non nobis, Domine...

Memphis and Back in Six Hours

2010-03-16T13:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday tested my patience, endurance, and strength. Due to some upcoming medical tests, the little ones can't be around Ang for about a week starting tomorrow. So yesterday I flew them to Memphis to spend about 10 days with Angela's folks.

Delta, now that they have merged with Northwest, flies nonstop to Memphis from Washington-Reagan/National. In order to save any sense of sanity I have left, we chose to drive a little further to avoid having to connect through Atlanta.

Did I mention we were flying standby? Hairy, yes, but financially worth it.

This was the first time I had flown with the girls without Angela to help. It actually went well, kinda. Addy was a bit of testy one - tired, hungry, and, in her words (more like her sign language), "all done." Two hours sure beats three hours + a connection. But that's a long time for a little one to stare at the seat back in front of her.

Amelia managed to eat, read, and do stickers quietly and contentedly the entire way. That, and a quick stop in the bathroom (my one fear, though it went well). She was a champ (the perfect travel buddy).

Once we landed, the girls marched through the entire B concourse of the Memphis airport, much to the delight and smiles of numerous strangers. Amelia pulled her little suitcase the ENTIRE way, and I hauled Addy, her car seat, and her carryon most the way (Addy walked 30-40% of the way). All was well once we saw Nana and Granddad - although Addy got so excited that she ran over and hugged the legs of a TSA employee. =)

One more thing - I got the girls settled into the car and turned right back around to fly home. At least I had a good book.

One more, one more thing. Landing at DCA and being able to hop the Metro 2 stops into Alexandria is pretty sweet. Just an FYI.

Minor Miracles; Brilliant Moments

2010-03-13T20:23:00.001-05:00

We recently joined our wonderful friends on a ski trip out to Angel Fire, New Mexico. We did this two years ago and also had just a fabulous time. But as it occurs when you travel, and when you have 15 people in a 3-bedroom cabin, interesting things can occur.

Like: Angela getting a perfect 100% while belting out "Don't Stop Believing" on Rock Band. And Danny willingly going down the moguls hill three times. But those are just fun tidbits. Three almost major miracles occurred, leading us to wonder if we should just stop and go home before meeting some ill-fated tree on the slopes.

1) The cabin we stayed in is owned by our friends' aunt and uncle. We arrived around 9:30pm and started unloading, noticing that the house seemed a bit chilly. Not unusual, as it is kept at 55 while unoccupied. But the thermometer stated a whopping 44. Yikes! Attempting to start the furnace proved futile, so we resigned ourselves to the fireplace. As other friends made it in around 12:30am, they were shocked to see us nearly invisible under seas of blankets, hoodies, and other clothing more appropriate for the outdoors.

It got up to a balmy 49 before we went to bed, again, clothed in half our ski apparel. One couple claimed to have 9 blankets on their bed. I woke up around 6:30 with the fire out, but thankfully not much colder - 47. Within a few hours, the sun, fire, and body heat (and bathroom heaters!) warmed us up to 51, then 55...it was almost beachlike. The minor miracle occurred after about 5 hours of the heater guy trying to fix it, when he managed to get it to turn on. Albeit, it wouldn't always cycle back on if we turned it off, so we turned to thermostat to 90 and let it run for 3 days straight. The weekend was salvaged.

2) The third day of skiing was not as well-attended as the first two - only three of us were going to ski, and MH was going to try his hand (or butt!) at snowboarding. His lesson was at 9, and the other three of us (SH and JM) were more than happy to hit the slopes as soon as the lifts opened. We were clothed, fed, and heading out the door to a warm car, when somehow - silly Jeep - the car locked its own doors. Leaving the Jeep running, both keys inside, and totally locked. I immediately headed to Google the solution, while others attempted a more hands-on approach. About ten minutes later, I hear a "It's open, let's GO!" - TW had found a slight opening in the weatherstripping, allowing a coathanger to nudge open the lock - thankfully the locks didn't recede all the way into the door.

3) With MH fully on his way to snowboarding school, the three of us went to pick up our boots which we had left (for the first time EVER) overnight with the locker folks. One bin was full of our stuff; the other was empty. SH's tiny little ski boots (seriously, they're miniature) were missing. The staff at the lockers could have cared less, and they even let us rifle through all the other bins without much oversight. They couldn't figure out where they would have been put. I started walking through the aisles of boots, even though we had not rented from this place. Finally, after about 45 minutes of pacing, questioning, and "needle-in-a-haystack'ing" - we found them sitting on the floor, a lone pair of boots with a bar code that didn't match any of the others. Major crisis averted.

All in all - it was an incredible time of food, fellowship, fun, and - of course - excellent skiing. I've been attempting ever since we got home to format/upload a video I took of two of our runs; but it's been nothing but a frustrating attempt so far (it was taken vertically, and I can't get a video to rotate permanently).

One final thought - another miracle of sorts also occurred on the trip - the second day in we found out that our friends had become aunts and uncles for the first time that morning - a joyous occasion to be sure, although slight sadness being 9+ hours away. On that same day, another couple lost their grandfather - a stalwart in their family, church, and community. So it was a day of sadness and rejoicing, in many more ways than just one. And we are grateful to have such great friends, even though we've only known some of them for a few days.

Intrepid Titans

2009-11-24T13:16:00.001-05:00

We look like a bunch of middle-school misfits. We just happen to be many years separated from Middle School.

Props to the staff and alumni for a great game. We led most of the way. And in the true spirit of letting all get in on the action, Coach Bruce said: "Guys, it looks like we're not going to catch up, so we're going to put some of the other guys [read: Danny] in to play a bit." They actually called a play to give me a 3-pointer. I had to dodge traffic and just missed off the left rim.

My official stats: jersey #1; 1 foul; 1 shot attempted; 1 jump ball (diving on the floor to grab it, thankyouverymuch); just over 1 minute played. I think I'm on to something.

(The title of the post comes from David Hallbrook, who amazed us all with his skill and stamina.)

If "All's well that ends well"...

2009-11-17T20:03:00.003-05:00

...then what trite saying do you give when things don't end well??

Not very long ago we gave up our kitty Dido. A number of reasons prompted this change, primarily the discovery of Amelia's allergy to cats. But continued "hostility" and schizophrenic behavior was also common (the first vet's office named her "Hyde" - as in Dr. Jekyll and Mr.).

We endured for years with her in a cooped up state. But finally, with the girls getting older, with Addysen not as careful as Amelia, and in general frustration with her behavior, we gave her up. Or, more accurately, we found long-term care for her at a rescue facility in a less densely populated area.

It was a sad day at the time, but we had grand dreams of her playing, running, climbing trees, bothering cows, and chasing birds. I'm sure she did.

On a hunch yesterday, I emailed the caretaker just for an update. They had agreed to never contact us about her, but had also agreed to provide updates, as appropriate, when we asked. So it saddened us greatly to hear back today that Dido's cat got on the roof (okay, old joke).

In all seriousness, she regrettably got in a tangle with a much larger animal, and she lost. It may have been a wild dog (we didn't suggest this to Amelia - we posited it was a wolf or coyote - she's stuck on the idea that it was a coyote, I think only because it's such a fun word to say). And the caretaker stated her surprise, thinking Dido would be less likely to meet such an end, as there were numerous, smaller cats at this place.

But knowing Dido, if she didn't instigate the fight, she definitely didn't back down. She was one to hiss, scratch, and chase after unknown creatures. In fact, one day she attacked our window at an attempt to get a stray cat wandering in our backyard. So although we know she was out in the country where she could be free, and she probably went down swinging (acting in her true nature), we've lost a little part of our family in a very sad sort of way.

All's well that ends well. In this case, we'll just say that we have fond memories, and we can be thankful that it wasn't a protracted kitty disease or a vehicle that led to her death. We told Amelia that when we drive by this area, we can blow a kiss and remember how much we loved Dido, and how much we still miss her.

What Outlook CAN'T Do

2009-09-15T15:14:00.001-05:00

The dark side of converting from Novell GroupWise to Microsoft Exchange/Outlook. I love Microsoft’s deep concern for the wishes of its customers…(these answers come from MSFT, not from our IT Dept.).

From: HELPDESK-DIT-COMPUTERS
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 3:57 PM
To: All County Users
Subject: Outlook Tips and Info for Tuesday, Sept 15 - PLEASE READ

What Outlook can't do

Organizing meetings

Outlook's central purpose is structure and organization. It therefore expects certain things from meeting participants, and has still higher expectations of meeting organizers.

§ The organizer role is not transferable.

Once someone has organized a meeting, they are the organizer until the meeting is over. Someone else cannot take the meeting organizer role if the original organizer can't attend. The only workaround is to delete the original meeting and reissue invitations. This is a big and complex issue, in both design and programming required to make it work..

§ The meeting stays on the organizer's calendar.

The meeting can't be deleted from the organizer's calendar, even if the organizer can't attend, because the organizer is the only one who can change the meeting. This barrier was designed specifically for and implemented into Outlook 2007.

§ Meetings you decline don't exist.

If you decline a meeting, it disappears from your calendar. If you want to track all of your group's meetings, you'll have to look for another way to include those that you decline.

§ A meeting invitation is a separate e-mail.

Currently, you can't reply to an e-mail message with a meeting request. This is a frustration for many users.

Views and Folders

Outlook offers many opportunities for customization, but there are a few areas where it currently enforces restraint.

Folders lists are sorted alphabetically.

In the navigation pane at the far left of Outlook, you can freely rearrange your "Favorite Folders" in Mail, and the shortcut buttons at the bottom that take you between Outlook functions. But the list that you see in "Mail Folders" and "Folder List" — including Inbox, Drafts, Sent Items and Deleted Items, together with organizational folders that you create — is sorted alphabetically, and that's how it stays. If you want to go to the trouble, you can rename your folders, but be careful about Outlook functionality (e.g., avoid renaming "Inbox") and any rules that you may have set up.

Each folder has its own view.

You can change the view of each of your folders - your Inbox can look different from your Sent Items or personal folders. But you can change the view only for each folder individually - you can't apply changes to multiple folders at the same time.

The navigation pane font is what it is.

The style, size and color of the type in your folders list can't be changed. Sorry.

Distribution Lists and e-mail

The world revolves around e-mail nowadays, and that's an area where Outlook shines. Even so, there are some features users still dream of.

Distribution lists come from Contacts.

It would be useful to be able to stick an e-mail sender directly onto a distribution list — for example, someone responding to an offer for an e-mail newsletter. But Outlook prefers that you build distribution lists from your Contacts, so you first must add the sender to an address book in Contacts. If you'd rather not mix contacts, you can establish an address book especially for the purpose by creating a new folder within your Contacts folder.

Contacts are individuals.

As you learned earlier in this article, you have to add e-mail senders to Contacts before they can go in a distribution list. So, wouldn't it be clever to be able to search for such senders and add them en masse into Contacts? Of course it would. But Outlook says that you have to add e-mail senders to Contacts individually.

Each message is sent only once.

Some people say they'd like to set up a recurring message, e.g., to send reminders. Outlook doesn't do that, but there are third-party add-ins that enable that function.

ObamaCare's Contradictions - The Wall Street Journal.

2009-08-20T12:10:00.000-05:00

I thought you would be interested in the following story on WSJ.com.

ObamaCare's Contradictions

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203550604574360541357223298.html

Karl Rove: Obama's Great Health Scare - The Wall Street Journal.

2009-07-30T11:56:00.000-05:00

Good read!!

Karl Rove: Obama's Great Health Scare

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204619004574318334081271414.html

Lunch with Mimi

2009-07-19T20:46:00.001-05:00

> At the end of our Savannah Beach Trip we visited Atlanta to see my
> grandma (Mimi). This is us having lunch with her this afternoon. I'm
> back in town and the girls will have a mini-vacation with my folks
> over the next week.
>

Ang's Revenge

2009-07-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

Haha! My turn at the camera, Danny's turn under anesthesia. He had an
endoscopy this morning, and here he is after waking up. I think we're
just about even now. :-D

Score One (+1) for the iPhone

2009-06-25T20:49:00.002-05:00

While at a wedding reception for some wonderful friends, another guest asked if a certain song was available to play. The DJ would have had no reason to be in possession of such genre (Celtic/Riverdance-ish music). And I surely didn't have anything of the sort in my playlist.

