I was going to file this under the Politics category as well, but it's more of a question each of us as parents have to ask ourselves. What brought this to mind is a case in Lexington, MA where a father is going on trial resulting from him disputing the 'right' of a local public school to introduce his then-5-year-old son to the issue of homosexuality.

Okay, so short version is the school sent home a "diversity bag" which included a book called "Who's In a Family?" which depicts same-sex parents alongside others. Now, first I have a problem with schools presenting any type of material related to family values without parental notification ahead of time. Second, who the hell teaches topics like this to a five year old? Five. Kindergartners are dealing with lots of changes at that age - being at school, making new friends, having to deal with more structure and discipline, how to hold their water until prescribed bathroom breaks...all of that. To then throw in the complex topic of family values and alternative lifestyles on top of it could, in my opninion, seriously screw up a kid's sense of reality.

I ask you....who teaches sex ed to a Kindergartner? Not me. The kid would have to be awfully developed, mentally, emotionally and physically to handle a convo. like that at such a young age.

Now, the dad did write an email to the school outlining his views. It says, in part:

It is one thing to endorse to not persecute/harm homosexuals/lesbians, it is another to teach young children implicitly that these values are acceptable. Some may maintain that if they can not present homosexual situations in school--- this is a form of persecution and harm. To us- this is a very contrived argument. The real question is-do parents have the right to exclude/shield their children from these contrary values being pushed upon young children in elementary school.

Clearly, the guy is upset and stands firmly on moral ground that does not jive with the school's "diversity" agenda. I can understand that. We all have our own set of values which we try and teach our kids in the hope that they will hopefully live according to what we feel is right and moral.

There are other things that go into this argument on both sides. Personally, we gave our child some guidance on this subject and the sex ed thing as a whole before the unit came up at school.....in 5TH GRADE!!!! Not Kindergarten, for God's sake. That way we could ensure he understood the basics and wouldn't have to be one of those "not in the know" during the unit, but also we took the opportunity to make sure he clearly understood what the terms meant, what we think of as a family, and how others may choose to live a different lifestyle which is their right to do and they should not be judged for it. So, for us teaching the basics, what we believe to be right, but also teaching tolerance was our approach.

I just don't think that schools should:

1. Develop a "Diversity" agenda and then expose five year olds to it without parental notification (note: our school gave us the option of pulling our son from the class if we chose to do so...but we're in TX, not MA and I know that's a difference).

2. Teach any type of sex ed related material to students of any age without parental notification BEFORE the course material is taught or provided in some type of book bag neatly packaged.

3. Teach that any life style is better or worse than another, regardless of pre-notification or not. This is the responsibility (in my view) of the parents. I have ALWAYS thought moral values should be taught at home. This should not be part of the school's course material - again, my opinion.

So...what do you think? Kindergartners? Classes and take-home materials on homosexuality and what all that means in the context of family? Proselytizing it is on even moral ground with more traditional families? Sex ed in general at whatever age without parental notification BEFORE it takes place? What do you think?

I am from Wisconsin, but I live in Texas. Texas is a lovely place. My husband is from Texas. There is no snow to blow, rarely are the streets slick and icy in the winter, there is no State income tax, they know how to manage natural disaster crisis quite nicely, the school system where we live is very highly rated...etc, etc, etc. I could go on and on about all the reasons why I live in this wonderful sate.

However.......I HATE THE HEAT! I cannot stand that sweaty, humid, icky feeling when I walk out the door of my beautiful air conditioned house into the blazing Texas FALL weather. Last time I checked it was the END of friggin' SEPTEMBER! Guess what the heat index is for today? 102! And tomorrow? 104!! Enough already.

Here are some reasons why I hate the heat:

1. I sweat when I'm hot. I sweat a LOT. Some might say I sweat profusely. I sweat constantly in the heat. It's so uncomfortable. I hate that.

2. Being hot makes you tired. Very tired.

3. Being tired makes you grumpy.

4. Being grumpy leads to petty bickering with your spouse, whom you are annoyed with because he is loving, L-O-V-I-N-G the heat. I think I even heard him singing a tune about how great the heat was the other day...seriously.

5. I can't sleep when it's too hot. It's expensive to run the A/C as cold as I'd like it when I sleep so I am constantly throwing the covers off, then on, then putting one foot out, then the other.....all this does not sit well with the spouse who is shivering in the corner of his side with what few blankets he can steal while I'm thrashing all over the bed trying to get comfortable in the stifling, 75 degree heat of our bedroom.

6. You can't really wear makeup when it's hot out. And humid. It basically slides right off your face while you sweat and then you get this icky, gooey look that is not so attractive. The spouse would say that's a bonus because look how much money we're saving on makeup and how much time we're saving while getting ready to go somewhere. Hmmmpphhh...I say.

