The 3 (Zelaya) Johnsons

Never knew....

2010-02-03T14:15:00.001-08:00

How difficult it would be to stare into the eyes of my little man and wish his cold away. I was hoping we would get to him turning a year old and then he would get sick, but no, it was bound to happen before then, I just didn't want to believe it.

Ezra is 7 1/2 months old and on day 3 of his very first cold. First day was really hard on daddy and on him. He cried and cried all day, probably he was in pain, but we didn't know. It wasn't till he woke up that night all congested that I figured he probably had a cold, which then explained his behavior from the day before. Now he wakes up a lot because he so congested he can't breathe.

Daddy got him some saline which we tried last night. We tried more this morning and probably daddy is using it in the afternoon, I don't know, I'm at work. I so wish I could help daddy. You are doing a great job honey. Ezra does not know how blessed he is to have you taking care of him. You are an excellent father.

All I can do is pray and ask for prayers for both Ezra and daddy.

Back to Front

2009-11-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

Yey Ezra!!! Daddy e-mailed me to say you had rolled from your back to front! He didn't see it but you did it!

Will Ferrell Speaks Out

2009-11-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

My friend posted this and I just have to share:

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Thanks for posting Kelly!

Monogram Swapping???

2009-10-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have never heard of such a thing as monogram swapping. So you get an item that has the wrong name on it, wouldn't you just call the company and have them fix it? I mean that's what we did with our blanket once we discovered the name on it was not the brand (long story, ask me later).

Anyhow, I subscribe to many things on my GReader so that I can get updates on recipes, baby shopping deals, etc. One of the ads for today was for a website that does monogram swapping. Here is the link if you are interested: http://www.themonogramswap.com/catalog/13/clothing

Monday Gloom

2009-09-28T15:49:00.001-07:00

The end of the day is near. First day of classes today and also first day of the second week being back to work full time. I so miss my baby. I didn't get to nurse at lunch because he was sleeping. Good thing I had pumped so he would have milk when he woke up. For some reason today has just been hard. I think of all the beautiful things I saw Ezra doing for the firs time last week and I'm sad for all the other things I will miss.

Last Monday he grabbed his foot for the first time. I was home to experience it. He had this intense look on his face, not really sure what to think of what he was grabbing. Thursday night he belly laughed so hard I wish I had gotten it on video. My neighbor was playing with him peekaboo. I was filled with joy and excitement that stopping to record it was too much. It was so beautiful!

All week we have been trying to cut out his early morning feeding. It took 4 days of getting up between 3:30 and 4:30 and rocking him. When he went to sleep Friday night, little did we know that he would not wake up at 3 or 4. He would wake up at 6 and that making it his first official day of sleeping through the night.

Then yesterday, while we were walking down by the beach, he was making lots of sounds. I told Charlie that he had been more talkative lately, to which Charlie agreed. When I looked at him he had his tongue part of the way out. It's like he had discovered he could make sounds and stick his tongue out too. He had been doing that all weekend but it didn't dawn on me until yesterday! He looked so adorable. I played along with him. It was such a beautiful thing, to see one more new thing he had discovered.

Then last night we took down his pak and play to set up his crib. It was really hard for me. Here was my baby's bed being replaced by a bigger bed. I love the crib, don't get me wrong, it was just a hard transition for me. Now if we had started with the crib from the beginning I would not be going through this emotional nonsense.

I love my baby and I enjoy every moment I get. Even if it's to spit up on me or cry on me, momma is there to comfort him. To love on him. Smother him with momma kisses and let him know how much I love him.

I am so grateful for the opportunity of being a mom. Thank you Lord for gifting me this child.

Ezra's Birth Story, part 2

2009-09-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

So, I'm only at 5 cm and not progressing much. I'm in so much pain, I can't even walk. My doula is helping with massaging my feet, Charlie is to my right helping any way he can. I am beginning to beg for the epidural. As in our bradley classes. we were encouraged to "tell the wife" if she could go another 20 minutes without it. We did that for a while and I think I said ok, but after 3 hours I couldn't do it anymore. I went to the bathroom to alleviate myself, but each time I was on the toilet the contractions were the worst. I started crying and really asking for the epidural.

We asked the nurse how long it took to get set up for it if we wanted it. She said 30 mins. It was almost 1:30 and I asked for it. At about 2 pm the doctor came in. He wanted to make sure we all knew procedure, what would happen once i was on the epidural, etc. Then he asked Charlie and Catherine to please step out so he could do the needle in my back and prep me. The entire time I'm being told that I have to be really still and that I need to try and breath through the next contraction so that the doctor can put the needle in my back. You see, up to this point, I have not been able to sign any hospital papers because I have not had a break with my contractions long enough to hold a pen and sign.

The doctor finishes setting me up with all the tape and tubes, etc etc and asks if I feel any tingling in my feet. I can still move them, not much tingling yet. Any strange feelings I tell him once I can feel the numbing moving into my pinky toes. Then he asks if I can feel any pain. I tell him no. Good he says because you are having a contraction right now! I must have been the happiest woman on the face of the earth at that moment! I could finally enjoy the moment in the hospital so I could focus on meeting my baby. The pains had been so hard, I didn't think much of the baby, it was more of how can I survive this pain.

Then as promised, doctor went looking for Charlie and Catherine. He came back without them, no where in site. Charlie had stepped outside to make a call. There was no reception in the hospital, so in order to call anyone, he had to step outside. When they both came in Charlie took pictures of me:)

Within the hour I was checked again and I was at an 8. Then the nurse waited for a contraction to feel me again because she said I might be further ahead and sure enough, I was at a 9 during my contraction. It was so exciting. I was getting closer and closer, my baby would be born today I thought.

I was checked again, not sure how much later, an hour or two and I had not advanced to a 10 yet. My contractions were slowing down and moving further and further apart, which we knew could happen but I hoped it wouldn't. I started eating ice chips too because my temperature changed by 1 degree and they were getting all stirred up in their pants that I might get a fever which could then affect the baby, bla bla bla. The thing is, most women when they have an epidural get a slight fever, but it really is no big deal. This is more used I think by the hospitals to urge a woman into a C-Section.

Anyway, baby's heartbeat was fabulous the entire time. He was strong all through me being in pain. Remember, at this point, we didn't know it was a he or she.

