definitely. I can't even begin to explain how irritated this gets me. I think people with children experience a privilege that people without children just don't have and aren't seen as entitled to.

Motherhood is seen as the ultimate happy-ending for some people. Well it's not, so get over yourselves. Some people choose not to be mothers and I respect their decision more than women getting knocked up every other year who expect me to sympathize with them for some reason.

I don't support irresponsible, oh *ahem* I'm sorry, "unplanned" pregnancies.

So... I have a dilemma. As I have mentioned before, our current house is across the street from our old house. We are also directly across the street from a couple that lives with their infant daughter.

Anthony and I noticed that neither person works. They can't possibly. They are home all day long. We see them outside smoking all of the time seven days a week. If they go away, it's only for a couple hours at a time. There is no way they work, period. Thus, we always wondered how they were able to afford some of the things they have. They only have one car, but they have leather furniture, tons of baby stuff for their child, their house is decked out in Xmas stuff, they have one flat screen tv downstairs and another flatscreen tv in the "game room" upstairs that the guy is constantly in. He has two gaming systems. This should go without saying, but for two people who don't work and are probably dependent on the dole, they have a ton of really nice stuff with little income.

Well, to my horror, I finally figured out how they support themselves- DRUGS AND DRUG DEALING! These people have an infant daughter in their home and they are doing drugs. This past Sunday I saw a bunch of hooded guys go into the house and the idiots decided to bag their drugs in the "game room" with the blinds up! I literally saw these guys handing over cash and bagging drugs while their was an infant downstairs! It was as clear as day. Anthony just stood in our living room shocked. There was definitely drug bagging going on up there.

What the hell do I do!? Do I report this? We also see these parents rolling up joints all the time in the same "game room" and smoking it in their together. I just think it's super irresponsible. I mean smoking pot now and again isn't a horrible thing if you ask me, but what about supplying drugs with an infant downstairs? I guess I'm worried about reporting it because they might think we did it and retaliate in some way... what if they break into our home? or damage our car? What if they do something horrible? *sigh* I don't give a rat's ass about those parents, but I'm worried about that baby girl.

Just not giving a rat's ass about certain things. I used to care so much about other people and spent all my time worrying about what other people thought of me. I would take care of others more than myself and try to be what other people wanted me to be. I have finally reached a point where I just don't care what other people think of me and genuinely have learned to tell other people to kiss my ass if I think they are an idiot. If I don't like you or you piss me off, I have no problem telling you to fuck off and have no problem doing so to your face.

Is that rude? Perhaps. But I'd rather be rude than a fucking doormat or pretend my life is something it isn't. I really don't have time for bullshit. I put up with enough in the past and have learned from it.

sometimes I really struggle with people.

I would consider myself to be more of a liberal person versus conservative.

.... anyways, it irritates the shit out of me when liberal people are just.... annoying lol.

I understand liberal people have their beliefs that they are entitled to, but what pisses me off is when liberal people try to impose their beliefs on other people. I get it. You're liberal. You have your beliefs and I'm sure there is a reason you do.... but stop living your life like you know what is best for everyone.

It's like western liberal feminists colonizing their third world feminist "sisters" by imposing their beliefs thinking they know what is "best" or the "right thing" for all women.

gah. Isn't part of being liberal being open minded and searching for understanding? I have no fucking clue, but I thought that was part of the agenda. As mentioned, I'm a liberal, but that doesn't mean I parade around day after day stating I am leading the "right" or "correct" life that all men, women, and children should jump on the band wagon and follow.

*sigh*

that's been bothering me for some time lol. Whatever. Letting it out. I have too much bullshit to be doing for UL. The next few weeks are going to be hell.

( Halloween Treat Nite )

I guess I have given up on socializing for the moment. Melissa is nice and everything, but I wish I could find someone I have more in common with. The thing about Ireland is a lot of the women here don't have the interests I have. I would say there are many more "alternative" people in the U.S. than what I have seen in this part of Ireland anyways. This isn't meant to offend anyone so don't go bitching at me lol. Most of the women I have met here just aren't interested in what I'm interested in. There's a group of women that get together often in the Limerick area. I was thinking of joining them until I realized they are a group of housewives primarily. Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with being a housewife. What I am saying is in the past I don't have much in common with them. I don't care if you like to knit, cook, garden, etc. but I have other interests that lie outside my child and husband that I would like to embrace.

