CaliValleyGirl's boyfriend is back from Afghanistan. Go over there and give them your congrats!

Posted by: Sarah at 04:46 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Lileks watched Air Force One over the weekend:

It was shot in 1997. It opens with a joint American / Russian spec-ops kidnapping of a head of state, who is one of those super-nationalist Russians we were all twitchy about in the late 90s; he is sent to a very bad and smelly prison. Cut to President Solo, giving a speech that puts forth a new American policy towards terrorists and terror-enabling states:

Peace isn't merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice. Never again will I allow our political self-interest to deter us from doing what we know to be morally right. Atrocity and terror are not political weapons. And to those who would use them, your day is over. We will never negotiate. We will no longer tolerate and we will no longer be afraid. It's your turn to be afraid.

He is also quite physically fit AND he can fly a plane. This was the sort of person Hollywood wanted for President in 1997. Then they get one, and they completely wigged out. Ah well.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:39 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 Harrison Ford = Bush? Oh come on. Seriously? No, you don't think that... really? Man, that's too bad. I guess they do both wear a lot of costumes. However, I have always thought that the White House should consider hiring Hollywood screenwriters to write their speeches. Man, those liberal gaybars sure know how to write a good, moral, patriotic speech. (Check out the end of "The American President.") Of course, then Bush would go on and garble it with his mush-speak. But if they can write for Forest Gump, then I'm sure they can write for Bush too.

Posted by: Will Somerset at February 27, 2006 06:58 PM (eIQfa)

2 Sarah, I just gotta say...I love reading your comments. They are the MOST entertaining part of my day, for sure HA HA HA HA! Nicole

Posted by: Nicole at February 28, 2006 12:17 AM (1ECnr)

3 Will -- What on earth are you talking about? No one said that President Bush is like Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford is a real person. What Lileks said was that President Bush is like "President James Marshall" from the movie. Do you know the difference between an actor and the character he plays?

Posted by: Sarah at February 28, 2006 04:49 AM (VrdbX)

4 Like Bush is remotely that articulate. And James Marshall would have followed the Powell Doctrine and had a plan for the peace.

Posted by: Pericles at March 02, 2006 08:17 AM (eKf5G)

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This magnet is just a gem. I can't wait to put it on my fridge...

Posted by: Sarah at 04:50 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Charlie still has to take antibiotics for his stitches, and we've been dipping the pills in peanut butter for him. Today he licked all the peanut butter off and walked away from the pill. So I wrapped it in some cheese, and I'll be darned if he didn't suck on it until the cheese came off and then spit the pill on the kitchen rug. That dog is too smart for his own good!

Posted by: Sarah at 04:17 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 What a smart dog! The way my mother does it looks violent, but it gets the job done. She will literally take the pill and stick it down the dog's (Maggie) throat. To make herself feel better after(and whoever else is watching) she will rub Maggie's throat and give her a treat. Maggie seems to forget shortly after. Perhaps wrapping the pill in one of his favorite dog treats will work?

Posted by: Lizzie at February 26, 2006 10:27 AM (wxF45)

2 I don't think you're the type who will be able to shove a pill down his throat as advised. My trick is to stuff the pill into a hunk of sausage. Give a tiny bit without the pill, then the one with the pill. Works like a charm and they love you for it

Posted by: Patti at February 26, 2006 03:29 PM (zm7ru)

3 We do what Patti said. We use hotdogs, make a little cut in the middle to hide the pill. Winston hasn't figured it out yet!

Posted by: Stephanie at February 27, 2006 03:07 AM (Y1m/K)

4 I wouldn't advise what my Mom does; she only had to do that when Maggie was really sick and wouldn't eat a thing. The sausage wrap sounds like a good idea

Posted by: Lizzie at February 27, 2006 09:03 AM (wxF45)

5 This must be your first dog. I've owned a number over the years...and I think that the first man must have tried wrapping "medicinal roots" inside wooly mammoth fat in hopes of getting the good stuff into his faithful companion. And for years, cavewomen had to clean up messy, slippery messes of roots from the cave floor. It's "historical memory" you're dealing with. Once Og decided he was going to get the roots down that "damned dog's throat" the practice of jamming things into dogs began...and works to this very day. I'm not sure how to get medicine into a cat, but I would imagine that the process is similar...if you're so inclined to medicate cats that is. See you on the high ground. Hope you're shoving things down Charlie's throat...and hope he's doing better. MajorDad1984

Posted by: MajorDad1984 at February 27, 2006 02:31 PM (j7S/Q)

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My friend Angie is a little bummed that maybe her life hasn't turned out exactly as she wanted, and she thinks maybe she's past the point where she can fix it. I've actually had a blog post rolling around in my head for a while, and now seems like a good time to let it out.

