5 Weird Things about Me

I’ve been tagged by my dear online and offline friend Heidi. It’s the “5 weird things/habits about yourself” meme!

To play the cybergame, list 5 weird things/habits about yourself. Then, choose 5 more people to be tagged and list their names. If you link to the post of the person who tagged you, and also link to the blogs of people you tagged, you can create a little navigation system for the idea virus. The people who get tagged do the same, rinse and repeat. Leave each of your viral victims a comment that says “you’re tagged!” and direct them to the post in which they are named. No threats, now - some folks just don’t like to play.


1. I talk to dead people -
when I go to the cemetery to my parents grave, I talk to the dead people I am passing. I lived near most of them growing up, or know them from church, or they are related. I picture a scene like that play "Our Town" where they are all sitting around on chairs up in heaven and Mr. Plant might say as I drive up, "Hey Paul and Betty, one of your kids is here, it is the next to youngest, I forget her name, you know, the chubby one" and Mr. Zuba is saying "stay off my plot of grass" and my parents are all happy to see me and as I pass each grave I say "excuse me, sorry to step on you as I get to my parents spot" Then I get there and I say hello to Uncle Sonny who is buried next door (in the ground) and hello to all the other neighbors buried in that area. I picture them all sitting around talking about me and saying how big the kids have gotten and "yes, your namesake looks just like his mother and the "baby" has your eyes Paul!" It's weird. But it has gotten me thru the last 20 years this August 25th, since my Dad died. and the 2 1/2 already since my Mom died. Besides, my parents always taught me to respect your elders. I guess I can't stop even if they are dead!

2. I still fantasize about meeting my idols -
OK, this is from my Shaun Cassidy years where I used to dream about meeting him on my street. (! in Attleboro? LOL). But it did come true when I met Henry Winkler (AKA Fonzie) outside the WARA building in 7th grade, and I touched his elbow ( I still have not washed that hand lol)! I think I will be driving in my car on my 32 mile drive to and from work each day, and a limo will go by with oh, lets say Jon Bon Jovi in it, and I will be singing my heart out to one of their toons, and they will have me pull over and I can meet them. (Does this fantasy mean I have a really pathetic life?)

3. I clip my toenails wicked short -
to the point of almost not have any on the shorter toes, this is bad because once I cut them so short, I got some dirt in it, and I got blood poisoning. Of course, when I went to Sturdy a week later, they said it was a broken toe (even though it did not show up on the xray) and they taped it together. A few days later, when the red streak was about half way up my calf, I saw my real doctor, who admitted me (to Sturdy! ) and I was in there for 5 days on IV antibiotics! Of course, they had me in my room for 3 hours before anyone came to check on me, and I was in such pain at that point (red line up to the knee) and the surgeon consult came to see me and when he lifted the sheet and looked at my foot ran out to the hallway and shouted" I want a nurse in here STAT" that I realized how incompetent they really were! he then proceeded to slice my toe open (no pain meds, nothing , by this time my foot was numb) But I recovered and knowing now, I should have sued, but whatever!

4. I think i am a Dr. -
My friend Heidi who sent me this assignment really is one. She wrote a long paper and spent years studying and getting smart. I barely passed High School and some junior college classes! But, I feel (having worked at that incompetent hospital Sturdy for 5 years in medical records) that I am qualified to be a Dr. (looking back at that last paragraph, maybe I am qualified to work there at the ER!) But for 5 long years I looked at every ER report and test I filed, read the M & M reports (the monthly meeting about who died there and why and how can we stop the family from suing us) My father was a doctor too. When we were sick, he was the one who knew what was wrong. When we got hurt, we went to him and he determined if we needed the ER (usually not) He had some training, he was "Safety Officer" at his work! LOL I think he took some course at the Red Cross to do that! But he knew alot of home remedys his parents used, and I still use today. Every time someone tells me they are sick, I ask their symptoms and usually I tell them what is wrong. They first go to their local doctor, but my diagnosis is usually correct! When my son Paul was having trouble with his knee, I researched, and researched and finally found what I thought was wrong. I went to three doctors before one found out that I was correct! He ended up needing a pin in his hip. When the doctor finally got the problem to present when they took an xray, as he showed his intern and asked "what do you see" the intern same some lame ass medical sounding thing and the doctor turned to me and said "Mom, what do you see?" to which I replied, "a slipped capital femur epiphysis!" and the doctor said "see, you need to research like his mother did"! Therefore, I am a doctor!

