home improvements

(i know that g already blogged about this, but i had to provide my own take on our guest bathroom improvements.)  


during our staycation last month, we planned to complete our guest bathroom.  after installing a medicine cabinet recently, we only needed to purchase and install shower doors to finish our second bathroom.  as with nearly everyting related to our home, what seems like something so simple definitely will not end up being so.

we made our way to home depot last month to purchase the shower doors we had already picked out.  an amenity to city living, home depot stores located in the city provide trucks for short-term rental to allow you to take purchases to your home the same day.  we had decided that when we purchased the shower doors, we would rent the truck to take the doors home the same day.  unfortunately the truck wasn't available that day, so we chose to have them delivered to us....the following week when their availability matched our schedule.

with ease, the doors were delivered to us and the appointment for installation was scheduled.  we had also purchased a new kitchen faucet and medicine cabinet for the master bathroom that would be installed at the same time as the shower doors.  our 'master handymen' (that's really their business name) came to complete our home improvements.  i was working that day, but g kept me abreast of their progress.  the cabinet in our bathroom was installed.  CHECK!  the kitchen faucet was installed.  CHECK!  the guest room shower doors.....were not the proper size.  F ME.

it was totally our fault.  because our bathtub is low and the height of the tiling in the shower, the size of shower doors we purchased was not right and they would have looked odd, too short.  so, nothing was installed and the doors sat in our guest bedroom for a couple weeks until we were both home and able to take care of the situation.

so we'll go to home depot to get the correct size, take them home, and return the other doors...simple as that, right?!  wrong again.  the first home depot we go to (not the same one store we purchased the original doors) had the right size, but "missing parts" was printed all over the box.  i wasn't willing to buy those shower doors, based upon our bad luck.  so we went to the home depot we originally purchased the doors from.  they did not have the doors we needed.

thankfully we ran across an employee that was very helpful and in charge of all the deliveries.  they were able to get the shower doors from another local store and deliver them (free of charge) to us and pick up the other doors to be returned.  once this was completed, we made our appointment with master handymen to have the work completed.

through all the pain that it caused, i'm happy to have the shower doors we want.  and they look fantastic!!

celebrating pride

yesterday was the 42nd annual chicago gay pride parade.  for the past few years, g and i always say we're not going but somehow find ourselves amongst the masses of people along the parade route.  yesterday was no different.  with perfect temperatures and sunny skies, it was a perfect day in chicago!  in addition, we had a great spot along the route with easy access to shade...and more importantly bathrooms!!

the parade is always enjoyable, but it's quite lengthy with numerous politicians, churches, advocacy groups, and local bars.  some of the annual highlights for me are the dykes on bikes and the parents, students, and staff of the neighborhood elementary school.

each year, dozens of ladies on big motorcycles rev up their loud engine to the excitement of the crowd!  this year there seemed to be even more!!  you can't quite understand just how loud it is until they're right in front of you!!  here's a video of the dykes on bikes at this year's parade.  (forward to the :45 mark to hear some of the loud noises i'm talking about!)



nettelhorst elementary school is in the heart of boystown.  extremely involved in the neighborhood, the school grounds are covered with artistic murals and statues.  nettelhorst elementary teaches respect and inclusiveness with attention being given to LGBT issues.  here's an article that was posted on huffington post earlier this year.  each june, every student in the school ties a piece of fabric onto the fence outside the school to create a rainbow along the school walls.  and in recent years, members of the school - parents, students, and staff - march in the pride parade to celebrate diversity and inclusiveness with their neighborhood.  it's really a touching site to see.   (note: i applied and interviewed with this school...but they didn't want me.)

happy pride!

spread the word to end the word

when i was in middle school, i worked on the school's yearbook.  i believe the theme was something about the "x generation".  after hearing and noticing actions of fellow students, i sat in my room one night and wrote an article i wanted to submit to the yearbook.  all around me, kids were striking their chests with a limp wrist making a moaning sound like they were someone with a severe disability.  at the same time, the word retarded was running rampant, used in all types of conversation.  as the brother of a loving and caring sister with down syndrome, this was extremely hurtful to me.  these people were openly and blatantly offending me and those that i loved.

the word retard means "to delay, or slow."  decades ago, it was also used to describe someone with a mental disability.  since then, those in the medical and educational fields have changed the term to reflect the times.  ('differently abled' is now the most accepted and utilized term.)  in music, ritardando describes the gradual slowing in tempo.  in french, it means late or delayed.  but many people in our society have turned it into an offensive word referring to someone acting in a stupid manner.

