Business plan

I have it all figured out, as Cori would say how I'm going to "make my pile" (although that phrase conjures up thoughts of pooping, I've been around toddlers for TOO LONG). You see, my son's head is made of super unbreakable material. He's taken more than his fair share of blows, rarely do they result in more than a minute of whining. For example, he fell down the stairs, and scraped a nice chunk of skin off his forehead, but was seemingly unfazed. He still has a bit of discoloration where that scab healed, right along his hairline. Then, when getting out of the LooneyVan today, he tripped over his own feet, and faceplanted on the concrete. He managed to hit the exact same spot, and luckily only got just a couple of tiny scrapes. It all happened in that horrific slow-motion, where I saw him falling, but couldn't reach out fast enough. Poor kid. Luckily, no bleeding, so a bag of chips from the store erased his pain. Anyway, onto my business plan. I'm going to re-create the material Shane's head is made from, and sell it to NASA. No more shuttle problems, Shane's head could withstand the intense heat and pressure of re-entry without damage. Maybe the military will use it to replace their body armor. A light-weight, wash and wear material sure to stop the sharpest shrapnel. I really think I'm onto something here.

Seriously

One of our cousins recently found a lump in her breast. She's about my age, early 20s. A mammogram is scheduled for the 31st. So, if you could spare a moment to pray, or chant, or talk to your god however you chose to, we'd appreciate it. There's a little girl who needs her mommy, and a whole family who needs Emily to be OK. Keep her in your thoughts? Thanks.

Crystal

To each his own

Ok, so Harriet Miers, new Supreme Court nominee, has some signifigant pro-life ties. Could this mean the end of Roe v. Wade? Democrats predicted this very scenario before Bush's second term, with 2 openings on the court he can easily stack towards right-wing conservative views. I have just one question for the right wing. Why do you feel everyone should live by your morals/standards/opinions? I am personally pro-choice, because I believe every person has the right to choose what they do with their body. I'm also pro-euthanasia when there are checks and balances, such as Oregon's current law. I'm for the right to modify one's body, the right to dress how one chooses, and to raise one's children as they choose. I don't have the right to tell anyone how to live, provided they are not harming anyone else. You may say "What about the fetus?" and my answer to that is it becomes a crim when the fetus is viable on it's own. What's that, approximately 23 to 24 weeks? I'm against late term abortions, with few exceptions. Ultimately, I just cannot understand why so many people want the whole country to live by their rules. Why can't we all just live and let live? If you don't approve, you don't need to participate. Do a little research on life before Roe v. Wade. There were tons of women dying because of backroom abortions, clothes hangars, herbal abortions, heading to Mexico to have the procedure. Outlawed abortion failed as miserably as prohibition, and a couple of decades can't change that. So, who are we to tell our neighbor how to live?

I don't feel like coming up with a title, so bite me.

I'm a bit under the weather, thus the lull in postings. I spent yesterday in bed, and after sleeping away as much of Monday (and early Tuesday) as I could, I am doing better today. Except... I have that icky queasy feeling, where nothing sounds the least bit appealing. Fun. I blame Wal*mart... check back later.

I made it!

Well, Wal*mart was just as chaotic as I expected it to be. Still, I made it out alive, and not much worse for the wear. I did get some good scrapping done, and the weekend didn't turn out half bad. I plan on being lazy today, and so far I'm achieving my goal. I might give in and finish a bit of laundry, but that's it! So, how's your weekend been?

It's a DOLL COMPANY

Conservative groups are calling for a boycott of the American Girl company, because of their donations to Girls, Inc. They say Girls, Inc is a pro-abortion, pro-lesbian group, thus the uproar. American Girls make quality dolls, often in historical American dress, as well as other products that present a healthy image for young girls to model. The fact that some conservative groups want to turn them into a political statement is just plain pathetic. A doll company shouldn't be teaching our children what party to support, or forcing forcing adult beliefs onto them. FYI to those groups, it's a PARENT'S job to teach their children what morals they feel are appropriate, and you cannot control the thinking of everyone in the world. Get over yourself. Look beyond the message of pro-choice and acceptance of homosexuals, and see all of the other WONDERFUL messages Girls, Inc supports. If you still don't like them, don't donate, and no one is MAKING you buy the product that American Girls is donating to that group.

