Monday, March 30, 2009
Fargo flood
In the past week I've read daily about the Fargo area and the flood that's currently happening there. Fargo is only a few hours away from us. My Grandma lived there until she passed away a few years ago and I still have relatives in both Fargo and Harwood although to be honest they aren't relatives I've kept in contact with over the years. As a kid I remember going to Fargo every year a few times to see Grandma and also do all our school shopping. I have many memories of Fargo over the years.
I wanted to share this video that was on YouTube. I found it through reading the Fargo online paper at http://www.inforum.com/ and I think it really shows some people pulling together in a big way to try to do what they could to help.. maybe it brought a bit of a tear to my eyes. Not because of the "natural disaster" unfolding, but because it shows a whole lot of people pulling together to help eachother. People that came to help because they are actually being affected by the flood and also a whole lot of people that showed up with nothing of their own at risk, but simply to help.
They managed to throw over 3 million sandbags in a week's time and have done an incredible job at protecting homes and the city. The river crested at 40.82 feet on Saturday. It's dropped to 39.16 feet, but is still 22 feet over flood stage. The river is holding and slowing dropping, but it's not over yet and even today they're expecting another 12 to 14" of snow and high winds. Hopefully the dikes will hold.
I've read many, many opinions and heard many sides to the story. The politics of the flood aren't my point in the least. This video simply captures a pretty incredible group of people and a side of humanity that I guess still seems somewhat surreal in today's world. I simply wanted to share it.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
We WON...... maybe, at least for today
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say some things that I'm very sure there are plenty of people that will take issue with and disagree with. At this point, if that makes me a bad mom or a bad person, then so be it.
Children today are self-centered, irresponsible, lazy, whiners who think that life should be handed to them on a silver platter with gold trim. I may as well elaborate since I've actually made the rude statement.....
First off self centered. Yes, narcissistic little creatures that have very little empathy or understanding of anyone else's role in their existence. They exist, therefore it shall be.... whatever "it" may be in the particular circumstance. I want, therefore I shall have. I think, therefore everyone else shall agree. I've changed my mind, therefore everyone else shall too. My God, they're worse than a woman with PMS that also ran out of her prozac. Trust me, as a woman, I know..... (either that or get me some prozac NOW!) Our creatures have pushed our limits today. Each one wants to play with this particular other one RIGHT NOW, but not this other kid. (we have 4). Then 5 minutes later they switch it up based on the raging, whining or bitching of one of them. So basically it's a constant fight as to who gets to play in this one's room or that one's room or with this toy or that based all on how ONE kid feels at that particular moment.... which brings about.....
Irresponsibility. After a few hours of this, there are toys strewn from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. We have 20 acres, there are toys strewn 10 acres away from "home base" even. Do you think that it's anyone's job to actually pick up these toys and return them to their rightful places so they're available to play with next time? Yes, actually, they do believe it's someone's job..... just not theirs. On another note, our two oldest are actually the worst for feeding time mess. They seem to think that he who eats the fastest gets the most. This should have become obvious over the years. It is what it is. You have a certain amount of meat, a certain amount of vegetables and a certain amount of fruit on your plate. Just because you shit-canned your broccoli under your chair does NOT mean you get some dessert. Alas, they still try this tactic daily.... and when actually asked to pick up said broccoli.. they cringe and act like we've just asked them to execute all the baby kittens in North America.
Lazy? My statement of calling them lazy doesn't even really pertain to the above mentioned scenarios, although I suppose those could be translated that way too if you chose to. Lazy actually comes on a different note, or notes. Take school work.... if we can get it done in 10 minutes and it looks like crap that still beats spending an extra 2 minutes to erase nicely or print nicely and make things look presentable. If we can get by with a one word answer it's well worth saving the effort of writing a complete sentance. Or....actually WALK somewhere? Why, if we can drive or take the ATV's? God forbid we shall exert any physical effort when we can avoid it.
