Cats in Sinks.

Cats in sinks is just that - pictures of cats in kitchen and (mostly) bathroom sinks.





Thanks to DottyNana

Now for something a bit spiritual...

Picture of a Cambodian monk praying sent to me by a fellow martial artist. Notice the bullhorn at his side.

A Quote A Week (or whenever I get around to it).

I've added a new feature at the bottom of this blog. I've inserted a quote from a great book I got for only 50 cents at the library. The book is called "1,911 Best Things Anybody Ever Said" (selected and compiled by Robert Byrne. Ballantine Books: New York, NY 1988). If you're a regular reader of this blog, check for updates below! Also, suggestions are welcome. I have to be able to verify the quote, either in this book or another source.

Hapkido Throw

Here's Your Humble Blogger after being thrown by classmate Linda at Hapkido practice.
Photo by Annette Ehnle, originally appears on the Royal Dragon Martial Arts website

Recovery!

Well, it's been almost a week since I posted. I have recovered nicely from viral meningitis. Last Friday was the first day I felt really good. I cleaned and the new nanny G. and I took the babies to the pool. My appetite has returned and my energy level is coming back. I'm looking forward to the end of summer so it cools off and we can do things with the Branch and Blossom other than going to the pool. I know they are SO over it but it's too buggy and hot to go for walks or on the swings.

"I had a frog on my ass...

at 6 o'clock in the morning." So said my cousin's longtime girlfriend D. when she dropped in to see me this evening. D. said she was on the throne this morning when she heard a "plop" in the water (which she didn't initiate!). She stood up and saw a frog and despite vigorus attempts to flush said frog, the frog (in his attempt at self-preservation), attached himself firmly to her rear with his little suction-cup thingies. Naturally, this sent her (as it would any other red-blooded female) running and screaming into the master bedroom. The situation culminated in my cousin M. donning a pair of rubber gloves to remove the offending amphibian from D's butt. I didn't get why the rubber gloves were deemed necessary. But D. said it was a rather large frog, maybe larger frogs require more drastic measures.

Anyway, when someone tells you "I had a frog on my ass at 6 o'clock in the morning." you have to blog it. Gotta.

The Best and the Worst

Brandon Regional Hospital Stay: The Best and the Worst

Ok, here it is, the last word on my 5-day hospital stay due to viral meningitis.

· Best-Looking Doctor – Dr. Rashid (Saturday rounds)
· Best Nurse- Holly, (Days)
· Most Unnecessary Procedure – Chest X-ray. Come on, people. You just did this one because I have REALLY good insurance. It’s not as if I had pulmonary problems or pain from a broken rib.
· Most (surprisingly) Painless Procedure – This Is Spinal Tap
· Most (surprisingly) Painful Procedure – blood draw, back of right hand in emergency room. After commenting how tough the skin on my hand was, she dug in anyway. OUCH!
· Food (scale 1 to 10) - 2. Probably didn’t help that I never touched my tray in the first hour it was brought in.
· Bed Comfort (scale 1 to 10). 10. Despite laying in it for 5 days, I had no soreness or back pain.
· Most Surprising Thing – floor cleaner used to mop my room was actually fragrant. Wouldn’t mind using it at home.

So there you have it. The best and the worst of my hospital stay.

Citizenship

Today, Citizen X. went to take his oath of citizenship for the United States of America. Unfortunately, due to viral meningitis, I cannot attend the ceremony. I was
really looking forward to it.

What does it mean to become a citizen of the United States? You give up your citizenship to the country in which you were born. The country in which your parents most likely were born. The country where you grew up and played and went to school. Had friends and family. I couldn't imagine being a citizen of any other country. My citizenship is the essence of my being, and to me as unchangeable as my sex and race.
But, X. and many others from countries all over the globe RIGHT NOW are swearing allegiance to these here United States, forsaking their countries of origin, birth and their pasts.

Despite what it's many critics will say, the United States of America is one of the greatest countries in the world. It is not perfect. There are people who are still screwed by "the system" (health insurance system, judicial system, government buracracies, whatever subsystem of the system you can think of). But the United States of America offers the most people the most chances for the most success. And that is what makes it great. It offers freedom of religion AND freedom FROM religion. The United States offers a chance to disagree, to initiate change, and to begin anew.

I admire Citizen X. for renouncing his citizenship to the country of his birth. His citizenship further unites us as a family. I stand by X. with pride - pride in my husband and pride in my country. I have never been prouder to be an American.

Viral Meningitis

I just spent 5 days in Brandon Regional Hospital with viral meningitis. I am still recovering at home. This is one nasty affliction - and this is one of the less severe meningitises. You definitely don't want to get the other ones either.

My thanks for my recovery are to my husband and my family. Professionally, I would like to thank Dr. Weeks and RN Carlos Izararry (sp?) of the ER who took every step to eliminate my pain and get to the root of the cause. And there is such thing as a nearly painless spinal tap. Dr. Weeks is the master of it.

