Math

Is not my favorite subject.
And I've got 3 math classes to prep for.
Yes, I'm thrilled.... (ummm - not really.)

Surface area and volume of Pyramids, Prisms, Cones, and Cylinders are what we are working on right now.
If any of you out there have some worksheets - and are willing to share - It would be great. I've been scouring the internet looking for some and have come up with a few. I'd really like some more... (I refuse to pay to join a website that will give me worksheets - I AM just a sub, after all.)

We will work problems on the board, in our sleep, and for homework... What they really need is practice. And this is why I need a LOT of worksheets.

I've decided to implement an extra credit problem once a week. It will not be easy. If they complete it correctly by Friday, I will add 10 points to their weekly homework grade. If they try it but get it wrong, they will get 5 points for the attempt. 10 points is 10 points, right?

3 days down... 8 weeks to go.

My long term sub assignment has been umm... interesting. Yup, that's a good word.
I had one math class full of kids who couldn't be bothered to do the homework. They will receive a big fat zero unless they turn it in on Monday for half credit. I am simply blown away by the attitude.
They don't care about anything.
Where, pray tell, does the attitude come from? I know some of these kids' parents and I'm sure if they knew their kids weren't doing the homework, they'd be upset... but then again, they see the grades. They know.
I have 8 weeks left.
They will learn.
They will fight me every single step of the way, but they WILL learn.
Basically, it's sad.
It's sad that kids are throwing their lives away because they think it's cool to not learn.
It will be interesting to watch these kids as they progress to the high school next year. They need to buckle down and do the work. They aren't stupid. Every single kid I have has the potential to do great things.
They are going to wake up one day and realize that the mean nasty sub from 8th grade actually had a clue and tried to tell them... And they are going to wish they'd paid attention.

She's out to get me...

Remember a couple of years ago when I had a run in with Mrs. D and she smooshed my sweet car? Well, yesterday I was on my way to school - around 7:35am. Yes, I know that's early.
I passed her house and noticed that her car was gone.
"OMG! She's out and about! How unusual... She must have gone to breakfast.", I thought.
We cross over a teeny tiny one lane bridge (20mph) to get in and out of our neighborhood. Now let me say that this bridge is really one lane... If there happens to be a person or a cow on the bridge, you cannot cross.
I was behind another car.
I saw a car coming up on the other side. I thought it might be Mrs. D as color of the car was right. It was.
The car in front of me crossed the bridge, but barely made it over as Mrs. D decided she was coming across. She was waiting for no one. She didn't even pause... she just went. The car in front of me actually had to swerve as it came off the bridge or he would have been crumpled.
I had stopped just short of the bridge to watch and see what was going to happen. Needless to say, I had back up or she would have run me over.
I figured the quicker she got that car back into her garage, the better. The world is a much safer place with her car parked at home....

It's harder than it looks

Got this little ditty from my sister – seemed kinda fun, so play along if the mood strikes you! Let me know in comments if you do!

RULES:
IT’S HARDER THAN IT LOOKS! ERASE MY ANSWERS, ENTER YOURS, SEND IT ON TO 10 PEOPLE INCLUDING THE ONE THAT SENT THIS TO YOU. USE THE 1ST LETTER OF YOUR LAST NAME TO ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. THEY HAVE TO BE REAL PLACES, NAMES, THINGS. NOTHING MADE UP! TRY TO USE DIFFERENT ANSWERS IF THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU HAD THE SAME INITIAL. YOU CAN’T USE YOUR NAME FOR THE BOY/GIRL NAME QUESTION.

1. What is your last name
Crossing
2. 4 Letter Word
Call
3. A Boys Name
Caleb
4. A Girls Name
Carol
5. An Occupation
Cabbie
6. A Color
Cream
7. Something you wear
Cut-offs
8.A Beverage
Coffee
9. A Food
Carrots
10. Something found in the bathroom
Conditioner
11. A place
Colorado
12. A Reason for being late
Cooking?
13. Something you shout
Cool it!

