Forced Choice Friday

-Care of Ditto Heston . . . thanks to Heather for giving me a reason to post another blog (been awhile:).

1. Toilet paper end over or under? Over. When I was younger, I used to be emphatic that it be under...don't know what prompted the change. I actually remember a Donahue show from about 20 years ago where a marriage nearly ended over this dispute!

2. Joe Simpson or Kevin Federline? Gotta be K-Fed. Something is just not right with Joe. He gives the impression that he manages much more than just his daughters' careers.

3. Margaritas or Mojitos? Margaritas. I've only tried a mojito once and wasn't impressed. I should give it another try (though sadly cannot for quite awhile). I am happy to post margarita because my tequila ban (instituted after a rather memorable freshman year Denison incident) has been lifted! Yay!

4. Yoga or Pilates? Pilates. Admittedly, I have done neither. If given the choice, I'd pick Pilates and do plan to start it some day...by DVD b/c everyone knows I'm too lazy to pay for a gym membership.

5. Sweet Valley High or Choose Your Own Adventure? No contest-Choose Your Own Adventure. I was addicted! I was too much of a tom boy for SVH. I have actually never read one of those books!

6. 1980’s Canadian Superstar Conrad Bain, or 1980’s Canadian Superstar Alan Thicke? Eh! Don't care either way, so I'll pick Alan Thicke.

7. Mad Cow Disease or Bird Flu? I'll go with Bird Flu. I love how our government is inciting panic by issuing statements of how it could spread and wipe out our population. Network television hasn't helped...soon after gov't statement came a TV movie about such an outbreak in the US.

8. Celebrity Ex-Con Robert Downey Jr., or Celebrity Ex-Con Martha Stewart? Robert Downey Jr. Air America...'nough said! Speaking of this classic movie, just read that Mel Gibson was arrested in Malibu for DUI. That is one case that I'd definitely take pro bono. Why can't celebrities drive drunk in Knoxville and hire me? :)

9. Pennsyltucky or Kentuckiana? Must admit that as an Ohio and TN resident, I am not familiar with the phenomenon of either combination. So, guess I'll choose Kenuckiana since KY is all that separates OH and TN.

10. PepperJack or Horseradish Cheddar? Loves me some PepperJack.

Photo Shoot

Thank you to Miss Lisa for sending me these fabulous pictures of us having a blast in Philly. L to R: Lisa, Me, Kristin Lisa and Kristin are 2 of my college roommates from Denison and simply amazing friends! These pictures were taken in a photo booth, of course, at a restaurant in Philly. We had such a fantastic day. I found myself being completely silly (onlookers probably thought i was intoxicated! and NO, I wasnt'...I was still pregnant then) and laughing until I cried . . . I really felt just as if no time had passed and we were 20 years old again. This was a very good day and I'm very thankful for it b/c things took such a horrible turn just the next week.

So, let me pay tribute to Lisa and Kristin--not only good friends, but lifetime friends! Actually tribute should be paid to all of those "lifetime friends" meaning those who, no matter how much time passes, you still feel as close as you were at the peak of your friendship. I have been blessed with many of these friends in my life. Time really is at least one test of true friendship. On that note, I should also mention high school friends--Tiff, Heather and Leslie--with whom I recently had a fantastic mini-reunion.

Top 10 . . .

Every time we make the long trek home to Chilli-town, I can't help but get nostalgic. So, I've decided to devote today's post to the Top Ten Things I Miss from/about Chillicothe. The list does not include family (that's a given) and may include things enjoyed as a child or teenager. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. Seeing someone I know everytime I leave the house. In K'town, a city of nearly half a million, this rarely happens. Sadly, I've been gone from Ross County for so long that even now when we go out in Chillicothe, I rarely see anyone I know.

2. The Ross County Fair! Andy and I ventured to the TN Valley Fair a few years ago...it's basically a bunch of rides in a parking lot...so sad.

3. Pizza. The pizza selection in Ross County is second to none--Jerry's, Donatos, Cardos, Giovanni's, Frankfort Pizza . . . I have yet to find a pizza in Knox County to rival any of these.

4. The Dairy Cone. Not just the Dairy Cone, but all small, family-owned ice cream places. Again, can't find them here in Knox County. We do have Marble Slab, Baskin Robbins, Cold Stone Creamery, Maggie Moo's etc. ... but sometimes you just need a Heath cyclone made with soft serve chocolate ice cream...yum!

