Sick sick sicky sick sick sickiest sick

Where am I? Sick!

Good grief! What a month! Is March over yet?

So my kids get their little sniffly cold at the beginning of March. Because they are young and their immune systems are fresh and free, they recover and bounce back in a day or two.

My husband? He gets the full hacking, lung spewing, nasty cold. Nice huh?

I am next. About a week and a half ago, the tickle in my throat began. Here is my problem. Since I turned 30 (last week....shhhh!) I have had the hardest time keeping a cold from turning into a sinus infection. If I don't keep all forms of Mucinex and Sudafed, all versions, constantly in my blood stream, a simple cold can easily turn into a full blown sinus infection.

I have awful stories of these bouts as well. There was a Christmas when the kids were small. When we got home from the festivities, I went to an emergency care place. The doctor told me I was within hours of being admitted to the hospital. Merry Christmas!

Then there is my favorite. The month before we adopted our youngest. Here is the problem, I am doing my gamut of meds, and from hour to hour, I feel good. Then suddenly I feel bad. Then I have a few good hours, then I feel horrible. Days go by before my common sense kicks in and says "Self, you're not getting better. Get help you dork!" Anyway, one month before adopting said child, I was doing that better/worse ride. One night as I was trying to sleep, it suddenly felt like an ice pick was being driven into my ear. The internal brain burning was nothing like I have ever experienced, and it scared me. Yes, doctor visit the next day. I let that one go so long I ruptured an ear drum and couldn't hear out of my right ear for 6 weeks.

I have grown a brain since then. When I can't get the sinus junk out of my brain, I pay the co-pay and just get the antibiotic. I don't wait. And of course, last week, Wednesday and Thursday, not getting better. Off I go. I have my meds and I can stand up without throwing off my equilibrium and making my nose drip disgusting things.

So the kids, the husband and me. That's all right? Oh no. Remember, we have critters. Our poor dog! She has a cool new health plan (Obama should have taken a look at this before boosting our entire health care system.....but I digress) where she gets some nice maintenance kind of care, not just shots, for a few dollars a month. It's time to get her teeth cleaned. That requires her to be put under anesthetic. However, in our last visit, it was noticed she had a few benign growths. One behind her ear and another on her chest. They don't mean much, but those sorts of growths turn to cancer in older dogs. So why not? She's going under anesthetic, let's have those removed.

So she has her meds now too. She has an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and a pain pill. I have an antibiotic. The husband isn't on anything, but I also can't find any more Mucinex right now.

We're just a bundle of energized health right now. I feel better, but sound like Demi Moore on steroids. The dog is doing well although she has to wear a tshirt so she leaves her stitches alone. The husband still hacks up things.

What We Give We Can Expect? Nope!

I got one of those forwarded emails today that I want to share. I normally don't but every now and then, you gotta admit, you get a gem. Here you go:


Dear Mr. President:

I'm planning to move my family and extended family into Mexico for my health, and I would like to ask you to assist me.

We're planning to simply walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico, and we'll need your help to make a few arrangements.

We plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws.

I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here. So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Calderon, that I'm on my way over?

Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:

1. Free medical care for my entire family.

2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.

3. Please print all Mexican government forms in English.

4. I want my grandkids to be taught Spanish by English-speaking (bi-lingual) teachers.

5. Tell their schools they need to include classes on American culture and history.

6. I want my grandkids to see the American flag on one of the flag poles at their school.

7. Please plan to feed my grandkids at school for both breakfast and lunch.

8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy access to government services.

9. I do plan to get a car and drive in Mexico, but, I don't plan to purchase car insurance, and I probably won’t make any special effort to learn local traffic laws.

10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from their president to leave me alone, please be sure that every patrol car has at least one English-speaking officer.

11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my house top, put U S. flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.

12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, or have any labor or tax laws enforced on any business I may start.

13. Please have the president tell all the Mexican people to be extremely nice and never say critical things about me or my family, or about the strain we might place on their economy.

