seattle pugoween 2008

i did something a little different this time. instead of making an album, i made a video. hope you enjoy!

speculations on where we're going

i got this little tidbit of info from my sister. it's worth reading:

"About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage"

Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

Population of counties won by - Gore: 127 million; Bush: 143 million
Square miles of land won by - Gore: 580,000; Bush: 2,427,000
States won by - Gore: 19; Bush: 29
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by - Gore: 13.2; Bush: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."

Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years."

so, that's that.

bug in pumpkin patch

my bug is such a ham . . . we had lots of fun at the pumpkin patch, getting dirty and saying hello to all the pumpkins and gourds. And, just so you know, while looking through the album, i didn't pose her in any of them; the weirdness is all her.

pumpkin patch

melts in your mouth, not in your digestive tract . . .

i don't spend most of my life wondering about the nature of things that are manufactured that we consume, but this makes me wonder and also makes me glad that i don't eat them.

so, last night, as a treat, i gave my bug a couple m&m's. she usually chews them up pretty well before swallowing, but evidently one of them just got swallowed last night. well, i just changed her diaper and there was an entire intact m&m, full color, with it's cute little "m" looking up at me. how is that possible?

again, i'm just glad that i don't eat them . . .

trip to the zoo

awhile back, me and the fam and some friends that we consider family went to the zoo and had a jolly good time.

enjoy the photos. :)

the zoo

waaayyy kewl movies

so, i have my moments every so often when i go into siskel and ebert mode. this is one of those times, so, here goes another list of waaaayyyy neat-o movies that i've seen recently.

CJ7



if you have ever seen kung fu hustle, then you've heard of stephen chow. he also directs this little gem that is directed to a younger audience. it's about a very poor little boy who's given a gift by his equally poor father and the adventure that ensues. it's a funny, adorable story with loads of kung fu elements splashed throughout. for me, i feel it's a keeper, but for the rest of the world, i just think you should watch it. it's awesome.



Hancock



this movie was just awesome and totally unexpected. it had a very neat twist and a very unconventional way of telling the tale of a super hero. this movie definitely breaks all sorts of molds and i found it friggin awesome . . . didn't i already say that? well, it's double awesome.

Son of Rambow



this movie is so, just, wow. it's about this little boy who's brought up ultra-religious and through some smooth talking done by the school bully, this little boy is introduced to rambo, violence, television, going against authority, and, above all, finding his imagination and running with it. moral of the story? let your kids watch rambo before it's too late! not really, but, let your kids be kids for pity's sake.

now, go watch this movie.

you will not be sorry.

rambo would.



Wall-E



for some stupid reason, this movie got a lot of flack because of the fact that it dealt with a society of people who relied too much on technology and became really obese. it's a cartoon people. it's for the kids. and it's an awesome story.

this little short circuit lookin' dude is left alone to clean up earth and he goes a little loopy, but then he finds love, hitchhikes to this society of fat people, saves the day and wins the girl and everyone learns a lesson.

what's not to love? why does everyone have to get their panties in a bunch every time something little rubs 'em the wrong way?

silly, small-minded people make me itch . . .

all in all, it's a great movie. the short that comes before it is pixar's best yet, in my opinion (my dad almost wet his pants).



so, that's all i have for the moment, but i'm sure that there'll be more later on.

magic dragon

good times, good food, and, above all, good friends.

magic dragon

men in skirts . . . totally awesome

i've actually been wanting to go to these games forever and i finally had the opportunity last weekend. i went with my bug and my buddy chris. we met up with a couple of his friends while we were there.

we missed most of the athletics, but made the tail-end of some events (yeah men in kilts!). the important thing we made it there for was the bag pipe band competition. it was AWESOME. i even had a chance to register with my clan (the Campbells of Argyle) and get a few souvenirs.

it was heaps of fun. i've linked an album of this pictures i took at the bottom, so check 'em out if you gots the time.

yeah kilts!

highland games

the unexpected reunion

all the details of this lovely happenstance are on the picture site.

