Cramps from Swimming After Eating: A Myth?

You've heard that old saying, "Wait one hour after you eat before you get into the water or you'll get cramps." I used to think it was bunk. After tonight, I'm not so sure.

Now, I've eaten plenty of times before going into a pool, but it was to just be in the pool, not for any rigorous swimming or playing in the water. I never had any after-effects. People would repeat that old saying to me. I got the impression they believed that just stepping into the water after eating would cause all my muscles to convulse in a major cramp just because there was food in my stomach. Needless to say, I'd just blow it off and go about my business.

Tonight was water aerobics night. I was hungry and wanted some food before changing clothes for class. I stopped at the local KFC and got the three-piece chicken strip dinner. When I got home, I ate my dinner, talked to the 'rents and the dog, then changed into my bathing suit. Got the new suit from Making It Big, and it's going to take some time getting used to the cut of the style.

I arrived at the YMCA and got to the pool area where they were having swim classes. It was right at 7:00, so I wondered if we were going to have our classes tonight, especially since yesterday's class was cancelled due to the lighting storm. Finally, we were able to get into the pool and do our warm up exercises.

Our instructor couldn't join us in the water tonight, but she was able to tell us which exercises we would be doing. Then we started our cardio routine. We had four sections of six exercises: ankle touch front, ankle touch back, frog jog, side straddle hop, cowboy kick, and jogging in place.

Then they hit! Both legs just above the ankle area! Cramp city! I was hurting, but I knew that if I stopped, they would hurt even more. I slowed my routine down some to try to walk out the cramps. Once we got to the jog in place routine, I felt relief.

Once the cardio portion of the class was over with and we started doing the upper arm waterboard exercises, I forgot all about the cramping. That is, until classes were over and I headed toward the shallow-end ladder. Then my left calf wants to cramp and the right leg just above the ankle wanted to join in on the fun. Remembering what my sister told me, many cramps happen because the person inflicted with the cramp hasn't been drinking enough water. The instructor was nice enough to get me a couple of cups of water to drink to make the cramping go away. Five minute later, I was able to climb the ladder and get out of the pool.

I sat on the bench doing a lot of thinking as I dried off. I'm still debating as to whether or not that old saying is true. I do know, however, that tonight's experiences have made me see the old saying in a different light.

Dealing With Loss, pt 2

Since my last post, Maci's site underwent some changes and the page I was referring to is blank and "under construction." I can't go into detail because this involves a 14 year old girl, but let's just say a series of events have occurred, and I don't think her site will be updated anytime soon.

During the weekend, someone made a post on the green screen that a body was found at Oakland Cemetary (no joke). The poster's friend and mother saw the body and called the police. I will not mention the deceased's name, but it is my understanding that he had recently received news that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. He was also still painfully mourning the death of his father. Last Saturday, the gentleman went to visit his father's grave and committed suicide. I can only imagine what his family is going through.

As I may or may not have mentioned before, I get inspirations from the darndest situations to write my poetry. I haven't had time to upload it yet, but I'll post it here for now until I do. I wrote this with that gentleman and a friend's husband's cousin (who suffered a sudden heart attack and died that same weekend) in mind:


Untitled

May God comfort his family in this time of grief
Their souls cry out his time on earth was too brief
Their hearts ache today with pain and sorrow
But time heals all wounds as they look toward tomorrow

He won't be forgotten, his family will revere
Their memories of him, of the time he was here
His laughter, his joys, his dreams, his tears,
Will still remembered after all of these years

Your loved ones still alive, you know who they are
Take the time to seek them, whether they be near or far
Tell them how you feel, you won't regret
The heart full of love and happiness you'll get

For when the time comes for you to grieve
The sudden death of a loved one, you will achieve
The comfort of knowing he knew how you felt
Despite the cruel cards of fate you both were dealt

I hadn't planned on writing the poem. It just happened. Many of my poems are written on the spur of the moment. I need to get my mini-tape recorder out of mothballs and keep it in my truck for when I get an inspiration while I'm on the road. They do happen frequently, but they usually disappear when I get to my destination :-(

Arabs want an apology???

