I'm sure everyone has heard about the plan to recycle urine into water on the International Space Station.
I read this on NASA's web page:
Space shuttle Endeavour is carrying two refrigerator-sized racks packed with a distiller and an assortment of filters designed to process astronauts' urine and sweat into clean drinking water.
The crew of the International Space Station will test the whole apparatus, but they won't drink any at first. Instead, they will take numerous samples and return them to Earth for detailed testing. After the testing is complete, controllers will clear the astronauts to use the fresh water in orbit.
I'm sorry, but nothing could make me drink that water. I don't care how much it is filtered, processed and tested.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Stronger - Breaking Free Update
And I am happy to say that my heart is still growing stronger! I am so very proud that I am now 10 months smoke-free!!!! Yaaaayyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Kind of Creepy
I was noticing the ads in the far right column on my MySpace home page. They are advertisements for things that I have recently typed in the search field on google. Spyware protection doesn't do any good for something like this. I hate that everything I do on the web is being watched.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
My Friends, I'm Sorry
My friends, I'm sorry if I've seemed:
Uncaring,
Distant,
Uninterested,
Indifferent,
Mean,
Self-absorbed,
Unapproachable
Removed,
Miserable,
or
Sad.
I haven't meant to alienate anyone.
I've just been a little too wrapped up in my personal problems,
And I've forgotten to let my light shine.
It's been a little dim lately, but I'm working on that.
Sometimes I just need a little reminder that I've forgotten to respect myself.
I'm moving forward now.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
My Struggles Make Me Strong!
Butterfly
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly
One day a small opening appeared
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
It struggled to force its body through that little hole
Then it seemed to stop making any progress
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could
And it could go no farther.
So the man decided to help the butterfly
He took a pair of scissors and snipped off
The remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily, BUT,
It had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings
He continued to watch the butterfly
He expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge
And the body would contract
Neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling
Around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.
It was never able to fly.
The man acted with well-intentioned kindness
But he didn't understand the consequences.
The restricting cocoon and the struggle required to get
Through the tiny opening, were nature's way of forcing fluid
From the body of the butterfly once it achieved it's freedom
From the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.
If nature allowed us to go through life without any
Obstacles, it would cripple us.
We would not be as strong as we could have been
And we could never fly
Have a great day, great life, and struggle a little.
Then fly!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Awesome Crackers!
I picked up a box of these at the store today, and they are awesome! One side is like the original buttery cracker, and the other side is like a pretzel. You gotta try them. They also come in cheddar flavor.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
I Wonder Why He Is So Ungrateful
My son has been staying at a girl’s house for the last week or so, after we told him he could no longer stay here. He did manage to find a job a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, when he came home the first day from that job, the apartment manager told him he could no longer stay with his girlfriend, because he wasn’t on the lease. He called me that night, explaining what happened, and asked me if he could stay at the house until he could get it straightened out. I reluctantly said yes.
The next morning, I woke him up for work. He griped and moaned and said he’d get up in a minute. I went back 10 minutes later and told him the time. He griped louder. At 7:00 a.m. I told him the time and said if he didn’t get up right then he would be late for work. Well, he got up about 10 minutes later, pissed off at me because I wouldn’t leave him alone. Because he was late, I made his lunch, and some breakfast tacos to take in the car with him. No thank you, of course.
That afternoon, I went and bought him 4 pairs of pants for work, and some shoes. I also bought some bread, lunch meat, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, cookies, and a case of water for his lunches. Last week I bought him a new pair of tennis shoes.
I woke him up this morning at 6:30 a.m. He wasn’t happy about it - said he was going to sleep 15 more minutes. I reminded him that today I would not be making his lunch or his breakfast, so he’d better allow enough time for that. At 7:00 p.m. I went back in and told him the time. He cussed at me. I told him that I didn’t want him to lose his job. He lay there griping and cussing. I told him that I wasn’t going to listen to his mouth, and if he didn’t get up he would be jobless and homeless.
Now we really didn’t want him to lose his job, because that would put him in an even worse position for finding somewhere to live besides our house. He couldn’t be added to the lease at his girlfriend’s house, because of his police record. Walt went in and told him to get up now, and go to work. He cussed Walt out, got up, and stalked around the house cussing and calling us “mf’ers that can’t leave somebody alone“. This went on the whole time he was getting ready. Walt got pissed and told him that when he got home from work, he could come here and get his clothes and go. He wasn’t staying at the house tonight. He told him that we were just trying to help him, we’d done a lot for him, he was ungrateful, and that I didn’t deserve to be talked to in the manner that he talked to me.
He stormed out the front door, furious and cussing us out where all of the neighbors could hear. The mayor of West Columbia lives right across the street from us. There are several elderly neighbors that have known my family all of my life. It is so embarrassing to me for him to do this, and it’s certainly not the first time he has. As he passed our car, where Brianna was sitting waiting to leave for school, he pointed at her and started cussing her out. He got in his piece of crap car and floored it. We live on a corner lot. As he approached the corner, he floored it and flew into the turn. His tail end swung around and his car spun twice in the middle of the turn. The culvert that runs under the road is pretty large, and the drop off is about 4 feet. Somehow he managed to keep his car from flying off of the culvert. He then floored it and headed off in the opposite direction going about 50 mph on a neighborhood street.
So - our neighbors got quite a show. We were embarrassed and upset. Brianna was crying. I stood there thinking, “Where did I go wrong? What is wrong with this child? I don’t deserve this. “ I truly wished that he would have run off of the culvert so his car would have been un-drivable. It seemed that there should have been some kind of consequence for his horrible behavior. But that would have just caused him to stick around longer. I guess being told to not come back was just consequence.
After I comforted Brianna, and told her goodbye, I went back inside the house. I fully expected to get a phone call telling me my son had been in an accident. I didn’t hear anything, and he didn’t come by this evening to get his stuff. So I don’t know where he is, or who he’s staying with. I absolutely can’t let him come back here. None of us deserve to be spoken to the way he did, especially Brianna. The house has been so peaceful since he’s been staying with his girlfriend. 2 days back at our house, and it was full of turmoil. NO THANKS! I just can’t do that anymore.
The next morning, I woke him up for work. He griped and moaned and said he’d get up in a minute. I went back 10 minutes later and told him the time. He griped louder. At 7:00 a.m. I told him the time and said if he didn’t get up right then he would be late for work. Well, he got up about 10 minutes later, pissed off at me because I wouldn’t leave him alone. Because he was late, I made his lunch, and some breakfast tacos to take in the car with him. No thank you, of course.
That afternoon, I went and bought him 4 pairs of pants for work, and some shoes. I also bought some bread, lunch meat, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, cookies, and a case of water for his lunches. Last week I bought him a new pair of tennis shoes.
I woke him up this morning at 6:30 a.m. He wasn’t happy about it - said he was going to sleep 15 more minutes. I reminded him that today I would not be making his lunch or his breakfast, so he’d better allow enough time for that. At 7:00 p.m. I went back in and told him the time. He cussed at me. I told him that I didn’t want him to lose his job. He lay there griping and cussing. I told him that I wasn’t going to listen to his mouth, and if he didn’t get up he would be jobless and homeless.
Now we really didn’t want him to lose his job, because that would put him in an even worse position for finding somewhere to live besides our house. He couldn’t be added to the lease at his girlfriend’s house, because of his police record. Walt went in and told him to get up now, and go to work. He cussed Walt out, got up, and stalked around the house cussing and calling us “mf’ers that can’t leave somebody alone“. This went on the whole time he was getting ready. Walt got pissed and told him that when he got home from work, he could come here and get his clothes and go. He wasn’t staying at the house tonight. He told him that we were just trying to help him, we’d done a lot for him, he was ungrateful, and that I didn’t deserve to be talked to in the manner that he talked to me.
He stormed out the front door, furious and cussing us out where all of the neighbors could hear. The mayor of West Columbia lives right across the street from us. There are several elderly neighbors that have known my family all of my life. It is so embarrassing to me for him to do this, and it’s certainly not the first time he has. As he passed our car, where Brianna was sitting waiting to leave for school, he pointed at her and started cussing her out. He got in his piece of crap car and floored it. We live on a corner lot. As he approached the corner, he floored it and flew into the turn. His tail end swung around and his car spun twice in the middle of the turn. The culvert that runs under the road is pretty large, and the drop off is about 4 feet. Somehow he managed to keep his car from flying off of the culvert. He then floored it and headed off in the opposite direction going about 50 mph on a neighborhood street.
So - our neighbors got quite a show. We were embarrassed and upset. Brianna was crying. I stood there thinking, “Where did I go wrong? What is wrong with this child? I don’t deserve this. “ I truly wished that he would have run off of the culvert so his car would have been un-drivable. It seemed that there should have been some kind of consequence for his horrible behavior. But that would have just caused him to stick around longer. I guess being told to not come back was just consequence.
After I comforted Brianna, and told her goodbye, I went back inside the house. I fully expected to get a phone call telling me my son had been in an accident. I didn’t hear anything, and he didn’t come by this evening to get his stuff. So I don’t know where he is, or who he’s staying with. I absolutely can’t let him come back here. None of us deserve to be spoken to the way he did, especially Brianna. The house has been so peaceful since he’s been staying with his girlfriend. 2 days back at our house, and it was full of turmoil. NO THANKS! I just can’t do that anymore.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Hurricane Education: What we've learned during Ike . . .
1. Coffee and frozen pizzas can be made on a BBQ grill.
2. No matter how many times you flick the switch, lights don't work without electricity.
3. My car gets 23.21675 miles per gallon, EXACTLY (you can ask the people in line who helped me push it).
4. Kids can survive 4 days or longer without a video game controller in their hand.
5. The Astros can’t beat the Cubs in Milwaukee especially when they don’t get any sleep.
6. He who has the biggest generator wins.
7. Walking around your home in the dark should be a new Olympic sport.
8. A new method of non-lethal torture- showers without hot water.
9. There are a lot more stars in the sky than most people thought.
10. TV is an addiction and the withdrawal symptoms are painful.
11. A 7 lb bag of ice will chill 6-12 oz Budweiser's to a drinkable temperature in 11 minutes, and still keep a 14 lb. Turkey frozen for 8 more hours.
12. There are a lot of dang trees around here.
13. Flood plain drawings on some mortgage documents were seriously wrong.
14. Aluminum siding, while aesthetically pleasing, is definitely not required.
15. Crickets can increase their volume to overcome the sound of 14 generators.
16. People will get into a line that has already formed without having any idea what the line is for.
17. When required, a Lincoln Continental will float - doesn't steer well but floats just the same.
18. Tele-marketers function no matter what the weather is doing.
19. Cell phones work when land lines are down, but only as long as the battery remains charged.
20. 27 of your neighbors are fed from a different transformer than you, and they are quick to point that out!