Weighing in

I just finished watching the full unedited video of the police beating in New Orleans. I wasn't planning on adding my two cents on this, but I'm just disgusted. The officers involved, including what appears to be plain-clothes officers, or possibly bouncers from a nearby club, beat the crap out of that poor man. You can hear some of the conversations going on, including when one officer grabbed and pushed the producer up against a car, and told him ranted about being down there for 6 weeks trying to keep people alive. Well, if the bars are re-opening, and people are coming back, that's a good sign. However, the NOPD is terribly shorthanded, since some of them turned tail and ran during Katrina. That's still NO excuse for beating a man on the streets, I'd like to think we haven't reached total anarchy down there yet. Now, before you say "But they were only doing their job, you don't know what it's like!!" I do. My dad is a police officer, riot trained, and I grew up surrounded by officers. I've heard their stories of arrest, drunken sports stars, belligerent drug addicts, the angriest of the angry, and at no point did they ever beat a man like that. There are non-violent weapons like Mace, and I venture to say most officers worth their salt can subdue a man without beating his head into a wall. You hear the victim submitting, while they keep pummelling. I have no doubt these officers are under a lot of stress, but that isn't the public's fault. I'm just beyond appalled, and sad. The actions ofa few always reflect on the group as a whole, and this incident undoubtedly tarnished the reputations of well-trained, responsible police officers everywhere.

Bitch-free **Edited**

I, and I'm sure many others, spend a lot of energy bitching about what goes wrong, how people screw up, and just general incompetence. Every once in a while it's nice to praise the people who do something well! We had maintenance out today to fix a few things, including our bathtub that was not draining well. The contractor who came out has been here before, and has always done an enxcellent job with the tasks, and been sweet as pie. It's becoming incredibly rare to see GOOD customer service, so I decided to acknowlege his job well done. I called the housing service contractor, and told the lady that I appreciated his great work. She told me she would check to see if his supervisor was in (he wasn't) and asked me to try to call back later and catch him, hopefully get Larry (our contractor) some recognition, maybe Employee of the Month. I thought that was a nice reminder to take time out of our day to praise someone for their good service. We usually only pick up that phone when we have a complaint, so why not call with some rave reviews? Anyway, just thought I'd share that... I'm sure everyone out there would love to hear someone praise them. Keep that in mind!

**Edited**
Of course, no good deed goes unpunished. Apparently I haven't built up enough good karma, because I received a nasty-gram from my mail carrier (not his responsibility, I need to call my ex-husband to take care of this, don't I realize he has 780 last names to remember and can't be required to remember first names, etc). I had gone to the post office yesterday to inquire about getting my ex-husband name take off our address, as I receive mail for him regularly. I have no forwarding address, OR phone number, and when I write "return to sender" on the mail it is re-delivered to me. The post office employee told me he would let my carrier know, and that I should put a note that he gave me on the mailbox. Fine, except that was misinformation, and it pissed off my mail carrier! Grrrrr. Anyway, I found out what I really need to do, but I don't think there was cause for rudeness! **Sigh** I'm now ready to go back to bed, but I have grocery shopping to do and am babysitting my friend's kids this afternoon. Is it bedtime yet?!

Junk Mail

Someone recently sent me an email, one of those "Pass this on" type of things. Not a chain letter, but a "true story". Here's the email...

It was 1987! At a lecture the other day they were playing an old news
video
of Lt.Col. Oliver North testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings during
the
Reagan Administration.

There was Ollie in front of God and country getting the third degree,
but
what he said was stunning! He was being drilled by a senator: "Did
you not
recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?"

Ollie replied, "Yes, I did, Sir."

The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience,
"Isn't
that just a little excessive?"

"No, sir," continued Ollie.

"No? And why not?" the senator asked.

"Because the lives of my family and I were threatened, sir."

"Threatened? By whom?" the senator questioned.

"By a terrorist, sir," Ollie answered.

"Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?"
"His name is Osama bin Laden, sir," Ollie replied.