7. When it's this hot out I can't even enjoy the hot tub we have with our lovely pool. The spouse loves to go out there and drink a beer and run the hot tub when the pool water is at 98 degrees and the heat index is 102. So at least someone gets some use of the hot tub in the summer months...at least that's what he'd say.

I could continue but I won't. because I'm hot. And tired. And grumpy. I saw the weather report and it said by the end of the week it MIGHT get down to the 80's during the day. I will keep my fingers crossed. In the mean time, I have to go get a tall glass of ice water and stand in front of the open freezer for a while....

Here are some random thoughts from my day:

1. Living with a sick person is hell. Pure hell. That is, if you want to try help them get better and all they want to do is to be left alone.

2. When you're cleaning out the filter from your wind tunnel type vacuum - don't inhale. Especially if you're allergic to dust. Not good.

3. If you're cutting the plastic off one of those pre-wrapped potatoes from Kroger, don't use a freshly sharpened knife and then drag the sharp edge across your thumb. It hurts. Bad. And bleeds. A lot. Ouch.

4. Bonus: If you slice your thumb and it's bleeding, you can't cook. And if the other adult in your house has the no-kidding flu they can't cook either. You get take out and you like it. Because you didn't have to cook.

5. Listening to someone else hack up a lung when you're trying to eat does not help the whole appetite thing.

6. It sucks having a bleeding thumb because you have to hold it up above your heart to stop the bleeding, which makes you seem like you're saying "everything's a-OK." Well, it's not. Your thumb is bleeding. And it hurts.

7. Think carefully before you agree to let your child play the sax in the middle school band. It is loud. Very loud. Doesn't matter how good your insulation is or if you make them practice in their bedroom upstairs with the door closed - it is still loud. Very, very loud.

That is all.

Okay, I admit it. I have a reputation for being kind of anal when it comes to the cleanliness of my kitchen and bathrooms, the washing of hands, etc. Some people I know might say I'm a little OCD about the whole thing. But hey, it keeps the house smelling clean and it also wards off sickness. Case in point....Tommy has the flue and neither Scytheboy nor I do. We've all been wiping stuff down, washing our hands, and generally trying to keep those bad flu germs at bay. We might still get the flu, but so far it's been working.

Now, some people I know have bought into the whole idea created by this guy called Levy that basically said if you use antibacterial stuff in your house you will create and environment where some new super-germ will take hold and basically make everyone in the house deathly ill as it is resistant to antibiotics and using the antibacterial products will increase said resistance. I never believed it. But some people I know actually stopped using all the antibacterial stuff and went back to using yucky, wet, germ-filled sponges in their kitchens. Um....ewwwww!

Well, now there's a new study out that disproves the hype. Here is an excerpt from the article I've linked to:

The researchers reported in the October issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases that, “The results from our study do not implicate use of antibacterial cleaning and hygiene products as an influential factor in the carriage of anti-microbial drug-resistant bacteria on the hands of household members.”

While the researchers also reported that they found no evidence indicating triclosan-containing antibacterial products work better than soap and water, the key point here is that there’s no evidence that triclosan is contributing to the development of “supergerms” that would be resistant to antibiotics.

The health scare over triclosan-based antibacterial products was kicked off in the 1990s by Tuft University researcher Stuart Levy who, ironically, is one of the researchers on the new study. Levy authored an August 1998 study in the journal Nature reporting that widely used antibacterial consumer products caused genetic changes in bacteria.

Going beyond the scope of his study, however, Levy then speculated that these genetic changes could create dreaded “supergerms.”

By July of 2000, the scare had caught fire to the point that the American Medical Association urged the Food and Drug Administration to expedite the regulation of antibacterial products -- even though, as I pointed out in my FOXNews.com column at the time, there was no scientific evidence that antibacterial products had caused any increase in antibiotic drug resistance, much less produced any “supergerms” despite more than 30 years of use in hospitals and homes.

I'm SO glad that I've finally been proved right to these people who who think I'm anal, OCD, and possibly even insane for using anti-bacterial stuff in my house. Who knows? If they see this study, maybe they'll jump on board the anti-bacterial train and be as clean as me!

Okay, so Tommy's been whining about being sick over at his site. He's usually not a whiner so this is highly unusual for him. He is a prior military pilot and current private sector pilot, so for him to actually admit that he's sick is a very, very BIG deal. And for him to go to the doctor is an even bigger deal. Trust me. I've known several pilots all the way up to the Colonel level in the Air Force who live with chronic pain and rarely see doctors, claiming they are not "sick".

And I can truly say that he is, without a doubt, sick. I saw the patient form....it said "Influenza". They even gave him that special new influenza mediation that kills the virus instead of masking the symptoms...so we now just have to wait for it to kill the virus.