21. Hampers were not made to contain such a volume.
22. If my store sold only ice, chainsaws, gas and generators... I'd be rich.
23. Price of a can of soup rises 200 percent in a storm.
24. Your water front property can quickly become someone else's fishing hole.
25. Tree service companies are under appreciated.
26. I learned what happens when you make fun of another states' blackout.
27. MATH 101: 30 days in a month, minus 6 days without power equals 30 percent higher electric bill ?????
28. Drywall is a compound word, take away the 'dry' part and it's worthless.
29. I can walk a lot farther than I thought.
2. No matter how many times you flick the switch, lights don't work without electricity.
3. My car gets 23.21675 miles per gallon, EXACTLY (you can ask the people in line who helped me push it).
4. Kids can survive 4 days or longer without a video game controller in their hand.
5. The Astros can’t beat the Cubs in Milwaukee especially when they don’t get any sleep.
6. He who has the biggest generator wins.
7. Walking around your home in the dark should be a new Olympic sport.
8. A new method of non-lethal torture- showers without hot water.
9. There are a lot more stars in the sky than most people thought.
10. TV is an addiction and the withdrawal symptoms are painful.
11. A 7 lb bag of ice will chill 6-12 oz Budweiser's to a drinkable temperature in 11 minutes, and still keep a 14 lb. Turkey frozen for 8 more hours.
12. There are a lot of dang trees around here.
13. Flood plain drawings on some mortgage documents were seriously wrong.
14. Aluminum siding, while aesthetically pleasing, is definitely not required.
15. Crickets can increase their volume to overcome the sound of 14 generators.
16. People will get into a line that has already formed without having any idea what the line is for.
17. When required, a Lincoln Continental will float - doesn't steer well but floats just the same.
18. Tele-marketers function no matter what the weather is doing.
19. Cell phones work when land lines are down, but only as long as the battery remains charged.
20. 27 of your neighbors are fed from a different transformer than you, and they are quick to point that out!
21. Hampers were not made to contain such a volume.
22. If my store sold only ice, chainsaws, gas and generators... I'd be rich.
23. Price of a can of soup rises 200 percent in a storm.
24. Your water front property can quickly become someone else's fishing hole.
25. Tree service companies are under appreciated.
26. I learned what happens when you make fun of another states' blackout.
27. MATH 101: 30 days in a month, minus 6 days without power equals 30 percent higher electric bill ?????
28. Drywall is a compound word, take away the 'dry' part and it's worthless.
29. I can walk a lot farther than I thought.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
County should count blessings in wake of Ike
By Bill Cornwell
The Facts
Published September 21, 2008
That whistling noise we heard early last Saturday morning was a bullet grazing past our community and hitting Galveston. But for 20 or 30 miles west, we would be where Galveston is today.
I still have a list of addresses, homes that were still occupied by residents who ignored mandatory evacuation notices.
I was lead officer on Lake Jackson’s Fire Engine 5.
Our assignment was to drive a sector of Lake Jackson hours ahead of Ike. The information we were obtaining was for rescue and body recovery post-hurricane.
Thankfully, the list wasn’t required.
Even though we sit in dark houses and look out over debris-strewn lawns, we are the lucky ones.
If you still have a home, family and friends, you have no complaints.
When The Facts’ managers and I broke from our meeting prior to the hurricane, I told them to look around and take stock — “What you see now may not be here when you come back. Life will change.”
A few miles away that prediction came true. Galveston, Bolivar and points east took the brunt of Hurricane Ike.
My dear friend, Dolph Tillotson, publisher of The Galveston County Daily News, is facing the nightmare I envisioned for most of our county: Loss of basic services — water, sewage and power — grocery and retail disruption, commercial and industrial uncertainty.
With the exception of our battered friends in Surfside Beach and Quintana, the rest of our communities remain intact.
We are the lucky ones.
It might not seem so now, but we are.
Here are some positive thoughts:
I think Surfside Beach will recover and reinvent itself.
Perhaps this situation will bring the infrastructure the city needs to move forward.
Many laughed when our county officials called for a mandatory evacuation Wednesday.
Thank you to those who endured the criticism and made that call.
Our municipal leaders did an exceptional job.
They have worked nonstop and are the reason your basic services continue to operate.
Don’t blame them for your electricity woes.
Our sheriff, police, Department of Public Safety, emergency medical personnel and fire departments were out there guarding property, clearing streets, marking downed power lines and putting out fires.
In many cases, they went well above the call of duty.
Many of our local businesses, especially those selling building materials and groceries, worked off of generators to open as soon as possible to meet our basic needs.
Several local restaurants opened back up quickly to the relief of those craving iced tea and a hot meal.
Because of the lack of power, our neighborhoods have become more social places.
As we sit out in our lawn chairs and stop to offer each other help, many of us are getting to know our neighbors for the first time.
I could go on, but the point is we should count our blessings.
Brazoria County, its municipalities and its residents have done a good job in a tough situation.
We are alive, the power will come back on and this experience will have made us wiser and more appreciative of what we have.
Bill Cornwell is editor and publisher of
The Facts.
Copyright © 2008 The Facts
The Facts
Published September 21, 2008
That whistling noise we heard early last Saturday morning was a bullet grazing past our community and hitting Galveston. But for 20 or 30 miles west, we would be where Galveston is today.
I still have a list of addresses, homes that were still occupied by residents who ignored mandatory evacuation notices.
I was lead officer on Lake Jackson’s Fire Engine 5.
Our assignment was to drive a sector of Lake Jackson hours ahead of Ike. The information we were obtaining was for rescue and body recovery post-hurricane.
Thankfully, the list wasn’t required.
Even though we sit in dark houses and look out over debris-strewn lawns, we are the lucky ones.
If you still have a home, family and friends, you have no complaints.
When The Facts’ managers and I broke from our meeting prior to the hurricane, I told them to look around and take stock — “What you see now may not be here when you come back. Life will change.”
A few miles away that prediction came true. Galveston, Bolivar and points east took the brunt of Hurricane Ike.
My dear friend, Dolph Tillotson, publisher of The Galveston County Daily News, is facing the nightmare I envisioned for most of our county: Loss of basic services — water, sewage and power — grocery and retail disruption, commercial and industrial uncertainty.
With the exception of our battered friends in Surfside Beach and Quintana, the rest of our communities remain intact.
We are the lucky ones.
It might not seem so now, but we are.
Here are some positive thoughts:
I think Surfside Beach will recover and reinvent itself.
Perhaps this situation will bring the infrastructure the city needs to move forward.
Many laughed when our county officials called for a mandatory evacuation Wednesday.
Thank you to those who endured the criticism and made that call.
Our municipal leaders did an exceptional job.
They have worked nonstop and are the reason your basic services continue to operate.
Don’t blame them for your electricity woes.
Our sheriff, police, Department of Public Safety, emergency medical personnel and fire departments were out there guarding property, clearing streets, marking downed power lines and putting out fires.
In many cases, they went well above the call of duty.
Many of our local businesses, especially those selling building materials and groceries, worked off of generators to open as soon as possible to meet our basic needs.
Several local restaurants opened back up quickly to the relief of those craving iced tea and a hot meal.
Because of the lack of power, our neighborhoods have become more social places.
As we sit out in our lawn chairs and stop to offer each other help, many of us are getting to know our neighbors for the first time.
I could go on, but the point is we should count our blessings.
Brazoria County, its municipalities and its residents have done a good job in a tough situation.
We are alive, the power will come back on and this experience will have made us wiser and more appreciative of what we have.
Bill Cornwell is editor and publisher of
The Facts.
Copyright © 2008 The Facts
Saturday, September 13, 2008
AFTER IKE
I was in the middle of writing another storm update on Friday around 7:00 p.m. when we lost power. It’s just been restored this evening, so I didn’t get to write any updates during the hurricane at all. We got lucky on this storm. There has been very little damage in town. Mostly there are lots of sticks and branches in all the yards. There are some downed trees around town, with 2 or 3 of them blocking the road. Businesses had minor damage, with signs blown around, or knocked over. I didn’t see any trees that had damaged roofs.
The wind picked up right around the time we lost power, just before dark on Friday. It increased in strength throughout the night, but never got really bad until around 2 or 3 in the morning on Saturday. I’m guessing the wind was around 70 to 80 mph with stronger gusts. We have a huge pecan tree in our front yard, and I fully expected it to drop a branch through the roof into my master bedroom. We only had 1 branch down in our back yard, and it was a small one. I saw no sign of debris flying around. There was very little rain.
The hardest thing we had to endure was sitting in a hot, dark house with nothing to do, and no way of seeing on TV what the storm was doing. I couldn’t wait for the sun to come up just so I could get up and get out of the house. There was a curfew in effect from dusk to dawn. Everything had wound down by the time the sun came up, so we were in the car by 7:00 a.m.
Next time, I’ll leave just so I won’t have to do without air conditioning or TV.
The wind picked up right around the time we lost power, just before dark on Friday. It increased in strength throughout the night, but never got really bad until around 2 or 3 in the morning on Saturday. I’m guessing the wind was around 70 to 80 mph with stronger gusts. We have a huge pecan tree in our front yard, and I fully expected it to drop a branch through the roof into my master bedroom. We only had 1 branch down in our back yard, and it was a small one. I saw no sign of debris flying around. There was very little rain.
The hardest thing we had to endure was sitting in a hot, dark house with nothing to do, and no way of seeing on TV what the storm was doing. I couldn’t wait for the sun to come up just so I could get up and get out of the house. There was a curfew in effect from dusk to dawn. Everything had wound down by the time the sun came up, so we were in the car by 7:00 a.m.
Next time, I’ll leave just so I won’t have to do without air conditioning or TV.
Friday, September 12, 2008
STILL WAITING
5:30 p.m. Friday, September 12, 2008
So far, not much has happened here today. The wind is blowing a little bit stronger, but intermittently. It has showered lightly a couple of times. Our city has issued a curfew from dusk to dawn, in anticipation of the idiots who would take advantage of an abandoned town in order to steal and loot. I’m not sure how many people stayed here rather than evacuate, but I’ve seen quite a few people out and about in town. The eye of IKE is still about 50 miles out from land, though the outer bands have already begun making landfall.
All day there has been footage on TV about the rising water in Surfside and Galveston. It began to rise quickly early this morning, and has continued throughout the day, still hours ahead of landfall. The enormous size of this storm means it is pushing a huge amount of water ahead of it onto land. Surfside is underwater. Bluewater highway is underwater. Galveston Island is slowly being flooded. This morning the waves were crashing into the seawall and spraying up into the air up to 50 feet. As the water bounced back off of the wall, it met the next wave coming in, and gave the appearance of the water boiling. Huge amounts of debris is washing up onto the seawall, made up of trash, seaweed, wood from the piers, pilings, stairways, etc. Piers have been destroyed. I feel sorry for the fools who chose to stay in their home on that island and ride the storm out. They will likely end up dead, or stranded in their attic or roof, with no means of rescue.
