In Memory of Rover!

Last night we are eating out (once again) at our favorite mexican restaraunt, Costa Azul. Now I am convinced that not only are the portions there muy grande and the price is muy poco, that it is the most entertaining restaraunt I've ever eaten at on a regular basis. When we were there a few months ago, I overheard a conversation between to people who were meeting for the first time after speaking for months on the internet. (See blog "How do you Catch a Moron" in Archives. 8/17/06)

When we were there a week ago, a fight ensued and we really thought the Mex's were going to start brandishing Colt .45's and such. The waitresses spewed out some Spanish threats and the police were dispatched and the drunken fighters were escorted out by their not-as-drunk counterparts and the police. FUN! I'd LOVE to know what that tiny waitress was yelling at him. All 4 foot 10 of her, finger waving in his face!

So last night...we're enjoying our meal. The girls are a little rowdy, and we weren't sitting at our usual table. New waitress. It's okay, she didn't know. She sat us next to the jukebox which is a NO NO! But it was either allow the jukebox to blare in our ears, or risk sitting on the side with the bar, which isn't the smartest thing to do with small children at a Mexican Establishment. So jukebox it was!

The people sitting behind us were having quite the conversation. Apparently a sister and brother (in their late teens/early 20's) were having a dinner night out with Good Ol' Dad for the holidays. The Dad was working on his 2nd Margarita when we arrived. (They make some STROONG Margarita's!) So I'm thinking he's a little lushy. Some regular family talk ensued and then some bantering began with a remark about how the Dad killed the brother's dog last year when he kicked the dog and 2 days later the dog up and died.

Wow. Anger Management anyone?

This is the conversation:

Dad: "I never kicked the damn dog! I went like this...!" (He's showing them in actions how he approached the dog while sitting in his booth, his back banging up against MY back as he's getting heated and angry) "I did exactly like this! I wasn't going to touch him with my hands, only my foot! He'd already bitten others, I wasn't going to let him bite me!"
Son: "Ohhh...so that's why you killed him?" (Bantering tone)
Dad: "I didn't kill the damn dog! It was YOUR dog! I've had 3 dogs of my own and YOUR dog is the one that has bitten 3 of my kids! My dogs never did! You weren't even THERE what the hell do you know about how I did or didn't do or if I did or didn't kill him?!"
Son: "Ohhh...so that's why you killed him!" (Sarcasm dripping tone)
Dad: (looking at daughter) "You were there! You saw me only kick towards him, nudge him. I didn't kick him!"
Daughter: "I don't know...it was last year..." (Mumbling)
Dad, exasperatingly: "Yeah, it was last year!" (Slams himself back against MY back.) "It's the fucking holidays and I don't understand why the one time I take you guys out to have a nice holiday night out, you two jump on me about the damn dog. I didn't kick it, I didn't kill it! You've ruined my appetite and I'm ready to go!" He slams himself back AGAIN then gets out of the booth.
Son: "Dad, you didn't even eat it all."
Dad, yelling as he's walking down the aisle. "It's okay I'm paying for it anyway!"
Daughter: "I saw him kick that dog. I was there, you weren't. I was. He kicked the dog." (Low whisper.)
Son: "I know he did, just like Dad. I know he killed that dog."
Dad: "Since I paid for this stinkin' uneaten meal, you can get the tip." He grabs his things and stomps outside.

Wow. Mature!

Needless to say, the kids didn't leave a tip to my knowledge. Apparently Dad has some hang-ups about killing this dog ALLEGEDLY.

And we were just laughing because of the comical aspect of this Family night out. IF that's the worst of their problems, they're doing pretty good!

LONG LIVE THE MEMORY OF ROVER!!!

Christmas...

Christmas was wonderful. Wonderful gifts, wonderful kids >cough< >cough<. The girls enjoyed it wayyyy too much. But that's the Reason for Giving. Part of it anyway. Thought I'd share some pics with those of you who love to blog and pic too!!! lol

Our Beautiful Tree

No other place to be...but my buddy and me!


All she wanted was a computer....


Proof that Daddy's DO play with dolls!


Girls playing with my Dad.

Uber excited about getting a digital! First pic took on it!!!

Olivia excited about...well...everything!

Princess Natalie.



HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

A Sound Decision

A conversation with a close friend of mine got me thinking today. So now, I want to blog about it since we have all this extra time to blog in this wonderful snow-in.

My decision for Olivia to have a cochlear implant was so that she could hear and have speech. So she could communicate with the hearing world. So she could have more chances in life and have the ability to exceed in anything she wanted to as she grows up.

When people ask me about Olivia's therapy, I am all too excited to respond. I believe 100% in Audio-Verbal Therapy (AVT). It has not only worked for Olivia, but the children that I come in contact with on a daily basis and Olivia's younger sister, Natalie, benefits from it as well. Olivia's therapy requires speech. No sign language. Repetition, not gestures. It has been 3 years since Olivia was implanted and AVT has been working quite well for her. She is mainstreaming in the public school system and speaks and listens and understands very well. AVT doesn't use sign because of the possibility of crutch-factor. That was my decision and I stand by it.

Some people don't see it that way. I have been railroaded by people who think that decisions I make for my daughter (which have NO effect on anyone not involved) are wrong and abusive. I have been told that by taking sign away from my daughter (she signed until her implant in September of 2003), I was taking away her culture, her heritage, her birth-right, her language. Everyone just assumed I was taking the selfish and easy way out: having Olivia do all the work so I wouldn't have to. No one ever asked me "Do you have plans for her to learn sign in the future?" No one ever asked me "Will she only use the implant, or will she learn to sign too?"

My plans for Olivia are my business. No one else's. But my plan has NEVER been for Olivia to only be able to communicate in the hearing, speaking world her entire life. I want her to have many chances at normalcy and many chances to succeed as an adult. When Olivia is ready, she will learn ASL (American Sign Language) but only when she, myself, and her therapist see that she is ready to take that step, make that transition, to handle both spoken and unspoken language. Bilingual is a MUST here in America. Maybe Olivia will learn Spanish, too. She will learn SO MUCH in the next 10 years, the possibilities are ENDLESS for her now!

