Jacky at the Whitehouse/Massage stories

1. This is my cousin Jacky, who I've blogged about before. She's a Senior Intelligence Officer working in Washington D.C. and she posted these pictures recently on her Facebook page when she and her peers got to go the White house a week or so ago.



2. Yes, this is Barney Bush, who Jacky says is the only Bush she would greet kindly. I'm sure Barney could tell she was a dog owner Mommy. She never said but I figured if Barney is there President Bush or the First lady must have been also. I want that picture though. I'll ping her on that one.



3. Jacky and her peers in front of the Oval office. Can you imagine getting to stand there? I told her I would love to volunteer to be her personal assistant next time she needs to visit the White house. Wouldn't that be cool?

4. Massage stories- Sometimes things happen in my profession that are either very funny or I just have to tell you about. And I know there is a lot of you out there who will read this and wonder, "Does she tell stories about me to others?" If I have, I NEVER use names so no one would know. Anyway here's the first one-

So there is a girl who comes into the spa once a month and gets a massage. She takes medication for schizophrenia and when I first massaged her I was warned that she says and does things during her massage that you normally wouldn't experience with others. One of the things she does is when she's lying on her stomach her arms are out front of her and she constantly rubs her hands as if she's putting lotion on. She also has a breathing pattern that you could mistaken for sobbing at times, yet when I've asked her is she's ok she snaps out of it and answers, "yes." Once she turns over, instead of keeping her eyes closed, she stares at you. She'll also talk to herself after I've turned her over and you'd think you were looking at someone who was in the middle of a disturbing dream and her mouth moves like she's talking to someone very troubled. So all of this kind of freaks most of the therapists out and we take turns working on her because it's just to disburbing sometimes. So that is the background of this client. So a week ago, my therapist friend, Michelle was working on her in the room next to me. Often we can hear things even through the walls but I was aware that Michelle had already left the room. So, just another piece of information- sometimes the door locks leaving the client to either knock so we can hear they're stuck or they call our front desk from their cell phones.
So back to Michelle's client- I can hear her struggling with opening the door. Pulling and pulling and I thought, she is going to really FREAK if she can't get out. So there are very few things that make me excuse myself from a massage with a client but I thought I had better go next door and try to help her out so she didn't have this nervous breakdown. And just as I get there, she finally got the door opened and her face was all red and her blonde hair was really tousled. So anyway, she got out just in time but we were very nervous what her reaction would have been had she not gotten the door open.

5. There are some health situations that a therapist must know about since some diagnoses do NOT advise any massage therapy while they are being cared for. So my client was a 70 year old woman who was a return client. If someone is a new client they have them fill out a health questionaire form so the therapist can determind if they are in good enough health for massage. But this woman had already been there. So we have a quick conversation about what areas she needs massage and I leave the room for her to dress down and get on the table. So when I come back in, she has this bandage kind of thing wrapped around her breast area all around her back. And I said, have you hurt yourself or what's going on? She then volunteered that she had a biopsy done earlier in the week. So I pressed further. "So what is your diagnosis because I need to know." She says, "I have Breast CANCER."

Now, friends/family you are NEVER supposed to get massage when you have cancer unless you have a written note from your doctor saying that you can. So I then asked, "Do you have your doctor's permission to be getting a massage?" And she tells me that she didn't even think about that. So I explain the situation and tell her that we really shouldn't be doing a massage but she chooses to proceed anyway and so I told her that we would NOT be doing anything deep but rather just a relaxing kind of massage. So basically I just rubbed her down lightly with lotion. So never get massage if you have cancer, k.

Happy New Year

So many people I've talked to lately are looking forward to the new year (including me - 2008 has been one of the most difficult years) with such excitement and merriment, but it dawned on me this afternoon; that the new year itself will not be anything special. As we enter into another year; things will be the same; people will continue upon their ways and courses. Companies will continue to use and abuse their employees; we will all get up; go to work; come home and start over again the next day. Citizens of the world will continue to war with each other; trying to gain control and dominion over the other and another year will come and go. Sounds depressing, huh?

But, what if... what if we all wake up on January 1, 2009 and say I want to be happier, more peaceful and more loving to my fellow kind (and animals)? What if we all get up that morning and put a little more effort into being kinder to each other; being a little more patient in the traffic on our way to work; slow down and allow someone who just realized their exit is coming up and allow them to merge in at the last minute? What if we take a few minutes to acknowledge those younger than us trying to make their way in the world and we offer them the advise and wisdom that only comes from experiences; experiences of seeing our world in economic strife; leaders making bad decisions; our elderly parents trying to figure out what went wrong with their savings; etc.? What if we all stopped and just showed one act of kindness to someone? I read on a friends blog recently that she was rushing around a few days before Christmas and stopped at a Taco Time to buy a bean burrito and when she went to pay; the clerk told her that the car in front of her had already paid for her burrito. I can assure you; this friend most likely needs no one to pay for her bean burrito; but what a kind act? That might have been the last few dollars that person had before heading home with their Christmas treasures, but it brought joy to my heart to know that there are kind people in our world who are trying their best to be kind; loving; peaceful folks. Pay it forward, that's what I take from this. Let's all pay it forward.

S and I have been talking recently about new years resolutions and being better people; not only to ourselves and each other; to our family, friends and strangers. We have talked about how blessed we are, the joy and love we feel for each other, our families and our friends and those who we come in contact with us on a daily basis. We've talked about our experiences, both good and bad. We've talked about what we have learned and how we need to approach the new year more holistically and with more openness and farsightedness. If we want our home; and the world to be a better place; then we need to be better individuals - better partners - better friends - better family members and better citizens. We need to love more and hate less. We need to be more tolerant - more patient - more willing to give of our abundance; our time; and make our small corner of the world a better place.

