text:
So Roy Keane is Paul Lambert's new assistant at Aston Villa. You'd want to be a fly on the wall for his first day in that job. Well, here's how I imagine it panned out…
Tuesday 1 July 2014: Roy Maurice Keane's plush motor pulls up in the car park of Bodymoor Heath.
The broad Yorkshire accent emerging from the car's sat nav tells him he's reached his destination. The Irishman furrows his brow and scowls.
'Shut up Mick. You've no idea whatch'ar talking about. You were a rubbish player, you're a rubbish manager and you're rubbish with directions.'
Nevertheless, the bearded rottweiler-like figure takes one last bite on his Keele services sandwich – prawn mayonnaise, since you ask – and obediently steps out of the car.
He checks his phone. Three missed calls. All from Adrian Chiles. Keane sighs. 'Leave me alone', he thought. 'I'm not going back. I don't wanna hear another incomprehensible accent mumbling nonsense about football again.'
At that moment, Paul Lambert spoke. "Roy! Great of you to come!"
'Paul. Good t'see you.' Keane's handshake was even firmer than Lambert remembered. 'Nice place y'got here,' the former Man Utd captain said as he toured the grounds.
'For the moment.'
'Nothing. Come see some of the boys.'
'So y'want me to give 'em some advice, right?', said Keane, frowning as Aleksandar Tonev's practice shots headed for the Belfry's 16th green.
'Err, yeah.', said Lambert, throwing bibs to some of the younger members of the squad. 'Lunchtime, boys, careful with the soup.'
'Mr Keane!', yelled an excitable Ashley Westwood. 'Can I have your autograph?!'
He handed the bemused but flattered Irishman a scrappy bit of paper. As he signed it, a flashbulb went off [it's a literary technique, this isn't the late 19th century].
'We wanted to have a souvenir of your visit, Roy', said Lambert as he stuffed a replica shirt into the hand of an increasingly irritable Keane, who smiled for the camera anyhow.
The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur of misplaced optimism and passes. As the session came to an end, Ciaran Clark swung his leg at a passing Libor Kozak.
'No, Ciaran, not again!', scolded Lambert. Keane recognised the miscreant, and winced.
'Did you enjoy your time with the lads?,' Lambert asked, hopefully.
'Err…yeah. It was…enlightening.'
'Great', said Lambert, with the enthusiasm of a teenage boy whose crush had agreed to go on a date with him. 'So we'll see you tomorrow?'
'Tomorrow? What? I….I didn't…' Keane's fierce tongue fell silent as Lambert unfolded the autographed bit of paper, which he could now see was headed 'Staff contract'.
The Irishman offered a weak smile, as a couple of angry golfers carrying a bag of footballs pushed past the pair. Keane sighed again.
Before he got into the car, he took his phone out of his pocket and dialled the first name in his contacts list.
'Adrian? It's Roy. Got time for a drink?'
MORE: Club Metro


text:
Human Rights in Montenegro
Updated in June 2015
Since its independence in 2006, Montenegro has adopted all relevant international human rights conventions, and has been a member-state of the Council of Europe since 2007. National legislation concerning human rights is considered to be within European standards, but better implementation is still required, especially when it comes to freedom of expression, anti-discrimination and the judiciary. Amendments to the Laws regarding the role of the Ombudsman were adopted in August 2014, which foresees a greater level of independence so as to strengthen the institutions role in combating discrimination. This will represent a significant step forward in combating discrimination and monitoring of institutions.
The situation for Human Rights Defenders in Montenegro
Generally, the situation in Montenegro is similar to other countries in the region. The Government formally supports human rights defenders and does not issue bans. However defamation campaigns are still carried out through media closely aligned to the Government and threats from extreme-right wing and religious groups also pose a threat to activists and vulnerable groups.
Ten rights in focus
The right to life and physical integrity
The Constitution of Montenegro, adopted in 2007 states "There shall be no limitations imposed on the rights: life….". With Amendments to the Law on the Ombudsman, its role as a National Preventive Mechanism concerning the monitoring of human rights was strengthened in order to make it more independent. Several cases of mistreatment of persons while in detention by the police have been reported but the processing of these cases is slow, while the number of convictions is low, proving that, although the legal framework is in place, implementation must be improved drastically. According to one of the latest judgements of European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR), Montenegro failed to conduct a comprehensive independent investigation after one of our partner organisations published a video that is showing a person being tortured while in the custody of Institute for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions
The right to liberty and security of person
Cases of mistreatment in police facilities continue to remain a cause for concern. Moreover such cases are prosecuted slowly, often without explanatory verdicts given. Montenegro's prisons are overpopulated, and prisoners experience poor health standards and living conditions.
The right to a fair trial and to effective remedy
The Judiciary remains one of the biggest weak spots since Montenegro regained independence. Efficiency of the courts is one of the major features in need of improvements. Over 4000 cases are still pending before the courts and many of them are older then three years. Roadblocks in the system are often caused by cases being moved to lower judicial instances for retrial.
The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion
The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is respected and no cases of violations have been reported although tensions are high between the Serbian and Montenegrin Orthodox Church. This conflict also questions separation of the church and state, since the Montenegrin church receives special treatment from the state.
The right to the freedom of expression
Montenegro has 16 commercial television stations, 38 commercial radio stations, along with the national public service broadcaster and 17 local public services (three television and 14 radio stations). Despite a variety of media outlets, standards when it comes to freedom of expression have been undermined by a number of threats and attacks on media outlets, journalists and media property. Serious concerns have been raised over older cases brought to the courts regarding these attacks and many have been unresolved and are in danger of being stature barred. A Commission dedicated to investigating these attacks was created in 2013 and but no significant results have come out as a result of the Commissions establishment. There are serious concerns regarding biased media reporting, which tend to support Government policies, while the media is also strictly divided across political lines.
The right to freedom of assembly and association
Podgorica held its second pride parade in November 2014, without any major incidents reported which represented significant progress compared to 2013, when a number of incidents of violence were reported. In general freedom of assembly and association is upheld and no bans were reported during 2014.
The rights to protection against hate speech and war propaganda
Hate speech remains one of the most serious issues, especially against the LGBT community in Montenegro, usually vented through traditional and social media channels. Cases were reported, especially in the aftermath of a football match between Serbia and Albania in Belgrade, when the Albanian community in Montenegro was also subjected to hate speech as a result of high tensions and riots that caused the match to be suspended. In fact, a court in Montenegro sentenced the editor-in-chief of the tabloid newspaper Informer, finding him guilty of "allowing the publication of offensive articles about the Albanians". Hate speech against the LGBT community was also used by a high-ranking Bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The right to political rights
Montenegro is a parliamentary republic, whose president is elected by popular vote for a period of five years and the Government is then chosen by the Parliament by a majority of votes. In 2014, Montenegro held local elections in several cities, including the capital, Podgorica where the ruling parties kept office. More then 850 irregularities and 100 criminal complaints were reported by organisations dealing with the electoral process. Complaints varied from violations when it came to the secrecy of the vote to alleged violations in postal voting procedures. All of the reports were dismissed by the institutions in charge without any explanation given, questioning the democratic process in Montenegro. Several incidents also took place on election night, including an attack on human rights activists in Podgorica, and an attack on a journalist who was allegedly reporting on electoral irregularities.
The right to protection against discrimination
Although a member of the Council of Europe, Montenegro does not fulfill its obligations when it comes to protection from discrimination, especially concerning the Roma and LGBT communities. The LGBT community is most often subject to hate speech, threats, acts of violence and discrimination. In December 2014 the LGBT Social Centre in Podgorica was attacked twice in one day, despite the presence of police officers. The centre has been subjected to a total 19 attacks. On the other hand, the Roma community remains underrepresented and faces prejudice and discrimination, especially concerning healthcare, housing and education.Categories: Country Reports.
Tags: Human rights.
Regions: Montenegro and Western Balkans.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Due to an increasing amount of work we are now looking for another full time pilot to fly single pilot VFR passenger charter, freight, and utility missions throughout the UK and Ireland.
PDG pilots can expect to work away from base for up to two weeks at a time (occasionally longer) and will be required to self drive to work locations.
The utility missions are:
- Powerline patrol
- Pipeline patrol
- Survey (LiDAR, hyperspectral, radar, thermal, visual)
- Filming & photography using hand held and turret-mounted equipment
Utility missions are conducted under SPO regulations and may carry risk greater than that for passenger flights. Experience of these missions is not necessary – appropriate training will be provided. They invariably involve flying with Task Specialists so good CRM is important. For obvious reasons, PDG set high standards for flying skill and personal conduct.
The ideal candidate will have 2,000 hours on helicopters, most of which will have been single pilot VFR flights in the northern European area. He / she must relocate to within 1 hour (driving) of our Cumbernauld base. An EASA CPL(H) and unrestricted Class 1 medical, a driving license with less than 6 penalty points, and the right to live and work in the EU are essential requirements. A type rating is not required (although gas turbine experience would be advantageous) – the successful candidate will be subject to a bond for any type rating provided.
Whilst much of the work is single pilot and away from direct supervision, candidates must be willing to integrate into the wider PDG team. They should have a good command of English.
Please apply to email@example.com with a full CV and an explanation of what contribution you could make to our continuing success.


