Money Money Money

If you're still not convinced that we need a new tax structure in place-

and you missed the news story about the alleged drug lord who was arrested in Wheaton, Md this week, get a load of this.

U.S. officials say Ye Gon’s arrest was the world's largest seizure of drug cash of all time. They found $207 million dollars in cash at his sprawling mansion in Vegas, where he was considered gambling royalty. It wasn’t unusual for him to gamble away millions in a single evening and has lost more than 125 million in the last three years. In addition to all of that glorious tax free cash, he had multiple luxury cars and several kept mistresses living life in the finest of style.

Ye Gon, a Chinese-Mexican "businessman" was wanted on organized crime, drug trafficking and weapons charges. Clearly an outstanding tax paying individual.

Why shouldn’t Uncle Sam be entitled to a piece of his pie? I realize he’s tied up right now worrying about the $700 dollars he’d like my husband and I to cough up, but honestly. Wouldn’t it be something if even creeps like Ye Gon had to fork over some of their loot and pay taxes?

And here’s an interesting statistic regarding Mexico. 80 percent of illegal drugs come into the United States across the Mexican border. Yet another reason we should tighten border control if you ask me, which I realize you didn’t, but that’s neither here nor there. I don’t have an issue with Mexicans being here, but I do have an issue with illegal non tax paying immigrants being here. They don’t pay taxes, but expect access to the funds.

Say it with me now… Fair Tax.

Fair Tax Anyone?

I pay my taxes.

I’d say I support at least three families on governmental aid just on my income alone.
Ok. Fine.

But then I get another bill from my friends at the IRS stating they want more money based on some additional income I apparently forgot to claim from some stock dividends.

Ok fine. But wait. Their figures are not correct! They are no where near correct! They inform me I have to pay the taxes now, or challenge it by following a skadillion steps and procedures which ultimately cost me more money. They also inform me that the interest will start accruing on the balance……right….

now…!

tic toc tic toc tic toc tic toc. Great. Tax on top of Tax.

After seeking the help of an accountant, (pay him) then mail in the challenge form provided, I wait to hear the results of my grievance.

Meanwhile, the interest is still compounding.

Tic toc tic toc tic toc tic toc.

Granted, If my grievance is found correct, I don’t have to pay. But if it isn’t, I get to paythe full amount and all the interest that’s accrued since I received the letter.

Tic toc tic toc tic toc tic toc.

Have you ever known the IRS to do anything in a timely fashion?

Did I mention this was a letter calculated on my 2005 tax return?

Will it take the IRS two years to find an answer?

What’s the interest compounded on $9,000 for two years?

Tic toc tic toc tic toc tic toc.

Damn.

If you haven’t paid much attention to the Fair tax, please do.

The FairTax Plan is a nonpartisan national grassroots campaign to replace the federal income tax system with a progressive national retail sales tax. It provides a "prebate" to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue replacement and, through companion legislation, repeal of the 16th Amendment.

It would replace the following taxes, (just to name a few) and my personal favorite, our friends at the IRS.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax,
Fuel permit tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)
Hunting License Tax
Earned Interest expense
Inventory tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (Yay! tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road usage taxes
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
My personal favorites:
Telephone federal excise tax
Telephone federal universal service fee tax
Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes
Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax
Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax  (huh?)
Telephone state and local tax
Telephone usage charge tax

-inhale- -exhale-

Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

And we can’t forget when you die, you’ve still got the 

Estate tax
inheritance tax
casket tax
burial tax

Here’s a great comparison chart if you’d like to learn more about the fair tax. It’s important to stay in the loop!

http://www.fairtax.org/PDF/FairTaxFlatTaxIncomeTaxComparisonChart.pdf

And….some closing arguments to finish off my soapbox rant.

-Consumption taxes are the oldest form of taxation for many good reasons.
-Consumption taxes are self limiting
-Uniformity of taxation wards off special interest manipulation.
-Direct taxes (Income taxes/poll taxes/head taxes), throughout history have been the tools of Tyranny.

www.fairtax.org.

A Meme for Monday

Heather from Blog Blah Blah has kindly offered a Meme to help motivate me into another blog post. I’m not keeping on top of the entries, possibly because after 2 ½ years I have nothing left to say.

