Happy Halloween

Some of you who know me personally, know that my hubby is working over in Europe for a few months.  If you aren't aware, it means you have been on Facebook with the same frequency as me.  ( close to never). He will be leaving Germany today and heading over to Amsterdam for a few days, then back to Germany then onto Paris.  

Anyhow...I decided to get into character for my own upcoming trip over to Germany and the Netherlands.   I haven't quite mastered any of the foreign (well..foreign to me) languages yet but I am great at universal sign languages.

 Not only have I practiced extensively on my sign language but have also taken to driving on the wrong side of the road to get a feel for it.

Note to Overland Park, Olathe and Leawood Police Departments...Hey guys!   You have missed more than a few opportunities to issue "improper lane usage" tickets.  I am just curious if you guys are OK? 

My long time readers might remember my husband is Dutch. His Grandparents (on both sides) brought their families over to the U.S.  and settled in an area of Illinois where several other Dutch families had settled. Then they all set about marrying each other and having a few hundred kids.  My husband being one of those kids has 100's of  Dutch Aunts, Uncles, and cousins.    For those that aren't familiar with some of my previous stories...let's just say that 1st and 2nd generation Dutch aren't keen on their kin marrying 1st or 2nd generation hillbilly...errr..I mean Irish that happen to have ties to the South.  While things have loosened up nearly 50 years later, it used to be that Dutch people were highly encouraged to  marry Dutch people. 

 BUT...Over the following 42 years,  I have worn them down.  I am the acid rain that chips away at their porous limestone.  I have gone from not being allowed to hold my babies within the Dutch church to being able to be buried in their cemetery. Yep, there is going to be one little Irish lass layin' among the resident (albeit dead) Dutch. Talk about making big strides in ingratiating myself.   But, it's sort of a  shame really, that for total inclusion, I have to die.  But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.   (BTW....I came to really like his family and assume they reciprocate on most days.)

As to my upcoming trip...I have, in fact, been to both Germany and the Netherlands before but not for an extended period of time, nor have I gone to the area of the country where his relatives still live.  I think maybe that sign language might come in handy. 

So for today...Crabby Pants and I are morphing into being more Deutsch-like  wishing everyone here:

And to hubby...over in Germany/Netherlands:

Touchy, Touchy, Touchy

Earlier this week, I was reading a blog that had a post about Maria Kang.  After that I happened to see several interviews on various entertainment/news shows questioning her about her latest comments on her Facebook page.  I am sure many of you are past wanting to hear another word on a year old brouhaha concerning the fit versus non-fit firestorm she created.  I, on the other hand, can't seem to get past how people continue to react to her. 

For those of you that haven't been following this story...let me catch you up to speed. Maria Kang is a 32 year old mom of three that has a blog, Mariakang.com that promotes fitness. Late last year she started a social media frenzy when  she put up her picture in  skimpy workout gear with the "What's Your Excuse?" caption emblazoned above her and her three cutie-pie sons.

You would of sworn she personally whacked each and every unfit person in existence with a stick that said. "You're a slob!" Yes,  she started a sh** storm of controversy.

On  Maria's Facebook page nearly THIRTY-SIX  THOUSAND comments ensued and a portion of them were angry.  Of, course, there are those that endorsed her for being pro-fitness and praised her for her healthy lifestyle. (Note: the comments on her FB page seem to be friendlier than the ones on blogs or news venues...guess the writers felt safer to be nasty when the site wasn't linked directly to her.)

The more interesting of the comments continued to come in by the thousands.  They appeared on blogs, newsvines, websites and were Facebooked, tweeted and retweeted. Even on the CNN website more than 6, 724 people had something to say about the article. Fit Mom Brings Out The Bullies. 

Thought Number One:  Why Are So Many People So Angry?

After a year and thousands of comments, Maria is back in the news.  In response to being called among other things: vain, self-absorbed, bitchy, and narcissistic, ..... as well as.... a  horrible mother, an attention whore, a slut and a fat-shamer, she issued an apology of sorts on her web site to those that she might of offended with the "What's Your Excuse" line.