He's been sick since Monday and finally went to the doctor today (Thursday) after only getting worse instead of better. So for the past few days I've been thinking about how we "do sick" differently. Following is a comparison of how we each react to being sick:

Him: "I'm sick. Leave me alone. If I need something I'll let you know."

Me: "I'm sick...I need everything. Anything you can think of, I need."

Him (after four or five days of being sick): "I guess I should go to the doctor."

Me (on day one or two): "I feel like shit. I'm going to the doctor."

Okay, so now we've covered generalities on how we each treat being sick. Further generalities on him include staying by himself where nobody will bother him, drinking large quantities of Diet Coke, and eating what's been put before him as long as it's not too healthy. Junk food and favorite foods rule the day when Tommy's sick. I'm sure that's the same for most of us.

Now, for me here is a detailed list of what I need when I am sick:

1. An immediate trip to the doctor and lots of prescription medication...lots and often.

2. A couch all to myself in front of the T.V. with my favorite blanket.

3. Peace and quiet so I can take naps frequently. I hate for it to be loud when I'm sick. Could we all please just walk around silently in reverence of my sickness? Please?

4. I like to be checked on often in case I need anything...like some water or some tea or maybe some toast.

5. A cold hand or a cold compress for my feverish forehead. I like cold compresses. They're nice.

6. My cat. Purring. Close to me. That's always good when I feel bad.

7. TiVo. In case I fall asleep during the show I can rewind.

8. McDonald's at least once a day. What is it about McDonald's that always makes me feel better?

9. A warm (not hot because it will make me too nauseous) bath at least once a day. I hate feeling "icky" from laying around all day on the couch.

10. Someone ELSE to decide what I'm going to eat...I'm too sick to decide. Besides, I always have to decide and it's my only chance to have someone else decide...except when I want McDonald's. Then I want that and nothing else. That's the only exception to the whole me not deciding what's for dinner thing.

11. Lots and lots of sympathy. Everyone should recognize how horrible it is that I'm sick and tell me how much they wish I felt better.

12. Hugs from my son. This should really be no. 1, but he's in school now so it has to move to the end of the list unfortunately.

Okay, so as you can see I really don't need very much when I'm sick. Just the normal stuff anybody needs when they're sick. I really don't understand the whole "I'm sick. Leave me alone" thing. I guess in the area of how we treat being sick, you can really say in our case opposites attract.

So...share....how do you do sick?

I never, ever, in my wildest dreams though I would EVER utter these words out loud.....I like Martha Stewart. That's right, my newest dirty little secret is I actually like Martha Stewart.

Now, anybody that knows me well knows being like Martha Stewart is nothing I would ever aspire to..at least in the artsy-craftsy creative sort of way. I don't make Christmas ornaments out of sticks and pine cones from the yard, I don't make creative wreathes for my door, I don't make decorative napkin rings...hell, I don't even know where the napkin ringed napkins are supposed to go on a formal table. I will admit to liking a tidy house and having some ability to cook...but that's about as "Martha Stewarty" as I get.

Anyway....why do I suddenly feel the need to confess I actually like this woman? First, let me say her PR machine has been quite spectacular in reshaping her public image. They've done an excellent job of making her look and seem like a "real person" in every single video clip and printed interview I've seen with her and about her since her return to "polite society". She is unabashedly honest about her time in prison, and doesn't complain a lot about how hard it was. She's not even griping that much about how unfair her verdict was. She's chosen to take the high road and get it over with and move on with her life, it seems. At least that's the image she and her people are trying to portray...and I have to say it's a good one.

Now, don't get me wrong. I absolutely hate that she's so domestically talented and could plan circles around me when it comes to a social event. That said, I commend her ability to rise from the ashes and reshape her own image into something that is much more palatable to us at large and hopefully an example to those other actual corporate crooks that are now having to take their medicine.

It will be interesting to see how her new "Apprentice" show goes. But for now...yes....I have to confess I like this new Martha Stewart just fine.

Okay, so I've been searching for a while for something to blog about other than the obvious. I ran across this story over the weekend and I've been debating for a couple days whether or not to post about it.

Then tonight I was watching the local Dallas news and they had a blurb on the story. So apparently it's been picked up nationally.

So...basically this story is about some doctors in Ohio that are signing up candidates for revolutionary face transplant surgery. These candidates would presumably be people with major disfigurements, either from burns, tumor removals, birth defects, whatever. Basically the candidates would be looking for anything better than what they've got now.

If you read the article, it appears what happens is they remove an entire patient's face and replace it with the face of a cadaver. This face would retain some characteristics of the donor face, but the patient's face would remain pretty much the same as the bone structure is what dictates the shape of the face. Also, characteristics such as laugh lines, etc. would be the result of the personality of the patient, not the donor.

