My new favorite song

My brother made me a CD a couple weeks ago. I can never form an opinion after the first listen but I've had it playing in the car for about a week now and this is by far my favorite. If you get dizzy while watching it, don't stop it! Just close your eyes.....

Monticello

Gnarled Tree
Originally uploaded by Life Junkie

I'm trying to figure out how to post from Flickr. I wanted to put up a few pics I took at Monticello last weekend but so far, can only figure out how to do one at a time.....

I'll share a few more later.

Spousal Ratings

I asked my husband to rate me today on the percentage of time he found me likable and the percentage of time he found me annoying.

His reply was,

• 40% likable
• 40% indifferent
• 20% annoying

He then asked me to rate him. I came up with,

• 50% likable
• 25% I pretend like he's not home so I don't get annoyed that he's not contributing to the household (ex., childcare, home maintenance, chores)
• 25% annoying

Tonight we went out to dinner and got a babysitter and found each other in the likable category! :)

Unite For Change

I'm having an Obama house party on Saturday. If you live nearby, you're more than welcome to come! My daughter is telling everyone she sees about it and has invited all the kids from Soccer Camp! It's online at mybarackobama.com. I've got this nifty flyer to hand out and they say I should "tell my story" at the gathering. Here's what I've put together:

I remember, when I was a teenager, my dad talking about JFK and what a devastating day it was when he was assassinated. He talked about how loved John Kennedy was and about the outpouring of grief from our nation afterward. He told me that JFK made you feel proud to be an American. I remember thinking how cool that must have been and that I certainly didn’t feel that way about any president past or present. I also remember thinking that a president like that would never come around again.

When Barack Obama first started campaigning, I began to hope that I might be wrong. The more I learned about him, the movement for change, and listened him speak, the more my hope grew. Perhaps it grew a little too much as I am now finding things that bring it down a little. His decision to forgo public financing, his campaign not allowing women wearing headscarves to stand near him, succumbing to the pressure to wear a flag pin – they’re all little things that remind me he is human and susceptible to the temptations of power. The hope is still there though and his message of changing Washington and restoring the reputation of the United States keeps it going.


Why am I involved.

• I’m becoming more active and feel more empowered the older I get. I truly believe that we, as individuals, can come together and achieve great things.
• We’re headed in the wrong direction in Iraq.
• I’m tired of partisan politics and Washington gridlock.
• I want to restore the power to the people instead of to powerful special interests.
• The Obama campaign thinks I can help.
• I trust in Obama’s leadership and feel that he is telling the truth. He is intelligent, and because of his upbringing, has a good understanding of other regions and customs which should be an asset in foreign policy.
• I’m the daughter of an immigrant and feel fortunate to be a US citizen.
• I’m concerned with Global Warming and how we can restore a balance.
• I’m outraged and embarrassed over our countries violations of human rights in Guantanamo and other secret prisons.
• I think civil rights for African Americans will progress further under the leadership of Barack.

Feel good post

Found this on one of my favorite blogs. It's a perfect message about how we are all the same no matter where we live in the world and no matter what our ideologies and backgrounds are. I love it!

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

It also reminds me of this picture I took in Chicago last summer....

I've been censored

Two days ago I wrote about my thoughts on a controversial topic. I tried to write about it honestly and put something out there that might provoke those on either side to rethink their positions and find a middle ground.

I used experiences I recently had as examples and broke my promise of keeping family members out of this blog. That was a mistake and I will try to do better at remembering that promise.

I was initially told that my post was offensive and later the message was toned down to remind me to think about what my readers might feel when they read what I write. I thought I was doing that. I knew when I wrote it that it might make some uncomfortable and I was nervous about posting it. I was told that it wasn't so much the topic but the use of personal examples. I suppose this point is valid. I have a hard time understanding the sensitivity and thin skins of some people as I am not this way. To tip toe around sensitive people kinda makes me crazy.

