2008 Fort-4-Fitness Half Marathon and 4 Mile Walk/Run

PJ ran his half marathon. He did great! There's good news and bad news, though. The bad news is that his chip didn't register so we don't have an "official" time. The good news is that despite the incredibly early hour he remembered his watch (with stopwatch function) and clocked himself! So Thuringer official time was 1 hr 53 minutes. His goal was 2 hours. His super secret internal goal was 1 hr 55 minutes. Either way, he beat himself! The kids and I drove over to Wells street to see him go by. We were there for a few minutes and Paul and the boys came around the corner and watched with us. The picture of him running is taken going down Wells street, about the 11 mile mark. After he went by, the kids and I went downtown. Ben had called earlier, having finished the 4 miler, and we told him we'd meet him on the courthouse green. We couldn't get a good space to see PJ come across the finish line, and it was hard to keep the kids still anyway, so we went over to wait at the courthouse. Not long after, PJ and Ben and John came over. John ran the 4 miler too. PJ was wearing his "gold medal" (per Ava) and looked incredibly good for just having run 13.1 miles. (Some of the people we saw come through the finish looked incredibly bad.) He said he had fun, and was glad of his time. (We didn't find out until later that his chip didn't register, which was a total bummer.)
We found this You Tube video of the race, and PJ can be found right there! If you start at 1 minute 25 seconds and look closely- if you pause it at 1 minute 29 seconds you'll see him wearing a black headband looking back-, you'll find him (he's wearing a bright blue shirt). Here's the video and our triumphant half marathoner. Congratulations, Peege, we are really proud of you!

Robert Reich is Really Smart

I had the opportunity to hear this gentleman speak on one of the talk shows when we lived in South Bend. He made a lot of sense. From his blog:

"Prediction: A scaled-down bill will be enacted by the end of the week. It will provide the Treasury with a first installment of $150 billion. Treasury can use it to back Wall Street’s bad debts with lend no-interest loans of up to two years, until the housing market rebounds. Or to invest in Wall Street houses directly, in exchange for stocks and stock warrants. There will be strict oversight. Congressional leaders will promise further installments, but with conditions calling for limits on salaries and relief to distressed homeowners."

That seems like something that Congress should have come up with. Instead, they bickered and placed blame when they couldn't get it together. Will somebody call this guy? It's not like he doesn't know what he's talking about: (from Wiki)

"Robert Bernard Reich (born June 24, 1946) is an American politician, academic, writer, and political commentator. He served as the twenty-second United States Secretary of Labor, serving under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997. Reich is a former Harvard University professor and the former Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. He is currently a professor at the University of California, Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy. Reich is also on the board of directors of Tutor.com He is a trustee of the Economists for Peace and Security."

Hello? Call him. NOW. Please let's get something going here folks. NO one can afford what is happening. Even the CEOs are selling off their millions of dollars in vacation homes. Get it together.

Bailout No Go

It didn't pass. I, for one, am glad. Not because I look forward to an economic catastrophe, but because it didn't go far enough. There was no REAL oversight, and big payouts were still available to retiring/dismissed executives. More republicans voted no than democrats:

Ample no votes came from both the Democratic and Republican sides of the aisle. More than two-thirds of Republicans and 40 percent of Democrats opposed the bill. (MSNBC.com)

However, thank Goodness for John McCain. He "suspended" his campaign for what, 24 hours? To "take care" of the economic crisis. He graciously (insert smirk here) debated Obama, then returned to his Capitol Hill office to continue his efforts in "leading" which equaled making some phone calls. And, apparently, unsuspending the campaign as he's in Ohio today. If John McCain wants Americans to believe he is a great leader, then he needs to a) read the proposed bill, and b) get people to work together in his self described talents at bipartisanship. If the bill sucks, make it better. If it's good, convince the people. Don't talk smack about Obama sitting on the sidelines when you are losing a golden opportunity to be seen as a leader, not the scary joke that you've been showing us this last week.

And Again with the Dinosaurs!

Maybe she caught a late night showing of The Clan of the Cave Bear on t.v.?

Soon after Sarah Palin was elected mayor of the foothill town of Wasilla, Alaska, she startled a local music teacher by insisting in casual conversation that men and dinosaurs coexisted on an Earth created 6,000 years ago -- about 65 million years after scientists say most dinosaurs became extinct -- the teacher said.
From the LA Times

In Support of My Disdain for the South (Southwest excluded, of course...)

Some friends and family cannot believe I have a strong disdain for the South. I think a lot of it is that the people seem to think they are better than everyone else simply because they are from the south. Clinically insane? Extremely alcoholic? If you're from the South, that's just a little eccentricity. I have even gone as far as to bar PJ from looking at jobs in certain states. I relent on certain authors (to my friend J's relief, I think) and am willing to be open minded. But THIS?????

