I seem to never have experiences on the road like my friend Ann-Marie see www.lefthandedrabbit.blogspot.com . This comes in light of the Vatican (since I am not Catholic, it holds no meaning for me) issuing the "Ten Commandments" for driving.
This is kind of a venting post. I am not meaning to sound like a mean monster, but there are a few things that really annoy me. Maybe these things happen all over the place, but I have seen them the most here in Illinois.
My experiences today entail annoying people who brake in front of you in parking lots and tailgaters (and an occasional non turn signal user). I have several pet peeves, but tailgating and not using the turn signal are my biggest ones. HELLO people, cars (US and foreign made, so there is no excuse for those of you who drive foreign models) are made with turn signals for a reason. Do you think drivers know how to use them? NOoooo, instead they cut you off in traffic then either stop in front of you or go at a snails pace, granted in Chicago you have to or you do not get in the lane you want, but come on, people, do you have to cut people off without using the blinker everywhere you go? Also, people put on their brakes in front of you and you have to put on yours and you have no idea why until they turn.
Something that happened to me today was I went to a McDonalds and the person in front of me apparently wanted a certain parking space and decided at the last minute and stopped in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes and my poor kids were thrown forward. In cases likes these I am thankful for seat belts.
Another incident I was at a stop light at an intersection on one of our towns busiest streets and another one that is fairly busy. I had my turn signal ON and was waiting for oncoming traffic and there was a lady behind me. I did not turn fast enough so she huffily went around me and made a dirty face at me. At least I used my turn signal!!
On to tailgating. One of our main streets is under construction, so I was going slow because you are supposed to in construction zones, duh!!! There was this lady following me so close that if I would have slammed on the brakes, she would have backended me. Thankfuly, it would have been her fault, but still. ANNOYING!! I tapped my brakes to give her the idea to back off and she did not give an inch.
One more thing. I also hate it when people cannot read construction signs that say things like "right lane closed 1 mile". Why do you think there are traffic tie ups at construction zones? It is because of those people who don't merge at the first sign (or maybe even the second), but wait until the lane is ending right in front of them and they have no choice. They cannot wait in traffic like the rest of us. They must get in front of one more car because it just might make them have to wait a few seconds longer. Road construction is annoying for all of us, so just suck it up people and wait in line like the rest of us who follow the instructions.
I don't mean to sound like I am a saint on the road, and I am sure that my driving bugs others sometimes (like my mom and my Grandma), but I do try most of the time to be courteous and follow the rules that I would hope others would follow.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Forgetfulness
How annoying is this? I had it on my mind to get dish cloths because it had been years since I had replaced my old ones. I threw my last old one into the dirty pile, where it will probably end up in the trash before it gets washed, so I did not have any to use with the expectation and great anticipation on going out to get some fresh new ones. My whole family went to Wal-mart (the dreaded place) for some much needed pieces of clothing and of course the dish cloths. I could have got them at Target, but there were some other stuff that I could not get there, like ground beef. Back to the subject at hand. I had a small cart load of stuff and what did I forget, the baby formula, (thank goodness, no), ground beef, no; undergarments, no; I even added insect repellent to the cart, but did I get the dish cloths? sadly, no.
I had to run out today with all 3 children to get the dish cloths because I need them badly so I can continue to clean the table and counters with them.
I had to run out today with all 3 children to get the dish cloths because I need them badly so I can continue to clean the table and counters with them.
Pirates
Need I say more? I don't go to the theatres very often, but when I do, it better be good. I am not one of those people who go every week (not that I have a problem with that), so the movie better be worth my time. There are not many occasions that get me all excited about movie theatres, but this past weekend, my husband took me to see Pirates of the Caribbean -- At World's End. That is one that I will recommend for kids older than 13 of course and adults alike. There is nothing like the Swashbuckling skills and thrills of Johnny Depp (aka CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow) and Orlando Bloom (aka William Turner) on the big screen. Not to mention the turns and twists of this latest version fr0m Walt Disney Pictures. The excitement was trying to figure out who was on who's side and when exactly the plot changed. It definitely was not a movie that led to boredom. This time even Keira Knightly (aka Elizabeth Swann) got in on the Swashbuckling action. Definitely worth seeing.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
air show
My husband and I used to go to the air shows in our home towns. Our dads would drag us there every year to see the planes (bonus when the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds were in town). Actually, I have always enjoyed going. The stunts were always amazing.
