Shreds, dreads, & peds

Well, progress on the home front is painfully slow but steady. I have been getting things done, but am pacing myself...yeah that's it...sounds good to me. No really, I've been so tired that getting anything accomplished has been a feat in and of itself. My to-do list is lengthy, but I have taken a few things from it each day to work on. The shredding pile is getting whittled down, little by little. I had no idea just much time that job would take. I had been saving up stuff to shred for about a year, so there's a lot to get rid of. Our shredder only accepts up to 5 sheets at a time, so it takes a little time to make headway. I get impatient so I sometimes overload it and then have to tinker with getting it back in working order. Guess I'm just not that mechanical...:)


Hubby and I gave our dog, Keely, a long overdue bath. It had been so long since her last one that she was sporting furry dreadlocks in some spots. We bathed outside since it was so hot. It was a challenge to get her lathered up before she did the traditional dog shake. We managed to get her all clean and she only got away once. Dragged her wet fur through the muddy bark chips, so hubby had to rinse her off again. I took her for a short walk around the neighborhood to let the sun dry her off a little. She was a real trooper. Needless to say, I smelled of wet dog...very fragrant. I also took on the inevitable task of sorting my sock basket. I do this a once or twice a year. If your washing machine and dryer is anything like mine, some mysterious force swallows numerous pairs, rendering many socks to become singles. Occasionally the lucky few are reunited, but it is a rare thing. There is a conspiracy theory I read during the course of my search for an appropriate graphic to accompany this portion of the blog. It seems that the lint trap may be a possible culprit. Who knows?! Twilight Zone could do an entire episode devoted to this strange phenomenon.

Tomorrow I will be chaperoning my son's class on a trip to the zoo. I'll be helping his teacher by keeping track of a group of kids and carrying their lunches. It'll be a long day of walking in sun, but I'm excited to get to spend some real quality time with my son in a fun way. After the way I've been snacking over the last couple of days, it's also a great way to get some excercise. Just hope my feet hold up. Afterwards, it's off to a job interview later in the day. Crossing my fingers for this one to pan out. In the meantime, I need to get back to the shredding pile.

Need something s'more...

I must declare that the best therapy in the world has got to be chocolate. It does wonders for my mood on even the worst of days. I have rediscovered an old favorite, s'mores. Who needs a campfire when you can nuke one in the comfort of your own kitchen. Granted, nothing can replace the roasted marshmellow s'mores in the great outdoors, but we don't always have immediate access to such a scenario. To enjoy this little taste of heaven at home, all you need is a large marshmellow, one or two Hershey squares, and two Honey Maid Graham Crackers (sorry-generic brands just won't do). Put them all together like a little sandwich and zap it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. When finished, the chocolate and the marshmellow will have melted together just enough to make a delicious snack that truly hits the spot. Another awesome treat someone told me about recently (thank you Rosie) is one where you use chocolate chips, marshmellows, and Golden Grahams cereal. You blend them together in much the same way as Rice Krispie Treats. Pure magic. Anyhow, just thought I'd share these great little desserts. When you are feeling lousy, I'm telling ya...this will put a little smile back on your a face.

Five is Alive!

Well, today was not a trip to Astoria to celebrate the resurgence of the robot from Short Circuit (as the blog title suggests), but rather my 5 year wedding anniversary with Hubby. We actually celebrated it a couple of weeks back when we went to see Celtic Woman in concert. It was a wonderful night, so today was less exciting. Since we are living on a tight budget, we got creative with our evening. I let the kids ride bikes outside, took them to the park, and went grocery shopping. When Hubby came home, I made enchiladas and we enjoyed watching Friends and The Simpsons. Yes, while married life may not be exciting, it is a good life. We have been together eight years, but married for five. So cheers to Hubby and me...five years of fun, fights, family, and fantastic memories. We can't wait take a real trip again somewhere for our anniversary down the road.

Not to change the subject, but I must share this. My children never cease to make me laugh and are endless source of entertainment. Yes, they make me want to pull my hair out sometimes, but all in all they are the best thing in my life. So my son comes up to share a tall tale. He says that somehow the light is turning off and on by itself. He says that his sister is in the bathroom and he was in another room, so he couldn't understand how it was happening. I figured he was pulling my leg. He pondered that maybe it was a ghost. So I decide to play along and tell him it must be haunted. This causes him to snap to attention with bug eyes. He just stares in utter shock for the longest time that I start to giggle. This makes him smile and in his most genuinely innocent and nervous voice asks me if the house really is haunted. I can see he is serious with this question, so I assure N the house if fine and there is nothing to be scared of. He walks away uncertain.

