Frozen Pizza, not so frozen taste.

I am not one to boast on products. But, when I find something that exceeds my expectations, I tend to brag about it. I have discovered a new love. Anyone who knows me is aware that if pizza were the last thing on the planet, I would die a fat, happy girl. We all also know I am a BzzAgent. (Did I tell you I was a BzzAgent? **insert sideways grin here**) As a BzzAgent, I am afforded the opportunity to try things at a deep discount or even for free! I just have to spread the word!

This is exactly what I am doing today. Today's product? Red Baron Brick Oven Pizza.

When I got my coupons for this, I was going to use them all at once. I am not the only pizza lover in my house so why not make the trial a family affair? To my dismay, it was nearly 2 weeks before my local stores even carried Brick Oven. Oh, they had Red Baron alright. Every stinkin Red Baron under the sun. Wal Mart even had a kids sandwich container with Snoopy fighting the Red Baron hanging on one of those random impulse buy hangers in between the frozen aisle doors. I just knew it was a conspiracy and that my stores were messing with me. The ONE time I left the house and stopped by the store on impulse, guess what was in the frozen foods aisle? RED BARON BRICK OVEN PIZZA!  Oh yes, I was pretty vocal about it.

Me: "NOW they decide to stock it!"
Numba 8: "What mom?"
Me: "Red Baron Brick Oven Pizza!"  **looks around and sees other shoppers looking at the interaction. "It is supposed to be good stuff lil man! Just like delivery!"
Numba 8: "Well, we should get some!"
Me: Lets run back to the house and get my coupons and we will try EVERY flavor!"

That is exactly what we did. We tried Brick Oven pizza that same day! Truth be told, it is nothing like any other frozen pizza! The crust was perfect and there was no over melty mess to clean up in the bottom of the oven! (It says to place it right on the oven rack. Usually that ends up with me cleaning the oven, but not this time.) It was not chewy or lacking in flavor either. I just know I am going to save so much money buying Red Baron Brick Oven Pizza instead of delivery the next time or even times after that I want Pizza.

Watch out delivery! You have some serious competition here!

What do YOU think?

Day 23: Dad's Little Red Car (Originally posted on WP)

Dad had a little red Fiat. Fiats are notorious for being little cars. If you think about it, have you ever seen one all grown up? Yeah me either. I remember he had this car for many years and It certainly seen many miles of this country. This is also the same car which was the instrument of my near death at the ripe old age of seven. Let me digress from my story by retelling this little snippet of my life. (Hrmmm, now that I think about it, from ages six to nine, I was a pretty persnickety child. But I digress from the digression. Haha, now THAT is talent!) Car…death…seven…ok. I used to spend time with Daddy by playing nearby and bombarding him with questions about what he was doing while working on the cars. He fiddled around with them a lot. I believe he was good at it because I don’t have a recollection of taking a car to a shop for repair when I was a kid.

One sunny afternoon, Daddy was working on something kn the interior of the car. This was different than sticking your face under the hood or sliding on a box under the car with your back. Curious, I hopped into the passenger side of the car and started berating him with questions. (After I gave birth to uor daughter, he told me it helped him figure out tough fixes sometimes. :)  ) This conversation is very clear to me because it was the day I received my education about the meaning of the letters next to the gear shift. Park, drive, neutral, reverse, one, two. Got it. Daddy warned me to neverr messwith the gear shift; even when the car was off because it could roll away.  Ok. Got it.

Remember I told you I was seven? Remember I said I was curious? Remember I was persnickety? Yea. One could say I was an “amazing child.” Keep this in mind as I lay out the scene…

We lived in a Seattle neighborhood in the community of White Center. We didn't have a traditional driveway. Instead, we had a gravel/dirt area that ran along the street at the front of the house. Sort of like a parking lot, you would just pull onto the dirt and park the car. There was a wooden fence that divided the parking area from the front yard. Our house was two upper stories that could be seen from the street. There was a slight opening that went from the street to the house. What you could NOT see from the street was a sheer drop to the back yard. If you were to look at the house from the alley, it would be a three story house as there was a full apartment in the basement. There was a wall on each side of the house which had stairs leading up to the front yard.

Back to the front yard. Looking from the street, Daddy parked his Fiat on the right side, perfectly in between two bushes that were on peering over the fence from the front yard. This means there was nothing but grass and open space to the wall that dropped to the back yard. Note seven year old Micaa playing nearby. (Ya that's me.)

I decided to hop into the drivers side of the car and pretend to drive. After about ten minutes, I looked down at the gear shift. Surely the car wont move while it is off. Daddy just told me that so I would not mess with it whole he was working on it. I reached out and pushed the button and pulled the gear shift back. It stopped in neutral. What happened next seemed like five minutes but it was more like five seconds.

The car began to roll. It crashed through the fence. Just flat ran it over like knocking over a domino. It quickly rolled across the yard toward the wall leading to the back yard. At first I panicked. I just watched the crab apple bush get bigger as I rolled toward it faster and faster. I snapped back into reality, looked down, and popped the gear shift into park. The Fiat came to a jarring halt. The wheels inches from the edge of the wall. The fiat was a millisecond from dropping 12 feet into the back yard with a seven year old driver.

Whew! I got out of the car, looked around, making sure no one seen me and went to my room to play. Later, when asked it I knew what happened, I pretended I didn't know. The car was put back and the fence taken away. (Breathe!!! Mini digression over. But yea, not so mini.)

Dad had this Fiat for many years. When he could not fix it anymore, he traded it in for something else. It was still in “driveable” condition. He drive up to the lot and swapped cars. A few days later, the owner of the car lot angrily called the house and gave my mother what for. Now Daddy is a smart man. He told my mother not to worry about it. He went on to tell her that “I proved to hom tha Fiat was driveable. He never asked me if the bottom was going to fall out of it 45 minutes after I left the lot. Its his problem now. The papers say as-is, Pat.” He then flashed that smile and did that Douglas giggle only a Barrett can do.

That was the end of the Fiat.

What do YOU think?

