Why there is a war.

Some of you have already heard this, but I must share this, how shall I say, "thought-provoking" opinion article with anyone else who reads this blog. Scott found the following article in the Clinton County newspaper from this past week. It reads:

LEGALIZING ABORTION WAS WORST DECISION

While some call Iraq a "bad decision," the worst decision ever made was 34 years ago- the legalization of abortion. Americans recognize this and are marching in protest across the country, fighting to defend the 4,000 innocents taken daily in abortion- yes, more than the total American casualties in Iraq. Had the 47 million Americans been allowed to live, would our soldiers be burdened with triple duty in Iraq? Would there even be a war?
Maureen Andrzejewski
St. Johns

Could someone explain exactly what she's trying to say?!!!

Cool Pictures

I linked over to Scott's blog and saw the ultrasound pictures! Too cool!!

Didn't ANYONE see "The Green Mile"?!?

So, yeah...about the microwaving of sponges:

"Microwave Experiments Cause Sponge Disasters"

HELLOOOOO! Anyone see The Green Mile?!? "Ah didn't know the sponge was s'posed ta be wet."

Sheesh.

Future Drinking Game

Every year we TRY to watch the state of the union address. I figure it is a part of being a knowledgeable citizen. The problem is that it is sooooo painful - why do they clap so much??? I think a great future drinking game would be to do a lemon drop every 4 times they clap or maybe every time they all stand up and clap..... Seriously, how long would it take before you passed out from drinking or pure boredom??

For the "why didn't I think of this?" department...

How microwave can beat the bugs in your kitchen - World - Times Online

I was tagged

I had a few books to choose from (Completing Your Basement, A Prayer for Owen Meaney - which I HIGHLY recommend, the Far Side Collection, Hungry Planet, and As Your Baby Grows) But the first one I saw was "Don't Know Much About History" by Kenneth Davis. Here are sentences 6-8:

"The controversy grew when a disgruntled ex-Mason announced he would publish the group's secret rituals. He was abducted and disappeared. Twenty-six Masons were indicted on murder and six came to trial, with four of them convicted of lesser charges."

I double tag Josh.....

Fun with books - tag

Unfortunately, kat leaves her school books all over our house.

Creating Do-It-Yourself Customers by Peter C. Honebein and Roy F. Cammarano

"High demand, a long line, and a set of values with an unrelenting focus on quality yielded a transaction process high on efficiency but low on social graces to which many of us are accustomed. To ensure everyone who wants soup can get soup, Mr. Yeganeh enforces a rigid, militaristic process in the coproduction experience:
Ordering Prodecure
1. When you walk in move immediately to the right."


I think everyone will recognize what the author is talking about....I guess you can have fun with books!!

I was tagged

1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book & the author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
5. Tag three more folks.

I just noticed that Scott tagged me on his blog...

Unfortunately for y'all, the nearest book is for one of my classes. You'll get a tasty sample of my grad school reading!

Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach: The Power of Dialogue in Educating Adults, by Jane Vella

"When energy is low, get people into a physically active learning task in order to raise the energy for learning. Gibbons told me later that this was the best lesson he had ever learned about training and learning. When Mustafa Hussein asked about the sudden decision to take an early break, we explained what had happened."

[Sidenote: WOW, how compelling! Who is this Gibbons character? And what part does Mustafa Hussein (I'm guessing no relation) play in all of this??]

I tag: sdb, Angela, and JOSH!

The many climates of Maui

Among the many things I didn't know about Hawaii or Maui before going is how diverse the climate can be in one place. The average temperature on the island stays between 75 - 80 degrees all year, but a quick tour of the island can make you feel like you're in totally different places:


Desert-like and chilly near the summit of Haleakala (dormant volcano)...


Eucalyptus trees of all things, in the middle part of the island (on the way up to the summit of Haleakala)...


LUSH greenery on the road to Hana...


...including bamboo (this surprised me as much as the eucalyptus!)


Not to be forgotten: the ocean, perhaps with a whale once in a while.


..and of course, some fresh coconut, opened by machete (don't worry - a skilled person did it, not me!)

2 sandwiches short of a picnic

The following phrases are ones that I find both funny and completely applicable to me for many events of my life: (Don't worry- I'm not just putting myself down, I have stories to back this up)

Two rungs short of a ladder.
Three french fries short of a happy meal.
One brick shy of a load.
One pepperoni short of a personal pan.
Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
A few clowns short of a circus.
A few beers short of a six-pack.
Dumber than a box of hair.
A few peas short of a casserole.
One Fruit Loop shy of a full bowl.
One taco short of a combination plate.
A few feathers short of a whole duck.
The porch light's on, but nobody's home.
All foam, no beer.

