Goodbye 2008....Hello 2009

I'm sitting here and I'm breathing a sigh of relief.  Its almost over.  2008 is almost gone and I am happy to see it go.

It has been a tough year for many of us.  This year has brought us sky-high gas prices, political unrest, a train wreck of an economic collapse, people losing their homes...their jobs.

But even though 2008 has put us through the wringer I am staying upbeat about 2009.

Although I know any issues I had yesterday will still be there tomorrow, I always feel like New Years Day gives me a fresh start.  A fresh start to improve myself, improve my relationships, improve my outlook on life.

I was talking with my Godmother's son in law the other day and he said something to me that really struck a chord.  His 2008 was hard.  His son was sick.  He worked in Real Estate so he was basically out of a job with a very sick kid.  And with all the stress, his marriage looked just about over.

But he and his family prayed and persevered.  After a while, his son got better, thank God.  He swallowed his pride and took any job he could find.  His wife and he pulled it together.  He said to me, that even on his worse day he would say to himself, "If you still have a breath in your body, then you still have a chance to turn it around."

I'm still breathing...and so are you...no matter what happened in 2008, we can still turn it around.

I am entering this new year with hope in my heart.  As long as I have a hopeful heart and a breath in my body, I know I will be ok.

Even though I don't blog as often as I should, I want EACH ONE OF YOU that takes the time to read my words to know that you hold a special place in my heart.  I hope 2009 smiles on each of us. 

I'll see you all in 2009....Happy New Year!!

Falling Down Stairs, Kids and Panties

Today my daughter asked me what was better, being a kid or being an adult.

She thought being an adult was better because I get to drive, I get to buy what ever I want (yeah, right!)I get to vote and I get to stay up late.

I on the other hand would love to be a kid again for just one day.

She gave me a confused look and asked why.

I asked her..."Let's stay you are at school and you fall down the stairs...tell me exactly what would happen next?"

She thought about it and we came up with a list.

First, everyone would ask her if she was ok. Other kids or a teacher would help her up. She would go to the nurse. If she started to cry, someone would comfort her and maybe give her a little hug. The nurse might let her hang out for a little while in her office and giver her some juice. And for the rest of the day, everyone would be sooo concerned asking if she was ok.

Earlier this summer I fell down the stairs at work.

A coworker of mine came running to me with a stack of digital tapes that needed to be dubbed onto d-beta and if I could please run them over to the tape floor..hurry...super urgent...the editor's are waiting.

So off I ran with a bunch of tapes and work orders.

I wanted to be green so I took the stairs. While running down the stairs I lost my footing and down I went..boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

Tapes everywhere! Work orders fluttering down the stair case.

I am laying on the landing with the word splat hanging over me and little birds and stars circling my head. And on top of that I was wearing a dress...lying there...legs akimbo with my lady-town making its big debut. Well, at least I was wearing cute panties.

And if you, by any chance, are wondering how bad the fall was, the picture I chose to post along with today's blog is a pretty accurate representation...only in a dress!

Luckily...no one was there to see the fall. While at the same time, no one was there. So if I had gotten really hurt, who knows how long I would have laid there until someone found me.

Well, I wasn't badly hurt; mostly bumps, bruises and scrapes. But I had to get up and keep right on going. I needed to get my tapes where they had to go. So I collected myself, collected my things. Yes, I was crying like a little girl, but I staggered to the tape floor and got the job done.

And for the rest of the day..."Dude! I heard you fell! HA! No, serious, you ok? But that's still pretty funny!"

There was no nurse. No juice.  Not even a friggin' pat on the head!!

That's why being a kid is better if its only for the juice!

Me and my Homies

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.

I'm Normal!!

I've never been normal before!  But I have proof in black and white from my doctor...I'm normal!!

As some of you know, about a year and a half ago, I underwent weight loss surgery.  At my heaviest, I weighed 220 lbs.  I guess that would not be so bad if I was a man who was over 6 ft. tall.  However, I'm a woman and I'm only 5 ft. tall. 

I remember always feeling tired.  I remember my back aching all the time and my knees and feet in constant pain...or at least when I was standing.  Climbing stairs was such a chore and I would get winded with the slightest activity.

My blood pressure was through the roof and my blood sugar was elevated.  I also had high cholesterol.  And I was smoking.

In short, I was a ticking time bomb.

A few years ago, I lost my father to complications from Diabetes. 

Most people have this misconception that if just avoid sugar, you'll be fine.  However, these people didn't watch my father die.  They didn't see him barely survive major strokes.  They did not see him develop gangrenous infections that ultimately lead to the amputation of both his legs.  They did not see him go through dialysis.  All of these caused by Diabetes.

Once my daughter, after catching me smoking after I promised her that I would quit, asked me, "Mommy, if you die, who's going to take care of me?"  I felt like such an asshole.  She was only 5 and that should have been the furthest thing from her mind.

Not much later a nurse at a wellness fair at work put the fear of God into me.  My blood pressure was in stroke territory. After seeing my father survive strokes and having my daughter confront me about my smoking, I knew I was looking mortality in the face. 

I needed to decide...was I going to live or was I going to die?

I chose to live.  If I died, who was going to take care of my daughter?  My ex?  Please.  He can't take care of a pet rock let alone a child.  And what if I did have a stroke?  Or complications from Diabetes like my dad?  I didn't want my daughter to take care of me like I did for my dad.  Although I stepped up to the plate and took care of him when I could, because it was my duty as his daughter, it was hard.  It was hard to do and hard to watch.  And its painful to remember.  I don't want that for my daughter.  I want her to live her life.

So I chose to live, to do that I needed to lose weight.  A LOT OF WEIGHT.

I chose the lap band.

Today I received proof that I made the right decision.  I received a follow-up of my lab studies:

• My total cholesterol is 149.  Less than 200 is optimal.
• My HDL (good cholesterol) was 38.  Optimal is 40 or greater, so maybe I'll eat more fish or take an Omega 3 supplement.
• My triglycerides are 124.  Optimal is 150 or lower.
• My total cholesterol/HDL ratio is 3.9:1.  A ratio of 4.5:1 or less means I am at LOW risk of coronary artery disease.
• Blood Count - Normal
• Kidney function - Normal
• Thyroid - Normal
• Liver function - Normal

And finally my A1C test (diabetes test) shows no evidence of diabetes!  In fact my blood sugar, which has always been high since I was a child, is now normal.  In fact, my doctor wrote in a hand written addendum to his follow up letter, "REALLY NORMAL!"