We weren’t able to get as much ice as I’d have liked. Only one store is open in town today, and has limited ice to 1 bag per person. So hopefully we won’t lose power for too long. When we do, there will be no means of preparing any cooked meals. We didn’t make too many preparations for this storm, except for batteries and flashlight and water. I wish we had a propane cook-stove, a small charcoal grill, maybe a propane lantern. For sure some plywood for the windows.
Right now we’re watching for our outdoor cat to come around so we can scoop him up and bring him inside for the night. He’s never been inside, and more than likely will act crazy, but I don’t want him outside in those strong winds and torrential rain. I don’t believe any animal should be left outside to weather a hurricane, and especially not left behind when the family evacuates. It’s just not right when they can do nothing to help themselves.
I’ll be sitting here waiting…
Patti
So far, not much has happened here today. The wind is blowing a little bit stronger, but intermittently. It has showered lightly a couple of times. Our city has issued a curfew from dusk to dawn, in anticipation of the idiots who would take advantage of an abandoned town in order to steal and loot. I’m not sure how many people stayed here rather than evacuate, but I’ve seen quite a few people out and about in town. The eye of IKE is still about 50 miles out from land, though the outer bands have already begun making landfall.
All day there has been footage on TV about the rising water in Surfside and Galveston. It began to rise quickly early this morning, and has continued throughout the day, still hours ahead of landfall. The enormous size of this storm means it is pushing a huge amount of water ahead of it onto land. Surfside is underwater. Bluewater highway is underwater. Galveston Island is slowly being flooded. This morning the waves were crashing into the seawall and spraying up into the air up to 50 feet. As the water bounced back off of the wall, it met the next wave coming in, and gave the appearance of the water boiling. Huge amounts of debris is washing up onto the seawall, made up of trash, seaweed, wood from the piers, pilings, stairways, etc. Piers have been destroyed. I feel sorry for the fools who chose to stay in their home on that island and ride the storm out. They will likely end up dead, or stranded in their attic or roof, with no means of rescue.
We weren’t able to get as much ice as I’d have liked. Only one store is open in town today, and has limited ice to 1 bag per person. So hopefully we won’t lose power for too long. When we do, there will be no means of preparing any cooked meals. We didn’t make too many preparations for this storm, except for batteries and flashlight and water. I wish we had a propane cook-stove, a small charcoal grill, maybe a propane lantern. For sure some plywood for the windows.
Right now we’re watching for our outdoor cat to come around so we can scoop him up and bring him inside for the night. He’s never been inside, and more than likely will act crazy, but I don’t want him outside in those strong winds and torrential rain. I don’t believe any animal should be left outside to weather a hurricane, and especially not left behind when the family evacuates. It’s just not right when they can do nothing to help themselves.
I’ll be sitting here waiting…
Patti
WATCHING AND WAITING
6:30 a.m. Friday, September 12, 2008
It seems that Hurricane IKE has weakened a little bit, and shifted a little to the east, which means we are no longer going to be on the “dirty” side. Therefore, we have decided to stay home and ride out the storm. We spent yesterday afternoon bringing all of the plants inside, storing the garbage cans in the shed, and securing everything that could become airborne. This afternoon we began packing some clothes, food, etc and gathering what we would need to take our pets with us. With 3 dogs and 3 cats, it seems a very big undertaking.
We actually did locate a place to go to in New Braunfels, but with the animals, it would still be difficult. I said all along that I would ride it out as long as it wasn’t any worse than a category 3. Right now, it is a category 2, however it is extremely large. It covers just about the whole of the Gulf of Mexico. That is going to cause the storm surge to be much larger than what would normally be expected for a category 2 or 3. We are far enough inland to not have to worry about the storm surge reaching us. Our concern will be that we are sandwiched between 2 rivers, which could potentially cause our town to be an island if both rivers rise too much. I am hoping for the best case scenario to happen.
So for now, we are at home on Friday morning, listening to the updates on TV, and waiting for the first bands of rain and wind to begin today. Supposedly it will begin around noon, and gradually worsen as the day progresses, with the eye crossing land around 1 or 2 in the morning Saturday, slightly to the east of where we live. I’ll update as long as I can until we lost power.
It seems that Hurricane IKE has weakened a little bit, and shifted a little to the east, which means we are no longer going to be on the “dirty” side. Therefore, we have decided to stay home and ride out the storm. We spent yesterday afternoon bringing all of the plants inside, storing the garbage cans in the shed, and securing everything that could become airborne. This afternoon we began packing some clothes, food, etc and gathering what we would need to take our pets with us. With 3 dogs and 3 cats, it seems a very big undertaking.
We actually did locate a place to go to in New Braunfels, but with the animals, it would still be difficult. I said all along that I would ride it out as long as it wasn’t any worse than a category 3. Right now, it is a category 2, however it is extremely large. It covers just about the whole of the Gulf of Mexico. That is going to cause the storm surge to be much larger than what would normally be expected for a category 2 or 3. We are far enough inland to not have to worry about the storm surge reaching us. Our concern will be that we are sandwiched between 2 rivers, which could potentially cause our town to be an island if both rivers rise too much. I am hoping for the best case scenario to happen.
So for now, we are at home on Friday morning, listening to the updates on TV, and waiting for the first bands of rain and wind to begin today. Supposedly it will begin around noon, and gradually worsen as the day progresses, with the eye crossing land around 1 or 2 in the morning Saturday, slightly to the east of where we live. I’ll update as long as I can until we lost power.
Hurricane IKE is coming!
Well, it looks like we're not going to manage to avoid IKE coming right at us. I was really hoping to sit right here and ride it out, but it seems that it might not be safe to do so. So now, I am looking for somewhere we can go to and take our animals with us. We're kind of broke right now, so we can't rent a motel room. Most wouldn't take the animals anyway, and I'm sure they are all booked up. So keep us in your prayers that we find somewhere to escape to, and that our house doesn't sustain any damage from the wind and stuff flying around.
Monday, September 1, 2008
When You Have To Let Go
This is a blog written by my friend Colleen:
A young and dear friend of mine lost a teenage friend of hers this past week and is learning how to deal with loss, grief and the sense of something just not being right. In an email to her I shared some of the following but I have modified it for others to understand and have left out the name of the precious friend she is still saying good bye to.
(Please take a moment to pray for those who've had to bury a child way before the normal sequence of life has been fulfilled, tragically, slowly, through war, accidents, disease, etc. ..Pray for those who are friends to them and do not yet understand the bitter feelings of loss and grief.)
When my son died, he, Ian was wearing a seatbelt. It did not save his life. They are designed to HELP save lives. They are not a guarantee. They have to be worn properly and fitted and most of us do not do this. Ian was laying down with the seat reclined...he slid right out of it!
One of the precious gifts that was given to me when Ian died, was the gift that gave me the ability to understand, to really open my heart and "hear", a way to talk, grieve, counsel and communicate with others who are grieving over a child who's sudden death has changed everything forever.
It's not fair and it's not in the right order and we have to learn to accept, and keep going.
(for example:)
When Ian had been gone for about 8 months and we were cleaning out his room of some of the things that were special, we came across a train set and we asked the giver of this set if he wanted it back. He said no, so we asked my father (a train collecter) if he would care to have it and after hanging up on me several times, I could not understand what the problem was. Months later, my father told me what was happening in his mind;
he said, "A grandfather should leave things to his grandchild, not a grandchild leaving things to his grandfather"
This broke my heart but it taught me something else about the timing and the sense of devastation at all levels of the family. There is a normal order of things and when a child passes, it is not normal and therefore much harder to accept.
Those are the two hardest parts...
Accepting and Keep Going
...accepting that you won't be setting a place on the dinner table, or buying the same number of tickets at the football game or seeing a graduation you looked forward to all your life or having a daughter in law, or grandbabies...
...accept....keep going....there are so many others that are counting on the parents strength, especially if there are other siblings to ____....
...accept...they will never again call you to pick them up from a friends house, or ask to borrow the keys, or .....
...accept...that every night when you walk past their bedroom, you will have to look inside just for comfort, you will smell their clothes, you will cry, you will hurt, you will grieve...
...accept....that you will go to visit them every chance you can at the cemetary for many months, years even.
...to keep going, simply means that you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep going FORWARD...
...as painful as it seems, it will take you out of the depression and denial of a loved one we've had to bury...
...to keep going...means that you have to learn to live with the pain and cherish the memories, the love and the life that once was....
...to keep going...you have to believe you will see the person/child/friend/parent again in heaven...God has promised us that...
...To keep going....you have to let the person go and live the life that you still have in front of you to the very best of your ability...
...to keep going and accept what has happened is not easy but necessary...
...to keep going and to accept a loss of this magnitude will linger in your heart forever in the hole that was left behind....
We can and do and will survive.....I know this may not help any, but I would ask that you share it with any family so that they can/will have hope...
...hope that tomorrow they can actually breath, that they can eat and not feel guilty, that they can smile and know that their child is watching everything they do...
...to wake on a new day and know that all things are in the right place and time according to God's will. It's not fair but it is God's will and accepting that HE does not make bad things happen but he does allow them to happen is hard as well. (I have a very long story that goes with that sentence but I'll spare you.
Their child will long be remembered by all of his/her friends and all of his/her family and those memories will live forever in your hearts. That is an awesome legacy for someone whom we've had to let go of.
On that note, please tell the family this for me:
"My son died, but he is not lost! I know exactly where he is!" He lives with Christ at a new address but he is NOT LOST~
~ I DID NOT LOSE HIM, HE FOUND GOD~
I know losing a friend can be devastating but just to be prayerful for the time that will come for the family in about 4 weeks when everyone goes back to work, or back to "their" normal, this family will not have a "normal" for a year or so.
Wow, I didn't know I had that much to say but there is still more so I'm off of here before I write a book on grief!
©Colleen Cooper 9-01-08
Go here to see original post by Colleen.
Love you Colleen!!!
A young and dear friend of mine lost a teenage friend of hers this past week and is learning how to deal with loss, grief and the sense of something just not being right. In an email to her I shared some of the following but I have modified it for others to understand and have left out the name of the precious friend she is still saying good bye to.
(Please take a moment to pray for those who've had to bury a child way before the normal sequence of life has been fulfilled, tragically, slowly, through war, accidents, disease, etc. ..Pray for those who are friends to them and do not yet understand the bitter feelings of loss and grief.)
When my son died, he, Ian was wearing a seatbelt. It did not save his life. They are designed to HELP save lives. They are not a guarantee. They have to be worn properly and fitted and most of us do not do this. Ian was laying down with the seat reclined...he slid right out of it!
One of the precious gifts that was given to me when Ian died, was the gift that gave me the ability to understand, to really open my heart and "hear", a way to talk, grieve, counsel and communicate with others who are grieving over a child who's sudden death has changed everything forever.
It's not fair and it's not in the right order and we have to learn to accept, and keep going.
