9.17.2008

My Little Friends

Want to know what I am secretly in love with? My USB Flash Drives!! Yes, I am so romantic. USB flash drives are compact file storage devices to save your information externally, in case you didn't already know that.

You might be asking yourself "Why is she in love with that?" Because I found this company called Mimobot that sells designer ones, and they are beyond cute. The first one I purchased to help keep track of audio files and things bought on iTunes. "Wicket" a Star Wars Ewok, came right to my door, it was love at first sight. Well, I couldn't have just one. "Wicket" needed a friend, and I needed more Drive space for other documents. (Sometimes being a nerdy mom can be so fun.)

So I went back to their website and tried to find the right character for me. Trust me when I say it was a hard decision, I wanted them all. I finally found who I was looking for, "Betty Lou." A Rock-a-billy chic with pink hair.

When she finally arrived at my door I couldn't believe how adorable she was. Her purpose has become holding important word documents, such as emergency information, our monthly budget, and e-mail contacts.

Now you might be wondering why I put all this stuff on external drives. Why not just keep all that stuff on your home computer? Well, after losing WAY too many important files due to computer "issues" I decided never again to be ill prepared for any technological accidents. Now I have these little guys in my laptop case, safe and with me at all times. It just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

The last Flash Drive to become a part of my dorky little computer family is "RayD8" He is a happy skeleton, and he glows in the dark! Being that Halloween is coming soon I thought he'd fit in well. His purpose is still unknown, I am thinking possibly irreplaceable photos or just plain added storage.

I fear I have shown too much of my dorky side to you all, please forgive me for loving USB Flash Drives! What is something silly you find totally amusing?

Ta Ta for now

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9.15.2008

Women in the White House

OK People, I want to know what you think about this Presidential race...

Not so much your political views, but more your view on women emerging more and more towards that Oval office. Many think that women are too emotional, too fragile, too "girly" to run this country, to even be a VP. What do you have to say about this?

I, for one, am so excited to be apart of this time in our nations history. I am positive I will see the first female President before God calls me home. It may not be this election, but I am positive it will happen in my lifetime.

"Throughout most of history women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women's most significant professions. In the 20th century, however, women in most nations won the right to vote and increased their educational and job opportunities. Perhaps most important, they fought for and to a large degree accomplished a reevaluation of traditional views of their role in society."
-Excert from Women's History In America


Women have come so far in such a short time, take a look:

1850: The first National Women's Rights Convention takes place in Worceser, Mass., attracting more than 1,000 participants. National conventions are held yearly (except for 1857) through 1860.

May 1869: Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association. The primary goal of the organization is to achieve voting rights for women by means of a Congressional amendment to the Constitution.

Aug. 26, 1920: The 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote, is signed into law by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby.

1960: The Food and Drug Administration approves birth control pills.

1961: President John Kennedy establishes the President's Commission on the Status of Women and appoints Eleanor Roosevelt as chairwoman. The report issued by the Commission in 1963 documents substantial discrimination against women in the workplace and makes specific recommendations for improvement, including fair hiring practices, paid maternity leave, and affordable child care.

June 19, 1963: Congress passes the Equal Pay Act, making it illegal for employers to pay a woman less than what a man would receive for the same job.

1969: California becomes the first state to adopt a "no fault" divorce law, which allows couples to divorce by mutual consent. By 1985 every state has adopted a similar law. Laws are also passed regarding the equal division of common property.

1973: As a result of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court establishes a woman's right to safe and legal abortion, overriding the anti-abortion laws of many states.

1978: The Pregnancy Discrimination Act bans employment discrimination against pregnant women. Under the Act, a woman cannot be fired or denied a job or a promotion because she is or may become pregnant, nor can she be forced to take a pregnancy leave if she is willing and able to work.

1986: Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, the Supreme Court finds that sexual harassment is a form of illegal job discrimination.

1994: The Violence Against Women Act tightens federal penalties for sex offenders, funds services for victims of rape and domestic violence, and provides for special training of police officers.

I could add many more things, but I wanted to highlight major milestones for women. Look at all women have done in such a short time! Next we conquer the White House :) I hope you have learned something, and you see what an amazing creature God created when he made woman.

