Do you consume hot water from the tap?

Ok, Dad, resident water expert, this one's for you. I just read in the New York Times that one should never use hot water from the tap for cooking or drinking.

Sound like a myth?

Environmental scientists say reason is that hot water dissolves contaminants more quickly than cold water and many pipes in homes contain lead that can leach into water. And lead can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in young children.

Lead is rarely found in source water, but can enter it through corroded plumbing. The Environmental Protection Agency says that older homes are more likely to have lead pipes and fixtures, but that even newer plumbing advertised as “lead-free” can still contain as much as 8 percent lead. A study published in The Journal of Environmental Health in 2002 found that tap water represented 14 to 20 percent of total lead exposure.

Scientists emphasize that the risk is small. But to minimize it, the E.P.A. says cold tap water should always be used for preparing baby formula, cooking and drinking. It also warns that boiling water does not remove lead but can actually increase its concentration. More information is at www.epa.gov/lead or (800) 424-5323 (LEAD).

Dad, what do you think?

Espanol y Carnaval de Invierno

Hola mis amigos y amigas! (Hello my friends!) Did I mention that I'm taking a Spanish class? It's an informal class through Minneapolis Community Education that meets once a week for eight weeks. I have never taken a Spanish class, although I have friends who are fluent and it's also a language that one picks up, especially living in a city.

Since it's an informal class, there are no grades and it's very focused on learning phrases rather than grammar. I really don't know much yet, but the phrase of the day is - yo tengo mucho frio! (I'm very cold.)

I have yet to mention our surprise visitor on Sunday - Jack! His friend was passing through for the day and so Jack rode along and spent the day with us. After briefly sucking Jack into his xbox world, we were able to pull Chris out of the house for a few hours.

We went to the St. Paul Winter Carnival, which was, frankly, a disappointment, save for the Hot Dish Tent. We had to explain to Chris that hot dish is local lingo for a specific thing (aka casserole or goulash) and not necessarily any type of hot dish. Although they did have chili and jambalaya, neither of which fit the hot dish definition as I know it.

I had tater tot hot dish - the only real one on the menu - but sure would've loved to have Mom's vegetable beef noodle hot dish. Maybe you can get that on the menu for next year?

The ice sculptures were quite amazing, but there weren't many of them and so many people crowded around that it was hard to get a good look at them. You can sort of see the edge of one in the background of this photo. It looks like I'm wearing an ice crown!

The Future of the Midwest

I just read something in a report by a well-regarded housing economist this morning. Believe it or not, he has a prediction that I think you will all find interesting. Regarding the effect global warming will have on migration trends, he posits that:

"Many Midwest cities that had been losing population to the South will begin to grow again. Residents around the Midwest will look north for second homes and even retirement, reversing their present orientation. Emphasis will be on escaping the heat; less on fleeing the cold."

Granted, he's an economist not an environmental scientist. But I think he has a valid point - probably because I said the same thing months ago. It may not happen for decades, but chances are it will happen.

This is an appropriate topic to welcome Mom, Dad and Grandma Dottie back to the freezing cold from their trip to Arizona. I hope you had a wonderful time and can't wait to hear the details!

Got diamonds? Get a refund!

If you have diamond jewelry -- or jewelry with a diamond in it -- purchased between Jan. 1, 1994, and March 31, 2006, you may be eligible for a refund as part of a recent settlement of a class-action lawsuit alleging that De Beers, the big South African diamond company, had cornered the market for diamonds for decades, keeping prices artificially high.

Seriously! The refund calculations are listed below:

	Purchase price	Maximum claim
Mixed-stones jewelry	Less than $200	6% of the retail price
Mixed-stones jewelry	$200 or more	14.5% of the retail price
Diamonds-only jewelry	Less than $200	10.5% of the retail price
Diamonds-only jewelry	$200 to $999	27.5% of the retail price
Diamonds-only jewelry	$1,000 to $5,499	32% of the retail price
Diamonds-only jewelry	$5,500 to $9,999	38.5% of the retail price
Diamonds-only jewelry	$10,000 or more	45% of the retail price
Loose diamonds	Any and all	59% of the retail price

The details of the lawsuit indicate that consumers may not get that much money back (or any at all), but it's worth filing a claim just in case. And if your diamond is valued at $10,000 or less you don't need a receipt to file the claim.

