Another lazy day at sea.

Another lazy day at sea.

I think we're all going to need a vacation to recover from this vacation. I got up later, daughter and small child got up even later. Needless to say, we completely missed breakfast. :) We baked for a while, ran back and forth getting pictures taken with many Characters. Small child chased down Mickey and Minnie for an autograph, but no picture with them.... YET! There's always tomorrow. :)

Granted, this trip started out pretty rocky, but things have definitely improved. Even though, we have had a lot of fun, being on a ship with a bunch of whining children just once is plenty. IF I ever take another cruise, it will be no children allowed. :) I will tell you though, the service is absolutely amazing. What really annoys me is how bloomin' cheerful the crew is in the morning. No body should be that dadburn happy that early in the morning! Perky comes to mind. We don't do perky!

After a terrific dinner of Oyster's Rockefeller, wild mushroom soup, broiled lobster, and some concoction that would put you in chocolate shock, daughter and I walked around the ship twice. Three times, it would have been a mile, but SHE pooped out on me.

Castaway Cay

Castaway Cay

I was actually awake before we even docked this morning. Naturally, the second thing I did was smoke a cigarette out on the veranda. I was greeted by a pirate ship. Kind of cool actually.

Rule one: If small child needs to be up early, put said small child to bed at a reasonable hour, which is NOT 1:30 a.m.! What a grouch! But after much “discussion” we were finally able to get to the Character Breakfast almost on time.

This afternoon was worth all the hassles. We had a Stingray Adventure. :) They feel like big portabello mushrooms. My daughter was the only one of us that had the courage to feed them, but she says it's like a vaccuum cleaner. Personally, I don't know. Ok, so I'm a wuss! What can I say!

One thing I've noticed, I'm not seasick, but I sure do get landsick. We've doing the Weeble walk more on land now than on the ship. Odd! Trying to get packed is a lot harder this time than it was before we left. Wonder why? Can't be because we have more crap than we started out with, could it? :)

Tomorrow, dry land, and back to Dallas.

The fog has lifted!

Hey everyone- it's Kathy again. I finally figured out how to get rid of the tiny font that Kate's site was posting in. Finally! We should be good to go now.

Fond du Lac Editorial

Fond du Lac Editorial

An unfortunate incident

So here goes. And I'm not kidding around on this one. The Memorial Day parade in Fond du Lac ranks among the most significant and meaningful events this community has to offer. It's a time to honor the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation.

Those who sponsor the parade make it perfectly clear every year that the event is not a time to throw candy from floats, to advertise products or services, or to play politics.

It still angers me 27 days after the fact that people carrying Mark Green signs were allowed to walk in the parade along with a contingent of the Fond du Lac County Republican Party.

I have nothing against Green, a candidate for governor, or the Republican Party, but the Memorial Day parade on Fond du Lac's Main Street was not and is not the proper place to carry political signs.

I would hope that sort of thing would never again be allowed at this community's Memorial Day parade. Do it someplace else.

Kate's response:

Someone should let this guy know that politicians have been participating in all parades for MANY years prior to what he wrote in the paper. I've participated in a slew of parades, even on Memorial Day, I've yet seen one without politicians. If I remember correctly, parades were basically started by the military and politicians. Didn't the Romans have military parades after a successful campaign? Perhaps Mr. Metzer should do a little more research before shooting off his mouth. But as usual, the editorial staff in Fond du Lac's print media, reality has nothing to do with what ends up on the editorial page of most newspapers.

Human Roast

Instructions:

Process for Human Broiling

1. Season well with SPF 30, all sides.

2. Select appropriate pan, aka sunbed.

3. Position for appropriate roasting.

4. Broil 15 - 20 minutes on one side

5. Use large spatula to flip.

6. Continue roasting another 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Flip again, sear for appropriate time to seal in the juices.

8. Remove from broiler.

9. Scrub well for maximum effect (pain).

Day 4 – Costa Maya

Day 4 – Costa Maya

The day started out just beautiful. Do you think it would actually stay that way? Of course not! We dropped small child off at the Oceaneers Club and waddled down the pier to a huge tourist gouging area, spent a little money, had some very bland (Wisconsin type – the waittress called it “tourist salsa) salsa and chips, and got absolutely soaked. I wasn't aware it could rain salt water, but it can. We had the stinging in the eyes, even with them closed and you could actually taste the salt. YUCK, nasty!

One thing my husband can be grateful for: I forgot to take a credit card with me. :) But, there's always tomorrow in Cozumel. I've gotten pretty good at this bargaining thing. I'm sure someone else, like my son in law, could talk people down a lot more. But I feel pretty good about it. I left with $300 and came back with lots of stuff, plus $150 still in my pocket. :) Ok, odds are, I could have blown the whole 300 if it the deluge hadn't hit, but all in all, I thought I did pretty well.

Getting connected has become a major battle for me. I email stuff to Kathy, she'll post it for me. Sounds simple enough. It's not! Access is iffy at best, and it's wasting my time and money trying to get thing going out to her. So, all I can do is hope that every once in a while, things will get through.

I am now officially a Weeble! As in “Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down”. Thank goodness, I'm not the only one on this ship who is doing the Weeble walk! This rocking all the time is great for sleeping, but not when you're trying to get from one place to another. Even sitting here in the cabin, I've learned how to do Weeble sitting. The young fella in the next cabin said the only people who could walk in a straight line are the drunks. I'm inclined to believe him.

Snow White made a visit to the Oceaneers Club. We got an emergency page from short person. My daughter ran down 3 flights of stairs only to find out that the kid wanted her “Princess Autograph Book”. So, I get a frantic phone call to haul myself down there and bring the autograph book. I nearly rolled down those stairs trying to hurry before Ms. White had to leave. YEESH! The kid is having a great time, and comes back totally exhausted and cranky. Luckily, it doesn't take long for her to fall asleep. Why is that kids are so sweet.... when they're asleep? :)

Princess Day

Ah yes, what would a Disney Cruise be without "Princess Day". And of course, there was the absolute requirement of autographs. What fun, running up and down the stairs to fetch the ol' Princess Autograph Book, then back up again to get the camera. The standing in line with a bunch of screaming preteens was every so joyous. But mission accomplished. :)

Day 3

Day 3 – Cozumel

We have arrived in Cozumel. And the whining has already begun. This is NOT a morning person, but so far, I've managed to refrain from tossing her overboard. I'm soooo proud. :/ For the life of me, I can't imagine where she got that from... couldn't be me, or her mother. Nooooooo... of course not! :)

We're back from our excursion and I have to say, it was quite disappointing. We went to an archaeological site that my husband and I had visited previously and found impressive. This time, however, even with a tour guide, we didn't even get to see a small fraction of the site. We would have been better off just hiring a guide on shore, at least we could have stayed at the site for more than 30 minutes. The guide was a major talker, and most of how he spoke to the group, like we were all imbeciles, was extremely annoying. Yes, we had all heard of Coca Cola and St. Louis. YEESH!

Naturally, shopping was involved after the excursion. And once again, I didn't charge anything. I honestly couldn't find anything that I just couldn't live without. No jewelry, which should make my husband ecstatic. :) Not even a tshirt, and for me, with the major tshirt collection, that is a bloomin' miracle.

One thing I saw that was heartbreaking, was the devastation left by Hurrican Wilma. The trees are starting to grow back, and the town has rebuilt for the most part, but you can tell it's just not the same. Away from the major population, many houses are just wiped out, with slow recovery. There use to be a large fruit bat population, now, they are no more. Completely gone. What I saw today proves people are resilient. Since tourism is their only industry, I guess they'd have to be, wouldn't they.

The one thing I don't like about Cozumel are the vendors. I tend to buy less when they try to drag you into their shops. “Lady, come see! Good price for you today!” Criminy, I guess we're all suppose to be totally dense. :/ One vendor said it plain... “Plenty good Mexican junk, come see!” Can't beat that! LOL So, I got the kid an outfit she really wanted. It's a red, green and white skirt and top. She looks like a short Mexican flag. But hey, I'm not the one who has to wear it, right? :)

I don't usually complain about humidity, but I gotta say, this beats all I've ever experienced. Everytime I step out on the veranda to smoke, my glasses become useless for actually seeing. Major fog alert! Even the mirrors in the cabin get totally fogged. Can there be 200% humidity?

