Blame it on a man?... I think I will!

Some one spent 2 hours driving up and down the same road looking for the shoe store Saturday.

Did they call for directions?

Was it a guy?

NO. They didn't.

And, amazingly, it wasn't!

Go figure.

It seems as if the insidious affliction of men is now affecting women.

Is there no cure for this, the worst of all man-isms?

Please, God, let there be a cure for NOT STOPPING FOR DIRECTIONS! And let it be found soon!

Amen.

compass photo courtesy of http://www.memphis.edu

I said S E O... not, you know, S E X !

So.

I read several blogs regularly, er, a lot, er, often?
Okay, I read them when I get a frickin chance. Like today.

Because apparently the people who call and ask for 1) hours the store is open TODAY
2) directions to the store and
3) if you have a certain pair of shoes in their size...

Don't really plan to come in today at all.
ALL 4 OF THEM!

Yes, I said 4 people called and asked those very same questions and they have not come in to purchase said shoes from me today.

Oh, you didn't know I sell shoes?

Well, I do. Unless of course the shoe consumers do not actually come in, then I just clean and dust the aforementioned shoes so they will be pretty and make people want to buy them WHEN some one actually shows up to look at them!

I know. I'm cranky. You'd be too if you kept answering the phone and expecting people to come in to see your lovely and wonderful and terrific shoes!

Oh, back to topic.... which was?
Yeah, blog reading. Which I do. And I have favorites.
Like The Bloggess and Peeling an Orange with a Screwdriver...

Today I read a post on The Bloggess about Google searches that led to her blog... and WOWSERS! does she get some interesting search words leading back to her...I think I'm jealous, but then I think about WHO would be searching for those words and I think maybe I'm a little afraid for poor Jenny The Bloggess and her creepy, scary admirers.

All this got me to wondering HOW does one know what searches lead to their website?
And what exactly is an SEO and how does it work?

I said I want to know... not that I found out... so now I will go out into the land of the search engine optimizers ( see I do know what an SEO is... just not 100% on what it does or how...) and I will search for the answers to my queries.

I might even find them and then I may even understand them.

It could happen?

Who are you... WHO ARE YOU?

Don't you hate how people ask what you do, not who you are?

I mean, like what you do defines who you are as a person and how others perceive you to be?

No, it doesn't, or rather, it shouldn't.
But we all know that we are judged constantly every single day by those we encounter along the way.

What do I do?
I mother.
I chauffer.
I cook.
I clean.
I worry.

These are indeed the things I DO, but they are not Who I AM.

I am a nurse. A mother. A daughter. A sister. A friend.

But more importantly, I am a caring, thoughtful and intelligent Woman.

When I tell people what I do for my 'real' job, many are taken aback.
"How can you work with sick kids?"
"Isn't it too hard?"
"Why would you want to do that?"
These are the typical responses I get. And I get where they are coming from. Taking care of a sick child often means helping them and their families keep them alive. Or, in some cases, preparing the families for their child's death.

I almost never have to prepare a child for this.
They already know. They nearly always are way ahead of the curve and get what's going on long before the parents or the docs.

I work with sick kids for a purely selfish reason.

Instant gratification.

When a child feels bad and you help them feel better?
A smile, a hug, a change in their overall awareness comes from them automatically, letting you know that they are glad you were there. Letting you into their piece of reality giving you a chance to feel the sincerity of their joy of life, for how ever long that life may be.

I have worked with kids who had almost no life expectancy who are still alive and doing well in their teens.
I have worked with kids whose docs said they would never be able to communicate, to play, to have a 'normal' life.
They do all those things... what is 'normal' anyway?

In my field I see the affects of years of science and medicine converging in one small body, giving that little person a chance at life. A REAL life, with family and friends. With school and play groups. A chance to let the Light that is inside of them not only shine, but spread to everyone around them.

Sure, it's sad when they are gone. But that Light, that joy of living that they spread while they were here?
It never goes away. It continues to Light up the lives of those left behind, and in so doing, keeps them alive.

