~ Gator Mommy ~

As the World Turns, so pass the Days of Our Lives

2011-08-10T13:30:00.000-04:00

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been nearly a year since I last posted here. Working 40+ hours a week, taking care of my rambunctious kiddos, and writing have taken up almost all my time. It's amazing that I find time to sleep! So much has happened in the last 364 days, but I won't bore you with those details here. Nay, instead I wanted to get something out of my head. It's the reason I returned to my long-lost blog in the first place.

Like this blog, so many things slip onto the backburner as time slips through the hourglass of life. The soap opera references are intentional, by the way. When I was growing up, so many of the women in my family as well as friends were all addicted to "the stories." Almost all were avid watchers of "Days of Our Lives." I, too, watched. But I always found it laughable that you could go a year without watching and be able to jump right back in because it was always the same people doing the same things and dealing with the same drama day in and day out. It's so stupid, I always thought. Even in the routine of daily life, things change. The idea that Bo and Hope would still be struggling to be together or that Sammie would still be up to her old hijinks year in and year out is idiotic. At some point, things have to change. So I stopped watching daytime drama altogether.

The funny thing is that I found that absolutely unrealistic in a fictional television show, but I fully expected it with certain friendships.

Christine (leaning in on the table), Chris, and me (back turned)

Rewind the clock to 1994. I was starting my senior year of high school and I had the three best friends anyone could ever have. I had known Andrea since middle school; she and I were more like sisters than friends. The other two -- Christine and Chris -- I met in high school. I loved them all and don't know how I would have made it through the trials and tribulations of high school without them. But Chris... he was special.

Me and Andrea back in the day

My mother left and married her paramour when my sister and I were little, so my father raised us alone. He worked three jobs to make ends meet, so he was gone a lot. Chris filled that void in my life. He was, in a sense, a soul mate. No, not in the sexual, married relationship kind of way. But he was my soul mate nonetheless. He knew me better than anyone. We were pretty much inseparable. Not a night went by in our four years together that we didn't talk on the telephone.

Then graduation from high school came and that was that.

I, like a fool, "fell in love" with an older man and moved in with him right around the time I accepted my high school diploma. While I was taking a year off to be with the asshole, my friends dispersed and went off to college. Christine went to New York, Andrea to the Lowcountry of South Carolina, and Chris ... my Chris went off to Virginia.

While I was making a complete wreck of my life, Chris was making a name for himself. While I was agreeing to butcher two children in the womb, he was winning hearts for Christ. While I was stuck in Limbo waiting to lose my third child to the lie of open adoption, he was graduating and getting ready to jet set to Tuscany for a year.

I kept in touch with Andrea the most, but I still tried to correspond through cards and letters with three friends who had obtained their college degrees and were looking to find their own place in this crazy world. I admit that I felt alone -- I had allowed a man to control me, tell me what to do and where to go. I left this man (finally) in late 1999. But, life had already passed me by. I missed out on college and friends and parties and ... life.

Chris and Pope John Paul II

As I began to unravel the mess I'd made at home, my dear Chris was in Italy. Not only had he been accepted into the seminary by our home Diocese, he had also been accepted to the Pope's own seminary in Rome. Chris was the only American there from 2000-2005. He was there when Pope John Paul II died and was so close to the coffin at the funeral mass in St. Peter's Square that he could see the holy water droplets on it.

I moved into an apartment with Andrea and tried to assimilate back into the land of the living. She and I found boyfriends, fell in love, and went our separate ways. The man I met during this time turned out to be "the one." He and I married in March 2003 and currently have two beautiful children. Life is a struggle for us now and then, but we have never given up. I don't know what I'd do without him.

Well, through the wonders of Facebook I have been able to reconnect with so many lost friends -- the magnificent trio especially. Christine is happily married as is Andrea. Chris has been living all over Europe for years, very rarely making it back to the states. He's incredibly busy, so I always understood if Facebook message went unanswered.

He was back home for a few weeks for the Holidays and I felt extremely lucky to be able to see him for a few hours back in January. And, like a fool, I literally counted down the weeks until August and his return. It had been absolutely amazing to sit outside and just talk to him. Not as a priest, but as Chris. My Chris. The best friend that I knew back in the early 1990s, the one who knew all my secrets and always gave great advice. It was like a dream, being able to snatch back a moment of time from before I became such a fuck up.

Andrea and Dawn (Isabella's Godmother), 2004

I wasn't sure of the exact day of his return, but I naively thought that he'd let me know, and that we'd see each other. I found out he was back home when I saw a Facebook update about seeing a movie with his father... and all the "It was nice to see you, Father!" messages from various people in our childhood hometown. I was crushed that he hadn't taken the time to send a brief hello on Facebook. It was like having the wind punched out of me. My husband asked about him being back and I couldn't answer. I just shrugged. "It's been 16 years since you were friends, don't get down about it." was his advice. He hit the nail on the head, though. SINCE you WERE friends. As in, you were friends then, but not now. Now you're acquaintances. Quit fretting over it, put on your big girl panties, and take the girls to the park.

So, as the days passed I watched as everyone else got the one thing I'd nearly kill for -- time with the best friend I let go so long ago.

Now, I should tell you that I am often overcome by periods of moroseness. And this past week just happened to be one of them. I have had a lot on my plate at the moment and stress does not bode well with those who tend to toe the line between semi-sane and overly melancholy. So, this ordeal with Chris hit me in the chest like a ton of bricks.

I remember reading "New Moon" and thinking that the way Stephanie Meyer describes Jacob sounded like how I viewed Chris way back when ... as well as now. For those of you living under a rock, the main character (Bella) sees him as a sun -- radiating heat and happiness. When she is around him, things are happier. Whole. The world is right. When she isn't around him, doom and gloom set in. In high school, Chris was my sun. He was the overly optimistic, extremely happy-go-lucky brother that I so desperately needed. He left a handprint on my heart that will forever be there -- like when a hot metal touches the skin. The mark is always there. But the kind of imprint he left if more visceral, more intimate.

The sad reality is that at one time he and I had different circles of friends. But now, we have different planes of existence. And therein lies the problem. When I hear that he's back in my neck of the woods, I automatically try to gravitate toward that sun, that warmth that I've missed for 16 years. I long for the friendship that we once had. I long for the easier days when my only worry was passing a biology test. But that is an impossibility because we have changed. I'm a middle-aged mother of two. A very typical South Carolina nobody struggling to NOT be another statistic, especially in this economy. And Chris, oh my gosh, he's this larger-than-life personality that has been touched by the hand of God, a world-renowned priest that will go far in the church. He was once MY sun. Now he's the sun for thousands. Perhaps millions.

So it should be no great surprise that I would get lost in the massive amount of people he must see everytime he's here. It's unfair for me to expect him to be Chris Smith, the savior of Pam because he is now Father Christopher Smith, leading the world to THE savior. Only, where I am, it seems that God doesn't go because I am too far gone. And all those other people, well they are "good" Catholics that are still in play when it comes to the afterlife. It should be no surprise that my oldest daughter, his Godchild, has never been invited to see him at any point. She, too, must bear the weight of my failed life.

Christine, Chris, me, and Andy (my husband) in 2001

So it seems that our friendship, like all good things, has come to an end.

But I don't want it to, hell I am kicking and screaming inside at the thought of just taking him off my Facebook friends list. Why is that one little click of the mouse so hard?

I used to think that soap operas were stupid for their repetitiveness. Yet, that is what I want in my friendships. I want to be able to jump back into the story and have it be the same despite the passing of 16 years. I want it all to stay the same.

But time doesn't work like that. Things change. People change. And the sand in the hourglass of friendship often runs out.

Long time, no see!

2010-08-11T01:58:00.000-04:00

It's been over a year since I last attempted to update this blog, but I'm going to give it another go. Since the baby was born in September 2008, my life has been insane. Work, kids, work, housekeeping, etc. I rarely get time to just sit and do "me" things. I long to be able to jot down thoughts here, to pick up (and finish!) a cross stitch project, and to be able to take a bubble bath without someone walking into the bathroom and chucking a Barbie doll into the water.

Let's see, what has happened since I last posted?

The biggest was that I wrote a book! Well, I actually wrote it in 2008 when I was on bedrest with the baby. I polished it, let some friends read it, then polished it again. But I kept it close by, unwilling to let too many people read it. "It's like tossing your child on stage and watching people judge her."

But, I took a chance and entered it into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest in January. I was sure that it'd be cut in the first round. Afterall there were 9,999 other people vying for the prize, too! The pools were divided into two categories: General Fiction and Young Adult Fiction. Out of 5,000 entrants, "Redeeming Kinsley" made it all the way to the quarterfinal round (top 250) before being cut. Top 5% on her first flight isn't too bad. I've been working with some people and am hoping to have it published by the end of the year.

Here's the back cover teaser:

“I woke up in a drab little room. A stuffy room. A haunted room. The bed was hard and the temperature a little too warm for my taste. I sat up, not remembering how or when I had gotten there.”

After taking a boning knife to her wrists, 21-year-old Kinsley Mullen finds herself in a dank and dreary facility with a quirky counselor. After everyone she has hurt – her father, her beloved friend Tim, and that innocent child – she figures she deserves to be institutionalized.

Suicide had seemed like the only way she could escape the pain of her past. But now she was stuck in limbo, in a room where the ghosts of her past haunt her, pecking at her as she hides under the covers. In limbo, where the therapy makes her relive memories and leaves her feeling like she’s been boiled alive. In limbo, where personal redemption doesn’t come easily.

With the help of her grandfatherly counselor, Espy, and her stoic benefactor, Christopher, Kinsley starts to uncover the roots of her depression and downfall. From her feelings of being unwanted to the domestically violent tug-of-war relationship with Mike Piros, her life had been fraught with brutality, heartache, and unspeakable choices.

Can Espy help her overcome her past or her unexplainable infatuation with Mike? Can she find a way to get past the guilt she feels over the death of her child? Can Espy or the love of her life-long best friend save her before it's truly too late?

¨Redeeming Kinsley¨ is a story that has the ability to open up dialogues about the effects of partner violence, rape, abortion, depression, and the redeeming qualities of true love.

I'll post here when it goes live.

I was also excited about the releases of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" last year and "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" back in June. I rarely get to go see "adult" movies, so being able to be in the theater at midnight for each of these was wonderful. I'm already making plans for the midnight opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" in November. Long live Harry Potter!

Well, before I get too carried away, I better close it down for the night. It's nearly 2 a.m. and I need to get to bed, but I'll make sure that I pop in here at least once a week for an update. Maybe I'll go and try to get a hot bath since the kids are asleep and I'm not in danger of flying Barbies.

Have a wonderful, blessed week!

Brief update...

2009-06-16T15:14:00.005-04:00

Wow. It's been a long, long time. Between family, work, Facebook, and Wii, I hardly ever have time to play around on the net. LOL ...

So, what's going on? Not too much. I'm back at work, although I DID get a promotion, which brought a small pay raise plus bonuses on my check each week. The kiddos are getting BIG. The baby is trying to walk -- at only 8 months old. Football season is about 80 days away. The 6th Potter movie opens in less than a month (WOOT!). I'm still spreading the Twilight virus at work. They're working on the final parts of the second movie and are slated to begin filing the third ("Eclipse") in the Fall. Watch the video below ... AWESOME! Taylor Lautner is definitely going to win some hearts over to Team Jabob. (I certainly hope the release date is moved up from November to like September or something!)

Well, I really must run. I'll be back online late tonight updating websites and such, so I'm hoping for a better update then!

The trailer for "New Moon" that was released on May 31st is below.

Wow. It's been a long time!

2009-03-24T11:29:00.005-04:00

I promised myself two things for Lent -- 1.) That I would STICK to an exercise plan, and 2.) I would spend much less time online. So far I've kept both promises. As a matter of fact, I *just* stepped off the elliptical. Phew!

Packing a work out in 30 minutes (once a day on M, W, Fri, and Sun, and twice a day on Tu, Thu, and Sat) really is tough. There's so much going on. I need loud, heart pounding music to get me through. I've rediscovered Linkin Park's "Hybrid Theory" CD. Right now, my exercise folder on my MP3 player contains the following:

"Freak on a Leash" ~ Korn and Garbage
"Falling Away From Me"~ Korn
"Bleed it Out" ~ Linkin Park
"One Step Closer" ~ Linkin Park
"Runaway" ~ Linkin Park
"In the End" ~ Linkin Park
"Pushing Me Away" ~ Linkin Park
"Supermassive Black Hole" ~ Muse
"Starry Eyed Surprise" ~ Paul Oakenfold
"Gator Bait Remix" ~ Pearly Whites
"Get Off" ~ Prince
"When I Grow Up" ~ Pussycat Dolls
"Don't Cha" ~ Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes
"Low" ~ FloRida
"Girlfriend" ~ Avril Lavigne
"Toxic" ~ Britney Spears
"Circus" ~ Britney Spears
"Mmmm Papi" ~ Britney Spears
"The Swamp Experience" ~ Spirit Music Productions
"Closer" ~ N.I.N.

I put the thing on "shuffle" and go.

Let's see ... what else is going on?

Well, I've got half of the pharmacy it seems reading the Twilight Saga. Hahaha ... It's amazing how addictive those books are!

Edward refers to Bella as his own personal brand of heroin. Well, those books are mine! The movie came out on DVD over the weekend, too, so I my addiction has been well fed over the last few days.

Just like the Potter series, if you haven't read the Twilight Saga -- READ IT. Meyers is no where near the writer that Rowling is, but the series is geared toward an older audience. Who can resist a coven of moral vampires? A love triangle (vampire - human - werewolf)? Drama? Action? (And let's face it ... that kiss at the end of the prom scene is awesome!) My favorite scene is still the baseball scene, though.

Ah well, it's about that time ... I need to go and get MY Bella from school. More later!

Kiss, kiss.

Working out

2009-01-13T15:15:00.004-05:00

I stepped on the scale this morning. Hmph. 151 pounds. I was well over 180 when the baby was born in mid-September. I want to be back down to around 120 by summer. Not only smaller, but toned. So, I am beginning to work out. Nothing heavy at first because, let's face it, I am tired and lazy by the time I get a moment to myself.

My goal right now is 20 minutes a day on the Gazelle... working my way up to Terri's pilates DVDs.

I've got my MP3 player out and am starting to work on a folder of workout music... you know, stuff that's upbeat and makes you want to keep moving. This is what I've got so far: (a few of these are on my playlist on MySpace.)

"Supermassive Black Hole" ~ Muse
"Womanizer" ~ Britney Spears
"Low" ~ FloRida
"Mmm Papi" ~ Britney Spears
"The Swamp Experience" ~ Spirit Music Productions
"Closer" ~ N.I.N.
"Girlfriend" ~ Avril Lavinge
"Slide" ~ Goo Goo Dolls
"Freak on a Leash" ~ Korn and Garbage
"Gator Bait Remix" ~ Pearly Whites
"Don't Cha" ~ Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes

They won't be in that order, though ...

Well, I've got to hit the grocery store. We're making turkey burgers tonight and I need to pick up a few things.

2008 National Champions!

2009-01-12T21:34:00.002-05:00

Cough, cough ... Florida beat Chokelahoma 24 to 14 to win the 2008 B.C.S. National Championship. And we are well poised to go for a repeat as Tim Tebow has decided to stay for his senior year. Woot!

It's GREAT to BE a FLORIDA GATOR!

As If I needed another reason to love Stephanie Meyer ...

2009-01-07T13:29:00.002-05:00

... it seems that the author of the book series that knocked Potter to my no. 2 slot is a GATOR!

I was shocked to see the University of Florida mentioned in book three, "Eclipse." On page 70 of the hardback version, Charlie greets Bella when she returns to Forks, Wa. after visiting her mother in Jacksonville, Fla.:

"Welcome home, kid!" Charlie shouted like he really meant it. "How was Jacksonville?"

"Moist. And buggy."

"So Renee didn't sell you on the University of Florida?"

"She tried. But I'd rather drink water than inhale it."

I was taken aback a little. (Any thing about the foundation for the Gator Nation gets my attention!)

Well, I was reading the e-book version of the fourth book, "Breaking Dawn," last night. The vampire Emmitt Cullen is watching a college football game while Bella is visitng with her father on the other side of the room. The entire Cullen clan is there and the atmosphere is, well, tense.

Then, page 295 of the ebook made me literally laugh out loud. The passage is below.

Jacob grinned. "Everything's going to be great, Charlie. Just try to not believe anything you see."

My dad mumbled something unintelligible.

"Woo!" Emmett suddenly boomed in his deep bass. "Go Gators!"

Jacob and Charlie jumped. The rest of us froze.

Charlie recovered, then looked at Emmett over his shoulder. "Florida winning?"

"Just scored the first touchdown," Emmett confirmed. He shot a look in my direction, wagging his eyebrows like a villain in vaudeville. "'Bout time somebody scored around here."

I fought back a hiss. In front of Charlie? That was over the line.

Woot! I never thought anyone could top J.K. Rowling. Congratulations to Stephanie Meyer and her "Twilight" series ... it seems that Hogwarts and the Potter saga is now taking a backseat to the Cullen Coven! The story is awesome ... and the Gator shout out is icing on the cake.

Hangin' with vampires

2009-01-05T23:37:00.007-05:00

Well, happy new year! It's been a while since I've updated my blog. I am online looking for a copy of "Breaking Dawn" on CraigsList and thought that I'd pop over here while I had a moment.

As you can see from the subject of this post, I have picked up a new series of books... a series that I am shocked to say I like MORE than the Harry Potter series. (For those of you who know me well, that is saying A - LOT!)

I remember the first time I heard the title "Twilight." It was back in August when Warner Brother's moved the release of "Half-Blood Prince" from Nov. 21, 2008 to July 17, 2009. I was LIVID and swore that I would never see the movie that took it's slot. That movie being "Twilight."

I hated it. I knew nothing about it, but I hated it.

Fast forward to just before Thanksgiving. I was flipping through the channels one morning and landed on "Live with Regis and Kelly." Rob Pattison was on so I stopped. (Pattison played Cedric Diggory in "Goblet of Fire" so I was wondering what he was doing now ...) Well, they were talking about his new movie ... "Twilight" ... and that it was about a coven of vampires.

Now, I have always had a thing for vampires. ALWAYS. The works of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice? Got 'em. Fan of shows like "Kindred: The Embraced" and such? You bet? So, when the 'V' word came up, it piqued my curiosity. So, I began to ask around but no one I worked with had read it. I was even more intrigued by the book displays I saw while Christmas shopping. But, as always, I vowed NOT to shop for myself until after Christmas.

Well, I saw the first book, "Twilight," at Books-a-Million when I was at the Mall last Monday (Dec. 29th) so I bought it. I started reading it Monday night ... and read the whole damned thing. I sent Andy out to buy the second book, "New Moon," on Friday (Jan. 2). I read that sucker in one night, too. I ended up making a quick run to Wal-Mart last night (Jan. 4th) to nab a copy of the third book, "Eclipse." And yes, I've finished it. I have been looking all over town for the fourth book, "Breaking Dawn," all evening and can't find it anywhere. URGH!

Those books are freaking awesome! I love a book (or series of books) that takes me to another place ... a book that I simply can't put down. And Stephanie Meyer has gotten my attention (and my money) very quickly. She and J.K. Rowling top my list of favorite authors right there with Anne Rice.

I think that I might even sneak out tomorrow night after the girls are asleep and hit the theater for the late showing of the movie.

Anyway, I've got to go .... pardon the pun .... hunting! I have a book to find. Have a very happy new year!

S.E.C. Post Season Schedule

2008-12-08T00:36:00.000-05:00

Woo-hoo! Christmas came early, LOL... My Gators pulled it out this weekend, beating Alabama 31-20 to win the S.E.C. Championship and a chance to play for the National Title Game next month.

Below find a break down of what bowl games S.E.C. teams will be playing in and when ... as well as who will be playing in each of the BCS bowls.

