29 August 2007

Blathering On

I have so much to tell about my trip so I will highlight with some observations and hearsay.


It's a long drive but a trusty iPod connector keeps one occupied with music.

It is really flat in Eastern Oregon.

Budget rental car rebates money when they rent a car that they shouldn't have.

Regardless of what Doozie thinks, I'm a safe driver.

An RV should be passed if it is going 10 below the speed limit.

If you are the 9th car behind an RV going 10 below the speed limit, you can find yourself yelling, "PASS THAT THING!!"

Passing 8 cars is reportedly safely done on a long stretch.

It is not recommended to be done in front of a County Sheriff at 15 miles over the speed limit.

It is always good when the Sheriff turns off the road behind you after a mile cause you passed the county line.

It is always good when a banana yellow rice burner that nearly merged off your front panel gets pulled over in front of you.

Applebees has tables that move around to accommodate thin-challenged patrons.

You will find difficulty sitting in a booth when the table has been shoved completely over to your side.

If you attempt to squeeze in anyway while making a crack from a Tommy Boy movie line, "....I have what the doctor's call a liiiiiitle bit of a weight problem..." be advised your fellow dining companions will crack up laughing.

Do not be surprised later when the Coke you order comes to your table as a Diet Coke.

Doozie has a nice crack den apartment.

The apartment has great floors for skidding on socks contests.

She lives above a women who snores so loud it woke me up twice.

Doozie's guest bed is very comfy.

I never joke about my sleep.

Watching a movie in a theater without stadium seating is really odd.

Portland, OR has more movie theaters per capita than any other major city.

I have been known on occasion to supply lipstick for writing messages on cars and kissing windows of birthday boys, of which I have never met.

"Spank Me" is the preferred message of blogger peops when leaving back window messages to birthday boys that own brand new shiny cars.

The Nanny Diaries is a good movie.

You are never too old for a ciggie and booze run.

You are never too old to make prank calls as "Amanda Hugginkiss"

The MAC photo booth makes us laugh hysterically.

Blogger peops can really dance after 4 beers.

You can spy on firemen really well with binoculars.

Never enter a Cute Butt Contest because you might just win.

Going to sleep at 1 am makes for a lot of coffee the next morning.

Doozie makes good tuna casserole.

The Boy kicks butt at Wii.

Always embellish a story to make it more exciting.

Doozie and I both have equally nice hair.

I still laugh when driving by the Penitentiary signs and then then one that follows, "DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS"

26 August 2007

Glamour Shots Gone Wild

This was just a sample of our fun-filled weekend. Doozie and I had a BLAST acting younger than our age.

More to come later, need SLEEPY!!

Warning:
Drinking or eating while viewing this
slideshow may cause negative effects to person, airways, keyboard, or monitor.
Use of continence products is also recommended. I've heard astronaut diapers are all the rage down south.
Thank you.






PS. Disclaimer: I do not have a profile on yahoo personals although I have heard through the grapevine, there are some stellar photos there that could easily be thrown into this slideshow. I'm just saying...

23 August 2007

Ninja Skills Are Highly Underrated

I am inspired to write tonight, not because I am hopped up on our local Mall Food Court Chinese Food and a Mac N Dons ice cream cone.

I'm going on a little trip this weekend. woohoo.

I wanted to be completely ready, and I am not. I was pretty bummed I had to forgo getting my hair done before I left town. It's in need of a good trim but when you get your hair done at the mall, "Just a trim" is hairdresser speak for "I'm donating to Locks Of Love!"

I am going on a trip this weekend to visit my blogger BFF Doozie. It's timely because she has now closed up her blog until further notice. This is very upsetting to me.

Doozie and I have gotten to know each other well over the last two years. She is a very good friend and if you ever get the chance to meet her, consider yourself lucky. She is a warm, thoughtful, caring, insightful, silly, smart, and sarcastic as heck. She's a great mom, and the best friend you could have.