People say that it is "sad" or a "shame" when I tell them Olivia doesn't sign and that is not part of her therapy. Well I think it is sad and it is a shame that people draw conclusions and make accusations about my decisions for my daughter without hearing all the facts.

Do you not think I wouldn't research all types of hearing devices and therapy before I chose what I did? Do you not think I wouldn't weigh all of my options before making what I believe was a well thought out SOUND DECISION?

I have seen and observed children who do Total Communication with their implants. Those children are not speaking well at all. They were implanted way before Olivia was, and she surpasses most of them in her speech and understanding abilities.

My goal is for Olivia to speak and hear and have the ability and chances that normal hearing persons have. I have met that goal, and I will continue to help perfect it.

If that makes me an abuser, then someone needs to go back to Webster's Dictionary and look that word up again.

A Topic of Interest

To the left is a photo of Bryton McClure from the daytime Soap Opera, The Young and the Restless. McClure plays a troubled teenager who's been in and out of foster homes on the Soap, and has recently received the aid of a Cochlear Implant. Here are a few articles about this topic for those who are interested. As most of you know, my own daughter received a cochlear implant in September of 2003 and is doing marvelously with it.

CBS.COM:
Hearing Impaired (October 2006)

It has never been an easy life for Devon Hamilton, and it just got a little harder. After contracting Meningitis Devon suffered a huge loss -- his hearing. CBS.com gave his portrayer Bryton a call to chat all about this new challenge for him and for Devon. (Bryton is the link to the article)


AUDIOLOGY ONLINE:
The Young and the Restless (October 2006)

"The Young and the Restless" character Devon Hamilton will soon hear the world in a whole new way. Today, Devon received a cochlear implant, an implanted medical device that will functionally restore his hearing. Tune in as Devon comes out of surgery and his cochlear implant is activated – bringing the harmonious sounds of life back to his ears, and turning silence into renewed hope for the college music student...Devon McClure

And the beat goes on...

Na na na na na....na na na na

My beautiful baby turned 3 years old today. I can't believe it has really been that long and that I actually survived through the things I have in the past 3-4 years.

Natalie is so funny and smart. She completely shocks me at some times and at others, I''m just laughing and laughing.

I'm glad she's 3. But sometimes I miss her being a baby.

I NEED MORE TIME!!!!!

I made a mistake and didn't turn off the telly when I finished Grey's Anatomy tonight. Because of this slight, I have now been hooked on yet ANOTHER television show.

Great. Wonderful. Damn Teasers!

What hooked me was the last 5 minutes. The rush to get to him...the rush to get to her...then the Ex Wife/Girlfriend (whoever) gets wrapped up all nice in the middle.

I hate cliff hangers.

Mostly because I hate the work it takes to hang on until the next week.

Bummer

Men in Trees stars Anne Heche, Emily Bergl, John Amos, James Tupper, and Sarah Strange. Also, Abraham Benrubi although he is not pictured here. It is set in Elmo, Alaska and Manhattan New York.

Apparently Marin (Heche) was cheated on, moved to Elmo, and wrote a book. Decides to go back to Manhattan to get published. Misses Jack (Tupper) so goes back. Jack misses Marin, gets over his hate of Jane (Strange) and hears Marin is heading back by plane so goes to meet her. Enter Jane.
End of episode. Great.
More next week!

Another kick azz Ride!!!

Turkey Day's Grey's was the best EVER!

Last week, we were left with a cliffhanger of dramatic proportions:

• Was it Christina who told the Chief of the bad hand or George?
  
• Callie was on some major PUMP IT UP with the crazy attack Meredith scene!
  
• George set Izzy straight with a smart assed remark about Denny (ouch)
  
• Karev and Addison: Were they making puppy eyes at each other?
  
• Is Addison PREGO? I mean, come on...they are foreshadowing SOMETHING with all this BABY talk...and when Addison tells the pregnant girl "Everyone has a father" Mark so eloquently interrupts with the whole "Not if you don't tell him." My gears are working...

So the cat is out of the bag. Hand is out of the Glove. OJ is so guilty! Christina and Burke's charade has come to an end.Christina was in Chief's office. Does that mean she ratted out? If she did, was she jealous? Or did George rat out and she just made it to the office before Burke? Either way, it doesn't look good for either of them...

So imagine my suprise (and the Nazi's as well) when Christina and Burke aren't punished for their wrongdoings and are sent back to work. Burke on desk duty, of course. Well played out, although highly unlikey in the real world.

But this isn't the real world. It's Grey's Anatomy. And it's KICK AZZ. And I L♥VE it!

Tonight's episode: Wanting to belong and be accepted. Family. Not wanting to be ALONE.

Izzy, Karev, and George are all pissy because Christina (who supposedly got away with duping everyone and keeping her mouth shut on Burke's bad hand) got the case of handling George's father's surgery (who, btw, turned out just fine in the end). What the 3 weren't prepared for was the hilarious adult conjoined twins who wanted to be separated. (They were attached at the side/back.) One of the brother's wanted the separation, the other didn't, they were both in love with the same girl, the girl loved the brother that she wasn't dating. Apparently, the conjoined brothers had relationship rules...hint hint and the brother that wasn't dating the girl crossed the line with a touch...and she liked it...apparently the one she was dating was a bit of an ass...whatever...it was cheap laughs.
Izzy is bearable these days. L♥VE L♥VE L♥VE the scene when McSteamy tries to use her as a gopher and she puts him in his place with the phrase "You can kick me back to Bailey if you want, but I don't do coffee runs." I hope she gives him a run for his money and becomes one of few who don't fall prey to his steamy stare and his boyishly good looks and that...**swooning** Honestly I am not a fan of McSteamy. He is UBER HOT. But he's also UBER ARROGANT and that is a HUGE turn-off for me. I hate arrogance.
George was yelled at by his father, who is under the assumption that George is angry at him. Maybe he is. His father is so right: there is a LONG line of people he's angry at: Callie for cheating, Burke and Christina for lying, brothers for being brothers, Dr. Hahn for kicking him out of his father's room, Chief for letting Burke and Christina off, etc...the list goes on and on and on. He is getting on my nerves lately. He's like a loose cannon. Screaming. I understand he's worried about his father but my goodness! Although I thoroughly enjoyed the "Georgie does NOT work in THIS HOSPITAL! My name is Dr...."whatever his last name is. So he's banned. Like he listens. He's still major pissed at Callie For all you Rachel/Ross fans: They were on a BREAK!

