WanderingAmylessly 2.0

The New York Times December 4, 2005 Op-Ed Contributor Goodbye, Moon By KAREN KARBO "Goodnight Moon," the children's classic by Margaret Wise Brown, has gone smoke free. In a newly revised edition of the book, which has lulled children to sleep for nearly 60 years, the publisher, HarperCollins, has digitally altered the photograph of Clement Hurd, the illustrator, to remove a cigarette from his hand. HarperCollins said it made the change to avoid the appearance of encouraging smoking. - The New York Times, Nov. 17 Portland, Ore. -- EXCELLENT start, HarperCollins, but why stop there? The text of "Goodnight Moon" itself is laden with messages that are potentially harmful to our youngest readers. At a minimum, these changes should be made: A. Huge gilt picture frames have no place in the nursery, especially those that are not properly secured. Should these three little bears sitting on chairs crash down during the night, Bunny risks suffering massive head trauma. S...

We're all very sad this morning. We have to put my kitty Dolce down. We thought the feeding tube we had placed on Monday might help her, but last night, she wouldn't move and didn't want to be held, and at one point we found her hiding in a bunch of junk in a box that we were going to take to Goodwill. And then she had diarhhea several times in the night, around the house. We felt that she was trying to tell us something. This is not a thing I take lightly. Helping a sick animal pass on is just about the hardest decision I've ever had to make. I realize that at some point, it has to stop being about me and what I want - to keep her forever - and think about her quality of life. She just seemed so tired and sick. I don't want her to be sick and in pain anymore. Tim has been so wonderful, taking her to the vet when I can't and being supportive of the feeding tube and of trying anything that might make her better -- even though he wasn't the one who really want...

All That I'm Allowed (I'm Thankful) Music by Elton John Lyrics by Bernie Taupin Available on the album Peachtree Road Breaking down never seems to be that hard Falling short is always in the cards I'm on the road, sun rising at my back Lost it all somewhere between the cracks I always hoped that I'd do better That I'd come out on top for once We all get what we're delivered Then there are the lucky ones And I've got all that I'm allowed It'll do for me, I'm thankful now The walls get higher every day The barriers get in the way But I see hope in every cloud And I'm thankful, thankful I'm thankful, So thankful I'm thankful, I've got all that I'm allowed Leaving town gets to feel just like a job My desire never winds up on top I can say now I didn't want the moon It's out of reach somewhere beyond this room I always hoped that I'd do better That I'd come out on top for once We all get what we're delivered Th...

Only in Utah. I've uttered that phrase several times since living in the state of Mormons, salt water taffy and red-rock canyons (that rich white people in their SUVs want to drive all over and build condos on and drill oil from, but that's another rant, entirely). The people of that Western state don't get up every morning in pursuit of bringing negative attention to themselves and perpetuating wacko-cult stereotypes. But, somehow, it happens. They might think that it's the rest of the world that's ohmyheck-bent on persecuting them. But when there are stories like the following, that grab punchline-worthy headlines...well...we can't help ourselves... Polygamy no reason to oust Utah judge, his lawyer argues November 3, 2005 BY JENNIFER DOBNER PROVO, Utah -- A small-town judge who has three wives should not be removed from the bench because his private behavior has not tarnished the office he holds, the judge's attorney told the Utah Supreme Court on Wednesda...

My niece sent me one of those e-mail questionnaires that you're supposed to answer, then send it to all your friends for them to answer. I did it one better. I'll post it. And my throngs of faithful readers can respond as they wish. >1. First name? Amy > >2. Were you named after anyone? Mom said once that my name was going to be Lisa Marie. I don't know if I was Elvis's love child, or what. > >3. Do you wish on stars? Yes. And I wish when I toss coins in fountains. And when I turn my necklace around when the clasp gets to the front. And when I blow out my candles. I haven't won the lottery yet, or become wildly famous, or turned into a supermodel, so I'm not sure there's a point. > >4. When did you last cry? A couple weeks ago at my cousin's baby's funeral. > >5. Do you like your handwriting? Only when I'm concentrating on it. Most of the time it's ridiculously sloppy. > >6. What is your favorite lunch mea...

Top Ten Invisible Guy Pickup Lines 10. "Ever wanted to do it with a laboratory experiment gone awry?" 9. "Do you mean it when you say, 'Looks don't matter'?" 8. "What's a nice girl like you doing here in the Victoria's Secret dressing room?" 7. "Why don't we go somewhere private, because everyone at this bar thinks you're talking to your gimlet" 6. "That's not my hand but don't stop shaking" 5. "You may as well go out with me -- I'm just going to follow you home undetected anyway" 4. "Here's an invisible necklace -- trust me, it's really expensive" 3. "I can pretty much guarantee the kid will look like you" 2. "We haven't met, but I watch you shower every day at the gym" 1. "Would you like to have dinner with me and watch and my food digest?"

