We went out for the first time with my new department. It was a bowling party. Luckily for me it was held at Olympic Lanes, close to home. I haven't been in the place for years and it was wonderfully updated, bright and cheery, very well ventilated. I am happy to report that I bowled a 189, 188, and a 183 game. At the end of bowling we were served pizzas. I have to find out where they are from. They were really good.
We headed to the bar as soon as our games were complete. By then half the bowlers had left leaving those of us with no ties to anything else on a Friday night. Although I was invited to another after-work party down at the Ale House. If the weather was better (it was raining and sleeting outside) I would consider going back downtown if this party didn't turn out to be interesting. But since the weather sucked, it's going to be here or home.
The bar was a great time. After a few Corona Lights (bonus! they have the light beer) I was relaxed and having a great time. I wasn't so sure some of these people even knew who I was but apparently I was wrong. Maybe it's just the nature of their work or their intenseness on the job that gave me the feeling that I was invisible to them. Anyway, I was wrong they knew who I was. Just knowing that will make me feel better, more comfortable at work.
We chatted with a few people, getting to know them better. The really cool thing is that I discovered that one of my co-workers also bowls on my HOG league. That is too funny. Here we're into the third month of bowling and I never knew that. Of course in the HOG league we don't get to bowl against all the teams so there's a chance I would have never known she was there if we didn't talk about it here.
There were so many nice people but I already knew that. Bowling just was verification of what I already knew.
I went to set my lineup for my fantasy football team and what do you know! I'm in first place. The funny thing about that is I don't know anything about football and I joined the league under the condition that no one else in the league tells me what to do. My son-in-law can get pretty bossy. I understand that everyone has an opinion but I really want to do this on my own. I reasearched the players, got some instruction on how to read the stats, and did it all all by myself. We shall see how long this first place standing lasts.
My kids were discussing the voting referenda for this election. There are three referendum. The marriage amendment, the death penalty advisory, and the Oak Creek Middle School referendum. There is some confusion regarding the marriage amendment and some people seem to think they are voting for or against gay marriages. That is not true, gay marriage is already not legal in this state. The vote is to amend the state's constitution.
A yes vote on the marriage referendum means voting to change Wisconsin's constitution. The existing law restricting marriage to be between a man and woman will then become part of the state's constitution and would not recognize any legal validity of a marriage between anyone but a man and a woman.
A no vote on the marriage referendum means voting to leave things alone. It will not amend the state's constitution, nor will it change the existing law in Wisconsin.
After taking a business law class and developing a deep appreciation for the constitution as it is written I firmly believe that changing anything in either the US or state's constitution is a really big deal and a really bad idea.
The death penalty referendum is pretty straight-forward but it's advisory so it's just a suggestion not something we're voting into law.
Again, bad idea. Research will bear out that the death penalty does not stop crime and it doesn't save any tax-payer dollars. In fact, it's quite the opposite, once a person is sentenced to death, they now have legal access to many appeals paid for with tax dollars. So they are on our dole for a long, expensive ride before any sentence ends up being carried out. Not to mention, that the whole thought disgusts me, it's barbaric. Wisconsin was the first state to abolish the dealth penalty which makes us progressive. We need to move ahead, not back.
The middle school referendum would set aside money to build a new middle school. Progressively, that would make room to expand the East middle school into a high school since the new middle school could handle the additional students.
A yes vote on the marriage referendum means voting to change Wisconsin's constitution. The existing law restricting marriage to be between a man and woman will then become part of the state's constitution and would not recognize any legal validity of a marriage between anyone but a man and a woman.
A no vote on the marriage referendum means voting to leave things alone. It will not amend the state's constitution, nor will it change the existing law in Wisconsin.
After taking a business law class and developing a deep appreciation for the constitution as it is written I firmly believe that changing anything in either the US or state's constitution is a really big deal and a really bad idea.
The death penalty referendum is pretty straight-forward but it's advisory so it's just a suggestion not something we're voting into law.
