I've been tempted by the Dark Side.

Craft-minded readers will notice that this stack of squares is not knitting but...gulp...crochet.

A friend of mine is compiling afghans for a charity. She asked for 6x6 squares, and she goaded me into trying my hand at crocheting them. At first I hated it with a passion, starting and ripping and starting and ripping. I did more un-crocheting than crocheting. But eventually I got the hang of it and figured out how to read the patterns. I got a lot of practice in on these squares, and boy howdy does crochet use up a lot of yarn. Stash depletion for a good cause = awesome.

I picked up my knitting again last night, and it sure felt good. But I think I will venture into crochet again sometime in the future. Especially to make the Exchange Bag from the Happy Hooker book.

And this girl's octopus is turning out waaay cuter than mine. Mine, I fear, is going to look more like a real octopus than a cartoon one (i.e. ugly and scary). I have images of my infant wrapped up in it à la 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Maybe once I put a smile on him, he will seem like a friendly overbearing monster...

Posted by: Sarah at 05:51 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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I'm a woman who likes her routine. I've pretty much done the same thing every day since we moved into this house. In fact, on days that I have a dentist appointment or a knitting class, I often feel really thrown off and have to start mentally preparing myself a few days prior for the change in routine.

Yeah, my mom can't wait to see me saddled with kids. She'll laugh herself silly.

Anyway, I'm all thrown off right now because my husband's Farsi course is running on second shift. For some unknown and odd reason, they're meeting from 2:00-9:00PM every day. That throws us way for a loop, and I'm still trying to wrap my brain around my new schedule. We're eating dinner for lunch and sandwiches for dinner, and last night felt more like he was in the field than at work. This morning we kept looking at each other wondering what we're supposed to do with each other at 11AM. Every day feels like Saturday.

It also throws our computer time way out of whack, so I haven't quite figured out how to arrange my blog reading and writing into this new schedule. Normally it's the first thing I do after he leaves in the morning, but now he doesn't leave until after lunch. Er, dinner. Bear with me as we adjust to this. I haven't read a blog or article in days.

But the husband's already thriving in his class. It's only the second day and he's already memorized all his flashcards for the free-standing alphabet (the initial and medial forms are another story.) And we've been singing our Alef Be Pe's all morning!

Posted by: Sarah at 09:04 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 I'm with you there - we're having work done on the house - which has turned into a major project. It's thrown my husband and I completely off our schedules - I know it needs to be done... but I hate it. It's sad how much of my life is in a rut. Heh.

Posted by: Teresa at August 16, 2007 10:41 AM (gsbs5)

2 "the initial and medial forms are another story." Fortunately most of the final forms are identical to the isolated forms. I thought he already knew the Arabic alphabet, so he just had to add the Persian-only variants (ک instead of ك for kaaf) and letters to the inventory (پ pe, چ che, ژ zhe, گ gaaf). Arabic would have had letters for p and g if only earlier p and g hadn't shifted to f and j (though Egyptian still has g: Gamal for جمال Jamal). I hope he isn't too troubled by homophonous letters in Persian spelling. Since Persian didn't have a lot of Arabic consonants, Persians borrowed the spellings of Arabic words but pronounced them in a Persianized way without the Arabic sounds absent in Persian: e.g., Arabic ﺙ th and emphatic ﺹ s were Persianized as . So if one hears in Persian, one can't be sure if it's spelled with ﺙ se, ﺹ saad, or the regular -letter ﺱ sin. [z] is even worse, with four spellings: the basic ز ze and ذ zaal, ض zaad, ظ zaa for Arabic words. Persian spelling is overspecified on the one hand (due to the adherence to Arabic spelling) and yet underspecified on the other (due to the lack of full vowel representation). It's as if English had spellings like psychlgy and ptrdctyl which preserve Latinizations of Greek (ps = ψ, ch = χ, pt = πτ but leave some vowels unwritten. Here's a table listing the homophonous letters and indicating whether a given letter is used for Arabic borrowings or native Persian: http://www.unics.uni-hannover.de/nhtcapri/persian-alphabet.html Paul Sprachman's (speak-man - what a name!) book Language and Culture in Persian delves into the issues of Persian writing in a style accessible to nonlinguists: http://www.amazon.com/Language-Culture-Persian-Bibliotheca-Iranica/dp/1568591446/ Reading LACIP is an entertaining way to learn about Persian without actually studying the language. The author himself e-mailed me out of the blue to recommend it and here I am, four years later, recommending it to you. The book may be even more fun if one is studying Persian.

Posted by: Amritas at August 16, 2007 11:31 AM (+nV09)

3 Arabic ﺙ th and emphatic ﺹ s were Persianized as . That reminds me: it seems that Persian underwent a th > s shift at some point (presumably before the introduction of the Arabic script), which is why سه se 'three' now has initial s- and is spelled with Arabic س s- instead of ث th-. In Avestan (a sort of grandaunt to modern Persian), 'three' had initial thr-, which in turn came from an earlier tr- still preserved in Sanskrit (and Greek and Latin). Germanic and Avestan developed their thr- independently from tr-. English kept Germanic thr-, but most of Germanic gave up the difficult th-sound: hence Swedish tre, German drei, and Dutch drie (but Icelandic Þrír still has th-!). I just noticed that Pashto has adopted the German/Dutch strategy of changing th- to d-, at least in dre 'three' according to this table: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Iranian_Languages Other Iranian languages have weakened th- to h-. I would imagine you've heard second-language speakers of English pronounce th- as s-. The Japanized version of 'three' is スリー surii and the Koreanized version is 스리 sUri. Maybe I should put this on my blog instead of yours ...

Posted by: Amritas at August 16, 2007 11:55 AM (+nV09)

4 Amritas -- My husband never learned to read or write Arabic, only to speak a little bit. So this is a new process for him. He did mention the other night how kind it is of you to comment about this and take an interest in his studies. I'm sure he will be fascinated by all your info.

