The weekend crawls to a close ...

The fury begins in the morning.

I have a week long, 3 college credit hour, class beginning tomorrow morning. The week will be filled with lessons, assignments, and activities. It is closer than the rest of my classes. It is in Frankfort, a mere 25 miles away. Originally I had thought to drive back and forth, but other teachers convinced me that staying near the place of the class was a better idea. Many things happen after class and staying at the Holiday Inn just in front of the class location makes it easier to join in.

So, Tammy, the kids, and I will be staying in Frankfort. Tammy will be coming to Lexington to run her errands. She is going to cook supper here and bring it to me a few of the nights.

The week following the class, I will have students.

The fun is here.

"Toomoome" update

Tammy claims that she was dreaming.

Earlier that day, while cleaning the pig sty (a completely different story) upstairs, she threw away a road construction sign that was there. She set it out on the curb with other junk to be taken by the trashmen.

She was dreaming that the wind was blowing and the sign (which was actually orange) was flapping in the wind. In her dream, she was trying to get someone to grab the sign before the wind caught it.

About that time, I asked her to move ... and the flashing yellow 'toomoome' sign was born.

This morning, we ran errands, trying to accomplish things before next weeks trip to Frankfort. Kyle and I planned and postponed a squirt gun fight. We missed a wedding, and visited a new born and family in the hospital. Congrats Karen and Mike. Kaden Michael is a doll.

Thief & Liar

A thief and liar came into my house, smiling as he passed.
He made small talk and showed his friendly ways.
He slipped into the fabric of the family.
He ate with us and laughed at our jokes.
He seemed to fit right in.
But, underneath his warm and friendly smile,
lay the heart of the thief.
The lie that lived within him tainted his every word.
It permeated his deeds.
He came to steal a precious jewel.

I wasn't there when the jewel of her virtue was born.
In time, it was entrusted into my care.
I guarded it jealously.
It was mine to shelter with might and knowledge.
When the jewel beckoned him, he did not turn as he should.
He courted the jewel in the shadows.
He did not bring his desire to the light, for he knew it was unjust.
Instead, he skulked in the hallways and side rooms.
He whispered his thievery in hushed tones, admitting his guilt.
He tried his desires and convicted them by his actions.

Once the theft was complete, and the virtue was taken,
he did not bring his treachery to the light.
He chose to perpetuate his guilt with yet another lie.
Every word he spoke without admitting the truth,
became a part of the preponderance of the lie.
The thief and liar called the same house 'home'.
His house was decorated with smiles and warmth.
Lies.

Now, exposed, he supposes that his deed is vanished.
He cannot ever replace the virtue that was lost.
He can never erase the betrayal of trust.
He can never change his smile from the place of a lie.

How can he atone ?
If he lives a lifetime and never lies again,
that lie still exists.
If he dies a withered old man,
his theft is still part of his house.
He says he is not sorry it happened.
If his conscience is clear,
there is nothing to prevent him from stealing and lying again.

He seeks to smooth the crime,
by saying he has decided not to commit it again.
What assurance is this ?
What prevents him from changing his mind ?
What stops him from lying or stealing again ?

Nothing.
Save my vigilance.

He will not smile in my house.
He will never know the feeling of comfort,
for I will ever be on my guard.
He has injured my spirit.
He has made me less trusting.
He has created this wound.
He has created this world.
God help him live in it.

Ron Simpson, Jr.
July 29, 2005

The big yellow "toomoome" sign

Last night we (Tammy, Pete Angie, and I) went to Todds.

I went to sing, Tammy went to sing and drink. Pete and Angie went because they haven't had but one date in 6 years (I think that is what she said).

The crowd was sparse. For a while there the only people singing were Tammy, Mike, Hamp (who was also DJ'ing) and me. It was ladies night. Drinks for the ladies were 2 for 1. Tammy had her usual, Jack and Coke. Now.. Some places we go fix a Jack and coke with about an even mix. Todds fixes theirs with a glass of Jack and a squirt of Coke. We got there about 8:30 and left at 10:45. In that time Tammy had 4 J&C's. She was feeling good when we left. She actually shared her last one with Pete and Angie bought him 2, of which he shared the last one with Tammy.

I sang and drank water and sang. I did: Help Me Understand, My Heart Is Lost To You, Right Where I Need To Be, Tin Man, Cold One Coming On, Seven Bridges Road, Whiskey Lullaby (Duet with Tammy), and How Do You Like Me Now. That was all in just over 2 hours. It was a great night of singing.

