A Quick Water Update

Just to let everyone know, I did shower with HOT water this morning. I got it so hot in their I had to put on my makeup in the dining room or risk passing out. Ooops.

The line was accidentally cut and we were concerned that another line would have to be run the entire length of the house. The circuit breaker is at one end of the house and the hot water heater is at the other. But DSD said a junction box was installed instead. It took them less than 2 hours and only cost $180.00. The vinyl siding guy is going to charge us $180 less so it didn't cost us anything.

I think we should split the difference though. It was an accident and he has gone out of his way on more than one occasion to help us out. I haven't mentioned this to DSD yet, but I hope he will be onboard with it.

I love HOT water!

It Wasn't a Big Deal

My little brother played Little League baseball, basketball and a couple of years of football. We spent a lot of time at the city park when we were kids and most of the young boys (very few girls in those days) were the same from season to season and sport to sport. We were kids, they were kids, my brother played ball, I hung out with the older brothers and sisters of the kids playing and my parents sat with all of the other parents cheering for the kids. Well, my dad coached a lot so he was on the field.

One of the boys was my brother's age and played with him in baseball and basketball. We'll call him Chuck. He was an adorable kid, blond hair, blue eyes, freckles across the bridge of his nose. Chuck lived an all female household with his mom, his little sister and his Cindy. The four of them were a family. The mother (I have no idea what her name was) and Cindy were at every game, every practice. Sometimes Cindy (who was an excellant ballplayer herself according to my dad) helped out with practices.

Now I grew up in a small town in NW Florida, a place we lovingly call LA for Lower Alabama. Not the most sophisticated place in the world and this was the mid to late 70s and early 80s, but no one thought about the fact that Chuck had 2 moms. The women were not ostracized or ignored, the kids were not teased or taunted. I remember a brief moment of "Ewwww" when I found out the 2 women slept in the same bed, but I was older then and fairly self absorbed so I'm certain my thoughts went immediately back to self. And while I don't actually remember the conversation, I am positive my parents delivered the information in a straight-forward matter of fact way and moved on.

So a recent CNN article on children of homosexuals saddened me

Dealing with teasing from classmates and the community isn't so easy, same-sex children say. It's not unusual to hear children of same-sex couples say that they were teased by classmates, but some of that may depend on their age and where they grew up.

Maybe it was easier for Chuck and his sister because there had been a father in the picture somewhere, originally. Maybe it was easier because he had a mom and a Cindy and not 2 people wanting him to call them mom. Maybe it was easier because, for all our small town ways, we didn't seem really judgemental. Maybe I was kid and have no idea what those 2 women went through to be together. But, at the ballpark, they were always treated as just another family there to support their son.

Where Did My Weekend Go?

I am back at work (shhhh!) and happy to be here. Maybe I can get some rest!

My plan for Saturday was to be up by 9, bathe Lola, then myself and be at my parents' by 11 for several hours of pea shelling. The best laid plans, you know.

BabyBoy texted me a little after 9 to let me know he needed coolant for his car.. and had no money, so Lola's bath was postponed, so I could get to the bank and deposit some money in his account. (Yes, he is spoiled)

I showered before I went to the bank with.no.hot.water. DSD was preparing to paint the hallway bathroom as I got out of the shower telling him the water never heated up. He went and played around with the hot water heater only to discover there was no power to it. Apparently the man installing the vinyl siding hit something electrical on Friday (he did tell DSD this on Friday morning) and, from what we could figure, it cut the power line to the water heater. Call an electrician out on Saturday? Suck it up for the weekend? We sucked it up. But the electrician was at my house before I left for work this morning.

I finally arrived at my parents' a little after noon. I was late leaving the house, plus there was a 4 vehicle accident on the way. They had already started the shelling so I got right to it and shelled and shelled and shelled. Until after 9pm. Wow! And we weren't finished, but I was tired, my back hurt and I still had at least a 45 minute drive home.

