To see a better day

green trees


Beautiful green Ohio trees along the interstate.

Well, my daughter and I may argue a lot, but I put things into perspective. As uncomfortable as it is having her in my face yelling at me, and even disobeying me; it beats the hell out of sitting around waiting and not knowing if she is alive or dead.

And, this one just beats all. What was this mother thinking? How about putting the dog in the basement?! What if a fire had broken out? Stupidity at it's finest, folks. And, her statement? "I guess it was his time to go." Somebody hold me back!

I have four T-bones waiting in marinade for me to grill them. Or, maybe that is the kids waiting for me to grill them. Four baked potatoes, butter and sour cream, a corn medley and steak sauce. Sweetened iced tea with lemons on the side and banana pudding for dessert. This is one beautiful Sunday. I think I will go and enjoy my family. They are only here for a short while.

Coming from the speakers: Oh Very Young by Cat Stevens.

(Sigh) I don't want to know

surprise raccoon


I don't want to know the reasons why my daughter felt she had to sneak out at night to see her boyfriend. I had an out-of-town baby shower to go to and she asked to spend the night at a girlfriend's house. Just so happened that while I was home on lunch, I was surfing around on the web and started to read my daughter's friend's xanga journals. The friend that she chose to spend the night with had put on her xanga "Friend (my daughter) is spending the night. We are going to go swimming at T's (daughter's boyfriend) house and he better keep his mouth shut!"

Hmmm. I didn't do anything right away. My daughter and a couple of her friends were in the next room. I had just brought them lunch. Once I returned to work, I called T's Mom. As I began to tell her what happened, she stated "That explains why T has been cleaning the house all morning. He never cleans without me asking him to." Mmmm Hmmm. Turns out that T's Mom is a very nice lady and she said that my daughter was welcome any time and that she and her husband were on vacation and maybe they would build a campfire outside Friday night and see what happens.

I chose not to say anything to my daughter. There was a chance (although very slight) that my daughter wouldn't do this. Now, why do they say "Fat chance" when it is slight? Strange English language.

On the way back from the shower I could not get a signal on my cell phone. When I finally was able to reach T's Mother, she said that "Yes, they have about eight kids around the campfire and they had been swimming. Her son had told her about the event."

I would have liked to have seen the look of surprise on my daughter's face when she found out I was coming to T's house. I am not sure if anyone forewarned her or not or if she only found out when she saw my car pull up in the driveway. I would think T would have warned her. Maybe she looked as surprised as the raccoon in the picture above.

I went to their house. I pulled my daughter aside and let her explain. Lame-o excuses. It basically boiled down to the fact that T's mom would have let them, B's father (friend she was staying with) would have let them - B lived about six houses down from T. She knew I would not allow her because it would be after ten o'clock. She is correct. Although, I may have allowed her to go for an hour or so (after I met T's parents). This was the first I was meeting them.

She asked me not to embarrass her in front of her friends. I concurred. They were having a good time. The parents were sitting outside with them, albeit a few feet away. It did look like a nice summer campfire. After talking to T's Mom for about an hour, I went home.

I will pick her up today from B's house. What to do? Talk things out? Punishment? The grounding isn't working very well. How many days for which truant behavior? If she misses her curfew by one hour, do I ground her for one day, two days?

What can I do next for punishment? She gets mad because she states that none of her friend's ever get grounded or punished. Most of them don't have chores. I write her a list of chores every day while I am at work and she is at home for summer vacation. She grumbles, but they get done. They aren't perfect, but she makes an effort. Her grades came up. Final grades were all A's and B's. No C's. They were showing up a little too much for my comfort the past two semesters, causing some arguing between us. This girl never brings a book home. Once in a while, her pre-algebra book, but that was all.

Sigh. Sometimes it is true. I just don't want to know. But, I will tackle it again today.

Coming from the speakers: I Don't Want To Know by Fleetwood Mac.