S.E.C. Bowl Schedule ~ (From www.SECSports.com; all times EST)

December 31:

Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. Boston College, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU vs. Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

January 1:

Outback Bowl: South Carolina vs. Iowa, 11 a.m. on ESPN
Capital One Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan State, 1 p.m. on ABC

January 2:

Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech, 2 p.m. on FOX
Liberty Bowl: Kentucky vs. East Carolina, 5 p.m. on ESPN
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Utah, 8 p.m. on FOX

January 8:

BCS Title Game: Florida vs. Oklahoma, 8 p.m. on FOX

BCS Bowl Schedule ~ (From www.BCSfootball.org, all times EST)

January 1:

Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ca. ~ Penn State vs. Southern Cal, 4:30 p.m. on ABC
Orange Bowl at Miami ~ Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati, 8:30 p.m. on FOX

January 2:

Sugar Bowl in New Orleans ~ Utah vs. Alabama, 8 p.m. on FOX

January 5:

Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. ~ Texas vs. Ohio State, 8 p.m. on FOX

January 8:

National Championship Game in Miami ~ Oklahoma vs. Florida, 8 p.m. on FOX

S.E.C. Week Fourteen Round-Up

2008-11-30T21:27:00.000-05:00

Well ... this was it. The last weekend of regular season play. My Gators only have two games left. Two. But WOW! What a season it's been! I can't wait until the women's football clinic next summer. I am taking the Bella-boo with me, and with the season the Gators have had this year, I antcipate it to be as packed as it was back in 2007.

I am a little disappointed with the S.E.C. ... three of the four S.E.C. teams that played an A.C.C. team lost! Good gracious! Come on Georgia, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt! Honestly ...

As always all S.E.C. teams are in bold and the rankings I am using are the BCS rankings.

Friday, Nov. 28th:

Arkansas 31, LSU 30
Ole Miss 45, Mississippi State 0

Saturday, Nov. 29th:

No. 1 Alabama 36, Auburn 0
No. 4 Florida 45, No. 20 Florida State 15
No. 22 Georgia Tech 45, No. 11 Georgia 42
Tennessee 28, Kentucky 10
Clemson 31, South Carolina 14
Wake Forest 23, Vanderbilt 10

S.E.C. Week Thirteen Round-Up

2008-11-22T22:03:00.005-05:00

Ah ... the 2008 collegiate football season is winding down. Only one more week to go in the regular season. Then comes division championships, bowl games, and the BCS Championship game.

Results from today are below. (I am using the B.C.S. Rankings)

Saturday, Nov. 22nd:

No. 4 Florida 70, The Citadel 19
Mississippi State 31, Arkansas 28
Ole Miss 31, No. 18 LSU 13
Tennessee 20, Vanderbilt 10

No. 1 Alabama, Auburn, No. 11 Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina all had an open weekend.

Other games of note:

No. 5 Oklahoma 65, No. 2 Texas Tech 21
Florida State 37, No. 25 Maryland 3
N.C. State 41, No. 22 North Carolina 10
No. 17 Ball State 31, Central Michigan 24
Georgia Tech 41, No. 23 Miami 23

Go Elf Yourself!

2008-11-19T14:58:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Get your Christmas cards ready NOW!

2008-11-18T14:32:00.006-05:00

This weekend work on your Holiday letters and Christmas cards. I know, I know, "It's too early! Thanksgiving's not even here yet!"

Well, I have a very good reason why -- a North Pole cancellation stamp.

I've been doing this for a couple of years now and love it. Here's what you do:

* Sign, stamp, and address all of your cards and letters the way you normally would.

* Put them all in a large envelope and seal it.

* Take it to your local post office and mail this package filled with cards to either the North Pole, N.Y. or Fairbanks, Alaska post offices (address below).

Every year these post offices receive a ton of mail to be forwarded during the holiday season just to have that "North Pole" cancellation stamp on the envelope. The earlier you get your letters and cards out, the earlier they will arrive to your family and friends with the a jolly North Pole cancellation!

This is especially fun if you have kiddos and want them to get a letter from Santa!!!

The information for both post offices is below. I prefer the Alaska post office, but the choice is completely up to you! (And no, it has nothing to do with Gov. Palin! I like the Alaska one because it's easier to believe that Santa would be in North Pole, Alaska rather than North Pole, N.Y.)

Happy Christmas everyone!

NEW YORK:

North Pole Postmaster
c/o North Pole Cancellation Stamp.
P.O. Box 1768
North Pole, NY 12997

More information: http://www.northpoleny.com/page.cfm?page=Post%20Office

ALASKA:

North Pole Christmas Cancellation
Attn: Postmaster
5400 Mail Trail
Fairbanks, AK 99709-9999

Information at the bottom of the page: http://northpolealaska.com/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=8&Itemid=27

P.S. You can also get a Bethlehem cancellation! (I just found out about it after I posted this and was curious about a more religious cancellation!) The same rules from above apply, but send the cards to one of the locations below:

NEW HAMPSHIRE:

"Christmas Re-Mailing"

Bethlehem Post Office

Bethlehem, NH 03574

http://www.nhliving.com/holidaystamp/article.shtml

PENNSYLVANIA:

Christmas Cancellation

att: Postmaster

535 Wood Street

Bethlehem, PA 18016

S.E.C. Week Twelve Round-Up

2008-11-16T11:49:00.004-05:00

Wow. It was another amazing day of college football! This time of the year is always exciting ... the season isn't over, but there is a mumur of National Title implications in the air. Add in the fact that the weather is getting cooler and you're pulling out decorations for Thanksgiving and Christmas ... it's just an all-around joyous time!

Anyway, the scores from the week are below. All S.E.C. teams are in bold and the rankings are BCS.

Saturday, Nov. 15th:

No. 1 Alabama 32, Mississippi State 7
No. 10 Georgia 17, Auburn 13
No. 4 Florida 56, No. 25 South Carolina 6
Vanderbilt 31, Kentucky 24
Ole Miss 59, Louisiana-Monroe 0
No. 20 LSU 40, Troy 31

Arkansas and Tennessee both had open weeks.

Other week 12 game of note:

No. 14 Ball State 31, Miami (Ohio) 16

S.E.C. Week Eleven Round-Up

2008-11-08T23:18:00.000-05:00

Well, after a disappointing week it sure is nice to sit down and watch some great college football on a sunny, 72-degree day! My Gators are on right now, but the round up for the rest of the S.E.C. is below. S.E.C. teams are always in bold text and the rankings are from the BCS poll.

Saturday, November 8th:

No. 1 Alabama 27, No. 16 LSU 21, OT
South Carolina 34, Arkansas 21
Auburn 37, Tennessee-Martin 20
No. 13 Georgia 42, Kentucky 38
Wyoming 13, Tennessee 7 (The Vols seem to be imploding ...)
No. 5 Florida 42, Vanderbilt 14

Ole Miss and Mississippi State had open weeks.

Other game of note:

Iowa 24, No. 3 Penn State 23 (!!!)

Obama's election was about race -- nothing more.

2008-11-05T19:04:00.007-05:00

Go ahead. Call me a racist, but I'm going to say it anyway: Obama did not win this election because of his policies, he won because he was black. Plain. And. Simple. Heck, my own husband has even called me a racist for not buying into the liberal "Obama is the Messiah" hype.

But let's be honest here. Most Obama supporters consider whites who speak out in warning of Obama to be racist, so I suppose I'm in good company. Truthfully, though, I couldn't care less about the color of his skin.

His friends, his ideals, and his inexperience were what I cared about during the campaign. It seems, though, that minorities DID care about the color of the candidate's skin. They were more concerned with getting a man of color in the White House than they were about the kind of man he was. I would rather wait a little longer to have a great black president in office then having a scary, mediocre one NOW. But, then again, that's me, so...

I mean really, Obama won 95% of the black vote. And what a black vote it was. More black people registered to voted and acutally showed up at the polls than ever before. Black Panthers blocked polling places in Philadelphia (and probably places like Detroit and Los Angeles, too). Blacks around the country are being shown on TV swinging shirts in the air like they're at a football game and praising the election because "now the president looks like me!" They are treating this like a Civil Rights victory. Historic? Yes. Civil rights victory? No. African Americans aren't barred from holding public office. This isn't about being able to hold office (or use the same bathroom or to sit in the front of the bus). This is about the leadership of our country, the safety and wellbeing of our families.

Ask yourself this: If CNN reported the McCain got 95% of the white vote and that KKK members had been arrested for voter intimidation, what would black America be saying? There would have been riots and the country would be on the verge of another civil war.

Election parties were held AROUND THE WORLD. People in Kenya are STILL celebrating. (You know that Obama's paternal family still live in the slums of the area ... he has shirked them so why are they celebrating him?) Everyone is talking about his "landslide" win.

When it comes to the popular vote (which all the Democrats were preaching about in 2000), it was a very close race. NBC Nightly News just said that Obama won 52% to 48%. That's awfully damned close considering how many NEW voters were registered through groups like A.C.O.R.N. and stated that they voted for the man. Who knows. Had their not been voter intimidation (cough: Black Panthers) in key states, had A.C.O.R.N. been reigned in, McCain could very well be looking forward to moving into the White House come January 2009.

And really, how many of Obama's supporters knew anything about him other than that he was black? Not one supporter that I talked to in person or online was able to tell me what kind of "change" he would bring. Many even refused to believe that both Obama's father and step father were both Muslims or that he had links to terrorists.

Since Obama was named the president elect, conservatives have been told to come together, to unite in support of Obama ... to suck it up, accept defeat, and to do everything we can to help the new regime. Two words for you -- HELL NO. I voted for John McCain for a reason.

Do you remember how the Democrats moaned and groaned when Bush won in 2000? And again in 2004? Were they graceful? Did they EVER "unite" for the greater good under President Bush?

Why on earth would I want to "unite" and support a man who is one of the MOST LIBERAL POLITICIANS to ever enter Washington D.C. Right now on the news, they are talking about how certain groups are rejoicing Obama's win -- abortion rights groups, homosexuals that want to legally marry and even adopt children, and those wanting to legalize prostitution just to name a few.

Come on, Conservative America! Do you really want to unite under someone like Obama?

Who gives a damn if people in Germany or Japan adore him? Who cares if certain groups of minorities and illegal aliens are singing his praises? They are not going to be the ones hit with higher taxes, forced Nationalized healthcare, or having to fork out tax money to pay for some tramp's fifth abortion at Planned Parenthood.

I am absolultey heartbroken that this country has fallen so far. Gone is the true "American Dream." Those who are working their asses off to achieve that dream are going to be penalized and their money snatched to "spread the wealth" to those who are waiting on someone else to lift them out of the slums. They want someone else to pay for their healthcare, their bills, their abortions, their cars, their leisure activities. I would really love to quit my current job and get a job waiting tables so that I can hide my tips from the greedy hands of an Obama administration. Or, using a Michelle Obama analogy, to hide my "piece of the pie" from their socialist hands.

And don't even get me started on his morality. From his shirking of American Troops to the teachings of his church of 20+ years (Google Jeremiah Wright if, for some strange reason, you have no idea about the teachings to which Obama subscribes); from his friendships with the likes of Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko, Bernardine Dohrn (who used to babysit the Obama's kids), and Rashid Khalidi, to his involvement with groups like A.C.O.R.N. and the Woods Fund, Obama is WRONG for our country.

The worst thing, though, is his view on abortion. He was the lone voice AGAINST SB 1095 and the like. Even The Washington Post called him out on it a month ago. (Click here, too.) No wonder NARAL and Planned Parenthood are on cloud nine right now ... any barriers to abortion -- gestational age limits, parental notification, etc. -- will be thrown out the window once he signs the Freedom of Choice Act into law. And his selection of Rahm Emmanuel as his Chief of Staff strengthens that pro-abortion stance.

I'll stop there ... if you want to know more, just click on "NObama" to the right. I've archived all of my arguments and such about Barack there.

I am also scared. Scared for my family, the future of my children, and the safety of this nation. Really, would you have believed it if someone had told you back on September 12, 2001 that, "You know, the next president will be the son of a Muslim and will be named Barack Hussein Obama." How long until we are attacked again? Even Biden fear such an event, hence his "Obama will tested early" comment. How long will it be before he is "tested" ... and where? (Really, Islamic nations loved him... then he appointed Emmanuel. What kind of message do you think that sent?)

In the end, we have to have faith in God to save us. 52% of Americans chose this path for us, a path that God will NOT bless. Obama's preacher stated it correctly. It's no longer, "God Bless America." It's "God Damn America" because that is certainly what He will do. This nation, in Obama's hand, certainly is damned. I am beginning to agree with my father -- Obama could just be the anti-Christ. The 48% of us that stood up and said "NO WE CAN'T!" to this heathen path have to stand together during this time and trust that good will prevail in the end.

In ending, a friend on Facebook put it this way: "Just remember that it takes a Jimmy Carter to Get a Ronald Regan."

Keep the country in your prayers ... we are in for a long four years. God Bless.

S.E.C. Week Ten Round-Up

2008-10-31T22:36:00.004-04:00

HO - LY COW! What a freaking day of college football!!

Back during the week-four round-up I stated that:

This is one of three football weekends that I mark every year on my calendar. I circle the days, put little orange and blue doodles around the box, I make sure that these three days stand out. The three weekends? Absolute HATE weekend (Fla/UT), Rivalry weekend (Fla/Ga), and Birthday weekend (Fla/USC).

Well, this was a "Rivalry Weekend" for my Gators. We wanted payback for the crap that Head Coach Mark Richt pulled last year. I thought it would be a close game ... a nasty game. But HOLY COW! My Gators layed a whooping on Georgia! Woot!! Then the ending of that Texas at Texas Tech game. Wow.

I can't wait to see the polls tomorrow night.

Anyway, the results to week ten are below ... have a wonderful Sunday! As always, S.E.C. teams are in bold.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Ole Miss 17, Auburn 7
Arkansas 30, Tulsa 23
Kentucky 14, Mississippi State 13
Alabama 35, Arkansas State 0
Florida 49, Georgia 10
LSU 35, Tulane 10
South Carolina 27, Tennessee 6

Vanderbilt had an open week

Other game of note this weekend:

Texas Tech 39, Texas 33

Senator Obama: ready to tax and spend, but not ready to lead.

2008-10-25T23:40:00.002-04:00

The Obama File

America is facing a financial crisis: the economy is slowing to a halt, unemployment is rising and home values are plummeting.

What is Senator Obama's solution? He wants to take more of your money!

The Facts:

Joe the Plumber wants to buy the company he works for, but purchasing it would make him a target of Barack Obama's plan to tax the "wealthy." When Joe raised questions to Barack Obama about the plan, Senator Obama told him that it was important to "spread the wealth around."
Senator Obama received a lifetime rating of 22% from Citizens Against Government Waste, and he was named "the most liberal Senator" by National Journal.
Senator Obama's health care plan is full of massive mandates and tax increases.
To pay for his massive spending increases, Senator Obama proposes "higher taxes on income" and he will "raise the cap on the payroll tax."[1]
Senator Obama's health care plan "will create a brand new government-run health plan at the cost of $243 billion a year - a financial burden of more than $3,000 a year on American families."[2]
In addition to his other proposed tax hikes, Senator Obama has even called for "higher Social Security taxes."[3]
One newspaper has even warned that Obama's higher-tax plan is a "recipe for economic disaster."[4]

The Bottom Line:

Why would Senator Obama want to raise taxes during an economic slowdown? His big government spending and tax increases prove he lacks the judgment and experience to make important economic decisions.

Senator Obama: ready to tax and spend, but not ready to lead.

[1] Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks at a Campaign Event, New Albany, IN, 4/23/08; U.S. News & World Report, 2/13/08

[2] Roger Feldman et al, "Impact of Barack Obama 2008 Health Reform Proposal," HIS Network, LLC., 8/21/08

[3] U.S. News & World Report, 2/13/08

[4] Las Vegas Review-Journal, 9/20/07

S.E.C. Week Nine Round Up

2008-10-25T23:15:00.000-04:00

Week 9 is over ... and what a week it was! There were some great games on today. As I type this, Penn State just rushed the field after having beaten Ohio State. Go Joe-Pa!

The scores from the weekend are is below. And, as always, S.E.C. teams are in bold.

Thursday, October 23rd:
(Happy Birthday, Matt!)

West Virginia 34, Auburn 17

Saturday, October 25th:

No. 5 Florida 63, Kentucky 5
Duke 10, Vanderbilt 7
Ole Miss 23, Arkansas 21
No. 9 Georgia 52, No. 11 LSU 38
Mississippi State 31, Middle Tennessee 22
No. 2 Alabama 29, Tennessee 9

The Gamecocks had an open weekend.

Other Top 25 Games of Note this Weekend:

No. 20 Ball State 38, Eastern Michigan 16
No. 4 Oklahoma 58, Kansas State 35
No. 1 Texas 28, No. 7 Oklahoma 24
No. 3 Penn State 13, No. 10 Ohio State 6

Fr. West's Catholic Blog: More Than 100 Reasons to Vote Against Barack Obama

2008-10-24T19:33:00.001-04:00

Fr. West's Catholic Blog: More Than 100 Reasons to Vote Against Barack Obama

Obama 'admits' Kenyan birth?

2008-10-24T19:31:00.003-04:00

I have been following this for a while now. While it's interesting, I really don't expect to hear anything about it in mainstream media nor do I expect anything to happen to Obama although his butt should be thrown off the ticket.

As always, any bold / red emphasis is mine.
===============================

from: http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78671

ELECTION 2008

Obama 'admits' Kenyan birth?

Campaign doesn't respond to claims in lawsuit over birth certificate

Posted: October 21, 2008
9:22 pm Eastern
By Drew Zahn
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

Pennsylvania Democrat Philip J. Berg, who filed a lawsuit demanding Sen. Barack Obama present proof of his American citizenship, now says that by failing to respond Obama has legally "admitted" to the lawsuit's accusations, including the charge that the Democratic candidate was born in Mombosa, Kenya.

As WND reported, Berg filed suit in U.S. District Court in August, alleging Obama is not a natural-born citizen and is thus ineligible to serve as president of the United States. Though Obama has posted an image of a Hawaii birth certificate online, Berg demands that the court verify the original document, which the Obama campaign has not provided.

Now Berg cites Rule 36 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which states that unless the accused party provides written answer or objection to charges within 30 days, the accused legally admits the matter.

Since Obama has only filed motions to dismiss and has not actually answered the charges in the lawsuit, Berg claims, according to Rule 36, Obama has legally admitted he is not a natural-born citizen.

Now Berg is asking the court for a formal declaration of Obama's admission and asking the Democratic National Committee for another presidential candidate.

In a statement released today, Berg argues that he filed Requests for Admissions on Sept. 15, meaning Obama had until Oct. 15 to answer or face the consequences of Rule 36.

"Obama and the DNC 'admitted,' by way of failure to timely respond to Requests for Admissions, all of the numerous specific requests in the Federal lawsuit," Berg's statement reads. "Obama is 'not qualified' to be president and therefore Obama must immediately withdraw his candidacy for president and the DNC shall substitute a qualified candidate."

Berg's original lawsuit leveled several charges at both Obama and the DNC – accusing the former of lying about his place of birth, faking his birth certificate and fraudulently running for office; and accusing the latter of not properly vetting its candidate.

Though it hasn't given Berg the evidence he seeks, the Obama campaign has publicly answered allegations that the candidate was born in Kenya and faked his Hawaii birth certificate.

"Smears claiming Barack Obama doesn't have a birth certificate aren't actually about that piece of paper," says the "Fight the Smears" section of Obama's website, "they're about manipulating people into thinking Barack is not an American citizen.

(((( PAM NOTE: in response to Obama's "Fight the Smears" site, see http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/obama_smears_fact_check/2008/10/20/142379.html?s=al&promo_code=6DC0-1 ))))

"The truth is, Barack Obama was born in the state of Hawaii in 1961, a native citizen of the United States of America," the campaign website states. It also includes images of a Hawaii birth certificate bearing the name Barack Hussein Obama II.

Berg has also taken the controversy public through his website and through repeated public offers to revoke the lawsuit if Obama will produce legal documents that establish his citizenship.

Without those documents, Berg has chosen to file two additional motions in district court in Philadelphia. The first asks the court to notify Obama and the DNC of what Berg understands they have now legally "admitted," and the second asks for an expedited ruling, given the quickly upcoming Nov. 4 election.

"It all comes down to the fact that there's nothing from the other side," Berg told Jeff Schreiber for his blog, America's Right. "The admissions are there. By not filing the answers or objections, the defense has admitted everything. He admits he was born in Kenya. He admits he was adopted in Indonesia. He admits that the documentation posted online is a phony. And he admits that he is constitutionally ineligible to serve as president of the United States."

Overdue update and the S.E.C. Week Eight Round-Up

2008-10-22T20:50:00.006-04:00

I haven't been online too much lately. At least, not long enough in one sitting to do anything other than check my email or upload photos. Even then, I'm multitasking -- folding laundry, nursing the baby, cleaning the house, etc. And I am tired. The baby loves to snooze off and on during the day. She is wide awake, though, between like 10 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. And woe befall you if you try to put her down during those wee hours of the morning!

