Okay, so….I like a clean house.  By clean, I mean always picked up (with the exception of The Boy’s room and the table in our bedroom).  Picked up means all the mail thrown away or in the bill basket as appropriate, everything off the floor and surfaces (except what belongs there), and no visible bits on the floor.

So anyway, it takes me four or five hours a week to do the “weekly” cleaning, plus the picking up through the week.  I try to vacuum twice a week and brush the cat once a week, but that doesn’t always happen.  So..I was wondering…if I provide you with a checklist of all the tasks I do during the weekly cleaning extravaganza (because I try to do it all in one day due to the fact that I actually DETEST cleaning)….could you tell me if you think it’s too much?  Because the spouse and The Boy seem to think it is:

1.  Swiffer all floor boards.

2.  Swiffer all vent covers and light fixtures and ceiling fan blades and tops of ceiling fans as well as light fixtures (yes, I tape an extended Swiffer to a broom pole and Swiffer the lights fixtures and light bulbs hanging from the 20 foot ceiling in the living room an and entry and all the high A/C and heating vents every other week).

3.  Swiffer in between the spindles on both flights of stairs.

4.  Pledge or lemon oil (every other week, switching) every wood surface in the house.

5.  Swiffer all picture frames.

6.  Scour toilets, shower stalls, tubs, sinks, vanities, faucet fixtures.

7.  Swiffer and Windex all glass surfaces, mirrors.

8.  Swiffer all electronics, including computers, mice, monitors and T.V. screens, backup power things, game consoles, etc.).

8.  Swiffer all blinds and window sills.

9.  Sweep and Swiffer or mop all tile surfaces.

10.  Vacuum all rugs.

11.  Comb the cat and wipe him down.

12.  When scouring the sinks and counters in the kitchen, make sure the drip pans and underneath the drip pans are also scoured on the stove (every once in a while, clean the filter in the fan trap in the stove).

13.  Wipe off refrigerator, dishwasher, stove and handles, inside and outside of microwave.

14.   Wipe off all white cabinets in kitchen and bathrooms, and doors as appropriate.

15.  Sweep the front porch.

16.  Wash the sheets and re-make the beds.

Yes.  Every week.  Except the every other week thing on the high dusting things.  Full disclosure: when the spouse is home, he helps.  Usually with the floors.  Probably because the more he helps, the sooner it will be over.  I guess I can understand that.

So…considering that I am allergic to dust and we are all allergic to the cat…..does this seem excessive to you? I mean, it’s not like I wash the outside of the windows or anything…..you do the same stuff, right?  In my house, it takes four or five hours.  That’s not much, right?  Just a day, really…with a lunch break.  Right?

I was watching Desperate Housewives the other night.  You know the part where Gabrielle has it out with a wheelchair guy over using a handicapped space?  That brought to mind a pet peeve of mine.

How often have we all seen people that are more than fit parking cars in handicapped spaces to get close to a store so they can run their errands?  Do you think it’s right for people to take advantage of their sticker or whatever when the handicapped person is not with them?

Well….(as you may have guessed by now) I don’t!  It’s not right for a teenager to borrow grandma’s car and go shopping with her friends, laughing and giggling on her cell the whole short walk into the store.

It’s not right for the spouse to leave the handicapped person at home, get dressed up and go out to lunch with friends…taking advantage of the close parking spot.

I believe people legitimately need those permits so they can shorten the distance they have to walk.  The spouse tells me I’m assuming that a person that looks really fit does not need the spot.  Like, maybe they have a heart condition so they’re not supposed to walk that far.

Oh sure, in a few cases that is probably true.  But the rest?  Give me a break.  I’ve seen a LOT of people park in handicapped spaces at the gym, then walk up the stairs, do light weights for 30 minutes and then walk briskly on a treadmill for another 30 minutes.  I know many people with no medical conditions that can’t do that on even a good day.

Sadly, like anything else, there are those that will take advantage of a legitimate need for a parking space that a relative or friend might have and use it for their own convenience, completely disregarding the fact that they just might be taking a spot from someone in a wheelchair or with a heart condition.

It’s wrong, I tell you…WRONG!!  Anyone who does this should be strung up by their toes.

That is all.