text:
Reinstated After Indictment
According to CBS News, Adrian Peterson was reinstated today despite the fact that he has been indicted in the state of Texas on charges of child abuse. The Minnesota Vikings star running back has allegedly used a wooden spoon as well as a belt and a switch to spank his four year old son. He admits to doing so, stating that he was "whooping" the boy and would not hesitate to do so again to any of his children. Images, which can be seen here show the marks and open wounds which were left on the child.
"Punishment" for Pushing A Sibling
As explained by Raw Story, Peterson "whipped" his four year old son because the boy had pushed another of Peterson's kids off of a video game. The father proceeded to cut a "switch" from a tree, strip the leaves from the switch, stuff the leaves into the child's mouth, made the boy remove his pants,and repeatedly hit the boy, leaving "cuts and bruises to the boy's back, buttocks, ankles, legs and scrotum, along with defensive wounds to his hands." The wounds were documented by the boy's doctor.
"Confession" Made in Text Messages
Included in the police report were images of text messages between Peterson and the mother of the boy. In those messages, Peterson says, "You'll be mad at me about his leg." He added that he "felt bad after the fact when I notice the switch was wrapping around hitting I (sic) thigh." He also texted, "Got him in nuts once I noticed. But I felt so bad, n I'm all tearing that butt up when needed! I start putting them in timeout. N save the whooping for needed memories!" He shared with the boy's mom, "He got about five more pops than normal. He didn't drop one tear! So that was another indicator I'll have to try a system with him. Smh he's tough as nails."
The boy told the police that he was afraid that his daddy would punch him in the face if he told them what happened. He admitted that Peterson had hit him in the face before. The boy also stated that Peterson likes to use belts and switches and has a "whooping room."
Confession, Arrest, and Release on Bail
Peterson also admitted that the marks on this boy were similar to marks which he has left on his other kids. According to CBS, Peterson told police that he considered this to be a "normal spanking, not excessive." He stated, "To be honest with you, I feel very confident with my actions because I know my intent." He went on to say that he would never "eliminate whooping my kids … because I know how being spanked has helped me in my life." Peterson said that he was not upset with the child's doctor because, "I have nothing to hide, but I also understand when a child has marks like that on his leg, they have to report that."
Crime and "Punishment"
After turning himself into the Montgomery County Texas Jail, Peterson gave his statement, was processed, had his mugshot taken, and was then released on $15,000 bond. The star athlete was allowed to enter through the side entrance, and was in and out in half an hour. Soon after, the Minnesota Vikings deactivated Peterson, and he was not allowed to play in Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. According to a recently-revealed NFL policy, players must be suspended for at least six games for their first offense, however, the punishment may be stronger if the abuse is against a child or children. However, the New York Times revealed today that "The Vikings announced Monday that Peterson, whom the team deactivated for last Sunday's 30-7 loss to New England, would practice this week and play Sunday at New Orleans."
Double Standard in the NFL?
The owners of the Vikings, Zygi and Mark Wilf, told CBS news that the decision to reinstate Peterson came "after significant thought, discussion, and consideration." They added, "To be clear, we take very seriously any matter that involves the welfare of a child. At this time, however, we believe this is a matter of due process and we should allow the legal system to proceed so we can come to the most effective conclusions and then determine the appropriate course of action. This is a difficult path to navigate, and our focus is on doing the right thing. Currently we believe we are at a juncture where the most appropriate next step is to allow the judicial process to move forward."
Too bad for Ray Rice that due process wasn't adhered to. He was suspended indefinitely after video was released which showed him hit his wife after she had allegedly spit at him, slapped him, and was rushing him in an elevator. Rice has since been to counseling and the couple are working things out between them, yet the NFL felt it necessary to suspend him based on their domestic-violence policy. One man was fired for being involved in a fist fight with another adult. Another man was not fired for beating a child. What determined the punishments in these situations?


text:
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758787711878700332019-05-17T23:47:25.724-07:00You Don't Have to Like MeLife isn't a matter of milestones, but moments. -Rose KennedyThe Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-81449555745573610142011-12-28T22:26:00.000-07:002011-12-28T22:26:51.882-07:00He's Decided to Be All That He Can BeYou know how you get caught up in the craziness of life, to the point where you sometimes forget that not everyone is living it with you? Or how you make so many updates on Facebook, that you neglect the poor blog you started as the original update location? Well, that's how it's been here.

The biggest thing right now? The Teenager enlisted in the Army.

Yes, I know the original plan was the Navy. But after three attempts to get an ASVAB/AFQT score high enough for them to take him, he decided that maybe they weren't quite the right fit for him.

You will note, however, that he didn't give up altogether. Oh no. Not this boy. Man. Whatever. No, he just went shopping for the branch that WAS the right fit for him. He found that with the Army. And so he took the physical. Signed the paperwork. Swore the Oath. Chose a career. Received a deployment date for basic training. He made it completely official.

My starter baby is leaving me in just a few short months. He is leaving me, to go learn how to protect and defend all of you.

And I honestly believe I just may be more proud of him for this decision that I would have been if he had received a full-ride athletic scholarship to the college of his dreams. Well, if he'd ever dreamed of colleges and not the military. Apparently, he IS going to be living his dream. Or at least, setting forth on the path towards it. Regardless, I AM so ridiculously beyond proud of him.

This may sound silly, but it occurs to me that this is one more thing in his life that we get to do together: learn to be Army Strong. He as a soldier; me as a soldier's mom.

This is what he will be spending a very large chunk of his time in. Only, you know, a real tank that's not made out of Legos.
The Sports Mamahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-19096317371157909942011-12-09T12:03:00.001-07:002011-12-09T12:06:26.007-07:00Someone Needs to Publish a Puberty For Parents HandbookMom, we can have this conversation, but you can't look at me. Just….look at the TV, ok?

And that was how Bug and I started the conversation about his very first kiss. Which hadn't happened as of last night and that conversation we had where we weren't looking at each other, but most likely has happened by the time this post is up and you're reading it.

He informed me that he's going to do it. He's going to kiss his girlfriend today. He's got a plan.

A plan?

Yes, Mom. A plan.

And really, it's a brilliantly simple plan. After school, he's going to take her around the building to somewhere there are no teachers (Because PDA will get me in trouble at school, Mom)….and kiss her. Simple. His brother agreed; it was a pretty good plan.

When asked if he was sure, was he really ready for this since he hadn't been comfortable with the idea with previous girlfriends, he assured me he was. As long as he could get her around the corner where no one was at.

Because really, Mom…I just don't want to do this with everyone watching.

So it was set. He had it all planned out. This first kiss thing should go off without a hitch. Until this morning….

Just one last question, Mom. How, exactly, do you kiss a girl?

::blink blink::

To my credit, I recovered quickly. I'm not even sure he was aware of just how big a loop he just threw me for. But all of those recovery brownie points go flying out the window in the face of what I told him. Because, really…I have no idea how to kiss a girl. And I don't remember agonizing over how to kiss a boy, either. So I told him it would probably be a lot like kissing me, except on the lips; and that he could practice on his hand a couple of times. Oh, and don't pucker up like a fish.

If I wasn't so sure that once it's started kissing becomes fairly natural, I'd really worry that I'd just completely doomed him to a kiss-less lifetime. As it is, I have to hope that it goes smoothly enough to not leave him distracted. He's planning on doing this right before tryouts for the school baseball team today.

I'm still not sure what I was wishing him good luck on as I backed out of the driveway….the kiss, or tryouts.

The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-64498951360457346692011-10-18T16:49:00.000-07:002011-10-18T16:49:16.487-07:00Perspective Makes All The DifferenceEvery year, it's the same battle.

A battle with the school, to make sure his 504 Plan is reevaluated and updated. A battle with the teachers, to hold them accountable for following his 504 Plan. A battle with Bug, to actually do the homework we've gotten accommodations for.

Then compound all of that with sports.

Every year, it's been a lot of the same thing. At the beginning of each season, I meet with his coaches and explain what makes Bug…Bug. I offer advice on what works best, and what doesn't, in keeping him calm and upbeat. I give each coach a run-down on the physical signs to watch for, in order to better ward off the emotional breakdown that follows each one.

This year, though? This year is going to be different.

For starters, Bug told me at the beginning of the school year that he didn't want to use his 504 Plan this year. And although he wasn't able to convince me to give the thing up entirely, he did make some valid contributions to this year's modifications. When pressed for why he didn't want to use it? He's just tired of being treated differently. He wants so badly to fit in, just the way he is.

Now, I would like to say that I'm such a fabulous mother that I instantly realized that I should apply that same logic to baseball. However, apparently I'm a little bit slower than instant.

Bug IS on a new baseball team. We've known the coach and a couple of the boys for some years now, and we've always been impressed. This coach is amazing, and has a definite affinity for working with young athletes. Plus, he lives and breathes baseball, so he knows what he's talking about when he directs them. So when an opportunity came up for Bug to try out for this team, we jumped at it. And Bug made the team. (This is where my new found knowledge would have kicked in. You know, had I actually been able to claim it.) As I said, we already knew this coach. So there was no need for the "conversation". We didn't need to give him any pointers; he knows my kid well.

So I sat back, and watched. Watched how Bug interacted with the other boys on the team, and how they interacted back. Watched how he played, and how he handled himself when something in the game wasn't going his way. And even though I could see how well he was doing, how much his self-esteem had improved, how much greater his self-control had gotten…well, it wasn't until he made this comment to me that things started to click in my head.

Mom, you know why I like this team so much? I fit in. Just the way I am; I fit in. No one is pushing me to see how far they can go before I lose it, and they all just encourage me. I fit, Mom.

And yes, I cried at that.

But my true A-ha! moment came last night. Bug had been called by another team in our club, and asked to fill in for one game. The manager of this team has also known Bug for years. The difference, though, is that ALL of the other boys on the team have also known Bug for years. Which means they've all witnessed at least one very public meltdown during a game. The significance of that finally sunk in last night. Or, more accurately, the significance of the fact that almost NONE of the boys on his actual team had ever met him before August.

In a normal game, each of Bug's teammates can be heard at various times in the game cheering him on or shouting some kind of encouragement; all based on that game's performance and how awesome they all believe him to be. Last night was different. Oh, the boys on that team all encouraged him, it was just…not the same. Last night was more like how I used to encourage him when he was younger. "Keep your head up! Don't let it get you down!"

It occurred to me last night that maybe one of the biggest reasons he's doing so well on this new team and making such strides in mastering his self-control? Is that not one person on that field is waiting for him to fail.

They're excited about watching him succeed.

The Sports Mamahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-73382445786483348902011-10-12T23:12:00.000-07:002011-10-12T23:15:34.802-07:00Busy Isn't Busy EnoughIt's the nights that are the hardest, I think.

