Reinstating Shoe Polish 2

I DID IT! I REINSTATED SHOE POLISH! And it Planted a seed inside of me!

It sounds a little silly I know but I have felt a HUGE sense excitement and accomplishment. For some reason it was empowering! I feel like I can put on my newly polished shoes, go out into the community and give it a new coat of polish as well.

It's amazing what we can do if we just start. It doesn't have to be something HUGE either. Remember when I mentioned in Shoe Polish 1 how simple things can create more economy? Let me tell you about a little 5 year old girl in an apartment complex I lived in about 15 years ago. One early spring day she was eating watermelon and decided to keep and plant the seeds.
She told her mommmy:
"I'm going outside to plant my seeds!"
And her mommy who was doing the dishes and not really paying attention didn't really think anything of it.Until she heard the door close. She watched her daughter go to the side of the apartment where they lived and dig a small shallow hole with a plastic spoon. Her daughter then dumped a pile of seeds into the shallow hole and then scooped a cup of dirt on top and then a small cup of water. And she ran back in and told her Mommy what she did!

"that's nice baby girl" said her mommmy and went back to doing house work.

Every couple days the little girl would announce she's going to water her seeds. The Mom didn't pay too much attention to it and eventually forgot about it.
About 3 months later the mother and all the other tenants of the apartment complex noticed a vine sort of growing around the staircase and getting caught around their legs when going and coming up the stairs. There was talk amongst the tenants of yanking it out and where had it come from. Then one day while the tenants were sitting out in the lawn enjoying a hot summer day the little girl came out of the house with a little cup of water. The mommy remembered...and explained;
"OH NOO! I think that vine we've all been tripping under is a watermelon plant!"
No longer annoyed, excitement started to ripple through the apartment complex. The mommy would come home from work and find some of tenants weeding and care for the plant. It began to bloom and excitement grew as everyone waited patiently for the sweet fruit of the summer to ripen and grown.
Finally when the time was right the apartment complex for the later part of the summer watermelon. It was such a great amazing treat! When the apartment manager learned what happened he was tickled to death. The next spring he pulled out the bushes in front of the complex and planted zucchini, the state vegetable of Utah. There were many types of families living in this complex: single parents, Older couples, Children caring for elderly parents, Newly weds and New parents all in various financial circumstances. Many were able to have extra meals on their tables from this simple act of kindness.

When the little girl and her mommy moved away the apartment complex was still enjoying that little tradition. All because a little girl planted water melon seeds one day.
It doesn't take much, Whether it be Watermelon seeds, Shoe polish or even a little kool-aid stand on the corner with little kids trying to earn enough money to buy their Mommy or Daddy a birthday present. We have it in use to create great community spirit that can cause a ripple effect within this great nation.
I hope everyone will begin to exercise your right to reinstate shoe polish.


And if you do, I would LOVE for you to share your comments and stories.

Shoe Polish! I'm Reinstating Shoe Polish!

I'm not kidding either. Today I got excited about shoe polish and then has this whole new epiphany on why the economy is horrible. I could sit here and blame the government on over sending but I'm convinced that ain't it. I think it's more personal than that. It begins with our homes and our communities.
I looked down at my shoes this morning and they were pretty badly scuffed. I think I need a new pair.
My mind went back in the days of my father getting ready for church Sunday morning. It almost always involved his shoe polish kit. He would get out the black shoe polish, his shoe rag and his brush. Carefully put the polish in the spots that need it and brush the scuffs away and shine them babies up nice and smart!


Then my thoughts went back to the days where you would see the shoe shine boys/ men with their gear waiting and ready to do a quick shoe shine while others waited to catch a bus, cab, train or plain. Back in the day, this was a business man earning his living or supplementing his income by shining shoes and possibly another businessman proud to hire him for his services. It was a service that fulfilled a small need. It was citizens creating and fulfilling jobs and feeding the economy, simply by shining shoes.
Thoughts of the shoe shine boy carried my thoughts over to shoe repair shops. Remember when Grandpa would take his shoes around the corner to the shoe repair shop to have them resoled or or have the heels put back on Grandma's pumps. Instead of spending the money on new shoes they repaired the old one's good as new for pennies on the dollar. And used them another 5 years.
After my mind marinated a while at the shoe repair shop is wandered over to the "MR FIXIT SHOP." Do some of you remember those small repair shops just in the back porch of old Mr Johnson's house? It would be full of vacuum cleaners, blenders, toasters,coffee makers and other small appliances needing repair? If he couldn't fix it, it wasn't really broke! Instead of spending the money on buying a new one Mr Johnson would work his magic and have it back to you in week!

