Flakey Friday Post

Due to our ward's newsletter getting done here last night and into this morning, today's post is a low maintenance one for me. I had saved this and wanted to share it with you. I thought it was funny.

I hope our society doesn't ever deteriorate to the point we must text the story line from Jane Austen's novels. That would be more than sad to me. But the concept it still funny.

I Think I'll Wait for the Next Handbasket...

We might not be headed to hell in a hand basket as fast as I once thought. Yesterday I heard two legal outcomes that almost restored my faith in the process of law and the people who create laws.

Yesterday afternoon the US Supreme Court ruled on our local free speech case. There is a Pioneer Park in town that has a large granite monument on which is engraved the Ten Commandments. A group called Summan, a small religious community demanded that if there are 10 Commandments housed on city land, then by the separation of church and state and equality for all and fairness to none policy then they ought to be able to donate a monument of their own of their 7 Aphorisms for addition to the park's monument collection. The city leaders declared the 10 Commandment monument to be representative of the beliefs by which the founders and settlers of our fair city lived, thereby it was appropriate in the PIONEER park.

The US Supreme Court ruled yesterday in favor of the city! Will wonders never cease?

I'm glad I asked that, because yesterday it seemed they would not.

Not just a few hours after hearing the Supreme Court ruling, I received an email that the Senate Bill 199 had been significantly amended and would now legislate that all parental groups be allowed access to their public school. NO mention of only the due-free ones and not amended to require the waiving of dues. Hallelujah! Common sense might be making a come back. PTA will not oppose the new incarnation of the SB 199, since the idea of equal access benefits all kids. Why, again, did we waste time ont he Hill with this stuff?!

After two outcomes like yesterday's, I almost felt hopeful about the country at large. Then I sat up and listened to the news last night. Then I thought, maybe I'll jump on the first hand basket that crosses my path after all. Like the Titanic's lifeboats, there is always more room in the early ones.

Here's to Genius Golfer!

Today is Genius Golfer's birthday.

Like I told you, he is stuck celebrating with Cub Scouts tonight at their Blue and Gold banquet. I feel like I should play the wife card and demand that he be home so we can celebrate as a family. But as the family will be concurrently at Young Women, Scouts, and B & G Banquet tonight, I guess I should hold that card for another time.

We will still go to school and go to work and do all the things that have to happen around here on a given day--birthday or not. But it definitely feels like a let down.

Perhaps it is my expectations poking their ugly heads up again only to feel guilty for not doing what "should be" done. That is probably it.

Ideally, for example, I should write up 43 things I love and admire about GG in celebration of his birthday. But he has quit reading the blog since the one posting he read, he thought was rude. We have since settled that disagreement, but it was funny that THAT post was the only one he saw. So 43 things might be over the top.

No poetry for birthdays, that is a given. My attempt at the recent Valentine poem was, let's say, less than spectacular, so I won't force that one you again.

So a cake and gifts it will be. I even have a special "husband's birthday" card for him--with no poetry at all. We'll make dinner a different night or take him out to dinner to celebrate. Expectations make poor party planners, huh?

No matter if my attempts to celebrate this wonderful man's birthday are sorely lacking, I will be sure to tell him the most important things, whenever we celebrate. "I love you" and "I appreciate all you do for me and the family" and "I can't imagine my life without you" and "Happy Birthday!"

A Random Cartoon TRI-Fecta

CARTOON # 1

The sun was out long enough yesterday that the afternoon warmed up to the mid 50s and all the neighborhood kids were out. Little kids playing and riding bikes. Big kids hanging out and playing basketball. Perhaps that is the key to curing boredom--more sunshine and warm weather. Even my next door neighbor, whom I haven't spoken with in person in literally months, called over a 'Hello' and a bit of a chat when she pulled in after work yesterday. Come on Springtime!