Again, bad idea. Research will bear out that the death penalty does not stop crime and it doesn't save any tax-payer dollars. In fact, it's quite the opposite, once a person is sentenced to death, they now have legal access to many appeals paid for with tax dollars. So they are on our dole for a long, expensive ride before any sentence ends up being carried out. Not to mention, that the whole thought disgusts me, it's barbaric. Wisconsin was the first state to abolish the dealth penalty which makes us progressive. We need to move ahead, not back.
The middle school referendum would set aside money to build a new middle school. Progressively, that would make room to expand the East middle school into a high school since the new middle school could handle the additional students.
I started last night. It was a little after 9 and I was thinking about getting ready for bed. It began with the sound of Toby galloping across the hall. He was really hoofing it. I thought for sure it was a game. Then I heard the squealing. It was a chirpy little sound. And consistent, like a squeaky wheel on a wagon. Squeak, squeak, squeak. I started to pay more attention to it when it began to sound a little like screaming. It was obviously a small voice. Toby was relentless in his chase. That's when it occurred to me - he's chasing a MOUSE! Oh no. I hate mice. And no one is home but me. The men are up north and Bailee is at her boyfriend's house so I will have to deal with this all by myself. Shit.
I got up from my chair, tentatively. Toby's little cat ears were casting a shadow on the wall across from the basement steps. I tip-toed over to the steps and he was sitting there meowing quite seriously while trying to get behind some jars sitting in the corner of the first step. The mouse had to be behind it. I decided to play chicken and leave Toby to the dirty business of getting the mouse. When he finds them he tends to bat them around until he kills them. Then he will just sit there jabbing at them as if he's wondering why they won't move anymore. So I went back to the living room, turned off the television, and picked up a little. I checked the locks and peeked at the cat. He wasn't on the basement step anymore. Uh-oh. Where's the damn mouse?
I was too tired (and scared) to pursue it so I headed through the foyer to go upstairs to bed. Toby was sitting in the foyer with his head buried in a decorative crate in the middle of the foyer. He must have let the mouse go temporarily only to catch up with it here. Or else there is more than one! I'm not gonna think about that, I'm just going to bed. I better make sure I shut the bedroom door I don't want Toby bringing me any little mice gifts in the middle of the night.
I got up to the same familiar sound from the night before. Toby was scuttling across the hall. By the time I got downstairs, his head was buried in the crate again. I wonder if he chased that thing around all night. If so, he must be exhausted. After all, cats need about 20 hours of sleep. I put the mouse out of my mind, got my coffee and settled in to read the Sunday paper. On occasion, I like to sit in my big chair in the living room to read the paper. Normally, we read the paper at the kitchen table, but when it's cold in the house, the comfort of the big chair is nicer than the cold wooden kitchen chairs.
I finished with the paper and started my chores. I put some laundry in the wash machine and headed to kitchen to start food prep for the day. Toby was lying on his rug in front of the patio door, just watching me work. Apparently he forgot about the mouse. Note to self: tell Jeff to look in the crate when he gets home today and get rid of the carcass. I started frying bacon, pouring more coffee in my cup, and washing some apples when Toby got up and scurried to the corner of the room. All of a sudden the mouse comes running from the corner to under the garbage can. I screamed so loud the cat stopped his pursuit to turn and look at me. At this point, I'm standing on a stool as he looks up with this WTF look on his little kitty face. Of course he lost track of the mouse once I screamed.
I knew it was under the kitchen garbage container so I just went back to what I was doing hoping it would just stay put. It didn't. Toby chased the thing from the corner to under the garbage and back a few times. I think he finally got tired of the game and went back to lying on the rug. The rug split the difference from the corner to the garbage so he had all the bases covered.
Usually I like the quiet of the family's absence but this one time I was hoping they would be home early and they weren't. Bailee came home around noon with her boyfriend's two cats. Toby was back in hot pursuit of the mouse again and it was hiding under the computer desk. The new kitties were introducing themselves to Toby and he didn't seem to mind. At least at first he didn't. Then the cats started hissing at him. He didn't like that. He didn't seem to like the distraction from his mouse mission either. I explained the situation to Bailee who was no help. She said she hated mice too and wouldn't want to have to get rid of one either. Her cats took off to an unknown destination.
