Famous Will Rogers Quotes

I love Will Rogers, and they tell me he was a democrat!  Go figure.

One of my favorite quotes of his is:

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment."

That saying goes hand in hand with "There are no mistakes, just experiences we learn from..."

Keeping that in mind we'll revisit Jan. 23, 2010. On that bright Saturday morning The Teachers and their advisers loaded up and travelled to Bluewood to learn how to snowboard and earn their snow sports merit badge. The Youngest and 14 other young men (11 of whom had never snowboarded before) headed for the slopes and with short period of instruction were turned loose to hit the ski lift.

First run, he barrels into another boarder. Fortunately the other guy was okay. The Youngest, however, ended up with a spiral fracture of his left humerus.

Quality time has been spent in the ER, at the orthopedic surgeons and getting xrays. And on Feb. 10 we got to go to the hospital operating room, and having a stainless steel plate w/ seven screws inserted in his arm because it had not been healing properly. It will be an ongoing process for him to regain full use of the arm. And some amazing dr/hospital bills have been coming in. Six weeks later we're up to about $25,000  for a broken arm? and still have current billings yet to arrive. I am so in the wrong profession!

If playing the blame game would do any good there are a couple of people who could participate. But the most valuable lesson for The Youngest is that even if you're only 15 there is no time like now to take responsibility for yourself. Blind obedience, peer pressure, the age old "instinct" to follow the herd....all bad ideas if you don't bother to utilize your own brain first. I used to snow ski when I was younger. I remember offering some pretty sound advise before he left the house. All of which he ignored. While I'm not happy with how this went down this is not a "I told you so" post.

I'm just going to keep quoting Will Rogers.

Meanwhile - he has "a really cool" scar to show all his buddies.

Heading for the Last Roundup

My faithful steed, a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan, has been deserted by the side of the road. Shirley & I took off to go visiting teaching and while out on the highway heard this strange little crick crick crick sound. Long story short...turns out the transmission was going. We made a valiant run for home which ended about one block short of my driveway..

Nooooooooo.

Sigh. Farm Boy will evaluate the damage. We'll have to decide if it's more cost effective to repair or replace. Either way I know I have other things I'd like to do with that money.

Excuse me now while I go curl myself up into a ball and suck my thumb. I'm sure that will make it all better.
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Earthquake #2

Poor Chile. Has anyone besides me wondered about the news coverage? Their earthquake was bigger. Fewer people died, of course, because their housing wasn't built, mud swallow nest style, into hillsides like the Haitians. And people wonder why 'white folk' flee the inner cities...

But still Chile could use some help. However, the world is suffering from a bad case of deja vu. They've already reached into their pockets, anted up, mouthed sympathies, and done their thing - for Haiti.

Now Chile wants/needs?

Sorry guys. You, apparently, have the great misfortune to be victims of bad timing.
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Cancelled. Again.

Gotta love that delete button. The story that went with this title actually got published and was posted for several days. But as my friend Kim is known to say...."that's just mean." Yup, I was irritated and being snarky. I know, you're so surprised. ME?!!! But I'll keep the title up just in case - to remind myself to behave. I may be a better person for it someday.
I'm putting this on the "issue" down/gone/resolved list. (Where's that golf club?)

998 to go.
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Thought For The Day

It's time for the kitten boys to go to the doctor.

It's the right thing to do.

They're the only ones on the list...so far.

Memories

My neice blogged recently about a trip to Walmart...with her two young daughters. Says Abby:  "What was I thinking?????"

So a couple of days later when I was at the grocery store, in the parking lot... Was stowing my bags and watching a young mother. She had the cutest little girl, about 6-7 months old, in the grocery cart. An adorable two year old was trailing behind her. Mom kept sweetly encouraging him to keep up. Tried to hold his hand as she pushed the cart. It was awkward. The baby bobbled around and the two year old wanted to run and kept pulling his hand out of hers. Mom diligently worked it. He was an active toddler. You understand the term, understatement, right? Made it to her car to unload and turned to push the cart to the cart rack.

Note:  The cart rack is one of those double sided ones that can be accessed from either end. You put the cart in on the right side as you face it. That bar (the small one) swings inward so the cart can be pushed through. The left hand bar will not open from this side. Their arrow probably needs to be a lot bigger.

Just as Mom starts to push her cart toward the rack opening our two year old jets. She is finally exasperated. She gives the cart a firm shove and lunges for the boy. There is a loud crash. She turns (with our runner clenched in her grasp) and gasps. She had shoved the cart (with baby still in it) at the rack on the left hand side. The cart hit the unmovable bar and came to an - abrupt halt. Baby girl holds her breath for several seconds and Starts. To. Wail.

Oh dear.

The young woman soothes her daughter. She'll be okay. She wasn't hurt, mostly startled by the noise. Poor baby. Poor mom. I'm thinking she's ready to go home. Who'd have thought an early morning shopping trip with two little people could be such a hassle?

Ah memories. I so have the - been there, done that t-shirt.

I quickly duck into my van. I don't want her to see me laughing.

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Good News!

Headlines read....Shark Attacks Down!

Yes?

Good news indeed.

Kinda.

Sorta.

Apparently, because of the poor ecomony fewer people can afford to go to the beach. Don't have enuf money for gas to make the trip. Less people equal fewer total shark/human interactions. Therefore lower shark attacks reported.

We've probably been looking at this situation all wrong. I wonder what else Obamanomics can help save us from???

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