So my sleepy, bedhead almost-two-year-old wanders out of his room one morning, rubbing his eyes and saying "Mommy...hohdchew?" (Henryspeak: 'hold you,' which actually means 'hold me') I pick him up and hug him and kiss him, then I say, "Mommy has to go to work now." And then his face crinkles, big tears spill from his eyelids, and he says, "No Mommy. Mommy. Mommy." Then adds, "Mommy, pwayaminute?" (Henryspeak: 'play a minute') Of course I give in and, even though I'm already late for my commute, sit down on the floor and race toy trucks with my kiddo. I announce to him, after a few minutes, that I really have to go to work or I'll be late and I'll be in trouble. As I'm picking up my purse and heading for the door, I hear... "Mommy, kiss?" I turn around and plant a big smooch on his pink, pursed lips. I'm almost to the door, when I hear... "Mommy, hug, too?" Yes. He got a hug, too. I ...

Today would have been Will Kenyon's first birthday. Thinking of his mom and dad, and of his extended family and friends, on an emotional day of remembrance... With Hope by Stephen Curtis Chapman This is not at all how We thought it was supposed to be We had so many plans for you We had so many dreams And now you are gone away And left us with the memories of your smile And nothing we can say And nothing we can do Can take away the pain The pain of losing you, but... We can cry with hope We can say goodbye with hope 'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no And we can grieve with hope 'Cause we believe with hope (There's a place by God's grace) There's a place where we'll see your face again We'll see your face again.. And never have I known Anything so hard to understand And never have I questioned more The wisdom of God's plan But through the cloud of tears I see the Father's smile and say well done And I imagine you Where you wanted most...

The following is from my cousin, Kerry: We asked some of Joe's doctors if there were particular charities which they felt strongly aided in the education, prevention, and treatment of congenital heart defects in children. We were given the following information: Memorials may be sent to: THE CHLOE DUYCK MEMORIAL FUND C/O CRSTI 7777 Forest Lane C-742 Dallas, Texas 75230 You may include "Joe Prasifka" in the memo and we will receive a card letting us know you have honored him in this way. All proceeds will go towards Congenital Heart Defect Research. For more information on Cardiopulmonary Research Science and Technology Institute (CRSTI), click this post's headline.

Pulling oneself out of the deep dark pit of despair can be a daunting task. It's easier to wallow. Then again, there are flashes of light that signal the happier times in our midst. 1. Our friends K and L had a beautiful 7 pound, completely healthy baby girl Annelise earlier this week. Here's to "UNEVENTFUL" GESTATIONS and BIRTHS! Amen. (And I might add, something must be in the air, because our friends are procreating at quite a speedy pace these days.) 2. My H-man's second birthday is 17 days away. 3. My cat is (cross your fingers) recovering quickly from a nasty case of - apologies in advance - worms. (And an H "funny": he says, "Dohchay havin' wooms. Ukky." I agree. 4. I joined the gym. I'm not sure I'm happy about it; I'll be happier when my clothes aren't so tight they cut off circulation. 5. Today is the last day of our public radio station's week-long Fall pledge drive. 6. Saddam's on trial. At last. 7. Jenni...

After last week, I've just not been in the mood to blog. I sort of adopted a - so what's the point - attitude. I won't delve into many details of my trip to Texas or the services, but I will say that my cousin and her wonderful husband and their feisty and adorable 4-year-old redhead are so brave and strong and gracious in the midst of their worst tragic days. They spent time with close relatives during a dinner at their church following the services, assuring us that they were coping and welcoming our hugs and fumbling words of support. And Jackson, to the tearful delight of everyone, showed glimpses of his usual self as he donned a purple cape (not sure how it ended up in the church, unless it was a misplaced, glitzy wise man costume of Christmas past) and ran through the halls giggling with his cousins. Jackson has some of Mighty Joe's "might" coursing through his system, I think. The laughter echoing through the halls warmed hearts. Jason even spoke at Joe...

During a heart cath procedure this a.m. at the hospital in Dallas, Baby Joe lost his mighty battle with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. He and his family have gone through so much pain. He has escaped that pain, but for those still here who love him, we have no escape. Bless you Baby Joe. I never even met you in person, never got to hold you. But you have forever touched me...and many. I'm not sure where this quote came from or who wrote it. But it seems to fit right now... He has taken his light and is gone now But I know he has been here By all the lights he left behind....

Oh say can you say... "I did not have illegal relations with those conspirators, Mr. Colyandro and Mr. Ellis." --Former House Majority Leader DeLay

"Hurricane" 1 oz vodka 1/4 oz grenadine syrup 1 oz gin 1 oz light rum 1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum 1 oz amaretto almond liqueur 1 oz triple sec grapefruit juice pineapple juice Pour all but the juices, in order listed, into a hurricane glass three-quarters filled with ice. Fill with equal parts of grapefruit and pineapple juice, and serve. That much alcohol might take the edge off.

