Sarah Palin, you are no Hillary Clinton!

Ok, I'm sorry but this is just too too good to pass up.
What do you notice about the picture above?
Anyone?
Notice anything weird?
This is Sarah Palin at the starting line of the Iron Dog Race in Alaska.
So Alaska, I'm thinking is usually bitter cold. Especially noticing how all of the people in the picture are dressed except one.
One.
The newly announced running mate of John McCaine.





OK, sorry. I can't type while laughing.
I'll try to stop.
OK. I'm done.
Where is her hat???????????/
Girl, you are in Alaska for Christ sake. It's cold. And you don't have the sense to put on a hat.
Oh, I get it. It's the hair thing. Don't want to mess up all the um, hair.
The Miss Alaska hairdo.




Ok, done laughing again.
So people here are some facts.
After she quit being part time sports reporter for local tv station, she ran for city council. (Equivalent maybe to Shaler Boro council)
This woman was the Mayor of a suburb of Ankorage, population, according to today's post gazette, 8,000.
To put in perspective. In just five blocks of Lawrenceville, Fisk, Main, 42nd, 40th, and Butler Streets. Population 8115.
She became mayor with 909 votes. Yes, 909 votes.
By the way, I KNOW I could get 909 votes if I ever decided to run for political office, be it dog catcher, mayor or president. I am not kidding.

Then after one year, she runs for Lt. Gov. and loses.

Two years later, she runs for Governor of the State of Alaska. Population 683,000.
I said population 683,000. IN THE WHOLE STATE.
FYI, Allegheny county population is 1,281,666. 588666 people MORE THAN THE WHOLE STATE OF ALASKA THAT THIS WOMAN HAS BEEN GOVERNOR OR FOR LESS THAN TWO YEARS.Again, The whole state of Alaska has over half million people less than Allegheny County.
Sarah Palin became Governor of Alaska by getting 114,000 votes. No, that's not winning by 114,000 votes. Only 114,000 VOTES needed to become the governor of Alaska.
Yes, I know she is a Governor n'at. But really folks, what decisions did she have to make as governor of Alaska that could compare to the needs of me in inner-city Pittsburgh.
Yea, my needs and the Yapik Inut's are so similar, it's uncanny.

She's the mother of 5 including a 4 month old Downs syndrome baby. As the mother of a special needs child. I am certainly qualified to comment on this.
It's tough. Who is going to car for that 4 month old in the next 60 some days? I know I wouldn't leave my special needs 4 month old for any reason for more than a few hours at a time.
Get ready for the breast feeding pictures that are going to surface everywhere.
You can't buy the free publicity that brings.
A woman vice presidential candidate breast feeding her downs syndrome baby talking about how wonderful the Republican party is.
The same party that wants to privatize the social security benefits that child will need later in life.
Stupid, stupid lady.
While I'm on the kids, how about the names? Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig???? Trig???????
OK I'll be nice to the kids. What the hell do they know, they live in Alaska for Christ Sake.

They just said on CNN that she is one of Alaska's most popular politicians. What, are there seven or eight politicians in Alaska? Reminds me of the time my son won third place in a wrestling tournament while never winning a match. There were only three kids in the tournament.

I'm almost done.
And this is my favorite.
How about the comments she made that implied she will go after the 18 million disgruntled Hillary voters?
Pleeeaaaassseeee.
Lady, not in you wildest dreams, If you would have ever gotten out of Alaska, you would know that 99.9% of Hillary supporters would never, never, ever vote for a Pro-Life candidate.
Another sign just how out of touch the Republican party is.
As you all know,I am no Hillary supporter, but most of my female friends are, and more than a few of them were quite offended by the Republican party thinking they are stupid enough to vote for someone just because they chose a woman. Reminds me of a joke in our house growing up. One of our neighbors told my mother once, "I'm not prejudice, I work with one."

Let them compare Obama's lack of experience to hers. I don't know about you, but I think being a lawmaker for the past 12 years in Chicago and Washington DC can't really compare to someone who's service record is from a place comparable to Shalerville. Not to mention that she's been on maternity leave for most of her public service life.