Toby seemed to have forgotten about the cats and went back to his mission of chasing the mouse. Jeff and BJ got home around 1. I explained to the boys about the mouse and the two cats that are roaming the house somewhere. Jeff approached Toby and he hissed at him. I'm thinking that was a late reaction to the new cats. Or he was pissed off about the many distractions from his mouse mission. Jeff decided to get in on the hunt. He got out his leather gloves and a yardstick to force the mouse out. As he did this, Toby seemed more interested in Jeff than the mouse so he missed him running by. Jeff yelled at the cat.
I figured between the cat and the mouse, exhaustion should be setting in and they would both give up. The cat figured out the purpose of the yardstick once he saw the mouse go by. Not much gets by this cat, he won't make the same mistake twice. So Jeff goes after the mouse again. This time Toby let the mouse run right past his leg. But at that moment, he picked up his paw to hold the mouse down. Jeff picked the mouse up from under the cat's paw. The poor thing was probably so tired he just didn't care anymore.
Jeff took the mouse outside and let it go. Now all poor Toby had to deal with was the other two cats in his territory. They buried themselves under a shelf in the basement. Apparently they were as happy to be here as Toby was to have them here. Bailee pried them out from their protective hiding spot and brought them back upstairs. Now that the mouse distraction was gone, they all just sat and hissed at each other.
I know Bailee thought it would be a good thing to bring the cats over to a larger place to run, but apparently they were much happier in their little home. So she packed them up and took them back to her boyfriend's apartment. Toby's busy day must have worn him out. He sat on the rug struggling to keep his eyes open. I wiped out his dish, put new food in it, rinsed out and refilled his water dish, and he walked over to eat. A few minutes later he curled himself into a ball in his sleeping place and was out for the day. And probably for the rest of the night till tomorrow.
I got up from my chair, tentatively. Toby's little cat ears were casting a shadow on the wall across from the basement steps. I tip-toed over to the steps and he was sitting there meowing quite seriously while trying to get behind some jars sitting in the corner of the first step. The mouse had to be behind it. I decided to play chicken and leave Toby to the dirty business of getting the mouse. When he finds them he tends to bat them around until he kills them. Then he will just sit there jabbing at them as if he's wondering why they won't move anymore. So I went back to the living room, turned off the television, and picked up a little. I checked the locks and peeked at the cat. He wasn't on the basement step anymore. Uh-oh. Where's the damn mouse?
I was too tired (and scared) to pursue it so I headed through the foyer to go upstairs to bed. Toby was sitting in the foyer with his head buried in a decorative crate in the middle of the foyer. He must have let the mouse go temporarily only to catch up with it here. Or else there is more than one! I'm not gonna think about that, I'm just going to bed. I better make sure I shut the bedroom door I don't want Toby bringing me any little mice gifts in the middle of the night.
I got up to the same familiar sound from the night before. Toby was scuttling across the hall. By the time I got downstairs, his head was buried in the crate again. I wonder if he chased that thing around all night. If so, he must be exhausted. After all, cats need about 20 hours of sleep. I put the mouse out of my mind, got my coffee and settled in to read the Sunday paper. On occasion, I like to sit in my big chair in the living room to read the paper. Normally, we read the paper at the kitchen table, but when it's cold in the house, the comfort of the big chair is nicer than the cold wooden kitchen chairs.
I finished with the paper and started my chores. I put some laundry in the wash machine and headed to kitchen to start food prep for the day. Toby was lying on his rug in front of the patio door, just watching me work. Apparently he forgot about the mouse. Note to self: tell Jeff to look in the crate when he gets home today and get rid of the carcass. I started frying bacon, pouring more coffee in my cup, and washing some apples when Toby got up and scurried to the corner of the room. All of a sudden the mouse comes running from the corner to under the garbage can. I screamed so loud the cat stopped his pursuit to turn and look at me. At this point, I'm standing on a stool as he looks up with this WTF look on his little kitty face. Of course he lost track of the mouse once I screamed.
