No wonder.

..."only about 27 percent of U.S. citizens currently possess a valid passport. "

: /

Taken from http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=375729&GT1=8709 .

You know when.....

.... you have been to Curves so many times and for so long that right when you walk in the workers put in the cd that you like so much. And you have the #s memorized. (Disc 7 and 41 are the Latin/Spanish/salsa ones).

.... you call overseas so much that you have memorized the 1-800 number on your calling card AND your 10-digit pin. THE PIN!!

.... you fly so much that you have memorized your Delta Skymiles number.

.... you are so old that the kids you used to babysit are now pregnant.

.... you have been in school so long (even after you quit) that your 5-shelf bookshelf can't fit any more books.

.... you have worked so long that you have memorized all of the course prefixes and numbers for just about every class at the university.

I'll think of more-these just came to me the other day. : )

IRRITATING

LONDON, England (AP) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday that Islamic head scarves are a sign of separation and Britain's Muslims should be encouraged to integrate with mainstream society in order to improve the quality of their lives.

Blair said Tuesday that the veil "is a mark of separation, and that's why it makes other people from outside the community feel uncomfortable."

"People want to know that the Muslim community in particular but actually all minority communities have got the balance right between integration and multiculturalism," he said.

Blair said evidence shows that "when people do integrate more, they achieve more as well. There is a reason why minority communities that have integrated well then end up doing better, achieving more, attaining more."

Here is the link to the story: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/10/17/britain.blair.ap/index.html

ARE YOU KIDDING????????????????????? I AM FUMING. I might have to rethink my opinions about Blair now............... the community will just have to DEAL with the headscarves! It's today's society! DEAL WITH IT! ACCEPT IT! What are we teaching our children-that no one can be different??? AHHHH!!!

Trash

I have posted before about trash.... and I felt like I needed to do it again. On my way to work, I saw the following on the ground: the usual beer bottles and cans, the usual crushed water bottles, dented soda cans, paper cups and wrappers from fast food places like nearby Taco Bell and Wendy's and Moe's, the paper bracelets people get at clubs, Oreo and AirHeads wrappers, a pair of blue rubber gloves, and the best one: a thing of K-Y. : / Better than the used condoms I see sometimes and random undergarments.

Everything my brother said was RIGHT

It was torture watching the Yanks tonight. I don't have anything else more to say. Everyone needs to listen to my brother!!!!!! He predicted the whole thing.

What a freaking week!!!

I can't give this past Wed and tonight enough justice, so I will only say that we met AARON NEVILLE and TIEMPO LIBRE!!!! (respectively) : ) WOW. Such nice and humble people too!!

"America"

I was listening to a radio show this morning, and they were talking about how they hate that we are called "America". I started thinking about when I travel. When I go to Spain, they say ah, you are from the US or "los estados" ("the States"). In Costa Rica, they call it the US too. In Cairo they called it America. I tried to tell people in Cairo I was from the United States, and they almost seemed confused, so I had to keep saying America. In Turkey they called it either the USA or America. It's just kind of strange.... when people say America, they are ignoring Central and South America too. After all, what do they matter, right? : ( I am sure the ticos would have something to say about that. It's just so fascinating to travel-you really learn so much about yourself and where you grew up through other people's eyes.

Just one random thought today too: I was in the bathroom after teaching my class one day, and when I went to wash my hands, the soap dispenser was over the opposite sink. I had to reach over and say sorry to the other lady washing her hands to get my soap. We laughed about how dumb it was that the soap dispenser was over just one sink, and that the paper towel thing was inbetween. They both should be in the middle so everyone has access to them. Ugh. Don't people plan out bathrooms anymore?