Now, there is a possibility that the patient's face might turn completely black or there could be other major complications that could result in a second or even a third face transplant. After all, this surgery is revolutionary.

OK, this is not at all the way this surgery was portrayed in the movie Face/Off. In the movie, both people that trade faces maintain perfect skin tone and their faces remain handsome and a joy to behold. There are no scars, no completely black faces, nothing. Clearly the movie makers misled us.

In any case, my thoughts on the whole face transplant proposition are as follows:

1. The donors are truly selfless in the donating of their bodies for science and should be commended.

2. If I was severely disfigured for one reason or another, I can't say that I wouldn't see this as a viable option for my recovery.

3. If I were a family member of a donor, I might be a little freaked out to know my relative's face is on a completely different person and I would be very curious to see how the new person looked with my relative's face.

4. I might have to rethink the organ donor box on my drivers license. I mean...my face....on another person? It just creeps me out.

That is all.

Tommy is out of town, and of course once again I resorted to McDonald's for our "wholesome" family meal while he's away. So, we got in the car last night and drove down to our favorite location for a bite to eat. While we were waiting at one of the busiest intersections in our 'burb, I glanced up and noticed that there were four or five people that appeared to be panhandling for money on the median. They were walking up to all the cars pleading for a helping hand. A couple of them had things written on their buckets like, "I've lost everything, please help."

There were several thoughts Scytheboy had on this. From my perspective, if these people are indeed hurricane victims I do certainly understand why they would feel so desperate for funds. But also I realize if they are legitimate victims they have access to free food and shelter, donated clothing, and also opportunities for more permanent housing with a $600/mo. stipend plus thousands of dollars from The Red Cross and FEMA in the form of debit cards. So why this? Scytheboy said, "We don't know who these people really are or if they were victims. They're probably from Dallas and are just trying to take advantage of the situation." That said, of course we didn't directly donate to hurricane relief last night.

Now....here's the question. Would you open your window and hand over a few bucks to these people that appear to be so needy? Or would you rather do like most of us have and donate to a reputable charity?

I'm curious to hear what you'd do if confronted with this situation, or what you have done if you've already had to deal with it. As a side note, a police car drove up and these people scattered as quickly as they could, jaywalking all over the intersection. So at the very least they probably didn't have licenses to solicit.

Thoughts?

In a word...I am Irish. I am mostly Irish, with a little bit of Indian and a couple other things thrown in. But for the most part I am Irish. We have a unique way about us, and I think it was best captured in a book by James Webb called "Born Fighting". In it, you will find many in my opinion accurate views of who we are, where we came from, and what those who emigrated to America and their descendants have contributed to our history and culture. According to Webb, "It is estimated that there are more than 27 million descendants of the Scots-Irish migration now living in the U.S. Because people from this culture also identify themselves as of Scottish, English or Irish descent, the actual number is probably much higher."

The following excerpt from an article in Parade Magazine adapted from the book clearly defines who I am in a nutshell:

The Scots-Irish are a fiercely independent, individualist people. It goes against their grain to think collectively. But, as America rushes forward into yet another redefinition of itself, the contributions of the Scots-Irish are too great to remain invisible. My culture needs to reclaim itself—stop letting others define, mock and even use it—and in so doing to regain its power to shape the direction of America.

Because our country needs us.

We are the molten core at the very center of its unbridled, raw, rebellious spirit. We helped build this nation from the bottom up. We face the world on our feet and not on our knees. We were born fighting. And if the cause is right, we will never retreat.

Not that I am looking for an excuse about my views, but perhaps now you can understand better why I am the way I am.

Okay so for the past day and a half our next door neighbors have had roofers over there tearing out and replacing their whole roof. While I know they are doing this for good reasons since they are trying to sell their house...do they have to start so damn early and work so damn late?

Now...I DO understand that time is money and they have to get this done quickly. I just wonder....have they considered the neighbors (ME in particular) who might not necessarily want to listen to hammering, yelling, loud machinery and sundry other things for 13 hours a day? That's right...they started before 7:30 yesterday and went until 9:00 at night, then again started at 7:25 this morning and they are still at it. I mean...they have six or seven guys over there...how the hell long does it take to do a new roof?

There are people here with small children that probably didn't get naps and in our case...we like to sleep late. Don't these people realize it is, in fact, all about ME and MY sleep? I mean, how DARE they make all that racket both early and late. You couldn't even have a decent conversation in some areas of the house.

