New Year's Eve and the Decade

I'm not so sure I like this title, but I'll go with it for now. Happy New Year everyone!

Everyone and his brother is looking back on the past year and the past 10 years, so I will throw in my version of this decade. Here goes . . .

2000 - Y2K, yes, we survived the "end of the world as we know it" scenario that was bandied about all the previous year. Glad that ended peacefully. Somewhere in this time frame (my memory is a little fuzzy here, so forgive me), didn't the Rams win the Superbowl? Didn't Big Mac smash Musial's batting record too? I may be off by a year or so, but I remember thinking, "What a way to start off a new century!" My little girl was in preschool and my little boy was in 2nd grade and had a horrible crush on his pretty teacher. I remember he wanted to change his name to "Chuck." I found out that was the name of the pretty teacher's boyfriend. I had just been promoted to technical writer at Enterprise Rent-a-Car and was making a pretty good salary. Things with Big Jack were difficult but we were getting by and finally getting bills under control.

2001 - 9/11 changed everything and the world will never, ever be the same again. My young son saw a plane in the air one morning and asked me if that was one of our planes or an enemy plane. A 3rd grade boy shouldn't have to worry about such things. Ever since, I had nightmares about a plane crashing into the school where my children were. We live only a few miles from Lambert Airport - it could happen.

2002 - I got laid off from Enterprise Rent-a-Car due to reorganization. It came as no surprise, I had long felt that the technical writing department had outlived its purpose. I miss a few people I worked with there, but not a lot. Enterprise gave me the leg up to start my education and begin a career I had been talking about for a long time. A few months after Enterprise, I began a retail job at Michaels. I thought I would only do it for a few months until something better came along. Little did I know I would be the event coordinator for Michaels for three years. I came out of the job stronger than when I went in - I learned how to manage projects and run my own department. That was something I never believed I could do before. The pay was deplorable, but the experience was valuable.

2004 - I began the year by enrolling at Webster University to begin my bachelor's degree in advertising/marketing communications. The kids thought it was really cool that Mom was in college. My young daughter asked me after I came home from my first night in class, "Mommy, did you make any new friends in school?" It would be a long time before I actually made any friends at Webster, but now I can say, yes, I believe I made some friends. My young son was in middle school and found the transition from elementary school to middle school was too difficult. He had to be placed in a special classroom for students with learning issues. My husband's mental and physical health continued to deteriorate.

2005 - Around this time (exact year is irrelevant), we found that Big Jack's father had Alzheimer's. My mother fell down her basement steps and broke her neck. After much physical therapy, she was able to come home but we soon moved her out of her house and into an independent senior living apartment complex. Her downward spiral had only just begun. I quit Michaels to take care of her.

2006 - My son was in high school and my daughter was in middle school. Jack's time in high school would always be a struggle. Sami started out with a bang - honor roll and student government and then the downward spiral began in 2008.

2009 - This year had bad year written all over it. Big Jack lost two uncles early in the year and it wasn't long before his father's physical health would rapidly deteriorate and Jim would pass away just before Thanksgiving. Big Jack had a mental and physical breakdown over the summer that eventually lead to a complete overhaul of all his medications. He is doing much better now - he's in counseling and has lost 100 pounds so far. Things are slowly looking better for him. Sami had an emotional meltdown that landed her in Edgewood. Counseling hasn't been much help, but involvement with a different Girl Scout troop, her high school color guard team, and some horseback riding seem to be helping her adjust to her new surroundings. She began high school this year and it's been a tough transition.

Jack finally graduated from high school - a little late. He is having trouble making the transition to "adult" life where he makes his own decisions. The sour economy hasn't helped his outlook, nor mine since it looks like I will be graduating in the spring of next year. Unemployment is the worst its been since the 80's and I remember those awful days. A bright spot in all of this gloom - the country elected its first black president, Barack Obama. It's too soon to tell if he's an effective leader.

I finished two internships - one at Veteran's Administration and another at Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis. Both internships were great experiences and I hope they will lead to jobs soon. Thanks to the wonderful social networking web site, Facebook, I am getting to know my husband's family members in Alabama that I would never had gotten to know otherwise. I had originally scoffed at such silliness as Facebook and MySpace, but now I'm an avid user of FB. MySpace is too young for me and Twitter is just plain annoying. Also, I am finishing the year with a completed collection of family recipes that have been received with great enthusiasm.

My outlook for 2010 has been it can't get much worse. Actually, it could but I don't really want to go there. Every year I try to think positive about the upcoming new year. So I'll continue to do just that. God Bless everyone in the coming year! Happy New Year!

Christmas 2009

We got through our first Christmas without Jack's dad, Jim. It was tough but we made it. There was no large family gathering like usual - it was just too soon. Mom didn't even want to put up a tree or send out Christmas cards. Most family members didn't send out cards this year. We tried to keep up with some traditions - sending cards, big meal and some decorations, but it was still not quite the same. We had several family movie nights. Seemed to help.

I threw myself into the final preparations of the family cookbook and got it printed out for an amazing price. The cookbook was received well and now I'm getting requests to print more copies. Pretty cool feeling.

I baked up a storm as well - I haven't baked this many cookies in years - chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin apple, chocolate crinkles, sugar cookies shaped as candy canes, and gingerbread men complete with cinnamon red hot belly buttons. I didn't bake quick breads this year - just wasn't really motivated.