Mr Fixit shops were business men who serviced the community while saving us a few dollars on our everyday can't live without favorite appliances. Where have they gone? I'm going to try and find one in my neighborhood and make sure I throw some business their way.

After my mind visited Mr Fixit's shop it went back to the neighborhood and I ran into.. of all people 50 cent! That's right the Singer/Actor Fitty Cent! You, "Hey shawty, it's ya birthday, We gonna party like it's ya birthday..." That Fitty Cent!
WHY HIM, you ask? I'ma tell you why him. This was a Tweet he had back in December when a blizzard hit his city:
"I'm going out to shovel snow and see if I can make me a few extra dollars today. I'm charging more if they want to take pictures."
- "I want a hundred dollars per house. I bet anybody ill make a grand moving snow today. Lol"
- "I got 4 people on one street to agree to my fee after they saw the first job I did. Now I'm looking for employees."
- "I'm paying 30 dollars and hour I only want 3 workers that 90 dollars and hour but I think we can do all 4 in a hour in a half. Lol"
- "One is a cute kid he has on a snow suit. So I'm sending him to ring the door bell to ask if we can shovel there snow. Lol"

He may have done about this a little funny, but he created jobs for a couple of kids in his neighborhood. For those who might miss the point of what Im trying to say, let me bring it to you this way. I'm going back to one of my father's examples:
My dad has lemon trees. He pays a little kid in his neighborhood a few dollars a week to come and pick up the lemons that fall out of his tree. Somewhere in Gilbert, AZ there'a a six year old with a puffed up chest because he has a job and makes money!! And as my Dad mentioned "he's protective of my yard and makes sure his buddies don't mess it up or destroy it."
I'm sure this comes in handy around trick or treat time.
Remember when we were kids and we cut grass, raked leaves, shoveled sidewalks, trimmed hedges, washed cars and walked dogs and did paper routes to make our pocket cash? We, the people of the neighborhoods were hired by the neighborhood to maintain the neighborhood. And it was good money for children and pre-teenagers. It created a good work ethic. I allowed us to learn how to budget and manage money at an early age. It made us not afraid to do dirty work, hard work, sweaty work. WE WERE NOT ABOVE THIS KIND OF WORK. These jobs supplied us with soda pop money,bubble gum money, baseball card money, movie money, hot dog at the ball game money. Money for the fair, we saved this money to buy our first bikes, or pair of high heel shoes or baseball mitts. These jobs rarely exist anymore.
I'm in a position right now where I'm looking at purchasing a home. I'm pretty much sold on a condo or townhouse. But lately a part of me is wanting to look into a Single family home with a yard. It would be fun hire some little dude in the neighborhood to rake my leaves, cut the lawn and shovel the driveway or even some little dudette who wants to come in once a week and dust or vacuum, sweep the driveway or weed a garden.

We could blame the non existence of these kinds of job weak work ethic of spoiled children today being given everything by their parents who aren't teaching them the value of earning their own money and just giving them everything. But what are we doing in our own communities to create the kinds of opportunities to give the economy the a boost as well as teaching the young folks the value of hard work and a dollar or two? It would be kind of fun to help provide this kind of community service to a neighborhood. It helped keep young folks out of trouble, bridged the generation gap and kept the economy flowing freely in our neighborhoods.
IM going to do my part to see what I can come up with in my neighborhood to get it flowing again. And I'm going to start by reinstating shoe polish into my life!

Sister Wives VS Baby Mamas.

I was fascinated by the show Sister Wives. Being a non-fundamentalist Member of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints I wanted to take a peek into the real lives of those who held onto the tradition or commandment of Plural Marriage. I had a couple of teachers who would tease us all the time when they found out I was LDS as to how many wives did my father have. I would always respond “well , how many mama’s do YOU have?” *check mate* And leave it a that.

Just to differentiate between the Mainstream LDS Church and those that practice polygamy. Mainstream LDS used to practice Polygamy. However we also believe in obeying the law of the land, so the practice was disbanded years ago.

The Polygamist Mormons still practice in hiding. For fear of their families being Separated.
When I look at stories Like Warren Jeff’s which appears by me to be a misguided use of unrighteous dominion I’m sickened.
Strangely enough, when I watch the Sister wives on TV, I am impressed by their love of family and the measures they go through to communicate effectively and cooperate for the greater family good. What they have seems to work as a family unit. The bills get paid, they aren’t on welfare they work hard and budget their expenses and finances, the children are educated, clean, and enjoy the typical sibling relationships. They are indeed family in every since of the word. None of their kids are dropping out of school, pregnant or running the streets.

If someone were to ask me today… “how many wives does your father have, I would ask them… How many Baby Daddies does your Mother have?