Day 3 – Finale

At this present moment, I can say I've seen it all. Picture one Captain Hook, one Sneed, one Stitch, one Goofy and a few other cast of characters doing the Hustle and the Robot. I wish I had taken my camera up to the 9^th deck where such a party was going on, ya couldn't even move. Mickey Mouse comes sliding down and sets off fireworks. Odds are, I'll never see anything quite like that again in my life. I hope! LOL

Day 2- At Sea, All Day

Day 2 - At sea all day.

We woke up pretty late today, I'm guessing we were all exhausted. It's kind of hazy but the water is still gorgeous. And the sun is shining. :) After the necessary things, coffee is first on the list! They brought us two pots today. We might be bouncing off the railings, but we'll be awake. My daughter took small child to her Oceaneers Club activities, and we went to the lunch buffet. Good intentions went out overboard. Why can't the desert suck? Sigh.... Afterwards, we found the front of the ship, and had to have a “Titanic” moment. Ok, so it wasn't exactly like it was in “Titanic”, we couldn't actually get to the very front of the ship and I'm no Kate Winslett. :/

We went to play bingo this afternoon. It was kind of fun. I haven't done that in years, and if I remember correctly, it didn't cost $35 per person to play. On the positive side, my daughter won $191 and I won the raffle prize. What's the Rain Forest, and why do I want this thing? I guess I'll find out eventually. :) One thing I would recommend for anyone, especially on a ship with large furry creatures and screaming children. A full body message! Now, this isn't what it sounds like, but it's a great way to get the knots out due to the stress of dealing with afore mentioned short screamers.

Tonight was dress up night. We all actually wore dresses, which is a rarity in itself. We saw people who were dressed for a ball, and others who didn't even come close to be “formal”, so I don't feel so bad. It was the kids all dressed to the nines which was a hoot. One little girl, who couldn't have been more than 8, was wearing a seriously black slinky number. Evidently, some mommies and daddies just had to buy their little girls the dress up princess garb. There were Cinderellas, Belles, and Snow Whites all over the place. During dinner Wizard Mickey showed up, running up and down the aisles. Hard to get a picture of a moving rat! It was a pretty cool place, the whole restaurant starts out in black and white, and gradually everything goes color. It's kind of hard to describe. If you grew up with a black and white TV, and finally got a color one later than everyone else you knew, you'll remember what a difference it made.

After dinner, we found Cinderella in the atrium. What's with the hands? All the princess types do that hand thing, and I just can't figure out why. Anyway, an autograph and a couple of pictures later, I actually have the whole room to myself for a couple of hours. Daughter and small child are off to see some movie that just didn't interest me.

The one negative moment of the day would be when I managed to lock my key in the room, and paced the hall for 20 minutes before someone came to let me in. Of course, there was my daughter sitting on the veranda, oblivious to my pounding on the door. Perhaps they need to staple the key to my forehead.

Underway!

Kate and family are now on the high seas. Here are some photos- On the Veranda

It may not seem like much, but we are finally on the bus heading to the ship. Small child still thinks she's going to “boot camp”. Heh heh heh! Are we mean or what? She has been pretty good this morning, with a couple of exceptions. The high pitched whining has been at a minimum. However, the shoes will be replaced with sneakers as soon as possible. You'd think that cushy sandals would be comfortable for a child who's not doing that much walking. WRONG! But, they are fairly new, so I'll make an exception. :)

I have to admit, I'm in a much better mood today. I've had my over priced coffee, I got paint on my hand, talked to some nice people who helped me get the paint off who didn't laugh too much, and highly recommend The Dolphin, mainly because of the staff. The bed was comfortable, the room was great, and thank goodness small child didn't discover the mini bar, stocked with a large selection of candy. I don't think the credit card could handle it!

Note: The “Whistle While You Work” is a bit much! Disney Magic Radio. Oh joy, and to think, we get to listen to over an hour of this type of music. Sigh....

Port Canaveral – 10 Miles

It's raining! Of course it is! What else could it be doing after the hell we've gone through to get here. My daughter keeps glaring at me, saying “Only YOU would decide to take a cruise during hurricane season!” She thinks she's amusing, adding to the dubious joy of this trip so far. I remind her there is NO hurricane in the forecast, at least so far! :/

Sailing

We're moving! It was quite a shock to realize the land was going by. But as my husband informed me, the land doesn't move. Well, DUH!

I'm already sick of “When You Wish Upon A Star”. That seems to be the tune to get your attention. Repeatedly! Yeesh!

I honestly thought the state room would be bigger. I'm not too bright, am I! I've seen closets bigger than this, although I don't have one of them. We were supposed to have twin beds, plus a pull out for the kid. HUMPH! After the previous 24 hours, I was not all that surprised someone screwed up this as well. So, daughter and granddaughter get the queen sized bed, and guess who gets the pull out. No way am I going to sleep with the short person who kicks!

I ended up having to use the seasick patch. No, I haven't gotten sick, but I was starting to feel the movement a bit more than I wanted, and was slightly queasy. Sigh... But it's working, and that's all I care about, right now. :)

I wouldn't advice going to the deck party, whatever they call it, before setting sail. Too many people, too hot, and people doing the Macarena in the rain is just too much. Not to mention they charge you for the beverage they shove in your hand, whether it's got alcohol in it or not. I don't want to know what it costs. When this bill comes in, I'm going to run!

Redemption

Well, Disney might have redeemed itself. The food is fantastic. We got back to our stateroom around 11 and we had our beds turned back, a towel in the shape of a swan and chocolates on our pillows. I like that kind of thing. Unfortunately, it's still raining with the required thunder and lightening. It's a lot of fun walking like you're drunk without drinking a thing. No hangover! :) Ever tried taking a shower with it rocking back and forth? It's a hoot!

Surprise!

We waited for several months for this picture. The look on small child's face was priceless. She had just woken up so she looks a bit frazzled, but when we pointed to the ship and said "That's boot camp!" she just completely lit up! :)

Jim Doyle's "Pay to Play"

Hi everyone- it's Kathy again. I thought I would keep all of Kate's friends caught up on the latest buzz. It appears that everyone's least favorite governor, Jim Doyle, has been caught selling state contracts to his campaign donors again. This time, a $55 million contract was on the line. The winners of the contract, donated $51,000 to Jim Doyle's re-election campaign. For all the details, check out the following blogs- Wigderson Library and Pub Stepping Right Up! Fraley's Dailytakes Badger Blog Alliance Right off the Shore The original story was from MJS's Spivak and Bice Stay tuned!

Coffee

Room service coffee doesn't taste any different that coffee you get in the restaurant, but evidently, they think it's worth an ounce of gold. What does an ounce of gold go for these days? One large pot of coffee, one glass of orange juice.... plus tip, $20.oo. Good grief! Now I realize they add in the gratuity, but I just can't NOT tip. It makes me feel guilty. I have to tell you though, the service in The Dolphin is great! They're friendly, and quite accommodating, even for a grouchy ol' broad!

View From Our Room

Secrets

Washington Examiner:

The Bush administration is becoming more secretive in response to press disclosures about the tracking of global financial transfers and other counter-terrorism measures, said Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff.

It's about bloomin' time!

"What I find most disturbing about these stories is the fact that some of the news media take it upon themselves to disclose vital national security programs, thereby making it more difficult for us to prevent future attacks against the American people," Cheney said Friday in Chicago. "That offends me."

It more than offends me! I'd like to see those yahoos charged... with what, I'm not sure, but something serious! I wonder how many of our brave men and women have died because of the arrogance of the press.

FdL letter to the Editor.