With Bella it wasn't so bad... I could sleep when she slept. But, I have to be sure that I am awake and at Bella's school when it get outs. Once she's home, I can't go to sleep and leave her to her own devices. By the time night fall and Bella is in bed, I am a zombie. (Like right now ... LOL!) Although I am completely beat and that I have to pick up in the kitchen, I thought I'd post a quick update here.

I'll be posting a plethora of NObama stories here over the next few days, too.

Oh! And since I'm posting, I've forgot to do last weeks' SEC football round up. I'll do that at the end of this post.

Anyway, I hope that everyone is doing well and that you are paying attention to the election and the crap the ObamaNation is pulling. I actually found myself listening to Rush Limbaugh this afternoon ... and found it to be quite informative. I came home and read some stuff on his website, www.RushLimbaugh.com.

Well, I need to go. Zee bebe is wanting a boob and I need to take something for a headache.

+

S.E.C. Week Eight Round-Up

Saturday, October 18th

Alabama 24, Ole Miss 20
Kentucky 21, Arkansas 20
Georgia 24, Vanderbilt 14
LSU 24, South Carolina 17 *
Tennessee 34, Mississippi State 3

Both my Gators and Auburn had open weeks.

* Did anyone watch that LSU at South Carolina game? An S.E.C. official must've been paid off or something. He freaking TACKLED USC's Garcia in a play that cost USC the game. Somehow the S.E.C. found the tackle to be "accidental." B.-freaking-S. Look at the clip below. I certainly hope that Spurrier says something about this!

Media Ignore Farrakhan’s Endorsement of Obama

2008-10-13T15:52:00.003-04:00

How true. If David Duke was endorsing McCain the media would have jumped on on like flies on poop. (Same thing if McCain was friends with the likes of Eric Robert Rudolph ...)

Any bold / red emphasis is mine. From:

==================================

Media Ignore Farrakhan’s Endorsement of Obama

Saturday, October 11, 2008 7:43 PMBy: Ronald Kessler

Imagine the media frenzy that would ensue if David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan endorsed John McCain for president. Yet Louis Farrakhan’s endorsement of Barack Obama has been virtually ignored by the mainstream media.

Speaking to a convention of the Nation of Islam, Farrakhan not only declared his support for Obama, but also told his followers that Obama was the “Messiah.”

“You are the instruments that God is gonna use to bring about universal change, and that is why Barack has captured the youth,” Farrakhan said. “And he has involved young people in a political process that they didn’t care anything about. That’s a sign. When the Messiah speaks, the youth will hear, and the Messiah is absolutely speaking.”

Farrakhan compared Obama to Nation of Islam founder Wallace D. Fard Muhammad, whom Farrakhan says also had a white mother and black father.

“A black man with a white mother became a savior to us,” Farrakhan said. “A black man with a white mother could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall.”

Incredibly, only Fox News and a few other news outlets have run Farrakhan’s endorsement.

Farrakhan made the statement last February, but it only recently appeared on YouTube.
While Obama has no control over who endorses him, the nature of those who express affinity with him provides insight into who he is and what his agenda could be. Obama’s endorsers and supporters range from admitted terrorist William Ayers and Weatherman Underground leader Bernardine Dohrn to Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, the New Black Panthers, the New SDS, and a host of other radical organizations and individuals.

Among other things, the New Black Panthers favors releasing all blacks from jails throughout the world and giving blacks reparations for slavery. The group asserts that until that happens, blacks should be exempt from all taxes.

The media blackout on Obama’s associations goes back to last January, when Newsmax began running stories on his minister’s sermons and the fact that his church gave an award for lifetime achievement to Farrakhan. When the media finally began picking up the stories in mid-March, the primaries began favoring Hillary Clinton instead of Obama.

Farrakhan has called whites “blue-eyed devils” and the Antichrist. He has described Jews as “bloodsuckers” who control the government, the media, and some black organizations.

“Do you know some of these satanic Jews have taken over BET [the Black Entertainment Network]?” Farrakhan said in a speech on Nov. 11, 2007.

“Everything that we built, they have. The mind of Satan now is running the record industry, movie industry, and television. And they make us look like we’re the murderers; we look like we’re the gangsters, but we’re punk stuff.”

The month after that speech, Obama’s minister and friend, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. and his Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, honored Farrakhan at a gala, bestowing on him its Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Lifetime Achievement Trumpeteer award.

Obama has said he found religion through Wright in the 1980s and consulted him before deciding to run for president. He prayed privately with Wright before announcing his candidacy last year.
In the November/December issue of his church’s magazine, Trumpet, Wright heaped praise on Farrakhan, whom he helped in organizing the Million Man March in Washington in 1995. Wright lauded Farrakhan as one of the giants of the African-American religious experience in the 20th and 21st centuries.

“When Minister Farrakhan speaks, black America listens,” Wright said. “His depth on analysis [sic] when it comes to the racial ills of this nation is astounding and eye opening. He brings a perspective that is helpful and honest.”

Hailing Farrakhan’s “integrity and honesty,” Wright said, “His love for Africa and African-American people has made him an unforgettable force, a catalyst for change, and a religious leader who is sincere about his faith and his purpose.”

When no one in the media was picking up Newsmax’s stories on Wright’s award to Farrakhan and his sermons saying America created the AIDS virus to kill off blacks, a reporter for one of the cable news networks told me that if she proposed running such a story, her network would accuse her of “bias against Obama.”

Ronald Kessler is chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com. View his previous reports and get his dispatches sent to you free via e-mail. Go here now.
© 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

VIDEO: Louis Farrakhan Calls Obama "The Messiah"

S.E.C. Week Seven Round-Up

2008-10-11T23:53:00.000-04:00

Gosh, is it week seven already? Time really does fly when you're having fun, right?

And boy, wasn't today a fun day of football? My Gators kicked some Tiger butt tonight, Spurrier and the 'Cocks are rolling, and Andy's Cards are 7-0!

I am headed to bed, but I wanted to update my scoreboard. As always, S.E.C. teams are bold.

Saturday, October 11th:
S.E.C. games:

South Carolina 24, Kentucky 17
Mississippi State 17, No. 13 Vanderbilt 14
Georgia 26, Tennessee 14
Arkansas 25, No. 20 Auburn 22
No. 11 Florida 51, No. 3 LSU 21

Alabama and Ole Miss had an open weekend.

Other interesting games:

No. 5 Texas 45, No. 1 Oklahoma 35
No. 25 Ball State 24, Western Kentucky 7

Update

2008-10-11T14:40:00.003-04:00

It's been a long week. If forgot how much work a newborn baby really is! The massive amounts of laundry, the sore boobs from cluster feedings, the lack of sleep, the poop (oh, this kid can poop!), etc. And my house! Oh my ... I haven't done a thorough cleaning since Sept. 18th! I need to get all the clean laundry put away, I need to most the kitchen, foyer, and bathrooms, I need to clorox the kitchen and baths, ... the list goes on and on.

We've got to get into some kind of schedule soon. I am looking forward to returning to work soon (can you believe that I actually MISS the whiney Lortab addicts, the sneaky Viagra dudes, the pharmacy dramas?) and know that I will not be able to do all of the housework, yardwork, take care of two kiddos, be loving to my husband, work, and keep my sanity. I know that is sounds selfish, but I really do need some "ME" time every day, even if it's only for 10 minutes.

There are a lot of things happening over the next few weeks, too, that require my attention. Gator Growl and the homecoming game against Kentucky is coming up, we have three nights of trick-or-treating for which I need to make costumes -- Zoo, Aquarium, and neighborhood, and the election is coming up. There are also birthdays to remember, planning/shopping for Thanksgiving and Christmas, school events, etc.

Bella and I also have dentist appointments ... and we need to get flu shots ... Geesh.

I'm getting a headache just thinking about all of that.

On a lighter note, I've pissed off a liberal who didn't appreciate my pointing out not only the liberal bias of certain newspaper stories and Obama's past. It's amazing how many ignorant Democrats there are out there. Why is so hard to acknowledge that the Dem's messiah is a racist, in league with terrorists, and, no pun intended, and OBAMAnation to the country. He truly is the anti-Christ.

Ah, well ... you can lead a horse (or should I say jack ass ... it IS the Dem's mascot) to water, but you certainly can't make it drink.

I'm going to get off of the net and watch the end of the Texas/Oklahoma game. Have a wonderful weekend.

Awesome ... completely awesome!

2008-10-11T12:10:00.001-04:00

The Catholic Vote ... again. Can Catholics vote for Obama/Biden?

2008-10-10T15:56:00.003-04:00

Hmmmm .... it seems that the Vatican is weighing in on the issue of the "faithful" electing pro-abortion candidates. To any Catholic reading this who is thinking about casting a vote for the death ticket (aka: Obama/Biden), I say this: "You will be ipso facto excommunicated as is the pro-abort Biden."

As Catholics, we must stand up for Christ, for a culture of LIFE. All true Catholics need to cast their vote for John McCain so that we can defeat the party of death.

Former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, who was named prefect of the Vatican’s Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature in June stated last month that:

"At this point, the Democratic Party risks transforming itself definitively into a 'party of death' due to its choices on bioethical issues, as Ramesh Ponnuru wrote in his book 'The Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts and the Disregard for Human Life.' And I say this with a heavy heart, because we all know that the Democrats were the party that helped our Catholic immigrant parents and grandparents to better integrate into and prosper in American society. But it's not the same anymore. Nonetheless, there are among Democrats some pro-lifers, but they are, unfortunately, rare."

The following letter was written by Joe Biden's bisop, the Most Rev. Joseph Francis Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D., to be read aloud by the celebrant at all Masses of Obligation on Respect Life Weekend (October 4th and 5th) during the homily. It was also to be copied and placed in all parish bulletins on this same weekend.

From: http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=29838 (As always, any red or bold emphasis is mine.)

A PASTORAL LETTER FROM BISHOP MARTINO

My brothers and sisters in Christ,

The American Catholic bishops initiated Respect Life Sunday in 1972, the year before the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the United States. Since that time, Catholics across the country observe the month of October with devotions and pro-life activities in order to advance the culture of life. This October, our efforts have more significance than ever. Never have we seen such abusive criticism directed toward those who believe that life begins at conception and ends at natural death. As Catholics, we should not be surprised by these developments. Forty years ago, Pope Paul VI predicted that widespread use of artificial contraceptives would lead to increased marital infidelity, lessened regard for women, and a general lowering of moral standards especially among the young. Forty years later, social scientists, not necessarily Catholics, attest to the accuracy of his predictions. As if following some bizarre script, the sexual revolution has produced widespread marital breakdown, weakened family ties, legalized abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, pornography, same-sex unions, euthanasia, destruction of human embryos for research purposes and a host of other ills.

It is impossible for me to answer all of the objections to the Church’s teaching on life that we hear every day in the media. Nevertheless, let me address a few. To begin, laws that protect abortion constitute injustice of the worst kind. They rest on several false claims including that there is no certainty regarding when life begins, that there is no certainty about when a fetus becomes a person, and that some human beings may be killed to advance the interests or convenience of others. With regard to the first, reason and science have answered the question. The life of a human being begins at conception. The Church has long taught this simple truth, and science confirms it. Biologists can now show you the delicate and beautiful development of the human embryo in its first days of existence. This is simply a fact that reasonable people accept. Regarding the second, the embryo and the fetus have the potential to do all that an adult person does. Finally, the claim that the human fetus may be sacrificed to the interests or convenience of his mother or someone else is grievously wrong. All three claims have the same result: the weakest and most vulnerable are denied, because of their age, the most basic protection that we demand for ourselves. This is discrimination at its worst, and no person of conscience should support it.

Another argument goes like this: “As wrong as abortion is, I don't think it is the only relevant ‘life’ issue that should be considered when deciding for whom to vote.” This reasoning is sound only if other issues carry the same moral weight as abortion does, such as in the case of euthanasia and destruction of embryos for research purposes. Health care, education, economic security, immigration, and taxes are very important concerns. Neglect of any one of them has dire consequences as the recent financial crisis demonstrates. However, the solutions to problems in these areas do not usually involve a rejection of the sanctity of human life in the way that abortion does. Being “right” on taxes, education, health care, immigration, and the economy fails to make up for the error of disregarding the value of a human life. Consider this: the finest health and education systems, the fairest immigration laws, and the soundest economy do nothing for the child who never sees the light of day. It is a tragic irony that “pro-choice” candidates have come to support homicide – the gravest injustice a society can tolerate – in the name of “social justice.”

Even the Church’s just war theory has moral force because it is grounded in the principle that innocent human life must be protected and defended. Now, a person may, in good faith, misapply just war criteria leading him to mistakenly believe that an unjust war is just, but he or she still knows that innocent human life may not be harmed on purpose. A person who supports permissive abortion laws, however, rejects the truth that innocent human life may never be destroyed. This profound moral failure runs deeper and is more corrupting of the individual, and of the society, than any error in applying just war criteria to particular cases. Furthermore, National Right to Life reports that 48.5 million abortions have been performed since 1973. One would be too many. No war, no natural disaster, no illness or disability has claimed so great a price. In saying these things in an election year, I am in very good company. My predecessor, Bishop Timlin, writing his pastoral letter on Respect Life Sunday 2000, stated the case eloquently:

Abortion is the issue this year and every year in every campaign. Catholics may not turn away from the moral challenge that abortion poses for those who seek to obey God’s commands. They are wrong when they assert that abortion does not concern them, or that it is only one of a multitude of issues of equal importance. No, the taking of innocent human life is so heinous, so horribly evil, and so absolutely opposite to the law of Almighty God that abortion must take precedence over every other issue. I repeat. It is the single most important issue confronting not only Catholics, but the entire electorate.

My fellow bishops, writing ten years ago, explained why some evils – abortion and euthanasia in particular – take precedence over other forms of violence and abuse.

The failure to protect life in its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims to the ‘rightness’ of positions in other matters affecting the poorest and least powerful of the human community. If we understand the human person as ‘the temple of the Holy Spirit’ – the living house of God – then these latter issues fall logically into place as the crossbeams and walls of that house. All direct attacks on innocent human life, such as abortion and euthanasia, strike at the house’s foundation [emphasis in the original]. These directly and immediately violate the human person’s most fundamental right – the right to life. Neglect of these issues is the equivalent of building our house on sand. (Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics, 23.)

While the Church assists the State in the promotion of a just society, its primary concern is to assist men and women in achieving salvation. For this reason, it is incumbent upon bishops to correct Catholics who are in error regarding these matters. Furthermore, public officials who are Catholic and who persist in public support for abortion and other intrinsic evils should not partake in or be admitted to the sacrament of Holy Communion. As I have said before, I will be vigilant on this subject.It is the Church’s role now to be a prophet in our own country, reminding all citizens of what our founders meant when they said that “. . . all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Church’s teaching that all life from conception to natural death should be protected by law is founded on religious belief to be sure, but it is also a profoundly American principle founded on reason. Whenever a society asks its citizens to violate its own foundational principles – as well as their moral consciences – citizens have a right, indeed an obligation, to refuse.

In 1941, Bishop Gustave von Galen gave a homily condemning Nazi officials for murdering mentally ill people in his diocese of Muenster, Germany. The bishop said:“Thou shalt not kill!” God wrote this commandment in the conscience of man long before any penal code laid down the penalty for murder, long before there was any prosecutor or any court to investigate and avenge a murder. Cain, who killed his brother Abel, was a murderer long before there were any states or any courts or law. And he confessed his deed, driven by his accusing conscience: “My punishment is greater than I can bear. . . and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me the murderer shall slay me” (Genesis 4:13-14)”

Should he have opposed the war and remained silent about the murder of the mentally ill? No person of conscience can fail to understand why Bishop von Galen spoke as he did.

My dear friends, I beg you not to be misled by confusion and lies. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, does not ask us to follow him to Calvary only for us to be afraid of contradicting a few bystanders along the way. He does not ask us to take up his Cross only to have us leave it at the voting booth door. Recently, Pope Benedict XVI said that “God is so humble that he uses us to spread his Word.” The gospel of life, which we have the privilege of proclaiming, resonates in the heart of every person – believer and non-believer – because it fulfills the heart’s most profound desire. Let us with one voice continue to speak the language of love and affirm the right of every human being to have the value of his or her life, from conception to natural death, respected to the highest degree.

October is traditionally the month of the Rosary. Let us pray the Rosary for the strength and fortitude to uphold the truths of our faith and the requirements of our law to all who deny them. And, let us ask Our Lady to bless our nation and the weakest among us. May Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Lord of Life, pray for us.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D.

Bishop of Scranton

Wow

2008-10-10T02:23:00.001-04:00

One of the best blog posts ever ...

2008-10-09T23:29:00.002-04:00

I logged into MySpace tonight to check my mail and such (I really haven't been on there in a while). Well, I noticed that there was a new blog post by a conservative African American woman and decided to see what she had to say.

Oh my. She hit the nail on the head and I give her mucho kudos. The post can be viewed at http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=128821643&blogID=439704480

I've posted her blog below (as always, bold/red emphasis is mine). However, there are a plethora of comments to this post, so do visit the link above to read them.

All I can say to this woman is: "ROCK ON, GIRLFRIEND!"

================================

I’m Sick of Obama AND his radical friends!!!
Current mood: disgusted

I decided to write this blog because, at this point, I'm sick and tired of Obama. I'm sick of his lies, his whining, his entitlement, his racism, his victimhood, and his socialism. I had someone write me complaining about all the money we are "wasting" on Iraq as well as how congress needs to pay blacks "reparations." Well lets just say it brought up lots of things I wanted to say!!!

I didn't comment on reparations because I am against them. They are not feasible and we have been getting reparations in many other forms for 40 yrs (section 8, food stamps, affirmative action, TANF/Welfare, Medicaid, free lunch programs, etc). Of course I know that these handouts are not exclusive to blacks but that is who I am talking about right now. If we are to give reparations, then we need to do it for EVERY other race that has ever been oppressed. Get over it! We don't need them and they should NOT be given out. I remember Obama stating that "monetary compensation i.e. reparations does not go far enough..." What does that mean Obama?

As far as the economy, I encourage people to become informed about what is really going on, not what the liberal media is trying to cover up. This issue with the "housing" so called crisis is pissing me off. Ninety-five percent of us are paying our mortgages, it is the 5% that should not have gotten a home in the 1st place who have been defaulting on loans. Sub-prime? Please, that was a benefit. People who are all messed up got to live in 200K houses with a $400/month mortgage not the $1400 mortgage they should have been paying all along. They got a basic freebie for 3-5 yrs and then when they had to pay like everybody else (which they knew about), they bitched and were irresponsible. You have a lawyer at closing so there was no predatory lending and we all know it. HUD admitted that over 5 million illegal aliens purchased homes using fraudulent or stolen social security numbers. What about that American Dream?

This economic problem is NOT solely Bush's fault, this goes back to Carter in a multicultural act (Community Reinvestment Act) that forced banks to lend money to poor and minorities for homes under the guise of so called "fairness." If you can't afford a house, do like the rest of us and stay in a damn apartment!!! Then in the 90s Clinton passed another law that forced them to lend even more to minorities and the "poor" including illegals under threat of the attorney general Janet Reno and the justice dept. Then for several years during Bush, he and John McCain had tried 18 to 19 times to warn about the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac situation and how it was out of control. Their legislation, the Federal Housing Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, was stopped and prevented from moving forward by the democrats in congress (on a party line vote) including Barack Obama. Franklin Raines was the CEO for 6 yrs of Fannie Mae and ran it into the ground by cooking the books - he paid himself 90 million in 6 yrs. Jim Johnson, chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers paid himself millions while doing the same thing . Both of those companies had to be bailed out with my tax money AND yours. What about Jaime Goerelic, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and Chuck Schumer who were at the core of this housing crisis? That's fact. I'm sick of paying for other peoples' irresponsibility. I'm sick of being lectured by Obama about what's fair and what's not!!!

Both Johnson and Raines are economic and housing advisors for Obama and Obama has received the 2nd highest amount of campaign contributions in congress (Chris Dodd was 1) from them. You see those are the facts and the media is covering for Obama because they want him to win no matter what. This is not a republican problem, if it was, the democrats would have had them marching into investigations already. Even Clinton admitted his culpability and blamed a lot of this problem on the "democrats in congress for blocking reform" on Good Morning America a week ago. (I have to give Bill Clinton props for his honesty and for taking some responsibility for the problem).