But score one for the iPhone - the guest told me the name of the song, I opened up iTunes on my iPhone, found it, previewed it (to make sure it was right - the first one I tried was NOT right), bought it for $0.99, downloaded, and sauntered on up to the DJ.

You see, it turns out that the groom is an incredibly accomplished Irish Dancer (hope that's the right term). And without him knowing what was coming, he was called - alone - to the dance floor, and he gave us a 20-30 second incredible solo dance. On his wedding day. Impromptu.

So shout out to Steve Jobs and Apple for such a great piece of technology (both hardware and software), and a bigger shout out to Michael for being a good sport and giving us all a great show.

And the +1 (from the title of the post) - Link here. (HT: TheGreatBlackAngus)

On Father's Day...or Slightly After

2009-06-23T10:11:00.002-05:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

You've become a fan when....

2009-05-26T11:23:00.001-05:00

...the title of the article on washingtonpost.com is "Caps, Trades, and Offsets" and you think it's going to be about your the Washington Capitals' offseason moves to make it further into the NHL postseason next year. Stupid energy policy discussion stuff; so boring.

NY Daily News: Phil Mickelson suspends season after wife, Amy, is diagnosed with cancer

2009-05-20T12:55:00.001-05:00

This page was sent to you by: Dan

Message from sender:
Good for him!! Family first.

Sports | 05/20/2009
Phil Mickelson suspends season after wife, Amy, is diagnosed with cancer
BY HANK GOLA
Phil Mickelson has suspended his season indefinitely after his wife, Amy, has been diagnosed with breast cancer, it was announced Wednesday morning.



Terms Of Use \| The New York Daily News \| Privacy Policy

Things I've Learned from 24 - Part Finale

2009-05-18T21:10:00.002-05:00

So this is the last "Things I've Learned from 24" in a while. And even though I only caught the last 40 minutes, there's plenty of lessons we learned:

1) Pontification is for idiots - when you are ready to exact your revenge, don't stand there and yell and cry and wussy-whip him with a pistol. SHOOT HIM! First, you put a bullet in his stomach - let him suffer (yeah, I've watched WAY too many movies/shows). THEN, you talk. But of course, we could see it coming, Tony didn't get to finish the job, because he kept yappin'. Serves him right.

2) The President's daughter - Olivia, Livy, MURDERER - still can't act. Anytime she came on screen I yelled, "Furrowed brow, furrowed brow" over and over.

3) Apparently, we are so powerful as to be able to atone to our inner being for our sins. The exact quote: "Let us forgive ourselves for all the wrongs we have done." As my mom so aptly put, if we are able to forgive ourselves, then we couldn't have wronged anyone in the first place, since apparently it's our standard that we've set. (It sounded better coming out of her mouth - and now "Gilmore Girls" is blabbering on in the background, so I can't focus.)

4) Renee won't be a good Jack. And Jack is a bad Jack. So that makes Renee a horrible Jack (she wouldn't be able to torture Wilson if she had a set of dental tools in her back pocket).

5) I need to find a hobby for Monday nights starting in January. That, or Keifer Sutherland needs to totally get arrested and locked away. This show is killing me.

Phlebotomist

2009-05-12T08:59:00.015-05:00

~Posted by Ang

I think when I first used this word around my dad, his response was, "Gesundheit!"

In case this was also your reaction, what it means is one who practices/studies phlebotomy, which is, according to Merriam-Webster Online, "the letting of blood for transfusion, diagnosis, or experiment, and especially formerly in the treatment of disease."

For the faint of heart at the mention of the word "blood," you may want to stop reading here, if you haven't already, though I promise not to go into too much detail. :-)

I've had many opportunities over the past few years to interact with phlebotomists. To tell you the truth, the first time I actually realized that that was the term properly applied to the person drawing all those vials of blood from my arm was about 6 months ago. Unfortunately for me, my phlebotomist happened to be of a foreign descent and culture, I soon thereafter discovered, that apparently prides itself on its privacy and restraint from personal divulgence when conversing with strangers. This I didn't know, first of all, because I was ignorant of my phlebotomist's nationality and, second, because once informed of it I was ignorant of the minutiae of that nationality's customs. Of both she spared little time in acquainting me, thus divulging perhaps more of herself than she must have intended in so brief a conversation. The story goes thus...

I was sitting in the chair waiting as my phlebotomist prepped my arm for a blood draw --rubber band around the arm, alcohol, cotton swab, you know the drill. And while I waited I amused myself by looking around the small exam room, taking note of anything that might be somewhat useful or educational for future reference. It was then I spotted it: the placard on the wall beside the door which stated in big bold letters something to the effect of:

Please let your phlebotomist know if you have any questions about your treatment.

"Aha," I thought. "So that's what they're called!" Wanting to be sure of the conclusion I had drawn, having put 2 and 2 together, I decided to ask, especially as it was within the realm of what the placard told me to do. So partially in the interest of making small talk (which I personally find helpful and relaxing in anticipation of the needle about to be stuck in my arm) but mostly hoping to gain information that might be useful later on, I said, "Oh, so is that what you're called --you're a phlebotomist?" Then, in broken English came her reply, and because it was in broken English and therefore a little difficult to follow, I'll just paraphrase the basics here: "I'm from the Czech Republic, and we don't talk about ourselves the way Americans do, always talking about what they do, where they go...we like to keep these things to ourselves."

In my head I'm going, "WOAH, Nelly! What does this woman think I'm asking her?!" Out loud, I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I was only asking because it says up there on the wall..." In my head I'm going, "You're a PHLEBOTOMIST!! You draw blood for a living. It says that ON THE WALL!! I'm just a halfway curious person asking for confirmation!" More uncharitably, I must confess I was also thinking, "Maybe you should return to your homeland if you can't handle this trifling a discussion with us Americans." Needless to say, the conversation was pretty much at an end before it had even begun.

I've since been a little more guarded in my efforts at conversation with my phlebotomists. You never know who might be sticking your arm that day. Hence, you can never be too careful. Thankfully, my previous run-in with the Czech did not affect her job performance, and I endured no permanent physical damage. However, I have since found most of my phlebotomists to be friendly, talkative sort of people --most of them American, I have to admit--and they actually seem to enjoy their patients and the conversations that arise during the course of their blood-letting, as it were. ;-)

In fact, the last three I've encountered have been such kind souls who have not only initiated conversation but have also kept my mind more happily preoccupied with light subjects such as the beauty and fun of springtime, the hilarious antics of toddlers, and, of course, the idiosyncratic habits of doctors and their penchant for flooding labs with their patients. Of the latter subject, the phlebotomist usually smiles, and I can't help but interject: "At least they're keeping you in business, right?"

Yup, it's funny the things you learn in the college of life.

Thought you'd get a chuckle out of this one

2009-05-11T10:20:00.001-05:00

This came from my Dad. They're keeping the girls this week for us.

...so as the low rumbling of thunder awakens me and I try to figure out whether today is trash day or not (truck or thunder?) I wait for another sound/ flash. It doesn't take long and I see a flash. Thankfully I went to bed early.

I launch into weather monitoring mode and listen for stirring in other rooms as I head to weather central - iMac live Doppler and kitchen TV monitor. As the storms approach I confirm that they will have heavy rain and some boomers but nothing specifically threatening. Within 15 minutes Mia is awake and in despair. I take her to Grandma's bed and haven't heard from her since.

Addy cries a few times but settles back down. The boomers get more frequent and louder but still far enough away not to be threatening. By now the storms will be at their peak within 10 minutes. The Dish feed dies for about 14 of those 10 minutes... yeah, you read that right... so I rely on the Internet for storm monitoring. The TV was just a backup anyway.

As the rain is it's hardest with a few occasional booms, everything seems OK in Storm Central. The rain lessens to moderate, one final boom lets loose and Addy starts crying. Abby woke up with this one and takes care of Addy. She (Addy) fusses and we try to decide whether she will go back to sleep or not. Wisely, Abby says she'll rock her and try to settle her down. I only think of food, naturally. Here come the chuckles.

I figure I can make a bottle of formula to have ready if Addy needs it. So I grab a bottle and start pouring the Nursery water. What?!!! I must be sleepy, I missed the bottle! And I didn't just hit the rim and spill a few drops, I missed it completely! By now you know what happened... I'm clueless and I guess not as alert as I thought I was.

So I wipe up the water off of the floor and go to the sink, thankfully, to pour the water more carefully. It all goes down the sink! What?!!! OH!!! DUH!!! The rest was uneventful but I had to laugh at myself and thought you might get a chuckle too.

All's quiet outside and in the back. I'm assuming Aunt Abby got Addy back to sleep. The bottle is waiting for later consumption. I'm awake now (I think) and went ahead and made some coffee. It is an opportunity to get some work done. It takes a family, not a village.

Thankfully I went to bed early.

Love,

Grandpa

If you didn't catch on, it's not that Grandpa missed the bottle. It's that he forgot to put the bottom on the bottle. For those not used to bottomless cups, it's a fair mistake. Only once, though. =)

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T11:48:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Update on Angela's Radiation

2009-05-06T17:47:00.001-05:00

Family and Friends -

Angela returned home today after what was a rather non-eventful radiation treatment on Monday (this was for cancer they found in her thyroid after the surgery in March). Praise the Lord that she didn't have any major discomfort, pain, or nausea. In fact, she turned her hospital room into a fairly comfy studio apartment, aside from all the plastic wrap and latex gloves covering doorknobs, faucets, and toilet seat. =) She also had a very peaceful and cheerful spirit throughout her lonely stay, and she has not lost her sense of humor or love for laughter.

The treatment itself consisted solely of swallowing two pills, and then she was checked daily for her millirem count (anyone have a spare geiger counter we could borrow?) The doctor was very pleased with her strength and seems very confident that this treatment has been successful. We will follow up on Monday with a scan, bloodwork, and consult visit.

Angela is back on her thyroid replacement medicine, so hopefully in a week or so she'll return to full energy and strength, along with dropping all the side effects of being hypothyroid. I'm to continue to keep my distance for a few more days, but on Saturday she can drop the "low-iodine" diet, so we're celebrating with friends at IHOP!

Please pray for the girls, as they are in Tennessee with Angela's parents (and having a ball, so it seems). They will travel to Atlanta on Friday to stay with my parents for about a week and then come back home. By then there should be no leftover radiation or chance of harm to the girls.

Thank you all for your support and prayers. Our church family (and friends, too) have blessed us with meals while Angela is out of commission (that's a BIG thanks from me!), and our family's help has been invaluable with their time, travel, and energy. We're getting pretty good at this routine, but we pray this might be the last time for a long time that we need to go through this.

Blessings and Peace - The Lord is at hand,
Danny

"The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:5b-7)

What I Learned from "24" Part VIII

2009-04-20T21:00:00.003-05:00

SNOOOOOOOOOOOZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Oh, sorry, fell asleep on the keyboard there. We watched half of it on mute, but it's not like I missed anything. I think what I learned this week is that the best part of the show is the 20 seconds showing you what's going to happen the following week. Hah!

That, and that Sarah H. could have TOTALLY pulled off the "fake" legal counsel for Jonas. Except, I think that if she were trying to be serious, she'd end up just laughing the whole time.

And finally - Jack does some pretty good paralysis, seizure acting. AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!

Two Articles

2009-04-20T19:40:00.003-05:00

1) What you don't read in the MSM about the torture memos. "Far from 'green lighting' torture -- or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees -- the memos detail the actual techniques used and the many measures taken to ensure that interrogations did not cause severe pain or degradation." Link here.

2) Granting Haitian illegal immigrants legal status because of the economy. "Clinton told reporters Thursday that because of Haiti's dire economic situation, the Obama administration is considering granting temporary legal status to Haitians who have come to the United States illegally, so they could still keep sending money home. And she promised to continue helping Haiti rebuild its shattered economy, after the United States and other countries and organizations at a conference in Washington this week made pledges of $324 million in aid, far less than the $900 million sought by the Haitian government." (Link)

Seriously? Really? This is your immigration policy plan? "Oooops, we're in a bad situation; the economy is bad. But instead of finding ways to KEEP OUR MONEY IN THE UNITED STATES, we're going to keep letting people here illegally ship it out of country."