Day 21: Reality Smurf Hunting

The elusive Teen Smurf lives amongst the trees in the Miles house forest. She grumpily migrates from Meadow Room to the Kitchen Watering Hole when she is in search of food. It is custom for this creature to play a game by which she bounces a sphere upon the ground and amazingly tosses it into the hoop tree. The hoop tree is outside of her natural habitat in an open meadow called Street. While Street is very dangerous, Teen Smurf takes great care not to bother other creatures visiting at the same time. Munchkins, trolls, behemoth v6 creatures and the random wheeled mice all share Street Meadow with the Teen Smurf.

Let it be known we have been observing this creature for almost seven years. When she is aware of our presence, she growls and even snaps. Similar to other curous creatures, she will, on occasion, come close and be nice. However, it never lasts long. I have only observed one such creature with these characteristics. I am certain there will not be another.

Here we see Teen Smurf observing us through the forest near the Kitchen Watering hole. Amazing.

What do YOU think?

Day 13: YOU can die in there! The house is screaming!

I added a comment to my post yesterday. It made me think, yea, lets put that on for tomorrow! (This post a day thing is working out well so far, ask me in February and we will see. Haha! Digression first thing! Boy, I am on the ball or I just have to pee really bad. Who knows.)

You all heard the smoke alarm from the crispy bacon. It happens. Every single person who cooks on a regular basis has burnt SOMETHING in their lives. Whether intentional or you fell asleep on it, people are human and chit happens. Get over it. However, should you be a cooking goddess (or god) then maybe not. I just do not believe there is such a thing. Even the Nazi Chef on TV burnt at least one thing before he became a professional screecher. Back to the bacon.....Yes....bacon. The smoke alarm goes off. Yes, we are safety freaks here and there are about a million of them in the house and they are wired into the house so even if one goes off the ENTIRE HOUSE can be heard for miles around. (I can tell you that every single person on my street has done this too. Cal, the kiddos and I will be outside playing ball and you will HEAR it. We just look at each other and go "Well, so and so is cookin and they flucked up! Well, not the kiddos but you get it. I digress......again.)

Wow, it is taking me a hot minute to get to the point huh? Glad you are still with me. :)

So, off the kiddos and I run to fan the smoke alarms and get them to shut up. I felt that it was not moving along fast enough and I went to the door to use it to fan some of the smoke out of the house. As soon as I open the door, our elder dog shoots out to the porch and turns to look at me. I nearly smashed her with the door. I was not looking and I was like O.o....WTH!?!?  I look on the porch and she is standing about three (3) feet out looking at me.

Her eyes spoke to me.

"Hun, YOU can stay in there all you want! The house is SCREAMING! You always tell the little people that if the house screams to run outside. Well, I was first and here I am. I am NOT going to die in the screaming house. However, I have one query....WAT DAFUQ DO YOU WANT ME TO DO NOW THAT I AM OUT HERE!"

I stood there and took that in for a moment. I may even have been mesmerized. What brought me back to reality was when the smoke alarms stopped. I don't think I even waved the door after elder dog shot out to the porch. My next thought was "Where is the younger dog?"  Of course her scary tail was in the cage like WTH!!!  Eyes bulging out. I don't think she has ever heard the smoke alarms before. Ayup. She'll be the first dumb blonde to die in a scary movie. Only...she is not blonde, she is brown and even has a five o'clock shadow. Hrmmmm....

After the house stopped screaming, elder dog was like "Ok, Its all over, lemme in!" Then she continued to lay down in her spot like nothing happened.

Silly dog.

What do YOU think?

Day 12: DAMMIT! I am workin out here!

It is said that one can begin to relax by watching their pet fish swim about in the fish tank. Unfortunately we have a bully gold fish and he is the only one left. He stressed the other fish out by chasing them around until they died. It is fitting. When we first started this tank, each person in the house named a fish. This lovely beast we have was named after a video game. His name is "Saint" after Saints Row III. Yeah, the uber gamer of the house named him. Lime I said, perfect fit for a bully fish.

Recently, Saint got too big for the half gallon tank we were keeping. He wa suffocating. Besides, it was time for a new tank anyway (I digress.) At first,  I am not sure saint knew what to do with three full gallons of water k n which to stretch his fins and he didn't eat for three days. He would hide behind the new little rock decoration in the tank for hours. The good news is that Saint got over his fear of the new environment. He must be training for the Olympics or something. Every once in a while,  he will swim circles in the tank. I know what you are thinking...how can you swim circles in a square tank?? HAHA!! Fooled you! It is a flippin circular tank. :P

The time I decided to pull out the camera and tape Saint's workout, he had already been swimming in circles for about three minutes. Someone was in the kitchen cooking bacon. They wanted it crispy and boy did it get there. In the middle of Saint working up his fishy sweat, the smoke alarm went off. In the video I attached, you will see him stop at the left of the tank and look at the teenager like "DAMMIT I AM WORKIN OUT HERE!!!" (Note: you have to say that with a thick New York mafia accent or it just won't seem right.) It was perfect timing I was recording the "workout" with the intent to write a different piece but this morphed out of it.

After he got an attitude with the teenager about interrupting his workout with the smoke alarm, he was like "Aw fluck it." Then he went back to working it out.

Only in this house. ** Shakes head.**

What do YOU think?

Update: This was inadvertently saved as a draft yesterday instead of published. It was a technical flaw with the app not wanting to attach the video. Enjoy!

Day 9: Mommas Dont let your babies grow up to be cowboys (Waylon Jennings)

This is for all the ladies out there who are lucky enough to have a man bring you to meet his family. On many levels, this is a big step. It is one for the relationship, your love, and you. It is an important step in the relationship because it is an indicator that things are becoming serious and this is more than just some fly by night romance. It is a big step for your love because he thinks enough of you to 1. Expose you to his family and the eccentricities and 2. It opens the relationship and you to scrutiny. It means he is prepared to answer for all the flaws found in the relationship and your personalitym it is inevitable, he will be drilled and asked a mollion questions the next time he talks to the parental units without you. Finally, it is a big step for you because you will see the environment that produced this man and give you insight for some things that may need explaining but you were too afraid to ask.

It is a good thing that first impressions are important. Most of the time, the first meeting will be brief. You want to look decent, use your manners and still be you. This can be hard for some personalities. That is ok. Just don’t be too nervous.

Now ladies, I want you to be aware of something. Your other half may be the farthest thing ever from a Mommas Boy. He may not even get along with his mother that well. There may even be a step mother that raised your love. Take to heart every single thing this woman has to say. This woman knows more about your man than anyone else on the planet. No amount of long relationships, exes, or best friends can have a more candid opinion about this man than his mother.