We will walk around our boots and coats in the entryway rather than expend the extra energy to actually hang them up.... GASP! As if that would ever even be considered to be "our" job. After all we currently need to get back in the playroom to destroy what's just be picked up while we were outside.
So we cracked..... actually we probably just did what any normal self-respecting adult should have been doing all along. We didn't beat them, we didn't yell at them, we didn't even point out to them just exactly how we had to walk uphill to school in -40 temps every day of our childhoods. We simply offered them an alternative for their boredom (they must be bored if they have all this time to fight). We wrote down 8 fairly equal jobs and put them in a hat. We made each child draw 2 jobs. They were burning mad at us. They glared at us and fumed and you could tell they were just boiling beneath the surface, but they didn't actually open their mouths to voice it. It took them about 45 minutes to complete these jobs (and we have a relatively neat house now). We haven't seen them since. We assume they are out in the treehouse my husband built for them a couple years ago. That's where they said they were going. We saw one across the field actually scouring the edge of the woods for something about 1/2 hour ago. Every once in awhile we hear an ATV.
In a nutshell, they apparently aren't bored anymore. They've actually gone outside into the woods and found things to imagine and play. They've got the world by the balls compared to so many children.... maybe today they're actually exploring that world.
So... .when's dinner and what are we having?
Children today are self-centered, irresponsible, lazy, whiners who think that life should be handed to them on a silver platter with gold trim. I may as well elaborate since I've actually made the rude statement.....
First off self centered. Yes, narcissistic little creatures that have very little empathy or understanding of anyone else's role in their existence. They exist, therefore it shall be.... whatever "it" may be in the particular circumstance. I want, therefore I shall have. I think, therefore everyone else shall agree. I've changed my mind, therefore everyone else shall too. My God, they're worse than a woman with PMS that also ran out of her prozac. Trust me, as a woman, I know..... (either that or get me some prozac NOW!) Our creatures have pushed our limits today. Each one wants to play with this particular other one RIGHT NOW, but not this other kid. (we have 4). Then 5 minutes later they switch it up based on the raging, whining or bitching of one of them. So basically it's a constant fight as to who gets to play in this one's room or that one's room or with this toy or that based all on how ONE kid feels at that particular moment.... which brings about.....
Irresponsibility. After a few hours of this, there are toys strewn from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. We have 20 acres, there are toys strewn 10 acres away from "home base" even. Do you think that it's anyone's job to actually pick up these toys and return them to their rightful places so they're available to play with next time? Yes, actually, they do believe it's someone's job..... just not theirs. On another note, our two oldest are actually the worst for feeding time mess. They seem to think that he who eats the fastest gets the most. This should have become obvious over the years. It is what it is. You have a certain amount of meat, a certain amount of vegetables and a certain amount of fruit on your plate. Just because you shit-canned your broccoli under your chair does NOT mean you get some dessert. Alas, they still try this tactic daily.... and when actually asked to pick up said broccoli.. they cringe and act like we've just asked them to execute all the baby kittens in North America.
Lazy? My statement of calling them lazy doesn't even really pertain to the above mentioned scenarios, although I suppose those could be translated that way too if you chose to. Lazy actually comes on a different note, or notes. Take school work.... if we can get it done in 10 minutes and it looks like crap that still beats spending an extra 2 minutes to erase nicely or print nicely and make things look presentable. If we can get by with a one word answer it's well worth saving the effort of writing a complete sentance. Or....actually WALK somewhere? Why, if we can drive or take the ATV's? God forbid we shall exert any physical effort when we can avoid it.
We will walk around our boots and coats in the entryway rather than expend the extra energy to actually hang them up.... GASP! As if that would ever even be considered to be "our" job. After all we currently need to get back in the playroom to destroy what's just be picked up while we were outside.
