Friday rant.
The news is providing more recalls for Children's products,
This saddens me beyond words. Are we that desperate to buy cheap toys and have large toy companies increase sales? I am sure someone has started this campaign - but let's stop buying this garbage.
I am gathering a few ideas for my neices and nephews this Christmas and pray that none of them are tainted with leads, fumes and other edible toxins.

Recycling Truck - made in usa - Of Course we love this toy!! It's never to early to begin teaching youngsters the value of recycling. Made in USA

Cuddle Cozy Doll - Little ones love to hold the organic doll chew on the knots

and plenty of construction paper and scissors

For more info read this article... No I am not submitting to the Al Gore campaign. green article Just moving away from the evil toxic toy makers!

Well, I am going to make a sizeable donation to the library, thanks to Luke.
He decided to take up reading and eating.
He is so darn cute and I did leave the book within teething range.

I read alot of food blogs. Eating is my hobby. I am not the greatest cook or baker, but once in awhile I will experiment.
I found a recipe for Potato Chip cookies here.
I am not sure how this would taste, I do like the idea of salty and sweet.
We rarely buy potato chips, but who knows I might try this at the holidays.
from her blog
Potato Chip Cookies
3 dozen cookies

2 1/2 cups crushed potato chips* (measure after crushing)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup chopped pecans or roasted peanuts

Combine the sugars, egg, milk and vanilla and whisk together to combine in a medium mixing bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder to combine. Add dry ingredients to batter then mix in the potato chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet (or parchment lined sheet) allowing space for the cookies to spread. Bake at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

* I use Lay's potato chips because they are thin, crispy and very salty. Other chips may work well too, but I've always used Lay's. You can now get Lay's with no trans-fat and while I couldn't work out exactly how much fat and calories are in 2 1/2 cups of potato chip crumbles, there is no addition added fat in the recipe (other than what is in the egg and milk).

AWTM has a link to You tube video that scares the beejus out of me. The only good thing is if the daughter is competing with her for scholarship, she would win hands down. Her high school teachers should be ashamed. wow - link

She’s been called the harpy, the Jezebel, the Lorelei, the bitch…and other choice names. In truth, she is someone’s daughter, mother, friend, confidante. She seduces husbands, breaks up marriages, and occasionally becomes a stepmother. Sometimes, she is even a victim. So who is this creature who arrives like a wrecking ball to destroy lives and families? She is the Other Woman—but she’s only half the story.

For every Other Woman, there is a wife or girlfriend whose relationship has been devastated—or surprisingly—blissfully liberated. Some women find themselves playing both roles during the course of a lifetime.

With 21 insightful essays from the list of America’s most respected and award-winning female authors, this collection explores the highly personal, sometimes anguished, sometimes hilarious, but always compelling experiences of women on both sides of these highly charged and emotional situations.


So, the title may scare you - but the stories are fascinating. This book is a combination memoir/anthology. Recommended. Seriously.

ok -
On Monday
I begin to track
FIT DAY

I am consuming too many calories.

something you should know

We have ties to Peru.
My daughter went there on a mission trip summer of 2006
Our sponsored Compassion Child = Rosa lives there. She is fourteen.

UN steps up assistance for Peruvian quake victims
24 August 2007 – The United Nations is bolstering its assistance – through the release of almost $10 million from an emergency fund and an appeal for nearly $40 million to be launched next week – to victims of the major earthquake which rocked Peru on 15 August, one of the world body’s top humanitarian officials announced today.
The UN has already approved the release of $9.6 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) “to ensure that the resources are available,” UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Margareta Wahlström told reporters in New York.
The CERF is a landmark fund established by the world body in 2006 to speed up relief operations for humanitarian emergencies and make funds available quickly after a disaster, when people are most at risk.
An official UN appeal for $38 million will also be launched next week, Ms. Wahlström said.
“There has been enormous outpouring, I would say, of assistance from countries in the sub-region, from regional banks, from NGOs [non-governmental organizations],” she noted. “Everyone is being supportive of this effort.”
Efforts are still in progress to improve hygiene and water sanitation, Ms. Wahlström said, adding that debris clearing will also be introduced shortly. Emergency employment schemes will be initiated so that “people will both get a job with some income and at the same time the rubble of all the collapsed buildings will go away.”
Assessments conducted by both the UN and the Government are also expanding to rural areas to ensure that “the organization of relief is progressing well,” she said. To this end, Peru is also conducting a local census to determine correct population figures.
To collect data in support of the appeals for assistance, a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team has conducted assessments in Canete, San Luis, Chincha, Ica and Pisco, primarily to examine the shelter situation.
So far, 513 people have been confirmed killed and about 1,000 people reported to have been injured in the earthquake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale. Its epicentre was 161 kilometres south of Lima, the capital.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) until now has focused its efforts in the water and sanitation sector and has delivered chlorine, water containers and tanks and water-purification tablets. It will now begin to address latrine and water supply needs in schools and shelters, and will also assist the Government by providing 47 tents to serve as nurseries as well as provide psychological support and educational materials for children.
In a related development, Ms.Wahlström also announced today that the UN will issue an appeal for funds early next week to help flood-beleaguered residents in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), where 221 people have been killed and 400,000 affected in 92 counties.
The UN appeal “will only focus on food, emergency medical and emergency water and sanitation areas,” she said. “Anything else that goes beyond that will be dealt with later on in a different format.”