Posted by: Sarah at August 16, 2007 12:29 PM (TWet1)

5 Maybe I should put this on my blog instead of yours ... Now I have yet another reason to come here!

Posted by: David Boxenhorn at August 16, 2007 10:36 PM (Pu/86)

6 Do you really think your mother would laugh herself silly?!? It doesn't take long to realize that with a new baby, you just roll with the punches! I know you'll do fine! You're much more organized than I am, and if I survived raising three children, you'll be able to also! Then when you're my age, you'll look back and think about all the silly things you stressed about. Wish I had been wiser then! I have sooo mellowed in my old age!! I love you! Your Mama

Posted by: nancy at August 17, 2007 07:28 PM (5mt/4)

7 Actually, my son has put me more into a routine. He's much happier when we keep to a schedule. So all may not be lost!

Posted by: Non-Essential Equipment at August 19, 2007 09:41 AM (dHtzl)

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I loved this airforcewife post over at SpouseBUZZ...

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My husband starts his Farsi training today. Things should get interesting around here. It's hard for me to imagine learning a whole language in six months, but I guess if you're at it for eight hours a day, it's a little different than the three hours per week deal I did all through college. And apparently the Army is wising up to how badly they need competent speakers, so they've changed the final test from all multiple choice (sheesh) to reading and aural comprehension. My husband is determined to clobber this puppy and get the highest score ever.

It's funny the reactions you get when you tell civilians that you're going to start learning Farsi. There are two main choices: "What's Farsi?" and "Are we invading Iran?"

Our old neighbors from when we first got married are Iranian, and we got to meet up with them last week. They were just tickled pink hearing what my husband has already managed to learn on his own via the Rosetta Stone program. They about fell over when their daughter toddled into the living room and my husband said, "The girl has on a shirt but no pants." And he just floors them with his knowledge of the region, such as when he found out what city the wife is from and said, "Oh, so you're Azeri and not Persian?" Most of the people they meet in the US can't tell Iraq from Iran, but my husband knows the different Iranian ethnic groups and their corresponding geography.

Can you tell how much this man amazes me too?

Everyone asks if I am going to try to learn Farsi alongside him, and I haven't really decided yet. I can count to ten and nearly recite the alphabet, but maybe I will try to glean more than that.

And when our friends asked, "So are you going to invade Iran?", you could tell they were half-joking, but you could also hear some wistfulness in their words.

Posted by: Sarah at 03:42 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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This Craft the Vote! thing had me laughing. Make sure to look at the photo slideshow.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:18 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Are we still worrying about females blogging? Sheesh. Teresa knocks this one out of the park. Oh, and those Dennis Hopper commercials rankle my husband to no end.

Posted by: Sarah at 04:33 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Folks, something I feel passionate about has come up, and a major fisking is in order. And someone named Monica needs a pimp slap.

In the swampy soup of hopefuls for the 2008 presidential election, there is a man with a funny name. (No, not that one.)

We're thinking of the one named Fred (Thompson).

Say it out loud. Do it. Fred. Fred. In the South, Fray-ud.

Fur-red-duh.

It has the tonal quality of something being dropped on the floor, something heavy and damp-ish.

Waterlogged paper towel.

Fred.

Ahem. Some of you may remember that I have a megacrush on every man on the planet named Fred. Yes, including this one. And the idea that we could have a Fred for president has indeed happily crossed my mind. So this Monica hooch better realize that she's walkin' on the flightin' side of me with this crappy-ass article.

London's Sunday Times last month interviewed a bevy of his ex-girlfriends, all of whom have drunk the Fred-Aid: "He's majestic," said country singer/Fredophile Lorrie Morgan. "Women love a soft place to lay and a strong pair of hands to hold us."

Fred?

Why? Is there something about the craggy actor we're not getting? Maybe he's ugly-sexy, like Mick Jagger?

Or maybe the name Fred is etymologically close to obviously sexy names like Dirk, Clint, James?

Grant Smith is an onomastician at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, who studies the branch of linguistics dedicated to proper names. He specializes in dissecting the monikers of political candidates and says he has a 65 percent success rate of predicting elections, based solely on name analysis. Not entirely convincing, but those odds would play in Vegas. "The name Fred is basic and homey," says Smith. "It should give people a reassuring image."

But is it, Dr. Smith, a sexy name?

Silence.

"I would not say that. The name Fred does not suggest blatant sexuality at all."

Speak for yourself, dude.

At the Fredquarters of the Fred Society in Palm Springs, Calif., "Head Fred" Fred Daniel has been defending his good name against charges of boringness and dolt-itude for 23 years. Daniel, 52, founded the society in 1984 by combing the Los Angeles phone book for Freds and sending out a 500-person mailing. There are 5,000 Freds in the organization now, but Daniel must fight for every member. "Unfortunately, Fred has fast fallen out of favor," he laments. From 1885 to 1896, it was the 15th-most-popular boy's baby name. But the last time Fred appeared in the top 1,000 was 2002.

Be still, my heart, there's a Fredquarters.

Fred.

We are trying to understand.

We are willing to admit that that some people find Fred Thompson, yes, sexy.

But we still cannot understand what that means.

What does it signify that we, as a country, are choosing to deem yummy a guy named Fred?

It signifies that you are a huge bitch for writing a 1000-word article making fun of a man for his name. His delicious, perfect name.

Seriously, this is journalism? This sounds like something my brother's basketball team would've come up with to rip on someone while playing X-box. How on earth did this ever get published? Maybe Monica's next article can be about how Giuliani will never be taken seriously because he has the same name as the little football player who could. Or how Mitt is something you use to take cakes out of the oven.

Good lord, journalists are lame. Lamer than any Fred I've ever met.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:02 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Normally, I blog the minute my temper flares. I don't draft, I don't proofread, I just bang out my emotional diatribe and shove it onto the internet. Sometimes I later wish I'd said something differently, or taken a different angle, or avoided blogging on the topic altogether. But I hardly ever learn and continue to blog without mulling things over. I'm glad that being on vacation prevented me from doing that this week.

On Wednesday, I found out that a very good friend from high school, one I hadn't seen or heard from in ten years, was right under my nose. I walked into his office thinking I'd knock his pants off and was a tad puzzled that he didn't seem to be as surprised to see me as he should have been. The first words out of his mouth: "Hey, Sarah! Good to see you! I read your blog, and I'm one of those dirty liberals you hate." Gulp.