I received this "letter" from my sister Pamela. Neither one of us know who the author is. If any of you knows who originated the following, please e-mail me at mundlingzone@spamcop.net. I am a firm believer in giving credit where credit is due. I agree with this "letter" 100 percent.

Letter Of Apology

For good and ill, the Iraqi prisoner abuse mess will remain an issue On the one hand, right thinking Americans will abhor the stupidity of the actions while on the other hand, political glee will take control and fashion this minor event into some modern day My Lai massacre.

I heard some Arabs are asking for an apology. I humbly offer mine here:

I am sorry that the last seven times we Americans took up arms and sacrificed the blood of our youth, it was in the defense of Muslims (Bosnia, Kosovo, Gulf War 1, Kuwait, etc.).

I am sorry that no such call for an apology upon the extremists came after 9/11.

I am sorry that all of the murderers on 9/11 were Arabs.

I am sorry that Arabs have to live in squalor under savage dictatorships.

I am sorry that their leaders squander their wealth.

I am sorry that their governments breed hate for the US in their religious schools.

I am sorry that Yasir Arafat was kicked out of every Arab country and high-jacked the Palestinian "cause."

I am sorry that no other Arab country will take in or offer more than a token amount of financial help to those same Palestinians.

I am sorry that the USA has to step in and be the biggest financial supporter of poverty stricken Arabs while the insanely wealthy Arabs blame the USA.

I am sorry that our own left wing elite and our media can't understand any of this.

I am sorry the United Nations scammed the poor people of Iraq out of the "food for oil" money so they could get rich while the common folk suffered.

I am sorry that some Arab governments pay the families of homicide bombers upon their death.

I am sorry that those same bombers are seeking 72 virgins. I guess they can't find even one virgin here on Earth.

I am sorry that the homicide bombers think babies are a legitimate target.

I am sorry that our troops died to free more Arabs.

I am sorry they stopped the gang rape rooms and the filling of mass graves with dissidents.

I am sorry they show so much restraint when their brothers in arms are killed.

I am sorry that Muslim extremists have killed more Arabs than any other group.

I am sorry that foreign trained terrorists are trying to seize control of Iraq and return it to a terrorist state.

I am sorry every time terrorists hide they find a convenient "Holy Site."

I am sorry they didn't apologize for driving a jet into the World Trade Center that collapsed and severely damaged Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - one of our Holy Sites.

I am sorry they didn't apologize for flight 93 and 175, the USS Cole, the embassy bombings, etc.

America will get past this latest absurdity.

We will punish those responsible because that is what we do. We hang out our dirty laundry for all the world to see. We move on. That's one of the reasons we are hated so much. We don't hide this stuff like all those Arab countries that are now demanding an apology.

We lost hundreds and made fun of a few prisoners. It was wrong. It dramatically hurts our cause. Now we're supposed to just stop and walk away from Iraq because a few were humiliated?

Not on my watch!!

Our compassion is tempered with the vivid memories of our own people killed, mutilated and burnt amongst a joyous crowd of celebrating Fallujans.

If you want an apology from this American, you're going to have a long wait. You have a better chance of finding those 72 virgins.

Cool Blog Alert: Wanderingblogger

The life of a truck driver written with a sense of humor. Check out Wanderingblogger's journal.

He's also sharing photos he's taken while on the road. You can view them on his picture journal.

Toshimitsu Takagi

When you have some time to kill, check out Takagism, a website by the Japanese artist Toshimitsu Takagi. It's a little left-of-center, but it's obvious this man has talent.

I found the Shockwave Theater and the Interactive Garden very interesting, although admittedly some of the Shockwave Theater "presentations" were too raunchy for my tastes.

I have to admit my favorites are the room games. At this writing, the Viridian Room is being featured on the site.

One word of warning: some of Takagi's artistic expressions involve nudity (including full frontal nudity) and bodily functions. If you are offended by these, then stick with the Crimson Room/Veridian Room games.

I'll give you one clue about the Viridian Room: not all the objects you find will be needed. That's what made this game harder than The Crimson Room.