Here lately (of course) I’ve been in discussions with family members and friends about the election. And national security. And taxes. All of it. Because many of them are die-hard democrats and just can’t understand why I am not.

I won’t get into a deep discussion on why I like less taxes (which generate more tax revenue) and less government and why I believe in personal responsibility and the security of our country. If you’re here, you know where I stand.

But I did have a question for all of these people when we came around to the tax discussion. To a person, they said they felt that we could all afford to pay more taxes. And that even they would be willing to pay more taxes for programs that help people that do not pay taxes and live off the public wealth. Let me be clear that these are compassionate people who are truly concerned for others, and honestly believe that higher taxes will bring in more revenue even though the numbers don’t prove that out. A history of our tax policy myths and truths is nicely summarized here if you’re interested.

Anyway, each time the subject has come up, I’ve asked these people why they don’t volunteer and send more tax money in with their returns if they feel so strongly about it. Or why they don’t send their rebate checks back, uncashed.

To a person, they have had similar responses. “I’m not stupid.” Or, “I’m not going to pay more than I have to.”

When I answer, “Then why do you think I should vote for someone that effectively is going to make me pay more, when you feel it’s important, but not important enough to do the same on your own?”

Their replies to my question are all similar. They leave it at something like, “I just think we could all afford to pay more.”

So, what say you? If you feel we could all afford to pay more taxes, why not send in more? I think Mike Huckabee tried this once on the Arkansas tax form. You could check a “pay more” box and send in more than you owed. I think he said very few people ever took advantage of the option.

I’m for the fair, or flat tax. No deductions. No loopholes. Everyone above a certain income level pays…even corporations. No deals. It’s the only fair way to do it.

But it will never happen. Tax money equals power. And the more taxes the government takes from us, the more decisions (like health care) it takes away from us and the more power it has over us. Many don’t feel that way. But I do.

What say you? More taxes? Are they important? And if you were given the option to volunteer and send in more, would you?

You know the ones.  The people looking to sell you something or want a straight-up handout in support of their school team, intramural sports team, or this cause or that.

Lately these donation seekers/stalkers have become much, much more aggressive in their tactics.  Whereas before they might set up one table at one entrance of the store and place three innocent looking kids in uniform in front of it pleading for a sale or a donation, now there are tables at every single entrance, fully staffed with no less than six kids each (plus one parent to take the money).

Last week, the high school football team was there in force.  Only they were using a new tactic.  They had players roaming the parking lot, catching people as they left their cars.  I think they were selling raffle tickets or something.  And if you were missed upon arrival, you were not to worry.  They would follow you to your car,  giving you the hard-sell as you left the store as well.

In addition to the football players, the Boy Scouts were there seeking donations for tents and camping gear.

And if one somehow managed to avoid being guilted into donating/buying from these groups, there was one more effort made by the store itself to seek a donation.  Of course…the hated “Do you want to give a dollar to xx cause today?”

Um….no.  No to tents.  No to raffle tickets.  No to the damn dollar at the register.

Ya know, nobody forced these kids to join this group or that, this team or that.  If the kids are on the team and the parents allow them to do the activity, then the parents should support the activity.  To be honest, I really don’t care if the football team at The Boy’s school  gets to go on a senior trip or hold a lavish banquet.  If they want that stuff, they should pay for it themselves instead of harassing people who are just trying to get their errands run in peace.

I am left wondering if I will lever be able to go get groceries again without being accosted by donation-seekers.  In the parking lot, at the entrance, and at the register.

I’ve been going to the same nail lady for years. She is half Vietnamese, half African-American – near as I can tell. She showed me a picture of her “adopted father” who sponsored her and her children to the U.S. many years ago once. He looked like a very nice man and was surrounded by a big, happy family. She was also in the picture. Her wiry hair and somewhat-off nose and dark complexion tell me she is probably part of that family.

Anyway…..as I said, she is a legally sponsored immigrant who came to the U.S. back in the early 90’s. She brought with her one son who was born in Vietnam, a second son who was born in the Philippines, and a deadbeat husband.

She works very had in the nail shop she manages. She owns a house. She pays her taxes. She has been studying for her citizenship test so she can become a full citizen and grandfather her two boys with her papers so she will not have to worry about them being deported.