When I was in middle school, every kid used to say that Michael Jordan was his role model. It was always Michael Jordan. For some reason I was thinking about that a few weeks back and how silly it seems now to me to have a celebrity as a role model when we've got plenty of real people in our life to emulate. One of our biggest role models as a couple was the Major at my husband's ROTC. He was extremely hooah and completely unassuming. He and his wife had been married for nearly ten years; they had just built their own house (literally, the Major built it with some Amish help) and were all set to welcome their first baby into the home. My husband and I thought that was a great way to be ready for a child, and we want to be as emotionally and financially ready as they were. We still talk about what a good influence they were on our life.

We moved here, and as I slowly got to know Angie, she became a new role model for me. (And my mom will vouch that this is true, because I rave about Angie all the time!) Angie has always felt somewhat inadequate that she didn't finish college, but the reason she didn't finish is because she and her husband decided when they got married that Angie's job was to raise their children. My parents made the same decision when they got married, but it's a decision that doesn't happen much in 2006. Angie and her husband knew that the most important thing Angie could do with her life is to raise these three little boys to be gentlemen, and she's doing a wonderful job.

I know during the deployment that Angie sometimes wanted to tear her hair out. I witnessed firsthand some of the trials of being with her boys, like when a temper tantrum broke out because the older brother ate the little one's imaginary strawberries! It's not easy to be a stay-at-home mom; how much quieter and nicer it would've been for Angie to drop the boys off at daycare and go to a job. But she stays home with them because it's her job to mold their character, teach them manners, and be their mommy. Angie deserves all the praise in the world for the no-so-obvious task of bringing up her own children.

I'm glad that I had a role model like Angie. If/when my husband and I have children, we too will make the same decision Angie and her husband did. And I will be the one to stay at home and break up fights over imaginary fruit. I'm happy that I met someone like Angie who also believes that raising a child is the most important job a woman has.

Angie, you may sometimes feel sheepish that you never finished that degree, but you display qualities far more important than a diploma, and people notice. I noticed, and I hope someday to be half as talented at motherhood as you are.

Posted by: Sarah at 03:13 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 I believe you have hit the nail on the head (so to speak). All of the women, children or no, who have endored time away from there loved ones due to the war, should be role models for all. The sacrifices our families have made and then also having the courage to maintain some sort of sanity, is worth commending.

Posted by: Jennifer at February 26, 2006 09:27 AM (GSSS6)

2 I must comment again! What a NICE post and tribute! I completely agree...I wrote not long ago about the women I saw raising their children during the deployment (including a great college friend of mine) and I was constantly in awe of them. The only person I had to be worried about was ME...I could focus 100% of my attention on worrying about my spouse but when you have kids, it must be so much different and so much more difficult. It's always HATS OFF to the women who do so much everyday! I admire all of them!

Posted by: Nicole at February 26, 2006 09:40 AM (1ECnr)

3 You're right again Sarah. The most important job a Mom has is to raise her children. As a divorced Mom, I have to work everyday outside the home, but my best friend has three children and has only now begun to start working. I understand Angie's frustration for some "ME" time and feeling like she hasn't used her potential. But she has. Rather than punching a clock like the rest of us - she is molding three boys into three beautiful men. How wonderful the world will be once she releases them into the rest of their lives. My friend learned in the past year that she doesn't have to BE everything ALL the time to her family. SHE CAN have "ME" time. And have a life too (outside of pb&j sandwich making). In fact, it's healthier for a Mom to have a hobby, friends or even school at night - for sanity's sake. She's more relaxed now and a much happier Mom.

Posted by: Kathleen A at February 26, 2006 10:57 AM (7qm8p)

4 Thank you so much for your kind words. I am humbled Miss you! Love, Ang

Posted by: Angie at February 26, 2006 03:04 PM (SA3c9)

5 One of the reasons I am most looking forward to seperating from the army and Jason either getting doing with a PhD or taking a job is so that one of us can stay home. I wish I didn't have to work but when you are getting out of the army, with no foreseeable paycheck in site, you have to save as much as you can! If we were staying in for the long haul, I wouldn't have gone back to work either, although I wonder if I would still have my sanity. I don't know how they do it! I was in awe of Angie, Angie, Jen, and Patti all the time. My mom stayed home with all of us 3 girls and only went back to work at the Elementary school I went to when I was in 4th grade. I didn't appreciate what she did until I became a mom myself. Now, I wonder, how did she do it...3 girls, a fireman for a dad so he was gone for 24 hours at a time 2-3 days a week and worked other jobs when he was off from the station...amazing! For now, I have to be thankful that I work at a school and have pretty decent hours and summers off. ANGIE: Don't feel that you haven't made "enough" of your life. You are a wonderful mother and wife and that is something to be VERY proud of.