AND...let's not forget....while they are over there I can't go outside without a number of them making comments about certain parts of my anatomy. While I appreciate the fact that they think I have an "ample" chest and a nice ass....do they have to say it in such a perverted manner with the leering and the hisses? I mean, I know they probably don't realize I understand everything they're saying in Spanish, but it's just rude to talk about someone that way and to act like that in general.

In summary....loud, rude roofers...that talk dirty....and are nasty....I HATE THEM!!

That is all.

Yes, I've filed this under politics and ridiculous items, because it's one of the most ridiculously politicized items I've seen in a very long time.

Today as I'm sure you're aware, a vastly liberal judge in San Francisco ruled that reciting The Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is unconstitutional. Because of the phrase "one nation under god". Wait...what? Let me get this straight...many of our founders fled to America to ensure their right to religious freedom, and then many years later we referred to such religious freedom in the pledge to our country's flag by including this universal phrase to remind us that all can worship or not worship as they please. Now, suddenly reciting this phrase in the pledge has been deemed "unconstitutional"?

P-u-leeze. All this is is an activist judge that is doing his level best to help remove all widely accepted references to a higher being from all facets of our society. This case was brought before the court by the same spotlight-seeking idiot that tried to get "In God We Trust" (yet another universal reference to the belief of your choice) removed from our currency.

To judges and people like this I say only this......clearly, you do not like America. There are PLENTY of countries (France for one) that would be glad to have you. You are free to go there any time you choose. Please go, and leave the rest of us that love our country and everything that it was founded upon and stands for alone.

Him: "I'll get up with him and take him to school tomorrow."

Me: "OK, but don't give him chocolate cake for breakfast."

Him: "What's wrong with chocolate cake for breakfast? What's in it that's so bad?"

Me: "Well, if you want me to list the ingredients, there's flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla....wait..."

Him: "So what you're saying is basically all the stuff that's in pancakes is in the cake. So what's the difference?"

Me: "There's cocoa in the cake."

Him: "Don't they have chocolate pancakes, so really what's the difference?"

Me: "You're NOT giving him dessert for breakfast."

Him: "It's not dessert, it's just another form of pancakes. All kids like pancakes for breakfast."

Me: "Never mind, I'll get up with him."

Him: "No, I'll get up with him and I'll even give him what you said, but I still don't see the difference. I mean...you give him toaster strudel for breakfast. I don't see any difference....a pastry's a dessert, isn't it?"

Me: ".........."

Him: "Aren't they the same?"

Me: "......."

Scytheboy was entirely too happy after school today. I'm convinced he got chocolate cake for breakfast, but neither one of them will admit it.

Okay, I admit it. I have nothing to post today. But I thought you might want to see what I've been doing instead of posting....I made a cake. Sing it with me...."I am great....I made a chocolate cake!"

Recipe's in the extended entry. Doesn't it look GOOD?

Good Old Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs (not eggbeaters - eggs)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9 inch round cake pans with Pam. Set Aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Add the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until smooth. Add the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes.

Pour batter into the pans, then slam the pans on the counter a few times to get rid of the bubbles. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then invert them onto a rack and let cool completely before doing something delicious with it.

Note: I tried this cake several times in a 9 x 13 inch pan and it simply does NOT work. Falls every time...trust me.

Another note: In my picture, you see one frosted layer. That's because I cut the recipe in half. Tommy doesn't like cake and since Scytheboy and I don't need that much I only make one layer. It will still be excellent though.

Seriously, a two year old could make this cake. It's that easy. I did cheat and use the canned frosting but at least the cake is from scratch!

So said Peaches on the topic of "Yummy"
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Okay, so each year my sisters, aunts, cousin, Mom (if she chooses to go) have a girls' camping weekend. My Mom lately has decided to opt out, but usually at least one aunt and possibly two or three more manage to make the trek to the site near where sundry items of interest occur each year.

Last year, I did manage to make the trip. Luckily (and I say luckily because I admit I am NOT a camper) it was going to rain that weekend and we leveraged the oh-so-nice 2,500 sq. ft. "cabin" my dad built in northern Wisconsin for the trip.

Now...last year was my first year for the trip. In attendance were my godmother (aunt - my mother's only sister), her daughter (my cousin) and my sister. My older sister had work stuff and could not attend, and my mother just did not attend as the previous year she had clearly sated, "this is my last camping trip." Small group. but a good group nonetheless. I flew all day from Dallas, leaving Scytheboy and Tommy behind to do whatever it was they were going to do.

Anyway...as with the military..."what goes on girls' weekend, STAYS on girls' weekend". We all had a great time, there were some illnesses that were overcome (said illnesses blamed on one "bad" bottle of wine in particular"), but nevertheless it was a great weekend. Great to bond again with some of my most favorite female members of my side of the family, with calls in from other favorite female members of the family.