When we got home, Tammy, Pete, Angie, and the kids sat out on the porch and talked about old times. Tammy has known Pete since she was a teenager. She hasn't seen him for years. It turns out he lives about a block and a half from us on the same street. So they reminisced.

Eventually, all parties went home around midnight and Tammy staggered to bed. At some point in the night, I needed to change sleeping positions. I was on my left side and needed to change to my right. Tammy was snuggled up right next to me (which isn't unusual). I touched her and asked her to move over so I could roll over her direction. I was sorta pressed to the edge of the bed. Generally, when this happens, she moves, I roll, and she snuggles back against me in the new position. Well, last night, when I asked her to move, she told me to wait. "What for," I asked. Her reply was strange ...

She told me she couldn't move until she saw the big yellow toomoome sign. Mind you, this was slightly distorted from the fact that she was slightly waking up.

I waited ... Nothing

I asked again. She told me she had to wait for the big yellow toomoome sign. I told her I didn't know what she was talking about. She said, "Wait, you'll see it." So, there I was, looking around the room in the almost blackness, waiting for some flashing sign.

5 minutes ... Nothing

Once again I asked. More clearly than before, she said, "I can't move until the big yellow 'to move me' sign flashes." I was rolling. She had finally snapped. Her mind was gone..

Finally she moved her upper body over a bit. Her bottom half didn't move. I pushed. No movement. I poked. No movement.

I have to guess that she must have seen the big yellow sign, because she suddenly moved over and allowed me to roll over. She snuggled back against me and we both drifted off to sleep again, in spite of the big yellow sign flashing above the bed that said, "To Move Me".

I told her about it this morning when she woke up. She has no recollection or knowledge of such events. It is the Reagan Defense. "I have no recollection of those events."

Last slow week

Here it is Tuesday, in the midst of my slow week. I am out of the classroom, and have no classes scheduled this week. I have been slightly lazy. It has been 100° plus heat index this week so far, way too hot to be doing much of anything thatdoesn'tt involve AC.

Tomorrow night we are going to Todds with Tammys old friend and his GF to karaoke. It is ladies night, 2 for 1 drinks. Hedoesn'tt drink and neither do I, but the girls do.

Today is Justin's 14th birthday. Tammy fixed him a cake and had a card for him. He seemed to enjoy the foo-for-all.

Chris is staying with us tonight. It seems that Sierra and Jordan have dumped him. They were supposed to pick him up yesterday, but didn't show up then. They didn't show up today either.

Kids ?

Good weekend .. So far

Friday night was fun. We went to Todds to karaoke. We sang a couple songs and Tammy had a few drinks. I stuck with my usual water. Russ came into town. It was good to see him. I told the kids we would be back home early (before midnight). And we were.

Saturday was a busy day. We had a group picnic with some friends at Masterson Station Park. We rented a shelter in the back. When they said the shelter was in the back, they meant it was in the back. It was past the Lexington Lions Bluegrass Fair. It was past the Soccer Association field and tournament. It was past the riding stables. It was way back there in the back. It was a great shelter though. It was in the middle of trees. It was cool because of the abundance of shade.

The food was great. We brought burgers and dogs and NUKE dip. It was an adult only picnic. That was a good thing as well.

The eventual water gun/water balloon battle was much fun. There were wet bodies in every direction.

Saturday evening, Russ came over for supper. He is heading back to Owensboro today (Sunday). He has to be at work at 2 today to fix a server crash.

So far, today has been good. Lazy, but good. Haven't even managed to put on pants yet, lol.

We will see how far this can go ...

Oh yeah .. And ..

One of the best lines I heard on TV yesterday was during a news report on the second round of London bombings. I don't recall the station I was watching, nor the particular reporters talking, but the exchange went like this:

Reporter #1: "There is speculation that this might not be the work of terrorists, but of a copy cat, because of the smaller loads of the bombs."

Reporter #2: "I think if you are planting bombs on buses and trains, you are a terrorist, whether you are copying someone or not. "

Is that smoke ?

Hey there .. I am doing a little research about an idea I had this morning.

Hold on, I am reading. Uh huh .. Regulations .. Yeah .. Building .. Enclosed from the weather .. Yeah yeah .. Dwelling .. Sleeping .. Conducting business of daily living .. ok .. uh-huh ..

OK ! Here it is. Section 14-97 in the list of city ordinances for the city of Lexington, subpart 6, states:
(6) Smoke or smoking. The act of inhaling or exhaling the smoke from any lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe, or other combustible tobacco product.

