What Is a Loan?

Help me out here. I saw the following quote in an article today about the auto industry’s economic woes:

“If the carmakers fail to prove viability - a positive cash flow and ability to make good on the loans - by March 31, they will be required to repay the government loans.”

Why wouldn’t they have to repay the government “loans?” Isn’t everybody required to repay his or her “loans?”

What a bunch of hogwash.

Can I tell MFS that if he graduates with a 3.0 GPA, then he’s shown viability for his education and doesn’t have to repay his student loans? If we’ve paid our mortgage on time and in full for 12 months and don’t have a negative bank balance, does that mean we’ve shown viability and don’t have to repay our home loan? Notice I said 12 months, as opposed to the 3 ½ months the carmakers have.

I saw a promo, possibly for the evening news, a few nights ago. It was a woman (the governor of Michigan, perhaps?) saying something like: congress has pledged billions to bail out the banking industry, but the auto industry has to beg on bended knee. How fair is that?

Good grief. Hasn’t she learned life isn’t always fair? She sounded like a whiny two-year old.

I am seriously worried that our country will not survive four years of a democrat run white-house and congress. I just hope there’s enough left to work with and that people will wake up and be willing to accept some responsibility and be accountable for their decisions.

And the Republican Party better wake up, choose a promising leader or two, and start promoting that person(s). The sooner the better. NOW would be good.

Flo

P.S. Since I'm pretty sure I won't be posting again any time soon: have a merry Christmas and a happy new year, one full of peace and hope.

ACTIONS Speak Louder Than WORDS

Here’s a picture worth more than a thousand words—if you have only one thought as you step into the election booth, let it be this ACTION:

This is NOT a man PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN.

For those of you that don’t know, I am adamantly opposed to abortion. I’m not sure exactly where I stand on gay rights, but I do not support gay marriage. I worry about American values and morals. Where are our priorities? To me, nothing—not the economy, not health care, not the war, not immigration—NOTHING is more important than life, and I fear for our nation if it elects this man who supports abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and gay marriage. I believe that life and family are the most important issues we are faced with, and the reasons I am voting for McCain.

However, if those are not the issues that concern you the most, I hope the picture will appeal to your patriotic side. If nothing else, REMEMBER OUR TROOPS, especially those that have given their lives so that this man could have the freedom of expression to stand up there and disrespect our flag, the symbol of our country.

God bless us all,
Flo

Vote Your Conscience

Catholic or not, this is THE basis for my political beliefs. It makes a simple and basic, yet powerful statement. This three and a half minute video is not negative, doesn't mislead or have half truths, doesn't tell you whom to vote for. No matter which party you support, keep an open mind, and please watch this.

Flo

I Need a Job

You know. The kind where you go to work so you can get some rest. That’s what one of my friends said at a meeting that was one of several commitments I had again last week.

But let’s not speak of commitments. Especially since Lainy thinks I’ve had nothing to do since she left, therefore, I should have written a blog two days afterwards. Then tries to blame her impatience on Kate. Ha!

You see, Lainy and I got to meet and spend a day with Kate, and rather than start her own blog and write about it, Lainy expects me to do it. Because, you know, all I do is sit around and eat bon-bons and watch TV.

But I digress.

Kate flew in to see another dear friend of hers in the area. I say “another” because now we’re dear friends, too, which was only to be expected. Lainy and I…well, actually, Lainy was the first to meet her at the gate because I had gone to check the location of a Cinnabon. Unfortunately, Kansas City does not have a very convenient terminal set-up when it comes to food. We were at Terminal C and the Cinnabon was at Terminal A. Now if the KC airport had a cool little tram so we could have zipped over and zipped back……..

I mention that because Kate had said in her blog once that she wanted to hit Cinnabon at as many different airports as she could. So being the dear friend that I am, I tried to accommodate her. I know, I know—the sacrifices I make.

Anyway, we loaded up in the car and headed toward the area we would drop her off to meet her friend, and found a charming little restaurant to have breakfast and get acquainted. When we went to leave (several hours later), the manager was going to charge us for laughs and giggles. At that point, I was just glad they didn’t charge us for directions. You see, Kate asked the waitress where the restrooms were before we sat down at our table. So the waitress gave her a quarter turn and pointed at a sign on the wall straight ahead that said “Restrooms.” That long, drawn out, complicated explanation could have cost us a pretty penny.

Do ya think we all hit it off?

Before we knew it, it was time to take Kate to meet the friend she was staying with, and Lainy and I had the honor of meeting him. [Insert “Twilight Zone” music.] Two Wolves and I think we remembered each other from different jobs we held over 20 years ago. AND, it turns out he and his wife live—literally—just down the road from me. What were the chances?!

You know…if you’ve already read about most of this over at Kate’s blog………I haven’t—so tough!

So let me tell you about the day we got to spend together. Lainy and I picked Kate up and ran over to my house so she could see it really was only a hop, skip, and a jump away. And then we were off….

…to the boats. Mm hmm. Turns out Kate is quite the little gambler. But first we had to fortify ourselves, so we pigged out at the “all you can eat” buffet. Then we went to spending money. They’ve had riverboat gambling here for quite a few years, but this was only the third time I had been to one to actually gamble. My winning experiences went from 50% to 66%! Yep, I found a nickel slot that was good to me. And Kate found a penny slot (I think it was a penny) that was even better to her! But I won’t mention poor Lainy, because she didn’t win.