5. Local Politics. I loved being involved in local politics, working on campaigns, etc. Knox County is just not the same. I now live in the land of conservatives where usually working on a local campaing means working on a losing campaign. Plus, Knoxville is so big, you don't get the same feel as working on campaigns in Southern Ohio.

6. Field Parties. In high school--give us an empty field, a case of beer and a fire and we'd have the time of our lives.

7. 4-H. Okay, so this kind of goes along with number 2. I love(d) 4-H . . . I met the love of my life in 4-H. Most people in TN have even NEVER heard of 4-H. As soon as we moved to Knoxville, I emailed the local extension agents and offered to volunteer (Andy and I both) and never heard back. Can you imagine? Also, 4-H Camp would have to be included here, though it is actually deserving of it's own number.

8. The Country. I am now officially a suburbanite. I admit it. As much as I love the convenience of food delivery and a grocery 3 minutes away, I also miss not being able to see your neighbor's house. I miss not needing a privacy fence and having acres of fields and woods to roam (though I do not miss mowing those acres).

9. Kings Island. Okay, so it's not in Ross County, but nearly every year of my life in Ohio we would make at least one trip to Kings Island and I have some great memories!

10. Don's IGA. Okay, this would normally not have made the list. However, last Sunday morning Becky and I went to Don's to get supplies for a cookout (and more ham salad to bring back to TN) and I had such a great experience. First of all, I miss the small family-owned grocery store...how quaint! The prices were amazing. And, to top it all off, a nice young man brought our groceries to the car, loaded them and didn't even expect a tip! If we had a Don's IGA here in K'town, I would never dread doing the shopping.

Oh Say . . .

Andy and I continued our new 4th of July tradition last night by climbing out onto the roof of the room addition and watching as fireworks lit the sky all across West Knoxville. I have found that this is one of the benefits of city life that I never experienced growing up on Porter Hollow Road. The displays were quite amazing…some even rivaling those of small towns! I also think that the fireworks booming around us last night increased 10-fold from years past. Interestingly, the use of fireworks is illegal in Knox County . . . God Bless the lawbreakers:)

As I sat for upwards of a half hour watching and listening to these beautiful explosions, I couldn’t help but think of people in war-torn countries, such as Iraq. These people likely hear these same sounds daily/nightly, yet rather than rush outside in awe, I imagine that they are forced to cower within their homes and pray for their own safety. Depressing thoughts for such a joyous holiday!

Tribute to Silas...

This is Silas (and Bear Bear). Silas belongs to my friends Kristi. I have often thought that Silas was a sort of phenomenon...no other cat could be so big, so manipulative, so terrifying. I have often pondered whether Silas is the feline equivalent of Damien (yes, Omen reference). I thought Silas was one of a kind...until I read a recent CNN.com story about a cat named Lewis. In many ways, Lewis seems to be Silas' twin. The evil tendencies described in the article could have easily been describing Silas! To Silas' credit, he has never attacked the Avon Lady. But...Silas is in an indoor cat and he HAS attacked our friend Lisa's daughter (not to mention nearly every other person he has come into contact with)!

That being said, on behalf of Kristi and Silas, let me also say that Kristi loves him dearly and claims that he is a different kitty around her. He gives her kisses, lets her carry him around and generally loves her (when he's not scratching and scarring her face while she sleeps:). On a serious note, please say a little prayer for Kristi and Silas. He recently swallowed a large string that has not passed and could cause serious problems to a kitty's digestive system. Here's to Silas! You may terrify everyone you meet, but you do mean a lot to Krisit and we love you and hope you pass the string soon!

The Boys

I've just realized that my posts are lacking the "Beagles." So, here is a recent picture of my boys--Ruben (in front) and Kobe (in back). They rule our house...and our hearts. Ruben is 3 now and Kobe is 2. We got Ruben when he was just 5 weeks old and adopted Kobe from a Beagle rescue over a year later.

Both are named after famous black men. Ruben comes from Ruben Studdard--we were fierce Idol fans at the time. Kobe takes his name from Kobe Bryant. The foster family named him after the famed basketball player because he (not fixed at the time) kept forcing himself on their female beagles (and obviously Kobe Bryant's trial was going strong at the time). Despite some hiccups from time to time, I do think that we've been blessed with the best pets in the world! An example...two times in the last year things have happened in my life to bring me to an uncontrollable sobbing state. Both times, Ruben made a b-line to jump on my lap and lick the tears off of my face until I stopped crying (or at least eased up a bit). He then proceeded to stay planted on my lap until he was sure that he was okay.