June Gathering of the Greenie Gals

This month's get-together was a treat. Merle hosted the gathering at her house. It had threatened to storm, but it cleared up just enough to give us a beautiful view of the trees just before sunset.

It is truly amazing how a group of ladies who originally met on a local mesageboard can plan group gatherings and keep the interest going strong month after month.

We took several photos that evening. You can view the pictures here. Click your back button to come back to this entry when you're finished.

Water Aerobics

I'm still getting over a bad cold, but I felt better enough to go to my water aerobics class last night. I've paid for a six-week series of classes three times a week.

I must say that the classes are nothing like I thought they would be. Just because half to most of your body is under water doesn't mean your muscles don't get a workout. You just don't feel the stress of gravity on your body. The exercises will get your heart rate up and you will feel the impact in your legs, abdomen, and arms. Whoever came up with the idea of water aerobics was a genious.

The first time I took the class, I had to deal with foot and leg cramps during class and when I tried to get out of the water (I didn't drink enough water before the class). When I finally did get out of the water, my legs felt like rubber, and my right knee was killing me (the same knee I fell on -- twice -- when I slipped in the kitchen a few years ago). I was sore the next day. It's like when I'm in the deep end, and I'm doing my stationary bicycle exercise ... I don't realize how much I've done until I get out of the water. When I'm climbing out of the pool, gravity is NOT my friend, ha! ha!

I'm actually doing pretty well this morning. I'm not nearly as sore as I was the first time, and I'm ready to do another set. However, I'll have to wait until Thursday evening.

That's a hell of a switch -- actually looking forward to an aerobics class! Go figure!

The Value of Sleep

As I'm sitting here looking at the clock, I'm relieved to remind myself that I don't have to go to work tomorrow. Funny that you start appreciating the little things as you get older like sleeping late! I used to be able to stay up all night long. Not anymore! Taking a nap is something I look forward to. Maybe it's the sleep apena, but I take my sleep seriously these days.

One of the complications of having sleep apnea is that your nasal passages must be clear in order for you to use the CPAP machine. I've met two other people with sleep apnea, and we all have the same addiction to nasal sprays. I was able to be weaned off the spray sometime last year ... until I caught a cold. Then it was back to square one.

Oh sure, I could try to sleep breathing through my mouth. However, when you have sleep apnea, you tend to stop breathing, forcing your brain to wake up and kick start you back to breathing again. After a couple of those kind of nights, I would be a danger on the road. I can sleep sitting up, and sleep deprivation sneaks up on you without warning. I couldn't tell you how many times I've nodded off while sitting at my computer or watching television.

I've had some people tell me that they couldn't sleep sitting up, that they'd have to be lying down. My only response to that would be, "If you're tired enough, you'll sleep anywhere and in any position." For example, I watched "Breakpoint" on FoxNews this evening. It was one cameraman's story about his assignment as an embed with our troops invading Iraq. I listened to his story and watched the videos of our troops in action: on the job, during their breaks, and while they slept. The cameraman spoke of sleep deprivation and the toll it took on the soldiers and on themselves. One soldier was dead asleep on the hard ground in the middle of a violent sand storm. You can bet that soldier was exhausted.

From experience, I know that if I'm sleepy enough, I'll conk out anywhere. For example, I used to dread staying in a motel because their beds would be too hard for me. I'd be very uncomfortable laying on those beds, but if I was sleepy enough, I'd fall asleep. However, I usually got just enough sleep to keep from being totally exhausted. I'd wake up a couple of hours later with my back hurting from the hard bed. My mother suggested I take an air mattress with me to place on top of the mattress at the hotel. Oh man! Big difference!!! I wish I had known this before! Now when I travel, sleep comes easier for me. Of course, if I'm really desperate for sleep while traveling, I can sleep sitting up in a lounge chair, sofa, or even my vehicle if necessary. To me, they are more comfortable than a hard bed.

Before I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, I was visiting Soul Sister and her husband one weekend. It was one of those hot hazy summer afternoons, and I felt like laying in front of a fan and taking a nap. Soul Sister and her husband were drowsy themselves and dozed off on the couch in the living room. I went to my room, turned on the fan, and layed down on the air mattress atop the bed.

