Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Birthday Celebration
I will post a wrap up of the week of birthday celebrating soon!!! I had a fab dinner with many family and friends. (More than I even knew were coming!!) Mark and I went to Cleveland for a long weekend while Ian stayed with my parents. So much to tell and show, I will post more after I pick up my new car!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
So This Is What 40 Feels Like
Regardless of that craziness that Sam posted, the text messages about how old I am, the calls and bad singing, I am having a great day.
I can remember thinking 40 was really old and that I would probably be done with life by then! Well, let me tell you, 40 is nothing. I feel so much better in my own skin at 40 than I have ever felt. Do I have flaws? You bet! Do I care so much about them? Nope! Maybe that's the magic of 40, you lose the filter that makes you care so much about the things other people don't like about you. I need to change a few things (get in better shape, worry less, cover more of my gray hair!), but overall I like myself and that's all that matters.
So, I am headed to lunch with Mike, my wonderful boss. I am having dinner with family and friends at the best Italian restaurant in the area. (Those that can't join us will be missed!) I will have a glass or 2 of wine. I will eat chocolate cake and probably be surrounded by black balloons. But it's all good.
I can remember thinking 40 was really old and that I would probably be done with life by then! Well, let me tell you, 40 is nothing. I feel so much better in my own skin at 40 than I have ever felt. Do I have flaws? You bet! Do I care so much about them? Nope! Maybe that's the magic of 40, you lose the filter that makes you care so much about the things other people don't like about you. I need to change a few things (get in better shape, worry less, cover more of my gray hair!), but overall I like myself and that's all that matters.
So, I am headed to lunch with Mike, my wonderful boss. I am having dinner with family and friends at the best Italian restaurant in the area. (Those that can't join us will be missed!) I will have a glass or 2 of wine. I will eat chocolate cake and probably be surrounded by black balloons. But it's all good.
Monday, April 20, 2009
On My Soapbox
I have been really busy lately, but a few things flying through the cyberspace (and life) have caught my attention. And, I am at the point where I need to get on my soapbox for a few minutes.
I am officially getting old! I listen to talk radio in the morning. Sometimes it's Bob and Tom but lately it's been Neal Boortz. I don't really care for his opinion about a lot of things, but he tells the world about the underbelly of politics. And as you all know, I like the underbelly side of things!
Anyway, this morning Boortz was talking about the approved torture methods that the CIA may use to get political prisoners to talk. (No, I am not going to waste your time with my opinions about political prisoners. I promise, just read on!) This list was recently sent out by the Obama adminstration as the only approved method for extracting information. (This was of course done after they released Bush's memos about what he considered acceptable. Interesting timing, no?) Anyway, the list includes the following:
The CIA operative may open-hand slap a prisoner across the face or stomach as long as medical personnel is present. But, it must be done with an open hand only and cannot be done repeatedly.
The CIA may use isolation as long as it is for no longer than 8 hours per day. They may also use a small confined dark space for isolation, but for no longer than 2 hours at a time.
They can pour cold water on a prisoner from either a cup or hose, but the hose cannot have a nozzle on it. (So no pressure to the water flow.) And, a medical officer and psychologist must be present.
They can push you into a wall after having you stand against the wall, but the wall must be 'flexible'. WTH???? And, can I get these throughout my house for the toddler who runs into walls? Bouncing off the wall would be much better than the tears we suffer through now!
Alright, that's enough for now. So, regardless of whether you agree with torture or not, do any of these things sound like they would make you talk? Really, I think after a few hours of questions, a whole 2 hours in a dark confined space would be a good 'rest' not torture. An open-handed slap to the stomach? Well that might sting initially, but is it really going to make you tell the secrets of the Taliban?
So, I have a few suggestions that might be more effective and even less invasive:
1) Put them in a room with a 2 year old, a balanced dinner, and an Easter Basket of candy and tell them they have to get the 2 year old to eat his veggies.
2) Make them dress a toddler in what they want him/her to wear and not what the child wants to wear. Better yet, make them enforce the rule that the toddler must leave said clothing on their body the whole day!!
3) Make them explain rain days to the toddler who would rather be outside even if it is raining and cold!
Give me a hour with any of these three suggestions, I will get that prisoner to tell you his grandmother's underwear manufacturer!!!
More soapbox later, I have to actually do some work. I just wanted to get that out before I forgot how ridiculous it all sounded.
I am officially getting old! I listen to talk radio in the morning. Sometimes it's Bob and Tom but lately it's been Neal Boortz. I don't really care for his opinion about a lot of things, but he tells the world about the underbelly of politics. And as you all know, I like the underbelly side of things!
Anyway, this morning Boortz was talking about the approved torture methods that the CIA may use to get political prisoners to talk. (No, I am not going to waste your time with my opinions about political prisoners. I promise, just read on!) This list was recently sent out by the Obama adminstration as the only approved method for extracting information. (This was of course done after they released Bush's memos about what he considered acceptable. Interesting timing, no?) Anyway, the list includes the following:
The CIA operative may open-hand slap a prisoner across the face or stomach as long as medical personnel is present. But, it must be done with an open hand only and cannot be done repeatedly.
The CIA may use isolation as long as it is for no longer than 8 hours per day. They may also use a small confined dark space for isolation, but for no longer than 2 hours at a time.
