Lordy, Lordy!

Andrea is 40!

My sister will hate me for this, but it had to be done.

The story goes that on the day that Mom and Dad brought Andrea home from the hospital I walked over, gave a look, and walked away. I'm guessing that 3 year old had bigger fish to fry than dealing with a new baby!

I've often said that our gene pool didn't come with a rope across the middle, it has a wall. My sister could not be less like me if she were special-ordered. I'm pretty sure she didn't even really like me for a long time. I couldn't run around outside and play sports and she had no interest whatsoever in Barbies or playing house or school. So we co-existed under the same roof for about 15 years until I left for college. Made things a little more tolerable for her.

And then she went to college. Same town, different school. And suddenly, magically, I wasn't so bad anymore.

We actually became friends. We had no choice but to be sisters but we actually developed a true friendship. We used to get funny looks around Conway when we'd go do things together since no one could understand folks from the rival colleges hanging out together. The disbelief grew when we told people we were sisters since we look absolutely nothing like each other. We actually get amused when we tell people we're sisters because they'll start stammering and try to say they "see it now". No, they don't and we let them off the hook. The one thing that Andrea DOESN'T find funny is when someone will actually ask who is older.

Oooooooooo not a good question for the baby sister. She explains that I don't have 3 children to give me wrinkles.

Whatever.

Anyway, my sister has become more than a friend over the years. She and I have been through an awful lot together and she is a source of encouragement, inspiration and support, a confidant, and one of the people that I can count on for whatever I need. And not every family has that. We don't always agree and still come down on opposite sides of the fence on occasion, but I know she's there.

And she no longer wipes off my kisses or turns red when I tell her I love her.

And I do.

Have a wonderful day little sister!

Where Are the Heroes?

I've been waiting a few days to put this post down. I was waiting for some personal time so that I could try to write it well, but it took on new meaning just a few minutes ago.

Another baseball player has been "found out". Sammy Sosa has tested positive for banned substances. And he swore to Congress that he hadn't used anything nor would he.

Liar liar pants on fire.

It's very disheartening to me.

Baseball cannot seem to get handle on its players. There are no more Ted Williams or Cal Ripken, Jrs. Where is the grace of Lou Gehrig when you need it? At least Wade Boggs has spoken out against all these "cheaters". In his opinion, testing positive for enhancing drugs should disqualify you from Hall of Fame eligibility. I have to say I agree. Why should players who achieved with assistance be compared to those who achieved the old-fashioned way? They earned it.

I firmly believe there are, or should be, consequences for our decisions. Good and bad. There can be positive consequences, rewards, when we make good decisions and there should be deterrents for bad decisions.

Contrast baseball with football.

Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, is getting a grip on the football players.

Donte Stallworth was convicted of DUI and vehicular manslaughter. He was fined and sentenced. Probably neither punishment was adequate but there was a punishment. And he accepted responsibility for his actions and will financially provide for the child he left fatherless. The NFL suspended him indefinitely from the League without pay.

Consequences.

Deterrent.

Maybe it will make one or two other players stop and think before they do something as incredibly stupid as drinking and driving. I'd like to hope that it would stop everyone from drinking and driving but I'm a realist.

We can hope, anyway.

And no one really wants Michael Vick on their team. As a dog lover I personally could not care less if he ever works again. I won't support a team that employs him. But I won't get off on that.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. This country puts way too much stock in the athletic and entertainment industries. These folks are placed on pedestals and all they do, in reality, is play a game or act in a movie. Play time.

My cousin just emailed me that his stepson (a former wife's son but still a part of my cousin's family) was killed today in Afghanistan. His second tour of duty in the military.

Those are the men and women that should be held in the highest esteem. Anyone who's job is to defend our country and freedoms is truly the hero. Yet they have no Hall of Fame. Only memorial walls.

And those are too slow in coming.

Two Down, One to Go

I completed the second of my duties today before my "gift to me" starts on July 1. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my husband for his help.

I still have a lot to do but it feels good to have this behind me. I have been the president of our local chapter of the state society of CPAs for the last two years. That doesn't usually entail much - an annual meeting is usually about it for the Chapter and serving on the board of governors for the state society.