Posted by: StephanieBerndt at February 27, 2006 03:16 AM (Y1m/K)

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Every time I walk by the computer, I check to see if CaliValleyGirl has any update on when her boyfriend returns from Arghanistan. I'm a bundle of nerves just watching her wait! Watching OIF III and OEF Who Knows come to an end has made me nostalgic for this time last year. I keep reading my blog entries from the end of February and the beginning of March, remembering the feeling of knowing that everyone -- including the company commander, battalion commander, and brigade commander -- was home while my husband sat in Iraq waiting to go to Kuwait so he could start the process of coming home. It was excruciating. But as I told CaliValleyGirl, as painful as the waiting game is, you completely forget about it the minute they walk into that gym.

I'm really proud of her, which is not meant to sound condescending. Dealing with deployment was made easier by 1) the community around me and 2) that gold ring on my left hand. Cali has neither of those. She dealt with her boyfriend's absence on her own at a German university, which I can't believe was easy. And she handled it with grace: the other day she told me how much she's grown and how much she learned this year, about herself and her boyfriend. I'm glad that she was able to see deployment as a learning experience and not a burden.

And I can't wait to meet up with her at the Taco Bell in a few weeks!

Posted by: Sarah at 02:41 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I really want to get Lasik surgery, but I'm unreasonable paranoid that I'll be the unlucky fella who goes blind from the procedure. So sometimes I practice knitting with my eyes shut so I could continue my hobby sans eyesight...

Posted by: Sarah at 04:37 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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I read something this morning that I can't really get out of my head. I don't really want to write about it, but I can't stop thinking about it. It's the last paragraph of this article in Slate:

And that is why as a Muslim American I am enraged by the publication of these cartoons. Not because they offend my prophet or my religion, but because they fly in the face of the tireless efforts of so many civic and religious leaders—both Muslim and non-Muslim—to promote unity and assimilation rather than hatred and discord; because they play into the hands of those who preach extremism; because they are fodder for the clash-of-civilizations mentality that pits East against West. For all of that I blame Jyllands-Posten. We in the West want Muslim leaders to condemn the racial and religious prejudices that are so widespread in the Muslim world. Let us lead by example.

I for one am getting a little tired of having to lead by example. Terrorists saw off any heads they can get their hands on, but Abu Ghraib is the worst thing that's happened in Iraq. Insurgents regularly hide behind civilians, but an American soldier shoots an insurgent under somewhat dubious conditions and he's raked over the coals. I'm sick and tired of being held to a higher standard.

But more than that, there's something so galling about the phrase "they fly in the face of the tireless efforts of so many civic and religious leaders—both Muslim and non-Muslim—to promote unity and assimilation rather than hatred and discord." Come again? Who's promoting unity? Who's trying to assimilate? The whole freaking Western world has bent over backwards apologizing for non-existant flushed Korans and splashed urine and stupid cartoons. Everyone's apologizing and getting fired and being suspended from school papers; can we point some freaking fingers at those who are burning down embassies, for pete's sake? Promoting unity, my foot. The Free Muslims Coalition held an anti-terrorism rally last May, and guess how many people showed up. Maybe fifty. Fifty. My god, it makes me want to cry. How can this writer actually think that Jyllands-Posten is the Muslim community's biggest problem?

Apparently the cartoons prevented Muslims from assimilating. Give me a break. There's a clash of civilizations going on allright, and I think Islam is winning. Schools are changing their art curriculum because drawing people is against Islam. A Muslim girls' basketball team wants to play other teams, which of course means that all men have to be barred from the arena. In Michigan they're blaring the call to prayer over loudspeakers. If this is a fight between East and West, I often feel like the West is losing. The internet has become a disheartening place for me, where I simply dread reading that half of Palestinians support suicide bombers. Or that Israel should be wiped off the map and the Holocaust never happened. And no one in the West stands up to this nonsense. No one says "We're drawing humans in art class because that's what happens in a flippin' art class and you just have to deal with it." No one holds Muslims to the standard that every other religious group is held to:

Some Christians believe they are required to wear particular sorts of clothing. Some Jews and Muslims don't eat pork. They don't claim that their religion requires other people to wear special clothing or avoid eating pork. Tolerance and ecumenism can only do so much. They have nothing to offer a Muslim in Afghanistan who is personally insulted and enraged about an image that appears in a newspaper in Denmark.

