Changes in my life for 2007

2007 came and with it brought many new beginnings for our family. Unemployment, new employment, a first apartment and a new home.

The holidays have ended and as soon as I finish posting I'll begin the dreadful task of un-holidaying my home. Both trees will be stripped and the Christmas "nick knacks" will be put away until I decorate my new house in Columbus. My husband has accepted a position as "Inventory Control Manager" for AmerisourceBergen, a pharmaceutical distributor. This is a fantastic opportunity for us and we're very excited. Nick is planning to start on the 29th on this month and until we move, he's going to be living out of a suitcase. This will certainly be hard on both of us and we know the weekends will be spent painting, packing and enhancing the curb appeal.

Our son, Christopher, has decided to stay in in the Cleveland area and will be moving into an apartment. While his salary would allow him to purchase a home, the apartment is best right now just in case he does decide to come to Columbus. And he doesn't have the time or desire to maintain a home. I have ensured his presents at holidays by agreeing to his bribes and will surrender my dinette set, family room and his bedroom furniture to furnish his "pad." Santa Claus also brought him a 27 inch television and a 23 piece cutlery set. My sister-in-law and I are planning to gather other necessities bundled up in a laundry basket.

I guess it's a good time to be unemployed, readying the house for sale and doing all the things that selling a home and moving entails. Helping Christopher get settled should take my mind off the fact I'll be alone. Working towards the end result will give me a purpose and alleviate the worthlessness that being unemployed has brought me. I still plan to work part-time once we're settled in our new home. To say it's going to be hard is an understatement. I've been alone before. I've been unemployed before. I've moved 3 times and sold a house. However, I've never been without my son. That will be new territory I fear treading, for both of us. Little does he know, I need him as much as he will begin to realize he needs me.

Merry Christmas, again

Blogger still hates me and it seems I'm only able to upload pictures one post at a time. I even made the "switch" to the new blogger this afternoon and I'm still unable to post multiple pictures. So, here's the photo of my living room Christmas tree. Hopefully I'll work the bugs out and post more Christmas Eve photos.

Merry Christmas

It's official, blogger hates me and my pictures. Since Christmas Eve, I've been trying to upload pictures to blogger. The only photo I was able to add was this picture of my family room tree. None of the "help" topics worked and I even tried to create a new post and upload pictures to no avail. The camera settings haven't changed since vacation this summer and I was able to add pictures on the same settings for the last 6 months. So I'll post this picture along with belated Christmas salutations just to let everyone know I'm still around.

CAIR vs. Left Behind

I am one of the millions who read the "Left Behind" series. Authors Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim La Haye have help hundreds of thousands of people realize they're sinners in need of a Savior, Jesus Christ. Left Behind has expanded into movies and host of other items based on the last book of the Bible. Keeping up with popular culture, they've jumped into the video game market with "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" just in time for the Christmas holiday. Based on the series, players control forces from a vantage point high above the action. They do not personally participate in the action, they command units to perform tasks. No blood and gore as in other popular games, players conduct physical and spiritual warfare. Sounds harmless enough and something I'd put under my tree for a youngster.

Well, the muslim community, led by CAIR, have their panties in bunch over what they're calling a "convert or die" game. Once again CAIR is letting muslims know they're offended. This week, all the whine-o-grams have been telling the RoP faithful how offend they are and how to articulate those feelings by crafting an email or fax to H. Lee Scott Jr Wal-Mart CEO.
Using the "pay to play" media outlet, CAIR claims "it has received complaints about the game. The game reportedly rewards players for either converting or killing people of other faiths.
Now why would muslims buy a video game aimed at Christian audiences? Has CAIR actually looked at the game to see if the rewards players receive are in fact for converting or killing people of other faiths?

The whole "convert or die" concept CAIR is whining about sounds just like islam. Ask Jill Carroll, Steve Centanni and his cameraman, Olaf Wiig. Weren't they given the option to "convert or die?" I would think muslims would embrace such a game forcing a religious conversion.

Nihad Awad, CAIR spokesman, said "We believe the message this game is promoting is one of religious intolerance. The game's enemy team includes people with Muslim sounding names." Awad also claims "We have no desire to stifle creativity or inhibit freedom of speech. However, it is our duty as America's leading Islamic civil rights group to promote mutual understanding and ensure the safety of Americans of all faiths." Really? Tell me Nihad, when was the last time CAIR came out in support of anything in the Jewish or Christian communities?

When asked about the arab and muslim sounding names, Left Behind Games' President Jeffrey Frichner said, "Muslims are not believers in Jesus Christ and therefore cannot be on the side of Jesus in the game." Yep, that's what I believe. What's the problem CAIR?

I haven't seen the game but I plan to download the free demo from the Left Behind: Eternal Forces website. The ummah cries foul at the drop of a hat, but I don't see Christian groups being offended by an islamic prayer video game. There's a host of islamic video games and not all of them are moral or even civil for that matter. The muslim brotherhood has decided to use a video game to indoctrinate young muslims in the ways of hate and destruction. No Jewish or Christian outcry to ban these games teaching the future generation in the ways of jihad, and not the inner struggle to be a good muslim. These games train youngsters to hate and dominate. CAIR and the entire muslim community need to clean their own house before they bring a Dustbuster to mine.