I've seen someone who has been there for me, who has given time, patience, love, forgiveness and understanding and all they wanted in return was for me to be a better person. What if... we all took a few minutes to think about who has been there for us in our lives? Who has forgiven us when we have made minor/major mistakes? Who has asked nothing more from us than to be the best that we be - and then give something back to those who need it most?

If we are going to have a better world; one filled with peace; joy; happiness;... then we need to do our part. It could be big, it could be small. But every little or big thing we do that helps another is one step forward into a better world for those who come after us. Give when you can... take time when you can... stop and help when you can... Those who can; do... those who cannot; need a little help.

Don't wait for a calender to tell you that it's time to change> Take every moment of everyday to think beyond yourselves and ask "what can I do"? It may be small, but to the person who bought my friend a bean burrito at Taco Time; I say; no small thing goes unnoticed by the world. All acts of kindness; whether small; medium or big means more than the person giving will ever know. That's the beauty. Give with no expectation of receiving.

We are looking forward to selling our home in the South and moving back to where our hearts find the most meaning. We look forward to reuniting with friends and family, but mostly we look forward to being better people, better partners, better daughters, better friends, and citizens of the world.

Happy New Year,

J

Lost Visitors/A New Era/The Cat/The Blower/Friends

1. It seems that we have lost a lot of our visitors lately here on the blog. I'm sure it's due to the lack of exciting posts lately, which I admit has fallen to the last of the priority list. It's hard to keep up on everything. I'm always unsure of new topics to blog about too because half the crowd likes political stuff, half just want to read something pleasant, and sometimes I have to make a statement for myself, that's why it's our blog. Anyway we'll try to spruce it up again and gain your attendance once again.

2. So I just turned 40 and entered another era, a new tax bracket, and everything. Funny though, 40 feels like 35 or 30, or even 25. Except the body is breaking more and more everyday. A lot of you out there know that I have had lots of injuries in my lifetime, mostly due to playing sports. I mostly struggle with low-back pain on a regular basis and have taken every measure imaginable out there from massage therapy to getting adjustments from a chiropractor, and even acupuncture, which worked really good. I'm now doing some physical therapy and have discovered through the PT that my pain is coming from weak hip and glute muscles along with my stomach muscles- the core. So I've been doing crunches and leg extension lifts and it's actually working, people. I quit working at the airport too, which helps now that I'm not lifting up to 50 lbs x 50 times a day and standing all the time. So hopefully this gets me back on the road to just enjoying life again without the pain. So here's to 40, as I sip my drink. :-)

3. So Joni and I are going to be gone for part of the week coming and we've decided to take Mr. Nose to the humane society where they can check him out and try to find another home for him. He sure is a cute guy but the way he waddles, makes me think he's older too. It's sad to have to say goodbye to a sweet little animal but we have no room in the inn. 3 is already enough for the next 20 years.

4. One of our favorite garden tools is the blower. Here in South Carolina, we live among a thousand trees and when the wind blows they all like to land in our pool or everywhere else. So a few weeks ago we had been using it and the next time I went to go get it, I couldn't find it. We searched high and low and it was no where to be found. There's a home being built two houses down from us and we just thought that maybe we had left the garage door up and one of the transient workers there happen to see it and snatched it. So we tell all of our friends that our blower has been stolen and we go buy a new one. Fast forward to about 6 weeks later- Joni informs me that she's cleaning out the pool house and found it under a pile of stuff that happen to fall down on top of it. So now we have two blowers and we feel bad for blaming the immigrant workers of two doors down but now we have a blower for both of us to blow at the same time. Somehow this doesn't sound very good does it? :-)

4. Friends- One of the hardest things about moving is that you won't be near your friends. Joni and I have made the best friends here, Tonya Walters and Lisa Coggins. We love these friends like our own families and it will be so hard to leave because of the friendship we have. We've committed them to at least one yearly visit to the great state of Utah and maybe two so they can be here during winter time to see our spectacular snow. Tonya and Lisa are avid South Carolina Gamecock football fans and they have season tickets to the games. They took us recently to the South Carolina vs. Arkansas game recently and we had a blast. They've won both times I've gone now. I keep telling them I'm the lucky link so they must take me more often.

5. This is my latest picture of Joni that I took last week. Isn't she a cutie? She'll be embarrassed I posted this but this is her blog afterall too. Maybe I can talk her into writing another entry soon.

Help! I'm a softie what can I say?

This is "Mr. Nose." That's my name for him since he's a stray and has lots of scars on his nose. He's been hanging out at our house for a few days now. He heard that there's three cool cats here. I'm a softie and gave him some food the other day, and this is where my problem comes in. I can't withhold food from a baby. But now he comes by every night. I probably shouldn't have fed him but there you go. Last night the temperatures dropped pretty low and I put out an old Cat bed with a blanket that wasn't being used. He used it in a heartbeat. Joni, who loves our babies, is not very happy with this new "friend." She thinks that we are not doing him a favor since we will be moving soon anyway.
I know we are getting a little attached but I have also observed that he has been someone's cat before. He has a collar on with no info and he's really friendly so someone has had him before. Any suggestions out there? I'm counting on my good friend, Kelli, to have a few suggestions. Do I stop cold turkey? Do I take him to the Humane society? Do I take him all around the neighborhood to find out his home?

I don't want to abandon him but now he's dependent on us but he cannot come to Utah with us. I'm going to print his picture and post it at the grocery store nearby. Maybe someone will recognize him.

Any ideas?

With Thanks!

We just want to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. We are so thankful for each one of you and the roles you play in our lives. We love you and can't wait to move back to be among you all again. Turns out that thanksgiving day in the south is a pretty nice one. Upper 60's and the sun is a shining.

