Golly Blog Howdy!

Since I am, evidently, too inept to imbed a YouTube clip, here’s a link to a quick (44 seconds) video:

click here

Thanks to foofighter20x for making that.

Bad: Mouth and jaw in excruciating pain; infection is suspected.

Bad: Lack of dental insurance hinders ability to readily traipse to dentist for necessary attention.

Bad: Dealing with this pain for days on end (which feels like years on end).

Good: Onslaught of junk mail happens to include a flier from a relatively new dental office in the area, with a coupon that offers new clients an exam — including x-rays — for just ten bucks.

Good: I call to explain my dental emergency; the receptionist happily chirps that she thinks she can squeeze me in at 2:00pm.

Interesting: Pull up to dental office’s parking lot, where there are dozens of parking spaces open…in fact, only one spot is occupied…

Interesting: See gigantic sign on window of dental office which reads, “Now Hiring!!” The place just opened in May…and already they need to fill staffing spots? Ah, perhaps they’re gaining clientele faster than they had anticipated, and they need additional staff to work the load…

Interesting Bad: Walk into office…room is filled with unoccupied chairs. Not a soul in the spacious waiting area. Kind hypothesis for the “Now Hiring!!” sign disintegrates.

Bad: Front desk receptionist is chatting away on the phone with (obviously) a friend, while also thumbing through a fashion magazine. This continues for five minutes while I (a) politely stand right in front of her, (b) smile and nod to her a la, “Hi there; patient here, ready and waiting for your professional attention”, (c) glance occasionally at the clock, (d) loudly clear my throat in that “Uh, HELLOOOOO” style. She smiles sweetly at me, displaying her “just a sec” hand gesture and continuing to discuss a garlic recipe with her friend on the phone, and I notice her name badge sports the phrase, “Serving Our Customers Comes First!”

Bad: Evidently, the receptionist hasn’t read her badge.

Interesting: Shouldn’t that badge say “patients” rather than “customers”? I’m just asking…

Good: Not having to wait long to be seen by the doc.

Interesting: Because there’s no one else waiting to see the doc.

Bad: Dentist telling me the sad story of my dental plight.

Good: Doc can write prescription to start taking care of the abscess junk (yecch, my suspicions were correct).

Bad: I suck at swallowing pills. Even my daily adult vitamins are chewables.

Good: I request liquid medication, to which the doc says no problem.

Interesting: Doc is unsure how to convert written prescription (pill form) into equivalent for elixir (liquid form).

Bad: Doc gets on the phone with the pharmacy to discuss the conversion to liquid; he asks the pharmacist to hold a moment; the doc then turns to his front desk receptionist and asks her if she thinks such-and-such amount of the medication would be about right…receptionist shakes her head and shrugs, “I don’t know; how would I know?”

Bad: Realizing I haven’t updated my last will and testament in quite a while.

Bad: Hearing Doc say to pharmacy, “…make it 400ml…600ml…well, I dunno; I guess it doesn’t matter. Five days. No, ten days. Naw, five will probably be enough. I think.”

Interesting: In the hour I’ve been in the office, not a single person has come in for an appointment.

Bad: I’m getting an idea as to why that is.

Good: Getting to the pharmacy; receiving antibiotic and pain medication; discussing actual dosages with licensed pharmacist.

Good: Ability to start treating the problem right away by taking the Rx at home.

Bad: Liquid Vicodin. Makes you want to file off your taste buds forever.

Good: Freedom from excruciating pain.

Good: Knowledge that I don’t have to ever go back to that same dental office.

Interesting: Writing a blog entry while doped up on Vicodin.

It’s summertime. Let’s talk about ice cream!

Our favorite ice cream is Butter Pecan ice cream.

Lots of people like Butter Pecan ice cream. In fact, people LOVE Butter Pecan ice cream! That’s because Butter Pecan ice cream is the best ice cream there is!

Sure, there are some people who like vanilla, or strawberry, or rocky road. But those people, while they probably mean well, are misguided.

Because, as all clever people (like YOU!!) know, Butter Pecan ice cream is clearly the best. And it’s the only ice cream worth eating.