Hopefully you know I'm not cold hearted. I applaud those who work hard to help their families. And there is a place for personal/social (primary) and some governmental (much more secondary, IMHO) assistance for countries/people in need. But where do we get off excusing breaking our laws, depleting our economy, and then we just wave a magic wand and let them off the hook even more!!??

The argument for a long time has been, "Well, they're doing jobs that Americans aren't going to want to do." But let's look at our job situation; Michigan is at a 12.6% unemployment rate (I heard anecdotally that Detroit had a 21% unemployment rate). Forty-six states saw an uptick in unemployment this month. Shouldn't we want to employ our citizens over those here illegally? Don't we want to find ways to keep our children off the streets, our parents off of unemployment, and our families sticking together? Granted, it's not an exact trade-off, but there are people without work all across the country.

And if it starts with Haiti, where does it end? Why not all illegals? What's the goal? What's the plan? Where's the strategy? Oh, that's right, we'll just go chum it up with Chavez, apologize for being tyrannical and imperial in Latin America, and go reading books about plotting the downfall of America. Sounds like a great foreign (and domestic) policy to me....

Just for you

2009-04-19T15:55:00.003-05:00

These came up on iTunes under the "Just For You" section. Seriously, in this order. See if it doesn't make you laugh. These are song titles:

1. Better Life
2. I Remember You
3. You Don't Know Me
4. To the Only God
5. Evolution
6. Dream a Little Dream of Me
7. The Potion
8. Desperately Wanting
9. The Finer Things
10. Nothin' to Lose

A washingtonpost.com article

2009-04-15T09:55:00.002-05:00

You have been sent this message as a courtesy of washingtonpost.com

Personal Message:
It could be worse.

LA school board votes to lay off 5,400 employees

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Board of Education has voted to lay off as many as 5,400 teachers and support personnel for the upcoming school year.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/14/AR2009041402414.html?referrer=emailarticle

Bandwagon

2009-04-14T19:42:00.002-05:00

I'm jumping on it. Guessing a team's record based on the schedule. Washington for the 2009 season? 9-7. 8-8 would be possible, as would 10-6. But I'm hedging at 9-7. Playoffs? Probably not, but who knows.

On a similar note - LET'S GO CAPS!! It's time to rock it in the Playoffs.

Initials as Names

2009-04-14T19:20:00.002-05:00

Some recent acquaintances left me thinking about the folks I know or knew whose names are initials. Here they are:

DR
DL
KC
JD
JR
All the _J's (AJ, BJ, DJ, etc)

What have I missed - or who do you know with initials as a first name??

Things I've Learned from 24 - Part VII

2009-04-13T20:48:00.002-05:00

JUST SHOOT THE DAG-GUM TRAITOR!! WHY DO YOU GET CLOSE TO HIM?? OF COURSE HE'S GOING TO KICK YOU AND SHOOT YOU!!

Okay. That's off my chest.

Lesson learned tonight - if you're going to set off a 5,000 degree explosion, and you don't have time to get away. Just jump. That'll keep you from getting hurt by: 1) fire, 2) shrapnel, and 3) Big Bird (okay, maybe not Big Bird; he's a scary guy). But seriously - jumping? That helps?

I'll keep it in mind next time I'm around a bio-chemical compound.

Hairdo

2009-04-12T08:47:00.001-05:00

Why you don't leave the girls home with dad! =)

The Credit of Municipalities

2009-04-09T21:40:00.002-05:00

Municipal work is an interesting business. One factor most likely overlooked is the importance of creditworthiness. A municipality must float bonds to pay for schools, parks, libraries, whatever public facility you can think of. And in these economic times, it is more important than ever to have good credit.

The NY Times reported on Tuesday that, across the board, Moody's is putting a negative outlook on the creditworthiness of ALL local governments. All. Every one.

The good news to this is that just a few weeks ago, Loudoun was reaffirmed as a positive AAA rating from not only Moody's, but the other two credit rating agencies as well. And not only AAA, but with stable outlooks and no downgrade.

Only 23 counties in the country (in the WORLD!) have a "triple AAA" rating (AAA from all three agencies). Amazingly, 15 of them are on the east coast. I'm sure there are some really good counties out there that may have just decided to not get rated by all three agencies - but for purposes of discussion, only 23 have this distinction of triple AAA. It's great to be in elite company. Loudoun just floated $168 million in bonds at an avg rate of 3.67%. That's great news for lending.

Sorry for all the boring stuff - but it's interesting, and we live in interesting times.

Two girls - Two firsts

2009-04-09T21:32:00.003-05:00

1. Addy was found standing up in her crib after one of her naps today. Actually, clinging on to the rail, hanging on for dear life, or simply just plain ole freaked out would be more accurate descriptions. She was facing the door and Ang walked in to a rather surprised and frightened child. Needless to say, we moved the crib down tonight.

2. Amelia started talking to imaginary friends. She's been watching Franklin on tv (a nice, wholesome show) and apparently has an affinity with bear, beaver, and rabbit. Because she was talking with them after her nap. And she brought them along with us to church tonight. I think she's role playing as Franklin, or at least taking the same perspective, because he wasn't part of the crew. On the way home from church, she asked for her blankie, to which I responded that Franklin was at home with her blankie. Ang furthered the pretense by saying, "Beaver is soft, maybe he can sit in your lap. Or, maybe bear." Thanks, dear. There's no turning back now that we've joined the party....

Diets and Crazy Me

2009-04-09T10:15:00.008-05:00

~Posted by Ang

In preparation for my radioactive iodine treatment in a few weeks, I have to go on a low-iodine diet, beginning tomorrow. This is trickier than it sounds. It's not a "no-iodine" diet or a "no sodium" diet. It's a low iodine diet. Which is...?!? Basically, I have to limit dairy (no more than a cup a day, this including yogurt, ice cream, and chocolate--ouch!), abstain from anything with iodized salt (which means no canned, pre-marinated, or packaged foods); and eat only fresh, non-pre-packaged breads (actually, I'm excited about this one!) and fresh deli meats (except for ham). I could go on, but you get the idea.

In addition to purging my diet of iodine, I'll also be going off my thyroid medication until after the treatment, medication which for the past week and a half has made me feel SO GOOD and almost NORMAL again!! Ah well. Feeling normal really isn't all it's cracked up to be anyway. In order for the treatment to be effective, my thyroid hormone has to be pretty much nil. Some have labeled this brief period of time as entering "hypo-h[eck]" because that's pretty much the way it makes you feel: terrible! So a heads-up for those of you who may be around me over the next few weeks: if I act/look/talk like I'm chemically unbalanced...well, it's because I AM!! ;-) In all seriousness, though, Danny and I have resolved that we can do this for at least 2 weeks --I WILL be happy! I'm praying and trusting that God's Spirit will overcome my frail flesh for His glory and for the sake of my husband and children!

So to prepare for the low-iodine, low-thyroid-hormone scenario that begins tomorrow, I'm doing two things: making a lovely Wegmans trip and gathering as many laughter-inducing materials as I can find. Some might say having young children during this time is a disadvantage, but I disagree: they provide that very necessary laughter-inducing material every day!

As do their books...there is, in fact, a humorous little poem in one of our anthologies that ties in perfectly to my dieting over the next few weeks. If I can just think this way, maybe I won't mind so much not being able to eat all the high-iodine, salty goodness that is really, when you think about it, the mainstay of my diet. And here for your reading enjoyment (I hope ;-) ), is...

What You Don't Know About Food
by Florence Parry Heide
[from The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury]

Jelly's made from jellyfish.
Spaghetti's really worms.
Ice cream's just some dirty snow
mixed up with grimy germs.
Bread is made of glue and paste.
So are cakes and pies.
Peanut butter's filled with stuff
like squashed-up lizard eyes.
And as you eat potato chips,
remember all the while--
they're slices of the dried-up brain
of some old crocodile.

For the first time...

2009-04-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

...I bought a video of an American Idol performance. Yup - Adam. "Mad
World." Was it $1.49 well spent? Dunno, but I couldn't help myself.

FRINGE!!!!

2009-04-07T20:54:00.003-05:00

AHHHHH!!! What a CRAZY show!!?? I never watched the X-Files as a teen, but I can imagine this is like what that show was like. Scary, freaky, crazy - the kind of show where you stop breathing for 30 seconds while something wild happens. Also, the kind of show where you sometimes have to look away (you know, enough is enough when it comes to brain matter).

"24" could go down the tubes, for all I care - this show is so much better.

Oh - and did you see Adam on Idol tonight - wooooah, nelly. Here's the original - sounded nothing like it, but what an amazing performance - vocal control, original version, haunting arrangement. Pretty wild (not saying I'd buy his album, but entertaining nonetheless).

Commercial Truck of the Day

2009-04-07T19:09:00.003-05:00

Literally, no joke, I saw a truck today --looked similar to a propane gas hauler --that had the following words emblazoned on its rear end:

Got poop?
Franz Septic Pumping

~Posted by Ang

Forget the Cavalry—Send in the Mommy

2009-04-07T14:44:00.005-05:00

~Posted by Ang

There are days –like today—when I have to remind myself that although Amelia often reasons and acts like an 8-year old, she’s still only 3!

This morning I walked into her room to get her some play clothes, and I discovered a casualty on the floor beside her bed: one of her favorite bedtime books with torn pages and pieces scattered across the floor like so much confetti. A huge mental “AAAAARRRGGGGGH” crossed my brain and a disgruntled groan escaped my lips. A few weeks ago she had committed a similar offense, albeit a much MUCH less destructive one, having torn only a page or two (whole pages, mind you, not just random torn pieces) out of another book. I was surprised because normally she is so careful which is why I allowed to her to use such books unsupervised in the first place. Regardless, since it happened, we scolded her about it and took the book away, expecting that the natural consequence of having disfigured her book and lost the privilege of reading it for a time would be enough to teach her not to repeat the behavior. Apparently I was wrong.

Later in the morning while Addysen was asleep, I had an opportunity to confront Amelia with the matter. I hadn’t even touched the book or the pages since finding them, and instead I had her come with me upstairs to her room to observe and clean up the mess herself. Not only had she ripped up a book, she had also made a royal mess of her play space. (I’m assuming all of this took place after we put her to bed last night when she normally reads and talks to herself until she goes to sleep.) Again, I talked to her about how we don’t tear up our books, we need to take care of them, yadayadayada. I also removed all such books from her room (those with actual pages, not the board books), and she will no longer be allowed to look at them without permission or supervision, at least for a season.

After she had picked up each piece of paper and placed them in a pile and I was satisfying myself with her making amends (to an extent) by cleaning it all up, I heard these words, “Mommy, you need to tape it back together.” SIGH. Yeah, she knows me too well! I just can’t leave a book in pieces, not when I have the power to put it back together. I hope her knowledge of this re-enforces the principle of personal responsibility we're trying to teach, that when we break something we fix it and when we make a mess we clean it up. I certainly don't want her to look at it as an escape route by which she can mess things up knowing Mommy or Daddy will fix them! If she were old enough, I'd be having HER tape the thing back together! Anyway...moving on...

During Amelia’s nap this afternoon, I spent half an hour figuring out how all the pieces fit together and where they go in the book (nearly every page of the 20-page book had been torn in some way). Thirty minutes and a couple yards of Scotch tape later, VOILA it was repaired. It’s not pretty, and it’s not as good as Golden (the publisher, although the turn of phrase is also appropriate); but at least it’s readable.

All of this got me to thinking…when Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall, all the kings horses and all the king’s men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again. I’m just speculating here, but perhaps this tragedy could have been avoided if only the king had sent in Humpty Dumpty’s mother instead.

Community Chest

2009-04-07T13:14:00.001-05:00

I feel like I'm in a game of monopoly. First, the Government (yes, it deserves a big "G" ) paid me big time to live in the USA this year. Second, my real estate tax bill is going to drop $475 this year - more than 10%. Third (back to big "G" ), I'm getting $30 more each paycheck thanks to the in-name-only stimulus bill. Woot! (which, as a friend once said to me, is supposedly some new, kewl way of saying "woohoo" or "yippee" - but it just sounds weird)

Things I've Learned from 24 - Parts VI-??