Since my contractions slowed down, the nurse started talking pitocin to help my contractions pick back up. I had already given in to the epidural, i didn't want any more drugs in my system. The nurse had already called the doctor to update her on my condition and how far along I was. Since I had been stuck at a 9 for a while, the pitocin was the doctors idea. I was told that if by shift change, the doctor could say my birth was not progressing and recommend a C-Section. I was getting really pissed now. How dare this new doctor tell me what I needed! I knew I was ok and baby was ok, why were they trying to force me to do what I didn't want to.

We talked things over with Catherine. She was incredible. I don't think Charlie and I could have done it without her. She is a very wise woman. Advised us on the use of pitocin and why we should probably give it a shot. We decided ok, let's start with the smallest amount. 30 mins later they wanted to increase it and we waited till an hour had gone by. I eventually made it to a 10 at about shift change. YEY!!! The new nurse that came in was so spunky and energetic and just a joy. She checked me, said I was at a 10 and I could start pushing.

PUSHING?! Couldn't believe it. I was going to get a chance to push out my baby!!! I knew it would take at least a couple of hours. I was ready. They (nurse, Charlie & Catherine) would tell me when to push. I had Charlie on one side holding my leg and Catherine on the other side. 3 pushes with every contraction. Charlie was able to see the top of the babies head. Had little hair:) They eventually put a mirror so that I could see the progress too and the babies head. His head was turned sideways so the nurse worked really hard at helping him turn.

The entire experience was surreal. I could see the top of his little head, but it was so not me. I was not this woman pushing. In those moments I would internally tell the baby to help mama get him/her out. I was beginning to think it was a girl.

5 hours I pushed. Babies heart rate never dropped. He was a fighter like momma. He was stuck on my pubic bone. I was tired, which I can barely remember much at this point. The nurse told us she didn't think even Dr. Grady would let me go this long in pushing. That a C-Section was the safest route. If the baby did come out and his head was turned, I might hemorrhage, baby could be in danger and so would I. I cried for like 30 minutes with Charlie. I didn't want a cesarean. I was feeling like a failure. Everything I had expected for my birth did not happen as planned. Here was another road block. We eventually said ok, prep me for surgery. The anesthesiologist came back in the room to tell me what was going to happen. Gave me more meds for the pain, then left. Came back in before they wheeled me out for surgery to increase the dosage.

Catherine had to leave:( She was not allowed in the room with us for surgery. I was taken first to have all the stuff prepped in the room with me, belly, screens, etc etc. Charlie came in a little after and sat next to me by my head. He reminded them that we didn't know what we were having and he would like to be the first to tell me. As soon as his head was about to come out they told him to stand so he could look over the big screen covering me. He saw the head. Then his little body came out and with tears in his eyes told me we had a SON! WE HAD A SON!

Ezra Charles is his name. He was born at 2:12 am on 6/12/09 weighing 7lbs 13 oz and measuring 19 1/2 inches. He was healthy and beautiful! Eager to enter this world and beginning to learn many wonderful things.

Labor was hard, but to have another angel like my little Ezra I would do it all over again.

Ezra's Birth Story, part 1

2009-09-08T22:02:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 9, 2009 ~ Felt my very first contraction. It wasn't at all like the Braxton Hicks. I was told it would feel somewhat like cramps and in a way it did. It was exciting because I knew my body was preparing for what was to come in a couple of weeks.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 ~ Only had one contraction that was supposed to be what I would experience during labor. I had a couple of Braxton Hicks. I went home and took care of my sick honey. I still had a ways to go before our little baby came along. Charlie and I decided to go to bed early. I was tired and he was not feeling well.

Thursday, June 11, 2009 ~
1:30 am a contraction woke me up. This never happened before. Oh well, go back to sleep I thought.
2:00 am, I slept for 30 mins before another contraction woke me up. This time I felt water leaking out of me. Charlie began to roll over in bed when he asked me what was wrong. I told him I thought my water had broken. He turned the light on to check and sure enough, it had. I don't remember this part, but he said I told him I thought my water had broken because I didn't remember peeing myself. Charlie got up to help me get cleaned up. I didn't want to get out of bed because I thought I would leak water all over the place. Charlie had the biggest grin on his face. He was so excited we were going to meet our baby that day.

My thoughts were, is this really happening? I have to push a baby out of a tiny hole, really? Wow, how am I going to do that? How do I prepare mentally? Those of course were my initial thoughts.

After getting cleaned up and putting new clothes on, we crawled back in bed. We were told in our Bradley class that if we started labor early morning to try and get as much sleep as possible. We layed back down but my contractions kept coming. I barely had a break. Charlie hearing me suggested I get in the hot shower. It felt so good to be under the hot water. We put our step stool in the bathtub so that I could lean over it during a contraction.

From the shower I moved to the birth ball. Rocked on there, moved to the ground, over the bed, hanging on Charlie, on the toilet, in fetal position, you name it, I did it. I wanted to labor at home as long as I could. One thing we learned from our Bradley class was that we could labor at home for at least 12 hours after our water had broken. Charlie tried to get me to eat because we had a long day ahead, I needed to have food for energy. I made it through one piece of waffle in between contractions. That took me a couple of hours to eat.

Our hospital bag was not packed. Charlie in the meantime was running around getting our bag finished. We had only packed things for the baby.

By 8:30 am I couldn't handle it any longer. We headed to the hospital. I was not sure how far along I could be. We were looking for the 411, contractions being 1 minute long, 4 minutes apart for an hour. That never happened. My contractions had been about 2-3 minutes apart since my water broke at 2 in the morning. Now I have been known to handle pain, so I thought I could handle this, but it did not happen. It's like hello, I had my appendix out last year.

By the time i arrived i was at 4 centimeters and fully effaced. Baby was at 0 station. It was exciting that I was as far as I thought i might be. Three hours after getting there I had only advanced to 5 centimeters. The pain was horrible. I didn't know how I would push out my baby.

Ok. My brain is mostly dead right now. I will continue this later.

Sillyness

2009-02-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful day it is! I slept in, have been relaxing and trying to catch up a little on facebook. Why you ask? Well, I gave it up for lent, so that I would be more disciplined at work since my busy season is kicking in.

