Whooping cough broke out on Bob Jones University forcing them to close classes a week early for the semester. Who the hell gets whooping cough in the US these days? Homeschooling students at BJU whose parents refused to vaccinate them as children do. And then they pass it on to the people who had whooping cough vaccinations as children but never got boosters as adult, because you're not really expecting to be exposed to the whooping cough as an adult in the US. The only reason I got the whooping cough booster was because it was bundled in with diptheria and tetanus (DPT) and I needed the tetanus for going to Vietnam.

Two years ago, measles broke out among youth at church. Again, mostly home schooling kids whose parents rejected vaccines. Homeschooling kid goes to Romania, brings home measles. Who sends their kids overseas without vaccinations?

There is an anti-authority issue; *there is a suspicion of vaccinations (which extends to outside the christian homeschooling community as well) and there is this:
A concern with using vaccinations that come from cell lines that originate in aborted fetuses. The greater Christian community can help with the anti-authority issue and the public health community can help with the suspicion of vaccinations issue. It also seems worthwhile if the medical community explores the use of vaccinations not using a cell line originating from an aborted fetus. It could encourage these homeschoolers to vaccinate their kids and decrease these weird break outs of diseases that shouldn't occur in the US anymore. Doctors and biologists on the board...is it feasible?

• For the record, I'm not entirely gung ho on vaccinations. I fall into the group of people who are suspicious of vaccinations at times.

I overheard a great conversation last night at the vet, sitting next to an older man talking on a cell phone.

"What did I tell you to do? Huh? He does that to you again, you tell him, I'm gonna smash your face in. Then you do it. Bop him in the nose. Tell the teacher about this. Did you tell the teacher? And then the next time he does it, you bloody his nose good. Don't worry, he's not going to do anything back once you give him a good bloody nose. He's gotta learn his lesson."

It was hard to keep a straight face during that conversation.

On another note, today's my birthday. I'm turning 25. I've been turning 25 for a few years now. I wonder when I'm going to turn 30? So far, it looks like a nice birthday is ahead. My wonderful husband is making me birthday casserole and is going to watch my favorite musical, Oliver, with me. Just got it from my parents for my birthday. Good day, indeed.

People always wonder how the cute, playful black cat Tatanka could be a bad cat......
It might have something to do with the fact that I spent hours making gingerbread cookies; cutting them out in heart shapes; swearing everytime they didn't turn out right; baking them; cooling them; icing them; and then carefully putting them away in the pantry until the night of my party only to discover that the black cat had opened the pantry, climbed inside and took big bites out of each separate cookie. The black cat later got sick from eating said cookies and had a yucky poop two inches from his litter box...because he apparently couldn't make those additional two inches to poop INSIDE the litterbox...

Drew and I had the awesome opportunity to see all 6 of the Brandenburg Concertos performed by the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra with some guest artists when an acquaintance couldn't use their subscription tickets.

It was our first visit to the symphony hall . We we were curious because everyone has told us it's a "must see" building, but from the outside it doesn't look particularly interesting. The inside does have a clean fresh look - bright and airy - and designed so that it will stand time. I don't think you can look at the symphony hall and say, oh, yes, this is so reminescent of the cheesy architecture from the such and such decade. We had terrific seats in the center of the bacony with nice leg room. I was pleased.

The music was good. It's not the PSO or CSO, but I'm still happy to live in a city with a quality orchestra that plays in a hall 5 minutes down the road from me. Now, is there a classical ballet troupe in town?

I am disappointed at the ticket prices at the BSO, but it turns out that I was spoiled by the PSO. They had this section called the Family Circle. They were basically nosebleed seats and the seats were big long wooden benches that you crowded into. But you could get a clear view of the symphony, the sound was fine and the tickets cost $15. BSO tickets cost $30 for the cheapest seats. Boo. But I like the symphony enough that I'll scrape up the money a few times a year to go see them.

Yeah for Snow!

Yeah for trucks with rear wheel drive!

I love the slip n slide fun of a snowy wintery day in a rear wheel drive!


Time to get sandbags for the truck, grumble, grumble...