But it looks like I got one anyway. See?

We also have some gorgeous large bushes with pink knock-out roses which are very pretty to look at, but not so good for clipping. There are two different blood red rose bushes in the yard, but right now no good stems on those to show you.

I'm so happy the yellow ones are finally starting to bloom. They are my favorite.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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You Are Guinness

You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't know well. But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around.

Note: Clearly I need to find something better to do with my time. But I just love it when I get the answer I wanted!

I guess I speak American....

Hmmm....must be all the states I've lived in (North, South and East anyway).

I know a girl named Cory. She thinks she's cool. I've talked about her before here.

Anyway, I was talking to my sister tonight and she informed me that Cory had broken her wrist over the weekend while playing dodgeball. The Boy and I watched Dodgeball a couple weeks ago. It was pretty funny...although I think the PG-13 rating was a little weak....

Anyway, you expect people to break their wrists snowboarding or playing hockey or football or something...but dodgeball? Completely ridiculous.

Unless of course you are Cory. She not only thinks she is cool....she is VERY competitive. I can just picture her flying through the air, checking everyone in site to avoid a ball as she fell to the ground - only to hear that crisp, clean snap of her wrist bone breaking (radius or ulna....I'm not sure) as she landed.

But I still think she could have picked a cooler activity than dodgeball if she was going to fall on her sword and break her wrist.....

1. It's nice out. I mean really nice out. See how nice they say it is?

2. The pool is still clean. See it in the plenty of sunshine that we have?

3. I am slightly more tan (see #1).

4. The boy is full with soup and a grilled cheese.

5. I am not full; therefore I must go find something to eat.

That is all.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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We've all heard about the dangers present on the Internet when it comes to kids. Our computer babies are now all on line IM'ing their friends, looking up materials for reports, and, yes....creating their own personal sites and blogs.

While I don't think there's anything wrong with them doing this if they are closely supervised, I do think there are dangers out there that the kids refuse to acknowledge. I have a niece and nephew who have their own sites on a faith-based service. But their sites are public and anyone who has access to the Internet can read what they've written, see their personal profiles, and look at the pictures they've posted of themselves. Their last names are no longer on the profiles, but they used to be and that worried me greatly. Not because I think these kids are stupid - because they're not. But even the smartest kid or adult can be led to think a person they are conversing with on line is trustworthy. Sometimes they're not...and this can have serious consequences, especially for a young teen aged girl.

Oh, I've talked to them about all this stuff and the importance of maintaining anonymity on line, but they truly believe that only good Christian kids they know at church or elsewhere even bother to go on their sites. I say just because they're not commenting, it doesn't mean they're not looking....it's a good thing they live in a very safe area and the danger is very low that anyone would be able to find them in person. Or I would worry a whole lot more about them, especially my niece.

Anyway.....our son does have IM capability but we closely monitor who can IM him (only allowing messages from people he's put on the approved by us list), what he's saying and look at the log to read what's been said (same with his Internet history to check which sites he's been visiting). I think this small invasion of his privacy is a small price for him to pay to have all the modern conveniences at his disposal. But there are lot of parents out there that both work and don't have the time to monitor things as closely.

If you have teenagers who have access to the Internet, I strongly encourage you to watch the Dateline episode on this subject on Sunday. The more times we can show our kids how easily this stuff can happen to even those that think they are being safe, the greater the chances that the message will finally get through their very trusting (and sometimes naive) natures.

Yes, spring is officially here in the great state of Texas. I always know the cold has passed when the roses start to bloom. All of our bushes have buds, but one of them was a bit farther along than the rest the last time I looked. So today I walked outside to see what we had, and here is what I found:

Doesn't it look lovely in its special vase by the pool? We have roses!!! Yay!!! I can't wait until the yellow ones bloom. Those are my favorite, but red is pretty too, yes?

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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but I think the cross vine over our metal arch thing by the pool deck is blooming. See?

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Oh...sorry. Were you expecting entertaining drunk ramblings? No, it's just drunk ramblings about the conversations I've had with Comcast today. Gotta be fair and balanced on the whole customer service thing, don't I?

Anyway...We dissolved our relationship with Comcast at the end of February when we switched to the OH so much better Verizon FIOS for TV, Internet, Phone...everything.

Anyway...we got our final bill and paid it on March 3rd...paying for the entire month of March, mind you even though we were no longer using their services - for anything. Did I mention that Verizon picture quality and DVR is OH so much better for the TV and we now get 36 MBPS on the Internet and we have fiber optic clarity on the phone? Didn't? Sorry...well, all true. I'm too buzzed to look above to see if I've said it.

Anyway...today...(of course while Tommy is away)....we got a bill....for APRIL service on Comcast Internet and cable with HD. What? Yeah...that's what I said.

So...while I was waiting for The Boy at school I called the number on the bill...and got...what sounded like....a very old, very new person possibly on lots of meds. Although he wasn't Indian (thank God I could kinda understand him)...his speech was slurred and I had to repeat myself many times. I even had to ask him to read back to me the notes he wrote in the account to indicate that I had called, had already received a final bill, and then had been rebilled for services we had not used for many weeks.

So..needless to say...I did not have total confidence that the issue had been resolved. So I sent an email to Comcast telling them what had happened and asking for written verification we would not have to pay for service we are not getting or using.

I got an email response saying I had to do an online chat with a rep...so off I went for the online chat.

And...I think...I cannot prove...that I got an Indian guy.

When he asked me to tell me the name, I gave the name - and the account number....and he said:

"I will have to terminate this conversation. Chat back when you are professional."

What?! As an aside, let me just say that I cleaned all day and was not in the best of moods. Anyway, when I asked him what that previous entry meant, he replied:

"I apologize for that....That was a mistaken."

So right away I knew the guy was not a native.

Long story short (I know...already long)..after going back and forth with the guy I had to escalate (Tommy HATES when I escalate). Here are some phrases you might want to keep in your back pocket for future reference:

1. "Where does it say in the contract that we have to give six weeks notice for termination? We've already paid an entire month for March for services which we did not use since we terminated the relationship in February."

2. "If you can't help me, can you get a supervisor who can?"

3. "I just want to be clear on what you're saying so I can cut and paste this entire chat into the attachment I send in with my complaint to the Better Business Bureau and the appropriate State of Texas Agency."

Yes, make them repeat what they tell you and make sure they know you intend to register a complaint. Guess what? I don't have to pay the bill they sent and they apologized for the fact that it's their problem, not mine...that they could not schedule a service rep to disconnect the cable we are not using and have not used since February.

Did I make threats? Yes. Was it kinda belligerent? Yes. Did I feel I had to to get the point across? Yes. But in the end, the supervisor took care of the problem.

But I am left wondering....how many other people do they continue to bill after service has been cut off that don't know any better and continue to pay for service they are not getting?

Watch your bills, people. Watch your bills closely. And take action when you need to.

I better go drink water now. I'm kinda dizzy....

I made him an apple pie today. See?

I made the pie partly because it's his birthday on Wednesday but he will be out of town with his parents and siblings. So I guess you could call it a "pre-birthday pie".

Also....when he came back from Dublin yesterday he brought me these:

Lovely Waterford crystal cocktail glasses, aren't they? Worth a pie at least, don't you think?

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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See my lovely clean pool in all its cleanliness? No longer is it cloudy and tinged with browns and greens....it is clean. And clear. Clean is good. Clear is also good. We can now see the bottom of the pool which we couldn't upon our return from London after the three week lag in service.

Turns out we did have to pay for a brand new filter grid, but it was due to be changed anyway. Still no charge for labor to replace the grid or to clean the pool. And the guys stayed until it was fixed. I am quite happy with my pool builder, I must say. Quite happy. And ready to get into that hot tub!

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Get this.....our pool filter started to leak before we left on the London trip. So on the 2nd a guy from the place that built our pool came out and said to turn the pool off, we needed a new filter, and to not turn it on until he came back with the part to fix it. After not hearing anything, we had to call the service center a couple days later to find out the part would take 5-10 days to get here, but that it would be installed as soon as it got in and not to worry about the pool being off for that length of time because it hadn't started to get warm yet.

By the 10th we hadn't heard from anyone so I left a message at the service center. We got a voice mail on the 13th saying that the part was ordered and it would be there any day.

Well when we came back...last Saturday...the 18TH....they STILL had not fixed the thing. So I called this past Monday (the 20th) and asked what was up. They called back and said the guy "was no longer with them," apologized, and promised to get someone out here Tuesday (that's a couple days ago for those of you keeping track).

The manufacturer rep came out on Tuesday. Not only had he NOT received an order until the 20th (18 days past the initial service call...clearly he had never been contacted about the repair) - he didn't have the tools he needed. So he'll be back out here by noon today.

I called the pool place today to see if they could help us out with labor and maybe a discount on the chemicals we'll need to rebalance the pool. Explained everything to them - in detail - about our three week repair time line and the fact that our pool is dirty and way out of balance because of it.

And...guess what? They called back in less than an hour and said that not only would there be no charge for the labor, but they were sending a tech out to vacuum the pool and re-balance the thing...ALL at no charge!!!! It was going to be about $150 in labor alone because the part was covered under warranty but not the labor.

Long story short...pool filter was broken...needed to be fixed...they didn't fix it...but now they are....and I got that plus an extensive pool cleaning for free! Yeah!

For those of you who are not familiar, we have this thing in the military (in our case "had") called a Hospitality Check. Now, what this means is if a military member and/or his family arrive at your door, you are required to "pass" the Hospitality Check and welcome them with open arms, offer them a place to crash, provide alcohol and a good meal or a fun night out. Now, were were lucky in this case because we had notice. The ultimate test is if you get a Hospitality Check - No Notice. THEN the truly committed will show their stuff and welcome the fellow military happy wanderers into their home, no questions asked. These can be especially interesting if the person is on an assignment, but their family does not and will never know where they are. In these cases you spend a nice evening with your compatriot, say goodbye to them when they leave, and never mention it again. We had one of those in Florida once.

So anyway, Buffi dropped by for a Hospitality Check with Notice yesterday. Yep, Buffi came in to DFW last night and she stayed at our house. Tommy picked her up while I cooked up my bow tie pasta dish. After she arrived, we gave her the grand tour of the house, had dinner at the dining room table (the boy was doing a project with his dad at the kitchen table...you'll probably hear about that on Tommy's site some time), and chatted like old friends. I even made key lime pie (Tommy was happy about that). And of course we had some damn fine Argentine wine.

Our visit ended this morning when I dropped Buffi off at the car place for her rental so she could drive to her next base and look for a house. But she will be back tomorrow! She has to come back...I have some of her stuff in our guest room. We all know I hate to shop. But I might be convinced to take her to the mall for while until we can meet her friend after work and have dinner or something before we say goodbye and she goes off to take care of the wedding shower she is helping to put on for her friend who is getting married in April.

It was so nice to meet Buffi in person. She is good people, and I'm sure we'll see more of her in the next few years as she will only be living a couple hours away.

I mowed the lawn after dropping Buffi off. So now I must shower and try to stop sneezing from the grass pollen. No gym for me today....just mowing....and sneezing. Oh, and showering. Definitely showering.

I saw this little quiz on my nephew's site so I thought I'd give it a whirl while I try and get the first load of laundry done before napping. Truly, it's highly accurate on the percentage believe it or not.

