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The Twilight Hoopla

I've been wanting to say something about the Twilight saga. Let me preface this with the fact that I HAVE read the series, twice in fact, and did enjoy it. It's a fun read! It's like a PG Rated version of the Underworld series of films, which I enjoyed.

Something bothered me a bit on the first reading, and it bothered me even more the second time, and that was a lot of the relationship between Edward and Bella. I'm not even talking about the whole vampire thing, but their entire codependency thing and Edward being so controlling. Is a relationship where they can't bear to live in a world without the other really a thing to celebrate? Is Bella really a strong female role model for girls? She can't seem to stand on her own two feet, and partakes in risky behavior to get attention.

And what about Edward telling her who she can hang out with, and her trying to sneak around him? What about him having family member spy on her when he is away? Am I the only one that found that a little bit creepy?

Perhaps I am just becoming quite the old fuddy-duddy. While I'm at it, get off my lawn.

Remember this at Christmas Time

> Subject: Remember this at Christmas time .....
>
>
>
>
> REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME
>
> According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and
> female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop
> their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to
> mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give
> birth in the spring. Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition
> depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to
> Blitzen, had to be a girl. We should've known.... ONLY women would be able
> to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one
> night and not get lost.

Daddy ate my fingers!!!

-something to think about  ;>)

> > DADDY'S GONNA EAT YOUR FINGERS
> >
> > I was packing for my business trip and my three year old daughter was
> > having a wonderful time playing on the bed. At one point she said,
> 'Daddy,
> > look at this' , and stuck out two of her fingers.
> >
> > Trying to keep her entertained, I reached out and stuck her tiny
> fingers
> > in my mouth and said ,
> > 'Daddy's gonna eat your fingers,'
> > pretending to eat them.
> >
> > I went back to packing, looked up again and my daughter was standing
> on
> > the bed staring at her fingers with a devastated look on her face.
> >
> > I said, 'What's wrong, honey?'
> >
> > She replied,
> > 'What happened to my booger?'

Eeeew!!

I got this in a forwarded email called "Pumpkin Pies."
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

I check my texts and emails while driving!

Yup, you read that right. I do. But before everybody flips out, let me explain.

I normally wouldn't use a blog to hawk a product. I recently discovered an amazing application for my BlackBerry that could save lives. It is called Drivesafe.ly.

Drivesafe.ly reads your text messages and emails aloud. It does a great job, too. I've tried to mess with it by typing in words that might throw a machine for a loop (my maiden name, for example), and overall it is very, very good at getting them correct.

You can get a simple version of this software for free. For $14, you can get a more advanced version that has more options. Both the free and paid versions allow the user to set auto-responders (away messages) for your texts, emails, both, or one or the other. That way you can let your impatient friends and family know that you can't reply at the moment, but that you heard their message. Or, you can shut that off and make them wait. It's up to you.

It comes in handy for things other than just driving. Have you ever been eagerly expecting a reply, and something arrives while you are elbow deep in fixing dinner? You wash up, set things aside, lose your momentum, and excitedly grab your device. But as you open the message, you realize sadly that it is a forwarded email from a relative of kittens wearing hats, instructing you to in turn send it to ten friends or everybody that you care about will lose their right thumbs in a gardening accident.

I do see it's downsides though, too. If you have somebody who likes to send gossipy, snarky, or profanity filled messages, you had better be good at remembering to disable the program when necessary. I could easily see this leading to hurt feelings.

But overall, this really is a really nice program. Sure, the best alternative would be for us to all slow down, and not exist with such an immediate mentality. But, that is where we are, and it is only going to get worse. A program like Drivesafe.ly is a perfect fit for the person that is attached to technology. There is no reason to be reading your text messages while driving when programs like this exist. You can keep your eyes on the road AND keep updated at the same time without killing yourself and others.

Drivesafe.ly is available for BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, and Windows Mobile phones. Soon they will have one that will recognize your voice to send replies. You can go to http://www.drivesafe.ly to get it yourself if you are interested. It really is worth it.

