Health Care: My End

Over the past week I've had some interesting exchanges with people regarding the new health care bill. In fact, I've spent hours researching it online, listening to podcasts, watching interviews...I'm trying to be informed.

But it's now 11:00 pm and I'm still wide awake. I need to get up in six hours, but I'm not even close to being asleep. As I laid in bed praying, I know why.

If I had spent 15 seconds a day in prayer for every 1 minute I spent thinking about/arguing about/researching the health care bill, then I could have had some amazing time with God :)

I've let my focus shift - I've stopped looking at God and have left myself look at the world. Don't get me wrong - I live here, so I need to know what's going on, but it can't be my focus. When it becomes my focus, it displaces God.

I looked these words up tonight -
Exalt: to enhance the activity of
Worship: to regard with great devotion

Wow...if you look at the activity and devotion I've given to understanding and debating the health care bill, it's pretty obviously become the object of exaltation and worship in my life this week.

God, forgive me.

Scripture is clear - love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Have no God before him.

While I've definitely not been singing praises to the health care debate, nor have I been admiring it, what I HAVE been doing is waiting for others' responses so I can share my side of the story. I've been thinking of ways to explain myself. I've been mulling over it for hours. By doing that, I have NOT been giving God all of my mind.

When it comes down to it, this bill won't affect me at all. It doesn't matter if it keeps me in the poor house, gives me $5/month insurance, saves or crashes this country's economy. None of that will affect me, because I'm a child of God, and this world is not my home.

God has proven over and over again that HE is my provider - not Matt, not the State, not the Feds, not insurance. Through His perfect timing, Matt was diagnosed with cancer and treated. During that time neither of us worked full time, but we tithed and gave faithfully. We also paid off our debts and saved money for a down payment on a house. When you try to figure it out logically, it doesn't work - there's no way for two people on our low wages to have accomplished that much. But when you put your understanding aside and put your faith in God, it works.

It doesn't matter what happens to this government. It doesn't matter who fails or who succeeds. None of this really matters because this is just a short part of our eternal lives. What really matters is your faith - where have you put it? Is it in man, or God?

My faith is in God. He loves us, cherishes us, provides for us in His perfect way, in His perfect timing. Matt and I have believed that since we were married, and we need to cling to it today.

I've spent so much time arguing health care - people know EXACTLY where I stand regarding it. But do these same people know where I stand with God? Instead of arguing about laws that will someday cease, have I taken the time to share the truth of the One truth health giver? Instead of worrying about our freedom within this country, have I shared with them the truth of freedom in Christ?

No, I haven't, and that's what's keeping me awake, because it doesn't matter if this bill fails or succeeds. Eventually we will all end up in the same place. Whether rich or poor, black or white, young or old, the cost to maintain our physical health doesn't matter if we've allowed our spiritual health to deteriorate.

I'm not just speaking about being a spiritual person. I'm talking about our eternal spirits which will survive the fate of our physical forms. And the Bible is clear about our spiritual fate - there is one way to heaven, and that way is Jesus Christ.

Some people will be confused by this, others will be offended, some will cheer, and some will ignore it. Honestly, I don't care how it is received. What I care about is that I said it. It might not be the most eloquent statement of faith, and I doubt that it's grammatically correct (at 11:30 pm), but it's my statement of faith in God. It's my decision to stop focusing on the health care bill and to refocus on my Lord and Savior. It's my determination to be informed, involved, but not consumed by this world.

My faith is in God for all things. He has never left me nor forsaken me. He has always provided. His promises endure, even through dramatic governmental changes.

So...no more health care debate for me. I'll probably ignore the conversations about it. I might "like" something on Facebook, but that's it. I don't want to spend another minute defending my believes. I want to refocus. I'm going to refocus. It starts now.

Dorothy LIVES!!

Not Dorothy Gale...Dorothy Hamill. This morning I saw a lady with the Dorothy Hamill haircut. Not the newer, updated style. I'm talking 1970s. It made me giggle.

Stop Segregation - The Census

Did you know: the Census is taken every ten years to determine the number of seats each state should have in the House of Representatives?

That's it. That's the ONLY reason you should answer the big question - how many people in your household.

But that's not what the Census form asks. Oh, no...they want to know your gender, your age, your race, and, very importantly, whether or not you own your own home.

Why? Will it effect the number of seats in the House? Nope. Will it change the number of seats in the Senate? (If you don't know the answer to this question, then stop now, retake Government 101 and realize that you will always hate the government as long as you don't understand it).

The ONLY reason government wants to know these things about you is so they can use you as political pawns in their great battle for unlimited power.

95% of John Smith's constituents are Hispanic
47% of women dislike Bill Jones
Only 22% of people in New York own their own homes - disgraceful! Let's give them all loans they can't afford so they can default on them later.

This information isn't about US...it's not for our benefit and will in no way help US. It's for THEM - politicians. They want to play the numbers, but they need to know what those numbers are first. They want to figure out as much as they can so they can separate us into groups.

It's not about being American. It's about being the right age, race, and gender to help Sen. Ima Krook raise money, manipulate emotions, and get elected to another year of the good life.

If you're all about women's rights - don't answer the gender question.
If you're all about racial equality - don't answer the race question.
If you're all about keeping politicians honest and bringing the power back to the people - tell them how many people live in your house, then close the mailbox.

**And please, PLEASE remember - if anyone comes to your door and says they work for the Census, ask for identification and don't give them ANY other inf0. There are people working hard to report for the Census...and people working hard to steal your social security number and your identification.

Capitalism - The Liberal Conundrum

Capitalism: (noun) an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Tomorrow Michael Moore's newest movie will be released on DVD. It's the story of how capitalism failed America. I have not seen it. I will not see it. I know lots of people who have different opinions on that, some of whom, I'm sure, are chomping at the bit to get their hands on a copy.

Here's your problem: if you rent this movie at Blockbuster, you're participating in and supporting our "broken" capitalist system. If you buy it, you're a capitalist. In fact, do you realize there's no way for you see this movie, which Moore shot in a capitalist country, using capitalist means, and by which system he'll make a hefty profit, without yourself being hypocritical.

Does Moore A) find his own seeds, plant them, grow the food, harvest it, and cook it himself, or B) does he go out to eat? If B, then thank capitalism.

Does Moore A) grow his own cotton, harvest it, turn it into cloth, then make his own clothes, or B) does he buy clothes at the store? On behalf of those who don't wish to see him naked, thank you capitalism.

It goes, on and on - if you are enjoying any goods purchased from retailers, wholesalers, or directly from the craftsman, thank capitalism.

And if you want to rent or buy this DVD so you can revel in the evil that is capitalism - thank capitalism for making it possible.

Class of 2000

Early this morning I had some weird dreams. Just before I woke up I was dreaming about a vacation in Hawaii. Sure, that sounds great, but here's what happened.

I had just landed at the airport, which doubled as a busy train station, and couldn't find my group. When I finally did, we were all sitting around in the station because one of my sister's bags was missing. Instead of going to the hotel to wait for it, everyone thought it would be a good idea to stay at the airport (huh??). After two sweaty hours, I decided to go to the hotel, and most of the crew came along. The hotel, however, was cylindrical and spun every few minutes. Not only was I getting dizzy, but I could never find the room because the hallway was always spinning away from the door.

Weird.

But that's not what hit me - it was the people in the dream. My college classmates.

I can't believe it's been 10 years since we graduated from college. Our senior year we took a trip to New Orleans and had so much fun that we agreed we should do something every five years...and then reality set in :) More than half of us have kids (not me...you!), less than half of us are still in Michigan, and do any of us have a "vacation fund" we can tap into for another fun trip?? Not here...I need a new car!

And then there are those pesky schedules. Planning a vacation was a great idea when we were in school, but who really gets spring break or summer vacation anymore? Not many of us. And during the one annually schedule get-together (Homecoming), I usually have plans (how about you?).

I'd love nothing more to jump on a cruise ship with my gals from Hillsdale, but how easy would that be? We'd need 12 state rooms for six girls because some of us (I'm looking west to California) are regularly breeding :) Unless we wanted to leave them at home, there would be a lot more testosterone going with us. And no matter how hard I tried, there's no way I'd be up at noon and out until 2am. Put me on the Senior Citizen deck, because I'm in bed by 10pm.

