Washington state

Third-graders suspended because of porn.

A school district in Lake Stevens, Washington State, has suspended two third-graders after finding sexually explicit images on a district computer and shared them with classmates.

Austin Maxwell, the stepfather of one of the students suspended who allegedly typed in the search term that brought up the controversial result, told KING 5 he was furious, but doesn’t blame his child.

According to school administrators, somehow software designed to prevent students for viewing inappropriate materials failed to block it from happening. District officials sent an email home to parents suspending all student computer use until they discover and fix the problem.

Problems, slip-ups, and mistakes, are bound to happen in an imperfect world run by imperfect people; it’s just what it is to be human. As a parent, Maxwell wondered: “Is it a safe place for her [his daughter] to go back to?”

Is that a valid question to ask? It is certainly horrifying for a kid in the third grade to witness pornographic images. You’re robbing the child of innocence. Children seeing images of the pornographic nature can lead to obvious problems.

It would be one thing if the kid had other behavioral problems that were evident from other things going on. But in this case it seems like all involved recognize that this little girl was not the instigator and was not exhibiting some kind of deviant behaviors at the school. And yet the school authorities saw it appropriate in suspending.

What good is anyone doing expelling these students? Basically it ends up punishing them for being a victim at the school. Third grade students don’t understand what they’re sharing. To them it’s gross and just unbelievable, or whatever, and so they share it. It seems to me adults in the room and in the position of leadership, you’ve got do deal with the situation using common sense instead of knee-jerk-reactions. We shouldn’t be focused into reacting unrealistically like other news stories of late that suspended the student who makes his hand into a gun pointing his finger, or the kid who has an “imaginary” supper weapon, or the kid who brought to school his Pop-Tart gun. In these stories as with this one, we as a society have lost the opportunity of a valuable teachable moment.

If students are being punished in this case for a computer glitch, a problem with security designed to keep them safe, then isn’t the school district not only liable but responsible for the physiological trauma if any and open to punishment themselves? It makes no sense to punish the student for the PC lines we draw, if those same efforts also eliminate nurturing an education in common sense.

Zombies VS. Strangegoids!

Zombies VS. Strangegoids!

What is wrong with this picture? Wait for it….allow the picture to materialize in your mind’s eye after you read the next paragraph?

Here is an excerpt from the Seattle police blotter:

“Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect got onto the bus at 3rd Avenue and Pike Street wearing a nylon stocking mask pulled down over his face. He sat down and kept to himself until the bus reached the 6000 block of California Avenue SW. He then stood up, brandished a handgun and began pointing the gun at people’s heads and robbing them.”

Wow! Need I say more?

Do you have the mental picture in your mind of what just happened a few days ago in the city of Seattle, on a Metro bus?

So what’s wrong with this picture?

I just want to say there are reasons why people avoid riding the Metro bus system at all costs. How about just for starters; being able to leave and go to your next destination without a significant loss of your day, or without having to wait for the next bus.

So having freedom is a good reason not to ride the Metro bus. I understand that cars are expensive—but freedom is worth every cent, and an increased amount of safety thrown in for free seals the deal for me.

If you have to ride the Metro bus system, let me say this: I’m sorry! Secondly, if you’re seeing an odd person getting onto the bus while they’re wearing a nylon stocking mask—how did society reach that point where everyone just sits there looking the other way at strange or weird, thinking nothing of it.., or, thinking that’s what people do normally while expressing their individuality?

Dealing with strangers is just a societal reality, but this usually happens on your own terms. Not always so when you’re riding the Metro bus? Captive to some degree, you’re stuck having to deal with people who are quite obvious, by their own choices in life “Strangegoids”; harmless for the most part, until someone kindles your memory of some long forgotten horror movie, where the killer or crazed criminal in fact is also wearing a nylon stocking mask, who is also 100% of the time up to no good. Nylon masked thugs are always the ones doing the robberies, murders, assaults and attacks. The “Nylon mask is an attempt to obscure their true identity from being identified as one of your neighbors; yet most movie producers commenting about the violence in their movies, often explain it away as being nothing more than, “Art coping reality”. So seeing someone entering the Metro bus wearing a mask on Halloween, one could think it to be normal, and just looking away? But on any other day or night, it’s time to kick survival into high gear, forming a plan in your mind as what to do next when “Strangegoids” appear at the next stop?

Did it really have to get to the point of the masked man, brandished a handgun, and then pointing the gun at people’s heads and robbing them, before people took notice of the Strangegoid wearing a nylon mask?

Shouldn’t the driver of the bus have acted differently towards him before he got onto the bus?

Should you as a citizen who volunteered to be placed on the bus for a short time in a captive situation have complained, no, demanded to get off the bus for your own safety sake when “Strangegoids” appear? Is that bigoted? Is that unjustly casting judgment, or stereotyping people?

In that small window of time from the moment a 911 call is placed and the arrival of the police / help, who is responsible for your safety?

Hats off to the guys who subdued the masked-gun-man. Certainly they’re cars were in the shop getting serviced or something– because that’s why they were riding the Metro bus on that day. Too the rest of the mind numb people who sat there and looked the other way, accepting, Strangegoids in their company on the bus as being normal, as being something that’s just out of their control, and so they did nothing… Well maybe it’s time you looked into “evolving” into a survivor… or at the very least getting a good used car? Just saying!

In the best case scenario—with a car, and if Strangegoids were Zombies riding on the Metro bus, you’d be safe in your good used car that’s zoom–zoom… zooming right on by, as your friends brains were being eaten. In the worst case—Strangegoids wearing nylon masks could be robbing your friends as the wheels on the bus were going round and round, and again you could Zoom off to get help.

In the movies who gets away and survives horror’s calling by getting on the bus? If art is coping true life, it’s best not to be behind the curve, doing something that was already proven as the wrong move to make on the silver screen. That’s just being stupid.

If the Pentagon can war-game out any eventual attack by Zombies, I’d say sit up and take notice of the Strangegoids all around us and devise your best plan for self-preservation. After all, aren’t Zombies just Strangegoids that have died and come back to life?

Rocky raccoon friend of foe?

We hear stories about bear attacks and we as people think that’s a natural occurrences. After all we the humans are moving into their ( the wild animals )territory’s more and more. Encroaching on their ability’s to find food and shelter. Animas are critters of the wild who will take the path of least resistance every time. Throw into the mix that when they have young to protect, all bets are off for any wondering human who may have crossed their paths.

Bear’s are big animals so they have a certain fear factor to them for us humans. But the small animals out there? They are so cute and cuddly right? The raccoons, cats, snakes, bees, all of these have less of a fear factor to them. An angry bear who can run fast, going from zero to thirty miles per hour in nothing flat. Doesn’t give anyone time to out run them. To the bear your nothing but a human snack. It is the smaller animals that give the least terrifying in counters to us. Maybe it is the thought of we can out manuever or run, or out wit these little ones if need be.

