Geez Louise

It's been quite some time, and I mean QUITE some time, since I have blogged. Life has been very different and very busy these past few months.

So I'll skip the "where I've been" schpeel and get to it.

Michael Jackson has passed away. Understandably people have had mixed feelings. His personal life aside, a global icon at many levels has suddenly been taken from us. May he rest in peace.

Farrah Fawcett has passed away. Sadly she suffered the last year of her life. I hope that she is resting in peace and had a painless passing.

Billy Mays, the 'Oxi Clean guy' had his number called this morning too. Ed McMahon, Gary Papa and I suspect Patrick Swayze is next.

I hope the lists of people who pass this week shortens, if not halts all together.

Now, onto the ranting....

What is up with all these 'reality ' stars doing charity work. Is it now a right of passage. If you're a reality star, you must be involved with a charity?!

Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against being charitable. What I don't understand is how these people who were unemployed prior to being on "Insert show name here" now have the time to be involved with a charity.

SC Gov. Mark Sanford.... While I typically don't comment much on the marital affairs of our politicians, this guy, I must say, is delusional.

If I recall correctly, while he served in the Congress during the 90's, he was one of, if not the first lawmaker to call for impeachment of former President Bill Clinton after the Lewinsky scandal broke out. Who by the way was a nasty woman for keeping a dress stained with bodily fluids. However, I digress. Granted the impeachment was not for the affair, rather perjury, it all stemmed from the same thing.

The governor of South Carolina had some nerve to quote the bible and the story of King David, who continued to lead after sleeping with another man's wife, Bathsheba, having the husband slain, then marrying the widow.

I'm not above forgiveness, in fact, it is for his wife to forgive but he is wrapping himself in the Bible to protect himself from the justice he deserves. Contrition include penance, and he seems to be wanting to skip that step. That is the hypocrisy that DOES NOT belong in our governing offices.

He takes his arguments regarding stimulus cash and the burden it will be to SC taxpayers to the high courts but does not worry about the same fiscal burden to fund his adultering affair in South America. Uggh!

Have no fear.....she's baaaack!

Have no fear, I've returned to the wonderful world of blogging. I had not realized that it has been so long since I've made a post.

It's been so long I forgot my way around blogspot.

Since November, I've relocated below the Mason Dixon line. Moved into a beautiful place and have secured rather decent employment.


I've spent the last few months noting the cultural differences between the North and South.

Stay tuned.....my next post will probably reveal some very initmate thoughts.

Peace!

Strange Happenings

I'm traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday.

I traveled to GA to visit my sister and nieces for a day, then got back on the road to travel back up to SC to visit my mother.

While I was on the road, I was somewhat overcome with the warm and fuzzies.

I was a bit amazed at the amount of traffic on the road. Granted, it is a holiday weekend but of all the things going on in our economy, we still find a way to visit our friends and family for the big Turkey Day!

The Christmas holiday has become somewhat trivial to me over the years. It is marketed and has really become, and I suppose always ways, so materialistic.

For those of us who are religious, it means much more. But to most folk, I suppose, it's about what to buy and for whom.

If I had a choice, Thanksgiving would be it for the 4th quarter holidays. But of course, the world does not revolve around me and my ideologies.

I took some more goofy pictures while at my older sister's house. ( I love photos, although not particularly of me).

So I get back to my mother's home in SC, walk in the door only to see "Breaking News" along CNN.

Dammit! Another series of attacks! This time in India!

It makes me sad that we live in a world where violence is so readily used as a means of voicing your opinion and attempting to get your point across.

I'm grateful to be with family and loved ones this week. I'm sorry for those who have lost loved ones and for those who still have no known whereabouts ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE in the world. :(

Happy Thanksgiving!

Do you remember that show The Greatest American Hero?

I liked that show. Anyway, that has nothing to do with this post.

Just some food for thought that I've got put away in my "Things to blog about" section of my cerebral cavity.