In a recent nationwide poll, all the cool kids chose Butter Pecan ice cream as the best. And why not? Butter Pecan is, after all, the favorite ice cream of all popular people who command attention and admiration. Those who chose otherwise were moth-eaten pinheads with lumps of cold oatmeal for brains.

And don’t even get me started on those tinfoil-hat-wearing-freaks who like Chocolate ice cream. Only fringe lunatics claim that Chocolate ice cream is any good. If you agree with them, then you’re just an idiot.

There are some — probably only a small handful of people — who have decided that Chocolate ice cream is exactly what they want and need. The followers of this Chocolate Ice Cream Cult say it is so good, that they want to tell everyone about Chocolate ice cream. They do this even without being paid to do so. They are very excited about it. They are vehement about it. They are fanatical about it. Seems everywhere you look these days, particularly online, you see, “Check Out Chocolate Ice Cream!“ Damn spammers. We bet those stupid Chocolate Ice Cream-lovers are, in reality, just one freakish Chocolate ice cream lover who pretends to be lots of Chocolate ice cream lovers. We can say that, because in our own trustworthy poll (sponsored by Butter Pecan Ice Cream Lovers, Inc.), the results clearly showed that only 0.00000002% of those polled actually do prefer Chocolate ice cream. And we’ve decided that those were people who simply needed a lobotomy (because they are, obviously, delusional and just plain wrong); consequently, we have dumped their input from the stats. They only served to skew our results. So let’s all just ignore any more talk about that ridiculous Chocolate ice cream. It’ll never catch on, anyway; it hasn’t a chance.

Because Butter Pecan ice cream is clearly and undeniably and inarguably the best. There should be no other ice cream flavor available for purchase anywhere. And if you claim otherwise (especially if you support an underdog, “fringe” flavor), you may be ridiculed on live television in front of millions of impressionable viewers, who will then, in turn, reconsider the effect on their own reputations, should they opt to check out Chocol– we mean, “that other” ice cream. And no one wants to risk their rep with their homies. Word. (See how hip we Butter Pecan ice cream lovers are?)

You can rest assured that Butter Pecan Ice Cream is indeed the absolute best because Butter Pecan is the ice cream that is the most popular, most discussed and most advertised on TV and radio. Did you know that major reports and leading figures in entertainment and popular life all say that it’s the sexy, attractive, wealthy and fun-loving people who prefer Butter Pecan ice cream? It’s been widely reported that people who don’t choose Butter Pecan as their favorite ice cream flavor — particularly those people who prefer…that other flavor…have something wrong with them. They are out of step with today’s times and fashions. They are pathetic losers who will never amount to anything. And since this was widely reported, you know that it’s absolutely true. No need to Google and follow up on these statements. It’s made by those who know and love Butter Pecan ice cream, so that should be enough for you to make the smart choice.

BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM: the Ice Cream for Intelligent, Sexy, Fun-Loving People!!

Paid for by the Coalition of Butter Pecan Ice Cream Eating People Who Desperately Don’t Want You To Even Consider the Possibility of Chocolate Ice Cream

A quick hello and Happy 4th of July to you all (see, that works even if you’re not from the U.S.)!!

I’ve just been a busy little bee. You’d think that summertime would be slower than the rest of the school year, but, ah, such is not the case here. Besides the usual homeschooling stuff, I’ve also been researching various types of at-home work I can do. I will have to post soon about some of the interesting prospects I’ve encountered in this work-from-home search, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy some “safe and sane” fireworks and time with friends and family today.

And golly…let’s just take a moment out to be thankful for our good ol’ U.S.A.

I was checking email and such early in the morning, when Rainbow came into the room to wish me a good morning.

Glancing up to greet her, I did a double-take. Who was this little girl?

This was not the girl whose cheek I brushed with a kiss while she slept last night. The little girl standing before me, while clearly my own dear daughter, was a different person.

In the passage of the few fleeting hours between “night-night” and “good morning”, she had changed. Her face looked a little different. She held herself differently; her mannerism was slightly altered; her speech was more sophisticated; she seemed to have matured some literally overnight. She was still sweet and beautiful, but in a different way.

