To Sell or Not To Sell

So much car related drama for me lately.

A couple of weeks ago my car leaked all over the parking lot of a Kohl's and I had to have it towed. Our loyal car repairman, who I am sure shudders every time he sees my car, told me that there was a couple of leaks in the hoses. But in addition to that the right front axle was broken, and the lower control arms in the front of the car that control the brakes were shot. I knew I had brake problems but I didn't know it was going to be that big of a deal. So a $1300 car repair bill and I am thinking I am good to go without any repairs for awhile.

Enter Wednesday night. Car starts to smoke and sensors are going off. I drop it off at the car place the next day and the following day the car guy calls and says $1000 to fix the radiator which Volkswagon has so conveniently decided to place where the whole front end of the car has to be taken off in order to fix it. Did I mention that my car has been paid off for only 2 weeks!

I make a firm decision to buy a new car. I can't put more money into this unreliable car. I decide I want a Honda CRV. Let's just say that after spending to evenings full of promise at the Honda dealership I have decided to spend the $1000 on my Bug. I was so disenchanted by the dealership situation. People say bad things about car salesman for a reason.

I am going to put a lot of hope into my Bug, which I can't stand the thought of selling, and try to get another couple of years out of it. And maybe more importantly a couple more years without car payments.

"Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits"

Last night was Hillary's speech at the Democratic National Convention. This is the videe narrated by Chelsea that introduced Hillary. I enjoyed it.




I didn't vote for her in the primarys but I am not ashamed to admit that I loved her speech. It made me proud to be a woman and like her or not she has accomplished a great deal in her life and paved the way for others to follow her path.

These parts of her speech epecially stuck out to me-

I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?

We need a President who understands that the genius of America has always depended on the strength and vitality of the middle class.

Barack Obama will end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home – a first step to repairing our alliances around the world.

And I LOVED the last part of her speech-

America is still around after 232 years because we have risen to the challenge of every new time, changing to be faithful to our values of equal opportunity for all and the common good.

And I know what that can mean for every man, woman, and child in America. I’m a United States Senator because in 1848 a group of courageous women and a few brave men gathered in Seneca Falls, New York, many traveling for days and nights, to participate in the first convention on women’s rights in our history.

And so dawned a struggle for the right to vote that would last 72 years, handed down by mother to daughter to granddaughter – and a few sons and grandsons along the way.

These women and men looked into their daughters’ eyes, imagined a fairer and freer world, and found the strength to fight. To rally and picket. To endure ridicule and harassment. To brave violence and jail.

And after so many decades – 88 years ago on this very day – the 19th amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote would be forever enshrined in our Constitution.

My mother was born before women could vote. But in this election my daughter got to vote for her mother for President.

This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.

How do we give this country back to them?

By following the example of a brave New Yorker , a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad.

And on that path to freedom, Harriett Tubman had one piece of advice.

If you hear the dogs, keep going.

If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.

If they're shouting after you, keep going.

Don't ever stop. Keep going.

If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.


We are Americans. We're not big on quitting.

But remember, before we can keep going, we have to get going by electing Barack Obama president.

We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare.

Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of our children hang in the balance.

I want you to think about your children and grandchildren come election day. And think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation.

We've got to ensure that the choice we make in this election honors the sacrifices of all who came before us, and will fill the lives of our children with possibility and hope.

That is our duty, to build that bright future, and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too great – and no ceiling too high – for all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country, and in each other.

Thank you so much. God bless America and Godspeed to you all.

She really can deliver a speech.

Some other favorite parts of the convention last night-

*Bill Clinton and his looks when they would show him during Hillary's speech. I'm not sure but I think he had been hitting the sauce.

*Michelle Obama, I just think she is so pretty and classy.

But I think my favorite part of the whole thing (being that my parents don't really love the Clintons) was halfway through the speech when my dad came downstairs and said to mom "Is she still talking?"

I guess she's not everyone's cup of tea.

I am looking forward to watching Obama's speech tomorrow.

"I like the fruit smells, like vanilla." -Vickie

Yesterday and today I had to take a class for work out in Anaheim. This meant I had to get up early yesterday morning. I could have stayed at Vickie's on Monday night but I wasn't feeling all that great. So yesterday morning I had to get up early and drive to Anaheim. All I can say about the drive out there yesterday and the drive home today is how happy I am that I live about 5 minutes from my work. I would hate to have to drive that far every day. There wasn't much traffic going out there but coming home today there was quite a bit. When I drove past the 10 East it was at a standstill. I could just not imagine having to sit in that everyday to and from work.

Now that I am done with that rant I will say that I did enjoy the class I took and I feel like I did learn a lot plus the instructor kept things interesting and fun so that is always a plus. The class was, however, about 2 blocks down the street from Disneyland. What torture having to drive by all of these happy families walking to Disneyland in the morning. How fun would it be to go to Disneyland in the middle of the week?

Last night I stayed with Vickie and Paul, which was a lot of fun. We went to this Mexican restaurant that they are always talking and had some excellent fajitas. Paul's mom and her friend (who are very funny) also came and we all had a fun time. I got to hear Paul's mom ask what she should bring to Vickie's "Personal" Wedding Shower, which included his mom mentioning "night ware" and Vickie talking about her preference in candle smells, which is where the quote came from. I don't think that I stopped laughing through the whole conversation, or meal for that matter.

It was a lot of fun to stay with Vickie, reminded me of old times. We talked about wedding stuff and watched t.v. including the Season 4 premiere of "The Hills". I do like this show, if for nothing else than the comic value but there is almost no dialogue in this show. I think each person utters 4 sentences throughout and the rest of the episode is filled with eye movements, shoulder shrugs, and hand gestures along with the occasional turn of the mouth corners. But it is intriguing for some reason I really can't explain, I guess that's the mystery of reality television.