Sami decorated the house for Christmas, but she kept it subdued. She did a great job as usual. Today she is taking down the decorations. Seems a little early to me, but if she wants to do it, I'll let her. I think she just wants to keep moving forward.

I want to believe the worst is over, but we still need to get through Jim and Irene's wedding anniversary in February, and Jim's birthday and Father's Day both in June. I know we will make it, but some days are harder than others. It helps to know we have the support of our friends and other family members. Sami's scout leader checked in on us Christmas evening and a fellow parishioner stopped by this morning (during a snow storm) to give us Communion.

I'm proud to say we got through this first Christmas. We will get through the next one and the next one after that and each one will get a little easier - or not. But with faith in God, we will get through it.

James M. Alexander, Sr. (1921 - 2009)

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather

This morning my father-in-law passed away quietly in his home of over 60 years with his wife and his children at his side. He had been in failing health for a long time, so the slow journey has come to an end and Jim is in a better place.

Jim was adored by his six children - especially by my husband, who truly believed his father was invincible. Jim only had a high school education, but he could master mechanics as well as any MIT graduate. He worked for McDonnell Douglas for most of his life and performed job duties that today require a masters degree in engineering. Jim and my uncle both built fighter jets for Mac and we sometimes joke that both men would occasionally let other people help too, if they asked nicely.

Jim enjoyed woodworking. He made a beautiful wooden cradle for his grandson, Ben. He also made an ornate clock which still hangs in the living room. He taught my husband his love for woodworking; but sadly, due to my husband's illness, Jack cannot pursue it any longer.

He also enjoyed cars. He didn't want me stranded on the road, so he showed me how to put oil and radiator fluid in my car. Bless his heart, he would try to explain car mechanics to me only to see my eyes glaze over. Now that my minivan is acting up, it would be nice to hear his opinion on what could be wrong.

Jim was very much a family man. I don't think he ever regarded himself as anything else. He married young - as far as I know, Irene was the only girl he ever went with. Jim and Irene met through Irene's brother, Jack, and the rest is history. A love story that spanned 67 years.

Jim is survived by his wife, six children, 15 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

God Bless You, Dad. We will miss you. You will live in our hearts forever.

Two Pieces of News This Week

First, I think I will address the subject that made the headlines just a few days ago. Michele Obama was seen in the Grand Canyon (in Arizona - I tell this for a reason) in, gasp, SHORTS! Is it really such a slow news day that multiple media outlets need to devote space and time to this subject? Really? First of all, anyone who has been to the Grand Canyon IN ARIZONA (I have so I know exactly what I'm talking about) knows that it is HOT. It would be really bizarre for the First Lady to go hiking in the Grand Canyon in a business suit and stylish 3-inch pumps. The woman was going hiking, for crying out loud people! Furthermore, the Grand Canyon is not paved. It is rocky terrain - hence that's why it's called a canyon. IN ARIZONA!

In addition to my geographical tirade, I wish to remind certain Puritanical prudes that Mrs. Obama has pretty nice looking legs. My legs used to look that good, but the varicose and spider veins have taken over and, well, let's say Burmuda shorts and skimmers are my style now. Along with the shapely legs comes another reminder - we no longer live in Victorian-era USA. This is the 21st century, people, and a woman's exposed legs are hardly shocking any more. Please get over it. By the way, whose legs would you rather see hiking the Grand Canyon, Mrs. Obama's or John McCain's? Think about it.

The second article is about obsolete technology. I so love this subject. I love blowing my kids' minds with recollections of the days before remote controlled television, microwaves, and cell phones. The author talks about all the technology and I actually remember and that's really scary. We still have a VCR, but it's a VCR/DVD combo. We still have VHS tapes but they are getting brittle with age and we are slowly replacing them with DVDs. Trouble is, the Blue Ray thingy is coming out and making the DVD obsolete. We can't win!

Yes, I was reminded of the C prompt - amazing how I forgot it at all. I guess it was such a pain that I didn't really miss it.

The paragraph on TV reception brought a bit of an argument from me. I don't like the digital signals. Not because I'm against the technology, but we can't get a good signal. We never had this problem with classic analog broadcast. Now whenever there's a storm in the area, you can forget watching anything (even the severe weather warnings) on the TV. The way the system is set up now, the only way I'll know if a tornado is in the area is when my roof flies off my house. Not a good feeling.

My 87-year-old mother nearly keeled over in a heart attack when I told her I no longer remember how to operate a typewriter. Now, keep in mind, I learned how to type on a manual typewriter when Jimmy Carter was in the White House. Selectric typewriters were quickly becoming the latest technology and when I graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1980, memory writers were becoming the latest and greatest. Now that my PC does everything for me, a typewriter gathers dust on the shelf. Actually, I don't even own one, but my mother did until she gave it away to her 88-year-old sister. I think typewriters won't completely go away just yet. Some forms need to be filled in by type, although this is quickly being replaced with Adobe's features that allow the user to fill in the blanks and print the form.

Even as you read this, something technological is being advanced or killed off. Such is the evolution of our modern world.

Politics, Opinions, and Freedom of Expression

Throughout the last Presidential election and since the election, I have received numerous e-mails from well-meaning friends and family members about how our country is headed straight for a socialist agenda, the new health care bill will enforce euthanasia on our senior citizens, and all sorts of other "end of the world as we know it" predictions. I can't count how many e-mails have pointed the invisible finger of blame on those who voted for our current president and how the next "Fourth Reich" and another holocaust will happen because of those voters' ignorance.