So this morning I am faced once again with an indecisive palette for eating. I decided to have a yogurt and to boil some eggs just to have them on hand for emergencies like these. I left it on the stove and came to my comfy couch to begin my procrastination on the computer. I totally forgot about the eggs.

I soon started hearing little pops, which I automatically assumed was some child in the back throwing rocks at my window. Why would I think that, well, only because I could hear kids out back. Why would anyone try to get my attention by throwing rocks at my window anyways? I heard a few more that got a bit stronger and then they kinda stopped. I figured a parent had probably gotten them to stop:D So I continued, reading updates on facebook, uploading pictures from my camera and so forth when the BIG POP! happened. Now that really freaked me out! First response was why didn't I check on the sounds sooner. I rush to the kitchen, only to discover this:

Yeah, kinda silly of me to forget. Maybe next time I will set the timer on the microwave:D My question now is, can I still eat them?

What's your Faith?

2009-02-02T15:53:00.001-08:00

A friend posted this on his blog. Give it a shot and see what you think?
Here are part of my results:
Your Results

The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa.

Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking.

How did the Belief-O-Matic do? Discuss your results on our message boards.
1. Orthodox Quaker (100%)
2. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (87%)
3. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (86%)
4. Eastern Orthodox (69%)
5. Roman Catholic (69%)
6. Seventh Day Adventist (67%)
7. Islam (64%)
8. Liberal Quakers (64%)
9. Orthodox Judaism (64%)
10. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (60%)
11. Baha'i Faith (56%)
12. Unitarian Universalism (54%)
13. Reform Judaism (52%)
14. Jehovah's Witness (47%)
15. Sikhism (45%)
16. Jainism (44%)
17. Mahayana Buddhism (44%)
18. Theravada Buddhism (43%)
19. Hinduism (42%)
20. Neo-Pagan (37%)
21. New Age (36%)
22. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (36%)
23. Secular Humanism (35%)
24. Scientology (31%)
25. Taoism (29%)
26. New Thought (26%)
27. Nontheist (25%)

Here's the link: http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMatic.aspx

Almost made it to 3 weeks

2009-01-29T20:14:00.000-08:00

I was way too excited I think, that I had ended the horrible morning sickness. This time I didn't even get to finish brushing my teeth when it hit me. It was over in a few minutes, my throat and stomach was a mess:( Thought I could make it through the day but was barely able finish a banana and some ginger ale. I tried a croissant which helped a little. I came home at lunch and ended up crashing for the rest of the day. My throat and stomach felt messed up the rest of the day, but toast and tea has worked. Hoping today was a total fluke! Pray that tomorrow will be better.

It's Been 17 Days!!!!

2009-01-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

Yes folks, 17 days since I last threw up!! No, I am not bulimic, I am pregnant:) I have been waiting for these joyous days since I first started getting sick. Everyone told me the second trimester would be better and so I waited.....and waited....and waited.

Week 14 came and went with me sick. Week 15 and 16 were the same. It was around week 17 that it stopped. This does not mean I haven't felt nauseous, which a day here or there I can handle. It has been more the I'm nauseous and I know I'm gonna throw up feeling that I don't like.

Many times I heard people speak of how much fun they had being pregnant or they missed it, but I haven't found much of that. Here are some things I discovered happen to you when you are pregnant.

1. Your relationship with your spouse will be really hard! Mainly first trimester.
2. Sometimes your ligament pains will hit a nerve that will send shooting pain down your leg.
3. Those pains will make it uncomfortable to walk at times.
4. Sneezing will make you pee your pants.
5. When you blow your nose it will be bloody.
6. Peeing actually got worse my second trimester, not my first.
7. You might need a pillow bellow your hip if you need to sleep on your side.
8. Night sweats.
9. It's not true that every pregnant woman gets hot, I still get cold.
10. Your brain will sometimes work, key word is sometimes.
11. Your farts will become stinkier, poor husband.
12. You also slobber more when you sleep, that is not fun.

What are some things you experienced that no one told you about?

Encouraging

2009-01-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

I just read a friend's blog and though I would pass on the great knowledge.

Final Leeds Update

2009-01-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

A couple of people have asked me what finally happened with our mattress.

Well, we got our 4th and final mattress. I've lost count. I think it's number 4 or 5. Anyway, we ended up going to the store in Glendale so we would not have to encounter the mom and daughter team at the Pasadena Leeds store. The gentleman that helped us there was incredible the entire time. Each time we called or stopped by, he was very helpful, non pushy, etc.

We ordered a different bed and paid the difference. The paperwork could not be printed that day so they asked us to return on Monday. Well, we got a little busy and by Wed or Thursday, I drove out there to pick up our form that said we had paid for the bed and showed the delivery date. The guy who had been helping us was not there, but his coworker was. This guy tells me that our order had not been processed and therefore would not be getting our bed on Saturday as originally planned. You can see how I must have been turning red with anger. The guy gave me some excuse, bla bla and we rescheduled for it to arrive the following Thursday.

When we spoke a day later with our original sales person, he said that our bed had been ordered and it was set to be delivered that Saturday, that the other guy was confused. That the reason we didn't get it was because we had changed our delivery date. Of course, I was irritated at the lack of communication even between coworkers on how things work within their own store for one person to say one thing and the other to say no that is not how we do it!

Anyways, we got our bed, we are done! Charlie is just discovering the beds are not made of very high quality these days since the divets are beginning to slowly form. I guess we should have bought a brick if we really wanted a firm bed:D

Mattress Shopping

2008-09-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

How much do you know about mattress shopping? My husband would tell you it is like car shopping. After trying out so many they all seem the same. It is always good to walk away and return a day later when you are more refreshed and only test the ones you thought you liked. Plus at that point you have slept on your own bed, so you have a better idea as to what you really want and need.

Our story started a few months ago. We went to a few stores here in Pasadena sometime in April. I know that for a fact because it was right after my appendectomy so I was being careful getting in and out of beds. Anyway, the first store was way pushy, the second store gave us a lot of information on how mattress companies work. They were more of a warehouse type of place across from Leeds. One day Charlie went to Leeds by himself and received great help from one of the ladies there. He wanted me to check it out one evening, which we did. The service was great. They were not pushy, they were very helpful, we wanted them to have our business. At the time we honestly felt like these people were great.