Why can't we be friends

raccoon


I had an interesting evening. I made some new friends. :)

tgif

sun_burst


Have a good Friday, everybody!

Just who do you think you are

lake_park


This is the park today in my small Ohio town. We are very fortunate to have this park where there is a small amusement park, a swimming pool, a lake for fishing, multiple playgrounds, tennis, basketball and a bocci court. Batting cages, amphitheater, track, ballfields, and shelter houses. It isn't New York City, but it'll do. Probably better in many ways.

I have continued to clean house. As in the blogs that I read. I have them narrowed down to about nine, now. One blogger made it real easy. This certain blogger has been dishing people lately. Not anyone they know, because their blog is so popular they can't dish anyone they know anymore. Their blog has been published in a magazine or two, I guess. This blog they were insulting a tourist. A fifteen-year-old girl tourist. It sounded to me like the blogger had more issues with the girl being blond and fifteen than with what they said about New York city. Indeed.

In a previous blog they dissed someone by saying "This is why you are forty-something and still single!" I guess the forty-something didn't like the way this blogger set their alarm clock. Actually, I do the same with my alarm clock. But still, ouch. I am forty-something and still single. Some may find it hard to believe, but I kind of like it that way.

Forward and onward. Onward and forward. Something is working for me, because I have been damn happy at work.

Coming from the speakers: Mr. Big Stuff (Who Do You Think You Are?) by Jean Knight.

Brilliant in the morning

pink peony


My peonies have finally bloomed. After three long years of living at this house, the peonies I planted when we first moved in have bloomed! Yeah. The ferns died. Mental note: Not good with ferns. I have one plant on the west side of the house and one on the east side. This is one from the west. East side is growing much slower.

This pic was taken this morning before my drive. It was pretty warm today, so I didn't feel like stopping and getting out of the air-conditioned car to take more pictures. I took some of the sky and the land from the car. They are okay, not great like some of the others from the spring.

My daughter and her friend stayed in the house all day and by the time I came home they were stir crazy. They were grounded from keeping me up too late last night. I understand now what I was mostly hearing was the dog jumping up on the couch and my nephew pushing her back off because the girls were scaring her with balloons.

They can make up for it tomorrow. Pool all day and "open mike" night at the local Park Plaza.

I let the girls get a couple of movies. Since they love Johnny Depp I introduced them to "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" I had seen the actual video years ago, but in the past few years I have only caught parts of it on T.V. I felt as if I were watching most of the movie for the first time. There were so many parts I had not remembered seeing. The other movie was "Crossworlds" - a sci-fi feature. It was okay.

During the Gilbert movie, I was thinking 'Johnny Depp has to have some native American blood in him.' I looked it up on imdb.com and finally found that he is part Navajo.

I think that the girls enjoyed the movie. (swoon) As for me, I thought that Leonardo DiCaprio was pretty convincing in the role he played. And, of course I loved it when mama went to town.

Coming from the speakers: Foolish Games by Jewel.

I'm going back someday

black palm


I feel as though everyone is on vacation, except me. There are about four people out from work on vacation, my nephew is here for some "visiting with family time" vacation. My daughter and her friends are on summer vacation, and I have to get up for work tomorrow morning. They are out in the living room having a blast. I did put a stop to the sucking helium out of the balloons. I can only imagine what consequences that would have on them. My daughter was the worst offender.

We have helium left over from another nephew's graduation party and we are supposed to be saving it for my niece's party, but I doubt that it will make it that long.

So the picture above is from a vacation two years ago. Traveling back through the southern states from Florida we spent a night near Savannah, Georgia. While the others swam in the pool, I took advantage of the setting sun and the beautiful palm trees. Ahh, I can still go there in my mind.