LET’S TO THERE FOR A MINUTE:





It’s coming to the point where same family members share 2 and 3 different last names due to divorces, remarriages and baby mamas.

From what I can figure 1 man working, with 4 wives, 2 of them (usually) working, and 2 at home with the 16 children, are better on the economy than 1 mama with 4 kids trying to work and collect child support from 4 baby Daddies.
Sister wives are losing jobs because of their marital status? What part of that is not discrimination? Utah is an AT WILL state meaning you can get fired for no real reason. I don’t know the situation to which wifey 1 was let go but really? People who want to work can’t work.
I had a friend who, when she had her first baby her mother moved in for the first 2 months. She loved it. Her mother cooked, cleaned did the laundry and all the traditional things a wife should do. Within a week of her mother leaving she recognized the value of having another woman to share the caring. She told me “that’s what I needed for all this time… A wife!”
I have no interest in being a sister wife. But I am quite envious of the support they have within one another. It’s their own little community within the family. As a matter of fact it is an example of how a family and community should work.
If all the baby daddy’s out there gathered all the baby mama’s together in one house hold and shared in the raising ,financing, emotional caring of the children they created, I think as whole it would be less of Burdon. Then again If Couples in a Monogamous marriage are able to do the same thing and stay together and work toward that same end, the effect would hopefully be the same as well.
No child has a choice in how they're being brought up and the belief system of the household in which they live. The Brown House hold is obviously not the Jeff House hold. I mean they have minds of their own, they're not subservient of submissive and they have a choice in how they continue their lives after leaving the house hold.
Mama Baby's are products and subject to whatever is being taught in their house hold... sometimes good, sometimes bad who knows? I don't see no authorities going after them families for whatever moral ideals are floating around in those homes.

MAYBE The state of Utah should worry less about Kody Brown, his 4 wives and their 16 (+1, they are expecting again) children. They appear to be decent contributing people in society. Maybe they should start investigating what's going on in some of these Baby Mamas households.
*just sayin*

*Just A thought*

"Dear America..." Part One

Dear America,
The World has a way of disciplining your Children if you don't.
sincerely,
The Warden


Dear America,
If you think Education is Expensive, try Ignorance
Sincerely,
Pell Grant.

Dear America,
Some Pets should Spay and Neuter their Owners
Sincerely,
ASPCA

Dear America,
I am more than happy to provide your children with love, attention, friendship, and companionship if you don't.
Sincerely,
Drug Dealers, Gang Members and Pimps.

Dear America,
Maybe you should give away Free Vasectomies and Tubal Ligations instead of condoms
Sincerely,
Abortion Clinics


Dear America,
I"m still Here!
Love,
GOD


Dear America,
Hope you're having as much fun with your Family, friends and loved ones as I am!
Sincerely,
Xbox, iPad, Cell phones, PC's and Lap Tops


Dear America,
I don't mind if you walk all over me, I promise!
Sincerely,
Side walks, Trails, roads and treadmills


Dear America,
Obesity is UP! Heart Disease is UP and your butts are getting bigger
and yet you STILL ignore us?
Sincerely,
Bikes, Scooters, and Skateboards


Dear America,
What are you waiting for? It's time to start!
Sincerely,
Your Savings Account & 401k



Dear America,
I'm really sick of babysitting
Sincerely,
Your Television


Dear America,
I wish I would have learned how to problem solve, keep a budget, maintain a job and pay bills while living at home,
Sincerely,
Twenty-Something


Dear America,
Can you call next time, I'm really getting tired and over worked,
Sincerely,
Texting thumbs & fingers

Dear America, Try hanging out with me once in a while.
I'm a really fun and cheap date!
Sincerely,
Your Community

Dear America,
You should really be nice to Customer Service Agents
who have access to your Name, Address, Phone Number,
Social Security, Date of Birth, and Credit Card info.
Sincerely,
Corporate America

Dear America,
Teach your kids how to cook, clean and do laundry.
Sincerely,
Their Future Roommates and Spouses.


Dear America,
Thank you for the fuel!
Sincerely,
The Fire

Dear America
Thank you for all the potatoes!
Sincerely
The Couch!


Dear America,
It's Cheaper To keep her,
Sincerely,
Divorced Man

Dear America,
You are Mistaken:
Handicapped and Obese are NOT the same thing
Sincerely,
Bathroom and Parking Stalls


TO BE CONTINUED

I want to have an Interesting Summer!

I know it's only the beginning of March. But I'm already planning on having an interesting summer. I want it to be fun, laid back and unique. I want it to be full of simple joys, tearful laughters, and different experiences.
I'm going to build my dining room table instead of buy it:
http://ana-white.com/?p=57&upm_export=print

I'm going to take a weekend scenic Amtrak trip someplace


have a sleeping car and mingle and socialize with train folk.