In any event, here’s a feeble attempt, an interview if you will, to get the words flowing on Contemblogging. Thank you so much Heather for lighting the fire under my you know what.
1. I know you live in the South. What are the best and worst things about living in the Deep South? I absotivley, posilutely love the warm weather. Apparently I’m a reptile and reptiles need the rays of the sunshine to warm cold toes, or claws, or whatever. I went 10 years without ever showing my feet when I lived in Belgium because it was so cold I had to wear socks and boots all the time. They were cute boots needless to say, but my poor little feet never come out of hibernation until I moved back South. Now my toes are free to wiggle in the cutest of open toed sandals and perpetually sport a good French manicure. The worst part of living in the South would either be the stigma of Southern stupidity, or the bugs. I can prove the stupidity thing is just a stereotype, but the bugs… the huge amount of bugs is just plain creepy!

2. You always have elaborate and wonderful costumes for Halloween. Was Halloween a big deal when you were a child or is it something that you got into once you were an adult? Halloween tends to be the best time of year to blend in with the other fruit cakes that like to dress up so I take the Holiday and run with it. I remember when I was a kid, my parents were always dressing up and attending elaborate costume parties. More often then not, they would win the prize for best costumes, which later ended up in my play chest. I have fond memories of dressing up and pretending to be all sorts of alter identities. Now, I make it a point to buy up all the left over children’s costumes the day after Halloween for half price. My kids get to play with them, and I get a great deal of enjoyment creating my own prize winning costumes.

3. Finally, You've traveled a lot of places, right? Name your favorite of all the places you have lived or visited. Hmmm. That’s tough because choosing one is hard. I’ll tell you a few of my favorites, all for different reasons.

The Austrian landscapes are breathtaking. The crisp, clean and vast beauty of the Alps dotted with small picturesque villages will remain photographed in my minds eye until the day I die. I drove through the majority of the Country and never saw a spot I didn’t like.

The night skies at the Grand Canyon will instantaneously put your life into perspective in the grand scheme of things. They are responsible for making me feel small and insignificant forever more. I’m pretty sure if you tried, you could reach up and touch a million stars, just like you were sitting on the edge of the universe. Simply unforgettable.

I like the shopping in Atlanta Georgia.. Period. From everywhere I’ve been, it’s the best.

If I had to die from over eating, I would head straight to South America for their delicious black beans, plantanos, rice, mango, and fish. They even serve a combination of the above with eggs and toast in the morning. What a way to go!

And while I’m not so fond of France per se, I think the atmosphere, weather, and “good hair” factorability is most certainly top rated near the Mediterranean, South of France. Monaco, Marseille, Toulon, St. Tropez, The Côte d ‘Azure, the huge yachts, the money, the pace of life, the tans. Very nice.

When all is said and done though, there’s nothing better than the feeling of coming home and crawling in my own bed.

thanks Heather for the Meme. I gave it a try, and now I believe In Meme fashion I'm supposed to offer an interview to someone else. Anyone up for some questions?

Time Warp Tuesday

Ever had the impression you've been here before?

My friend popped over this morning to drop off something and pick up something.
I’d say what something was only I don’t remember anymore.

Just like I didn’t remember why I walked her into the adjacent room to show her something only to forget what something was once we got there.
“It’s in here,” I said “come with me…” leading her through the magical magnetic door frame that obviously wiped my brain matter clean of any useful residue the minute we passed through.

I stood there sputtering and scratching my head while sizzling noises seeped from my ears. “wait…what am I doing here again”?


"Do you smell smoke?"
“and what did you say your name was again”?

Maybe I’m just a little distracted…what, with work, house things, and taking my son's medications. It’s possible I suppose, but I’m good.
Really I am.

Now where did I put those car keys???

What's yours is Mine

I woke up this morning and began the usual routine.
Wake Son up.
Let dog out.
Start toast.
Get medicine for Son ready.
Get my medicine ready.
Take all above mentioned medicine myself in one sweeping gulp.
Prompt son to hurry out of the shower and come eat breakfast.
Tell dog to stop begging.

Wait.
Did I just take my Son’s medicine?

Look around for said medications.
Scan countertops for Son’s pills.
Check table tops and floor.
Check pill container (yes it’s been removed)
Look at dog funny to see if he’s chewing something.

Nothing.

Yes, I’m retarded.
I took my Son’s medicine for Attention Deficit, for Anxiety, AND my antidepressant.

Spent the day happy as a lark, focused as hell and not afraid of anything!

Sheesh.

Animal Soup

He’s been sent outdoors for bad behavior, and he's not so happy about it.

I’m not sure if he was digging to China, or just trying to tunnel his way back into the house after getting thrown out for chewing too many random socks.

The little shit.

I’m about 9 socks to short for making complete pairs, and until he can quarry out some new ones from those holes he’s so fond of creating, he’s outside Mister.

