just shut up!

there are so many times that i need to stop and pause a few seconds before i let words fly out of my mouth. they can be hurtful, thoughtless, and just plain stupid. there is a need to let things process in my mind before my mouth opens and says something that i only wish i could reach out my hand and grab it back in, shoving it tightly in my mouth.

i'm sorry.

note to self: your inner self can deal with things inside alot better than when things are said aloud.

why isn't this on cnn?

afternoon fun by american soldiers. c'mon people, our tax money needs to support their entertainment, too!

thanksgiving with the amish

okay, so technically i had thanksgiving with gary's family, but they live in amish country.

let me take a step back and tell you that the perspective from the country is much different than that of the city. the night sky looks completely different here, away from the lights of the city. there are stars that i don't believe i have ever seen before. orion's belt is surrounded by other faint stars, and shooting stars fly throughout the sky.

aside from the fear of deer popping out while driving, you have to find a way to dodge the horse and buggies of the amish along the highways. one afternoon, i saw the two adorable amish girls walking alongside the highway in their dark shawls with hoods covering their heads from the cold. i say to gary, "can we take one of them home with us? i want a little amish girl to sit in our living room!" a quarter of a mile farther he points and says "no, they end up like that" referring to the quite robust amish lady walking in her yard.

the amish amaze me. yes, i've seen my fair share of the amish in northcentral indiana, but i'm still intrigued.

did you know:

• at night, they will attach flashlights to their hats so you see them approaching?
• young amish will 'cruise' down the highways with their boomboxes blaring from their buggies at early hours of the morning (yes, coming home intoxicated!)?
• the local wal-mart has catered to the amish by including hitching posts and a larger craft and fabric section?
• locals will transport amish to and from stores in large vans?
• leaf blowers and weed wackers can be used but riding lawn mowers are strickly prohibited?
• the local fire department gets regular calls of fires due to the amish buring leaves in their ditches?

i'm not judging their simple way of life at all, but i can't help but wonder how they coexist in modern-day times....

f*ck the apple!

the weather has changed dramatically from day to day. i visited my family who were recovering from colds. as a result, i woke up yesterday morning with the cold from hell.

now, i'm not one to complain about being sick. in fact, my throat has been hurting for days and i've felt worn down lately. but what i woke up with yesterday morning was a mucus nightmare. it only got worse as the day went one. i came home, took a short nap, and remained within jumping distance to my bed. slept with the humidifier on and woke up feeling much better with only small crusties in my nose.

sure i've been popping the tylenol, sudafed, and mucinex all day washed down with a vitamin c smoothie. but let me tell you how much better i feel after just finishing a glass of red wine.

these doctors and their new findings are right! this stuff makes you healthy! the cold and sinus cocktail has nothing on this glass of red wine!

a glass of red wine a day
keeps the doctor away!

a major defeat

the democrats have won control of the house and i'm quite optimistic that they will win control of the senate, but yesterday's election was a major defeat for human rights in our "free" country. on the ballot in eight states were state amendments to ban same-sex marriage (and an additional "domestic partnership" in CO). in seven of the states, the amendment passed. in arizona, the opposition is only ahead by a small margin.

what infuriates me is that thousands of voters, possibly millions, are making decisions that have absolutely NOTHING to do with them. i don't understand how, in a country that is 230 years old and built on personal freedoms, how an amendment to outwardly discriminate can be imposed upon its citizens.

to see all these voters choose to ban same-sex marriage saddens me greatly. how could people that do not even know me or my partner make decisions that affect us? how narrow-minded are our citizens? and why are hypocritical christian conservatives taking away rights entitled to american citizens?

i urge you to visit the human rights campaign and make your voice heard. tell america that you support marriage equality for ALL citizens.

go blue!

today is the day. the day we can change the way our country has been heading for the past 6 years. it's the chance for the democrats to get back in control of congress and rip away the powers of our evil dictator.

i urge everyone to get out there and vote. this is our chance to stop bitching and make a difference!

the complications with our voting system does scare me. machines were not working and people were turned away from the polls this morning. i would not put it past the scary republicans from fraud in our elections. it's not an excuse to not vote, however. do it! it's your privilege as an american citizen.

i will be glued to the election coverage tonight, hoping to see our country bleed blue!

scream it! GO DEMS!