Looking for a good read?

I've not posted one of my "book reports" in a while. I shall rectify that.



Ender's Game is a science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card, and is the first book in a series following the life of Ender Wiggin. I am not one that normally read scifi, but was intrigued when a friend told me that she greatly enjoyed it, despite her being even less likely than me to pick up something out of this genre.

Ender was born shortly after a war between Earth and a species of aliens called the Buggers, a violent insect-like race. Another war was on the horizon, and the international fleet looked for talented children to be groomed as future commanders for future battles. Normally families were limited to two children, but Ender's family was a special case. Both of Ender's older siblings were extremely talented, but not quite what the fleet was looking for. Peter, the oldest, was too ruthless. Valentine, the middle child, was too kind and loving. The fleet requested that Ender's parents have a third child, and in Ender, they found the perfect balance of Peter and Valentine. At six years of age, Ender was selected by the fleet to be taken away to battle school. At the battle school, Ender joined other prodigies in training for war with the Buggers. It is quickly obvious that Ender has unrivaled talent, and could easily be the hope for the future of the human race.

Even if you are not a scifi fan, I would recommend Ender's Game and the rest of the series. Orson Scott Card is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. His characters are so rich, and the stories so original. This isn't really the story of space ships and aliens, but a story about humanity and relationships, and how people can endure mental and physical hardships.

Sunset at the North Pole with the Moon at Closest Point ...

This is an amazing photo. I received it in an email, so I can't verify
whether or not it is real.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Sunset at the North Pole with the Moon at Closest Point ...
How's  this for a picture….

This is the sunset at the North Pole with the moon at its closest
point last week.
A scene you will probably never get to see in person,
So take a moment and enjoy God at work at the North Pole.
And, you also see the sun below the moon,
An amazing photo and not one easily duplicated.
You may want to pass it on to others so they can enjoy it.
The Chinese have a saying that goes something like this:
'When someone shares with you something of value,
You have an obligation to share it with others!'

Lacking the Football Gene

It's that time of year again, a time when I spend a good deal of my
time scratching my head in confusion. It's a time when formerly
sensible friends and loved ones suddenly start speaking in tongues.
Most of you call it football season.

I don't get football at all. It's not that I don't get sports at all.
Hockey, soccer, and tennis all make perfect sense. I've been known to
catch a baseball game. The overall game of golf makes sense, and I'm
slowly figuring out the details. I am currently watching my favorite
NBA team on ESPN (and typing this during halftime). But football?

I've tried to understand it. My husband tries to explain it to me, as
have other people. I'm still drawing a blank. I see a bunch of guys
moving around the field randomly. They continually gather into groups,
only to split apart and violently slam each other into the ground. It
seems to me that it is usually they guy with the ball getting creamed
by guys of the opposing team, but I'm not sure that is always the
case. Between skirmishes, the guys wander around aimlessly or stand
idly until they appear to be needed. Sometimes they turn off the clock
when they do that, sometimes they don't. That baffles me. It's like
watching an alien species move around in a patternless manner.

Am I missing a necessary gene for decoding football? Is it just me?
I'd hate to think that I am alone.

Fwd: Iowa puppy mill shutting down - need to place dogs

I got this by email. Apparently the Corgis have already been spoken for. Anybody looking for a nice pet? I'm glad that the puppy mill is closing, but it's sad that they use rescues to clean up
their mess :(

_______________________________________

To: AmandaJohnson@fsbmail.net (@fsbmail.net)
Subject: Puppy Mill closing - need help placing dogs!

Permission to crosspost!

Hello everyone! We have been contacted by a local couple that is
getting out of what I consider, the puppy mill business. The dogs have
all been kept in kennels and used to have puppies. She has given me a
list of dogs and on top of that she has some more cocker spaniels as
well. As you can imagine, no one has vaccinations, but we can get that
done at a low cost to the receiving rescue, and can try to get as many
spays and neuters at low cost as possible if desired by the receiving
rescue. Here is the list of the dogs that we need to find rescues for.
We are much too small of a rescue to take on this many dogs so any and
all help is greatly appreciated!