2009-04-06T21:29:00.002-05:00

Wow - tonight's episode offers us a plethora of great lessons:

1) They don't wear visible ID in terrorist weapons facilities. Or, put another way, the phrase "I was just called in for reinforcement" is another way of saying, "I don't belong here. I'm a spy. But I'm trying to pull a fast one on you. And because no one wears visible ID around here, I may just get away with it."

2) If you think you're going to blackmail the President's ~~daughter~~ Chief of Staff, don't commit an indiscretion with her. Seriously - that's the basic story of any blackmail reversal. It's so obvious. And by the way, the actress playing the President's ~~daughter~~ Chief of Staff is just wretched. Can't act at all.

3) Don't ever trust anyone who's calling on the "proprietary line" in your Ops room. In fact, don't even take the dang call. Seriously - if someone has installed a phone line/computer connection in your Ops server room (ie, in the basement of the White House), then you've got some problems with someone messing in your business. That person is not someone you want to deal with. Go ahead and just blow them up to kingdom come.

4) Palm Pilots (do they still call them that?) work at 125 ft MSL, or 40 ft below ground. In a bunker that has been IR shielded so you can't see the heat inside. Yes. Really. They do. (AT&T - are you watching? My phone KEEPS DROPPING CALLS!!!)

5) And finally - "24" is just slightly more entertaining than a National Championship game in which the Tar Heels took a huge early lead.

[You're lucky I didn't try to come up with something for Jack's illness, or his resilience (ie, stupidity), or Renee's daddy-daughter moment.]

13 Hours

2009-04-06T15:08:00.003-05:00

There are a lot of things you can accomplish in 13 hours, give or take an hour or so:
1) Drive to Memphis from Ashburn (done, multiple times)
2) Fly from LAX to Melbourne, Australia - (done)
3) Go to church, go to Sunday School, get lunch, buy Claritin, meet friends, drive into DC, have a picnic on Hains Point watching airplanes take off and land (and switch directions doing so, as the wind changed), WALK to the Jefferson Memorial and FDR Memorial, WALK all the way back, head out of town, eat a great meal at Carrabba's, and get home all wiped out.

We walked at least 5 miles, but we had a blast with our friends. Pictures to come soon, but the camera is currently in the car with Angela. At Carrabba's, after dinner, Mia quietly said to me, "I'm ready to go home." I politely responded, "Let's eat dessert first," to which her little face livened up. Then halfway through dessert, I heard, "I'm ready to go home, Daddy."

We couldn't have asked for better weather or better friends to spend the day with. And in fact, they kept the girls (primarily Mia) entertained almost the whole time, which was like a break for us!

Oh, and who could forget that we got to see Auntie Sabella for a few minutes!

Space limitation

2009-04-01T21:56:00.001-05:00

My question is: Where does the kid go???

Careful Attention

2009-03-17T20:43:00.003-05:00

Mia and I took a "date" to the mall today. We picked up some things to make Ang happy - candles, smelly scents, and chocolates (shout out to Asher's Chocolates - we toured the facility with Rick Santorum back in the day).

Lunch at the mall always means Chick-fil-A. Today was a bonus, as apparently Tuesdays at lunch kids eat free. Suh-WEEET! As I sat eating my Chick-fil-A sandwich, I recalled hearing from my boss (and others at work) that she had never eaten at Chick-fil-A. Heresy, I shout! Unconscionable! So for those new to the greatest chicken ever, here's a guide to making the perfect Chick-fil-A sandwich:

1. Take off top bun and add one pack of mayonnaise.
2. Put bun back on and flip over.
3. Take off bottom bun and add 3/4 pack of barbecue sauce.
4. Rearrange pickles to cover entire fillet (usually they end up clumped together)
5. Put bun back on, flip back over, and enjoy!

I'd be hungry writing this, except I'm enjoying a Heath Klondike Bar....mmmmm....

Oh, and one more shout-out! Ciao Bella Gelato - one of the primary things Ang wanted for her recovery was some sorbet/ice cream. We served Ciao Bella at Brew Mountain (R.I.P.) and highly recommend Chocolate Hazelnut and Mango. The Mango is amazing: ingredients are 1) Mango, 2) Water, 3) Sugar, and 4) Lemon Juice. That's it. Natural, and YUMMY!

Baby Dedication

2009-03-16T19:17:00.001-05:00

I'd say we're one pretty darn good-looking family!

Update on Angela's Surgery

2009-03-16T18:25:00.001-05:00

Family and Friends -

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement today and over the last few days. Angela's surgery this morning to remove her thyroid was very successful and her recovery is going very well. The doctor said that her thyroiditis caused the gland to be more interwoven into surrounding tissue, which made the surgery a bit longer, but there are no problems associated with it. He was able to do the surgery endoscopically (with a camera) so the incision was much smaller than a traditional thyroidectomy (I just wanted to use that word).

So after a 12+ hour day (left the house at 5am, returned at 5pm), here are our praises and requests:

Praises:

The surgery was successful and there were no complications
There appears to be no damage to the vocal chords or parathyroid glands
The anesthesiologist was able to find a good balance of meds to help keep her from being too ill (was a big concern after previous surgeries)
She appears very stable and has been resting very well
There are no obvious signals of concern or worry about the surrounding lymph nodes

Requests:
That Angela would continue to rest well and begin to hold down more food and liquids (she's not been violently ill, but has been sick a couple times)
That the Calcium supplements would be quickly absorbed into her body to prevent any serious problems
That the incision would heal well with no bleeding, swelling, or constriction of her windpipe
That the pathology would come back benign for both the thyroid gland (removed) and the surrounding lymph nodes/glands (not removed)
That the endocrinologist will be able to find the right balance of hormone replacement (to occur in about 2 weeks)

Again - thanks for the encouragement and prayers. Angela's Dad ("Granddad") did an amazing job with the girls today, and even got them both to sleep 2 hours at the same time for naps!!

Peace,
Danny

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

Fonts

2009-03-15T18:27:00.001-05:00

This is wild. More than you ever need to know about fonts, but for a left-brainer, it's just captivating.

http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/kindle2/Periodic_Table_of_Typefaces_large.jpg

Woosh Woosh Woosh

2009-03-10T19:35:00.002-05:00

Okay - I don't really know how to describe the sound of three helicopters about 1000 feet over your house. But it's really loud. At 6am. For an hour and a half.

There was a single-car crash on the highway about 1/2 a mile from us - they had to medivac the guy out (I saw the medivac landing) - for the life of me I couldn't figure out why it stayed so loud for so long - until I finally realized it was multiple news copters. Thankfully, didn't wake the girls. This is what they were covering....

Oscars Opening

2009-03-08T21:19:00.001-05:00

Did you see Hugh Jackman's opening number at the Oscars? Quite funny and entertaining. Check it out:

SPRING IS HERE!!

2009-03-07T09:41:00.000-05:00

It's warm. We're cleaning. I LOVE IT!!

Watching the Clock

2009-03-04T20:37:00.003-05:00

For a few months we've been struggling with Amelia waking up from nap/bedtime and just sitting in bed whining. For about the same time, she's also known how to open doors. And, we've been teaching her about the numbers on the clock. We've been trying to get her to actually get out of bed, open her door, and either come to our room or downstairs. But she just didn't get it.

And then all of sudden, two days ago, she just came lumbering down the hall. All by herself. And this morning, I heard the door at about 6:40, and I called up to her and she just came downstairs all by herself.

She got a late start to her nap today, so Angela told her to wait until the clock said "5" before getting out of bed. After a good long nap, Angela heard her around 4:55, saying "Momma, Momma." But Ang let her wait, and sure enough, right at 5pm, she opened her door and came down the hall (she calls it "five zero zero").

But the best story is from naptime yesterday, when she needed to be in her room at least until 4pm - Angela didn't even hear her wake up, and as she was helping Addysen in the kitchen, she heard little footsteps and a proud voice, "Mom, I saw FOUR!"

WSJ.com - Opinion: The Obama Economy

2009-03-04T12:47:00.001-05:00

Link

Okay - so emailing it from wsj.com didn't work so well. Try this out.

Ditto Ditto

2009-03-04T08:48:00.000-05:00

WOW - at 8:46 on 3/4/09, the WashingtonPost.com frontpage has three headline articles, two with pictures, about Rush Limbaugh. Seriously - two different pictures of his head on the frontpage.

As was discussed on Morning Joe this a.m., Rush is simply brilliant. This has brought him back into the spotlight. He is a true marketeer - forget what this means for "conservatives" or the Republican party. He needs, craves attention - and boy has he got it!

Ditto

2009-03-03T22:42:00.002-05:00

I am no ditto-head. Honestly. I listened to Rush back in my high school days when Dad was driving us in the car. But I don't listen to him now nor really keep up much with him. But I saw a couple short clips from his CPAC speech and couldn't have agreed with him more. Here's from the FoxNews transcript:

As I say, we want the best: Happiness for everybody. Now, about my still-to-me mysteriously controversial comment that I hope President Obama fails. I was watching the Super Bowl. And as you know, I love the Pittsburgh Steelers. [Cheers and Applause] So they have this miraculous scoring drive that puts them up by four, 15 seconds left. Kurt Warner on the field for the Cardinals. And I sure as heck want you to know I hope he failed. I did not want the Cardinals to win. I wanted Warner to make the biggest fool of himself possible. I wanted a sack, I wanted anything. I wanted the Steelers to win. I wanted to win. I wanted the Cardinals to fail. This notion that I want the President to fail, folks, this shows you a sign of the problem we've got. That's nothing more than common sense and to not be able to say it, why in the world do I want what we just described, rampant government growth indebtedness, wealth that's not even being created yet that is being spent, what is in this? What possibly is in this that anybody of us wants to succeed? Did the Democrats want the war on Iraq to fail!

CROWD: Yes!

RUSH: They certainly did. They not only wanted the war in Iraq to fail, they proclaimed it a failure. There's Dingy Harry Reid waiving a white flag: [doing Harry Reid impression] "This war is lost. This war is" --

[Cheers and Applause]

They called General Petraeus a liar before he even testified. Mrs. Clinton -- [Crowd Booing] -- said she had to, willingly suspend disbelief in order to listen to Petraeus. We're in the process of winning the war. The last thing they wanted was to win. They hoped George Bush failed. So what is so strange about being honest to say that I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation? Why would I want that to succeed? [Applause]

"Why would I want that to succeed?" Exactly. Exactly. Never does Rush say he wants harm to the President. Never does he call him a bad man (in fact, I think he grants him a "very good politician" moniker). But if we don't agree with the President's politics, direction for the country, or spending frenzy - why would we want that to succeed? And if the opposite of success is failure - well, you do the math.

We need his policies to fail so that the country doesn't fall for this gig again. We need his spending frenzy to not work so that tax cuts, fiscal restraint, business investment, and less government is valued. On this count - I'm with Rush.

Things I've Learned from 24 - Part V

2009-03-03T22:20:00.002-05:00

As a recompense for having made all you faithful readers wait more than 12 hours for my 24 comments, I thought I'd pass along a bonus feature.

Part V - It's Okay to Hand the President Over to Terrorists

This one is actually a little difficult. But I don't think I can agree whatsoever with Jack Bauer at the end of the 7pm hour (or whatever time it is in 24-world). He yelled at the President and told her his job was to protect her. She yelled back and said she IS the President and therefore he must obey her. Which he did.

I don't think a Secret Service Agent's job is to obey the President. I think his/her job is to protect the President. And sometimes that means protecting him/her against his/her best judgment. Do I want the Pres' daughter to die by mutilation? No. But do I want to leave the safety and security of the lockdown room and jeopardize the President's well-being. Absolutely not.

I don't see how in real life an Agent would have actually done that. But I haven't read the handbook, so maybe there's an asterisk at the end:

" *If confronted with a situation where the President insists on you taking an action that would compromise his/her safety, only comply when the life of an immediately family member is at stake."

ps - I actually didn't see much of 24 last night - I don't think I caught any of the first hour, and maybe only 40 minutes of the second. So if I missed a killer "TILF24" - post it as a comment!