But then again,in my wildest dreams I wonder how this idiot we have as a president now was elected TWICE. (Well once, he actually wasn't elected the first time).
In the words of our friend Meg "I never, ever, ever under estimate the stupidity of the American voters. Just when I think it is not possible for us to fail to see that the emperor has no cloths, we walk blindly behind them.
People will walk into that voting booth totally uniformed and vote for someone just because they "look" like a nice enough fellow.
God bless this country.

McCain's wanted someone who would stop Obama's successful convention sound bites from playing over and over in the media.
He succeeded. Although not in the way he intended.
We were all laughing.
The 40 Million of us that watched that speech didn't need to watch it over and over again. We were inspired the first time.

I can't wait to watch her and Biden debate. Maybe if he goes easy on her, she'll make him some Moose stew. And I'm not going to even get into the interview I watched from a few months ago, she said she doesn't even know what a vice president does.

All of this is secondary to what really, really matters. You know what made my day?
When McCain choose Sarah Pelin as his running mate,Ski finally saw the light. John McCain lost her vote.
I finished the job I set out to do. I convinced just one anti-Obama voter to change her vote.
Thank you Sarah Pelin aka Miss Alaska.

AFTERTHOUGHTS:
It just keeps getting better folks. Miss Alaska's 17 year old daughter is pregnant.
Someone should tell the Republicans if you point one finger at someone else, three are pointing back to you.
Yeah, I'm sure mother of the year Miss Alaska is happy about this.............I guess she was too busy teaching her daughter about creationism to talk about sex education.Maybe she should have been keeping an eye on her daughter instead of her hair.
Could you all just imagine if for one minute this was one of Obama's children?(assuming they were older, of course.)

How about this, I was reading an article yesterday in which John McCain was listing her qualifications.
One of the few he had to list was that she was a PTA member. WTF. PTA MEMBER????????? You wasted space on paper to tell us a vice presidential nominee is a member the the fucking PTA. Who the fuck cares?

The Republicans are thanking mother nature I'm sure. They canceled Dumb and Dumber's speeches tonight. What a break, and isn't it amazing that the whole pregnant thing came out on a holiday with our thoughts centered on a natural disaster.
How Convenient.........

Another reason to celebrate--like I need one!

One Year.
121 Entries.
4024 hits.
From seven countries.
21 States. (Although they listed Budapest as a state, did I miss something?)
With regular readers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut among others.
Even a sissy la la bartender stalker who has checked this blog over 112 times. (As recently at 3:00 this afternoon-please get a life)
What does all this mean?

Why of course, it's my ONE YEAR BLOGAVERSARY !!
I've covered alot of topics. Some funny, some not.
You've listened to me bitch about my kids.
You've suffered through my vacation stories.
As well as my stories anticipating vacations.
From the Pope, to the Lake, to the Ocean.

You've listened to me bitch about my kids.

You've also put up with alot of my just plain gripping about nothing!
ok, so I was pissed off at the time!)
After rereading a few of these posts, I just think, why exactly was I pissed?

I've learned a few things writing this blog. It helps me when I pound these keys when I am angry about something. And usually, when I read it back a few hours later, I think, how silly. It was not that big a deal. And then I go on to something else. (If you think the stuff I publish is bad, you should see the stuff I decide not to!!) But truly, it does help.

You've listened to me bitch about my kids.

My life changed alot after Dan died. Some of my newer friends never had the pleasure of meeting him before he passed away. This blog has given them a peek into the crazy, wonderful character I lived with for 20 years. I think knowing what kind of man he was, explains alot of who I am today.
For the people who read that were his friends, I hope some of the posts bring a knowing smile to you face.
As well as help you understand why I bitch about my kids.

I've also learned that you put stuff out there in bloggerland and it's there forever. And hopefully the people who happen upon it know where you're coming from and have a sense of humor. Some people, unfortunately have neither. (see above)
You are welcomed into a world where I talk endlessly about my mother, religion, the Madonna, my cousins, and especially a lovely group of woman know as the Anger Management Girls. And you've endures the endless supply of inside jokes at their expense. Sorry.
But ya know the thing that amazes me the most.
It blows my mind to think all these people actually suffer week in and week out reading through my poor writing skills, pittsburgh-ese, and grammatically incorrect sentences.
Geez-oh-man, why didn't I listen to my English teacher, Sister Angela? And why did I sell my red Warner's Book of Grammar for $2.00? Maybe if I would have kept it like Ski did....................oh well. If only, If only, If only. Oh well, it's water under the damn.

