101st Post

I posted my 100th post to my blog today and I suppose it is worth mentioning! This is 101. I never imagined I would like the outlet I get from this blog as much as I do. Thanks for reading.

Late Night Humor

"Hillary Clinton continually reminds voters that she has been tested. Which makes sense. You never know what Bill might have brought home." --Jay Leno

Funny but terrible! Click on the title if you want to read more.

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Worse!

I read an article that just made me livid! We all know that FEMA did not handle hurricane Katrina correctly. So much of that state is still in shambles. Now on top of it all, the article states, "After downplaying the risks for months, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday it will rush to move Gulf Coast hurricane victims out of roughly 35,000 government-issued trailers because tests found dangerous levels of formaldehyde fumes." The CDC is the one who found the problem, not FEMA. The article goes on to say that some of the people have been having health issues possibly related to this since 2006. It is nice to know the federal government cares so much about the citizens of the Gulf Coast. Click on the title if you want to read the whole article.

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day.

NIU Shooting

I just read about the Northern Illinois University shooting. It seems like it is happening every where and I do not understand it. What would possess someone to go to a school and start shooting? The article said he killed five and injured sixteen. It is a real tragedy. I feel for those poor parents who sent their child to college so that they could have a promising future and instead they are gunned down in class. It is crazy!

A Rose Is Just A Rose, Or Is It

I read an interesting article today about flowers and their meaning. I personally always have liked yellow roses myself. If you are interested in what different types of flowers mean, click on the title link.

Red Roses - Love and romance
Black Roses - Vengeance
Blue Roses - Mystery and intrigue
Pink Roses - Gratitude and appreciation
Purple Roses - Love at first sight
White Roses - Innocence and purity
Green Roses - Fertility
Yellow Roses - Joy and friendship
Lavender Roses - Enchantment
Orange Roses - Enthusiasm, passion

WARNING KIDS DON'T HEAR FIRE ALARMS

This is scary. I am going to have to invest in a new one!

Watch Out - Valentine's Card

I was reading an article which said not to open an e-card for Valentine's Day from a stranger. The article said, "If you unexpectedly receive a Valentine's Day e-card, be careful," the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement, warning Internet users to "be on the lookout for spam emails spreading the Storm Worm malicious software (malware). If the user falls for the ruse, malware will infect their computer or the device they used to connect to the Internet, and make it become part of a Storm Worm botnet, according to the FBI." To read the rest of the article, click on the title.

Rebate Checks

I read this in an article and found it interesting. I guess I better not file an extension this year! "According to the Treasury, anyone seeking a rebate under the program, which President Bush signed into law Wednesday, must file a 2007 federal tax return, preferably by April 15, if they want to receive their check by May or June."

The article went on to say that many seniors don't have to file a tax return because their income is so low. If they don't, they won't get their rebate check. Then a finacial advisor went on to say: "he questions whether it makes financial sense for low-income seniors to use a paid tax preparer just to fill out a return for the rebate. Low-income seniors living on Social Security are most likely to get rebates of $300 for singles and $600 for couples. So even a $50 to $100 fee can eat away a sizeable chunk of that." Yes, but it would still leave them with a few hundred dollars they didn't have before. People are crazy! Click on the title to read the whole article.

I Got A Job

I finally found a job. I got a job with the county health dept. The benefits are great. The hours are just right. Yeah!

Today Is My Birthday

Today is my birthday. I was supposed to go have lunch with a good friend of mine today but since the weather here has been so terrible I decided to stay home and vegetate.

Super Tuesday - Go Vote!

Today is Super Tuesday, which in a lot of states means today is the primary voting day. Our polling place is the next block over which makes it convenient for us. This is the first year we have an electronic voting machine. It is really simple to use. No hanging chads for us this year! I am anxious to see the results. GO VOTE!!!

Dance Camp

Andi went to Dance Camp through the school and got to do a dance during half time for the varsity basketball game. All the kids looked really cute doing the dance.

Haven't We All Felt This Way!

Sarah Silverman

I thought this was funny. It as been a long running joke between Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel.

Funny Political Quiz

I read a funny thing David Letterman said the other night: "During the speech, President Bush was optimistic and upbeat about Iraq and the economy. So, apparently, he's drinking again." --David Letterman

Click on the title to find out how democrat or republican you are. The quiz showed what I already new - I am a democrat.

