my grandparents made the reservation, my credit card was charged again. I called at the end of March and again in April to resolve the matter. The duplicate charge was not removed, so when my grandparents checked into the hotel, they spoke with the manager on call at the time, Dwayne, regarding the issue. He said it was a problem with my credit card, but they would resolve it. The charge was still not removed, so I called again. Exasperated, I called one more time and left a message with the accounting department and said if the charge was not credited to my account within 24 hours, I would dispute the charge through my credit card company. I was forced to proceed with the and imagine my surprise when several months go by and I receive a rebuttal from your hotel attached with a copy of the order from me and a copy of the gift certificate (which said at the bottom that it was charged to my credit card in November). I spoke with Cindy Staton and was informed no record existed of the charge in November. I have since faxed copies of my credit card statements showing both charges. I have wasted numerous hours trying to resolve this issue which was through no fault of my own.

The irony is that when my grandparents arrived on their honeymoon night, their reservation (which had been made for months), was lost and the hotel was completely booked. The first night of their honeymoon and they spent it in the hotel lobby until a room opened up. Over 60 years and you have still to get it right.

They found me

Two days away from my computer and the inbox said 70 unread messages. Carp. The spam has hit. Time for a new email addy, obviously. I know who did it too, since they're all refinancing offers. Stay clear of lendingtree.com. Might as well call themselves spam generators.

Finding me again

Friday night as I was driving to Clear Lake to visit a friend, I was tired, cranky, and just wanted to stay home. I did want to see my friend, so I went ahead and made the 45 minute drive. After a relaxing and fun evening hanging out with the girls (and missing my kids terribly), I realized that I've lost part of myself. Okay, I've lost almost all of myself. I am so wrapped up in the minutiae of the day, I don't even think about me. All I think about is making it to the next day. This is not how I want to live my life, but I guess it is the reality of it. I am making a promise to myself to spend more time on me.

Rush is Right!

Sorry, my right-wing friends, not Rush Limbaugh. The concert Saturday night was awesome. 30 years and they still sound as good as ever. Even after the rain and thunderstorms all week and predictions of the same that night, the weather held out. It was amazingly cool with a breeze. It was a spiritual experience. If Rush was a religion, that is what I would choose. "Why are we here, because we're here. Roll the bones. Why does it happen? Because it happens, roll the bones." They also did cover songs of bands that had influenced them. I never thought I'd hear Rush do their rendition of "Summertime Blues"- much better than the original! The crowd roared for "The Seeker" by The Who, although that was a little before my time. I was disappointed that I didn't get to hear "Closer to the Heart", although we were graced by many classics. As any true music lover will tell you, it doesn't get any better than this. Can't wait for the next one.

Smokin' Party

The boy's 4th birthday party was a success! Everyone made it to the fire station on time, which was a good thing since they'd overbooked and sent us to a different one a couple of miles away. Which meant my directions to the park after the tour were useless.

After a quick look at how firemen live when on duty, we got to the good stuff- the truck and the gear. All I heard was *blah blah blah* and then he opened the door with the tools- the axes and picks and all that good stuff- ooooooh. One of the firemen graciously put himself into gear including mask and air tank. I'm surprised none of the kids wigged on that one.

Next, they climbed into the ambulance where the paramedics explained all their cool stuff. Both trucks turned on their lights (I was secretly hoping for the sirens) and they gave all the kids goodie bags with stickers and coloring books and a tattoo.

We all headed to the park where the boy's moonwalk was set up (yes, my son owns his own moonwalk- no, he's not spoiled *heh*) and lunch was served. It was a very nice sunny day with a heat index only around 110 and 92% humidity. We decided to cut the invite list by 300 and had only 30 people at the party, so the gift opening only took half the day. I would say it was a very enjoyable time even with the heat exhaustion.

Sounded like a good idea at the time

An entire family starts out the day like any other typical day. Then they all end up in jail. I'm thinking McMinnville, TN needs to build a movie theater or mall or something.

Are we safe from terrorism?

My other hot topic (see women's rights, below) is international policy. Being that I'm married to an airline pilot and have two small children, I feel it's my duty to protect.

