You have to give it to McCain, he does know how to take the wind out of Obama's sail.
The mainstream media has already taken this news, Sarah Palin as VP pick, as a headline and buried it, while news of the Obama "tour" is a headline. Trouble is and someone should let the dinosaurs at the press know, people can seek out news in a million places now. They can search for things they are interested in. Yes the net has a lot of trash but it also has a lot of information. It also has the path to people you respect in terms of opinions, etc.
McCain just jazzed his campaign. While Obama gave a great speech, as he does, I'm not sure he pumped up the fence sitters. An 8+ point bump was expected. Good Lord, if he wouldn't have gotten that with the Greek columns and stadium they would have to fold now. I think the race just got really interesting. Personally my money is on Sarah when she and Biden debate.
I think the thing I liked most about this news was how blown away the media was. THEY didn't think this was a good choice. She wasn't on their short list. She isn't a safe pick. Blah, blah, blah. McCain must have a pretty tight campaign. I hope so because from here on out, moles will be everywhere.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Countdown to Croatia Trip
Well, here we are, officially on the countdown for our trip to Croatia. We will be leaving on a jet plane (as the song goes) in a mere four days. The suitcases are on the sofa-mine is actually packed and Tom has most of his stuff cued up and ready for me (queen of cram) to compress. We carry on so precision packing is quite necessary. As is the case for most of our trips since we prefer September travel, we have to plan for chilly and hot weather. This year we have to bring water shoes as we will be on the Adriatic and they highly recommend shoes if you are going to venture in the water. Just another thing to pack.
This year we are traveling with our friends Bonnie and Rollie. Since there are no direct flights to Croatia we are flying in to Frankfurt, renting a car, driving to Stuttgart, staying overnight there (with relatives of Rollie's) and then flying in to Zagreb the next day. We will stay in Zagreb until Tuesday and then we will head for Plitvice Lakes National Park. Short two day stay here and then on to Trogir. Four days there and then on to Dubrovnik for six days. On Sunday the 21st we will fly from Dubrovnik to Stuttgart, again stay over night with Rollies relatives and drive to Frankfurt the next day. We fly out of Frankfurt on the 22nd and of course arrive home on the 22nd.
Our itinerary is quite aggressive. Tom has us rafting one day, he would like to get out on fishing boat, we will be doing a good deal of walking (we aren't hikers), possibly biking and our fair share of eating and drinking. There are vineyards to visit. We have had some Croatian wine that is imported here and it is pretty good. Not sure if we will get to see the "Sword Dance", ferry times might not work out for that. We will get to see and possible purchase some "naive art". Hopefully the storks will be around as we are going to stop in Cigoc. I should have the opportunity to add to my tablecloth collection as we are stopping at Kutina, known for its linen. All in all I trust we will have a wonderful time and great trip.
Stay tuned for blogs....
This year we are traveling with our friends Bonnie and Rollie. Since there are no direct flights to Croatia we are flying in to Frankfurt, renting a car, driving to Stuttgart, staying overnight there (with relatives of Rollie's) and then flying in to Zagreb the next day. We will stay in Zagreb until Tuesday and then we will head for Plitvice Lakes National Park. Short two day stay here and then on to Trogir. Four days there and then on to Dubrovnik for six days. On Sunday the 21st we will fly from Dubrovnik to Stuttgart, again stay over night with Rollies relatives and drive to Frankfurt the next day. We fly out of Frankfurt on the 22nd and of course arrive home on the 22nd.
Our itinerary is quite aggressive. Tom has us rafting one day, he would like to get out on fishing boat, we will be doing a good deal of walking (we aren't hikers), possibly biking and our fair share of eating and drinking. There are vineyards to visit. We have had some Croatian wine that is imported here and it is pretty good. Not sure if we will get to see the "Sword Dance", ferry times might not work out for that. We will get to see and possible purchase some "naive art". Hopefully the storks will be around as we are going to stop in Cigoc. I should have the opportunity to add to my tablecloth collection as we are stopping at Kutina, known for its linen. All in all I trust we will have a wonderful time and great trip.
Stay tuned for blogs....
Harley Days of Summer
Here we are, the end of August and near the end of summer. Every five years around these parts we have the Harley-Davidson birthday party. This year it is the 105th. The roar is in the air.
Our granddaughter Juliet was born on the big one, the Harley 100th. Quite convenient for us, she was born at St. Mary's hospital at the lakefront. I had won tickets to the big "secret" show, so we packed up our concert in the park gear and headed east to see our newest grandchild and then enjoy the show. We parked at the hospital which worked out wonderful. Mom and baby were doing fine (when we visited). Afterwards we simply walked down the hill and to the lakefront area where the show was being held.
The motorcycles and their roar were fascinating. People from all over the world converging in one spot just to party. We have Summerfest and that is a huge draw, but this Harley phenomenon was something to behold. The big parade was the day before. Laura had set up chairs on Bluemound Road to secure our parade seats and we watched as hundreds and hundreds of Harley's cruised on by.
