A Slice of Life

WOW!!!! I don't remember EVER having school cancelled twice in a row. Our kids are so lucky. I enjoyed the day today. My boys and I watched movies, then my parents came over for dinner. My dad took great pleasure in letting me know that the kids would once again be home tomorrow and thought he was messing with me. Joke's on him!!!! Once the kids heard they were going to be home again tomorrow, they packed up their things and left with my parents. I have a nice quiet house with no yelling, screaming, running and all that goes with 4 kids in the house.

So while I had a great day with them today. I welcome the break and also get to giggle when I think of my dad and his trying to take pleasure in my misery. That will show him. :) I love snow/cold days off of school. What did everybody else do today to dodge the cold?

Stop sign etiquette 101.

I will admit that it has been a very long time since I have had to look at a drivers ed book or be in a car with an instructor who had those annoying pedals on the passenger side of the car that were brakes and able to slow down while I was speeding up. I hated that.

Anyway, back to stop signs. I think many people have forgotten how to use them. From what I remember is that when there are people at every corner, the person on the right always goes next so there should be no confusion.

I don't remember a rule that says if the car in front of you goes, you creep up and then floor it through while the person to the right of you has already started to go.

I also remember people are supposed to actually stop at the stop signs. I am not kidding. That is what the word means. DO NOT MOVE until it is your turn. Not too long ago, my daughter and I were almost killed when someone ran a stop sign going at least 40 while we were already halfway through. They weren't even at the stop sign when we started going. They were driving and kept driving like that  sign or intersection didn't exist. GET OFF THE PHONE!!!!!!

And then there is that awkward time when nobody seems to know when to go so everybody sits there and by the time someone decides to break the silence and go, two others go too and they all get mad at eachother and start using the universal sign language to express their inner feelings about being in a situation where they didn't exactly get their way.

Bottom line? Just be careful. Stop completely and watch the people around you. If the car in front of you went, and other cars are waiting, you don't get to just go. If you are not sure and everybody is sitting there, wave the person to your right on so that they can go and start people moving again.

It is a simple thing and I am sure that the nearest Motor Vehicle Department has info on this topic if you really need it. All I am saying is that better safe than sorry here.

I will be the first to admit that I do usually know my way around a computer, but when it comes to blue tooth and transferring data, I am clueless. So tonight, I have over 200 pics on my phone that I transferred to my computer via my bluetooth.

The phone said it was connected, the computer said it was connected, and the data said it was transferring. So it is all done, and now I go to my computer so I can upload my pics and get this. I can't find them ANYWHERE. I have looked everywhere they could and shouldn't be and nada. I mean it. I am getting frustrated because for once in my life, I have some really cool pics that I would like to at least upload on my myspace and maybe here, but they seem to have gone into the blue tooth black hole.

Anyone ever done this before? Any suggestions? Please????????

THE DAVID CROWDER BAND IS COMING!!!!!


For those of you who are into CCM concerts, Elmbrook is hosting The David Crowder Band on Friday January 16th. Tickets are 20.00 in advance or 25.00 at the door.  They are a great band and I have included a link to their site if you would like to get to know them a little better.

I am going on a date with my hubby and the kids are staying home with the grandparents who so graciously agreed to babysit. CAN'T WAIT!!!


http://www.davidcrowderband.com

Well, I was going to go out to Mayfair to finish up my shopping when I decided that I should stop into my car dealer to check my tire pressure. I ended up with a whole new car. I can't believe how easy it was. I came in, saw a car I loved. I looked at the car, decided what I wanted and the wonderful people over at Breager Chrysler were only too helpful.

I got what I wanted for the price I wanted and while I am supposed to tell you all that EVERY sales guy there was great looking, I think that was just their ego talking. So anyway, since I do belive in posting where you can get good service, here it is. This is the third car I have bought from them with no hassle. Kudos to Braeger!!!!!!!!

So I am watching the news tonight and some older couple decided that they didn't like the fact that a nativity scene is being placed on the lawn of the courthouse. They even took it so far that there is now a federal lawsuit by a group called "Freedom From Religion"

Ok, first, according to the city, there is room for people who do want to place a display to fill out the little form and place their display. The people who complained said it isn't "fair" that the religious thing was placed on land that belonged to the county, but that if the nativity scene was placed on a private lawn or the lawn of a church, that would be ok.

So where is the fairness? I mean the people who were interviewed were not losing out on anything, and they did say that they wouldn't mind seeing it on a private property or on a church lawn, so what is the difference if it is at the house across the street?