Take care all and thank you for being our friends.

Love,
Senga & Joni

If These Walls Could Talk 2 - part 5 of 5

If These Walls Could Talk 2 - part 4 of 5

If These Walls Could Talk 2 - part 3 of 5

If These Walls Could Talk 2 - part 2 of 5

If These Walls Could Talk 2 - part 1 of 5

It's about LOVE!!!!!!

New Obama Election Cartoons

Thanks to my friend, Janet, in D.C. for introducing me to these two cartoons. They both sum up the latest elections. You can click on them both to enlarge.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

It's a beautiful fall afternoon in SC. The kitty cats have been sitting out on the screened in porch and loving it. On Halloween (Friday night), we had a little visitor that thought it would make home here. It's a beautiful little kitty cat that; as we know; belongs up the street a few houses. Our babies didn't appreciate the neighbor visiting and were very upset when it arrived and decided to "park" itself on our lawn furniture outback by the pool.

Politics/5Browns/Mentalist/Food/Turning 40

1. I guess most of you, like me, are sick to death of the political crap. Since Januray of 2007 it’s been non-stop with candidates on every talk show, dancing with Ellen, doing cameo's on SNL, and taking turns being on liberal NBC/CNN stations as well as right wing stations such as Fox- to answer tough questions. I just can’t wait for Tuesday when we can put the last 8 years behind us and find out who our new President will be. And more importantly-get back to watching normal television, with normal commercials (which I mute anyway). It will also be nice to get back to actual “news” going on in the world. I’m sick of seeing John McCain and Sarah Palin and every other local politician from North Carolina to South Carolina. I'm even sick of, hearing Obama and what he'd do. I just want him to get to it now and do what he says. And if I never hear, "Joe, the plumber" again, it will still be too soon. :-)

2. Speaking of Television- have any of you seen the new show “Mentalist” with Simon Baker. He's a mentalist turned private investigator and uses his skills to help the police. It is pretty good and I don't normally like cop shows.

3. This is the 5 Browns. They have been my new favorite group to listen to. If you haven’t heard of them, they are 5 siblings, who are all gifted beyond measure musically and they all went and graduated from Julliard music school and they now perform all over the world. Watch this video on youtube of a very familiar tune. Oh, and they just happen to be Mormon too, which is not the most important part, but just another trivia tidbit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K__aSYGCvqQ


4.Joni and I have decided that going to the store to get things to make dinner is more expensive than if we just went out to eat. Sure you can use spices numerous times but if you have to buy truffle oil, capers, or red curry paste, you won't live long enough to use it all. These are the times I'm thankful for Martha Stewart's website where you can look up recipe's by ingredient so that you make something else with the large jar you bought.

5. I will end this blog with patting myself on the back about an achievement, and I'll tell you why.
So I turn 40 this year (next month) and while it is kind of exciting to turn another corner in life, every woman knows that when you turn 40 you begin the annual physical/papsmear/mammogram tests. UGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! So Joni made me promise her that I would do this. So yesterday I called to make the dreaded appointment thinking, "They're probably busy so it may be January before I can get in." Oh no! The only appointment she had was the very next day (today) so I had to take it. At least I didn't have to stew about the unpleasantries for weeks on end.So I just want my mom and every other sister and friend out there to be proud of me for doing this. But I did it. Part of my dignity is gone now, but I survived and so can you. The Mamm is yet to come, although I had one two years ago so I know what to expect with that.
The best present we can give ourselves is to do these annual physical checkups, however unpleasant they are, so that we have the peace of mind that our bodies are ok and our happy lives can continue. So if any of you out there have not scheduled yours yet, do it! If I can, anyone can. It's just a moment of uncomfortableness, at worst, and your doctor has seen more ho-ho's than they can mention so yours is not anything new.

Memorial/Washington D.C.

Hello friends/family. We're back after a long week of emotional stuff. Joni recently lost her birth brother, Steve. They buried him next to his parents and remembered his life. Joni's doing great and appreciates all the emails and notes. We were able to have fun also though, while there. This is Lynn, Donna, Senga, Joni, Cindy at a Renaissance festival. The one below this is Joni with siblings, Cindy, Donna, John, and Ronnie.

So we went to a Renaissance festival in Annapolis, MD. Which is something I would have never seen myself going to but I was actually really entertained and we had a great time together with Joni's sister's Donna and Cindy, plus Lynn and I. Lots of people enjoy dressing up like Shakespearean people and the renaissance years, so I admit I'm not part of that crowd but it was fun to see. We found a group of Scottish folks all dressed up so we asked to take a picture of them.

My old high school friend, Janet, who lives in Washington D.C., took us to the 9/11 memorial that just opened last month outside the Pentagon. There's a bench for every person who died that either was on the plane or in the Pentagon when the plane hit. She taught us that if the bench points inward, that person was on the plane and if the bench points out then they were inside the Pentagon when the plane hit. It's an amazing design starting with the youngest person who died and it goes outward to the very oldest person. Very sobering to see. Each bench has the person's name engraved on it and has water running underneath it and every night the workers gather up all the things that people left on the benches and they catalog and warehouse it. We went in the evening time and it was really reverent hearing all the water from underneath it. I suggest you all see it sometime.
This is my cousin Jacky with Glynis and Joni and I. I hadn't seen Jacky in probably 30 years. It was a great reunion and we enjoyed a great steak dinner at Smith & Wollensky's. Thanks for the visit Jacky and I look forward to many more times together with you.

Places in Utah we've missed

I try to convey to our friends out here in the south what I miss about Utah and how beautiful our mountains are. So I thought I'd post a few pictures worth a thousand words. Isn't Mount Timpanogos beautiful? This is in my old house's backyard practically. Robert Redford's Sundance Ski resort is up there. Park City, right behind the mountain. Utah is a beautiful state of various different kinds of mountain ranges from high rocky mountain peaks to national parks of red clay in the south.



