Answering the "What is a roadie" question.

If you ask me, the hotness in the middle

of that fine looking group of ladies

could carry my guitar anytime.

Wrecked Ho, a new family member, and a little Designing Women

The Tahoe is down for the count. After a young man ran a stop sign and plowed into my beloved HOE I am now driving (courtesy of the fine folks at Shelter Insurance and Enterprise Rent A Car) a brand new Dodge Town and Country mini van. I have always sworn that I would never have a mini van, since Cliff is very anti-mini van I doubt if that ever changes, but this thing sure is one sweet ride. I'm just about ready to go get a "If this van's a rockin' don't come a knockin'" bumper sticker.

Tuesday night we took a drive out to Sam Parr so Cliff could experience the joy that is the rental mini van. Jack talked the ENTIRE time. He complained, he asked questions, he had observations, he just was going non-stop (Cliff says he gets it from me???). After driving through Sam Parr Cliff bet Jack that he could not make it back home without saying a word. Jack made it about 50 feet. He gave him a second chance and even sweetened the deal with $20.00(a pretty safe bet). Jack shocked us and made it all the way from the wye to our house silently. $20.00 was his.

Yesterday Jack and I were discussing his plans for his money. He wanted to buy a rocket ship or some clothes. I suggested that maybe he give part of his money to another kid who does not have as much as him. Jack was shocked to learn that some kids go to bed hungry and might not even have toys. After much thought Jack was willing to give up $7 of his $20.

I had read on another blog about Compassion. A Christian organization that allows you to sponser a child with a monthly donation. Jack and I spent hours yesterday looking at the pictures of kids from Kenya (there were lots of countries to choose from). Jack was going to pick just the right one to give his $7 to (it costs more than $7 a month FYI, Jack's going to have to go to Vegas or something to make up the difference). Some kids looked too happy. He wanted one that looked sad. They all seemed to like soccer. Jack prefered one that liked football or basketball. I found an adorable seven year old named Willis that I wanted to go to Kenya and bring home to live with us, Jack nixed Willis because he was wearing shoes and "gasp" socks! He wanted someone who looked sad and was shoeless. No choice was made and Jack went to school.

After school Jack said he had decided to choose Anthony (which he pronounced Anfony). I did not recall seeing any Anfony but we went back to the Compassion website in search of him. No Anthony/Anfony. Jack was crushed. I told him someone else was probably sponsering him and that was a very good thing. Jack cried and said that his $7 was going to buy Anfony good stuff, better stuff than whoever else got him. He calmed down and last night we FINALLY settled on Kiko. An adorable five year old Kenyan boy. He was wearing shoes, but Jack liked him because he had on pink pants-Jack said that meant he was poor since he had to wear girl pants--and he helped his family by gathering firewood.

In a couple of weeks we will get some information about Kiko and hopefully I will have a picture to share. I'm pretty proud of Jack. The world seems so big, but at our house it just got a little smaller.

