July 2007 Archives
This time of year -- oh who am I kidding -- all year long I daydream about going to some exotic, beautiful place where the sand is soft, the water warm, and the sun kisses my skin perfectly. Ahhhh, doesn't that sound fantastic? My mind usually settles on a place like Bermuda. What a gorgeous place that is! Wow, even the food is gorgeous! Not only is Bermuda an enormously beautiful place, it is also a very interesting one, steeped in rich history. I love learning the history of places, don't you? It gives you a real feel for where you are, knowing how it started and how it became what it is now. Someday I know I'll get there, and I can hardly wait!
I feel better today. Aside from some still-aching muscles in my neck and left arm, I'm doing pretty good. Well, that and I think I can actually hear my ass scream out in fear when I get near this computer chair. It's scary.
Anyway, not much going on today. I've been searching and searching for a good online High School for my daughter, who STILL has not decided if she wants to continue homeschooling or go back to regular school. I told her the decision must be made this week -- or else! (I actually have no idea what the "or else" in that statement signifies, as I have no kind of consequence that makes any sense whatsoever)
When I woke up today, I literally had to scan my brain for at least a full minute to remember what day of the week it was. I hate when that happens. When I finally remembered, I felt better and went back to sleep. 
How's your day going?
When my son Dave closed on his new house two weeks ago, I was really looking forward to helping him get it set up and decorating. Stupid me. He's a 23-year-old guy. He doesn't care about that stuff. He doesn't have a whole lot furniture yet, but he does have a nice bed. At the very least he could buy some pretty (maybe I should say "handsome") new bedding, don't you think? Looking at the beautiful bedding offered at Terrys Fabrics gave me some great ideas for him! I seriously have to get him out of this "bachelor pad" mode, and into "homeowner" mode!
OK, OK, here I am, as demanded by my friend Terry. 
I'm serious when I say the very last place on earth I wanted to be after the Blogathon was here at my computer. Every muscle was stiff and sore; I was so tired I felt like I was drugged; in short, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. A big one. So on Sunday I slept and then did nothing the rest of the day, then awoke yesterday morning feeling even more tired than I did on Sunday. You know how that goes, right? You feel worse 2 days later when you lose a bunch of sleep? Well anyway, I slept A LOT yesterday. Now here it is, barely Tuesday morning, and I decided I better let everyone know I'm alive. 
Thank you again to everyone who made those 24 hours go by a lot faster by keeping me company!
Now I have something VERY SPECIAL I want to share with you. The following was reported by 9News out of Denver on Sunday:
AURORA - When Mark Rinkel found out that his little brother had diabetes, he knew he had to do something."There are medical dogs that can help with the type 1 diabetes," he said.
The problem is, those dogs cost upwards of $25,000. Heaven Scent Paws, a non-profit organization, has offered to cover most of the cost, but the Rinkel family is still left to raise $6,000.
That is why 12-year-old Mark decided to start a lemonade stand. The idea has proven to be very profitable.
"A lot of people have checks, because checks are easier to put more money on," he noted.
The latest lemonade stand was near the corner of South Havana Street and East Warren Avenue. With waves of thirsty customers and generous donors, Mark guessed that he and his friends would raise $3,000. It is money that Mark says his nine-year-old brother appreciates.
"He's really grateful for all the help - not expecting anything in return," Mark said.
Mark says he will keep setting up lemonade stands for as long as it takes to raise the money. He wants to exceed the $6,000 goal, in hopes of helping another diabetic child get a medical assistance dog, too.
"I'd like to say 'Thank you.' And we couldn't do it without all the help you guys have done," he said.
Isn't that amazing? And just the sweetest thing you've ever heard? Well guess what? Mark has a web site where you can learn more about what he is doing, and more about his little brother, Jason (click the 'information' button, it's very interesting). Best of all, you can make a donation! Either through Paypal, or you can mail a check to the given address. Every single dollar helps! Every penny brings them just that much closer to getting Jason his service dog. Wouldn't you love to be a part of that? I know I do, and I'm going to donate right now!
Service Dogs, Diabetes, 9News Denver
Goodnight.