I'm sick and tired of the world tiptoeing around Islam. Hitchens is right: we should stand with Denmark and stand up for our values, instead of apologizing because some drawings made people go completely insane. What is wrong with the world?

I just can't take it anymore.

Posted by: Sarah at 06:14 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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Mark Steyn:

It's easy to be tough about nothing. The press corps that noisily champions "the public's right to know" about a minor hunting accident simultaneously assures the public that they've no need to see these Danish cartoons that have caused riots, arson and death around the world.

James Lileks:

The average AmericanÂ’s reaction to handing port control over to the UAE is instinctively negative, and for good reason. There are two basic reactions: We canÂ’t do this ourselves? and We should trust them, why?
As for the first, the assertion that American firms were the lower bidder is unpersuasive, rather like saying that we should have outsourced the flight crew for the Enola Gay to Japanese nationals because they knew the terrain better. As for the trust issue, well, wanting port control to remain in American hands is not a matter of Arabiaphobia, any more than selling Boeing to China means you harbor deep hatred of Asians. Some things ought to be left in local hands. It seems absurd to have to make that argument in the first place.

Christopher Hitchens:

The incredible thing about the ongoing Kristallnacht against Denmark (and in some places, against the embassies and citizens of any Scandinavian or even European Union nation) is that it has resulted in, not opprobrium for the religion that perpetrates and excuses it, but increased respectability! A small democratic country with an open society, a system of confessional pluralism, and a free press has been subjected to a fantastic, incredible, organized campaign of lies and hatred and violence, extending to one of the gravest imaginable breaches of international law and civility: the violation of diplomatic immunity. And nobody in authority can be found to state the obvious and the necessary—that we stand with the Danes against this defamation and blackmail and sabotage. Instead, all compassion and concern is apparently to be expended upon those who lit the powder trail, and who yell and scream for joy as the embassies of democracies are put to the torch in the capital cities of miserable, fly-blown dictatorships. Let's be sure we haven't hurt the vandals' feelings.

Posted by: Sarah at 05:04 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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As you know, I've been feeling guilty about Charlie's accident. I've never even had stitches, but I made my dog have to get them! So I've been spoiling him rotten for the last few days. Today I decided to make him some homemade dog biscuits. The recipe said it would make three dozen, so I decided to double it. Would someone mind telling me when three dozen turned into 100? I've got 200+ dog biscuits here now! So everyone's getting some: Winston, Lewis, Elway, and any other dog I can think of. They seem to be a hit; the whole time I was baking, Charlie was doing this:

Don't be fooled by the silence of your computer; he's howling his fool head off in this photo. That's all he did for two hours. Except of course when he was trying to think of a better way to get at the biscuits:

That dog is just too dang much.

Posted by: Sarah at 12:38 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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We gave Charlie a bath this morning, and I decided to cut some of the knots out of his fur while he was drying. One clip of the scissors made him yelp and run away; once I nabbed him and brought him back to the living room, I realized I had cut more than I bargained for.

After his initial yelp, Charlie didn't seem to notice his wound so much. He was up and romping around with his toys; I was the inconsolable one weeping on the floor. And this, my friends, is Reason Umpteen why I can never have kids: I hurt Charlie. My carelessness caused him pain. Every time I look at him, I burst into tears again, even though he seems to have accepted the 8 shiny new staples hiding under his right ear.

I learned and emotionally (ugh -- and financially) costly lesson today, one that I won't soon forget. I have the power to hurt Charlie. Or my husband, or my child someday. I really don't like the thought of that.

Posted by: Sarah at 10:12 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Don't be so hard on yourself. The mark of being a good person/wife/mother isn't whether or not you ever do anything that hurts someone else, it's how you deal with things when they happen. I also have a dog who sometimes needs knots/mats cut out of his fur (especially behind the ears) and I used to always worry I was going to cut off half his ear. What I do now is use a flea comb (long handled with straight metal spikes). I get it inbetween the knot/mat and his skin and cut on the side of the comb that is away from him after pulling it out as far as the knot will allow. That way I know I'll never get his skin. Whatever hair is left usually combs out nicely once the knot/mat is gone.

Posted by: Peggy at February 19, 2006 03:11 PM (a4vU5)

2 exactly what I was going to suggest. Those knots get matted down to the skin, but you don't realize that until you make that first mistake. Now you know. I panic about clipping my babies (my cats) claws because of stories that you could hit the vein and they'll bleed all over the place. As a result, their claws start to turn under and cause them pain. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet! (Or pay to take them to the vet, where he always looks at me like I'm crazy - "You want to pay me to clip their claws? You know you can buy scissors - " "Yes, yes, I know and I'll STILL pay you." I'm sure Charlie has forgiven you.

