I just finished voting and guess what...

although i am a registered democrat, the lat 2 years have soured my stomach so much on the 'new democrats' of today that i voted pretty much republican right down the ballot.  maybe its because my husband is a talk show host on an AM station and i have heard too much of what he has to say, maybe its the fact that unemployment is out of control, maybe its the fact that America appears to be on the verge of becoming a shariah compliant country, or maybe its just the fact that i dont want to make the same mistake twice.  Things were far from perfect  pre-Obama, which is why i voted for him...  but now things are so bad with obama, i am sure going to do what i can to help take this country back.  if that means for a few election cycles I vote republican just so these high and mighty, clueless about real life issues, hoity toities elitists are kicked to the curb, so be it.  I am tired of being beat down, pushed around, bullied and made to feel politically incorrect for standing up for whats right and for my rights.  If i want to say the pledge of allegiance, i will say it.  if i want to put a big cross in my front yard, i will do it.  if i want to believe strictly in evolution then i will.  if i want to call an extremist a terrorist, then a terrorist is what i am calling him.  i am not going to change parties because i still believe in the core values of the 'old democratic' system but i'll be damned if i let these 'new dems' control my life or pansy down to let others control my life.  this is my country, the country my grandfather and my uncle fought for and plenty of other people i love, i wont sit idly by and let someone else destroy what they sacrificed so hard to build.

The Pledge of Allegiance recited at meeting for League of Women voters

I am so proud of those people who stood up and recited the pledge of allegiance in defiance of the speaker who said she did not start her meetings with the pledge...  good for them, this is a show of force Americans are getting...  we are tired of all the crap that is going on within the government and we are taking back our country. From here on out when I am at any event, I will stand up and make sure the pledge is recited...  we need to stop worrying about the consequences and stand up for what we believe.  We need to stop the pc stuff, if we want to say the pledge of allegiance and most definitely include the phrase 'under God' then thats what we do.  If enough of us stand up for our rights without fear of repercussions, which is what this country was created on, then we will take back our country.  I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Ha Ha Ha! way to go 'mouth' hope you enjoy the notoriety now... ref the b*tc@ who made fun of the dying girl

OMG talk about karma, i cant tell you how thrilled i am that the  bitch  that thought it was a good idea to make fun of a dying 7 yr old and go public with her own stupidity is getting her come-uppance.  her kids have been taken away; good!  nobody should be raised by someone who thinks that way, what a psycho!  this couple ... because the husband seemed onboard with the malicious act as well, this couple will be ostracized and run out of the community as they should be.  this is the second feel good story i have today...  between this bitch getting her just desserts and the man who is going to be famous because of the stupid union gaff, my heart is just full of happiness.   i absolutely love to see the underdog beat the odds and serve up a big hearty serving of crow.  take that union and take that bitch, and take that all you other big companies that have lawyers and money on your side...  you all are about to be served! 

Union fires stage hand for what he is wearing... LOL... OMG, what idiots

I absolutely love the fact that this guy, who is showing pride for what his son is doing for this country is going to become one of those rare few who get the last laugh.  Talk about a major screw up...  this union is going to be paying this man a great big chunk of money.  I love it.  To see a company or something big like the union get their come-uppance after screwing someone, which is rare nowadays...  is going to be absolutely divine.  Too often the big companies who have the lawyers or the money to get away with screwing an employee get off scott free...  but this time this gentleman is going to be on the winning side.  without going into detail, i know of another company that should have done a little research before they screwed an employee...  that will be fun when that one comes to light.

vince vaughn says 'gay' in upcoming movie

what happened to the old adage 'sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you?'  jeez, we cant even joke around about the word 'gay' used in the 'lame' form?  i am really sick and tired of the pc planet we live on...  it seems to me that anyone will jump on the 'you offended me bandwagon' these days.  my gosh, if there is a fat white lady sitting on a bench next to a thin white lady and you are trying to distinguish between the two...  you can say the thin lady, but if you say the 'fat' lady.. wow you are a horrible person.  if there are two men in line and one is black and the other is white, and again you are trying to distinguish between the two, you are either going to say the white guy or the black guy...  and bam, you have offended someone.  since when can you stand in line at a 7/11 and have a conversation with your friend using the f word in every other sentence, but when you call a woman a 'fat' woman, you are in the wrong?  does anyone else agree with me?  if so, lets stand up and quit walkin on eggs around each other.

extreme muslims vs terrorists... there is no difference, quit being pc

you know, we have all tried to follow obama's pc manner by not using the word 'terrorists' instead we have to say 'extreme muslims'  well two things...  a) if i were a muslim i wouldnt want to be hear 'extreme muslims' because no matter that the word extreme is there first, it ties with muslims and people tend to only hear muslims. second, call a spade a spade, these people are 'terrorists'  they shouldnt be defined by a race or a religion or a group other than that of what they are... 'terrorists'  so with all due respect mr president, i think we should all go back to calling a terrorist exactly that...  a terrorist.

Zero Tolerance? what about zero tolerance for adults who cant use common sense?