My...how things change. And for as much as I'd love to join my sisters on another trip, I have to confess that I like where I am - with my honey and my kitties in my little yellow office. I love you and I miss you, but I'm also very happy where I am.

Online Swap Meet

Matt discovered this fun site last week - you can go online and trade books, CDs, DVDs, and video games! I know there are other similar sites (i.e. Paper Back Swap), but I've never much been interested in trading my books. I never seem to have any that I don't want!

But Swap Tree lets us trade a variety of media source, and THAT I like...because Matt and I buy cheap movies, watch them once, then decide we'll never watch them again. Like when Blockbuster went out of business and we had $200 in gift cards :) Now, instead of tossing them or donating them, I can actually trade them for something I might use, all for the cost of postage!

This excites me very much. I can hardly wait until I can swap my first DVD - good-bye Station Agent!

Hey, I'm published again!

Check it out at the Christian Examiner, here.

I love my house :)

I didn't set foot outside of my house yesterday, and I have no plan to do so at any point today. Both days it has been in the high twenties with over a 70% chance of snow. I don't like the cold, so I prefer to avoid it as much as possible. That mans I spend most of my winters inside.

Last year, however, I was in our little 900 sq. ft. house during the blustery, blizzardy winter. For most people at 900 sq. ft. house is just fine. It would be for me...if I wasn't married to a man who owned 2000 sq. ft. of 'stuff'. Trying to squeeze all of that 'stuff' into a tiny house (with no garage or basement) darn near made me crazy. In fact, by early January I was claustrophobic that Matt shipped me out to Vegas for ten days so I could get out without being miserable in the cold.

This year, things are different :) Matt and I are spending our first winter together in our own home. Here are some of the things that I love about this house:

1) It's 1400 sq. ft., including three bedrooms. That's important for me for two reasons:

a. One bedroom is being used for storage. I'm amazed at how long it's taking to get unpacked, but I don't have to worry about it (too much) right now because we have all of our still full boxes stacked in the guest room (out of sight, out of mind!)

b. I have my own office! It's not acting as Matt's closet or the keeper-of-the-camping-gear. It's just MY office. I have it set up for optimum writing production, and it's working (I wrote 1300 words yesterday!)

2) It has doors. Technically our last house had three doors, but they were pretty irrelevant.

a. For one thing, because we had so little space, we had a lot of over-the-door storage units. By the time you have one hanging on each side of a door, it makes it hard to securely close said door. That means you can see everything from anywhere.

b. You can't really close out the clutter when the clutter is in every room (see previous description of my last office)

3) It doesn't leak. I'm not talking about water, but air. In our previous home, I was always cold. It was built in the 1950s and still had single pain, drafty windows. We added 18" of R60 insulation (that's a lot of the good stuff) when we moved in, wrapped the windows inside and out with plastic, kept the heat at 60 during the day/55 at night, and still paid $100/month (usually more) to heat the tiny place.

Our house doesn't have as much insulation in the attic, but it's only 30 years old and has new windows. We keep the heat at 65/60 now and our heating bills are averaging $95/month! There's nothing better than being warmer for less money.

There are dozens of other reasons why I love this house (I can walk to the market and school, it has a garage, I can workout in my living room without having to rearrange the furniture), but those are the biggest reasons for right now. Maybe in a few months I'll tell you about my favorite summertime aspects of my house!

Firefox vs. Chrome (vs. IE)

The only reason I even included Internet Explorer in the title is so it didn't feel left out, but I'll admit right now that I never use the browser. I find it as useful as belly button lint. My real debate is between Firefox and Chrome - what do you think?

I've used them both, and they each have their good points, they also have their bad points. I'm not sure what to do...

Firefox:
I've been using this for years, so I'm used to it. I understand its quirks and bobbles. I'm okay with that (no one's perfect). But it's usually Firefox that forces me to use Chrome - when it freezes, I close down the browser, and then try to reopen it I get the message "Firefox is already running". Really? Where...in a marathon? Because it's not running on my laptop! That's when I go to Chrome.

Chrome:
I just started using this because of the aforementioned Firefox blip. It really is faster (even with my lightning quick 3 Mbps DSL connection). I don't know what makes it faster, but I like...when it works. I'm not kidding when I say that about 20% of my URLs come up at "Oops! That link appears to be broken!", which it never is - I hit the refresh button and it will connect. So is it really any faster if I have to refresh 1 of every 5 searches?

Anyway, that's my debate. I don't have an answer (I'm not even sure if I'm looking for one), but it's been on my mind a lot recently (as Firefox freezes and Chrome can't find things). Some day I'd like to try Safari, but until Apple lowers their prices, I'm just not willing to make the switch.

I tried...REALLY!

Okay...I've been feeling pretty crummy about not subbing as much as I used to. In all fairness, I'm writing a LOT more than before, but I still feel like I should be subbing. My biggest hindrance is the last-minute job. I don't mind if it's a classroom that I've been in before, but I'm NOT interested in subbing for Mr. P's kindergarten class at Crazy Elementary for the first time with 90 minutes notice. Pass, thanks.

Since I'm not subbing today (articles to write...Monday and Tuesdays are NOT the best days for me to sub), I decided to open my on-line sub finder page and see what I could find. I logged on and - TA DA! Two high school English/Language Arts classes - one for tomorrow and one for next week. PERFECT! I selected them both, but then I heard that awful BLEEP!

Both jobs were being held for other subs.

WHAT??!!

Well, I can't really complain. Other teachers do the same thing for me...but those are math teachers and chem teachers (Hi, Kim!). While I like the work, it's not ENGLISH! And yet the English teachers don't want me :( But they don't even KNOW me!!

(Deep breath...exhale)

Anyway, I tried. That's my point. I made the effort...I can't help it that I'm not wanted. But that's okay with me...there's NEVER a lack of things for me to do at home. I just wish it paid better.

Where are we headed?

Today I subbed in a high school classroom. It doesn't matter where; it doesn't matter what subject. After four years of subbing, I've noticed one disturbing trend - students are incredibly lazy. If kids can't look online or ask a friend, then they don't know how to find an answer.

Today was an easy assignment - chapter review. Not only that, but the teacher gave the page numbers of the indices that would help them answer the most questions. The kids' first reactions were to ask the smart kid. When I put a stop to that, the whining started:

"This is too hard!"
"I don't know this!"
"We can't do this!"

Not ONE of those students had opened his or her book.

It does worry me that even with the page numbers given to them, a large number of students don't know how to look up an answer. It always surprises me how many students look at me like I've got a 3rd eye when I ask them if they've checked the glossary for definitions.

The what?

Granted I think it's wonderful that kids know how to use computers and research online, but at what expense. So a 10 year-old can create a power point. Fabulous. Can he use a dictionary? Kids are learning to be dependent on technology, but what happens when their phones lose reception?

I do a lot of reseach online because it's convenient, but before I had the internet I used the library (you know - big building, lots of books).

Techonology is a great TOOL, but I'm not so sure we should be promoting it as THE tool. I'm not convinced that it makes kids smarter, but it sure does make them lazier.

Multi-tasking

I got paid twice today: once for subbing, and once for finishing an article. Technically I won't get paid for the article until the end of the month, but the point is that I had the time to finish it today. It's times like this that I LOVE subbing in high schools!

Mornings in a Van

As I spend this week babysitting my friends' kids I've found the most entertaining moments to be on the drive to school - all five kids at the same time.

The 15 yr. old just wants everyone to be quiet - it's too early for him.

The 5 yr. old is in the far back, and she's the boss of everyone. Yesterday I kept hearing, "Don't make me come up there!", and she's even telling me how to get from point A to point B, "NO! Go that way! Momma goes THAT way!"

In the middle sit the 3 yr. old boy and the 11 yr. old girl. He brings Superman, she brings a Barbie. Most of what he says sounds like gibberish, but she is easy to understand. Yesterday her Barbie used super powers that she stole from Superman (in the crystal box from Superman II) to make him marry her. Today she asked Superman if he kissed her cell phone; Superman asked Barbie how she knew. Barbie answered, "Because my phone has a tracking device".