Our bed was supposed to arrive a week later. That was disappointing, we were hoping for that day, but were okay with waiting another week. Well, Friday came and went and nothing happened, no calls about a delivery the next day. Weekend ended and we called the store to find out where our bed was. They apologized, said they would find out and call us back. Well, that was Monday evening and no one called back. Tuesday we call again and ask the same thing. Well, what had supposedly happened was that our sales person had entered one number wrong on the request so the bed just didn't get ordered (???????quite confused??????). My thoughts would be, hhmm, this order is wrong, let me call and make sure they entered the correct information on the form. I've been in sales enough to know that if something does not make sense you call and check on it. For this reason now, it was going to be another week before we got our new bed.

I'm cutting a few things out to help keep the blog short. You can always get more details if you wish. Any hoot, bed finally arrives and within the first two weeks it has started caving in. We called Leeds to let them know so we could get a replacement. In a way it felt like we were talking to a brick wall. You would say it's defective, what do we need to do to get a replacement? We would explain how you would sit on the side and it would sink in. We told her how you barely pushed the bed on the side to move it and it would all go in where you could feel the foam inside having no support. To her, this meant it was probably a comfort issue with us. She was going to have to put a call in so someone could come check out our bed.

The following day, I called the store to make sure the request had been put in for us. I had seen how things had been going and I wanted a concrete response as to yes, they have been called it will be next week, but what I encountered was frustration that I had called from the one sales' person's mother. She said it would be a week. So, the following week, I call the number on our paperwork to call about comfort and problems with our mattress. They tell me they have not received anything about our bed. OMG, I was fuming. I call the store and tell them what I have been told. They in turn tell me they called a different place that did it faster for them in checking out your bed for defects. That the number I called won't do anything until I've had the mattress 3 months. I was not buying it.

That weekend I wrote a store to LEEDS through the website. I gave a time line of when we bought the bed to when we received it and when we got it. The phone conversations with people at the store. The lack of help. It was like they made the sale, got the profit, they were done with us. Who cared about our comfort? Well, we did, money doesn't grow on trees you know and we had been talking about buying a bed for months!

I honestly didn't think anyone would ever listen to my letter. I hardly get responses when I email a company asking about this or that. Little did I know that both mom and daughter at the store had been reprimanded. We only knew this because the daughter was upset at us for writing the letter that got them in trouble. I was shocked, that she would bring that up and be mad at us for it. She still argued that it was a comfort issue. So I told her well, if the bed is defective, of course it is going to be a comfort issue!!!! She called Charlie and played the same story. Somehow we got a new person and he told us when the new bed would be coming in. We were so excited. Finally someone helping.

A week later we got our new bed, but it was softer than the store one:( We just were not getting anything going right. We tried it for a few weeks, but it was not helping. Charlie went to the store in Glendale in order to avoid mom and daughter team in pasadena. The gentleman there was so helpful. We discovered the first replacement cost was eaten by the store, so we could not change brands since it didn't show in their sytem. This new sales person got us a 3rd replacement which we received at the beginning of august.

Friends, this is the 3rd crappy bed. Do not buy anything Four Season's brand is all I have to say. I don't know what name it goes by in other stores.

Today we went to Glendale, again, and found a new bed. Our friendly sales person will contact their purchaser or someone to see what can be done for us. We are hoping and praying that they will allow us to switch beds and only pay the difference. Otherwise we are seeing that plus a restocking fee that we just can't afford.

Shopping for beds is a great ordeal. It takes much patience and good customer service. Beware of salesy people. They bug me!

Tell me what you honestly think

2008-09-19T16:20:00.001-07:00

What a Community Organizer Is

2008-09-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of my posts lately have been other people's words. A big part of that is because they have used words that I wish I had.

I am finding so many disappointing this in this election. For many its just another voting day, but for me it will be my very FIRST!!!! You see, I just became a citizen this year.

I came from a home with tons of sisters that had children out of wedlock and had to live on food stamps. My mom was a stay at home mom so she took on the job of caring for her grandkids so my sisters could work and help pay for everything else. We came from El Salvador and had debt to pay back to those who helped get us here. I am part of the poor community. I have been part of the discrimination in society. I know how it feels.

What I truly admire about Obama is that he understands where some of us are coming from. He grew up in poverty and was given a great opportunity. With great effort he received a great education and later went back into his surrounding communities to give back. To learn from the people before continuing his education.

I would like to share an article I just read:

http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/09/what_a_community_organizer_doe.html

September 4, 2008 2:41
What a Community Organizer Does
Posted by Joe Klein | Comments (221) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

Slowly, slowly, I am recovering from the extremely effective bilge festival staged by the Republicans last night. And while there is much to discuss, there was one item, in particular, that has to be considered infuriating: the attack on Barack Obama's service as a community organizer by the odious Rudy Giuliani--he's come to look like a villain in a Frank Capra movie, hasn't he?--and Sarah Palin.

This morning, I received a press release from a group called Catholic Democrats about the work--the mission, the witness--that Obama performed after he got out of college. Here's the first paragraph:

Catholic Democrats is expressing surprise and shock that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's acceptance speech tonight mocked her opponent's work in the 1980s for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. She belittled Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's experience as a community organizer in Catholic parishes on the South Side of Chicago, work he undertook instead of pursuing a lucrative career on Wall Street. In her acceptance speech, Ms. Palin said, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities." Community organizing is at the heart of Catholic Social Teaching to end poverty and promote social justice.

So here is what Giuliani and Palin didn't know: Obama was working for a group of churches that were concerned about their parishioners, many of whom had been laid off when the steel mills closed on the south side of Chicago. They hired Obama to help those stunned people recover and get the services they needed--job training, help with housing and so forth--from the local government. It was, dare I say it, the Lord's work--the sort of mission Jesus preached (as opposed to the war in Iraq, which Palin described as a "task from God.")

This is what Palin and Giuliani were mocking. They were making fun of a young man's decision "to serve a cause greater than himself," in the words of John McCain. They were, therefore, mocking one of their candidate's favorite messages. Obama served the poor for three years, then went to law school. To describe this service--the first thing he did out of college, the sort of service every college-educated American should perform, in some form or other--as anything other than noble is cheap and tawdry and cynical in the extreme.