The point I am getting to is this; if she gets you alone, things may be said. Mothers are protective of their sons just like fathers over their daughters. There is one conversation that I am going to discuss that you really need to pay attention to. (I personally never had this conversation with Cals mom. So this is not one of those been there, done that things. However, ecperience makes us stronger and I learned over the years. Strength with experience works fine too. Be strong phenomenal woman….I digress.)

Should this mother take you to the side, offer you a cup of coffee at the kitchen bar, look you square in the face and say:

“I hope you are ready to love my baby.”

Sit up and take notice. What follows that statement will give you great insight to the future. More specifically, should she follow that up with:

“It takes a special kind of personality to be attached to a (insert you loves last name here.)”

You have three options. 1. You run. Run very fast and very far. 2. Politely stay out the visit and break it off later. Or 3. Hope you have the intestinal fortitude to take whatever this man may have happen and dish out lest you become so frazzled you will want to jump off the pier during shark season.

Its easier said than done. Just remember lovely lady. Should you have that presented to you, consider your strength. This man will test everything you are about and you have been warned. Should you accept the challenge…it is for life and nothung will be the same.

What do YOU think?

Day 7: Glitter sticks because it has phantom super glue

Anyone with a little girl or a child who loves to do arts and crafts knows the fight of the glitter fairy. If you have someone in your home that uses glitter, you KNOW to what I am referring. Even if you forbid glitter from being used in your home, should you have kids, the glitter fairy will still pay your home a visit. This is certain to happen around the holidays. Silver for Christmas, orange for Halloween, red for Valentines day. You get the picture. Once you find that you have come in contact with glitter, it is like a contagious disease. The chit gets EVERYWHERE. Not only that, it is often worse than sharpie markers. It sticks around and is impossible to wash away.

The last time I painted my fingernails,  (not something I do often, but I find it relaxing. I should do it more. Maybe....) I used a clear top coat with glitter flecks in it. Every single time I use this stuff I fail to remember how difficult it is to get off. Its like it becomes imbedded into the nail or something because fingernail polish will not take it off. I have to scrape it off and damage the heck out of my nails. No amount of rubbing with a rag or cotton ball or tissue drenched in fingernail polish remover will get that chit off. I imagined once, using turpentine or kerosene to try to get that glitter junk off but I was too chicken to try. My nails may fall off! These are MY nails and they are real. Not something you see everyday. They are "salon length" too. (Just about the only part of myself I take pride in currently, but after yesterday, THAT will change. Yes, I digress.)

So here I sit. At work. Scrapping glitter that the glitter fairy has seen fit to adhere to my nails simply so I can paint my nails to match my shirt. Note: New fingernail polish has even tinier glitter pieces in it. The removal of THAT should be just as fun!  I am certain I have done enough to my nails to ensure the next color I paint them will become a permanent part of them until it grows out. Thank gosh my nails grow fast.

This is where I get to the point. The glitter fairy has this secret superglue stuff that she lovingly coats each piece of glitter ever created. This is why it has that lovely permanence. Mind you, it is purposely done. Glitter Fairy Super Glue has this chemical in it that allows for it to time release (I mean let go) of any Elmer's glue, paste, or glue stick simply so that it can be found every single place your child's art work or craft has been. This is where you have to be careful. If your child grabbed the toilet paper roll and used some during arts and crafts, think twice before wiping your rear. Gosh forbid you go to a colonoscopy and your Doctor find glitter in your crack! Yipes! Haha. Remember that story of the lady who had a "woman's" appointment at the OB/GYN and her daughter had placed glitter in a wash cloth near the sink?  How mortifying. Also, you don't want to go to an interview or a court date looking like you had been puked upon by the Glitter Unicorn of Shinydom either.

Point is, glitter is horrible stuff. While it may look good and is very shiny, it is DANGEROUS!

What do YOU think?

Day 5: Giggles make me happy

I guess the rain still has me feeling blue. I simply was unable to get motivated to get up and get my day going this morning. After finally convincing myself that I must do what I have to do, I was going through my morning routine. Because it is quite early and the kiddos are still on winter break, the house is unusually quiet and all I hear is the jingle of the dogs bell when she walked into the kitchen to check the water bowl. (I don't know WHY she does this but she will get up, walk into the kitchen, sniff the water bowl, and walk away. Sometimes she will drink but it is like she is making sure it is there. Has it gotten up and walked away or something? Ah, but I digress. You know me.) While I was brushing my hair, I heard a small giggle. O.o.  Nobody is up at this time when they don't HAVE to be! I shrugged it off and continued what I was doing. "hehehehehehe!"

Yes, I am sure of it. That giggle made my heart dance and smile. This is something only a mother can know. Those little giggles only last about ten years or so before they morph into teenagers. I know that giggle anywhere. It was the laughter of our youngest. Number 7. Apparently, he got enough sleep last night to be back on track and get up at a normal time instead of 1 p.m. every day. He had awakened and was watching TV in his room. Uncle Grandpa or something. As I walked down the hallway, I could only smile. I must say, hearing that happy guy made my day. It was only 5 a.m.!

I never miss an opportunity to tell the children (and the husband too) how much I love their happiness, grins, and giggles. When I told him he made my day by just being himself, he lit up like a Christmas tree. Its funny how our children try so hard to make us happy as parents and their innocent kindness is the sweetest ever.

I hope to never lose that in my children. I am proud of them all. I just sometimes forget that they are little ones in this big world and do not yet understand things as an adult would.

Love your little ones. Embrace their effort and pure joy. Get to know them and take time with each and every one. Let them know you are happy with them and accept them for who they are. They will grow and blossom into loving human beings as a result. THEN and only then will there be hope for humanity. (And the ants wont move forward with their plot. Hehehe)

What do YOU think?

Crunchy Caveman Fingers

In my family, I am the guardian of the super glue. As such, I am also the fixer of things...aka the inanimate object surgeon. I guess it is fitting because I am the only one here that has fulfilling conversations with objects. Yes. I talk not only to my family, myself, the dogs, the computer screen, and...stuff. (Hrm looking at that last sentence it was a down hill sentence huh? 《---- Haha. Digression. Yes, it is only funny if you get it.)  So yes, super-glue fix-it queen I am.

