Congratulations California!

A hearty congrats to the state legislature of CA for passing one of the most moronic laws of all time! Some FAQs from DMV's website (including link).

DRIVERS 18 AND OVER
Drivers 18 and over will be allowed to use a "hands-free" device to talk on their wireless telephone while driving. The following FAQs apply to those motorists 18 and over.

Q: Does the new “hands-free” law prohibit you from dialing a wireless telephone while driving or just talking on it?
A: The new law does not prohibit dialing, but drivers are strongly urged not to dial while driving.

Q: Will it be legal to use a Bluetooth or other earpiece?
A: Yes, however you cannot have BOTH ears covered.

Q: Does the new "hands-free" law allow you to use the speaker phone function of your wireless telephone while driving?
A: Yes.

Q: Does the new “hands-free” law allow drivers 18 and over to text message while driving?
A: The law does not specifically prohibit that, but an officer can pull over and issue a citation to a driver of any age if, in the officer’s opinion, the driver was distracted and not operating the vehicle safely. Sending text messages while driving is unsafe at any speed and is strongly discouraged.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/index.htm

So to recap... A person cannot be talking on a handheld cell phone while driving (when one is most likely looking at the road), but CAN dial the phone (when one is most likely looking at the phone, not the road) AND CAN text message (when one is CERTAINLY looking at the phone)!

Am I the only one to see the humor in this? Am I the only one to see a total lack of common sense in this absurd law?

Don't get me wrong, I don't nessarily disagree with the law, but I do think that it is a little bit backwards. Would it not make more sense to outlaw talking, texting and dialing? Especially considering that the latter two are much more distracting than actually talking on the phone.

Now, the part of the law that I do agree with... Minors under the age of 18 (currently the definition of a minor, I know) are prohibitted from using the cell phone in any capacity, hands free or not, while driving. Good! I think that new drivers are distractable enough when they first get their licenses and need to gain some experience driving before attempting to drive while distracted.

I have always been a good driver and this law, of course, would not have pertained to me!

What do you think about the proposal for off-shore drilling?

So our beloved president is proposing that we begin drilling for oil off our American coasts to combat the rise in gas prices? What do you think? Is this a plausible idea?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/18/bush.offshore/index.html?iref=newssearch

I'll reserve my opinions until you all have weighed in...

Rejuvenated and Ready for the Next Round

After an emotionally taxing week last week, we decided to head out of town five hours before it was time to leave. So we headed to the Northern California countryside, where we rested, relaxed, visited family, saw people we haven't seen in years and years, and more years.

I really enjoyed watching my nieces and nephew sell their steers, especially considering that while they were showing their animals, Josh and I were in a meeting, listening to a dispicable human being tell lies. Maybe next year I'll get to see them show.

Josh blew off some steam by hitting a few.

Dad irrigating the pasture.

Tacey watching Grandpa and trying to wait patiently for him to come back.

The kids rarely get to ride their "cars" in such large open areas. Taylor rode his so much that we had to charge his battery 3 times! Tacey had fun too, but it's time to get her a new one, as steering this one is too difficult for her.

Tacey helped Grandma feed the orphaned calf.

Taylor preferred to watch from a little further away.

Taylor and I watched, amused, as Tacey jumped on Grandpa.

Hmmm. I wonder where she learned this. It couldn't be that her brother was pouring the hose water over himself with a loud gasp from the cold water, seconds before I got the camera and missed the shot.

So she tried to get him, like he got her and the rest of us!

Then Grandpa got the nozzle so he could get Daddy, who was on the diving board, headed into the pool.

What a great weekend though. It was just the short escape that we needed. Now I am feeling rejuvenated and ready for the next round against the school board. Here we come.

Politics are So Disheartening

We went before the County School Board yesterday to appeal for Taylor's transfer to the other district. It was very disheartening to hear the local Board President get in front of the county members and tell bold face lies. She did not tell 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 lies! And was caught red-handed in front of the County Board! Oops! While watching this was amusing and humorous, it was also disheartening that even at the local school district level, politicians have such a blatant lack of integrity, claiming to want what is best for the children, yet acting in ways that will only increase the district's pocketbook. These are innocent children who count on adults to speak for them until they have a voice of their own to be heard! Why in the world would you want to do anything but act in their best interests? I can't fathom it. Thank goodness that the county members: A) identified that she was lying and B) acted in the best interests of the children.

What was our outcome? Our appeal was "remanded" to the local school board, as we provided additional information to the county that was not at our disposal for the first local meeting. So, what does this mean for us? Well, we have to submit a new request to the local district's board. Should they deny our request again, we will have to file another appeal with the county. If the county upholds the denial, we are stuck.

