Just Cause He Gives Me Reason

Okay, more Sam Adams. Our illustrious gay mayor who is trying so hard to shake the image of being a child molester after "allegedly" kissing a 17-18 year old intern in City Hall's bathroom. It is still kind of gray as to whether the kid was 17 or 18, and this sex scandal won't go away.

I have to say, it gives me great fodder as a blogger to just sit back and watch.

So what happened this time? Well, it started snowing yesterday. In Portland, OR, it doesn't snow much at all. When it does, the weather forecasters generally let us know there is something afoot. Not yesterday. It started and it didn't stop. It put down about 3-4 inches of snow by evening time yesterday.

Here is the other thing....since it doesn't snow much around here, if there is even the slightest dusting of snow, the whole city shuts down. This Colorado bred girl was shocked her first winter here as the entire establishment shut down for something that would not even have gotten a late school start where I come from.

However, it makes it that much more important for the city to hit the road with it's gravel dropping equipment (not salt, can't hurt the fish you know, just gravel). There is probably more snow equipment in the city of Boulder, CO than there is in the entire state of Oregon.

So, it snowed, and it caught the city with it's pants down (tee hee!). I am happy to say I wasn't out driving last night, but the reports I hear on the local media.....it was a mess. Over 1000 cars left abandoned because they got stuck and couldn't get out. I hear of people sitting in traffic while their car just runs out of gas. I am hearing of drives that usually take an hour take 8+ hours. It was a mess, and could have been so different had the city been better prepared with crews.

Anyway, here is the mayor's response to the citizen's anger over the traffic snarl last night. If you want to have a good giggle.....read the comments from the readers toward the bottom of the article. You will see a whole lot of reference and innuendo to the mayor's public relations image relating to the City Hall bathroom allegation. Click here.

I can't wait until the next mayoral election.

I'll Let Him Say it His Way.....He Does it Best

Happy Christmas season to all of you!

Let Earth Receive Her King.....For Unto Us a Child is Born

Christmas Perspective

Have you had one of those holiday seasons like mine? One where all I want to do is hide somewhere to escape, and I am not kidding, the bickering. The bickering over who gets to use the red crayon even though we have a dozen red crayons, the bickering over who gets the most presents or over who is giving Dad the biggest present. Or how many pieces of paper we can use to send Santa our wish list, and who gets the red piece of construction paper to do that. Maybe your bickering might include what gifts should be opened on Christmas Eve as opposed to Christmas Day......and it gets infuriating, and you want to escape.

That is our household to the nines this year, and I am ready to pitch whatever is under our tree out the door. I am hoping the project I forced the family to participate in sinks in a bit. Here is the project from behind the scenes. It begins with our great Susie, at church, who spearheads this orchestra. First, she gets a list from the local elementary school of families who are in dire need this year if the family wants to have a Christmas. Our church takes on four families. Two of the families this year were displaced by a recent apartment fire and have been homeless since April. The family I am focusing on for this post is a mother and a ten year old daughter. They are homeless and couch hopping at friends homes while they struggle through the social services departments to get low income housing help. The plan was to deliver each family their load of gifts and food this last weekend, but for Julie and Sierra, they didn't know where they would be. It was hoped they would be in their apartment by Christmas. So Susie asked Julie (the mom), "Do you have a car?" Thinking that maybe we can have her meet us at the church to give her these things. Julie's response, "No, I have a cart." And then the tears flowed from all who heard that conversation. It was agreed we, the church, would hold onto the items this week to see if she got her apartment. It wasn't to be. So we delivered them today at a friend's basement apartment where Julie and Sierra are, again, couch hopping.

Julie and Sierra, you are gems. It was our honor and pleasure to be Santa for you this year. God bless you.

Sunday morning gift wrapping. Each station has wrapping, tags, tape, scissors. The table also has each family's gifts with each one labeled. Hats off to Susie!

Julie and Sierra's table.

After our great church members have come in and wrapped, it looks great. I also wanted to include this photo because it has a sliver of a certain teenager's bum
who wouldn't turn around but would only give me his best side.

Today, our sleigh (mini van clunker) getting loaded up.
No, the chicken feed isn't for Julie and Sierra.

