Public Service Announcement - Miss Otis Regrets

To all the people who keep finding my blog using the Google search: Mrs Otis Regrets

The song you are looking for is 'Miss Otis Regrets' not Mrs.

Thank you!

Earth Hour?

So Earth Hour is scheduled for tonight. Interesting concept where you turn off all unnecessary lights for an hour in an attempt to draw attention to the global-warning cause. Conserving electricity is an admirable thing, but the pictures I've seen from around the world of individuals celebrating Earth Hour have me scratching my head.

The one thing they all have in common is lit candles. Ummmm... burning petroleum-based candles releases quite a bit more CO2 than when the electricity for incandescent lightbults is generated.

It is exactly this sort of publicity stunt and the hype accompanying it that leaves people scratching their heads trying to figure out exactly WHO is right when it comes to global climate issues. I am one of those people.

Burning candles instead of burning lightbulbs for the sake of reducing greenhouse emissions? That is completely nonsensical and destroys quite a bit of credibility for the 'man-made-global-warming-is-bad' group. Whatever happened to non-politicized science?

Sleep...

My department head and his wife have 10 children together. He claims that child-induced stress levels top out with kid number 4. I have no idea if this is true, and I will never find out.

With both of us working outside the home fulltime, three kids is plenty. With A. waking up every two hours for weeks on end, one is more than enough.

I think I am officially moving past the 'I want another child' stage, and into the 'it's gonna be great when everyone is potty-trained' stage of my parenting life.

Actually, lately, it's been, 'I can't wait until I feel comfortable sending all three to Grandma's house.' I suspect that will change once I actually get a few nights with more than 4 hours' sleep.

The combination of A. waking nightly and the stress of my job waking me nightly has really burned me out. I just hope I can hold out through April. May does not look as bad on the work front...

I am looking forward to actually spending time with my little family.

Complete Idiocy... and Heartlessness

There are times the insurance industry lives up to its less than stellar reputation. Great American Insurance put on an exceptionally brilliant performance.

There was a fire in an office building (set by an incredibly, mind-bogglingly stupid person, but that's a whole 'nother story). Three people died from smoke inhalation. Great American denied the liability claim stating that there was a pollution exclusion in the liability policy.

I am well aware of this exclusion. Denying a claim because victims of a malicious fire had the audacity to suffocate to death rather than be burnt is NOT THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF THIS EXCLUSION!!!!!!!

I cannot believe 2 facts in this case.

1. Great American following this ridiculous path
2. The IDIOT judge who endorsed it

The case has been dropped, which is good. However, the families of the victims absolutely should NOT have had to go through this.

Here's an article summarizing the case: http://www.businessinsurance.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=14845

There may very well be excellent grounds for denying the claim. I am not informed of all the particulars. However, the pollution exclusion is NOT IT.

Update: I've been asking around, and I am not alone in my assessment. Basically, the entire insurance industry is in an uproar over this idiocy. It threatens time-tested contractual language and has royally ticked off the Texas Department of Insurance. And, it has messed up one of my major projects at work. I am still so angry about this. Something about watching people in my professional area behave like unethical raging morons really gets to me.

I am sad today...

After a battle with cancer lasting over 3 years, Miss C. has passed away.

Too Funny

My blog is the first return for a Google search on: forfeit of rental deposit in qatar

New Quote for the Day

Watching politicians solve problems and keep us "safe" is like watching chipmunks discuss quantum physics.

This lovely quote appeared in the comments section of an article I read concerning a Houston City Council proposal to give people who can't quite get the credit score they need to buy a house $3,000 dollars. The idiocy is mindnumbing.

Also, why-oh-why would people even think that a homebuyer's assistance program is a good idea? Why is renting considered sinful? I just don't get it at all.


Article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6277344.html

Conversation at Dinner

S: Do boys get more baths than girls?

Mrs. W: What?

S: Do boys get more baths than girls?

Mrs. W: Say that again?

S: Do boys get more baths than girls?

Mrs. W: Boys usually get as many baths as girls... Why do you ask?

S: Boys are more stinky than girls.

So very, very many firsts

February 6th. 1st Birthday

Amelia turned 1 year old. How, oh how, did the time fly by so quickly. She is a joy and a raging terror at the same time. Her curiosity is infinite, along with her ability to get into trouble. I had her home with her oldest sister one day, when I thought they were both sick. During the course of the day, I wore out my voice and my back redirecting her and pulling her out of trouble.