It was great to spend time with my parents, but I honestly didn't expect to be there that long. I had taken Lola with me to see how she would do and she was an angel. But she was starving by the time we got home. She seems to be weaning herself off 2 feedings a day and she barely eats in the mornings. And I didn't take any food for her; I fully expected to be home by dinner time.

Sunday morning began with blanching and freezing the peas I had brought home with me. Scrubbing down the hall bathroom (which DSD did manage to paint on Saturday) so the shower was useable and then helping BabyBoy move home. Then, cleaning our bathroom, showering in a cold shower and making a quick trip to the grocery store.

I barely read my book all weekend and didn't play my video game at all! What is up with that?

This afternoon I am treating myself to a manicure and pedicure and 2 hours of complete relaxation!

Sarah Palin, Give It Up, You Are Not Funny.

Ok, well, sometimes her accent is funny, but her cutsie thing during the campaign always made me want to vomit.

And, now, she makes fun of John Kerry's face?

"But the way he said it, he looked quite frustrated, and he looked so sad, and I just wanted to reach out to the TV and say, 'John Kerry, why the long face?"

Except that isn't funny. Governor Sarah Palin, right wing nutjob, alleged Christian, making fun of someone for the face given to them by God Almighty? Why would she do that?

The Boston Herald reported that on Wednesday, before South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's exact whereabouts were widely known, the Massachusetts senator mused to reporters the wrong elected official had dropped out of sight.
"Too bad if a governor had to go missing it couldn't have been the governor of Alaska," he said, according to the paper. "You know, Sarah Palin."

Now that's funny.

Tsk tsk, Sarah. What would Jesus do?

Maybe, in Memory of Michael, we should take these words to heart

And For a World That is Mourning

The best, brightest and most caring of a generation of immense musical talent.

Thank You for the Music

I refuse to remember the laughingstock he became.

I refuse to remember the blanket covered baby, nicknamed Blanket, dangling over a balcony.

I refuse to remember the pedophile's oddly misshapen nose in court.

I refuse to remember the bankrupt whiner swearing he would never return to this country which had treated him so badly.

I am going to remember the music.

The #1 selling album of all time.

The most amazing, show stopping video of all time.

The voice.

The baby faced singer leading his 4 older brothers on stage.

The moonwalk.



This is the Michael Jackson I want to, and will, remember. The boy. The voice. The music.

Thank you for the music, Michael. May your rest be ever so much more peaceful than your life ever was. My thoughts are with your children in this awful time in their lives. RIP

Who Didn't Love Her?

Who didn't want to be her?

I watched the premier of Charlie's Angels as only a rapt 10 year old girl with her entire life before her possibly could. Those women were cool! They were hot! And they could run in heels! (Not sure why they didn't kick them off, but still.)

I loved her as Jill Monroe and always looked forward to her brief returns to the show.

I was sad when she and Lee divorced and she became, once again, Farrah Fawcett, instead of Farrah Fawcett-Majors.

I thought she showed the critics who called her only another pretty face in, first, "The Burning Bed," and then, amazingly, in "Extremities." (That movie still creeps me out)

There was always a girl next door quality to her. There was always a feeling that you could run into her at the mall and she would be happy to sit down and talk about shoe shopping with you.

And, if you saw the recently aired "Farrah's Story" on TV, you know that she has given everything she has to others so they will know the horrors of this cancer and what it can do. Maybe Congress should watch it and understand that, if she had not had money, she would have been gone two and a half years ago.

Farrah Fawcett has passed away after a 3 year long battle with anal cancer. My heart breaks for her family; long time partner, Ryan O'Neal; her poor father, who has now lost 2 daughters to cancer; and her only child who must now find his way without her.

RIP Farrah. You will be missed.

It Was For Sex

Damn, I was hoping that the missing South Carolina governor was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, but (as I listen to his news conference over the phone) I am discovering that he disappeared to have sex with some woman in Argentina.

What an ass.