My job is hard. That's why it's called work. Not physically, but emotionally.
But the pluses far out-weigh the minuses. And for me...?

It's the perfect job.
It's not just what I do, it's an extension of Who I AM.

Next time someone asks you what you do...

Tell them you live and breathe and eat and sleep... that's what you do, but who you are?

That's the REAL question.

Fait Accomplis.... It is Done!

Finally! the cable and internet are alive and well at the BusyFamily house.

I was told The Cable Guy would be out first thing yesterday.
What does one do while waiting for The Cable Guy to arrive?

Drink a cup of joe and read on the back porch.
Vacuum the floors.
Wash the dishes.
Clean the kitchen.
Read a book.
Scrub the floors.
Clean the pool.
Do water aerobics.
Eat breakfast.
Take a shower.

Now it's 12 noon... no longer bright and early in my book so...

Call The Cable Guy company to find out where he is...

then wait some more, watch some DVR'd shows, take a nap and VOILA'...

I shoulda taken a nap first, maybe he woulda showed earlier!

And I gave up a day of crabbing for this?


NOW the fun begins.

Tweens running in the door from school will fight over whose turn it is to decimate evil demons online.

The Adult-like kids will spend countless hours submitting resumes and combing the job listings on Monster and CareerBuilder... maybe today they will find a 'Real' job.

And me, BusyMom, will have to find the time to check out the bank accounts, pay some bills, then do some grocery shopping.

The dog needs food.
The kids need lunch meat.
HeMan Hubby is out of Pepsi and snacks.
Someone said we need T.P.... they're probably right.

Five days without cable and internet.

The quietest and most relaxed 5 days this month...

Nothing like a break from technology to help you appreciate the little things in life...

like online banking and streaming video!

Can you hold please...

There should be a law against this.

But then, there probably is.

What?

Poor customer service, that's what.

I am sure that, in some obscure legal tome, in some little (or possibly not so little) town, somewhere in the good ole US of A, there IS something that makes poor customer service illegal.

Some old forgotten law to be sure, but probably still enforce-able. (I'm pretty sure that's a word, but if not... you know what I mean, right?)

I mean these are still on the books...

In Alabama it is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.
( because some of the biblical subject matter doesn't cause a chuckle or 2 on it's
own?)

In Los Angeles it's illegal to cry on a witness stand in any state court.
(And it ruins your makeup)

In Texas a recently passed anticrime law requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours notice, either orally or in writing, and to explain the nature of the crime to be committed.
(Well, yeah I want to know whose in charge of making sure this gets done!)

In New York the penalty for jumping off a building is death. (ya think?)

What we really need is something like:

Anyone participating in, encouraging, or allowing poor customer service to include but not be limited to:

-Hold times in excess of 2 minutes

-Customer service agents named Bob or Bill or Sue with no working knowledge of the
English language

-Being told that your complaint has been Escalated to the next tier (it's not a
frickin' cake people!

-Having to push numbers for 10 minutes to talk to a person, only to be put on hold and have the call disconnected as soon as you hear their voice

-Any representative, of any company, who makes promises to any customer knowing that said promise will never happen...

Shall be subject to a fine of $5000.00 and must pass an accredited Customer Service School;all legal fees and compensation for undue stress and missed time from work will be paid by the Employer of the Poor Customer Service Agent ( aka PCSA which is much nice than some of the things that were running through my mind earlier on the phone with "the cable guy")

Just think how wonderful the world would be IF only some of these pesky customer service problems were resolved.

I know, some one, some where, would still find some thing to complain about...

Friday Foto Feature

Looking thru the lens of BratChild future photog to the Stars!




A little Yellow goes a Long Way...










Don't Forget!
Support BratChild'S Favorite Cause!

To Write Love On Her Arms... six words that mean so much...


And could be the difference in some one's life

Getting Greener by the Minute...

So many crafts.
So little time.

Well, that's not exactly true... I mean the time part, not the craft part because you KNOW there are like millions of things that people do as crafts.

