I hesitate...

to write the negative stuff in my life. I don't think more than 1 or 2 people ever read this but it's frustrating that I really can't pour out frustrations here. Maybe I'll do another blog, something anonymous, that no one else knows about. Substitute names for the real people. It's easier than writing in my diary which I've done for years. That way I can type away and be an anonymous horrible person out there.

Right now my kids are having a burping contest. The storm has just gone by and it's really getting silly here.

Steve- studying old Slavonic on the net. Nathanael- listening to Dvořák. Micah- at Bryan's. Tomorrow I read a verse in Acts in Spanish tomorrow at church and other people will read in different languages, to illustrate the Holy Spirit speaking through people in different tongues/languages. Tengo mi Biblia conmigo y les voy a hablar de Hechos. No recuerdo cual versiculo especificamente.

Steve & I are taking Arabic from Azza so he can be fluent. He may opt to return to Iraq as an interrogator. NO HE DOES NOT MAKE PEOPLE GET IN NAKED PYRAMIDS. He might return in several months or a year if this war doesn't wind down and wind up soon. He says it's opting to go before he's told he must go, and opting to go he'd go on his own terms. Well, we'll see what happens. Other people have already done 2 or 3 tours of duty over there.

I'm moving to Mexico...

with the rest of the US that isn't frozen or wiped out by tornadoes, and Dick Cheney's lookalike will soon be president of our refugee population there, and he'll finally apologize for the bad evil Republican policy which is totally destroying our planet.

I just watched all the streets in Manhattan get wiped out by a tidal wave and then freeze immediately in the eye of a giant continental hurricane blizzard. When I came home a super-sized lizard was ambling down the same streets poking its scaly head in buildings that just 2 hours ago were congealed at 150 degrees below zero. Yes, I watched "The Day After Tomorrow" and when I got home, my kids were in the process of watching "Godzilla". Weren't they directed by the same guy?

The junk science in Day After was matched pretty much by that of Godzilla, The Core, Independence Day, Armageddon, and to a lesser extent (but almost as incredibly junky) Jurassic Park. To think that Al Gore and Move On are actually using Day After as a political platform...? I mean, it has WAYYYYY COOOOL special effects and everything, but I take it about as seriously as anything with a Klingon in it. Tornadoes swirling about LA digesting everything like giant dervish leeches! How many ways has the "Hollywood" sign now been destroyed in movies? How many times has the Chrysler building in NY fallen down? How many times do LA and New York and both seaboards have to be destroyed? Was it Deep Impact when the two giant meteors heading for earth caused huge tsunamis that engulfed the Statue of Liberty and the White House? Well they got swallowed again tonight.

Wait...the newscaster has just broken in...the latest from WIDF...hundreds of 9-foot godzillitas have just hatched...looks like New York's had it now! It's time to blow up Madison Square Garden!!

Maybe sometime I'll write that I've moved to Mexico ferreal!

Japan...

...is a definite possibility in October, through work. Big wow! I'm not one of those people who get to travel every day. So when I get to go somewhere, I'm all WHEEE! inside. Like a little kid, though outside I try to retain my grown-up composure.Since I'm not an important businessperson/auditor like Aretha who gets to go on trips on a routine basis and gets sick of it...and I'm not single/childless who can go off and go places on a whim and support myself doing whatever and teaching English...and I'm not a pilot like my brother Dave who flies everywhere like Santiago and Ft. Lauderdale all the time and gets tired of it...and I'm not retired like my parents who have seen all 7 continents, some many times over and are currently in Italy, everything's a real treat for me. I've traveled more than the average person but I realize I've traveled a very small fraction of the world and I want to see more. It's just expen$ive, though. So I will work really hard at helping to get this program together and try to make this work (and work will pay my way). It's got a great start already.

Hubby and Karl say they have a surprise (Steve's trading in his Mustang for an SUV)- and that it won't be expensive- and that I'll be pleased. Well only if it's not going to cost a bunch of monthly payments. After all he nearly owns that Mustang.

I annoyed Rosario.

I need to be a little more diplomatic. Long story. I need to be more patient.

