Welcoming Chance Alexander

Evan and Kirsten's long time dream was realized on Friday, August 29, 2008 at 1:48 a.m. when little Chance Alexander made his appearance. He took several years to make his an appearance and then when it was time to come out, he held out for several more hours.

Chance was 20.5 inches long and 7 lbs 14 oz. Smaller than the 8-9 pounds the doctor was predicting.

An exhausted Kirsten looked like she was in daze of a dream when we talked with her at the hospital on Friday evening. Evan was the proud and beaming father. Who could blame him?
Congratulations to Evan and Kirsten!

Feeling the Wow of Obama

My vote is yes!
I want Obama as my next president.
He has a deep vision of what is needed and wanted in a country that is reeling from a presidency and administration that has ignored it's people and done more harm than good. He wants the same rights for all Americans, not just the elite few who make more in one month than most of us will make in a lifetime. There's a very real sense of fairness about his ideals and politics and person. There is a feeling of genuine love and compassion for the ones he hopes to represent. I don't know that I have ever felt this passionate, this dedicated or this profound feeling of oneness with any presidential candidate before him.

Obama's speech at the convention last night, stirred in me a desire to get up and do something. To show my patriotism by action and service.
What specifically did I like? Well, let me count the ways:

1. Acknowledgment of the economic frustration we feel today; the money crunch AND the expression that it's not a government issue alone:
"Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.
These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush.
America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this."

2. Recognition for who John McCain is BUT also a reality check on what he has come to stand for:
"Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.
But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.
The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives - on health care and education and the economy - Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisers - the man who wrote his economic plan - was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a "mental recession," and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners." ...Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know."

3. The definition of success:
"We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 ... We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work."

4. Obama's expectation of the government:
"Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.
Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.
That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper."

5. The the changes Obama wants to make are the ones I'd like to participate in and see happen:
"Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.
Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.
I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.
I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.
And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.
As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced."

Amen! Barack Obama's speech is a gold mine of motivation and the will to move forward. His speech delivered the specifics I was seeking about his plan for the future and I'm eager to see the debates play out.

I had to include the video of his biography and speech because to summarize it more means to cut out all that is good about what he believes and what I loved about his speech.

Obama's convention biography:


Obama's history in politics:


Obama's full speech:


In the end, I hope Obama becomes our next president. I hope that others feel moved by his passion and desire to move this country forward. I hope others listen and really hear what he has to say and that they, too, will catch the vision.

And more than that, right now, I hope that whoever you choose to vote for, you know the why - the specifics of that why. That it's based on something real - something more than an unspoken obligation to church, family or fear.

I have put my support behind the man I hope to be our next president: Barack Obama.

That said, I will watch the Republican Convention with interest for what kind of plan John McCain has. I want to hear from his own mouth, what he hopes to accomplish in the next four years that he hasn't already tried to do in the last 26 years he's been in office. What's different now?

Making History

Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention, brought a most historic day to the American history books. Forever more will people know the name of Barack Obama.

We’ve heard on the various news programs that it’s a day of history and yet it felt like it was just words. I thought about the big picture and here’s what I saw:

White men with property were the only voters for a chunk of time in history. They made the financial decisions for their homes, towns, cities, states and the country. It’s not that they didn’t want a better tomorrow for themselves and their families because they did, but they were fairly limited in their vision; one sided.

In 1870, we saw the first of many steps taken toward equalization in the form of the 15th Amendment, which prevented states from preventing any person from voting due to race or skin color. Big moment.
The next big step in history was made in 1920 with the passing of the 19th Amendment, which opened the polls to women. Obviously a big moment in history.
Another big moment in the steps of history was made in 1971 with the 26th Amendment which lowered the voting age to 18 years.

Now I think back and wonder about Martin Luther King Jr. and President Kennedy and John Lennon and so many other fighters from the days of slaves to the 60s to now...can you imagine taking a step back in time and looking to the future? Can you imagine telling one of those fighters that one day a black man will be nominted with the high probability of being an American President? What would they tell you?