People who see raccoons in the wilds, just outside of our homes in our neighborhoods don’t even give them a second thought to these wild animals. Who can if provoked be dangerous. Again put into the picture little ones. This lovable fur ball of cuteness is a flesh shredding, biting, scratching villan of fear. That why parents tell kids. ” Don’t feed the wild animals.”

Prehaps it is the cartoon rocky raccoon that kids see when they in counter a wild raccoon. Or maybe they see it as nothing more than the over grown cat the family already has. I mean they are furry, and with masks on their faces….? That’s the dead give away. People or animals with masks on their faces can’t be trusted. The hell with the lone ranger, he had a mask on. Kids loved this guy. Stood for right and was willing to stand up against wrong. But why? Was it the mask? Didn’t he want wrong to see him as he was, just a bad-ass crime fighter? What was he hiding from?

Jim Carry in the movie ” Mask” wore a mask. Somewhat different though. But the part he was to play in this movie was fun and light on his feet. Nothing to fear? Seeing these kind of images of mask warring people and animals alike gives us a chance to have a warped sence of security. Seeing cute and cuddly raccoons in the wild out doors just outside of our homes doorways. Doesn’t send out the spine chilling warning messages to the nerve centers of out own version of home land security. Our brains! These animals are somewhat smaller…. Warning! They have that cute little mask… Warring! They are no bigger then max out cat… Warning! What the hell all of the other animals are dead, or running for their lives, this should have given even the most dense person their last…. Warning!

Some overly animal friendly people think to limit people from building out into the wilds. So to give these animals spaces to run around in. But these animals also don’t recognize borders and boundary lines. They come to the humans side of life to check it out. Animals are opportunists. They will take the pathways of least resistances. Sounds like humans too! But that a different story. If they can find food at your back door. left out for the cat….. Well why not! Looks good. Tastes like chicken, or the neighbors chickens, cats, dogs….. What does a small one of those taste like. As the raccoon stairs you and your kids down. Who knows what they are thinking? Their wild! They should stay right where you’re not?

Soft and cuddly wild animals may see cute and fun to play with. But unlike some also cute, soft stuffed animal. These are more like the creatures from the bazar world of Steven king’s newest horror. Where the friendly stuffed animals will ultimately shred you to pieces.

They are wild and there needs to be some healthy respect for animals with young, or who can be.. or even might have rabbis. Once an animal attacks a human, we need to protect our own kind. As for the pack of wild raccoons attacking some well-meaning women. We need to have 5 or so new coon skin caps enter the market place.

Raccoon Attack Sends Woman to Hospital http://abcn.ws/Nrzviz (via @ABC)

all the best.

Pictures provided by free picture web pages.

Two pieces of common sense to rub together.

Inquisitiveness isn’t limiting thought, through some actions or limitations of the questioning minds in the world. Education of the mind is the goal. Along with full explanation of questions that the mind comes up with. Is the search of knowledge, a true education unlimited? The basic school education is an absolute must for every one of our youth, of any generation, or of any nation. Education is the future of innovation, progress, new products, and a new lease on life. Expanding the mind also expands the many possibility’s, of dreams yet to be made into true reality’s. Reality there for expands, and improves positively. Governments have convinced us all that the basic education will and must be provided by governmental supervision, if not completely provided by a governmental school systems. Learning the basics is great and all… BUT! And that’s a big BUT! What about the education that is the most important? We all can learn the basic writing skills, math, sciences, reading skills…ect. But what about the most important of skills like ” Common sense!” Is this just one of those attributes that will ultimately get kicked to the way side of life? Is it a learned skill even? You have all heard of someone saying. ” That person is a true geniuses, but doesn’t have two pieces of common sense to rub together.”

At times the true stories that anyone can read, by picking up the latest on-line news paper, are truly fantastic. Some of these could just be the good works of fiction. The stories are just to unbelievable to believe. How is it possible for these to be true within our modern lives?

Take the stories of teachers who on their off times ( During summer vacation away from teaching ) happen to also be porn stairs. So what if they need extra income! Is it wrong? Can these teachers teach students the subjects in school and keep secret their porn stair lives? Is it a distraction? Will it also affect students study’s? Or does it in danger students in some way?

I know questions on top of questions. But what about them? Ever thought about all the what if’s? Yet the stories are out there on the net. The teachers just think it is their right to go and do what ever on their time. But they also fail to see that kids look up to them. Besides what if the word gets out and the boys with raging hormones can no longer concentrate on school studys?

Too many open-ended questions as to, the what if’s? But a true concerns for all parents whose job is wanting the best for their kids education. Just to mention one thing, out of the many things they must also do, in the process of raising kids up into adults. To then give government, the roll of educator and policy maker, in regards to the definition for a proper basic education. Is a bit much. Governments are not everything to everyone. Nor should anyone expect this, unless you also believe in unicorns. Prehaps a slight over stepping of powers at best. To these parents the government’s involvement could be a slice of heaven or pure hell depending on the side of the coin you find yourself on within any real life stories then. The job of education should start in the home rather than in school. Just because education is indeed the most important matter for success. Doesn’t mean that strange people in the governmental systems know what’s best. With teachers like the porn stars, or other problems. Who after all makes the decisions as what kind of influences they will have on the students they teach?

The news is full of teachers who have had unappropriated contact with students. They were caught with kids ( Having sex with them ). In some cases they even had kids themself’s with them. Yet some how these people who once had the publics trust and the responsibility’s as the agents of education. Are then some how thought to be rehabilitated at some point. Of course after doing some time ( A Prison Sentences.). Is that even possible? Once a molester always a molester? Maybe more appropriately, these people who were caught should always have a level of mistrust given to them with regards to the crimes they have committed. As part of the punishment for acting out un-appropriately and criminally by their actions, as well by their choices.

The value of someones life must be held to a higher standard, then allowing a molestation by none other than a person in charge of education, to commit needless crimes against kids. Therefor choosing an educator for any school. Should be a task of great scrutiny of every kind, and everyone who’s applying for the job. Is the risk to society to high of a price to pay, placing some believes on some kind of rehabilitation, on hear say of…..? If not a molester, a porn star as the educator? What guidelines should there be for what a teacher can have for a hobby, part-time job..ect? Who sets these guidelines then?

Some may say this is far and few between. with regards to these stories. Prehaps these adults who have been caught, deserve that mistrust. Should we then take on greater risk with regards to adults who were caught and rehabilitated? As a posed to some under age person who is also a molester? Giving them new trust in allowing teaching, or instruction, or interaction with other youth of their peers? Trusting how they would acting towards young people after wards? But what if they decide ….what if they are acting out un-appropriately? Would this be endangering youth? Does a molester deserve a second chance? But what if the perpetrator was a young person / kid who then assaulted others of their own age? should age play a part in deciding if and when, they know right from wrong?