Immigrants are told they should blend into our culture while honoring what they wish of their own. My nail lady is a very devout Buddhist, and by nature she is a hard worker. In Vietnam where she grew up, times were hard for everyone and they all had to pull together to put food on the table. At the age of seven, she went to work hauling water from the well for more well-off families in the neighborhood. She has been working ever since. She was raised by her grandmother and has never said a word about her father. It’s my guess that this is because her mother was ashamed to have a daughter that was of another race. But I don’t know that for sure.

She came to America to provide her kids with opportunities she never had and never will have. She has worked hard to learn the language, please her customers, and put a roof over her kids’ head and food on their table. She sends the kids to school and tries to ask them about their grades, but is unable to comprehend their classes or the language well enough to check their homework. Her kids have melded into the American culture. And that is not necessarily a good thing when there is a deadbeat dad and a hard-working mom in the house.

Because, you see…her kids are in trouble. Like many moms who work all day and are married to lazy husbands who sometimes work and care nothing about what the children do, she has little time to supervise what her teenagers are up to.

Her husband let her oldest son drive their car without a license. He has been arrested three times doing this. The police tell her that if it happens after he turns 18 (which is not too far away), he could be deported.

Her second son has decided he does not want to live with her anymore. She has no idea where he is living, but is afraid to have the police find him and risk his getting a police record and possible deportment later. However…at least the second son is attending school and keeping his grades up. But she worries about him constantly.

Recently, her oldest boy and oldest girl got into a fight. The girl wound up in the hospital for treatment. She is in the 9th grade. And during the exam they found that she is pregnant. She is keeping the baby. Their religion does not allow for on-demand abortions.

About the only thing that hasn’t happened to this poor woman is one of her kids getting hooked on drugs. And who knows? Maybe the second son is? She has no way of knowing. Last week, she told me she believes she has been dealt this hand in this life because she did something bad in a previous life. So she expects that these bad things will continue to happen until the day she dies and has finished paying for what she did in that other life. So sad.

My nail lady, unfortunately, is experiencing the bad side of the American dream. Yes, her standard of living is much higher than it was in Vietnam. But she is not equipped to handle the bad influences that surround her children while she is at work. And like many American women, she is married to a leech of a loser that each and every day takes advantage of the money she works so hard to earn while refusing to provide leadership for the family. So now she is working toward getting her house sold and her credit debt paid off so she can divorce her husband and remove him from the household.

I do what I can for her. I listen to her. I try to giver her advice. I taught her how to cook a Thanksgiving turkey. A couple of years ago, I helped her find an English as a Second Language class to take at the High School Annex. And of course, I tip her very well.

But I wonder what will happen to her children, who do not respect her or a culture that demands respect for parents, kindness toward others, and a good work ethic. And I hope that she stays in good health as she is the only breadwinner in her house. She still has one more child that is younger. She hopes that somehow she can make sure that child stays safe and grows up honoring the values she has tried to teach all of her kids. It’s my hope that once her husband is out of the picture, maybe this can happen.

She is an immigrant. Her “adopted” dad is an American. Hopefully one day she can find some peace in this country and will be able to spend time with children that have learned from their mistakes and have made good lives for themselves here.

So, how well do you know your nail lady or your hairdresser? Their stories can be pretty amazing. If you don’t do this already, on your next appointment ask your person how they are and what their kids are up to. I think you’ll be surprised at what you hear. And maybe in some way you will be able to help them with their struggles. We all have them. Even nail ladies.

In fact, it’s a GREAT idea!  The State of Louisiana has it right where sex offenders are concerned:

Chemical castration would be mandatory on second offenses, and the offender would have the option of choosing physical castration instead.

This does not mean they will not find other ways to offend.  But at least with this measure, at the very least their primary weapon would be rendered unusable.

I am for this, absolutely.  I wish other states had the fortitude to do what’s right and protect the general population (and especially children) from these evil people.

So, what do you think?  Good idea or not?

Free Range Children:  Children that are allowed out in the neighborhood to play in other people’s yards and in the street with no adult supervision.

A few years back, one of our neighbors coined the phrase to describe the children of one particular family that lives a couple of doors down from us.