Here are 2 stories that demonstrate my talent for living up to the above statements:

1.) When I was a Junior in High School, I was a bit of a non-conformist. Especially when it came time for the Junior/Senior Prom. This is normally a rite of passage for many a teenage girl, however, I saw it as more of a...costume party. Therefore, I decided to ask a girl to prom (growing up in small town Grand Ledge, this was a big no-no. The whole town was founded on biggotry and hatred for anything that wasn't white, male, and straight. Maybe that's going a bit too far, but that was how it felt, anyway.) So, I asked friend Amy Hayes, and she, viewing prom in the same way as I, happily aggreed.

As the date approached, the thought that some boy would actually ASK me to the prom never even occurred to me. So, when said boy did call, I was flabbergasted. First, I didn't know what to say. My entire teen life had been spent learning that you aren't really a girl unless you're paired off with some random boy, whether you really like him or not. To be boyfriendless was akin to telling the high school world that you were incapable of attracting the opposite sex. So, on the one hand, I felt like I needed to take this rare (for me) opportunity to show that, yes, I too can attract the male species! So, I said yes. We said our goodbyes. Immediately after hearing the click of the phone, I felt TERRIBLE! I didn't want to go to the prom with this guy! He was nice enough, but the thought of going with Amy and making fun of the whole experience just seemed more fun! What could I do?!!!

I could have let it be. I'm sure he was the type of guy who might have been in to making fun of prom too. Do high school boys really enjoy prom?! Isn't it the "after" prom that even motivates guys to get dressed in horrible tuxes anyway? So, it would have been fine to go with a boy. I would have seen Amy there. We would have danced like freaks. I could still wear the outfit I had planned to wear (orange/lime green flowered vintage dress from the 60s with beehive harido, orange Lee press-on nails, lime green shoes, and tights to cover up my hairy legs- I didn't shave back then. Too conformist.). And it wasn't like it was a commitment to marriage or anything!

I could have gone with him, but no. I called him back. I said, "I don't think you want to go to prom with me because I'm wearing an orange/lime green flowered vintage dress from the 60s with beehive harido, orange Lee press-on nails, lime green shoes, and tights to cover up my hairy legs." A pause occured on the other line. I might have said some other things about myself to make me sound very unappealing as well, but I don't remember what exactly. Eventually, he said, ok, and that was that. I didn't have to go to prom with him. He never looked at me quite the same after that. I, on the other hand, couldn't decide which would have felt worse: Hurting his feelings by ultimately changing my mind or going with him to the Prom? I guess I'll never know. The good news is that Prom that year was a total blast. I never had so much fun dancing to Bob Seger songs and "You Shook Me All Night Long" by ACDC in my life. In 1994, we didn't have modern, 90s era music in Grand Ledge. Too non-comformist.

2.) Before going to Mexico, Scott and I spent the night at Amanda and Joel's. Going to their house to spend time is like one big party, no matter what occassion. There is usually a lot of drinking (not for me this time), smoking (for Scott and Amanda only), and listening to good music. My sister had just finished exclaiming how proud of herself she had been for not smoking for the past 3 weeks (she's been an on again, off again smoker for most of her adult life; more on than off, however). However, she recently picked it back up because she had had a particularly bad week. Somehow, she had managed to keep her smoking "habit" a secret from my father for this entire time. My mom knew only because my mom still smokes, and she and my sister have shared cigarettes while on the Island. My father used to smoke, but after watching his own mother die of Lung Cancer (because she smoked), he was finally scared into breaking his own addiction. Ever since, he has been on a mission to guilt my mother into quitting her 6 ciggies per day. His tactics so far have remained ineffective.

Because we were getting ready to go on this trip with my parents, I should have known that they would call. My father, especially, had been concerned that we have our passports, boarding passes, and quart-sized zip-lock baggies with liquids no bigger than 3 oz. (I swear, the next step in airport safety is going to be stripping completely naked. Sheesh!) My dad, of course, asked if we were ready, and I said, "Absolutely." Then he asked to speak to my sister.

