Random thoughts

[cassiesmom]

I just saw a job posting ... bilingual shipboard nurses needed for Princess Cruises. Trips are in Asia so you'd need to speak Chinese or Mandarin, which I don't. They usually hire nurses with emergency department or ICU experience. 4 months on, 2 months off. Cruise ship nurse used to be one of my dream jobs until I met someone who had done it - he told me it's a lot of work because they're responsible for the staff (both illnesses and injuries) as well as guests. Some of the largest cruise ships have a lot of staff members. They might be responsible for a couple thousand people between the guests and staff. One person with a cold or a case of stomach flu and it can spread really fast. So ... it's not exactly my dream job anymore.

[Karen]

Okay, made banana bread last night, with Uncle Mac's recipe, and I substituted pumpkin seeds for the optional walnuts, and this time I measured.

Note to self: 1 cup is far too many - the banana bread becomes more fragile because there are so many seeds!

I usually don't measure, but this time I did, and 1/2 cup would be plenty!

[cassiesmom]

It was 29 years ago today (1986) that the Challenger space shuttle exploded 2 minutes - maybe less than that - after it took off. I wonder why I haven't heard much about it on the news today. I remember exactly where I was that day. It was my junior year of college, mid-morning and I was one of the few people in the dorm- most had already left for classes. My schedule was different because I was a nursing major. A sad day.

[RICHARD]

It was 29 years ago today (1986) that the Challenger space shuttle exploded 2 minutes - maybe less than that - after it took off. I wonder why I haven't heard much about it on the news today. I remember exactly where I was that day. It was my junior year of college, mid-morning and I was one of the few people in the dorm- most had already left for classes. My schedule was different because I was a nursing major. A sad day.

I had called in sick to work and my buddy called me up to tell me to turn on the TV to watch the coverage....
It was unbelievable.

[cassiesmom]

Did Kanye West's fans really think Paul McCartney was some unknown newcomer to the music world? Seriously, people, you've never heard a Beatles song?! *smh*

[cassiesmom]

I read this quote and it was mis-attributed to Nelson Mandela. It is actually by Marianne Williamson. No matter, I still really like it:

"...Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

[Karen]

I am recently celebrating the fact that I am no longer allergic to malt - you'd be surprised at how prevalent it is in things like bread and crackers. So I am inordinately happy I am sitting here eating Wheat Thins with a little peanut butter on them (Teddy Bear brand, crunchy) for my afternoon snack!

[cassiesmom]

Big story in Chicago sports news today ... The Little League governing body has ruled that Chicago team, Jackie Robinson West, will lose its U.S. title because there were players that live outside the team's geographic area. The team's manager allegedly used a "fudged" map to recruit the best players with the cooperation of other local teams. The Little League administrator for the area may also have had some knowledge that this was going on. The title has been transferred to a team from Las Vegas.

This was a very big "feel-good" story. All of Chicagoland was rooting for this team. Their games were shown on an enormous screen down in Grant Park. There has been so much tragedy in Chicago lately with gangs and drugs, it was nice to have some good news to celebrate because of this team.

The reporter didn't explain how the Little League organization found out about this. I wonder why it took so long to come to light. I don't know a lot about kids' sports programs, though. Our local park district offers several sports- baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse- and when you sign your child up, you provide documentation that shows whether you live within the park district boundaries or not. That happens before practices even start.

[RICHARD]

Big story in Chicago sports news today ... The Little League governing body has ruled that Chicago team, Jackie Robinson West, will lose its U.S. title because there were players that live outside the team's geographic area. The team's manager allegedly used a "fudged" map to recruit the best players with the cooperation of other local teams. The Little League administrator for the area may also have had some knowledge that this was going on. The title has been transferred to a team from Las Vegas.

This was a very big "feel-good" story. All of Chicagoland was rooting for this team. Their games were shown on an enormous screen down in Grant Park. There has been so much tragedy in Chicago lately with gangs and drugs, it was nice to have some good news to celebrate because of this team.

The reporter didn't explain how the Little League organization found out about this. I wonder why it took so long to come to light. I don't know a lot about kids' sports programs, though. Our local park district offers several sports- baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse- and when you sign your child up, you provide documentation that shows whether you live within the park district boundaries or not. That happens before practices even start.

The 'problem' was that the new director for the league changed the boundaries of the area w/o telling the league. this allowed players from outside the area to play in that league.

People also try to work the system in High School athletics...People will falsify an address to get the kid into a school with a good track record in that sport....

A coach, who's team lost to the Chi team something like 34-3 (I may have that score wrong), noticed that AFTER the LLWS games, people from outside the area were having parties to honor the kids, when he did a little digging, he found out that the kids were living outside the area that the LL had set up for that region.

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I had to laugh at the call of 'racism' by jesse Jackson. I guess the rules only apply to everyone else? I feel for the kids, but after all is said and done? the blame should be laid at the feet of the guy that caused the problem?

[mon]

Jesse Jackson has always been more than a little "out there" to put it mildly, IMHO. In one ear and clean out the other springs to mind.

[Lady's Human]

When your seed order exceeds your average bi-weekly grocery bill, you might have a problem. LOL

[Karen]

When your seed order exceeds your average bi-weekly grocery bill, you might have a problem. LOL

Hee hee - at least a teensy portion of it is for me! Okay, that dollar or so probably didn't make a difference!

[Lady's Human]

Hee hee - at least a teensy portion of it is for me! Okay, that dollar or so probably didn't make a difference!

Yeah, the $1.95 was the deal breaker.

[RICHARD]

Every time I open a 'child proof/tamper proof' package I think about the idiot who tampered with the Tylenol all those years ago.

I hope he died a painful death, due to the fact that HE couldn't get a blister pack open so he could take HIS meds.

Chuckleheaded moron.........

[Lady's Human]

Someone gave us some boxes of pectin.

Across the top of the box:

Recipes inside!

On a sticker on the bottom of the box:

No recipes inside. Go to ******.com for recipes.