I don't get it. The city did not deny anybody else their right to place a display but yet people who have nothing to gain by this lawsuit other than the nativity scene which has had a place there for more than 60 years, will just look at it if it is someplace else.

I would like to be the first to protest and say that since this is a federal case, MY tax dollars are being used to fund this lawsuit because the judges get paid somehow, and I don't think THAT is fair.

It is Christmas people. If you don't like it, then don't look. If you don't want to celebrate, don't take the paid holiday at work, don't have the party with the family, and whatever else you do on that day that would be considered a celebration.

I think that people need to really look at that whole separation of church and state thing so they really understand what it means.

After a blog put out by Brad Hicks, I became very disturbed. I had head bits and pieces of this story and until today didn't know enough to look it up, but I found it thanks to Brad and I wanted to point out some things that I learned about this and our wonderful state child welfare system.

I read the article on JS Online and this is part of their story. The little boy who died was "tortured"  for months. Ok, stop here. How much time goes by before the social worker has to do a home visit???

The article also said that one of the homicide investigators said "this was one of the worst infant deaths he had ever seen" Ok, stop again. IF the social worker was visiting regularly, why is it that no evidence of abuse was noticed? If it was that bad, there had to be some signs of abuse and social workers are trained to look for that. That is the purpose of the visits. To make sure the child is well cared for.

Now as a side note. When I was going through the licensing procedure for in home daycare, I was called out on a ticket that was a traffic ticket obtained by a person in a totally different county with a totally different name. But the social worker who was doing my licensing, said that you never know and she had to ask to make sure that wasn't me. Then she wrote up a non complience because I cleaned my changing pad with a baby wipe instead of bleach water. BEFORE I was licensed. Now these are social workers. They care more about bleach water on a changing pad than the life of a child?

Ok, back to the article. It said that they found burns marks from head to toe on this child's sister. HELLO CHILD SERVICES..... If there were burn marks head to toe, what did the social worker doing home visits note? Wait, we still don't know if there were any home visits.  These marks supposedly started to show up in JUNE.  Umm, it is November, how often do they do home visits on an infant????

DENISE REVELS ROBINSON Who is the director of the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare, promised an investigation. Ok, well we all need to thank her for her hard work and commitment to this child. We also need to thank the caseworker in charge of these two children for doing such a wonderful job that these children were abused from the month of June until one of them died not too long ago.

We also need to remember  that there were two loving parents who did try to do right by this boy and adopt him. Gee, do you think that maybe if someone would have taken a bit of time, that tiny little life would not have been lost?????

Ok, people, this is your tax dollars at work. This is not the first time this has happened, and it probably won't be the last. Is this what we want? Do we really want to fund organizations like this with our tax dollars so they can have a hand in killing children? That is what happened here. They helped this woman kill one child and she was on her way to killing another.

And then they say the two parents who actually took care of at least one of these children were overpaid and they want their money back. Do you have to give your money back if you abuse and kill a child?

Where are the lawyers? If a childcare worker forgets a child on a bus or in a van on a hot day and that child dies, charges are at least considered. Has the D.A. considered filing charges on the social worker in charge of these two children? I mean it was obvious to the investigator  and the hospital that this was an ongoing thing.

I just heard on the news that there is a group that wants the social worker fired too. SIGN ME UP!!!!!!

This is the site where I read the story.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/34424614.html

This looked much better with the pictures in it. But I just thought it would be good to pass along.

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I saw you hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line. But you didn't see me put an extra $10.00 in the collection plate last Sunday

I saw you pull your child closer when we passed each other on the sidewalk. But you didn't see me playing Santa at the local Mall.

I saw you change your mind about going into the restaurant when you saw my bike parked out front. But you didn't see me attending a meeting to raise more money for the hurricane relief, or organizing a Poker Run for Can cer.

 

I saw you roll up your window and shake your head when I rode by. But you didn't see me riding behind you when you flicked your cigarette butt out the car window.

 

I saw you frown at me when I smiled at your children. But you didn't see me, when I took time off from work to run toys to the homeless.

I saw you stare at my long hair.

But you didn't see me and my friends cut

ten inches off for Locks of Love.

 

I saw you roll your eyes at our leather jackets and gloves. But you didn't see me and my brothers donate our old ones to the homeless shelter for those that had none

 

I saw you look in fright at my tattoos. But you didn't see me cry as my children where born or have their name written over and in my heart. For I love them more then life itself

I saw you change lanes while rushing off to go somewhere. But you didn't see me going home to be with my family after work.

I saw you, complain about how loud and noisy our bikes can be. But you didn't see me when you were changing the CD and drifted into my lane.

