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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

the broke folk stock up list.

in these trying financial times, i've decided to try my hand more thoroughly at cooking to save money. i've devised a cute little list of items that i think are pretty affordable and make some GOOD meals if you take the time to prepare them correctly. i've also included some basics that no house should be without...yanno, just in case all of the supermarkets crash and we're forced to eat from what we have in the house for the next month. enjoy!

potatoes

yellow onions

gallons of water

canned goods

bagged beans

chicken legs (or quarters if you don't mind cleaning and cutting them)

pasta

rice (lots and lots of rice--this stuff is invaluable)


i know this list sounds like a WWII rations list, but trust me, stock your house up with these things because a severe economic crunch may be ahead. it's always good to save money. i know i have about 4 20lb bags of rice and about 50 cans of veggies. i have about 10 gallons of water and about 8 bags of beans. i'm running out of pasta, with about 9 boxes left, and i don't have any chicken legs or potatoes. tomorrow i'm going to purchase 2 large bags of each lol.

i'm crazy anyway though so don't take my word for it. when SARS broke out i had about 100 rolls of duct tape. ever since 911 i've had this whole "issue" going on where i have to stock my shelves for some major catastrophe. i'm not sure if i should seek counseling for this problem--but it sure does make me feel better when i'm loaded down with supplies.

now all i have to do is purchase wings for the house and i'm set.

talk about crashing.

yesterday the stock market crashed (more like plummeted) 777 points. today, i crashed (more like plummeted) 778 points. i beat the stock.

that's how i feel at any rate. yesterday i was fine, the sun was shining, everything was good. last night i got NO sleep. i don't know what it is exactly, but i think it's a cumulation of situations and issues i'm having...including the social and financial state of the country, my personal goals and dreams being put on hold, difficulty in finding decent employment (for myself), the fact that i can't move my family right now, the fact that i've been going to the gym for a month 4x a week and i feel bigger, and i'm the same weight i was a month ago (walking ALWAYS helps me lose weight--what gives), my mp3 player and my gym card got stolen ANYWAY, my husband is in prison and he's stressing...the list goes on.

i think i had the weight of the world on my shoulders when i woke up today.

so i took the girls to school, came back home and started to clean. whenever i'm stressed i either suck my thumb, clean the house, try to nap, talk to my hubby (if i can), or i listen to music. so i started cleaning, and it just so happens that before my cousin left for work today she left the CD player on. and it switched to my favorite donnie mcclurkin CD. in ten minutes i was bawling and praying for everything to just be alright with me. i apologized to God for my behaviors lately, i asked Him to please just never leave me alone. right now i feel so alone in the world. despite having family and friends that love me, i feel so alone. i also thanked Him for what i do have. there are so many people that have so much less, so many people that would love to be in my shoes. with all of my concerns and issues, there are actually people who would LOVE to be in my shoes. i thank God for what He has given me, and i pray that He helps me learn any lessons that need to be learned from my current state of affairs. after the song finished playing, i felt 100% better and relieved. i still have some residual tears in my eyes, i'm still a little stressed. but i am doing alot better...God is good.

[my] stock market plummeted, but it's not the end of the world.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

ok. sarah is starting to grind my nerves in a NOT so good way.



i just found this clip on youtube. i wasn't looking for it, but it's obviously sarah on a phone interview. and if she can laugh at someone making such a mockery of a cancer survivor and fellow mother, then i can imagine what she's saying about barack, and all of those rumors about her making racist remarks concerning blacks is probably true.

i was feeling bad for her, because i know joe is going to RIP her ass to shreds during the VP debate, but now i'm going out to buy extra popcorn because it's going to be one bloody political murder i can't wait to watch.

