Hairdresser: “So, have the girls started calling you yet?”
The Boy: “Not yet, but give me a month.”
Me: “Wait…what’s happening in a month?”
The Boy: “You don’t need to know that.”
Me: “Wait, have you given your cell number out to girls?”
The Boy: “NO…not yet.”
Oh, God. I think I need a drink…it’s started…..our offspring is a good-looking, charming Irish boy after all….
This relates to illegal aliens in our country. I know many feel that we put too many obstacles in the way of obtaining citizenship here in the states, and therefore people from impoverished countries have no choice but to circumvent the system and enter the U.S. illegally. People who land on the “it’s okay…they had no choice” side of this issue many times will excuse people for crossing the border illegally.
If you are one who forgives this transgression….I have a question for you. At what point in the law-breaking lives of illegals do we say “enough is enough”? Is it okay for an illegal to run a red light while drunk and kill someone? Is it okay for an illegal who hit a 12-year-old boy in a crosswalk and dragged him down the road to be released on the promise that he’ll show up in court?
Is it okay for illegals to steal the identities of legal U.S. citizens so they can get a job, creating years of misery for the theft victims as they attempt to restore the good credit they worked so hard for?
I say, once you excuse one crime it leads to other much more serious crimes that wind up really hurting people. There is a reason why we have laws. It’s unfortunate that some are forgiven by many for breaking them while others in the government are too overwhelmed to do anything about it even if they wanted to.
So…when do you say enough is enough? I really would like to understand the logic here. If you find illegal immigration to be tolerable, is this the only broken law you will excuse, or are there others that are also okay to break considering many illegals “had no other choice” if they wanted to make a better life for themselves?
Yes, I’m back from my weekend up in Wisconsin. I actually got back on Sunday night, but seriously…I’ve just been too tired to even think about posting. With the flying and the staying up late and the drinking….yes, that does catch up with you.
Anyway…it was a really good time and well worth the trip. I arrived on Friday afternoon, and after a nice lunch with my younger sister and a quick change, it was off to drinks and dinner with “the cousins”. Yes, we did eat….but really the night was all about the yards. Yes, yards. See?
Well, what we really wanted was a boot at the German place next door. But they were out of boots so we settled for the yards. Oh…if you don’t know what a boot is, I caught a shot of one of the mini-boots (they have much bigger ones) on the way out the door.
It’s a thing we like to do when we all get together like that. Share a boot or five or six…
Anyway, the next day the crew was in much need of bloody marys. So my sister had everyone over for bacon (there was other stuff too but really it’s all about the bacon on a morning like that) and bloody marys. My cousin used to be a bartender, so he was cranking ‘em out as fast as they could drink ‘em (which was pretty fast). See? Bloody mary bar:
That afternoon, we went to my aunt’s house for an early dinner before the Badger game. I think there were like 43 people there if you count the aunts, uncles, cousins, and the offspring of the cousins (no, The Boy didn’t go….he’s older than most of the out of town cousins and he had school). Oh, yes…there were brats..cooked by my German uncle. Sweet.
Then it was off to the game for some…over to my cousin’s place for others. My cousin has a fire pit built in the center of her patio outside. It was awesome sitting there drinking, watching the fire, and chatting after the game.
Finally, the next day there was ANOTHER breakfast (with more bloody marys). After a stop at my mom’s to chat (although the Packer game was on so there wasn’t much chatting..she’s a die-hard fan), it was back to the airport for my flight home.
So as it turns out, although there were quite a few gatherings which I felt like I really should go to……I was glad I went and attended all of them. It was really good to see everyone – and all the newest members of the family.
I think I’m finally caught up on sleep and ready to get back into the routine around here. By this time next year, I MIGHT be recovered enough to do it all over again.
It’s been a rough few weeks around here, which is why I haven’t been interested in posting much lately. Hmmm…let’s see…..I think this calls for a list!
1. We’re just a few weeks into the school year, and it’s been a huge adjustment for all of us with The Boy choosing to be in every single accelerated class possible for the 8th grade.
2. Seriously…who does that?
3. I just did the minimum I could when I was in school.
4. Maybe that’s why I encourage him to do better whenever the opportunity arises.
5. Anyway…he totally skipped 8th grade math by testing out.
6. So now he’s taking Algebra for high school credit, while at the same time trying to learn all the concepts he missed in the year he skipped.
