Remembering 9-11

I had always heard people say that they remember exactly what they were doing when Kennedy got shot.  It was years and years later, but they could tell you what color the sky was that day.  I can now say that about the day that blackened our skies and our hearts.  I was in Alaska at that time, my husband and I were stationed in Fairbanks.  It was still early there and we were awakened to the phone ringing.  It was my mom, who lived in Georgia, telling us a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers.  At this time no one had any idea that we were under attack.  To us, it was just a horrible accident.  When the second plane hit, I was scared.  The thought that this could happen to us was unreal.  Watching the buildings fall in real time was sickening.  My heart went out to all those dead and dying people.  The surreal events went in slow motion, nothing else was noticed around the house, we were all glued to the t.v.  The Pentagon was hit and the skies emptied of the normally busy traffic.  It was as though an apocalypse was taking place.  When the fourth plane went down the country was truly in a state of shock.  The phone lines were jammed with stories being told, and loved ones being consoled.  The country was not to be quieted at this hour, our darkest hour.  Already, just hours later, the whispers of retribution were sounded from coast to coast.  Who would dare attack us on our own soil, and use our planes and people to do this task?

In the aftermath we feared the Muslim people as a whole, hate crimes ensued and we launched a small scale war against ourselves.  People who looked different and dressed different became the natural targets.  Paranoia entices the mind to react in a way that it normally would not.  I found myself looking sideways at anyone with a head covering and dark skin.  I felt embarrassed and ashamed of my lack of control in this matter.  I would have never treated any of these people without respect, but still, inside my doubt and fear was palpable.

Our country united and prayed and awaited vindication.  Hollywood did not know whether or not to move on with comedy or red carpet.  What was taboo?  Then, on Saturday Night Live, Mayor Rudy Gullioni gave the okay to laugh once again.  The healing had begun, but even a severed limb still feels pain.  We had a hole that could not be filled, not be ignored.  War was waged against Osama Bin Laden.  Deep in mountains most of will never see, the hunt began.  Troops poured into Afghanistan, and the civilians at home felt sure the evil would be eradicated with swiftness and precision. Years later we still saw videos , taunting us, challenging our honor.

I feel our honor has never been in question, our patriotism has never wavered and never will.  The red, white and blue will always wave somewhere, somehow.  Terrorists have misjudged their target, repeatedly.  The melting pot that is the United States will always stand united, fearing no man, no threat.

However much you may hate the war, disagree with the President, remember without our troops you would not have freedom of speech to bitch about these things.  I am not offering an opinion, I have lived on both sides now, military and civilian.  I respect the needs and feelings of all my countrymen and women.  I do my part by honoring the memory of all who have given and will give so that I may live my life the way I choose.

Please take a moment to remember what being an American means.  Respect your fellow man and yourself for your own convictions.

MAD out

Allergies and You

Six months ago, I thought no more of allergies than most of the average public.  I knew that I was deathly allergic to cats, pollen made me sneeze, and my two dogs would cause small, red patches on my arms.

A couple of years ago I started having a sickening kind of pain in the lower right part of my abdomen.  I was sent for an MRI and CAT scan to rule out appendicitis.  Then I was sent to my OBGYN to rule out some type of ovary damage.  I had an endoscopy, a colonoscopy, and was even sent to a doctor that specialized in strange disease.  After a year of this, I even thought my symptoms were in my head.

The same thing would happen to me each time I had this episode.  I would eat some type of food, nothing that would pop out as being an allergen, then I would get that sick pain in my side.  Soon to follow, I would have to lay down, as if I had taken a handful of Benadryl.  After an hour or so I would awaken only to feel sick still.  An hour or two would go by and I would finally be okay again.  This same thing was the norm at least three times a week.