But quite frankly, I don't see how they expect you to recover on that hospital food. It was really dreadful. But I got to wallow in my misery all on my own. At first they thought I may have something really contagious so I was placed in a room by myself. I could not bear any light or noise, so for 5 days I was self-imposed in a dark room. I am glad to be home recovering with my cats, kids, husband and my mom, who came to help.

I'll read blogs and catch up on my favorites as time allows. I look forward to getting back into the groove of the blogosphere.

Kindergarten: Welcome to the Real World

This link provides more than enough evidence to send parents running and screaming for home-schooling or private school. Why, WHY is the subject of families headed by same-sex parents even being INTRODUCED at the kindergarten level? A child’s world at this age is very, very small. The smallness of his world provides a certain level of security and a foundation upon which to gradually learn more about the world. This is hardly a topic appropriate for middle schoolers, much less kindergardeners. And now David Parker must actually go to court to preserve his son’s innocence.

Yes, there are all sorts of families in the world. And as we meet them on our journey through life, we’ll introduce them to our children as WE see fit, not as some government agency (i.e., the school district) deems necessary. The school’s job is to teach the 3 R’s – a shorthand way of saying ACADEMICS. In kindergarten, that means colors, shapes, and numbers. It means getting along with classmates and listening to the teacher - the foundation of basic social skills for success in future grades. That's it. Nothing more. At this young age, children do not need to know about other family structures, especially ones that their parents would not want discussed in school.

Morals and values regarding family relationships are the jobs of the families. The kinds of relationships we deem healthy for our children are for us to decide. It is our job as parents (and Mr. Parker was striving to do his job as a parent) to make decisions for our children on what constitutes a healthy relationship. We often live by example – children who grow up with parents who have a healthy relationship learn to persue healthy relationships as adults. And, unfortunately, the reverse is true.

There are several types of human relationships that I, as a parent, will not encourage my children to persue. Prostitute and client. Drug user and dealer. Abuser and victim. And, yes, homosexual relationships. We’ll address the homosexual relationship when it arises – not when the public school decides to introduce it. When my child comes home from school and asks what “gay”means. When my child has a friend who lives with a parent in a homosexual relationship. And yes, if my child comes to me and announces he is gay. Not before. Not when he’s supposed to be learning his colors and ABC’s. My child, my agenda. Not the agenda of do-gooder liberals.

Driving Stickshift

Citizen X. has a car and I have a car. I have a choice of 2 cars to drive, but the Citizen is limited to his car because my car is stickshift.

I learned to drive on a "3 on the tree" car called the GMC Sprint, which was like a generic El Camino. The transmission has 3 gears plus reverse and the gearshift is located on the steering column like a large automatic transmission vehicle. I then learned to drive "4 on the floor" which is the typical stickshift configuration seen today. When I moved to FL from southeastern PA, I was surprised to learn how many people cannot drive stickshift.

Many cars overseas are stickshift. However, the Citizen was taught to drive by his landlord in Athens, GA. Citizen X. attended University ofGeorgia as a graduate student. The landlord said if the Citizen bought a car, he would teach Citizen X. how to drive it.

So, my completely unofficial and unscientific poll strives to find out how many readers of this post can drive stickshift. Please post a comment. If you can drive a manual tranny motorcycle, put that in too. Bonus points!

More Daylight Savings Time

President Bush recently signed a law to extend daylight savings time. It would start in March and end much later, in November. But if it's darker in the morning, won't we use more electricity (and hence, oil) anyway? And it's been proven that there are more traffic accidents when people have to drive to work in the dark.

I dread the time change twice every year. It takes my body at least two weeks to adapt. I'm grouchy and sleepless during that time. There's only ever going to be 24 hours in a day. Most people still have to work 8 of them. Some have to work more or less, depending on their job. Let's just set the clocks one way or the other and leave it at that.

View From The Grill

Ahhh.nothing more relaxing than sitting on the back porch, sipping a beer (Sapporo, in this case)
and grilling a couple of burgers. Here's my view as I grill. Wanted to get a blue sky, but it's summer in FL. Clear days are few and far between. Humid and overcast is the norm. Don't let those ads for Disney vacations fool you.

The sounds of the grill should be made into a relaxation recording. The hum of propane, the
gentle sizzle of the burgers. Nothing like it.

My Pet Peeve

Ok, here is my ultimate pet peeve: People who park DIRECTLY in front of the grocery store parallel to the sidewalk which is designated as a fire zone. In perfectly good weather. Because, well, they're just running in to get a few things and, really, they ARE more important than anyone else.