5. I bought my 16 year old son a subscription to Playboy -
OK, I was tired of finding that my son (being a red blooded american male) was looking at porn (disgusting stuff actually) on my computer, I freaked out. Then I found out he did it again and I had enough. I was not going to have my computer crash or get raided by some government official who tracked my son looking at porn online! So being the control freak I am, I had my husband get him a subscription to Playboy. The girls are pretty normal looking (as normal as an airbrushed model can be) and there are some really good articles in there! Yes, I looked! lol But seriously, I told him to read the articles too! lots of tips on grooming, relationships and some really great political stuff. (really)

Who can I send this too? The only person I know personally who blogs is Heidi, and she sent it to me. So if you read this, feel free to add a comment on your five weird things!

Sunday Morning

Again, it's been a while since I posted. Not alot going on. The day to day routine that becomes so mundane during February in New England. Coming up on a birthday Just another day to me. Not one for big celebrations. Which is funny, since I make such a big deal of everyone elses! We have recently lost another hampster (down to 5 now from 9 at New Years) Gave two away, the others died of "natural causes" The hampster graveyard is getting full. Good thing we have alot of land !LOL There are signs of spring, birds have been coming back for a while. This morning when I got up and hobbled to the bathroom (the old, have to stand up, but from lying still all night bones wont move! LOL) and sat upon the throne, trying to open my eyes to adjust to the sunlight streaming in, I heard it...... tweep, tweep, tweep. After my usual "SHUT UP"(just not a morning person) I thought, OH! spring is soon! LOL

Well, have to be off, need to get this house clean. Kids had a weeks vacation and it is a mess!!!! Ta Ta hope to write more soon.

New Group (LOL)

MAYPO takes stand against A.F.A.

MAYPO (menopausal activist yankees protecting opinions) has spoken out against the American Family Association ( a southern "christian" group of zealots led by a Pat Robinson type leader). MAYPO's groups leader, (an early menopausal victim) has been quite vocal in her complaints against the group. "They take off the best shows, they put their values on me, they try to tell ME what to do!" I am the Mommy in my house, I say what is watched on TV! Not only am I an early menopause sufferer, I am also an orphan. I am my own boss, no one can tell me what to do!" The group is distraught over the cancellation of their favorite show on NBC (nothing but crap) "The Book of Daniel". MAYPO states: "The AFA is afraid of anything different than them. This show contained homosexuality, drug use and a message of forgiveness, love and tolerance. They could not stand that" The minister Daniel (played by a super sexy Aiden Quinn) saw Jesus everyday and had conversations with him. Jesus (played by The Savior) was hysterical. "Who knew he was so funny? stated MAYPO's leader. I personally look for Jesus every day now, it is like getting the joke a day sent to me on my cell phone or email!" The group says this was the last straw in their already full pack (starting with the election of GWB in 2000) A visit to a recent "religious" website showed a post written by a "christian" who celebrated the cancellation of The Book of Daniel by saying "Great, what's our next target?" to which Jesus (writing under the screen name "Lord 01" replied "Pat Robertson". Another group also has emerged, calling themselves: "Americans P.I.E. " (americans protesting idiotic extremists) saying they will do all they can to help their mother group MAYPO achieve their goal - to wipe out the AFA and take back the airwaves for ALL americans (not just the menopausal ones).

Save my favorite show

Ok, I know, seems like every week I have a new "cruisade" But this one is VERY Important! My new most favorite show is being cancelled after just a few weeks. We need to stop this injustice! Please read all the reasons and then see the link (http://www.PetitionOnline.com/bod35/petition.html) at the end of this email. Many, Many thanks!


Top 10 Reasons I love this show and it cannot be cancelled:

10) I actually have started to stay awake past 9pm on a Friday night for the first time in
about 10 years

9) I can watch it with my kids and learn something (kids are into japanese cartoon
caricatures of real life events they call "manga") ps I thought manga meant eat in italian

8) It actually made me think about going back to church (if my priest looked like Aiden Quinn)

7) Aiden Quinn is dreamy!!!

6) I Love Jesus - he is funny - (feel free to quote me) see if you watched the show you would
know how funny that was!!!!!

5) Shows us that even as dysfunctional as your family is, there is always a more dysfunctial
one out there.

