tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70392274734288318612024-03-13T06:09:22.219-05:00Mom's Nag PadMom's Nag Pad is a place of support for women and moms. We hope that while you're reading our stories about our crazy lives, you'll remember yourself and pick up that dream deferred. Don't forget; you should indulge a dream!Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-6697445607863617312011-02-28T21:45:00.002-06:002011-02-28T22:16:12.989-06:00Happy Mardi Gras!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uoa0E4qZ0jY/TWxzBMx3ckI/AAAAAAAAAHI/m7q8KeJsSdM/s1600/mardi%2Bgras%2Bpic.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 99px; height: 100px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uoa0E4qZ0jY/TWxzBMx3ckI/AAAAAAAAAHI/m7q8KeJsSdM/s200/mardi%2Bgras%2Bpic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578960502852645442" border="0" /></a><br />Every year, about this time in the Crescent City, New Orleanians are enjoying and bemoaning the run up to Fat Tuesday. When you live in another state and are watching the festivities on the news, it does look like a lot of fun and in essence, it is. But we get to live the annoying part of Carnival as well; the impossible traffic, those extra days off for the kids, and those New Year's diets which are thrown off track again! The kids are excited to catch all the beads and stuffed animals which they'll play with for thirty seconds and then leave all over the living room floor.<br /><br />Still, it's one of those things that makes us unique. It's funny to realize that businesses all around the country are open except in New Orleans, and a few other places in the South. Our children are raised believing that everyone is celebrating Mardi Gras (what a horrible shock this was to those kids who lived outside New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina). When Wednesday comes, the faithful will go off to church for Ash Wednesday, and the rest of us suffering from hangovers, gluttony and fatigue, will call in sick. The trees along St. Charles and Carrollton will be dripping with beads for weeks afterwards and there will be mad scrambles for the last King Cakes at Walgreens.<br /><br />And as tired as we'll be from Mardi Gras 2011, it won't be long before we'll be thinking about Mardi Gras 2012.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-87448731439165228042011-01-01T22:25:00.002-06:002011-01-01T22:38:33.370-06:00Happy New Year!!One day in and I'm already feeling overwhelmed. 2010 definitely had it's good days and its bad days. We're starting off the year by welcoming our oldest home from her internship at Disneyworld. The two younger girls are back at school on Monday and we're all still hungover from holiday eating. I feel like I'm nesting again. I want to make a lot of little improvements to the house before I start classes again, as well as produce about ten things to put in my Etsy shop. I'd better start making lists and prioritizing before I get distracted with other projects. I hope your New Year starts out well and continues into 2012!Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-88661737030994792232010-12-26T23:07:00.002-06:002010-12-26T23:15:13.030-06:00Please make it stop!!!If I eat one more thing this holiday season, Mrs. Claus will have some competition. My husband put mini <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Twixes</span> in my stocking and I immediately put them out for company. I really appreciate what he did, but I don't need that kind of temptation. What is it about overindulging in sweets for the holiday season? It's the same mentality women employ when they're pregnant. Well, we're not eating for two unless that second stomach belongs to a cow. I've got to get back to the gym before I have to put that pesky weight loss item back on my New Year's resolution list. <br /><br />I hope all of you had a safe and happy Christmas!Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-64881015124597820542010-11-18T22:34:00.002-06:002010-11-18T22:38:42.222-06:00Thank God it's Thursday!I love to see Friday come as well, but for me Thursday is my last day of classes for the week and I get to relax. There's one more week of classes, then finals and then I have a month off. I can't wait. Remember that princess? It's almost done, thanks to my Mom pitching in. My seven-year-old is going to be the cutest Princess Tiana Disneyworld has ever seen.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-2243088531925948912010-11-12T15:10:00.002-06:002010-11-12T15:19:24.661-06:00The end of another week....I swear I thought I had three weeks. We're going to visit my oldest at Disneyworld and I've got a princess costume to make. Problem is, I've only got a week. Having just gotten past midterms (school not political) and a major paper, not to mention the five Mardi Gras costumes on my table, I'm starting to feel a little pressed for time. So, it's time to prioritize and of course, princess costume first. <br /><br />Am I the only one who is shocked that Christmas is just around the corner?Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-91539903961496122682010-11-02T15:39:00.002-05:002010-11-02T15:48:46.016-05:00Oy, what a time I've had!This is a cautionary tale for all those who ignore their blogging. As you can see I haven't posted since the beginning of June. I just had too much going on with school, work and family, so I took a break. So of course, when I wanted to come back, I couldn't remember logins, passwords and who knows what else. I don't know how I got back into my dashboard, but I did. Let's just say it was a sign.