Friday, September 26, 2008

a few other saves!

i just found the 2x concentrate trend detergent, and let me tell you--that stuff is working wonders on my clothes. i thought it would suck because it's trend, but it is good stuff. at 1.99 on sale, it's even better.
but remember to buy the 2x concentrate--the regular one doesn't seem to be AS good as this one.

i find that krasdale and red and white brands are excellent substitutes for their more expensive counterparts. some things i love to purchase by these brands--aluminum foil, sugar, trash bags, apple juice and salt.

t-mobile has this new flex pay plan...which seems to be wonderful for those who aren't able to get a cellular phone plan that's monthly. heck, it seems so good and their phones are so cool that even I want to get rid of my monthly plan! but it's in the hubby's name so i'll keep it :D

the dollar stores up here are lifesavers. from them i purchase toilet tissue, baking pans, detergents, socks, glass cleaner, brillo pads, bleach, toilet bowl cleaners, carpet fresheners, air fresheners, candles, x-mas lights and decorations, gift wrap, cellophane wrap, sippy cups for the baby, cups and bowls, utensils, batteries, napkins, plastic utensils and cups, paper plates...the list goes on. and yes, in the NE, the dollar store really has items that cost 1.00 each.

but for those of us willing to go a little more expensive, family dollar sells the best towels and washclothes for the price i've seen anywhere. they are extremely soft and durable. and it's a 12 pack for 5.00 last i checked--well worth it.

as i come across more saves in my daily running around, i will be sure to post them!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

a list of comparisons.

well, since i have about 20 minutes until i get the girls from school and prepare them for girl scouts, i just thought that i'd make a list for my readers who are interested in saving some money.

because i have already tried these items (and my taste buds are on POINT, meaning that if something is nasty i'll be honest about it and if i say it's good you can trust me on it), you'll be taking much less of a risk when you shop.

in my part of the country, these are the stores that i shop at regularly: shoprite, pathmark, extra supermarkets and rite aid. so if you don't shop at any of these stores, then this little blog won't aid you at all, unfortunately.

but if you do shop at any of these stores, you're in for a treat.

ok. first, i have noticed that as far as brand names go, pathmark has by far surpassed the competition concerning taste, quality, and packaging of their products. so about 50% of the items i buy are pathmarks namebrand, which USED to be pathmark until about 2 months ago. A&P food chains have brought out pathmark, so although pathmark will retain it's name, it's brand is now America's Choice. which is still the same item, simply packaged under a new name.

some pathmark brand items i do NOT leave the store without because their quality and/or taste is just as good, if not better than, and save big bucks over versus the big name brands:

light bulbs (1.00 for a 4 pack versus GE @ 3.00 for a 4 pack)

syrup (2.50 for 36 ounces versus aunt jemima @ 4.49 for 36 ounces)

pancake mix (1.69 for 1 box versus aunt jemima @ 3.79 for 1 box)

spring water (2.79 for 3 gallons versus poland spring @ 5.00 for 3 gallons)

now. shoprite has a disgusting tasting storebrand, so i refuse to purchase ANYTHING by shoprites brand unless it is their canned goods. their Can-Can sale is unbeatable. i usually pay on average 1.00 for 3 cans of vegetables...the cheapest in the city. HOWEVER, shoprites prices on NAMEBRAND items cannot be beat. on average, without a sale, their items are priced anywhere from 5-10% cheaper than pathmark or any other grocery chain. that adds up to big bucks when you don't have coupons or sales going on.

now extra is a store only found in the northeastern part of the country, namely nj and ny. i go there and get all of my meats because they are good cuts and fresh. and most of all, they are affordable. now extra's store brand is Parade. i have nothing but good things to say about Parade products--they are of a great quality. some parade brand items that i buy regularly are (and yes--they save me tons of money and are just as good, if not better than, their namebrand competitors):

waffles (1.00 a box compared to eggo @ 3.50 a box)

peanut butter (2.29 a jar compared to JIF @ 3.79 a jar)

frozen vegetables (1.39 a bag compared to Birdseye @ 3.99 a bag)

