What is happening in this country?

I am completely enraged.  Please read this article and then you might understand why.

"Oklahoma, what have you done?"

As a health care professional specializing in neonatal intensive care, and a woman, I am completely shocked that a governing body can make a decision like this!  I know that I am a very opinionated person and I have very strong feelings about certain issues that may be contradictory to others, but I am always willing to listen to the opposing views.  I may completely disagree, but I will always listen.  One issue that I feel strongly about is the separation of government and religion.  I completely respect people who are strong in their religious beliefs, but the bottom line is that they are YOUR beliefs.  There are too many religions in this world for our country to have legislation passed that is based on a religious view.  There is much moral and ethical grey area, but if you feel your moral compass is straying then don't do it.  You shouldn't have the right to tell me I can't.  I could talk about this for a long time, but I won't right now.   Our country was indeed founded by Christians (Puritans), but they came here seeking a freedom to praise in whatever way they saw fit.  This is what our country seems to forget too often.

I know that the issue of abortion is very heated and controversial.  I am not here to discuss what is right in respect to abortion.  I am here to say that the Oklahoma legislature apparently has gone completely insane!  To deny a woman crucial information about her unborn child purely so she won't have an abortion is completely disgusting.  As I was reading this article to Shawn I was so disgusted and saddened that couldn't help but cry.  What is wrong with people?  How can this state decide that I shouldn't know that my baby has a disorder that could greatly shorten his or her life or will require much more care than a regular baby?  Too often I see babies born with problems related to trauma during the birth that could not be planned for and this causes a tremendous amount of stress compounding an already thoroughly stressful situation. Hou could you deny a woman that chance to plan ahead, or if she so chooses terminate the pregnancy?  Any physician that actually follows this law and actually withholds this information from a woman should have his or her medical license taken away!   I am so angry about this that I am sure I am rambling.   I am just so angry...and even more disgusted by the people of the USA right now. 

I probably doesn't help that the interview on The Daily Show last night was ignorant and wrote a book claiming that Obama is basically becoming Stalin.  I am just getting tired of this.

Quest for Lord Stanley's Cup

It's playoff time in hockey...and for Chicago Blackhawk fans that's a big deal!  Shawn and I are so excited!  The first round is over now and the Blackhawks defeated the Nashville Predators 4 games to 2.  The series was great!  Here is a video of my favorite moment from game 5 of the series.

Lost Puck in Antti Niemi's Gear

If you haven't ever followed hockey before or just have gotten away from it, now it the time to get involved!  There is a really tight competition this year and all the teams left are really good!  The playoffs are into the semi-finals now with the Hawks playing the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.  We'll be watching!  The two teams that have been the toughest competition for the Hawks this season were the Detroit Redwings and the San Jose Sharks.  Luckily one of those teams will be eliminated this round because they play each other.   The biggest upset of the first round was Montreal's defeat of the Washington Capitals and the all powerful Ovechkin.  Good.  I'm glad.  He thinks way too much of himself.  Ok...now that I have that out of my system I can move on.  Anyway, if you're interested in what's going on you can check out the NHL's website.

National Hockey League 

Heirloom

As long as I can remember, my Grandma Lach had a large clock in her living room that I knew would someday belong to me.   The clock was purchased by my Great Grandfather, Zenon Lach, in New York City.  Since my grandma passed away we have been going through her house and although this clock rightfully belongs to my dad now, he does not really have space for it so it has become mine.  I brought it home and cleaned it up and decided to do some research on it. I just cleaned it with a wet rag because I am not sure exactly what it is made out of and I didn't want to damage it, but it was totally full of dust!

Here are a few pictures of the Lach Clock after I wiped it up.

On the face of the clock I found the words: "Manufactured by The Ansonia Clock Co. New York. United States of America."    Inside of the clock I found a trademarked symbol.  It is a capital A with a square around it and then a diamond around that, which I discovered is the trademark for the Ansonia Clock Co. which was patented in New York on June 14, 1881.  Online I found a website that lists many of the clocks that were produced by this company with their names and pictures.  I discovered that I have the clock called "Music & Poetry" (Ly-Ansonia No. 483) which was created in 1894.   I believe the statues and clock are made of some kind of bronze.  They aren't in the greatest condition, but I think that the clock could easily be restored.  It still works...although the gonging is loud so I will not be winding the clock!  I found a picture online of someone's clock that has been restored.  Mine could be this beautiful again someday...perhaps by the time I have a formal living room or dining room to put it in!

In Charge

Starting tonight I have to be in charge at work.  I have been kind of dreading this moment, but I knew it would one day come.  I had one day of training (last night) and tonight I will have someone to help me, but I will be in charge.  Yikes!

The Blind Side

Shawn and I have been waiting to get The Blind Side from Netflix, but it has been a long wait since so many people want to see it.  I am a sucker for any movie that is about football and based on a true story, so I have been anxious to see this one.  Plus, I have heard so many good things about it!

