Just Like Oregon Train

I'm not much for television news, but I am a CNN.com junkie. I check it a lot to make sure there wasn't a tsunami or a crazy postal worker. Then there are always the celebrity arrests and deaths that make the top news ticker...which is still beyond me, but whatever. So, I made a pot of chicory coffee from the remaining Cafe Du Monde coffee that we still have in the house, and sat down to make sure I didn't miss any Earth shattering news last night for the very brief time that I actually slept. (Yes, I am napping after this post.) So, I pull up CNN and guess what I see...

A Tiny Life Lost to Whooping Cough

and

Death Toll Rises in Haitian Cholera Outbreak

Cholera and Whooping Cough?? *Checks the date to make sure it isn't 18something and something. No, its for sure 2010 and yes, people are still not only getting these diseases but dying from them. Its not all Little House on the Prairie. If this ever isn't clear to any of us, the reminder is all over the front page of CNN and sadly, all over the minds of the parents of that little baby and many other families who are dealing with the resurgence of these diseases.

When I went last fall to get my flu shot, I also had to have my Tetanus vaccination updated which SUCKS. Those things hurts like a sonofabitch. So while the nurse smiled and stabbed me in both arms, she asked me if I wanted my Pertussis vaccination as well. I honestly asked her why in the world I would want that, and referenced the Oregon Trail game which used to be my sole reason for school in the seventh grade. She casually mentioned that it was on the rise again, and I casually blew her off thinking it was probably a push by the vaccine developers to sell shots for diseases that don't exist any longer. I got it anyway.

Then it was the kiddos turn. Now, I know there are a lot of people who oppose vaccinations for their kids and that is their decision. I have considered it myself with all the talk of Autism and other problems that may or may not be linked to combined vaccinations. I asked my pediatrician, whom I love to death, and she told me these two things.

1. I gave them to all four of my kids. The correlation just isn't there or proven enough not to.

2. Those diseases aren't gone, people just don't get them as much because they are vaccinated.

In the back of my head, I always knew those two things were true but my anxiety brain sometimes takes over and skews whats real and whats not. The kids got their shots too because, to me, the risk associated with them having the shot are nothing compared if they really did happen to come down with the actual diseases.

Those diseases aren't long gone, we're just able to stop them before they start. We're afraid to use the technology that underdeveloped countries are begging for. That's an oxymoron if I've ever heard of one.

Alright... I know this is a hot one for a lot of moms and dads. Hit me with the comments. Don't be shy.

Senator Megan *cue laughter*

Thanks Google Images :-)

TODAY IS CAPS LOCK DAY AND AS A PROUD CITIZEN OF THE INTER WEBS, I'LL BE DOING THIS ENTIRE POST AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS.... FINGERS.  PLEASE DON'T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE OBNOXIOUS SOUNDS GOING THROUGH YOUR HEAD, I'M JUST DOING MY CIVIC DUTY AS A BLOGGER UPHOLDING A HOLIDAY AS IMPORTANT AS THIS. *EYE ROLL* I TOLD YOU THERE WAS A DAY FOR EVERYTHING. SERIOUSLY THOUGH, THIS IS PUSHING IT.


SINCE, THERE IS A DAY FOR EVERYTHING, THERE MUST BE A CANDIDATE FOR EVERYTHING TOO. I MENTIONED BEFORE THAT I HAVE TOYED IN THE PAST WITH THE IDEA OF RUNNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD. I HAVEN'T COMPLETELY ABANDONED THAT IDEA, BUT I HAVE PUT IT ON HOLD. HONESTLY, I HADN'T GIVEN IN A LOT OF THOUGHT UNTIL I READ A POST OVER AT MEAN GIRL GARAGE. SHE HIT ALL OF MY HOT BUTTONS IN ONE FANTASTIC EDUCATION POST. SERIOUSLY, THAT WOMAN KNOWS HER EDUCATIONAL SHIT IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF.  BETWEEN THAT AND THE ELECTION SIGNS CLUTTERING ROAD SIDES EVERYWHERE. (I WOULD SAY TV ADS, BUT YOU ALL KNOW I'M NOT MUCH OF A TV GIRL) THERE ARE SOME CRAZY, CRAZY IDEAS - ACCORDING TO ME - OUT THERE. THERE IS THIS PATRIOT MOVEMENT WHICH I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE (VERY LITTLE) ABOUT, THERE IS THE PRO-BAMA, AND NOBAMA STUFF AND ALL THE INSANITY THAT WILL ALWAYS SURROUND POLITICS.  


