Our senior year of high school, I started a "strike" so that we could use the "new gym" (then at least 15 years old) for our prom. The plan was for senior and juniors to walk out during their lunch period and not return to class until the administration approved our prom plans. It worked. I even caught our principal grinning at us through his office window.

Trish is having surgery today. It's worrying for a variety of reasons. Hopefully, my fears stayed hidden from her. I don't want to add to her own worries about it.

I'm more than a little angry. She's had pain for quite a while now, but her doctor chose to just wait. Then, we found out that doctor was having some severe personal problems. (Bad enough that she left town.) What if she was concentrating so much on her own troubles that she dismissed Trish's concerns or just didn't pay enough attention? This problem could have been taken care of with a much simpler procedure if the doctor had caught it before! And with much less of a financial burden to Trish and Justin.

A 17 year old in northeast Ohio just received a 23 year prison sentence for shooting his parents - and killing his mother - because they took the video game "Halo 3" away from him. His (Twinkie)defense was that his age and addiction to the game made him less responsible.

But that's not all for the craziness of this case - the judge said the teen was so obsessed with the game that he may not have realized that death is real and final, unlike in the video game where you can come back to life.

Can I point out here that the kid's father was a minister? How many funerals had his father presided over? How many people had the boy known who died and did not miraculously come back to life? Undoubtedly more than I had experienced at his age. Never once did I expect Grandpa or any of the others to suddenly spring up and live again.

Let's get real, people, and quit blaming video games, movies, tv shows, sugar, whatever for what criminals do. Whatever their addictions, criminals, by definition, commit crimes and need to be held accountable.

It's been a while since I have posted here. Owen had a bad cold, which Deven and I both caught. It took forever for me to get rid of it. Then internet problems started. We've been running into town for free wi-fi when our home connection goes down. I'll get back to posting here eventually. Just wanted to let everyone know I am still alive.

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"Birds don't steal from empty fields"

An African saying quoted in Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad by Jacqueline L. Tobin and Raymond G. Dobard, Ph. D.


Cynical comment:  America seems to have plenty of birds stealing from our empty fields. 

What's the national debt now?  Quick Google search reveals our national debt is currently
Hoo, boy!  Check out the daunting figures on this website:  http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

Despite my many faults (grin) I have only one resolution for this new year - read at least one non-fiction book for every 20 fiction. I had planned to start with "500 Nations," which is approximately 500 pages covering Native American tribes. Instead, I better read the books I got for Christmas. Scrapbooking and quilting pattern encyclopedias. Then, I'll start on the pile of non-fiction on top of my mystery paperback bookshelf, which includes "500 Nations." Hopefully, before I finish that pile, a book I requested today will arrive. "Farewell to Manzanar" is about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. I've been interested in that topic since I first read about what this country did. I'm also looking for a book about the Bonus Army March. I can't believe how much of our country's history was not taught in school!

I believe my books read count for 2008 was 220. Chasing Owen has cut into my reading time, but in a very rewarding way. I can't imagine life without him. He's not quite 18 months old now, but knows and uses over 70 words, speaks in sentences, and is usually so happy and loving. We spoil him some - we've been digging through the old Beanie Babies and putting one in the compartment under the seat of his ride-on fire truck about once a week. It is usually the first thing he does when he comes in - look in the fire engine. We also tend to give him almost any snack he wants as long as he has been eating proper foods for meals. Luckily, Deven is a harder touch than I am. When Owen gives me that certain look and says, "Tookie, pease" ("Cookie, please.") I melt and would give him anything.

Scrapbooking has also cut into reading time. (Thanks, Lori, for getting me hooked! lol) It's also rewarding because it lets me exercise my artsy/crafty side. Something I don't get to do often enough anymore. When the boys were growing up, every day seemed to bring some kind of project - for school or decorating our house - that required creativity and sometimes "thinking outside the box." I loved that. I've filled two scrapbooks with pictures of Owen. A new one just came in. As soon as some new scrapbooking tools arrive, I'm going to start filling it with Halloween pictures.

I'm rambling a little. I've had the flu and am still extremely tired. Hopefully, my mind will be back up to speed soon. I want to write about an interesting quote I recently came across. Hope to be back here --- and coherent --- soon!