14. I want to receive free food stamps.

15. Naturally, I'll expect free rent subsidies.

16. I'll need Income tax credits so although I don't pay Mexican Taxes, I'll receive money from the government.

17. Please arrange it so that the Mexican government pays $4,500 to help me buy a new car.

18. Oh yes, I almost forgot, please enroll me free into the Mexican Social Security program so that I'll get a monthly income in retirement.

I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all his people who walk over to the U.S. from Mexico. I am sure that President Calderon won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.

Thank you so much for your kind help. You da man!!!

Annual Super Bowl Favorites

Here is what is hard to reconcile with this year's commercials. They are all a bit crass and immature. We saw a lot of people get smacked in the face, a lot of underwear (and we aren't talking Janet Jackson or Victoria's secret), men having their masculinity completely obliterated and an awful lot of just bad taste. In all of that, our household had it's favorites. Here they are:

Doritos - House Rules @ Yahoo! Video

We didn't catch this one, but once a friend shared it with me, and I saw it, I do like this one. However, I do concede that our household of friends weren't able to vote. We'll see how long it lasts, it's been hard to find the embed code.

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.

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.

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.

Cute Things Happen During School Too......

Whew, after playing with toys all morning, the books are a great place to crash.

Ooohhh....something moved....must attack.....

Moving pencils......must.....attack.....

If I pounce on the pencil first, it's mine!

These little plastic things that flick around really easily.....

It's so nice they put this book out for me to lay on.

Are you moving that pencil for me????

A "Gluing"? A felony?

Yes it is. And everyone in this case is getting what they deserve.....mostly a whole lot of embarrassment for acting in a manner unbecoming to an adult.

Click here. And be sure to read the reader's comments below the article. The "two stage epoxy" comment had me going.

Sigh.....humor. It heals a broken heart sometimes.

Hmmm......no

Received this spam tonight:

This e-mail was sent by Bell Canada to notify you that we have temporarily prevented access to your account. We have reasons to believe that your account may have been accessed by someone else.

Please verify your details by following the link below http://bell.ca. blah blah blah......

© Bell Canada ( Please do not reply to this e-mail , this account is not monitored. Follow the instructions in the e-mail )

Methinks no. I don't have an account with Bell Canada, nor plan to, nor think that link is worth any virus, trojan or whatever to find out.

Because It's Been Way Too Long Since I Have Posted....

Most Embarrassing Medical Exams

1. A man comes into the ER and yells, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs -- and I was in the wrong one.!!

Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Francisco

2. At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. "Big breaths," I instructed. "Yes, they used to be," replied the patient.

Submitted by Dr.. Richard Byrnes, Seattle , WA

3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct.. Not more than five minutes later, I overheard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a massive internal fart.

Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg

4. During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with me (his cardiologist), he informed me that he was having trouble with one of his medications. "Which one?" I asked. "The patch. The nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours, and now I'm running out of places to put it!" I had him quickly undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see. Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body! Now, the
instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.

Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk , VA

5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, "How long have you been bedridden?" With a look of complete confusion, she answered, "Why, not for about twenty years - when my husband was alive."

Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson-Corvallis, OR

6.. I was performing rounds at the hospital one morning. While checking up on a woman I asked, "So how's your breakfast this morning?" "It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I just can't seem to get used to the taste," the patient replied. I then asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled KY Jelly.

Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit , MI

7. A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room when a young woman with purple hair styled into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of tattoos, and wearing strange clothing entered. It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery.

When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green. And above it there was a tattoo that read, "Keep off the grass." Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient's dressing, which said, "Sorry, had to mow the lawn."

Submitted by RN no name

AND FINALLY!!!................

8. As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB , I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams. To cover my
embarrassment I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing, further embarrassing me. I looked up from my work and sheepishly said, "I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?"

She replied, "No doctor, but the song you were whistling was, 'I wish I was an Oscar Mayer Wiener.'"

Dr. wouldn't submit his name.

And the Days of Our Lives Continues....