N returns a few minutes later to share that K has gone poopie and is trying to wash her pullup in the sink. You can imagine the huge sigh coming from me as I go see what my rascal of a daughter is up to. Like a good girl, she thought she would help Mommy out by washing out her diaper all by herself. She wears pullups for bedtime, but undies in the daytime. She has #1 almost mastered, but is still working on #2. The only problem with this scenario is that she has already pooped in her pullup and I find it in the sink with water saturating it. Even seen a fully drenched diaper? With poop in it? In the sink? It is a sight to behold. She is proudly sitting on the toilet trying to wipe. Her effort was so valiant and she was so cute just sitting there with a big grin on her face. I couldn't even muster a frown to scold her. I just helped her clean up. Oh this potty training is such an adventure that I can't wait for my daughter to experience it with her own children. Oh the stories we will swap one day.

Raise Your Voice

While it was wasn't the strongest crop of singers in Idol history, it was far and away the biggest season ever. The sheer star power really legitimized this show in the eyes of many. Once dubbed "just another reality show," it has become a true assembly line of talent as every season cranks out more amazing people. It can't be dismissed anymore. If you have never given this show the time of day, I suggest you give it a looksie next season to see what all the fuss is about. It has it all...blood, sweat, and tears. Most of all, it has heart. This may sound cheesy to say, but it makes you root for these fledgling singers as they grow into their own. I am a true sucker for finales also. It's fun to relive the final moments and song on youtube from previous seasons. The emotion the winners put into their finale performance always brings out the waterworks in me. Last night was no exception when my girl Jordin Sparks won. I LOVE her voice. It reminds me so much of Irene Cara from her Flashdance days and Bette Midler's range in "Wind Beneath My Wings." When she hits those big notes, her voice truly soars. and sounds so pure. She is just so endearing. Okay, okay enough gushing already.


On another note, I actually meant to focus on something that struck me as very promising. During the Idol Gives Back special, stars big and small came together to raise money for several causes in Africa and right here at home. On a grander scale, this past year has seen a lot of star power bring awareness to many issues such as global warming, the crisis in Darfur, and a host of other worldly concerns. Led by the Jolie-Pitts, you are seeing more celebs adopt internationally. It seems to be en vogue these days to be a humanitarian. While it may just be a trend for some, I think anything that improves Mother Earth even a little has to be something to cheer for. Maybe we aren't hopeless as a species and won't bring about our own destruction. This may be a melodramatic thing to say, but I do worry about the kind of world my kids will inherit. I want good things for them and for them to do good things. If some of the most privileged people on the planet can set a positive example, that does give one reason to hope. Change comes in many forms and music is as good a place as any to start raising awareness.


*steps off soapbox*

Finales

What a week! I've been without Hubby for two nights in a row (he's on a business trip) and so finale week has been keeping me company at night. Last night I watched Heroes and The Bachelor. Tonight I caught American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. Tomorrow is the official finale of Idol, but still...I was very impressed. My girl Jordin is gonna win, I can feel it. I like Blake a lot, but she just has such a pure voice. She nailed that last song and when she got choked up in the last notes, you could tell she was caught up in the moment. That clinched her win right there if you ask me.

Yes, I am a TV junkie this week. My Hubby is outta town and I can only take cartoons for so long. I had both kids taken late afternoon naps, but when we all got up I decided we needed to get out of the house for awhile. I took the kids to the Dollar Tree to get a few things and then we headed over to a nearby park. I let the kids play for almost an hour. It was after 7pm by the time we got home. We had tamales and tortilla chips for dinner...mmmm. N gobbled up his portion and finished off part of mine. That kid is going through another growth spurt I think. He had run around so much at the park that I didn't sweat the seconds he had.