I knew it was under the kitchen garbage container so I just went back to what I was doing hoping it would just stay put. It didn't. Toby chased the thing from the corner to under the garbage and back a few times. I think he finally got tired of the game and went back to lying on the rug. The rug split the difference from the corner to the garbage so he had all the bases covered.
Usually I like the quiet of the family's absence but this one time I was hoping they would be home early and they weren't. Bailee came home around noon with her boyfriend's two cats. Toby was back in hot pursuit of the mouse again and it was hiding under the computer desk. The new kitties were introducing themselves to Toby and he didn't seem to mind. At least at first he didn't. Then the cats started hissing at him. He didn't like that. He didn't seem to like the distraction from his mouse mission either. I explained the situation to Bailee who was no help. She said she hated mice too and wouldn't want to have to get rid of one either. Her cats took off to an unknown destination.
Toby seemed to have forgotten about the cats and went back to his mission of chasing the mouse. Jeff and BJ got home around 1. I explained to the boys about the mouse and the two cats that are roaming the house somewhere. Jeff approached Toby and he hissed at him. I'm thinking that was a late reaction to the new cats. Or he was pissed off about the many distractions from his mouse mission. Jeff decided to get in on the hunt. He got out his leather gloves and a yardstick to force the mouse out. As he did this, Toby seemed more interested in Jeff than the mouse so he missed him running by. Jeff yelled at the cat.
I figured between the cat and the mouse, exhaustion should be setting in and they would both give up. The cat figured out the purpose of the yardstick once he saw the mouse go by. Not much gets by this cat, he won't make the same mistake twice. So Jeff goes after the mouse again. This time Toby let the mouse run right past his leg. But at that moment, he picked up his paw to hold the mouse down. Jeff picked the mouse up from under the cat's paw. The poor thing was probably so tired he just didn't care anymore.
Jeff took the mouse outside and let it go. Now all poor Toby had to deal with was the other two cats in his territory. They buried themselves under a shelf in the basement. Apparently they were as happy to be here as Toby was to have them here. Bailee pried them out from their protective hiding spot and brought them back upstairs. Now that the mouse distraction was gone, they all just sat and hissed at each other.
I know Bailee thought it would be a good thing to bring the cats over to a larger place to run, but apparently they were much happier in their little home. So she packed them up and took them back to her boyfriend's apartment. Toby's busy day must have worn him out. He sat on the rug struggling to keep his eyes open. I wiped out his dish, put new food in it, rinsed out and refilled his water dish, and he walked over to eat. A few minutes later he curled himself into a ball in his sleeping place and was out for the day. And probably for the rest of the night till tomorrow.
The article below is from the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel.
Of course, Green doubts the poll, he also believes that there is no such thing as global warming and that stem cell research is a bad thing. Moron. Maybe the abominable snowman is blowing the politican's hot air around to create the horrible hurricanes we've been dealing with. And maybe it's better to put our faith in God than rely on science to use embryos for curing disease instead of just throwing them away (I don't see why we can't do both). Republicans don't even know what the republican values are anymore. Why would anyone trust them? How quickly people forgot that it was Tommy Thompson (another Republican) who put our state into the deficit that it's in right now, oh wait, the Dems are winning in the polls, people DO remember!
Latest poll puts Doyle ahead, but Green camp doubts it
By STACY FORSTERsforster@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 18, 2006
Madison -With less than three weeks to go until the election, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle is leading his Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Mark Green of Green Bay, according to a new poll released today.
The poll was conducted by Wisconsin Public Radio and the St. Norbert College Survey Center and showed that 51% of respondents said they would likely vote for Doyle, compared with 38% who favored Green. Green Party candidate Nelson Eisman was the choice of 1% of respondents, 4% favored another candidate and the rest weren't sure. The telephone poll surveyed 400 likely Wisconsin voters from Oct. 9 to 16 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
The survey window is longer than many other polls because interviewers make repeated attempts to contact those who are randomly identified for the survey, rather than giving up and moving on to other respondents, said Wendy Scattergood, assistant professor of political science at St. Norbert College.