Our van is full, and more was put in another vehicle.
I am so proud of our church for making sure these folks get a Christmas to remember.

JM and my hubbie loading into Julie and Sierra's current apartment.

And suddenly the bickering gets softer and softer and softer......

A whole lot of gained perspective.

Festive Lights

Peacock Ln in Portland. Started as a small block of houses 80 years ago who were just a little overboard on their lights. It has grown. Now, it is part of the HOA requirements if you purchase a house on Peacock Ln. You must deck your house with lights, these days, these nights, etc. You must also know that because of the crowds, you will not easily be able to access the front of your home during the holidays. Why? Because for eighty years, families like mine come and stroll the block enamored with such a light display. I hope you can imagine what we were able to see. If you live in the area, it's the best free light show around.

Worthy of a Repeat

I sent all this letter last year, and I think it's even more worthy this year:

Dear Friends and Family,

Somewhat embarrassing to admit, but Christmas is tight this year.

I will be making bedroom slippers for you all as gifts. Please let me
know your sizes. You'll most likely agree that it's a splendid idea, and
should you wish to do the same, I've included the instructions below.

How to make bedroom slippers out of maxi pads:

You need four maxi pads to make a pair.
Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part.
The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top.
Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part.


Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers (this is most
aesthetically appealing), etc.

These slippers are:
* Soft and Hygienic
* Non-slip grip strips on the soles
* Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh
* No more bending over to mop up spills
* Disposable and biodegradable
* Environmentally safe
* Three convenient sizes: (1.) Regular, (2.) Light and (3.) Get out the
Sand Bags.

I've attached a photo of the first pair I made so that you can see the
nifty slippers for yourself....

Awaiting your response. It's crucial that I get the right size for each
one of you.

Preventing Regulation.....and Loss of Life

Photo courtesy of KGW

Okay, here we go again in the Pacific Northwest. It hits the headlines a bit nationally. It seems almost every December, a group of climbers decides to ascend Mt Hood. It is a beautiful peak, and it one of the most hiked peaks in North America. Almost every December, experienced hikers have some major weather close in on them, and they are lost and stranded on the peak. A huge Herculean (expensive to taxpayers) effort is made to find them.

We are there again. Last Friday, three very experienced, trained climbers went. None have returned. One body has been recovered, the other two are completely gone. Yesterday there was a huge window of hope because the weather cleared up for rescue efforts and a good scouring of the mountain happened. Not without danger. Certain areas couldn't be accessed because of avalanche danger. No luck. Today, the rescue effort is completely "on standby" because the weather is so treacherous. It is blizzard conditions on the peak right now. I am sad to say, it is hard to hold out hope right now. I am hopeful that the two still on the peak are maximizing every bit of knowledge they have and have found shelter.

Two years ago, three climbers went up. One body was recovered, the other two have never been found. History goes on and on. It happens every few years.

With new technology, here is the rub.....for $5, climbers can rent a beacon so that if lost, they are pinpointed, and found within minutes. I listened on the radio last night to a gentleman who runs a nonprofit that takes kids up Mt Hood in the summer and takes a beacon so parents can watch their kids with a blip on the internet. They can easily be found just by this silly thing. In some states, climbers are required to carry a beacon and if they don't, they are financially responsible for their rescue. Trust me, that hits the millions fast. Especially when helicopters are used, which is a must on Mt. Hood.

The climbing community has a different take. They tend to take cell phones, not beacons. The argument is that climbers would take more risks if they had beacons knowing rescue could be there so quickly. I don't get that argument. Simply said, I wear a seatbelt just in case I am in an accident. Do I drive more safely without it? Not really. Do I drive more safely when I know that a cop is around and there might be a monetary fine if I don't drive safely? You betcha. Cell phones are good to a point. In the current search we have, the only information given is that there was a cell phone "blip" on Friday afternoon. It can be triangulated, and that is all. Doesn't help anyone one bit right now.

Do I think we need more superfluous laws in our illustrious state that has far too many of those already? No. But as a taxpayer, I am torn. We are shutting down schools, forcing furlough days on state employees, and have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. I think these rescues are too expensive for us to not ask for some kind of compensation, or ease in how to rescue folks. Do I think a life is worth this Herculean effort? Absolutely. It would be nice to have the beacon, make one trip up the mountain in a helicopter, and bring down the climbers in one afternoon. Not three days of frustrating, fruitless searching.