I've never been normal before.  Today, I'm normal!

Now granted, the fact that I can see my toes and my pant size is a lot smaller than what I used to wear, is nice.  I love it in fact.  Not to say I am all done losing weight.  I actually still have a ways to go.  But I'm normal.

When I get a chance, I go hiking with my daughter.  Couldn't do that 2 years ago.  I can race my daughter across the park...and win!  I couldn't do that 2 years ago.  I can look forward to my future now...couldn't do that 2 years ago.

And I am finally NORMAL!

Its a brand new day!

I GOT ARRESTED!!!

I'm sitting in the back of a police car, my hands cuffed ... I can't believe I spent the night in a jail cell!!
  
   Tell me in a comment below what you think I did to get arrested ...

I blog-jacked this from Rho's blog! So when you're done working out which crime I committed, post this on your blog and see how many crimes YOU get accused of ;)

The Post Election Pledge of Unity

The election is over,

The results are known.

The will of the people

Has clearly been shown.

Let's forget the quarrels

And show by our deeds.

We will give our leader

All the help that he needs.

So let's all get together

And let bitterness pass,

I'll hug your elephant

And you kiss my ass.

Can men and women be friends?

Today is my day off! Not only am I enjoying my Saturday out of the office but the offspring is off with her dad so I have the house and the TV all to myself!

I am happily watching "When Harry Met Sally" and blogging, completely uninturrepted...although it has just occured to me..."How am I supposed to find "The One" sitting watching TV and working on the computer?" But I digress....

Billy Crystal has just informed Meg Ryan that men and women cannot be friends because the sex always gets in the way. And in fact, a man couldn't even be friends with a woman he finds unattractive because "you pretty much want to nail them too."

Although I have seen this movie dozens of times, this question just made me stop and think...is it true?

I have friends who are guys...but not close close friends. Although...I did have a male friend once who was one of my best friends...but he was as gay as the day is long, so I don't think he counts.

The male "friends" I have now are work buddies or acquaintances. We'll have luch as part of a group but not hang out one one one.

What do you think? Can men and women really be friends?

Today I am Awed, Humbled and Hopeful!

What a wild ride it has been!

Yesterday morning I took my daughter by the hand and lead her to the polls.  I explained to her that she was watching history being made.  Right now, she just saw volunteers selling muffins and senior citizens handing out ballots.  But one day she would understand that what she was seeing was all of us coming together and changing the world.

I explained to her that by electing Barack Obama we would set the stage for a new world! 

I was met with a blank stare and a question, "Can I get a piece of candy?"

My passionate dissertation was beaten to dust by a senior citizen offering my daughter a Rollo!

Oh well.

On my way to work I saw a car in front of me.  It was FESTOONED with McCain/Palin stickers.  Now here's the thing.  My car is FESTOONED with Obama/Biden stickers!  For every sticker he had supporting McCain, I matched him with one for Obama.  He pulled into the next lane...fell behind for a while...and ended up next to me at the red light.  He was even wearing a camoflaged McCain hat!  And I was wearing Obama/Biden earrings!  We were even accesorized.  And I couldn't help notice that as a woman of color...he was a white man...HE WAS THE ANTI-ME!!

He rolled down his window and said "Excuse me..."

I thought this could go be really funny or end really badly...on the news...with me calling friends for bail money.

I braced myself and waited for his barrage of expletives claiming Barack Obama to be a socialist, terrorist, Arab Muslim....or other such nonsense that has been spread around over the last 21 months!  I took a deep breath and waited... "Yes?"

"Good luck today!"

"You too!"

Wow...I though it would be a good day.

Later that evening I took my mother to cast her vote.  I tried to explain the significance of the moment to my daughter once again.  This time I lost to a fun sized Hershey bar!

I spent the night at a friends house.  We all piled into her living room wearing pajamas, watching election coverage and eating the most wonderful Pakistani food!  We were nervous, but hopeful!

We watched the polls close....electoral votes were counted...we prayed...we held hands....and finally...we received word that Barack Obama was elected as the next President of the United Sates.

We screamed, we hugged, we cried, we texted!

We were there when the world changed!  We watched with awe as this nation evolved into a new reality!  I was humbled that whatever higher power there is chose my life time for this to happen.  I am humbled that I was lucky enough to witness this.

And although on this day I kept losing to candy....I know that in the future, my daughter will look back on this day and know she was a part of it.  She watched her mother, a single mother and a woman of color, cast her vote.  She watched her grandmother, a senior citizen and a naturalized citizen cast her vote.  She watched us, along with countless others, change the world.

And although we have a long road a head of us....I HAVE HOPE!!

We can....We did...and We will!

We Are The Ones Song by will.i.am - Obama

We can change the world

obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghSJsEVf0pU&feature=related

Dear Red States......

I WISH I HAD WRITTEN THIS!!!!  BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE IT WITH ALL OF YOU!

PEACE OUT AND REMEMBER TO ROCK DA' VOTE!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Red States:
 
 If you manage to steal this election too we've decided we're leaving. We
 intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States
 with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California , Hawaii,
 Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the
 Northeast.
 
 We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially
 to the people of the new country of New California. To sum up briefly:
 You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell
 research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get
 Dollywood.
 
 We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get
 Ole' Miss.
 
 We get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get
 Alabama.
 
 We get two-thirds of the tax revenue; you get to make the red states pay
 their fair share.
 
 Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian
 Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single
 moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and
 anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at
 once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids
 they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and
 they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets
 coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMD's
 turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's
 Quagmire.
 
 With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80% of the
 country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92%
 of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines, 90% of all
 cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the corn and soybeans
 (thanks Iowa!), most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods,
 sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus
 Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.
 
 With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88%
 of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92% of
 all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the
 hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all
 televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the
 University of Georgia.
 
 We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you. Additionally, 38% of those in
 the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62%
 believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death
 penalty or gun laws, 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53%
 believe that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61% of you crazy bastards
 believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.
 
 Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed
 they grow in Mexico.
 
 Peace out,  Blue States

My Daughter is Funny!!

Hello All!  I know I've been ultra quiet as of late, but with all the political hoopla and economic unrest, I had to take cover and decompress!  My God!  It was getting to be so bad that it was making my head spin!