This SO does not feel like a Sunday. What does a Sunday feel like, you ask? I have no idea. I just know that today doesn't feel like one. 
Thirty minutes. But who's counting, eh?
I want to say a GREAT BIG thank you to all of my sponsors. You guys rock!! Your generosity of spirit, support and friendship is very, very much appreciated. 
I also want to thank those of you who went out of your way to keep me company and give me moral support and encouragment throughout the day and night:
Jaynee
Kirsi
Debbie
Mr. Fab
Kat
Terry
Creech
Laurie
You guys are awesome. I surely wouldn't have been able to stay awake without your emails to answer, so thank you! If I have forgotten anyone, it is completely unintentional and solely because my brain is no longer functioning. Please forgive me.
Only one more hour to go. Then I'm putting up the Do Not Disturb sign for at least another 24! ;)
Friends, Moral Support, Generosity
Oh man! I was reclining in my chair in the livingroom, and suddenly I felt something crawling VERY quickly down my face! I swear, it was there! It crawled over my closed eyelid! *shudder* You should've seen me -- I looked like a total spaz. LOL Slappin' my face and jumpin' around. LOL
Hey, if you need something to keep you busy, go play my trivia game. Don't worry, it's not hard, and it only takes about 60 to 90 seconds. I already played. I think it would be fun to see just how stupid we get when we're too tired to see straight or comprehend what we're reading.
I'm reaally draggin' now, BUT ... I did go out and see a gorgeous moon this morning. There were those thin, veil-like clouds in the sky, with the moon shining brightly through .... it was gorgeous. Mesmerizing.
Did you see the moon last night?
Dude, I'm watching The Twilight Zone on TV, and it totally brought back a memory from a looong time ago.
I remember I was lying on the sofa, covered up. I was sick. The flu, I think. Anyway, The Twilight Zone was playing, and as I watched, I saw a man put his arm out, then begin peeling back the skin on his inside forearm, exposing not bone and blood, but wires and lights. LOL And you know what? It scared the shit out of me! I started to cry and Mom made my sisters turn the channel.
They were very mad at me. LOL Geez, what a baby I was! 
I think I'm entering that realm of exhaustion where you feel good, but your mind starts wandering all over the place. I'm finding that I have to keep forcing myself to stay on task. If I don't, I get all caught up in reading other blogs, or newspaper articles, or any number of other things. And I have to keep looking at the clock, because I forget what time it is the instant I take my eyes off of it. 
Less than four hours to go, ya'll. Seems like it's gone pretty fast, huh. I guess it's all that good company we keep while doing it! 
Exhaustion, Signs of Exhaustion
When was the last time you got a jury summons? Hubs just got one in the mail a couple of weeks ago. We get them a month ahead of time, and we're only supposed to get one a year. That's why I was so shocked when I was reading the story Great Lengths Taken to Fill the Jury Box, in which it is reported that in Sanford, N.C., the Sheriff serves you in person, and only an hour before you have to report! They hand them out at random in grocery store parking lots, and tell the people to "be there or be in contempt". Geez!
How do you receive your jury summons? Mail? In person? Do you try to get out of serving? Or do you go like you're supposed to. Personally, I go. So does Hubs. And my sons. My younger son actually served on a jury and totally loved it. He learned a lot, and gained a new respect for and a new perspective of, the law. Have you ever served on a jury? I've never made it that far. I was totally surprised when Dave did on his first time out. lol ANYway, I guess I thought it was pretty much the same everywhere, but the above story clearly shows my assumption was totally wrong!
My wonderful Blogathon monitor, Jaynee, gave me a few questions to ponder in an effort to spur a blog post or two. Thanks, Jaynee! :)
I like this question: "If you could choose only five people to ever be/talk/associate/whatever with ever again, who would they be?"
They would be:
My mother
My two sons
My daughter
My grandson
Then I would summarily extend the list to include:
My two sisters
My grandparents
My husband
My four best friends
Blogathon 2007, Blogathon Monitor
According to CNN, Paul Stanley, a singer and guitarist with rock band Kiss, was forced to pull out of a show in California on Friday after his heart started beating at more than twice the normal level, he said on his Web site.
