And So It Goes

I have watched this countless times over the last two days.
It depresses the heck out of me, but I love it!
It's not the reference to a lost love, it's more than that. It's loss in general I guess.
There's a part where he says " Everytime I've held a rose it seems I've only felt the thorns". That makes me think of kids like Naomi. There's so many thorns some days I don't stop and enjoy the rose.
There's so much worry. Stupid stuff like meals, bowel habits, medicine weans (after a month I'm sure we're out of the woods), her falling. The stress of her screaming when I change a diaper, comb her hair, put her helmet on. Sometimes I am so sick of the screaming, there's no reason for it. But I understand she can't communicate and that's frustrating. But still, the screaming feels a bit like torture some days.
So here's what's new or not so new
We dropped her Zonegran to 25 mg in a.m. on April 28 and so far so good. She still takes 50 mg at night. That dosage didn't change. I'm supposed to call anytime now and see about dropping another 25 mg. But we are going to a graduation out of state and I really don't want to be in the middle of a med wean while away from home. One good thing is taking away just 25 mg also rid her of the "can't sweat" side effect. I've had her out in 80+ degree weather for over 20 minutes and there was no sign of over heating.
Naomi's stroller is not here yet. It is litterally on a slow boat from China :) When we ordered it they were manufacturing the strollers in China and have since moved it to USA. Which is a nice change! But it's taking FOREVER. 3 weeks ago they said it should be here in 2 weeks. But no word yet! I can't even remember how long it's been since it was ordered. I know I thought we'd have it by the end of April and that didn't happen.
School is almost out! I am so happy! Isaiah has 2 test tomorrow and I wish that was it, but I know he started a new chapter in Social Studies on Monday, so I'd think they'd test on that at some point. They are running out of time!

Fashion Babies

I heard something on TV yesterday that really irritated me.
We all know Sandra Bullock adopted a baby. Well, she's being criticized for adopting a black baby. Some say she just did it because it's fashionable. Seriously! People are so stupid! Can they not just be happy that a baby found a good home? And "Fashionable"???? Is that really how they want to put it?
Immediately what sprang into my mind was Paris Hilton and her stupid tiny dogs tucked under her arm. Then Brittney Spears and every one on TV seemed to have a little dog, the tinier the better, tucked in their arm, in their purse etc....
But a baby?! As a fashion accessory? Come on!
I was telling all this to Bill last night and laughed and asked "When will a baby in a helmet be fashionable? Cause I got one of those!". I'm not into shoes or jewelry or any of that so that's my only hope of ever being fashionable!
Come on Angie and Brad! Strap some hockey helmets on a kid or two and help my cause along!

Pet Peeve

I have a new pet peeve. When people put their relationship status as "it's complicated".

One I know for sure is actually "unhappily married". Another is "unhappily divorced". Both should be single!

Why do they put anything? You can leave it blank.

Another funny is what people put under "interested in". I guess that could be taken any way. Some put friendship, men, women or both. I wonder if those who put men and women actually know what that sounds like.

I've learned to hide people on Facebook and I love that.
I wish real life was like Facebook. Where you can just delete the connection if they offend you or you just don't like what they say.

Magazine Article

Last Christmas my cousin got me a subscription to Southern Living. This month they had a sort of "best of" section.

The best drive in West Virginia was the New River Gorge, Fayette County. I read the article then had to call my dad and share it. He is from Fayette county. He has a sister and a brother that live with in a mile, as the crow flies, from the New River Gorge Bridge. It is thelongest steel arch bridge in the western hemisphere. Now, I'm not saying the drive on route 19 across the bridge isn't beautiful. It is. But the article goes on to encourage people to stop by a visitor center and pick up a map that shows the other roads that you can take. Even encourages the use of the thinnest and squiggliest of roads. That's a link to the map. At the top there's an old photo of a car going between rock walls. Yes it's an old photo. No the roads haven't been improved since then.
That's what really caught my attention! I have driven those roads and they should mention that while the roads are steep and switch back, (yes! switch back not just merely curve) they are most definitely not one way roads, yet they are one lane. So it is not uncommon to go around a switchback and be head to head with a bus bringing rafters up from the river. Generally you have 2 choices here. You either get as far over on the shoulder as possible, yet not in the ditch or down the side of the mountain. Or you throw it in reverse until you come to a spot where there's enough flat land and you can actually pull over safely. I've been driving and come straight into a logging truck and had to throw my car into reverse until I got to another small road and pulled into that road until the truck passed.
Honestly, if you are driving any of these roads the people in the back seat will be the only ones able to take in the views. You and your front seat passenger will have you eyes glued to the road to see what is coming at you.