Anyway, getting back to the subject at hand, my daughter says the funniest thing.

Today she asked me, "Mommy why does everyone say that John McCain is going to die on his desk?" 

Die on his desk?  Why would he die on his desk?

And she says "Everybody keeps saying that if he's president, he will probably die on his desk."

"Noooo Treenie, they meant die in office!" 

Although Grandpa McCain is so old he probably would have a heart attack while signing legislation taking away our right to think and actually die in the oval office slumped over his desk.

I think that was one of the funniest things she's said in a while!

Peace y'all!

The George Bailey School of Economics...

I've been quiet as of late.  I've been caught up in our nation's latest crisis.  No, it's not all those illegal immigrants who come here and steal our jobs (because I soooo want to work under the table for less than minimum wage.)  It's not those gays getting married ruining the sanctity of marriage (which should only be reserved for unwilling teenagers under the media spotlight in a desperate attempt to avoid the fact that abstinence only education doesn't work.)  No, I'm not thinking about the war (although I was pissed to find out that while we are spiraling into debt, Iraq has a $79 Billion surplus)

Like many of you...I'm thinking of the economy.

How is this going to end?  No one really knows.

But I've come to three conclusions on how we can get through this.  And the answers can be found in the classic film..."It's a Wonderful Life."

1.  DON'T PANIC! - This is the most important rule.  Let's not panic!  Let's all recall the scene in It's a Wonderful Life when the townspeople rushed the bank trying to get their money.  George Bailey kept his head together and calmed everyone down.  It's hard to think straight and make smart choices when your head is spinning. George Bailey kept the Savings and Loan open by keeping everyone calm.  And he did one more thing that leads me to my next point...

2.  CUT EXPENSES! - After calming down the townspeople, George Bailey asked them not to pull out all their money and not to sell to Mr. Potter.  But he did say to take out enough to get by.  That seems like really sound advice for us.  Let's just get by.  Let's look at what we spend our money on and figure out where we can cut the fat.  And lets just put that away for now.

3.  HELP EACH OTHER! - I'm a big believer in Karma.  If you do good things, then good things will come to you.  All his life George Bailey was a good guy and helped those around him.  In his time of need, those he helped, helped him in return.  If you see someone who is hurting and struggling, then lend a hand if you can.  It will come back to you.

If you want to boil down these three items, it basically comes to this...lets all calm down, hunker down and wait for this to blow over.  And we'll get through this together.

These are hard scary times for all of us, let's all take a moment to ask what ever higher power you believe in to keep an eye out for us....Hugs and God bless!

Presidential Debate Drinking Game

Hello all, I thought I'd spread a little levity.  With the economy in shambles and the debate tonight, I figured we could all use a chuckle.  Today at lunch we were talking about the upcoming presidential debate. Lynne, one of the most creative people I know, has come up with a drinking game.

There are three simple things to look out for:

1. If Obama says "change".....take a drink

2. If McCain parlays his experience as a POW as foreign policy experience...take a drink.

3. If during the debate one of them swears.....CHUG!

I found this to be quite humorous!

Sara Palin and Planned Parenthood - UPDATED

Hello All:

I didn't write the following...but I wish I had!  I blog jacked this from a friend's blog and I thought I'd share it with all of you.

And yes, I will be making a donation in honor of our favorite moose eating ding-bat neo-con!

JUST AN ADDED NOTE:  IF YOU FEEL THE SAME AND YOU WANT TO PROTECT WOMEN'S HEALTH, THEN PLEASE MAKE A DONATION SO WE CAN SEND A MESSAGE.  IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MUCH AT ALL.  AND THEN REPOST THIS BLOG!  AND ENCOURAGE YOUR READERS TO REPOST THIS BLOG!  LETS SEE HOW FAR WE CAN TAKE THIS!

AND IN THESE PRECARIOUS ECONOMIC TIMES, IF YOU CAN'T DONATE, THAT'S COOL TOO, BUT REMEMBER TO SPREAD THE WORD!  REMEMBER, WE'VE COME THIS FAR AND NO ONE WANTS TO GO BACK TO BACK ALLEYS AND WIRE COAT HANGERS!!


///////////////////////////////////////////

Dear Friends,

We may have thought we wanted a woman on a national political ticket, but
the joke has really been on us, hasn't it? Are you as sick in your stomach
as I am at the thought of Sarah Palin as Vice President of the United
States?

Since Palin gave her speech accepting the Republican nomination for the Vice
Presidency, Barack Obama's campaign has raised over $10 million dollars.

Some of you may already be supporting the Obama campaign financially -- but
want to do more -- anything. I am horrified by Palin's selection, furious,
and frightened by it for many reasons, one of which is her position on
women's issues. May I pass along the following fiendishly brilliant idea?

Make a donation to Planned Parenthood of any amount, in Sarah Palin's name.
Here's the best part: when you make a donation to PP in her name, they'll
send her a card telling her that the donation has been made in her honor. It
won't change the election but it will support an important organization and
it will make women's voices heard. (And even if this was cooked up by a PP
person -- I don't care!

Here's the link to the Planned Parenthood website:

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

You'll need to check "make honorary or memorial gift," and fill in the name
of the person you want to "honor," i.e. Palin. Fill in the address to let PP
know where to send the "in Sarah Palin's honor" card. If you use the address
for the McCain campaign headquarters, they'll get the message.

McCain's headquarters address:

Sarah Palin
McCain for President
1235 S. Clark Street
1st Floor Arlington, VA 22202

Please free to send this along to all your women -- and men friends and urge
them to do the same.

> I just did it, easy as pie...

Race, Politics and White Privilege

It's almost time.  November will be here before we know we will be picking our new president.

This has been one of the most important yet devicive elections in recent memory.  The attacks have been vicious and swift.  There have been accusations of the race card being played and rebuttles saying that the opposition is racist.

This is a free country and you can vote for whomever you like.  But if you cast your ballot and think that race has not played a part in this election, you are only fooling yourself.

There's one thing that particularly bothers me, and I have heard it on blogs over and over again, and it goes a little something like this:

"I'm not a racist, I'm just not voting for Obama because he's a Muslim."

Are you serious!?!?!? 

I received a forward today from a friend.  It was regarding White privilege and the upcoming presidential election.  I was written by Tim Wise.  I enjoyed reading it and I am sharing it with you...