I saw you yelling a t your kids in the car. But you didn't see me pat my child's hands knowing she was safe behind me.

I saw you reading the newspaper or map as you drove down the road. But you didn't see me squeeze my wife's leg when she told me she loved me and was going to have my child. Nor did you see the tear of joy in my eye at the news.

I saw you race down the road in the rain. But you didn't see me get soaked to the skin so my son could have the car to go on his date.

I saw you run the yellow light just to save a few minutes of time. But you didn't see me trying to turn right.

I saw you cut me off because you needed to be in the lane I was in. But you didn't see me leave the road.

I saw you, waiting impatiently for my friends to pass. But you didn't see me. I wasn't there.

I saw you go home to your family. But you didn't see me. Because I died that day you cut me off

 

I was just a biker.  A person with a job, children & loved ones.  A person with friends and a family.  We are not hoods, nor scooter trash, but Doctors, Lawyers, Brothers, Sisters, Wives, Husbands, Sons, Daughters, White Collar, and Blue Collar workers. Still one of God's Children, but you didn't see me.

Repost this around in hopes that people will understand the biker community..

If you don't repost this, it sucks to be you. I hope you never lose someone that rides.

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE US, RESPECT OUR RIGHTS TO RIDE WHAT WE CHOOSE AND TAKE A FEW EXTRA SECONDS TO BE SURE WE ARE NOT IN 'YOUR' WAY

We all have different ways of celebrating Thanksgiving. Some of us cook for our immediate families. Some of us cook for a ton of people. Some of us just treat it like a normal day. And finally, there are the lucky people who get to go to someone else's house and eat their cooking.

How did your day go?

This year, I did the cooking and had my family along with my husband's family. A total of 20 people. I had a very stubborn bird which did NOT want to defrost even though I had it out in the frige on Monday. But in the end, I won and it got cooked. My mom made the stuffing and the rolls. I made the veggies, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, a poppy seed torte and some other stuff, plus some yummy caramel cider. After that drink, nobody drank the coffee.

I had everything done by about 1:30 and dinner was set for 3:30. We did eat at 3:30 on the dot and before 4, people were already done eating and watching the football game. Dessert didn't come until about 6 since everybody ate like two huge plates full of food, and the kids all went and ran around the basement.

So it was a good day.  Nothing burned except for my arm hitting the side of the oven. Dessert was pumpkin pie, peach pie, caramel pecan pie, chocolate raspberry cheesecake, and a poppy seed cake. I made only one of those. Everybody brought something for dessert and for dinner so the table was full, and my exchange student still thinks he ate so much he is going to die.

But the nicest thing is that after dinner and dessert, everybody sat in the livingroom and talked to eachother. That is the first time in a long time that everyone was happy and got along.

How did your day go? Was it as you expected?

This is just something I don't get. Around here, there are alot of intersections that have turning lanes but now turn signal at the light. So here are my thoughts. If there is a need for the turning lane, then why would you not see a need for a turn signal. Drexel an Howell is a good example. I was driving West and got stuck in a long line of cars in the turn lane. I moved forward thinking I had enough room but I ended up stopped in front of a drive way and another car was stuck, but at the same time, I had nowhere else to stop.

It just seems logical to me that if you go through the trouble of building in a turn lane, you would also add a left turn signal to go with it.

Woodmans is a grocery store that is non-union. Now I understand that when unions are used correctly, they are there to make sure that employees are treated and paid fairly.

So here is my question. I drive by Woodmans almost every day and there are union members from somewhere with picket signs protesting the fact that Woodmans doesn't have a union.

Why is it that unions think that EVERYBODY should be part of one. Obviously some businesses work well without unions so why the big push? I used to work for Aldi and we were non-union. I had a great job. I was paid well, I had insurance and even a retirement something. It was so long ago, but for me, all I saw was a good company.

So that is my question. Why? Can anybody answer that? I know that things between union and non union members can get pretty nasty, but I just want to know why they push unions like it is a horrible thing if there isn't one?

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and I was just wondering if anyone out there has a tradition that is different from the usual, maybe go to church, have the family and or friends over, cook a turkey, eat til you feel dead and watch football or go hunting.

I don't really have any traditions for Thanksgiving except for what I mentioned above, but I want to know if anyone has anything special they do for the day

I am just wondering if it is me or if this is just the way things are now. I have noticed around my house that people totally forgot how to use stop signs. Not only do they blow through them, but they also seem to forget that you go through one or two at a time and when it is your turn and you go, they start to go and honk the horn at you like you are in THEIR way.