And the last child is the 9 yr. old girl who tries to help keep the peace...unless she has something better to do, like sing the National Anthem :)

The drive to school is really my favorite. I have so much fun listening to these guys. And they really know how to love each other: the older kids shared their candy with the little kids, the baby carried his sister's backpack (and wanted to carry my groceries), and the boss took time out at school to make a card for her classmate who had a birthday yesterday.

These kids are my favorites (next to my nieces and nephew, of course)

Slap-Happy Matty: Extreme

Poor, poor Matt. He didn't have to go into work until 5am today, but he didn't get home until after 7pm. We had very little time together, so he wanted to help me in the kitchen. Oh. Joy.

It started when I asked him to make some salads for lunches. He was putting grape tomatoes on them. As I washed dishes I heard:

"Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to. Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to."

Then Matt leaned over to pick something up. The skinny dude was wearing his large pajama pants, so I got to see a whole lot of crack. I pointed that out to him. As I washed dishes I heard:

"That's because I get up at the butt-crack of dawn. The hairy butt-crack of dawn. Butt-crackage. Butt-crack-a-mungus. Butt-crackular."

And then the cat walked by...

"We don't have to take it anymore. Cats should be able to lick their butt-cracks in public - lift your leg high!"

It was an interesting night...he was asleep by nine.

Read The Fine Print (and other shopping secrets)

Yesterday Matt and I spent the day relaxing (Borders and a movie) and shopping (Kmart and Lowe's). I am already a big fan of Kmart (the one in Acme). They keep a clean store and have great customer service. We've shopped there a few times when an employee forgot to pull a sale sign. When we were checking out and the prices didn't match the cashiers always honored the sale price (while another cashier ran to remove the sign).

We had the same experience last night at Lowes. They had three types of storage units for sale on an end cap: A, B1, and B2. A and B1 were the same price, even though they were different brands. B1 and B2 were the exact same things, but with different prices (B2 was more expensive). So we looked at the signs above the units. It had the sections listed as A, Clearance A, and B. Obviously, it didn't match what was actually on the shelf.

Long story short: the price tag on B1 was for the price of A, but it was on the "clearance" section of the shelf, so we figured it might actually be on sale. Having had the experiences at Kmart where the honor a wrong price, we gave it a whirl. Sure enough, they honored the price!! (52% off the original price - yeah!)

When we go home, Matt looked at the Lowe's ad from two weeks ago. On ONE PAGE it said that the sales prices were good until 1/10/10 (even though the rest of the ad expired on 1/3/10). Lo and behold - on that page there was a picture of the unit Matt bought last night. The sale: buy the unit, get a smaller one FREE!!

Matt took the ad and his receipt back to the store. The manager double checked everything and gave Matt the free unit (while another cashier ran to the back of the store to double check all of the sale signs). Matt now has two high quality garage storage units. What should have been a 30% savings ended up being a 67% savings!!

So make sure you read the fine print and don't be afraid to show a store their mistakes! It can definitely work in your favor :)

"The star, Jimmy! Get the star!"

Do you remember which great (great = cheesy) movie that's from?

I was just sitting here remembering the good ol' days (I have gray hair now...I can have good ol' days). There were some great movies back then. I remember when my dad used to rent a VCR from the appliance store so that we could watch movies (which we also got from the appliance store). My sisters and I must have watched "Wild Blue Yonder" and "Space Camp" fifty times.

What were your favorites? (And who knows the quote? My money is on Bob C...)

Nothing, really

I don't really have a topic, but I'm not ready to start on my article yet, so I thought I'd swing by and hit the keys for a while.

Matt and I watched "Barnyard" tonight. The only movie I've ever seen that's worse than it is "Highlander". I mean, I'm a movie collector and watcher. I'll even keep a disc in the player all day and let it keep repeating. But I'm tempted to use those movies as coasters. Or maybe I'll just put them in with my collection of toys for when kids come to visit...

Matty-Matt-Matt was sick today. Actually he was sick all last week, but today it kept him home. The cough kicked his butt last night, and he was still awake at midnight (not good when you have to get up at 3am). I finally caved and gave him some prescription cough medicine. It worries when Matt takes prescriptions. He's never been a pill-popper (not even aspirin), so he's incredibly sensitive.

The cough meds said to take every six hours, and that it could cause drowsiness. I had my concerns about him taking it at midnight, but he'd been coughing for so long that we had to do SOMETHING. Sure enough, he got up at 3am to be to work at 4am. We live a solid 30 minutes from work. I woke up at 3:45 and his was still sitting on the bed. I asked him if he thought he should try to go to work.

At 4:05 he was STILL sitting there! He was so drowsy and incoherent that he couldn't figure out what to do. Um, was there ever really a question?? Prescription cough meds and heavy machinery?? Yeah...he stayed home. Poor baby :(

On the plus side, we found out tonight that he gets two weeks paid vacation on his four year anniversary - that's this May!! We're so excited about being able to have to whole weeks together! Since we've been married the only time that's happened has been when he was sick - this should be fun and exciting!

And for something completely unrelated, I get to do laundry tonight! I'm so totally in love with my new washer and dryer :) I think I might swap chores with people - if you hate doing laundry, then bring it on over! I'll wash your clothes and you can clean my bathroom. Win-win!

Okay, enough procrastinating - I've got articles to write.

The Last Great Bake of 2009

I volunteered to bring the snack to church this week, but I wanted to do something different. I went out and bought a bag of small pretzel twists, some parmesean cheese crackers, one box each of wheat, cinnamon, and chocolate Chex, and a packet of ranch dressing. With everything else that I had in the house I was able to make SIX batches of Chex Mix!

As you can tell by the title, I baked my mixes. I'll take a small tangent here to let you know that I avoid the microwave as much as possible. Something to consider about microwaves: they can't be thrown away at the dump because they are considered toxic waste. That's why I avoid it now.

Back to the point - I basically used two bowls, two spatulas, two flat spatulas (for turning) and two baking sheets all morning. I dedicated one set to salty mixes and the other set to sweet mixes. And with my trust two-quart sauce pan (which received more baths this morning that it has for the last two months), I melted 33 tablespoons of butter to make my assorted flavorings.

Here's the first batch:

By the time I finished, I had Caramel Corn, Cheesy Ranch, Puppy Chow, Buffalo-Style, Snickerdoodle, and Original!

It looks like a lot now, but I don't think it's going to last long. I've already had "the talk" with Matt. Let's see if he can keep his hands off until Friday night! (And let's hope there are plenty of leftovers!)

I'll be packin'...

It's here - the busiest week of the recycling season. Normally this week is 14 hour days for five days (they'll have Jan. 1st off, but have to go in Saturday to make up for it). In case you hadn't figured it out - it's because everyone is recycling their post-Christmas wrappings and food containers. It makes for a busy week.

In past years this week was a welcome change for the winter. Matt's hours are usually down to 45-50 per week, so it's a nice week to catch up on some serious overtime. But not this year. This year it's just as long as the other weeks, but it means that next week will be just as busy (as they try to catch up). I miss seeing Matt, but we've been ridiculously blessed because of this job.

Since Matt's never worked so many hours for so many consecutive months, we're starting to see new things happen. First was the frequent appearance of Slap-Happy Matty - that's entertaining. Usually SHM turns into Cranky-Sleep-Deprived-Matt (CSDM), but we sort of jumped right over that and into an entirely new personality - ADD-Matt.

If you had been behind up is Meijer the other day, you would have thought I was there with a five year-old:

"Matt, where are you going?"

"Matt, I'm over here!"
"Matt, we don't need that, put that down."

"Matt, where are you?"

"Matt, we were just over there!"

"Matt, pull up your pants." (Seriously, the man forgot his belt...)

I tell ya, I haven't been that entertained while shopping together since I took him after surgery and he was driving an Amigo while looped out on Vicadin.

ADD-Matt is so stinking funny, but it'st not conversational (like SHM), so it doesn't translate well onto my blog. That's why I'm going to try to remember to start packin' - my video recorder. My first preference would be that Matt's hours cut back a little so he can get some rest, but since I can't control that I might as well take advantage of his silliness and share the laughs with everyone.

I'll see what I can do...

The Hollywood Challenge

DISCLAIMER: This post will spoil the ending of the movie "Avatar" for you. If you don't want to know what happens, stop now!!!