Things I've Learned From 24 - Part IV

2009-03-03T14:33:00.001-05:00

Rachelle, Rachelle. I know I'm slacking. I actually almost took my iPhone up to bed so I could tap one out - but I was wiped from 2 hours of non-stop action. So, here it is:

Part IV - Secret Service Agents are Easily Duped.

Seriously, the dialogue went something like this:

General "I've got a freaky, stupid stare thing going on" Juma: "If you do not move your men out, I will kill the President."
Secret Service Agent Stupidity: "I need proof that you have her."
Juma: "The only proof I will give you is that if you don't do what I say, her death will be on your head."
Estupido: "MOVE OUT, MEN!"

Let's analyze this: 1. Demand from terrorist. 2. Show me proof. 3. Terrorist shows no additional proof. 4. "Good enough for me! We're outta here!"

What? And again I say: WHAT? It's a veiled threat. It's completely unverifiable. It's a blasted terrorist in the White House and you're just going to walk away. Jimminy Cricket!

Okay - so enough with the recap. What can we learn from this??

Say you're walking through DC. You're tired of making that round-about bypass like 6 blocks around the White House instead of just walking straight down E St. So you mosey on up to the guardhouse and say: "Let me through, or I'm going to bomb the White House." "What kind of idiot are you," should be the reply (while guards begin to scurry around). "Seriously, if you don't let me take this shortcut, the bombing of the White House will be on your head." "Oh, that changes the situation. Have a nice day, sir."

And there you go. Try it out next time. Really. And if things don't go so well for you, don't blame it on me. Blame it on 24, Kiefer Sutherland, FOX, and Agent Dingbat. I'm sure they'll find a way to break you out of Leavenworth....

Today's Lunch

2009-03-02T13:34:00.000-05:00

Fish eyes and seaweed.

Actually, is Quinoa and spinach with feta cheese and sauteed onions!
Yum...

Quote of the Day

2009-02-26T10:38:00.001-05:00

"Freedom has a scent, like the top of a newborn baby's head."

[-- U2, "Miracle Drug," How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb]

Part of me wonders, with giving up so many freedoms for the "greater good," and with government stepping in to take over so much of the FREE market, how long will it be until we aren't able to catch a whiff of that beautiful, innocent, unblemished scent of freedom.

For now, I'll cherish Addysen's little baby head. It's starting to become a little girl's head, and nothing beats holding your little one in your lap and just sniffing her head. =D

Unfathomable

2009-02-25T21:00:00.002-05:00

I usually don't comment on macabre subjects, especially plane crashes. But the commuter turboprop accident in Buffalo is one that has captured my interest. Partly because of general curiosity. Partly because I've taken (a few) flying lessons and know enough about the physics of flight to understand stalls and losing lift.

It seems pretty obvious, from a common sense review of the situation, that the pilot stalled the airplane. Maybe it had already stalled itself, because of the icing. In fact, that seems to be the indication based on the actions that the auto-pilot undertook - pushing the nose down to regain airspeed, with the intent to regain lift. But the pilot pulled up - they say likely an instinctive reaction due to: 1) because of his low altitude, he didn't want to be going down too quickly; but probably more importantly 2) the plane he flew previously tended to go tail up in icing conditions, and he likely reacted based on that prior experience.

It really is sad, regardless of what happened. The most amazing thing to me is that it landed in a suburban neighborhood, not unlike the one we live in, and only destroyed one house. Neighboring homes were no more than 15-20 feet away, and the only damage was based on the resultant fire. It's just unheard of, what with a plane falling from the sky.

The NY Times has an intriguing interactive graphic about the flight. Slide 4 of the graphic shows the home that was hit, and it's the only way to appreciate how miraculous it is that no one else on the ground was killed.

Link here.

Too hot to touch?

2009-02-25T19:09:00.003-05:00

I've debated whether to even comment on this. I'm sure there's a much deeper plane of thought and knowledge that went into the writing of this than I can appreciate. But yet something just keeps nagging at me.

It's from a Post columnist about Tyler Perry's new movie. He plays a fat, old grandma. And this is the columnist's reaction:

"And there I sat, silently ranting: There is nothing funny about this black man in pantyhose. And where is all of this cross-dressing-black-man stuff coming from, anyway? First, comedians Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence star in high-grossing movies as the fattest, ugliest black women that Hollywood makeup artists can conjure up, and now here's Perry with his gussied-up version of the same butt of the joke.

By the way, I don't want to hear diddly about Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire or Milton Berle in high heels. Having a black man play super mammy is not the same thing. Perhaps it would be were it not for America's perverse, systemic and centuries-long efforts to humiliate African men and women and turn them into slaves."

I think possibly my fear is that my ignorance, or my simple comment on the situation, will sound racist or bigoted. Maybe it's that I'm too afraid to touch something so sensitive, and since I don't believe myself to be racist, that I'll end up being insensitive (unknowingly).

But here it is (anyway): For the last 2 years, all we could hear is "It doesn't matter your skin color." "We've broken the color barrier for the highest elected official in America." "We are a nation united." Etc etc etc. Which is great.

So why not now? Why isn't Tyler Perry similar to Robin Williams? Why do we have to keep going back to the "America's perverse, systemic and centuries-long efforts to humiliate African men and women and turn them into slaves." Can we no longer laugh at Chris Rock, for fear that our laughter will be confused as derision?

I realize there's this whole caveat in our view of racism that black people can say things to each other and about each other that we never can do as white folks. I don't really care (although if you ever listen to rap it's amazing the words they use). But I thought we're moving forward in race relations. Not backwards. We can never forget the atrocities of the past and we must vow to never let that happen again. But I also don't think it must cloud our every days lives, nor do I think it prevents us from laughing together, black and white.

Maybe Mr. Milloy just wants to keep bringing it up and continue to point out the sins of our forefathers. Maybe he can't laugh at it and wants to find a reason why. I don't know, and I shouldn't try to figure it out. I just can't seem to get it out my head that there's some kind of double-standard going on. In my opinion, articles of this sort only continue to feed the fire of racism and serve as a roadblock to American becoming colorblind.

[Full column is here. As of the time of this posting, this article was one of the top headlines on washingtonpost.com - which I think shows they think this deserves extra attention.]

The Best Northern Cod You've Ever Had (*)

2009-02-24T21:56:00.002-05:00

[*From a fast food restaurant]

I fell for the advertisements. Not sure why. But I had to have Wendy's fish sandwich on the way home tonight.

Let's set the stage: I'm a big Filet O' Fish fan. (Ang thinks I'm nuts. "How can you eat fish from a hamburger place!? Me: "How can you eat yogurt - bad milk - berries and granola from a hamburger place! HAH!) Where were we: yes, Filet O' Fish. And now Wendy's has decided to jump in on the act.

My verdict: I'd say Wendy's wins hands down. Bigger, more substantive. More crunchy. Then again, maybe it had to do with the fact that my only dinner up to 9:30 was a cup of tomato soup at 5. It was really good and filling. I'll definitely try it again.

What I've Learned from "24" - Part 3

2009-02-24T17:13:00.001-05:00

If you enter a server room, and there are people shot on the floor, and your servers have just been wiped clean, and you're in the middle of a terrorist attack where there might be moles in your organization - don't take the word of the only guy left alive in the server room!!! Of course he's going to blame it on the dead chick. Of course he shot himself. DUH!!

But NOOOO, dumm-o "Agent Moss" was like, "Hey dude (read: terrorist mole), we're down a man and really need your help. Never mind that you're shot in the arm, you killed another agent, and you were the only witness to her supposed treasonous activity. Get back in the saddle. OH, and by the way, why don't we tell you every important classified piece of information while we're at it."

Can you tell I'm disillusioned by this show. Even so, I had to tear myself out of the chair to go check on our screaming 7-month old. Poor thing - she was probably just in pain over the poor acting, writing, and helpless future of this "thriller."

"Women are Dumb"

2009-02-23T21:35:00.002-05:00

WAIT - before you flame me...it was just a way to get you to read on. (did it work?)

What I was trying to say is that this episode of 24 (hour 5-6pm) should be entitled: "Women are Dumb." For instance:

In the first twelve minutes, one woman ignores the FBI and agrees to stay with the proven terrorist. DUMB! A second woman, this one an FBI agent, pulls a gun on JB while a car is on fire because he's trying to get her away from a burning car. WHAT??

THEN, a different dumb woman thinks she's all cool for being treasonous. Yeah, got her killed.

AND THEN, the second dumb woman was SUPER-dumb and slapped Jack twice. He laid the smack down with a "Don't ever pull your gun on my again" and she said something really dumb that just doesn't even make sense.

Goodness only knows what will happen in the last ten minutes!!

That's IT!?!?

2009-02-18T20:35:00.002-05:00

From the WashPost Editorial Board:

"From the moment that Mr. Burris was selected, he strove to portray himself as a blameless public servant. The sad pictures of Mr. Burris being cast out into the rain by the Democratic leadership of the Senate, which initially refused to seat him, turned public opinion in his favor. Mr. Burris got his seat. But this latest revelation makes a mockery of his professions of no quid pro quo. It is a violation of the public trust. The people of Illinois have suffered enough. Mr. Burris should resign."

It's nice that they come out with this opinion. What strikes me a little strange, though, is that they nowhere blame the Democrat Senators for allowing Mr. Burris to be seated in the Senate. In fact, that should be the real story.

The Senate initially refused to seat him. Surely he'd be tainted, was the cry. Oh, but the public opinion came raining down. "How can you forbid him the opportunity?" Instead of sticking by their guns, the Democrats caved. And now look where it got them.

Sure, Burris is the culprit, and he's the story. But I just have this feeling that if something like this had happened in the previous administration, or with a Republican majority, the WP would be calling for the Senate Majority Leader's head and harping on how corrupt the Republican Party is.

Let's remember that our legislators don't govern by public opinion. Once they do, it all begins to unravel.

Only at an Antique Store

2009-02-16T10:23:00.002-05:00

...in West Virginia!!

Check out the critical information disclosed in the second picture.

Old Picture

2009-02-16T10:04:00.004-05:00

"Old" is relative, but as I was looking through some pics, I ran across this. I was thinking of throwing Ang over the ledge, but the sign dissuaded me. Amazing what a red placard can do to alter the course of history. =)

7-Month Video

2009-02-16T09:54:00.000-05:00

It's been a while, so here's the latest: Link Here

Tutti Frutti Lovesong

2009-02-15T16:15:00.007-05:00

Amelia LOVES this poem! It's a must-read every time we open up her 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury book. When we read it together she cackles and grins and begs, "Read it to Daddy! Read it to Daddy!" So I thought it would be fun to post it here in honor of Valentine's Day (though a day late). Hope you get a laugh! :-)

Tutti Frutti Lovesong
by Mary Grace Dembeck

You are my darling CUMQUAT,
Oh, you're my PEACHy pie,
I think you are the BERRIES,
The APPLE of my eye.

Don't make me MELON-choly,
Please be my HONEY DEW,
'Cause oh, my sweet PAPAYA,
I'm BANANAS over you!

I would be oh, so GRAPEful
If you'd just say you care,
For it takes two to MANGO,
And we're a PEACHy PEAR.

Oh, ORANGE you a little
COCONUTS for me too?
Please say you'll be mon CHERRY,
I'm so GUAVA over you.

~Posted by Ang

Love, Love, Love

2009-02-15T15:16:00.003-05:00

Ang is going to post some mushy love poem later today. *gag* =) But here's what I love about her:

Thurs (2/12)
Ang: "If you were wanting to get me flowers or anything, you can just get me some potted flowers, like tulips or hydrangea."
Me: "Hmmm..ok"

Friday (2/13)

Instead of $50+ for roses, I spent less than $10 for beautifully potted tulips. To use an over-used phrase as of late, in this economy, that's a big win!!

Sox Switch

2009-02-15T15:11:00.003-05:00

It's almost enough to make me change teams. But, I did say "almost." Hey, if it brings another WS, then I guess who cares!?