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/28/obama-antichrist-nc/
This would NOT be an issue in MI or WI- states that are leaning McCain even. Only in the South...

Two Quick Random Thoughts from the Debate (Really Quick)

1) Did you guys notice that McCain seemed contemptuous of Obama last night? He would not look him in the eye and was smirking a lot.
2)McCain was making a big deal about earmarks- (He even got his veto pen out as a visual aid!) and specifically the amount of money Obama has requested for his state during his years in the senate.
a)Why did Obama not bring up the millions of dollars that the lobbyist hired by Sarah Palin got for Alaska?
b) Are we to understand that not once in his 26 years (change my eye) in the Senate that McCain has not asked for one copper penny for the state of Arizona? (pun intended) Where is Fact Check on this?

My Morning Interview with Sarah Palin

This morning I picked Ava up from school a little later than normal as she had a field trip. James and I parked across the street as there was no car line, and walked over to the school. We caught her as she got off the bus, and seemed only mildly interested to see us. We asked her how the field trip was. She did not respond.
We went to the classroom where the day's paperwork was distributed into various folders and backpacks, and when the class was dismissed, James, Ava and I walked to the car. Again, she did not answer any inquiries to her day. Finally, as we got loaded into the car, we had a conversation.

Me: What kind of things did you guys do at Safety Village?
Ava: We did some different kinds of things.
Me: Did you have a good time?
Ava: No, I didn't like Safety Village.
Me: Really? How come?
Ava: We learned about different rules. Rules are no fun.
Me: Sometimes having rules lets us be free to have more fun.
Ava: (really animated) NO! Rules are no fun. I don't like following rules!
Me: I understand. Can you tell me what rules in particular that you don't like?
Ava: No.
Me: Just rules in general?
Ava: Yes.
Me: Okay, besides learning rules, what other kinds of things did you do?
Ava: Nothing.
Me: You didn't drive in the little cars?
Ava: Yes.
Me: Did you go up the tower?
Ava: Yes.
Me: (struggling to remember what else I saw when we drove by Safety Village 4 months ago) What else?
Ava: Nothing.
Me: Okay, this is silly. If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. Let's just have quiet time on the ride home.
Ava: (near tears) Mom! That really hurts my feelings!

I feel even more for Katie Couric. I think she performed better than I expected in the interview. I think Sarah Palin performed worse than I expected. I think Ava made more sense than Sarah Palin did, though.

Are you debate watching tonight? Please try. I know not all you guys have all this spare time (or interest) to surf the web and catch up on the very latest political news, even tho you get my opinion all day long. Watch and decide for yourselves. The country is depending on you. Watch and vote. And don't call the men in white jackets on me for yelling at the tv constantly. You might do a little yelling yourselves. Hopefully!

Back to the Future!

Apparently, McCain is so powerful that he can win debates before he even decides he will participate in them! From the Washington Post:

Although the fate of tonight's presidential debate in Mississippi remains very much up in the air, John McCain has apparently already won it -- if you believe an Internet ad an astute reader spotted next to this piece in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal this morning.

"McCain Wins Debate!" declares the ad which features a headshot of a smiling McCain with an American flag background. Another ad spotted by our eagle-eyed observer featured a quote from McCain campaign manager Rick Davis declaring: "McCain won the debate-- hands down."

Here's the screenshot.

Thursday Anger at Hippocritical Christians

I get so angry hearing about preachers telling their church members who to vote for on election day. That they have no choice but to vote for McCain. That in order to save the country from people who want legalized abortion and equal rights for homosexuals (gay marriage) we cannot even consider what good the Obama presidency would bring. Because for Christians, it has to be as simple as pro-life. This makes my blood boil. Especially the guy on NPR yesterday afternoon who said he didn't care if they threatened to take away his tax exemption because it's automatic by law, so he'd have it back the following day. Ugh!!!!! First of all, there's a lot more to being a Christian than being pro-life. You can be a Christian and be pro-life. Wanting the government not to dictate what goes on with a persons body is not a bad thing. Just like wanting the government to treat people fairly and equally is not a bad thing. Just like wanting to stop torture is not a bad thing. Just like not wanting to go through another war (Iran? Pakistan? Surely there will be another with someone who cannot sit back and think through a crisis *cough McCain cough*) is not a bad thing. Treating people like a Christian would I think fits more in line with what Mr. Obama proposes. That is my personal opinion. But what I am proposing here is do more than listen to your pastor when he tells you to vote McCain as if you HAVE to. If you call yourself a Christian, vote with your Christian heart. Whichever way that leads you.

Edited to add:
Follow the NY Times Story here.