Last year, the Thunderbirds came to the show. We saw parts of their performance from our house and my kids seemed to really like them, but being only 3, we were not sure if they would want to see them up close since the planes are so loud.
This year, the Blue Angels came to town and we thought about taking them this year, but again were not sure how they would react. We ended up getting free tickets (including parking) and went on the first day (however, the Blue Angels were not scheduled to perform). Then we had this awful rain storm, so the place was wet and muddy, so anyone who went the first night could come back on one of the next two days of their choice. Bonus: We had free tickets and free parking and our other family members also were able to get free tickets so we could all go together on the Sunday afternoon of the show. We were able to see the Blue Angels perform anyway. The kids loved it (except for the baby). The baby did okay until the one plane came from behind and surprised us all.
I think the kids (as well as the parents) will want to go back next year.
Last year, the Thunderbirds came to the show. We saw parts of their performance from our house and my kids seemed to really like them, but being only 3, we were not sure if they would want to see them up close since the planes are so loud.
This year, the Blue Angels came to town and we thought about taking them this year, but again were not sure how they would react. We ended up getting free tickets (including parking) and went on the first day (however, the Blue Angels were not scheduled to perform). Then we had this awful rain storm, so the place was wet and muddy, so anyone who went the first night could come back on one of the next two days of their choice. Bonus: We had free tickets and free parking and our other family members also were able to get free tickets so we could all go together on the Sunday afternoon of the show. We were able to see the Blue Angels perform anyway. The kids loved it (except for the baby). The baby did okay until the one plane came from behind and surprised us all.
I think the kids (as well as the parents) will want to go back next year.
Kids grow up
Wow. It has been a while since I have posted. The month of June is just so busy for me. I have two anniversaries including my own, 4 birthdays, and one Father's day (for three fathers), so it can be a bit rough at times.
Every day I look at my kids and cannot believe that they are 4 today. It seems like just yesterday I was making that trek from my hospital room to the NICU to see one of my newborn little ones, then back to the infant nursery to see the other little one. It is so amazing to see them every day and is hard to believe that they were so tiny. As I reflect on this day, I am going to share the experience of their first days.
For those readers who don't know, I have a set of twins who turned 4 today. Actually in about two hours it will be official. They were my first kids, so you can imagine the shock and fear that went through my head the day I found out that there were two babies instead of one. Actually, I laughed because my dad was joking with me about it the night before.
A few months later, I was sent to the hospital for an induction. Two long horrible days later, I ended up with a c-section, not fun. Anyway, one of the little cuties ended up in the NICU for 6 days (granted that stay was short compared to many kiddos stays in that wonderful place). At the time I thought it was the worst thing, but looking back, it was the best thing for her. She got better care there than I could ever have given her. I thank the Lord for those wonderful, caring nurses. It definitely takes a special person to be able to care for the very small and fragile babies.
The identical set of twins had what is called twin-twin transfusion which is a situation (only found in identical twins) where one twin takes the nourshment from the other one. It causes one to have too much iron and the other to not have enough. Sometimes it can end up with blood transfusions and blood infusions (as in the case of mine).There was almost a pound difference in their weights and the older one was much paler than the younger one.
For 5 days, I made the painful trek between the two nurseries. I do think that is what helped my body heal from the surgery faster as I had to exercise. I did not have a choice. I had to see my babies (both of them). On the morning of the 5th day, they released me. I had to go home with empty arms. Neither baby was allowed to go home. It was one of the most heart breaking things I have ever done. However, it allowed me to prepare mentally and physically for the care of two newborns before they actually came home. The majority of mothers do not have two newborns to care for at once.
Finally on the morning of the 7th day (after taking a CPR class) they let us bring both of the babies home. That was a scary, yet wonderful day. So we brought them home, apnea monitors and all.
The day they went "cordless" was a wonderful thing.
Now, 4 years later, they are growing like weeds, and sometimes I wonder where my babies have gone. It is exciting to see how they grow and develop each day. It is exciting to see where their little minds take them. It will be awesome to see where the Lord leads their little lives in this next year.
Every day I look at my kids and cannot believe that they are 4 today. It seems like just yesterday I was making that trek from my hospital room to the NICU to see one of my newborn little ones, then back to the infant nursery to see the other little one. It is so amazing to see them every day and is hard to believe that they were so tiny. As I reflect on this day, I am going to share the experience of their first days.