My Dad told me that his cousin bragged on how pretty it was down there and a fellow from here in town took him down there once. When the fellow came back someone asked him if it was beautiful and he said "I'll tell you. If a fella went down there with a truck full of weed eaters he could make some good money". That's the truth of it too! It is nothing but weeds and dilapidated houses.
The #3 best drive in West Virginia was route 52 from Bluefield to Welch which I'm also very familiar with. My husband is from the Welch area and we get off interstate 77 in Bluefield and take route 52 to his mother's house. I seriously don't know what they want people to look at? Old coal camps? Which are abandoned or abandoned looking small houses with dirt yards, all looking the same and more weeds. Oh I can't forget the junk cars! Where would they be without the junk vehicles piled in yards. Maybe that's what they want people to see.
Now I have been to West Virginia more times than I can count and every time we drive up out of my mother in laws going east on 52 towards Bluefield I get sick to my stomach. It is so curvy and ugh, I'm getting nauseous just thinking about it!

It is a pretty area. But if you are not familiar with the roads it is dangerous!

A Trip to the bank

Who knew a trip to the bank could be so entertaining.
Naomi and I picked up my Great Aunt, who will be 83 next week, to take her to do her banking. Here's the conversation when she got in the car and we were leaving.
Me: Did the Eagle shit? That's what Grandpa Charlie used to say when his SS check would come
Aunt: No he shits tomorrow and all that's left from last month is a whiffer

Unsportsmanlike Conduct

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OK, I live in an area where people hunt. Lots of people hunt! I know families where the mom, dad, kids and grandparents all get their hunting license every year. So I have no problem with hunting. There's a conservation aspect to it. If they didn't kill some of the deer the deer would starve, overpopulate and end up as constant road kill.

But this is different than sitting in a tree stand, waiting for a deer to come by and taking aim and maybe or maybe not striking the animal, depending on your skill.

I saw this story on the Today show this morning and it has bothered me. They said they set hooks out the day before. Then the 5 year old, his dad and a guide went out and found on one of the hooks this record setting gator. They used the winch to raise up the gator then the kid took his shot.

Isn't that a little like shooting a caged bear?

Picking off Tigers at the zoo?

That's exactly like leaving a fishing line laying in a pond all night then coming back in the morning and picking up the fish and shooting it! I mean that would be serious overkill, but it's the same thing! The gator was already caught! There's no aim. It's like hitting the broad side of a barn!

I know lots of folks around here would disagree with me, but 5 is too young to hunt and handle a riffle. No one could reasonably argue that a 5 year old has the decision making skills to handle a deadly weapon.
I know Daniel Boone and historical figures were hunting at a very early age, but I got news for you, we have a little something called grocery stores now. There's no need for a 5 year old to hunt. Also I bet Daniel Boone was a whole lot more grown up and had more life experience and wilderness skills than kids these days. Thankfully we have hunting laws now and limits on kill. I read Daniel Boone's biography and he killed an unbelievable amount of animals per season! He was just one man! Think of all the trappers killing that many, and it's no wonder the animals faced extinction so fast!

A Trip to a rural store

Naomi and I dropped Isaiah off at school then made a quick trip to a bulk food store in a rural area outside of town. We first stopped at the hardware store and when I got to the door an old farmer was sitting there b.s'ing with the clerk. He jumped up to get the door for me but I beat him to it. After I got my 2 small bags of dog food and dog shampoo I put them by the register and the old guy jumped up, he was going to help me get my things to the car. I thanked him but was able to get it myself. It all fit in one little plastic bag :) So nice of him though. His politeness made my morning!




Then we went to the market. It' a place with bulk items and an enormous deli. By enormous I mean it! Like 7 types of bologna alone! The cheese! I know they have over 40 different types of cheese. Last week when we were there I bet there were 50 cars in the parking lot! They were swamped. I asked the girl who checked me out if they were always so busy and she told me that Monday mornings are slow until lunch time then they're busy the rest of the week. I ran into her today and told her she was right! Monday is the time to go! There was only one other car in the parking lot when I pulled in shortly before 9 a.m. They opened at 8. I took a few pictures on the way there.