With this said, I hope to provide her with the moral support and a little distraction from the vacuously repugnant maggot trolls that plague her. (I know, I never express myself well) They are combing her blog for anything to use against her personal life, her job, even messing with her family. Vindictive ex's and lying former co-workers are the majority of it.

These people need to get a library card or start collecting belly button lint...or get a life....or anything and mind their own business. That's when you shut down your blog or go invite only, so that is what has happened.

Beatrice the Secret Agent is sorely tempted to do some research of her own. You mess with Beatrice's friends, you mess with Beatrice. Oh, and Beatrice will now be known as "The Meat Grinder". She can dig up the goods on pretty much anyone.

On a lighter note, I would just prefer to hire Guido to take out some kneecaps. Scissor kicking heads would also be in order. Maybe a lawsuit. Ah, nothing says Christmas spirit like a torte claim.

So for now, I mourn one of the few bright spots in my day: reading Doozie's blog. I will miss the silly, the hilarious, and reveling in her sarcastic observations in the everyday mundane. But the thing I will miss the most is the absence of a great friend in blogland.

Here's to you Doozie. Hurry back soon.

22 August 2007

The Blog Tribe Has Spoken

Thanks to everyone who helped me pick my shoes!

As it turns out, I like the ones that came in last. It rains here at least 8 months out of the year. A girl must be prepared with good solid shoes.

Hang in there guys, this post isn't all about shoes.

I have several pairs of Sketchers that I love so I purchased the Sketchers in brown (#1) and the Naturalizers in black (#3). Buy one, the second is half off, free shipping and $35 in rewards coupons. woohoo.

The guys are looking bored here....

The brown I wanted because I'm trying to lighten up on my abundance of black clothes and besides, I have a favorite brown purse. Purse and shoes must match, so la-dee-dah-dee-dah.

MUDD shoes are cute, but I went and tried them on in the store. They make my feet look like waffle irons. I already have a pair of black MUDDs with silver buckles tucked away in my closet, Mr. Coffee reminded me. I've worn them maybe two or three times and why I don't get rid of them is beyond me. I should just clean out the closet. If you are a size 10 in women's and love MUDDs with thick soles, let me know.

Are the guys totally glazed over by now?

PUSH UP BRA!

Okay, now I have everyone's attention......

(If you watch SCRUBS, I'm giving you an "Inside Joke Five, Yeah!")

I just caught wind of new Bond movie coming out next year. Bond 22. I like the Bond movies and really liked the last one but I had to watch it a couple times. It's been suggested that Hugh Laurie would make a fabulous Q, and I would agree, not taking from John Cleese's obvious talent to act and make one laugh.

I went to IMDB to find out more upcoming releases and found a Luc Besson film I have yet to see (trailer below). Angel-A is now on my radar. How I love a good foreign flick. Luc Besson was involved in two of my top three favorite movies: Wasabi and Transporter. He also directed Leon The Professional and introduced to the world a very young Natalie Portman.





I am so excited about The Golden Age. Cate Blanchett returns as an older Queen Elizabeth I. As I read and whole-heartedly agree, if Cate Blanchett doesn't get an Academy Award for this, heads should roll. It doesn't hurt that Clive Owen is in it either. I'm just saying....


18 August 2007

Double Your Drive Thru and Double Your Fun

Our drive thru at McDonalds has new fancy double lanes and I'm not the only one who thinks this is a crazy maker. In fact, this blogger has inspired me to post my own drive thru story after I nearly wrote a post in her comments.

I have so much fun in drive-thrus. I like to order things "To Go" and make cross-chain references.

"I'll have a Whopper McJunior, some chicken poppers, and small-medium orange coke. That's to go here."

Why not, they put us through these brilliant double rage drive thru lanes. Whoever decided this was a good idea should have the fleas from 1000 camels lodge in their armpits. Double lanes are breeding ground for stabbing people and are so entirely annoying it makes me want to pour coffee into someone's crotch.... anyone's crotch, to make them go away.