The Nazi is back. It's nice to know Nazi can come back when she needs to be back. Episodes like the previous, with Bailey crooning to her baby on the phone, give her life, give me the feeling that here is a woman like any other...needing to be harsh with her interns, but a regular woman who really just wants to go home to her family at the end of the shift. She learned a lot tonight from Chief. She learned that not all her "babies" (interns) will turn out allright. We found out that she holds anger and shame for herself and that she feels that she is somewhat the connecting center of all the mishaps going on around her with the other attendings and interns. Burke, Christina, Izzy, George. Chief merely pointed out Burke wasn't her responsibility and the others were grown now, especially Christina. He also pointed out She was the most like Nazi.

I can see that.

Chief blew up at Burke. Because of Burke's secret, Chief can't retire and may lose his wife now. After giving up his true love, now he can't even pursue the life he was trying to salvage. He had every right. He had been lied to and duped and Burke let him down. I was happy to see him lose it with Burke. So, Chief is pissed at Burke, and Burke is pissed at Derek because he blames Derek for his hand. So Chief is pissed at Burke for that too. Eventually, Burke comes to his senses and decides to let Derek work on his hand again. Smart move.

I can't decide whether Addison should get with Karev or Mark (McSteamy). Addison's been quite the emotional basketcase these past few episodes...for a moment there I thought she was Meredith! Would love to see where this is going and what kind of developments are going to happen here. She delivered Meredith's father's daughter's baby who needed immediate surgery and was born not breathing. She made Meredith the go-between with her step mother on the babies recover, opening up a whole other door to the Meredith story.

Which leads me into my stint on Meredith which I saved for last:

How AWFUL it must have been to hear her mother (even as senile as she is) announce she should have never had Meredith. That Richard (Chief) left her because she had a daughter. The hurtful things that the opening scene showed, gave some more insight into the dramatics and surroundings of what makes Meredith who she is: someone looking for love, someone longing for acceptance.

To have your own mother renounce you to your face...and she doesn't even realize it's YOU. Then Meredith gets to the hospital to be confronted by Addison that she's on her case because the pregnant girl is her half sister and she needed her as a buffer. The sister doesn't know she's her sister, but the step-mother (played by Mare Winningham...NICELY DONE) does, and Meredith's own father didn't want the 2nd daughter to know. That's WONDERFUL. I'm ready for this guy to enter the picture now.

So Mere's the buffer and her step-mother is over-accomodating, wanting to be her family. Meredith tells her "You seem nice. But I don't know you. And you aren't my family." Then the closing scene (flashing back and forth between the conjoined brothers wanting to be in the same room and then hold hands with each other and Meredith with her mother)is her talking to her mother in the home, and her mother upset because she still thinks Meredith is a little girl and doesn't realize she lost Richard years and years ago.

But instead of hardening her heart to her mother, Meredith embraces her, and rounds out as narrator about the needs of personal space. Sometimes, personal space needs to be violated.

WOW.

Is it next Thursday yet?

Wives are at stake...

My JAW is touching the floor. Literally. YEAH.

I got back from Vacation in time to tune into this week's episode of Desperate Housewives. Oh yes. They never whet my appetite quite enough. Each week it gets better and better. This week was one for the books!

• Lynette became remorseful and upset when she saw the way the neighborhood people were reacting to her claim of Art being a pedophile. She was apologetic and even defended him against being stoned and picketing in his front yard. She was rewarded for this by him thanking her for his sister's death. When Lynette looked confused, he explained to her (in less words than I will use) that it would be easier for him to molest little boys now that he doesn't have to take care of his ailing sister. And he's moving. YIKES!


• Gabby and her personal shopper Vern want to dump a girl named Amy from their roster of beauty pageant contestants since she sucks. But when Gabby meets Amy's extremely handsome (but HAS GOT to be GAY) father, (he's SINGLE), she offers to give Amy private tutoring instead. Amy sees Gabrielle flirting with her father and says she doesn't want her dating him because she has plans for him to marry her best friend's mother. So Gabby turns Sheri (the best friend of Amy and the most talented of their contestants) against Amy by saying she's planning on making them dance together in the show and encouraging Sheri to tell Amy that she sucks. With the girls' friendship over, she's free to date Bill. Not to mention, Gabby still has the whole telling the girls how to lose weight the "model way" (puking, smoking, etc...) to move past!


• Mike got arrested. Of course. The poor amnesiac dumbass was burying evidence and got caught. What'd he expect? Well, not EDIE BRITT DUMPING HIS ASS IN JAIL! I was so excited, I could hardly stand it! The only thing is now...with Mike free...how will he and Susan be together? Either the Brit's gotta DIE...or his wife must wake up! (Or maybe HE murdered Monique???)


• Susan snooped in Bree's house and got a key to Orson's office where she found some incriminating evidence. She came to Mike's rescue, but at a price. She can't see him anymore as long as the Brit gets the absolute BEST and most SPIRITED lawyer to defend Mike. Susan agrees, as she has told Mike she'd bail him out and help him, etc... The Brit did NOT like that, but got the lawyer as long as Susan agreed to not meet with Mike again so that he couldn't fall back in love with her. (Kinda creepy...)


• Bree and Susan are not speaking. Bree kicked Orson out because she found out about his previous affair with Monique. She assumed then that Orson killed the girl. That is, until Mike was arrested for the murder, which gave Bree a sigh of relief. She made the mistake of telling Susan she thought Orson killed Monique and when she refused to go to the police, Susan got very angry and ended up having a "who was more likely to kill Monique" argument at the poker table in front of the other desperates.


• Bree and Orson tell Gloria they've rented her a condo and she's out of their lives for good. So Gloria makes a phone call, arranging for someone to pick her up. When the car arrives, the window rolls down to reveal Alma (Orson's "missing and assumed dead" wife)alive and well!

