Biology is bloody hard................

      When I first started this semester (back to school after 12 yrs), I was so excited with the overall attitude of "I can do this, let's do this". I do not want to sound defeatist but wow - biology is really what is kicking my butt. I study for hours and hours, do all of the homework, the objectives, SI, and tutoring in Oconee 300. I have not been able to get the results that I am going for and I am not sure what else I can possibly do. I like my instructor very much. It is not the memorizing or really even the understanding what I am studying, it is more about putting it all together and seeing the big picture. It is very frustrating and this is only the beginning - BIO101. I still have three additional and more advanced biology courses to go before I can start the nursing program. I know I will pass and get there but it is really frustrating when you are falling short of your goals. Aaaaahhh!!!

Road Rage............................

     We have all been there. Running late and getting behind an idiot going 15 miles under the speed limit. Nothing is more annoying! But, I don't understand people who constantly cut you off and flip you the finger while cursing at you out of there window just to sit next to you at the next stoplight. That can be just as annoying. I heard a comedian commenting on how no one enjoys driving while singing to their favorite song on the radio anymore. I was thinking of that when I drove to pick up my kids in Florida this past weekend. I brought all of my favorite cd's in the car and rocked out the whole way. It was funny to me watching all of the road ragers angrily swerve in and out of lanes like maniac's while I was having my own little private concert in my car. Luckily my kids like my music and we jammed out together on the way home. They sing and play air guitar to my Nine Inch Nails, Ministry and KMFDM cd's. It was actually fun. I wish more people would do the same:)

Flying with children........

      Many people would think "oh great" when seeing a screaming baby getting on the plane before them. Usually with reason because true to form, the baby would scream for the majority of the flight. Soon after I had my second child, I had fly with them by myself often (2 and newborn). Wow, it is very hard. They got bored, hungry, their ears hurt, they had to take turns having to use the bathroom a hundred times and kept pushing the call button. All while, lugging around diaper bags, strollers, and car seats. They, of course did not know about plane etiquette. People were so mean to me, it was shocking. I would be almost in tears trying to keep the kids happy and people would actually yell at me to make my children "shut up". Even women of all ages would yell at me. It was insane. One time my son accidentally locked himself in the bathroom and the flight attendant threatened to give me a ticket if he didn't come out. I said "he's locked in and can't come out - you get him out" It was messy. So now, whenever I see a mother traveling with kids who is struggling, I try to help. Whoever yells at struggling mothers obviously hasn't been in that situation. I hope that if they ever are in a difficult situation, that other people are a lot nicer to them.

Creating child gamblers............

     I take my boys out a lot. We go bowling, roller skating, arcades, the movies, etc. It seems like everywhere we go, they have this quarters game for the kids. They play it by putting a quarter in and it is supposed to go behind the other quarters and this bar comes and pushes all of the quarters towards the front ledge. If your quarter lands in just the right spot, it will push the other quarters over the ledge and they come out of the front as your winnings. They also put random bills in there on top of the quarters from $1 to $50. Of course that is what the kids go for every time. The boys bring their own quarters and will put one in. They usually will get one or two quarters back and they put them right back in the machine. Even if they win $5 in quarters they can't put them back into the machine fast enough, frantically trying to get the bills. This to me is like gambling at a Casino. After they loose all of their quarters they beg for more, one more time, one more time. It makes me wonder: who's idea was this?

I love Sebastian Maniscalco

  Sebastian Maniscalco is one of the funniest comedians ever. You can youtube him and see many of his bits. He is hilarious. I won tickets to see him live in Marco Island Fl and I was instantly a fan. I then found out he grew up in Chicago and is about my age. When I went onto his website I saw that he personally answers every e-mail and so I wrote him. I did get a response and we have written back and forth a few times. I showed my boys some of his skits and now they go around saying them everywhere we go. It is so funny that they have me crying laughing every time. My favorite is when he talks about how Ross and TJ Maxx are always so messy that they look like downtown Beirut and he asks how people are shopping there. He says that when people realize something isn't there size, then they just throw it across the store. Another favorite of the boys and mine is about how people at Subway don't know how it works there. He says "Step one - pick bread. Don't you see that?"

