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There’s an article in the September issue of Marie Claire (which really came out at the beginning of August – how stupid is that??) entitled The Starter Marriage. It discusses the changing mentality of today’s twenty-somethings toward marriage and divorce. The first woman in the article is Andi who was married less than a year (although she moved out several months before) who told her hubby that she just couldn’t “commit” to their marriage. The thing that struck me as odd about this statement is that – they were ALREADY married!!! She said she never would have done it if she didn’t know that she could get out of it. What was the catalyst to make her decide for sure to divorce? Her husband was talking about wanting children. She said she thought todays marriages were more like yesterday’s engagements and actually having children today is equivalent to the significance of getting married in previous societies.

What is wrong with these people?!?! No wonder people talk about the divorce rate being 50% (which everyone banters about but I’d like to see the real statistics such as how many people marry 3, 4 and 5 times that bring that average up to what it is?). Anyway, I simply don’t understand how someone can make the commitment to marry if they aren’t for sure they can spend the rest of their life with that person. There are religious reasons I believe that but even put that aside, you make a VOW in front of God, your peers, and your family to love honor and cherish this person for the rest of your lives! How can you not take that seriously? If you’re having doubts – don’t get married. There’s no time limit on getting married. You can date for a decade nowadays and nobody thinks of it as weird so why get married if you aren’t sure?

Some of you may think this is very weird coming from someone who is divorced. For those that don’t know, I was married a very long time ago (17 years to be exact) and at the time, I was 17 years old, had stars in my eyes and thought I was truly in love. I didn’t have second thoughts, but apparently he did but he went through with it anyway. One year later, my Ex said he didn’t want a family or to be married. I was devastated. I fought him for 4 months to work on our marriage but he didn’t want to. Finally, I came to realize that you can’t make someone love you so I moved out. BEST thing I ever did. I can’t imagine how horrible my life would be now if he hadn’t done that. I never would have brought up divorce – it never crossed my mind. I would have stayed in that marriage for the long-haul – and probably have been miserable. Age has brought wisdom and the realization that he was an underacheiver and I could do WAY better – and did. I’ve been happily married for almost 10 years and still – no thoughts of divorce.

The problem was I think he knew he was making a mistake when he did it. WHY do it then? I just don’t understand. Marriage is truly a covenent you make with another person. It shouldn’t be entered into lightly or for convenience or any other reason.

Pretty random title for a blog entry, huh? Tonight, hubby and I went to KFC for dinner. I like KFC’s chicken but it’s not the reason I like to eat there. I simply adore their mashed potatoes and gravy. I don’t know what they put in them but I simply can’t get enough of them!

So, for dinner tonight, I ate 1 entire pint of mashed potatoes and gravy and about 4 popcorn chicken bites and a glass of fruit punch. It was WONDERFUL!!!

Mashed potatoes and gravy are my “comfort food”. They are, by far, my absolute favorite food ever. I probably have some form of potato at almost every meal but mashed taters and gravy are my ultimate favorite. I could eat them as an entire meal by themselves (as demonstrated above). The very best way to have them is with corn piled on top – YUM YUM YUMMY!!!

Hubby just snickered and shook his head. He’s used to me utter weirdness by now.

So – what’s YOUR favorite food?

I read this story on the Yahoo home page this morning…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070820/ap_on_re_us/immigration_activist

This story makes me so mad! This woman has snuck into the USA not once, not twice, but three friggin’ times and she holds a press conference to condemn the US government for deporting her? What the crap? She is here illegally which means to me, she has NO RIGHTS, she isn’t a US citizen, she pays no taxes but she’s decided she’s just entitled to live here because she wants to? Uh, no lady, that’s not how it works. If you want to come to this country, by all means, come on but do it legal! Do not hold a press conference and condemn MY country and MY government for being mean to you and splitting your family up when you weren’t even supposed to have your family here. The government isn’t forcing your family apart. There is absolutely nothing stopping you from taking your son with you to Mexico. Him staying here is a choice YOU are making. You sneaking into the country 3 freakin’ times is a choice YOU made and the consequences are noone’s fault but your own. The audacity of these people to turn their noses up at our laws, totally ignore the system with which they can legally come here, and then condem our government for kicking them back blows my mind. I’m tired of it. And don’t give me that crap that the businesses in this country needs them to do jobs that the American workers consider beneth them. There are still unemployed persons who want to work but don’t have the education or ability to do anything else but those jobs and the illegal immigrants are working them instead. And don’t even get me started about them not knowing English. Okay, I’m jumping down off my soapbox for today.