Well, it finally arrived today!  Shawn and I just watched it and it was really great.  These type of stories are so touching...and yes they always make me cry!  Just in case you haven't seen it, the basic story is about a homeless teenager from the bad side of town who happens to get a chance to go to a private Christian high school.  He is the only black student and due to his past he doesn't do well in the classes.  He has never had much of an education since he spent most of his childhood in many different foster homes.  Luckily he has a second chace at Wingate.  At first, it seems that he is going to fail once again, but the teachers finally begin to understand him and a wonderful family takes him in and makes him a part of their family.  They get him involved in sports and he ends up being a great football player.  He goes on to play football in college and now plays in the NFL.  Sandra Bullock won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy. The cast also includes Kathy Bates and Tim McGraw.  The acting was great, especially the lead role of Michael Oher played by Quinton Aaron.

If Leigh Anne Tuohy is anything like her character is portrayed in the movie then I wish there were more people like her and her family.  This woman took in this boy and gave him a place to live, clothes and food and in the end gave him love and a family, something he had never experienced before.  They discussed briefly at the end how so many other kids that grew up in nthe neighborhood that Michael Oher did don't have the chance at life that Michael was given, or even anything close. They have the potential to be so much more, but are never given any oppotunities.  Not that all of those children are looking for something better, but many of them are.  They discuss in the film how so often children that are raised in an environment of drugs and violence, as Michael was, end up with extremely violent tendencies.  But not Michael.  He would rather do anything hurt another person.  It is just wonderful to see how one person can make such a profound difference in the life of another person.

I have told Shawn many times that I am going to bring home a baby from work one day.  He knows that I am kidding...now...but maybe one day.  There are so many babies that come through my NICU that deserve more than they are going to get out of life.  Everytime we send a baby into protective custody or foster care I wish I was in a situation to bring them home with me.  Hopefully more people will decide to offer good homes to children who need them.

Homemade Irish Cream

Bailey's Irish Cream is one of my favorite things to drink.  Several times I have been given the recipe to make Irish Cream at home and I thought I would share it.  It is delicious!!  I made some today because I had extra Jameson Irish Whiskey left over from Christmas.  Yummy!

Irish Cream

 1-3/4 cups Jameson Irish Whiskey

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 cup (1/2 pint) Whipping or Light Cream

4 eggs

2 Tbsp Chocolate Syrup

2 tsp Instant Coffee

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Almond Extract

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Store in container with tight fitting lid for up to 30 days refridgerated. 

No way it will last that long though!! Enjoy!

Memories of a Kick Ass Date Night...

Ok...so that title makes no sense at all, but here we go....

Shawn and I decided we needed a date night tonight.  Our schedules haven't really been coordinating well lately, so a night together seemed to be just the thing we needed.  Shawn got home from work and we headed out for the evening on Lake Street in Oak Park.  If you've never been to Oak Park and are in the Chicago area you definately should.  Lake Street between Harlem and Euclid is probably one of my favorite places in the world!  We walked around, window shopped, and shopped just a bit too (got something for Theresa for her birthday...hehe).   There is a really cute little shop that sells all kinds of weird, random things.  I got some candy cigarettes (remember those??) and Shawn got some Pop Rocks.  Plus they had these sweet ass glasses...

Then we stopped in to Flat Top Grill for dinner (yummy) and had a drink at Bar Louie before we headed to the Lake Theater to see Kick Ass.  I wasn't really sure how well I was going to like Kick Ass...I had seen all the previews (obviously I had...I live with Shawn!) and it looked good but I was not so sure.  I had heard some reviews on the radio about how violent it was and about the language.  Well, I really did like it a lot!  It definitely was violent, with lots of blood splattering about and some crazy guns, knives, swords and any other kind of weapon you can imagine!  Also the language was terrible, and most of that coming from the mouth of an 11 year old girl (who happens to be the most kick ass character in the movie)!  Throw in the sexual teenage angst and I definitely recommend leaving the kids at home!  Teenagers should be fine, but this movie totally earned its R rating!  It was really funny though, and all the characters were great (except Nicholas Cage...I really don't like him).  It actually did have a really good story line that kept you interested throughout...it wasn't just about the action and violence.  Definitely worth seeing!

I also found this picture on Shawn's phone when I was getting the funny glasses picture and I realized that we never posted it.  It is a picture of my car after the accident we had in May 2008 that resulted in my broken neck, wrist, etc and all the great experiences that came afterward.  Needless to say the car was totalled.  It is still hard to look back at this car and the pictures of myself from the week after the accident with my cast and neck brace and full body brusing, especially when I know that the stupid guy who caused the accident has basically been allowed to do all this to me without any kind of repercussions.  Well, I guess this is another soapbox...some other time.