First of all, quit with the "sky is falling" nonsense. It would not matter who won the White House because the losing side will kick up a stink about how bad this country is getting and it's all the fault of the current administration. Enough already.

Second, I'm not convinced we are headed for a socialist government. We still have the right to vote and if you don't like who is in office now, vote that person out at the next election. Just keep in mind, you are limited to who is running for office. Your son's algebra teacher may be a really terrific person, but if he/she is not running for political office, a vote for that person won't mean a hill of beans. If you don't like the selection, get in there yourself and run for office. You think you got what it takes, then let's see it. It's a free country and anyone can become President if he/she wants it bad enough.

A lot of flak has been made about free handouts to those who don't seemingly deserve it. I agree that the illegal immigrant situation is a sticky one and since my knowledge of it is rather limited, I will keep any opinions on this to myself. However, I caution those who are so tough on those immigrants - most of us came from someplace else. My ancestors came from England, Ireland, Prussia, and Germany. We settled in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri. My family has been here since the early 1800's and it's only recently that my German side decided to keep the English and get rid of the German. As far as the handouts go, I challenge any one of these Americans to travel to another country with only the clothes on their backs, little money and education, and try to start a new life. Without a little help, it would be impossible. But go ahead, give it a try and let me know how well you do.

I agree that we have a much more divided country as far as monetary wealth. Seems the middle class is getting squeezed out by the wealthy. I have encountered this so much in my life that I often feel hopeless and wonder why I even bother. The things that used to be for the "every man" are no longer available. A baseball game used to be the family event of the summer - now it's the rich man's diversion. Not fair at all. Amusement parks and carnivals used to also be welcoming to everyone, now they are so overpriced that many cannot attend. Do I think the current administration can fix this? No. I believe that in order for change to happen, we must all accept the failings of our society and vow to make a change for the better. Corporate bigwigs should not be rewarded for failures and people in power should go without a few more perks. Those who have borne hardships should not have their efforts slapped in their faces by those who can just because they can. Not fair. Socialism is not the answer - we have all seen that. But a collective conscience of responsibility to our society, country, and world should be present and encouraged. Truthfully, this scenario of social responsibility really never has existed. Just look in your history books.

Many Americans have fought and died for our freedoms and this will remain the case for our country. Yes, the nay-sayers have the same freedom of expression as I do and thank God for that! However, please stop harassing me because you don't like the way I or someone else voted. The election is over - deal with it and move on with your life.

I don't know if the billions doled out in stimulus packages is going to work and I don't know if socialized medicine will work. All I do know is that things aren't working now, including me. Something must give. If you don't like the current proposals, you have the freedom to change them. I know I have that freedom and I'm not afraid to use it.

No Excuse for Physical Abuse

An article appeared on my local station's web site about Chris Brown apologizing for beating up his ex-girlfriend, Rihanna. In the article, Brown apologizes for his conduct, assures everyone he is getting counseling, and seems to want to change and be a better role model. Hmmm. How many of us women really buy this? How many have heard this before from other men?

I have been fortunate that my husband has never struck me nor ever intends to. First of all, if he even thought about it, he would find out that I hit back. Second, I can out-run him.

I remember when this story first came out in February. My daughter loved Chris Brown's music and was genuinely shocked that he would do such a thing. She immediately took the stance that Rihanna wasn't very nice anyway and deserved the beating because, supposedly, she gave him STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). In all fairness, there has been no proof of this allegation in any of the reports I have read. However, what truly shocked me was my 14-year old daughter's attitude that a woman deserved to be beaten by her boyfriend. I'm not sure where I went wrong here, but I made it clear to her that NO WOMAN DESERVES TO BE BEATEN BY ANYONE.

My position should be clear - physical abuse is wrong. Now, I still support spanking a child to correct misbehavior, but physical abuse because you are mad is quite another thing. A relationship should be based on mutual trust and respect. Those two things do not come with slapping, choking, threats, or bashing a head into the wall.

What happened between Brown and Rihanna was shocking. Brown was wrong and should have controlled himself. Whatever Rihanna's personality is or was at that time is not a reason to beat her. I hope and pray that Brown is truly remorseful and sincere in his efforts to get help, but as a woman, I would never trust him ever again.

The Internship Experience

I just finished the fifth week of an amazing internship. Since I'm not sure of the consequences of revealing where I am, I will keep it quiet until otherwise told.

But I can tell you other stuff. Like having amazing challenges to my skills - I'm writing things that I only did in the classroom - only this is the real deal. And the really great thing is that the people I am working for actually like what I'm doing! I can think creatively and not feel like my ideas are going to be seen as inferior or looked at like I'm stupid. My ideas, good or bad, have a purpose now. I'm no longer sitting on the sidelines feeling twinges of jealousy because someone else had a fabulous idea that I wish I could have come up with. Now I'm an idea person and it's wonderful!

I've worked long enough to know that things won't always be this way. Someone will feel threatened by my ideas or mere existence and make my life miserable. Someone may steal my ideas and claim them for their own. I know.

But now, as I'm looking out over the bluffs along the Mississippi and watching a river roll by as it has done for thousands of years, I feel like I finally belong somewhere.

Now that I've shared my philosophical meanderings, I'll meander a little more.

The office I'm in is located along the Mississippi River and the view is magnificent! I've seen an eagle swoop by through the trees (at least I think it was an eagle - she didn't stop to introduce herself), a young beaver watched me eat my lunch from about a 100 yards away and he decided to take a nap on a concrete step. A mockingbird flew so close to me that I could see the gray and white detail of his feathers and hear his beautiful songs as clear as anything I have ever heard.