We had a pleasant talk about other stuff for a short while, but on the drive home I was fighting back tears. I figured I may as well have shown up to his office naked. Because of this stupid blog, he already knew everything there was to know about me and had pigeonholed me into nutjobland before I even opened my mouth. And what is with this telephone-tag group of my high school friends reading my blog? Here's a tip for incognito bloggers: when someone from your high school gets murdered, don't blog about it. People googling the story will find you. I hadn't talked to this friend in ten years, but he heard from Billy Bob who heard from Betsy Sue that Sarah has a blog. He's been reading it for lord knows how long but has never commented, emailed or left any hint of his presence.

I tried to imagine if other bloggers ever get that naked feeling when they meet someone new. Surely Glenn Reynolds is surrounded by liberal profs who know more about his blog than they do about him as a person. But my husband unhelpfully pointed out that Reynolds is a lawyer and far better equipped than I to handle shock and exposure.

So anyway, on Wednesday I was done as a blogger. I was ready to shut down this site so I could avoid the horrible feeling of being outed, which seems to happen more and more frequently these days. I don't even know if I have any strangers left reading my blog; it's all my uncle, my parents' next door neighbor, my entire high school physics class, and my neighborhood from Germany. And if I hadn't been on vacation and having to go home and prepare for my husband's birthday party, I would've headed straight to the computer and announced that I was shutting down this infernal blog.

Luckily, I actually had to calm myself down and think as I cooked the creamed corn. I reminded myself of all the wonderful things that have come from blogging. That my blog friends were calling and emailing me during my vacation. That people online took up the slack when my husband was deployed, and people like Toni sent me postcards of encouragement while people from my real life were ignoring me. That I wouldn't be heading to Hawaii next month for a blogger's wedding. Would I fly to Hawaii to see anyone else in my life? Doubtful...

And as I went through all the things blogging has brought into my life, I began to feel much better. I decided it doesn't really matter deep down if people from my high school are reading this thing, because I only talk to them once a decade. I talk to my blog buddies every day. Last week, CaliValleyGirl asked, "At what point does someone from one's blogging life, become someone from one's Real Life?" I think I'm making that shift, or at least realizing that my blogging life matters to me a whole lot more than my real life does. I don't even have any friends in my real life anymore.

And as I stirred that creamed corn, I also realized that I was right to start this blog. I had less like-minded friends around me than I even thought. Four years ago, I wrote:

I care about my friends and I don't want to lose all of them. But I wish I had friends that I could talk to about how I feel about the world. I have my husband and my mother, and that is basically it...and my mother lives an ocean away and my husband will be gone for a year. We're new to our post here in Germany so I don't have any strong relationships yet, and despite my efforts, I don't hear from my old friends that often. When my grandmother died, I called my mom's best friend to talk about it, and I realized how pathetic I am that I don't have anyone I can count on anymore. And the few relationships I've been trying to hang on to really disappointed me this past week.

I'm at a crossroads in my life where I am realizing that people don't stay friends forever (remember, I'm only 26) and that it's OK to grow apart and move on. I'd like to maintain a casual friendship with some of these people, but I'd really like to find someone who understands me and shares some common ground. I'm at a point where I more look forward to an email from Tim or Marc than from any friends back home, and that bothers me. It makes me feel lonely, but not lonely enough that I think I should keep pretending to be something I'm not so that someone will stay my friend.

I started this blog because I thought that all my friends were too liberal for me and I wanted an outlet for my true beliefs. It bothered me when all those friends found this blog and learned the shocking truth about Sarah. And in reading this old blog post, I see I haven't come as far in the past four years as I wish I had. I still worry that people won't like the real me, when in fact I should just focus on the fact that I have made friends like Tim and Marc who do like me for who I am today, not for who I was in physics lab a decade ago.

And again, if I had banged this out in typical blogging fashion, I wouldn't have been able to include a postscript: I got an email from this friend I chatted with in my hometown, an email in which he mused that it must be really hard to have a blog where everyone assumes they know everything about you, and that there's nothing I could write that would stop the two of us from being friends. And he signed it from "your pinko commie friend." And in the end, I feel better that he knows the real me than if I'd gone into his shop and chitchatted about inanities for half an hour.

For those of you who missed me while I was on vacation, be thankful you didn't hear from me on Wednesday; I would've quit. It's amazing what a few deep breaths can do.

And for those of you from my physics class, this is the real Sarah. I hope you like it, or at least tolerate it. And that it doesn't detract at all from your memories of the girl who nearly set both her partners on fire during the experiment on angular momentum.

UPDATE:

I'm afraid after rereading my post -- dang, and I drafted this one too! -- maybe my friend came off sounding mean or rude, which was not the case. He has been nothing but nice over the past week; this post was about my reaction to feeling exposed, not anything he did or said that bothered me. Please don't think I was mad at him. But if there are others out there from ol' RHS, I'd love to hear from you before I walk into your place of business and feel like a jackass.

Oh, and this is the friend who handed me The Fountainhead. I have him to thank for that, no matter how dirty and pinko he is. And the physics experiment: that falling pendulum making sparks on the paper around the pulley fell a little too fast and made a nice fire instead of a little hole in the paper. And Sarah stood there stuttering while her friend got singed fingers and the teacher barked at her to stop being a moron and put the fire out.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:54 AM | Comments (21) | Add Comment
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1 VERY glad you didn't "hit and run". You would be missed, dear lady! It's funny, because I've been looking at "real life" vs "Blogging life" and realize they have now become one. My closest friends are bloggers. The causes I support, I found via blogging. My main communication on a daily basis....blogging. It doesn't make sense to everyone, but then again, it doesn't have to. If it works for us, then that's all that matters.....

Posted by: Tammi at August 13, 2007 03:39 AM (F/bmV)

2 I admire people who have the courage to say something (of actual substance) on a blog. I enjoy writing but hold back for all of reasons you've laid out in this post. I was never ultra opinionated in high school or college, or I should say that I was never passionate about the issues back then, and I'm always afraid of stepping on someone's toes. It's so easy to be misunderstood in writing--to have your words be misconstrued--and that frightens me.

Posted by: Nicole at August 13, 2007 04:13 AM (S/s4V)

3 I'm certainly glad you didn't quit. Was the guy actually pissed, or was he just making sure you knew where he stood, politically-speaking? The 'good to see you' part sounds like he couldn't have been too furious. I've been reading your blog for a while, and can't remember you ever using a phrase like "dirty liberals." Indeed, you don't use much invective by blogosphere or MSM standards, let alone by talk-radio standards.

