To turn the homework in or not? That is the question.

Okay, kids...I realize that it's been a very long time since I was in high school but I seem to remember that if you didn't turn in your homework when it was due, it was a bad thing. If you turned it in a few days late, you got less credit. If you didn't turn it in at all, you got nothing. Nada, nothing, zilch. You didn't get a third, fourth or fifth chance to turn it in. Teachers were trying to teach you about deadlines and discipline and, oh my God, responsibility! Well, let me tell you something, parents...forget about all that. It has come to my attention that some of today's teachers will let their students turn their homework in WHENEVER THEY WANT and still get CREDIT! Would someone please explain to me how this teaches students anything about deadlines, discipline and responsibility? It sounds to me like the message here is LAZINESS RULES! There are parents out there who have been trying to instill in their children that responsibility and discipline are good traits to have...then the kids go to school and all that talk goes right out the window. And just think, parents...these kids are the future of this country.

So long, car wash.

Okay kids....since the morons who sit in Sacramento and Washington D.C. can't seem to figure out that we really shouldn't have to pay $3.83 a gallon for gas which is mainly purchased from the sick and twisted Middle East, I have decided to cut another thing out of my budget. My local car wash will no longer be seeing my awesome red truck. Sorry, guys. You'll have to find someone else to get your $2.00 tip from. Not that I took my truck to the car wash all the time. Usually I do it myself. But every now and then it is nice to have someone else do it. Sort of like when you go to the salon and someone else washes your hair. I feel bad that I can no longer support a local business but in these rough economic times you have to make tough choices.
The sad thing is, it doesn't have to be this way. We have oil off our coasts, we have oil in Alaska, and guess what? There's oil in Canada. Why are we buying oil from terrorists and murderers? The obvious answer is because a lot of people in high places are making a profit from it and they don't want to give that up. Why aren't we giving grants to scientists so they can develop alternative sources of fuel? The obvious answer is because a lot of people in high places wouldn't be able to make a big profit from it right away. Why are we paying farmers not to grow corn when corn could be used to produce ethanol which can be used to fuel our cars? The obvious answer is because a lot of people in high places wouldn't be able to make a profit from it right away.
But, brother, watch out when they figure it out!

Can I call you "mom?"

Okay kids....as most of my friends and family know, I do not have any children of my own, but I do have a teenage stepdaughter. I have been in her life for 10 years now, so basically you could say I am more of a mother to her than her own mother. She has always called me by my first name instead of "mom" or "mother." Which is fine, because technically I am not her mother. Today she asked me if I would mind if she called me "mom." Without hesitating, I said "Sure, why not? If that's what you want to do." Now, the two of us haven't always had the easiest of relationships, as is sometimes true in a case where the child's real mother is not in the picture very much. But I have always been honest with her and told her the truth. When I promised to take her somewhere or buy her something, I followed through. I've tried to instill in her a sense of responsibility and understanding that a good education can take you a lot of places. I never tried to take the place of her real mother, even though she is basically an awful person who only thinks about herself. So, I guess if my stepdaughter wants to call me "mom," it's okay by me.

Okay kids...I was thinking about music today and all the amazing concerts I've experienced. The four most amazing are also the four that meant the most to me: Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, KISS and Page, Clapton, Beck and Cocker.
I got to see Elvis with my brother Gary, his wife, and my mother. We were all huge fans of The King, so we were all very excited! Elvis put on a great show! I was very young so I didn't really understand why all the women were swooning and trampling each other to get one of his sweaty scarves. Now I know why!
Back in the late seventies, my brother, John, and I took his son, Johnny to see KISS. The rest of the line-up included Bob Seger, Montrose with Sammy Hagar and Ted Nugent. What a show! KISS did not disappoint and it was a concert that has always been a great memory for me.
I saw Bob Dylan twice, but the most memorable was when my brother, Gary, and I went together to see Dylan and The Grateful Dead. All I can say is AWESOME!
In the 80's I went to a concert that featured a line-up that couldn't be beat: Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Joe Cocker. I have to tell you, I was so excited, I actually cried!
These days, I don't get out to many concerts. But I often think about the bands I got to see and how much fun I had! Tom Petty, AC/DC, Neil Diamond, Phil Collins, Motley Crue, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Cheap Trick, Stevie Nicks, Yes, King Crimson, Elton John. Music does indeed make the world go round!