But it's a good thing because when I analyze things more slowly, and if I pray for wisdom, then I can see where I have been offensive instead of thinking other people are always at fault, which sometimes they are, so I'm not going to be a martyr by being entirely self-deprecating either. But I need to try to be more patient with her at work because sometimes she's right and I'm wrong and I rush in to do things in a hurry (always been a fault of mine) and in the process sometimes screw things up. I get annoyed because, well, she takes her time on things (but sometimes it's a good thing). Sometimes I think I'm so right and I have a more efficient way of doing something. Sometimes I do. But sometimes I'm wrong. But let's think about this- she's trying to get by in a totally new culture and language and she's come pretty far all considered. I need to be more tolerant. There are people at work with such varied work habits- Rosario, and Azza(very serious), and Gerry (very, VERY casual), and Michi (just very hormonally charged and young and funny), Rafael (very focused) Bryan (very erudite), and then me (just plain annoying at times). But they're all dedicated and good at their jobs. But boy we have some personalities that can sometimes clash. We need to really police ourselves. Hm, sounds like EVERYPLACE ELSE I'VE EVER WORKED.

Polar Bear People

Steve cleans the polar bear cage at the Cinci. Zoo as a volunteer. (Also cleans after manatees at the Newport Aquarium.) Both jobs are scuba jobs. Today Steve took me on his motorcycle to Newport to an outing of the polar bear people/Cinti. dive shop people at the new German restaurant. Nice polka band, lots of sauerkraut about. Fun time. However, during the middle of it for some reason I just got really sleepy. I didn't feel sick, just sleepy. I think it's the anemia- I have a lot of trouble keeping my iron level up, blah blah blah...he wanted to take a walk on the Purple People Bridge but I was too sleepy. I felt like a whiner; after all one of the zoo volunteers is an older lady who's got lung cancer, and she has more energy than I do. I didn't want to be sleepy but I was. We came home and I took a long nap as the cicadas trilled outside in their otherworldly tones. A beautiful day.

Nathanael is reading another Harry Potter story to Micah and I'm watching Fox news. The quints are happy and I'm cleaning and folding clothes.

Fiona Writes...

Fiona Writes:

Due to our unfortunate disenfranchisement, my children and I have taken up residence in the guest room of a summer chalet on the north side of the grounds. I have found it quite satisfactory, thank you very much. I am home schooling my children in the fineries of lapine and other cuisines. I quite enjoy the garden music which has been contracted for my entertainment for the next six weeks.

In other words, the cats now live in the crawl space under the shed. The music is the noise of about 20,000 horny 17-year-olds in my yard, the place where they'll party until they drop dead.

Steve, Karl, Mike, and Nathanael busted up a bunch of the back patio today. I done sung "Well the high sheriff...told the deputy...well I ain't gonna bring you Lazaruu-u-u-us....he's a dang'rous man, oh lawd he's a dang'rous man...." until Karl threatened to pickaxe me.

"You got to go....through the lone-some val-ley.....you got to go....by.......yourself......"

Grieg of the Hill

One son's got Grieg and the other's watching King of the Hill. There's nothing like Grieg's rolling piano drama enhancing Bobby's walk down the fat fashion show aisle. This while I find out on Univision's news that a the fraudulent 2001 Miss Honduras is going to jail and a Mixtec woman gave herself a Cesarean with a kitchen knife. Some guy hit a 7-foot crocodile with his car and a bunch of people rode a roller coaster naked. And some people think listening to Pink Floyd while watching the Wizard of Oz is weird.

Speaking of funny crocodiles I recommend Lake Placid. What a hilariously gory movie. Funny and sickening in the same movie can't usually be done. Betty White is a riot. More examples? Fargo. Nurse Betty. Morgan Freeman dancing at the Grand Canyon is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I know. I'm kinda sick.

TGIF

Well not really, I really like all days, quite honestly. But it's good when it's Friday and no homework rush, no cajoling the kids to get to bed (though Micah's been going to bed early on his own lately, hey how about that)...

Nice day at the office doing invoices, creating schedules for interpreters and clinics, calling patients, taping for a Japanese gentleman's English program (actually re-taping a few sentences because there was too much background noise in a few), had a nice talk with Rosario about several things. She's getting married in a few weeks and will be going back to Honduras to do it- her husband-to-be is from here. Very devout and happy-to-be-so Catholic. I have another friend from Honduras, Fidelina, who married a guy from here and she's a very committed Christian too, I think Methodist. Both of those women met their men while the men were doing missionary work. There must be a lot of missionaries in Honduras. Or do US men go on mission trips to Honduras with an ulterior motive? :) Fidelina has a little girl that looks like a clone of her and nothing like her hubby. I told her next comes a little gringo boy with blue eyes. :)

Nathanael and I are going on a bikeride to the park now. The cicadas are crazy in love here. I wouldn't be surprised if Moses comes back next to part the Ohio River. I wonder if Moses would want to part the Brackish Green Sludge Creek instead of Red Sea.