WHITE PRIVILEGE by Tim Wise


For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is…

when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and
everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is…

when you can call yourself a "fuckin' redneck," like Bristol Palin's boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fuckin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

White privilege is…

when you can attend four different colleges in six  years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

White privilege is…

when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller  than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don't all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you're "untested."

White privilege…

is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn't added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

White privilege…

is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.

White privilege is…

being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a  9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she's being disrespectful.

White privilege is…

being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you're being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you're somehow being mean, or even sexist.

White privilege…

is being able to convince white women who don't even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence I these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

White privilege…

is being able to fire people who didn't support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

White privilege…

is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and  who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God's punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you're just a good church-going Christian, but if you're black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you're an extremist who probably hates America.

White privilege…

is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O'Reilly means you're dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

White privilege is…

being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a "light" burden.

And finally, white privilege is…

the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

What's Up With Her Hair?!

I know its not the most pressing issue our country is facing.  And I know I could probably spend my time thinking about more important things.  But, I just want to know, what is up with Sara Palin's hair?

I was watching her interview with Charlie Gibson on ABC.  She was being grilled on her foreign policy experience.  I wanted to watch to see what she really knows regarding foreign policy.  Maybe she would surprise me.

As I was watching her interview, my attention slowly drifted towards her hair.  It was sitting poofily atop her head.  And it was a little deshevled looking.  I found it to be unsightly.  I know it sounds shallow but all the men are impecably groomed.  Obama is always perfectly put together.  Let's all remember how much attention John Edwards paid to his hair.  And Mitt Romeny, his hair is shalacked into place.  By the way, is it just me or does Mitt Romeny look like the guy on the front of a package of men's briefs?  But I digress...

I just couldn't take my eyes off the pile of hair on top of her head.  It was hypnotic!!  Have you ever talked to someone who maybe had a mole on their face?  You just can't take your eyes off the mole, and before you know it, you're not talking to the person, you are talking to the mole and the mole is all you see.

It was kind of like that...Sara Palin's hair is like a mole to me!

And I started to wonder....is she covering something up with her hair?  What's under there?!
The left wing liberal in me is screaming horns!!  She's hiding horns!!  The big geek in me is screaming Valdemort!!  Or maybe a conjoined twin!  Maybe it's a kind of female comb-over to match John McCain!  They could be bonding throught their hair...I mean they gotta bond over something because apparently they can't do it over foreign policy.

It was unsightly! Doesn't she have people?!  I know its a non issue, but its just something that has been on my mind.  Sometimes I have deep thoughts...sometimes I just focus on the hair.

Remembering September 11, 2001

Hello all:

I waited a little past midnight to post this, like I did last year, like I will next year.  I know that one day, my daughter will ask me where I was on 9/11.  I'll give her this to read.  And like last year, and like next year, I will share it with you.

And I encourage you to share with me, where were you on 9/11?

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Today marks the seventh anniversary of the darkest day in our history.

I took a moment today to reflect on where I was on that day.

I remember I was a new mom. I had a great job. I was married. Just starting out. I remember thinking...life is good.

At that time, there was a morning show on the Boston affiliate of the WB. It was called Boston's WB in the morning. I was only a P.A., making peanuts, going to work at 2:00 am. But I loved it. It was the only time in my life when I can remember looking forward to going to work. We did local morning news. Very Today Show, but local. We covered a nice mix of serious news, cooking segments, and the occasional dancing dog!

If you ask me, what we covered that day before the first plane hit the tower, I couldn't tell you. It's like my day started at 8:30 instead of 2:00am. I have no idea what the news of the day was before that event, I can't remember.

I remember sitting in the news room, wondering if anyone would notice if I slipped out the side door and went home. The day for me was over and I was tired.

Then I noticed that the sales people were walking into the newsroom to look at the monitors. This was odd, usually they were busy basking in their own glory in their fancy suits. Why were they staring at the monitors.

Then I saw the strangest thing. Black smoke was rising from a tower in New York. I remember thinking, "Wow....how is the fire department going to put that out?" I had no idea what had just happened...how could I?

One by one...we took our places...some of us hit the AP wires....some of us manned the phones at the assignment desk....I made my way to the studio...we would be going live.

Stephanie Leydon was the anchor. She walked in and said "I don't know what's going on! What's going on?" I told her to take her place and that I would feed her any information I could get my hands on.

Poor Darren...he was our weather man. I just walked up to him...Does your computer have internet access? Yes. Is it hooked up to a printer? Yes. Is that phone connected? Yes. THEN GET OUT OF THE WAY!

Stephanie was live on the air. I was looking for anything on the net. I would print it out... highlight the important stuff and slide it within hands reach. She would read it on the air. And that's how we did it.

I remember how stressful it was. There were scared angry people all over the city tuning in to see what was happening. We knew just as much as they did.

It was so confusing. What was happening?

Then I looked at the newspaper that was lying on the desk. September 11th. Then I looked at the phone..the digital display gave the date...9/11/01...9/11...9-1-1....It hit me like a ton of bricks...I remember I yelled out...Oh my God!! We're under attack! This is no accident! It's 9-1-1!! We're being attacked!!

On this date...all those people desperately dialed 911, hoping someone would come for them.

I just wanted to go home. My daughter was only 6 months old. As a new mother I was convinced that she was in danger and I had to go home and shield her from all of this.

At one point that morning, I looked up. Just as I looked up...the first tower came down. I can't describe the horror I felt. I can only decribe what I felt as a tremor/growl coming from my soul.

All those people were gone.

I finally went home at 4:30 that afternoon.

I remember flipping through the channels. I tuned into Univision. I saw something that has haunted me until this day. They were airing footage of people falling from the towers. There was this one man, falling. His tie flapping in the wind above him like some kind of perverse joke of a parachute. And the camera followed him falling and finally it turned away.

And I prayed. I prayed that when the towers fell, all those people trapped inside felt nothing. I prayed that when those people fell, that angels snatched up their souls and took them to heaven. I prayed that it was a horrible nightmare and I would wake up soon.

It wasn't.

It's been seven years since that very dark day. Sometimes, I still cry.

My Vendetta Against Smurfette....

For years, I have hated Smurfette.  I was never really able to pinpoint why, just the very word "Smurfette" would cause me to fly into a rage.  But it was until recently that I was able to figure out why.

For those of you who don't remember the various details of Smurfdom....lets do a quick recap.  Smurf village was inhabited by Papa Smurf, the leader, and a variety of other Smurfs.  All of whom were male.  There were no female smurfs.  And happily they lived.

