Fear

Cory's not home yet from softball. I heard firetrucks and ambulances - now I hear more! My mind starts to get away from me at times like this.

AI 3/31/09

Kara - artistry would be if you found a new word to use
Simon: How can someone be indulgant and boring at the same time?
Cole asked, Why does she have red hair? Why is her hair pink now? maybe next time it's going to be blue.
1. Adam - he is HOT - I like the Elvis hair 08
2. Kris - he is a hottie and that was a moment 09
3. Danny - I feel it, he's got it this week 03
4. Allison - she IS a rock star - she can dress that way if she wants
5. Scott - channelling Billy Joel
6. Lil - ew bad pitch and you can't take on Celine - I did not like it at all - Syesha from last year was better
7. Matt - he didn't seem comfortable
8. Anoop - he's no Usher
9. Megan - oh girl ...
Vote for me please. I'm feeling cruddy.

Armpit Day

I figured I'd have to explain.
Monday is the start of the week
Wednesday is 'hump day'
Thursday means 'tomorrow is Friday'
And Friday is TGIF
So where does that leave Tuesday? That's why one of my friends in college deemed Tuesday 'armpit' day - it is the armpit of th week.
Now if someone could remind me fo WHO came up with that - Keri, Amy, Pamela, Beth - those are the likely suspects - but my memory fails me.
Happy Armpit Day!

AI 3/24/09

Results on 3/25/09
I have 4 words for you (ala kara's way of counting): Stevie Wonder!

Paula giving Simon the 64 pack of crayons and coloring books FTW!
And Simon with the mustache drawn on Paula!

18664365708 Adam - safe - I'm blown away
18664365710 Allison - safe - vote for the child! Please!
18664365709 Danny - safe- always my personal fave but he's going to have to bring it next week
Kris - safe- solid and cute :)
Matt - bottom 3? Seriously? - safe - slowly moving up to the top
Lil - safe - channelling old school Motown
Anoop - safe - great voice, boring performance
Scott - bottom 3 - safe? Are you kidding? who is dressing him?
Megan - safe - train wreck
Michael - bottom 3 - going home - what's worse than a train wreck???
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AI 3/24/09

Paula giving Simon the 64 pack of crayons and coloring books FTW!
And Simon with the mustache drawn on Paula!

18664365708 Adam - I'm blown away
18664365710 Allison - vote for the child! Please!
18664365709 Danny - always my personal fave but he's going to have to bring it next week
Kris - solid and cute :)
Matt - slowly moving up to the top
Lil - channelling old school Motown
Anoop - great voice, boring performance
Scott - who is dressing him?
Megan - train wreck
Michael - what's worse than a train wreck???

I'm not quite ready for this

I got the boys' registration packets for Kindergarten round up today. I'm glad that I have 4-5 months to prepare - I am NOT ready for this - nope, not one bit

Funniest book we've read lately

Sent by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - "Ducks Don't Wear Socks" - Cole laughed so hard he got the hiccups.

March 20

First day of Spring! It feels like a weight has been lifted.

AI results

Results on 3/19/09:
Ford music videos are stoopid. Shut up Seacrest! Randy Travis and Carrie Underwood FTW with "I Told You So"
Results are NOT what I wanted or expected. Allison should not have been in the bottom 3. And I liked Alexis much better than Michael. Very sad :(

1. Danny - going on tour
2. Kris - going on tour
3. Allison - bottom 3 - going on tour
4. Anoop - going on tour
5. Matt - going on tour
6. Alexis - bottom 3 - going HOME - judges consider saving? Not good enough for the save tho :(
7. Lil - going on tour
8. Megan - going on tour
9. Adam - "horrific indulgent rubbish" - going on tour
10. Scott - going on tour
11. Michael - bottom 3 - going on tour
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AI 3/18/09

My favorites tonight - the numbers for voting are listed, too. This was really tough tonight because there are a lot of really good singers and performers. I like Adam, but his performance tonight might have been too weird for America. Anoop, who coul have gone last week, redeemed himself in a big way tonight. Who is top and who should go?
1. Danny 08
2. Kris 03
3. Allison 02
4. Anoop 09
5. Matt 11
6. Alexis 07
7. Lil 04
8. Megan 10
9. Adam 05
10. Scott 06
11. Michael 01
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I am so evil calling parents in the morning the first day of Spring break.

Discovey

Slightly frozen blueberries + cool whip = happy tummy

A conversation at dinner

Cole: "mommy, I need to go change shirts"
Me: "why?"
Cole: "I spilled my drink on it."
Me: "ok, why don't you just take it off and leave it off?"
Aidan: "oh, that'll be somethin'!

I love waking up to the smell of breakfast cooking.

Trip

Going to the mall to play and save my sanity

Behavior problems

One of my children has had some problems at daycare the last two days. I'm just curious as to how other parents handle behavior problems and what works for 'strong willed' children. Please send me your ideas!

