This post was moved to Blue Behind Bars on Nov 21, 2008 and can be found by clicking HERE
Primitive Instinct??
May 30, 2008 — Ms Sparky
Why does the smell of freshly cut grass smell sooooo good on a warm spring day? What is that urge to plant something on the first sunny day of the year? To get down and dirty and get that vegetable garden, herb garden, flower garden going? When the sun shines in the spring the garden stores are just over flowing with people who need to plant something …..plant anything.
I too have succumbed to the urge. We worked in our garden today laying landscape cloth and bark. The sun felt great. The dirt and bark smelled sooo good. It was almost intoxicating. Why??
Is this some primitive instinct to celebrate the fact that you survived the harsh winter and now it’s over. It’s time to forage and plant spring crops. I don’t know.
What I do know for sure, is it feels awesome being outside in the sun. My need to “plant something” is about a 7 on a scale of 1-10. I’ve been ordering plants all spring, mostly roses. I will admit I love the flower catalog’s and I tend to order more than I can comfortably plant. But my neighbors on both sides have beautiful blooming yards so the pressure is on to catch up.
Do yourself a favor and go plant something…it feels great!
Ms Sparky
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Don’t Text Me!!!!
May 29, 2008 — Ms SparkyI’m not sure what all the hullabaloo is about texting. All the kids are doing it and many adults. There is this texting shorthand that I just don’t get. Here is an example.
DILLIGAD – Do I Look Like I Give A Darnn?
BFF – Best Friends Forever
IJWTS – I Just Want To Say…
J4F – Just For Fun
WDYMBT – What do you mean by that?
YGTBK – You’ve Got To Be Kidding
What the hell kind of language is this. I got a text message the other day and had to call to get a translation. Am I getting old?
Here’s a text for you.
IUW2T2MCMOTP
(Simply translated-”If you want to talk to me, call me on the phone.”)
Ms Sparky
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Choosing Parents For Baby Ethan
May 28, 2008 — Ms Sparky
When Tiffany was initially arrested she was about one month pregnant. I was in Iraq and she wasn’t talking to me because I wouldn’t bail her out. So, she sat in jail and I communicated with her through her attorney.
I didn’t bail her out because I knew she would run and be back on meth and whatever else. She would then be a fugitive and would be putting my grand baby at risk. Is that what they call “tough love”? Because it was very tough.
When Tiffany did start talking to me, I started planting the seed that it might be best to place this baby for adoption. She was adamantly against it. I was totally exhausted after working in Iraq for two years, mentally, emotionally and physically. I was showing signs of having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I was having a hard time holding it together myself and with the realization that Tiffany was going to prison for almost six years, I just didn’t think I was capable of raising a new born baby and foster care was not an option. (Read the rest of the story here…)
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We’re Still Drinking Coffee
May 27, 2008 — Ms SparkyOver Memorial Day weekend we were childless and looking for something to watch on TV that didn’t involve Sprongebob, Pokemon or Transformers!! I ran across some black and white 1950’s “Leave It To Beaver” show. They were sitting at the breakfast table. Mom was puttering around the kitchen and Dad was drinking his coffee and reading his newspaper.
My… my… how times have changed. Does anyone even eat at the dining room table anymore? Ours has been turned into a desk that has two laptops sitting on it. As well as a printer, paperwork, a digital camera, research books and notes for future blogs.
Our morning starts like this. I stumble to the kitchen, start the coffee, go check my emails and blog comments while it’s brewing. Then after it’s done I grab a cup of coffee head back to my computer and read the news on Yahoo or CNN. Cal gets up, grabs a cup of coffee, sits down at his laptop and reads the news. Then we discuss it, looking at each other over our laptops.
Black and white TV as been replaced with HDTV. The “day old” newspaper has been replaced with countless “as it’s happening” internet news publications. The dishes on the table have been replaced with laptops. The only thing that’s the same is we’re still drinking coffee, except it’s $10 a can….. and $4 a cup at Starbucks.
Ms Sparky
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Radar Love??
