A new candidate

We have decided to support a new candidate for Connecticut’s House of Representatives. Since she is not in our voting district, we don’t have to worry about ANYTHING! No one can get mad at us for supporting her, we can’t vote for her! No one getting mad because we aren’t volunteering to make phone calls for their candidate, they can’t get mad because we are too busy to attend their event, nope, no one can get mad at us! And at the same time they will have to make excuses for us! Hip hip hooray!

I’m going to be her scheduler, and so everything has to be run by me, so that I can make sure that our candidate has the time to devote to each event. So, she and we shall be VERY busy as time goes by. Stay tuned to more info.

Volcano

Have you heard the latest about Iceland? There is SO much ash from the volcano that it has spread from Iceland’s air waves to now be over the air waves in England, Scotland, France, Finland, Sweden, should I go on? They say that it’s as bad as the ashes that they had from 9/11, something that as an American I never thought about. Poor people breathing the dust from the volcano, does it smell bad? I thought pure fire has no smell, right? I wonder if something more is up, since some people don’t believe in global warming, I wonder what will be next!

Well I've gone a done it again

I guess I must LOVE keeping busy, I just volunteered to be the scheduler for a candidate who is running for a state reps position. She is a great woman, young, but now a day, most good people, including the president, are younger than me! Man, does that really make me feel old! Anyway, I really have a good feeling about my candidate! She is a teacher who teaches special ed, she has gone to law school, I’m not sure exactly where she stands on that now. She served on common council before, and almost won a second term, got beat by 6 votes. Anyway, plan on my being VERY busy.

Right now I’m on 3 ½ hrs sleep, and that’s a bad day. I just want to stay up till 10pm, so maybe I will get a good night sleep!

Earthquakes again??

I'm really starting to get worried, is anyone else? First there is a major earthquake in Haiti, then one in Chile, and then we have a lot of them in Indonesia and even one in Mexico close to the states. It’s as if the world is taking turns shaking up the citizens who live on its planet. The Pacific Ring of Fire is right on tract, and seems to be working overtime, and frankly I’m worried. What is up? Even Iceland has a volcano that seems to be growing at an alarming speed, next thing you know we will have lost an island to something like that. I know that whatever is meant to be will happen, but does that mean that I should not worry?

Where are you from?

I’m lucky, my brother has done an extensive research on our genetics, and we have found out that on my mother’s side, we are descendents of a king of France and a queen of England! Cool isn’t it? Since my brother had to use the Mormon registry for most of the work that was done Not that I don’t believe my own brother, but since this is SO important, he wanted to make sure it was done right. On my father’s side we go right away back into Finland and pretty much stay there, shucks!

Where are you from, have any idea? Watching the tv program, one tends to start dreaming about their past.

Census 2010 again?

Yesterday, April 1st, we got something from the Census Bureau, so since we were leaving for a long weekend in VT, I put it in my purse and we took off. About a half an hour later, I opened it up and found it was the same form we had already completed and returned 2 weeks ago! (Refer blog 3/17/10) Was I ever mad! I dialed the 1-866 number and after 10 minutes of answering a computer’s questions, I got a REAL girl! I explained about us getting a duplicate census form, she started by asking us if we had returned the original form. When she learned that we had returned it the same days as it was received, she told us to disregard it in the easiest way possible. I then told her that we were tax payers, and I was concerned about the cost of sending me a 2nd form, if they sent it to me, than they had to have sent it to others as well, right? And when she wouldn’t answer me, I got a bit angry, not at her, but at the census bureau in general. So, I got off the phone and called Washington, DC and asked to speak to my congressman! I knew he really wasn’t there; congressmen and senators are in recess for two weeks, but I want to let them know how I felt about the census bureau. And it turned out that my congressman was on the other phone, I told them all about it, and left my number with them, even though I knew I won’t be getting a call back. But it still bothers me, after all, the postage, the time, both theirs and ours, make the government look INEPT! The next thing they will do is send a census person around and stop to ask us questions, and I will become unglued! And the bad part is that I worked the census in 2000 and got probably 20 people jobs with the census bureau this time! With today’s technology, why can’t we file the census on line? I think I’m going to talk to my Congressman again! O no!!

Has it stopped raining yet?

We have had the worst rainfall in maybe recorded history. Every single city in CT is sweating major flooding. My house, which is on a hill, has had so much rain that the water table has started to flood our basement, because we had a crack in the floor. My son, who lives in the basement, is sick and was at the ER getting some medical attention. After 4 hrs, we (him & me) finally got home when he finds out all his belongings are drenched! He is on heavy antibiotics and pain killers, can’t stand up because he has been sick for over a week, he is the one that has to wet vac the basement! At 11pm all he wanted to do was sleep, but we got the basement kinda dry, but because it is the water table itself that is flooded, then EVERYONE can get water in Norwalk.

At least we don’t have it as bad as Eastern Connecticut, they have evacuation going on. As this is being written, most of Rhode Island has been declared a national disaster. Please say a prayer for those people tonight.

Weather in New England

As the saying goes 'if you don't like the weather just wait, it will change in a few minute.' We are having the strangest weather lately. First we get rain and wind like has never been felt here before. Trees down, electricity out for almost a week, schools closed because of lines down for ONE WEEK! Then the temperature goes up to 70’s almost 80 in middle of the next week.. What is going on? We have coastal flooding again, and more rain for the next couple days. I’m ready for spring, but REALLY?