Blondie

    This morning I was watching a HBO special about the band Blondie. It was a mix of current interviews and performances. I think Debbie Harry is amazing. I was listening to the band's stories of how they got together and what they went through to get big. Their lives are so  interesting and I was thinking about what it would have been like to be her in the 70's and 80's. It is hard to imagine the wild ride of the fame, concerts, videos, drugs and parties. It got me on youtube to watch some of her old videos and live performances. They were discovered while playing in a little bar called CBGB's in New York in the early 70's. I did find a black and white video of her singing at CBGB before she was big and she was wearing a white shirt and tie with a plaid skirt and she looked like she was 16. She has such a presence on the stage and it is no wonder why she became as big as she is.

Video Games

         Yesterday, my ten year old son had $50 of birthday money to spend at ToysRUs. He looked around for what seemed like an eternity and kept picking things out and then changing his mind. Finally, he decided that he would save his money for next time. That was until we walked past the video game section. He saw the Flashback Atari game system (that was exactly $50) and had to have it. I could not believe the images on the back of the box. It was just blurry dots on a colored screen. All of the games looked the same. He tore it open as soon as we got home and plugged it into the closest television. He has been playing it non stop. He has a PlayStation, and Wii, a DS, and a 3DS which all amaze me every time we play them because of how cool the graphics are. He prefers the Atari. It reminds me of when the very first Nintendo system came out with Mario Bros. and Zelda. That was amazing compared to Atari but he says the Atari is "classic". I wonder how long he will stay interested in it.

Laughing so hard that you cry

      I remember when I was a child, my little sisters and I would often laugh until we were all crying. We would laugh about nothing sometimes. All it would take is for us to look at each other. It was usually somewhere we were supposed to be quiet too like the library, in a store, or at church. Actually at church it usually started with us looking at each other after watching this one woman in the choir. You know how there is always one person in the church choir who gets so into it that they turn red and it looks like there lips or head are going to fly off of their body? We would not be able to stop for the entire service and our parents would just look at us and shake their heads, which would make us laugh harder. What is funniest to me is now that I am a mom, when I take my kids to church and we do it sometimes. They will look at me smiling and we'll all just start. Maybe it's hereditary. I know church shouldn't be funny but it will always be included in my favorite memories because of my sisters and my boys.

Cops...................

      I love the police. They have helped me many times in my life and I am grateful for them. But, what is up with the cops here? In Florida, where I just moved from, I was pulled over a few times over the years and rightfully so. I was speeding or did a u-turn when I shouldn't have. They would pull me over, act normal and give me a ticket. No wierdness at all. I have been pulled over twice here already and I was completely stupified by the way they acted and dressed. One of them approached my car with his suit and big rimmed hat and said "Do you know who I am?" and "You really pissed me off!". I was going 57 in a 55. He actually pulled me over when I was only two miles over the limit just to beat on his chest about how he was cop. He told me his whole timeline off his accomplishments and asked me if I respected him. It was insane. The speed limits here change like every two minutes but I am going to try to keep up with them, I do not like feeling like I am in the twilight zone.

Buffets.....

     Am I the only one in the world who thinks buffet's are disgusting? For some reason, about 80% of the people that I agree to go out to eat with want to go to a buffet. I try to go with the flow and I'll check some buffet restaurants out now and then and I understand the value of all you can eat for $7.99. These places are packed too, they can't bring the food out fast enough. I like to people watch so I see things everywhere I go. I don't know why, but I just can't not notice the things that go on. Not saying I am perfect, but I just can't force myself to eat mashed potatoes that a someone just coughed on three minutes ago. Also, some of the foods are mystery foods. I don't think anything with chicken in it should be neon blue. My kids love buffet's. I think it is because they have creative control. Of course that means they come back with a strawberry shortcake and 80 pieces of bacon. Maybe someday I will find a magical, clean, and sanitary buffet.

Moooooooo.....

Yes, I am a vegetarian. No, I do not wear leather. Yes, I have killed a bug before. I have heard it all, been questioned to death and watched closely by people I have been around in the more than 25 years I have been one. I don't know why but it really seems to offend and make people feel like they need to prove me a hypocrite. At eight years old, I saw a documentary on the news about the inhumane slaughtering of animals. They actually showed video footage of these animals being tortured. It affected me so much that I decided right then that I would never eat anything that has been killed ever again, and I haven't. Why is my blog called mooooooo? In High School I would write papers and give speech's about it to try to raise some awareness and all of the students would laugh and moo at me. Really??? Well, I guess that's not too shocking considering who was in my class. But, still. Really??? Yes, I am writing my blog about being a vegetarian but, I don't preach to people or try to persuade them to become one. It just seems that every time someone finds out that I am one, they immediately feel the need to put me on trial. Any questions?