On a lighter note about all this "Women climbing the ladder of life" stuff, I present to you a clip from a recent episode of Saturday Night Live that had me rolling! Enjoy.



Ta Ta for now

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9.14.2008

Sunday Signspotting: week eight



I am finally feeling better, the sniffles have moved on. Unfortunately this cold moved on to my husband. Hopefully by next week we will all be 100% healthy again.

(Please be aware that I did not take these pictures, i am simply surfing the net on various funny sign websites and putting them here for your viewing pleasure)


Think your date is going to get suspicious if you take her here?


Burned sofas, moldy carpet, insect-infested bed… what more could you wish for from an interior decorator?


There's something over there, but we're not sure what it is.


There's a special room for tasting manure?


Maybe they are sorry to be open. That is, the owners would rather be doing something else than selling tribal art to tourists. By the way, what is "new" tribal art?


Unless you have a miracle up your sleeve, you might wait until winter before attempting this.


So it really is possible to get lost and know exactly where you are.

Ta Ta for now

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9.12.2008

Super Mom TV Shows

So here it is almost 2:00 AM and (obviously) I am awake. I made the mistake of watching one of those "super mom shows" this evening. You know the kind of shows I'm talking about:




These moms have a lot on their plates, may children and WAY more house work then I will ever have. The women in these TV shows just amaze me. They can do anything! I look at their lives filled with many children, and yet they can get more done in a day then I can in a week. Frustrating!! Sometimes I feel motivated after watching one, while other times I feel completely inadequate. It must depend on my mood that day.

After I got done watching my show, I looked over at my sleeping children laying next to me (Daddy is on night shift, so I can sneak them in with me) and thought "All the things I could get done while they sleep!" My momentum is starting to slow down now, but in 3 short hours I have done so much. OK, true I can't stay up all night, nor can I stay up this late on a regular basis or no one in this house is going to enjoy being around "miss grouchy pants" for very long. I just don't get how these women do it all and still have a smile on their face 24/7?!? What ever their super powers are, I want them too.

On the plus side, my house is looking fabulous. On the negative side, no one will ever notice...
The kids will wake up for school, rushing to get out the door dropping breakfast crumbs along the way. My husband is working night-shift and will get home in time to say "good night" and go off to dream land. Well, by the time he wakes up in the afternoon the kids will have already wreaked the entire house, he'll never know. So, for this brief moment in time I will enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Ta Ta for now

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9.11.2008

9/11...

My Space Or Yours?.net

Where were you when the world stopped turning? I think we all remember just what was happening in our lives that very moment. I remember the first time I heard this song by Alan Jackson I just wept. I still cry today thinking about those images on my television screen, forever burned into my memory that will never be erased.



Some Lyrics from Alan Jackson's song:

"Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love"

Here is how Sept. 11, 2001 happened for me:

I was living in Everett, WA (just north of Seattle) with Joe, we were engaged and planning a wedding. My mom called very early at 6:00 AM

My mom "Honey, have you turned on your TV yet?"
Me "No, why? something wrong?"
My mom "Just go turn on the television and sit down..."

I was so confused. Just as I turned on the TV and realized I was seeing images of some building in New York on fire the second plane hit.

"WHAT THE H*LL WAS THAT?"

I just sat, shocked, scared, silenced. I woke Joe up and we were glued to the TV for at least an hour. I remember feeling fear for him, at he time he was in the U.S. Navy and I wasn't sure what would come next in our future do to these awful attacks on American soil.

The day was in slow motion. Joe couldn't watch it after a while, same footage over and over. People jumping, etc. it was too much for him to take in. I on the other hand stayed in my PJ's and watched it all, for most of the day I didn't leave that television screen.

Still in a daze as to what was actually happening we hear the call for blood donations. Feeling incredibly helpless we jumped at the chance to do something, anything. Off we went to the local Red Cross and stood in the longest line I have ever seen. That alone made me cry, all these hundreds of people, just wanting to help. It felt so insignificant, giving blood, all I wanted to do was run into that rubble and reach for a hand to pull out and hug.

We saw so many people rise up and become Heroes. I was so proud of our Nation that day.

Where were you when the world stopped turning? What do you remember?

Ta Ta for now

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