The Goddess of Give Me Something

The daughter several years ago. We call this 'Scuba Stephanie'. If you have seen 'Big Daddy', you understand.

I just spent a terrific Thanksgiving weekend with the family in St. Louis. Our main objective on the trip was to see a wonderful hockey game (we did- Detroit won 4-3 in a shootout), but we also planned in some time for shopping in St. Charles, dinner at Modesto (incredible Tapas restaurant), and the most important agenda item for the kids---swimming at the hotel.

I can always count on my husband for funny vacation witticisms. He can turn any song into something that is always hilarious, sure to keep you awake during the monotony of driving mile after mile. I have often told him he should do stand up. He would be great at that. What I am learning now is that my seven year old daughter not only looks like my husband, she has inherited his comedy gene.

We left our hotel on Sunday morning, ready to hit the (long) road home. Said hotel provides a more than ample breakfast offering. If you leave there hungry, it is no ones fault but your own. About thirty minutes after being on the road, my daughter says she is hungry. Her Dad and I both tell her it will be a while before we stop to eat since we just ate breakfast. She is not happy, and pops out with"I am the goddess of give me something!" I know-- it sounds like I am raising a Liberal, right? She isn't a Lib, she was just being funny. When my husband and I laughed at her line, she was happy as could be.

That became our motto this vacation. Daughter and husband found many ways to freshen it up all the way home. She was hungry again later in the day and was the 'goddess of eating'. Later she wanted a light turned on so she could read her book and became 'goddess of turn a light on'. Dad eventually lost his sense of humor (six hours in a van with a seven, five, and four year old), so he declared he was the 'god of grouch and doom'. I snickered at that, which caused him to see the humor in what he said. And I will say that everyone was pretty quiet the rest of the way home.

Happy Thanksgiving from President Reagan ( and me, too)!!

I am sorry that I cannot post as often as others here on Blogger, but alas, my three kids(seven, five, and four), husband, and a full time job just won't allow it. I do want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving, though.

I have so much to be thankful for. I have a loving husband, three wonderful, healthy kids, and a job that I enjoy. I am also thankful for those of you that read my rants and ramblings here. This blog has been a great outlet for me.

On this day of thanks, I found a great Thanksgiving message from Ronald Reagan. This message is as timely today as it was in 1985.



Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Shame on These 10 Republicans

Judge David Hamilton is one step closer to confirmation to the 7th Circuit appellate court, thanks to this sorry list of Republicans that voted to limit debate on his qualifications. The vote ended up 70-29.

Richard Luger-Indiana

Lamar Alexander-Tennessee

Saxby Chambliss-Georgia

Susan Collins-Maine

Olympia Snowe-Maine

John Cornyn-Texas

Judd Gregg-New Hampshire

Orrin Hatch-Utah

Lisa Murkowski-Alaska

John Thune-South Dakota

Why not allow this man to become a Circuit Court judge? He is a former ACLU leader. He was a fundraiser for ACORN. Those two items raise flags for me, but are possibly not cause enough for others to be concerned. Okay, I understand.

Let's hear some of this justices pearls of wisdom.

"Part of our job here as judges is to write a series of footnotes to the Constitution. We all do that every year in cases large and small."

"A judge needs to empathize with all parties in the case — plaintiff and defendant, crime victim and accused defendant — so that the judge can better understand how the parties came to be before the court and how legal rules affect those parties and others in similar situations."

He is an activist judge who believes laws can be made from the bench, that judges keep adding "footnotes" to the Constitution. Huh? And here I thought the Founders did a pretty good job. Silly me, I thought Congress was the only branch of the government that could make law(hence the term Legislative Branch).

Here we go, America! You didn't think it would do much harm, your voting for Obama. Now you know the truth. First Sotomayor, now Hamilton. Another empathetic judge. We have three more years of this.

And shame on the Republicans named above. You are there at the behest of your constituents. Your crumbling, spineless actions today may very well be the start of your political downfall. Do not think that just because you have an (R) behind your name, that means you will be supported in your re-election bids. We need members of Congress that want to serve their constituents, not their own self-serving agendas.

We need more men (and women) like these!!!

So Now They Fact Check

From the AP dated Saturday November 14, comes this headline: FACT CHECK: Palin's Book Goes Rogue on Some Facts. I am not writing this to debate whether Sarah is right or the AP is right. I have not read the book- heck, it hasn't even been released yet. I can tell you that with the AP's track record of being left-leaning lovers, I am more likely to side with Palin.

My issue is this: where has all this fact-checking been in the last few years?



I don't recall the good ol' AP checking the facts on John Kerry's service in Vietnam. Did he really earn the medals and honors he received, or did he write himself up in order to get home? It took the Swift Boat Veterans, doing the AP's job, for the truth to come out. Then the media wanted to rip apart their recollection of what happened in Vietnam.

Damn those pesky facts

I also don't remember the AP being all up in arms about Dan Rather rushing a story about George Bush's National Guard record without checking the facts. Everyone was more than willing for that story to be true. When it all came crashing down around their heads, well, that couldn't have been Dan's fault. He was duped by someone passing off faked documents. In my opinion, his butt was in a rush to make sure Mister "reporting for duty" Kerry got elected.



