Christmas Angels

This year we're starting a new Christmas tree tradition. Both mine and Hubs dads passed away last year and Christmas was their favorite. After breaking the angel that goes on top of our tree I decided we needed a new one. I looked online and searched the stores, but didn't see any that 'fit'. Then the idea struck me, literally, when I picked up a stack of frames and this picture of our dads fell out.  My two favorite angels now sit on top of our tree watching over us.

Some twine, glue, heavyduty poster board and a simple wood frame. That and a couple of mischievous angels ;-)

Merry Christmas!

Wine Lovers

It's a hectic time of year that may have some of you hitting the adult beverage section at your local grocery store.  Though I never need an excuse to enjoy a good wine, I do enjoy it when I can shop at home.  A dear friend has started a Wine Shop at Home business.  Check out Jenny's Facebook page for details: https://www.facebook.com/wsahjenny .

There are tips on what wines to pair with certain foods for the holidays, gift giving ideas, and some of the season's best tasting wines at a great cost.  Happy Thanksgiving and hope you all enjoy the holiday season!

Texas Hold'em Massacre 2013

The 7th annual Texas Hold'em Massacre was full of fun and friends.  Here's a preview of the costumes from this year. Happy Halloween!

COSTUMES!

It's that time of year!  With Halloween just around the corner it's countdown to this year's costume choice for the annual Texas Hold'em Massacre.

A quick preview of costumes past:

1. Magic 8 Ball: 8 months prego with nothing that fits other than yoga pants and sports bras.  Cheap black and white face paint for the belly 8 ball, a top hat and magic wand with a little bag of answers.

2. Afro-American: Native American Indian outfit with an Afro and braids.

3. Fallen Angel: hand-sewn bodice and skirt over a tutu with wings, crutches, arm and leg brace (hence 'fallen').

4. Edwina Scissor Hands: mostly store bought with the scissor gloves and dress, added the tutu/boots/ripped hose, and crazy wig.  A tattoo scar across the face/lips made the makeup.

5. Zombie Happy Bunny: Bunny ears, zombie makeup, pajama footies with a bunny tail, smart-alec t-shirt.

And this year's contenders:

1. Goldie Locks: blonde curly hair, black dress w/gold locks all over it.

2. Diet Dr. Pepper: scrubs, stethoscope, chili peppers and slim fast bars attached to the scrubs. (done a previous year, but not for the Massacre).

3. Teepee'd: Wrap up in toilet paper, add warrior paint and a feather headdress for accessories.

4. Calendar Girl: any outfit will do with calendars pinned to it.  Oh, and it helps if you're a girl or you could just pad a bra and add a wig ;-)

5. Altophobia (fear of heights): Play on words here, where a music symbol for alto and carry a stool so when asked what you are dressed as you can stand on the stool looking down scared...okay, it's geek humor, get with it.

6. Coulrophobia (fear of clowns): Dress up as an evil clown.  This is funnier for everyone else that has to look at you and you realize how many people are terrified of clowns.

7. Boxed Wine: Boxing gloves, cardboard box decorated like a fine red or favorite white Zinfandel, black-eye makeup.

8. Boxed Wine II: Boxing gloves, purple balloons/some deflated attached to a shirt, black-eye makeup.

9. Little Red Riding Hood: Red hoodie and talk gangster.  Seriously, so stupid it's funny.

10. Runaway Bride: (as seen before) Running shoes/shorts, bridal veil and white gloves.  Add accessories like a water bottle and bouquet.

11. Energizer Bunny: Pink-all-over outfit with a bunny tail and ears, dark glasses, any big popcorn tin / drum strapped around the neck or shoulders, two big cardboard rolls on the back painted to look like batteries.

12. Mr. "Tea": Any type of tea bags and pin them together like a necklace, the signature mohawk, and a tea cup.

13. Vampire Cullen style: Vampire teeth, white face paint, add glitter spray for the sparkle effect in sunlight.

14.  Miss America: Dress as Captain America but add a pageant crown and sash.

15. Here's Johnny!: Red shirt, crazy Jack Nicholson eyebrows and smile, poke the face through an axed cabinet door.  Classic Shining.

That's all I've got this year.  If you come up with any ideas please post them in the comments.  Most important, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Edwina Scissor Hands

Fallen Angel and 'Sweet Cheeks'

Never going to beat the 'Magic 8 Ball'

Guardian Angel...you're fired.

Everyone is going through rough times with all the BS right now, but damn...enough already.

Letter To My Son: Happy Birthday

Dear Anthony,

It's hard to imagine you being the little football-sized baby I held in my arms fifteen years ago.  Today we celebrate you, and as a 6' 00" 220+ lb teenager that's a lot to celebrate!  Many teenage guys your age are struggling with pressures of wanting to do adult things, and still wanting to be a kid where mom and dad handle the hard decisions.  You're starting to find a balance with this.  We braced ourselves over the past few years dealing with some of the choices you made which taught you a hard lesson.  Through this we all grew as a family.  I believe it's also made your dad and I grow as parents, and you as an individual.  We are very proud of you.