You're 80% Irish

Congratulations, you're a shining example of an Irish lass. There's hardly anyone more Irish than you!

As you know, I spent the entirety of this most hallowed day on the road so I didn't get to part take in the traditional Irish toast (or Gaelic Blessing, whichever you prefer). I'm not particularly religious, but I really like the vibe of these words. So here goes, out from me to all of you. Hope you had a good one!

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Only problem is......we have to drive ALL DAY tomorrow to get to the hub city airport. We can get on any of the flights leaving for London on Monday just fine...there are seats. However....it appears many other employees need to get to a hub city to reach their vacation destination...and many of them have priority over us for open seats.

So...tomorrow...off we go in the car...to the hotel by the airport. It will be a long, boring drive (12 hours about). But the good news is the London flights leave later in the day so we can sleep late, go to breakfast, and lounge around a bit at the Marriott before we get in our "ready" clothes and head to the airport and wait for them to call our names for seats.

We will be in London for the work week, and we get back on Friday. The hotel has Internet, so if it is working more than likely we will post some things here and there about our trip. We will have three nights and almost three days in London to go explore and see and do.

Man, I wish I'd had vacations like this when I was Scytheboy's age. Lucky kid. He might not have his dad around all the time, but he sure gets to go to some neat places during school breaks.

Enjoy your Sunday tomorrow...while we drive, and drive, and drive, and drive...well you get the picture.

Your Hidden Talent

You have the power to persuade and influence others. You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around. The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it. Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!

Come on, you know you want to discover your hidden talent...so go find out.

As I sit here listening to Scytheboy practice his sax, the T.V. cannot be heard above his greatness (not that I'm biased or anything). So I thought I'd let you know what I thought of "The Weatherman".

Okay, this is an interesting character study if you like that sort of thing. Some bits are funny, but most are pretty serious. But I like Nicolas Cage and he was good as usual. But you know what? I almost liked Michael Cain better (he played Cage's father). Is there a character role that man has ever played that he did not absolutely ace? I think not.

Oh - definitely NOT a movie you would want to watch if there's a danger a kid or two might hear or walk into the room. Lots of f-bombs tossed and one or two scenes they definitely do NOT need to see. Trust me.

But other than that...I'd say it's an OK movie but not a great movie. And probably not a movie Tommy would make it through. He doesn't like dramas. Only comedies or action adventure flicks with scantily clad females. Go figure...

Tonight I watched "Walk the Line". I'd seen all the clips, heard all the hype, seen all the morning (and evening) talk show interviews. So I was ready. Ready to watch that movie with Reese Whiterspoon and Joaquin Phoenix singing like Johnny and June Carter Cash. I mean...that's what they played up, right? Them...who don't sing...who learned how to sing just for this movie....singing.

And the DID sing. They sang well. Very well. Some might say even better than the originals (no they didn't). But they were good. I have to give them credit. The music was good. Really good.

Um....what there was of it. For those die-hard Johnny Cash fans there is no better movie and I highly recommend you go see his life's story. It is an intense, realistic look at what we've all heard his life was like. And I'm sure it reveals new information about Johnny's childhood and family dynamic to many.

But for those of us that watched the movie for the music...there wasn't enough of it. What there was of it was good though. I just wish they had maybe cut some of the earlier stuff about him growing up and included more stuff about Johnny and June after they married and continued to sing together.

So to summarize...don't watch the movie if you're there just for the music. Download the soundtrack. But if you are truly interested in Johnny's rather intense life story and how he got June, then yes by all means see the movie. You will enjoy every minute of it.

Later this weekend I will watch "The Weatherman". Maybe another review will follow. Maybe not. We'll have to see....

1. We had Comcast service for cable and broadband.

2. We don't anymore.

3. Because it was expensive.

4. And I kept losing the signal to the router...several times a day and always at the most inconvenient times.

5. I lost some posts because of Comcast.

6. I did not like Comcast.

7. Cable companies in general are evil.

8. Comcast is losing the market - at least in our neighborhood - fast.

9. Because NOW there is something better, cheaper, and faster.

10. It is called Verizon FIOS.

11. It is glorious.

12. The cable picture is better, the broadband speed is faster, and I have not lost broadband signal at ALL in days.

13. Verizon FIOS TV comes with dual tuner DVRs.

14. I love dual tuner DVRs.

15. Not that I'm addicted to TV or anything...certainly NOT me.

16. We canceled our TiVo account.

17. But guess what? You can STILL use it to record shows and pause live TV. But you can't update your guide is all.

18. We updated our guide with Verizon info. before we canceled our TiVo service. Tommy's smart that way :).

19. Did I say I LOVE the dual tuner DVR? Now I can watch American Idol and record Deal or no Deal - AT THE SAME TIME.

20. For those of you which already have a dual tuner DVR...shut up. I'm excited. Don't spoil it for me.

21. I don't own an MP3 player and I rarely listen to music.

22. Except maybe if I'm cleaning.

23. Some would say I clean all the time so therefore I must listen to music all the time.

24. I don't clean all the time...just when something needs cleaning...oh....never mind.

25. We are early adopters of technology.

26. FIOS is so new they haven't even trained their techs on their new laptops which must be used to activate services on site at your house.

27. This must be why they schedule installs in four hour blocks of time...all that navigating through an unfamiliar program.

28. But that's OK, they hire talented guys and they figure it out eventually.

29. Our house is so wired that some nights we all sit at our respective computers and chat via IM as we do what we do on our own computers.

30. Yes, this includes the boy. Shut up, he is not spoiled rotten...spoiled maybe but certainly not rotten.

31. The HD DVR is cool too and it has its own dual tuner. Now Tommy can record hockey while he's away...oh boy.

32. Did I mention that the boy has a cable box in his room and TV recording software on his computer so he can also record shows and watch them back later on his monitor through his computer?

33. I TOLD you, he's not rotten. Just spoiled.

Those are my random thoughts on technology. Now I must go watch one thing while the DVR records another thing...just because I can.

The painters are gone. The house is beautiful. Tommy has to put the stuff back up on the walls tomorrow. And here are some things I learned about painters and having your house painted in the past couple of days:

10. You WANT to leave the house when they are getting it ready to paint. This is tedious work and not much fun to watch.

9. While you're out, you might as well have breakfast, go to Best Buy, and go to lunch and maybe a movie and do some shopping (at least that's what we did).

8. Stop back by the house every once in a while.

7. You just might catch the crew playing pool on your nice pool table while they wait for the repairs to dry.

6. Once caught playing pool on the owners' table, painters will stay extra late to make up for having been caught.

5a. Speak a little Spanish to the crew...that way they'll know you know if you know what I mean...and they'll be a little more respectful when chatting amongst themselves about you - the owners.

5. If you have textured walls, you need to use the extra matted rollers (we've never done this, but will do it again given that they can take out an entire wall in the game room in less than five minutes with one of those bad boys).

4. Painting takes practice.

3. Once you practice enough, you don't need to screw around with that sticky blue painters' tape...you just push the brush up by the separation between the wall and the ceiling and paint a straight line.

2. It's ALWAYS a good idea to have someone ELSE do the painting.

1. If we ever build another house, we will tell the contractor "Don't worry about the paint. We'll take care of it"...because....they will charge you an upgrade fee for color but will still use the same shitty, chalky, $4/gallon paint so it's just not worth having them do it...call in a contractor and manage the work yourself.

So that's my top 10. As an aside, they're not paying me for this but I will direct you to the site of the place that did our job (try to look past the typo on the front page...they repaired all the friggin' cracks and buckles in our sheet rock and THAT'S what matters). They are VERY good....and we didn't pay a dime until we were satisfied. AND....they will come and fix stuff for up to three years from today. No questions asked.

Very nice.
Very happy.
Very pretty house.
Very satisfied.
Kinda buzzed (we drank wine to celebrate).

That is all.

The painters came yesterday. They were supposed to be done by last night. But they were an hour late due to icy roads, and they didn't leave until 7:45 last night....and they're not done.

So they're coming back today. To paint. All morning.

But...I've decided it's MUCH better to have them do it than us. These painters even patched all the cracks from where the house settled and fixed a couple other spots that were caused by owner error. And...we got to spend the whole day with Scytheboy...away from electronic devices. It was nice. Everyone should do that once in a while I think. A whole day.....away....from T.V. and the Internet. We even went to a movie together which is rare because Tommy works most weekends.

The other thing is...they moved all the furniture into the kitchen - in front of my computer so I couldn't look at anything last night. Tommy could though. He was on his computer while Scytheboy and I watched House and 24 in The Man Room.

The painters will move all the furniture back, sweep and vacuum the floors, and put the drapes back up. So by this afternoon all will be back to normal...and I will be out of excuses not to go to the gym. Damn.

about eating at McDonald's - or at least make you look at all your fries before you start. Yuck.

I didn't have a "real" post for today - per se- but I do have some random thoughts so here goes:

1. I've been painting.
2. The guest bathroom under the stairs.
3. A dark color.
4. With a light ceiling.
5. And accent trim and door.
6. I hate painting.
7. I REALLY hate painting.
8. I hate painting so much that Tommy called in a contractor, which will be painting all the ceilings and walls in the visible parts of our house later this month.
9. Why didn't we go ahead and have them paint the bathroom too?
10. Nobody knows, not even us. Maybe because we already bought the paint and I claimed I needed something to do.
11. Remind me to tell Tommy to remind me the next time I think painting a room's a good "something for me to do"....not to believe me.
12. But I digress.
13. Did I mention that I hate painting?
14. And all that goes with it?
15. The taping - HATE the taping - but ya gotta do it or you'll be sorry.
16. And for some reason the Scotch blue painter's tape is the only one that really works. What's up with that?
17. I might possibly hate sanding even more - but again, ya gotta do it. To avoid extra coats. On the trim and door.
18. Always remember to PAINT THE CEILING FIRST.
19. Nothing sucks more than painting a dark color on the walls, and a light color on the ceiling, which drips on the freshly painted dark walls.
20. Didn't do that this time...but HAVE done that before. BIG mistake.
21. Dark colors require more coats.
22. I hate more coats.
23. The ceiling's done, the walls are done, and first coat of paint on trim and door is done.
24. Did I mention I HATE to paint?
25. Why is it taking me days to do one tiny bathroom, whereas the contractor claims his experienced crew of five or 6 can do all visible parts of our house (22' ceilings, sheet rock repair and all) in merely a day?
26. Is that fair? I don't think so.
27. Why is that I painted the entire ceiling (twice - OK I confess, Tommy did it once too but I did it twice) without getting much paint on me?...
28. And the dark blue walls - twice - again, not much paint.
29. And by the end of today (long painting day 2) - I had huge splotches of the trim and door paint on my old yoga paints, old t-shirt, in my hair, and on my shoes?
30. What's up with that?
31. Must be because I HATE TO PAINT and it's the end of day 2.
32. I have to be done tomorrow.
33. Because I have a nail appointment.
34. My nail lady's gonna be mad at me.
35. Because I ran out of gloves at noon today.
36. Three pairs weren't enough.
37. I've had half a bottle of wine.
38. Because I had to paint today.
39. I'm saving the other half.
40. Because I have to paint again tomorrow.

That is all.