Smelly Towel Cleaner

Do you have towels that smell a little funky? Can't get that smell out?
I have the all natural solution!

Smelly Towel Cleaner!
You simply run your towels through the wash cycle on hot with a capful of Smelly Towel Cleaner and NO detergent. 
This stuff is amazing.
I have no idea what's in it or how it works, but it works.  No more musty towels!!!

Want to know why your towels get that stink?  It's simple: Overuse of detergents, using fabric softener and/or using only low water temperatures for washing will cause odor in your washer.  The odor-causing residue and mold spores are transferred to towels and clothing and are impossible to remove until the washer has been cleaned. Towels are more plush than clothing therefore absorb more mold spores.  Also, towels are used near the face and when wet so odor is noticed more.

Unfortunately, the only way to get this amazing stuff right now is to win it as it is not yet available in stores.
Want to win?
Leave a comment. (One entry per person.)
There will be a random drawing on February 1st. (I'll put all names in a basket and have LLB draw a name.) Winner will be announced and contacted via email. Your Smelly Towel Cleaner will come to you directly from the manufacturer.

My Comments...

Are gone...
My comment link thingy got changed.
Any comments I had are now POOF! gone.
I exported them and now I don't know what to do... I tried to backtrack and do something else and I think I made it worse...
So - we're starting over.
If you left a comment any time over the previous 5 years, I appreciate it. Please leave me comments - I love comments.

Tomorrow - Yikes!

Is the beginning of my long term sub assignment.
This may be the last you see of me for a while as I will be very busy.
Today I went to school and made sure I have a lesson plan to get through tomorrow. I will also go through some files and start making lesson plans for the rest of the week.
Am I nervous?
Ummm... yes. I have 6 classes of kids who have to learn their math and science while their regular teacher is gone.
The teacher will be in contact if I need her - this is far different from what I was told last week. I'm sure my total freak out to the principal and assistant principal had some effect. She has given me her phone numbers and email address. This makes me feel far more comfortable. I spent some time with her and we went over all kinds of things - how to do attendance, when lunch happens and how to work that split class, how the new fire drill procedures work, and more. She showed me the kids' tests, homework assignments, and the class rosters.
These kids are now mine.
They have no idea what will be waiting for them when they arrive tomorrow morning... bwahahahahaha!!!

Neosporin Lip Care

We are taking Neosporin Lip Health 3-Day Challenge!
We received the Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy and the Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy. Can I tell you how much we love them?!
The Daily Hydration Therapy goes on smooth and soaks in to your lips nicely. It doesn't "glom" on. The tube itself doesn't dispense the stuff very well, but we just put in on our finger and apply. It's terrific!
The Overnight Renewal Therapy comes in a tiny tub. You put a bit on your finger and apply to your lips. It has the appearance of soft frosting, and it feels like a cloud when it goes on your lips.
Our lips have been a mess since December. This stuff really works!!
LLB plays trumpet and has to always keep her lips healthy - playing with chapped lips just doesn't work all that well. (She has tried everything and the only thing that gave some relief was vaseline which she was using at night.)
She applied the Overnight Renewal Therapy first because it happened to be nighttime when we got the package. She felt immediate relief! She actually sighed. Her lips had been sore for a while!! The next morning, her lips were SO much better. She used the Daily Hydration during the day and by the time she got home her lips looked normal! She continued using both the Overnight and Daily Hydration and really, in 3 days, she was back to her normal self. She carries the Daily Hydration in her pocket and wants another tube for her trumpet case. She keeps the Overnight Renewal Therapy next to her bed and uses it at night. She has found that nothing works better and has told her fellow trumpeters about the Neosporin Lip Health 3-Day Challenge!.

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Neosporin and received a sample of the Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy and the Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate."

Swooosh!

