Friday, September 22, 2006

Mickey Mouse!!



My Mickey Mouse Platy has babies!! Wowza!! I totally wasn't expecting this at all. The first unexpected thing I found was snails and that was at the beginning at the week, and now I find babies, yes friends, I have baby fish. They are cute and when Brooke taps the tank they go EVERYWHERE!! It's crazy, I didn't even know I had a female and a male...hmm....now I guess I know!! I'm not sure what to do but now they are on their own. I'm not getting any special "nursery" for them. If they've made it this long so far, I think they are goign to be okay. I was reading up on them and they're not known to eat their young, so I think we're going to be okay. I hope, if they don't make it I guess it's just natures way of taking care of them. Anyway, here are some pictures I got off the web to show you my new little family members.


Have a good weekend everyone!!!

Saturday, September 16, 2006

things

I'm sorry I haven't been around much, things have been rather crazy. I've been so busy with school and work, that I haven't had much time to do anything else. I haven't seen Megan in so long I've begun to forget what she looks like, now that's pretty sad. We've both been really with everything its been really hard to get in touch and get together. I miss her!! She's pretty much the only friend left in Midland that I hang out with. If I'm not with Megan, you will generally only find me one of two places, home or my sisters. So I don't really have anyone else here. Anyway, since we don't have much time together we corrispond via AIM or here through comments. We love each other, and although I haven't fallen off the face of the earth like she's been hoping, I don't mean to neglect everyone else. I want to keep everyone up to date so here's some useless info for you. Just to let you in on how busy I really am I will post my schedule for you to review and criticize...hahahha...j/k....

Mondays and Wednesdays: Class from 8-12:20; work from 1-5; go BACK to class from 5:30-9:50
Tuesdays & Thursdays: Work from 8-10:45; Class from 11-12:20; then BACK to work from 1-5
Fridays: Work

I love my job, and they are talking about sending me out to the field on Friday. I'm rather excited because I want to learn more about what they do, and what I do.

Anyway, Lightning and Mr. Clark, please leave me a comment and let me know how you are doing. We'll talk to you later.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Lt. Charles "Chuck" Margiotta


Today is September 11, 2006 and today is remembered in the hearts of many Americans. As those planes crashed into many remembered building that one faitful day, I was at school. I was a senior in high school at Greenwood High School, and I can remember passing by one of the classrooms where on of our teachers stopped me and asked if I had heard. I obviously had not heard because I didn’t have a clue as to what was going on. He told me and that’s the moment it hit. Our country was under attack and who knew that it would continue for a long time. No one even saw it coming. We had a new President who was doing his best to run the country he believed in so much. The country that had offered him so much without expecting much in return. But more importantly, many of our freedoms were taken that day. I remember going to second period and sitting in there when someone mentioned that the pentagon had been hit. It sank in, “the Pentagon” I screamed, my cousin worked in there on the very side that was hit. He had just walked out of the building when the plane hit, and he went back in to assist where he could. I worried for him for the day and I was sad until we heard he was okay. My cousin is a JAG Lawyer and it could be him that we’re remembering this day.

Today is the day when we remember those who were lost, either by doing their jobs, or others trying to escape. It was a devastating blow to America as a whole and to the Americans that call this place home. America lost some of its finest, Police Officers, Firefighters, and other rescue workers. Those people gave their lives for others, which they were called to duty to do.

On this day I’m called to remember everyone, but someone I was chosen to remember. I can not find much on this fine man, but I’m sure he was married to a lovely lady who loved him very much as well, as he probably had children who loved him very much. His name is Lt. Charles Joseph Margiotta. He was 44, from New York, NY and he died trying to assist in the tragic event at the World Trade Center. Today we honor him for giving his life for others and doing it without even second guessing or hesitating. For this we honor you Lt. Margiotta. I’m sure you were New York’s finest, just out there doing your job. You probably impacted many lives and those people will be forever grateful.

I pray that on your journey home you were able to stand at the Pearly Gates of God’s Kingdom. Welcome home Lt.


Here is the Eulogy written for him by his brother Mike Margiotta:

According to Webster, "bravery" is defined as combining confidence with firm resolution in the presence of danger. "Courageous" however is more than brave! It adds a moral element. The courageous man steadily encounters perils to which he may be keenly sensitive at the call of duty. At no time do either of these definitions mention being fearless. Fearless is just the inability to recognize danger.

On September 11th, Chuck had fears…recognized them…called home…and then performed his job with Bravery and Courage; as did all our firefighters and police officers. We thank them all and love them all for being heroes every day.

I thought Chuck was a workaholic. If I told him I had 2 jobs…he would say, “What do you do with the rest of your time?” Chuck didn’t have a career…he had many careers. Along with the FDNY, private investigation and others, Chuck was also a substitute teacher working in the NYC Board of Ed. for 20 years.

They say you can’t mix business with pleasure. Chuck always found a way.