So we cracked..... actually we probably just did what any normal self-respecting adult should have been doing all along. We didn't beat them, we didn't yell at them, we didn't even point out to them just exactly how we had to walk uphill to school in -40 temps every day of our childhoods. We simply offered them an alternative for their boredom (they must be bored if they have all this time to fight). We wrote down 8 fairly equal jobs and put them in a hat. We made each child draw 2 jobs. They were burning mad at us. They glared at us and fumed and you could tell they were just boiling beneath the surface, but they didn't actually open their mouths to voice it. It took them about 45 minutes to complete these jobs (and we have a relatively neat house now). We haven't seen them since. We assume they are out in the treehouse my husband built for them a couple years ago. That's where they said they were going. We saw one across the field actually scouring the edge of the woods for something about 1/2 hour ago. Every once in awhile we hear an ATV.
In a nutshell, they apparently aren't bored anymore. They've actually gone outside into the woods and found things to imagine and play. They've got the world by the balls compared to so many children.... maybe today they're actually exploring that world.
So... .when's dinner and what are we having?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Long time, no blog
I've neglected my blog for the past few weeks. Been busy around here with quite a few different issues, some good and some not so good. I got online this morning and read your comments on my last post and just have to say ...... glad I could make you laugh! On a side note to that post, my husband didn't learn from my nail gun error and did the exact same thing to his thumb a couple days later. That time it was me that got the laugh :))
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Preoccupation and the power tool
You'd think that by now I'd learn. If my mind is going 100 different directions and can't focus... it's a good time to avoid power tools. However, they always say that trying to keep yourself busy is a good way to avoid focusing on something you don't want to over-focus on. So once again, I walked myself out to the shop and started building things. A very simple project really. I just wanted to make a wooden box that my kids could use Mod Podge to decorate with all their little "finds" this morning exploring in the woods. Simple square box out of simple 3/4" pine. Anyway...... over the past few years I've learned a few valuable lessons:
1) You cannot drill long-ways through a piece of Diamond Willow while using nothing but "hope" to ensure you don't drill out the side of the wood and into your hand. That smarts. When you think you've outsmarted this process and use your feet to hold the stick from spinning, there is also no guarantee you won't drill out and into your foot. Both things - same day.
2) If a framing nail gun feels too big and awkward while hanging from a dangerous height by nothing but sheer will and the little bit of pine pitch leaking from the 2x4's - it probably is. Don't pull the trigger back and pray that when you smack it against the wood it's going to magically actually shoot where you intended. Sorry for the dent in your car ma'am...... and by the way - don't stand under that truss because it's really not anchored as well as you might think.
3) Today's lesson (and this is a no-brainer). Keep your hand out of firing range of the 1 1/2" staples coming out of the staple gun at 120 psi. I actually managed to staple my pinky finger to the palm of my hand. Even more amazing, I managed to not scream when my husband pulled the staple out and freed my little pinky finger from it's entrapment. It's now turning a really pretty mix of black, blue and red. Nothing a little liquid Band-Aid and a Miller Light can't fix, but I've given up for the day.
1) You cannot drill long-ways through a piece of Diamond Willow while using nothing but "hope" to ensure you don't drill out the side of the wood and into your hand. That smarts. When you think you've outsmarted this process and use your feet to hold the stick from spinning, there is also no guarantee you won't drill out and into your foot. Both things - same day.
2) If a framing nail gun feels too big and awkward while hanging from a dangerous height by nothing but sheer will and the little bit of pine pitch leaking from the 2x4's - it probably is. Don't pull the trigger back and pray that when you smack it against the wood it's going to magically actually shoot where you intended. Sorry for the dent in your car ma'am...... and by the way - don't stand under that truss because it's really not anchored as well as you might think.
3) Today's lesson (and this is a no-brainer). Keep your hand out of firing range of the 1 1/2" staples coming out of the staple gun at 120 psi. I actually managed to staple my pinky finger to the palm of my hand. Even more amazing, I managed to not scream when my husband pulled the staple out and freed my little pinky finger from it's entrapment. It's now turning a really pretty mix of black, blue and red. Nothing a little liquid Band-Aid and a Miller Light can't fix, but I've given up for the day.
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