A Lighter Side of Things

I listen to a podcast on my iPod as often as they update it, called "Stuck in the 80s." It's part of the Tampa-St Pete paper blogs and it rocks. Seriously! Sometimes I get some thoughts about things to write here. Indirectly, the Stuck crew and my son had me thinking today.

My baby (he's going on 7 next month) is reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid. See B&N page http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Diary-of-a-Wimpy-Kid/Jeff-Kinney/e/9780810993136 to see what has my child smiling, laughing and reading it aloud. He's becoming his big brother with the nose in a book everywhere he goes. The teachers at school tonight said that it's always with him. :) At least he's reading!

Anyways, last night when he's settling in for the night, lights out, radio playing... I hear him talking from my living room. I wander back to his room to see what was up. I ask Little Man "What are you talking about?" "Dodgeball. You're a target and you can't get hit and you have to move." I don't know what goes on in his brain but it was constantly going from 630am yesterday to the time he tried to go to bed.

This leads me to the question this evening... think back to those horrendous middle school years... bad hair, cheesy makeup, even cheesier clothes (can you say parachute pants?)... what is your worst memory and your best memory?

I think about PE and shudder to think about how geeky I was. Picked last (even in elementary school because I couldn't kick in kickball that well) for dodgeball. Easy prey for the more athletic kids in the group. :D Rejection of the guy you asked to dance at the Junior High Spring Dance. (that still hurts today LOL)

Just something to think about and be thankful for this month as we give thanks for all we're given! I survived middle school, and turned out relatively ok! There is hope for the boys. :)

Can You Please Explain...

Change we can believe in... WTH does it mean?

I see Maddie Albright and Warren Christopher are part of BHusseinO's "transition team." (after my ramble, I saw an article about Christopher that puts it in doubt but Headline News this morning says NO LESS THAN SIX Clinton folks are part of the "change we can believe in" transition tour - PLEASE EXPLAIN!?!!!!!!!)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but are we reliving the 90s? Did Hillary get elected after all? I mean this is a repeat of people who were there before and certainly not "change 'I' can believe in." I didn't care for the admin (and I DO realize this is just transition) who had those two yahoos in it the first time.... bringing back the dead just amazes me. Well, maybe not... BHO is our messiah, right?

As to other changes... it's back to the old new deal... take from those who work hard for it to give to those who don't. Hmmmmmmmmm...

And, if you don't get this on your national / local news wherever you call home... Minot (and really the state of ND) is a bubble. Housing costs are exploding here along with values. Do these people realize there is a falling economy? Or that they'll be the second page stories in 5-10 years because they were given home loans they couldn't afford NOW?

Election Burnout and Socialism

Ok... I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new job. I'm burning out on the TV coverage of the "election." I say #1 it's a paid for presidency if Hussein wins and #2 I am ever so thankful I matured and grew up and didn't go into journalism. I can't watch my soaps during work so it's a little limited in my watching ;D Seriously though, the news is a bit much with election and market coverage. I want some days to be like NoDaks and bury my head in the northern prairie ground and say it'll all be fine, "We're drilling baby drilling!"

My next complaint is that our children and any who took government after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the USSR. (for you youngsters who are saying huh? USSR is what Russia used to be a part of and with Putin in charge, one wonders if he doesn't want it back. The Berlin Wall was a symbol and reality of the communism of Europe)

What do I mean by condemning those post-Wall generations? I was scared of nukes long ago growing up. (still but that's another issue) The Commies were the worst! Socialism isn't how we wanted to live. Move forward just 20 years and look how far BACKWARD we have come from the mentality of socialism being not so good. It's now what BHusseinO wants for each and every one of us freedom loving Americans to live with.

What? You're shocked or lost? Didn't have a good government teacher or class in high school or college? Gee I'm so surprised. SERIOUSLY Folks! Remember my talking about Germany and it's 19%... they STLL pay a premium for health care. "Spread the wealth"?? BHO is doing nothing but shouting from his pedastool that he's going to invoke socialism on each and everyone of us. What happened to coming to this country and working hard to succeed? Instead we're going to have to give to people who won't get off their arse to make an honest living? When it's spoken from the pedastool, all seem to be in awe and not willing to do a little work. Let me get some definitions of SOCIALISM. Maybe you can learn something from Joe the Plumber and me?

Oh while on the education (or lack of) rant... We are NOT part of a democracy. While all votes do count, they don't directly count. Democracy would give us all a vote that goes in one pot to the president. Instead it's in a state pot that then is thrown in to the national pot of the 535 voters who cast their votes in December.

From BrainyQuote.com's site: Socialism is a theory or system of social reform which contemplates a complete reconstruction of society, with a more just and equitable distribution of property and labor. In popular usage, the term is often employed to indicate any lawless, revolutionary social scheme. See Communism, Fourierism, Saint-Simonianism, forms of socialism.

1. A theory or policy of social organization which aims at or advocates the ownership and control of the means of production, capital, land, property, etc., by the community as a whole, and their administration or distribution in the interests of all.
2. A state of society in which things are held or used in common.

Interesting article for reading: http://www.conservative-resources.com/definition-of-socialism.html Actually lots of good points.

While searching for a good definition other than "spreading the wealth", giving to those who won't do more, and so on, I found something I hadn't thought about before. Maybe homeschooling is a better choice? Schools are a socialist experience. Everyone being taught the same thing to get the same outcome, Good grades. If Little Man didn't have the issues he had, I may be back on the homeschooling bandwagon for myself. As I keep telling people with the schools, and this is where the socialism part should have slapped me upside the head.... Teachers have to teach to the Lowest Common Denominator. Thus, have the kid with 99 IQ and the kid with the 190 IQ in the classroom, 199 is BORED OUT OF HIS GOURD so that everyone can learn at the 99 level.

I had more gathered thoughts to share but have lost all hope at this point in my ramblings. I'm disgusted by all the election "coverage" out there. Saw a political cartoon the other day... Poor Joe The Plumber had been run over with tire tracks on him. A tank with MEDIA on the side and an BHusseinO sticker on the back had run him down. The bubble said "So that's what it means to be in the tank." Made me laugh, yet want to scream at the idiots who claim to be "non-partisan." Ever watch Hardball or Maher this year? I don't suggest being a conservative going on there due to life expectancy rates dropping badly. They eat up and chew the conservatives!

Have a super Sunday... maybe I'll be out here posting more. :) It's going to be a bumpy road!

Quote for Today

It comes from Dickens... If only I'd seen it sooner, I could be screaming it louder! :)

"Ride on! Rough-shod if need be, smooth-shod if that will do, but ride on! Ride on over all obstacles, and win the race!" – Charles Dickens

Quote of the Day

"Luck? I don't know anything about luck. I've never banked on it and I'm afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work — and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't." – Lucille Ball

I am alive, maybe not so well, but I am breathing and on the correct side of the daisies. :D

Work has started like gangbusters and I'm fitting in just fine, or so they say. It's a great group of folks to work with. Great boss. And I'm just around the corner for incidents at school or youth center for the wee one. He's having a good start too! I'm so amazed and keep waiting for something to happen, but the transition for mom back to work seems to be ok so far. :)

Hope your fall is super! Matthew and I made a scarecrow at our base "fall fest" last weekend and he's cute. Maybe I'll remember to take his picture this weekend to share here!

Funny DNC Moment and Other Assorted Rambles

We were watching a few moments of the DNC last night... not intently because I keep hoping HRCs supporters take over and cause a problem... but just to see what we'd missed with BHusseinO's wife speaking. Unfortunately she hadn't yet.

Anyways.... it's just before 9 when we were flipping channels and the cuckoo clock rang 9... who was on my TV screen at that exact moment on one of the channels in a replay of its performance earlier?? EDWARD KENNEDY! David with his dry humor says, "How appropriate."

I am so freaking tired of the love fest for BHO. I heard a poll yesterday speaking of our country being split this way: 60% conservative and 36% liberal. Yet, why on earth do I have to hear the sound of lip smacking backside from the media? I'm disgusted as a former wanna be journalist. Something you learn (or used to anyway) in journalism school is that one must be OBJECTIVE and report BOTH SIDES. CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and all of their casts of characters, do NOT show objectiveness, but a love of all things costly. Something to think about... how's BHO going to pay for his grand schemes? On our backs.

Something else I heard yesterday... the conservative Italian got booted a couple of years ago due to discontent with the economy. Well, new guy came in and raised taxes and the economy has continued on the bad trend. Guess what?!?!!? Yep, the right winger is back in power. There are some advantages to having a parliamentary system... like not having to wait 4 years or 8 to get rid of the bastards.

Just some food for thought as you get to your day.

I have a....

well, according to MLKJr, it was a dream... according to me and the headache of election coverage, I have a HEADACHE.

I'm amazed to think Hillary had thought she would get a chance at the White House with BHusseinO. She screwed it up the first time she was president... I mean VP... Oh heck, I mean the first leech.