Perhaps La Pasionaria of the Northern Slope didn't know this when she read the words they gave her. But Giuliani--a profoundly lapsed Catholic, who must have met more than a few religious folk toiling in the inner cities--should have known. ("I don't even know what that is," he sneered.") What a shameful performance.

Transcript: Obama Sits Down With Letterman, Discusses Pigs

2008-09-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama appeared on the “Late Show” with David Letterman in New York on Wednesday, a day after heated debate ignited over a “pig” remark some took as a slam against Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The following is a transcript of the “Late Show” interview.

Dave: “Let me ask you a question here. Have you ever actually put lipstick on a pig?”

Obama: “You know,” (audience laughs) “the answer would be no. But I think it might be fun to try.”

Dave: “I know the reaction to that was, ‘You were overreacting.’ You stand by that?”

Obama: “Absolutely.” (audience applauds) “Look, this is - if you - this is sort of silly season in politics - not that there’s a non-silly season in politics.” (Dave, audience laugh) “But it gets sillier. But, you know, it’s a common expression in at least Illinois, I don’t know about New York City. I don’t know where you put lipstick on here.” (audience, Dave laugh) “But in Illinois, the expression connotes the idea that if you have a bad idea, in this case I was talking about John McCain’s economic plans, that just calling them change, calling it something different, doesn’t make it better, hence, lipstick on a pig is still a pig.”

Dave: “Now what I like about this scenario is because they demanded, the Republicans demanded an apology.”

Obama: “Yes, they did.”

Dave: “So that means there had been a meeting at some point somewhere along the line.”

Obama: “All of them.”

Dave: “Yeah, they got together and they said, ‘You know what? He called our vice presidential candidate a pig.’” (audience laughs) “Well, that seems pretty unlikely, doesn’t it?”

Obama: “It does. But keep in mind that, technically, had I meant it that way, she would have been the lipstick, you see?” (audience, Dave laugh) “But now we’re…”

Dave: “I don’t know, you’re way ahead of me.” (audience laughs)

Obama: “Yeah, the failed policies of John McCain would be the pig.”

Read the rest of the article at:
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/11/obama-letterman-pigs/

Sarah Palin Gender Card

2008-09-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Some of my friends posted this on facebook and I wanted to share with anyone reading this blog!

I really find it interesting how people switch sides depending on what is benefiting them. Please go to the following link,

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card

Food for Thought

2008-09-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

One of my friends posted something this morning that I feel very strongly about. So open your minds and read without biases:

"Let me suggest "Five Rules of Christian Civility."

1. We Christians should be in the pocket of no political party, but should evaluate both candidates and parties by our biblically-based moral compass.
2. We don't vote on only one issue, but see biblical foundations for our concerns over many issues.
3. We advocate for a consistent ethic of life from womb to tomb, and one that challenges the selective moralities of both the left and the right.
4. We will respect the integrity of our Christian brothers and sisters in their sincere efforts to apply Christian commitments to the important decisions of this election, knowing that people of faith and conscience will be voting both ways in this election year.
5. We will not attack our fellow Christians as Democratic or Republican partisans, but rather will expect and respect the practice of putting our faith first in this election year, even if we reach different conclusions."

Source: "http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/09/obama-perkins-palin-and-a-plea.html"

Thanks Dayna for posting this on your blog!

My friend Nattie's Blog

2008-08-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

I just read Nathalie's blog and wanted to share:

Here’s an update (37wks)

Eric and I went to the doctor last week and Asher was still in the breech position. We talked with the doctor about the two different options we have whether to manually ‘turn him’ and see if he stays in this position or to do a c-section. Eric and I decided that if we can manually turn him then we’ll give it a try. However, we also found out that due to my uterus being Bicornuate (heart shaped) they will have to determine if they can “turn him” safely without Asher going into stress. If he goes into stress then they would deliver him right on the spot. Luckily, due to all my fertility stuff I have an x-ray from a procedure I had done last year to determine if my tubes are cleared which also takes a picture of your uterus. I gave these x-rays to the doctor and we were to come back this past Thursday.

Thursday, 8/14~

Our doctor came into the room and asked how everything was going. We said fine and that Asher was moving around quite a bit these past few days….it felt as if his arm was stuck underneath him and he was finally able to pull it out and I felt this big punch. The doctor said that he looked at my x-rays and before we talk our options let’s see if he turned on his own. As we were doing the ultrasound, right then and there we were all in amazement…he turned on his own. Asher was in the correct position for delivery. Both Eric and I could tell that our doctor was relieved. He said this is good news and we don’t have to “talk” about the other options which ended up being only one. Apparently, my uterus is so divided that it would not be safe to try and manually turn him. So, that left us with one option only and that is to do a c-section. Our doctor said there was a good chance that Asher could turn once again since he’s pretty active but if he can just in the one position he will eventually get “stuck” due to his size and weight he’ll gain and will not be able to flip back around. So, we’re praying he’ll just stay.

Saturday, 8/16~

I think Asher flipped once again and he’s breech. I feel him go from side to side…like how he was before. There are times when one side of stomach gets really large (ball) and then all of a sudden he’ll move to the other side. I’m bummed about this for many reasons, but I’m keeping my hopes up because maybe he’ll turn once again.

To be honest, after everything we’ve gone thru these 5 years in our fertility journey….I’m, just thankful that Asher is moving around and he’s still there. To me, that’s the most important thing. I don’t want to complain or be sad about not having the opportunity to experience a natural child birth. I just feel lucky and blessed that I am having this child at all…which there are times I still freak out and wonder if something could still go wrong. So, if I end up having the opportunity of having a natural child birth…that’s great and if not that’s ok to because the bottom line is at then end it doesn’t matter how you gave birth as long as Asher is well and alive that’s all it matters to me.

Now another discussion for Eric and I to figure out the Lovenox and Heprin switch over…..this is getting more complicated but we won’t know anything until Wednesday when we talk with our general doctor. Both my OB and General Doctor have different opinions when it comes to switching to Heprin or not.

My 2008 So Far....

2008-07-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm sure my life is not as crazy as others, but let me give you a list of all that has been going on since the year began...(or just before it began)

Dec 31, 2007 - My uncle died of a heart attack. It was so difficult being away from home as I grew up with this uncle and he was my mom's brother.