May 26, 2008 — Ms SparkyThis weekend I was taking my grandson Keelen to spend the weekend with his Dad and Step-mom. I was heading south on I-5. It was raining like crazy but the holiday traffic was still moving. Then it got slower and slower and slower. Then we were at a complete stop. I sat on the interstate for about 10 minutes with the car in park. I thought there had to be an accident ahead or the draw bridge was up over the river. When the traffic finally started moving we reached a top speed of 11 MPH. I was looking for the cause of the slow down but didn’t see anything obvious. I FINALLY got across the bridge and what did I see? A motorcycle cop, standing in the pouring rain shooting radar. You have got be kidding me! What was he shooting? All three lanes of traffic were at the agonizingly slow speed of 11 MPH. The birds were flying faster. Maybe he was shooting the birds. Maybe he had one of the “new fangled” long range breathalysers checking for holiday drunks as the traffic crawled by at 11 freakin’ MPH.
It’s very possible he was the cause of the slow down to begin with. If I had been him, I would have been sitting at a Dunkin Donuts somewhere!
Ms Sparky
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BBQ, Beer and The Indy 500
May 25, 2008 — Ms SparkyWoo Hoo!!! A three day weekend. People are heading to their beach house, lake house, summer house. Campgrounds and beaches are overflowing. Friends and family come together. BBQ’s are fired up and the beer is cold. The deafening roar of the Indy 500 as it gets underway. Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of Summer.
Unfortunately, many have forgotten what Memorial Day is all about.
Memorial Day, formally known as Decoration Day because the graves of Union Soldiers who died in the Civil War were decorated with flowers, was first observed in 1865. In 1866 it was declared that Decoration Day would be observed nationwide on May 30th. Memorial Day was first used in 1882 but did not become official until 1967. In 1971, Memorial Day was changed from May 30th to the last Monday in May in order to give Americans another three day weekend.
Memorial Day is now a day to honor all the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price for your freedom. Your freedom of speech, your freedom of religion, your right to keep and bear arms, your right to travel where ever you choose, your right to sit on the couch, drink beer and watch the Indy 500. Many many countries do not have these same freedoms. In China you do not speak out publicly against the government. There are no rights to privacy. Every form of communication is monitored by the government. The news and internet are censored. (We can talk about Americas Patriot Act another time)
I have traveled all over the world and I feel there is no better country than the United States of America. Even with all her faults, I am very proud to be an American. I have put out my flag to honor our fallen hero’s. To say thank you for the freedoms I enjoy. I ask that you take a moment, reflect on the freedoms you enjoy. Put out your flag if you have one. If you don’t, go get one. And say thank you to those who paid for those freedoms with their lives.
(A Military transport bringing them home for the last time.)
(Arlington National Cemetery)
Hate the war, but never hate the Soldier. Freedom Is Not Free
I will be out and about with my family this weekend, so please don’t drink and drive. Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend.
Ms Sparky
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High Oil Prices…..Economic Terrorism?
May 24, 2008 — Ms SparkyEveryone is painfully aware of the high gas prices, especially over a holiday weekend. And everyone knows they are only going to get worse. I don’t necessarily blame the oil companies. They are “for profit” organizations and we are a capitalist country. At least for now.
Here is a price breakdown for a gallon of gas published by the California Energy Commission For May 19, 2008.
Distribution Costs
Marketing Costs and Profits $0.06/gal
Crude Oil Cost $3.03/gal
Refinery Cost and Profits $0.19/gal
State Underground Storage Tank Fee $0.01/gal
State and Local Sales Tax $0.29/gal
State Excise Tax $0.18/gal
Federal Excise Tax $0.18/gal
Retail prices $3.95/gal
The price of Crude Oil is the biggest expense and 70% of our crude oil comes from foreign sources, primarily Saudi Arabia.
I blame our politicians and the way they are dealing with the Middle East. Also for NOT allowing exploration and drilling on US soil. Our politicians are so out of touch with the average US citizen, they have become dangerously ineffective. Our own politicians and the special interest groups that financially support them are destroying this country.
In a New York Times article dated May 17, 2008 entitled “Saudis Rebuff Bush, Politely, On Pumping More Oil”. It discussed President Bush’s second unsuccessful visit to Saudi Arabia to talk to King Abdullah about increasing oil production. Production was increased slightly but would not amount to any change of price at the pump.
This is an excerpt from the article….
“The White House billed the visit on Friday as a way to celebrate 75 years of United States-Saudi relations, but that relationship, while strong under past presidents, especially Mr. Bush’s father, has grown strained under this president.