I talk to him several times throughout the day. I play Words With Friends on Facebook with him. I text him frequently. We send each other pictures of life in our separate parts of the country. But at night, after the chaos of dinner and homework, baseball and dishes; when the boys are in bed, and it's time for me to head that way....I find myself at a loss.

When Coach first took this job driving over the road, we were certain we knew what we were facing. Of course, we also thought we were looking at a schedule where he'd be on the road for a couple of weeks, maybe even three, and then he'd be home for three days. We soon realized that wasn't the schedule that would bring in the paycheck that we need after his long sojourn in the Land of the Unemployed. So we stretched his first couple of "away from home" stretches to a month. Then six weeks. Then eight weeks. After all, if the wheels aren't turnin' the driver ain't earnin'....

And I managed to keep busy. Work, baseball, trying to help the Teenager find his path. Liberally lacing my days with phone conversations with Coach. The boys would call him for advice. I'd call him and let him know stupid things, like the kitchen sink was clogged but I figured it out; or ask for advice on how to take care of something or other.

But then.......bedtime would roll around, and I would find myself starting some other activity closer and closer to the time I should be heading to bed. I'd pick up a new book, I'd start a game of Angry Birds. Before long, I'd simply be too tired to even keep my eyes open any longer, and then I'd fall into bed.

People, I'm averaging about four hours of sleep a night. And I think that might be a generous estimated average.

As much as I love not fighting for the covers, or feeling like I'm sleeping with my own personal full-body heater....I don't like going to bed without him. We've been married almost 19 years, and I suddenly find myself actively avoiding my bed. For goodness' sake, it's after eleven now; and I sit here, wondering how long I can type before there's just too many words for this to be even remotely worth reading.

The nights are definitely the hardest, and I hate feeling lost in my own bed.

The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-41980984710074487302011-10-11T18:03:00.000-07:002011-10-11T19:57:40.052-07:00The One I Forgot to Title Until Three Hours After I Posted ItThis little space here is almost always about my boys. About life with my boys. Rarely do I just talk about me. And because I don't do that often here, when life is … well, life… and it seems to be focusing more on me than them? I have to work to justify writing about it here.

Because regardless of what some alternate opinions are, and even some circumstantial evidence to the contrary, I really….REALLY….work hard at not making it all about me.

But……

Sometimes, despite the overall situation being about me, I'm fortunate enough to be able to see something in there that shows my amazing offspring to advantage. And there you have it. My justification for writing what I'm going to write.

I've talked about the fact that Bug struggles with Bipolar Disorder. I'm one of those parents who believes in using every possible tool available at my disposal to help him along his journey, as he learns how to control this disorder and integrate it into how he lives his life. That includes medication for him, and I'm totally on board with that. We've been fortunate enough to have doctors who don't over prescribe, and who actually listen to me when I talk to them about how it affects him. And really, Bug has been fairly successful in learning to recognize when he's headed towards a downward spiral, and works on getting through that with minimal collateral damage.

So, why is it he's so successful? Well, I'll tell you. It's because his mama is Bipolar, too.

The biggest difference between his struggles and mine is the medication. Oh, sure….I've had a lot more years to learn how to work with mine; but I've been slugging through mine without the benefit of medication. Not because I don't believe in it, because I obviously do or I wouldn't have my son on medication. But because at one point, the choice was literally "His medication or mine?" And naturally, his won. Now that we're headed back to a point where I might be able to medicate us both, it's absolutely something I'll be talking to my doctor about. Especially after "that night" last week.

That night found me walking away from a pot of boiling water on my stove and sitting in my room in the dark, in tears, for no good reason that I could think of. That night heard me asking my sons to please not argue about one single thing, because mama was at the breaking point and I wasn't able to recognize exactly what would be the shattering point. That night saw me explaining to Bug that I was feeling exactly how he does when his body feels itchy all over and like it's going to break into a thousand different pieces if just one thing touches it. That night prompted my beautiful boy to come hug me anyway, and offer to make dinner so I wouldn't have to. That night witnessed both of my boys to just come hug me anyway, trusting that I wouldn't shatter into pieces so small that we'd never find them again. That night witnessed thoughts in my head going 'round and 'round, wondering what God possibly could have been thinking of, giving a mom like me to two amazing, wonderful boys like them?

I still don't know what He was thinking, because I honestly don't deserve them. But I'm more grateful than those boys will ever know.

The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-58582530432996296672011-09-22T23:45:00.000-07:002011-09-22T23:45:22.307-07:00Buy Me Some Peanuts and CrackerjacksI love baseball season. I love almost everything about baseball season. Almost.

(Do I even need to clarify that I'm talking about BUG's baseball seasons? Because as much as I love me some Colorado Rockies -- they hold a special place in my heart since their inaugural season was happening when the Teenager was born -- Major League Baseball just doesn't hold my attention in quite the same way.)

I love hearing the crack of the bat.

I love watching amazing, miraculous, no one's ever gonna believe it catches.

I love hearing the cheers when he throws a ball from deep in center field, and it lands perfectly in the catcher's mitt.

I love watching him fit in with boys who forgive him his quirks, because they see him as valuable and just an awesome kid.

I even love watching him as he watches his teammates, because it's showing me that he's learning to pay attention even when the focus is not on him.

What I don't love, though? Baseball dirt. I don't love how it takes beautifully white pants and makes them orange. And as amusing as it is, I'm not even overly fond of how it takes my handsome boy and turns him into an Oompa Loompa.

Very much like Pig Pen, actually, by the time the game is over.

But, mom.....baseball dirt makes everything taste BETTER.

Give up, mom. You're never gonna get it out of there. Besides, I don't want you to. I like it. Seeing all of that orange ground into the white? Really makes me feel like I'm doing my job out there, and doing it right.

*sigh*

Did I say I didn't love baseball dirt? How can I not, when it has the power to give my baby another piece of himself back, when he struggles so hard to hold onto all that he can?

The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-30017519045803300322011-09-16T19:08:00.000-07:002011-09-16T19:08:29.141-07:00Not My Best DaySo I've been wondering a lot lately about what I could blog about. Between Facebook basically having a permanent vacuum tube firmly lodged in my brain, sucking out my thoughts and using them as status updates before they even have a chance to extend themselves into fully formed blog posts; and my boys growing up to the point that the rest of the world might possibly be seeing more of them than I am.....well, I haven't felt like I've had much to share. Or worse, I get a fabulous idea.... at one o'clock in the morning, when I'm laying in bed unable to fall asleep but too lazy to get up and make my way to the computer to get it all out and on here. I've even entertained thoughts about posting something about MYSELF.

Oh...the shame. *hanging my head*

However, when something happens that just spins itself out of control in my head? That's the story you get. You can thank me later.

Yesterday was ..... well, it sucked. It sucked great big fuzzy donkey balls. I know I don't really talk about my job here on this little blog, and I don't really intend to start now. But the Great Suckage that was yesterday can totally be laid at the feet of what I do for a living. I had to do something that isn't pleasant on the best of days, and yesterday wasn't the best of days. The situation ended with a Very Upset Person throwing an entirely full bottle of *what we're repeatedly saying in order to convince myself its true* water at me; dousing my hair, face and clothes. Followed up by being attacked by the same Upset Person's Evil Cat.

Who knew that being doused by an unidentified liquid and acquiring a scratch on the back of my hand when fending off an Evil Cat would necessitate being sent to the clinic for a "Work Related Injury"? And that said injury and subsequent clinic visit would result in a forced vacation, because company policy dictates that ALL work related injuries require a drug test be completed and the employee can NOT return to work until the test comes back clean?

On the positive side, I got to take my very first breathalyzer test, and I didn't even need to abandon my vehicle on the side of the road and sport some very attractive and shiny handcuffs to do it!The Sports Mamahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-62609070135333504782011-08-25T15:50:00.000-07:002011-08-25T15:50:54.584-07:00Internet Porn and Happy Blogiversary to Me!I'm sorry to tell you, at least one of those things will be ongoing until my boys move out and have their own computers to violate. And it most likely will not be my blog. Wait.... my blog will still be here. I talk too much to ever entirely shut this down.

Seriously, though, having boys...well, having boys that are captivated by the more interesting and visual aspects of human anatomy... the internet porn thing will be ongoing. BUT... here's how I address it with my boys. And it generally curbs the activity for some time.

First, I make Coach leave the room. There is a part of most dads, no matter how moral and upstanding they may be, that is always 17 years old. That part of them would rather high-5 their son and make their own google-eyes at the screen. That part? Is not a helpful parenting partner. It's very difficult for them to talk about responsible Internet surfing, when their testosterone-laden brains are sidetracked with the thought, "Oh wow.... who cares if they're real? They're SPECTACULAR!", or with "Huh. Wonder if my wife can put HER ankles behind her ears?". So yeah. He gets to leave. I hate to reward him that way, but it really makes things easier.

Then I remind the boys that as embarrassing as it is for them to be hearing their mother say anything at all about naked bodies on the computer, it is equally embarrassing for me to be saying it. But since they chose to use MY computer to look, they get to listen to ME. This produces enough eye rolls that they are usually relaxed enough to talk seriously. So I take that opportunity to reassure them that it IS normal to be curious, it IS normal to push the boundaries I've laid out, and it IS normal to already be planning how they can do it again.

But then I also remind them that it is EXPECTED that they RESPECT the fact that it is a FAMILY computer. I ask them how they think their grandmother, or young cousins, would react if they sat down at our computer screen to play a game or open an email, and instead got a pop up of someone popping open? I have found that putting my children in the position of reflecting on how their actions can spread out and affect someone not actually in our immediate family works well. Let's face it. They don't care how it affects each other, and they live to embarrass and shock their parents. But grandma or the 5 year old cousin? Suddenly things aren't quite as exciting.