In the past few years, they have broken branches on one of our new bushes, regularly sit on the green box marked “Danger:  High Voltage” in the middle of our yard, and have bent all the telephone box covers in the neighborhood so badly by sitting on them that none of them can be closed correctly.

Yes…free range children.  The children that dart out from between parked cars and damn near get killed on a regular basis, ride across the bottom of your drivway on their bikes when you are clearly pulling out – again, nearly getting themselves killed.  They ride their bikes across everyone’s lawn.  They climb the fences in our back yards and wander around pool decks unsupervised looking for balls they have kicked onto our property.  They are found looking around in other people’s garages, which can be quite dangerous when you consider the presence of saws and other sharp tools.

Lately, the free range children in our neighborhood have decided it’s a good idea to take shots at the garage doors in the area by kicking soccer balls into them as hard as they can, causing permanent dents.

I knew they were doing this because I could hear the loud noises as the balls hit my door.  A few weeks ago, I caught them retrieving the ball.  I tried to be a good neighbor, called their mother (who of course was not supervising them) and let her know what had happened.  So….she actually did try and stop it.  She brought them over and made them admit to what they had done and apologize for it.  Of course…she and they were smirking the whole time, but at least she went through the motions.

Last night, I was sitting in the back of my house in the kitchen.  And then….BOOM!!  The soccer ball hit my garage door….hard.  I went out the front door to see bikes thrown on the curb and the soccer ball bouncing very high down my driveway.  It was a good shot that made solid contact and put another dent in the door.   The ball settled by the curb in the middle of the street.

So…being the consciencious neighbor…I removed the obstacle from the road, ensuring everyone’s safety. It is now in my house.  The free range childrens’ weapon of choice is now mine.  And now my garage door and others in the neighborhood are safe until they can steal another ball from someone else’s garage.

Oh…I forgot the best part.  While the free range children were kicking the ball into my garage door?  Their dad was right outside.  Yes, he proved it is possible to be outside and still refuse to supervise your kids.

Just another case proving some people just shouldn’t be allowed to be parents.

Jerks.

I’m sure by now you’ve all seen this story about a boy who was suspended for taking a call during school hours from his dad currently deployed in Iraq.

Cove High School in Texas, where half the students have at least one parent deployed, justified the punishment against Brandon Hill by saying he had violated the no-cell-phone policy when he took the call from his father, who is serving in Iraq.

“I have been going through a lot of stress lately and my dad’s like my best friend, so I go to him for everything…..I needed to talk to him, so my mom got a hold of him on Yahoo and told him to call me, so I answered the phone call in class.”

Apparently, the principal who so strictly enforced in the in-school cell phone rule decided it was better to hold the line vs. abiding by an agreement made previously with the assistant principal.  Said the boy’s father, Master Sgt Hill:

I was pretty shocked, considering that several months before we left I had talked to the … assistant principal and thought everything was fine.

This is just another example of school administrators over-zealously enforcing policy and supporting a pacifist agenda vs. actually thinking about the decisions they make and how they will impact not only individual kids but also public perception of the public education system as a whole.

The principal at The Boy’s elementary school was one of those non-thinking administrators.  There was a huge bullying problem in his school with one particular child who was continually given the benefit of the doubt when kids were hurt because the teachers didn’t “see” what was happening (mainly due to the fact that they weren’t looking).  Her policy was that there was NEVER any reason why a child should defend him or herself against a bully that had laid hands on them.  In most cases, the bully got away with it and the kids defending themselves got in-school suspension because by the time they fought back it was only then that teachers bothered to find out what was going on.

Denying a kid a phone call from a parent deployed in a war zone to make a stand against military action is wrong.  And it punishes the child.  And it shows all other military kids the administration flat-out does not care about them or what they go through each and every day worrying about whether their parent is safe or in harm’s way.  Am I jumping to conclusions in saying that I believe this principal did not think the call was important enough to bend the rules due to a likely anti-war position?  To that, I say that I find a lot of what teachers and administrators do when decisions like this are made has more to do with promoting a pacifist belief system rather than doing what will help the child cope with an extremely difficult situation.