These aren’t the lone steps that took us forward in our American history but they are big steps, big moments in time. Clearly we lived to see a new large step taken yesterday with the first African American being nominated by a major party. Make no mistake, it’s a great time to live through and to witness. I’m glad I’m here for it.

So – to the speeches:

Bill Clinton was the key note speaker and did a pretty impressive job in explaining his reasons he has for backing Barack Obama. He, or course, articulated what many of the previous speakers had done, which is to emphasize that John McCain is too much like George Bush, so if you want to continue to feel like you might lose your home, job and future, vote for him.
I really liked that one line he said: “People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power….The choice is clear. The Republicans will nominate a good man who served our country heroically and suffered terribly in Vietnam. He loves our country every bit as much as we all do. As a Senator, he has shown his independence on several issues. But on the two great questions of this election, how to rebuild the American Dream and how to restore America's leadership in the world, he still embraces the extreme philosophy which has defined his party for more than 25 years, a philosophy we never had a real chance to see in action until 2001, when the Republicans finally gained control of both the White House and Congress. Then we saw what would happen to America if the policies they had talked about for decades were implemented.”

I missed John Kerry and Joe Biden last night, but caught up on Biden’s speech today. It’s clear why Obama likes him and chose him: experience, tenure and leadership.
Biden said so much and I feel I can identify with:
“Like millions of Americans, they're asking questions as profound as they are ordinary. Questions they never thought they would have to ask:
* Should mom move in with us now that dad is gone?
* Fifty, sixty, seventy dollars to fill up the car?
* Winter's coming. How we gonna pay the heating bills?
* Another year and no raise?
* Did you hear the company may be cutting our health care?
* Now, we owe more on the house than it's worth. How are we going to send the kids to college?
* How are we gonna be able to retire?
That's the America that George Bush has left us, and that's the future John McCain will give us. These are not isolated discussions among families down on their luck. These are common stories among middle-class people who worked hard and played by the rules on the promise that their tomorrows would be better than their yesterdays.”
I would love to quote his whole speech here, but it’s worth the watching and the listening.


Tonight, a much anticipated speech as Barack Obama accepts his nomination from the Democratic party. I'm so excited to watch the energy created as it explodes around the world. I'm excited to hear his thoughts and plans for the future of this nation. I am so excited to be part of history, and watch him accept this nomination. It's a sure thing: everyone will feel his presence, everyone will know his name.

Convention Day Two Thoughts

On Tuesday night the Democratic convention continued with various speakers. I find it interesting and maybe even borderline inappropriate that the news agencies covering the convention are too busy analyzing and discussing everything to show the actual speakers prior to the prime time speaker. Oh you can see them in the background, but I've had to flip through the various channels to find someone who is actually airing the speaker so I can form MY OWN OPINION! I'd like to HEAR the speach and not have it summarized for me.

Through the various flipping of channels, I had three speakers I really enjoyed, infact, loved watching: Mark Warner of Virginia (key note speaker), Brian Schweitzer (from Montana) and Hillary Clinton.

I had been wanting to hear Mark Warner. I had heard of some of the changes he's made in Virginia and was curious about him. Whatever ideas I may have had about him, he did not disappoint. He was incredible (and I guess you'd have to be to speak to a convention going crowd).

He talked about President Bush and some of his failures and the economic woes we see in everyday lives. The same worries I have: my education - how can I afford it? the house - supposed to be safe, but what if you can't afford the payments because of the loan you have and now the interest has increased your mortgage? my healthcare - constantly we hear of increasing premiums and decreasing benefits.

What really caught me most, was this:
"People always ask me, "What's your biggest criticism of President Bush?" I'm sure you all have your own. Here's mine: It's not just the policy differences. It's the fact that this president never tapped into our greatest resources - the character and resolve of the American people. He never asked us to step up.

Think about it: After September 11, if there was a call from the President to get us off foreign oil, to stop funding the very terrorists who had just attacked us, every American would have said, "How can I do my part?" This administration failed to believe in what we can achieve as a nation, when all of us work together.