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We lucked out with NetFlix last night.  Two movies I've been wanting to see. 

"The Dark Knight" was a typical comic book hero movie, but Heath Ledger's performance made it incredible.  I'm not much of a superhero fan, so my take on The Joker may be wrong, but I always thought Jack Nicholson's portrayal was much too controlled and purposeful.  Ledger's Joker was perfect.  The Joker's speech to Harvey Dent in the hospital scene described the character well.   Ledger's performance was right on target with that speech.  Aaron Eckhart was, in my opinion, iffy as Dent.  I thought there should have been more emphasis on Dent as a self-absorbed person who was a good man as long as things went his way.  Christian Bale does make a good Batman/Bruce Wayne, but the deepening of his voice as Batman starts to grate.  It's too unrealistic.  Sure, a secret alter-ego should have a different voice to mask his real identity, but that was too hoarse and emotionless.  Maybe they should have written in a voice-alteration program for when he was in the suit.  Michael Caine plays the perfect Alfred - a servant, but not subservient.  Morgan Freeman, as always, added immeasurably to the movie.  (I'm a big fan. lol)  As Lucius Fox, he embodies intelligence and morality with a dry wit thrown in.  The movie really flowed.  I had some complaints, but they were about technical things the editors did and small lapses in logic.  Overall, even though I am not a fan of the genre, I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5.

"Wanted" - fast moving, incredible effects, loved the acting of James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman.  I was happy with the movie up until the twist. After that, it was just weakened by the "big surprise."  I don't think I can express more without giving away too much of the movie.  In my opinion, it rates no more than a 3 out of 5.

Just a note: I'm a person who appreciates a good car - defined by lines and performance.  Both movies had moments when some excellent cars were sacrificed and I was groaning and saying "Oh! No, no, no!"  The waste!  The horror! lol

You're in a restaurant, carrying on a cell phone conversation.  You give enough details that I am able to figure out exactly what the entire conversation is about.  Then you hang up and whisper an account to your table companion.  Don't you know that you've already given away everything? 

First, you interrupt everyone's meal with your phone conversation.  Be polite - excuse yourself and go somewhere more private.

Second, you give away the secrets/problems of a close friend.  Be discreet - excuse yourself and go somewhere more private.

Third, you have to relate the secrets/problems to your table companion, but you're afraid someone is listening in.  Forget the whisper - excuse yourself and go somewhere more private.

Um, I think my opinion of cell phone etiquette can be summed up with seven words - excuse yourself and go somewhere more private.

I'm disappointed that the major topic of conversation about our president-elect is the impact on racial issues.  Actually, I'm very disappointed that this has to be a topic at any time, but especially in this case.  What about Obama's stand on our economy?  On the war?  On unemployment?  Why does his racial background influence the pundits to make focus on race the hot topic?  Do they really think that Obama is going to be able to change the opinion of racists?  Unfortunately, I know a number of racists - of many racial backgrounds.  Usually, if a person of another racial background accomplishes something of which the racist approves, that accomplishment and the person responsible is considered  "the exception to the rule."  Everyone else of the race which they are prejudiced against still holds the same deficiencies in their opinion.   No matter what Obama does for our country, this will happen.  The white racists will still be considering all non-whites lazy, inclined to crime, etcetera.  The African-American racists I know will still be suspicious of most whites, looking for prejudices and insults.  The Native American racists I know will still feel that whites have stolen much from them.  Obama's presidential term will not be sufficient to change the mistrust, misunderstanding, and blind hatred that breeds racism.  He could be the very best president our country has ever seen.  Unfortunately, very few racists will be able to see beyond the color of his skin.

I do have hope.  Children will see Obama, will hear him speak, and will view the changes he makes as President.  Having three grown sons, I know very well that children make up their own minds regardless of parental teachings.  Maybe, the children of this country will choose to throw away the prejudices of older generations.  I hope so.

For the first time in a long, long time I am truly proud of our country. 

After years of feeling as if there were no real difference between past presidential hopefuls, millions paid extra-close attention to the qualities of each the candidates.  We studied, discussed, and debated. 