<br /><br />I've actually been stuck in bed for a while. My high blood pressure is acting up, so I'm trying to simplify. I'm taking three classes this semester, but working and blogging from home until the pressure comes down and I learn the simple lesson of not eating too much fast food. The salt in even a Chick-Fil-A meal is enough to choke a horse (and their food is supposed to be better than the rest). Suffice it to say, I'm trying to get back on track.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-52531910067862462392010-06-04T23:33:00.002-05:002010-06-04T23:42:41.003-05:00Trying to find a balance...My summer class started last week and I can't tell you how relieved I am to be taking only one course. My classmates also signed up for another class which begins right after the one I'm in. The class is an important prerequisite and can only be taken in the summer. I just couldn't do it. Five hours of class in one evening? The very thought makes me want to give up. If I've learned one thing in 48 years, it's knowing when I need to pull back and reassess and that's what I intend to do this summer. After five weeks of class, I intend to take the rest of the summer to catch up and relax a bit. I want to finish my Masters in a timely fashion, but I don't need to kill myself.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-8143896351253362722010-05-21T17:51:00.002-05:002010-05-21T17:58:38.906-05:00Last Day of SchoolAnd as promised, I took my girls to their favorite Middle Eastern restaurant. It was like one big breath we all got to take on a Friday afternoon and it was well deserved. Everyone has worked hard and now we get a week or two off before summer activities begin. Education never ends. I'll be taking one course, and there will be gymnastics camp, drama camp and ACT prep. The summer is shorter now, a scant ten weeks and I'm not sure there's a vacation in the mix until the fall. <br /><br />Still, the last day of school is always sweet.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-24613027259247055092010-05-11T16:46:00.002-05:002010-05-11T16:59:39.734-05:00Wouldn't it just be easier to work at McDonalds?I just paid $125 for a book for the summer session which lasts only six weeks. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">OMG</span>!! If the cost of education gets any higher, I might consider going to work for Mayor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">McCheese</span>. The cost of college is a constant discussion at my home, since my oldest is going into her third year, I'm going into my second, and the 17 year old has dreams of studying while lying on a beach in California. She also dropped the phrase 'law school' the other day. Clearly, she doesn't understand the phrase 'a quarter of a million dollars' either. That's a conservative estimate of what it will cost for undergrad and law school if she chooses to go to school out of state.<br /><br />So, I tried to couch it in terms she could understand; disposable income. This girl likes to shop. The minute money goes into her high school checking account, it goes out. It's not strange at all to check the balance and see less than five dollars in the account. If she gets a job in law, how much disposable income will she have, once she starts paying back those sizable student loans? <br /><br />The only time you should this kind of debt is when you're purchasing a home, someone in your family is deathly ill, or you own a business. I hope she understands this before she mortgages her future.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-26666765626379901542010-05-06T21:33:00.004-05:002010-05-06T21:53:46.190-05:00The Mother's Day Remix<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8CS3xr1qnDQ/S-OAscG17HI/AAAAAAAAAGw/Z_lP1JD82lg/s1600/100_0583.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468355873505406066" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8CS3xr1qnDQ/S-OAscG17HI/AAAAAAAAAGw/Z_lP1JD82lg/s200/100_0583.jpg" /></a><br /><div>On Sunday, I will do something for my Mom and then we'll visit my husband's Mom. She lives about an hour away. I'll probably host a breakfast or brunch for Mom, and I'll contribute a cake to the meal at my mother-in-law's house. So let's see, I'm cooking and spending the day in the car. Yes, I'll enjoy seeing these two ladies who've been so important to my development as a person and a mother, but........<br /><br />I came up with the idea of an alternative Mother's Day a couple of years ago when at the end of one of these days, I came home exhausted and my family considered Mother's Day over at about five o'clock. Needless to say, I was feeling a little let down.<br /><br />To me the perfect Mother's Day is doing what you want to do. I want to do nothing, or at least to have the option to do nothing. After doing nothing for a while, I might want to watch a movie, work in the garden, edit a manuscript, or just walk around in my pajamas all day. Being served meals in bed all day wouldn't hurt either. Twenty-four hours before the cruel reality of motherhood bites me again would be sweet.<br /><br />Now that's a great Mother's Day.</div>Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-7271135996533858922010-05-05T21:27:00.002-05:002010-05-05T21:40:03.272-05:00It's Over!!!I turned in my last exam today. Well, actually, I emailed the exam to my teacher, and then because I'm so anal, I walked a hard copy to his office. I'm starting to act like my 70 year old mother who refuses to use the ATM because she's sure someone will steal her checks. <br /><br />I remember this feeling. I had the same feeling when I passed my last class in undergrad, then walked aimlessly around the campus because I was no longer a student, nor was I gainfully employed. And of course, this euphoria will only last for a month, but as the end of the school year nears for my daughters as well, we're all just thankful for the break. <br /><br />What's next? Time to get caught up. I've got a million and one projects I'd love to get at before the summer session starts.