I've been getting an influx of new followers, emails and comments (on my profile pic) recently. Some saying I'm a bully, I'm fat-shaming and I need to apologize for the hurt I've caused women. I get it. SO here's my First and Final Apology:

I'm sorry you took an image and resonated with it in such a negative way. I won't go into details that I struggled with my genetics, had an eating disorder, work full time owning two business', have no nanny, am not naturally skinny and do not work as a personal trainer. I won't even mention how I didn't give into cravings for ice cream, french fries or chocolate while pregnant or use my growing belly as an excuse to be inactive.

What I WILL say is this. What you interpret is not MY fault. It's Yours. The first step in owning your life, your body and your destiny is to OWN the thoughts that come out of your own head. I didn't create them. You created them. So if you want to continue 'hating' this image, get used to hating many other things for the rest of your life. You can either blame, complain or obtain a new level of thought by challenging the negative words that come out of your own brain.

With that said, obesity and those who struggle with health-related diseases is literally a 'bigger' issue than this photo. Maybe it's time we stop tip-toeing around people's feelings and get to the point. So What's Your Excuse? - Maria Kang

This week, Maria has been on a number of news and entertainment shows being interviewed about both the original picture as well as what many deem an insincere apology.   On her blog, Maria, stated " I didn’t know I would be featured on Good Morning America,  Inside Edition  or defending myself on the  Today Show. I never imagined talking to hard news stations like CNN,  Fox News,  Geraldo Rivera or  Megyn Kelly about the impact this single photo sparked across the globe. I wasn’t prepared for every past and present action taken to be analyzed and criticized by the media.

So here are my thoughts on it.....

I don't understand the venomous comments  being dispersed by  both men and women.  Even on the Today Show the anchors took pot shots at her.

  Hoda Kotb said, "I think there are lots of examples of people that look great, but there's something about the tone, and showing the body, that grosses me out."

She's far from alone:

 Facebook commenter Shaunalee Brown-Chavez summed her thoughts up with what many have expressed about the photo, writing:   I think this picture and the presentation along with the caption was off putting and upsetting. There are thousands of other ways to show off a fit body without wearing a bra and underwear for the nation to see. Secondly, "excuses" come in every shape and size. I think for most women it's about priorities, not excuses! My kids are my first priority. If what you say is true you are a very busy working mom with no nanny. Where are your kids while your spending all your free time working on you? Finally, you don't have a daughter. I think if you did your message would surely be a different one. Would you want someone telling her she had no excuse for looking a certain way? What if she didn't look like you, and some woman made her feel bad about it? I'm sure you would change your tune. Your apology is a joke and as worthless to women as your initial post. Put some clothes on and spend some time with your children.

Here's my thoughts:

Sure she put herself out there to be noticed. She is peddling fitness at her blog and she is her own best example that her methods get results. Does she seek exposure? Sure she does, She is promoting herself,  her fitness products and ideas. Had this been Jillian Micheal's website we would see the same "no excuses" approach. These women look great and can promote themselves and their ideas about fitness using their sculpted bodies to validate their approach.

Keep in mind,  that Maria runs a not-for-profit company for fitness and does fitness modeling. This is, at least in part,  her career. 


If Maria was an artist and had a blog showing off all of her paintings, or if she was a writer that was writing novels ...would people jump to the conclusion she was neglecting her kids in those pursuits? (She says she works out about 30-60 minutes a day...so painting or writing might take at least an equal amount of time.)
What's with all the name calling  and aspersions being tossed about to readily?  How do people come to the place that they are comfortable with words like bad mom, narcissistic, fat-shamer, bitch, self-absorbed  or vain.  Really? This is over one picture with one caption.  Aren't some of the name callers being a bit presumptuous in assuming any of their adjectives actually apply to Maria?

I, for one, admire that she has that type of discipline. Good for her. I am a fit person that will never have a body that looks like that.

BUT.... If I don't measure up and I am OK with where I am...good for me.

AND ..... If I am not happy with me, tearing her down isn't the solution.