I could have said a lot of things here. For example, "she's in the bathroom" was something that came to me afterwards. "Just a minute, let me go get her" was another thing I could have said. You see, at that moment, my sister was outside having a smoke with Scott. Here's what I did say: "She can't come to the phone right now." My father followed with: "Why not? Where is she?" To which I sheepishly responded: "Outside." At this time of year, in Michigan, why do people go outside?! It's NOT to pick the strawberries! He instantly gasped and said "is she smoking?!" I didn't respond to this because I didn't need to. He was, needless to say, pissed. He got off the phone in a huff, and I had to tell my sister what I had done. It had been a horrible week for my poor sis, and this was only going to make things worse for her. While my dad thought it was the end of all things for my sister to be smoking, my mother thought it was hilarious. As a result, my mom and sister smoked together...making me wonder if there could be a saying like "a family that smokes together, stays together?!" I guess not.

Anyway, I call these scenarios Tess-isms. I have come to realize that these split-second moments of stupidity are one of the things, other than Scott, that bring color into my life. And I also realize that whenever I hear a phrase like "she's 2 sandwiches short of a picnic," I can take comfort in knowing that I own that statement. I have earned it, and I will probably keep earning it. And when those moments happen, I know that everything, in the end, will turn out just fine.



For more funny phrases visit: http://www.story-lovers.com/listsstupidsayings.html

Let the news be out there!

So, I'm pretty sure that all, if not most of you know that I am pregnant. Therefore, I have decided that it might be time for me to actually acknowledge that fact so that the plethora of blogging I've been wanting to do on that subject may commence. So...there.

I hit the end of the 3 month mark today. YAY. We have already received one KISS onesie, but Scott is adament that we must have more. Personally, I've been too focused on whether or not I'm eating the right things and whether or not the kid will be physically normal once birthed to even care about what it will wear. Therefore, Scott shall be the fasion guru, and I shall be the anxious, overbearing mother. Wait. I'd better think on that one a bit more...

My pants are barely getting to the point of feeling tight. Actually, I should say that my non-butt flattering, non-trim pants are getting to that point. I haven't dared put on the "hot" pants in weeks (I had hot pants?!). Before I go back to work, I will need to find some new dress pants and tops. No doubt, I will wear these garments approximately 1 week, which is why I am waiting to make all clothing purchases until my pants are literally bursting at the seams.

Our trip to Mexico was amazing! Most of my amazement stems from my not getting sick. Prior to our trip, Scott and I had to visit the Ingham County Immunization Clinic. The woman who counseled us was very nice, indeed, however she lacked one important qualification for her job: she has never been out of the country. In fact, I'm not sure that she has ever been beyond the combined boudaries of Ingham & Clinton counties! Her advice consisted of this:

1.) Drink carbonated beverages ONLY (the fizz tells you it has never been tampered with)
2.) Never eat fresh fruits or vegetables (that was going to mean no Mexican salsa!)
3.) Wear a sunscreen with 100 protection or higher (to get a tan while pregnant is a sin)
4.) If you must see a doctor while there, go to Cancun (only good Mexican doctors are in Cancun where all the American college students are, I guess)
5.) Wear bug spray with at least 20% DEET at ALL times, even though there's absolutely no danger of malaria of any kind in the coastal area at which we are staying (isn't DEET supposed to be really bad for everyone?!)
6.) Don't get ANY water in your mouth while taking a shower (next time you take a shower, I want you all to try that and let me know how it works out for you)

Here's what happened while in Mexico:
1.) I drank bottled water. I also drank some coke which has some Caffeine in it. I'm going to Hell.
2.) I ate the worlds best and freshest salsa. I also ate fresh pineapple and bananas.
3.) I wore sunscreen that was 45 spf. I got a tan. I even got a little burned. Boy the sun felt great!
4.) I never needed to see a doctor. There were plenty in the town of Tulum which was only 20 minutes away (as opposed to an hour and a half). And the thing with Mexico is that you can buy whatever drug you want, period. No prescriptions necessary.
5.) I never wore bug spray and the bugs were biting just a little. I normally welt up like crazy when attaked by mosquitoes here in Michigan. In Mexico, they itched a bit and were hardly noticeable.
6.) Well, you'll see.

I think the moral of my "pregnant while in Mexico" story is that I need to stop being so goddammed paranoid about everything. And most important, I need to not put so much stock into what others have to say. So far, listening to my own body has been a great plan of action. I feel great physcially, mentally, and emotionally, and I didn't get sick in Mexico. Unfortunately, my Dad did. But that's another story...

Maui