Man...we need like...everyday needs to be Sunday Thursday Sunday Thursday.

Welcome Back Kotter!

So we are back. It was quite a good trip, I'll tell you that. We went to so many places and saw so many different things! I was soooo excited to get going, I had EVERYTHING ready before I woke up THA MAN from his nap so that he could drive all night!
We left EARLY Saturday Morning (11.18.06) at like 1 am and made it to Nashville Tennesee in time to take some pictures and enjoy the Grand Ole Opry as well as the Opry Mills Mall where we went and saw a really neat Aquarium of Sting Rays. We took loads of pics with the digital (have not been downloaded yet. HMPF!) and some video of Olivia and Natalie being scared of the Sting Rays.
From there we went on to my sister's house (Rachel). We spent a few days there and hung out in Gatlinburg, TN at the Ripley's Aquarium. I have pics of that one downloaded!!! During this visit, I had my birthday, (11.21.06) and turned a ripe age of 26. YUCK!

After spending a wonderful Sunday with Rachel and her family at their church and having a pre-Thanksgiving feast, we ventured to Ringgold, Georgia where my beloved Momo is buried and my father's sisters live. Garland suprised me with a topper for Momo's headstone (which made me cry) and he did a beautiful job of putting it on there. I didn't get to see my Aunt Barbara, but I did stop in to see my Aunt Sandra and we got a few pics with her at work.
When the day was done, we'd traveled soooo many miles and still had many more to go. We left from Ringgold and drove down to Senoia, Georgia to visit my other sister, Shani and her kids. We stayed there for a few hours before having to leave for FLORIDA!!! Yeeehaw!!!!

We made a stop outside of Valdosta, Georgia to sleep before trekking back down further south to Jacksonville Beach. We spent 4 days in Florida with family from my mom's side and had a nice Thanksgiving dinner at my Aunt Tracy's house. I hadn't been home in 14 years. It was VERY NICE!!!!!!!!

Anyway, I'm sure I'll think of anecdotes and such as the week progresses, for now, I'm still an hour behind, 20 degrees warmer, and a head full of ocean so I'll say ADIEU for now!

Hope everyone had a wonderful THANKSGIVING!!!!

VAY-CAY

Okies...I'm gettin ready for vacation and my birthday. Gonna be a long trip with the girls...to Tennesee then Georgia then Florida. YAY

Keep us in your prayers!

YIKES! I'm leaving 25 years old and I'm coming back 26!!!!???? WTF?!?!!?!?!

Have a few drinks for me!!!

<3
Joy

FYI

Ok. So all of you po-dunks like myself who have no recording device on their television, you can go to ABC and view the previous episode of your favorite ABC night time dramas!

HOORAY!!!

I just wanted to share that! Hope that helps!

<3
Joy

Bell's Amusement Park

So, I heard on the news the other night that Bell's has been given an eviction notice/non-lease renewal. Or something close to it. A lot of people I know are in an uproar about it. However, I'm not. As historical as Bell's Amusement Park is, it is quite an eyesore. Compared to the new Fair Grounds (which, by the way, Tulsans not only asked for, but demanded.) , Bell's is not up to date and does need a major rennovation in order to meet the standards that Fair Ground officials were pursuaded to meet.

I know I know. I'm not a native Tulsan. Maybe that is why I am not upset about Zingo and other historic rides that made Bell's famous and keeps it on the map not being around anymore. The Zingo really does not look that safe to me. I will not ride it. I'd love too. It just freaks me out. When I went to Bell's the last few times, it was DEAD. It is dingy. It is dirty. It's a sore thumb sitting next to the revamped Fair Grounds and no matter how many people I hear say they are against what officials are doing, I've heard even more complain about Bell's need to clean up their area and bring their rides and looks up to the 21st century (so to speak).

Officials are not asking Bell's to leave...only not renewing the lease unless Bell's fixes itself up to meet the standards of the area surrounding them. Come on, Tulsa... you demanded the remodeling of the fair grounds...is it not just as fair for Bell's to come around and meet the same expectations you expected the fair grounds to meet?

I don't want to see Bell's go either. It's a nice spot for people to have fun in this nothing to do town we call Tulsa. But I do agree that Bell's has to get on board with remodeling what they have to fit in with the standards surrounding it. There are not as many people that go to Bell's as much anymore. And I do not agree that Bell's it what brings attraction to the Fair. At one time, that may have been the truth. But here in this moment, I believe that the Fair is what brings the attraction to Bell's.

If you'd like to post your opinion, you can use my comment box. However long you want it to be is fine with me. This is not meant as a debate, only my personal Opinion about something affecting the community/city I reside in.

Also, here are some links you can use to send in your personal thoughts or opinions regarding Bell's, sans Angela Borrell. Thanks Angela!!! :)

**Family, friends and aquaintances ... if you feel the same way and even if you have a differing opinion to Bells losing its Lease at the fair grounds, PLEASE, let your voice be heard. Here are emails to the various parties and news media to voice your opinion:

Emory Bryan: ebryan@kotv.com

BELLS: bells@tulsacoxmail.com

Rick Bjorklund -President/CEO: rbjorklund@exposquare.com

Francine Grayson - Secretary/Receptionist: francine@exposquare.com

News FOX23: news@fox23.com

News KOTV: news@kotv.com

News KJRH: news@kjrh.com

News on 6: newsdesk@newson6.net

Carole Lambert: clambert@ktul.com

Charles Ely: cely@ktul.com

I AM TOTALLY DESPERATE!!!

For next week's episode of Desperate Housewives...and the week after that...and the week after that and the...!!!!

So how freaking crazy was tonight's episode? I was really wondering how the writers were going to follow up to last week's bang! of an episode (pun def. intended!). When you get good episodes like the last one, it's rare that you see another one of the same calibur, only different in portrayal. Tonight's episode had me on the edge of my seat just as much as the previous one did...only in a different manner. Last week's was at the edge of my seat in suspense because there was a whacko with a gun and you just knew Nora was a goner before she ever got shot. This week was more like...ok...when are you going to show me the good stuff...and I thought the good stuff was around every corner. Subtle, but there.