Barack Obama knows that we need leaders who see our common ground as sacred ground. We need leaders who will appeal to us not as Republicans or Democrats, but first and foremost as Americans."

Rhettoric? Maybe. But I like it.

Next was Brian Schweitzer of Montana who rallied the crowd and really prepared them for Hillary Clinton. Really, I can't BEGIN to do this speech justice. You have to watch it. It's definitely worth the viewing time.


The night ended with Hillary Clinton encouraging her followers to follow the next democratic nominee. I had been interested to see to what extent this encouragement would go and I believe she used all her feelings and pain to back up Barack Obama.

When she began to list the reason she had run for president, I was worried. But then she told the crowd that the same reasons she had run, were the same reasons people should put their support behind Obama. I loved that she asked her followers if they had followed because of her or because of what she stood for. She was incredible and if you missed it, watch it:


So tomorrow's speakers I'm looking forward to watching:
Bill Clinton
Joe Biden

Hello Michelle!!

Last night I watched coverage of the National Democratic Convention. I was watching various channels until I found the one I was satisfied with, which I thought was PBS (KUED) until I realized it was about 30 minutes behind the live schedule (what a disappointment). I ended up watching mostly NBC.

I watched Nancy Pelosi's speech - which was mostly "Democrats rock and Republicans suck" which has never been a compelling argument for me to follow - but necessary (I guess). But I'm sure we'll see some comparison of it in the Republican Convention next week.

I was fairly surprised at how little attention the first two or three speakers received from the audience. Once in a while the cameras would span out to the audience and you'd see people chatting with their backs to the stage....what is that? It seemed really noisy like a school cafeteria at lunch time. It was odd.

Everything changed, however, when Caroline Kennedy made her way to the stage. I have to say that Caroline Kennedy is amazing. She is beautiful, articulate, smart and witty. I loved her introduction to Ted Kennedy, who've I've never been a big fan of. But the more I've learned about his public service the more I appreciate what he's accomplished in his lifetime and I feel more, now, for his personal losses. The tribute that was done for him was fantastic and very nicely put together. AND it brought the convention to real sense of a beginning.

Here's the video tribute to Ted Kennedy.


Michelle Obama was the highlight of the night! I haven't known a lot about her and was interested to see how she held herself....she blew me away. I was so moved by her experiences and connection to everyday Americans. I loved hearing about how she and Barack grew up and their hopes for the future as a family and for the nation.

to read her speech click here

to watch her speech click here
(Youtube has it in three parts and I don't like that each part has a commercial, so I've added the link to the Democratic Convention site to watch the speech)

I am looking forward to see more thoughts and expressions of WHAT plans Obama has for the future. Specifically what does he plan to do with:
1. The economy. What measures will he use or propose (that hasn't already) that will make a difference and boost our economy?
2. Our dependence on foreign oil. What does he have in the works currently and where does he hope to take it?
3. Healthcare reform. I know it's not the big ticket item, but I work in it and it is ALWAYS changing. What will he do to help expand insurance coverage?
4. Emigration laws. I would like to see something change in the visa laws to allow us to bring our family from Argentina and Uruguay for visits to the United States.

As I think about this list, I need to consider, what would I have my government do (and to what extent) to help solve these issues and what can I as a voter CURRENTLY do to help in these issues.
Something to consider and answer as I participate in the election season.

From Closings to Openings

There are comments on the radio and TV; in newspapers and blogs, all talking about the closing ceremonies and the reflection of what the Beijing Olympics brought to the world.

I just want to add my two cents in: I think China did a FABULOUS job with these summer games - despite all the negative chatter prior to the games from various sources, they forged on ahead and brought a fantastic show.

Elida sent me this gymnastics video and I thought it would be fun to add here.


