Mister Rogers RIP.....
As much as anyone can poke fun at his program, I don't know many that didn't watch his show as children. He taught that our imaginations could take us anywhere. And to love ourselves and everyone around us. A simple but profound message. There will be a little hole felt in society today as we have lost such a gentle and caring man that children everywhere adored.
And here it is snowing yet again......
This time we could get a total of 6-12 inches by Friday. If I were in Rochester, NY, this would not be newsworthy or surprising. But this is Maryland! These folks aren't prepared to plow so frequently, LOL.
I need a change of scenery....some deserted island would fit the bill nicely. ;)
Damn...Donahue has been cancelled. grrrr......
Why is it that every freaking house around here becomes a bidding war when it goes up for sale? Even houses that need a good bit of work and shouldn't be priced as high as they are. How am I ever supposed to manage to get a decent house in this crazy market? And in the forefront of everyone's minds is the state of affairs with the stock market, economy, and the possible war with Iraq and God knows who else. Doesn't make one so comfortable to buy something so expensive. *Sigh*
Otherwise things are status quo on my end. Waiting to see if we are gonna get another snow storm on Thursday.
Went to see a few more houses today. We liked the first one, though it will need some work. The second one is really out of our price range. The third one was ...different. When the first one comes off contract (as it is said to be happening), we will likely put a contract on it. It's spaceous and backs to the lake which is quite a plus. I just hope it does not become a bidding war.
This article portrays the reasons that France and Germany are against a war in Iraq. And I can't blame them for feeling the way they do.
I'm here pouting...we didn't get the house. I think we're gonna have to raid my 401k plan to get the closing costs for any house. That and borrow some money from my parents. This sucks.
I still haven't mentioned this here, but my boss had been raving since December that the Farmers' Almanac predicted a big storm for this past weekend. I heard about this every freaking time it snowed. (I'm not kidding!) Now when I do finally go back to work, I'll hear how the Almanac was so right....LOL.
The federal government is closed tomorrow. So Brian gets the day off. Now let's hope my work is closed too. We're generally based on the Montgomery County Government's decision. Except they never seem to close. One co-worker has said repeatedly that he is convinced that they only people that work for Mont. Co. are snow plow drivers, LOL.
If I do have to work, I've got a good bit of digging to do to get my car out from behind the wall of snow that's in front of it. And that not even including the snow that will pack against the wall if a snow plow ever manages to make it onto our street. The snow surrounding my car is now cleared. We spent a few hours digging both of our cars from beneath the drifts of snow. It would have been even worse had we not dug out the cars yesterday.
Many of our neighbors used buckets and dustpans in lieu of shovels to clear the snow from around their cars. One set of neighbors are from Kenya and had only moved here this year. This has been the first winter they have ever experienced. What a doozy to start out with! LOL.
And perhaps tomorrow I'll have some news about the house......
My brother is upset because we read that the roof collapsed at the roundhouse at the B&O Railroad museum in Baltimore from the weight of the snow. Brian is hoping the trains weren't damaged badly. We'd been to the museum twice in just over a year. Sounds silly but playing Railroad Tycoon we'd become old train enthusiasts, LOL.
LOL...it posted the below comment but not what I tried to post 3 times....oh well, ironic that what I was trying to post was a link to a news story detailing how Google bought Pyra labs and specifically, Blogger. Go figure.
I'm wondering if contracts will be heard today, or if I'll have to wait another whole day to find out if I'm gonna get the house I want. I so want this done and over with so I can deal with either consequence. What can I say say....I'm the impatient type.
Cabin fever could be part of my problem, too, as we have almost 2 feet of snow here. Once I blow dry my hair I can go out and start digging out my car, LOL. That'll give me something else to direct my energy toward.
This scares me. Once again the US government is playing bully and is working toward having no allies left.
I hope to God folks around the world know that most of this country does not support what this administration has done these past two years. I hope to God that we are able to remove his ass from office in 2004. I fear the consequences if we don't. I fear the damage he has already done. *shudder*
Got this in my email....it's a speech from a US Senator that I can agree with:
t r u t h o u t | Statement
by US Senator Robert Byrd
Senate Floor Speech
We Stand Passively Mute
Wednesday 12 February 2003
"To contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human experiences. On this February day, as this nation stands at the brink of battle, every American on some level must be contemplating the horrors of war.