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

I loved that show when BabyBoy was young. It is really great for teaching geography, which is not one of my best subjects. The world is a big ol' place and I don't know where 99% of it is.

However, just for the record, I can come pretty close to the Appalachian Trail on a map. I could even get in my car right this minute and drive there in a couple of days. I mean, get real, it is mountains and it is north east of here. I should eventually run into it.

I can not, however, get in my car and drive to Argentina in a couple of days. Hmmmm, can I even drive all the way to Argentina? And, if I can, I would at least have to run by my house for my passport. Argentina, you see, is not in the United States. It is not even in North America. And I didn't have to Google it to find out. I actually already knew it.

So how exactly did Gov Mark Sanford end up in Argentina when he told his staff he was hiking the Appalacian Trail? And why didn't his wife know where he was?

There is something really fishy in Denmark, I mean, South Carolina. They are practically the same thing, aren't they?

After Another Trip to the Doctor

I have some answers. Woo Hoo!

Discoid Lupus (aka skin lupus or cutaneous lupus). Of all the possible diagnosis available under the "collagen vascular" umbrella, this one was the best. The rheumotologist asked me a lot of questions, checked my joints, looked at what is left of my rash (it is barely there now) and said there wasn't a lot he could do for me. I don't have pain. My rash is almost gone. My joints and/or lymph nodes are not swollen. He said to keep using the cream (pretty significant chance the rash will return in the same or another place) and let him know if anything changes.

I am not positive why my regular doctor could not tell me all of that, except maybe it was to ensure a spot with this guy, in case things get worse. They could. But, then again, they may not. So there is no need to borrow trouble.

I am working on getting the entire family back on an eating plan that is healthier for us, including lean meats, more fresh fruits and vegetables and less pre-packaged crap. :-) Less sodium and less MSG. I am also trying to up the amount of exercise I am getting, but it is difficult to spend much time outside when the heat index has been in triple digits for the past week and the one time I took Lola for a walk after dark something bit me, four times.

But this has been an eye opening experience and I do realize that I need to take better care of myself.

I'm not 18 anymore.

Happy Father's Day!

Originally published in 2008.


To my dad, who is the absolutely most wonderful dad in the world. Sure, we went weeks without speaking to each other during my teen years. Sure, he told me (at the top of his lungs) I was making a mistake when I decided to marry the X (and he was right!). Sure, he could be tardy when I needed a ride and managed to find SOMEONE he knew everywhere we went (no joke, we were on our way down a ski lift in Gatlinburg, TN and there was a guy at the bottom calling my dad's name!)

But he was always there. Everytime I did anything, whether cheerleading, band, chorus, softball, basketball or the time I was picked to do my Helen Keller in 6th grade in front of the PTA. And he is always there to this day. I could pick up the phone right now and say, "Daddy, I need ..." I would have it if it was within his power.

My wish is that every little girl have a Daddy like mine. The world would be a much better place.

I love you, Dad.

It Was a Fly

We've all seen video or read an article about President Obama's impressive fly killing ability. I, for one, don't consider this an actual news story, so I haven't paid a lot of attention.

Until now.

Because PETA apparently thought he should not have killed it.

The group has sent Obama a device that traps a fly so it can then be released outside.

It was a fly.

And he did give it a warning.

Maybe PETA should be a little more concerned about things that really matter. Cruelty to animals is unacceptable, but I wish I had been faster last night in fly killing while walking Lola. I was bitten four separate times by what I assume were yellow flies. I wasn't bothering them, why did they have to bother me? I would have gladly killed them if I had seen them.

I Beat Snopes!

As I mentioned just a few weeks ago in this post, I spent a very long Friday night searching for information on whether graduates at the United States Naval Academy were barred from wearing their ceremonial swords due to the visit of President Obama.

Snopes.com was one of the first places I checked and they had no information on this issue. But now they do! In their What's New section is a link titled Ceremonial Swords where they debunk the myth also.

But I did it first!