SO, IN ORDER TO STICK WITH MAIN STREAM NEWS AND KEEP YOU ALL AS WELL INFORMED AS I AM. (LAUGH, THAT WAS A JOKE -_- )  I'M CREATING MY OWN POLITICAL PLATFORM RIGHT NOW. HERE IT IS... THE VOTE FOR MEGAN FOR *INSERT OFFICE NAME HERE*


MY FIRST LINE OF BUSINESS IS TO END CAPS LOCK DAY. Its a stupid holiday and its making my throat  fingers hurt to type like that anymore. You're calmer already aren't you. Its amazing what a little common sense will do. Take that as a huge hint politicians. I don't care about all of your statistics and pie in the sky ideas... common sense is a rare thing anymore. Try to use some.


Now for the issues at hand. Before you unfollow me, please remember that everyone has an opinion and I'm entitled to mine. I won't ever push it on you but I'm not afraid to tell you what it is either. You are more than welcome to think whatever you want in my book and do as you wish... as long as you're not hurting anyone else.  So... I'm going to hit the big ones. I'm not going to dwell on them, just knock them out really quickly and as bluntly and vaguely as I can .... just like a real candidate.





Environment - This is the only planted we've got. Your big businesses won't do well if the planet doesn't exist or have people inhabiting it. 

Abortion - I wouldn't ever consider having one. I think its hideous and awful and it makes me cry because I'm a baby person. However, telling you that you can't ever have one won't stop you from doing it.  I just hope you'll consider other options first. 



Health Care - Attn drug companies: Its medicine, not media. Commercial slots are pricey. Advertising your drugs on television to citizens who know nothing about what your drug does, doesn't help anyone. It encourages people to ask for more meds so you can make more money. It also raises the price for people who really need those meds. Stop it! As for everyone else, is there anyone in a country as developed as ours that shouldn't be able to have health coverage, and choose their doctor? Should they not be treated in a timely manner? No. Do I have a solution? No, but I bet no one else does either. 

Education - Oh here we go... I mentioned above that Jules (@meangirlgarage) wrote a super-fab article. I agree with every point she made. I have some more things to add and I'm probably going to piss a lot of people off, so bear with me.   Inclusion is a joke. I'm not sure who came up with the idea, but it wasn't well thought out I.M.O.  By including a severe and profound child in a regular classroom, the students in the room are not learning how to treat them. They don't look at that student and see them as their equal. The handicapped child knows that they aren't the same. There aren't enough hands, funds or time for everyone to be learning to their maximum potential. It hurts me to say that, but its true. Education is not Utopian!! It doesn't work that way and while having every child reading at grade level is a great idea, its NOT POSSIBLE if we keep the set up the same. I understand that sometimes kids feelings get hurt, and that sucks, but are we worrying about their feelings or teaching them to deal with those feelings and work hard to get where they want. Then there is testing and dumbing down the curriculum. Make the curriculum easier so the slowest students can keep up, but then test them over things that are complex and require higher level thinking skills? Pick one.  I'm not going to try to reinvent the wheel here, just read what Jules said.


   (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac A. Graham) www.army.mil


War and Humanitarian stuff - As much as I hate it, war is sometimes a necessary evil. It may just be me, but it seems that there are a lot of other countries in the world that do just fine keeping their noses OUT of everyone else's business. I also get that now we're in it and there are a lot of countries that aren't big fans of our. Countries with weapons. We can't let that slide because we're in to deep at this point. It all sucks. Hey Canada..... send a sign please.  And then there is Somalia... Ooooh Somalia. You break my heart. I want to save you. I want to love on your people and take the money we put into one missile and build a well so you can have clean water. I want you to be taught how to build business and not bombs. I want you to grow food and not poppies for heroin. Its all about love.

