When Zombies Crash

Car full of 'zombies' crashes on highway

A carload of partygoers dressed in zombie costumes crashed on I-84 in Portland, Ore., leading bystanders to overestimate the severity of the passengers' non-life-threatening injuries.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38178388/ns/local_news-portland_or?Gt1=43001

 

 

Read the title of the article and started cracking up. I can just imagine "OH NO! This one's brain is falling out!"

More on the 130 year old woman...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38165224/?gt1=43001

Total BS!!

Census worker arrested for trying to do his job

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/2467954,CST-NWS-census06.article

http://www.kfsm.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-census-squabble,0,1930924.story

This is total BS in my opinion. To be arrested for trying to do your job?? OMG people!

Woman Claims To Be World's Oldest Person At 130

Georgia Claims It Has World's Oldest Person, 130

Authorities In Georgia Claim Villager Turns 130, Making Her The Oldest Person On Earth

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/08/ap/world/main6657434.shtml

WOW!! I am not sure I can believe this. I can't even imagine living to be 130...and still having to use an outhouse! WTF?! 

Just think about all the history she has witnessed. 

Awesome Holiday

St. Louis Blues Festival

 

On Saturday July 3, 2010 my husband and I decided to go check out the St. Louis Blues Festival. St. Louis is a small town "In the Middle of the Mitten" I cna't remember ever being there. It is a nice little town (one I would like to explore more) and the festival was great and a pretty good deal too, only $10 per person for a whole day of blues. We sat right up front too! We went to see our favorite blues band, Michal Bailey Band. He was awesome as usual. We also got to check out some new acts, the highlight of which was Toronzo Cannon & the Cannonball Express from Chicago. This guy is the ultimate performer. He would actually come down off the stage and interact with the audience. He played his guitar with his teeth! Wow the guitar playing was amazing (very intense) that night - it left me breatheless! It is hard to describe - should have written about it that night but I was so tired. I hope I got some good pictures; I had to buy a disposable camera because the batteries for my digital camera died before the concerts started.

 

I am glad my husband and I went to check out the festival. We want to remember it next year. All kinds of blues and fireworks too!

 

http://www.saintlouisbluesfestival.com/

 

http://web.me.com/toronzocannon/Toronzo_s_Website/Home.html

 

Fourth of July

 

The next day Sunday 4th we spent at my Mom's house with my Mom, husband (of course), my stepson, my sister-in-law, and my three young nephews. The kids played in the pool while the adults cooked and relaxed on the patio. Then we all went to watch fireworks. I tooks some nice pictures of the kids (and my husband) acting goofy.

 

Hot day at the beach - I love Holland Michigan.

 

Monday, the day after the 4th my husband and I decided to take off for the beach. I love Lake Michigan and I need to go see the Lake every now and again. Yes it is an absolute need! I get melancholy if I cannot go to the Lake. I really wanted to go up to Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes but it is too far for a one day trip. My husband and I decided to go on over to a beach we remembered from a previous trip to Holland, Michigan. It is only about a 2 hour drive and so worth it. The beach is lovely and huge (very wide and deep) and is watched over by a red victorian lighthouse on the other side of the pier. There is a snack bar and gift shop at the beach which is a plus - very good icecream there.

 

That day the beach was crowded - I had never seen so many beach umbrellas! I had never seen a Michigan beach so crowded before to tell the truth. I liked it though. It was relaxing despite the crowd plus it was wonderful to see so many people having a good time (great day for people watching, well and reading, napping LOL). Lake Michigan is usually cold but that hot day the water was actually at tolerable temperature and the waves were pretty good. Once I got in the water I did not want to get out. We stayed for the sunset and I took lots of pictures. We closed down the beach and almost got locked in by the DNR (we were at Holland State Park). LOL, no not really. It was funny though. We went back to our car and there were still a few people getting their stuff together and leaving the beach. THe DNR came and started locking up that end of the parking lot. Well this van speeds accross the parking lot toward the gate. I could here this lady just a bitchin' a mile a minute inside the vehicle. She stopped at the gate and started yelling at the DNR. From what I could gather she thought she was being locked in. The DNR assured her there was another exit and she took off, still bitchin'. My husband and I were standing by our car with bemused expressions on our faces trying not to laugh. The kicker was when the DNR came over to us to assure us we were not being locked in. All I could do was stand there and laugh. I love the beach! I love Lake Michgan! And I love Holland, Michigan - it is a great town.