They say that, because of global warming, our weather is all mixed up. I know that there are islands in the Pacific that have disappeared, what’s up with that? Polar bears dying because they don’t have enough ice to float on to live. Their cubs can’t make it and I wish I knew what we, as a NATION, could do. Do you?

Something new to play with

My loving husband bought me a brand new Bluetooth FM modulator to be used in the car. My son put it in yesterday. It is SO neat! When my cell phone rings while I’m driving all I have to do is change the radio cannel (FM of course) hit the green mark that looks like a phone on the device, and I can listen to whomever it is that called me! And they can hear me fine! No not answering the phone, no answering the phone and being afraid that I may have to pull over to talk, not having to worry about other drivers talking, nothing like that! And as I drive around, it always bothered me that other drivers who have a cell phone have it in their hands talking away! I always get so nervous, and since the stats are on my side, why not spend $50 for a device. My husband got one for me, why can’t everyone who doesn’t have a hands free device get one?

League of Woman Voters

The League of Woman Voters has an important meeting Thursday night. Seems that the president has not been doing what the League has always been responsible for. Remember last year when my husband attended a forum that was put on by the League of Woman Voters? It was so bad it was laughable; the only person who EVEN sounded like he knew what they were talking about was my husband and two other people. It was REIDCULOUS!! And what was even worst, the LWV didn’t even know what to do, because of the president!

The state has now stepped in, and as the STATE they are coming down to Norwalk and making the president explain what is going on. Wonder what the end result will be. Stay tuned for more info.

Is this the final Health Care Reform?

It's the night before the vote in the House, for or against the President’s bill on Health Care. There seems to be a lot wrong with this bill, some things right, but where do you make a decision? There are those who are against abortion, and the bill promotes paying for abortions. I have always been Pro-Choice, I don’t know whether or not I could have made a choice if I would have gotten pregnant while dating, but I believe that it is a WOMAN’S choice, not a man’s .

It has to be rough, deciding something for the ENTIRE country based on your feelings. I thought that ANYONE elected into office had to vote the way ALL of the people wanted them to vote, did something happen? Maybe they have forgotten that, and we, the voters will have to remember that come November.

It shall be interesting to watch tonight, guess I’d better turn on the tv.

Man am I mad

Tuesday night was my first Electors meeting of the Second Taxing District. An Elector is anyone who gets either electric or water from SNEW (South Norwalk Electric and Water) and is a registered voter. As it is, we only need 15 people to attend, and that includes the 7 commissioners and 1 treasurer that were elected by the Second Taxing District! Imagine my surprise when we couldn’t even get 15 people to show up! Three of the commissioners couldn’t make it, with no reason, our treasurer included, in fact I had my husband and also a common councilman, and our chairwoman had her husband and that was it! The first time in 10 years that we had to reschedule our Electors meeting. And its’ not much, we just have to pass the budget for the next year!!

So, the clerk has to put the new date in the newspapers (costs roughly $300) , she and another person will have to be there for at least 1 hr (2 hrs x $16 is $32) someone had to take down the chairs, etc. and someone will have to set them up again (2 hrs x $16 is $32 again) Then, even though we own the electricity, we still have to pay for it, right? Wonder how much that costs? And all because we couldn’t get 6 people to show up! And because of this, we, the electric department has to reschedule a meeting that might have only taken 10 minutes.

Then are people who always complain that the electricity is too expensive, well we are the CHEAPEST in the entire state! Bar no one! You would think that they would have shown up at least. O well, what you gonna do, it’s a bad state of affairs when no one comes to a yearly meeting.

Census 2010

Well we got to do the short form today. 10 minutes and my husband was done. In 2000 I worked for the census bureau and I got to go and talk to the nice people in Salisbury, Maryland. It was really neat, not one family was mean or rude to me. I did see a house that was probably a drug lab, so I got to give it a pass, but everything I did was with the approval of the census bureau. Right now they are still giving tests, because they NEED people, but since they are offering over $22 an hour, how can anyone say no to this? And, I have been told from people in Washington, that even Section 8 people can do the census! What I hate, more than anything, is that some people are afraid of working and actually making money and getting out of Section 8!

I wonder if the President was done his 2010 Census yet. Bet not.

It was a rough weekend

The rain started Friday with some wind. But by Saturday the wind around here was 60 - 70 mph! I was watching my neighbor's house, as it was raining so hard I could almost not see his place, when suddenly his lights started to go off and on and then they went out! As my lights where on, I was a bit worried but then we realized that his trees had come down and were in his electricty lines! I sent the guys over to make sure he was ok, but his house was spared. The electrict company came out in the wind, to make sure the lines weren't sparking, with the promise to get electricity turned back on. We went to bed and the electricity went off all around. My son said he saw where a lady the next block over had a tree into her car. But, the power came back within 2 hrs. But all things considered, we were lucky! My neighbor has lost two stately pine trees, they are down all around his house, but his house was spared.

A new pet peeve

Is it my imagination or are the news media getting a bit sloppy? On one of the three local channels we have an almost dumb blond girl who gives the road conditions, drinking either tea, coffee, soda, water, something while she is on TV. She walks around the TV studio, on camera, sometimes carrying her drink. I have been watching her from her beginning and I wish someone could tell her how unprofessional that is. You don't see the BIG news reporters like, ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox, walking around with a coffee or tea in THEIR hands.