4) It has a Catholic Priest who is not involved in a sex scandal! (although I have to admit the
first show all I could think was "it's Carla's ex husband from Cheers and he is married
to Casey Casem's wife)

3) Makes me glad I am not rich (boy they have alot of problems and they have to worry
about appearances! Being "not rich" and menapausal - I say who gives a f*&(*!!!)

2) I am sick of the red states telling me what to do, say, watch, have as president and how
to raise my kids.

and the #1 reason they cannot cancel this show:

1) NO MORE FREAKIN COP/CSI/LAW & ORDER TYPE SHOWS!!!!!!!! Isn't like 105 versions of
them enough?

Please sign the petition I started to save this show "The Book of Daniel" on NBC! It is one of the most funny, inspiring, true to life shows I have seen in years. (no, Desperate Housewives isn't, I live in the suburbs, that show is garbage!) and Lost - doesn't that have to do with some satanic cult that crashed a plane on a dessert island? they have some kind of a weird symbol on everything? come on, sign my petition! and feel free to pass this to your friends and family! Those religious freaks who think they can control this county need to be taught that every TV comes with an off button!
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/bod35/petition.html
Thanks Everyone!
Love and Peace
Mary : )

Friday the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th. More importantly, it is my Mom's birthday. Or would have been. She would have been 72 today. Instead, I am remembering her last birthday on this earth, 2 years ago today, when we had to put her into a "nursing facility" after her cancer sugery, I mean her cancer murder. The doctor who performed the surgery on a 70 year old patient with a history of heart problems, with a stage 4 uterine cancer tumor which was literaly falling out of her body (you would think that a doctor would know the difference between a tumor and a prolapsed uterus) i consider a murderer. I wanted to sue, but did not want to put us all through the trauma of a long drawn out trial, and for what? She would not come back. She would still be gone. Instead, I am left with a memory of her last birthday putting her into a nursing home. She never came back out. She never got out of bed again. She spent the next 3 months in bed then she died. Happy Birthday Mom. I miss you.

Patrick

I sent a letter to my Congressman, Patrick Kennedy and got a great response. He is awesome. Love him



Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about the war in Iraq. I greatly appreciate hearing your views on this difficult and important issue.

I share your concerns about Iraq and believe that our troops deserve leadership that is worthy of the commitment and sacrifice they are making. I strongly believe all Americans are united in their commitment to supporting our troops, to protecting this country, and to defeating the terrorists. But like you and a growing number of Americans, I believe our troops deserve better than the course the Administration has charted for the past two and a half years. A majority of Americans have grown frustrated with President Bush=s lack of leadership. They understand the stakes in Iraq, but they have never been given a clear and honest answer on how long our soldiers will be in Iraq. They want the truth: a spin-free and unvarnished assessment of the progress we are making towards fulfilling the Administration=s ambitious goals. Furthermore, the American people want accountability for the mistakes that have been made. It has been deeply disappointing that this Congress has abdicated its oversight responsibilities for the past five years; a responsibility that was exercised with great relish during the Lewinsky scandal of the Clinton Administration. In Congress, I have joined with several of my colleagues in calling for Congressional committee hearings, similar to the ones used to investigate the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal, that would investigate the misuse of pre-war intelligence by the Administration, the abuse scandals at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere, and the disclosure of CIA operative Valerie Plame's covert status.

In Iraq, I believe that it is imperative that we accelerate the training of Iraqi troops as quickly as possible, so as our country begins to reduce and ultimately withdraw all troops, we do not leave behind a failed Iraq that will be a haven for terrorists and destabilize the Middle East. While I understand the concerns many have raised about whether our military presence in Iraq fuels the insurgency, I am also deeply troubled by the potential consequences for the Middle East region if instability in Iraq metastasizes into a civil war that engulfs the Arab Gulf states, and other countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. A widespread civil war in the Middle East region would have direct consequences for our nation's and the international community's long-term security.

But President Bush's assertion that he will "settle for nothing less than complete and total victory" leaves our U.S. troops and their families trapped in an open-ended commitment. Americans have been given goals to achieve in Iraq, but not the standards by which to measure progress. And the only assurance Americans have been given that we can reach those goals is to trust the President and his Administration at their word. Like so many Americans, I need more than just that.