As far as the war, Bush said the SAME things about Iraq as the Clinton administration and most of the world did at the time. Its funny how Obama talks about using military to stop genocide like in Darfur but is opposed to us being in Iraq for the same reason (that's part of our reasoning). Obama has too many terrorist connections; like his relationship with Bill Ayers (which he is lying about now), Odinga (in Kenya who has been murdering Christian women and children and Obama has pledged his support to him knowing this), etc. The amount of money we are spending in Iraq is nothing compared to the amount of money we waste on entitlements and benefits to Americans and illegals. Under Obama, that $ used in Iraq would be wasted attacking an ally in Pakistan or on handouts here in the country. It would not be given to us at all and you know that.

Obama is going to raise taxes as he has ALWAYS voted to do; 94 times in the short time he has been in the senate. He has voted to RAISE the taxes 4 times this year so far on people making as little as $42K per year. He wants to revoke the Bush tax cuts (which benefited everyone - of ALL tax levels - a family of 4, making $50K, got an increased EIC as well as a tax credit of $2000 more under Bush's tax cuts. Obama wants to increase the taxes on small businesses which Obama lied about the other night. Check the Small Business Administration online and it clearly states that the majority of small business make 250K per year or more. Small businesses create 79.4% of all the jobs in this country and if they are taxed higher, they will have to layoff people, that's a fact. I know because I owned a small business since 2000. Small Business Administration

Obama wants a global poverty tax. Obama wants to raise federal taxes on gasoline while not doing ANYTHING to create more energy or more oil. Obama wants to spend 1 trillion more per year on more entitlement programs. How can he give tax cuts to 95% of the population when 30% of Americans do not even PAY federal taxes? He is lying bottom line. I wrote extensively about his tax policy in an earlier blog. If you are concerned with the money "wasted" in Iraq, there is no reason that you could vote for Obama who is all about wasting taxpayer money. How are we gonna pay for "free healthcare" for ALL Americans including illegals when he is lying about only taxing 5% (the top 5% currently pay over 90% of all taxes already)? Have you heard about the NEWEST thing Obama and the democrats want to take away from the middle class? Already, Obama wants to more than double the capital gains rate (which hurts ANYONE who has invested in retirement or property) but now a democrat congressman is proposing taking away the tax incentive or to now tax our 401Ks now.

Obama's campaign is in cohoots with ACORN who is committing voter fraud all over the country and if he is such a messiah, how come he has to register homeless drug addicts across the country or felons down in Florida? Poor Obama, being such a baby! His wife has been photographed with Louis Farakhan's wife. His wife worked with Bernadette Dorn (Ayer's wife) in a Chicago law firm right before Obama got married to her. Obama has close connections with Ayers (the unrepentent terrorist), Rezco (convicted felon), Odinga (Kenyan extremist muslim who is killing people because he wants sharia law), and many others.

He has the nerve to complain about people like Palin and McCain bringing up his associations saying they are "enflaming racial hatred." Give me an f***ing break!!! It is Obama, James Carville, etc who are threatening "violence" or "bad stuff" if he doesn't win. I haven't seen McCain-Palin supporters marching in military uniforms idolizing them like Obama's militant teenage force or worshipping kids for "change." Obama supporters are so hateful and spew vitriol. Not all of them but the vast majority of them are the 1st ones to throw around racial slurs, personal attacks, and call anyone (regardless of our race) racist for NOT voting or supporting Obama. McCain and Palin are NOT enflaming anger, many of us are already angry, frustrated, and fed up!!! Obama has been a "unifier" i.e. unifying all of us against him. Thanks Obama for bringing us together in unity: black, white, hispanic, gay, straight, bi, transgendered, democrat, independent, republicans, Hillary supporters, and Palin supporters just to name a few. Thanks Obama!!! Some of us are fed up with his penalizing tax policy, social/marxist philosophy, his support of infanticide, hearing racism thrown around, his bashing of our troops, or putting down our great country. Yes, many of us, are already angry!!!

Obama supporters still cannot tell me why they are voting for him. Obama will NOT cut taxes, democrats DO NOT!!! Obama is a socialist! Obama shouldn't dish out the insults and lies if he can't take the truth and him being exposed for the liar he is. Obama is dangerous that's the fact and his supporters are not honest enough to admit ANYTHING against Obama. Obama needs to grow up and stop sucking his thumb. People relate to the McCain-Palin ticket while Obama's secret life is being exposed. Their crowds are getting larger and larger and Obama's are dwindling to almost nothing. Anyone ever wondered why Palin has 1000s of people who can vouch for her life but Obama has NOT ONE person other than his wife who can talk about him, well thats when they take the tape off her big mouth.

How come Obama refuses to release his medical records? How come he refuses to provide his original birth certificate (which a judge just ruled he is required to do)? How come Obama refuses to release his Harvard Law Review paperwork or records? How come Obama refuses to release his transcripts from Columbia? How come Obama refuses to release his application to and proof of passing the bar? How come Obama refuses to release his records pertaining to his activities as an "unemployed community activist?" How come Obama refuses to release his records regarding his activism with Ayers or when he was ACORN's attorney? If he is not smart enough to know who Ayers, Phlegher, Wright, Rezco, etc. really are, how is he smart enough to outwit the terrorists like Akmadenijad or Hamas? Saul Alinsky anyone? I challenge any Obama supporters to watch these videos and attempt to explain away ALL of these issues!!!

I'm sick of him period!!!

Watch the videos below (Obama's radical friends):

Part 1: Obama's background!!!

Part 2: What did Obama REALLY do as an unemployed "community organizer?"

Part 3: Obama's relationship with terrorist William Ayers

Part 4: Obama's relationship with Wright & Phlegher

Part 5: Obama's relationship with Palenstinian terrorists (Anti-Semetic friends)

Part 6: Obama's relationship with ACORN

Feel free to post videos, comments, or vent

2008-10-08T16:54:00.002-04:00

Read and pass on!
As always, bold emphasis is mine.

From: NewsMax

============================

Lieberman Calls Obama 'Naïve,' May Bolt Party

Tuesday, October 7, 2008 3:23 PM

By: Tim Collie and David Patten

Sen. Barack Obama’s “naïve” world view could embolden America’s enemies during one of the most dangerous periods for America since the 1930s, U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman told Newsmax in an exclusive television sit-down interview Tuesday.

Lieberman, visiting Fort Lauderdale, Fla., also told Newsmax that he is so disappointed with the Democratic Party, he will consider whether to bolt the Democratic Senate caucus next session.

“I believe he’s naïve to think that people like [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad and Tehran will somehow become America’s friends by talking to them — a warm embrace and a cup of tea. It’s not going to work that way,” said Lieberman.

McCain’s recent decline in the polls was “unfair” and “not rational,” Lieberman said, referring to the negative economic news that has impacted the McCain campaign.
The Connecticut senator suggested that many Americans don’t realize that the global economic crisis is also a security crisis—one that will require an experienced foreign policy hand like McCain to navigate.

“Frankly, he has to convince the American people that Barack Obama is not ready for prime time, that he’s not ready to be president of the United States,’’ Lieberman said. “Particularly not now, when we’re in two wars abroad and facing the most serious economic crisis we’ve faced since the Great Depression.”

McCain’s recent drop in the polls, Lieberman said, stems from voter reaction to the subprime meltdown.

“The economy has had such a crisis the past couple of weeks, that for reasons that I don’t think are fair or rational, Senator McCain seems to be losing as a result, and Senator Obama seems to be gaining. It’s the only thing that’s really changed,” he said.
“The very fact that the American people clearly trust John McCain more in a national security crisis is exactly the reason why they should have more confidence in him in an economic security crisis than Senator Obama,” said Lieberman.

In a wide-ranging interview, Lieberman also said:

It’s important for the political process to question Obama’s ties to former Weather Underground bomber Bill Ayers: “I think these are very fair questions and it’s now up to Senator Obama to answer them.”
Barack Obama is clearly ‘not ready’ yet to be commander in chief, and the country’s adversaries, including Iran “will not fear him” if he were to become president.
McCain needs to persuade voters that “based on his record, that he really is the one who will change Washington, and Washington truly needs to be changed.”
McCain should tout his economic plan that will emphasize tax cuts and job creation — exactly what a troubled economy needs. He said it would be foolhardy to raise taxes in a recession, as Obama has promised.
The Republicans must emphasize that his plan for energy independence will create “hundreds of thousands, I think millions of new jobs.”

Asked if he may leave his party and join with Senate Republicans, Lieberman said he had no immediate plans to make that move, but said he would consider it at a later date.

“The Democratic Party of today is not the Democratic Party that I joined in the '60s under my hero President Kennedy, and it’s not the Democratic Party of my dear friend Bill Clinton,” Lieberman said.

Still, Lieberman insists his main focus today is to get McCain elected president and has spent the past several months traveling the campaign trail on McCain’s behalf.

On Monday night, he introduced McCain's vice presidential running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, to a Boca Raton audience at an event that raised more than $1 million.

[You can see the full video broadcast on Newsmax.tv — Go Here Now].

The Catholic Vote

2008-10-07T21:16:00.002-04:00

Wow. As always, any bold emphasis is mine.

From: http://www.osv.com/PSTNav/November2008/TheCatholicVote/tabid/6859/Default.aspx

===========================

The Catholic Vote

Pragmatic, defensive and not always idealistic

By: Msgr. Owen F. Campion

Without fail, when any national election nears, political analysts debate which way will go the ''Catholic vote.''

Arguably, there has never been a ''Catholic vote,'' if this means that all American Catholics have voted in lockstep in every national election. This is not to say, however, that majorities of Catholics, often heavy majorities, have voted one way or the other on occasion, and twice in history these majorities were extraordinarily great.

Regardless, certain factors rather constantly have guided Catholics in their choices about voting.
Survival has been first and foremost, and survival has meant the personal financial ability to withstand the tossing and tumbling of the national economy.

Then, still today, although maybe more yesterday, Catholic voters in America have been influenced by the wish to exist without duress in an American society so colored by traditional, Reformation-bred Protestantism and by anti-Catholicism.

Within this second factor has been the everlasting yearning of Catholics in this country to be accepted by the wider American community, acceptance assumed to be the path to greater participation in the commonweal.

In this yearning, Catholics scrupulously have avoided being seen as different, or even as acting differently.

For two centuries, reacting to all this, just to survive, Catholic citizens at times obliquely, but at other times directly, deliberately have gone out of their way to display their patriotism. Certainly they have, without pause, lived with, and indeed on occasion embraced, social attitudes, or laws, such as slavery, the various harshly discriminating immigration policies, aggressive military actions, and racial segregation, even though pronouncements even by Catholic Popes have decried such realities as contrary to revelation.

These circumstances have made easy the constant American Catholic regard for the separation of church and state, and actually for a translation of this amendment that sweeps far beyond the document itself to the idea that religious values must be excluded from public policy, and that any citizen who speaks personal religious views aloud, or tries to apply them to public policy, is out of place.

Coincidentally, but not to be diminished as a factor, Catholics, until modern times often less educated, have not responded so well to abstract philosophical arguments, especially when these arguments have been at odds with the prevailing general culture.

Exceptions to all this have occurred. Political issues have differed. Feelings have been more or less intense. Politicians have had different approaches and different personalities.

Two exceptions were in 1928 when a Catholic, New York Governor Alfred Emmanuel Smith, ran for the Democrats, and 1960, when another Catholic, Massachusetts U. S. Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was the Democratic candidate.

Al Smith was a lifelong, practicing and devout Catholic. Descended from recent Irish immigrants, once an altar boy in his native parish in downtown Manhattan, he certainly had no quarrel with Church dogma.

Protestants were the majority in America in 1928, and they ran America. For many, Smith's candidacy brought to center stage old fears of Catholicism.

To win, Smith planned to take the large Eastern and Midwestern states, where Catholics were more numerous, and to keep in line the Democrats' ''Solid South'' at a time when every Southern politician elected to any office from dogcatcher to governor was a Democrat.

Smith's religion was the main issue in the South where, outside Louisiana, there were few Catholics.

For his running mate, he selected Arkansas U. S. Senator Joseph T. Robinson, a Methodist, former Arkansas governor, the Senate's Democratic leader, liked and trusted on both sides of the aisle, and close to Democratic politicians across the South.

Lo and behold, Robinson's own minister in Little Rock spoke out against Smith, joining a cavalcade of Protestant clergy across the country, Maine to Oregon, who stood in pulpits to question, hysterically at times, Catholic Smith's loyalty to the Constitution.

Amid it all, Catholic bishops remained silent, a silence interpreted by American Catholics as validating the policy of live and let live and, by extension, support for the concept that religion and politics do not mix.

In reply to it all, Smith pledged that no bishop would tell him what to do as President. This response also reinforced the thought about drawing a line between religion and political policy.
Catholic Americans, understandably seeing themselves as under attack, in a combination of nervousness and outrage, fought back on Election Day by flocking to Smith.

However, the Catholics' votes were not enough, indeed not nearly enough. Smith lost the industrial states, winning only Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Humiliatingly, he lost five of the eleven states of the old Confederacy, five states that had voted Democratic continually, and by landslide percentages, since Reconstruction.
The Smith debacle, spread all across the country, focused Catholic insecurities. The election also created a taboo among politicians. No Catholic could ever be elected nationally.

In 1932, Smith's successor as New York's governor, an Episcopalian, Franklin D. Roosevelt, ran for the Democrats. Times had never been worse.

Roosevelt took 43 of the 48 states, in the first of his four presidential victories. A majority of Catholics voted for him.

Extraordinarily perceptive as a politician, and intimately aware of the Smith strategy and its results, Roosevelt saw in the 1928 returns, not just crushing losses, but also strength in the votes of Catholics.

Furthermore, he knew that many Americans who were not Catholics themselves were not necessarily opposed to having Catholics in public for office.

For example, FDR saw that while Smith had lost five Confederate states, he had carried six others, in several cases with stunning success. Smith took every county in South Carolina and every civil parish in Louisiana and lost only eight of Georgia's 152 counties. He carried most of the larger Southern cities.

Roosevelt actively courted Catholics, naming numbers of Catholics to the courts and to high government positions, drawing Catholics into his inner circle, and reminding Catholics, correctly, that Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton and Baltimore's late Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley were his cousins, and that his partner in practicing law was a Catholic.

It helped him win majorities of Catholics in 1936 and 1940. When war came to the United States in 1941, supporting Commander-in-Chief Roosevelt meant supporting the war effort. In turn, supporting the war effort meant supporting America. Catholic Americans rushed to support the war effort. Catholics were strongly for FDR in 1944, his last election.

Roosevelt's sudden death in 1945 brought Vice President Harry S Truman to the White House. Truman never flattered Catholics as had FDR, but he never backed away from them either. Not surprisingly, a majority of Catholics voted for Truman in 1948.

Following Truman was General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, mastermind of the war in
Europe.

Then, in 1960, the Democrats nominated U. S. Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy of Massachusetts, a Catholic.

Knowing that his Catholicism would be an issue, Kennedy, a political strategist as sharp as FDR, decided to turn anti-Catholicism to his advantage.

Protestant ministers unwittingly played into his hands by blasting him as unfit for the Presidency because of his Catholicity. JFK's campaign studiously publicized these attacks in areas with many Catholics.

Just as planned, Catholics became defensive and marshaled behind him, some of them reluctantly.

More emphatically than had Smith, Kennedy insisted that he, as a Catholic, would not ''speak for the Church, nor would it speak for him.''

Careful not to dilute his standing as a Catholic among Catholics, he said that if elected, and if confronted with a conflict between a position seen as expedient for the country and Catholic belief, he would resign. ''I will not disavow my Church,'' he said, a statement rarely remembered these days.

More than ever, the view that politics and religion must stand apart took shape. Contributing to the forming of this attitude at the time was the silence of the American bishops in 1960.

Like Smith, JFK also knew that he had to hold the South. He chose for his running mate a Southerner and a nominal Protestant, U. S. Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas.

On Election Day, Catholics rallied to Kennedy in such numbers that he took most of the North and Midwest. In the South where, outside Louisiana, Catholics still were few, Kennedy carried most of the states, including Johnson's own Texas, the biggest electoral prize in the old Confederacy. He won Arkansas and Louisiana big. Georgia gave him his greatest win among all the states, including Massachusetts. His wins in Alabama and South Carolina were quite respectable. He even carried North Carolina, actually rather convincingly. North Carolina had the lowest percentage of Catholics of any state in the Union.

Johnson's take-no-prisoners way of doing things helped Kennedy in the South by bringing powerful Southern politicians to commit to the Kennedy-Johnson ticket, along with the vast political networks and sources of many dollars that these politicians commanded.

Kennedy's overall success in the South showed that even many Protestant Americans would set aside religious prejudice if a more important concern was at play. (In the South in 1960, the issue was racial desegregation. Kennedy, not without cause, was perceived as lukewarm on civil rights. Southern blacks could not vote.)

Maybe in 1960, as in 1928, Catholics felt that they had to present a united front against open anti-Catholicism. Maybe they circled the wagons to benefit one of their own. Maybe they vicariously saw themselves in him. In any case, by soaring percentages, they voted for John Kennedy.

Behind the numbers is this point. Aside from all the particular issues of that day, overwhelmingly Catholics in 1960 agreed with Kennedy, as their Catholic parents had agreed with Smith in 1928, that no Catholic President should allow any Catholic hierarch to dictate
political policy.

For Catholics, and for conventional politics, the 1960 election was a revolution. It ended much, but definitely not all, of the historic Catholic insecurity.

On a broader scale, changes in communications, financial success, and the changes in their own Church after Vatican Council II, led Catholics more than ever to plunge into the historically Calvinist, but by then increasingly secular, culture, and more than ever to adopt traditionally Protestant individualism into their religious thinking.

A candidate's Catholicity immediately became an advantage rather than a disadvantage. Accordingly, Catholics were Vice Presidential nominees in 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1984.

The next chapter in the story began in early 1972 when the U. S. Supreme Court in effect legalized abortion on demand. Catholic bishops denounced the decision on the day of the ruling, and their denunciations have never stopped.

Abortion gradually became a moral issue nationally.

In 1980, strongly pro-life Republican Ronald Reagan made great inroads among Catholics.
Abortion became an issue for some Catholics, probably not for most, and certainly not for all. In fact, since the 1972 Supreme Court ruling not only have many of the most determined supporters of abortion in Congress identified themselves as Catholics, but more critically, constituencies heavily Catholic have elected them and re-elected them.

On the other hand, some pro-abortion candidates have attributed their losses at the polls to Catholics voting against them.

When, in 1984, a Catholic officeholder ''personally opposed to abortion, but . . .'' New York Congress- woman Geraldine Ferraro, was the Democrats' nominee for Vice President, New York's outspoken Cardinal John O'Connor criticized her stand on abortion.

It set the stage. In the future, other candidates, despite personal identification with Catholicism, who tolerated abortion, found themselves being scolded by bishops, with more or less fervor involved, and with mixed results in terms of Catholic voting.

Among these candidates was U. S. Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, running for the Democrats for President in 2004.

In defeat, Kerry had only a minority of Catholic votes, albeit not a small minority. By 2004, the Church's stand on abortion may have seeped into the thinking of more Catholics in the pews. However, many Catholics liked George W. Bush, the commander-in-chief in another war, and the champion of traditional middle-class values.

What about this year and the future? Will the way Catholics vote in November 2008 in any way signal whether or not Catholic Americans have overcome their old insecurity about being seen as different by voting to apply their Church's teachings to public policy?

Now, the ultimate, underlying question is how broad or deep are Catholic Americans' personal convictions about their Church as the repository of all that Jesus taught.

In the end, the last question is the greatest question of them all for the Church itself, and its members, to consider, touching as it does touch upon much, much more than politics or public policy.

--TP

MSGR. CAMPION is editor of The Priest magazine.

A lazy day update

2008-10-07T11:20:00.006-04:00

I am being completely lazy. Anna is napping beside me, so I figured I'd play around on the net -- update the blog and the websites, and send some emails. I've been doing laundry today and had forgotten how great Dreft smells ... and how much laundry a person that is smaller than a Thanksgiving turkey can generate!

We were out of town this past weekend, so you'd think that I'd be trying to get the house back in order. I haven't done any real cleaning since the day before the baby was born. We went to see my Dad for his birthday (he turned 54 on Sunday!!) ... we hung out at his house and even took the girls apple picking at a local orchard. We had a blast, but had to leave all too soon. I always get a little sad when it's time to go ...