NOW onto the new show: The National Democratic Convention.
http://www.demconvention.com/

What to watch for this week:
1. Monday: Michelle Obabma will be the prime-time speaker (and I'm eager to see how she is because I don't know that much about her). Obama will be speaking from a currently, undisclosed family's home in NC.
2. Tuesday: Hillary Clinton. Will she say kind words of support? or will she drip of anger? hmmmmmmmmm.....we'll have to see. How unified will she be? Will her body language give the same message?
3. Also Tuesday: Virginia Governor Mark Warner will speak. I don't know much about him, but will watch him and see.
4. Wednesday is Joe Biden's turn. (Former President Clinton will also speak)
5. Thursday is the big night: Barrack Obama, himself, will speak and accept the nomination.

What I will avoid:
1. Jesse Jackson speach. In fact, once the full-of-hot-air-introduction begins, I will flip to something more interesting; Like flowers growing or paint drying or my dogs panting in the heat.

One Campaign

If you haven't heard of it, check it out www.one.org

Here's the latest commercial:

Go USA!

I stayed up late to watch Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh win their 2nd gold medal in Women's Beach Volleyball. They played against an amazing Chinese team.
The game was made tougher by the pouring rain. The ball doesen't volley as well when it's weighed down by rain water. So it was a bit of a nail biter and very exciting to watch. I was on the edge of my seat and scared my dogs when I wooted out loud at the win. In the end, the US team played a better game and went on to win their 108th game in a row!
Congrats to the ladies!!!

I watched the Women's Platform Diving semi-finals. Laura Wilkinson (Sydney's suprise gold winner) is in 9th place going into tonight's final. I'm hanging on for her to place in the top three, but she's up against some incredible talent from China, Canada and even one from Mexico (Paola Espinosa).

Tanya Couch of GB is fabulous and it will be fun to watch. I'll be watching the finals tonight - FOR SURE! (I know that I can go look up the results, now, but I like the suspense of watching it tonight)

I, of course, watched some track and field events, most notable being the 200 meter dash where Usain Bolt (of Jamaica) shattered the previous record of 19.32 seconds, and ran it in 19.30 seconds. It had been said that the previous record, set in the Atlanta 1996 games by Michael Johnson, could not and would not be broken. Lo and behold, it was.

oh, and Usain: Don't get cocky! You celebrate AFTER you cross the finish line!

Still watching and LOVING the Olympics!

Just Needed a Laugh

I need to laugh, so I've added some funny videos to make me smile, at least.
Bridezilla (LOL):


I love this portrayal of the wind:


Collin and I watched this over and over again and the laughter never changed:

Farewell to a Long Time Friend

August 15, 2008 we said our final farewell to our beloved, precious Dante. He entered our lives eleven years ago, almost to the day. We were desperate after losing Sampson and Dante became our saving joy. When he came into our family he was six weeks old and he filled our hearts with immense joy and love. I love my dog and miss his sweetness already.

He was so tiny when we got him in, August 1997. He came to us a little early because his mom was sick, so the puppies were weened early. There were two in that litter that we wanted, but he had a precious little whine and he won our hearts. He drove home with us and I wouldn't let go of him. He was no bigger than a little dog statue we had and we were all so afraid of stepping on him. He was so small that Elida put him in her hoodie pocket (you know? the ones with the pocket in the middle).

We discovered that he was a talker. On second or third day of him joining our family, my mom came home from work and he ran up to her with his itty bitty puppy dog legs, barking the whole time. We all thought he hated her until the next day when he did the exact same thing. He liked to tell you his story.
I remember Elida and I taking him up to Echo Reservoir, in the fall of 1997. He was about four months old. We held him above the water and he began to doggy paddle about 3 inches above the water. We laughed and laughed. Now tears flow in memory of it.

He took over all the blankets when he shared the bed with me. I'd fall asleep with him at the foot of the bed and wake up FREEZING cold to find I was on my pillow and spilling out over the edge of the bed while he slept peacefully in the middle.

He woke us up in the middle of the night, one July, barking of a naked intruder-boy who had entered our premises. We thought he would welcome any intruder into the house and were relieved to know that he was not okay with anybody walking into the house at will. The kid was high as a kite and jumped from our windows only to shatter his heal bones. Dante was our hero! He saved the day!