Sean and Mike are talking about zero tolerance in schools and once again I agree with these two.  I am sick and tired of adults not being able to make intelligent decisions.  These school officials are teaching our children, if the educators cant figure out how to use common sense, how do we expect them to teach our children common sense?  Its ridiculous that there is no gray area, its black or white and thats nuts.  Putting a 14 year old in jail for six weeks for allegedly stealing a few bucks is crazy.  we wonder why everyone wants to sue establishments... well damn, i would be right on that sue bandwagon if someone put my 14 year old in jail for that.  I am so sick and tired of all this

Eminem song lyrics, very hypocritical, not just controversial

I think its absolutely crazy to have lewd, disgusting, nasty degrading and explicit language in your songs and then say you dont let your own children listen to that sort of horrible music.  talk about double talk, be real eminem...  do you think your daughters dont think you are a hypocrite?  if the only way you can make money is putting out music you yourself wont let your children listen to, then you are worthless as a man and especially as a father.  not every parent has the option to easily monitor what their kids are listening to.  you probably arent smart enough to understand the adage 'it takes a village to raise a child'  there are a lot of single parents out there who rely on others to help raise their kids, whether they want to or not. it sure would be nice if we could all stay home and raise our kids the way you seem to think it is, but in the real world its just not plausible.  so fast forward to real time...  if people like you would take the offensive language out of their music, claiming its their right to express themselves any way they want, then perhaps teens wouldn't walk around thinking they can say lewd and disgusting words just to show they can exercise their own rights. we need to bring back civility and proper behavior if we want to get control of this country, and that starts with every one of us.  why dont you take a stand against that offensive language and do something to be proud of instead of leaving a legacy of... 'who?  emimen?  inst he that jerk who had all those foul language songs?  what an ass'

bill o'reilly on the view... my opinion

i just watched the clip of bill o'reilly say that the majority of americans dont want the mosque built at ground zero and saying that muslims killed us on 9/11...wow, what an ugly exchange that was.  it did become a ridiculous scream fest, and i most certainly do not agree with the ladies at all that walked off, nor do i think they are correct in their not agreeing with bill.  it even sounded like the audience agreed with bill judging by the clapping when he said there shouldnt be a mosque built.  i dont have enough information to understand why in the world these two women, joy and whoopi, would want the mosque built at ground zero.  i have often wondered who and what kind of person it would be to want the mosque built there.  today i am going to watch the view for the first time to see if i can see it from their point of view.  i pride myself on being fair and listening to all sides of an argument so i will try to hear their point of view, but that will not change my view.  the mosque at ground zero is wrong, if only on the level of propriety.  Extreme muslims attacked us on 9/11 at that location, there is nothing proper about any muslim temple, multicultural or not, being built there.   i still cant believe this is even a discussion and i truly can not understand how seemingly intelligent people, like joy and whoopi, would even back the support of the mosque.  there has to be something we are missing, so i will watch the view today and hopefully change my opinion of these two women.  btw, cudos to barbara walters for saying what she said, thats not the proper way to behave.  a screamfest was not required, nor should people walk away and dismiss something so important.

Bloomfield DMV and other services Huge RANT!

Big rant...!  This rant is not geared towards any individual at the Bloomfield MVD, this rant is the overall running of the office.  First off, some brilliant idiot thought it would be a great idea to remove any type of receptionist for the mvd office, in its place someone sits there who only collects utility payments.  so to even ask a simple question, like 'can i get an application for vanity plates?' you have to get a number and wait in que.  stupid stupid stupid.  if you do dare to just step up to the window to ask a simple question..  you get a look from the employee like you have a disease.  but here is my biggest rant regarding the bloomfield mvd... there are signs everywhere that say there is a $3.00 fee per transaction, ok, transactions fees are bullshit but pretty much accepted as status quo.  but guess what?  that 3.00 goes directly to the employee who does the transaction,...  like a tip.  thats bullshit.  so mcdonalds can put up a sign that says there is a 3.00 per transaction fee?  instead of your bigmac meal being 6dollars, its now six to the till and 3 to the dummy behind the counter?  i dont think so.  of course there is also a sign in the mvd that says, we are not part of the state blah blah blah, if you have any problems with the way this office operates call...  some number.  i called the number because the $3 transaction fee really pisses me off, but of course i just got a recording and i do not expect a call back.   unbelievable.

Women are not happy with obama... duh, is anyone?

although i voted for obama two years ago because i thought he was the best candidate and i am democrat, i too am not happy with the way the country has evolved over the last 2 years, we need to study the candidates and be intelligent with our vote.  i am and probably always will be a democrat; because i believe in the core of the democratic party, but maybe there are now two different types of dems...  older democrats and new progressive democrats.  i believe in equality across the board, equal pay, equal rights for everyone.  women still make less than men for the same job, women are still looked down on by republicans and thats what drives me to being a democrat.  i am going to vote my heart, if its a democrat i am voting for for one office and a republican for another, so be it.  there is no way i am going to do this blindly as we have done in the past.  voting for democrats just because you want to prove a point is not a good reason, vote for the right person, democrat or republican.

chile miners being rescued

well so far there is one man up, one out of 33.  i am kinda surprised at how emotional i am at seeing the minors come up, i havent really followed this story, (isnt it a shame how we kinda ignore what is happening in other countries?  if this had happened in the US i sure would have felt stronger about this accident.)  anyway its emotional for some reason to me.  its probably about the coming together we all feel when something momentous like this happens.  too bad it takes a tragedy or something catastrophic to bring us together emotionally.