At this point, the issue is a standoff. Here is my proposal, please weigh in.

1) Let's not make laws yet.
2) Climbers.....please take beacons, not just cell phones. Please. I am asking you to "police" and self regulate yourselves. Please let people know you have a beacon. Even if you just list it as your equipment when you check in. Or check this out, take my new fancy cell phone. It has gps on it, and I can be found with that because my phone is basically a beacon. It isn't hard, but boy, the results of not having one is heart-wrenching and expensive.

Why? Because taxpayers won't do this for much longer. We can't afford to lose you, and our state can't afford it financially. Such a difference between sending up a rescue helicopter and finding climbers in one afternoon as opposed to days and days of searching, and in some cases never finding anyone....ever again.

Our "Kitties" First Christmas

No, Tyrone is not helping....he is supervising.

Ditto.

I just think this is a great pic of my kids.

Tasha doesn't supervise. She just finds the most comfy spot.

Not Too Many "Firsts" After 17 years.....

We are looking at some more "weather" coming in. If you lived in the Portland a year ago, you know we got socked in for two weeks. Luckily, I had done a mad dash to the store ahead of time that helped Santa when he did arrive. We also live within walking distance of a grocery store.

So the hubbie calls tonight. He is headed to the store to stock us up for the iced in weekend that will probably not happen since we are actually prepared for it. He asks me what things I might need. Yes, you guessed it, I asked him for those things. Those things I have had a lot of pride in saying I have never given him the embarrassment of going through the checkout line to purchase.

Seventeen years of bragging....gone.

To his credit, I asked him, gave him the particulars, and he said "okay". Next item on the list.

Found It!

Okay, I have been looking for this article for a long time. I was sitting in the public library right up the street from my home last summer. While the kids were finding books, I found crinkled up on a table the local extremely liberal rag. You have to read it with caution. The Willamette Week.

However, this is the same rag that interviewed me last summer and brought about the scandal that brought SB 767 to it's knees and turned around the course of that forsaken bill. As a result, our school is still open. I am ever so thankful for their willingness to publish when no one else would listen to us. So, I thumbed through it, after all, let's read the paper that had just interviewed me.

I have become a fan. I know, moderately conservative me actually appreciates this rag. Why? Because they tell the truth! They aren't paid off by a union representative that is asking/paying them to be quiet.

Now, as we went through and scrutinized ORCA to the nth degree in the legislative session, especially "where the money goes", funny how I came across this article at the library during that time. Seriously, I know more about the financial books of our virtual school than I think anyone should know, just by listening to public testimony. It is ridiculous! Why do I think it is ridiculous? I have contended the entire time, and said so, if we are going to scrutinize our virtual schools, then we need to be fair. Let's scrutinize and audit the regular schools. Where they have waste, there needs to be sanctions. When I would say that, what response did I get? Crickets......

Check out the awful waste my local public school system is engaged in. Click here.

I go back just now to try and find it for the millionth time, and actually found it. But I also found this more slightly older (last spring) listing of waste. Click here.

I guarantee you as good as I am sitting here typing, if any of Oregon's virtual schools showed up that kind of waste in any of the three audits they receive weekly, monthly and annually.....there wouldn't be a SB 767. Why? Because the school would have been shut down way before the legislative session. And you know what? I would have agreed wholeheartedly. My taxpayer dollars shouldn't be paying for expensive conference rooms and Blackberry's. My education tax dollars should be paying for reading, writing and arithmetic!

Nothing like knowing, again, 40% of my tax dollars go to public education in my state. So glad to know I can arm administrators with Blackberry's.

Good grief.

Second Verse, Same as the First

The place where the coon put its arms through the fencing, but didn't get in.
Obviously, it got some feathers off of her.

Here she is. Her back leg has that brown around it. That isn't normal, that is dirt and broken feathers. She also has her leg tucked up to her chest, favoring it. I can't get close enough to get a pic of her face to show you those abrasions. Yep, time to go to the infirmary.

Remember my freak out last year when one of our chickens was beaten up by a raccoon? Check my label "coop news" for that horrifying history.