Amazing Mother

This is amazing.

HEADACHE!

I have had the most ridiculous headache the last three days and my eyes have been hurting really bad. I don't know what the deal has been. It is like a migraine but different. Heading back to lay down again. I just felt the need to do something.

Funny Late Night Talk Show Quips

"Are you folks worried about the economy? Stock market crumbling. Everybody's crazy about this. Don't worry. George W. Bush says he's got something in mind to give it a shot in the arm. And if that doesn't work, Cheney is going to give it a shot in the face." --David Letterman

"Florida is the big one for the Republicans. In fact, Florida is the first state where Rudy Giuliani is seriously campaigning. See, for Giuliani, primaries are kind of like marriages. The first two or three don't really count." --Jay Leno

New Mantle Decorations

I went to Hobby Lobby last week. I love that store! Anyway, I got new mantle decorations since there are no big holidays for a while. I hated it being bare and I can't afford the TV Craig wants to put in there so it was off to Hobby Lobby. I figured PATIENCE was a good reminder to have more patience about all the things that are taking too long in my life or annoying the hell out of me! Tell me what you think.

Bird Bush

On my way to the kids school, there is a bush that looks like a big bird from a distance. Craig pointed it out to me and now I can't drive by without seeing it. The day was a little grey when I took the picture.

Farmers Volleyball Won!

I was able to carpool with some Moms to Carthage last night. It was quite a drive to get there but it was worth it because our team actually won the volleyball match. Sam's team has won a game before but lost the match. The way it works is best two out of three games wins the match. Who ever gets to 25 points first wins the game. We have been close before but everyone was happy the girls finally did it.

Bush's Economic Plan

I was reading an article about Bush's new economic strategy. I do not understand this man's thinking. He finally admits, "There is a risk of a downturn," the president said in his remarks at the White House, regarding the economy." Risk of a downturn???? In my opinion it is way beyond that.

The article then went on to say, "The president and Congress are scrambling to take action as fears mount that a severe housing slump and painful credit crisis could cause people to close their wallets and businesses to put a lid on hiring, throwing the nation into its first recession since 2001." I think we are beyond this as well. There are so many people who have lost their homes in this country. There are so many who have filed for bankruptcy. There are so many who can not get any credit, even if they wanted to spend it. There are so many who can not pay their bills. The price at the gas pumps are bleeding people dry.

Also, "He also called for tax relief for individuals — probably to come in the form of one-time rebates. But he did not say how much money Americans would get to keep or the amount of other tax incentives that could be in the package. Nor did Bush detail how the nation would pay for such a plan."

I am all for tax relief don't get me wrong. In our business, we pay a little under $0.30 per every dollar Craig takes as income to taxes. But this is not the way to do it in my opinion. Our country is drowning due to our national debt. We are risking our security by owing so much money to other countries like China. The war is taking a lot of resources that could be used in better ways. I just don't see this as a smart move. A one time rebate check for $1600 is not going to turn things around for the average married couple who is struggling. That doesn't even cover a lot of peoples' house payment for one month.

Click on the title if you want to read more. Thanks for listening to my tirade!

P.S. Before I even got this posting done, the stock market had already began to fall because of Bush's announcement.

Fortune Cookie Mystery

I was reading an article about the fortune cookie. Through diligent research, a researcher can prove they started in Japan. The picture is from 1878 of a man making them in a Japanese bakery. The article said, "She has turned up many references to the cookies in Japanese literature and history, including an 1878 image of a man making them in a bakery - decades before the first reports of American fortune cookies." If you want to read about it, click on the title.

Been Too Busy

I have been lagging on my blog but boy have I been busy. I am back on the job hunt again, trying to get some homework done and the kids game schedules are killing me. It seems like we have something almost every day of the week. Sam had three volleyball games this week on top of our normal stuff. Now for 2-3 hours every Sun. there is softball practice. I know you are thinking, softball - what?? It is Jan. But in our town, softball practice starts in Jan. - indoors at the school. YUCK!

Political Play of the Day: on 'Hill Force One'

Funny!

Protein Is The Winner!