I want to work through the pain of osteo arthritis and run a 2k before the end of the year.

I Want to walk barefoot along a portion of the Oregon Trail and feel the history of it beneath my feet, between my toes and in my soul.



I want to get a Library card like when I was kid and make trips to the library.




I want to spend some time under the water relaxing and floating like an angel fish donned in my new purple snorkeling gear



(This really is my new gear!)



I want to go to the salt flats where they filmed "Independence Day" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and have a bonfire under the summer stars.



and take pictures of the sunsets in West Desert before camping out and witnessing the meteor showers.





I want to create a piece of fabulous funky art or craft and display it somewhere in my home








I want to make Hobo Dinners


and dutch Oven breakfast


while camping in Bryce Canyon again.



I want to do volunteer work and really be a part of the community.




I want to fall into a peaceful sleep in a hammock while reading a book




.





and Rage at a summer concert.


I want to watch a thunderstorm and dance in the rain.





And I plan on having MY SUMMER!!

OLYMPICS: WEEK 1

What an AMAZING first week at the olympics. I must admit I'm Missing Jim McKay right now. I may be showing my age but he will ALWAYS be the voice of the Olympics to me. He Reported for 12 Olympics. This was when they would have the winter olympics, then 4 years later the Summer. They were held 4 years apart and not 2 years apart.

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the 0lympics this last week and am looking forward to the rest of them next week. What a great historical time for not only the U.S.A but for many other countries winning first medals ever in many events, breaking winning records in single disciplines and country records. It's great to be a part of this even from a spectator point of view.

I think some of my favorite moments were watching Bode Miller's return. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even know he was on the team. After his showing in Torin I just figured he's fade away but I am proud to see him doing so well ESPECIALLY after 2006. He's come back with a lot of grace and grit and still as Sexxy as ever. It just FEELS good to watch Bode in action.

There's a large amount of Olympians from the 2 states I call home. Michigan has 16 and Utah has 51. That's a pretty Great showing.
After 2002 many Olympians around the world now call Utah Home we do boast the "GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH" It's nothing to run into Apolo Ohno, or Torah Bright while out and about. It's really pretty cool, like an Olympic Hollywood! Having the Olympics here in 2002 wans UH MAY ZING! And every 2 years that OLYMPIC FEELING returns, even for the summer Olympics. It truly is UH MAY ZING!

I watched a few events I had no interest in prior to this year: Ice Skating. It really is more technical then you would think. Curling. I'm sold. I watched the U.S.A womens vs Germany Session. It's pretty tough and strategic. Im sold! I think Speed skating short track is my new favorite. Never really heard or paid attention to it before 2002. Did anyone? It really is like Ice Derby: anything can happen and it does. It's kinda spooky watching JR Celzic and Apolo Ohno... I wonder if Ohno feels like he's looking at a shadow of his younger days?

What is UP with with that Luge, Skeleton, Bobsleigh Track at Whistler? They call it 50/50. Ain't NO WAY I'm bout to go down a track where you have a 50% chance of crashing. It would seriously mess with my head and Confidence, Especially after death of Nodar Kumaritashvili from Georgia. I Feel so deeply for his family. I cant Imagine raising an Olympian, sending him off to play and them passing away. So SO sad. I feel for his teammates as well. Emotionally I would be so messed up I don't know how they do it.

I'm excited to see Shani Davis perform this year. I think he got a bum wrap last year and his mama didn't help. SORRY CHERIE DAVIS! I know you trying to protect him, and sorry Shani I know you love yo mama. Sometimes Stage moms should be off the stage and seen but not heard. But I get it Ms Davis. I'm a single black Mama my self and although I didn't raise and Olympian, however I DID raise a Champion!

Shani looks so much more relaxed and as if he's enjoying himself this year. I hope he is! The olympics are hard hard work but man wouldn't be sad to look back at your medals and think... I wish I would have enjoyed myself and the experience more as well? Have yourself a ball Shani and good luck!

Don't you Love Julia Mancuso's Tiara? LOVE IT! I would be rocking the Tiara if I were there for sure.


And congratulations to China's gold medal, HISTORIC GOLD MEDAL, for figure skating pairs? I love the Love story as well behind that gold.

OH, So I watched the Cross country and Biathlons this year for the first time. WOW.
USA we are just NOT great cross country folks at all are we? No wonder we're all shocked at the Silver won by Johnny Spillane.

Anyway I am absolutely LOVING These Olympics!U.S.A is having a Historical time and hopefully so is the rest of the countries.
GO USA GO WORLD

THE OLYMPICS:GO USA~ GO WORLD!

