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A First Time For Everything December 5, 2009 - Florida ?
My husband wants us to take a cruise. Neither of us has ever done this, but we seem to have enough money and enough vacation time saved up so that we may be able to do it. The boat/ship he wants to begin with is called the Oasis of the Seas. It is currently under construction, and will be 40% bigger than the biggest cruise ship afloat today. Sounds like it will be amazing, and I am looking forward to it. Maybe my other "forward" goal will be finished at the same time as the boat... wouldn't THAT be amazing... Update!! We have successfully contracted for a cabin on the 14th deck of the Oasis of the Seas, due to depart for its 'maiden' voyage on December 5, 2009. We have a balcony, not on the "ocean view" side of the boat, which would have been optimum, but on the "inside view" of the ship, overlooking the boardwalk, central park, and other "main attractions". There are seven neighborhoods, all mimicking an attraction or tourist venue on land. We have also opted already for the "my time dining" which means we can choose our meal times whenever we wish instead of being scheduled into the same dining hour every day. Sounds great to me.
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The Taxpayers Are Revolting April 15, 2009
TAX DAY TEA PARTY Today in over 500 separate events, hundreds of thousands of everyday, normal, non-protesting people came together, without benefit of party bosses, community organizers, or millionaire fund-givers, and PROTESTED THE LOSS OF OUR FREEDOM, OUR MONEY, AND OUR CONSTITUTION. Spokane had two Tea Parties, and I attended. So did my brothers, and my brother in law. We were about 1200-1500 strong, and NOT in the mood for taking any more bullshit from any government, local, state or federal, and ESPECIALLY not from the European Union or the UN. Historical documents and newspapers will show you the times, the new invasive and illegal and unconstitutional rapes of our tax dollars, our businesses, our parenting rights, our schools, even our private back-yard gardens. It will document the capitutlation of our congress and our president to the judicial system, and the capituilation of our judges to international laws in order to over-ride and invalidate our constitutio, and the capitulation of our president to every tom-thumb, dickhead, and harry reid, in every international meeting, every national security decision, and every domestic illegality. America is being hacked apart by bloodthirsty ghouls and served on a gold-plated platter to every communist creditor, every terrorist and nuclear armed thug, every liberal bastard bastion, and every America-hating supplicant in the entire world. If Obama continues, we will be a third world country before he is out of office, and that is even faster than Rome fell to the Barbarians. It will be the same process though, internal weakness, pacification and indoctrination of the masses, and a Barbarian on the throne. This one was NOT born in America, nor on American soil, nor even on an American lease, such as a military base or an embassy. This one was born in Africa, and his Original Birth Certificate is being hidden and lied about by entire battalions of lawyers. Only after he is out of office will that fact be "discovered", and it will be "oh well, you can't do it over now... " and all his laws will stand, and the door will be opened "ipso facto" to other non-american-born "presidents". Without even allowing any American or their representatives to vote on the most massive and basic change to our constitution since women were given the vote, or even further back, since Income Tax was suddenly and unconstitutionally "found" to be constitutional. America, I have lived in your last best days, and I fear that I am bequeathing to my children and grandchildren the end of the American Experiment, including starvation, civil war, disease, oppression, and the death of freedom in the world for EONS to come. Perhaps these Tea Parties can shake up enough elected representatives, can help get elected enough senators and representatives to slow, or even reverse, the most heinous of these atrocities perpetrated on the deliberately dumbed-down and betrayed populace. I am going to be agitating for more, bigger, better, and angrier Tea Parties across the country on the 4th of July, to let them know that we are not going to back down and be good, we are not going to just light fireworks in the parks, but under the congress, the judges, and the white house if we do not have our American rights, schools, businesses, and hard-earned money returned. In this time, and for this purpose, I took part in a tiny bit of History, and added my voice to those of the True Americans in this country. For that reason, Secretary Napolitano has created and released to all Law Enforcement Agencies a document classifying these American Citizens as "domestic errorists or potential terrorists" : Ron Paul or other Third Party Supporters Pro Life Voters People Against Open Boders Returning Military Vetrans Home Schoolers Gun Owners and NRA Members Conservative Talk Show Listeners Remember that less than a month ago, the same Administration has banned the word "terrorist" when used to describe Radical Muslim Terrorists, and has also forbidden administration members and press outlets to use the term "war on terror". I guess it's only ok to "profile" average Americans, not Muslim terrorists and inter-city gang members. I guess it's only ok to use the word Terrorist against your own law-abiding citizens, including the ones that have just risked their lives and in some cases lost their limbs in defending this country from the REAL TERRORISTS. This "president" and his administration are all ILLEGALLY AND FRAUDULENTLY IN OFFICE, AND DELIBERATE AND DAILY TRAITORS.