Just my pet peeve for the week.

This will be coming out later this summer..

This will be in our HHT news letter this summer, figured I'd let you look at it first!

Mary Geake has no prior experience with legislative advocacy, just a passion to help the HHT Foundation. Mary’s long history with HHT began at the age of nine with frequent nosebleeds. She remembers her father and two brothers visiting an ENT who told them their bloody noses were due to Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome. In 1983, Mary had her first operation to stop her nose bleeds – a skin graft from her arm was put up her nose. This helped stop the bleeding for almost 8 years. Then in 1991, at the age of 36, she suffered a massive stroke when the CAVM in her brain burst. “They thought I was dying and gave me last rites,” said Mary. Determined to be around to raise her three boys, she learned to walk and do everything without the use of her right side.
In 2000, Mary started having problems breathing. She ended up in a hospital where after a lot of testing doctors told her she had Osler-Weber-Rendu again or HHT. “What did my bloody nose have to do with my lungs?” questioned Mary. Determined to get answers, she reached out to the HHT Foundation for help. She soon found out everything she needed to know about this rare disorder. Since that time, Mary has had three embolisms on her lungs. She continues to have bloody noses, and has spinal pain so bad that she has been on a morphine pump since 2005. “I have a lot wrong with my body,” says Mary.
In a quest to meet others with HHT, she attended her first Regional Network Alliance meeting in January 2009 and was stunned to read in our literature that the HHT Foundation does not receive any federal funding. “Once I realized this I knew I had to do something. My husband and I traveled to Washington, DC last June to attend the HHT Foundation’s “Capitol Hill Day.” Armed with knowledge, we secured an appointment with Rep. Jim Himes from Connecticut’s 4th congressional district and shared our story of how HHT has affected our family. He listened and signed the authorization bill declaring June 2009 as the first National HHT Awareness Month, a first step in the plans obtain federal funding for HHT.
Since then Mary has continued her pursuit of federal funding for HHT. She has contacted the office of Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro from Connecticut’s 3rd congressional district who serves on the Labor-Health and Human Service-Education Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. DeLauro lives in New Haven, Connecticut just miles from Yale University where one of the best HHT doctors in the world, Dr. Robert I. White, is located. “My goal is to get her into the Yale HHT Center to see the facility and see the good work that is being done there.” When asked what others can do to get involved, Mary believes we need to pull together to create awareness for this disease that affects so many family members. She wants people to know the warning signs and get tested. Mary struggles with her own family members refusing to be tested. “These tests are expensive,” says Mary. “We need national attention for people to realize their importance.” “Television shows such as ‘Dr. Oz’ and ‘The Doctors’ could be powerful vehicles to create awareness for HHT. “If 150 people send an e-mail to the producers requesting an episode about HHT, we might be heard.” In Mary’s words, “If we come together, we can do so much.” Mary Geake and her husband, Michael, live in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Ok, so now you know all about me, if you wanted to know that is!

A strange suggestion

It seems to me, that there needs to be a change. If you are going to run for ANY political position in a city, state, you have to be a home owner. I mean, why would we want to vote for someone who rents and can leave at any time, right? If raising taxes doesn't affect the person who vote for them, but doesn't have to pay them, isn't this a conflict of interest? Since our economy is so shaky right now, I started to look at what our own city has. The mayor just got a condo, so he has only been ok for only about a year. But with Common Council, there are 15 members, 5 Democrats, 10 Republican, right? Well, I know for a fact that there are 2 people who rent, 1 from each party. Since I don't know several others, I'm not sure about the rest.

And then there is Chris Shay. When he was running for Congress, he had a home in CT but his family lived in DC which meant he rented it, maybe for a loss, but I don't think so. When he lost, he sold both homes and moved into a new home in MD. Now that he is thinking of running again, he is looking to rent a place in Bridgeport, CT. I feel that if you're gonna run, you have to have something to loose too. It's only fair, right?

Maybe if EVERYONE had something to loose when they vote, the votes would mean more to the voters, what do you think?

Another earthquake

Now we have an earthquake in Chile, a 8.8! That's 500 times more sever than the quake that hit Haiti. 500 times worst than something like that. Because their government has stepped in, we are really getting hardly anything, just the minimum of information. But with Haiti, their government dissolved and millions of people are left homeless with no one to help them, at least not on a political level. Sometimes I think about what I have heard and read about Nostradamus. His reading indicate that there will be a lot of natural disasters before the end is at hand. I just wonder if that's true? After all, when something like this happens it really makes us realize that we have no control over most of life, that we live and die just as easily as all of them.

It's my birthday today.

Today is my birthday. I am 55 years old. Strange thing is, I was born in 1955, so I was born in '55 and I'm 55, right? I'm pretty young, all things considered, but there may not be a lot of people who get to share their birthdays with their birth year anymore. I mean, my sons will be in their 70's before they can say that they are as old as their birth year. And my grandchildren, they may never get to say that their age is equal to their birth year. I mean, who is gonna live to be '05 or 105 years! Just something strange to think about. Think about it, what do you think?

It's was snowing again

I'm lucky, when the weather gets bad, my husband can work from home. Friday at 5am he got a e-mail from the 2nd man in charge of his whole company, who said' have a good snow day, work from home, to everyone! So he did!