Today Matt and I saw "Avatar". I was hesitant. I'm quite the sci-fi fan, and I've never actually seen a 3D movie in the theater, but I was concerned. I was concerned that it would have great special effects and a predictable plot.

Without having seen or read anything beyond one trailer, I had this movie pegged: nature is god, everyone is connected, capitalists are heartless, and soldiers are murders.

So what happens? Read my prediction - that's the story (I read a comment on Facebook recently which hits the nail on the head. Someone said he wasn't going to see the movie because, "I saw it when it was Ferngully.")

That's the problem with it. This storyline has played out over and over and over again.

Hollywood - we get it. You love nature, you hate capitalism, and you spit on the men and women who have (and do) keep this country free. Got it. Now...could you PLEASE come up with an original plot? Honestly, the special effects were amazing, but the story was boring. We've seen it before. We GET your politics, so please get back to work and entertain us!

That's my challenge to Hollywood. Put politics aside and just make a good movie...please? And if you can't, then how about adapting the classics (and no, James Cameron, Ferngully was not a classic). Or, if you REALLY wanted to get crazy, you could try a plot from someone else's point of view (I won't hold my breath).

Could I please just escape for two hours and enjoy an entertaining plot WITHOUT having your opinion and politics forced upon me? Please? I challenge you...

More SHM (Slap-Happy Matty)

Matt: I should work there (pointing at the dental lab two buildings away from our house).

Karin: Why?

Matt: So I could walk to work.

Karin: You have experience in a dental lab?

Matt: No, but I have a Dremel.

Fabulous Ideas from OP, KS

If you don't receive my annual Christmas letter, then you can't participate (sorry). But just so you don't feel left out, here's the deal:

This year I sent out a Mad-Lib. That's write - pick your own adverbs and nouns, and see what kind of story you create.

A friend of mine asked if I was collecting answers and picking a winner. Nope - too time consuming. But...

...now that I've thought about it, why not? Sitting around reading silly stories and deciding which one makes me have to pee the hardest? Game on!!!

So if you got the Blessed Beery Mad-Lib, email me your story. I'll post a winner sometime next month (and you make even make it on to my writing blog - dual coverage!!)

Thanks for participating - have fun!

Slap-Happy Matty

Karin: Now there are six couple pregnant. What happens if we drink the water?

Matt: There'll be a little one running around.

Karin: Well, then my parents will stick around for Thanksgiving next year. (contemplative pause) How do you feel about that?

Matt: That's fine. I like your parents.

Creating Our Own Problems

I was a bit offended this week when some of my non-Christian friends started comparing Christmas to Solstice. I am passionate about my God, and I don't ever want anyone to assume that I am celebrating this season for any reason other than Him, but they're right. It's not non-Christians who have taken Jesus out of Christmas - it's the Christians.

Over the years I've been learning more and more about what the Bible says about things and what tradition says about them. I'm still studying, still learning, but December 25th was chosen to celebrate Jesus' birth BECAUSE it coincides with pagan holy days. The same is true about about Easter. These dates have nothing to do with Jesus and His life - my understanding is that they were selected to detract from the pagan rituals.

Now, you can say that this doesn't matter, but look at what these holidays have become. How many people, even non-Christians, are sick of the commercialism? Do parents take their kids to church on these days for photos at the nativity and cross, or to the mall to sit on the laps of two make-believe characters? Does going to church on these two days inspire you to attend more regularly, or does it make you feel satisfied that you made it twice that year?

Like I said, I'm still learning, so I'm still deciding what to do with all of this information. I do know that I'll tell my children the truth about Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny - that they have nothing to do with God or the celebration of Jesus' love and sacrifice. But am I ready and willing to make the jump to celebrate the REAL days of birth and resurrection? Am I going to set myself apart and start following scripture, despite what the world does?

I honestly don't know.

What I do know, however, is that I want to learn more. I want to make sure my motives are pure, that my heart is focused on God. I don't want to follow blindly, just doing what I've always done because there ARE things that Christians do during the holidays that have no real Biblical significance. It was just a desire to fit in with the world, but to try to sanctify it by calling it "Christian".

So I don't have any answers right now, but I'm looking. In the meantime, please know this - all of my lights, my gifts, and my decorations are about one thing - God. He loves us, He always has. While people fail daily at demonstrating that to each other, He has never failed us. He sent Jesus as proof of that love and devotion to save us. THAT is why I celebrate Christmas.

I pray that each one of you will know God's love, that He will touch your hearts and eyes so that you can see Him today.

Watching it Spin Out of Control?

There was a HUGE article in the paper today about Tiger Woods - it literally took up the whole page. I didn't read it. I couldn't get past the big, bold attention grabbing (paraphrased) "Tiger Woods is watching his life unravel in front of him".

No, he isn't.

Tiger Woods is watching his mistakes catch up with him. He is suffering the consequences of his actions. The fallout from this is his fault.

This upsets me because that sentence, highlighted and set apart to grab my attention, categorizes Woods' drama with someone like Jennifer Hudson. Her family was brutally murdered. She didn't do anything wrong, but she suffered horribly. Woods and his family are suffering horribly because of his selfish decisions. Hudson watched her life unravel...Woods watches as truth catches up with him.

Don't get me wrong - I hope he and his wife can put their lives back together. I hope they can cling to love and forgiveness and that there can be reconciliation. But don't treat this like it's something that is happening TO Woods...this is happening BECAUSE of him. There's a big difference.

Don't Be Lazy - Do Your Research

I'm really sick of hearing about global warming and "going green". And I'm really sick of people wanting to regulate what I can and can't do - BECAUSE THEY ARE HYPOCRITES!

I had to write an article on CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs) a while ago. If you go to the EPA site you will hear about how much money they can save you! If used properly you can save up to $15/month! But here's the catch...

- They really shouldn't be used in bathrooms (the steam gets to them...shortens the life span)

- You can't but them in enclosed light fixtures...shortens the lift span (check your house - I'll bet your ceiling fans, bathroom and external fixtures are all enclosed...you'll have to replace those)

Okay, so maybe you won't have to replace the fixture. If you don't, however, you'll be changing your CFL every year, instead of every 5-10 years (like they promise).

Let's take my house as an example: 12 enclosed light fixtures with incandescent bulbs ($0.84 each) would cost $10.08 per year for light bulbs. If I don't change those fixtures, then the new 'more efficient' CFL's ($4-14 each) will cost me at least $48 per year.

And what about the environmental impact?

According to the EPA, the maximum contamination level (MCL) of mercury a human can have in water is 0.002 mg/L. SOME CFLs have 1 mg of mercury...most have 3-5 mg. While that may not seem like a lot, lets say I replace 12 light bulbs a year - that's 36-60 mg of mercury in the local landfill. And that's just one house.

In 2000 the population of Elk Rapids was 2700. Let's play it safe: there are 2,000 people here. They only have five enclosed light fixtures in their homes - they have to replace those every year. That's 10,000 light bulbs, and and anywhere from 10,000 - 50,000 mg of mercury going into our landfills.

Okay, let's go a step further and say that EVERYONE in Elk Rapids disposes of the light bulbs properly (which isn't easy to do - the easiest way is to save them up and mail them to a disposal company, because most landfills won't accept them). So you get this box, you fill it with CFLs so you aren't dropping mercury in your own backyard.

So where does it go? Is it miraculously converted into something safe and useful? Nope...it's shipped overseas. They just dump the poison in someone else's yard.

Why does it make these people hypocrites?

Because as environmentalists talk about "green" standards for third world countries (because we need to save them!) they are dumping our toxic waste there at the same time. I can't even tell you how disturbed I was to read this.

Do your research (and that means opening your minds past what the government says and past what Fox News says). Start looking into these things - find out what's really happening. Because you aren't going to save yourself that much money, and while you may delay your own mercury poisoning for a while, you ARE poisoning someone else.

The Scariest Driver

I know we've all experienced some pretty crazy drivers. I had a couple of friends in high school who tried to reach 100 mph on US 31 (yikes!). One of those guys also tried to take a corner at 40 mph...on a dirt road. Surprisingly, he's still alive today. There are so many different types of drivers that I thought I'd list my "favorite" bad drivers.

- The Big Bertha...wrong driver. Sorry! Really, here I go:

- The Multi-tasker: she eats, smokes, talks on the phone, and drives.