The "big" show was kind of a bust as Elton John was not a hog favorite. Dan Aykroyd was pretty off-time as well. Kid Rock put on the best show and he isn't on our iPod if you know what I mean. We had no idea who he even was. Now we do like Elton John's music so we were happy to lay on the grass on beautiful summer night, drink a few beers and listen to the music at a free concert. It took us back to our dating days and that was fun. Summer is short around here, that was one of those days you just enjoy. And enjoy it we did. We stayed until the very end and then did the casual stroll back to the hospital to get our car and then ride back to Waukesha.
The next morning I took the messages off the telephone and lo and behold there was a call about the new baby. Seems they moved her to an isolated unit to monitor her little heart. Oh yeah, that isn't what you want to hear about your new baby. So back down to Saint Mary's to give our daughter a break and some support. I got to bond with my newest little grand baby that day as I held and rocked her for the afternoon. Laura needed to rest, all new Mom's need to rest, strength is necessary once out on your own with the newborn. And gratefully Juliet has a strong little heart and all is well five years later.
So for us the Harley birthday is a reminder of another birthday. And lucky for her, if all goes well, every five years there will be a hell of a party in town to celebrate with.
Our granddaughter Juliet was born on the big one, the Harley 100th. Quite convenient for us, she was born at St. Mary's hospital at the lakefront. I had won tickets to the big "secret" show, so we packed up our concert in the park gear and headed east to see our newest grandchild and then enjoy the show. We parked at the hospital which worked out wonderful. Mom and baby were doing fine (when we visited). Afterwards we simply walked down the hill and to the lakefront area where the show was being held.
The motorcycles and their roar were fascinating. People from all over the world converging in one spot just to party. We have Summerfest and that is a huge draw, but this Harley phenomenon was something to behold. The big parade was the day before. Laura had set up chairs on Bluemound Road to secure our parade seats and we watched as hundreds and hundreds of Harley's cruised on by.
The "big" show was kind of a bust as Elton John was not a hog favorite. Dan Aykroyd was pretty off-time as well. Kid Rock put on the best show and he isn't on our iPod if you know what I mean. We had no idea who he even was. Now we do like Elton John's music so we were happy to lay on the grass on beautiful summer night, drink a few beers and listen to the music at a free concert. It took us back to our dating days and that was fun. Summer is short around here, that was one of those days you just enjoy. And enjoy it we did. We stayed until the very end and then did the casual stroll back to the hospital to get our car and then ride back to Waukesha.
The next morning I took the messages off the telephone and lo and behold there was a call about the new baby. Seems they moved her to an isolated unit to monitor her little heart. Oh yeah, that isn't what you want to hear about your new baby. So back down to Saint Mary's to give our daughter a break and some support. I got to bond with my newest little grand baby that day as I held and rocked her for the afternoon. Laura needed to rest, all new Mom's need to rest, strength is necessary once out on your own with the newborn. And gratefully Juliet has a strong little heart and all is well five years later.
So for us the Harley birthday is a reminder of another birthday. And lucky for her, if all goes well, every five years there will be a hell of a party in town to celebrate with.
Friday, August 8, 2008
What is in a name?
I was born Shirley Ann Ragsdale. I got married (the first time) before I was 21 years old. Even though we separated before I was 21 and divorced shortly thereafter I did take his name. Back then that was the norm and that is what I did. When I got divorced I took my maiden name back. It was one of my first liberation statements I guess. I remarried a few years later and again took my husbands name without blinking an eye.
We divorced after about 13 years of marriage and four children. Divorce is devastating when there are children involved. I really didn't give much thought to my name at the time, I was too busy figuring out how we would survive, etc. But my ex began seeing someone immediately and I realized that if I kept my married name and he remarried there would be two Mrs. Strehlow's running around town and taking kids to and from the same school. No, I couldn't bare the thought of that. So, the offer to change my name at the divorce was one that I took.
I was amazed at how invigorating it was to have my own name back. I'm sure I felt that way because of the after-taste left by divorce, but I was glad I had made the change. As the years went by I really became more attached to my name. I also was very convinced I would never have a reason to change it again. Life was good. The kids and I were very accustomed to how we lived.
Then I met the most wonderful man in the world. Tricked in to a date by my daughter and his daughter (they thought we would be two peas in a pod-Good Lord were those girls spot on!) we pretty much knew by the second date that something very special was happening. When we began to talk about marriage I reiterated how I felt about my name and changing it again. Tom completely understood. He never thought it fair a woman had to give up her name. We both agreed that hyphenated names are a pain in the butt. So, when we married he remained Tom Draeger and I remained Shirley Ragsdale.
