Summer's here.

As you can see, I haven't had time to blog nor check anyone else's blog out lately. Yes, it's that time of year again. My youngest is here for the summer, and it's so good to see her. Lordy! Can that child eat! For such a little girl, I mean in size not in age - she's 11 years old now, my youngest can pack the food away. I mean at 4'5" she only weighs in at 56 pounds. Where does she put it? Since the law has declared that no one can ride in the front seat of the car until they are at least 80 pounds, my daughter says she'll be a Senior in high school before she'll have that privilege.

My youngest got High Honors this year. Which means that she got straight A's and all kinds of awards and such, including a Scholastic Award from Duke University and the Presidential Award. Way to go girl!

So if I appear to be sporatic in my writing on my blog or visiting others, it's not because I'm ignoring you, but it's because I can't get ahold of the computer cause it's in the clutches of an 11 year old! Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!

Mr. Blair, unfortunately not enough people do.

I just finished watching the news conference that President Bush and Prime Minister Blair gave last night. I have also had the opportunity to read and watched on tv what the MSM took away from this news conference. I'm not going to write about what the MSM grasped, it's the same old blah, blah, blah...

What I do want to point out was something that Prime Minister Blair spoke about which I thought should be the most important answer of the news conference; however, which will be the most ignored.

Q: You both presented the Iraqi government as a substantial vindication of the conflict. Do you also accept, as a matter of harsh political reality, that the Iraq conflict has also left both of you politically weakened and, whether justly or unjustly, less able to give the kind of moral leadership that you're discussing today?

PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: I don't really think it's a matter of our vindication. I think, in a way, that's the least important part of it. But I do think that occasionally we should just take a step back and ask, why are we doing this? Why is it so important?

Saddam was removed from power three years ago. Since then, incidentally, our forces have been there with the United Nations mandate and with the consent of the Iraqi government, itself, the Iraqi government, becoming progressively more the product of direct democracy.

So whatever people thought about removing Saddam -- you agree with it, you didn't agree with it for these last three years, the issue in Iraq has not been, these people are here without any international support, because we haven't had any United Nations resolution governing our presence there. The issue is not, you're there, but the Iraqi people don't want you there, because the Iraqi government, and now this directly-elected Iraqi government has said they want us to stay until the job is done.

So why is it that for three years, we have had this violence and bloodshed? Now, people have tried to say it's because the Iraqi people -- you people, you don't understand; you went in with this Western concept of democracy and you didn't understand that their whole culture was different, they weren't interested in these types of freedom. These people have gone out and voted -- a higher turnout, I have to say -- I'm afraid to say, I think, than either your election or mine. These people have gone out and voted -- [cut]

PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: They have gone out and voted despite terrorism, despite bloodshed, despite literally the prospect of death for exercising their democratic right.

So they have kept faith with the very democratic values that we say we believe in, and the people trying to wrest that democracy from them are opposed to absolutely everything we stand for and everything the Iraqi people stand for.

So what do we do in response to this? And the problem we have is very, very simple. A large part of the perspective with which we look at this is to see every act of terrorism in Iraq, every piece of ghastly carnage on our television screens, every tragic loss of our own forces -- we see that as a setback and as a failure when we should be seeing that as a renewed urgency for us to rise to the challenge of defeating these people who are committing this carnage. Because over these past three years, at every stage, the reason they have been fighting is not, as we can see, because Iraqi people don't believe in democracy, Iraqi people don't want liberty. It is precisely because they fear Iraqi people do want democracy, Iraqi people do want liberty.

And if the idea became implanted in the minds of people in the Arab and Muslim world that democracy was as much their right as our right, where do these terrorists go? What do they do? How do they recruit? How do they say, America is the evil Satan? How do they say the purpose of the West is to spoil your lands, wreck your religion, take your wealth? How can they say that? They can't say that.So these people who are fighting us there know what is at stake. The question is, do we?

These two lines should be tattooed on every appeaser out there; on every "hippie peace and love and flowers in their hair" type of individual; on every blame the military, blame America, blame the West type of individual; on people that believe that Naval ships and/or fighter planes are "killing machines" killing machines! and oh, "it's for the oil" donchaknow kind of individual.

Right. Keep on thinking that.

What's it all mean.

You know on our comment section, there is a little guy in a wheel chair next to where you have to put in your letter code? Well, I took a deep breath and hit on it - on my own comment section of course, didn't want to totally delete someone else's blog just in case. I'm polite that way. And a male voice came on announcing some numbers and then a female voice announcing the numbers right after him.

What's up with that?

A whole year of nuthin's.

Oh! Congratulations to me! I didn't even know that I have been writing this blog for a year this month. Thank you Alison for pointing this out.

Say. Are we having fun yet?

Eurovision 2006

Okay, I'll admit it. I stayed home on Saturday night to watch the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest that was broadcast (this year) from Athens, Greece. Sent Krip on down to the pub; while I took a shower, got into my robe, gathered my junk food around me, and watched one of the funniest programs that is on every year.

Last year, apparently it was all midriffs and belly-buttons. This year it was legs, lots of hair-extensions, and the color that appears to be the 'in' thing to wear now is white or off-white. Most of the singers were steeped in the 1980's music theme, so I figured if we keep watching, perhaps by 2020 they might be up to the music in the here and now.

