AM~Erica's Carnivorous Offspring

So anyway...

The other day when my teen children (that's right...I put the words "teen" & "children" together) were out doing their competitive events, our schedule was really thrown out of whack. Including what to do for dinner.

Well, when we decided we would be nice enough to pick up the teen girl from her choir outing, we figured we would grab dinner from somewhere while we were out. The teen girl, in the midst of her non-stop talking, and lil guy both VERY openly expressed their hunger & that we needed to stop & get something. Hubby & I weren't as hungry...so we were trying to make the kiddos wait a few extra minutes while we were hoping to get a little more hungry.

After we drove almost back to the house, and hearing the kids STILL complaining, hubby decided to stop at Chili's. YUM! Worked for me! Worked for the teen girl! And obviously worked for hubby, too. Lil guy? Not so much. He threw a fit. He said he wasn't going in...and then he swore he wouldn't eat. Whatever.

After scanning the menu, we all pretty much decided what we were getting. Yes, including lil guy. He was going to get a burger off the kid menu. Itty-bitty teen girl decided that a half rack of ribs was floating her boat. Hubby got a steak & I was in the mood for their chicken crispers. Then came time to order, and I started, then the teen girl ordered her ribs...

Now the story changes direction just a bit. Lil guy heard his big sis order the ribs & he was SOLD! However, there are no ribs offered on the kid menu. But now he doesn't want that burger. *sigh* So...we had to suck it up & let him order the half rack of ribs. Seriously. Then hubby ordered his steak.

After a bit of a wait, the food finally came. Everything looked good & in order. The only "downside" was that the teen girl used the entire extra stack of napkins to clean off the bbq sauce from her ribs. D'oh! And we began to consume our meals...

Before we knew it, lil guy had completely downed his half rack of baby back ribs. Sauce & all! He was so delighted in eating those...and talk about a hungry boy! Well then, the teen girl was complaining that she was getting too full & she still had 4 ribs to go. Lil guy took over 2 of those. Plus...he mooched to big bites of hubby's steak. He's tall for being 7 & all...but we still don't know where all that meat went. When our waiter came back to the table, he overheard us making a big deal out of everything lil guy ate. Our waiter thought we were over-exaggerating, I think. Once we confirmed to him that we weren't...our waiter got a look on his face like someone had just slapped him in the face out of the blue. Hilarious.

After that outing, and we were still making a big deal about our little carnivore, a couple of days later the teen kids had a thing going at church, so it was just hubby, lil guy & me. When we asked lil guy if he had any ideas of what to do for dinner, he said he wanted to go out. He made a list of fast food joints, of course, which is something hubby & I were not willing to do. However, lil guy wanted to go to Wendy's. 'Why', you ask? So he can try the Baconator! I can't make this stuff up, folks.

So...we have a serious carnivore on our hands...and he's only 7.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Continues Pushing Purple Politics

So anyway...

I still stress that I am SO not a political person. But it is in my face so much lately...it really ticks me off. You may be aware of where I stand in this stuff if you read my recent politic soapbox the other day. Are we clear? Even if we are...I got more...

I found it interesting, as 'The Hunger Games' craze is getting going, that Yahoo! had an article on the politics of 'The Hunger Games'.

Did you find that interesting? So...the parties are now getting to the point of arguing about what party this story is based on? You are absolutely blind if you don't see it's brilliantly about the government. Not a party specifically.

After I saw this article, it was even more interesting a piece of trivia I heard later...

Once in a while, hubby likes to give a trivia quiz, of sorts, to the kids during dinnertime. A lot of times it's about history, but sometimes there's other subjects involved. And most of the kids love it - the boys, specifically. A couple of smarty-pants kids that follow in their dad's footsteps. Teen boy is our history buff. It's freaky. Tonight, the kids (the boys) wanted quizzing during dinner. Instead, teen boy threw one out there & ended up doing the explaining. He was reviewing early American politics & how the early parties consisted of the Federalists and...brace for it...wait for it...Democratic-Repulicans. That's right...Democrats & Republicans were actually TOGETHER at one point!

Do you know what this tells us, folks? It tells us that the political party system is oh-so-broken. BROKEN...and I feel getting very out-dated. I'm not kidding!