What in the world did people do before photographs were around to take them back in time? This is why I said some women just kept having babies. They forget what their children were like when they were small so they had another one to remind them. Not really, but why else would someone be nuts enough to keep having them? Oh, it could be that women didn't have a choice! I suppose that looking at baby pictures might even make some of them want to have another one, so pictures may in fact, contribute to more children. I love my pictures of my daughter when she was young. Before the arguing, before the attitude, before the sassing, in your face confrontations. Have another one? I'll pass.

Coming from the speakers: Blue Bayou by Linda Ronstadt.

Edit 1:05 a.m. (Wednesday, June 8th). Guess who had to go and get said daughter and bring her into my room? Now, guess who is sleeping on Mom's bed, while Mom is wide awake on the computer? I think the helium made her hyperactive. Guess who is tired and cranky and just grounded her daughter from swimming tomorrow? I had asked them to quiet down three times.

When darkness falls early

sunset reflection


I think someday I would like to find out if I can really hear a "hiss" when the big ball of sun hits the water. This is another one from the May 7th evening at the Springwood Lake campsite. (Soon to be sold) :(

Coming from the speakers: In a New York Minute by The Eagles.

Up with the sun

spanish moss


Figures. I couldn't find my camera battery/charger yesterday. My brother let me use his 35mm camera. The sun was merciless. Nobody passed out that I could see.

My nephew's party was grand. There was the outside group in the shelter house with the d.j. and the alcohol. There was the inside group in the air conditioning with the food and the soft drinks. We call it pop here in Eastern Ohio. "Want a can of pop?" "I'm gonna go get a can of pop." "Buy some pop." Now, that I look at it, it does look funny.

Since I don't have any recent pics, I have posted another from my nephew's trip to Louisiana last month. He did the sunshine through the tree branches because he knows I like those.

I was awoken by the sun streaming through my bedroom windows this morning. I thought someone had turned my light on. This must be the time of year that the sunshine sneaks through the curtains on my bedroom side of the house.

Well, now there is thunder from the skies and my lights are flickering. Gotta go!

Coming from the speakers: Travelin' Man by Bob Seger

Now, as the years roll on

schipperke


What an annoying little dog. Okay, sorry. My sister's/niece's dog. I suppose the little thing is lovable to them, but I found it's nature hyper and snappish. She nips, she barks, she runs around like a crazed psycho. I like a quiet, good-mannered, laid-back dog. Give me my Sable.

I have my niece's graduation ceremony today. It will be close to ninety degrees and they are having it outside. If it doesn't rain. It doesn't look like it is going to. Because of the recent lousy weather, few people have had any sun exposure. I can see a disaster in the making, here. I'll bet more than one person passes out today.

My niece had to purchase a new dress. The girls have to wear dresses. Oh, really? And do the boys have to wear dresses too? She said no, but they aren't allowed to wear sneakers. Mmmm, hmm. I feel that the girl should have a choice. If she doesn't want to wear a dress, she shouldn't have to. I don't think my daughter would. Four years. We'll find out what the rules are in four years. They can't really make a girl wear a dress. And, I don't think they can deny her walking in the ceremony for not wearing a dress. The gown should cover most everything anyway. As hot as it is, she might wish she were wearing a dress, though.

After the ceremony, we go to my nephew's party. His ceremony was a couple of weeks ago. (Different school.) His party starts at noon and is at a park where there is alcohol allowed. My brother is divorced from my nephew's mother, he advised them against the alcohol for a graduation party. He is the fireman/EMT. He has scraped a lot of drunks off the roadways. Literally. Decapitation, major ugly scenes.

I will not have alcohol when my niece has her party. Some may call me a hypocrite, because that was all I did when I graduated. Went from party to party looking for the booze. That was twenty-seven years ago and I was completely irresponsible. In fact, the local bars served me. And, no one told me not to. In fact, no one told me anything at all. Another lifetime ago. I lived about twenty-five miles from the West Virginia state line where you only had to be eighteen to purchase hard liquor. Of course they had a liquor store right next to the state line. They aren't stupid. Just drove over and purchased all the booze I wanted.