We went skiing last night.
It was warm - relatively speaking - and our rental boots were actually quite comfortable. (It's the little things!)
I'd like you all to know that Mr. was the first one to quit for the night. This is a first in our house! I skied longer than Mr!!! This has NEVER happened before and will probably never happen again.
The conditions were not ideal, but I managed to impress my instructor and my kid - even though I AM the slowest skier on the mountain. I can turn. I can stop. I can get on and off the lift without falling... And, when I almost got run over by some crazy snowboarders, I managed to stay vertical.. (I knew you'd be impressed.)
I can't wait to go back!

Horse Sense

I have little knowledge of horses - I rode when I was little, but that doesn't really count. I know they are big and smart and can smoosh me like a bug at any moment.

We are watching our neighbor's horse and dogs while they are off skiing. Their horse knows that I'm a total equine moron - he can just tell.

We arrived for care and feeding the other night. LLB took the dogs in and I was left to the horse. I found the feed right where they said it would be.
I looked for his bucket. They said it was to the right of the barn... I asked him where his bucket was...
The horse just looked at me.
(He was standing right next to his feed bucket. In my defense it was pitch black and rainy. I couldn't see much.)
"Hey, Lady... are you here to feed me? My bucket is right here...
Lady.. walk this way... that's it... come closer... (Good God! This one is an idiot!)
sigh... (shuffles feet)
Lady, I'm showing you where my bucket is. (shifts feet and nods head)
sigh (rolls eyes)
Ahh.. finally. Thanks lady!" (mmmm... yumm!)

The next morning we went over in the daylight.
The horse kicked his bucket when I got out of the car.
He was going to be sure I knew where his bucket was... And since we were a little later he is normally fed, he was probably pretty hungry.
"Lady - the bucket - it's here. (rolls eyes and kicks bucket)
Neigh (OMG! She's back! I wonder if she can find the feed bucket in the daylight. Kicks bucket again.)
Lady - can you move a little faster? I'm hungry! (shuffles feet)
Sigh - Geez, it's about time!
Thanks mmmm I love sweet feed!" (stuffs whole head in bucket for maximum satisfaction)

This says it all:

"Socialism only works in two places: Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they already have it." -Ronald Reagan

Celebrations!

How do you celebrate an accomplishment?
My kids finished their first term of the 2009-2010 school year yesterday. They took their exams, turned in their dismissal note, and blew out of school. They celebrated with pancakes and laughter with their friends at our local pancake place.
How fun is that?
These kids know where it's at - they know the importance of good friends, good conversation, and laughter.

Some People

Look for trouble - they look to stir it up and make others' lives miserable.
I've got one of them stalking me.
I know who it is.
And really, I feel sorry for that person...
But, I've got better things to do - I've got classes to teach, people to see, laps to swim, posts to write, and bells to ring.

I'll be in and out of here over the next 9 weeks - OMG! 9 weeks! - while I take a long term sub position. I've got lesson plans to write, kids to get to know, quizzes to create, and more. Full time in the classroom is not what I had in mind, but for this school and this principal, I will do it. I may as well put that masters degree I worked so hard for to good use, right?

The Foreword... In it's entirety

After much deliberation, I have decided to let you all see how terrific my kid is. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent.) Oh and if you think I'm bragging, I don't much care.


Who is #1? #1 is many things to many different people. To his family he is #1 the video game aficionado, the student, the musician, the wood stacker/lawn mower, the picky eater, the neat one, the older brother, the athlete, the jokester, the new driver, the sentimental one (he wears his heart on his sleeve – a fact about which his mother worries constantly).

The #1 we see at home is a little different than the #1 you see at school.

You see the talkative extrovert. We see the introvert who needs time to just be. #1 enjoys the company of friends, but often likes to sit and listen to music or play video games.

You see the athlete who seems to always come in second. We see the athlete who gives 100% at every practice and sporting event. He cheers on his teammates until he his hoarse. #1 is the best cheerleader a team can have. He doesn’t care if you place first or last, he will cheer for you until you cross the finish line. He has more team spirit in his little finger than most people have in their whole bodies.