He LOVED Richard's kids - really, he loved ALL kids. We'd been so worried about how he would handle children. We found there was never any need. All of Richard's kids have climbed all over him, pulled on his ears, pushed their little hands into his mouth and he's only ever just laid there. Once in a while he had a look of "could you help me out, here, they're all over me." He played games with the kids: they would chase each other around and around the dining room table.

He loved his rides up Emigration Canyon, walks around the block and through Hobbit Land and treats of whatever he could find left on the table (especially chocolate); but most of all he really loved Lake Powell and being with the family. He loved when his sisters came home from California and how he missed them when they went back.

He left us on Friday evening in a peaceful slumber. He was surrounded by most of his family when he was released from this world.

I hope he runs and runs through the fields of heaven - he's probably prancing around, like a little deer. We are going to miss our baby. Our hearts are again broken.

As Collin put it: I hope I'll see him again.

I took this video of Dante, Bruno and Beenie in July. Sandy was taking pictures. (You might ask: "What is Bruno looking at on the floor?" Well, Dante was drooling, waiting for his treat and it distracted Bruno from the prize)

Dante was very thirsty and loved to drink water where ever he could find it.

I love and miss my sweet sweet dog!

Happy Olympics

I have to reiterate it again: I LOVE THE OLYMPICS!

After watching the women's team gymnastics take the silver medal earlier this week. It was amazing to watch the individual all around championship.

I'm sure I am not alone in congratulating Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson for their 1-2 to win the gold and silver in the women's all-around gymnastics final.

Nastia Luikin

Shawn Johnson
Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin and Yan Yillin
these pictures came from ww.zimbio.com

During the 2000 Olympics I wrote my thoughts about watching those and find that my feelings are much the same (if not more profound) today.

I started by writing about swimming:
"I watch swimmers go for 100, 200 and 400 meters within world record time with relative ease. In the excitement I imagine myself in the water making a similar attempt. What amusement that image conjures. In my best efforts, with limbs flailing gracelessly about, I can barely swim even 50 yards to the other side of the pool and that's purely out of desperation to avoid drowning! I make it to the edge of the pool in time only to prevent a lung from bursting and then cling desperately to the side to avoid being sucked into the now angry waters that are assaulting me from all angles for having dared make such a mockery of swimming by entering the pool!"

Continuing to gymnastics:
"Here again, my imagination gets the better of me. Even in my greatest imaginings, I must chuckle at what my attempt would look like: I face the vault boldly some 50 yards away. I remember running the 50 yard dash in junior high school and know all I have to do is flip gallantly over the piece of equipment that now stands menacingly at the end of my run. I start my run . . . . hang on, I gotta catch my breath *puff on the inhaler* . . . . hobble and limp the remaining 40 yards to the vault. I turn around, and scoot my backside onto the "horse," gracefully turn around with my legs together (I don't want to lose that 1/100th of a point) and land solidly on my feet. I lift my arms proudly above my head arching my back and pulling all the muscles in the process and beam at my accomplishment: I ran 10 yards!"

Go USA!

Olympic Fever

Have you caught it? It's terrible contagious and if you get it, you'll have it for two weeks.

Symptoms Include:
1. Late nights! Very late nights!
2. Nervousness
3. Turret's like symptoms; with common outbursts like "oh my gosh, did you see that!?" or "GO! GO! GO!" or "AMAZING!"
4. Leaking eyes, commonly known as tears
5. Sleepiness for lack of sleep.

I've caught Olympic Fever and I love it!
I've been captured by volleyball, water polo, boxing, swimming and men's gymnastics.

I see why they call him the Dolphin. Michael Phelps has been excruciatingly amazing! So far, he has blasted the previous world records out of the water (literally). He has won gold in every event he has entered.

The most exciting moment, with respect to swimming, was by FAR the Men's 4 X 100 meter freestyle relay. I love these relays. If you missed it watch it below. It was quite the upset! This is not the NBC version but I love the announcers on this one.