The river is a beautiful thing. I've lived close to it and crossed over it many times all my life and never really took the time to appreciate it. The flow of the currents are a balm to the spirit - easy to say from the shoreline.

The internship will draw to a close in two more weeks and I wish it would go on a little longer. Projects I have worked on still have not been completed and won't be for quite awhile. I would love to see my ideas come to fruition. My supervisor has promised to send me the finished products once they are completed. But I think the thing I have gained the most is the feeling that I can go out into the work world a little better educated and certainly more confident in my skills as a communicator.

I also want to hang around to see that little beaver grow up!

Motherhood - The Wisdom of Many

If every mother wrote a book on her experiences as a new mom, the books would fill the Library of Congress ten times over - I don't have stats to support this theory, it's just my opinion.

NBC's Today Show had a piece on parenthood from the show's anchors and it made for fairly interesting reading. The side piece on motherhood myths next to the article was particularly interesting because it reflected a few things I experienced and foolishly believed I was alone in my feelings. Wow! I'm normal afterall!

When I had my beautiful, handsome, brilliant, funny, exceptional baby boy 18 years ago, I spent days trying to nurse him only to find that this natural mothering thing was very painful and very difficult. All these years, I thought something was wrong with me - nice to know I'm not alone. Also, during the first few weeks after he was born, I would look out the window and wonder when his parents were coming to pick him up. This mom thing hadn't really kicked in until after about a month. A word of advice to all new moms - that adorable, soft, squishy, gurgly, bundle of cuteness eventually grows up to be a purple-haired, tatooed, body-pierced, loud teenager that you won't even recognize as having come out of your body. Ladies - you have been warned.

Do I feel like I'm a better mom than my own mother? That depends on the subject. I'm more involved in the kids' schooling than my parents ever thought about. Were they bad parents - not really. This parent involvement is a relatively new thing - my parents were never encouraged to be part of my school day except at parent/teacher conferences and even those were competitive events between the parents with money and the parents without. The money won, by the way; therefore, my parents were pretty much ignored by all my teachers.

I think I was more involved in my kids' lives when they were littler - seemed more important then. Not that it isn't important now that they are teenagers - if anything, they need me even more now. It's just they want more independence and they should have it. I'm luckier than some parents. I know where my kids are at night, I know who they run with, and I know their teachers by name.

Parenting isn't easy - its not supposed to be. That's what love is all about.

AIG Bailout, Bonuses, and Business As Usual

I've been trying to follow the latest events on the bonus debacle with AIG and our Treasury Department. With each new update, I try to glean accurate information and form an opinion that isn't based on utter rage. No luck there.

I really don't understand how AIG executives can accept these tax-payer provided bonuses and not feel a twinge of embarrassment. Oh, yea, I forgot, these guys are greedy pigs - they don't know how to feel shame.

My understanding of the purpose of a bonus is to reward an executive for doing a good job. For instance, if the company makes greater than X% profit for the year, you get a portion of it. That makes sense - reward for a good job.

Now these yahoos nearly drove the company into the ground and they are being rewarded for it! If we are rewarding incompetence, then sign me up to run GM or Chrysler. I'll be the first to tell you I haven't the faintest idea how to run any sized company, so it's a sure bet that I will make a mess of it. Make my bazillion dollar bonus check payable to me, Elizabeth Alexander, thank you.

Cars, Babes, and Prom Night

While cruising around on MSN's web site, I came across their article on the 2009 Geneva car show. Now, I'm not a car buff, but these vehicles looked pretty cool. Of course, my 17-year-old son was hovering over my shoulder drooling over the pictures. Here is our take on some of the cars we saw.

I thought the KTM X-Bow looked awesome, but Jack said it really looked like a pimped out go-cart. I didn't think the girls would really care, but what do I know?

Too bad this car won't be out until after Jack starts college. He said college girls are hotter anyway. (Note to self: Jack is NOT going away to college.)

I can easily see Jack cruising in this convertible, and it comes in blue! I think the lead cheerleader at Ritenour might like to be seen in this car on prom night and with Jack in a tuxedo, it's too perfect.

Last, but not least, if Jack wants to leave a little 007 mystique behind, he really needs this ride. James would be so proud.

It's fun to plan ahead for prom night, even if some of it is just a fantasy. Jack said he is definitely going to the prom. Unfortunately his hot wheels will consist of a chauffeur (aka Mom) driven minivan, a rented tux and no hot looking babes.

At Issue - Stem Cell Research

President Obama will announce on Monday that he will be reversing former President Bush's mandate of no federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Thus, begins, or continues, an interesting discussion in America.

As most of us know, stem cells hold incredible potential for cures for diseases such as MS, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and the like. So far, this sounds like a wonderful breakthrough. However, depending on where the stem cells come from, this also creates a moral issue.

Researchers have found that embryonic stem cells have a longer lifespan and are more adaptive to regeneration of damaged cells. However, once experimented on lab mice, they found that the older embryonic stem cells pretty much created cancer cells. Embryonic stem cells are extracted from blastocysts, which is the early form of an embryo. All of us began this way. Here is the moral problem - these embryos must be destroyed to extract the stem cells. Advocates say that these embryos would be discarded anyway because they were the result of in vitro fertilization. The thinking is pretty much, "might as well use them - they're here anyway." A little cold to my way of thinking.