now i have to add as also, that extra here in my city sells alot of ethnic foods, especially for hispanic and carribean cuisine. so they also carry alot of ethnic names such as goya, iberia and vitaroz. i LOVE iberia's snack crackers...they are better than ritz (1.09 per box of 4 packs compared to ritz 4.19 per box of 4 pack), and i only buy vanilla wafers from vitaroz because they taste great(.99 per box compared to nabisco @ 3.99 per box). now goya i'm not too thrilled about because goya has decided that they were going to up their prices since they are so popular. but when i do purchase from goya, i love their spices...which you can grab on a good sale for about 60% off the regular price. not only that, but extra sells Malt-O-Meal cereals, which my kids LIVE by. they are about 65% cheaper than any name brand cereal and they are JUST AS GREAT TASTING--i PROMISE. my kids wouldn't eat them if they weren't. i buy by the bag their cinnamon toast crunch (2.99 for 24 ounces compared to General Mills @ 6.49 for 24 ounces), their fruit loops (2.99 for 24 ounces compared to Kelloggs @ 4.79 for 24 ounces), their honey nut cheerios (2.99 for 24 ounces versus General Mills @ 4.79 for 24 ounces) and their apple jacks (2.99 for 24 ounces versus Kelloggs @ 4.79 for 24 ounces).

on to rite-aid. alot of people do not believe that rite-aid offers anything of value, but for the coupon savvy person, rite-aid offers many things for free. the only irritating thing about rite-aid is that because they are in the speciality of drugs and not groceries, you have to catch their sale on the day the sale starts if you don't want to be waiting for 4 months for another shipment of that item to come in. rite-aid has EXCELLENT sales weekly, but they are only truly excellent if you have accompanying coupons. if you have a coupon (or a ton of them like i do), rite-aid will happily give you for free the following items (these are things i never pay for--well except tax and that's 0.03):

colgate toothpaste (3.49 reg.)

lady speed stick 24/7 (3.49 reg.)

irish spring 3 pack (3.49 reg.)

bic ink pens 10 pack (3.00 reg.)

these are items i get a real steal on with coupons:

softsoap handsoap: .75

iams dog food (8 lb. bag): 3.00

G.U.M. toothbrush: .50

always pads: 1.00

tampax tampons: 1.75

friskies cat food: .15 per can

so the tips i can offer today for those living in the NE part of the country, namely NY, NJ, CT and the surrounding states are:

1. pathmark for their store brand items--excellent quality and excellent pricing compared to name brand items.

2. shop rite for their name brand items and their storebrand vegetables. do not purchase shoprites storebrand for anything else unless you like a chemical or greasy aftertaste in everything you eat.

3. extra for their meats and their ethnic items and their bagged cereals...especially the Malt-O-Meal brand.

4. rite-aid for their super sale items (which are usually priced at 1.00 for alot of great things) with coupons. although the coupons don't usually double, if the item is very cheap and the coupon is a good one...you're getting it free (colgate palmolive ALWAYS have coupons for 1.00 off an item and rite-aid sells those items for 1.00).

i will post more later but the girls are home now and it's time for Mommy Duty. LOL.

enjoy!

"believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it, not even if i have said it, unless it agrees with your own common sense." ~buddha

Monday, September 22, 2008

penny pinching even more.

man oh man. i haven't done my coupons in WEEKS! i need to really get on the ball with that--money around here is getting SO super tight that i need to be able to save somehow...so it's back to couponing for me.

the only thing is--the coupons are often for namebrand only items and i buy alot of storebrand items because they are just as good--if not better--than the same items with the namebrand.

so now i'll be spending even more time in the store trying to see if the namebrand with the coupon is cheaper than the storebrand without the coupon.

as if i'm not already busy enough! geesh! eek. but time is money and i need all the money i can get...so i have to do what i have to do for us to be ok until hubby comes home. then it will be alot easier on me (once he gets into the swing of things). until then, it's God and me holding everyone together lol (but the girls and hubby are doing their share too--i gotta give them their credit! they are keeping me going with their love and kisses hehe).

