31 July 2008

Time, Time, Time

What have I been doing with my time lately?


S-E-W-I-N-G

That's right, folks. I am attempting to make Christmas stockings. I was thinking about making 5 or 6 total (for future kids), and I am going to end up with 8.

Am I jynxing myself here? I dunno...maybe!

I will post some pics soon.

For now, I am enjoying the sewing machine my mother-in-law gave us for a Wedding gift. It has been in the box these past few months, so I finally got it out, read through the User's Manual and got to work yesterday! It is quite fun, although being the perfectionist I am...I get upset when things don't go according to plan. However, I don't really consider myself a beginner seamstress, either. I am probably a novice, and happy to be one.

This is just the start of my projects (Steven...beware).

24 July 2008

Swinging and PayPal....against the law?

Something I read the other day in the news once again peaked my curiosity about all of this Swingers action. I can't really say why this form of entertainment peaks my interest, but it does. Not that I would EVER THINK of approving of this type of behavior, it just amazes me how society can condone something one day, and the next week...it's part of what society calls "normal". Ten years ago (maybe even sooner) I bet courts would have considered this a reason for divorce. However, these days...I guess it must be a whole lot more than random acts of infidelity that would be grounds for a divorce.

Anyway, I was looking at some random news articles, and ran across this posting on msnbc. It is a question/answer type column, and I found it to be rather interesting. See for yourself:

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Q: Just wondering if you’ve heard about this … It’s a swingers party with 5,000 couples and porn star Mary Carey as the hostess along with [attorney] Lawrence G. Walters talking about how to keep your swingers club from getting shut down. It’s coming to Florida in July 2008, and I’m wondering, if we go, is this legal?

A: I have sometimes wondered this myself when reporting on the nation’s expanding sexual menu. I’d see something, stand there with my jaw dropped to my chest, and think “Is this even legal?”

I have occasionally had my doubts, but according to the man himself, Lawrence G. Walters, one of the nation’s leading defenders of porn producers, swing clubs, and adult Internet sites, the swing party you refer to is perfectly legal.

“There is nothing illegal about participating in, or attending events focusing on the swinger lifestyle,” he tells me. “It is not illegal to have more than one sexual partner in the United States of America. It’s a free country. The government is not in the bedroom to that extent and if the government did try to pass a law, it would be invalid under the right to privacy.”

Some legal theorists, like Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, say there is no such thing as a “right to privacy” because there is no mention of it in the Constitution. So while Walters is correct for now, he may not always be so correct depending upon the makeup of the Court.

Walters warns that swingers can face legal consequences if, say, they hold events in a private home for a fee, or post public notices of swinger parties to be held at residences, and do not have locally required permits. They could also wind up in violation of nuisance ordinances. But host hotels usually make special arrangements, often by booking the entire hotel for only that event so junior’s memory of his big Disney vacation isn’t blotted out by the sight of a platoon of nipple-pierced 60-year-olds in red Lycra thongs.

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ME: OK...you probably already know my response, but seriously...reserving an ENTIRE hotel for this type of behavior? What has the world come to, honestly? No legal consequences for these people? What happened to fidelity and to the holy bonds of matrimony? No wonder people don't take marriage seriously anyway...if this is what society thinks is normal, then why spend so much time finding Mr. Right?

I am glad that I don't participate in such chaos and nonsense. I am completely and 100% devoted to ONE man and will not participate in such parties, no matter how appealing they may sound. I choose to be different, and I am proud of it.



Article #2:

On the same question & answer column, this one also fascinated me:


Q: I am a very high profile public figure. If [the truth] were known about my sex life I might be asked to step aside from my job. While I am of the Woodstock generation, [my wife] is younger and she is the one pushing the envelope. We go to [swingers] parties in Orlando. She has profiles on several of the sex sites. She gets guys to pay a lot for sex with her. There is no Mafia involved and no organized crime. Guys deposit funds into her PayPal account and meet her for sex. This used to bother me in the past, but not at all now.