Invitation for Law Enforcement to Break the Rules

Our criminal justice system is set up, in part, to deter crime. Similarly, laws and policies are in place to deter police misconduct and to ensure that our citizens enjoy the protections of the 4th Amendment as established by our forefathers. Today our High Court succeeded in chipping away these protections and essentially inviting our law enforcement to break the rules. In other words, the "knock and announce" rule founded in the 4th Amendment is still exists and police should not violate it, but if you do, no harm no foul for the defendant! I would love for our courts to hold that "you really shouldn't drive while impaired, but if you do, no penalties!"

I could obviously write a treatise on this subject, but all I will say is RIP 4th Amendment!

In Support of the Chicks...

I was never more proud to be a country music fan as when Natalie Manes made her infamous announcement to a London audience about Mr. Bush. Go Natalie! Of course, the response of country music fans reinforced the stereotype of this fan base—redneck, narrow-minded, and uber-conservative.

I haven't bought a CD in years, but plan on making a trip this week to buy the Dixie Chick's new one. I hate that they are being persecuted for exercising one of the greatest rights of our great nation--the Freedom of Speech. The problem is that their fans equated being critical of the President to NOT supporting the troops, which any rational being would recognize is pure B.S. Am I proud of our President? NO. Do I support our troops? Absolutely--that is the most ridiculous question!

The ability to question the authority in our country...also known as Checks and Balances is what what truly makes our nation the greatest on Earth. I applaud the Dixie Chicks for standing by their beliefs, for questioning authority, and for not allowing themselves to be defeated by the masses!

Getting a Late Start

I apologize to those of you who keep checking to see if and when I'll finally actually write something. Well, it seems that today is the day! It's also a sad day. You'll notice that the Blog Title has been changed...we are no longer expecting a baby. That is not completely true...we still are expecting to have a baby, but turns out that our first baby just wasn't meant to be born. Gee, I sound so calm and at peace with it. Well, let me tell you--I am NOT!

Time to change the subject...
CNN.com reported today that Senator Feingold stormed out of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing after a shouting match with Senator Specter. The feud was sparked by the order of the day, which happened to be the committee voting to take a Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage to the Senate Floor for debate. The measure passed 10-8 (I haven't checked the partisan support behind the vote yet). Apparently Senators, including Specter, who do not support the Amendment nevertheless voted to take it to the full body for debate. Specter claims that it is an important issue which merits a Senate debate. We all know that statement is a bunch of crap. This is the 2004 election all over again! Republicans are bringing this issue to the forefront to help bring out voters for the upcoming mid-term election. This same strategy (call Karl Rove what you will, but this strategy was brilliant) brought conservatives out of the woodwork to vote two years ago and kept Mr. Bush in the White House. (If you don't know me...he will always be Mr. Bush to me:)

I am just so frustrated by this and other neverending political tactics that bog down our government and do NOTHING to help our country. I am no longer a naive college student who is so excited and humbled by our political system. Ten years ago my dream was to be a part of this system...in fact, to one day be elected to the Senate. Needless to say, reality has set in a bit over the past ten years. Since law school and our move to Tennessee, I find myself outside the political world, looking in...and I don't like what I see. I still vote. I still encourage others to vote and always will. I still stand up for what I believe in and try to educate others on what I consider to be political issues. But, I am too often disgusted by what is happening in Washington and no longer harbor any dreams of one day serving my country in that capacity. I do not think it is possible to truly serve a constituency...to do so would mean only being elected to one term. Let me say that I am not only upset with Republican politicians, but just as many Democrats. How many Democrats in Congress voted to renew the Patriot Act? Very few even put up a fight, even after they had ample time to reflect and realize the dangers this legislation poses to our country.

No, I may never get to serve my country in the Legislature, but I will continue to serve and honor the Constitution everyday. I will continue to be a voice for those accused of crimes and ensure that their civil rights and liberties are protected at every stage and for this opportunity, I am truly grateful. I may not have my dream, but I feel as if the work I'm doing now is just as important, if not more so, than what is being done (or not being done) in Washington.