Oh, I almost forgot, thank's for listening to me bitch about my kids!

Weird things n'@

Some things are just too weird, ya know. I mean weird in a seance, oohhh kind of way.
This weekend I am down here in our nation's capital, Washington, DC. I drove down here yesterday with my father to attend a family wedding. I won't mention the drive down because that is a whole other blog post. I am not going to mention how my father is HARD OF HEARING, I SAID HARD OF HEARING and feels he has to watch over every lane switch on I70. No, I'm not going to mention that. That's a whole other story. I am not even going to mention my throat hurts from having to talk so loud for six hours straight. No, I won't mention that.

Let me start by saying I wasn't going to come to this wedding. I was torn between two events. Tonight is also my brother and sister in law's 25th wedding anniversary. So when I received both invitations. I just assumed I better attend the brother in law's thing because the Italians would never talk to me again.

After discussing my dilemma with many friends and family. I changed my mind.

First my father is 84 years old and I could not let him drive down here by himself, which he would have insisted on doing.

Second, as I said, my father is 84 years old. How many more road trips do we have left together?

Third, who really has 25 wedding anniversary parties anymore anyhow?

Forth, after thinking about it, when Dan was alive, he couldn't attend alot of family functions because he basically worked 7 days a week. So I had to go alone with the kids most of the time and apologize for his absence.

I don't have to do that anymore.
I don't have to feel guilty anymore. I attend the things I want to and don't go to the things I don't.

One exception is anything related to Aunt Ro. No, as I've learned from marrying into an Italian family, if the matriarch invites you to anything, if your not "laid out" at Zalewski's, you have to go. No excuse. Period.

But that isn't the point of the story. I hate when I do this. I spend half the post on irrelevant facts.

So last night, after a night in Georgetown, we took my cousin(#2)back to their hotel. We get to talking and they mention they have never been to WWII memorial. So I'm all like, hey, let's go. Now is the best time to go. It's 1 AM. The monuments are most beautiful at night and there are no crowds.

So into my car we go. Off on our quest to find the WWII memorial.

After a series of illegal u-turns and illegal lefts.And a bunch of are we crossing the Potomac again. We find it.
It was so beautiful.

I think WWII vets are one of two schools. One group join veterans groups, march in parades and talk about the war freely. The other never, ever mention it.

The second is the group my father was in.
I have heard my fathers story of coming home from the war a few times. Never as a child but as an adult after asking him. Cousin #2 never did.

So he started telling us the story.

He talked about how he was on his way to the Pacific and they turned the plane around mid-trip because they had decided to drop the bomb on Japan. They were no longer needed. Two nuclear bombs had been dropped with the intention to keep dropping until Japan surrendered.

They landed in Miami where he jumped on a train to Pittsburgh.

To make a long story short, he was pulling into Penn Station in downtown Pittsburgh as Japan surrendered.

He said it was just like the movies. People were everywhere.

When he arrived at his house, no one was home. So he went to a neighbors.

My grandmother was at church with her remaining kids. When church let out. Someone said to her "Margaret, I think your Buddy is home, I just saw him in front of your house."

My grandmother took her Polio mangled legs and ran for the first time in her life up 45th street, dragging four little kids with her.After hugging him she said "lets go". He said "where?" She said, "back to church, I have two more sons that need to get home."

The weirdness of all of this is that they were in church for two reasons. One, to pray that her three boys would get home safely from the war. And the second reason was that it was the feast of the Assumption. August 15. A holy day of obligation.

When my dad was telling cousin #2 this story, I realized that the date we were all there, yesterday, was August 15. Feast of the Assumption.

He stopped and thought for a minute. Asked me if it was really August 15. I assured him it was.

63 years to the day, he made it home from WWII and we just happened to be standing in front of the Pennsylvania section of the WWII Memorial.

That alone, was worth more than any 25th wedding anniversary.

As Harriet would say,"Oh well, their mad, they'll get glad again."