I love to drive. I know some people may think this is weird but I really do. My favorite is if I can roll the windows down and crank the music up really loud (so I can sing at the top of my lungs and nobody has to be forced to hear me), set the cruise and just go. I had to go to Indianapolis, IN for business and got back last night. It was a company sponsored employee appreciation thing so my daughter got to go with me as well. My daughter likes R&B/Rap music. UGH! This ruins my favorite part of the trip. I listened to black music for 5 hours. As I was about to shove thoothpicks in my eyeballs we arrived at our destination so I was saved.

We also have a weird sort of ritual. I have to buy “car snacks”. Even if it’s a fairly short road trip like just 2 hours. Our favorite “car snacks” are:

Slim Jim – they are individually wrapped and give some extra protein
Chees Balls or Cheetos – I really don’t know why, perhaps for something crunchy?
Water – loads of bottled water
Gatorade – only occassionally though
BBQ Pork Rinds – I know, these are totally gross and my husband abhores them but I like them and, surprisingly, they’re low in fat and calories. I only ever get them for road trips though so I don’t eat them that often.

I love to travel when I can listen to my XM radio and still get my favorite stations. I had a rental car this time though so I didn’t have XM I do have an i-pod adapter so I could have listened to my favorite tunes if Bridgette hadn’t mentally abused me with the crap she made me listen to.

Often times we play a car game called “I’m Going on a Picnic”. This is where you say food items or some other random things in alphabetical order and recap all the other ones people have previously named. You take turns naming them and if you forget one you lose. We’ve played it for so many years we’ve had to make it harder and limit the items you can name like only makes and models of cars.

So – who here enjoys car trips? Any special rituals you have?

Tonight, I was sitting in my crop/hobby/computer room with my mom showing the mother of the bride the pictures I took from the most recent wedding I shot, and in walks my husband. He says he has a surprise for me. He opens a bag and pulls out a wireless mouse. I know, probably not the most romantic gift a husband has ever given his wife but here’s why it meant a lot to me: Probably over the last 6 months I’ve mentioned a couple of times how I’d like a wireless mouse to Hubby. I’ve not mentioned it in probably 2 months but – he remembered. He said he saw it and thought of me. This tells me that Hubby really does listen to what I have to say and he’s considerate. It really is the little things people do for you that make you really appreciate them. Would I have liked flowers? Of course, but flowers die and Hubby knew this was something that I’ve been wanting. I thought it was very sweet and I LOVE it!!!

I’ve decided to pursue a new venture – photography. Now, this really isn’t new to me as I’ve done amatuer photography for several years but I photographed my third wedding this past weekend and decided it was time for me to start getting paid. I’m proud to say that I’ve gotten some fantastic shots and am proud of my work. Other people seem to like it too which is always nice. So – if anyone local knows anyone who needs a photographer for a very reasonable price – please feel free to recommend me. Thanks!

I read the by-line for a story on the yahoo home page today that said “Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez praises Sean Penn for Iraq war stance“. Now, I’m not going to get into a debate about the war so please, nobody jump on that soapbox, okay? Here’s my issue – what gives actors and other entertainers the right to decide that they are a political, war, international relations, medical, or any other sort of expert other than acting or singing?

I can’t forget a couple years ago when Susan Sarandon was at the Oscars and decided that was the appropriate time and place to blast the President of the United States. How totally inapropriate!!! People neither attend nor watch the Oscars to hear your political views! Don’t get me wrong, we live in a country where lots of people have fought and died to protect our ability to speak our mind and share our views and opinions. I don’t mind if people’s opinions differ from mine. I just think there is an appropriate time and place for that stuff and the Oscars isn’t it.

I can’t forget how Alec Baldwin said if Bush won a second term in office he would move to another country. I’m still waiting for him to go. Jane Fonda was famous back during the Vietnam War for her stance vehemently against the war. And, of course, who can even count the number of times Tom Cruise has run his mouth about a whole host of things? For those of you that don’t know – Tom Cruise is a high school drop out. I’m not sure at what grade he left school or why but I can be pretty darn sure that this means he doesn’t have any special training or schooling or other type of recognized higher education regarding politics, medication, or psychotherapy so he should learn to keep his big mouth shut about things in which he knows nothing. How could he really have the audacity to say how a woman should treat her post-partum issues? What gives him the knowledge to determine that?

So, am I surprised Chavez praises Sean Penn? Nope? My guess is he agrees with Chavez. That doesn’t make either of them right. Oh, and I didn’t read the article nor do I know the stance either of them have taken but it doesn’t really matter as I’m not really talking about whether I agree or disagree with the war. My issue is with the ego-centric “entertainers” that have decided that just because they are in the public eye they’re experts on everything. Must be nice!