What I, and so many Americans, are looking for is a set of criteria and some honest and reality-based information to measure the progress by which we meet certain benchmarks. I want to know how many troops will be coming home as each of those benchmarks are met. And if those benchmarks are not met, I want to know why. I want to see an acknowledgment by the Administration that the war in Iraq cannot be won solely through military force. I want some accountability for mistakes that have been made: the use of pre-war intelligence, the abuse of prisoners and detainees at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere, the failure to provide our troops with enough body armor and HUMVEES, the reports of reconstruction corruption and graft, and the overall failure to properly plan for post-invasion Iraq.

I want to know what happens if this Administration cannot achieve its ambitious goals, because I will not support an open-ended commitment of U.S. forces in Iraq predicated on goals that grow more elusive with the Administration's mismanagement. A true strategy for victory would give us a clear picture for when and how we bring our troops home as soon as possible leaving Iraq stable and secure. We need more from this Administration. And our troops and the American people deserve better.

Thank you again for contacting me regarding your concerns. Please feel free to contact me on any other issues of importance to you.

If you would like to receive information on this and other issues pending before the Congress on a regular basis, I would like to invite you to sign up for my e-newsletter. This newsletter is distributed by my congressional office and covers events going on in Congress and in our district that may be of interest to you. To sign up, please visit my website: http://patrickkennedy.house.gov.
Sincerely,

Patrick J. Kennedy
Member of Congress

Polital Correctness and the Christmas Season

This "War on Christmas" the right wing has dreamt up is killing me. For the first 25 years of my life I lived in a town where we had one black family - the town was all white , except this family and then the Loneycut Section which was all portagues (I know I spelled that wrong sorry) and mostly Catholic. I grew up not knowing I had racist tendacies. Then one day I was at work (being that I was 23 years old) and I was telling a story about how I had gone to the flea market the day before and paid less than they wanted for an item. During my story, the attorney across the hall had come into my office and joined our conversation. He kept asking me the same question over and over ("you did what?) and it was not until after he left, I found out what I had said that made him so upset. When I was talking about how I paid less, I used a term I had always heard, and not knowning, it was an ethic slur. I used the phrase " I jewed them down". Now to me, this was a good thing, I got a bargain, I was clever, I thought I was wonderful. Well, the attorney was jewish! He took offense to my "jewing down" this vender at the flea market! I did not know! I apologized and from that day forward, have thought before I speak! But to me- if I wish you "Happy Holidays" it could be Thanksgiving, Christmas, Channakah, New Years, Kwanza, and any of the other upteen holidays celebrated during this time of the year! I mean what if I say "Happy Holidays" and the person is an athiest? I give up. I wish everyone joy and peace and happiness this year - not just the "holidays" - all 365 days : ) and to my Catholic peers: Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays etc etc

Well, thought it had not been that long since I last logged on to blog, but it has been almost an entire month! Where has the time gone? Answer: to the mall. I have been shopping till I dropped (keeping up my part to expand the economy). Friday night me and Russ went out (he dragged me actually). Let me give you a word of advise, the worst place to be on the next to last Friday before Christmas at 10:45 pm is the electronics department of Wal-Mart! Oh, I did not want to go there. I went to several other stores, however, each one did not have what I needed. We finally decided what to get our y oungest son, his own digital camera. He is forever borrowing his brothers. I started at BJ's Wholesale club - I found the one I wanted, filled out the slip, waited 20 min in line, paid and went to stand in line to get it from the "pick up desk", waited another 20 min, then the employee punched the number in and said "oh we are out of those" to which I replied (this is a direct quote now) "You have got to be fucking kidding me!" Now, bear in mind, it was 9:00 at night, I had worked an entire day, been up since 5:30; I am nursing a sore back (pulled a muscle somehow - probably getting out of bed) and my hormones this week are WAY out of wack! Not to mention, I was in the beginning of a hot flash - the poor guy never saw it coming! I let loose with how I REALLY felt! To make matters worse, I had paid by check (gasp, yes, I cut up the cards a few years ago!) so the words I dreaded were coming "since you paid by check, we cannot give you cash, we have to give you a store credit" To which I replied, "oh no, I want cash, I want it now, you f*&(^ up, I want my money, I am leaving this store!" Just then, Russ walked up (seeing what was going down from the soda counter) and saved this poor soul from my rath! Needless to say, I walked out with cash and a cold Diet Coke to calm my nerves! But all is well that ends well, I ended up at Wal-Mart (a story for another day lol ) and got a better camera for less money with an entire accessorie kit too! : )
Merry Freakin Christmas!