Bella took apples to school today to give out to her classmates (she was so proud of the apples that she picked by herself!) as well as some fresh apple butter and fresh honey for her teachers. She's so funny ...

We took out the Fall/Halloween decorations and are busy decorating the house. I need to pick up a couple of bails of hay and some pumpkins. I want to make a display with the hay, a scarecrow, some gourds, and a pumpkin "patch" ...

I want something fun and cute ... something that will make for a good photo back drop.

On the other side of the house, I plan to have a spooky grave yard, complete with grave "stones," floating ghosties, and a hand or two sticking out of the ground. I do so love Halloween. It's second only to Christmas.

Well, I need to get a quick shower then head to pick the kiddo up from school. I just wanted to pop on and say "Hi!!"

Woot!

2008-10-05T12:42:00.001-04:00

If you remember my post from Sept. 30th, you know that I am having issues with my post-baby weight.

Well, I just stepped on the scale and I weigh 164 pounds ... I've lost 4 pounds since that post. WOOT!

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

S.E.C. Week Six Round-Up

2008-10-05T00:36:00.000-04:00

It was a good weekend! Both the Gators and the Gamecocks won, we got to see my Dad for his birthday weekend, and the weather was so nice outside!

The S.E.C. week six results are below. As always, S.E.C. teams are bold and all time are EST.

Saturday, October 4:

Alabama 17, Kentucky 14
Florida 38, Arkansas 7
Vanderbilt 14, Auburn 13
South Carolina 31, Ole Miss 24
Tennessee 13, Northern Illinois 9

Georgia, LSU, and Mississippi State all had open weekends.

I hate being fat ...

2008-09-30T22:01:00.003-04:00

I weighed 129 pounds the day that I fould out that I was pregnant. Even then I felt a little chubby. (Yes, I gave body issues.) I gained weight quickly during the pregnancy despite the fact that I felt green for the first half of the adventure. At my last OB visit before I delivered the baby, I was right at 180 pounds. I am sure that I gained a pound or two between that final visit and when I was admitted to the hospital.

Well, I stepped on the scale a little while ago, I weighed 168 pounds. So, I've only lost around 12 pounds since the baby was born nearly two weeks ago.

My goal weight is 125. I will give myself until Easter 2009. With me nursing, it'll be hard to lose all this weight (these boobs are huge ... and heavy!), but I will try my best. I thought about joining Weight Watchers, but it's just too expensive. Instead, I think that I might join the local Curves gym. I can put Anna in the Baby Bjorn and hit the treadmill. :D

So it begins. I am going to do this. I want to be wife that my husband finds attractive and a mother that isn't an embarrassment to her children. I want to be healthy and happy.

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

S.E.C. Week Five Round Up

2008-09-27T19:21:00.001-04:00

Well, crap. My Gators didn't show up for the game today. :( And what the heck was that last play? Going for it on 4th-and-1 with less than a minute to go when you're down 31-30? A freaking field goal would have won the game!

Anyway, today's results are below. We're rooting for Auburn and Alabama today, too. Auburn is beating the Vols 7-nil at the top of the second. Alabama plays Georgia tonight. War Damn Eagle and Roll Tide!

Saturday, September 27:

Ole Miss 31, Florida 30
Auburn 14, Tennessee 12
Texas 52, Arkansas 10
Kentucky 41, Western Kentucky 3
South Carolina 26, UAB 13
LSU 34, Mississippi State 24
Alabama 41, Georgia 30

Both Arkansas and Vanderbilt have an open week.

Why McCain won last night's debate

2008-09-27T16:42:00.002-04:00

From: http://www.newsmax.com/ruddy/Why_McCain_Won_the_Debate/2008/09/27/135077.html (as always, bold emphasis is mine)

==================

Why McCain Won the Debate

Saturday, September 27, 2008 2:44 PM
By: Christopher Ruddy

There is little question that John McCain “won” the first debate last night. Perhaps he lost on points (arguments) and style (how could he beat Mr. Smooth?), but McCain “won” over the audience, the only victory that counts.

Here’s what I saw and heard:

1. Any question that McCain is too old to run for office has been put to rest. He was sharp, on point and looked good, good enough, that is.

2. If the debate was held before the elite faculties of Harvard and Columbia, schools Obama attended, he would have won hands down. But this debate was held before the American public.

3. Obama was too smooth, too smart. Remember the “W. Factor.” Bush lost all the debates with John Kerry on style and substance. But Bush came across as more likeable. Ditto McCain.

4. Obama has a subtle, condescending speaking style. His hand gestures of constant pointing fingers, frequently raising his fingers to eye level, jabbing constantly, make’s one feel he’s lecturing us. Yes, Kennedy jabbed, but occasionally.

5. After, the debate I heard on a radio call in person say they listened to the debate on radio. Obama sounded like a professor. Bingo. Americans don’t elect professors president.

6. The debate opened on the economy. McCain should have scored much bigger points. He didn’t. He claimed Obama wanted to raise taxes. He should have rattled off specifics of Obama’s tax plan, including: removing the FICA tax cap, doubling the capital gains tax, increasing dividend taxes, letting the Bush tax cuts expire giving everyone an automatic tax increase, raising gasoline taxes, etc.

7. Obama also made some serious tactical mistakes. Twice in the debate he repeated the allegations of others, first saying he was “liberal” and later saying he was “naive.” Repeating labels is a no no.

8. McCain came across as authentic. This elusive quality is difficult to manufacture, and a key reason Obama can’t compete on this score. McCain smartly pointed out how Obama became a born again earmark and pork fighter – after he started running for president.

9. Obama came across as slick trying to making himself sound more moderate than his record demonstrates. He says he doesn’t really want to spend $800 billion on new programs; he really isn’t the most liberal member of the Senate; he doesn’t really want to meet with dictators like Ahmadinejad; and so on.

10. McCain demonstrated he doesn’t simply talk a good talk, but has walked the walk. He has been a long time enemy of earmarks. And he has been a fighter who has crossed the partisan divide time and again. Obama simply has no such record.

11. McCain’s strength was foreign policy. It showed. Obama did seem “naïve.” McCain won the “don’t meet with rogue leaders without preconditions” argument. Obama’s answers sounded like he was flip-flopping on his original statement.

12. On Iran, again one of the most contentious issues, McCain won because his comments grasped the gravity of the crisis.

13. Where McCain lost was on the Iraq war and the surge. Yes, McCain has been right on the surge and Obama has been wrong. But McCain came across as heavily invested in the idea of the war (creating a democracy in Iraq) and unwilling to flexibly respond to reality. Make no mistake about it: this is an unpopular war that is costing us a trillion dollars so far. On CNN I watched the audience meter as McCain talked about the war and its “success.” The meter showed Independent voters clearly tracking in “negative” territory, clearly in line with Democrats.
In sum, McCain had the most to lose from this debate. Obama is known as the great public speaker.

McCain did more than hold his own.

And most importantly he demonstrated several things that will resonate with voters.

First, he is ready on day one to be ready Commander in Chief.

Second, he can be trusted. His word is good.

Third, he is one of us.

© 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

Baby update

2008-09-26T20:48:00.006-04:00

I haven't posted a baby update on here yet, so while I am sitting here watching the debates (GO MCCAIN!!), and since today is Anna's official due date, I figured I'd go ahead and do it now.

At my 38-week OB visit last Monday, I was discouraged to find that there had been absolutely no cervical change and that Anna had actually moved back up into the uterus. She was a neg. 1 station in July, a neg. 2 in August, and nearly a neg. 3 on Monday. Wrong way, Anna! (If you are unaware of what a station is, see the image HERE.)

I had talked to my OB the week before and had been told that at 39 weeks she would allow an elective induction. She kept her promise and scheduled the induction for Friday the 19th. I stayed up on Thursday night, getting some last minute things done. I went to bed around midnight, but didn't sleep very well. I was tired and strangely achey. I was up at 5 a.m. and at the hospital at 5:55 a.m. I was admitted to LDPP and waited on my doctor. Lo and behold when my OB checked me before giving the order for a Pitocin drip, we were completely effaced, 3 centimenters dilated, and the baby had dropped down to between a neg 1 to a 0 station. YAY! So, who knows ... I might have gome into labor on Friday anyway.

The Pitocin drip was started at 9 a.m. on the dot. I contractions were bearable at first, but I ended up getting Nubain and Phenergan around 10 a.m. (by Bella none-the-less!), and an epidural around 11 a.m. We were completely dilated less than 5 hours after the induction was started. Little Anna made her arrival at 3:04 p.m. Her 14" head was hung under the pelvic bone, so I pushed for over an hour. My OB was making arrangements to send me to the O.R. for a c-section when Anna literally tore her way out.

Bella was there during the entire labor and delivery. We were lucky that we had the same LDPP nurse the entire time and that she was the same one that we saw back in July. (Nurse Karen took Bella under her wing that afternoon, showing her what she was doing and even letting Bella give me the shot of Celestone.) This go 'round, Karen made sure that Bella had a scrub nurse hat and mask to match her personalize scrubs, and even let her push the Nubain/Phenergan combo into the I.V. line and then flush the line with saline. Bella even got to cut Anna's umbilical cord!

When asked later if she was "grossed out" or "scared," Bella stated that, "It wasn't gross or scary. It was fantastic!" She later said that the birth wasn't gross despite the blood and that Anna's purplish color "was beautiful" and that she looked "like a purple flower" when she was being born.

She is a very protective and loving sister. We'll see what happens when Anna starts taking her toys!

There are some photos below. (The images are clickable thumbnails.)

Pushing Nubain and Phenergan into my IV line

3:04 p.m. ~ Happy Birth Day!

Sleeping Beauties

While waiting to go home, Mommy teaches Anna about Gator football and why we don't like Tennessee.

Photobucket hypocrisy

2008-09-24T18:01:00.002-04:00

Argh!

We had a baby last week. Like any set of proud parents, my husband and I took lots of photos and video during our hospital stay. Once home I uploaded our favorites into my photobucket account. We put the images on the family website and sent out direct links to some photos to friends and family via email.

Imagine my suprise today when I logged into my account to see that some of the images and video snips had been DELETED by photobucket because they were "offensive." What the hell? They're in a private album ... and are of a newborn baby! What can be offensive about that?

Take the following images that photobucket hosts and tell me what's more offensive -- them or a photo of a newborn baby in a warmer?

Should I go on?

One final image, though. Why can one can post THIS, but not an image of a newborn baby who's butt is exposed: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k77/Zurana1/MeandBilly.jpg

"Grrrr!" to you Photobucket!

S.E.C. Week Four Round-Up

2008-09-14T18:36:00.006-04:00

This is one of three football weekends that I mark every year on my calendar. I circle the days, put little orange and blue doodles around the box, I make sure that these three days stand out. The three weekends? Absolute HATE weekend (Fla/UT), Rivalry weekend (Fla/Ga), and Birthday weekend (Fla/USC).

This is HATE weekend. I have had so many bad experiences with Tennessee fans that I detest them. I absolutely hate the Vols. And the song "Rocky Top"? Sure to bring bile up into my throat. I will root for every S.E.C. school ... except Tennessee. Even during bowl season, I will root against those nasties from Knoxville.

Anyway, here's a look at how the S.E.C. teams fared this past weekend:

Saturday, September 20th:

Florida 30, Tennessee 6 ~ Go Gators!
Alabama 49, Arkansas 14
Vanderbilt 23, Ole Miss 17
South Carolina 23, Wofford 13
LSU 26, Auburn 21
Georgia 27, Arizona State 10
Georgia Tech 38, Mississippi State 7

Kentucky had an open week.

Obama is such an ass ...

2008-09-14T18:23:00.003-04:00

From a recent bulletin ...

=============================

McCain Can't Use A Computer Because Of His POW Beatings

Obama has struck again, mocking McCain in an ad as being computer illiterate. Of course, the reason Mac can't use one is because of the severe beatings he received as a POW. Serving his country is something Obama would know nothing about, so how sad is it when you degrade a hero to try to inflate your sagging campaign?

Below is the article.

Yep. The day after 9/11, as part of its "get tough" makeover, the Obama campaign is mocking John McCain for not using a computer, without caring why he doesn't use a computer.

From the AP story about the computer illiterate ad:"Our economy wouldn't survive without the Internet, and cyber-security continues to represent one our most serious national security threats," [Obama spokesman Dan] Pfeiffer said. "It's extraordinary that someone who wants to be our president and our commander in chief doesn't know how to send an e-mail."

Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by "extraordinary."

The reason he doesn't send email is that he can't use a keyboard because of the relentless beatings he received from the Viet Cong in service to our country.

From the Boston Globe (March 4, 2000): McCain gets emotional at the mention of military families needing food stamps or veterans lacking health care. The outrage comes from inside: McCain's severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes. Friends marvel at McCain's encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He's an avid fan - Ted Williams is his hero - but he can't raise his arm above his shoulder to throw a baseball.

In a similar vein I guess it's an outrage that the blind governor of New York David Patterson doesn't know how to drive a car. After all, transportation issues are pretty important. How dare he serve as governor while being ignorant of what it's like to navigate New York's highways.

Please repost!

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTliMTNiZjg5ZDEwZWNiZDYwZWFjN2JlNjNjNjkxZmM =

S.E.C. Week-Three Round-Up

2008-09-13T23:58:00.000-04:00

My Gators were off this weekend, but that didn't mean that I wasn't paying attention to the games and scores. By and far, the heartbreaker was in Columbia, S.C.

Saturday, Sept. 13th:

Tennessee 35, UAB 3
Arkansas at Texas, ppd. due to Hurricane Ike
Georgia 14, South Carolina 7
Auburn 3, Mississippi State 2
Ole Miss 34, Samford 10
Kentucky 20, Middle Tennessee 14
Western Kentucky at Alabama (7 p.m.)
Vanderbilt 38, Rice 21
LSU 41, North Texas 3

Notice of Eviction

2008-09-10T16:37:00.005-04:00

There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

We had our week 38 OB visit today. Guess what? NOT. ONE. FREAKING. THING. HAS. CHANGED. Grrrrr! This kid is still sitting high, at a -2 station, cervix remains unchanged, and there are no signs of impending labor. I freaking HATE being pregnant and have had it. My OB agreed to induce at 39 weeks. I am the only person that I know that has PRE-partum depression. I love the end result ... I just freaking hate being pregnant. HATE IT. DESTEST IT.

It seems that batty will be evicted from the bat cave on Friday, Sept. 19th.

THANK GOD.

That places us in the hospital during the Florida at Tennessee game, but at this point, I really don't care. I can watch the game in my room. And, at least one of Anna's hospital pics will be of her in one of her baby Gator outfits with a football rattle.

I am not going to be online long ... I just wanted to let everyone know that the eviction notice has been served. FINALLY.

Gooooooooood Morning!

2008-09-08T08:39:00.005-04:00

I am tired. Seriously. I lie not when I say that I am the size of a small elephant. Yes, the bat is still hanging in the bat cave. I've had an effaced, dilating cervix for over a month. I've lost the muscus plug, I've had contractions. But nothing. Nada. I can literally feel the baby moving UP instead of pushing down. Perhaps her unwillingness to stay "dropped" is playing a large part in that ring of scar tissue in the cervical os from finally breaking. We were told two weeks ago that it was "hanging on by a thread." I swear this kid is hanging from my ribs like a bat.

Add to this weight on my body -- lungs, stomach, skin, ... knees -- the fact that I feel like I have the flu. I'm congested, running a low-grade fever, snotty, achy, extremely tired, coughing, etc. I just feel ... sick. I'm hesitant to take anything more than Tylenol. It could just be a combination of very late pregnancy and season allergies ... who knows?

I'm trying not to sit and concentrate on the fact that I am still ... freaking ... pregnant, but it's hard. I miss going to work. I even miss the whiney drug seekers ("I had a root canal ... I need this Percocet NOW!" ... "I dropped my bottle of Lortab and lost all my pills. I really NEED to get this prescription refilled early!") I miss being able to play with my daughter or to clean the house properly. I miss being able to go to football games or to goof off with my husband. If I have not delivered by Wednesday, my OB has agreed to schedule an induction. HOORAY! I would love for Anna to come on Sept. 11th ... early on that Thursday. Otherwise, I am going to ask my doctor to schedule me for Sept. 17th. I really have to be home by the 20th. Trust me. The hospital staff does NOT want me there on the 20th. At all. If you are a football fan, you know why.

Mentioning football, my phone rang Saturday night just as the Miami (Fl) at Florida game kicked off. I didn't recognize the number and was like, "Who the hell is calling me during a football game?!?!" I ignored the call. A little while later I get text message from the same number. I had just updated my status on Facebook to something like "Pamela wishes she was in the Swamp right now!" The text said, "In the Swamp ... you need anything? Gators suck!"

I thought that they were reading my Facebook page. Florida had just scored, so I wrote back, "Yeah, more of those Gator TD's!" Long story short, one of our old pals from our old paper had traveled to the game. He's a die-hard 'Canes fan. We texted throughout the first half. I'm still jealous that he made it down to the Swamp while I was at home "12 months pregnant."

I hope that he had a good time, though. I'll have to give him a call in a little while.
He has since become a PR guy for the Republican party. He told me that he grabbed a few things for me at the convention. Hooray!

Well, I need to get off my big butt and get some work done. I really do have a large to-do list for the day. I want to get these things done to take my mind off my bodily woes and to try to get this baby to drop down. She was a -2 last week ... I'm hoping at least for a -1 this Wednesday. A zero would be wonderful!

Have a wonderful week!

Today's To-Do:

Mow lawn (front, sides, back)
Vacuum
Make beds
Do laundry
Clean kitchen
General household pick-up

S.E.C. Week Two Round-Up

2008-09-07T14:47:00.000-04:00

Week two of College Football is over. All the week's SEC scores are below.

ESPN Game Day was in Gainesville, Fla. for the Gators / Canes matchup. It was awesome seeing Corso toss the Miami helmet aside and slap on that Gator head!

Thursday, Sept. 4th:

Vanderbilt 24, South Carolina 17

Saturday, Sept. 6th:

Alabama 20, Tulane 6
Arkansas 28, La.-Monroe 27
Auburn 27, Southern Miss 13
FLORIDA 26, Miami (Fl.) 3
Georgia 56, Central Michigan 17
Kentucky 38, Norfolk State 3
Wake Forest 30, Ole Miss 28
Mississippi State 34, Southeastern Louisiana 10

The Vols had an open week; the Troy at LSU game has been postponed until Nov. 15th.

Hanna's arms over us; watching Ike

2008-09-05T17:54:00.003-04:00

It's raining really good right now. No thunder, lightning, nor gusty winds here yet, but they will arrive eventually. We are thanking God that it appears that Hanna will bypass us. I do keep those along the coast of North Carolina in my prayers. I hope that the storm isn't bad for them, either. I hope that Hanna turns out to be a dud.

We are under a tornado watch. There have been reports of both tornados and water spouts along our coastal area. At least this storm is supposed to be moving by quickly.

Once Hanna is gone, we have to deal with Ike. He's a monster that seems to be heading for the Gulf. He has lost strength (going from a cat. 4 to a cat. 3 'cane) but he's still formidable. It's hard to believe that we have to worry about hurricanes all the way through November!

For the first time in over a month I am praying that I DON'T go into labor. I really can't imagine having to go out in this weather to travel to the hospital.

Well, Bella just told me that she was hungry. Looks like a pizza delivery night. And yes, we'll tip the delivery boy well. Have a safe and happy weekend. GO GATORS!

Plus, I don't want to be in the hospital during a college football Saturday.

Hanna is arriving!

2008-09-05T13:20:00.006-04:00

It's 1:15 p.m. and the rain has arrived. It's a nice, slow rain right now, without any thunder, lightning, or wild winds, but we know that it will get worse. I can hear it pitter-pattering on the sky lights as I type. Oh, I do hope and pray that we just get some nice rains out of this storm and nothing else. Oh, and please, God, let us keep power!

We have flashlights, batteries, and such just in case, but I would still like to keep my power. I am closing in on 170 pounds and am the size of a small elephant. Add in this sinus infection that I have ... again. Being able to simply breathe is hard enough! I can't imagine if the power went out and it was 90-degrees in the house! I really do need my air conditioning ... or, at the very least, a fan! Not to mention being able to watch Gameday and college football tomorrow. LOL ... I've got my priorities straight, huh?