We have had some weird weather so far, rain then snow then heat so that all the snow starts to melt again. Isn't it strange, in some ways the weather is like politics, just when you think that you understand what is happening, they throw a monkey wrench into it and you have to start all over again.

It was kinda kewl today

We must be kind of important people, I mean, we got 2 important phone calls today. Just Dan Malloy the past mayor of a major city, who is running for governor and then George Jepsen, an attorney, who is running for Attorney General! Both of them wanted to talk to me and Mike. Mike talked for about 10 minutes with each of them, and they asked for our support. It was a bit strange, two phone calls within a half hour of each other? Mike thinks that the candidates just go the official list of each cities Democratic Town Committee Members! And here I thought they just missed us! LOL But, this election will be REALLY interesting, Ned Lamont wants to be governor, we have good guys who want to be Senators, it shall be different. Let's hope it's a clean election, already there are rumors that it is getting NASTY!

Now we need health care quick..

On Wednesday night my 29 year old son tried to snowboard in a field at midnight. Guess what, he broke or tore his left clavicle! Didn't get home from the hospital till early Thursday morning and he gave me papers about a follow up. That's when the fun began. I called the first number, because the hospital referred us to them. They said that they have to get paid before they will see him. Now, my son has no job, has no money, lives with us, but has nothing to even sell for money. The hospital, the doctors office and the clinc's office all have reasons to NOT see my son, but at the same time have no idea what I can do to help him. As he is still in AGONY I have to figure that it is torn and will have to have surgery to correct it. I even got him the state form for insurance, but they won't cover him, this time! Now what do I do, any ideas? I made an appointment at the original Orthopedic Surgeon's office and will ask to speak to the office manager if it get's bad. But, and here is the problem, if we HAD HEALTH CARE implemented NOW it wouldn't be such a problem now! And I'm one of 100,000 with the same problem nationwide. Torn cartilage or tendons and no one will look at me because we don't have insurance!

Olympics to date

My husband was watching the downhill snow boarding and he started talking about what it was like in VT in the '60's. He remembers when all of the kids would take lunch trays and go outside and do their own sort of snowboarding. They would just got over major highways as they tried to be the best of the day and make the best trail ever! Watching the snowboarding now just doesn't seem the same. Wonder what other neat winter Olympics my husband will teach me? Any of you ever have anything like this happen to them?

First meeting

Well we had the 2nd Taxing District meeting Tuesday night. It was cold, snowing, but because we had an attorney coming to talk to us, we had to hold the meeting. But since the train station has a parking garage and we own a condo in the train station, we were able to park there and not worry about the snow during the meeting. The meeting started at 7pm and we didn't get out till almost 10pm. Three executive sessions later I now remember why so many other people said that they never wanted to be doing what I am so happy to be doing! Different strokes for different folks I guess!

Spent the first 1 1/2 hrs on the budget, man I am so glad that we have such a great general manager! He makes the budget almost able to be understood, and that's from a rookie (me). The others understand him in ways that I expect I will a lot faster, since my husband heard all this for 4 yrs and therefor so did I! It's just that now it is MY responsibility to understand everything, thats all.

I still think that we are lucky to have our own electric and water company, I wonder how many others are so lucky?

Guardian Angels

When my husband was a common councilman back several years ago, he got word that, because of violence in Norwalk, people wanted to get the Guardian Angels involved. As he had heard of them, but really had no factual information, he called the Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa to get some info. We were in CA visiting my grandchildren when he called my husband back, and they talked for about an hour as we were driving up I-5 (if you live in CA you would know that this road goes from Mexico to Canada).

Mike wanted some info and after awhile invited Sliwa to come talk at his Health, Welfare, Public Safety and Emergency Management Committee Meeting has he felt that if people were talking about the Guardian Angels and wanting them, then he a chairman of the committee, should get them together so that the people can talk to them and find out what they are all about.

My husband tried to get a hold of the mayor, but it was after 5pm EST so he figured he would call him from the airport tomorrow. We never got a hold of the mayor till Monday morning when my husband was at work. At that time the mayor was kinda in a good mood, he seemed a bit excited. He hung up and he called the chef of police, then the shit hit the fan. He called back yelling at Mike, telling him that they didn't need the
Guardian Angels and that he, the mayor, would make my husband's life miserable if Guardian Angels and founder Curtis Sliwa came into HIS city.

The mayor and chief of police did make Mike's and the Guardian Angels' life bad, but they are used to that, so they just kept patrolling and trying to recruit people who wanted to be Guardian Angels. Because Mike did not want to bring politics into the picture, he stepped out, so that they (the bad guys) couldn't say it was for one political party or another.
(Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa is VERY different, listen to him sometime, he has a radio program in NYC).

After some time I learned that they were back in Norwalk today, and I hope that they can stay. The police know what they will and won't do, and even though the chief of police is against them, 95% of cops are glad they're here too. Police can only patrol so many streets, so many business, so many areas in a given day without writing reports, heaven knows how they do all that they do with there only being 8 hrs a day. If they can get another set of eyes and ears out there, what can it hurt? Nothing! Sure wish the chief could see it that way. Make life much easier, that's for sure!

Temple Grandin

I watched a fantastic movie on HBO today, it was 'Temple Grandin' the story of an autistic teenager who visits her aunt's cattle ranch and discovers her calling with animal husbandry and animal science. How to overcome her challenges with autism, which back in the 1950's was unheard of. Back then they would be institutionalized because no one knew what was wrong with them. As I have never had a child that was diagnosed with autism, this was one of the first movies that I really understood. I feel so moved by the movie I hope that each and everyone of you (if there is any one who read this) get a chance to watch this. Again, I have never even studied autism before but I know that there are so many different forms of it, but in some ways it is indeed a gift that some people get to enjoy.