Monday, September 15, 2008

as a sidenote.

now i know i have alot of sidenotes lately, but i can't help it! i'm going to stop posting so many, but man oh man i can't help but to laugh everytime something new unfolds. poor john, i do feel bad for him.

http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/09/10/mccain-finds-it-tough-without-palin/

finally, going to the gym.

if anyone has read...this current post is a follow-up to this post that i made a while back concerning my purchase of weight loss pills versus the gym membership card to use the treadmill.

well i got the card, thus me being able to go to the gym four times per week. oh ye of little faith in myself, because not only did i get the card and start going to the gym, but i never lost the desire to go in the first place!

anyway!

even though i haven't blogged about it at all...i've started faithfully going to the gym four times per week. i walk two miles at three miles per hour and i usually don't do an incline because i don't want very muscular legs. just a slight incline at about three inches.

tonight my mom said she noticed i was losing weight. my hubby has remarked also that when he hugs me he noticed i'm getting smaller. the girls still have "mommy's belly" jokes but they usually get hit with the "you came OUT OF THIS BELLY SO IT'S your belly too!" and that quiets them down for a few seconds until they can't help but to bust out laughing as they run out of the room. so two out of five ain't bad huh. LOL.

i personally am not noticing any weight loss, but then again usually those trying to lose hardly ever do until it's substantial. i also don't feel any healthier or lighter or more energized...it's odd. i've been walking for about three weeks now...going on a month.

what i do appreciate about the time at the gym is that it's my personal time. i brought a mp3 player off ebay (for 30.00--talk about frugal!) and it has been one of my best purchases from there. it helps me relax while i walk. if i don't listen to music then i watch CNN or MSNBC while i walk, and argue with the tv for the forty-five minutes to an hour that i'm there.

all in all, i never thought i would say this, but i am REALLY enjoying going to the gym. i only have eleven months to get it together for that sexathon coming up!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

as a sidenote.







lmao. now i know this election is very serious, history making and all of that...but these youtubes are PRICELESS! watch them all and laugh as hard as i did...please? :D

Saturday, September 13, 2008

as a sidenote.



i have to admit, i have a very soft spot in my heart for john mccain. i really like him as a person, i think he is a very good man, and i pray that he is blessed continually.

why am i such a softie for him? personally, i believe that he hasn't gotten to live the way he wanted to, hasn't done the things that he truly wanted to do as a person, a son, a man, a husband, a father, a public figure. he's been a puppet for others--from his father to his wife (that plastic faced cindy) the GOP--for as long as he's been alive.

i feel bad for him because he's lived his life for everyone else, never being able to do the things that he TRULY wanted to do. no one should have to revolve their entire life around the needs of others, everyone should be able to enjoy their lives as they see fit, because it is theirs and theirs alone. i believe that he never learned how to say no to others, how to put a limit on the control he gave others over him. that more than likely developed as a result from his father's influence over him from a very young age.

so i have to admit...i really do have that soft spot in my heart for john. sometimes i wonder if he wishes things could have been different concerning his life. i hope that he is at peace with how he lived and is living, i hope that he has found peace with himself and his decisions over the course of the years...and that he has no regrets.

my locs and i...with pictures!






ravyn wanted me to show her a picture of my locs...so i had my 6 year old hold the camera, aim and click a few pictures. these two came out the best. while i think that a recent bout of stress is stunting the growth of my hair in general, i think that my hair looks more like locs now than ever and i have noticed SOME length to them. i twist them myself, and these locs were not started with totally kinky hair--the last 2 inches of each loc is relaxed *yes, RELAXED* hair, and yes that loc'ed as well :) i cut the ends of a few locs to remove the relaxed hair, thinking it would make a huge difference--but it didn't. so i don't plan on cutting them until my hair is well below my shoulders...which at this rate will take me about another four years LOL.