No one ever said that I did it well. While I fix the things and the rarely come back broken and I don't have to fix them anymore. I have yet to determine if it is because I slathered on the glue or that I really AM a good fixer glue it person. We may have to ask the Miles masses about that.

I frustrate myself when I come out of super glue lady mode. No matter how careful I am, it never fails that 4-6 of my fingers will be crunchy for days. Sure, ill rub them together, try various chemicals to get it off but I only make things worse. What I end up doing is running around the house rubbing my crunchy fingers on everyones arms ticking them all off. Hehehe. Gotta love cheap shots right? Well...now that the secret is out the family will probably run from me the next time I pull ou the super glue. Wow. They already about face when I have a headset on. I wonder how fast disappear happens if I put kn the ole headset and wave super glue at them. **Micaa rubs her jands together evily. Bwahahahaha...tonight...tonight super glue and I will take over the world!**

Super glue. Oh. Yea. When the super glue drues, I imagine when my fingers are rough with dried glue, that this is how caveman hands must be as they never had lotion and such. Crunchy and scrapey. Ya. They didnt need razors to shave. They just rubbed their face once over.

What do YOU think?

Coffee makes the world better.

For those of you who know me, even minutely, know that me and coffee have to be like peas in a pod or the world is NOT happy.  Sadly, 3 days before payday, I RAN OUT!  I scrambled up enough change to get Mt. Dew for the first day and that was ok. I survived and did not kill anyone and it was a great substitute….for that one day. The second day, I had about an inch left of the Mt. Dew (Yes, I went through almost the whole 1.5 litre the day before!) and I tried to save that until I absolutely needed it. By then it was flat and flat sodas are nasty. I still choked it down.

Enter random daily text messages from dear Hubby.

**Snort** **Growl** **Bite** **Draw Blood** All the while I am at WORK and you know that at work, Micaa has to play nice because she talks on the phone for a living! Yes, it was a near impossible feat but I survived it and no, there are no pending criminal charges.  So, work was ok. People tore my nerves to kingdom come but I didn’t curse anyone out and we were relatively busy so I didn’t have time to contemplate destroying the universe due to lack of caffeine.  This, I tell you, is a great service my job provided to the world!   (Yes, I digressed, here we go.) I was very snappy in my text messages to my love. I had to take a break and go tell him. “Look, sorry I am not being very nice. I have no coffee. No creamer. AND no soda! So yes, I am grouchy.” I did not want to alarm the children so I had walked out of my office and directly to dear Hubby and whispered that in his ear.

Know what he did? He started to belly laugh. The more I tried to explain my terrible attitude, the more he laughed. I gave him that joy. He needed a good laugh and he sure got it. He did tell me “WHY didn’t you tell me!!! I have a coupla bucks!  I could have brought you a soda when I came in from work this morning! You surely didn’t have to suffer like that!” (-.-)  ß THAT was my reply.

When I got off work, we went and purchased coffee and creamer yesterday. J

I got a BIG can so I won’t have this problem EVER EVER again.

Fast forward to 3 a.m. this morning.

Per my usual routine, I go to make my beloved coffee (after brushing my teeth of course…you NEVER want to smell your morning breath before coffee. Blech!) and I got the filter cup….opened the cabinet…pulled the lid off the can… and OH…..MY…..GAWD…..the smell of pure heaven!  I inhaled the scent ever so deeply and announced to the dark kitchen (yes, only the light of the fish tank illuminated my surroundings) “That smells soooo good! I just want to stick my face in it!!!” Happily, I went on about my day. When it was finally done brewing, that first sip was like nothing else! I. feel. So. Much. Better!

Later in the morning, I told our daughter what I said. She looked at me like O.o.  “Did you have your usual little can? You can’t stick your face in the little can mom.”  To which my giddy reply “No my dear, I had the big can so I honestly could have stuck my face in it if I wanted to!”  Here comes the peanut gallery filled with dear Hubbys’ voice “Oh yes! I could see mommy sticking her face into the can eating coffee grounds. Imagine it daughter! Bwahahahaha!”

There you go, everyone got a great laugh at my pain and suffering. However family, you DO sleep when I get up as I get up during the time the rest of the world calls “ungodly.”  Remember that when you go to bed tonight and beware!!!!

You all will sleep sometime…..when you wake…I will be caffeinated and IN YOUR FACE!  You will hate me so much but you think about that when you laugh at my uncaffinated state next time. Mmmmkay?

What do YOU think?

It will take a lifetime to fix this mess we are in

I was having a thought process before coffee this morning. (I know, dangerous right?) It all started the other day when my daughter and I were discussing an injury she had at one of her million (exaggeration but it might as well be) athletic activities through the local high school. She was telling me how the trainer told her to do this exercise and that and then both hot and cold therapies. All I could do was sit there and listen to her recite the list of things she has to do to get "better." I was amazed at what she was telling me. Not because of what she had to do but because the injury was a twisted ankle. I don't want to negate that it could have been worse because the back-inside of her foot turned purple after about a week and it DID swell the first couple of days.  I am certain it was painful and a legitimate injury. I do believe that some of what the trainer told her helped it heal but lets be realistic here.


I remember being a kid, we fell down, "shook it off" and got back up. When I twisted my ankle as a track athlete in high school, the coach wrapped it up and told me to get back to running. My running may have been a bit slow during the first couple of days, but so long as I stayed off it as much as possible for the next week, I was fine. Mind you, this comes from someone who can fall off of something that is not there and nearly BREAK her ankle.  Anywhoo, the point is, they basically told her to baby the thing. Were it when I was an athlete, it would have turned purple within 24 hours and then began to heal and I would have been back to normal in a week. No hot and cold therapy, not exercises to ease back into using it. That stuff is for when you have surgery or a real break. Personally, I believe it delayed the healing process and it is nearly 2 weeks later and the purple is JUST starting to go away. Hrmm. Shaking it off made it heal faster folks. As Numba Ten would fondly blurt out "Jus Sayin!"


That led me to the next thing. The WHOLE reason the thought process occurred to me, in the kitchen, making coffee, at 5 a.m.  I began thinking about all of the people who have lawsuits against schools recently for the coaches and trainers not being sensitive to medical needs of their athletes. If you think about it, everyone has some sort of medical issue they are fighting these days. Is it all really necessary?  Yea, medical science is taking us into longer lives and such but at what cost?