Now, BHusseinO thinks he has the corner on running a campaign. I will admit, I've been amused by the attempt to lay low and pull one over on the media with the not so secret secret of Joe Biden being picked for VP. Playing it this way ensures a week or so of nothing but a Democrat love fest at the convention and on TV with the media going "Oh BHussein... come talk to me. I will be nice to you and not throw hard questions like 'how the heck do you plan to fund national health care other than taxing us all to the grave and beyond'." I'm sick just thinking of it now. I wish my work had started this week, not next, so I don't become a convention junkie. The one I'd be more interested in isn't this week. And those hard questions the liberal media won't ask BHusseinO, where do you think they'll get asked instead?

BHusseinO is a liberal socialist. Take from the "rich" (some of our military members are lucky enough to own a house in one location to live in and another to rent to possibly retire in - they're now rich - BHusseinO needs to come visit some military posts/bases before making that decision stick) and give to the poor. Not a bad idea right? Well, it is. I'm tired of hearing how someone can't do something... get off one's bum and find a job. Lord knows people who want to go to school/college that can't get a grant because they make "too much" can't get goverment help - there must be lots for those who are less fortunate.

Why people insist on having a hand out and badmouthing those who have something for the work they've done, I've not figured out. This country, I thought, was built on the backs of people who came here for something better and worked for it. Today, some people just won't lift a finger to do something for themselves. "Oh poor is me." What if we all decided to take that path? Where would we be then? No one works? No taxes collected? Makes you think a bit?

I have more thoughts today but have to go run an errand... have a super Saturday afternoon.

Change Change Change

Just thinking out loud....

I think (and yes, I'm an arrogant but respectful world traveler) that the USA is the best country by far. I've heard what socialized medicine is to people in Great Britain and Germany. I have a version of it with military care. I can roam about whenever and wherever I want without someone saying "I vant to see your papers." We have so many natural wonders in this country that pretty much put to shame even the most fabulous castles in Europe. Grand Canyon, Arches National Park, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier... I can go on, but won't.

This is my pondering the last week or so... if America is such a great country, why does someone insist on being the person to "change" it? Yeah, all countries have their problems... ours is a two party government and people wanting something for free. We want government to not be so nosey, but we (generic, certainly not me) want something from them.

Yes, we could have health care for everyone. We can also be run into the ground like Jimmy Carter did us in the 70s. TAX TAX TAX! Oh and SPEND SPEND SPEND! While health care paid for by the government would be nice... think about it... WE PAY FOR IT. TAXES. Want to pay more? The Germans pay 19% for their VAT (Value Added Tax) on everything. So buying that $10 item in the store would add another $2. Take that out further to think big... $100 adds an extra $20. Of course, they don't actually see the price and the tax... it's ADDED to the price. The cost of goods in this country sucks right now and adding more government mandates just will add more to the cost.

Well, that's my ramble for the moment. I have some other thoughts after having escaped the confines of the state of North Dakota for a few days, if only over the border. I need to go out tomorrow with the boys and take some pictures... you should see the sunflower fields around here. OMG!!! It's a beautiful sea of yellow, and it's not one of my colors. :D There is one additional site I like about ND... the sunflowers and welcome signs to SD, MT, MN and Canada. LOL I really did want to return, if only to come home to where my stuff is. :) Home is where my family is.... for a few days it was the Mall of America.

Oh, one more thought... oh I'll save it for my post about our trip to the Twin Cities.

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Countdown started.... we're T-27 days to the first day of school and the return to my freedom. This assumes I don't find a job between now and then first.

I'm half-heartedly looking for an office job on base and figured out it's IMPOSSIBLE unless you have an "in." Don't know how to get the "in" but I'm trying. I did get email stating my name was being sent to the "employing agency." Well, they emailed a few days later to see if Iwas still interested. Well, that was last Tuesday. It's now 10 days later, email and voice mail later, I have NOT heard from the office again. I'm trying to not bug them to death, but at least tell me you're not interested in my talents to work in your office. Don't be rude and blow me off. Seeing as the phone went to voice mail yesterday, and she's still not returned the call, I'm wondering if she's out of town. So, do I email her again tomorrow? Or just give up on this endeavour. I'm so mad. I was hoping to at least get an interview. Give me a shot! It's only a TEMPORARY job til September 30, so it's not like a "real" job. BUT, one to get me "in" the system.

Back to happy thoughts... I think the boys and i will do some school shopping this weekend or next week. Matthew needs some long pants and shirts. I think we've got short sleeves covered and could use some bigger fleece jackets. Winter is only 2 months away. You know... October... Halloween... costumes that fit over snowsuits. God bless the North Plains!

I'm off... more than you ever could imagine LOL But I need to drop someone a line about t-shirts for the school PTA to sell. I need to get those ordered like yesterday. Lovely.

Have a good night!

Learning To Ride A Bike

Well, just a couple days after our USAF family's loss, my husband climbed back into the plane.

Was I nervous? TERRIBLY! Was it all going to be ok? Yes.

In short, Tuesday night, I didn't go to sleep. I woke up hubby at 130 to get ready to go in. He went in and was to take off in the wee hours. I sat on my porch for an hour, watching the lightning storm all around us, waiting on the plane to take off. It pops into my view and it was beautiful. I knew they had gotten underway.

Things in life can often be thought of as learning to ride a bike. You fall off the bike, only to get back on, quickly preferably, and try try again. Training in the military is often like that too. To ensure our freedoms, they must be ready at a moment's notice. An our hearts all still are broken about the crash in Guam, but to honor those we lost and continue to be mission ready, the rest of our airmen must go on. Hard to let DH go out the door, but he has to do what he must. :*)

Continue holding the families in prayers. We are missing a group of fine aviators and doctor. May they have comfort at this time.

Our Family

... not my blood family, but my Air Force family, sadly has lost some more members. In a community where there are only two bases, the chances that someone you know was either on the plane, or friends with someone who was, are pretty good.

Yesterday's crash in Guam hits so close to home for us. We live the life, see the B52s flying daily as we do our daily activities. It's one of the most awesome planes to see in flight. My youngest is learning to appreciate that bird in the sky now that he's old enough to know about them. When the C-130 was spraying for skeeters, Matthew asked, "Is that a B52?"

Sometimes in our lives, military or civilian, we become complacement, don't think that tomorrow might be our last. After having been out of the community for over five years, my husband climbing back in the cockpit of the BUFF didn't make me nervous. Those first ten years, I hated his flying, dreaded those days, and just was glad to hear his voice on the phone saying "I'm on the ground. I'll be home in a little while." Until yesterday morning, I had kind of taken for granted the idea, and just kissed him goodbye each flight, and would see him later in the day, or early in the morning. Not any more. I will make the most of our time together, love and live like it's the last time. This certainly isn't a wonderful assignment, but I am blessed to have my boys and my husband here. We must bloom where planted, and while it might be hard, my family (blood and AF) are here with me and part of me.

So tonight, as I head to bed, might we remember the words Ronald Reagan quoted after the Challenger, written by Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee, who was killed 11 December 1941.

HIGH FLIGHT
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Lord, be with those families tonight who await word on their loved ones. Lord bless and keep them. May they know they're not alone. Give them strength and peace, even in this moment. Lord, just wrap them in your loving arms and comfort them. Amen.

Road Update

It was opened the other day :) YAY! No more watching those needing reading comprehension classes come down our street to only turn around.
It's so much quicker getting off this flipping base now! :)

It's That Time of Year...

Summer! Bugs! STATE FAIR TIME!
Somehow we missed out on this the first time here, but will probably go today to take in the great NoDak State Fair. After growing up on Ohio's version (and being to the California fair once), I'm not so sure how underwhelemed I'll be when it's said and done. How much better can it be than the butter cow and milkshakes? Ohio has the dairy area, complete with butter sculpture, ice cream and milkshakes. It is a MUST DO stop while there. It was probably my favorite thing to do at the fair, other than the commercial buildings. (I want a shamwow... what are the odds that they'd have that in Minot?)

BUTTER SCULPTURE FACTS
• The butter sculpture tradition began at the Ohio State Fair in the early 1900s, when Ohio State University and dairy processors sponsored sculpting contests. The appearance of the butter cow and calf became an annual fair tradition in the 1920s, after the Dairy Products Building opened.
• In the 1960s, the display's sponsors — the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council Mid-East — added another featured sculpture, usually a human celebrity with an Ohio connection.
• Featured sculptures over the years have included: astronauts Neil Armstrong and John Glenn, professional golfer Jack Nicklaus, Star Wars' villain Darth Vader, Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, A Tribute to the Columbus Zoo and A Tribute to Milk Delivery.
• About 1,000 pounds of butter are used for the displays.
• About 500,000 people visit the sculptures every year.
• Butter sculptures have gained national attention. In 1987, the sculpture of Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, of suburban Columbus, appeared on NBC's Late Night with David Letterman. In 1997, Sports Illustrated featured a photo of the butter sculpture tribute to Ohio State football coach John Cooper. (Hmmmmm, there's a mistake some would rather forget! LOL)
A short story with pic of cow, from the Lantern, tOSUs student paper... http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2005/08/11/Campus/Butter.Cow.Is.Udderly.Popular-966584.shtml
Some more pics of works.... I guess I might actually really go today to the fair here.... it has to be OK. http://www.dispatch.com/live/foundation/slideshow.jsp?file=/multimedia/daily_slideshows/2007/07/fairbutter.html&image=1&adsec=multimedia&tot=10

Did you know they claim 250,000 attendees at the fair here? Hopefully they don't all come this afternoon. I'm not one for crowds.