The red koolaid drinkers & the blue koolaid drinkers were actually drinking purple when our great country was established...out of the same glass. That's right! So...who's twitching right now?

We keep trying to promote "equality". But it doesn't appear that the preaching is being practiced.

People...learn to compromise & work together. All of you climbing the right wall and those climbing the left wall are actually making things worse. Where's the equality? Huh? You all try so hard to decipher any movie's or book's political views that aren't directly named & either claim it as yours or blame the "other side". Ugh!

Will you all suck it up & join the compromise talks in the middle aisle? Pour your koolaid into the giant cup in the middle so we can find the antidote to the political poison? Yeah...that would be awesome.

Still offended? Offended again? Just now getting offended? Then I am talking to you. Now come join us on the floor in the middle aisle circle & hug it out.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Does Not Agree

So anyway...

Yesterday was a very crazy day. VERY CRAZY! Part of the craziness was the teen children doing school competition activities. Both are activities that I participated in when I was in high school. So having them follow in my footsteps makes a mama proud!

The girl was part of an ensemble, for choir, that went to districts. I know she was working on her music since she would sing her part of the songs ALL OF THE TIME! (Plus other things since she sings ALL OF THE TIME!) When she was done, we really needed to go get her or she would have between 5-6 hours of downtime. So we gave in & picked her up. Her ensemble did find out how they did. If you are familiar with contests, you will know that you hope to get a '1' rating. It's the best you can get...especially if there's a '+' after it! Well...after hearing about 2 of the ensemble members being off pitch & one of the girls decided to lip sync her part, and after the judge told them to leave right after they were done...I think they should feel really good about their '2' rating. She was disappointed, but she did all that she could do. It's when you have to lean on the help of others to achieve an end goal who don't really care or who are off their game, it doesn't bode well for the group. So...I am very proud of how my daughter did! Celebrate the '2'!

The teen boy, on the other hand, had a middle school level forensics tournament to go to. It's the 2nd one he's gotten to go to this year. He does a Humorous Interp (HI). The last tourney he went to, he made it to finals & took 5th place. Isn't that awesome? I sure think so! Now, we are realist parents (there aren't as many of those as you might hope there would be out there), and we tried to keep him encouraged, yet grounded. We just remind him to do his very best & see what happens. Later that evening, we got word that he'd made it to finals again! YEA!! And when he got home, he shared with us that he took...5th place...again! Woot!! So very proud of him!! But it came with concern...from him:

As it turns out, there are host schools that allow their own students to compete. Since these types of contests are done by opinion-based judging, and that the school & students ask family, friends & members of that community to come judge the rounds, that gives an unfair advantage to the competitors. This is not an event where "home field advantage" is appropriate. Yet, it seems to be happening. As middle schoolers trying to get the experience in these events...it's so difficult when their school pulls from crucial tournaments because of the host school banking on using that home field advantage thing. The whole process screws everyone over.

I only did it in high school. I don't ever remember a host school participating in their own tourney. The only time was during practice tourneys...but that was just for pointers.

So, I have a question that I hope to get comments on here...on the blog comments below:
If you are or ever have been involved in forensics tourneys & have dealt with your/a host school pulling the home-field advantage, what are your thoughts/opinions, and/or your experiences on either side been?
I would love to hear from you!

Thank you!!

Oh...and one more "I'm so proud of my kids!" OK...I'm better now...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Current NFL Issues as Viewed by AM~Erica

So anyway...

If you are an NFL (yes, football...not 'forensics' this time) fan, then this has certainly been quite a day & week & month for the league.

Yes, I am a football fan. That comes from being with my hubby. He has always been a sports freak since I've known him. My sports knowledge & following comes in the same manner as my Star Trek knowledge & following...by association.

With that being said...I have developed a sense of opinion based on the knowledge & interest I have developed. Did you get all of that?