You have until May 19 to make a claim. Go online to the settlement site to file a claim online. Or download a .pdf claim form to mail it to the address on the form.

What will you do with your rebate?

So how many of you have already started thinking about how you would spend $800 (single) or $1,600 (married) if Bush's tax rebate comes to fruition? That's great - consumer spending is just what's needed to inject some life into an economy teetering at the edge of recession.

You may be aware of the debate raging over who should and should not receive this tax rebate. (Note: those numbers above are maximums, most people will get less.) Bush's plan includes rebates to all federal income tax payers. Yes, multi-millionaires for whom $800 is throwaway money - an amount they might spend on, say, a mushroom or a dog bed.

Some believers in "trickle down economics" contend that money given at the top will create jobs and opportunity for the rest of us. I guess they need someone to cook the mushroom and sweep up the dog hair. Only problem is that it will take more than 800 bucks to do that.

Although people like us will appreciate the extra money, the benefit for the working poor would be astounding. Can you imagine the difference a couple of hundred dollars would make in their lives? Without a doubt, every penny would go back into our economy on such luxuries as: groceries, shoes and clothing for their kids, fuel to heat their homes, gas to get them to work, a visit to the dentist. Basics that even we middle class folks take for granted.

Under Bush's plan, the most needy won't see a dime. A family of four earning less than $24,900 - perhaps those who need help the most - would not be eligible for the rebate.

Sure, we all feel financial strain, particularly with a recession looming. And a few hundred bucks would help with some immediate needs or be a nice addition to your savings account. But I am appalled that those who need it most would get nothing, while those who need it least can skip their Lexus LS 460 payment for one month.

Dance Team!

The latest activity to make the list of fun things I get to do now that I live in Minnesota: attending Angie's dance team competition. Sure, I'm not actually doing anything, but it is certainly fun to be a spectator (and there's no way I could do what those girls do).

My pictures didn't turn out very well, but I will post them anyway. Angie and team placed third in Jazz/Funk and I'm not sure where they placed in High Kick. Bonnie probably knows by now and maybe will comment? They were awesome, so I can't imagine it was lower than fourth.

Thanks for inviting me and I hope to attend another event soon!!

Who's really smarter?

I have mixed feelings about zoos. Sure, they're the only opportunity most of us will ever have to see an elephant, giraffe or tiger in the flesh. But is this something we can't live without? The idea of caging animals for our own entertainment seems frivolous and unnecessary, as if zoos were created simply to show the animals that our superior intelligence outweighs their superior strength.

Despite my mixed feelings, I still think that anyone who visits a zoo should be able to have their safety assured. One of the survivors of the tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo has admitted that he and the other men, one of whom died, "yelled and waved" at the tiger before the attack.

While this was stupid behavior, likely fueled by the alcohol and drugs they are known to have used that day, they are probably not the first to taunt zoo animals and they certainly did not expect to be attacked.

Fault in this case lies primarily with the zoo, whose enclosure did not meet height regulations. However, situations like this one might lead us to reconsider if humans really are smarter than animals...

Too much information (photo included).

Ok, I won't be surprised or offended if seeing this close-up of my mouth makes you want to leave this page. Teeth are not for the squeamish!

But if you're still here, you're seeing my crooked lower teeth in the "before" stage with the new spring retainer I got today. The orthodontist claims it will take as little as three months to return my teeth to their once-perfect straightness.

Although I had braces at age 21, my teeth were never crooked. The expensive braces experiment (thanks Mom and Dad!) was supposed to alleviate my TMJ. I've still got the jaw problems, but those braces did make my teeth ultra perfect.

When I got my braces removed, they left a wire behind my lower teeth. The wire always bothered me and I couldn't imagine that removing it would cause a change, since I never had crooked lower teeth. In spite of several dentists' protests, I finally found one who would remove the wire.

I was initially thrilled - almost as much as when the braces were removed - but soon came to profoundly regret this decision. Here's a piece of advice: listen to your dentist. My teeth started to move and became crooked enough to really bother me. I swear I can feel them moving and getting more crooked every day!

So, I finally decided to get this fixed. The retainer is removable (for eating and brushing), but the more I wear it, the sooner my teeth will look close to perfect again! My top teeth are not as straight as they once were, but I decided that fixing that small imperfection would be over the top.

False Hope

I know that my political commentary is becoming tiring for some, but I can't let the Michigan primary pass without a couple of thoughts.