7. What can I say? The Boy knows how to take a test!
8. Thank God Tommy majored in Math!
9. And he has a total stickler for English (one of his few “normal” classes). She was so angry at them for not knowing punctuation the way she thought they should that she gave them many hours of homework to look up examples of proper punctuation examples.
10. But here’s the problem….she told them to look in magazines and newspapers to find said examples.
11. I guess she doesn’t know that those publications usually follow AP style, which is not known for following any types of normal rules for punctuation….or grammar.
12. Anyway, during all this math catch-up and punctuation project from hell, The Boy was nice enough to bring home a REALLY BAD COLD from those heathens at school.
13. Yup.
14. All of us sick.
15. For what seemed like ever.
16. But we are well again…mostly…finally.
17. Just in time for my trip!!!
18. My trip back to Wisconsin for the weekend!!!
19. To see many family members I haven’t seen for a really long time (we refer to this group as “the cousins” – not to be confused with the other group some of us call “the aunts and uncles”, but others still refer to as “the adults” – never mind that all of us cousins are at least in our early 30s by now).
20. There will be talking and drinking and more talking and drinking (don’t forget to drink water) and very little sleep and lots of mandatory fun which seems mandatory when you think about it until you get there and realize how nice it is to have everyone in one place to say either hello or goodbye to at the beginning or the end of the weekend.
21. There will also be Bloody Marys at all morning gatherings.
22. Thank God I fly back Sunday afternoon!
I’ll get back to you some time next week after my mini-rehab.
That make me wonder how in the hell certain members of Congress can stand to even be in the same room with Syria’s leader.
‘Dozens died in Syrian-Iranian chemical weapons experiment’
Reports of the accident were circulated at the time; however, no details were released by the Syrian government, and there were no hints of an Iranian connection.
The report comes on the heels of criticism leveled by the Syrians at the United States, accusing it of spreading “false” claims of Syrian nuclear activity and cooperation with North Korea to excuse an alleged Israeli air incursion over the country this month.
According to globalsecurity.org, Syria is not a signatory of either the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), – an international agreement banning the production, stockpiling or use of chemical weapons – or the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Syria began developing chemical weapons in 1973, just before the Yom Kipper War. Globalsecurity.org cites the country as having one of the most advanced chemical weapons programs in the Middle East.
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Granted, it’s from The Jerusalem Post. But the source used is Jane’s Defence Weekly which I think we could all agree is fairly credible.
Hmmm….
“We came in friendship, hope, and determined that the road to Damascus is a road to peace,” Pelosi told reporters after her talks with Assad.
I just really hope that people examine all the issues before they vote for someone that represents a party that includes the likes of someone like that. This should be a VERY interesting election year.
We got a new digital camera and decided to try it out on the cat. And he seriously despises it. See?
Needless to say, The Boy gave kitty some distance after taking this shot. Now, go visit The Friday Ark.
P.S. We got a Nikon Coolpix S200 in a pretty red color in case you were wondering. So far, it seems to be a good choice.
I was thinking about this the other day as I dragged my allergy and soreness and headache-burdened self to the gym for whatever workout I could manage.
Most gyms are 24 hours these days, right? So, the question is…considering that we all live in a 24 x 7 world and work taken home from the office can be done ANY time…and so can our workouts….is there EVER a good excuse to skip the gym? Seriously, is there?
I believe that people that don’t feel their own health is more important than getting work done or doing things for their family will ALWAYS find some excuse not to work out. Either at home or at the gym. Here are some excuses I’ve thought of in the past. You’ll note that only a few of them EVER work for me since I started hitting it hard again after a long break….but I do admit that sometimes it simply isn’t humanly possible to go work out.
1. Throwing up and/or diarrhea. This one ALWAYS works for me. Can’t work out of there’s not a toilet attached to the machines or I can’t stand up because I’m weak with sickness.
2. Lungs so full of mucus I can’t take a breath without coughing. This one works too. Seriously, one can’t work out of they can’t take a full breath (note here….at times I have been known to do some easy Pilates moves when in this state just to keep the blood moving).
3. Headache so bad I can barely walk and not cause myself pain and/or so bad the light hurts my eyes and things are blurry. This one works too. See? I’m human. I do find some excuses acceptable. Although I confess to at least trying Pilates while in this state to see if it will help…sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t.