So, thanks Vickie and Paul for the kind hospitality. It was super fun!

Now I am thinking of cleaning out my closet. The thought of actually cleaning or organizing something comes to me so rarely that I must "strike while the iron is hot".

Also, I was at Walgreens this evening and saw they put out the Candy Corn. This excites me to no end as I love it and I LOVE Fall. But I didn't purchase any yet. We all know that I have rules regarding the holiday junk foods and when it is appropriate to start partaking in them. But it did get me excited.

I really think I am going to go clean that closet or at least look in it. I'll let you know how it goes.

GOLD!!!!!!!!!!

Did you see the Men's 400 Free Relay last night? How awesome was that? It really got me into the Olympic spirit. I tried to upload the video from You Tube but it didn't work out. If you didn't see the relay you should look it up and watch it on You Tube.

I don't normally get all that excited about the Olympics. I enjoy watching the swimming and gymnastics but I don't get into it as much as some people. But this year I am really feeling it. I enjoyed the athletes walking around the arena, representing their countries at the opening ceremonies. I liked how at the end of the walk everyone walked across the ink and left footprints.

And how touching was the story of the little boy who walked with Yao Ming? In case you didn't watch, the announcers told about how after the earthquake in China a few months ago he dug himself out of the rubble and went back to save his classmates. When people asked him why, he said it was because it was his job, he was the "hall monitor".

I know that there has been a lot of controversy surrounding this Olympics, and I do believe that it has its merit as no matter what country the Olympics takes place in the spotlight will never be so great as it is when the games are hosted there so it is important to bring up the issues surrounding that particular country. But it is also fun just to watch and cheer for your country and get caught up in the moments of victory, like those of last night.

Go USA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fun with Google

I saw this on someone else's blog and wanted to give it a try.

The rules- You just type in the word(s) to answer the questions on Google Images and pick an image on the first page.


1st Name- Katie

Middle Name- Marie

Last Name- Creekmur

Past Nickname- Katie Kat

Age- 26

Where I was born- Monterey Park, CA

Place I want to visit- New York

heeheehee

Favorite place- Bed

Favorite object-

Favorite food- Bread

Favorite color- Blue

Pet I once had- Calico Cat

1st job- Babysitter

One of your grandmother's names- Emmy

College Degree- Liberal Studies

What you are doing right now- Blogging

MaKatie???????????

I was looking at one of my favorite blogs, The Celebrity Baby Blog, http://www.celebrity-babies.com/ and read the below post-

Country singer Clay Walker is celebrating the birth of his third child
after welcoming son William Clayton Walker last evening. Born three weeks early
in Houston, Texas, William weighed in at 6 lbs, 12 oz and 20 inches long, and is the first child for wife Jessica. He joins older sisters MaClay DaLayne, 12 ½, and Skylor ClayAnne, 9, from Clay's first marriage.

Yikes, someone has an ego. I mean I can see how it's kind of cute and I do like the name Clayton but really? All 3 of your kids? I think it's kind of cute when the parents combine their names but really only if the combination works. And I definitely like the idea of naming your children after family members but maybe not all of them after the same person.

Discussing baby names is a topic I really never tire of. There are some names that I only like for a short time and then there are the ones that stick. I love Harper and Lucy as girl names and Nathan is cute for a boy. And now I just may have to add something like MaKatie or Kato to the list.

I really can't know enough!

Today my mom and I went over to my grandparents house. While there we were talking about my grandma's grandma and how she died in a flu epidemic. This got us into a discussion about family history and what has she had hiding in her trunk for years? A complete family history on her side.

This is a picture of my great-grandma.

We always called her Grandma Hirsch. The name she went by is Lillian Hirsch. Come to find out her name is really Lillie Anna Augusta Cooke Binkley Hirsch. Cooke is her maiden name, Binkley is the last name of her first husband (my grandma's dad), and Hirsch is the last name of her second husband.

The history of all of this is so interesting to me. Like I said my grandma's grandma (so my great-great grandma) died of pneumonia in 1918. Her name was Esther Emelia Renando (changed from Gustavson) when her parents migrated here from Sweden. I didn't really know we had such a strong Swedish background. She died at 33 and had 6 children, her son Swan Erwin died as a baby, and she had another stillborn baby, and was pregnant when she died. She had 3 daughters that lived. My great-grandma Lillie, Hazel Emelia, and Florence Esther.

Her parents names (the ones who migrated from Sweden) were Swan Erick Renando (Gustavson) and Augusta Charlotta Swanson.

She was married to my great-great Grandpa Clarence Hiram Phillip Cook, who lived his whole life in Emerson, NE (which I found out today was named after Ralph Waldo Emerson). His parents names were George Cook and Anna Marie Olsen. After his wife died in 1933 he raised his 3 daughters alone until he married Sylvia Geiger and they had one daughter Phyllis Mae. Phyllis passed away 2 1/2 years ago. She was one of the most funny, care-free people I have ever known and she loved cats. She always remembered every one's birthday and would send a card. At her funeral we sang "Que Sera Sera" (What Will Be Will Be) because I guess she often sang that to her children and my mom and aunt.

That's all I have learned about so far in my reading but I can't wait to delve into it more.

What I love most about all of this is the great names my ancestors had.

I love them, especially Augusta, Emelia, Hazel, and Phillip. I even think Swan has a nice ring to it. I also love Charlotta and I learned today that my grandpa's mom's name Lottie, who I have heard so many great stories about, is actually short for Charlotte. I can't believe I never knew that. I would love to give my future children names of the people in my family history. I feel like I just found a great big treasure box.

As I read more I will write it on here because I just feel like I have to share it!