Bang

Micah and Bryan are setting off fireworks, Nathanael wants me to go on a bikeride today at Winton Woods; however, I've told Micah and Bryan I'd take them to the Y tonight. I told Nathanael the bike ride's definitely on for tomorrow night.

I love the weather- hot and summery and I actually don't mind it humid. In fact my skin feels healthier. I like hot dry weather too but cold dry, I cannot stand.

House is messy but at least remodeled. So though my kitchen's messy and dishes pile up in the sink, at least it's otherwise a pretty kitchen.

Steve's been yelling at me to get Fiona and the quints out of their makeshift home in the "ugly" bathroom. They don't poop and pee yet really (well I mean, to be specific Fiona licks up their poop and pee, did you want to know that?)...because they're still being nursed 100% (See Mammals 101, Line 25 of text Mammals Я Us, , "Baby mammal poop isn't really bad-smelling until the babies eat other food.") They have a little bed there. What could be as benign as a basket full of kittens? Yet somehow my husband views this innocuous little pile of mewing, furry innocents as a threat to his security, livelihood, and manly man-ness. So soon, the quints will be relegated to non-human status in the shed.

My Day

Except for a trip to help a lady at the hand doctor in Montgomery, I spent most of today at Price Hill and saw some adorable babies in the process. Trying still to track down Oralia and went to the place they said her address was; couldn't find her apt. I came home, kinda tiring to see a mess. Tired of Steve drinking beer and watching Star Trek reruns. He has a good job but still spends too much money. It gets old after a while. It's like a hemorrhage that won't ever clot. Sorry to vent.

Lo Usual

Worked a lot in the office today, learning Rafael's computer, doing invoices, so I can do things when both Rafael and Rosario are gone. A typical office environment in which everyone is a packrat of their own little information, and of course work duplicates this way, and multiple copies of stuff accrue. It's not so bad but there are so many improvements that could streamline processes. It's a heyday for an ISO person like me, who likes to throw away useless information. After all, the ISO point is true: TOO MUCH INFORMATION IS WORSE THAN NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION. But everyone has their own way, right? It's the old ugly mantra...

BUT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THIS WAY!

Of course I'm trying to be diplomatic.

Time to go home.

Met the governor and more.

Today at Barr's new building dedication they honored Steve, and I and the kids were invited. We all met Bob Taft and Rob Portman. Sam Malone was there, he's a friend of Steve's and Karl's. Anyway Rob Portman and Bob Taft said their kudos to Steve about his service in Iraq. Steve got a long, strong applause from all his colleagues (about 300 or so in attendance). His boss, boss's boss, boss's boss's boss, and boss's boss's boss's boss were there. :) They were all honoring him. Steve doesn't like attention so he was embarrassed and they applauded more. He received as an honor from the governor a flag of Ohio, and also a US flag that was flown over the US Capitol one year after 9/11/01, with the accompanying certification. The flags are quite an heirloom. Can you imagine what our descendants will think of them 100 years from now!

The Duramed/Barr place is a good place. Except for what I discussed before, I think it's a good company. The people there are wonderful. They make generic drugs that cut the price to consumers sometimes by 90% or even more. Stuff for rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, ADD (huge part of their sales), depression (Prozac generic equivalent), anti-ovulatory contraception (reducing to 4 "periods" a year), the "change" (the showcase product Cenestin), breast cancer, stuff to stop labor, stuff to begin labor, and more and more stuff all at a fraction of the name brand costs. So when people say The Big Drug Companies, they don't mean Barr. However, my HUGE reservation is why Barr dipped its hands into that other medicine, which is basically a concentrated "pill"...to take within 72 (but they prefer 24) hours. As I said before, to prevent ovulation or fertilization, but not implantation, is right. That isn't made at Barr/Duramed, which is some small consolation, but not a huge bunch. It's still a Barr subsidiary, one which they bought last year. But it has not been approved for OTC and I hope it never, ever will be. Can you imagine the use/abuse of that if it's sold OTC?

Dan I need your help putting on a back deck- like the one you did in front- our insurance company's threatening major mayhem if we don't do something. Call me!