For all of you out there that haven't read scores of diet books, science has once and for all proven that protein works the best at reducing hunger. If you would like to read more about the study which is going to be published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, which I know you all read :), click on the title.

Peacock

I got sent an email about this albino peacock. I had never even thought about it but I guess there are albinos in every species. This one is amazing.

Beautiful Sunset

I was picking up Sam from volleyball the other day and saw a beautiful sunset. I just thought I would share.

On The Job Hunt Again

I have started my job hunt again. It is such a discouraging thing. I was just going to go to the temp agency after the holidays were over but they don't have any secretarial type jobs right now either. How crazy is that?! When it comes down to it, I have to have a job where I can sit most of the time. My bad leg won't take long hours of standing. Right now, I have a lot of resumes into places. Hopefully one pans out. I really want the money to finish this old house of ours.

Andi's Basketball Game

Andi had her first basketball game of the season last Sat. This Sat. we had two, back to back. She made 6 baskets today and was feeling very proud of herself! She is on a team with some of her best friends, who are triplets. She has been on their team for the last three years now and their Dad always coaches which is really nice. Sam had her first volleyball game on Thurs. They lost but she did a great job during the game.

The Discussion

My friends and I have really been talking about politics a lot lately and the tremendous problems that face our country right now. In the last debate, only Ron Paul, who has no chance of winning, brought up some of the important issues that we have been talking about. We have to bolster the dollar. We have to start reducing the national debt. This enormous debt we have accumulated has put us at the mercy of other countries like China. China and India are going to be huge players in the world market even more than they already are.

We have to find better sources of energy. I can't remember who said it but one of the Republicans - we need to stop paying the people who are funding terrorists. We are paying to fight the war against them and we are paying to funding them every time we go the gas station. It is ridiculous but we have an oil man for a president. There is no getting around it. Plus, those companies are compounding the hardship on the American people by making record profits off of us.

I do agree with Sen. Edwards. He said the lobbyist and some companies are ruining this country but it is also our political system. It cost so much money to run a campaign now that the politicians feel like they have to take the lobbyists' money. I don't have the answers but I hope we can elect someone who has at least a few.

The Debate

I finally finished watching the last presidential debate. I have watched almost all of the democratic debates and only two of the republican ones. This last one was a back to back Republican and Democrat debate. I found it both interesting and entertaining. I liked Bill Richardson's comment, “I’ve been in hostage negotiations that were more civil than this.” That goes for both the republicans and democrats. For those of you who do not follow politics that much, here is how it stands so far:

Iowa Democrats - Obama, Edwards, Clinton
Republicans - Huckabee, Romney, Thompson & McCain tied

Wyoming Republicans - Romney, Thompson, Hunter
Democrats don't vote until March 8th

New Hampshire Democrats - Clinton, Obama, Edwards
Republicans - McCain, Romney & Huckabee

Nevada is next on Jan. 19th. Then it is on to South Carolina on Jan. 26th. We will have our primary when half of the country has theirs, Feb. 5th. If you want to find out more about it all, click on the title. Go out and vote!

Clinton Wells Up: 'This Is Very Personal'

I think she was really being real here. I feel very passionate about this election. I am glad she let her guard down a little.

Tornados in January!

I can not believe the weather we are having. Last week it was bitterly cold. There was lots of snow and temperatures hovering around zero. This week, all the snow is gone and it has been in the 60s for three days now. It has been nice to be outside though. There was tornado warnings for my area last night. A severe storm and tornado warnings in January. CRAZY!

Wow, How Would You Like This Stalker?

I can't even imagine being stalked by this huge guy! Scary! That is why you will never find me more than 5 feet into the ocean. It creeps me out! Give me a swimming pool any day. If you want to read the details, click on the title.

Neti Pot

A while back I invested in a neti pot. For those of you who do not know what one is, I recommend you click on the title and it will take you to a You Tube demonstration. You use this special pot and fill it with warm, sort of salty water. You then tip your head to the side and slightly forward and pour the water up your nose. It will come out the other side. If you have ever had sinus problems, this thing really works. If I have a sinus headache, I use this and it will go away fairly quickly. If you have a cold, it will help lessen your congestion and seems to help the cold go away faster. I have always gargled with warm salt water to treat a sore throat so it makes since that it would work for your sinuses too. Just don't put in too much salt or it will burn. There is a special formulated powder you can buy if you want but I just use salt water. You can buy one at any pharmacy or Walmart even.