So, which presidential candidate will win my vote in November? Here's some things Kerry had to say in January 2004....

"I think there has been an exaggeration," Mr. Kerry said when asked whether President Bush has overstated the threat of terrorism. "They are misleading all Americans in a profound way." The front-runner for the Democratic nomination said he would engage other nations in a more cooperative fashion to quell terrorism.

Now, here's where I get confused.

This one is dated March 2004:
The Democratic Party's presidential front-runner, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), has pledged that if elected he will abandon the president's war on terror, begin a dialogue with terrorist regimes and apologize for three-and-one-half years of mistakes by the Bush administration.

And this one in June 2004, where Kerry states "As commander in chief, I will bring the full force of our nation's power to bear on finding and crushing [terrorist] networks," ... "We will use every resource of our power to destroy." and he criticized Bush ... for taking a "kid glove approach" to hunting down terrorist money and for coddling Saudi Arabia.

Can anyone clarify his position?

Women's Rights Slowly Being Stripped Away

The future for women in this country scares me, especially if Bush is reelected. And being a woman, this is one of my top concerns, right behind the safety of my children.

Abstinence only programs in schools, contraceptive coverage removed for federal employees (is Viagra covered, I wonder?), but don't just take my word for it, this taken from Planned Parenthood.

- The president's FY2001 budget doubles education funding for dangerous "abstinence-only" programs (October 11, 2001).
- "Abstinence-only" proponent Patricia Funderburk Ware named to head the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) (November 30, 2001).
- U.S. delegation to the U.N. Children's Summit, led by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, fights sexuality education and opposes condoms for HIV/AIDS prevention (May 2002).
- The president withholds $34 million in funding for birth control, maternal and child care and HIV/AIDS prevention from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (July 22, 2002).
- The president withholds more then $200 million in funding for programs to support women and address HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan (August 2, 2002).
- Anti-condom "abstinence-only" proponent Dr. Freda McKissic named to the CDC Advisory Committee on HIV and STD Prevention (September 6, 2002).
- HHS Web sites remove medically accurate information about condom effectiveness and the lack of a proven link between abortion and breast cancer (October 2002).
- "Abstinence-only" proponent Dr. Alma Golden named to oversee Title X, nation's family planning program (October 7, 2002).
- The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Web site posts a "revised" fact sheet that suggests an unproved link between abortion and breast cancer (November 25, 2002).
- State Department denies funds for refugee AIDS prevention (August 1, 2003).
- Anti-choice hardliners resort to intimidation tactics to pressure NIH scientists to abandon research on AIDS, sexuality and high-risk behavior (October 28, 2003).
- Budget released for FY 2005 funds "abstinence-only" sex education and marriage initiatives, freezes funding for Title X family planning services (February 2, 2004).
- FDA bows to political pressure and delays making decision on converting emergency contraception to over-the-counter status (February 13, 2004).
- FDA disregards recommendations of its own independent review board, and denies over-the-counter status to Barr Laboratories' Plan B® emergency contraception (May 6, 2004).

So, let me try to make sense of this. The plan is to ban abortions, but at the same time, deny coverage for birth control, promote abstinence only and appoint anti-condom proponents as the leaders on HIV and STD Prevention? Does anyone else see the ludicracy in this?

The little comedian...

Last night, as I was putting my son back in bed for the third time, I said- "Get out of bed one more time and you get a spanking". Yes, I spank my son. Call CPS. Anyways, he gets out of bed, so I go in to spank him. I smack his little tush and then he turns to me and says "You're tough!". I had to leave the room immediately for fear he would see me laughing.

Later, the phone rings so he has to come check it out. I again lead him back to bed and ask in a not so patient voice "How many times do I have to tell you to STAY IN BED??". He holds up two fingers. Again, I had to leave the room immediately.

It's so hard to discipline when all you want to do is laugh!

Kerry announces running mate!

Finally, we've all been waiting...

Kerry Announces Running Mate

Gotta love the Onion!

Are You Politically Aware?

If you are, please share some NONBIASED sources for information. Most of the discussions involving either side pick and choose and take things out of context in order to prove their point. And often will resort to personal attacks, which to me, means they have no facts to back up their beliefs.