Next thing I know, I'm laying on my stomach on the floor looking at Soul Sister's feet as she's asking me if I'm okay. Apparently, I got too close to the edge of the mattress, the side collapsed, and I fell off the bed. The thing that still perplexes me is that I didn't wake up immediately after I hit the floor. The bed and mattress combined measured a height of 2 1/2 feet. Soul Sister and her husband heard a thud and went to investigate. She found me laying on the floor not moving. I didn't hurt myself ... well ... I did bang my right hand on the dresser as I rolled off the bed and hit the floor. I think about that incident and still can't believe it happened, but it did.

Shortly before my diagnosis, I started researching the effects of sleep deprivation. Some of the results are: memory loss, inability to concentrate, fatigue, irritability, headaches, etc. What I also discovered is that the human body will only take so much deprivation before it overrides the human will to stay awake. It could be as small as a microsleep (a period of a few seconds in which the brain goes into sleep mode despite the person's physical activity) or as serious as a sleep seizure (a longer period of time in which a person goes to sleep without warning). In other words, it will force sleep out of you if you neglect getting enough rest.

I see it's getting late, so I'll close for now. Nite! Nite!

Dealing With Loss

Within the last three years, Pierce County, Georgia lost seven young people to various accidents or crimes. The lastest tragedy involved three students from the Pierce County School system, one from the middle school, and two from the high school.

I did not know any of the people whose time was cut short by unforseen events. I do know people who were affected by those who are no longer with us.

I'm writing this entry because the latest accident involving three young teens and the father of one of them hit the community especially hard. My friend Wanda and her two daughters Becca and Christin were strongly affected.

Maci Gilleon, a student at Pierce County Middle School who personally knew the victims took the initiative to create a website and dedicate it to the memory of ALL seven victims. The site is hosted on Tripod and it is a work in progress. However, you have to admire the initiative this young lady took to try to do something positive to counteract the negative.

You can visit her site by clicking here.

Before I close this entry, I would like to request a prayer from you for the families of those whose lives were ended all too soon:

Beth Ann Raulerson
Ricky Sheffield
Amy Tatum
Kori Melissa Wynn
Mary Gaskins
Meghan Gaskins
Kelly Grady

Please say a prayer for the family of Patty Edwards. She was not a student but was the color guard coordinator for the Pierce County High School Band and the wife of Bob Edwards, the current band director for the high school.

Tyson the Skateboarding Bulldog

You have to go to this website and watch the movies! Anyone who says bulldogs are dumb or stupid hasn't seen Tyson in action. I've downloaded the movies ... they're so cool!

I'm even more impressed by how loving this bulldog is to a litter of kittens. He's like a doting mother! I've seen the pictures for myself. The site is making me rethink my attitude toward bulldogs.

Could The Tide Be Turning?

On FoxNews.com, there were two stories: one dated May 2004, and one dated July 2003 about bar and liquor store owners turning the tables on underage drinkers. The bar and liquor store owners are doing this by taking the underage offenders to court and suing them for damages. Those damages range from fines to suspended or lost liquor licenses to lost wages from stores being shut down for selling alcohol to underage drinkers. Right now, this is happening in California, but it looks like a prescedent may be set in motion.

Now, I am someone who has been on the receiving end of a lawsuit before, so I can relate. I honestly believe one should not sue unless all other options have been exhausted. However, in the case of the bar owners and liquor stores, I'm all for the lawsuits. The penalties for underage drinkers are not strong enough to truly deter them from committing the crime, and all the responsibility is heaped on the seller. As someone who has worked in convenience stores, I know first hand that underage drinkers (and smokers) will try every trick in the book to get what they want. They'll play on the cashier's/waitress's ignorance, weaknesses, ego, etc. Some will argue that the owners should be held solely accountable for letting the underage patron in. However, I believe that if the patron willingly and knowingly attempted to purchase something he/she is not old enough to do, he/she is just as guilty if not more so.