PS Oralia still doesn't know she's pregnant. Neither phone numbers for her work, so tomorrow I'm going to try to find her. :) ORALIA DONDE ESTAS?!!!!!! You're going to have another little baby with a precious little Mayan face! ORALIA TE ESTOY BUSCANDO!

Nathanael fixed my bike today- put on new tires and other stuff, adjusted the seat, then Steve fixed the brakes. I never asked for this to be done, but they were wonderful and did that for me. I think Nathanael wants to send me a message about staying fit. So- now I have a great bike. Kudos to Nathanael. What great kids I have, and I don't deserve them at all.

Later we listened to one of Steve Brown's tapes (Nathanael and I). I have wanted to find a teacher whose discourse I thought Nathanael best responded to, and a long time ago Steve Brown made Nathanael laugh when no other Bible teacher we listened to did, so I have been getting Steve Brown's tapes for a long time. Sometimes I have difficulty following his point but he is warm and genuine and funny.

Tomorrow we'll go to Steve's work's new building dedication. Bob Taft will be there. They asked that I and the kids attend. Yay, looking at the forecast it looks like a nice warm forecast, not just tomorrow but the whole week. Perfect.

Steve will be making a short and powerful speech about his service in the military. The people he works with have really honored him and his service to the US. At the end he will be asking for a moment of silence for a Mr. Krause who has been KIA and also PFC Matt Maupin who remains captured.

There are definite ethical problems with one of the subsidiaries that was bought by Barr Labs (his work). Barr bought Duramed (located here, and where Steve was working when Barr bought it)- pharmaceutical company and they would have never gotten into this version of the pill- morning after pill- which ethically is OK if it stops ovulation or prevents fertilization, but when it prevents implantation, that is not good. It is bad, and in fact I'm glad it did not get approved by the FDA for OTC. I prayed it would not, and it didn't, Praise God. That's not the subsidiary that Steve's co. makes but that's no justification, Barr needs to stop making that. I feel like I profit from something evil. Now it's only available as a prescription on an emergency basis and I think that the only way it should be used is to verify at what time in the cycle the woman is. Duramed was owned by a family of Southern Baptists before Barr bought it, and one of their vows was never to get into that type of controversial and damaging medicine.

Rain II

The reason I called my last blog Rain and this Rain II is simple: It rained all day today.

Rain

I want to write a letter to my son Nathanael. The thing we disagree most about is science- specifically evolution, much of which I do not dispute, but much of which I do.

1. Scientists play dot-to-dot with missing links. There are way too many missing dots, like 99% missing, and university-paid scientists connect the dots they do see. The picture you get is one you'd get if you connected the dots with 99% of them missing- a picture which barely resembles the truth.

2. In a science magazine today, a writer went over all of the needless organs and broken DNA fragments that we no longer need, and of which some people have none, such as neck ribs (supposedly from reptilian ancestors), appendices, extra muscles we could use for walking on all fours, and more. You can see it in Discover. I don't dispute the fact those organs are there. However, I dispute some conclusions scientists draw. For example, the little toe. Do scientists not realize that we are all born with prehensile toes (including that one)? Anyone born without arms learns to use their toes as deftly as fingers. Since I cannot believe that armlessness isn't random, it seems to me that we are all born with prehensile feet. The fact that we put shoes on our feet and do not train our feet this way, does not mean we could not have done so. Some muscles for climbing trees- now why is it that people do not climb trees? I mean, who is to say that people should not climb trees? Actually there are people who build whole towns in trees, who climb up and down the ladders and branches every day, who spend most of their time in trees. That it is not a particularly useful skill for stockbrokers or waitresses or buffalo hunters does not mean that it isn't a valuable thing for our species. There are other examples- wisdom teeth, appendices (vegetable, not animal, diet)...not to mention wisdom teeth could replace molars that are decayed.

3. Scientists are well-paid by people who pay them to say what they want them to say. Changing the shiny textbooks is not an option. Science has somehow ceased being a science. One has to take it all and not question it. True science will have you questioning things. I have learned a lot this way. I have figured out a lot about humans just by observing them. More on that later.

