I bought these shoes last year from Payless for $11. They are awesome and every time I wear them, I receive at least one complement on them. They go with everything and I wear them all the time. Well, this year the rubber sole has started to fall off the bottom of the shoe. I tried to fix this with a stapler, but it doesn’t work for long. So, I had to make a decision. Either wear them with the sole flapping hither and fro, throw them out or permanently fix them. Considering they cost me all of $11 buck, I figured I could invest the $3.50 it would cost for superglue.
I bought the superglue, went home and prepared for the surgery.
I read the package thoroughly, as I always do. I followed the instructions, turning the cap upside down and poking a hole through the top of the tube. That is when things went bad. Out spews an stream of glue, all over my hands.
“QUICK!” I scream to my husband, "turn the hot water on". I rush over to the sink to immediately flush with hot water as I remembered the directions stated. My husband (a.k.a. Dumb) hands me a paper towel. So I (a.k.a. Dumber) grab the paper towel and attempt to wipe the superglue off. SUPERGLUE! It’s called that for a reason people, a very good reason.
Needless to say, sticking my hands under the hot water as the directions stated would have been a better solution than a paper towel. The end result was five of my fingers now had permanent paper towel on their tips. It would not come off.
I tried scrubbing them with soap and water, using a brillo pad. I tried soaking them in Nail Polish remover (as directed). All to no avail. Five fingers were coated white as if I dipped them in paint. After about 15 minutes, when it started to cake and dry, I was able to scrape some of the white off little by little, but it was not pleasant and I am sure the white only came off because I was scraping my skin off with it.
By now, the panic was gone and I was left staring at my white fingers feeling like a complete idiot. I kept trying to tell myself that eventually the white will wear away. What is it that they say? We replace all our skin cells every seven days? So, by this time next week I should look normal again.
I needed air. I went outside to chill a moment and try to think of what I was going to say to people when they ask me what’s all over my fingers. Should I lie and say it was paint or tell the truth and admit I am a complete moron?
That was when the mosquito bit me. They love me, those nasty mosquitoes. So, instinctively I reached for the OFF spray, (which I always keep handy) and began to spray it all over my arms, gently rubbing it in.
To my utter amazement, the glue, the napkin, the white gook, all of it just melted away. Just melted away, I tell you. That fast, that easy, that simple. I sprayed the OFF on my other fingers and “poof” it was gone in a matter of seconds.
And thus, I pass on this amazing discovery to you. Should you ever find your skin superglued together or superglued to something else, like a paper towel for instance, just use bug spray. Works like a charm.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Then and Now: It's Still The Same
I like to remind myself to keep things into perspective as much as possible. It’s the existentialist in me, I suppose. I can ruminate over something to the point of obsession, but in the end I try to remind myself that it is all a matter of perspective and it is all relative. The glass is neither half full nor half empty - it is just a 16 ounce glass with 8 ounces of water.
Lately my obsession has been with how to discipline my very willful children whithout breaking their spirits or mine. I just want to do it right, you know? I figure the least I can do is read a lot and learn, learn, learn. So there I was researching on the internet how I can become a better parent and hopefully raise happy, healthy, respectable, well rounded children. And I came upon this quote:
“Our youths love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love to chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when their elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.”
As I was reading this, I was shaking my head in full agreement, telling myself, “Yes! Yes! That is it and that’s the problem. Kids today are running amok, but how do we as parents combat this downward trend and churn out kids that are better than that?”
But then I saw that the quote was by Socrates, circa 400 B.C.
Perspective. We’ve been screwing it up for centuries.
Lately my obsession has been with how to discipline my very willful children whithout breaking their spirits or mine. I just want to do it right, you know? I figure the least I can do is read a lot and learn, learn, learn. So there I was researching on the internet how I can become a better parent and hopefully raise happy, healthy, respectable, well rounded children. And I came upon this quote:
“Our youths love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love to chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when their elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.”