- The Big Truck: he tailgates during ANY weather because he has a supercharged engine and four wheel drive.

- The Blue Hair: they can barely see over the dashboard, they're in no hurry, and they drive in the passing lane.

- The Teenager: do I really need to elaborate?

Today I got stuck behind the scariest driver I've met in a while: The Wacko.

It was overcast...she was wearing sunglasses. There was no rain, snow, or sleet...her windshield wipers were going at warp speed. The light was green...she sat there. I honked THREE times and she never moved. As soon as the light turned red she looked at me in the rear view mirror before going forward. Thankfully her brain returned to her body in time to avoid driving into on coming traffic.

I'll take one of those other drivers any day...at least I know what motivates them. I have no idea what was wrong with this lady or why she was driving like that, but I breathed a sigh of relief when she pulled into a parking lot.

Sure, I'm all about stopping drunk driving. K.A.D.D.! (Karin Against Driving Drunk) But I'm also a founding member of K.A.R.I.N. - Karin Against Raving Idiots Nearly-killing-people-because-they're-too-zoned-to-drive

Three years ain't what they used to be...

I remember when I was 21...then 22, 23, 24...it wasn't that big of a deal. I graduated college, moved, got a job, moved...then moved a couple of more times. It was no big deal. Moving in and out of my dorm when I was 21 was no better or worse then moving into a new house when I was 24.

Fast forward a few years...

In 2006 my newly-married self moved again. No problems. But a couple of days later my hip hurt, so I went to visit a chiropractor. I brushed it off. No biggie.

Three and half years later, at the ripe-ol'-age of 31, I am moving again (the last time for at least three years - we bought a house!). It's been a long, slow process (I won't go into the details), but instead of taking a weekend to move, we've had to haul a few boxes here and there. It should be easier, because there's not one big "do-it-all" day, right?

Heck to the no.

I'm tired. I ache. My legs are sore. My back is sore. I feel so OLD! Moving never felt like this before. I packed, I moved - done. Oh, hoh, hoh! Not this time. I'm so tired of packing and moving and re-packing and moving that I'm considering letting the landlords keep everything that's left in the house. Then I can just order new stuff and some nice man will ship it right to my door. Ahhhh :)

Seriously though, I'd love to tell you more, but I can barely keep my eyes open. I mean, it's already 7:10. After the Wheel I might stay up to catch Alex, but then I'm off to bed!

My Two Cents - Oprah

I think she's going to run for president. What do you think?

Too Many Options

Ah...I finally have internet at home. It was almost two weeks without it, and it sucked. In my new little hometown NO ONE has free wireless internet access. That sent me into TC (which was fine, because I picked up a load of stuff from the old house while I was there). But while I sat in coffee houses and restaurants I didn't have a lot of time, so I didn't blog (or read blogs). It was all business. Yuck.

But just because my fingers stuck to the plan didn't mean my brain did. Everyday I would read something or talk with someone and start composing a post about it (oh, Michael Moore, not everyone was fooled by your subtle "Democrats are right, Republicans are wrong" rant...I just haven't had the time to reply). I considered jotting down ideas on paper, but I kept throwing them away.

Now that I've reconnected, I have to decide - compose those thoughts, or move on.

Psh. Move on.

EVERY day I find new things that inspire me. Why should I look back when I know Matt's going to say or doing something tonight that will cripple me with laughter and spawn a new post? Let's be honest - if you annoyed me last week, you'll probably annoy me tomorrow. I'll about it then.

Perhaps in the future you'll hear the story of my desk. My beautiful, old metal teacher desk that weighs 4,385 lbs. (I know...I had to lift it). I bought it months ago and have been waiting for the day when I had an office for it. Now I have an office...and it won't fit through the door. Keep your eyes peeled for THAT story.

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Matt didn't disappoint! As we were leaving a restaurant tonight a lady came out after us and got Matt's attention. He went to see her, then came back to the car and said:

"You forgot your sherdoodle"...then he handed me my pashmina :)

You know you're tired when...

...you're laying in bed with your spouse and have this conversation.

Karin: "Do you want to kiss me good night?"

Matt: "Yes."

Pause

Karin: "I'm too tired to roll toward you."

Matt: "Me, too."

Karin: "Well, thanks for wanting to."

Matt: "You're welcome."

Overheard in Las Vegas

Ella: Is Mitch at work?

Karin: No, but Daddy is at work.

Ella: Daddy is Mitch...right Cam?

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While at the nature preserve watching a chipmunk run around - Ella chased the chipmunk and called it Pip (the chipmunk from "Enchanted"). The chipmunk finally stopped. This is what I heard.

Pip. Pip, are you scared? It's okay, Pip. It's okay.

Look at me, Pip. It's Ella. It's okay, Pip.

Disney isn't racist...Disney is fatist

Next month Disney will release its latest cartoon musical, "The Princess and the Frog". People have been making a big deal about the princess, Tiana, because she's black. Hey, that's cool. Another beautiful princess to add to Disney's cast list.

This weekend I read an interview with Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Tiana. I don't think Ms. Rose has ever watched a Disney cartoon. Why? Because she praises Disney for "finally" getting away from the notion that beauty means blond hair and blue eyes.

Finally? Really? Let's take an inventory:

1937 - Snow White - black hair, brown eyes
1950 - Cinderella - blond hair, blue eyes
1959 - Sleeping Beauty - blond hair, violet eyes
1989 - The Little Mermaid - red hair, blue eyes
1991 - Beauty and the Beast - brown hair, brown eyes
1992 - Aladdin (Jasmine) - black hair, brown eyes
1995 - Pocahontas - black hair, brown eyes
1996 - Hunchback of Notre Dame (Esmerelda)- black hair, blue eyes
1997 - Hercules (Megara) - brown hair, brown eyes
1998 - Mulan - black hair, brown eyes

Hmmm...it looks to me that, if anything, Disney is promoting the beauty of the dark haired/dark eyed woman.

Maybe the excitement is over the collapse of the Disney Aryan Nation?

But wait - there's a gypsy, Native American, Chinese, Moroccan, Irish-Mermaid...there's actually only one blond haired, blue eyed gal in the bunch. It's not like Disney has snubbed non-white nationalities. The first non-white princess appeared 17 years ago. Tiana is joining a long list of diverse princesses.

You who to know what I DON'T see on that list - a fat girl.

If there is any group of women who should be up in arms with Disney, it's the overweight population. We chubby-cheekers get to be the evil octopus, the old tea pot, or the ugly step-sisters (who still weren't the big).

Where's the fat princess???

If anything, I commend Disney for their continuing efforts to include all nationalities in their list of beautiful princesses. But would it kill them to include the "average" sized girl?

Lessons from Las Vegas

Well, I've been relaxing in sunny Las Vegas for a week now. It's been fun. My sisters both have new homes, my hubby was here for a few days, and Miles and Ella are too cute for words!

I always enjoy visiting. It can be tough at times. My sisters and I aren't those sisters who buy houses together, have the same friends, and spend all of our free time together. Don't get me wrong - we like each other. But we are just as likely to hang-up on you as we are to send you a card. That's just the way we roll.

Because of our willingness to disagree (often loudly), it can made for some uncomfortable times during visits. Add to that a 3 yr. old and 11 mo. old who are tired because the visitor has messed up their schedules, and the tension can build.

Miles, for instance, didn't sleep for two days. Then he slept (but not enough) and decided to stop drinking or eating. He's at the doctor's office now.

Then there's Ella. I'm supposed to share a room with her, but I go to sleep after she does and tend to wake up before she does. She's one of those kids who does NOT want to miss out on the action, so she fights the naps and ends up being tired and irritable.

As you can imagine, this is doing wonders for all of the adults in the house.

Having been here for over a week, I've learned some valuable things. I thought I might share.

- Dresses make you pretty; pants are ugly
- It's never too cold for a sundress
- If it's too cold for a sundress, put the sundress on over your long sleeved dress
- No one is as exciting as Daddy
- When all else fails, bounce
- There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on toys - the couch will do
- When you don't want to do something, just say "I don't know how"
- Blame the cats

As you can see, very little of this has anything to do with me. It doesn't help my sisters and me with our relationships. It won't help us rest. It contains no nutritional value. But they are lessons learned, and I try to learn something new everyday.