In the summer, the kids and I go for dollar cones or sundaes. I also like their iced coffees unless I set down the coffee on the floor of my van and drive off, forgetting that it's there. I was grumbling to myself that I should have ordered a smaller coffee, one that fit in my van's shot glass-sized cup holder. There I was, driving down the road, driving, driving....I get to red light and whoooosh. I have a lake in my shoes. There was the front foot area, full of milk and iced coffee. I knew darn well that I would be smelling that wonderful aroma emanating from the flooring for weeks. I despise these itty bitty cup holders.

Anyway, the other day, I drove up in one lane of the double drive thru and the guy says to me in his best Spanglish, "No habla Espanol?" which for an employee of McDonald's that can mean several things,

"Do you want fries with that"
"My pants are chafing me bad"
"Do you want the lifeguard with your 96 oz. iced coffee"
"These uniforms really suck"
"That'll be $58.49 for five freaking meals, have a nice day"

It's all interchangeable.

I smile, curse the day I decided to pass up Spanish lessons, and try to move forward, but no I can't. There are too many people squishing in over in the next lane. I'm yelling, "GO LADY, GO!", practically ready for my clothes to go out of style before she decides to move closer than a parking lot's length from the car in front of her.

I eventually hand over the money. I pull forward to the second window and ~shocker~ Not my order. I apparently paid for the moron behind me that thinks that revv-ing his engine over and over will make me go faster (or perhaps the bad lifters in his Back To The Future era pickup will CLICKITY CLACK me to death). I fork over another four bucks while the woman smiles and nods, handing me my ice cream cones. I knew the guy in the first window undercharged me, but he said it was right in his very broken English. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind immigrants from anywhere working legally in the US. You just don't see me getting a job as a Russian or Chinese Interpreter, having not learned either languages. Customer service in the US doesn't start with a smile, it starts with both parties speaking the same language.

Of course, I could have asked him how he felt about fingers in chili, or scalding coffee poured in his crotch (to relieve his chafing), 0r perhaps inquire on how he truly felt about the double drive thru. He wouldn't have known what I was talking about but if I spoke Spanish? I would have discovered he probably hated it as much as his uniform.

Quizá apenas un poco.

Double Your Drive Thru Fun

Our drive thru at McDonalds has new fancy double lanes and I'm not the only one who thinks this is a crazy maker.

I have so much fun in drive-thrus. I like to order things "To Go" and make cross-chain references.

"I'll have a Whopper McJunior, some chicken poppers, and short-large coke but in a medium glass. That's to go here."

Why not, they put us through these brilliant double rage drive thru lanes. Whoever decided this was a good idea should have the fleas from 1000 camels lodge in their armpits. Double lanes are breeding ground for stabbing people and are so entirely annoying it makes me want to pour coffee into someone's crotch.

In the summer, the kids and I go for dollar cones or sundaes. I also like their iced coffees unless I set down the coffee on the floor of my van and drive off, forgetting that it's there. I was grumbling to myself that I should have ordered a smaller coffee, one that fit in my van's shot glass-sized cup holder. I'm driving down the road, driving, driving....I get to red light and whoooosh. I have a lake in my shoes. That aroma is still emanating from the flooring.

Anyway, the other day, I drove up in one lane of the double drive thru and the guy says to me in his best Spanglish, "No habla Espanol?" which for an employee of McDonald's that can mean several things,

"Do you want fries with that"
"My pants are chafing me bad"
"Do you want the lifeguard with your 96 oz. iced coffee"
"These uniforms really suck"
"That'll be $58.49 for five freaking meals, have a nice day"

It's all interchangeable.

I smile, curse the day I decided to pass up Spanish lessons, and try to move forward, but no I can't. There are too many people squishing in over in the next lane. I'm yelling, "GO LADY, GO!", practically ready to evolve before she decides to use the LONG PEDAL ON THE RIGHT.

I get to the window and hand over the money. I pull forward to the second window and it's not my order. I apparently paid for the moron behind me that thinks that revv-ing his engine over and over will make me go faster.

Or perhaps the bad lifters in his dinosaur pickup will CLICKITY CLACK me to death.