Tuesday night TV... glee and raising hope

Glee was fantastic tonight...  i thoroughly enjoyed the music, all of it and the storyline was pretty good too.  ok, maybe a little strong for what i think of as a teen program, but i am watching it for entertainment, not to judge whether or not its PG or not.  mike and i were actually wondering if this is what high school has become (we hope not).  I dont care, i really just love this program so much, i really dont care where they take it.  in a few weeks they are doing the rocky horror picture show, omg that will be awesome.  which reminds me, i heard jane lynch was awesome in saturday night live so i am going to have to watch it...via hulu.  Supposedly she was hot and sexy, and yes the guy who said that knows she is gay, but apparently she was pretty convincing on SNL.  I am such a GLEEk i am going to watch that snl clip right after i post this.  one more thing; 'raising hope' which follows glee was so damn funny, i havent watched it before but tonights episode made a believer out of me.  i can relate to the  'CMS'  (crazy mom syndrome) all moms suffer from it, but tonights episode really hit home with me.  so tuesday night is my favorite night so far.  parenthood is on tonight too, but since mike and michael like 'no ordinary family' they watched that and we are dvr'ing parenthood. 

Taverna Greek Grille in Farmington NM

The taverna greek bar and grill in farmington definitely gets high marks on the raves from me.  i grew up in chicago and ate plenty of homemade greek food so i was incredibly excited to see this place open up.  we have eaten there several times since it opened and the owner/managing partner John is spectacular when it comes to making sure the customers are happy.  The prices arent bad either, and the food is yummy.  i try to have something different each time i go there so i can give different epinions... but i find myself gravitating towards the gyro quite often.  i have had the osso busco which i thought needed a bit more spice, but the meat was tender and plentiful so i will keep it at that.  the appetizers are delicious and entertaining as well, even the dessert is worth mentioning, although by the time you finish the apps and the dinner, finding room for dessert is pretty tough.  not to bring their average ticket price down, but i suggest just getting one dessert and splitting it, even up to 4 ways, thats how plentiful they are.  if you are lucky enough to dine there in the evening, you'll not only be treated with great service and mouth watering aromas, but you get a show too.  i dont know when john takes any time off, but every evening that i have been there, around 6.30pm there is a 'routine' the employees do, complete with singing and dancing and diner participation ( i know this for a fact cuz i was pulled up to dance ) all ending with the traditional shattering of a plate.  its loud and noisy and boisterous and just plain fun.  i highly recommend taverna for a completely different change of pace.

applebees restaurant farmington nm

this is mostly going to be a rave with a hint of a rant...  we had applebees for lunch yesterday and i had the lunch combo for 5.99   best tomato basil soup ever and a delicious spinach shrimp salad.  i wanted to give up my month long sabbatical and apply for a job there just for the soup alone.  creamy tomato basil soup, a good one, is hard to find, so if you are ever in farmington nm, and craving a delicious and affordable lunch, stop by applebees.  now the rant part..  we have gone to that applebees a few times at lunch, (at lunch is the keyword here) and every single time it takes way too long to get service.  from the initial meet and greet with the server, to the time it takes to get the food, to waiting on drink refills and finally getting the check...  its pretty much impossible to do all that in a lunch hour.  if i had seen a manager i might have said something to him/her because for those of you that follow me and my blogs, you know that good management is my hot button.  if the manager isn't present to see how things are going in the dining room, everything goes to hell.  i dont think i saw a manager looking person the entire time we were there, which was over an hour.  i  at least had someone with me to talk to to pass the time, i thought the lone woman sitting next to us was about to blow a gasket with her service time, i would bet good money she either left no tip or definitely not 20%.  work on your speed applebees, you could be a great lunch place with that 5.99 combo

Churchs chicken farmington new mexico

sorry guys but this is gonna mostly be a rant... church's chicken has the best deal on tuesdays, 2 pcs of chicken (leg and thigh) for .99 cents (ever notice there is no cents sign on a keyboard)  so since i try to blog about restaurants and dining experiences here in the tricity area, i try to eat on a budget, which is why i choose church's on tuesdays.  i used to go to the west main restaurant until i saw what appeared to be the manager go outside (in front of all customers to see) smoke a cigarette, come back in to count some money, then serve chicken to another customer.  all after scratchin his crotch area while he was smoking and not coming in and washing his hands at all, let alone for 20seconds as required by the NM dept of food whatever... health i guess.  so i stopped going to the west main location.  today at the east main location the employees were obviously having an off day.  the french fries were old, cold and tasted like fish (grease needs to be changed apparently) and the employees were discussing for all of us out in the dining room to hear, how much they didnt care about whatever it was they were discussing.  the tea was bad and instead of making fresh tea, it was put out and 'if someone complains, they can get a different drink'  this was right at shift change, 2pm, and nobody wanted to put forth any effort to customer service.  so sorry church's, you get the rant today.