CARTOON #2

Oh, if everything could be solved by a little Lego battle, a little Battleship, a little board game. Maybe we could designate a player to represent each opposing force and make agreements to play hard, play fair and then abide by the cunning and skill of the representative players to settle the disagreement over a simple game. It would sure save a lot of lives, and a lot of stress from soldiers' families. I got a little message from my Friend Jeff--from long ago and far away in my youth--who I haven't seen in a few years but recently has been serving with my BIL Joey in Afghanistan asking if I was planning on coming up to the airport to see the troops home on Friday! What good news for all the families. A little Lego battle maybe could have settled this with these guys all at home.

CARTOON # 3

Genius Golfer's birthday is tomorrow and he has to spend the evening with our Cub Scouts for their Blue and Gold Banquet. GG doesn't seem that upset by it, but we don't even have a Cub anymore and it is his birthday--I was put out. The week is turning into a logistics nightmare with everyone going here and there each day. We are hoping to celebrate Thursday night, but with no promises. In the meantime, he has to hang out with boys who think fluffing/tooting/letting one rip is high art. They are funny for only so long at this age. For the sake of the families that will come to the banquet and have to eat with these boys, I hope everyone is fluff-free. But they are easily entertained, so it must be a trade off.

Have any crazy, random cartoons you'd like to share with me? I'd love to see them. No worries for a themed concept--just send me the link or email the cartoon you like. It will take my mind of the political process here in the state. For that kind of distraction, I thank you in advance.

I'd Like To Thank the Academy...

I'd like to thank the academy, but I can't. Not without feeling a bit like a hypocrite.

Last night was the Academy Awards ceremony. Yes, I am a geek and watched it. I rather enjoy Hugh Jackman, who was hosting, and wanted to see how he did. I haven't seen more than one or two of the movies that were nominated, and those were the flicks like Wall-E and The Duchess--not any of the BIG movie nominees.

Here is why I can't thank the academy:

• They are as far out of touch with my entertainment needs as the ball gowns that paraded up the red carpet are from my jeans and a t-shirt.


• The Oscars give a big, international platform for winners or whiners who make a political statement to be heard loud and clear without any option for rebuttal.


• While I understand the concept of entertainment being fantasy or escapism, those people who have made this industry their livelihood have seemingly bought into the fantasy and believe their escapist lives are reality. It is hard to stomach, frankly.


• And if I have to hear about one more "former Mormon" saved from the conservative, hatred indoctrination by a mother who loved me for "who I am" and consequently wants to marry their gay partner, I think I will give up movies in the future.

Yes, that last one bugged me most of the night. The screenwriter for Milk won the Oscar. He mentioned in his acceptance his Mormon upbringing and then ended with a plea to be able to marry his lover. Argh.

I don't push my entertainment on them; WHY must they push their politics on me?

I did enjoy Hugh Jackman's hosting gig, and the Slumdog Millionaire group was fun to watch as they won something like 8 awards throughout the evening, and the dresses were outrageously beautiful, (though completely unwearable in my real world), but even those weren't enough to draw the bitter taste of whine off my tongue when the night was over.

So, no, no thanks to the Academy. Maybe another year. But probably not.

They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore

In case you were beginning to believe that I was so caught up in the political processes happening around me that my connection with real life has eroded, my posting today will reassure you, I am still happily grounded, thankyouverymuch.

My blow dryer just blew up.

This morning, yes, I have half a head of wet hair and the other half is nicely dried already. Sparks shot out the tail of the blow dryer and the smell of fire lingered in the air. Then it gave up the ghost.

I can't understand it though. I have taken good care of it. I haven't wound the cord all over the handle and nozzle of the thing. I have treated gently. I do use it about every day, and the kids have began using it too, but not all the time. I don't get it.

I am pretty sure this is the same blow dryer I bought about a year before Genius golfer and I were married. I had to get a new one while I was in college as my childhood blow dryer died about then.

So this one has only lasted me about 18 years. They don't make 'em like that any more. Remind me to put WallyWorld on the docket for tomorrow.