I know he’s cute and all, and my son thinks he’s the best thing ever, but his appetite for all things fabric is getting ready to earn him a new home in my pot of stew.

And what’s with the cat? We moved into a house with wood and tile floors, but yet he finds it necessary to run find the 8 x 12 patch of Persian rug to puke on. God forbid he should gag on anything less than 100 % cotton.

For my next post I'll be sharing some of my favorite recipes....

John Mayer

I'm telling you.

He's brilliant!
Here's a fine example...

Belief

Is there anyone who
ever remembers
changing their mind from
the paint on a sign?
Is there anyone who
really recalls
ever breaking rank at all for something someone yelled real loud one time?

Everyone believes
in how they think it ought to be
Everyone believes
and they're not going easily

Belief is a beautiful armor
but makes for the heaviest sword
like punching under water
You never can hit what you're trying for

Some need the exhibition
and some have to know they tried
It's the chemical weapon for the war that's raging on inside

Everyone believes
from emptiness to everything
everyone believes
and no one's going quietly

We're never gonna win the world
we're never gonna stop the war
we're never gonna beat this
if belief is what we're fighting for

What puts a hundred thousand children in the sand?
belief can
belief can.

What put the folded flag inside his mother's hand?
belief can
belief can

-John Mayer

An Update

I haven’t posted in a long while.
Mostly because of the busy holiday schedule, but partly in fact due to lack of interest.

I’ve had a few nice requests to please start writing again, but without the appropriate motivation on my part, I would most likely have bored everyone right to the North Pole.

There’s been a lot going on to keep me busy though.

First there was my auction for the Children’s Theatre. We raised around 5 grand which is good I suppose. Sharon was kind enough to donate one of her paintings
and it sold right away! Two people sort of went back and forth until one gave in at $130. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!




Then there was the whole annual decorating of the house spectacular, starting with the inside

and ending outside for the grand finale.
And of course I had to set the table with my Christmas dishes.
(Yes, I have Christmas dishes too)…so go ahead and say it. I’m a dish whore.

I’ve been making Arbonne gift baskets for friends, getting the house ready for the arrival of the Princess and little Hurricane, making lists, checking them twice, shopping, working, blah blah blah.

I just wanted to pop in briefly to say hello and hope your holiday preparations are coming along as you would like them too.

Suzanne

My Bottle of Wonder!

Last year, I received a bottle of this as a wedding gift.
It came in an attractive bottle, with an appealing color and a nice orange-ish fragrance.

I didn’t really pay that much attention to what brand it was nor did the bottle have a name blazed across the front so I just blindly used the product without giving it much more thought than that.

Shortly there after it occurred to me that my skin felt really soft.

I continued to get this lotion from the same girl for about a year. She never told me what it was though, or if she did it went un recollected in my memory banks. I guess I just didn’t pay that much attention. I liked it so I used it. period.

I’d never been one to do much fussing about skin care, opting for something cheap from Walmart, but this was different. It quickly became my favorite lotion and around my house we called it the wonder lotion!

Then one day a few months ago my friend Amanda came to me all excited about a line of SWISS SKIN CARE PRODUCTS that she had just discovered and from which she planned to make a business. As she showed me some of the products, I immediately recognized the bottle as the same line of my orange bottled favorite! With closer examination of my lotion, I did in fact see in fine print the word Arbonne on the back label.

You could have blown me over!

I’ve since tried a whole shebang of additional Arbonne products and I have to admit,
I’m hooked!

Me,…the one who for years, washed her face with whatever was in the shower.
The one who tried many expensive brands before, (Clinique-which made my eyelids swell, Lancome- which made my lips peel, Estee Lauder-same thing) and decided it just wasn’t worth the money.

Now I’ve found something that works, that I truly love, and like many devout Arbonne users, will never stop using!

If you’d like to try my Wonder Lotion click here. It's in the
NutriminC Re9 line.

And if you’d like to help me out with my side business, Please
take a look at my website to learn more about Arbonne and it’s products! There are many to choose from and I bet you’ll find something you should try! Just go to the SHOP ONLINE tab.

The holidays are right around the corner too and you can give someone you love an orange bottle of wonder!

Happy Halloween!

Need Something to do?

It’s been a crazy month, and there’s no sign of it slowing down any time soon.

One would think this type of predicament would make for all sorts of wonderful blogging fodder, and in one sense…it does.

Only it’s all in my head.

The actual time it would take to sit down and write about everything in my head is instead replaced with committee meetings, trade shows, weddings, driving to and fro, business strategy sessions, managing the household, creating business plans for the coming year and wondering how the hell I’m going to swing it all.

So.