The Republican race is really becoming an exciting contest. Such an open field is so uncommon in modern politics. I suppose both parties will have clear winner by February 5th, but for now it's still interesting.

Why did Mitt Romney win handily in Michigan? Was it because he was born there and his father was a three-term governor? Or was it because he made claims that tugged on the heartstrings of Michiganians fearing collapse of their economy and way of life?

I think it's the latter and that makes a sad statement about the mindset of a state I once called home (and in which Chris and I are still heavily invested, both financially and emotionally).

Concern about the economy was the number one deciding factor among those who voted for Romney, according to exit polls. You'll recall that earlier this week Romney told Michigan voters that he thought automotive jobs should and could return to the state and that he would fight to make that happen. This is an impossible feat and an ignorant claim. Not to mention cruel to voters who believe him.

Reading more of Romney's commentary, however, one discovers that he actually favors ways to create new jobs and to train workers in new technologies, rather than return to the old way of life for auto companies. Now this is a plan that makes sense (although none of his other plans make sense to me) and is one that he should tout the way that McCain did. But he didn't because he knows that the idea of change doesn't appeal to many in the auto industry.

Pandering to voters' dreams and hopes is common throughout the political spectrum and is surefire way to win support. Usually, it's harmless and maybe even a bit helpful. But in this case, where so many Michiganians are losing their jobs and their homes, Romney is simply creating false hope for political gain.

"Geni"-ology

I can't really think of anything to write about today, but I did come across an interesting new website. It's called GENi.com and is an easy and fun way to create your family tree. I'm not exactly sure how useful it is to create a tree of the current generation when you know everyone and how they fit together, but I will enjoy using it for piecing together the past generations.

It's something that you can send to people on your family tree and I assume they can add to it. I didn't mean to send it to anyone yet, but I may have sent it to Mom and Dad by mistake when I was filling in some information. I guess that's not really a mistake, just a premature action. Maybe you can fill us in on what you see and can do when someone invites you to join, Mom?

Anyway, I thought it was kind of a fun website. If you're a member of my family tree and want me to invite you to join, just let me know!

It's all downhill from here.

It seems that I have crossed the line into becoming an old lady. How do I know? Shoes. Yes, shoes.

Over the past few months, I've noticed that as I troll the aisles of DSW (on an animal-like hunt, just like in the commercials) or any other shoe shop that I'm seeking the comfortable shoes rather than the cute ones. Sure, I'd love both, but more often than not I barely notice the stilettos and go right for the flats and wedges - especially the ones with ice-friendly tread.

*sigh*

The worst part is that wearing these comfortable but not so stylish shoes makes me really, really happy. I blame it on the flats, snazzy sneakers and Ugg-style boots that have been popular the past few seasons.

I imagine that I'll still wear heels and probably buy a few more pairs, but my closet is becoming increasingly dominated by comfortable shoes.

What's next? Wearing a jogging suit to work? Carrying a backpack instead of a purse? This comfort thing could become addictive.

p.s. DSW lovers who don't live near a store - they're about to open an online store! Not sure when, but should be soon.

Much ado about nothing.

Much has been made about Hillary "tearing up" last week. Some have credited it with being the force behing her win in New Hampshire. Others have criticized her for faking it or making women look bad.

Frankly, I think it had little, if any, impact and I wish people would stop talking about it. While I'm as likely to look for deeper meaning or broader impact of small actions as anyone (just read some of my blog posts), Hillary's eyes welling with tears is not a step back for women, as some have suggested.

I'll admit that there are times when I can't hold back my tears no matter how hard I try. I can't be the only one - there's a reason they lower the lights when we sing Silent Night at Christmas Eve church, people!

There have been two instances in my 11 years as a "full time worker" that I couldn't stop the tears (although they never left my eyes!). Once when I erased the video of some dude's retirement ceremony and I got yelled at and the other time when my boss was just plain being a jerk.

I still remember these instances and am embarassed by them. It's not ok for anyone to cry at work (about work, anyway), but I do think it's harder for some of us genetically-predisposed criers (thanks a lot, Mom!) to keep the tear ducts from functioning.

But you know what? Crying happens. It's called being human. Get over it, folks, because as I've told my perenially dry-eyed husband many times: don't make fun of crying because you just never know when life will give you something to really cry about.

The real question...

I got so caught up in my impassioned diatribe yesterday that I forgot to ask the real burning question from Tuesday's primary.