I can officially call myself "Bootylicious". Beyonce said on Letterman tonight that to her, it means:

Beautiful, Bountiful, and Bouncy

Beautiful - Check (according to Tommy)

Bountiful - Check

Bouncy - Check

Yep, I'm definitely "Bootylicious". Of course, if you want the "official" definition in the dictionary, you can look here.

Personally, I like Beyonce's definition better. It's much more accurate - and cleaner.

Okay, so as usual I'm having a hard time coming up with something to post about on this beautiful, sunny February day in Dallas. So I was scanning the headlines and I ran across this article. I know...it's on the Fox site....sorry for those of you that don't like to go to that page but the story did catch my eye.

Apparently there are some businesses that have been complaining to sites like Yahoo and AOL that their emails are not making it through to their customer base. And some customers have complained that their needed emails have been taken out by spam filters. So....Yahoo, AOL and probably others are going to offer a program where in exchange for paying a fee, e-mail senders will be guaranteed their messages won't be filtered and will bear a seal alerting recipients they're legitimate.

Of course, we've all missed emails from companies that we do business with and that we probably need to see...but that's what the "Bulk Mail" or "Junk Mail" folders are for. We don't lose the emails, we simply delay looking at them until it's convenient. This way WE can control when we sort through what we do and don't want to read. So there are workarounds for those of us who like and use spam filters.

Look, we all know these sites are in the business of making money, and while they would like their customers to think their included spam filters will protect them from obnoxious, unsolicited ads.....this program (in my opinion) will negate the filters. Now, spammers will look at the additional fee as a normal cost of doing business.

The article didn't say if there are review measures in place that would disallow companies known for sending out pure spam (re-finance solicitations, Viagra ads, etc.). It only says that companies can pay for their emails not to be deleted by the spam filter. Here's an excerpt:

In exchange for a payment and a pledge to contact only people who have agreed to receive their messages, the companies would be ensured their e-mails aren't diverted to spam folders or have images or Web addresses filtered out.

The companies also would receive reports showing how many e-mails were received successfully - great, not only can they bypass the spam filter, they can ensure they sent the spam to a legitimate address and then sell that address to other spammers.

Wonderful. Sounds like this program is tailor-made to aid spammers, not deter them.

So the end result of this program will be, I fear, that now we will all start seeing many emails in our Inbox claiming to be legit that aren't, and our email addresses will be sold and re-sold at an ever-increasing rate through the spam community.

Happy Monday.

According to an article pulled from the AP, Army Chaplains have started training GIs how not to marry a jerk.

First, I can't say I agree with the name of the program. I know they're trying to make it fun, but still.....THEY can be jerks too. How about..."How not to be a jerk."

Having said that....I do think a program like this, especially in times like this is a good idea. I know from personal experience that many deployments, varying in length to in excess of a whole year or more, can be stressful on a marriage. You definitely have to be the right type of person to thrive in a relationship where your better half could be called at a moment's notice to a war zone or for training for an extended period of time. People with dependant natures and people who are selfish of their own needs over the needs of the country do not do well in military marriages.

I did see some women like that while we were in the F16 community, and nine times out of 10 when a long deployment came they ran home to mommy so their parents could help them with the kids and provide emotional support. These same women, when a state-side training deployment happened....actually went to the city where the deployment was and often times brought their kids along and stayed in the hotel with their spouses. Bad idea...VERY bad idea. Flying jets is intense, and passing the academic courses (like Squadron Officers School for example) was necessary to progress in one's career...having the family distracting the pilot from the goal of passing the course or from flying the training exercise was a bad deal for the pilot and the family...the family felt neglected because the pilot was focused on the mission at hand, and the pilot tended not to do as well in classes or on training missions due to lack of sleep and the distractions associated with having the wife and young children in the room.

The military spouse has to be independent, willing to take on all the spouse's responsibilities at home while they are away, and must be able to handle crisis situations with the kids and the house and make firm decisions quickly to ensure the home life remains stable for the kids and worry-free for the spouse that is deployed.

I'm sure they're covering all this in the course which I think is a VERY good thing. The lure of having something to come home to can be strong...but it has to be the right kind of "something" to come home to. I can remember during Desert Storm I a lot of people were deployed that were under the mistaken impression that they were in a "safe" career field that would never see the front. Um....wrong. Anybody in uniform should expect to be deployed to a war zone at any time for any reason. Those that joined up simply to take advantage of the GI bill without having to actually perform a function in a war zone were either stupid or living in a dream world. Unfortunately, before the war these same people married spouses who were also led to believe their husband or wife would never be deployed to support a war.

Unfortunately, many who live under this impression cannot handle it when the spouse is deployed. I can clearly remember talk in line at the base Credit Union of women who had cleaned out their bank accounts, left the base, and filed divorce papers while their husbands were deployed to Iraq because "they didn't sign up for this".

For me, when you marry a member of the military, you ALWAYS "sign up for this". Those that think otherwise should not marry into the life.

In short...from my experience and what I've seen happen to military marriages...the program is a VERY good idea....but they could have done a better job with the name.

I don't know about you...but to me, it seems that Cindy Sheehan could do with a bit of a makeover.

I mean, if she did something with her hair and got a good support bra and actually wore a little makeup and invested in some clothes that fit (even if I wouldn't necessarily agree with what's written on the clothes).....I think she might get a bit more media coverage which is apparently what she's looking for.

Maybe she can get some of those groups that seem to be funding all her travel and escapades to pony up a stylist or something.

I'm just sayin'......

When you put on your bikini and it covers more of your rear than it did last year.

THAT (if you are a girl) is the definition of bliss, my friends.

I am very happy.

That is all.

Not feeling very creative lately, as you can probably tell from the lack of a post yesterday.

But I do have good news to report with regard to the gym. Today was the first day in almost a month that I did my full cardio workout....a full hour including 55 minutes on the elliptical machine and a five minute walk on the treadmill. I managed to log 5.7 miles and 670 calories. And I did 45 minutes of intervals on the stairs and my full chest and back weight routine yesterday. Yessir...I am BACK.

I still have a slight cough and a little beet of wheezing, but I have to say that ain't bad for someone that's...shall we say...a bit over the age of 35.

I promise I'll try and think of something a bit more entertaining for my next post.

Spam is definitely a ridiculous item. I had it under control for a really long time. For a while, I got no spam at all. Then, I launched this site. It started out with just a few here and there to my site email address. Then....someone got hold of the entire email list for the customers that use our ISP....and I was getting upward of 20-30 spam emails a day.

I was using Outlook for my email, contacts and calendaring because it was what I used to use at work and it was so damned convenient...didn't even have to think about it.

Tommy never has used Outlook, and he's been on Mozilla Thunderbird for quite some time. Every time I would complain about Outlook, he would tell me to use Thunderbird. But...I refused to move.....after all, Outlook is the standard, right?

Well, I got up today and was greeted with my daily dose of spam first thing in the morning (it comes all day, but I get a block of it every morning). And...I...had had....ENOUGH. The Outlook spam filters are either too hard for me to figure out or too labor intensive to keep updating constantly with all the new tricks the spammers have. Okay, so maybe I'm just too lazy to figure it out....

Anyway, I downloaded Thunderbird (by the way, when you do this it recognizes your current email program and then automatically moves everything over for you, except the calendar; all your emails, contacts and personal folders show up when you launch the program). I then whined about how it wasn't working like I wanted it to...so Tommy sighed and came down to fix my email settings and download the contacts and calendar extensions for me.

The only issue I've noticed so far is you have to manually move each calendar item over to Thunderbird as it is a new extension and doesn't automatically install with all your other items.

But the really cool thing about Thunderbird is it has spam filters that are intelligently designed so that as you give them new information they get better and better as time goes by - learning more about junk mail and filtering more of it each and every day. Way cool.

To summarize...had Outlook....with associated Spam.....got sick of it...finally caved and listened to Tommy....now have Thunderbird. Thunderbird is better - unless of course you love to get spam. That is all.

It appears I've rounded the corner on the whole being sick thing. As you may recall, it started off with a bang in the wee, wee hours of New Year's Day (a sickness not caused by a hangover as I only had three drinks New Year's Eve but which I'm now convinced was directly related to drinking like absolutely no water for a week which caused sever dehydration). Then I immediately moved on to the cold that everyone in Wisconsin and on all our flights on the trip seemed to have in varying degrees.

Tommy has the cold now. He had to call in sick for his current trip.

I think the turning point for me was on Friday when I decided the house was a sty and needed to be cleaned, no matter what cost to my personal well-being. I simply could NOT stand it anymore. So I put my cleaning clothes on and off I went to "just clean the bathrooms"......four hours later the entire house was clean with the exception of mopping the bar floor and dusting our very high ceiling fan in the living room and light fixtures in the the entry.

But damn, I sure did feel better after that. I actually felt like I was sweating the sickness out of my body. Yesterday (Saturday - day after cleaning) was the first day I woke up and finally felt half way normal. Didn't even take cold meds until bed time and then it was only Sudafed and Robitussin.

And today I'm feeling better still and I'm planning on making peanut butter cookies with my new mixer. I don't eve like peanut butter cookies, but Tommy does so the goal is to try out the new mixer whilst avoiding extra calories that would result in me eating the finished product if I actually liked it.

Oh, I'm under no illusions that I won't at least try one of the cookies...but they're not my favorite so hopefully I'll be able to keep it down to just a taste.

To summarize - was really sick...then was cold sick....am now better....will be baking today.

That is all.

UPDATE: As you can see, I didn't waste any time. The second batch just came out of the oven, and I didn't even wait until the cookies had cooled before I sampled one. They are damn good. I've already scarfed my second. The mixer did excellent work for me blending all the ingredients perfectly. However, this recipe should be outlawed as it necessitates multiple tastings even for those that don't even care for peanut butter. I mean, seriously...

If you'd like the recipe, you can leave a comment on this post or send me an email. Yummy.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know" & "Yummy"
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Man, what a game it was last night! Texas came through at the last minute to gain victory over USC. Tommy's got pictures on his site if you'd like to check it out.

We all stayed up until the end, even Scytheboy...who wore one of his Longhorn shirts to school today as he planned on exercising his bragging rights to the fullest extent possible.

Go Texas!!

Yup, it's that time again. Time for Texas to kick ass on the football field. You can read all about the upcoming game here.

Tommy and I are both proud graduates of The University of Texas, and Scytheboy aspires to be the same one day. So we will all be in the man room watching the game tonight (I'm allowed only on special occasions...). I'm not much for watching football, but I do feel that on this night it is truly required...even if I'm sick.

Hook 'em!!!

Yeah, apparently all that drinking and stressful traveling took their toll on me. About 3:00 a.m. this morning my body decided to reject any and all contents currently residing therein...in a very expedient manner.

I won't go into details...but...ewwww.

So poor Tommy had to take a cab home from the airport this morning. Happy freakin' New Year, right?

He also had to take care of Scytheboy and cook the ham and blackeyed peas. They said they were good...I tried to sequester myself in our room for fear of getting sick again from the ham smell. Never could stand to smell meat cooking when I was sick. Today wasn't any different.

The good news is I've kept some stuff down and I'm feeling much better. Our 19th anniversary is on Tuesday so hopefully whatever it is that got me sick will be long gone by then.

I hope your day was better, whatever you did.

Scytheboy and I returned from Wisconsin this morning, after being stuck overnight in the Cincinnati airport flying standby. It wasn't so bad, really. We just stayed at a nearby Marriott and ordered in some Chinese food, and then turned around this morning and made it on the first flight back to Dallas by the skin of our teeth. They were actually counting children and bags to get some slack so they could give us that last extra seat.