Tennessee 'takes seriously' bad grade on mental health services

And then I find this article! TN gets a 'D' in mental health services. And one of the largest providers in this area is laying off.

http://m.knoxnews.com/news/2009/mar/12/tennessee-takes-seriously-bad-grade-mental-health-/
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Layoffs

I have assumed that the mental health and social services fields would be more recession-proof than many others. Today proved me wrong. Due to a lot of factors, one large one being restructuring of TennCare, my employer has lost a huge amount of money. Patient census is down across the board.

I still have a job for now. But I think there is a lot more fear in all of us now. We were told last year to not be afraid - we were ok - now, I think it is quite different.

I wonder now about our patients. What is happening to those people who used to receive services? Did they go somewhere else? Are they suffering without meds, therapy and case management? Is mental health care a luxury?

Lots of thoughts going thru my mind. Lots of prayers for those who were told they had no job today.
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AI 3/10/09 Results

Results on 3/11/09:(kelly clarkson FTW!) I am surprised that Jasmine went over Anoop. But I can't say that I am sad. I like Anoop but last night was not good for him. Glad Jorge is gone - he was a snoozer. They are in the order of how well I thought they did.
1. Adam safe
2. Danny safe
3. Allison safe
4. Alexis safe
5. Kris safe
6. Lil safe
7. Matt safe
8. Scott safe
9. Megan safe - almost voted off
10. Michael safe
11. Jasmine gone
12. Anoop safe! - almost voted off
13. Jorge gone
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AI 3/10/09

1. Adam
2. Danny
3. Allison
4. Alexis
5. Kris
6. Lil
7. Matt
8. Scott
9. Megan
10. Michael
11. Jasmine
12. Anoop
13. Jorge
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Facebook withdrawal

I'm really struggling with not being able to get on Facebook tonight. My natural curiosity about other people's lives is usually sated by my job - therapy allows me to help others but I also get to hear fascinating human stories several times a day. With Facebook, I sometimes feel like a voyer but it is cloaked in the guise of staying in touch with friends - however, I know more now about my 'friends' than I ever did when we were really friends. I am probably one of the nosiest people ever, so giving up Facebook for lent has been a challenge, but it is a necessary challenge. A friend pointed out to me today that I have a tendency to get 'obsessed' with certain things (certain people included) - so this sacrifice is needed for me to become more focused on the things that really matter in life - my real relationships - with God, with Cory, with Aidan, with Cole.

There is another side to this whole Facebook thing that has exposed some of the ugliness of my soul - that there is a lot of self-centeredness that needs to be purged. The flip side of the voyer in me is also the narcissist who thinks that my 250 'friends' really care what my 'status' is or what my inmost thoughts are on any given day or what my favorite music or book or top 25 random things about me are.

So when I return to logging on to Facebook, I will do so with a more intentional focus. Becoming more intentional about my thoughts and actions has always been a struggle for me - to eliminate the flippant remark, to be deliberate about everything I say and do - to not eliminate the spontaneous, but to think before acting at all levels.

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Cartoons

Anyone know why the male cow 'Otis' on 'Back At the Barnyard' has udders???
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Another song

Portions for Foxes by Rilo Kiley

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More songs

California by Phantom planet (theme song from The OC)

Maybe I'm Amazed as covered by Jem

I think it would be appropo and very emotional for Danny Gokey to sing Fire and Rain by James Taylor
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Songs I would sing if I were on American Idol

Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac
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Books and pictures and letters

Doing some spring cleaning in the garage today trying to consolidate some boxes - found a lot of artifacts of my life stored away in there. I found pictures from W&L summer scholars. I found letters from old friends. And I found most of the books that I have read in my lifetime. All of these are analog artifacts that are tangible memories of a life. They aren't that old, either. I think that the most recent postmark on some of them are around 2003. It amazes me how much we rely on technology now, just a few years ago, I was still writing letters. I miss those days. I miss those friends. If you want to write letters again, email me your snail mail address - how ironic is that!
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Flashback

My first car was a 1986 model year Oldsmobile Delta 88. It felt huge to my 5' 1" frame and my high school ego. Looking back on it now, it was a great car. It had seats that were like sitting on a couch and a nifty arm rest for the driver. It lasted me from my sophomore year in high school to the fall of my first year in graduate school - about 8 years.

Last night I had the opportunity to re-live those days in the Olds. My dad kept my boys while Cory and I went to FPU. We traded cars and my dad has my grandparents' car - an Oldsmobile. It wasn't exactly the same as mine, but it was close enough that I thought I was in a time machine. Those cars have a huge engine and they ride so smoothly that you will be doing 65 down the back roads of Halls without realizing it. If I could go back, I would have treated my car a lot better than I did...
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