Gay and Lesbian rights - Gay rights is the new abortion. It used to be all about how a candidate felt about babies, not its all about how they feel about homosexuals. You've got to love the hot topic of the times. So, here it is... here's what I think. Love it or leave it.  Gay people do not freak me out. Not even a tiny little bit. I think they should be able to tell whomever they want that they are gay and not be harassed or bullied in any way. I also don't want my kids to grow up and discover they are gay. I know that doesn't seem right because I just said I don't care, and I don't. I fully believe that for many gay individuals, it is a biological trait... for others, maybe not.  In the mean time, legal marriage of homosexuals is fine with me.  Religious marriage is entirely different.  I know that seems like an oxymoron and the last time I checked... that was just about right for me.





Prayer in Schools, removing the 10 Commandments, In God We Trust, etc 
Ummm..... how do we feel about wrath? I'm not going to preach to you, I believe what I believe and I won't force it on you. ( Goooooooo Jesus ;-) ) I also think that leaving the 10 Commandments on the courthouse lawn isn't forcing anything down the Jewish or Muslim or Hindu population's throat. Prayer is a ritual in almost every culture. Let them pray. However they pray at home. This country was founded by people escaping religious persecution, so in God we trust was a big thing for them. God is a general term... I say God, you say Allah. Tomato/Tomato. Whatever, you get it.


I'm sure you're all ready to jump on my train, aren't you. Go on... tell me.

^&#%^&G&D^&GDG - Its like that.

I'm in a piss poor mood today. I have been since about 12:30 last night when Miss Two decided that it was time to throw her, "I want to sleep in your bed" fit then proceed to kick the covers off and talk and roll around until I drug her back to her bed for the 30 seconds before she came back up into my room. This went on until 2:30. I was up at 7:45, missed Zumba and the two oldest had made bright green pancakes and left batter all over the kitchen. Today is fall break which means the two oldest are at home (and really being awesome) with the two youngest. Loser tantrum throwing mom that I am has already had two meltdowns almost consisting in ripping out my hair, cussing and sobs. I have no idea what my problem is today, its just one of those days. Maybe its exhaustion or the constant stream of demands from the two youngest, but whatever it is I need to CHILL OUT! So... you get the brunt. You get my whining and ranting and wishing for wine and bedtime. You get to hear about how I'm in one of those moods where my house can't be clean enough or quiet enough. That I can't stand one iota of noise and should probably be isolated from my children all day. I should sleep instead of blog, but I won't. And I won't clean either because, really, whats the point. All four kids are home. Oooo, I'm one emo pain in the ass today. I should just shut up now shouldn't I.

I'm not a fan of sweaty

As much as I would like to tell you that I am physically fit and looking rock hard and cut, I'm not. OK, even just shapely and able to run a mile would be nice, but I have this little issue; I HATE to sweat. I've never liked it, and maybe that's why I like(d) swimming - at least if you sweat, you don't feel it so much. Other than that gross slimy feel that covers you, you stink. Then there is my biggest problem and that is my hair. Its curly and I don't just mean wavy, I mean CURLY. If I get sweaty, it gets curlier and messier, and my face gets bright red when I exercise, so I avoid it for the most part unless I'm in a pool or walking. Running is an absolute NO under most circumstances short of a knifer attack or a tsunami.

So, last night was my off night of coaching swim team, but the kiddos still had practice. Since I've been working on what I am now fondly calling The Hunger Games diet, I figured throwing in a little exercise would just just make it that much faster. I had the iPod loaded up with some angry music that makes me want to move while I concentrate on NOT singing along with the lyrics. (Nothing like the white chick on the treadmill screaming out Eminem). Here's the thing... it was Tuesday and I told my friend Amanda that I would do Zumba with her this week. I know that everyone in the world LOVES it and I had been wanting to give it a go, but it requires sweat and if the music isn't right, I just.... well, you get it. I was looking forward to my mean time with Marshall Mathers, Linkin Park, and Jay-Z, but I agreed to go under the condition that I could leave if I didn't like it.