Reader criticizes al-Zarqawi coverage

I'm writing regarding the June 9 newspaper. On the Your World page, one would expect news about al-Zarqawi's death, about what happened and how this was accomplished by our military, about what this means to Iraqis and Arabs around the world, and what their reactions are, and about al-Zarqawi's life, etc. Instead the title is "The War Goes On" and "59% of American adults call Iraq War a mistake." What! You buried and skipped over the whole damn story! I am shocked and very disgusted and disappointed. You simply filled the space with recycled liberal spin phrases against the war that we've heard a million times before. Where's the news? (And I would imagine the "59%" number is now different after al-Zarqawi's death.) Everyone I talked to was thrilled about al-Zarqawi's death. It was a major news story all over the world, but our Reporter staff just bulldozed right over it. That was really the last straw. I'm not buying your paper anymore. I've also been dying to tell you, enough already of the positive spin stories about Peg Lautenschlager and Jim Doyle and Russ Feingold. Jim Doyle is as crooked as they come. How about some real news stories about these folks? Sheila Todd North Fond du Lac

What a great letter! LOL I'd like to meet this woman! :)

Kelo?

I know I've been out of touch, but did I read all that right? Did the President actually come down on the people's side? Are they going to start honoring the law? AKA Fifth Amendment? I really must at least to keep up with what's going on in the world. Y'all forgive me. I'll try to do better. :(

No eating at Disney World!

Since we didn't get the whole room fiasco straightened out till late, and our bags didn't show up until almost nine, all we've had time to do tonight was eat. NOT the wisest of decisions. We may not be able to afford to do anything else now. It was simple to go downstairs, search out a place that looked reasonable, and order food. Two Philly Cheese Steaks, one order of chicken fingers, drinks for all 3 of us, plus an apple came to $46.03. Another heart attack in the making! Please Lord, don't let any of us get hungry for the next 7 days! But, oh yeah, it's all suppose to be covered on the ship! Hmmm..... maybe we can eat once a day, cuz truth be told, so far, I'm not too sure about any of this. :/

Have a great trip Kate!

Hi everybody- it's Kathy from Stepping Right Up!. Kate and I have agreed to help each other out with blogging when one of us in on vacation. As you can see- Kate is still on dry land and blogging today. I'll just keep this short and point you in the direction of Michelle Malkin's blog. Michelle is beating up on the New York Times again. It seems the New York Times has decided to endanger American lives and embolden our enemies again. Check it out- NYTIMES BLABBERMOUTHS STRIKE AGAIN

Day 1 – part 2

If I could have kissed the ground, I would have. The only reason I'll be on that airline again, is because that's who the return ticket was booked with. Geeeeez Loooooeeeeeze! I've never been so uncomfortable on a flight before. Not even when my daughter and I flew to Ireland packed like sardines. We're sitting in the Disney Express Coach. Big whoop! Get this show on the road! He just announced it would be 35 minutes to get to the hotel. I may not survive this day! Things went from bad to worse when we got to the hotel. We booked a smoking room, we got attitude. I'm not going to recommend dealing with the Caribbean Resort Hotel either. The woman was less than helpful, I just wish I could remember her name, because believe me, Disney is going to get another earful from me. She insisted we had to take the room we didn't want because we had had a delivery to the room already? Say what? What's that got to do with the price of tea? We didn't order anything, why would there be a delivery? They don't even know where our bloomin' luggage is right now, 4 bloomin' hours later. So, we are not staying in the afore mentioned hotel. After I got through with the cruise people who confirmed the reservation, we are in a MUCH NICER room, with a great view. I'm not usually rude and bitchy, but after this day, I am not sure I'll ever deal with the Disney people again. It took a supervisor or two to get this mess straightened out. And here we are, in a smoking room, with no ashtrays. Sigh..... And STILL no luggage.

The Big Trip – Day 1

Murphy's Law: If anything can go wrong, it can and will! Of course it will! I asked for a wake up call, and naturally, I don't get it. I opened my eyes, saw the clock and panicked. I was suppose to be at my daughter's house by 8:30. It was 8. I impressed myself by actually checking out of the hotel at 8:30. No doubt my husband would have been extremely impressed as well, since it usually takes me about 2 hours just to get both eyes open. I managed to get a shower and get dressed in record time. No make-up of course, cuz when you get right down to it, who am I trying to impress on this trip? So, I'm rushing, thinking they'll be waiting at the car, ready to load my last suitcase in the trunk. Wrong! I had to hunt her down. No, not really, my son in law was coming out to put something in his truck so I didn't have to lug my carry on's in the house. I wonder why I had to rush, when they were taking their time? He had to be at work by 10 and still drop his truck off to get new tires. Yep, I'm in a frazzle, and they're all calm with the oh well attitude YEESH. Naw, it wasn't that bad, just seemed that way. We finally get on the road to go to DFW. Traffic is what it usually is at that time of the day, large pockets of congestion on LBJ. Luckily, I was sitting in the back seat, so I didn't have to see how many cars my son in law nearly hit getting us to the airport with the required time to spare. What's the point of being 2 hours early anyway? Hurry up and wait. We did manage to have breakfast, which was pretty good. Unfortunately, I managed to get the airline wrong, so we had to walk from one end of the terminal to the other, after we stood in line for 10 minutes before I looked at the printout. :/ My daughter is now convinced I'm senile. She might be right! The plane was suppose to take off at noon. No such luck. This isn't like Milwaukee, when it seems that every plane takes off and lands exactly when they say it will. The is a medium sized city they call an airport. Truthfully, I don't think I'm going to recommend this airline. Boarding was a joke. Does it really take 10 minutes for 3 rows to board? I don't think so, but evidently, they do. At 12:30, we were still sitting at the gate. I wonder what their on time percentage is, probably not very high. We finally get in the air at 1:00, and I'm already praying to fall asleep, just like my hiney has on this extremely hard seat! Looking back, the people working on the flight were terrific, the airline sucks!

Warning!

I thought I was going to be able to keep up with posting while I was in the middle of the Caribbean. The ship has internet access, all over the place, even an internet cafe. Unfortunately, they charge for this service. And I don't mean by the hour either, which would be ok, I could handle that. They charge by the minute. SEVENTY FIVE CENTS a minute as a matter of fact. I nearly had a heart attack, and at my age, it could have been fatal. :/ Ok, so I won't be doing a lot of posting. What I am going to do in write what I have to say in a word doc, attach any pictures I might have to share, and email them to Kathy over at Stepping Right Up and hope she has a few extra minutes to get them on here. She might even do a little posting of her own around here. Kathy's a smart cookie, lemme tell ya. Give her the respect she deserves, ok? :)

Doyle Ahead?

I just heard on WTMJ (internet) that Doyle is ahead in the polls, 51 to 37. Did I hear that right? What planet are these people from? From Travelgate to being in the pocket of WEAC, is there anything this governor has done to actually make Wisconsin a better place for it's citizens, or to bring create new businesses? I really hope my ears need to cleaned out, or I can blame it on a loss of hearing. I realize not all people think they way I do, but I KNOW there are many who feel that we need a new governor in Madison. That new governor should, and will, be Mark Green. They are like day and night. In the daylight, there's honesty, integrity, decency. On the night side, we have a governor who has sold out the state to special interests, and has done nothing to improve conditions in the state (taxes come to mind). I have to admit, I'm truly baffled!