You see the “band geek”. We see the saxophonist who works hard, loves the camaraderie of marching band, who can improvise on the fly, and really play jazz.  We see the guitarist who enjoys playing songs with the kids at summer camps and with the gospel band at church. Music is part of who #1 is. He’s been making music in one form or another since the age of 5.  His mother hopes that someday he returns to playing the piano – he’s good at it.

You see the kid who always gets the A. We see the dedicated student who works hard, stays up late, goes the extra mile, and pressures himself to get his assignments just right.

You see the kid who is well behaved and perfectly mannered – and we’re glad you do!  We can still remember the stubborn 3-year-old sitting in the “Time Out” chair, the giggly 4 year old karate student whose laughter could be heard throughout the entire dojo, and the little thief who stole the fire engine off of a friend’s birthday cake. (He paid dearly for that one!)  We also see the young man who knows which fork to use at a dinner, who can walk up to anyone, shake hands with confidence, and hold a conversation. 

#1 is a terrific kid. He is talented, smart, fun loving, dedicated, and more – There are too many adjectives to choose from and I certainly don’t want to be accused of bragging. I am so proud of my #1. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him – I just know it’s going to be great!

Foreword

I had to write one for #1's English assignment.  These teachers - do they not realize that I've done my time in homework purgatory?  I've written many essays, but really...  Not only did I have to write a Foreword, I had to write it about #1. Do you have any idea how hard it is to write about your kid and not come off as a braggart???

I was going to share it, but now... I'm not so sure...
Should I share?
Would you?

The difference:

"Democrats give you the fish. Republicans give you the fishing pole."

Which would you rather have?

(Thanks to J for sending me this in my email this morning...)

It is time...

For Christmas to be put away.
If you need me today, I can be found in my living room surrounded by tissue, ornaments, pieces of tree, and a bunch of storage boxes. 
I'd rather be skiing - which is what we'd planned for today, but since it's raining, I really have no choice - I need to just get it done.
Wish me luck...

Samba anyone?

In a nutshell - nothin' much...
The kids are at TriCounty Band - #1 has a solo.  He is psyched.  He stayed up late to learn it.
LBB told the kid next to her that he could have the trumpet solo because she wasn't going to have time to practice it. FYI: the bus arrived back at school at 9:45pm last night. She's pretty slick... There was no way she was going to stay up late to learn a solo...
They are playing a "samba".
At breakfast this morning:
Dad, what's a Samba?
It's a dance - Lets's look it up on the internet, LLB.
Here's a link to a video...
Wow, Dad.. that's a cool dance... Hey, check out her outfit.
Yeow - you will NOT be dancing Samba... ever.

Good Goggles

Make all the difference in the world!
Who knew that prescription swim goggles would make such a huge difference when I'm swimming. FYI: Being able to see the clock and especially the wall makes the swim far more pleasant. I'm not saying it's not boring... it's still pretty boring swimming up and down the pool, but at least I can see... and picking out different items on the bottom of the pool helps pass the time.
I normally just see the big blue blob of a lane marker on the bottom of the pool... The big blue blob ends in a T shaped blob near the end of the pool. This used to be my signal to "pay attention - the wall is somewhere ahead".  There is also a big T on the wall at the end of the pool... when one is as nearsighted as I am, one never really knows where the wall is until one hits it. 
Today I could see the wall.  I could see the grout lines in the lane marker at the bottom of the pool.  I had no idea it was tile. I thought it was painted!! It's a whole new pool!
So - if you wear glasses or contacts for nearsightedness and you swim, I highly recommend prescription goggles. I got mine online for $5 or so.  It's the best $5 I've ever spent.