Posted by: Oda Mae at February 19, 2006 04:35 PM (Ag/cV)

3 You obviously don't remember when we bought a clipper set, and your dad decided he'd start cutting your brothers' hair to save money. That's when "buzzes" were popular. Never mind that he's a mechanical engineer! What he didn't realize was that you were supposed to put that little plastic thing on the end of the clippers to decide the length of the hair. Poor Michael looked like he'd been run over by a lawnmower! Not only was the haircut awful, he had cuts all over his head that had to heal! I wouldn't let Dad near Brian after seeing how Michael's turned out! And of course, Michael didn't want to sit still long enough to have Dad cut his hair anyway! After that, I decided it was worth every penny to take them to a barber!!! Same with Toby now! He goes regularly to PetsMart to get groomed. I tried a few times to get rid of the knots myself, but I decided I'll let someone else do it. Same with the toes, Oda Mae. I don't do teeth either! Love, Your mama

Posted by: Nancy at February 19, 2006 06:30 PM (6s7Zq)

4 Part of the 'learning' every parent or pet parent does is by trial and error. I've cut my son's ear...not my DOG son's ear...my HUMAN son's ear when trimming his hair. And he survived (and doesn't even remember). It's perfectly natural to fear hurting the ones you love. And it's perfectly normal to slip up every once in a while. They (the kids, husbands and pets) know you love them. They just might get a little jittery around you and something sharp.

Posted by: Kathleen A at February 20, 2006 10:28 AM (7qm8p)

5 I agree with Kathleen and everyone else. I have also slipped with the scissors and cut my son's ear a bit once when I was cutting his hair. He knows it was accidental, and believe me, he sits VERY still now when I cut his hair! =) Believe me, you make plenty of mistakes as a parent, mistakes that hurt your children physically and emotionally, but they are like a dog. They forgive and forget and move on and you are still crying over it, but they don't care. They know you love them. Unfortunately, parenting doesn't come with a manual, so it's a constant learning game, and sometimes you have to apologize to your kids. But they will respect you more when you can admit to a mistake and move on.

Posted by: Adrienne at February 20, 2006 04:25 PM (yAWf0)

6 All of us have the power to hurt each other. Understanding that, and dealing with it appropriately is part of being an adult. Emotionally, physically, accidentally (as in this case), intentionally, for good reason, for no reason. Thinking how bad you felt about accidentally causing a small injury to your pet should allow you to reflect about what sort of monsters can cut someone's throat while they chant praises to their god. Semper Fideis, ASM826

Posted by: asm826 at March 05, 2006 12:56 AM (nHUDe)

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I've been scouring the internet for something to say, anything that would give me inspiration to blog. Nothing's coming. Anything I want to say someone else has said better.

Posted by: Sarah at 10:50 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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My college roommate senior year was black. She was a nice enough girl, but we had Culture Clash on more than one occasion. One of the most disheartening things I ever witnessed was her relationship with an African student. Not an African-American, an actual African. This guy was one of the most genuine and friendly people I've ever met, and smart too. He and my husband had many business and economics classes together, and he was active in speech/debate. He also belonged to a fraternity. Real nice guy. But apparently he wasn't Black Enough. I had to watch my roommate try to turn him into a thug so he wouldn't be an outcast in the campus black community anymore. She said flat-out that black people didn't really like him and he needed to change his behavior. She "corrected" his speech, advised him to quit his white fraternity and join the black one, and generally nagged the guy about not being truly black. It was a depressing thing to watch. Luckily they eventually broke up, and I hope this guy has done better for himself. He had the potential to be successful, as long as all the "advice" he got didn't sink in.

(This memory prompted by LaShawn Barber.)

Posted by: Sarah at 11:56 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Typical stuff, actually. I'm labeled a sell-out in my school because I happen to believe that the "tyranny of the minority" definitely applies on campus, racially and otherwise. Oh and yeah, I'm Asian (Filipino-American to be exact). I think the correct term is a "twinkie": yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Or some also use banana, depending if the accusing party is also a vegan anarchist.

Posted by: John at February 15, 2006 03:05 PM (enIP4)

2 A co-worker and I were just discussing this very topic. Since both of us are of mixed heritage, we have been accused of not being "Black enough" or "Acting white". It's just pathetic. I personally have "issues" with being called African-American. I can trace my Fathers side back to my Great Grandparents and they were in Georgia. On my Mothers side I can trace back to my Grandparents, they immigrated from Poland to Germany before the war. Can someone please tell me how that makes me "African-American"?