At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn't
pronounce
it, which most people back then probably couldn't. A couple of people
laughed at the attempt. Then the senator continued. "Why are you so
afraid
of this man?" the senator asked.

"Because, sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of", Ollie
answered.


"And what do you recommend we do about him?" asked the senator.

"Well, sir, if it was up to me, I would recommend that an assassin team
be
formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth."
The senator disagreed with this, and that is all that was shown of the
clip.
By the way, that senator was AL GORE!





ALSO: Terrorist pilot Mohammad Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986.
The
Israelis captured, tried, and imprisoned him. As part of the Oslo
agreement
with the Palestinians in 1993, Israel had to agree to release so-called
"political prisoners."

However, the Israelis would not release any with blood on their hands.
The
American president at the time, Bill Clinton, and his Secretary of
State,
Warren Christopher, "insisted" that all prisoners be released!



Thus, Mohammad Atta was freed and eventually thanked the United States
by
flying an airplane into Tower One of the World Trade Center. This was
reported by many of the American TV networks at the time that the
terrorists
were first identified. It was censored in the US from all later
reports.


If you agree that the American public need be reminded of this fact,
pass
this on.

I enjoy receiveing jokes and cute pictures, things like that are always good for a smile. However, I hate receiving things like this, especially when they are blatant lies. I always check Snopes when I get these things, to see if it's really as "true" as it claims to be. Well, neither antecdote here is accurate. Snopes story 1, Snopes story 2. Written by a Liberal/Democrat hater, the stories are simply trying to put the blame on the Clinton administration for the 9/11 attacks. It works because people often don't bother to check the crap they receive, as they say "Ignorance is vliss". So, regardless of political affiliation, check out these emails before passing them on to everyone in your address book.

Cranky Pants

I'm not ignoring you, dear reader. I'm just a tad on the cranky side. No particular reason, just a culmination of the ER and doctor's visits N had, the incessant babble-assing of my children, and life in general. Bah. So... when I think of something witty, or at least not miserable, I'll be sure to post it. In the meantime, the offer is still open for guest bloggers. I know you all must have at least ONE thing you don't want to post on your own blog! Post it here, you can even stay anonymous. Email to cjaping at gmail dot com.

ER: Take 2

We took our second trip to the ER in as many days, because N's swelling and pain was worse, teh pain meds they gave him weren't even touching it. I actually called first, and spoke to the cool ass nurse who was working last night, and she advised us to come back in. (FYI, this is not costing us an arm and both legs, and there is no "Urgent Care" to use after hours, so the ER was the only option) Well, different doc, same attitude, which N says is common for him to get. Apparently spouses and children get adequate care, but enlisted get brushed off unless it's life, limb, or eyesight. I'm aggrivated, because the whole point of going back up there was to get pain management for the rest of the 4-day weekend, since he HAS to go in Tuesday morning to the regular doc. He didn't sleep for shit last night, was in a shitload of pain today, this is not a good way to spend the next 36 hours. So... tell doc pain meds aren't working, pain and swelling are worse, etc. Doc rambles on about there being "nothing anyone can do, an injury takes time to heal, there is no magic wand". We weren't asking for some Miracle Worker to make it all go away, just something to take the edge off until Tuesday. Pretty please. Doc finally stops patronizing long enough to agree to a pain shot for tonight. Great, thanks... what are the odds he'll be miserable all day tomorrow? Cool nurse comes in to give N the shot in his buttocks **giggle**, and tells us it'd be smart to come in in the morning, more likely to get some assistance. Well, I KNOW N will not go in again, he'd rather just suck it up. I can't blame him, even though his pain is bad, because it was demeaning to be treated like a couple of drug-seeking street junkies. I want to rage because he's hurting, and even he admits if it were me being ignored he'd raise holy hell, but since it's the soldier it's a lost cause. Blah, blah blah... I feel like I'm just whining, but I'm frustrated. I'll get over it, life's a beeyotch!