Mr. Hadley told reporters recently that “the Iraq war was a stress” on the relationship. Jon Alterman, a Mideast expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Saudi confidence in the United States has been “extremely shaken,” over the war as well as what Saudis perceive as Mr. Bush’s lackluster effort on behalf of the rights of Palestinians.
“They’ll be polite,” Mr. Alterman said, “but they’re not really going to put themselves out to help this president.”
What is this? Is this punishment from the Middle East for our support of Israel and our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Is this how the Middle East is going to retaliate? Economic Terrorism? They won’t have to nuke us or blow up anything. They will just hold our whole country hostage. They will destroy our economy via oil or the lack there of. If they can’t beat us on the battlefield, they will beat us on Wall Street. They are going to squeeze the life right out of us. Other countries such as Mexico and Venezuela have reduced production as well. Why? Mexico and President Felipe Calderón have immigration issues with the US? Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is a sworn enemy of the US with terrorist ties to Libya. Why are we allowing ourselves to be held hostage by these third world countries?
I say….drill for oil in the US where ever it is. Off shore, Alaska, Montana…where ever. We need to become independent of foreign oil. And we need to do it now!
We also need to utilize the technology that has already been developed and produce MORE energy efficient vehicles. Vehicles less dependent on oil. AND…coal to oil production. The technology is there and it’s efficient. WE have enough coal to produce enough oil to supply this country for 200 years.
And, I DO NOT think bio-fuels are the answer. The production of bio-fuels in the US is doing nothing but putting our food supply in danger. Farmers are growing crops for bio-fuel production and not human consumption. This is already affecting food supplies. Plus it costs more to produce bio-fuels than what we can get for them. But that’s OK it’s subsidized by the Federal Government. Anyone else see a problem with this?
Nuclear power, wind power, hydro power, solar power. We need to utilize it all or what is going to happen is countries like Saudi Arabia are going to start dictating our foreign policy in exchange for crude oil. Or…we’ll just go take over some third world oil rich country and just take the oil. I think either choice is unacceptable.
Just something to think about.
Ms Sparky
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Don’t Be Scared……Be Prepared!!!!
May 23, 2008 — Ms SparkyThis post was moved to Your Emergency Plan on Nov 21, 2008 and can be found by clicking HERE
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What I Learned From My Husband After 13 Years
May 22, 2008 — Ms Sparky
Today is our 13th wedding anniversary. Lucky 13. I call it lucky 17 because we met 17 years ago. We’ve had our ups and downs…more ups than downs. He’s not here today because he works out of town. Flies out on Mondays, flies in on Fridays. It’s not ideal, but it works for us and we don’t argue much. It’s hard to argue with me because I’m always right, so I say.
I’m not the easiest person to live with, but he’s managed OK. He’s supported my traveling around the world working in weird places, dragging him off to Iraq for a year, taking custody of our grandson, not finishing numerous projects and my emergency preparedness obsession.
He’s probably only learned one thing living with me over the years……..PATIENCE. I on the other hand have learned a lot from him. Here are just a few things:
1. Not EVERYTHING needs to be done RIGHT NOW.
2. Riding his Harley on a sunny day is more important than breathing.
3. Going down ALL the isles at Costco is not fun…..for him.
4. A man CAN survive on beer and hotwings.
5. EVERYTHING on the Sci-Fi Channel is worth watching.
6. My “Honey-Do” list is……….Optional.
I am a very lucky wife. I hope the second 13 years are just as interesting.
The photo above was taken 17 years ago at our first company Christmas party.
Happy Anniversary
I Love You
Ms Sparky
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I Got Mugged In Istanbul-Part 2
May 21, 2008 — Ms SparkyThis post was moved to Blue Behind Bars on Nov 21, 2008 and can be found by clicking HERE
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I Got Mugged In Istanbul-Part 1
May 20, 2008 — Ms SparkyThis post was moved to Blue Behind Bars on Nov 21, 2008 and can be found by clicking HERE
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6:27 am
May 19, 2008 — Ms Sparky
What is that noise? Is that a Blackhawk? Am I dreaming I’m back in Iraq? No…that would be a nightmare!