spread the word to end the word is a national campaign to encourage people to pledge to stop using word retarded.  in 2009, at the special olympics global youth activation summit, a group of youth with and with intellectual disabilities created the end the r word movement.

i sometimes have difficulty pointing out the offensiveness of the r-word to someone in conversation, but all my friends know how much i despise the word.  my closest friends have erased the r-word from their vocabularies, and i urge you to as well.  take the pledge to end the r-word here.

and check out this PSA:

because we knew you

this was the week, the finale of the oprah winfrey show.  i can honestly say that i remember the oprah show back in the day.  i remember the various hairstyles, the opening theme songs, the sets, and many of the memorable episodes.  then i went through an anti-oprah phase, for a reason i'm unsure of.  but when season 25 kicked off, the final season, i knew that it was bound to be a season worth watching.  we set up the dvr to record the oprah show each morning at 9am (one of the perks of being in chicago...we get to watch it first!).  and as the number of episodes were counted down, we waited in anticipation of the two-episode surprise show that was taped at the united center.  though there were many touching moments, none struck me as much as the one celebrating and honoring oprah's dedication to education.

two longtime friends of oprah's, gayle king and maria shriver, came onto stage and talked about the good that oprah has done, but none were as important to her as education.  oprah has helped create better libraries for public schools, started a girl's school in south africa, and on and on.  and one of the greatest gifts that oprah has provided was the ability for individuals to go to college.  in 1990, oprah provided full-ride scholarships to striving students who were struggling to attend moreshouse college. what started with providing scholarships to 100 men turned into 415 recipients of the oprah winfrey scholarship.

to honor her dedication and the change she brought to these men, kristen chenoweth performed the song "for good" from the musical wicked.  and during her performance, the men of morehouse college, the recipients of the scholarship flooded the stage.



i couldn't help myself from crying.

while finding this video, i learned that in honor of oprah's dedication to education, the men who received the scholarship from oprah provided $300,000 of their own money to educate other deserving moreshouse men. 

some assembly required

at our previous apartment, we were blessed with an extremely large patio/deck area.  one of our first purchases was a gas grill.  numerous cookouts and get togethers were a must with the outside area we had!  so, easy enough, g went to the local hardware store to purchase a grill.  it came in a box and assembly was required.  it's a grill, how hard could it be!?  luckily i was not home or even in the same time zone as the nightmare assembly occurred.  apparently, from what i was told, it was quite difficult with many parts.  i had my doubts about the method of assembly, but i accepted g's frustrations.  well, when the grill was nearly put together, g noticed a part was missing.  he returned the mostly assembled grill and exchanged it for one that they would assemble.  upon getting that home, it was still not assembled properly.  extremely frustrated and just wanting the ability to grill, g demanded that this one was picked up and a new one would be delivered.  and though we finally had a grill, there was something always askew about the grill.  but the most important part was that it worked.

when we bought our condo, we unfortunately knew that our grill would never fit on our outdoor/back staircase.  we resigned ourselves to the fact that we may have to turn back to our old friend, 'george foreman'.  though some of our neighbors had small grills out their back door, we weren't sure if we'd have the proper space for a grill of our own.  we really missed having a grill, so we started to look at various grills.  a couple months ago, we discovered a small gas grill that would be perfect for the space we have.  we attempted to get it a few weeks ago, but they were out of stock.  g was totally on board for getting a grill, but said that he would not help assemble the grill and preferred to not be around for the assembly.  last week, the weather was gorgeous and it was the perfect evening for grilling...and g was out of town.  perfect.  i purchased the grill, brought it home and opened up the box of its contents.

there truly are A LOT of pieces that go into the assembly of a seemingly simple gas grill.  so, i sat down on the kitchen floor with the instruction book, a standard philips screwdriver, and a wine chilling in the fridge on back-up.  step by step the assembly took shape.  though it was a bit time consuming, i began to think, "this isn't so bad."  the base was assembled and it was quite sturdy.

after the base was put together, it was time to put the "firebox" together.  everything was going well until i was to attach the box to the base.  everything matched up perfectly except the holes on the top of the base didn't quite line up.  "maybe i have to push in on the sides a bit?" i thought to myself.  i quickly realized that wasn't going to work.  i took a step back to look at it and then i realized...the top of each side of the legs is on the wrong side.  DAMMIT!  i took a deep breath (and a swig of wine) and started unscrewing the necessary parts, hoping to minimize the dismantling of the grill.  after a minor 20 minute road block, i was back on track with the directions and putting the final steps in place.