It all starts with mother nature and this planet we live on. We have poisoned the very planet that is supposed to sustain us. Traditional methods of farming and growing food are not enough to sustain the insatiable (and wasteful) population that controls it. This means we have to grow more, faster, and bigger. Man has found that chemicals can do that. The food we grow is no longer "of the earth" the earth is just a petri dish where we grow the worlds largest squash to feed 100,000 people instead of a whole field of wholesome, flavorful, natural squash. No, we cant do the latter because it takes to long and we need to do this NOW. So, bring out the miracle grow and other chemicals and make it grow overnight. We fill our livestock with steroids and lock it up in tight little prisons so they cannot move and are destined a horrible death. Never mind that their life may be filled with pain and rage due to the chemicals we are forcing into it. This monster we are raising to eat is filled with chemicals that would kill a human being. We wear full body protective suits just to use the chemicals we are putting into our food. What happened to the habanero pepper being the only thing that would burn your skin when it came to food? Finally, let me get started on the water and sugars. We wastefully use so much water that we have to make it a chemical cocktail just so that we can drink it and hydrate our bodies. How much of that chemical remains when we ingest it is questionable at best. Sugar. Let me have the unrefined, nothing else added sugar. All this "high fructose corn syrup" is for the birds and it is FAKE PEOPLE!  If you want that, just eat the plastic container that your milk comes in. Its probably the same thing.


With all these chemicals and fake things we are putting into our bodies every day, (don't get me started on the highly processed stuff) it is no wonder there are so many people fighting illnesses and on medication for this or that every day. In another post, I talked about how the advent of electronics has created a whole generation of ADHD children (yea, small digression there, it was bound to happen.) This leads me to thinking about what it would take to eliminate society's need to rely so heavily on the pharmaceutical industry. A side note-pharmaceuticals are yet another round of chemicals we are putting into our bodies to fight the very chemicals that likely caused the issue in the first place. Ugh. Circular.


It would take a lifetime.


First, we have to get back to basics. Pay attention to the people who say grow your own food. Grow it with love and time. Use that garden to spend time with your family and get off the electronics. Sun is good for you. Work at home people will heartily agree. Use it to learn patience and caring and it will taste sooo good! No chemicals, just unadulterated (albeit a little smaller than the trend) wholesome FLAVORFUL goodness. You can garden year round. This will start something. You will spend less money at the store. The stores will rely less and less on the farmers and the farmers can go back to being what they should be. Farmers. They wont have to have a PHD in chemistry to poison the land with chemicals and sprays and will be able to grow a whole field of the good stuff and not the worlds largest squash. This will also prevent the farmer from feeding his livestock chemical ridden foods that ultimately end up on your table.


Next, livestock producers should raise their livestock the way it should be raised. Because their crops will be better and they wont have to spend so much on chemicals for their crops, they will not have to sell off their land and will be able to sustain their livestock on larger pieces of land and can sell the good stuff like they were supposed to do. Its all about give and take. This puts less chemicals in the meat that ends up on your table and the earth is beginning to heal. It is going to take a lifetime for the poisons we have put into this planet for food purposes to go away. It will reduce the freaks we see...two headed snakes, unusually HUGE bugs. Plants and trees will begin to grow again. Another thing that would help this planet heal is to use the land that already has development on it and relief it. Stop building on the farmers land and clear off that old building further into the city and build the same thing. Leave the farmer to what he should be doing well in the first place.


Another thing that you can do is build your own water filtration system. Honestly you only need 1x1 posts, plastic, buckets, rocks and soil. You filter your own water. So much better than the stuff coming out of your tap water. Getting used to non chemical water can take a couple of weeks of getting used to but with all these chemicals removed from your body, you will likely find that the medicines you are taking are no longer needed. You are eating, drinking and living healthier and due to the fact that you are spending less at the grocery store and less at the water payment center and less at the pharmacy, you find you have money for other things and can create memories instead of less gratifying images or words on a screen. You are LIVING.


So go forth. Live life. Do things the way mother nature has wanted us to do all along. Be tired of seeing "mother sick in bed." Help her heal. Be HUMAN. LIVE!


What do YOU think?


...And yes, my coffee is almost done.....**Micaa walks off to grab that first glorious cup.**

What ever happened to human interaction?

My name is Michele, and I am addicted to the Interwebs.


Yes, there, step one of the program. Well, I have been told that the first step is denial. Yup, I can tell you I have said the fabled verse "I can quit at anytime!" Pssshhhhh. I would be lost without my interwebs. No, wait, so long as there are books around, I can certainly rehabilitate. (Isn't that leaving one vice for another? Oh yes, as I STILL chew all my pen lids as I did when I quit smoking over a decade ago.)


I have noticed that most people these days interact with one another via some sort of technological device instead of getting up off their lazy rumpus and go into the other room to tell them something. How horrid is that? Albeit I have been known to text my child to get her to get up off HER rumpus to come here (to no avail) or to ask her a silly question, it is something that seems to be rampant.


When I go out with my family, I try in vain to convince them to leave their electronic devices at home. They should see the world some and become disconnected from the technology they rely so heavily upon. What they fail to see is that the rest of the world does not do that. Everywhere you look, there are phones or some music device attached to people like they are self aware robots or something.


I also notice that when people are constantly interrupted from their devices, they become quite angry. I have become bothered severely when I am constantly interrupted to. However, I am like that as well when I am into a good book. Go figure.  I wonder how much more peaceful this country would be were it for the fact that we did not have any cell phones, tablets, ipads, laptops, or music devices to occupy our time. We would be forced to do what the world intended for us to be in the first place.


We would get to know each other and we may even be more kind. That and the makers of things like Monopoly and Jenga would not be a struggling unit. :)


Brought to you by board games. What ever happened to family interaction?


What do YOU think?

I did it! I am now published! Check it out!

I wrote a book and finally had it published! I am soooo excited!


Check it out.


facebook.com/MicaaMilesAuthor (Please like my page if you have a Facebook.)   :)


You can also find "WAH Professionals" by Micaa Miles on Amazon, Kindle, and create space stores.
It is also available on Amazon UK!


Here is a link:


http://www.amazon.com/WAH-Professionals-Micaa-M-Miles/dp/1494828685/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396800654&sr=8-1&keywords=wah+professionals

Never stop smooching your children's faces.

