a hoodle anyone?

So, I'm reading on facebook last night that a friend's son bought a hoodle (h-o-o-d-l-e). I'm used to this friend doing unusual things, so I google hoodle...it actually had this definition from Urban Dictionary:

hoodle  - noun. rhymes with "poodle." the sweatshirt your clueless grandma bought you off your amazon wish list. She thinks the "i" in "hoodie" is an "l".

Yes, folks, I go back to facebook, and sure enough, my friend's son had bought a HOODIE not a HOODLE.

I guess I should wear my glasses when I'm at the computer.

FYI-don't google the word "hoodle" as 2 of the definitions/examples are not meant for polite society...

Not racist. Not violent. Not silent anymore.

disclaimer: the real political part comes at the end...obviously you are under no obligation to read any of this and you are also free to leave a dissenting comment if you like...just do it with love or I really will need therapy...

I'm a fan of Glenn Beck. The title of this post is from his show today.

Not being silent is tough for me. I am more than willing to discuss politics...and religion...but I am not the one to bring up the subject. That is for several reasons. 

One reason is...I abhor contention. And, as we all know, political and religious discussions, when between those who don't hold the same views, often get heated. I can't take the heat. Even if I am not directly involved.

For example, there are some people and shows (i. e. The Savage Nation) that I cannot listen to for even a few seconds, even if I agree with the main ideas presented. Others I can tolerate a bit, but then need to turn them off (anyone remember when Rusty Humphries had Bill Mander's spot on KOH at 3 pm several years ago? I had a hard time listening to him for any length of time). 

I realize some feel the same about Glenn Beck, and I do admit that he can be very rude (i.e. "Like Rosie O'Donnell stepping on the scale, the UN's problems are too large even to register with most people anymore."), but he also pokes fun at himself...saying he is a pasty dough boy, etc.

Another reason why I prefer to be silent is... my memory is weird. I have a hard time grasping concepts so that I can remember them wholly. Since I can't remember details to support my beliefs, I don't like having conversations. They make me feel inept.

My Glen might disagree with the following statement, but I also don't like stating my opinion about things because to me, it's like telling the other person in a polite way that the other person is wrong. If we believe 2 different things, doesn't that mean that one of us is incorrect? What if I'm the one who is wrong?! Nope. I'm sure I'm right...I think.

Hmm. I don't even like having bumper stickers on the car (for more reasons than just aesthetics).  I don't usually want my opinion to be out there. Maybe I need to see a psychiatrist.

And, of course, since my life is guided by fear way too much, I'm afraid to share my opinion. Afraid of offending others...afraid of boring them...afraid of having them get mad at me... (besides the afore mentioned reason of being afraid of looking stupid or incompetent).

Now, some complain that people who listen to Glenn and Rush Limbaugh and others are mindless dummies who follow blindly. I listen because they espouse beliefs I already held. And if I listen long enough, I hope to be able to keep some "concrete" info in my head, so that if I ever have to support my beliefs, I'll be able to give the reasons for why I feel the way I do.

Also, they spend all their time looking into things and I get their research for free. 

Like ACORN changing its name in many different states and going "underground." 

Bertha Lewis, from ACORN, calling the Tea Party movement a bowel movement. She said a lot of other outrageous things too. Check it out if you are inclined:

http://biggovernment.com/mrichmond/2010/04/22/bertha-lewis-a-socialist-rallying-cry-for-immigration-reform/


Now, I don't consider myself a tea partiest (I love making up words even if my spell-checker doesn't like it), but I'm certainly much closer to being that than a socialist, or communist, or nazi...  She is off her rocker. I can say that since I don't think she'll read my blog.


Also, if you are a democrat, the socialists are invading and hijacking your party (which, I guess, you don't mind if you believe that socialism is the way to go...):

socialdemocratsusa.org

Then, if I got it right, Brandeis University held a conference on Right-Wing Radicalism. They compared the Tea Party Movement to the Nazis. Hmm. Comparing people who believe in small government to people who believe in large government. I don't see the connection. Totally different. I think they also held up a picture of Glenn...(my memory is TERRIBLE and I just heard this this morning)...and I THINK they called him a Nazi. Maybe I need ginko pills before I need therapy.

I am not a racist. I want blacks to vote. Just not through the antics of ACORN.

I am not racist. I just want those who enter the country and work here to do so legally.  I want those who are here illegally to be sent home. They can find someone to leave their american-born-and-therefore-citizen children with in a nice place while they are gone or they take the children back to their own country with them and the children can return at age 18. I am not the one separating their families. It is a consequence of their illegal actions.