(for example:)
When Ian had been gone for about 8 months and we were cleaning out his room of some of the things that were special, we came across a train set and we asked the giver of this set if he wanted it back. He said no, so we asked my father (a train collecter) if he would care to have it and after hanging up on me several times, I could not understand what the problem was. Months later, my father told me what was happening in his mind;
he said, "A grandfather should leave things to his grandchild, not a grandchild leaving things to his grandfather"
This broke my heart but it taught me something else about the timing and the sense of devastation at all levels of the family. There is a normal order of things and when a child passes, it is not normal and therefore much harder to accept.
Those are the two hardest parts...
Accepting and Keep Going
...accepting that you won't be setting a place on the dinner table, or buying the same number of tickets at the football game or seeing a graduation you looked forward to all your life or having a daughter in law, or grandbabies...
...accept....keep going....there are so many others that are counting on the parents strength, especially if there are other siblings to ____....
...accept...they will never again call you to pick them up from a friends house, or ask to borrow the keys, or .....
...accept...that every night when you walk past their bedroom, you will have to look inside just for comfort, you will smell their clothes, you will cry, you will hurt, you will grieve...
...accept....that you will go to visit them every chance you can at the cemetary for many months, years even.
...to keep going, simply means that you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep going FORWARD...
...as painful as it seems, it will take you out of the depression and denial of a loved one we've had to bury...
...to keep going...means that you have to learn to live with the pain and cherish the memories, the love and the life that once was....
...to keep going...you have to believe you will see the person/child/friend/parent again in heaven...God has promised us that...
...To keep going....you have to let the person go and live the life that you still have in front of you to the very best of your ability...
...to keep going and accept what has happened is not easy but necessary...
...to keep going and to accept a loss of this magnitude will linger in your heart forever in the hole that was left behind....
We can and do and will survive.....I know this may not help any, but I would ask that you share it with any family so that they can/will have hope...
...hope that tomorrow they can actually breath, that they can eat and not feel guilty, that they can smile and know that their child is watching everything they do...
...to wake on a new day and know that all things are in the right place and time according to God's will. It's not fair but it is God's will and accepting that HE does not make bad things happen but he does allow them to happen is hard as well. (I have a very long story that goes with that sentence but I'll spare you.
Their child will long be remembered by all of his/her friends and all of his/her family and those memories will live forever in your hearts. That is an awesome legacy for someone whom we've had to let go of.
On that note, please tell the family this for me:
"My son died, but he is not lost! I know exactly where he is!" He lives with Christ at a new address but he is NOT LOST~
~ I DID NOT LOSE HIM, HE FOUND GOD~
I know losing a friend can be devastating but just to be prayerful for the time that will come for the family in about 4 weeks when everyone goes back to work, or back to "their" normal, this family will not have a "normal" for a year or so.
Wow, I didn't know I had that much to say but there is still more so I'm off of here before I write a book on grief!
©Colleen Cooper 9-01-08
Go here to see original post by Colleen.
Love you Colleen!!!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Breaking Free Update
I am patting myself on the back:
I'VE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR 7 MONTHS!!!!!!!!
And I am so very proud of myself! I feel so good. You can do it too! Go for it!
I'VE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR 7 MONTHS!!!!!!!!
And I am so very proud of myself! I feel so good. You can do it too! Go for it!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
I'd Rather Do It Myself
I consider myself a pretty independent person, especially when it comes to tackling a project I want to get done. I've learned how to do quite a lot of stuff by myself just by digging in and doing it. There's usually no one else around to help me, and I just learn as I go. I get a lot of info from the internet on how to do stuff, and I've done pretty well. I think I can fix more around the house than my husband can. Now I'm not saying that it's because I know more, but maybe it's because I'm there more.
One thing I absolutely hate is when I start a project and get to a spot that I just can't do by myself. Usually it's because it takes someone with more strength than I have. I am a self-professed control freak and perfectionist, and I want to do everything myself, so I know it's done to my satisfaction. So - I HATE it when I have to ask for help, especially from my husband.
He LOVES it when I have to ask for help, as far as being able to display his expertise. He HATES it when I ask for help, because he KNOWS that I will immediately begin criticizing his technique. I usually have to do this because he never will just do what it is I'm asking him to do. When I need help, I tell him specifically what it is I need him to do for me. He then proceeds to tell me how he thinks it ought to be done. I usually end up getting really pissed at him, and yelling at him to please just do it the way I'm asking, because that's the way I want it done. If he says anything else, I just take the tool or whatever away from him, put on my pissy face, and say "fine, I'll just do it myself." It always works. He immediately gets it done my way.
I don't really mean to be hateful about it. It just happens that way. I know it's wrong, because most women don't have a man that is as willing to help his wife as mine is. I'm truly grateful for him and his willingness. It's just that my perfectionist, control-freak demons take over me, and I just want it done my way.
After he gets started doing it my way, and we're getting the job done together, my mood improves, and I start being nice again. At this point I am actually enjoying working together and accomplishing something.
It's something I've got to work on - learning to control my temper and showing him that I am grateful for his help.
One thing I absolutely hate is when I start a project and get to a spot that I just can't do by myself. Usually it's because it takes someone with more strength than I have. I am a self-professed control freak and perfectionist, and I want to do everything myself, so I know it's done to my satisfaction. So - I HATE it when I have to ask for help, especially from my husband.
He LOVES it when I have to ask for help, as far as being able to display his expertise. He HATES it when I ask for help, because he KNOWS that I will immediately begin criticizing his technique. I usually have to do this because he never will just do what it is I'm asking him to do. When I need help, I tell him specifically what it is I need him to do for me. He then proceeds to tell me how he thinks it ought to be done. I usually end up getting really pissed at him, and yelling at him to please just do it the way I'm asking, because that's the way I want it done. If he says anything else, I just take the tool or whatever away from him, put on my pissy face, and say "fine, I'll just do it myself." It always works. He immediately gets it done my way.
I don't really mean to be hateful about it. It just happens that way. I know it's wrong, because most women don't have a man that is as willing to help his wife as mine is. I'm truly grateful for him and his willingness. It's just that my perfectionist, control-freak demons take over me, and I just want it done my way.
After he gets started doing it my way, and we're getting the job done together, my mood improves, and I start being nice again. At this point I am actually enjoying working together and accomplishing something.
It's something I've got to work on - learning to control my temper and showing him that I am grateful for his help.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Beauty in Brokenness
(1)Christianity Today, (July 2007, vol. 51, Number 7), 30.
Author: Margaret Manning
Recently, I attended a retreat where there was a great deal of personal sharing. I sat amazed as I listened to women from every walk of life, most of whom were established Christians, share of heartache, pain, and various aspects of struggle they had either just come through, or were currently experiencing. I was overwhelmed by their honesty and by the poignancy of their stories. But even more than this, I was overwhelmed by the beauty radiating from within as they shared their stories.
Beauty in brokenness? Without glorifying suffering, there is an unexpected beauty that can shine through stories of struggle. One friend is a paraplegic broken in the use of her body, and yet she has a beautiful spirit. Not limited by her brokenness, she uses her own difficulties to help others, and teach others about true ability and disability. Tony Snow, former White House Press Secretary, considered his cancer a "calling" and in a recent article written in Christianity Today said, "We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out. But despite this--because of it-–God offers the possibility of salvation and grace."(1) That possibility of salvation and grace is beauty in brokenness.
Somehow, uniquely, God desires to use those difficult moments of our lives to bring forth something extraordinarily beautiful. Even the natural creation attests to this truth. In fall, we marvel at the gorgeous, lush colors of burnt amber, burnished orange, brilliant red, and bright yellow leaves, even as that beauty belies the slow and gradual death of those leaves. Winter buries those leaves under the cold, dark blanket of snow and frost. And yet, death brings forth life. Spring bursts forth year after year with jonquils, iris, lilies, and all the beautiful pastels of new life.
During a time of deep despair and suffering, King David wondered about God's ability to be present in his dark places--to bring about beautiful redemption in the midst of brokenness. He cried out to God, "Will your loving kindness be declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Abaddon? Will your wonders be made known in the darkness? And your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?" (Psalm 88:11-12). David wondered about God's work in his life--had he been abandoned? Was God still guiding him even in the deepest, darkest places of brokenness and fear? And even in those places seemingly forgotten, would God continue to make things right? David struggled to see how beauty could emerge out of brokenness. And yet, he later affirmed in Psalm 139, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there... if I say, 'surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." It is in those dark places of brokenness and suffering that God brings forth luminous light so that even the dark is illuminated.
The prophet Isaiah repeats this theme by promising one who would redeem the exiles, giving them "a garland of beauty instead of ashes" and "the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord... who summons you by name" (Isaiah 61:3, 45:3). Perhaps, these were Scriptures recalled by the apostle Paul when he declared that "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:7-9). Indeed, Paul declares that "the God who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (4:6). And so often, that face of Christ is demonstrated with beautiful radiance through the broken and dark places in our lives.
Today, if you are experiencing hardship, difficulty or personal darkness, seek the light and beauty of Christ, for he longs to be present to you, to give you a garland of beauty instead of ashes, to call you by name, and to bring forth treasures of darkness. He is there in the brokenness with you.
Margaret Manning is associate writer at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
(1)Christianity Today, (July 2007, vol. 51, Number 7), 30.
Author: Margaret Manning
Author: Margaret Manning
Recently, I attended a retreat where there was a great deal of personal sharing. I sat amazed as I listened to women from every walk of life, most of whom were established Christians, share of heartache, pain, and various aspects of struggle they had either just come through, or were currently experiencing. I was overwhelmed by their honesty and by the poignancy of their stories. But even more than this, I was overwhelmed by the beauty radiating from within as they shared their stories.
Beauty in brokenness? Without glorifying suffering, there is an unexpected beauty that can shine through stories of struggle. One friend is a paraplegic broken in the use of her body, and yet she has a beautiful spirit. Not limited by her brokenness, she uses her own difficulties to help others, and teach others about true ability and disability. Tony Snow, former White House Press Secretary, considered his cancer a "calling" and in a recent article written in Christianity Today said, "We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out. But despite this--because of it-–God offers the possibility of salvation and grace."(1) That possibility of salvation and grace is beauty in brokenness.
Somehow, uniquely, God desires to use those difficult moments of our lives to bring forth something extraordinarily beautiful. Even the natural creation attests to this truth. In fall, we marvel at the gorgeous, lush colors of burnt amber, burnished orange, brilliant red, and bright yellow leaves, even as that beauty belies the slow and gradual death of those leaves. Winter buries those leaves under the cold, dark blanket of snow and frost. And yet, death brings forth life. Spring bursts forth year after year with jonquils, iris, lilies, and all the beautiful pastels of new life.
During a time of deep despair and suffering, King David wondered about God's ability to be present in his dark places--to bring about beautiful redemption in the midst of brokenness. He cried out to God, "Will your loving kindness be declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Abaddon? Will your wonders be made known in the darkness? And your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?" (Psalm 88:11-12). David wondered about God's work in his life--had he been abandoned? Was God still guiding him even in the deepest, darkest places of brokenness and fear? And even in those places seemingly forgotten, would God continue to make things right? David struggled to see how beauty could emerge out of brokenness. And yet, he later affirmed in Psalm 139, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there... if I say, 'surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." It is in those dark places of brokenness and suffering that God brings forth luminous light so that even the dark is illuminated.