I am so proud!

Missing You!

How can you miss someone you have never met? Never spoken to? Never known their real name?

I am here to tell you that you can.

I was just checking some of my blog links and I came across Mustang Bobby's latest post letting Blogland know that Andante, author of Collective Sigh, passed away on Tuesday June 16, 2009 after a battle with cancer.

I never met her, but I admired everything about her. She was always so upbeat in her postings, even in the ones that blasted people. We all knew she was fighting a long, difficult battle, but her hope convinced me personally that she would make it. Each time her postings lagged, I was concerned, but I knew in my heart that she would beat this horrible disease.

Sadly, she did not and she is gone. My heart is breaking for her husband and beloved daughter. May they get through this with loving memories of her.

RIP Andante, you will be missed more than you ever could have known.

A Little Power Hungry Maybe?

I understand that things are different today than they were when I graduated 24 years ago and a very large beach ball bounced over my head during the graduation ceremony. Certainly they are different than they were when my brother graduated 21 years ago and handed the principal a condom in exchange for his diploma. Schools are stricter now in some ways (and, sadly, not as strict in others), but some things should not be up to the school administration. The young man in this video was singled out for nothing more than being slightly exuberant.

While we've all heard sad tales of high school students not being allowed to graduate at the last moment because of senior pranks gone wrong, a student losing his diploma for blowing a kiss to his mother as he walked the commencement stage has to be a first.

Really? This is not acceptable. Something needs to be done about power hungry school administrators.

And just for the record, my son did not receive his diploma at the time he graduated. No one did. He received it a week later, but graduation was 2 weeks before school actually let out.

And when I graduated from the local community college on Mother's Day, I didn't receive my diploma for almost a month.

Am I The Only One Having Problems with Blogger? UPDATED

I have a YouTube video to display and comments to make on it, but Blogger isn't letting me paste the embed code. I have tried every way I know how and there is not an option to paste the information. Is it Blogger or is it my stupid new IE8.0?

What a pain!

For some reason, I am not longer allowed to paste to Blogger in the "Compose" window, only in the "Edit Html" window. How dumb is that? I am assuming this is a Microsoft issue, not a Blogger one. I think I have IE6.0 at work, so I will test this on Monday.

Home Improvement

I was on travel last week for work and did not think about taking any 'before' pictures before I left. By the time I thought about it, some of the work was already completed, but DSD did a decent job of capturing what was going on. The previous windows (installed in 1985 when the house was built) had black frames. The new ones are white and the difference is amazing.

The front of the house 'before.' We are looking at the sofit (the part at the very top)

The sofit 'after.'

One of the new windows in the living room. DSD forgot to get any before pictures of the regular windows.

The bay window before.

The bay window with no windows. That is a fairly big hole in my wall.

Big hole seen from outside.

And the new bay window. It makes the dining room look so much larger.

More pictures next week after the vinyl siding is up! Hopefully this will help our energy bill for the rest of the summer and into the winter.

Too Little?

I understand that President Obama has a lot on his plate right now. I understand that this country seems to be sliding down a mountain with no brakes and he only has so much time in a day to accomplish the many, many, many things that need to be done.

I also understand (from my blog reading) that there are some in the GLBT community who are not happy with the fact that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has not been repealed. I do believe it needs to be repealed, but I do not know that it should be #1 on the President's agenda. Of course, I am not homosexual and, if the issue were women's rights, I may well feel differently. So I don't judge.

Today, however, the President will be signing a memo giving "health care and other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees." This is a wonderful step, but it feels like a slap in the face to me after he just defended the Defense of Marriage Act. Believe whatever you want on same-sex marriage, but the DOMA is clearly unconstitutional. Article IV Section 1 clearly states, "Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof."

Which means the very second ONE STATE granted same sex couples the right of marry, every other state had to, by LAW, accept those marriages and treat them as such. The other states do not have to allow the marriages to occur in their state, but they have to accept them.