Link - Obama, White Sox Fan

More foreclosure moratoria

2009-02-13T15:15:00.001-05:00

Seriously, can I stop paying my mortgage now? What makes others "troubled" and not me, when I struggle each month to shell out a mortgage payment? Do I get rewarded for actually paying my bills?

If nothing else, news like this just gives people more incentive to stop being responsible. Isn't that when the government has to stop stepping in the way, or else it will end up taking over it all? If there's no consequence to being irresponsible, then let's go for broke!

--------------------------------

Citigroup, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley Halt Foreclosures (Update1)

By Margaret Chadbourn

Feb. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley agreed to suspend foreclosures until next month and signaled a readiness to help the Obama administration craft a housing plan to modify mortgages for troubled borrowers.

Citigroup halted foreclosures through March 12, or when a plan is completed, the company said today in a statement. Morgan Stanley imposed a moratorium for three weeks on loans from Saxon Mortgage Services Inc., a spokeswoman said. JPMorgan stopped foreclosures until March 6, Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon wrote to House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank in a letter released today in Washington.

Frank asked bank executives at a committee hearing Feb. 11 to freeze foreclosures until Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner can set up a program. Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit committed to halt actions. The Office of Thrift Supervision has urged savings- and-loans to suspend their legal actions until a plan is ready.

"Three weeks is adequate time for the Treasury to announce -- and for us to implement -- a new plan," Dimon wrote to Frank. "We stand ready to work with you to put the appropriate process in place, including a national modification standard."

"Citi is taking the necessary steps to help American homeowners keep their homes," according to the statement. The company said it worked with about 440,000 borrowers to stop foreclosures since the start of the housing crisis in 2007.

U.S. bank regulators in December said 55 percent of loans modified during the first quarter of 2008 were 30 or more days delinquent after six months. "Re-default rates increased each month and showed no signs of leveling off after six months," Comptroller of the Currency John Dugan said in a statement.

The Obama administration outlined a plan this week that would provide housing relief, help remove illiquid assets clogging banks' balance sheets and spur lending. Geithner pledged to buy and modify troubled homeowner mortgages, and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said the aid could be as much as $100 billion.

He's no Kurt Warner

2009-02-12T14:27:00.002-05:00

If you haven't seen it already, the link below should take you to a clip of Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman. It's hilarious. Hopefully it was just acting, and he's not all tripping out (and heading down the road of his brother).

Joaquin was fabulous in "Walk the Line" - and I also thought he acted incredibly in "Gladiator", "The Village," and "Signs."

Check it out - it's a good 5-minute laugh.

Link

That seals it - I'm not Catholic

2009-02-11T22:03:00.003-05:00

So, big news today is that the Vatican is holding a "Conference on Darwinism." This is sponsored by the head of the Church's Pontifical Council on Culture. But, apparently, this isn't a new theory for Catholics. Read below:

"Indeed, he said, evolution could be traced back through Scholastics such as St Thomas Aquinas to St Augustine in the fourth century, who had noted that "big fish eat smaller fish".

Augustine is probably more famous for praying "God, make me good - but not yet." Which also has some evolutionary overtones if you think about it."

Let's clarify something here. I don't think anyone would contest that big fish eat smaller fish. In fact, I don't think anyone would contest the idea of survival of the fittest (natural selection). But where I miss the connection is how they take "big fish eat smaller fish" and turn it into "small fish mutates/morphs into big fish" - much less, "small fish mutates/morphs into BIRD."

And where does "God, make me good - but not yet" have any connection at all to our physical development/creation? I think this author mistakes spiritual growth and health with an evolutionary kind of thinking about man's beginnings.

Finally, they're referring to Intelligent Design as a "cultural phenomenon." Sure, the name ID is new, and there's a lot more force behind it as a movement, but check this out, Catholics - it's been in the Bible the whole time. Yes, really. It's there. In fact, check it out - the first chapter of the first book. Really.

Finally (x2), if you don't believe in God as Creator, you might as well not believe in God at all, or the rest of the Bible, or morality, or absolute truth. It is the foundation of our entire belief.

I'll take half

2009-02-11T17:37:00.001-05:00

I've become a HUGE fan of the earbuds that came with my iPhone. It sounds really silly to say that, but for the first 6+ months, I was either using Bluetooth or just the handset. But I have become enamored with the ability to put the headphones in, listen to my music (which is much preferable to the "Top Hits Mix" radio station), and just press a button if I get a phone call.

Here's the dilemma (please refer to a previous post about dilemma vs. problem): I only use the right earbud, on which the microphone also is located. For safety reasons (while driving) and out of courtesy to others (while walking into work or other places), it makes sense to leave one ear "unencumbered." It also lets you enjoy the natural sounds of spring when you're walking through downtown.

So my problem is that I end up with an extra wire/earbud that I have to stuff either in my front pocket or in another stealthy location so as not to pull the right one out of my ear. I think I'll search for a good earbud/mic that is iPhone compatible (has the button for skipping tracks, answering calls, etc) - that has only one earbud. If you have any suggestions, please let me know (since 75% of my readership owns iPhones). And for now, back to Record of the Year - Viva la Vida (or Death and All His Friends).

Fonics is Phun

2009-02-05T13:56:00.005-05:00

Especially when you're talking to a 2 1/2 year old. Case in point...

This afternoon I was helping Amelia wash her hands, and as we were working the soap into a rich lather on her hands (reminiscent of the instructions you'd find on a Pantene shampoo bottle), she asked me, "What kind of soap is this?" I get this question a lot, pretty much every time we wash our hands.

I answered, "liquid soap" (as opposed to "foaming soap" or "anti-bacterial soap.") With an impish little grin, she then proceeded to stick out her tongue as if to lick the soap off her hands. Just as tongue was about to touch soap bubble, I intervened and said, "No, honey, we don't lick soap. Yuck!" To which she replied, "But it's liquid soap, Mommy."

It took me about a second and then it happened: that wonderful, sometimes shocking, flash of insight when for a moment you catch a brief glimpse into the mechanics of the toddler brain, the process of information, and the response that inevitably--but always unpredictably-- follows.

I said "liquid," but she thought "LICK-WID!"

Ah, precious girl, evre da wif u is grat!

~Posted by Ang

I've been Chosen!

2009-01-30T19:32:00.009-05:00

~Posted by Ang

I received this in the mail yesterday from Biltmore Who's Who, a company I've never heard of in my life. But, apparently, my recent professional achievements have caught their attention and made a deep impression. Yes, just when I thought those homemaking skills had gone unnoticed, that my prowess as home manager, wife, and mother was being ignored by society at large, Biltmore Who's Who has stepped in not only to acknowledge but also to publicize the success I've had as an executive in my profession. After all, I am a home executive, right??

Dear [my full name],

You were recently chosen as a potential candidate to represent the professional and business community of Broadlands, Virginia in the Biltmore 2009 Honors Edition of Who's Who Among Executives and Professional Women. [A stay-at-home mom chosen to represent a community whose career women would gasp at the thought of someone so far removed from their business and, in their minds, the professional sector representing them and their business interests?? Yeah right!! I guess they did just say "potential candidate"...]

We are pleased to notify you that your candidacy was formally approved January sixteenth, two thousand nine. Your confirmation will be validated within seven business days following our receipt of your enclosed Verification. [yes, no typo, the v is capitalized]

There is no cost to be listed. However it is by Committee invitation only. [Wow, I feel so honored. But seriously what is with the Orwellian-1984-esque capitalization of words that really do not need to be capitalized.]

The Publishing Committee selected you as a potential candidate, based upon your current standing as well as criteria from executive and professional rosters. [Hmmm, what rosters would those be...nursery committee?] Given your background, the Publishing Director believes your profile would make a fitting addition to our Honors Edition publication. [Aww, now that's just swell.]

Once finalized, your listing will share prominent space in the Biltmore Registry with thousands of fellow achievers across the nation, each representing individual accomplishment within their own geographical area.

Our Registry confirmation deadline for January candidates is February 27, 2009. To ensure you are included in our next edition, we must receive your Verification mailed back on or before that date.

Ms. Davis, on behalf of our Committee I salute your accomplishments. [If you've missed the r in my title, you have no idea of my accomplishments.] Welcome to the Biltmore's Who's Who roster. [Quite an assumption, there.]

Sincerely,
[Registry Administrator]

Well, thank you, Biltmore Who's Who, but instead of a line in your registry, how about free tickets for 4 to take a tour of the Biltmore?? That would be much more in line with my interests, and any networking I care to do can take place in the halls and grounds of one of the most beautiful estates in our nation. I have no idea how you got my name, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't in any documented listing of working professionals in my community, seeing as how if there were one I'm almost certain I wouldn't make it in there, though I'm flattered by your condescension. My "professional accomplishments" are not generally acknowledged by the powers that be here on this earth, and that's fine by me. Nevertheless, your letter was entertaining, so thanks for a good laugh!

P.S. A quick Google search suggests this company/offer is a scam, but no surprise there!

Problem vs. Dilemma

2009-01-28T19:13:00.002-05:00

I walked in the house after work tonight went up to Addy's room where Ang was getting her ready for bed. I said: "I have a slight dilemma," and held up some tweezers.

You see, on the way home, I was using my iPhone's headphones and the right earbud kept falling out. So I just pressed the little earbud in a bit harder. I have "extensions" (for lack of a better word) on my earbuds that let them fit better in my ear with a rubber end on it.

Before going upstairs, I dropped all my accoutrements on the kitchen table. All that is, except for the little rubber end to my right earbud. Ummmm....It was stuck. In my ear.

I found my Leatherman Micra and pulled out the tweezers and then proceeded to find Ang. She shunned the tweezers and just used her pinky fingernail. After a few tugs, it came out. And then she declared: "That was no dilemma!"

Me: "What do you mean?"

Her: "You had a problem."

Me: "Exactly. I had a dilemma."

Her: "No! It's only a dilemma if you have another option. What else were you going to do, leave it in? You had a problem."

To my credit, my other option was to try to take it out myself. =)

Blenders are SOOO 2008

2009-01-28T10:49:00.001-05:00

This is for Abby.

Introducing - the Monster Shredder!!

God sent the snow for me...

2009-01-28T10:42:00.002-05:00

I don't mean to sound egomaniacal, but sometimes I just feel that God makes things happen just for me. To start off, I have been working on a project for a number of weeks and over the last week had polished off a report/presentation for our Board. Then Ang got sick on Sunday and I worked half a day on Monday.

Verdict: Shingles. Yuck. Ouch! She must have had a little something else with it, b/c she had excruciating headaches and high fever (not typical symptoms). Oh, and Vicodin didn't settle well with her body, making Monday night a sleepless one.

So Tuesday night was the day for my presentation. I was scurrying to find a way to be able to leave Ang with the kids, or have someone help out, but it wasn't looking promising (she was really out of it all day). And then, just before noon, we got word that the meetings had been canceled. The snow and ice were too ominous to have the Board/public out late at night. Praise the LORD!

Not that others couldn't have covered for me, but I hate not coming through when asked. So now we'll have it rescheduled, and we'll just pray for the few days leading up that no one gets sick!!

The Little (Wo)Man Wins

2009-01-28T08:00:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to see that Caroline Kennedy didn't make the cut for Senator. I know nothing about her, nor do I know anything about Ms. Gillibrand. But it was obvious that Ms. Kennedy was being consider solely because of her name. Her "strengths" were that she advocated for education and those who were needy. Oh wow - you're describing 72% of the American populous.

Ms. Gillibrand may be a worthwhile candidate - but I think her appointment shows that there is a reward to those who work their way up the ranks. And, she's pro-gun. =)

Refresher

2009-01-21T12:59:00.001-05:00

Ahhh - there's nothing like the mountains in the winter. Especially with single-digit temps and wind chills. Brrrr!!

Thanks to incredibly generous friends (two of our favorite couples), we had the opportunity to take three nights away over the MLK weekend. Despite our thoughts of warmer climates (Phoenix, Miami, Cancun (!) ), we determined that it would be best to stay a little closer to home. After looking around for ideas, I stumbled upon Berkeley Springs, WV, a spa town about 90 minutes from home. Berkeley Springs (officially the "Town of Bath" - don't ask) is known for its natural springs with supposedly healing minerals/nutrients in the water. George Washington frequented the town and his "bath" is still visible.