I am a tried & true Chiefs' fan. Thru thick & thin. I proudly wear my #6 Succop jersey my hubby had made for me after Succop's rookie year. Why the #6 jersey? Well, let me tell you: During the NFL draft (for those of you who know what I'm talking about), the 7th round came around eventually. The Chiefs had the very last pick of the draft... The very last guy picked in the draft is referred to as "Mr. Irrelevant". Well, Ryan Succop was our pick. He got the sad title, his last name is Succop (yes, pronounced Suck-Up), and he's a kicker. EVERYTHING is against this guy...so someone needed to really root for this guy. I decided to be that person. Guess what...he's proved to be very relevant...in fact...he's been pretty significant for the Chiefs! I am very proud with how he's done! I wear my Succop jersey very proudly!

Thru the years (about the last 17ish as a matter of fact), I have found myself discussing my opinions, making points & figuring out players on other teams in this thing of the National Football League. I have found myself being shocked by things that come out of my mouth. But I have fully embraced it now. And I don't mind starting discussions on it with people.

With all of that being said, I would like to discuss today, this week & this month in the NFL. Because it has been SO crazy!! Are you ready? Buckle up...

OK...first I'm going to talk about the Elwayphant in the room: The Peyton Manning saga. What a soap opera with twists & turns...and *SPOILER* the villain wins. Grrrr...
If you were not aware, Peyton was inactive last year due to a neck injury. And it was obvious by how the Indy Colts did this last year...poorly. Someone even pointed out that the NFL MVP for the season should go to someone who didn't even play. It was total proof that Peyton really was the whole team of the Colts. My apologies to rest of the players...but truth hurts sometimes.
Well...Indianapolis was biting their nails when it came time to figure out whether or not Irsay would decide to keep the future Hall-of-Famer in the place where he'd hoped to play his entire career. The moment it was even hinted that he could be cut, rumors started swirling...I even came up with reasons why Peyton should come here, to KC.

You need to note that I have always liked Peyton. He's a great player, a great guy, and a great charisma. His brother is a different story for me...but that's a whole other soapbox.

When it came time for the decision to come down & after a bunch of media-circus attention, crazy-man Irsay made decided to cut Manning. As shocking as that was...the flood gates were opened for talks of possible teams for Peyton to go to. Miami, Houston, Arizona, Seattle, Kansas City & New York (Jets) all came up as viable options by analysts. Vegas was setting up betting for different cities & the odds. It was CRAZY! Supposedly Peyton wanted to make a swift decision & pick a team within a week. Well, as the list teams was shrinking for Mr. Manning to visit & consider, the time was being extended. And, oh...how I pined for KC visit from Peyton! I had several arguments & debating points as to why he should be here. From forming a young-talent team, to getting a new coach, to he would make the offense better by being here, to the fact that the coach is defense & Peyton could control the offense, to the fact that we had plenty of money to spend, to the great fan base in KC...there were a LOT of reasons why he would work here. But, alas...KC was not to be. Peyton wouldn't even consider coming. *sigh* Rumor has it that it had a lot to do with the fact that we have Scott Pioli as our GM...which carries a lot of baggage for some. From the New England ties, to the scandals that are attached to him. I can't blame Peyton...but still makes me sad. *sigh*

After time & teams had been whittled down...*gag* John Elway *gag* was trying to wield his major GM title at *gag* Denver *gag* & tried to make a run at getting Peyton. All of a sudden, THAT team seemed in the race for Manning. Hardcore, too.

After all the hoping & praying that maybe Peyton would end up at maybe Tennessee...the news came down of where Peyton decided to hang his hat for the remainder of his career...: *gag*...Denver...*cries*

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??????

Well, I can no longer like Manning. He is now in the same boat with his brother, as far as I'm concerned. It makes me want to vomit. My stomach turns thinking about it...seeing the pics & videos...*cries more*

Then...what to do with Tim Tebow? What to do...what to do?

Well, in true Chiefs' fan form, I hate the Broncos. That's how it is. And Elway...UGH! Then the SLEAZY way that *gag* John Elway *gag* has handled this whole deal is atrocious! Whatever team this happened with, it would be oozing of sleaze. To be so bold about how you do not like your current starting QB because he is less conventional than you, but still winning...and you still publicly bash your QB & say you have no faith in him...is just disgusting anyway. But then, you go out & attach yourself to the most eligible QB out there in spite of your new 1st round QB performing well, but not to your liking...is embarrassing. Horrible. I already didn't like *gag* Denver *gag*, but they have now dropped to the Raider level...or lower.