As I was reading this, I was shaking my head in full agreement, telling myself, “Yes! Yes! That is it and that’s the problem. Kids today are running amok, but how do we as parents combat this downward trend and churn out kids that are better than that?”
But then I saw that the quote was by Socrates, circa 400 B.C.
Perspective. We’ve been screwing it up for centuries.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Virtual Rooftops
Driving to work today, the U2 song, “I Still Haven’t Found What I Am Looking For” came on the radio and I found myself singing along at the top of my lungs. {the novelty of listening to music during my morning drive still hasn’t worn off} U2 songs have a way of inspiring such passion with their lyrics and music, don’t they? Most of their songs are about topics that matter, topics that reach people and their strong emotions about life, civilization and the human condition.
Riding along, I couldn’t help singing out loud like a raving lunatic because those were lyrics and sentiments I wanted to shout out. Loudly. Then I thought of that one video they made where they set up a impromptu concert on an L.A. rooftop. Could you blame them for wanting to express themselves, sing those powerful lyrics from a rooftop? If I were a little more ballsy I may be convinced to do that myself. In many ways I see this blog as my virtual rooftop where I get a chance to scream out to the masses the thoughts and emotions teeming inside me.
HEY INTERNET!
I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR!
I STILL FEEL LOST MOST OF THE TIME!
STILL AM NOT SURE WHO I AM!
Certainly, I could write all this stuff down in a personal journal, releasing my thoughts out into the universe and creating a physical presence where they can reside, rather than staying bottled up inside me. But just getting them out isn’t the main purpose. As cathartic as it might be, it isn’t comforting in the end. Yet shouting out from my virtual rooftop is helpful because it triggers the echoes of other voices.
“I hear you”
“I understand”
“Me too”
“I know”
Ahhh, the echoes! For me, it isn’t about just getting it out. I can live with the feeling that I am confused, insecure, unsure or lost. What I can’t live with is the feeling that I am all alone in being confused, insecure, unsure and lost!
Riding along, I couldn’t help singing out loud like a raving lunatic because those were lyrics and sentiments I wanted to shout out. Loudly. Then I thought of that one video they made where they set up a impromptu concert on an L.A. rooftop. Could you blame them for wanting to express themselves, sing those powerful lyrics from a rooftop? If I were a little more ballsy I may be convinced to do that myself. In many ways I see this blog as my virtual rooftop where I get a chance to scream out to the masses the thoughts and emotions teeming inside me.
HEY INTERNET!
I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR!
I STILL FEEL LOST MOST OF THE TIME!
STILL AM NOT SURE WHO I AM!
Certainly, I could write all this stuff down in a personal journal, releasing my thoughts out into the universe and creating a physical presence where they can reside, rather than staying bottled up inside me. But just getting them out isn’t the main purpose. As cathartic as it might be, it isn’t comforting in the end. Yet shouting out from my virtual rooftop is helpful because it triggers the echoes of other voices.
“I hear you”
“I understand”
“Me too”
“I know”
Ahhh, the echoes! For me, it isn’t about just getting it out. I can live with the feeling that I am confused, insecure, unsure or lost. What I can’t live with is the feeling that I am all alone in being confused, insecure, unsure and lost!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
A Letter to Sarah Palin
Dear Sarah,
I hope you don't mind me calling you Sarah. I feel like we know each other so well, what with all the media coverage you've been getting in the last couple of weeks.I know you're really proud of the working motherhood arrangement you've crafted for yourself. But since the GOP has been holding you up as the shining beacon of model motherhood, I have a few questions for you. I think a few of the other moms I know do as well. So I hope you don't mind me asking! We could have a quick chat over a cup of tea, or you could just e-mail me -- I know you're killer on the Blackberry!