Back in March, I had Salmon on three separate occasions.  The first time I ate the fish, I broke out on my arms the next day.  Tiny red bumps ran up and down both arms and nowhere else.  At this same time, I was having a horrible experience with poison oak.  I have never gotten into the latter one before, so I associated the reaction with it.  The second time I had salmon, the same thing happened.  Little red dots, only on my arms.  The third time my throat began to itch and my asthma was bad all that night.  Still, I did not associate the link until later.  I went to my PCM and he referred me to an allergist.  They tested me initially for pollens, danders, grasses, trees, peanuts, shellfish, fish mix, oats, eggs, soy, milk.  When the doctor came back in fifteen minutes, he said I was lit up like a Christmas tree.  The reference range for the test is 0-4+.  I was only zero with a Bald Cypress and rice. Everything else was at least a one.  I am 4+ with all the dander, trees, grasses.  I was a 4 with shellfish, peanuts, borderline on milk, oats, eggs.

The doctor was shocked.  I had never been allergic to these things before, but slowly it was all adding up.  I asked him about the pain in my side, and if it could be my response to these allergies.  He said it was exactly what was going on and that I had an unusual reaction to my allergies.  A month later I had cut out the food allergies, but I was still having problems.  I asked him to test me again, for more foods.  He did, and even after taking my Allegra that morning, I lit up for tree nuts, beef, pork, string beans.  I could not believe it.  I was terrified.  I think the beef one hurt me the most.  I love the cow…I do not want to save them, or wear them, but by God, I want to chew them up.  I almost cried.  When he told me no beef, I sounded like Vader when they told him his wife died, “Noooooo!”

I went home, scared to eat anything.  I started looking at every box I picked up.  Thank goodness most tell you in bold, and at the end of the ingredients, what the allergens are.  I lost about eight pounds that week because I ate salads three meals a day.

Later I realized that since I did not have the same reaction to allergens as most, I could still eat them.  This is not like cheating on a diet, though, your body knows when you mess up right away.  I would get sick and end up in the bed.  One would think that a person would have enough good sense to avoid these foods.  I am slowly learning, the hard way, not to eat beef or pork.  I can still have chicken, and turkey.  I miss the seafood, especially crab legs and shrimp.  I now take two shots, twice a week, and hopefully I will be able to add some foods back one day.

I wonder often how many people have food allergies, but don’t realize it due to their reaction.  I hope that this may help someone to seek answers for an unknown illness.  I feel so much better now.  I must also add that the allergist stated that these allergies prohibit weight loss, cause heartburn, and can make you lethargic.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

MAD out

Swedish cheese ball Recipe

Here is a cheese ball that anyone can make and it will be a hit!!

You will need:

2 8oz cream cheese packs (do not use low or non fat) softened

4 green onions–diced well–use the green part too

3 4oz pkgs of corned beef (chop well, 2 pks for the cheese ball 1pk for rolling the ball in)

3-4 tbls of Worcestershire sauce-you can add more if too dry, but it should not be a wet type ball.

a dash of garlic powder–this is optional

mix all ingredients, except the one pack of corned beef, in a bowl. Wash your hands well, this is a hands on job, not something you can use a spoon or mixer for. When all ingredients are truly mixed, shape into a ball. Spread out the last diced pack of corned beef on a plate, roll around ball until it is all coated. Serve on any type plate you would like. This is best with Wheat Thins or Ritz crackers…which are just as good reduced fat. I stress do not use fat free or reduced fat cream cheese for this recipe…it will be crap.

This recipe is so easy and so good, my mom made it when I was young, and I have made it for all thirteen years of my marriage. It is a hit everywhere I take it, and is easily doubled or tripled.

Perfect for parties and weddings

Mad Out

The Colossal Squid

Colossal compared

Colossal Squid caught in the Antarctic

Colossal on the boat

Examining the Colossal tentacle

Squid Sizing

Giant eye, the size of a soccer ballThawing Colossal

DVD Review: “In Bruges”-Starring Colin Farrell

I came across this movie last night while perusing the aisles at Blockbuster.  It was one of those times when the one movie I was looking for was out.  So I started all over scanning the lesser known pics that I would normally miss.  I came across this gem and read the back, shocked to see Colin Farrell was in a comedy.  There was a heartbeat when I almost put it back, but then something inside said pick it, pick it woman.  At home I popped it into the player and thus the laughter began….