Small children love to give their parents kisses and hugs.  As they get older, that enthusiasm tends to wane and, for parents like me, makes us sad.  Therefore, I still like to catch them when they first open their eyes.  They are still full of love for mommy or daddy and that first morning hug makes anyones' day.  I still even sneak into the teenagers room and kiss her forehead whilst she is sleeping.

I never miss an opportunity to tell them that I love them. Just one more time. There will come a day when you will not be able to as they will have their own lives and will not remember the joy of a hug from mommy or know the thrill mommy gets from that unconditional love of her child. 


Some children are great and that love for their parents never falters. Those are the rare diamond in the rough. However, know that each child loves their parents in their own way. Maybe just not like the parent wants them to.


Children, remember that your parents are your biggest fan and when it comes to you being successful, they will move mountains for you to get that one opportunity of a lifetime.  I think this is where the disconnect comes with teenagers.   Teens want so much to do their own thing but still need guidance of their doting parent. They just don't know that yet.


This one is short and sweet.  What do YOU think?

Relationships

I had a co- worker mention that she would like to read something about relationships. While I am no expert, I wondered: Did she mean ships that were relation? OR relations that had ships? OR simply relatives and their ships? OR vice versa?  Ok, so maybe she meant social or love.  Ya, that is not something that I am adept at providing information about but let us see what my warped mind can come up with.  You already got my two cents about ships and relatives. Not that any of my relatives HAVE ships or are even remotely close enough to purchasing one, it was quite witty. (If I must say so.)

**Love**

I love my husband dearly. I love my kids. All of them are why I breathe. I love my dog. I love my various other pets, plants, siblings, and my parents. I even love my mother in law.  All of those are very different situations.  Being said, that means that I assume my take on this one would be to live right and the rest will follow.  Don’t try to fix something that refuses to be fixed. (My sister hasn’t spoken nicely to me in years.) Also, don’t walk away simply because it gets too hard. Every relationship will run into rough waters. It happens.  Especially between those who are in love with each other.  I can tell you, my husband I have been through thick or thin. But we have never walked away from each other and said “I quit.” For us, that is NOT an option!   We just keep chugging along. I guess that attributes to our longevity as a couple! J

I have nothing more on that particular subject. I am no expert. I just know what is right for me. Each situation is different and it is all a matter of trial and error.

**Family**

Not speaking to a sibling?  What about your kids?  Try to fix it if you believe it to be necessary. If the whole spat is something silly or this long complicated thing, just let it ride. There will come a time when you will need to speak to each other and that may be the day that things will come full circle.  Blood is thicker than water and while some blood may never be happy around each other again, that may be for good reason or no reason at all. Just live life right and to the fullest and the one who is in the wrong will see the err of their ways one day.  You will see.  No expert here either but this is what is working for me.

**Pets/plants/strays/other things**

If you don’t have some sort of bond between you and your pet or a connection of sorts or if you simply hate them; get rid of them. They need to be loved too, just like humans and they DO have feelings.  It is not right to simply have a pet to bring out and put away as you please. Would it be fair to lock your children in a cage when you did not want to deal with them?  Well, the same goes for your pets. If you don’t have time or it is not in your heart, find a better or more appropriate home for them.  While it may be a hard decision, it is the better one. 

Plants?  The same. It drives me up the wall for someone to get a plant and not try to keep it watered. It is not horribly difficult to do. Some plants you just water when the soil feels dry, others you water more often. Most store bought plants come with instructions on how to water and what kind of light they prefer. Like anything else, it is trial and error but, if you do not have time or you are travelling a lot, give the plant to someone who will care for it. They are living things too and need care just as a pet or fellow human would.  Heck, when I was a kid, I was convinced that talking to my plants helped them grow. What I didn’t realize was that it helped me too because you can tell a plant a secret and they will never turn on you!  While a bit eccentric, it is great therapy! I promise!

Strays?  Well, this is something else entirely.  You can feed a stray once, but they do come back. If they find it a very cushy deal for them, they will bring friends. Be careful in doing this because it may cause issue.  Also, turtles belong in ponds. This is especially true if you find them in your yard or on your porch.  Just take them to a pond and turn them loose. No lost love there. Easy peasy.

Other stuff?  Stuff is just stuff. While you may have a heirloom or sentimental value, it is nothing compared to your own life and do not let your stuff consume you to the point of intervention.  The first step of letting go is always the hardest but you find it easier the second and third time. It is ok to keep things and keep little trinkets that are sentimentally significant, but do not take it to a level where it damages you and your other relationships…or relations with ships their ships will sink if you load up their ships with your stuff and they will not want to be related to you anymore….

What do you think?

Well if that doesn't condone a Hitler-cannibalistic attitude toward life.

Have you ever paid attention to that cereal commercial where the cereal devises underhanded ways of eating each other?  In a world where bullying is a real issue in schools and the great movement to actually curb such behavior, we sit back and laugh and snicker at these fool pieces of cereal.  To what end?

Is that not the very thing that we are seeking to prevent the children of today from doing?  Is it not condoning cannibalism?  What if some child, who knows no better, ends up doing that to a peer?  Then what? Blame the parents?

Yes, the parents are to blame but only partially.  It is up to the parents to talk to and teach their children the difference between right and wrong and it is up to the parents to certainly tell their children that cannibalism is not something that people in this society do anymore.  We need to talk to our children about the things they are exposed to and to let them know what is reality and what is simply make believe. We also need to teach them that some forms of behaviour that are seen on television are certainly not appropriate for action in real life.  Would you not agree that the same needs to be done when they see one of the cartoony poptart commercials?  Those commercials are teaching kids that it is alright to treat a certain type of living thing a cruel way simply because it is funny.  Those kids trap pop tarts (who are personified) in toasters and devise ways to get them into a warm place simply to toast them alive.  Well if that is not teaching torture methods, then what is?

Yes, it is funny to watch but you need to realize that some children are exposed to this and are never taught that it is wrong or immoral.  They are exposed to these behaviours and see these characters laugh and giggle at their own behaviour and believe that off the wall things like locking someone different than you in a creamatorium is funny.  What the children aren't exposed to is that you cannot take behaviour like that back. 