An Amish "pickup"

The front is a buggy the back is a stainless steel bed, just like a pickup truck.

An Amish School

Photo taken from the parking lot of the market.

Notice the bikes propped against the backstop of the baseball field. There are 3 such baseball fields in about a 1/2 mile stretch of road!

Front view of the Amish school taken from the main road.

Just a view of the state route I take to get out here. Amish farm in the distance.

I hate taking pictures of Amish. I feel like such a tourist! Not to mention I know it's against their religion. Other's know too but persist. You wouldn't walk up to a Jewish man and yank a Yamikah off his head! The Amish kids are fine. They haven't joined the church yet so it's not such a big deal. But about that I feel, would you want strangers coming up and taking photos of your kids? Most English people (meaning us) would call the law. So if I want a cute photo of an Amish kid, I buy a postcard.

What's in a name?????

You know when you name your child it's like they grow into it. You just can't imagine any other name for them.
Isaiah is just Isaiah, plain and simple. No other name would fit him. He's not a Mike, Joe, Phineas. He's an Isaiah!
Naomi is the same. We do call her Sissy a lot though. She even got mail from the dentist the other day that was addressed to "Sissy Keesee". I knew they took note of nicknames. I didn't know they used them for the mailing list.
The other day at Walmart there was a little girl who was all over the place. Loud. Running. Rude. All that and more. Her father told her to act like she had some sense and guess what this unruly child's name was.......... Serenity! I am not kidding! I swear that's what I heard them call her!
I wonder if they feel the same about her name?
Speaking of Walmart check out www.peopleofwalmart.com . A cousin sent me a link and I'll be darned if our local Walmart wasn't on page 13. The car with cats glued all over it is "Catman". He does live up to that name! His car is covered in cats, not stickers, all different forms. Ceramic and plastic all bolted or somehow glued to the body of the car. The horn of the car "meows". In the winter he wears a knit hat with a stuffed cat sewn on top.

The Sound of Music

Last night The Sound of Music was on television. It's one of my favorites. I remember waiting for it to come on t.v. when I was little. It seemed like once a year it would be shown special. Now I own the movie, but rarely watch it. It's so long!
Well last night I guess I was feeling a bit cynical.
When I watched it all I could think is "that would never happen in real life".
Like when Maria goes in to talk to the reverend mother. The nun breaks into Climb Every Mountain. Can you imagine going in to talk to your boss and he breaks into song like that?!
There's also the scene out by the gazebo where Maria and Captain Von Trapp are professing their love and it's getting awful steamy! They're rubbing their cheeks against one another, kissing. Then she breaks into I Must of Done Something Good. UH, way to kill the moment Maria! I know she was going to be a nun, and may not be too worldly about men but my goodness! Why not just force him into a cold shower!?
The scene where Maria comes back home and the kids had been to try to see her but were turned away... They decide to sing A Few of My Favorite things. Then here she comes walking up the lane, swinging her suitcases. This is where I must confess! If in real life I was sitting with a group and someone broke out in that song I'd find it very hard not to sing along!

GYM

Isaiah had gym class yesterday and he asked me "mom, how are you at push ups?"
That is so sadly hillarious I just can't tell you!
I told him "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha". I can't even do push up bras anymore. I'm beyond that!
He said he got out because "It's strike one, strike two, strike three, you're out". I guess they have to do push ups and that's what the gym teacher does when they can't complete one.
To that I answered "OOOHHHH hurt me!"
I mean seriously! What is the gym teacher thinking here? Isn't the kid that can't do it the one who needs to keep doing it?
Do you think if you told me to drop and give you 20, that when I tried 3 times and couldn't do it that it would at all make me feel bad that I had to quit. Not quite!
Hello! I am the kid who lost on purpose during high school badminton single elimination tournaments. Thankfully my best friend Julie was in my gym class and she was as much as a gym class underachiever as I was! I mean seriously! It's badminton! Do I want to keep playing or go sit on the bleachers with my best friend and chat for the next 5 weeks? HMMMMMM!
Looking back I was way too smart for my own good and was genius at getting out of doing things! Besides, who remembers who won that tournament anyhow?!