I've written about her before. About how I think she's brilliant, this Utah mommy and ex-mormon who got fired from her job for blogging about her job and who is now perhaps the most notorious and oft-read blogger in Cyberspace. Check out Dooce.com; click this post's title to go there immediately. Or stay here and read one of her entries. I totally relate, Heather. I'm right there with you, girl. Six times the suck Tuesday, 13 September 2005 This past weekend I discovered a fail-safe method of making myself feel like an astounding idiot, more fail-safe than that time my mother-in-law told me that she saw someone in church with shoulders just like mine, you know, so wide that they blocked her view of the pulpit. I didn’t even have to leave my house or open my mouth which more than half of the time ends up in a spectacular display of stupidity anyway. Sometimes, more often than not, I don’t even have to leave the house. For instance, this morning I sat on my couch and told...

Thanks for all the kind thoughts. Mighty Joe seems to be doing better. He may have to have his feeding tube gadget replaced, but for now, they're working on getting his lungs healthy again. On a sad note,though, Joe's grandpa died this week of a brain aneurysm. He was only 55. Please think of them in this sad and stressful time. People always say things like "God will only give you what he knows you can handle." What a load of hooey, as far as I'm concerned. Try telling that to Joe's parents. Try telling that to Hurricane Katrina evacuees, who've lost family members and everything they own and their jobs and anything that was ever normal in their lives. Yeah, maybe they can "handle" it, but why should they be forced to?! Then those same people say, "what doesn't kill you will make you stronger." Yeah...and bitter...and bitchy...and cynical...and dealing with post-traumatic stress... Maybe that's just the way I would react. Could...

My cousin's baby Joe, the heart baby in Texas, has taken a wrong turn on his highway to a happier heart. He has pneumonia. They put him back on a ventilator. And his oxygen sat levels are in the 30s and 40s at times. Normally they're in the 70s and 80s. He's very sick. My aunt said yesterday that they "almost lost him" a couple of times. When we aren't in the middle of it every day, I think we become complacent or maybe a little too comfortable in our hopes - that he's doing well and growing strong - and we don't realize just how serious his situation is and how sick a little boy he is right now. So we've been smacked back into reality...the reality that Joe's mommy and daddy face every day, up close and personal. And we're once again on vigil. Be strong, Mighty Joe. We love you. Edited to add: If that weren't awful enough, I just found out Joe's paternal grandpa is in the ICU in a coma (in another hospital). Don't know anymore ...

The following is from MoveOn.Org. Yes, it's a liberal-leaning political action committee. Yes, it's biased. However, in this instance, it tells the cold, hard truth. It has been a week since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, leveled New Orleans and left hundreds of thousands of Americans homeless. We saw the best of America during that time—millions of people stepped forward to offer help. Meanwhile, the Bush administration failed at their most important job: keeping America safe. The federal effort was too little, too late and it is now becoming obvious that hundreds or even thousands of people died as a result. Then, starting Friday, in a Karl Rove-led campaign, the White House started to blame state and local officials and even the victims who were stranded without transportation when the Hurricane arrived. Sign our petition demanding that the Bush administration stop blaming victims, including state and local officials, and focus on helping them. http://political...

Bravo to Keith Olbermann and his recent blog, which he read on his Countdown show on MSNBC last night: Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said it all, starting his news briefing Saturday afternoon: "Louisiana is a city that is largely underwater..." Well there's your problem right there. If ever a slip-of-the-tongue defined a government's response to a crisis, this was it. The seeming definition of our time and our leaders had been their insistence on slashing federal budgets for projects that might’ve saved New Orleans. The seeming characterization of our government that it was on vacation when the city was lost, and could barely tear itself away from commemorating V.J. Day and watching Monty Python's Flying Circus, to at least pretend to get back to work. The seeming identification of these hapless bureaucrats: their pathetic use of the future tense in terms of relief they could’ve brought last Monday and Tuesday — like the President, whose statemen...

Mayor to feds: 'Get off your asses' Transcript of radio interview with New Orleans' Nagin Friday, September 2, 2005; Posted: 2:59 p.m. EDT (18:59 GMT) The following is a transcript of WWL correspondent Garland Robinette's interview with Nagin on Thursday night. Robinette asked the mayor about his conversation with President Bush: NAGIN: I told him we had an incredible crisis here and that his flying over in Air Force One does not do it justice. And that I have been all around this city, and I am very frustrated because we are not able to marshal resources and we're outmanned in just about every respect. (Listen to the mayor express his frustration in this video -- 12:09) You know the reason why the looters got out of control? Because we had most of our resources saving people, thousands of people that were stuck in attics, man, old ladies. ... You pull off the doggone ventilator vent and you look down there and they're standing in there in water up to their fre...