Amazing Finish in the Mens 4x100m Relay As the US Wins Gold - video powered by Metacafe

Last night was the USA's Men's gymnastic team's turn to shock the world and show what they were made of. The two Hamm brothers had bailed out due to injuries and everybody thought they team was doomed.
They nailed most of their routines and left me in awe of the pummel horse by Alexander Artemev (one of the alternates)and most especially with the routine on the high bar by Jonathan Horton. In the end, the team that wasn't "supposed" to metal walked away with the bronze. The Chinese team was truly on fire and ended with an uncontested gold!



I hope you all concur that the Olympics have been pretty amazing and promise to deliver even more.
If you want more inspiration, watch these fantastic ads by VISA.

Paris for President?

Here's the old news: John McCain has been trailing Barrack Obama in the polls and is desperate to close the ever growing gap. He made a commercial comparting Obama to Brittany Spears and Paris Hitlon that has caused quite a stir.

Paris Hilton decided to launch her own campaign in response. You'll have to go to funnyordie.com to get the video, because I can't get it to play (sad). click here for video

or it here from CNN:


Is that the Mo Tab singing in the background? If it is, it's even MORE hilarious!!
from http://www.funnyordie.com

Gas Price Venting

Beginning in January of 2008, the price of oil has gone up substantially, breaking every record. Not surprisingly, the oil companies made record profits in the 1st AND 2nd quarters of this year!

By the end of May (2008) the price of oil per barrel was $130 and climbed as high as $142 in June. Since that hike, the prices have begun to come back down. Finally, the price has begun to drop. The price of oil has dropped every day for the last 20 days.

Today (right now) (this instant) the price is $120 per barrel. You’d think that gas prices would drop with the oil prices, right? Of course not! Why would they?
I watched a news report last night on this very topic. The reporter was investigating why the price of gas in Utah is still above the national average.

Today, the national average for regular gas is: $3.84 per gallon.

Here’s an idea of what people are paying for regular gas around the country today (per the iea.doe.gov):

California: $4.20
Colorado: $3.89
Florida: $3.88
Massachusetts: $3.85
Minnesota: $3.61
New York: $4.10
Ohio: $3.68
Texas: $3.76
Utah: $4.15
Washington: $4.14

The #1 reason the local gas companies touted for not lowering the price of gas in Utah was this: We bought the gas at the higher price and that’s what we have in stock. Once we get the new gas in at the new price, we can pass that on to the consumer.

What!?!?!?
So let me get this right: When the price of oil went up, we saw the cost hike at the pumps the VERY SAME DAY. Those gas companies didn’t say, “well, the gas we have in stock was purchased at the lower price, so we will keep it low until the new gas price comes in then pass it on to the consumer.”

On the news, the reporter finished her report with something to the effect of, “So hang in there. The gas prices will catch up. And that’s good news, something to look forward to.” Wow! Thanks KSL! You’re the best! Way to help me keep my chin up.

So if you’re bugged by your gas prices, hang in there, it’ll catch up and before long, you’ll be paying what you should – but by then the national average will have dropped and you’ll still be paying more than that at the pump – but keep your chin up and hang in there.

The Sims Evolution

As mentioned in a previous entry, I am a huge Sims fan. Eric introduced me to The Sims while we were dating. Until then, video games had been pretty foreign territory. Ever since then, the PS2 and my computer games have been a fun way to spend an evening. Now that there's a bit of a budget crunch due to gas eating up what little spare money there might have been in our budget, we've come to rely on our games for our entertainment just a little bit more.

Maxis has released the trailer to The Sims 3 and I thought it would be fun to track down some of the trailers to the previous versions of The Sims, and their expansions.

This first video is of the initial trailer for the Sims....kinda long and boring and completely different to how the game turned out.


My favorite expansion pack for The Sims, was the final one introduced: Makin' Magic. So I have included my favorite of the MM trailer:



The Sims 2 was released in September 2004, but I started playing in late 2005. I have loved playing various challenges. Here is my favorite trailer:



You may have see this commercial on TV - 100 Million copies sold. So you see, I'm not the lone spastic dedicated fan:



Now the Sims 3 trailer has been released! A lot of programming is still needed so it's hard to know what it will be like, but it sure looks promising:



I love my Simmies!