Here’s a few things you might want to do instead.

Visit the Savannah Children’s Theatre Website. We’re having an art auction on the 9th of December to raise money and any proceeds from art sold on line will also benefit the theatre. Just be sure to mention the Savannah Children’s Theatre. You’ll also find some pictures of little man if you peak through the photos section! Try The Wiz!

Read Mir, over at Woulda Coulda Shoulda when you need a giggle. She’s by far my most favorite blogger and never fails to make me laugh.

Contact me at sbellusa@yahoo.com if you're interested in Arbonne. It’s a wonderful product by a mega power company, and it would be great if you’d join me and my team. Or, if you'd like to place an order just email me and i'll be happy to oblige.

Getting married? Try Weddings by C.Waters. We will travel!!! The website will be getting a new look soon so keep an eye out for that too!

I'm out of time for now.
Suzanne

Hey Shortie…it’s my birthday.

Today was the 11th anniversary of my 30th birthday!

I celebrated and I’m too pooped to write, so this will be a short one.

After watching a play at the Children’s theatre and a wonderful meal at Carrabbas with the family, it’s time to get out of these tight pants, get horizontal and relax. I ate so much I can’t breathe and drank just enough wine to make me sleepy.

I’ll be scrabbling around for my lost youth today. I’m sure I left it around here somewhere….

Come One, Come All...

Well...

my friends are back.

This time it's the dog's food that is especially yummie.
I'm thinking I ought to just set out more plates and invite the moles too that seem to be having a festival in my yard. It's gotten so that when I walk across the grass, (or what's left of it), my feet sink like I'm walking on pillows. I can only imagine what the network of tunnels must look like, and God forbid if I ever run across a full grown one of these creatures!! I realize they're kind of cute when they're little but eek gads!

The larger versions make me want to run screaming into the house!



With the dog, the cat, the beta, the frog, the moles, the ants, and what I’m certain are a pack of squirrels in my attack, I should be able to create a small circus and hit the road with my traveling animal act.

Just as soon as I can just get all these damned varmits trained,
I'll be coming to a city near you!

There’s no need for an intervention yet.

I’ve been shooting up once a week now.


B12, the good stuff. With an energy derivative added in just for punch.
The idea was to get me off the couch again. Not that I was literally on the couch mind you, I’ve got far too much responsibility for that kind of lounging about, but metaphorically speaking. I lost my will to do anything, and frankly that’s disastrous if you expect me to show up for work , wear clean clothes, cook meals, be a Mom, and a wife, volunteer at the theatre and at school, and whatever.

So I went to visit a doctor, had an examination and he decided the stress was zapping by B vitamins. I’m pretty sure it stole my A-Z’s as well, but there’s not an alphabet shot on the market yet. Mark my words though if there ever is I’ll be the first in line!

The results have been good so far! I’m up handling my daily dredge, AND getting some extra activity in just for good measure. On top of my tap dance class, I’m walking again in the evenings and incorporating hand weights into my exercises. I better be in shape soon, or I might have to move up from my gateway shot to something a little more potent. Like Crack.

In other news, my son just joined the Georgia chapter of Demolay. I hope he gains a world of knowledge from the experience and learns how to become a good citizen in the community. I don’t know about you but I’m already feeling some “would you like to volunteer for…” phone calls in my near future. If you’re not familiar with Demolay you can read more about this fine Masonic driven organization for boys here.

If not, go get me some needles would ya?

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by today and um…while you’re here, just pretend that you don’t see that I’m wearing these shiny new tap shoes ok? I mean, I AM a grown woman after all and shuffling from room to room might be construed as a tad odd for a lady of my maturity.

It’s just that I always wanted to take tap lessons, and for some reason was always too busy with other things. Or something. Then the opportunity presented itself. A class for my age group, with no pre existing talent or skill needed, Dancing for Dummies if you will, and the good news is there’s no recitals to scare off my friends and family.

Never mind that I’m almost 41, I mean 30, and I’m taking a tap class amidst a school of cute little 8 year old girls all dressed in pink tutu’s and ballet slippers! They’re much smaller than me and I can push them out of the way with no problem.

It’s only once a week, and I have loads of fun. Let me just say it’s a lot more complicated than I ever gave it credit. And yeah, I’ve shimmied when I shoulda shuffled, ( I’m fond of shimmy-ing), but it’s not easy to get your feet to do all of that tapping and what not, all the while keeping your tongue in check!

How will I ever use my newly acquired skill outside of the classroom or to further my career? Who cares.


Yes sirree, I’m a tap dancing fool.

And Now a Word From Our Sponsor...