I have a bunch of other stories from the trip that I'm sure you'll hear about Thursday!
Do we want to attempt to go the the Ballet at Hartwood tomorrow?
We had such a great time last year.(And we didn't even get asked to leave!)
We will be leaving from Shadyside no later than 6:45.

By the way, the picture above of the stars are from a section of the WWII memorial. There are 4000 starts representing 400,000 lost lives.

In the Dog House

I have to get a digital camera.
I had one and it broke. So I either have to get that one fixed, get a new one, or make a meaningful attempt to learn how to download my cell phone pictures onto a computer.
Any tips?

Anyway, last night was a night not unlike any other of my Monday nights.
Worked like crazy till 8:00. Went straight to the grocery store.
While there, Plumber called, met him for a fast drink. (While groceries were getting rancid in my car)
Got home around 10:30pm, a full 14 hours after I left for work in the morning. So I put rancid groceries away. Throw some Kielbasa on the grill and take the guard dog out for a walk. Thinking I had time to at least go around the block once.
I'm walking back towards my house and I smell kielbasa and I'm thinking, "Gee, I can't believe you can smell that all the way down here".
I know it's my kielbasa, because, quite frankly, who else would be cooking it at 11:00 pm.
I get in the house and my whole house is smelling like the Warsaw ghetto.
I go out in the back yard and open the grill.
Um, yeah. You know it. Kielbasa is on fire.
So I put out the fire and I wish I could post the picture that I took of the burnt kielbasa turds.
Too funny. Burnt to a crisp.
So I have to make something else.
I figured the grill is already hot. (Understatement)
So I throw on some hot dogs and sweet sausage.

To make a long story short. I cooked them and was just getting ready to sit down to eat after a long, long day.

Oops, wait, I thought to myself, I better to the bathroom because once I sit down. I am not getting back up for anything.

I go up to bathroom.
Come back down the steps in about three minutes.

Does anyone know how long it takes for a black lab to eat a pound of sweet sausage and six hot dogs?

I do. Under three minutes.

He better hide behind those glasses!
I gave up. Went to bed.

Damn Smokey the Guard Dog better watch his step. A few more acts like that and he's back the the Big House!

Anyway, lets go to "Club Bones" for AMG on Thursday. There is a Steeler game on and we can sit in the side room and watch.
See you all around 8 on Thursday.

LATE EDITION: I bet you guys didn't know you had a bronze medalist as your leader. I know, I know. It's hard to be humble. Check out Stories from the Road on my blog roll to the left. Judi is a friend of Dan's cousin Angela. We've only met a few times, but quickly realized we were twins separated at birth. Her, unfortunately being whisked away through the tubes!

It's summertime in the city folks!
Time to chill out with some chilled Mojita's.

Hopefully you all won't end up Friday at work like this!

It's BEHIND me!

Yes people, it's all behind me now.
That whole colonoscopy thing is done. Thank God.
It's a good thing I went too. They found two polyps and took them out. And the whole time I'm thinking, If my mother had only done this, she would be sitting here with me today.
I thought of her the entire day. It was weird. Later in the day I found out her best friend, and my Godmother had passed away. My mom and Rita were best friends since they were three.
Even when they were well into their 60's, they used to giggle about things like two school girls.
I remember after my mom died, it was really hard for me to see Rita because she reminded me so much of my mother. After a while, I told her this. She told me it was also hard for her to see me because I was exactly like my mother. She said hearing me talk was like listening to my mother.
A better compliment has never been told.
After my mother passed away, I would get upset at stupid little things I couldn't remember about her. Things like her favorite flower. I couldn't remember if she liked yellow or pink roses. I don't know why that bothered me, but it did. So I called Rita. Without thinking for a second, she told me my mother's favorite flower was yellow roses.
So I guess other than the obvious reason's why I'm sad Rita passed away is because she was one of the few people on this earth who knew my mother the best. And another connection to her is lost.
Life changes.
It goes on, with or without the ones we love.

Oh well. As usual, I didn't mean for this post to be about my mom or Rita for that matter.

See you all on Thursday.
Woohoo, can't wait.
Girls, you might as well call off work on Friday now!
Brojita's