In the case of an under age molester, doesn’t the state then find itself in the proverbial rock and a hard space? In having first the responsibility to protect the law-abiding citizens from just such assaults. At the same time they have assumed the responsibility’s for educating our youth, as well as rehabilitating the law breakers? Should there be a difference between the law-abiding, and those who don’t think the law apply’s, even if the difference between the two just happen to be between to youths? Should we as a society have an age of accountability? If so what age should it be? In the cases of unlawful actions between people, when will the kid gloves come off, and punishments passed down to fit appropriately to the crimes committed no matter the age of the perpetrators?

If a kid looks over his / her shoulder to see if anyone is looking then they know right from wrong. So how many times should society have to put up with actions of lawlessness from adolescents with little regard for the laws. At what point do we just say rehabilitation needs to be stronger then? When will society just say “QUIT”! Rehabilitation is a good thing, but also different. After so-called rehabilitation, to then ask society to give blind renewed trust, is just plain irresponsible.

In just one of such strange cases in my state. The state government took the position of placing the child molester into a school for the state sponsored education. But they also insisted not to release the info as to who or what the student did to the rest of the school student body, or even their parents. They stated that they need to protect the student in question. They didn’t want harassment to take place within the school. But after all, didn’t the education board and or the state government have a greater responsibility to protect the majority of people and students from all crime? Or the possibility of poor choices made by the person in question, being placing into school? At what point does the perpetrator have the right or greater rights, then those who haven’t made piss poor choices in their actions within their lives / behaviours towards others? Placing a student in secret as to what they have ben convicted of, is in my opinion criminal all on its own. It places a criminals need of protection above the innocent people’s needs for protection. The greatest job of government is the protection of its people, even if it is from themself’s.

I believe that government has the responsibility to teach everyone the same. No matter if these lessens are to be learned by the law-abiding or the lawless. The lessens to be taught are… If you break the law you then have a price to pay to society ( This could be prison time ) in addition to the price they will pay more than likely for the rest of their lives, through society’s mistrust of them, do to their choices. The penalties of crimes against society should never be hidden with unclear interpretations of the law. A life of crime, if chosen by anyone, even at the point of first contemplating criminal actions as a youth. Should also then have on the flip side. A true price for getting caught attached to it! Why would it need to be different? There must be some common sense to citizen and of government alike. Who created society’s laws? The public has intrusted these people placing them in charge to inforced the laws for the common good and protections of all.

As long as we have the questions of…. Why would anyone do this kind of thing to anyone else? Or could they again to someone else? We must also recognize that there is evil in the world, therefore people can act with freewill in choosing it if they must. If so! Let them also pay the true price of the crime. Prison sentences, and  the possibly of a life time of mistrust. This should be the penalty! Rehabilitation doesn’t remove mistrust, nor should rehabilitation assume looking the other way as to what they have done in the past in the first place. Having some respect or fear for the law, in the back of ones mind, young and old alike. Should be the voices one hears, like the old saying… ” Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time!” Isn’t all that bad of a thing. Misplacing concern for how the young perpetrator feels or is made to feel isn’t something even to consider, as a replacement for some diminished safety in schools for the rest of our kids to expect. If you don’t think so! Then how about takeing the responsibility of explaining to the next victims in some school somewhere. That their safety wasn’t as important, then that of the perpetrators! I’m not advocating violence towards perpetrators of crime. But advocating youth perpetrators to be removed from every possibility of interactions with other youth in public schools, as part of their rehabilitation of the crimes they have committed. social issues

Why is it then so hard to teach the lesson of…. “If you can’t do the time! Don’t do the crime!”

There is no need to have a weak heart in administering punishments for crimes. Moving the punishment bar, isn’t having a greater sense of compassion. Misguided compassion is the fertilizer that grows crime to unbearable levels, by tipping the scales in favor of the criminals over the law-abiding.

Trust, and respect is earned! Just two pieces of common sense to rub together.

Vancouver rape raises questions about Washington law http://www.king5.com/news/politics/Vancouver-rape-raises-questions-about-Washington-law-148341845.html

Lawsuit Filed After Boy Says He Was Sexually Abused By Classmate « CBS Baltimore http://cbsloc.al/JvztFQ via @CBSBaltimore

All the best!

Moles! Moles, gotta love the mole.

When it comes to interesting and yet different creatures of the underground variety’s the mole seem to take the cake. Looking around all of the beautiful yards in the neighborhood, golf-corse manicured lawns. There seems to always be just that one. In comparison to all the other yards, there is always that one that has an over abundance of moles in it. Not that the moles of the world don’t deserve to live out their lives of digging in peace. Being an underground bulldozer, I would just prefer if they did their excavating at the neighbors. Eating grubs, and worms, all the while aerating the garden. Some would say, is just a vital job of nature in helping the gardeners work. Still to the gardeners experience of gardening the mole is t

he bane of their existence. As food supply’s dry-up the army of moles just dig their way out of one yard and into the next-doors yard. Suddenly it seem like a ” B ” rated hollywood movie ” invasions of killer moles! ” Somehow the mindset is never ” Moles! Moles, gotta love the mole! ” When they arrive for a stay in your little slice of heaven. It is more like “Apocalypse now! “

The mole is designed to dig,, and dig they will. Searching for food the mole digs a tunnel about 4 to 6 inches under the surface of the ground. Finding grubs and worms and things for their dinner. You would never know they had arrived in your yard if it weren’t for those mounds of dirt! Those mounds of dirt that are more like mount Everest’s rising up from the creations of the earth within. Dirt on the surface of the lawn isn’t from the shadow tunnels but the deep run-ways from these tunnels the mole roams the subterranean under world. Of which he is king. With a swimming motion the mole digs forward moving the dirt to the sides somewhat. With a wiggling motion the mole packs the dirt towards the sides and then kicking with their hind feet, the dirt is pushed behind them filling the previous dug tunnel. The mole may seem trapped, with nowhere to go. But moles have deeper tunnels and it is these tunnels that also have vertical shafts leading to the surface. This is the were and the why mount Everest’s of dirt begin to rise up in new earthly creations in your perfect manicured lawn. These deep tunnels are the runways for moles to move to and fro at will. Side walks, paved over roads, under ground utility’s doesn’t seem to stop these underground vermin from entering your yard. If you have an over abundance of worms and grubs in your yard, it is as if the welcome home mat has been placed out for a long-lost gardening friend.

Being the gypsies of the animal world. Moles aren’t the type you would write home about, as far as visitors go. Yet people looking to kill these subterranean bulldozers find out real quick. That is easier said then done! Besides there is alway the one in a crowd that says. ” Let nature run its course.  Aerate the yard and their droppings as free fertilizer is a force for good, along with grub control at that! They are also natures little helpers. Helping you not to over water your yard, improving the drainage by their digging. Those mounds of dirt, you call mount Everett’s! By letting the grass grow a little taller to hide the mole mounds, this actions would also conserve water while hiding the obvious.” Greenes! People who couldn’t kill a mosquito, that would be all to willing to infect them with a deadly diseases. Is this the path way to peace, a mutual existence for you both the way to go? These people who never picked up a shovel in there lives, try to make it sound so much like a win, win! But then it is my yard these vermin are in! Untill the first mole mound are found in their yards. Then the look of honor on their faces is more like let’s go nuclear!

