Why couldn't I get the boobs?

I think that I'm fairly bright. Not gifted, but able to learn things quickly. I was always a teacher pleaser and thrived off praise and grades. I'm not proud. Its who I am.

Here is the flip side. I'm really dingy. I reinforce that damned dumb blonde reputation on a daily basis. And when I do it in a public way or around people who don't love me I just hate it. I want to scream, "But I'm smart! Really! I have an MBA and I graduated seventh out of seventy on full scholarship and I was drunk at least three nights of each week of that program!" But again with that stereotype - that comment wouldn't help. I used to have no filter. In my brain, then *insert sound effect* out my mouth. My husband has helped me with that. Sometimes with a kind reminder that I should pause before I speak and sometimes with a look on his face that says, "I can't believe I am married to this dumbass for eternity." Both methods do the trick.

The point of my post: I had a dingbat moment tonight, and no one to tell. I was playing solitaire on the computer after putting the kids to sleep (see how smart I am? I could have been watching t.v. or cleaning my kitchen) and it was one of those games where all signs pointed to me winning and having that kick-ass graphic with the cards falling down and leaving little visual echos. *sigh* Anyway, all my aces were up top, all my kings were down bottom, and I was cookin with bacon and then it happened - I was stuck. All because of one card that I couldn't get to for it to all work. Keep in mind this was on the computer. And in my frustration and grasping for straws as to why smart me couldn't win, I actually thought for a second that........................

the kids must have been playing with the deck and some of the cards must have gotten lost.

I'm not proud. Its who I am.

Light Reading

Ok, I did my political thing and got on my soap box and it doesn't really make a difference other than make me feel heard, which is what this little blog experiment is all about. Doing its job, it is.

So here I am with a full belly from Thanksgiving, looking forward to filling it a little higher with some boiled crawfish, and feeling all warm and fuzzy and not at all political. I did just finish The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and boy was that book disturbing. Good though, and I can't wait for the second one. Is she even writing it yet?

What sent me in that direction was actually the review for Hunger Games by Stephen King. Anything he likes, I will buy. I love Stephen King's own books. If you haven't read The Stand, I highly recommend it. Very disturbing as well, but oh so fabulous and even the mini-series was awesome with a kickin opening scene to the song "Don't fear the reaper." King also wrote The Running Man under the name Bachman and it was made into a movie that was somewhat like the Hunger Games. All this fun election stuff as of late has really gotten me itching to read some of those fun apocalyptic and rise of the anti-christ themed books that I have enjoyed. I can't imagine why;) Maybe when the global economy kicks in, the citizen security force is assembled, and I need to line up for my mark of the beast, oh, I mean identification chip, it will come to me.

Books like these make me thankful that I enjoy reading. M-O-O-N that spells Thanksgiving! (You have to read The Stand to get that joke).

YES HE CAN

"The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do." -- Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007

And here we are.

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is the most radical piece of legislation in U.S. history. Here are some key points about the legislation co-sponsored by our president elect:

• By allowing and even promoting abortion, FOCA goes beyond Roe v Wade by declaring that women have a fundamental right to abortion and invalidates anti-abortion laws in all 50 states.
• FOCA will require taxpayers to pay for abortions. (So you can't smoke a cigarette in a bar anymore, but you can get taxpayer money to kill your baby?)
• FOCA will require states to allow partial birth abortions
• FOCA will require states to allow abortions by non-physicians. (Will this become a new boutique business like botox parties?)
• FOCA will bar laws protecting a right of conscientious objection to abortion (Catholic hospitals will close their doors and the poor and needy will no longer have that access to merciful care)

Wow. And the biggest problem I have is if there are no restrictions on this, who is to say that abortion won't be MANDATED in the future? Only two kids per family...no down syndrome babies...no cripples...only blue eyes.........Ugh.

Young Love

This is an ode to Sonic. I love you. You make me happy. On some days, you complete me. Happy hour is the best invention EVER. Half price drinks! And if you told me as a 19 or 20 year old that happy hour would mean an $.86 coke ($.83 in Tomball!) and not $.75 Miller Longnecks, I would have laughed at you. First, I was a strictly coke girl. Then I was introduced to Diet coke with lime. Yum. THEN came my newest love (shout out to Allison)....Chocolate Coke. Is a flavor explosion of yumminess in a styrofoam cup.

Sonic is a happy place for me. One of my fondest relationship memories is when my then boyfriend, now husband came to visit me in Ft. Worth and we went to Sonic and it was a cool night and the windows were down and I was eating chili frito pie and singing "Bye Bye Miss American Pie" thinking, "I can't wait to marry this man cause this is probably gonna be how fun marriage is EVERY DAY." Sometimes I wanna travel back in time just so I can bitch slap myself.

Forget those other two and lets vote for Jimmy (warning colorful language)

If you think you like him, here are his views on global warming - he really thinks outside of the box.

Thank you for your presents/presence

When I was growing up, the birthday child was served the last piece of cake. In fact, the birthday child served the cake to their guests. On pin the tail on the donkey and other games, we went last when it was our birthday. At our birthday parties, we opened presents, said thank you and then followed up with a written thank you note.

I've noticed a growing trend these days at birthday parties. People don't open presents anymore. They are piled on a table somewhere and then, I guess, piled in the trunk of the car (if the party was other than at the house) to be opened later at home. Why is this? I'm sure it is to save time, and people think that kids don't want to sit through that. They are there to have fun! But what is it teaching our children? That it is ok to open a gift in private, stew about whether or not you want to return or exchange it? Regift it? Tacky.

As I try to teach my kids the "gift of giving", it involves bringing them to Target to pick out the gift. This is hard with anyone over the age of two. They want if for themselves. They want one just like it. They ask why we are getting it for someone else and not them. This torture must be endured as one step in teaching the gift of giving. Step two is actually giving the gift to the birthday child, seeing them open it, and seeing their joy at recieving the gift. Seeing them like the gift when they open it brings the lesson home. Its fun to give someone somthing they like and see them like it. I consider the thank you note to be lagniappe.

At the end of the parties, my kids then take time to find the birthday child, say "Happy Birthday, thank you for inviting me, I had fun". Then they find the parents (hard to do sometimes) and repeat the process. The sentiments are genuine and this is not done out of some formula for manners. Truly, thank you for having my child. Thanks for providing a fun Saturday afternoon. The expression of these sentiments out loud is what separates humans from the animals.

So the next time I attend a party where step two is not fulfilled and the presents are not opened, I have half a mind to take that present home with me...to regift it. If you can't beat em...

On deck

Since I'm finishing up Pope Joan soon for book club, I will allow myself another fluff book to compliment my new favorite show True Blood (HBO). Its just too weird to even describe, but of course I love it. Its all about naughty love with a Southern Gentleman Vampire (and I thought the Thorn Birds was naughty!) Anyway, I'm so hooked on the show, the music on the show and the whole story, I thought I would go backwards and read the book series upon which the show was based. I just have to get through this long-winded, depressing account of the fictionalized life of the Catholic Church's only woman pope (not that they acknowledge her at the Vatican) because dumb me had to suggest it for book club. The rebel soldier vampire will just have to wait...