I knew beyond a doubt when Lynette and her son let themselves into the new guy's (Art) empty house, some dirty little secret would be revealed. Imagine my suprise...the last thing on my mind thinking about new-guy-Art, saving-Lynette-Art, normal-decent-Art, was that he was a pedophile. Who'd have friggin' guessed? Guess you really never know someone...and especially a NEW someone...no matter what good deed is done. (Case in point: Remember BTK??) LOVE♥LOVE♥LOVE the new angle! I'm way excited to see that even a nighttime soap opera can go somewhere beyond comas and affairs and murderous scandals. This has promise written all over it!

Now why would Orson give Bree information about his mother is he wanted to keep her such a secret and hated her soooo much? Obviously there's a murder-suicide-whatever angle hiding there just waiting for the right moment to rear it's ugly head and create disaster for everyone involved...including Bree. I have a feeling she's going to have a 20 to life husband, or become another widow by the end of this scenario. I thought for sure when Bree said "I don't know what the fuss is about, it's just an address Orson." that Orson was going to give her a fake one, but nooo. He can't do that...so here goes Bree...she tries so hard to do good and it ends up just all evil in her face. No wonder she's psycho. So Dixie Carter plays Orson's mother. One minutes she's Betty White from Golden Girls sweet, the next she's telling Orson she should have smothered him in his crib when she had the chance! How.Spectacular.Was.She. I literally cracked up when Andrew, on cue, asks "So, can we call her Grandma?"

Poor Gabrielle. I was expecting much more for her. You'd think that someone with her past in modelling, she'd be more revered than she was. She was treated awfully...just awful! I mean for someone who was on as many covers of Vogue as she was, should be somewhat famous and treated with respect, correct? I mean look at Twiggy, and that other lady you see on America's Next Top Model...I forget her name, but she's a total bitch and now has her own series...Janet something. It just doesn't make sense. I guess for the show, they couldn't have Gabby gallavanting back and forth from New York to Wisteria Lane without cutting a lot of her out of the script. I was sad to watch her photo shoot...she looked completely ripped apart, but the scenes of her modeling class for next week look very exciting!

I.am.so.sick.of.Edie.and.Susan.and.Mike.

I so need my own site: www.ihateedie.com ...not, it's not real. I wish!

I am at the point where I don't even want to see the Edie.Susan.Mike scenes. They suck. We know what Susan and Mike meant to each other. How easy it is for Edie to manipulate and hurt someone!

Edie is a slut. I cannot stand what she is doing to Susan and Mike. She is heartless and cold. I hope she gets hers too. The more I watch her, the more I secretely smile that she gets cut out of a lot of "DH" photo shoots. I know it's a show...but...grrr!!!!

Susan is a dumbass. What's with the Brit!?! I repeat: What's with the Brit!?! Aren't we supposed to be thinking about MIKE?! HELLO!!!!! Can we say "Dumb Brunette Alert!" Classic case of a woman who is afraid to be alone!

Mike. Does he not know how to smile anymore? He's so down all the time! Sure, he just got out of a coma, but must he always be so...solemn? I guess there's no other way to be when you've got Edie Brit feeding you loads of bullshit on an hourly basis.

Ok, let's get down to the nitty-gritty:

Orson or Mike killed Monique. Which one? Why?

Art: Pedophile or just a really avid photographer of his swim-team boys? Will Lynette confront or conceal her knowledge?

Mike: Will he eventually snap out of his stupor? When?

Susan & the Brit: When will his wife awaken from her coma?

**SIGH** Now you know why I'm desperate...

"Ye Olde Carnival"

On Saturday, November 4th, the girls and I went to Owasso to attend an old fashioned Carnival at Discovery Bible Fellowship. This event was hosted by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing AGBELL and other generous donors. It was an exciting day for the children and great get-to-know-each-other time for adults. Audiologists, Therapists, Parents, Grandparents, Children, and Media were present at this event. I love the fact that there are so many people in professional positions who attend our AG Bell events. It brings them down to the parent's and child's level so there isn't that clinical wall between the two. The boundaries seem to be a little less in these circumstances and it makes me so happy to be involved! There was also a YO-YO guy who taught the kids how to yo-yo and did some really neat tricks. Then he let the kids "borrow" his yo-yo's to practice! YEAH! Like Natalie's going to give THAT back!

Olivia was so excited to be a part of this event! She and Natalie played hard at the games and made the neatest pumpkins and candy bags. I am so proud of all that Olivia has accomplished. It makes me teary eyed every time I remember the day she was diagnosed as profoundly deaf. I'll never forget the fear, the anxiety, and the hurt that came with thinking that my daughter would never be a part of my world. She'll never say MOM, she'll never understand language, she'll never hear me sing...etc...

I will be forever grateful to Sooner Start Therapist, Nicole Streich. Without her knowledge and being willing to share her knowledge about deaf culture and other avenues available to myself and my daughter, I don't think we'd be where we are now.

WE LOVE YOU NICOLE!!!!! WE MISS YOU!!!!!

Here are some photos from the "Carnival":

Yummy! Pizza and BBQ! Olivia thought she should make the impression of a bear at the little girl sitting across from her who kept trying to jump across the table to take her cheese pizza!

Yes, that is Olivia headbanging! (With a very attentive Natalie sitting criss-crossed applesauce behind her) Olivia's little friend, Gracie, (sitting beside Olivia, but you can't see her face) Yeah. She's headbanging too! Her head was going up and Olivia's was coming down!

The infamous "teach em to yo-yo" session. Yeah. I'm thinking the whole "you can borrow my yo-yo to practice but ya gotta give it back" was a little over their heads. I had to fish 3 yo-yo's out of Natalie's bag because she said "HE GAVE 'EM TO ME!" Natalie is trying to yo-yo. You can see her at the extreme right edge of the picture.

I'm all for that Brokeback Mountain...yeah...

AS IF...all the doctors and some interns would even THINK about camping together!? YEAH. I so see that happening.