NOT IN MY YARD!

People with the golf course style of yards, with the perfect maintained everything. Know that the property value is also at its highest in the neighborhood maintained so with perfection. So there’s not any surprises for the attitude of ” live and let live with nature? ” Because they aren’t doing the work themself’s. They have yard maintenance people. But if they would have a mole move in? They would also get all Tony Sopranos like. Calling the first hitman in the book to take care of it.

If you ever watched the movie catty shack. You would know that golfers and moles were kissing cousins. Prehaps a few of the golfers were too? But in the movie, the golf corse maintenance guy had to use what ever means to eradicate the vermin. All through the movie the weapons of war, all different types were used. Yet the golfers just kept right on digging. Creating a moon scape out of a golf-corse.

The hardware store is full of different ways of killing these menaces. Even a few old timers who have the time-tested way of doing the job. Putting gum down the moles hole is just one of these that doesn’t work. Gasing the mole with fancy gas pellets. Seems too much like a thing Hitler would have liked to do. Traps that look like prehistoric monsters to crush the mole in his hole. Is a waste of time. It only requires you to join-in on the digging to place the trap. The mole on the other hand just digs right past the steel monster and may even push up one of those mole mounds right next to it. It is too much like getting a mole middle finger.

Hiring a mole hit man, to take care of the problem. Is like inviting Tony Soprano and his cousin Dexter off of HBO over to the house. These people look like they like the job a bit too much. If they can’t catch the moles, then prehaps you have a stray cat, dog, raccoon, opossum? Spooky! With a mob element to it. Besides who wants the neighborhood to have the mole hitman truck cursing it? With the advertisement ” Moles have nowhere to hide! We kill’em dead! ” Not the thing you want to see if you’re in the witness protection program. But then anyone who advertises themself’s as the ” Mole terminator ” may be on to something, and a great cover for a mob hitman looking for a different kind of mole?

After world war 3 with the moles. The hot summer gave way to a more quiet fall. The garden started to recover from all the extra digging in trying to get the moles. Which turned out to be one mole according to the Mole terminator. Who would have imagined that one mole could have done all of those mole mounds. People were asking if I was going to re-seed my grass because all of the top soil in my yard. Little did I know that moles are just Gods way of turning your world upside down. Prehaps just like shaking a snow globe. He is just testing you with those moles.

As far as those people who always seem to rub it into the noses of their neighbors with the perfect manicured yard. I have found the perfect solution to quieting down the bragging. Just my way of using the God-given brains, at helping God shaking up their corner of the snow globe. I take shovels worth of top soil over to their yard late at night. Placing them strategically as if they have a mole problem. Yes I know! God has a sence-of-humor too! That’s why he is probably laughing with me. Because over the last two summers that I’ve been doing this. I haven’t had a mole problem. Now that’s a win, win solution I can live with. Unless you have a better idea or you know some other old-timer ideas?

All the best.

NOTE: There were no moles harmed in creating this events, or in these stories. Yet if there is a guy standing in the corner of the hardware store telling you this story, drest like an old-timer, talking with a New York accent. Then just shake his hand, along with a.. ” Glad to meet you ” will just do nicely. Unless your tony two fingers? I’m sure it will be good to meet you as well, real soon! In case your neighbor standing guard with a loaded shotgun, loaded with rock-salt, use the shovel of dirt thing at your own risk. Enjoy the humor in life, because God does! Even if he is laughing at you or with you! Last but not least. With moles you can’t use the old adage. ” If you can’t beat them join them!” This doesn’t work! Moles can out dig you any day of the week. Just saying! Unless you’re built like a mole or going to be using a backhoe? But then, you would be a little more than pissed-off gardener….? Moles, Moles, gotta love the mole!

Unlimited expectations

While fanning the flames of unlimited expectations, we must consider success comes from chasing our dreams even to the ends of the earth. We shouldn’t worry about the things that we do not control. But rather we should worry, about the things that are also in our power to control, yet we choose not too! Everyone has dreams of unbelievable fantasy’s, unlimited expectations of something more positive then what we are experiencing at the moment. But then while looking over the neighbors fence, at everything he or she may have. It will always seem so much greener then our own. It is best not to live on dream like fantasy’s alone. Dreams are ment to be the inspirations to our life’s work, in making todays dreams into tomorrow’s reality’s. Not all dream that grace our mindsets are destin to become reality’s though. Some are so outrageous that there is no way, it is ever going to happen. Unreasonable? Why? Could it be when we get older, we have just forgotten how to dream big?

Celebrating the kid in us all, I say ” GO BIG OR GO HOME! ” At least with our dreams. Remember when we were kids, somehow life was ment to be lived on the razors-edge of dream versus reality! Every problem is solvable! Every obstacle is small in size! Every goal is achievable! Because life is full of unrestrained, unlimited expectations.

When things don’t always work out in my favor! I often ask myself. ” What would my younger self do?”

I know it is somewhat stupid? Asking yourself such a question. But it is better than going with the first impressions of acting on first feelings, followed by the first impulsive actions that came to mind. Kids often just act out in this way, and ask their questions later. But life isn’t a multiple choice questionnaire, to be filled out with first impressions. Now is it?

It isn’t all that cool, for a grown man to throw a tantrum. Yet my younger self would have. Life just sucks at time. I’m finding out, asking what would younger self do? As a way of looking for some painless outcome to the problems of some hours ago, net alone the present problems. Refusing to contemplate what true potential outcome of what ever the answer is. In hind sight, what only seemed like it could have turned out better than it did.

Why is it more appropriate for adults to enter a room that appears empty, and out of frustration just scream out at the top of our lungs. Only to have our eyes adjust to the situation. Slowly at first untill they become fully in focus, seeing all the other people in the room. The first thing that comes to mind is making an effort for a neat coverup. Saying out loud. ” Tension breaker! ”

Everyone who is by now recovering from the yelling heart attack, that you equally distributed to them. Who are now looking at you like, “your crazy.” Seem to have calm down somewhat when they hear your excuse. It is suddenly more acceptable behaviours if and when the “Tension breaker ” excuse is used. Thinking. It could have happen to them I’m sure. They reason. So why not screaming adults in a room, it’s a tension breaker? Is it throwing a tantrum? Should it just be seen, to these same people as an opportunity to call the insane asylum, as fast as their fingers could dial their cellphones?

Why?