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The Taxpayers Are Revolting April 15, 2009
TAX DAY TEA PARTY Today in over 500 separate events, hundreds of thousands of everyday, normal, non-protesting people came together, without benefit of party bosses, community organizers, or millionaire fund-givers, and PROTESTED THE LOSS OF OUR FREEDOM, OUR MONEY, AND OUR CONSTITUTION. Spokane had two Tea Parties, and I attended. So did my brothers, and my brother in law. We were about 1200-1500 strong, and NOT in the mood for taking any more bullshit from any government, local, state or federal, and ESPECIALLY not from the European Union or the UN. Historical documents and newspapers will show you the times, the new invasive and illegal and unconstitutional rapes of our tax dollars, our businesses, our parenting rights, our schools, even our private back-yard gardens. It will document the capitutlation of our congress and our president to the judicial system, and the capituilation of our judges to international laws in order to over-ride and invalidate our constitutio, and the capitulation of our president to every tom-thumb, dickhead, and harry reid, in every international meeting, every national security decision, and every domestic illegality. America is being hacked apart by bloodthirsty ghouls and served on a gold-plated platter to every communist creditor, every terrorist and nuclear armed thug, every liberal bastard bastion, and every America-hating supplicant in the entire world. If Obama continues, we will be a third world country before he is out of office, and that is even faster than Rome fell to the Barbarians. It will be the same process though, internal weakness, pacification and indoctrination of the masses, and a Barbarian on the throne. This one was NOT born in America, nor on American soil, nor even on an American lease, such as a military base or an embassy. This one was born in Africa, and his Original Birth Certificate is being hidden and lied about by entire battalions of lawyers. Only after he is out of office will that fact be "discovered", and it will be "oh well, you can't do it over now... " and all his laws will stand, and the door will be opened "ipso facto" to other non-american-born "presidents". Without even allowing any American or their representatives to vote on the most massive and basic change to our constitution since women were given the vote, or even further back, since Income Tax was suddenly and unconstitutionally "found" to be constitutional. America, I have lived in your last best days, and I fear that I am bequeathing to my children and grandchildren the end of the American Experiment, including starvation, civil war, disease, oppression, and the death of freedom in the world for EONS to come. Perhaps these Tea Parties can shake up enough elected representatives, can help get elected enough senators and representatives to slow, or even reverse, the most heinous of these atrocities perpetrated on the deliberately dumbed-down and betrayed populace. I am going to be agitating for more, bigger, better, and angrier Tea Parties across the country on the 4th of July, to let them know that we are not going to back down and be good, we are not going to just light fireworks in the parks, but under the congress, the judges, and the white house if we do not have our American rights, schools, businesses, and hard-earned money returned. In this time, and for this purpose, I took part in a tiny bit of History, and added my voice to those of the True Americans in this country. For that reason, Secretary Napolitano has created and released to all Law Enforcement Agencies a document classifying these American Citizens as "domestic errorists or potential terrorists" : Ron Paul or other Third Party Supporters Pro Life Voters People Against Open Boders Returning Military Vetrans Home Schoolers Gun Owners and NRA Members Conservative Talk Show Listeners Remember that less than a month ago, the same Administration has banned the word "terrorist" when used to describe Radical Muslim Terrorists, and has also forbidden administration members and press outlets to use the term "war on terror". I guess it's only ok to "profile" average Americans, not Muslim terrorists and inter-city gang members. I guess it's only ok to use the word Terrorist against your own law-abiding citizens, including the ones that have just risked their lives and in some cases lost their limbs in defending this country from the REAL TERRORISTS. This "president" and his administration are all ILLEGALLY AND FRAUDULENTLY IN OFFICE, AND DELIBERATE AND DAILY TRAITORS.