There is only ONE word that comes to mind when I think of tonight's Grey's episode: HILARIOUS!
While it wasn't one of the best episodes, it did give a clearer and more personal look at some of our favorite "mini" characters. Take for instance, Joe, or as I lovingly refer to him: Bartender. Nice of them to make him gay. (I know that was like FOREVER back, but I'm addressing it now...get over it) It wasn't were I thought that was going...but hey, it worked. And I so thought his boyfriend (Walter) was dead when he smashed his head on that rock during Karev and George's "Open-handed" fight.

So George was stupid on 2 accounts tonight. 1: That god-awful fight that nearly killed Walter in the woods with Karev. If he didn't want Callie to sleep with someone else, why'd he kick her out of the house? Is this going to be like Rachel/Ross' "breather"? If so, gag me NOW! Please! (Shame on Alex for telling George in the first place!) Second: Making a big freaking deal about Burke's hand. And can we say CLOSE UP??? I don't think I ever want to see George's face that close up again.

My favorite scene is where Chief is trying to figure out who he's sharing a tent with since for some reason he didn't have one for himself. No one is offering him space because, well, he's the Chief and like, who want's the boss in their tent? So he asks if Joe and Walter will share with him, and they politely agree. So the boss thinks this is just great until he's informed that Joe and Walter "really, really wanted to be alone." HAHAHAHAHA as if the LOOK on his face alone wasn't enough for me, then he says...."Ohhhh...so you are ummm...wonderful! Man-love! [insert my cackling laugh here] It's beautiful...it's beautiful! Uhh...my cousin's gay. [insert my knee slapping laughter here] So I'm hip...brokeback mounatin and all of that..." [Ok..so here...I DIED!] And Burke, dear sweet Burke burst in with "Who's ready to go fishing?" Chief couldn't get out of there fast enough!
Pausing for immense laughter @ the thought of that scene.

Ok So what is up with Mark? Does he just want all of Derek's girls, or only the ones that meant something to Derek? I promise you this: I was PRAYING...yes...literally PRAYING that Derek did NOT turn around at the end when he introduced himself to Meredith. How CRAPPY would that have been? And why was Mark making a play for Mer. anyway? He's just looking for a few more notches on his bed post I suppose. He's looking less and less handsome with every lay he's expecting to get. I guess that was the plan though. He can't look and act better than Derek! God, that'd just ruin the show!

Hooray for Addison and Callie becoming pals. But really, can Addison not care that much that Mark is whoring around? I mean, she gave up her marriage for the guy, and now she's just "Oh well?" about it? Love the Addison. I don't fully understand the whole thing about her getting upset over the unborn being dead, but it was a tearful scene and one I wouldn't have wanted to endure in real life. Even doctors can be human. I wouldn't want to be the person who had to explain to a typically excited, happy mother that she has to give birth to a baby that is no longer alive. And what will Jamie make of the rest of her life with the feelings of guilt for killing her baby because she slipped in the shower?

So I'm all interested in the Man turning into Woman thing. I've been watching these shows about transgenderization and surgeries they go through and even though it's quite "ICKY", it's eerily facsinating to me. Why would someone want to be a man, vice versa? Why can't people just be who they were born to be? Who they are? I should have been born in the 17th century but I wasn't and I'm not going to kill myself under the presumption I could reincarnate into that time period. Why can't people just be happy to be who they are? Like I'm one to talk...Neat surgical procedure, dumb on Daniel/Donna's part for going ahead with the whacking off of the penis after he/she found out the hormone pills to make him a her were giving him/her cancer. Ain't that a bitch? Or bastard??



So small re-cap on the other parts:

• Thank god for good writers. I was quite relieved when Derek showed up at the bar to re-introduce himself to Meredith and then she accepted his apology and Mark was left to rot. That scene made my entire night and the next day!


• I was extremely happy that perky happy Sydney was brought back in and bugged the hell out of Izzy. I'm **yawn** of Izzy already. For cripe's sake, it's not like she and Denny were together for years and years! (But love is love...nya nya nya...)


• We learned some things about Karev's past (I hate referring to him as Alex) but it's just typical rogue-bad boy stuff so not really that revealing or exciting either. Boy treated bad, now bad is the boy...yada yada yada...


• Christina is catching my sympathy. The Nazi is slowly coming back after a brief field trip and it's not looking pretty for Christina. Either she fesses up about Burke or she destroys the rest of her internship and therein, her career. OUCH.

So, will Callie and George eventually have their falling out? How will Grey's keep the love affairs alive with Derek and Meredith back on again? What will happen with Mark now that he's marked as a man-whore? Will Christina sacrifice her career for her love?

Next week...on...Grey's...*sigh*

A ♥ to ♥ Topic

Of all the species that cohabitate in the world, humans by far are the most inhumane. Animals kill and eat their young and each other...not out of hatred, but because that is their life cycle. Humans kill each other for hatred, revenge, anger, fear, and many other reasons. And mothers get slaps on the hand because they were suffering from post partum depression. We live in a world of excuses.
We are the most inhumane because we take the one gift that was given especially to US and we defile it with our actions.
♥LOVE♥
We are given this gift of love to share. To experience. To enjoy. Instead we use it to hurt. To guilt. To destroy. We live our entire lives hoping for love. Once we get it, we use it to hurt.
Why do we do that? Are we so self absorbed that we cannot for one moment step back to think of the reasons behind our actions? It can't possibly be OUR own fault?
Most of the reasons a person cannot love or falls easily in and out of love is because we had a lack of it in ourselves or for ourselves. How do we clear that hurdle? How to we break the habit?
Love comes in many different forms:

Friendship.

Lovers.

Parent-Child.

Sex.

Lets address Friendship. I know I blog about friendship a lot. Friends mean a lot to me. The friendship kind of love is the love that you have for one another because you have shared many things throughout the tenure of the relationship. You aren't (hopefully) sleeping with your friend, so there are healthier yet fewer boundaries. You aren't worried about impressing your friends because you know that they love and accept you for who you are. I don't have many friends that I actually hang out with. I have come to realize I'm much too needy for my own good. So I've stopped bitching about not having any friends that actually call me on a daily basis or come and visit. It will happen when it happens and if it doesn't, I have my kids and my boyfriend. Plus, it's so hard to find a damn sitter!