President Obama is not a moron. I am certain he understands far more about the U.S. Constitution than I do.

So why is he willfully going against it?

Sarah Palin, would you please shut up?

Your phony concern about men who joke 'about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls' is just that, phony.

If you were concerned about the exploitation of our children, male or female, you would not have run all over the country with your winking and your inane bullshit doing everything in your power to set back women's rights 100 years. If you were concerned about our children, you would not be so quick to deny them the right to a better PUBLIC education, sex education, or birth control. You certainly would not have put your pregnant 17 year old daughter in the public eye as much as you did, spoke so lovingly about her future husband and then turned your back on him.

I do not understand how the people of Alaska elected you governor. I do not understand why John McCain picked you to be his Vice-Presidential candidate. I do not understand why you can't just go back to Alaska now. Letterman apologized. You accepted.

Now.Please.Go.Away.

Babbling About Everything And Nothing

Last week I was at a seminar in Jacksonville without my computer. Since I have a desktop, it would have been a little difficult to take it with me. I meant to make a quick post mentioning that I was going to be away, but time got away from me.

The seminar was interesting, for the most part, and informative, for the most part, but Jacksonville was as hot as Hades. 95 degrees F with 100% humidity every day. Stepping outside felt like trying to breathe underwater. We get that here in Bay County, but not until mid-August. I am so glad I do not live in Jacksonville.

I returned home to new soffit (sp?) and facia (sp?) around the top of my house. I shall return home from work today to some new windows (Energy Star! Lower the Electric Bill! Tax Rebates 2009 only!) I spoke to DSD about an hour ago and the installers seems to be averaging a window an hour so they should be mostly finished by the time I get home, except for the big bay window in the dining room which will most likely take all day tomorrow. It is built to 1985 code so has to be updated to 2009 code. That window alone is costing as much as the other 8 combined. But it is going to look so great when they are finished and should save us a fortune in heating and cooling since we are pretty sure that window is where most of the energy waste is.

Next week the vinyl siding will be placed around the new windows. I am going to have a completely new exterior. Unfortunately, I am also going to be out of money so the interior is going to have to wait!

I have an appointment with the Rheumotologist on Jun 23 which will probably include more blood work and still no answers, but my rash is looking so much better. Honestly, unless you know what you are looking for it is almost gone. Except for the scar from the punch biopsy. I'm pretty sure she should have used more than two stitches.

It looks like BabyBoy will be moving home before the end of the month. He has discovered that living paycheck to paycheck while saving nothing and not having much money to spend on fun is not where he wants to be. So we will be spending this weekend painting his room because I want it done before he moves back in there!

I am slowly catching up on all my blog reading, but I am not taking a lot of time to comment. I don't have that much time! I will be back to daily reading, eventually.

Health Update

I had a followup appointment with my family physician yesterday. According to him, my test results did not appear to be systemic Lupus. It may still be what I call "skin Lupus*" but that is treatable with creams and such and the rash on my left arm does not appear to be quite as red or quite as large as it was just a week ago.

So this is good news.

EXCEPT, he still used the words "collagen vascular disorder." So, of course I googled this when I got to work. And none of it was good. Even if it is only "skin Lupus" it can change later and become systemic and of all the associated diseases that can be found on MedicineNet or Answers.com none of them are pleasant.

A properly functioning immune system protects the body against infection, however, in cases of autoimmunity, including collagen vascular diseases, the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues. Antibodies may be targeted against antigens in the blood, skin, muscles and other organs, resulting in chronic inflammation and gradual degeneration of the affected tissues.

Ewwwww.

So I am being shipped to the rheumatologist for further poking, prodding and testing. I have an appointment on Jun 23, which is about 2 months earlier than I expected to see him.

Just another waiting game until then.

Thank you to everyone who commented. It was nice to know you were thinking about me.

*Really called Cutaneous lupus erythematosus. And you can click that link and see all sorts of rashes. Of course none of them look like mine. Not.One.