We lost our feeling of hopelessness, of not being able to change anything.  Thousands of people recognized the importance of this presidential election and were motivated to register as new voters.  Record numbers of voters turned out.

We did it!  We proved the "ordinary" person could make a difference.

Obama's speech tonight brought tears to many eyes.  His words were strong and hopeful.  He demonstrated that he has listened to and shares the concerns of our citizens.  It may have been the best speech I have ever heard.

I am proud of America - we have proved that we care about our country; we have proved that we can make a difference; and I believe we have chosen the best candidate to lead us in a better direction.

Sometime between 1 am and 4 am our cars were looted.  The glove compartments were left open; the contents shoved onto the seat.  The thieves got away with the oh-so-impressive haul of approximately four dollars in change, a wind-up flashlight, and a pocket-sized first aid kit. 

I was pissed off and checked our entire yard carrying a tire iron.  (Deven brought a shovel handle along.).  Too bad the guys were gone.  I really felt like hitting someone where it would really hurt.

It's not a new idea, but today was the first I had heard of it.  Troops use Silly String to detect tripwires for boobytraps.  They spray it over an area, if it hangs there they know where the tripwires are.  If it falls to the ground, the area is clear. 

Wikipedia mentions this in the article regarding Silly String.  The article also says that for a while it could not be shipped to Iraq because it is an aerosol.  Does anyone know if it can be shipped to the troops now?

A Georgia family who were on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" are going into foreclosure.  It seems they took out a $450,000 loan using the mini-mansion built for them as collateral.  Now they are losing their home, but I don't feel sorry for them.  They got help from over 1,800 volunteers.  They received the ridiculously luxurious house (4 fireplaces in the entryway, for heaven's sake!) and $250,000 in funds for maintenance and scholarships for their children.  They squandered it.  If you want to read more:  http://tv.yahoo.com/extreme-makeover-home-edition/show/36736/news/urn:newsml:tv.ap.org:20080728:tv_extreme_makeover_foreclosure

Hey, Ty Pennington, what happened to helping people who really need it?  Why don't you pair with Habitat for Humanity and do something really worthwhile?  $450,000 on one house?!  Imagine how many needy families you could house for that amount of money.

We kept hearing "Blue on Black" on the radio. Deven got interested and started looking up information. (Isn't the internet wonderful?) I watched some videos on YouTube. I had been wondering what was going to happen to the blues when B.B. King and others are gone; who might be out there that could keep the genre alive and add to it?  Saturday morning, I was watching Shepherd's hands on the guitar and decided this is the guy to do it.  I started to add his albums to my Amazon wishlist, said "forget this" (okay, that was edited like an action movie played on television.  My phrase was a bit nasty.) and yelled to Deven that I was headed to Chillicothe for a short while.  He soon figured out what was going on and jumped in the truck with me.  We ended up with two Kenny Wayne Shepherd CDs, "The Road to Escondido" - Clapton and J.J. Cale, and a compilation of older blues artists.  I'm listening to Shepherd's "Trouble Is."  It is amazing. I'm not a musical person, so pardon me not using technical phrases and discussing chords and whatever.  The music has enough of the old sound - Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Koko Taylor, Albert King, etc. - that I love, but there's a new sound, too.  He's not just copying what everyone did before him. You won't often hear me criticize Clapton, but his versions of blues songs too often mimic exactly what the original artist recorded, down to lisps exclamations, and pauses.  For heaven's sake, if you're going to sing something - hell, if you're going to do anything - put your own heart and soul into it; make it yours!  "Trouble Is" has a familiar sound, but the personalities presenting that sound definitely come through.  The sound is familiar enough to be instantly acceptable to me, but new enough to keep me listening closely.  And awed by some of of what I hear. 

I admit it; sometimes my mouth goes off when it might be better to keep quiet.

Heading to pick up some charcoal at WalMart, I noticed two elderly men ahead of me. They immediately started talking politics. Neither were satisfied with America's current situation. One man proudly stated he wasn't going to vote this year. Without any hesitation, my smart-aleck mouth went off - "Oh, yeah, THAT will make a difference!"

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