Further research has found that adult skin cells and umbilical cord cells are every bit as promising as embryonic stem cells. And just recently, I read (I can't find the article anymore) that these cells don't grow into cancer cells like the old embryonic cells do. This is a fantastic development and really removes the ethical and moral issues associated with the research.

One would be hard pressed to find anyone opposed to finding a cure to severe diseases and injuries. But I beg the question, should a human being die so another can live? Especially if that human being hasn't had a chance to speak for him/herself? Proponents of the embryonic stem cell research argue that politics should stay out of the science labs. To a degree, they are right. Scientific breakthroughs that could cure deadly diseases and heal injuries need to be discovered without interference with the federal government. But, we have a moral and ethical obligation to our society. Scientists must be responsible in their research. We are not trying to construct a Frankenstein's monster, but we as a free people must make sure that no scientist or laboratory ever tries to do something that would be questionable.

I praise our scientists for finding better resources for stem cells, and I hope they find these non-objectionable sources to be more successful than the embryonic stem cells.

Barbie is Just a Doll, People!

A West Virginia state lawmaker hasn't got enough to think about. Democratic Delegate Jeff Eldridge of Lincoln County wants to ban Barbie. He says the 50-year-old doll is too much of an influence on young girls and stresses too much on physical beauty and fashion.

OH PLEASE!!!!

Where, oh, where are the similar complaints about GI Joe and his influence on boys? Big beefy he-men who walk around in camo and sling rifles across their backs!

Really, people. These are just toys. Don't we have enough to worry about that is way more serious than dolls? Hell0? The economy? Climate change? Life without ER?

Yes, Barbie is truly anatomically impossible. So is GI Joe, I think. (I haven't looked at him lately.) I seem to remember the manufacturers tried to make Barbie's figure more realistic and it didn't seem to fly.

I grew up with Barbie and while I loved her outfits (my mom made a few of them), I wasn't heavily influenced by her appearance. I knew she was a doll and the product of someone else's imagination. What is wrong with parents telling their kids that dolls don't represent real people? How easy is that?

The fun with Barbie is dressing her up in these fantastic clothes. I remember my aunt would make wedding dresses for Barbie every year to sell at the church festival. She would have an entire bridal party - it was incredible! The dresses all had hand-sewn beads, silk flowers, lace - everything! She even made one for my doll and gave it to me for Christmas. Believe it or not, I still have the dress. I think the doll is long gone, though.

Barbie is part of being an American girl. Leave her alone!

Do It Yourself - Hardly a New Idea, Folks

This morning, The Washington Post published an article about how many people are cutting back on extras and learning how to do things themselves. This is an interesting development, but one I don't think really needs a whole lot of attention.

Since my family has never been flush with money, things like manicures and pedicures were never on our list of must-haves. I only had my hair professionally colored once - I found most of the cost was just for the stylist's time, not the supplies used. A box of Clairol doesn't cost $60 and I'm not forced to listen to the latest gossip from the ladies next to me in the salon.

Years ago, my father-in-law discovered I didn't know how to put oil or radiator fluid in my car. He escorted my out to my car and showed me how to do it. I still don't know how to change the oil, but I know how to put some in. This comes in handy since my van leaks like a sieve and the cost to plug up the leaks is somewhere in the thousands. Jim has Alzheimer's now, but I'm very grateful to him for showing me how to be less reliant on a mechanic.

Doing for oneself is hardly a new concept. For years, I have heard about money saved on doing your own repairs. Lowes and Home Depot have workshops to teach the consumer how to do just about any home repair or improvement - install bathroom tile, repair your faucets, rewire a room, etc. Our local, family-owned hardware store has employees who will show you exactly what you need to do for whatever predicament you are in. These guys are amazing and no question is too dumb. They taught me how to install a new shower head and made sure I had all the tools and supplies I needed.

There is a downside to doing things for yourself. If it's something you aren't very good at doing, it really shows. Take a look at my yard and you can see I'm no gardener. Every year, I try, but by mid-summer, everything looks terrible or dead. A landscaper could really change that for me, but I can't afford one. So, I must content myself with looking wistfully at Better Homes and Gardens magazines and ignore the crabgrass that defies all weed killers.

The President and the Pricey Helicopter

While President Obama is scolding Congress and another other political entity for overspending and irresponsible spending, The New York Times printed two articles that detailed something most of us really haven't given much thought to. The first article, posted February 15, explained in detail the history of replacing the aging helicopter fleet that scurries the President to the airport and any other place he may need to go.

I didn't know he needed a fleet of helicopters. I thought he only needed one, maybe two. However, the article explained that other staffers ride these choppers and some act as decoys. From a security standpoint, this makes sense. The article also explained that the current fleet was over 30 years old and really should be replaced. Frankly, I would be nervous about getting on anything that is going to lift me off the ground as ancient and in need of replacement.

The second article mentions a fiscal responsibility summit where Senator John McCain remarks on the cost of the new helicopters as costing as much as Airforce One. OUCH! A helicopter is quite a bit smaller than a jumbo jet and it costs as much or more - WOW! The origin of this purchase actually came in response to the security issues raised after September 11 terrorist attacks.

Now, I certainly want our President and his staff and his family safe in anything they are flying, but a $400 million flying machine is asking a bit much. Apparently, President Obama feels the same way. Does the President really need 28 helicopters? I wouldn't mind the White House having two, maybe three, to get by for awhile - but 28 sounds pretty extreme. Each of these new helicopters is supposed to hold about 14 people, so do you really need 28 choppers? In the event of another attack on our country, are we going to ferry all of Congress on these things? We didn't do that the last time.