She ripped the covers off some books, shredded the pages and began eating them. She got into the bathroom and shredded a good portion of a roll of toilet paper. She snatched a chunk of fur off the cat and ate it. She pitched multiple royal fits when she found she could not get into certain drawers and cupboards. And on and on and on.

February 7th. - Our first shared birthday party and house fire.

In a fit of 'efficiency' mindedness, I decided we could combine A.'s 1st birthday with L.'s 4th birthday. L. is still young enough not to mind, and A. is still clueless. I figure that will change very, very soon.

We invited a bunch of people to our house, including a couple of L.'s buddies from daycare. The kids all had a great time running around like hooligans. The adults seemed to enjoy themselves, too, thanks to Mr. W.'s provisions. Honestly, he tends to put enough food out to feed an entire professional football team.

Now, I know you're DYING to hear about the housefire. Weelllll... I baked a cake early-ish in the morning and did not like how it turned out. So, I baked a second late-ish in the morning (party was scheduled to start at 2). In a rather stupid attempt to speed things along, I popped the baked cake under the broiler in order to toast the marshmallow topping just a wee bit faster. It should have been in there for a minute. Just as I shut the oven door, S. slammed L.'s fingers in a door. I completely forgot about the cake while kissing boo-boos and yelling at the door slammer until smoke and flames started pouring out of my oven. Seriously, I had scorch marks on my white oven door handle.

I managed to get the fire out without hosing down the inside of my oven with fire extinguisher stuff, but my house was FULL of smoke. You know how when you're a kid, the firefighters come and tell you that smoke rises? They're not kidding... at all. I put the charcoal cake out on the back porch so it would quit smoking up the house. It made for quite the conversation piece during the party.

My husband and his dad are two peas in a pod. During the conflagration, Mr. W. was out of the house picking up balloons. His first response when he got home? Maybe we can scrape off the top. When I showed him exhibit A., he said, 'Never mind.' When my father in law heard the story, his first response was, 'Maybe we can scrape off the top.' When I showed HIM the wreckage, he just started laughing to the point tears were forming. I've got a good picture of the cake, but I'm not sure where Mr. W. stashed his camera. I'll post it when I can.

February 8. - First broken molar

The tooth my dentist said needed a crown decided to start falling to pieces. Fortunately, this was not especially painful. Getting the crown later in the week was less than pleasant. Getting the bill was even less pleasant.

My dentist would give Doogie Houser a run for his money. This makes me feel old. Only old people need crowns (yes, I know how that sounds) and only old people fuss about how young their doctor is. Seriously, I thought the guy was a high schooler doing some sort of work study until I realized he wasn't there for giggles.

February 12. - First cancer diagnosis

Technically, my dad got his cancer diagnosis earlier than the 11th, but that is the day I got the news. It's supposed to be taken care of with surgery, but still, the 'C' word is scary stuff.

On the one hand, it feels unreal. I'm staunchly in the middle of the denial stage. Because, you know, it's just not possible for your parent to have a life-threatening illness. It's just impossible.

On the other hand, I'm kind of mad. How could something so nasty be growing on my oh-so-wonderful dad?

February 17th. - First word

Miss A. has decided to offend both her dad and me by her choice of first word. S. and L. both said 'dada' first. I have been working with A. trying to get a 'mama' for first word. Nothing doing with her, though. Instead, it's 'ka! ka! ka!' for one of our cats. Her second word is 'kee ka' which she uses for our other cat.

I could handle falling behind dad, but coming after not one but two cats? I get no respect.

The future of Florida?

Working in the insurance industry, I've heard for years how there has been a frightening amount of over building along the Florida coast. Now that the housing bubble is bursting, home values are plummeting... Tax rolls for Florida are not going to be pretty in 2009, and I wonder how many governments will go bankrupt..

There are tons of listings in Detroit for homes where the price tag is less than $10,000 (that is not a typo). Here's one: http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetail.aspx?pg=103&srcnt=1108&sid=cd7f0921a98c4f75ab5ca2d3144355e3&fhcnt=18&loc=detroit%2c+michigan&usrloc=detroit%2c+michigan&bd=4&bth=4&typ=1&ml=8&fhpg=3&lid=1105962986&lsn=1026

Will Florida be left to decay until hurricanes come along and take care of the over building?

The economy is scaring me, and I am anticipating a depression...

Neato thingy I learned...

I've been annoyed that I can't listen to my MP3 player while it is charging on my computer. However, there's a pretty easy fix for that.

1. Take a little piece of paper and cover the middle two wires inside the USB plug. Carefully plug the cable into your computer without dislodging the paper. I think you want to be extra careful to JUST cover the middle two since I am fairly certain the outer two are made up of one live and one ground. You don't want to fry your lovely MP3 player.