Posted by: david foster at August 13, 2007 04:29 AM (gguM0)

4 Well I am sure glad you didn't quit. In fact after we met last week, I went home and confessed my blog to a friend whose response was that's cool to talk about your feelings. That surprised me a bit. It felt like having someone go through my underwear drawer; I felt like I had completely exposed myself. But now I don't have to worry about that person finding me out.

Posted by: Butterfly Wife at August 13, 2007 05:13 AM (+2qii)

5 I'm glad you didn't quit too! Though I know what you mean, I have more friends from blogging that I do in real time. Though many many have crossed over. I found that what happened is that my values changed over time, my blogging friends reflect that change. But I agree that I would feel awful if my blog got outed to some of the people I grew up with and have been friends with for years. I'm not liberal anymore, but I used to be. We change as we age, who your friends are now are a reflection of who you are right now, in this moment. Keep writing, there are plenty of us who would miss you.

Posted by: mare at August 13, 2007 06:12 AM (i4Nd4)

6 I'm glad you waited a bit. Anger often leads us to act immediately - which is not always the best way to do things (I know - I've done it *grin*). A few days can lend perspective - as you've found. The thing about "blog friends" is that we have a good idea of the personality of those whose blog we read. Generally if you like a person's blog - if it resonates - you will like the person behind the writing. In conventional meetings - things are much less straightforward. Often it takes ages to figure out if you like someone. BTW - your "friend" from high school was very rude. Sorry - but he was. The whole - "I'll shock her that I know about her blog"... it smacks of high school oneupsmanship - especially in the manner he presented it. You would think people would outgrow that crap - but they never seem to (at least when dealing with people they knew back in high school). Sorry you had to get smacked in the face with it. In any case - enjoy your friends, ignore the boorish, and continue to blog. We'd miss you if you were gone!

Posted by: Teresa at August 13, 2007 06:40 AM (gsbs5)

7 I agree with what everyone has said. I am also glad yu did not quit blogging. I don't write to much about my beliefs. I just enjoy reading what everyone else has to say and yall do it way better than I ever could. I am just beginning to make friends in the blogging world but some feel alot closer than the real life friends I have. Thanks for letting us see the real you.

Posted by: Reasa at August 13, 2007 06:42 AM (JfF5d)

8 Hello - long time reader, first time poster. I think its safe to assume that I am the friend that Sarah is posting about. Just to clairfy, my intent certainly was not to shock or one-up Sarah at all. I'd like to think that we were very good friends in high school, and I understand from reading this blog that Sarah has some apprehension about crossing the line between blog life and reality. I could have not mentioned the blog, and that would have been rude. Frankly, I consider myself liberal, and I treasure this blog for the ability that it has given me to stay somehow in touch with a dear old friend. To not mention the blog would have felt wrong to me. Also, I wanted to let Sarah know that, while we may not share the same opinions on "issues" and other whatnot, we're still tight where it counts. While it may seem "boorish" to some of you, my intent was only to break the ice and try to alleviate any fear that Sarah may have had about my feelings about her. She's a dear friend now, as she ever was. So, blog on. And rest assured, that I would have missed this blog too, filthy liberal bashing and all. Thanks Todd

Posted by: Sarah's pinko commie friend at August 13, 2007 07:00 AM (E3cB2)

9 I'm also glad to hear that you're going to continue on. What that classmate did could have been taken in two ways. I've known some people who have read my blog but never mentioned it to me. When I eventually found out, I felt like they had been playing a joke on me. So I guess I prefer it when people let me know whether they know about my blog up front. Perhaps he meant to be upfront but was just very clumsy about it. I don't know...but I'm glad you're staying. Have a great time in Honolulu! I hope you find the time to hike Diamondhead Crater and visit Pearl Harbor. Since you're military, take a look at the Pearl Harbor BX/Commissary complex (just rebuilt and very impressive). You can also drive on to Ford Island and on to Hickam AFB. Both still have buildings showing damage from the Dec 7 attack.

Posted by: R1 at August 13, 2007 07:15 AM (9JS9f)

10 Both friends and enemies would probably like to know more about that angular momentum experiment. Was anyone taking pictures?

Posted by: david foster at August 13, 2007 07:20 AM (gguM0)

11 Uh, I guess I don't grok. In a rage? Fighting back tears? Feeling naked? This is a public blog, right? I mean, you know people read what you write, otherwise you'd have it password protected, or write in a diary and pass it around only for really best friends to see and appreciate. Are you sure you're not pregnant? You sound pretty hormonal to me! And I so grok on your friend. I outed you the first time, didn't I? Because I didn't know the public internet blog was supposed to be a secret! So - you have two 'insensitive' friends who actually said out loud they read your blog, one liberal, one conservative.

Posted by: Oda Mae at August 13, 2007 08:33 AM (k23td)

12 When blogging and real life change places... But when you are really into blogging, it IS your real life. No one thinks twice when the majority of their friends come from church or work. The blogs are how we discover our friend group in the same way. I didn't even tell my family about my original blog - as the lone non-flaming liberal I would be eviscerated routinely at Thanksgiving if they read my stuff.

Posted by: airforcewife at August 13, 2007 08:47 AM (emgKQ)

13 Glad you didn't call it quits... I'm one of those strangers, or at least, you haven't met me yet

Posted by: Green at August 13, 2007 11:11 AM (VqW06)

14 Okay Todd - perhaps then... let's say, it could have been phrased better. Or you could've dropped an email when you found her blog. Something like that. You know the manner in which you say things is definitely something that must be considered. How about looking at it in these terms: You were both at school together: Say Sarah was doing track and field. Everyday she goes out to the track and runs... everyday you stand in the building where she can't see you and watch her out the window. Then on the day of a race, you walk up to her and tell her - I've been watching you run, can't wait to see the race. Now, the track is definitely public and there's nothing that says you can't watch. But then she starts to feel like - well, what have you been seeing and why didn't you say something? That kind of thing. Do you see the difference? If you'd been sitting in the stands and she knew you were watching - it's a different matter. As for me - I figure if someone I know wants to read my stuff and not tell me - well no problem. Other people find it disturbing. I just think it's good manners to let someone know you're there... but that's just me and I'm kinda old.