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Lessons Learned

We All Know About the Hazards of Smoking

A 45 year old man from Trinity, TX didn't get the memo about how dangerous smoking can be.  Oh, maybe he wasn't overly concerned about long term damage to his lungs but he should of considered the hazards in smoking while pumping gas.

James Lee Taylor had a bad start to his Tuesday, when he stopped to fill up at a Valero gas station in Trinity.  After running into station to buy a pack of cigarettes, James began to attempt to put $5.00 worth of gas into his Mustang.  Things quickly took a bad turn when he lit up a cigarette.

The gasoline fumes ignited quickly burning off his facial hair including his eyebrows, melted his cigarette lighter, caught the gas pump on fire, ignited  his flip-flops, and charred the side of his car.

A fast thinking Valero employee came out with a fire extinguisher while another turned off the gas supply to the pump.  After police arrived, thanks to someone calling 911, it was discovered the James had outstanding

warrants for his arrest.  On top of all of that...as if his day wasn't already in flames, it was discovered that he wasn't carrying any car insurance.

Prior to his incarceration, he told Officer Randy Wheeler that he had always smoked while pumping gas and this was the first time anything like that had happened.  He went on to say he wouldn't smoke while getting gas in the future. 

  Who would of thought that smoking next to a gas pump could possibly lead to trouble? Evidently not James Lee.  


What Better Example?

Jessylyn Domingo probably didn't plan on being  part of the training for a California college that was conducting classes in emergency preparedness.  According to administrators for West Hills College Lemoor in Fresno, CA that is most certainly what she did, though.

While the students were preparing for the next drill, they heard that someone was outside the building  having

Seems we've arrived early

a baby.  Don Warkentin, President of WHCL  told the press that the other students thought it was  part of the training.

It soon became apparent to staff and students alike that Jessylyn was actually having a baby on a bench on the college grounds. 

Domingo said she was assisted by a man on his way to the training. The man was Charles Freeman, a registered nurse and district director of health care. He had been  alerted to the situation by Leo Orange, a learning skills program assistant. The men helped Domingo deliver her baby and wait for an ambulance.

"I was really impressed with the mother," said Freeman. "She was really calm and had a sense of humor."

Baby Landen Alexander weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 21 inches long at birth.

What are the odds of having your baby while an emergency preparedness class is going on? She really knows how to bring "show and tell" to a class.


Thou Shall Not Steal

Stealing from the office fridge has always been met with disdain but rarely are the police called. A Pennsylvania man  didn't get the memo, evidently that office refrigerator theft doesn't warrant a 911 situation.

An unidentified man called the police in Upper Macungie, PA  on October 10th,  to report that his Strawberry-flavored Jell-O snack was stolen from the break room refrigerator at his workplace.

The gelatin heist occurred at the Wakefern Food Corporation warehouse in Beinigsville, according to the Upper Macungie Township Police Department.

The 39-year-old victim told cops that theft from the shared refrigerator was an ongoing problem, though it is unclear whether comestibles other than Jell-O have previously been boosted.

The Jell-O theft, which was discovered around 11:30 PM by the victim, is an “open investigation,” a police spokesperson told TSG. While cops do not rule out the possibility of a future arrest, it seems unlikely.

I wish they would of released the 911 tape on this.  Which is the bigger tool...the guy that had the police come out for a snack sized jello theft or the guy taking food out of the fridge? 

 She Is Someone's Favorite Teacher

University of Iowa officials are investigating a teaching assistant who inadvertently emailed nude pictures to students instead of homework answers.

Tom Moore, a spokesman for the school, said the math department TA attached the nude pictures to an email sent to 28 pre-calculus students instead of the solutions to some math problems, the Iowa City Press-
Citizen reported Thursday.

Moore said he could not speculate on any consequences that could result from the investigation.

"Ultimately, as a student, any discipline [if it occurs] would be non-public under [the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act]," he said.

Some students sympathized with the TA, whose name has not been released.

Now there is a TA that really knows how to rock the T&A. She probably taught the whole class a valuable lesson.  Look at your message before hitting the SEND button.