 

All an all had a great 4th of July holiday.

This is morbid...

Widow lived with corpses of husband, twin

'Death is very hard for me to take,' she says, as police investigate

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38096102/ns/us_news-life/?GT1=43001

 

 

Poor woman. She needs counseling not prosecution. I hope no charges are filed against her. It is morbid and sick but sad too. I hope she gets help. I wonder if she would be open to the idea of cremation for her loved ones? Then she can keep the cremains on her mantle and talk to them all the time.

I didn't know you could get in trouble for this...

British woman Caroline Cartwright pleads guilty to loud sex after neighbors - and postman - complain

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2009/12/15/2009-12-15_british_woman_caroline_cartwright_pleads_guilty_to_loud_sex_after_neighbors__and.html#ixzz0sGxTXr3r

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2009/12/15/2009-12-15_british_woman_caroline_cartwright_pleads_guilty_to_loud_sex_after_neighbors__and.html

What is the world coming to when you can't express yourself? LOL 

Liar liar pants on fire!

I wish liars pants were on fire so then you could tell right away who to trust and who not to trust. I can understand lying in order to protect someone's feelings but to make stuff up out of thin air just to get attention is crazy. Pure craziness!  Sometimes it is harmless but you can never trust a person like that. I can't say I don't understand people like that but they never ceases to amaze me. Probably because that type of behavior just goes against everything that I am and all my beliefs about what a good person should be. Honesty is the best policy. If you can't be honest about who you are then whose life are you really living? Not yours - just your perception of what other people expect or a false image of what you wish you were. Sad.

Well go figure...

Despite recession, world's richest get richer

 

(That's what caught my eye and I thought, "Well go figure." I guess the old adage is true - the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. All these rich MFers complain about taxation and they are going broke in the recessions too. Blah blah blah)

 

World’s rich got richer in 2009

India, China and Brazil see fastest growth in wealth

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37846803/ns/business-personal_finance/?GT1=43001

 

Excitements and Anticipations

I am excited! Yesterday I was at school -UofM-Flint and went on down to the Psych dept. to see if they had a list of places for me to check out for an internship. I am taking an interneship in the fall for my degree. Well they didn't have a list but a box of large index cards with previous students experiences with their internships, dating back into the 1980's. At first I was slightly overwhelmed but I decided to look over the most recent years. I compiled a 6 page list of places to look for an internship! Just reading over the other students experiences made me excited to start mine. I just have to decide what kind of experience I want to have and hope that they will take me on as an intern. I am torn between trying to work at a personal counseling clinic or look into trying to intern at a school with a school psychologist. I was actually thinking about asking the counseling center at Mott but I will have to think about that. I almost want to do at least 2 internships.  I can't wait though.

 

Right now I am on campus - I had a little picnic of pasta salad. It is such a beautiful day out. I love UM-Flint and I love Flint Michigan. I went downtown today to check out the new grocery store that recently opened. It was a cute place. I bought an apron - such a wifey thing to do. I hope it does well but I worry that maybe they won't get enough business although new condos are going in accross the way in the Durant Hotel and I believe a bunch of new apartments and student housing is being built all over. It is exciting to see stuff happening downtown. My husband and I went to Blackstones in Flint for our anniversary dinner (3 years married but 11 together, woohoo!) - they have awesome food there and the atmosphere is wonderful.  Anybody in the Genesee County area or passing through should check out Flint.

 

I have been working for the U.S. Census. It has been quite the learning experience - fun but challenging. It seems to be winding down now which is sad but we'll see. I have put away a little bit of money so I am excited about that. It would be nice to have a little more but c'est la vie. My husband and I haven't really planned any trips this summer because of my job but if it winds down soon we may be able to. I am so in the mood for a road trip. I really want to go back to the Upper Peninsula (Michigan). We do have a trip planned for Labor Day, we are going to Mackinac Island and are also going to walk the Mackinac Bridge. I have always wanted to do that so I can't freakin' wait!

