crossrhodes

I just witnessed our Indian neighbors walk across our backyard with our ladder in tow.  They must’ve returned it to the shed.  Funny thing is, I didn’t even know they had it.  I saw them on their roof a few minutes earlier when I went to take out the trash.  I wonder if they know it’s illegal in this country to “borrow” something from someone’s property without asking.  It’s like the time they dug up Don’s vegetable garden to “borrow” a flowerpot-full of soil.  I’m going to cut them some slack because I know they’re new to this country AND THEY GIVE ME FREE DONUTS when I buy a cup of coffee.  (They own a local Dunkin Donuts.)  Don can deal with it when he gets home.  He never got free donuts from them anyway.  My only concern is liability should there be an accident using our ladder.  You would think that not having my permission to use it would free me from liability, right?  But have you heard about the thief who sued because he was injured in a home he broke into?  Or the lady who won a settlement from McD’s over spilled coffee?  I think a chain and padlock will take care of this borrowing problem.

I love this picture.  It looks like she’s holding the camera, taking a self-portrait for her Facebook profile =)

Anyway, I don’t watch daytime TV anymore nor am I a fan of Obama, but I couldn’t peel myself away from the boob tube this morning.  Layla and I watched history unfold.  My daughter’s generation began with the first HALF Black man in the Oval Office.

People keep forgetting the “half” part.  If I am brown (a full Filipino) and my daughter is beige (half white, half brown), then Obama is… hmmm… grey???  LOL!!!  Well, what does half black and half white make but grey???  My point is (and I do have one), Obama’s father was essentially nothing more than a sperm donor, right?  He was raised by white people in a white family and culture.  Now, if Oprah was elected president, then it would truly be an historical event!  A full black AND a woman in the White House!

Speaking of women, if I were Laura Bush, I’d be sighing a great, big sigh, “Thank God it’s finally over!”  And if I were Michelle Obama, “What do you mean I only have $100,000 with which to redecorate the White House?”  (Yes, that is exactly how she would say it.  A lawyer would use correct grammar and not end a sentence with a preposition.)  For a country in debt, it sure is a lot of money.  But for the scale of the White House, $100k will only cover the west wing!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, ‘Common Sense’, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn’t always fair; and maybe it was my fault.Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouth wash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust. His wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility, his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights; I Want It Now; Someone Else Is To Blame; I’m A Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Author Unknown

Source: Your Moral Compass

Saw these in a boutique store window and just HAD to tell the world. They are tote bags made of recycled rice sacks. “So what?” you say? They cost $40 each and they don’t even contain rice!!! Somewhere in a third world country, a deceased rice paddy worker is rolling in his or her grave every time a tourist buys one of these empty rice sacks. It’s so ridiculous, I had to blog it.

Oh yeah, did I tell you we’re on vacation? Can’t you tell by all this family togetherness at the dinner table?

Don sending emails

James instant messaging

I try not to read the news but a headline caught my attention this afternoon on my Yahoo! Mail tab. Steven Curtis Chapman’s 5 year old daughter died tragically in their home.

I was just listening to his new release, Cinderella, while putting Layla to sleep. It’s on mommy’s lullaby playlist. It’s a beautiful song. Listen to it and say a prayer for the Chapmans as they grieve the loss of their Cinderella.