I'm off to get ready for the day... make sure I have the camera... maybe NoDak has something awesome like the butter sculpture. I'm feeling kind of young thinking about the dairy area in Columbus. :)

Y-town Boys Do It Again!

Shout out to the Ohio boys.......... Thanks for doing the deed and killing the skeeters off! :D
The C-130, like this one, were in town last night to spray the base and today the town of Minot. They come out of Ohio to help care for the bad bugs! They have been out in force the last few nights making sitting on the porch terrible! The bites on my legs suck, so to speak.
Anyways... I'm so happy for this event. Hopefully the spray will do some good, and not kill off our birds that live in the ditch eating up skeeters.

Discovery

I went to the casino last weekend and spent a fun several hours in Newtown ND. Ok, TECHNICALLY, it's west of Newtown. :) Hard to believe that place started the same year we were first so lucky to be assigned here in Minot.

Driving home at 2 in the morning, one sometimes is enlightened to things. One of them last weekend? A reason to remember for a positive about being in the middle of nowhere! SERIOUSLY.

Until you get out from the "city lights" of Minot or the base, you don't realize just how many stars there really are in the sky at night. It was like someone threw white dots on a piece of black paper, and not a small amount of them.

So, my understanding is there are meteor showers to behold next month. My suggestion for folks? Drive 30 or 40 miles out of town, somewhere that NO ONE LIVES, and get comfy. You'll be shown an amazing sight! I suggest highly finding a quiet road with no one. SERIOUSLY. The road to Newtown? There are lonely fires burning from the oil wells that are popping up on the prairie these days. No houses. Just wells. And deer. And coyotes. I think that is the kind of sky God was thinking of and showed to Abraham when talking about his descendants. Not necessarily the ND sky, but that's ok.

ND does have a cool sky at night when you can get away from "cities." Enjoy your own sky wherever you are! Even my hometown area where I grew up had that same chance of seeing lots and lots and lots of stars.

Quote for Today

"Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were easy; in the one case that confidence may not fall asleep, in the other that it may not be dismayed."
– From Baltasar Gracin y Morales

Miss North Dakota

Just an update on the young officer representing Minot in the Miss ND contest.

Well, she is the first runner up! And there's even a contest for that position in this country. In the base paper, she says she's not sure she'll compete in it, but at least her future didn't end at the pageant. Miss Harper did well! YAY!
The Minot paper article: http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/516180.html
And the base paper, http://www.northernsentry.com/mafb%20internet%202.pdf Nice article about her and her family came up to see her compete.

I still giggle at it all but she did great!

Quote for Today

"We are, each of us, angels with only one wing, and we can only fly embracing each other."
– Luciano Decrescenzo

Quote For Today

"Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever."
– Margaret Cho

Quote for the Morning (just in case I find more)

Laugh at yourself and at life and nothing can touch you.
Louise Hay

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT! HEY!

The week long peacefulness comes to an end abruptly around 7 or 8pm. Manchild returns from camp. Actually, I'm excited for his return. I want to hear how camp went. I asked another parent with hubby and child at the camp how things went. They abandoned the tents once for a siren but that was it. Phew! Knowing the storms we had this past week, I was sure at least one would get to them.

We also got invited to dinner in town with a friend of mine. :) I'm so excited! Her parents are even in town. How cool is that? I've got to figure out something to make for a dessert in a hurry. Might just be a frosted cake. :) Lord knows I have enough boxes of cake mix in this house. We won't go hungry! LOL

I finished a baby afghan this week. It's adorable. And yes, I'll get a picture of it out here eventually. It was white and from a book of patterns using the pound of yarn skeins. It was called Snowballs. (he he he) And looks like little snowballs alternating in the row and each row. This one is just one skein. Actually, I used a little bigger hook and used a little bit of the second white one I bought last week to finish off about 4 rows and the border. Now to return to the Granny Ohio Star afghan I started awhile back. The only thing I really hate about granny squares is having to weave in the ends and then sew the pieces together. The first one I'm doing is two blues and cream. The next one I want to do is red, white and blue. :) I also have yarn to do a brighter pink, turquoise, yellow and black sqared afghan. I really do enjoy the peacefulness found in crocheting.

Oh the small child speaks up... "We've got to go back to Germany." I asked why... "Because you don't like this place." He hears a lot more than I realize some days. Poor thing. I would love to go back to Germany, but with his problems, it's not possible for an assignment. A trip? Yes. For a tour? No. :( Poor kid! Attitude change I guess I need. Maybe with the sun out a little more these days, I can swing it and Matthew will forget about wanting to return to the lovely country of Deutschland. (as much as I'd love to go back too!)

Well, it's time to think about that dessert for dinner tonight. We're being treated to grilled ribs. YUMMMMMMMMY!

It's That Season Again...

... and sadly, it's not FOOTBALL! :D

Moving season is here again, in full force. We've already since April had 3, maybe 4 families move out of our little neighborhood. This morning there is a Wheaton truck in the street to move another one out. One of the ones with the trailer in its driveway. THANK YOU LORD!! I am tired of living in trailerparkville.

There is at least one other family on our street moving this summer as well. I'm somewhat sad about it. (not the trailer though!) The lady who suggested we go to town and get Matthew diagnosed is moving. :( We actually see her today for a physical, so I can see when their moving truck will show up.

Friends retired a couple of weeks ago, finally (ceremony was in April), to New Mexico. I already miss them! Several others are either going or will be soon. This is one aspect, like other friends, that I hate about our nomadic lifestyle. But then again, it's an opportunity to meet more people who share the lifestyle we do. And maybe have kids my children's ages. :) There's always ulterior motives to my thinking.

So watch out for those moving vans this summer! Slow down! Kids abound around those things usually!

My Suggestion Today

People need to take a reading comprehension class. I don't mean the kids who are in reading NOW... I mean ADULTS. I essentially live on a cul de sac currently thanks to the massive construction thanks to the Wonder Triplets. (another day another story)

Anyways... this is the second week of a sign at the end of our street saying "NO THRU STREET." My house sits at the end of that street where it crosses mine. My living room window is ground zero if someone's breaks fail and go thru the yield sign. At least 5 times a day, I watch cars come flying down to this corner, start to turn right (and some even do thinking it'll change as it goes past the other two houses?) and realize the road is CLOSED. Apparently, the English language is lost on these folks. It isn't even 10am yet, and I've seen one car already this morning go thru the motions. Amazing isn't it?

What is the average reading comprehension in this country? I know I've read since I was little (not like the boys who were reading in kindy), but still was reading early, and often and still do. Dictionaries are abundant I think. Libraries are free. PEOPLE! Get out there and read!!!!!!! And learn the definition of NO THRU STREET - It doesn't go anywhere except to about 20 houses in my neighborhood!

Maybe the video professor guy (I think it's video... on TV... commercials) should have a reading DVD. :D

Suggestion today? Sign up your kids for a summer reading program and join in the adult one while you're at it! Might work your brain a bit and you might learn some new words! :)

Quote for Today

"The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment, it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone."
– Orison Swett Marden

Could It Be!?!?!?!?

Summer? Arriving in Minot? Noooooooooooooo way!

I think it has finally shown up after nearly a month of waiting... the pool opens TODAY! Not that I'm running over to jump in, but just the principle of the fact that it "opened" Memorial Day weekend, it's not been OPEN. Gotta love the weather up here. I don't know why the Services folks waste money printing posters and flyers out with that weekend listed as "opening day" for the pool... it NEVER happens. Do you doubt global warming exists? Based on the lovely weather here, I doubt it.

That all said, I move on to proof of perhaps something stinks in Denmark. (misquoting Shakespeare :D) Anyways... 1993 the big Mississippi flooding... 500 year floods... I caught news this morning that at Hannibal Missouri (Here I thought only Iowa was having problems thanks to our super great awesome liberal lying media) the river will likely crest just below the 1993 levels. That's kind of serious! We had just had manchild at the time in California, and we were wanting to drive home to Ohio from California (young and dumb :)) so the family could see the kid before heading up here to the great white frozen tundra. We decided not to due to the flooding of the midwest. Anyways... this gives me pause to think, PERHAPS, global warming does happen. Or else, it's just bad luck to live near WATER that CAN RISE from TIME TO TIME. If the flood insurance costs too much, then MOVE. Sorry. Just one of those things I don't like to pay for other people's mistakes when it comes to poor decision making and my insurance costs!

I again am venturing east to Ohio tomorrow thru Saturday... I hope we can get from here to there!

So ... yes! Summer has finally decided to show up here in Minot. My little pal Pixie on the page... at the 955 reading this morning it was already 70. Almost here! WOOO WOOOO WOOOOO HOOOOOO!