Male Welsh Corgi born 6/1/04

Female Welsh Corgi born 5/31/04

2 Female White Toy Poodles 1 1/2 years old

Female Cockapoo 5 years old

Female Saint Bernard born 3/29/07

Female Weimeriner born 9/13/06

Male Weimerdoodle born July of 2009

Female White Miniature Poodle born 1/19/03

Male rat terrier born 2/14/08

Female rat terrier born 2/14/08

Male white toy poodle born 3/19/06

Male black standard poodle born 7/18/07

Male Collie born 5/12/08

Male Wheaton terrier born 7/17/05

Male Wheaten/cocker spaniel mix 2 years old

Shepard/chow/collie mix - age unknown estimated around 3 by owner

Male Yellow lab born 8/16/06

I know this is a big list but any help is appreciated! We just don't
have the room to accommodate all these dogs and the living conditions
of this place from what I am told are not the best.

Thanks everyone!

Amanda Johnson

Rural Iowa Animal Rescue

Rowley, Iowa 52329

319-961-4465

www.ruraliowaanimalrescue.com

Looking for a particular type of recipe website

I know that they exist, I just don't remember where I have seen them.

I want a website that gives me a week long menu and shopping list of simple, healthy dinners for my family. I don't want to have to think or choose, I want somebody to tell me what to cook and buy. It has to be relatively simple stuff. I'm a working mom to a toddler and don't have a lot of time to putz around in the kitchen.

Any ideas?
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

The Number One Rule of Protesting

If there were ever something that I felt SO strongly about that I was
inspired to protest, I think that you need to make sure that your
signs have correct spelling and grammar. I may not be perfect at
spelling and grammar myself, but I would take extra care to be sure
that my sign was correct. It's hard to be taken seriously when you
look like an idiot.

The Saga of my Arm Problems

So a few months ago, my right arm started hurting. At first, I thought that it was just a minor strain, must have lifted something too heavy, or did who knows what. But, then it never went away. Nathan had been urging me to go to a doctor for weeks and I resisted. By that time, I knew that it wasn't just a minor strain, and worried terribly about a rotator cuff tear, as that is where the issues seemed to be coming from. There was a day that I had free to go to the doctor, but mine wasn't in. There was a PA available, and I figured that would be fine.

The PA had me do some range of motion exercises, and then decided that my problem was a bicep strain. No radiographs or MRI, just the range of motion exercises. The physical therapist had me do range of motion exercises, too. And, he decided that it was my bicep and Impingement Syndrome. At least he was closer. I started in on physical therapy, and I never felt like I was getting anywhere with it. I went for 4-5 weeks of it. I was doing BETTER, but I really think that I was just adjusting, not that my arm was improving. They talked about discontinuing the PT. I assumed that it would just continue to get better, then.

Then last Saturday, my arm became so painful that I could not move an inch. It felt like somebody was ripping my arm from my body. I had some Darvocet left over from when Syd was born. That took the edge off, but didn't cure it. The next few days were pretty painful, but tollerable. My father-in-law is the King of Arm Injuries, so I got a sling from him to use. I couldn't sleep, couldn't find a position that was tolerable. I called my doctor on Tuesday, and finally got a referral to an orthopedic specialist.

That night, I had another acute, painful attack. This one was so bad that the Darvocet didn't even touch it. I was in agony, and just wanted somebody to hack my arm off with an ax. I knew that at least the stump would heal. It was intolerable. Nathan ended up taking me to the ER at midnight, while his parents came into town to watch Syd. I told them in ER that I had an appointment with a specialist, I just needed pain meds. They got me some Vicodin, and I downed one in the ER waiting room. I was able to sleep the rest of the night, but didn't like the way that the Vicodin made me feel.

Thursday morning I finally saw a specialist, Jess Prewitt-Emerson, a PA at Orthopedics PC. They took radiographs right away, which were extremely uncomfortable. I went into the waiting room, and soon had a diagnosis. There was an obvious cloudy band around the rotator cuff area, Calcific Tendinitis. I was given a steroid injection into my shoulder, and sent home with oral medications. My arm hasn't felt this good in months. I go back for a recheck in a couple of weeks, and probably another injection. We shall see.