Okay, kids tantrums last longer I guess. But there is also yelling, complaining, excuse making, more yelling, kicking, throwing one self down, and finely playing the attitude card of, ” No one cares!” After all of that, then walking away pouting and muttering to ones self. That’s okay for kids. But insanity for adults! What I’m saying is ” Kids start out in life being insane? Slowly as they grow up they then gain some of their sanity? I guess we are all just on that razors edge of having sanity / or being insane! But for adults the tension breaker scream is shorter in duration. But isn’t it, also the same thing then as throwing a tantrum? Prehaps a shorter duration of such outbursts, is so the adult can also make a quick escape. Never knowing just when the men in white suits will arrive, with your straight jacket.

Is the need of a tension breaker just the same thing for the youngster, and the adult who is young at heart? With building pressures and frustrations, both reasonable, and unreasonable, the need of a tension tantrum / breaker, always ends with this kind of result. Because adult people who also use the tension breaker, must certainly have asked themself. “What would the younger self do? ” Relying then, on past experiences of simpler times to give some reasonable reaction to the situation.

Kids seem to learn by doing. Throwing the tension breaker tantrum doesn’t always work. Then finely it stops working all together. What gives? Those unlimited expectations just keep on coming though. Along with those frustrations. Because things are suppose too….

Take a deep breath and let it our slowly.

Kids insanity’s seem to comes and go at will. Mainly because kids are hard-wired to be curious about everything. Being frustrated about something one minute. Then look over here…. no over there… What is that… coud I play with that… Is mom looking? The thoughts are running wild, with the imaginations, that fueled the fires of creosote’s.

With age they seem to remember for a longer time just why they were frustrated and therefore are more willing to act out with some reason. The thought posses is not always reasonable though.This is the times when all parents are checking with themself’s and each other. Just to see if sanity still exists, or is that just becoming an unachievable dream. Not yet realized, by the adult mind. Parents who have fought with kids about the unimportant. Never seem to see that they are involved in some sanity testing, administered by the 3-year-old of the house. Parents who have fought the good fight, to a point of compleat and total exertion of energy. Stumble down the hallway, after the child has fallen a sleep. The parent has quietly escaped down the hall. Only to enter an empty room, so as to let out the silent rebel yell, of tension breakers, along with tantrum like gyrations, with the last of their energy.

At some point in a childs life-cycle. We adults have to explain, and teach rational thought, in dealing with some situations in life. Of course that’s when the child has also discovered the word and its meaning of ” WHY!” Is that, when the momentary lapse of reasons are thrown in to the wind. The common thoughts are then…” We as adults are at this point of loosing it and yet we are going to survive this ordeal. With all of our faculties in place, or we are going to be drinking heavily. In order to cover up our insanity. This also gives us the bad excuse of the alcohol made me do it. After all who wants to admit to, sanity is slipping away.”

Kids who have unlimited expectations, dreams, and fantasy’s to match ( Unrealistic ones, as well as some impossible ones to boot.) never see these dreams as being impossible. I’m sure the person that came up with. ” Don’t make mountains out of mole hills.” Was just a 4 or 5-year-old that didn’t wish to hear the answer given by their parents in response to something unreasonable. The answer being ” NO! ”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“Why?”

” Because I don’t have the money right now.”

“Why?”

Because I had to pay some other bills.”

“Why?”

“Because… Why don’t you ask your mom?”

How many times can the kid ask the question of “Why”? Why do I fall for that every time? Then answer it 5 or 10 or …..? See! They got me asking myself “WHY!” That’s the start of it all. Slipping down that slippery slope to the guys in the white suits. I was deep in thought, as what my next move should be?

When it comes to unlimited expectations. Why do kids change their minds so much with what they expect? It always starts off small and then, if you let them they can out spend the federal government in an afternoon, and still have more room to go for more before dinner. With the blizzards of ideas within their heads, where do they have the energy to throw a tantrum? When the expectations aren’t met, and the terrible answer still is ” NO!”

Remembering back to when it was time to get the family’s first pet, at the requests of our little bundle of joy. Yes this was the time when I had more of my sanity intact.

Grabbing my keys for the car we were heading out the door to buy, the goldfish. Half way down the stairs to the parking lot where the car was. It changed to…

“Let’s get a cat! They are fluffy and soft, not like a fish.” The excited voice expressed the unreasonable request, that was made by my little girl.

“Well I don’t know..” I was looking for the best excuse and fast. ” We don’t have a room for the cat. Yea! We need a house or something.”

“Well how about a dog then?” They are soft.”

She didn’t realize that they are one of the same thing. ” Well sweetheart we don’t have a house for a dog. They need a space to bark at mail-men.” I said. While climbing into the car buckling up with the seatbelts, then starting the car, and we were off to the pet store.

“Maybe we need to get to the pet store and take a look at all of the goldfish?” I suggested, as a way to get back to the fish for a pet thing. She didn’t look happy, but she was still quiet.

Pulling up to the pet store and I’m just looking for the closest bar by now! ” Yata, Yata, Yata, gotta go! The blizzard of ideas from your child is just too much. How are we going to…” I expressed to my wife with a good deal of frustration, yet holding back some.

She smiled at me and said. ” Lets just go in and see. It will be alright.” giving me a slight rub with her hand on my back, to calm me down some.

One hour later we were going home. We didn’t buy anything or so it seemed. My daughter was happy and just singing a happy song to her self, as we drove. My mind was numb and tiered of endlessly explaining to an unreasonable mind. That was full of thoughts of unlimited expectations.

” I’ll pick up the puppy from the store tomorrow on my way home from work.” My wife said.

“We bought a dog?” It was a flurry of open-ended ideas that were being tossed about in the pet store. I thought. ” When did we decide to get the dog honey?”

” Come on the dog is better idea anyway. She can ruff-house with it, and the dog can take it better than a cat. Don’t you think so?” She said.

“Well…” We bought a dog! I thought. Dogs bite! But then cats can scratch!  “Okay then! You will get the dog on your way home.” I answered. Talking a deep breath. Trying to hold back from doing what younger self would have done an hour ago, and just kept it up for that whole hour. Taking another deep breath…..

Looking back using the rear view mirror. I could see my daughter singing. Little did I know that the blistered’s of ideas were still bouncing off the walls of the young mind. Not just the reasonable ones either. After all she had changed her mind from the goldfish to cat, dog, rabbit, rat, mouse, monkey, back to dog but bigger ones, next to the snakes, then to the horse……ect. I took a deep breath, as my tension breaker, and continued to drive home in silence.

tomorrow couldn’t get here fast enough. But when it did all unlimited expectations were released, along with the unreasonable ones as well. My daughter looked at the big box with holes all over it, with great expectations! She could hardly wait. But when the lid came off there was no describing it. The loudest of tension breakers of screams came from this little girl?

” A puppy! NO! Not a Puppy!” She screamed.

I tried to explain. ” We live in an apartment and… you should be lucky to have a dog.”

She wasn’t buying it. She looked at me with all the determination a little girl could. Then said. ” Tale it back! I wanted a pony!”

” We live in a appartement sweety. We don’t live in a house, or farm. A pony lives on a farm and dogs can live in a appartement.” It was like talking to the wall.