Anyway, I want to write a letter to Nathanael, that he can take with him, that isn't rambling like this epistle, but that has a point- and I want him to grow in Christ and no matter where that takes him scientifically (I tend not to see things in terms of just two sides, as in the either/or world of the Scopes monkey trial, but I do believe God and His word)...there is so much we don't know, and I do know, too, that there is much potential in us that we do not use, both in organs and in great swaths of unused gray matter as well, which to me represents our brokenness from what God has created us to be- I think without that initial brokenness we'd be in good command of all our "unused" parts. Trust me on this one. Science, when it approaches truth, puts itself more in accord with God's truth (aka, Truth, since all truth by my definition comes from God). We are not using some organs and parts of the brain and parts of our DNA to certain things are "turned off", because we're not living in exact harmony with how God designed us as a species. Many call it The Fall. Rebellion. A break in that harmonious relationship. This is why all peoples in all cultures have essentially the same questions and concepts about soul, afterlife, the dead- there is a God concept actually biologically built into our brain, which is designed to be in communication with God, but which was broken, so now is seeking that reconnection. Yes, that is what Christ did for us, on the cross, and upon his rise from the grave.
Most scientists reject the classic Darwinian model of slow change, and talked about the punctuated equilibrium as a partial explanation, and maybe that explains a couple of isolated events, but everyone's still in such a quandary about those darned missing links...and the fact is punctuated equilibrium could not possibly explain them all...they're always looking at the obvious intelligence of God and His designs of species. When REAL science catches up they'll see it.

Oralia's News

I want to tell everyone, Oralia's pregnant! In fact, I want to tell Oralia herself but neither of her phone numbers work. I have to wait until Monday, at least.

This afternoon at the Elm St. clinic one of the people I helped, Oralia, was in the adult clinic complaining of indigestion and a pain in her side. When asked if she was pregnant, she said she didn't know. The doctor sent her to OBGYN after giving her a prescription for Mylanta.(This whole process takes at least an hour, too.) So we go to OBGYN, wailing tired child and sleepy husband too. There they take a urine sample and tell her to wait in the lab. I assume they'll take blood at the lab. Well we wait for another hour and they finally say they can't take more blood today, she'll have to reschedule. So we were going to go down to get the Mylanta when they said, no you have to go back to adult and give them the chart. Another hour because Oralia had 2 charts- one with just her last name, and her first name misspelled as "Orelina". Next chart had just been made in adult with the correct name. OBGYN sends back the wrong chart. So people have to go looking for the correct chart. Of course this takes forever as employees take their time chatting, laughing, etc. and wondering what the heck we're still sitting there for. So finally we get the correct chart and go to the pharmacy to get the Mylanta. Oralia and family leave, thinking they'll reschedule if there's reason to think she's pregnant, since she thought she'd had her last period only 20 days ago. Of course I doubted this because in her 2 charts she had 2 different birthdays and each time she estimated her age it varied from 25 to 29 years old. FYI in many countries (like much of Guatemala) people don't really know when they were born or keep track of how old they are. It's all a stab in the dark. And many, like the couple I assisted today, don't read or write but are fairly bilingual Mam/Spanish speakers. Well, anyway, having this sort of concept of the passage of time translates to, who knows how long it's been since the last period. She wasn't even in a huge hurry to find out if she was pregnant, it's kind of a maybe-I-am thing- anyway, after Oralia and family left, I go up to get my paper signed, and one of the nurses saw me and said, "Where's Oralia?" I said she had left. Well, she said "We just did her pregnancy test, and it's positive." "Are you serious? I thought she needed the blood test, that's what the other nurse said." The nurse I was speaking with said, "Why? I wonder who said that? All we need is the urine and she gave that!" I shook my head, and then I raced downstairs to try to find Oralia but she'd already gone. So I go upstairs, get the two numbers, and try to call her to tell her she was pregnant with her fifth, congratulations.

Now all of you know that Oralia's pregnant, excpet for Oralia.

Earlier today I helped a couple at the Price Hill clinic, I had helped her when she was pregnant and now the newborn was in. Beautiful baby, named Estefani. As in the Elm Street clinic, people misspelled her name a dozen different ways. (sigh)

I am not going to comment on some of my frustrations and observations of certain individuals here...don't wanna hurt anyone...but there are some people today who frustrated the heck out of me just by existing on this planet.