There you have it.

According to our city ordinance, we are prohibited in certain areas (including bars) from inhaling or exhaling smoke from any lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, or other combustible tobacco product.

So, my question is: What if no one is smoking the cigarette ? What if it is just lit and burning down without aid of lips or suction ? According to the carefully worded part of 14-97, that cannot be considered smoking and therefore is outside the perimeter of the smoking ban.

So, all you smokers (I ain't one but would be willing to light one up and let it burn), light one up inside your favorite bar and let it burn down. Go outside as usual for your smoking (it is against the law) but feel free to burn all the cigarettes, cigars, and pipes as you like inside the bar, as long as you don't inhale or exhale from said smoking device.

They cannot charge or fine you, as you are not smoking per their own description of smoking. They cannot charge or fine the bar, as the establishment is not allowing smoking, per the definition of smoking in the smoking ban.

Viva le exact wording !!

Burn 'em if you got 'em !

Great day

Ever have one of those days ?

Ever wonder what the heck the person that asks such a question thinks one of those days consists of ?

Sit back for a minute while I finish my egg drop soup and Sesame Chicken (extra hot) and spin ya a tale of a few minutes that might live in infamy ( for a few days anyway). Russ, there is a Great Wall in Evansville, IN, just 25 miles away.

So, my day was going good. Tammy came to work with me. That always perks up the day. (keep thinking with the right head, Russ.) I was working on more Program Assessment work and Tammy was working on the novel, The Dollmaker. I parked out back this morning because Steve, the janitor/maintenance guy, was stripping the floors in the hallway and would be blocking the entrance to my room eventually.
Around 10, Joe, the Principal, came in with some work benches for me. We moved my truck on the hill out of the way. After unloading the tables and some bench vises, Joe left his truck behind my shop.

Lunch arrived. Tammy and I were going out for lunch to the Great Wall. Joe was still blocking the path behind me, so I decided to go across the grass field behind the building, inside the fence. About a third of the way across, I got this sinking feeling. Literally. I was stuck. The ground had been worked on and with the recent rains, it was still soft and wet. I called Steve and he and Joe came out to help me out. Joe tied his truck to mine, from a safe dry distance.
As I was getting into my truck to drive it backwards with Joe's assistance, I stretched out to avoid one of the softer spots. About the time my foot got in the truck, my other foot slipped. There was a tearing sound and the crotch of my jeans became ventilated. They were one of my two favorite pairs of jeans. Argh !!

Anyway, Joe pulled me out. I drove out the back way after Steve opened the gate and slung mud for the next 2 miles. We got take out instead of eat in.

Tammy says I won't live this down for a while.

Hey, what are life's little moments for if not to be used for the amusement of our friends.

Well, that is the end of my tale (not a sad one at all .. Humorous even) and the last piece of my chicken. Looks like I will be diving back into work stuff.

Have a great collection of life moments this afternoon and beyond.

I saw this on a website and I think it fits:
I feel like I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe

Repeating my mantra

"I love my job .. I love my job .. I love my job .. I love.." Wait a minute, I DO love my job. I love teaching.

I am steeped in paperwork. This is not my favorite thing. It might not be as bad as it is if I completely understood what I was doing. This is unfamiliar territory for me. I am not used to be lost. I am used to knowing what I am doing, knowing what is expected, and accomplishing my goal using that knowledge. This paperwork (which I readily agree needs to be done) is far reaching. It is part of my Program Assessment. It is how the state will determine I am doing my job.

I have been working through other areas of information I was still vague in as well. I found out what the educational expectations were for me this year, the 'official' year of my internship. I have to take a week long class (for which I am scheduled August 1) and a 2 day follow up of that class later in the year. That is it for year one.

I will also be taking a code update class in the evening in August (24 &25) for my 6 hours of State required Continuing Education to maintain my Master Electricians License.

The OSHA class I took (15 hours), the Students with disabilities training I took (6 hours), and the Program Assessment class, all in June (6 hours) all went to last years Professional Update requirements by the State (25 hours per year). The class I just took in Murray accounts for this years PD (40 hours worth).

I, also, found out today, the 2 classes I need to take to complete my Associates Degree in Applied Technology. They are offered in Louisville, beginning August 23rd. They will last for 12 weeks and include 48 hours.

Looks like a busy few months to begin the school year.

"I love my job .. I love my job .. I love my job."