Katha Pollitt at The Nation already has posed some questions to you. And I really do want to know the answers to them. But here are a few others I'm curious about, as well:
1. If you're elected vice president, what are you going to do to help all the other working mothers in America? You know, not all of us have the kind of support system of family and friends you do to take care of our kids, but we still have to work so we can afford food for the table, gas for our cars and the after-school day care arrangements because most of us don't have nannies (we now know you did, at least according to your own words on this video)
.2. If after several years of being vice president you discovered that you had been paid less than all the other vice presidents before you, would you be OK with not being able do anything about it? If you're not sure, I know Lily Ledbetter would be happy to talk with you about that.
3. You say you're going to be an advocate for special needs children, now that you have one of your own. What does that mean, exactly? Will you use the power of being second-in-command for fight for health care coverage that these children need, but many of their families can't afford? Will you make sure that parents get all the information about special needs children and that the federal government will step up to the plate with some dollars to help achieve that? Will you be honest about your son's challenges if he grows up in the spotlight of national politics?
4. When will you be able to tell us where you stand on issues so important to the millions of working mothers in this country? Recently, one story said that you are "unable to say at this time what [your] position is on federal policies relating to job protections and benefits for working mothers." It sure would be nice if you'd let us know sometime in the next 40-something days. Sooner rather than later would be great.
5. I know you're a little busy at the moment, but since you're asking so many of us to vote for you, we'd like to hear a little more about these issues and less about that Bridge to Nowhere, though I would like you to be a bit more honest about what you did with the money you didn't spend on that bridge.
6. Oh, one other thing -- I know you say you're against "earmarks" for special pet projects, but that doesn't seem to square with the reports that you asked for over $450 million of them in the last two years. Maybe you could just be straight with us about that one, too. Feel free to call, E-mail or drop by. I'll put the kettle on and Piper can hang out and play with my son.
I know you think some of these questions are irrelevant, but I think it's fair to ask how your motherhood experiences will impact your potential advice on McCain administration's policies on FMLA, child-care and fair pay. I'm not Charlie Gibson, but I know we could have a really lively chat.
Sincerely yours,
Songbirdmama
I hope you don't mind me calling you Sarah. I feel like we know each other so well, what with all the media coverage you've been getting in the last couple of weeks.I know you're really proud of the working motherhood arrangement you've crafted for yourself. But since the GOP has been holding you up as the shining beacon of model motherhood, I have a few questions for you. I think a few of the other moms I know do as well. So I hope you don't mind me asking! We could have a quick chat over a cup of tea, or you could just e-mail me -- I know you're killer on the Blackberry!
Katha Pollitt at The Nation already has posed some questions to you. And I really do want to know the answers to them. But here are a few others I'm curious about, as well:
1. If you're elected vice president, what are you going to do to help all the other working mothers in America? You know, not all of us have the kind of support system of family and friends you do to take care of our kids, but we still have to work so we can afford food for the table, gas for our cars and the after-school day care arrangements because most of us don't have nannies (we now know you did, at least according to your own words on this video)
.2. If after several years of being vice president you discovered that you had been paid less than all the other vice presidents before you, would you be OK with not being able do anything about it? If you're not sure, I know Lily Ledbetter would be happy to talk with you about that.
3. You say you're going to be an advocate for special needs children, now that you have one of your own. What does that mean, exactly? Will you use the power of being second-in-command for fight for health care coverage that these children need, but many of their families can't afford? Will you make sure that parents get all the information about special needs children and that the federal government will step up to the plate with some dollars to help achieve that? Will you be honest about your son's challenges if he grows up in the spotlight of national politics?
4. When will you be able to tell us where you stand on issues so important to the millions of working mothers in this country? Recently, one story said that you are "unable to say at this time what [your] position is on federal policies relating to job protections and benefits for working mothers." It sure would be nice if you'd let us know sometime in the next 40-something days. Sooner rather than later would be great.
5. I know you're a little busy at the moment, but since you're asking so many of us to vote for you, we'd like to hear a little more about these issues and less about that Bridge to Nowhere, though I would like you to be a bit more honest about what you did with the money you didn't spend on that bridge.