Demand for Murtha Apology

IREY RENEWS CALL FOR MURTHA APOLOGY U.S. Army Major General Bargewell's report "suggests there was no deliberate cover-up by senior Marine officers"

(MONONGAHELA, June 22) Washington County Commissioner and Pennsylvania 12th district Republican Congressional nominee Diana Irey reacting to a Los Angeles Times article indicating that a soon-to-be-released report by Army Major General Eldon Bargewell indicates that NO COVER-UP took place regarding Marine actions last November 19 in Haditha, Iraq today released the following statement: "Jack Murtha owes Marine officers an apology, and I'm here to demand it on their behalf." "On May 28, appearing on the ABC News show This Week with George Stephanopoulos,' Jack Murtha was asked about the actions of Marine commanders after Haditha, So you believe there was a cover-up?' Here's what he said: "No question about it There's no question about what happened. And the problem is, who covered it up? And why did they cover it up? Why did they wait so long? We don't know how far it goes. I mean, it goes right up the chain of command. Right up to General Pace. When did he know about it? Did he order the cover-up? Who ordered the cover-up?' "Yesterday's Los Angeles Times reported that Army Major General Eldon Bargewell's report into whether or not there was a cover-up which has yet to be released publicly suggests there was no deliberate cover-up by senior Marine officers.' "The Los Angeles Times report regarding Gen. Bargewell's report indicates that some Marine officers in the chain of command may have failed properly to follow up with an investigation. But failing to follow up, and missing red flags,' as the report supposedly says, is not at all the same thing as investigating, finding something terrible happened, and then deliberately covering up misdeeds. The difference goes to the question of motivation and intent. "To suggest otherwise, is to suggest that the off duty cop who pulls a gun on a robber in a 711 is no better than the robber that pulls a gun on the store clerk, because both of them like to pull guns on people. "Jack Murtha was wrong when he said there was no question about it' regarding a cover-up. He was wrong to smear the men and women of our Armed Forces before the first Marine had been charged, before the first court-martial had been convened, before the first soldier had been convicted. He was wrong to act as prosecutor, judge, and jury before all the evidence was in. "The only REAL question remaining is, is Jack Murtha man enough to admit he was wrong and apologize to the Marine officers he smeared?"

I'm hoping no one is holding their breath... they'll turn blue before Murtha apologizes.

Shopping

I usually enjoy shopping even if I don't buy anything. Just looking and walking around for a little while can calm my nerves. However, put a seven year girl with major attitude in the mix and I consider taking up serious drinking. For the last two days my daughter and I have been getting things ready for "THE BIG TRIP"”. That wouldn't bother me, because if she annoys me, I can ignore her, and she can ignore me, and we go on our merry way. Short person is another story! "“I want that! I don't want that - ICK! Can we go now? My feet hurt. I'm hungry. Can I have something to drink? Let's go! I'm tired!"” All the while whining in a high pitched tone. To me, that's like bare feet dragging on the rug (fingernails on the blackboard type cringing). After my nerves finally settled, I realize we got a lot done during that time. The majority of the suitcases are tucked into my daughter's car all ready to go to the airport in the morning. On second thought, we could have gotten everything done in one day if small child hadn't been with us. Don't get me wrong, I love my grandchildren! But I thank God everyday for not having more than one child, who only has the two daughters.

NFRW - Jessica's Law

WHEREAS, The National Federation of Republican Women recognizes that our children are at risk from sex offenders in our communities; WHEREAS, We do not feel the penalties in some of our states are severe enough, and are allowing these predators back into our neighborhoods to repeat their offenses; and WHEREAS, Some states are sponsoring bills which call for more severe penalties, such as life imprisonment, to those over 17 who have sexually assaulted children under 13; RESOLVED, That the National Federation of Republican Women will be an advocate for passing such laws in our respective states for the protection of our children and call upon our state’s parents, families, schools, and communities to assist in their endeavor.

Personally, I'd like to see castration, AND public hangings.

Breaking News

IN 86-13 VOTE, SENATE REJECTS KERRY PROPOSAL TO BEGIN U.S. TROOP WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ BY THE END OF THE YEAR SENATE VOTES 60-39 AGAINST SECOND PROPOSAL ON U.S. TROOP REDEPLOYMENT FROM IRAQ Now, do you think someone will get the message? Of course not! Common sense isn't big on the left's list.

Cut and Run

‚“Iraq is sapping our strength, sapping our resources.‚” No, actually, it's people like Russ Feingold (speaking on the Senate floor) who are sapping our strength. The ‚“cut and run‚” crowd are doing their best to try to sound like they care so much about the troops in Iraq. However, all I hear are chickens clucking. Cowardice was never a trait anyone would even have associated with Americans, but that's sure changing. If it had been former President Clinton had been the one to take us into Iraq, the majority of Democrats would have been in the ‚“cheering section‚”. But since it was President Bush is the one at the helm, it's a ‚“failure‚”. Failure? Free elections? New schools? New clinics? Who provided these things for the Iraqi people? It wasn't Clinton. He's the one who stuck his head in the sand, let Osama Bin Laden run free to execute 9/11. He didn't deal with Saddam Hussein even though that lunatic was murdering his own people. The list goes on and on of what Clinton did NOT do when he could have. Instead, he sent troops to fight against those who were trying to stop the genocide of the extremists Muslims in Kosovo. I've been waiting to hear what Feingold had to say about the WMD's found in Iraq before commenting on it, but have yet to come across a word from him. Maybe I missed it, but maybe not. Maybe he's silent on this topic. Heaven forbid the President should be vindicated. True, it isn't the cache that was expected, but considering how large Iraq is, and the time that Hussein had to send them out of the country, I'm not surprised they haven't found them. And to me, it doesn't really matter if they do or not. That was not the ONLY reason we went in there to begin with. The left really needs to start thinking actually saving lives, instead of obsessing on saving on a bloomin' mosquito. But then, they don't give a flip about unborn children, why should they care about some people on the other side of the world? How many lives have been saved from the Hussein's (Uday, Qusay, Saddam) insane policies by our actions. Murderers like Tooky Williams will be hailed as a hero to the left, but not George W. Bush who actually HAS done something to contribute to the society as a whole. Just because the Iraqi's form of democracy doesn't look like ours, does not mean it's not just as important to them. Great Britain's form of democracy isn't the same as ours, yet they are just as free (except for anyone who wants to own a gun to protect themselves, but that's another subject). Then, there's Australia and Israel. They, too, are democracies. To leave before the Iraqi's have grown strong enough to keep themselves safe from the loony tunes, is a MAJOR mistake. Is it really wise to show such cowardice to the terrorists, North Korea, and Iran?

ABC

And the MSM continues to claim they only report the news, they don't try to make it. Yeah, right. Well, ABC is asking for your "global warming" stories.

We want to hear and see your stories. Have you noticed changes in your own backyard or hometown? The differences can be large or small — altered blooming schedules, unusual animals that have arrived in your community, higher water levels encroaching on your property.

For cryin' out loud! It's a cycle! A global CYCLE!

W Ketchup

My guess is a lot of people are going to cooking out on the 4th of July. And, I've no doubt many people will be using ketchup on their brats. (I prefer mustard, but that's not important.) If you've never tried W Ketchup, you're missing the best I've ever had. Beats Heinz, big time! Unfortunately, they only sell it on the internet, but it is worth it. The company also contributes a portion of every sale to the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund. That right there should be enough for anyone to at least give it a try. :) Ok, so this sounds like a commercial. I wonder if I can ask for a commission. :)

Amendment - Ban Flag Burning

I'm real fond of the 1st Amendment. Without it, we'd be no better than barbarians (the rest of the Constitution is pretty cool too). I'm also very much against burning the flag the represents our country, most especially by Americans who are protected by that 1st Amendment. Should we really have an amendment to the Constitution to protect it? A law, yes, I can understand that, no problem. I'm quite iffy on an actual amendment. It seems to me that when someone burns a flag on public property, they are already breaking the law (probably several), and should be arrested. As I've stated many times, I'm no legal scholar. However, common sense tells me this is not an issue that should be at the top of the Senate's list right now.

"Bush Go Home"

Cindy Sheehan just will not crawl back under her rock. From The China Post:

Led by U.S. "peace mom" Cindy Sheehan _ who lost her son in Iraq and energized the anti-war movement last summer with her monthlong protest outside Bush's Texas ranch _ students waved black flags, blew whistles, banged on drums and shouted, "Hey, ho, Bush has got to go!"

This "grieving mother" sure is busy. She's going all over the world expressing her grief by participating in demonstrations AGAINST the country her son died to protect.

I am Stupid!