On another note, my sister-in-law gave birth today to a son. This baby was a long time coming and puts a lot of things in perspective. It really made me miss my kids' baby days and realize how fast they are changing and growing. That was what really spurred me to get them outside to have some fun. While the kids played, I also watched a baseball team have practice on a nearby field. They couldn't have been much older than my son. I got to feeling bad that we didn't get him signed up for teeball this season, but hopefully we can afford to get him involved in anything he wants to do next year. Got N and K signed up for summer swim lessons though, so that will be a great start and keep them busy. They are both so bold and curious these days. K is getting more independent by the day. My purpose at the park was to push the tire swing or serve as a coat rack. Aaah...the joys of parenthood...:) My babies are growing up faster than my heart can handle...:( I can't imagine what parents must go through when each one leaves the nest for good. I spoke with a female friend of mine whose son is graduating from high school and she was struggling with it. This is her last child to leave home, so it is extra tough. Talk about your real life finale. I wanna hold onto these days as long as I can.

The Bachelor

Okay, I have to hand it to ABC...they know how to tug at the heartstrings. Even after several seasons, you'd think that the initial charm that is the The Bachelor would have worn off by now. However, I found myself getting sucked into the finale all over again. I got truly addicted with the whole Trista and Ryan romance on its sister show, Te Bachlorette. I've watched this latest installment sporadically, but everytime I think I'm over it...it reels me right back in. This most recent one has been referred to as The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman. Does it get anymore sentimental than that? The whole who will he choose question keeps you guessing utnil the end. Anyhow, we shall see who the lucky lady will be. Who will get the rose? I hope it will be Tessa. Yes, I'm a sucker for the whole notion happily ever after.

UPDATE: Tessa won...:)

Open! Open! Open!

For the first time since we met, Hubby is getting to go on a vacation ALONE. Granted, he is on a business trip to attend a series of seminars, but to him it feels like a break just because he is getting away. Sun Valley, Idaho isn't too bad a place to hang out for a few days. It's a beautiful resort town. His work is covering all the expenses, so the whole thing is free! After getting N off to school this morning, K and I drove Hubby all to one of the transit stations so he could hop on MAX to the airport. It was a strange feeling to be the one saying goodbye, but not going anywhere. I had my chance to travel alone two years ago...in fact I got to go twice in two months time. So he has been feeling pretty envious ever since then. Anyhow, I was sad to see him go, but very happy for him at the same time. We all need a break every blue moon or so.

After we dropped him off, K and I ran a bazillion errands. She wanted to go Petco to see the animals, but they were closed. Then I thought we'd check out a local scrapbooking store that I'd been wanting to see, but found it went out of business. On a side note, that is the second scrapbooking store in a month that I've noticed is gone. What's up with that?! I digress...we drove over to Toys 'R Us so she could ooh and aah at all the toys, but they were also closed. I had hoped that K and I could have some fun shopping together, but the stores weren't cooperating. We had gotten outta the house so early this morning, that it never occurred to me that the rest of the city was still half asleep.



We finally ended up at Target to get a baby shower gift for my cousin. K picked out a cute little toy from the registry...Take Along Lily, which is a girlie frog from Leap Frog. We also found an adorable rubber duck dressed like a princess that you use to check the bath water temperature. VERY CUTE. Then we headed over to Fred Meyers to get some birthday presents for a friend's kids, but ultimately decided to hold off for the moment. K was getting very tired and so I opted to head towards home to get our grocery shopping done. We hit Winco and then called it a day. I got the kids and I each a doughnut as a special treat. After getting home, I finally put K down for a nap. Just waiting for my son to get home from school (he has early release) and then we will all catch some extra Zzzzzz's. It will feel wierd being a single mom for the week, but kinda fun to have the TV to myself too. If I can stay awake that is.

On a positive note, I just got off the phone and have a job interview set up for next week. Crossing my fingers that the third times a charm...:)

Irish eyes are smiling!

Hubby and I went out Friday night to celebrate our five year wedding anniversary. It isn't actually until May 25th, but the concert was set for this night. We bought the tix to Celtic Woman months ago, so we were excited that the night had finally arrived. The whole night seemed to have an Irish thing going on, which seemed appropriate since our wedding had a Celtic theme. We dropped the kids off with Grandma and drove to the park & ride to hop on the Max. We wanted to get our tix at the box office, so we went straight to the Rose Garden. Then we got back on Max to go to Kell's Irish Pub in downtown Portland. It was my first time there, so I didn't have a clue what to order. Hubby was more adventurous with his food than I was, but overall the meal was pretty good. Even our waitor spoke with a thick Irish accent.