I really hope that President Obama gets some really good, sound advice on this one. And I hope Congress doesn't go berserk and insist on all 28 choppers. A knee-jerk reaction to the terrorist attacks is not a good reaction and one that's never based on reason. We need to think clearly during our economic crisis and make decisions that will preserve our country on all levels.

Social Networking for a Shy Person

Okay, I admit it. I have joined Facebook. I did it at my professor's recommendation. I really fought the idea, but since I was planning to join My Space to watch over my teenage daughter, my arguments against following the crowd seemed pretty thin. Then I joined Linked In so I can network for a job in the near future. Trouble is, I'm having problems presenting myself on that forum. Facebook is pretty easy, I can reveal that I'm married, mom of two teenagers and no stranger to domesticity. However, on Linked In, I really don't want to do that.

I almost feel like the main character in "Three Faces of Eve." My Facebook personality is more closely representative of me, the My Space personality is the guardian (think a cross breed of German Shepard and Rottweiler) of a 14-year-old girl, and the Linked In personality is the professional career woman. Now, what do you want to bet that someone from my past will be able to put all these three together and tell the world what a psycho I am! Actually, most of my high school classmates know that, but why confirm it?

Now, basically, I'm a rather shy person. I don't like to reveal much about myself because of past bad experiences when my "secrets" became known. Also, I don't think I'm a very exciting person. Maybe it's a self-esteem thing. I'll have to work on that. Facebook gives the writer an opportunity to be "out there" with some element of safety. Or so it would seem. When I searched for "friends" from my high school days, I found a few. None of them I would want to talk to today much less over the last 30 years since graduating. So, now I'm a little nervous. Suppose they find me? Afterall, I found them. But, I didn't contact them. So, maybe they won't contact me. Feel better? Don't know yet.

Do You Indulge in Indulgences?

A recent article in the New York Times opinion section talks about the recent re-introduction of the Catholic penance tradition of the plenary indulgence. This is an interesting development.

I am Catholic, albeit a lazy one. I haven't attended Mass regularly, although I try to be careful about attending confession once a year. Yes, I'm not a great example of good Catholic practice for my children. It sounds lame, but life tends to get in the way of going to church. All God asks of me is an hour of my time once a week - that really isn't a lot.

Now we have this indulgence thing. I'm not too sure what it is, but my mother (a fallen-away Catholic) gets angry any time the subject is brought up, so I don't ask her. I looked to the St. Louis Archdiocesan web site for a definition and found a letter dating back to 2005 from then Archbishop Raymond Burke defining indulgences. I'm still confused.

Since I'm really a Catholic convert (both my parents fell away from the Church before I was born, therefore, my Catholic education didn't begin until later in my life), I am really having trouble understanding why our sins aren't just forgiven when we ask in the confessional. I sometimes wonder if this plenary indulgence is a man-made thing that some bored bishop came up with just to complicate things. I really don't know.

Since Lent begins next week, I'm going to try to do better about reciting my rosary, read my Bible a little better, and make a better effort to get to Mass. As for this plenary indulgence thing, I hope God will forgive me if I just don't get it. I don't understand how the mechanics of my car work, but I can still operate the vehicle.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow . . .

The economic news here at home is still grim and the future isn't very rosy just yet. The results of the new economic stimulus package that the president is supposed to sign on Tuesday won't be felt for quite some time. Globally, things are as bad or worse. The New York Times has an article about the impact of worldwide job losses. The picture is pretty bad, folks.

However, I mentioned in one of my previous postings, that I felt we should all take a step back and try our hands at a small cottage business. Innovation is what grew many nations, so let's try this thing again. Already, it looks like India may be on to something.

Whether we like it or not, we are a global society. So, isolationism isn't really the answer, however appealing it may seem. But we need to step back, quiet the hysteria, and think our way through this economic crisis. God led us to it, He will get us through it. We just have to be quiet and listen.

Multiples and Multiplying

My generation is probably the last to see the large families as an ordinary thing. I grew up with a girl who was the youngest of ten kids. Her mom had them one at a time, so by the time Tami came around, the first born was old enough to be her mom. My husband is the fourth of six children - would have been eight but his mom miscarried one and another was still-born. Once I worked for a woman who was the oldest of 15 kids - her mom had most of them one at a time, with one set of twins thrown in for good measure. Most of our generation really didn't think much of this. Now that we are parents, we have toned it down to two or maybe three children.

Recently, the media has become fascinated with the few women who are having "litters" of babies. The McCaughey septuplets born in November, 1997, Masche sextuplets in 2007, and now octuplets born to Nadya Suleman just a few weeks ago have all appeared on our screens and airways. To be sure, these multiple births are newsworthy.

Suleman and her doctors have been the center of a firestorm of ethical and psychological controversy. Many blogs have decried this woman as completely insane (I'm inclined to believe this myself) and many have demanded that the doctors who performed the procedures have their licenses removed.

Yes, I believe this woman is nuts and the children really ought to be placed in loving homes elsewhere. She says she was an only child and was filling a void. Hello? I'm an only child and there's no way on Earth I would have 14 children. I had my first child at 28 and my second at 32 and decided the baby factory was closed after that. I am married to their father and while things aren't easy, we manage to get by. If there was a void in my life as an only child, I guess I was too dumb to notice it. As an only child, I learned to occupy myself with hobbies and a few friends. I'm probably a stronger person for it because I don't depend on other people to keep me company or entertained. I enjoy company, but don't require it.