Did Tom Brokaw get a facelift?

Sure looked like it to me.

The Comeback Kid 2!

Anyone else love the excitment of watching election returns? I couldn't peel myself away from the tv until it was all over or, as it were, not even close to over. The contest for both parties' nominee is just getting started!

Hillary did what the polls and the pundits said she couldn't and pulled out a win in New Hampshire. Although she never lagged Obama in the returns the entire night, CNN and FoxNews refused to name her the winner until seconds before Obama began his second-place speech. It was funny to watch them essentially be "scooped" by the candidate himself.

After her loss in Iowa, it seems like the news guys were afraid to say Hillary had a chance. Until it was inevitable. In fact, I think there's a lot of that going around. Certainly, she's a polarizing figure. But as I think I've mentioned in a prior post, few people can put their finger on why or what they don't like. The tone of her voice? The fact that she's not the most dynamic orator?

It's not because she's a woman. Or even if it were, no one would admit it. I don't support her because she's a woman, either. As Gloria Steinem put it in her NY Times Op-Ed yesterday “I’m supporting her because she’ll be a great president and because she’s a woman.”

While gender is not the main reason to support or not support a candidate, it's impossible to ignore that gender does matter. Think not? Let me tell you a story about two women I know. One lives in North Dakota and the other in Florida. They don't know each other and they have little in common, but they have both learned the same hard lesson: for them, becoming a mom means losing a job.

One was fired as her due date approached last fall. Although she has since found a new and hopefully better job after spending several (unpaid) weeks with her daughter, she was told by an attorney that she had no legal recourse and to basically forget about it and move on.

The other started a new job last fall and shortly thereafter found out she is pregnant. Upon telling her boss, she learned that because she won't have worked there for one year by the time the baby is born, she is not eligible for any maternity leave (even under FMLA). If she cobbles together all her vacation and sick time, she can take five weeks off, but must return to work after that and then will have zero days to take for an entire year. They have essentially told her that she may as well quit her job and reapply. And this is an organization whose sole mission is "eliminating cancer as a major health problem." One would imagine that they advocate time off for cancer treatment, but don't offer their own employees that same advantage for having a child.

Becoming a mom should not mean losing a job. It's utterly shocking that that isn't an outright violation of civil rights laws. In fact, women should not have to choose between having a career and having a family. Certainly, leaving work to stay at home is a nice to choice to be able to make, but many, many women don't have that luxury. For those who do, leave policies like those in Europe (up to 18 months paid leave to be used by both parents) coupled with flexible work policies might give them the freedom to continue pursuing their careers.

Gender does matter. This is not an anti-man statement. In fact, I think Obama (and Edwards, for that matter) recognize the importance of family-friendly work policies and would encourage them as president. But I've read numerous reports that today's young women (20s and 30s) don't think there is a gender gap and therefore don't see how having a woman lead the most powerful nation on earth would benefit them. I'll admit, the gender balance in our country will not automatically reverse the day Hillary takes office. There won't be 490 female Fortune 500 CEOs and the salary gap won't disappear. But the face of power will look more like the one I see in the mirror than it ever has before. And that, I believe, will irrevocably alter the way every woman sees herself.

Thoughts on the New Hampshire Primary

As voters go to the polls in New Hampshire today, our world is changing and our future is coming into view.

I've said that I have nothing against Barack Obama but that he isn't my candidate of choice. However, one issue that's always bothered me about him - and on which many of his supporters are uninformed - is his position on the war in Iraq.

Sure, it's easy to say that you don't support the war TODAY. Wouldn't we all say that or at least agree to some extent? While I'm not proud to admit it, I was a trusting American who was misled by our government and supported the initial efforts in Iraq. That was by far the popular opinion at the time and I can respect anyone - especially a presidential candidate - who can admit they were duped like many of us.

Obama has the luxury of no voting record on Iraq because he wasn't elected to the US Senate until 2004. And now he's using that as one of the tenets of his "change" campaign. In fact, Obama said in a 2004 speech that he didn't know how he would've voted on the Iraq resolution and that there was "no difference" between him and George Bush on the war.

Am I the only one who is concerned about his lack of experience? I mean, what has this guy really done? Sure, if he becomes the nominee I will support him because I'm a loyal Democrat, but I wonder if the dogmatic core of his supporters are fully aware of his position on some of the more divisive issues.