A: If you think you’re running a risk by leading a kinky sex life, you haven’t grasped the half of it. You are married to a prostitute.

You might not think of her that way, but legally speaking, Walters explains, she is, and unless she’s meeting the sugar daddies in select locales in Nevada, she’s breaking the law.


“The Internet has changed the way lots of people perceive prostitution,” Walters explains. “You have all these escort sites, [hooker] review boards talking openly about ‘the hobby’ as it is called, and people sometimes forget this is very illegal, can be prosecuted, and regularly is prosecuted.”

It doesn’t matter if the payment runs through PayPal, or even if it’s comprised of something other than cash, like jewelry, airline tickets to attend a swinger’s convention, or third-base seats to the World Series. A promise of sex for a payment is prostitution. If some vice-squad detective wanted to get prickly about it, Walters says, something as simple as dinner could be considered pay, which could place a date’s request for the Beluga caviar and the Château Pétrus in a whole new light.

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ME: Can you believe it? Some big shot thought that because payment came through PayPal, it must be OK, and is really that clueless that he thinks he is OK, and that there is nothing wrong with his marriage?

Ya right. You're married to a prostitute...that's completely normal!

21 July 2008

OH MY GOSH!!!

How old is TOO OLD to breasfeed?
Just check out what one woman has to say about it.
Ladies, BRACE yourselves...
Click HERE to view this lovely video.
Let me know what you think...

Ahhhhhh...Relaxation



Summer School is FINALLY over!


So today, I am finally taking some ME time and relaxing. But how exactly do you do that? Let me be honest...I don't really know how.


I can't sit and watch tv for very long, b/c I get the jitters. I HAVE to be doing something with myself.


I can't sleep in past 8am, bummer!


I don't want to clean the house today, but it's already calling my name.


I find myself playing crazy computer games and wondering what Steven is doing at work, so I get online just to chat with him and see if anyone new has emailed me.


What's wrong with this picture? You got it...I don't RELAX very well. BUT, it is nice not to have to take a shower for a while, I can stay in my PJs for a bit longer, and I don't have to report to work any time soon! HECK YA!

10 July 2008

Summer Jobs


Who really gets excited to work during the summer? Not me. I teach Summer School, a basic writing class the first four hours, and a team/relationship building class in the afternoon. I am a person who normally enjoys my job, but summer school is by FAR different. The kids are horrible and I'm ready to scream most days by the time 3 o'clock rolls around.

I would much rather be in front of the tv wasting some time vegging and engrossing myself in mindless entertainment, sleeping in, enjoying a nice morning stroll in the nearby park, enjoy learning all about my sewing machine that hasn't made it outside of it's box, doing some crafts for my new apartment, and my favorite summer activity...go to the pool on a daily basis.

But no, my summers are exactly the opposite. My days are pretty long, and here's the routine:

