The
Failing
D

...let's start with education. The Detroit public school system currently
graduates 22 percent of its entering freshmen on time and fails to serve 78
percent of the young people in Detroit.

And if you're an African-American male, you have a 73 percent unemployment in your 20s if you drop out of school and a 60 percent chance of going to jail.
Now, faced with a catastrophic collapse of that scale, we should basically fundamentally replace the Detroit school system with a series of experiments to see if they'll work.

And you look at Detroit, which is a disaster...Detroit in 1950 had 1,800,000 people and the highest per capita income in the United States. Today, Detroit is at the 62nd per capita income with 950,000 people.

Newt Gingrich on 'FOX News Sunday'

did
i
mention
i live
in
Springfield, U.S.A.?

I don't really fall prey to the marketers. I must research new marketing strategy (gimmicks) for career growth

or

maybe just sieze an opportunity to amuse myself and avoid mundane weekend tasks!

So, yes,

I admit it. I

Simponsized myself.


And the B-girl too...

And Jodi tagged me (why I oughtta)

so my moanin' meme is forthcoming.

The moanin meme will be perfect for my Simpsonized character!

randomly
writing
randomly
tagging
randomly
posting


So Wreckless has tagged me to write eight random facts about myself.

And I know how much you want to read about my wild antics!

Okay if I had some I would tell you, but I am a forty-something mom of a seven year old, so these days my afternoon delight is a trip to the Dairy Queen.

I have to post the rules: 1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts. 2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. 3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. 4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. 5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.


In no particular order (random)...


1. I am an insomniac

It's 1:30 in the morning now and I have to work tomorrow. Nough said.

2. I love to watch M.A.S.H. reruns...still.

Never get tired of them.


3. I may be having a midlife crisis of some sort.

I have some of the so-called symptoms. I'll get back to you on this one!


4. I LOVE SUMMER.

I love everything about this season... the flowers, the fresh fruit, the warmth, the long days...everything!


5. I obsess about silly things sometimes.

The remote is a good example. Now that the B-girl is growing older, she has some TV privileges, but why oh why can't she put the remote back in it's proper place by the TV ? These days I have to look all over the living room to find it. That's just wrong!


6. I am quite sure I used to be smarter.

Oh I still have a decent I.Q. but it seems that my memory was much better before I became a parent.


7. I love water.

Love the ocean. Love the Great Lakes. Love any lake. Love the Detroit River even! Love all rivers, ponds, streams and brooks!

8. I don 't always follow the rules

so I will randomly tag


Sara
Pat
Margie
Lisa
Grim
Jodi
Carlton


A random seven is much better than a contrived eight!

sick child

Sorry Wreckless, life is ruining my opportunity to write about myself. meme next post!

B-girl is sick.

Yesterday, she developed a rash on her chest.

My mom said

"put calamine lotion on it."

I decided to take her to the Doctor where they forgot to pull her file and made us wait over an hour.

Finally got into the examining room and the Doctor said

"Put calamine lotion on it."

So I put calamine lotion on it.

B-girl insisted on sleeping with me and at

2 a.m. this morning...

First vomit...all over the bed!

Then we stayed up for the rest of the dark part of the morning.

Her vomiting. Me cleaning up after her.

She made it to the bathroom the other times,

but insisted I go with her to hold her hair back.

It was gross.

Now she is recovering.

I am disinfecting and washing sheets, towels etc..

Sad part is she missed a day of Dance Camp which is running this week.

Tomorrow is the last day and they do a dance for parents at noon.

I hope this...whatever it is...leaves this house soon so she can dance!

a frozen day calling


Hang in there Wreckless friend, Tag post coming next!

Since I do not have enough time to write my tag today I thought I would relay this story to you.


My Niece Sara, is one of those people who, after meeting you don't forget too easily.

She has an "in your face" devotion to God that has yanked me back on track more times than I care to admit.

She is very funny and her personality is very defined.

She especially does not like to talk on the phone..........................ever.

When we were younger and had time to hang out I would call her house every Tuesday or WEdnesday to find out about plans for the weekends.

I always spoke with her husband. Yes that's right, her husband.

He is more of a jovial soul who would actually invite me over to watch a movie or play a board game or two. (I have to wonder now if she ever intended for me to come over).

Later when their two sons came along I was always welcome to visit my wonderful nephews.

These days we all find our selves busy, but still manage to get together once a month or so.

This past week, as you know, I was busy working a PR event for Spin City.

I was in and out all week and really didn't check my messages at home.

I figured those who really needed me would call me on my cell.

I finally checked my messages a couple of days ago.

There were quite a few so I was listening to the first part of the message and skipping ahead to the next. I didn't pay attention to the caller ID either.

I was so thrilled to hear Sara's voice on my voicemail! She said

"Hi I know you are probably very busy, but call me when you can."

I then skipped ahead to the next message.

I was SO happy. My dear friend. My niece called me!

Not only did she call me, but she left a message!

My heart warmed and I actually felt better about life!

I have been busy, but I couldn't wait to call her back!

Today

I found out the wife of a former high School teacher of mine died. Although I was sad to hear of this I thought I would return my niece's call and tell her about Mrs. B because she went to the same high school and she is only a few years younger.


To my surprise she was not screening as usual, but answered the phone!

I was thrilled again. Then came the conversation, which went like this.

Me

Hi! how are you. What are you doing?

Sara
Not much. How are you?

Me

Good. I thought I would return your call from the other day.

Sara

I didn't call you the other day. I never call anybody.

Me

(with the teeniest tiniest tear in my eye)

Oh....(uncomfortable silence) I thought it was you who called

but sometimes Pam can sound like you...maybe it was her.