Not that she'll ever read this, but our thanks go out to our gate agent who went far above and beyond to get us on that plane. She is truly a New Years Angel to us.

I won't talk much about the trip but to list a few things that stand out:

1. It totally sucked having to get up at 4 a.m. to catch that early flight out of Dallas on Monday

2. But it was worth it...even the running through the airport to barely make our connecting flight - because I was able to make a lunch my mother had put together at which all of my siblings, their spouses and kids were present as well as favorite cousins and aunt and uncle...SO worth it

3. It sucked that Tommy wasn't there

4. While at the lunch, I was so exhausted and hungry from the flight I was really out of it...and you can tell from the pictures just how bad off I was...but again...worth it

5. I had forgotten that in my family it's perfectly acceptable to hit the hard stuff at noon if it's a special occasion...yup, had my fair share of rum and coke (shut up I wasn't driving so I could drink all I want)

6. I stayed with my younger sister, husband, and their 2 year old

7. The 2 year old is damn cute

8. We taught him how to say Guinness...among other things

9. Our second day there, many of us met at my older sister's place for pizza at lunch

10. That time, we broke out the booze at 11:30

11. I was drunk by one

12. It was cool

13. My brother in law makes kick-ass onion rings

14. There was a lot of snow on the ground, but none on the street and the snow was melting

15. We had a 2 hour drive to the airport on Thursday, followed by a flight we barely made it on (again...counted bags and babies to get us on)

16. Then we waited...and waited...and waited....until the last plane to Dallas took off

17. It's not so bad getting lots of rest during the trip back at a decent hotel and ordering in...really it's not

18. I worried about the cat the whole time we were gone...he was alone for almost 5 days

19. The cat is OK....he just threw up a few times on the carpet due to gluttony from all the food we left out

20. It's good to be home

21. But I wouldn't have missed that trip for the WORLD - even with the travel troubles flying standby over the holiday - my mother had all of her kids and grandkids in the same place at the same time for the first time (yes, captured on film - no, you can't see the pics)

That is all.

Mr. Average is off to South America for back to back trips over the next week. So Scytheboy and I have decided to attempt a trek to the great white north to see my side of the family (most of them anyway).

We leave really, really early in the morning (if we get on that first flight) and we should be in Wisconsin before lunch if all goes well.

We're staying with my sister who is on dial-up. So chances are I will not be able to post while we're away. So I hope while we're gone that everyone has a very happy holiday.

With any luck we will be able to make it home before the new year and I can check in with all my blog friends to see how their holidays are going.

In the mean time, be safe and take care, everyone!

You get one of these for Christmas. And you think it's one of the most romantic things he's ever given you.

He's already reaped the rewards. I made a pumpkin pie with it today. It IS a really cool mixer. Note to guys: anything you give the wife that makes her work lighter is a GOOD thing.

P.S. I promise, I wasn't cheating. In our house we all get to open one gift on Christmas Eve. Tommy opened this.

And Scytheboy opened this.

The rest will remain a mystery until tomorrow.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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I don't have a post for today (per se) so I thought I'd provide some useless ramblings for your entertainment. Here goes:

1. I've had a headache for four days. It's one of those that hangs out behind your eyes, roaming from behind one eye to the other or camping out between them. What a nice holiday treat.

2. I made the mistake of waiting too long to take Excedrin when this headache first started. I knew I was in trouble when I finally caved and took it...and it did absolutely nothing to dull the pain.

3. In case you're interested, it's behind my right eye now. I took two Excedrin and two Advil about a half hour ago. And now I can actually sit in front of the computer and look at the screen without cringing in pain...so I guess that's something.

4. I had my eyebrows waxed yesterday....FYI, don't do that when you have a headache. It doesn't help.

5. I cleaned the house today, because I figured I already had the headache - surely a little dust couldn't make it any worse - WRONG!!.

6. I tried drinking four rum and cokes last night to dull the pain...didn't work but my face got kinda numb and I was in a good mood so it was an improvement.

7. The headache was still there after I got back from the gym yesterday and today. Didn't make it any worse, but didn't make it any better.

8. Today at lunch, I was convinced the cause of the headache was withdrawal pangs from McDonald's. The no. 1 value meal didn't help, but it sure was tasty.

9. Scytheboy's a sweetie when I have a headache. He mixes me drinks and puts his hand on my forehead whenever I want. Nothing like a son's comfort when you're a sick mom.

10. I think the cause of the headache is allergies from the Christmas tree. But I like a real tree. I refuse to cave. No artificial trees at the Average household.

11. The cat keeps drinking water out out of the Christmas tree stand and the pine needles on the low branches have rubbed bald spots on his ears. Stubborn cat.

12. Tommy will be home less than a day over Christmas. He leaves Christmas morning to go back to work. He has back to back trips to South America the week between Christmas and New Year's. He gets home New Year's day.

13. It goes without saying that Tommy's December schedule sucks.

14. Scytheboy and I are attempting free flights to Wisconsin the day after Christmas to see my side of the family. It will be the first time in MANY years that myself, my two sisters and my brother will be in the same state with our children.

15. Wish us luck on getting seats.

16. The headache is now down to a dull roar.

17. That is good.

18. I've become hooked on Deal or No Deal. Why?

19. Scytheboy and I are going to watch The Brothers Grimm tonight in Tommy's man room upstairs.

20. Don't tell him.

This poem was written by an unknown Marine in Okinawa, Japan some years back. Although many will post it this season I am sure, I feel it is more than worth the space on this page and the time it will take you to read it.

A Soldier's Poem

'Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone
In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.
I had come down the chimney with presents to give,
And to see just who in this home did live.

I looked all about, a strange sight did I see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the mantle, just boots filled with sand,
on the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kinds,
a sober thought came through my mind.
For this house was different, it was dark and dreary,
I found the house of a soldier, once I could see clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone,
curled upon the floor in this one bedroom home.
The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured a United States soldier.

Was this the hero of whom I just read?
Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?
I realized the families I saw on this night,
owed their lives to these soldiers, who were willing to fight.

Soon round the world the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
Because of the soldiers, like the one lying here.

I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone,
on a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice;
I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,
My life is my God, my country, my Corps."

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep,
I couldn't control it, I started to weep.
I kept watch for hours, so silent and still
And we both shivered from the cold night's chill.

I didn't want to leave on that cold, dark night
This Guardian of Honor so willing to fight.
The soldier rolled over, with a voice soft and pure,
whispered, "Carry on, Santa,
It's Christmas Day, All is secure."

One look at my watch and I knew he was right
Merry Christmas, my friend, and to all a Good Night!

Please take a moment to send out good vibes to those lonely souls keeping watch over our freedom in distant lands.

My thoughts are with them and their families as they remain apart this Christmas.

Peace,

Peaches

I'd have to say this is pretty accurate, in more ways than one. Good thing I live in a "red" state, right? And I definitely have opinions on things, one way or the other. H/T to Paula for this.

Your Blog Should Be Red

Your blog is full of intensity and passion. You are very opinionated - and people love or hate you for it. You have the potential to be both a famous and infamous blogger.

I realized tonight while Scytheboy was mixing me a rum and coke that there are some major benefits to becoming a parent. Oh, of course there's all that warm fuzzy loveliness associated with bringing a child into the world and watching them grow and learn new things and love you unconditionally.

However....

There are some other benefits to parenthood that are not discovered until the child reaches double-digits in the age category. These are (in no particular order):

1. Decreased house work - as they grow, you can teach the children to do various house chores ranging from picking up their own toys to loading the dishwasher to vacuuming the rug.

2. Decreased laundry chores - after the age of 10, you can teach a child to pour detergent, load the washing machine, and even how to add the liquid fabric softener and set the machine to the proper cycle. You can also teach them how to transfer the laundry to the dryer and dry it at the proper temperature.

3. Pet duty - this one's nice. Even before the age of 10, the child can be taught how to feed the animals, brush them, clean the litter box, and clean up the messes in the yard (the latter can be quite challenging but I'm convinced it can be done...we were never successful but I'm sure others have been).

4. Beer/drink tote - this one's a biggie - I can remember as a child walking up many, many steps to retrieve a beer for my mother or father during vacations at the lake. Now, Scytheboy has been checked out in pouring beers from the tap and mixing rum and cokes. Very nice for the lazy mom or pop.

5. Making the bed - as soon as one can, they should teach the child how to strip and make a bed (along with the aforementioned laundry duty). I hate making beds. Scytheboy now knows how to make his bed (sort of). He's not as neat about it as I'd like, but at least he knows the basics and that's what matters. When I'm tired or lazy, he changes his own sheets. I hate changing sheets and making beds.

6. Various other cleaning duties - too numerous to mention, you can teach the child that is 10 or older to perform many household cleaning tasks. The trick is to know when a request of this nature will take hold...like when you have something to bribe them with like a movie they want to see or a game they want to play...also, bribes with cash always work.

I guess what I'm saying is that I've waited 11 and a half long years, but I'm finally realizing the benefits of child labor associated with having a kid...and it's nice. I try not to take too much advantage of the situation, but man it's nice when you can have someone else mix your drink and bring you a bowl of pistachios after a long day.

Total calories burned: 666.

Enough said.

We received a very special package in the mail today. For background, a few months back, Scytheboy corresponded with a Staff Sergeant on an Apache helicopter in Iraq. To show our support, Tommy and I also sent a letter and a care package to our lonely soldier working hard to protect all of our freedom.

This very special soldier, who had been away from his wife and kids for almost two years in September when the letter was dated, went to great effort to show his appreciation of our support. He sent us a thank you letter for our support, AND a U.S. flag that actually flew on the helicopter with him and the crew during a successful mission as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition, we received a letter of appreciation from the aircraft commander and a picture of the entire crew holding the very flag we now possess with a certificate of authenticity that the flag actually flew on the mission.

Our soldier was 40 days out from returning home when he sent us our very special memento of his time in Iraq, and it is our hope that by now he is home safe and sound. I'm sure all of us appreciate the sacrifices he and his family have made for our freedom and the freedom of the Iraqi people.

Hoo-Ah!!!

Just so you know, I got all my Christmas cards addressed and signed, and our family update letter is complete. Another thing off the list. Why does this time of year have to be filled with so many to-do's?

Well....at least I got something productive done yesterday since I have yet to hit the gym this week. It seems my motivation to go to the gym has gone on strike. I'm beginning to really enjoy mornings that are filled with sleep and devoid of strenuous workouts. Hopefully, once tomorrow is over and I can no longer fit in my "skinny" jeans I'm sure the motivation will return and I'll be back at the gym.

In the mean time, I'd better get back to enjoying yet another workout free day.

Well I dragged Scytheboy out for shopping today as promised. I call it Christmas shopping...you can call it Holiday shopping...it's my blog so I get to call it what I want. You don't have to read it if you don't like it.

Anyway....The stops at Best Buy, Toys r Us and a department store (along with a few items I got online when we got back) helped me achieve the majority of my shopping for the season. I even got my gifts for all the Wisconsin relatives (those I'm buying for) wrapped and in the mail.

