MR. JOKER YOU ARE GOING DOWN!!!

I have spent the last month freaking driving my kids all over the place and trying to remember pre calculus from like 20 years ago for my favorite students who keep talking me into teaching their upper level classes. The students seem to think that I am also going to teach their discrete math class next year. I just might be stupid enough to ask for it at work for them.

My oldest is on the high school swim team which over the holiday break has meant 2 to 3 practices a day which means me driving back and forth all day picking and dropping him off. Plus, his younger brother to a once a day swim practice. ALSO the usual other things that they are into like music lessons for their sax and guitar that both boys love. AND don't forget the usual holiday BS like baking cookies and big meals.

I totally understand why there are very few bloggers with teenage kids. The oldest will be driving in another year and a half. I plan to try to find a driving school for him to start on the very first day that he turns 16!!!

THEN THE JOKER POSTS A DORA THE EXPLORER CLIP ON MY LAME BLOG!!! Very funny!!!

....I saw avatar. IT SUCKED!!! Absolutely no plot. You totally know exactly how the movie will be ending - no surprises. It is kinda dances with wolves in 3d disney techno color.

...the ending of Dexter for the season flipping rocked!! I will not give it away. It took me a few days to decide it was a good way to end the season. Very unpredictable ending.

And the big plus side!!!! The oldest is going away for a week to Orlando with his high school band. I am probably more excited by his trip than him. Very fun! Anyone else want my kids for a week or two???

Otin strongly encouraged an update from me. :-) I hope you enjoyed my boring over scheduled life update.

Dora the Rap Star

This is cute. There is a Christmas part or two in there.

Monoword Manic Monday

Monoword Manic Monday

HOLIDAYS!

Join the fun with a word for Monday.

Roll the Dice

In November, Ohio voted to legalize gambling. Three casinos are in the process of being built in Ohio. The Columbus "Town Hall" is trying to figure out how to keep the casino out of our "back yard". Overall, the thrill of gambling has been saturated with almost every state legalizing it. The casino craze reminds me of the housing boom to bust. Just as we all have empty decaying malls, we will all soon have an empty closed up casino downtown.

I am hoping the casino will bring in visitors to shop at our cheesy strip malls, use our empty hotels, and dine at our pedestrian restaurants boosting the central Ohio economy. At worst, the mega casino will be demolished due to lack of business. Others are horrified by the possibility of a casino which I just do not understand? The city is fueling up for a fight to keep the casino away which will cost $$ that we do not have.

My husband is on the NIB (not in my backyard) side of the fence. He felt a casino would attract crime and vagrants. Vagrants? We already have homeless downtown. Crime? We have that too!! I think we can handle a bus load of tourists looking to blow their paycheck for no good reason.

Tell me if I am missing something?? I say bring on the folly of a casino.

Gate Crashers

I am going back and forth trying to decide if I should cheer on Tareq and Michaele Salhi. On the one hand, I am extremely impressed that they were able to sneak into the White House state dinner. One the other, what a boring party to crash? Rubbing shoulders with the VP and chief of staff is not worth the legal costs or time in court. PLUS!!! The party was not even in the white house. The dinner was located outside in a tent on the south lawn!!!

And the dinner.... potato and eggplant salad, red lentil soup, roasted potato dumplings with tomato chutney, and green curry prawns with coconut aged basmati rice? The dessert did sound more filling.... pumpkin pie tart, pear tatin, and an assortment of brittle, petit fours and pralines. Before taking the time to crash, I would need to know what kind of coffee? Was there real half and half for the coffee? I like to eat fabulous desserts with a great cup o joe!

How did they crash? OH COME ON!!! SHE IS BLOND AND FREAKING STACKED!!! Any red blooded man would have let her into the party!!

I can not put this prank into the same league with the wacko balloon boy parents. I felt horrible for the their kids. The poor little "balloon" boy was distraught by the probing questions trying to keep his parents lies. Moreover, the incident involved plenty of worried rescuers from police to the military to keep an eye on the balloon. No one was harmed in any way by their gate crashing except the pride of the White House Security Staff.

If this was Austin Kutcher (MTV punked) would he be in trouble for party crashing?

History's Mysteries

It amazes me what 20 somethings don't know these days. The other day I was talking to two young ladies, both about 20, one of whom is going to college, and I got on the subject of history.

Me: It's amazing how little your generation knows about history. A lot of people your age don't even know who we fought in the Revolutionary War.

Girl 1: It was that Hitler guy, right?

Me: Oh you are joking right? How about the civil war, do you know who fought in that?

All that I got out of that was two blank looks.

Me: How about George Washington, do you know who he was?

Girl 2: I know he was a president

Girl 1: They named a bridge after him, right.

At that point, all I could do was sit back and marvel at the new generation. I may not be

smarter than a 5th grader, but I surely knew more than these high school graduates!

I Believe

Some Proof....

Many of us believe in a higher power. Has there ever been an event in your life that deepened your beliefs that something guides us?

I have felt a strong presence of those that have gone without ever seeing the ghost. I also have a strong intuition when I should not trust a person. Unfortunately, I do not have the ability to know....

Why I should be leery of the person? What is their scheme? I just know to try to watch my behind. I also know before I get home if my boys got into trouble at school. Honestly, I just know. In the past, I would rush home to hug them. Currently, I stop at Starbucks to catch my breath before I go home to hear what happened. They are old enough now to try to fend for themselves.

The most fascinating story of a higher power watching over you was from a friend. She woke up in the middle of the night. For no reason, some thing made her go wake up her son to look at his arm. Without any prior knowledge of a problem, she flipped on the light to see his arm swollen up to twice the size. The hospital told her that if it had been much longer that he might have lost the arm.

Do you have a story to share?

Picking a Name

Finding a quality blog name is a toughie!!! Every fun combination of words seem to be taken. And other blog words are used over and over!!

I just wanted to tag my blog name!!! I will be back to post something. I did find one other blog that also had a twist on the "full deck" but this one was different enough.