100 years in Iraq...

If the idea of voting for McCain has even crossed your mind, read this:

"Maybe 100. We’ve been in South Korea, we’ve been in Japan for 60 years. We’ve been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That’d be fine with me as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. Then it’s fine with me. I would hope it would be fine with you if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world where Al Qaeda is training, recruiting, equipping, and motivating people every single day."- Senator John McCain

If you want proof that this is the NeoConservative agenda and that he goes a long with it read THIS.

Whatever you do, just THINK ABOUT IT!

Full Steam Ahead

You know, I haven't really been focusing on politics much this primary season. I have listened some and followed some, but not really decided who I really would like better as a candidate. That is until this morning when I was reading 1BoringOldMan and read what Barack Obama had to say about "ticky-tack". Here is what he said:

"If you watched the last few weeks of campaign, you'd think all politics is about is negative ads and bickering and arguing and gaffes and sideline issues," he said at a town hall meeting in this struggling manufacturing town. "There's no serious discussion about how we're actually going to bring jobs back to Anderson, that's not what's being debated. That's the politics we've gotten used to over the last 20 years, and I'm tired of that politics because it doesn't solve problems. One of the things we've got to do is bring this country together and stop being distracted by back and forth ticky-tack. I've resisted that in this campaign and I will continue to resist it when I'm president of the United States of America."

What I got out of this is that he believes we as Americans are all smart enough to know that the problems are and he's tired of bickering about that. He's got solutions and wants us all to move forward on those solutions. I like that. Don't bring me the problem, bring me the solution. So, full steam ahead, Mr. Obama. You've got my support.

Spring Fever

For many people the need to be outside this time of year is intense. Spring fever kicks in and we all feel a little more distracted while inside on a nice, warm spring day. For me, it's not the being inside that is hard, but the not being able to really do anything in my yard that does it. I sit on my front bench and stare at the dirt that is just begging for seeds and young little plants to be popped in the ground. But it's not time! No, it's not time yet here in Colorado because it could still snow! We have a couple more weeks and then I can beautify this dirt canvas I call a garden. It's driving me CRAZY!!! See, that's what spring fever does. It makes you crazy.

So, in my craziness I'll sit and have a beer and make plans for all the plants that I'll buy and where they will go. And it better not even freakin' snow and kill the stuff that is coming up from last year!

In Our Hearts

We had to say goodbye to a member of our family tonight. Our sweet boxer, Max. He was an amazing and loving boy. He will always be loved and in our hearts.

Vote G.I. Joe

"Hillary is a woman. I'm a woman. I'm going to vote for her."
"Obama is good looking. I will vote for him."
"Obama is black. I'm black. I'll vote for him."

If this is your logic in picking a candidate then I have a recommendation. Vote for G.I. Joe. He's a good solid American with a military background who looks amazing in photos. That's all you need to know. If you aren't going to THINK about what the candidates abilities are, listen to what they say, and use your cognitive skills to assess whether they would make a good President then just vote for a plastic action figure. After all, that's exactly what got us in the bind we are in now.

"Dull Women Have Immaculate Houses"

I was talking to my friend AbbyLadyBug today about the wonder of people who have clean houses. We are perplexed by the phenomenon of people who's houses look like showrooms all of the time. How do they do it? I'm not saying that I don't clean my house. I do. A lot. Between laundry, picking up, doing dishes, etc. it easily is an hour a day and then on the weekends it's even more. So, why is my house always messy?! I know it's possible for people with kids to have neat and tidy houses, but how? HOW? My only answer is that they don't have anything else in their lives but cleaning. That IS their hobby, their pastime, their exercise, their entertainment. It's the only conclusion I can come to. Honestly, I love having a clean house, but having it clean 100% of the time is not worth the sacrifices I'd have to make elsewhere. You will never hear me say, "Sorry, I can't go skateboarding today because I need to mop my floors."

Mama said there'd be days like this...

When I got into work I had an e-mail waiting for me that began "Oh My God!" Following the internal link I discovered that somehow we had received 33 new resumes over night for a position we've been trying to fill for what seems like an eternity. We are into second interviews, but quite frankly haven't found "The One." I headed over to the resumes and the first one I read had this in their signature line:

"There is no compromise or negotiation when it comes to who will run your life. Either you take charge and live a productive life of your choosing or you allow yourself to be ruled by circumstances. But there will inevitably be setbacks. In the old West, a cowboy expression went: "there never was a horse that couldn't be rode, and there never was a rider that couldn't be throwed." Like everyone else, you will have days when everything goes right and you are on top of the world. Relish those days enjoy them, and remember them. Recall the euphoria that accompanied them when you need an extra measure of positive thinking to get back in the saddle after you've experienced an embarrassing and painful fall. ~Napoleon Hill"

Maybe I should have taken it for a a sign and taken stock of all the awesomeness in my life. It's a pretty good list to be honest and I don't really take the good for granted. However, you just never know when you are going to need to recall the good to help you overcome the bad. Today is one of those days. It's not the big stuff that does it, but the minutia that adds up. So, rather than eating my lunch that someone stole from the fridge I am here, eating a banana that I fortunately didn't eat yesterday, looking at the beautiful smiles of my children.