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-69517767792709425222010-04-27T17:22:00.002-05:002010-04-27T17:28:05.435-05:00One down, two to go....Higher education in 2010 is incredible. After working hours on a take home exam, I had to upload it to two different sites for grading. Whatever happened to the days of handing a blue book to the teacher at the end of the exam? Oh yeah, that went the way of the dinosaur and the IBM Selectric.<br /><br />I was so glad to have that test over, I can honestly say I don't care if I get an 'A'. Don't get me wrong! I'd love to get an 'A' on the exam, but I'd be happy with a 'B' and 'A' in the class, if that's possible. One test tomorrow night, and another one next week, and I can take a break.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-34466726000763894352010-04-24T09:55:00.002-05:002010-04-24T10:34:31.625-05:00The Testing Season BeginsMy children have been given strict instructions. MOM IS NOT HOME THIS WEEKEND! If they speak to me, they'll get one of two responses. "I don't know you people", or "Go find your Dad". This weekend I have to work on two exams; one take home and one in class. The next week, I have a take home final as well, and then the semester will be over. Then I get to enjoy a month off, though I'll still have to teach. When you're juggling several balls at once, it's a respite when one of the balls can be tucked away. <br /><br />We're at the time of the year when everyone is ready for the school year to end. Everyone has just enough energy to make it through the next few weeks, and then there will be a final push at the end. Even now, the six year old has to prepare for those end of the year field trips and teachers' gifts. And as much as we want to the school year to be over, summer plans are being made.<br /><br />My youngest and I have already gotten into the yard and planted seeds, wildflower seeds native to our state, and we can't wait to see them come up. It's been a long winter, even for New Orleans, and a little bit of color in the yard is just what we need.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-13133921421510071242010-04-20T22:44:00.002-05:002010-04-20T23:00:40.400-05:00Is it Summer Yet?We're all hitting the wall. In three to six weeks, every student in my household will be out of school and enjoying the summer. But until then, we're holding on by our fingernails, trying to get through the last tests, finals and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">fieldtrips</span>. Right now the end of the semester work seems overwhelming at times and there are days when we just want to stay in bed and knock it out in one day, but that's not an option unless we're deathly ill. Then, of course, how much work would we get done?<br /><br />I have a month between the end of the Spring semester and the beginning of the Summer semester. I've got a lot of living to do in that time. I get to spend extra time with my kids, there are about a million projects I'd like to get to. In meantime, I've got to get back to work. See you after finals.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-21509982718228355352010-04-09T21:58:00.002-05:002010-04-09T22:16:09.165-05:00Light at the end of the current tunnel.....It was one of those weeks again. Our new dishwasher broke, a couple of the kids are sick, I had an all day conference and had to coordinate solutions to all these problems in between sessions. I felt like one of those workaholic moms who have a cellphone superglued to their ear! But I handled it. The dishwasher got fixed (it was still under warranty), my 17 year old still has a slight fever, but she's resting comfortably, and I did actually get something out of this conference. Kudos to my Mom, who came over to babysit the house and her granddaughter since I had to be away.<br /><br />I still have a hard time dealing with delegating to others jobs which were once my exclusive domain. The next two and a half years are going to be tough with school, work and family, and if I don't learn to delegate, I'll go nuts. I have to make an extra effort to spend as much time as possible with my youngest, but luckily, she's the kind of kid who can roll with the punches and doesn't mind the occasional play date or alternate pick up because I have to study. <br /><br />I'm only taking one course this summer because I have to take two trips. I could also use the extra time to catch up on some of my primary schoolwork in counseling. I want to be better prepared for the new semester.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-87538013135705672512010-03-25T23:41:00.002-05:002010-03-25T23:51:01.787-05:00Healthcare in AmericaI feel there's been a lot of irresponsible rhetoric surrounding the new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">healthcare</span> legislation out of Washington. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, I'd personally like to see how this thing shakes out. I have a college-aged daughter who takes a rather expensive medication. If she could stay on our insurance until she's 26, it would be a great help to her, as well as her family. My father died a couple of years ago of kidney failure. The last few years of his life, he lived on less than $600 per month, which of course made it impossible for him to see the doctor or to afford medications for his high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. If some type of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">healthcare</span> reform had been in place a few years ago, he might still be with us.