Yet, this Chamber is, for the most part, silent -- ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. There is nothing. We stand passively mute in the United States Senate, paralyzed by our own uncertainty, seemingly stunned by the sheer turmoil of events. Only on the editorial pages of our newspapers is there much substantive discussion of the prudence or imprudence of engaging in this particular war.
And this is no small conflagration we contemplate. This is no simple attempt to defang a villain. No. This coming battle, if it materializes, represents a turning point in U.S. foreign policy and possibly a turning point in the recent history of the world.
This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the future -- is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international law and the UN Charter. And it is being tested at a time of world-wide terrorism, making many countries around the globe wonder if they will soon be on our -- or some other nation's -- hit list. High level Administration figures recently refused to take nuclear weapons off of the table when discussing a possible attack against Iraq. What could be more destabilizing and unwise than this type of uncertainty, particularly in a world where globalism has tied the vital economic and security interests of many nations so closely together? There are huge cracks emerging in our time-honored alliances, and U.S. intentions are suddenly subject to damaging worldwide speculation. Anti-Americanism based on mistrust, misinformation, suspicion, and alarming rhetoric from U.S. leaders is fracturing the once solid alliance against global terrorism which existed after September 11.
Here at home, people are warned of imminent terrorist attacks with little guidance as to when or where such attacks might occur. Family members are being called to active military duty, with no idea of the duration of their stay or what horrors they may face. Communities are being left with less than adequate police and fire protection. Other essential services are also short-staffed. The mood of the nation is grim. The economy is stumbling. Fuel prices are rising and may soon spike higher.
This Administration, now in power for a little over two years, must be judged on its record. I believe that that record is dismal.
In that scant two years, this Administration has squandered a large projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion over the next decade and taken us to projected deficits as far as the eye can see. This Administration's domestic policy has put many of our states in dire financial condition, under funding scores of essential programs for our people. This Administration has fostered policies which have slowed economic growth. This Administration has ignored urgent matters such as the crisis in health care for our elderly. This Administration has been slow to provide adequate funding for homeland security. This Administration has been reluctant to better protect our long and porous borders.
In foreign policy, this Administration has failed to find Osama bin Laden. In fact, just yesterday we heard from him again marshaling his forces and urging them to kill. This Administration has split traditional alliances, possibly crippling, for all time, International order-keeping entities like the United Nations and NATO. This Administration has called into question the traditional worldwide perception of the United States as well-intentioned, peacekeeper. This Administration has turned the patient art of diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name calling of the sort that reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and sensitivity of our leaders, and which will have consequences for years to come.
Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling whole countries as evil, denigrating powerful European allies as irrelevant -- these types of crude insensitivities can do our great nation no good. We may have massive military might, but we cannot fight a global war on terrorism alone. We need the cooperation and friendship of our time-honored allies as well as the newer found friends whom we can attract with our wealth. Our awesome military machine will do us little good if we suffer another devastating attack on our homeland which severely damages our economy. Our military manpower is already stretched thin and we will need the augmenting support of those nations who can supply troop strength, not just sign letters cheering us on.
The war in Afghanistan has cost us $37 billion so far, yet there is evidence that terrorism may already be starting to regain its hold in that region. We have not found bin Laden, and unless we secure the peace in Afghanistan, the dark dens of terrorism may yet again flourish in that remote and devastated land.
Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing forces. This Administration has not finished the first war against terrorism and yet it is eager to embark on another conflict with perils much greater than those in Afghanistan. Is our attention span that short? Have we not learned that after winning the war one must always secure the peace? And yet we hear little about the aftermath of war in Iraq. In the absence of plans, speculation abroad is rife. Will we seize Iraq's oil fields, becoming an occupying power which controls the price and supply of that nation's oil for the foreseeable future? To whom do we propose to hand the reigns of power after Saddam Hussein?
Will our war inflame the Muslim world resulting in devastating attacks on Israel? Will Israel retaliate with its own nuclear arsenal? Will the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian governments be toppled by radicals, bolstered by Iran which has much closer ties to terrorism than Iraq?