enjoy!

unexpected reunion

audi: 1 me: -$854.57

so, my car is mended and home again . . . we (my pappy and i) had determined that the voltage regulator in the alternator had gone kapute, and there for the alternator would be in need of replacing.

i thusly take my car to the mechanic, they take out the alternator and can't find anything wrong with it, just that it's not charging the battery; solution? new alternator.

also, an interesting note on the alternator: there are two main manufacturers of audi alternators: bosch and veleo . . . and what's the alternator found in my car? a bosch/veleo. weird, huh? this stumps the mechanic. as well as the fact that the amprage of the alternator was much higher than it should have been and that the alternator, though marked as a 2001, wasn't put in allroads until 2003. it just had to be my car that had the weird funky phantom part that made no sense what so ever. and keep in mind also that this is the original alternator, not an after-market or modification. crazy german car makers . . .

at this point my car is very much dismantled, so he replaces the serpentine belt as well.

the important thing is, my car is intact and running and i am just that much more in the hole financially . . .

oy

greenlake

these are some pictures that i took BEFORE my audi went ka-plooey

Greenlake

a sad day for my audi . . .

so, there i was yesterday, driving back from a lovely walk around the lake with my charming little bug, and i come to a stop in a left-hand turn lane about a mile from my house and the audi, my dutiful little allroad, dies. ka-plooey.

it just so happens that i'm the first in line, mind you, so when the light turns green, i can't go anywhere, and my hazard lights aren't cooperating with me, and i'm trying to wave the people around from behind me, but all they do is honk at me.

meanwhile, in the backseat, my little bug is having a grand ol' time with our new little adventure . . . she's such a trooper.

any-who, so after many honkings, nasty looks and the turn signal going through it's cycle about 7 times, and calling just about everyone i can for help (no one was home or was in a position to help) a lovely couple comes to my rescue.

this kind, gracious gentlemen hops out of his car (instead of honking at me) and asks whats wrong and could he help, gets someone to help him push my car somewhere safe when the light turns green, and ends up having a tow rope in his truck, tows my car all the way home and him and his wife help push my car into my parking spot.

it was amazing. a very sad day for my audi, but a wonderful day for renewing my faith in humanity. it's just good to know that there are still wonderful compassionate people out there that are willing to take time out of their schedules to help someone stranded.

thank heavens for good samaritans.

flowers

i took some flower pictures that i thought turned out well, so here they are. :)

pretty pretty flowers

cutest picture ever

i love my bug to little tiny bits . . . it got pretty warm today and we played in the wading pool. it was the first time for her. even my little pug joined in the fun (even though i didn't get a chance to get a picture of him in the pool). i'm biased, i understand, but this picture still warms my heart and makes me happy all over.

i don't normally do this, but please bear with me a moment . . .

okay, me and anything political are like oil and water. i avoid politics and everything about them like the plague. nobody likes my opinion, so i keep it to myself, but, every once and awhile something crosses my path that strikes a cord to my own personal ethics that i feel needs to be shared with whoever is willing to listen.

i received an email that contained an unprinted letter to the editor about immigration and how over indulged many of us, not only those who have crossed over from other countries, but also those who have been here all our lives, have become.

here it is, read it if you will . . . it just meant something to me.


From: 'David LaBonte'

My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to 'print' it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register:

Dear Editor:

So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented . Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people.

When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.

And here we are in 2008 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges, only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil , hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the UNITED STATES just yet.