Posted by: Teresa at August 13, 2007 03:28 PM (gsbs5)

15 I think all have the caught naked feeling at least once while blogging... I have at least 3 times. I am guessing there will be at least 3 or 4 more...

Posted by: armywifetoddlermom at August 13, 2007 05:05 PM (W7QkX)

16 Sarah, This post is why we like you. I haven't met you and you are the age of my older grandchildren but I get it. You tell us in your writings who you are, how you feel and I guess that I,like your other regular readers, feel a friendship. I could pass you on the street and we wouldn't recognize each other, but if I read your writing I would recognize you, the internal you. And I really respect your friend Todd for his comments. He did good!

Posted by: Ruth H at August 13, 2007 05:54 PM (LFV0a)

17 My apologies to you and Todd for misunderstanding. Just like me to stick my foot in it. Figures.

Posted by: Teresa at August 13, 2007 06:24 PM (gsbs5)

18 I'm also glad you didn't quit. To avoid this problem, I talk about the news only and disclose very little information about my life on my blog. But when you compare yourself to the thousands of women who daily publish inimate details of their sex lives on their blogs, I think you are pretty restrained in comparison. In any case, I wouldn't sweat it too much. It's unlikely someone finding your blog for the first time is going to have the time or patience to read it all and comb all your personal information from it.

Posted by: John Rohan at August 13, 2007 11:26 PM (BfPzY)

19 I haven't been able to get to your website in 2 days...I am such a slacker, but now I get to soak up in all the grokky goodness...yaaaayy! Anyhoo...I can emphathize, because it's not fair when you think: hey haven't seen you in 10 years...what's up, and someone says: yeah, I have been reading your online diary, so I know what's going on...nothing wrong on their part, it's just that you suddenly aren't on a level playing field...on another note: Todd's quote makes me laugh, because pinko commie is what I used to call myself when I first met my fiance, because he was soooo much more conservative than me...and still is...but heck, we are getting married...and you are coming to Hawaii to come witness it. So, can't be all that bad.

Posted by: CaliValleyGirl at August 14, 2007 10:11 PM (63ayv)

20 You're right, even I stopped reading your blog. But I rediscovered it now and there's a full report at warcheerleaders. Sad.

Posted by: WCW at August 28, 2007 03:02 AM (OIxDY)

21 Hello Everyone, My wife was finally able to kick the habit before she got pregnant with our now first born beautiful baby gilr, so I tought I'll share the resource that she has used to help her quit the smoking habit with as many people as I can. She was a heavy smoker for about ten years and just a couple of weeks after finding out about the program that I have researched online, she was able to quit smoking permanently and now can't stop telling people about how she had kicked the habit for good. Anyway if somebody want to check it out the site is; http://endthehabitnow.com

Posted by: exsmoker at August 28, 2007 05:11 PM (UHYQ0)

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The people of Seattle are on the edge of their seats:

Construction delays will force journalism history buffs to wait a few more months to visit the Newseum, a museum dedicated to news reporting and the First Amendment being built near the Capitol.

Lenin's Tomb quips, "I hope it includes a special clinic for journalists whose arms dislocate from the spontaneous back-patting."

A museum dedicated to the First Amendment. Incidentally, we caught some crap on the news last week in the motel, where a talking head made a remark about "Second Amendment literalists." Nice. I'd love to hear someone sneer about First Amendment literalists and see how that goes over.

Posted by: Sarah at 04:29 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 I love the First Amendment Literalist analysis Sarah. You can apply the same argument to any of the other amendments. How about the 4th or the 13th? Good job. I will be borrowing this in the near future.

Posted by: Badger 6 at August 09, 2007 06:20 AM (rlynI)

2 As far as “a museum dedicated to news reporting” they couldn’t be more accurate. Museums are places where one can visit to see things that are old and/or no longer exist. Well, I would say news reporting, that being actually reporting the news – facts, another words, not injecting opinion or uncorroborated, agenda driven falsehoods is indeed extinct. So, I say good for them for acknowledging that. Also, building a ‘museum dedicated to … the First Amendment being built near the Capitol” is unnecessary. The Capital, and the rest of the DC for that matter, already represents, very nicely I might add, our First Amendment right along with the rest of our rights and freedoms. So that’s just redundant in my book.

Posted by: tim at August 09, 2007 08:07 AM (nno0f)

3 Badger 6 -- You literally took the words out of my mouth. I had added the line "Or the Fourth or Thirteenth" to the end of it and then erased it because I figured I'd already made the point. Those were the exact two others I thought of as well.

Posted by: Sarah at August 09, 2007 08:18 AM (5mt/4)

4 I work in Rosslyn, Virginia, right across the Potomac from DC, and right next door to the original location of the Newseum. One of their best displays was about seven sections of the Berlin wall, complete with East German guard tower and huge background mural of the fireworks on the night the wall came down. The new Newseum took three or four sections to the new location, but I believe the ones remaining will be reinstalled at the original place. If you're into that sort of thing, check out Freedom Park in Rosslyn (very near the Iwo Jima Memorial). Statues and memorials to all things free, including a beautiful tribute to journalists who lost their lives covering the news.

Posted by: Ted at August 11, 2007 01:54 AM (7lxqj)

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It's been more than three years since I made that eight-hour day trip to meet my first blogger in person. And now I think I'm addicted to meeting bloggers. I get as excited (if not more) about meeting them as I do seeing people from my Real Life.

Thus it happens that, on one of our many car trips circling the Midwest this month, we ate breakfast with Butterfly Wife. And Butterfly Wife is one of the few bloggers who's yet to meet my husband, so there's a milestone. She was gracious enough to meet us at the crack of dawn for a coffee before we headed out of town. I'm so glad she squeezed us into her schedule.

So who's next?

Posted by: Sarah at 05:59 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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1 It was a pleasure of meeting both of you and your husband.

Posted by: Butterfly Wife at August 08, 2007 06:59 AM (+2qii)

2 *Sigh* Meeting someone from one's blogging life is like a blind date, butterflies in your stomach, hoping they are just as cool in real life as on their blog, etc, perhaps a little awkward the first few minutes, but then after a while it's as if you had known eachother forever. I can remember my "first date" with you...and it was a double date, 'cos I got to meet Mrs. Rubberboots too! Question: At what point does someone from one's blogging life, become someone from one's Real Life? Or do blogging life people always hold a special place?