Now, what's next?

Happy Birthday, Mynxie!!!

All I can say is that I love this woman! She's amazing. I hope her birthday is all that she needs it to be.

Happy Birthday, NeeNee

Today is my grandmother’s birthday. If she were alive she would have been 88. Today is a day to celebrate and a day to mourn. I cried today and laughed today thinking about what an amazing person she was and how lucky I was to have her raise me. I love you, NeeNee. Happy Birthday.

On the Children's return

Today you come home.
A little holding my breath.
Old fears come forward.
There you are. I sigh.

No Trying

I’ve probably quoted this here in another post, but it being January 1, 2008 I’m going to repeat it. A successful year is one where when you look back you can find tears and laughter both. I think 2007 was a year like that for me.
In 2007, I fell in love with my boyfriend again and again. He is such an amazing man. I was proud of my children time and time again because they are phenomenal kids. I love them so much. I cheered my family and friends on in their various endeavors watching them succeed and fail and always trying to be there to support them either way. I accomplished some minor goals and stuck to my guns to do the right thing. In turn I cried at my failures, I worried over things that I couldn’t change, educated myself about some important matters and I felt the loss of loved ones deeper than expected. My 2007 wasn’t an apparently ground breaking year, but for me it was a foundation for amazing things to come. It was a wonderful year.
I think 2008 will be just as good for some of the same reasons and some totally different reasons. I don’t have any resolutions really. I need to lose a couple of pounds. I have some financial and educational goals. I’d like to get better at a few things. And of course there are things that I’d like to help my children accomplish and things I’d like to do for/with them. You see, to me a resolution is a promise to myself to do something. I don’t need to promise myself. I just need to do them. It’s like that cheesy “Star Wars” quote, “There is no try. Do or don’t do.” It’s true though. Either do it or not. So, I’ll just follow my plan and see how it goes.

Way to go wOOt! Now you're defined!

Remember back when School House Rock was popular? One of my favorite episodes was the interjections one. Well, I'm happy to note that my favorite interjection has been named Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year 2007.

wOOt! (expressing joy (it could be after a triumph, or for no reason at all); similar in use to the word "yay" "w00t! I won the contest!"
Submitted by: Kat from Massachusetts on Nov. 30, 2005 23:18

I can't take any credit. WooT is just a cool freakin' work all on it's own, but I'm glad it won.

By the way, thanks to DRS3 for clueing me in on this fact. She rocks.

What? Work?

"I have many friends in the position where they have to work night jobs or work weekends, trying to do what they can to make some money," he said.

Oh my GAWD!!! Someone has to work to afford to get a college education?! They have to spend some of their free time to help pay for something that will get them a significantly better pay check? Heaven forbid! Can you even imagine having to WORK while going to school? What is the life of an over-priviledged, entitled frat boy come to?!

I agree that state colleges should be more affordable. Parents work hard to make sure that their children have the grades to get into a college and it's often hard to find the money to get them there. States should try and do what they can to keep tuition at a reasonable rate so that their citizens can afford to go. Having an educated workforce is key to a states economy in many ways. More economically stable people mean more income tax, less drain on state resources, etc.
However, I think arguing the point that they are actually having to work for tuition is absurd and hardly a college level point of debate. That which is free is rarely ever valued. If you don't believe me take a look at how many students lose the Georgia HOPE scholarship because they can't maintain the B average that full ride requires. I'm not sorry that these kids have to work a part-time job when their friends are partying it up. Part of being an adult is working for the things in life that you want, and if it has to start for some people in college then so be it. I did it. My boyfriend did it. Lot's of people I know had to do it. Deal you big friggin' CU whiners.

Why I love Keith Olbermann

Deceiving the U.S. on Iran

Well Said

I have been somewhat quietly following the national political scene of late. Not my usual M.O. by being quiet. I've been reading a lot and saying very little. Why? Because there are other people who are just a lot more eloquent than I am about this stuff.

A prime example is here.

Check out Dan Froomkin on the Washington post for the full story.

Really, can anyone really take Bush seriously anymore?

R.I.P Evel

When I was a kid I loved Evel Knievel. He was a true 70's idol. I even had the cool Evel Knievel motorcycle that you'd wind up on the base and then it would shoot off down whatever crazy ramp set up a kid could devise. He was a one of a kind and will be missed. Rest in peace, Mr. Knievel. Rest in peace.

Way To Go, HARRY!!

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said he would schedule "pro forma" sessions during the two-week break..."


I would just like to say thank you to Senator Reid for giving us all something to be thankful for with regard to our government.

Happy Birthday, Abby!!

THIRTY-EIGHT!!!! Feelin' GREAT!

Days like this.

You know there are days that are just rolling along fine. You might be waiting for the outcome of something or just doing your normal routine. Whatever. Then out of the blue something comes along to complicate and annoy. Yep. That's the kind of day this is. It's the kind of day I'd like to win the lottery so I just don't have to work anymore.

Farewell, Mr. Goulet

r.i.p.