2. Plug your player in the other end and voila! The computer is not trying to 'talk' to the player, but electricity will still travel into the player.

I don't know how many players this works for, but it did well on my little Sansa Clip.

Irreverence...

Dave Barry blog post has me laughing pretty hard this afternoon. Actually, the Tempo of the Comets Probed my funny bone...

http://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/2009/01/god-is-a-ford-m.html#comments

Hanging up the Horns

10 months for S.
12 months for L.
11 months for A.

That is 2 years, 9 months of my life devoted to pumping milk at work for my babies. I'm through!

No, A. is not weaned. No, I am not giving up pumping altogether. I am just done hauling the pump and paraphernalia back and forth to work every day. Of all the drudgery that accompanies pumping, the back-and-forth aspect isthe most onerous (to me, anyway).

When L. was a baby, I bought a second pump so I could leave one at work. However, in a moment of 'we're never having any more babies, so why do I need two pumps'-itis, I sold one to a co-worker. Since we are now 100% committed to 'we're never having any more babies'-itis, I decided not to fork over the large chunk of change for a new pump.

This is only day 2 of no pumping during the work day, and I'm pretty uncomfortable. I'll pump when I get home, though and am guaranteed to get at least 10 ounces. Actually, yesterday, I managed to extract 12.

I felt oddly naked walking into work yesterday. All I carried was my purse. It's been a very long time since I didn't have a laptop or pump to haul in with me in the morning. This morning was easier since I had the laptop.

Based on previous experience, A. will wean around 14 months old following a steady decline in breastmilk production. Since she was 11 months on Tuesday, this very special time is drawing to a close. I don't miss the pregnancy part of having a baby, but boy do I love nursing my little girls. Is it bad that I hope A. breaks the trend and nurses to 18 months?

Important Bulletin: 3 Year Olds are Extremely Literal

Some days, it feels like I will be a successful parent if I give my children the tools to become financially prosperous enough to afford the therapy they will ultimately require...

L. had been twirling 'round and around and 'round the living room to the point of becoming staggeringly dizzy. This is a source of great fun for both my older girls. I watched from the nearby rocking chair nursing Amelia and called out, 'L. did you know if you spin and spin and spin until you're very dizzy, you can lay down on the floor and the ceiling will spin?'

S. heard and immediately spun herself dizzy, lay down and watched the ceiling 'spin' around. She giggled the whole time.

L. was too impatient to spin enough to become properly dizzy, but she tried multiple times to catch the spinning ceiling.

Mr. W. called the girls in for their bath, and after L. was clean and in her pajamas, she came back to the living room and tried again. This time, she spun and spun and spun to the point of staggering around. When she lay down, though, the giggles disappeared. She looked panicked and began trying to crawl out of the living room but was still too dizzy to make much progress.

Poor baby thought the ceiling really was twirling and falling down on her. For most of the rest of the evening, she refused to walk through the center of the living room and eyed the ceiling with deep suspicion.

Mr. W. was in the girls' room with S. prodding her into pajamas, and L. took off after them. I called out, 'Don't let her spin in her room!!!!'

Mr. W. came back to the living room to ask why, and I told him what had happened just a few minutes prior. He didn't quite get it until I told him I did NOT want L. afraid to sleep in her own room for fear the ceiling was going to fall in on her.

(What sorts of careers do provide for either the mental health benefits or the high pay that many, many years' therapy will require?)

We have too much Wii

S. is trying desperately to turn into a video game junkie, but her mean old mommy just won't let her.

Last Christmas, Santa brought us a Wii system, and we've thoroughly enjoyed it. I love that L and S can both play together and that the games require a certain amount of moving around.

The current big hit with the girls is Mario Party 8. You have the full spectrum of Mario Brothers characters who can all play various mini-games and board games. The girls have been playing board games against each other and two computer generated opponents. Each round of play starts with each player punching a die and traveling the number of spaces the die shows. Candy is available which gives a special power to the player. At the end of each round, there is a mini-game all four players play. Winner gets extra coins.

I let S and L play for about 30 minutes last night and then turned it off. Boy did S. fuss! Wouldn't you know that after supper, they pretended to be in the game. They picked characters' names, jumped up to hit the 'dice' and ran laps around the living room counting the number that turned up on their 'dice.'

L. insisted she was eating her 'bat' candy, so her running around involved a lot of wing flapping.

Maybe it's time for me to 'lose' Mario Party for a few days?