When having a baby...

I was thinking the other night about when I was pregnant and my mom and others would say "as long as it's healthy..." .
Well I did give birth to a healthy baby girl. I didn't do any of the tests they offer to see if the baby has Downs syndrome or what ever else they look for. I just felt like, why? I mean they do those so late in the pregnancy what would I have done but worry for the duration? So I had nothing tested.
She was jaundice, but never so bad she had to stay under the lights.
She did have cradle cap like crazy for a long time. Still has sickening dry looking skin behind her ears she won't let me scrub at or put baby oil on to get off.
She never went to the doctor for anything other than her required check ups for the first part of her life.
But she's no longer healthy. I'd say for quite a while she wasn't even happy.
On Depakote she was foggy and her seizures were worse. No fun.
On Topamax she was foggy, numb, emotionless, and worse. No fun.
Now she's on the Ketogenic diet. Still having seizures. Still waiting for her 2 year molars to finish coming in, over a year late! On NO medication. She is happy though!
So what do I do now? I no longer have the healthy baby I started with.
What happen to all those institutions they used to have for kids like her?
How did those things ever fill up with kids!?!!!
I mean how on EARTH do you take your kid to something like that? I know it was a different time, and that's what people did back then but I can't even drop her off at a special needs preschool from 8a.m. - 3 p.m. everyday. How could anyone drop their kid off and not go pick them up. Only visit. I can't imagine those mothers loved their children any less than I love mine. The only explanation I can think of is they truly believed that the kids wouldn't know any better. Wouldn't understand they were abandoned.
I guess I'll keep her! Hope for better days. Hope she either starts talking some day or communicating in another way.
Worse comes to worse she'll live out her days with us, that's not so bad. A friend who is my parents age said when she was my age she would have thought that would be terrible. But now she said if something happened and her 22 year old daughter had to move home forever, she'd be glad to take her.
I guess the hardest part of all this is "what will happen?". We don't know where her cognitive development will be in the future. If something will happen, her brain will kick into gear and start understanding and learning. She can learn new things. She is just so stubborn! If it's not her idea, good luck getting her to do it!
Then there is the "will she grow out of this" question that people ask. Heck, I don't know! I don't think the doctors know until the kids actually out grow it.
People assume she's normal because she looks so normal. But she's not normal. Her cognitive development is delayed and who knows where that will go. I can't say she's retarded. I mean if you mean retarded as in she is behind, yes she's retarded. If you mean she's behind and she will never catch up, I just don't know. The neurologist said she'll probably just always be late hitting her milestones. So that means she will meet them. It'll just take her longer.
I know we're lucky. All of this is happening for a reason.
I don't think I'll ever say "as long as it's healthy" to a new mom. Because I just don't feel that way. I mean I think, that's kind of asking something of the baby. I think "as long as you take care of it and love it" meaning no matter what. You want to be a parent? Fine, take what you get. You can't custom order your kid. They are custom made for you.
I know a woman who was furious when her daughter's hair started coming in auburn. Really on the red side of auburn. Do you know how bad I'd like to slap her now??? I mean seriously! The child is a teenager now and a beautiful intelligent girl and her mom was absurdly ticked off that she got a kid with auburn hair. I wish I had the nerve to post this woman's name and phone number! She is one of the worst mom's I have ever encountered and I guess that's why God knew not to give her a child that needed anything extra.
It's an honor and privilege to be a mother to both my kids. God knew exactly what I needed in both of them. I don't think I could have handled Naomi's health issues as easily if she was close in age to Isaiah. So if Isaiah hadn't of been a 10 lb. 7 oz behemoth of a baby with an enormous head I may have had my kids closer together.
I got what I deserved. Apparently I deserved perfection.

Things I don't understand...

I really don't understand California handing out IOU's! I wonder if the state of Ohio would take an IOU for our income tax. Or even better the city and county taxes! Our city owed us $1 one year and we've never seen it! Never even got an IOU!



Why did it take the feds to seize Madoff's penthouse and evict his wife. I know people who've just been accused of crimes and law enforcement has gone in taken appliances, curtains, popped tiles off the floor! Anything that may have any value. All this before a trial.