Afterwards, we rode the Max back to the Rose Garden to take our seats. We lucked out and got really decent seats. The seats are notoriously spaced close together, but we sat right at the stairwell in the back of the second section, so we both had plenty of leg room. My 6'3" hubby was grateful for that. Once the concert began, we got lost in the music. The ladies of Celtic Woman delivered as we knew they would. If you have seen their concert on PBS at all, then just imagine that feeling LIVE. It was beyond wonderful. It will go down as one of my all-time favorite concerts. One of the soloists, Meav, wasn't present for some reason and so the others filled in for by singing her songs. The fiddler, Mairead, was fantastic on every level as she pranced about. She is just as spry and pixie-like as she appears on TV. She appeared to have a brace on her leg however, probably a result of her dancing. Of course my favorite part was Lisa Kelly singing Caledonia. All in all, the concert was worth every penny and a beautiful night of music. On our way out, we stopped at the souvenir stand and Hubby got us a program. I said that we couldn't afford it, but he hushed me and reassured me it was fine and he knew I really wanted one. That was the best thing that happened all night...that simple gesture on his part. Even though he can drive me crazy sometimes, I knew he was a keeper.

Queasy, I mean Easy Street

Now that my daughter is dealing with the same tummy bug that wreaked havoc on my son, I've done enough laundry (towels) in one day that is usually done in one week. It is tiring, but necessary. She can only take fluids in baby sips to make sure she can keep it down. She has managed to eat a little toast and is currently napping, so she'd have me believe I'm sure. In the meantime, I got a little bit of bill-sorting done and papers organized, but have lots more to to do this weekend. Just trying to get things in better order and find a filing system that works. I have been surfing craigslist again and have a few leads on some odd jobs to earn a little extra cash. I'll be happy when this whole job hunting things is done. Not my favorite activity, no sirree. Ready for Ed McMahon to knock on my door any minute...:) How nice would that be to not have to have money worries? Pampered celebs stress over the strangest things like whether or not to inject Botox while the rest of us schlubs try to figure out where next month's paycheck will come from. Interesting how life is different on Easy Street (as I vaguely disguise my jealousy).

On a positive note, I am taking the kids to grandma's for the evening so that hubby and I can attend the Celtic Woman concert. It is our gift to ourselves to celebrate my husband's birthday, my graduation, mother's day, our wedding anniversary, and father's day all in one. We splurged for the tickets months ago when we knew we couldn't afford it, but felt this was a rare opportunity and one we couldn't bare to pass up. It will be a wonderful concert I'm sure and so I'm really excited. Hopefully, my daughter will continue to feel better and keep stuff down. She seems to be acting more jovial and not so pale. Just needs more fluids in here I think. At least she's on the mend.

Queasy does it

My children crack me up. They literally say the darnedst things, even when they don't mean to be cute. For example, my son got ill last night from something he ate (we think). Anyway, he vomited in the bathroom and so he went to bed feeling very queasy. I laid out towels to lay on and given him a bowl just to be safe. When I went to check on him later that night, he said he threw up again. When I discovered he'd done in the bowl I'd provided, he had the best response. He said, "Mommy, I threw up all by myself in the bowl with no help from anyone! I didn't even have to go the toilet or anything! I did it all on my own." It was as if he'd learned how to ride a bike or something, he was so proud of himself. I told him that he used quick thinking and I was glad he left no mess to clean up. That made him very happy and he went back to sleep. It was so cute (not the throw up part of course). Thankfully, he's feeling much better today.

Snap! Crackle! Pop!

I have to blog about something that is gonna make you cringe. The title doesn't refer to Rice Krispies. Nope, I've been reading this book called Snow Flower and the Secret Fan that I borrowed from the library. I started it over the weekend and have been riveted by it. It took a few pages to get into it, but once I gave it a chance it really got going. In a nutshell, it is the life story of a Mandarin girl from a rural village in 1820's China and her "laotong" (old same). It would take a long time to explain how they come to meet, but basically they are lifelong friends thrown together by fate. The story details the events of their lives as they grow into women with families of their own. It really is a fascinating story and the author, Lisa See, writes with amazing prose. Think Memoirs of a Geisha with a Chinese twist.

One of the trials that the girls must endure is that of achieving the ultimate symbol of beauty. Waaaaay back in the day, Chinese families had a hierarchical society that treasured male family members and females were considered burdens by most. A woman's purpose in life was to please her husband and to bear a son. Beauty was also a painstaking process. To be considered marriageable, women were put through a traditional rite of passage called footbinding. This excructiating ritual entailed binding young girl's feet very tightly in order to break their bones. This caused their feet to become more malleable, thus creating smaller feet in the long run. It took an average of two years to complete the process. Dainty feet were considered the ideal and if you had the unfortunate lot in life to have larger feet...well, you were condemned to a life of servitude and umarriable. As I read the graphic description of footbinding, I literally cringed and recoiled my own feet in empathy.