4. I have a baby at home and I’d have to get up too early to do it because my husband is out of town. No dice. I had free weights and a stair machine at the house when The Boy was young. I got up every week day at 5:30 before getting us ready for work and day care when this was the case. Especially with the new equipment-free Pilates videos they have out now…this is SO not at excuse.
5. It’s too cold outside to run or bike. See number 4. You can ALWAYS do something.
6. It’s too crowded at my gym when I want to go. Join another gym. Mine’s huge and I’ve always been able to do what I wanted to no matter how crowded it was because there’s plenty of equipment for all.
7. A gym is too expensive. See number 4 above. Or….you have two feet and assuming you can walk you can ALWAYS find something that will work to improve your health.
8. I’m too tired. This is the worst cop-out of them all. Know why you’re tired? BECAUSE YOU’RE IN HORRIBLE SHAPE AND YOUR CIRCULATION SUCKS AND YOUR METABOLISM IS IN HIBERNATION. GET UP OFF YOUR BUTT AND GET MOVING.
9. I really don’t know how to work out. Total crap. You know how to walk, don’t you? ‘Nuff said (unless you’re in a wheelchair in which case I’m terribly sorry if I’ve offended you…but….if you are in a wheelchair and you can move your upper body some free weights would do the trick to get you moving…or they have new stationary bikes where only the arms move at most newer gyms….just a thought).
10. I’m SO hungover. If you can….do at least something. It will help work the toxins out of your blood and make you feel better. I’ve worked out hungover many-a-time (perhaps after eating some grease to help my stomach chill out). Believe it or not, I felt better after I was through.
11. My muscles are REALLY sore from doing yard work. I had this one last week. Went to the gym anyway and did cardio…felt better each day I did it. Also did light Pilates on day one when I was SUPER sore and could barely move. If you are sore, do something…anything. As long as it gets you moving.
12. I have a sick child at home. Totally reasonable excuse. Some kids want to be held constantly when they are sick. But….if you have a spouse who is at home with you….you COULD do a hand-off for 20 minutes so you could go do some yoga or stretch or something to relieve the tension. Just a thought.
13. I’m going on a trip. If it’s just for a few days, I can understand this excuse. But even when I’m gone for just a few days…I at least try and get some walking in. If you’re flying, this is especially important to help circulation/prevent embolisms. Regardless…there’s ALWAYS a way you can get some movement in. Even if it’s sit-ups, push-ups, stretching in your room before bed. And if you’re at a hotel with a treadmill….use it if you can. It will help you sleep in a strange room and relieve the stress from traveling.
14. I could really just use a break. Couldn’t we all? Nothing wrong with taking a week off every six months or so. I do it. You should too. Your body needs a long rest every now and then. But…during the break…try not to over-do it on the eating and booze. There’s always a trade-off.
I don’t want to sound like I consider myself an expert on health and fitness. But I do know something about excuses. After all, I didn’t work out for nearly a year after my last lay-off I was so good at coming up with them…and I gained 20 pounds (I think…I refused to weigh myself after the first few months). Hey, I had fun…but I felt crappy nearly all of the time. I know from experience that no excuse comes without a price.
So…..what do you think? Like me, do you think that rarely there might be a good excuse (in the cases of sickness or travel or just taking a needed break from the routine), or do you think there is never, ever a good excuse to skip a home workout or trip to the gym?
Seriously, was it worth it to lose two kids in order to save the time to wait for a train? Well, maybe this mom thought it was. Hopefully, now she doesn’t.
Authorities released a video showing Edie Bolanos attempting to outrun an eastbound train in her minivan by cutting through a parking lot and making a quick turn….The van does not appear to slow down as it approaches the tracks, according to the video. The westbound train struck the driver’s side, pushing it into the eastbound train at 9:49 a.m. Saturday.
Ms. Bolance lost two of her kids in this tragic accident. Two other kids (luckily) are in stable condition. And the two that died? Thrown from the van. Details aren’t in yet, but my guess is that the use of seat belts and/or booster seats is probably in question.
I don’t know about you..but ever since I had The Boy, I obey speed limits and make the more prudent choice when dealing with traffic obstacles. I mean…isn’t it our job to protect our kids at all cost vs. throwing safety out the window in order to beat a train that might cost us a little time? What’s more important? Time or the safety of our kids?
