Go World

We have a saying in our family, quoted after

the "Cool Runnings" movie--

"I am feeling very Olympic today."

Living in Salt Lake City

and experiencing everything first hand

for SEVEN plus years of what it was like

to host an Olympics--

it seems very far removed from our life

here and now in Kansas City.

Mr. Fun wore his Olympic hockey jersey today

and took in my Olympic Torch in to work. 
He must be feeling very Olympic.

I can tell you want the people of Vancover are

feeling right about now--

exactly 45 minutes from the Opening Ceremonies
(which tickets to the 2002 Opening Cere.

were $1,000 a piece)

Those people are sooooo excited. 
They cannot wait for it to FINALLY begin.

They are tired.  They are worried about

the traffic plans.  They are worried about

security.  They are excited to see so many

people coming to the Games.  They are

wearing their Olympic pins and t-shirts.

Some have left town.  Some are charging

wayyyyy too much money for guests to

stay with them.  Some are planning to

work from home for the next two weeks.

Some are drunk at the downtown Olympic

Square already.

Here is a good luck wish to the people of Vancover.

You know, we could have gone to Vancover for Mr. Fun

to work for the Olympics.

We turned it down.  We wanted roots and stability.

Well, actually I did.  :) 

Moments like this make me think about our decisions,

and how we are where we are. 
I am glad we are here, because I can

still feel very Olympic here today

lounging on my couch in Kansas City.  :)

Go World.

Bob the Builder Award: I Used to be a Rice Bag items

The BC's I Used to be a Rice Bag Collection is flip flops and other items that are made out of recyclable detergent, rice and other types of storage bags.  These bags normally would end up in recycle bins on my porch or in some stinky "dump" (alaska term) somewhere.  However, this group is making stylish stuff from them.  Check them out: 

http://www.bcfootwear.net/

Need a scholarship? I have just the organization for you...

The Girl is a senior, which means she is searching for ways for people to give her free money.  You know, scholarships.  She already has her first two years paid with her A+ Missouri school program...a scholarship that takes four years to accomplish.  But who doesn't want to find more free money?  :)

She often sends links to ones she finds.

This is one I received today.  It cracked me up.  I think you will enjoy it too.

The American Nudist Research Library scholarship annually gives out a $1,000 scholarship to a high school senior or recent grad with at least three years of membership in a nudist organization. Winners are judged on their brief essay. (HER COMMENT TO ME:  Um. I don’t think I meet the requirements.)

http://www.anrl.org/

Yep, it is for real.  Dang me for not enrolling her in that nudist program three years ago...
Sorry folks, no picture post today.  :)  For obvious reasons.

"It's good to be the Queen."

I bet you didn't know that the Queen of the British Islands and Northern Ireland (formally known as the Queen of England....they got rid of that title over 300 years ago....kind of like the Artist Formally Known as Prince name...) and I are practically kindred spirits.

Yep, it is true.

How so?  you ask.  Let me illlustrate. 
(First, let me turn on the Glee soundtrack for my listening pleasure.  :)  )

Drumroll please:
The Official List of why Val and the Queen are kindred spirits:

We have both had sons.  Her's is Charles, and mine is The Boy.  Her boy has bigger ears than mine.

We have both been to England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  I however doubt that she had a big fight with her husband in Scotland that way I did with mine.  :)

We both own fancy black coats.  I bet hers doesn't itch like mine.

We don't work 9-5 jobs.  I doubt she is asked "what do you do all day?" the way I am, though.

We both have driver's licenses but have people who drive us around.  I am not waving to my adoring fans, but more trying not to have a seizure and kill whoever is in the car with me.

Since we don't work, we don't pay into the tax system.  Which of course, that money will be gone when I would have been old enough to collect it if I had paid into it anyway.

Both have had big events in our early 20's.  She became the Queen.  I joined the Mormon Church.

Both of us have had some in-law struggles.  Her's are daughter-in-laws.  Mine have been because I am the daughter-in-law.

And perhaps the most unexpected commonality: 
We have both been invited to go to the United Nations this year.

Yep, you read that right. 

The Queen will be there in July.

I will be there the first week of March. 

Through some very unexpected circumstances, I was invited by my old friend, Alaska, to join her and her world wide women's organization for an international Women's Conference at the UN. 

I even have creditials.  That is UN creditials. Did I mention I have creditials?  :)

How does this happen to two girls from the Ridgeway (smaller than Soldotna--if you know Soldotna, you know that is pretty hard to do--we did have our own fire truck....and my father did appoint himself the King of Ridgeway...Wait, if my father is the King of Ridgeway, then the whole royalty connection TOTALLY makes sense!)

To be completely honest, Alaska said she felt inspired to ask

me to attend.  I have not worked with their group. 

I don't have much to offer.  No money.  No connections.

I am just a looney girl in a looney bin on Forest Avenue.

I will keep you posted.

As Mr. Fun and I have always said,

"It is good to be the Queen." 

Now you see why.

Insult to injury

Interestingly enough, since it seems like the "vultures" (bad luck as Dave calls it) in our life haven't had enough to feast on in January, the karma gods have sent a little more to Andersonville to shake it up.

Of course the three deaths of loved Grammies and Uncle in a month.  By the way, Mr. Fun tried to fly to Canada on Thursday to get to the funeral of Grandma Lila, but alas, he only made it to Dallas.  There were plane problems, weather problems, and they sent him back to KC.  They couldn't get him there in time and he missed it.  :( 

But now, the government wants to get in on the action.

We are being audited.  Not just your regular-way auditing either.

There is new governmental policy in act that if your medical insurance is taken pre-tax (Mr. Fun's is), you have to be able to prove every single "purchase" on paper (and they leave the clause on the paper that your medical receipt may not be enough "proof"--Nice loophole g men).  The medical visits, the perscriptions.  If you know anything about this type of medical insurance working, you know that you can only use the medical card for medical junk.  Not good enough says Uncle Sam.  They are afraid that people are using their untaxed medical funds with their medical cards at the grocery store to buy crazy items...you know, sodas, meat, and panty hose. 

We are being audited for 2009 -- five purchases made at the pharmacy (the ONLY pharmacy I use).  One of the purchases being audited is for $.34 cents.  Yep, you read that right.  Can any one explain to me how the government can miss the $6 million dollars that Nicolas Cage owes, but thinks that I am buying a milk chocolate silk Dove bar instead of one of the Boy's 27 daily medicine doses? 

Doesn't the government know I don't like milk chocolate?  Sheesh.

My pharmacy has the documents I need to prove I am not a pre-tax pantyhose purchaser or breaking my new rule of no milk chocolate--even if it is Dove....but who is going to give me back the 44 cent stamp it will take to mail my proof that I didn't use my 34 cents illegally?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This purchase ought to shake them up next tax season:

As forementioned, the Boy takes 27 doses of medicine every single day.  No wonder his brains are not functioning quite how they used to.  One medicine is Gastrocom, and let's just say it is sort of spendy.  No, not sort of $19 sirloin steak spendy, but reallllllllllllly spendy.  I took a picture to proof it:

The Sun Fresh said that our $1810 monthly bill is a new store record.

We are really proud of our accomplishment.

Did I mention that was the co-pay?

Does the government really think I have the money

to buy pantyhose with my medical funds when I have this kind of

monthly medicine co-pay bill?