And, being no dummy, I frequently and with no warning whatsoever, check the history and the cookies on my computer, and call them out on it if something IS found. :) And then I tell them that I don't care which one of them it was, EVERYONE loses computer privileges if it happens again. They police each other then, and I usually get between 2 weeks and 6 months of "clean" computer time.

Poor Bug, though, when the Teenager moves out. With him gone, and dad never really home, there will be no one else to blame.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And? Today is apparently my Blogiversary! I *think* I've been doing this for about 4 years now. Wow. I would ask "Gee, who knew I had so much to talk about?", but then everyone who knows me would start jumping up and down, saying "Me! Me! Me! I DID!!!!", and that would cause such a rumbling that people from California to New York would think it was some very odd, very troubling earthquake happening. So, since I do NOT want to be the cause of any sort of major mass hysteria, I'll keep that question to myself.

Besides.... it would be redundant, anyway. After all, I knew I had this much to talk about. It's why I talk about it, after all. The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-41408831244906050232011-08-12T22:57:00.000-07:002011-08-12T22:57:54.748-07:00How I Spent My Summer Vacation....Okay, so school technically started about three weeks ago. And fine, I'm not even the one in school. Whatever. I'm still going to uphold the fine tradition of English teachers across the nation, and write about my summer vacation.

My starter baby, my fake-it-til-you-make-it introduction to parenting, graduated from high school. After a lot of late night anguish over homework, stomach aches over girlfriends, Snoopy happy dances because of football games and track meets, and more tears than can ever be counted. And all of that was on my part! But we got him there.

And then he had the nerve to turn 18. He's a big boy now, and able to make big boy choices. And apparently able to withstand big boy pain. After several years of talking about it, many design and design alterations; after getting my solemn pinkie promise to not only go along with him, but to get one of my own; I celebrated the 18th anniversary of 18 hours of hard labor-the worst pain imaginable (well, had I not been under the most awesome influence of a superb epidural!) by getting a tattoo with the Teenager.

My baby, my Bug, decided that this would be a perfect time to venture into his own teenage-hood. He turned 13 this year. I'm still not sure he's telling me the truth about his birthday. I mean, I was there for his birth. And I'm certain it happened only a few short years ago.

This was also the summer I got to remember being 18 again. My 20-year high school reunion. As corny as it sounds, it truly was like no time at all had passed. I walked into the room, squealed when I saw my favorite people on the planet from 20 years ago, ran into hugs that simply defined Best Hug Ever, and the last 20 years melted off of each of us. And in my case? 100 pounds went right along with it. I could pretend, for 72 hours, that I was just as I was then. Fortunately, my friends went right along with that alternate reality. There is a reason I love them.

And while that experience may be the highlight of my trip home this summer, it can possibly be topped by the journey there and back. Road trip with my boys!! We spent 14 hours, each direction, laughing and singing along in the car. We talked, about girls and life after high school. And we argued over who got to eat the last licorice rope. Had that stubborn Teenager not cheated by sticking them all in his mouth and sliding them back out again, covered in his slimy germs? I totally would have won that argument, too.

Back home again, and time was running out. We still had so much to do, and not a lot of time left. In true-to-myself fashion, Bug and I fulfilled one of my promises to him in the Go Big or Go Home style we try to embrace here. He had been begging me to dye his hair purple since before school even got out in the spring. Finally, as I was wandering the hair color aisle at the grocery store, fate smiled upon my boy. Fate in the form of the ONLY box of purple hair coloring left on the shelf. Only after I got it home and in his hair did I check to make sure it was a temporary dye, and is supposed to come out completely after about 24 shampoos. I'm not entirely sure he's using shampoo every morning in the shower, as there is still quite a bit of purple still in there.

And finally, we came to the end of our summer. School started in three days. Was there even time to fit anything else in? Honestly....who did they think they were dealing with?

Night Ranger. Foreigner. Journey. We saw them all in one night. No matter that the boys really had no idea who Night Ranger was. That portion of the concert was really more for me. But when Journey took the stage? Both my boys (and a couple of extra teenagers I'd picked up for the fun! Mouse and another friend of the Teenager's) were on their feet for the entire set, dancing and air-guitaring their way through song after song. In the rain, because is there a better way to enjoy lawn seats to an amazing concert?

I don't think I realized just how amazing my summer truly was, until just this moment. It was so .... full .... and I didn't even talk about Bug's last All Star baseball experience (beyond amazing!), or the soul-soothing visit with my own mama while I was home for my reunion.

Oh! And did I mention I got a fabulous new haircut?

Huh. Maybe all of those English teachers really do know what they're doing when they ask for these essays, after all.

The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-20314899699259244342011-08-06T19:29:00.000-07:002011-08-06T19:29:56.825-07:00They Pretty Much Have Me Wrapped Around Their Fingers.....And They Know ItI had it all planned out. The Teenager was going to be out until late. Bug was spending the night at a friend's house. I was deciding between a few different things for dinner, and taking my time about it since it was just me. I was going to rent a movie; most likely one of the chick flicks that I've been wanting to see but never get to, living as I do in the House of Testosterone. It was going to be a fairly close to perfect night.

So, naturally, when I answered my phone the first question I heard was, "Hey, Mom... can (insert any random Friend in here...it's always the same question, only the names change) spend the night?"

Well, damn, I thought. There goes my night. Now I'll have to feed someone other than myself, and they will most likely take over my living room, playing some stupid StalkShootKill game, leaving me in the den with that stupid TV that I can't enjoy a movie on even if we did have a DVD player in there. I could just say no.....

And I was right. I *could* just say no. Any bets on what I actually did say? No? Yeah, that's cuz you all know I'm a big sucker. Of course I said yes.

Because while I might complain about being stuck in the den with the TV that turns all pictures a lovely shade of orangey-yellow, I can't help but remember one little fact about myself.

I'm a procrastinator. And what I'm putting off til tomorrow is Empty Nest Syndrome.

So, yes. They can have their friends stay the night. They can play those stupid video games. They can even beg me NOT to make spaghetti, just because it sounds good to me. They can disrupt my quiet evening as much as they think they're able to. That's right. Bring on the noise!

Because I'm just not ready to face every weekend without it yet.

The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-10008513222058034792011-07-30T22:02:00.000-07:002011-07-30T22:02:56.282-07:00This is SOOO How I Feel Some Days

The Sports Mamahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-48531323539338562932011-07-11T00:14:00.000-07:002011-07-11T00:14:02.420-07:00Parental Fail"Mom, I gotta tell you something, and I'm calling you because you'll freak out less than Dad. I got in an accident."

"Are you SERIOUS?"

"Yeah. I backed into someone."

"You're not kidding? You really hit someone?!?"

"Yes, I did. And it's not helping that you're YELLING AT ME!!!"

*big, deep breath.....much calmer tone of voice.... because, drat it all, he was right...I was yelling, just a bit*

"You're right. I'm sorry. Are you ok? Is anyone hurt?"

From there, he proceeded to tell me exactly what happened, and I was able to walk him through exactly what to do. No one was hurt, the owner of the other vehicle seems to be a very nice young man, and we're hoping to get this taken care of with minimal fuss. A busted taillight and a dented bumper for each vehicle. As far as accidents go, this one's a cake walk. Heck, both...yes, that's right...BOTH of my brothers backed into MY car when they were both in high school. Or, perhaps more correctly, they each backed OVER my car when they were in high school.

Still, I can't help but feel like I totally hosed a defining parental moment.

His first fender bender, and I didn't react the way he needed me to. I didn't believe him at first, and wasn't calm until he reminded me that he needed me to be.

Do I at least get some bonus redemption points for asking about him first, rather than the car?The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-89673201036794350712011-07-03T17:37:00.002-07:002011-07-03T17:37:00.614-07:00A Daughter Wouldn't Have CaredA three day weekend. Nothing to do but be lazy. Don't even need to get dressed if I don't want to. I was soooo looking forward to that. And then...the Teenager ruined it.

We've had a long standing agreement, he and I. He would warn me if he had friends walking in the door, and I'd make sure I was wearing a bra when they did. After all, I'm just a little too endowed, and gravity has taken too cruel of a toll, for me to run around in front of teenage boys with no bra on. I don't recall if it was started at his suggestion or mine, but it has worked very well for us. No embarrassment for anyone.

So here I sat, being lazy, and I hear him holler at me..."Mom! Put a bra on!"

Damn. Friends are coming over.

I know that at one point, what I wanted most out of being a mom was having the house everyone loved to come to. I wanted all of their friends to be so comfortable with me that they'd all call me "Mom" and just walk in my front door. And they do.

It is possible, though, that I didn't think this through very well. I didn't take into account that I would really, really, really want to spend a full few days with no restricting underclothes on.

Having daughters might have been easier, since I wouldn't have to worry so much about boobs and how they'd be worried about, but it would have been nowhere near as entertaining as having sons.The Sports Mamahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-82639294688859514622011-07-02T17:12:00.000-07:002011-07-02T17:12:53.634-07:00Do You Remember?It was like my yearbook came to life, and for three days I was 18 again.

My high school reunion was last weekend. Twenty years. How is that possible? Wasn't it yesterday that I was slamming my locker shut, running down the hall and ducking into the choir room because I decided at the last minute to ditch math class (again), and didn't want to get caught? Didn't I just walk out of the lunchroom, carrying the most fabulous breakfast burrito I can ever remember, and walk backstage for some performance or another? And I'm fairly certain that it was just last week that we were all hanging out in the Homecoming King's barn until the wee hours of the morning.

We've all changed. We've all grown up. We've all become responsible adults and contributing members of society. (Well, most of us.) And yet, for three days, we were all those 18 year old kids who didn't know how to worry about anything beyond tomorrow.

As we walked into the bar on Friday night (okay, so that may be one benefit to being older....) one by one, looking around for a familiar face, it was amazing. Someone would call out a name, everyone would look, there would be some squeals (yes, fine, that was me...), a lot of "How have you BEEN???", and some of the best hugs ever hugged in the history of hugging.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, hugs quite like an old friend.