<br /><br />The price tag is alarming to a lot of people, and I understand this, but I believe we've got to start somewhere. I don't believe the bill we have now will be the plan we might have ten years from now. Some massive effort will have to be made to correct the problems with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">healthcare</span> in America, or it will remain a system of expensive insurance for those who can afford it, and charity hospitals being used as primary care physicians for those who can not.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-6804419748102604062010-03-24T21:39:00.002-05:002010-03-24T21:59:34.301-05:00I feel like I haven't posted in such a long time, but I had a presentation in one class and an exam in another. Finally, they're both behind me and I can look forward to the weekend. I'm ready for the summer to begin. I'm tired of studying and shuttling kids back and forth. We all need a break from being stuck in the car. It's been an especially cold winter for us in New Orleans and everyone is looking forward to green lawns and flowers in the garden. I want to create an outdoor living space once the yard looks alive again. It would be nice to feel warm again. I think I'll ask for an outdoor swing for Mother's Day!Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-10628634106003208152010-03-13T20:57:00.005-06:002010-03-18T10:23:45.347-05:00If in doubt, wash it out!The "Battle of the Dishes" continues. My seventeen-year-old is nothing, if not persistent. Her overly full academic life, now the bane of her existence, is the newest excuse for doing a poor job on her kitchen chores. This child is so much like her father, it's almost <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">excrutiating</span> to watch. She loads the dishwasher poorly, not rinsing anything and placing bowls and glasses on the bottom rack, then seems utterly surprised when everything comes out as dirty as when it went in. Then, of course, there are all the dishes she couldn't get fit in like bowls and pots, which just sit around the kitchen waiting for divine intervention to whisk them clean.<br /><br />She always tells me that she plans on being rich and hiring someone to keep her home clean. This is mostly a fantasy, but hey, it's her dream to dream. Meanwhile, my advice to my darling daughter is, "If in doubt, wash it out!" The next time I clean the kitchen, I plan to photograph it and email the pictures to her. She's got to realize at some point that a clean kitchen actually involves surfaces you can actually eat off.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-74269446919346626022010-03-10T13:09:00.002-06:002010-03-10T13:20:10.407-06:00Weird Potty WomenI am ready to start a group against women who urinate all over the seat in public restrooms! I mean, seriously? This is the behavior for which we have been railing against the male of the species since the dawn of time. You don't think the first cave woman threw a rock at her mate the first time he got pee all over the outhouse! <br /><br />I saw a news report on a study which said that women's restrooms actually had more germ activity than the men's room, the reasoning being that children often went into the restroom with their mother. I think it's because some of these women are pigs. I can totally understand you not wanting to sit on a public toilet seat. For the love of God, cover the thing in toilet paper, or at the very least, wad up a piece of paper and dry the seat when you're done. Be considerate of the people who'll come after you. Restrooms for women are already notoriously guilty of fewer stalls, so why make it harder by rendering one unusable?<br /><br />I'm sorry to be on a soapbox about this, but when I went to class last night, at a college, where there were only ADULTS present, I encountered this problem, and it's just unacceptable. <br /><br />Golden Rule folks! Do unto others!Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-11917751030712443392010-03-05T21:00:00.002-06:002010-03-05T21:06:19.393-06:00I had to take a break!The last couple of weeks has been exhausting, and I guess you can see by the fact that I haven't posted in a while. Some sad things have been happening. My supervisor's husband died this morning. One of my daughter's professors also passed away, and this is really her first time dealing with the death of someone she admired. My husband took her to the visitation.<br /><br />I've also noticed a disturbing trend with my family as of late. Everyone walks into the house, goes to their room and plugs into a television or a laptop, sometimes both. Even the six year old pulls up YouTube and pulls up her favorite Miley Cyrus song. I know I should be disturbed by this and I am, but it's hard to get this family all together at one time these days. I've got to come up with something to get them to reconnect. I can't stand the idea that the next few years are going to be like this. One day I'll wake up and we'll all be strangers.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-53246759466953394822010-02-24T23:44:00.002-06:002010-02-25T00:08:04.987-06:00Back in New OrleansWhile I enjoyed the little bit of free time my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Americorps</span> conference in Pittsburgh allowed, I'm glad to be back home in my bedroom in New Orleans. Pittsburgh in February is a dreary place piled high with soot stained snow and equally damp weather. The people are very nice, and I'd love to see this city during the spring. There's a lot of history there. <br /><br />We helped out in the very first Carnegie library in the United States. It's a beautiful old gal who's been badly neglected over the past few years. Unfortunately, she's in the center of a town named Braddock, a steel town which has been hit hard by the economy. Once a town of more than 20,000, it now has less than 3,000 residents. To make things even worse, the town's only hospital closed recently, taking more jobs from this already depressed city.