I fork over another four bucks while the woman smiles and nods, handing me my ice cream cones. I knew the guy in the first window undercharged me, but he said it was right in his very broken English. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind immigrants from anywhere working legally in the US. You just don't see me getting a job as a Russian or Chinese Interpreter, having not learned either languages.

Customer service in the US doesn't start with a smile, it starts with both parties speaking the same language.

Of course, I could have asked him how he felt about fingers in chili, or scalding coffee poured in his crotch (to relieve his chafing), 0r perhaps inquire on how he truly felt about the double drive thru. He wouldn't have known what I was talking about but if I spoke Spanish? I would have discovered he probably hated it as much as his uniform.

~Bee says "Odio mi uniforme. Es chafes malo."

15 August 2007

I Dont Feel Tardy

I'm up to my eyeballs in school shopping. There has to be an easier way besides going online and still having to go to the store because it *would* actually kill Office Depot to offer classic or otherwise washable markers.

I have two birthday's this weekend and going to see my new niece adopted from China. It's been a long journey for my SIL and hubby (and family). Two years and now they have her.

I'm trying to get everything done before I leave in a week and a half...on vacation, just me. My last hurrah pre-birthday, before the kids go back to school the first week of Sept vacation. Traveling and bloggy peops are involved. More on that later......

I despise being this busy. It's almost like a drug. I'm such an HHIDIOT to wait the last minute to get stuff done and now I am running around like a headless chicken. Last year, I had school shopping done in July. Rah. Rah Me!

Oh, and I'll be back, maybe next week, maybe tomorrow. Depending on when I can get my stuff done.

Off to find me some coffeeeeeeee.....

12 August 2007

Cause I Invented TV and the Grocery......

I was behind this girl at the grocery yesterday. I laughed at her. I laughed hard. It's not like me to blatantly laugh at someone. I was trying not to, looking at my feet, hoping she wouldn't notice. I couldn't help it. She kept talking really fast and ending all her sentences like thiiiiiis while the tone keeps going uuuup....and going on...and on....

I know, I'm so bad. I feel dirty.

I think it's so odd when someone has such a bad opinion of themselves that they require telling you all they know, own and experience. Such as twenty-something, Grocery Girl talking to the cashier yesterday.

"I went to Cancun last week, and was in a hot tub.."

[flip blonde / black hair to show off giant ugly Chanel logo on sunglasses and display freshly adorned, cute little butterfly tattoo on neck]

"...and I ran into people that live just four houses down from my house. Oh my gahhh, It's a small world."

[flip hair]

"Cause I bought a house last year, over by the mall in the 'upscale area'. I used to live here but it's so small town I moved away, but now I'm back. "

[flip hair and adjust yoga pants so thong shows better]

"Have you had that cheese, cause it's imported. I'm having a cheese and wine tasting party tonight with some girlfriends..."

[flip hair while aloof and silent cashier rings up purchases]

"My girlfriends are going to love this wine, cause it's $20 bucks.....it better be good...I hope four bottles will be enough...."

[I look down at my feet and start shaking trying my best to push down my laughter. Avoid obvious stares of cashier and girl who is now fully annoyed that I can only be laughing at her]

.......[uncomfortable silence].

She thanks cashier and almost leaves behind her Chanel sunglasses, "Can't leave these, they are $300 glasses!" as she grabs them off the counter.

It's so bad of me, but I felt sad this girl was so insecure she had to prove everything she did. All I could think of was Penelope from SNL.

09 August 2007

Can You Fit This In Your Purse?


I grew up in the rainy Pacific NW so we learned to make the best of the indoors. At a very young age I was hooked on movies. I saw lots of great films.

My parents always took us to this dive of a theater. I remember it smelled like old drapes, wet plaster, and cotton candy. The Village Theater was perfect for a cheap night or weekend out. It was only $.99 for a double feature. They offered worn, red seats complete with lots of leg room to stretch your legs. Now only try to keep your shoes from sticking to the concrete floor.

