December 7, 1941

I have two grandfathers that fought in this war. One of them passed away earlier this year. Neither of them spoke of it much. My other grandfather that is still living has begun to share a few stories. They fascinate me.

While I never had the honor of defending my country, I will have the honor of sharing the stories about how my grandfathers both did, with my children.

Think me a geek, but today I listened to audio excerpts of President Theodore Roosevelt's address to Congress asking for a declaration of war. It still sends chills up my spine. Below, I included links to copies of his full address to Congress on the 8th as well as his address to the nation on the 9th. Both are powerful speeches. I included quotes from them both.

I told you guys I was patriotic.

Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan

December 8, 1941

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United
States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces
of the Empire of Japan.

On the Declaration of War with Japan

December 9, 1941

I repeat that the United States can accept no result save victory, final and
complete. Not only must the shame of Japanese treachery be wiped out, but the
sources of international brutality, wherever they exist, must be absolutely and
finally broken.

In my Message to the Congress yesterday I said that we "will make very
certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again." In order to
achieve that certainty, we must begin the great task that is before us by
abandoning once and for all the illusion that we can ever again isolate
ourselves from the rest of humanity.

Ode to Eggnog

If I could write poetry, I would put a poem here. But I can't. So I'll just tell you. I really dig the store bought eggnog.

Isn't this the funniest picture? Tee hee hee.

A break in the case?

You're going down eBay. I made a new friend because of the hacker. My new friend had their account hacked, too. He had some great legal suggestions.

Tee hee hee.

If you can't find me, just look under this picture

Yes. That's right. I'm right there under that black cloud. I think that lightening bolt just hit me. Again. What a day. I have the worst luck ever. When my luck shifts, I'm going to Vegas. I wouldn't go now for anything. Maybe just for the fountain show at the Bellagio. Only with my luck, they would have cancelled it. My first order of business today: chip a tooth. Not just any tooth. One in the front. I went by the dentist's office to get an appointment to get it fixed. The cost: $785. That's right. American dollars. Not pesos. Not yen. Cold, hard, American cash. Oye. How did I chip the tooth? Good question. I thought I had something stuck in there. I wish "flicking it" with my tongue. I got it out all right. The whole top part of my freakin' tooth. Now this princess will finally get to get her crown. Only not the kind of crown she wants.

Second on the agenda: not learn from previous mistakes. In our usual chaotic, trying to get out of the house state this morning, I put a cd I was making for a friend on the roof of my car. I loaded the boys in the car (with the full intentions of grabbing the cd before I drove off.) Ummm, yeah.....it didn't go down that way. (Does anybody know about my Netflix nightmare earlier this year? David found one of the dvds. The other - - well, I can only hope that some good Samaritan mailed it back for me.) I did it again. Twice in one year. Will I ever learn. I would have given anything to have seen the look on my face when I realized what I did. However, there was a brief spot of sun shining through that dark cloud because when I retraced my route, I found my cd on the side of the road. Whew. One crisis of the day averted.

Third: Justin had his follow up with Dr. W about his huge, gaping hole in his ear drum. Yep, it's still there. Not healing. At all. He damaged the bone. Who does this? Who does this kind of damage to their eardrum? Ummm, maybe the same kid that one year ago ripped his nostril off with his sippy cup? I digress. Again. Okay. I'm finding my happy place. Breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. Ahhhh.... That's better. Back to Justin. It looks like he will require surgery to repair the damage. The thing is, Dr. W is not real eager to do the surgery on J yet because of the post op requirements. While I agree that he is not going to be the most cooperative patient, I think she wrote him off from the "get - go" and she probably can't be objective anymore. The only reason I've stuck around with her so far is because she's supposed to be the best *and* I'd hate to repeat the stuff we've done with doctor visits so far by selecting a new doctor. David said they tried to do another hearing test on him. Did they not learn their lesson the last time? On a three year old? Are you *kidding* me? Then David said J came out of the room, crying and the lady outside offered him a sticker. As J was moving over to pick one out, the lady operating the hearing test shouted out not to give him one because he didn't do the test. Oh no, she didn't. I know my kid was being a turd but you do *not* do that. It's a good thing I was not there because I would have lost my mind. I'm ready to go kick some ass right now. Uh oh, back to the happy place. We're supposed to schedule another follow up for April. Maybe I'll be in a better mood by then.