I also had no time to do the marketing for the friendship connection program, work on the web site, or call potential clients. I arrived at the office just in time to find nowhere good to park, due to Jammin' on Main starting, and the good places were expensive. I finally agreed to pay one place $8 but it was a machine-operated place that didn't take a $20 which was all I had...so I did a bad thing and parked there for the time I had to be at the office to turn in my editing work as well as clinic papers, just parked the car there and since the machine couldn't take what I had I just came back and drove away without paying anything, and I could get in trouble! I'm so bad- I will try to tell them Monday. Even though $8 is ridiculous to park for a short trip to the office and I wasn't going to Jammin'. (sigh) I hate parking in this city. NO FREE PARKING. Cincinnati's movers and shakers always complain about revitalizing downtown, why won't people come downtown, it must be the crime, etc. because the good stores are there. NOOOOO....idiots....the simple truth- PARKING. No one wants to come downtown because there's NO *$(&%(*&ing place at all to park. EVER. Unless you pay out the wazoo and who wants to do that when you can go to one of the eight dozen megamalls in the area and park for free. And why, why did Gerry have to buy office space downtown? Why not somewhere, ANYWHERE, else? You know, an office park or something...!!!!

It's Thursday all day today.

Beautiful day. I've been working on the website at the office. A great discussion website. Please go! We're trying to facilitate people making connections and friendships- Americans with people in Japan and Korea. We will ultimately take a group to Japan and/or Korea to visit the friends they make here. And we will have those people come visit Cincinnati and perhaps study English at Conversa if they want. These friendships will be based on shared interests- there are many topics that will appeal to lots of people- sports, hobbies (video games, anime, etc.), learning languages (English, Japanese), and also a place for Christian families and singles to make connections, though you don't have to be Christian to post anywhere on the site. We want to get people with common interests, who would otherwise not meet, to be able to make lifelong friendships. We'd like to get these people interacting!

www.chat-radio.us/englishnetwork.htm

Please, come over!

Also please join the chat at www.chat-radio.us/

Interesting Day

I spent today interpreting at the Elm Street clinic. Most of the people I help are Mayans. A few of them don't even speak much Spanish- they speak Mam. Anyway, I help a lot of moms and babies. I get to see lots of babies-the best part. And I wear a lot of hats in my job.
Anyway, todoay there was another woman there (American) in the OBGYN area. Later on I saw the woman sobbing with a counselor- I figured they'd found cancer, or some other wicked disease. Later I told her, "I don't know what has happened to you, but I hope you get better. I hope you're OK." She sobbed and said, "No, I'm not. I just found out I'm pregnant!" WOW she looked much too old- she said she was 47 years old! I said, "Congratulations! Hey, this is a GOOD surprise!" And she sort of sat there crying and laughing all at once. The bad thing was one of her grown daughters who was there with her who raled and screamed and cursed at her mother for getting pregnant at 47, that she had no business being pregnant, she was going to kill her mother's boyfriend, etc. and on and on and on. There was no stopping her! I wanted to butt in and yell at her, but my professional courtesy didn't let me. But I did talk to the calmer daughter, and to this lady, and said the baby will be a blessing, and given time the upset daughter will calm down. She certainly has issues. The calm daughter said her 27-year-old brother was tickled by the news. This baby will have several older nieces and nephews, too. The nurses at the clinic were like, Hey, this is a great thing! We'll monitor it carefully...but boom...a surprise! Caboose! How fun! So I'm praying for that baby and for that family.


In other news, yes I DID see the video of the beheading. I did watch it. It was sick. Just like people seeing the revolting photos of Emmett Till, which was the catalyst for the civil rights movement in the US. In both cases, we HAVE to be offended and sickened. We have no right NOT to be. And partial birth abortion? Does anyone realize what really happens? I HAVE NO RIGHT NOT TO BE SHOCKED AND REVOLTED. I HAVE NO RIGHT TO INSULATE MYSELF IN MY OWN COMFORT ZONE. IT SHOULD BOTHER ME. IT SHOULD BOTHER EVERYONE. WHAT right do I have to cry about my right to be unoffended? Do I have a right NOT to agonize over these things? I have NO SUCH RIGHT. IT IS TOO SICK TO VIEW. THAT IS PRECISELY WHY EVERYONE MUST.
My husband returned from Iraq 2 months ago. Unfortunately this is the peril they face. Nick Berg was only there doing tower/transmitter work trying to make a positive difference...I heard he'd been in Ghana doing this type of thing and came home thin and emaciated because he'd given all his food away. This is the type of person they want to behead? How is THAT helping their "cause"?