 

 

Beautiful Smile

So I have been working quite a bit lately. Luckily I have
some happy pills now and I keep smiling, even at work. What makes it better is
when I am dealing with nice people; even better is when I get lovely
compliments like the one I did today. I was pretty happy this morning, if not
more than a little tired. I very nice couple came in and the woman told me “You
have such a beautiful smile!” That made me feel great because working at McDonalds
you often feel like a greasy frump – well at least I do, LOL. So when that lady
told me I had a beautiful smile I felt less frumpy and more happy. I like to
remember compliments – they are gifts to me, something to bring me up when I am
feeling a little out of sorts about myself. And it reminded me of a couple of
other times customers had complimented me on my smile.

 

One early morning a man came in to the store and I was
making coffee. I turned to him, smiled, and told him I would be right with him.
He seemed surprised at my greeting, almost awestruck. At first I thought I may
have had something on my face but he told me that the way I smiled at him was
beautiful. He seemed amazed and a little embarrassed. It made me feel really
good though. It was a beautiful compliment and I had not quite fully realized
the power of a smile until then.

 

Another great compliment I got was a lady told me I had nice
smile – that I smiled with my eyes as well as with my mouth. She kept looking
at me and I felt I brightened her day. I love brightening someone’s day! It is reciprocal
– when I feel I made someone feel better I feel better and give out more smiles…
until some ass comes along and ruins it. Haha, not always though, you can’t win
over everybody. Overall though I think a smile goes a long way to making everyone
feel good. 

-----------------------------------------------

Work 

Another person who has a beautiful smile - my stepson. I hope he keeps that smile. He just got his first job. He is working at Wendy's, another fast food restaurant. I think he likes it so far and I hope they treat him right there. He has wanted a job for a while now and I am happy for him but I worry too. I want him to put school and school activities first before the job. I know a job is a good opportunity for both earning money and learning but I want my stepson to be able to enjoy being a kid (he is 16 yeah, but still a kid - not grown yet and he does not need too many responsibilities yet). It is important that he is able to do well in school and take advantage of experiences being in school offers. I don't think job experiences should be top priority right now but I am afraid that once he really starts working he will get caught up in wanting more and more money and material possessions, the kind of drive that goes along with having a job and leaves little room for anything else in life. 

It is fun to talk to him about the job though. We share working in fast food in common now - he will soon realize all the 'joys' of working I have discovered. LOL. In a funny way I am proud of him for taking on this challenge. I hope he does well and is able to balance everything AND we still get to see him. 

Frustrations!

So mad and frustrated about a certain situation but of course I can't do much about since I don't make decisions in a certain young man's life. Let me tell you, if I did and if I had more control over the money designated for his care things would be a lot different because I am not a stupid, selfish bitch. Have a nice day : )

Uh ...yeah...DUH!

I saw this article/video on MSN entitled "Should Gay Americans Serve?" and my initial reaction was 'Uh yeah! Duh! Why shouldn't they?" I haven't had time to watch the video but I think some peoples opinions will make me mad.

 

Is it time for openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the military?

Last week, the House voted to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the policy that bans openly gay Americans from serving in the military.

 

http://americas-soapbox.msn.com/?from=en-us_msnhp&Gt1=24000#d0cf860f-0eca-4eed-968a-60f336da82a1

Oh yes!

"Say whats in your heart and speak whats on your mind, for those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

 

Stolen from someone on facebook - kind of what I always thought and I am really feeling it right now.

Wow! I can't believe this.

 http://publish.vx.roo.com/nypost/viral/2010/flashembed/

What's wrong with this picture?