Could a disruption of the world's oil supply lead to a world-wide recession? Has our senselessly bellicose language and our callous disregard of the interests and opinions of other nations increased the global race to join the nuclear club and made proliferation an even more lucrative practice for nations which need the income?
In only the space of two short years this reckless and arrogant Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous consequences for years.
One can understand the anger and shock of any President after the savage attacks of September 11. One can appreciate the frustration of having only a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting enemy on which it is nearly impossible to exact retribution.
But to turn one's frustration and anger into the kind of extremely destabilizing and dangerous foreign policy debacle that the world is currently witnessing is inexcusable from any Administration charged with the awesome power and responsibility of guiding the destiny of the greatest superpower on the planet. Frankly many of the pronouncements made by this Administration are outrageous. There is no other word.
Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent. On what is possibly the eve of horrific infliction of death and destruction on the population of the nation of Iraq -- a population, I might add, of which over 50% is under age 15 -- this chamber is silent. On what is possibly only days before we send thousands of our own citizens to face unimagined horrors of chemical and biological warfare -- this chamber is silent. On the eve of what could possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in retaliation for our attack on Iraq, it is business as usual in the United States Senate.
We are truly "sleepwalking through history." In my heart of hearts I pray that this great nation and its good and trusting citizens are not in for a rudest of awakenings.
To engage in war is always to pick a wild card. And war must always be a last resort, not a first choice. I truly must question the judgment of any President who can say that a massive unprovoked military attack on a nation which is over 50% children is "in the highest moral traditions of our country". This war is not necessary at this time. Pressure appears to be having a good result in Iraq. Our mistake was to put ourselves in a corner so quickly. Our challenge is to now find a graceful way out of a box of our own making. Perhaps there is still a way if we allow more time.
LOL....the nude weblog awards....see it to believe it. ;)
We're getting buried in snow here in Maryland. We had a few inches on Friday night and 10 inches last night and its still coming down at 1-2 inches an hour. We're expected to get a total of 15-25 inches today and tomorrow. (I'm thinking even more...closer to 3 feet total for the weekend) The best part is I don't have to go anywhere. The bad part is my realtor does. We're trying to put a contract on a house we saw Friday. We tried to put the contract in then, but the seller was not hearing contracts until today. And I fear it could get pushed off due to weather. But my realtor assured me he has 4-wheel drive, LOL. He'll be there so long as the contracts are being taken. If it gets pushed off it increases the chances of us having more people bidding against us.
I want this house. Period. But we don't have the ability to bid much beyond the asking price. So I suspect I'm gonna be disappointed...that I'm gonna be outbid. Any good vibes sent my way would be greatly appreciated. I've even been praying. LOL.
Guess what?....Claude has not been deployed yet and he taught class last night. And boy am I sore!!!! The arm weight reps showed me just how weak my arms really are. I need to add more arm weight reps to my normal routine to get more strength.
Still in SOP hell. It sucks that I need to get so many SOPs written in such a short time. I'll be so glad when the next few weeks are over. Then I'll need to write something that I'll get much more favorable feedback and that will be more a joy to write, LOL. Or maybe just take a vacation.
I took Gee to the vet Tuesday, where he got an oatmeal bath and some cortizone conditioner. It appears it has helped to reduce his itching. But the poor thing peed in his carrier on the way home. It appears he had a full bladder and going out into the cold air made his urgency increase. When I took him out of his carrier, his white paws were pink, covered in bloody urine. The only plus side is he at least isn't peeing as frequently. I think the anti-histamine is helping with that. The bad news of course is his urine is still bloody. And I had to wash off his paws again. The boy was having a stressful day. But he's been clingy ever since I brought him back, so he's not mad, just glad to be home again.
Looking at more houses tonight. Not much more news on that front......
Looks like Bush is getting the war he wants. Troops are gathering near Iraq in preparation. From the gym, our boot camp instructor has been called up. He's army reserves, if I recall correctly, military intelligence. Our instructor last night, Robyn, let us know the news and told us she'd be covering his class while he's gone. I can see it know....Claude torturing the enemy with his singing of the smurf song. La la, la-la-la-la, la la-la la la....LOL. Claude is a cool, if not quirky guy. May he come back unharmed if he in fact ends up fighting in Bush's war.