Each time I'd look at one of these people that I had loved so much back then, I didn't see their faces or bodies as they are now. I saw them as they were then. Every new conversation started with "Do you remember me?" To which we would hear, "Of COURSE I remember you!! How could I NOT?"

Not a single conversation lagged. Not one awkward moment was experienced. Not even one minute of transition. It was like the last 20 years simply wasn't there. Friendships picked back up. Flirtations were continued. And we were all left wondering why we'd let it all slip by us.

Later that weekend, when Bug asked me if I'd been popular in high school, it got me to thinking. No, I don't think I was. At least, not by the typical definition. But looking back at my high school years, looking back at my reunion weekend, I have to say this. I may not have been "popular", but I was loved. And remembered.

In my eyes, that counts more than having been popular. Popularity fades. Love? Well, it picks right back up where it last saw you.

Even with twenty years in the middle.

Senior Year

20yr Reunion

The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-63416350358786653782011-06-12T21:22:00.000-07:002011-06-12T21:22:17.201-07:00The Sounds of Silence...Not What They're Cracked Up To BeAs I sit here typing, from the next room I can hear the sounds of five teenage boys of various teenage years combined with the sounds of Call of Duty in various stages of gunfire. There is a lot of gunfire. There is a lot of shouting. There is a lot of trash talking going on.

There is a lot of camaraderie. There is a lot of laughter. There is a lot of memory making happening.

There is a lot of everything that makes my life perfect.

I wonder sometimes what life will be like after the Teenager leaves for the Navy. I know that my grocery bill will be less. Wayyyy less. I know that my electric bill will go down. Not as drastically as my grocery bill, but still. I know that I'll have more time and money to spend on Bug and his activities. And all of this is good. Really.

But it will be so .... quiet.

On the plus side, there will be a lot less arguments when I decide to play my 80's music. Loudly.

Very loudly.The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-52645991532289205182011-06-09T00:05:00.001-07:002011-06-09T00:05:01.388-07:00I Must've Blinked SomewhereSo. This is it. You're 18. Finally.

In your eyes, it's taken so incredibly long to get here. In mine, I can't seem to figure out how all the years sped by so quickly.

Eighteen years ago, my everything changed. Permanently. My life, my world, my body. Because let's face it, there is just no way to carry a baby for nine months, go through labor and delivery, and look the same. Ever. Even if you are one of the lucky ones, and manage to fit into your pre-pregnancy clothes, your body will still never be the same. It will be forever changed.

So it seems oddly fitting that today, on your 18th birthday; the day we are celebrating your move from child to man; that once again you are the cause of a major and forever sort of change to my body. Because today, I get to fulfill yet another promise made to you; a pact we made together. You design it....I'll do it. That was the whole of it.

Well, you upheld your end of the bargain. Now it's time for me to uphold mine. Today....we are getting our first tattoos together.

I am scared spitless. Needles and I? Have not ever been on good terms. So when you look back on your life, and you see all of the things we did together that created the memories you see? Give a little bit of extra brownie points to me for this one, okay? Apparently, there truly isn't anything I won't endure for you.

Happy 18th birthday to you, my oldest son; my starter baby.

We've grown up together, kiddo. And I don't think either of us has turned out too shabby.

I love you to the moon and back,

MomThe Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-70105144326573011722011-05-30T18:08:00.000-07:002011-05-30T18:08:48.736-07:00Where Do We Go From Here?I have no idea.

Sure, he's headed into the Navy later this fall. And sooner than that, he's headed into a job, God-willing. At least for the summer. (He's been warned....no more school + no more sports = no more of Mom blindly supporting his life.) But where does life really go from here?

I have suddenly become the mother of a son I don't get to lead into the decisions he should be making. (Yes, you can feel free to translate that into "control". I won't take offense. I can't...it's true.) Although, truth be told, he was never one for blindly following my suggestions, anyway.

We had a discussion last night (and by discussion, I really mean that I tried talking to him while he busily texted various friends, and made what I'm sure he deemed appropriate grunting responses in reply to my words), where I admitted to him that I knew he no longer had to actually ask for permission to do things and go places. And never one to waste an opportunity to further instruct my offspring in the ways of respect and courtesy, I also reminded him that this did not mean he could stay out til all hours of the night, going God only knows where and doing God only knew what with God only knows who. Because while God knew, I wouldn't, and he still lived with me in my house and not with God in His.

All the while, I was reminding myself in my head to be verrrryyyy careful not to utter this phrase: As long as you live in my house, you will..... (fill in the blank)

Because I remembered that the last time I heard that, I moved out of my parents' house and in with the Teenager's father. And while that may have eventually turned out well....it's been a rough eighteen + years. I do NOT want that for my child. So I will continue to be vigilant in not uttering that phrase in his hearing.

But what I'm really wondering is not so much where does HIS life go from here, but where does MINE go from here?

Before too long, it will be just me and Bug. And while most of the time he seems to enjoy my company more than his brother does, I'm not fool enough to believe that he'll willingly suffer my hovering for long. For so long, my life has been almost exclusively filled with my boys and their activities. With the Teenager no longer contributing to that, I'm feeling a little lost. I've only got Bug for another 5 years, and I discovered the hard way with the Teenager that that is a very short amount of time that goes by entirely too fast. With Coach now over the road and only home for a couple of days every few weeks, it's looking like it's time to figure out who I am underneath the Mom uniform. The only thing I know for sure that I like doing is reading, and I really do know that it would not be a good idea for me to retreat entirely into a world of books. I'm a little daunted by the prospect of finding new aspects of myself.

And if I'm being honest.... I'm a lot freaked out, too. The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-90474002701138867322011-05-27T13:16:00.000-07:002011-05-27T13:16:17.945-07:00My Thursday Night Was Awesome....How Was Yours?

The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-1708197252600159162011-05-21T16:39:00.000-07:002011-05-21T16:39:59.116-07:00Less Than A Week....Five days to go....

If I let myself think about it too much, I turn all weepy. Of course, that makes him roll his eyes and laugh at me, but that's normal.

I am so, so, so proud of this kid. Kid? No, this young man. This amazing person who has gone from adorable baby, to precocious little boy, to snarky teenager, to this mature adult in training.

We got through his first words, first tooth, first step, not knowing, really, where those steps would take him.

We got through elementary school with no worries, not a single thought about how close this day actually was.

We got through Jr. High without realizing how that was preparing him.

We got into High School, and thought this day was on the distant horizon. We pushed through English classes, math homework, football games, baseball games and track meets.

And now we're here. Well, almost here. Just five more days.....

I am so proud of you, and I love you so much. I can't wait to see where you head next.The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-5054255059522430482011-05-08T00:42:00.000-07:002011-05-08T00:42:34.083-07:00It's True Because He Said SoAccording to my youngest son.....

"Mom, being raised by you....well, I like some pretty cool music. Jimi Hendrix. Bon Jovi. The B-52's. You know, cool stuff."

He's also the son who will go out on a date night with me....to see a cartoon movie. And as we sit through the previews? Keeps saying "Next time, Mom, you and I will go see that one. Ooh...and that one! And THAT one!"  Which is why he and I will be seeing the new Winnie the Pooh movie when it comes out, as well as the Smurfs Movie.

As we're sitting at dinner, he tells me "Mom, we should do this every other week. And I say every other week, so that we can make sure and go to awesome places like this each time, instead of not-so-awesome places in-between times."

And in the car on the way home, after our evening is finished, this is the son who tells me "Mom, I had fun tonight hanging out with you. It was epic!"

It's good to know that cartoon movies and the B-52's are still considered cool. Even better knowing that I'M still considered cool enough to enjoy them with.

The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-28634957895514914712011-04-29T16:18:00.000-07:002011-04-29T16:18:22.623-07:00Its All Part Of The Adoption PackageHere's the way I see it. If, as a friend of my son, you are going to call me "Mom"...well then, you are giving me all rights and privileges associated with that title. Pride in your accomplishments. Disappointment in your poor choices. And when told that one of your classmates is suddenly an expectant parent, questions like this:

Seriously. How hard is it to use a condom every time? Tell me you use one, Every.Time.

And also, if you're calling me Mom, you really should be prepared for me to continue on with that lesson in responsibility for at least another ten minutes. And you should expect me to reference things like genital warts and herpes, and you should expect to hear statements like "This is your penis. This is your penis with warts."  And you really, really, REALLY should expect me to say "Wear a condom EVERY SINGLE TIME!" a minimum of 2,358,903,884,954 times.

Because if you're old enough to be having sex, then you're old enough to be having sex responsibly. And if embarrassing conversations with me about condom use is what it takes for you to remember it? Well, you asked for it when you gave me pseudo-parental rights by calling me Mom.

Consider it my parental prerogative. So don't act surprised when you come home from college on break in a few months, run into me at the local Wal-Mart, and I ask you again if you're wearing a condom EVERY TIME.

Just know that you are loved enough for me to continue drilling that into your hormone-riddled brain for as long as you are a part of my son's life. And then some. Because parental love, even the love from pseudo-parents like myself, doesn't stop just because you've graduated from high school.The Sports Mamahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-50490705044744619282011-04-25T14:32:00.000-07:002011-04-25T14:32:06.124-07:00Borrowing WisdomI try, I really do try, to make sure that every word written here is solely mine. Well, unless I'm quoting someone who is way beyond wiser than myself. But then, I make sure to give credit.

It's not often that a comic strip can be considered beyond wiser than myself. Beyond wiser than people in general, actually. Especially since the very premise of a comic strip is to make you laugh, not think and reflect.

There's always an exception, though, isn't there? For me, its Zits. Maybe it's where my life is right now; maybe it's where my kids are in my life right now; or maybe it's specifically where the Teenager is in my life right now. Whatever the reason, this one comic strip just....speaks to me. Constantly. Daily. With every frame illustrated. And more often than not, I end up weepy. *sigh* Happened again this morning.