After that, we stopped for coffee and dessert (crème brulee!!!!!) to figure out what we would do next. Lainy’s hubby had injured himself at work the day before and she was worried about him, yada yada, so she decided to head back home. Of course, if I had known she’d be on the phone with him most of the way, trying to dodge the tornadoes…

But she made it safely and that way I got a chance to spend some time with Kate by myself. We had an interesting discussion about several things—I need to see if she actually came up with a Top 10 Countdown. I asked her about her beliefs and learned they really aren’t that far off from mine, it’s actually pretty fascinating to me.

Eventually, I did have to take her back to Two Wolves’. Damn it.

Those of you that know me know that I generally have a pretty good time with people. I like to laugh and have fun, joke with waitresses or a check-out clerk. Kind of spread the joy, right? I don’t know if I’m contagious, or if it’s because of you people I hang around. But I know if any of you ever get the chance to meet Kate, you’ll love her, too. I don’t think saying “she fit right in” is as accurate as saying she’s just like naturally one of the gang. Understand?

So let me leave you with one of the memories from our day.

Geez I miss those girls.

Now then, you might want to run over to Holly's blog and wish her a happy birthday (tell her I sent you). And if Lainy had a blog, you could do the same for her. But she doesn't, so you can't. I'll wish you both a happy birthday right here and it will be so much fun to see both of you in a few short weeks! Too bad Kate has to hang around for a grandbaby and can't make it here.

Flo

ICE

Have you seen those “Deer Crossing” signs? Some are accompanied by “next 1.5 miles” or “2 miles” or some other number. I’ve always wondered how they determined those numbers. I mean, did they discuss it with the deer? Do they know they can’t go 1.7 miles—that they have to stay within 1.5 miles? What happens when they do go outside the boundary? And you know they’re going to do it, they’re going to push those limits and see how far they can go.

Or how about those automated phone systems? They want you to enter your account number, date of birth, phone number, age of your firstborn, number of pets, etc. Then when you finally get a real person on the phone, you have to repeat all that information.

Can anyone tell me why it is that your car, which has been making funny noises for days, purrs like a kitten when you take it to a mechanic?

This one has always boggled my mind: Why is it that every time you BEG the receptionist to squeeze your ill child into the overfull schedule during flu season, your child no longer has a fever when you get to see the doctor?

But, that’s not why I wrote. If any of you are still paying attention out there, check out the March 17^th edition of First magazine. You’ll see a great pic of someone we all know and love. Then you’ll also understand the title of today’s blog—and be sure to spread the word.

Flo

Their Version vs. My Version

I have some news you might find helpful, but first, a little swipe at housecleaning.

I hope all your holidays were joyful and I wish you a new year full of blessings. KSA and I had the pleasure of ringing in 2008 with Holly and Johnny—great to see them again, as always—and the phabulous Phlegm. She is a delight, has the most beautiful eyes, and I am looking forward to spending more time with her in the future. If you all could be so lucky!

Georgia’s service was very nice, complete with military honors. She was a special lady, and I thank you for your comments.

Now then. I received this email a while back:

Housework

Household chores can be a pain in the sacroiliac. Unless you’re careful, routine activities around the home – washing dishes, vacuuming, even talking on the phone – can strain your back, including the sacroiliac area near the tailbone, and result in debilitating discomfort.

But you can protect your back by knowing the right way to go about such activities, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

Consider lifting. It doesn’t matter whether you’re picking up your child or a heavy bucket of water; you need to do it the proper way to avoid injury.

How? Bend from the knees, not the waist. As you lift, hold the item as close to your body as possible. If you have to turn to place it, step in the direction of the turn. That way, you’re not twisting your body and straining your spine.

Back-Saving Tips

The ACA suggests the following do’s and don’ts for chores and relaxation:

- When you wash dishes, open the cabinet beneath the sink, bend one knee and put your foot on the shelf under the sink. Lean against the counter so some of your weight is supported in front.

- When ironing, raise one foot a bit. Place it on a small stool or a book to take some strain off your back.

- To vacuum, use a “fencer’s stance.” Put all your weight on one foot, then step forward and back with the other foot as you push the vacuum forward and back. Use the back foot as a pivot when you turn.

- While talking on the phone, don’t cradle the phone between your ear and shoulder. That can lock up the spinal joints in the neck and upper back, and cause pain, instead, hold the phone with your hand or use the speakerphone.

- While watching television or relaxing, don’t use the sofa arm as a pillow. The angle is much too sharp for your neck.

- Use a cold pack if your back begins to hurt. Wrap an ice pack in a towel moistened with warm water. The warmth gives way to gradual cold, which likely will alleviate the discomfort. (“No ice? Try frozen veggies instead.)

- If pain persists for more than a day or two or if you experience numbness, tingling or weakness in your arms or legs, see a doctor of chiropractic.

Dr. Baker can help…

Although minor aches and pains can come and go, there are a few things to look for that may indicate a more serious problem. If you or a loved one experiences any of the following, please contact our office.

- pain that radiates into your arms or legs

- numbness or tingling

- stiffness lasting three or more days

- restricted motion in neck, back or any joint

- swelling in a joint

- repetitive pain

- nausea, dizziness, or headaches

- symptoms that affect your overall feeling of well being

Remember to Try Chiropractic and Acupuncture First!

That seemed a little wordy to me. I like my version MUCH better:

Housework

Household chores can be a pain in the sacroiliac. Unless you’re careful, routine activities around the home – washing dishes, vacuuming, even talking on the phone – can strain your back, including the sacroiliac area near the tailbone, and result in debilitating discomfort.

But you CAN protect your back—by just not doing housework.

See how simple that was?

Flo