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The New/Old Me January 2009 -
I am trying to lose a great deal of weight. I have lost quite a bit, but just a drop in the bucket to what I really hope to do. Since I am behind on my original schedule, I don't know when this will be accomplished, but I have great determination, and as long as I am not gaining it back again, I have hopes that I will eventually reach my goal. It would be nice to have my body look close to the way it used to look, even if the face is wrinkled now. (the more I lose, the wrinklier I get.. this is not really the best incentive I could have...) My current husband has never seen me at a lesser weight than I am now, and it sure would be nice to reward him for loving me anyway.
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The Winter of Aught-Eight December 18, 2008 - Spokane WA
The Three Christmas Gatherings were planned with care, in hopes that all the family members would be able to get there. However, beginning with bone-numbing cold, and continuing for a month with the heaviest snows in recorded measurements, we got four feet of snow in the next three weeks. Locations around the country got lows and snows that seldom show up in those balmy latitudes, but the Northwest got buried. Snow plows worked round the clock, 7 days 24 hours for nearly two weeks to try to keep traffic and businesses going during the "just before Christmas" shopping climax. Many businesses were unable to meet their goals not because of lack of money, but because the shoppers couldn't get out of their driveways, and if they did they couldn't make it down the half-block of side street to the plowed main thorofares. IF they did make it that far, more often than not the plows had closed the intersections by shoving up great berms across the side streets when they plowed the main drags and the bus routes. For almost a week, only 4 of the city's bus routes were running, and nobody could get to those because the pick-ups in their neighborhoods were not available. People missed work, deliveries to stores were sporadic at best, half the local grocery stores ran out of the most popular varieties of bread and milk, egg nog was very hard to get even though it was egg nog season. Some people lost power, although our neighborhood was spared that calamity. However, two out of the three family gatherings planned were necessarily postponed. The parent-sibling event was postponed, back on again, then postponed for another week. The in-law gathering was much smaller (the host brother and his family, another brother, and my husband and me) and it was here in town on roads that were plowed, so we managed to have that celebration as planned. The children-grandchildren gathering was postponed, postponed again, rescheduled for later that evening, then re-postponed and scheduled for a week later. It was finally held in a pocket of calm between flurries, and all were able to attend that one, albeit not for as long a visit as was intended. The brothers who were unable to make it to the first family gathering even after all the postponing finally got here, waiting for the passes to clear and the forecast to give them some hope of being able to return in the same week, but not until the weekend of January 17th. They would have been able to make it the week before, except that once it stopped snowing, the rising temperatures caused massive avalanches and mudslides, closing the passes more effectively than the snowfall did. Well, we have the pictures. Berms twice as high as the car parked beside them. Garbage cans with as much snow on top as the height of the can. Roofs caving in all over town, from huge department stores to little espresso shacks. Schools, garages, restaurants of all descriptions had collapses or major leakages in infrastructure, and were closed for the duration. One potentially disappointing result of the weather was that the electrical grid where the Cathedral is located was disabled on Christmas Eve. We were concerned that there would be no light, and more importantly, no heat, to enable them to hold the scheduled Midnight Mass. However, about 11pm we made our precarious way through slippery, blocked, and treacherous roads to the Cathedral, and tried to park along the sides of the streets where at least half of the lanes were blocked by the massive accumulations of plowed snow. We managed to get into a spot, but when I shifted my weight to open the passenger door, we slid sideways into the berm. Meaning that I had to find a way to crawl to the driver's side to get out, and for a fat lady, that is no easy task. However, we climbed the steps and entered the Cathedral, greeted by cooling air and impressive darkness. After finding the second set of doors, beyond the foyer, a gorgeous sight to behold was the entire interior lit by nothing but candles. Nothing could have been more beautiful, more mysterious, more worship-inspiring. Due to the weather the crowd was much diminished, the singers and players of instruments also fewer, and the atmosphere was that of a cozy local congregation but set in the lavish and lovely environs of one of the most beautiful Cathedrals in the state. I cherish this memory of Christmas 2008 over all the others, for the encouragement and hope that it gave in the midst of many horrible and frightening events of the last year, including the election. May the prayers we sent heavenward during that service be heard and answered quickly, for the salvation of souls, and the salvation of our country and our faith.