In another story by FoxNews, it appears that personal injury lawyers are attempting to target alcohol advertisers, accusing the advertisers of targeting their ads to underage drinkers. Now, various studies have consistently shown that there is no link between the alcohol advertisements and underage drinking.

The part of the article that got my attention was about how Coors responded to one of the lawsuits "...with a letter to the plaintiffs' lawyer putting him on notice to either withdraw the lawsuit or face a motion for sanctions — fines judges can impose for bringing frivolous litigation ..." In other words, they fought back.

Why am I bringing these stories up? Is it about alcohol consumption? No. It's about people stepping forward and forcing instigators to be held more accountable for their actions. Too many people are filing lawsuits to make money. Too many people are blaming others for their own bad behavior (I had a bad childhood, I was in a bad relationship, Pisces was in the cusp of Leo, blah blah blah). Instead of owning up to their own bad choices and bad decisions, they blame someone else (it's your fault I had to hit you; he should have checked my ID more closely; etc).

When I read that part about Coors sending their response to that lawyer made me want to jump up and shout, "Yes! Finally!" People and lawyers who are filing these frivilous lawsuits to make money need to be slapped with civil and financial sanctions. And yes, that includes the stupid lady who put a hot cup of coffee between her legs, scalded herself, and sued McDonalds for her stupidity.

The Impact of a Video

The image of 1000 words, or in this case maybe the video of a million words. It's one of those situations in which it will bug you if you don't see it, but then it will haunt you when you do see it. I actually viewed the video that showed the brutal beheading of Nick Berg.

This beheading was not quick nor painless. These terrorists actually took a sword/machete and sawed at this man's neck. After a few seconds of sawing, he'd change the position of the blade and work on another part of Berg's neck. It took about 30 seconds, and then the terrorist held up Berg's decaptitated head in the air for a good few seconds.

This is what we have to deal with right now. The foreign press keeps bleating anti-American news and terrorist groups are scaring the Iraqi people into not helping us help them. We've even got people here in our own country who may as well be our enemies with all the anti-American rhetoric they keep spouting under the guise of "freedom of speech." A reporter from Fox News this week stated that the terror group Hezbollah denounced the actions of the men who executed Berg. However, their reason was because it would take attention away from the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.

Speaking of which, let's talk about the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal that anyone against the Iraq war or the United States loves to bring up. The actions taken by those involved in the abuse were wrong, and they should be punished. However, I do not believe the abuse from our troops is widespread as the media both foreign and domestic would allow you to believe. As for the pictures, all I have to say to those accused of abuse is ARE YOU THAT STUPID OR ARROGANT TO BE TAKING PICTURES OF THE CRIMINAL ACTIONS YOU'RE NOW BEING ACCUSED OF?

Donald Rumsfeld said that there were several investigations going on at other prisons to determine if there are other abuses. I feel the media needs to take a wait-and-see attitude before any more conspiracy theories are submitted.

In the meantime, our troops are risking their lives out there! They are civilized soldiers following rules of ethics against those who have no rules or ethics. I can only imagine the frustration they are feeling.

In my opinion, our problem is that we're trying to appease too many people. We're trying to follow the rules by the Geneva Convention of 1948, kiss the butt of the United Nations to get their help, and deflect the insinuations (if not outright accusations) from the foreign media. I say enough is enough. We need to let the Iraqi people and the terrorists know that they are either with us or against us, and we will start shooting those who are against us unless they prove otherwise.

I've been watching Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC. I've heard various commentators state that the Iraqi people have been terrorized into submission for decades. It was further stated that we, as a country trying to help them, have an uphill battle in getting full cooperation. I can understand the Iraqi people's situation. However, if they don't start helping us more, someone just as brutal and oppressive as Saddam Hussein will take them over and put them right back where they started from. We want to help the Iraqi people, but they've got to step up to the plate and be willing to help themselves.

Getting back to Nick Berg, his parents have been publicly blaming President Bush for his son's death. I grieve for their loss and their anguish, but I believe they are out of line with their accusations. I firmly believe they were already anti-Bush and are using their son's death to fan the flames of their own rhetoric against the President. Their son went to Iraq of his own free will; no one made him go. President Bush did not execute their son. The FBI did not execute their son. The Iraqi police did not execute thier son. I feel there may be more to Berg's visit in Iraq than what has been released to the media, based on the fact that the Iraqi police picked him up and held him, and the FBI investigated him. However, that is something we will probably never know for sure.