This is Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon, on your way to Sundance or Park City. You can view this from the road or walk up to it and hike the beautiful surrounding trails and under the falls. It's just a hop, skip, and a jump from our old house too.




This is Delicate Arch in Moab. Probably the most famous arch of Utah. It's a wonderful 45 minute hike up to see this majestic piece of art. It has an energy all of it's own too. You walk around the corner where the arch reveals itself and it is just breathtaking.




This is the "Narrows" in Zions National Park. Another spectacular view and hike for all you outdoor folks to enjoy when you come out to Utah to visit us.



I miss skiing at Alta and Sundance so much too. Utah has the best snow on earth by far!



And we have a great capital city- Salt Lake City with all kinds of nightlife and restaurants, museums, theaters, and history.

Home is home, what can I say? We can't wait to be back and hopefully soon.

Now this would be a Bailout

So yesterday at the airport I overheard a passenger with one of my co-workers ranting about this $700 billion, or rather now $850 billion bailout. He was mentioning a scenario where if the government hadn't bailed out the institutions that got us in this mess and rather had given that money to the taxpayers, we all would have ended up with about $500,000/ a piece. I haven't checked his math, nor do I fully understand the logic how he came up with this number, but it is interesting to think about. If they gave this money to the American people, who could then buy there homes outright and pay off their bills, including all those ugly bad loans, pay off their cars, get back what they had lost in the stock market and with their retirement 401k's, and then some would surely buy back into companies stocks, and we then might be just fine. There's a lot of scenarios that come to mind about this whole concept and even though it wasn't an option, I've thought a lot about it.

And yes, you know that not everyone would use the money wisely. There's a lot of dumbshits (excuse the appropriate phrase) out there who, upon receiving $500,000 would likely blow it, instead of paying off or buying what they'd really need. But as they would do this, they'd still be putting the money back into the economy boosting it from almost every industry. And yet how would it work, if they had selected this option- should they just send money to every head of household or every tax payer? Would it depend on your tax bracket status to begin with? If you are a couple, both working, that's $1,000,000, again according to the unknown math of the passenger. But just think of it. That would relieve a lot of financial pressure, everyone would have the opportunity to buy their home outright and live the american dream in a million different ways. No one would care about the price of gas either. I guess it would open the flood gates of immigrants to become citizens even more, but if this was a one time payout, then it would be done and we'd all pledge allegiance to the flag, and sing cumbiyah (sp?), and EVERYONE would love George Bush, (for once) and congress and we'd accomplish very quickly bi-partisanism that they always talk about having.

And then, yes, at the end of the calendar year we all would enter a completely different tax bracket, which brings up all sorts of further questions and scenarios that are too countless to mention. But isn't it an interesting thought?

Alright, now- WAKE UP BACK TO REALITY. Instead, No one thought of the average American citizen (that's you and me) this way. No one wanted to invest in America this way, Uncle Sam still wants to make money again after all of this is said and done, (even though we owe China in umpteen billions for everything). So I guess we're back to just working hard and paying a lot of taxes for that American dream and maybe the chance to retire before we're physically incapable of working, and pretending that we're bi-partisan again as a united country. I just don't believe that in this outcome that we all stood "United" with passing this bill under duress and now affecting the rest of the world's markets too. Maybe we'll all wake up from this nightmare and Bill Clinton will still be president. If not, we need another Boston Tea party. :-)

Iron Jawed Angels

This is my favorite movie and is the reason I will vote in three weeks and the rest of my life. No one should take their right to vote for granted. Every woman needs to see this movie too.


And one more great scene-

Please don't say this!

Happy birthday Family!

October is a huge birthday month in my family and I just want to do a post on my family members celebrating this month.


1. Lily May is the 8th child in our family. She was born on October 4, 1979. I always remember this day because it is one of my best friend’s birthday too and it’s our sister-in-law’s (Brooke) and my cousin in Scotland (Lisa Blair’s) birthday. I was 11 years old when Lily was born, I took care of her a lot. She and I have become very close because I took care of her so much when she was young. She now has a great husband, Shawn and 4 dang cute kids- Gavin, Dallin, Maile, and Brooks. I love you, Lily. Lily is named after my mother, Lilias, and her grandmother Lilias Bellingham, and a few other generations long. Lily wasn't too excited as a child to be her mother's namesake. I remember when that changed. When Me and my sister, Yvonne, went to Scotland in 1993 to again see our grandmother and mom's siblings, I came back and told Lily all about her grandma and how funny and wonderful she was and how lucky Lily was to be given that name. She seemed to catch on after that. You are the best Lily, or as Don likes to refer to you lovingly, Slog. :-)




2. This is my Mom, Lilias, today (Oct. 7th) is her birthday. She is a very young 63 today. My Mom and Dad came to South Carolina recently to be with me and Joni and we had a great time. I was thinking that I don’t ever remember a time where I had both my Mom and Dad without any of the other family around. I mean, I love my family, but it was just a special circumstance where I got to have them all to myself and I love them both so much. My mother is a Scottish lassie from Falkirk, Scotland. She used to dance the highland fling and catch every man’s eye in town. She is a very good Mom and the older I get the more I respect her unique set of challenges to be where she is today. My dad caught her eye and her altogether, and they’ve been married now for 44 years.