I wish everyone who has a child with special needs, watched 'Temple Grandin' and someday can say .' my child turned out to be as good or even better that what Temple Garndin did!'

Health Care

My husband has been sick since before Christmas, in fact ever since he got the regular flu shot! Because he works two states away, he didn't want to carry anything home to us, so he got the flu shot. He was even concerned about one of our grandchildren who comes and spends the weekend with us. Since I don't get exposed to as many people as he does, he thought he was doing the right thing. But now, it has been over 2 months and he is STILL sick. How do you tell the doctor that he has been sick for so long? As it is he won't go o a doctor, he's too miserable! Remember when the federal government told us that they were working to get health care for everyone, what happen to that? Or are they like my husband, too sick to do anything about it. Let hope he gets some help soon, hope they get straightened out soon too.

Just got..

Just got my 1st Second Taxing District Regular Meeting agenda & notes on what we will be discussing & guess what..I got the South Norwalk Electric and Water's proposed budget too! All 300 pages of the budget! That I have to read and understand by Tuesday! So..I don't think I will be on the computer much except when I take a break reading! Wish me well, will let you know how it turns out later!

South Norwalk Parking

I got this letter yesterday and after thinking alot about what to say, I responded. Tell me what you think of this:

'I am writing today to express my displeasure with the parking situation in South Norwalk. Specifically I am writing about my parking experience in the North Water Street lot this weekend (the Imax Theatre lot). I went down to Donovan's on Friday night with a group of friends for dinner and drinks, and paid my $5 for the maximum parking in the lot. As a group, we spent over $700 at Donovan's. Because I had too much to drink, I did what I though was the responsible thing, and did not drive home. First thing in the morning when I returned I had a $50 parking ticket on my car for overnight parking. I find that to be completely outrageous. The pay to park situation in South Norwalk is terrible to begin with in my opinion. I understand it is a large revenue source for the City of Norwalk, but it is also a deterrant to going down to SoNo to spend money at the restaurants and retailers. But my larger problem is to punish someone for being responsible. With the effort the police department makes to crack down on drinking and driving in an area of large alcohol consumption, to fine people $50 for not drinking and driving seems absurd. I learned two lessons on Saturday morning...if I had driven home drunk I would not have gotten a ticket, or if I went to Westport where you can park for free and leave your car overnight, I could have spent $700 there. I'm sure the latter is not something the business people of South Norwalk would like to hear. Lastly, a $50 fine for this offense seems awfully excessive as well. Where many of the fines in South Norwalk are $25, for this to be $50 seems out of proportion. I understand the idea is to make plowing easier, however, with the exception of maybe 7-10 nights a year, that is completely irrelevant. I think this is a very poorly thought out rule, that completely disregards the reality that a large part of SoNo's income is based on drinking. I can promise I will not be returning down there, and I will encourage others to not bring their business there as well, as long as this stays in place. '

This was my responce:


'As a commissioner of the Second Taxing District I am responsible for the municipal electric and water department of the Second Taxing District only, so as a commissioner I have no control over what the city does, but I am appalled at what has happen to you. Therefore, I have forwarded this e-mail to the following common council persons for some kind of action to be done on their part. I have also forwarded it to the mayor and suggest that you contact the press to get involved. I applaud you on your choice to not drive that night, and wish that I had an answer for you right now. Just know that YOU did the right thing, but the city let you down. Any question or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me again.'

Well, what do you think?

It's snowing! It's snowing!

After not getting even a drop of snow starting Saturday, when DC ended up getting 2 1/2 feet, I figured we would NEVER get snow. Even when NJ got so much, my husband's job didn't get a drop either, and he works in NJ, just up by NYC, I was sure that someone just didn't like us. But then Mike, who actually watches the weather channel for stuff that only experts would understand, when he got excited about the weather coming, I got nervous. What if we lost our power, would there be enough wood for the fireplace close enough for Mike to get? What about the cell phones, were they charges? What about.. I kept thinking and checking to make sure if the worst happen we would be prepared. It didn't start snowing much till 3:00 am, Mike got up at 4:30 am and it was snowing good. He worked from home and he would tell the boys what to except in the next couple of hours, and it would happen. All day long! As of now, it's still snowing, we should get about 16 inches, as we had 8 inches at 5 pm & they are calling for JUST Fairfield county to get 16 inches, ever other county might only get 4 to 6 inches. The first time this year that we got more snow than any other county in CT. Wonder how everyone else is doing today?

Middletown Powerplant Explosion

When I saw the news this morning I got scared. See, we lived near TMI (Three Mile Island) and I was afraid that it might be a nuclear melt down all over again. Until I found out it was the gas line going into an electrical plant I kept changing the channel to get more info. Believe it or not, the internet was more of a source of info than any of the news media. Isn't it strange that my computer had more info than tv. What is this world coming to, what must the world be coming to? I pity the lower man who does not have access to our new (?) way of communications. I'm afraid that they will be lost in the shuffle, what do you think?

Psychic or ???