1. Thanksgiving is upon us yet again. I hope that EVERYONE can enjoy a nice warm meal that day.

2. I'd like to give a shout out to all the truck drivers out there. Although you can be unpleasant and intimidating at times while on the road, thanks for getting our goods to and from, up and down the country. Many of you leave your families for days/weeks at a time to do your job. So even though I may mentally flip you the bird while on the interstate every now and then, thanks for choosing your profession. Truckers sincerely do move this country!

3. Justice! I've realized more so now than ever before that justice is discretionary. It is not applied equally. There is nothing equal about it. And it is discretionary at those who have the power to implement it. Therefore, I may remove that word from my vocabulary!

4. 'To whom are you speaking' is grammatically correct. And Yes! I say it!

5. There is something fundamentally not 'right' with a police department that asks a victim that reports a crime to take a polygraph test. There are not even admissible in court.

6. I'm still on the hunt for employment. Know of any?

My Matzo Ball = My Matzo Mush

I think I was Jewish in a former life. Or maybe just my Brooklyn roots come back to me more often than not.

I love matzo ball soup! A few weeks ago I bought matzo ball mix. Yesterday, I decided to make it. I was so excited!!

It was a chilly Sunday and the perfect time for soup. I took my weekly trip to the grocery store and purchased some low sodium chicken broth.

I get home and whip out my can of Manischewitz (Quality Since 1888) Matzo Ball Mix.

I followed the directions for 8-10 Matzo Balls. It required 2 eggs, 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, 1/2 cup of Matzo mix and 2 1/2 quarts of water.

My first thought was 'quarts?!'." Who measures water in quarts? "

The first thing I did was Google 'how many cups are in a quart?' :) I thought it was 4 and so Google confirmed my thought!

I followed the directions as follows:

1. In a bowl, blend eggs with vegetable oil.
2. Add matzo ball mix and stir with fork until evenly mixed.
3. Place bowl in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
4. In a pot, bring water to a boil.
5. Wet hands and form batter into balls approximately 1 inch in diameter.
Boil
6. Drop matzo balls into boiling water, cover tightly: reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

With the substitution of chicken broth for water, I followed the directions to a 't'(whatever that means).

My matzo ball soup ended up looking like porridge,farina or mush.

In any event, it tasted good but I was a bit saddened (not really) by the experience. A few weeks ago I attempted to make falafel at home and that too broke apart. I still ate the cooked mixture but it wasn't what I expected.

Oh well! Until next time.... Hava Nagila!

We hold these truths to be self-evident...

Cranking the abnormal wheel....

So! I've been out of the blogosphere for quite some time now.

In August I went a long needed vacation. September I was back to work. October I lost my j-o-b.



The difference between a job and a career, in my opinion, is that you most people can DO a job. Careers (in the work force at least) are for skilled, trained professionals. That coupled with job security makes for a career (in my silly little think cap anyway).

Four score and seven years ago, I was a naive young mother. Not that I'm old now but I'm definitely smarter. At least I'd like to think so. Being a young mother was not the most intelligent choice I made but it is the choice I made none the less. So I like to think that I've live a large portion of my adult life 'backwards' to the traditional sense.

I've been pursuing my undergrad for the last 4 years. Due to familial responsibilities, my enrollment status varies each semester.

This semester I'm off. Last semester I was enrolled full time (pulling my hair out too). The year before that I was off. The year before that, I was full time. In any event, I'm more than half way there. So there is light at the end of the tunnel. The undergrad tunnel anyway. I will continue on to law school upon completion of my undergrad. Who knows how long that will take.

It's tough being a single parent. It's just as tough being the sole provider, nurturer and disciplinarian for my children. Trying to balance those roles is mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting at times.

As much as I don't want to burden my children with the battles of every day life, sometimes I do. Then I remind myself that even though I'm worried about finances and my anticipated astronomical heating bill this winter (uggh), a hug, smile or simple "I love you" is what they will remember when they're older. At least that's what I hope for.

I hope that my hard work both in my personal and academic life sets two particular examples for my children.

1.) Education is muy importante! - one who is educated has choices and doesn't have to settle.

2.) Protect yourself when you copulate. Having children at a young age is NOT recommended.


Well, maybe not in so many words....