i came upon these in the store today - i was shocked to see them in texas:

tastykakes are based in philly and my husband grew up loving their butterscotch krimpets.  i think he will be very surprised to see these when he (hopefully) gets home from california tonight.  we ate a lot of these on our trip there this past summer.  hey, that reminds me of this cool clock i saw on the side of independence hall:

it wasn’t working and i have no idea of its history, if any. but it was interesting to me.

…the little thingie in the corner of my window on this page says, “blow the wrapper off a straw.” my 10yo is an expert at this but for me it hardly ever works. i need to watch for what his secret is. this is why there are straw wrappers all over my suburban.
…we had bourbon chicken last night (frozen stuff from costco - had a coupon). it was just okay. we decided to call it suburban chicken because that’s what we brought it home in and that’s where we live. and that’s why we drive the suburban, because we live in the suburbs. if we lived in the city we’d drive an urban. well, we’d probably use the subway or the bus and not have a car.
…the ipod arrived yesterday but not the cute purple case and earbuds. i put a bunch of music on it and played a random song - it was superchick’s anthem. then i had to read the online manual to learn how to turn the thing off.
…inlaws arrive tomorrow. stress levels rising. still work to do on the house.
…oldest has finals in his dual credit classes this week. he’s registered for 3 classes next semester. i think this has been a good experience for him - sitting in a classroom, being accountable to someone that is not his mom. and because it’s a community college, there is a wide range of ages in students. his first day he sat by a 30 year old man who told him he was going back to school so he could “learn to learn.”
…psat scores arrived yesterday. not national merit worthy but still good. i still don’t care for these tests, though.
…i am reading the olympians series by rick riordan. he is a middle school teacher and these are books written for children, but i have enjoyed them. i agree with c.s. lewis when he said, “it certainly is my opinion that a book worth reading only in childhood is not worth reading even then.” i found these books while looking for something for my 12yo to read - he reads very fast and it’s hard to keep him stocked up with books to read. we have both learned a lot about greek mythology, to boot.
…i have someone coming tomorrow to put a fine screen around the chimney cap to prevent the wasps from getting in. he said they are likely not nesting in there, but rather are attracted to the warm air coming up from the house. this makes sense because the wasps start to come down the chimney in the fall. i’m tired of swatting 1-2 wasps a day and will be glad to have this problem taken care of. in addition, we’d like to get glass doors on the fireplace to prevent the warm air from leaving the house in the first place.
…i have had no heat or a/c on for 3 weeks. it has gotten pretty chilly a few nights but we’ve stayed warm enough. not sure what my threshold is for being cold yet! in the past, i’ve had the thermostat set at 68 for heating but we got down to 66 inside one night and were fine. i am looking forward to much lower electric bills after the killer summer ones.
…tim hawkins has a new video out - i just ordered it and am looking forward to a fun family night watching it.
…this parenting thing is hard sometimes. the crankshaft comic strip hit home on sunday - the couple was saying how they’d promised themselves they wouldn’t make the same mistakes their parents had made, and they’d been successful. they’d made all brand new ones. yeah, me too!

i ordered a purple nano, some purple earbuds and a purple case.  but the case and earbuds are holding the order up so they won’t be shipped for a couple of weeks.  which gives me time to change my mind….  heh heh.

i really like the domino’s pizza tracker.  i don’t even like domino’s pizza that much, but my children do.  i go there for the tracker.  oops, gotta run - delivery expert charles is on the way!

this piece by john g miller is excellent!  i got permission from him to post it - thanks, john!  i highly recommend his books.

QBQ! QuickNotes™ may be forwarded by email to others or printed in their entirety with full credit given for personal and group use. © QBQ, Inc. 2008. All rights reserved.
What If Your Guy Loses?
By John G. Miller, author of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch.
(Complete contact info below)

Well, every four years in America we vote for the POTUS (President of the United States), and every four years on the day after there is weeping and gnashing of teeth by the losing side. And the truth is, the losing side is just about as large as the winning side. Amazingly, there could be 60 million people who vote for the ticket that does not win on November 4th, 2008. That’s a ton of people who’ll have a choice to make.

The choice to whine, complain, bemoan, and blame—or simply bring personal accountability to their daily walk by asking The Question Behind the Question (QBQ), “What can I do today to move on?” “How can I be my best on the job?” and “What can I do to serve people?” These questions enable those whose candidate remains a U.S. Senator, to avoid the humanness of finger-pointing, victim thinking, and discouragement.