The apparent tachycardia happened while the band was rehearsing for a performance at a casino in San Jacinto, California, about 90 miles (145 km) east of Los Angeles."My heart spontaneously jumped to 190 plus beats per minute, where it stayed for over an hour necessitating paramedics to start an IV and give me a shot to momentarily stop my heart and get it into a normal pattern," Stanley, 55, wrote on his site www.paulstanley.com.
A normal heart rate at rest is about 60 to 80 beats a minute, according to the American Heart Association.
Tachycardia, or rapid heart rate, can cause palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting or near fainting ...
That is exactly what happened to my sister about 3 years ago. It was SO scary! It came totally from out of the blue, just like his did. It's happened to her about 2 or 3 times since then. She takes medication to control it. I'm sure his Docs will hook him up with some, too.
KISS, Paul Stanley, Tachycardia
Hey people, I'm running out of ideas to blog about! Are you? My daughter says I should tell you that she and her boyfriend gave their new cat, Milo, a bath today. I totally didn't know people bathed their cats. I thought cats always freaked around water. I guess Milo was pretty good. Weird.
WE ONLY HAVE 5 1/2 MORE HOURS TO GO, YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!
Bathing Cats, Cats, Cats and Water
Are you watching Big Brother 8? I am. I love/hate Evil Dick. He's totally cool/awful. Jen is SO annoying and obnoxious, not to mention a conceited air-headed bitch. Jessica's voice is like nails on a chalkboard, and Amber does nothing but cry. Daniele is gorgeous, and I think she's smart, but she totally needs to stop the stupid high school flirty thing with Nick. And speaking of Nick -- Wow! He's one fine specimen of the male gender, lemme tell ya'! Mmmm mmmm good! Jameka is too quiet. It bugs. IMO, she isn't really needed in the house, nor would she be missed if she left. Dustin is OK, I guess. Now that Joe's gone. Kail is -- oh just forget it. She's not even worth talking about. Her word means nothing and she lies constantly. Yeah, you guessed it -- she's the worst kind of self-proclaimed Christian. *gag*
If you watch and would like to know what's going on in the house when you're not there (as opposed to, you know, being there in the TV and all), check out the always amazing Big Brother Coverage by Big Sister. Last year I subscribed to the live feeds, but not this year, so I really rely on the comprehensive reporting she and her team does. It's fun knowing what's going to happen before it airs. ;)
Big Brother 8, Evil Dick, Reporting by Big Sister, Daniele, Nick, Kail
OK, this isn't even funny. I get up out of my chair and I walk like a frozen caveman. My back and legs are sooo stiff, and my butt hurts! I need a new computer chair. Of course it's too late now. That is another "it figures" thing. Why don't I think of these things earlier??? I am so not thoughtful of me. ;)
Muscle Aches, Computer Chairs, Muscle Pain
I caught a whiff of cinnamon tonight, and it immediately made me think of two things my grandma would make, which I loved: Ladyfingers and Bread Pudding.
She was a phenomenal cook, and would always make me ladyfingers, all dainty and yummy. What are ladyfingers, you ask? Well, the ones she made for me were toast with butter, sugar and cinnamon, cut in strips lengthwise. Mmmmm. Her bread pudding was awesome. Oh man, I can smell it right now. I haven't had bread pudding since the last time she fixed it for us, which was a very, very long time ago; way before she passed away, and she's been gone for 16 years.
Anyway, isn't it amazing what aromas can do? What they can conjure?
Cinnamon, Ladyfingers, Bread Pudding, aromas, scents
Damn. I'm getting a stupid headache. That figures. If only I could sleep for a couple hours. I love sleep. Sleep is fun. Sleep is dreamy. Sleep is soft.
Damn.
So I was sitting in my livingroom eating a very late dinner and watching TV when a commercial for Restless Leg Syndrome caught my attention. I have RLS, but have not sought medication for it, primarily because I simply don't want to have to take another pill every day! Anyway, the commercial was about Mirapex. It finally winds down to the end, and the lady's voice starts mentioning the side effects like they do, and suddenly I hear her say something like "if you notice a sudden urge for gambling, sex or other intense urges, contact your doctor right away". I was like, Huh??? Did I hear that right? So I went back (I love TiVo) so I could hear it again, and I'll be darned if I didn't hear the same thing! I couldn't believe it! I had no idea there were ingredients in a medication that would cause that!!