No matter what gifts you get, money you receive, or birthday wish you make, remember the most important gift of all is that we gave you life.  And by bringing you into this world, investing time, food, shelter, clothing, and imparting our wisdom, we expect a little bit in return.  We expect you to make mistakes and learn from them.  We expect you to try harder when everyone else gives up.  We expect you to respect yourself and others, mind your manners.  We expect you to look to the future while appreciating the here and now.  We expect you to love us, faults and all, as much as we love you.

I know you will exceed these expectations.

To remember today's shenanigans here's a little recap of how you started your fifteenth birthday:  

Sixty balloons, a Halloween prop, and a laptop at 1:30 a.m.  Setting up our oldest son's birthday surprise.  He gets a new laptop and we get the entertainment of scaring the crap out of him when he takes his morning shower.

 

Happy 15th Birthday, Ant!

God Help Us

"Too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long, and for no truly good law enforcement reason," Attorney General Eric Holder.

Oh you better believe I'm gonna rant about the AG's latest punch to the American justice system.  I sincerely hope my readers weigh in on the topic also.  It's hard for me to accept that our country, my fellow Americans, have become so lackadaisical in their morals and societal beliefs that we not only pacify and coddle our children, now we are doing the same damn thing to adults.  The 'truly good law enforcement reason' is because it's the law.  Law enforcement enforce the laws that you pansies up there in the Capitol make, even though none of you follow them because you think you're above it.  

"...nonviolent drug offenders who have no ties to large-scale organizations, gangs or cartels will no longer be charged with offenses that impose draconian mandatory minimum sentences."

I see what he did there...'no ties to LARGE-SCALE organizations, gangs or cartels'.  Because LARGE-SCALE never start out small?  Get a clue, Mr. Holder.  Portraying nonviolent drug offenders as misunderstood pot heads show you have no idea what the system you are suppose to be in charge of is designed to do.  Before the whiners and crybabies on Capitol Hill and in Hollywood start protesting for this, let's take a look at why the mandatory minimum sentences seem 'draconian'.  It's because the nonviolent drug offenders are repeat offenders.  The very hand that feeds them is the same hand they bite, over and over and over.  The government has lined its pockets at the expense of drug abuser/users/offenders for years through the pharmaceutical companies and pill mill doctors.  It's oddly similar to minimizing the stigma of DUIs (so many government officials have been charged with it!).

"Prosecutors would do this by omitting from official charging documents the amount of drugs involved in a case, lawyers with expertise in criminal law said. By doing so, prosecutors would ensure that nonviolent defendants without significant criminal history would not get long sentences."

The nonviolent drug offenders are the smugglers who drive from the legalized states with vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana just under trafficking amounts (25 lbs), or run the grow houses in prominent neighborhoods that your kids pass every day.  They are the nonviolent offenders with no remorse who sell it to kids.  Nonviolent is irrelevant when you look at the big picture and see, truly see, the ramifications.  Violent drug offenders start out non-violent, just as LARGE-SCALE starts out small.  And the nonviolent defendants without significant criminal history is left wide open to interpretation unless they have NO criminal history.  

I have a great idea.  All these government jackwaggons who think the laws are too tough for these nonviolent offenders, come out for a ride along with your local law enforcement and see who has it tougher. People bitch and moan "where's a cop when you need one?"  They're doing their job with minimal support from their government to carry through after they enforce the very laws their government made.  Long hours, family sacrifices, minimal manpower, low pay, and lucky to get suitable gear, but they're doing their job.  

"By reserving the most severe penalties for serious, high-level or violent drug traffickers, we can better promote public safety, deterrence and rehabilitation, while making our expenditures smarter and more productive," Holder said.

Before you know it the nonviolent offenders of any crime will follow suit with lessening the minimum mandatory sentencing.  All to save a buck--Obama Care much?  This does not promote public safety.  It promotes stupidity and allows offenders to shirk their responsibility to abide by the law.  You're proposal sucks, Mr. Holder.  

For a full read of the purpose of above rant go to: http://news.yahoo.com/top-u-lawman-outline-drug-offender-sentencing-proposal-040126447.html

My Two Favorite Men

No matter how much times have changed, when it comes to raising kids it still consists of a lot of patience, guidance, discipline, and always unconditional love.  Children grow up and go out into the world as blurred reflections of their parents.  If we're lucky they get the best of us.

I like to think I got the best of my dad and of my father-in-law, the Bobs.  You see, I was blessed with two great men, one who set the bar pretty high for my husband and the other who kept it there for his son to reach.  They were loving husbands, great dads, amazing friends, and mischievous grandpa's who had to be reminded often to behave when they were together.

This is my first father's day since my dad passed away last year. The first without being able to pick up the phone and tell him 'I love you'. It's one of many firsts we'll face without them both.  There are moments with my boys, especially with my husband, when something is said that reminds me of them.  It's slowly getting easier to talk about them without tears welling up in my eyes.

Today, I look at my husband who has kept up with me for fifteen adventurous years, called me his wife for nearly eleven of them, and helped me create two giant boys who have to endure our unconditional love and quest to embarrass them as they grow up.  My hope for them is that they appreciate their awesome dad as much as I appreciate mine.