I can have a party with alcohol anytime. This time is for my niece and her friends and the recognition that they are closing one chapter in their life and starting a new one.

My brother will be here in an hour, and I must keep moving. Must find my camera and make sure the battery is charged.

Coming form the speakers: Reminiscing by The Little River Band

Dance along the light of day

day_break


Picture above is of the sun setting in the west, but it could also look like daybreak. This is how the sky looked near the end of May in Ohio. I had to crop out the roof edge of my neighbor's house. I have a grocery store that I go to and sometimes I see the most awesome sky from their parking lot. I need to get on a rooftop somewhere around there, though. Because of all the telephone and electrical wires. Don't think that will happen anytime soon.

During the carpet scrubbing, their vacuum machine in the van broke down. So my carpet got to sit for over an hour with the detergent and the deodorizer on it. Could only help it, I guess. I forgot how sensitive I am to strong odors, the deodorizer made me feel pretty ill. At least I didn't get a migraine. I did have to wait an extra long time though, stuck in my bedroom. One of the scrubbers had sucked up a cleaning rag in the hose. I was hoping it was a cat. (No, not really!) Sigh.

My dog, Sable wasn't very happy. She was penned up in the little nook off of the kitchen. Because the carpet was wet and it was mostly dog hair that I swept up. And, I broke my sweeper yesterday morning. I heard a click and the thing just stopped sucking up the dirt and dog hairs. The bag wasn't full, but the attachment worked so I finished sucking up dog hairs with it. Sable did manage to break down her barrier during the night and there she was wagging her tail sheepishly this morning when I walked out of my bedroom.

The carpet seems to be dry enough. Oh, and it looks beautiful. They were able to get out all of the pet stains except for two. The two I had used Resolve on. Scrubber guy said to never use store-bought products. It only bleached the carpet out.

That was the same as the plumber who told me to never use store-bought products to clean my drains. He said to just call a plumber and have the drains cleaned professionally. Hmmm.

Well, it looks like it is going to be a sunny day. I need to go get gas for the mower and cut the grass. The bunnies are really starting to hang out in my yard because the clover is so thick. Guess I'll charge the camera battery and see if I can't get some cute shots.

Probably will hang my terracotta clock/thermometer combination today. It is heavy, so I need to think about where and how to hang it.

Coffee cup is empty. Time for a refill.

Coming from the speakers: Drops of Jupiter by Train.

Edit: 9:53 a.m. - I just realized that I duplicated the above song. I originally posted Drops of Jupiter on March 28th. My apologizes. Need to check my list more often.

Laughing to the sky

stormy sky


Have the day off today. I have carpet scrubbers coming. Been moving excess furniture out of living room. Whew. Daughter helped. She got a new swimsuit out of it. She doesn't mind the scars on her back - says her hair covers them. Good. New suit has a skirt. Maybe she will start wearing real skirts - nah. Not a chance.

Graduation is Sunday. Free day tomorrow. Will try to catch up on outside yard work. Unless it rains. Haven't watched the weather channel in a while. I have a new terracotta clock and thermometer to hang outside on my patio. Very heavy. I still have patio lights that I purchased two years ago that I need to get up. My patio has that vinyl siding around the inside of the roof, thought. It makes it hard to hang stuff. Can't put a nail in it, can't glue anything to it. Hmmm. Must work on this.

I did catch MXC last night. They have really changed the format to the show. It isn't like it used to be. I barely laughed last night. Bring back the old events and leave out all that in-between stuff where they are trying too hard to be funny. I think these were all shot a couple of years ago, anyway. The show isn't even current.

Well, I have more stuff to move so I had better get crackin'. You know how some people clean before the maid comes, I need to sweep the carpet before the carpet scrubbers come. But, that's just me.

Coming from the speakers: Dog and Butterfly by Heart.