I, however, refuse to allow my children to go to school in a district that is more concerned about its finances and only views my children as revenue streams. The district will not get one red cent for my children! Should the denial get upheld, I will homeschool my children until we can relocate within the preferred district's boundaries. I will NOT put my children through changing schools. At least homeschool does not require any changes, as the status quo will continue - the kids being home with me. Furthermore, it is not as if I am not qualified to teach in a classroom (I'm only missing my credential), much less my own children, considering that I have a Masters degree in Teaching!

As a sidenote... The current local district superintendent has been sued personally and her previous school district not once, but twice, for sexual discrimination (both cases were settled, hmm, guilty?). One was for discriminating against a 7th grade girl who claimed she was a lesbian, then was not allowed to attend PE because she would be changing with the other girls. The other was for wrong termination based on discrimination, I'm not sure of the specifics. I find such discriminatory actions so offensive, and I'm not even a part of the community being discriminated against!

Angry, much? Yes I am angry. I am an angry at the gall of some people. I am angry about the lack of honor and integrity at every level of politics. (This is compounded by the fact that the winner of our local County Supervisor race, ran despite making a deal with the incumbent that he would not run against, nor would he run until the incumbent resigned or retired! He had made the same deal and renigged on it with the previous mayor as well!) How in the world do we teach our children to do what is right and to act with integrity when the majority of the public role models show such disregard for common values. The most frustrating thing about this whole thing is that I am powerless to stand up against these people. I can only control how I respond to their lack of ethical resposibilty. Rest assured, I will continue to react with intergrity, honor and moral and ethical responsibility. After all, I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and like the person that I see looking back. Can they say that?

Hearst Castle Celebrates Its 50th Birthday

Despite living on California's central coast for almost four years of my life, I never took the opportunity to visit Hearst Castle only 40 miles away.

William Randolph Hearst was born into wealth in 1863. While brought up with a top-notch education, he was not handed his fortune on a silver platter. He, in fact, built his own publishing empire, beginning with the acquisition of The San Francisco Examiner from his father. That of which boasted that 25% of Americans read a Hearst Corporation publication during the early decades of the 20th century. He also dabbled in Hollywood movie productions, art collecting and politics. Hearst had many estates world-wide by the time of his death in 1951, but the one at San Simeon was his favorite and where he spent a majority of his later years. Upon WR Hearst's death, and as he wished, the 240,000 acre estate and ranch was donated to California State Parks. June 2, 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the first public tour given at Hearst Castle.

The castle was ahead of its time. Built using Renaissance architecture, it is similar to something you would see in Europe. Each of Hearst's properties has a "theme." The castle is complete with 16th and 17th century ceilings, artwork, tapestries and sculptures. In fact, at one time, the ranch was home to the largest private collection of semi-exotic animals, such as bears and zebras.

Taylor, Tacey and I took advantage of the free tours they were giving on Monday, in honor of the anniversary. What an experience! I must add that the kids were exceptionally behaved that day. They did exactly as they were asked, not talking while the guide was, not running or yelling, walking the entire 1 hour 45 minute tour, walking only on the tour runner carpets, while older children in our tour group were breaking many of the rules. I was so proud that I let them choose a special treat (both chose stickers) and they earned their Slip 'n slide.

I hope you enjoy the following pictures. The pictures are ordered as we saw the sights on the tour, so they may jump around a bit, as we meandered around the estate. I only took external pictures, as I was afraid that my flash would not turn off. Maybe I should spend a little time learning additional functions of my camera.

This is the view from the Visitor's Center, the original site of Hearst's airfield.

The view of the Castle as you make your way up to it by bus.

The view as you step off the bus, at a service entrance to the estate.

Halfway up the staircase at the service entrance.

Casa Del Sol, "House of the Sun," the smallest of the guest "bungalows." The bottom floor of this guest house is larger than my entire house and boasts four bedrooms with private adjoining bathrooms, among other amenities, that we were not able to see. Hearst loved to entertain and wanted the estate to be a place where guests could come to relax and enjoy themselves away from the busy life. He was a gracious host as long as you followed the rules, which included not drinking too much (he liked alcohol and offered it even during Prohibition) and attended meals (as they were considered social hours) and cocktail hours. He had been known to have guests removed for not following the rules.

The famous Neptune pool, view from above the alcove.

View of one of the gardens and one of the main house's bell towers.

The entrance to Casa Del Sol, so named for the amazing views of the sunsets over the Pacific.

This is the entrance to Casa Del Mar, "house of the sea," which we did not get to tour inside. This guest house is named for the spectacular views of the Pacific. The estate was visited by many famous guests including frequent visitor Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Gretta Garbo, and President Calvin Coolidge, among many others.

This is only one of the many fountains on the estate. It is on the way to the main house from Casa Del Mar. Notice the tiles on the fronts of the stairs. There is not one detail that Hearst neglected. He would often have things torn down and rebuilt to incorporate some new, novel idea that he or Julia Morgan, a famous architect of the time and the castle's creator, had dreamed up.