Oh...did I not say this? NO GUYS OR KIDS ALLOWED ON GIRLS' WEEKEND....E-V-E-R!!!

Well, of course, as is usually the case, this weekend was girls' weekend and our "airline of choice" did not see fit to groove with our requested days off on the schedule. So, of course, once again...I did not attend.

Do you know what the problem is with not attending girls' weekend" You are the most immediate target for sundry gossip and story fodder for the entire weekend. However.....and I must say this occurs WITHOUT VARIANCE....you WILL be the target of the "drunk dial".

I'm sure you know what the "drunk dial" is. It's the call you get from the people that are attending the event you missed when they are at the appropriate state of drunkenness to call you and tell you:

a. What a good time they are having and how it sucks that you didn't go
b. How you have been the main topic of conversation for the last hour
c. Tell you what they have been talking about and get your opinion on whatever the current topic is

Now...I am not supposed to tell tales out of school, but.....one of my sisters (I won't tell you who) called me from the campsite one year and claimed that she was "The Queen Mother" and that "She was on her throne" and that "All should bow to her will". Let me tell you.....I was NOT the only person to receive a similar call. Her husband, for one, received an almost exact replica of my call. Why was she "The Queen Mother" and what did her "throne" look like? Nobody knows for sure. Except for those that attended the trip that year (including my Mother) - and they're NOT talking. As it should be.

So anyway.....

In preparation for my drunk dialing call tonight, I began drinking some of my most favorite Chilean Wine at 10:00 p.m. Sure enough...at precicely 10:35 I received my drunk dial call from the campsite. This year, in attendace were BOTH of my sisters, two of my most favorite aunts, and my most favorite female cousin (daughter to one of my most favorite aunts who is also my Godmother). Anyway...let me tell you, I was glad I did some pre-drinking before they called. They were...oh, shall I quote Scytheboy who answered the phone?...."wasted".

I am not at liberty to say what was discussed. All I can tell you is that I was sorely chastised for not being there and that I oh, so wish I was there to defend myself. I could have brought some South American wine to add to the stash and help them avoid what I am sure are going to be some very, very ugly hangovers. Except for my favorite female cousin, who always wisely drinks light beer steadily throughout these girls' weekends.

Girls...I wish I was there with you...not only so I could defend myself but also so I could take part in one of the best things about being a female in our family.

I’ve complained here before about The Viagra Brigade. So we all know I can barely tolerate these people at the gym. To give you a clear understanding of what we’re talking about here I thought it would be helpful to provide the checklist I’m sure the lead guy on this brigade uses for his daily visits to the gym:

1. Wear low neckline tank top (front and back) to ensure that all body hair on chest and back is highly visible

1a. Always the good leader, encourage my fellow brigade members to also wear the low scooping neckline tanks for maximum body hair exposure

2. Wear white sneakers and black socks

3. Drink some sort of alcohol and smoke a cigar before going to gym to add that special “ambiance” to the air

4. Wear gimme cap at all times, but take it off frequently to smooth back what hair I have left to make sure everyone sees I still have hair and I’m not just trying to cover my massive bald spot

5. Eat something nasty before going to the gym to ensure I’m able to pass gas so everyone at the gym can enjoy it – not just me and my special someone at home

6. Ensure all nose hair and ear hair is clearly visible and eyebrows are unruly

7. Suck teeth frequently and loudly

8. Hock loogies every once in a while into the trash can next to the paper towels and spray bottles

9. NEVER, and I mean NEVER wipe off cardio or weight equipment when I’m finished with it

10. Talk at an extremely high volume to ensure everyone can hear what I have to say (even if their headphone volume is turned up to maximum)

11. When walking around the track, remember to look each female up and down, making a dramatic pause at chest and bumb level while leaving mouth at half mast (occasionally lick lips and suck teeth to draw attention to myself and ensure everyone realizes where I’m looking)

12. Generally, just look disgusting, act disgusting, smell disgusting and try to be the most annoying person in the gym

I know, it probably seems like I have nothing better to do than analyze with these guys and their leader are up to. But when you spend an hour on one piece of equipment, there really IS not much else to do. I can’t stand the brigade, especially their leader. I do believe he is the most disgusting, annoying person I have ever run across. Ewwwwwww!

Lately, I've noticed I'm wearing a lot of gray t-shirts. Recently I cleaned out my closet and color coded the t-shirts (shut up, I am NOT anal). It so happens that the gray ones are at the front of the line, right behind the white ones (yes, they're organized light to dark - again, I am NOT anal!). Feeling gray again yesterday, I decided to actually count how many gray t-shirts I own. I looked in my closet and I counted 12 of them....lined up all nice and pretty in a row, right in front of me. Some of them I've had for 10 years, some of them I've had just a year or two. But they are all still gray, in various stages of fading. Just so you know - I did NOT arrange them from light gray to dark gray. That proves I am not anal - just very, very organized.