6. Oh, one other thing -- I know you say you're against "earmarks" for special pet projects, but that doesn't seem to square with the reports that you asked for over $450 million of them in the last two years. Maybe you could just be straight with us about that one, too. Feel free to call, E-mail or drop by. I'll put the kettle on and Piper can hang out and play with my son.
I know you think some of these questions are irrelevant, but I think it's fair to ask how your motherhood experiences will impact your potential advice on McCain administration's policies on FMLA, child-care and fair pay. I'm not Charlie Gibson, but I know we could have a really lively chat.
Sincerely yours,
Songbirdmama
Thursday Thirteen
13 things I would say to the computer if the USS Enterprise’s Holodeck was available at my work:
1) Computer…begin new program, label: Outta Here...
2) Computer…change office location to a Paris bistro in the Latin Quarter...
3) Computer…change this water cooler into a calorie free Dr. Pepper dispenser
4) Computer…change my outfit to the sassy number Kate Winslet wore in Titanic... no, no, the black and red beaded one that almost killed her…yeah, that one...
5) Ugh...gee...Computer…make me 10 pounds thinner…and now, the dress a size smaller… better, much better...
6) Computer…replace the sound of my computer fan whirring with...hmm, let me think…with U2 singing Joshua Tree songs…Oh yeah!
7) Computer… please make Bono 10 years younger…thanka you very much!
8) Computer…make pop and chips good for my health...
9) Computer…load the Einstein holograph to my right and the Bertrand Russell holograph to my left…that should make for some stimulating conversation!
10) Huh?...crap…Computer…make my IQ higher…higher…higher…okay, yeah, now I get what they’re saying...
11) Computer…a pen and paper please…I need to write this stuff down...
12) Let me see…let me see…what else…Computer…a nutella crepe would be lovely right about now...
13) Hmmph…hmmmph…Computer…end program…load previously recorded program, Saturday morning at home with hubby and kids…
1) Computer…begin new program, label: Outta Here...
2) Computer…change office location to a Paris bistro in the Latin Quarter...
3) Computer…change this water cooler into a calorie free Dr. Pepper dispenser
4) Computer…change my outfit to the sassy number Kate Winslet wore in Titanic... no, no, the black and red beaded one that almost killed her…yeah, that one...
5) Ugh...gee...Computer…make me 10 pounds thinner…and now, the dress a size smaller… better, much better...
6) Computer…replace the sound of my computer fan whirring with...hmm, let me think…with U2 singing Joshua Tree songs…Oh yeah!
7) Computer… please make Bono 10 years younger…thanka you very much!
8) Computer…make pop and chips good for my health...
9) Computer…load the Einstein holograph to my right and the Bertrand Russell holograph to my left…that should make for some stimulating conversation!
10) Huh?...crap…Computer…make my IQ higher…higher…higher…okay, yeah, now I get what they’re saying...
11) Computer…a pen and paper please…I need to write this stuff down...
12) Let me see…let me see…what else…Computer…a nutella crepe would be lovely right about now...
13) Hmmph…hmmmph…Computer…end program…load previously recorded program, Saturday morning at home with hubby and kids…
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The ABCs of Me
OK, so this is something that was sent to me by Virginia. She did this on her blog and challenged her readers to do the same about themselves. So without further ado here is mine, and anyone who reads this blog (which according to the increase in comments seems to be a few more peeps) I encourage you to do one as well. It's a fun way to get to know a little more about eachother:
The ABCs of me:
A - Attached or Single?
~Attached and hanging on tight!
B - Best Friend?
~Aside from my husband and my mom, it would probably have to be my cousin, Dana.
C - Cake or Pie?
~Cake - Black Forest cake to be precise....mmmmmmmmmmmmm, cake
D - Drink of Choice?
~Good old water
E - Essential Items?
~Cell phone, chapstick, hand sanitiser and Kleenex
F - Favorite Color?
~Red and purple run a pretty close game
G - Gummie Bears or Worms?
~I’ll have to go with the bears on this one, but neither of them would be my first choice when it comes to extra calories.
