Why Don't Athletes Sing the National Anthem?

I love the Olympics. Summer, winter, either one, I love watching them. I enjoy the watching the sheer joy and determination and "the agony of defeat," but there is one thing that has been bothering me lately. When Lindsey Vonn was standing on the podium after receiving her gold medal, the American flag(s) were raised and the national anthem began, but she didn't sing or mouth the words to our anthem. I noticed that other medal ceremonies as well and it just is a little bit disheartening. I know the song is awful to sing because the range is so wide. Those high notes are killers and I usually drop down an octave or just mouth the words at that point in the song, but out of love for my country, I sing it. It would be nice to see our American athletes at least try to sing while their country is being honored. I noticed that the Canadian snowboard gold medalist seemed to belt out "Oh, Canada" when she was on the podium. It has occurred to me that perhaps American children are no longer taught the words to our national anthem in school; it would probably offend someone. Maybe that is why these young athletes do not sing or at least pretend to sing the song. It is a sad thing though, and I am going to make sure my kids know the words even though they will probably never have to stand on top of a podium in front of the whole world and sing them. ****At least Lindsey Vonn did have her hand over her heart--that is a start, I guess.......

Snoring

Okay, I might have posted about this before, but it is really becoming a problem. My husband snores, snorts, farts, shakes the bed, moans and makes all other sorts of disgusting sounds in his sleep. It is killing our relationship and he thinks I'm making it all up. I dread going to bed with him. I love the idea of having a peaceful, dreamy, relaxed sleep, but I can't remember the last time I had that. My husband hears what I am saying about all the noise and junk he brings on at night; he even went so far as to purchase those Breathe Right nose strips, but he has yet to open the box. I think my husband thinks its funny, but I am now to the point where I am angry. It isn't my fault that I have to sleep out on the sofa or in one of my kids' rooms, but he acts all indignant when he wakes up in the morning and I haven't slept in that hellish bed with him. It is ruining our relationship, and he thinks it's funny. He also emits this terrible sweating, old man sort of stench when he sleeps and I can't bear to be around it. I don't know what to do because I have told him how I feel and he just blows me off. I am open to any suggestions.

I Am No Longer a Reject!

I just got a call this morning that I am being recommended for a job I applied for. It is in the public school system, so I have to wait for the school board to give approval for hiring me, but once the approval is given, off I go. It is not a prestigious job, and it is only for the morning hours, but for me, it seems like the perfect job. I will have the best of both worlds. I will be home until all my kids board their morning buses, I will go to work assisting a little visually impaired child, then I will be home for lunch and the rest of my housewife duties. The icing on the cake is that I will be paid a decent hourly wage for the work. I don't think I could ask for anything more right now. We have tremendous bills that need to be paid, and while this job won't be able to cover them, it will provide me with a little money to put in the bank as a cushion should we come up short. All that I can say right now is: "God is good."

After All These Years, Rejection Still Stings

I have been on a little quest the past several months to find a job that can provide me with a little pocket money. My kids are always asking for money for school stuff, or gas money or something, and lately, I have not been able to always supply them with much. I guess now is not really a good time to be out there looking for a job, but I really feel this pull to get back out there; at least part-time. In the Fall I applied for a job at one of the local high schools in the Special Education Department. I went through all the interview stuff and of course, was promptly rejected. Then, I applied for several other jobs at schools, and never heard anything from them. Recently, I tried applying for a job that I found through snagajob.com. I never thought I would get a response, but I did and went through the interview process, and even though the job doesn't pay much, I thought it would be something that could work with my busy schedule with my kids activities. Well, wouldn't you know it, I get the lovely rejection letter in the mail today. Ouch! It still stings when you are told that someone doesn't think you are worthy. In any kind of situation, be it a personal relationship or a working relationship, it hurts when you realize you have come up short in some way. I know I am a good worker. I am reliable, trustworthy, funny and dedicated, but the people I have interviewed with apparently think I am lacking in some way. It sucks, really, to have always been good at what I did/do, and then be reduced to being just another unemployed person who doesn't fit the bill. That seventeen year gap in my resume is killing me. All I want is a little money for gasoline and the little extras my girls might ask for. I still feel the sting. . . . . . .