Great Speech

My thoughts on Obama's speech: WOW!
(I'd like to put a photo in here but blogspot was being uncooperative.)
He addressed every single issue perfectly. He had us all in the palm of his hand, ready to take up a hammer, a plowshare, or a pen and do the mighty work required to make America great again.
My favorite key points . . .

Quit calling into question the "patriotism" of everyone you disagree with.

Democrats have proven time and again they are perfectly capable of commanding an army and keeping citizens safe. I loved his reference to FDR and JFK.

His focus on common ground really touched a nerve with me.

He was able to lambaste the GOP without going negative or dirty.

America is better than this.

Well, I'm ready. How about you?

What the . . . . . ?

Was it just me, or did anyone else's jaw drop to the floor when the band followed Bill Clinton with "Addicted to Love"???

When I can't sleep, I find good jokes

I was up at all hours last night with unexplained insomnia. Well, not quite unexplained - you take a 46-year-old perimenopausal women, mix in a whole lot of stress, take away her money, then just sit back and watch her life go to hell in a handbasket.

Anyway, while up I found The Vicar Of Dibley playing on PBS. LOVE this show - if you've never seen it you're missing come great stuff.




At the end, Geraldine (the Vicar) always tells Alice (played to perfection by Emma Chambers) a joke. Alice never gets it, and becomes upset by the content. You have to see this - it's incredible.

On to last night's joke:
Santa Claus goes to the doctor and says "Doctor, I think there's a mince pie up my bum". The doctor has a good look and say "Yes Santa, I'm afraid you've got a mince pie up your bum. But don't worry, I have some cream for that."

Couldn't have said it better myself

"Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear."

Harry S. Truman
Special Message to the Congress on the Internal Security of the United States.
August 8, 1950

Read the entire message here.

Things you don't say to your wife

This is beautiful, brings a tear to the eye.

Do this now

Go here.
Go right now, right this minute, watch this video, before you do anything else today.

Disturbing the comfortable

I'm no prude, and I completely understand that men can't get enough T&A on a daily basis.

But does anyone else find bikini-clad cheerleaders at the Olympic beach volleyball games just a bit disturbing?? Venice Beach volleyball OK, but the Olympics?

And can't the women players wear more clothing? That last game in the rain just seemed like one long porno flick. All due respect to the athletes but running shorts and a tank top wouldn't hurt your image.

My Blogging Anniversary!

It's been almost exactly a year since I started blogging. I must say WOW! This blogging thing has been way more fun that I anticipated and it has brought the absolute best people into my life!

1. First we must hail the man who started it all - wonderful Michael G! He encouraged me to give blogging a try. I've know this man since childhood - he was (and still is) a good friend of my youngest sister. MG and I shared all the angst of college and the more present anxiety of middle-age in the middle-west. He's dear to my heart.

2. Through Michael, I was reintroduced to Melinda June. I say reintroduced because Melinda was also a High School friend of my youngest sister. And Marsha Brady didn't hang out with Cindy's little friends. Melinda has a fabulously independent outlook on life.

3. Through Melinda, I was on to Kirelimel, another Mom in Minnesota trying to maintain her wit while raising the next generation. She does it with flying colors.

4. Through reading Melinda's blog roll, I discovered some amazing folks. First up is Dr. Monkey. What can I say about Dr. Monkey? The perfect blend of humor, politics, food, and good old GOP bashing - ah we love the smell of sour Republicans in the morning! Dr. Monkey is fond of swag and proudly displays everything his fans send him. I swear this man is one blog away from having groupies. Also check out his sidecar blog Monkey Scan - an amazing eye for the best vintage ads and the perfect commentary. Sort of like a blogging snack.

5. Next up would be Some Guy's Blog. This man can be so fantastically funny in one short paragraph that I often have to find my inhaler. And where he finds his photos . . . . well, maybe some things are better left unknown.

6. Also through Melinda June I found Coaster Punchman. If you haven't seen any installments of the Mama Gin Files you are missing comedic genius at its finest. Plus he seems like a sweet man.

7. Yet another Melinda June find would be The (fill in the prefix)iest thing I saw today. Missy has the most interesting approach to blogging with her fill-in-the titles and fascinating doodles. I can't wait to see when the sharp-dressed man will show up in her life again. She's also a Minnesotan and understands the long cold winter of our discontent.