Wow. I've got a hankering for fast food all of a sudden. Andy and Bella are out and about running errands and such... I wonder if I could get him to go to Chick-fil-A for me. Man ... some chicken strips with caeser dressing for dipping, an order of their waffle fries, and a big ol' sweet tea sound simply devine! Mmmmmm .... That is really all I ate the first three months or so of my pregnancy. There's a Chick-fil-A on my way to work and I stopped there almost every night on my way in. Yep. That's what I want for lunch. Chick-fil-A. And I wonder why I've gained 40 pounds with this pregnancy. LOL ... Anna's going to come out clucking instead of crying!

Well, I need to run out and get the mail. Then I want to get some cleaning done so that I can lay back on the sofa and listen to the rain on the sky lights ... and perhaps take a nap.

Stay safe and have a great weekend! GO GATORS!

Hurricane babies, the blues, and such

2008-09-04T11:35:00.005-04:00

We are watching Tropical Storm, soon-to-be Hurricane Hanna closely today. It could hit us so I'm pondering whether or not to load up and head to Dad's house. I do not look forward to driving for over three hours in my condition. It hurts to sit up for more than 20 minutes in one position ... I can't imagine sitting in the car for that amount of time! And what if I go into labor during the trip or while we're up there? Yes, there are hospitals there, but I'd rather deliver with my doctor, near my home. I am hoping and praying that this storm doesn't hit us ... or that its impact will be minimal.

Once Hanna's gone, we have to worry about that monster right behind her, Hurricane Ike. Ike is currently a Cat. 4 hurricane. YIKES! Ike! Don't hit us! (sang to the tune of the "Fruit Stripe Gum" jingle...)

It's really funny, though. Hurricane Isabel made landfall shortly before our little Isabella was born. Now we have Hurricane Hanna looming on our shores shortly before our little Anna is due to arrive. I realized that this morning as I was watching goofy surfers going on and on about the "awesome rip currents!" on TV.

It's really a pretty day outside, sunny and hot. I think that Bella and I might head to the beach when I pick her up today just to get some photos. She really wants to head to the Upstate to see Pop Pop (it IS "Grandparent's Day" on Sunday, afterall!), but I hope that the promise of collecting shells on the beach combined with party planning and making goody bags this weekend will suffice.

She is getting into the school routine nicely, loving her teachers and the Montessori education. (She's doing yoga today, LOL ...) She got all Gatored out this morning since her school week is only four days. (Fridays are option art days / field trip days.) She's so cute!

You know, my relationship with her is another reason for my prepartum blues. This kid really is the center of my life. My mother left us when Terri and I were young, so I always said that I'd be the mother I never had. I want Bella to know that she is my little angel ... my baby. I can't imagine that I could care about another person the same way. I don't want to cheat Anna, but I also don't want Bella to get lost in the mix. I was an older sister and I know what it's like when the new baby arrives. Everything is about the baby. The baby this, the baby that. I have GOT to figure out how to ensure that he life doesn't change too much with the new arrival. (big sigh!)

Well, it's nearly noon. I've got to get going. I've got a few things to do before I pick the kiddo up from school.

Have a wonderful day!

Support the Troops!

2008-09-03T14:27:00.002-04:00

This is posted as a "bulletin" when I logged into MySpace a little while ago. I thought that it was worth posting here.

==============================================

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Andi
Date: Sep 2, 2008 5:21 PM

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Mandy
Date: Sep 1, 2008 4:25 AM

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: SamanthaMANIC™
Date: Aug 30, 2008 6:40 PM

:[

You stay up for 16 hours.
He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

..

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.

You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

If you support your troops, the click "reply to poster" copy all the codes, and repost the bulletin.

If you don't support your troops well, then don't re-post. You won't die in 7 days, your love life won't be affected, and you won't have the worst day ever. You don't have to repost. It's not like you know the men and women that are dying to preserve your rights.

To copy, just hit the reply button and copy and paste the codes

..

Obama mocks the Bible ...

2008-09-02T22:19:00.000-04:00

Wow ...

I've got the blues ... and I'm not talking about macaronni!

2008-09-02T16:14:00.005-04:00

Well, no baby yet.
:(

We had yet another disappointing OB visit today. There's been no cervical change whatsoever since July 24th. (Well, the OB said we're a half a centimeter more dilated today than last week, but that doesn't mean too much because today I saw one of the petite female docs. Last week I saw the one male OB who has hands the size of a bear paw...) That damned scar tissue is still intact and the reason that I'm not dilating. Grrr! I couldn't convince her to break it for me. Damnit, if I could reach it I'd break it myself. I feel like my body has been hijacked ... I feel like I look like Jabba the Hut

They did an ultrasound to be sure of Anna's position. She is all smooshed in there ... you'd think she'd be more than ready to come on out. But no .... She is indeed in a vertex position, at a -2 station. (She's about two centimeters above my ischial spines ...) {{{{Big Sigh}}}} I swear this baby is hanging in there like a bat, refusing to emerge! And it's drive ME batty!

My husband and I talked to the doc about my pre-partum depression. She swears that if Anna hasn't come by Sept. 16th that she'll induce me. She won't do an elective induction before 39 weeks. As least I see a light at the end of the tunnel. In two weeks tops I'll have a baby! She'll be home in time to dress her up for the Florida / Tennessee game! Woot!!

I feel a little better emotionally though. Andy went with me and supported me, talking to the doctor about what's going on. He calls me pre-partum / post-party because I get depressed pre-partum and am on cloud nine when the baby arrives. The OB listened to my rantings and frustrations, which is a change because the one doc that I seem to always see tries to get out of the room ASAP ... I think I scare him. (LOL ...) She didn't try to cover the issues with a script for Zoloft or Paxil, either, for which I am appreciative. I am not a medication type person (which is funny considering what I do for a living!) She didn't have me carted off to a looney bin, either. LOL ...

I told her that I feel like I'm going crazy because if you say something other than, "I'm so exited!" or "I'm so happy!" when they ask about your pregnancy, they think you're nuts or unappreciative. Quite the contrary. I love the end result -- the beautiful little baby ... I just hate the baking part. The OB that I saw today said that pre-partum depression isn't rare at all. Perhaps more women should talk about it instead of shutting those feelings away.

Anyway, my birthday is Nov. 11th and the hubby's is Nov. 24th. Bella was born on the Sept. 24th. Maybe this one will come Sept. 11th. :D Of course, if that happened, we know that 9, 11, and 24 are our "lucky" numbers ... and we should SO play the lottery with them! (Yeah, I'm being silly ....)

Well, I really need to print party invites for Bella to take to school tomorrow. I just wanted to check in and leave an update.

S.E.C. Week One Round-Up

2008-08-30T20:16:00.012-04:00

College football kicked-off this weekend. So how did the totally awesome Southeastern Conference do? Let's see! (SEC teams are always in bold)

Thurs., Aug. 28th:

South Carolina 34, N.C. State 0
Vanderbilt 34, Miami (Ohio) 13

Saturday, Aug. 30th:

LSU 41, Appalachian State 13
Florida 56, Hawaii 10
Georgia 45, Georgia Southern 21
Ole Miss 41, Memphis 24
Arkansas 28, Western Illinois 24
Auburn 34, Louisiana-Monroe 0
Louisiana Tech 22, Mississippi State 14
Alabama 34, Clemson 10

Sunday, Aug. 31st:

Kentucky 27, Louisville 2

Monday, Sept. 1st:

UCLA 27, Tennessee 24, OT

Go S.E.C.!!

HOW ABOUT THEM GATORS?!?!?!?!

2008-08-30T16:03:00.004-04:00

I can't believe that I did not go into labor this afternoon, LOL! I was jumping around, screaming, and cheering as my Gators rolled over visiting Hawaii, 56-10! We were a little rough coming out of the gate (the first quarter was scoreless and our defense seemed to be offsides on nearly every play ...) but Coach Meyer got the guys rolling in the second quarter. We went into the locker rooms at the half ahead 28-0.

It's GREAT to BE a FLORIDA GATOR!

D.O.N.A. Doula Training

2008-08-30T15:31:00.002-04:00

On Aug. 24th, I answered a woman named Jennifer about Doulas and Doula training. She was touting D.O.N.A. and what doulas are "taught" in their training. I posted information straight from the D.O.N.A. site on the requirements to become a "certified" doula. The major part being attending a D.O.N.A. approved workshop and then a prenatal (think Lamaze) class.

I found one such workshop here in my state and requested information.

So much for the idea that doulas have extensive training in pharmacological pain relief. You'll notice that only about two hours are spent talking about pain control via medication. The following is the brochure that I received in the mail today for the "Professional Labor Support Education (DONA Certified)" to be held Oct. 25 & 26, 2008 in West Columbia, S.C. (The cost of which is $275 which "includes light snacks and lunch both days" and their "doula manual."

Part of me wants to take this, just to hear what is said. But I am not shelling out $275 to a doula to "teach" me anything. Plus, I have a feeling I'd get kicked out for asking questions and making points that would make blood boil. Ah well ...

Click on the thumbnails below to read material.

Updates, Gamecock hurrahs, and another State Farm rant

2008-08-29T17:30:00.005-04:00

Welp, we're still here, waiting on the breaking of water or some good, constant contractions. However, nothing substantial is going to happen until that ring of scar tissue is broken. If I haven't gone into labor by the 13th, I'm going to slap a glove on my sister and tell her how to do it. (Doesn't that leave a pretty image in your head?) There is nothing more exhausting than being nine months pregnant in the South. This humidity really gets to you!

Today was "Team Colors Day," so Bella and I decked ourselves out in Gator Orange and Blue. (It's GREAT to BE a FLORIDA GATOR!) The season kicks off tomorrow as Hawaii comes to the Eastern Seaboard for a showdown in the Swamp. GO GATORS! The South Carolina Gamecocks kicked off last night, thrashing N.C. State 34-zip. A big woot to The Ol' Ball Coach.

Today has been hot and irritating (on many levels). Read my previous post today about our insurance company woes. Well, after the rep at State Farm found a fourth person to blame -- my husband -- and told us that official DMV records were not good enough to fix the problem, I left a message for our agent. He called me back a few minutes ago with the same drivel. Blaming us, saying that my husband told the agent that he had a wreck on Sept. 1, 2007 and that it had $1000 in bodily injuries. I was like, "B - freaking - S!" He said that my husband told the rep that and then signed the documentation. I asked to see it and he was like "We might have it somewhere ... it won't be until next week sometime." Yeah. I would bet the farm (if I had one) that we'll never see that "document." My husband is a lot of things, but he is not stupid. Why would he tell them that he not only had a wreck but that there were a $1,000 in bodily injuries to the other person? Honestly!

Most people wouldn't take the time to figure out why their rate had increased. We're not most people, so now the agency is scrambling to make excuses. They are making us PROVE that we never had said wreck. Why the hell can't THEY pick up the phone, call our previous carrier, and ask for the records? Why is it up to US to fix their screw-up?

First, State Farm blamed Choice Point. Then they blamed the DMV. Then they blamed our previous carrier. Now they're blaming us. Talk about passing the buck. Their rep screwed up and they won't admit it. Furthermore, we have to get documentation from our previous carrier that no such wreck happened before they'll do anything. For some reason they say that official government (DMV) records do not mean a damned thing to them. And, after talking with the lady at the DMV yesterday, I know that it's not just us having an issue with this.

ARGH!

Perhaps this is the aggrevation that I need to finally bring my blood pressure up enough to cause me to go into labor.

One funny thing and one really good thing happened today, though.

First, we went to a local "old fashioned" burger shop for lunch. We were in a booth with me sitting across from the kiddo and the hubby. A young lady (between 19 and 24) sat down at a table kind of behind me, but to the left. She had a cute little toddler with her. At the end of our lunch, the hubby and kiddo went over to the ice cream counter to get dessert. The DH blushed a little but I didn't think too much about it ... until I turned and saw her. The girl's shorts were low-rise and, when she was sitting, exposed her G-String. I mean two little black strings, one on each side, and a hot-pink strip of cloth (about an inch wide) going right down the crack of her butt. I couldn't help but laugh.

I teased him about it a little, laughing not only at her stupidity but at his discomfort. During this, her kid dropped a toy which rolled under the booth directly behind me. She got up and squatted down beside me to retrieve the toy, exposing more of her butt floss ... right next to Andy's feet.

He was wearing his red Boston Red Sox hat ... and his face blushed to the same hue as that hat.

While his discomfort was funny, I couldn't help but wonder why on earth someone would go out, into a family restaurant, dressed like that. Do people like that think that anyone, outside a strip club that is, wants to see something like that? Really.

We got home and got a call that our kiddo won a free birthday party for her and 15 friends at a local gymnastics facility! I'd entered her in the drawing back in April and, quite honestly, forgot about it. It's an hour-and-a-half party that is fully serviced. We just have to provide cake and food. WOW. We were going to throw her a party, but it was going to cost a bunch. We are trying to keep to a budget so that party was going to cramp it. The Lord answers prayers in amazing ways. This party really helps out right now. She is going to get a party valued at $250 for free. FREE. Wow. We are so thankful ... and excited.

Well, I've got to fix dinner ... I just wanted to check in and to wish everyone a very happy and SAFE Labor Day weekend.

Like a Good Neighbor? BUYER BEWARE!

2008-08-29T10:07:00.006-04:00

I am headed out to run some errands, but I wanted to alert you to a possible fraud situation, to alert you to watch your insurance policies and be ready to verify official records.

My husband and I currently use State Farm as our car insurance provider. Well, my husband got a letter in mail yesterday telling him that our rate was going to increase. He called our local office to ask why. Our agent said that the company had received a report that one of us had been in an accident on Sept. 1, 2007 and that the person we'd hit had claimed $1,000 in bodily injuries. We were like, "We weren't with you on Sept. 1, 2007 nor were either of us in a wreck during that time."

The agent was like, yes, you were in a wreck and based on that we're increasing your rate.

So, even though it was like 4:45 p.m., I called the DMV in the state capitol. An exasperated lady told me, when I explained why I was calling, that we probably did NOT have anything on our records, that people had been calling all day with the same issue. She checked our records just to make sure. Go figure, there was NOTHING on our records like that. I was in two wrecks last year. One was my fault -- I was sneezing and tapped a lady's butt, but there were little-to-no damages on either side and I know for a fact that claim wasn't filed for any injuries. And one wasn't -- a teenager came flying out of a parking lot, talking on her cellphone and not looking before entering the highway, and hit me. I had minor neck and back sprains (Even though we were strapped in, I twisted to put my hand in the back seat to somehow shield Bella ... I don't know why I did that ... but it caused a muscle sprain). However, it wasn't a $1,000 claim. Heck, it was half that ... on HER insurance. My husband didn't have a wreck at all during that time period.

She said that a couple of companies were using a placed called CHOICE POINT for their information and that CHOICE POINT was reporting wrecks that never happened. She was like, "They [Choice Point] did NOT get their information from the DMV."

I called my husband and told him. He called State Farm back and left a message.

State Farm called us back a little while ago. When we explained that we called the DMV and what the DMV said, the agent said, "Oh, then, it must've come from your previous insurance carrier." We disputed that, because the previous company would have reported it to the DMV. While he was on the phone with State Farm telling them that they need to check their records better, perhaps call the DMV (which they are too lazy to do), I called our old carrier. I explained the situation. They pulled up our file and said, "Nope. This is what we have on your records. We do NOT have either of you being in a wreck on Sept. 1, 2007 and certainly nothing with a bodily injury." Progressive's information matched the DMV's.

Incredulous, I called Choice Point who kept saying that they receive their records from the DMV and our previous carrier. I was like, "NO, you most certainly did NOT. I have talked to both and neither have any such accident on file." They never confirmed or denied what was in our report. She just said that we could obtain a copy of the report through www.ChoiceTrust.com.

Futhermore, this isn't a one-time mistake as the lady at the DMV yesterday said that we were not the first people to call with such an issue.

How many people are going to pay huge car insurance rate increases due to "previous accidents"? How many people are going to believe that someone on their policy might have been in an accident and go ahead and pay the fees?

If you get such a letter, don't just pay the increase. CALL THE DMV. Verify your driving record. And if your insurance carrier is too damned lazy to call the DMV and fix the problem, change carriers. We most ceratainly plan to do so. We weren't in a wreck. We have made the calls to verify our records. Why the hell can't State Farm pick up the phone and call the DMV, too?

Oh yeah ... to do so means that they won't get that rate increase.

"Like a good neighbor?" Perhaps in the hood, but definitely not in my neck of the woods.

It's finally here ...

2008-08-28T19:57:00.003-04:00

COLLEGE FREAKING FOOTBALL 2008

HAS OFFICIALLY KICKED-OFF!

I'm sitting here, big as a whale, watching the Gamecocks run from their tunnel. Do you now how freaking nice it is to have ESPN College Football on? I love me some Steve Spurrier ... GO GAMECOCKS. Of course, whenever the Wolfpack plays, I can't help but have fond memories of my days/nights at the good ol' Greenville News, listening to "Hunter Man" (outdoors writer Scott Keepfer) go on and on about the Wolfies. If he and "Rudy Scribe" are working tonight, I bet the good-natured jabs are funny ... (someone que up "Memories" ...)

Welp, gotta go. The Cocks are getting ready to kick off at Williams-Brice Stadium. GO COCKS! GO S.E.C.!!!!!

Temple of Obama

2008-08-28T16:38:00.004-04:00

It's going to be like the half-time show of the Super Bowl ... but without the football or funny commercials. Obama is giving his acceptance speech tonight not at the Democratic Convention, but at the Denver Bronco's homefield, Invesco Field on a stage designed by a, get this, a man who designs sets for Britney Spears and "other rock stars." (I thought he wasn't a celeb like Brit Brit or Paris! LOL ...)

It seems that the Dems are going to Rock the Casbah ... oops, I meant the Barackopolis tonight. Big donors in million-dollar luxury club boxes (so much for Barak's statement that he wanted big business / big donors out of the elections ...) will be rolling with the Obamanator.

I won't be watching is verbal vomit tonight as there will be some quality football games on TV. Give me Steve Spurrier any day of the week over the likes of Obama.

Anyway, from Newmax (as always, ephasis is mine!)

======================

McCain Camp Mocks ‘Temple of Obama’

By: Rick Pedraza

Thursday, August 28, 2008 12:51 PM

Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign has released a memo mocking Democrat rival Barack Obama’s decision to decorate the stage he will give his acceptance speech tonight on as the “Temple of Obama.”

The memo, titled "Proper Attire for the Temple of Obama (The Barackopolis)," pokes fun at the neoclassical style Britney Spears’ set supervisor Bobby Allen designed for the elaborate stage at 80,000-seat Invesco Field, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos.

"It's only appropriate that Barack Obama would descend down from the heavens and spend a little time with us mere mortals when accepting the Democratic nomination," Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz tells the New York Post.

"We'll put it in play against him," added Brian Rogers, a spokesman for McCain.

The McCain camp already is planning a series of ads that will bring the point home that Obama is a narcissistic celebrity candidate. It has even gone so far as to suggested the junior senator from Illinois’ delegates should wear togas to fit in with the curved, columned backdrop and other Greek-styled set pieces designed to evoke images of Apollo, Zeus and Athena.

For their part, several Democrats point out that in 2004, George Bush accepted the GOP nomination for president on an even more elaborate stage.

“We're trying to do something new," said a senior Obama campaign aide, noting that Obama is taking a page from the campaign book of John Kennedy, who in 1960 delivered his acceptance speech to 80,000 people in the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Allen, the stage supervisor for Spears and several other rock stars, tells The Post he designed the set more to evoke images of the White House and the Lincoln Memorial, not the Acropolis.

"We've done Britney's sets and a whole bunch of rock shows,” Allen said, “but this was far more elaborate and complicated and we had to do it in far less time."

Once Obama speaks, confetti will rain down on him and fireworks will be fired off from locations around the stadium wall, according to an Associated Press report.

"We would have expected to read something like this in The Onion,” a McCain adviser mockingly told The Post. “Fortunately for us, it's true. Unfortunately for Obama, it's true."

Frustrating day ...

2008-08-27T22:46:00.007-04:00

This post would go great with a nice Chianti!

(LOL ... I couldn't resist!)

Anway, we are still here with no promise of a trip to the labor and delivery ward of the hospital any time soon. I am so effing frustrated. We went through the same B.S. with Bella. Bad cervix gets me slapped on bed rest ... only for child to be delivered at 38 weeks.