January 2008 - Did our foster adopt training classes with our neighbors Lisa and Stephen. We finished the coursework and the CPR/First Aid before we went to meet the kids in IOWA. We had our interviews left and home visit.

February 2008 - Went to Iowa to meet Arianna and Kyle. First time ever in snow. It was a lot of fun. My fears of the freezing cold temperatures went away. I guess all it takes is the appropriate clothing. Let me just say I was colder in California than I was in Iowa. Anyway, in Iowa we discovered that Arianna and Kyle were in an incredible home already that wanted to adopt both of them and their older siblings, which were in a different home at the time. We had the most incredible time there with the kids, with Bo, and everyone we met. This was a great time to get to know Bo better.

We came back to California with broken hearts. I had to work the next day and Charlie grieved incredibly. So hard that he busted a blood vessel in his eye. I can't remember if we returned Monday or Tuesday, but by that Friday, Char had a busted blood vessel in the morning and got his very first migrain that night.

The next morning we went to see Carol to process our experience in Iowa. We had decided to come off the pill right after we decided to quit pursuing the adoption of the kids because we didn't want to get in the way of what an amazing opportunity they already had. After Carol's visit we drove home only to change cars so I could drive (i don't drive a stick) to urgent care because Char's migrain was back. Since he is with a different group, urgent care would not see him and we got referred to the hospital. That was our first hospital emergency room visit of the year! We were there a good 5 hours for them to determine it was just a migraine and that there was no connection between that and his eye. Of course, I as the wife am thinking the worst!! How can this be happening to us. First we lose our kids now my husband, yes, I was going insane.

Now I think that is enough for February.

March 2008 - Busy schedules, lots of homework for Charlie, long work hours for me. Busy busy season in financial aid. Our first deadline was the 14th. I also had to go in and take my test for Naturalization, which I honestly had no idea it was for that. My test has been scheduled for April, then I received a cancellation letter a week later. That same day I received another letter scheduling me for something else which the letter did not say. So on our little drive to the Los Angeles Asylum on a Saturday morning, I was fortunate enough to bring my little study booklet for my test. (which i passed by the way)

I turned 35 in March so my sweet husband and I went on a little trip up to Northern California where his brother lives. He hit Berkeley, Napa Valley for some wine tasting on Good Friday, San Francisco, a short stop in Livermore to see old college friends for Easter and my B-day! We were not there long since we were heading home, we got on the road and slept in San Luis Obispo, which by the way, closes way too early on a Sunday evening, yeah, so it was Easter, but come on people! The next morning my wonderful husband surprised me with one final stop before really heading home. We went to what I have come to appreciate as one of the finest wines, Firestone! If you live in California and have not made your way there, you are totally missing out. Please go!

We finally made it back home and Griz went back to work. The following weekend I was going to use my 80 min massage Bday gift that Char got me! That morning I started not feeling well, but was not sure what the problem was, so I figured eat a little and head on to the spa, this was a great way to end the month of March. I loved my massage, but let me say I did not feel well the entire time I was there. I headed home instead and picked up dinner for two.

I couldn't sleep that night because of my sharp stomach pains. I thought of getting up and driving myself to urgent care b/c Charlie was finally sleeping. He had been suffering from insomnia since end of January. The next morning he woke up happy that he had slept which I was totally excited for, but I felt horrible. I didn't know what the problem was, so I asked him to get me vicodin from my friendly friend drugstore:) You know who you are! HA! By the time I asked for the 3rd vicodin, although he had asked me earlier in the day if I wanted to go to urgent care and to me it was a stomach ache, it would be gone by tomorrow:) (did i mention i am latin and stubborn). Anyway, he called and spoke with the on call doctor at my regular doctor's office. They told him to get me to see a doctor as soon as possible, so we went to urgent care at 8 pm, Sunday, March 30th. By 1 am they had transported me to the hospital by ambulance. By 5 am I had the worst ultrasound of my life. 8 am I had a CAT Scan. 9 am they told me it was my appendix!!! Can you believe it took that long!

March 31st at 2pm was my lucky moment in having the first surgery of my entire life!!! I do not recommend having an appendix, get it removed while you can, its horrible pain.

April 2008 - Well, spent the first two weeks recovering from my surgery and trying to walk. Had stitches out, went back to work, yey!

My great-uncle's wife passed away. It was so hard talking to my uncle. I grew up with him in El Salvador. He was always sending me to get him beer. He cussed, he was just my uncle. I love him, he loved us. They were going to celebrate 50 years of marriage in June. His wife had been sick for a while so the family had been taking care of her. Her illness was not what killed her, it was her heart. At the wake, we reconnected with my North Hollywood family. Charlie for the first time met all the family I have in California. Some of them I had not met, my uncle's kids I had not seen since we left El Salvador back in 1981.

We went to the racetracks for Lisa Nelson's Bday. That was the first time our entire group had been there. We had a blast betting on races for $2 bucks, of course Charlie and I only bet on 4 races and we came out even I think. It was fun just having a little picnic at the racetracks, would definitely love to do it again.

The Release Concert happened in April also I believe. This was a free concert that was bringing awareness to the community about human trafficking going on right under our noses.

May 2008 - Mother's Day where we ended up meeting up with our family in North Hollywood. My niece and her husband and kids came to our home in Pasadena and from here we headed to my aunt's for an incredible mother's day meal. That way people got to know Charlie and Jared a little better. Plus just reconnecting with family was good.

June 2008 - Charlie and I finally got away for a long weekend, just the two of us. It was a short little vacation, but a time when the two of us could reconnect and just have fun. We went to San Clemente and layed out. Can I say I look more like chocolate now!! Three whole days of nothing but fun in the sun! We had a couple of other packed weekends and here we are in .....

July 2008 - First week in July we had our friends from Denmark come and stay with us for 4 days! It was soooo much fun!! I miss them. Wish we lived closer. They actually arrived the day we had the going away for the Myers, our former CCs. It was really hard saying good bye to the Myers. They were such a great source of inspiration for our community. No one can fit their shoes, not even us who are one of the "new" Ford Place CCs as of July 1st. The weekends after our Danes left, we had our day full of CC training day! It was a LOT of information, but I'm looking forward to what this year has instore for us. The Thursday before that happened my neighbor Lisa and Stephen had a 1yr old placed in their home. This happened while Stephen was out of the state with their 5 yr old son on a 3 week vacation. By Friday, they had the newborn in the home. Our entire community pulled together to help out shop for the kids, cook, clean, help Lisa any way we could.