And for the slightly larger winning side, where does personal accountability come into play? Will this group think that now all is right with the world? It’s so easy to give a U.S. President too much power—in our minds—over our lives. It always makes me laugh when, with our massive, ever-changing, and complex economy, we think it’s all about the man in the Oval Office. The truth is, economies go up and they go down—and then they go up again. By their very nature they are cyclical. When they’re strong, the President gets too much applause, and when they slump he’s buried in way too much blame. And so, in that vein, for the winning voters on Wednesday morning November 5, how dangerous these thoughts would be: “Yes! My guy won! Now I’ll have a better job and more income and good finances and perfect health and a happier life and … !”

Really? Does the POTUS have that much power, influence, and control? Would we, in a democracy, want him to? Can he give and take away joy? Will he help me get my personal finances in order? Will his tenure improve my relationships or keep me in shape? Do I really need my guy to be in the Oval Office for me to excel at my work, love and provide for my family, and contribute to the lives of others?

My wife, Karen, gave me a t-shirt that reads: It’s All About Me! I don’t think it was a positive statement the day she handed it to me, but in reality, aren’t my successes and setbacks all about me? Isn’t it about me taking ownership for my personal growth; me contributing; me setting and reaching goals?

Me loving life? Me loving my country?

Yes, regardless of who’s in the Oval Office and what political party is in charge of Congress, it’s really all about personal responsibility—individuals making good choices each day, and being accountable for those choices.

And for all of you who vote for the guy who doesn’t make it, I say TAKE HEART! There’ll be another election in 2012 and another round of advertising and debates. And that campaign will begin in January … 2009.

Meanwhile, I recommend using what we call the Ultimate QBQ! - “What can I do right now to let go of what I can’t control?” Remember, no matter who is elected as the next POTUS, for each American there is no debate: The answers are still in the questions, and personal accountability is still the secret to our success.

John G. Miller
Author of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch
Edited by Kristin Lindeen
QBQ! speaker/workshop facilitator
Please enjoy two QBQ!® interviews:
The Dave Ramsey TV Show QBQ! interview:
http://qbq.com/media/ramsey_video.mov?PHPSESSID=fe25f13817e3d835159a2f12f0271e26
CBS-4 QBQ! interview:
http://www.cbs4denver.com/video/?id=30433@kcnc.dayport.com
QBQ, Inc.
Helping Organizations Make Personal Accountability a Core Value ™
11368 Nucla Street, Denver, CO 80022
303-286-9900, Fax: 303-286-9911
Email: info@QBQ.com

the wait was only about 30 minutes.  i didn’t think that was bad, considering the line wound around inside and went out the door.  the worst part was they were out of “i voted” stickers.  i was bummed.  my husband offered me his from a couple of days before but it’s not the same!  maybe it’s true that the turnout is greater this year than it has been for decades… because they ran out of stickers.  maybe i’m not so bummed if this means more people are taking the time to vote.  i will be glad when this election is over, though!

yesterday we were driving home from running errands and my 5yo wanted to hear the new ac/dc cd.  we were listening when the following conversation takes place behind me:

5yo:  what song is this?

10yo:  i think it’s “decibel.”

5yo:  no, it’s “back in brown.”

(i’m working hard not to laugh out loud right now)

10yo:  they wouldn’t make a song called “back in brown”!  this is “decibel.”

me:  i think they should make a song called “back in brown.”

i loved it!

also known as “something’s gotta give” and it just might be my sanity that goes.  i am reading the book “crazymakers” and see so much of my dad and brother in it, and to some extent my mother.  i don’t know how much longer i can stand my mom taking turns living with me and my brother.  i know it sound really bad to say that but it’s true.  she is pretty much back to being herself.  the one that i can’t live with anymore - there’s a reason i moved out.  but the thing is, my brother and i are all she’s got.  thanks, dad.  am i bitter?  yes.  yes, i am.

i am very attracted to the idea of moving to a remote island with just my husband and children and having no contact with other people for a couple of years.

the wasps.  they keep getting in.  i think through the chimney.  this happens every fall but it seems worse this year.  tis the season?

and while there seems to be a “day” for everything, this one does mean something to me.  i remember when my oldest (and then only) child was about one year old, my aunt told me i should have a half dozen because he was so cute.  you know what?  i did have a half dozen, but only got to keep four.  not everyone knows and that’s okay.  i know i’ll hold them in heaven and i look forward to it.