(Signed) Rosemary LaBonte

choir reunion - june 28, 2008

i posted the "then" pictures, so here are the "now" ones:

choir reunion

enjoy! (as much as you possibly can . . . )

slide show pictures

these are pictures that i scanned in and made a slide show with for my choir reunion on june 28th.

choir

enjoy!

summer of a thousand reunions

well, this just seems to be the summer that everyone wants to get together . . . first, one of my favorite teachers from high school retired, so i went to the roast that was held in his honor. there were many of my old teachers and some old classmates there as well. now, tomorrow is a reunion for my choir from high school, and my sister, who was also in the high school choir, is flying out from indiana to go it. :) and then, of course, my 10-year reunion is in august . . .

also, my mom's 40th high school reunion is this summer, and me and the bug are going to the picnic part that one and there is a family reunion that we were going to go to in colorado in july, but my dad had surgery today, so we're not goint to that anymore . . .

luckily, these things only happen every 10 years, right?

where has the time gone?

okay . . . reality check time . . . i just got an invitation to my ten year high school class reunion. for the love of pete, ya blink and the years just go flying, don't they?

well, of course i'm going, but, heck, it still fills me with gallons of anxiety. i mean, who wants to relive high school? i took a breif look at the web site on myspace (www.myspace.com/cascade98reunion) and looked at the pictures of my old classmates . . . everyone looks exactly the same, except some of them were pregnant.

this whole thing is too weird.

the end of an era

after almost a year of separation (june 15, 2007) my divorce is final as of may 20, 2008. i am now a single woman for the first time in quite some time, but it feels odd to suddenly be at a parting of the ways.

it's all very bizarre.

and it only took a month!

i am happy to report that, after about half a dozen trips to the dentist, i'm finally done with my wisdom tooth yankage. and it only took a month! the first side was soooo boring . . . it only took a week to heal . . .

a list of good movies to see

i don't know why, but lately i've just seen some preeeettty gosh darn good movies, so here's a list of my personal picks:

august rush



super cool hip movie with a great story, great sound track, and it just kind of touches the the soul, ya know?

tin man



sci-fi channel mini-series that's kinda long (4 hours and some change) but worth it . . . not technically a movie, but gosh darn hip nonetheless.

the seeker: the dark is rising



really dippy title, but surprising good movie; based on a book, sci-fi/fantasy stuff, but good times all around.

the kite runner



not for the faint of heart; many disturbing elements, but the story is genuine and i found it beautiful, which sounds a bit cheesy, but, it was, as most stories of redemption are.

juno



just rent it, heck, buy it . . . this movie is just friggin awesome. it's blunt and honest and just wonderful.

walk hard: the dewey cox story



now, this movie really surprised me. i thought is was going to be really dumb. i rented it on a whim, but it was actually really funny and the music wasn't half bad either. definitely worth watching the director's cut . . . the extra half-hour adds a lot.

i am legend



wow. just wow. will smith. 'nuff said.

the darjeeling limited



great story. another movie that surprised me with it's depth given the actors that took part in it, such as owen wilson and jason schwartzman.

cloverfield



another movie that surprised me, given the fact that the hype surrounding it kind of made me want to avoid it, but something about some of the reviews inspired me to check it out and i'm glad i did. the camera work is done to make it look like it's filmed by an amateur, but it adds to the mock authenticity of the film. it's just a neat creature film that's suspence and thrill instead of blood and guts.

mr. bean's holiday



my mother didn't like this movie at all, but, then again, she's never had much of a taste for british humor. i absolutely loved this movie. i haven't laughed so much at a movie in i don't know how long. if you love the beauty of physical comedy, like that of charlie chaplin and the like, but done with even more finesse, definitely check this out. plus, it's rated "g" so it's safe for everyone to watch. :)

well, i could go on and on, but my blog isn't really intended for movie reviews, but they do interest me, so i'll add them from time to time. i've just been behind on adding any, thus the amount.

and now i'm done.

for the moment.

bug in a box

just wanted to take this moment to say, i love my bug. she makes me smile even when i don't wanna.

an april to remember

so, we had our wind, our rain, our sleet, hail, snow, thunder, lightning, sunshine and overcast . . . what's next?

tsunami?
tornado?
earthquake?

actually, i'm waiting for emperor ming to start with the fire rain and storms of evil. hopefully we'll be able to pull flash gordon out of retirement.

