The Senate's Lion

Kurin woke me up very early this morning to tell me that Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) had passed away. My husband knows that I find it very important to know when famous persons pass on especially a Kennedy.
I obviously didn't know Senator Kennedy but who didn't know of Teddy Kennedy? The youngest member of probably the most famous and powerful family in this countrie's recent history. From the pictures, he was an adorable little boy, a handsome young man and a long-standing fixture in the Senate of the United States.
I am very saddened to learn of his death. He has always been around. If you want something solid to look at in our government, it was Senator Kennedy. He is really the only Kennedy that my generation was familiar with aside from JFK Jr.
Senator Kennedy was a man who fought for civil rights, women's rights, workers rights, education reform (no child left behind), health care reform and the rights of the disabled among so many other righteous causes. He was a powerful man and did his job with the gusto that many lack.
I admire Senator Kennedy so very much. He was such an accomplished man even in the face of tragedy after tragedy in his family and even when facing scandal.

Being the support of his, for lack of a better word, ginormous family when his 2 brothers were gunned down within 5 years of each other, an older brother killed in WWII, a sister killed in a plane crash, another sister who suffered from mental retardation and was institutionalized, his own plane crashing, a wife who battled alcoholism, a son who lost a leg to cancer, a daughter who suffered from cancer and a scandal in which he was the driver of a car that plunged into a pond in Chappaquiddick, killing his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. He had been the family patriarch during the weddings of his nieces Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver, the trial of his nephew William Kennedy-Smith, the death of Robert Kennedy's son by a drug overdose, the death of another of Robert's sons due to a skiing accident and finally by the plane crash killing JFK's son, his wife and her sister in 1999 and his fatal battle with brain cancer, dying 2 weeks after his sister, Eunice.
Most people, myself included, would have snapped by that point but not the Kennedys. They fascinate me - I cannot fathom what their family is like dealing with such tragedy but doing so much good for this country. Such a tight-knit family who really have had too much put on them. They have survived and perservered. It's a shame to lose such a great man.
Thank you Senator Kennedy for all of the service you gave to this country and for making it a better place. May you rest in peace and you will be missed. God Bless You Uncle Teddy.

If You Act Now...

One more sad note for the week. We salute you Billy Mays. May you rest in peace. I hope there is a lot of OxiClean in heaven (although I imagine it wouldn't be needed) as well as Orange Glo, and Hercules Hooks. Rest well friend. We all really digged you.

What a Week!

Wow. Where to begin? This week has been some kind of crazy that's for sure.

First of all, many of you may have heard over on facebook that our dog Oreo ran off on Tuesday afternoon. He was let out of the house to go do his bizness but got away from my MIL before she could get him on his tether. She thought he would come home (as he had when he ran off with Theodore before) but he had not returned by the time Kurin arrived home. I arrived home to find my husband frantically looking for the dog who had by then been gone 4 hours. We searched, and searched. My BFF came to help and my parents as well. No luck. Everyone kept saying, "he'll turn up" etc. I immediately updated my facebook status with all of his info (because I know there's a bunch of us that still live in the area I live in), reported him lost to the humane society as well as to the internet site through which he is microchipped.
The following morning, I was at work and I was a total hot mess. I faxed my LOST poster (no, not the Sawyer & Hurley LOST...) to all of the local vets, clinics and shelters and called and filed an official report with the Humane Society of Huron Valley who were completely awesome. My supervisor recommended I go home to start passing out fliers because lord knows my head was not at work. I met my mom and aunt for lunch like I usually do on Wednesdays and followed my mom back to her office. She was kind enough to make me a few copies of the flier to post up in my area.
I headed home, still very upset (keep in mind, that I'm the one that's always crazy emotional but I had to be the "strong" one this time as Kurin was incredibly upset about this, not that I wasn't but he was devastated and had to attend training and was unable to leave). I pulled into our driveway and I literally did a double take. Here I was, preparing to take Theodore out on a jaunt hoping to attract Oreo back, when there sat Oreo. He was just sitting there next to the side door that we go in and out of. He was seriously looking at me like he was saying "lady, it's hot out here, could you open the damn door so I can come in?" I could not believe it. I was so happy. I was screaming and jumping and he was absolutely fine. No dirt, no injuries, nothing. BFF says he just wanted to go camping. So, I say an extra little thank you to all of my friends who really said some kind things to us during that hard 24 hours. Thankfully it was only 24 hours but I hope it never happens again....

Of course the other hard part about this week is the passing of Michael Jackson yesterday at the age of 50. I just can't believe it. This was "our" music icon. My generation's Elvis. He was the King of Pop no matter what kind of inappropriate things he may or may not have done, no matter how strange his appearance became, he remains probably the greatest entertainer I will have ever known. The music! The album "Thriller" was my first regular album (regular meaning not Sesame Street or Disney). I had the vinyl, then the tape and it was also one of the first CDs I purchased (when I joined Columbia House like everyone else did). That album is still one of my favorites. Can anyone forget the video to "Thriller"? I remember watching it when it debuted. I also remember watching it and being scared out of my mind when MJ turned into a werewolf. His big yellow contact lenses freaked me out!

I would also make my dad play the tape on the way home from Granny's every day when he'd pick me up after work and I would get so scared at the end when Vincent Price would talk. But I love, love, loved it! I also always enjoyed watching old footage of the Jackson 5 with a little Michael singing and dancing. He was so cute!
This will definitely be one of the more tragic deaths I'll probably ever remember. My parents remember where they were when Elvis died; I'll remember where I was when Michael died.