She wasn’t listening to me at all. Unlimited expectations said. ” My last request was a pony and a pony it should be or else! ”

My thoughts, only had questions. “What to do next?” The one question that won was… “What would my younger self do?” If you can’t beat them. Join them!

We both let out the loudest of tension breaker tantrum scream, followed by the full-blown tantrum of shaking bodily gyrations, untill exhausted.

At that point, the puppy came over to lick us up. The dog’s way of saying. ” Glad to be a part of the family. Now where is the cat to chase around? ”

With unlimited expectations the hardest lesson to learn is…”We must learn our limitations, to then be considered to have grown up into being an adult! Rather than just being insane.”

All the best.

The ride !

One of the greatest things for a kid in life, is being able to sprout some small wings of mobility through learning to ride a bicycle. Thinking back through your life, to the first bicycle ride you took by yourself. In that moment of time, you then realized you were having your first taste of what it surly must be like to be totally free? To feel the wind in your hair, along with the gift of imagination, imaging you were in the indy 500 bicycle race and pulling away from the rest of the pack. No small feat I’m sure in the minds of everyone, but you’re the fastest bicycle rider in the world. So in your mind this was just a different day, new adventure, a dream that was up to you and your bicycle to make it all happen. Just riding free and as fast, as your little feet could, or to the point of being able to just keep you’re little feet on the peddles to the very least. Yes to the young and the young at heart this was the best of times.

To your parents who were the guiding force to your first ride. Or who were the ones at least, who were holding you steady, by hanging on to the back of the seat of that bicycle. Giving you the fantasy of being the fastest in the world. They surly could have been in better shape, or was this the unseen force in the life of every parent. Because in the days before training wheels. This was the gift of teaching by experiencing for both of you. For some parents this was also the only exercise they could find, while still doing job one! Parenting! The parent that got this job also as a benefit, was the one who would be getting into shape. This usually also was the parent that was the most out of shape. So being able to teach this all important lesson of life was in both of your interests, to accomplish it as fast as one can. Life could then go back to being normal. Parents enjoying making new memories through observation parenting. Seeing their kids enjoying riding a bicycle, and for the kids enjoying life at the speed of their bicycles.

The course:

From the front of my parents garage there was a flat spot of road way. An easy place to get on and off a bicycle. From there, it was a short slightly up hill climb to get onto the drive-way. As a kid I thought this was the road, or the track of the indy-500 race, just where it was raced on. A dog leg left turn then needed to be made and then you had a 300 or 400 foot run with a slight downward sloping roadway. At the end of this run was a new slightly left turn that needed to be made. Not making this turn was sure disaster. The turn would put you into a soft grassy front yard to ride in, not making the left turn put you on an ever steeper down hill ride which ended at the real roadway and just passed that.. a lake. A sure crash! If you didn’t crash into a car on the road, or a car crashing into you. There was the drive way parking lot of the lakes boat ramp, and at the end of that water. All of this was going down hill at a steeper clip for a new rider.

But making the left turn put you into the grass. This too had a down slope going the same way as the drive as well slopping towards the left, down through the front yard towards the back yard. The back yard was the woods. The wild animals that lived in the woods were kept at bay by the barb-wire like action of the wild black berry’s growing at the edge of the woods. So at the bottom of the yard one would then have to make another left turn. This turn was just flat in train for a short distance, giving way to an uphill slope. In the middle of this slope one would need to guide their bicycle through a narrowing part of the yard between the back of the house and the detached garage. Once you got through this part you were back to the flat part in front of the garage. A slight left turn and your back at the starting point and ready for lap two in the big race.

The ride:

My Dad must have enjoyed getting in shape, or at least drew the short straw every time I rode. Dad would get out my bicycle and showed me how to check the tires for the proper air pressure. Helped me oil the chain, also checking to make sure the brakes worked. Just the ordinary safety checks one should do before the big race.

He would explain just how to find my balance on the bicycle and then placing one foot onto the peddles and pushing it down would drive me forward and then I would place the other foot on the other pedal. This pedal would be at the top of its movement, pushing this one would make the bicycle move forward some more. Now if I wanted to stop just turn the peddles backwards. He would demonstrate by getting me going and then telling me to hit the brakes. Bring us both to a screeching stop. I had this part down to a ” T “! My problems started when I had to make a turn, this is where I lost my balance. Going straight was somewhat easer now, less wobbly and more controlled. But on my turns? This was the light at the end of the road for my Dad. He was probably thinking he was in better shape in his life then ever before. Besides he could continue to get into shape by riding with me on his bicycle.

On this day or maybe all along. Dad would let go of the steadying action he was providing by holding onto the back of the seat of the bicycle. Letting me for short distances ride by myself, yet unknown to me. Even as he instructed me into making the left turn. ” No son! No! the other left! ” I still got these things mixed up in the excitement of it all. I finely made the turn. Now speed was picking up. I still was hearing my Dad behind me and his heavy sounding shoes, the noise they made as he was running behind holding the bicycle steady for me. But the bicycle was just a little wobbly not so bad this time. I thought maybe I could go still faster. Just enjoying my somewhat new-found freedom of speed on my bicycle. I really got going fast! I saw the end of my short trip on the drive way and now the turn I need to make into the yard. But with this kind of speed The turn was going to be interesting at best. But my Dad had my back or so I thought.

” Son! Son! Make the turn. Left turn! ” My dad called out. This was strange to me he always sounded so close behind me. But the sound of his shoes weren’t there either. What was I …

” Make the left turn son! ” Dad sounded excited. Was he happy for me, or was he scared because I was going faster than he could run!

I’m sure I thought Crap! I’m riding my bicycle by myself, but the turn!! Was I about to crash? Of course I forgot about the brakes. And my feet were going so fast. But not to panic, I can do this. I applied the pressure to the handle bars in making the turn. The bicycle responded, Up and over the embankment and into the yard still going down hill. This time steeper. This ment faster. My feet started to look like a blur, just moving faster and faster. Picking up speed faster now! The woods and black berry’s were playing a game of chicken with me. It was all about the will of the speed racer, ” Me ” and the next turn. As it turn out I no longer was able to hear my Dad calling out to me just what to do! I strained to pull on the handle bars to engage the turn. But the grass grabbed my wheels. The arch-enemy of speed and traction. I struggled with it, and applied more force from my small stick figure frame to over power the evil grass. But because my Dad didn’t cut it yet, it was longer then usually and wouldn’t let me make the turn.

With the fastest speed that I have ever driven before, I was no wimp! My choices were bail out and let the bicycle crash into the black berry on its own. Or be the true supper hero and yet over power the grass! “Now make the turn!” I commanded , and strained at the handle bars. ” Make the turn!!” Much like saving the world in the last seconds before true disaster. I was determined! And so I rode the bicycle into those black berry’s. I vanished! When my Dad finely got there He was laughing, and catching his breath all at the same time. Probably proud as a peacock as well.

” Did you like your first ride with out help? ” He called out to me.