8. Can't remember how I discovered them, but next up are the Bubs' at the Sprawling Ramshackle Compound. His reasonable fear of urban alligators and affinity for a good cocktail make for interesting reading. He's taking a blog-cation right now, but check back in the future.

9. Kim at A Sunny Thought has been marvelous. She's raising a daughter while getting it done in style. Her significant other Mr. Yen also has some mighty things to say about parenthood and the occasional history lesson.

10. Through Michael G I discovered the wonderful Madame Leiderhosen. She lives and breathes yarn, which I don't, so it's been wild to watch someone else's obsession. She also has trouble sleeping, and when I'm up at odd hours I know another good soul is probably up too - except she lives 1500 miles away and I can't drive over for tea and spinning.

11. I swear my guardian angel led me to Sheletta. This woman is the single reason that plenty of her readers wet their pants on a regular basis. Funny doesn't even BEGIN to cover it. And once in awhile her husband chimes in and he's just as damn funny! We hit it off immediately and now she'll put me on her site as a guest blogger now and then. She claims she's crazy but this woman is incredible - she is a celebrity here in the Twin Cities!! Go to her site and learn about her TV show. She even has a line of Sheletta products!

12. About six months ago my sister Cheesecake Maven joined the fun! She mainly posts about food and cooking, with plenty of great photos to back up her claims. She's also quite funny and has lots of great thoughts on crazy Republicans and the frustrating world of parenting.

13. Through local connections I discovered the husband and wife team of Blowing and Drifting and Mama in Wonderland. They are in the early, and therefore sleepless, years of parenting. Plus they both have some great observations of life in general. We've had them and their adorable daughters over for coffee and they are even MORE fun in person!! Through these folks I linked to The Snarky Squab, who muses on politics, feminism, kids, and culture. Be sure to read her Squotient theories on personality - I think she's on to something big!

14. Another Minnesota blogger I'm much enjoying is Laurie at Three Dog Annex. Each entry is merely a great photographic snapshot of our local politics and culture. Like they say, each is worth a thousand words.

15. A more recent discovery is Kirby at I Make No Promises. Another crazy menopausal woman not to be dismissed!! We're a mighty force of nature you know.

16. Another recent find of a more spiritual nature has been the marvelous Fran I Am. She muses on religious difficulties, societal craziness, and love while maintaining her loving brand of faith. And through Fran, I've found Border Explorer who is out there, taking on the politically tough issues especially immigration and the recent travesty in Postville, Iowa.


WHEW!! This post has taken me about a week to write. Hope I haven't forgotten anyone. I love you all and am looking forward to getting to know some new folks:

DCup
Tshsmom
Falwless
VikkiTikiTavi
FossHouse
Beth

I'm not enjoying the teen years

This will be the first in many mini-installments. I'm blatantly seeking pity and support.

On the way home from dropping TeenTwin #2 downtown, I called TeenTwin #1 on her cell:

ME: "Hi hon, how about you and I go out for a driving lesson?" (Please know she's been begging for this.)

TeenTwin #1: "No, I'm really tired and besides I just don't like you."

Thoughts on the Mall of America

This past Saturday I took my twin teens and their friends to MOA - that's how we locals refer to the Mall of America. Here are some random thoughts . . . .

1. If you ever have a desire to travel to the Twins Cities to see the Mall of America, I'll save you the trouble. Go to your local mall at 1pm on Christmas Eve and walk by every single store 17 times. Now go to your local county fair and walk the midway another 17 times. There! You've just done the Mall of America.

Instead, travel to the Twin Cities and come to my house - I'll make lasagna.

2. Thoughts upon entering the QVC store: "What the Hell am I doing in here?!?!? I hate this crap!! What's the matter with me?!??!"

3. Thoughts upon entering the Barnes and Noble "OK, getting better"

4. Thoughts on finding an empty table at the back of the Starbucks in said Barnes and Noble with my library book in tow "This is the ONLY way to do the MOA".

5. This year, I gave the teens a set amount of cash for school shopping and told them there would be NO MORE CLOTHING MONEY until deep winter and to fly away to those horrible teen stores with their loud music and leave Mommy in peace. Worked beautifully.

6. I saw many, many struggling toddlers having fits in strollers. Usually I sympathize with these parents, but who in their right mind would take a toddler to the MOA? Those parents should just stay home and hit each other in the foreheads with a hammer and leave the poor baby out of it. Honestly, get a sitter!!