Regardless of how anyone feels about the situation, the bottom line is an American citizen was kidnapped and brutally executed by terrorists. That should be enough to allow our troops to open a can of whoop ass on those responsible.

Commercial Observations

Personal Observation of 1-800-Pet-Meds Commercial
Remember the commercial in which a pet dalmation named Buddy is whining and biting himself as the little boy asks his mother what's wrong with him? Remember the next scene of a cartoon x-ray flea biting the dog as you hear another whelp from the dog? Noticed that they're now airing the same commercial, but they've deleted that last part (with the flea bite and sound byte) from that scene? I think the company got complaints about the original commercial. I was a little disturbed by it, too.

I like most of the commercials from 1-800-PetMeds, but the continuity is shot to hell in some of their commercials. But they still don't compare to the commercials for Advantage.


Personal Observation of Quiznos Commercial/Website
A while back, I saw a commercial for Quiznos Subs featuring what looked like dead rats with Mr. Potato Head facial features. One of the "rats" had a singing voice that would make nails on a chalk board sound heavenly. This is supposed to sell submarine sandwiches? I actually e-mailed the company my honest opinion. I basically said that if they insisted on using the rats, they might need to change their name from Quiznos to Queasnos. I forgot exactly when I posted my honest opinion (early February, I think), but I got a response from Clint McCaskill on March 24.

In all fairness, their sandwiches do look good, and I like the idea of submarine sandwiches being made then toasted. I would have been very willing to try one of their sandwiches. I was honestly repulsed by the singing rodents. When they decide to give the rats the boot, I may actually consider patronizing the establishment as I do enjoy a good sub sandwich, especially if it's toasted.

Did You Have to Say That?

Ever been in a situation in which someone like your co-worker, your boss, your parents, your spouse, your siblings, your friends, etc. feel the compulsion to tell you something that you were already blatantly aware of? Have you ever bristled at hearing something from someone that just did NOT need to be said?

For example, a childless couple being approached by family and/or in-laws, and someone invariably asks, "When are you going to have children? You're not getting any younger." Did they have to say that? It's their marriage and their business as to whether or not they wish to have children. In addition, they don't need meddling nosybodies putting pressure on them by reminding them of their biological clock.

I'm thirty-nine years old, and my mother still forgets herself. I may go to an oriental buffet restairamt that features seafood, and she'll say, "Enjoy your seafood, but I think you should avoid the sushi." I could have overlooked it the first time, but the second time I told her I was going to this restaurant, she commented, "I hope you have a good time. Just remember, don't eat the sushi." 'Scuse me, Mom, but did you have to say that? I'm old enough to know what sushi is and whether or not I want to eat it. If I want to eat raw fish wrapped in seaweed, I'm old enough to make that decision.

How about when you're telling someone about a potentially bad experience and how the actions of someone prevented the situation from getting worse? You make the comment toward that person in absentia, "Thank you, so-and-so!" Then another person in the same room is feeling sanctimonious and makes the comment, "You should be thanking God!." Oh, Lord, did he have to say that? He listened to a true story about an event in my life, and the first sentence out of his mouth is a criticism! And these are the kind of people who cannot understand why no one wants to engage on conversation with them about religion. To quote a bumper sticker I wish I had, "Dear God, please protect me from your followers!"

I get several e-mails from friends ranging from jokes to stories. The only e-mails I don't like are the chain e-mails. You know the ones ... down at the bottom where it instructs you to "send this to ten people, and you'll see the Taco Bell chihuahua dance across your screen" or "send this to everyone on your list so we can spread the word about this terrible injustice going on." Oh puhleeze! Did you have to say that? If it's funny or interesting enough, it will be forwarded on its own merits. Let's not use the Internet to spread rumors or lie to people to trick them into forwarding an e-mail.