I've decided that I need to be more aware of the issues, especially involving local politics. Right now, the only person I know I will vote for is whoever is running against Congressman Tom Delay.

I know where I stand on most issues, but I don't know where the politicians stand. There's the disconnect that I need to fix. Here's my stance on the issues- what category do you think I belong?

Abortion:
Cells are not a baby until they can sustain themselves outside the mother's womb. Where the cutoff is, I don't know, I'm not a doctor. Therefore, a woman has the right to do as she chooses until that point. I do not understand the arguement that abortion is murder, but it may be okay if it saves the mother's life or in the cases of rape.

But instead of doing the pro-life/pro-choice arguments that get us nowhere, why don't we all work together and work on prevention. Teach birth control in schools. Provide free birth control for those who can not afford it. Prevent the situation in the first place.

Stem cell research:
See above, I think it's a good thing because it can save lives.

Partial birth abortions:
It's so horrid that I don't even want to think about it.

Gay marriage:
Why discriminate against a whole class of people? And why are you trying to tell others how to live their lives?

Separation of church and state:
I have no problem with others praticing their religion as long as it does not interfere with other's choice of religion. All the religious references in the pledge, on our currency, etc- that's just our culture. Doesn't mean you have to believe in the same god or any god at all.

Welfare:
We have one messed up system. Why would we reward people who do not work and punish those that do? People trying to pull themselves off welfare and get a minimum wage job lose. They lose money and can't make enough to sustain themselves and their family. Education is key. We have to help those that cannot work. My uncle is mentally retarded and could not ever live on his own. He requires government assistance, but he still does work at the center where he lives. But the people who have a capacity to work need to be given the skills to get a job and there has to be an incentive tied to it. Either you get assistance for xxx long or the $$ amount decreases as time goes on and you are REQUIRED to get continuing education and job placement assitance.

Tax system:
And the average American is supposed to follow all the rules that even the professionals struggle to keep up with? Scratch it all and start over. It's ridiculous.

Death penalty:
I heard a statistic a long time ago that stuck with me. Now, I never believe statitics because you can use any data you want to get the outcome you desire, but this one made sense. It costs more for a prisoner on death row because of all the required appeals than it would if he/she was in for life. And I don't think that it's a deterant either. Do you really think this goes through someone's mind when they're getting ready to kill-- "Well, if I bludgeon this guy, I'll go to death row, but if I just shoot him once, maybe I'll just go for life"? I also think prisoners get hardened rather than reformed in prison. What to do about this, I have not a clue.

The war in Iraq:
I was ambilivant about going to war in the first place because I don't think it's our duty to police the entire world. And I especially did not like the fact that we did not have many of the other power houses on our side. However, we are there and we'd better stay to finish the job. Pulling out now would be wasting the lives of the soldiers we have already lost. And a slap in the face, again, to the Iraqis.

Have I touched on enough controversy today? :)

Systolic/Diastolic

Since the most exciting thing to do at work (besides checking the soda machine to see if the Diet Coke's have run out) is to check your blood pressure at the health check machine, I thought I would do a PSA about blood pressure.

For some strange reason since I have zero medical education, the terms systolic and diastolic have stuck in my head regarding blood pressure. I know nothing about what they mean. Must be time to google.

I won't bore you with the details, here's a good website for that. Basically, 120/80 is great, 130/85 normal, and 140+/90+ is hypertension.

We now return to our regularly scheduled inane drivel.

Frozen in Stress

Not frozen in fear, but frozen in stress. So many different things going on, I can't keep it all straight. I'd make lists, but I'd have 20 different lists and wouldn't begin to know how to prioritize. Trying to get the old house on the market, son's 4th bday party coming up, daughter's 1st bday, work is crazy busy, and all the little loose ends everywhere that need tying up. So, I think I'll just avoid it all entirely and blog. What do YOU want to talk about today?