Posted by: CaliValleyGirl at August 08, 2007 07:27 AM (deur4)

3 Let me know if you are ever in my neck of the woods. I'm always thrilled for any company that does not want to read "The Monster at the End of this Book" over and over again.

Posted by: Non-Essential Equipment at August 08, 2007 11:43 AM (Fsolv)

4 I couldn't sleep for nearly a week before SpouseBuzz 1 - I know totally what you mean! And then before SB2, I couldn't sleep again, but it was because I was so darn excited about getting to see everyone again. It was like rolling into my hometown, but without the baggage.

Posted by: airforcewife at August 08, 2007 03:26 PM (emgKQ)

5 If you head back into Texas let me know.

Posted by: Reasa at August 08, 2007 06:11 PM (JfF5d)

6 Wait...isn't the end purpose of this trip to see a Cardinals' game in St. Louis? Well, if so, and if you have a spare moment or two when in town, let me know.

Posted by: marc at August 08, 2007 06:53 PM (/XT7W)

7 I met my favorite military spouses (and a military-spouse-to-be) because of blogging. Funny how that works out And CVG, they closed that restaurant where we had our "double date." Can you believe it?

Posted by: The Girl at August 09, 2007 05:29 AM (6zvrq)

8 Me! Me! Pick me! ...How far are you?

Posted by: Green at August 09, 2007 10:34 AM (VqW06)

9 Well if you're anywhere near Rockford Illinois I'm available. :-) I know we met already, but I'll buy ya coffee!!!!

Posted by: Tammi at August 10, 2007 05:19 AM (PesK3)

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I'm back! Well, sort of. We're still on vacation, but at least now we have computer access. And you don't know how wonderful it feels to hear my internet friends miss me. ArmyWifeToddlerMom called me on my second day gone and asked, "Is your vacation over yet?" It's good to be loved.

We're having fun, but if I never get in the car again I will be thrilled. We'll need another oil change the minute we get home. 9 hours the first day, 9 hours the second, 8 hours yesterday, 4 today, 4 tomorrow, and then another 15 on the way back home at the end of the week.

And it's not quite barfing all the way to Georgia, but we've had a heck of a time in all these car rides too. The first morning we had to go to three separate gas stations before we could find a working air pump for our tires. Then we decided to take the long-cut around Winston-Salem. We were nearly divorced or a double homicide by 9 AM. The second day, as we were chugging along making great time at 5 AM, we hit a crow. Seriously. All I could think about was Lomborg's stat that 250,000 birds die hitting windows every day. Well, we popped one in Louisville. Took out our driver's side mirror. Personally, I wanted my husband to back up and run over that crow a couple more times just to make sure it understood how ticked I was. Not easy to drive without that mirror. Also not cheap to get it fixed.

So then yesterday we start out with no problems. At the first rest stop, we get Charlie out of the car and notice he's covered in poop. Apparently he must've rolled in a nice pile before we left. We manage to give him a cursory cleaning and then let him roll around in the grass to dry off. He comes back covered in sticker burrs. Mind you, we're on our way to stop for lunch at a friend's house, a buddy from high school. I haven't spent any time with him in ten years, and I'm supposed to show up at his home with a dog covered in burrs and poop. Not cool.

Oh, and when we get there, Charlie lifts his leg on their sofa.

Please let us make it through the rest of the trip without any stories to tell.

Posted by: Sarah at 03:33 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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We are leaving Army Early tomorrow morning for our trip westward. My husband's parents don't have a computer, so I will be completely out of the loop for a week. If you see something really good online that I shouldn't miss, leave me the link in the comments so I can catch up next weekend.

Posted by: Sarah at 08:45 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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If you were wondering what kind of anti-war movies are store for us, wonder no longer. There are plenty to choose from! You could see such gems as

“In the Valley of Elah,” a drama inspired by the Davis murder, written and directed by Paul Haggis, whose “Crash” won the Academy Award for best picture in 2006. The film stars Tommy Lee Jones as a retired veteran who defies Army bureaucrats and local officials in a search for his son’s killers. In one of the movie’s defining images, the American flag is flown upside down in the heartland, the signal of extreme distress.

Other coming films also use the damaged Iraq veteran to raise questions about a continuing war. In “Grace Is Gone,” directed by James C. Strouse and due in October from the Weinstein Company, John Cusack and two daughters struggle with the loss of a wife and mother who is killed on duty. Kimberly Peirce’s “Stop-Loss,” set for release in March by Paramount, meanwhile, casts Ryan Phillippe as a veteran who defies an order that would send him back to Iraq.

Or how about

Brian De Palma’s “Redacted,” focusing on an Army squad that persecutes an Iraqi family, is to be released in December by Magnolia Pictures.

Oh boy, I just can't wait. You remember how much I loved Crash, right? This should be even better.

Excuse me, I just threw up in my mouth a little.

(via RWN)

Posted by: Sarah at 02:50 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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I just bought a new wireless mouse this morning because ours crapped out yesterday. I love the translations in these instructions, such as "Automatically sleeping and manpower taking off dual functions, the battery life be prolonged" and "The Steps of Install Battery: 1. Please prepare for two AAA chargeable batteries." Whew, I really had to prepare myself for those batteries. And I'm so glad to know that "there is no interference even many mice being used at the same time." But wait, uh oh, "You would better use the mouse on the white desk. In this way the batteries can be used for a long time." Curse my tan desk! Heh.

Posted by: Sarah at 04:35 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 Let me guess, "Made in China".

Posted by: tim at July 26, 2007 05:21 AM (nno0f)

2 Heheh, that reminds me of this Amazon reviewer my husband found a while back while looking up Russian dictionaries. I think the review of the Zippo is the best of the two, though.

Posted by: deltasierra at July 26, 2007 11:57 AM (l0MIM)

3 You have discovered instructions in the fabled language of Engrish! In my line of work , I get a lot of that, with many requests that I do the needful immediately. My server is of air!

Posted by: deskmerc at July 26, 2007 03:59 PM (Ho1gG)

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You wanna know the key to a happy marriage? When the only disagreement you've had in weeks is whether Kurt Russell's greatest role was Jack Burton or Captain Ron.