Other than e-mail spam, the e-mails that really piss me off are the religious and/or inspirational story e-mails. Not because of their content, but because of the guilt-inducing instructions at the bottom that psychologically bully you to forward the e-mail to "everyone on your list." You know the drill ... comments like, "Funny how we forward dirty jokes to everyone, but we're choosier when we forward God's word to those on our list because we don't want to offend them, " and "Are you ashamed to send this e-mail, for Christ said if you are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of you," and "If you delete this, may God have mercy on your soul." To the origianl authors of those e-mails who put those words at the end of your stories, did you have to say that? First, I don't need you or anyone else to tell me what I can do with my e-mail. Second, if the message is interesting enough, I would be more than willing to share it with those who I think would appreciate it. Finally, using the above-referenced comments was very uncalled for. If you feel the need to include psychological threats to forward your message, you shouldn't bother sending the message.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Gonna Make You Think

Okay, here is the scenario. You are a white parent taking your white child to a party. You were asked to bring a gift for the children to get as they draw numbers for it. At the party, there are various children of different races and ethnic backgrounds, although the majority of the attendees are white.

Now comes the time for the children to draw numbers for the gifts. It's your child's turn, and he/she draws a number for a particular gift. He/she has the gift in his/her hads and opens it to reveal a doll, and the race of the doll is black. How would you react? Answer honestly, because that answer reveals your true motive on how you teach your child to treat people of different races.

This is a true story. A friend of mine was telling me what she witnessed at this party she took her daughter to. She told me the white parents of the child who drew the number for the black doll were livid with anger. My question is, "Why?" The same parents felt like a "doll like that" had no business at that party. My question is, "Why not?" There were black children there, too. Let's turn the knife 180 degrees: how are the black parents supposed to react when their child opens up a gift to reveal a white doll? What's the difference? If it's a toy the child doesn't want to play with for whatever reason, maybe he/she can swap with another child.

Here's my opinion on the matter. The white parents who got angry about the doll were waaaay out of line with their anger. Their reaction told me more about how they feel about people of other races than anything they'd tell me verbally. Why do they feel it's shameful or an insult to be a white child with a black doll? I was told the doll was rather cute; it wasn't ugly. Their reaction smacked of a racist attitude.

It doesn't end there, folks. My friend's daughter offered to swap with the "offended" child; she honestly thought the doll was cute. Well, the grandparents found out, and they were ... shall we say "moritifed." Why would our granddaughter choose a baby of another race? Something's wrong with that child. Again, that reaction told me more about their true attitudes about people of other races than anything they would admit to my face.

People, please! Skin color should not be a deciding factor as to why you associate with different people. You associate with people because you have similar interests, similar values, etc. We all want to avoid people who would lie to us, lie about us, steal from us, hurt us, etc. Those kind of people come in all sizes and colors. Guess what? Decent people come in all sizes and colors, too. But those who choose friends or associates based on skin color only limit themselves.

Getting back to the question "how would you react," Answer that question for yourself honestly. Just remember that your answer will effect other people, not just you. Also, remember that what goes around comes around.

Exotic Treat: Hamburger Helper

How I miss being able to cook, when I had my own kitchen and could make my own meals! When you've eaten enough fast food, sandwiches, and microwave "heat and eat" meals, the hamburger helper I had at Soul Sister's house seems downright gourmet! And yes, I had some Dom Peri-Mountain Dew to go with that exotic Hamburger Helper!

Not sure if it's a southern thing, but all-you-can-eat buffets do well here in Waycross. I admit I tend to overdo it, but lately, it's the only time I get a hot meal. I don't have a kitchen right now, so cooking is out. Sometimes, Soul Sister will let me cook when I'm at her place.

This has been a frantic week!

We found out Monday that a major VIP is visiting my job next Tuesday. I can't say more right now other than a lot is hinging on this visit. It should go well as we always keep things up where I work. However, everyone has a bad day now and then; we just don't want to have one on the day of his viisit.