I don't know about y'all but I LOVE THE OLYMPICS! I love the competition, I love the Unification of not just the country but the world. It's one of the only times it feels like the world is for the most part On the same page.
It feels like all the kids of the world said...

"HEY let's get together in two years and play on the same play ground! We'll play some games, have some food, Dance, Laugh, share our stories, celebrate our differences and win some awards! Before we leave, lets agree on another place to meet up and play again!"

Doesn't it kind of remind you of the Saturday mornings at the ball field when you were a kid?
Everyone would show up with their gear, we'd pick teams and then spend all day playing, talking trash, disagreeing, redeeming ourselves of our mistakes. By the end of the day everyone went home tired, happy, with stories to tell. Ready to come back next weekend to do it all over again. There could be someone who was an absolute geek or that you didn't get along with during the week, but on the weekend, when it was time to hit that playground and play, they might have been picked last for a team but they were still picked. Eventually they would come into their own and find they possessed a talent they didn't know they had.

I must admit I do not always route for the USA to win. *GASP!* I hope this confession doesn't interfere with me getting a passport this year. Or a "special" interview with the FBI or Secret Service.
I'm always stocked when the U.S does win and it's BONUS. I'm a sucker for the underdog medal, the historical medal, the deserved medal, the lucky medal, THE AWESOME MEDAL!
Some Examples:


Underdog Medal:

Simon Ammann of Switzerland aka Harry Potter, The Wizard:

Remember this kid at the 2002 Olympics? He come virtually out of no where a no name except to maybe friends, family and teammates. Places 35th in the Nagano Olympics at the age of 16. This kid has never one any kind of big championship competition and out of Nowhere, like Harry Potter on a broomstick wins 2 gold medals for Long Hill AND Normal Hill Ski jumping. So much JOY and disbelief in his reaction, I still get choked up when I see it and that was 8 years ago. Does nothing in the 2006 Olympics and then comes back in 2010 to win Gold (the first gold of the 2010) again in the Normal Hill Jump. He became the first man in Olympic history to win gold medals in the Individual Normal Hill event in two Olympics.

PS: Don't call him Harry Potter, it's a bit tiresome for the now 28 year old.






Historical Medal:

I have to give it up to China's Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo. They started skating together in 1992.


Won a few championships, became the first Chinese pair to ever medal for Figure skating by placing 3rd at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. They Suffered injury after injury after that time for both of them. Despite injuries they won several World Championships. March 21, 2007 they won their third World Championship title. On March 21, 2007 on the ice at the end of their performance at the 2007 World Championship in tokyo, Japan where they won the World Pairs Skating title,Zhao Hongbo kneeled before Shen Xue to propose to her.


They announce their retirement and got married. Later decided the only thing that eludes them, is an Olympic Gold Medal. They came out of retirement went back to living in separate Olympic dorms and eating cafeteria food. 2010 to watch their Skating performance was truly Poetic Love in Motion. Stunning.

For China, love is golden, they scored the highest score in pairs history, they won the first Gold for China in Olympics Figure Skating pairs History knocking out Russia's 12 year reign.



*** And how about Alex Bildeau Winning Canada's firt told medal on Home Soil. I could hear the Canadian Roar here in Utah!

The Deserved Medal
Petra Majdic of Slovenia. This chick is TOUGH AS NAILS! She falls off course during a practice run falls down steep bank onto some rocks.
She says: " "The accident happened on an icy corner, the area was not secured, I slipped and the momentum carried me over the edge," she said.


"There was a big drop -- about three meters -- and I landed in a small stream with rocks. I was falling towards a big rock and I managed to turn on my side, but I still broke both poles and a ski.

"I was in pain and some volunteers helped me out. They wanted to take me to the medical center, but I yelled, 'take me to the start."
She did undergo a quick examination and the ultrasound revealed no breaks just deep bruising.

She turns down pain killers that would restrict her movement during her race, which is four laps of 1.4m.
Kudos to the First American who can tell me what that is in miles!

She' goes on to win the Bronze Medal, which would be the first medal of the games for her country, Slovenia and the countries first ever cross country medal .

She basically collapsed on the other side of the finish and is carried off. After further examination: four fractured ribs and a tear of the membrane of the lung. Again in her own words "This is not a bronze medal, this is a gold medal with little diamonds on it." NOOO KIDDING! And just to prove that Olympians have a hormone laced with crazy in them, she was hoping to compete again by the end of next week!

Lady, you have an injured lung!!! The Dr's ,however, say she's done in Vancouver. That Lady Deserved that Medal... and more!