And, just throwing this in--I don't believe in global warming. I believe the earth has natural cycles. The volcano in Iceland put as much CO2 in the air as Europe does in an entire year. Plants love CO2...they don't think it's a pollutant. It makes them grow more, faster. However, I am for wise use of our resources, of course...

OK, perhaps I've gotten it all out of my system for now.

snow and apple blossoms

 Apple blossoms in the snow.

Rain, slush, and snow. Would have been nice to stay home with the electric blanket. Maybe tomorrow.

Anyway, I tried to take pictures of the snow, but it was falling so lightly, it's really  hard to see:

Ryan-Swim Meet on Saturday, Ordained on Sunday

Ryan's Swim Meet was in Carson City yesterday (the 17th). Ryan swam the 50 yard freestyle (as he did last time) and then he was also the first leg of a 200 yard relay. Now, in his first swim meet he swam the 50 yd in 35.28. Yesterday he swam it in 32.02. He credits his new jammer swim trunks with taking some time off--but I'm sure it was the 2 hour practices 5 days a week, as well.

The results for the relay were:
7 CHURC C 2:08.54 
Perazzo, Ryan SO   Oviatt, Colton JR    Koelble, Kenneth SO    Thomas, Aaron JR


Since the boys' goal was to each swim their leg in 32 seconds, they accomplished their goal.

But  I don't understand how they were listed as coming in #7 when there were only 5 teams swimming. I still have a lot to learn.

Not the best picture of me (do I always have such a goofy smile?), but here I am...being a timer again.

Ryan just before the relay was to begin (cool goggles, huh). I had another mother take my spot timing so I could watch Ryan. When he swam the 50 I was able to watch because my lane was empty that heat. Took pictures of the 50 with my Ricoh using 800 mm film. Can't wait to see how they turn out. I used my digital for the relay.

Ryan waiting for the signal...

All done with his leg of the race. It was another fun day.
So, that was yesterday.

Today, Ryan was ordained to the office of Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, so I didn't have my camera. But Hannah did. I'll add a picture later.

Anyway, Ryan turned 16 on the 6th and so was old enough to become a priest (which means, among other things, that instead of just passing and/or preparing the sacrament, he will now be allowed to bless it). Last Sunday I asked Glen when Ryan's ordination was to take place. He said Ryan hadn't had his interview yet. Well, Ryan had his interview on Tuesday.

So this morning just before church started I asked Glen when Ryan's ordination was. Glen pauses, thinking, and says something like...maybe Ryan didn't pass his interview. But when sacrament meeting started, Ryan was asked to stand and was presented as having been interviewed and found worthy to be ordained.

So, the question being, once again, when the ordination would take place. Bishop said we could do it whenever we wanted. Why wait? So it was immediately following church. It was really nice that so many family members could be there even though some only had 10 minutes warning.

Congratulations Ryan!

The Forgotten Depression

I have been spending a bit of time lately learning (and re-learning 'cause I used to know some of this stuff, but have forgotten it...I believe my dad used to tease us--as adults--that he's forgotten more stuff than we ever knew in the first place...I'm starting to realize that that could very well apply to me now as I seem to have forgotten a lot of stuff).

I've been reading, listening, teaching, and even watching old "You Are There!" episodes with Walter Cronkite (I love Netflix) on several topics (for instance: I think, after all these years, I have a handle on "por" and "para" in the Spanish language...which is one of those things that I used to know and had lost over the years...).

One of the reasons why I love subbing in different classes is the opportunity it affords me to learn. The other day in an American government class while presenting the topic of the Supreme Court, I learned a bit about the Trail of Tears. Perhaps years ago I knew more about it than the fact that the Cherokees were forced to march from their homelands to Oklahoma and that many (4,000) died. Did I ever know why it all happened? Can't really say, but I know now.

Andrew Jackson refused to uphold a Supreme Court ruling that the Cherokees in Georgia needed to have their already-in-place treaty enforced. As President, it was apparently his job to enforce the laws but he didn't want to enforce this one...his words were something to the effect of "Let Mr. Marshall [the Supreme Court Chief Justice] enforce it.".

Seems there was gold (the first gold rush...way before California's) on their land and men were coming and taking it even though it belonged to the Cherokees. Eventually they were forced to leave their homes. Of course I'm leaving out a lot of details, but it was tragic (not that I think people don't think it was tragic...I just didn't know the Andrew Jackson part and found it weirdly fascinating...like watching a train wreck on replay...).