I need to go. The one thing I've got going for me today is that Nip Tuck is on tonight and it's a new episode. (The season is nearly over. Blehhhhh....) The dishes are done. The tree has ornaments on it. I have egg nog in the fridge. Life may be getting a little better.

I am Scrooge

Artificial Christmas trees suck.

It doesn't help that two days ago, I had resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to put my tree up at all because of Cameron. I'm afraid of dealing with him and the tree. I don't need any advice. I don't want to hear that I need to put the tree in a play pen. I don't want to hear that I ought to decorate the top half of the tree. (I'm *way* too type A for that.) Now if you are going to offer up one of those "humane" shock collars for my kids I might take you up on that. So I decided that I'm way too into Christmas *not* to put my tree up. (What would my scrapbook album look like without a tree? How would I explain that?) I buckled under my own pressure and had David help me pull the boxes out of the attic on Saturday.

I was going to put it up this afternoon while Cameron was napping but the stupid eBay stuff bit me in the backside again. (That's another post for another day. Just keep watching for me on a network news program. I'm bringing those butt monkeys down!) I spent the afternoon dealing with that crap and only got the bottom layer of the tree up.

I was quickly reminded of one of the evils of the tree. This season is accompanied by cold weather. In West Texas, it's cold, DRY weather. My skin is like sand paper. I'm just short of bleeding. (I have a flair for the dramatic. It's not really that bad. I'm just working up your sympathy for me.) I have, however, put lotion on my hands and arms several times today. I'm still miserable. Those fake needles have rubbed my forearms raw. *That* is *not* an exaggeration.

Now I'm stringing the lights on there. I had to take a break. Not my first break tonight. I had a semi-meltdown when I couldn't get a branch to fit in one of the slots earlier in the evening. After I flung it across the room (no joke - - I think I caught hubby off guard with my temper) I had to take a break. I don't remember struggling like this last year. I think I'm just bitter because I really want a 9 foot pre-lit tree. I found one at Sam's for $150. Hubby said, under no uncertain terms, no. Ogre. Rain on my parade. He's practical. (In his defense, I need that kind of leveling out.) He did tell me we could look for one to go on clearance after Christmas. That doesn't do me a lot of good tonight. But I suppose if I find one, I'll be appreciative next year.

Right now, it's 11:15 at night and I still have to finish putting the lights on it. The ornaments will have to wait until tomorrow. So will those dishes that are in the sink. That goes against every fiber of my being. It just occurred to me how much time I'm wasting griping about it all. Finish the freakin' job Beck. Blehhhhh...

Cool 80's Music Quiz

This is hard, but fun. Just click on the picture to take a fun quiz and test your 80's music lyrics knowledge!

Two strikes, dear husband!

He spilled Cameron's leftover slush from the fridge. I was back in the bedroom and heard it happen. I shouldn't have laughed. He wiped it all up with paper towels and "warned me" that the floor might be sticky. Excuse me? You know where the mop is.

Strike one.

He has the most wretched gas ever tonight. It's nasty. He walked over to me typing on the computer and let one go right next to me. Major offense. He has been banished from the bedroom tonight. I told him to keep his stinky butt on the couch. He has been warned NOT to bring those skanky odors into my bedroom. I begrudgingly let him borrow my favorite quilt. It will be washed tomorrow. I will have to sleep with my mp3 player on because the noises emulating from his butt are irritating me. This house isn't big enough to hide from the sound, or the smell. My door will be closed.

Farting in my immediate vicinity - - strike two.

You are treading on thin ice dear husband.

New to Me

Have you ever had someone hate you? I'm not throwing around the word hate. I mean really *hate* you? I have. I do. I have someone that really hates me. (Hard to believe, huh?) But seriously, I have such a person in my life. I ran into said person today. I didn't know that this person's feelings were at such a level. I suspected it. But my feelings were confirmed. He didn't use the words, "I hate you." But his actions and other words he used today pointed at the obvious. The man hates me. The irony - - at one point in my life, he was like a brother to me. We were friends. Or so I thought. Boy was I wrong. I have never felt like I did when I tried to have a conversation with him. He wouldn't even look me in the eye. Why do I care? Because I *do* care what people think of me. Try as I might - - (to act like I couldn't possibly give three craps what people think of me) deep down, I really do care.