Colin Farrell plays a hit man (Ray) ,in London who has botched a job badly.  Thus, his boss, played by Ralph Fiennes, sends Ray and fellow hit man, Ken (Brendan Gleeson) to a nice spot to wait for his call.  F**cking Bruges, as Ray frequently refers to the little town, is in Belgium.  Ken loves the town for it’s old world charm, some parts dating back to the 1300′s.  As much as Ken loves the town, Ray hates it, rebelling at every step during sightseeing.

Now the clincher for me was when they meet Jimmy, played by Jordan Prentice.  Jimmy is an actor, currently filming a dream sequence for a movie.  Jimmy is a midget, and plays his piece with Ray and Ken to a hilt.  There are so many little details in this flick that will make it a sure fire cult classic.  This is a Black Comedy, so expect some strange things to happen.  I don’t want to spoil anything…but watch for the scene involving Ray, Jimmy and a karate chop.

If you can follow heavy Cockney accents, happen to love to laugh…well rent it today.  I will be watching it again to catch things I may have missed the first time around.

I give this movie three stars

It is rated R, has the F word about 100 times, violence

Please note that this is a Black Comedy-some material is not suitable for the squeamish.

Mad out

Crazy in Alabama

Breaking news!! If you are fat, work for the state and live in Alabama, then get ready for life to change…

I am constantly amazed at how the government tries to gain control over the people.  The “Man” wants to make us healthy and happy, productive citizens.  There must be a prototype in a lab somewhere, one that has been genetically manufactured to be the future.  Hitler comes to mind, the whole Aryan race thing…anyway.  The Man is slowly driving us into a small corner, so we may be easily controlled, not unlike a herd dog with sheep.  The society mold is becoming more defined, more scaled, more systematized. We are very close to the dreary future often seen in sci-fi movies and read in books.

I am all for being healthy, I want to weigh 120 pounds and wear the perfect size 8.  I want the world to be happy with who they are.  Ummm, this is probably not going to happen anytime soon.  The Man telling me that they will fine me for being fat…well I’ll eat to that.  A big, fat, greasy cheeseburger, followed by deep fried potatoes, topping off with a shake.  A fine!!  Who the hell do they think they are!  Let’s start the fines for smokers(oops, that’s already going on), the drinkers…uhoh, the Man’s jar will fill up then, the perverts(90 percent of the U.S., admitted or not), tanning(skin cancer), driving(gas prices are sticking it to us now), farting(methane production is a loose cannon).  I could go on and on.  Who do we pick out?  Who is the perfect specimen? What makes a healthy person?  A vice is a vice, every single person has them.  Should underweight people pay?  They have as many health problems, the bulimic, the anorexic.  I’m not making excuses for any overweight person, but a person’s health has to be in their own hands.  If the Man can change the way that we eat, not just in Alabama, then they will move the mile over the inch.

The truth is deeper than we think.  Fines are just the beginning, change comes about slowly.  We are being changed in ways we do not even see.  Enough on conspiracy theories, let’s deal with the facts.

Fact 1.  Alabamians,  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30.3 percent are now obese, ranking the state behind only Mississippi.

Fact 2.  The State Employees’ Insurance Board this week approved a plan to charge state workers starting in January 2010 if they don’t have free health screenings.

Fact 3.  There will be health and wellness programs available in 2009, so that the fatties may attend and become the people they were meant to be.

Fact 4.  This will cause self-esteem issues that the Man cannot possibly foresee.

Let’s put a bulls-eye on a group of people who must magically not realize they have a problem.  In the center of the eye, let’s write fatty, fat, fat, fat.  Now let us launch carrots into this bulls-eye, hoping they will be caught and eaten. Put blinders on these mules as they shop, actually, don’t let them shop.  Put them all into one building to work, as a sort of quarantine.  The Man can put up a fancy stone sign outside, just for the onlookers, “Please don’t feed the fatties”.

Yep, this does sound ridiculous, and it is.  It is so entirely unfair that it is laughable.  I live in Alabama, I am not a state worker, but I would quickly tell the Man to go piss up a rope.  Our country preaches acceptance and tolerance, only not to it’s own people.  Who will save us from ourselves?  Who will be the monitor of the Man at this hour?  The uncontrolled “Hill” is pulling our country apart at the seams.

The states do not need more fines, they need to be redefined in their priorities.  When will a law be so affecting that everyone of us sit up and say  “No, this is not my future, not my families future, not the legacy for my countries future”.