Another thing I recently learned about is the Depression of 1920. Never heard of it? Glenn Beck called it The Forgotten Depression. Harding had just taken over the presidency from Wilson. How did Harding (who died after only 2 1/2 years in office) and his successor Coolidge manage to overcome this depression? Not with stimulus packages or with tax increases, but by the government cutting spending -oh- and cutting taxes. Within 18 months-2 years, the depression had ended. The national debt had been reduced, too, because of their efforts. WHY DON'T WE DO THAT NOW???

We hear a lot about the Great Depression. It lasted over a decade, and yet FDR (who was elected in 1932, so the Depression actually was inherited from Hoover's years) is praised for all his programs that eventually led to the end of the depression. Hmm.

Please, can we go back to the Constitution and leave socialism and progressivism behind us? Pretty please.

Forgive me for being in a (parenthetical) mood today...I hope my post is still coherent, even with all my interruptions...

Ryan's 16th birthday and camping

Ryan's 16th birthday was on April 6th, but since he had swim practice and then a scout camping trip, we celebrarted on the 5th. Here he is with his cake.

For the camping trip, they went outside of Gerlach to the Black Rock desert to the Fly Geyser (Burning Man takes place near there). It turned out to be a father and sons thing and almost a Perazzo family thing. Glen and Ryan, Glen's brother David (Varsity scout coach) and his son Michael, Glen's brother-in-law Gary (scoutmaster) and his son Joseph, and then the Venture Leader Kent and his 2 boys, Chance and Cameron were on the trip. Gary's Uncle David has a place there and they camped out in the garage.

They enjoyed hiking and hot springs and geysers.

Ryan at Pyramid Lake with the pyramid behind him.

Another view of Pyramid Lake.

 

I love this photo of Glen...as a matter of fact it is now my desktop photo.

YouTube of "Mary Did You Know?" for Easter

Wish I could imbed, but don't know how, so I'll just give a youtube link that my friend Rachel put on her facebook. The song "Mary Did You Know?" is paired up with images of Christ's life. It's really beautiful and perfect for Easter.

Mary Did You Know?

Happy Easter, everyone.

Hannah-JH One Acts/Ryan-1st Swim Meet

Here is Hannah in her role (which she played to perfection) as Ms. Kobe, a science teacher who enjoys listening to her students' excuses as to why they need extensions on their homework and then denying them extra time for their projects in the one-act play "Homework Eats Dog and Other Woeful Tales." She really did a great job. I realize the above is not the best picture, but I shouldn't have taken it in the first place (flash photography is a no-no during a performance). But, since she tries her hardest not to let me take photos (see examples below), I had to do what I could. She has an uncanny knack for knowing when I'm trying to sneak a picture and she'll raise her hand...or as she did at her last concert, duck behind her music stand. Proof:

OK, enough of that. Now moving on to Ryan...Ryan participated in his first swim meet today! I, sadly, have no photos of him as I forgot my camera, but as Glen and I helped with timing the heats today, I would not have had a chance to get a photo of him swimming anyway.

Glen and I and a friend I met in my old Saturday scrapbooking group, Anne, were the timers for one of the swim lanes. We didn't get to time Ryan, but we did get to time his cousin Brent once...when Brent was swimming in the 50 yard freestyle with Ryan in the next lane. Since this was Ryan's first meet, he didn't have a past time to compare it to, but the coach told him to try and get under 50 seconds and Ryan did it in 34...of course Brent, who used to be on the Fallon community swim team, the Barracudas, years ago, swam it in 28 seconds, I believe. But Ryan was pleased and so were we. The coach, Steve Davis, really emphasizes trying to beat your last time and not worrying about anyone else in the heat, so it makes it a fun activity without too much stress.

Glen and I were a bit nervous about being timers, but it was great. You watch the start strobe light/buzzer and hit the start button of your stopwatch when the light flashes. Then when the swimmer is coming in on their last length, you lean over the edge of the pool to get a clear view of the wall and you hit "stop" when you see them first make contact with the wall. They average the 3 scores from that lane and that is the official time for that swimmer or relay team.

Ryan doesn't have a meet next Saturday, but he does for the following 5 Saturdays in a row, and also one Friday afternoon. There's one more meet in Fallon on May 1st (and Glen will be in San Francisco with Eric for the choir singing the National Anthem at a Giants baseball game, so he won't be with me). The other meets are in Carson.

And, for those of you interested, Glen lost 2 pounds in the HS's Biggest Loser competition this week. He held steady for so many weeks, that this is really nice. He's lost a total of 14 pounds now.