We didn't go out of our way to mention it to many people. We had a huge crowd at our wedding, so folks knew we were married. For me the transition was easy. No changing my social security number (which I had already done four times), no changing my drivers license or my bank accounts. Didn't have the hassle at the doctor's office, my name was the same. No chasing all over filling out forms, etc. Tom created a little "home page" for us and he called it Tom & Shirl's home page, with the search key words of Tom Draeger and Shirley Ragsdale . I had the best of both worlds, Draeger and Ragsdale.
In 2002 Tom's cousin wanted Rose (his Mom) to come to her place for a visit. She did not have a desire to travel alone but lit up when I said I would go along. No sooner said than done cousin Chris had plans made and tickets bought. It never occurred to me until the tickets arrived that she wouldn't have known my name. So yes, they arrived for Shirley Draeger.
Since this was just after the terrorist attacks airline travel and requirements had really tightened. One of the big things was the name on the ticket. No changing the name on the ticket. With a heavy heart I knew I had to change my name. I understand they make some exceptions for the married/maiden name thing, but at the airport, with plane on the tarmac is not the place you want to be with identification some pointy-head dude doesn't like. So I began the process. New drivers license with new picture. Sent in the marriage records with my passport so that could be changed. The trip to the social security office I did at a much later date but eventually had to as everything important is tied to that number (health insurance and taxes). WE Energies, AT&T and Kohl's still say Ragsdale. I have another couple of cards I really don't use that say Ragsdale as well. Tom jokingly says, "you just can't let it go, can you?" and he is right. I finally did change the bank records and little by little I guess I'm more of a Draeger than a Ragsdale. Nah, I guess I will always really be a Ragsdale. Like a leopard, I just can't change those spots!
We divorced after about 13 years of marriage and four children. Divorce is devastating when there are children involved. I really didn't give much thought to my name at the time, I was too busy figuring out how we would survive, etc. But my ex began seeing someone immediately and I realized that if I kept my married name and he remarried there would be two Mrs. Strehlow's running around town and taking kids to and from the same school. No, I couldn't bare the thought of that. So, the offer to change my name at the divorce was one that I took.
I was amazed at how invigorating it was to have my own name back. I'm sure I felt that way because of the after-taste left by divorce, but I was glad I had made the change. As the years went by I really became more attached to my name. I also was very convinced I would never have a reason to change it again. Life was good. The kids and I were very accustomed to how we lived.
Then I met the most wonderful man in the world. Tricked in to a date by my daughter and his daughter (they thought we would be two peas in a pod-Good Lord were those girls spot on!) we pretty much knew by the second date that something very special was happening. When we began to talk about marriage I reiterated how I felt about my name and changing it again. Tom completely understood. He never thought it fair a woman had to give up her name. We both agreed that hyphenated names are a pain in the butt. So, when we married he remained Tom Draeger and I remained Shirley Ragsdale.
We didn't go out of our way to mention it to many people. We had a huge crowd at our wedding, so folks knew we were married. For me the transition was easy. No changing my social security number (which I had already done four times), no changing my drivers license or my bank accounts. Didn't have the hassle at the doctor's office, my name was the same. No chasing all over filling out forms, etc. Tom created a little "home page" for us and he called it Tom & Shirl's home page, with the search key words of Tom Draeger and Shirley Ragsdale . I had the best of both worlds, Draeger and Ragsdale.
In 2002 Tom's cousin wanted Rose (his Mom) to come to her place for a visit. She did not have a desire to travel alone but lit up when I said I would go along. No sooner said than done cousin Chris had plans made and tickets bought. It never occurred to me until the tickets arrived that she wouldn't have known my name. So yes, they arrived for Shirley Draeger.
Since this was just after the terrorist attacks airline travel and requirements had really tightened. One of the big things was the name on the ticket. No changing the name on the ticket. With a heavy heart I knew I had to change my name. I understand they make some exceptions for the married/maiden name thing, but at the airport, with plane on the tarmac is not the place you want to be with identification some pointy-head dude doesn't like. So I began the process. New drivers license with new picture. Sent in the marriage records with my passport so that could be changed. The trip to the social security office I did at a much later date but eventually had to as everything important is tied to that number (health insurance and taxes). WE Energies, AT&T and Kohl's still say Ragsdale. I have another couple of cards I really don't use that say Ragsdale as well. Tom jokingly says, "you just can't let it go, can you?" and he is right. I finally did change the bank records and little by little I guess I'm more of a Draeger than a Ragsdale. Nah, I guess I will always really be a Ragsdale. Like a leopard, I just can't change those spots!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Paris Hilton's Mom?
Really, Kathy Hilton took offense at a McCain ad (ad that mocks the celebrity of Obama)? Please, I'm thinking there are a lot of things concerning her daughter she could find offensive, mostly her daughters behavior! Why is Paris a celebrity? Why is Obama a qualified candidate for the highest office in the US? Because the media chronicles their every move? Celebrity status is not substance. Kathy, your daughter is viewed as a pretty hollow, paparazzi made celebrity.
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