As soon as the online stuff gets here early next week, I can ship stuff out to Tommy's family in West Texas. Then, when Tommy tells me what he wants for Christmas (materially - get your mind out of the gutter) and I get that bought during his next trip - I should be about 98% done with my shopping. Stocking stuffers will be all that remain and I can get those at the grocery store.

I hate to shop...I hate it vehemently. So words cannot describe how relieved I am to be almost done with the shopping part and half way done with the shipping part. Shopping and shipping...shopping and shipping....the two things I hate most about the holidays.

So....how are you doing on your Christmas (or Holiday if you prefer) shopping? Started yet?

The spouse has been drinking lots of beer the past couple nights so he can float the keg and pick up the root beer and beer I have on order down town. There is only one place in Dallas that carries slim kegs of root beer, and Scytheboy needs him some root beer. We've been out for a while.

In any case, I was a hero at home today because I went to the store and bought him Old Wisconsin Beer Salami to go with his beer. Knowing he only had one day left, he started on this evening's challenge of finally finishing the keg immediately after unloading the groceries...well he did have the Beer Salami to go with it, after all (I guess).

He's still up there trying to float the keg. He'll be sorry when he has to get up in the morning to pick up Scytheboy's root beer...and his fresh keg of beer. I guess I'll leave him a couple of Advil and a couple of Excedrin on the counter before I go to the gym to help him start the day because I know he'll find a way to get himself to the liquor store...because it IS all about the beer (and root beer), isn't it?

Whether you agree or disagree with our current push to eradicate heartless terrorists from the world at large, on this very special day we should all be thankful for those brave souls who serve and protect our country.

This is not an easy life they choose, but it's one they choose freely. On this special day, please take a moment to reflect upon the sacrifices of those currently serving, those that came before them, and especially those that paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

The dentist had an opening today so I went in to get the temp fillings for two teeth. I saw the pictures, and let me just say...ewww. They really did need to be replaced And my jaw hurts now, so.....ouch.

That is all.

Of course, I think my cat is the cutest, most lovable and interesting kitty around. And now this has been validated that Chocolate Chip has received the high honor of being "Kitty of the Week" in the Carnival of the Cats.

Yeah, Chocolate Chip!

I always have watched the original (Donald Version) "The Apprentice". It's been, up until now (at least for me), entertaining T.V. We won't talk about what Tommy (a.k.a. "The Spouse") thinks about this show or reality T.V. in general. Different blog, different subject matter.

Anyway, lately it seems the show has gone down hill both in ratings and in my personal interest. I mean, come on...they fired four people last week....I mean, seriously. These people are desperate.

So I thought last week was the new low. Well, I was wrong....this week they outed one guy for being a virgin and another guy for being gay. But I guess if we were being honest we'd have to say that the gay guy kind of outed himself by focusing on his homosexuality while discussing sex in the work place.

I'm too tired of this show to explain what the hell I'm talking about if you're not a "fan" (and I use the term loosely) or haven't watched the show. Let's just say that now we know Adam is more than likely a Jewish virgin and Clay....well Clay....is gay. If you want to learn more about tonight's assignment you can read here.

And how did The Donald handle this information? Well, with regard to Adam being a virgin, he said something like "You'll learn that sex can get you through a lot of things. It's gotten me through a lot of things and it's also cost me a lot of money." I might add that to this Carolyn held her head in her hands in shame.

Now as far as the whole Clay being gay thing, Donald said something like: "Well, that's the reason why they have menus. Some people like steak...I like the steak, and other people like the spaghetti. So that's why there are menus."

Wait...what? If you're hetero you like steak and if you're gay you like spaghetti? Huh? Oh, Donald. You're SO not PC.

In short, I am fast losing patience with "The Apprentice" half-baked antics, I need good South American wine and TiVo to get through an episode, and I am considering just taking the bottle of wine with me to our hot tub next week and skipping the show all together. Sorry, Donald. You might have to cut bait on this one.

I was scanning the news yesterday evening because to be honest I am neither as motivated nor creative as the people who are now busily working on their novels and posting first chapters like Catherine.

Anyway, I noticed it looks like the Post Office will more than likely be successful at raising rates once again just in time for Christmas (oops, sorry....just in time for "the holiday you choose to celebrate during the winter months").

I don't know about you, but I rarely send anything via U.S. mail anymore...unless it's a package or something that I have to physically take in to get mailed. It's just so easy now to have your bank pay all your bills...for free, no postage in some cases because they do it electronically. Free....and much safer for the most part. No pesky mail box thieves trying to steal your identity and all that. Also email, sadly, has become my first choice in the way of conversing with my friends and family. SO much quicker...and cheaper. However, I do try and be a good mom and have Scytheboy send hand-written thank you notes for gifts. Sort of the "do as I say, not as I do" thing.

So...how have you handled all the postage rate hikes? Have you gone electronic with your bill paying and correspondence or are you a hands-on write your return address and lick and stick your own stamp type?

I know, it's been in the news probably everywhere by now. We first heard about it some time last week....apparently Exxon held a health fair for its employees in Baytown, TX and as part of said fair offered free flu shots to its employees.

Well......the company Exxon hired to do the shooting decided to save cost and inject said workers with sterilized water. In addition, one of the nurses that works for the home health care company hired to give the flu shots was overheard admitting she had pricked her finger while filling "a few" of the syringes.

Luckily, an outside nurse the contracted company hired to help with the shots did the right thing and reported the comment to FBI officials, along with the information that the contracted company did not have the first clue about how to track flu vaccine lot numbers, etc. Exxon eventually notified its workers they were injected with seemingly innocuous sterilized water, but also offered to pay for free counseling and AIDS and hepatitis testing. Nice.

Man....you try to protect yourself and make the effort to go to the fair, gain some knowledge, and subject yourself to a needle stick...only to find out there's a possibility you might have contracted some disease from some chick that stuck her finger with "a few" needles whilst filling them with sterilized water.

Geez...kinda makes you not want to even bother getting a flu shot, doesn't it?

As I mentioned in a previous post, we went out to dinner and a movie tonight for our Halloween celebration instead of doing the trick-or-treating and handing out candy thing. This is the first time since becoming an adult that I've ever been out for dinner and a movie on Halloween. Following are some observations from the evening:

-We went out to eat early so we could catch a show around seven. We arrived at Outback around 5:35 or so....the same standard as always holds true for the demographic of people you will see at a decent restaurant this early; retirement age couples, childless middle aged couples (if they have kids they are probably away at school), people with very young children, and perhaps a few of the happy hour hangers on. No wait for a seat, that's for sure.

-When you go out to eat on Halloween, sometimes the people who wait on you will be in costume. This was the case tonight...our waiter (who looked somewhat like Colin Farrell) was dressed in a girl's black tight t-shirt, a blonde wig, and gir's cargo shorts. And hiking boots. He semed to be making an extra effort to swagger whilst he walked to ensure everyone was aware of his real gener. Funny....but he looked even more like Colin Farrell to me - probably because I just saw Alexander on Saturday.

-If you have time to stop home before going to the movie, go into stealth mode - after all, you've been away all night not giving out candy and you don't want anyone to see you pull in and run up, hoping to get candy now that you're back. Luckily, our garage door light was out so we were able to slip in relatively unnoticed. Note: we stopped home because Tommy does NOT do horror flicks - ever. So I pulled scary movie duty on my own.

-Be very, very careful when driving around the neighborhood just after dark....kids rarely pay attention to moving vehicles, and they pay even less attention to them in their effort to get the most candy possible on this special night.

-The only people that go to movies on Halloween are teenagers...trust me.

-Said teenagers used to be quite obnoxious at movies - now they are armed with cell phones and they are even MORE obnoxious...calling friends while the movie is playing.

-The Fog is an OK horror flick...not great, but OK. I usually get really scared in these types of movies, but I'm actually OK after watching that one...probably because I was so distracted by the girl kicking my chair and the kid on the cell phone behind us I coun't give my total attention to the scary stuff playing out on the screen.

-It's scary walking out into a dark parking lot after watching a scary movie. It just is.

-Finally...going to dinner and a movie with your kid is time well spent. Technology can interfere with the parent-child relationship, and getting everyone (including yourself) away from the phone, T.V., video game consoles, and computers is a good, healthy thing to do once in a while.

I hope everyone had a great Halloween. We sure did. I think we'll make it a tradition...dinner and a movie on October 31st. Sounds good to me.

I've posted before on all the road construction that's going on around where we live. One of the necessary evils of said construction is that the workers need to block off and/or move lanes from time to time so they can do the work required to widen the roads. This action by the road crews unfortunately brings out really, really bad behavior by certain people who feel themselves more important than all others on the road.

You know the ones I'm talking about....the people who weave out of traffic, race to the front of the line, and then cut in so they can make it home or to their current destination faster. Because, in their mind, what they have to do is WAY more important than what anyone else has to do, and they as a person are WAY more important than anyone else, and so therefore they should be let into line so they can quickly move toward work or home, or wherever...before anyone else.

As a side note, it goes without saying that the cutter-inners are always in expensive cars and talking on a cell phone.

I have never, ever done this (intentionally, that is). I think it's rude, inconsiderate, and sometimes downright dangerous. The road crews around here are pretty good about giving fair warning to drivers about upcoming lane manipulations, and considering the fact that most of these "cutter-inners" are in SUVs and have a very, very good view of what's coming up there really is no excuse for them not to make an early attempt to move over so as not to impede the flow of traffic.

But NOooooo......they race as fast as they can to the exact point that their lane ends and then aggressively cut off the person at the front of the line, causing a chain reaction of brakes, horns and cussing that ensures all others patiently waiting their turn to proceed are set back even longer in their endeavor to get to where they're going. But do these cutter-inners care? No, because invariably people will slam on their brakes and let them in instead of moving forward just enough so as to ensure the cutter-inner does NOT get what they want.

Do you know why the cutter-inners do it? Because it works...most people just don't think it's worth fighting over just to make sure they're ahead of one more car or to make sure the cutter-inner has to wait like the rest of us...no, they go ahead and let them in. The cutter-inners are scavengers preying on the safe driving skills of those that willingly let them in and reward them for their bad behavior.

I've had it with the cutter-inners. I never, ever let them in. Ever. They should not be rewarded for trying to beat the system, they should be condemned and punished. If you see a cutter-inner trying to cut in front of you, do not reward them. Make them wait. Eventually if enough of us do this, they will stop trying. But unfortunately there are way too many good patient people for the cutter-inners to take advantage of so this evil behavior will continue as long as road crews block off lanes for construction.

So...do you let the cutter-inners in?

I just got finished with a small contract project, and I started thinking about what it used to be like to actually have a regular job where you have to go into work each day and are beholden to your boss' whims.

Anyway, I've had both really good and really horrible bosses. The effects of both seemed very heightened, given that I worked in the hi-tech industry for companies that were either struggling to start up or launching multiple new products and promotions at the same time.

That said, below are some comparisons (based on personal experience) between a good boss and a bad boss:

During a major project that requires approvals and feedback to meet deadlines:

-A good boss will return calls and emails promptly, always with a little tag line about what a great job you're doing and how much they appreciate your hard work.

-A bad boss will not show for appointments or be so late that he misses meetings, turn his cell phone off for hours, and never return emails. This same boss will then come in at the last minute after all the work has been done and change everything so as to ensure you miss your deadline and none of your ideas come to fruition.