(for more info on Compassion click on the picture above, I dare you to look at all those beautiful little faces and not want to take them all home)

~~~~~~~~

All this Anthony/Anfony talk made me crave a little Designing Women. You really can never go wrong with them.

Cracked rose colored glasses

I was up late Sunday night. I was not watching a March Madness basketball game, I was enthralled with my own personal March Madness, the vote on health care reform. Harrison was up late with me. I held him on my lap as I cried (tears of joy) and told him we just saw history being made. I realized that it was not a perfect bill, there are flaws, but after supporting a President that has promised us change this felt like perhaps we were finaly taking a step towards that change he had promised.

For some reason when I woke up Monday morning I expected the world to look different. Everyone to feel different. I know I did. I felt better. If just for a day I was going to wear those rose-colored glasses. I made the mistake of turning on the news. Black congressman called the N word, Gay congressman called the F word, a Congressman who voted for the health care reform bill called a baby killer. An email from a friend telling me that her black husband had gotten a message with a picture of President Obama's head on Hitler's body. I could go on.

I got to wondering if maybe the day after the civil rights bill passed people joined facespace groups like "I bet we can find 10,0000 people who think civil rights is wrong". Or maybe the day after women were given the right to vote people called President Wilson the antichrist. Maybe it just takes a while. Maybe people will come around.

I'll tell my Prince Harry about the night he was up late with his Mommy and watched history being made. Sadly I will have to tell him and his brother about ignorant, white trash, racist idiots as well.

Here's my friend, Bro. Keith Olberman speaking so eloquently about the situation at hand~~~~~~

EPCOT day

We made it through rope drop and the beginning of rain and headed straight for Soarin. Jack and Cliff rode while Harry and I hung out. After I had my turn riding Soarin with Jack we headed to the finding Nemo ride (aka the clam mobiles).

Harrison and Jack had a great time playing in the area outside the ride.

We saw lots of signs like this during our trip.

Florida's winter had been unusually harsh and lots of the normally

beautiful landscaping had taken a hit.

Jack and Cliff on Test Track. Jack is in the front middle.

Jack and I on Test Track. Jack and I are in the back.

The look on my face is not fear, it is annoyance. We stopped mid-ride for about thirty minutes and just sat in the car. Jack had to go to the bathroom really bad. Really bad.

Jack was pretty worried about ever getting out of the car. He asked everyone on the ride with us if he could use their cell phones to call 911 because this was an emergency. Everyone in the car but us could speak Spanish. I'm pretty sure they were talking about us and the seat that we left wet after we finally got off the ride.



We headed back to our hotel for a change of pants and a little rest.

After that it was back to EPCOT for our reservations at Teppan Eda, the Japanese restaurant.

While we waited for the other people we would be dining with to arrive (they were strangers) I got a picture of what I thought was a big fashion don't.

I'm fairly certain this is NOT what Chuck Taylor had in mind.
~~~

The rest of our table came and we were seated and warned that the grill in front of us was very hot. The kids were far enough away that we were not worried that they would burn themselves.

First course of hot towels.

Our waitress made Jack some easy to use chopsticks.

Cliff enjoyed some sake.

Harry used his chopsticks.

Our chef

It does not get much better than an onion volcano.

Jack used chopsticks to eat his entire meal (and a good portion of mine).

Watching him do that was one of my favorite parts of our trip.

The food was great!

Chicken, steak, vegetables and Japanese noodles.

We loved this meal. Jack and Harry both ate so well here.

After dinner we went to the Japanese gift shop in search of more sake for Cliff. He sampled some at the sake bar (and purchased a bottle). The girl working at the sake bar was from Japan and Germany (not sure how that works). I really wanted to say "how about WWII? we kicked your ass both ways!", but I refrained. Jack got some Japanese candy that reminded me of the Simpson's episode where Homer's face gets put on the box of Japanese laundry soap.

My champagne cocktail from France.

ooooo laa laa

This was a great day.

Just magical.

Wet pants and all.

Do it for the girls

My good pal and curly headed sister from another mister, Amber Lindemann

has signed up for the Susan G. Komen 3 day walk for the cure.

This August she will go to Chicago and walk 60 miles in 3 days.

Crazy and amazing.

She has committed to raise at least $2500 by the time of the walk.

If you would like to help Amber achieve her goal you can do so by

clicking here

$5, $10, whatever you can give will help.
Cancer sucks.
I doubt there is a person reading this that has not been
affected by the big C in some way shape or form.

Epcot

Our first full day at WDW was spent at Epcot.

We arrived before the park opened. It was a little chilly that morning.

As soon as we made it through the turnstiles we spotted Daisy!

Cliff surprised me by being very into the characters and getting

their autographs.

More Epcot to come....

Art from a towel at Walt Disney World

Every afternoon we could not wait to get back to our room to see if Mousekeeping

had left us a towel animal.

Those mousekeepers can do wonders with some wash clothes, rubber bands and stickers.

Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter

Because some of my peeps are Disney obsessed (which means wanting to know about every last detail) here are some pics of our Disney home.

Jester in front of pool

Inside lobby

Fountain inside lobby.

We loved the authentic Frenchman that gave the boys

plastic coins to throw in the fountain everyday.

(that and holding the door really was his job)

bon jour!

Outside one of the buildings