The Lucky Medal:



OH NO! IF there is anyone anymore more Highly Favored by the Olympic God's than Apolo Anton Ohno I would like to know who it is? Maybe it's because he bears the Name and looks of a Greek God. Unlike the Greek God his name is only Spelled with one "L." It is because the other L is for "Luck?" The Man is Gorgeous, Sexy, Charming, has winning dance moves and is a brilliant short track athlete. He first Appeared on the Scene at the 2002 Olympics, a cute kid with a Soul Patch on his chin and baby doe eyes that lure you in.



SLC 2002 Disqualified in the 500m race. Doesn't sound very Lucky does it? In the 1000 m he was winning. During a turn around the final corner, a skater from another country tries to pass him and another skater from the inside knocking 4 skater, including OHNO against the padded walls and out of the race. OR SO YOU THINK! So Some kid from Australia in 4th place not only sails into 1st place but it is the THE FIRST WINTER OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL ever for a country in the southern hemisphere. *Luck* Apolo being the highly favored things to starts scrambling on the ice toward the finish line he slips but manages to reach his blade of his now INJURED LEG over the finish line for 2nd place(He needed six stitches in his inner thigh.) Another of the fallen came in third for the bronze medal. *Luck*


Same Olympics: 1500 meters Ohno won the gold medal. During the 1500 m final race, another skater was first across the finish line, but was disqualified for blocking Ohno, in a rule-violation called cross tracking. With three laps remaining and currently in second position, Ohno attempted to make a pass on the leader, who then drifted to the inside and as a result, Ohno raised his arms to signal he was blocked. The tapes were reviewed, the athlete that crossed the ice first was disqualified. OH NO FOR THE GOLD! *Luck*

2006 in Torino Apolo doesn't even qualify for 1500m. Won bronze in the 1000m behind the two who caused him grief in 2002 and then wins gold in the 500 m when he took the lead right off and kept it til the end. No fuss, no muss right? Wrong! There was criticism that he appeared to move before the start, a violation of the rules. That accusation was overruled *Luck*

Jump to 2010 Vancouver:
Let's just jump right to the 1500m. Apolo hangs out behind as always waiting for the right time to make his move. When he makes that move he's in first, then 3rd, then 2nd then 4th, then tried to make a move for 2nd and is block back into 4th. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place skaters from the same country, it look like a sweep! When suddenly 3rd place tries to pass 2nd place country men at the last corner... and knocks them both out. Apolo sail into 2nd place for the silver with another USA country man right behind for the Bronze. *Luck*



This medal makes Apolo Anton Ohno Tied with Bonnie Blair for the most medals won by 1 person at a winter Olympics. The beauty of it... Apolo has 4 more events before the end of these Olympics. 1 more medals makes him the the Athlete with the most medals ever won for THE Winter Olympics.
APOLO, GOOD "L!"

THE AWESOME MEDAL!
Two Words: Shaun White!
Seriously this kid has AWESOME in his blood. It's one thing to dominate in your sport. It's HISTORICAL to bring your craft to new levels of innovation and expand the boundaries. The man has to be Helicopters into his own SECRET HALFPIPE LABORATORIES ON HIS PRIVATE MOUNTAINS in Colorado where he literally concocts new maneuvers to push the boundaries for his sport.
He showed up in 2006 off the Skateboarding circuit.


Shaun DOMINATES the Winter X Games, where he has won a medal every year since 2002. Including all winter X Games competitions through 2009, his medal count stands at 14 (9 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze), including the first four-peat winner by a male athlete in one the snowboard slopestyle event.
2006 He Hit the scene and helped the Americans Sweep the Snowboarding winning the gold lookin like a little kid playing dress up in over sized Olympic gear.

He sustained minor injuries when he hit his face on the pipe just a few weeks before the 2010 Olympics. When Asked what went through his mind after his crash he basically said: Man I gotta get back up there and lay it down. He did, and won Winter X Gold.

2010 Was there any doubt Shaun White would get his gold? Nope, not even. The way you qualify for Halfpipe cold: You have 2 Quarter final Qualification runs. If you Score high enough you automatically advance to the finals. Top 6 automatically advance. Everyone else gets two semi final runs and try to advance from their. You get 2 finals run. The highest of each run is the one that advances your or wins. Shaun White won with 2 runs. 1 run automatically advances him to the finals, 2nd run, just a practice run where he slightly stumbles. Who cares, he's already in the finals.

Shaun White won gold before he even began his second run on what was considered a "conservative first run. His first run scored at 48.4 out of 50. He doesn't need to do his 2nd run. However there's a new trick he's concocted: "The Double McTwist 1260." No It's not a new item on the McDonald's Menu yet... but Give it time, I'm sure our Red headed Olympian will be scooped up by
Mc Donalds in no time!


