I'm All For Hybrid Cars, But. . .

I saw an article that said 6 in 10 people would purchase a hybrid or "green" car. I would consider myself as one of the 6 who would be willing to purchase one, however, before I could ever actually purchase one, two things must be true. First, the sale price must be competitive. Right now, the hybrids that are available are too expensive, so purchasing one is currently out of the question for my family. The second thing (and it is the deal killer) is that the vehicle MUST be able to carry all members of my family and our accompanying junk. We are a family of six. As of right now, we own two vehicles that can (uncomfortably) carry all six of us, but not all of our things. Going to my mother-in-law's for the weekend is a dreadful task because we either have to stuff everything in every nook and cranny of the car and travel for 3 1/2 hours even more uncomfortably, or we have to stuff everything in an overhead carrier which takes more effort than it is worth. I miss my Suburban!!!! If the government is going to require all cars to eventually be "green" then the car manufacturers need to come up with cars that can actually serve the owners; not the other way around. It wouldn't make any sense for us to purchase a Prius or anything like that because we would need three of them just to take a weekend trip. That is pretty foolish if you ask me. So, come on American car companies, use your ingenuity and come up with a great, economical, environmentally responsible family vehicle! Do the right thing for a change!

First Bidder on eBay

I just realized that I have been a member/user on eBay since it first began. I think it was in 1995 or so, when I only had two children and was in the stage of "bored housewife." The days were long back then when my two oldest children were still toddlers and napped in the afternoon. At that time, I was just starting to get into collecting marbles and buttons. Somehow, I came across eBay through someone else (another stay-at-home-mom) who bid on and won some buttons on eBay. I thought it was intriguing because it was difficult the drag two small children around to garage sales and antique shops searching for buttons and marbles. I remember being a bit skeptical that this idea of an online auction could actually be on the up and up. The first thing I took a chance on was some old, clay, civil war era marbles. I think I paid $5.00 dollars for them. I sent a check because that was before PayPal. I waited until they actually came before I told my husband what I had done. He was also intrigued by the site; and a bit skeptical. From then on, I was hooked and made several purchases and sold lots of marbles and buttons. My husband had a go at it as well. He still believes he is the one who discovered eBay, but I know who got him hooked. I believe I was one of the first few bidders on eBay!
These days we don't sell anything on eBay. We haven't in years. We have added two more kids to our brood and time is eaten up with all the day-to-day family stuff. I still bid on things and purchase items with "Buy It Now" and have never had any deal go awry. I have been lucky that way. EBay is still a fun place to poke around and find out if there are any good bargains to be had. Just the other day, I was looking for a nice, drivable 1960's Mustang for my oldest daughter to drive around in. Funny thing, there are several listed on eBay. Not that I would ever feel comfortable about making such a large purchase, but anyway, it's fun to look!

That One Obsession

I last wrote about my obsession with winning the "Night Vision" puzzle on Mah Jong Medley in March of this year. At that time I have played that darn game around 5000 time without clearing off all the tiles. Well, I am writing again a mere three months later as frustrated as ever! I still have not won that game. All I want to do is just clear all the tiles from that configuration. Is that too much to ask? Am I so dumb that after nearly 6000 tries, I cannot do it? My goal was to start on the first page of puzzles and work in order, clearing each one. I have been stuck on that stupid puzzle for something like three years! Three years, I tell you! What in the world is wrong with me. Now it has becoume even more of an obsession because it has gone on so long. I cannot, and will not admit defeat! That puzzle will not get the better of me! Even if my kids make fun of me, I will not stop trying. That thing has to be put to rest! Even if it's the last thing I do!

David Letterman & Sarah Palin

There sure has been a lot being bantered around about the David Letterman's joke regarding Sarah Palin's daughter, so I guess I'll put my two cents worth in about it too. I like David Letterman. He grew up in Indiana, and he also went to Ball State; my alma mater, so I feel a sort of "hoosier kinship" with him. I'm undecided about how I feel about Sarah Palin. I have four daughters and would be terribly upset if someone made a tasteless, classless joke aimed at them, so I feel a "motherhood kinship" with her. Let's face it, David Letterman's joke was poor; all the way around. It wasn't particularly funny, and it hurt someone. He should have had the decency to reject it. Just because it was written for him to use doesn't mean he had to say it. He should have used better judgement. I don't think he is a dirty old man, and I think if someone made a nasty joke about his son, he would be offended too. That's just the way parents are. They want to protect their children. Sarah Palin is only doing what comes naturally; protecting her daughter. Who can blame her? To accuse her of "putting her kids out there" is just stupid. Kids are kids. They should be able to attend a ballgame with their parents without being the subject of ridicule--regardless of who their parents are. I'm not sure why people hate Sarah Palin so much. I don't dislike her, but I'm not crazy about her either. She sort of just is for me. I feel bad that someone made a nasty joke about her daughter--it really wasn't even funny--but I think she should let it rest now. An apology was made--a good one--that David had the balls to take responsibility for the mistake himself and not blame writers or the weather or anything else--so now the whole issue should be dropped. Lesson learned--I hope!