I watched so many good films in this theater. 1985 brought us GhostBusters, Spies Like Us, Goonies, Back to the Future, & The God's Must Be Crazy. I'm convinced now the managers did drugs because honestly, the marquee above is an *example* of a double feature they displayed on their signage for a few weeks. (Post note: my theater wasn't a drive thru)

My parents and the four of us girls frequented the theater often in the summer. Where can you have almost five hours of air-conditioned entertainment for the entire family for under six bucks? This was ideal for my parents who also typically refused to buy anything from concessions.

Concession stand food was expensive, still is for that matter. My dad did cave on a rare occasion, but ordinarily they had us girls smuggle in contraband food by stuffing our purses with things from home. Cans of soda. Sandwiches from the freezer. An entire baked chicken (argued it was BiMart chicken). Egg salad. Even my dad's favorite, my mom's homemade brownies.

We always ate well at the theater, so it's a wonder they didn't kick us out. We had straws coming out of our purses. We gnawed on baked chicken and once left an empty boxes of girl scout cookies. Piles of peanut husks were left in a little mountain on the floor (thank you sis, for that forgotten tidbit).

There were a few close contraband calls but dad and mom sat behind us. I remember once getting kicked us in the seat when a pimply faced employee showed up, suspicious of that 'chickeny smell' as he'd check the crowd over with a flashlight. This unusual foot-in-the-seat code kept us incognito. I remember thinking, "What the heck am I going to do with these chicken bones?"

I could never understand with all we had going on, why one day my dad felt compelled to smuggle in an entire baking sheet of brownies.

An entire. sheet. of brownies.

I think back now and isn't that what ziploc baggies are for? Ziploc's existence is for the sole purpose of leaving the glass 13 x 9 baking pan at home.

I remember being completely mortified, walking into the theater behind my dad. I was told to walk close behind him, I suppose, because I was the tallest child and could provide maximum blockage of the view of his back.

Why his back, you might ask?

From where I walked, with my purse loaded with cans of mixed nuts and super-sized Snickers bars, I had a perfect view of my dad attempting to be inconspicuous in 70 degree weather. He was wearing a heavy coat with a huge, and I mean gigantic, rectangle-shaped, 13 x 9 bulge under his coat. It would have been impossible for him to carry the pan in the front because he was already smuggling in cans of Pepsi for him and my stepmom.

HEY! Don't knock it. Four hours in the theater, you'd be thirsty, too.

For six bucks, we had cheap eats and our entertainment covered. You can't make this stuff up.

08 August 2007

Those Are The Shrieking Eels, Your Highness

I had a wonderful anniversary. We had a nanny overnight we could go out without our kids. We had a private jet fly us to the San Francisco area for dinner, where I gave him an Ibanez bass and he gave me a gorgeous 4 carat vvs princess cut diamond. We went to the opera, and then out for a walk and dessert on Pier 39.

Then I woke up.

Regardless of a far simpler evening, our dinner at the Thai food restaurant was lovely and meeting up with long time friends was a treat (they were also married the same day as us).

We did have an outstandingly good nanny. She took my kids overnight, and enjoyed being paid with a promise of babysitting in return...and topped with a bag of fresh caramel corn. Have it be known, I think she would have done it just for the caramel corn. I know I would have.

mmmmm, caramel corn....

Anyway, it was odd not to have the kids this morning wake me up with inquiry after inquiry.

"Can I have xbox privileges?"

"Where is the cereal?"

"Did you wash my under.WEAR!?"

"Can you take Ellie's nekkid barbies out of the tub? I hate that!"

"The milk looks like yogurt..is that bad?"

It is of grave importance that I be alert when answering their questions. To do otherwise, I could easily get up on any given day to the smell of matches. Kids eating the last of six boxes of frozen waffles, sitting on my beige carpet, playing 'dad's xbox games.

"Hi mom!" as they guzzle down purple grape juice from my Waterford crystal goblets.

But you said it was okay....

This morning was different. This morning they were at their Auntie Dapoppins house. I was alone.
Alone to sleep in.
Alone to make coffee.
Alone to shower without more of the Spanish Inquisition.
Alone to watch the Today show in peace with my coffee. In my bed.