eat pray love... great book

i am so behind on my blogging because of this book.  every woman should read this book because every woman feels the way this writer has felt.  if a woman hasnt felt this way yet, she will.  i am going to buy every woman that i buy gifts for this book for christmas.  dont bother with the movie, i havent seen it but i already know by reading the book that there is no way the movie can do it justice.  the book touches me inside, validates all the feelings i have ever had and makes me want to go back and delve into my italian heritage and visit where the Mangiapanes derived from.  i at least want to learn italian now.  truly this book is written by a woman who can express what we all have felt in a beautiful and timeless way.  like i said, i am going to buy this book for all the women i buy for and for those i dont buy for, i am going to loan a copy to.

do you give a damn?

i just heard on the SnM show on KENN am 1390 via the listen live link (http://www.kennradio.com/) a psa regarding acceptance for gays and lesbians; i am completely onboard with the psa and disagree with Sean & Mike about whether or not this is helping or hurting the cause.  Sure we all go thru this, we all feel pain and despair and we all have to find it in ourselves to pull ourselves out, and usually we have to do it by ourselves.  nobody knows our thoughts, our innermost feelings and nobody is there for us or so we feel.  suicide is real, whether its because you are gay and not accepted or cant face financial issues anymore, or you are overweight and teased unmercifully; there are many reasons people commit suicide, its not just teens, plenty of adults do it also.  it has nothing to do with being selfish, i cant even believe i heard a caller say that, now thats selfish and arrogant, and makes my blood boil.  how dare someone add that guilt onto an already troubled person?  when you are going thru the hell you are going thru and you reach out for help and get 'quit being so selfish, think of all the people you will hurt' what a crock of bull.  when you reach the point in your life that you are considering suicide, how others feel is the least of the things you care about.  i still cant believe 'judy' called suicide the ultimate act of selfishness that just reaks of bullshit.  so the question on the table is...  is shining the light on the issue helping or hurting these teens?  i guess its how you slant the light...  if you make it look like they need to be treated like they are china dolls and have to be tiptoed around, that is going to hurt them.  if you shine the light on acceptance, whether its for being gay or jewish or black, if you push acceptance, then it will help.  telling gays that they are dysfunctional is wrong, there are plenty of already established pressures for everyone, adding one more stigma may just be the straw that breaks the camels back.

does the government not get it? no social security increase but congress gets more?

obviously the administration and the politicians up on capitol hill think we are stupid.  social security doesnt get a cost of living increase, (even though the price of everything has gone up by leaps and bounds) yet the politicians arent taking any hits or feeling the pain?  i wonder how many politicians buy their own milk, fuel their own vehicles, pay mortgages, pay incredible insurance premiums only to be told 'we dont cover that prescription'  you know, i hate to say this, but we need secession, we need a revolution.  others wont say it because they fear being put on a watch list perhaps?  but its time americans stand up for ourselves even if it means we stand up against our own government.

NY gov candidate Carl Paladino... what a hypocrite

ok, earlier i posted on homosexuality and acceptance...  now i know where and who i heard it from.  gubertorial candidate for ny was the person criticizing gays, can you believe it?  he wont march in the gay rights parade, he infers that gays are in some way flawed ...  as he is walking with men who appear to be jewish.  does he see the irony there?  there are those who think jews are flawed and should be disparaged against and wiped off the face of the earth...  as i said earlier...  does it matter what race you are?  what religion you are?  what your sexual orientation is?  who cares?  its how you treat people and what is in your heart.  jeeeez, this is why we cant ever fix anything in this country, we are too busy trying to prove we are supreme over someone else.

pres obama speaks on infrastructure

you know prez...  its great that you are going to get jobs for construction workers who need jobs (1 in 5 construction workers out of jobs) rebuilding roads, bridges, rails, power systems..  thats great for the construction workers...  but not all of us are construction workers, are we?  what about those of us who are unemployed because the economy is so bad major companies are pushing the still existing employed do more for less?  what about administrative workers?  what about retail workers?  how are you going to help us?  yes, america needs a much needed boost in our infrastructure, but how does that help the rest of us?  as much money as you have earmarked for all these special projects, i think a check made out to all the unemployed workers for $20k  would have done a much better job of boosting the economy.  why dont you let some common folk give you some ideas and get off your high horse and listen to us?  you want to boost economy?  send me a check for $20k, i guarantee farmington's businesses would benefit from it.  farmington is severely affected because we are an oil and gas based community...  send us taxpayers a check and you will see a boost in the economy.   

registered democrat, but i am questioning my affiliation, anyone else facing this challenge?