Airwear

I wear glasses - as do two other members of my family. We wear rimless glasses because they are light, vanish on the face, and are almost indestructible.  The lenses in our glasses are made by Airwear. They are fantastic!
Mr. wears progressive lenses and loves how light his glasses are compared to those of even just a few years ago. LLB has her father's eyes and has worn glasses since second grade. She loves her Airwear lenses.   Her lenses take a little more abuse than Mr.'s or mine. She has been hit in the face with a basketball and a volleyball more than once (she's not the most athletic child) and her lenses have always come out of the ordeal unscathed. I would recommend these lenses for their strength alone!

I can't wear contacts and in years past my glasses would be "heavy on my face" by the end of the day. NOT anymore! Airwear lenses are sooo light!  I forget I have them on!

In case you need another reason to go with Airwear - Airwear is a "green" company.

A pioneer in optical lenses, Essilor now employs green manufacturing processes in our Airwear^® lenses. Airwear^® lenses are the first Essilor lens material to go green, significantly reducing its environmental footprint by implementing responsible manufacturing, including:

• Packaging: Essilor uses 100 percent recyclable cardboard made from 100 percent recyclable wooden fibers for Airwear^® lenses, helping to eliminate 570,000 pounds of plastic waste every year.
• Water Consumption: Essilor uses 100 percent recycled water for Airwear^® lenses, cutting consumption in half and conserving millions of gallons of water.
•  
• Recycling Excess Material: Airwear^® re-purposes unused materials for other industries, such as automobiles and writing instruments. 
•  
• Donating Eyewear: Essilor supports Lions Club International's Recycle for Sight program, which accepts old, usable glasses and donates them to those in need.

But going green doesn't mean sacrificing comfort, performance, protection and style. Airwear^® lenses are 43 percent lighter and 10 times more impact-resistant than standard plastic lenses. They also provide 100 percent UV protection.
Airwear^® lenses are available for single vision and progressive prescriptions, and are compatible with the world's most trusted vision brands, such as Varilux^®, Crizal^®, Xperio^®, DEFINITY^® and Transitions^®.

Need new glasses? Get Airwear lenses! You'll love them!!


“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Airwear and received a pair of Airwear eyeglass lenses to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

So here's the scenario

I write about something.
Someone else reads it and reads something into it.
They tell someone else. Who tells a third someone else. Then, they all click around and come up with other stuff they think I shouldn't say - they said I said something about yet another person in 2008. Spare me.
Anyway...
That someone else decides that I shouldn't be allowed to write about anything to do with where said something took place.
That someone else decides to hold a meeting to discuss my writing about anything to do with where.
Those at the meeting decide that yet another someone else needs to tell me that I should probably stop writing about anything to do with where.
FYI: I have written about where less than 5 times in the history of this here blog.
I think I'm being censored...
I think I don't like it much...
I think that if that first someone else and that second someone else had handled the situation appropriately, this would all be moot.
'nuf said.

Brrr...

It's cold here.
I don't do cold very well... It gets in my bones and stays there until late spring - I usually thaw out in May.
It's supposedly going up to 39 degrees today. I'll believe it when I see it.
The thought of putting on a swim suit and hitting the pool when the current temperature hovers closer to zero than to freezing makes my lips blue. The only good thing about hitting the pool in this weather is that it is warm in my car - as a matter of fact, I can make my car warmer than my house! That's not saying very much because my house has been relatively chilly this past couple of weeks.  We have a heat pump - they work great when the air temperature is 32 or higher. Once it gets lower than 32, the heat pump is inefficient at best and it costs an arm and a leg for it to keep the house warm. So - I turned it off and we are currently heating with our wood stove.
Our family room is toasty warm.
LLB said to me as she sat in front of the fire this morning, "Mom, my room is cold."
"But you are warm in your bed, right?"
"Yes, but the cold makes getting up in the morning harder."
"The cold air in your room makes you move faster in the morning..."
"Yeah, but..."
I grinned. She sighed and rolled her eyes...
Hmm... I may have hit on something here.
We might never turn the heat back on.