The Double Mc twist 1260 is the newest Snowboarding Trick and right now only one man can do it, the man how created it. The man who doesn't even need to introduce it cuz he already won the Gold. His Family is going crazy! His even brought his dog, Rambo to the Olympics!



Why should he risk himself danger by doing it if he doesn't need to? Because the fans want him to.


He Displays his AWESOMENESS on his 2nd run which is dubbed his Victory lap.

I believe these are the Medal that the Olympics are made of. These and the stories of the countries who have 1 athlete Like Algeria, Morocco, and Columbia or 5 Athletes like Brazil and Iceland. Athletes who we may never hear or know their name. Athletes who work just as hard to get to Olympics as the gold medal winners, and in most cases even harder because they don't have the funding, opportunity as the countries with world wide sponsors like Nike, Coke, or Wheaties. I am proud to be and American. Proud of our Athletes and their hard work and achievements. I am more proud of those Olympians who defy the odds of everyday living to become and Olympian. Their Stories are what I enjoy most and Those are the champions, no matter what country I cheer most for. I am HUMAN first and fore most, then American.

"Last, This and Next" This conversation is LONG OVERDUE!

This is a LONG overdue conversation. Some people just down right confuse me. And "I can do bad all by myself!" I get confused on a couple little items. I know it may seem like I'm talking about "this, that and the other" but what I'm really referring to is Last, This and Next.


Now I'm not taking in general, I'm talking in reference of time. More specifically when
we speak in terms of days and weeks. I guess "LAST" shouldn't be a problem because it truly is it's own definition. But this and next confuse the devil outta me.

For example: If I were to say "I have a date next Saturday." In the minds of some people that should be the next Saturday coming up, right? It makes perfect since. Next should be next, right? But in my mind THIS Saturday would actually be the next Saturday, as in This Saturday coming up, right? Because the Next Saturday would be the next Saturday coming up after THIS Saturday. So This Saturday would literally be Next Saturday. It certainly can't be Last Saturday because I can't have date coming up last Saturday unless I'm specifying The Last Saturday of a Month or Year, right?
Ya with me on this?
Now there are some that are insistent that Next always means the VERY next. I disagree completely, if that were the case, then we could totally do away with THIS and just stick with Last a Next. THIS WILL NEVER DO. I'm just to fond of THIS. I used to think it was just a matter of how one was brought up. But it's not true. My sister and I have had this discussion many many times.
She is one who believes that next means NEXT! So When I say THIS, Saturday she actually thinks I mean this LAST Saturday instead of this Next Saturday because THIS can't possibly be Next. Do ya see my dilemma, do you SEE IT? Do ya see how it all makes perfect sense and yet NO sense at all?
So Basically am going to make it easier on myself... and on you if you're communicating with me.
Last refers to last week, This refers to this week and next refers to next week. Got it? So no more of this confusion. When I say this confusion I don't mean as in this next confusions or this last confusion. THIS means Current to me. Get it? Got it? Good!

Summer Fun.... LET'S CATCH UP!

Hey Friends, Fans, Brothers & Sisters!
It's been a while I know! Much has happened since my last post. To be quite honest I don't even remember writing that last post and that's been over a month ago.

Sooo Let's see we have some catching up to do, and best of all I have some pics!

I heard that one of my favorite Comedians were coming to town and tickets were only $20! What a rip off for him but such a great deal for those of us who went. We were fortunate because he did 4 shows and all shows sold out. We scored tickets to the last show!

Here's the line to get into the comedy club Wise Guys. It was actually out in the street. Which didn't surprise me. I would stand in the street for the guy. I didn't, but I would.



!
Of course I took my picture with SINBAD! It was a fun night from what I can remember, it was an awesome time. And don't we make an awesome looking pair? It was fun to kind of talk to him afterwards. He mentioned something about Michigan and I shouted out "BATTLE CREEK!" and he called back "BEARCATS!" Which is my high school...Battle Creek Central Bearcats! And he then proceeded to tell the audience how his team Benton Harbor whipped our butts on the football field in 1972. Someone from Niles Michigan proceeded to then mention how They kicked Benton Harbor's butt. It was a fun little interchange.
Afterwards I took the opportunity to spar with him about our rivalry. We used to have police escort going in and out of Benton Harbor, they would throw rocks at the bus and try to get to rioting. Especially when we kicked their butts in Softball! Again a nice little interchange with such a fantastic entertainer. He is easily one of my Favorites!