(because I'm way to out of it this after noon to reinvent the wheel), I'm sharing something that means alot and has already been spoken by George Carlin.
*****
"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more c copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...
Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
***********************8
hmmmmm.

Good Weekend!

Avast Me Maties

Shiver me timbers! September 19, is "Talk like a pirate day".


Check ou' this site fer some swaby fun, links, pirate booty, a glossary o' pirate phrases, get your scurvy pirate name, generate your pirate ship, an' o' course....an English t' Sea dog translator

Arrr, I can't make this up...go see fer yerself ya slimy web wenches.

signed,
Castaway Esmerelda the Bitch Leg
Captain of the Night's Secret

And what say ye, ya scurvy dog?

AARG! I needs me a talking parrot

I’m pretty sure I felt a hint of cool in the air today. I could be wrong mind you, It’s been known to happen from time to time, but by the looks of my hair do… I hardly doubt it. The frizz-odometer never fails to signal when a significant drop in humidity has occurred.

That means it’s almost fall, and the annual preparations for Halloween can soon commence. I love dressing up and Halloween comes in handy for blending in when I do that sort of thing. Besides, it’s far easier to explain myself to the neighbors when we’re ALL sporting costumes at a party for instance, than say... me walking the dog.
OH SURE, like you've never done that!
anyways...

Remember her?


border="0" >Well this year, the voice of a drunken pirate whispered in my ear and now I’ve gotten a nasty case of the Hook. It’s like a virus, only I’m not allowed to miss work. I might have caught the bug from Johnny Depp and those cool bead things that hang from his hair,


but regardless… I’ll be preparing my pirate costume over the following weeks. While not my most original idea, it's most certainly a mood i'm going for.

Now if I can just get this parot to stand still on my shoulder.

Such is Tuesday

A.M.

-4:30 wake up from a coughing hacking allergy ridden asthma attack
-4:31 reach in the top drawer to find inhaler
-4:32 fumble around until I find something that feels like an inhaler
-4:33 realize I’m trying to inhale my “equate” nasal spray ‘cause yeah, I’m sexy
like that.
-4:44 find other small inhaler shaped dispenser and try again.
-4:45-5:55 enjoy my inhaler induced jitters. (sleep? What sleep?)
-5:56 start to get sleepy and almost drift off
-6:00 ALARM CLOCK RINGS! HELLO! TIME TO GET UP!!!


-6:01 7:00 shower and ready for work
-7:01 wake son up, take dog outside, breakfast, nagging, rushing, yell drill
sergeant like commands
-7:50 leave for school
-8:00-3:00 meet with City of Savannah and a few architectural firms
-3:10 pick Son up from school
-4:00 take son to theater rehearsal
-4:00- 6:00 spy on son’s progress while volunteering at theater doing various
chores. Cleaning seating, costumes, stage props
-6:00 -7:30 drive home/ help with homework/cook dinner
-7:30 neighborhood women’s meeting for yearly planning of community events:
Oktoberfest/Christmas Party/Easter Egg Hunt…yada yada.
-8:30 dinner. yeah I know it’s late, but whatever. It's sustanance.

The rest of my evening isn’t planned but may or may not be x-rated depending on my mood.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Septemer 11th Remembered

It’s exceptionally difficult to concentrate today.

Monday is my office day and is typically reserved for filling out paperwork, sending forms and reports that tell my company what I have accomplished the previous week. A news program is almost always playing in the background as I hammer away on the keys of my Toshiba laptop.

Today is different. The news is on, but current events are replaced with recollections, and intermittent moments of silence.

Five years ago, my morning started very different.

I dropped my son off at school, popped in a Kenny Chesney CD and headed towards the architectural firm where I was scheduled to make a big presentation. I hadn’t listened to the news that morning and with a CD in my stereo I wasn’t aware of the current state of chaos slowly enveloping the Country as I drove to work.

When I entered the front door of the firm, I noticed everyone in the office was gathered around a small TV in the conference room and an eerie mood shrouded the air. Sensing something was terribly wrong I allowed my eyes to focus on the program on the screen. It was CNN, and the vision of the Trade Towers billowing with smoke stared me in the face. I dropped my briefcase, and walked closer to the crowd huddled around the television. As comprehension seeped into consciousness, disbelief and fear overwhelmed my senses. I immediately tried calling my old roommates in New York City…. all who were still American Airline Flight Attendants, but the circuits were blocked. It took months before I knew that they were all ok. I spent the following hour in that conference room, watching and learning more about what was actually going on before I left their office and headed home.

