Today, all I need to know to enjoy life by watching the rabbits in my backyard - they were laying down on the grass, in the shade, simply taking it easy on this glorious day, a lazy summer morning.
I learned that you should try to do your best at whatever tasks you were working on, but also remember to "stop and smell the grass".
Have a wonderful, safe and enjoyable summer!
Hey Qap, this license plate is perfect for you - either riding bicycle or recycle. (BTW, are you no longer interested in license plates? Perhaps you have not found one that was clever or worthy to share.)
Benjamin found his long-lost twin when we were at an estate sale last Sunday. It was so comical when my husband and I both yelled out, "Look! Benjamin's long-lost twin" - (not really loud but enough for those around us to hear). So we had to explain our (strange) excitement upon seeing a smiling yellow beanie baby.
Even though they are identical twin, we could tell which one is Benjamin NYC and which is Benjamin STL. NYC has longer "hair" and leans backward, unable to sit up due to "an accident" (being dropped while TOTA was walking across a five-lane road - at Manchester and Ries).
STL has shorter hair and still has the same pose for when he used to play hockey for the Boston Bruins.
Talk about the Bruins - I am still stunned that the Bruins lost game 6 last night. I did not really care whether the Hawks or the Bruins won the Cup. As a hockey fanatic, I could not believe that the Bruins, leading the entire game, yet could not hold on - how long is 1 minute and 26 seconds? It is less than a minor (2-minute) penalty. The Hawks scored 2 goals within 17 seconds in the 3rd period and won the Cup because the Bruins fell apart!
My husband suggested that we get a cake to celebrate both Benjamin NYC and STL "unofficial" birthday and also the Hawks winning the Stanley Cup. I think Ralphie just wanted to eat cake!
What kind of gambler are you? The last time my husband and I went to a nearby casino was four years ago. I don't know how to play cards (poker, blackjack or whatever else) and never learned to enjoy the slot machines. We usually allowed ourselves the maximum amount of $20 when we visited the casino (after the New Year for a change of luck). Once we lost the $20, we would go home.
Instead of buying lottery tickets, I decided to purchase these scratch tickets. I don't buy lottery tickets for every drawing. In fact, I forgot to get them until someone mentioned that it was over $100 million. Of course, I contributed my $5 to the recent $590M which the winner was the little old lady from Florida. (I thought it was the Lone Gunman and hoped that he remembered I was nice to him - haa haa). If you purchased these scratch tickets, do you scratch off the winning numbers first, then your own numbers and if you did not have the winning numbers, you would not care to know the prizes that you DID NOT win?
Or do you scratch off the winning numbers
first, then the prizes and slowly scratch off your own numbers to find out if you have the winning
numbers, then going from the excitement of possible winning to disappointment (and get depressed) because you DID NOT win (and lost your hard earned money)?
Or do you scratch off your numbers
first, then the prizes and slowly scratch off the winning numbers to find out if you have won, again, going from the excitement of possible winning to disappointment (and get depressed) because you DID NOT win (and lost your hard earned money)?
What kind of gambler are you?
I believe these success tips are not just for students. Everyone should get a student ID (for continuing education, taking classes to improve your skills etc.), enjoy community events (not just campus), and most importantly, eat healthy and sleep at home, not on the job!
Have a good weekend - don't forget to get some sleep!
I found this letter marked "Returned - Deceased" while cleaning out my home office. It was a Christmas card I sent to Vivian. I knew Vivian when I started working for a manufacturing company in Michigan back in 1989. I handled payroll and accounts payable for the Wall Products Division. The previous employee already left and Vivian had to train me to process the timecards and how to submit the information to Home Office in Shreveport, Louisiana where Vivian worked as Accounting Manager. I still remember fondly our first phone conversation. I am not being disrespectful to Vivian but it was so comical as we tried to understand each other, even though we both were speaking English.
While Vivian had a very strong Cajun Creole Louisiana accent which I never heard of, she struggled to understand my Vietnamese-Queens-New York accent. Vivian was kind and patient. She never raised her voice or made me feel as if I was less than capable of learning what needed to be done.
A few years after I moved to St. Louis, Vivian retired, sold her house and moved to an apartment. We continued to keep in touch. Then she had to give up the apartment and moved into an assisted living facility. From her Christmas card in 2010, I could tell from her handwriting that she has gotten weaker. I did not receive a Christmas card from Vivian in 2011 but I continued to send one last December (2012). I got the card back late January.
"Mesi, Vivian" for your kindness and friendship. I was blessed to have known you.
When I first saw the above sign at a rest stop along Blue Ridge Parkway, I thought it reads a "federal" bear is a dead bear (so to be a live bear, it has to be a "state" bear)! Usually the sign would read, "Danger - Don't Feed the Bears!" warning people not to make any contact with the wild animal. Somehow each year there would be one person who managed to get killed while visiting a national park and thought the bear was cute and irresistible.
We did not see any bears and did not try looking for any bearpen either. Besides, we already got Mitchell and he is definitely cute and very harmless!
I am glad, very glad, that I am done with Evidence, the only class I have taken for summer semester. I like these 3-week, 1 credit class, fast track courses. The final exam was last night and I was exhausted afterward. We were allowed one hour and 45 minutes and I needed 90 minutes to complete all 50 questions, multiple choice, true or false, and written answers on Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) and Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo).
Here is a question on Hearsay and Exceptions.