What the heck David Carradine was doing when he died. When my neighbor lady said early on that she'd heard it was a sexual thing and that they have several cases a year come into the ER at the hospital she works for I thought "Seriously!!????" But yep, she said most are young guys and they either end up brain dead or damaged.



How Bill can be almost 40 and ask me what insomnia means!



The appeal of the Dave Matthews band.



How the William's sisters are so extremely dominant in tennis! I mean one family member but 2! That's a lot of hard work and determination.

Why they feel the need to put so much adult humor in kids movies!

How our local university has no money to pay people who've worked their most of their lives, but can build a new top notch soccer complex and football stadium. Both with artificial turf. So many schools put more into sports than academics. Although I must say.... the construction company doing the work is going at it starting at 7 a.m. 6 days a week. How do I know??? Open a window in my house and you hear "beep, beep, beep, beep, beep" all day long! ( the sound of the equipment backing up)The complex is very near our house!

and just in time to post this.... Why is Palin resigning as Governor July 26...hmmmmmm.....

Night thoughts

This is the kind of crap that runs through my mind as I'm trying to fall asleep. Actually I've thought of this for the last 2 nights! Considering Naomi got me up at about 4:30 this morning, it was not time well wasted!
What if the early Americans hadn't killed most of the buffalo. Did you know at one time there were 30 to 75 million? By the time we started protecting them there were only 350,000 left. The biography of Daniel Boone that I read described a scene that Boone came upon where French hunters had killed so many buffalo that you could walk 100's of yards on the carcasses without stepping foot on ground. Bet that smelled nice! The French killed the buffalo for the tongue. That's all they took of the animals! It was a delicacy.
There are a few farms that raise buffalo around here. Even one beef-alo. Once when I was going north with my mom to visit Grandpa a warning came across the radio that a local farm fence had been knocked over and buffalo were on the loose. They have to just shoot them. There is no corralling buffalo. So with all the news about black bears coming into neighborhoods, what if the buffalo were still running strong? Can you imagine walking out your back door and seeing a buffalo standing in your back yard? (this question is not for Fawn and Michael! It may be possible for them! :)
Maybe I've purged this from my mind and can just go to sleep tonight!

The Amish

There are a lot of misconceptions about Amish. Even around here!

First, (for Suzanne) they can eat in restaurants. Both men and women, but the men are the ones you usually see out especially at lunch time. Lots of times I run into construction crews at restaurants for lunch. Lots of Amish girls work in restaurants before they marry.

One thing that I thought was funny was I saw an Amish man with a cell phone. I don't know if it was for his work or what. He'd have to charge it some time and they don't have electricity running to their homes but I think they could rig up a battery to charge it. Or charge it in the vehicle of the driver that takes the work crew he was with to job sites. I think the reason they don't have home phones is the Amish live to be unconnected with the "outside world" and the actual telephone line running pole to pole, home to home links them to the outside world. So the cell phone would be sort of an Amish "loophole". It's wireless, there fore it connects them to nothing.

Lots of people think they don't pay taxes. They do. Of course they pay property tax. Which in Ohio funds our public school system. They don't use that system, but they still pay the tax. I think they pay tax on goods, such as Walmart, just like everyone else. People get hateful around here about Amish not paying tax. I've also heard people complain about the buggies tearing up the roads! This is so dumb to me! It's the semi's and heavy trucks tearing up the road! Not the buggy!

Until Amish children are school age they are only spoken to in German by their parents. They learn English as a second language.

They have an amazing ability to put things in God's hand and to forgive. They are non confrontational. They don't accept homosexuality, it's kind of like our military, don't ask don't tell. They just ignore it basically. We have Amish friends who I'm pretty sure have a gay son and they have only ever said "girls make him nervous".

The kids are free to experiment outside of the Amish lifestyle until they choose to join the church. If they leave and live life outside for a time then decide to go home and join the church they are welcomed.

They tend to have big families. Usually a child for every year of marriage.