Even in the U.S., I always seemed to notice how once women have children and marry, their entire lives are surrounded by and consumed by them. It's like a part of their personality dies and they can never rekindle it. Despite being married and having a child, I like to think I have not lost touch of any part of my identity. I don't claim to "love being around children" just because I have one. For the most part, no, I don't enjoy being around children so the idea of a bunch of housewives getting together with tons of kids running around is not something that would be fun for me. I'd rather go out with a fun group of women without our kids, have a break from that aspect of our lives, and enjoy ourselves. I want to be able to fucking curse when I want to, have a drink, and not worry about a woman feeling the need to cover her child's ears. I can't tell you the number of times I have gone out with women in the U.S. or gone out on dates with men who spent the entire time talking about their children. Yeah, I get it... you have kids, but what else do you enjoy doing? I find it quite humorous and sad at the same time when you ask someone who is absorbed by their children/partner what some of their interests are and they struggle trying to think of anything that doesn't involve their family.

So yeah... this isn't a diss on anyone on my friends list or anything, although it might potentially piss someone off. Anyways, here's a list of my interests, which I would say aren't entirely common. I would love to find someone who enjoys some of the same things!

( Michelle's Interests )

I am forcing myself to be at UL all day. too bad I forgot my fricken USB drive. I would have more of a variety of stuff to do *sigh* I may have Anthony drop it off for me. Whether I get my USB stick or not, I still have plenty of things to do to keep me busy for a good 4-5 hours.

I bought some Liverpool match tickets for my husband's Xmas/anniversary gift. I got them from a website entitled Ticket Wizard UK (www.ticketwizarduk.co.uk).

DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT! order anything from that website! They sell concert tickets, sporting tickets, theater tickets, etc.

THE WEBSITE IS FRAUDULENT!

I paid for the tickets and have not received a receipt of my payment. That was 2 months ago. They are not cooperating with me, will not give me a refund, and are overall being the biggest fucking pricks on the planet. But then again, what else would you expect from a group of fucking losers!?

It's my fault of course that I fell for this trap, but their website did look legitimate to me. It is done in a professional manner and does not look like some 12 year old did it.

After warning bells started to go off in my head, I went online and did a google search. Come to find out, people have made all kinds of claims and have said yes, the website is a fraudulent business. They either don't send you the tickets at all, or they send you FAKE tickets. Before making my purchase two months ago I did do a search regarding the website. At that time I didn't find any negative comments. It was only today I did a more in depth search and found out the bad news :(

Warn your family, warn your friends, and be aware of these fraudulent websites that are stealing from people every day! :(

Luckily, I purchased these tickets with my Capital One Mastercard. I filed a disputed charge with them and they have already credited the amount ($532) back to my account. I love you Capital One. You will always have my business! :) I am so thankful I have been able to get this money credited. If not, I don't even know what I would have done :(

I saw something online this morning about a Swedish man trying to breastfeed. OMG. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but I really don't agree with this.

http://www.lemondrop.com/2009/09/04/the-man-whos-trying-to-lactate/

If you click on that link, you are taken to the article. This man claims trying to breastfeed is "important for men's ability to get much closer to their children at an early stage". Seriously!? Um... how about the mother of the child pumps breastmilk and you can feed it that way? You can still have plenty of skin to skin, intimate contact during feeding without breastfeeding or while feeding a child with pumped breast milk. There are also plenty of other ways you can be close to your child other than during feedings.

I didn't breastfeed with Aidan and I felt we were as close as we could be :) Next time around, I do plan on breastfeeding. I am an advocated for breastfeeding, but I think this is just going too far. There is a reason why men can't breastfeed. It's not "natural" and it's just not the way their bodies were made. So far, men have breastfed, but it's been because they were injected with hormone treatments. I would never let a man breastfeed my child because of the fact that his body is pumped full of those very hormones. I can't see those hormones being good for any child.