anyway...those are my boos...i love them so much. in the second picture in my hair is a sterling silver dogwood flower earring that i won off ebay. a famous designer handcrafted it--i forget his name though LOL. to me, it's a symbol of the cross which Christ was crucified on, so it's special to me. it's loc'ed into my hair, so i don't have to worry about it coming out. the second picture is the top of my little ponytail--i can gather up my locs now to make a little bush ponytail. i can't wait until i can wrap them around my head. patience, patience...i know i know! in the first picture you can see much better the ends of my locs...which are relaxed, but will not untwist.

as i come across little items, i'll add them to my locs. soon it'll be like my very own charm bracelet in my hair. LOL.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

looking for fleas.



^Baby during one of her better moments. the cotton rag around her neck was to protect it from the elements and the collar...it was red and raw from mange, and during that time i was exercising her more often to get rid of 15 lbs of excess puppy weight!

about three years ago as i was driving to go to the store i red nosed pit bull tied to a gate, bloody, cold and hungry. it just so happened that the gate was across the street from my front door. as i drove past, i noticed the dog looked like it was waiting--patiently--for someone to come get it. figuring it must have an owner, i kept driving, but a nagging in the back of my mind prompted me to say to myself, "if it's not gone by the time i come back, i'll have to untie it."

well as it happens to be, because God seems to want me as keeper of all things needing TLC, when i got back from the store, the dog was still there, patiently waiting. i pulled over, and 6 months pregnant and wobbling...i cautiously approached the dog, noticing that it was a she and her bloodiness was not only worse than i thought, but her attitude was better than i expected. she eagerly wagged her tail at me and tried to trot on over to me, but the rope tied around her neck prevented her from taking more than a few steps.

when i realized not only was she not going to bite me, but that she appeared grateful to have me there--it dawned on me that her owner was NOT coming back for her. so i took off my gloves (it was about 11 degrees outside) and i tried to untie the knot--but it was done tight. so after at least 5 minutes of trying, i realized i couldn't get the knot undone and it was cold and i was feeling every inch of the weather. a passerby saw me struggling and she offered to help me--and for the next 10 minutes, we both struggled in the freezing cold to untie the dog.

finally we got it undone and we reviewed her injuries. to me they looked horrible, but that probably was because i was pregnant and especially sensitive to anything that looked uncomfortable. the woman asked me if i was going to try to help the dog, because she would if she could but she had no where to take her. i told her i'd take her in my house.

that was the beginning of my and the girls relationship with Baby--a red nosed badly bred but heart of gold pit bull.

now, three years later, Baby's mange, which was the cause of her distress and more than likely her owners disposal of her--is not any better. it has it's up and down (mostly down) moments and i noticed that now, she's not as positively effected by medications that she's taking for it. it's bad enough that my already badly strained pockets can't afford another bill, but what makes it worse is that i can't afford her already marked down medications (the vet marked the prices down from 130.00 a shot 2 times a month to 50.00 a dose once a day--30 day supply for me--and that is CHEAP). so i am struggling with her, badly. i wish i had a constant supply of the medicine, but because her mange (which is demodex) is so bad, he's afraid that it will be a lifetime illness, meaning a lifetime of medication.

that has me stressed.

last summer was one of Baby's better moments--she actually had about 17 fleas that nested on her. now while most pet owners despise the little nasty buggers that sap the life and blood from animals worldwide, for Baby, the presence of fleas was a great thing! she was so sick and so bad off that neither fleas nor ticks would come close to her...it was a mixture of the medication and the sickness and the stinch probably...but last summer 17 very brave little fleas decided that they would land on her and suck her blood. this summer, not a single flea is in sight...letting me know that they just don't find her appealing. letting me know that she's having a bad turn of events.

i'm still struggling with her illness--it's very bad. but it has humbled her and made her into one of the most loyal and loving dogs i have ever seen. she has a heart of gold and she smiles at the camera for pictures, despite being in pain. her vet said, "she's more even tempered than even the best pits i've seen. to be in so much pain and not so much as growl--wow what a dog!"