though it was nearly 9pm, it was time to start grilling dinner!  it was definitely worth the wait, though!  now let the summer grilling begin!!  

change in an instant

last week a friend of mine received some news that changed their life forever (i'm using the non-gender plural pronoun as to not share identity).  life had been going on as always for them but then received news that shook their life and would transform their entire future.  luckily they didn't hide in a corner away from everyone, but opened up and asked for support.  one of the most poignant things that they said to me was "i am now adjusting to my new normal".  this really made me think...

something could happen in each of our lives, forcing us to "adjust to our new normal".  it's an extremely positive way of looking at a major change and embracing it in the best way possible.  we all know people who have had terrible things happen in their lives yet sit back and play the victim, unwilling to move forward.

i feel like i have so much to learn from this friend and what their journey will be like from now on.  i'm sure there will be tough days, but right now they are keeping positive thoughts and ready to take the next step forward.

What to do and where to start,
Things are falling all apart,
Trying hard to move ahead,
But keep losing ground instead.

Still, I have to take a chance,
Putting fear and doubt aside,
Had no warning in advance,
Nothing left to do but try.

And I just might make it work,
I just might make it after all,
I just might rise above the hurt,
Though I've suffered quite a fall.

But I have to get a grip,
Hold onto it like a vice,
Have to face the fallen chips,
I just might make it,
I just might.

this post is not meant to be cryptic.  please take away the message that we all may face a major change in our life that will change us forever.  we have the choice to play the victim or embrace the change and "adjust to the new normal".  

photo: the zinia flower symbolizes "thoughts of friends"

losing an appendage

wednesday evening i lost one of my most prized possessions - my mobile phone.  (the story of how it was lost is long and irresponsible, so i will skip over that part...)  luckily it was found in the men's room at the hotel where i was staying.  it was found by another flight attendant who relayed the findings to a friend of mine and to g.  unfortunately he didn't share his findings until it was too late and i had already report to the airport for work the following day.  i'm still unsure why he didn't turn it into the front desk, but i was grateful that it was found and that he would return it to our base in chicago for me to retrieve at the end of my trip....48 hours later. 

for two entire days i was without my phone.  it was seriously one of the hardest things i was forced to endure.  it's sad to think about how reliant i am on my phone for communication and/or self-entertainment.  i was extremely fortunate that i was flying with my bff and had access to his phone.  and luckily i had my ipad with me so i was also able to email.  i was even forced to use a land line in my hotel room!!  how 1999 is that?!

so finally last night, at the end of my trip, i was reunited with my phone.  i couldn't get to my car quick enough to plug in the battery to bring my dearest appendage back to life.  so for all who missed me, i'm back! 

photo found here. 

the millionaire game

i'm sure we've all played the "if i won a million dollars" game.  you've probably thought about what you would do if you won the lottery that had a jackpot of multimillions.  you'd give it to family, friends, charity, etc.  it's a fun fantasy game to play. 

so yesterday, i decided to purchase my lottery ticket for the megamillions.  i'm not a lottery player by any means.  in fact, i'm quite the amature when it comes to playing the lotto.  so let me share my experience buying my megamillions tickets yesterday.

i pull up to a nearby gas station.  i make sure that i have cash (i learned that debit/credit cards aren't allowed for lotto purchase a long time ago).  i wasn't sure if this particular gas station sold lottery tickets, but as i pulled around i saw the "lotto sold here" sign and was relieved that i wouldn't have to go on a wild goose chase.  i walked into said gas station and saw that i was the only person inside, along with the 4 hispanic and asian employees.  i stood at the counter with a complete dumbfounded look on my face.  i was perplexed.  "umm.....do you have...um....do you do the...um...i want to buy the megamillions."  after they were all staring at me, one employee directed me toward the end of the counter where the lottery tickets were purchased. 

