Happy Mothers’ Day to all!

Whoa, long travel days are rough! I got up at 2:15am to leave my folks’ house in Monument, CO at 3:20am for Denver International by 4:30. Flight was at 6:30. Got to Houston by 9:10, just to sit on the tarmac waiting for a spot for our plane to park (by about 9:40, yawn). Met Mike — my flight arrived exactly across the corridor from the gate for the flight to Narita — grabbed some food, and we were back onto a large aircraft for the next 13+ hours! From there, we caught a bus for another 1-1/2 hours to get to Omiya Station and a hotel. Even though it was only 6:00pm (on Sunday, mind you), we crashed and completely missed dinner, just to find ourselves wide awake at 3pm.

Let’s see…awake from 2:00am Saturday until 6:00pm Sunday (3am, Colorado time) — so that’s a good 24 hours of travel. Ack.

When I checked in with family this morning, they asked for my impressions so far of Japan. As bleary-eyed as I was on the bus ride, my impressions were so far limited. This morning didn’t add much, except that the hotel’s cafe had deco reminiscent of a 1980s salad bar (pale peaches and cream, green carpet, faded houseplants) and played the worst music. Take any overwrought love song from an American movie. Add Muzak. Oh, and the eggs here are runny. Please tell me that runny eggs aren’t going to be an ongoing theme!

Whine, whine, whine…packing again now, because we’re going to wander around Saitama/Omiya station, buy our tickets to Misawa (only a 3-hour trip this time), and immerse ourselves in northern Tokyo, pretending that we don’t look very, very pale, chubby, and tall compared to everyone else here.

Pardon me while my eyes roll to the back of my head. Email forwarded today…

The month before Christmas!

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.

Why the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas – no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people’s feelings; the teachers would say
December 25th is just a “Holiday”.
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets are hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe’s the word Christmas – was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny’s and Sears
You won’t hear the word Christmas; it won’t touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate “Winter Break” under your “Dream Tree”
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!

Whatever. Happy holidays, y’all — whatever holiday you celebrate.

From the NYT: World Leaders Release Plan for Resolving East/West Rift

Mr. Annan said in a written statement: “The problem is not the Koran or the Torah or the Bible. Indeed, I have often said that the problem is never the faith, it is the faithful and how they behave toward each other.”

Also from NYT: For Evangelicals, Supporting Israel Is ‘God’s Foreign Policy’

Mr. Hagee says his message for the White House was, “Every time there has been a fight like [Lebanon in July] over the last 50 years, the State Department would send someone over in a jet to call for a cease-fire. The terrorists would rest, rearm and retaliate.” He added, “Appeasement has never helped the Jewish people.”

One side says to educate and to teach people how to see each other as human. The other says to bomb them all. Gee, I wonder why we don’t have any peace in the Middle East? At this point, I’m really wanting to re-read Tom Robbins’ Skinny Legs and All. The storyline used to seem like an over-the-top farce of people trying to force God’s hand for the end times. Now, it seems not only plausible, but likely.

Spotted today: vanity license plate “SMPLIFY”

On a BMW X5. Whaaaa? Um, okay.

~~~~~

driving along a country-ish road in Arizona

Mike: Oh! That burns me up Did you see that church?

Me: No. What did it say?

Mike: “No Jesus. No Peace. Know Jesus. Know Peace.”

Me: (mildly confused) Right, and?

Mike: It’s an ultimatum, a threat. Join our particular brand of religion, or else we’ll kill you all.

Me: I don’t think it’s meant to come across that way. They’re talking about peace in your heart, peace in your life — not a threat for world domination. So, you’ve always thought it was a threat of “our way or we’ll wage war?”

Mike: Well, yeah.

Me: Hmmm. Guess I’d better blog that one. I’ve never thought of it that way before.

~~~~~

Public Service Announcement

The Mike whom I’m marrying next month wishes for me to clarify that he’s not the same person as the Mike who comments here on a regular basis. Just so ya know…

He reads (yes, he’s even read my early on gushing), but has yet to delurk.

Ahhhhhhhh!

I watched Project Runway tonight, convinced from the beginning that Uli would be out. Instead, she pulled out a beautiful dress that still looked very “her” without being a repeat of what she’s done again…and again…and again. (Though, I’d die to wear her couture dress — it was gorgeous!)

(spoilers below)

Read the rest of this entry »

Yet another reason nursing should be encouraged*:

Weight Benefit Seen Even if Mothers Are Obese or Have Diabetes

Sept. 26, 2006 — Breastfed babies are less likely to grow into overweight children than those fed formula, even if their mothers are obese or have diabetes, research confirms.

Exclusively breastfed babies had roughly a 34% reduced risk of being overweight during childhood, compared to children exclusively formula-fed, according to a new analysis of data from a study involving more than 15,000 children

Read the rest here.

*No, this does not mean I think the government should ever dictate or badger women into nursing! But FTLOG, a little support would be nice.