This morning should have been a glorious change except for one thing.

I had a 'alarm clock' not your typical, but I can think of a few that would be successful as an alarm clock:

Shrieking eels, sonic boom, barfing, grenade explosion, choking, car accident, buzz saw, fingernails on blackboard, any song by the Carpenters, yodeling, M16 fighter flyby, blasting crew, jackhammer, that lady on the bus every morning who cannot shut her pie hole, thunder at point blank range, gun fire from a howitzer...it's endless really.

I had the fortune of my neighbor across the street + crack of dawn + five guys with hammers + roofing crew = I nearly nail gunned their heads to the frame work. But yeah, I had a really good anniversary.

~Bee hates the snooze button

07 August 2007

Warning: Lovey Dovey Sugar Inducing Coma Ahead


Mr. Coffee and I met on 14 Mar 1993.

I sat down in my seat in the auditorium. The church is enormous and a guy in the back catches my eye.

He smiles, I smile back piously from across the auditorium because church is not the place you should 'notice' guys. Or at least pick up on them.

He is tanned, dark-haired, owns a great set of shoulders, and frankly it's difficult not to notice he is very hot (and not because he's in a camouflage coat). His hazel eyes smile too, accentuated with dark lashes. I think I've seen him before..yes, he is one of the soon-to-be theology grad students.

I want him...er, I want to meet him.

The service let out and I cant stop myself. I find myself walking over to introduce myself.

Fast forward: one week later I'm out with a mutual friend and together we crash Mr. Coffee's birthday party. Mr. Coffee says seeing me is his best present. He asks me out and from that day forward we are inseparable.

By 14 May we are engaged, two whole months after meeting. We set the date: Aug 7 1993. Fourteen years ago I married my love and my best friend.

A few friends felt I was nuts to marry a him so quickly, not much of a savings between us, as at that time I was working as a clerk for a jeweler and appraiser. What I did understand was Mr. Coffee's relationship and dedication to God. To me, that spoke volumes about who he was inside and as a person. I was happy as a single person, so my relationship with Mr. Coffee was all gravy, baby.

After we got married, we immediately moved to Colorado. His family lived there and mine did not. It took us a year of living in Colorado before we returned to the Pacific NW. I do remember staring at him while fingering my new beautiful jewelry, "I'm Mrs. Coffee...and who is this person I married?"

I never once thought, "WHAT have I done?!"

Fast forward to today.

We've both gained some lbs, a few more wrinkles and a grey hair or two. We've withstood a long time friend suddenly deciding to make Mr. Coffee her own (Run, Mr. Coffee! RUN!)

We've endured nearly losing an infant to RSV complete with 10 days in the hospital.

We've shared our love for dry humor and laughed until our sides can't take it anymore.

We stood side by side as he helped me heal from past hurts and urged me to forgive my parents. He's endured my learning curve in the kitchen, from burning frozen peas in the microwave to tempting his palate with spinach manicotti and ending with a Chocolate Rum Chocolate Chip cheesecake that incidentally has initiated more than one proposal of re-marriage.

14 years, through thick and thin, four babies, two houses, eight cars, and a whole lot of patience, I can say we are more in love than ever. He is my partner, my love, my friend, my confidant and my biggest cheering section.

Are you in that sugar-induced coma yet?

Here is to the next 14 years. Mr. Coffee, Happy Anniversary. I love you.

02 August 2007

Im a Foodie Moviestar

You knew I couldn't stay away, but I don't feel better. Colds stink. Actually, they blog...I mean blow.

Get it, blow? Like your nose? hahahaha...~cough, sputter~ er, hummm.

I've been doing more on my other blogs:

Simply Gourmet

My design blog, which you can't get to because that is where all my creative juices are flowing. Creative juices. Have you ever thought about that? I still don't know what creative juices are. Brain drippings? I don't know about you, but I don't even want to know where that saying came from. Mkay?

It's coming Jublue, I promised, I promised!!

I was given an amazing lemon bar recipe from an English Grandmother (not mine, but she is English so she should know a thing or two about tea pastry) and I'll be putting my world famous pancake recipe on my cooking blog.

