New Family Member...

Her name is May.

It appears that she was dumped, probably had been hit by a car, but her wounds are healing, and she's healthy and beautiful and as sweet as she can be. Baby Girl loves her, and the hubby will meet her Thursday. I hope her life before us was happy, but with no collar, no search parties, and proof of prolonged wandering, that doesn't seem to be the case. She's happy now:)

P.S. She looks like the Mama pictured above...couldn't get my camera to love my computer tonight:)

Around this Time Every Year...

I wonder why we still live in Texas.

The temp is stifling-scary-hot, much like it is every day in every part of this wonderful Lone Star State of ours in the months of July, August, September...and the kiddos are still usually sweatin' bullets in their Halloween masks. I'm soooo ready for December:)

With that being said, I'll still be a lifer (unless we experience a deja-vu of the Roman sort) - then we're movin' to New Zealand.

It's Late. I Should Be In Bed.

But I had to illuminate one more injustice in the world before doing so. Ella picked out some Lucky Charms earlier today. The whole family likes 'em, they were on sale, and what is this?...double the marshmallows?...I'm there!

After dinner Ella had to open the box. I poured some into her bowl and ill will toward the leprechaun immediately started brewing. Suuure, there are twice as many marshmallows...because they cut them all in half!!! They're tiny!! What is that about General Mills?

But I think I've figured it out. Since the unemployment rate is so low, GM, not the car guys, the cereal guys, created new positions...marshamallow halfers/halvers. Who am I to complain?

BTW, if you care one iota; my fav 5 cereal list: What's yours?

5). Lucky Charms
4). Strawberry Frosted Mini Wheats
3). Cinnamon Toast Crunch
2). Golden Grahams
1). Fruity Pebbles

Half-Blood Prince

11 more days until I get to see it. I would have downloaded the trailer, but youtube is being fickle at the moment. Check it out :)

Classless, Tasteless...Heartless

I got into my car this afternoon, looked to my left, and saw the sticker pictured above on someone's passenger door. If you can't see it clearly, click on the picture; it gets bigger.

It's been bugging me...what did he think as he purchased the sticker, peeled off the back, and stuck it to the passenger door? Most people will automatically judge him and think him to be a person described by the above adjectives. I realize that one who would flaunt this sticker is possibly craving attention, positive or negative, which is sad and pathetic really.

It's not a joke; it's not remotely funny. The very ones this sticker demeans and disrespects are the same ones who have died or are dying and will continue to die in order to provide the freedom it takes to display such vehement crap, for lack of a better word. I cringe to think of a veteran or mother, father, wife, husband, son, daughter, or child of a soldier seeing this sticker. Why add another moment of worry or sadness to their lives? It's not worth what cheap, artificial pleasure the driver receives from people's comments or expressions. To the driver: Grow up. And if you're tired of the supportive, patriotic people in this country, try moving to one of the following: Russia, Venezuela, South Africa, Jamaica, or Colombia. I hear they're really lenient toward opposing opinions.

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

I was sitting at our public library today, which has undergone awesome renovations in the past year or so; it's quite nice. I have been going in the afternoons to work, in a corner, by myself...I love it.

Today, as I was up to my eyeballs in future lesson plans I overheard a conversation between a pridefully proclaimed 11 year old and her two wide-eyed, eager listening 7 year old audience members. The conversation was rather one-sided; the 7 year olds just oh'd and really'd a lot. Enjoy a snippet:

11 yr old: "I know what the male body looks like. I read Anatomy books when I was 4. I was talking in complete sentences by 1 1/2, and I could read by the time I was 2. I'm what you'd call an 11 year old Einstein."

7 yr olds: [silence]

11 yr old: "My parents are divorced, and I'm glad. They were fighting since I was born. You should hope that your parents get a divorce too."

7 yr olds: "Yeah."

11 yr old: "Are your parents smart?"

7 yr old: "I dunno."

The 11 yr old proceeded to school the younger two in video games, gaming systems, Pokemon, art, graphic novel/comic book animation, book and video game ratings, etc. She informed them to stay away from the graphic novel selection in the library. I'd have to agree; some of them broach very mature subject matter. Whoever her 5th/6th grade teacher is this year...prepare yourself for, what I am sure will be some interesting conversation.

Nick Reding's 'Methland'

illustration by Henning Wagenbreth

My homepage greeted me with the title and pic above. I was drawn in. After reading the review and a short excerpt I'm heading to B&N.com right now. Do I have a million other things to be reading and working on now?...yes. Does this book look worth an extra week of procrastination of that reading and work?...yes.

For the curious: read the review and the excerpt.