Posted by: Vonn at February 15, 2006 05:52 PM (dEgRi)

3 I don't mind the term African-American. I've been called far worse. Why is there such a push for some verbal, superficial acceptance when history and society tells us discrimination is still rampant? --Cobra

Posted by: Cobra at February 15, 2006 07:23 PM (Ffvoi)

4 Growing up I knew two black kids who were twins. I grew up in an Asain and Hispanic community. When I hit college, I had more interactions but was still very unknowledgable about black culture. All this time though I was told, time and time again to call blacks African-Americans. (I grew up in northern CA). It wasn't until I got married moved around and got to spend real time making friends with all sorts of people that I learned that there are many that do or don't like a particular term to describe ethnecitity. A couple of coworkers giggled the first time I called a woman African-American. So I pretty much refrain from using any term until I get to know the person better. Both of my officemates use Black, so do I when I am with them. An older coworker down the hall prefers African-American. I just try to accomodate to what they are used to if I can. It is too bad that she felt she had to change the person istead of him being allowed to be who he was. I know two Sgts that are from different African Nations, they are great people. They are quiet but when they do speak they have some very interesting and well thought things to say. I hope he found out who he was and stuck with it. HH6

Posted by: Household6 at February 16, 2006 03:13 AM (Gj0PV)

5 Sigh. I unfortunately can relate to the African. I actually HEARD a girl in my high school say, just loud enough so I could hear, that I used to be cool last year when I was black. WTF? Then, I was so confused. Now, I realize that it was just an avenue to piss me off. She wouldn't have liked me whether I was "black" or not. As I heard Henry Louis Gates (head of African American Studies at Harvard) say on the Today Show, Martin Luther King Jr. would roll over in his grave to see that black kids are pressured to be thugs, speak poorly and drop out of school to play sports - by their own people. It's an insult to the civil rights movement to define being black as being ghetto. If being highly educated and dressing appropriately means I'm white what is that saying about what it means to be black? And anyway I'm half black. NO one picked up on the fact that I'm half Latino too... Ok, off my soapbox

Posted by: monique at February 16, 2006 03:51 PM (AK5UJ)

6 Well said Monique!

Posted by: Vonn at February 16, 2006 06:03 PM (dEgRi)

7 Did I mention the comment from that girl was probably twelve years ago? It take's time to heal those feelings unfortunately...

Posted by: Monique at February 16, 2006 06:30 PM (AK5UJ)

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I saw this on MQ's site: 13 Things You Wouldn't Guess By Looking At Me. I don't know if I can come up with 13, but I'll try.

Hmm, I am anal and compulsive. I bet I could come up with 13 ways my best friends make fun of me for it.

1. I measure everything when I cook. I can't do pinches and handfuls and dabs. I measure everything out perfectly, even if it's something I've made ten times.
2. I researched and read books for months before we got a dog. I panic every time he does something out of the ordinary; both Erin and Kelly have gotten frantic calls about all sort of bodily functions.
3. I also write everything on the calendar: when Charlie had his last bath, when I cleaned his ears. I obsess about this dog so much that I know there's no way I'm ready to have a kid.
4. All of our movies and music are alphabetized. So are our books. I used to have them alphabetized within categories (e.g. fiction, travel, etc), but that became too difficult to maintain.
5. I even organized all my husband's field manuals. That was before I realized he's never once looked in one.
6. I also organize greeting cards into a file folder by event.
7. My friends tease me that I was even anal about my relationship: six years ago today my husband and I sat down and decided to be a couple. No spontaneity here.
8. But here's a few they might not know yet: I only turn the TV volume to an even number.
9. Also I color coordinate my shampoo and body lotion with what I'm wearing that day.
10. And I coordinate different detergents and fabric softeners with different loads of laundry.
11. I also coordinate my dishes with the food we're having. I guess that's why I have five place settings.
12. My old roommate and I used to share expenses in our apartment down to the last cent. If one of us bought a roll of paper towels, the other would hand over a quarter.
13. And as all of you already know, I stress out about using up spices, canned goods, and beauty products before we move. I lie in bed and fret about the bottle of Worcestershire sauce that will never be used. And it cost one dollar.

There. 13 things that might make you want to reconsider getting too close to me.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:53 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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1 Sarah, Those are the reasons I love you...and I started cracking up when I read #8...I do that too (and didn't even realize it)! Erin

Posted by: Erin at February 15, 2006 04:57 AM (DoZpu)

2 I think they have invented some sort of drugs for your "symptoms". You had me laughing and thinking I do some of those things...scary. Don't fret about #13, I will take them off your hands and use them wisely.