Four years ago, though, one of our local investment firms wanted to have a seminar and asked if he could contact our membership to help fill the seats. And our annual CPE day was born. Each year the Chapter has taken a little more ownership of the day and added speakers that fit more into our industry and meets our needs. The investment firm has been the sponsor.

Well, I've always been a "go big or go home" kind of girl so for my swan song I went all out. I filled up 8 hours with speakers and the sponsor still wanted one hour so I put everyone through a very long day with a lot of information. Also, for the accounting and auditing update all the good speakers were busy so I did it myself.

I have no problem, really, with speaking in front of people. "All the World is a Stage". And that is how I look at it. If I can get on stage and act, then I can speak to a crowd.

Learned today that the difference is in the script. Accounting and auditing updates are boring. Its hard to make them interesting. Fraud speaker - very interesting topic, funny speaker. Safeguarding technology - great computer geek. Estate planning - good guy with good slides. Professional liability - good speaker and timely topic.

A&A pronouncements and convergence projects with the International Accounting Standards Board - me. And I only received the materials about a week ago so reading through it was about all I had time to do. For my first time, not too bad but certainly not in the same league with the others. Side note - I was contractually obligated with the AICPA to not alter their materials or presentation. Had I been able to actually put together my own information, things might have been different. Maybe.

All that aside, I have to thank my better half for his help towards a successful day. He picked up and delivered 55 boxed lunches, iced down two coolers of cold drinks - that he went and purchased yesterday, and bought a variety of cookies and treats for the afternoon snack. All of this despite Seizure Dog having a seizure this morning. He rarely leaves Seizure Dog's side when there is a seizure since we never know if there will be a second. And today's seizure was followed by a long period of focal seizures where he was crashing into walls and knocking over furniture. My husband told me about it when he brought all the food to me and told me it was bad. I gave him time to get home and I called to check and see if Seizure Dog was okay. I was told "I'll take care of him you just do what you need to do and we'll be here waiting when you get home".

He gave me the physical help I needed and the mental assist to enable me to lead the class for the last two hours of the day and focus on my obligations. All the while shouldering all the stress of constantly sitting and waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it is stressful, believe me.

I'd have to say he's pretty cool.

I think I'll keep him.

And I'll make sure that he gets a fair share of that time I'm freeing up this summer. It's only fair.

Happy Birthday!

On this day in 1998 something very special happened. After two nephews, we got a girl!

Or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof. She is much like her mother (at that age) and very athletic and not always very girly.

But that's OK. She is beautiful and intelligent and articulate and funny and kind and warm and very loving.

And she let me come to her class' Halloween party a couple of years ago at her school. Bit of a challenge flying with that hat - but totally worth it. I had a ball!

In short, she is one special young lady and I couldn't be more proud to have her in our family.

Have a wonderful day Brett! Dee Dee loves you!!

Freedom

I just watched a video of "Tank Man". That lone individual who stood in front of the Chinese Army tanks as they rolled in Tiananmen Square 20 years ago. I didn't realize until I watched this that he actually climbed onto the first tank; looked down in the hatch. He could have easily been shot right then and there as the Army had been firing into the crowds of protesters - indiscriminately.

But he wasn't and he continued to stand in the path of the tanks.

He was willing to die for some basic freedoms. Some of the same freedoms that you and I enjoy and possibly don't appreciate enough. Sure, we think about what we have on Memorial Day or the 4th of July, but do we really know what we have?

In this country we're allowed to speak our minds, even when they disagree with the sitting governmental leadership. We also get the opportunity through voting to change the laws and leaders and effect other changes in our environment. It is a right that is bestowed on us through the Constitution (maybe Bill of Rights?) but it is a privelege that we get to exercise those rights and too few people really get that.

It did make me stop and think about what I'm willing to die for, though. This same story plays out all over the Middle East almost every day. Isrealis and Palestinians fighting over their homeland. Extremist willing to die for the causes and ways of life they believe are just (although I strongly disagree with them).

It is only through the courage of others that we live as we do today.