Gargamel, the Smurf's nemesis, created Smurfette to infiltrate the Smurf colony.  She was to entice them with her feminine wiles, sabotage various projects and wreak havoc.  This plan backfired because when Smurfette was first taken to Smurf Village, she didn't fit in.  None of the Smurfs found her to be very attractive.  And they kind of thought she was annoying and mean.  She wasn't winning any popularity contests. And she was evil.

Papa Smurf in all his wisdom, did some smurf voodoo and made Smurfette good.

Here's the thing we should keep in mind, when Gargamel created Smurfette.....SHE HAD BLACK HAIR!

After Papa Smurfs makeover....SHE WAS A BLOND!!  And not just a regular blond...SHE WAS A BLOND WITH HAIR EXTENSIONS AND HIGH HEELS.

In short, she was the Jessica Simpson of Smurf Village.

As a child watching the Smurfs, I did not like this a bit but I just couldn't put my finger on it.  The Smurfs and Smurfette bothered me, but I wasn't quite sure why.

And it only got worse when I went to summer camp.  A boy named Jamal declared his undying love for me by stating that he was my Papa Smurf and I would forever be his Smurfette.  I think its safe to assume that the relationship was doomed to fail...especially since I punched him square in the face for calling me Smurfette.

I'm a little older and a little wiser now.  And I don't hit people in the face quite as often as I used to.  But I do know I have some very valid facts for hating Smurfette.

As a brunette no one liked Smurfette.  As a high heel wearing blond, everyone loved her and tripped all overthemselves just to be near her. 

To little girls who have dark hair...like myself...Smurfette was basically telling me that I was ugly and no one would ever love me.  And the Smurfette character even went so far to say, you have to be dumb and sexual for people to like you.  I'm sure some people will roll their eyes and say "No...you're reaching."  But kids pick up on these things.  As did I.

Earlier this summer I bought a summer dress, very simple, a little retro and pretty color.
I was wearing it at lunch and a coworker commented on the dress saying how pretty it was and how much she loved the color.  Another co-worker chimed in that every time I wear that dress he thinks of Smurfette....the dress is Smurf blue.

I haven't worn the dress since.

Guess who's pregnant.....

Speaking of unplanned pregnancies, the GOP has announced that the 17 year old daughter of Sarah Palin is pregnant.  For those of you who may have been alseep for the last week or so, Sarah Palin is the woman John McCain has selected as his Vice President if he wins the election for President of the United States of America.

Sarah Palin says that although her teen daughter now has to go through experiences that will cause to to grow up rapidly, she is thrilled that her daughter will become a mom and she is thrilled that she will be a grandmother...uh-huh.

So.... how's that deeply held republican/conservative mantra that sex education which consists solely of teaching your kids abstinence until marriage workin' for ya?  It appears to NOT BE WORKING!!

Sarah Palin is staunchly Pro-Life so it goes without saying that her daughter will have the baby.  And honestly, if that's her choice... good for her.  However, let's get one thing straight, a pregnant unwed teenager is not a good thing...i.e. Jamie Lynne Spears and the Gloucester 17.

Now, I think we all agree that we want to reduce teen pregnancy.  And if we reduce teen pregnancy then we reduce the number of abortions.  And apparently abstinence masquarading as sex education is not working as we can see from the daughter of the GOP pick for Vice President.

Can we try something new?  How about....and I know it sounds radical...real sex education.  Let's give teens the information they need.  When teens make up their minds to have sex, they are going to do it...they should at least know how to keep themselves safe.  Abstinence is nice, and some kids choose abstinence, but that's not going to be the choice for a lot of other kids.  And anyone who thinks that solely teaches kids abstinence will keep them from having sex is only fooling themselves.  Instead of wishful thinking, they should get the facts!

I'm going to share a story with you.  Back in the late 60's my mom was working as a housekeeper in the home of a very wealthy family.  The oldest daughter, who is now a doctor, was packing up to go away to college.  Her mother took her aside and gave her all the birth control she could ever need.  She was a very forward thinking woman...she was an artist after all. 

My mother was appauled.  How could this woman go and give her child permission to have sex and be promiscuous?!

Let's jump in the time machine and fast forward to August of 1990.  Another young girl was going away to college...it was me.

My mom had my bags all packed and ready to go.  I saw a white CVS bag tucked inside my duffle bag.  I saw an orange box.  Awwww....my mom bought me hanes knee highs...she wanted me to look nice on campus.  I tore the box open and pulled out some knee highs...I needed to make sure they were nude and not taupe. I hate taupe.  What I pulled out was a strip of Trojan Condoms!!!  And there was a year's supply of birth control pills in the bag too!  I was FLOORED!! Little did I know my mom was standing behind me...

"When you go to college, I don't want you to come back with any more people!"

Over the years my mom came to understand a few things.  If I was going to make the most of my future, I needed to protect myself from things like drugs, pregnacy and AIDS.  Two of those things would seriously derail my future, the last one would end it all together. 

My mom could gave me the tools to protect myself from pregnancy and AIDS.  And she was honest with me about how drugs could ruin your life.  She was honest with me, she was honest with herself.  She gave me ALL the information. 

Maybe parents, including Sarah Palin, should give their kids ALL the information, not just some of it.  One day my daughter will be making that trip to college.  And before she leaves, she will have ALL the information.  And when she gets to her dorm room and unpacks, she will find a CVS bag and you better believe it will be filled to the top with condoms and birth control pills.  She will know that her mother cares about her future enough to protect her.  And she will know not to come home from college with any more people!

It's My Choice and No One Else's!!

I was having a discussion the other night with a friend of mine regarding our views on abortion.  In case any of you have missed any of my previous blog postings...I'm a huge left leaning liberal.  My friend on the other hand describes herself as more traditional.  After our discussion, I thought back on how I came to decide that I was Pro-Choice.

I went to St. Gregory High School in Dorchester.  An all girls Catholic high school, where the ideals and teachings of the Catholic church were rammed down my throat repeatedly in hopes that I would become a good Catholic.  And we all see how well that turned out.  Oh, the price I paid for a decent education....