"so, how does this work?" i ask.  she informs me that i can buy up to $5 on one ticket.  thinking that it's crucial that i spend the $5 to win the entire amount of the $335 million, i tell her that i'll take two tickets with $5 each.  she asks me if i want to choose my own numbers or do the 'quick pick'.  i tell her that the quick pick is fine.  so then i pay my $10 and get my two tickets with 10 sets of numbers.  WHAT?!  apparently it wasn't necessary for me to purchase $5 on each ticket to win the megamillions.  i was only planning on buying two tickets - that is, one set of numbers on each ticket.  well, i guess i just increased my chances .0000000001%. 

so, eager to see the winning numbers at 11pm EST, i log on to the megamillions site, only to discover that....i am $10 poorer.

know that i had great intentions with my winnings..... 

almonds, my savior

because of my wonderful holiday diet, i have frequently found myself suffering from horrible heartburn lately.  each time i've been to the store, i forget to pick up that all-important lifesaving container of fruit-flavored tums. 

i started feeling quite nauseous yesterday afternoon and by late evening, other flu-like symptoms had taken over my body.  i laid in bed with nausea, aches, and horrible chills.  and the clencher was severe heartburn.  everytime i moved the flames in my chest rose into my throat.  i was finding it difficult to sleep. 

i did some research of heartburn home remedies.  i had already been told that milk, pickles, and mint were helpful.  the only thing i had in the house was milk, and well, i'd rather suffer from 4-alarm heartburn than chug a glass of milk.  as i read a few websites, i kept seeing apple cider vinegar as a successful reliever.  unwilling to choke down a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, i continued reading.  finally, someone said that raw almonds were helpful.  now that sounded like a better option!  i chewed on five or six almonds, washed it down with some water, and returned to bed.  within a few moments, it seemed that the flames within my chest were put out!

so almonds, i thank you.  you saved my life! 

donors choose

when i was a new teacher, i went with teresa to hear ron clark speak.  we both were intrigued by mr. clark's essential 55 rules for his classroom and were eager to hear how it affected his students and his teaching.  before he spoke, we were told about a new, up-and-coming charity that would help teachers get the resources they needed.  it was called donors choose.  by using donors choose, teachers would be able to write a small grant explaining a project for their classroom to help their students succeed.  anyone would then be able to fund the project, giving whatever dollar amount they chose.  once the project was completely funded, donors choose would then provide the teacher with the materials they requested for their classroom. 

after moving to chicago to continue my teaching career, i was faced with fewer resources than when i was in charlotte.  each year, i would video record my students as they shared or explained their projects.  we would then send the video tape home with each student for a night so that all the families could see their child and his/her peers.  unfortunately, my school did not have video recorders to use.  i remembered donors choose and submitted my project idea on the website.  fortunately for me and my students, our project was fully funded by a very generous individual.  each student created a thank-you card that was sent to our donor to express our thanks. 

over the past few years, i have heard more and more about donors choose.  i have always supported their cause and felt it was an excellent way for teachers to provide more to their students.  recently, oprah highlighted donors choose on her annual 'favorite things' episode.  groupon then contributed by providing 60% to each donation.  for $10, $20, or $40 you could contribute $25, $50, or $100, respectively, to fund a teacher's project. 

i chose to purchase one of these groupons to help fund a teacher's project.  with a $20 groupon and an additional small amount, i was able to complete the funding for an elementary teacher's project.  i received an email from ms. f shortly after my contribution thanking me:

"Thank you so much, A Hahn! I am touched that someone who doesn't even know me personally would give such a generous donation and complete our project. This holiday season I am thankful for you and all the others who donated who have seen a need and helped. I am thrilled, and I know my students will be, too!"

it made me feel so good to help out this teacher.  to think of how she and her students will be able to use the additional resources makes me happy.  i remember how i felt when i discovered my project was funded and i know that she, too, is over-joyed.

today is the final day that you can take advantage of the groupon deal helping donors choose.  go buy yours today, before it's too late.  make a teacher's holiday brighter!  support public education!

click here to access the groupon to aid public school projects! 

the rich get richer

i had been putting it off for a while now, but this evening i watched capitalism: a love story. the reason i had put it off is due to my irritability watching things like this. i get so fired up, yet feel so helpless. again, michael moore puts together a factual, thought-provoking documentary, this time focused on the financial collapse of u.s. banks, home foreclosures, and capitalism as an economic system.

without going into great detail, i will highlight something things that stood out to me as i watched the documentary:

• the top 1% (in terms of wealth) are richer than the bottom 95% combined.

• is capitalism really that great of a system?

• is socialism really that "horrible" of an idea?

• FDR proposed a second bill of rights shortly before he died that would have granted US citizens a job; an adequate wage and decent living; a decent home; medical care; economic protection during sickness, accident, old age or unemployment; and a good education. can you imagine how different things would be in this country if this would have come to pass?