The prophet Isaiah repeats this theme by promising one who would redeem the exiles, giving them "a garland of beauty instead of ashes" and "the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord... who summons you by name" (Isaiah 61:3, 45:3). Perhaps, these were Scriptures recalled by the apostle Paul when he declared that "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:7-9). Indeed, Paul declares that "the God who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (4:6). And so often, that face of Christ is demonstrated with beautiful radiance through the broken and dark places in our lives.
Today, if you are experiencing hardship, difficulty or personal darkness, seek the light and beauty of Christ, for he longs to be present to you, to give you a garland of beauty instead of ashes, to call you by name, and to bring forth treasures of darkness. He is there in the brokenness with you.
Margaret Manning is associate writer at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
(1)Christianity Today, (July 2007, vol. 51, Number 7), 30.
Author: Margaret Manning
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Changes
My mother moved to an independent living center 1 month ago. She did this for several reasons, some good and some bad. My father passed away in 2005. Momma has ALWAYS been the security for everyone in this family. None of us could ever imagine life without her, especially since Daddy's been gone. She turned 80 this past year, and it's hard to see her beginning to age, and to show her age. She's always been so young at heart, healthy, and on the go. In the last year she seems to have slowed down alot. Many days she doesn't feel well, but isn't sure what's wrong. The upkeep of the house became too much for her, and I guess she needed a quieter, easier life. It has totally rocked our world. How is it that seemingly overnight so much has changed?
My family has moved into her house this week. I've spent a month working on things in the house, painting, shampooing carpets, etc. We got everything into the house yesterday, but it's all in a shambles. Our bed is finally set up, and we managed to get the couches somewhat arranged. I've been going non-stop for the last month with packing Momma up, moving her, packing my stuff up, moving into the house, and cleaning the old place. I've sweated enough you'd think I'd have lost about 20 lbs. The humidity has been really high here. Going outside feels like a sauna, but you sweat indoors too if you're working.
I'm really, really tired! I really, really miss my mother. Change is hard. There's still more change to come, but I'm not going to go into that right now. There's always good that comes with bad, and bad that comes with good. I hope I'm learning whatever it is I need to be learning from this change.
My Restless Leg Syndrome has really been acting up lately, and has been worse with all the physical activity I've been doing. I'm not sleeping well, usually only for 3 or 4 hours at a time. Than I have to get up and move around. I sometimes have to lay down during the day for a couple hours to make up for lost sleep. I think I need to get a new plan of treatment for this thing before I go crazy.
My family has moved into her house this week. I've spent a month working on things in the house, painting, shampooing carpets, etc. We got everything into the house yesterday, but it's all in a shambles. Our bed is finally set up, and we managed to get the couches somewhat arranged. I've been going non-stop for the last month with packing Momma up, moving her, packing my stuff up, moving into the house, and cleaning the old place. I've sweated enough you'd think I'd have lost about 20 lbs. The humidity has been really high here. Going outside feels like a sauna, but you sweat indoors too if you're working.
I'm really, really tired! I really, really miss my mother. Change is hard. There's still more change to come, but I'm not going to go into that right now. There's always good that comes with bad, and bad that comes with good. I hope I'm learning whatever it is I need to be learning from this change.
My Restless Leg Syndrome has really been acting up lately, and has been worse with all the physical activity I've been doing. I'm not sleeping well, usually only for 3 or 4 hours at a time. Than I have to get up and move around. I sometimes have to lay down during the day for a couple hours to make up for lost sleep. I think I need to get a new plan of treatment for this thing before I go crazy.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Moving
I moved out of an apartment and into a house this week. I own this house, as I have inherited it from my mother. I will not miss the horrific odors coming through the vents. I will not miss the bratty kids beating on my door at 7:00 in the morning. I will not miss the jerks who park 1 foot away from my car door, and especially not the ones who park in my parking place. I will not miss the constant arguing that goes on in one apartment or another, that usually ends up in out in the courtyard. I will not miss the freaks who sit and stare at me when I walk my dog. I will not miss the banging of the headboard against my bedroom wall when the neighbors have sex, and especially not the howling and screaming that accompanies it. I will not miss the putting off of repairs to my air conditioner, that have caused my electric bill to skyrocket while I sit in a 78 degree living room for the past 2 months. This will be my absolute last move, and I will never live in an apartment again.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
It seems I'm falling...
I know I have been mostly absent from blogging and posting anything lately. There is SOOOOO much going on in my life right now, I just need to get done with some stuff and then I'll be back to normal. A lot of changes are taking place, and I'm taking care of some business, and dealing with some stuff. I'll be back soon. Know that I'm thinking of all my friends -those online and in real life. I'll explain more later in a blog.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Dressed To Kill
Here is my entry for week 17 of Blogophilia
Week 17 Topic: Dressed To Kill
bonus points
(hard, 2 points): incorporate a power failure
(easy, 1 point): mention one of the planets
Final day to post: June 30, midnight GMT.
She started getting ready early Saturday morning. It was to be a very special night. Her husband would be home early, and they would be going to a very important social event with her colleagues. He’d never attended anything with her before, and he had promised this night would be special. She had picked up the sexiest of all black dresses earlier that week, and it was hanging in her dressing room waiting to be put on.
She awoke early, and began the long process of getting ready, wanting everything to be perfect for this long anticipated night. She hoped to capture his attention, because lately she had begun suspecting that there was someone else in the picture, and she feared that this other woman would win his heart if she didn’t do something. First thing she did was go to her very reliable hairdresser. Her hair was almost to her waist, and she insisted it be cut off very short. After much arguing and pleading, her hairdresser agreed. The cut came out looking fabulous, very short and chic. She then went for her manicure and pedicure at the local spa. After 2 hours of relaxation, she met a close friend for lunch.
As they sat and ate, she talked about her nervousness about the upcoming night. Her friend insisted it would go well. She’d seen the dress on her, and insisted it was VERY sexy. She loved the new hairdo. He would be smitten. She certainly hoped so, because she felt this might be her last chance to get this marriage turned around in the right direction.
After returning back home, she bathed and put her robe on. She sat looking at the dress, and wondering if it would be the miracle worker that she hoped. She knew it looked good on her. Soon she began carefully applying her makeup. Everything had to be perfect. Makeup in place, she pulled on one long stocking, and then the other. Then the slip. Next, the beautiful dress went over her head and fell perfectly into place. She slipped the black stiletto heels on and turned to face the mirror. She hardly recognized herself, such a dramatic transformation had taken place. She was a Venus, and he would not be able to resist her. Looking at her watch, she knew her husband would be coming through the door any moment now. It was almost 5:00 p.m. and they were due to leave at 6:00 p.m. in order to arrive at the gathering by 7:00 p.m.
She sat carefully on the couch to wait. It was so very hard to be patient. She felt like she was 16 and waiting for a date to pick her up. The clock was moving so slowly. But it really wasn’t, because here it was already 6:00 and he still wasn’t home! Suddenly, the lights went out. There must be some kind of power failure, because all the neighbor’s lights were out too. She hoped he would arrive soon. It seemed that his work ALWAYS came before their relationship. She often told him he was married to his job. Where was he? What if he didn’t show up? After all the work she put into getting herself ready!
She sat in the dark and waited. When the clock finally neared 7:00 p.m. she knew he wasn’t coming. What good would it do now? After all, it started at 7:00 p.m. and they would be so late if they left even now. Where could he be? What if he was with her? She began to get angry, thinking about how important this night was to her, and how inconsiderate he was being. He could have at least called if he knew he was going to run late! Wasn’t it always this way though? The longer she sat, the more she convinced herself that he was somewhere with her, because there was certainly no one at his place of employment this time of night. She wasn’t important to him! How dare he stand her up when he promised! And how could he be so heartless as to stand her up in order to be with that other woman! She didn’t deserve that!
Here she sat, dressed to kill, with no place to go. But then again…. She walked into the bedroom and opened the drawer of her nightstand. Very carefully she lifted out the gift that her husband had given her a couple of years ago. It was a Colt Detective Special, and it fit so nicely in her hand. Yes, this would do perfectly. She was dressed to kill, so that is exactly what she planned to do…
Week 17 Topic: Dressed To Kill
bonus points
(hard, 2 points): incorporate a power failure
(easy, 1 point): mention one of the planets
Final day to post: June 30, midnight GMT.
She started getting ready early Saturday morning. It was to be a very special night. Her husband would be home early, and they would be going to a very important social event with her colleagues. He’d never attended anything with her before, and he had promised this night would be special. She had picked up the sexiest of all black dresses earlier that week, and it was hanging in her dressing room waiting to be put on.
She awoke early, and began the long process of getting ready, wanting everything to be perfect for this long anticipated night. She hoped to capture his attention, because lately she had begun suspecting that there was someone else in the picture, and she feared that this other woman would win his heart if she didn’t do something. First thing she did was go to her very reliable hairdresser. Her hair was almost to her waist, and she insisted it be cut off very short. After much arguing and pleading, her hairdresser agreed. The cut came out looking fabulous, very short and chic. She then went for her manicure and pedicure at the local spa. After 2 hours of relaxation, she met a close friend for lunch.
As they sat and ate, she talked about her nervousness about the upcoming night. Her friend insisted it would go well. She’d seen the dress on her, and insisted it was VERY sexy. She loved the new hairdo. He would be smitten. She certainly hoped so, because she felt this might be her last chance to get this marriage turned around in the right direction.
After returning back home, she bathed and put her robe on. She sat looking at the dress, and wondering if it would be the miracle worker that she hoped. She knew it looked good on her. Soon she began carefully applying her makeup. Everything had to be perfect. Makeup in place, she pulled on one long stocking, and then the other. Then the slip. Next, the beautiful dress went over her head and fell perfectly into place. She slipped the black stiletto heels on and turned to face the mirror. She hardly recognized herself, such a dramatic transformation had taken place. She was a Venus, and he would not be able to resist her. Looking at her watch, she knew her husband would be coming through the door any moment now. It was almost 5:00 p.m. and they were due to leave at 6:00 p.m. in order to arrive at the gathering by 7:00 p.m.
She sat carefully on the couch to wait. It was so very hard to be patient. She felt like she was 16 and waiting for a date to pick her up. The clock was moving so slowly. But it really wasn’t, because here it was already 6:00 and he still wasn’t home! Suddenly, the lights went out. There must be some kind of power failure, because all the neighbor’s lights were out too. She hoped he would arrive soon. It seemed that his work ALWAYS came before their relationship. She often told him he was married to his job. Where was he? What if he didn’t show up? After all the work she put into getting herself ready!