So, here I was in the gym with this group of women and one man having no idea what to expect and already feeling a little nervous that I was probably the only newbie in the group. The instructor came in all jazzercised up, cranked up the music and we were off. Now here's the thing, I have never been very good at trying anything that I didn't already feel confident that I could do well. I was never going to try out for volleyball, or basketball because I knew I wasn't good at it. Track, no. Drawing, no. Singing, no. Dancing, maybe but not like this. Not just watching and picking it up and trying to look like I knew what I was doing. Still, it was Salsa night at Zumba and suddenly I felt a little bit of that Dominican vacation I took a couple of years ago sneaking back into my brain.

For most people that would be a good thing, a distraction from the ache in their legs or the sweat dripping into their eyes *gags*. For me, its bad because when I start mentally blogging during Zumba, or anything really, I start to laugh at the things going through my brain. I forget to follow along with the class, then I actually started thinking that I needed to stop and go get some paper to write everything down before I forgot what I wanted to say. I'm fairly certain that it is impossible to Zumba and blog on paper simultaneously. So, I had the mental blog thing going, and then I had the RPG character plots start in. It was getting harder and harder to think and the music started moving faster and faster then came what I will fondly refer to as Psych Ward Zumba. 

If you're a Zumba virgin like I was up until last night, its a lot of dancing and screaming and moving and then... then started the head shaking and the crazy fingers around your ears. You know... the cuckoo thing. The he/she's crazy finger swirl. We danced that little motion while we shook our hips. That was it. I started making  dork faces and giggling like a lunatic. I couldn't move anymore because I was cracking myself up! I was absolutely positive that the teacher was going to stop the music and ask me if I was feeling OK or scold me for disrupting her Zumba madness. I had to get it under control. It was Latin mayhem in my brain and on the gym floor. Ricky Martin was doing She Bangs and all I could think about was my blog, my game and how much fun this would be if I had a margarita in my hand. Something had to help me out of this. I needed angry, not giggly!!

  

Thank god for Pink! Rock Star came on and it was time to refocus. And by refocus, I mean sweat. Ugh... except we got to punch and I have pent up aggressions that I needed to work out. Amanda and Heidi had promised me that the instructor had played at least one Eminem song and I was ready and waiting thinking that adding a little rock to Fiesta night was a step in the right direction. I had to get over the psycho dance and get my Grrrr on. Pink was going to have to do and she did. My legs were killing and damned if I wasn't sweating and liking it. I refuse to eat my words. I don't like to sweat... except last night. I actually LIKED to sweat. I felt like a complete idiot for an entire hour and loved every second which led me to this blog and my own Zumba play list. Here it is:

Panama - Van Halen - Think Gravatron - yeah

Numb/Encore - Jay-Z and Linkin Park

Are you Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard

Till I Collapse - Eminem and Nate Dogg

Hips Don't Lie - Shakira

Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake

Right Round - Flo Rida

Burn It To the Ground - Nickelback

You know what, I'm never going to teach a Zumba class, but I might go again. Maybe tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. *God help me if I leave the house before 8*. I think I may have found something that makes me like sweat. Watch out.

Want to find a Zumba class near you? Go here .  Want to do it at home? Go to Amazon

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Random something to think about: I don't think I like my blog name. I don't think I have really ever liked it so I'm going to change it. Have a good idea, let me know. I'll post a survey tomorrow or sometime soon with my favorites.