St. Greg's had a rival school, Cardinal Cushing High School in South Boston.  They would call us St. Pregs and we would in turn call them Cardinal Conception.  Unlike other Catholic high schools in the Boston area, we did not hide our pregnant teens by scurrying them off to a special school where they could continue their education behind closed doors protecting their shame.  I don't think we had any more pregnancies than any other Catholic high school, we just didn't hide it.

I think the Sisters at school decided that in light of teen pregnancies they would show us a very special film to deter us from choosing abortion in the event of a pregnancy.  This very special film showed us an actual abortion.  Some girls chose to walk out or just flat out not watch the film.  I stayed and I watched it.

Some girls cried and took up their torches, they became Pro-Life.

I watched that film and saw the harshness of the procedure that even seemed violent to me.  It was horrible and shocking.

The movie was over and I too picked up my torch.  And to the surprise of Sr. Katherine...my torch was Pro-Choice.  Even after seeing the film, I still chose the right to choose....

I had a friend growing up, lets call her G.  She was a couple of years younger than me, but we were still close.  Her mom was the younger sister of family friend.  She was always regarded with suspicion as she didn't live a "traditional latina" kind of lifestyle.  She would go out to parties and OMG...she would date.  Since she was a single mom, my mother and the other family ladies believed she should only live to raise her daughter and have no needs or desires of her own. 

She eventually found a man.  He moved in.  And everyone thought that he was a stable guy who would put this woman on the straight and narrow.  Her paryting stopped and she was no longer "being a loose" woman.  Well, "loose" as my  mom and the other women saw it.  The years went on.

At the age of 11, G finds out that she is pregnant.  Her mother's boyfriend had been raping her since she was 6 years old.  And now she was pregnant with his child. 

After it all blew over, we couldn't help but notice that G never had the baby.  We were told that  the test was wrong and she was never pregnant.  I was much more innocent then and now I know, the pregnancy was terminated.

While some people will say that she should have had the baby (and I know people who do feel that way), I think for once her mother did the right thing.  G was 11 years old and carrying a baby.  And she was expected to carry that baby to term when she wasn't much more than a baby herself?  I think that is cruel.  She was raped repeatedly from the time she was 5 years old, hadn't she suffered enough?

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret.  I lost my virginity at 17.  Soon after the loss of said virginity, I was convinced I was pregnant.  However, I used Fort Knox level birthcontol.  I used everything...condoms, birthcontrol pills and the Today Sponge.  But as a guilt ridden Catholic, I had convinced myself that one sneaky sperm had managed so bypass all that security to fertilize my hypothetical egg.  Luckily I was not pregnant.

Fast forward 12 years... 

I wasn't feeling well.  I was so tired all the time.  I had heart burn that would not go away.  And the very sight of chicken made me nauseaus.  Turns out I was pregnant. However, I was married, I had a college degree, a job I loved and a medical insurance. If not now, then when? 
So I made my choice.

Had I gotten pregnant when I was 17, with no job, no boyfriend, no education and no medical insurance, my choice to continue with the pregnancy might have been much different.

When a woman, like the woman in the film, chooses to have an abortion, she does not come to this decision lightly. I figured that the woman in the film must have thought long and hard about the procedure.  It must have been described to her and she must have been told what she was in for.  And she still chose to go through with it.  She must have agonized over this decision and then she made her choice.

No one in the Pro-Choice movement thinks that having an abortion is great.  And no one in the Pro-Choice movement thinks that ALL pregnancies should be terminated.  But we do believe that it should be a choice available to women.

I hope I will never have to make that choice.  But I am glad that since I live in Massachusetts, I have the right to make that choice.  I get to decide. 

I am glad that that decision lies in my hands and not in the hands of a priest who has never walked a single step in my shoes, or that old lady with the rosary beads in front of Planned Parenthood who screams at you even if  you are just going in for a pap smear, or a politician who just wants to keep his congressional seat .  Its funny, these are also the same people who throw a fit when we suggest making birth control more readily available to prevent unwanted pregnancies...hence avoiding abortions.

So yes, I am a woman, I am a mother and I am Pro Choice.  I have never had an abortion, but if I ever find myself having to make that choice I believe that choice is between me and God... an no one else.

When I Chose Barack...

I remember I was having a hell of a time choosing between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.  I was so torn.  On one hand, Hillary was a woman.  So we had that in common.  And at the time I was driving a Jeep and desperate to catch lightning in a bottle twice...namely the $.99 a gallon for gas from the Clinton administration.

Yes, I was not looking at the big picture, but I was hurting financially.

On the other hand, there was this young, dynamic candidate who caught my attention.  His name is Barack Obama.  His mom was a single parent.  He is a person of color.  And he kept throwing around these words....hope...together....we....change.

Wow.  Hope.  That was something I hadn't thought about for a while.  When was the last time I felt hope regarding a presidential election?  It was when Bill Clinton ran for president agains George Bush Sr.

I felt hope that things could be better.  Hope that we could turn things around.

When Bill Clinton ran for president the first time, he appeared on MTV and on the Arsenio Hall Show.  No other president did that.  And I felt like he was really trying to reach me.  He was talking about issues that affected me as a young person.  And I remember young people, like I was at that time, voted in larger numbers than before.

Now I was getting that feeling again.  Here was a new candidate with new ideas telling us that we all had to work together.  What a novel concept!  And we all sent in what ever funds we could to help his campaign along.  $5 here $10 there....maybe $25.....all of us...we were working together.

It was time to vote in the primary and I had no idea still who to vote for.

I took my ballot and just stood there...for 20 minutes...just staring at my ballot not knowing who to vote for.  Hillary or Barak?  Some old lady even asked me if I was confused by how to fill out the ballot....no I was just confused as to whom I would give my precious vote.

So, I finally filled in the bubble next to the name of my candidate....Barack Obama.   And I hoped I had made the right decision.

In my gas guzzling Jeep, on the way to work, I heard that the family of Ceasar Chavez endorsed Hillary Clinton...gulp....did I make the right choice?!?!?

I'm not sure when it was, but I saw a speech Barack Obama made.  I don't remember if it was a speech made after the primary, or if it was a clip recycled after having cast my ballot.  But Barak Obama made a statement about being appauled that a gallon of milk cost as much as a gallon of gas.

DING!!!

I knew at that second that I made the right choice.  While we are still in Iraq, while New Orleans is still in shambles, while houses are being forclosed left and right, Barack Obama made a statement that spoke to me.  I was strapped financially and milk is very expensive.  And my daughter drank it like it was going out of style.  You know things are bad when you go to the market and milk becomes a luxury purchase.

