Unbelievable!

This was on our local news this morning. Gives me the chills-how can someone be so cruel to anything weaker!

2/4/10 Update-the cat was put down yesterday because his injuries were too bad, then today when the authorities tried to arrest the man for felony cruelty to animals he holed up in his apartment and killed himself. What a tortured soul!

Thanks, Martin!

By living the life he did, and dying too young, Martin Luther King did more for the people of this world than most others could accomplish in a long lifetime.

"Let freedom ring!" And continue to ring. Let's not ever forget what we came from so we never go back there again.

Hmmmm......

I lost a "follower." Don't suppose it had something to do with my Haiti post. Maybe not-she could have been housecleaning, but it's a funny coincidence. I am who I am, and I make no apologies. I will try very hard not to be abrasive or in anybody's face, but as Americans we have a right to our opinions. I love all my readers and I've never had to remove a comment because my views have been challenged. Unless you call me names I'll probably keep the comments in because that's the way we should operate-we might disagree, but we still like each other.

Keep praying for Haiti.

My Heart is Heavy

I am still in shock over the terrible quake in Haiti. Every time I see footage of people still trapped, people injured with no medical care, no food, no water, no place to sleep, I want to cry. The media has informed us that the best way to help is with cash. Be careful who you give cash to, but you can always give money to the Red Cross, and for faith-based organizations you could donate to World Vision or Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, a little-known, but very well run relief organization within our denomination.

Now is not the time for political posturing, or blaming. I have heard the most outlandish statements from well-known people in this country and it APPALLS me that someone could say these things. An evangelist has said horrible things and one of the ultra-conservative talk show mouthpieces has faulted the president for actually wanting to help these people because they are black.

Time for that evangelist to hang up his pulpit and retire, and I wish that talk-show guy would just SHUT UP!

Anyway, I'll step off my soapbox now and go find my credit card so I can get money to CRWRC as quickly as I can. God bless the lovely people of Haiti.

Sweetie?

OK my blood is boiling! I am 58 years old. I am gluten intolerant, newly discovered, and am trying to weed out what I can eat at restaurants. I had to go to town today and started looking for a place to eat lunch. I remembered that the local wing place has grilled chicken strips.

So after waiting 10 minutes for my drink and another 10 minutes for a young thing to come take my order, I started asking her questions. She did bring the bottle my wing sauce came from and the label showed no gluten or wheat. I ordered grilled winglets with the sauce and a salad. After 20 minutes another young thing brings me a platter with the winglets and a pile of french fries. I told her I had ordered a salad instead of the fries. She disappears to get the salad. A young man brings me the salad, covered with croutons. Rats! I decided to just pick them off, but I didn't have salad dressing.

I asked the young man if the fries were cooked with the breaded things or had a dedicated fryer. (McDonald's has a dedicated potato fryer-I know I worked there for 4 years.) He said no they were not cooked with the chicken. When he came back, he said he asked the cook and the cook said that the grilled winglets and the fries were not cooked together. I said, "That's not what I asked. Are the fries cooked in the same vat as breaded things?" He said, "Yes, but your chicken is grilled." Sheeesh! I tried to explain about cross-contamination, but gave up.

Now the original waitress, "Holly" or something, brought my salad dressing (finally) and started coming by often and calling me "Sweetie." Every time she spoke to me she called me "Sweetie!!!"

Like I said I'm 58 and she was all of 19. A little respect here, people. I almost wrote on the credit card reciept, "your tip would have been bigger if you hadn't called me sweetie," but I figured she wouldn't get it so I gave up and left.

They said they wouldn't charge me for the salad but they did. There were finely chopped tomatoes in the salad. I was so frustrated and hungry by that point I just ate them, forgetting that fresh tomatoes give me stomach cramps.

Of course, I got the cramps. I had to race home-20 miles. $10.50 plus tip for this? I won't go back.

Update-I stopped by the local cafe today. One of the waitresses reads my blog. She couldn't wait to hand me my ticket, and call me Sweetie! She said she hoped I'd come in. Bad girl, Kami!