What A Mess!

My refrigerator tried to act like a freezer yesterday. To say the least, it was a disaster! Half of the soda and some of the beer popped open spraying its contents everywhere. The veggies were mush. The worst part about it is that I just cleaned it all last week. I do not regularly take out the shelves and scrub them all down but I did it last week and then this happens. Frustrating! The thermostat went bad and thankfully Craig was able to fix it. Things could be worse I suppose. Thanks for listening!

New Years Party

We went to a fun New Years Party this year. Quite a few people from the town I live in get together every New Years. Everyone rents a hotel room. We all met in the banquet area and everyone brings food and drinks. The kids get to swim and hang out and the grown ups get to talk, drink and relax. Someone brought the Xbox guitar hero game. That is a lot of fun. The parents were playing it as much if not more than the kids. There was kids against kids and kids against parents arm wrestling. Very funny! Sam won her round and Andi lost hers. We had a great time. We didn't have to worry about driving in the bad weather and the kids got to have a fun time too instead of going to Granny's.

Happy New Year!

I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year. Hopefully you will find the year to be more healthy, wealthy and full of love and friendship.

The past few years have been tough for me so I am hoping that 2008 will be much, much better. Unless there is some catastrophe, there will be no surgeries or major medical procedures in 2008! That will make the year better by itself.

I Am Legend

Craig and I went to see this movie last night. Wow! It was really something. There are not too many movies that make me jump in my seat but with this movie I kept jumping. It was a little scary and sad and good all at the same time. If you would like to read more about the movie, click on the title.

Health Care

One of the major issues the candidates have been raising is health care. Health care is a real issue for this country. I know many of you have health care so you don't see how hard it can be without it. If you have any sort of health problem, the premiums for health care are ridiculously high. So high, many people just can't pay them. That is if you are not denied outright.

In IL, the insurance companies can not just deny you anymore but they can increase the regular rate by 67% if you have health issues. I personally have had insurance issues and know how hard it can be.

Sen. Obama has a quote on his website I liked. If only a politician would follow through: "It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair." -Barack Obama, Speech in Iowa City, IA, 5/27/07."

The Election

As some of you might know, I lean more on the Democratic side of politics. I am in favor of some social programs and some governmental regulation. I realize that is not a popular belief with some people.

I always, always vote. I feel like it is our patriotic duty to vote. Men and women have died for that right and I do not take it lightly. The world is very troubled right now and I feel like this election is very important to our country's well being. As I say that though, I am really unsure about who I am going to vote for this election cycle.

I liked many of the things Bill Clinton achieved in his presidency (obviously not all) but I wonder how his wife will be. Is she even electable? I like some of the things Obama has said but I wonder if he has enough experience in these troubled times. I like some of the things John Edwards has said too but I also wonder if he has a chance against the other two. I really want the best candidate to be in office this time around.

We live close enough to Iowa that we get the local channels from there. The caucus and the visits from the candidates is all that is on the news these days. John Edwards site has a countdown on the home page even. If you have any opinions, I would love to hear them.

Christmas Was Great!

My Christmas was very nice. We were able to spend a lot of time with friends and family. We all got great presents. Mine included a new stove and a new camera along with some other things. The kids seemed to love all the stuff they got. Andi said, "I just love Santa!". It was cute. I hope you all had a great one too.

Happy Holidays!

We want to wish you all a very merry holiday! For those of you who are not celebrating this week, I wish you a very merry week.

P.S. I got my Christmas cards from an internet site called Shutterfly. If you are interested in seeing what it is all about click on the title.

Been A While

I have been slacking in the blog department. I have been trying to get all of my holiday stuff done. I always have it done before now. This year has really been an exception. It has been a crazy week!

Craig has been crazy busy too with work. He has hardly gotten home before midnight all this week.

The girls are officially on winter break. Let the fighting begin! They get bored and decide to start fighting with each other to pass the time. Lucky me :(

Cookies

I have been cookie making crazy. I made 3 batches each of 10 different kinds in 12 hours. I feel like it is best to get the mess done with in one day. I delivered 10 boxes of cookies today to my friends and family. If you want the recipe for the delicious cookie in the picture, click on the title and it will take you there.