I on the other hand was pissed off. “Just where was my Dad? Why didn’t he help me? Who was the wise guy to have invented black berry’s with huge stickers on them any way?” I yelled out. Everyone was getting the rath of me. For I had a temper, and this was just not cool.

The more I struggled to get free from the stickers, the more the stickers dug into me. Finely I got free. I was in the yard. My Dad was still catching his breath and laughing on the grass. He finely got me all cleaned up and retrieved my bicycle, getting some good scratches as well on his arms.

” Son you did it! You were riding all by yourself. ” He sounded so proud of me. He patted me on my back and said. ” Lets clean up your bicycle so you will be ready for the next ride. ” He guided me up the back of the last stretch of the run,  back to the garage. ” You went so fast and all by your self. ” He said. Smiles just beaming on his face for me. ” So what do you think about that? ”

” It was good till the black berry’s.” I responded. Still pissed off. ” But why did those stupid wheels not turn for me? That stupid bicycle! ”

I was still being a normal kid. Not yet talking the role I played in the crash as I should have. But In the back of my mind. Glad I made the first turn into the yard, instead of just straight down the rest of the hill for a swim.

One of those files!  Memories of my Dad, I can now put back into the exploding file cabinet.

Miss you Dad.

All the best!

previous post: The exploding file cabinet!  http://wp.me/p1MnB3-1bW

Liquid sunshine

Positive attitudes come alive in the sun. Just the facts, and only the facts I say. But truth indeed it is harder to get angry at anyone, or about any time spent on the road in traffic while trying to getting home from work while the sun is shining. A kind of break from liquid sunshine days. When I get stuck in traffic and the sun is also shining bright, I start to think about the beach. Before you know it. I’m striping down to swimwear to soke up some rays. Hay a birthday suit is swim ware isn’t it? Not all so strange then. But driving a big truck has its advantages to it. I’m much higher up off the roadway, making it harder for people to stare me down. sneaking a peek, being in a birthday suit and all.

But this is washington state, and in the time it takes to get from work to home again, the clouds have over shadowed my path. A sun desert of sorts, this state is hell I tell ya! Clouds! More and more clouds, with a sprinkling of occasional sunshine mixed in for those rainbow to enjoy. Mind trickery! I think the rainbow just gets people all hopeful that the weather is changing for the better or something. But changing from what? let me see… Changing from the occasional rain storm to the everyday sprinkling of constant wet droplets of misting rain. Now there is something to look forward too!

Wake up people of Washington? This is the land of coffee and Starbucks. You all should be on a caffeen high! Knowing that rain is the wet blanket put on your fiery desire to play in the sun. So yes rain can be abusive to the hopeful at heart.

With the few sprinkles on my sunny days, which is almost every day around here. Its more like we are not surprised with every day like that around here. I say take advantage of the situation and play dead on your blankets at the beach with your swimwear for that truly healthy natural tanned look. ( Remember tan-lines are sexy too! So please don’t follow my traffic swimwear, when on the beach.) Natural tan’s are so much cheaper as opposed to the fake and bake tan’s from any tanning salons. At $5.00 per 15 minutes sections in the tanning beds.Washington has an over population of fake and bake tanning joints. I think we have so many tanning places as more of a public safety play though, then anything else. Those vampires from Forks. Washington ( the ones mentioned in the twilight books ) tend to come to Seattle a bit too much and we need protection! Locking them into a tanning bed is great protection. Trying to determine just who is a vampire is somewhat more difficult. Besides who really wants to hang out at the tanning joints anyway?

Washington does have the best of blue sky’s now and then. Like the song says ” The bluest sky’s are in Seattle.” Yet we call our self’s the emerald city. Blue / gray sky’s, emerald-green trees… what the! All we in the city want, is more sunshine! Come on! Warm up the concrete jungle a bit, Big orange beach ball in the sky. So we can dry out somewhat. Knowing that, ” No rolling stone grows moss on it “. This explains the coffee addiction out here. Got to keep moving because of the obvious. I must also say as a disclaimer that no moss grows on stones in the sunshine either. Had to mention just to show that I’m truly unbiased with my observations.

Have you ever considered why we in the pacific north-west have so many sightings of bigfoot? Because rolling stones grow no moss. Bigfoot’s are truly people who have awaken after a long slumber in the forest after a night of drinking, and then trying to shake off all that moss. Why else do we see what we see. Then nothing! Even in heavily populated centers, we have sightings of bigfoot. But when the investigative people show up. These people who have already shaken all of their moss off, point into the other diction. Offerings of some misdirection’s of sorts, just to cover-up the embarrassing facts that they fell asleep. Besides in all of the videos I have ever seen bigfoot in. They just look like some people I have worked with, and are in need of a good cup of coffee. Just saying! Don’t get mad. You know who you are… Don’t be a hater.

I’m beginning to think that Washington needs to tak advantage of all of the rain we get out here. Those Californians need and want our water and hydro electic power, just one of the blessing, in having more liquid sunshine then we really need, and at times want. So if we sell them power from our dams. Right? Why does it have all of us upset? This causes us all who still pay for our electric power bills to scream out loud. Selling hydro power to California, while building coal power plants in Montana to supply the population of Washington with their power needs and our future growth! Now how is that green? We are overly crazed with green energy, we call ourself’s the emerald state, we have this reusable power source in hydro power, yet we do what? Sell cheep power for a profit to Cali, and charge the living crap out of our people for coal power? Haven’t you all hear the government doesn’t like coal power?

I say cut the power to Cali, let them survive on their own solar power, it is green, and there isn’t any shortage of sun in California. Leave ours liquid sunshine alone. This new plan of mine will drop the prices. Increase the green energy use in the state as well. That’s better for the world anyway. Besides we can still sell our excess liquid sunshine by bottling it up and sending it there. Express like if needed. I don’t think California is in the position to negotiate with us on this one. They are more fanatical about being green then we are. Besides they have more sunshine then they know what to do with. It is not likely that they are going to be shipping bottled sunshine our way.

Their TV ads say.. ” Come to California and enjoy the beaches, wine, the sun… ect ” but we also have to accept drinking bottled water if we go. I have just seen to many signs about recycled water in use here. When I have gone to Cali. Just what is recycled water, you ask? Purified water from sewage treatment plants. Not a lie! Truth! Well I don’t really know if the tap water is the same water. But I have never seen two signs over two separate water hose bibs, or two different facets of water in any of the houses I have gone into. Where on one sign it says this is drinking water, and on the other this is recycled water. Just to keep the confusion down to a minimum. Never seen that. Just the big public ones at the edge of town that points out the fact they recycle water here. So there, clams to fame of the sun for great and glamorous tan’s and all. Is just the half of it. But don’t drink the water! Now who is giving who a colon sunburn?