When I worked in Baghdad I lived at Camp Hope in the Green Zone (now called the International Zone). Not only my trailer (hooch) but the whole camp was under the approach pattern for the helicopter landing area LZ Washington. When the choppers were on approach it felt like one of those 25 cent ‘ magic fingers” beds in a cheap hotel except the whole trailer shook. And they ALWAYS came in twos. I know for a fact that some of the pilots would jack with us by flying lower and slower than usual. After what they endured day in and day out I guess they earned the right to entertain themselves by jacking with the US civilians now and then.
Groggy….foggy….waking up now….not a dream….not in Iraq….thank God! What in the hell is that? Then it becomes quite clear that a flock of AT LEAST a kagillion (which is a lot) Canadian geese just buzzed my house heading north, heading south who knows. But at that very moment they were straight up. The pillow over my head couldn’t even drown them out.
Well it’s 6:27am and I’m awake now. Might as well blog!
Ms Sparky
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Slip-N-Slide
May 18, 2008 — Ms Sparky
This has been the strangest weather month….snow, hail and 90+ degrees!!! We’ve already started watering the yard and we usually don’t have to do that until July/August. Naturally…boys will be boys and Keelen was playing in the sprinklers before I could even say “Don’t play in the sprinklers”. I quickly decided…what the hell and figured it was not a battle worth fighting.
It rarely gets this warm here, especially this early and most of us don’t have water games and toys stored in the garage…no sleds or snow shovels either. Being “The most awesome-est grandma in the world” and that’s a Keelen quote, it only seemed natural to run to the store and get him a slip-n-slide. (That brings back fond childhood memories) There must be many other “most awesome-est grandmas” out there because the shelves were bare. Not a water toy to be had. I was very disappointed and went to the next store and then the next. All the same…bare shelves. Now I am very very disappointed. I just can’t go home empty handed. As I headed home ready to deal with a very disappointed 5 year old I pulled into our local grocery store to get a Starbucks. Low and behold they had a seasonal section and Slip-n-Slides. Eureka!!! I bought two and a purple octopus (which was a bust and end up in the trash). I felt like I had just one the lottery. (kinda) The ironic thing is this grocery store is in my home town. I just drove 50 miles looking and if I had been thinking I would have only had to drive three….doh!!! A blonde Homer moment! Oh well…..all in all the mission was a success. My biggest regret is that I couldn’t play on it with him!!
Ms Sparky
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Baghdad Hot!!
May 17, 2008 — Ms Sparky
It was 95 degrees today…in SW Washington….in May!!! Unbelievable. These temps have me reminiscing about “the good ole days”. The two years I spend in Baghdad. My hottest day there was 137 degrees. But it was a dry heat. Ha Ha. That’s hot by any standard. Summer days in the 120’s & 130’s was the norm. It might cool off to 100 at night and that was a blessing.
You couldn’t touch anything with your bare hands and you better be damn careful jumping into your vehicle.
I lived in a trailer that I shared with my friend Phyllis. It was a tin can surrounded by sandbags and concrete walls. We were luckier than some, our camp had air conditioning and when the generators worked we got to use it. When a generator went down…you’d call around to see who had power and then go there.
A cold shower at the end of the day was unheard of. The water coming out of the cold tap was hotter than anything coming out of the water heater. During the summer we turned the water heater off so the water in the tank could cool off during the day giving us a luke warm shower at night.
They usually had ice in the dining facilities, but SAFE Ice for personal use was a luxury sold on the “black market”. You had to know someone…pay cash or trade for something, then try to get it back to your trailer unseen before it melted.
The blacktop and concrete was so hot you would get blisters the size of Texas on your feet…through your shoes.
Now add a 30 lb bullet proof vest (flack jacket), a kevlar helmet and a dust storm and you have….paradise???
Just west of Baghdad is a well known town called Abu Ghraib. This is where the Garden in Eden is supposed to have been…a paradise.
I don’t think so. There is no paradise in Iraq anywhere. The whole country is a miserable inhospitable hell hole.
The photo above is me at the Crossed Swords in Baghdad.
Ms Sparky
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If You Have That Kind Of Extra Money….Send It To Me!!!
May 17, 2008 — Ms SparkyThis post was moved to Blue Behind Bars on Nov 21, 2008 and can be found by clicking HERE
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What The Hell????
May 15, 2008 — Ms SparkyI hadn’t planned on posting two blogs in one day but I just couldn’t hold back.
Since when does Al Jazeera or Hamas or any other terrorist organization support a US Presidential candidate. What’s next Al Qaida??