We found a wonderful B&B (Highlawn Inn) that offered a very comfortable room and incredibly filling and tasty breakfast. It was just "up the hill" in the heart of town, so we pretty much walked the entire time we were there. On Saturday, we hit the spa for a massage/pedicure (Ang indulged in the pedicure - I read in the corner). The rest of the day we wandered about town, stopping in the antique shops, bookstores, and hardware store (it was like a blast to the past - we need a good ol' fashioned hardware store in Ashburn!).

A quick interruption in the narrative - half of Berkeley Springs shuts down in January. The other half shuts down in February. :-) So we didn't get to see every wonderful part of the town. This was particularly the case with restaurants, although we managed decent meals at each turn. The prominent restaurant was closed, and the other really good one was a few miles down the road. That evening we found a decent (okay) dinner and then had dessert across the street. Then, like all good fuddy-duddy old married couples, we were back at the Inn just after 8pm (and just in time to catch "Independence Day" from the beginning, which I don't think either of us had ever done).

Sunday started with the aforementioned breakfast, quiet morning, and a 1 1/2 block walk to the local Methodist church. We were going to go Presbyterian, but it was PCUSA, and not to say all PCUSA churches are bad, but we decided to try Methodist. And it was a home-run! We made it to the "traditional" service (because we didn't want to go to church at 8:15!!), but the singing was pleasant, the people were uber-friendly, and the message was outstanding. We were blessed, to say the least!

The rest of Sunday we traveled to Hagerstown (~45 minutes) and ate lunch at Red Lobster (high eating for Hagerstown), shopped at the outlets (spent more money than we should have), watched two movies (Valkyrie and Marley & Me, in that order, on purpose). Not to pass up the opportunity, we made a quick stop at Krumpe's Do-Nuts on our way back to Berkeley Springs - you're not allowed to be in Hagerstown without getting a Krumpe's.

As for Monday, we had breakfast, packed up our stuff, and then walked into town for one last relaxation - the Roman Baths. In short, a really big tub (mini-pool) in a really humid, private room - where the "healing" waters are a balmy 102 degrees. Very, very, very relaxing. Then, off to lunch and off to Frederick to what we thought would be a quick stop and back home. Ummmm - except for that 45-car pileup on I-70 - which was thankfully in the lanes of the other direction, but still brought our lanes almost to a stop.

Being one who would rather drive out of the way than sit on an interstate, we shot down through who-knows-where Washington Co. Maryland and had the most quaint/beautiful country drive I can remember. It had snowed ~1-2 inches that morning, so everything was surreal. We finally made it to Frederick, grabbed a cup of Joe at our old studying spot (Frederick Coffee Co.) and off to Barnes and Noble for a couple of books.

We finally made it home about 4:30. Our girls were ecstatic to see us, and we got to experience Maggie (M&S's dog) and Dido "play" (which you can imagine, is not really playing at all - Maggie barks at Dido, Dido hisses, Dido jumps on top of the chair and hisses, and Maggie keeps barking).

Two of the three nights, Addy had decided not to sleep for our dear friends. But there must be a kind of calming peace about Mom and Dad being back home, because for the last two nights, she hasn't woken up once during the night. Ahhhhh. So thanks to our friends for such a wonderful opportunity to get away. We love our girls, and missed them almost every minute. But there's something to be said for some quiet vacation time where you don't have to worry about nap schedules and feeding times.

Snow in Berkeley Springs

2009-01-19T13:31:00.001-05:00

It's the perfect snowy day here, but, alas, it's time for us to go
home. We've enjoyed our weekend away and a big shout-out of gratitude
to T and B, M and S for taking care of our kiddos!

As we're driving out of town and enjoying the beautiful white stuff,
one of Amelia's most recent favorite poems is running through my mind.
Just overlook the punctuation and spelling errors-I'm doing this from
memory. :-)

The More It Snows
By A.A. Milne

The more it SNOWS tiddeley-pom
The more it GOES tiddeley-pom
The more it GOES tiddeley-pom
On snowing.

And nobody KNOWS tiddeley-pom
How cold my TOES tiddeley-pom
How cold my TOES tiddeley-pom
Are growing.

Posted by Ang

Sent from my iPhone

Star Wars in 3 minutes

2009-01-16T09:41:00.001-05:00

From someone who's only seen snippets of the original Trilogy. This is great.

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Things I've Learned From "24"

2009-01-14T21:32:00.002-05:00

2) Maybe I've not been paying close enough attention to all the subplots, but it seems like absolutely nothing bad happened in the last 2 years (or was it 3) that Jack Bauer has been out of the country. Seriously. He comes back to face DOJ accusations, and it just so happens that America is about to be strangleheld (?) by terrorists.

So the moral of the story: SEND JACK AWAY! AMERICA IS ONLY SAFE WHEN BAUER IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.

Decline - Sharp Drop

2009-01-14T13:49:00.001-05:00

Precipitous - I really like that word.

[ps - It's the antithesis of the trend of number of comments on my blog. Amazingly, I just had 3 comments posted in an 8-minute period. It's a record!!]

Stiff

2009-01-14T08:55:00.001-05:00

When I came into work this morning, this was the conversation:

People: "How are you?"
Me: "Cold." (I had just walked 5 blocks from the car shop.)
People: "It'll be colder tomorrow."

You see, that's just not comforting. My face is frozen and my legs can barely move. Don't tell me it's getting colder. It doesn't make it any warmer today!!

Things I've Learned From "24"

2009-01-12T21:35:00.002-05:00

You can learn a lot of valuable life lessons from "24." Here's the first and most important.

1) When you're captured by a terrorist for your expertise and told, "Do [insert horrible and treasonous act here] and we won't kill you," don't listen to them. They'll still kill you. Might as well die valiantly by NOT giving away national secrets.

Don't Count Your ....

2009-01-12T12:59:00.001-05:00

It looks like, based on a quick estimation, that we'll get approx $2,000 back in our tax return this year. With two kids, real estate taxes, mortgage interest, and no huge capital gains, my taxable income is ... minute. Which is a good thing, when it comes to taxes.

I had reduced my withholdings at the beginning of the year, knowing that Addy would arrive and benefit us greatly (thanks, kiddo!). I'm not sure I can reduce them anymore, but we'll see....

Our iPod Family

2009-01-12T12:34:00.001-05:00

Amelia has started saying iPod, primarily because I bought Angela a new one for Christmas. It's one thing to hear your children say the normal words (and sentences and songs), but to hear "iPod" out of the mouth of a 2-year old is pretty funny. That, and "Barack Obama." She could be doing something totally unrelated to the TV and we'll be watching news/Morning Joe, and if she hears it, even in her periphery, she'll smile and say, "Barack Oh-BAHHHM-a." Pretty funny.

But anyway, Angela's new iPod is the 2nd gen iPod Touch - it has all the great cool features of the iPhone without the phone (duh!), camera (bummer), and a few other minor things. Oh, and the $30/month data charge you're required to pay (hence, why she didn't want an iPhone). But the great thing is, it keeps all her contacts, calendar, email, etc. No more 3-inch thick Franklin Covey (b/c who needs a highly effective person, anyway?).

But even GREATER - is that she and I sync to the same computer - the quintessential marital expose. What's hers is mine, and what's mine is ours (thank you, Alfalfa). So all our music is shared - if she buys something wireless over iTunes, it syncs to me. If she adds a calendar entry and then syncs to the computer, it populates that calendar entry immediately/wirelessly wherever I am (the beauty of MobileMe, now that it works). We are truly an integrated family.

Now all we need is an iPod Nano for Mia and a Shuffle for Addy - all proportional. Then again, Mia can have my old 30GB iPod (still works, barely), and Addy can chew on Ang's old Mini (it's green!!!).

Finishing vacation

2009-01-10T23:10:00.003-05:00

I'm supposed to be giving Addy her dream-feed right now, but I'm procrastinating. Why, I'm not sure (the football game is basically over - ARIZONA???). Oh, and before the actual post - Ang said she thought she'd take over the dream-feed. You see how that's turned out....but anyway.

We finished our nice vacation with a visit from Angela's parents and grandparents (they came to my folks' house for an evening to have dinner and open presents). I went to bed at 11:30 on New Year's Eve. Then we started packing up, and Friday - after the girls' naps - we hit the road.

Whereas on the trip down the girls did super-great in the hotel room, the return trip reminded us that our angels aren't perfect. I blame it on the fact that Amelia slept for about an hour in the car before we got to the hotel room. I.e. - she wasn't tired at all when it was bed time. And when Amelia is hyped up, running around, and talking - Addy just can't focus or fall asleep (she adores her big sis).

Finally about, oh, 12:30 Addy settled down. And I think Mia finally got quiet at 1 or 1:30 (she was laying in bed, trying to quietly sing "If You're Happy and You Know It" - but she kept clapping her hands and then loudly wispering "HOORAY!" - *sigh*). Of course, they both woke up around 6:30....

A continental b'fast and Starbucks later, we were on the road again (we had stopped in Lake Norman, just north of Charlotte). The girls got a much needed nap and we made it all the way the Christiansburg, VA for a Cracker Barrel breakfast (at noon!).

We got home at 6pm, unloaded, and were just happy to have made it in one piece. Until 2am. I heard a panicked scream from Mia and was on my feet in 1.3 seconds. I paused when she was quite, and then heard another yelp. I ran into her room to find - oh man - she had thrown-up. First time. And she was that combination of scared/upset/hurting/nastiness that comes with throwing-up.

I went and got Ang, and then said, "I don't feel too good myself," although that happens when you jump out of bed in a hurry. She thought, "Yeah, he just doesn't want to deal with it." Except - yeah, I didn't feel too good myself. And so the two of us were sick all night long. I can't complain about Angela not helping me during my turmoil, as she got no sleep and had to change Mia's clothes at least 5/6 times during the night.

I struggled into work on Tuesday because of meetings, but left slightly early. I came home to Ang feeling bad (she had avoided it to this point), shaky, and cold. And less than an hour later she was commiserating with what we had gone through. Hers passed more quickly than mine (though just as violent), but that's b/c I got short bits of sleep between "bouts." She couldn't sleep, so it seemed almost constant. Thankfully, when I watched the girls on Wednesday as Ang got her needed rest, Mia was still really tired and getting over her sickness, so she slept almost all day long. And Addy had her best naps she's ever had for me - so I wasn't too terribly stressed.

We're all better now - just still taking it easy on certain foods. And now we can successfully check that box that says we've survived our child having the stomach bug.

The Non-Blogger Returns

2009-01-06T09:25:00.008-05:00

(posted by Ang)

Perhaps it's the new year or --more likely --perhaps it's the fact that both my dear daughters are taking a morning nap, for the first time EVER both asleep at the same time in the morning. (Amelia is sick with the stomach flu, hence the morning nap.)

So I found myself composing, for the upteenth time, a blog in my head after enjoying a little quiet time and prayer after putting Addy to bed. If you faithful bloggers only knew how many blogs I've composed in my head since the creation of this blog that never make it to the keyboard, or, if they do make it past the keyboard they never get into the "publish post" phase. When I do have the luxury of time to sit down and pen my thoughts, I usually turn to journaling in a private journal, as I've done for as long as I can remember since I learned how to write. The difference there is HUGE -no need to worry about my grammar or spell-checking or wondering if every little word I say will be analyzed by someone I don't even know. (Yeah, I think way too much about these things! Hence, the blog once every two years...sometimes!)

Okay, so the real impetus for me posting this morning is really that I read a WONDERFUL devotion and wanted to share it! Emailing is sooo five years ago, I'm told, so I'm posting it here. Read it, don't read it--your call. But whatever you decide, you can thank me later for not cluttering your email inbox. ;-)

Before getting to the meat of the post, a little background...over our Christmas vacation which we spent with Danny's folks, we had the privilege of being part of their church fellowship on Sunday. They participate in a home church with several other families and enjoy an intimate time of worship, prayer, and studying the Word. It's a wonderful and beautiful way of "doing church," and we always enjoy the opportunity to be there for this time. Anyway, during the sharing time, one of the ladies shared a testimony of God's faithfulness in the recent trials of her life and mentioned how He had used, specifically, Isaiah 43:2 to give her hope and peace. I would say "ironically," but I believe it's much more accurate to say that providentially, when I turned to one of my favorite devotionals this morning (entitled Streams in the Desert, if you're interested), the reading for today was based on that very text. After a long weekend spent taking care of a sick daughter and husband and getting very little sleep (about 2-1/2 hours in a 48-hour period which is still EXTREMELY difficult for me despite my experience with sleep-deprivation), I was REALLY encouraged by this and hope you will be too!