I just wish people in power of military kids and other kids just trying to not get hurt by bullies would set their pacifist agendas aside and THINK about what they’re doing.  Maybe even just once in a while so that eventually maybe the kids can come first for a change.

That time where all the people that freaked out over being out of shape before Spring Break leave the gym.  I don’t know why this surprises me every year.  Maybe it’s because I don’t understand why someone would put themselves through four weeks of torture and food deprivation so they can (they think) look good in a swimsuit.  And then…they stop.

Until the beginning of December when they realize the cruise they are going to pull their kids out of school for is coming up.  Or the Disney vacation, or whatever.  Then they do it all over again.

And in between they slack off, eat what they want, and do nothing to stay physically fit.

Really…what’s the point?  Just when they do enough to start feeling better and form a habit….they stop.

Why?

I just don’t understand it.  I’ve worked out for years with no progress in the weight loss area, but I still do it because I feel like crap if I don’t.  Do these people enjoy feeling like crap?  Because I don’t.

Oh, well.  Time to go do Pilates….

Wouldn’t it be nice? To live your life without consequences for the bad choices you make? As our society increasingly becomes centered on Socialist principals (“shared prosperity” is the new tag line for this), we are losing all sense of what it means to experience consequences for what we do.

Don’t feel like studying for the State mandated test? No worries. Either your teachers will step in for your parents and MAKE you study for the test by assigning detentions and summer school for bad results, or in some cases the teachers will actually give you the answers ahead of time to ensure you pass and their merit pay is not decreased.

Decide that pre-marital sex without protection is the way to go? It’s okay. You just made a “bad choice”. We wouldn’t want you to be “punished with a baby”. If you can’t afford it, the State will pay for you to dispose of your unwanted child.

Don’t feel like working? No problem. We’ll pay your rent. We’ll pay for your groceries. We’ll even pay for your beer with a small cash stipend. We’ll also pay for your health care in full. Yours and your kids’ and your grandkids’ health care will be paid for. You….are covered. To live your life in relaxed, paid for certainty.

Don’t want to pay for health insurance even though you can afford it? We have your back. We know things like booze and cigarettes and satellites and new cars every few years are WAY more important in your life. Just go to the emergency room for whatever ails you. The government (using taxpayer money) will pick up the tab.

Don’t want to wait in line to enter the country and begin the citizenship process legally? We understand. Things are rough where you are. We’ll pay for your kids’ educations, all your medical care, and your housing and food if need be. Just go to your nearest sanctuary city. We’ll set you up.

Don’t want to save to buy a house? That’s okay. Just find a lender that’s willing to give you an adjustable rate mortgage for a house you couldn’t afford to make payments on if your life depended on it. Just skip a few payments and eventually the government will step in and clean things up for you. Bad financial decisions are NOT your fault. You were taken advantage of when you refused to actually read what you were signing. We’ll let other taxpayers take on the burden of your bad loan and let you keep your house.

Now…there ARE a few exceptions to the rules our new Socialist society lives under:

1. If you are a Christian, don’t expect to enjoy the same freedoms that other religions have. You are banned from wearing crosses, praying silently during lunch at school, or putting up traditional decorations at your office. Christianity…is bad. All other religions are okay. You might want to convert.

2. If you are a successful, hard-working person and can pay your mortgage on time and can afford to send your kids to college…well, we’ll take care of that as soon as we can. Others must be able to “share in your prosperity”. Start saving now and hiding your money off-shore. The boom is going to fall on all your hard work and long range plans. Your piece of your own pie you baked will become a mere sliver of the prosperity you worked for under our former capitalist society.

Note: Lest you think I am totally without a heart…I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I am not opposed to giving law-abiding, legal citizens a helping hand when the chips are down. Newly divorced single moms that suddenly find themselves below the poverty line should be given aid and additional educational assistance so they can make their own way. But they will have to do the work at school to make this happen so they can get off the dole as soon as possible. Poor kids should be given medical coverage…but their parents should be made to educate themselves and find work in order to qualify for that assistance. People that no-kidding actually have a disability and cannot work should be taken care of…all of their needs, soup to nuts. That should go without saying.

But….people should have to take on some personal responsibility for their prosperity instead of constantly being rewarded for the bad choices they make. At least, that’s what I think.