Crystal Clear

Twas the Night Before School

'Twas the night before school started! '

Twas the night before school started
When all through the town The parents were cheering. It was a riotous sound.

By eight the kids were washed
And tucked into bed
When memories of homework
Filled them with dread

New pencils, new folders,
New notebooks, too,
New teachers, new friends-
Their anxiety grew.

The parents just giggled
When they learned of this fright
And shouted, "Upstairs!
GO TO BED! IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!"

I think having Friday be a parent/student orientation and meet & greet with the teachers was a brilliant idea. Nevertheless, it is funny how our time has been rather unstructured the past few weeks and now we are thrown right back into a whirlwind of events.

So both boys are bathed and in bed at just a tad bit later than I would prefer. I usually have them start a school night bedtime a few days ahead of time after a break. And 6...yes SIX alarms are set at intervals to get us up on time... I know it sounds pathetic but Nethan is really the only early riser and even then he usually picks the weekend to get up early.Clothes are all set in their little closet cubicles for the week (great thing I bought that is a godsend), Bryceton's backpack is already in the car and both the camcorder and digital camera are ready to go.

We have decided to have breakfast together the three of us at the school this year which will be a very nice little thing we can do to start our day off in a good way. It also will save clean up time and get us a nice parking space to boot! Both boys will be having warm lunch so no worries there.

The suitcases are ready to be filled for the cruise and there are piles of clothes ready to fill them. I had planned on being packed by tonight but the house was really awful and needed a deeper cleaning. More times than not it feels like we are camping in doors. I remind myself this is a tropical place...daily...if not hourly. I also remind myself Geckos are friends not lizards...After all they eat the bugs that bother me more than the geckos. I much prefer Geckos to cockroaches, ants, and the dreaded centipede. Ohh and those centipedes are really nasty buggers. They are so large they are more like a small animal than a bug...You can hear them click their little legs...Creepy...

I have started to load up the ipod but it is very bittersweet since my external hard drive crashed several days ago. The hard drive housed all of my mp3s as well as the vast majority of every digital picture I have ever taken ... I have someone who is going to try to recover the data so I have stopped weeping at least for now but it probably won't be in time for the cruise. I have for reading. Not quite light reading but oh well. If you have some suggestions for me to take along, please let me know. I love to read books suggested by others no matter the type. In fact the best books have always come from someone else. So please share with me your top picks. Otherwise I do have a few others to take along as well. Before kids I would have needed about a book a day... now with kids it is always hard to know how many to pack. I am figuring 3 for a seven day cruise. Then again there is the internet and weather factor too! If the weather is bad I am likely to be in the internet cafe surfing and blogging away.

I am so very pleased and relieved my grandfather is indeed coming on the trip. I know he has some anxiety about the trip but it would not have been right to not have him with us and I really feel he needed to go as much for all of us as for himself. I mean how could we possibly describe to him the fun it is going to be to have all of us at the family night club? Nethan and Heather are both dancers. And I have to tell you, Nethan doesn't just like dancing... he is honestly good at it. The boys got riddim, far more rhythm than myself or his brother.

The first of those 6 alarms is going to go off far sooner than later so the packing and trip preparations will have to wait a few more hours.Send in those book suggestions!

Up for a Challenge?

     In We're Looking For A Few Good Words,  Follow That Star has taken his caring for his blogroll to a whole new level...He's come up with a crossword puzzle based on clues found on his blogroll! Crystal Clear to me Follow that Star -!

2,996

 

  35.5%  as of his last post. This is shocking to me. What is up with the blogosphere?

If you haven't heard of 2,996, this will explain it in depth and a link on the left is there to help you sign up to participate.

The 2,996 Project was started to coordinate the creation of the tributes for the 5th anniversary of 9/11.The idea is each of the 2,996 victims of 9/11 will have a tribute created by a different blogger.

A simple search on your assigned person will provide more than enough basic material to blog so it really is quite simple. The pace of signups needs to increase to make this a success. Please consider not only signing up but also spreading the word as well.