I'm considering going dark to light on the color coded/organizational scale thing so as to add more variety to my daily wardrobe. It turns out I have much fewer same color other color t-shirts than I do gray ones.

Anwyay....I am curious, so your question is.....how many gray t-shirts do you own?

OK let me preface the following with some background. After having been on a trip that included two all-nighters recently, I can definitely empathize with the lack of sleep during the trip and the need for sleep after the trip. So I now realize that it's probably really unfair of me to expect him to get up and see the child off to school after he's gone a couple nights in four with little or no sleep. Following is the conversation we had this morning:

Me:

"Did you sleep OK last night?"

Him:

"Yeah, I slept great. But I gather from my sore ribs you didn't."

OK that's the understatement of the century. I woke up every 20 minutes what with all the shifting and snoring (don't we all snore when we're really, really tired?). And yes, I admit I did elbow him a few times in the ribs to try and get him to stop...okay maybe more than a few times.

But I like not working and I want him to keep his current job and continue to support me in the style I've become accustomed to. So I will continue to oh, so gently elbow him in the direction of not snoring while I get up every morning with the child so he can continue to snore blissfully after his many all-nighters to go buy me wine.

As I was reading Tommy's site today, I suddenly realized that very soon I would once again become a "Hockey Widow". As my beloved spouse looks forward with anticipation to the upcoming season, it's hard not to reminisce of how our life had become seemingly normal in the absence of his hallowed sport. Here is a look at how things will be once the first puck drops to the ice (H/T to Ian Robinson of CNews):

o Before the canceled season, "body check" meant running into an opposing player. But during the canceled season, it meant he was actually noticing what I looked like. I'm going to miss that.

o When he talks about "expansion," he'll be referring to adding new teams to the league. I'll be thinking about what the peanuts-and-lager diet of the season is going to do to his waistline.

o Face-off. For him, two players vying to take control of the puck as it's dropped. For me, the part of his body I want to tear off after being ignored for months on end.

o Lie. The angle made by the shaft of the stick and the blade. Also what is going to be coming out of his mouth when he phones me from his favorite sports bar on game night to explain why he's skipping dinner with my family.

o Neutral zone. The area between the blue lines. Soon to be the office of the marriage counselor we'll be seeing by season's end.

o Offside: When both skates of an attacking player cross the blue line before the puck. This year it'll also mean the nature of the insults we fling at one another that land us in the neutral zone.

o Offside pass: For him, when a player passes the puck from his defensive zone to a teammate on the other side of the red line. For me, what he tries to pull when he rolls amorously into bed after the six-pack and peanuts are gone and the game is over.

o Sudden-death overtime. For him an overtime period that ends when a goal is scored. For me, the state of our relationship by season's end.

Seriously, though. I know he loves hockey and if he's going to love a sport I suppose I can take comfort in the fact it's one I grew up watching in Wisconsin. I will at least have a vague notion of what's playing out on the screen.

But still...the strike was so nice. At least for me it was....

One of the things I make that Scytheboy absolutely loves is swordfish braised in onions and sundried tomatoes. It's really, really good. But Tommy doesn't like it so once in a while I make it for just the two of us.

Doesn't it look good? We usually have oven roasted asparagus with it, but this time we both wanted corn so we had corn and couse couse with shredded Parmesan cheese - thus the title of this post. Two starches is bad, but it tastes oh, so good! It only takes less than a half hour to make and it's yummy, yummy, yummy. If you don't like fish but you do like sundried tomatoes and onions you might want to try this.

Here's the recipe:

Swordfish Braised in Sundried Tomatoes and Onions

Ingredients:

2-4 swordfish steaks (halibut is a good substitution)
1 medium or large white onion
1 tsp minced garlic
3 Tablespoons julienne cut sundried tomatoes in olive oil (or more if you like)
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup chicken stock
1 small can tomatoes sauce
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and sautee them in a medium pan with olive oil, salt and pepper until soft. Add chicken stock, sundried tomatoes, marjoram and oregano. Simmer on medium high heat until most of the chicken stock is gone. Add tomato sauce, and then place swordfish steaks in the pan and cover them with the sauce. Cover the pan and simmer for 7-10 minutes, turning once half way though. Serve with sauce spooned over the swordfish.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Yummy"
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Just so you know, I found the link for the New Orleans hurricane plan.

I know, it's a lot to read through. But at first glance, it appears there is a LOT the Mayor was supposed to do, but didn't. Here's an excerpt:

General evacuations that may result from an approaching hurricane will be ordered by the Mayor of the City, upon the recommendation of the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness. The area affected by the warning may range from blocks and portions of neighborhoods, to the entire city......Conduct of an actual evacuation will be the responsibility of the Mayor of New Orleans in coordination with the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and the OEP Shelter Coordinator.