Now I'm going to work on my next lesson - outlasting a 3 year-old in a battle of the wills. I think I'm game.

The Happy Reunion

This event was 15 months in the making...













Okay, so it didn't exactly go as planned, but in no time at all Ella was chasing Uncle Matt and telling him how cute he is :)

Mixed Signals

No smoking signs in the airplane bathroom...right above the ash tray.

Figures...

...I leave for Vegas tomorrow and I can't find my new video recorder anywhere. Dang it.

This might be it...

Matt and I haven't made a big deal about our latest house-offer because, well...it's the 3rd offer we've made on a house this year. And with everything that happened with the last house we've approached this current opportunity without getting our hopes up.

Starting yesterday, however, we're getting our hopes up. The house didn't quite pass inspection, but that's okay. The list of minor repairs is so short that our handy-man took care of it all yesterday! We've been told that the appraiser will go back, okay the repairs, and then we'll be on the path to a closing date.

We're pretty excited. This house is 80 years newer than the last one, the resale value of the property is fan-TAS-tic (great location), and the accepted offer is a whopping 40% of the originally listed price.

In a perfect world we would probably be closing before the end of the month (yipee!), but that won't happen. Don't be sad! The only reason it won't happen is because I'll be out of the state from Oct. 21-Nov. 4 (no Ella, I haven't found your purple marker). But as asoon as I get back...we could be home owners :)

The original plan was to do a bunch of upgrades to the house before we move it, but that's not going to happen. As our rental house has developed mold, we've had to move out. Since we're currently living with our frined Shaina (three adults in a 900 sq. ft. apartment), we want to give her her space back as soon as possible.

So...in a perfect world, we'll close on the house Nov. 5th or 6th, handy-dude will replace some flooring the next week, and we'll be moving by the 2nd weekend in November!

Ah. It could happen, folks. We're hoping it does :) You'll know if it doesn't...you'll hear my sobbing from where ever you are ;)

Here's praying for God's will in this - stay tuned!

If it's good enough for me...

Got this in an email...thought I'd share. Seems to me if this is such a good idea, Congress would be the first ones to sign up!
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On Tuesday (not sure which Tuesday), the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page amendment, courtesy of Tom Coburn, which would require all Members of Congress and their staff members to enroll in any new government-run health plan.

Congressman John Fleming has proposed an amendment that would require Congressmen and Senators to take the same health care plan that they would force on us. (Under proposed legislation they are exempt.)

Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go to his Website and sign his petition. The process is very simple. I have done just that here .

Senator Coburn and Congressman Fleming are both physicians.
Regardless of your political beliefs, it sure seems reasonable that Congress should have exactly the same medical coverage that they impose on the rest of us.
Please urge as many people as you can to do the same!

Fun find in a middle school language arts class

Most of the kids stared at it and shrugged. If you know me, you'll get this - I laughed one of my loud, barky laughs, then had to control myself. This was her poster:

I will not obsess.
I will not obsess.
I will not obsess.
I will not obsess.
I will not obsess.
I will not obsess.
I will not obsess.
I will not obsess.

What part of your body is the sexiest?

If you said your underarm, then I'm calling you a liar.

Our culture's obsession with looks makes me crazy. I could rant for hours, but I won't. What I am going to do, however, is poke at companies that don't even make appearance-enhancing products but try to tap into the market.

Secret - really?? You're a DEODORANT!! I just saw the commercial for your newest product..."For sexy, smooth underarms..." blah, blah, blah.

I thought the point of deodorant was to stop sweat and make you smell pretty? Are sales so bad now that you have to resort to telling people that Secret will make them sexy??

COME ON!!!

This is just ridiculous. I have never, NEVER, heard a guy talk about hookin' up with the girl with the sexy pits. Maybe that's because I'm in northern Michigan and we wear turtle necks in the summer, but that's not the point.

Pretty soon it'll be sexy to shop at Toys-r-us. The really hot people will send their packages via UPS. And don't forget the animal magnetism of Tinactin.

Can we PLEASE stop making it about sex and just make it about a GOOD product??

Okay...I'm done.

(Maybe I should change this from the Ramblings to the Rantings...)

It's not their fault you're stupid...

I went to Meijer today. I hate going to Meijer because checking out is the biggest pain! There are 108 lanes with cashiers, and only ever 6 cashiers. Then there are 56 U-Scan lanes with TWO people watching them. Oy.

I get frustrated there, especially with the do-it-yourself lane, so I've written a quiz to help people determine whether or not you should U-Scan:

1) When sliding my credit card I:
a. Slide it from any angle/direction and hope for the best
b. Slide it and wait for the magic to happen. I'm not sure why they have so many buttons there
c. Slide my card, then realize that I can't read anything smaller than a 28 font so I just start pressing buttons until the cashier has to come help me
2) When using coupons I:
a. Scan them first, then complain that they aren't working
b. Slide them right into the slot! (What's scanning?)
c. Press "finish and pay", then try to scan them
3) I like to use the U-Scan line when:
a. I have a cart full of clearance items that have special codes that may or may not scan
b. I have a hand full of coupons and am in a hurry
c. It didn't work for me the first 25 times, but maybe this time it will

If you selected ANY of these answers, get your butt OUT of the U-Scan lane and let someone help you...because you cause so many problems for everyone else that they have to send you your own personal cashier anyway!

The Familiar Stranger (book review)

Craig Littleton's decision to end his marriage would shock his wife, Denise . . . if she knew what he was up to. When an accident lands Craig in the ICU, with fuzzy memories of his own life and plans, Denise rushes to his side, ready to care for him.

They embark on a quest to help Craig remember who he is and, in the process, they discover dark secrets. An affair? An emptied bank account? A hidden identity? An illegitimate child?

But what will she do when she realizes he's not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?
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Okay - you guys know me. I'm not a fan of anything serious. Just look at my movie collection. If you can find a good drama in there I may have watched it once, but there's no guarantee. I figure there's enough drama in life that I want to laugh and love with my movies and books.

With that in mind, "The Familiar Stranger" is out-of-genre for me, but I stumbled upon Christina's blog a few months ago and wanted to help support her when it released. Being sick for a month offered plenty of time to sit back and read, so I picked up TFS...five hours later I finished it.

I love that the entire book is written in first person, but through TWO point of views! Berry dictates at the beginning of each chapter if you're in Denise's head or Craig's head. This draws you into their lives and hearts as they struggle to uncover truths, deal with their findings, and figure out what to do next. This first person experience lets you feel their anguish and jubilation throughout their journey.

From the Christian perspective Denise is a fabulous example of grace and forgiveness. She isn't perfect, and her immediate reaction isn't always what it should be, but that's what makes her genuine. What makes her admirable is that even in the midst of her pain and turmoil, even after she gets angry and screams, she always goes back to God and mends her ways. Her strength truly comes from Gob, because she makes come hard decisions that would not be possible without the strength and grace of a Savior.

Walking with Craig through his recovery and discovery is eye opening. It's tense and exhilarating to be in his head as he struggles to figure out who he is. Each revelation brings a new challenge. His self-discovery keeps you on edge waiting for each new nugget of information.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I like the realism of the pains and struggles of these characters, but it would have been hopeless and depressing without the foundation of Christianity. Even though things don't work out perfectly, it's not the fairy tale ending that I usually read, but there's hope because of God and the faith the characters put in Him.

This is a book I can easily recommend.

I admit it...I had fun.

I can't stand weddings anymore. I am all about marriage and the covenant between man, woman, and God, but today's weddings are ridiculous.

Yes, I know - I had a wedding. And even though my dad will whine and complain about it, he wanted it. Matt and I didn't have the money - I would have been happy with a potluck after church. I didn't care about the dress or flowers or decorations - I wanted to get MARRIED.

Sadly, so few girls/women think like this. All they think about is the wedding and being a bride. They spend years dreaming about it and planning it. I know of one gal who spent over two years saving up money for her wedding. TWO YEARS!! For what - one day?? She could have gone down to the court house with less than $50 and the end result would have been the same - she'd still be married.

But it's not about the marriage...it's about the wedding.

I know people who enjoy those Bridezilla shows on TV, but I can't stand them. It's just more proof that people don't care so much about the sanctity of marriage as they do about throwing a bigger and better party than the last person. It makes my skin crawl.

It doesn't help that for five years of my life I worked at the Winchestertonfieldville Anvil Factory (that's code for a resort in northern Michigan - I can't mention them here because they got their panties in a bunch the last time and wouldn't promote me). While there I was an event coordinator. Weddings = events. Oy.

When the maid-of-honor passes out in a closet and gets stuck, someone is arrested for drunk driving in the parking lot, and another guest has to get stitches from a drunken fall then YES, it IS possible to imagine your bar bill being over $7000. No, 60 minutes before the reception I will NOT take off all of the table clothes and have them ironed, and, no again, you will not get a discount because of the creases on the clothes. Surprisingly, no matter how many times you call me with a different list of guest rooms needed I will NOT lower your room rate by $50/night because you went up from 15 rooms to 16 rooms.

That's just a sampling of my favorite stories. Weddings bring out the worst in people, and I think marriages would be better off without weddings.

Despite all of this, however, I recently agreed to help some friends coordinate their wedding. I was just the go-to-gal on site to help keep everyone organized. Most of the people I knew at the reception left by 8pm, so I had a while to sit around by myself (couldn't dance - still recovering from bronchitis). I didn't know what to expect, and I found myself enjoying the wedding, but for all of the wrong reasons.

I had fun planning again.

I was there early and helped set up. I stood in the back during the ceremony and told the bridal party when to walk (and told the late guests that they had to wait to be seated). I decorated, got microphones, cleaned up, and hung out with the facility and catering staffs - it was great! It reminded me how much I used to enjoy my job at the Anvil Factory. I loved being busy and being involved. And, for the first time in a while, I didn't leave the wedding early (well, I couldn't, but I liked chatting with the staff, too).

I really used to enjoy event planning. I had forgotten that. It was fun to remember it again.

To Pursue Excellence

"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business."

~Michael J. Fox

TCAPS Found a Way

Whether you support them or not, you can't deny that the current administration is doing some controversial things. (Before you get all defensive on me, read the definition of the word, please). People are up in arms on both sides of the issues. I think it's great...to some degree.

The great thing about our country is that we CAN disagree. But there are those (on both sides) that don't see understand that. They have this twisted world-view that tells them they can insult and assault anyone who doesn't believe them. They seem to think that their "freedom of speech" means they can be as mean they want to anyone they want.

This includes school teachers.

In November, my friend's daughter participated in a mock-election at school. Not a surprise - every school did it. During class discussion the teacher asked about the kids about the important issues in their lives. When my friend's daughter spoke up she gave her beliefs and said that she would not vote for Obama. The teacher began to bully this girl, criticizing her, insulting her, and insisting that she didn't know what she was talking about.

This was in a THIRD GRADE classroom!!

The teacher accused this child of saying what her parents told her to say...duh!! Does anyone out there really thing there were any elementary age kids who DIDN'T represent their parents' beliefs? I doubt it.

But in that third grad classroom my friend's daughter was NOT allowed free speech - she was verbally attacked by her teacher for not agreeing.

THAT, my friends, is why the president's speech today is controversial. It's not what he has to say - it's how the "guided questions" will be handled in class.

The teachers are there to instruct the children about how the government works. They have a responsibility to make sure the kids understand the roles of federal, state, and local governments. It is NOT a pulpit for them to scare their students into compliance!!

For whatever reason this administration is really bringing out the worst from both sides. It seems to be nearly impossible to find someone to disagree with without them insulting your intelligence. And THAT is why I'm not in favor of today's big address - because I don't trust the teachers (on either side of the issue) to present kids with the facts without it turning into a brow-beating.

But what to do? How do the schools deal with this? How do you make it possible for kids to listen to this address without exposing them to the possible (and very REAL) threat of extreme-belief teachers?

The Traverse City Area Public Schools, under the direction of superintendent Jim Feil, found a way. Their first day of school (today) will be a half day. All students will be dismissed at 11:30 am so they can watch the speech at home with their parents. This way they can see it, but they can also discuss it at home.

I absolutely support this decision. I don't care whether or not you agree with me, but I belief that PARENTS, not teachers, have the responsibility of shaping a child's moral, political, religious, ethical beliefs. Yes, I understand that this means there are kids who will grow up in homes where they are taught that militias are good and wearing florals with stripes is acceptable. Yes, some parents will give their kids bad advice. But it is still their right and responsibility to instruct their kids.

So I applaud TCAPS for a good decision. I wish we could respect each other enough to let other people disagree with us and not have to make this kind of decision, but since we can't, I think TCAPS is doing a good thing.

A what??

I don't know how I feel about an appliance called a "Rocket Grill Electric Grilling Appliance". Just seems like there's one too many 'grill's in the title.

Users beware - Yahoo! doesn't care

On Thursday last week I went to the library, started my laptop, opened my Yahoo! email account, and nearly cried. I'd been hacked. All of my emails and folders were gone. There was one email in my inbox. It was sent to me from that same email address and it was an obscene curse toward Christians.

I've since opened a gmail account and am still trying to get all of my info transferred over. It's been difficult and upsetting.

One of the first things I did (or tried to do) was contact Yahoo! to let them know what happened. I spent nearly 30 minutes trying to find out how to talk with someone (via phone or live chat) about it. I couldn't (and still can't) find the right link. I even posted a comment on my Facebook page and asked for help. No one had any advice that made it any easier to contact these people.

I FINALLY figured out how to send a generic concern email (which seems highly inappropriate when someone has just violated your personal space). The only option was to send an email from my corrupted account and ask them to respond to that corrupted account. I wasn't happy with that option, but it was the only one I had, so I did it.

It's now been five days since the intrusion. No word from Yahoo!, and I even included my phone number in the original message so they could call me.

Nothing. Not even an "we got your email" email. I understand that this is a big company offering a free service, but please think about it before you sign up with them.

*This is the FOURTH time I've had to contact them about problems with that account - I only heard back from them twice.
*It was my writing email - there are editors' and authors' emails in there. I had saved all kinds of info regarding publicity and classes in my email folders. It's all gone, and no one has contacted me.
*They have millions of customers, you are just one person - it's not a big deal to them that someone insulted my faith, destroyed my business documents, and violated my peace of mind. I'm just one little fish to them.

I'm not in the process of switching over all of my accounts. I would have kept my current Yahoo! accounts open, but I'm not willing to risk the lack of security when they are demonstrating a lack of concern.

I hope your experiences are better, but it's time for me to move on.

Oh happy day - I missed it!

Some how, I don't know how, I missed TWO episodes of "Bones" last season. How...how?!? I don't know, but I discovered it tonight! After suffering months of near-freezing summer temps and nights without Brennan, Booth, and the gang at least one problem had a solution! (Yes, I watched them while wearing jeans and a light sweater).

But I can overlook the wardrobe for now. Why? Because "Bones" returns on my sister's birthday. Only SEVENTEEN more days!!

Oh, happy, happy day :)

Another Bums Game

You'd hardly know it by our clothing, but this is Matt and I with our friends Jason and Brooke at a Beach Bums game...in July!!! (Yes, those are jeans and hoodies).

Just for Michelle...Suntan and Sunburn.

Another shot of Matt with his eyes closed (if you have any where he managed to keep his eyes open, can you send them to me?)

Our fair stadium...Weurfel Park.

The lawn seats....

I don't know how to share this here, so I'll put the link. This game was Ladies Night. Instead of singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame at the 7th inning stretch, Suntan and Sunburn did a little ditty to "Single Ladies". See it here.

Busted!!

The Bucket List

Someone tagged me on one of these on Facebook. I thought I'd post it here, just for fun.
*****************************************************************************

The Bucket List. Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not, then tag your friends (including me).

Things you have done during your lifetime:
() Gone on a blind date
() Donated Blood
(X) Skipped school
() Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
() Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
() Been on a helicopter
(x) Been lost
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
( ) Hugged a homeless person
(X) Swam in the ocean
( ) Swam with Stingrays
() Been sailing in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X)Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Ran a marathon
(X) Sang Karaoke
( ) Volunteered at a soup kitchen
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
( ) Seen the Northern Lights
( ) Been Para sailing
(X) Been on TV
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(X) Made prank phone calls
(X) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
() Fed an elephant
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Fired a gun
(X) Danced in the rain
() Been to the Opera
(X ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Serenaded someone
( ) Seen a U.S. President in person
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
() Watched the sunrise with someone
( ) Driven a race car
(X) Been to a National Museum
(X) Been to a Wax Museum
(X) Eaten caviar
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
() Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
(X) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
() Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
() Seen the Statue of Liberty
() Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
() Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
() Traveled by motorcycle
() Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
(X) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
() Been in a rain forest
() Seen whales in the ocean
(X) Been to Niagara Falls
() Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
() Been water-skiing
(X) Been snow-skiing
(X) Been to Westminster Abbey
(X) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
(X) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Swam with sharks
() Been White Water Rafting
(X) Written a book or screen play
(X) Have been in love

Thank God I'm a Country Girl

This week has been interesting. Ups, downs. Disappointments, fun surprises. I've been across the board. Throughout it all there has remained one constant theme, one unifying component:

Country Music

Yep, I said it. I love country music. I wish more people wrote worship music to a country rhythm. I wish more people admitted they like it.

I'm sure God had a reason for puting me in Michigan. In NORTHERN Michigan, where the sun barely shines during the summer. Where I've worn jeans more times this summer than I've worn shorts. In the land of snowmobiles and hockey (well, I can't really complain about the hockey). This is my home, and I can't imagine living away from the lake (Lake Michigan...not those little puddles you live by where you can see the people who live on the other side).

But then I turn on 103.5 WTCM and I'm HOME. I start dreaming about my first pair of cowboy boots and suddenly life on a ranch 50 miles from town doesn't sound so bad. It doesn't help that I've been reading Tammy Barley's and Mary Connealy's books about the country life.

Sigh.

I'm definitely the off colored egg in the family. Both of my sisters live in Las Vegas. I visit as often as I can, but I still won't drive while I'm there. It's just too big. Too many people. Though I've never lived there, and I really have no idea what it would be like, I want to live in a small town in Montana, where people still ride their horses into town and it's an hour drive to the nearest mall.

Maybe, someday. I'm sure God gave me this love for a reason...I'm excited to see where it takes me! (And Matt...I'll take him with me)

test

I love Greek yogurt.

Farting Joke

Okay, so I totally ripped this off from someone else's blog, but it's too funny not to post. I'd like to say I can see myself doing this, but in all honestly I can see my sister Michelle doing it ;)

I was in the pub yesterday when I suddenly realized I desperately needed to fart. The music was really, really loud, so I timed my farts with the beat.

After a couple of songs, I started to feel better. I finished my pint and noticed that everybody was staring at me.

Then I suddenly remembered that I was listening to my iPod.

This is a test, this is only a test

This weekend my sister and I were talking about our blogs. I finally added a counter to this blog, just out of curiosity. Imagine my surprise to discover that The Ramblings has been collecting more hits than my writing blog!

Why the surprise? Well, because that blog has 23 followers and this one has one. Because there are NEVER comments on this blog, but I regularly get comments over there. And then Cammie hit me with a sucker punch to the gut:

"That blog is boring."

Do you hear that? That's the sound of my heart breaking.

Boring?? But it's all about writing, it's all about my passion, my would-be career! BORING?!?

Sigh. She has a point. I don't care what her knitting blog says...I just look at the pictures. I wouldn't read my dad's blog if he wrote one about banking. I wouldn't ready my younger sister's if she wrote about being a PE teacher. I get it, I guess.

So you may be wondering about this "test" from the title. How is this a test? Because I'm checking to see who visits this post. How? My sister said her most frequently visited pages are those that have recipes. The most visited? The Walking Taco. Sooo....because I'm curious to see how it will work on The Ramblings, here is the WALKING TACO!!

You will need:
Individual bags of Frito's Corn Chips
Taco Meat (Ground beef; taco seasoning; following directions)
Taco Toppings (lettuce, onion, salsa, cheese, sour cream)
Scissors
Fork

Assembly:
1. Hold bag of corn chips length-wise in your hand (i.e. you should have to tip your head to read the bag).
2. Cut off one of the upper corners of the bag; then slide the scissors along the top of the bag (you should be looking at your corn chips!).
3. Add meat to bag.
4. Add toppings to bag.
5. Mix gently with fork.
6. Walk, and eat!

That's it folks! The Walking Taco - quick, yummy, and good on the go!

Do people ever listen to themselves?

I appreciate the desire to be sentimental. It's understandable that a person wants to encourage, salute, or bless someone else, but sometimes it just doesn't work.

On the radio today I listened to a tribute to the pilot from the Gulf War who's remains were just recently found (18 yrs after his death). His friend was trying to be sincere, but his tribute to his friend has burned itself into my brain for all of the wrong reasons. This is what I heard (paraphrase):

"If people only gave 10% in their lives of what he has given us in his death then this country would be better."

Um, I understand that he thinks his friend was great, but I really doubt the pilot has done anything amazing since he died. Couldn't this friend think of ONE good thing that happened during the pilot's life? I'm just having a problem figuring out how to make this country better by giving 10% more than the dead guy gave.

I'm arguing that this pilot was a good man. I'm not saying he didn't do good things. I AM saying that someone should have proof-read this guy's eulogy and had the guts to say it didn't make sense.

If you want to inspire me to greatness, give me an example. Challenge me in a feasible way. But please don't try confuse me into action. It just provides good blog fodder.

Ode to N2O

If anyone has ever seen my smile then you know that I have "problem teeth". From the time I was a child I've had issues. Apparently as some point during my youth something happened and the enamel didn't form properly on my teeth. Thanks to that little snafu (which has no real cause that anyone can identify) my life has included dozens of trips to the dentist for fillings, caps, and other pleasantries. You'd think after 20+ years of these visits that they'd get easier.

Not a chance.

I had to go back again today. I brought my MP3 player to drown out the noise. They used the local numb-er, then busted out the shots. I thought I was prepared. By the fourth poke I was ready to bolt, and I must have looked like it. The dentist and hygenist both looked at me and asked if I was okay. When I told them I wanted to run, they didn't hesitate.

"Maybe you'd like some nitrous oxide." Thank you Lord for the happy gas!

I can't tell you how close I was to a panic attack. I was one prod away from leaving with a numb face and unfilled cavities. My shoulders were tense, my knees locked, and I was sweating uncontrollably. It was pretty awful.

But then they gassed me.

I don't remember much past that, and that's the way I like it. Everything blurred blessedly together. It was a happy time.

And when I got up to leave I saw the four year-old boy in the cubicle next to me...with his own little baby happy-gas-mask. You know, I'm okay with that.

Because knowing is half the battle!!

G.I. JOE!!

Yes, I saw it today. It was over-the-top. It was slightly predictable. I laughed, I cringed. Lots of people died. Things blew up.

I LOVED IT!!

Talk about great memories. Remember when, at the end of each episode, a member of G.I. Joe would should up at little Billy's house to tell him why he shouldn't touch that live downed wire? "Thanks, Rip Cord! Now I know." "And knowing is half the battle."

Oh, those great memories :)

I recommend the movie folks. I wouldn't take the lil' kids, but it sure is fun for the young 30s crowd who remembers the cartoons!!

Little twig, big problems

Here it is folks...the story of a tree. Look at this little, innocent branch. It doesn't look like much. But wait, what's that dark spot? That's where it caught fire. Obviously not a big fire, so how much trouble could it cause?

First the fire truck came...

Then the neighbor kids showed up to watch...

Then the fireman put up a nice yellow caution tape around the tree (to keep the kids out)...

And then came the tree trimmer. Doesn't look too bad, does it?
Wait, there's the rest of the tree (acutally, that's the chipper...and more neighbors)
Then Matt grabbed is safety glasses and ear protection and he joined in on the fun...

This is what was originally left...about 1/3 of the tree gone. But then we got the call that the tree would just continue to be a problem. So...
Ta-da! Look - there's a house back there! And a window...do you see that window?
Midgie sees it now. All of that warm sunlight gives her a nice new place to warm up on a brisk 70 degree July day.
And that's the story of my tree. The wood should be gone soon, as the neighbors want to burn it in their stove. Then I'll have a nice clean yard.

The end.