If any of you got to read it before I took it down, let me know what you think. I put a lot of thought into what I said and was kind of proud of it. Hopefully, I'll be brave enough to write on a controversial topic again and keep it posted.

I am unaware....

Here's an awareness test that I totally flunked. Thanks for sharing it, Edgar!

Knitting heaven

I'm currently in Columbus, Ohio attending the 2008 Knitters Connection knitting convention. Being a new knitter this is a whole new world for me and there's so much to learn. I'm having a lot of fun and I think I've gotten a little better. 

Since I have my kids with me and family in town, I can only sneak away for part of the time. Yesterday was my longest day there with a class from 1:30pm - 4:30pm. Then out for an early dinner at Buca di Beppo. A massive thunderstorm hit at around 6pm. It was so bad that this bird tried to fly into the restaurant to avoid the weather.

We got stranded so headed back to the bar. We were a spectacle there pulling out our knitting projects and pounding shots of some Italian, lemon flavored concoction.

When the storm finally subsided, we headed back but not before some of my friends donned trash bags with face holes cut out that they got the restaurant to give them (I won't humiliate them by publishing those pictures). We got back in time to hear those crazy kids from Ravelry give their presentation. They talked about how their awesome website came to be. With all their positive energy, it was hard not to enjoy what they put together for us!

Today I went shopping at the Knitters Market and got some awesome goodies. I can't wait to dig in to the DVD and a pattern I bought by Lucy Neatby. I took a class from her on Wednesday and she's a fantastic teacher. Her "happy stitches" cracked me up!

On a completely different subject, halfway through typing this post, I got the news of the death of Tim Russert. What a terrible, terrible loss. This presidential election will not be the same without him. Rest in peace, Tim Russert. You will be missed.

Thanks, Mom & Dad!

My parents have been visiting for a week. While they've been here they've:

• caught me up on laundry
• fixed my favorite childhood meal
• taught my son a complicated domino game
• played Legos with my son for ten times the amount of time that I have patience to do
• got my daughter to make her bed and clean her desk
• pulled a ginormous tick off our cat
• helped us to keep our house from flooding from a pipe leak
• helped create the ultimate party snack for my daughters end-of-the-year class party (posted picture)
  
• purchased the Mother's Day gift I was denied
• took my dog out first thing so I could sleep in

I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff but even this partial list is pretty impressive. My parents are awesome and I'm so lucky to have them. As my son said out of the blue the other day, "When Abue and Pappy die, I will cry my eyes out!" It's a morbid sentiment but I completely agree with it!

Before & After

Just wanted to share before and after pictures of our house that was recently painted:

BEFORE:



AFTER:

VP Advice for Obama

Today, I surveyed my household and compiled a list of recommendations and a list of people Obama should steer clear of when considering a running mate. Each person in the house (which includes me, my husband, my mom, my dad, my daughter and my son) listed one person in each category and explained why they chose them. I'll start with the recommendations but I'm not going to tell you who said what (try and guess):

1. Ross Perot - he's more mature.
2. Ellie - because I'm smart.
3. Bono - because he has a beautiful soul and is WAY cool!
4. David Letterman - he'll be funny and entertaining.
5. Ellie - because I'm his biggest fan.
6. Mark Warner - because he's a governor in a state that Obama has a chance at winning.

Now here are the people who should be avoided:

1. Hillary Clinton - because she's Hillary Clinton.
2. Jazz - because he's a transformer and he's puny.
3. Hillary & Bill Clinton - because they're not trustworthy. Chelsea might not be as mean as her parents.
4. Hillary Clinton - because it would be too hard to overcome the bitterness of the primaries.
5. John Edwards - because he's too pretty.
6. Perez Hilton - because he's soooo annoying!
   

Dare I say it??????

OK. It hasn't been officially announced in New York yet so I hope I'm not jinxing anything but, c'mon! She's gotta concede tonight! Right????? If I rub my lucky buckeyes, do you think it'll help???

My lamest post ever....

Hi, Edgar!!!!!!!!

p.s. Hillary sucks!!!!