Neither rain, nor sleet...

old_mail_jeep


Found an old mail jeep down in the fields behind my sister's house. What is that saying? Neither rain nor sleet nor broken down jeep? Well, something like that. Notice the keg in the back seat.

In the leaves on the trees

Ohio_Green


The summer of 1982 I lived in El Paso, Texas. I was hungry for adventure and had a bad case of wanderlust. Besides family and friends I missed the greens of Ohio. Maybe I should visit Ireland.

The picture above is from my sister's house out in the boondocks. She lives so far out she has been invaded by the Amish. Yesiree. Imagine the Amish discovering virgin territory. Well, when they first moved out there, everyone on the ridge was thinking "The Amish. How bad can they be? They won't disrupt the ridge. They are a quiet, peaceful people." WRONG! They couldn't have been more wrong. Lumber yard. The Amish get up at the crack of dawn, remember. Saws grinding at 5:30 in the morning is not a pleasant sound. The Amish don't drive semi tractor trailers, but they sell their lumber to people that do. They now have pot holes in their little one lane road that I about lost my car in.

So, if you live in a remote area and hear about the Amish coming to live next door. Move, run and hide. The kids are really cute, though. Oh, and their horses get loose every other week or so. Big, gigantic, Pershing horses. Their hoof prints are as big as my car. Well, almost. My sister's peaceful ridge is now a distant memory. Who would have thunk it?


I think I did the impossible today. I could easily imagine that no one has ever done this before. I made an employee of the DMV laugh. Yes, I did! Her face may have cracked, but she laughed, none the less. My apologies to any readers who are, have been, plan to be, or are related to, any employee of the DMV, BMV or equivalent in any state thereof. I couldn't help myself.

Regardless, I did my annual duty. My vehicle is legal again for another year. And, what is this renewal for two years thing? I saw it on the wall as I was paying. I can get a sticker for two years, now? I only have to visit this Nazi camp once every other year? Yeehaw! I'll sign up for that option next year, you betcha!

As I walked in, I took my number from the red round dispenser at the door. Heaven knows, you don't want to try to get in line without a number. Picture the line at the soup Nazi on Seinfeld. I picked number 91 and the counter on the wall said 87. Not too bad. I was on my lunch break. But there were only three people and they were all already at the counter. Where were 88, 89 and 90?

She called out number 88. She looked at me. "What number do you have?" I told her 91. I was certain I had done something wrong and would have to suffer their wrath. Is that what happened to 88, 89 and 90? Were they in the back getting tortured? Maybe they were being forced to peel off annual vehicle stickers, or worse read the drivers test study guide. I couldn't hear any screaming.

She just changed the marker to 91 and motioned me up to the counter. Forty dollars later and a good snicker from her and I was out the door with my vehicle sticker. She didn't even let me know that I was late. Overdue. Well, that's just me. Whew, made it in time to get back to work before my lunch hour was up.


Coming from the speakers: Top of the World by The Carpenters

And as the sunset faded

my pink sky

This was the sky last night from my front yard. Well, okay maybe I fixed it a little in Paint Shop. It was the quickfix feature, I didn't add anything. The sky was beautiful. I was running around in my socks, getting them soaking wet until the battery died on my camera. It is always something! Driving home, I filled both my memory cards up. I have more, but I'll be darned if I can find them. So, I swap two back and forth. Fill them up, dump them out and start over again.

I watched two movies over the week-end. Meet the Fockers and National Treasure. Hmmm. What do I say? I didn't like either one of them, I guess. I was begging for National Treasure to end. They milked that one for all it was worth and then some.

And, the sequel to Meet the Parents - well, I did not care for it. I thought it was a little over the top as far as the sexual innuendos go. Give me a break. Were Mr. and Mrs. Focker complete idiots? They acted like a couple of stoned hippies. Maybe they were supposed to be. I don't know.