5:30am - alarm goes off, and I roll (literally) out of bed and get ready for the day
6:30 - I am shuffling my feet downstairs ready for breakfast, only to stare in the fridge and end up with stale cereal (long story) or toast
6:40 - leaving for work
7am - arriving at OJHS, checking in for the day, and going my room (nicknamed the meat cooler b/c the A/C never stops). I'm not sure what the temperature really is, but my thermostat is permanently setting on 75, but we are WAY below that!
7:25 - heading to the gym to supervise kiddos as the come into the building for school
7:45 - picking up kids and lining them up for the day
7:50 - arguing with the regulars who refuse to go into the meat cooler so early in the morning (if I were them, I'd probably be doing the same thing)
7:51-11:25 - teaching my writing course. Let's not forget the other duties I perform on a routine basis (babysitter, mother, listener to millions of tattle-tellers, fight breaker-upper, story teller, encourager, complainer, and on and on...)
9am - potty time for the kids, but not for me! I could do w/o this time. I get more stories of drugs and sex than I'd care to hear in a lifetime. And if I hear one for time anything about Lil' Wayne or Chris Brown, I'm gonna pull some MORE hair out!
10:45-11:15 - finally, potty break for me, along with lunch! The BEST 30 minutes of my day!
11:30-2:45 - afternoon classes. This is a fun one, although it takes lots of preparation and supervision. We do tons of relay races, and team activities which are GREAT fun, but if you leave a few unsupervised, they would throw the tennis balls down each others throat and beat each other to a bloody pulp. VERY exhausting at the end of a long day.
2:45-3:00 - bus duty. I mostly just shew away kids and yell...GET TO YOUR BUSES...and move them like a huge herd of cattle. I mean, they are all worries about who likes who, and who got kicked out of school, and all that jazz. It's funny to see what I probably did at that age, although I don't admit it too often.
3:00-4:00 - plan for the next day, and most of the time I call some parents and vent on them about their child's behavior. What a PAIN in the next, let me tell ya. NOBODY wants to hear that anything is the fault of their child.
4:00pm - I try to be home to watch Oprah. If not, I'm at home checking email, and playing Scrabulous, checking blogs, paying bills, and prepping for dinner.
6:00 - Steven gets home and I have dinner on the table (so what if it is Wendy's?) and have everything ready for him to just relax.
7:00 - FHE on Mondays + American Gladiators, Tues - Wipeout & I survived a Japanese Game show, Wed - YM/YW evening (yes, Steven & I both got called to be leaders for the youth!), Thurs - baby borrowers and Celebrity Circus, Fri - out-to-eat night for us, and date night.
9:00 - bed time, and I'm a stickler! If I am gonna have somewhat of a positive attitude, I need me quite a bit of sleep. So, by this time I'm in my pj's, teeth brushed & flossed, lunch packed for the next day, and I'm ready catch some z's

Anyone wanna trade schedules with me? C'mon...don't be afraid! My feet ACHE with pain, and I only have one more week left of summer school! Hallelujah Yankee Doodle! I need a massage REAL bad, too. Anyone offering?

I hope your summer is going great, and hopefully better than mine lately...

08 July 2008

NKOTB - my past loves


One of their most popular songs: Click below, if you DARE:





Don't be shy here...you KNOW you loved these guys! Everyone had their favorite, and mine was Jonathan. He was SO hot, and sang bass. My sister had a crush on Danny, but most of my friends were in love with Jordan or Joey, the lead singers.

Who was your favorite? Joey, Donny, Jon, Danny, or Jordan?

I was listening to VH1 the other day, and they have a new song out, Summertime. That's right, gals...they are back in town! They are much better lookin' and a bit older. Sorry ladies, most of them are married these days (and didn't you notice that's when they broke up...when they started gettin' attached to women?). Interesting.

Here's their latest song, Summertime, for those of you dying to hear it.

Warning: It's a bit extreme w/ the ladies in bikinis. But, not too bad considering what is being shown on the trashy tv these days. Don't say I didn't warn you, though. If you stick around long enough to see the end, they come back with their signature hand-wave move.





Now...who's gonna be the first one to go out and buy their CD? I know I am NOT. However, I DO hope that you enjoyed these videos. I had a blast singing along with them as well. Hey, what can I say...NKOTB still brings a smile to my face, even after all this time!

07 July 2008

A fun TAG!

I found this tag off of another's site (thanks, Genny). I thought it was cool, and I'd give it a whirl. I am not fond of tagging others (or really being tagged myself)...I'd rather do the ones I'm interested in. So, for those of you who'd like to try this one...please do! So, I guess I'm taggin anyone & everyone interested!!



Rules: Type in the answer into Google Images and pick your favorite one from the first page of results...and you must choose from just the first page. No cheating!


Here goes nuttin'....


1. Age on your next birthday:


2. Place you'd like to travel:
3. Favorite place: 4. Favorite object: 5. Favorite food:
6. Favorite animal:7. Favorite color:
8. Town where you were born:
9. Town where you live: 10. Name of a past pet: 11. Name of a past love:12. Best friend's nickname:13. Your screen name:14. Your first name:15. Your middle name:16. Your last name:17. Bad habit of yours:
18. Your first job:

19. Name of Grandmother:
20. College degree(s):

05 July 2008

Finally Settled In!!!