Posted by: Jennifer at February 15, 2006 11:58 AM (CfpP7)

3 That's absolutely hysterical. Now I can relate to #1 and #2...I too obide by #1, mostly because I'm not a good cook so ad-libbing is not in the cards for me. I'm sure you know by my blog that I'm guilty of #2...actually I'm #2 in progress. I do have one question: How exactly do you coordinate your shampoo and body lotion with your outfit? Are we talking matching styles and scents or literally colors of clothes to colors of bottles? Is this a ridiculously dumb question?? Funny stuff.

Posted by: Nicole at February 15, 2006 01:30 PM (1ECnr)

4 Hmmm...This is a little scarey since I'm your mom! I'm guilty of #1, #2 when I buy a car, appliance, etc., #3 when you kids were little or I couldn't have functioned with all your activities; I've gotten out of the habit and am sure I should still be writing things on the calendar, and #6 which I've done for thirty years. You still organize your closets so much better than I do. I need you to come stay with me for about a month and get this house (and your mother) in tip-top shape! I love you just the way you are! Your dad is alot like you; he organizes EVERYTHING and I know I drive him crazy! I guess there's truth to opposites attract! Mama

Posted by: Nancy at February 15, 2006 02:54 PM (6s7Zq)

5 Nicole -- For example, if I am wearing mostly earth tones, I'll go with vanilla scent, if pink then something flowery, if black then Victoria's Secret's "Very Sexy", etc. Shampoo is mostly color coordinated. It's a bizarre ritual, but it's true.

Posted by: Sarah at February 15, 2006 04:00 PM (G40OB)

6 UMMM uhhh, Sarah, that IS compulsive. But can you come stay with me a while and give me some lessons? I think its neat you were born with this ability, or maybe it could be an affliction, it sure makes life easier. I bet you ALWAYS know where you put down the scissors!

Posted by: Ruth H at February 15, 2006 04:55 PM (f39ic)

7 I think all 13 of those things (quirks) make you more interesting. We all have something special or different that we do. I'm personally guilty of organizing my closet by type, purpose and frequency of use. Especially my shoes! Also, I can't stand for items to be on the bathroom counter. I'm constantly putting away my husband shaving cream and toothpaste. I would hide his toothbrush, but it's a Sonicare and has to remain plugged in. And my big one...I like to have all pantry items organized by type, size, purchase date, etc. I'm freakish about stocking up and never wanting to run out of something. Kelly knows first hand how much stuff I had left in the pantry. SCARY!

Posted by: Vonn at February 15, 2006 06:00 PM (dEgRi)

8 I think all 13 of those things (quirks) make you more interesting. We all have something special or different that we do. I'm personally guilty of organizing my closet by type, purpose and frequency of use. Especially my shoes! Also, I can't stand for items to be on the bathroom counter. I'm constantly putting away my husband shaving cream and toothpaste. I would hide his toothbrush, but it's a Sonicare and has to remain plugged in. And my big one...I like to have all pantry items organized by type, size, purchase date, etc. I'm freakish about stocking up and never wanting to run out of something. Kelly knows first hand how much stuff I had left in the pantry. (More than 5 bottles of ketchup and mustard, EACH)SCARY!

Posted by: Vonn at February 15, 2006 06:02 PM (dEgRi)

9 Sorry for the double post. First attempt was "page 404 error" page not found. whoopsy!

Posted by: vonn at February 15, 2006 06:03 PM (dEgRi)

10 Sarah, Okay...that's what I thought. I understand the outfit-perfume coordination. I do that too...especially with the flowery colors need flowery scents ritual. You're not so weird.

Posted by: Nicole at February 16, 2006 02:26 PM (1ECnr)

11 Catching up on your posts here - 8. But here's a few they might not know yet: I only turn the TV volume to an even number I just started doing this! Well, sort of. I won't turn the volume to 13. Weird!!!

Posted by: monique at February 16, 2006 03:54 PM (AK5UJ)

12 Wow! And I thought I was anal when I use to organize my closet by colors! It was so much easier before I was married and had kids to organize it by blues, reds, blacks, etc. I don't do it anymore, because I simply don't have time, but I do have short-sleeved shirts, then long-sleeved, then skirts, slacks and dresses. When leaving my closet after a frustrating 20 minutes flipping through my clothes, I think about how much easier it was to find something to wear when I had it organized by colors! If I was in a mood for something blue, I went to the blue shirts and had a nice bit of choices. I do the scent thing a bit too. When I am going on a date with my husband and wearing something sexy, I will wear my Come-and-get-me scent. When I am going out to do an appointment, I will wear my pleasant flowery scent.