You have a blog..Crystal Clear it is meant for more than earning that little AdSense check!

Hodge Podge

Whoa what a day...in the interest of trying to head off my recent bout of awful insomnia, I thought I would dump it all here.
    So here we go...It is nice to feel appreciated... I don't know if I really am but it feels like it right now at my new employer and that is very nice.I will definitely take it..Being a mental health professional has far more going for it in many ways for me than an Execuative. Especiallly as far as quality of life is concerned. It really reminds me of what it is like to come out of an abusive relationship where your sense of self was slowly attacked and demeaned and degraded over time with seemingly simple little things but they all add up to leave you demoralized and detached from your true self. Abusive relationships have a way of making you question whether the sky really is blue.... They see gray. They see clouds. You see sun but insidiously over time...not in a bang against the head you can defend and rationalize reasonably and run away quickly ..but slowly their poison invades and seeps into your life and your mind and soul and self..Terribly trying to remain sane when you are in an abusive relationship. Although movies of the week would have you believe these abusive partners come with a blaring neon warning sign.. they don't. Very few people are complete 100% monsters. The vast majority are not evil  or evil all the time. They always have good points too. Perhaps the most sad part is they never recognize themselves as abusive. They truly do think they are right and that is the way things are done. They think if you could just behave the way they want you to behave there would be no problems. Having been caught up in their small little world, staying on the offensive as a defensive tactic they are not fluid or open or flexible. They find it hard to listen or question or answer your opinions and points as it would rock their very sense of self and thus their world. Truly the options are to end up depressed, psychotic, or to leave.
So you leave, you initially are joyous at the realization the sun really and truly is bright. You start to regain your sense of self and trust in your ability to be happy again. You don't cringe or feel you are walking on egg shells waiting for the next shoe to fall. However, in this case , out of Crystal Clear necessity, ending back in a work situation, you start to feel anxious and a bit uncomfortable when things do go smoothly and sanely as you can't quite trust it really is ok. After all at first you thought the other place was going to be ok too.... Very very unsettling. Same thing for women/men after they leave a domestic violence situation. Definitely a form of brainwashing and definitely a need for detox.

Bryceton & Nethan will both officially start school on Monday. Today there was an orientation at the school and a meet and greet the teacher. As Nethan just qualified for Special Ed yesterday, he wasn't completely and officially enrolled yet so we didn't know what classroom will be his. Both boys are excited Nethan will be at school there too. Very very cute. Adorable. I can't quite fathom Bryceton is a 4th grader. Holy Shiznit. And Nethan... my little babylicious.. my baby is off spending the night all by himself with Grandma and Grandpa. Bryceton is with a friend  and here I sit... preparing for the cruise  and trying to repair the damage they can effortlessly inflict...and well playing with my new cell phone.

    For a bit, I have started to feel very uncomfortable here on my own blog. Initially and still for a very large part, this was and is a fantastic place for support and for genuine thought provoking conversations with people who differ in their opinions from my own. However, at some point it ruined it and seriously spoiled it for me. Context for some reason is/was completely lost or misconstrued by some...whether on purpose or stupidity..Of course other bloggers completely get it ...The others don't or won't and ... well my best guess of an answer is jealousy and pettiness. But jealous and petty people can inflict serious strife and there is a risk involved in blogging I never ever anticipated and won't sign on for! It shouldn't have to concern me. I have thought about different scenarios...and the most appealing at this point in time was to take the most personal posts to a very anonymous blog.... and to continue here with the usual as well as delving off into some more creative aspecats of blogging such as vlogging and podcasting...So that is what I am thinking of right now... allows me the creative space to put together some multimedia presentations and those of you who know me and care for me in the blogosphere sense of the word can email me and gain access to the topsecret blog...

Arrest Michael Schiavo for a Start...