Last night I had a phone reading by a world renowned psychic and it was almost a mean reading. He said that I was very angry, had been like that for almost 10 years. That I had a feeling of hopelessness around me. Said that my sister or my daughter or a someone coming back into my life who was like a sister to me. That the last 3 yrs or 36 months have made me worst. It was funny as ahead of time I was supposed to give him my birthday and special 3 numbers, and then he never even wanted them. He did say that he didn't see me dying any time soon (Good) but other than that I went away thinking that if he were so good, why did he get me so wrong? He did think that I must be old, after I told him that I had a stroke in '91, he started talking about my listening to the diet that the doctor had put me on (wrong) and about diabetics and taking the medicine and eating only what the doctor told me to eat (wrong again). Since my doctors won't put me on a diet, that can't be right. And, diabetics is not in our family (well my brother has it, but he is the only one in my family history) I am now wondering what the psychic business is all about. Any ideas?


Update: My brother called and told me that he did not have diabetes, so even that was wrong!

I have a question..

I have a question, do you want to get your electric at a cheaper rate? Seems that some guy from Ontario, CA thought he would be able to help me, here in Norwalk, CT. It didn't matter that we don't need electricity at a cheaper rate, as we, the 2nd Taxing District, have a municipal electric company which sells it's electricity at the cheapest rate in the state, no he just kept talking. It's like the people trying to sell to us never listen, they just keep reading!

Then this evening the phone rang and I went to answer it and the caller ID said 'It is a fraud'! I was so surprised, realized that even the phone company knows that it will be a person trying to sell me something that is a fraud. If they know this, why can't they block the calls or something like that?

Honorable Susan Bysiewicz, Secretary of State

In case you were not aware, our Secretary of State, Susan Bysiewicz wants to run for Attorney General. But, there in lies the problem. As someone wanting to run for any office, they first have to meet the qualification, right? And it seems that Susan has not be an working attorney for 10 years, as required by the law set up in CT. She says that she has been working as the Secretary of State on attorney matters, but she has not done what the letter of the law wants. So is she in or out? She says she is in, but anyone running against her can use this to their advantage, so what does this say about our secretary of state? Someone who will run for anything, but then always settle for the position that she already has?

An early Valentine's memory

When I was 4 years old & my mom was pregnant, I said that I wanted a party for Valentine's Day, but Mom said that we might not be able to have one, this time. I was so upset! Early Valentine's Day I got out of bed, to ask my mom if we could PLEASE have a party and she was gone! I couldn't find her anywhere! Was I pissed! After a lousy dinner my dad picked me up and said that Mom had a surprise for me! He took me to the hospital, and since we couldn't go inside, as I was too little, we had to stand outside and look up as Mom held up a BABY! Mom had gotten me a baby brother for Valentine's Day! My own Valentine's present! No one could beat that! And now, 50 years later, I tell my brother each year, that he was MY VALENTINE'S PRESENT first and he'd better not forget it!

It is so cold outside..

that people are putting on two coats and still getting frost bite! Check out the web page I have included. Lots of funny things to see. At a time where there are very few things that make a person smile or even laugh, one has to take advantage of them whenever they come around!

Enjoy!

http://oncommonground.blogspot.com/2009/01/it-is-so-cold-outside.html

Well it is official

I am Commissioner of the 2nd Taxing District! Hip hip hooray for me! LOL
Just wanted to let you know how happy I am, wouldn't it be wonderful if everything could be this easy! Not that this was easy, but now that it's done it was easier than much of what we have been through these last 10 months!

Have to start looking at things to say about water! Will keep you informed!

Well it's taken me some time..

to pick up the computer and write again. I am so upset at all the men and a women that let us both down, I know that there will be some major changes. My husband has decided to step out of politics in our area completely. After what has been done to both of us, so am I. The ONLY thing that I will be involved in as a commissioner of the 2nd Taxing District's water and electric department. Since I LOVE the water department I want to make my job one of the best ever. I want to, as soon as I get swore in tomorrow afternoon, start putting together small sayings about our water, to go out on the bill, so that people can actually get information from a bill! Like " Did you know that you can save money by NOT buying bottled water? Since our own tap water is purer than ANY bottled water, you can fill a jug from home and use it all day long at work." After all isn't saving money the whole idea? Will let you know how tomorrow turns out!

Racists still alive in my town

After what happen last night I'm not sure what to think. Let me explain a little bit. My husband and I have been working,living, protecting, listening to and working for the common good of our district since we move into our area in 2003. We went to our first meeting within 5 days of moving. As we have gone to ALMOST 90% of the meetings in 7 years, we have some experience when it comes to problems. We were always what I thought, ABOVE political games that are played in our and others areas. We never though that the games would be played on US. But I digress, here's what happen from my husband's facebook page:

"I was at a meeting last night where political games were played to make sure a white (me) was not elected to a leadership post in a "minority district". Later, Dr. King was quoted criticizing a majority white district as racist for only nominating white candidates in the last election. If the white district was being racist, why wasn't the black?"

We have been listening to complaints about districts in our city that have not elected minority personnel for elected positions since November. After watching it happen before my own eyes, I am still at wonder how anyone gets anything done anymore.

Please explain how it happen, I'm not sure what to do next, right now it hurts so much!

Ok now I can tell you..