I know some of you have been waiting to see our new apartment. I posted some pics of it a few weeks ago, but our apartment was full of boxes and needed lots of cleaning and organization. So, I just wanted to post pictures that were taken yesterday. I probably should have retaken pictures this morning, since Steven & I clean every Saturday morning.


Oh well...if you don't mind seeing our dirty laundry and a few specs of dirt here & there...these will do just fine!

Enjoy! And I hope you are all making plans to come and visit us soon. We have an extra bedroom that is waiting for someone to come and sleep in it. We promise to make you good food and keep you in good company!

1. The Kitchen--where Steven & I spend most of our evenings together. I have done most of the cooking, but there are a few nights that we go out to dinner during the week, mainly because I am TOO TIRED to stand and cook after teaching Summer School. The little iguanas above the stove are really cute; I picked them up while I was in Mexico this year.

2. The Living Room--where we spend watching some of our favorite shows. Among these are American Idol, America's Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, Celebrity Circus, ESPN, and any movie they play on TNT or Encore.

3. The Bathroom--C'mon...do I really have to go into detail on what goes on in here? This is the upstairs bathroom. It's quite cozy, but there are 3 things wrong with it:


1. The fan is obnoxiously LOUD and one day we just might get sucked up into it, so watch out!


2. The shower rod over the shelves is almost coming out of the wall. I tried to fix it and then asked the maintenance man to take a look at it, and supposedly he made it a little better (that's what he told me), but now it's even worse than before. So basically, there is a hand towel hanging on it for decoration, but you can NOT use it, or else the whole contraption might come crashing down.


3. If someone is in the shower DO NOT flush the toilet, start a load of laundry, run the dishwasher, or wash your hands. You will just have to wait. The first few days, I had to learn my lesson the hard way. Steven swears he wasn't "doing anything", but I almost got freezer burned one morning, and the next I was almost scalded to death. It was quite scary!

4. The Guest Bedroom--This is where we have our computer, books, ironing board, and everything we have in "storage" currently. It is a nice little room and fairly cozy. Anyone need a place to stay overnight...c'mon over to the Lambson Place!


04 July 2008

Just a quick flashback


The Bozo Show

Who didn't love THE BOZO SHOW?


I'll tell ya who: my husband. Every time I've brought up this show, he doesn't know what I'm talking about. HUH? Seriously...I don't know if it didn't air in Missouri (sucks to be them) or if he just wasn't very fortunate to watch this show, but it was something we LIVED to watch.


It was so funny, and sometimes when I am around my sisters the phrase "Doody Doody Doo" comes up quite often, a phrase made famous by a man named Wizzo. The main characters on the show were Bozo the Clown, Cooky the Cook, and Wizzo the Wizard. These three characters made up a show that was aired in various parts of the world...it was a variety show that included a game show for contestants.


The best part of the show was the "Grand Prize Game." I always wanted to go and participate, and throw the ping-pong balls in the cups to win the GRAND PRIZE. Seriously...how hard is that? And yet little kids, under the age of ten were always walking off the set with red wagons, Schwinn bicycles, and a year's supply of cookies.

I always wondered what happened to the show...so here's what I've managed to find this morning. The show started airing in the 1960s, and a variety of shows were produced throughout the country. It kept growing and improving until fairly recently. In 2001, it took a big hit. The man who was the original Cooky died, and the last show aired toward the end of the year due to other children's shows being broadcast and becoming more popular. Also, I found out that today, Larry Harmon, who made a huge contribution to the popularity of Bozo, died.

Ahhhh...memories!

If you'd like to find out a bit more about the show, for those of you who want to see what you missed out on, click HERE. Or to see the dedication to Larry Harmon, visit HERE.