Quiet birthday. I need the peace.
Well, I am a officially 37. Numbers bother me, whether it is on the scale, the sum of years on my driver's license or the amount in our checking account.
This weekend I hope to be quiet. I have home work and two books that I am reading that I will post about later.
I link to my post from last year at this time. 8/24/2006
Have a great weekend.

sometimes we are alot alike

I am thrilled to report.. She made yearbook editor.
I am very proud of her, she will do an awesome job.
I also taught her a new word today.
One most women know pretty well.
infatuation

Main Entry: in·fat·u·ate
Pronunciation: -"wAt, -"At
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -at·ed; -at·ing
Etymology: Latin infatuatus, past participle of infatuare, from in- + fatuus fatuous
1 : to cause to be foolish : deprive of sound judgment
2 : to inspire with a foolish or extravagant love or admiration
- in·fat·u·a·tion /-"fa-ch&-'wA-sh&n, -chü-'A-/ noun

Admittedly, I have experienced infatuation, often mistaken for love.

Well, another week is complete.
The upcoming week will be full.
Homework is pouring in for the daughter and I both.
I have plenty to clean, but lack of enthusiasm keeps me at bay.

Boredom:
Yesterday I had two main tasks.
Clean, sort and organize the spice cabinet. (How lame can I possibly be, but it needed to be done.) This was successful and I picked up the items we were running low on. I still need a couple of spices I use primarily around the holidays. I need to make hot chocolate for the next month to use of the bulk cocoa. I sorted and semi-organized another catch-all cabinet that house specialty dishes, medicine, vitamins and other kitchen miscellaneous items.

Remember this post and this post from eons ago. Well, opportunity had not knocked until last week. The dogs are driving me crazy with these vertical blinds. Yesterday, I bought the rod and the new curtains. Thank goodness for clearance at Tuesday Morning.
I need run a cool iron over curtains and have the husband remove the old brackets and add the new one's. MAYBE by the end of the weekend, I can finally cross this item off the to-do (not so quickly) list. I will try to post pics later.
I have two chapters to read today and a presentation to prepare for this week.

We finished the final episode for Big Love, Season One.
I am not sure why I get so attached to certain dramas, but I cannot wait to get a hold of season two. I guess in some weird way I will miss them as if they were my neighbors/friends.

If you are a Judy Blume fan - this is good.... Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume
How old were you when you read the classic Wifey? I, much too young! But, I did the right things and circulated to everyone I knew.

I do not remember all the details.
I know I was at my Grandma’s house.
I was sitting on a folding step ladder/chair next to the sink.
Her kitchen had a large window and you could see the backyard, garden and a large farmer’s field. If you strained your eyes you could see the railroad tracks.
My grandpa used to use the binoculars to count the train cars. Always commenting on the long coal trains. I can visualize this very clearly.
She looked at me sadly and said. “Someone very important died today. Elvis.”
That was 30 years ago.

all of that is gone.
but my memory is still clear.

Your results:
You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern 75% Superman 70% Hulk 70% The Flash 70% Spider-Man 55% Iron Man 55% Robin 52% Catwoman 45% Supergirl 42% Wonder Woman 42% Batman 20%

Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

The school bell has rung and now we are settling into a different routine.
We have been staying up late all summer long and now we need to find ourselves in bed earlier.
I finished reading the memoir of Marjorie Hart's Summer at Tiffany's.
Very sweet.
I use this blog often to find my next
new read.
I have six books stacked up waiting to be cracked open.


My daughter mentioned that they are going to read The Great Gatsby and The Things They Carried this fall.
I exclaimed. Ran to the book shelf and grabbed The Things They Carried. I read aloud to her last night for 25 minutes.
That book is so profound. Loved it. If you have not read it, it is an amazing look at Vietnam. I have not read this book in many years, but I began to compare it to the things soldiers carry today in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thirty years later, Some are the same, some drastically different.
My classes have picked back up and I am in taking Comparative Government online. Most of the students are Active Duty Air Force or Army.
I am slowly getting over the fact that I am a "B" Masters student. Later in life, will I be judged for that? I am not sure, but I cannot worry about it.