I had to go buy some shorts yesterday. Well, this morning, when I went to put one of those new pairs of shorts on, I had to remove all the tags. This is so much fun without scissors. However, one of the tags states "This is a pair of Levi's". Yes, I didn't know this, especially after I paid way too much for them, and it says right on the britches that they are Levi's. I needed really another tag to remove telling me these shorts are Levi's. Sheesh!

A Joke

(Courtesy of our neighbor, Glen) The other day, I had to go to the emergency room. Not wanting to sit there for 4 hours, I went to the Army-Navy store, and bought some OD pants and a shirt. Then I sewed a couple of patches on which I grabbed from the internet.. It was amazing how many people left as I walked in. I guess they suddenly decided they weren't that sick after all.. The patch that you can sew on your clothing if you are in need of quicker emergency service?

U. S. BORDER PATROL

The Economy

I had a rare lengthy conversation with my son in law the other night over tamales, queso, guacamole and beans and rice, talk turned to economy. He's 31, has a wife (my daughter obviously), 2 daughters, a new car, a new/used truck and a good job. His argument? The economy is much worse than it was under Clinton. My jaw dropped! He did save himself from my wrath by admitting that the only reason the 90's were so prosperous was due to the policies of President Reagan. Then, came the '“but'”. "“But, the unemployment rate is a lot highter now than when Clinton was in office!"” I nearly fell off my chair. I asked him where he got that tidbit of information. "“Well,"” he responds, "“it was on the news."” He couldn't remember which station where this jewel of wisdom was espoused. I guess the 'alphabets' all run together. I told him the unemployment rate is at 4.1. I was wrong. The old gray cells must have been on hiatus. It's actually 4.7, under Clinton, it was 5.6. My son in law thinks I'm "bad mouthing" him. Nope, not at all. Just pointing out when you depend on the main stream media for all your information, sometimes, ya just get it wrong! No fault of his, it's the faulty, slanted reporting.

The Joys of Extended Travel.....

...or the lack there of. Perhaps I should have titled this "“The Spoiled American"”. Either way, it comes out the same. I love to travel. I love going new places, meeting new people, seeing new things, getting a taste of different cultures. I'm a history nut, especially ancient history. So I've been to Mexico to see Mayan ruins with my husband, Great Britain tgawkuk at castles, question standing stones, check out Roman ruins with my daughter. Learning to drive on the "“wrong"” side of the road is a real experience. But those really cool trips only happen once a year. Then, there's my twice annual trip to Texas. My family lives down here, so of course, I have to come here. If they lived in California, squawkqawk, but I'd go at least once in a while. But I love Texas, so I come here to see how much the kids have grown, how bad their attitudes have gotten, and take them shopping. They know when I hit the Texas state line... they can sniff out the Bank of Grandpa. Do these kids go around the rest of the year in their birthday suits? Since I am usually here for at least 8 to 10 days, I stay in Candlewood Suites, which is close to where they live (you didn't think I'd actually STAY with them, did you?). I like it here, except when the hairdryer doesn't work. Messes with my daily coif! The people are friendly, and very helpful when an ol broad has stupid questions. Dallas changes so much every six months, it's a wonder I ever find my way around. I also get Priority Club points I can use for future visits. Now comes the “spoiled” part. The drawback of staying in an extended stay type hotel, I have to make my own bed. I don't get fresh towels every day, and in order to save enough to take afore mentioned short people shopping, I get to fix my own meals. Eating out frequently gets extremely expensive. Although, I do have to have the required Sonic cheeseburger, and the doubly required Mexican meal, which is no where near like any I've had in Wisconsin. Ok, a Texas sized steak has to be worked in there somewhere. But that's it! Oh, and Waffle House! No one makes a waffle like Waffle House, a pecan waffle, or hash browns.... covered, and scattered. Naturally, being female, I always forget something. Usually, it's something small that can be replaced quite easily with a trip to Kroger, or WalMart. Not this time. I brought plenty of clothes to take on the cruise, with one exception – shorts. Now, what kind of person comes south, and forgets to bring shorts? So, for the first time in years, I went to Kohl's. Yep, they've got 'em down here too, and they look just like Target. As a matter of fact, I think Target is much cleaner.

Military not to blame.

The family of Houston's Kristian Menchaca, 23, one of the soldiers found murdered in Iraq is saying that the U.S. Military didn't do enough, didn't start searching fast enough. I understand they are devastated after such a loss, but the claim the military hesitated to search for their loved one is something I just don't understand. Why aren't they blaming the animals that took the young men? And what's the Houston Pravda's...err... Chronicle's take on this?

The discovery of the bodies dealt a new setback to U.S. efforts to seize the momentum against al-Qaida in Iraq after killing its leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, in a June 7 airstrike.

Setback? Only if the "cut and run" crowd have anything to say about it. The families of these two brave soldiers have my deepest sympathy, but the twisted ideology of their murderers are to blame, not the U.S. military.

Tommy Thompson

So, Tommy has finally decided he won't run against Herb Kohl. And this is suppose to be a surprise? Even though speculation was running high, I had no doubt he wouldn't throw in his hat. He'd only be one of 100 in the Senate, why would he want to give up private life for that? It would be nice to have a conservative to counter Feingold, but IMHO, Tommy Thompson does not fit that bill.

The Religion of Peace

When it comes to Muslims, I have to admit, I'm becoming quite skeptical. Even President Bush keeps referring to those who practice this religion as a peaceful people. True, even Christianity has a violent past, but we got over it, centuries ago. Perhaps we realized we didn't have to torture and kill people in the "name of God" to find the path to Christ. Actions speak much louder than words, and the actions of some radical Muslims are speaking quite loud to me. Because of these lunatics, I'm not the only one having a tough time connecting "peace" with Islam. The news that the bodies of two American soldiers were found, tortured, and possibly beheaded, makes it harder for me to be open minded with an open heart. If they think this will weaken MY resolve, they are very mistaken. I know that revenge isn't part my faith, but right now, I would be quite gleeful if the animals responsible were found, hung, drawn and quartered. If the "cut and run" crowd use these brave men's death for their own distorted view of what needs to be done now, I hope and pray that the people of this country will shut them down. The "hate Bush" crowds have been quite verbal, and LOUD. We need to be even more so! You cannot support the troops, and not support their mission. That mission is to protect, not only us, but those who cannot support themselves, and right now, that includes the people of Iraq. The Iraqis are growing stronger by the day, with steps to provide for their own security. But they aren't there yet. When they are, as the President has said, repeatedly, we will stand down.

Dan Blather

Well, it's about time! I didn't think he'd ever go away. Let's just hope this is true!

Bye Bye Connie!

You might have heard that Connie Chung, and Maury Povitch's show was canceled on MSNBC. Well, she took a serious swan dive. The folks over at RealDebateWisconsin has the clip. Just hearing it on the radio doesn't give you the full effect. Trust me, this has got to be seen to be believed.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Here's a newsflash for ya Agape Press:

A conservative media watchdog has completed a study of the mainstream media's coverage of the war on terror -- and reveals finding an intense anti-military bias in recent weeks. Rich Noyes is director of research at the Media Research Center. His study found that in just three weeks, the networks devoted three-and-a-half hours to one-sided coverage of the misconduct allegations surrounding U.S. Marines in the Iraqi village of Haditha. He reports the news clips showed "people like John Murtha saying that he was already convinced that these guys were cold-blooded killers." But the Marines never had a chance to respond, says Noyes, until one of them began using his attorney to speak. "Their defense is that, while they don't dispute that innocent civilians were killed, their actions were all legitimate based on the situation they had at the time," the MRC spokesman points out. In contrast, Noyes says the networks have dedicated a mere 52 minutes of reporting on acts of military heroism since September 2001. "Giving almost no coverage to the top 20 heroes of the war on terror shows you that there's really a mindset in the media that they want to promote these stories of military misdeeds and accusations of wrongdoing," he says, "and they don't have much airtime set aside to tout the exceptional heroism of some of our troops." While Noyes says there is no question that the media must not hide bad news from the public, he adds they should balance the coverage with true stories of America's heroes. [Chad Groening]

Gee, big shocker there! The main stream media is biased! LMAO

My son in law said he'd have hissy fits if I didn't post this, so here it is. We've all seen it, but hey, never hurts to do a reminder now and then. :)

Schools or the lack thereof!