Mercury Question

I was a reading an article today that said that Minnesota has put a ban on mercury in cosmetics. The article said that mercury is often added to things like eye liner, mascara and skin-lightening creams as a preservative. Does that sound crazy to anyone else? Since mercury accumulates in the body, why would you put in a product that goes on your eye or skin? If you want to read the article click on the title.

Quote

A friend of mine had this quote on his blog and I really like it:
"Whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters. - margaret halsey"

Free At Last

I am finally free of my crutches and that uncomfortable boot! Hopefully, I will never have to see or use either of them again. I got my screws out four weeks ago. I thought it was going to be a 2 week thing but it turned out to be 4 weeks on crutches instead. That cartoon was too funny to pass up!

WGU

I am taking online classes at Western Governors University. The college headquarters is located in Salt Lake City, UT. The online programs they have created are great and have received national acclaim. If you are interested in seeing what it is all about, click on the title.

Anyway, I have been slaving away trying to get it all done before the semester is up at the end of Dec. I am so tired of taking these classes but yet I am so close to being done. Wish me luck, I am going to need it!

Oven Shopping

We went out oven shopping over the weekend. It is crazy how much they cost!! The one I want is way, way out of my budget. Our current oven is in bad shape. We bought it new when we moved in. That would make it about 14 years old. We decided to go with a gas range this time instead of electric. Hopefully next week we can go pick up the new one.

View Out My Window

I was working on my homework. (For those of you who don't know, I am trying to finish up my degree through online classes.) The sun was setting and I glanced out my window at what I thought was a beautiful sunset. I snapped a picture before it could fade away. I have learned it is important to find joy in everyday and really appreciate your surroundings.

Friday

It is finally Friday. This has seemed like a long week. The kids get out of school at noon today. Our bank is changing hands today. We have been using Associated Bank but Morton Community bought out all of the local branches. Hopefully they will be better.

Andi had her Christmas Program last night. Of course it was really cute. Some of those kids are characters. Andi takes her job very seriously though.

Sam made the school volleyball team so she was happy about that. Her volleyball games and Andi's basketball games all start that first week in Jan. We will be way too busy but isn't everyone these days.

Wii

We were fortunate to get a Wii this past Easter. I don't know about your area but they have been hard to get around here. After calling around and getting a delivery date of a few, my dear husband waited in a long line before Toys R Us opened to try and get one. Of course, they gave the last one to the lady in front of him but the guy told him that Walmart was supposed to get a few so he speedily drove over there and got the last one. So much drama but we love it!!!!! I can't say that enough. It is a great way to get some exercise and have fun all at the same time. Of course there are some games which are no better than your traditional video games but there are many which you really have to get up and use your body. I would recommend it for anyone.

Anyway, I read an interesting article yesterday which was talking about physical therapists using the Wii for therapy. If you want to read more, click on the title.

Santa's Ride

I was reading a ridiculous article today which states the following about Santa's yearly voyage: "He has 34 microseconds at each stop" to slide down the chimney, drop off the presents, nibble on his cookies and milk and hop back on his sleigh, Larsson said. Santa's reindeer must travel at a speed of 5,800 kilometers (3,604 miles) per second to make the trip on time." Is figuring this out really the best way to spend our time??? If you want to read the rest of the article, click on the title.

Scary Budget

I was reading a scary article today. The article started off this way: "Like a ticking time bomb, the national debt is an explosion waiting to happen. It's expanding by about $1.4 billion a day — or nearly $1 million a minute." I personally find that scary. How can we be spending $1 million a minute! The article went on to further say that, "the interest on the national debt totaled $430 billion last year." Just the interest for one year is costing our country $430 Billion. That is just crazy!!!!! Click on the title to read the whole story.

Dreary Day

Today has been a very dreary, grey, dark day and my mood has suited it as well. The only bright point is Craig is finally putting my pot filler in. It has been about four years since we bought it and now it is finally getting put in. Merry Christmas to me! It is a luxury but one I have been looking forward to for four years now! See the pictures below to see what I am talking about.

Ice Storm

We are in the middle of a major ice storm this weekend. Yuck! Most of the town we live by is out of power but thankfully we are not. Hope you are having better weather where you live!