3. This is Yvonne (#2 in our family). Her birthday is October 10th. She is two years older than me and is someone truly special to me. When you’re close in age, you may not always be close but Yvonne and I have always had a pretty good relationship. Sure, we fought at times growing up- but who doesn’t? The older I got, the more I wanted to stay close to her. She was the first person in my family who I trusted and “came out” to and she loved and accepted me anyway. She and I have a lot in common. One is that we’re both very musical both vocally and having played in the high school Symphonic band and Orchestra at Mountain View. She really hates to be talked about but she is one of the smartest people in our whole family by far. She got a music scholarship to Weber State University and later graduated with her Bachelors in Respiratory Therapy and then later her MBA from University of Phoenix. She is an excellent mother of two to Malin, and A.J. and is one of my best friends on earth. Love you, Yvonne and happy birthday on the 10th.


4.Don is 4 years younger than I am. He, along with my brother Ben and I, used to pal around the neighborhood playing anything and everything we could find. We used to play this thing where I was Jim (don’t laugh), Ben was Joe, and Don was Bobby and we were three brothers who did everything from hunting to going to restaurants together and whatever else popped into our brains (the imagination of youth). Don is married to Rae and they have a daughter, Belle, who is so cute. Sure love ya, Don and happy birthday on the 11th.

The House is on the Market!

Hey everyone, We have our house up for sale now. Of course with the market and economy we'll see how quickly this happens but we believe it will happen sooner rather than later with the pool and hot tub and all. Surely some retirees with cash will want it. Plus it's in a very coveted area because of the school district. The high school in this area is the #1 ranked boys high school football in the country. They are Byrnes high school. So hopefully, if we keep your fingers crossed we will sell quickly so we can get back home to Utah in time to enjoy the ski season in the Wasatch mountains. I gotta hit those slopes you know. :-)
If anyone knows of anyone in the Spartanburg area looking for a home to buy, let 'em know.

Naturally 7

Joni and I went to Michael Buble' concert last night, which was amazing. The video here is an a ccapella group who opened for Michael Buble'. They sing every part of the music and all instruments and were just totally amazing. This was the best song and Youtube just happened to have the video of them demonstrating this. These guys are from New York. Enjoy

Can Sarah Palin do it tonight?

I don’t know about this debate that’s supposed to happen to night between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. I’m scared for Sarah Palin, blubbering on the national stage and although I wouldn’t vote for her anyway, I still just feel bad for her because she is a likable person, but for the office which she aspires, she’s too stupid to risk having her run the country should McCain actually get in office and die thereafter. Sarah Palin had a grand entrance at the convention and became wildly popular but her face time in front of the few media outlets that she’s been allowed, has been utterly disastrous. I hate that a woman is on this ticket, who will likely fail. I also don’t like how the media and everyone is really socking it to her, seems a little sexist and extreme compared to others of past. I do, however, love the Tina Fey impersonation on SNL and everytime I see Palin, I think of Tina Fey “…and I can see Russia from my house.” 

I found this article on Bloomberg.com that was pretty good that I thought I’d post.




Palin May Find the Bubba Vote Isn't Enough:
Oct. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Just as every Super Bowl is going to be the game of the century, tonight's face-off between Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden is touted as settling once and for all, well, nothing. History tells us that no one but family members cast votes for vice president.
This one should matter, given that the next president may be a 72-year-old, four-time cancer survivor who lately is behaving more like a cocky fighter pilot than captain of the ship of state. Palin could be president on Day Two, Three or Four, before she had time to learn on the job, if such learning is possible.
Palin with a prepared text on a large stage does fine. Without a script, not so fine. Expectations for her at the debate in St. Louis are at about curb level because of some rocky interviews. The press complains that John McCain's handlers have kept Palin in a cocoon when actually she's been spending every waking minute with Katie Couric, an inexplicable decision whose proponent may be looking for other work now.
No matter what Palin does tonight it may not erase the impression left by Tina Fey and You Tube clips of Couric patiently asking, ``Can you be specific?'' without success. Many of Palin's answers floated a familiar noun (experience, reform, terrorists, maverick) untethered to an object or verb, let alone a principle or a policy.
Just a routine question about what Supreme Court rulings she disagrees with other than Roe v. Wade set Palin off on a winding highway. ``There's, of course, in the great history of American rulings, there have been rulings, that's never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are those issues, again, like Roe v Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know going through the history of America, there would be others.'' And that's just the half of it.