Our add’s for coming to Washington could be… Come! Drink the coffee, wake up to the liquid sunshine. The ultimate green power. You can swim in it , drink it, make power from it, even make some of the best beer from liquid sunshine. Ever wonder why beer has the color of… It is liquid sunshine after all. At least in Washington, beer brewers use liquid sunshine. Besides when we get a sunny day we have the bluest sky’s, and everyone goes around nude just to soke up as much ray’s as we can. Okay the last one was a stretch. But we have bigfoot! We will keep the lights on, for all of you who come to visit. Best of Washington’s night life, sea food, and out-door activitys.We have plenty of green energy power from our hydro dams. Unlike the solar power made with solrindra power, or not in the state of California. We will never recycle our water here! We ship that water by pipe line to Cali. They just don’t seem to mind. Besides untill they come up here they never really know the real taste of water anyway.

Call it bigfoot wisdom! I would rather have an over abundance of liquid sunshine, and be able to vacation in the sun, while escaping the rain. Then have to read a post on liquid sunshine and wonder if the water I’m drinking for refreshment, really tastes all that different in Washington state.

Just some thoughts and most asked questions from washington state guests;

liquid sunshine in Washington state comes in the form of rain, yet the sun shines 12/7 365 day a year at 20,000 feet altitude.

Questions most asked by visitors to Washington;

Why all of the water shortages in the summer time in Washington state? Answer; We have vampires in Washington, the grass is not naturally brown from water shortages it is from vampires of sorts. Read my post ” I see vampires “. You will understand. http://wp.me/p1MnB3-Yy

You ( we, or someone in Washington state ) should create a new product of bottled sunshine, liquid sunshine thirst aid? Answer; Sounds healthy to me. I’ll work on it.

Does all of that liquid sunshine shrink clothing when you travel to other places like California? Answer; Well I will let this picture explain that one for you.

Cheers to you all. All the best of liquids, or liquid sunshine to everyone!

Trixs for kids, gold for humans, dogs all for the hell of it!

We got up today, greeting the sunshine and the new day all at the same time. Just Trixy and me. Assessing the chores for the day we decided to go with pulling weeds. They need to go! Being that it also was sunny, making it a good day for their eviction from the flower bed, so today was it. We decided to hit them where it hurts, because it has been dry for days now, along with the sun burning hottest at noon. It is hell on wheels for you weeds. These were my thoughts, and Trixy was in full agreement. Trixy was looking outside along with myself, as I was also holding her in my arms up to the window, looking at the front flower bed. Being held is truly a benefit of a small dog who just otherwise couldn’t see out the window.

Putting her down on the floor again, while looking for my mud-n shoes. She instinctively knew we are about to have some doggie fun. Sitting at the door she already had her mud-n shoes on, and was more than willing and ready to go.

Just as soon as the door is open she was off like a rocket. Barking… but what was she barking at? Nothing was out there for her to bark at. No neighbors, no mail-men, no delivery drivers, no kids, no bike riders / skate boards…. As she realized slowly,there was nothing to bark at. She just got buzzy with the job of evicting weeds. I would pull them and she would pick them up again and shake then vigorously. Dirt would fly in all directions, as soon as she thought this weed is killed, she would grab the next one. At times she would sit down and just rip the weeds into pieces, until they were un-recognizably so.

If I was pulling them to slowly she would stare at me as if to say ” Come on! The big one over there. Ya! Pull it! Come on, you can do it! Pull with all for your strength man, put your back into it!” exciting the dog with great anticipation of fun at the expense of the biggest weed.

But then the shovel would hit a rock hiding just under the surface of the dirt. Like an alarm going off inside of the dog, she would spring into action. Jumping into the flower bed and dig, dig, and dig some more. Of course telling her to get out-of-the-way of my next shovel strike, did nothing. She would look at me as if to say… ” I’m a dog…. can’t make out…. just what…. you’re trying to saying. I have been your pet for how long? You still can not bark out something I can understand?” Finley! The rock would be brought to the surface, like fishing. You never knowing just how big the fish is till you can see it, so it is for the rocks as well. If it is a big one Trixy would be in dirt heaven. Licking her chops and then the rock, just till the dirt was gone or till the sound of shovel striking another one was heard.

For Trixy rocks were of great value, and by her thinking she was going to find the most valuable ones and clean them off for me to check them out. Like a person gold panning, looking into the pan after washing the gravel out and searching for the flash-in-the-pan. The gold among the black sand, as the pay-day for all of the days hard labour. she would be by my side looking at every shovel full of dirt, looking for gold or so it seemed. For a dog though, recognizing the difference between a rock and just another rock, VS. a really big gold nugget was the challenge. Everything seemed all so valuable, all the same from one rock to the next nugget / rock. She had dog gold fever.

For most of the day we were digging in the dirt and having fun while doing it. She was right by my side the whole time. No slacking here. After planting some new plants and moving some old ones it came time to admire our work and clean up a bit. This ment we were going to use the garden hose of course. This was the most excellent of choices for raping up a days work. For Trixy she loved the hose and getting wet from it. But for this fun-loving dog she also hated the rain. To her rain and getting wet was some kind of hell not to be endured. But getting wet from the hose, was great fun. Getting wet from the hose while it was raining would be tolerated, after all… was it raining or was it just the hose?

Getting cleaned-up by hose and chasing the water-spout untill it hit the ground was the bombé. She would run and bark grab a few bites at the water and chase it untill she was full of water. Then she would sit by the hose bib waiting for it to just move a little. indicating it would be game on once again.

Cleaned up, and hosed off, even our mud-n shoes, it was now time to retired for the day. A job well done.

The value wasn’t in looking for gold, but rather in time spent with…..

All the best.

Breastfeeding here… Stop looking!

It isn’t just happening in my town, but it is an epidemic of sorts! Some people live life looking for what easily offends them, passing by the roses they could smell, complaining of thorns.

This is well… different at best. I didn’t know that a state legislation had to get involved with breastfeeding mothers. Only complaining how they are made to feel about having to feed their baby’s in public or where ever. Having to then legislate a new law or program, dealing with things that are natural in nature like breastfeeding? Nothing wrong with breastfeeding! If people find something wrong with it then we should question their true intent with their objection to it. On the other hand, why should mothers just be able to breastfeed at will without some regard to others. Seems to me that breastfeeding mothers feel offended in having to go some extra mile in order to feed, but at the same time don’t seem to mind if other people get offended by their feeding. Who’s offence trumps who’s? Shouldn’t people just get along with each other? Why don’t people solve problems between themself’s anymore? Instead, they seem to use just about anything as the standard of the day to run towards an already to big government to help with things that should be already common sense in most people’s minds.

Most older women think this is just bogus. ” What seem to be the trouble… I just used a blanket to cover up a bit in order to feed. Nothing to be offended about, net alone feel uneasy, or uncomfortable. ” Now before you make some funny faces and just convince yourself that this sounds like a younger woman VS. older woman thing. How about just examining some of the points made. You can read the short article of some reasons for a need for breastfeeding legislation’s in our lives today.

Breastfeeding Legislation & Discrimination