Odds and Ends

Here are a few odds and ends...

1. Sometimes people ask what are some of the differences between living in the U.S. and living in another country...and it's hard to describe. So one of these days, I would like to write about that. But for now, here's one example...right now the dogs are barking like crazy because there is a horse grazing right outside our front gate. There is an empty lot down the street where several horses are often left during the day. This seems to be pretty common, large animals wandering around. I would take a picture, but Miguel took the camera to the office today.

2. Walking, Day 2: I am sitting at the computer with ice on my thigh. I'm not sure what I did, exactly, but it hurts to walk. Cathy wasn't able to walk this morning, so I got out the ipod and bravely walked the kids to school...I was going to do a few rounds by myself, but wimped out because of the pain and just came straight back home (about 1/2 mile...still not too shabby!). I am forcing myself to rest today so that maybe I can go out tomorrow (rats, I can't do do any laundry today! woohoo!). Apparently walking while pushing the jogging stroller with 2 little ones is harder on me than I thought! Miguel didn't have to be at the office until 9 this morning, so he was able to keep Jojo and Jkaile for me...but he can't always do that.

3. Miguel has decided that it's time to potty-train Jkaile! More power to him. Jkaile is just now turning 15 months old...so far, he's gotten him to poop in the potty twice, which seems to have been somewhat of an accident. I'm not sure that Jkaile really knows what's going on, but he'll sit on the potty as long as he's suitably entertained. :) I'm skeptical, but maybe it will work!

4. I have been trying out a deoderant alternative...I wasn't too sure at first, but it seems to be working quite well! Traditional anti-persperants contain aluminum and clog pores, which I don't think is very healthy. But other deoderants that I'd tried didn't work! My sister had been telling me about a natural deoderant that uses mineral salts that are also antibacterial agents (they eliminate the bacteria that causes body odor), so I decided to try it. I think that the one I'm using has potassium alum. Anyway, IT'S WORKING!!!! Amazing.

5. CoffeeGirl has a good post this week about cross-cultural humor. I remembered a joke that we found kind of morbid, but that Colombians always thought was absolutely hilarious. It goes something like this: There were two little chicks, one was a lucky chick and the other unlucky. Good things always happened to the lucky chick and bad things to the unlucky chick. One day, the lucky chick got very sick, so the Mama Hen killed the unlucky chick to make chicken soup for the lucky chick.





Yeah. Not very funny to us, but apparently the irony of it is what is funny to them? And also, like someone commented on CG's post, death is somewhat of a joke in some countries? Interesting. Culture differences fascinate me, so I find things like this very interesting.


6. I had forgotten to mail in my request for an absentee ballot!!!! Not good. I did that this week and hopefully can receive the ballot by email as allowed by Arkansas so that I can participate in the general election. Both Miguel and I are following the election coverage on a daily basis, but neither of us are exactly thrilled with either choice. There are so many issues to think about during this election, but both of us agree that abortion is one issue where we will not compromise our standards. And that's about all I have to say about politics...