Tonight I was endorsed by the DTC for the position of commissioner of the 2nd taxing District! In the December 15th blog I talked about the water department and how proud I was of this water treatment plant, remember? Well I knew then that I was being considered for the position, but would not tell anyone, didn't want to jinx it! Truthfully I had decided during the summer that I was going to run for a position this fall. Then, we lost a great man, Otha Brown, Jr. and a seat was made available. As I had been going to the 2nd Taxing District meetings for 3 years before my husband became a common councilman 2 years ago, I had more experience than anyone that the DTC could think of real fast. So, after waiting for formal announcement of a vacancy, we then had to approach the DTC tonight for my endorsement, and I got in!

If you want to read about the 2nd Taxing District or SNEW (South Norwalk Electric and Water) go to: www.snew.org

I can hardly wait till I get sworn in, will let you know when it is official! Ecckk!!

Martin Luther King Jr Day today

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/special/mlk/index.html

I beileve that without Dr Martin King Jr. we might still be fighting for civil rights on a daily basics. He made all people become aware that civil rights were something that EVERYONE is entitled to.

Spend some time reading about MLK Jr to see what his life and death was all about. Because I was so little when he died (still at home with my brothers) I will never really know how powerful a person he was. I just remember that my dad, who worked for a big company about 25 miles from the house, opened up our home to those that were afraid to go to their homes, in the city, because of all the fires and looting that occurred when he was killed.

Would each of us open our homes to someone if their lives were in danger now? Maybe my dad was doing some thing more than just being nice, maybe he CARED about his co-workers, and wanted to make sure that they were ok, what do you think?

Happy Birthday Mike

Today is my husband's birthday, man is he getting OLD! Makes me think about all the things that we have seen in our short lives, from computers being one whole floor in the '60's to being something that we hold with just tip of our finger in 2010. From a country at a war that never was declared a war (Vietnam War) to a country that's in a war with no name (Bush's Folly or maybe another name that I don't know about yet). To cigarettes costing 20 cents in the '60's to almost $5.00 now. From using a slide rule to figure out complex math problems in the '60's to using a computer to figure out math problems that never existed before the dawn of the space shuttle! And the space program, remember when the first one, Sputnik 1 that went up in the sky for about 30 minutes (Oct 4,1957), and now we stay up in space on a space station for months at a time.

Make one wonder what the next 50 years will bring, will it get better or will it get worst? Only time will tell!

LET'S HELP MASSACHUSETTS or so they say

I have been getting e-mails, texting and facebook messages about Massachusetts and their coming election on Tuesday. In just 2 days, folks there will vote in a special election to pick their next senator. The race is coming down to the wire, and they have to do everything they can to ensure that progressive champion, Democratic Martha Coakley wins.

Unless they can get everyone to join together in this moment, Ted Kennedy's Senate seat could fall into the hands of Scott Brown, Martha's opponent and a right-wing reactionary who has sworn to defeat health insurance reform -- the late Senator's life's work. Do you think the Senator would be happy with all the earmarks that have been included in the bill?

I know that this election is important to our president, what happens if she doesn't get in and looses to him?

I wonder if everyone would be so worried about an election if it were being held at a regular time, like in November like most elections are.

This seems to be more about the health insurance bill than what even I am aware of, I wonder what all it actually has?

Well this is something new

I have been in a different kind of pain since Tuesday. Thought maybe I had hurt my back somehow, as the pain was BAD. After almost a week, I called my doctor and he said come right in. After waiting an hour (which seemed like forever) I saw him and guess what, I have a pinched sciatic nerve! That's why it was hurting me to sit, stand, walk, lay down, almost everything!

So, even when the pain seems to be unbearable, at least we are still alive, think about people who, through no fault of their own, are not with us right now. Say a prayer for everyone who has gone ahead of us and is waiting for us on the other side.

The disaster in Haiti

Since Tuesday evening when I got an tsunami alert telling me of a hurrican that had just occurred in Haiti, I have been watching, praying and crying in my own way for the hundreds of thousand of people who didn't make it. Watching everything unfold and realizing that it was a nation waiting for something like this to happen, makes this all seem so unreal, like in a movie, only thing is that even a movie never looks this bad.

They say the first 72 hours are most critical, it is more likely that someone could still be alive by clinging to life under their house, the school, the hospital, even on the street. The one thing that I can already see is that there is NO ONE TAKING CHARGE, no Haitian, no nobody. I know we have troops on scene, digging people out, but where are the directors, someone who can be the boss as there are a lot of worker bees ready to work, they just need a direction,someone to tell them where to go, what to do and who to report to.

Makes the training that we took at the fire station more real, makes us think that we have to get it right from the first day, we might never get a second chance to do it right. Scary isn't it. Just look at Haiti and say a prayer for those that have gone on ahead waiting for those who were left behind. They need our prayers too!

Can you believe this one?

This is the story of an elderly woman who took offense after the police or fire department had to take matters into their own hand when they couldn't wake her. I'm sorry, but for heavens sake, they were only doing their job! After all, if they would have found a dead body after breaking in, no one would even think of suing the city for it. They would say 'thank you for finding the body'. Maybe it's because I know of two recent cases where both people where found dead after the fire or law enforcement had to break in and find them. Maybe this woman is a bit dyslexic to not think about the whole picture. But again, maybe she is on a fixed income, but then the police or firemen or someone should come to her aid and help her. Why not take up a fund for her front door and locks rather than sue the city?

http://www.courant.com/community/manchester/hc-manchester-claim-0112.artjan12,0,172630.story

Ravens vs Patriots

I may live in the New England area, but when it comes down to it, whenever it is a football game between my home team, the Ravens and another team like the Patriots I am gonna go with the Ravens. And guess what, the Ravens won today! But let me digress a little bit, I was born in a town 50 miles from Baltimore, MD. My whole life we rooted for the Colts and then in the summer we rooted for the Orioles. When the Colts up and moved out in the middle of the night one night, I swore that I was off football for ever, but that lasted maybe two years. But, I never watched the Indianapolis Colts again, even when they turned out to be have on a winning streak this year. So, even though I am a politician from New England, I still rooted for the Ravens' and we won! We won, we won! Ok, I'll be quiet, just had to get it off my chest!