They can pour cold water on a prisoner from either a cup or hose, but the hose cannot have a nozzle on it. (So no pressure to the water flow.) And, a medical officer and psychologist must be present.
They can push you into a wall after having you stand against the wall, but the wall must be 'flexible'. WTH???? And, can I get these throughout my house for the toddler who runs into walls? Bouncing off the wall would be much better than the tears we suffer through now!
Alright, that's enough for now. So, regardless of whether you agree with torture or not, do any of these things sound like they would make you talk? Really, I think after a few hours of questions, a whole 2 hours in a dark confined space would be a good 'rest' not torture. An open-handed slap to the stomach? Well that might sting initially, but is it really going to make you tell the secrets of the Taliban?
So, I have a few suggestions that might be more effective and even less invasive:
1) Put them in a room with a 2 year old, a balanced dinner, and an Easter Basket of candy and tell them they have to get the 2 year old to eat his veggies.
2) Make them dress a toddler in what they want him/her to wear and not what the child wants to wear. Better yet, make them enforce the rule that the toddler must leave said clothing on their body the whole day!!
3) Make them explain rain days to the toddler who would rather be outside even if it is raining and cold!
Give me a hour with any of these three suggestions, I will get that prisoner to tell you his grandmother's underwear manufacturer!!!
More soapbox later, I have to actually do some work. I just wanted to get that out before I forgot how ridiculous it all sounded.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
A Wedding!!
Keith and Sherry got married yesterday!!!
We are very happy for them both and wish them many years of blissful marriage.
(Sorry that the picture is so blurry. I forgot my camera so I took this one from a distance with my cell phone.)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Risky Business!!!
Ian starring as Tom Cruise in "Risky Business"
The boy does not like to wear his clothes! The pants are usually the first to go since he has been wearing his big boy 'underwears'. He then manages to wiggle out of his shirt too. The other night, I was standing in the kitchen talking to some friends when we saw this pink streak run past the door. Sure enough, it was Ian without a stitch of clothing on!
I think summer is going to be a lesson in patience for me. Keeping him in clothes when he will want to be outside playing in water should be a whole lot of fun! So I plan to pray more (drink more?!?! LOL) and use a lot of duct tape!!!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
The Easter Bunny, My Foolishness and Trash Talking
Isn't that a cute picture?!!?
Well, let me tell you a little story about visiting the Easter bunny and what I learned in the process.
Let's start with what I learned:
1) Even teenagers can still have issues with people dressed up in costumes. (Right Alex? Alex has never liked people in costumes and seems to only really tolerate it today for Ian's benefit.)
2) Trash talking is not necessarily a learned behaviour!
3) It's expensive to have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny. I think it was more than the Santa pictures even!!
4) Alex is a very good sport.
5) Grandma and Papaw can laugh until they almost pee their pants, even in the mall.
So, here is the story in all it's glory.
We went to our usual playgroup last Friday at the mall. Ian insisted that we check out the Easter Bunny. Let me just say that the bunny was nasty. He looked dirty and by his body language was clearly not interested in being there. So, (like the fool I am) I suggested that we might check out the bunny at the other mall where we saw Santa. Well, from that point on I heard "See Easter Bunny at other mall, please?", endlessly.
He took his nap as long as I promised again that we would see the bunny. We went to dinner with Grandma and Papaw. We again promised the Easter Bunny but he had to eat his dinner first. All through dinner we heard about how he was going to see the bunny. He was going to sit on the Easter Bunny's lap. He was going to talk to the Easter Bunny. He went on and on about the Easter Bunny. Basically, the kid was talking trash. How do I know this? Well....
We got to the mall, walked up to the Easter Bunny and he froze in his shoes about 6 feet from the rabbit! Then he started slowly backing up. I picked him up and started toward the bunny. He tried climbing over my shoulder to put as much distance between him and that bunny as he possibly could! At that point, Alex stepped in to try his luck. As you can see from the picture, he did at least get next to the bunny. But, Ian was trying to escape the entire time. We just happened to get a picture between the wiggling efforts. There was no sitting on the Easter Bunny's lap. And, there was absolutely no talking to the Easter Bunny. So, like I said trash talking is not necessarily a learned behaviour. How else can you explain the ability of a 2 year old to talk so much smack!!!
Meanwhile, my folks are standing outside of the cute little picket fence laughing themselves silly. I am not sure if they were laughing at Ian's antics or the hopeless buffoon (Me) trying to get him near the Easter Bunny!
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
The Only Good Peep Is A Dead Peep
Okay, so it's out there: I DON'T LIKE PEEPS!!!! Those of you that do will just have to forgive me. I think they are gross. Too much sugar, too much cuteness, just too much yuck!
So what can you do with a Peep to get back at it?!?!? Well, you could take the approach pictured above, but that seems a little disgusting. OR you could make Peep S'mores!!!! That's right folks, lay down a graham cracker, add a hunk of chocolate then roast the Peep over the hot stove burner (being careful not to touch the burner!!), place Peep on top of chocolate and dig in!! Still overly sweet and sugary, but oh, so satisfying. Why so satisfying do you ask? Well, when you roast a Peep, it's face melts off!! MWHAHAHAHA!!!!!