Sizing Up Russia
Surely, Palin knows that proximity to Russia as a basis for foreign-policy experience is laughable. Yet here is her explanation: ``As Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States... it's from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there next to our state.''
The performances have been so poor that several conservative pundits have said she isn't prepared for the job. Columnist Kathleen Parker suggested she step aside and cite the need to spend more time with her family, a claim that would ring truer for Palin than for most politicians who've used it.
Palin isn't likely to perform similarly in tonight's highly structured format. She's shown she can deliver zingers at earlier debates in Alaska. Even if the setting by a creek in Arizona seems low-key, the coaching has been intense by McCain's team. Their stated goal is to let Sarah be Sarah, to get her off ill- fitting talking points and on to even greater generalities like freedom, strength, prosperity, fairness.
Play the Refs
In case she bombs, the campaign has an excuse ready. Although the campaign signed off on PBS's Gwen Ifill well after it was known she has a book on race and the '08 campaign coming out in January, aides now contend that renders her a poor choice to moderate.
And let's not forget that Palin is personable, especially to Wal-Mart Moms. I'm more a Target Mom but I'd like to go shopping with her. In a Marist poll, 65 percent found her more likeable than Biden.
She described her constituency in an interview with radio host conservative talk-show host Hugh Hewitt: ``It's time that normal Joe Six-Pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency.''
No disrespect for Joe -- my family's full of them -- but were Palin asked to spell ``cat'' and miss by two letters, the ``base'' would likely love her more.
Winning Bubba's Heart
But Palin isn't just winning the Bubba vote. She's won Bubba himself, Bill Clinton.
Part of the explanation is that a two-term Barack Obama administration makes a Clinton restoration almost impossible. Women age in dog years, and Hillary Clinton will be 69 times seven in 2016. The other is that Bill likes Palin's type. He's spoken excitedly of her (``I come from Arkansas, I get why she's hot out there''), but in a barely audible monotone regarding Obama.
Perhaps the endless two-ways with Couric weren't a mistake. They deflected attention from McCain's sputtering: The economy is sound. No it isn't. The only way to save the country is to ``suspend'' his campaign, except for a few interviews and a New York photo-op before arriving 22 hours later at the White House to save the plan he was too busy to read.
Debate? Not without getting a bailout deal. No Deal? OK, just kidding. Back to Washington from Ole Miss because it's not right to ``phone it in.'' Arrive and spend the weekend phoning it in from his Arlington, Virginia, headquarters. To top it off, take credit for getting emergency legislation passed just before it didn't.
Tending to the Elite
Yesterday McCain said he's pleased Palin doesn't appeal to the ``Georgetown cocktail party person who calls themselves conservative,'' that her not going to Harvard ``is a plus.'' George W. Bush proved this can be a winning tactic.
Bush quietly made the elite more so by tending to their economic interests while playing up his love for Nascar Dads and barbecue. As long as you drop your g's, you can be way wealthier than Wal-Mart patrons (the Palins earn more than $200,000 a year) as long as you aspire to the same cultural class.
Obama's problem isn't only that he's black, it's that he speaks like the detached, analytic law professor he was.
With people's jobs, houses and retirement at stake, the elitist strategy might not work this time. After eight years of Bush, we may want to vote for the smart one this time, no matter where he shops.

Funny but sweetest video of baby Chimp and Momma

This video is so cool to me. First it's funny as heck with the other younger chimp pushing the younger chimp in the water but watch the amazing human-like chimp mother step in and rescue her baby. Amazing!

My Uncle Boy- Thomas Patterson Bellingham

This is my mom with her older brother Thomas Bellingham. They always called him boy since he was named after their father. This past weekend he died leaving a big hole in my mother's heart. My mom has 15 other siblings and they were all raised in Falkirk, Scotland. Some of the 15 siblings had died as infants and she has since lost two other sisters in recent years. I have met my Uncle Boy back in 1993 when I first went to Scotland. He was a very quiet scotsman. He lost his wife in the early 80's to cancer and he has a couple of grown children and grandchildren.

I'm sorry for your loss, Mom, especially when you're so far away and can't be there. Much love to you and the rest of the Bellingham/Campbell family who mourns this loss.

Jacky and Shannon- my new found cousins

Recently on the social network, Facebook, a few of my cousins have recently joined up and we've all been chatting and getting to know each other all over again. Shannon and Jacky, who's mother (Neita) is my dad's sister. Well they lived and grew up in Vernal, UT (about 3 hours away) so we didn't see one another very often and didn't get to know each other as well as our other closer cousins.

So Jacky and I started talking and you will never believe this.
1. She works in Washington D.C. as Senior Intelligence Officer, for the Joint Intelligence Task Force for the Department of Defense, combating terrorism. Wow!
2. She graduated from Harvard University with her masters degree and is by far the smartest person in our whole family.

3. She's "family" in every respect too! :-) Her partner, Glynis, is from Maryland also like my Joni.

4. Jacky and I are Boston Red Sox fans, Glynis and Joni are Baltimore Oriole fans.

This is Shannon. She is 6 or 7 years older than me and she along with Jacky lost a brother, Danny, in the late 70's when he was like 18 to a terrible industrial accident. She is a mother of 3 kids and lives in Western Colorado with her husband, Doug. Jacky and Shannon and I have had some amazing discussions about our family, our lives, and I'm so glad that we have crossed paths again and can get to know each other and our families again better. I have always wanted to know my family better. It's what took me and my sister, Yvonne, to Scotland for the first time so we could meet and get to know our mother's mother, brothers and sisters and cousins too. To this day I am pretty close to most of them and have returned to Scotland two more times to visit again. A few years ago, My Aunt Margaret (mother's sister), during her last visit to America- brought with her my Grandmother's wedding ring that she was given when Grandma passed away and at the end of her trip, she and her two other sisters Elgin and Janet gave me that special gold band and I will treasure it forever.

The Campbell side of our family was pretty much in Utah County, Vernal, and Western Colorado (Grand Junction). I pretty much grew up with most of my cousins in Utah Valley and we all knew each other pretty well even to this day but as far as Jacky/Shannon and their siblings- not as much since there was such a geographic gap and we weren't very good about having regular family reunions (shame on the parents and aunts and uncles). I've always talked about writing a book on families and I even know the name of the book, "Do You Know Your Family?" Not sure it would be a New York Times bestseller but there's so much about my family that I want to know more of. When everyone in our lives comes and goes, the one thing you should be able to count on is family.

So welcome Jacky/ Shannon back to the family, not that you were ever gone but it's so great getting to know you both again and we need to stay in touch always.

Charleston Trip with my Parents

Hi bloggers. We've been gone for a little while due to the fact that my parents, Aaron and Lilias Campbell came into town last Wednesday for a short visit. We took them down to Charleston, SC and to the beach and had a great time. I had not seen my parents for over a year and so I was very excited and glad to see them again and spend some quality time with them showing them the south. Thanks Mom and Dad for your efforts to come out here and see Joni and me and our life here in South Carolina. We had a great time and will never forget your visit and the laughs.