across the universe

ok, i forgot to do this . . . if you haven't seen this movie watch it. i love the music of the beatles. it's few and far between that good movies are being made these days that are worth seeing over and over again just for the sake of seeing over and over again. the music is wonderful, the acting is wonderful, the imagry is wonderful. i just loved this movie and i just wanted y'all to know.

now you know.

rent it.

watch it.

love it.

you can thank me later.

goody goody

well, i had the wisdom teeth on my right side yanked this morning . . . oy, talk about pain. a whole new level of pain. and ya can't even lose yourself in food , cause i really can't eat anything, heck, i an barely drink anything.

so, this is my moment of whining and now i'm done.

a little bit of normalcy . . . pretty please? with sugar on top?

well, heavens . . . life keeps getting more and more colorful. if it's not planning a ba-zillion parties or a buffet dinner for a bunch of knot-tying midgets, its a bunch of yo-yo's with oversized tonka trucks cutting my internet cable again, catching a cold, getting my wisdom teeth yanked, and, to top it all off, my hours at work are being downsized to part time.

oy.

i am having way too much fun. WAY too much.

i'm ready for a little boredom.

please.

neato spiffy dandy and what not

well, ladies and gentlemen, this only happens once every four years . . . (drum roll please) . . . MY BIRTHDAY!!!!! so, happy birthday to me. i'm 7/28. go me and my leapy self.

my madre is throwing me a spongebob party and i'm expecting many 7-year-old appropriate gifts, which will probably be saved for later use by my offspring.

i just HAD to put an entry in today, wasn't sure if i'd have the time later, cause, dang, man, how often does this happen? well, every four years . . . duh . . .

:)

drum roll please . . .

just building up the suspense . . . tomorrow's a *MAGICAL* day :)

monday . . .

so, i'm trying to be more vigilant in my blogging-ness. though there's nothing to be said, nothing of merit occurring in life, just saying howdy-do.

howdy-do.

my bug's birthday . . . belated . . .

well, i would have posted this yesterday, but there are some lovely geniuses building a house out front and when digging the sewer, they severed my phone and internet connection. i was disconnected from the world for a good two and a half days. silly monkeys.

any-who . . . my cute little bug had her first birthday yesterday. it goes by waaaaay tooooooo faaasssstttt. she used to be my cute little baby lump, now she's crawling everywhere, eating everything . . . where has the time gone?

so, happy (belated) birthday, bug. :)

(the above image is a magic eye picture, just so you know)

blah blah blah-de-bleh

just for the record, if it wasn't for my various responsibilities to my offspring and my four-legged little friend, and the fact that i have to work, i'd spend this entire loathsome day in bed, pretending that it didn't exist.

icky yucky pooey yuck

bleh

heaven is spelled S-E-R-T-A

since my separation, i have been living with my parentals on an aerobed with many, many leaks, which i was constantly fixing . . . then, a magical thing happened. a mattress set went on sale at costco and my whole life changed for the better. never in my life have i ever been the owner of a brand-new never-been-slept-on-before-by-another-human-being-or-anything-else-for-that-matter mattress. bliss. pure and simple. sheer heaven. my poor little pug had a deuce of a time getting up there, seeing how it's about 5 times higher off the floor than the old blowy-uppy thing, so i made some make-shift stairs, and he's now a very happy puppy as well.
this is just a momentous occasion for me, so i figured i'd share it with the world.
consider yourselves enlightened.

also, i need to add, this has been a FAR better year. YEAH 2008!!!!!!

so far still the same

wasn't this year supposed to be better? oh well. it's only been a couple of weeks. on the lighter side, my little bug stood all by her lonesome for a few seconds before she realized what she was doing and plopped back down on her booty. the pug is still as precocious as ever. all-in-all, life is good, i gotta say. i gotta stop being so negative. it has been a better year so far. it really has.

enchanted

i went and saw this yesterday with my family. wow . . . it's been awhile since disney actually put out a film like the good 'ol days, where the story was goofy and silly and sweet and above all, entertaining to watch. and it actually had hand drawn animation! all's i can say is, well, faboo. even my 10-month-old bug enjoyed it.