The cost of food is a huge concern for those of us raising children on a single income.  And he got it.  My issue is important to him.  Feeding my child is important to him.  And that's why he has my vote.

After he wins the election, and after he fixes the budget, and he ends our dependance on foreign oil, and saves the polar bears, and gets us the hell out of Iraq, I'd like to sit down with Barack Obama and have a nice tall glass of milk.

Guess Who's In the Suit!

Yep, somewhere deep in that suit is a 5 ft. tall Latina wondering why she had to be a good doobie and agree to put on the suit.

Some friends at work needed to shoot some video and they needed someone to wear the Leona costume.  The person wearing the Leona from Between the Lions suit couldn't be more than 5 ft. tall.  The suit could have been worn by my good friend Baby Bear (no names here) who is also short, but she was busy working a puppet chicken also appearing in the shoot.  (That's a sentence you don't hear very often.)

Since my friends were in a bind and short one shortie, I decided to take one for the team.  After all, how hard could it be?  Just put on the suit, move around a little according to the script, no big deal, right?  Wrong!

First, it was hot in the suit!  Really hot!  I started sweating and a drop of sweat rolled right into my eye and I couldn't take the head off to rub my eye.  Second, it smelled like feet inside that Leona costume!!  The costume had just come back from the dry cleaners and it still smelled like feet!  And then, the fumes!

After we finished shooting and I got out of the costume, the day seemed to go very slowly... kind of like in slow motion.  Was it because it was just a dull kind of a day?  NO!!!!  I was stoned off the dry cleaning fumes!!  And I smelled like feet!

So next time you go to a carnival or some kids event and you see some poor soul wandering around in one of these suits hugging kids, remember, he or she is hating life at that particular moment.

Regarding Pregnancy

I happened to see this on Youtube and it brought back a lot of memories and feelings for me regarding pregnancy.  I'm not sure how many of you know this, or if any at all, but my little Treenie was a preemie...that's funny...Treenie the Preemie.From the begining my pregnancy was deemed "high risk"  I nearly miscarried twice, early in my pregnancy.  When I was six months along, my water broke and I spent the next month on bed rest at Mass General Hospital.  I ended developing an infection in my uterus and had an emergency c-section.  Treenie was stuck and running out of time and I nearly bled to death.  But she was finally born and I lived to see her grow up into a smart, beautiful, precocious, smart alec 7 year old.  I consider this to be the greatest accomplishment of my life.  I can say that from the bottom of my heart, and with every fiber of my being, I fought to bring my child into the world!I guess that is why I take issues dealing with pregnancy very personally.  (i.e. the whole gloucester pregnancy scandal.)  Pregnancy is serious business and you better be damned ready to deal with a baby if you find yourself pregnant.

One memory that particularly stood out for me was about my ex husband.  At the time...my husband.  He could not understand why I was sooo tired, why I was sooo irritable, why I was soooo emotional.  He did not understand the toll that pregnancy takes on a woman's body.  And even though I was getting bigger, I don't think it became "REAL" to him until he felt his child kick for the first time.

He tried to feel the baby kick once, but I think she was too small.  I could feel her moving around, he couldn't feel anything when he had his hand on my belly.  A couple of weeks later I said, "Come feel the baby kick!"  He kind of rolled his eyes and whined that he couldn't feel her last time.  I insisted.  And he continued to whine while I put his hand on the spot she was kicking.  He was in mid whine when he stopped cold and said "Oh my God!"  And then the pregnancy was real.  He spent the rest of the afternoon with his head resting on what was left of my lap so he could feel the baby move around.

He cut me more slack for the rest of the pregnancy because he understood that I was sharing my body with another person.  I was, in essence, two people at the same time.

When I saw this video I remembered something.... pregnancy is not child's play!!

I LOVE THE OLYMPICS!

Today I am optimistic.  Today, representatives from all over the world gathered in Beijing in the spirit of goodwill to compete in the Olympic Games.    No one is there to compare the color of their skin.  No one is there to judge another because they don't speak the same language.  No one is there to fight, with the exception of the Judo athletes and the boxers.

I always look forward to the Parade of Nations, when the athletes walk into the main stadium.  Each one of them wearing something that represents their nation.  This year Venezuela wore white jump suits with gold, red and blue stripes across the front emblazoned with stars.  Lesotho wore beautiful African prints.  The British wore blazers, big surprise.

But I loved what team USA wore the most. I love that they wore blazers with white pants and white sneakers...and Kangol hats!  It was fun and casual, it was smart and hip.  I loved that the men and women wore the SAME outfit! 

I hate it when, in the Parade of Nations, the men wear something cool and the female athletes have to wear some stupid blazer and skirt combo or an even lamer dress, because their women and they need to wear skirts.  The American women wore the same as the men and they looked great.  And they wore the same as the men because they are ATHLETES just, like the men.

I'm looking forward to these Olympic Games.

Yes I know China has a dismal human rights record and their government is questionable at best.  But I am going to look the other way for now and I'm going to enjoy the Olympic Games.



  

Why did that chicken cross the road?

Why Did the Chicken Cross
the Road?

BARACK OBAMA:
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!
 
JOHN MC CAIN:
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
 
HILLARY CLINTON:
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure - right from Day One! - that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.
 
GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either with us or against us! There is no middle ground here.
 
DICK CHENEY:
Where's my gun?
 
COLIN POWELL:
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.
 
BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?
 
JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
 
AL SHARPTON:
Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.
 
DR. PHIL:
The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.
 
OPRAH:
Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
 
NANCY GRACE:
That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
 
PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
 
DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
 
ERNEST HEMINGWAY:
To die in the rain, alone. 
  
GRANDPA:
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
 
BARBARA WALTERS:
Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.
 
ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
 
JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
 
ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road,
or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?

