I'm here in the UK again. Yesterday, after our dinner, my vendor's and I took a walk along the Thames. Not that long, because the showers were coming and going. At any rate, i can't come even close to typing out how beautiful the enlgish countryside is, especially when it's slightly sunny, post-shower. I asked 1 of the vendors who's a native englishman, "how in the world could you leave this place?"
I felt like i was walking through some romantic english novel, like Bronte or something. There were numerous longboats moored along the banks. You could smell the latest brew emanating from their portholes. We came across a few chaps who were just having a conversation on the banks. Simple, yet inextricably European.
Have i ever mentioned how much i enjoy Europe? A pity the dollar is so poor against the Euro, otherwise i'd venture here so much more often.
Pics to follow!!!
Wow, having daylight savings come this early takes a little getting used to. It's march 9th, and dusk didn't come until about 7:00 pm......it's going to be a GREAT SUMMER!!
]]>A co-worker e-mailed this to me, and I found it enlightening.
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TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURV IVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As infants &children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day.And we were OK.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, o nly to find out we forgot the brakes After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have (or not till later anyway) Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computer! S, no Internet or chat rooms....... WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good. While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!
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This actually makes me want to take Chloe out and play....everyday....all day! It also makes me feel bad being an IT Professional, as it's an inherent duty of mine to help propagate this technologically driven lifestyle.
so...wow. The 10 commandments, something that billions have followed through the ages, is a result of someone tripping out? Now, that's what I call a trip!
This reminds me of an old friend from the movie Dogma...
This truly warrants a lengthy blog entry, but that's hard to accomplish while at work....
*sigh*
On the morning of 2/28, I go to get gas at the Shell around the corner from my apartment complex. I make a mental note of the price at $3.34/gal (3.39 9/10 really, but sue me if i round up that 1/10). On the morning of 2/29 at approximately 5 am, i go to the gym. I drive by the gas station, and that price had shot up to $3.38. I was lamenting b/c i didn't fill up the day before and was now out .04 cents a gallon.
.....
So, when i get back home from work later in the day (this was approximately 3 pm), i see the gas is now at $3.40/gal. Seriously, what the hell happened to the $3.38 rate? I've never seen a price have a shelf life so short.....
*shaking head*......
No wonder petrochemical companies are reporting some of the greatest annual profits in history. Case in point.
What's the biggest leap of faith you've ever had to take?
Moving out to CA. It was a good decision at the time. I've got my baby girl as a result now, so how can I complain?
So, i just came across this article on what's called "re-virginization" or "born-again virgins". It centers on a spiritual basis, where woman feel that based on this in conjunction with religious beliefs, they truly consider themselves virgins again. Hmmmmm???
Now, I don't know about most people, but i don't see how this can really be given credence. Perhaps i'm missing something that allows women to mentally detach themselves from previous experiences such that they don't rely on it to recall what feels good to them, or knowing what they like. Even just as valid, using said experiences to know what their partner may like. The fact of the matter is, no matter how meaningless it was their first time, there really is NO reclaiming that. Yes, a hymen can be reattached but is your memory of how it felt the first time it was broken really gone? Is all the sex they've had previously miraculously purged from their brain?
With all this being said, I'm claiming myself a "Virgin" once again; just disregard the fact i'm a Dad please, Thanks!
I heard my co-worker say this, and I cracked up so hard.....definitely is one of the worst, yet funniest pick-up lines i've ever heard!
"Too bad you're not Algebra, because I could study you all day long!!"
I guess the math feen in me loves the line...
Great song...better voice!!
This past weekend, C-Lo and I were at the park enjoying the nice weather. She's at the jungle gym and I'm just letting her do her thing. I did notice these 2 little girls, they were both bigger than C-lo so i'm assuming they were about 4-5ish. They seemed a little pushy, not really aware of the other kids there trying to play. So anyway, the bigger of the girls decides to park herself at the top of the steps, blocking the way for the kids who want to go slide. C-Lo, having just finished her latest slide down, decides she wants another go at it, of course. As she takes her first steps up the stairs, *WHACK*, that girls straight up kicked C-Lo in the face ( i see Chloe's head recoil back and all). Of course, Chloe comes running to me hand over her face, and as a parent i'm %#@*#@^#(!@ fuming. This girl's mom is all apologetic and stuff and I'm not really paying attention. At this point, Chloe's too distraught to continue playing and i'm worried as to what I really want to say to this mom, so we head back to my place.
Now, I know, kids will be kids. However, you have to be pretty damn blind to see when kids aren't necessarily playground ready yet. As i stated, they weren't really aware of the other kids around them. All the other kids kind of play talk to each other, go down the slide together, no pushing or shoving aside present. But, these 2 kids just ruined that whole atmosphere. They did whatever they wanted, regardless of the others.
So, is it ok to place blame on this mother?
1) For allowing her kids to just have their way on the playground w/out at least telling them to play nice every so often, or pulling them aside to force them to play nice?
2) For even bringing her kids there in the first place?
If I knew Chloe had issues w/ other kids, i'd probably be really weary about her at a jungle gym w/ other kids. And, if i did decide to bring her, I'd be damn close making sure she played nice (THANK GOD I DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM!).
Yes...just venting.....