Speaking of cooking, Mostly Martha, one of my favorite foreign movies is being redone. No Reservations is the US remake with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Erin Eckhard. It looks very good...I hope. I love foreign and foodie movies, so this is a double whammy for me.

I'm anticipating Becoming Jane. This chick flick is about the speculated life of the brilliant Jane Austen portrayed by the raven haired beauty, Anne Hathaway. Mr. Coffee says I look like her. And Julia Styles..and Nigella Lawson. I don't quite get that but apparently, Mr. Coffee thinks I'm really hot [pumps fist in air triumphantly], because I'd take the likeness of any one of those women on any day of the week.

Regardless, I'm taking my AnneJuliaNigella-esqe presence and planting it squarely in the front of the theater. I'll be there on opening day for when they open the doors, so I can look triumphantly over the long line while folding my smelly tent complete with discarded half-full Starbucks cups, after having staked my claim for three days with nothing but my body stench to recommend me.

PS. Really, if you think I'm waiting outside, out of my loverly warm bed, for any movie or book, you are out of your blogging mind. I couldn't forego direct access to a toilet and a coffeemaker.

**this blog was edited after the cold medicines were eliminated and long away from the building**

01 August 2007

My Favorite! Politics and Religion!

I've been less than my normal self lately, dry humor and sarcastic stories have given way to deep thinking and serious musings. I hope to be more lighthearted come this weekend. I'm sick today and that always gives me weird dreams (not the normal going nekkid to Walmart dreams) and lots of thinking time when I'm hopped up on Sudafed at 3am and cannot sleep. I'll be checking & responding on comments until I'm back on Saturday...

**********

I was reading over at The Invisible Womans blog today. She is an amazing person and always makes me think. She's made me think again this morning with this post on homophobic bullies in school. Personally, I don't like the label of homophobic because simply, not all people fear, but far too many hate.

I left this comment (with a bit of editing) on her blog but I also wanted to open it to all my readers eyes. I want to know what you think.

This kind of 'better than you' and hate for someone who believes differently or lives differently is so sad. I'm one to believe people are made this way, never born this way.

My sister wrote in her blog something you might see from my point of view.

"I would be subject to ridicule and harassment if it were clear how I lean politically [at her workplace]. In the three years I've worked there I have had to hear almost daily slander against principals that I embrace, both locally and nationally, and even had some of my co-workers talk trash about the "damn right-wing Christians" and "stupid God-lovers". I am a persecuted minority, and I don't say that jokingly. It is what it is, and I've learned to live with it."

I've read Donald Miller's Book Blue Like Jazz: Non Religious Thoughts on Christianity. I understand his refusal to define Christianity. (I'm going somewhere with this, really) It's difficult as a bible believer standing for what I believe without being labeled with all the in-your-face, horrid stereotypes you see in the media or read about on some of these religiously fanatic blogs, like bombings in the name of God. It's one thing to say you support biblical values

(which is to LOVE one another. I know the bible doesn't say love one another, except for gays and democrats. I'm being snarky, but you get it..)

It's another thing (and I stand against these) to hate gays, condemn others, bomb abortion clinics, support clergy that are nothing less than pedophiles.

I see a problem in this: Where does opinion or religious views end and hate begin? Is it perception or intention? Is it our thoughts or actions that define this?

Personally, I teach my children faith based beliefs that homosexuality is wrong, as the bible says. I teach them many things that are not main stream and some would consider hate speech. I also include instructing them on things that are equally wrong: to be drunk, lie, or disrespect others. Above all, I teach my kids, and live my life to love everyone without exception because we are all guilty of such wrongs, little or small, no matter the religious label we adhere to.

My faith has always been the center of my parenting but I'm afraid that my religious views will someday conflict with overzealous people wanting me to concede that what I believe is wrong.

To be clear, there is NEVER an excuse to hate or bully. There should be a balance for opinion or faith. I can't say myself what that is until I start taking heat and feeling uncomfortable.

Anyone else feel this way?