Quote For Today

"I have accepted fear as a part of life, specifically the fear of change, the fear of the unknown. I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: Turn back, turn back; you'll die if you venture too far."
– Erica Jong

Virginia Living in ND

I know now what I missed when we headed to Ohio in 2003, and skipped the Isabel experience. (Isabel being a hurricane) I watched the storm clouds gather today. But prior, I visited with the neighbor, got CG off to camp, went to town shopping. (quilt shop and hobby lobby)

I come back to the house, and realize the storm is moving QUICKLY into our area. I'm watching neighbors gathering up outdoor items. I get the chit off the front porch and get ready to move the trash cans inside, open the garage door, only to realize the rain had started already. And my trash is spilled out across the yard and the neighbor's yard. Fun! Matthew is a huddle of mush in the bathroom. We were REALLY scared. The wind gusts were predicted to be up to 70mph. The only thing we were missing was a funnel cloud. I thank God it didn't materialize! The little trees in everyone's front yards in the neighborhood were bent over in the wind at about 90 degrees. It stormed for maybe an hour, and now the sun is out to the west and it's stormy blue to the east.

So now, I think we're going to enjoy a quiet evening in the house since the ground is just too wet to go out and play.

Again, this wish, you are dry and well. We certainly have been lucky with the rain this week. It rained A LOT, but those folks in Iowa... my heart and prayers are with you.

Just Pondering

If the comments didn't have SOME air of truth somewhere, would one fight so hard to disprove them?
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/fightthesmearshome/

I'll have to go look again at the birth certificate... just curious if you can see it bigger. Interesting color for the 60s. :D

Ok, seriously, it really is curious that they have to put out this site to "fight the smear" they claim. It's going to be a LONG summer, and a LONG SITE, and my SHORT patience.

Quote For Today

"We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it."
– Abraham Lincoln

Quote for Today

"Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over."
– F. Scott Fitzgerald

Quote for Today

My life to a tee! :)

"You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm."
– Sidonie Gabrielle Colette aka Colette

I certainly live life to the fullest I can most of the time, and have looked the fool many times. :)

Hope you're dry wherever you are. We're being poured upon this morning. I've decided (long ago actually) that global warming does NOT exist in any form. It's barely hit 60 this week in ND. How can people claim warming when it's COLD here and it's nearly summer FINALLY! At least the creek in my backyard is a long ways from the back part of my house.

Keep your powder dry! Have a good day.

Pet Peeves

Oh too many to list today but I'll start with the one that bugs me at this moment.

Does anyone have a LAND LINE in their house anymore? I got information for contacting someone, and it's a cell number. Ok, no problem if it's a LOCAL number. It's in a different area code. NOT LOCAL. And if someone doesn't have a cell phone to burn minutes on, they're paying $0.12/ minute (I think mine is 12 cents a minute to call long distance on the land line, in my house, local to neighbors) to phone the guy to give him a message. WTH are people thinking, especially in our lifestyles, by not changing numbers or having a land line? Friend of mine just moved and retired to NM. She called me today. Fortunately we're both on Verizon so it costs us no minutes. She's going to, what a concept, change her number to a LOCAL NM phone number for the folks where they currently live!

The person I got contact info from is in my area so I could walk over and visit and ask my questions, but it's the principle that matters at this point. They moved here before us, so he's had plenty o' time to change that number. Doing a quick search of whitepages.com, they have no listing for the folks either. Oh well. Email is always good... a few days and they eventually answer. :)

My other peeve? I haven't confirmed this, but I believe they teach our children in ND to drive in the left hand lane of the road. Or they did at one point in time. They don't seem to be bothered by the fact the left lane is for PASSING, not hanging out in. I thought maybe it was just a couple stupid people. NOPE! It's constantly going on. I thought maybe it was just in the Minot area. NOPE! It's all over the state.

Lesson for driving: #1) Left lane is for PASSING. #2) GET THE HECK OUT OF THE LEFT LANE IF YOU'RE NOT PASSING! #3) Use your turn signals! That's my other one that absolutely drives me nuts... people not using turn signals. I do NOT read minds in spite of what my children may believe.

I've got some political rants for later. I need to do some more searching on the one topic, then I can rant more on it :) have a great afternoon!

One More Quiz

Surprised me! I got 9//10... how about you? I wish I knew what I got right... some were wild guesses.

The point of this quiz/exercise is to see just how bad our education system is. Throwing more money at education hasn't fixed it yet. Throwing FEDERAL mandates at it doesn't work either. Try to convince a Congressman that it doesn't work to throw more money at stuff, and you'll have a battle royale on your hands. They're idiots in Congress I think. They're good people until they get there, then it's like they forget who the "little people" were that got them there.

Guess I best save this rant for another post. :) On to your challenge today...

You Passed 8th Grade Geography

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Geography?

What European City Do You Belong In?

When one answers BEER for one of the questions, Paris was not my thought of where I'd end up LOL Maybe it was the art question? Or the intellectual and philosophical answer? I was hoping for some wonderful German town. :)
Where do you end up? (I can't say I agree with Paris since I only drove thru Paris on the way to and from Normandy)

You Belong in Paris

You enjoy all that life has to offer, and you can appreciate the fine tastes and sites of Paris. You're the perfect person to wander the streets of Paris aimlessly, enjoying architecture and a crepe.

What European City Do You Belong In?

Quote for the Day

We are all pencils in the hand of God.
Mother Teresa

Quote For Today

"To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle."
– George Orwell

Seems Hillary has to work on this. She didn't sound enthusiastic in her "concession" speech today.

Thought for Today

"Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever."
– Isak Denison

OH do I need to take this one to heart.
May your day be wonderful... I believe it's Friday and it's also 5 o'clock somewhere this very moment. :)

Change

I know I said I can't stand the campaigning going on for months, no, YEARS, but this great opportunity every four years, is peaceful in this country. We don't have threats for going to the polls. We are free to make our decisions to vote for whoever (right or wrong LOL) we want.

Obama has this "great" theme of "Change we can believe in." I've only been eligible to vote for president since 1988. (I voted for local stuff when I turned 18 in 87) I've voted every time for a president. I've also heard that thing about change. How this or that candidate will change things in Washington for the betterment of our country. It starts out nice, then by the end of one's term, it's the SSDD. (that's same stuff different day for some who don't know) Clinton, Bush, and whoever wins this year, did and will promise grand things for us as a whole, yet when the historians look back in 10 or 50 or 100 years... it's all the same thing, just gussied up for the people.

We as a whole in the USA look for the guy who speaks the best, promises the most and makes the "rich" look like they're the evil ones. If it weren't for the rich folks, how many of us would have jobs? Someone has to look past the glitter and smooth talk to see what the candidates really mean and want. Don't fall for it. Prove my opinion of this nation as a whole... Looking for the best speech maker? Looking for honest plans? Being a candidate is much like school teaching these days... LCD. Got to play to the lowest common denominator within the group you're speaking to or working with. Not everyone is a rocket scientist.

So, when you're thinking about November and the snow that comes with it... oh wait, that's here... but when you're thinking about it... REMEMBER... they ALL preach about change. They ALL sing a different tune when they reach that peak. I want change I can believe in... just not sure it's a dem or rep.

It's late and I'm sleepy... might get to slumberland before 2am this morning. :)

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Thought this would be a fun one with the neverending campaign going on. Not a surprise for me. How about you?

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 85% Conservative, 15% Liberal Social Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Ethics: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Well, they got the right brained creativity thing going for me. :) Oh and Sports. LOL Is it August yet? I'm ready for some football! And it needn't be Monday night. :)

You Are 30% Left Brained, 70% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

The Simpsons Personality Test

You Are Marge Simpson

You're a devoted family member who loves unconditionally. Sometimes, though, you dream about living a wild secret life! You will be remembered for: your good cooking and evading the police Your life philosophy: "You should listen to your heart, and not the voices in your head."

The Simpsons Personality Test

Quote For Today

"The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas."
– Linus Pauling

How true for a crafty person, eh?

Sportmanship

Man! What a Stanley Cup final! Too bad we waited until tonight to watch a game.

We grew up west of Pittsburgh by what now takes an hour or so, in eastern Ohio. When my brother and I were little, my dad would drive over to the Civic Arena to see the Penguins fight... I mean play hockey. They sucked back then, so it was relatively inexpensive to go see games. There's nothing like a live hockey game in person!

Well, the level of "sportsmanship" I've seen in recent years, in particular, really only, in baseball, majors, stinks. You remember going thru the line shaking (or swatting at) the other team's hands? In the MLB, they shake their own team's hands. Shameful! Kids look up to these sportsmen, rightly or wrongly, and what a terrible example they show.

Tonight, the Pens and Redwings skated by each other shaking hands after the game.
College football teams gather together midfield and take a knee to pray often after games.

So the hiss is out to Major League Baseball! Let the hockey and football players show what it means to be a good sport. Funny thinking how it's the violent sports that show it, eh?