While gleefully signing Peyton, *gag* Elway *gag* goes and works a trade with another team for your 1st round draft pick/current starting quarterback. When he asks, humbly, to look into trading with Jacksonville...in his home state...he gets told that everything possible will be done to make it happen, but to remember that business is business. Then? Gets traded for a 4th & 6th round draft pick to...NY Jets?? Wait...WHAT??

This whole thing as been insane & happening to a guy who is humble & just wants to play. I liked him before the draft...but I couldn't root for him this last year since he was a *gag* Bronco *gag*. Now at least I can like this guy as an individual.

Now...it is being reported another kicker or two: there is a snag in the trade with the Jets for Tebow...and Jacksonville might want to get in on a trade for him whether it's with *gag* Denver *gag* or the Jets. And it appears it has to do with money to Tebow from *gag* Denver *gag* who wants the money to be paid to Tebow by the Jets, not *gag* Denver *gag*. Really? Sleaze-factor shot up even higher. What a crazy story happening right now!

Then the other big story: The Bounty Punishment! Ouch!!
OK...so the Saints were guilty of covering up putting out bounties on the field after already being caught & warned by the league to stop. When they kept it up & tried to keep it under wraps...that was bad. How bad? VERY bad!
1. The NO Saints have been fined $500,000
2. The team loses 2 2nd round draft picks: 1 this year, 1 next year
3. Saints GM, Mickey Loomis, suspended w/o pay for 1st 8 games of the season
4. Saints Coach, Sean Payton, suspended w/o pay for 1 year
5. Former Saints Defensive Coordinator, "current" for Rams, Gregg Williams, suspended w/o pay indefinitely

Wow! Talk about HARD-CORE!! Roger Goodell has certainly been wielding the tough-love power in the last few years. And he used it to make an example for any other team who currently has a bounty program in place. I'm thinking any other team needs to stop quickly...cuz they see what can happen. So if any other team is busted now, I can tell you there will be NO tolerance for it AND the punishment would be at least the same...if not worse. Which is good. I highly approve of this move. Sad for the Saints, but it needed to be done. How awful to make it OK to pay a bonus to take out another player during a game.

Whew!! That's a lot. A pro NFL player tweeted today calling the NFL the ultimate reality TV show! I would have to agree!

Grab your popcorn, sports fans...this is quite a show!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TEBOW UPDATE: As of just after 7:45 PM CDT, Tebow was given the choice by *gag* Denver *gag* to pick which team, between NY Jets & Jax Jaguars, he wanted to go to. Really?? Given a choice now?? Well...looks like the choice is...NY Jets! Wait...WHAT?? Oh, who knows?

NEW TEBOW UPDATE: As of just after 8:00 AM CDT, the Jets have agreed to pay half the money owed to Tebow & *gag* Denver *gag* has sucked it up & agreed to pay the other half. Tebow on his way to New York.

A Situation of AM~Erica Witnessing Social Manners

So anyway...

Many of you who keep up with my blog know the kind of week I had. You will also know about my celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday earlier this month. So would you believe if I told you that my family & I JUST saw 'The Lorax' yesterday at the movie theatre? Well...believe it.

I got to be a part of the movie review when I celebrated Seuss' birthday in St. Louis...however, even though I was invited into the shot by the show's star...the fill in anchor for the segment wasn't fond of me there, I don't think. Watch & notice how she deliberately ignores me. It's fantastic! KEVIN'S REEL WORLD: THE LORAX (featuring Margie Ellis)

Wasn't that entertaining? And yes, sadly, she was that rude. I was floored. When I was in StL, I always enjoyed her ON AIR personality. When I was in studio & saw her OFF air...different story. Seriously.

This is one of my points of Social Manners. Are they completely gone? Well, just for some people...strangely, it was a movie about such caring that drew this nasty attitude during the review. And I won't even talk about what happened off camera during that segment. Not so publicly. Yeah...it wasn't good. That's just sad to have an attitude like that when talking about a movie with such heart & care.