CrackerJack, MD

I spent a wonderful Saturday evening in the ER, with my darling husband. He hit his thumb while I was at the gym, and by 11pm or so the pain and swelling looked like it might need some attention. I finally convinced him to go in, at least to make sure nothing was broken. It was a slow night, we were seen fairly quickly, by ER standards. I'd been to the ER on post before, with Madison, and saw a military doc. Tonight we were seen by a civilain "doctor". He was a licensed MD, but our interaction didn't show it.

"Tell me what happened. **poke, twist, tap** Does that hurt there? Can you move this? OK, we'll get some XRays"

30 seconds, at most, and he left. We went to Xray, where the tech screwed up, and we had to make a second trip. After "Take 2" in Xray, we returned to the exam room. Finally some enlisted guy comes in, searches around for some stuff, mentions something to a nurse about splinting. He tells Nate it's going to be splinted. I ask if the doctor is going to come in and give us a DX, and Guy shuffles about, mumbles something about the doc coming back, and tells us HE thinks it's just a sprain, he didn't notice anything on the XRay, but the doc will tell us more. The nurse pokes his head in, and Guy tells him N is ready to be discharged, as soon as he's splinted. Again, I ask Nurse and Guy if the DOCTOR will at least be making an appearance to give us any information. It's now EMPTY in the ER, but the doc can't take 10 more seconds to talk to us?! Of course, weshould be happy with the 30 seconds he already gave us!! Finally, N is splinted, and throughly embarassed by my tantrum, and we are signed out. We walk past the nurse's little control room, and see the great doctor sleeping in a chair. He was too busy SLEEPING to handle his patients. I was (and still am) furious. I fully intend on clalling the OIC (officer in charge) of the ER on Tuesday. If this is the kind of patient care YOUR tax dollars and my husband's hard work have earned us, it's sorely lacking. I understand priority, and that N's injury was a minor one, but we were pushed out the door without any explaination, very minimal after care instructions, pretty much nothing, when we were the only ones in the place. Not acceptable. I told N he wouldn't accept such treatment for our kids, and that means he shouldn't accept it for himself. So, I'm done ranting, and maybe I'm overreacting, but I really think this was just a shitty way to treat patients. The good news is N should be just fine in a couple days.

First Guest Post!!

I'm still offering a guest posting spot to anyone who would like to take it. Our first guest poster wanted to remain anonymous so she could vent a deep dark secret. Come on now, we all have a secret or five that we would love to get off our chest. Here's your chance!! Now, without further ado, here is our guest post...

As the guest anonymous poster, I have been given free reign to discuss whatever I want to, with the promise of full anonymity, and a generous cash bonus! OK, maybe not the cash bonus, but it was a nice try.

So what can I discuss that I wouldn't discuss in my real life, or on my blog? Hmmmmm. I think the theme will be...... one of the many reasons I am going straight to hell, do not pass go, do not collect $200. (Kidding!) (at least about the passing go part!)..

You see, the seasons are changing here in the Northeast. That means more chores to do, getting ready for the snow and cold. It also means more time inside with the family, which can be nice. Of course, the kids may fight, the cabin fever driving us all mad. Still, fighting children are not the problem, I can handle that. It's the biggest child of all that can push us all over the edge. For the record, my husband is an idiot. A start-raving lunatic. He has serious issues, which are for the most part untreated...

Untreated, you may ask? For the most part? Why don't I insist he check himself into the local psychiatric ward and be fully evaluated? I'll give you one guess. BINGO! He won't go.

He is in serious need of some medication. He is the poster-child for borderline personality disorder, and depression.

OK, here is my little secret... Are you ready?

Every three months, I go to see a psychiatrist like clockwork. I tell him all about my problems (which, remarkably, coincide with my husbands issues). He listens thoughtfully, then writes me out a little prescription for anti-depressants. But do I take them?

Ahhhh, therin lies the dichotomy. No, I don't take them.

But you know those the vitamins that my husband takes with dinner? The little white one? Could it be that I am supplementing his vitamin intake with a healthy dose of anti-depressants? Could be, clever reader, could be...

We must do what we must in times of trial, to maintain our sanity. And he is a much happier person, and much easier to live with as a result of my psychiatrist visits.. And DON'T get on me about this, I am closely monitoring his intake, it is a low dose, and it's all good. And I am also a member of the medical profession, so I am not endangering him.