This is the view from the veranda at the front entrance to house, where guests would arrive.

Next, guest would see this fountain on their way to the main house. Hearst would often stand next to this house awaiting the arrival of his guests on his private train cars from LA.

The fantastic view of the main house as you make your way to the front entrance. A better view of both bell towers, which were working this day, but had not worked for many years prior. They tolled several times in celebration of the 50th anniversary.

Then it was up to this "pond," for lack of a better term, that lies in front of the entrance to the main house.

This is the front of the main house. The balcony on the right was William's, the one on the left was actress and comedienne Marion Davies', his mistress and companion following his separation from his wife and the mother to his five sons, Millicent. The large balcony in the middle was the shared sitting room of the "Gothic Suite," the master suite, of which William's and Marion's rooms were off.

This is the patio outside of the movie theater. The theater inside the main house is amazing, especially considering that is was built in the 20s or 30s! It is literally the size of something that we would watch now, except it is more square, versus the wide screens now. William and Marion had been known to shut off a movie in the middle if they did not like it, despite whether or not their guests were enjoying it.The outdoor tennis courts, and I believe only tennis courts on the estate, sit on top of the amazing indoor pool where you walk along magnificent tile artwork accented by solid gold tiles. The guides say "You walk on gold." And actually, you do walk on it.

On the bus ride back down to the visitor's center, you view the remnants of the covered trail where the guests used go horseback riding and the bear caves from the private zoo.

This is the water supply storage for the estate (not the Pacific that you see expanding outward). It holds somewhere around 16 billion gallons of water.

In the center of this picture, near the tree and rocks, are two wild sheep, descendants from Hearst's original herd almost 90 years ago!

The Castle's current airstrip, view from the bus drive down.

And that was our visit to Hearst Castle in a nutshell. I would recommend visiting it in person sometime. It is quite spectacular. I hope to someday go on the three additional tours offered, viewing the Gothic Suite, the inside of the other three guest bungalows and much more.

Our Smurfy New House

Yes, you read that right, we have a "smurfy" new house. While I haven't been blogging for the last couple weeks, this is what I have been doing.

This is stage one... The foundation. A floor framed out of 2X8s. I was so fortunate to have the kids help me prime and paint it to protect it from ground water.

Stage two... Framing. A solid 2X4 frame with just enough cross supports, that would be 3 between each stud.

Stage three... Here I am installing the roof. Plywoood on top of a 2X8 frame for a future second story deck, complete with ladder, rock climbing wall, slide, monkey bars and swings.

Stage four... Putting up the exterior plywood walls. Typically after the roof is on and the walls are up, insulation would go inside, but who needs warmth?

Stage five... Priming and painting. Boy, was this fun! The kids ended up covered in paint! By the end of the day, Tacey had managed to paint her hair.

And finally the finished product. A smurfy new, Dinoco blue playhouse. (You should have seen Tacey after we painted the blue! She had a huge glob of blue paint covering her forehead and all through the front of her hair. I thought her hair might stay blue for the next three weeks! I missed the picture.)

So, we now have a playhouse! YAY! The kids are thrilled. All that is left is to furnish it and build the accessories sometime in the future.

The color is incredibly bright, the pictures don't quite do it justice. All I can think of when I look at it is, "Laa laa lala laa laa laa lalalaaa...." The funny thing is that the kids don't even know what the Smurfs are. They have never seen that cartoon. But, somehow I managed to get them to agree on "Dinoco" blue, from the movie "Cars." I had to preface the decision by saying that orange and pink were not allowed, since I knew they would both want their favorite colors. (I bet you can't guess which color is whose favorite.)

Test 1, 2, 3, 4

This is a test to see if I was able to fix the paragraph break problem.

Test

Test

Test

Test

Sunday Service

Last week the pastor at my church asked me to allow him to interview me during the service. I was reluctant to do so at first, as I really don't like speaking in front of large groups and prefer to remain anonymous, despite my Speech Communication minor from Cal Poly, as Josh so lovingly pointed out. I took time to decide, relying on my faith to point me to the right direction and reflecting on a previous message that that the pastor offered discussing how we should lift our weaknesses to God and He will help us to prevail over them. I did this and felt very good about my decision to do the interview. It was the right decision. The congregation was very accepting of what I had to say. People were introducing themselves to me and offering to help my family transition into this new community. There was an amazing outpouring of support for my family.

I found Highlands at the lowest point in my life about three months ago. I love the atmosphere, the newness, the modern feel, the messages that are not preachy but conversational and relative, the modern music, the references to our modern lives, everything. I feel as though God really brought me to this place to help me through this low time in my life. And now, I don't know how I could have ever made it through without this assurance and this support. I have decided to become a member of this church, something that I have not done in my adult life. I am greatful for the opportunity and feel a new security in my life.