Christmas cookies

Those who know and love me, realize that I have issues keeping Christmas presents from the recipient until, at least, December 24. I've been like this all my life. I love Christmas. Everything about the time between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve I love. The food, shopping, decorations and gift giving all send me into this season trance that I come out of on the first day of the new year. I don't get the "holidays are over" blues, I would just look at the calendar and count the days until my next paid holiday or vacation time. Yesterday I packed up my parents Christmas gift. They're simple, down to earth folks and really don't want or expect us to go over board (or even near the board for that matter). My parents are practical to a fault and we'll get into that later. A fine meal and some homemade cookies will really make my parents holiday.

This year, being unemployed, my mother wouldn't have accepted a "pricey" gift from us and would have insisted I take it back for a refund. We were raised knowing financial priorities. Pay your bills, buy food and save for a rainy day. My parents never had a credit card and the only things they ever financed were their cars and their home. To this day if they don't have the money for it they didn't need it that bad, this attitude taught us how to save and the value of a dollar. By no means are they cheap or stingy, they'd give you shirt off their back and over the years many a relative came knocking on their door looking for a loan that many times fell into default. My brother and I wanted for nothing growing up. For my high school graduation, a brand new 1984 Monte Carlo sat in the drive upon my return from 8 days in Hawaii. Now, does that sound like neglect? When my dad had heart surgery 13 years ago the bill that insurance didn't cover was $85,000.00. My mother had the money, she got writers cramp from signing what seemed like endless stacks of 25 and 50 dollar savings bonds purchased every 2 weeks for the last 30 years. This would qualify as a rainy day. A ham, 10 pound sack of potatoes and a fruit basket my brother and I delivered to the neighbors whose down syndrome child always seemed to be in the hospital taught us charity.

They're in their early 60's with a home that's been paid off for 21 years, 12 years early on a 40 year mortgage. Dad is retired from a job he held for 38 years and receives a tidy pension and social security, they are blessed and are living in comfort well within the means.

Celebrating Christmas with tons of gifts was not a priority, knowing why we celebrate was. The meal my mother prepared was on par with any fine restaurant. Turkey and ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, potato salad, mini (my mother broke them in half) corn on the cob, turkey gravy and ham gravy. If you've never heard of ham gravy you're really missing a treat. My mom cooks a whole, semi-boneless ham with crushed pineapple, (lots of) brown sugar, ginger ale and 2 tablespoons of mustard. This little bath, when cooked for 6 hours and is thickened, will create a deliciously sweet gravy. Anyway, mother would create a beautiful relish tray including black olives, hot cauliflower, pepper rings, horseradish and pickles all adorned with radish roses. Now if you could actually get up from the table for a few hours and take a nap, the deserts that awaited you was again on par with a downtown bakery window display. Lemon meringue, chocolate and butterscotch pies (with real whipping cream). A chocolate cake with homemade white icing decorated with red and green. Carrot cake with cream cheese icing tinted a light orange. Chocolate chip, oatmeal and decorated (by my brother & me) sugar cookies. And my most favorite cookie, my mothers kolachkies. This recipe was from her mother-in-law and even my grandmother loves my mothers version of the cookie. I've heard a lot of different people call kolachkies angel wings, these are not the same cookie. It's a butter and cream cheese dough rolled and cut into squares then filled (only 2 opposite corners brought to the center and pinched together) with red raspberry (my favorite), pineapple, peach and apricot preserves and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Light layers of cream cheese dough combined with the sweetness of the preserves is the best cookie on the tray.

Well I packed up my parents Christmas "gift" for delivery. Snowballs, chocolate chip, oatmeal and ricotta cheese cookies along with a Harry and David "Fruitcake Confection" since I was not making one this year. I make an awesome fruitcake. This will more than satisfy them and I'll hear about "buying" the fruitcake. A nice Christmas card a few strings of curling ribbon and you've got a beautiful gift fit for any simple, down to earth folks. Made with love from a daughter who was taught the real meaning of Christmas.

I'm unemployed....

Today is the forth day of my unemployment and I'm going insane. I feel worthless, not monetarily worthless, I'm eligible for unemployment and I received a 4 week severance check next week. I feel like I no longer have a purpose. As "Lead Auditor" or quasi supervisor, I directed 4 associates. I had a reason to report to work, people depended on me for guidance and to be the buffer between management and the "boots on the ground." Our manager was in Buffalo, NY so there was very little micro-managing, we knew what had to be done.

This was the perfect job. Even though I live 1.1 miles away I was a few minutes late almost every day. In the summer I could have walked to work, but I never did. With my manager in Buffalo I toiled unmolested and instructed a very competent crew. I enjoyed the people I worked with, I liked what I did and I was good at it.

I'm still waking up at 5:00am. I make coffee and turn on the computer. I used to hurry up and post so I could be the first one in the shower. Now I can take my time and shower at ten o'clock, I'm not in a hurry. Perhaps I'll learn to sleep in, but there's something about the early morning quiet that calms the soul.