This is not just my state, it is your state next.  The Man must be held accountable.  This is not about fat, this is about freedom of choice, freedom of lifestyle.

Am I angry? Damned straight, and you should be too.  I’ve said my piece, now say yours.

Mad out

When I have my 7 1/2 minutes of fame

I am reminded again of Bigfoot this morning, and how truly ridiculous this whole hoax is. These guys bring to mind the people usually interviewed after a tornado hits, or those anal probings. Maybe the adrenaline overtakes them or the sane part of the brain has had a temporary meltdown. Personally, I always think of how I would react under the camera’s intense glare. Would I stutter, stare blankly, or maybe I may just have the most rational, intelligent moment of my life. In my 7 1/2 minutes of fame, I have decided that the world would need a treat. If a tornado ever hits my home, I will struggle beyond the tears, and rummage through till I find the classic pink, puffy rollers. Somehow they will make it into my already curly hair, enhancing the devastated look. My t-shirt, bought only for this occasion, will depict Eeyore in all his pitiful glory. I hope I can find one saying “Nobody Cares”. My bra will have magically disappeared, which it often does at home anyway. I will have on a pair of camouflage boxer shorts and no shoes. I will lay in wait for the sister station of CNN to arrive. A deep breath will be taken….and action. The rest is up to you to watch at a later date, to be followed by my harrowing account of the little gray men.

As for the good ole hoax boys, never meanin no harm, I believe a bullet and freezer stuffing may be just the cure.

Mad out

Bigfoot Exposed

Today was a sad day for the true believers of the big “fuzzy one”. The truth will set you free, and it did a heck of a job on booting out two rednecks. Imagine the nerve of these guys getting the “Searching for Bigfoot inc.”  peeps all worked up. Turns out Bigfoot was just another sleazy rubber suit trying to make a name for himself. The hoax was admitted by the two Georgian fools, confirming what we normal citizens already knew. The tooth fairy could not confirm or deny the actual existence of the furry creature, yet the Easter Bunny was adamant in his denial. The world may never know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, but for now we know that Bigfoot does not dwell in North Georgia. I first became aware of this story when my friend and co-worker, Jessica, brought it to my attention. It was just too juicy not to blog about.  The excitement she exuded fueled my own curiosity.  Here we are in 2008, so excited to have any kind of good news, that we will sink our teeth into anything furry and meaty. My sincerest regards to all the believers who hung in limbo waiting for proof. May your alien ship come and take you to the home planet. May the Swartz be with you.  For Goodness sake, move out of your mother’s basement.

Jessica, thanks again for the laugh!

mad out

Watching the race for Gold

I am now watching on the edge of my fluffy recliner, waiting for Phelps to win the Gold.  If he gets this Gold, a total of four sponsors will give him a bonus of ten million dollars.  No pressure…it is beginning.  On your mark get set…no false starts please.  Go! Like dolphins swimming for their lives.  This is so tense, and now for Phelps, a great white shark.  He is eating away at the field..now the last swimmer is in.  He wants to do this for his team, for his mom, for Phelps…Gold, Gold, Gold.  World record eighth Gold.  Go team USA. Go ten million dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mad out

Michael Phelps could-go-all-the-way!

At 9:58 pm CST, Michael Phelps will attempt to break the gold record gold, hoping to reach the magic number 8.  This could be fate,  China embraces the numeral eight, it is their lucky number.  Phelps must be in the same frame of mind at this moment.  His mind is surely a blur of what could be.  All the world is behind him, a super star and superhero. The twenty-three year old young man is hope itself.  The economy is falling apart, gas is crazy, Presidential candidates have become old reruns; but we will all sit up and embrace the seconds until gold.  You find yourself, never having heard of this man before, watching with a warm heart.  There will be cries of good luck from many houses.  Some will wake the kids, some will scare the neighbors, but all will be united in pushing Phelps towards his dreams, and ours.  America is always proud when we do well, but now the world is one, so many languages chanting the same name.  I am heartened to feel this close with so many cultures.  This is truly a united event, and we all wish him the speed and heart he needs to succeed.

mad out