I decided to do some investigating ..... look what I found: Update: Litigation Involving Mirapex and Its Link with Compulsive Gambling Disorders. Um, OK. Wow. I have to believe there are some people who will like those side effects -- mainly the sex one. 
Mirapex, Side Effects, Medication, Restless Leg Syndrome
As reported by the Rocky Mountain News, Upper Deck has removed all Michael Vick autographed memorabilia from its online store and will remove the indicted quarterback's trading card from NFL sets that are scheduled to be released in October.
The announcement by the San Diego County company came a day after Nike suspended its lucrative contract with Vick and Reebok took the unprecedented step of stopping sales of his No. 7 jersey. Another trading card company, Donruss, announced it was pulling Vick's likeness from any new packs.
Yessss! 
Michael Vick, Upper Deck, Football Cards
I just gotta say, it makes me all kinds of happy when something makes Hillary UNhappy, especially when it's Barack Obama. LOL I can't help it. I don't like her. I do like Barack. I derive pleasure from the things he and his people do to irritate Hillary and her people. Yes I know, I'm a meanie and a little twisted. But oh my, it's just so much fun! 
You know, this has been quite the strange year in Denver for little kids falling out of windows. I don't know what it is, or why, but there's been like 5 little kids fall at least 2 or 3 stories out of open windows.
Another little girl fell out of a third story bedroom window yesterday. Thank God, and quite miraculously, she only suffered a few cuts, but was otherwise just fine!
I figure if this is happening in Denver, it's surely happening elsewhere, also. The Screen Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council have the following safety tips for parents that I thought I'd pass along to you:
When small children are present, close and lock windows. If you need ventilation, open windows that are out of reach of children.
Do not place furniture near windows.
Keep window treatments (blinds, cords, drapes, etc.) out of reach.
Do not allow children to lean on screens and windows.
Do not allow roughhousing near windows and patio doors.
Watch your children as they play.
Just a few simple things we can all do to help ensure our little ones stay safe. :)
Window Safety For Children, Windows
I'd like to thank all of my sponsors so much for supporting me in the Blogathon, and for so generously donating to The R.O.S.E. Fund. I have my contributors listed over there on the sidebar. Please take a moment and visit them. They're all really terrific people! They need help staying awake, too, just like me. :)
Wow, you know what? My eyes are having a hard time focusing, and I feel like I'm drunk. LOL If you start seeing words misspelled and sloppy grammar, it's only because I'm so sleep deprived. I can assure you, I am NOT drinking on the job. *burp*
Blogathon 2007, The R.O.S.E. Fund
Oh man! I went to sleep again, only this time I started to dream some really weird stuff! I have America's Most Wanted playing on the television, and the last thing I remember hearing was someone talking about body parts washing up along the side of a river in Portland, Oregon. Gross! Some lady was talking about looking into a black case or duffel bag or something, and seeing just a torso, nothing else. Sick! Then the arms and legs starting washing up along the sides of this river. *shudder* Can you imagine? Then I fell asleep. Well, you can just guess what kind of things I was dreaming about! Gave me the heebie jeebies!!
AMW, America's Most Wanted, Portland, Oregon
Wow, guys, I am fading fast here. The last hour I've fallen asleep between posts. I set the alarm on my cell phone to wake me up in time to post again. I imagine I'll be doing that for a few hours. lol Not a real restful sleep, but at least it something!
Before I fell asleep the last time, I had an idea in my head for the next post. Do you think I can remember the damn thing? Nope! It has vanished. Like so many other thoughts in my head these days. LOL So, I guess this will suffice until I can either remember it or think of something else.
How are you doin'?