at one time i tried to put her down, but i couldn't bring it in my heart to do it. that was two years ago, and i still haven't done it, because of how much the kids love her, how much i love her, how much it would break us up inside to put her to sleep.

i've been through so much with this dog, i've had to pray over and for her because sometimes she gets so sick she'll stop eating and peeing...and then i feel guilty for even keeping her alive. but even if i wanted to--i can't afford the cost of putting her down. and i don't know if i could ever do that. so right now, yes i am being stingy and selfish in keeping her alive...but it's my only option as far as i can see.

she just had a bath and she's feeling much better. her skin isn't doing too good and we have no medication. when she dries completely i'll take her for a short stroll (she gets exhausted super easily and i don't like to add any extra stress on her), and i'll try to scrape her up a bone for her good attitude.

but unfortunately, there are no fleas this summer.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

as a sidenote.


am i the only one who thinks sarah palin's RNC speech was just ugh? i mean...i did not, nor do i see now--what everyone else sees in the speech. i personally thought she looked like she was reading from a script, she spoke about her personal issues WAY too much, and she did not seem sincere. nor did she actually TALK about any of the issues we're facing as americans (other than energy issues but uh--ok).

maybe it's just me. but i just don't see what the big whoopti doo about sarah is? *confused*

partying with chuck e. cheese!

it's been about 5 years since i've gone to chuck e. cheese with the kids--and today we went to celebrate the oldest baby's birthday. my ex'es daughters and their families, the oldest's two friends (brother and sister), my cousin and her son, and my sister and her son were all there. we had the best time ever.

the best part about the day (besides the fact that my baby had fun) was that my family made it there with me despite the weather being HORRIBLE (and i mean it's bad outside). and my kids (all of them hehe) were there with their own families--which made it even better. we had so much fun, and i have alot of pictures. we even got the sketches from chuck e. cheese for a token each--we have like 20 of them!

overall it was a beautiful day. despite the weather being so super crummy, we had fun. i'm happy we went. i got to spend time with my family altogether and it was perfect with just us.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

a blogger must have.

i just couldn't let this one slide--it's a keeper for sure. while i wasn't going to get out of bed on November 4th, 2008--i just might have to put on my flip flops and head on down to the polls--because i'll have a FIT if the republicans win this election AGAIN.

like i said--this one is classic and goes down in blogger history haha.

sarah needs to just go back home to Alaska and do what she does best!


Attacks, praise stretch truth at GOP convention
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check


ST. PAUL, Minn. - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her Republican supporters held back little Wednesday as they issued dismissive attacks on Barack Obama and flattering praise on her credentials to be vice president. In some cases, the reproach and the praise stretched the truth.


Some examples:

PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."

THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."

PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate."

THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.

PALIN: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."

THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.

Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.

He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.

MCCAIN: "She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply ... She's responsible for 20 percent of the nation's energy supply. I'm entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America," he said in an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.

THE FACTS: McCain's phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she's no more "responsible" for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.

MCCAIN: "She's the commander of the Alaska National Guard. ... She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities," he said on ABC.

THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under "federal status," which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska's national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.

FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."

THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.

FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT ROMNEY: "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."

THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

school's a-startin'!

the summer has gone by way too fast (which is bittersweet for me in so many ways) and now school starts officially in just two tiny days. that's also bittersweet for me...it means my girls are growing up and getting even bigger than they were, but it also means that now i get some much needed privacy and space and time to work on the business and my personal health (i've been gym-ing--will blog about that later). it means that the girls get back to their social lives with their friends, and that i can get back business with the things that need to be done.

man oh man...i am so proud of my girls, watching them grow up. and i am charging the camera so of course we can take those first day of school pictures! haha! and i have to go and purchase their lunches (awwwwwwwww). yes yes yes...i am so siked about this.

gee i love my family.