Monday, August 27, 2007

Re-runs

I find it amusing when I sit down to watch a kids' show (with my kids) and it turns out, I've seen it before. Honestly, I don't watch a lot of kids' shows. Every now and again, I'll catch a bit of Drake & Josh, Hannah Montana, Sponge Bob, or Corey in the House while I'm running through the house trying to do way too much at one time. You know the simultaneous laundry, cooking, and picking up chore? I'm beginning to wonder, though, how many episodes they actually make of these shows!

Last night, while dinner was cooking, I tried to persuade Porter it may be a good time to take a bath. He could be clean before dinner, then eat and we could read another chapter of our book before going to bed. But, alas, I was up against Drake & Josh. It was the one where Josh plays one of the FBI's most wanted, a theater hold-up guy. Porter swore to me he'd never seen it. Jonathan also said he'd never seen it. OK, then, how come I had?! Do they think I sit around during the day (without them) glued to Nick TV? Not only was I getting nowhere convincing them that they had, indeed, seen it before, it was also nearly impossible for my 7 year old to understand that they would show this episode again. Is showering that bad? I'd be the happiest woman in the world if someone would tell me to stop what I was doing and take a shower or bath. Of course, I don't know, then, what would become of all that laundry, cooking and picking up.

Friday, August 24, 2007

The New Role Models in Hollywood (Disappointment)

I am so disgusted by the all the news coverage of Lindsay, Paris, and Nicole. I could vomit! These out of control girls need a major time-out. Not the few hours of time served they've been wrist-slapped with but a real time-out. I read of Lindsay's sentence today...1 day in jail, a visit to a morgue, talks with victims of drunk drivers, oh and 36 months of probation. Probation?! Hasn't that happened before? The ankle bands, the alcohol monitors? And still subsequent offenses. Wake up legal system...it's not working!!! I'm guessing the month in jail will be a nice rest for her. Not to mention worthy background for a book deal of movie deal one day. As for the morgue visit and talks with victims, these may have some lasting impression on her...unless she choses to drink the memories and the horror away. This girl needs a major intervention; a boot camp. And her parents? They need to visit skid row and death row to learn how kids without proper parental guidance end up. Then they need to open their eyes and see how close their little girl is to this same fate. Erase all the cover-ups and excuses her Hollywood people have placed on her lack of judgment. Hopefully, her mom and dad will see the part they played in her becoming who she is and beg for her forgiveness. This family needs therapy...BIG TIME. And the media? Could they glamorize it any more?! She's an actress for crying out loud. She longs to be on camera, in the magazines, and on the tips of people's tongues. Stop the coverage! Even negative attention is attention folks, and attention reinforces our actions.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

When It Rains, It Pours!

Funny how misfortune (or the idea of it) has a snowball effect. We awoke Saturday morning to a very warm home. Our upstairs unit was blowing hot air. The downstairs unit wasn't working at all. After a quick inspection by my hubby and a hard reboot at our circuit breaker, the downstairs unit came back on but no such luck upstairs. So it was a call to our home warranty company and 3 very long and hot days and nights before a crew came out to take a gander. In the meantime, our ceiling in our downstairs hallway sprung a leak! Another call to the home warranty folks. Thankfully, the leak stopped and it only took the plumber a day to come out. While waiting for him, I noticed our 12 year old dog was limping. Of course it was 4:30 in the afternoon and they couldn't see us until the next morning. So Tuesday started off with a visit to the vet. Berkley has a sore neck and the pain is radiating through his shoulder and into his leg. He should be better in a week or so. Next was the plumber. What could have been catastrophic was only the absence on caulking around the faucet in the tub upstairs. Easy, easy fix! The word on the downstairs unit is that it needs to be replaced. But, it is covered under our home warranty. It may take 5 more days to get the unit. Luckily our next door neighbor had a window unit in her garage that she lent us. The kids are now sleeping in the frog (bonus room) with the window unit. Joe and I have moved from the kitchen to the living room. I think we all slept comfortably last night. So three unfortunate instances that could have been so very bad, were not after all. Praise the Lord!
Oh, one final misfortune...Joe got a flat tire this morning. While changing it, though, he received two offers from good samaritans to lend a hand. So, after 5 days of misfortune, it looks like we're only out the cost of a tire.