H - Hometown?
~Raymond, AB
I - Indulgence?
~Dinner at a fine restaurant
J - January or February?
~February because it is shorter (I hate the winter)!
~K - Kids?
~4 boys.......3 biological and one I inherited through marriage
L - Life is incomplete without?
~Faith, family and friends
M - Marriage Date?
~October 10, 1997
N - Number of Siblings?
~Three.....all younger
O - Oranges or Apples?
~Oranges
P - Phobias/Fears?
~I have a bizarre fear of the dark that I carry from childhood....also spiders......a serious gripping, paralyizing fear of spiders......and death. Don't ask me why. My ration side tells me that death is nothing to fear, given what I know about the other side, but it scares me just the same
Q - Favorite Quote?
~I actually have a few favorites, but here's one or two:
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” (Aristotle)
"No other success can compensate for failure in the home" (David O McKay)
R - Reason to smile?
~My boys, my family, my friends, bascially, my life
S - Seasons?
~I like them all for one reason or another, but autumn is definately my favorite
T - Tags?
~Like I said.....I tag all the new people who have recently discovered this little blog of mine
U Unknown Fact About Me?
~What could possibly be left to reveal?
V - Vegetarian or oppressor of animals?
~Umm.....I'm a meat-atarian. Seriously, I like meat...a lot
W - Worst Habit?
~Chewing on ice and ruining my teeth
X - X-rays or ultrasounds?
~Well the nice thing about X-rays is you don't have to have a full bladder and not be allowed to pee while someone presses on your poor abdomen
Y - Your favorite food? Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Saigonese......mmmmmm, you get the idea
Z - Zodiac? Libra
The ABCs of me:
A - Attached or Single?
~Attached and hanging on tight!
B - Best Friend?
~Aside from my husband and my mom, it would probably have to be my cousin, Dana.
C - Cake or Pie?
~Cake - Black Forest cake to be precise....mmmmmmmmmmmmm, cake
D - Drink of Choice?
~Good old water
E - Essential Items?
~Cell phone, chapstick, hand sanitiser and Kleenex
F - Favorite Color?
~Red and purple run a pretty close game
G - Gummie Bears or Worms?
~I’ll have to go with the bears on this one, but neither of them would be my first choice when it comes to extra calories.
H - Hometown?
~Raymond, AB
I - Indulgence?
~Dinner at a fine restaurant
J - January or February?
~February because it is shorter (I hate the winter)!
~K - Kids?
~4 boys.......3 biological and one I inherited through marriage
L - Life is incomplete without?
~Faith, family and friends
M - Marriage Date?
~October 10, 1997
N - Number of Siblings?
~Three.....all younger
O - Oranges or Apples?
~Oranges
P - Phobias/Fears?
~I have a bizarre fear of the dark that I carry from childhood....also spiders......a serious gripping, paralyizing fear of spiders......and death. Don't ask me why. My ration side tells me that death is nothing to fear, given what I know about the other side, but it scares me just the same
Q - Favorite Quote?
~I actually have a few favorites, but here's one or two:
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” (Aristotle)
"No other success can compensate for failure in the home" (David O McKay)
R - Reason to smile?
~My boys, my family, my friends, bascially, my life
S - Seasons?
~I like them all for one reason or another, but autumn is definately my favorite
T - Tags?
~Like I said.....I tag all the new people who have recently discovered this little blog of mine
U Unknown Fact About Me?
~What could possibly be left to reveal?
V - Vegetarian or oppressor of animals?
~Umm.....I'm a meat-atarian. Seriously, I like meat...a lot
W - Worst Habit?
~Chewing on ice and ruining my teeth
X - X-rays or ultrasounds?
~Well the nice thing about X-rays is you don't have to have a full bladder and not be allowed to pee while someone presses on your poor abdomen
Y - Your favorite food? Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Saigonese......mmmmmm, you get the idea
Z - Zodiac? Libra
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Life can be so cruel
That old saying is so true, so true…even in your dreams.