Three Pages Long

Maybe that's why it is so short- that people like the candidates for President can make time to read it. He had time to meet with Lynn Forester de Rothschild, the Clinton fundgiver that moved over to the McCain campaign:
"Even his actions on Wednesday seemed either oddly calculated or at conflict with the image he was trying to present. It was, in fact, Obama who first proposed to form a unity front in addressing the issue, calling McCain at 8:30 in the morning to discuss the issuance of a joint statement. The call went unreturned for six hours. McCain's campaign would later claim he was huddling with economic advisers. But during that time he made a scheduled stop with Lady Lynn de Rothschild, a high society New York Democrat who recently endorsed his campaign. Rothschild did not return repeated request for comment." (credit HuffPo)
And now this:













I do not think postponing the debates is a Presidential move. Leaders need to be able to multitask. Leaders need to be able to handle crises immediately. Leaders need to be able to give answers. And this is not, in my opinion, a leadership move.

Free Rice is Improving my Vocabulary!

There is an awesome site called Free Rice. You answer questions, and for each correct answer a number of grains of rice will be donated through the UN World Food Program. This came home in a newsletter from Ava's school. It's main page is english vocabulary, but there is science and math and foreign language as well. I found it easily, and have been enjoying brushing up on my French vocabulary. (you know, in case we're Canada bound, we might hit Quebec, right?). Please take a few minutes, have some fun, and feed some hungry people. Thanks!

Toldja

I predicted the inevitable delay of the Veep debates. ABC confirms.

Johnny Appleseed Festival 2008

Last Saturday we were blessed with beautiful weather, and hopped on the bikes and rode up to Johnny Appleseed Park. It was bustling with people- we went earlyish on the first day and I could not believe how many folks were there. We came into the park from the opposite end as last year (because we didn't require parking) and planned our trip. We went through, looked at all the vendors (baskets, brooms, lots of knicknacks, ironworks, etc.) and made our way towards the FOOD! We had pork tenderloin sandwiches, hot dogs and lemonade from the Elks Club, and the most delicious corn on the cob from the Lions Club. One of the cool things about most of the food is the proceeds go to various organizations, from the Elks and Lions to local churches. On our way out of the park we had an apple dumpling benefitting Fort Wayne Ballet! After food, we made our way back to the back end of the park where the section by the river had a host of kids games. James and Ava played a couple of games and even went through the haystack maze. There were a few old-fashioned type rides, but I thought that a) they were too little and b) they just ate so that might not be such a great idea. We stopped at the broomsmiths booth where I purchased a whisk broom for me, and a dust mop that was kids' sized. It was precious. We have a broom, and now one child can have one and the other can have the other. They'll still fight over them, but at least now they'll both be armed. (only kind of kidding, unfortunately.) We heard the pipers and got the kids faces painted. It was an extremely lovely experience-one I feel is important as the kids really have a great time. Ava even prepared for the festival by checking out a book from the school library on Johnny Appleseed. What a smart girl. Here is photographic evidence from our excursion. It was awesome. I don' exaggerate when I say I really look forward to this one all year!

Timing

I am sorry but this crisis has been happening for a while now. Why do you want to suspend the debate and go to Washington? Maybe just be there for the vote, fellas (which should be no as it stands really!) and take the opportunity to debate what is going on. Let us hear your plans in action. Lots of folks don't have the interwebs, and cannot flock to political and newspaper sites for hours as I do. Let's hear what you have to say. Really. Keep it simple-ish, and make sure it makes sense. But don't go hiding back in Washington D.C. Press on! (I think that sending those two to D.C. makes it less likely that reporting will be concentrated on what is going on. I also think McCain politicizes it more by doing this. I also read Obama contacted McCain this morning to ask him about coming together for a joint statement regarding the crisis and bailout. Did he mention this plan to Mr. Obama? Lastly, I am surprised that instead of postponing the Presidential debates, that there wasn't some move in the next week or so to postpone the Vice Presidential debates.) That is all (for now, of course!)

This One's Not Politics-It's Personal

This came to me from my mil by way of her sister in law. I don't know this guy (no I don't live in a cave) but the video seized my heart. It is heartbreaking all the things that go on in this video because they are real. But also what is real is hope. And his message to keep it alive through your own actions speaks volumes. I think there are certain things everyone should see, and even though I have about three readers (and that might be generous) I feel compelled to share it. Thanks Didi!

Artist Site

More Videos

We are Racists?

From Yahoo.
This is another reason I am angry about the burglary. I do not want to be a racist. But one of the first questions asked of me was what color they were and my answer was proceeded by an "Of course". Apparently we are not as evolved as I would have hoped or thought.
(Barring any further catastrophic developments I am done for the day. Oil at over $130 included.)

I did it. Did you?

Lugar? Check.
Bayh? Check.
Souder? Check.
Go. Now. Please.