According to TMZ.com, Grateful Dead's long-dead guitarist Jerry Garcia's kitchen sink, along with odds and ends from his Marin County, Calif. home, and even the home itself, are for sale. David Koltys, who purchased the dancing bear's former cave ten years ago, has been systematically selling off Garcia's goods to benefit the Sophia Foundation, an organization that helps children during marital separations and divorces (what a great idea!). Also up for auction: a Jacuzzi and stereo speakers. Last year, Koltys held a similar auction. He sold Garcia's toilet for $2,500.
If I had the money, I'd buy that sink. I mean really, how cool would that be? To have Jerry Garcia's kitchen sink! Yep, pretty awesome. Much better than the toilet! 
I have a wonderful friend named John, who always sends me the most beautiful pictures of where he lives, which is Great Britain (he's also a phenomenal writer!). He sends me links to sites he finds interesting, as well. One such site is the Hubble Site Gallery. You have never seen stars like this before! The pictures are a-mmmazing! It's hard to take your eyes off of them. Can you imagine seeing them the way the telescope does? Oh man! Do yourself a favor and set aside some time, and then go tour the gallery. You won't be sorry!
Sooo, what did you have for dinner tonight? My daughter brought me some KFC. It was yummy. I'm thinking I might make her and her boyfriend go out later on a chocolate run for me. That definitely would be a good thing (NO, I don't watch Martha Stewart!).
What's your favorite food? Mine is steak and Mexican.
What's your favorite drink? Mine is a Colorado Bulldog (Kahlua, cream and Coke).
Do you sleep in PJs? I don't.
Do you like milk? I drink tons of it every day (well OK, maybe not tons).
What color are your eyes? Mine are blue-green.
If you're rich, you should give me a bunch of money for a brand new car. That would REALLY be a good thing!
LOL
chocolate, money, milk, Martha Stewart
Can someone please tell me how I can put the little Digg icon thingy (the compact one) at the end of each post, so that if clicked it goes straight to the submission page for that particular post? I have tried and tried, and I'll be flipped if I totally can NOT figure it out! And I hate not being able to figure things out! 
Thank you. Thank you very much. 
Whoops, nevermind. LOL I figured it out and am a very happy camper now. But I'd already written this out and by the time I figured it out, I didn't have time to write a new post. Just let your eyes glaaaaze over the page and move on. But come back!!!
We all know there are some real sons a bitches out there, right? People who are truly assholes. But this just takes the cake. How can anyone be that mean???
NORTHGLENN - It is difficult enough for Cindy Desplinter to comprehend, let alone her 5-year-old, why someone stole a swing designed specifically for special needs children."What kind of a world do we live in that they're going to steal from a 5-year-old child that obviously needs it for more reasons than just go out there and play, and climb and swing," Desplinter said.
Desplinter's son Micah was born with cerebral palsy. She says his swing was the best therapy.
"One of the things that's not a medication approach is swinging. It very much relaxes the body," Desplinter said.
She noticed the swing was ripped out on Friday.
"We came home last night to do more yard work and noticed it was just the frame," said Desplinter.
Desplinter is also surprised someone was able to pry the swing out of the frame.
"They have special locking bolts, so you have to have a special tool. It's not that simple. Someone went through some work to get that swing," Desplinter said.
Desplinter says the swing cost close to $1,000 and she waited two-and-a-half years for Medicaid funding to buy the product.
In an era of rising medicaid fraud cases, Desplinter worries she will have a difficult time applying for the product once again through Medicaid.
What the hell is wrong with some people??? Stealing from a handicapped 5-year-old? They should be stoned in a public square, just like they used to do to people! I don't know what this world is coming to, but if people can do stuff like this to a handicapped child without even thinking twice -- and actually have to work at getting it out -- then the future looks like a damn sorry mess and it scares the crap out of me. Bastards!!
Handicapped Children, Thieves,
I am a FIEND for football! 
Now, that's not to say I know all the rules and regulations, players and plays -- I just love the game! I even love the theme song for Monday Night Football! *singing* Are ya' ready for some football? *end singing* Sorry.