Now lets address Lovers. This is a separate kind of love. Love that normally only 2 people would share in a healthy relationship. A relationship set in per se, "the perfect world." They are attracted. They have trust. They have harmony. They have the unbounding love for one another that drives each other to the brink and eventually want to spend the rest of their lives together. (*I.E.: getting married, having kids, meeting the parents.) This kind of love expresses itself through emotions and actions (of course) and sets the foundation of the "rest of your lives." This love is accepting, understanding, respectful, trustworthy, and a dozen of other words we could use to describe it. But both have to be involved. Both have to be on the same page. Even if one is there, if the other is not...that isn't healthy for either person.

Lets discuss Parent-Child. This is of course, a type of unconditional love. A child loves its parents because its parents provide for him, kiss his boo-boos, clean his room, and do his laundry for him...sometimes up to college years. You bring home an A, your parents love you, you bring home a D, they might be mad, but they still love you.

Now, Sex. It is a common misconception, especially among the female gender that SEX=LOVE. This is NOT SO. If you want to know a little bit of facts, you can always google this subject too. A man has testosterone, the woman estrogen and progesteren. When a woman and a man have sex, a woman releases this neat little curse of a hormone that creates a bond with the person she is with. Testosterone obliterates this because of ...well...it's testosterone. SO there you go. MEN are ruled by their lower brains and women by their damnable hormones...WOW GO FIGURE!

All in all, love in all different angles, is still a form of the same love. It's trust, honesty, compassion, unconditional, respect. (except for you know....the whole SEX thing.) Some people don't know how to show it, some people don't even know what it is. Some people cling to it. Some people use it to hurt. We just have to take responsibility for our role in how our love will be shown to others.

Love is still love. Even when it hurts.

Music Video:SEASONS OF LOVE (by Rent)

Music Video Code provided by VideoCodeZone.Com

I WANT YOU!...TO VOTE!

I voted today. It was a different experience for me as this is the first year that I have ever really voted for whom I believed was best for the position as opposed to voting straight Republican.
I was raised in a Republican household. I was raised in a Christian household. Both, while reputable and known as conservative, were things that I had to search my heart about. There are a lot of hypocrites in both aspects. I have really found out in the past year that it's being closed minded to vote straight anything, Republican, Democrat, and even Independent. You have to research and really use the power that you have to cast the vote. I think that someone going to the polls to vote and not knowing a damn thing about the people running for each office is more horrific than people not going at all. Who are you helping if you don't know what it is your candidates are working for or against?
First you have to ask yourself: where do you stand on certain issues? Then you have to find out: Which candidates are addressing the issues that are most important to you? This is where the research comes in. We are in the 21st Century PEOPLE!!!! We have fliers, television, the court house, libraries, and even more convenient: the internet.
I voted today. I will turn 26 years old this month and have been voting faithfully every year since I turned 18. Who was I helping the past 7-8 years voting stricktly Republican, having no knowledge whatsoever on the backgrounds and the agendas of the candidates running? Sure, I was voting, but I wasn't voting based on facts or even likes or dislikes. I was voting because I'm virtually a Republican.Today is different for me because today, I voted for who I believed had my same goals and dreams for my county, my city, and my state. Today, I wasn't standing at the poll in a race for Democrat or Republican power. Today, I made a difference not only because I voted, but because my decisions were thought and fact based.
Besides, since I worked so hard to find out facts about the people that I believed were best fit for the job, I can bitch when the wrong*** people win the ballots! hahaha

Hope you got out and voted! :) God Bless America!

***Wrong is only my personal version of wrong. Meaning, people I didn't vote for that were on the ballot running against people that I did vote for.

Wow!

OK...so...whatever...this show is now hard core FAWKED UP! I was so astonished at the turn of events in tonight's episode of DH! It just keeps getting better and better!!!

• Edie. What kind of evil person does it take to do what she has done in the past few episodes since Mike awakened? I mean, she has really.gone.too.far. Pure evil. GRR Blondes like her just boil my blood! Slut!


• Bree. She's the next one to shoot herself in the head. I just know it. Her son is gay, her daughter is a ho, her husband is a murderer, and she's still suffering the traumatic OCD she obtained when she was 6 years old and saw her mother hit by a car at Christmas Time on the icy street in front of their house...and she grabs some sanitaizer to clean up the blood. Yeah. She's healthy!


• Susan. My Gracious God In Heaven what is she THINKING? Not about Mike, obviously! W.T.H.?! She's going off to Paris with the Brit. instead of fighting Edie for Mike? For crying out loud Sus, get some dang backbone...or backfat...whatever you need to fight for that man...don't let the Brit fool ya...bet he has some damn good secrets too!


• Gabriella. Chuck the divorce decree and get your hubby back already. It's taking too long! HAHA Can't wait to see how she feels next week when they send her to the Mommy Section of the Modelling Agency Clothing Racks! HAhahahahahahaaa!


• Lynette. Good for you, girl! Way to tell that crazy lady with the gun--who so blatantly said that she hated slutty husband stealers--the lady sitting beside you tried to seduce your husband. Way to get Nora killed! Heck, We all knew Nora had to go sooner or later...this way, Lynette and Tom can get back to some "normal" type of DH life! Hopefully Lynette won't get addicted to her son's ADHD medication again with an extra mouth in the house to feed. And how will the eldest son feel now, being replaced as oldest of the home by a GIRL?

OK, that's it for me tonight. Ciao!

The Marine's Father

The Marine's Father

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.
Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.
"Who was that man?" he asked.
The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.
"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."
"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?" "I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

The next time someone needs you just be there. Stay.

Thanksgiving Time

There are 3 very special things about the month of NOVEMBER!!!

