Kiss Me, I'm Shit Faced

So my good friends Ken and Joan got hitch a few months ago Vegas style. Last night we had a post wedding girls night out for Joan. Edna and I went together, and of course she was a DD for the night. The evening started out with a nice dinner at Fiesta where we all had fun talking and watching Joan open gifts. A few of the girls started with some margaritas there. I decided to not start so early and had a diet coke. I had Chicken Mole which was fantastic... looking back now I probably should've had something with more bread in it.

After a little detour home we all met up again at The Beach, a loud night club on Kennewick avenue. Since we arrived at 9pm, there was no cover charge and the club was very empty. Long Island Ice Teas were $2.00 each so I started off with one of those. Two shots of Tequilla and a Green Wave later I was dancing on my stool and wading in the bubble pit they have. I however did not get stupid enough to go in the cage. I made a huge mistake and wanted to help Joan out with her huge drink that someone got her. I felt bad, she was already complaining of not feeling well. I think it had several different hard liquors in it. I had gone earlier to order one of them but after I saw the ingredients I told the bartender not to make that drink "That would kill me" I said. Anyway after only helping with half the drink, I was spinning. Not sick so much as DIZZY AS HELL. I didn't get the miserable feverish feeling that I have gotten in the past, so I'm thankfull for that. I did want to throw up some and make the spinning stop. I went to the rest room and ended up taking a little nap it was quite warm in there and I just closed my eyes a little bit. I dedided to go back out to the table and Edna met me on the way back. I guess I napped a little longer than I thought she was starting to worry. I was definately motion sick and I didn't want to move anymore than I had to. I laid my head down to block my eyes with my arms and was instructed by a security guard to not go to sleep. I drank one bottle of water, was feeling a little better. I drank another bottle of water, that one was probably my downfall. Should've sipped instead of gulped. I couldn't keep it down and as people were trying to get me up to get me home I threw up in my hand and the new pretty skirt I bought for the night out. I don't think it was violent or splattering but I do remember the security guard saying, is she throwing up? Does someone have her keys? We'll I had my keys but my car was at Ednas :)

After a wash up in the restroom I was shuttled out to the van and driven home. I was feeling better after my stomach was emptied. I had another glass of water, sipping this time before I crashed in bed. I woke up this morning at 7:30 with not too much more than a sinus headache. I took a bath and my sinus drained and I washed all the party stink off. I was tired from being out all night so I went back to bed and slept for a few more hours.

The night was fun I must say.

Just say no to the tall coctails at The Beach.

NO to WASL, No child left behind sucks!

So I've not been very much of an activist for anything. I have friends that don't think about some things the same way I do and I'm okay with it but they may not be. So I usually try to keep things pretty quiet (I don't like to stir the pot Ken). As we get closer to 2008, when the WASL is going to become a high stakes test that is mandatory to recieve a diploma, I'm going to get more and more verbal about it. I think I'll serve it up in small bites though. A little bit every now and then.


It has recently been calculated that the cost to the state and districts equals $60 million a year.

Schools are struggling to pay for these tests, extra labor for teaching "to the test" and even summer school boot camp for the WASL.

When my local school is trying to decide between PE and WASL prep I have a problem with the test. Kennewick school district cut 11 staff members this last year to help pay for it. Richland and Kennewick school districts in a protest of the mandatory test are planning on not giving the test to a majority of the "required" grades.

Cyborgs!

I read an article this morning on BBC News titled, Brain sensor allows mind-control. It was a facinating article about a paralysed man who has had a small chip implanted in his brain. He has used this chip to interact with his computer, play video games, send email.

The scientists working on this are doing some amazing stuff. They hope to one day use this technology to actually help paralysed individuals use their bodies again!

I wish I could use my computer using only my mind. My wrists would be so happy.

This could actually benefit people, no question about it. Unlike the MP3 breast implants discussed in this article Coming soon: the mp3 breast implant. I must admit its a facinating thought. But really an Iboobie, is this something the world needs?

Camp Fire USA

I've been on the hunt for an inclusive program for my kids to belong to. I was a Camp Fire Blue Bird in my youth so I began there. Shockingly the counsil here has disolved and the Inland Northwest Counsil in Spokane has taken over the region. I wasn't sure at first if I could get enough interest to start a satelight group, I had started to make alternate plans to join 4-H. But I think I've gathered enough kids up, hopefully not too many.

I've contacted the counsil leader in Spokane and told her I had enough kids to start a group and she is going to come into town and train me and another interested mom to start up the program.

Interested kids are all in the K-2 grade range so we'll start out with the young child program STARflight. We probably have enough younger siblings in the group to start a LittleStars program as well. But one step at a time I suppose.

picture to the right of Boy Scout, Camp Fire Girl and Smokey

Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me

I have a fly problem, at first it was the normal size house flys. I could handle those with a fly swatter. They seem to have died down.

Now it's these itsy bitsy flys. They resemble fruit flys but I don't have any fruit. They swarm in a large cloud over my kitchen counters and sink area. I've tried flying insect spray but for some reason it kills everything except these litle buggers. I don't know quite what else to do I've cleaned everything up, I didn't find any spoiling food or anything. And now they've moved to my bathrooms. All I can do is hope they live out their lives and die soon!

Getting Back to the Atkins Thing

A few of you who knew us in 2001, knew that that year Kenny lost A LOT of weight on the Atkins diet, some 70 lbs before he lost his job and we could only afford the macaroni and cheese/spaghetti diet.

The "just one taste" rationalization is the kiss of death on this diet.

The thing about the Atkins diet is that it's an ongoing lifestyle of eating, it's not a two week thing and then you go binge on pasta after you loose a few pounds. There are phases of the diet. The induction, to get your body into ketosis. This phase is a kind of a no carb, no sugar boot camp. The Pre Maintenance diet, gets you in the habit of eating fresh food for a longer period of time. And the Ongoing Maintenance diet a lifetime lifestyle of eating fresh meats and vegetables with occasional diviances allowed.

For two weeks the diet contains no more than 20 carbs a day. This allows for 3 cups of loosly packed salad greens and pure proteins, all meats, cheeses, eggs, butter, olive oil and mayonaise. I suppose our diet is a "modified" Atkins, we don't go quite at crazy as the Dr. recommends with things such as Butter, Mayonaise, olive oil and PORK RINDS. Kenny pretty much eats as he normally would, just without the bread and sugar.

I'm not much for substitutions, so I don't buy the diet substitutes while we do this diet.

The diet, during the first two weeks, is I must say difficult, especially if you eat out a lot with your friends. Dealing with the sugar restrictions at restauraunts are tough because sugar is found in just about everything down to fruit juice in salads and sugar in the tasty mongolian sauce. And it seems that everything is filled out with flour.

After we make it past the first 2 weeks however, fresh, meat, fish, fowl, vegetables, nuts, seeds, occasional fruits and starches are welcome on the diet almost all pre packaged food however is not. So if you want a truely homecooked meal, The Schmidt house is a good place to go.

The last time Ken went on this diet, his LDL cholesterol went down and his HDL cholesterol stayed the same. Which if you know your cholesterols, this was a good thing.

Wish us luck...