Words of Wisdom/Reunion memory

I heard a great quote yesterday and I loved it so much, I saved it to share here. I was thinking about last summer when I went home to Utah to my 20 year high school reunion and I had an encounter with one of my former teammates and classmates that really bugged me. She is one of the girls sitting in this picture with me. She and I never really got along that well back in the day, no reason really- we just never gelled so anyway, she married another guy from our class and when they got to the school that evening, I had just arrived and was sitting in my parked car watching others walk in. So Kristy (not her real name) and husband come driving in the parking lot in their big ass black suburban and they drive through the whole parking lot and drove right past me just at the time that Kristy saw me and I saw her point at me as if she was saying, "There's Senga." So they park a couple of rows over and they get out of the car and Kristy doesn't even look over or wave or anything. And I was thinking, "Brother! We still haven't grown up in 20 years!" And then once I walked in the door and saw her she raised her eyebrows as if she's so surpised to see me. "What a fake bitch, I thought." But then I saw this quote and realized she never mattered to me so I'm over it now.

"There comes a point in your life when you realize
who matters
who never did
who won't anymore...
and who always will

So, don't worry about people from your past,
there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Always Smile, It Does The Heart Good!

So be kind and wave to your old classmate, old boyfriend/girlfriend, roommate or whoever even if you didn't really get along all those years ago. If you don't the universe will bite you in the butt down the road. Peace out!

Blogging, Busy, News!

Hi there bloggers. We have really sucked lately when it comes to blogging. Between J and I, we just haven't been able to find the time. J has been traveling lots- last week in Chicago, this week in California so it's been next to impossible for her to blog. I have been working everyday also either at the airport, or spa and during any down time I have had, I have also been painting a room and now starting on a second room. And if any of you out there have painted before, it is no easy task! It takes a lot out of you physically. So since all my jobs are so physical and then with the painting, any other down time has been resting the hands and chillin' on ice. I'm pushing 40 this year too!
I think I'll go back to a desk job next go around. ;-)

So we have some news- Some of you know already but J and I have decided that we want to move back home to Utah. We've been in the south for 3 years now and we've enjoyed it a ton and made great friends here. Four of our friends live on our same street and with us having a pool, we have had lots of parties and get-togethers. But with Joni's traveling that she'll continue to have to do, her job is not tied down to being in any one location, plus when she's gone, I admit it- I'm a big baby and don't like being alone (even though I have 3 cats to talk to, who don't talk back). Usually when J is here, the cats come into the bedroom and sleep and hang out but last week when she was gone, the cats were no where to be found. The third night last week, I yelled at them for abandoning me and not wanting to be with me. That's when you know you've had enough. If we were home in Utah, I could run over to my sisters houses or any of you and come visit, but here- it's just not the same.

So I don't know how soon this will all happen. We have a home to sell and having a pool will entice some while others with families with kids won't like it because there really is no yard for them to play in but we believe we will sell it faster than the norm. The selling time right now is about 4-6 months. So if all of you out there could put out some of that positive energy for us that it will sell quick, we would be very appreciative. It's time to come home to Utah. So with a little luck, hopefully we're back and settled by next summer, at the latest. Much to ya'all (do I sound southern?)

How To Stay Young

I've been having writer's block lately but came across this from Kyla and thought I'd share it here with you all too. Good advice for us all. Stay young!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

Congratulations Lesley & Jason

This is my oldest niece and newly married today, Lesley Braithwaite Cox. She and Jason just got married today down in St. George and I just want to shout out to her congratulations since I couldn't be there for all the wedding fun with the family.

I'm so happy for you Les that you've found someone you want to be with for the rest of your life. I wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness with your new husband.

Jason, welcome to the Campbell/Braithwaite family.

Lesley, I still remember the day you were born because I was about to graduate from high school. I was so happy to have a niece and you were always such a sweet little girl. I loved to babysit you and bounce you on my knee. You've seen lots of diversity in your family and I know you've been a huge support to your mom.

I hope you enjoy your wedding day and that you'll always be happy and fulfilled in your life together. Love you, Senga and Joni

John Edwards-LATEST SCUMBAG on the planet!

It's not very often I blog twice in one day but I was watching "Entertainment Tonight" about John Edwards and I am so fuming mad at the level of deception of this man who talked of his values with his family and for the country. Have any of you followed this latest sex-scandal-by-a-politician story about John Edwards? I could never really figure out why I didn't connect with his message when others did around me. He always seemed well versed with his quick well thought responses and some of his views seemed to coincide with mine but there was always that "something" that I just saw that was too smooth/car salesman-like to be real. Now I know what I was seeing. So excuse me for a minute while I drag him through the sludge, that he rightfully deserves.

So, after a month or so speculation, he's now finally confessed to an adulterous affair with a woman from his campaign staff back in 2006, and there's talk that her child that was born could be his child. Give me a freaking break, John Edwards! Did you really do this to yourself, your wife, your family and supporters???

What kind of a man runs for the office of the president, with his wife of nearly 30 years battling breast cancer all the while, and then gets mixed up in a sex scandal like this? I'll tell you what kind- the filthiest scumbags cheaters on the planet kind who can't keep it in their pants. He along with Elliot Spitzer, Bill Clinton, and James McGreevey, are the lowest slimes on earth to do this to their wives and themselves, most of all. And they all deny it in the beginning hoping that the speculation will go away but the truth always comes out thanks to the aggressive persistent media and the paparazzi.