During the holidays:

-A good boss will ensure you are able to have some time with your family, slowing down the work flow to ensure balance is achieved and you come back after the new year refreshed and ready to take on new projects.

-A bad boss will go on holiday himself, remaining completely unavailable, while you finish work on the year end report, next quarter's plan, and guiding the agency in preparation for the financial earnings news release.

After a major news release or new product launch is successfully executed:

-A good boss will find a concrete way to ensure you are recognized for your hard work. This could include cash bonuses, complimentary dinners out, or an award recognizing your success.

-A bad boss will take all the credit for the success of the endeavor, never even mentioning that you worked on the project. He will go out with the Sales team to be slapped on the back while you remain working 70 hours a week with no reward and no time with your family.

When the annual Sales incentive trip comes around:

-A good boss will throw your name in the hat as a possible includee in the trip, at least giving you a chance to compete for the few slots that are left for the trip that could be awarded to select marketing team members for their contribution to achieving sales goals.

-A bad boss will do everything he can to ensure that he and his family get to go on the trip, especially if there is only one slot left allotted to marketing.

When it comes to raises and bonuses:

-A good boss will try and ensure all those members of the team that exceed their goals are given the best possible raise and bonus.

-A bad boss will take the largest piece of the raise and bonus pie he can for himself, splitting the pittance that is left equally among the team because he does not like conflict and thus does not ever bring attention to his shining stars on the team.

In general:

-A good boss supports his team, remains available to them for guidance and approvals to ensure their projects remain on time or better, recognizes his employees for their contributions both inside and outside the company, and mentors his staff, helping them to exceed their professional goals within the company while recognizing the need for balance in professional and personal lives.

-A bad boss will remain unavailable, refuse to return emails, will be late for meetings (making sure you realize his time is more important than yours), take credit for any success you have, take time off when he knows you are back at the office finishing the project he will eventually take credit for, give you a mere pittance of what you are worth in the way of raises and bonuses, will rarely if ever thank you for your hard work, and will eventually weed out anyone with any talent or work ethic at all from his team to ensure he doesn't look like a slacker in front of the execs.

Yeah, I've had a couple of really great bosses, but I've also had one or two really bad bosses. I know the bad ones will get theirs in the end...shame I won't be around to see it :).

You know the ones? The neighbors who turn all their outdoor lights off on Halloween, darken the house, and either hide in a back room or completely leave the premises during the trick-or-treating. ..yup, those people.

You see....we only have one child and starting last year he became unenenthralled with the whole prospect of trick-or-treating, especially given the fact he can have candy pretty much whenever he wants....within reason. Oh, to be blessed with those "thin" genes.

Anyway...last year he agreed to dress up and hide in the darkened garage to "scare the little kids" and was highly successful at this endeavor...for about an hour. Then he went back into the house and played video games while we sat on the front porch, had drinks, and handed out candy to all the little ones. We went in once the teenagers with alcohol on their breath and no costumes started to come 'round.

So this year we've been talking about it...and....we've decided to join "those people". Those unsociable, withdrawn people that are completely disengaged from their neighbors on Halloween. We will go out to dinner, and then maybe a movie or a bookstore for coffee and to browse.

But we will definitely not be here....listening to the annoying doorbell, handing out candy to the "precious little darlings" of our neighbors who are WAY out of our son's age bracket, and dealing with those pesky teenagers whose main goal is to remain drunk as long as possible and smash as many pumpkins as they can get their hands on. We haven't even decorated like we usually do.

I know, we're bad. But we will be thinner from not eating all the leftover candy and we will spend some quality time together which we get precious little of anyway...out....with all "those people".

On our recent trip to Ireland, I had the pleasure of experiencing flights both in Business Class and Coach Class. I'm sure some of you saw that episode on Seinfeld where Jerry was in First Class and Elaine was in Coach Class a few years back (okay, maybe several years back).

Anyway, I thought it would be useful to review how these experiences differ, from my point of view:

Coach Class:

-The seats barely recline....if you are lucky and small enough, you can put your tray table down and cross your arms and lay like that with a pillow if you can get one...I've found this to be the only sleeping position that works for me in coach class.

-If you have an aisle seat, you have the pleasure of experiencing other people's bums in your face on a recurring basis throughout the flight...especially if you are seated by the bathrooms.

-Speaking of bathrooms....there are only a few for many passengers, so you either have to stand in line or hold your water for several hours if it's an overseas flight.

-Everyone wants to carry on...which means if you are seated last, chances are you will have to gate check your luggage or place your bag far away from where you are seated, stealing precious time from your deplaning procedure....this can get hairy if you have a close connection.

-In flight entertainment - they run one movie, maybe two. And you have to take what you can get...they charge for the headphones and they sorta hurt your ears so you have got to be dedicated if you want to watch the movie(s).

-There are screaming babies...I think it's a requirement that there be a minimum of five screaming babies scattered throughout coach on all flights lasting more than two hours...this ensures none of the passengers get any sleep and achieve a catatonic sleep deprived state by the end of the flight so as not to disturb the flight attendants.

-If you are flying standby and the flight is full, it is guaranteed you will get a middle seat...between two arm rest hoggers. Which means basically you must crumple your shoulders in as far as possible and remain in this position for the duration of the flight. Chiropractors make a mint off standby fliers because of the ensuing major back and neck pain associated with this middle seat position.

-The pillows and blankets. You are lucky to get one pillow and you can sometimes steal another from an open seat if the flight is not full. And they are so small they're hardly worth calling them pillows. And the blankets...if you want to call them that. Thin, flimsy felt like material full of static cling that messes with your clothes and hair. You're better off using your coat.

-The amenity kit - oh, you don't get one of these in Coach Class...sorry. Bring your own.

-The food. What can we say about the food....other than it's food....sort of. But I've found that if I'm hungry enough I'll eat everything they put in front of me. It should be noted that on my last trip the food actually didn't suck...it was more than acceptable. Maybe because it was an international flight...who knows.

-The drinks. Sip at them sparingly. For an eight hour flight, they will only be by three times, and they won't ever give you the whole can of soda unless you practically beg them to.

-The snoring.....for some reason it's easier to hear people snoring in coach class which enhances the sleep deprivation procedure. Must be because the seats are so close together.

-The smells...ah, yes, the smells. Is it just me, or are people just more gaseous and overall less hygienically inclined in coach?

-The deplaning. This can in some ways resemble a mob scene. And it seems worse on international flights. Probably because so many folks have had to hold their water (see above) and REALLY need to get off that plane. Can't say I really blame them.

On the other hand....

Business Class is a much different story.

-The seats fully recline so you are in an almost horizontal position with your feet raised up and your head back. Very, very nice.

-Doesn't matter If you have an aisle seat or a window - the seats are so far apart you don't have to deal with people's bums in your face - ever.

-Business Class has its own bathrooms the lowly coach customers are not allowed to use. However...you have to fight for these bathrooms with the many members of the International flight crew and they turn the seatbelt sign on frequently for shift changes or if one of the pilots currently in the cockpit needs to use the necessary. You must learn to time your bathroom breaks strategically. On the upside, you're fighting for use of one of three bathrooms (at least on the air frame we were on) with a total of only about 50 people).

-Everyone wants to carry on...but that's OK. If it won't fit up above you get to use the Business Class closet and the flight attendant will put it in the closet and bring it back for you when the plane lands, before the door is open.

-In flight entertainment - you have your pick of about 10 movies, your own small screen, and also an assortment of games you can play using the air phone/remote control combo device you are provided. Also, the headphones are WAY better.

-There are no screaming babies...this helps with your sleeping as you comfortably recline in your seat.

-There are no middle seats in Business Class...and there is about six inches of space between your seat and the one next to you. Very nice.

-The pillows and blankets. In Business Class, the pillow is about three times larger and much firmer, and you get a full-on quilt that's the length of your entire seat. These both aid in the sleeping process.

-The amenity kit. Oh, the amenity kit. Complete with sleeping mask, ear plugs, warm socks, lip balm, hand cream, toothbrush and toothpaste. Lovely. Saved parts of ours.

-The food. This can be really good or sometimes not so good. Depends on your flight. But I can tell you there's LOTS of it. I don't go for a lot of that fancy gourmet stuff, but this last trip we got garlic crusted lamb with rosemary sauce and it was pretty good. Of course, you also get the warm nuts before dinner, the fruit and cheese plate after and a specially made just for you sundae at the end. Yummy sundae. We also got breakfast just prior to landing - it was a fancy potato fritada...pretty decent but I think I would have preferred bacon and eggs....that's just me. Oh and, of course you get your own linen table cloth and eat off fancy glass dishes.

-The drinks. Drinks, drinks, and more drinks. Before you take off, throughout the flight, whenever you want, whatever you want. It's free...drink all you want. But be careful if you get wine...you can easily get quite drunk as they continuously fill your glass throughout the flight.

-The snoring.....not a factor really....you have your ear plugs.

-The smells...there is more space between the seats and also people make good use of their amenity kits so the only smells you smell are pleasant.....first class meals cooking and all.

-The deplaning. You get to go first, and the nice flight attendants make sure you have your jacket and bags in plenty of time before the door opens. Flight attendants are so much nicer in Business Class, aren't they?

That's the end of my observations between the cabins during our Ireland trips. If I've missed anything, please comment and let all of us know.

I hate to keep harping on this issue, but I found this article that talks about some Amish kids getting polio because they were not vaccinated.

Wake up people! Vaccinate your kids! With more people entering the country not vaccinated and others choosing not to vaccinate because they're willing to take the risk of not protecting their kids vs. protecting their kids with minimal risk of side effects, the chances that unvaccinated kids will get some sort of communicable disease and spread it in their community grow each and every day.

Care about your kids? Vaccinate them. That is all.

One more day, one more day, one...more....day!!! This time tomorrow morning we'll be on a plane to a major hub of our "airline of choice" from which we will take a flight to Ireland.

All the pre-cleaning is done, the boy has been excused from school, and the in-laws are right now getting ready to hit the road so they'll be here in time for dinner. On the menu tonight is marinated flank steak, oven roasted red potatoes with garlic and fresh herbs from our garden, roasted asparagus, and chocolate cake with a whipped butter cream frosting. Sound yummy? Yeah, I know. It will be outstanding.

But today before I start dinner I have to do the bathroom re-clean and we have to get the pets to boarding so we can quickly escape tomorrow morning.

So much to do...so little time. One more day until Ireland!! Did I say that already? Oh, sorry....

Ireland!! That's right, folks. An unprecedented second trip to a foreign land for me this year. Of course, Buenos Aires was absolutely amazing. But a trip home to the motherland is oh, so exciting!!! We're taking Scytheboy out of school for a couple days (already pre-approved by his principal - I follow the rules) and Tommy's parents are hitching a ride using their free passes. They are Irish, I am Irish, Scytheboy gets it from both sides of the family so a trip back to the home of our ancestors will be interesting and educational for all.

We are going to Dublin. Although some would say it is like any other city, there are some neat places to visit, like Dublin Castle for instance.

So now, as we prepare for our trip, I am engaged in....the pre-clean. That's the cleaning you do for a few days before you have visitors so that when you re-clean there is really only some quick surface stuff to complete. But as I pre-clean, I am dreaming about flying in Business Class (yes, seats still look good for that) with my son to Ireland, landing in Shannon, then Dublin, and making my way to our excellent hotel accommodations in the heart of Dublin's tourist district. Yes, we will probably spend way more money than we intended to, but we'll be in Ireland and that will make up for everything.