I have been absolutely dying to do another Sam Adams post. But all the virtual school stuff had me so busy while he was committing more shenanigans. Okay, reminder here....who is Sam Adams? Revolutionary patriot? Yes, but not in our city unfortunately.

My first humorous post on this was back in January when it came to light that our esteemed openly gay mayor had a tryst in the public restrooms of city hall (allegedly) with someone who may or may not have been 18 at the time. To make the humor dig in better, this alleged lover's name is Beau Breedlove. No joke. You couldn't pick a better lover's name for a gay scandal. Click here for that post last January.

To top that off (oh but it gets so much better!) Beau decides to upstage the mayor who has a serious public relations problem by posing nude for a gay magazine in February. Click here for my sarcasm on that to refresh your memory.

I am not joking, there has been more than once I have been reduced to tears laughing at how utterly ridiculous this whole debacle has been. What keeps from going completely ape about it is the sobering thought that Sam Adams is running our city. Oh it gets so much better!

Okay so after all these allegations the state's attorney general launches a huge investigation and it seems like everything is quiet for some time from that aspect. Sam filled in that gap of time with some juicy news anyway.

So one day in the beginning of May, Sam has a minor fender bender car accident. No big deal right? Let me put it this way--Sam is dang lucky I wasn't reporting on this incident because I would have gone a whole different direction than all the other press in this city. He is in a fender bender, and there is talk on whether his breath smelled of alcohol. The police have commented on this and stated without a doubt they would have given him a breathalizer if they thought for a moment that was necessary. Sam has said he would have asked for a breathalizer if he had known this would have become such an issue. Back and forth for a few weeks in this press on this. Blah blah blah.

What no one seemed to catch and run with, which I would have, is that fact that Sam got out of his car after the accident with his pants unbuttoned. Click here. I tried to find the original articles in the local press. Interesting I can't find them now, and had to rely on a local radio personality's blog to find the quotes.

Okay, we all know it's one thing to have your fly down, it's a completely different matter to have them unbuttoned. What do I think he was doing? I think he was doing exactly that. Friends I talked to about this agree, Sam wasn't drunk on libations. Let's put it that way. We know why he was driving erratically.

And Sam needs to be thanking his lucky stars for several things on this.
1) He wasn't anywhere near a school or a playground. He could have had some really serious charges brought against him. Charges that could have required him to register as a sex offender.
2) No one at the scene made a hairy deal about seeing him that way.
3) That everyone was so concerned about him being "dazed" and drunk and not just "dazed" for other reasons.

Lucky man, Sam is. That could have easily gone completely down the toilet for him if anyone saw it any other way. Luck ran out after that.

Come about the beginning of June, suddenly Sam Adams is behind on his mortgage payments, and he is defaulting on his property payments. He claims that his legal bills have mounted that he can't pay. Click here for that. That has been picked apart in the news as well. Keep in mind, Sam brings home $118,000 annually and he is the one who should have counted the cost (including legal ones) before kissing in the bathroom with Beau Breedlove.

He is also the dude in charge of our city's budget. Absolutely I am worried and miffed. If he can't find $5,000 in his personal budget to pay his mortgage, how can I think he can handle the city's budget?

But wait, there is more! The attorney general's office comes out with their report. This is what I can surmise from all the flying fur:

1) No criminal charges will be filed because of lack of evidence.
2) The attorney general claims that Beau Breedlove has been deceptive and his testimony would not be credible if criminal charges were to be filed.
3) Sam has claimed all along that he has fully cooperated with the AG. Well, why did it take three months for Sam to turn his computer over to the AG? The AG was very clear that the lack of cooperation from both Sam (not giving over requested information) and Beau (lying about things to suit his needs) made the investigation very difficult and lengthy.

So the AG made it clear that criminally, nothing could be proven. However, ethically, that is out of his jurisdiction. Good grief. That was a waste of taxpayer dollars and it didn't need to be if both parties involved were honest to begin with.