Back in class

I am at the school this week doing my Program Assessment Work. It is a 21 part documented assessment of my classwork and lab work. It is all part of the state's effort to make teachers accountable for teaching. Kentucky has consistently ranked low in the United States in education. A GED (based on a national test) is considered better than a high school diploma from Kentucky. That is just sad.

Recently, in the 'smartest state award for 2004', we ranked 37th.
METHODOLOGY--This second Smartest State designation is awarded based on 21 factors chosen from Morgan Quitno’s annual reference book, Education State Rankings, 2004-2005. To calculate the Smartest State rankings, the 21 factors were divided into two groups: those that are “negative” for which a high ranking would be considered bad for a state, and those that are “positive” for which a high ranking would be considered good. Rates for each of the 21 factors were processed through a formula that measures how a state compares to the national average for a given category. The positive and negative nature of each factor was taken into account as part of the formula. Once these computations were made, the factors then were assigned equal weights. These weighted scores then were added together to determine a state’s final score (“Smart Rating” ) This way, states are assessed based on how they stack up against the national average. The end result is that the farther below the national average a state’s education ranking is, the lower (and less smart) it ranks. The farther above the national average, the higher (and smarter) a state ranks.

The 21 factors:

POSITIVES
Public Elementary and Secondary School Revenue per $1,000 Personal Income
Per Pupil Public Elementary and Secondary School Current Expenditures
Percent of Public Elementary and Secondary School Current Expenditures used for Instruction
Percent of Population Graduated from High School
Public High School Graduation Rate
Percent of Public School Fourth Graders Proficient or Better in Reading

Percent of Public School Eighth Graders Proficient or Better in Reading
Percent of Public School Fourth Graders Proficient or Better in Writing
Percent of Public School Eighth Graders Proficient or Better in Writing
Percent of Public School Fourth Graders Proficient or Better in Mathematics
Percent of Public School Eighth Graders Proficient or Better in Mathematics

Percent of 4th Graders Whose Parents Have Strict Rules about Getting Homework Done
Average Teacher Salary as a Percent of Average Annual Pay of All Workers
Percent of School-Age Population in Public Schools

NEGATIVES
High School Drop Out Rate
Percent of Public School Teachers Who Reported Being Physically Attacked in the Past 12 Months
Special Education Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Percent of Public Elementary and Secondary School Staff Who are School District Administrators
Estimated Pupil-Teacher Ratio in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
Average Class Size in Public Elementary Schools
Average Class Size in Public Secondary Schools

Some teacher see this 'accountability' as an insult, but, I see it as it is. We are a lackluster state in education because of lackluster teaching or lackluster effort among teachers. If this works, more power to it. If it weeds out some bad apples, great !

Anyway, it is great to be back in MY classroom.

Long week into the past

It felt like a step back into the past last week with the trip to Murray, KY. It was technologically as advanced as Lexington. There were fast food and slow food places. There was a dreaded Wal-Mart. There were cars and bars. (There was only one place to karaoke !!)

What made it feel like a step into the past was the density. There was traffic, but not the continual stream and volume of Lexington. There were choices, but not the sheer volume of choices at home. There were strip shops and car dealers. There was a fair amount of gas stations. It just wasn't as rushed as home.

It is the eternal paradox. We want the ease of finding what we want, but we want the lay back air of a small town. We can't have both. At first, when you enter a small town 'blast from the past', you fall in lust with the simplicity. The longer you stay, however, you begin to miss the choices, the ease of the big town.

It was great to be there. It was great to come home to the hustle, bustle, bad traffic, crowded stores, and close choices.

A friend said a little rhyme once. I (obviously) remember it to this day.

As a rule, man is a fool
When it is hot, he wants it cool
When it is cool, he wants it hot
Man generally wants, whatever it is not

Home, sweet home !

Finally Friday

The classes are finished. The competition is this morning. We will hold a parliamentary meeting. We will be judged on our procedure and finesse'.

Then the 5 hour drive.

See y'all soon

Computer access achieved

Waahooooooo .. I got computer access. Danger Will Robinson, danger.

Lost

Day one ... I am lost like a short dog in tall weeds. This class is a Skills/USA advisor training class. This. in and of itself, implies that the participants are involved in the club. I have never been to any club event or meeting. I have much catching up to do. ... On to homework and day two.

Checked in and sitting on the floor .. Four hours driving and we only got turned around once. The drive was great. Kentucky is a beautiful state. We should be getting the torrential rains from Dennis by Wednesday. We are expecting up to twelve inches. We may be swimming home. .... More later.

ebay

I love ebay. I hate ebay.