The drive home seemed endless. More details emerged from my radio of the second tower collapsing as memories of living in New York City replayed in my mind like a movie. The towers were a permanent fixture in the skyline and the view looking down from the top floors is a sight one never forgets.

Every one of us remembers exactly where we were when our Country was attacked on September 11th. The date and specifics will be etched in our souls for the rest of our lives.

My deepest heart felt thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who lost family, friends and colleagues on that horrible day.

I will never forget.

Ebony and Ivory

Don’t necessarily live together in perfect harmony at my house. Especially if Ebony is a black cat and Ivory is a dog.

Picture Garfield in black, and you’ve got my cat Rocky. He's lazy, eats constantly and sleeps any remaining daylight hours.

Add the proverbial happy puppy. One lick and bark, run and play, drive you insane until you stop what you’re doing to play Frisbee with me this instance or else I’ll bark your ears off new comer… and that's our dog.

Rocky is not pleased.

In fact, I think I heard him grumble something about the massive migration of unwanted foreign nationals into our lives, and how President Bush should do something about the situation….
or I could be just imagining it.

They’re both lovable yet slightly jealous creatures and refuse to be outdone by the other. If I’m on my computer…they are on my computer. One on each side, vying for my affection.

If there’s a nap to be had,
count them in. One on each side, little paws thrown over me in a comfortable snuggle.

Rockie hisses a lot and swats at the dog if he gets to close. The dog just wags his tail hoping this might be some sort of a concession.

Such a crazy pair, but I love them!

Happy 4th of July

Happy Easter Everyone!

Hope you all have a blessed day!


The Easter Mermaids were done by Laurie Leigh, another one of my favorite mermaid artists. You can see more of her work here...

Dogs or Drugs?

Dear Mom and Dad,
You might want to demand a college tuition reimbursement from my old University.

Apparently, I haven’t learned a thing.

While I vaguely remember hearing something once before…I seem to have forgotten.

Meet Little Dog.
He’s Little Man’s new puppy and best friend.
I should know that dogs are a lot of work.
I should know they have to be potty trained.
I should know they might tinkle on the floor until they learn that “outside” is the proper place for that sort of thing.
I should remember they have to be kept flea free.
And that they need baths.
And food.
And water
And walking
And love
And get sick and need to go to the vet.

But I put Little Man to bed last night for the first time in 5 years without having to perform one single bedtime ritual! He’s so focused on the dog that I didn’t have to check under the bed, or in the closet, or behind the door, or behind the t.v. I didn’t have to tuck him in 4 times, insure he had a glass of water, turn the fan on, check the nightlight, fix the bed drapery just so, give him three hugs, four kisses, and then come back and start over to make sure it was all done right the first time.

He just snuggled with his puppy, and hugged me goodnight. One kiss, and an “I love you Mom, thank you for getting me a puppy. Good night Little Dog, I love you”...and that was it.

Well ??
What was I supposed to do. The dog was cheaper than the prescription!!!

Part 3: Hey little boy…you want some drugs?

When Little Man was a toddler, the school teachers said:
-He had separation anxiety when he panicked about going to school. (I thought they must be right)

-They also said he lacked confidence. (I blamed his father for that)

-They said he didn’t draw as good as the “other” three year olds did. (I thought his pictures were beautiful, AND he could speak two languages….could they?)

- When he got older, they said he had messy handwriting. (I thought, I’ve never met a doctor with good handwriting)

-They said he didn’t pay attention,….seemed to day dream a lot and obviously wasn’t
getting enough sleep at home. (I thought, that’s because he’s up all night worrying about when I was going to die, or if there really was a heaven, or if the house would collapse, or if a bad guy was under the bed, or how if he couldn’t sleep he’d be the only one awake all night and then who would hear the burglar coming in who was going to kidnap him?)

-They said he couldn’t remember things. (I said he could remember every single solitary Pokemon or YuGiOh card out of a deck of 1000, it’s strengths, weakness, and attack powers. Not to mention the names of all the dinosaurs and species of animals according to habitat and geographical location.)

Sometimes they said these things in front of him.

He genuinely wants to do well and minds the rules like he wrote them himself, but he was struggling and no one had an answer.

We tried everything: Taekwondo, meditation, breathing techniques, therapy, counseling, tutoring yada yada yada, and nothing was helping. So we went the route of psychological testing and neurology.

Now we know it was Tourette’s all along causing the trouble and can be alleviated with medical help. But ...um...now we’ve got another little challenge.
There isn’t just one medication that treats all of the fun and gloriously wonderful symptoms of Tourette’s. You need one for the OCD, one for the anxiety and panic attacks, one for concentration, which hopefully will relieve the stress which cause the tics, but if they don’t, we’ve got a pill for tics too, only they are riddled with side effects.