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Cosmic Connections September 10, 2008 - Port Angeles, WA
Crisis in Cosmology Conference Two, or CCC2 A gathering of many scientists and researchers, observers and theorists from around the world, who have been documenting and studying phenomena which cast doubt on the prevailing theory of the origins of the universe, the Big Bang. Each of them has taken a bit of evidence, or several bits, and has come up with a theory or speculation based on those facts, which they now feel fit the evidence more closely than does the Big Bang. They also have made predictions as to what will be discovered in the future that will prove their theories, or have made structured cosmological and mathematical proofs, or other logical progressions backed up with current observations and established maths. This conference was a bit competitive, a bit comradeship, a bit egotistical, a bit resentful of establishment publications and schools which refuse to entertain the theories they propose in favor of the "consensus" of the Big Bang. It was truly enlightening and quite entertaining, if a bit pompous at times, and frequently just a bit over our heads. There was a banquet arranged for the observers to take a friendly meal with the presenters, to get to experience personal talks and gather autographs. Some entertainment was also arranged. The Mark Twain impersonator was wonderful, and the Local Historian had an amazing narrative about the extremely unusual, and very 'American Spirit' community efforts of Port Angeles, Washington and the hardships they endured to fight the elements and turn a profit at the same time. If you get a chance to delve into that turn-of-the-century history, you will be amazed. My brother and I had not spent any time together since he was 4 years old and I was 20, when I went off and got married and he grew up without me present. But we still have an amazing amount of common interests and common attitudes, we never ran out of things to talk about, we enjoyed the conference and the sight-seeing in the Olympic National Forest that we did, and we found each other to be friends as well as siblings as adults together. We sat on the beach, we climbed mountains, we clambered about the base of a waterfall, we took pictures and collected odd specimens. It was marvelous to have that chance, since we do not live very close to each other, and to date had only said "Hi" and "I love you" to each other at Christmas and Easter gatherings. I missed a lot of my younger brothers and sisters while I was away, but getting to know them now is a gift I intend to partake of as often as possible.
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Take This Job July 11, 2008 - Spokane WA, Pasta USA
Well. The job my husband has kept since before he met me, nearly 14 years, is in the past. The new owners have twisted the working environment from merely physically punishing to mentally and emotionally impossible. They have changed everything that was practical, refused to repair machines, fired or forced to quit everyone who knew how things worked and actually did the job they were hired for, made him do three people's tasks without paying him any increase, and put him in charge of the whole shift without giving him the title or the pay scale to compensate for being the one they blame when things go wrong. Every time he trains a new person who can work up to standard, they take that person to another shift, and replace that person with a temp, meanwhile cursing and berating him if his production numbers fall. Finally, after 18 months of horrendous mismanagement, increased work loads, loss of material to work with and people who can work, he has had enough, and today will be his last day. He has not found a job yet, and in this town, in this economic setting, it is not easy to find a decent job, let alone a job that will pay what we are used to him being paid. But he will at last be able to walk without pain in his feet and legs, get up in the morning without dread of the miasma and disaster that awaits him at work every single day, and hold his head up with pride in the work he has accomplished. The proof of his worth is that they are going to have to hire THREE people to do the jobs he used to cover by himself, and at such a remarkable level of competency that despite the hardships they inflicted on him, he still surpassed the other shifts in production levels 9 times out of 10, when they had more people, and more experienced people, on their shifts. I have always been proud of my husband, knowing how hard-working, how knowledgeable, how totally competent he is, but the proof is there: three people to replace my one, abused but undefeated and unbowed, my one in a million wonderful man. I know that he will not be unemployed for long, and his skilled management of our finances has allowed us enough of a cushion that we are in no danger while he looks for a new job. The popularity of Dilbert cartoons has proved that no workplace is without its idiots and incompetents, its ludicrous rules and pointless rituals, its bosses that know next to nothing and workers that do next to nothing. But at least a new job will give him a new chance to show that he is worth every penny he is paid, and probably twice or even three times that. Not all change is necessarily bad change. We await the future.