Dirty little secret...

I'm recruiting **Sticky post, scroll down for more!!**

I have hit a creative roadblock, so I'm opening up for guest posting. My brother-in-law, Jake, is going to write a post, Nate may as well. Do you have a secret you want to post? Something you want to say but don't want to post on your own blog? Rants, raves, bitching, whining, goofiness, embarrassing stories, they are all welcome. Leave me a comment, or email me at CJAping at gmail dot com, and let me know if you would like the post to be anonymous. Have fun with it!!

Gas prices

My mother-in-law sent me this link, which appears to be more up to date than GasBuddy, at least for me (our lowest prices are still on post, but not by much). Check it out, and find low gas prices in your area!!

Outgrown and moving on

I belong to a message board, and have for a few years now. The problem is this community which I once LOVED and cherished is now an uncomfortable place. The cliques that develop are natural, but they've become more the norm, and I think I'm not alone in feeling a bit excluded. For example, one person could post every fart and snot bubble her toddler makes, and the member coo and gurgle with excitement. I post something cute that happened in my home, and get only a couple of responses. The women (it's almost exclusively women) that I like there, I REALLY care about. The ones that I don't? I truly despise them. With a community as large as this particular one, there are bound to be people you dislike, and I could deal with that, however I've reached a point where I feel ignored and criticized rather than supported and welcomed. I've put way too much energy into being supportive and caring even when I didn't particularly care for the person, simply because I don't like to hurt people's feelings, but now that I'm not getting the same respect I have decided to throw in the towel. I can pinpoint the turning point, I'm NOT sorry if some of those women didn't approve of my decisions during my first marriage. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't hurt. Bad. Like "breaking up with your best friend" (this is where I MET my best friend, so at least one good thing has come from it) kind of bad. I decided to go quietly, without any dramatic goodbyes, so I'm posting this here for a couple reasons. If you are a member (you know who you are) please feel free to email me, I'd love to hear from a few of you. Other than that, I needed to vent my hurt and frustration with the loss of a support system that has been there for so long. Hopefully, this will give me that closure and relief I'm wanting.

A fun music meme

Shamelessly snagged from AKA Monty...

The rules of the meme are simple. Go here, scroll to the bottom, and choose the date of your HS graduation. Bold the songs you liked, italicize the ones you hated, and red the ones you don't remember.

I graduated in 2000... stop laughing at me!!!


