Has this world lost all common sense?

In the past few days, no, make that weeks, I have wondered if I am just "different" in my thinking than the rest of the world.

1. Call for a dentist appointment. The person on the phone gives me a hard time about scheduling two appointments in a row at the end of the day, so Jeff can go too. Gee, since when does a patient need to beg to make an appointment? And I even told her I didn't care if it was three months from now! Just make the appointments.

2. The kids open the cereal bag to eat breakfast and take the milk out of the fridge. The bag is left open on the counter and the milk too. The reason: the milk was spoiled (well gee, get a clue why the milk spoils when you leave it OUT!) and it wasn't "me" that left the bag open (it was the ghost). The irony in all this: they left the cereal container open the other week and it was filled with ants and bugs, so they couldn't eat it! Ya think they would learn.

3. Same day. I cook lunch and dinner. They're the only ones eating from the container on the counter. There's noodles all over the counter after one kid takes lunch. It stays there even though it's fairly obvious. I come home and cook dinner even though Jeff & I already ate at a funeral. They eat dinner and put the leftovers in the fridge (not sure what was wrong with our plastic storage containers, but the spaghetti went into three different ziploc bags). After laying down with a whopper of a headache, I get up at 1am to start my food for the picnic we're going to. I turn the light on in the kitchen and am greeted by the most disgusting sight...dirty dishes in the sink, on the counter, and stove, not covered or rinsed with food spilled. Those of you who live or have lived with me, and those of you that don't for that matter, know that I absolutely can NOT stand roaches and bugs. But especially those super humongous, 747, ugly flying ones! And there were FOUR of them feasting on the mess that was left. I really hope that whatever the kids had to do that was so important that it took up all their time, so they couldn't even clean up their mess, was worth it. Common sense and courtesy evaded them. And the reason: "It wasn't my turn to clean the kitchen." And my answer: "Well, you ate didn't you? Do you think we have maid service?"

4. You know those reusable bags that the stores all sell now? Have you tried putting in SIX 2 liter bottles of soda into one bag and carrying it out of the store? Well, apparently there is a certain cashier and courtesy clerk at the Pali Safeway that thinks that it's okay. And all so they don't have to credit you the measly THREE CENTS bag credit! They can barely lift the bag into the wagon, but yet, they think the customer can do it. They offer carry out service, but what's the use of carry out service if you can't carry it yourself when you get home? And same cashier puts two trays of meat into one bag and nothing else. I think they should have a class on how to bag a customer's purchases properly! I speak from experience in working at Longs for over 7 years. Bag it properly and the customer will always be happy.

My solution to the bag problem: I am taking my own plastic bags, the ones they give you anyway, so they can only put 2 bottles in each bag, because they're so weak they'll break if you put 6 in it, get the 3 cents credit per bag, go out to my car and re-bag them in my reusable bags and leave the plastic ones in the wagon. I don't like plastic anyway. So if she thought she was saving Safeway money, she'll now be losing it.

What is happening to this world?

Some things never change...thank goodness!

I dropped Mary off at the airport today to go to Hilo. Kayla, Kyle, and Kason are staying over and going with us tomorrow after school. I was reminded of the innocence and bizarre thinking of Kason, an eight year old...

We went to Kmart after the airport. After walking through the clothes and past the shoes, we meet up with Leonard. While talking with him, Kason starts a conversation with me. Kason says he's so happy he gets to see his brother tomorrow. He misses him after one week. I ask him which one. He says Koen. Kayla replies, "WHAT?! Are you crazy?" Len just laughed.

Later tonight, I told Kason to go take a bath and sent him to get his clothes out of the van. He comes back and tells me that he needs a white shirt for May Day tomorrow, and he knows that he gave it to his mom. Duh! I tell him it's in Hilo right now. She packed his clothes in her suitcase to take with her TODAY. So, he starts to cry and flings himself down. I ask him where his underwear is, and he doesn't know. So, I tell him to go to the bathroom and take off his underwear and throw it into my wash that's going now. He gives me this funny look, so I assume he doesn't want to do it. I said, "I know you wear shorts without underwear, so just go do it, and you'll get it back when it's dry." He tells me it's not a special occasion (lightbulb!). Then he tells me that he can wear the same shirt he has on for school tomorrow, so I send him to throw it in the washer. As we're standing there, he tells me, "it's not a special occasion today, but it is tomorrow."*** Dang, I am still cracking up!!!! Good thing there's that basket of clothes still in the laundry area!

***He only wears underwear on special occasions! LMAO

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

Thanks to Aunty Nona for forwarding this. It's really true!


TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat..

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because,

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were OK.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms.......

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever...

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good .

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were...

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

'With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

Tuan's Christmas Gift 2008

www.google.com/s2/sharing/stuff?user=116455940989787691899

Leonard's Facebook Post: Yesterday

From my brother, Leonard:

I wrote this poem and posted it on my myspace blog on October 24th. A few people suggested that I re-post it here now that the meaning of the poem is a little clearer. If you require further clarification, please refer to my previous post entitled, "A Celebration of Life." Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it...


Yesterday

It seems like only yesterday
We were running around the school
Getting into trouble
Or swimming in the pool

It seems like only yesterday
We were going to the beach
Watching the surf crash on the shore
With the sand beneath our feet

It seems like only yesterday
We were talking on the phone
As I was living far away
Wanting to come home

It seems like only yesterday
We were at your place
Cooking dinner, playing with the kids
Smoke from the grill in my face

It was only yesterday
The time came to say farewell
Thank you for being the friend
Who picked me up when I fell

I know eventually we'll meet again
Until then, for you I pray
A peaceful journey with God by your side
And an eternity of bright, sunny days.

A Celebration of Life

This was posted on my brother, Leonard's, facebook.  I couldn't have said it any better.

“A celebration of life.”

I’ve heard the saying at funerals before and I heard it again this past weekend. In my humble opinion, much easier said than done. How does a person focus on the life of a recently deceased loved one instead of focusing on the fact that they are no longer with us? This is a question I am struggling to answer as I write.

My brother-in-law passed away last month and I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t affect me tremendously. His passing was sudden, unexpected and completely shocking to everyone. This is what makes it so difficult to deal with. My grandfather passed away not too long ago but his passing was a fairly gradual one. My family and I had time to prepare for it and we all knew the day would arrive soon. When my grandfather left this earth my heart and mind were as ready as I could make them. Sure, the pain was still there but like martial artists who condition themselves to be hit, I was set to take the blow. In this case, however, there was just no way to see the sucker punch that hit me last month.

I’ve known my sister’s husband, Kawika, for over 21 years. He’s a year younger than I am and we all went to school together. Kawika and my sister, Mary, dated when he was a freshman and she was a senior in high school. They broke up but reunited when he was a senior. They wed a few years later and were married for 15 years. It’s hard for me to recall a time when he wasn’t a part of my family.

Although I never really got to tell him, Kawika was a person that I looked up to, respected and admired. I often boasted about him and his many talents. Not only was he a firefighter (a heroic occupation in itself) but the man could cook, bake and was quite the artist. It was hard to believe that this soft-spoken local boy from Honokai Hale was so multi-faceted!

Kawika was also one of the hardest working people I knew. It was his dream to become a firefighter and he pushed himself relentlessly to reach that goal until it became a reality. He served his community proudly and many individuals benefited from that service. From the number of fire department personnel that were present at the funeral, it was clear that he was without a doubt a valued member of that organization.

Kawika leaves behind a legacy of 6 children (5 of them with my sister.) After his passing, I promised myself that I would help to raise them as if they were my own. It pains me to see them sad or crying because their father is no longer here but all I can do is hold them and tell them that everything will be okay as I fight back my own tears. Sometimes it can be really difficult to put up the strong façade and I’m not afraid to admit it. But when I feel the sadness creeping up, I try to focus on the happy memories; there sure are a lot of them.

Wherever he is, I hope Kawika realizes how much he is loved and missed by many. In my opinion, he made pretty good use of the 34+ years he spent here. His accomplishments, whether publicized or not, are a testament to that fact. While the pain of losing a dear friend at such a young age may fade over time, his memory will not. My family and I will continue to live our lives as best we can while keeping him in our thoughts. With all of us here to assist, his children will develop into individuals that he can be proud of, I’m sure.

It’s way too easy to think about death and sadness at a time like this. To disregard those feelings isn’t human, I think. But to push through the pain and sorrow by concentrating on the fond memories and good times to come takes inner strength that I struggle to muster up every day. I’m sure that my sister, my family and Kawika’s family feel the same way. I, for one, plan to use this experience to make myself stronger.

Like fire tempers steel, adversity does the same to our resolve. With that strength we can honor Kawika’s memory…and celebrate his life.

Kawika Sterling Ing
July13, 1974 - October 23, 2008

[IMPACT] Ministries: The first week

I really don't think I could have said it any better...

http://jennifer-andtheansweris.blogspot.com/search/label/Impact

Check out the link above for a glimpse into our launch of summer youth ministry. Thanks Jenn!