Procrastina-shun and a little health care rant

I am such a freaking procrastinator. Ok, not really. It's more like things take way longer than I ever intend them to and my day just slips a way.

Does that I ever happen to you? Your best intentions of having a full and productive day are totally thrown off track by people, places, things (yes, nouns) that are out of your control and all of a sudden you think CRAPPERS!

As a totally unrelated tangent, I am still not sold on this health care thing. Because seriously, figuring out a way to get everyone insurance coverage, be it private or public or a combination therof of options, does not tackle the other issue whatsoever - health care costs have risen astronomically since the 90's. As a matter of fact, had health care costs ticked along at a respectable 5-7% increase year over year, the average American worker would have been able to recoup $XXX (insert crazy increased amount) in their salary instead of their employer paying their healthcare premiums. You will have to check here to find exact numbers - http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=391

Chew on that for a second. Instead of the Taco Bell on your lap which will send you to the doctor eventually.

Pheasant Country

Today I am back home - my home home, in SD - and have a moment's quiet. As quiet as can be anyway, with the punctuation of shotguns in the distance.

The guys from Canada - 18 of them I think - rolled in to the farm a couple hours ago. They travelled all this way in what looks to be a really posh motor coach (not a motor home but more like one of those old-people charter bus things). Hopefully, they have fun, although I have heard they will need to "earn their birds" this year since the corn is still in the fields (so the birds will be spread out instead of congregated) and it is soooooo muddy and wet.

I love this time of year in this part of the country. The air is crisp, the dogs are barking, the house smells like chili and pumpkin bars, the fields are ready to be harvested...nothing says HOME to me more than this.

Sigh. Too bad I am leaving tomorrow, but I am extremely grateful to be here today.

Nort DaKOHta

Tomorrow is my big trip to FARGO!!!! Can't wait to see my super awesome lifetime friends, Emily and Marne, after I get there. I have a day and a half of work to do upon arrival but I guarantee I will not just work - we will have fun once we meet up!

My favorite kids books

I am excited to see the "Where the Wild Things Are" movie. Anyone who knows me, knows I love to read, and have always loved to read, and indeed spent a lot of my childhood "play" hours reading a book rather than sniffling from allergies outside.

So in honor of my childhood, here are some of my favorite kid's books ~

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Cendak
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
The Berentein Bears!
Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch (remember mom? "love you forever, like you for always...")
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
All Babysitters Club books by Ann M. Martin
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner (yea boxcar stew!)
Nancy Drew books
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlin
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

Compiling this list today was totally nostalgic - like remembering old and very beloved friends.

Ok compadres - what did I miss off my list? And what are your favorites?

The Great Georgia Airshow

Well, it's after 7pm and we have just spent the past 7 hours outside at the Great Georgia Airshow! We drove down to Peachtree City earlier today, rode a cheesebox shuttle around noon to Falcon Field, and watched some pretty awesome aviation feats.

Jeff is going to assist me in remembering everything we saw - even with the program we bought about all I know is we saw a lout of loud, fast, and really acrobatic stuff!

My favorite act was called the Red Eagle Biplanes - I swear they almost crashed into each other a few times - on purpose.



We also saw demos of an
- F18 Hornet Strike Fighter which moved so fast it vaporized the water droplets in the air and was soooo noisy
- a Harrier jet that moves like a hovercraft and takes off like a helicopter
- a A10 Thunderbold Warthog which simulated bombing and shooting the crowd
- a Black Hawk helicopter
- lots of WWII vintage aircrafts
- and a little plane that landed on the world's smallest airstrip - the top of a moving pickup truck.

We had a ton of fun, spent more money than we meant to, and came home with a sunburn in October!

Another food post

I am loving this pretzel crisp and hummus combo for my lunchbox:




Today I have the roasted red pepper and it is some of the best hummus I've had (except for the kind at the Israeli restaurant on the east bank of the University of Minnesota campus. Amy, remember your falafel experience??? hahahaha)...


The coolest part it they are individually compartmentalized so as not to take up a lot of space. Very handy. (But not very environmentally friendly. I know. I am a walking contradiction in more ways than one.)


Just be careful not to drop the whole thing on the floor before you open it, or let it rattle around your purse - the pretzel crisps will break.

Baby carrots

Did you know that baby carrots are just regular carrots cut to a convenient size? I wonder how wasteful that is.

Oh, and the Twins won last night. I only hope they are not slaughtered tonight (6pm EST on TBS).

Thoughts in Detroit

The Detroit Free Press has a lot to talk about.
Or at least they SHOULD!

1) Cabrera comes home drunk, beats up wife, goes 0 for 5 with the
title on the line (ok the last part is how I hope it goes tonight)

2) Rick Porcello has it all riding on his young shoulders tonight.
Seriously, let me tell you what other 20 year olds are doing with
their lives. It ain't national tv, that's for sure (and the amazing
race doesn't count)

3) Brett Favre in purple. What a game.

4) Michigan State beat Michigan which was crazy.

5) Chrysler's new Italian CEO will finally ditch Dodge cars (my
prediction only). After spinning off the Dodge Ram to be its own bad
ass self, names like Avenger will disappear. (Because seriously, name
one time you have even seen this car being driven around. I didn't
think so.

Oh, and today I am at my new allergy and asthma doctor. They told me I
had met my deductible (big surprise) but am able to pay my 20 percent
today, which I fully anticipate being upwards of $400. And that is
WITH my good insurance coverage - so why so expensive in the first
place??? Please, Mr President, do something!

--
Sent from my mobile device

Rally cap

Tigers lost 8-0 and the Twins won...put your rally caps on!

GO TWINS!!!

I love baseball. Not in the I-have-watched-every-game-and-know-every-stat way, but in these ways:

1. My team is the Twins, and I love them always. No matter what.

2. I enthusiastically watch the Twins play when possible although I don't see probably more than 5 or 6 entire games a season (and I bet that will change now that we're southerners). But, I could pick out the FSNorth sports announcers voices from anywhere.

3. I also love watching little kids play. And high schoolers. And college. And amateur. Any team. Any time. Softball, t-ball, or baseball.

4. Baseball games mean at least one hot dog and a Fun Dip. Who doesn't love that?

5. I will watch just about any team in person if I have tickets. And this weekend, we DO!!! To the Braves game :) Look for me on TV!

That being said, keep your eyes on the Twinkies this weekend: To earn the division outright, this weekend the Twins would have to sweep the Royals while the White Sox would need to sweep the Tigers at Comerica Park. To force a one-game tiebreaker for the division title, the Twins would have to sweep Kansas City and Detroit would have to lose two of three, or Minnesota would need to win two of three and have Chicago sweep the Tigers.

Start SING-ING...we're gonna win, Twins, we're gonna score. We're gonna win, Twins, watch that baseball soar! Crack out a home run, shout a hip-hoo-ray! CHEER FOR THE MINNESOTA TWINS TODAY!