I got a vhs camcorder for $9.99. The shipping was just over $15, so total was a little over $25. Great deal. It works. It came with a manual and case. It came with a battery charger, but (ack!) no battery. The ad (which I double checked) didn't say it came with a battery, but it didn't say it didn't come with a battery.

Oh, well. I ordered a couple batteries for it from an online discount house.

It just seems that some things should be assume-able. I guess nothing should be taken for granted.

Murray State University looms !

The insanity defense

The insanity defense is for the benefit of the sane.

We look at people who have committed horrendous crimes and the only way we can attempt to understand it is to declare that they are insane. We cannot allow ourselves to think that a rational person would do these heinous acts.

We cannot allow ourselves to believe that a mother would kill her children. We cannot allow ourselves to believe that anyone would blow up a building in Oklahoma and kill 168 people and hurt many others. We cannot allow ourselves to believe that we are raising children that are capable of taking guns to school and shooting students and teachers.

The crux of the insanity plea seems to be the inability to distinguish between right and wrong or the application of that difference to garner reward or punishment. There are genuinely insane people out there that know there is a difference between right and wrong but lack the will to do anything about that.

There are people out there that are just mean and don't care about the difference between right and wrong. We just can't accept that some sane people can be so mean. It would mean that it is possible for us, or others around us to commit those same acts. Every time they interview the neighbor of a serial killer, they find that one that will tell you that they were a quiet normal person. They never suspected that their neighbor was eating some guy's liver with Farva beans.

The ability to commit mean or heinous acts is within us all. We choose to do the sane thing.

I do not abdicate the eradication of the insanity defense. I just think it is widely overused.

OR .. I could just be crazy !

Better pic ... Lens cleaned

A blog on the go

Interesting !

I just set up a mobile blog and then had it set up to transfer my mobile blogging to this one.

Next week I will be at Murray State University for a class. I may or may not have access to computers and time to blog may be at a premium. Now, I can blog without a computer. Ain't technology grand ?

The post with the pic was from my phone. Looks like I need to clean my lens.

rebellious teens and Martha

Martha has made the news again by claiming that her house arrest is worse than prison.

PLEASE !

You know, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. She had a cake walk. She messed up and has to pay for it. Wah wah !

All my life I have tried to do the right thing. Tammy and I were at mom and dads tonight for a bit. We were talking about kids and rebellion. Some parents allow their kids to do so much for so long that when they decide to 'crack the whip,' it doesn't work. Dad said they never had that problem. They cracked the whip from day one. I remember being a kids. There were lots of things we didn't do that other kids did. There were places we didn't go that other kids went. We turned out just fine. I can't ever remember feeling like I missed things. I don't think I was underprivileged at all.

If Martha thinks house arrest is worse than prison, we could always send her back.

She is like a teenager that got caught out after curfew and got a slap on the wrist. Now she is crying about how unfair it is, because she always got away with it before.

Enneagram Test .. for what it is worth

Enneagram Test Results Type 1 Perfectionism 38% Type 2 Helpfulness 61% Type 3 Image Focus 63% Type 4 Hypersensitivity 27% Type 5 Detachment 33% Type 6 Anxiety 37% Type 7 Adventurousness 46% Type 8 Aggressiveness 54% Type 9 Calmness 74% Your main type is 9 Your variant is sexual

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

Almost time for my favorite holiday

My favorite holiday is almost here. Independence day is my fave.

I don't care much for Christmas. I feel that we should exhibit the true meaning of Christmas all year long and not only in that highly commercialized time of the year.

Valentines Day is nice. It is good to remember your honey on a special day, but if you don't make her special all year long, one day isn't going to save you.

Thanksgiving Day is cool. I like the idea of being thankful. I like the idea of giving thanks. However, again, I think it is something that we should be doing daily.

Mothers Day and Fathers Day are good. It is always good to remember those that had the greatest impact on your life. I had great parents. That is a rarity now days it seems. Actually, let me retract that. It isn't a rarity to have great parents. I think there are great parents everywhere you turn. It is just the the media focuses on the worst examples of parenting. While we are all watching the news about parents abusing and even killing their children, there are good men and women quietly raising kids all across the country.

Memorial Day is fabulous. It is a good thing to recognize the men and women that have given so much so we could have so much.

Labor Day is great. What can I say, I am a labor kinda guy.

Halloween is just fun. Nothing else to say about that.

Independence Day !