Interesting Stuff?

Over here in my little corner of the universe, I write whatever is on my mind at the time - It's kind of  like a journal, but not exactly.   I'm not saying that everything I write is interesting... Believe me, It never ceases to amaze me that some of you are still around reading my blather!!

What is interesting is the number of different people from different aspects of my life who read. My college roomie reads - Hi C!  My dear friend S from up north reads - Hi S!  My sister - she reads because she "has to".  Hi Nicole!  I have friends who I've met out here in "blogland" - Hi Renee, Jane, Daisy, Susan, Leanne, etc. Then there are my real life friends who read - Hello Ladies! (You know who you are.)  Heck, even my English teacher reads!

And then there are the church people.  There seem to be a lot of them reading all of a sudden...  (I like traffic, don't get me wrong.) I seem to be creating "buzz" at every comma. (How this little blog can create "buzz" still blows my mind!)  The only thing is that they try to read into every thing I write - they try to figure out what I'm "really" saying. People... I don't write here so you can read between the lines... there is nothing between the lines except white space. If I have something to say, I say it... Just like in real life -- only I don't put names or faces... anonymity is crucial out here on the web.  I just say it - Just like I do when you ask me a question...

If you see something of yourself and you don't like it... don't take it personally... chances are it's not about you.  But if it's something you might be able to change - please feel free.  Like the women in the restaurant who let their kids scream at the top of their lungs. If you let your kid do that, too... you might want to take note. 

I get my blog fodder from everywhere. I see crazy stuff going on all over the place. There are so many more things I could write about, but by the time I have time to sit here and write, I can't remember half of what I was going to say... Sometimes I write about my children.  I'm very proud of both of them and I want share their accomplishments with friends and family, but I don't want it to be "over the top".  Those posts are often the most difficult because I don't want you all to think that I'm bragging. Other times my knickers get in a twist and the words just come. They fly out of my fingers, through the keyboard and onto the page.  Mom and Joyce will understand that better than anyone... 

I know - my blog is just like a train wreck - you can't help but watch/read. And I'm glad you do.  What I write here is my opinion, my thoughts, my perception, my feelings about a particular situation... Nothing more. 
And it saves me from writing a Christmas letter every year...

Just keep swimming...

I have a pinched nerve in my neck. It is causing me great angst not to mention tingles in my thumb and down my arm.
The physical therapist wants me to swim 3 times a week for 30 minutes and to get my heart rate up to 123 and keep it there. Let me tell you, when you are 14, you can swim for hours and not even feel it. It's actually quite fun...
When you are much older than 14, it really isn't all that pleasant especially when you can't do the breast stroke... Doing 30 minutes of freestyle is almost torture. Fortunately for me, I can flip over and do the back stroke... Oh and I can turn on to my side and do the side stroke...
But really, when you are swimming - even when you go with a friend, it's kinda... boring... you can't swim and chat. I know this. I tried... I almost drowned myself.
So, I'll just keep swimming...
There is one benefit to all of this torture - it makes you skinny... fast!  You use all kinds of muscles and burn all kinds of fat just trying to stay afloat while getting from one end of the pool to the other...

Wow... Think about it...

A friend sent me the following. I think it deserves a read.
 

Let me see if I got this right.
If you cross the North Korean border illegally you get 12 years hard labor.
If you cross the Iranian border illegally you are detained indefinitely.
If you cross the Afghan border illegally, you get shot.
If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally you will be jailed.
If you cross the Chinese border illegally you may never be heard from again.
If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally you will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed..
If you cross the Cuban border illegally you will be thrown into political prison to rot.
If you cross the U.S. border illegally you get:
* a job,
* a drivers license,
* social security card,
* welfare,
* food stamps,
* credit cards,
* subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house,
* free education,
* free health care,
* a lobbyist in Washington
* billions of dollars worth of public documents printed in your language
* the right to carry your country’s flag while you protest that you don’t get enough respect
* and, in many instances, you can vote.