The 3rd weekend in July I babysat the 1yr old for a few hours while he had croup. He is just the sweetest little boy! I want to bring him home with me. Of course this entire time I have been calling him Kyle and the baby girl Arianna. They are not Kyle and Arianna but I think its making me realize how much I still miss those kids. 11 weeks of work doesn't go away just like that.

Right now, I am home, writing this blog, mainly b/c its the first day I have not been in bed since the week practically started. I watched the baby one day, the next day I was sick. This is the sickest I have been in a long time. Even during surgery and after, I think i was more mobile than I have been this week.

Church Leavers from EmotionallyHealthy Spirituality by P.Scazzero

2008-07-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

So, come August, we have a conference for the U.S. Staff Ministries in Oregon. I have been really excited about this trip and all it has to offer in growing closer to God and being around Godly people. For this conference, they wanted all of us to read "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality" by Peter Scazzero

I was only on p.10 when my brain just started going and going. Here is a section called Church Leavers. There were three different types spoken off, but the one I resonated with the most and was "the ones that grew tired of feeling stuck and trapped in their spiritual journey. And they grew weary of Christians around them who, regardless of their "knowledge" of God, church involvement, and zeal, were angry, compulsive, highly opinionated, defensive, proud, and too busy to love the Jesus they professed."

I'm at the beginning of my journey with this book, but how often do we feel that way. Can you relate to feeling this way? I didn't grow up in church so as an outsider, there were many things I felt were not right, it could have been the Holy Spirit working in me without my knowledge, I don't know. When I became a Christian, there were still things that I didn't agree with that I just kept to myself. I didn't want to lose my friends because that was not how they viewed things. At least that is what I thought. I never had the courage to speak my mind or felt the freedom to have these conversations. It's amazing what freedom within your spirit can do for you.

Think about it, why do you believe what you believe? Because your parents, friends, strangers believe it? Have you ever questioned any of it? If no, why not?

Anyway, I'm rambling away, but these were some of the things that raced through my mind yesterday.

The Void in Silence

2008-07-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I love children, but those that don't really scream you know. The kind that follow the rules, behave, don't beat up on kids, etc.

The community I have lived in for almost two years went from having a total of 9 kids under the age of 10 to 12 kids under the age of ten. It could get loud. I guess the times it has really bothered me is when I get to sleep in, which doesn't happen as often anymore. Or, when I am getting back from the office and it has been a busy busy day. I may not have talked to many students or coworkers, but I have a really active brain, so the voices in my head telling me how to work someone's file gets in my way. Anyway, we can talk about my voices later;) There are just moments in one's life where you want to rest and want peace and quiet.

My building and the building across the way are the boundaries let's say of where the gated kids yard is. We have a baby slide, we have a swing on the tree, a picnic table child size, little plastic car, tricycles, you name it the kids have it. A lot of the stuff out there was left behind by former tenants. That is our community gathering area in a sense too. Everyone would sit out and watch their kids and socialize. It was a lot of fun. Many times I felt guilty not wanting to stop by and talk because I was just exhausted. Other times I had appointments or something to get ready for.

Well, our former community coordinators left last Friday, July 4th. They had 3 kids ages 5, 3, and 7 months. The neighbor above them has another 5 year old and he is gone for the next 3 weeks.

Coming home from work last night was really sad. No kids, no parents, no one! Sometimes they would be eating about then. So I change and go to the gym, come back home and there is still no one there. What a sad feeling that for so long I have wanted quiet and peace after work and when I finally get it its so sad.

Matthew 19:13-15

The Little Children and Jesus
13Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

14Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Children are such a blessing from God. The joy and laughter they must bring him. Can you visualize God with a child before him. It is such an incredible image. They are a blessing to us and we need to remember that.

I am not sure I can keep this promise, but I pray that the next time I was peace and quiet from children, I remember the void and emptiness I feel without them.

My Heart Breaks for Zimbabwe

2008-06-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'm reading an article on CNN website where a couple of people are talking openly with the media about the abuse going on in Zimbabwe right now. I will post the article below, and as you read it, you will see how it grieves me to see that this world has only changed a little. This new revolution is similar to that of Hitler's, where people had to wear badges to be recognized as those who were for him. If you refused to wear it, you could be killed or beaten.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/06/25/zimbabwe.voices/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

By Eliott C. McLaughlin
CNN
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(CNN) -- The 23-year-old woman in Harare, Zimbabwe, said she could talk, but only briefly. It was 3:30 p.m. there and she had to be home before the 6 p.m. curfew, she said.
Movement for Democratic Change official Fredrick Shaba is treated for stab wounds after an attack last week.

Movement for Democratic Change official Fredrick Shaba is treated for stab wounds after an attack last week.
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"I should be home in an hour, hour and a half. If I'm not home by then, it means trouble," she said Tuesday.

Zimbabweans are accustomed to violence, but the beatings and bloodshed have been epidemic since early April, days after opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai pushed longtime President Robert Mugabe into a runoff election for the nation's top post.

Tsvangirai dropped out of the race this week, citing intimidation and vote-rigging. He is now in hiding at the Dutch Embassy, uncertain like most Zimbabweans whether the violence would continue.

Zimbabweans and outside observers say militias loyal to Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) have engaged in intimidation tactics designed to deter Tsvangirai's supporters from casting ballots. Video Watch people run in fear »

"Violence has been taking place mainly in the countryside, people having their hands chopped off, fingers broken, etc. -- the reason for that being to prevent them from voting in the runoff," said a journalist Tuesday in an e-mail from Harare.

Both the woman and journalist requested anonymity out of fear they could be targeted for talking.

"If you talk too much, they come looking for you, they hunt you down, they beat you," the woman told CNN.
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Rapes and maimings are being reported across the country. On Monday, the United Nations Security Council condemned "the campaign of violence," which it said was responsible for scores of dead opposition activists and the beatings of thousands. Video Watch why the U.N. says a fair election is impossible »

"There are so many people who are dying right now. We're not even sure how many people have died," said the woman in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital.

