I've been following with interest the furor of reports surrounding the fate of Lynndie England, the female Army Reservist pictures absuing and torturing Iraqi POW's. It made me wonder how this small-town girl from West Virginia came to such notoriety.  What series of unfortunate events led her to be pictured grinning like a loon, cigarette hanging from her slack-jawed mouth, pointing to the genitals of a naked, hooded man?  How did she come to have her photo taken dragging another n...

I've been asked quite a bit recently about the different words we Brits use for stuff. I thought I'd write a blog about it. I'm just randomly throwing things out as I think of them, so I'm bound to miss a lot.  If you can think of any more, feel free to add them. Chips = french fries Crisps = chips Biscuits = cookies (when I first came to the states someone told me we were having biscuits and gravy for breakfast and didn't understand why I was so disgusted!) Scones = biscuits ...

Well, I'm not taking the Lifeguard class next week, for a number of reasons... I can't find anyone to watch the kids, I'm not guaranteed a job at the end of the class (the instructor has a hand in the hiring and she knows I'm going to leave in August - while she's got some pull, she's not the final decison maker)..if I DID get the job I'd have to co-ordinate daycare with packing, scheduling household goods shipments, cleaning and all the rest of that jazz, then I'd have to FIND dayc...

There's a Lifeguard class being held next week.  It's $125, and you have to pass a swim test.  I think I can pass the test, but I'm not sure.  It's pretty strenuous stuff, a lot of front crawl, which is the one stroke I'm just getting back into doing because of my shoulder.  Like I said, I THINK I can do it... ..anyway, I was talking to the lifeguard this morning about it, and she said she thinks I can do it.  She also said that there are some full-time positions open...

I have just discovered this guy Johnny Masuda's blog, and it contains some fucking awesome poetry.  Sorry for cussing, but I think it's really really good stuff and I'm kind of kicking myself for not seeing it before. You should go check it out: http://johnnymasuda.joeuser.com Sorry for shamelessly name dropping, but it's pretty amazing stuff.

I saw something that no person should ever have to see. An elderly (in his 70's, easily) overweight (very) man in a miniscule speedo. His gut hung so far over his thighs that looking at him from the front he appeared to be naked. It was only when he turned to the side slightly the the speedo was visible - although barely. I can't get the vision out of my head.  Somebody help me.....

I saw something that no person should ever have to see. An elderly (in his 70's, easily) overweight (very) man in a miniscule speedo. His gut hung so far over his thighs that looking at him from the front he appeared to be naked. It was only when he turned to the side slightly the the speedo was visible - although barely. I can't get the vision out of my head.  Somebody help me.....

Truth: 1. Conformity to fact or actuality 2. Fidelity to an original or standard 3. Reality :Actuality 4. A statement proven to be accepted as true. 5. Sincerity, Integrity. Tact 1. The ability to appreciate the delicacy of a situation and to do or say the kindest and most fitting thing : the ability to do or say the right thing at the right time. Some people seem to have the idea that truth is not the truth if it’s tempered with tact. They seem to think that it’s ok to blurt out wha...

There's a few things that I want to say..none of them really worth an entire blog of their own, but enough to compose a decent sized one when lumped together.  Please forgive me if this is a little fractured; like I said, these are entirely random subjects. First off, for those who haven't yet caught on, my husband signed up here at JoeU.  He's probably not going to blog, he says that's my 'thing' and he doesn't want to intrude and compete..he's just going to throw in his 2 cent's w...

I have a calendar that has old english bulldogs on it.  I turned the page to 'May' on saturday, and this month's picture is of brindle bulldog puppies playing with a garden hose.  They're all fat and squirmy...looking at them I can almost smell that milky smell puppies have.  We're getting a bulldog pup when we get to England.  I've always, always wanted a bulldog, and so has Dave.  We looked at breeder web sites in the UK and found a couple of what appear to be pretty r...

You know, I love my husband.  He's an awesome guy, and a great dad. He does one thing, however, that I simply don't understand, and it's starting to irritate the heck out of me. Our daughter is in the first throes of puberty.  Because Dave's away, he doesn't see the physical and emotional changes that are happening with her.  I try to tell him about it, and his standard response is: "I don't want to hear anymore, thanks" Like an ostrich sticking it's head in the sand, ...

I have a hormonal pree-teen. She's suddenly, literally overnight, turned into a Dr Jekyll, Ms Hyde kind of child. Has sprouted breasts and has to wear a bra, has oily hair and pimples....is prone to swift and unmerciless attitude and mood changes where she throws herself onto the floor, screeching and wailing, throwing her hair around like the end of the world is upon us. Sulks for no apparent reason, and is just plain miserable to be around sometimes. Thinks that she can ...

I was thinking earlier that I reagrd some of you here at JoeU as almost family.  It made me wonder who would fill what familial role...here's what I came up with:   JillUser, Karmagirl,NickyG and Shadesofgrey:  Sisters.  I don't have any sisters, but the way you guys and I interact and talk...well, that's what I have always imagined sisterhood to be like.    Imajinit, Dan, Muggaz and Greywar - my brothers.  More specifically, MJ and Dan would ...

I got to do something very cool this afternoon.   The EMT's at the circus were part of the team who stopped and helped me after the jeep vs semi wreck I had last year.  They had been on their way back from a classs when they happened upon the scene, and I've always considered myself to be remarkably fortunate to have received their expert attention less than 3 mins after the impact.    I got to thank them.  I got to face them, recovered, walking, living...an...

I took my children to the circus this afternoon.  It was their first circus (my first circus too), and the first time they had seen an elephant up close and personal.  They rode on the elephants, talked to the clowns, admired the camels and horses, oohed and ahhed over the tigers and their act...overall a good time was had by all.  The highlight for me was the look on their faces when an act they found particularly wonderful came on...they literally glowed with happiness.  On...