I just wanted to make sure I had a firm grasp on the situation…

Behavior still matters...

We were at our favorite chicken place for dinner last night - us, my friend K and her daughter, and R and HP.  When we sat down at a table for 7, there weren't any young kids nearby or we wouldn't have sat there.

Suddenly we were treated to an ear piercing screech and a giggle.

K flinched and said, "Ooh".  I almost covered my ears as the screech was at such a pitch as to shatter glass.
As R sat down, the screecher screeched again.
"Ooh", she said.
(I got it!! "Ooh" is sweetly southern for "OMG! What the heck was that??  Make it stop!")

The screecher turned out to be a spritely 4 year old girl who had just returned to her table from the ball pit. Lucky us.
(Trust me, the child will either become an opera star or a horror flick star. What a set of lungs on that one!)

The screecher had a friend who decided to join her. They stood directly behind me and screeched at the top of their lungs while their mothers did nothing. And I mean NOTHING. They screeched and screamed for what seemed many many minutes. There was no parental response whatsoever.

#1 leaned over and asked (loudly) if he were ever that poorly behaved.
"No, because I wouldn't let you. I would have hauled you out of here at the first sign of behavior like that."
LLB giggled. She knew what I said was true. (Fortunately for me, she was never a screecher. She thought screechers were beneath her...  She used to give them dirty looks for making her ears hurt.)

R and K watched the mothers ignore their cherubs while they screamed, ran rampant around the restaurant, and basically made everyone else miserable.

We discussed their becoming my blog fodder.
It was decided that the topic needs to be addressed. Behavior matters. Period.

Any mother who allows her child to scream/screech at the top of their lungs in a restaurant while people are trying to have a meal needs to take a good hard look at her parenting skills. I don't blame the kids - I blame the parents for not stopping or even attempting to stop the screaming.

This was a teachable moment... they blew it, plain and simple.
This is how it works: The parent says, "We don't scream in restaurants. If you scream again, we will leave." Then follow through... that's it...
Trust me... all it takes is once.

Instead, the parents look like the morons they are and the kids learn nothing.

Kittens

A dear friend sent me this. I couldn't resist putting it out here.

A pretty little girl named Suzy was standing on the sidewalk in front of her home. Next to her was a basket containing a number tiny creatures; in her hand was a sign announcing FREE KITTENS.

Suddenly a line of big black cars pulled up beside her. Out of the lead car stepped a tall, grinning man.

"Hi there, little girl, I'm President Obama. What do you have in the basket?" he asked.

"Kittens," little Suzy said.

"How old are they?" asked Obama.

Suzy replied, "They're so young, their eyes aren't even open yet."

"And what kind of kittens are they?"

"Democrats," answered Suzy with a smile.

Obama was delighted. As soon as he returned to his car, he called his PR chief and told him about the little girl and the kittens.

Recognizing the perfect photo op, the two men agreed that the president should return the next day, and, in front of the assembled media, have the girl talk about her discerning kittens.

So the next day, Suzy was again standing on the sidewalk with her basket of "FREE KITTENS" when another motorcade pulled up, this time followed by vans from ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN & Fox News.

Cameras and audio equipment were quickly set up, then Obama got out of his limo and walked over to little Suzy.

"Hello, again," he said, "I'd love it if you would tell all my friends out there what kind of kittens you're giving away."

"Yes sir," Suzy said. "They're Republicans."

Taken by surprise, the president stammered, "But... but... yesterday, you told me they were DEMOCRATS."

Little Suzy smiled and said, "I know. But today, they have their eyes open."

Splish Splash

I got a shower at the Olive Garden.

We went to dinner with friends before we went to the movies the other night. We were seated after quite a long wait.  As we sat down, the waitress asked what we'd like to drink. We gave our orders and perused the menu.