One example I have is that I was at a stop sign on Puetz and Pennsylvania. There were cars at every corner. Each one took their turn. I start to go through, and all of the sudden, this little gray truck comes whipping through the stop sign at like 40mph. I slammed on my breaks almost in the middle of the intersection and everybody else just kind of sat there for a second. Had this person hit me, my daughter and I would probably have been dead. Me for sure since she would have hit in my drivers side door and never slowed down.

Another time, I was at a stop sign and everybody took their turn, so I was getting ready to go, and the person to my right who just moved up because the car in front of them was the last through, started to go. I was already almost halfway into the intersection, and they are blowing their horn at me.

What has happened to people that they forgot their driving manners? I have seen so much garbage flying out of car windows, people speeding and passing on the right, people not caring about the stop signs, or the people who are crossing the street. And in parking lots, it has been worse lately too.

Oh, and the freeway, forget it. I have been cut off, or almost slammed into so many times I can't even count. My biggest pet peeve is when you are getting off at the airport and trying to get into the exit lane. People don't let you in, but yet when they get to the end, they get out of it anyway. So what difference would it have made to let you in if they didn't belong there in the first place? It is just so frustrating. Do we feel that important that nobody else matters?

So what is it? Do I just need to grow thicker skin, or should I expect people to actually follow the rules which are put in place for safety reasons.

Today started out as a regular day. Four kids in the house, plus the two that come for rides to school. We get everybody off, but the two younger kids and go shopping. First to walmart where I practically handed over my entire checkbook, then to the grocery store so that I could pick up what I needed for dinner.

We get in the store, and I tell my four year old daughter that she cannot walk backwards and hold onto the cart because she is going to get hurt, plus she can't see the people walking towards her.

So off to the bakery to get a cookie, then we go on to do our shopping. She is a very cute and articulate little girl. We spent the time talking and joking around. We are almost done, I just needed lettuce. So we get to the produce section and here she goes again, walking backwards and holding onto the cart.

In a stern voice, I told her that she is not allowed to walk backwards (she had almost walked into a person this time) and that she already knew that so to turn around. Yes I was stern, but no I didn't yell or go berzerk.

The next thing I know is this lady looks at her and says, "but she is walking forward now, she is so cute and so good, and mom, she will respond better to praise rather than scolding"

Ok, so, I am really biting my tongue at this time because not only did I not do anything inappropriate, BUT this woman had the nerve to in her way scold me in front of my daughter about how I chose to discipline her for not listening to me.

Now, I didn't say anything to this woman, but I really wanted to tell her to take my daugher home for a day or two and when she starts climbing on furniture and pulling shelves and pictures off the wall and throwing them on the floor, or diving off of the couch with her latest gymnastics routine, or tears apart her room and throws all of her clean clothes into the dirty laundry, she can tell me what I am doing wrong ONLY if she can handle all of that without getting angry or scolding.

I am sorry, but I am not one of those parents who believes that kids should never be scolded, punished, spanked, or given time outs. Each person parents differently, and each child reacts differently. Why do people think they have the right to butt into other peoples business being all self righteous and telling them how to raise their children.

I have walked into daycare centers and heard kids being yelled at or scolded. Is that wrong? Gee, I don't know because I wasn't there to see the entire situation. Not to mention that my four year old daughter is old enough to understand that no means no the first time.

I do expect my kids to behave and listen to me and I think that if more parents stood up and took care of their kids, we would have alot less problems with out of control kids. We are the adults and we are still in charge.

And for any parent to come up and say that they have never scolded or raised their voice to their kids is a lie, because I don't care who you are, but if you have kids, they have been sassy, or pushed your buttons multiple times. And if not, then let me learn from you because I want to know what it is like to be perfect.

I don't know. I am just so ticked that I was "scolded" by some stranger, for telling my daughter that she was going to be punished if she did that again. GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Were you one of the people who hung the sign on the door that said "sorry, no treats" or did you leave to avoid the little monster and goblins running around? Or did you dress up, sit on your front porch and hand out candy to people you don't know?

I have to admit that I did have my "sorry, no treat" sign ready to go, but then decided that since my exchange student has never celebrated Halloween, it would be fun to let him hand out candy.

At first he was surprised that I asked him to do it, then the first few times, he seemed to like it, but by the time about 20 minutes had passed, he was begging us to let him stop. Of course, we are not the type of parents to let them give up so easily so we did everything possible to make it comfortable for him, stayed with him and even snapped a few pictures that he can send home to show his family what he did for Halloween.

We haven't gotten him to any haunted houses this year, but hopefully, next weekend.

So if you had trick or treat today what did you do? Did you go along with the fun, or avoid it?