Posted by: Adrienne at February 20, 2006 04:41 PM (yAWf0)

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As I sing to my husband every year:

I was working in the lab late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my monster from his slab began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise

He did the mash
He did the monster mash
The monster mash
It was a graveyard smash
He did the mash
It caught on in a flash
He did the mash
He did the monster mash

I choo-choo-choose you.

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CaliValleyGirl is closing in on a week until her soldier returns from Afghanistan. His unit was featured in the Stars and Stripes this weekend. I can't wait to read about their homecoming on her blog.

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My favorite Valentine's moment:

As the candy hearts poured into the fiery quasar, a wonderous thing happened, why not? They vaporized into a mystical love radiation that spread across the universe, destroying many, many planets - including two gangster planets and a cowboy world. But one planet was exactly the right distance to see the romantic rays, but not be destroyed by them - Earth. So all over the world, couples stood together in joy. And me, Zoidberg! And no one could've been happier, unless it would've also been Valentine's Day. What? It was? Hooray!

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My husband summarized an article about George Clooney for me, which was enough to make me not want to read the article. However, I did seek it out just to check one quote:

Clooney is as vain and materialistic as the next guy in Hollywood - "[F] it, I love my house in Italy. It's big and audacious and ridiculous, and nicer than any human being has the right to have" - but he is also one of the few really grown-up movie stars. "I have Irish Catholic guilt," he says, smiling, "and want to make up for [my successes]."
The way Clooney atones is by making, alongside the romantic comedies and heist numbers, a range of films that bring him a different kind of attention altogether.

My husband was absolutely mortified by the phrase "nicer than any human being has the right to have," as if some Equality Police could come and knock down half of your house because you're not allowed to live extravagantly. For him, the fact that George Clooney thinks that people shouldn't have the right to a big house is just beyond words. I, however, find something differently but equally reprehensible in this paragraph. Clooney's attitude reminds me of something I heard Ben Affleck say on TV right before the last presidential election. He was upset that he had gotten a tax cut because he said he didn't need the money and he would've rather the government kept it.

Do these celebrities want us to think that they don't have any will of their own? You know, the world is just the way it is and I wish it weren't but that's life so I gotta stay ridiculous rich. That's what we're supposed to believe?

Ben Affleck, if you want to take your $1.5 million tax cut and donate it to charity, guess what, you can! Hell, you can even opt to pay more taxes in Massachusetts, as O'Reilly trapped Affleck into admitting he didn't even know. Here he is, complaining that he couldn't give more in taxes, and all he had to do was, you know, give more. You could donate it to cancer research or stem cells or veterans benefits or all the other stuff you say you care about. You don't have to wait for the government to do it for you. Your hands aren't tied because they gave you your $1.5 million back; it means you have MORE OPTIONS.

Same for you, Clooney. No one is forcing you to live in a big house. If your wealth makes you feel guilty, then buy some land, build a modest-sized house on it, and start donating some of your money. But don't you dare say that the way you compensate for your Catholic guilt is that you make more movies. Even if it is Syriana and you think you're doing some good by educating people to the Ways Of The World, you're still raking in the dough doing it. That's supposed to make us feel better about you? Poor Clooney, he's so big and famous, he can't help but be a bazillionaire, but at least he makes Films That Matter. Are you serious?

Last night we got the Grammys here. I swear I nearly spat on the TV when Alicia Keys said "this is the most important night in the world." Get over yourselves, people. You know, I can accept it if you're filthy rich and lovin' it. I read once that Christopher Walkin will do any movie that's put before him because it's a job and he's in it to make money. I can respect that; my husband and I are out to make as much money as we can too. But to hear celebs ask for millions of dollars for each movie they do and then complain about being rich, that's too much for me to accept.

No one put a gun to Clooney's head and made him buy that stupid house. Get over it.

Posted by: Sarah at 05:51 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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When I attended the University of Illinois, I used to get so mad reading The Daily Illini newspaper. I would seethe for days over some of their editorials, and I'm sure I could maintain this website by just blogging about some of the stuff they print (I don't visit their website anymore out of respect for my blood pressure). However, I was proud today to hear that they printed the "offensive" Mohammed cartoons. Good for them for actually reporting the news instead of censoring it to make sure no one's feelings get hurt...or embassies get burned down, as the case may be.

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I wrote yesterday about how I couldn't believe my husband left for Iraq two years ago. Gunnar Becker's mom can't believe it's been that long either: she sent me an article about her son I hadn't seen yet. No one in the battalion has forgotten Gunnar.

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