I don't want to scare anyone off from reading this book however. It truly is very good reading and sucks you into their world. As far as I know, this practice was outlawed and overall women's feet are safe from harm these days. I know that lots of cultures have various customs that involve some sort of bodily change. Some of the most well-known are male circumcision, female mutilation, stretching of the earlobes, lips, and necks (mostly tribal rituals), and a myriad of others. It truly shows how differently people celebrate beauty and rites of passage.

There's hope...

Though I work as a sub a couple days a week, it's not quite enough to make ends meet. Since I have to work creatively around our childcare situation, I've been trying to figure out alternatives. Thank goodness for craigslist! I have been scouring that site for days on end in hopes of connecting with some short term job opportunities to earn some extra income. While not everything pans out, I've had some good responses to a few gigs that I've looked into. I started one job today as a sunday school assistant to a youth minister. It's only one day a week, but it's something. I have a lead on another short term nanny job that is two nights a week. It's a little bit of a commute, but the hours work well with our schedules and is only through June. Keep crossing my fingers that I will have a full time teaching job come this fall and all will be right with the world once more. In the meantime, in between time, I will keep plugging away at this job hunting stuff. It is just sooooo much fun...:) Plus, gotta get a little bit of spending money tucked away for the Houston trip on the horizon...:)

Speaking of Houston, ever since my best friend Shelley came from there for a visit recently...I've been craving potato skins. I'd never had one until recently when she took me out for a bite to eat. I thought they were just another name for potato wedges. It looked a little bit unappealing at first, but it smelled so good that I had to give it a go. Ooooh baby! Those are sinful little suckers. In the last seven or so years, I've been introduced to some really amazing delicacies by my hubby's family and by my best friend. Among the wonderful dishes are German (or oven) pancakes, sweet rolls, red beans and rice, and of course beignets. That last treat is absolutely heaven, but you have to go easy on the powdered sugar or it can overwhelm the tast buds...but I digress. Now that my mouth is watering, let me get back to my point. My mother-in-law just gifted us with a bag of potatoes, so I've been searching for a good recipe online to try my hand at making them. We'll see how I do. It's always fun to expand the cooking reportoire as it is not that big at the moment. I guess culinary jobs are out of the question. I'll stick with child-oriented and writing stuff for now.

Financial Flood

Okay, we are officially drowning in a flood of debt. We still have a roof over our heads and basic needs are accounted for though, so that is our silver lining. While I realize we put ourselves in this position so that we could finish school and to better our lives in the long run, I still have such a bone to pick financial institutions. We took a student loan out for my husband about two years ago and have overall had no difficulties with company that approved it. They love you until you have money problems. I headed a bad situation off at the pass about a week ago only to have it rear its ugly head again this week. We didn't have sufficient funds to cover an automatic withdrawal. It would've left us with no money to live on, so I explained our situation to the customer rep. After talking in circles for awhile, we finally came to an understanding. Basically, the amount was credited back to my account my my bank and then the amount would come out at a later date a couple weeks down the road. All was well with the world once more.

Well, guess what? Nobody bothered to inform me that you need to submit such requests in writing and nobody documented this phone call. So I was back to square one and got transferred to three different departments. Again, talked in circles to people who I could barely hear or understand...which only added to my frustration level. On top of that, they wouldn't listen. I explained my circumstances several times and they just kept reading from whatever script they had in front of them. I had to repeat myself so many times that I felt like a broken record. In a nutshell, I have to fax some info in and nothing was done about the transaction. There just seems to be no let up from this financial storm we're in. Though I guess when it rains it pours, though I'm ready for a light mist or even a little sunshine.