Juxtapostion of Life

Last night when I was drifting off to sleep, a funny thing occurred to me: I have two kids who are at similar milestones in their lives but at very different stages. Let me explain. My oldest daughter just passed her driver's test and got her first driver's license. What an exciting time for her; what a worrisome time for me. My youngest daughter has finally learned how to ride her bike. What a joyous time for her, what a worrisome time for me. They are both testing out their wings, both learning what a joy it can be to have a little taste of freedom. Both are learning that there are many dangers in the world. Both are learning that seat belts and helmets are important, lifesaving devices. Both are learning to be cautious and watchful. Both know what a close call feels like. As for me, I worry. I know worrying is not the best thing to do, but I do it anyway. My oldest just doesn't seem ready; doesn't have the driving skills yet to be set out on her own in my car. My youngest is discovering that riding her bike to the pool isn't "that far," and that pushing down hard and fast on her coaster brake can produce a great skidding, fishtail effect, even if the end result is a skinned knee. My youngest daughter asked, "So, when do you think I'll get new bike?" We promised her one of her very own if she learned how to ride. My oldest daughter asked, "So, when do you think we will get a car for me to drive?" We didn't promise anything about a car for her, but the juxtaposition of my girls' lives gives my spine that tingly feeling. My girls are growing up. They are spreading their wings and all I can really do is sit back and watch them fly.

Hey, Bite Me!

If you have nothing better to do, please visit www.writebite.com and read some of the rants there. I currently have a couple that are kind of good and would appreciate it if you would "bite them." The site is free and all you have to do is register and read, then bite the ones you like. Mine are about a job that my husband was passed over for, and that strange person named Spencer Pratt. There are lots of other good, entertaining ones too. Thanks!

Summer "Vacation" Begins

Yesterday was the last day of school for my kids. To me, the idea of summer "vacation" always sounds good until it hits me that that means all four kids will be home with me every day, all day long. Last night when I was tucking my youngest into bed, I said, "You get to sleep in tomorrow! Summer vacation starts, isn't that great?" She looked at me and said, "Why are you so excited?" Well, I had to think about that. There is absolutely no reason for me to be excited about it. Summer always means more work for me. There is always more laundry, for some reason. The kids are constantly making a mess in the kitchen. Beds go unmade, there is a constant flow of kids through the house, and the occasional "I'm bored" that sends me through the roof and I seem to have to run to the grocery store every couple of days. So, really, summer vacation is no vacation for me, but the idea of a vacation sounds great! The freedom and outdoor activities are what make it seem different for me, even though my work load is actually bigger. Anyway, "vacation" has begun.

Campbell's Soup Commercial-Thanks Readers!

A little over seven months ago, I wrote a post about a Campbell's Soup commercial. It involved a lot of slurping, silly behavior, and "Num Yummy." Anyway, that particular post has been very interesting to follow. It happens to be the most commented on of all my posts. Some of the people who commented think the commercial is funny and told me not to take it so seriously. Some people took the opportunity to use my post to vent and call me terrible things--talk about taking things too seriously! As in all things there are opinions that agreed with what I wrote and lots that didn't. The original post was written on October 15, 2008. I suppose I was bored and had had the television on way too long. I wrote the blog as a lark, not really thinking it would amount to much. After all, who really reads the rantings of a housewife? As it turns out, that post happens to be the most interesting thing I have written.
I really don't care that much about the commercial, but the blog I wrote has really been a springboard for me. Regardless of your opinions about the commercial or me personally (none of you actually know me, so I didn't quite understand the nasty tone of some of the comments) the writing of that post has proven to me that people actually do read the rantings of a bored housewife, and that is cool with me! Thanks for reading and commenting, and I will keep blogging away. Num Yummy!