She sat in the dark and waited. When the clock finally neared 7:00 p.m. she knew he wasn’t coming. What good would it do now? After all, it started at 7:00 p.m. and they would be so late if they left even now. Where could he be? What if he was with her? She began to get angry, thinking about how important this night was to her, and how inconsiderate he was being. He could have at least called if he knew he was going to run late! Wasn’t it always this way though? The longer she sat, the more she convinced herself that he was somewhere with her, because there was certainly no one at his place of employment this time of night. She wasn’t important to him! How dare he stand her up when he promised! And how could he be so heartless as to stand her up in order to be with that other woman! She didn’t deserve that!
Here she sat, dressed to kill, with no place to go. But then again…. She walked into the bedroom and opened the drawer of her nightstand. Very carefully she lifted out the gift that her husband had given her a couple of years ago. It was a Colt Detective Special, and it fit so nicely in her hand. Yes, this would do perfectly. She was dressed to kill, so that is exactly what she planned to do…
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Stranger
THE STRANGER
I feel like I don't even know myself anymore.
A stranger is all I see.
I don't recognize the person I've become.
Someone that I don't want to be.
My emotions so unpredictable,
They change so rapidly.
Up and down, left and right,
I don't know who to be.
I lash out at the ones I love,
I yell and scream and rage.
At time I feel I'm going crazy,
Just lock me in a cage.
I know I push you away from me,
I really don't know why.
So now I am so afraid that
Your love for me will die.
This anger has overtaken me,
It spirals out of control,
I feel it's force within me,
As it envelops and takes hold.
How do I break free,
From these chains that hold me tight.
I feel that I am drowning,
How do I make it right.
I don't want to be held hostage,
By the emotions that I feel.
I want to taste the joy of life,
I want it to seem real.
Please help me to feel normal,
To have control over my life.
I can't go on like this,
I have to end this strife.
Copyright June 2008 Patti Phillips
I feel like I don't even know myself anymore.
A stranger is all I see.
I don't recognize the person I've become.
Someone that I don't want to be.
My emotions so unpredictable,
They change so rapidly.
Up and down, left and right,
I don't know who to be.
I lash out at the ones I love,
I yell and scream and rage.
At time I feel I'm going crazy,
Just lock me in a cage.
I know I push you away from me,
I really don't know why.
So now I am so afraid that
Your love for me will die.
This anger has overtaken me,
It spirals out of control,
I feel it's force within me,
As it envelops and takes hold.
How do I break free,
From these chains that hold me tight.
I feel that I am drowning,
How do I make it right.
I don't want to be held hostage,
By the emotions that I feel.
I want to taste the joy of life,
I want it to seem real.
Please help me to feel normal,
To have control over my life.
I can't go on like this,
I have to end this strife.
Copyright June 2008 Patti Phillips
Friday, June 20, 2008
Blessed
A few years ago a good friend of mine brought this song to my attention, and explained why it was important to her. The song is called “Blessed” by Elton John. Read the lyrics and then I’ll explain some stuff.
Blessed
Hey you, you're a child in my head
You haven't walked yet
Your first words have yet to be said
But I swear you'll be blessed
I know you're still just a dream
your eyes might be green
Or the bluest that I've ever seen
Anyway you'll be blessed
And you, you'll be blessed
You'll have the best
I promise you that
I'll pick a star from the sky
Pull your name from a hat
I promise you that, promise you that, promise you that
You'll be blessed
I need you before I'm too old
To have and to hold
To walk with you and watch you grow
And know that you're blessed
Now this song was written from the point of view of a father about his unborn child. My friend loved this song because she thought of her daughter who was born with cerebral palsy and mental retardation. She would never, walk, talk, or learn. She would never be able to hug her mother. However, she was capable of love. She could feel love for her mother, and she could feel her mother’s love for her. It was her mother’s dream that she could someday see her child walk and talk and be able to have a conversation with her. To see her grow up and marry and have children. But yet she knew that would never be. Her daughter lived on this earth for 14 years, and I believe that her life, to her, was blessed. She is undoubtedly blessed now, in heaven, with her Creator.
After my friend explained why she loved this song, I have not been able to listen to it without getting tears in my eyes as I think of all that we are blessed with, yet we fail to see it. Life gets us down, and all we can think of is “poor me“. Just as Elton John sings of the love that a parent has for his unborn child, we should remember that we have a God who loves us unconditionally, and he truly wants the best for us. We fail to see the blessings that are before us every day.
Sometimes it seems that we are dealing with our every-day battles all by ourselves. It seems that no one cares about us, and that God is far away from us. But He isn’t. His blessings are still there upon our lives, we just fail to see them. He still has His hand on our lives, and on our future. His plan for our lives goes back to before we were ever born, and He will not release us from His hands. Whatever happens in our lives, it happens because it is what we need, even if it’s something we do not want. God planned every detail of our lives, our bodies, our words. He knew us before we were born! How can we not see just how incredibly blessed we are? Just as God has promised us, we will be blessed - we are blessed!
Blessed
Hey you, you're a child in my head
You haven't walked yet
Your first words have yet to be said
But I swear you'll be blessed
I know you're still just a dream
your eyes might be green
Or the bluest that I've ever seen
Anyway you'll be blessed
And you, you'll be blessed
You'll have the best
I promise you that
I'll pick a star from the sky
Pull your name from a hat
I promise you that, promise you that, promise you that
You'll be blessed
I need you before I'm too old
To have and to hold
To walk with you and watch you grow
And know that you're blessed
Now this song was written from the point of view of a father about his unborn child. My friend loved this song because she thought of her daughter who was born with cerebral palsy and mental retardation. She would never, walk, talk, or learn. She would never be able to hug her mother. However, she was capable of love. She could feel love for her mother, and she could feel her mother’s love for her. It was her mother’s dream that she could someday see her child walk and talk and be able to have a conversation with her. To see her grow up and marry and have children. But yet she knew that would never be. Her daughter lived on this earth for 14 years, and I believe that her life, to her, was blessed. She is undoubtedly blessed now, in heaven, with her Creator.
After my friend explained why she loved this song, I have not been able to listen to it without getting tears in my eyes as I think of all that we are blessed with, yet we fail to see it. Life gets us down, and all we can think of is “poor me“. Just as Elton John sings of the love that a parent has for his unborn child, we should remember that we have a God who loves us unconditionally, and he truly wants the best for us. We fail to see the blessings that are before us every day.
Sometimes it seems that we are dealing with our every-day battles all by ourselves. It seems that no one cares about us, and that God is far away from us. But He isn’t. His blessings are still there upon our lives, we just fail to see them. He still has His hand on our lives, and on our future. His plan for our lives goes back to before we were ever born, and He will not release us from His hands. Whatever happens in our lives, it happens because it is what we need, even if it’s something we do not want. God planned every detail of our lives, our bodies, our words. He knew us before we were born! How can we not see just how incredibly blessed we are? Just as God has promised us, we will be blessed - we are blessed!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Dreamer
I love this quote from the movie "Dreamer" spoken by Cale of her race horse:
"You are a great champion. When you ran the ground shook. The sky opened and mere mortals parted. Parted the way to victory. Where you will meet me in the winner's circle. Where I will lay a blanket of flowers on your back."
"You are a great champion. When you ran the ground shook. The sky opened and mere mortals parted. Parted the way to victory. Where you will meet me in the winner's circle. Where I will lay a blanket of flowers on your back."
Monday, June 2, 2008
Brianna's Donation to Locks of Love
Brianna has been nagging me for a couple of years to let her get her hair cut shorter. We’ve been growing her hair out since she was a toddler, and she is now 10 years old. I was so proud of her long hair, so I kept telling her no. After listening to her cry and yell every time I brushed her hair out, I decided it was time to let her do what she wanted with her hair. She told me she wanted to donate the hair to Locks of Love. We had been looking at the website that showed picture of the kids with no hair wearing their new wigs that were made from donations. She was intrigued, and wanted to help. So I reluctantly made a hair appointment for her. She had no second thoughts at all.
Here, the ponytail is getting cut off.
Holding up her cut off ponytail that will be donated. (before the hair is cut and styled) See how crooked her hair looks? That’s because she tipped her head to the side when Liz cut the ponytail off.
I can’t believe I’m doing this! (as Mom wipes a tear)
I think I’m gonna like this!
Putting on the final touches. She wanted Liz to style her hair with a flip.
The hairstylist Liz, and Brianna, holding her donation to Locks of Love. I told Brianna "Maybe I can just take the ponytail home and put it in the memory box." She told me "No, there are kids that need it. You can’t take it."
Before the haircut - my beautiful girl.
After the haircut - stylin’!!!!
If you are interested in donating to Locks of Love, visit this website:
This Is How It Is
I'm finally back in WC, and I do not want to leave here again. I've moved away from WC 2 or 3 times, and I missed my family and friends so darn much. I know that some people dream of growing up and leaving their hometown, never to return again. I've never been that way. It about killed me to leave home and go to college. I've been through alot of difficult times in my adult life, and I've learned to value the relationships that I have with those that I care about. They hold me up when I am weak; they cheer me up when I am sad; they encourage me when I am discouraged; they give me strength when I am afraid. Someone is always there for me, in one way or another. I love all of you. I hope that I can be for you, whatever it is you need from me.
Decisions
Sometimes life's decisions are so hard to make. How do you know whether or not you're making the right one? You weigh all the options, and think you have the answer, and then all these other doubts come into play. Your heart is telling you one thing, but then your mind starts going and you're all confused again.
Whether the choice is the right one or the wrong one, there's always something to be learned from it. Even when it is painful. Live and learn! No regrets!
Blessings
This is a most powerful presentation. Please take time to click on the following link and view it. You will be truly blessed.
Favorite Holiday Candy
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE HOLIDAY CANDY?
You know those yummy candies that you can only get on certain holidays? What are your favorites?
Mine are:
Valentines:
sweet hearts
St Patrick’s Day:
gold chocolate coins
Easter:
reeses’s peanut butter eggs
sugar eggs
Halloween:
candy corn/pumpkins
Christmas:
ribbon candy
big peppermint sticks
White-chocolate dipped oreos
chewy peppermints
You know those yummy candies that you can only get on certain holidays? What are your favorites?
Mine are:
Valentines:
sweet hearts
St Patrick’s Day:
gold chocolate coins
Easter:
reeses’s peanut butter eggs
sugar eggs
Halloween:
candy corn/pumpkins
Christmas:
ribbon candy
big peppermint sticks
White-chocolate dipped oreos
chewy peppermints
When I Reach the Place I'm Going
by Wynonna
When I reach the place I'm goin'
I will surely know my way
And I will turn and look inside me
And bid farewell to one more day
Every light begins with darkness
Every flower is once a seed
And with the sun and wind to test us
We are bound to be released
I will fly beyond this valley
I will open up the gate
And when I reach the place I'm goin'
I will surely know my way
We have hands to hold our sorrow
We have tears to heal the pain
And though your eyes ask many questions
On your lips I hear my name
I was born without a whisper
I was born beneath the rain
But when I reach the place I'm goin'
I will surely know my way
I will surely know my way
When I reach the place I'm goin'
I will surely know my way
And I will turn and look inside me
And bid farewell to one more day
Every light begins with darkness
Every flower is once a seed
And with the sun and wind to test us
We are bound to be released
I will fly beyond this valley
I will open up the gate
And when I reach the place I'm goin'
I will surely know my way
We have hands to hold our sorrow
We have tears to heal the pain
And though your eyes ask many questions
On your lips I hear my name
I was born without a whisper
I was born beneath the rain
But when I reach the place I'm goin'
I will surely know my way
I will surely know my way
Behind Closed Doors
(repost)
It was late in the evening, and I really wasn't expecting any visitors when I heard something in the yard. I went to the front window and looked out. There was a little girl in a long flowing gown sitting on the commode planter in the front yard. I went out the front door to investigate.