    The St. Petersburg Rag of a newspaper I wouldn't line a cat box with if I had a cat, opines Jeb Bush, and it is insinuated the rest of us as well who recognize Terri Schiavo as having been murdered should: End the Schiavo obsession.

    David Helson of the TerrisJustice email list retorts but doesn't count on the following being published:

The cozy cabal of scientologists, corrupt guardians and their hired help in the legislature, judiciary, insurance industry, hospice boards, compromised media and euthanazia lobby will never silence those who realize how great a crime you committed and how much damage you have done to the legal system by enshrining Nazi ethics in American case law.

Kathryn of the list suggests and I agree as it seems so very Crystal Clear, we would stop our obsession if someone would just simply arrest Michael Schiavo for murder. I think that would be a fine start... then of course also moving onwards towards disbarring if not charging for various counts Felos and of course my all time favorite to hold up as an example of a dishonorable sociopath Judge, Judge George Greer... who should suffer perhaps most grievously in my not so humble opinion.  Yep...that would be a fine start indeed at ending this obsession.....

'nuff said.

 

Hugging My Munchkins Extra Tight

    Dan Rua of the  Florida Venture Blog writes a very touching as well as inspiring post in his:
My Hope for Tyler's Hope.

 Tyler Staab has been diagnosed with Dystonia, a severe neurological disorder, and  underwent the second phase of Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery  just a mere week ago on July 21,2006. His father is maintaining a progressional diary on Tyler's progress and in a recent post he cautiously shares their fledgling hope at Tyler's impressive progress already. Yay! GO TYLER!!!

Longtime readers may recall this blog started out over two years ago writing about our struggles in dealing with Nethan's developmental delays, lack of pooping at all, and our terrible struggles at getting adequate medical care. Although we still have no definitive diagnosis to hang a hat on, he remains on a double dose of the adult prescription Miralax, and qualifies for Special Ed services under Developmentally Delayed and speech therapy, stories such as this hit very close to home and touch me and my heart deeply. I hold Tyler and his family in my prayers and will be closely following his recovery. Take serious note, Tyler could just as easily be one of my sons or yours... do what you can and all you can...Shoot even a blog post such as this or this puts a little bit more out there into the blogosphere...Imagine Tyler's excitement to know he is being featured and honored and talked about on blogs around the world! Believe me I know very very well what fun it can mean for a young boy. Bryceton has me checking my blog as often as he can goad me to see if there have been any more comments on his Vlog posts!

When it is so simple to make someone's day better by doing something simple and easy...isn't it absolutely Crystal Clear what you want to do and should do?

Israel Vlog from Jerusalem Post

Link: Jerusalem on Line.

Adding to the other side of things we can watch this daily and even subscribe for the videos to be sent to your email box.

Home at Last

"This one is for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces... and their families. "-AubreyJ......... Nice job Aubrey and huge gratitude to all those who serve so bravely

Aloha to Honolulu Advertiser's Bloggers

The Honolulu Advertiser introduces five of its writers to  provide "daily servings of news, information and opinion with an open invitation to readers to talk back".

I found this amusing:

For each entry, readers can respond immediately and you can read what they wrote. Watch out, though. Our bloggers may take issue with you.

Go and extend them a warm Aloha, I certainly have added them to my blogroll.

He's Back!

A Star is Born with Major Technical Difficulties

After many technical difficulties hours of them... and it wasn't fortunately dealing with Bryceton or Nethan... I proudly present Bryceton's debut in my first production and directorial debut.

Although this is our first and it might just be a steep learning curve for the computer, Bryceton and I were both amazed at how long it took. I wanted to practice with the ultimate goal we would be able to Vblog the Disney Cruise in 2 weeks and gather some interviews from family members.

We would really appreciate a comment and words of encouragement from everyone who views this... It would mean the world to him and thus the world to me...He is convinced he can be a star before the afternoon...So please blog this as far and as wide as you can! We  might have the next  Steven Spielberg or Harry Cronkite on our screen here!