I also believe the doctors acted in an unethical manner. However, do we really know what conversations transpired between doctor and patient? That's private and protected by law.

While I pity the family (and I hate the word pity), I wonder if we as a society should pass judgement on this situation. I truly believe God doesn't give us more than we can handle and maybe, by some miracle, this family in all its weirdness will get by. Who knows, maybe one of these babies will grow up to be an inventor or doctor or something fabulous. Or they may grow up and rob every bank from California to Kansas! There's enough of them to do it.

This situation will be a drain on taxpayer money, and many people are rightfully angry about that. Why should all of us pay for the irresponsible behavior of a lonely, deranged woman? However, we face this question everyday with people all around us. My neighbor has two daughters. Both those young woman each had a baby without the benefit of getting married (the biological fathers were deadbeats anyway). My tax dollars are supporting their two adorable boys as well as their tax dollars are supporting my two (wonderful when they feel like it) teenagers. Which situation is fair to the taxpayer? My situation won't last forever. Once I graduate, I will get a full-time job. My husband collects disability and will continue to do so. My son will turn 18 this year and will officially be off the welfare rolls because of his age.

Growing a family one child at a time or all at once really ought to be kept between patient and doctor. However, when the element of financial and mental responsibility comes into play, both parties involved really should examine their true motives and weigh the outcomes.

If You Hacked A Digital Road Sign, What Would You Say?

Last week, the local news stations reported that a digital road sign along Highway 255 in Illinois had been hacked and displayed the message: Road Closed Due to Zombies. This morning, another road sign in Texas was hacked and the message was: "OMG The British R Coming."

I'm sure a lot of drivers found these signs to be pretty funny. I sure did. Unfortunately, the state transportation departments were not as amused. This is understandable. These road signs are set up for driver safety, not entertainment. However, ladies and gentlemen of the 50 state transportation departments, please take a laxative and enjoy the humor. So far, these hacked messages have not caused any accidents, spewed profanity, or done anything other than cause drivers to chuckle. Of course, we want the drivers to pay attention to the roads. But how is this any different when the sign reads as it should? For instance, how is "Road Closed. Use alt route" any less dangerous than "Zombies ahead?" The driver still has to take his/her concentration off the road to read the sign. We all know zombies don't exist outside the movie theaters.

Now, if I were sneaky enough to hack a road sign computer, what would I say on it? The possibilities are almost limitless. The sign really is your only restriction. Here are a few ideas:

Please Hang Up Cell Phone
I Saw That
Its Only Fun if Cops Don't Catch You
Caution - Girl Scout Cookie Booth Ahead
Dr. Pepper Says Drink Pepsi

SUPER BOWL 43 - WOW!!!

I have never denied that I don't understand football. I recognize a tackle, a fumble (sometimes), and a touchdown. That's about where it begins and ends for me. I don't follow pro, college, or even high school football (unless its the Turkey Day game between Kirkwood High School and Webster Groves High School - Kirkwood is my alma mater). I didn't pay much attention to Super Bowl until the Rams got in it back in 2000. I guess you could say, I'm a recent follower.

However, last night's game was the most exciting thing I have watched in quite a long time. My husband, my kids and I were screaming and carrying on such noise that I'm surprised the neighbors didn't complain. Maybe they couldn't hear us over their own racket. I have never, ever seen a 100 yard drive in my life - my limited knowledge of the game still told me this was impressive. Of course, at the end of the game, fans and players were euphoric. I thought it was really cool to have Joe Namath bring in the trophy. However, what struck me is how old and short he looked. I guess I'll always have the memories of him on TV as he looked in the 70's, but I didn't think he was that short. The Steelers looked like giants next to him.

Now, let's talk about those commercials. Some were so-so and some were hysterical. We need more funny ads these days. My personal favorites were the stick-retrieving Clydesdale, the Coke heist, the Lizard Lake, and always the talking babies. CareerBuilder had a good one too, but I can't remember the name of it. I couldn't quite connect with the Doritos and the snowglobe commercial, but it's not unusual for me to miss a point in some of these ads. The movie previews were good as well. I'm so definitely going to see Monsters vs. Aliens and my husband and our son will be watching Star Trek, Transformers Revenge, and GI Joe. My 13-year-old daughter thinks GI Joe is gay - but not to worry, she thinks everything is gay.

Last night was amazing and while my son is mourning the Cardinals' loss (it's the Cardinals, go figure), we are all grateful for the distraction from the real world problems we are facing these days. CONGRATULATIONS STEELERS!!!!

If It Worked Before . . .

We all have had the economy on our minds these days. President Obama's stimulus package is getting a lot of scrutiny and debate. While all these financial wizards and economists are crunching numbers for our future, I've been doing a little examining of our economic situation as well.

Sadly, massive layoffs and store closures are still on the rise. With this bleak picture, what can we do? I think our reliance on the big box stores has become a mistake. Sure, the bigger stores can give us deeper discounts because they can buy in volume. That's an economic no-brainer. Trouble is, when these big box stores came into our everyday lives, the smaller Mom & Pop stores went belly-up. The table has turned and now the big boxes can't stay afloat. Maybe this is a good time for us, since quite a few of us are unemployed anyway, to consider starting a small business. I'm not sure if President Obama's stimulus plan will provide much help in this area, but it might be worth thinking about.