And did we mention that these drugs all have side effects that may or may not aggravate the symptoms in the first place? This one is for anxiety, but it will worsen the tics. Take this one for the ADD but it will most likely worsen the anxiety…and so forth and so on.

It is possible to eventually find the right combination of pills that work on all three disorders without increasing tics, however they may cause headache, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, stroke, loss of appetite, suicidal tendencies and depression, but don’t worry….

we’ve got a pill for that.

Once we get the right combination of pills we will have to increase the dosage every couple of months to accommodate for his fluctuating weight gain or loss, and for any tolerance his body may acquire for the drug. The change in dosage will most likely cause symptoms to worsen for the first few weeks….

Breathe in….breathe out…

Part 2: Now Let’s Throw in Some Tics.

In most Tourette’s patients, tics are usually simple involuntary motor movements of the head, neck or face like eye blinking, shoulder shrugging, squinting, or what appears to be tossing hair out of the eyes. The person might also exhibit some simple phonic tics like throat clearing sounds, sniffing, grunting, or humming. ( First find me a child who doesn’t do at least one of the afore mentioned things and you’ll understand how easy it is to overlook the tics as habits or simple annoyances).

With Little Man…, he hums.
Not a familiar tune, or particular song. Just a brief, two second humming sound that almost sounds like a monkey. In addition, he has gone through many varying tics such as head jerks, and repetitive facial expressions.

Here's another test to get you back into his shoes for a moment. Remembering how you did on the previous test counting the “E”s, let’s now add “tics” to the mixture. As you read the paragraph below, frequently jerk your head back hard and fast. Try to do the head jerk in bursts—like two or three at a time. Wait a few seconds, then do it again. Do it frequently throughout your effort to read the paragraph. OK?
Begin:
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Children with Tourette’s Syndrome follow the same normal curve model for Intelligence as the general population. In fact, some believe they may actually be more intellectually or creatively gifted than the general population. Tics of the head and eyes are the most common and often interfere with math and written work.
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Now how did you do? Did the head jerking interfere with your ability to read? Did you get dizzy or nauseous at all, or maybe felt a tad frustrated? Did your neck start to hurt, and oh yes…did you remember to count all the “E”s? If you were a kid being asked to read, would you get irritable after a while, or just plain fatigued and want to give up? What's wrong, I only asked you to read a few sentences!

The tics you actually see are only the tip of the iceberg too. A sufferer of Tourette’s will suppress his tics as best he can to prevent being teased at school at the expense of great mental and emotional energy. This often misleads teachers to think that the tics that do pop up are voluntary, or that Mom is most certainly crazy because “We’ve never noticed him do that before.” While suppressing tics may keep your condition a secret at school, it leads to an explosion of tics that will happen once you come home compensating for what has been suppressed all day.

Did I mention that stress makes your tics worse? Let’s add a teacher into this story. One who thinks you’re just not paying attention, or can’t understand why you have to read something several times to comprehend what you’re reading, when you are obviously so intelligent. Throw in the stress of a timed test too, just to make it realistic.
Still having fun?

Part One in a Series of Several:

I don’t talk about these kinds of things on my blog as a rule. Mainly because Contemblogging is my channel for humor and writing, but more importantly because it just never seemed appropriate in my mind to discuss another person at length in a way that might be construed as negative.

As of late, however, I find myself very stressed and in need of an outlet to collect, organize and come to terms with certain issues effecting my sleep and sanity. It is my Blog after all, and I make the rules…so I thought I’d throw some things out there to the giant collective that is the internet. I’ll see what it might unveil. Perhaps someone will know something, or have the missing information I’ve been looking for.

My son has Tourette’s, and although most people associate this syndrome with verbal outbursts of profanity, it’s actually much much more. In fact, only a small percentage of individuals with Tourette’s exhibit such verbally offensive symptoms. Rather they suffer from a spectrum of disorders such as attention deficit, Obsessive Compulsive thoughts, and anxiety/panic disorder, combined with tics either vocal or motor.

Meet Little Man. He’s a good boy. Polite, smart, intellectual and for most outward appearances... Normal. A little nerdy maybe, using an extensive vocabulary that far exceeds his peers, but nonetheless…normal.

From the time he was old enough to talk, we began noticing certain obsessive thought patterns and behaviors. Namely, worrying that something would happen to me, and I would die. If I left, he feared he would never see me again, and would have to hug me many times before I could leave the house. If he was upstairs, and I downstairs, he had to repeatedly check (literally every 3 minutes) to see if I was safe and still alive. Odd for a tiny fella, yes, but we wrote it off to separation anxiety. Just a phase. Something he would outgrow.