I don't feel I am discriminating against men here. If men were able to breastfeed on their own, naturally, without hormone treatments, and their breast milk's contents were similar and beneficial to a baby like women's breast milk, I would have absolutely no problem with a man breastfeeding. But the fact that they have to be injected with hormones which would then be passed onto the baby is what I don't agree with. that.is.not.natural!

I think people receiving such hormone injections also need to be aware of the facts about what effects they can have on their body, not only a child's.

we went to the Limerick City farmers market today. I saw a lot of good veggies and pastries galore. We got a small piece of peanut butter fudge Anthony & I shared between the two of us :) We also found super cheap eggplants! 3 HUGE ones for two euro! The ones in the store are at least 2x that price! yay! :)

We also got printer ink so I can do more homework. ug. Not looking forward to that. More reading & answering questions for a tutorial I have Monday. I am really not looking forward to beginning my essay... but I have to. I have to pick a day (or two) this week that I can go to the library for hours to look up books & start my damn paper. *sigh* Long week ahead. It doesn't help that I have my period and am getting overwhelmed, frustrated, anxious, and depressed easily... all at the same time!

Anthony is making an apple pie for his parents this afternoon.

I really, really, really, really want a Sky Blue Cupcake Courier!

The problem= I cannot find any in the U.S. All of the websites (including Amazon.com) has them out of stock! If I could find one online in the U.S. I could have it shipped to my mom so she could bring it to me. But then again... it is rather large and she's already bringing us enough in her luggage.

But, I did find one from an online store in the U.K.! I had to email them to see if they will ship it to Ireland :( I'm really hoping they will! Cross your fingers for me! I really want this thing!




Sure, it is rather expensive, but it has absolutely wonderful reviews online and it's ADORABLE!

Some people won't agree with this. Some people are going to get pissed off by this. Either way, it's strictly my opinion. If you don't agree with it, then by all means, do what you feel necessary aka unfriend me if you feel THAT strongly about it lol

For some reason I have become notably aware of how many women around my age (and some older) are getting knocked up "accidentally." I don't quite understand how accidental pregnancies are acceptable in this day and age. I mean, come on now!? How many birth control options do men and women want accessible to them before they decide to use them!? Now, I understand the only fool-proof form of birth control is abstinence....and I also don't see that as a realistic option for most men and women. But, with ALL of the forms of birth control out there, I don't think people should say, "well, we 'accidentally' got pregnant..."

The definition of an "accident:" An accident is a specific, identifiable, unexpected, unusual and unintended external action which occurs in a particular time and place, without apparent or deliberate cause but with marked effects. Here's another: anything that happens by chance without an apparent cause. NO pregnancy happens by chance. And let me note, if you are not using birth control, or are only using one method, you should EXPECT that your chances of pregnancy are much higher. If you aren't using birth control responsibly, pregnancy as a result of your actions is not "unusual" in any way. With pregnancy there is a cause- intercourse, and people are well aware of the possible effects before engaging in intercourse.

( Continued Discussion )

** Let me note, I understand people in third world countries do not have access to birth control. This post is intended for people in developed countries that have plenty of options for birth control & either choose not to use them, or use them irresponsibly

Has anyone heard of the show "18 Kids and Counting" on TLC? I cannot believe this family! This woman is 42 and is pregnant with her 19th child!

Here is the link to the website: http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/18-kids-and-counting/duggar-family.html

OMG, shit like this pisses me off like no other! When are people going to start realizing that overpopulation is a CURRENT FUCKING PROBLEM!? The overpopulation and draining of earth's resources is only going to continue if people keep reproducing with no regard for the planet or their childrens' future! I would love to sit down with these parents and ask them how much time they spend with their children! This woman has 18 kids and another on the way. Even if she dedicated one hour per child per day, she would only have 6 hours to herself in which to sleep, work, etc. How is that being a good parent!? someone please tell me!