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/05/illiterate_for_most_of_his_lif.html

 

The Good, The Bad, The Heartbreaking-ly Sad

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/04/former_secretary_of_state_made_1.html

http://www.umflint.edu/music/In%20Concert.htm

Family Tree

So is April family tree month? On Thursday my stepson made mention of the fact that his mother is researching her family tree (as well as stepson's family - his father's family, go figure). Then on Friday I went on facebook as I am watching the show "Who Do You Think You Are?" (that show where they trace celebrities family tree) and see I have received an email from a lady researching her husband's family tree and she wanted to know if my husband's family could be connected to her husband's family because she recently found out they had ancestors in Flint with the same last name as ours. It was so weird and coincidental. Maybe it is the show that is making everyone want to research their family trees. Of course it got me thinking about my ancestors. 

I am sort of interested in researching my family tree but a lot of the work has already been done on both my Mom and my Dad's side. My Mom is big on genealogy. I get frustrated because to me a family tree is sort of like a bunch of names strung together - 'so and so begot so and so, etc.' A lot of the family stories are lost. I am more interested in the stories. I kick myself for not taking down my Grandparents stories while they were alive. I have a few stories my Grandmother told me, or memories of hers really. I remember being fascinated by all her old pictures - she had dozens from the late 1800's and early 1900's and calling cards too (I loved those -.they were so Laura Ingalls Wilder!) By the time I came along though, she couldn't remember who a lot of the people were. Sad. I will have to write out all my memories of my Grandma and also the things she told me.  

I do have one story of my Grandfather's (Orvis is that family name, which I always thought an unusual name) family - who were loggers and lived all over Michigan. Then there was the other side of my Grandpa's family (his mother, I believe), the Wisdoms (another unusual surname). This branch came over from England to Michigan in the mid 1800's. I want to make a fictional story based on this family story - it is sort of romantic. I wish I had more details but I suppose that is where I will have to create stuff. To make a long story short, my Great, Great-Grandma was a 'Lady of Quality' in England and lived with her family in a 'house with many servants, and they had a London town house' too (this was noted in her obituary). She married a gamekeeper and they emigrated to Michigan where she had to learn how to cook and clean and adjust to living in a one room cabin! Also noted in the obituary was that she had a lot of lovely linens her sister sent to her but they were ruined from use on her rough-hewn cabin table. I couldn't even imagine. I want more details!! I have done a little research and found the estate my Great-Grandfather was a gamekeeper at. I want to go to England someday and check it out. So that always ends my interest in genealogy because I do not have the time to chase down the stories - I need to see and physically go to the places.

I now remember another story about my Great-Grandma (my Grandpa Orvis' mother) and I believe daughter to the lady I wrote about above - I think both their names were Elizabeth. She lived up in Clare, Michigan or thereabouts. She was a tough woman - she cooked for all the loggers. Then if she needed to go to the store she had to hike 20 miles there and 20 miles back through the wilderness. She had to hide from the Native American's because they would take her purchases. It has been said that she was a medicine woman and new all about herbs and natural medicines. More story fodder. See this is the stuff that gets lost along the way, so I really need to start recording it. 

I forgot another funny tidbit. Once I dreamt I was going to visit relatives in Italy. Well as far as I knew I was not Italian. Lo and behold, a few weeks later my Mom, who was doing research on the family tree found out that somewhere on my Grandfather's side (her Dad), we are either Italian and/or Spanish. A ha, so my dream started making a little sense. I had a premonition! That was weird but cool. I don't think anything else has been discovered about these Italian or Spanish ancestors though. Agh! So much gets lost. That is why I believe writing, journaling and even blogging is so important. 

Fantastic Tree Houses!

I so want one, but I suppose I am too old. My creakin' knees and fat butt would have a difficult time getting up in one. I am not giving up hope though! I will have one yet!

http://glo.msn.com/living/7-tremendous-tree-houses-2006.gallery?GT1=49000

Joan Didion

“Life changes fast. Life changes in an instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends. The question of self-pity.” Joan Didion, from The Year of Magical Thinking

I have a presentation today on Joan Didion and writing. Just trying to put it all together. Didion is an interesting person and I have learned something about writing from learning about how she works - I am not quite sure what yet.  Well it is hard to articulate but she is definitely an inspiration. After this semester is over I am going to read her book The Year of Magical Thinking, it is a book on grief.