I couldn’t even choke out a “good morning” to her. My eyes misted over and I gathered her into my arms, whispering “I love you”s to her and squeezing her tightly, while silently praying that her little-girl-ness wouldn’t slip away so quickly.

“What’s the matter, Mommy?” she asked. I told her that I wanted her to grow up just a little bit slower. “I’m sorry, Mommy. I can’t help it,” was her honest reply.

How do they do this, these budding children? You can look at them, turn your head for just a moment, and then look right back at them, and they are…changed, somehow. It’s a magic moment, one that is bittersweet. You want them to grow up, but also not quite so very fast. They are perfect snowflakes; so perfect that you wish to capture them in your hand to hold forever, but no matter how much you want to preserve that moment, they change before your very eyes.

So here’s to my dear Rainbow, who will turn 5 years old in less than two weeks: my Darling One, you are sweet and precious and loving and adorable. Never change that, no matter how else you may change. I look forward to the many manifestations of snowflakes you will show me as you grow over the years.

But would you do Mommy a favor, please? Slow it down.

Today I’m going to do a little literary review. Follow me here; perhaps you’ll notice a theme. Yes, there is a point.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis)
Lucy Pevensie stumbles upon a secret world, a special magical place called Narnia. She excitedly tells her brothers (Peter and Edmund) and sister (Susan) all about it, but when they themselves do not see this special place for themselves, they dismiss her as being merely imaginative or just plain silly. Edmund then, on his own, does see Narnia for himself, and recognizes it as just what Lucy had described. Lucy meets him in Narnia, and they both return to the “regular world” together. Yet, when he returns, Edmund continues to make it appear to Peter and Susan that no such place actually exists; that he was merely playing along with Lucy. Lucy feels deeply betrayed, and Peter and Susan chide and shame Edmund for leading Lucy on so. Peter and Susan seek advice from a professor as to how to deal with Lucy, who continues to staunchly declare that this place truly exists. The professor asks the kids about Lucy’s character; whether she is a known liar, or is mentally unstable. When Peter and Susan reply that neither is the case with Lucy, the professor makes the suggestion that there are only three possibilities for Lucy’s continued insistence of sticking with her story: 1) She is lying 2) She is crazy 3) She is telling the truth.

(Peter and Susan end up discovering for themselves that Narnia does, indeed, exist, and apologize to Lucy for disbelieving her. Just because they couldn’t see it themselves before did not negate its existence. They see that Edmund did know about it, but hid the fact, and lied to cover up the truth, for his own perceived personal gain.)

Horton Hears a Who (Dr. Seuss)
With his highly sensitive ears, Horton the elephant hears and discovers a population of microscopically small people (the Whos of Whoville) living upon a speck of dust. Horton recognizes that they are in a precarious situation, and he steps up to defend them, so they can go on living their lives free from threatening dangers. Horton tries to tell all the animals around him about the Whos and what they need, but, as no one else can hear or see the Whos, the animals therefore declare that the Whos don’t exist. Everyone Horton encounters, from the monkeys down to the arrogantly sniffing kangaroo in the pouch, dismisses Horton as crazy, and they do their best to discredit him and destroy any good he has tried to do for these “imaginary” people; more, in fact — they try to destroy that which Horton holds so dear.

(At the end, Horton gets the Whos to speak up so loudly that the other animals cannot help but hear them. Discovering their error, the animals pledge to help Horton protect the Whos on the speck.)

So…you’ve picked up on the theme, right? Now, stay with me –

Here’s one more:
A slight-built, frail-looking older man, lacking the perception of a great deal of name recognition, but possessing a great deal of wisdom, tries to warn a nation of people that their foundations are crumbling beneath them. For decades, the man has gone against the grain of the status quo, not because he is a foolish contrarian, but because principle has always been more important to him than popularity. One day, he found himself in an arena with a great many stately-looking leaders, all of whom had money and media backing to further their efforts; all of whom were unable (or unwilling) to see that which the man was so desperately trying to show them. They did not see it, and, they did not want to hear what the man had to say (truth can be painful), and so they mocked him, dismissed him, told everyone they could that he was a kook, unworthy of attention, and would never succeed. Many of the people of the nation — certainly not all, but indeed many, accustomed to following the same types of leaders year in and year out; accustomed to “American Idol” style of deep critical thinking and letting themselves be told what to think by the mainstream media — many fell into step with the herd mentality, and either ignored the man, dismissed him, or parroted the declaration that he would never succeed.