There are some really good teachers out there, then again, there are some pretty bad ones. All the while, they are all being paid, (some, no where enough, some way too much) plus getting unbelievable benefits, including retirement. All on the taxpayer's dime. What got me off on this subject is a school. My 7 year old granddaughter's school to be specific. Rodgers Elementary on the corner of Skillman and Lovers Lane, in Dallas. The last time I saw a school that trashy was in Mexico. No, wait a minute, that school was much nicer. I wish I had had my camera with me, perhaps tomorrow, I'll get a picture. If I hear one more word about "it's for the children", I just might go postal! Never in my life have I seen such a extreme example of what taxpayers are NOT paying for, a decent school. I don't think it's too much to ask that children attend a clean, well maintained school. But of course, that wouldn't make any sense, it might cut into some really bad teachers benefits. My son in law told me that my oldest granddaughter's Texas history book didn't even include anything about the Alamo. The Alamo for crying out loud! This is Texas! That's a MAJOR part of Texas history! What? Did some politically correct type figure it might make some illegal feel bad? Mexico WON that battle! Just when are we going to say enough is enough? I vote to scrap the whole system as it is now, and go back to the original intent of education!

"New Direction for America"

From Newsmax.com:

If they retake control of Congress, Democrats will act quickly to increase the minimum wage, lower prescription drug costs and slash interest rates on student loans, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Saturday. The ideas are part of the Democrats' new domestic agenda, named "New Direction for America," which the party rolled out during the past week. Pelosi, D-Calif., used the party's Saturday radio address to promote the plan. "A new direction means expanding access to affordable health care for Americans. We will begin by lowering the cost of prescription drugs by putting seniors ahead of pharmaceutical companies and HMOs," Pelosi said.

Ok, here's a question for Pelosi, who is going to pay for these increases? One thing that all the proponents for minimum wage increases don't seem to realize, when you raise the minimum wage, prices go up! A working mother paying for daycare will have to pay more for that daycare. If you are running a small daycare center, say with 4 or 5 caregivers, you may have to layoff at least one of these people to make up for the cost of the increase. You also have to raise your rates. Now you have a person out of work. Because of that increase, you might have mothers having to go on welfare because they can't afford the increase. More unemployment. You raise minimum wage and number of the entry level positions will decrease. More unemployment. Stores will be raising their prices to make up for the difference in their expenses caused by the wage raise. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for people making a "living wage". My first job paid $1.60 an hour. I was 18, and I repeat, it was my first job. I eventually got a raise, to a whopping $1.65 an hour. I wasn't getting rich on that, let me tell ya! I "moved up" to another job (Krispy Kreme)with the outstanding hourly wage of $1.75. I was able to pay rent on the apartment I shared with my sister ($95 a month), plus whatever other tiny bills I had, plus at least a couple of nights out a month with friends. My point in bringing up my sordid past, you do not stay at entry level! You aren't suppose to live on minimum wage, you're suppose to improve, move up the ladder, get educated in your choice of jobs. Affordable healthcare? Maybe if they could get serious tort reform inacted, we'd have affordable healthcare. Get the lawyers and insurance companies out of the healthcare business, and leave it to the professionals. Some high school grad making decisions about what procedures I need, or don't need, and what they will or will not pay for, is not my idea of good healthcare. When OB/GYN's are getting out of the business of delivering babies because of lawsuits like John Edward's "channeling" case based on junk science, it's time for a revolution! Personal opinion: The worst thing that ever happened to healthcare is HMO's. Thank you Teddy Kennedy!

Citizens Against Government Waste

From CAGW:

H.R. 4890 would give the President the authority to strike specific earmarks from bills passed by Congress, providing him with a valuable tool to rein in wasteful spending and eliminate special-interest tax breaks. As you may recall, the Supreme Court ruled the most recent Line-Item Veto law unconstitutional in 1998. That law, which President Bill Clinton used to veto 82 items, saving $2 billion over five years, required a two-thirds vote of Congress to reinstate items vetoed by the President. By contrast, H.R. 4890 would require Congress to accept or reject the President’s proposed rescissions with a simple majority vote and then send a final bill back to the President’s desk for signature. By requiring congressional approval of the President’s proposed rescissions, H.R. 4890 meets constitutionality standards. Restoring the President’s Line-Item Veto authority will help stop Congress from running up the deficit by wasting our tax dollars on self-serving “Bridges to Nowhere” and indoor tropical rainforests. Enacting H.R. 4890 is an important first step toward returning fiscal discipline to Washington.

The line item veto makes more sense than just about anything else the Congress can do to cut their own out of control spending. But would they really want the President to cut their "happy fund"? I call it that because spending OUR money seems to make them very happy. We haven't really held our representatives accountable, state or national. I think it's time we took back control from the fatcats in D.C. It is, after all, OUR MONEY!

Cindy Sheehan, please go away!

I don't know a single person who is PRO-war. As a matter of fact, anyone with an ounce of decency is anti-war. However, that doesn't mean that when there's a war to fight, we should all "cut and run". The idea of innocent people dying does not make anyone happy. Young men and women join the armed forces to protect those who can't protect themselves. If they think there's never a possibility that some day they might be called on to fight and die, then they made the wrong career choice. Joining any branch of the military just to get a college degree tells me that the kid isn't smart enough to do either. Along comes Cindy Sheehan. Her son died in Iraq fighting to help people in another country gain the same sort of freedoms we enjoy here. He wasn't drafted. He volunteered. Casey did his tour and could have come home, yet this brave young man chose to return and help his comrades in arms finish the mission. He died saving others. His death is a loss that no parent should have to suffer, but many have through the ages, and they deal with that grief with dignity. Not Sheehan! She's out there spouting manure to anyone who will listen. The fact that she's going to foreign countries (and yes, Canada is a foreign country) encouraging deserters tells me that she is anti-American. If someone wants to gripe about me calling her that, go ahead. Yes, she lost her son, as have other mothers. Does this allow her to "give aid and comfort to the enemy"? Not in my opinion. But that's the great thing about this country, we are all allowed to have an opinion, and to express it freely. Wouldn't it be great to share that with people who haven't had that same freedom who haven't had it in a long, long time, or even those who have never known what it was like not to fear?

These are a couple of bumper stickers I picked up at a little place in Oklahoma. I think we should annoy liberals even more than we already do, and stick this type of bumper sticker all over the state. :)

We're too dumb?

Of course, this common sense had to come from the people. The only way to limit government growth is to take the responsibility of growing government out of politicians' hands. Politicians should be allowed to increase government spending only by a small amount, that amount a function of population growth and inflation. Beyond that, it should be up to citizens to decide. That little piece of wisdom comes from a column by Paul Jacob titled Freedom's Next Move. I could swear he was talking about the TPA (TABOR), or the lack of TPA in Wisconsin. Making politicians accountable for their out of control spending. What a novel concept! The decision about what to spend YOUR money on, should never be left to any politicians. But since we, the unwashed masses, are too stupid to know where our money would be best spent, they make sure we do not have that option. Seven states have this issue on the ballot, so why aren't the citizens of Wisconsin able to at least vote on this? I guess the folks in Madison don't think we're smart enough to make such an important decision.