I was so excited thinking you had called that I didn't listen to the whole message."

Sara

Nope. Wasn't me.

Me (knowing I had some backup info to pass along)

Well I thought I should tell you Mrs B, wife of Mr. B died.

Sara

I don't know who that is.

Me

Oh.. Maybe he left High School before you got there.

Sara

Well I dont' know him or cant remember him.

Me
Okay well I guess I will talk to you later.

We said our goodbyes and now I am home blogging about this.

You can't imagine my happiness when I thought she had called.

Her sister, Amy, calls me occasionally to catch up, but Sara,

well you know.

To top it off

I don't want to listen to my voice mail,

because I know the message I thought was the message

from Sara is from someone else and

was not

and will not

be from Sara...




ever!

This time I had to drop my now infamous myself.

It may resurface much later.

I dropped it beccause ven though my reaction at said

incident sounded frustrated

I was in no way "abusive"

as I am now being accused.

Boy these people will do anything to try to mess with me.

Well

the post that has disappeared twice is now back.

I really can't guess as to why it keeps disappearing.

Can you?

One post I called "Freedom of Speech"

never came back but that's okay.

In AMERICA Freedom of Speech is a constant (so far).


To top it off, I have been tagged by Wreckless!

Tag post coming soon!

Answer

Thank you Grim for getting it right!

#4 is the correct answer.

Anyone who has worked with me knows I am a team player (when included as part of the team--I have stories to tell you about my current situation in future posts).

I was lucky in that a pot of coffee was already made. The cups, cream, tray and sugar were within sight.

Gathered them up together.

Went running into the hall in the same direction as the suit who asked me for it.


Found the executive conference room.

Set the coffee down.

They all said thank you.


Found out later the guy in the cheap suit with expensive shoes was

indeed, the CEO, Eugene Millionaire.

I later found out that when he said to me "you must be the new girl"

he thought I was a new secretary he happened to hire on the same day as me.

I suppose it would not have made a difference if I had introduced myself...the man was conducting a meeting and needed coffee.

That event helped me in my career at that company because the CEO later found out I was not the new secretary but an advertising employee.

He always remembered my willingness to help and retold the coffee story to many.

True Tales
from MSUgal

This is a true story.

Only I want you to guess what the outcome was.

Come on, it is easy!

In 1987 I was an up and coming young journalist (don't ask me what happened) not long out of college who decided I needed to make more money and find a more glamorous job than the one at the tiny weekly paper where I was working at the time.

Through a friend, I heard about an advertising copywriter position in the corporate office at Highland Inc.

I wanted to work there because the corporate advertising employees worked side by side with Doner to produce many award-winning ads, and I was aware of this creative group's reputation for cutting edge stuff (at the time). It was a great time in my career and I think back on it fondly now.

Anyway, on my very first day of work I was given a tour of the entire company headquarters by Donna, the secretary to the corporate officers. Yes young ones, they were called secretaries back then and did not seem to mind.

Donna saved the executive offices for the last leg of the tour and we were in the kitchenette getting coffee for ourselves when she heard one of the phones ringing and nobody picking up.

She said "excuse me, I will be right back" and left.

Less than a moment later, a middle-aged man in an average suit with expensive shoes, walks into the coffee room and, without blinking an eye, says to me...

"Hello I bet you are the new girl!

We are going to need a whole pot of coffee, cream and sugar, and six cups in there. Can you hurry?"

I was a bit taken aback by the fact this man did not introduce himself to me. If he had, I would have informed him I was the new copywriter, not the secretary (not that there's anything wrong with it).

He proceeded to say "We are in the big conference room" and headed out.


Now, what do you think was my reply?


1. (Laughing) "I don't think so."

2. "You must have me confused with somebody else."

3. "I'm sorry. I don't do coffee but Donna will be right back."

4. "I'm on it. Give me one minute."

5. "I am new and don't know where the conference room is yet."

6. I did not say anything.




(Answer on Monday's post).

Every time I put my daughter's mood ring on it turns blackety black, black, black---angst, fear, etc.

(See the key that came with it above).

Every time she wears it, even right after me,

it turns a lovely shade of purple--calm, relaxed, etc.

I thought this was a fluke at first ,

but it turns out the same way every time we try it on!

It sometimes turns different colors like pink and blue for her, but

whenever I put it on

it turns black again.

I remember having a ring like this in my youth and it never turned black on me.

I just don't remember my mother trying it on.

I wonder what color it might have been for her?

Somehow, knowing the difference between the B-girl and the younger me,

I have a feeling my mother's color would have been a bit lighter :)

assemblage


Sometimes you need one.

Most of the time, you can live without.

It can be meaningful

or creative.

Then a bore!

If you have more than three a day,

you could become toast.

It is oftentimes inconvenient

and time consuming for everyone.

If it lasts more than an hour

it can be unproductive.

It can be good,

bad

or completely unnecessary.

It can be a brainstorm

or a sh_ _ storm.

Afterall...




It's a corporate meeting!

Grillin' and chillin' because

the fourth of July means no work.

The kids have the sparklers

and we stocked up on goodies!

What's left?


Maybe a prayer for those soldiers who cannot be at home

this all-American holiday

as they are busy defending the

very freedoms we enjoy.

Maybe reflection on our forefathers who forged this great nation.

Maybe a word about our history, our people, our God.

A country founded on religious freedom and principles.

Maybe a word to your children

about the significance of the Fourth of July.

Or a simple thanksgiving that by some

crazy luck of the draw,

you and I

are citizens of

the

greatest

nation

on earth.

Now, let's celebrate!


Happy Independence Day to You and Yours!