As I approached her, she stood up and asked if she could play with "that little girl who lives here." She appeared to be around 4 years old, and was wearing some sort of costume. She looked like a little princess with her gown, long curls hanging down her back, a tiara perched on her head. 'It's kind of late for you to be out playing alone. Where are your parents?" She just looked at the ground. "What is your name?" Nothing. "Are you lost?" Again, nothing.
Becoming increasingly concerned, I asked her to come inside. She stood up, clutching a video tape titled "Miracle" in her hand, and a teddy bear to her chest. "I've seen the little girl who lives here. I just wanted to play with her." "Well that's my daughter, but she is already in bed. I would think you would be in bed by now. Where do you live?" "Not far," she replied. I continued to try to get some kind of information out of her as to who she was or where her parents were. She didn't want to tell me anything. She looked like she hadn't had a bath in a while, and acted nervous, or afraid of something. I wondered what had happened to her.
"Let's go for a ride, ok?" She took my hand and followed me to the car. I'd already decided I didn't want to be accused of kidnapping or anything like that, so I headed straight for the hospital, calling to ask a police officer to meet me there. Once we arrived, she was reluctant to go in, but I assured her I would stay with her the whole time. As they were taking blood samples for various tests, and taking x-rays, a police officer talked with me outside the door of her exam room. I explained how she turned up at my house. It seemed the hospital personnel were acquainted with her, as they had quite a long record of previous visits. Child protective services had already been called in, because the parents were under suspicion of child abuse and negligence. At the time, they were nowhere to be found, so I agreed to stay with her. After the first round of bloodwork failed to show anything abnormal, another set of tests were run. It seemed that a hospital employee with a quick, intuitive knowledge of things and people (clairvoyance), had uncovered an interesting piece of information in questioning the girl. She told them that her mother gave her shots that would make her be a good girl. ????? WTF?
It seemed that the mother had been injecting her with human feces. The mother had a disease called Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy. People with this syndrome often injure their children in order to gain attention and sympathy. They will create symptoms of medical illness in the child, and then seek medical attention. This is a character-disordered parent who finds the drama of the "illness" and support of the hospital staff so gratifying, that keeping her child in the "sick role" is more important than realizing the danger and sickness of what she is doing. Sadly, many of these children die before any real proof is gathered.
In this case, the morbid act was discovered before it was too late. It turned out this family lived just around the corner from our house. You can never tell by looking at someone what really goes on in their home. They appeared to be a normal, happy family to all of the neighbors. The little girl was removed from the home, and charges were filed on the parents. She is now living a happy, healthy life with a loving family. Her body has healed, but the emotional trauma she has been through will always be with her.
This is my entry for week 6 of Blogophilia
Blogophilia Week 6:
Topic: Clairvoyance Experiment
Bonus points (hard, 2 points): Include a commode planter in the front yard.
Bonus points (easy, 1 point): Reference a hockey movie.
Blogophilia Week 6:
Topic: Clairvoyance Experiment
Bonus points (hard, 2 points): Include a commode planter in the front yard.
Bonus points (easy, 1 point): Reference a hockey movie.
It was late in the evening, and I really wasn't expecting any visitors when I heard something in the yard. I went to the front window and looked out. There was a little girl in a long flowing gown sitting on the commode planter in the front yard. I went out the front door to investigate.
As I approached her, she stood up and asked if she could play with "that little girl who lives here." She appeared to be around 4 years old, and was wearing some sort of costume. She looked like a little princess with her gown, long curls hanging down her back, a tiara perched on her head. 'It's kind of late for you to be out playing alone. Where are your parents?" She just looked at the ground. "What is your name?" Nothing. "Are you lost?" Again, nothing.
Becoming increasingly concerned, I asked her to come inside. She stood up, clutching a video tape titled "Miracle" in her hand, and a teddy bear to her chest. "I've seen the little girl who lives here. I just wanted to play with her." "Well that's my daughter, but she is already in bed. I would think you would be in bed by now. Where do you live?" "Not far," she replied. I continued to try to get some kind of information out of her as to who she was or where her parents were. She didn't want to tell me anything. She looked like she hadn't had a bath in a while, and acted nervous, or afraid of something. I wondered what had happened to her.
"Let's go for a ride, ok?" She took my hand and followed me to the car. I'd already decided I didn't want to be accused of kidnapping or anything like that, so I headed straight for the hospital, calling to ask a police officer to meet me there. Once we arrived, she was reluctant to go in, but I assured her I would stay with her the whole time. As they were taking blood samples for various tests, and taking x-rays, a police officer talked with me outside the door of her exam room. I explained how she turned up at my house. It seemed the hospital personnel were acquainted with her, as they had quite a long record of previous visits. Child protective services had already been called in, because the parents were under suspicion of child abuse and negligence. At the time, they were nowhere to be found, so I agreed to stay with her. After the first round of bloodwork failed to show anything abnormal, another set of tests were run. It seemed that a hospital employee with a quick, intuitive knowledge of things and people (clairvoyance), had uncovered an interesting piece of information in questioning the girl. She told them that her mother gave her shots that would make her be a good girl. ????? WTF?
It seemed that the mother had been injecting her with human feces. The mother had a disease called Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy. People with this syndrome often injure their children in order to gain attention and sympathy. They will create symptoms of medical illness in the child, and then seek medical attention. This is a character-disordered parent who finds the drama of the "illness" and support of the hospital staff so gratifying, that keeping her child in the "sick role" is more important than realizing the danger and sickness of what she is doing. Sadly, many of these children die before any real proof is gathered.
In this case, the morbid act was discovered before it was too late. It turned out this family lived just around the corner from our house. You can never tell by looking at someone what really goes on in their home. They appeared to be a normal, happy family to all of the neighbors. The little girl was removed from the home, and charges were filed on the parents. She is now living a happy, healthy life with a loving family. Her body has healed, but the emotional trauma she has been through will always be with her.
How to Score Points With Your Girlfriend's Mom
(repost)
Blogophilia Week 4
Topic: You Scored Three Points With That Bullet
Bonus points (hard, 2 points): Reference Occam’s Razor.
Bonus points (easy, 1 point): Incorporate a line from your favorite song.
How To Score Points With Your Girlfriend’s Mom
Michael had never had a girlfriend whose mother liked him. He’d recently begun dating Amanda, and he really, really liked her. It was really important to him to impress her mother, because he thinks he just may marry this girl some day. He came to me asking me for advice on how to score points with Amanda’s mom. He wanted to come up with a list of things he could do to slowly win her over. First, he was going to invite her to go to dinner with he and Amanda. When he arrived to pick them up, he planned to bring her a bouquet of flowers. Once they arrived at the restaurant, he would begin to compliment her looks, telling her how beautiful she looked. Then, he figured he could offer to fix things around the house. The most important thing he felt he could do to impress her would be to stay out of jail. He’d surely score 3 points with that bullet. I told him that Occam’s razor would give him the answer he needed. I explained the definition of Occam’s razor: all other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best. Therefore, he just needed to be respectful and appreciative towards her and her daughter, but not just to score points. Like the Sawyer Brown song says: If you treat her right, show her you care, when you need her she’ll be there. Life is not about tallying up points. It’s about loving others with sincerity and honesty.
Blogophilia Week 4
Topic: You Scored Three Points With That Bullet
Bonus points (hard, 2 points): Reference Occam’s Razor.
Bonus points (easy, 1 point): Incorporate a line from your favorite song.
How To Score Points With Your Girlfriend’s Mom
Michael had never had a girlfriend whose mother liked him. He’d recently begun dating Amanda, and he really, really liked her. It was really important to him to impress her mother, because he thinks he just may marry this girl some day. He came to me asking me for advice on how to score points with Amanda’s mom. He wanted to come up with a list of things he could do to slowly win her over. First, he was going to invite her to go to dinner with he and Amanda. When he arrived to pick them up, he planned to bring her a bouquet of flowers. Once they arrived at the restaurant, he would begin to compliment her looks, telling her how beautiful she looked. Then, he figured he could offer to fix things around the house. The most important thing he felt he could do to impress her would be to stay out of jail. He’d surely score 3 points with that bullet. I told him that Occam’s razor would give him the answer he needed. I explained the definition of Occam’s razor: all other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best. Therefore, he just needed to be respectful and appreciative towards her and her daughter, but not just to score points. Like the Sawyer Brown song says: If you treat her right, show her you care, when you need her she’ll be there. Life is not about tallying up points. It’s about loving others with sincerity and honesty.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Mosquitos
Someone sent this to me:
Mosquito Spray...Worth a try
I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone.
A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared.
The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don't leave home without it.....Pass it on.
I haven't actually tried this yet, but I'm going to. It sounds pretty good.
Mosquito Spray...Worth a try
I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone.
A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared.
The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don't leave home without it.....Pass it on.
I haven't actually tried this yet, but I'm going to. It sounds pretty good.
Who Really Knows the Answer?
This is my entry for Blogophilia Week 13
Week 13 Topic: Who Really Knows The Answer?
bonus points:
(hard, 2 points): use the phrase "six at the price of one"
(easy, 1 point): use the phrase "bane of my existence"
There are many questions in our lives that we never really know the answer to. Sometimes we just have to leave it behind and move on. I’m going to share with you an experience I had in the past. It concerns a problem that I had in my marriage that I never really got an answer to. If you aren’t in the mood to read about real life problems, or to listen to my man-bashing, then move on to the next blog, because this is all I’ve got.
2 years ago my husband and I were separated. He was working in another town, and driving 2 hours one way to and from work. Keep in mind that we were separated because of past infidelities on his part. I was still handling the finances, paying both his bills and mine with our combined income. I started noticing on his phone bill a lot of long phone calls to and from the same phone number. They all took place in the morning while driving to work, or in the evening while driving home. This occurred just about every day.
After seeing the calls on 2 consecutive phone bills, I decided that I would call the number and find out who it was, rather than ask him. I called it and, big surprise, a female answered by the name of Allison. This was the Allison that worked with him out of town. She lived there in the town where he worked. I asked her why she and my husband were spending so much time on the phone together. She said that she was still learning her job, and he was explaining stuff to her about the job. Whatever, I’ll just bet he was. I told her I didn’t think it was appropriate, and that I would appreciate it if all future learning would take place on the job, while on the clock, not after hours. Of course, don’t think for a minute that I believed her lame-ass excuse for the phone calls. She apologized and said she would never want to cause problems in my marriage, she was oh so sorry, and would not be calling his cell phone anymore. Hah!