Both my boys played High School football, and those were some of the best years of my life. There's nothing like going out on a crisp Fall Friday night and watching your son play! But I digress .... lol
Individual game tickets for the Denver Broncos went on sale this morning at 11:00AM. They sold out in 15 minutes. Wowzers! I wish I was one of 'em who got some of those tickets. That makes 285 consecutive regular season games the Broncos have sold out. Yep, we Coloradoans love our Broncos!!
Denver Broncos, Football, High School Football,
Geez. My dogs are all layin' around, sleeping, sprawled out everywhere. I never thought I would ever be this jealous of my dogs! 
Are there women out there who actually craved pickles and ice cream when they were pregnant?
Do you think men could go through childbirth?
I have no idea where those questions came from. Delirium I guess. 
How are you doin'?
Childbirth, Pickles and Ice Cream, Pregnancy
Oh man, I am really fading fast all of a sudden. I've been up for 28 hours, and have 16 more to go. Can I do it? I don't know. As I said earlier, I may have to have my daughter blog for me for a little while so I can catch a quick nap.
It's thundering out. I adore thunder. I hope it rains all night again. And thunders. ;)
It totally blows that I can't have caffeine.
An interesting thing happened in Lousiana -- an ATM gave out $20 bills instead of $5 bills. Suhweet!! 
But wait, not so fast -- they know, of course, who used the machine and who got the extra moola. Bummer! Is it a bummer? Here, read the story first (from CNN):
MANSFIELD, Louisiana (AP) -- An ATM at a northwest Louisiana truck stop gave out $20 bills instead of $5 bills, but authorities say they know who used it and plan to pursue the extra $7,000 the machine spit out.DeSoto Parish sheriff's Lt. Toni Morris said the automated teller machine has records identifying the 26 people who received the extra cash during five days in late June and early July.
Annette Parker, a supervisor at Eagle's Truck Stop, said she unplugged the machine after overhearing conversations about the excess payments.
"The next morning when we had come back in, someone had plugged it back up," she said.
Morris said someone who did not work at the truck stop may have rigged the machine, which keeps records of when money is received and whose card is used.
Morris said charges could be brought against the people who got more money than was debited to their bank accounts.
OK, the obvious moral question here is, would you have taken the money? Would you have given it back? Is it right for criminal charges to be brought against those who were "given" and took the money? Or is it the fault of the Truck Stop? Shouldn't they have noticed a looong time before they did that way more money was going out of that machine than should've been? I don't know. Maybe it's just because I'm so tired right now, but I truly think this is a moral dilemma. I mean, what if one of those people who took the money was a single mom who could barely get enough together to feed her kids and pay her bills? Then suddenly all this money comes out at her, and she knows SHE didn't do anything to make it happen, so wouldn't she -- and rightly so -- look at it as a miracle or something? Would she be wrong in taking it? Is there more than one "right" answer here? Should she have criminal charges brought against her? I know what I would do. What would you do?
Truck Stop ATM Gives Extra Money, ATMs, Louisiana
Tense over at Tense for a Reason had a great idea -- "Ten Random Thoughts". I thought I'd give it a try:
1. Mexican food sounds rrrrreally good right now.
2. Thank God for air conditioners.
3. I feel pretty good.
4. I wonder when that'll end.
5. I wish my dogs wouldn't all sit around my feet like that.
6. Then again, the humans in my family should join them in worshipping me.
7. I want some popsicles.
8. Becoming delusional late tonight would be kinda' fun.
9. Damn my back hurts.
10. I wonder why Mandy Patinkin really quit "Criminal Minds".
Gee, I should empty (oh ok, semi-empty) my brain more often. This gives a whole new meaning to the term "lightheaded".
I will always swear by that and believe it as long as I live. I've seen it happen too many times to doubt it. The latest event in proving its veracity is this, from TMZ.com:
Killer Robert John Bardo, who was convicted of stalking and killing actress Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989, was stabbed by another inmate yesterday. Bardo was stabbed 11 times while he and fellow inmates were walking to breakfast in the prison yard, according to Mule Creek State Prison officials. He survived the attack.Schaeffer was the star of the 1980s sitcom "My Sister Sam." Bardo was obsessed with Schaeffer and stalked her for several months. He eventually tracked her down with the help of a private detective, and shot her to death when she answered the door of her L.A. home. She was 21.