Is it my business what Sam and Beau do behind closed doors? It certainly does if Beau was under 18, in the city hall bathrooms, while Sam was a city council member being paid by my tax dollars. You bet it's my business. It's also something I need to know when I am choosing to vote for him or not. Remember, Sam managed to squash this breaking story while campaigning to be mayor.

I certainly hope this is the last chapter to this stupid, preposterous story that has done nothing but make me more cynical about politics and the waste of my hard earned tax dollars.

Beau granted an exclusive interview with a local media station. Beau is upset that Sam lied and didn't cover for him in this mess. I am not joking. He is the jaded lover that thought Sam would always be a friend and wouldn't let him get hurt in this whole mess. Click here for that exclusive. Be sure to watch the video too. Beau is now also saying he was in fact under 18 when he first kissed Sam. Sam threw Beau under the bus to save his political backside. Nice Sam.

Just a little news here to anyone at city hall and the press.....We are not stupid! It is apparent and obvious that both Sam and Beau are lying! Do I care about Beau? No! I do care that my city's mayor, and it has been conclusively proven by the AG, is a liar. If there is one thing the AG report proved is that Sam is being deceptive. Thank you! Glad we could establish that.

And unfortunately for Beau, he learned what I think all youngsters learn who date older people/predators. The older person doesn't want them for their brains and intellect. It's pure physical lust. And then you're discarded. Unfortunately for Beau, he learned this with news cameras watching.

Folks (mainly anyone from city hall who cares to read this), that is why it is illegal to mess around with those under 18. Physically they can handle it. Mentally, it may seem they can handle it. They can't. It scars them. Seems silly I know, but there is a reason why that law is in place.

And we will try to recall this idiot for a mayor who can't handle his own personal and financial life. Yet we expect him to run this city.

Please sign the petition. If only so that this city isn't the laughing stock of the Pacific Northwest.

Tourons??

What is a touron? It is the cross between a moron and a tourist. Where did I learn this term? From working three summers during high school and college at a tourist attraction. I have seen tourists do really silly things and I have seen tourists even do really dangerous things.

Today, as a tourist, I witnessed a touron in action. Enjoy the pics!

We saw a sign along the freeway for "Wailua Falls 4 Miles" so we turned to go see them. As we arrived at the lookout, we couldn't see the falls but were greeted by this sign. I am not sure which is more disturbing the message or the bullet holes. And then I turned to my right and saw this touron.....

This touron is standing on the rail and it is at least a 100 foot drop to the bottom of the falls. I have nothing to say to this.
He is being such a touron! Nothing else fits.

Here is the stunning view he was looking at. I took this picture without standing on the rail.

Spanish 101

As we approach the end of our first year of virtual schooling, it's getting creative. We have completed JM's curriculum for Social Studies, Science, Math, Art and PE. When I saw on the daily schedule this was coming down the pike, I asked his teacher if we could sign up for an elective, and she said "of course" (you can't if your student is struggling or has outstanding issues of some kind).

The hubbie thought we should do French, because that is his favorite language. I disagreed. Why? When was the last time you met someone on the street speaking French? However much you agree or disagree with the politics of this land, it is very helpful to know Spanish. I, on the other hand, took 3 years of Latin in my early years. And the same question applies, when was the last time you saw someone speaking.....

For the past month we have been working pretty dilligently on Spanish. I am learning it too, and kind of enjoying it. This class is all online. So it's listening to little recordings of someone telling a story and inserting Spanish words (a lot like Dora the Explorer shows). It also is worksheets. Culture lessons on Mexico and Spain. We also get a Power Point presentation from JM's Spanish teacher and we go through those as well.

One thing I have noticed....I have to drill the vocabulary into my kids' head. So today as I am drilling the words for colors into JM's head, BH joins in and, surprisingly, is picking it up fast.

BH likes to be quizzed in his Spanish colors and has asked me several times today, "Ask me my colors!" And here is my car conversation with BH while JM had his piano lesson:

Me: What is the Spanish word for "yellow"?
BH: Amarillo (that double "l" is a /yuh/ sound remember, BH said it right)

Me: What is the Spanish word for "blue"?
BH: Azul.