• numerous companies take out life insurance on their workers, without their knowledge. here is a list of companies that do this.

• americans are incredibly greedy.

"i sincerely believe...that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies."
-thomas jefferson, 1816

"property monopolized or in the possession of a few is a curse to mankind."
-john adams, 1765

adulthood

g and i have been tested over the past few days in the game of life.

although we knew it wouldn't be easy, it's difficult being a homeowner and a parent.

being a homeowner:
since buying our condo 9 months ago, we've attempted to do small improvements here and there. it seems like everything has been faced with some small dilemma . there was the closet doors in the master bedroom that came out of the wall. replacing them wasn't easy with the minor slope in the original hardwood floor. hanging things on the wall isn't easy because of the drywall and/or plaster requiring more support. so, when we purchased ceiling fans this week, we thought we might be able to install them ourselves. wrong. nothing is as simple as it seems. a handyman has been called and we're awaiting their installation. all of this causes extreme frustration.

being a parent:
we brought emerson home only five months ago. since we've had him, we've had to take him to the vet multiple times, give him medicine twice a day, and numerous other things that come with being a pet owner. our newest "problem" has been with his bathroom habits. (i will spare grotesque details.) we've taken to cleaning his bottom with a wet papertowel, cleaning up small messes around the house, consulting the vet, and again giving him medicine and altering his diet. it isn't his fault and we do everything to remind ourselves of this when we're dealing with his issues. poor guy. at least he's cute.

through all of this, we have to remember how lucky we are to have a beautiful home that we own and an adorable kitty who we love.

join the revolution

a recent study was published linking obese children to increased bullying. i don't see how this comes as a surprise to anyone. the article states that 63% of obese children are more likely to be bullied than their thin peers. it's a very sad and disturbing epidemic in our country.

while i didn't see any of the episodes of food revolution, chef jamie oliver has made it his mission to bring healthy foods to school lunchrooms across the country. sadly, schools do very little to promote healthy eating and prevent childhood obesity.



do you part and sign the petition to save cooking skills and improve school food.

up hill both ways

when i was a child...
we've heard all the stories of hardship when our parents were young. now as an adult, i'm able to look back on my childhood and think of how i was deprived.

of course i had a great childhood, for the most part. and now it's fun to tease my mom about how horrible it was growing up being me. aside from growing up in a broken home (inside joke), i missed out on what so many of my peers had. let me give you two specific things that have affected me even today as an adult.

ducky
my mom was (and still is) a bit of a neat freak. there was never clutter in our home. everything had it's place. if there wasn't a space for it, it was likely to be tossed out. each summer we had a yard sale. we would go through our closets and pile up the clothes we didn't wear or had outgrown to put into the yard sale. same thing went with our toys. sometimes mom took it upon herself to tag a few items that she felt were no longer necessary. one of those items was a pale yellow duck that squeaked when you squeezed his beak.
sure, he wasn't extremely sentimental. he was no gerald (my cabbage patch doll) or timmy (my small stuffed rabbit) but it was something that i knew was there. that was until the day that i saw a young child walking away with ducky. i'll never forget how happy that child was, holding MY duck in his arms, most likely costing a mere dollar. i bawled. i screamed. i begged for it back. but ducky was gone and now belonged to someone else. it's still traumatizing today, and that scene will be vivid in my life forever.

games
sure, i loved candy land, chutes and ladders, and memory, but i wanted the GOOD games. my cousins always had the best games. in addition to their atari (LOVED frogger and ms. packman) i loved setting up the contraption in 'mouse trap' to see the end result.
we rarely played the game as was intended. but, i could give up the atari and mouse trap for the two things i really wanted. hungry hungry hippos and lite brite.
i loved slapping on the lever to make my hippo eat the most marbles. it was high-intensity and even better when you were controlling two hippos in a two-player game!
and as far as lite brite, my creative and artistry were severely stunted as a result of not being able to place colored pegs in a board to then light up my masterpiece. you could follow the premade creations or come up with something truly unique. but, i never had that opportunity on my own. now i'm a hungy hungry hippo of my own and a horrible artist.

i should probably find a therapist.

the choices we make

here's a story that i got in an email today;

Choices

What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:
Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was=2 0on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact..

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.
He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

Would you have made the same choice? Make every day a 'Shay Day'.

i'm thankful!

i'm thankful for...