Guess this is my one good thing about Minot in a round about way... HOCKEY! They love it up here. :) Maybe this next winter, we'll be downtown to catch some games. Or even better yet?!? Ohio State plays Nebraska Omaha in hockey... next winter, I'm driving to catch a game. How fun would that be?! We've seen the Buckeyes play football in Minneapolis. What's another sport to go check out? :)

Well, isn't that interesting...

AP has crowned Obama the winner of the Democrat presidential candidate. Hmmmmm... does anyone realize that the super delegates don't actually count until the convention? I only learned that this last week. So, while he might be gaining all these "votes", not until August, unless Hillary gives up (DOUBTFUL), Obama isn't the official candidate.

That all said... I hope Hillary makes it ugly for another 2.5 months. I just want it to be chaos for the Democrats.

Then again... maybe I don't. I've been watching campaign crap for 1.5+ years now. Does anyone find this incredibly annoying? We have an incredible lack of involvement with voting in this country, yet the press continually shoves the campaign down our throats. Perhaps they might one day realize we don't really care until it's about October?

I might find myself actually NOT voting this fall. And I'll not complain. If you don't vote, don't complain. If you vote, by all means, be as voiciferous as you can be.

I found an interesting blog comment today on Seder's blog. Someone said basically that they'd be so happy with an Obama presidency, waiting for the Republicans to start complaining about the president, and the Democrats saying they shouldn't complain about the president in war. Hmmmmmmmmmm... from what I have gotten watching the endless media push for Obama, he will have brought all our military home from Iraq when he takes office. No one at war then. Is it ok to complain then?

Just thinking out loud...

Matthew

He went to his first wedding over the weekend. AND, imagine this... he was pretty well behaved! And adorable. "Weddings are AWESOME!" Ask his favorite part... "dancing with the lady in the long white dress." At least the bride was a good sport about it. :) Matthew danced an entire song with her and just LOVED the time with her. Check out the Springhill Pavillion online... it's where the wedding and reception was. It's beautiful out there! And, if you have ever seen The Horse Whisperer, the dance scene was filmed there. Guess I have to watch that now that I've been there.

Might I suggest a trip to Bozeman, Montana.... it's green, has mountains, and isn't Minot. :) They have a museum, http://www.museumoftherockies.org and we had a couple of hours in there. They were in between travelling exhibits, so it was partially not open to us. The museum has an outdoor section with a wonderful old homestead, with garden and blacksmith shop. The ladies inside were quite helpful and I got invited to join in an EGA meeting next time I get to Bozeman. They were spinning their own yarn, doing some quilting and weaving.

Did I mention the wee man has made it thru kindergarten? Yep. Survived it! YAY! Goes on to first grade August 28. He said "I'm bored" a few weeks before the year ended. Lord help us! He's going to be bored with the work for a few years to come considering his intelligence. We're off to the library in the morning. It's time to start some summer reading. We also got Matthew signed up for T-ball this summer. I only hope it'll go well for him... he's never played, but was interested. He is excited. But he also thinks he will be at the play area on base with the pitching machine. Yikes! Oh, and tomorrow is also a visit to the shot folks. Oh boy! The youth center now requires the kids to have Hep A shots to play. ARGH! I'll have to ask about no mercury shots. I'm not terribly happy about having to get him another shot.

Well, I think that catches you up for now. It's been deliciously quiet here this week with manchild at camp near Devil's Lake. At least he gets to see more of ND than he remembers from being a little guy in the 90s. :)

Dental Visit

Let's see... the family of dentists in town have two practices. They made money off our family last week. I went in Tuesday for my appointment to get that filling done. Fortunately, it's done. They gave me happy gas too! LOL I'm going to insist on that just to clean my teeth. I'll pay whatever it takes to help relax me. It's worth it! A week later, and my teeth aren't hurting. They're still quite sensitive, but they were before this all started.

Matthew had a check up the next day at his dentist. I had gone in and explained his autism diagnosis since our last visit. (first visit we explained the sensory issues) They marked his file to have him in his own room vs the 5 chair public assembly line area normally for the kids. He went back by himself. :) He had no cavities! Dentist says he's doing well with brushing. AND, by the end of summer, my baby will have likely lost his front lower middle teeth. The one is WIGGLING! The other is loose. How awesome is that! Well, for him, quite so.

The manchild has his next appointment in a month. We'll see if he has more cavities or not. Reminds me, I need to call the orthodontist and see about hubby going to talk to him sometime. It's amazing what it costs for braces. Let alone, the manchild might need to have some oral surgery done prior to the braces. At least he's braver than I.

Quote for Today

"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses."
– Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

Thought for Today

And a special day it is for us all...

OUR DEBT TO THE HEROIC MEN AND VALIANT WOMEN IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY CAN NEVER BE REPAID. THEY HAVE EARNED OUR UNDYING GRATITUDE. AMERICA WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR SACRIFICES.

PRESIDENT HARRY S TRUMAN
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

This quote is found at Normandy.

Memorial Day

In 2006, we had a most memorable opportunity to say thank you and salute our fallen soldiers from WWII.

Memorial Day weekend, 2006, we (the boys, Daddy and me) took a camping trip with the Boy Scouts. Since I watched the 50th anniversary happenings in June, 1994, I knew I had to one day go there. We went to Normandy, to the cemetery. The scouts were able to camp ON THE GRUONDS at the cemetery. There is a line of trees to the east of the cemetery rows, and behind there is a small clearing where we were able to set up camp.

Shortly after arriving, settling in, getting up tents, we were able to wander the grounds and take it all in. We wandered down to the shore to walk where our veterans came across the beach that fateful June so long ago. The chills one gets just sitting here remembering our trip and experience of camping on the grounds... This is one memory that will always be with me. I hope that our scouts, my own boys and those who have ever had that opportunity, to just visit Normandy, will take away an appreciation of what was given that day.

We had a German bus driver for our weekend trip. The humorous part of this entire trip was that the driver knew where the brothers that the movie "Saving Private Ryan" was base upon, were buried within the cemetery. Follow this link: http://www.battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/normandy_american_cemetery.htm to near the bottom to a section about "Personalities." You will find the Niland brothers along with some other interesting facts.

A map from Google.com of the cemetery... http://www.satellite-sightseer.com/id/2571.

Something I had forgotten about, but while looking for some pictures, I found this fact: There are among the over 9000 buried there, 38 sets of brothers buried there, and there are 33 sets of brothers buried side by side. I can only imagine the pain of the families back home recieving news of ONE son, husband, brother lost in the war, but to have lost two and have them resting in the same place, it truly shows the great price the "Greatest Generation" paid for us today.

If you are out today, please be sure to thank a veteran. While we were in Germany, the other opportunity we had was to put new flags on the graves of US soldiers buried in the Heidelberg area. They had stayed and had families there in some cases. One Sergeant, who we searched and searched for his gravesite one day, was buried with his wife's family in their plot. We couldn't immediately find him because of this. But once we did, we saw a small marker stating he was a US soldier.

I, for one, am very thankful for those who have gone before. May the Lord bless and keep you and yours!

Rejoicing in Dust Bowl!

Instead of Mudville :D

Don't know the official count yet, but we had rain and more rain and even more rain yesterday and last night. I told my oldest that we'd likely be seeing farmers in the field, FINALLY, putting out crops for the growing season, however short that may be this year.

As of 1pm yesterday, Bismarck had had 1/2" of rain. They didn't mention Minot, since it's the Bismarck station. :)

But there is some good news... farmers will be planting if they haven't yet. And maybe we'll stop hearing about the drought for awhile. And my lawn will need mowed this week sometime as parts of it, the greener ones or just the GREEN ONES, are getting a little tall. Now to get someone out to clean up the deer poop from the winter! They would eat in our backyard during the winter, so there is poop and dead spots where no grass has come back yet. They hadn't had a winter with the grass in the yard prior to our moving in. Thank goodness for self help it would seem, if you like grass seed laced with weed seed. Seems they'll give you free grass seed to reseed the yard, but don't mention the weeds are also in there. So, they give you weed killer too. How nice of them, making us do the work twice :)

Hopefully this rain will have helped the greening up of the yard overall. I've been avoiding that trip to self-help.

Support Your Local Economy

Well, sadly my trip to Winnipeg to see Neil Diamond in concert come September has been scratched. That old man must be in desperate need of cash, NOW. The tickets to go see him, at least in Winnipeg and Sioux City, IA, started around $115. HOW INSANE!

So, Minot hosts two big money makers, or at least, takers, each year. In July is the State Fair, and in October is the Hostfest. Both this year have some decent concerts coming in. I'm just too cheap to spend even $65 for Sugarland or Trace Adkins. So, where does this leave me?

Under $50 to see the old man of country... Kenny Rogers. Oh yeah! Well, actually, it's dependent on one thing... if the Hostfest people tell me I have to buy a daily admission ticket (last year $25 for the privilege to shop and eat, at YOUR expense - Thankfully I went on the military day so it was free and I ain't stupid!) to go to the concert. Which then brings the tickets up to about the $65-70 range, and I won't go on the principle of it. Why would I have to pay to get into a building only to see the concert? So hopefully, the ticket to the show is enough and I won't have to pay more to get into the show. I haven't seen KR since I was MAYBE a teenager.