i have been democrat all my adult life, but at the age of 45 and during all this political turmoil we are in, i am questioning my party.  there was a time early in my voting years when i truly felt that being democrat wa the way to go.  but this presidency and this administration has me in complete turmoil.  i still have democratic views, but i also see so republicans point of view...  not many i admit, but i dont feel onboard with many of the current democratic views either.  maybe i should just go non partisan and make decisions by issues only.  i just dont know.  i feel like the democratic party has changed, its not what it used to be, maybe i am an 'old democrat' definitely not one of these new democrats who want socialism, thats not what i want.  i am really having a hard time with this... anyone else having these troubling inner turmoils?

homosexuality in america... ref the guy who felt the need to kill himself

this guy that killed himself because some idiots posted his personal business on the internet, its not just these two who are at fault ... there are way more people at fault then just those two.  all these people who look down on homosexuals are to blame too.  i know several gay people and they are wonderful people and there is nothing different about them then there is a straight person.  i am sick and tired of people judging other people, whether its due to their sexual orientation, their skin color, their religion, dont you all get it?  we are humans, its whats in our heart that makes us good or bad, not our sexual orientation or our skin color or who we idolize or even if we  do or do not idolize a god.  do you people seriously judge people by that?  do you not know any straight white christian who has done horrible things?  do you really think all the bad things done in the world are done by muslims?  or do you think all the bad stuff is done by black people?  or do you think all the bad things are done by gays?  if you do, you are the messed up person.  treat others as you want to be treated, you are not God, you are not the Creator, so you are not the judge.  quit acting like you are the judge and the jury.  how hypocritical of everyone.

school shooting in san diego... what would you do? could you be the hero?

as i sit here and listen to the stories from these men who tackled and detained the school shooter, i ask myself could or would i do the same?  i have done some things in the past that my husband says is going to get me killed ...  a woman was obviously being abused by presumably her boyfriend or husband and i stopped and got between them and got her in my car and took her to her mothers...  i also took another abused woman to her place to get her stuff while her bf was passed out in the other room.  i feel like i would definitely step up and do my best to stop a shooter, even if i am unarmed at my own personal risk.  i think the first reaction is to preserve life, even a strangers life because that would be a gut reaction, i dont think i would hesitate at all. but its easy to think that; we've all seen video of those that do nothing, that dont want to get involved, that think its none of their business.   i grew up in chicago and we were physically abused, our neighbors knew it for years and did/said nothing.  when i went back as an adult and spoke to them about it, they admitted they knew, but didnt want to get involved.  these people were our good/close friends, yet they said/did nothing.  i think thats when i made the decision that i would not sit back and ignore what i think/thought is obviously wrong.  what do you think?

the country is facing terrible problems, but whats the solution?

our country is in the worst state its been in since my lifetime...  and to be honest with you, i think the problems and issues are so big the easiest solution the politicians have come up with is to just blame each other.  its much easier to point fingers and blame others than to take a stand and fix the problem(s)  there is so much bickering and mudslinging and incivility amongst politicians right now, i think they are doing it purposely because they dont know what else to do.  taking a stand is hard, someone has to give in to that first step and that generally means you have to give up something, sacrifice something for compromise.  the politicians aren't willing to do that.  it may be pride, it may hit them in the pocket, i am not sure what it is, i just know that the people who currently hold office have to be right and stand their ground while the rest of us are slipping over the edge.  this should be a learning lesson for all of us...  once you start a lie you have to keep spinning it and bringing other people into it and the web gets so twisted, the only way out is to cut all the ties.  could you imagine what would happen if one of these career politicians actually came clean with all that has been done?  it would bring down not just the administration but the dominoe effect would be overwhelming.  fun to watch admittedly, but it would wreak havoc down to the smallest town; nobody in politics would go unaffected by this.  those of us not in politics would never trust anaother politician again, everything would have to be restructured.  i say 'bring it'

update to rachel wilkerson... so glad i was wrong, she is back home

now for the real rant...  who the hell goes off into the woods chasing a squirrel?  i would get lost on our 2 acres of land if i started chasing an animal...  my dear sweet husband swears i would get lost walking around a tree.  glad she is safe, sure hope after all the hoopla dies down she gets the 'whatfor'

obama is becoming 'impatient' with Americans because we arent showing 'appreciation' for his valiant attempts...

in an article by michael reagan printed in the farmington daily times on 10/8/10, apparently president obama is losing patience with us Americans because we are not showing our appreciation of getting screwed.  big woo....  mr obama, i voted for you because you represented and promised change, which this country desperately needed.  too bad you left out the fact that your 'change' was going to be worse than what we had and your 'change' was pushing this country to a soon to be all out revolution.  mr obama, do you realize that in my 45 years of life, this is the first time i have considered pushing for states to secede from the union?  and do you realize mr obama that you're the reason that this will probably happen?  you are a great speaker, nobody will argue that, you are charming, good looking, young, everything we that voted for, thats what hooked us.  because we knew we needed change and you got us hook line and sinker, but now i hear talk about impeachment, secession, revolution...  all because of you and your administration.  are you happy now?  is this the change you wanted?  the rumors are rampant about your agenda and i staunchly supported you the first year, but here i sit almost 2 years into your presidency and i am fully aware that you are just one more man who has fooled me.  shame on me, but as the saying goes, screw me once, shame on you, screw me twice, shame on me.  not many of us want to be screwed twice by you and your cronies.