Oh yes, we went there. And we both meant it.

Posted by: Sarah at 09:36 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 What?! Dean Proffitt didn't make the list? Say it ain't so!

Posted by: Non-Essential Equipment at July 25, 2007 11:24 AM (BX8Mk)

2 Dean Proffit was good...not nearly as good as Captain Ron though!

Posted by: armywifetoddlermom at July 25, 2007 07:24 PM (vUNuT)

3 Ah, and here I was thinking Snake Plisskin would've made the cut . . .

Posted by: deltasierra at July 25, 2007 09:51 PM (l0MIM)

4 It is certainly Captain Ron.

Posted by: Reasa at July 26, 2007 08:45 AM (JfF5d)

5 Are you mad?!?! Dexter Riley!

Posted by: deskmerc at July 26, 2007 04:04 PM (Ho1gG)

6 how can you forget Todd, from Soldier? WTF over, thats just wrong. best role since Snake P.

Posted by: dagamore at July 27, 2007 03:29 PM (NBYvu)

7 When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, looks you crooked in the eye and asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."

Posted by: Sig at July 31, 2007 12:54 PM (815Xj)

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I blogged over at SpouseBUZZ about how we suddenly got our leave yanked away from us. I spent the past two weeks on pins and needles, waiting to hear if we really would get to make this trek back to the Midwest. And in the end, it was those danged baseball tickets that saved our hide. The unit decided that since we'd made a financial obligation, we could go on leave. Thanks a heap, especially since the husband has a week of use-or-lose vacation that would've been lost if we couldn't go.

My husband should be eternally grateful that my knitting excursion is the only reason he gets a two-week break. I deserve to buy more yarn.

So I guess I'd better pack a suitcase or something. We leave in three days on a 17-hour car ride.

Posted by: Sarah at 08:07 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Hey what is your IM address cause I need your help getting this link in html.

Posted by: Vicki at July 25, 2007 09:56 AM (HhgPZ)

2 did your hubby ''bow'' to that basket of yarn, by your chair??????!!!!!!!!!!!!good thing there's the last minute, or nothing would ever happen!! have a great trip!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: debey at July 25, 2007 10:47 AM (qq/uD)

3 Enjoy!

Posted by: Non-Essential Equipment at July 25, 2007 11:25 AM (BX8Mk)

4 Yay! I'm so glad you're going to get your leave after all!!

Posted by: FbL at July 25, 2007 02:27 PM (TXlt9)

5 Have fun and be safe. I just love car rides as long as I do not have the screaming Kiddos.

Posted by: Reasa at July 25, 2007 03:56 PM (JfF5d)

6 Have a safe trip and maybe I'll be seeing ya!

Posted by: Butterfly Wife at July 25, 2007 05:42 PM (c1Tvg)

7 So happy you get your leave / vacation.....have fun!!

Posted by: Wendy at July 30, 2007 08:09 AM (CfMHF)

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You know, I talk a good talk about our family's role in the GWOT, but I know we haven't even begun to sacrifice. My husband's been gone once, over two years ago. I had no one to worry about but myself, and I lived on the most supportive post in the military. My husband is almost certainly guaranteed to get a piece of the action in his new unit, but for a long time now I really have been a chairborne war cheerleader.

I'm a few days late in noticing this news, but Butterfly Wife's husband has volunteered to stay for another rotation in Iraq. Without coming home in between. I don't even know how his sanity can handle that, but I guess his pseudonym isn't Jack Bauer for nothin'.

Many days I feel like the country has gone completely bonkers, but then I remember that there really are people of such high caliber around me. What can we even say to this butterfly family except thank you...and you rule.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:45 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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This from Jules Crittenden struck me:

I realized with all this examination of post-traumatic stress and how much of it there is, and whether its normal or not, I didnÂ’t describe what a mild, walking combat reaction case is like.

ItÂ’s like this. Being totally wired for months upon years. Like crank, so that you donÂ’t fall asleep as much as pass out and you donÂ’t wake up as much as become alert. Thinking about different aspects of combat the way some people think about sex, compulsively, repeatedly in the course of the day, while going about your business, holding down a job, acting relatively normal but still freaking people out when you talk about it. Small flashbacks-lite, triggered by various events. In my case, accelerating up the highway, like going on an armored assault, with all the emotions, thoughts and memories, on my way to the various places that took me. More adrenaline then, and other adrenaline bursts at odd times. Thinking about the dead, at least once a day, in a number of different ways, when alone. Seeing their faces, and studying a face to catch the moment when life exited it. Choking up or sometimes sobbing at both expected and unexpected times, and learning to control that. Wishing you were back there. Preferring the company of people who know what that is like. Recognizing in a glance or a word that you both know the same secret, without having to say much about it.

I never had nightmares like some friends did, and in fact have never once dreamt of it. It didnÂ’t haunt me, not even the dead, not even when I felt the need to ask some of them their forgiveness. I was fortunate that way, in part maybe because I wrote about it, had plenty of opportunities to talk about it, because that is part of what I do. Over the third and fourth year, most of it significantly subsided, though parts can and do periodically come up. I never felt traumatized as much as I felt I had a great deal to think about, not least the startling discovery that I had enjoyed myself, and also that I had been fundamentally rewired, and had somewhat different perspectives and focus in various matters. As one friend put it, there was life before, and life after. Not good or bad, just different.

And there you have it.

This sounds familiar to me. Especially the "thinking about combat" thing. Sometimes when my husband's quiet, I'll ask what he's thinking about. Usually it will be trivial, but on a couple of occasions he's launched into a thought about how if they'd only turned his tank right instead of going straight on that day back in April, he'd've been more useful to the battle. Three years after the event, he still replays it in his mind and thinks of ways he could've done more.

Posted by: Sarah at 03:08 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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I have been crankin' out preemie caps for my Fairy Godmothers group for the past two weeks. They are so fun to make because they're quick and you can play with different colors. I think I might freak some of the ladies out with my hot pink and lime green, but I think some hip young wife will like it.

I also have to do job-related knitting: Michaels is redesigning the front of the store and so we have to have season-themed projects on display. I copied The Girl's first baby project and made the baby pumpkin hat.