The reason I confronted this individual was because there has been some tension. For two years. (Tension is an understatement. But I won't go into the details.) I honestly don't feel like I've been "in the wrong" but because I don't like dissension, I wanted to clear the air and make an attempt to make things right between us. So I apologized for any part I may have had in our rift. That's where he blamed *me* for some of *his* poor decisions in life. At that point, I knew I couldn't and shouldn't argue with him. His mind was made up. His decision to harbor bitterness and hate is entirely his. I did what I felt like I needed to do. I walked away. It's plagued me all day. I'm sure it will for a while.

My relationship with him failed because when push came to shove, I chose family first. I did the right thing. I'm not ashamed or sorry for that. My family is prospering because of it. Again, no regrets. I'd do it again.

I just don't like *anyone* hating me. I guess it's his problem. I know it's his problem.

West Texas Weather

In a word - - crazy. Am I right? Can I get an amen? I mean really...Tuesday I sent my children to Mom's Day Out in shorts. Wednesday we had the windows open in the house. It was a beautiful day. And today - - it SNOWED! Un-freakin'-believable. It is supposed to get down to 19 tonight. 19. It was 81 on Tuesday. If the 19 degrees will kill the mosquitos and these allergy causing substances that are in the air, I can take it.

I've decided to be nice to my hubby. Our bathroom is so stinkin' cold in the mornings. We have a high ceiling in there and one teeny tiny little vent. It does not warm up in there at all. So, I dug out the space heater that still has the timer attached to it. Here's the dillemma - - I can't for the life of me remember how to program that blessed little thing. I so want for that to be on and running when he gets up in the morning. I want him to walk into a nice and toasty bathroom. Every year I forget how to operate this thing. You'd think that one of these times something would click inside this brain of mine and I'd just get it. Oh well. I'm giving it another 20 minutes and then I'm headed to bed myself. It's the thought that counts, right?

I'm sleepy. Ambien is working. I feel like I'm going into my happy place. Yay me. Good night me.

Goodbye Afrin

Okay, it looks like I did it. Again. You people scare me! Okay, okay. I'm off that wretched, sinus membrane destroying poison. Scary stuff. (But who doesn't like the immediate gratification of being able to breathe?) Keep your fingers crossed. I'm 48 hours on the wagon. By the way, that codeine cough syrup that was prescribed for Justin - - didn't phase him in the least. The pharmacist warned us that it was *really* potent. Ha! I've determined that he really is a three year old super hero. It was nothing short of an Olympic gymnastic feat to get it in him and then nothing. I've got to find some kryptonite and see if he responds to it. He's over the cough now, but he pretty much had to tough it out. I however got some stuff with hydrocodone in it. It worked pretty well for me. I wish his doctor would let me give him some ambien so I could get some freakin' rest at night. But alas, my doctor made me promise I wouldn't give my children any. (Yeah right - - like I'd share what I equivocate as the tablet version of pure gold.)

Okay that's all. My dirty bathrooms need cleaning. (And no mixing chemicals this time. Duh...)

Blast from the past and today's obsession

I graduated from high school in 1989. I'll save you the trouble of doing the math. I'm 35. Not far from 36. (Yikes.) In the 80's, Def Leppard was *it* for me. I loved them. I followed an album or two into the 90's and then have stopped there. Of course, I'm still a sucker for my favorite songs from 87 - 89. The high school years. The impressionable years. I mean it, "Pour Some Sugar On Me." High School dances. Good times. But the other day, I caught part of Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story on VH1. I didn't watch it all because frankly, it was a bunch of bad acting, and the only thing that differentiates them from other bands' stories of sex, drugs and rock and roll was that their drummer had a horrible accident that left him without an arm. I won't go into all of that. If you are at all familiar with the band you know about that. Where I am going is this - - they started playing (on the show) the acoustic version of Two Steps Behind and I have fallen in love with that song all over again. I've got it on a cd in my car, another cd in the house, loaded onto the computer and now it's on my mp3 player. I'm about to play it for what seems like the gazillionth time today. I'm loving it. I think it's the acoustic part that is so appealing to me. No fancy drums or anything. It's my new obsession. Forget the Christmas music I ought to be listening to right now. I've got my boys on my mp3 player and they are taking me back to some good times. Great song.