Exactly, it does not show the consequences of said "funny" behaviour.  So tell me, who is going to guide our future generations along the path of salvation and non bullying behaviour.  Well, it certainly starts at home, with the parents that HAVE TO TALK TO THEIR CHILDREN. We were talked to growing up.  The only difference between then and now is that we had to live life and not be sucked into electronics hours and hours a day.  As a parent, you have the control to change that and encourage our children to treat each other with respect and as human beings. Put the electronics aside and let them know, cannabalism-you can't take it back and it is wrong. Toasting those that are different from you-you cannot take it back and it is wrong.  The latter even being Hitler like......eck.

What do you think?

Explore with your children. Let them get dirty.

I love a teachable moment with the kiddos. Especially about life lessons and doing things the way they were done without electricity.  I can assure you that, if the world were to go to shit, my children could plant and grow their own food. They could raise farm animals, purify and store their own water and rig up the house to fend off anything short of a nuclear holocaust.  They can shoot and throw and clean with the best of them. 

They can also do their math homework without a calculator and they certainly know how to read.  They also know that if there were no power, they can use their imaginations to play and make their own toys.  We have also discussed how to survive should there be no houses left either.  No, we are no survivalists and there are no "bug out bags" randomly stored throughout the house.  It is nothing like that. What this means is that we are teaching our children the basics of being self sufficient.  They can also make their own cooker out of wood and aluminum foil and other things. Yes, they know all about technology and can fix a computer with the best of them and they have their electronic gadgets and know how to operate a computer and a calculator. We do not prohibit those things, but if there were ever to come a time for survival. I know that our children can survive without assistance or help from a stranger. I know that they can grow up and figure out things on their own.

We let them get dirty and dig holes and let them color and paint with melted crayons.  That is what children do.  They argue and fall down.  That is what baths and band aids are made for.  They are allowed to fix their own disagreements with each other to learn social graces and human skills.

This is all something that many kids do not know.  I cannot tell you how it makes me cringe for a mother to break out the hand sanitizer every time her kid touches something off the ground.  They do not have to get up off the ground at the playground rolling a ball back and forth because it is "dirty."  I am here to tell you if you stop treating them like porcelain dolls, there would be a lot less asthma, allergies, and other things that people spend their whole lives with.  Did you know a vaccination is an injection of the disease it is seeking to prevent you from getting? If you take your children outside on a regular basis and let them get dirty from time to time, they will be a lot less sick in the long run.  They will be exposed to the stuff that gives people asthma and allergies at an early age when there are no issues and they will not become allergic to them simply for a lack of exposure.  It will also give them room to grow because they will run and play and simply be children. 

Each of my children went on an exploration day in the yard with me  when they were crawlers.  I found a nice day, took the baby outside and we explored the REAL world around us.  We lifted our faces and felt the warmth of the sun. We felt the bark on the trees and watched the ants crawl in the cracks.  We felt the grass with our hands and our feet. We felt the warmth of the sidewalk in the sun and the cool of the driveway in the shade.  We twirled a leaf between our grubby little fingers and blew a dandelion weed and watched the seeds. We pointed at squirrels and birds and bugs.  We felt the wind in our hair.  We felt the difference in the feel of the shiny leaves from the trees and the roughness of the rocks in the ground. We let dirt sift through our fingers and felt the running water out of the hose from the side of the house.  We didn't die.  We didn't get sick.  We went inside, washed our hands and went back to playing with our things.  However, the baby learned about the world and learned more than anyone will ever know.  Further, there was a special time only you can share with your child.  For me an mine, it was a day of discovery.  A couple of our children hated the way the grass felt on their feet and one other loved rubbing his feet in it. You learn something about your children.  How their curiosity works as well as discovering things on your own about how they perceive the world.  One of ours shied away from the bugs we were looking at.  This helped me figure out what would give him the willies-he seen a bug and they make him spaz out because he is afraid of bugs. 

I exposed them to the REAL world and I let them get dirty a little bit. That is what children do. It is in their very nature to be curious. They want to play and jump and run and explore.  While it is up to you to keep them safe and be their parent, let them play and jump and run and explore.  Further, explore with them. It is one of the best things you can do. 

What have you done with your child today?

Write letters to your children. Often

This morning, I woke to some movie where a group of kids were graduating high school. I imagine it was one of those where they did some epic journey to get there and they have come to the realization that their lives are all about to change. No wonder I was pondering the things I sat on the side of the bed and realized.  As a parent, they were very sobering thoughts.
While I know everything that my children are doing right now, something finally sank in.  In the same year, we have one (our youngest) graduating Kindergarten and another about to start high school.  Still the third is about to transition from the little kid to the big kid and enter the fourth grade.  I have one word for that.
                                                                            WOW.....O.O
Our children really do grow up so fast!  I know that they will always be my babies.  My heart holds that to be a fact but they are becoming their own people.  While this has been quite an eventful year so far (for lack of a better description,)  I cannot help but celebrate their achievements and be their biggest fan.  Even with the oldest two out and doing their thing, they are all still my children and I am still their mother and I could not be more proud.  Love your children folks, no matter how distant you are and no matter what they have done.  They are a reflection of yourself and you should be so proud.
One thing that I have done over the years is I write letters to our children.  No, they don't get them and I am not sure if they will ever read them.  However, if they do, I certainly hope that their love of reading will kick in and it will be the best read ever!  I know, you are all like: Wha?????  What I mean is that I do write them. I write them often and every chance I get.  While this was supposed to be some exclamation on my death bed, I want them to know right now that their life stories will be chronicled through my eyes so be on the look out for that when I go home to live with the angels.  I write these letters and I keep a chapter for each of them.  Sort of my gift to them when they are grown.
I write these and I put them aside.  I want them to know the joys, heartaches, and celebrations I had as having the best job on earth. Being their mother.  No holds barred folks.  Anger, joy, revelation, and simple observation encompass each page and I can only hope that they will even read a few.  I have always believed that the best story is your own. No matter what ups or downs you may have had.  I think it to be the best thing I can leave them. No amount of property or money or bequests can replace what your life story is.  Oh, it is illustrated too. Pictures, school work, write ups, little things from the heart they gave me.  That is the whole purpose of a file cabinet.  Not to hold receipts and important documents but to hold MEMORIES!  I love it when I go through my moms things and she has the little things I have given her over the years.  Especially true as a kid.  For example...She has this treasure chest thing.  She would always let me play with it when she would clean out her jewelry box.  Fond memories there.  Inside it right now is some trinket I gave her as a little girl.  Some years back, some lovely person created this "floam" stuff.  We allowed our daughter to stay the summer with my mother and when we picked her up, that treasure box was covered in  the stuff.  Artfully done, it still has that intrepid junk on it but I look at it and imagine the memory of MY daughter sitting next to her grandmother on the bed as they went through the jewelry box and the treasure chest was given new, colorful life with floam.  Memories are the best. Even a bad day is made better for just a moment by a great memory.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNGGGGG, mini digression there. (Pun intended.) It is never too late to write letters to your children.  Even if they are teenagers or grown for that matter. WRITE THEM!  You have so much to say if you are not starting the day they were born!  Most of us do it (in a fashion) anyway if we keep a baby book through age five.  Why stop there?  No, there is no strict schedule.  Just when the moment behooves you to do so.  They can be a half a page, a few sentences, or a mini chapter.  Write them!  Let them know where they are in your golden years and make them promise not to peek until you are their angel watching over them.  It will enable them to remember the good times and to see themselves in a different light. Through their mothers eyes!  Yes!  Nobody sees them quite like their mother.  What a wonderful gift to give your child.
Write them when they are little. Write them when they get married.  Write them when they fell down and got the "biggest boo boo ever."  Write them for no reason.  Write them because you have started when they are adults and you have so many stories to tell.  Write them to say "I love you and I am proud" and nothing more. Anytime will do folks!
I know that many may not even like to write and that is ok.  Leave them something for them to know you were in tune with them no matter how busy you may have been.  Over the years, there are flowers, drawings, simple little what nots that were given to you from the heart and for your children to see them again when they become their own people it something that would bring joy to their hearts.  All of the no's, and groundings, and attitudes will be forgotten and, just for a moment, they will remember what you are...........Mommie! (Dads can do this too, it is not limited.  Just because I am a mother, I am writing to the fellow moms out there.)

