Get off my butt!

Really, is there anything more annoying than a tailgater? No, not the dudes in the stadium parking-lot, grilling up steaks and downing beer after beer. (Yeah, okay, so they can be annoying on a whole different level.) I'm talking about those wonderful drivers who like to be less than a cars' length from your tail end no matter how fast you're driving.

I. HATE. That.

I get even more irritated when they do this at night with high beams in operation. Or if they happen to be in a truck and I'm in the car, they may as well have the brights on because they're going to blind me either way.

News flash: If you can see the back of my head because your lights are shining through my rear window, chances are you're blinding me. A blind driver is NOT a safe driver. She's also rather cranky. Make that furious if my kids are with me -- they usually are -- and you're endangering their lives, too.

Oh, and by the way, all tailgaters take note: If you're trying to make me drive faster by sticking to my bumper, chances are it won't work. As a matter of fact, I've even been known to slow down when someone tries that little trick.

So... BACK OFF! And please use some common sense.

Rant over.

~~Meg

Here I go again...

"But little Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!"*

*Translation of John Burns' poem: "To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough".

Gotta love those optimistic Scots. ;) But it's true -- therefore often quoted and paraphrased. We make plans with full intent on keeping our deadlines and honoring our promises... only to mess up or become sidetracked somewhere along the way.

Yep, I find myself in that position. Again. Seems it's almost inevitable, to the point that I cringe every time I even think of setting goals. :\ But a little bit of optimism shines through and I get the "I can do it this time" attitude. For a while. Until something happens... or I get stuck in a scene... life interferes... illness knocks me down... self-doubt pummels my already shaky confidence... Yeah, I know all about "best laid plans".

I've been accused of having the fear of succeeding... along with the fear of failure. I'll admit to the latter; the former, not so much. Although it could be true, I'm still not convinced I've ever been afraid of succeeding too much.

Okay, well, I again set a goal. A goal to finish such-and-such by a certain date. Details? Nope. Sorry. Every time I share my goals, I fall flat on my face in a very public arena. I'd rather this round be less in the spotlight.

Wow. Maybe I have some Scot in me, after all? ;)

~~Meg Allison

For Veterans ...

Thank you... to each each and everyone who has taken time from their lives to serve our country. For those who have given some; those who have given all; and those who continue to give. Without you, we wouldn't have the freedom we have.

A special thanks to: June Frederick; Mel Frederick; my favorite aunt and uncle, Betty and Aubrey; and my best sistah-bat ever, Tina Larson.

~~Meg