Some of them are cool, exciting, interesting and/or unusual.
Some are just odd, weird or down-right scary.
(taxidermy, I'm really thinking taxidermy)

Of course, Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder... and my eyesight isn't the best.

But seriously, recycled beer can hats and tote bags?

I like to crochet and the idea of reusing something as opposed to throwing it away is appealing to me. And my Mom was a recycler/reuser/reducer WAY before it became popular...
like before I was born 40-something years ago...
back when she was living in the post-depression depressed economy of Pennsylvania where there was apparently no jobs, no money and not much of anything else.

But I digress...

So recycling is something I agree with. I see the validity of it. The rightness of watching out for Mother Nature since WE (I mean the human race) has really mucked it up.

But using beer cans?
And what about those styrofoam meat package trays?
And dryer lint?

Yes, I did say dryer lint. Did you know there are people whose hobby is to spin dryer lint into yarn? No, really. They do!

Using colored glass bottles to make mosaics and jewelry pieces and wind chimes I get.
Turning an old T-shirt into a tie-dyed pool-cover up for a toddler is pretty cool.
Making a laptop messenger bag out of an old pair of HeMan Hubby's jeans - is something on my list of things to do when I get my sewing machine repaired... again!

Turning found items into something else. Finding a new purpose for something that has outgrown it's original one.
Totally so worth doing.
And so creative and NOW!

Too bad that wasn't the case when I was growing up...



I wonder if all those kids who teased me because my mom made all my clothes, because my mom used "trash" to create things like quilts and blankets and Girl Scout projects and Christmas ornaments...

If I could just point out to them that we, like Bill Gates, were pioneers of the future and that they are late to the party?

No, I don't think they'll buy it either.
But hey! It was worth a shot.

Resolutions Revisited

It's been a while since I made my New Year's NOT Resolutions.

Umm, like 8 1/2 months?

And it's been nearly that long since I have thought about them. Well, I think about them often, I just don't look into myself to see if I am actually achieving any of these non-resolution goals.

Today I think it is time I did.

1) I wanted to get healthy, regardless of weight-loss or non-weight-loss, I wanted to eat better and exercise.

Well- I am dong both. Yay Me! I walk several miles several days a week. I have been swimming in my backyard pool- need to do more of that before it's too cold! And I have been eating better. More fruits and veggies, less Ben &Jerry's and chips.

2) I wanted to be a better mom.
Okay- so that is not going as planned. My children have not suddenly started to WANT to be around me, but then they don't run screaming from the room as soon as I enter either so... that's a good thing, right?

3) I wanted to feel better about myself and where I (and my family) am headed- financially, emotionally, and physically.
To that end we are working on home improvements that we are hopeful will help us to get our house sold sooner- rather than later- once we put it back on the market... after football and soccer season is over, of course. ( part of the being a good mom thing there... kids need to finish the season with their friends... it may be their last in Maryland! )

4) and not really the final, but for today it is... I wanted a better relationship with HeMan Hubby.
I think we are doing better than we have in a very long time. He still works entirely too much. And I still spend entirely too many hours doing things with/for/because of the kids and helping friends in need...but the time we spend together has been full of playful banter, warmth and happiness. He even spent an entire week on vacation with the kids and I and DID NOT work... I think we are connecting more than when the kids were little... maybe because they aren't little anymore?

Whatever the reason, or the facilitators, life is good in our home. And our relationship is solid, and a true partnership.

I hope that our children see this and seek to find something similar in their own relationships as they grow.

Then my ultimate goal will have been reached...

to raise productive members of society... who live anywhere but with me!

Book Review: The Selfless Gene:

Living with God and Darwin
by Charles Foster


The cover of this book suggested an " intelligent and highly readable" look at the differences of Creationism and Natural Selection, and how they may actually be connected.

This is a thought provoking journey into the idea that God and the theory of Evolution can co-exist.

At times it is very straight forward, with the pros and cons of both schools of thought very easy to follow.

At other times, the constant back and forth from one proponent to the other, from one adversarial point to another, can be a bit hard to follow.
Add the big words and long-winded explanations and it is even more so.