This leads me to more Social Manners that people need to learn. I was SO happy to be able to finally see 'The Lorax'! It was done beautifully. I think it would have done Theodore Geisel very proud. It was so entertaining, but still bluntly delivered a message that still needs to be heard. It just did it in a different way...and it still amazes me how ahead of the times Dr. Seuss was with this story. I want to see it again. Really. But this time in a different environment (no pun intended). I say that because of what was going on around us as our family was trying to enjoy the movie. My hubby did an amazing & poignant blog post on it, so I will let him tell our experience by his venting right here.

I wish he had been exaggerating in his telling. But no. It was heartbreaking that we just saw this amazing movie about caring for our surroundings, and then there were people who literally left the movie theatre in shambles...they learned nothing! Just because it's animated doesn't make it any less meaningful.

I remember when 'Avatar' came out, people talked about how you would almost hate humankind after watching it. And that was in a movie. We witnessed this ugliness in a reality check AFTER seeing a movie that is trying to reach humans.

Where have we gone wrong, people? My heart was truly broken witnessing the mess these sad humans left behind. We did talk to our kids about how you don't do things like that...no matter what movie you just saw.

I must say that 'The Lorax' has exposed more than environmental issues. It has exposed the sad lack of Social Manners in people. Weird, but true.

Truth stranger than fiction? 'The Lorax' almost proves that.

Please, people...FIND & exercise your Social Manners. Faith in humankind can begin with me, with you, and will everyone who looks in their hearts to finds it within them to care for anyone & anything around them. Gracefully.

Now, if you haven't seen 'The Lorax'...then find a way! Be thoroughly entertained & be sure to LEARN from it! And be sure to be a courteous movie-goer in the process.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

The Irish Part of AM~Erica Shows

So anyway...

Erin Go Braugh!

This has been quite a busy celebratory week!

Today...we approached St. Patrick's Day. Didn't get to quite do everything I'd hoped to, but it has been pretty good.

I started my day in green sweatpants & a green tshirt while enjoying some oatmeal that my hubby made & a Tingling Leprechaun. It's a coffee drink I made up a few years ago that is a mocha with Irish cream & mint. YUM!!

And...I must ALWAYS dress the part. Really! Ask anyone around me...like my hubby.





I was actually hoping to catch the big KC parade. It is rated the 2nd or 3rd largest St. Paddy's Day parade in the United States. But kids these days don't really look forward to these kinds of events. When we asked them a few days ago if they'd like to take it in...they were pretty wishy-washy. However, lil guy brought up, at bedtime last night, that he was hoping we would go. Seriously?? The teenagers were still pretty unimpressed. So I only caught the first part of it on livestream since...for some RIDICULOUS reason, I'm sure...it wasn't being broadcast on TV, even though NONE of the March Madness games were being broadcast on that station. Just. Not. Right.

But with the other holidays this week, our schedule was so thrown off! So hubby & I went to the store today. Yes, I went in the above pictured outfit. What?

Then I found out there was a parade happening in our town. However...well...I'm not going to get on my soapbox about that. It could get ugly. So we didn't make that parade, either, since we had to go to the store so we'd have food in the house.

I also heard there was a parade happening in my hometown, but we were out there yesterday, so the trip back out would have been CRAZY!! Especially with gas prices right now.

However, I did have planned a meal...an Irish-inspired meal! After researching Irish cuisine & fare, I came up with the following menu:

Smoked ham with warm bacon dressing



Cabbage Coleslaw with dill & mustard sauce



Potato Cakes



Traditional Irish Soda Bread



The meal was really pretty good!! I made the bacon dressing, dill & mustard sauce, and the Irish Soda Bread from scratch! Yea, me! Hubby smoked the ham on the grill, too! Yea, him!





Plus...I am still on my cupcake kick. So, I made some Irish-inspired cupcakes! Like:

Erin's Lush



Tingling Leprechaun



I do have quite a bit of Irish in me. You can tell by my coloring & potato consumption. However...I do NOT like beer! It makes me want to gag. That's how it is, lads & lasses...deal with it.

But we are starting to settle down for the evening & be enjoying the vino that we were going to have for the Ides of March.

So...even though we didn't get to take in a parade, or that I could only find ONE of my faux snakeskin pumps, or the fact that I had a way more authentic outfit to wear if only it were in the 40's not the 80's...the day was good. And...I can still claim to be Irish!