Next thing I need to do in support of the community's economy is get a zoo pass. Since we can't afford too much travelling (thank you DC) this summer, most of our money will be spent around Minot. I figure we'll be at the zoo at least a couple times a month. Think they would bring in some new animals each month to keep our attention? :D

And another thing...

I discovered yesterday that this state truly does sit about the middle of nowhere AND this country....

I was talking about how it took about 24 hours to drive to my hometown in Ohio. The assistant has a family member in Oceanside CA, and from Bismarck it's a 24 hour drive. Which absolutely floored me... I figured CA was another day away. Then again, I'm not exactly sure where Oceanside is, so San Diego could still be another day away :)

But from my home in Ohio to DC is about 6 hours. Yep. Middle of nothing, middle of the country. Ohio had a theme, might still have it, of being "The heart of it all." At least it's beating still :)



Saw this map while seeing if I couldn't find some pictures of those land features north of Bismarck... found map, no pics yet. Hopefully I can find some.

The Tooth Problem... Continues...

So, 4 weeks after my initial visit to the Dr Pain's office in town, I get to drive the extremely painful and boring and fall asleep at the wheel trip to Bismarck, grand metropolis of North Dakota.

Appointment cost of $45 later, and $44.05 to top off the tank on the way home, I am root canal-less. Yes! YAY! no problem, right? Well, no. I wasted my DHs and mine afternoon (my baby's last in Kindy) driving across hell to see a man who dresses like a gas station attendant, poke and prod and make my teeth (which finally DIDN'T) HURT again, only to be told (and this is a good thing LOL) I didn't need a root canal. BUT, I do need a filling, ASAP, then if there is still trouble, I can make that "short" trip to "town" to get a root canal done. Then again, it's better to have the expert in this procedure say "NO you don't need this." and send me on my way than the dentist locally to have tried it herself and made things worse.

So, here I sit, tooth hurting on and off, again, but with an appointment to go see the original dentist on Tuesday for a nice juicy filling on my back molar. Have I mentioned that I'd much rather give birth again than to endure 5 minutes in the dental seat of torture? I let both the local gal and the endo in Bismarck know my feelings. :D Bad Mom! BAD!

Of course, the assistant is making small talk as I sit in tears waiting for this exam yesterday... "How long you been here?" I say "This time?" "Oh you came back." Not that we really had a choice. I was nice about it and said how we were probably where we needed to be with my son's autism and a good free education. Plus, Bismarck has all the cool food! Ruby Tuesday, Cracker Barrel and yesterday's meal of choice prior to the appointment... RED LOBSTER. I had to crack up (and should have said something - maybe I can email them LOL) when they bring out the little board with "Today's fresh catch" choices. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... I do know that at one time this was an area underwater (should remained so!) and probably had lots of seafood, but it's not today. So, me thinks "fresh" catch was "fresh frozen" to make the trek to the great white north of ND.

Speaking of the fact this once was ocean... coming north out of Bismarck are some really cool land formations. I need to remember to stop and take pictures next time I am sleeping on the way to/from Bismarck. Mini volcanoes like dot the landscape west of Highway 83. It looks like an old ocean floor bottom! So, I did find something neat to look at, briefly, in ND. We venture to Montana next weekend, but not enough time to do much siteseeing... maybe I'll find more. Might have to stop at the Dino museum that's in Dickinson and only open like 2 months of the year. If I didn't blog about that, I might have to give a brief story on that fall fiasco. At least we didn't DRIVE ALL THE WAY THERE, to find out it was closed. Talk about having been even more upset that there is nothing here to do. :)

Well, off to find some advil/ibuprofen to get rid of this ache. I have a feeling me and the grease monkey will be meeting up later this summer. I wonder if he could just schedule several days of root canals in minot, use someone's office, and just do it here. When gas reaches $5, I don't know that I'll be able to afford another trip to freaking civilization.

Has American Culture Ruined You?

After 2+ years in Europe, I don't need a steenkin' quiz to tell me this :D

You've Been a Little Ruined by American Culture

Whether you live in the US or not, deep down you're a little American. And there's nothing wrong with loving American culture, but it may have negative effects on your life. Slow down and enjoy what you have. Reconnect with life's simple pleasures. You don't need to be in a consumerist rat race. Life's too short to overwork yourself!

Has American Culture Ruined You?

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Me to a T... I must say YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

You Are Apple Pie

You're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional. You prefer things the way you've always known them. You'll admit that you're old fashioned, and you don't see anything wrong with that. Your tastes and preferences are classic. And classic never goes out of style. Those who like you crave security. People can rely on you to be true to yourself - and true to them. You're loyal, trustworthy, and comfortable in your own skin. And because of these qualities, you've definitely earned a lot of respect.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

What Dessert?

Makes me think of when my uncle returned from the desert and GWI. The welcome home party invite said to bring a "desert item." Someone misspelled DESSERT, as in sweet and yummy vs sandy and hot. A wonderful friend being a good sport (and elem school teacher) brought a stuffed camel AND dessert.

You Are Cheesecake

Rich, sweet, and simply perfect. You're not boring - you're just the best!

What Dessert Are You Most Like?

Quote For Today

"The power of imagination makes us infinite."
– John Muir

How awesome a thought!!

New Chuckle

I'm spending more and more time at Matthew's school. This week was teacher appreciation so we had lunch for them each day.

Yesterday, the principal and I had quality time that didn't involve my child being in trouble... well, not exactly.

He asked if I'd heard the story of Matthew and the custodian. I said that I hadn't. I'm intrigued as I've just gotten to know the guy this week as well. LOL

Well, Matthew was in the hall with MrsG and MrT was out there as well. Matthew, plain as day, and as innocent as can be, says "Good morning MrT!!! How the hell are you?" Of course, MrT and MrsG have to stifle their laughter and tell Matthew how wrong it is to say such things.

Guess this explains the note earlier in the week that said "Matthew had a little trouble with language today." I just wonder where he got that phrase! I don't know that I've used that one exactly.

I can only imagine, as the principal pointed out, how many things one hears in a 20-30 year career that are gems. My note to you today is WRITE THEM DOWN!!!! You might compile enough for a book one day. And you certainly don't have to be a teacher or a parent to find these type gems in life :)

The picture is of Matthew yesterday at the bowling alley. They trekked down to the BA (as we affectionately call it) for a couple rousing games of bowling under the flourescent lighting. Good thing they did it early! It started raining yesterday afternoon. (and then it was snow by dark)

And You Wonder WHY I Don't Care For The Place?

Let's see.... this is my jeep last night... MAY NINTH. Can you see the snow flakes? I can. On the ground, in the air, ON THE FREAKING JEEP! Should I be happy to know that it SHOULD be in the 50s today and the 60s tomorrow? Well, most normal people would be, but the problem is that quick weather change means quick get sick time. I already have one child on antibiotics for a nasty sinus infection that started in another change of weather time. Lovely.


Ok... I'm still figuring out adding pics to this stupid thing. The second picture is of the manchild last night at his JROTC banquet. (OK... I've played with it again and figured it out! YAY ME!) He got three new ribbons for his uniform, 2 of which he didn't expect to get. The biggest surprise? When the MC described the award, I had written him off already... "For sustained superior performance in the cadet corps exemplified through outstanding leadership, AFJROTC participation, academic performance and service to the community, school and unit." I said, "That's not CG." And tuned out. Then I heard his name. I was so proud that he won! (I watched one of the other freshman win one after another after another in the fall, so I expected to see her shiny little (she's about 4' MAYBE) face up there :)) Imagine my surprise and pride in the manchild! He's struggling with other stuff but seems to enjoy this class. The award was given out by Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. I think he was most proud of that award. :)

Well, as this week finally grinds to a halt, maybe I can find my sanity again. Today is the postal service food drive. I should go to the food pantry sometime today and see how that is working out. They've got a couple of airmen working to put stuff in and up on the shelves if I remember my talk with one of the firsts earlier in the week, when I hadn't completely lost my mind. Tonight will be the first night I stay home and not go out since Monday. Oh heck. I just realized we were out Monday. BUT, it was with the boys. So maybe that's why CG remembers me being home that night LOL

Here's to the snow melting, quickly, soon... i see sunshine and I saw drips off my gutters. And I see steam out my window.... how strange... My luck would be the backyard on fire. Wouldn't that be fun!

Which leads me to another thing... The county we are surrounded by, Ward, is under a burn ban due to drought conditions. The base, all knowing, lifted its ban the other day. Someone related a story of someone driving on their street and flicking out a cigarette as they drove past. (her DH did his thing and person came back to pick up the butt) Why do some people living in a community like ours think they're so isolated??!!? Just lifting the "ban" on base doesn't mean we magically are immune to a grass fire breaking out because of some dumb broad's stupidity. Flick your butts in the car folks! I like my new house for the most part. And I don't know that the triplets could get funding for more housing again. I'd hope it were funding to close a place down that has snow on MAY NINTH!!!!!