City of Bloomfield Municipal Building from the san juan sun 9/29 article

ok...  perhaps the city of bloomfield does indeed need a new municipal complex... but really, couldnt they be a little more specific on its location?  I am on a waiting list in both farmington and aztec to get a road test as required by the MVD...  I passed the written test in Sept, but both Farmington and Aztec are so backlogged for the road test (scheduling into November) that i decided to go to bloomfield.  everyone said that was the place to go... ha!  first off apparently nobody knew they moved to a new location so i went to the old location first, there was a sign that said moved to ruth lane, past 'movie gallery' well i am not from bloomfield so i dont know where the 'movie gallery' is, but i figure there are two main streets that i could see, so all i had to do was drive up the street and eventually find the 'movie gallery'  easy enough, right?  i drove, and i drove, and i drove some more, never saw the movie gallery.  after my second drive thru main street i decided screw the mvd, i didnt need a license that bad.  as i was turning around in the 'alco' parking lot, by chance i happened to see the abandoned building with the faint markings of 'movie gallery' Success!  i drive down ruth lane to the new municipal complex and all of bloomfield was there.  i went ahead and got in line and after 45 minutes i was told to come back on friday when they schedule road tests for october.  well since october is obviously before November i dutifully went back at 7am on Friday morning to wait the hour until it opened to hopefully get an October date.  Talk about a bassackward system...  after another 45 minutes of standing in an inside line, i sucessfully got a date in October.  I am keeping the two other appts in Aztec and in Farmington just in case though because talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing, bloomfield mvd is it.  I am not going to say what else i think until after i have that road test and license under my belt; the last thing i am going to do is tick off someone who may read this and sabotage my appointment

Did anyone catch the comment made about the Islamic flag flying over the whitehouse?

I just heard in passing some interview from London where this gentleman (a-rab-hole actually) said he foresees the Islamic flag flying over the white house and that Islam is the way of the future.  Now i am poorly paraphrasing because i was driving in my car when i heard this and since i dont have alot of information on it, i havent found it on the web to get a better understanding.  but if i understood what i heard, there is some nutcase out there who thinks Sharia law (not sure on the spelling of that) and Islam is going to take over the USofA...  not in our lifetime mister.  Farmington alone has enough gun totin men and women who would never allow that to happen, let alone the rest of the US.  If anyone has any further information on this, please help me out, cuz surely i misheard that...  right?

sharon randall's story on being a grandma

as i read sharon randalls story regarding being a first time nana, i couldnt help but smile at the memories i have of my grandma...  i am 45 years old and i can still remember fondly all the things my grandma did for my cousins and myself.  grandmas house was the place to go and we all knew it.  we did the weekly food fest and we did the church on sundays, (i'm sure there is still a bald spot in my bottom hairline where she would reach behind others in the pew and yank my hair out if i behaved inappropriately.  i too want to be a grandma, i want to spoil my grandkids like crazy, but like sharon, i would be a long distance grandma which would be hard on me.  my oldest two arent quite there yet, although my daughter is in love and any day now i expect the call saying she is taking that next step.  i know in my head she is still too young to have kids, but my heart is craving another baby.  luckily i have a niece who has a couple of babies, one of each and they are here, so when the ache gets too bad, well i go shopping for a cute dress or a sporty boy outfit.  i have to admit though, it sure is nice to do those things when i want to do it rather than when i was the mother of my 3.  i can already tell i will enjoy being a grandmother, although this is definitely not a hint or a push for my adult kids to jump the gun on my behalf.

great harvest bread company coming to Farmington NM

ok...  i almost ran off the road coming home from the farmers market after i picked up the tricity tribune.  I am not a native to farmington; i have been in larger cities that have great harvest bread companies and let me tell you...  farmington is becoming quite the little social butterfly.  first a red brick pizza, then taverna greek grill, which is awesome and fun, then we went way out big time and got ourselves an olive garden.  there were rumors of a 'hooters' but i think the case there was someone opening their mouths before the deal was sealed...  and now are real live bakery?  have you noticed there really isnt a bakery here in town?  sure we have the bakery at smiths, safeway, even farmers market which are all fine in their own standings, but they are definitely going to pale compared to Great Harvest Bread co...  i will donate part of our two acres if they build it on my place in flora vista...  the aroma of bread baking will pretty much speak for itself.  growing up in chicago, we lived just blocks away from the Nabisco factory, i woke up every morning to the smell of nabisco baking; i think i can still smell it.  Great Harvest bread company hopefully will offer free internet access because if it does, i am moving my home office there.

Rachel Wilkerson missing out of Missouri

i just heard a press conference on headline news regarding a missing 10 yr old girl out of missouri...  a ten year old walking a dog doesnt go missing on her own.  the cop giving the press conference says there is no evidence of foul play.  please, we all know its foul play why not just say it?  i know you dont want to freak the parents out, but you also have to be honest with the public and keep the other parents in the area vigilant.  i certainly hope rachel is found unharmed quickly, but with 25 deputies looking for her, if she is just missing on her own, she'd been found by now.  good luck rachel and your family, i hope you are safe. 