1. Breathe, Faith Hill
2. Smooth, Santana Featuring Rob Thomas
3. Say My Name, Destiny's Child
4. I Wanna Know, Joe
5. Everything You Want, Vertical Horizon
6. Maria Maria, Santana Featuring The Product G&B
7. Bent, Matchbox Twenty
8. Amazed, Lonestar
9. I Knew I Loved You, Savage Garden
10. He Wasn't Man Enough, Toni Braxton
11. Higher, Creed
12. .Try Again, Aaliyah
13. There You Go, Pink
14. Thong Song, Sisqo
15. Kryptonite, 3 Doors Down
16. Jumpin Jumpin', Destiny's Child
17. What A Girl Wants, Christina Aguilera
18. Doesn't Really Matter, Janet
19. Music, Madonna
20. Back At One, Brian McKnight
21. Bye Bye Bye, 'N Sync
22. You Sang To Me, Marc Anthony
23. I Need To Know, Marc Anthony
24. Get It On Tonite, Montell Jordan
25. Incomplete, Sisqo
26. I Try, Macy Gray
27. It's Gonna Be Me, 'N Sync
28. That's The Way It Is, Celine Dion
29. (Hot S**T) Country Grammar, Nelly
30. Bring It All To Me, Blaque
31. Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely, Backstreet Boys
32. Hot Boyz, Missy Elliott Featuring Nas, EVE & Q-Tip
33. Back Here, BBMak
34. It Feels So Good, Sonique
35. Absolutely (Story Of A Girl), Nine Days
36. With Arms Wide Open, Creed
37. Be With You, Enrique Iglesias
38. Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You), Christina Aguilera
39. No More, Ruff Endz
40. All The Small Things, Blink 182
41. The Way You Love Me, Faith Hill
42. I Turn To You, Christina Aguilera
43. Never Let You Go, Third Eye Blind
44. I Need You, LeAnn Rimes
45. Thank God I Found You, Mariah Carey Featuring Joe & 98 Degrees
46. Let's Get Married, Jagged Edge
47. My Love Is Your Love, Whitney Houston
48. Then The Morning Comes, Smash Mouth
49. Blue (Da Ba Dee), iffel 65
50. Desert Rose, Sting Featuring Cheb Mami
51. The Real Slim Shady, Eminem
52. Most Girls, Pink
53. Wifey, Next
54. Wonderful, Everclear
55. Oops!... I Did It Again, Britney Spears
56. I Wanna Love You Forever, Jessica Simpson
57. Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche ), 98 Degrees
58. Take A Picture, Filter
59. Otherside, Red Hot Chili Peppers
60. Big Pimpin', Jay-Z Featuring UGK
61. Purest Of Pain (A Puro Dolor), Son By Four
62. He Can't Love U, Jagged Edge
63. Separated, Avant
64. I Wish, Carl Thomas
65. U Know What's Up, Donell Jones
66. Faded, SoulDecision Featuring Thrust
67. Only God Knows Why, Kid Rock
68. Shake Ya Ass, Mystikal
69. Bag Lady, Erykah Badu
70. Meet Virginia, Train
71. Party Up (Up In Here), DMX
72. Case Of The Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do), Mya
73. Forget About Dre, Dr. Dre Featuring Eminem
74. That's The Way, Jo Dee Messina
75. Swear It Again, Westlife
76. The Next Episode, Dr. Dre Featuring Snoop Dogg
77. From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart, Britney Spears
78. Crash And Burn, Savage Garden
79. Yes!, Chad Brock
80. The Best Day, George Strait
81. How Do You Like Me Now?!, Toby Keith
82. Where I Wanna Be, Donell Jones
83. My Best Friend, Tim McGraw
84. Broadway, Goo Goo Dolls
85. Dance With Me, Debelah Morgan
86. Don't Think I'm Not, Kandi
87. I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack & Sons Of The Desert
88. Better Off Alone, Alice Deejay
89. What'chu Like, Da Brat Featuring Tyrese
90. Cowboy Take Me Away, Dixie Chicks
91. I Like It, Sammie
92. 24/7, Kevon Edmonds
93. Girl On TV, LFO
94. Bounce With Me, Lil Bow Wow Featuring Xscape
95. What About Now, Lonestar
96. I Don't Wanna, Aaliyah
97. Independent Women Part I, Destiny's Child
98. Shackles (Praise You), Mary Mary
99. Waiting For Tonight, Jennifer Lopez
100. Gotta Tell You, Samantha Mumba


I listened to a few of those songs yesterday, many are still on my playlists. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the reason I can't remember SO many songs from FIVE YEARS AGO is the amount of partying I did in the 00-01 timeframe. I'm not admitting anything, I'm just saying... Now where did I leave my keys??

Evil political ranting

Normally I would avoid politics, because it is such a hot button. Still, I couldn't resist when I read this article.

"A lot of my fellow conservatives are concerned, but they don't know her as I do," said Hatch, a former chairman of the Judiciary Committee. "She's going to basically do what the president thinks she should and that is be a strict constructionist." ~ Sen. Orrin Hatch, (R-Utah)

Basically what that quote says to me is that our Supreme Court (as with every other part of our government) is a good ol' boys club, where the one with the most friends makes the law. I'm disgusted by how easily the basis of our country has crumbled. It's a disgrace to our forefathers and everything they fought for.

**In case anyone would like to say something smart about me complaining, I did indeed vote, and it was not for the current administration. We evil liberals called this exact situation, Bush stacking the Court.

My first audio post

Of course, as soon as I finished the post the noise level went back to "Front row at Yoko Ono concert". Consider yourselves lucky.

Still alive!!

I haven't disappeared or anything. I've been busy with the family and friends, and enjoying some crisp weather. I haven't had much interest in blogging or reading blogs, so please forgive me if I haven't been keeping up with everyone. I'll be back in the swing of things shortly. Standby. *wink*