This seriously concerns me. Al Jazeera is a US hating news organization in Qatar that spouts radical Muslim extremist propaganda. I listened to it for two years while I was in Iraq. They are the ones that broadcast the beheading of Americans on the internet!!! Hamas is a terrorist organization who has declared jihad (holy war) against Israel, one of our most powerful allies.
Why would they support him? Do they think his presidency would further their cause? Could it be his radical views. Keep in mind he was a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ under Reverend Wright for 20 years. Very radical.
All Muslims are not bad people. I have many Muslims friends still in Iraq. Radical Muslim extremist on the other hand are very dangerous. Their cause is NOT your cause. Keep in mind you are probably an infidel. They are willing to die to kill you.
I am a democrat by nature, but I can not and will not vote for anyone supported by radical Muslim extremist groups such as Hamas and Al Jazeera. This is a very dangerous road we are about to travel. Very dangerous.
I believe Obama is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Again, I am forced to vote against someone instead of voting for someone!!
Ms Sparky
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Have I Used Up All My Luck?
May 15, 2008 — Ms SparkyI, like millions of others, religiously buy lottery tickets. Can’t win if you don’t play. In Washington we have Mega Millions. Each morning after a drawing I take my coffee and my $10 ticket and log onto Mega Millions’s website to see 1-If anyone won the jackpot, 2-if there were any big winners in my State and then I check my numbers, Mega Ball First. If I have a matching Mega Ball I check that row before the others. This week I had the correct Mega Ball “15″….cool. Then I had the first number “20″….cool. Then I had the second number “24″….even cooler. Then I had the third number “27″….at this point I am kinda going “Oh My God” just one more number and I’m $10,000 richer. But no…there were no more matching numbers. (sigh) I was a big $150 winner though. That’s pretty cool….unless I just used up all my “lottery luck”!! What are the odds of someone winning more than once? What are the odds of someone winning at all? Could that be my big win? Let’s hope not….the lottery jackpot is a huge part if my retirement plan!!!
Ms Sparky
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Park Em’ Out People
May 14, 2008 — Ms SparkyI had just dropped Keelen off at pre-school and was pulling into my favorite Starbucks for my usual Venti Sugar Free Vanilla No Foam Latte. It didn’t take long to notice something was amiss. The drive-thru was screwed up, the parking lot was screwed up. What the hell was going on? All I wanted was my latte…. As I tried to maneuver through a throng of aggravated, caffeine deprived patrons I soon discovered the problem.
A Ford F-350 Crew Cab Long Bed Dually was parked in not one, but three compact parking spots. The bed of the truck had one lane of traffic completely blocked. Since when did a Ford F-350 become a compact car. What the hell? And me without my rocket launcher!!! (I really don’t have one….but I really really want one. My husband though, won’t let me carry lethal weapons in the car…go figure.)
People were pissed. As we sat there trying to figure out what was what, this little blonde 20 somethin’ came bouncing out of Starbucks with coffee in hand. The traffic was such a mess she was blocked in and she had the audacity to say “You people are going to have to move, I can’t get out!!”. A guy screams at her…”We would move if we could, what the hell are you doing parking there!” She got all indignant and got in her truck….and sat there…..and sat there….and sat there!
Now I have a big diesel truck. When I take it to town, I part it OUT and walk in. For all you big truck, big SUV, mini-van, Hummer people…..they aren’t compact cars. PARK EM’ OUT!!!!
When I finally got my latte, the little 20 somethin’ was TRYING to back that big truck out of there. I’m not sure she ever made it!
You just do not mess with people and their coffee!
Ms Sparky
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An Apology
May 14, 2008 — Ms SparkyWhen Tiffany was little, I was one of those arrogant, judgmental Know-It-All parents who didn’t hesitate to give unsolicited parenting advice to all those “ignorant” parents out there “doin’ it wrong”. “Do this…Don’t do that…What are you thinkin’, …blah blah blah”.
Well….I have been duly humbled and I would like to express my most sincere apologies to all my friends and family, especially Joan, Dollie and Ruth. I was ruthlessly judgmental about your child rearing techniques.
I love you guys. Thanks so much for not bitch slappin’ the crap out of me. God knows I deserved it!
Ms Sparky
PS-To all you arrogant, judgmental Know-It-All parents out there…….prepare to be humbled.