Three more days, people.....three more days. Until Ireland!!!!!

I was watching a TiVo'd episode of Iron Chef America on Food Network tonight. It was Battle Asparagus. And when sampling asparagus ice cream and chocolate covered asparagus, one of the panel members said something like:

I like the ice cream, but not as much as the chocolate. Of course, the only thing better than chocolate is bacon.

In my opinion, no truer words were ever spoken.

Damn...I don't have any bacon. I'll have to make Tommy take me to iHOP tomorrow so I can have some bacon.

That is all.

I totally stole this from Paula...I saw her post about being a turtle so I got curious and went to take the quiz myself.

You Are A: Kitten!

Cute as can be, kittens are playful, mischevious, and ever-curious. Your mischevious side is part of what makes you a kitten, as is your dislike of getting wet! Kittens are often loving, but are known to scratch or bite when annoyed. These adorable animals are the most popular pets in the United States--37% of American households have at least one cat. Whether it is your gentle purr or your disarming appearance, you make a wonderful kitten.

You were almost a: Bear Cub or a Pony
You are least like a: Duckling or a ChipmunkWhat Cute Animal Are You?

So which cute animal are you? Go take the quiz and find out!

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Saturday, September 24, 2005

Random Thoughts

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.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Saturday, September 03, 2005

The New Orleans Plan

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.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Well This Explains It

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....

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Saturday, August 27, 2005

Games and Genetics

With the hurricane side-effect weather on its way, we stayed in tonight and played chess, Monopoly and Star Wars Epic Duels.

Um....do you know what happens when you are a competitive person? You breed a competitive person. With Tommy (a.k.a. "the referee") gone, playing games with each other can be, shall we say - challenging. We have retreated to our separate corners now. Enough said.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Friday, August 26, 2005

50 First Dates

So Tommy's gone on his way back to Buenos Aires while I spent all day putting the house back in order as it was the first day I felt completely cured of jet lag. Boy, was I JET-LAGGEDD!!!

Anyway....Scytheboy and I decided to have movie night so we got our popcorn ready and sat down to watch "50 First Dates". As the movie progressed, I began to realize (quickly) that although the movie is PG-13 there were a number of references I would have preferred not to explain.

About 2/3 of the movie was over, and there was this scene where Adam Sandler notices his friend the walrus has a number of lady friends and cautions him to use condoms. Here is what Scytheboy said:

So apparently he's having relations with all the other walruses. Ewwww!.

Clearly I didn't have a thing to worry about in the way of explaining all the questionable references. They sure do grow up fast, don't they?

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Tuesday, August 16, 2005

I am a Cardio Queen

I did 6.5 miles and burned 772 calories today. That is all. I am tired.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Monday, August 15, 2005

If You Go to the Gym Later....

All the Chatty Cathys are either gone or in a step or yoga class, and the Viagra Brigade has vanished....probably home to take a nap from all the energy they expended leering at the Chatty Cathys.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Thursday, August 11, 2005

It's All About the Food

As I've mentioned, Scytheboy started middle school today. I just got back from picking him up. And you know how we moms are - the ride home consists of an intense interrogation session as once we get home the child will need to "chill" undisturbed so he can recover from his day at school.

Anyway, my interrogation session was NOT very fruitful today. I worried all day about how he did at his new school, if he had enough time to get to his locker between classes, whether or not he got lost, what his teachers were like, did he know anybody in his classes, etc., etc. I was able to glean very little information. Here is what I found out:

1. The food is GOOD in middle school.
2. He got to his locker between each class.
3. The food is GOOD in middle school.
4. The food is GOOD in middle school.
5. His saxophone is shiny.
6. He knows someone in all his classes.
7. The food is GOOD in middle school.

Apparently, he will not be taking a lunch this year....

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Tuesday, August 09, 2005

New School Year, New School PTA

Well the new school year starts this Thursday for Scytheboy. Not only is he moving up to Middle School, it is a brand new school.

I went to his orientation yesterday, and let me tell you the PTA was out in FULL FORCE. They had volunteers stationed (and I'm not kidding) every six feet or so in the hallway trying to hand out volunteer sign up sheets and making sure you had visited their table.

I have never seen a more organized fund raising operation in my entire life. I really do have to hand it to them...they could not have done a better job to achieve success.

So here's the deal. As we all know school supplies are very expensive and by middle school the list is extensive. I pulled the list from the school site, and buying them myself would have been very pricey. They had pre-packaged supplies for all grades ready for us to buy during orientation. But here's the catch and where they get you.....you had to fill out a whole form with all your information and check off which box of supplies you needed. Then you gave them the form and a check, and they gave you a little ticket you had to walk to another room with to redeem your supplies. Guess what was on that same form? PTA Membership sign up. So all those foolish people who handed back the form without the membership box checked and additional money in their check for the full membership (self and spouse) were then subjected to the sales spew on why they really needed 100% participation to ensure the PTA gets up and running in the right direction.

Seeing the writing on the wall, I did like I always do...I signed up for the full dual membership just so I could avoid the pitch and questions, the PTA telemarketers at home and the shame of being one of the last 20 people left to sign up. I'm not kidding about this...they put a chart outside the school that says xx more people until 100% participation! - each year - until they achieve 100% membership. Trust me, you DON'T want to be one of the last few to sign up and be part of that number. Oh, the shame, the torture, the phone calls, the conversations you'll have with fellow parents - who all know who you are - and will stop you while you are out walking with your family to talk about PTA membership and ask you if you've signed up yet (but of course they'll know if you haven't signed up because your name will have been circulated at all the meetings and your neighbor will have been enlisted to do the soft sell on you to get you to pony up).

Let me say this. I do believe in the PTA and I think no school could function without them. But I really do wish they wouldn't be quite so aggressive at extracting guilt out of parents to get them to pay the membership fee. We get it. Schools are underfunded. We all need to do what we can to support them with time, money, supplies, or all three. We do what we can in the way of membership fees and supplies for activities whenever we can.

But - and can I be honest here? - I cannot STAND those women!! It's like a Mary Kay convention gone bad. They do a lot to help the school and give the kids a lot of extras....but my GOD these women just need to chill out! Oh, and get more organized. And get better on communication. And check their fliers for typos and clear information before they send them home..and...and....and. Let's just say that if I were an active member in the organization neither they nor I would be happy. These are all volunteers and we have to remember that they are not going to do their work at the same standard that I demanded of myself and my PR teams in the work force. They just aren't. They have a lot else going on with their families and usually more than one kid to keep track of, activity wise. They do what they can and I do appreciate all their effort - questionable standards and all.

But I gave at the orientation.....quit asking me to volunteer and spend time with you people! I can't take it! I just can't take it!!!!! Okay, I'm done. Sorry. Just had to work through my post-orientation PTA trauma.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know" & "Things I Hate"
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Monday, August 08, 2005

I'm Making Banana Bread

Yes, that's right. I...am making...banana bread. I love banana bread - without nuts. I hate banana bread with nuts.

Neither Tommy nor Scytheboy care for banana bread. Yes! More for me! Although they claim they like to smell it when it's baking, they really don't go near the stuff once it's out. Which is fine with me. Because then I get to eat all the banana bread I could possibly want. Which is why I only make it a couple times a year. It's pretty slow going once I get down to the end of the loaf.

But I don't care. I want banana bread. So I made banana bread. And it's all for me. It will be out of the oven in about an hour. And then I can have some, and tomorrow morning I can have some more. All I want. All for me, nothing for them. That is all.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Sunday, August 07, 2005

My Hero

Scytheboy is my hero. Let me explain. He knows I hate bugs. I've always hated bugs. He must have picked up on this because about five years ago we were camping with Tommy's parents and all of a sudden he was stomping on the ground. I asked him, "What are you doing?" He said, "I'm killing the bugs for you." He was about six. My hero.

Cut to about an hour ago. I informed Scytheboy that I had seen a cockroach - yes, that's right a cockroach - in the front living room. And that said cockroach had wings and had skittered away from view. We proceeded to plug all the drains in the house (those of you in the south know what I'm talking about}.

And then...just as I was sitting down with what I've found to be a spectacular headache cure (red wine from Argentina) Scytheboy calls out "There it is!" It was trying to get out of one of the side windows by the front door - clearly he had found nothing of interest in my house as Tommy says I keep it "sterile" - whatever that means. I hate dirt - and dust - and clutter - and I like a very clean kitchen with no dirty dishes and freshly wiped counter tops - oh, and we won't mention all the icky stuff in the bathroom I'm constantly cleaning - I have no idea what he's talking about - "sterile house" - whatever.

Anyway, Scytheboy flew to the kitchen to get the flyswatter which he handed me because I told him I didn't want it to get away. Then when I had the insect out from behind the window curtain and on its back with all its legs flailing in the air, he ran to get a sneaker. He volunteered to "smash it's head open" but I did the honors.

When it was over, he got me a Clorox wipe to clean up the mess and even offered to clean it up himself because he knows I hate bugs. It's so nice to have him here taking care of me while Tommy's away.

Oh...I won't even get into the whole me squealing like a little girl every time I came within inches of that nasty roach. I love my hero. He will make someone a very good husband some day.

UPDATE: I just told Scytheboy I did a post on the cockroach thing and he said, "Time to go revel in my own glory." Clearly, a chip off the old block.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Kids on Trial

I don't know if you have seen this story where you live or via news sources you watch or read.

Here's the deal...from what I can glean from this article and TV wrap-ups I've seen regarding this incident, some boys threw water balloons at this 11 year old girl on more than one occasion. Well apparently she'd had enough and grabbed the nearest rock and threw it at one of the boys throwing the balloons. Unfortunately the rock was big enough to cause a pretty big gash and the boy had to have stitches. Oh, well. Shit happens. He provoked her and she retaliated with the nearest object she could find (I'm guessing).

So the police were called and the girl freaked out and scratched one of the officers. Not good. I do believe she should have been taught a lesson and they probably should have taken her to juvie - for a few hours. Someone should have had a very serious talk with her about what COULD have happened injury-wise to the boy and also talk to her about respecting the authority of a police officer, etc.

BUT FELONY CHARGES? AND AN OPEN TRIAL? I thought juvenile cases were supposed to be private and the court records sealed? Now this girl is going to be publicly humiliated, the case has already been written about and reported on in the press, and no matter what happens she will NEVER be able to put this behind her because now it's a matter of public record.

Now of course I am assuming this girl has not been in trouble with the law before. There very well could have been some incident in the past we're not aware of because it's being kept sealed. But let's consider that this is the only incident. Is this really fair? Is the D.A. not dropping the charges or not doing a deal just to prove he and his people are "right"? I look at this as a "punish the victim" type case. In our society, it seems school authorities and law enforcement are increasingly leaning toward punishing the victim for defending him or her self rather than addressing the root cause of the incident - the provokers, more often than not lately, are being seen as the victims rather than the attackers whose victims fought back.

Even in Scytheboy's school, there was one bully in particular who never got caught provoking the other kids, but when his victims fought back THEY were the ones who received punishment from a principal who believed they should just sit there and take it rather than defending themselves. Her view was they could only fight back if they felt they were on the verge of being killed. What IS that? People are making policy based on a belief that violence is NEVER the answer. Well, sometimes it is...especially when a bully has gone after you and the people that are supposed to be watching things either turn a blind eye or don't bother to intervene. Fact of the matter is, if the kid doesn't fight back then they will ALWAYS be a victim and things will get worse until they really get hurt some day - no matter what the "politically correct policy" is.