To all the dads who work hard, love their families and make a difference for their kids, Happy Father's Day.

One Year Ago...

One year ago today a fellow deputy was killed in the line of duty.  Barbara Pill’s name is etched on a memorial, but more so her legacy is etched in the hearts and minds of those who knew her.  She walked the thin blue line where sometimes there’s justice and sometimes there’s just us.  May we all remember the reason we do this job and to make it worth doing for those that come in behind us. 

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of all our LEOs who made the ultimate sacrifice.  Thank you for your service.  644 EOW

Clean Criminals

This property management prefers clean criminals...as opposed to dirty ones?  Here's your sign:

Before

This is a pic of me at 160 lbs. I'm back on track with my job's fitness program after a year full of setbacks. If you want to join the fun I'll be in the gym before shift with my gal pal "the drill sergeant" getting our fit on.  Don't worry, the funny shit that happens along the way will be another chapter for the book. 

Semper Fi!

The Rookie

St. Baldrick's or Bust!

On March 16, 2013, Hubs and our boys, Ant and Bam, will be participating in the St. Baldrick's event which raises money for children's cancer research.  This is one of many great causes to support, but this year it's the best because my three heroes are growing their hair to have it shaved for donations.  This is a huge deal for Hubs since he is use to his Marine Corps shave-every-two-days-high and tight.  I've hidden three sets of clippers and found another that mysteriously appeared.  The hiding spots are getting harder so PLEASE donate and show Hubs he can make it.

I ask that you click the link (Bobby, Ant & Bam St. Baldrick's) and see what a difference $1 can make.  If everyone gave at least that, then some lucky kid can have a lot more. And Hubs can have his clippers back...

 



*thanks, Ruppert, for the grumpy cat caption :)  So fitting!

Socially Enhanced ...ish

http://sissimclaughlin.tumblr.com

You Get What You Pay For?

I’ve been playing devil’s advocate with the gun control media frenzy. It’s fun to watch them scramble on the latest breaking news then find out there’s nothing new the government can do other than cost tax payers more money for research.

The POTUS proposed a $500 million dollar plan to ban assaultweapons and make private sales of firearms illegal, and a $10 million dollar plan for research by the CDC into possible linkages between violent video games, media images and real-life violence. An ESTIMATED $510 million dollars for something that will not stop the bad guys from getting guns and killing people when they set their mind to it, yet we are not even one month into 2013 and the majority of Americans are already losing $200+ per household a paycheck from the tax mayhem. The gun laws already on the books need to be enforced before they start binding them with new ones.

Listen up! If you are convicted of a felony you are no longer allowed to possess a firearm (right to bear arms). That sounds fair for the basic version of bad guys. Keep reading. When a person in Baker Acted it is considered a medical condition that falls under HIPPA. This is a privacy act that protects people’s medical business from being public information. Under the new laws proposed people who are Baker Acted will no longer be allowed to possess firearms. This means your medical information in this regard will become public information in order to be tracked.  A person Baker Acted will be no different than a convicted felon if they are caught in possession of a firearm. If this goes through then they will also be subject to search just like a convicted felon in order to ensure the law is properly executed.  This means anyone they reside with will also be subject to this law in order to keep them from having access to firearms.  Still sound fair?

Don't go off on the "protect our children" soap box. I firmly believe in protecting our children, MY CHILDREN, and everyone else who needs protection. I wholeheartedly agree that we need to make it impossible for the bad guys to access any weapon.   Banning them will keep everyone from having them so that solves everything!   Banning them is stupid.  It keeps the honest people honest, and the bad guys get creative. 

I’m a cop. I’m also a mom of two active boys and a wife to a Jarhead who will eat a steak as long as he doesn’t know how it died. We own firearms. Our boys know how to shoot, and our oldest knows how to access them in case of an emergency. Teaching them these things are important to us for two reasons: One is for safety, the other is for protection.

I also have a diverse group of friends. Some are for gun ownership, others are against it and a few are on the fence. I respect their opinions and reasons for each. Though most people’s apprehension over firearms is their lack of exposure and training with them, some folks just aren’t gun people. My ancestors called them ‘gatherers’.
 

With my profession I see gun ownership as a double-edged sword. You have them for sport/hunting/protection, or you have them for killing. We’re usually the target which is why we carry guns. Safety is our first priority, and if I can’t get there fast enough to save you then guess who wins?  

Here’s my perspective in a nutshell:  Average speed of a bullet fired from a 9mm is 955 mph. Average speeds of a police car running lights and sirens in a busy city is 85 mph at best. It only takes one bullet. Bad guys with guns trump the good guys without them. Bad guys with a plan win when the good guys don’t have one.

Stop blaming the laws, gun manufacturers, video games, and crazy people.   A person that makes the decision to kill another human being does so out of CHOICE.  The rest of us have the same access and exposure as the bad guys yet we choose to abide by the law.  If anything else, arm yourself with knowledge instead of spreading fear. 

And for the sake of We the People, STOP WASTING OUR MONEY!