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A Visit From Afar June 11, 2008
June 11 - 17. My long-lost son comes home for a rare visit. He brings his wife, whom I have seen only once, his son, who likewise was seen only once (about a year old) and his daughter who has never been to this neck of the woods. The son is now 5 years old, the daughter will be three next month. We have a great, but much too short, visit. There are too many relatives to call on, and not enough time for all. We celebrate the birthdays of three of my kids and four of my grandkids all on the same day, since they all fall within a month, before or after, this visit. What a lovely day, all my kids and all my grandkids together in the same place for the first time. Food, fun, pictures, laughs, games, and presents. Hugs and catching up, acquaintances made and renewed. And then goodbye, the long trek home alone, and life without my son resumes. I miss him.
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Unusual Event May 29, 2008 - Spokane WA
Fourth Child, Third Son, with help from his little brother. My kids have "made it big" locally. A band that the older son plays bass guitar for, and the younger son helps write lyrics for, has taken a prize in a local band contest. They have won a money prize, radio air time, and a recording session, among other things. They are ecstatic, of course, and a little full of themselves right now. This is unusual enough that I mention it here, though I do not consider it their "big break" into national spotlight. But I am glad to acknowledge their hard work and their current accomplishment. Both of them have been trying to get a group of guys together who will work hard enough, and stick with it enough, to advance in proficiency and become a coherent entity. I am proud of them for their diligence, and delighted for them at their first success.
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This Too Shall Pass May 3, 2008 - Spokane WA
Again, a little warning, and a sudden departure. My husband's father has now joined his wife, only a couple of years beyond her passing. The brothers have been watching warily as their father has lost weight, and declined slowly into greater and greater inactivity. Just recently he has been unable to move about the house without his wheelchair, where before he only used the chair when he was going outside the house. A breathing crisis prompted a visit to the emergency room, and a prescription of more oxygen needed in the mixture he was already attached to was given. On the way home, he stopped breathing, and though the paramedics were prompt, they could do no more than restart his heart. Too much time had passed before they could reach the van to revive him. After nearly 72 hours of heroic effort and close observation, there was not even a minute amount of brain activity, and the brothers reluctantly, but with conviction, allowed all the machines to be removed. My husband, who is much younger than I, is now among the oldest generation in his family, and has seen both his parents die. I have never been to a funeral. I have been there for him, and I know that he will be there for me when my turn to endure this loss comes, but I dread those hurtful days. My I be as brave.
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The Next of the Next Generation October 15, 2007 - Spokane WA
My daughter has another son... no, no, she is not surprised. Are you? The brothers are unanimously ecstatic. They all love new babies, and can't stop bragging, as if it was their idea and their efforts that brought the new one home. This is son number five, grandson number eight, and grandchild number ten. For my parents, it is great-grandchild number 12. (Yeah, I am way ahead of my next-oldest sister in the grandchild game, and none of my other siblings have contributed yet, though we are expecting a new arrival from another quarter in December.) Could this bouncing baby be anything less than wonderful? Of course not. His name is Joshua Mark
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Breaking News July 21, 2006 - Spokane WA
Whoah!! Stopped at a light on the way to dropping me off at work, when suddenly... WHAM. A huge ironmongery of a Dodge Ram Truck hit us in the rear, smashing the back of our car in by a foot and a half, but marring his bumper not at all. My right elbow/forearm is quite badly injured, I will have to wear a sling for a long time and treat the joint with heat and painkillers. I am no longer able to keep up with the speed required to meet standards at work, so I am "terminated". Luckily, I am also in training for a part time job I was going to do in conjunction with this job, and they will allow me to take the job full time instead of part time. I will not miss a paycheck, but the transition will still be painful in more ways than one. I will not have extra income for the holidays, only barely manage to keep my former level of income intact. My gardening and housework will suffer quite badly. Joe, fortunately, is relatively unhurt, and though the insurance is iffy, it looks like we will be able to have a rental car for the two months until ours is fixed. Quite a shake up, but not fatal. We will survive.
Helenna's LifePath entries
Helenna
Female,
located in
Spokane, WA
Eons member since Jan 10, 2007