In his letter announcing he was dropping out of the presidential race, Tsvangirai said at least 86 people have been killed, 10,000 wounded and 200,000 people displaced.

At a rally Monday in Chipinge, a rural town near the Mozambique border, Mugabe brushed off the death toll, calling Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change a creation of the West.

"Britain and her allies are telling a lot of lies about Zimbabwe, saying a lot of people are dying. These are all lies because they want to build a situation to justify their intervention in Zimbabwe," Mugabe said, according to the state-run Herald newspaper. Video Watch how past interventions in Africa have fared »

In his Tuesday letter, Tsvangirai -- who has called the election "a sham" -- said the impossibility of a fair election convinced him to bow out.

"The violence, intimidation, death, destruction of property is just too much for anyone to dream of a free and fair election, let alone expect our people to be able to freely and independently express... themselves," he wrote. "For this reason, my party and I have resolved that we cannot be part to this flawed process."

The journalist was in the capital Sunday when ZANU-PF youths attacked an opposition rally at a stadium, just hours before Tsvangirai announced his exit from the poll. Despite a Saturday court order allowing the rally, the militias blocked the roads as MDC supporters arrived, he said.

"Those who tried to ask the reasons why, they were assaulted," the journalist said. "Later, some MDC supporters came chanting songs and they were beaten up by the ZANU-PF militia with logs, stones or anything that was in sight."

Mugabe has denied accusations of violence and has countered that MDC supporters are inciting violence across Zimbabwe. Video Watch how Londoners want to "make Mugabe history" »

The journalist said he has seen violence perpetrated by MDC faithful, but it is a recent phenomenon and usually retaliatory.

"I saw a ZANU-PF youth being beaten Sunday evening," the journalist said. "He had been spotted at the rally venue and was then followed to his home in the evening by MDC youths."

The government-sponsored violence has scared people into carrying and wearing ZANU-PF regalia -- flags, bandanas and T-shirts bearing the national colors and emblazoned with "100 percent empowerment." Other popular slogans include "WW," which means "win or war," and the more blunt, "June 27 Mugabe in office by whatever means."

"WW means if ZANU-PF loses it goes to war," the journalist said. "It is a threat or meant to confuse the electorate. It shows that ZANU-PF has nothing to sell to the people for them to vote for it, so they now resort to intimidation."

The journalist said he witnessed such saber-rattling at a ZANU-PF rally last week in Norton, about 19 miles southwest of Harare.

"People were told that they must not vote again for the MDC or there will be war," he said. "They were told that there would be a camera seeing how they would have voted." See how the election unfolded »

Even MDC supporters are tying the red-yellow-and-green ZANU-PF bandanas around their neck or over their heads, said the woman in Harare.

"You need to move around with this," she said. "If you're driving a car, you need to have this in your car. I have one in my car now. If you don't, they will think you're MDC and they will mess you up big time."

Added the journalist, "Because of the violence taking place, people have been looking for ZANU-PF regalia to 'protect' themselves. The assumption is that if you are in ZANU-PF regalia, you support it."

Asked if hopes for Zimbabwe's future dissipated with Tsvangirai's departure from the race, the journalist said there are mixed emotions. Some are eager to vote Friday and want to "finish off" Mugabe, some are tired of the violence, some are hopeless and some are scared, he said. Others are relieved Tsvangirai dropped out because it could mean an end to the violence.

"Myself, I've lost hope," said the woman in Harare.

Even if the violence were to vanish, Zimbabwe would remain crippled by its economy, long decimated by inflation and unemployment. Basic goods are scarce and expensive. Loaves of bread last year sold for about 5,000 Zimbabwean dollars, the woman said. The price then was steep because of skyrocketing inflation, but today, 5,000 Z-dollars would be a bargain. Video Watch a Zimbabwean envoy warn against micromanagement »

Recently, she said, she saw bread selling for 550 million Z-dollars.

"That was quite reasonable," she said of food prices of late.

The woman said she makes the equivalent of $10 a month. Though the official exchange rate is 7.5 billion Z-dollars to the U.S. dollar, the Harare woman said she has seen exchange rates as high as 15 billion to 1.

Even if you have money, it's not guaranteed you can get basic necessities. The government has imposed price controls, forcing manufacturers to close their doors because they cannot make a living.

"Basically, there are no goods to talk about," the journalist said. "Most commodities are now on the black market."

You could stand in line for two or three hours for bread and not get a slice, and the price for a loaf on the black market could be as much as 10 billion Z-dollars, the woman in Harare said, explaining that she has made the 300-mile drive to South Africa to pick up food because there were no real grocery options in Zimbabwe. Video Watch Tsvangirai explain times are desperate »

"The way our money has changed," she said, "I've had a tough time keeping up."

There are questions about whether the southeastern African country's leaders can negotiate a settlement to mitigate Zimbabwe's turmoil.

Mugabe said at a rally Tuesday that he would be "open to discussion" but only after the runoff, the Herald reported. Tsvangirai said Wednesday that he was open to considering a postponed election, or even a negotiated transition of power.
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Tsvangirai also said in his Tuesday letter, and reiterated Wednesday, that he would consider a new election. However, it would rely heavily on the oversight of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, which Tsvangirai has accused of espousing the philosophy "that a president does not come to power through the electoral process, but rather, through the barrel of a gun."

Until the commission can ensure a free and fair election, Tsvangirai wrote Tuesday, "the presidential election question remains unresolved."

If you......

2008-06-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

see me getting of the elevator reading a book, don't stop me. It could be the end of my lunch or break. GGrrrr, how frustrating it can be for someone to stop you dead on your tracks and change your total mood! I was relaxed and happy thinking of what a wonderful weekend I had just had with my husband and how lucky I am, only to be stopped at the elevator. Not only did they want my name, they wanted all the friggin' details of why their loan money did not come in, does this happen often, when will you hear back, did their loan get canceled, did it get reduced, what did they do wrong, so on and so on and so on!!

When you ask a question, please make sure you stop and listen to the answer. I guess me saying you did nothing wrong, does not connect with them....frustration!!!!

Ok, I can get back to work.