So we can wind down some of these crazy-fun holidays for a while...and I will attempt to plan for the next one...so...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

The Outcome of AM~Erica's Ides of March

So anyway...

Yesterday was the Ides of March. I hope no one got stabbed in the back or anything. Did you attempt to celebrate?

Well, you know that I did! And "enticed" (forced) the family to join in.

I was the only one that dressed for the occasion:


(pic courtesy of my crazy-fabulous neighbor, Jill)

It's not quite a toga. Probably best that I didn't walk around in a sheet wrapped around me. But I tried to get a modernized Roman feel.

Then came prep for dinner:



The dinner served was Caesar salad (I colored the dressing red *snicker*), Caesar dressing marinaded grilled chicken strips (thanks to the hubby for grilling), bacon wrapped figs & dates with herb cream cheese filling, red & green (white) grapes, cubed cheese, sliced apples, and sesame seed Italian bread.



Tea was served in wine glasses/goblets.

We also enjoyed a treat from Orange Julius & fig newton brownies:



Since the girl wasn't with us for the Orange Julius outing, we (all the boys & I) ordered an Orange Julius (teen boy), Strawberry Banana Julius (lil guy), and Pina Colada Julius each for hubby & me. YUM! The fig newton brownies were easy, yummy & filling!!

I also tried a Pinterest recipe for Sour Grapes (aka - Sour Patch Grapes or Glitter Grapes):



The boys (all of them) LOVED these! Gotta make these again!

Didn't get a chance to top things off with vino, but it was a delightful meal. Hubby was very happy with it, for sure! Truly a feast fit for Caesar!

And, I didn't even join in a commemorative friend stabbing. I was feeling nice...well, exhausted...whatever. LOL!

Did anyone out there do anything for the Ides of March?

Stay tuned...St. Paddy's Day is a-comin'...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Celebrate the Weird Stuff With AM~Erica

So anyway...

I love celebrating holidays. All of them...even weird ones.

If you have been paying attention, you would know that I've already kicked off March with one weird celebrated holiday. March is FULL of weird holidays & there are several in a very short amount of time.

Coming up this next week will be 3 weird-but-fun days in a four-day span.

1. Pi Day (3/14) - the ultimate math day/nerd day. Eat pie. We plan on having pizza. You can take it further (we just might one day) by having a nerd party. Serve pizza & mini pies. How about quiche for breakfast? Moon pies &/or oatmeal cream pies for dessert or snack? My daughter & I discussed that the ultimate Pi Day will be on 3/14/15. hehe

2. Ides of March (3/15) - BEWARE! Too bad no one warned Julius Caesar to do that on the 15th, but it is what it is & it's history. For dinner, we will be having a chicken Caesar salad with bacon wrapped, herb stuffed figs, some dates, sliced apples, crackers, cheese & grapes. It's going to be a great feast. Have some vino. You can also enjoy an Orange Julius. If you're feeling really adventurous...wrap up in sheets as togas. TOGA! TOGA! TOGA! But don't ambush & stab anyone. That's not celebrating.

3. St. Patrick's Day (3/17) - Erin Go Braugh! It's said that everyone is Irish on this day...and I had an Irishman tell me once that every Irishman is born on 3/17. HA!! Potatoes & beer...right? Parades & wearing green? Remember...green is for Catholics & orange is for Protestant. Seriously. But I usually play it safe & sport both colors. I have Irish in me...so I will find all kinds of ways to celebrate. From what I wear to what I eat. Whether it's cheesy or authentic...I find all kinds of ways to work it in. I'm going to maybe actually be on the ball & make my Irish inspired things that I dropped the ball on last year...and then some! I'll let you know how it goes.

So...now that I have you thinking about these crazy days...how are you gonna celebrate? Are you? Will you?

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica is Drinking Purple (Angry Politic Smackdown)

So anyway...

It is 2012. If you aren't aware as of yet...it's an election year. A BIGGIE election year.

Now then, if you know me, you know that I am NOT a politically-driven person. It's about to the point that I HATE politics. Seriously. And there are so many around me/us that are so politically-driven...it's actually annoying.

