unemployment map

Take a look at this map. It shows how the unemployment rate has changed over the past several months. When you get to the map, click the arrow in the middle and watch how things changed. Incredible what "The Great Recession" has done. The old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words" is never more true than looking at this map.

Viewing it only takes a few seconds..

The darker the color, the higher the unemployment. 2009 has been BRUTAL.

This is a startling map. Hard to believe!

Click here: multimediafinal

snow, snow, with a chance of SNOW!!!!

WOW!!! what an absolutely unbelievable event. Pete (the weather man) kept telling us it was going to happen, but I do not think ANYONE believed it would happen so much! Early Thurs morning it started to snow. Kirk saw it around 4am, I saw it around 6. The window blinds remained closed that morning. I couldn't bear the thought of having Sam see it and not be allowed to play in it. You see, we have been bitten. Bitten by a very ugly bug. It bit all of us, leaving us all sick this week. Molly has bulging fluid behind her ear now as well. Because we have all been sick and both kids still coughing/sneezing/gagging etc I thought it would be best not to be out in the cold wet snow. But, it just kept coming. 1 inch, 2 inches, 4 then 5... and still snowing!!! Amazing, beautiful huge snow flakes. I gave in, I could not let a chance of a lifetime come and NOT allow my almost 4 yr old to play in this record setting snow day. I thought it would be fun if he noticed it. I opened the blinds and about 15 minutes later we all heard the squeal (and I do mean squeal) of delight. Sam saw it, and instantly tore his PJ's off to put on outside clothes (I did mention that we were all sick right?! um, that means PJ day!!) SO out we go-- there was snow swingingand tasting. there was fun had by all (except for Molly, she was sad... she did not get to go out and play and was a little upset that her big brother did get to)

Because of the record snow fall, there was still at least 7-8 inches left out there this morning, so we got to go out again. Sam "needed" to build a snowman, and when a boy "needs" a snowman, a snowman he must have. (we later found out why he wanted one... he was so adamant that we had a hat on it too, you know, so it could TALK!!!!) cute huh? He started off pretty good, I really thought he was going to be a good little helperbut then I realized he was just staying with me so he could get snowballs to eat. He did a lot of "lounging around" while I was hard at work creating his new friend. Kirk apparently had quite a few laughs at my expense watching me struggle. I think it was all worth it though, Look at frosty and the grin on his little pal Samoh yeah, and I had fun too!!

conspiracy

I think there is some sort of arrangement between ALL of the companies that make pants for boys. They do something to make the left knee area weaker than any other area so that it wears out, creates a hole and requires a mother to purchase new pants frequently. Case in point... 3 different brands/kinds of pants, 3 holes, all left knee. poor boy, he currently only has 1 pair of play pants at the moment. Do I dare allow him to wear his church/dress pants around the house?!