But, when Ben Stiller's character was giving his speech in the bar (after being injected with truth serum) and he told that fifteen-year-old boy that he was his father .... no explanations. The boy admitted earlier in the movie that he had never met his father, don't you think he would have been a bit emotional? And, Mr. and Mrs. Focker? Wouldn't they want to talk to the boy. No, the next day they all just went along like nothing had happened the night before. Like it was an every day ordeal that their son got up in front of all the friends and family and admitted to fathering a child out of wedlock fifteen years earlier. Even if it wasn't true, no one really knew until the next morning.

And, really. Would anyone even want to be remotely associated with Robert DeNiro's character if he was going to go around injecting innocent people with truth serum? I understand that the movie is a dramatization of in-law relationships, but my goodness. It was like, "Oh, he injected you with truth serum? No worries. What would you like for breakfast? Wait, your Mother wants to go have sex, now. Breakfast? Fend for yourself! I'm off to the bedroom!"

Maybe I am taking the movie out of context. It doesn't matter, I guess. I won't be watching it again. At least I liked the first one a little bit.

I love to hear Barbra sing, but I can't stand to see her act. Or lack, thereof. I used to like Dustin Hoffman. But, this movie and Tootsie has made me reconsider. Some of his other movies made up for it, though.

Coming from the speakers: Roll Me Away by Bob Seger

From the day that I was born I've waved the flag

flag

Beautiful week-end! Wow, it doesn't get much better than this. My family is awesome. I laughed so hard Sunday and Monday I thought my head was going to split open. But, I didn't care. I wanted to keep laughing. We needed a get together. I went north on Sunday and south today. Family is spread out over fifty miles and I am sort of in the middle and was able to make it to both get togethers.

I did miss seeing one brother and his family. He couldn't make it to either cook out and wanted me to stop in for dessert, but I ran out of time. I got some awesome pictures of my one sister's pond and some beautiful pics of a stormy sky today at my other sister's house.

I thought it would be appropriate to post a little red, white and blue today.

My cats are fighting for window sill space. I opened my windows when I got home - my house was quite warm. I am baking chicken, mashed potatoes and biscuits for the kids. Needless to say we are all hamburger and hot dogged out.

Coming from the speakers: Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John

To hold on to these moments as they pass

snow day

Here is a blustery cold day from one of the snowy wintry months. In case you were missing it, you know. I was mowing the lawn today and it got pretty hot and I really welcomed the ice water when I was done. So, I thought I would take a peek at some cold pictures to remind me that this heat ain't so bad. Well, it really isn't now, because we have had one heck of a cold front come through.

Have been visiting with friends and their small grandchildren. They are so precious, so special. The unfettered laughter of a child, is there anything sweeter? I want to bring them home with me, but reason soon takes over. My daughter is not wanting me around these days, but that is okay. I planned for this and now I am experiencing more freedom to visit some long overdue friends in their home environment instead of mine or at a restaurant.

A lot of people say "You better do this, this or this; because one day your daughter won't need you anymore and you are going to be wondering what you are going to do with yourself." Hmmm. I wonder. I have plenty that I would like to do now, but I either don't have the money when I have the time, or I don't have the time when I have the money. Or, as Tabor says, I will just get back into the swing of "me things" again, when my daughter will decide that she wants to have me around a lot more. I guess we never know what is coming down the pike for us. I do know that I would love grandchildren (all in good time) and I would also love to have some "me time" to travel. Or, at least be able to stay away from home for longer than one night.

Coming from the speakers: Long December by the Counting Crows

I'm tired of being used

pink_bouquet

I am taking steps to move forward in my life. Who knows what the morrow will bring? Will I have a job? Will my siblings lose their jobs and want to move in with me? I have to be able to say "no." My Mom would want me to take them in, but I can't live like my Mom. I have to live like me. My Mom didn't have a life outside of her children. She was a recluse. I refuse to be.

Coming from the speakers: Sail On by The Commodores.

