this is the blog where we talk about the stuff.

The “Gw” of Gwandy set this to me today. It’s a really sweet story of a high school football team that gets it. They get it. Check it out.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/sports/football/A_Game_of_Hope_Dallas-Fort_Worth.html

Also, I would like to say that I read this article with a mixture of disgust and revulsion (which, I know, are generally the same thing). This guy says that A-Rod’s punishment for taking steroids should be “shame”. Shame? Clearly, the man has no shame. He used illegal performance-enhancing drugs to make him better at what he was already very good at. He has shamed the Rangers (Nolan would be so disappointed). This is a guy who makes MILLIONS of dollars for hitting a ball with a bat, and you think he should be punished with SHAME? Shame might have worked when A-Rod was in junior high and you pulled his pants down in front of the girl he had a crush on. How about you fine him $5 million per steroid use, sentence him to 250 hours of community service and take his records away? The only way these dudes are gonna get it through their heads that what they are doing has consequences is to make the punishment proportional to the crime. This is how the Gwandy operated. If The Brother was acting up, they didn’t take his phone away. The Brother could have cared less if the phone was taken away, because it’s not like he was gabbing away to his friends all night. The punishment must fit the crime and it must matter to the perp.

Ok. I promise there will be no more rants about overprivileged, non-law-abiding sports stars. Scouts honor.

Hello, blogland. Although I have been away, I never left you. I kept reading YOUR posts, but quite frankly, there has been little in my life that has been worth blogging about. All I do these days is work, sleep, eat wings and try to catch up on LOST. I am accomplishing all these things with great gusto.

So what about these politicians? Is that what it’s like to be rich? You have so much money that you can “forget” to pay your taxes or “accidentally” hire illegal workers and simply apologize for it? Sign me up. I am assuming these bimbos aren’t the only ones messing around, so I say President Obama enacts a committee to take a look at our public servants and make sure they are all on the up and up. And I recommend using someone other than the vetting team he used for their nominations, since clearly they are not exactly thorough. I personally don’t want a tax-evading senator anymore than I want a tax-evading HHS head.

And how about this Michael Phelps thing. He says he’s sorry and the picture of him smoking pot is “regrettable”. That’s an understatement, Mike. You are the greatest Olympian of all time. We cheered for you. Loudly. We stayed up past our bedtimes to watch you. You should be ashamed of yourself. Don’t you know you’re a role model? Clearly, you don’t or you don’t care. Anyway, I hope they do press charges. In case anyone has forgotten, smoking pot is illegal. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got eight gold medals, it’s still illegal. I can’t stand it when people don’t follow the rules, but it really burns me up when they get away with it. This is possibly why, whenever I break the rules, I never get away with it.

This post has a great deal of complaining in it; for this I apologize. It’s just been awhile and I am at a loss for material. I promise to do better. But, until I get caught up with LOST, it’s gonna be bare bones for awhile.

So my friend Meaghan is a reporter for the Fox affiliate in Colorado Springs. High School Musical: The Ice Tour apparently came through the old CS a little while ago, and they made her go cover it. And, as local TV stations are wont to do, they decided to have a little fun and take the High School theme over the top. So they forced Meaghan to show off some of her high school memories, and one of them included me. Be on the lookout for the second picture in her collection. After that, it’s the cast of High School Musical: The Ice Tour doing an ice-dance, which isn’t as awesome as my picture, but I bet Shane wants to watch it.

http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/video.aspx?id=248442

A few quick things before we head to the Ranch for Christmas:

• If you get a chance today, visit letsgivethanks.org. Xerox is sponsoring a program where you can send holiday greetings to servicemen and women, decorated with the art of about 25 kids. It’s really cool. It doesn’t cost anything and I bet it’s really nice to get one.

• Interesting feedback from the Melissa Etheridge article on Rick Warren that I posted yesterday. I have a little to say about it, but I don’t have time right now. If you missed it, it’s here. And tell me what you think.

• Props to my SIL, who got me what I have been pining for for Christmas (for like, a year)! Check it out. I’m hiding so that you will continue to have a Merry Christmas and not be silenced by my hideousness.

A dustbuster! You have no idea how excited I am! It’s the little things, really.

So we are off in a few hours to see the Hicks family, which will be awesome. Probably won’t post much until we get back, so please have a very merry Christmas. I will leave you with the words from my favorite Christmas carol:

Joy to the World
The Lord is Come
Let Earth receive Her King
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room
And Heaven and Nature Sing
And Heaven and Nature Sing
And Heaven and Nature Sing

Joy to the World
The Savior Reigns
Let Men Their Songs Employ
While Fields and Floods
Rocks, Hills, and Plains
Repeat the Sounding Joy
Repeat the Sounding Joy
Repeat the Sounding Joy

No More Let Sing and Sorrows Grow
Nor Thorns Infest the Ground
He Comes to Make
His Blessings Flow
Far as the Curse Is Found
Far as the Curse Is Found
Far as the Curse Is Found

He Rules the World
With Truth and Grace
And Makes the Nations Prove
The Glories of His Righteousness
And Wonders of His Love
And Wonders of His Love
And Wonders of His Love

Isaac Watts. They don’t write ‘em like that anymore.

This is one of my favorite traditions of Christmas. Relatively new in my life, the ladies and I get together and do some serious baking. Since we all know how much I love baking, I confess that I am there mostly for the fellowship and to make cookies that look like dog poop (I’m 12). I thought I’d share some highlights from past years, so you can be better acquainted when I post this year’s pics later.Sarah Mc (aka The Sass).The Sass is sporting the only type of apron that Liza owns, a Mississippi apron, which is fine for her, because she is from there.

Hannah (aka The Dilkerson). Hannah provides the hotness for baking. Yeowza! She’s probably rolling her eyes at…

The Berge (aka Amber). The Berge is the dreamer. Last year, she attempted a donut ball tree cake and this year, she wanted to make a cake to enter into John Mayer’s Christmas Cake contest. I think that got squashed, however. I’m certain she has something up her sleeves.

The Missy Dog is our ever faithful helper.

And last, but certainly not least, Liza, the ringleader and cookie bon vivant of this operation. She means biz-ness.

I believe we have some new faces joining us this year, which I am quite excited about. Enjoy your Saturday and wait with bated breath for this year’s Christmas Cookie Day Bonanza.