Me: What is the Spanish word for "green"?
BH: Verde

Me: What is the Spanish word for "white"?
BH: Hmmmmmm........hard.

It is actually "blanco".

Stupid Criminals

I am not going to put a link, I am going to copy and paste this story, and give credits to our local NBC affiliate for the story. Go ahead and read it, and I have a few questions at the end about this:

"MCMINNVILLE, Ore. -- McMinnville police say they cited a Salem man with drunken driving twice in one day.

In both instances, police say, 52-year-old Carl Elton Reeves was driving the same pickup and stopped near the same state liquor store.

Police say they first stopped Reeves at 11:05 a.m. Friday after he ran a red light. He was released into the custody of his grandmother and his vehicle had been impounded.

A while later, authorities released the pickup to another party on condition Reeves not drive it. But he did. A tow company employee saw Reeves take the wheel and called police.

Police spotted Reeves' pickup and followed it back to the state liquor store, where he was cited again.

The second time around, Reeves was booked in the Yamhill County Jail on $6,250 bail."

________________________________________________

Question, how does a 52 year old man still have a grandmother?

Question, I didn't know that 52 year old men were released to the "custody" of grandparents. I guess it is true, once a parent always a parent, even when your child is close to being able to get a senior citizens discount.

Comment, I guess this man never learned the words of wisdom "make your parents proud". That does apply to grandparents as well. He's 52, so I don't see that happening soon.

Good gracious, there is so much wrong with this world, and this story just assured me that any rose colored glasses I have need to stay off my eyes.

Just to Be Poopy

Okay, I dated a few guys in college. I need to clarify this--before I went to Bible college, where I met my husband the day I walked on campus. That succinctly took me off the market at Bible college, but before I transferred I went to a state (party) school.

A guy I briefly dated, we'll call Mr. Video Pitstop. Just go with me here, okay? It was a crash and burn relationship that lasted maybe a few months. But it was mutual when it ended, and it needed to end. I found him on Facebook. He's a Facebook "friend" now, virtually, which is all that is needed with him.

Guess what he does for a living now? He is a teacher in another state for an online virtual school.

Oh my word, the irony.

Printer Woes

Time it took for me to figure out how to install new ink cartridges: 2 hours, no success.

Time it took for hubbie to do the same thing: 2 hours, no success.

Time it took to call tech support: 10 minutes on hold

Amount it cost me to get help from tech support: $9.99

Time it took the tech support guy to tell me to turn on the printer so the cartridge could swing over within view to be changed: 2 seconds.

Having my printer working: priceless.

It's Been a Few Day....Here Are Some of My Thoughts

* Easter. I love it, and I dislike it. I love the completion of God's work in the life of Jesus Christ. I have much hope for eternity in Easter, more so than Christmas. He is risen, He is risen indeed!

* Family is about to leave after visiting for several days. I love having family in and visiting. I am ready to have my regular routine back. School starts in our little classroom tomorrow afternoon.

* Captain Phillips. I have to be honest, I was skeptical. I didn't think he would come out of that situation alive. Hats off to all those who made that amazing rescue happen. Navy Seals, need I say more? Note to self, don't travel near the horn of Africa, even carrying a cargo hold full of relief supplies.

* I have earned it again. I have earned my company's annual incentive trip. It's true. The hubbie and I are going to Cancun in May, to an all inclusive resort, for free. I am so looking forward to it!

* With the family from out of town, we just spent a long weekend at a very simple yet fun resort here in our own state. Give me a few minutes with the digital camera, and I'll have some fun pics from that trip coming soon.

* Our kittens got the big fix. They also got declawed. Don't harass me! In the several years since I have had kittens, and yes, declawed, I have not been so judged. Apparently, it has become controversial. It's done. I am glad the furniture, especially the new leather sofa, will not be obliterated. Yes, they will be 100% indoor cats, and would have been regardless. We have raccoons and coyotes in our neighborhood, they are indoors. Period. I am glad that there were no inappropriate, overly affectionate overtures made between the two before the big snip happened. Whew....