For those readers who don't know, I have a set of twins who turned 4 today. Actually in about two hours it will be official. They were my first kids, so you can imagine the shock and fear that went through my head the day I found out that there were two babies instead of one. Actually, I laughed because my dad was joking with me about it the night before.
A few months later, I was sent to the hospital for an induction. Two long horrible days later, I ended up with a c-section, not fun. Anyway, one of the little cuties ended up in the NICU for 6 days (granted that stay was short compared to many kiddos stays in that wonderful place). At the time I thought it was the worst thing, but looking back, it was the best thing for her. She got better care there than I could ever have given her. I thank the Lord for those wonderful, caring nurses. It definitely takes a special person to be able to care for the very small and fragile babies.
The identical set of twins had what is called twin-twin transfusion which is a situation (only found in identical twins) where one twin takes the nourshment from the other one. It causes one to have too much iron and the other to not have enough. Sometimes it can end up with blood transfusions and blood infusions (as in the case of mine).There was almost a pound difference in their weights and the older one was much paler than the younger one.
For 5 days, I made the painful trek between the two nurseries. I do think that is what helped my body heal from the surgery faster as I had to exercise. I did not have a choice. I had to see my babies (both of them). On the morning of the 5th day, they released me. I had to go home with empty arms. Neither baby was allowed to go home. It was one of the most heart breaking things I have ever done. However, it allowed me to prepare mentally and physically for the care of two newborns before they actually came home. The majority of mothers do not have two newborns to care for at once.
Finally on the morning of the 7th day (after taking a CPR class) they let us bring both of the babies home. That was a scary, yet wonderful day. So we brought them home, apnea monitors and all.
The day they went "cordless" was a wonderful thing.
Now, 4 years later, they are growing like weeds, and sometimes I wonder where my babies have gone. It is exciting to see how they grow and develop each day. It is exciting to see where their little minds take them. It will be awesome to see where the Lord leads their little lives in this next year.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Children of the 80's
Here is a little something to enjoy. This used to go around on the e mail every so often. I thought I would post it for fun, as I AM a child of the 80's.
...Excerpted from http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Glade/4721/ with permission from UncleBob.
"We are the children of the Eighties. We are not the first "lost generation" nor today's lost generation; in fact, we think we know just where we stand - or are discovering it as we speak.We are the ones who played with Lego Building Blocks when they were just building blocks and gave Malibu Barbie crewcuts with safety scissors that never really cut. We collected Garbage Pail Kids and Cabbage Patch Kids and My Little Ponies and Hot Wheels and He-Man action figures and thought She-Ra looked just a little bit like I would when I was a woman. Big Wheels and bicycles with streamers were the way to go, and sidewalk chalk was all you needed to build a city. Imagination was the key. It made the Ewok Treehouse big enough for you to play in. With your pink portable tape player, Debbie Gibson sang back up to you and everyone wanted a skirt like the Material Girl and a glove like Michael Jackson's. Today, we are the ones who sing along with Bruce Springsteen and the Bangles perfectly and have no idea why. We recite lines with the Ghostbusters and still look to the Goonies for a great adventure. We flip through T.V. stations and stop at the A-Team and Punky Brewster and "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?" We hold strong affections for The Muppets and The Gummy Bears and why did they take the Smurfs off the air? After school specials were only about cigarettes and step-families, the Pokka Dot Door was nothing like Barney, and aren't the Power Rangers just Voltron reincarnated?
We are the ones who still read Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, the Bobbsey Twins, Beverly Clearly and Judy Blume, Richard Scarry and the Electric Company. Friendship bracelets were ties you couldn't break and friendship pins went on shoes - preferably hightopVelcro Reeboks - and pegged jeans were in, as were Units belts and layered socks and jean jackets and jams and charm bracelets and side pony tails and just tails. Rave was a girl's best friend; braces with colored rubberbands made you cool. The backdoor was always open and Mom served only red Kool-Aid to the neighborhood kids - never drank New Coke.
Entertainment was cheap and lasted for hours. All you needed to be was a princess with high heels and an apron; Sit 'n' Spin always made you dizzy but never made you stop; Pogoballs were dangerous weapons and Chinese Jump Ropes never failed to trip someone. In your Underoos, you were Wonder Woman or Spiderman or R2D2 and in your treehouse you were king.