- my family, all of whom will join us today for thanksgiving
- my amazing, caring friends
- the love of my life, who stands beside me always
- my job
- our new, beautiful home
- my health
- my many freedoms as an american
- the many wonderful things that surround me

i know that thanksgiving was 2 days ago, but today is the day my family is able to get together to celebrate the many things we are thankful for. and besides, we should be thankful every day for the many great things in our lives!

it's all politics

you've heard the saying, "you scratch my back and i'll scratch yours." you do something for me and i'll do something for you. it's been going on for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. it's for three simple things; money, control and/or power.

i recently read pillars of the earth and am finishing the follow-up book, world without end, by ken follett. the historical fiction books take place during the 12th and 14th centuries, respectively. without going into the details of the books, i can say that a large portion of each of the books is about politics, specifically doing something for something in return.

while these books are fictional, we know that this was representative of the times. and like practices have continued for centuries since. people are all about gaining power, control, or money. perhaps all three. as a result, others suffer.

a nameless friend of mine works in an office with a CEO and director who are inefficient at their jobs. they remain in their positions because they rub each other's proverbial backs to make themselves look good, many times at the expense of others.

i don't even have to get into political examples for us to know that it exists at the local, state, and national level of government. hell, i live in chicago - the capital of corruption.

i lost my job for this very reason. my principal got her promotion because she promised favors to the local school counsel, the ones responsible for giving her the job. she didn't like those who questioned or jeopardized her authority. she needed the power to run her agenda. she sided with those that supported her cause and helped them with whatever they needed. the rest of us, well, we lost our jobs.

i'm sure that it's happened to us all on some level or another. it's wrong. but sadly, it will probably never change. and what's worse is that if you speak up against it, you'll be punished even more.

hey boom-ba-latty!

dearest adam,

boy, that 35 minutes in the gym this morning sure did suck, didn't it, fatty. good thing you had two towels, because you were going to need it to sop up all that sweat. remember when you were running regularly and could complete a 20+ minute run and feel good?! yah...that 13 excruciating minutes you managed to call a run today sure is a sign - you're still out of shape.

ah, it sure is good to sit around the house and enjoy a bottle of wine, huh?! yah, well you remember that when your moobies and back fat are jiggling around when you're running on the treadmill. think you can have just a couple of fries?! enjoy because you'll see them in your chipmunk cheeks in the next photos you see of yourself.

hey, maybe you could actually do something to get closer to your goal. you're obviously not going to meet your "30 by 30" goal you set oh so long ago. and don't think that renewing your membership at the tanning bed is going to do anything. sure tan fat looks better than white fat, but you're still fat! your spring plans are building up, so wouldn't it be nice to look back on those trips and feel good about how you looked and felt?

it's time to do something for real this time. yes, the holidays are coming up and your 30th birthday bash is just around the corner; but, you can continue to make excuses or you can actually make a choice to get healthy. c'mon! do something!

johnny the bagger

each year, we as flight attendants have to attend training as required by the FAA. in addition to emergency evacuation drills, first aid, and security, we talk about customer service. the following video is shown to us. i have now seen it on three separate occasions and am touched deeply each time i have watched the story of "johnny the bagger".

the story comes from barbara glanz, a motivational speaker about customer service and doing good work. she tells about johnny, a young man with down syndrome, and how he goes an extra step to show his customers that he cares.

enjoy, and happy friday!

click here to hear the story of 'johnny the bagger'.

H1Nwhatever.

i'm kinda over all this talk about H1N1, the swine flu, or whatever you want to call it. it's the friggin' flu. it may be a different strain, perhaps stronger, but i'm a bit over it.

maybe it's our own fault. we're so worried about germs these days. we disinfect, scrub, wear gloves, masks, and top it off with antibacterial soap. we're getting rid of all the bacteria and germs around us and making our immune systems go out of whack! not only are people getting rid of the bad stuff, but also the good bacteria that is needed to keep our immune system working how it's supposed to!

*knock on wood*
i have a darn good immune system that fights off most common things it encounters. when i was a teacher, i was able to fight off most of the germs that all my students brought into the classroom. thus far, as a flight attendant, i haven't picked up the illnesses that comes with sharing the air in a metal tube.

maybe it's because i wasn't rushed to the hospital as a child, taking any and every antibiotic that could be prescribed. to this day, i try to stay away from antibiotic prescriptions, instead letting it run its course.

perhaps it will eventually come to bite me in the ass, but for now, i will continue to go on about my life without worry of constant germs.

just don't sneeze on me, please.