Graduation? Is kicking my butt emotionally.The Sports Mamahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-15491691590598570972011-04-14T21:56:00.000-07:002011-04-14T21:56:34.785-07:00Ready or Not.....

Here it comes.....

Five short weeks to go.

I look at this picture, and I see so many things. I see how ridiculously happy and excited he is. How proud of himself he is. I see him at five years old, at twelve, and now at *almost* eighteen. I see that little boy who crawled into my lap every night, for one more snuggle; and the teenager that lays his head in my lap almost every night still, asking for one more back rub. I see that brand new teenager, struggling to understand enough of the class to do his homework; and the young man who has learned how to push himself to succeed, giving up so much to better himself scholastically.

He is one of the most amazing things I have ever been a part of. He is beyond awesome. And in five short weeks, everyone who knows him will get the chance to celebrate just what a wonderful, amazing, awesome and just plain cool young man he really is.

Hey, Teenager? If I haven't told you lately? I am more proud of you than you will ever possibly realize, and more thankful to God for giving you into my care than I ever believed I could be. You are the epitome of strength of character, endurance of spirit, and beauty of soul.

Mama loves you, baby. The Sports Mamahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-46293581711706964202011-04-07T16:21:00.000-07:002011-04-07T16:21:47.715-07:00I Know Every Mama Says It, But In My Case...It's TrueI've always believed that I have awesome boys. A lot of that belief is just being a mama, because I'm sure at some point, someone else has NOT believed I have awesome boys. And although I try to be all that is nice and friendly on a near-constant basis (Shush! Yes, you...shush! That includes YOU...shush! I am nice.), I have to point out that those someone elses that don't believe I have awesome boys? Well, they're just wrong.

In the week since Coach has been gone (and I'm doing better than I think anyone gave me credit for, thankyouverymuch.....but check back with me next week. Could be a different story...), the amount of stepping up that my boys have done is just .... cool.

No more arguments about bedtime. (I just go when I want to... haha!)
Dishes just seem to get done, no procrastination witnessed.
Dogs get fed. Actual dog food, not just what they find left out on the coffee table.

I tell you, it's awe-inspiring.

The Teenager, though....now HE'S really impressive. With dad gone, we figured Bug would feel it the most. After all, much like I've been the constant in the Teenager's athletic life, dad's been Bug's. He's been coach and private instructor, cheerleader and feedback-giver. And he's been to EVERYTHING. Now, all of a sudden, he's not there. So yeah, we know he's going to feel that absence a little stronger than the Teenager will.

But.....

The Teenager is picking Bug up from track practice after school. He's taking him to baseball practice, and sticking around to watch and help out. He's at every game, cheering him on. He's the first one to reach him after the game, to congratulate or commiserate. He's making sure Bug eats before games and practices. And he's cut wayyyy back on deliberately picking arguments with his little brother. (Can't give up EVERYTHING fun, can he?)

As an added bonus to what I know to the depths of my soul is a great kid? He decided to make dinner the other night. He planned it, he made sure the main course was thawed the correct way. He even waited to tell me about it until he discovered he couldn't just surprise me, although he did plan on having it ready when I got home from work. And before you think it was just something easy like ramen or Shells-n-cheese, allow me to impress you. Grilled salmon, Parmesan pasta, and veggies.

We are going to gloss right over the debacle with the bad charcoal that would never light, necessitating informing me of his plans so that he could ask me for money to go to the store for good charcoal that would light; and we're going to ignore the part where he was playing with fire around that bad charcoal that would never light, which ended up in some asteroid sized sparks flying around with a smaller one landing on his favorite shorts, burning a little hole in them. We'll also turn a blind eye to the part where mom ended up texting dad with a picture of the grill, trying to make sure there was enough charcoal in there; there wasn't, so I added some. No, what we'll do is get straight to the end result. A fabulously tasty meal of grilled salmon.

Perfectly grilled, I might add.

The Sports Mamahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-275878771187870033.post-4559937502845064392011-04-05T08:41:00.001-07:002011-04-05T08:50:49.760-07:00Awesome. Just Awesome.

Check in at the Greyhound satellite terminal located about 25 minutes from our house.

Find out that this trip includes a four hour layover. At a terminal located only an additional 20 minutes from our house.

Get on the stupid bus anyway, because that's how transportation was arranged and there was no way to just skip this step and catch up with the bus in four and a half hours.

Finally, after hanging out for hours at the second terminal, get started on the road!

Thirty minutes later, wouldn't you know it? The A/C on the bus pukes out. Can't be fixed quickly, so onward it rolls; no air. For the remaining seven hours of the trip.

And that, my friends? Is how Coach began this new adventure he's on. This adventure called A NEW JOB!!! Yes, after two years of being unemployed, my man is working again!!! This bus ride took him to three weeks of training, for a job that will have him gone wayyyy more than he's home. But....A JOB!! There are times and situations in life that you just have to deal with something sucky because it gets you to other things that aren't sucky. This is one of them. Coach not home=sucky. Being able to afford things like graduation (ugh--there's that word again!), gas for the car and air conditioning for the house in the hotter-than-the-fires-of-hell summer of Arizona=NOT sucky. So? We deal.

Big big BIG thank yous to everyone of you who prayed for us, kept your fingers crossed, sent positive energy our way, and danced naked under the moon. It paid off, and means more to us than you'll ever know.

I'd say let's all stop with the naked moon dancing now, except I've found it's rather enjoyable. I might, however, save it for those four nights a month Coach will actually be home.

This was taken ON the craptastic bus ride. Looks like fun, right?
The Sports Mamahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Officer Kopkage tapped on the door and pushed it open. The office was bright, not as big as he had expected but still well appointed, functional. The furnishings were simple, to one side a row of filing cabinets stood to attention and to the other, a comfortable sofa took pride of place next to a large window which looked out onto a low stone veranda.
"Mayor Troy?" Kopkage entered the room and made his way towards the light oak desk which was as functional as the rest of the office. Large but simple, not overly indulgent like some he had seen. On one side, a pile of files were neatly stacked. On the other he noticed a small tabletop ornament, a gold plated plinth which supported a mast extending vertically. From the mast hung a red flag which bore a white cross. Kopkage wondered what it's significance was, he did not recognise it.
But he did recognise the subject of the photograph in a small gilt frame next to the flag. The penetrating blue eyes, the short black hair, the almost smile. The mercenary, Reavy. So the rumours were true, Mayor Troy batted for the other team. He let his eyes be distracted by Troy's long blonde hair, the shapely figure under the sober business outfit, the hint of cleavage. What a waste!
The Mayor's voice jerked Kopgage out of his reverie.
"It's not often we are visited by the NFPD." Hyle offered a welcoming hand across the desk.
"I am Officer Kopkage. Thank you for seeing me." He replied and shook the offered hand gently.
Officer Cupcake?. Hyle bit hard to conceal the grin which threatened to escape and ruin her 'official' demeanour. She overided the urge to chuckle. "So how can I help you, Officer Kop..kage?" She bade him take a seat opposite her. Kopkage's attention was stolen again by her ice blue gaze. His official mind grabbed his wandering thoughts by the tie and jerked him back to work.
"So!.. Yes!.. Umm." Kopkage blinked hard. "A few days ago a scavenger brought a car wreck into New Flagstaff. Judging by the mess inside we discovered the former owner had met a grizzly end, Quite literally. We found bear hair, items of blood soaked clothing, and so on and so forth."
"Sadly a common occurrence." Hyle raised a questioning eyebrow.
"True, but the scavenger found the driver's papers. One Henning Mortensson. We are trying to trace any next of kin."
"I still can't see the relevance." Hyle's statement was curt.
"Mr. Mortensson was a former employee of The Ranyhyn Company. Owned By Miss Hanne Berg."
Hyle nodded. Kopkage went on.
"Miss Berg is currently in Hope Springs Clinic. The protocol demands we need your permission to make any enquiries in Hope Springs. As you know."
Hyle paused and scribbled a few notes onto her notepad before returning her attention to the policeman.
"You are quite correct Officer Kopkage. Thank you for observing the protocol." Hyle paused for diplomacy sake and drew another breath. "As far as I understand, Miss Berg is in a coma."
Kopkage nodded.
"But, should she regain consciousness. I will ask Doctor Troy to let me know, and I will be in touch." Hyle smiled politely.
Sensing his allotted time was up, Kopkage got to his feet, thanked Mayor Troy and was heading for the door when she stopped him.
"Did you know Henning Mortensson was Hanne Berg's father?"
Kopkage turned. "Er, No!" The news came as a complete surprise, Kopkage wondered why Dwight Frye had not mentioned this fact. Meanwhile Hyle had decided that this nugget of information was all she wanted to give to the NFPD. She certainly didn't want to extend the revelations as far as Silja's relationship to Mortensson. Hyle nodded confirmation, the nod also conveyed that the meeting was over.
When Kopkage had closed the door, Hyle scribbled a few more notes down and called Tuki.
- Hyle Troy's blog
- Log in or register to post comments
- 626 reads
((Tuki has only ever trusted
((Tuki has only ever trusted one policeman.
Stick with me kid and you'll be farting through silk.