Now, if you’ve paid attention to the stories above, perhaps you’ll have an inkling of how this might turn out.

BUT…this story’s outcome depends on what you think, and how you think, and whether you’re willing to blindly accept what the media tells you to accept, or whether you’re willing to think for yourself. Because you are the people of the nation this man has been trying to warn. And it is up to you to decide whether your country — and everything it was founded upon — is more worthy of your time than catching up on what Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan are up to.

Will you be an Edmund, or an arrogantly snuffing kangaroo? Or will you be like Saul who becomes Paul once the scales drop from his eyes and is suddenly able to see? You may not like what you see (as I mentioned, truth can be painful). You may see it and still opt not to change your thoughts or actions. That is indeed your choice. But in order to make a choice of any kind, you must first be able to SEE what your choices are.

GollyBlogHowdy.com has always been just a fluffy little mom-blog. I try to keep things light and simple here, and written for a G or PG audience. Generally, I talk about my kids, homeschooling, cake decorating, and other harmless topics. No one would ever confuse this blog with, say, a political blog. I’m no political expert, not by a long shot.

And yet, I know this…

A man willing to give up so much — the opportunity to be critically acclaimed, embraced by his party, be a darling of the media and therefore popular with the masses — a man whose every action is dictated by the actual U.S. Constitution; a man willing to walk into the lion’s den of the status quo in order to defend and uphold the very principles upon which this nation was founded: such a man is indeed worthy of our attention.

I see him. And he has my vote.

Come see and hear for yourself. His name is Ron Paul.

—–
Here’s a short, humorous, and very interesting You Tube video, illustrating how the mainstream media is doing its best to make you, the viewer, think Ron Paul hasn’t got a chance: “Fox News Style”
—–

Official Site and Official Affiliated Sites:
http://RonPaul2008.com - Official Main Page for Ron Paul
Ron Paul Daily Update
About Ron Paul - (check his record here!)
Ron Paul on the Issues
http://www.MySpace.com/RonPaul2008 - Ron Paul’s MySpace page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcQQ05XtAQ4 - Ron Paul’s YouTube Site
http://RonPaul.meetup.com - Network Locally for Ron Paul
Ron Paul’s Facebook Page
Ron Paul’s Eventful Page - Ron Paul’s Events

Other Ron Paul Forums/Sites/Blogs:
http://www.RonPaulForums.com - an Open Forum to Discuss Ron Paul
Digg.com - Ron Paul
http://www.RonPaulHQ.com - Unofficial Volunteer Headquarters
http://DailyPaul.com
http://ronpaul08.blog-city.com/
http://VoteRonPaul.blogspot.com
http://www.RonPaulPodcast.com - News & Talk about Ron Paul’s Campaign
http://ronpaul.rescue-us.org
RonPaulRevolution.com

Given the abundance of free time I have to spend here on my blog and all my other cyber-activities, I figgured I’d add yet another online presence. So I set up a MySpace page here.

Funny thing is, I just tried to set this up a few days ago, and was informed by the MySpace system that there already existed an account tied to the email address I submitted (huh?!?). Come to find out, I had started to sign up for a MySpace account, oh, almost a year and a half ago, and never went back to it. Guess I did more than start to sign up for it, eh?

And to all the kind people who have been sending me messages via MySpace since January 2006: Thank you for your interest, but the deafening sound of silence you received back from me was mere ignorance that my page actually existed. But since you were all spammers, I don’t fret this turn of events in the least. So there.

So if you have a MySpace presence and want to be my friend, come on over and say “hi”. If you don’t have a MySpace presence (or do) and want to be my friend, you can always just say “hi” here, anyway.

Heck, I even go so far as to be friends with people who aren’t even online. Imagine that!