Of course, I don’t know if the kids were secured safely in the van or what that woman went through that day…but still…I’d like to think I would have made sure The Boy was buckled in and waited for the train vs. the choices that were (apparently) made here.
What a tragic waste of life in the name of saving time.
Guy with the ginormous Doberma on the 10 foot leash in the pet store who clearly saw me walking well out of your way so as to avoid the messy, gross snotty snout coming my way who then let out the leash a little more because who wouldn’t want to pet your darling Doberman and who stood behind me in line at the checkout with same long leash observing me standing six feet out of line to the side to avoid ANOTHER brush of the gross snotty snout (yes, he was successful…I was backed up against an endcap and he got me in the aisle), inching farther way – even saying “I don’t want your dog to brush his nose against me again because my cat will freak out” and you said “Oh, really. That’s funny.” but refused to pull the leash in anyway so I was basically 12 feet away from my spot in line to avoid your damn dog…..
Yes, some common courtesy would have been nice. I’m sure you love your dog and assume others will too and will not mind the mess and the smell (because your dog SO also needs a bath)…..but that is not the case.
Hate…HATE those people that take their dog to the pet store and then let them lick, nuzzle, nip, jump up on, scratch and otherwise abuse their fellow patrons (and we won’t even talk about them using the store floor and/or parking lot as a bathroom). I know..it’s a hazard we must assume is there when we go to get the special food for out pets because we love them that much. But come on…seriously….WHO thinks it’s okay to harass other people that clearly want no part whatsoever of their dog?
Jerk.
Lately it’s been in the news and will continue to be so until the end of this election cycle and beyond. You know…the whole gay rights/gay marriage thing. I know this is a highly involved issue that many feel is important to consider when voting.
But I have a question….why does it have to be that you’re either one way or the other…pro or anti…..gay.
Why can’t we just be pro-live your life however you want and I’ll live mine as I see fit and we can each be happy?
Why do we have to demonize people for their feelings on this subject?
Because, when you get down to it….I don’t think anyone actually feels that gay couples should not have the same legal rights as other married couples when it comes to insurance, wills, hospital permissions, etc. I guess the jury is still out on a state-by-state basis with regard to adoption…but I feel if it’s a choice between the child remaining in the system without a real home until they’re 18 vs. adoption into a loving home with two parents…regardless of their lifestyle choices (as long as they are not physically harmful lifestyle choices) then I think the choice should be a home vs. no home. Regardless of the sex of the parents or what they choose to do. I know many on my side of the political fence would disagree, but I don’t care. It’s how I feel.
I think the real question here is……do we think the definition of marriage should be expanded to include people with alternative lifestyles….gay, polygamist, whatever…..? Ah, it is a slippery slope indeed. I don’t think this decision should be made by activist judges. It should be made according to the constitution. First at the state level, and then when the majority of states feel one way or the other, it should be moved to the Federal level. How about a fair vote instead of unfair rulings? How ’bout that for a change? Let the people decide, is what I say.
Instead of us all demonizing people that are for or against the idea of legalized gay marriage vs. civil unions which carry all the same legal privileges minus a marriage license….why don’t we go ahead and let the people vote on the thing? In many states they have already and the vote did not come down on the side that some would have liked. In others, gay marriage was voted into law. If it’s that important for some people to have their lifestyle legally recognized, I think it should be important enough for them to move to a state (not just pass through one) where they can be met on their own terms. Nobody said they couldn’t move to those states. I don’t think they’re bad states – I just think they have laws that I may or may not necessarily agree with.
We are a nation of laws, plain and simple. Change does not happen easily, but it is happening in some areas. For those that feel all should recognize them as they wish to be recognized….yeah, well I wish someone would give me a million dollars too. I just wish people would stop trying to force others to legally condone a lifestyle they do not agree with when they can usually find the legal remedies they need to live their lives as they wish – with or without a piece of paper. Whatever the lifestyle happens to be.
So, do you think some people are horrible just because they come down on one side or the other on this issue of legalizing alternative marriage choices? Can’t we all just get along and recognize that everyone is allowed to have their own opinion on this, and to vote their opinion if the issue shows up on the ballot?
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