The suspect identified as responsible for stabbing Bardo is serving an 82-years-to-life sentence for second-degree murder. Bardo was 19 when he stalked and killed Schaeffer. He is serving life without parole. The case led to the classification of stalking as a felony in California.
Poetic justice if you ask me.
Robert John Bardo, Rebecca Schaeffer, Bardo Stabbed in Prison
My little dog Pippin is SO naughty! Almost every single time I put the dogs out back, she climbs the fence and gets out. Grrrr! This time I watched out the kitchen window and yelled at her to STAY!, but it made no difference. Up and over she went! So I've been trying to find where she went and get her back inside. She usually goes across the street to bark at the dogs over there. I'm really afraid she'll get hit by a car someday. Hubs and I both have tried everything we can think of to keep her in, but the little smarty literally climbs the fence! It's kind of amazing to watch. I'd be impressed if I wasn't so pissed! 
One day, years ago, I saw the face of fear up close.
I was home alone, the kids in school, on a cold winter's day. I saw a car barrel down the alley but thought nothing of it, as cars always seem to be doing that. Next thing I know, I hear a frantic knock on the front screen door. I went out on the porch to find a very frightened young woman standing there, begging me to come in. I let her in and she began talking very fast, saying something about "running from him", and "he was after her", and said she had hidden her car in a back alley drive to one of the houses on my block, and how she needed the police. She was so scared that she scared me!
I called the police immediately, of course. While we waited, she ducked down so no one could see her through my windows. She was terrified. The officers got there quickly and were able to calm her down enough to get her to talk more slowly, thus making more sense. She was running from her husband. Her abusive husband. She said if he found her, he would beat her senseless. The cops called a women's shelter in another city about 90 minutes from here, then took her to her car and gave her an escort out of town, with directions in hand to the shelter in Greeley. I felt bad that she was going to have to make the drive alone, and hoped nothing happened to keep her from getting there safely. I never saw her again.
The face of abuse -- the face of fear. It's something I never want to see again. I'm glad she had the ability to get up and get out. Most women don't. That's why I am blogging for The R.O.S.E. Fund. They help women just like her so that they, too, can get up and get out. Please, won't you sponsor me and help them help those women?
Domestic Violence, The R.O.S.E. Fund, Abused Women, Women's Shelters
Isn't this interesting! As reported by Sports Illustrated:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- One of Michael Vick's co-defendants doesn't want to wait for trial.Instead, a plea agreement hearing has been scheduled for Tony Taylor at 9 a.m. Monday in the federal dogfighting conspiracy case.
Taylor's hearing was added to U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson's docket Friday, a day after he and the other three defendants pleaded not guilty before the same judge. Vick and the others still are scheduled for trial Nov. 26.
Prosecutors claim Taylor, 34, found the Surry County property purchased by Vick and used it as the site of "Bad Newz Kennels," a dogfighting enterprise. The Hampton man also allegedly helped purchase pit bulls and killed at least two dogs that fared poorly in test fights.
Taylor's lawyer, Stephen Ashton Hudgins of Newport News, did not immediately return a phone message, and federal prosecutors have declined to talk about the case.
I'm not sure I like the idea of him getting a plea, EXCEPT that part of his plea deal may include testifying against Vick and telling everything he knows about what he did. That would be totally worth it! As long as that sicko lands behind bars!
He says he didn't know what was going on there? Gimme a break!!! Let's see, he bought the house, he traveled around in the same states the fights and the sale of dogs took place, he had a breeder's license and a web site bearing the name of his kennel, as well as shirts and caps for sale which advertised it, but he didn't know about the dogs??? Riiiight. Yeah, that makes sense. He's a sick, perverted liar! The sooner he goes to jail the better!
Michael Vick, Tony Taylor Takes Plea, Dogfighting
Yeeaah, I ain't got nuttin'. LOL I took a break and had something to eat and tried to grab a ten minute power nap, but of course that didn't work. At least my tummy isn't grumbling anymore.
Ummm ... oh, my Golden Retriever, Daisy, was walking past the entertainment center and kind of hit the glass door in front and scared herself.