Pee Face...

So I decide to take hobbled cast boy to the Holtsville Ecology Center today to spend some time outside on this beautiful day. For those who are not familiar with the location, the Ecology Center is a free, town run park/zoo. There are picnic tables, play grounds, a 1.2 mile walking/jogging path and a zoological section that houses goats, llamas, ducks, miniature horses and ponies, chickens, emus, cows, etc. It also provides a home for wildlife that has been rehabilitated and cannot be re-released: Bald Eagles, a gimpy footed Turkey Vulture, some falcons and owls. All in all, it’s a great place to go to have some fun and kill some time. You just have to ignore the methane vents found among the scenic foliage. Yep. It used to be a landfill.


On this particular day, I decided that it would be safe enough for little guy to be chauffeured in his stroller since the air was cooler and the breeze was nice. I wouldn’t have to worry about his cast sweating and getting stinky. I try to stay away on the weekends to avoid the crowds, so I assumed today, a weekday, would be fine. WRONG!!!! Since Jack was systematically listing the animals he was going to see in the order they are located: goats? Ducks? Geese? Birds? Llamas?....you get the idea, I couldn’t leave and disrupt all his categorical work he had visualized in his head.

We pull into the parking lot and I get him situated and we begin our trek into the “zoo”, again all the time, listing what he was going to see in his “matter of fact, but emphasizing each word as a question” way. The wall of people began at the entrance where the goats were. The feed dispensers are opposite the coral, so people were walking back and forth. “FROGGER”. That’s what it was, and I was the frog trying to get past the cars going back and forth. I jigged and jagged, stopped, timed the next sequence of food gatherers, then made my way to the lily pad on the other side. Do you think people would make way for a broken kid in a stroller? No. I guess we get bonus points for finishing the harder level.

So we now move around and pass the Nigerian dwarf goats, who are not as grubby as their counterparts in the other pen. (They are not allowed to be fed). One little guy was sticking his head out as if to say “Hey Jack! Good to see you again! What happened to your leg?” I maneuver over to the goat as best I could with the stroller, and allow Jack to say hi. No sooner than I say “Hey Jack! Say Hi!” another mother pushes right in front of us and props her maybe….16 month old daughter….right in front of the goat’s face. Did she notice that she almost pushed another kid out of the way by means of his cast? No. Did it bother me? No. “Why” you may ask. Well I will tell you! The goat that she so readily plopped her kid in front of was a buck, or unfixed male goat. I believe the woman even said “Oh look at the Billy Goat!” Being a goat owner myself, I can tell you that bucks grow nice, cute Billy Goat goatees. What do they do with these facial hair growths? They pee on them and the surrounding areas of their face so they can attract the ladies. He was nice a wet too. There’s a reason why Jack talks to this goat from afar….

Believe it or not, this is still just the beginning of our madcap adventure…stay tuned for more tomorrow! Can you say “Out of control, 5 year old bicyclist?”

My "Sweet Fancy Moses" Moment of the Day

I was enjoying some quiet time playing some World of Warcraft and watching Haunted History on the History International Channel, when an infomercial for THIS came on: http://www.designersnuggies.com/flare/next/.

Ok, it's bad enough we have to deal with the "Snuggie" in Sweet Rose, Forest Green, and Royal Blue, but now Zebra, Leopard, AND Camel? What is this world coming to?

I can't wait for the parody people to get a hold of this one. Here is the last one they did (warning: language).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h05ZQ7WHw8Y

*******************************

WAIT! WHEN SEARCHING FOR THE LINK FOR THE ORIGINAL, I FOUND THE FOLLOW UP!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kViZOw6B8M

SWEET FANCY MOSES!!!!

"Why Me?"

Sorry - today is a bit of a downer day. If using the common analogy of comparing life to a roller coaster, today I would equate the current status of things to going up to the top of the largest drop, and free falling. Right now, there is no incline to woosh me back up to the top to begin the ride again. Think the coyote chasing the road runner and running off the cliff, eminating in the "poof" as you lose sight of him as he falls.

I wrote the below post back in June after another "what else could go wrong mode"....

*****

Why me? I often ask myself this question. Why was I chosen to raise this child from the complete other side of the world? He could of easily been placed with a different family, in a different part of the United States, or in a completely different country altogether.

So again, why me? I am in no way a great parent. I have no patience, get easily agitated, am not very affectionate, don’t do well on no sleep, etc.

His adoption process was fast. So fast. Unusually fast. Why for me?
He is “different”. I see it. People who are close to him see it. People who are around him on a regular basis see it. He is “different”. Maybe he is destined for greater things. Maybe his life is already planned out and he is to do something very important.

He is “different”. I think his birth mother knew it too. She knew she could not raise him and help him become the person he should become. She made a noble sacrifice for him. She named him. She chose “World Shine”. Perhaps she knew he was destined for something great. Something that will change things in the future. Something that will pull us out of darkness.

So back to the original question: Why me?

Maybe as the fates planned his future they knew there would be obstacles. Obstacles that if not overcome, would stop him from doing what he is supposed to do.

Maybe that’s why it is me. I have great intensity. I see inequality. I see injustice. I will fight to the very end with everything I have to make sure that common sense and “the right thing to do” prevail.

Perhaps Karma, Destiny, Fate, the Universe, God or whatever driving force may be out there that people believe in , put me in this path long ago, and provided me with the tools, the knowledge, the education and the experience to do what is right.

