Something to ponder.

With the rise in oil and fuel prices, I wonder how much longer NASCAR can continue. I'm admittedly ignorant about the sport but I would think that driving in a circle at high speed for hundreds of miles would not be very fuel efficient (Not to mention possible environmental damage). Does anyone out there know what NASCAR teams are doing to mitigate this waste?

Sick of Politics

It's only March and I am already sick of the Presidential Race. Quite frankly, NONE of the candidates - Republican, Democratic or Independent- appeal to me. They have no real experience to speak of in leading anything, aren't really offering any realistic solutions to our nation's problems, and seem to spend most of their time trying to put out fires in their own campaigns. It doesn't help that most of the media feeds this problem.

Not sure what to do about it at this point, but I needed to vent - there, I'm done. For now.

--Christine

Moving to Maryland

A new adventure begins!!

Well, it's official. We are moving to Maryland this summer. Now the fun of resigning/finding replacements/packing begins. The packing will actually be the easiest part, as the movers will do all of that. Hopefully all will go smoothly and I will be able to find a new niche. I was looking at the Aberdeen web sites, and it seems like a nice area - time will tell!

In the meantime, I am making a list of random things we need to remember to do:

1) Start throwing away the crap we never use - why should I worry about packing it if I haven't used it since the last move 3 years ago?

2) Remember to tell my magazine subscriptions at least a month ahead of time about the address change - for some reason it takes them 1-3 months for them to enter the info into the computer for the new labels...last time the post office wouldn't forward some as they classified it as "junk mail".

3) Use up the food in the fridge and pantry, or donate it to a friend - nothing worse than thinking you're all packed, not having any boxes or bags left, and then opening the fridge to see condiments and left overs.

4) Find a way to transport 3 cats who hate traveling without having a nervous breakdown - last time I gave them a sedative from the vet and flew them down one at a time during visits. This worked for one of them - Mama was happy and sleepy the whole way. Fiji was okay - mild whining and scratching. Sophie was a MESS - even with 1 1/2 pills - she spent most of the trip practically screaming and clawed herself bloody. It takes 12 hours (with no stopping) to travel to MD form GA - this should be interesting.

5) Make a CD of traveling tunes for the car ride: this will help when I hit a spot where there is no radio reception or all I can find is soothing classical music, which is not really conducive to staying awake at the wheel.

6) Pack a box of cleaning products in the car for the new place:I always end up having to go to the store for items that we already have, but are packed in who-knows-what-boxes, while we unpack.

If you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment!

Winter break...

This week is "Winter Break" for many schools in the area, and I am enjoying some catch-up time at home. It is already Saturday, however, and I am trying to figure out where the heck all my "break" went! Between the personal appointments (my hair was in sad shape, and the massage therapist nearly gave up on the stress knots in my upper back), car appointments (yes, I needed new brakes, but still!), papers to grade, personal business communications, and scheduled activities with friends, I don't feel like I really relaxed at all. Even when I sit down for some "me" time, my mind is racing with all of the the things still left on my to-do list that I need to finish before going back to school.

Why do I feel so compelled to be constantly productive and active? What happened to just being able to enjoy being a lazy sloth on vacation? When will I wake up and realize enough is enough?

I need to go finish my to-do list, so I don't really have time right now to think about this...maybe next weekend.

What the h$!!

I just read an online article about a scene in the new Hannah Montana movie (I'm too old to understand why HM is newsworthy in the first place, but that's a different story). Apparently, during a scene, Haley Cyrus and her father Billy Ray drove to a location and forgot to wear their seatbelts. Consumer Reports took umbrage to this scene because of the rise in teen motor vehicle fatalities.

To quote "It seems to us that Miley, her father, and Disney had a perfect opportunity to help influence teens and counteract – rather than encourage – this trend. "

This prompted an apology from Billy Ray and prompted me to wonder why he had to.

IT WAS A MOVIE, NOT A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. CELEBRITIES WILL NOT SAVE THE WORLD.


I'm getting frustrated at the prevalence of frivolous celebrity news stories on-line, on the radio, in print, on TV news, etc.

I neither need nor want to know about Britney Spears' problems. Please stop telling me about them.

I don't give a rat's a$$ what Tom Cruise thinks about post-partum depression or medication (By the way, F@#* L. Ron Hubbard). If he really wants to preach, become a minister (or whatever they have) and get out of the entertainment business.

I don't care if Heath Ledger was a raging crack-head. He had the good taste to keep it out of the spotlight. Shouldn't entertainment news channels and magazines do the same?

I am not trying to disparage actors, singers or athletes (or anyone else that is considered a celebrity). I particularly appreciate the work that Brad Pitt has done in New Orleans and that he and Angelina Jolie have done in Africa. However, it seems that I can't go five minutes without hearing about some superstar train wreck.

Can I please see headlines about other topics?

Best Super Bowl commercial ever!

Best commercial EVER - love the oboe!!

- Christine

Movie Recommendatons

Hey Folks,

Here are a couple of movies that we've seen recently.  If you get the chance, check 'em out on DVD.     

                         

  Shoot 'Em Up

Clive Owen stars as a guy out to save an orphan from a hitman.  Owen's character is almost like a stand-up comic.  A typical scene begins with Owen asking  "You know what I really hate?" and ends with him killing it.  

The name pretty well sums it up.  If you're in the mood for mindless violence and really intricate gun fights, this movie is awesome.  Best line belongs to Paul Giamatti: "Guns don't kill people...but they sure help".

I Am Legend

-Will Smith is excellent in this movie.  I highly recommend it.  It contains the most touching death of a pet scene since Ol' Yeller.

Moral of the story:  Don't Cure Cancer!!!  If you do, the human race is doomed.  If someone else claims that they've found a cure, slap the s#!t out of them.

I'll post more reviews (and random comments) as I think of them.  

-Rob