I read something that said the marriages are usually not romantic, but I don't really think that's true! I've seen plenty of young couples and they sure look in love! Besides I don't think you could have so many children and not love one another and work well together. The kids are primarily the mothers responsibility but the fathers help out too. Usually at the store or in a buggy it's the daddy who is holding the child. I saw a mom out in her garden with a small child in a little red wagon and 3 other little kids looking on, watching the baby.
The biggest misconception is they don't have indoor plumbing! They do! They have toilets, bathtubs, kitchen sinks that run off of natural gas water heaters. They even have refrigerators and stoves just like ours, again run off of natural gas.
My family was friends with an Amish couple named Mary and Mose Raber and knew lots of their extended family. Mary's home was always neat and tidy. The quilting frame was usually set up in the front room. I have quite a few quilts she either made or did the quiliting on. She had a sister named Susan who never married and lived out her life sharing a home with their brother, who also never married. Susan's home was so clean it seemed like every surface was waxed! Even into her very old age it was that way! I'm sure her nieces helped her later in life but it was unimaginably glossy. That's it glossy! That is how I would describe her little house!
They are a very interesting group. But often misunderstood like any off center religous group.

I wish I'd had a video camera!

Today the kids and I ran out to a little country market in the middle of nowhere to get some lunch meat. It's going to be near 80 all week. I don't want to have to cook!
On the way there we passed 3 Amish kids working in a hay field. I do mean "kids". I bet not one of them was over 10. The little girl seemed to be leading the team of horses while another little boy sat by her. The other boy was picking up the mowed hay and stacking it on the wagon and stomping it down to get as much as possible on there. On the way home we noticed the kids had drove the wagon in the barn and were unloading it with pitch forks. (I can not imagine giving Isaiah a pitch fork! He'd have holes in his toes for sure!).
What we saw at that farm made the next thing all that more funny!
We were driving home and on the left side was a farmer in a John Deere tractor with an air conditioned cab, pulling a bailer that kicks out the big 6 feet or so round bales. On the right side of the street, standing in the corner of their yard closest to the road, there was a group of about 5 or 6 Amish kids standing and watching the farmer kick out bales.
It was so cute! You know those kids had to be thinking that looked a whole lot easier than what they had to go through!
Those little kids are sure good workers! I'll tell you something else. In all my years of living among the Amish I have not once seen an Amish kid pitch a fit, act like a brat or be anything but polite and good natured. Whether it's at Walmart, a restaurant, grocery store or their own home, they've always been really good kids!

Rainy cool Saturday evening

It is rainy and cool, yet surprisingly bright and cheery outside so I'm in the house on the Internet while Bill plays with Naomi.
Here's what I'm doing and it's hard to stop. Go to one blog, read the latest, then look at recommended blogs on that site and go to those blogs. I think you could go on forever doing this!
But I better stop!
So if I stopped at your blog and commented and you thought "where the heck did she come from!?" that's how it happened! You're just part of some chain I made online.
Why do I run into so many bloggers from Washington state??? I'd love to find a blogger in Pe Ell, Washington. My father in law lives there!

Random things

See in the side bar that I'm still reading Little Dorrit. It's taking forever! This is the last Dickens book I try to read. Over 800 pages, tiny print. How did people read it by candle back then?

About the squirrels. When I let the dog out they don't run. We have punk squirrels. I swear they have gangs or something. The black ones are the worst. They come right up to the house and they aren't a bit afraid. You'd think as you walk closer they'll run, but they don't. They don't move until they're good and ready. I've pulled up in the driveway and had to wait for one to finish his business because they don't just scatter.

There's a picket fence out back that contains the dog. There's a rabbit who comes and sits outside the fence and feeds on the grass. When the dog is out there, straining at the fence, barking , barking, BARKING! She just quietly, calmly sits there and eats her grass.

Anyone ever get a stinky stick in their mulch? It looks like a carrot that's growing straight up but it has brownish green slime on it that smells rotten. Hence the name stinky stick. We haven't had any pop up yet but the last year or two some have popped up.

There are car shows EVERYWHERE in Ohio during the summer! Fairgrounds, Pizza Hut, shopping center, grocery store, Dairy Queen. Anywhere they can park, they have a car show. I sometimes drive by 2 on a weekend.

On the way to Walmart or the grocery store I often wonder, "who else lives in an area where they drive through horse poop, on the main road, on their way to the store?" Or have rails to tie up horses at local hospitals and stores. We call them "road apples".

The air quality here in our town is sweet! And I do mean SWEET! There's a cookie factory right down the street and the other day I had the windows open and the wind was coming from that direction. It smelled like baking brownies! Maybe it was my favorite Archway cookies Rocky Road cookies! MMMMMMMMMM....