I am discovering God's perfect planning once again. Reason #246778 why I only have one child. Anxiety and panic disorders affect an estimated 2.4 million Americans. They have mild - major bouts weekly.

First day of School

Do you remember being a Junior in High School?

Army Training
I am attending a last minute refresher training class for the Guard this week.
The pace of the class is painful slow and we are getting 90-120 minute lunches. (a bonus for being high speed. #%^&*(^%$)
What an inefficient way to waste my time.
I am not bitter or surprised. Just sitting here shaking my head.
I am the only person in the class left wearing Woodland camouflage. I am going to have to break down and buy boots, the supply systems seems to be failing me.
I could buy these

but I will buying these....


Since the class was sprung last minute.
Everyone at the office thinks I am interviewing.
That makes me chuckle.

I started watching Big Love
We are on Season One, Episode Five. Netflix only sends one disk at a time - so the next three episodes are on the way.
I have to say at first I had mixed feelings about the show, but I really like it.
I do not have HBO so I cannot watch Season Two that is currently airing. But I think I could watch this on a weekly basis.

the synopsis for season two

As if juggling three wives weren't tricky enough, Season Two of Emmy®- and Golden Globe®-nominated 'Big Love' finds modern polygamist Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) tackling problems outside his three-house suburban home. As a failed expansion and a suspicious employee entangle his work at Henrickson Home Plus, Bill races to find the person responsible for outing his wife Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) as a polygamist at Utah's Mother of the Year ceremony. Meanwhile, back at the fundamentalist Juniper Hill compound, prophet Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton) sets his sights on Bill's brother Joey (Shawn Doyle) as leverage to regain a share of the family business. Throw a pregnant Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) and an overcompensating Nicki (Chloe Sevigny) into the mix, and Bill won't be getting much sleep at any of his houses. Bold, funny and wholly original, Big Love continues to explore the evolving institution of marriage through this typically atypical family.

The executive producers of BIG LOVE are Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman and series creators Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer (writer of HBO's "In the Gloaming"), who produced the independent feature film "Easter."

Big Love stars Bill Paxton ("Twister," "A Simple Plan"), Jeanne Tripplehorn ("The Firm"), Chloë Sevigny (Oscar®-nominated for "Boys Don't Cry," "Dogville"), Ginnifer Goodwin ("Walk the Line," "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!"), Harry Dean Stanton ("The Green Mile," "Anger Management"), Bruce Dern ("Monster") and Grace Zabriskie ("Twin Peaks"). Other regulars include Amanda Seyfried ("Mean Girls"), Shawn Doyle ("Don't Say a Word") Daveigh Chase ("Lilo & Stitch"), Joel McKinnon Miller ("After the Sunset"), Douglas Smith ("Sleepover"), Melora Walters ("Cold Mountain") and Jolean Wejbe ("Gilmore Girls"). Also featured: Mary Kay Place ("Sweet Home Alabama"), Matt Ross ("Good Night, and Good Luck") and Tina Majorino ("Napoleon Dynamite").

Best Thai food in Denver. Wild Ginger
MMMMMMMmmmmmm
My daughter had her birthday party here in 2001.
I know.. a little strange, but she love TOM Yum!
Try the coconut ice cream and the Larb Gui.

Best Asian market ever hmart
Yes, eating is my hobby.

Good news if you are around my age, you will be completely comfortable sitting for an hour in Urban Outfitters. It is a complete flashback. The angst of the music, the clothes and the accessories.
At one time my daughter laughed and said. "Mom, I know you had these jeans, I saw a picture of you wearing them at your 16th birthday party."
Ouch! that hurt for just a few moments. She was pointing at these, acid washed skinny jeans.
The trip was successful even though we left a Seven for Mankind pair of jeans on hold. She is all set for now. My little retro eighties wannabe.
Back to School is expensive, but fun.

I am off to spend a riduculous amount of money on school supplies, shoes and clothes.

I realize that some familes around the world have this as their yearly salary.
Please forgive me and this greedy consumer driven society

This site had me chuckling
The dynamics of office life is pretty funny and you see all kinds.
If you spend five minutes reading this site, you will find a few similar scenario's I am sure.
My favorites are:
http://trueofficeconfessions.com/


CAN YOU PLEASE turn down your I LOVE IT WHEN U CALL ME BIG POPPA ringtone ?!!

How come every morning that you come in to work you have to take a funky dump? Why can't you expel your bowels before you leave your house? Sometimes it's ok not to share.


Almost Daily!! We've got a fart-ass in our department. Lays down the most foul, sickening, appetite-curbing, 760 nanograms of personal ass aroma, that the guy with the big corner office won't ever wiff
THEN we get an office email saying "we can't spray air freshener cause it gives other co-workers headaches" This is coming from the guy with the big corner office...


I am not sure why - they just make laugh.