The random sample also included more Democrats than Republicans, Scattergood said.
In the race for attorney general, Democratic candidate Kathleen Falk was the choice of 44% of respondents, compared with 38% for Republican J.B. Van Hollen, within the margin of error. Seven percent said they favored another candidate and the rest weren't sure or declined to answer.
Other recent surveys have shown Doyle with a much narrower lead, within the margin of error of those polls, indicating the race is a dead heat.
An online poll by Zogby Interactive in cooperation with the Wall Street Journal Online was conducted from Oct. 10 to 16 and showed the race at 47.4% for Doyle and 45.6% for Green. Others weren't broken out. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Mike Prentiss, a spokesman for the Green campaign, said the Wisconsin Public Radio-St. Norbert poll was inconsistent with other findings, such as those of the Zogby poll.
"Every other independent poll in this race has shown an incredibly close race," Prentiss said. "We like where we're positioned, and momentum is on Mark Green's side."
The Doyle campaign is feeling good about its position at this point in the race, said Doyle spokesman Anson Kaye. "We've said all along that polls go up and polls go down, but we're pleased to be leading this one as we have in most of the polls that have been done," Kaye said.
Respondents were also asked what was the most important factor in driving their choice for governor. The No. 1 issue was taxes, cited by 14% of respondents. And of those who rated taxes first, more planned to vote for Green, Scattergood said. Green also led among the 10.8% who said personal character was the most important factor, she said.
Doyle was the leading choice of those who pointed to education, which was most important to 13.3% and second on the list of issues, and of the 11.3% of respondents who said the economy was most important, putting it third. Doyle also led among the 5% who put health care first, Scattergood said.
Other poll findings:
Marriage amendment: The poll showed that a majority of respondents favored a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions that resemble marriage.
Fifty-one percent of respondents said they supported the amendment, 44% said they opposed it, 5% weren't sure or declined to answer the question.
The result is similar to other polls finding that a majority of voters support the amendment.
Death penalty: Respondents also favored an advisory referendum asking whether the death penalty should be enacted in Wisconsin in cases of first-degree homicide that are supported by DNA evidence. Fifty percent of respondents supported the idea, which will be used to guide lawmakers in making policy, while 45% were against it and 5% weren't sure or declined to answer the question.
Those results were also consistent with other recent polls.
Of course, Green doubts the poll, he also believes that there is no such thing as global warming and that stem cell research is a bad thing. Moron. Maybe the abominable snowman is blowing the politican's hot air around to create the horrible hurricanes we've been dealing with. And maybe it's better to put our faith in God than rely on science to use embryos for curing disease instead of just throwing them away (I don't see why we can't do both). Republicans don't even know what the republican values are anymore. Why would anyone trust them? How quickly people forgot that it was Tommy Thompson (another Republican) who put our state into the deficit that it's in right now, oh wait, the Dems are winning in the polls, people DO remember!
Latest poll puts Doyle ahead, but Green camp doubts it
By STACY FORSTERsforster@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 18, 2006
Madison -With less than three weeks to go until the election, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle is leading his Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Mark Green of Green Bay, according to a new poll released today.
The poll was conducted by Wisconsin Public Radio and the St. Norbert College Survey Center and showed that 51% of respondents said they would likely vote for Doyle, compared with 38% who favored Green. Green Party candidate Nelson Eisman was the choice of 1% of respondents, 4% favored another candidate and the rest weren't sure. The telephone poll surveyed 400 likely Wisconsin voters from Oct. 9 to 16 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
The survey window is longer than many other polls because interviewers make repeated attempts to contact those who are randomly identified for the survey, rather than giving up and moving on to other respondents, said Wendy Scattergood, assistant professor of political science at St. Norbert College.
The random sample also included more Democrats than Republicans, Scattergood said.
In the race for attorney general, Democratic candidate Kathleen Falk was the choice of 44% of respondents, compared with 38% for Republican J.B. Van Hollen, within the margin of error. Seven percent said they favored another candidate and the rest weren't sure or declined to answer.