1.) FAMILY & FOOD!
Turkey, corn on the cob, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoe pie, collard greens, ham, gravy, mashed taters, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and any other delectable dish that you can think to make to celebrate what I only remember as the Indians and the Pilgrim's coming to some kind of peace.!? I don't really care about the peace thing. Just the food. HAHA Oh, yeah, and family around is good too!!! HEHE

2.) SHOPPING FRENZY!
It's that time again...that time to go absolutely FREAKING nuts and run over people trying to get the last BRATZ doll off the shelf, or to argue with the nice cashier that the SpongeBob TV MOST CERTAINLY WAS HALF PRICE! I find all of this most exhilerating to witness on the 10 o'clock news from the comforts of my livingroom. I feel bad for all those people trampled when Cabbage Patch Dolls start to sell out again!

3.) MY BIRTHDAY!
What can I say? HEHE The 21st is my birthday!!!!! And well, that is just special because I'm.Kick.Ass. And if you don't think so, then you don't know me very well and have no room to judge! hahahaha
SOooOooOooOooOoooOOOooo...YOU BETTER BE PREPARED:
I'm turnin' 26....that's not so kick ass though!

OK That's all I'm gonna say now.
Take care all!!!

SMART!!!

I WOULD NEVER EVER GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!!

This is a problem on a geometry examination. The solution was submitted by a beautiful blonde student. It is our understanding that after careful scrutiny, the student was given credit for the answer by the teacher.!!!!! WHAT?!!!! When hearing of this, the Board of Education warned math teachers to be more explicit in the wording of examination problems, but was hesitant to suggest how.

THE BLONDE'S ANSWER:

HALLOWEEN!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Morticia and Kutie Kitty!

Sophia's First Halloween!!!

Walk the Line

Wow.
30 minutes into this movie, and I'd already cried 2 times. Either I need chocolate, or this is a great movie!!!
Joaquin and Reese give ultra-steamy/great performances of Johnny Cash and June Carter. How delectable this movie was! I was hooked from opening credits.
Personally, I think Reese Witherspoon is just the prettiest, greatest, most congenial actress I have ever watched. She is always smiling, her eyes inviting, her aura is that of a welcoming home party. I enjoy each and every one of her movies.
I was first introduced to Witherspoon when I was about 12 years old and I saw "Man and the Moon." I told my mom "She's gonna be somebody." Lo and behold...she is!
I haven't been as huge a fan of Phoenix as I am now. I have seen him in other pictures (Gladiator, etc...) but now I really really want to pay more attention to detail with his movies from here on out.
Great job! This is one to watch again and again!!!

My GirlyFriends!!!

These are some of my BEST GAL PALS...will add more as they become available on my computer...!!! :)
Includes...Me, Renee, Jennifer, Jenny, Tinka, Adria, Lori, Deb, Laura, Stephanie & Richie, and Julie & Alan (Richie and Alan are so totally NOT a gal, but they are stuck at the hip!!!)

Get Your Own! View Slideshow

HE HE HE...

Just a little ditty here....NO it's NOT about Jack&Diane...hehehe

A little boy goes to his dad and asks, "What are Politics?" Dad says, Well son, let me try to explain it this way:

#1. I'm the head of the family, so call me The President.
#2. Your mother is the administrator of the money, so we call her the Government.
#3. We're here to take care of your needs, so we'll call you the People.
#4. The nanny, we'll consider her the Working Class.
#5. And your baby brother, we'll call him the Future.

"Now, think about that and see if it makes sense."

So, the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what Dad has said.
Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him. He finds that the baby has severely soiled his diaper.
So, the little boy goes to his parent's room and finds his mother sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny's room.
Finding the door locked, he looks in the peephole and finds his father in bed with the Nanny. He gives up and goes back to bed.

The next morning, the little boy says to his father, "Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now."

The father says, "Good, son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about."

The little boy replies, "The President is screwing the Working Class, while the Government is sound asleep. The People are being ignored and the Future is in deep shit."

Sisters

I HAVE 2 SISTERS. DUH!!!

This is Shani. I stole this pic from her myspace. Hope she doesn't mind. Hopefully she will hurry and send me some pics of her kiddos so I can put them on here too!!!

This is my sister, Rachel, her husband Donald, and their daughter, Sophia. Sophia is almost 1 year old!!! WOOOHOOO!!!!! GO SOPHIA...shake yer bootay...go So-So...it's almost your birthday!!!

Anyway, just stole this pic from my sister's website and wanted to post it. It's all good.

Goodbye Again...

Today is a sad day and I just needed to post to vent the grief and frustration that I feel.
Why are people taken from us? I am not one of those religious fanatics that believe that God takes our loved ones from us to teach us anything or to punish us for bad things we have done. But I suppose when it is someone's time, it's someone's time to go.
Take for instance, My grandparents. Momo and Papa. My father's parents. They were married for a long time. But my Papa always cheated on my Momo. He was mean, intolerable, even lost the respect of his children.
He left my Momo when I was in 8th grade for a younger woman. Wasn't with that woman long before he left her for another...and so on.
But he is still alive. And on this day 4 years ago I buried my beloved Momo.
Papa was stricken with alzheimer's disease. He can't take care of himself and his health is deteriorating badly.
Momo was a joy. She was a friend. She did no wrong from my point of view. She survived breast cancer twice, had a double mastectomy, and finally succombed to colon cancer in 2002.
So, even though this is awful for me to say, why did someone so GOOD. Someone so LOVING, someone so GRACIOUS have to die after surviving so much, and someone so MEAN and UNLOVING be able to live, even though his existence is futile?
I guess he is still alive because his meanness keeps him alive.
I hear he has toned down alot since his diagnosis a few years ago.
Somehow, that doesn't make the pain go away.

I love you Momo. I miss you terribly. You are always in my heart.
Love,
"Joy Belle"

FaceBook

I'm SLOWWWW I suppose. I heard about FaceBook on the news a few weeks ago. I've seen it mentioned in other blogs before. Never really thought about going there. Now, I've got all these BULLETINS on myspace.com asking which is better MYSPACE/FACEBOOK. So I went to find out what Facebook was. Its okay. But I can't figure it out. I ran across one person on there that I know and chose the "POKE HER" link...whatever that will do...guess I'll find out what it does when I get a message back or something. Anyway. Just thought I'd share. Guess I'll have to play around with it for a bit. Feel it out. Who knows, it MIGHT be fun?

Peace!