The small business doesn't have to be anything fancy - a deli, an ice cream shop, a hardware store, whatever. The market niche could be anything - personalized and knowledgeable customer service, down home cooking, reasonable prices, or reliability.

I think we as a nation need to get back to the basics the way our ancestors got by. Home Depot wasn't around 50 years ago, Walmart wasn't even a thought 100 years ago, and Microsoft was not heard of 40 years ago. Small businesses built this country, and I believe we can do it again if we just pull together. Think creatively and talk to your neighbors, your city hall representatives, and other small business owners. A small business may not be able to employ 7,000 people, but it could employ a few as the business grows.

Spending time developing your own business beats out sitting around wondering how you are going to meet your mortgage or rent now that you have lost your job.

I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!

Not long ago, I received my statement on both of my IRAs, and just like everyone else, I was sickened by how much money I lost. To date, I have lost about $10,000 in the past year. Now I realize that others have lost more than that or all of their savings and are far worse than me. However, my quiet commiserating becomes choked when I read about executives getting big bonuses with the federal bailout money that we, the taxpayers, have extended to them. Yes, this is old news, but it should not be allowed to be shelved and forgotten.

The New York Times has an article on the bonuses that some Wall Street execs received.

Then, we have Mr. Madoff. Doesn't this make you mad? If I tried to pull off something even close to this, St. Louis County Police would be on my doorstep in no time with those lovely fashionable bracelets they like to give all criminals.

Corporate greed has always been around - but stealing from hard-working people who are just trying to get by day after day just isn't right. I'll be 47 this spring and my job prospects are pretty slim. The odds of my earning back that lost $10,000 are not good. If the government can make some of these companies and executives pay back some of this money, great. Make my check payable to me for $10,000.

"Mac is Back!"

In today's edition of The Washington Post, there is an article about Arizona Senator John McCain returning to his old maverick ways. Wow, what a relief. I really worried about this man, even though I didn't vote for him. One of many reasons why I didn't vote for him was because I wasn't seeing the "poo-poo" disturber that he was portrayed as being. I ought to know about "poo-poo" disturbers, my father was one. A big one - all the way from New England.

You see, these maverick types don't back down from anything. Throughout the campaign, I saw Senator McCain being pushed and pulled in every direction except the right direction. I wondered, what is wrong with this man? Is he too old to get fired up about anything anymore? Is he listening to all the wrong people? When I read articles about Senator McCain's past, I still had trouble putting it together with the man on the campaign trail. I would like to think that my dad, who has been dead for over 20 years, might have liked the younger John McCain. Then again, both men were so bull-headed in their youth that they may have disliked each other intensely. We will never know.

I'm pleased to see that Senator McCain appears to be getting back to his old self. Hopefully, others in the Republican party will follow his example and work for the good of the country. We the people have spoken and we need strong leaders who are fighting for us. Welcome back, Senator McCain! We missed you terribly.

HICKEN TRIPS AND PEED IMIT

No, its not a clumsy hoosier with no bladder control. What we have here is a fun road trip game guaranteed to leave you laughing until your cheeks hurt. My two teenagers came up with this game after we passed a Denny's restaurant where the "D" in Denny's was burned out and I commented on the sign reading "Enny's."

Any road sign is fair game. For each word, remove the first letter and try to say the new "word." What's so great about this game is that it's so unstructured that you can go anywhere you want with it. Take the new "word" and use it in a sentence. Make a snappy response to the word and/or sentence. A word of caution - some words may become objectionable (i.e. Pass becomes - well, you get the idea), so as long as you know the rules, have fun with it. "Kirkwood" becomes "Irkwood" - my cabinets are made out of the rare Irkwood. Or, people who live in Irkwood must be in a constant state of annoyance. Webster Groves becomes Ebster Roves. Take it from there, folks.

The above title translates to: Chicken Strips and Speed Limit.

Girl Scout Cookie Sales - Mercenaries in Beige

Tomorrow, January 17, is Go Day for Girl Scouts throughout the Eastern Missouri Council area to start selling Girl Scout Cookies. This is an exciting time for these girls, especially the younger ones. Little do these poor, unsuspecting innocents realize that the older Scouts (Cadettes and Seniors) have already plotted their strategy - strategies that could rival anything coming out of the Pentagon. In fact, I'll bet some of our best military generals really learned their battle strategies from their Girl Scout sisters, not the military academy. Oh, sure, West Point will be a little irked, but the truth hurts.

My 13-year-old daughter is a Cadette and we have been talking about how to increase her sales in the midst of a difficult economy and the price increase of the cookies. Several of our neighbors have been laid off from their jobs and money is tight everywhere. This means, that if they order at all, they will reduce what they have ordered in the past. To make up for the likely shortfall of our regulars, we will have to go farther afield in our search for cookie customers. Her goal is 260 boxes - last year she sold just over 200.

This may mean infiltrating the streets that have been typically scoped out by other Girl Scouts in the neighborhood. The caring and compassionate mother that I am would instruct my daughter to respect the other girls and let them have their sales. My daughter is saying, "You snooze, you lose, Mom." Therefore, she will take no prisoners; all Brownies and Juniors are fair game. Note to other parents - I have talked her out of ambushing the other Scouts.

Girls, you have been officially warned.

Despite the cold weather, we will go out tomorrow armed with our order sheet and two pens in search of elusive sales and will beat the competition. As we march through the streets of our community, we will be watching for the younger Girl Scouts and move ahead of them to each house. We will be bold. We will be daring. We will be there first.