I found that I enjoyed this book, as long as I was able to remove myself from any distractions and could give myself to it completely.

It is a difficult read that is only somewhat easier if you have a knowledge of scripture, religous theory and a medical or scientific background.

Staying with the author through chapter 4 proved to be difficult. I often felt that the author was speaking down to the reader, and attempting to force his views of Neo-Darwinists and their counterparts, The Young Earth Creationists upon the unsuspecting, and perhaps in the opinion of the author, unlearned reader.

After traversing through the convoluted back ground for each of these group's theories, and getting into the actual reason for the book- the part where Science and Theology can, and very likely do, work together- it was much easier to see and understand the point of view of the author and the soundness of his ideas.

This is not a book to be taken lightly; however, it may be perfect if you are having trouble getting to sleep.
At least until somewhere around Chapter 5.



This review for Thomas Nelson Publishing BookSneeze Blogger Reviews

Social Networking - a necessary evil... Evil? I Don't Think So!

Social Networking.

Is it a person, place or thing?
Perhaps it's an action?

A noun or a verb, that is the question.

Does one engage in Social Networking, or is one simply a member of a Social Network?
And if you belong to a Social Network, what is the price of joining?

For me, it is both a noun, and a verb.
It is a Thing, and an Action.

Social Networking is more than just connecting with business associates in hopes of procuring your dream job; more than connecting to other people with similar interests, lifestyles, careers and hobbies.

Social Networking is very much an attempt to validate one's self by finding, and communing with, people who are very much like themselves.

What is the price to be paid for being a member of a Social Network?
A kidney, your first-born child, tips on the Next Big Thing?

Nope- the only price is one that most of us willingly, and oft times, enthusiastically, give.

Our own input, sage advice, and past experience in the guise of witty, acerbic and very nearly always, heart-felt comments.

Comments are freely given on blogs, internet community forums, chat rooms. Facebook, Twitter and message boards on Google, Yahoo and AOL are always filled with advice and commentary on any, and all, subject matter.

For me, Social Networking has taken the form of blogging, and the forums that I have found through blogging.

The Secret to Success is Support
BlogFrog
BlogFlow
Mama's Little Nestwork
Google Reader
Circle of Moms
Cafe Mom


These are the places and the people that I look to for enjoyment and relaxation, and yes, even validation of my own life and ideals.

( I actually think The Bloggess and I are twins separated at birth she thinks so much like me!)

I read blogs and forum discussions on sublects that interest me.

Anything from being a mom (how to be a good mom?) to making jewelry and crafts to dealing with the stress of running a home to figuring out what my purpose in life really is (again the being a good mom thing... I think I have an obsession about this topic).

I have made connections with people- and no they are not all women, nor are all the women moms- all over the globe.

I enjoy the differing perspectives and resulting input.

I take comfort in knowing Social Networking is not just an action, it is a Thing.

And that Thing has made my life a little bit richer and, dare I say, productive.

(Just don't tell HeMan Hubby... he thinks it's just a little hobby to take up some of my spare time... did I say spare time? I meant time that I should be spending on housework or writing the Great American Novel or something, right!)

How Southern Are you?

How Southern are you?

Do you call your elders Mrs. Smith or Ms. Betty?
Do you drink Sweet Tea or Iced Tea or Long Island Iced Tea?
Do you say Hey!, Hi! or Hello?
Do you shake, smile or hug in greeting?

Actually, any of the above would be considered Southern... just depends on how Southernly you wanted to be...

Except for the Mrs. Smith part. No one in the south is called Mrs. Anything. Unless it's your school teacher. Then it's Missus Whatever... and the nasty old lady at the end of the block... the one with hundreds of cats...

A sure fire way to tell how Southern you are is your hobbies.

Southern Women volunteer and do charity work. They work in the church nursery and the local soup kitchen. They organize fundraisers for the school and help sell Girl Scout cookies... even if they don't have a Girl Scout in the family.