Calling all Pros

I am flattered and nervous and honestly, clueless about what to tell the wonderful person who asked me, ME,  to help her start them blogging. I have to be quite honest, I'm completely new at this blogger girl gone mad business and I just write whatever the hell is floating in this mixed up brain of mine at the moment. I've mentioned before that I can talk with the best of them and pretty much to anyone, so its easy for me to get on here and just ramble.  Again, I own my own not-so-long-ago beginning to Nessa who told me some basics. I'm banking my future Dooce-ability on her. ♥

So, I'm throwing it out there to the entire blogging universe. I'm begging for your best advice, your worst experience, your big break, your "do not try this at home" story. I know you've got them and for my sake and the sake of the person I'm going to chat it up over coffee with, and yes, I would go meet her without a blog and coffee, send down a flag. Send a message in a bottle or just leave a comment. Come on. Pleeeeeaaaaase.

8 Pound update

I'm never sure whether I should start with the good news or the bad. You never want to lead into a discussion on some downer note, but I also like to leave a conversation happy, so maybe I'll try to split the difference. You know, good, bad, good. Here goes..

The good news:
I'm on day *counts backward* five, I think. I've been doing a South Beach Protein bar for breakfast and some a few bites of fruits and veggies during the day, finishing up with a sort of normal dinner. Just smaller portions, no seconds, and NO SNACKS. The first two or three days were killer. I kept thinking about all the things I couldn't shove into my mouth and it made me slobber like one of Pavlov's dogs. Add the food denial to my kids incessant snacking, and I'm was NOT nice. But... I made it 5 days on this little "diet"  including the weekend where I only had half a beer. I also made cupcakes and didn't even take one bite. Three cheers for will power!



The bad news:
Its kind of cloudy and drizzly today which for whatever reason makes my stomach a lot more empty and hungry. I'm cheating a little. I put some skim milk in my coffee to make it just a speck richer. I would give my right hand for a chocolate chip cookie. I don't know what it is about the weather that influences my appetite, or maybe I should blame my tweet that I've killed my hunger. Either way, its back and out for vengeance!

Also, I am out of South Beach bars and had to replace with two eggs which aren't keeping my growling innards near as happy as the bar did, which means I'm going to have to go to the stupid grocery store, or God forbid, Wal Mart to get more. I'd rather die but I refuse to give up on this eight pound plan.

The good news revisited:
I've lost three pounds which means I only have five more to go. Three pounds in five days seems to be pretty OK. I'm not a very patient person so I'd like to say I lost all eight in five days. Even if I did, I could only claim that annoying water weight thing and judging my my thighs, that last five still needs to leave. Also, I skipped marshmallows at a bonfire and opted for a single small piece of pumpkin pie and only half a portion of the pasta with extra veggies. That's OK, right? Please say yes. I needed that pie!!!

<-- See, totally OK. Its vegetables.

My Pie Recipe
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Open box, remove plastic wrap.
Bake pre-cooked pie on a cookie sheet for half an hour.

I have a case of the wants

I Want....
            Grilled Mahi, couscous and pineapple salsa


A clean house.                 A nap in the sun


                                                  Brownies without calories


            A shopping spree complete with a new fall wardrobe.


                                                                 The perfect Christmas                                           
A private jet with my own pilot


                          a boob job


World Peace and an end to hunger. Duh.


                                                                             A cell phone with Internet


            Hardwood floors                Books.... more and more and more books


     Excellence in Public School... not just pretend excellence


                                                                             A hover car


To be able to appearate!            Faeries
                                         
       High speed rail to my favorite places including Canada, Florida and Europe.


motivation              consistency         perfection        


                                Endless music                                                               New PJ Pants
WiFi beamed down from the heavens
                                                        
                           Another weekend in Chicago


A week in the Dominican Republic with the hubs.
                                                                                               
                                                                                             A natatorium in my county.


A job.... scratch that. I don't want a job.
                                                                                   A puppy that doesn't poop or chew on things.


                      That trellis thing at 2 Sisters


Sunshine and 75 all year long with two days of snow and two days of 99


                                       Twizzlers                           contentment


     fresh flowers in the kitchen                      That fire back, just not as intense


Blogging fame      
                                                                 I could do this all day...

 What do you want?