And let's not forget Al Gore. Where would we be without him? According to Mr. Personality himself, Love Story was written about him and Tipper. On top of that doozie, he invented the internet. Wow!! I will never question global warming again. This man is a genius!



The whole point of this, I guess, is that the AP and all of the MSM, are selective fact checkers. If the person in question fits in with their world views and agendas, then it's hands off. There are many more examples of this (don't get me started on Hill and Bill, or Maobama). I think they are genuinely afraid of the popularity and down to earth style of Sarah Palin. She is a conservative female that loves her country, loves her family, and is not afraid to stand up for either one.

Go get 'em Sarah!! We here at Me, Un-American, are behind you all the way!!!

Captain Cup Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Hockey Stud

What I wouldn't give to be in Toronto tomorrow. It is going to be a special night for Red Wings fans everywhere. Sure, Luc Robitaille and Brett Hull spent a few years as Red Wings, and they will be inducted also, but the star of the evening will surely be #19, Steve Yzerman.

Yzerman is the epitome of class. There were times during his career that fans questioned whether he was the one that could bring the Cup back to Detroit. He felt the burden for many years. When Scotty Bowman became the coach of the RedWings, he asked Yzerman to be more responsible defensively. Yzerman did not complain, even though he was a prolific scorer. How did he respond, you ask? By winning the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward. He always left everything out on the ice. He gave his all, every shift, and as Captain expected the same from his teammates.

Yzerman did bring the Cup back to Detroit, not once, not twice, but three times. He is Captain Cup. Stevie spent all 22 years of his career in Hockeytown. When you ask a Red Wings fan about their favorite play ever, most times it will be a play Yzerman made. My personal favorite is his double overtime goal in the 1996 playoffs against St. Louis. The man usually was cool as cucumber, but after that goal..... he looked like a ten year old playing the game he loved. It was so great to see his emotion, to see his passion for the game.

My favorite picture of Yzerman with the Cup(2002). What a great family man.

Yzerman was the best, and was the complete package. Talent, heart, class, leadership, sportsmanship. I have no problem with my children, or anyone's for that matter, following his example.

Thank you, Steve. You deserve this honor.

Shotguns: Useful For More Than Just Marriage Proposals

My husband ( J Summ at The Oh, bama Files) and I re-discovered a wonderful pastime last weekend. Our children have finally gotten to a somewhat manageable age, meaning they pay attention and do what they are told for five minutes (okay, maybe four and a half), then you must gently remind them again to pay attention. A vast improvement from last year when the time limit was about sixty seconds. With the improved attention spans of the kiddos and two adults to control mayhem should it occur, we headed out for adventure.

We found it at a trap range near our sometimes tolerable fair city. We used to enjoy shooting B.K. (before kids), and I was looking forward to getting back at it. I grew up in a household where I knew that my Dad owned a gun, but I never knew where it was, and he never taught me how to use it. My husband taught me to shoot at the ripe old age of nineteen, while we were dating. He did a great job, too, as I used to out-shoot him regularly (well, at least once in awhile), sometimes with his own gun.

I was a bit nervous when I first went up to shoot, as it had been at least three or four years since I had been out. The range has voice activated pull, which was really nice. That meant my husband could easily count my few hits and many misses, while also keeping track of the kids. The first round of twenty-five, I hit a whopping eight with my 20-gauge (pheasants need not worry about me-yet). J Summ hit seventeen with his 12-gauge. In the second round, I broke double digits (11) with hubby's 12-gauge. He hit sixteen with my shotgun. My daughter enjoyed watching us so much that her comment as we finished was, "Okay, Momma, now it's my turn!" We had to explain to her that we would gladly let her try when she was older (she is currently seven).

I tested this theory. Turns out it's true.

We stopped on the way into the office to watch a group of men shoot skeet. It looks like a lot of fun, but I know it is not for me. Those clay pigeons flat boogie out of the houses. I bet I couldn't track half of them as they flew out. Wow!!

When we went into the office to pay, it was the usual testosterone-filled gun club atmosphere. One of the old coots asked, "So, you gonna teach them boys to shoot?" My reply was, "Yes, and the girl, too!" None of our kids are old enough to learn yet, but they already understand that guns are tools, not toys. We are both looking forward to teaching them how to shoot, when they are older. For now they think it is just as fun to cheer us on when we actually hit a clay pigeon.

The family outing was a success, and we plan on making the range at least two times a month. Then those pheasant better look out!

Build It and They Will Come....

Yes, I am posting this late, but you know what they say. Better late than never. And be forewarned, this post is not for the kiddies.

Kosovo has (ahem) erected a statue in honor of former President Bill Clinton. The statue (seen above), is okay, I suppose. I firmly believe that had they changed a few things here and there, and added a few attractions, it would be a great vacation destination. It would also be more historically accurate.

1. I think they should have gone with a symbol more befitting our 42nd president. My suggestion:



2. They could have a special store at the base of the monument that accepts only one kind of money....



3. And it would obviously sell only certain items.






Feel free to add your own ideas for a better monument to Slick Willy in Kosovo (or somewhere else).

Even Clinton has an idea....