Father's Day

I was watching Fox and Friends this morning when they showed pictures of the hosts and their dads. Right now, I'm sitting about 2 miles from my dad, and I can't see him. He's buried in Sparkman/Hillcrest right next to my mom. I envy people who get to spend this special day with their dads, even if it is a made up Hallmark day. My dad was quite a character. He could tell some stories that you would never know were true or not, until one of his brother's would verify them. One he told was about going to law school with LBJ. He couldn't stand the guy. Nothing changed when Johnson became president by default in 1963. To quote my dad, " He (LBJ) was a horse's ass back then, and he's still a horse's ass!" And this was from a Democrat. Yep, my dad was a Dem, but thankfully, he got over it when Reagan made that speech in '64. So, he was a Reagan Democrat, then became a full fledged Republican. Because, as Reagan said, he didn't leave the party, the party left him. My dad was an older man. All my friends thought he was my grandfather. Nope, he's my dad I'd tell them. The man was born in 1907 for cryin' out loud, of course he was old. But, he and my mom (born in 1911) weren't able to have their own children, and from what my mom told me, it wasn't for the lack of trying. TMI mom! He, like so many men, joined the Army after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Before he was shipped overseas, he witnessed a fiery car crash involving a general's daughter. Well, my dad being who he was, saved the girl, and ended up spending 18 months in the burn unit recovering from 3rd degree burns over 80% of his body. It was a miracle he survived! So, because of his injuries, they decided to adopt. All four of us! Between my dad and his 8 brothers (German farm family), the stories kept all of us kids entertained for hours. Like running "bootleg" from Louisiana, and the day they brought Bonnie and Clyde to the mortuary where my uncle worked. All the "boys" had to go see the bodies. The story about how he and my mom met, and he ended up getting seriously sloshed her dad on their first date drinking Ouzo. I miss my dad!

Trip South - Day 3

As you can see by this picture, I am now in Texas! I hear it was just as hot in Wisconsin yesterday, as it is here today! I LOVE IT! Today! Tomorrow, I'll be whining just like everyone else. :) Oddly enough, nothing much happened on my drive to Dallas from Joplin. It was sunny, the traffic was light and they finally finished the road construction between Sherman and Dallas. And it only took them 8 years! I'm impressed! Considering the fact that "construction season" year round down here, you'd have thought they could have gotten it done in 8 months. But, what fun would that have been? How could they have milked the tax payers out of an obscene amount of money if they had actually have finished that one stretch of road in record time?

Move America Forward

MAF is trying to get an ad on the idjit box. They have it posted on YouTube.com, go check it out.

Murtha

One more quick note: John Murtha was on Meet the Press a few minutes ago, and there is no doubt in my mind, he needs to step down. His rambling, incoherent answers to Russert's questions tells me there is something seriously wrong with the guy. He sounds a lot like Ted Kennedy at his worse, but unfortunately, you could understand his words, if not exactly his meaning.

More proof of Libs insanity!

In a column on Townhall.com, Kevin McCullough shows just how bad the loony left has gotten. The biggest problem is the fact they are teaching their own children just how to NOT be a good citizen. Hop over to Townhall and check out this unbelievable story. I'd make a few more comments about this, but it will have to wait till later. Gotta get on the road! :) After breakfast of course.

Fond du Lac County Board

People in Fond du Lac are trying to reduce the size of the county board. Sam Meyer, a newcomer to the board, is the driving force behind this idea. Now, I don't understand what all the fuss is about. The board is made up of 36 people. Sam would like to see that number cut down to 18. Makes sense to me. It's one of those "too many cooks spoils the soup" type situations. I know Sam, he's a good guy, and he wouldn't bring this whole thing up lightly. If the board size is reduced, he might even lose his seat there, but that's not the big thing to him. Responsible government is his priority, and in many people's opinion, having a county board that size isn't terribly responsible. In the 2000 census, the population for the whole county was a little over 97,000. The population in Harris County, Texas (Houston) is 3.7 million. They only have 4 commissioners, which is a county board member in that area. So, let me see if I have this right: Fond du Lac County has a population of less than 100,000 and need 36 board members to represent their interests. Harris County has almost 4,000,000 but makes do with only 4. What is wrong with this picture??

Personal Responsibility!

So, the L.A. Times doesn't think we should hold the perpetrators of fraud responsible for their own actions? We should blame FEMA for giving them the money. Uh huh. Well, I do. They should have been doing double checks, and triple checks on every person applying for aid after Katrina. However, to not hold persons responsible for their own illegal actions is just beyond my understanding. We should hold anyone who lies, cheats and steals responsible. Just like we hold FEMA responsible for being incompetent in it's duties when they screw up.

Trip South - Day 2

It is a fact! If you miss your exit, you will have to drive at least 5 to 8 miles to find the next exit so you can turn around and drive those same 5 to 8 miles back to the exit you wanted to take to start with. That's what I had to do this morning. Saturday is a boring day for radio, and no, I don't have XM or whatever the satellite thingy is. I still have dial up at home, do you really think I'd have something so new fangled? So, I decided to ask for directions to the nearest book store before leaving the motel this morning to pick up a couple of audio books. The directions were just fine, they even gave me a map showing which exit to take. No problem. Wrong! Naturally, this delayed my departure from Springfield, IL by almost an hour and a half. No biggie, I'm not in that big of a hurry anyway. So, I finally make it to the Barnes & Noble's, which was quite busy for a Saturday morning. Do people really do that kind of thing? Go out and about before noon? What a novel idea. :) I'm not a morning person, so this is a new thing for me. So, I choose my audio books, and go to check out. The young fellow was quite friendly until he saw what I was buying. "“Godless"” and "“How to Talk to a Liberal"”, which was on sale. Once he saw those, I couldn't even get him to crack a smile. I wonder, do you think he was a liberal? (Since it's difficult to read while driving, and boredom can set in, I was able to laugh through the majority of the afternoon listening to Ann.) I finally make it out of Springfield and on my merry way. One thing I noticed was the price of gas. The farther south I drive, the cheaper the prices. When did we decide that $2.64 was a great price for a gallon of gas? None the less, I was happy when I paid my bill and it was less than $25. Every trip I make to or from Texas, has a required stop in Sullivan, MO. The reason for this, cigarettes and Sonic. The price of smokes is almost half of what it is in WI, and that's the first Sonic I'm able to get to from I-44. Yes, I know, I need to quite smoking. I will! We're all going to die someday! :) I also had to pick up a few cartons to send to Iraq. Seems they have a preference for American cigarettes over there. Gee, wonder why! Perhaps cuz American made is always the best? I hear it's not raining in Wisconsin. Well, in Joplin, Missouri, it's pouring. So much so, that the cable went out for a while. There's a flood warning, and a thunder storm watch and I'm snug in my room on the 4th floor of the Holiday Inn, with the tv going in and out, but I don't care. I'm dry, and not dealing with loony tunes on the road.

One of the Best Ads Ever!

I don't like political ads, for obvious reasons. The majority of them are so bloomin' phoney! But this one, well, I agree with the folks over at Real Debate Wisconsin, this one is TERRIFIC! The left can say what they want, but that won't change the fact that Vernon Robinson is one class act!

Amazing!

And the left says we're "losing". From what I can glean (with my tiny mind), we are NOT losing! Papers found in the flattened al Zarqawi house are stating just the opposite. I don't suppose this will shut the left up anytime soon, since they never let FACTS get in the way of their rhetoric.

Michael Fumento

While driving, I had the opportunity to listen to Michael Medved's show out of Chicago. I don't remember the station, but it wasn't one I usually pick up in Waupun. He was interviewing Michael Fumento, who has been an embedded reporter in Ramadi, Iraq. Please, read his article, The New Band of Brothers. It's neither pro, nor con, for the war, but it is eye opening.

Trip South - Day 1

It's 6:00 and I've stopped for the day. There was a time when I could have driven straight through, but not anymore! I'm in Springfield, IL, and using high speed for the very first time. Pathetic, isn't it. But oh well, some day, we'll have it at home. :) I had some observations while driving today. People are nuts! Someone explain to me why a person has to be so close to my bumper they could reach out and scratch my butt! Cars with John Kerry bumper stickers are still bad drivers. And last, but not least, why is it after getting your car all set for a long trip, a weird noise has to show up when the A/C is on?

US Building Highway for Mexico?

I'm just not real sure what to make of this. I hadn't heard about it, or I wasn't paying attention, but there it was, in black and white:

HIGHWAY BUILT FOR MEXICO IN U.S. WILL DESTROY U.S. JOBS

Thanks Lainie, for sending me the link!