What sucks is that I'm working again (as a sub anyway), but it's only until the end of the school year and payday is a ways away. I was even offered a part time job, but it was only for 2.5 hours a day and a bit of a commute. Taking the cost of gas and childcare into account, I would've paid more money out than would have been coming in. Grrrr. Yes, I'm bellyaching because it makes me feel a little better...:)

Math Phobe

As it turns out, I'm not totally kookoo. I thought that for most of my life I was a bit of a freak for my math anxieties. Well, after watching a snippet of a talk show this afternoon...Greg something or other...it is fairly common and a genuine concern. Apparently, it begins as a fear of math that will often manifest itself later in life when difficulties arise in financial management. *Raising hand wildly...right here!* That is soooo me. I can help others with their money issues, but am terrible when it comes to my own. I also have a massive phobia when it comes to math. It doesn't really matter what kind it is, I'm just really bad at it. The synapses just don't connect in that area. Who knows why? I'm not hard up enough to dig that deep, but I will say I am getting a little better. Now that I have to find a way to teach it, I do my homework before I ever instruct students so that I am well-versed in the math strand we are working on. I don't even wanna get caught with my pants down so to speak and not be able to know the answer. This is why I gravitate towards elementary school for the most part. I can deal with the basics, but once we begin to get into fractions and formulas, calm is gone and anxiety steps in. It's comforting to know though that there are other nutjobs out there who fear numbers the way I do. Hey, at least I taught first grade math...and pretty well I might add. Now I just gotta conquer the upper grades. Yes I would make Jeff Foxworthy's day, I can honestly say that I "am not as smart as a fifth grader"...in math anyway.

Fancy Pants

Okay, there have been a slew of frivolous lawsuits filed over the years. There have even been some even more absurd judgements handed down in favor of some nutty plaintiffs such as the $3,000,000 that McDonald's was ordered to pay a customer for a cup of spilled hot coffee. Come on! That is just screwy! I get that hot coffee can scald a person enough to cause serious burns, but for $3 mil?! Consider they over 1 billion served on their sign, I'm sure they could afford the payout, but still...it just seems so out there to award that much. If nothing else, maybe their coffee is a little cooler these days.

Yet perhaps our court system has truly suffered in the name of justice with ongoing litigation for high-profile cases such as the legal tussles between Anna Nicole Smith and the estate of J. Howard Marshall. That case made it all the way to the Supreme Court for goodness sake and is still going. What is really ironic is that both of the primary litigants are now deceased (Pierce and Anna Nicole)...leaving their respective estate reps battle it out. It seems almost pointless to continue now, but the chances of settling are probably slim to none. I think the Howard K. Stern will continue to fight on Anna's behalf to see it all the way to the end...and for the benefit of Dannielynn. Once enemies, now Larry Birkhead and Stern are soon-to-be partners in this endeavor...money and litigation makes for strange bedfellows. And don't even get me started on Virgie Arthur, the grandmother and her battle for custody of Anna's body, then Daniel's body, and then for Dannielynn. The whole situation is just messed up.

However, there is one pending case that literally crosses the over the line into utter lunacy. A judge (yes, a judge!) took his pants to the dry cleaners and upon his return the owners couldn't find his pants for a number of days. Eventually, the pants turned up, but the judge refused to take them back. Instead of trying to resolve the situation amicably...the judge decided to sue the owners for fraudulent business practices and emotional distress. That isn't even the best part. The guy is suing the immigrant owners (who speak limited English) for $67,000,000 in damages. He arrived at that amount in what he justifies as a legitimate sum. For instance, the dry cleaners posted a sign that guaranteed customer satisfaction and same day service, neither of which he received...the sign hung for some 1200 days x $1500 fine per day= $1,800,000. He also added in the cost of a rental car he must use to drive farther away to another dry cleaners every weekend. Add in the cost of the pants times whatever and the cost of the inconvenience to himself and somehow he arrived at the magic number of 67 million dollars. What's really sad is that his pants were worth approximately $800 and he refused to accept a settlement amount of $3000, then $4600, and even $12,000 from the owners of the dry cleaners. We now just might have the definition of idiot.

How does a respected member of the legal profession, a judge no less, get away with such insanity and be allowed to clog up the an already stretched court system? It shows you just how sue-crazy this country has become. I had that awful experience of the bulldog ransacking my car and now have salsa stains and dog hair everywhere. The owner of the dog was a cop and rumored by neighbors to be difficult to deal with. We thought about asking him to pay for the detailing, but in the end felt that it wasn't worth the hassle or emotional investment. If he had refused, our insurance rep said we could take him to small claims court to settle the dispute. We again opted not to deal with the situation like that. I would've felt so stupid explaining all of this to a judge and my plate is full enough without adding any more pressures. I would've been justified to go to court, but then I would've been guilty of being one of those sue-happy citizens. It's just not worth it. It is indeed a crazy world we live in.