I can't stand people like that. I really can't. I have absolutely no respect for people that are that SELFISH! Other than contributing to overpopulation and the draining of resources of this planet by being a baby-making machine, what else has this woman done? What contributions has she made to society?

This is like the show "John and Kate Plus Eight." I saw an interview with Kate on the Oprah show and she thanked God for her children! She said something like "each one of our children are a miracle/blessing from God." I honestly wanted to scream "Listen, you don't have GOD to thank in your situation. If "God" was going to give you your children you wouldn't have had to spend thousands of dollars for in vitro fertilization! You SHOULD be thanking your doctors and your lucky stars that you conceived after 1978 when the first child was born successfully from IVF." Damn this gets me all riled up! Dumb IVF people thanking God instead of science.

If you are living in an industrialized country and have access to birth control, use it! I think a couple should not have anymore than 3 children. That's just my opinion. If you have anymore than that I think you are being selfish. People need to stop and think not only about the future for their children, but their grandchildren and great grandchildren. I am very happy to say I am not contributing to the overpopulation problem and will never do so. I will never have more than 3 children. Simple as that. People that have more than 3 kids aren't thinking about the long term affects on this planet and what the environment will be like for generations to come.

Well, I am back. Not feeling the greatest, as I need to shower and am just plain tired. We got home this morning around 1 AM.

What We Did in London:

- ate at two nice restaurants for dinner, both with good food!
- saw my mom and her friend, Bunny
- got gifts from my mom :)
- went out our Big Bus sightseeing tour
- went on a tour of Kensington Palace (where Princess Diana used to live) and Buckingham Palace
- got plenty of postcards for friends :)
- learned how to navigate the London tube!

Right now I'm trying to get facebook & bebo to upload my damn pictures. Both are not cooperating at the moment.

Overall, it was a good trip. I wish we would have had the time/finances to actually tour some of the sights, but we didn't. If we ever go back to London now we know where most things are & have some experience behind us :) More on London & some recommendations later!

Been trying to find all of the answers to my cake decorating questions online.  It gets exhausting after awhile.  I hope joining a cake decorating group and asking questions will help!  I just need to find someone patient enough to help me along the way.  I'm more concerned about working with icing and piping bags, etc. than fondant.  I don't know what size piping bags to get, what they should be made of, which nozzles to get and which ones would fit!  AH!  It's crazy.   I don't want to spend tons of money due to my own mistakes.  I'd rather get the right items the first time around and get used to using them- even if it does take awhile!

Anthony and I were looking at this last nite.  I just wish there were some reviews about using it online!  

The Easy Icer: 
http://www.rucraft.co.uk/detail.php?productid=ST01390&proddesc=Easy+Icer&supercategory=&branch=&wcategory=&catdesc

My husband, five year old son, and I love all of these!  Most of them have their nutritional information.  Some are lower fat AND delicious, when some are a little something you can splurge on :)

Baked Mostaccioli- this dish is made with turkey instead of beef, but you can't taste the difference!  Tastes great, is filling, and Weight Watchers friendly!  Only 6 points per serving!

www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Baked-Mostaccioli-3

Cheeseburger Quiche- If you substitute turkey instead of beef, it's less fat.  Very easy to make.  Make sure you DO NOT use light mayonnaise to cut down on fat!  If you do, the light mayonnaise separates from the eggs= not so tastey!  Would suggest a side as well.  Not Weight Watchers friendly. 12 points per serving!  :(

www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Cheeseburger-Quiche

Baked Chimichangas- we absolutely love these!  We have them at least every two weeks, if not more!  You can get a spicier salsa for a little extra kick.  I like to go for the mild stuff.  The sauce really makes this meal!  I cut the chili peppers out of the sauce and it is still delicious!  Weight Watchers friendly at only 8 points per chimichanga!  Very filling :)

www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Baked-Chimichangas

Greek Pasta Bake-  I loved the feta cheese topping this off!  Would recommend using wholewheat pasta for less fat.  Weight Watchers friendly at only 7 points per serving!

www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Greek-Pasta-Bake

( More Recipes Inside! )