As with any grocery store, traffic becomes busy on Friday nights. Between the grocery store, it's Siamese twin, the liquor store* , the Chinese take-out and the Italian restaurant, it's like cars waiting for passengers at the airport. Traffic is heavy enough, but considerate (and law-abiding) drivers have to make extra effort to steer around these Obliviots (hat tip to Mike Straka of Foxnews.com). Pedestrians trying to make their way to and from their properly (and legally) parked cars have more cars to walk between.

Today I went to pick up Italian food. I actually drove by one of these Obliviots getting out of her car with a big bag of change for the Coinstar machine. I was really, really tempted to shout: "What, are you better than everyone else?" but I didn't.

It really is illegal to park there but it is never, ever enforced.

* Here in FL, beer and wine are sold in grocery stores. Grocery stores can sell hard liquor under the store name but they need to have a separate store with it's own entrance. Thus, a Siamese twin effect.

Murderer Buried with Military Honors

This is an affront to those who have died for our country. Russell Wagner's remains should be dug up and discarded in the city dump (local sanitary laws notwithstanding).

Allowing a cowardly murderer (whatever his service record) to be buried in a military cemetary is also disrespectful to the families of those who gave their lives in service to our country.

Is anyone else outraged by this, or is it just me?

Gated Community

They want to make our subdivision a gated community. The only advantage to that is snob appeal, which I really haven't got time for. It really doesn't thrill me to say "Oh, do come for dinner this Saturday at 6. Just buzz us when you get to the gate. Because, you know, we DO live in a gated community." And that's just one more
thing for ME to do when I drive in or out with the Branch and Blossom aboard.
Below is my letter to the homeowner's board on this nonesense:

Dear CDD Board: I, Junebee, reside with my family
at 1234 Really Nice Drive. We have been residents at Potential
Gated Community since October 2002.

In my opinion, I do NOT think a gated community is a
wise investment of money for the residents at PGC.
Although a gated community is appealing to
prospective home buyers, it provides a false sense of
security for the residents and therefore is a waste of
money.

Every pizza delivery driver in town knows the default
codes to gated communities. Therefore, a gate in front
of a subdivision provides a false sense of security
for the residents within. If and when the code is
changed, residents are simply inconvenienced by missed
newspapers, undelivered pizzas, UPS, Fed-Ex, and
furniture. A system which requires a guest or delivery
person to buzz the resident and wait for them to
electronically unlock the gate creates gridlock at the
gate entrance.

Funds would be better spent hiring a private security
service such as Al Bundy Security Guards to patrol
Potential Gated Community.

Additionally, I can foresee massive traffic backups on
Little Side Street. and Potential Gated Community
Blvd. at crucial travel times such as morning and afternoon rush hours.

I believe that the gated community plan should be
voted on by ALL residents, and my vote would be
against it.

Thank you:

Not in letter but for all you Blog readers:

And the thing about the pizza drivers is true. My step-brother
used to be one.

New Job Offer!

I’ve been considering a part-time job for a couple of months. Last week I applied at a Major National Drug Store Chain online. I had gone to one of their stores with the Blossom to return a CD player that did not work. While the manager was processing the return, I asked her about the sign in the window that said “Pharmacy Technicians Wanted – Will Train” and she encouraged me to apply online.

I applied online as directed. I was called for an interview this past Monday. However, after I got my fat butt dressed and went to the wrong store, I arrived 5 minutes late at the correct location, only to be told that the position was regular, part-time retail sales. Not even the photo lab! As a former photography student, I would have at least liked to work in the photo lab and become familiar with the new technology. I did complete the interview with my usual good cheer, but the whole situation screamed “Bait And Switch! Bait And Switch!”

Yesterday I called the store to withdraw my application. I was polite yet professional. And guess what – this morning they CALLED ME BACK for the pharmacy tech position! The manager called FIRST thing this morning and said she spoke with the pharmacist and, actually, there WAS a part-time position available in the pharmacy.
I had an interview with her and the pharmacist. Since I had already completed their in-store on-line idiot testing at the first interview, I was ahead of the game.

And so I got the job. The manager did say that the reason she called me back was due to my call yesterday. She said even though I did not want the retail sales job, she appreciated the courtesy of the call. So there you go. Future posts on this blog should include my adventures at MNDC (Major National Drug Store Chain).

"Yall" magazine

There is actually a magazine called "Yall".
I saw it at the grocery store this week. It's actually a magazine glorifying the Southern lifestyle of those who say "Yall". What's next?

Branch Contemplates

I think this is my very favorite cellphone picture of the Branch. It was taken back near the end of May. In this picture, he seems to be looking into the future, which is represented by the bright light in front of him. His eyes are open hopefully, his mouth slightly parted in hesitation, and his fingers intertwined as if somewhat nervous. But he looks upward in anticipation.

He's facing the sliding glass door in this picture, so something outside, like one of the cats, probably caught his attention. But I see so much more in this picture.