"When thou passest through the waters....they shall not overflow thee." Isaiah 43:2

God does not open paths for us in advance of our coming. He does not promise help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the edge of our need, God's hand is stretched out.

Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do it only step by step as they may need. You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread death, and lament that they have not "dying grace." Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; they will have dying grace when they come to die. J.R.M.

"When thou passest through the waters"
Deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge,
And His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it,
He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters
Thou shalt not go down, BUT THROUGH."

Sea of sorry, seas of trial,
Bitterest anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation
Sweeping over heart and brain--
They shall never overflow us
For we know His word is true;
All His waves and all His billows
He will lead us safely through.

Threatening breakers of destruction
Doubt's insidious undertow,
Shall not sink us, shall not drag us
Out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise shall sustain us,
Praise the lord, whose Word is true!
We shall not go down, or under,
For He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."

Annie Johnson Flint.

Did I mention? (redux)

2008-12-30T18:04:00.000-05:00

Sunset.

Did I mention?

2008-12-30T13:49:00.001-05:00

How much I enjoy vacation at my parents' house???

Playoffs??

2008-12-28T23:26:00.001-05:00

Ed Hochuli is the happiest man in the NFL. The San Diego Chargers just
c-rushed the Broncos to make the playoffs.

Bottom story of the day: bengals beat the chiefs.

Sent from my iPhone

Driving Tips with Impending Winter Weather

2008-12-22T11:48:00.001-05:00

From: Loudoun Sheriff

---------------------------------------

Loudoun County, Virginia- Loudoun Sheriff Steve Simpson is advising motorists to make sure their vehicles are equipped with a well-stocked winter driving kit. "By ensuring their vehicle is properly maintained drivers can keep safe this winter by driving defensively and always buckling up," said Simpson.

A winter driving kit should include the following items:

• Properly fitting tire chains
• Bag of sand or salt (or kitty litter)
• Traction mats
• Snow shovel
• Snow brush
• Ice scraper
• Booster cables
• Warning devices such as flares or emergency lights
• Fuel line de-icer (methanol, also called methyl alcohol or methyl hydrate)
• Extra windshield wiper fluid appropriate for sub-freezing temperatures
• Roll of paper towels
• Flashlight and a portable flashing light (and extra batteries)
• Blanket
• Extra clothing, including hat and wind-proof pants, and warm footwear
• First aid kit
• Snack bars or other "emergency" food and water
• Matches and emergency candles - only use with a window opened to prevent
build-up of carbon monoxide.
• Road maps.
• "Call Police" or other help signs or brightly colored banners.

The Sheriff's Office recommends not forgetting to pack your wife and kids, too. Should the winter driving kit impair your ability to safely fit all members of your family in your vehicle, leave one or more family members at home. Start with the oldest and most capable, as the Sheriff's Office never recommends leaving young children alone at home.

Finally, the Sheriff's Office reminds citizens that sleeping in one's car is a violation of Ordinance 480.02 (Parking Restrictions). Although your winter driving kit may afford you all the necessities for multiple days of "camping out," such action is inadvisable and illegal. "The purpose of the winter driving kit is not to encourage the enjoyment of driving or family activities," Sheriff Simpson declared.

[Okay, so the last two paragraphs were editorial in nature; although I submit that one could easily infer such sentiments from the actual press release. We're driving to GA on Tuesday night; rest assured we will NOT have kitty litter in the car with us.]

Morning Joe

2008-12-18T21:25:00.002-05:00

During the campaign, a co-worker of mine got me hooked on watching "Morning Joe" on MSNBC. I hesitated at first, due to the network's leaning toward the left. But this is different. Unlike the yelling of Chris Matthews, the antics of Keith Olbermann, and the sarcasm of Rachel Maddow, "Morning Joe" with Joe Scarborough is actually a very level, informative, and enjoyable morning show.

I was never a fan of "Fox & Friends" - to me, it was shallow and silly. But I'm really impressed by the lineup of guests on Joe - both left and right. Pat Buchanan is a regular, Harold Ford shows up, Dillon from CNBC, etc etc. Joe is a former Congressman (R) from FL, lives in DC, and seems awfully level-headed.

You should check it out. Oh, and Mika was staying at the Ritz in Georgetown (supposedly) when the following occurred. The Ritz is where Ang and I took a little 5-year anniversary weekend before Addy was born. It's hard to imagine something like this happening at a hotel like that, in a decent part of the District.

The answer...

2008-12-18T10:45:00.001-05:00

Previously I asked "The Critical Question" about what happens to UAW workers when a plant is "idled." The answer??

"The more than 30,000 Chrysler workers in the United States represented by the UAW receive nearly full benefits and wages during plant shutdowns, but labor costs represent only about 10 percent of the total cost of the average vehicle."

Oh, so since it represents only about 10 percent of the total cost of the average vehicle, it's okay TO CONTINUE TO PAY THEM WHILE THEY'RE NOT WORKING??!!?? Wow. Some kind of contract. Tell that to the PG County staff who are mandated to take 2 weeks of furlough (ie, unpaid leave) because of the economy.

Congrats - You now have Auto-Tithe

2008-12-15T22:03:00.002-05:00

Tithing. I grew up Southern Baptist, so it was a given. My parents were faithful in giving; they made sure my brother and I tithed out of everything. (And I appreciate them for that, and for the example).

Our church up here in NoVA doesn't take an offering, which I think many might say is more Biblical (don't let your left hand know what your right hand does), doesn't pressure someone to give, and lets you give out of your cheerful heart.

Except it's easy to forget. Especially when you're juggling two kids, a car seat, bible, coffee mugs, and coats into the service. And chatting (fellowshipping) with friends. So I seem to get to the end of the year and need to catch up for the past 8-10 months. What to do?

The auto-tithe. Set up an online, recurring payment using the church's easy website. Put a certain amount to be debited from your account weekly, monthly, however you like. You don't have to forget, because it remembers for you.

Except I seem to think you lose the "cheerful giver" part of the whole process when it's simply an online transaction. Where is the recognition of sacrifice (besides looking at your bank statement after the fact)? Where is the decision that this gift takes precedence over a new tv, that piece of software, that nice dinner in Georgetown (that trip to Italy!). I just haven't been convinced.

So for now, Ang is my auto-tithe. Not that I don't want to do it, but I'll likely continue to forget. If nothing else, she'll remind me, or I'll remember to remind her. And I think, sitting in the service during worship, it will tweak my attitude just a little bit to remember whose I am, and who it all belongs to.

Shout out to Atlanta

2008-12-15T21:48:00.002-05:00

This post, for no particular reason, is about two Atlanta companies. The topics have nothing to do with each other, and the thoughts came entirely at different times. But I'm online, the kiddos are asleep, and I just had two pieces of pizza (relevance?).

1) Coke - have you ever noticed how the price of one size Coke vs. another at the grocery store can be vastly different? You have to check each size/type/style to find the best deal. Case in point - the 12-pack of 12-ounce cans was on sale for $4.99. Not bad. But the 6-pack of 1/2 liter bottles was buy-one-get-one-free - for $4.19. So 12 bottles, with over 12% more Coke per bottle, was in fact almost 20% cheaper. Sweet (but be careful, the won't be on sale next week, and it'll be 33% more expensive than the cans!).

2) Delta - just read about them putting WiFi on their airplanes. Nice move. Filtering out VoIP, bad sites, etc. Nice move. Network utilizes cell-towers?? What? I thought we had to turn our cell phones off because it could *cough* "interfere" with the navigational equipment of the airplane (and surely lead us straight into some mountain in Florida). But now, we can use those exact.same.cell.towers to send a mysteriously innocuous signal to the airplane to then - WHAT? - distribute out via WiFi to all our comfy friends. I dunno - seems like it's gotta be double-standard. But when you have the threat of a "federal offense" to back you up (for not listening to a flight attendant), then I guess there's no chance for the people to revolt.

Something's not right

2008-12-15T21:46:00.001-05:00

DeMarcus Ware (Cowboys) has 19 sacks on the season. The entire Redskins defense? 21.

Sigh.....

The critical question

2008-12-14T14:13:00.002-05:00

So according to this story, GM will cut production significantly in 1Q 2009. Great. But where does it mention anything about: furloughs, staff cuts, cost containment measures, or the such. What does the "idling" of plants mean? Will the UAW employees still get paid, just not to do anything? Please, if you want my money (yes, it's my money being doled out), do your part. Don't stick with the status quo.

Thank you.

Boo-yah!!

2008-12-14T14:10:00.001-05:00

What did I say (or "report"): "Emanuel caught on tape"

Passengers Stranded as Ferry Gets Stuck in Potomac River | NBC Washington

2008-12-12T09:21:00.001-05:00

* Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.

Reason #1 not to take White's Ferry....

Click the following to access the sent link:

Passengers Stranded as Ferry Gets Stuck in Potomac River \| NBC Washington*


Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email content from any Web site. Click here for more information.

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Meatloaf

2008-12-09T15:22:00.002-05:00

I realize that meatloaf strikes fear in the hearts of many people. I like the dish; and Amelia used to devour it. Yes, used to. But, some background....

Yesterday was crazy. I ended up having to work late (last minute). Ang came into Leesburg to pick up meals to take to a family (and one to keep for ourselves!). Then, she had to teach piano at 7. I got home at 6:40. You see where this is going.

Oh yeah, and I had to run to Sterling to pick something up before 9pm in order to open the doors for our 8:30am meeting today. So I got home, Ang ran out the door, Addy had just finished a bottle, and Mia was not wanting to finish her meatloaf. Fine, I thought, we'll save the last two bites in case she's hungry later.

It wasn't until I was putting her in the car that I realized she still had meatloaf in her mouth. We made our "quick" errand (it's amazing that it can take 20 minutes to get to the Cascades Library - although it is 9 miles away), got back home, and she needed to go to bed (she didn't sleep during nap time).

I gave her some milk, and when it was almost time for bed I said, "Amelia, you have 1 minute to swallow your meatloaf. If you do not, we will not brush your teeth (a favorite thing to do), I will not tuck you in and say your prayers with you, and you will go straight to bed." Wanna guess what happened?

Yeah - still meatloaf. Amazingly she didn't fuss when I left her in bed (she was soooo tired). We were a bit concerned about leaving her in bed with food in her mouth, but it was very much chewed up (I knew that for a fact), and couldn't choke her. So this morning when she woke up, I thought surely she'd have just swallowed it during the night. Nope. Still meatloaf. In the mouth. A few pieces had fallen out and were in her bed, but most of it was still in her mouth. Probably a tablespoon full.

We finally just let her spit it out in the sink (didn't want her swallowing 12-hour old meatloaf!!). I almost took a picture, but that would have been gross.

It's a Bonus!

2008-12-09T14:08:00.003-05:00

If you had asked me yesterday who Blagojevich is, I'd have guessed he's one of the new breed of Hungarian/Serbian basketball players making an impact in the NBA. Ummmm, guess not.

Just so happens he's the governor of Illinois. Just so happens he got the benefit of choosing the person to fill Obama's Senate seat. Just so happens he...WHAT??...tried to "sell" this slot. $500,000 here, $150,000 there, and BOOM - you're a Senator. Suh-weet!

I've already heard one political pundit state that Illinois politics is incredibly intertwined and corrupt, and that Rahm Emanuel can't be too far separated from this incident. In fact, said person stated that Mr. Emanuel should have to resign as Chief of Staff before even taking the position.

Remember, people. This is change we can believe in.

Christmas first

2008-12-07T20:44:00.001-05:00

We decided to buy a real tree this year. And yeah- it's cold out. 24
right now with a stiff breeze.