When I was in the office with Bella at 37 weeks, my OB asked if I'd ever had cervical surgery. Long story short, I had a L.E.E.P. in 2001 that left a ring of scar tissue in the cervical os. While the cervix effaced, it could only dilate to a certain point thanks to said scar tissue ring. The OB felt it during the exam and broke it. Within a week, I was holding Bella in my arms.

Well, at today's appointment, after my OB told me that my cervix hadn't changed at all, I asked him if there was a chance that the scar tissue ring had reformed in the os. He felt again and was like, "yeah .. it's hanging on by a thread." I was like, "Can you break it?!?" and he effing refused ... he even chuckled at my husband and told us to go home and have sex.

W.T.F.?!?!?!

We're 36 weeks along, we've had celestone shots, and have been on alert since freaking July 24th! I am huge, uncomfortable, and ready for the pregnancy to be over. I want the door flung open and the eviction notice rendered. If I could reach the os, I'd break the ring myself. I'm tired, depressed, and ready to just go into labor already. And his answer is to go home and have sex? Have sex. Honestly! I'm the size of a house ... I've never felt LESS like having sex in my life. How on earth are we supposed to manage that anyway with me being 168 pounds and round as a beach ball? We can't concentrate on sex anyway because I'm body conscious and Anna is always bouncing around when I lay down. I think the hubby is turned off by the thought of possibly poking her in the head. (I know that he won't, but you know how men are ...)

I think that I am the only person around that gets prepartum instead of postpartum depression.
I'm ready to do the Nature Nazi thing and buy some black cohosh and some Castor Oil!

At least my yard looks freaking immaculate, the house is tidy, and the play room is 99% organized.

I am also getting to watch some old favorite DVDs being here alone during the day. I watched "Queen of the Damned" while posting and putting away laundry this morning. Now, I'm lying here watching "Hannibal." (I know it's sick, but the way Anthony Hopkins portrays Hannibal Lector makes the character sexy as hell!) I can't remember the last time I got to watch a movie that was free of animated characters and such. Don't get me wrong, I love Disney, but it really is nice to watch movies that aren't chock-full of sticky sweetness and value-teaching.

Oh well ... I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow. I am trying to keep myself busy so that I'm not sulking about the size of my belly and the thumping within. I also want to have my "chores" done by tomorrow evening as there are some quality football games on. The Cocks take on the Wolfies of N.C. State and the Philadelphia Eagles play their final preseaon game, hosting the N.Y. Jets. Perhaps we'll grill some steaks and watch some football. I've been hankering for a big ol' salad, chock-full of tomatos, cucumbers, celery, and croutons, along with some hot, medium-rare steak tips, all smothered in thick Bleu Cheese dressing. Mmmmm .....

Have a great evening.

Thursday's To-Do List:
* Mop bathrooms and kitchen
* Finish the backyard
* Finish the "rock" garden
* Vaccum house
* Work on family website
* Work on school blog
* Work on Bella's party planning
* Clean car
* Dust ceiling fans
* Make bows for mail box (one Gator, one pink)

Before and Ater picks of the play room today ... Go me!:

--->

Home Alone Day Two

2008-08-27T10:59:00.007-04:00

Wow ... this is going to take some getting used to. :( I'm still freaking pregnant (grrr...) and my little princess is having a ball at her Fine Arts school. Even the cats are doing their own thing. I've already gotten quite a bit done today. I got Bella up and off to school. She was excited because I found an old bird's nest and bagged it for her to take to school to add to the "Nature Table." (I found it when I was trimming the hedges yesterday). She was also excited about her lunch. She watched this morning as I cut a fresh cantaloupe and packed some for her, along with some white meat chicken nuggets, BBQ sauce for dipping, a bottle of mineral water, a Kool-Aid-to-Go pack, and two sticks of string cheese -- one to eat and one to share.

I had mowed the front yard and put the yard debris by the road just before dark yesterday, so when I got home, I mowed both sides. I still need to do the back yard, but it's too hot outside now to do that. The back doesn't really need it, but I figure that I might as well do it, too so that the entire lawn is uniform, ya know? The yard people picked up the lawn debris a little while ago, so my front yard looks wonderful. I need to finish my "rock garden" this afternoon, though.

I actually have a lot to do today, so you'd think that I'd be taking care of that list instead of pouting about the kiddo being away.

Today's To-Do List: (Items already done are in orange)

* Pack Bella's lunch

* Take Bella to school

* Make beds

* Finish mowing lawn

* Take leaf blower and clean walkway and driveway

* Call dentist to make an appointment

* Mop kitchen and bathrooms

* Get a shower

* Pick Bella up from school

* Return books to the library

* Go to weekly OB appointment

* Hit the park

* Clean playroom (it is a DISASTER area!)

* Do laundry

*Fix dinner

* Clean kitchen

Work on "Household" book (with chore charts, calendar, budget info, etc.)

Vaccum all carpets

Sigh...

On a cute note, the cats have found a new perch, LOL ... I moved Andy's "clip shelf" (where he keeps pages on which his stories have run) by the closet in a corner. It seems that my big, old 18-pound cat loves the top shelf! Too cute. I am sure that those newspapers will be all over the floor in a few hours. Andy was right ... I should have left the unit in that side closet... I just thought that this would be more convenient. Back to the drawing board.
Anyway, I'm going to go. I still have some things to do before I go pick the kid up from school. I just wanted to check in and let everyone know that the baby is still hanging in there ... and so are we!

Love, Hugs, and Go Gators!

Singing the Blues Today ...

2008-08-26T10:20:00.006-04:00

I'm having a "sad day" as Bella would say. It's really strange, too. I've got the house to myself. The sun is out and the day is gorgeous already -- a big change considering the amount of rain we've had over the last two weeks. I am watching a grown up DVD during the day for the first time in ages. (I'm watching "Exorcist: The Beginning")

So why the depression? It's two-fold.

1. We're still pregnant. After being told on July 24th that "YOU COULD GO INTO LABOR THIS WEEKEND!!!!" and rushing to finish the final details, I am ready to be done. I've had the Celestone shots. I have been on bed rest. I have had my "bloody show." I've had cervical pain. Where the heck are the contractions? I'm the only person that I know that loves the postpartum period ... but has prepartum depression. Weird. Perhaps a part of it is the inability to move about as I'd like. I have gained 40 pounds with this pregnancy. The weight along with the water retention makes it hard to get around... especially in this humid, Southern heat. I feel like a cow. A big ol' cow.

2. Bella officially began school this week. We went with her yesterday, but today she went -- excitedly -- by herself. So, I am here in this empty house. I am so used to our daily routine, to having her here and doing things with her. The silence is deafening, it's thick and depressing.

I know that I should be relaxing, enjoying my final days without having to take care of a child, but I can't. I am so going to be one of those over-protective mothers ... then again, they don't call me GATOR MOMMY for nothing. LOL ... (Try messing with a momma gator's nest or her babies!)

Mentioning Gators, football season kicks off this week! There are two great S.E.C. showdowns coming up -- Spurrier and the Gamecocks face off against the Wolfies from N.C. State on Thursday night (GO COCKS!!) and Ol' Bama will take on the kitties from Clemson (ROLL TIDE!) on Saturday. My Gators play host to Hawaii on Saturday as well. We had hotel reservations and such for that game, but, alas, I won't be able to go. I would if it were at all possible... but the idea of a four-hour drive does not sound fun at all. I have to pee every 15 minutes and I can't stay in one position comfortably for too long. But, damn ... if you give birth in the stadium during a game, that's gotta be good for free tickets to another game, right?

And, honestly, who needs an epidural when you've got the sounds of the crowd shouting "Orange! Blue!", the band playing the "Jaws" theme, the sounds of touchdowns and celebrations all around? Anna could be born to the chant of "It's GREAT to BE a FLORIDA GATOR!"

LOL ...

Seriously, though. I'm really ready for Autumn this year. The cool temps, the smells of Fall, the sounds of football and the festivities that come with it, etc. I can't wait to take Anna to the Upstate to celebrate my Dad's birthday and to go apple picking. I can't wait for our Halloween triple play -- Zoo, Aquarium, and neighborhood (all on consecutive nights). I can't wait to watch football, to have a crackling fire going in the fireplace, to start Christmas shopping, to celebrate mine and Andy's birthdays, etc.

I adore Summer in the South, but October is my favorite month of the year -- the sights, smells, and ambience that is the true beginning of Fall here. Pumpkins and apples, turkey and dressing, birthday cakes and shopping. It's not yet too cold to require heavy clothing -- a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt is comfortable -- but it's nippy enough to tingle the nose when you go outside.

Oh well ... It's 11 a.m. and I have some errands to run before I go to pick the kiddo up from school in a couple of hours. YAY!! In ending, I hope that you have a wonderful day ... and enjoy these dog days of summer as best you can.

God Bless and Go Gators!

Come on, Catholics! Listen to the Holy Father ... and vote your faith!

2008-08-25T22:56:00.006-04:00

While the Vatican does not endorse political candidates, it IS clear about what is a mortal sin for followers of the faith. A true Catholic CANNOT vote for pro-abortion candidates. In doing so, you are showing support for an act the the church sees as extremely vile ... and supporting such brings automatic excommunication.

Catholics, not minorities, will be the deciding group come this November.

From
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/biden_pro_obortion/2008/08/25/124665.html?s=al&promo_code=6878-1

=====================

Biden Pro-abortion Stance

Will Cost Obama Election

Monday, August 25, 2008 11:48 AM
By: George J. Marlin

The Obama campaign knows it is in trouble in the key swing states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Public opinion polls show that many practicing Catholics who voted for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries as the lesser of two evils are now leaning toward the pro-life, pro-gun John McCain.

To blunt this voting trend, Sen. Obama has chosen as his vice presidential running mate, a baptized Catholic from blue-collar Scranton, Pa. – Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.

The instant media analysis that Biden will help Obama in the heavily Catholic populated rust-belt states, however, may be wishful thinking because of Biden’s pro-abortion stance.

It appears the Democrats never learn. Four years ago pro-abortion Catholic John Kerry received fewer Catholic votes than the 2000 Democratic candidate, Protestant Al Gore.

In 2004, practicing Catholics were the decisive factor in numerous swing states. In Ohio, for instance, 65 percent of them voted for Bush, and in Florida the president’s support from practicing Catholics reached 66 percent. Working-class Catholics, many of whom were of Eastern European origins, stuck with the president, because they agreed with him on cultural and moral issues.

These issues were more important to them then their economic woes.

Even in Kerry’s home state of Massachusetts, one of America’s bluest states, there was a significant shift in the Catholic vote. In 2000, Catholics for Bush totaled 32 percent of the state’s electorate while in 2004 his total was 49 percent. In raw numbers this increase represented 166,000 additional Catholic votes for Bush in Massachusetts (622,000 versus 456,000 in 2000).

Former Boston Democratic mayor, Ray Flynn, who founded the organization Liberty, Life and Family to register and motivate Catholic voters, while visiting numerous parishes in his home state sensed a shift in the loyalties of old-line Catholic Democrats. “The [Democratic] party,” he said, “thinks that just because a guy’s an electrician or works for the gas company, he will be a traditional Democrat who will ignore culture issues, but that’s not true any longer.”

In the election of 2004, Catholics were part of a growing voting population who considered the moral and cultural issues the most important factor in their electoral decision-making process, 22 percent of the voting population in 2004. The power of this block explains in part the increased support for George Bush as well as the overwhelming opposition to same-sex marriages in eleven state referendums.

Here’s the 2008 Catholic challenge Biden faces: Earlier this year in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the Catholic bishops of the United States declared Catholics “have a serious lifelong obligation to form their conscience in accord with human reason and the teaching of the Church . . . by studying sacred scripture and the teaching of the Church as contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.” (The Catechism states: “Since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. The teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.”)

The bishops also advised: “As Catholics, we are not single-issue voters. Yet a candidate’s position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter, to disqualify a candidate for receiving support.”

It will be interesting to hear how the loquacious Biden reconciles his pro-abortion views with these Church teachings.

Biden is in a difficult position because if he resorts to using the Mario Cuomo defense, “I personally oppose abortion but can’t impose my views.” to wiggle out of his dilemma, he will come into direct conflict with Barack Obama, who rejects the position that moral principles are an imposition on the body politic.

As Obama said in a 2004 speech: “Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, William Jennings Bryan, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King — indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history — were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. To say that men and women should not inject their ‘personal morality’ into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.”

Obama is absolutely right. To argue that one can’t vote one’s conscience on issues is morally and intellectually incoherent — for both politicians and ordinary voters.

Regardless of how rehearsed, do not expect informed Catholics to fall for Biden’s double shuffle.

Elitist Barack Obama will learn this November that tossing a political sop to Catholic Reagan Democrats doesn’t guarantee they’ll shimmy back to the Democratic fold.

George J. Marlin is author of "The American Catholic Voter: Two Hundred Years of Political Impact" (St. Augustine’s Press).

Obama seeks to silence ad tying him to 60s radical

2008-08-25T22:23:00.008-04:00

Well how about that? First the Dems start harassing pro-lifers who donate to conservative causes and now Obama is trying to silence an ad alerting the nation about his ties to a crazy radical, William Ayers. Go figure. While McCain was spending time as a P.O.W. Ayers was planting bombs at the Pentagon, the Capitol, and the N.Y. City Police Headquarters.

Damn. The more Obama and his followers open their mouths, the more I detest the man.

Fox news accidentally ran the ad live on TV during a segment on Obama and Rezko. See video at the bottom of this post.

From: http://news.yahoo.com/story//ap/20080826/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_obama_ayers_ad As always, bold or red emphasis is mine.

==========================

Obama seeks to

silence ad tying

him to 60s radical

By Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press Writer 1 hr 40 mins ago

DENVER – Barack Obama is striking back fiercely and swiftly to stamp out an ad that links him to a 1960s radical, eager to demonstrate a far more aggressive response to attacks than John Kerry did when faced with the 2004 "Swift Boat" campaign.

Obama not only aired a response ad to the spot linking him to William Ayers, but he sought to block stations the commercial by warning station managers and asking the Justice Department to intervene. The campaign also planned to compel advertisers to pressure stations that continue to air the anti-Obama commercial.

It's the type of going-for-the-jugular approach to politics many Democrats complain that Kerry lacked and that Republicans exploit.

Obama's target is an ad by the conservative American Issues Project, a nonprofit group that questions Obama's ties to Ayers, a founder of the Weather Underground organization that took credit for a series of bombings, including nonfatal explosions at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol four decades ago.

The lone financier of the anti-Obama ad, Texas billionaire Harold Simmons, was also one of the main funders of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth who targeted Kerry. Simmons, a McCain fundraiser, contributed nearly $2.9 million to the American Issues Project, according to documents filed by the group with the Federal Election Commission.

Fox News and CNN have declined to air the anti-Obama ad. But by Monday afternoon, the ad had run about 150 times in local markets in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Michigan, according to Evan Tracey, head of TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group, an ad tracking firm.

Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said Obama supporters have inundated stations that are airing the ad, many of them owned by Sinclair Communications, with 93,000 e-mails. He called the ad false, despicable and outrageous.

"Other stations that follow Sinclair's lead should expect a similar response from people who don't want the political discourse cheapened with these false, negative attacks," Vietor said.

Sinclair offices were closed late Monday and officials there could not be immediately contacted.

"It seems they protest a bit too much," American Issues Project spokesman Christian Pinkston said. "They're going all of these routes — through threats, intimidation — to try to thwart the First Amendment here because they don't have an argument on merit."

Ayers is now a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He and Obama live in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood and served together on the board of the Woods Fund, a Chicago-based charity that develops community groups to help the poor. Obama left the board in December 2002.

Obama also was the first chairman of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, a school reform group of which Ayers was a founder. Ayers also held a meet-the-candidate event at his home for Obama when Obama first ran for office in the mid-1990s.

Obama has denounced Ayers' past activities.

"Barack Obama is friends with Ayers, defending him as, quote, 'Respectable' and 'Mainstream,'" the group's ad states. "Obama's political career was launched in Ayers' home. And the two served together on a left-wing board. Why would Barack Obama be friends with someone who bombed the Capitol and is proud of it? Do you know enough to elect Barack Obama?"

In a letter to station managers, Obama campaign lawyer Robert Bauer wrote: "Your station is committed to operating in the public interest, an objective that cannot be satisfied by accepting for compensation material of such malicious falsity."

Bauer also wrote to Deputy Assistant Attorney General John C. Keeney, noting that the ad is a "knowing and willful attempt to evade the strictures of federal election law."

The campaign's aggressive tactics could draw more attention to a subject the campaign wants to go away. On Tuesday, the University of Illinois at Chicago will make available records of Obama's service on the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. The group was set up to improve the city's schools. The documents could shed further light on whether Obama and Ayers had a relationship.

The American Issues Project is a 501(c)4 nonprofit corporation. It is permitted by law to air a political ad provided that the majority of its spending is nonpolitical. It cannot accept money from corporations and it must identify the donors that finance its ads in reports to the Federal Election Commission. Pinkston said the group has set aside money to carry out non-election related work to meet the legal requirements. It filed a report identifying Simmons as its sole donor for the ad last week.

In the Obama campaign's own response ad, an announcer states: "With all our problems, why is John McCain talking about the 60s, trying to link Barack Obama to radical Bill Ayers. McCain knows Obama denounced Ayers' crimes, committed when Obama was just 8 years old."

The McCain campaign cannot coordinate efforts with outside groups. But the campaign took advantage of being the target of the response ad.

"The fact that Barack Obama chose to launch his political career at the home of an unrepentant terrorist raises more questions about Senator Obama's judgment than any TV ad ever could," said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers.

It's that time of year again ...

2008-08-24T17:29:00.007-04:00

My husband accuses me of turning my child into a germophobe. She won't eat without washing her hands and gets the "heebie-jeebies" when she sees anything that looks remotely germy. Good for her. Good hygiene isn't a phobia, LOL ... I've really been talking to her lately about what school will bring. (She starts private school tomorrow!) We've talked about the things she'll do and learn, the friends she'll make, and routine to which she'll have to stick.

With her beginning school, she got her 4 to 6 year old shots last month. (Did you know that August is National Vaccination Awareness Month?) For the health of everyone, make sure that your child's (as well as your own!) vaccinations are up to date.

It's easy to think that diseases like polio and diptheria are gone, but they aren't. And the recent outbreaks of the measels, whooping cough, and such attest to the necessity of keeping our children vaccinated. (See a current vaccination chart HERE.)

But this isn't a post about keeping your child from catching polio at school. I will be posting the following on a site for my daughter's school and thought that I'd cross post it here, too.

First and foremost, I am NOT a doctor. You should ALWAYS consult your doctor before medicating yourself or your child.

The younger the child the more imperitive it is to seek professional counseling before giving anything to your kiddo. The return to school means that the weather will be cooling down and bugs will be running rampant.

Viruses, lice, and even pin worms bring parents into the pediatrician's office and the pharmacy in DROVES. While it's too warm outside right now to think about the flu, a stomach bug, or the like, it's important that we remind our children of the following:

Wash those hands as often as possible, using warm water and soap. I taught my daughter early on to scrub her hands while singing the "A,B,C" song. (Perhaps that's how she learned her A,B,C's so early.) And while it might not be exactly green, we always use paper towels to dry our hands
If you're in a public area, never touch door handles (esp. when leaving a restroom) with your bare hands. Use a tissue or the hem of your sleeve/shirt.
Don't sneeze or cough without using a tissue or the crook of your elbow
Don't touch your face at all unless you've just watched your hands
Never, ever share personal items.
Treat your hats, hairbows, and jackets like your would your underwear -- DO NOT SHARE!
Treat your hairbrush like you would your toothbrush -- DO NOT SHARE!

Viruses that cause the common cold, the flu, gastroenteritis, etc. thrive in warm, moist areas. It's paramount that children learn early NOT to touch their face at all without clean hands. Better to spend 3 minutes washing your hands then 24 to 48 hours vomiting. Even if someone looks well, it doesn't mean they are.

Lice is spread through contact with infested blankets, pillows, garments, hairbrushes, etc. Teach children not to share any of these and to try to keep from putting their heads against other kids. My daughter has long hair, so I make sure to braid it to keep it tight to her head and neck. There are both Rx and OTC remedies for these little buggers. There are couple of new OTC products coming on the market soon, too. They are LARx and LiceMD. The LiceMD site has some great videos on the topic as well as money-saving coupons.

Pin worms are nasty and contagious. If an infected child scratches his rear then touches a toy, the possibility of passing the worms on is high. Another reason to encourage frequent handwashing.