And hey...with enough encouragement for him, I am next !

CIA employee Dooced for Criticizing Torture on Her Blog

"Blogger "Econo-Girl" wrote a post criticizing interrogation techniques she said amounted to torture -- and she says she was soon fired for it."
Sheesh...this is getting ridiculous...I am all for taking "risks" and sticking your neck out there for things you believe in...but Crystal Clear...these stories of bloggers being harmed by the evil Blogo-Nazis are very unsettling...

read more | digg story

Bloggers Beware

    Petite Anglaise joins an illustrious if not obviously misunderstood group of bloggers fired for blogging...
    I recall the first time I heard the term Dooced... Initially I thought it must be an urban myth or joke as I couldn't really imagine people being fired for something they wrote without naming names in their free time away from work  ...I could understand being fired for blogging on the job or sharing corporate secrets perhaps...but how the hell could someone be fired for expression of personal thoughts, feelings, observations, and opinions? Even more so as the number of bloggers such as myself who take steps to distance their blogs from their jobs and never mention names...well Crystal Clear... the blogosphere and web are not so vast and there are far too many small minded, destructive,and jealous people out there who don't blog and have far too much time on their hands...far too much time on their hands and jealous and destructive...otherwise:

How do you explain going out of your way to cause another human being such unneccessary strife?

Let me again make it Crystal Clear if I haven't done so enough already... and I will promptly  be placing a disclaimer on my about page ...

The opinions expressed on Crystal Clear are completely mine and mine alone and do not express any opinion of any employer I ever had, have, or ever even hope to have...

Sadly, I don't even think that would be enough to stop the most destructive of individuals...
    I think this story of Petite Anglaise especially touched me because I understand as a single mother (and she too has a 3 year old) the limited time and energy single parents have to develop relationships and gather support. Blogging is an excellent way to not only express thoughts and feelings...it is a way to gather support and feedback. It is therapeutic, creative, engaging, and inexpensive... Unfortunately being found on the internet and linked to one's blog is a Crystal Clear possibility and reality...just like the reality there are small minded, jealous, and vindictive people who would prefer doing you harm than to the Crystal Clear option of getting their very own blog..eh?

Support for Israel -Jack Lewis Style

Crystal Clear great minds think alike and some are better at html than others so I submit for you

from  Danny Carlton -- alias "Jack Lewis":

I stand with Israel!.

If you want people to know where you stand concerning the current effort on the part of Israel to defend herself from the terrorist group Hezbollah, I've whipped up a corner banner you can display.

In Case You Were Wondering Where I Stand

    It is Crystal Clear to me there is little I can add or want to add to the discussion in the blogosphere on this issue...a flag of support says all I have to say at this moment... and continuous prayers for the complete disarmament.

Yes Murder is Murder

    Earlier I wrote about the mercy killings murders in a hospital in the aftermath of Katrina and was doubtful any charges would be brought. Fortunately I am writing today charges were indeed filed against a Dr. Anna Pou, Lori Budo, and  Cheri Landry in four counts of 2nd degree MURDER. Below you can see the comment of Dr. Pou doesn't quite match with what you can find in the affidavit.

    From a CNN.com transcript

    DR. ANNA POU, MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PHYSICIAN:

There were some patients there that -- who were critically ill, and, regardless of the storm, were -- had the orders of, do not resuscitate, in other words, that if they died, to allow them to die naturally and not to use any heroic methods to resuscitate them.

We all did everything within our power to give the best treatment that we could to the patients in the hospital, to make them comfortable.