Snow today

You would think that we were in Chicago, it SNOWED ALL DAY LONG! That's right, it snowed 2 inches all day long. 18 hrs divided by 2 inches equals 1/9 an hour! Isn't that something! Might even make the pages if it weren't so silly! Only problem is, that it was never above freezing, so here is black ice and regular ice all over the streets.

Mike got up at 4:00 am and there was a tractor trailer that had closed down exit 15 on I-95 because of a bad accident. Well, because he gets on there, he figured it might not be the best thing for him to do, what with the ice and all, so he just worked from home today. He actually gets more work done here at home than even at work, so they never get upset wih him. And with him starting at 4:30 am or so, he's put in a full day before most people even get started!

See even having a snow day doesn't mean a bad day for everyone, some even get work done!

NDTC or Norwalk Democratic Town Committee

Well the elections are over. Some really good people running for re-election lost, and some nasty, mean people won. Isn't it a shame that even I can feel the shame of some of them winning? And I didn't vote for them, because they weren't in my district. O well, it will make for some interesting discussions this time! Maybe we will actually have people who want to be put on committees that will actually work for a change. I mean, last couple of years, there was an executive meeting that only met 3 times last year! (They are suppose to meet once a month!) There never was any committee to get anything done, and we wonder why we lost in the election? We couldn't even agree on what we wanted out of a mayor candidate!

I've already been told that the new group wants to have new committees like one for recruitment,to get more people involved in the party, one for fund raising year round, one for rules & regulations, one for just the elections, one for ... the list goes on, and they haven't even met yet! And this is just two new people with ideas on how to make a difference in the city!

Since I will not OFFICIALLY be on the DTC, I can' vote a the meeting, but guess what, I'm gonna go because my husband is going, and those people that don't like me will still have to put up with me! LOL And there is nothing they can do about it! So there! (That kinda sounds mean, doesn't it?)

Chris Dodd

I guess by now you have all heard that Senator Chris Dodd, the Democrat from CT, is not going to seek re-election. There is a lot of hooping and hollering in the streets right now, and it's not because they want him to stay, thats for sure. I'm sorry, but I think that EVERY elected position should ONLY be for 2 terms, that's it! From the President to the Governor to the Mayor to the lowest dog chatcher that had to get elected. Each and every one should only hod the position for 2 terms, then they should give up and let the position go to someone else. That way more people get involved in politics and there is a much broader bank of people to chose from at election time.

Chris Dodd has been in office for 35 years! He is on his 2nd wife, with fairly young children, wouldn't it be nice if he were to leave for his family?

Thank you Senator Dodd for what you have done in the past for the people of CT & the USA but I think it is time to let someone else have a chance to help people like you have done.

DTC members election

Each district, and we have 5 of them, get to elect 7 people to be on the town committee for the next 2 years. The reason I know so much about this group that till a few hours ago, I was running for a seat on the DTC. However, because they (the rules) only want 7 people from each district, I had to step down and let the others take my place. Problem is, two good people who should have stayed on and fight also stepped down, for the good of our district. I think we need to re-look at our rules. It's not fair to ask a good person to not get involved in politics if they want to, right?

A few years ago, we had 9 people from each district form the DTC but because of the indifference of a lot of strange people from each district, we very seldom had a quorum and there in lies the problem of the DTC, no one cared about what the DTC or any party had to say or do anymore. So, the party decided to make the membership 7 per district, maybe then the DTC could get a quorum. But now, because of what happen during the election, there are a lot of new people who want to get involved, and hat is a good thing. So why can't we go back to 9 people per district, or even make it more. if the people will be there. Isn't politics supposed to be something that EVERYONE is to feel proud of? It doesn't seem that my city has the full interest of the party at heart, any idea why?

Calendars

I am walking around picking up last year's calendars and throwing them away. But, then I realized that WE DON'T HAVE another calendar to replace them. In today's economy, businesses just aren't giving calendars away anymore.

My mother-in-law started working for an insurance company in 1957. Every year they gave her calendars, and even though she has been retired since 1987 they still continue to do so! That's because they care about the people who worked for them, so long ago. It is hard to find businesses still in business after 50 years.

My husband has worked for 5 different companies that have been merged out of existence. Maybe it is because he works for big computer companies, but what does that say about the small businesses? No where anymore does a small business even have a chance! Let alone a business who gives out calendars to their friends and employess and former employee too.

Isn't a shame that I will have to go out and buy 4 calendars to replace the calendars that we had last year? Maybe I'll wait, till the price goes down to 1/2 off, but by then the calendars will have been picked over and there won't be anything good left for me! O well!

Happy New Year 2010

Peace and Prosperity are in my wishes for all of you! Let's have fun together in 2010.