In the Eighties, nothing was wrong. Did you know the president was shot? Star Wars was not a movie. Did you ever play in a bomb shelter? Did you see the Challenger explode or feed the homeless man down the street? We forgot Vietnam and watched Tiananman's Square on CNN and bought pieces of the Berlin wall at the store. AIDS was not the number one killer in the United States. We didn't start the fire, Billy Joel. In the Eighties, we re-definied the American Dream, and those years re-defined us. We are the generation inbetween strife and facing strife and not burning our backs. The eighties may have made us idealistic, but it is not idealism that will push us to be passed on to our children - the first children of the twenty-first century. Never forget we are the children of the Eighties!!"
...Excerpted from http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Glade/4721/ with permission from UncleBob.
"We are the children of the Eighties. We are not the first "lost generation" nor today's lost generation; in fact, we think we know just where we stand - or are discovering it as we speak.We are the ones who played with Lego Building Blocks when they were just building blocks and gave Malibu Barbie crewcuts with safety scissors that never really cut. We collected Garbage Pail Kids and Cabbage Patch Kids and My Little Ponies and Hot Wheels and He-Man action figures and thought She-Ra looked just a little bit like I would when I was a woman. Big Wheels and bicycles with streamers were the way to go, and sidewalk chalk was all you needed to build a city. Imagination was the key. It made the Ewok Treehouse big enough for you to play in. With your pink portable tape player, Debbie Gibson sang back up to you and everyone wanted a skirt like the Material Girl and a glove like Michael Jackson's. Today, we are the ones who sing along with Bruce Springsteen and the Bangles perfectly and have no idea why. We recite lines with the Ghostbusters and still look to the Goonies for a great adventure. We flip through T.V. stations and stop at the A-Team and Punky Brewster and "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?" We hold strong affections for The Muppets and The Gummy Bears and why did they take the Smurfs off the air? After school specials were only about cigarettes and step-families, the Pokka Dot Door was nothing like Barney, and aren't the Power Rangers just Voltron reincarnated?
We are the ones who still read Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, the Bobbsey Twins, Beverly Clearly and Judy Blume, Richard Scarry and the Electric Company. Friendship bracelets were ties you couldn't break and friendship pins went on shoes - preferably hightopVelcro Reeboks - and pegged jeans were in, as were Units belts and layered socks and jean jackets and jams and charm bracelets and side pony tails and just tails. Rave was a girl's best friend; braces with colored rubberbands made you cool. The backdoor was always open and Mom served only red Kool-Aid to the neighborhood kids - never drank New Coke.
Entertainment was cheap and lasted for hours. All you needed to be was a princess with high heels and an apron; Sit 'n' Spin always made you dizzy but never made you stop; Pogoballs were dangerous weapons and Chinese Jump Ropes never failed to trip someone. In your Underoos, you were Wonder Woman or Spiderman or R2D2 and in your treehouse you were king.
In the Eighties, nothing was wrong. Did you know the president was shot? Star Wars was not a movie. Did you ever play in a bomb shelter? Did you see the Challenger explode or feed the homeless man down the street? We forgot Vietnam and watched Tiananman's Square on CNN and bought pieces of the Berlin wall at the store. AIDS was not the number one killer in the United States. We didn't start the fire, Billy Joel. In the Eighties, we re-definied the American Dream, and those years re-defined us. We are the generation inbetween strife and facing strife and not burning our backs. The eighties may have made us idealistic, but it is not idealism that will push us to be passed on to our children - the first children of the twenty-first century. Never forget we are the children of the Eighties!!"
Happy Birthday
I must say it. I saw it on the headlines this afternoon when I turned on my computer. Those of us "children of the 80's" will truly understand this one.
Happy Birthday Star Wars. I was only a few months old when this one came out.
I have some great memories of Star Wars.
1. we went to the drive in theatre to see it.
2. it was the first movie that we recorded on our new VCR (those were just coming out).
3. I remember waiting for Return of the Jedi to come out on VHS so we could get it from the
library (there was a waiting list).
4. I had a crush on Luke Skywalker.
5. As middle school kids we would talk about Star Wars and act out scenes from the movies.
6. My dad and I went to see the "new" versions of the original trilogy in the theatres.
Happy Birthday Star Wars. I was only a few months old when this one came out.
I have some great memories of Star Wars.
1. we went to the drive in theatre to see it.
2. it was the first movie that we recorded on our new VCR (those were just coming out).
3. I remember waiting for Return of the Jedi to come out on VHS so we could get it from the
library (there was a waiting list).
4. I had a crush on Luke Skywalker.
5. As middle school kids we would talk about Star Wars and act out scenes from the movies.
6. My dad and I went to see the "new" versions of the original trilogy in the theatres.
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