The word itself is a celebration for the tongue to say. We so often take our independence for granted. I have never had my liberties taken. I have never suffered the agonies of tyranny. I was born free. I have lived free. I will, God willing, die free. All the parades in all the cities will not adequately express the joy for independence. It is unfathomable.

We have liberty. We raise hell about our government. We lambash our politicians. However, let another country talk bad about America and watch every true American raise up to her defense. She is filled with mistakes. She is rife with problems. She has her share of issues. She is my country. She isn't always right. She isn't always what I want her to be. She is still my independent country. She is the best that the world has to offer.

She is majestic. She is beautiful. She is regal.

Militants can burn all the flags they want and they still have not singed the garment of independence. You can spit on and curse our symbols and still, we are free. Tomorrow, we, as a nation, some with pride, some in drunken revelry, some in ignorance, will celebrate our independence.

We will commemorate the spirit of the men the drafted and signed that declaration of independence. With one document, forged from the opinions of many, we declared that we will live free. We declared that we will not be ruled in tyranny. We declared that we will be sovereign. Tomorrow we celebrate and reaffirm that commitment.

For all our faults and failures, we are still INDEPENDENT.

It's back .. and .. Out Assed

The Kyle has returned.

Here is a 9 year old that convinced his dad to drive him to Kentucky from Florida two weeks early of his scheduled return date. He guilted him into bringing him home early. I told Tammy, that if I were him, I would have put my foot down and told him that he was scheduled to stay until July 16 and he was staying until then. Tammy says her EX won't do that, as he is afraid that the kids will not love him. I see that in lots of parents.

I was asked on a particular job once, to be a foreman. I was to supervise 10 men and handle several large projects within the paint building at Toyota in Georgetown KY. I accepted the job and they hired a crew to work for me. The guys in my crew were all travelers (union electricians working out of their jurisdiction). Two weeks after we started, I approached my Area General Foreman with a list of my men. He asked me what it was. I told him it was a list of my men and the order in which they were to be layed off. He was shocked. He said he couldn't get the other foreman (there were 9) to do that. I told him that when I accepted the job as foreman, I knew that laying off the men when we got close to the end was part of the job. When I accepted the foreman position, I accepted everything that came with it.

When I became a parent, everything that came with it became part of my job. Part of that was telling the kids "NO." Part of that was accepting that there will be times in their life when my kids are not going to like me very much. I have to trust that my parenting will be such that the love they have for me will carry through the times that they don't like me. It is part of the whole parent package.

OUT ASSED

I remember once that my youngest, Heather, didn't want to go with me one weekend that was my weekend. Usually, I had been watching them at their mom's house in Nicholasville where they lived. She would spend the weekend with her fiance'. That way the kids were close to their friends and in their own surroundings. This particular weekend that was not going to happen. H pitched a fit. She did not want to be in Lexington. She decided that she was going to have a miserable weekend and she was going to be as much of an ass as she could be. I decided that I was going to show her that I could out ass her any day. I put her in the car with me and she traveled with me as I did the things I had to do on that Friday night. Normally, I would have left her at the house for the hour I needed, but not this weekend. It was the big ass contest weekend. I had to stop by one of the regular karaoke spots I attended to pick up clothes for victims of a house fire (see .. Even asses can be humanitarians). We were going to get something to eat. I told her to pick a restaurant. She didn't like anything. I drove up the restaurant corridor on Nicholasville Rd in Lexington. She didn't see anything she wanted. I gave her one last chance. I told her to pick a place or I would. She refused. I picked Arby's. It was right beside the place I needed to be. She decided that she wasn't going to eat.

I made her go in with me. She got out and slammed the door. I made her open it again and close it correctly. She went inside but refused to order. I ordered for me and we sat down and I ate. When I finished, we went to the FRAME to get the clothes. She sat outside the door (it was inside the bowling alley) and waited. She fumed.

When I was don't there we left. I explained to H that the condition of the weekend was up to her. She could make it as miserable as she liked or as good as she liked. It was up to her. She decided that she would make the best of it. I rented a couple movies (we were originally gonna see a movie at the theater). I got her something to eat on the way home. The rest of the weekend was great.

Sometimes you have to do the things that are not popular to be the parent. It is just part of the job. No wonder so many kids are not equipped to be parents. They have had no good example.

If saying NO is providing a good example, my kids had many good examples.

Actually, my daughters are very well adjusted loving kids. H, who lives with her mom, is spoiled, but that is out of my hands. I still tell her NO. I still parent her. It is just part of the job.