House hunting around here sucks. Nice 14 year old town houses are going for $240-250,000. I can afford that, but these houses need new windows, new cabinets and countertops, new carpet and paint, new appliances, replacement of much of the wood trim, etc. It makes it seem more frugal to buy a $260-270,000 house that is 7-10 years old that are of the newer style, that don't need so many repairs. The only problem is getting together the down payment and the closing costs.....sigh.
This article in Today's Washington Post details the growing depression in America. Not a financial depression, but an emotional depression felt by many, as bad times seem to have fallen on America. Collectively we have suffered many losses in the last 2 years. And the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel is obscured from view. This article documents several different perspectives held by portions of this collective, including a one that directly links Bush to these bad times.
I'd like to add another contributor to this anxiety that the journalist failed to mention. The new Millenium. It has been well documented that the last few years of a century along with the first few years of the next century tend to be times filled with anxiety and uncertainty. It's the whole concept of entering a new era that leaves some a little leary. It's rather natural. And beings it is a whole new Millenium, rather than simply a new century, one could expect the anxiety to be amplified further. But I certainly hope we don't become adjusted to living in such stressful times and accept them as the norm. If we are lucky the pendulum will swing the other way and we will be blessed with less anxious and more peaceful times.
So much has been going on lately that a blog entry can't sufficiently cover. In a nutshell, I've been looking at townhouses--trying to find a home, trying to deal with having a sick cat, and doing my job in between. I want to write more about this, but as of this Friday night, I'm brainfried, LOL. I'm lucky I know my name. ;)
Looks like more snowy weather will follow today's 7 inches. Farmers Almanac says we are due for a blizzard in the next week or so, if you believe in it. And Monday promises to bring another snowstorm....sheesh. Could this be the big one? Stay tuned....
Time for some shut eye...God knows I need it.
Have you ever zoned out while you're driving and suddenly realize you are zipping along but the guy ahead of you is at a complete stop? And have you ever done it when you know the person driving behind you? I had this happen yesterday. My first reaction was to hit my brakes. And my second reaction was to pull into the left hand turn lane, since I didn't want to slam my brakes hard enough that the person I knew behind me was forced to slam into the back of me. I felt pretty embarrassed when I first saw her at the gym afterwards. But after I explained the situation, she told me that the truck that had been at a stop in front of me, didn't tend to use his brakes and she nearly ran into the back of him at the next light, I didn't feel so bad. Yeah...it's his fault. ;)
All I know is I'm happy I didn't run into him. That would have been bad, LOL.
Where once we suffered under a severe drought with stringent water restrictions, just a few months later we have been blessed with lots of rain and snow, refilling the waterways and reservoirs. Today is another such day where we are being doused with rain. With these late winter rains and snows, I hope it results in a vibrantly colorful spring. And with Easter being quite late this year it should prove to be a lovely time. But for now we can only anticipate 6 more weeks of winter since that oversized rodent saw his shadow on Sunday, LOL.
House hunting has been interesting to say the least. I've seen a few immaculate beautifully decorated homes and I've seen some that were in dire need of care. Most of the rest were somewhere in between, mostly not suiting our needs. Going into these people's homes, touring throughout them, I got a glimpse of each family unit. One home was owned by a fireman. Another an exercise freak. Some with grown kids, others with young children. Most were moving out of the area or up north to get a bigger house. Some the owner was present, while many others the house was empty at the time of viewing. Each had its own story. It's own distinct personality.
So far my brother and I have not found the one. We saw two that could have fit to some degree. One of those turned out to be under contract already. The other I'm not sure the location is somewhere I'm willing to live.
So for now, the search will continue.....
When I turned on the TV this morning, I thought they were replaying footage of the Challenger disaster from 1986. Quickly I realized that was not the case. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the crew members lost on this day.
The sad thing is some idiot had an auction on Ebay already, trying to sell debris. The bid went from $1.00 to $9,999,999.00. The person did not guarantee it was real. And the idiot listed his location as in Germany. Thankfully Ebay officials have pulled the auction. But I did get to see it just before they pulled it. *shakes head in disbelief*