When Chuck was only 12 years old, I watched with amazement at his ability to juggle both. He went to Latourette golf course to fish for carp in one of the ponds. And I mean, literally standing in the pond. The pond was between a Tee off and a green. He would stand in the water fishing and then sell golfballs back to the golfers that didn’t clear the pond. Making money and fishing…Chuck’s perfect world.

Later in life, perhaps even surprising himself, Chuck turned into the perfect dad. His hobbies were planned around his family schedule. Soccer, softball, basketball, baseball…all came first. And not just seeing the games…oh no…Chuck coached his daughter and son in all the sports. Eventually Chuck took over as Director of basketball in this parish, St. Rita’s. His weekends were consumed with scheduling practices, games and tournaments. Through it all, Chuck still managed to plan family vacations, hunting and fishing trips with his buddies and lots of activities that would fulfill all his needs.

Chuck’s plate still wasn’t full. He lived one house away from his parents. He was a great son to his mother and father. He was the mule. Anything that involved a ladder or back breaking work was Chuck’s. Cleaning the gutters and plowing the neighborhood was his specialty. When the first snowflake fell, you knew it wouldn’t be long before you heard Chuck fire up the Toro snowplow! Then like kids looking for Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve, neighbors would run to their windows and throw up the sash. And what to their wondering eyes should appear but, Chuck with an orange hunting jump suit, smiling ear to ear.

Chuck was like a superhero to his kids. He was like a superhero to all of his family and friends. One can only imagine what he looked like through the eyes of his children, Norma Jean and Charlie. Chuck was larger than life. He was only 5’ 11”. He was not the 6 feet that he claimed he was. But when you met him, even if you looked down to him physically…you looked up to him in ways that you could not put your finger on. You left Chuck with a feeling that he was much bigger than he really was.

As tough as Chuck looked, and with as gruff a voice as he had, children always knew that he loved them. They instinctively knew he was their ally. And they were right. If he yelled at them for letting a game get a little out of hand, the children usually smiled or laughed. Then Chuck would laugh too, seeing himself in the kids.

Chuck's light shines in the eyes of his children, Norma Jean and Charlie, who look around in admiration at all the people here who loved their father. That light will shine brighter every day until it bursts like a super nova when we join him in heaven.

Chuck is up there now with all the other firefighters lost on September 11th, giving a lesson on how to grow tomatoes and zucchini. He knows he can’t be wrong because he is with Nani and Papa who taught him all about it.

He is up there having a pick up game of basketball against Jesus and the Apostles. Chuck calls his team the Underdogs. I’d like to introduce them to you now:

Starting at Forward…everyone who was too little to fight for themselves. At the other forward… everyone who in the latter years of life were stripped of their dignity and were unable to perform tasks we take for granted. At Right Guard…everyone Chuck loved that left this world before him. At left guard…everyone who ever misjudged Chuck's loyalty while on earth. And STARTING AT CENTER…a man who at only 5’11”, now stands taller than everyone because of the life he led, the traditions he held on to, the compassion he showed and the memories he left...Chuck Margiotta


To honor someone next year you can go to http://www.dcroe.com/2996 and sign up.

God Bless America!!! Stand Tall & Proud!!!!

Friday, September 08, 2006

Never Been Kissed!!

Never Been Kissed

I love this movie so much because Josie Gellar reminds me of myself. They call her Josie Grossie while she was in high school and I was mad fun of in some of the same ways. It was rather embarrassing. However I did not want to be a reporter for any reason. As they are sitting in the lunch room at her office she talks about kissing guys.

JOSIE: The right guy is out there. I'm just not going to kiss a whole bunch of losers to get to him.
ANITA: Yeah, but sometimes kissing the losers can be a fun diversion.
JOSIE: When I finally get kissed, I'll know.
ANITA: Okay. If you've never kissed a guy, we got bigger problems than the underwear.
JOSIE: I've kissed guys. I've just never kissed a guy. Felt that thing--
CYNTHIA: "That thing"? Is that what you kids are calling it these days?
JOSIE: That thing. That moment. You kiss someone and it's like the world around you gets all hazy and the only thing in focus is you and this other person and you know that one person is the person you're meant to be kissing for the rest of your life. And for that one moment you've been given this amazing gift and you want to laugh and cry at the same time because you're so lucky you found it, and so scared that it will all go away.

I am Josie Geller. I have kissed many guys but I haven’t felt that “thing” yet, like when you’re kissing someone and everything around you just goes hazy.

At the end of the movie she sets 5 minutes on a clock and stands on the pitchers mound, after a semester of playing a 17 year old girl and falling in love with her English teacher. She is still waiting for that kiss. She sets the clock and waits. As the clock comes to 5-4-3-2-1 she drops the mike. Her hopes and dreams are lost. She thinks she’s never going to get that kiss, but then here comes Mr. Coulsen her English teacher and he runs to the mound and kisses her, and during that kiss everything around her becomes hazy.

I am still standing on the pitchers mound waiting for my clock to be up and for the man of my dreams to meet me on the mound and kiss me. I’m waiting for that one hazy kiss.