Chris asked me yesterday if I thought the campaign promises that candidates make bear any similarity to what they actually do in office. Rarely, I said, but not because they're trying to trick us in to voting for them (with the probable exception of Bush and company).

It's extremely difficult for one person to effect dramatic change, even the president. We are fortunate to live in a country where laws are enacted by a representative democracy, not one person. I'd love to believe Obama could make radical changes, but my question then is, if he's such a change agent, what has he done in the Senate or even in the Illinois State Senate to indicate he has the ability to DO and not just TALK??

Weekend Activities

I always feel more motivated to go back to work on Monday mornings when I've had a fun weekend. This one was no exception! It all started Saturday morning when Melissa and I went to our Pilates class (or lesson, I should call it, since it's the two of us with an instructor).

We followed that with brunch at Lucia's (our omlettes were just so-so) and then Melissa took me by the apartment she's moving into on February 1st. It's just off Lake Street near Lake Calhoun, which will be a fantastic place for a newly-single woman. Plus, she's even closer to me now! After that, we hit a couple of furniture stores to browse for new items for Melissa's apartment.

Sunday, Melissa and I were off again to our first cross-country skiing lesson at Theo Wirth Park. I got the time wrong, so we missed our lesson. While I was pouting about my mistake (what is happening to me??), Melissa sweet-talked them into taking us into the later class. Since we had a free hour, we decided to do a little skiing on our own. While anyone can cross-country ski without a lesson (even we were no exception), we learned quickly that we would benefit from some instruction.

The lesson lasted almost two hours and we learned quite a lot. It was about 40 degrees and I was way overdressed. Once we finished learning how to diagonal stride, double pole, herringbone and, of course, get up from a fall with at least a modicum of grace, we were excited about skiing but ready to do something else for awhile!

We stopped by the Room & Board furniture outlet, which is conveniently located just down the road from Wirth Park. We didn't make any major purchases, but it was fun to browse.

After a late lunch at French Meadow, we headed for home with the intention that Chris would join us for more skiing along Minnehaha Parkway across from our house. Initially Chris just watched and took photos of us so you could all see how much fun we had...

Once he saw how much fun we were having, Chris couldn't resist joining us!

The three of us plan to go back to Wirth Park on Saturday for more skiing (and another trip to the Room & Board outlet - ha!). If there's still snow on the ground after the predicted warm temps this week, that is!

The Excitement Has Begun!

After well over a year of campaigning, the first test of the 2008 election is over! In the days and weeks ahead we will begin to see the face of our next president. This is an exciting time - 4 days 'til New Hampshire and don't forget to vote in your state on:

January 15 - Michigan
January 29 - Florida
February 5 - Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, New Jersey
June 3 - South Dakota (not sure what impact that will have!)

Certainly the major media outlets will give a better report than I have the desire or time to do. But I would like to share two fun facts about the Iowa Caucus winners that you may not have known.

Mike Huckabee has cooked squirrel in his popcorn popper. Rumor has it that the Republican elite think he's too "hillbilly" to be their candidate. Iowans sure like him, though.

Apparently there are rumors that Barack Obama is a Muslim. I wouldn't have a problem with this and anyone who would is likely ignorant about the religion. However, it's not true. He attends the United Church of Christ and has never been a Muslim.

These contenders are just the winners of the first contest. The field has narrowed, but the candidates have not been chosen. Hillary Clinton remains my candidate of choice. I voted for her in New York in 2000 and I will vote for her in the Minnesota caucus on February 5.

I just love the presidential election process!

Juley + "the bump"

Juley just sent me some pictures and I thought I'd share. She and Henry are expecting a baby boy in March. Is she not the cutest pregnant lady?

Weather Karma?

Hahahahaha...for those of you who know what Chris calls my "evil laugh," I'm doing that right now. I just found out that Jacksonville is experiencing record lows in the single digits, winds up to 35 mph and may see some snow flurries.

While it may be frigid here in Minneapolis today, the sun is bright and the wind is still. Plus, we might hit 40 degrees this weekend and with several inches of white powder on the ground, it will be perfect for my first time cross-country skiing.

Not sure about the rest of you, but I have no doubt where I'd rather be.

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone's enjoying the day off and looking forward to a tremendous 2008.

I finally got a wireless card for my six-year-old ibook, so plan to make more frequent and interesting posts. Right now I'm stealing my neighbors wireless signal, so will have to buy a wireless router to ensure future use!