Thank you!

I just wanted to thank Jessica and Kathy for getting me addicted to sharing my opinions. :) So addicted that I insisted that my husband buy me a laptop so I could continue spouting for a least a chunk of my trip. AND I want to thank Owen for his advice on what type of laptop to get. I'm not sure if I did it right or not, but I sure am having fun and frustrations finding out. :)

Trip Preparations

Have you ever noticed no matter how much you try to be prepared to go on a trip, you're never quite ready? Today is pre-trip day. Oh joy and happiness. I'm trying to make sure my husband won't run out of underwear, have clean sheets, and just generally manage on his own for more than a day or two. He's a big boy, and knows how to do laundry, so I'm not really worried about him. :) I'm leaving tomorrow for an extended journey. First, I drive to Dallas, spend a few days making sure granddaughter #2 has some decent clothes. On the 23rd, my daughter, granddaughter #2 and I will board a plane to Orlando, where we'll spend the night at some Disney type hotel (can't remember the name right now) and on the very next day, we'll set sail with Mickey, Minnie, and the gang for 7 glorious days. Sounds like a real hoot huh. Well, we shall see! So, I've been packing, doing laundry, picking up things I think I'm going to need and generally driving myself crazy. I have a headache! :) Do cruise ships have access for computers? I've never been on one. How would I survive without being able to “connect”. Yes, this is suppose to be a vacation, but considering I'll be stuck on a ship (a rather large one, true) with my 31 year old smart ass daughter (wonder where she got that trait?) and 7 year old granddaughter. Odds are, at some point in time, that ship will NOT be big enough. Three females, one room!

Muslim Gyms

Should businesses be required to accommodate Muslim women? Well, that's a tough question. Yes, and no. If a gym has a policy of separation for men and women, no problem. But to insist that a business change their policy to appease a few, no, absolutely not. Personally, I agree, workout areas should be gender specific. Having men around while you're trying to get the flab off, and put things back where they were intended before age and gravity took over, is very nerve wracking. Many women won't even go to gyms that are coed. Most men, on the other hand, don't seem to have a problem with this. More power to them. Thank goodness for places like Curves! :) American is a land of opportunity! My suggestion would be for these women to start their own business catering to women. Have a swimming pool for women only! I'd even go to that! Have Little League teams for girls only. I don't think girls and boys should be playing sports on the same teams anyway. Yes, I'm soooo last century.

Gimmee Money!

I'm sure everyone receives numerous requests for money from all kinds of organizations. My favorite are the ones I've never heard of, never sent a single dollar, but yet seem to have me on the top of their mailing list. I'm a very generous person, as my husband can attest to, since it's his money I'm giving away, but for cryin' out loud, when will it stop? You have to give these organizations credit, they do their best to get your attention. I especially love the ones who send you a few cents, or even a dollar, like this is going to guilt you into returning their “gift”with a substantial gift of your own. It doesn't work with me. I have two grandchildren - their saving accounts have increases a little each time I get such a gift. Then we have the political “gimmee's”. Obviously, most of what I get are from Republican organizations. BUT, every once in a while, someone, somewhere slips. I got a nice “signed” picture from the Kerry/Edwards people. I shredded it, and mailed it back in their prepaid envelope, plus some extra shreddings, with a polite note to “please remove me from your mailing list”. Needless to say, they did. I think I'm now on the Sierra Club's ...ummm.. you know, THAT list. I got a nice letter asking me to help them defeat some legislation or other, with the required “Bush bashing” inserted. I had an extra bumper sticker laying around, “Charter Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy”. I sent that instead of money. I haven't heard from them since. I wonder why? Oddly enough, the ones that annoy me the most are from the Republicans. I don't need some useless “certificate of appreciation”. I have enough little plastic cards that actually accomplish something (like BUY things), I don't need anymore pins of any sort and I seldom wear them anyway. They poke holes in your clothes! This is how they waste my money - with trinkets. SHEESH! I have to give the Democrats and libs credit... at least they get the message. But no matter how many times I have written to the RNC, they just aren't listening. Even with phone calls, they're asking for me for money and I tell them I'm keeping my money local and to stop sending me crap, but they aren't paying attention to me. Sigh.... They don't listen when I tell them I'll send them money when they start doing what we sent them to Washington to do, so why would they listen to me about the nonsense they send me.

Mike S. Adams

I just love this guy!

"Guest Workers"

Phyllis Schlafly had this to say:

Bush entered the White House in 2001 hoping he would be known in history books as the education president who raised public school standards with "No child left behind." It now looks like his legacy will be "No illegal alien left behind."

As much as I hate to say it, I'm afraid I agree with her. I'm a big fan of President Bush. I think he's done wonders for this country, contrary to what the MSM and the loony left have been ranting. The idea of "guest workers" has me in a tither. First you break our laws, then you get rewarded? I don't think that's a real good idea. Giving "illegals" special treatment (can't be fired except for "just cause", can't be arrested for other civil immigration offenses if they are stopped for traffic violations, preferential treatment from US colleges, parents can be brought here and receive Social Security)is not a real good idea in my opinion. I haven't heard anyone make a positive comment on this. Sorry Mr. President, this will not fly with the American people! The Kennedy-McCain bill should be fought at all levels!

No Good News for MSM

The last few days have been chocked full of good news, but the mainstream media just can't stand it! David Gregory of NBC, harps on about Karl Rove:

Mr. Bush dodged several questions about Karl Rove eluding prosecution in the CIA leak case.

It really makes you wonder if these guys bother to listen! I know what I heard, and read, was there was no evidence to indict Rove. Wonder if Gregory was off the planet when that was announced.

Get Involved

Have you notice that people are all enthusiastic when talking about politics, and how they want to get invovled in the process, but when they have the opportunity, they're AWOL. Now I know many counties in the state have a very active political party, Washington County to name only one. They are enthusiastic and very involved in the community, having all kinds of events and fundraiser. Now don't get me wrong, Fond du Lac County has a great team, very involved in all aspects of the campaign process. We have a core group of people who are always ready to volunteer, to attend any and all events, and give as generously of their time and money. And this is great! Very much appreciated by all of us. But it's always the same people who do attend, who walk in the parades, that volunteer to do the door to door, the phone banks, manning the HQ, and just generally being there when we need warm bodies. Then there are the others. They pay their dues, and say "Give me a call, I'll be happy to help!", but are never available to chip in with any amount of time at all. One thing I've been trying to get through to people is this is a war! Perhaps not the same kind of war that's going on in Iraq or Afghanistan, but a war none the less. We are battling for our very survival against though who are fighting to destroy out country. To turn it into a "workers paradise". This, I will not tolerate! This country wasn't founded on socialism, so why are there so many (on the left) who seem to believe that some form of socialism is needed to keep us from achieving our full potential? It's never worked before, why should it work now? Well, they've never really tried it the right way is one excuse I've heard. Right way? And those who are pushing it now think they can create a "Great Society" where no one owns anything, we must bow to the church of liberalism, and no matter what a man does, or doesn't do, he should be equal to the man who has worked hard all his life, yet give at least half of everything to someone who sits on his ass and does nothing. We're being pushed farther and farther down that path of destruction. And it is time to fight back! We have some great candidates running for office, and the election isn't really that far off. I encourage everyone to get involved. NOW Before it's too late. Ok, I have a personal reason for posting this.... mainly had to get it off my chest. Thanks for understanding.

This little tidbit was in the FdL Reporter today in their "We Got Your Mail" section:

Gay marriage If the church really wants to protect marriage, how come it hasn't fought divorce? How come the good President Bush hasn't endorsed a divorce ban amendment? Doesn't the Bible clearly say, "What God has joined together let no man separate"? I say this is all hypocrisy in the name of God. How are these people different then from Muslims who blow up hundreds of people in the name of Allah? Rea Dunca Milwaukee

So, this reader equate those who support a ban on "gay marriage" with terrorists. Yep, that's a rational argument. Uh huh!