While watching "Entertainment Tonight", they showed parts of his ABC interview admitting to the affair with Dr. Lillian Glass, expert in body language, watching on. These are her comments:

1. She says that there is too much eye blinking and shaking the head, No, when he's saying things in the affirmative=Lying.
2. She says we still see a lot of deception with the raising of the eyebrows, when he touches his nose, and when he does shoulder shrugs=Lying.
3. When Edwards is asked about how long the relationship lasted, he stutters saying "it's been over-over for a long time"=Lying.
4. To Edwards one credit when he expresses his admiration for his wife she suggests his body language shows that it is genuine.
5. When asked about the question of paternity to the child, he says twice, "untrue, untrue" "Repeating things is a form of deception," she says. Then he blamed the influence of supermarket tabloids as the reason why the interviewer is asking the question=Lying.
6. Dr. Glass also noted that when he says, "It's not true" he's shaking his head instead. "The body doesn't lie. It leaks information and you can see it in his interview."=Lying

What is is about MEN and their sexual deviances outside their marriages? Especially when they are in powerful positions? This is a childish, thoughtless act that will likely ruin any possibility of further political ambitions he may have had not to mention his marriage. Hope there's a job back at the textile mills.

I'm so glad that at least he didn't drag his poor wife, Elizabeth Edwards out to sit next to him and smile as if she were happy about it during this embarrassing, humiliating confession. He actually took it like a man, albeit it was just a one-on-one interview. Hopefully Mrs. Edwards is packing her bags and calling her lawyer to get out of that unfortunate meaningless marriage.

Professor Randy Pausch, in his "Last Lecture" book said that if he only had three words to impart it would be, "Tell the Truth" if he could add three more it would be, "all the time."
Mr. Edwards you screwed up big time for lying to your wife, family, campaign staff, and your political supporters about the kind of character and values you said you possess. So I guess his ass is in the toilet now and so be it. Every action has a consequence. So when are these stupid men going to get it? Please tell me Obama and McCain are true to their wives?

Stay tuned, there's more questions about his confession that he didn't answer including how much he knew about thousands of dollars paid to her after she became pregnant last year and the media are on top of it and they'll keep exposing it as it comes out.

The old man, old friends, and the giant beetle

I posted a story briefly last week that I then decided to delete for a few reasons but am now reposting.
1. The Old Man and his cars- There's an old single man who lives across the street from us. When he first moved in about 6 months ago, he knocked on our door to ask if he could use the phone since his hadn't been turned on yet. So after running in for the cordless for him to use outside, we struck up a conversation. He told me that he was recently divorced and showed me pictures of his two grown daughters. He was a nice guy but I noticed that he moved in with three vehicles. One is a big Cadillac, one is a little red pontiac firebird, and the other is a truck with a shell on it. Periodically I see him driving down the road and he's always in different cars. So I've wondered what his thought process is when he goes out for the day and decides what car to take. I think he drives his Cadillac to his family events and general running around town errands. Old people are supposed to drive Cadillac's you know. I think he drives his little red sports cars when he wants to drive around town picking up women. And the truck, well that is just a man's necessity incase you need to haul things or help people move. But who knows maybe he drives the little red sport car to the golf course to show it off to his buddies there and maybe he picks up redneck chicks in his truck. Next time I see him, I'm going to ask him how he chooses his day's vehicle. I mean, who has three cars to choose from? I'm jealous mostly. :-)

2. Old friends- I have recently gotten back in touch with two of my dear high school friends from high school who happened to find me on the website facebook.com
What a joy to reconnect with your old buddies. Barb and Diana, as I'll call them, were very important friends back then and we shared a lot of fun at the yearly girl's camp outing along with school things too. Barb was 3 years older than me, Di was 2 years older and they took me under their wings at school and they came to my high school basketball games. I'd go over and swim in their community pool with them too. There's just something about the old friends and people you knew so long ago that now help you feel young and alive again. There is just something special about the connection with people who knew you when you both were figuring out those complex years of your adolescent life. And it's just been great. We've only just begun to even "catch up" on life but it feels like we've never missed a day and have picked back up where we left off.

Thank you Barb and Diana for the influence and love and friendship you always extended to me. You are awesome and I look forward to hearing all the stories of your lives and families.

So if any of you out there are thinking of a special friend of long ago, go find them and reconnect. It will do your heart and soul a world of good. Friends are the family that you pick.

3.The giant Beetle- I work in a spa with a bunch of girly girls who like most girls can't stand bugs. Last Thursday I was there for a few appointments and by the sink was a big black giant beetle that someone had captured with a shot glass on top of it. I was disgusted at the sight but immediately felt compassion for the poor little beetle dying a slow death. I used to kill everything if I saw it in my house and I've realized that there's not need to kill. Just move them out. So during my whole massage appointment I was trying to think of how I could possible free this beetle without letting him get away. I wondered if the beetle was even still alive. So after the massage I walked into the back room and slightly moved the shot glass that was over him to see if he moved. He moved alright. So my plan was to get a plastic cup that I could have underneath the shot glass and I would move him over to the corner of the sink and he's just fall into the plastic cup and I could take him outside. But the plan in your head sometimes seems easier than it was. Oh my gosh! Part of the problem was that I really had the heeby-jeebies even attempting to do this but I could not let him die there. So I move it slowly toward the corner and he fell out but he missed the cup and landed in the stainless steel sink and was fighting it's hardest to get out now that he'd been freed. So I had to get a plastic knife to help him into the cup and the first few times I missed and he fell down in drain area but was so big he didn't fall in. So I'd try again and after the third or fourth time I finally got him in a plastic cup and put a towel over the top and quickly walked outside avoiding any clients to see that I was removing this gigantic bug. I walked to the side of the building and tossed him out into the bushes. I did it, I saved him from death. But as I walked away I thought, he probably died from the fall from the cup into the bushes. :-)

What a great July 4th (5th) party it was. We have been so blessed since moving to South Carolina for many reasons; great friend and family is close (within driving distance). We had a wonderful pool party on July 5th and invited family (from Maryland) and wonderful friends from SC and other parts of the US.

We had a wonderful day full of GREAT food (by the Catering Connection) and family and friends. Here are a few pictures of the sun and fun...