Crazy Daze, Silly Knights

Do you ever notice that good news and bad news just go hand in hand? Well, I do have good news...I am finally gainfully employed. It only took a really, really long time, but I have a temporary job. Bad news is that it isn't in my field of choice...but it is still a job. It is amazing how many hard luck stories are out there. I could get all whiny and say how far the job is, or how much of this work I have done in the past. But truthfully, it is a nice place, the people are friendly and it is a safe environment. And so many people are out of work, how can you complain about working in that kind of environment? I do live by the idea that wherever I am is where the Good Lord wants me, so that is where I should be. Now that might seem like a strange idea to many people, especially if they are atheists. Think of it as a "Que sera, sera" as the old Doris Day song says...whatever will be, will be. (As I have been told, the song uses poor grammar in Spanish. Technically ...

For the most part, I don't really care about fashion trends. When bell-bottoms came back, I smiled and nodded. When 70s patterns became in again, I enjoyed the nostalgia. Seeing acid washed jeans again made me remember why I got rid of my own. I actually applauded when little leather jackets came back, and then the lace to go with it. I am enjoying the wedge shoes and the nice full skirts. Many things I enjoy about fashion, and I'm not even a fashionista. And when I don't agree with something, I generally don't get too worked up about it. Until now. I have a bone to pick with the anti-nylon fashion trend. I have no idea how this trend started, and I have no idea whose hair-brained idea it was to get rid of these necessary items of fashion. Yes, I said it...they are necessary for some of us. For those of you who are into the no-nylon thing...I get it on some level. They can be a bit binding and uncomfortable. You know what else they do? They also don't ma...

Take a moment and say "I love you" to someone you truly love. You never know when they will be gone. Or you never know when you will be gone, and the last words were harsh...or flippant...or rude. This moment might be the last chance you have to tell someone you love them, you cherish them, or where they fit in your life. This might be the last time you have to express the gratitude you have for that important someone. It might be a friend, a lover, a spouse, a child, a parent, a family member...or just someone who made a change in your life. It takes only seconds, but means so much more. Recently there were two people that I am friends with or familiar with who lost someone close to them. It made me think of what were my last words to the ones that I love, to the ones who have been there for me. Sadly, some of those words were not either kind, or ones of frustration and anger. In light of these issues, I want to make an effort to express myself. I can't tha...

What is wrong with kids these days?? How many times have we all heard this phrase? Personally, I have heard it a lot. I'm sure I have uttered it a time or two as well. The reality is, the phrase is misguided. Kids do not raise themselves...or at least they aren't supposed to raise themselves. It is the parents that are supposed to do that job. If we aren't liking what we are seeing in the youth of today, we should not be looking at the kids, we need to look at the people who raised them. Don't get me wrong, I am not blaming parents who have children with difficult problems. There are some kids that need extra work, trust me, I know this on a very real level. Many of these parents struggle to find solutions to the problems their children are dealing with. And my hat is off to them, and my heart bleeds for their struggles. These parents are not the ones I am referring to. I'm talking about the parents who are absent in the lives of their children and then set...

I was driving into Chicago last night. It was a nice clear night, no rain or snow and the skies were fairly clear. As I exited the Stevenson onto Lake Shore Drive, past McCormick Place and Soldier Field, I began to smile. Then when I turned onto Columbus, something occurred to me...I really love Chicago. I know it is cliche. Most people love say their childhood towns or cities. It is where our family and friends are, it is where many of our memories were born. Our own respective cities are near and dear to our hearts for our own individual reasons. So my warm fuzzy feelings toward a city is nothing new. Every time I drive down Columbus at night, with the parks to the right of me, and the city lay in the front and to the left of me, I actually say aloud (many times to no one), "Damn I love this place." It doesn't mean I like the politics, and I don't ignore the areas of the city that are neglected. But something about this city makes me skin hum. It wasn't al...

Tomorrow night will be the biggest full moon in 20 years. I know, maybe not a big event for a lot of people, but it is an event nonetheless. 20 years ago I was 3 months pregnant with my first child, my son. I had morning sickness 24/7...for all 9 months. Not many pregnant women get to experience that much morning sickness, but lucky me, I did. 1991 was an eventful year for me, despite the constant feeling of the need to throw up. It changed me into a mom, which was one of the best experiences of my life. As I think about my son now, in college and making plans for his future, I can't help but to think how fast the last 20 years went. I don't remember the full moon of that year, but this full moon is causing a bit of nostalgia. I had to look up what was happening that year, as my memory doesn't have enough room for so many details. I found a nice site that broke down that year nicely. http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1991.html When I read that gas was only $1.12 bac...

One of my favorite sayings is "Every Cloud has a Silver Lining." It's hookey, I know, but I'm okay with that. Lately, however, it seems most of the silver linings are a bit tarnished. This makes the hunt for the silver lining difficult at best, but the discovery of the tarnished lining takes away the joy of finding it. After a particularly difficult few days, I'm trying to think of a way to get my found silver linings polished. Turns out it is much easier said than done. Mostly because someone keeps pissing in my pool. (I know, another cliche, but I started this posting with a cliche, and it was lonely and invited another one along for the ride.) So what do you do when every lining you find is tarnished, not by your own doing but because someone is muddying up the waters? My only answer is keep looking forward, don't look back on it. Sure, the silver linings might be tarnished and a tad uglier than expected. However they are still silver and still wort...