While we want to PREVENT infections, it's also good to stock your medicine chests in advance. Even the best defense lets something through now and then. But, again, remember to always talk to your pediatrician before home medicating, especially in children under 6. And never, EVER give children under the age of 2 ANY OTC medications before talking to your pediatrician and getting precise instructions. Children that age aren't always dosed on weight and some drugs, even in a seemingly "appropriate" amount can have fatal results.

Mentioning weight, it's a good idea to weigh your child (and yourself, too!) often. Keep that weight in both pounds and kilograms in a safe place. To determine your weight in Kg, take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2. (In other words, 1 Kilogram = 2.2 pounds.) This will come in handy if you have to call your pediatrician at 2 in the morning and he/she is calculating how much of a medication to give to your kiddo. Medications for adults and older children are commonly dosed on a Kg to mg scale. Leave the calculating of medications up to your doctor or pharmacist though, just to be safe!

In my house, we have the following in a special area on the side of the fridge:

An up-to-date chart with each family member's name, age, weight, and allergies
Phone numbers to our family doctor/pediatrician, local hospital, and poison control
Phone numbers to all of the 24-hour pharmacies around our home
A list of common measurement conversions. While I know these, my husband does not. It's nice to have it if he ever needs it. (See conversion chart at the bottom.)

We have a four-drawer plastic container in one of our kitchen cabinets. There is a drawer for adults, for Bella, and for baby Anna. We check the expiration dates often and clean out as needed. The following are staples in our house:

Ibuprofen for adults and for children (Motrin, Advil). Never give babies younger than six months ibuprofen! And don't take it if you're pregnant.
Acetaminophen for adults, for children, and for infants (Tylenol)
Delsym
PediaLyte
Tyelnol Cold & Flu for adults and for children
Benadryl
Cough drops
Sore throat spray
TUMS for adults and for children
Zofran tablets and liquid (Rx only, ask for one in advance and place it on "hold" at your pharmacy)
Phenergan tablets, liquid, and suppositories (Rx only, ask for one in advance and place it on "hold" at your pharmacy)
Thermometers (oral and rectal) with probe covers
Single-use "ice" packs
Gold Bond Cream
Bandaids with antibiotic ointment already on the pad
Alcohol wipes
Gauze
A small notebook and pen to record important data during an illness -- symptoms, temps, when we called the doctor, their advice, when and how much medication was given, etc. Because really, who remembers all of that? And if we have to go to the E.R., we have the information handy.

I also stock up on tissues whenever they're on sale. I love the Kleenex antiviral and the Puffs with Vicks Vapor Rub. And don't forget the Lysol!

It's also a good idea to stock up on dosage spoons / syringes. Never use a regular old kitchen spoon to dose medications! Most pharmacies have calibrated spoons (a plastic spoon with a hollow handle that will hold up to two teaspoonsful of a liquid medication) and/or dosage syringes with a special cap that will fit into the opening of medication bottles so that liquid medications can be dosed in a clean and efficitent manner. I know for a fact that Walgreens has both. Just ask for them at the pharmacy counter. The techs should give them to you free of charge if you are purchasing a mediction (Rx or OTC). I ask for them every time I make a purchase so that I keep a healthy supply of them at home.

We try not to treat diarrhea with anything other than oral hydration, so we don't keep things like Pepto-Bismol in the house. However, we do keep a stock of those Kleenex wet wipes. Those things are a God-send when you have a child with an upset tummy. (Or a husband for that matter!) If you have an old diaper wipes warmer, it's even better. Put the warmer in the bathroom and keep those flushable wet wipes in it. Sounds dumb ... until you or someone you know is spending a lot of time in the potty due to a bout of diarrhea!

Of course, always call your pediatrician before medicating your child for any reason. Better to be safe than sorry. On-call doctors (after hours) expect to be called at 2 in the morning. Heck, that's what they get paid for! Don't forget your pharmacist. Not only are they experts on medication, they are generally more than willing to help you.

Finally, in case of a poisoning, never EVER give Syrup of Ipecac without talking to poison control or your doctor. Induced vomiting can have dire effects in some instances. I don't even keep it in my house. If we encounter a poisoning, we will be in the E.R. long before we would need to give that stuff. If you DO induce vomiting, though, have the child do it in a bowl and bag the contents for emergency personel. It's also important to keep all chemicals in their original container. In the event of an accidental poisoning, you'll know exactly what was ingested (the chemical and its concentration).

You can still get those green "Mr. Yuck!" stickers. They are a great way to teach children what is NOT meant to be ingested. They also have the number for Poison Control on them! That number, which we should all keep handy, is 1-800-222-1222.

To request a free sheet of Mr. Yuk stickers, send a self-addressed stamped business size envelope to: Mr. Yuk, Pittsburgh Poison Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 3705 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2583

Hoping you have a safe and healthy school year!

Pam

COMMON CONVERSIONS:

1 teaspoonful = 5 mililiters (ml)
1.5 teaspoonsful = 7.5 ml
2 teaspoonsul = 10 ml
1 Tablespoon = 15 ml (or 3 teaspoonsful)
1 Fluid Ounce = 30 ml (which equals 2 Tablespoonsful or 6 teaspoonsful)

Yet another response to a Nature Nazi

2008-08-24T15:21:00.006-04:00

It seems that I've hit a nerve with a Nature Nazi. She's a double whammy since she's not only a doula but a massage therapist. (I have a friend who refers to chiropractors and massage therapists as "The Hippies of Health Care"... but that's another thread entirely!) I have nothing against massage therapists. I love my excursions to the local day spa. My tired aching muscles are one thing, but my actual health care is another. But at least massage therapists are licensed.

Anyway, this particular lady and I have been going back and forth on my Nature Nazi post of Friday, Aug. 22nd.

I wanted to touch on her ponderings.

I. AllDoulas.com

Jennifer mentions my "suspension" from the AllDoulas board. I whole-heartedly believe that my "GatorMommy" account was suspended due to my pointing out the fallacies of many of the doulas on that board. From doling out medical advice to lying to hospital staff. I thought all along that if I went on that board and agreed with their tactics that I would not confront such B.S. ... and I was right. I tested that theory and still have an "open" account there even though I am not a doula. It all has to do with stroking the doula ego.

II. D.O.N.A.

Jennifer says, "you don't seem to know there's an international organization called DONA International which has put together training criteria. Yes, it does mean something, because many people with many years of childbirthing experience has put that together. They're not, let's say, one person with a blog."

I admit that I laughed at this. DONA, or the Doula Organization of North America is but one of the organizations that "train" and "certify" doulas. Back in 2005 when I was thinking about taking doula training, I considered DONA, as well as CAPPA. After reading their propaganda and hearing stories about doulas in action I nixed that idea. The final nail in that coffin was running into one particular DONA doula on a Momma's board. I began to jokingly call her "Dr. Doula" because of the way she, a college drop out, would dole out advice like a MD.

On the DONA website, it states that: "DONA International has the highest certification standards for doulas worldwide. When a doula proudly adds the letters CD(DONA) or PCD(DONA) after her name, it shows the world she has met all the requirements of our rigorous certification program." So? It's still not standardized nor accredited! That certification means less than the guy's who changes your oil or the woman who cuts your hair. (For a list of accredited organizations, go to the National Organization for Competency Assurance's site.)

Let's look at the "training" required to become a doula through DONA, shall we? There are three steps to becoming a certified doula through DONA:

--> 1. Join DONA. A membership costs between $29.25 and $80, depending on which level of membership/length of membership you chose. (a complete price list can be seen HERE)

--> 2. Within four years, you have to do a workshop and take a prenatal class (only 28 hours for a birth doula or 27 hours for a postpartum doula). For the sake of clarity, I found a workshop on the list and contacted the person for information. I will post their reply when I get it just so we are all clear on what these DONA-approved workshops entail.

In the meantime, this is straight from the DONA site at http://www.dona.org/develop/find_a_workshop.php:

A Birth doula, must attend a 16 hour DONA approved birth doula workshop plus a childbirth education series (a prenatal class) of at least 12 hours. You may substitute a seven (7) hour DONA approved introduction to childbirth for doulas course in place of the childbirth education series. (more on birth doulas below)

A Postpartum doula, must attend a 27 hour DONA approved postpartum doula workshop.

--> 3. Purchase a certification packet from DONA, which can cost anywhere from $22.75 to $35, with the application fee being up to $60

But, back to birth doulas. To become an almightly DONA certified birth doula, you have to (in no particular order according to their site)

Attend a DONA approved Birth Doula Workshop of 16 or more hours in length. Certification must be completed within four (4) years of attending the birth doula workshop.

Read five books from the required reading list and the DONA International Birth Doula Position Paper.

Purchase a birth doula certification packet. Each packet expires within two (2) years of purchase.

Complete one of the following: A. Training in Childbirth Education or Midwifery (see list of approved Childbirth Education organizations); B. Work experience in Labor and Delivery as a Registered Nurse; C. Observation of a 12 hour Childbirth Preparation series (not as an expectant parent) or "Introduction to Childbearing" class offered in conjunction with an approved DONA birth doula workshop. (he childbirth education component for section "C" must be taught by an educator certified through an approved organization.)

Proof of completion of lactation consultant, breastfeeding peer counselor or community breastfeeding educator training.

Proof of completion of an online study program. Lactation Education Resources offers a basic, “Complete Self-Learning Program” that is affordably priced. Learn more. A second option is Breastfeeding Basics. Click here for directions for accessing and registering for the Breastfeeding Basics Online independent study program. You can find their web site here.
Proof of participation in a breastfeeding workshop offered to birth and postpartum related professionals, such as those offered at conferences and by local lactation consultants (three hour minimum).

Provide doula service to a minimum of three clients after taking the training course and buying the certification packet. The births documented must meet the following criteria: They occur after you attend a DONA International-approved workshop of 16 hours or more. Labor support must begin before or at the onset of the active phase of labor. For certification purposes, active labor will be considered 4 centimeters.

The three births combined must have the doula present for a minimum of 15 hours total. Your presence as the birth doula must be continuous. You must remain for the birth of the baby to provide immediate postpartum support. Every vaginal exam must be documented on the Birth Record Sheet’s Labor Progression Chart. Cesarean births may account for only one of the three required birth experiences.

Document each of the three births for which you provide labor support with: A. DONA International Birth Record Sheet (pdf); B. A 500-700 word account of each birth; C. Client Confidentiality Release Form (pdf)

Provide good Evaluations (pdf) of your doula services from at least three clients, three primary care providers and three nurses or midwives.

Read and sign the DONA International Code of Ethics and the DONA International Standards of Practice.

A type written essay on the value and purpose of labor support(500-1000 words).
Payment of certification processing fee.

Verify that you are a current member of DONA International. Join now.

Boy! That really compares to the years and years of intense college classes, clinicals, and internships REQUIRED to become a nurse or obstetrician. And cost-wise? Wow! For less than a fraction of the cost of medical school, one can become a birth EXPERT! (note sarcasm)

Buy a membership and a packet, attend a 16-hour workshop, attend a birth class (commonly taken by expectant parents), learn about breast feeding, read five books, and write some essays. Damn. Forget the years and years needed for my PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy), or the six-digit price tag! Where do I sign up? Oh yeah ... I have to buy a membership first. I suppose letting the hair grow out on my legs and armpits is optional.

III. The questioning of the woman's story about having Cytotec forced up her vagina by a L/D nurse:

I responded to this in my reply to Jennifer, but it should be noted that everyone has the LEGAL right to refuse treatment.

Even in an emergency situation, the hospital has to make every effort to obtain consent from either the patient, the parent, or the nearest of kin before doing anything. If the situation is critical and consent cannot be obtained before the person would expire, they can only do what they have to stabilize the patient until further consent CAN be obtained.

Since late 1991, FEDERAL LAW has required that hospitals ask if each adult patient has a living will so that if the patient cannot make decisions for him or herself, there is someone who legally can. If the patient does not have a living will, the hospital HAS to give information on making one. Furthermore, under Common Law, any medical treatment given to a patient against their will/consent is considered battery.

It seems that a good text on Health Care Law isn't a part of the doula reading list!

For those reason, I question the story. No, not did it happen, but HOW it happened. Did the woman really agree to the Cytotec treatment and then, after an adverse reaction, need to blame someone? If it happened the way she said, did she sue? If not, why? If it did happen 100% of the way she states, she should have no problem listing the name of the hosptial and the nurse that forced Cytotec up the the patient's vagina so that we all may be aware and know to steer clear of said hospital and nurse.

IV. Allowing/Not Allowing Doulas in a Hospital Room:

Well, each hospital has a RIGHT to determine who will or will not be allowed into any room or ward. Try telling a hospital that so-and-so WILL be allowed in the room for your cholecystectomy or for your MRI. Only in Labor and Delivery are the rules more lenient on non-hospital persons being in the room during all aspects of care. Doulas are banned by many hospitals/doctors in charge for one reason: their actions. Anyone who impedes care can, and should, be asked to leave, doula or not. It's illegal to impersonate a doctor, so I can't understand why many of these self-righteous doulas aren't arrested and charged for doling out medical advice.

If you don't like the policies of your OB/GYN or of your hospital, don't use them. Waiting until you're admitted to the hospital and in labor is NOT the time to take issue with the policies. Lying is NEVER the answer. Furthermore, no one has a *right* to do as they wish in a hospital. It's a hospital for crying out loud, not a hotel room! Acting like a toddler having a temper tantrum is not going to make a hospital or a doctor change their views or policies ... it's only going to make them dig their feet in the sand.

V. Drugs:

Jennifer stated: "Doulas are educated about the drugs mothers are given during birth--it was covered in my doula class, it's in several of the required reading texts."

Oh, really? LOL ... I am simply dying to see a list of the "required reading" concerning medication during antenatal care, labor/delivery, and postpartum recovery. I mean, really. There is not ONE pharmaceutical book on the DONA required reading list. ;)

A chapter on drug is not sufficient to claim "knowledge" on medications! How can you completely learn about the chemical make up of a medication, its pathophysiology, its mean(s) of affecting the body, its interactions with body systems/preexisting disease states, whether or not it crosses the blood brain barrier, etc. in a chapter or two of a book? You would need a good pharmacotherapy text at the very least to even beging to skim the surface of the topic!

VI. Finally, this question: "So why the big grudge about doulas, since you're so ignorant of what they really are?"
LOL ... It seems that I know more about doulas and their training than you do, Jennifer. Not only have I interacted with many doulas, I considered becoming one. Why are you so angry? (Most doulas seem to be, though.)

As I told one doula with whom I was corresponding via email:

"You state that you take pride in what you do. Good for you. And I do not mean that in a snide manner. I take pride in what I do, too. That pride should mean that you take issue with, and get angry at the women who do overstep their boundaries thus causing the stereotype of all doulas.

The old addage 'one bad apple spoils the bunch' is true. Why are you angry with those who point out the faults of the fundie movement within your occupations? Don't shoot the messenger -- shoot the persons responsible for the stereotype.

I have never been kicked out of a hospital for impeding emergency aid to a laboring mother. I have never adjusted a Pitocin drip. I have never used scare tactics to get someone to deliver their child according to my preferences. These are well-documented actions of doulas with an agenda. And that agenda has been appropriately named the Nature Nazi movement.

A nazi is defined as "a person who is fanatically dedicated to or seeks to control a specified activity, practice, etc." In the case of women who abhor medical interventions in pregnancy and will go to any lengths to keep women out of hospitals during their birth, this terms is perfect.

You can kick and scream at my opinions, but they do nothing to further the view of doulas. Instead of kicking in my back door, you should take care of those in your own yard that are causing the problems."

Obama Picks Long-Time Abortion Advocate Joe Biden as Running Mate

2008-08-23T20:19:00.003-04:00

Barack Obama Picks Long-Time Abortion Advocate Joe Biden as Running Mate

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 23, 2008

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Barack Obama, on Saturday, selected one of the Senate's most ardent abortion advocates as his vice-presidential running mate. In Joe Biden, Obama has someone whose abortion views mirror his own -- by supporting unlimited abortions and wanting judges who will keep all abortions legal 35 more years.

Obama has been under fire for weeks for his strongly pro-abortion views -- favoring taxpayer-funded abortions, opposing a partial-birth abortion ban, and opposing a bill in the Illinois legislature that would protect newborns who survive abortions. Choosing Biden as his running mate won't help him moderate those views that are clearly out of step with most Americans.

Biden is a fierce abortion proponent and someone who has made a reputation out of badgering Supreme Court nominees about abortion during confirmation hearings.

In fact, before he dropped out of the Democratic primary race Obama eventually won, Biden confirmed he would have a pro-abortion litmus test for his own possible judicial picks.

"I would not appoint anyone who did not understand that Section 5 of the 14th Amendment and the Liberty Clause of the 14th Amendment provided a right to privacy ... which means they would support Roe v. Wade," he said in a November debate.

During the South Carolina Democratic primary debate in April 2007, Biden clearly stated his pro-abortion views and talked about his votes against Supreme Court nominees pro-life groups supported.

"I strongly support Roe v. Wade," he said. "I wouldn't have a specific question but I would make sure that the people I sent to be nominated for the Supreme Court shared my values. That's why I led the fight to defeat Bork, Roberts, Alito, and Thomas."

Biden's pro-abortion track record in the Senate mirrors Obama's.

He received a pro-life voting record of 0 percent from the National Right to Life Committee for 2007-2008.

Before that, Biden compiled records of 0 percent, 16 percent, 0 percent, and 22 percent with the pro-life group in previous Congressional sessions. His support for a ban on partial-birth abortions represented one of the only times he voted with the pro-life side -- with Biden voting repeatedly to force taxpayers to fund abortions at home and abroad.

Taken from: http://www.lifenews.com/nat4186.html

Interesting ... Reflexology to Induce Labor

2008-08-23T19:16:00.003-04:00

I normally don't read/take seriously this kind of thing (as my recent posts show), but I thought it was a bit interesting. A friend, knowing my issues with still being pregnant sent this to me ... very interesting! (Plus, I'll use any excuse to get the hubby to rub my feet!)

from: http://www.maternityacupressure.com/acupressure-start-labor/reflexology-to-induce-labor.html

Reflexology to induce labor

If you need help getting your labor started, the answer may be in your feet. Reflexology has been shown to help induce labor and reduce pain during childbirth. In fact, more and more nurses are beginning to learn this specialized type of foot massage and are using it in delivery rooms around the world to ease their patients’ discomfort and reduce the length of labor.

While reflexology is best known as a specialized type of foot massage, it is performed on the hands as well. Reflexology is similar to acupressure because it applies pressure to specific points on the body, but reflexology doesn’t work with the body’s energy flow in the same way as acupressure. Reflexology is based on certain reflex areas on the feet and hands that directly affect the organs and muscles of the rest of the body.

Little is more relaxing than a foot massage, but reflexology is even more effective because it pinpoints the specific areas that will help move you toward a faster delivery date.

Try these points on yourself, and if a contraction begins, stop the pressure. When the contraction stops, apply pressure again. Of course, avoid all of these reflexology points until you are past your due date – at least your 41st week. You certainly don’t want to rush the baby before its time.

Inside Heel. Press this point just inside the heel of each foot. You can’t mistake it when you have found the right spot because it should be quite tender.
Arch of the Foot. This point will also be tender, and it is located in the arch of the foot just in front of your heel. At no time should the pain be very intense, however. Your pressure should be firm, but apply less pressure at first if it hurts too much. You will no doubt find that as the tension releases, you can begin to apply more pressure and release deeper tension. This point is also very effective for dealing with the pain of intense contractions while you’re in the delivery room. Be sure your partner knows this one!
Between the Big and Second Toes. This point is about one finger-width below the space between your big toe and your second toe. Again, when you have found the right spot, it will be tender.
Thumb Point. This point is probably the most effective one for inducing labor. It affects the pituitary gland, which releases oxytocin, the natural hormone in your body which is responsible for uterine contractions. Press firmly on the center of the thumb for at least three minutes. Then, switch to your other thumb.

Reflexology is also great during childbirth, and your partner will feel more helpful in the delivery room if he has learned these techniques. Applying pressure to any of these points will help to reduce your pain while keeping your contractions frequent and successful.If you use both reflexology and acupressure points to speed your labor after your due date has passed you by, you are almost guaranteed to reach the delivery room more quickly and definitely more naturally.

To get step-by-step instructions to induce labor naturally with acupressure, visit http://www.MaternityAcupressure.com