QQ alleges that TOTA took his Lamborghini for a joy ride on April 1st and damaged the machine when she backed into a tree. QQ calls the Lone Gunman as witness who testifies that LG saw TOTA driving the Lamborghini. LG remembers this because when TOTA saw LG, she said, "Hey! Want to go for a ride in this cool car?". Is this inadmissible as hearsay? Under which FRE exception if it was admissible?
I was elected President of the Legal Studies Club at a Club meeting this week. I was really looking forward to a debate (or two) and had many ideas for a dirty campaign! But I was the only candidate and no one dared, well, nobody was foolish enough to take on the responsibilities. I founded the Club early this year and have been planning, conducting and overseeing all the meetings. I nominated other Club members for the positions of President-Elect, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer. We were officially elected by acclamations for a one year term.
I prepared a short acceptance speech that reads, "My dear Legal Studies Club members, Thank you for your votes. I am humbled by your trust and support. I promise you that under my administration, I will uphold the Constitution, protect our Freedom and Liberty. I will never abuse the executive power to cover up my incompetency, no illegal surveillance, or targeting any particular groups for political gains. I will do my very best to be a competent leader. I will always tell the truth, so help me God. Thank you again for your support. God Bless you, our Legal Studies Club and God Bless America."
I have a question, "As president, would I still be able to get a tattoo and ride a Harley to meetings, instead of using Air Force One?" My first executive order could be no more expensive golf outings, overspending vacations and unproductive oversea trips. That would save lot of money and cut down our federal deficits.
This post is not about Wayne Gretzky (even though he is known as The Great One). This is about all the great Fathers who love and care for their families. They accept the responsibilities of providing for their children and most of all, living a moral, honest and earning a living thru hard work (no entitlement, no accepting award without actually deserving it or blaming someone else for their mistakes).
This license plate is for you, all the great Dad - Happy Father's Day.
At first I thought these were real. Thanks to whoever came up with this clever idea placing the sculptures along the road (on our way to Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah) There was enough space to allow us to pull over safely to take the photo.
The above and below sculptures were outside an art studio in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
Also seen in Rock Springs, Wyoming. I bet there are a lot of anger and resentment from the male deer community about this sculpture!
I went to a picnic yesterday with the paralegals association. It was a perfect day for the outings, sunny, in the high 70s, light wind but only about 15 people attended. I met a few more members and made good contacts. As usual, I am the one with a camera taking photos for the event. Actually I was asked to serve as a Historian for the Association but I had to decline. I have learned to "budget" my time and not "spread myself too thin" which is hard to do - the "thin" part that is - haa haa. There are a couple of birds flying around so I thought there must be a bird nest somewhere. I looked up and saw the tennis ball (above photo). How did it get up there?
How did the ball get up there? Even if you stood on the picnic table, you must at least 9-foot or taller to put the ball up there.
Here is the pavilion where the picnic took place. Perhaps someone (or a park ranger) used a ladder when she carefully placed the tennis ball in the corner, between the beams. What is your theory?
It was cloudy this morning but then turned into a glorious sunny day. These photos were taken last July (2012) on our Southward Adventure, driving the entire length of 470+ miles of Blue Ridge Parkway. We visited my sister in Atlanta, Georgia and my husband's brother in Charleston, North Carolina and celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary riding in a private red caboose on the Great Smokey Mountain train ride.
I finished reading the Federal Rules of Evidence and the Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo 490). I looked over the assignment but don't feel like working on the questions right now. There are 10 questions on evidence (direct or circumstantial) and the answers have to be whether the evidence is admissible or inadmissible and whether there are any exceptions. The other 10 items on the assignment are statements (from the witnesses) and we have to identify whether they were hearsay and if exception applies and if so, which exceptions (policy exclusions or admission of a party opponent).
One of the priests at our parish has been reassigned to another parish. The new priest won't be arriving until mid-July. He is finishing his study in Rome and he is only 27 years old! I said to my husband, "We could have a 27 years old son who is a priest but then we would never know the joy of being grandparents!" I guess you just can't have everything you want. Happy Friday everyone and enjoy your weekend!
This is a Wordless post - or just a few words to let my adoring fans know that I am still here on this earth - haa haa.
There should be another sign "Forklift on Road". My Evidence class starts tonight so I might not be able to post anything in the next three weeks. On the other hand, I should try to post something, just to look up from reading all the legal mumbo jumbo and "unscramble" my brain!
These photos were taken in Colorado when we were on our way back from the 2011 Westward adventure. It was the second 10+ days, almost 4,000 miles, road trip from our home in St. Louis, to Iowa, Nebraska, Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, Yellowstone in Montana, Wyoming, over to Flaming Gorge in Utah, then to our niece's wedding in Colorado, then straight thru Kansas and back to Missouri. (Update: Our niece had a baby boy last year and we hope to see him on our next road trip passing thru Denver, Colorado.)
These days "foul words" are answers such as "I don't know", "I don't remember", "I am not personally responsible", "I was not there", and the "dirtiest" response would be "The video did it", given by individuals who were supposed to be in the leadership positions, yet these people don't seem to know what is going on under their watch. You and I could never get away with this kind of attitude.
If your boss asked you what happened to the shipment, would you say, "I placed the order but I don't know why it is not here"? How about when the computer network was down and you being an office manager told the boss, "I don't what happened and I am not personally responsible"? We should be outraged at the kind of arrogant, the "so what" attitude and the level of abuse. It is time to clean house and get rid of the "stinky and smelly" debris.
Today, all I need to know to enjoy life by watching the rabbits in my backyard - they were laying down on the grass, in the shade, simply taking it easy on this glorious day, a lazy summer morning.