I've got some change in my pocket

This afternoon I'm doing a search for the annoying country song that goes:

...I've got some change in my pocket going jinglelingleling...why don't you call me on the telephone and give me a ring....I said no hugging, no kissing, until you give me a wedding ring...my honey, my baby, don't put my love upon no shelf....she said don't give me no lines and keep your hands to yourself...

because I'm trying to fill in the blanks. Don't ask why, who knows? But anyways, I came across a website on kissing I found amusing and thought I would share for the millions of you reading this *cough*.

Shattered!

'Twas the night before Friday, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The lunches were stacked by the pantry with care,
In hopes that splash day soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of swimming pools danced in their heads;
And mamma and daddy nearly dead,
Had been sleeping dreamily in the brand new king sized bed,

When out in the bathroom there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the room I flew with such might,
Tore open the doors and threw up the light.

The glass from the shower was a thousand piece,
And the shatter around displaced like a wreath;
I yelled out to 'quick, come look',
And then I found the glass in my foot.

We spoke not a word, but went straight to our work,
And removed all the glass; then turned with a jerk,
And around 1 am returned to our bed,
With wonder, amazement, and disbelief in our head.

My 5 Questions

Thanks to Sara for providing the following questions.

1. How and when did you first become aware of blogging?I first became aware of blogging about a month ago. It was something that a coworker stumbled upon while creating his website.

2. What inspired you to start your own?
Blogging seemed like a great way to document the stories that quickly evaporate from my mind and to share with friends and family the daily funnies from my kids.

3. How should a childless couple eating dinner in a relatively grown-up place deal with a nearby table with two out-of-control children completely disrupting the entire restaurant?Pour some whiskey in the bottle when the parents aren't looking. Seriously, there's nothing more stressful than taking our kids out to dinner. But maybe that's because we actually care when they act up and disturb other diners. That's also why we frequent family friendly restaurants- i.e. LOUD. So, to answer the question, order yourself drinks. Lots. Or ask to be moved.

4. Is loud sighing inappropriate? Yes, as are dirty looks. However, be prepared for snarky looks from me if I'm trying my best!

5. What kind of car do you drive and do you think it represents your personality well? I drive a F-150 super crew when hubby's working (it's his car) and a Focus (which I hate) when he's home. Neither represent my personality. But it's no longer about me, unfortunately.

My baby girl needs some air time

I think I figured out why 2nd kids never get as many pictures or baby albums or even basic documentation of their babyhood. We have probably 17 hours of my son's first year on tape and maybe 1 hour of my youngest. First, you've already seen all the cute stuff babies can do and second, it's not nearly as cute when compared to older kids who can talk. However, my little girl did do some cute things this weekend.

Being that we're still furniture-less, the stereo tuner is sitting on the floor. My daughter crawled over to it, turned the volume up and started dancing. She thought that was great fun and kept turning it louder and louder until I got over to her, thankfully before she blew the speakers out.

In the bath, she's standing up and pulling the knob that turns on the shower. Luckily, the water's off when she does it, but I'm thinking one of these days I should let her do it with the water on. She'd probably think that was great fun as well.

My daughter likes to imitate whatever we say. I asked if anyone wanted ice cream after dinner and everyone said "I do" and she repeated "I do"! And she's said "Josie", the dog's name. But her favorite is still "dada". She'll point to me or my husband and repeat "dada" over and over. Still can't convince her that I'm mama.

She also took her first steps last Friday. And her latest is shaking her head no. It's really cute because she gets her arms in on the act. Her head moves one way and her torso and arms the other. She's such a happy baby and everyone loves to be around her.

Just talking to myself

It's certainly not the first time I've talked to myself, but it's something I usually just do in my head. Now I'm not only able to talk to myself, but document the conversation as well. How odd.

Mispronunciations

I love it when my son mispronouces words. It reminds me that he's still a little kid. My favorite was when he first started talking- the moon was 'moonay'. One that the entire extended family got into was 'laler' for later. He no longer pronounces it that way, but we do and smile when we do it. Having already developed quite the sense of humor, he decided to purposely use the work 'laler'. He said "I'll do it laler" as he was walking off and then turned around to flash a cheesy grin. The kid definitely knows how to charm is way out of trouble.