7. Twins and I had a lovely lunch together while they showed me their quite sensible clothing choices. Heaven comes in very small packages sometimes.

What a Pig!!

What's with the spitting?

Ok you men - what's with the public spitting? This antisocial practice is really starting to chap my hide. The grossest thing I can imagine is walking on sidewalks and streets covered with male sputum. Didn't your mothers teach you this is a disgusting habit? You don't see women doing this so I personally know the human body can function without the public display of saliva. What's so god-awful in your mouth that you must immediately dislodge it in front of spectators, and not quietly I might add? Stop it already.

Julia Child is Da Bomb!!

Turns out my favorite chef Julia Child was indeed a spy for the OSS during WWII!

I've always admired and enjoyed Julia Child. What a fantastic woman!! During her life, she always claimed that she was merely a secretary for the OSS during WWII. But didn't you just know with all that intelligence and character she had to be MORE??!!

And now our National Archives has released a long list of names of military and civilian operatives. "Other notables identified in the files include John Hemingway, son of author Ernest Hemingway; Quentin and Kermit Roosevelt, sons of President Theodore Roosevelt, and Miles Copeland, father of Stewart Copeland, drummer for the band The Police."

We'll never know her full story - she took that to the grave. Now my respect for her has grown 1000%. Wow, just plain wow.

Hating on John Edwards

Remember how I said I was behind John Edwards? Well not so much anymore. Seems this creep can't keep it in his pants while his wife battles breast cancer. What part of his wedding vows did he misunderstand? Usually I really don't care what politicians do in their private lives, but I really looked up to this guy and he spat all over my good regard.

Granted, his wife has known about the long-gone affair since 2006, has moved on, and is not wishing to hash it out in public. That is one classy woman. But my respect for HIM is now in the crapper.

Had a long talk with my brother about men and infidelity. He thinks some men do this merely because they can. What do you all think? Can any man or woman with that kind of celebrity, charisma, and large numbers of willing partners avoid being unfaithful?

I'd like to think morals can withstand the pressure.

Still here, still fat

I'm still around folks, just had a long busy weekend. Posts coming soon.

New Feature!

In my quest for better health, I'm now going to post my food intake and exercise in the right margins of my blog. It might help me to start being totally accountable for my actions. I realize this is so self-centered and boring, so feel free to ignore it. But if you'd like to "weigh in" with your opinion, chastisement, support, suggestions, etc. go right ahead.

Evidently even my LIVER is fat!!

Long story, but I had an abdominal ultrasound today to make sure I don't have ovarian cancer. Wow, that was quite a sentence! I'll give the results when I have them.

One discovery - my liver is fat. Apparently having breast cancer wasn't enough to scare the fat-gal habits out of me so my body is shooting up another flare. Now I must get absolutely serious about losing weight, exercising, and eating healthy.

Now yes I'm a good cook, love vegetables, and truly enjoy a good long walk. But I'm basically lazy about those things. I'm so busy and active in other areas of life but OY the thought of washing and chopping veggies every day.

And I must really say goodbye to the Satanic Big Macs. I only have about one per month, but they are officially history. As our dear Dr. Monkey says "that stuff will kill you". I'm thinking heavily on the documentary Supersize Me wherein the hero nearly ruins his liver with a McDonald's diet.

So time to strap on the walking shoes and dress that salad. Any and all suggestions and encouragement are welcome.

Nothing Interesting to Post

I had these great images to post tonight, but blog spot is having "issues". I swear, blog spot has more personal problems than I do. Is there Xanax for websites? Perhaps it just needs to be taken out for a nice dinner and a tall cold one. I know that does ME a world of good.

One Year Ago

One year ago today, 13 people lost their lives and multiple others suffered severe injuries when the 1-35 bridge in downtown Minneapolis collapsed. Every citizen for miles around has been on that bridge too many times to count. My own husband was on it that very afternoon, just a few hours before the tragedy.

In my opinion, this is what our taxes are for: to provide safe and solid infrastructure, enough police and firefighters, good schools, snow plows, inspected food, clean energy, etc.

A rising tide lifts all boats, and we won't have a functioning society without taxes. My dream: that our leaders actually lead and make damn good use of our tax money. That I don't have to worry that the ground underneath my feet will sink away because we've become too greedy to share.