Other recent surveys have shown Doyle with a much narrower lead, within the margin of error of those polls, indicating the race is a dead heat.
An online poll by Zogby Interactive in cooperation with the Wall Street Journal Online was conducted from Oct. 10 to 16 and showed the race at 47.4% for Doyle and 45.6% for Green. Others weren't broken out. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Mike Prentiss, a spokesman for the Green campaign, said the Wisconsin Public Radio-St. Norbert poll was inconsistent with other findings, such as those of the Zogby poll.
"Every other independent poll in this race has shown an incredibly close race," Prentiss said. "We like where we're positioned, and momentum is on Mark Green's side."
The Doyle campaign is feeling good about its position at this point in the race, said Doyle spokesman Anson Kaye. "We've said all along that polls go up and polls go down, but we're pleased to be leading this one as we have in most of the polls that have been done," Kaye said.
Respondents were also asked what was the most important factor in driving their choice for governor. The No. 1 issue was taxes, cited by 14% of respondents. And of those who rated taxes first, more planned to vote for Green, Scattergood said. Green also led among the 10.8% who said personal character was the most important factor, she said.
Doyle was the leading choice of those who pointed to education, which was most important to 13.3% and second on the list of issues, and of the 11.3% of respondents who said the economy was most important, putting it third. Doyle also led among the 5% who put health care first, Scattergood said.
Other poll findings:
Marriage amendment: The poll showed that a majority of respondents favored a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions that resemble marriage.
Fifty-one percent of respondents said they supported the amendment, 44% said they opposed it, 5% weren't sure or declined to answer the question.
The result is similar to other polls finding that a majority of voters support the amendment.
Death penalty: Respondents also favored an advisory referendum asking whether the death penalty should be enacted in Wisconsin in cases of first-degree homicide that are supported by DNA evidence. Fifty percent of respondents supported the idea, which will be used to guide lawmakers in making policy, while 45% were against it and 5% weren't sure or declined to answer the question.
Those results were also consistent with other recent polls.
You know it's gonna be a bad day when:
1. You're too drug induced from all the allergy medicine you took the day before to go to the gym first thing in the morning.
2. Because you don't get up early to go to the gym, you oversleep and end up running late.
3. Because you're running late, you don't check your pantyhose before you leave for work.
4. Because you're in a hurry, you don't see the kitty barf at the bottom of the steps so you walk in it.
5. Because you didn't get up early to leave for work, the traffic is horrendous.
6. Because you didn't check your pantyhose before you left work, you now discover a big run in them as you're heading down to the cafe to get your morning coffee.
7. You put on your spare pair of pantyhose only to make a run larger than the one in the hose you just removed.
8. While putting the old pantyhose back on, you make another run in them.
9. You discover that your planned work schedule for Thursday is cancelled, leaving you scrambling.
10. You are having the best hair day of your life, only to find that you have a haircut appointment tomorrow.
11. A coworker kindly brings you candy for your candy dish and you can't stand the smell of it.
...And it's only lunch time.
1. You're too drug induced from all the allergy medicine you took the day before to go to the gym first thing in the morning.
2. Because you don't get up early to go to the gym, you oversleep and end up running late.
3. Because you're running late, you don't check your pantyhose before you leave for work.
4. Because you're in a hurry, you don't see the kitty barf at the bottom of the steps so you walk in it.
5. Because you didn't get up early to leave for work, the traffic is horrendous.
6. Because you didn't check your pantyhose before you left work, you now discover a big run in them as you're heading down to the cafe to get your morning coffee.
7. You put on your spare pair of pantyhose only to make a run larger than the one in the hose you just removed.
8. While putting the old pantyhose back on, you make another run in them.
9. You discover that your planned work schedule for Thursday is cancelled, leaving you scrambling.
10. You are having the best hair day of your life, only to find that you have a haircut appointment tomorrow.
11. A coworker kindly brings you candy for your candy dish and you can't stand the smell of it.
...And it's only lunch time.
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