When I questioned him about the calls, he gave me the same excuse. Of course, she may have, and probably did, call him and give him the heads up. (no pun intended) He promised the calls would stop, and he would do all further “instructing” during the workday, rather than after work. By the way, this man’s motto is “tell them what they want to hear” and “that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
Of course, the calls continued for the next 2 months. The only difference was that they were all incoming from her, but not outgoing from him. That was probably just a scheme on his part to pacify me. Of course he says he can’t help it if she keeps calling him. Can he not help it when his lame-ass hand picks up the phone and says hello? I told him he better take care of it or I would be paying her a visit. He promised he would tell her to stop calling. Now why do us women always want to threaten the other woman when it’s really our man who is to blame?
Now this skanky woman, and I’m not exaggerating here, had become, basically, the bane of my existence. I hated her with a passion. I felt that if it were not for women like her, there wouldn’t be near as many affairs going on. Sike! Again - it’s men like him that are the real cause of the affairs - because THEY ARE THE MARRIED ONES! This woman was single, in her early 20’s, still lived with Mom and Dad. She wasn’t anything special to look at. Kind of short and dumpy. However, when it comes to flirting, compliments, praising, listening, sympathy, and promises of “what I can do for you“, most men are not real picky as to what a women looks like. They just love the attention as their egos swell to vast proportions. This is the type of woman who just loved to make references to BJ’s, and other things of a sexual nature, just to get a guy’s mind on that sort thing while he’s talking to her. I’m sure she promised him “six at the price of one“ as she bragged about her abilities in that area. Again, I hated her with a passion.
To make a long story short - I never actually confronted her. After those 2 months had passed, the calls stopped altogether. After some more time had passed, he had moved us with him to that town. He came home from work to me every evening. I came face to face with her a couple times at his job, and she had the nerve to smile and hold out her hand for me to shake. Of course I didn’t. I just turned and walked away. She wasn’t worth my time. She eventually quit the job and moved with her parents to Hawaii. Poor thing. She just couldn’t make it living on her own. Aloha!
As for him, he promised that nothing ever happened between them. I didn’t believe it then, and I don’t believe it now. The problem was resolved on it’s own by her moving away. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t guilty, because he was. Guilty of SOMETHING - even if it was just inappropriateness, though it was probably more, but maybe not EVERYTHING.
Who really knows the answer? I know that I will never know. I choose to not dwell on it for now. I believe that a cheater will eventually cheat again. I hope not, but it is highly likely. I will never fully trust again. I choose to live my life with my eyes wide open.
Week 13 Topic: Who Really Knows The Answer?
bonus points:
(hard, 2 points): use the phrase "six at the price of one"
(easy, 1 point): use the phrase "bane of my existence"
There are many questions in our lives that we never really know the answer to. Sometimes we just have to leave it behind and move on. I’m going to share with you an experience I had in the past. It concerns a problem that I had in my marriage that I never really got an answer to. If you aren’t in the mood to read about real life problems, or to listen to my man-bashing, then move on to the next blog, because this is all I’ve got.
2 years ago my husband and I were separated. He was working in another town, and driving 2 hours one way to and from work. Keep in mind that we were separated because of past infidelities on his part. I was still handling the finances, paying both his bills and mine with our combined income. I started noticing on his phone bill a lot of long phone calls to and from the same phone number. They all took place in the morning while driving to work, or in the evening while driving home. This occurred just about every day.
After seeing the calls on 2 consecutive phone bills, I decided that I would call the number and find out who it was, rather than ask him. I called it and, big surprise, a female answered by the name of Allison. This was the Allison that worked with him out of town. She lived there in the town where he worked. I asked her why she and my husband were spending so much time on the phone together. She said that she was still learning her job, and he was explaining stuff to her about the job. Whatever, I’ll just bet he was. I told her I didn’t think it was appropriate, and that I would appreciate it if all future learning would take place on the job, while on the clock, not after hours. Of course, don’t think for a minute that I believed her lame-ass excuse for the phone calls. She apologized and said she would never want to cause problems in my marriage, she was oh so sorry, and would not be calling his cell phone anymore. Hah!
When I questioned him about the calls, he gave me the same excuse. Of course, she may have, and probably did, call him and give him the heads up. (no pun intended) He promised the calls would stop, and he would do all further “instructing” during the workday, rather than after work. By the way, this man’s motto is “tell them what they want to hear” and “that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
Of course, the calls continued for the next 2 months. The only difference was that they were all incoming from her, but not outgoing from him. That was probably just a scheme on his part to pacify me. Of course he says he can’t help it if she keeps calling him. Can he not help it when his lame-ass hand picks up the phone and says hello? I told him he better take care of it or I would be paying her a visit. He promised he would tell her to stop calling. Now why do us women always want to threaten the other woman when it’s really our man who is to blame?
Now this skanky woman, and I’m not exaggerating here, had become, basically, the bane of my existence. I hated her with a passion. I felt that if it were not for women like her, there wouldn’t be near as many affairs going on. Sike! Again - it’s men like him that are the real cause of the affairs - because THEY ARE THE MARRIED ONES! This woman was single, in her early 20’s, still lived with Mom and Dad. She wasn’t anything special to look at. Kind of short and dumpy. However, when it comes to flirting, compliments, praising, listening, sympathy, and promises of “what I can do for you“, most men are not real picky as to what a women looks like. They just love the attention as their egos swell to vast proportions. This is the type of woman who just loved to make references to BJ’s, and other things of a sexual nature, just to get a guy’s mind on that sort thing while he’s talking to her. I’m sure she promised him “six at the price of one“ as she bragged about her abilities in that area. Again, I hated her with a passion.
To make a long story short - I never actually confronted her. After those 2 months had passed, the calls stopped altogether. After some more time had passed, he had moved us with him to that town. He came home from work to me every evening. I came face to face with her a couple times at his job, and she had the nerve to smile and hold out her hand for me to shake. Of course I didn’t. I just turned and walked away. She wasn’t worth my time. She eventually quit the job and moved with her parents to Hawaii. Poor thing. She just couldn’t make it living on her own. Aloha!
As for him, he promised that nothing ever happened between them. I didn’t believe it then, and I don’t believe it now. The problem was resolved on it’s own by her moving away. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t guilty, because he was. Guilty of SOMETHING - even if it was just inappropriateness, though it was probably more, but maybe not EVERYTHING.
Who really knows the answer? I know that I will never know. I choose to not dwell on it for now. I believe that a cheater will eventually cheat again. I hope not, but it is highly likely. I will never fully trust again. I choose to live my life with my eyes wide open.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Wormholes
This is my entry for week 12 of Blogophilia.
Week 12 Topic: This Is The New "Hip"
bonus points (hard, 2 points): reference the Einstein-Rosen bridge
bonus points (easy, 1 point): include purple legwarmers
Final day to post: May 26, midnight GMT.
I read this week's topic, and I had to google the Einstein-Rosen bridge, because I didn't have any idea what it was. It turns out to be the same thing as a wormhole - a tunnel connecting two universes. Some brilliant physicists developed this idea. Most normal people like me don't think that way. I was surprised to find out how many people knew what a wormhole was. Maybe it is the new "hip" to appear to be genius? I don't know, but the only "hip" I can relate to is wearing purple leg-warmers as a teenager. Anyway, there's something about a black hole that one would enter that would take you to another universe. That hole is the Einstein-Rosen bridge. It supposedly can take you to another universe, and another place in time.
Here's a humorous poem I found that perfectly sums it up:
There was a young lady named Bright
Who traveled much faster than light
She set out one day
In a relative way
And returned on the previous night
by A.H. Reginald Buller
Physics was not my favorite class. I totally do not understand all the mumbo jumbo terms and theories about this whole wormhole thing:
theory of relativity, black holes, the Reissner-Nordstrom black hole, the Kerr black hole, the Schwarzschild black hole, cosmic censorship conjecture, hyperspace, cosmological physics, quantum gravity, quantum mechanics, energy density, etc.
I can relate to a wormhole being something like the hole that Alice in Wonderland chased the rabbit down into.
Here's some of the scientific renditions of a wormhole:
This looks like some kind of listening device,
What's the significance of a bee entering another universe?
This just looks like some kind of modern, fancy tiled floor with a circular stairwell going upstairs.
boobies?
Maybe a colorful pedestal of some kind.
This just looks like DNA to me.
And this looks like one of those sea anemone creatures.
Or a weird looking mushroom.
This reminds me of those space weather thingies.
This one looks like an air filter.
Another stairwell.
And this is just strange.
I can totally not relate to any of that stuff , and in all reality, it seems a bit scary to me- but this is what I can relate to:
pretty artistic renditions of the wormhole - I like these much better.
And my favorite of all:
Week 12 Topic: This Is The New "Hip"
bonus points (hard, 2 points): reference the Einstein-Rosen bridge
bonus points (easy, 1 point): include purple legwarmers
Final day to post: May 26, midnight GMT.
I read this week's topic, and I had to google the Einstein-Rosen bridge, because I didn't have any idea what it was. It turns out to be the same thing as a wormhole - a tunnel connecting two universes. Some brilliant physicists developed this idea. Most normal people like me don't think that way. I was surprised to find out how many people knew what a wormhole was. Maybe it is the new "hip" to appear to be genius? I don't know, but the only "hip" I can relate to is wearing purple leg-warmers as a teenager. Anyway, there's something about a black hole that one would enter that would take you to another universe. That hole is the Einstein-Rosen bridge. It supposedly can take you to another universe, and another place in time.
Here's a humorous poem I found that perfectly sums it up:
Who traveled much faster than light
She set out one day
In a relative way
And returned on the previous night
by A.H. Reginald Buller
Physics was not my favorite class. I totally do not understand all the mumbo jumbo terms and theories about this whole wormhole thing:
theory of relativity, black holes, the Reissner-Nordstrom black hole, the Kerr black hole, the Schwarzschild black hole, cosmic censorship conjecture, hyperspace, cosmological physics, quantum gravity, quantum mechanics, energy density, etc.
I can relate to a wormhole being something like the hole that Alice in Wonderland chased the rabbit down into.
Here's some of the scientific renditions of a wormhole:
This looks like some kind of listening device,
What's the significance of a bee entering another universe?
This just looks like some kind of modern, fancy tiled floor with a circular stairwell going upstairs.
boobies?
Maybe a colorful pedestal of some kind.
This just looks like DNA to me.
And this looks like one of those sea anemone creatures.
Or a weird looking mushroom.
This reminds me of those space weather thingies.
This one looks like an air filter.
Another stairwell.
And this is just strange.
I can totally not relate to any of that stuff , and in all reality, it seems a bit scary to me- but this is what I can relate to:
pretty artistic renditions of the wormhole - I like these much better.
And my favorite of all:
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