It was an AWESOME NIGHT... what I can remember of it.
Unfortunately this was also the night I came down with Swine Flu. I remember taking a breath to laugh and a dry burning series of coughs popped out. By the end of the show and the ride home I was out of it. I would learn later I not only had Swine flu but it left behind it's sister pneumonia and baby cousin sinusitis. Apparently I was in denial and went to the Dr WAY later than I should have. My voice was so deep my own mother didn't know who I was on the phone. My daughter was calling me "Sir", "Father" and "dad", telling folks to come over and get Barry White's autograph.
This ailment was NO JOKE! Every time I woke up I was in a different room, not remembering how I got there. A few times I woke up with a thermometer in my mouth. I remember just burning from the inside. I drank a lot of ice water and cough drops. I remember it hurting so badly to cough that I would start to cry when I felt one coming on. I'm a tough cookie, I went through childbirth all natural... that's right NO PAIN KILLERS!So for me to cry at coughing meant there was some pain!2 ladies at work also came down with swine right after I did. One was good to go after a week. The other is still not back to work and it's been about a month. Because I have Pneumonia as well I've been taking it easy. The weather has been rainy and cold for the most part so I've been inside and resting in bed for the most part. I was thinking I was over the worst with just a little pneumonia. Then my sister reminded me of those who have passed way with it. So I'm being careful. I still tire easily and my lungs still aren't clear. I'm about 75% but I think I need to go back to the Dr because i still get burning in my chest and have a difficulty breathing when walking upstairs and hills and even doing regular house work.
I told my friends I was going to make a T-shirt. A week later I got this in this in the mail a few days later.



Awesome right? I think so too!
I missed seeing Smokey Robinson in concert :( bummer.
But I was able to be an usher at the Oquirrh Hills Temple open house. It's only a half mile away and our stake was asked to help. That was pretty cool.

At the same time I celebrated 1 year of living with PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's been a really really tough road. I now know it's not something that ever really goes away, you just learn to handle it better. I am 365+ days stronger and better. And I will continue to be.


June 26th we Finished up the American Cancer Society Relay For Life event. Team W.A.C-USA had it's largest team ever. I had 16 people register. This event takes ALOT out of everyone. So Much appreciation and love to all who participated. There were very bad storms for about an hour during the relay. The winds and rains actually snapped my metal tent poles in half. The lightening was striking so close the Army was rushing to get everyone inside the gymnasium. It only lasted about an hour but it looked like a tornado came through. But we didn't stop the relay. We were determined to relay no matter what. Cancer doesn't stop because of the weather and neither did we. After the storm we were rewarded with a double rainbow. This was also the night after Michael Jackson Died. *sadness* He's another blog for another day.
Team W.A.C-USA raised over $1400 for the American Cancer Society. Yaye US!

We got a call the other day e and they're selling the house my sister and I are renting. So we're not in the process of Trying to find places to live. We've decided not to move in together this time which is not such a bad idea.

My daughter is getting ready to go back to her 2nd year of college. She's been upset this summer, not being able to find a job. I was not sure how we were going to pay our portion of her college fees. Esp since this new job I have is making quite a bit less than the old one. I'm struggling with rent payment as it is. The other day my daughter walked into the room and said... "Mom, the school money will come, don't worry about it, I will be taken care of. And I don't plan on moving back home after college next year I'll stay there until I graduate so you can just find some thing for yourself and not worry about getting something for the both of us."

Broke my heart. It would be nice for her to have a bedroom of her own when she comes down on weekend and holidays to visit. But on the other hand she is a 19 year old woman with a head on her shoulders that exceeds my own. I guess this would be cutting some apron strings. I'm torn. I would much rather find a 2 bedroom so she can always come home with ease and comfort when she wants. I would much rather scrape and go without to afford that for her so she can come visit whenever. I may just get a little something for a year or two, try and save and then purchase a condo that we can call come.That way we'll never have to move again and she will have a real home even after I'm gone. The joys of single parenting. We don't do what we want to do but we do what we have to do, right? RIGHT! Last week her financial aide came in. It paid for all her tuition and fees and there is some left over. All we have to worry about is her books and living expenses. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

We're preparing to go back to Michigan for a family reunions. Im SO EXCITED! The last time we went to a reunion for this side of the family was about 6 weeks before September 11th. Much of the family is from Manhattan, Rochester & the Bronx. I'm also glad to get back to the home town of Battle Creek! I spent some time there last summer but was unable to really get around who I wanted to. I've got some places to see, business to take care of, and favorite places to dine :) Bring on the Volcanoes Pizza and the Chicken Coop! My grandma's been very ill also so it will be good to spend time with her and get some pictures of her. We'll be there for a week!


*** I think I'll stop for now and do a part 2 a little later. I haven't even begun to catch up on the last couple months!***

Until then....BE FABULOUS!