100 Things About Me....

100 THINGS ABOUT ME!!!

1. I hate my middle name; it’s Margarita…. insert Jimmy Buffet jokes here.
2. I attended Catholic School and I bolted for the door on the Catholic faith the second I saw my chance.
3. My favorite color is red.
4. I am exactly five feet tall.
5. I love karaoke
6. I am afraid of rats and mice.
7. I never thought I was a dog person until I adopted Baxter.
8. I love singing!  If I don’t sing along with my car radio, that is a sign that I am having a very bad day and something is really wrong.
9. At summer camp, I am the only parent who goes hunting for frogs with the kids!
10. I had an emergency c-section when I gave birth to my daughter.
11. I have had a breast reduction.
12. I am divorced.
13. I am my father’s youngest child.
14. I am my mother’s only child.
15. I had a cat when I was in high school that I loved very much and he died tragically, sometimes I still cry.
16. I love bubble gum!
17. I can have been known to hold a grudge, but I’m getting better.
18. I am a Red Cross certified swimmer.
19. I am utterly amazed and entranced by Martha Stewart
20. I have three tattoos.
21. I used to have my nose pierced and I am considering getting it re-pierced.
22. When I get nervous, I pee… a lot!
23. I love sock puppets
24. I hate mayonnaise; I think it’s disgusting and should be outlawed.
25. I love nectarines in the summertime.
26. I try to go to Haymarket as often as I can, not for the bargains (although those are great) but because it reminds me of my dad.
27. I have tried meditating on several occasions, I keep falling asleep.
28. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be Wonder Woman when I grew up.
29.  My first major in college was Psychology/PreMed….my parents had their hearts set on me becoming a doctor…damned those high science scores.
30. I love comedy, one day I hope to take a class in stand up comedy.
31. When I got pregnant with my daughter, my feet grew.  All my shoes ended up being to small for me.
32. I lost 60 lbs over the last year.  When I lost the majority of my wieght, my feet shrank.  All my shoes ended up being too big for me.
33. I really hate finding crumbs in my butter, that really bother me.
34. I am equally bothered by finding trails of jelly in the peanut butter
35. When reading a personals ad on something like Match.com or Yahoo Personals, I am really turned off by typos!
36. I love butterflies!
37. During the senior year overnight retreat in high school, I snuck in Kahlua in a hairspray bottle...everyone had some and no one snitched!
38. I spent one month at Mass General Hospital on bedrest before giving birth to my daughter, it was like being in prison!
39. My zodiac sign is Cancer and I am in fact a typical cancer!
40. I am hyper-sensitive to mosquito bites!
41. I am absolutely filled with useless knowledge!
42. I get giggle fits at absolutely the most inappropriate times, like my father's wake.
43. I have been told that I am an excellent kisser.  I am not one to argue!
44. I snore.
45. It is impossible for me to sit in front of a piece of bubble wrap and not pop it.
46. I love to dance.
47. I am addicted to Facebook
48. I am a huge Indiana Jones fan, although I thought the last movie sucked.
49. I love shoes!  In particular...sassy heels!
50. Everymonth I get a copy of Glamour magazine and the first thing I read are the "Don'ts" on the back page!
51. I LOVE the smell of rubbing alcohol...is that wierd?
52. I love Shark Week on the Discovery Channel!
53. It is IMPOSSIBLE for me to watch a movie without looking at it critically through the eyes of a media professional.  Hence, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skulls sucked to me.
54. I throw like a girl.
55. In the 80's my favorite outfit consisted of a white shirt with red lightning bolts, red leggings, red and white checkerboard patterned slouchy socks, white high top reeboks and a red scrunchy in my very big, permed hair!
56. I am trying to crawl my way through a nursing program to get my RN license.
57. I love a good hug!  When I give a hug, I mean it!
58. I get a kick out of accents and I always find myself trying to learn them.
59. I think glasses are sexy! That's why I refuse to get contacts, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
60. I am bummed that movies are on DVDs.  I have to replace my entire movie collection, which is on VHS...ugh.
61. Rum Rasin is my favorite flavor ice cream.
62. I love to cook.
63. I hate to clean up!
64. I cannot decorate to save my life, but I can put up a shelf and put furniture together like nobody's business.
65. I sincerely believe that I am a legal adult but in no way should I be considered a grown up!
66. I believe in Karma.
67. Everyday I try to do one good deed.
68. Bizzare Foods on the Travel Channel is one of my favorite shows.  I always wonder what Adam Zimmerman will eat next!
69. I know why so many women enjoy horseback riding.
70. I believe in Angels
71. I believe in Evolution!
72. I am not impressed by Prada shoes.
73. I love taking pictures, which explains why there are so few pictures of me.  I'm usually behind the camera.
74. I hate mean people.
75. I think the world could use more compassion!
76. Nothing bothers me more than whining!  I hate whining!
77. I love wine!  In particular Riesling...who knew the Germans could make such good wine?
78. I really appreciate it when people are direct and to the point!  I hate beating around the bush, just rip the band-aid off already and say what you have to say!
79. I can read tarot cards and I have been known to be incredibly accurate.
80. I made a fleece cape for my daughter to wear over her Halloween costume one year.  It was so well done, people kept asking me where I bought it, I was very proud.
81. Halloween is my favorite holiday!  I love going out in public wearing a costume!
82. I love frozen Snickers bars!
83. I love apple picking in the fall!  Apples right off the tree taste better than any apple you could get at the market!
84. I attempted swinging on a trapeze once, it did not go well.
85. I love fishing.
86. I think everyone who owns a dog should pick up after them...it really bugs me that not everyone does!
87. My first word as a child was "puta."
88. Mothers in Colombia use baby strollers because of me.
89. I almost killed myself at the Grand Canyon....I was trying to get the perfect picture when the branch I was holding onto snapped.
90. I want to learn German.
91. Although I love to dance, I have never learned to Salsa.  I'm so ashamed.
92. For many years, making rice was an absolute mystery.  I couldn't do it, and it brough shame to me as a Latina.
93. I hate Crocs and I will not wear them.  I would sooner cut off my own feet before I put those on!
94. I hate cleaning the kitchen more than anything else in the world!
95. I am convinced that Mr. Right is living with Prince Charming in a condo in PTown.
96. Although I am only 5 feet tall, it has come to my attention that several tall people are intimidated by me...I don't know why.
97. Every car I ever owned had a name Junior (a Mercury Topaz), Genaro (a sporty Honda Civic coupe), Jeepie (A Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo) and currently I am driving Marvin.  Marvin is named after Marvelous Marvin Haggler (the boxer) because it was the first time I haggled tooth and nail with a car salesperson and won.
98. I have the foulest mouth in the world, why I haven't been dragged kicking and screaming to HR yet I'll never know.
99. I cut my hair when I am angry. Not myself...I have someone cut it for me, but it gets cut as a result of being angry.  But a co-worker did say that anger suits me after my last hair cut.
100. I like pretty dresses!