December 18, 2008 – Write From Karen

redbull I’m drooping.

And I can’t droop. I need to stay awake so I can wrap presents, go order some pies (because I don’t bake pies – edible pies anyway), pick up the kids, answer emails, update websites, grab something fast for dinner and pack the family into my Vibe so we can go enjoy MK’s band concert at the school tonight.

*Yawn* I don’t have time to be sleepy today.

So, I’m chugging some Red Bull.

Actually, I’ve been asked not to leave the house today. The husband is expecting his new guitar that he ordered from eBay to come today and we’re not sure if I’ll have to sign for it because it’s a huge package. So, I’m stuck at home.

Which is fine on any day when I DON’T have to stay home but the days I HAVE to stay home? I go stir crazy. Why is that?

I was going to post some fiction today, but meh, I’m feeling too lazy for that so I’ll post something that I heard on the radio this morning.

Apparently, our newly selected education secretary made a grammatical faux pas.

Barack Obama’s newly selected education secretary may need to visit a grammarian before he takes on the American education system. During his introductory remarks in Chicago today, Arne Duncan, the outgoing Chicago public schools chief, mixed up his personal pronouns. His elementary school teacher is cringing somewhere.

Find the error: “I want to thank our mutual friend John Rogers who has been a mentor and friend to me since I was ten years old. He gave my sister and I the opportunity to start a great school in the South side of Chicago…”

Answer: He should have said “my sister and me” instead of “my sister and I.”

And this guy is going to be our education secretary? Wow. Scary, isn’t it?

And please, don’t give me “he’s only human, cut him some slack” argument because yes, he’s human and if he had said that in casual conversation it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal. In fact, most of us probably wouldn’t have caught the slip. And OF COURSE, I make the same grammatical errors – we all do.

BUT, this man is supposed to be representing our education system. And when he makes blunders like this, it makes us look bad, not to mention, sets a bad example to our children. Whenever someone holds an esteemed office like that, we naturally expect more out of them. We expect them to set standards, to be an example, to at least master third-grade grammar.

And it’s a speech that he’s reading to top it off. Did no one proofread it? And even if the proofreaders didn’t catch it, why didn’t our newly elected education secretary catch it?

It’s sort of scary, if you want the truth.

And yes, I realize that plenty of politicians have made semantic blunders – look at President Bush, he’s definitely had his fill of mistakes. We SHOULD expect more from people who have chosen to step into an “expert” position of some sort. We SHOULD hold them to higher standards given the responsibilities of their job.

For example a policemen. Wouldn’t you expect a policeman to know how to use a gun? Or a fireman how to turn on a hose? Or an accountant to know how to crunch numbers? Or a teacher to know his/her subject?

Then why is it too much to expect our new education secretary to know basic grammar rules?

I’m just saying.

The DJ on the radio show was having a fit over this. One woman called in and tried to excuse the education secretary by saying, “Well, he’s human, we all make mistakes.” And the DJ hung up on her. (!) A little girl called in and said, “If I turned a paper in like that to my teacher, she would have given me a bad grade!”

Another guy called in and said, “Now Woody, (that’s the name of the DJ), I’m surprised at you. You’re missing the bigger picture here. Be thankful that the guy was speaking English at all and not some other foreign language.”

HAHA!

Oh, and I’m just curious, how many of you heard about this before now? I’m wondering if the media picked up on this or if they turned the other cheek like they normally do whenever something less than flattering happens to a Democrat.

At any rate, this is what we have to look forward to in the coming years, I suppose. It may seem like I’m picking on the Democrats and true, it’s no secret that I’m certainly not a big fan of Democratic platforms, but they’re in office now so they are going to have to take the crap that is sure to be dished out to anyone who’s in the public eye.

And quite honestly, I think ALL public figures, regardless of their political backgrounds, should be closely watched. They are working for US. They need to be accountable.

Anyway, I thought that was an interesting random tidbit to pass on to you today. I’m all about the random lately. Is anyone else finding it hard to focus on anything? Is it the holidays? Aargh, it’s frustrating.

The Red Bull is starting to kick in and I can feel a surge of energy coming so I think I’ll ride the wave and get some stuff done.

How is your Thursday going?

Thirteen Favorite Things About Christmas

1. The anticipation. It is so fun to buy gifts, wrap them and then wonder how the person you’re giving it to will react. Did you do a good job? Will they be surprised? What about my gifts? Will I be surprised? I savor the anticipation of not knowing these things.

2. Being cheerful. Our family, we’re like on happy overload. We laugh more, we choose to spend more time together. We’re relaxed. We’re, well, cheerful. We’re secure in our foursome.

3. The Christmas Music. I can’t get enough. I LOVE Christmas music. It’s all I listen to between Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas. I listen to our local radio station, who play nothing but Christmas music and I never get tired of it.

4. Goodwill toward man. People seem more generous this time of year. It warms my heart to see people pitch in and make holiday baskets, or sponsor an Angel Tree child, or donate money so children in need can buy new clothes and coats. I wish I could bottle this feeling and pass it out periodically – like during say, an election. 🙂

5. The Lights. I love lights. I remember I used to lay on the couch in my childhood home and just stare at the Christmas tree lights and listen to Christmas music when I was small. They’re peaceful; they’re beautiful.

6. A Renewed Sense of Hope. Christmas is about Christ. And you can’t think of Christ and not feel warm, loved and secure. This time of year is full of hope – it gives hope to those that need it.

7. Warmth. Not just in the literal sense, though those fires sure are cozy and warm, but warmth of the heart. The feeling of warmth toward mankind.

8. Tolerance and Patience. People seem to be more tolerant this time of year. I see more smiles this time of year than I do any other month – combined. People are more apt to take turns, to let someone into traffic, to relax around their unruly children, to overlook small irritations.

9. The Smells. Nothing beats that Christmas tree smell – nothing. (Though mine comes in candle form since we don’t have a real tree – but we won’t mention that part). The smell of fresh snow, the cold, crisp winter air, the smell of hot, fresh cookies.

10. Family. Because other than Christ, the holidays are about spending time with your family. Good times or bad times, it doesn’t matter. You’re spending time with one another and you’re creating memories.

11. My mother’s goodies. My mom always bakes a smorgasbord of candies, cookies, and pies. I always look forward to stuffing my face at her goody smorgasbord.

12. The Magic. The whole Santa mystique. It’s so much fun to stay up, look in on the kids and then get stressed out while placing their gifts under the tree because we don’t want them to wake up and see us. It’s an adrenaline rush. And then when it’s over, the sense of satisfaction that washes over us because we know it’s going to be another great Christmas together.

13. Christmas Morning. Waking up, having my first cup of coffee and deliberately making the boys wait to open presents because it’s fun to torture them. And then filming them as they open their gifts and watching their expressions as their immediate dreams come true. After the boys are done, they disappear to play and the husband and I have our private Christmas. We take turns opening our gifts and being grateful for what we receive. Then the time period right after the gifts have been opened, the paper has been cleaned up and we just relax and we ooh and aah over everyone’s new gifts. The husband and I usually end up playing some games with the boys and we’re relaxed and happy just being together.

Christmas song #18 Blue Christmas by Sheryl Crow