When I lived in North Carolina I started calling shopping carts buggies, I still call them that.

I grew up calling Pepsi and other such drinks Pop, but refer to it now as soda.

I never took to saying "I had the kids picture made" that sounds odd to me. I say "I had the kids picture taken". People in NC use way too many double negatives. My high school English teacher would have cringed if she heard my speech when I lived there. I know "ain't got no" was said by me more than once. Ain't got no sense. Ain't got no money. Ain't got no good language skills. I'm not proud of that.

Lastly, just a fact. I got a bike trailer thing for Naomi on Sunday and have taken her on 2 bike rides. She seems to like it but doesn't squeal with laughter like I thought she would.

John & Kate and another tabloid story

I know, I'm getting sick of it all too!
Her in a bikini on the tabloids.
Him on People.
But here's my latest thought.... When they started all this talk about the children being exploited I thought, Oh give me a break. The talk of the kids not getting any of the money, although I thought once Kate said on TV that the kids college was already saved for, I still hope they're the parents they seemed at the beginning. Parents who would put money away for the kids without being made to do so.
Now they keep having all these TV celebrities on the show and it's not just watching life at their home anymore. It's watching a staged show. Duff from Ace of Cakes, Emeril! and next week is the American Chopper guys!? What the heck! What do they have in common with them? OK, Duff I sort of get, they went to his shop to make Kate a birthday cake. Emeril coming to their house to cook a meal? HUH? Though I loved it, just loved it when he shoooed Kate and told her to leave John alone.
Now this isn't John and Kate tabloid fodder. This is one of the most despicable things I've EVER heard about a tabloid! Brooke Shields mother has dementia and a tabloid reporter checked her out of her nursing home and took her out for hours driving her around trying to get a story! How disgusting. I'd also be really p.o.'d with the nursing home for letting her be signed out!

Sunday Morning

This morning I went to the back door to let the dog out. She didn't come right away and I saw a squirrel. Then I looked again, 3 more! I saw 4 squirrels in just one spot in the yard at 7 a.m.
There's a baby one that is about the size of a chipmunk but has a bushy tail. He was playing with one of my hosta plants yesterday. He was jumping around and looked like he thought the plant was coming after him. We have brown, black and grey squirrels but lately I've only seen the grey. Because we live in town they get big. I swear some of them you could mistake for a cat!

Gimme More

Ok, this is my opinion.

I've lived in communities where GM and Ford were major employers for a long time. These people get paid very well, for unskilled labor. The local GM plant is closing and I feel bad that people are loosing their jobs. But.... the general feeling by many is... it's hard to feel sorry for them.

I know there are people that went in there and gave their all every day but there are a lot of stories from workers bragging about being lazy on the job. Stories of people clocking in then finding a box to take a nap on and sleeping most of their shift. That's napping at $25-$30/ hour. A friend's grandfather retired from there. The grandfather died and GM paid for the funeral, paid for the attorney to settle his estate and the wife still uses his medical policy because it's better than the one she had as a retired nurse. They had a 20 and out policy. So you only had to work 20 years then you could retire with most of your pay and awesome benefits.

I know of a family where 1 family member worked for Ford and they were given a computer for each member of the family and classes at the local college to learn how to use them.

Just about everything that would come up the auto companies had covered. It was a good place to work for a long time, people took advantage and also had a sense of entitlement. If your Dad worked there you were almost guaranteed a job. The local news keeps showing a video of an assembly line and one of the workers is on the cell phone! NOW, if you were at work and a news crew showed up wouldn't you turn off your phone!?

They made a lot of good money for a long time. New vehicles, big homes the works. On no education. The union demands grew and grew. It was near impossible to loose your job. The union helps the people who don't do their job and don't show up but the people who show up and do what they're supposed to get nothing. They need nothing they do what they're supposed to and most of what the slackers aren't doing. It's all so aggravating. Isn't sleeping at work like steeling from the company! It should be automatic firing, but UAW backs them up and keeps their job and after 20 years of slacking they can retire and get a large amount of their pay and keep benefits. What company WOULDN'T go bankrupt?

They can blame Bush, Obama the stock market. But it's a lot closer to home. It's a loss of management, a loss of being able to make people do their jobs. It's a loss of pride in your job and a job well done. It's sad...