text:
The problems displayed by individuals with dyslexia involve difficulties in acquiring and using language–reading and writing letters in the wrong order is just one manifestation of dyslexia and does not occur in all cases. Other problems experienced by dyslexics include:
- Learning to speak
- Organizing written and spoken language
- Learning letters and their sounds
- Memorizing number facts
- Spelling
- Reading
- Learning a foreign language
- Correctly doing math operations
Not all individuals who have difficulties with these skills are dyslexic. Formal testing is the only way to confirm a diagnosis of suspected dyslexia.
*From the International Dyslexia Association. www.interdys.org


text:
What Is 3D Printing?
3D printing isn't magic, it isn't technology from a futuristic world, instead it's a way to create your ideas in an amazing way!
"3D Printing" is an all-encompassing term used to describe a technology that was developed around 30 years ago. There are a number of different types of 3D printing technologies.
- FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) – A type of technology that relies on applying layer upon layer of material by melting the materials at varying temperatures in order to liquefy them to create the layers.
- SLS (Select Laser Sintering) – Uses a laser to fuse small particles of different materials together to create shapes in a 3D space.
- SLA (Stereolithography) – Uses a UV light or laser to cure a resin that is applied layer by layer to create a 3D object.
3D printing uses a multitude of materials that change on a daily basis. Some of the most common materials are:
- Plastic – ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) or PLA (Polylactic Acid)
- Powdered materials – plastic, silicate, metal
- Wood-like, rubber-like, nylon-like
Printing Your Part or Idea
3D printing relies upon the creation of a 3D file created from many different types of software. The most common software applications are typically Computer Aided Design programs. The models are constructed in these software programs and then exported into file printing types like .stl and .obj. The files are then "sliced" in a program and sent to the printer to make the part!
What can The 3D Printing Store do for you?
We can lead you through the entire process from printer and material consult, to project design and final print. We have a talented staff to help you print your ideas®, today!


text:
At Gu Ma Jia, we pride ourselves in providing dedicated service and quality food. As such, we only cater to 1 customer per day for any buffet catering, to ensure topmost quality in the food we are serving. For any of your special occasions or events such as Birthday Celebrations, House Warming, Baby Full Month, Company Grand Opening or Launches, Trainings / Seminars, Wedding Reception. Consult us to make your event a memorable one and book your buffet with us!
Whatsapp us now! https://wa.me/6583550476, email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 62852023 to enquire.
Order your baby full month celebration buffet and dessert table from Gu Ma Jia today!
Terms & Conditions
Ala Carte Order
- Delivery within 3km – delivery charge $5, min amount to deliver $30
- Delivery above 3km – delivery charge $10, min amount to deliver $100
- Delivery to Tuas or more than 25km – delivery charge $15, min amount to deliver $120
- Delivery to Sentosa – delivery charge $30, min amount to delivery $120
- Delivery to areas affected by ERP – additional $8
Bento Order
Min. 7 packets, min 15 packets
Within 3km – 7 packets
- Delivery Charge $5
3km and above – 15 packets
- Delivery Charge $10
Tuas or 25km and above – min. order $120
Approximate 17 packets OR 15 packets + other dishes worth $15
- Delivery Charge $15
Sentosa – min. order $120
Approximate 17 packets OR 15 packets + other dishes worth $15
- Delivery Charge $30
Choice of Meat
- Choice of same category min. 3 packets
- Choice of the same category per order – 4 types
Buffet Catering (Faith, Hope, Love)
- For 20-25 pax, a surcharge of $2/pax is applicable.
- No surcharge if order is without complete table layout.(20-25pax)
- Complete Tables Layout with Skirting & Chafing Dishes Full Set of Disposable Ware and Serviette
- Delivery Charges $45.00 per trip per location for all districts. Additional $12 for ERP area.
- Free Delivery for min. 100 pax. Min. multiply of 5 persons for increment.
- This package is not entitled for member's discount .Rental : Stool $1.00 / pc,
- Extra Table with skirting cover $10.00 per pc, Skirting $10.00 / pc, Chafing dishes and trays $15 / set
- 50% Deposit is required. No refund will be made 4 days before delivery date.
- Prices subject to GST.
- Additional cost is chargeable for areas with no lift landing/ loading & unloading bay, Commercial Building Car Park.
- Gu Ma Jia reserved the rights to change the dish to another equivalent value without prior notice.
Mini Buffet Catering (Faith, Hope, Love)
- Buffet for 20 & 25 pax only. (With an increment of minimum 5 pax thereafter)
- $2 surcharge is applicable for 20 & 25 pax (With full table set up and burner).
- Delivery charge $45
- Gu Ma Jia reserves the right to amend any terms and conditions without prior notice.
Reservation Policy
- Please note that the holding time for table reservations will be 15 minutes. All guests have to arrive before we assign the table to you.
- Should all your guests arrive after 15 minutes, the reserved table will be released to the next customers in the queue.
- We will our best to assign the next available table.
- On weekends and Public Holidays, reservation for tables is limited to minimum 5 pax and above.
- For groups of 4 and below, strictly no reservation, appreciate that you join the queue.


text:
The Obamas' New Dog Instantly Made Twitter Cuter
In a brief escape from a politically charged summer in which the president has taken to Twitter to discuss topics such as health care, immigration reform, and climate change, the newest presidential tweet offered a lighter tone. The Obama family announced the newest addition to ira family via Twitter on Monday.
Sunny, a female Portuguese water dog, is the first presidential dog to be announced on Twitter. She joins Bo, also a Portuguese water dog, who was a gift to the Obama family from Senator Ted Kennedy and his wife upon the family's arrival at the White House in 2009.
The Obamas are partial to the hypoallergenic breed because it won't affect their daughter Malia's allergies. The White House followed up with a blog posting, saying, "Sunny was born in Michigan in June 2012, and arrived at the White House today...Sunny is the perfect little sister for Bo — full of energy and very affectionate — and the First Family picked her name because it fit her cheerful personality."
The first family has taken special interest in its pets. Earlier this month, first dog Bo was airlifted to Martha's Vineyard to join the Obama family on vacation. The Obamas made a donation to the Washington Humane Society upon taking home their newest addition.


text:
Thursday, 9 September 2010
**Big Big Secret**
18 comments:
- kjjc said...
oh come on. Can't stand the suspense. Spill spill spill.
- 9 September 2010 at 17:14
- Piddawinkle said...
got my saving head on already, Ive get a very good idea and it will be brill and i will have to be there, come hell or high water :)
- 9 September 2010 at 17:45
- Helen said...
OK, there goes the credit card -to hell with the cost, lol!!
- 9 September 2010 at 18:34
- Lynne K said...
Hmm. Very special guest tutor....who could that be, not the great, the one and only Mr TH by any chance....??
- 9 September 2010 at 18:42
- Artyjen said...
As I said over on Leandra's place...put my name down right now.....please...pleaseIf I have to drive all the way to Glasgow I'll do it :)
xoxo Sioux
- 9 September 2010 at 18:57
- Doone said...
i DONT CARE
who IT is
I come to see you and leandra, and jo and karen, and linda and lyn(who always seems well tanned)
was goning to try to coem in May but I suspect it will be impossible; to get aplace...
- 9 September 2010 at 19:25
- Karin said...
Put my name down please :-)
- 9 September 2010 at 19:54
- Chatterbox Chum said...
You really do know how to tease ....if it's not the good Lord T then maybe it's a big big man with a white beard and a red outfit flying over over Olney in a sleigh filled with goodies whilst sprinkling good will and cheer all over the land.
- 9 September 2010 at 20:19
- mustavcoffee said...
Guess I could be wrong but I'm not alone in thinking what I'm thinking :) xx
- 9 September 2010 at 20:20
- Kay said...
Hah! Well I intended to come to one weekend next year anyway (I always want to come to both but can never afford it) so I'll be there whoever it is. Like Doone, I come for you guys so I don't need any extra incentive.
- 9 September 2010 at 20:22
- Linda Cain said...
I'm guessing it's "the Master" himself. The "New Boss". I knew I should have been born in England!!!
Green with Envy in the Red, White and Blue!
- 9 September 2010 at 20:48
- Donna said...
OMG....Do you mean the one and only???????????
All I know is that I WILL be there!!
Please tell us when....pretty please........................:)
- 9 September 2010 at 21:33
- Val said...
Put my name down RIGHT NOW!!!
- 10 September 2010 at 02:04
- Gabrielle said...
Oh My! Think i have just worked it out (with a lot of help from the other commenters!!!) Please put me down too! How incredibly fantastic - no wonder you've been bubbling with excitement!
- 10 September 2010 at 13:14
- Dallying Debz said...
Now that's what I call design team privileges!
Very very excited, so I hope devoted ACers get first dibs :)
- 10 September 2010 at 13:45
- Sarah Somerset said...
woah there! no really! that would be just brilliant, if it was you know who!
- 10 September 2010 at 15:05
Oh! WOW!!! it has to the the man himself = swoon!!!! You and Leandra certainly deserve his endorsement for all you do for all us crafty followers. I am a full time carer so cannot get away overnight, otherwise I would be booking right now - and both venues!!!!
- 10 September 2010 at 15:31
- Pat said...
WoW........Put me down for a seat and the saving has started. Sadly I had to miss it this Fall.
- 10 September 2010 at 16:44


text:
Schools in some states have started to categorize e-cigarettes as drug paraphernalia, instead of tobacco products, according to the Associated Press.
Students caught with e-cigarettes in these schools are punished more harshly than those found with regular cigarettes.
Most schools treat e-cigarettes like tobacco products, the article notes. Students found to have the devices are generally punished with detention and a letter home, and sometimes a tobacco education class.
Some schools consider e-cigarettes to be drug paraphernalia because they can be used for illegal substances such as marijuana. In these schools, students found to possess e-cigarettes can face long suspensions. They may be required to undergo drug tests, and can have possession of drug paraphernalia marked on their school record.
States where schools treat e-cigarette possession more harshly include North Carolina, New Jersey, Washington and Connecticut.
"Our goal is to reduce access and discourage use on campus," said Sarah D'Annolfo, Dean of Students at The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, a co-ed boarding school. This year, e-cigarettes fall under the school's drug and alcohol policy. Students caught with an e-cigarette could be suspended for a week and receive a mark on their record. "It definitely sparks conversation within the school community about e-cigarette use and the possible dangers and the possible benefits," D'Annolfo said. "That conversation alone is a hugely important learning opportunity."
The latest Monitoring the Future study, an annual survey of teens, found more teens now use e-cigarettes than traditional tobacco cigarettes, or any other tobacco products.
It was the first national study in the U.S. to show that teen use of e-cigarettes surpasses use of tobacco cigarettes.