I also started knitting this spider last night, but I hate him. He looks more like a fly than a spider. I am going to finish him and then maybe try to make this variation of the spider pattern and see if it turns out any better. But I have to turn my seasonal knitting in by the end of the week, so I may get desperate and have to turn in the fly spider after all.

UPDATE:

OK, he doesn't look so bad now that he has legs...

Posted by: Sarah at 07:20 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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1 Too darn cute for words!

Posted by: LMT at July 23, 2007 10:17 AM (ASoq0)

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Last night I asked my husband what the "key to marriage" was. He guessed people's first two responses but didn't guess that dishwashing was so important. We tried to put into words what we'd answer if someone asked us this question. The most concise wording I could come up with was "Treating your spouse better than you yourself would like to be treated." My husband summarized that as Respect, which is a pretty good answer.

We talked about the #1 answer too and why "fidelity" ranks so high. My husband joked that looking for Fidelity in a mate is like looking for Not Being a Child Molester in a babysitter: it should just be a given. Fidelity isn't the key to a good marriage; if you have a good marriage, you don't even have to think about fidelity. Never once in the entire seven years have I ever thought about my husband cheating on me.

This tied in nicely with this week's Army Wives, where the episode was cheating cheating cheating. One spouse did and one spouse resisted. Last week a SpouseBUZZ commenter said that in her circle of military couples, 9 out of 10 of them have had infidelity issues. I say she needs to find some new friends! My husband and I struggled to come up with instances of cheating we heard of at all during his deployment, from anyone we could think of on post. We barely came up with five, and one of them was from a gross "swinger" couple, so that hardly even counts. I know it happens, but 9 out of 10? Ouch.

So what would you say is really the "key to marriage"? And would fidelity poll that high for you?

Posted by: Sarah at 06:12 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 #1 for us (26 years and counting): Putting the wants and needs of the other before your own. It's key, but if it's not mutual then you're setting yourself up to be a doormat. #2-#8: Communication. #9: Understanding that sometimes during an argument things get said to hurt, not because they're true. Once understood, try not to do it. #10: Never go to bed mad at each other. As for fidelity, it's not high on *my* list, but my wife and I have an agreement: I'll try my best to remain faithful, and if I'm not she'll try her best to castrate me with a rusty butter knife. Like I said, 26 years so far, and I'm not singing soprano!

Posted by: Ted at July 23, 2007 06:31 AM (blNMI)

2 You know, I was thinking the exact same thing when I read your last post about marriage, and saw that "fidelity" even made the lists of "things that will probably make your marriage better". Um, DUH. I wonder if those surveys were multiple choice, or open-ended so people could give the answers they really believed. If they were multiple choice, there's no wonder people picked what they did and that the stats were so high for certain ones (especially the dishes -- I'd rather my husband cleaned the catbox!). I wouldn't hinge my marriage on any of the survey answers in that one article. Fidelity is a given -- I made a vow, after all. Honestly, I'd have to echo Ted's sentiments above, but I'd probably add one thing: Divorce is NEVER an option. It is not joked about, it is never brought up. We do not view that as a viable option to our differences -- ever. Period. I wish more people could take their marriages as seriously. It's good to see that there are others who do! (Hm, your URL option in the comment center doesn't care for my LiveJournal URL. I'll have to leave it blank for now.)

Posted by: deltasierra at July 23, 2007 07:07 AM (l0MIM)

3 I'm not married, so my opinions come with a "FWIW" tag. I agree with Sarah that if the marriage is good, fidelity is an afterthought. But I think the reason people put fidelity as key is because if hard times in the marriage lead to infidelity it's probably way more likely to crumble. Therefore "fidelity when you might not feel like it" is probably closer to what's on people's minds when they list fidelity as key. As for Ted's #9, it's been my experience in fights of all kinds that the most hurtful things possible, the ones that *are* said deliberately to wound, are also usually true. "Truth hurts" goes double in a relationship as tight as a marriage, I think. So I'd amend Ted's #9 to say that if you must speak a harsh truth for the sake of improving the relationship, speak it as kindly as you can and in a situation such that the other person clearly understands your motive is not merely to wound but to ask for something you may well need to be more content in the relationship.

Posted by: Anwyn at July 23, 2007 07:47 AM (aytNf)

4 While fidelity is important, it is not an issue in our marriage. I suppose it has just been a given for us both that we didn't have to worry about that issue. From the time we met we agreed that we would never get into a situation we shouldn't be in if we always remembered one thing: If I would not do or say this in front of my spouse, then it is the wrong choice to make. In our house communication is top priority. When it goes, everything else goes to hell, it is a horrible cycle to get into. So, we make sure that we share our feelings with each other, about everything. We are also selective about the couples we befriend. It may sound horrible to be so selective, but we can't deal with drama or fidelity issues and so we stay away from couples that seem to always have such things going on. Those are just not things that we need in our lives and such drama only brings negative things for all exposed to it. If it is a negative situation that we don't have to be involved in, we steer clear as best we can!!

Posted by: LMT at July 23, 2007 10:14 AM (ASoq0)

5 1)Verbal kindness. Avoid saying deliberately hurtful things. Doesn't mean you can't get mad, but keep it within bounds. When a person raised in a family where people speak decently to each other marries a person from a family where verbal aggression is a matter of course, then he/she probably isn't going to be able to defend himself very well, and the resultant hurt will come out in other ways. 2)Avoiding public putdowns. It's pretty common to see people speak to their spouses with barely concealed contempt. These days, women seem to do this more than men. 3)Respect for each other's dreams. This includes not grabbing all the money to spend on oneself, and also not assuming that your spouse's career decisions should be made entirely based on one's financial demands.

Posted by: anon anon at July 24, 2007 08:03 AM (SpkYG)

6 I didn't bother to dig into the survey, but I'd say that the only people who would be qualified to answer that question are people who have been married over 20 years and still consider themselves to be happy. But it's always funny when they try to quantify something like marriage because everyone is different. What my husband and I can tolerate in each other is far different than what other couples can tolerate. If dishes are an issue... my husband and I would've been divorced 28 years ago. Dishes are a chore. If you are worried about who does what chores in the house - you have far more problems than who does them as it's generally a mask for larger problems. As for fidelity - I'm with you and your husband - that should be such a standard it isn't even a consideration.

Posted by: Teresa at July 24, 2007 11:04 AM (gsbs5)

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