Section 8

First, Prez Bush says now is not the time to quibble about the gargantuan salaries these heads of failed Wall Street firms are making, but in addition they are trying to slip into the bailout proposal (in the ironically titled Section 8) the following:

"Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."

Might as well just say non-accountable. Again, why are we not hearing about this? PLEASE contact your congressmen/congresswomen and ask, no-demand- that they not pass this as is. This is the next step to eradicating our democracy.
Find your Senators here.
Find your Representatives here.
Republican or Democrat, this is unholy hell. We are paying for this-we deserve better!!!!!

Sounds like special treatment to me

Looks like Ms Palin has asked for a bit of special treatment in the debates. From the NY Times:

"At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between the Republican nominee for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin, and her Democratic rival, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees, the advisers said. There will also be much less opportunity for free-wheeling, direct exchanges between the running mates.

McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive."

Read the whole article here. Why is this not bigger news? Why are we allowing this?

Big Girl Bed

Today driving down Parnell I saw a garage sale at my fantasy house. They had a bed, and I stopped. It was twin, and really pretty. It was pretty much exactly what I pictured for Ava. We spoke to the lady who was selling it (she used it as well as her sister but had gotten a set of twin antique beds from her sister for her girls who are sharing a room) and made a deal. On the way back to the car I saw a Fisher Price basketball hoop with a stand- and she showed me it is adjustable and goes from four up to six feet! So for $31, I got us a basketball hoop that the kids were enjoying all evening and a beautiful new big girl bed for our girl. PJ will have to go pick it up, and we will have to obtain a mattress set for it, but it will be worth it. Didi, please let me know when you and Julie get ready to make your next Ikea run as I might be asking for some linens! Will post pictures of the bed when it is up and running. Tomorrow is Johnny Appleseed and I promise to post some pictures of that too. I can't wait to hear the bagpipes!!!

Subprime my eye

Let's stop talking about predatory lenders and subprime mortgages, and acknowledge that a lot of these loans were made with prudence, but people losing their jobs and having to pay exorbitant amounts for health care (either to supplement what they had or fill in for what they don't) are causing to lose their homes too.

Clarity please

So did he mean to disrespect the prime minister of Spain as one of his top aides would like us to believe? Or was he "confused" after being told the reporter was asking about Spain three times and thinking of someone in Latin America? For those of us who are concerned about foreign policy (of which Biden has oodles) as well as domestic and economic policy, please keep this in mind. Sounds like he might not win the argument that he is the best suited on foreign policy. And we won't even get into him going into Bush's office and telling him to throw the Iraqi government out the window. No sir. No Maverick. Is anyone else having trouble seeing the ads with his face and the word "change" on it, especially in light of recent events? He should have kept up with the inexperience card, but now that he's picked the she-wolf, that is out of the question.

Current info

1) The main suspect in our burglary is still in jail. He apparently has bonds that still need posting. The trial date (!!!) will be set toward the end of October. I don't know about the other two guys. I will call the jail back. This morning when I came home I heard the dogs barking from the garage. I went into the house thinking someone could be in there. It was scary. The first time it was really scary for me. I am angry and sad again. Bastards.
2) Speaking of bastards, I am charging McCain/Palin with an unforgivable sin- ruining the Heart song "Barracuda" for me. It was on the ipod and this morning when it shuffled to that song I had to forward through- I couldn't stomach it. If Ann and Nancy knew, they would be pissed!
3)PJ is working late tonight so I am off to wrangle the children. We will have Storyfest 2008 as we got about 50 billion books from the library this morning with Ava's new library card. I chose books thinking the kids were playing but she was really choosing all these princess and Strawberry Shortcake books. Ugh. On the plus side, tho, she got a Johnny Appleseed book from her school library today which is just in time to provide a primer for the festival this weekend. I wish all my AZ friends could be here for that- it's when fall is beginning- still warm, but the leaves are changing and falling and there is a cool breeze and it's really quite beautiful.
4) That's all for tonight. Seriously, if Ann or Nancy call, tell them to email me. It's something I'll be mourning for awhile. Magic Man comes close, but it's just not the same.

Healing Balm for the Heart and Soul

Instructiones:
1)Pause the jukebox
2) Turn the volume up
3)Close your eyes (the video is less important than the music, although nice so look occasionally)
4)Take a few deep breaths
5) Enjoy!