The Naked Bandit

The other night, I'm bathing my 4 year old son while trying to keep an eye on the 10 month old. He's busy splashing and swimming around in the tub, while she's turning the water on and off and crawling off looking for danger. I pull him out of the tub, wrap him in a towel, pick up the baby, and start heading up the stairs to get them into pajamas. I naively think my son is following along behind me. After reaching the top of the stairs, I hear a door slam. Followed shortly by a door opening and my husband yelling "Courtney?!". I head back down the stairs to find my husband standing with the naked boy he'd rescued from the yard. Oh, what the new neighbors must think.

Father-in-Law and the Air Mattress

We just moved into a new house, but don't have the old house on the market yet. We were waiting to move the kids, toys r us mini store, dog, and cat and clean the place up before we sell it. Most of the furniture was left so the house still seems like a home. Therefore, at the new house, we have nothing to sit on or sleep on. Time to pull out the old air mattress. After 30 minutes of using the tiny little battery operated pump that came with the mattress and still having a air mattress without air, I figure it's time for Plan 'B'.

I'm thinking the intelligent solution to Plan 'B' would be:
1) Drive to store, buy new batteries for pump.
2) Drive to old house and pick up air compressor from garage.
3) Sleep on the floor because I'm too tired to notice anyway.

My father-in-law has a different idea. He starts blowing it up himself. Now, the guy is full of hot air, but I'm wondering whether he'll get the mattress filled up before he passes out. After about 20 minutes of blowing into the thing, he starts asking weird questions. Is the room spinning? Why are there stars floating in the room? And then follows with nonsensical banter. I'm starting to grow worried until he asks whether I like my mattress soft, firm, or ultra firm.

Thanks to him, I slept like a baby that night. Or at least as much as one can while sleeping on an air mattress.

15 kids??

So, a family in Arkansas just had their 15th kid. And they've already talked about having more. Is there something else going on here? Are they running a sweat shop in the back yard? I'm thinking little Jackson will soon be joining his 14 brothers and sisters making blue jeans and sweaters for Walmart.

The origin of my name

When I first became a member of a message board, I had to choose a screen name. I had no ideas. Didn't want to use my real name or anything similar. Nothing I felt very attached to, so I drew a blank. I saw the name spritz somewhere on yahoo and decided I liked it. Don't know what drew me to it. Never had spritz cookies, never known anyone with the last name Spritz. The weird thing is, whenever I see 'spritz' written anywhere- as in spritz perfume on your wrist, I think it's referring to me. Maybe that song "You're so Vain" was written about me.

What I've learned so far in real estate investing.....

1. Always stay in control of the situation. If you're not in control, you're sitting around helplessly frustrated with no way to fix the situation.

2. Always have multiple backup plans because nothing, I repeat, nothing will go as planned.

3. Money talks. A repeat of #2, but always have backups for funding. You never know when you'll need them.

4. Keep a sense of humor because it may be the only thing that keeps you from falling over the edge.

5. Keep your eye on the prize and remind yourself of why you're doing what you're doing.

6. Never assume anything. Verify any information you get from the seller/buyer/title company/mortgage company yourself. And don't forget to ask all the pertinent question.

7. Nothing is as easy as it appears from the outside and from seasoned people who have been doing it for years.

8. Real estate is not a faceless piece of paper. It is instead people's dreams, hopes, and failures. Treat them and their property with respect if you expect the same.

Now that I read back through this, these lessons apply to life in general.

Nothing to say, really

So, I'm wondering what to say that would be of any interest to anyone. Work? Nah, boring. Family life? Too many inside jokes and situational funnies. What else is there. Friends? Been too busy to catch up. Coworkers? Oh, they're crazy, but that's not something I want to get into today. I think I'll make some lists.

Funny things kids say

My 4 yr old son's favorite band of the moment is Beastie Boys. Poor kid is forced to listen to 80's music constantly. He became particularly fond of the song Girls. You know- Girls, to do the dishes, girls, to do the laundry, girls to clean up my room. After he started singing the lyrics, I decided this was not something I wanted my son to hear. Now every time he hears Beastie Boys on the radio, he wants the "clean the bathroom" song.