I hope you don't lose your lunch...

A friend of mine sent me a hilarious short clip she did on JibJab which featured her husband. I knew that if I did one with Joe he would never forgive me.

So, I did one of my roommate and his dog instead....





Hula Cuties on JibJab

Babysitting tip #11

It's a splendid thing that Zane is so good natured (and does everything Tarty tells him to do...)

Seriously, Joe and I took Zane to the zoo and out to eat yesterday so that his momma could have a break. She is 6 months preggers with Zane's little brother who Zane has named "Alec Alec", at least for this week.

Check out Zane on one of the last shows with Z Frank. It's hillarious!

Zane on Z Frank

The Old Gray Mare has Shit the Bed

My 91 Ford Mustang has finally had it's last breakdown. Oh, I am sure I could get it running again. Maybe a whole new engine and transmission, and of course some body work here and there. I think I will just eulogize it on Craig's list and see if there is a Mustang enthusiast out there who might want it for parts.

By the way, the phrase "shit the bed" is a slang term used commonly in New England. It means "died" or " broken beyond repair" and is in reference to...well, I will let you make that connection all by yourself. I guess it is rarely if ever used out here in California because Joe always cracks up when I say it.

Back to the car... Where I should be feeling a sense of desperation at not having a car, I am instead feeling a sense of relief. I will have to rely on public transportation for a while but I can handle that. It also provides incentive to finally get that bicycle out of the garage and get it fixed. Not only will I get more exercise, which I can surely use, but I will also get incentives from work. Pretty cool, eh?

I've always resisted buying a new car and instead have purchased used from private folks. It's always been decently running cars that lasted 4 or 5 years before heading to the junk yard. I don't know why I have preferred this but I think it's time to buy from a dealer. I want something that will last a bit longer, without having to put major repairs in. I think something with a warranty would be nice too.

But I am in no hurry. I think I will wait until I am so sick and tired of taking public transportation that I am ready to pull my hair out.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

A piece of my heart

My work day was long and very emotional. I brought a resident to court this morning. After 6 months with us, he made his level 2, got straight A's in school and graduated the program. We knew that he was going to be released and sent home with his mother. I didn't know how emotional I was going to get though.

The judge started out by saying that she rarely sees such a dramatic change in the juveniles that come before her. She praised him for his hard work and his achievements and then talked about our program and how it is the best she's seen. She said that she sees more successes from our program than any other.

Then she asked if I had anything to add. I started to talk but teared up so badly. She said that she could tell that this youth would be really missed by the program and that we were very proud of him. I could only nod. I apologized for getting emotional and told her that I didn't expect that to happen but she smiled and said it showed how deep our commitment was to doing what we were supposed to do.

When we left the courtroom it was a hugfest in the hall. (Yeah! I could finally give this resident some big tight hugs without worrying about "crossing boundaries".) His mom and very pregnant girlfriend also gave me hugs and thanked me over and over.

I know that this job is tough and some of these kids take a piece of my heart with them when they go, but it's worth it.

So, that was my day. I'm emotionally and physically drained right now but there's also a sense of accomplishment and a feeling that I'm doing something right with my life.

Very accurate stress test

Read the description before looking at the picture at the bottom of this post.

The picture below has 2 identical dolphins. It was used in a case study on stress levels at UCLA and was tested on over 5,000 people.

Look at the photo of 2 dolphins jumping out of the water. The dolphins are identical. This closely monitored, scientific study revealed that in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical, a person under stress would find differences in the dolphins. The more differences a person finds, the more stress that person is experiencing.

When you look at the photograph, if you find two or more differences between the dolphins, it might indicate that you are long overdue for a vacation.
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Devil's minions?

The other day Joe and I were shopping in Pasadena for a birthday present and came across an outdoor chalk art contest. There were a lot of wonderful masterpieces but my favorite was tucked in the back toward the stairs to the next level.

Click on the photo to see a larger and clearer view of this great work of art.

Don't be a Dick

So the pope has put out 10 Commandments for Drivers. These weren't written in stone and discovered behind a burning bush, but maybe carved out of pavement?

I highly doubt that there will be much of a change in driving habits anytime soon. Those who already drive courteously will continue to do so. Those who drive like idiots will also continue to do so.

My driving habits come from my own personal driving ethics, not from some religious edict.

If there have to be any "commandments" for drivers I think there should be only one:


"Thou Shalt Not be a Dick on the Road"