Gratuitous and Tardy

Not putting my hard earned tax dollars into your bank, Johnny Mac

I do not understand:
a) Why yesterday McCain opposed the AIG bailout and today he supports it. (Whoops? Or does that fit into the fundamentally sound economy he thinks we're sporting around here?)
b) People are not freaked the heck out about McCain wanting to privatize Social Security. My meager 401k is down over $4000 within the last year alone. Consider the results of your toiling in the current economic environment!
c) Why McCain is talking about how Americans are such hard workers and deserve so much better. Really? Do you demur from your friend Phil Gramm who thinks this is just a mental recession and we (who make less than seven figures) should just stop whining? AND are people buying this crap? He has been in the Senate for so incredibly long that he should have done something about it like, oh, I don't know, NOT vote to deregulate everything that he did. Oh, wait, he changed his mind yesterday. Now we should be regulating. (Will he change his mind tomorrow?)
d) Will more of the press talk about the large parts of AIG that were solvent, even profitable? It was those blasted subprime loans. And there will be more to come, my friends. (Don't even get me started on that subject...)
e) Why is a man who was raised by a single mother and worked hard to get where he is today more elitist than a man who got into the Naval Academy courtesy of his father (graduated almost last in his class no less) and married into one of the wealthiest families in Arizona? And has houses all around the country? And kitchen tables too.
f) Between two men who graduated from Harvard why is the one who correctly pronounces "nuclear" the elitist? Shouldn't that be a requirement? I shudder to think they had Palin mispronounce it too to seem more populist. Let's say it together: Noooo Kleee Urrrr.
g) Why are we not talking more about health care? I, for one, don't want my family to rely on MCains healthcare plan (a tax rebate that doesn't increase with inflation) and the emergency room. Nor do I want to be grouped into the "subprime lending crisis" if one of us becomes incredibly ill and loses our house to make up for missing health care. Where are these people? Start talking !!!!!

My daughter is requesting video game time, and as she's been only mildly beligerrent today I will acquiesce. My brain hurts anyway. It's an incredibly beautiful fall day. Mid 70's and sunshiney. I mowed the back lawn yesterday with the reel mower and it worked out well. PJ mowed the front on Monday. That worked out really well for me because I severely dislike mowing the front, with the hill and the tree lawn. I'm going to see if we can make that a somewhat permanent arrangement with the caveat that sometimes PJ can mow the back too. (hehe)

This is not Shake 'N' Bake, Lady

Is this your economic policy? Hellooooo? I guess we should be grateful she didn't link it to her extensive energy policy experience...
(Sorry, I wasn't going to post anything other than a link to my new friend and fave blogger Jen who writes so intelligently and eloquently but I couldn't resist postin' this link)
From MSNBC.com:

The Alaska governor said that the fall of Lehman Brothers is “taking a toll on our economy” and that it needed some “shakin’ up and some fixin’.”

K, go read this lovely writing. Why people are not knocking down her door to write for them I do not know. But give yourself a treat and check it out:
mindlessmumblingmartyrmom.blogspot.com

We Survived!

It was windy and rainy last night, but there was very little damage. I haven't heard reports of flooding or anything scary, and we lost no power. It seemed to have looked a lot scarier than it turned out to be. That said, prayers for the people who really felt the wrath. It is amazing what Mother Nature can do!

Weather Update

From the National Weather Service:

"NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1019 PM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008

…SIGNIFICANT FLOODING POTENTIAL INCREASING TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY…

.A COLD FRONT WILL SAG SOUTHWARD OVERNIGHT ALLOWING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL TO MOVE BACK INTO PARTS OF NORTHWEST INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IKE ARE STILL EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON SUNDAY WHICH WILL BRING ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH THIS PERIOD MAY APPROACH 8 TO 12 INCHES BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING…CREATING SIGNIFICANT FLOODING ACROSS MUCH OF THE WATCH AREA.

MANY AREAS ACROSS NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN HAVE REPORTED BETWEEN 2 AND 7 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE FRIDAY NIGHT. AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 5 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS VERY LIKELY THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL CREATE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING
PROBLEMS…ESPECIALLY WHERE THE GROUND HAS ALREADY BEEN SATURATED AND FLOODING HAS ALREADY OCCURRED.

SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOODING IS ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP EARLY THIS WEEK IN THE AREAS WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL OCCURS. PERSONS LIVING ALONG AND NEAR RIVERS AND STREAMS IN NORTHERN INDIANA…SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND EXTREME NORTHWEST OHIO SHOULD
MONITOR RIVER FORECASTS AND WARNINGS FOR SPECIFIC STAGES AND CREST INFORMATION. MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING COULD OCCUR GIVEN THE EXPECTED HEAVY RAINFALL. THESE FORECASTS WILL BE REFINED AS THE PRECIPITATION FALLS.