She brought out everyone's beverage and proceeded to place each glass on the bitter edge of the table. I have no idea why she did that, but the whole thing made me nervous.  She made her way around the table and when she got to my dear friend seated next to me, she put hers so close to the edge that we were sure it would tip.  The next and final beverage was for my dear friend's husband. He ordered a very large glass of ice water with lemon.

In a split second, I was soaked. I'm not sure what happened or how. I just know that one moment I was dry, and the next,  I had a whole glass of water all over me - as in shoulder to bum and everything in between. Now - it's not summer. It's winter and it's just down right cold. The wind was blowing so hard that you could feel the cold coming through the windows at the restaurant and we were on the wall side away from the windows. Ice water in any form is not what I had in mind for a shower.

I took it all in stride as it wasn't anything sticky or hot. It was water. I did not make a stink. I did not fuss. I did not even flinch. I salvaged my purse and my jacket and requested another napkin.  My rear end and lap were soaked - as in even my undies were wet.  But, it was just water... no biggie.  It will dry.  The waitress apologized, brought me another napkin, and then disappeared.

The waitress then proceeded to ignore our table. THAT is a big fat no-no. 

If we have to chase you down for more salad,  another breadstick, or even the check, we are not impressed.  I've never had bad our lousy service at the Olive Garden before, so I'm sure she was simply mortified. Unfortunately her behavior cost her part of her tip.  I am a very good tipper, but not last night. She got the 15% she was entitled to and not one penny more. I considered giving her 10%, but I'm not totally nasty. Personally, I think she should have given me a discount because of my shower, but... whatever.

So - if you go to the Olive Garden, bring a towel - the showers are mighty cold!

Hang on Toto!!

The wind is whipping! I feel like we might be blown away! It sounded like a freight train all night... and all day yesterday - which was when I was out driving in it.

LLB and I went shopping and to the movies yesterday instead of staying home and taking those pictures I promised you. We had a great day - I may have found the drapes - which I purchased for a song - but I need to wait to see the bedding before I get too excited.  LLB got some bargains and spent her Kohls' gift card that was burning a hole in her pocket. I got some goodies for some of LLB's friends for next Christmas - yes, I've already started.  I also picked up some frames so I can get all of the school pictures from years past up on the wall. (I have the current year's pix up in the family room, but the rest are sitting in a drawer and that, my friends, is totally unacceptable.)

So this morning, I am up and dressed and ready to start my day. I even made the bed so I could take that picture you've been wanting to see.  I have a before and an after...  Here is the before:

It doesn't give you the whole sense of how bad it really was, so you can use your imagination. Mr. is steaming off that hideous blue paper. I told you it was attractive... imagine a whole room with bows and flowers... it was exactly of what nightmares are made...

Here is the "somewhat" after... The painting is done. The crown is up. The loveseat needs a slip cover, but you can ignore that and the curtains and rods aren't up yet...

Soon that ugly 1986 carpet will be hardwood flooring - stay tuned.  But anyway, now you can see what we've been doing with our free time.

Happy New Year!

It's 2010!!
We had a lovely time party hopping last night! We just wish we could have hit all of the parties to which we were invited, but... time flew and the roads were icy.  It was fun to see and reconnect with a few good friends over a drink and a snack. The fireworks up at K's were terrific!! That was such a nice way to start the new year!

Today Mr. finished up the last of the crown molding - it is up and caulked. All I have to do is paint it - I may take a couple of pictures so you can all see what we've been doing. Check back tomorrow. I'll have to take the pix in the daylight.

The new bedding is due in on Monday - hopefully it will "work".  If not, I'll be looking at the old faithful Martha Washington bedspread for a while until I find something I like. We've waited 5 years for this, so what's another couple of days, right?  I'm also on the hunt for drapes and rods... I think I may have found some at Penney's - LLB and I will hit there tomorrow to check them out before we go to the movies. 

The more things change, the more things stay the same...  And we like it like that.