It may not be coincidence, or luck, or decisions I have made in the past that have shaped where I am now. Other plans may be in the works that are out of my control. I guess I just have to look at the forks in the road. I have to listen to people who have been put in my path. I have to look at the bigger picture. I have to do what is right.

So again. Why me?

He is “different”. Maybe he is supposed to be the one who is going to cure cancer, the disease that afflicted me at a young age. Maybe he is going to be a figure head that will bring harmony. Maybe he will be a role model. Maybe he is just going to be an important part in someone’s else’s life.

Maybe he is “The one who will bring balance to the force”, “The one to bring down the Matrix”, “The one lead the resistance against the machines”, “The one who will throw the ring in the fire”.

So again. Why me?

Maybe it’s because I have too much time on my hands to recite story lines from movies. Maybe because I am driven. Maybe it is because it is what I am supposed to do…..

*****
 
Well, there ya go....
 
Going to go play some WoW now....

Balls

Never buy the tennis balls for dogs from the dollar store. They smell like they were made from blown out tire carcasses then rolled in burnt hair. If you call me and I do not answer, call 911 as I may have carbon monoxide poisoning.

BTW - The dog loves them.

Hurricane a' comin'?

Word is that we may be in for a bit of a whollop this weekend. Danny may be a Cat 1 when it gets here, and thats one category too much for me. Even if it scrapes us, torrential rain and wind is a bad thing when you have a barn full of animals. Ironically, the media isn't making it a cataclysmic event and telling everyone to run out and get water and batteries, which is quite out of character for them. I still think I may go out and buy a bunch of ice cream so in case we do lose our power, I have an excuse to eat it before it melts!

My Sweet Fancy Moses Event of the Day

I will try and post things as I see 'em or find 'em:

Welcome to Canada!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sekLEG8xsOs

SWEET FANCY MOSES!

Mega Million is over $325 Million!

"If I had a million dollars....."

It's ok to dream, right?

Here is a list of the things I would do (and most likely in this order) if I won the Mega:

Pay off my house
Pay off the mortgages of family and friends
Immediately put $$ away for Jack's College
Ensure that family can retire comfortably
Invest wisely so that future endeavors can be funded on interest alone (wishful thinking)

Future personal endeavors:
Put the extension on the house (including nice big garage for husband)
Put a nice new 3 stall shed row barn in for Indy, Seven and Soda
Donate the remaining stall to foster a rescue horse from one of the local rescues
Walk next door and offer to purchase neighbor's house - we wont miss them (I will have plenty of neighbor drama posts)
Give house to brother in law, but make yard a nice paddock for the gang
Put a pool in our back yard
Get a feul effcient (maybe bio diesel?) vehicle large enough to pull a horse trailer
Get a horse trailer

Future public endeavors:
Purchase land so it cannot be developed
Build houses in New Orleans (it's so ridiculous that some areas still look like they did after Katrina hit)
Provide funding/grant opportunities for families looking to adopt a child
Donate to cancer research
Donate to animal welfare groups

Future business endeavors:
Purchase the Calverton Property and secure part of the land as a wildlife refuge/preserve. Develop the remaining areas (which are already developed, so I would have to convert or knock things down) into a animal assisted therapy program site. I would work with Dolphins Plus in the Keys to establish something here, would create (or move an existing) equine therapy program, provide a training area for assistance dogs, and any other type of organization that helps both people and animals. I would also be akin to setting up a program where inmates train shelter dogs to be adoptable.

My big splurge:
I would get a beach house out east with a ton of land and would never sell it for development.

Living on Borrowed Time

I know. A very heavy second post on a blog that is supposed to be light and airy. Well, it's the truth, and as long as I keep living my life with this in mind, I know in the end that I had set out and completed what I am/was supposed to do. I have stopped "doing" for the sake of doing, and started "listening". There is a path out there for all of us, and there are clues, signs, forks in the road, you name it, pointing to us to your ultimate purpose on this planet.

I trace the beginning of the path of my existence to have started when I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive tumor when I was 17. The whole ordeal, which is a post in itself, lasted a year, but I am happy to say that I have been free and clear of disease for 19 years! I periodically Google my diagnosis to see if there is any more information out there. Searching the internet can be both good, and bad. I now know the odds: 66% survival rate if caught in time. Sloan Kettering only saw 16 cases between 1982 and 1995. St Judes only saw 8 during that time. I was diagnosed in 1990. If I didnt fall, we would never have found it and I would be part of the statistic "not caught in time".

Overall, I am doing well. The biggest issue I have is that due to all the surgeries and radiation treatment, I get very bad cellulitis infections quite often. Back in the day, there were no long term studies on the effects of removing lymph nodes, so there was no known way to prevent the lymphadema and infections. Now, compression banding is the norm following lymph node resection. For me it's too late. So, I don't go anywhere without my antibiotics and do everything in my power to be proactive and prevent infections: antibacterial soap, clean towels and no paper towels (bacteria), try to sleep and eat well (boost resistance).

How does this fall into place as a path I must follow? If I didnt go through this (and continue to do so), it would not have led us to our son.

Sweet Fancy Moses!

So let us see who knows this wonderful tidbit of pop culture.

This will jog your memory:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xi4O1yi6b0

Why "Sweet Fancy Moses" as the name for my blog? Well, I have had many SFM moments and I thought that I would share them with the world.