LA PORTE-ST. JOSEPH IN-ELKHART-LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-STARKE-PULASKI-MARSHALL-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY-ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN-MIAMI-WABASH-BERRIEN-CASS MI-ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-HENRY

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF MICHIGAN CITY-LA PORTE-SOUTH BEND-MISHAWAKA-ELKHART-GOSHEN-LAGRANGE-TOPEKA-ANGOLA-KENDALLVILLE-LIGONIER-AUBURN-GARRETT-KNOX-NORTH JUDSON-WINAMAC-FRANCESVILLE-PLYMOUTH-BREMEN-ROCHESTER-WARSAW-WINONA LAKE-COLUMBIA CITY-
SOUTH WHITLEY-FORT WAYNE-MONTICELLO-BROOKSTON-LOGANSPORT-PERU-WABASH-NORTH MANCHESTER-NILES-BENTON HARBOR-ST. JOSEPH-BUCHANAN-DOWAGIAC-CASSOPOLIS-STURGIS-THREE RIVERS-COLDWATER-HILLSDALE-BRYAN-MONTPELIER-WAUSEON-ARCHBOLD-DEFIANCE-NAPOLEON
1019 PM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008 /919 PM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008/

…FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT…

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF NORTHERN INDIANA…SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN AND
NORTHWEST OHIO; INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN NORTHERN
INDIANA-ALLEN IN-CASS IN-DE KALB-ELKHART-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-LA PORTE-LAGRANGE-MARSHALL-MIAMI-NOBLE-PULASKI-ST. JOSEPH IN-STARKE-STEUBEN-WABASH-WHITE AND WHITLEY. IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN: BERRIEN-BRANCH-CASS MI-HILLSDALE AND ST. JOSEPH MI. IN NORTHWEST OHIO: DEFIANCE-FULTON OH-HENRY AND WILLIAMS.

* THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT

* MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT NEAR A
SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT…AND THEN AGAIN FROM THE LEFTOVERS OF
HURRICANE IKE ON SUNDAY. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING CREATING SIGNIFICANT
FLOODING…ESPECIALLY OVER PORTIONS OF FAR NORTHWEST AND
NORTHERN INDIANA.

* LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS WILL LIKELY FLOOD…WITH RIVER
FLOODING DEVELOPING ON MONDAY AND BEYOND.

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP."

We are Allen County, Indiana. Here's a link to a map showing what is going on.

http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=INZ018&warncounty=INC003&firewxzone=INZ018&local_place1=Fort+Wayne+IN&product1=Hazardous+Weather+Outlook

How cool is this?

We are close enough to St. Jude's that we hear the church bells ringing (like Holy Cross in South Bend) and we are close enough to Concordia High School that I can currently hear the marching band practice. And they sound Gooood!

The only thing I'm going to say about the Charlie Gibson interview

Mostly because I could not watch the whole thing. But when he asked her about the Bush Doctrine (which I understand has had many different defenitions so that's not my point) her response in that sneery smarmy voice was "In what respect Charlie?". Seriously repugnant the tone in her voice. Taunting. Daring. I hate that McCain chose her. I hate that he sold his soul to the people who lied about him in 2000 so Bush could win and now they are "helping" McCain. I hate that his speech was good at the RNC convention but hers was in that condescending tone so it takes away from him completely. I think that's what bugs me the most about her- her condescending tone. That and she has the audacity to make fun of Mr. Obama being a community organizer (and I already hated Giuliani but his response to that made me want to hurl) and not understanding the responsibility that entailes and the people it helps, but skipping over the whole teaching constitutional law thing. Does she know what the Constitution is even? Okay I think my blood pressure is up so I have to stop but do you guys, even the McCain supporters, hear that smarminess and condesention in her voice? (Plus, she's from so far north I keep expecting her to drop some Olie and Lena jokes, and instruct the "hosers" to "take off, eh".

Okay I am a child of the '70's

Growing up during the cold war, nuclear holocaust was always on my mind. (Those of you who know me well will not be surprised. Previously my main concerns were the Bogeyman in the closet and when the house caught on fire how would I a) get out and circa 1976 b) get myself and my infant sister out.) Listening to NPR the other morning they were discussing campaign ad of previous years. I began to think about this. McCain (and more scarily Sarah "no blink" Palin insert shudder here) will have the codes. Several countries not so friendly toward us (Russia, Iran etcetcetc) have the means to blow us up. I hate thinking about our kids living in fear like I (we?) did. Diplomacy first. By all means. Please consider the policies of the candidates when thinking about the future. Because someone with the same principles and advisors as the current administration would not necessarily be ready to pause in an altercation to try to find a better way first. See for yourself. Pause jukebox pls. (p.s. the ad did run prior to my being born and all, it just sets a tone I think that continues unfortunately.)
To see this and other ads, go to http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/. It's interesting how advertising invades almost every aspect of our lives, elections notwithstanding.