Today's Chuckle

Seen at school, on sign in/out sheet for kids: Reason for tardiness - BAD DAD

That is funny! Apparently he was running a little late :)

The Multi Billion $$$ Question

In what I always considered a conservative state, can someone answer why the Wonder Triplets Congressmen are ALL democrats?

I only ponder this out loud today because of the dinner the boys and I had tonight in town. We stopped at Kroll's. I like people watching, but had to eavesdrop instead on conversation. (and NOT ALL of it, just caught the political since I LOVE political stuff) The table closest to us was talking about the primaries last night. "I don't want her (Hillary Clinton) in the White House; it'll be Mr & Mrs President." I just chuckled. My oldest kind of looks at me like a screw had loosened or fell out, but I found it quite funny.

Later they spoke about the conservative nature of the state. I didn't think anyone else questioned the fact of the Wonder Triplets being liberals representing them, badly. I always wondered how they remained in power, election after election. I felt so gooooood hearing someone from here say out loud the things that I wonder about when watching the latest moves in DC thru the Minot news stations.

And being that the Triplets have served at least since the mid-90s, perhaps, maybe, it's more like TRILLION, not Billion. Reference the new BS (bomb squadron silly people!) or the latest attempt to provide aid for farmers in the US) Maybe they're from Fargo? Ed Schultz is from over that way. He's just a little lib. I remember him swooning on AFN on his national show last year sometime when Hillary was on his talk show. Imagine MY surprise to learn where he did his show from!

Til later... it's a busy week around here... Maybe when I have time I can add up just what the Triplets have passed in Congress and find out if it is B or TR. :)

Like this was a Surprise?

You Are 81% Manic

You're not just manic ... you're a complete maniac! You never stop to do anything, including think things through. While your mania is definitely a wild ride, maybe you should consider pacing yourself.

Are You Manic?

Quote For Today

"Defensive strategy never has produced ultimate victory."
– General Douglas MacArthur

Quote For Today

We worry about what a child will be tomorrow, yet we forget
that he is someone today.
~~Stacia Tauscher

Still Waiting

Seems dentists work dentist hours. Well, some of them. The guy I'm trying to get an appointment with in Bismarck doesn't seem to work Fridays. So, after trying at all hours of the day Friday, no one, no answering machine, no answering service, picked up. Tomorrow morning I start all over. :) At least I'm not sucking the whole bottle of ibuprofen down anymore. The antibiotics seem to have worked. YAY for medicine.

I hope that the least they can do is see me this week before Thursday. CG is off to Winnipeg for a French trip. (do they speak french in Winnipeg like, say, Quebec?) And David leaves. I have to be home Friday for Matthew to go to the reading club celebration thing. I'd hate for him to miss it due to my tooth problem.

And then our economy... commisery (aka commissary) prices just keep going up and up and up and up. I guess I'm glad to not shop much on the economy. Or maybe I should... the commisery probably figures no one likes the drive to town and just yanks our money out of the pocket. Hmmmmmmmmm Might have to do some comparison shopping sometime. And the BX gas station... it's charging more than in town. I thought AAFES was here to do us a favor? Yet again, FOILED! I realize we're not their concern. Cheap gas in town is (or was yesterday) $3.44, it's $3.49 on base.
That "stimulus" check we're getting? I get to stimulate the Bismarck dental community and not anything else. Nice, isn't it? Actually, I'm really glad the timing is working out with that check. Having bought the Jeep and having THREE cars to upkeep with gas and insurance now, the budget gets tighter.

OH! You've been waiting on the one bright spot in this dismal assignment. I'm still looking, but we did have a good dinner out with good retiring friends last night! We drove to the great metropolis of Velva, just a short 19 mile trip east of Minot on highway 52. Velva is the home to Eric Sevareid, famed journalist, one of the "Murrow Boys." He is now on a stamp for the USPS having been released this week
Anyways... that's the one claim to fame for Velva. That and the Pioneer Bar's Saturday night Prime Rib Dinner! YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! You can choose from petite, queen, king and 24 oz cuts of rib. Side potato and coleslaw. Quite tasty. Don't ask for fancy beer, liquor or dessert... you won't find it. I don't even think they had beer on tap. DH overloaded the waitress' circuit board asking for glenfidditch and something more than Michelob Light. We decided to not ask about wine. And iced tea? Your only opportunity is Long Island. :) Food good. Service decent. Alcohol choices? Better elsewhere, but when the company is good, it's AWESOME and doesn't matter what there is to drink. We went to DQ for dessert afterwards. :) Quite the fun time.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Quote for Today

"It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly."
– Isaac Asimov

New ones just sprout up, don't they? :D

Quote for Today

Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come.
Robert H. Schuller

He's not lived up here ;D Spring doesn't come LOL
Seriously, though, good thing to ponder in the week I've had, isn't it?

Dental Woes Continued

Well, there are definitely NO endodontists in Minot. As the hygeinest (I don't spell nor am I in the mood to look it up) pointed out this morning, we wouldn't send you to Bismarck if we didn't have to. I think she knows how disgusted I am with the situation of living up here. She also told me it was only 1.5 hours to Bismarck. Uh, no. It's more like 2. TWO FREAKING SERIOUSLY LONG ARSED HOURS. She also pointed out that "In other areas of the country you'd have to drive 1.5 hours to get to a specialist." Uh, wrong again. In VA, it was maybe 20 minutes to the guy who did the last one. Yeah, I've been down the root canal road before. It's not fun. It's even more not fun when I'm told the closest is 2 hours away. Just did a quick search in Ohio for one. Within 2 hours drive of my hometown, there are SEVERAL. Point being there, is there are restaurants, points of interest, family on the way from point A to point B. There ain't NOTHING from here to Bismarck but the Missouri River aka Lake Sakakawea. Maybe if there were something to stop and do (other than nature LOL), I'd not mind the boring 2 hour drive to Bismarck for "civilization."

Did I mention no one works in this office on Friday? Yep. I got this wonderful little flyer on this great endo. Call first thing this morning to get my toothache resolved hopefully in a few days prior to my DH leaving for a few weeks, and NO ONE answers. NO ANSWERING machine to say "Sorry sucker. No one's working today." Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Zip. Don't need my business apparently.

Thus I've now had breakdown #2 thia week. I really don't mind small towns. I grew up in one. I mind being in the middle of nowhere that it takes days to go anywhere I want to go and have a good time that doesn't involve guns and reels, just plastic retail therapy. At the end of this assignment and DHs career, it's going to take a lot more than RETAIL therapy to help me out. :) I want a small town within an hour of decent shopping, eating, medical needs and family. Not asking much. Hardly asking for much at all. My new mantra... FOUR MORE YEARS FOUR MORE YEARS FOUR MORE YEARS. I'm not sure I'll make it LOL

Next problem... my dental insurance doesn't have an endo in Minot, Bismarck or Fargo. (didn't bother checking the Forks... why bother... it's most likely they're as much a drought as the other "big cities" of ND) What does that mean? I'm sure the WHOLE amount is now going to be out of my pocket to pay for this round of dental heck. So I wrote a little note off to them asking what they propose I do now. We pay and pay for dental insurance for years and years, and get less and less out of it. Ok, I'm terrible about going to the dentist in the first place, but when I do, I expect something for the money we've paid in! :D

I swear this weekend I have one goal. It is to find something, ANYTHING, just ONE THING, positive about living in ND. I'm not overcrowded. I'm not fighting the traffic on the I64 in Hampton Roads. I'm not fighting ANY traffic. Well, minus that cluster down in Minot where they're tearing up the main drag that should have been torn up in the 12 years we were gone. :) Glad we came up thru town so I know now what I'm missing NOT driving thru town at this point. WHAT A MESS. I still wonder if they're tearing down the Barley Pop!

Hey! The zoo opens this weekend. :) There's a positive. Screaming, maniacal kids. And a toothache that I'm feeding a bottle of Ibuprofen to over the next couple of days. Hmmmmmmmmmm... let me get back to you on the positive side of life in the "great" plains.

Name that Century

When the nearest town was 2 hours trip to get further health care?
When the nearest town for furthermore dental follow up (ie root canal) was 2 hours trip?
When there was one pharmacy to get a script filled? (can't confirm ONE, but the first I asked for wasn't available)
Better yet, what state does/did this happen in?

Well, the TWENTY FIRST CENTURY would be the correct answer as would NORTH (by freaking) DAKOTA for the state. Pharmacy? Dentist asks "What pharmacy shall I call this to? Or would you like a slip to take to the base?" (It's 430ish and we know the hours they keep at the med group - they were gone 3 hours before) I say my fave pharmacy after the base, "Walmart." "Uh, sorry. Walmart doesn't have a pharmacy." YES! You heard me right. Wally World in Minot, Freaking North Dakota, does NOT have a pharmacy. Where do old people get their scripts filled!?!?!?

Better yet, there is no endodontist listed in Minot's yellow pages. My dentist works with one in Bismarck, just a short 2+++++ hours drive to the south. Did I mention one other dental trivia tidbit for tonight? My neighbor, having dinner at the table next to us tonight, says there are TWO PEDIATRIC DENTISTS IN THE ENTIRE STATE. Thank God! One is in MINOT! (too bad the kid in the chair next to mine this afternoon didn't know the one was ACROSS THE HALL... he made ME cry and I didn't need any more encouragement than having to sit in the dentist office, period.