* Tuesday before Easter, my parents arrive and my dad gets hit by a nasty stomach flu and holes up in his hotel for the next 24 hours. The night before this, a huge pantry shelf fell in our basement, breaking a bottle of wine, that made the most incredible mess and cost us $181 at Costco for some serious sturdy shelves. The day after he arrived and was in his hotel, our dryer went out. Have you functioned without a dryer for very long in a rainy climate? And like we have the money to fork out for a dryer after the $181 shelf fiasco. Had a 72 hour feeling of "what else can go wrong?"

* Whatever we did in 2008, we need to do again. We scored on our tax refund. Some of that has been taken up by the above new dryer purchase.

* Got one more dentist visit before this tooth is done. That tax refund is shrinking with every appointment.

* Happy Easter!

I Smell Chocolate

It Can't Be That Easy!

In years past, with our rodent problem, there are more than two rats. I killed my first two this year in the traps and now......nuthin'. Our best year, we killed eight but that was in the later part of summer. Several of those rats were not big either, I think they were teenagers.

So, where did they go? Since it is only March, I am wondering if I got the Mama and the Papa, and Mama was either preggers or there is a nest somewhere that has now been left unattended with young that I am sure have perished by now. It has been almost a week, and we have no rat activity outside, none in the garage and and the trap is still set where it was last weekend.

Am I thinking we're rat free for the season? No. I think our pre-emptive strike was definitely effective.

It's Spring!

And what does that mean in our house? The rats are out of hibernation. I am not kidding. We have rats, and they always get lively this time of year.

Let me give you the bullet points on rats:
* According to the county vector control worker that came out and checked out our backyard (which is where the rats are currently, NOT in our house) he said "All city dwellers have rats. You have rats, the neighbors have rats, we all have rats. The only difference, because of your chickens, your rats come out and you can see them. And because you can see them, you can kill them. Just think, your neighbor doesn't even think he has rats, poor fellow." Vector control guy had a sense of humor. He also loved our chicken coop.

* We have had worse years than other regarding rats. This year seems worse than others.

* Rats are stinkin' smart. They also have bad eyesight and move based upon scent. Tupperware airtight-ness serves a purpose.

* Rats can collapse their ribs and shrink up to the size of a quarter.

Okay, where are we this year. Well, the rats come out during the day and just leap right into our metal feeder for the chickens. In years past, we have seen them just romp between our city approved, rodent resistant compost bins and build nests in those. We have also seen them just sit under the bird feeders while the birds drop seed and they feast.

In years past, our dog has been ol' reliable when it comes to killing them. She had a kill one year of 8 rats. Go girl! So we are planning once we get some nicer days, to go shake up the compost pile. That usually causes a few to come leaping out. Especially if you have the husband standing by with a shovel, you can usually kill a few. That is in the works for this year as well.

In years past, I have put out rat traps, and watched the little suckers dance all over the rat traps, debait them, and run away. Have you ever set a rat trap? They are the size of a person's foot and will take your fingers off it you're not careful. I saw red when they were doing this. So I had given up on the rat traps for quite awhile.

So, this year, what is my objective and goal this year? Kill the buggers. We have sat at the back of our house for several days now with our pellet gun shooting at them. Problem, we aren't accurate and neither is our Walmart special pellet gun. However, it is quite fun.

But in our shooting the other day, we noticed a rat scurry along the garage, and into a rat hole into the garage. Okay! Keep your nests in the compost bin! I am ticked!

Well, let's do something! I decided that since that was a portal that they go in and out of, I am going to try my luck at rat traps again. And also run the risk of losing a finger. Today is Sunday, Friday night, I set a trap at the opening of that hole on the inside of the garage. Saturday morning, bingo!
Mom = 1, rats = 0.

Let's do it again. This morning, bingo! Mom = 2, rats = 0.

I'll keep you posted. I finally don't feel outsmarted by a rodent!