I'm not getting nostalgic, no one really likes to work. We work to better our lives and to provide for our family. I worked to better our lives and now find ourselves in a comfortable position where I don't have to work. We are blessed. This would've been a dream come true, 20 years ago. Christopher turned 21 in September, so I'm not being pressured to volunteer for playground duty or whip up 2 dozen cupcakes for a holiday classroom party. My son doesn't need me home, now.

I should look at the positive aspects of my situation. Frying chicken, making (spaghetti) sauce or pot roast. I can bake cookies while reading a book or scrubbing the kitchen floor. Going to the grocery store alone will definitely save money. The little side business I have provides extra cash and should keep me busy until I figure out which path to take.

For now, I'm unemployed. . . .

Bush OK, but terrorist effigy is offensive

If this effigy looked like President Bush, the people of Marin would cheer. So says the owner, Pat La Tray. Pat hung up the straw "terrorist" during Halloween and decided to keep him hangin'. "It is a patriotic symbol," La Tray said. "It has nothing to do with race or religion." Nearby resident Pilar Sinelnikoff said she doesn't care what La Tray says. The effigy offends her every time she walks by it. "I'm appalled he calls himself an American," she said. "He's pathetic." . . .

Nong La Tray who is a citizen of Thailand and moved here in 2002, said muslims were oppressive in her home country, "they're not good people."

CAIR's Ibrahim Hooper is calling for more of the same, "I don't think this would promote interfaith understanding."
Yes Ibrahim, we infidels need to understand your faith. You muslims don't need to understand our culture, right. It's called free speech, do you understand?

During the hajj, CAIR wants you to know your rights!

Raise the terror alert it's another muslim holy day. As muslims go off to their hajj this year, CAIR wants everyone to be aware of your rights while flying. The latest whine-o-gram is intended to remind pilgrims of their rights and this year CAIR offers a toll-free 'hotline' (1-800-784-7526) so offended muslims can report airport profiling incidents.

They've also compiled a handy dandy pocket guide for American muslims. This little booklet has helpful hints from everything on writting a letter to the editor and knowing your muslim employee rights to reacting to anti-muslim hate crimes.

There's one thing CAIR forgot to inform fellow RoP followers, flying is a privilege, not a right. In this post 9/11 world, we need to profile. Not racial or religious profile, but terrorist profile. There is a difference.

Shock of the day: Emerson lecture to be protested

It seems free speech does not apply to terrorism expert Steven Emerson. His lecture "The Grand Deception: Militant Islam, the Media and the West," is scheduled for 7:30 tonight (Monday). Emerson is the author of the 2002 bestseller "American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us" and founder and executive director of The Investigative Project, which keeps a database of intelligence on islamic and middle eastern terrorist groups. I also encourage you visit his blog, Counterterrorism Blog.org, where an "A" list of expert contributors opine on the threat among us.
A lecture on radical islamic infiltration of America at the Tucson Jewish Community Center will be protested by the usual suspects, islamists and western useful idiots. According to literature promoting his talk, Emerson is expected to speak about how militant islamic individuals and groups have insinuated themselves into western society. He contends that islamist extremists living in the U.S. often pretend to be moderate while secretly carrying out a terrorist agenda in funding, organizing and coordinating the activities of radical islamic groups. No wonder CAIR is hoping to suppress this orator. We'll see if the Emerson lecture will be canceled amid pressure by fringe muslim groups like the Women in Black.

Silencing opposing views is a full-time job for many muslim activists including the MSA at Brown University.

Nonie Darwish, "Now They Call Me Infidel" author, was scheduled to speak about the twisted hatred and radicalism she grew to despise in her own culture. But the event was canceled. Brown University campus group, Hillel, had originally extended the offer then buckled under the pressure put on them by the muslim student association. It appears Darwish's comments are "too controversial" and muslim students insisted she be denied a platform at Brown. Hillel claims they didn't want to upset its "beautiful relationship" with the muslim community.

Interesting? Brown has no problem hosting anti-Israel events such as Palestinian Solidarity Week without anyone being offended. It seems the politically correct thing to do is bash America and educate infidels. The corruption of academic standards and lack of intellectual openness run rampant among our most elite colleges and universities. Dissenting views used to be encouraged on American campuses, now it appears exploiting the most radical positions and suppressing the voices of those who hold conservative opinions has become customary. Under the guise of multiculturalism we're ushered into a shade of grey where good and evil no longer exist.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

This is the view from the office (also known as the computer room) of "Nuggets of News" in NEO. We've been under a "winter storm watch" since Wednesday evening. The "snow belt", which is east of Cleveland, is expecting 12-16 inches and the rest of us can expect to receive 6-10 inches.

As we look out though my dinning room siding door and check my "deck meter" it appears we're approaching the 6 to 8 inch mark. Since Hershey has been blessed with Beagle and not Lab legs, we'll have to take him out though the garage to do his business.

Its 21 degrees with slight flurries as the forecasters suspend the storm watch. (They say) We can expect to see clearing sky's with peaks of sun and diminishing snow. Well, not from my perspective. But that's OK, I am one of the few people who absolutely love the snow and the nastier the better. I love a blizzard!