    Highly likely there were some, yes some who were critically ill. I also can not possibly fathom how desperate and vile the conditions had become. However, the medical states of the murdered and the conditions after Katrina  are only a context for these murders they are not justification or explanation. It appears from the affidavit, Dr. Pou wasn't completely aware of the medical status of all the Lifecare patients and the worst appears highly possible: she and others just wanted to get out and get as far away as possible and the people on the 7th floor who needed them were figuratively standing in their way.
Crystal Clear her statement above does not jive with the following from the affidavit:

Dr. Pou advised D.R. that she was under the impression that the patients were not aware of what was happening. D.R. informed Pou that one patient, E.E., was aware, conscious and alert, but that he weighed 380 pounds and was paralyzed. Dr. Pou decided E.E. could not be evacuated. Dr. Pou asked if one of D.R.’s staff members would sedate him. D.R. advised that they had a nurse who E.E. knew. They briefly discussed the matter with the nurse, but D.R. decided that she did not want Lifecare staff involved.

...D.R. brought up the fact that patient E.E. was alert and oriented. Dr. Pou asked if someone from Lifecare could talk with E.E. or sedate him. Initially someone mentioned that A.G., a Lifecare RN, had a close relationship with E.E., but A.G. refused to participate in sedating E.E.

Mercy killing my ass...
Related must reads:

• Polimom: Mercy or Murder in New Orleans
• And Rightly So: 3 Arrests Katrina Hospital Deaths
• Plains Feeder: Euthanasia in Louisiana-2nd Degree Murder

Just Where Do You Go for Vacation When You Live in Hawaii

A Disney Cruise of course! And a family reunion for 19 of us to boot! There is still a bit of concern my grandfather won't be joining us...I just can't stand the thought of him not going with us... Can not stand it...I just think of what I would give if my beloved Grandmother could be with us on this cruise in her honor...let alone be with us, period...I would give anything..ANYTHING...I miss her terribly. Friday was her birthday and it just majorly sucked all day and all night long.

The boys are of course very excited about the cruise and yet poor Nethan is having a hard time understanding it is still a few weeks away. I am very excited as well but this worry my grandfather won't be coming with us is really wearing on me and the others.

This cruise has been on my Things I Most Want to Do for a very very long time. It is really even more special though because all of us are going together. Largely because I can't stand Phoenix and very few of them ever came to Ventura, the times the family has been all together the past few years has never been for  more than a holiday gathering. The boys, and especially Bryceton, really enjoy hanging out with their cousins. I myself have not spent much time with my 5 year old niece and sadly have grown a bit apart from my nephew as he enters the teen years. Although I can imagine 9 days of all of us together could be a bit trying, I am betting that good ol' Disney Magic is going to spell success!

Power of Positive Habits

The Power of Positive Habits ...very fun and useful thing to have on the ipod. Of course you get the e-book as well and a bazillion other items to help on your way to success... now if I can just figure a way to get it piped into the boys Toy Room...

Celebrating 60 Years of the Bikini!

This Day in History:

On July 5, 1946, French designer Louis Reard unveils a daring two-piece swimsuit at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool in Paris. Parisian showgirl Micheline Bernardini modeled the new fashion, which Reard dubbed "bikini," inspired by a news-making U.S. atomic test that took place off the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean earlier that week.

...In planning the debut of his new swimsuit, Reard had trouble finding a professional model who would deign to wear the scandalously skimpy two-piece. So he turned to Micheline Bernardini, an exotic dancer at the Casino de Paris, who had no qualms about appearing nearly nude in public. As an allusion to the headlines that he knew his swimsuit would generate, he printed newspaper type across the suit that Bernardini modeled on July 5 at the Piscine Molitor. The bikini was a hit, especially among men, and Bernardini received some 50,000 fan letters.

This of course brings to mind two interesting asides of which I don't have time to find the sources on but recall reading years back:

1. Most women find swimsuit shopping a traumatic event
2. Most men prefer to see women in bikinis even if the woman doesn't have a perfect body...

Hmmm...what say you?

See the Who Live in Concert for .99 !

I kid you not... What a great group of guys. I was fortunate a few years back to see the Who live in Vegas with a good friend. He was comped free tickets and we were dead center in like the 4th or 5th row... Unbelievable...Roger Daltrey...is far hotter than I ever remembered him being when I was 17

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