Personal Responsibility ... where did it go?

has anyone else noticed that most people dont even bother to take responsibility for their own actions anymore?  i was in a wendys yesterday eating lunch and a group of 5 adults were having an animated conversation regarding the lack of bars in farmington, expressing disappointment in not being able to see a stripper whenever he wanted or to be able to go to a plain ole bar, not these family restaurants that serve alcohol.  the problem is the 'f' word was used several times during the conversation.  there were children in the wendys but this didnt deter the foul language in the conversation, the man who used the word repeatedly didnt even bother to look around or lower his voice when using this word.  another man sitting at the table at least had the decency to look uncomfortable with the language and subject matter but said nothing.  as i was sitting at the table right next to them, it was easy for me to give them 'the look' and since i was raised catholic and i am italian, i have 'the look' down pat.  The group ended their lunch and left but i warned my husband that if i heard the 'f' word one more time, i would get up and say something.  you know what else i found troubling though?  the parents of the children at the next table didnt even wince any time the 'f' word was used.  Are we really that desensitized to this word and subsequent foul language that we dont even mind if our kids hear it?

New rules regarding purchases with food stamps

Quite a few Americans are overweight and quite a few Americans are lazy, thats a fact.  The government is stuck between a rock and a hard place.  there are those who say the government is too involved in our lives and shouldnt be able to say what we can and can not buy with food stamps.  then there are those who say the government makes it too easy for people to get food stamps. I say that if the government puts limits on what you can and can not buy with food stamps, perhaps this may encourage these lazy people who want soda to go out and get a job to buy soda.  This isnt the first restriction government has put on food stamps, there are certain things you can and can not buy already, but all of a sudden when it comes to soda which most people consider a staple, people are up in arms about it.  i get the jist; people are worried that this is the preclude to the government dictating everything we can and can not buy; but there are a majority of us smart Americans that just wont put up with this crap.  I hear all the time that the government is too big (which it is) and wants to run our lives and turn this into another chapter in history akin to the Hitler era.  I dont believe that Americans will allow this.  I feel we learned that it could happen and there is no way we will let it happen again.  There will be a revolution, there will be states seceding from the union, there is something big on the horizon, and perhaps the food stamps is one of the stepping stones leading to this, but maybe its just the fact that people dont need soda to survive.   i dont know, what do you guys think?

S n M; the painful truth radio show on KENN am 1390 Farmington NM

Farmington finally has a morning talk show i can relate to.  Sean Jeremy Osborn and Mike Logue along with their producer/side kick Double D are on the airwaves and thankfully on the internet M-F 7a-10a.  These two run the gamut with me.  They are both republican and both make their views known and although I am a democrat, i find myself agreeing with them on quite a few issues.  sean drives me nuts with his disparaging democrat black voice, as if all democrats are poor black people waiting at the mailbox for a welfare check.  i take offense to that and he knows it, we have had heated arguments about it.  mike tempers sean down which is one of his greatest assest to the show.  mike brings content which seems to cause sean to have an aneurysm daily.  the callers that they have are intelligent and thankful for the opportunity to voice their opinions.  politics is really becoming a hot topic, more than its ever been it seems and republicans are doing their best to get the country back on track.  as a democrat, i happen to be onboard with that, i think we are heading to a breaking point and i believe obama's presidency was the catalyst to what is surely to be an eye opening event.  check out the s n m show, mon - fri 7a-10 kenn am 1390 or the best way imo (in my opinion) is kennradio.com

Customer service in Farmington NM

Businesses need to take note that times are tough and customers have to be a little more selective with their discretionary income, and in this post i am talking about customer service at restaurants.  as a former restaurant manager, i am completely appalled by the way some of these restaurants are run.  for the most part i am talking about the local fast food chains; my god, where did they get these people from?  even the management teams at some of these locations are completely clueless and useless.  i have witnessed managers, from shift managers all the way up to the store managers ignore customers;  not even glance their way when entering, not daring to ask how everything was (because they know the answer is going to be negative) to just hiding in the back.  now since i am a former restaurant manager here, i know the pressure corporations put on these chain managers, and i also know the employees are generally lazy teens who dont have an inkling to what the real world is about, but at least try.  i am sympathetic to a degree, but when i see that the managers dont even care or try, I generally just turn around and walk out because i know there is no way possible someone who isnt a manager is going to do any better.  I cant stress this enough... customer service is the key. that is business 101 yet thats one of the first things that go out the door before that door closes up completely.

Farmers Market in Flora Vista NM

The Farmers Market in Flora Vista is by far the most exciting event I have experienced since moving out here.  Talk about wanting to support your local businesses, i hope everyone who lives out here in Flora Vista uses Farmers Market half as much as i do.  Sure their prices are up a bit from the big WM in Farmington, and their selection is slightly limited, but the fact that i dont have to deal with the big WM dregs, (both customers and dare i call them WM associates) i willingly pay the extra dollar on a gallon of milk to see smiling faces, a clean store, aisles that arent completely cluttered and managers that actually inquire about your experience and arent afraid to jump on a register to open a line if need be.  i encourage all of flora vista to use the farmers market and also the peeps in aztec, you too should check out Farmers Market.  The prices are comparable to that big corporate chain there in aztec but there is not the hassle of dealing with ridiculous long lines, employees who dont care, seldom smile and could care less if you found what you were looking for.  again customer service people!  learn that customer service is the key to a successful business!