Oh, yeah... I'm sure the dentist likes me even more. At some point during the talk, I told her bluntly, "I'd rather be giving birth than sitting in your office." Maybe not the best thing to say LOL Nor was it good to say how FOULED up a state this was loudly in the waiting room after the appointment. I just don't get how people get by in this state when they have to travel across it to get some of their health care.

Gas prices... they make states and communities likes those up here, really, really, really, not worth the hassle. Too darned expensive to live here and be happy doing so!

Review... it's not Little House on the Prairie needing several days to travel to "Town" to get the important things in life. It's TODAY, in NORTH DAKOTA.

Just when I want to really really really REALLY try getting by here, I get smacked upside the head again with reality. If $3.50 doesn't do it, I'm not sure what will.

Freaking Weather

Today is Monday, April 21, 2008... I think. Looking out my patio window, one would venture a different guess. Well, ONLY IF, you lived in NORMAL parts of the world. Yep... snow on the patio furniture. Lovely. And it's on the grass around the neighborhood as well in places.

It only got worse. Matthew needs to be at school by 830. We walk out to get in the car at 820 and I discover.... A THIN LAYER OF ICE! Yes. ICE. COATED ON MY VAN. Get my door open, start the car, try to open his door, and it pops, but doesn't slide. So now the van has the light on but I can't get the door shut. Soooooooooooooooo, off we walk to school today. It's like 20something. We get to the school like popsicles. Oh boy! Someone did offer me a ride home though. :) I was ever so grateful for that! I didn't have gloves, scarf or winter coat on. I sooooooooo love it here. I need to go out and see if I can get that door to budge yet. It might have "warmed" up. Fat chance! It's frozen tundra up here. We're in the midst of a drought. There were grassfires in town over the weekend. The town didn't burn down though. Sadly, there was at least one home lost.

Well, from the weather man guessing last night, we may still have more "snow" yet this week. Fun! FUN! FUN!

Quote for Today

To continue on with the madcap feel this evening... Maybe I'll find some seriousness tomorrow. Doubtful, but maybe.

"To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."
Oscar Wilde

Go Steelers!

NO! I've not lost my mind and submitted to the brainwash attempts in my household. Nor did I join the Kool-Aid drinking community in western PA. BUT, all the hubbub over a comment made by Obama the other day made me laugh, and then reflect when the news reported the following news story tonight at 10pm.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_562310.html (text of letter)
http://www.newsmax.com/politics/obama_rooney/2008/04/14/87798.html (brief story recap of Obama and Rooney)

Why am I saying Go Steelers? Me? A diehard Browns fan? Oh I hope you've figured out some of my madness by now. :D It all makes sense, honest!

There is some truth to people being bitter, clutching their guns and clinging to religion. It's a right in the Constitution to do both! Did it become a crime since he spoke those words? I just wanted to check. Wasn't sure. Point being, I grew up with some of those folks. Un/underemployed coalminers and steel mill workers. The 80s came along and life died... incomes died... hopes died. Are they bitter? Dang straight! Many struggle to this day making ends meet. But must they be condemned for clinging to a church (something all our candidates make a big deal about) or holding a gun close?

I say GO STEELERS for this fact: if Dan Rooney wants to cheer Obama on, then by all means, get Steeler nation behind him. It has to assure that neither Dem will be on the platform in January 2009... I think enough people hate the Steelers to help fight that battle and find themselves voting AGAINST him the Steelers boss has so graciously supported. (two former players have thrown their support behind Obama as well - Bettis and Harris if I remember correctly) http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/the-gods-have-spoken-bettis-an.php

GO LAUGH A LITLE!! This stupid campaign started the day the 2006 elections ended. How freaking insane is that?!?!!? I wish some days I were in Europe still. The news cycle on AFN didn't flow with my time very well, so unless I sat down to specifically really watch the news, I didn't watch it. I caught most news on the radio, or online or on the radio online.

So, just this once, and notably in the OFF SEASON, I am rooting for the Steelers out there in this world. Go out and vote next week. I, for one, am going to be humored no matter the PA outcome. I have to laugh at this all. If not, I'd be crying.

I return you to the madness...

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere

By golly! And it had to be every hour here today. It was actually a beautiful day. We went to a friends' home to check out furniture for our "arctic room." (housing's phrase, not mine LOL - I'd been more creative - might have to ask for help on a name) Matthew actually was invited out by one of the neighbor boys. Soooooooooooo very happy to see that happen! Now that the bus will not be running for the base school kids, it's walking or driving the 1.5 blocks over to the school on chilly mornings.
CG is home from Fargo where they DID have SNOW and LOTS of snow this weekend. He had to run the mile in snow yesterday I believe. Glad it was him and not me. Not sure if I'd been able to take that weather after knowing how nice it is to be TOMORROW. 70+!

We went over after 6 tonight to look at a jeep. A jeep I'd love to have but not sure we really need another car payment at the moment. Big hunting season is done til fall. Don't need it til then. We get over there, and the wife offers me wine. YUMMMMMMMMMM! Then she asks if I like Rieslings. Oh yeah! (Guess I must have SOME German in my family lineage) She brings me out a bottle of Riesling. YUMMMMMMMM! BOTH David and I commented on her drinking "already" to which she says "ALREADY!?!? It's 630." LOL I like her! I hate to see them move! We've been stationed together before and that included him as a single guy the first time up here. Some people just leave a lasting impression upon your memory and life. :) or :*) or :X These guys? It's DEFINITELY a :D We hate to see them go, but when a Buff guy gets to escape the plane and get overseas WITH family, by all means, run as fast as you can and make sure you outrun AFPC! So in short, the riesling is in the frig to drink this week, probably tomorrow, because it is "FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE" every day!

This week I hope to work on my bad habits - getting rid of them, or formulating a plan to do so. I want to make my house a home and somewhere that people want to come and hang out for fun times. Part of surviving this awful place is friends, attitude and adjustment. Having people over from time to time, especially now with BBQ season in force, should help to make a HUGE difference. As will that furniture from our friends. And cleaning the living room up so people can enjoy just sitting comfy on the couch if they want. :) Bible Study starts back up this week as well. That reminds me that I need to email a friend for time info on that. I really would like to get involved again in something. I miss that "sisterhood" and warmth. Not that I exude it myself many days, but perhaps, that would be some of my attitude to work on!

Night!

It's Another Sunday Morning...

And I ain't got nobody... oh ... wrong song. If there isn't a song about frozen wastelands, before we move from here, I WILL WRITE one. :) You can mark my words. Actually, I can't complain too much about life on the plains this weekend. Well, other than I'm in NoDak. Perhaps Jailhouse Rock is more appropro a song? LOL

We spent the ENTIRE day at home yesterday. You'd think we'd have gotten the house cleaned and organized. RIGHT! HA! I did get some stitching done on Matthew's teacher's gift for next month. I started a LITTLE late in the day on that to realistically get it done by May 22 I think. Who knows... I might get it done sooner than I expect but have to tell her "Where can I get it to you this summer AFTER I FRAME IT?!!?" Cleaned piles of dirty stinky teen boy clothes out of CGs room and his bed sheets. He returns today... I was HOPING to have had the room cleaned out but alas! It will only be a little less "mess." Matthew's room? Oh forget it! We did make an offer on a 2004 jeep rubicon. They didn't call back. Guess he's still laughing about it. And we found a couch and love seat to throw in the arctic room for now. The patio furniture that has been our table out here, need to go OUTSIDE. Can you imagine? It's supposed to be, read SUPPOSED, 70+ degrees tomorrow. :) Just need to fill the propane tank now so we can GRILL. The grill has sat out back for two weeks now.

That stitching piece you were wondering about? From Bobbie G Designs, "My Teacher." http://www.alwaysinstitches.com/detail.cfm?ID=18243 Very cute! And hits the alphabet like a kindy teacher should :) I have to figure out what to do about her name though because Mrs Smith (not her real name) doesn't fit into the space allowed, so it may be just Magilicuddy for space sake. For me, the pattern isn't just the only thing I have to sit and ponder when doing the project... putting my name or initials, year and so on. Especially for a teacher gift, you want to put the school info in there too, but on this piece there isnt' much room to do so. I've got a little time to work yet. I'm still working on the inner part of the red schoolhouse in the middle of the piece yet. I hope to finish the schoolhouse by midweek so I can start on the alphabet.

Plans for today? I've got to get CGs bed made back up so he has a place to sleep and I should probably dig under that bed to see just what junk is under there. Tomorrow when he's gone, maybe I'll deal more with it.

Tomorrow I have to run the PTA meeting for our current president, to include having someone run our elections for NEXT year's board, including, yes, yours truly, as president. What did I think I was getting into volunteering for that? LOL Oh well! I want to be busy next year, and boy!

I'm sure I'll be back to ponder more today. It's quiet here while David is out doing his thing and CG is on his way back from Fargo and Matthew is patiently waiting to play online. :)