Early (morning) birthday present

I recently had a birthday, and it was lovely. I spent the entire weekend with my girls (except for a couple hours Sunday morning when S. decided she'd rather scream and cry than go to church).

Friday evening, we had a fabulous birthday-eve evening. We pulled out the hide-a-bed in the living room, popped popcorn, and watched movies until we passed out. A. woke around midnight, so I got up from the hide-a-bed and fed her. By the time I had her soothed and asleep, Mr. W. had snitched my place. Being good-natured (and thinking I'd be more comfy in my own bed), I left him there. Around four, A. woke again, and Mr. W. came in to see how things were going, and to wish me happy birthday.

I told him he'd stolen my spot next to L. He offered it back (oh, how sweet), but I told him he should probably keep it since A. will probably be up again by 6.

Alas, my prediction was 100% wrong.

I woke at 6, not from the sounds of A. fussing to be held or fed, but from a ruckus in the living room. The scene in the living room was:

Mr. W. was running around grabbing blankets and pillows and grumping, 'I need a shower. I need a shower!'

S. was still sacked out on the bed.

L. was pirouetting around the room singing, 'I wet the bed! I wet the bed!'

And I, I laughed until tears poured down my face. Once we had everybody cleaned up and the mattress marinating in a vinegar spray, I gave Mr. W. a kiss and told him 'Thanks for the early birthday present.'

I had thought about waking L. around 4 to take her to the potty. She did drink two cups of juice with all that popcorn. Mental note for next living room campout!

He had to be sick...

Nine years ago today, Mr. W. and I pledged our lives to each other before God and more than 200 guests. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day, much like today has been. We were surrounded by friends and family who wished us the very best. I laughed until I cried about the shoe polish smeared across Mr. W.'s brother's face and the electrical tape used to hold the best man's shoe together. The photos with Mr. W.'s family show me just about in tears as we called out 'shoe polish' instead of the traditional 'cheese.' It was a lovely, laughter-filled day.

Poor Mr. W., though. He had been sick like crazy the night before. Fever, cough, chills all night. The fever broke the morning of the wedding, and his voice held out just through reciting our vows. My running joke has been that he had to be sick to marry me.

I still wonder what the people at the hotel thought about us as I did all the talking while Mr. W. signed all the bills for our honeymoon...

I love you, Mr. W. You make me a better person, and I'm grateful for that.

Ironically...

Two days after my Socioeconomically Oriented post, we get the latest food security numbers from the USDA. They are, in my opinion, appalling. The fact we have so many children going hungry is deplorable.

This makes me want to cry: More American Kids Went Hungry Last Year.

From the USDA: Food Security in the US.

I wish you would read, think and contribute to your local food bank. We contribute around this time of year, but the beginning of summer vacation is another time the food banks are hit hard as children are released from school.

Socioeconomically Oriented Post

There has been much ado about the definition of 'rich' lately. Where is the line between middle class and rich? How much does that vary based on location? What percentage of the tax should the rich contribute? How awful is it for people to be making so much more than the average Joe? And on and on and on.

Quite frankly, I don't understand all the fuss. I don't really care about the income/taxation of the wealthy. It's basically immaterial. What I care about is the number of people and families living below the poverty line. Shouldn't we, as a nation, be more concerned with that?

It just feels like the low-flow toilet debacle. Congress said, 'We need to conserve water, so all toilets can oly use X amount of water per flush.' Poof! We wind up with crappy (pardon the pun) toilets for a decade or so while the engineering catches up. If you want to conserve a resource, just make it more expensive. Americans are quite ingenious. Shoot, we even managed to drop our gas consumption when gas prices were so high. I know I saw quite a bit of car pooling at work. I'm not anti low flow toilets, I just think we would have found better ways to conserve water if water were simply made more expensive.

Now we're saying, 'We need more tax dollars, so we're going to boost the taxes of the wealthy.' Wouldn't it be better to investigate how to provide the skills, training, etc. to get people above the poverty line? You raise the standard of living across the board and tax revenue will go up. Why wouldn't this approach work? Why isn't it even discussed? And I'm not talking about a 'redistribution of wealth' situation, either.

I don't believe I'm the only person who thinks this way, but I really don't see anyone in the media asking those kinds of questions.

Driving a Rental

Dealership confirmed that yes, indeed, I have a severe oil leak (yeah, the 3 quarts of oil we poured in over three days kinda said the same thing). They don't want me driving the car around while they wait for a part to come in, so they set me up with a rental.

Meanwhile, I have researched Texas Lemon Law requirements and have started the paper trail. I hope it doesn't come down to this, but just in case, I want all my paper work in order.