Boons Thai Family BBQ

i would love to give this place high praise, but i just cant.  they don't offer daily lunch specials and while the food is good, its not as good as the prices are high.  I have given them at least six attempts and while i again state the food is good, you can get good asian food at plenty of other places and not spend close to $20. for yourself at lunch.  they really need an affordable lunch special, they are in downtown farmington and would do so much better if they werent so pricey.  i do recommend the sticky rice for dessert though.  as a matter of fact, skip the ten dollar meal and go right for the 5 dollar dessert.

pizza hut farmington nm area locations

pizza hut now has competition in farmington which does not bode well for the 3 Pizza Huts in the tricity area.  there was a time that pizza hut was the place to go in farmington nm, but now their lousy service because of corporate mandates has ruined the experience so much that even good pizza isnt enough to make me want to got there.   there is one exception to this comment; pizza hut on west main has a server there during the day, Lucy, who makes that PH tolerable, but its easy to see that she doesnt get much help from anyone except the manager who does her best with what she has.  there are at least 2 other pizza joints in town that beat Pizza Hut.  Pizza hut may be america’s favorite pizza, but no longer mine.  oh and just for full disclosure, i managed the ph in aztec for about a year, corporate makes it pretty much impossilbe to do anything 100% ,  obviously the corporate motto of 'do more with less' is stressed strongly to the managers.  YUM corporate is Pizza Huts worst enemy.

olive garden finally comes to farmington nm

farmington had no italian restaurants to speak of here, there are two others i can think of here, but sure not worth wasting time mentioning in this post.  olive garden is olive garden, we all know what  we are getting which is fine.  moderate prices, lots of food and managers walking around checkin on the customers.  as a former restaurant manager and as a self confessed foodie, managers doing their job and making sure customers are happy is by far the most impressive action a manager can do.  there isnt anything to say about the food you dont know, so again, the service is great and because its only been open about six months, still very busy.  i dont see this place slowing down.

'reverend' phelps is a disgrace

what kind of man would ask of his followers to go to a soldier’s funeral and lead those same followers to disrupt and cause more pain to the grieving family and friends?   You dont have to be a christian to know this is wrong and our government, the supreme court should do everything in its power to stand behind our soldiers and their families, even in death, and sue the hell out of this ‘church’ .  this is a miserable man who should be ashamed of himself, especially calling himself a ‘reverend’ what a mockery of the word.

democrat vs republican

i have been a registered democrat all my adult life and yes, i voted for obama and yes, i am extremely disappointed in his presidency.  so much so that i have considered changing parties for several weeks now.  my husband is a republican and believe me, there are heated (mildly put) discussions pretty much daily in our house.   I have been doing my due diligence on the current candidates for the upcoming elections, and i was still on the fence until this morning.  a republican i know just made me realize how selfish most republicans are and why i am a democrat.  i appreciate that you work for your money and you dont want to give it away, i get that, but when you know someone who has a need and they ask you to help them out and you tell them you cant afford to help and turn around and blow your ‘hard earned money’ on ridiculous, unneeded and unnecessary items, well that just shows me that i am right in staying a democrat.  i am amazed how some people sleep at night.

the spare rib, farmington, new mexico, best catfish for sure

this place has been in business in farmington a while which i appreciate. the atmosphere is very welcoming and i feel like they have been around so long they know their customers. i’ve eaten there twice, the first time i had a not so great experience with the ribs… i am from chicago where ribs fall off the bone and chewing is optional. the ribs we had on this visit were dry and tough, good sauce but when you cant chew the meat, who cares how good the sauce is. i gave them another chance but backed away from getting the ribs; the catfish looked too good. so glad i made that choice, the catfish is the best in farmington. i’ll definitely go again and definitely get the catfish, i go for the sure thing. one day i may give the ribs another chance, but its hard to go with something different when there are so few places in farmington to get good ... no great... catfish that i am pretty sure i will stick with the catfish.

Los Hermanitos Farmington NM

i love this place! the owner (i assume the owner) always comes around and chats with the customers and makes sure you are happy with what you have;  the food is great, a bit pricey, about a dollar or two more than i would expect to pay for a plate, (average $9-10)  but the delicious food makes up for it.  I am a big fan of customer service, that will always be a hot button with me and this place rates high on customer service.  i have no problem whatsoever recommending Los Hermanitos, east or west.  Next time i go back, and i will, i will check to see if they have lunch specials.  i know they have a daily special but it has never seemed like a 'special' to me, just more like a featured menu item.  would love to hear other's opinions of los hermanitos in farmington, or if someone thinks there is a better place, tell me about it, i am all about food.