<br /><br />It's hard to return to New Orleans and continue to complain about the recovery. Don't get me wrong; I'm sure we'll all be complaining about something city related tomorrow. But in Braddock, there's such a sense of despair. I can't imagine any parent urging their high school seniors to stay, or encouraging their college graduates to return. The job of bringing the city back seems insurmountable, but they have a dynamic young mayor who's making an effort and as the economy of the country improves, slowly but surely, I'm hoping some good luck will trickle down to Braddock, Pennsylvania.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-33602895658495443592010-02-21T22:27:00.002-06:002010-02-21T22:44:49.997-06:00First Night in PittsburghIt was a long travel day! We had to be at the airport for eight this morning and we didn't get into our hotel rooms until seven this evening, after which we went out for dinner. I couldn't wait to get a shower and fall into bed. It's funny when you travel without your family. Of course, you miss them, but at the same time, you relish the time you'll get on your own. I can blog, read, write, or watch television without interruption. Did I mention I'm in a very nice hotel room which I don't have to clean? It can't get much better than this. <br /><br />Of course, my heart strings took a little beating when I talked to my six-year-old. She was very cheerful, her dad was struggling with her hair, and the teenager was caught in between. I know they'll survive the next few days, but the vanity in all mothers hopes they'll miss me just a bit.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-59206990586786223702010-02-16T14:16:00.002-06:002010-02-16T14:23:34.777-06:00Happy Mardi Gras!!It's a beautiful but cool day in the Big Easy. Still on a high from the Saints' victory in the Super Bowl, New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Orleanians</span> filled the streets of the city to celebrate Fat Tuesday. My hope is that this feeling stays with us for a while and that we take this positive energy and turn it into positive changes for our city. Be safe everyone and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">laissez</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">les</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bon</span> temps!Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-85278146236304206962010-02-13T09:35:00.003-06:002010-02-13T09:59:18.132-06:00February: A Crowded Month<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8CS3xr1qnDQ/S3bMTSbOLRI/AAAAAAAAAGo/8tVc_m4_NyQ/s1600-h/fleur+de+lis1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 102px; height: 125px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8CS3xr1qnDQ/S3bMTSbOLRI/AAAAAAAAAGo/8tVc_m4_NyQ/s200/fleur+de+lis1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437758231832046866" border="0" /></a><br />Congratulate us! For the first time in history, the New Orleans Saints are Superbowl Champions! While I'm not a football fan, I'm really happy for the Saints and the City of New Orleans. On top of that we have Mardi Gras, and what else? Oh yeah, today's my birthday.<br /><br />When you hit your forties, you're not exactly sure how to feel about birthdays. I'm back in school, working full time and still raising a family with all of the ups and downs that entails. The only thing I've come to realize is that I look at the beginning of each new year of my life with optimism and hope. It's always the hope that I've learned something from the past year so that I continue to celebrate the positive and try not to repeat the negative.<br /><br />So, what's on the agenda today? I plan to go to the gym and workout, and I'm told that around three there's going to be a birthday celebration of some sort. I don't know what it is, but I'm going to leave obsessive compulsive Kevin behind today and enjoy whatever it is the family has planned.Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7039227473428831861.post-31171438584115832952010-02-06T23:41:00.002-06:002010-02-06T23:53:05.918-06:00New Orleans Has a New Mayor......Mitch Landrieu is the new mayor-elect of New Orleans. This is almost as historic as Barack Obama becoming President. Landrieu is the first white mayor of this majority black city since the 70's. And as usual, everyone is now pledging to work together, just as our new President, the Congress and the Senate promised in 2009 on Inauguration Day. And as usual, they've been at each other's throats ever since. No matter what your political leanings are, don't you just get tired of it? <br /><br />There's something to be said for not having one party controlling everything. When one party controls everything, there is no incentive to work together. At the beginning, Democrats had no reason to really work with Republicans, just as Republicans had no incentive to work with Democrats from 2000 to 2006. Don't you ever wish it was really all about the voters and what's best for the country, as opposed to what's easier for politicians who are always in 're-election' mode?Mom's Nag Padhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10647654082108857012noreply@blogger.com1