While I do believe some punishment must be given to this girl to ensure she realizes she can't assault a police officer and the rock could have caused much more serious damage, I believe the boys who threw the water balloons should ALSO be punished in some way and then they can call it a wash. Kids are kids. Kids will do what kids do. No matter how "politically correct" authorities try to be in punishing the victims for defending themselves.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know" & "Politics"
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Friday, July 29, 2005

Texans and Their Cars

I don't feel good. Allergy season this year is especially bad in Dallas. Even my doctor has admitted that he's been dousing his symptoms with anything and everything he can get his hands on.

And it doesn't help that we've been having a LOT of red pollution days lately. I learned very early on after my move to this state at the age of 16 that in Texas, EVERYONE likes to have their own ride wherever they go. And so those wonderful HOV lanes are rarely used, and if they are it's by people who are either going to lunch with a business associate or families going out to eat or to a game.

I've asked Tommy about this fascination Texans have with car ownership, and having that owned car with them everywhere they go. He said that's just the way it's always been since he can remember. He can't really understand the concept of NOT having your car with you - if you have one, that is. I believe in many areas of the state they don't even know what car pooling is, especially in the more rural areas.

Now, understand that I grew up in Wisconsin. One of the most conservation-oriented states there is. It's ridiculous what these people go through to save the world. I must admit their public transportation system is outstanding and that is an important side benefit if for some reason you find yourself without a car. However, the removing of the labels and rinsing of the cans and separating of papers and the plastics and the cardboards can get tedious at times - well OK most of the time. And ride sharing was ALWAYS preferable to taking many cars to school, games, movies, work, wherever.

Anyway, I digress. Going back to Texans and their cars. This car pride does take different forms, depending on where you are. If you are in a college town, it's usually enough to just have a car that runs and you can be proud of that. If you are in the country, your vehicle of choice is usually a truck that can haul things, or if you are a teenager in West Texas it could possibly be some sort of sports car you are proud to own and drive everywhere you go..

And if you are in Dallas or Houston...well....that's a totally different story. If you are in Sales, you must drive a Lexus, and if you are the top sales person, you must drive a Jaguar or a Porsche - or if pressed, a Mercedes. If you married well and are home with your kids, your vehicle of choice would be a Lexus SUV or a BMW SUV, or a Lincoln Navigator, and possibly even an H2. Or an Expedition if you bought it a few years ago and your spouse has since had to change jobs and you haven't been able to upgrade for a while. You will drive a fully loaded Minivan if you must, but it's not your first choice. And if you are like me - unemployed and enjoying it - you drive a Cirrus that has been paid off - for a while - and you don't care how those SUV driving, liposuctioned, tummy-tucked, sunbaked Dallasites look at your car. You don't have to work. And you have a pool. So you don't care.

So that's my diatribe on Texans and how they always have to have their cars with them, their lack of use of the HOV lanes, what kind of cars they drive, and how all this car-loving has contributed to many red pollution days. And did I mention that I feel crappy from my allergies? Especially on red pollution days caused by those Texas car-lovers. That is all.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know" & "Whining"
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Thursday, July 28, 2005

Scytheboy is Cool

By now we all know that Cory thinks she is cool. Apparently, her belief in her own coolness has rubbed off on my son. We went shopping for school clothes today. Look what he got.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Middle School "Must Have"

All summer, Scytheboy has been reminding us of the "must have" items for middle school. The most talked about item has been a cell phone. Yes, a cell phone. Am I that old? Since when did a cell phone top the list of essential school supply items?

And the cell phone companies haven't made our arguments for not getting him one any easier....it now costs as little as .50 a day to arm your child with his or her own phone. A phone fully equipped with Internet access, instant messaging, text messages and voice activated dialing features. I've had my phone for two years and I still haven't figured out how to do all that stuff on mine.

And yes, we did in fact cave and get him the damn phone. First, because we were sick of hearing about how all his friends have phones and how he would only use it to call us. Second, because we lost all leverage when he looked on our provider's site and even offered to use some of his allowance for the monthly fee if he had to. So now he's got the phone of his dreams and suddenly we have a very appreciative and well behaved child. I wonder how long that will last?

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Tuesday, July 26, 2005

A Post on Cory

Ever since Tommy started his blog, Cory has been trying to convince him that she is cool. And today she wanted to make sure that I let everyone who stops by here know she thinks she is cool. Or was I supposed to say that she is cool? I forget.

Anyway, Cory....you know what's cool? That blue ball with the stars and the moons you bought to use in our very cool pool the last time you came to see us. Your cool blue ball is still here, waiting for you....in the mean time I'll make sure to take care of it - any time I want to - in my pool. So Cory, what's cooler - the ball or the pool?

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Monday, July 25, 2005

A Note on Gym Etiquette

As I was spending my almost hour climbing uphill on the stairs today, I observed several breaches of gym etiquette. All in the area of - IF YOU'RE GONNA SWEAT ALL OVER THE MACHINE, BRING A TOWEL TO WIPE THE DAMN THING OFF!!!! What a disgusting thing to do - sweat all over the machine and then walk away as if it's perfectly fine for your sweat to be dripping all the way down the hand rests to the floor. YUCK!!! I must admit, I do sweat a lot. But I always wipe off the machine before I step off. How in the world can ANYONE think it's okay to leave a machine dripping with sweat. Unbelievable.

The only thing worse than the cardio machines left with sweat on them are the weight machines left with sweat on them - in the shape of certain unmentionable body parts. Come on people! Have the decency to bring a towel and sit on it when you're using the weight machines.

Just so you know, I DO make VERY good use of those spray bottles and paper towels the gym provides - because the perpetrators of these awful breaches of gym etiquette do not. Geez, some people....

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know" & "Things I Hate"
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Friday, July 22, 2005

You Know You Are a Bad Influence if....

You pre-watch Kumar and Harold go to White Castle and let your son watch it with you and then, half way through the movie (and all the way past finishing the carafe of Chilean wine) your son suddenly pulls out bags of Cheetos left over from his party. I don't know how, but somwhere along the line Scytheboy suddenly got the munchies while watching this drug-induced buddy movie.

What can I say about the movie? It was funny..damn funny...after finishing the Chilean wine. Something about watching those two guys ride a cheetah after having their car stolen from Doogie Hauser just made me laugh my ass off!

Word to the wise - don't allow your children to watch R rated movies even if you've pre-watched enough to TiVo your way through the bad parts...they still laugh at the "bad" parts and attempt to rewind to them when you're in the bathroom.

Other movies that are funny after consuming many glasses of wine:

Rocky Horror Picture Show (Midnight Showing)
All Cheech and Chong Movies
Spaceballs
All Monty Python Movies
Buckaroo Banzai (this movie is where Mr. Average got the idea that I should start calling him "Perfect Tommy")
Raising Arizona

How about you? Got any movies you think are better after imbibing?

I have to go wash the carafe now. Not happy. That is all.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Monday, July 18, 2005

You Ain't From Texas, Are Ya?

Some signs I saw at the car inspection/oil change place today. Clearly, this is a Texas based, or at least southern based franchise.

You know you're a redneck if you said a prayer before your emissions test.

You know you're a redneck if your tools are worth more than your car.

How about you? Have you got some "you know you're a redneck if" sayings?

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Saturday, July 16, 2005

Because it Works

I was in the grocery store the other night and there was this woman. This woman with four kids. This woman with four kids who at different times, either separately or all together, screamed to get what they wanted during my entire visit to the store. The kids ranged in ages from about eight all the way down to about two. Clearly, the younger ones had learned from the older ones that all they had to to was scream and they would get what they wanted. And believe me, their mother gave them whatever they wanted, as quickly as she could. No admonishments, no discipline, no promises of punishment later. Nothing. Just rewards for each and every scream.

Is it just me, or are more kids screaming louder and more often in public places? And are more parents either tuning the screaming hellions out or giving the kids what they want just to make it stop? When I was growing up, this type of behavior was simply NOT tolerated. And in turn, I do not (and never have) tolerated this behavior from my child. Now I know it's only one child and it doesn't really count unless you have more than one kid, but still....I have NEVER stayed in a public place or at someone else's house for dinner if my kid was screaming. Scytheboy learned very quickly that if he screamed, he did NOT get what he wanted. Rather, all he got was a ride home and time alone in his room until he could cool off.

But I think these days in our busy, busy society parents tend to take the easy way out. Just give them what they want so they'll be quiet. Or, just ignore it so they can get done what THEY need to get done...never mind how the child's screaming is affecting the people around them. And these days it's not just at the grocery store....parents are allowing their kids to scream in restaurants, movie theaters, churches....any place they bloody well want to scream is fair game. It's just not that much fun to go to most places anymore because most of the time, at least in the U.S., there is one thing you can count on....there WILL be screaming children accompanying their apathetic parents. Parents that don't give a damn about the disruption their children are causing or how rewarding the screams will affect their children or society in the future.

How will these kids operate when they grow up? Problems tend to get worse with each generation, so I shudder to think of what our culture will look like then. Screamers breed louder screamers which breed even louder screamers. And the root cause for all the screaming will be traced back to that first screaming kid who did it.....because it worked.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Wednesday, July 13, 2005

I........Am Tired

We had Scytheboy's Birthday party today. I think I've said this before but it's DAMN HOT in Texas in the summer. We had five extra boys here. They are all 11. Is it just me, or have 11 year olds gotten bigger? I mean, much bigger. They all look like they should be in High School, or at least 8th grade.

They got here at 10:00 a.m. I know, that's pretty early to start a Birthday party but due to the aforementioned heat we thought it would be best. They all wanted to play air soft, so Mr. Average suited everyone up, I sprayed everyone down with OFF, and they all scooted down into the creek bed for their little war. It was a hot, sweaty assignment that I'm really glad I wasn't tasked with!

When they were done....they went into the pool. We have dark screens on our house so the boys all thought they were operating without supervision, and they were all surprised, maybe even shocked when I would open the door occasionally to tell them to stop whatever they were doing that was bad. I could see everything they did and they could not see me at all. I think they were a little freaked out by my clairvoyance :).

After cleaning up, Mr. Average grilled the burgers I put together and they ate outside. They sure seemed to enjoy their soggy grilled bacon cheeseburgers.

Then we had the cake and presents. I know, we should have known...but can I just say....ice cream cake and 96 degree heat do NOT mix. The cake slices lasted about two minutes...then they were all back in the pool. We came inside to sigh, drink water, and wait for it to be over.

Yes!! The Moms were on time!!! We had all those extra kids outta here by 1:45. Bliss. No more screaming and yelling or lifeguard duty or air soft duty or grilling or watermelon rinds all over the deck or melted chocolate ice cream all over the pool furniture. We're all back to normal now. Scytheboy's back to playing video games, Mr. Average is blogging, and oh....so am I. Blogging, that is.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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Sunday, July 10, 2005

The Fence

So people stand there, leaning over the fence, looking right at our backyard and pool and think nothing of it. Who does that? The house for sale is to the right of that fence. I hate that fence, and the door they made in their fence so people could walk out and look at our pool from that fence.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
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