Pending Further Investigation

I'm taking down the posts related to the burglary for now. I think as it is currently being investigated and may be a bigger deal than originally thought, I don't want to treat it lightly. Mostly I don't want to put anyone in danger. So down they come. Most of you have heard the story, and if not give me a shout. If you call PJ you'll get a faster mph down the alley in his version. But anyway, when it is done, I'll post. For now, we're not talking burglary on this here blog.

Smartie Brogue

I told PJ if he really loved me, he would learn to speak in a beautiful Scottish brogue. I am far too old to stay up watching my new favorite famous person. Here's some smart talk. Don't be distracted by his lovely voice. He's a pretty smart fella. Scroll down and pause the jukebox and get ready to laugh and fall slightly in love.

Can I get a tissue?

Scene: 10 minutes or so ago: Kitchen sink, prepping dinner. Listening to NPR and the story about the reading of the names at the 9/11 memorial. Immediate sobbing. For all of the loss- including the war, the soldiers, even the surviving ones, and the Iraqi people. Sobbing. Then they brought on the bagpipers. Made it worse. Damned pipers do it to me every time. I am sure it was not the onions.

I couldn't stay away

From the Washington Post...

"For now, there appears to be little political reason to back down. A Washington Post-ABC News poll taken Sept. 5 to Sept. 7 found that 51 percent of voters think Obama would raise their taxes, even though his plan would actually cut taxes for the overwhelming majority of Americans. Obama has proposed eliminating income taxes on seniors making less than $50,000 a year, but 41 percent of those seniors say their income taxes would go up in an Obama administration."

See? People really are stoopid...

Big Boy haircut!

Stay tuned for some pictures of a boy who got his first haircut at a "salon". Not in the upstairs bathroom screaming and thrashing as his mother tries to get an even bang line and around the ears without maiming him. He was charming and sat still and was a total champ. 2 stickers and one good haircut later, we were on our way to get some new shoes. I'll post those too. I have to go right now as my children are downstairs with crayons unattended. Yikes!

Conviction!

We received a letter yesterday from the police stating there's only one guy facing charges out of the three busted for the burglary. I don't remember which one, but will be calling the victims advocate they gave us to find out the skinny. Keep posted...

Harmony in the 'Hood

Friday afternoon while the kids were burning off some steam in the front yard, I had occasion to chat with Madame X. I told her the arborvitae looked very nice, and she thanked me. She showed me what else the guys had done, and she was very proud of how it looked (rightly so- it all looked nice). She told me that this was it- she had finished the inside of the house, and now with the back yard done, she was happy with how things were. (That reminded me of something funny I read not long ago- you are done with a house when you move or when you die. That's how we feel about the old houses we love so much!). Anyhoo, I asked about her landscapers opinion of the ash tree in her treelawn. She said he told her that the tree should never have been planted there in the first place. It doesn't have the right kind of trunk, and with the new tree in our tree lawn, the shade will be better for her. So now I think she sees it as win/win, which brings more harmony. It was a pleasant conversation to be sure, but we'll see how they go in the future. I hope this means there's detante on West Drive!

Straight from the horses mouths

I heart Jon Stewart, specially when he sits back and let's them do it to themselves!
Sorry folks I am having trouble embedding the vid, but here's the link. Please take a few minutes to see the hypocrisy. Because all the "liberal media" (heh heh) going on and on about what a breath of fresh air she is, is just that: air, and it ain't so fresh as it is hot. HOT AIR. Check it out for yourself:

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184086

p.s.

I am pretty darned sure that Joe Biden is really proud of his son too, but he doesn't throw it in everyone's face. He signed up. Republicans don't have a corner on the market of soldiers, nor do they have a corner on the market for pride of their children. Borderline exploitation? Maybe...

Viva Canada!

After reading about her speech (and all the lies), I am getting our passports ready now. We will leave if this country is left to be run by I can't even say it out loud. PJ knows and had suggested it before Bush won in 2004. We are open to Europe. Any ideas? Let me know so I can get the Muzzy started for the family and we can go with a working knowledge of the language. The thought of it makes me sick. Not him. Her. In charge. Of this great nation. And "people" are saying she's more experienced than Obama. I have to go yak. Please vote. Please please please please. Our friend Dave says he isn't voting. I will personally blame him if we have to move out of this country.

Really? This IS Bush Redux

From the Alaska Daily News:

Similar complaints arose when Palin hired a public works director with no engineering background, Cindy Roberts, who had been a Commerce Department official in the administration for former Gov. Wally Hickel. The wife of longtime Hickel aide Malcolm Roberts, she lasted a year in the job.

Remember the guy who was in charge of FEMA when Katrina hit? I just don't know what else to say. It's exhausting.