Now then, I know we need to keep up on what's going on. I do that, there's no choice. But I do it in a manner that I actually listen to what's going on & make my decision not based on the color of kool-aid to drink.

Just listening to & watching the candidates is horrible enough as it is, but then to listen to those around defending the ridiculousness of their "side" to no end is irritating. And it's even worse when those same people post about & send out & talk about personal attacks on anyone they don't agree with. And what is even worse about this is the fact that many of these personal attackers are supposed to be Christian people.

When you just sign up/register for one particular party, you are sucking down jugs of kool-aid...JUGS! And I do mean the Jonestown-level. Whether it's red or blue...you know who you are that are sucking down the poison.

Now then, I do believe that voting should be different. There is a "quiz" out there that you can take to figure out who your candidate should be that you would vote for. It is done blindly & in a fashion where you pick the issue stance closest to what you believe. After calculation at the end, it tells you who your candidate is. We should be voting on the issues...and I am positive that many who take it would be shocked who they would actually be voting for.

You know...that would be worth taking time to go vote. Not just going in & pushing a button or punching a chad...but actually taking a test. Once you hit 'submit', it tells you who you voted for. Period.

Now that most of you are probably mad at me, think about how the offices, parties & candidates would actually look. And, as for caucuses, WHAT A SHAM!! Early states get screwed, and other states get told they don't matter, so not many turn out...and you can only vote for whatever you are registered as. UGH!!! I understand having the caucuses, but it needs to be it's own Super Tuesday where everyone votes at the same time & see everything whittled down at once.

If you haven't figured out, I'm just moderate. I look at everything. I listen. I roll my eyes at all of you who rah-rah for your democrat or republican parties. I drink purple. Deal with it. The poison of true red & the poison of true blue is poisoning the patriotism of this whole country.

*deep breath in, deep breath out* I will step off of my soapbox for now. And know that if I see anymore ridiculous rah-rah posts of anything for any particular party or a hateful one against the 'other party'...I may very well call you out on it. There is no need to spew the hate & fling the poo at each other. You're not proving anything except that you are closed-minded & set in your ways.

And people wonder why I hate politics. Now then...get over yourselves, take a breath...and let's all hug & get along.

Stay tuned...if you dare...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Gets Seussified

So anyway...

Today is a day
That we celebrate
a Seussy birthday!

If you remember last year,
What should have caused a CHEER
ended up causing a tear.
But this is a different year,
Let me explain
just to be clear:

Year, Cheer
Year, Tear
Year, Year, Clear, Clear

On March second
of year ONE-TWO,
I celebrated
in the Lou!

St. Louis, that is!
The time had come
That my new invite
really had come!

I left from KC
at 30 til 5
Then came the nearly
4 hour drive.

A lot of coffee
I did need
So my awakeness & energy
I might feed.

I spent the morning
with Timmy Ezell!
Here's your warning:
IT WENT WELL!



Ezell, Ezell;
Went well, went well!
It went WELL with Tim Ezell!

A show with olympics themed Seussical
and ending with a gospel choir musical.
With Cat in the Hat Tim
and I as Thing 1,
It was easy to tell
that it was so fun!

Cat, Thing 1
So much fun!
We had fun
And Thing 1...WON!

It appears I have a new buddy.
Let me tell you that Timmy's
no fuddy-duddy!

He's no fuddy-duddy buddy!

And it only took a whole two years!
And the Fox 2 staff really are dears!

Now a video I thought I'd share.
You can watch it...if you care!
YOu can watch it...if you DARE!

WATCH IF YOU CARE OR DARE!


Then I headed back
just after 10;
Another nearly 4 hours
til I got in.

Now I'm home & trying to figure out dinner.
I'm so tired from being a winner
that we need to find a dinner winner.

Hope you found a way to celebrate!
You still have time...
It's not too late!

It's never too late
to celebrate!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Just an update on our dinner:
We picked one that was a true WINNER!

IHOP has Green Eggs & Ham
but tied to the Lorax
instead of Sam-I-am.

The Lorax breakfast was truly yummy!
Had more coffee & it filled my tummy!

For now, I am a tired chick.
Maybe another time
for the Lorax flick.