And according to this AP story, the Governor was the one that called for the evacuation...AFTER President Bush called her and urged her to do so. All this due to inaction by the Mayor. Here's the excerpt of interest:

Gov. Kathleen Blanco, standing beside the mayor at a news conference, said President Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding.

I know it appears I'm trying to play the blame game here and I'm sure a lot of people will see it that way. But honestly I'm trying to figure out why things were allowed to get this bad. It heartens me to see that they at least had a plan of sorts. It's really a shame some people with key areas of responsibility did not take care of their stuff like they should have.

As I sit here today trying not to think due to my extreme lack of creativity, it's hard not to watch the news about Katrina.

First, it goes without saying that if you can, you should donate to the Red Cross. That is the most immediate way your help can get to the people who need it.

Having said that, I do have some questions for the state officials about how all this unfolded in Louisiana. Currently, the National Guard and other branches of the armed forces have taken over control of security and rescue operations in the New Orleans area. I believe that's as it should be considering some of the things that probably should have been taken care of at the state level but were not.

In no particular order, below is a list of things I've been curious about over the past few days:

1. Why was the order to evacuate given so late? It was Sunday before the city of New Orleans was ordered to evacuate. Keep in mind there were many there without televisions, radios, or that could afford a newspaper so many did not have any way of hearing the order was given.

2. If you're going to hold people in large complexes for an unknown period of time, how come you didn't put things in place to support them?

3. Where were the emergency generators?

4. Where were the basic needs for life - food, water?

5. Where were the porta-potties for god's sake?

6. Where was the security? Why didn't you call the National Guard during that 5-7 days lead time and have people in place to ensure the safety of the evacuees in these large centers? Also, why didn't you call the Guard to help those that didn't make it to the centers evacuate safely? It does take time to mobilize the guard. This CANNOT be done overnight. Logistically impossible, no matter what the situation.

7. Why didn't Louisiana's Governor make an official request to release strategic supplies from the federal stockpiles?

8. Basically, why would you evacuate residents to huge areas and not provide the infrastructure to support them?

9. Does the state of Louisiana simply not have plans in place for a natural disaster? They didn't have cots, they didn't have blankets, they didn't have medical kits, they didn't have anything at all ready in case of an emergency like this (or, if it was ready they certainly didn't move it into the evacuation centers - why?).

I don't think it's a racial issue here, but more an issue of complete and total lack of planning or execution of the limited plans that may or may not have been in place. Granted, working in an area that has been completely obliterated is a logistical nightmare. But even in the areas that weren't flooded that housed thousands of people, there was nothing put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of those stranded by the storm.

Give if you can. If you can't, then say a prayer for those living under the worst conditions possible as they wait to be rescued. In the mean time, I hope the Governor of Louisiana is ready to answer the hard questions as we look back at what could have been had she done the right things to help her citizens prepare and deal with this disaster.

I'm a Taurus, just so you know. Well, I've been having a lot of trouble thinking of anything...anything at all to say. So I thought the only thing to do was to check my horoscope to see if there was an explanation for this complete and total lack of creativity.

Intellectual or spiritual concepts that you're trying to grasp may seem a little elusive, dear Taurus. Don't try to push yourself too hard to understand them today; you'll only confuse yourself that much more. You're not losing it; your mental biorhythms are simply low. Instead, look at something else for a while, and let the information churn around in your unconscious. It may hit you tomorrow, so you'll want to cry, "Eureka!" Be patient with yourself.

And there you have it. My mental biorythms are low so I'll just have to be patient and not think so as not to confuse myself that much more. I can do that....

School hasn't even been in session for three weeks yet, and already they've announced a dance. A dance? Yes, a dance. I don't remember having actual, no-kidding dances in middle school. Do you? Or maybe I'm dating myself here...

And you know what's even more freaky than the fact they're having a dance? The GIRLS are asking the BOYS to the dance! It's not a Sadie Hawkins type dance...just a regular dance. And some of Scytheboy's friends have already been approached by girls asking them to go with them...and the thing was only announced a couple days ago!

Since when did girls become so aggressive? Most of Scytheboy's friends had already decided they would go in a group and sort of check out the scene, dance or not dance. Just see what they can see, you know? Even one or two of the ones that got asked by girls are more than likely going to turn their offers down because they really don't know the girls well enough to be tied down with them at the dance.

And people wonder why kids grow up so fast these days....a dance? In 6th grade? Come on.....

So what do you think? Is 6th grade too young for a dance? Do you think the girls are being aggressive? Or, am I just old fashioned?