Daily Political Thought

Around the t.v. and web, I am hearing the term "angry left" quite a bit. Last night from President Bush himself at the convention. (No I didn't watch I was reading and trying to fall asleep. He perplexes me too much to get tired watching him.) "Angry left" made me a little upset (angry?) at first but then I realized that heck yes I am angry. And President Bush not realizing why make me even angrier. OBAMA / BIDEN '08 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chicken's First Ear Infection

Last Friday I noticed Ava coughing a cough that I didn't like at all. She had no fever, but a congested cough. (The reason I didn't like it is not only because one doesn't want to see their chicken sick but we were at L's and she has a tiny new baby.) The cough persisted, and although there was still no fever, we kept Ava close to the couch and her bed all weekend. Then Monday was the holiday, and Tuesday PJ took her to school before heading in to work. (He was supposed to have the day off but had to make up the time from Friday.) I got a call about 9:45 from the school secretary that Ava was in the office and was complaining of an earache. I ran over and got her, James coughing too by now (and me with a sore throat no less) and brought her home and took her temp. Her doctor transferred out of the practice to another one where they would let her work part time (she recently had a baby) and we hadn't done any switching yet, so I called the practice and asked if they could see her. A couple of hours later we were there with a nice Doctor who used her otoscope and confirmed that Ava had her first ear infection. She said that when school starts it usually takes a few weeks before the sicknesses and ear infections start going round and kids start coming in, but this year it has been gangbusters right away. We left with a prescription for an antibiotic and some numbing drops, and stopped at the pharmacy on the way home. After being told it would be 25 minutes, I opted to take the kids home and try to feed them. We were all dying and wanted to go to bed, but I wanted to make sure Ava had her meds. We came home to the neighbors new landscaping (it really does look nice) and ate, went back out to get the meds, came home with half our booty, and I put the kids down. I forgot to get Delsym and I was coughing so much that I could not sleep. But the kids were so exhausted that when I went into their rooms to look for the phone right after I put them down there was no stirring. I laid down with Lionel for a while on the guest bed and finally got up and did some research on shoes to help my back. The kids slept till about 5. We are still down today, although I found some Dayquil earlier that has given me some energy. We have watched way too much tv, eaten toast, played Go Fish, and read a few stories. It's only 10:30. I am worried a little about the rest of the day. The best part tho is that we are all in our jammies and taking it easy. Hopefully we'll have Ava back in school tomorrow and James and I will stop coughing soon.
(I was just thinking that we'll need more 7-up and I remembered hearing on the radio that 7-up used to have lithium in it. Isn't that crazy? No pun intended!)

The Neighbor Strikes Back!

There are new arborvitae lining her side of the fence, and the (handsome shirtless) landscaper is putting some kind of fence posts in, although it's not likely an actual fence, just some arbor kind of thing. The arborvitae look kind of nice. It will help with her view of the wasteland. And it's just as well- the look on her face when we told her we found some Zone 5 bamboo and were thinking about putting that back in the wasteland was priceless. I guess she's fixing our wagon!
(p.s. a source downtown acknowledges her anger at our getting a tree instead of her getting hers replaced. No shock there.)

Come ON!!!

I am officially boycotting MSNBC. Really, at least Morning Joe. I have it on in the background as the boy comes in and out (and in and out and in and out) the back door and I'm cleaning the kitchen a bit.
Just now Joe and Mika stated that the media has been unfairly treating the minor daughter of John McCain's vp pick, Sarah Palin. They are referring to, of course, her 17 year old daughter who just announced she was pregnant. This was announced after internet speculation that the latest child born to Mrs. Palin (the one with Down's Syndrome) belonged to her daughter. The truth comes out that this in fact isn't true, as the daughter (unmarried and 17!!!) is currently 5 months pregnant. But that's okay. She's keeping the baby (insert Madonna hook here) and marrying the father. Okay, Senator Obama has publicly stated that media coverage of this is wrong and families should be off limits. But this situation is just another in a laundry list of problems I have with Sarah Palin.
SHE KNEW BEFORE ACCEPTING THE POSITION AS RUNNING MATE THAT HER TEENAGED DAUGHTER WAS KNOCKED UP AND RATHER THAN PUTTING HER FAMILY AND THEIR PRIVACY FIRST, SHE ACCEPTED THE REQUEST.
Simple as that. Really, as the talking heads are saying, that so many people can relate to having a 17 year old, or knowing one, that is in the situation that Sarah Palin's daughter is in now. But would all these people who "relate" put their children first, and be with them and counsel them through this time in their (very young) life, or would they say: "Bully for me! I have 2 years "executive" experience managing a state with a total population in the 600,000s and an annual budget one third of Obama's monthly budget. I can totally lead the country! I'm sure my family will be fine without their mom." I am sorry. The very idea of Sarah Palin as Vice President much less President is offensive to me not only as a woman, much less a mother, but especially as an American. Talk about a 3 a.m. phone call commercial. Your turn, Mr. Obama!