Start my life anew

reach

My daughter had her stitches taken out today. This was the big one from two weeks ago. We (the dermatologist and I) decided that it might be a good idea to give everyone a break. So, we have two months off. Until July 20th. My daughter said she just wants it over with, but I know that I need the break. That last one was too harsh for me.

I let my relatives know that I am unable to host any visitors this summer. It was an uncomfortable feat on my part. I usually don't say no to family. But, it was a necessary one. And, a turning point in my life. Forward and Onward. Something like that. I am tired.

Been busy all day. Had a wonderful steak dinner. Can't recall the last time I had really good steak. Too tired to try to remember.

End of May and June on the calendar looks like pure hell. I have something every week-end for the next six weeks. And I think five of them are out of town. Forward and Onward.

But, sleep first. Time to find a pillow.

Coming from the speakers: Sweet Dreams of You by Patsy Cline.

Tuesday's Gone

bouquet

With the wind. And, I sure hope Wednesday blows in some warmer weather. The air was a wee bit chilly today. Above is some of my craft florals. I was crafting one day and just threw everything out on my bed and started taking pictures of it all in a pile. It was fun.

I watched a documentary on Typhoid Mary this evening on Nova. I have never watched an episode of ER, Law and Order, CSI, American Idol, Survivor, but I will watch endless reruns of Seinfeld and I love a good documentary. I used to watch the Biography channel but I have not been into that for a couple of years. I am also a big fan of Funniest videos and the MXC on the Spike channel once in a while.

I like to watch shows about things like Mary Mallon because I have heard the nickname through the years and I knew what typhoid was but I never knew the story. What did I learn? How darn scary it must have been for her. She was basically ostracized to Brother Island without any legal representation or help at all. In this version, it shows what can happen to a poor victim. Although when she is freed a few years later, she goes right back to cooking and starts another epidemic of typhoid. So, can you feel all that sorry for her? It shows how the government (the Department of Health) or the legal system can basically railroad a person.

What else did I learn? That New York City slums in that timeframe was more crowded than Calcutta is today. (Ironic that the url I chose to depict Calcutta is called Irishhealth, because Mary Mallon was Irish.)

I try to teach my daughter to believe in mankind. To have faith that there is good in people and that justice prevails. And then I am whacked to my knees by something as riveting as this. This documentary has me reading up on the immigrants and their plight and now I am sunk into despair with Calcutta, India. Was it only five months ago that Indonesia was hit with the tsunami? It seems like a year or so ago. The world moves on. But what of the poor people laying in the street hour after hour slowly losing hope? Rotting away.

We have teenagers driving Volkswagens trying to conserve gasoline, while they criticize the elder couple in their Lincoln Continental. Later in the evening, while the elder couple are sleeping in their bed, the teenagers are still driving up and down the boulevard looking for their friends, cruising through the fast-food places, throwing away half their sandwiches and fries. Isn't this the American way?

How many foreign countries hate us? But, would they live any differently if they were us? Would we hate us if we were born over there? Why did (do) millions migrate to this country? They say the next great power will be China. Will millions migrate to China? Wasn't it Great Britain in the 1800's, USA in the 1900's and next the experts say is China.

What else did I learn from the Typhoid Mary documentary? That today with Aids, SARS and other infectious diseases we are not much further along in the humane treatment of our fellow human beings than we were with Mary Mallon in the early 1900's. Medically we have made leaps and bounds, but personally we all get scared. And fear is a very powerful foe.

Edit: Wednesday, May 25th. Here is an excerpt from an article about quarantine:

1916
When an epidemic of poliomyletis strikes New York residents, authorities begin forcibly separating children from their parents and placing them in quarantine. Wealthy parents, however, can keep their stricken children at home if they can provide a separate room and medical care.

This is where I begin to see red. Right about where it says "Wealthy parents, however...."

Coming from the speakers: Tuesday's Gone by Lynard Skynard.