Second bloggin' day of the week

Well I think I've got a home for one of my kittens-Aretha, one of my English students (originally from Tijuana, and an engineer for Sola). She has a plethora of men chasing her around and she doesn't quite know how to get rid of them because she's afraid of sounding impolite, but confesses she doesn't want a man right now because after being married once she values her privacy. What she really wants is a cat. I had to tell her about hairballs and cat vomit, which go along with cat ownership, but I think she's still sold on the idea. So as soon as the quints are weaned one already has a new home.

My son Nathanael wants you to visit www.btinternet.com/~david.st/b3ta ....this is a very strange website made by an even stranger person in Sweden- and I-well, it's funny in a "what-just-happened-here" way.

OK, some other things I'm gonna recommend to all my "many" readers:
I've really found that marketability and talent don't usually go together. Though they sometimes do, talent is frequently not marketed to the whole planet, and so, as in the case of music, sometimes you have to search out the talent.

Here's some people I highly recommend: Jim Hurst and Missy Raines. I just bought their CD "Synergy" (after seeing them at Cincinnati's Appalachian festival) and it's one of the best CD's I have ever heard. They are master instrumentalists (he on guitar and she on bass guitar). Pinecastle Records- check it out. His voice is beginning to approach Garth's, and their Bluegrass and Jazz influences mold so seamlessly that only once you've heard it will you understand. By the way, you won't be sorry if you pick up a Laurie Lewis/Tom Rozum CD as well- she's got violin and vocals with all the little details- grace notes, that seasoned, smokey sound, the precision in each note- check them out- I had their CD "Guest House" even before I heard them at the festival and they as well as Hurst and Raines sound even better in person.

Here's another awesome band- John Kagge and the Lonesome Strangers. A local band and really I can't convey in words to you the mellifluous sound of Doug Hamilton's violin. I mean, this man is something I can't describe. His fiddle is his voice and conveys all those wordless emotions. I've gone to listen to them a couple of times at The Stadium in Oxford, Ohio, and every time I've wondered what the heck they're doing there every Sunday night rather than being up on a big Nashville stage. Oh, I see. It's the glitter and glam. Glitter and glam market well, right? That's why there are so many with NO talent, who have that glitter and glam...and they're "famous". NOT that there's anything bad about glitter and glam if you HAVE talent too- two of my fave musicians are Dolly Parton and Charo.

Are you tired of reading my blog yet? I wonder how many people blog here without anyone else reading it- I mean, there are millions...well, I just happened to run across a few that I found really interesting. There's one called markshea- a very well-thought out journal by a very intelligent Christian (Catholic) writer. I found myself acknowledging the truth of and agreeing with his views.

By the way, Vir's site is muttering.blogsite.com, and only the title "mutterings" with the "s". Sorry.

More later.

OK Why am I doing this?

Anyone who knows me knows I carry a journal that I write in. I have about 50 of them now stockpiled in a trunk, which nobody ever opens, and really no one cares to read them. Which is a good thing, since they'd probably read something about themselves, and that might not be so flattering. I'm a hypocrite- because if you're wearing something ugly I won't tell you. Unless you ask me. Twice.
So my real journal is going to be something I continue to write and stash away in a hidden trunk and it will probably go unread for the next 60 years until my grandchildren uncover it and read it and curse my name. Really my real journals contain a lot of my real thoughts, and not just thoughts, but confessions of stuff I've done that I don't want anyone to know about (even if anyone wanted to know).

So what you're getting here is the filtered-for-family-viewing edition of my bloggin' life.

I'm probably pretty foolish to suppose anyone will care to read this because they haven't cared to sneak around and read my journals. I guess they respect me too much, because they couldn't possibly find it...please no...BORING...please tell me my life has some excitement...

I got here because a friend of mine is doing this, and I followed the link. She is at mutterings.blogspot.com. You can find my brainless rambling at her site, too.

So tell me what you think.

And about myself: I'm a middle-aged woman (BOR>>>>>ING) with 2 sons who think I'm BOOOOORRRRING..... and I think they're awesome- they are 15 and 10. My older son is a much better and funnier journal writer than I am- he even adds fun cartoons- but he isn't on-line yet- maybe he'll try sometime soon. Anyway, if you want fun and excitement, ask him.

If you're still with me, I have a husband Steve and a cat Fiona who just had her second litter- quints- does anyone want a husb-- I mean, kitten?

By trade I'm an interpreter (Spanish/English) and I work for a small, very kewl company called Conversa (www.conversa1.com). Come visit us!