The dresser never had a chance against rage.

After experiencing one of the most mind blowing weeks I have had in a long time, I have to sit down and reflect upon how I am going to pick up the pieces of my shattered demeanor and continue on.  I have just experienced a nightmare involving three of my children and various accusations and other anomalies to our lives.  While they range from the grave to the trivial, it has thrown a great wrench into our lives and now it is up to me, their mother, to pick up the mess and continue on.

Due to the fact that I am unable to get some me time that is quite often noted as necessary by scholarly sources that give advise on parenting, I am unable to find ways to properly proceed in letting off a little steam.  However, there has been this dresser that I keep failing to put on the side of the road come garbage day and it is driving me nuts that it is broken, unusable, and still in the room it has always been in. Upon the notification of the event that caused a great deal of chaos for our youngest child, I could not stand it anymore and the dresser had to be done away with.

We have had this aluminum baseball bat that someone left at our home some years back.  There is not one person in my home that has any interest in baseball other than a passing fancy.  Boy, did I ever give that bat its worth today.  I took that grotesque dresser to our back yard and took that baseball bat to it and totally shattered it and took out my frustrations accordingly.  I must say it felt pretty good. I even enjoyed the cleanup afterwards.  Quite nice.  It was such a rush that I even had to vomit in the corner of the yard when I was done with the demolition.  With stress spent, energy caput, and bat bent all to hell, I began to clean up and felt much much better about the whole thing.

I happen to think that everytimethere is a piece of furniture that is no longer useful in my home, I will beat the crap out of it to relieve some stress.  As I no longer have access to a gym, this worked just fine for me. Now I will be able to take the next steps to rectify this mess that my family has found itself in.

Remember when you see movies where the character is punching the crap out of a punching bag? I imagine this to be the same. Simply ghetto style.   What types of unconventional stress releivers do you do?

The Future of Tech Support

Many of you already know that I am a technical support representative by trade.  Good times.  Goooooood times! (Cosmoism) It never occurred to me that the children pay attention to what I do when I am at work. Yes, I work from home doing this stuff.  In every technical support situation or any electrical "fix it" situation, you begin with checking that it is plugged in properly and unplug everything and then plug it back in one piece of the equation at a time.  Simple stuff.  That will fix about seventy five percent of your issues then it goes into the more complicated stuff.

Before I began to do this, the way to fix things was to beat the holy crap out of the thing or kick it and pray that it continues to work for at least the next three months or so as you begin to save funds to replace the thing being stupid in the first place.  What did your television ever do to you?

With all that background, let me get to what I am ranting about.  I often worry about what our number nine is going to do when he becomes a functioning member of society.  I would hate to think that he is going to work at a fast food restaurant for the rest of his life as a burger flipper.  I know he loves his video games and taking things apart and he can pick apart a game to the very stitch.  That is something.  There are actually jobs out there developing video games and what not.  His math skills are excellent and he loves math period!  If reading were to be as fun for him as math, he would be dangerous! (The next Dr. Sheldon Cooper???) So we talk about that a lot and he loves electronics.  Great!  There is a future there at the moment.

I was sitting in here on FaceBook (what else do I do with my free time?) and there must have been some issue with the living room tv as I heard the following conversation:

Nine: Joshua! Don't hit it! That won't make it stop!
Six:  But that fixes the other TV!
Nine: I know but we are going to try something else.
Six: OK.
Nine: Turn the TV off first, then the cable box and let me check something.
Six: ***turns off the TV then the cable box***
Nine: I have to check and make sure it is plugged in to the wall. We may have knocked it loose playing Xbox yesterday. ***Grunts and mumbles as he crawls behind the TV stand to check the plug***
Six: Can I turn it on yet? I wanna watch Robot and Monster!
Nine: NO! Let me get out of here first. We are going to turn things on one at a time!
Six: ***pouts*** Ok.
Nine:  Ok, now, Turn the cable box on first
Six: ***pushes button***
Nine: Now turn the TV on.
Six:  Yay!!!!! We did it!  It works!
Nine: Told ya to listen to me, we have to do it one at a time or it wont work. You don't have to hit it.

For my fellow WAH peeps that have worked in Tech Support. You can imagine how proud I was sitting here listening to that interaction!  I was beaming so loud you would have thought the Sun came to visit my office.

Anyone else have a WAH story to share?