But the number one tell-tale sign that you really are Southern???

All Southern women wear ugly hats and grow things in the dirt...

At least that's what they said in Steel Magnolias

He Said She Said ... What?

The BusyFamily recently took a road trip South to visit other BusyFamily branches.

In preparation for the trip BusyMom took the vehicle in for a check-up.
Oil Changed
Washer fluid refilled
Brakes checked
A/C .... whoa! A/C???

Yep, the A/C is broken.

I told HeMan Hubby it was, back in March, when we apparently did not speak the same dialect.

He SAID he understood.
He SAID the part was a recall issue and was being ordered...
back in MARCH!

So The BusyFamily packs up and heads out...
South on 95 on a SUNNY, HOT Friday in July...
(read:the surface of the sun would have been more comfortable!)

Through that wonderous land called NORTHERN VIRGINIA and into the land of Smoked Hams and Giant Sombreros and beaches begging for sand castles and children to appear.

Yes, we sat on 95S, with no air conditioning, with all windows open, wet hand towels across our laps, necks and foreheads as we crawled along at negative miles an hour, through Virginia, North amd South Carolina!

Somewhere along the way... I think it was about 10 minutes after we started LOADING THE VAN!

HeMan Hubby turned on the A/C.

What are you doing? I asked

Getting the A/C going so it will be cooled down when the kids get in. HeMan Hubby replied.

Why? The A/C doesn't work. It's broken. You said the part is on back order for the recall so IT'S NOT FIXED YET! I answered oh so very calmly.

Oh, you mean it doesn't get cold at all? He asked incredulously.

Ummm, No. That's what I meant when I said the Air Conditioning doesn't work!

And thus began The BusyFamily Vacation of 2010...

Friday Foto Feature

SIGHTS OF SUMMER...

Hook, Line and Available Credit, Please...

You have someone looking for you!
Someone signed your class guestbook.
Find out who's looking for you.
BusyMom It's time for your REUNION!

Ummm... is this a bulletin being put out by CCAS- Concerned Citizens Against Stalkers- or a local chapter of CCFRU- Credit Card Fraud R Us?

No, these are actual email subject lines from Classmates and Yearbook.com.
What they fail to mention is that you can only access the info and SEE if there really is someone looking for you-- in a good, so glad you're still alive and kicking, remember when kind of way-- IF you pay the monthly, yearly, until the end of the universe fees.

Then, for only 4.99 a month, or 39.99 a year or 100 million for the rest of your life...
you too can find out that the creepy, scary dude who sat next to you in US history junior year, the one with the gun in the ROTC uniform, the one who went a little crazy and stole a tank... yeah, that guy- he's been looking for you and wants to know how things are hanging...

Ummm, and it's not even MY reunion, it's HeMan Hubby's. Someone really should make sure that info is accurate before they go putting it all over the internets...

HaHa I made a joke... seriously, I did.

Just wait, you'll the get email about it from Classmates or reunion or yearbook or creepyscarydudefindyouroldfriends.com confirming that "an old friend" told a joke...Click here to find out who!

Really.
I bet you will!
Right after you sign on the dotted line and deliver your first born kid (the people kind, not a baby goat)then, and only then will you know the true meaning of being so popular EVERYONE can't wait to see you again... I mean it's only been 20-something years and who knows how long you have to live, right?

Where have all the bloggers gone??? On vacation, of course!

Hello
My name is BusyMom.

Sorry I am not available to blog for you right now, but if you leave your name and blogging topics of interest, I will be sure to blog about it as soon as possible.

Until then, please have a safe and pleasant day....

Don't you wish you had thought to put this on your blog when you are AWOL or busy or... whatever?

Too bad, So sad, I thought of it first...

So- I am back from vacating, er, vacation... sort of.

I have been MIA for the last 10 days or so... and after a shift tonight I am on an enforced vacation for another week.

Hmmm... to work on my tan... or my housecleaning?.. decisions decisions.

I'll let you know what I decide when I get back... til then...

Please leave a message at the beep...

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!