Here we go again!

Five thirty this morning. I could hear squawking. Now chickens generally squawk at weird times, but this was insistent squawking. I was listening......then the squawking started to fade. Like the chicken was losing it's ability to squawk or it was dying.....not good. Hubbie jumped up and took the dog outside.

Sure enough, I heard two barks and something hitting our chain link fencing. I got up and met the hubbie at the back door with the question, "Did we just lose another chicken?" He said no, that he didn't see the critter but he was pretty sure it was a coon. It didn't get in the coop but got a hold of Henrietta by putting it's arms through the fencing and grabbing her. He said she seemed okay.

Later this morning I went to take a full sunshine, daylight close exam of her. My first observation, she has some very slight blood around her cockles and waddles (the red globs of flesh around chickens faces). Second observation, she has a slight limp. Third observation, the leg she is favoring has some messed up feathers. Conclusion, she got roughed up and I need to look at the leg.

Well, for a chicken with a gimpy leg, she sure made me chase her around the yard to get ahold of her. I turned her over, and moved some feathers around, which she did not like at all. That is unusual. Normally when examining a chicken, they kind of just go limp and let you do whatever to them. I think she is in enough pain that she didn't want me messing with her. Her right "elbow" has some cuts and abrasions on it. I think the coon got ahold of her by the leg and was trying to take her down (let's put it out there....it was trying to disembowel her to eat her.....there I said it).

I am ever grateful that the coon was not able to infiltrate the coop. I am glad none of us were in a dead sleep and heard her cries. I am glad her injuries were nothing like last year's.

The plan? Henrietta is in the household pet infirmary (pet carrier in the basement) resting. When I get home later and she has calmed down, I will put some peroxide on her leg and clean her up. We are also rethinking how to lock the girls up at night. It seems this happens when it's extremely cold and food sources for coons boil down to my ladies!

So, we feel lucky to have dodged a tragedy. We'll keep you posted....

Just Remembering a Great Man

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."

–Ronald Reagan, President 1980-1988

Huh.....Just Has Me Intrigued

This whole Tiger woods thing has me intrigued. Of course when celebrity junk captures my attention, it is because I usually have a personal history with the story that just makes me think, "Huh...."

Quick summation. In 1990 or 1991, my father was in a very serious car accident while driving a van (like a regular sized van, minivans weren't around then). He broadsided another vehicle at about 40 to 50 mph. He smashed into another van full of a family that did not have their seatbelts on, and my dad did. People were tossed out of the other car and found wandering around when rescue arrived. They sustained some major injuries. Of course my father was sued, and because he had top notch insurance coverage, the insurance company fought that battle.

Anyway, my dad was wearing his seatbelt, so when rescuers arrived, what did they find? An unconscious man strapped into the front seat of his buckled van. They smashed through the back door of the van and lifted him out the back door of the van on a board. He was home by the end of the day with lacerations to his face and arms. Yes, quite the testimonial on seatbelts considering how the passengers in the other vehicle fared. No one was killed, but they did sustain some pretty hefty injuries that took quite some time to heal from.

I saw his van after the accident. Of course, the rescuers came in the back door. The front end was so buckled, the doors wouldn't open. However, the rescuers tried. You could see crow bar damage from where they tried to open both the front driver door and the front passenger door. No avail. Back door.

Okay, so when I hear about this little fender bender with a hydrant that Tiger had. I see the pics from the scene, and I see the most gargantuan vehicle with a very dented bumper. Tiger keeps saying to the media his wife whacked the windows out to get to him.....yet the photos I see of this barely damaged body shows the doors wide open......it just makes me go "huh......." Especially that middle pic I posted.....there is absolutely no reason anyone needed to take a golf club to the car.....I am no accident investigator.....I am no dummy either. He is darn lucky that when she took the swing at the window behind the driver, she didn't make contact with his noggin.

Tiger has no obligation to give anyone an explanation. But it still makes me go "huh....."

Doors seem to work fine in this pic. No crowbar damage to get it open.

Only damage I see here is the window.....huh......interesting.....

OH! I see the damage is on the right front of the car.....the driver side's damage is only a putter through the window.....interesting......

Don't mess with a ticked off wife. Let's leave it at that.