And what was up with the UK entry? I've seen better talent come from here on the X-Factor. White boys really shouldn't try their hand at rap. Very few have been able to do it. And his little go-go dancers didn't quite cut it either. They obviously are not true Chav girls. I've seen these little girls coming home from school in their uniforms. The girls that were back up for Daz Sampson had their skirts way too long. Most of the little Chav girls I've witnessed have their skirts barely skimming the top of their crotches. If you are going to be authenic, be authenic. Enough said there.

There were a few groups that I didn't get, okay there were quite a few groups I didn't get, but three really stand out for me:

Germany, what was with the stetsons, cowboy boots, mini-Dolly Parton, and a country song?!
Russia, I've seen women on pianos, but a woman in a piano?...that was plain weird.
Spain, what can I say. Their four girl group with two unisex dancers as back-up went by the name, Ketchup. Still scratching my head over what they were doing out there. Bless 'em.

Honestly, if politicians from any/every country want to see who one's friends are, just follow the votes that were cast. Nor did not one country waiver from the usual, and it was quite comforting to note that wars and regimes can come and go, but neighbors still tend to cling together. Krip came home early from the pub just to be able to watch the final scores as they came in from all the participants that made it through. So next year, it's off to Finland!

Did I mention that the United Kingdom got 25 votes? No? Well, it's a lot more votes than was predicted, and a hell of a lot more votes than France's five votes. That in itself made it worth watching. Heh.

Can't wait until next year. It's so bad, it makes for great entertainment!

Remember these.

So last night, reading in bed, I come across a real flashback. How many out there remember S & H Green Stamps? Your mom, grandmother, or even you saved up these little green stamps to purchase different items.

I turned to Krip and starting talking to him about green stamps and he informed me that he remembered them. That was a surprise for me, not that he remembered them [that in itself is a revelation because he tends to have the memory of a goldfish], but I didn't know that green stamps were also on hand in the U.K. just like in the States.

What's even more amazing is that, while the physical green stamp is long gone, having faded away in the 1970's, you can still collect green stamps-aka-green points now on the internet . And if that's not enough, if by any chance you might have some books tucked away in cupboards or drawers, you can still redeem them 30+ years later at the S&H Greenpoint Web Site.

Go figure.

Just checking in.

Hello everyone! I know I haven't written anything in a while; but honestly, I haven't had anything to write.

This past Sunday we drove over to Brighton for the day. You know, had to check things out for when Little One comes over. We had a lovely day. For some reason, we thought it would be about a two hour drive. Took approximately an hour, so that wasn't bad. We have come to the conclusion that Little One will love Brighton. I think we will go during the week while the kids are still in school, and hopefully pick a nice warm day.

I managed to get Little One in for swimming lessons. It's six lessons ~ once a week for six weeks ~ so that's not too bad. The price is outrageous though. However, I think it's a necessity rather than a luxury in life to know at least the basics when it comes to swimming.

And that's really all that is going on right now. I haven't written about politics on either side of the pond because, to me, everything seems to be going to hell in a handbasket what with Mexico threatening to sue the States if we put our National Guards on our side of the border to keep illegals out - go figure; or having a grandmother put in jail over here in the UK because she cuffs a yob on the ear for threatening her (along with a whole lot of yobs, causing havoc) in her own front garden, for cryingoutloud!

It could have been far worse.

Okay, so on Tuesday, you remember I mentioned praying for nice weather for yesterday? Well, we had nice weather; in fact, we had glorious weather. Sun. No Rain. Just a gentle ocean breeze. I guess what I forgot to pray for was no mist. Yes. That's what kept us grounded. No flight to the Isle of Wight for us and our two friends.

So, instead we took the Eurotunnel on over to France. Had a leisurely drive down the coast, taking the scenic route, soaking up the rays, soaking up some liquid refreshment at a local, and winding up in Bologne. A day trip enjoyed by all.

What a nice way to get over hump Wednesday, wouldn't you say?

So, what's happenin' on Wednesday.

Tomorrow it is essential that we have nice weather. With sunshine. And no rain or high winds. I mean really essential that we have good weather. Tell you on Thursday why.

Another petition bites the dust.

Well, yesterday we received another Letter of Refusal from the council; which, of course, means that the guy we're fighting with received another Letter of Refusal. Another battle won for us in this unending war between us and the guy who wants to build his five-bedroom house behind us with a three car garage (with spaces for two more cars). We saw where he took it all the way up to the State and was refused by them too.

Now he has completely destroyed the property behind us, cutting down every single tree, taking out the stumps so that they can't grow back, and leveling down to approximately four feet I guess just to make sure that nothing grows back again. What we are left with is piles of debris all around us and dirt - just dirt. It looks like a minefield. It looks absolutely dreadful.

However, he lost...again.
*grin*

It's for the birds.

So it's a bank holiday. The first of May. May Day. And it's raining.

Naturally.

Got up this morning. Looked out the back window and about eight birds, all different varieties were sitting on the fence staring in the window just willing someone to come out in the rain and lay out birdseed and raisins for them.

Didn't like the look in their eyes. They got their seed and raisins.