Tuesday, we had a surprise visit from a state auditor. In the office where I work, we are not notified of when the books get audited. They show up unannounced about every 12-24 months. This particular auditor has the reputation for being thorough and accurate. She's an extremely cultured, classy, down-to-earth lady who is fair and will work with you so long as she knows you're on the up-and-up with her. We fully expected her to work in our office for two weeks. In fact, this is what she told the officer who worked in Main Control. Color me shocked when I found out she was through Thursday afternoon! My books were in tip-top shape and it made her job much easier. At least it's over now. Of course, now I need to get back into my YMCA routine as I got off of it during this week. I started back this evening.

This was employee appreciation week at work. This morning, we were treated to a great breakfast buffet courtesy of the efforts of a few employees. It is people like these who make work pleasant. It is people like these who help to keep the morale up. Loved the eggs and smoked sausage, and one particular officer make some great sausage gravy! Man, it was delicious! When people at my job get together to have a cookout of some kind, we have some who (as we say in the south) can throw down some food!

Last weekend, I thought a friend of mine and her husband were headed toward a reconciliation. He promised to come back last Monday to fix her car. As of this writing, she has not heard from him. She was counting on his word that he would repair her car, and she was left in a bind. She has no operational car, and needs transportation to get to work. Several people have told her that she needs to get her divorce and leave him behind. All I know is that he's not helping his credibility by his actions. He'd better get his act together ... and fast! A person will only put up with so much.

Update 5/13/2004: We found out where he is, and his absence was beyond his control. I cannot go into more detail at this time.

Two Year Anniversary!

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the move from Tripod.com to GoDaddy.com with my very own domain name mundlingzone.org. Some of you may think I need a life, but it's a thrill to me, even two years later.

Speaking of anniversaries (but not necessarily good ones), next month will mark the one year anniversary of the passing of three people near and dear to a couple of friends of mine: Childhood Friend and her mother. In one week, they lost three close family members. Unfortunately, Soul Sister was having to find a home on the fly; at the time, no one either could or would help her. It seemed like I was her only friend. I truly wished I had the ability to clone myself so I could be at two places at the same time; I was torn up about it, so much so that I wrote a poem to try to describe my feelings. I still think about Childhood Friend and her mother and what they went through with their losses. How do you comfort someone who has been subjected to such grief? It's been almost a year, but my heart still aches for them.

Food and the word "Nasty"

Maybe it's a southern thing here, but I wish people would stop using the word "nasty" to describe food they don't like. Nasty means dirty, filthy, foul, and/or disgusting. It is very unfair to the cook to worked hard to prepare a meal, only to have somebody turn it down because, "it tastes nasty." Adults are just as bad as the children are about the overuse of this word. There are many words in existance that can describe disliked food more appropriately. Grrrrrr!!!


Soul Sister has a home!

After four months of stress, Soul Sister called me at work today to let me know she found a home of her own. She already had the keys and was moving stuff in. I was so happy and relieved for her that I cried when I got off the phone. This woman has had a string of bad luck, and having to live in a, shall we say "negatively critical environment" wasn't helping with her morale.

Her new home is great! The homes she had lived in while in Moultrie had no ice maker, no dishwasher, no washer nor dryer, and one home didn't even have working heat or air. This is a relatively new place with all the above-listed luxuries plus sturdy floors, new floor tiles, a fireplace, and a back yard with a fountain. She doesn't have a lawn, but her lot is covered with granite rocks. I am so happy for her!!!

I Hate E-mail Spam!!

I hadn't accessed my SpamCop account for a couple of days, so I was taken aback by 75 pieces of e-mail that were spam. I'd hate to think how much more spam I'd have if I were using Yahoo or Hotmail instead.

I recommend SpamCop for their ease and ability to report spam and for the filters they use for their e-mail. The $30.00 a year I pay for the account is worth it. Still, with 75 spam mails in my inbox, it was obvious I needed to add a few filters of my own.

The following domains are now blocked: consultant.com, winning.com, yahoo.co.hk, address.com, canada.com, attbi.com, hongkong.com, mail.com, and e-mail.com. Any e-mail with an address using these domains will not reach my inbox. In addition, if the word "mundlingzone" is in the subject line, that e-mail will be blocked as well.

It's a shame that those of us who don't want unsolicited e-mails have to resort to such measures.