I'm grateful that I am finally on the road to recovery. I'm just annoyed that it took this long. I feel like I missed the whole summer because of it. I didn't go out as much, as it hurt to push Syd's stroller. It even hurt to just walk the dogs.

Hopefully it is all uphill from here.

Clay County Fair 2009

It's official, I'm getting old. I had fun, but the magic just isn't the same anymore. I imagine the fact that I've not been feeling well had a lot to do with my mood. But, I just always remember there being so many things that I wanted to buy, so many things that I wanted to eat! I was looking forward to a Mud Pie, but that stand isn't there. I was bummed. I had some other things, and ended up with heartburn. It was opening day today, and it was just SO busy. There were booths that I probably would have wanted to look at, but there were so many people in the way that I didn't bother. Nathan did buy a copy of Vicki Myron's new children's book about Dewey and had Vicki sign it for her. We will let her have it when she gets older, so that it doesn't get trashed right away.

I'm going back on Thursday afternoon to hang out with Evan and Jalyce. That should be nice. It won't be as busy, and maybe I'll actually get a chance to look at things.

'First Family' by David Baldacci

This is the first that I've picked up by this author, and it was of
course one in a series, but I was still able to make sense of it
without reading the preceding books.

Sean and Michelle are former Secret Service agents turned private
detectives. When the President's niece is kidnapped, the First Lady
calls her old friend, Sean, for assistance. She wants somebody that
she can trust on the case, that is less likely to be hindered by
government procedures and politics. The book is interesting, as you
are eager to find out why the girl was taken, but I also felt sympathy
for her captor. What drove him to do such a thing?

It's a quick and engaging story, and I didn't find it to be too
predictable, as it seems a lot of books are these days. I really
enjoyed this one, and will likely check out more of Baldacci's work.

'Long Lost' by Harlan Coben

This is the first that I've picked up by this author, and it was of
course one in a series, but I was still able to make sense of it
without reading the preceding books.

Myron Bolitar is an ex-NBA player that now works as an agent for
celebrities. He gets a call from an old friend who is desperate, and
is in the midst of a strange mystery surrounding the death of her
child ten years prior. Myron gets wrapped up in the investigation,
which becomes a whirlwind involving terrorists and questionable
identities.

It was a very interesting storyline, far-fetched yet not so out of
reach by today's technology and radical terrorists. It was a fun and
fast-moving story.

'Lost Boys' by Orson Scott Card

Wow. This book was amazing, and nothing like I expected. It made me
cry and disturbed me, but I also found it beautiful and touching.

The book is about a young Mormon family that moves from Indiana to a
town in North Carolina. Step, the father, is a software developer. His
wife, DeAnne, is a stay-at-home mom. They have three children, Stevie
(age 7), Robbie (age 4), and Elizabeth (age 2), with another baby on
the way. Stevie has trouble adjusting, and has a teacher that is quite
cruel to him. Soon, he begins talking to imaginary friends, which his
parents attribute to his stress of moving and difficulties with his
teacher. All the while, the town has had young boys disappearing,
beginning before the family arrived in town, causing a panic with area
parents.

The family background is very autobiographical on the part of the
author, who is himself a Mormon. One of the interesting aspects of the
book is the insight given into the rituals and beliefs of Mormons.
Another bit of fun is the nostalgia aspect, as Step is a software
engineer in 1983, just as the PC is being introduced. Commodore 64 is
the reigning King in this world, with doubts that the PC will ever
take off.

This was a wonderful book. It has a very original storyline, and was
probably influential in several other books and movies that have since
been released since this book was published in 1992. I highly
recommend this book, but be sure to have a box of tissues handy as you
reach the end.

More Zoo Pictures from my Sister-In-Law

These were sent from my sister-in-law Ann, from 8-15-09 when we all
went to the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls.