Weekend Report

12-19-11 productive brain
Poor Greg has been sick most of last week and sad to say I was not in KC to take care of him, but on the other hand, glad I was not there to get exposed. Greg decided to stay in KC over the weekend since he'll be coming north for Christmas break later this week. So far I've stayed healthy and I've been fairly productive, considering it's December and the shortest daylight is coming this week.

Today, I walked into a half cleaned office..... this is the part I work in, so I'll have a nice start to Monday.

Over the weekend, Ann joined me and while I worked on my large pixel art project due in January..... Ann was working on her wool mitten project.

I really wanted to complete my art project this weekend so I wouldn't have to worry about it over the holiday. However, come Sunday evening at 8:30 PM, I was ever so close, but discovered I didn't have enough yellow pixels to finish.... Here in the lower left corner of my canvas!This sent me into the art room to try to create a few more pixels which I will attempt to blend in with the rest...... some evening this week.

Imagine Peace

12-16-11 somber brain

Yesterday, much of the news centered on the end of the Iraq War. Sure a small part of me is very happy, but mostly I’m left with a sad sober feeling…… much like I felt back in 2003 when the “Shock and Awe” was started…. To me it felt like a bad decision which wouldn’t lead to any good.

And I still feel that way today.

 However, I am proud of the way most American people did realize the huge sacrifice our military families were making, and I am proud that our solders became our respected heroes even in a war which half of us couldn't support the cause, due to the false lies which took us into Iraq.

Of course the train wreck really isn’t over….just because we are pulling out. The war, which was not paid for, has been a leading factor in our country’s money problems, which has left us weaker and unable to take care of our own people. Iraq itself.... are they better off? Only they can answer that.

Given the chance, yes- I’d go back in a time machine if I could and ask for a re-do on all of this!

"An eye for an eye will make us blind" 

  Mahatma Gandhi

Politics in Iowa

12-15-11 apologizing brain
I'm going to publicly apologize to my friend Ann for teasing her - and joking with her on Facebook this last week, when I commented on her choice of GOP candidates- Rick Perry. I had suggested that Ann needed to "jump off of that sinking ship".... as Perry's polling numbers have declined.

But as I listened to some Rush Limbaugh the last two days on my drive up to northern Iowa and back for work- I learned that there are really only THREE true conservative candidates: Bachmann, Perry and Stantorum. So in that case, Ann - being a conservative, has made the best choice of GOP candidates from that group.  :)

What do I really know about the GOP candidates? I have watched some of the debates, but not like Ann.... she has been actively participating in the many campaign speaking engagements in Iowa and met all of the candidates in person (but probably not Rommey). She has educated herself and made her decision on who she will caucus for in a few weeks. I can respect that.

However, I can't respect the Perry's ad that Ann had posted on her Facebook page. If you are on FB, you probably know the one getting all the heat, since there have been several parodies of this ad which are being shared on the Internet.

The script talks about faith, religion, gays in the military, lack of being able to pray in schools, and blames "Obama's war on religion" for all our countries problems..... (really? I'm pretty sure Obama wasn't President back when school prayer was challenged)...  In my opinion this ad does nothing for Perry- he is just playing the tune the Christian Right want to hear. This same ad could of been done by Backmann, Stantorum, or even Sarah Palin herself.

This ad makes Perry look anti-gay.... oh- ya maybe he is. (?) When will the Religious Right understand their own individual church does not have to accept gay marriage if they don't want to- they have that freedom of religion to decide. However, our country's laws are promises to be equal for everyone. Gay rights is about Civil Rights.

So Ann and I are agreeing to disagree.... and happily so, knowing our country is big enough and great enough to provide the freedom of having different opinions and the freedom to speak our minds!

GUEST Blog Part 2

12-14-11 vacant brain

Sin City ~ Las Vegas for Birthday Celebration! Part 2

Final day in Las Vegas, Boulder City, Hoover Dam and birthday cake was on tap. I was very surprised that after a long night on the strip, we were up and out the door by 10 am.  Amazing girls!

First stop, early lunch in Boulder City. What a neat little town with a lot of history. Boulder City was the home of the many builders of the Dam back in the 1931. When I go back to Vegas, I will definitely browse this lovely town.

            

Off to Hoover Dam we go, but first a U-turn on the highway as we missed the exit and before you know it over the border to AZ. We took advantage of the scenic overlook above the dam and took some great pics.

            

Then to the damn Dam, parking a ½ mile was the thing to do. All I can say about the Dam, a modern marvel, human engineering at its best. Of the many pics we took, I like this one of me straddling two states, NV on the left and AZ on the right.

         

Then we debated on hiking up to the new bridge and I’m glad we went. A short hike to walk over the Mike O’Callaghan  Pat Tillman (AZ NFL/Army who died of friendly fire) bypass bridge (began construction in ’05 and opened in ’10). Here’s some interesting facts about the bypass bridge from USA Today, along with a link to a time lapse video. http://tiny.cc/tk999

• The highest and longest arched concrete bridge in the Western Hemisphere.
• The second-highest bridge of any kind in the United States and 14th in the world.
• The world's tallest concrete columns of their kind. perched 890 feet above the Co. River.

I can’t say enough about the Hoover Dam, Boulder City, Red Rock Canyon and the Vegas Strip. To think, 75 plus years ago, this was just a canyon and a desert.

Last item before my red-eye flight back to Des Moines, birthday dinner n’ care. Everything was very yummy and a big thank you and hug to mom Clark.

Happy birthday to me, Natalie and Lexi. Thank you for letting me part of your big birthday celebration. I love you guys to pieces. Did I mention they are identical twins? And yes, I can tell them apart.

Chat Later,

That Girl, Ann Marie

GUEST Blog Part 1

12-13-11 vacant brain
Two from Ann this week~ Judy

Sin City ~ Las Vegas for Birthday Celebration! Part 1

Birthday gift number two, five-day trip to Las Vegas, this time road-tripping by air with the Clark sisters (now living in KC), celebrating a birthday milestone in their hometown. The sisters are good friends from  ’05 and ’06 Drake trip. Here’s a pic of the sisters, Judy and me in ’06.
             

The last time I went to Vegas was a family road trip 15 years ago. Other than staying at the Mandalay Bay, not much was done with two small kiddos. This time, on the to-do list: eat, see the lights on the strip, shopping, a Vegas show, Red Rock Canyon and Hoover Dam.

I flew down on Friday after work and the Kansas City gang came in at noon on Saturday. Geez, I haven’t flown in a long time and with a late night arrival, I decided to rent a car and arrive at the Clark home by 12:30 am. Flight went well and when I arrived at the car rental, I got an upgrade, Fusion or Caravan? Taking into account five of us, I chose the soccer mom van and left the airport at midnight for the 25 minute drive. Well, who doesn’t get lost coming out of the airport, then go South instead of North, then exit and not find the house. I tried so hard not to call anyone, but ended up calling Natalie at 12:30 am. Geez, I was within a block. It’s been a long time navigating without my GPS.
 

Saturday morning I ran around with mom Clark, while marveling at the mountains, the view was simply breathtaking. The rest of the day was spent relaxing before a great homemade dinner. Sunday morning we drove to Red Rock Canyon. What a beautiful place and I could of stayed there for hours. However, we were strapped for time, so only went on one very small hike. Again, amazing and these photos speak for themselves.

         

After lunch and some homemade “toxic” margaritas, we regrouped and headed out to the H’haus, old fashioned German beer hall. We have fond memories of the H’haus in Munich.

            

Monday breakfast at “Hash Hash A GoGo” (with a name like that, I had to go), shopping at the outlet mall, specifically the Coach store. My, these girls really know how to pamper themselves. Monday night was reserved for the birthday celebration dinner at the Stratosphere “Top Of The World” restaurant, then to see David Copperfield and the lights of the Vegas Strip. Thank you parents for treating the birthday gang. The view was fantastic and the dinner, yummy!

The Vegas Copperfield was good, but really, would not see another one. There’s only so much you can do on a small stage. To round out the night, you can’t beat the lights of Vegas. Tomorrow, Boulder City and Hoover Dam.

Chat Later,

That Girl, Ann Marie

12-12-11 birthday brain
Today is my nephew's birthday! For the occasion I was looking back at some old pictures. Back in the mid-80's when CJ was the most important guy in my life! We had some fun times playing together, which sadly, he is too young to remember, but I'll treasure these memories....... back when we all looked young and thin....and we didn't even know it!

Love you CJ...... see you soon!

Four years later a sister arrived to double the fun in our lives!

This picture from 1989?

Last year in December

Corruption

12-10-11
This is the point I was trying to make yesterday, although I was trying to make it in a quieter manner :)

"Congress is bought".... get the money out of politics!