In last night’s dream, I was by myself driving down a winding country road. The weather was perfect so I rolled all the windows down to enjoy the warm breeze. The air smelled rich and clean. It must have been autumn because the trees were vibrant colors that took your breath away.
So there I was, casually driving along with my arm resting on the open window… soaking up the scenic view… loving the quietness and the wind on my face… feeling completely relaxed and peaceful…
When I felt a tap tap tap on my thigh.
Smiling ear to ear with such joy, I turned around to see this ugly small gargoyle perched on the console between the two front seats. He had warts all over his face, red glaring eyes and these huge fangs that were dripping blood.
He curled up his warty nose and snarled, “Turn left here or I’ll kill ya.”
My reaction went along the lines of WTHeck? followed by “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
I screamed myself awake.
Unfortunately, I am just as neurotic and unstable in my dreams as I am in real life. I am easily startled. Mind you, it’s not as if I was expecting to turn around and find Johnny Depp offering me a blueberry scone. But still, I can safely say I was expecting a human being at the very least! Even now, the scariest part of that dream was not the horrible gargoyle or his menancing words. It was how you can be ripped from a state of nirvana one second and throw into hell the next.
Once I calmed back down, I started to get pissed off. Talk about cruel! I had just spent the entire week working my butt off, stressing about work, dealing with a sick kid. Then, on the one night the phone doesn’t ring or the youngest doesn’t end up in my bed, I get shocked awake by a stupid dream! I felt like the butt end of some cosmic joke or something. The universe can be sucky sometimes.
Do you hear that universe? I said, YOU SUCK! That’s right, YOU REALLY SUCK SOMETIMES! And you owe me for that twisted sick prank. I will be accepting apologies all week in my dreams. I demand nothing short of eroti.....er, pleasant dreams. You can skip the scones, but feel free to throw in the likes of Johnny Depp.
Shirtless.
In last night’s dream, I was by myself driving down a winding country road. The weather was perfect so I rolled all the windows down to enjoy the warm breeze. The air smelled rich and clean. It must have been autumn because the trees were vibrant colors that took your breath away.
So there I was, casually driving along with my arm resting on the open window… soaking up the scenic view… loving the quietness and the wind on my face… feeling completely relaxed and peaceful…
When I felt a tap tap tap on my thigh.
Smiling ear to ear with such joy, I turned around to see this ugly small gargoyle perched on the console between the two front seats. He had warts all over his face, red glaring eyes and these huge fangs that were dripping blood.
He curled up his warty nose and snarled, “Turn left here or I’ll kill ya.”
My reaction went along the lines of WTHeck? followed by “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
I screamed myself awake.
Unfortunately, I am just as neurotic and unstable in my dreams as I am in real life. I am easily startled. Mind you, it’s not as if I was expecting to turn around and find Johnny Depp offering me a blueberry scone. But still, I can safely say I was expecting a human being at the very least! Even now, the scariest part of that dream was not the horrible gargoyle or his menancing words. It was how you can be ripped from a state of nirvana one second and throw into hell the next.
Once I calmed back down, I started to get pissed off. Talk about cruel! I had just spent the entire week working my butt off, stressing about work, dealing with a sick kid. Then, on the one night the phone doesn’t ring or the youngest doesn’t end up in my bed, I get shocked awake by a stupid dream! I felt like the butt end of some cosmic joke or something. The universe can be sucky sometimes.
Do you hear that universe? I said, YOU SUCK! That’s right, YOU REALLY SUCK SOMETIMES! And you owe me for that twisted sick prank. I will be accepting apologies all week in my dreams. I demand nothing short of eroti.....er, pleasant dreams. You can skip the scones, but feel free to throw in the likes of Johnny Depp.
Shirtless.
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Forever 21
Today is Dagan's 22nd birthday.....a birthday he won't get to celebrate in this earthly plane. A birthday he will instead celebrate...