Getting him to school each morning was like capturing a feral cat, and attempting to put it into a box. It would take myself, the counselor and his teacher to coax him out of my van in the mornings, prying his gripped fingers from the door handles, as he would scream and cry out of pure fear.
He was scared to death and having a full fledged panic attack every day.

The panic attacks have to an extent, waned with age but will flare up in certain situations.

Obsessive thoughts are a constant source of distraction for him as well. Try the test below to see what it’s like to be Little Man, and then imagine how hard it is to keep your grades up under those circumstances.


As you read the excerpt below, tell yourself that you must count all the times the letter “E” occurs in the paragraph. But here’s the catch: You have to count and read simultaneously—you can’t just read and then go back and count the “E”s, nor can you keep track of them on a piece of paper. You have to do the counting in your head for this exercise. Then to make it a bit more realistic, assume that accuracy is very important to you—if you lose track of the count or aren’t 100% sure that you’ve counted correctly…you’ll have to go back to the beginning of the paragraph and start again. Since you have OCD, you probably will doubt that you counted correctly at least once during the exercise, and need to start over.
Ok? Begin:
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Children who have OCD often have hidden or silent compulsive rituals. These hidden rituals often confuse teachers who may look at a child and not realize what is going on internally that may make it almost impossible for the child to function normally at times. Young children often don’t realize that what they are doing is abnormal, and older children, teens, or adults are often embarrassed by the rituals and won’t tell you about them.
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Well?
How’d you do on that one? If you were a student with OCD, how would you feel trying to read in school or at home and how do you think it would effect your reading comprehension? What if you had to read it in 2 minutes, fully comprehend the point, yet timed tests make you nervous and cause the obsessive behavior to intensify? Isn’t this fun?

My case in point.

Staying on target with grades is a constant battle, and finding the right school or learning situation for optimal performance is difficult at best. Little Man is currently attending private school at exorbitant tuition prices, yet they offer no special assistance to children with the need for modified learning environments. Public School’s in Georgia are not worth their weight in peanuts, so that’s not an option. What’s left? Home schooling? Private tutoring? Valium for Mom?

This is what keeps me up at nights. Wondering what to do. How to help him succeed in an education system that prefers the teaching path of least resistance, not necessarily what works for each individual child.

Mermaids and gnats with teeth!

The weather was beautiful today.
So beautiful, that the sand gnats were out in full force enjoying the spring like the rest of us wanted to do. Stepping outside on a beautiful spring day in Savannah can be likened to strapping chicken to your body just before hurling oneself into a pool of piranha at feeding time.

Someone came by to look at the motorcycle which is currently up for sale. I showed her the bike all the while waving my arms vigorously through the air in an attempt to keep the gnats from gnawing the flesh from my body. I answered her questions regarding riding, mileage, curb weight and so forth, as I flailed about in what appeared to be some sort of epileptic seizure. I’m not all together sure why the gnats didn’t seem to be chewing on her like they were me, but I am convinced this woman now thinks I’m selling my bike for obvious medical reasons.

When I came in from feeding the gnats, I sat down to write this blog entry because I have the neatest thing to show you guys! The journal and angel button I ordered from Sharon’s store arrived and I just love them! I was particularly fond of this sketch when I saw it on her blog and when she put it on the journal it was perfect. I bought the button for my son to wear on his jacket when he leaves for Belgium in a couple of months. Each year I pin a new angel on his jacket or book bag to look after him while he’s away, and this year Sharon’s angel will travel along for the ride.

But that’s not all though! I had a second package that caught me off guard. It was ANOTHER box from Sharon, only I couldn’t remember ordering anything else? Guess what it was?

It was the MERMAID! I can’t believe she sent me the mermaid and fish she made with her son which you can read about here on February 12th. How cool was that? It’s so neat to read about something a fellow Blogger does, and then actually get to see it in person! I tried to take some pictures of the details like her bead bracelet, or the key she clutches in her left hand, but they didn’t come out so well. I’m not sure if you can see in the photograph but she cleverly used green ribbon with beads to mimic seaweed, and she sits on a large sea shell that I later learned was a gift from her father when she was little.

I wanted to say Thank you to Sharon for thinking of me, and sending me the mermaid. It means a lot, especially because I was feeling kind of whiney and pitiful today, convinced nobody loved me…

Except for maybe the gnats.
Thank you Sharon for making my day special!!