text:
Friday, 21 March 2014
Day 42
It's been a long week, even tho we had a lot of cancelled classes its the halfway week of my trip so I've been a little homesick. We had some people over for dinner and they talked to me about Canada, I'm starting to get the hang out french conversation and I can pretty much keep up. Tomorrow I'm going down town to go shopping with Clara and a friend or two, I might pick up some clothes and maybe some makeup so maybe I'll put a little haul on my other blog: http://beautydaily-makeupbeauty.blogspot.fr so if you want to see what I get check it out!
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Tisha B'Av with R. Goldie Milgram - The Purpose and Power of the Lament
The Aquarian Minyan and Co-sponsors Chochmat HaLev and Kehilla Invite You to Join Us for Tisha B'Av with Rabbi Goldie Milgram Location: Chochmat HaLev, 2215 Prince Street, at Fulton Street, Berkeley $20. $10 for members of Aquarian Minyan, Chochmat HaLev, & Kehilla. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Monday, July 31, 7-8:30 pm Sacred Study: The Purpose and Power of the Lament
As humans we express our suffering by lamenting--with tears, with cynicism or humor, with silence, with a shrug, or a sigh. Our Jewish culture embraces the lament with our music, our prayers, our sacred texts, and the wisdom of our sages. In this workshop we will study the Trauma-Healing sequence developed by Dr. Barry Bub as a way to understand the anguished How(l) of Eichah, the Book of Lamentations chanted on Tisha b'Av. Then, we will partner with each other to create a stanza of our own laments and see what emerges.
Until 8:13 pm "The Meal of Separation" will be available during the learning above.
Tisha B'Av reveals something believed to be inseparable that became separated. The Meal of Separation consists of a glass of water, a piece of bread, and hard-boiled egg dipped in ashes and is a traditional prelude to this day of mourning, and fasting for those who are able.
8:45-10:00 pm: Candlelight, Contemplative Tisha b'Av Service
with Reb Goldie and community leyners: Sara Shendelman, Reba Connell, Renna Khuner-Haber, Len Fellman, Sophie Miron, Tsvi Bar-David
We will continue with this day's traditions within the Jewish cycle of spiritual healing, with a contemplative service by candle light which includes chanting of Eichah, the Book of Lamentations.
Suggestions: Fasting? Have your regular dinner before arriving. Bring something for sitting upon the floor and a flashlight to read by. Dress simply. Chairs will be available for those who need them.
Rabbi Goldie Milgram serves as Dean of Reclaiming Judaism's Institute for Jewish Spiritual Education, and the Maggid-Educator Ordination Program, a three-year distance-learning program for Jewish educators. A specialist in the field of Jewish spiritual education, she is best known as the "rebbe-on-the-road," for her travels world-wide as a seeker and teacher of Torah and other Jewish spiritual practices.. Most recent, among her many books and articles, is Seeking and Soaring: Jewish Approaches to Spiritual Guidance and Development. (www.ReclaimingJudaism.org)
Reb Goldie last visited the Aquarian Minyan in 2005, and we are very excited to welcome her back.
2215 Prince Street
Berkeley, CA 94705
United States
|Member - Aquarian Minyan, Chochmat HaLev or Kehilla
|$ 10.00
|$ 20.00


text:
Flawless Flashback Friday: American Idol 2011December 19, 2014
Another Friday, another awesome flashback. It's time for Flawless Flashback Friday!
April 15, 2011: Rihanna gave an absolutely remarkable performance of "California King Bed", her 4th promotional single from her 5th studio album Loud, at the American Idol. This particular performance is without a doubt Rihanna's most underrated live performance ever, in my honest opinion of course. Her vocals were on point and her attitude during the performance was both sexy & queenly. As for her outfit, she wore a stunning Carlos Miele gown that looked breath-taking on her. You can watch her performance and get your wig snatched below.
Hair? Flawless. Dress? Flawless. Vocals? Flawless….Ok this isn't a Beyonce fansite let me stop. She looked and sounded flawless and I honestly can't believe WHY and HOW could I neglect this performance for so long. I remember last watching this performance a couple of years back and I remember not really liking it, But now that I've watched it after so long I'm totally in love with it! Let's say Thank GOD! for Flawless Flashback Friday, shall we?


text:
Lower School
A Message from the Head
In the Lower School, we have a motto that simply states, "Be honest, do your best, and help the other fellow." It is not only a motto, but a way of life at Landon.
Boys feel free to take risks here. They know that the Lower School is not a place of perfection, but rather a laboratory of learning, a place where boys can learn from their mistakes and be better young men. Boys treat failures and successes as equal opportunities to learn and grow.
Our teachers share the same approach. They are more than teachers; they are also coaches and mentors. They are dedicated to helping our students master lifelong learning skills through the values of teamwork, perseverance, honor and fair play.
We also ask the boys to become involved in service to others. The Lower School has an active Student Council that fosters empathy and allows all of our boys an opportunity to give back to the community. Lastly, everyone feels welcomed and supported here. This sense of belonging happens through a combination of small classes, sports every day, and an appreciation for all boys participating in Band, Strings, or Chorus.
I encourage you to visit the campus and experience for yourself the pride and the camaraderie that exist between our faculty and our boys. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Randall P. Bednar
Head of the Lower School


text: A mother who sleeps with her 20 year old son, and her 10 year old son at night time. Every time the mother lays down, whether in bed or on the son, one of the two son's always joins her. The mother comes home from work for an hour lunch, and immediately goes into her son's bedroom and lays with him. The youngest son, sleeps always with her at night. I don't think that anything sexual is happening, but I think that it is immoral. And also the destruction of understanding between mother and the male child.


text:
Sign up for our newsletter:
What people say about our newsletter
"I am enjoying your newsletter. Especially the article on the renminbi — after reading Paul Krugman's column in the NYTimes." — Meryl S.
"Thank you for keeping me informed of your articles. I have been following it with great interest, as Chinese economy is expanding exponentially each year." — Kyongmi A.
"Bravo! You did it with great style given the reviews." — Jeannine A.
- 1Share


text:
Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Retail Price: $16.99
Overall Rating: 8/10
Genre: High-Fantasy, Romance,
Sarah's J. Maas' chilling and amazingly good start to her new trilogy, A Court of Thorns and Roses, was mind-blowing. I loved it so much and it had me hooked til the very end! I cannot wait til the next book comes out. If you didn't know before, I did not enjoy Throne of Glass that much because it didn't tick any of the boxes for me but this series definitely did. I can't wait to follow it, especially since this is the first book. It's a lot more romantic, action-packed and filled with lots of fantasy, than the Throne of Glass trilogy. I highly recommend it if you loved The Mortal Instruments, Lunar Chronicles and The Infernal Devices.
A Court of Thorns and Roses, is a young-adult romance and fantasy novel that is a blend of "Beauty and The Beast with Faerie Love". In the novel, we follow the story of Feyre, who is merely a poor teenage mortal human. Everyday she hunts animals to feed the mouths of her unrespectful family but one day, as she ventures through the forest she takes the live of a mythical animal. Killing comes with a price and she is taken by faeries to an enchanted court, where she falls in love with her captor, Tamlin. Falling in love with someone so dangerous and daunting, is a fine line for Feyre to walk on.
A Court of Thorns and Roses is a novel that will grab readers into a world of love, faeries and fantasy, that will keep them up for nights finishing this twisting, yet beautiful book. Pre-order in your local bookstore before it hits the shelves!
A Court of Thorns and Roses was beautifully written and each sentence told a thousand stories in them. Sarah J. Maas is a truly talented author. Each chapter was amazing and the ending and beginning was beautiful. There are times where novels have amazing storylines but have been badly written, but A Court of Thorns and Roses had an amazing plot and was still beautifully written.
Feyre was a very unique character and underwent extensive character development through the book. At times, she was reckless and ignorant, which put me off but by the end of the story she was extremely strong and it was easy to put my self in her shoes. I could clearly see why she made the decisions she did, which made it a very enjoying story. She is very much like a fairytale princess but she wasn't whiny and reminded me of Mulan, who I really respect. I loved how she put others first, like her family who she desperately wanted to save.
Tamlin was also a very unique character, who at first I disliked due to his quiet nature but I grew to like him. He treated Feyre really well and like Feyre, really put the safety of his people first. He shared a lot in common with Feyre, even is he was a High Lord, so it wasn't a surprise when they fell in love. It really annoyed me how Tamlin was kind of ignoring Feyre when she was trying to save him in Amarantha's cave but by the end they were they cutest thing. I was so shocked when I discovered he had a curse laid upon him, like the Beast in Beauty and The Beast, and I was frustrated when I discovered that all Feyre had to do to break the curse was to say "I Love You". That is what made it so magical and fairytale like which I really liked. Their relationship was really well developed and thought-out.
I highly enjoyed and loved the world-building and you can easily tell that a lot of thought and work went into creating it. It didn't take too much memorising like Throne of Glass did but maybe that is because I loved it and devoured it. I really like how there were different kingdoms and how there was queen who laid a curse among her people. It was set up like a fairytale but it still kept many of the elements of the young-adult genre. It was really good had they still had humans in the world because it made the story a little more relatable to the reader's which I believe is an important element when it comes to young-adult fantasy novels.
It didn't really have heaps of humor but it was sufficient enough because I think the atmosphere didn't suit loads of humor. The action was great and there were many smart twists, which made the story very intriguing. The ending was beautiful. I loved how Feyre had to show her love by going through the three stages and answering the riddle (Just on a side note, a kind of guessed the answer to the riddle and I got it correct 🙂 ). I can't wait to see how the next book plays out the rest of the story because it didn't really end on a cliffhanger but there were a lot of unanswered questions. I am really excited to see how Feyre and Tamlin's relationship will develop and whether or not Rhysand will affect it and turn it into a love triangle. I want to see how Feyre copes as an immortal queen and also what happened to her family.
I am super pumped for the next book and I can't wait for you guys to read it! What did you think of the book? Share your comments and thoughts about the novel in the comments!
Thank you so much to Bloomsbury for sending this to me!