Mom Keeps Me UP At Night

Thanks to Roman May

My mom totally has me worried – does anyone else feel that way about a parent that they don’t live near? She’s totally self reliant and all but since she’s all the way out in Texas, I’m worried that she won’t tell me if things ever get bad. For example, I know from one of her neighbors that she’s been having trouble affording her groceries as of late. I felt terrible when I heard but since Mom never told me, I didn’t have any idea! I immediately sent her a Walmart gift card and got to work trying to save her some money. I helped her refinance her house and I even walked through ShopElectricityRatesTexas.com with her so she could find out if she was paying too much for energy, which she was. She’s cut down on her driving which is saving her some gas but I just want to make sure there’s nothing else she needs. It’s tough when I know she’s too prideful to tell me anything!

Traveling By Motorhome

A mother of a friend of mine is widowed and traveling around by motorhome. She is retired, so she has the time to go from state to state and see family and friends. What fun! And how creative. She is an artist, so it fits into her lifestyle. She doesn't have to pay for plane fares, hotel roooms or parking, since she parks in front of people's home or in their yards. And  when she has mechanical trouble, she gets motorhome repair.
What a great way to keep in touch with everyone and stay active and see the sights! That may be something I want to do on the down the road.

UT's Body Farm On Trial In Casey Anthony Case

Dr. Arpad Vass has been on the stand in the Casey Anthony case. He is an expert on body decomposition with the University of Tennessee's Body Farm and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. ORNL took air samples from Anthony's trunk and determined that there had been body decomposition there. Jose Baez, Anthony's lawyer, has been trashing the findings, saying it is junk science. The case does not solely depend on the air trunk findings, but it is a big piece of the prosecution's evidence. So, in effect, the Body Farm itself is on trial.

The Body Farm and ORNL are serious and legitimat research facilities. Even though the air sample collection is apparently new science and has not been used in a trial before, it did pass the Frye, hearing, which means it is seen as reliable to be able to be admitted into evidence. And even if this science is new, it is based on other science, which is tried and true, at least according to Vass. And I don't see any reason to question that.

I also had Dr. Bass, the founder of the Body Farm, and mentor of Dr. Vass, as my anthropology teacher at UT. He is the considered the grandfather of forensic science and has trained many or most of the leading forensic anthropologists today. No one who knows Dr. Bass or about the Body Farm at UT would ever consider this to be junk science.

But to give Baez credit, he is just doing what any defense lawyer would do whose client is facing the death penalty: tear down the prosecution witnesses any way they can.

Taking My Vitamins

As I keep getting my life back in order little by little after law school and the bar exam, one thing on my list was to take my vitamins again. I used to have quite a vitamin regimen, all designed for anti-aging and anti-cancer. I don't want to look old, and I don't want cancer. (It has run in my family--both looking old and cancer.) So at one point, I was taking about 15-16 supplements. Well, at one point, I fell off the wagon. Who has time to open all of those bottles when you are studying for tests? Anyway, lately I have been noticing I need a little freshen up look and I want to get my health back in order, so I have been taking supplements again. I have not built up to the number I took before, but I am getting there. Again, I want anti-aging and anti-cancer effects. The latest one I added was calcium supplements. I am looking forward to realizing all of the benefits such a regimen brings.

Wandering Around The Big Easy

I am in New Orleans for the Rotary International Convention and am having a great time. I haven't been to the Big Easy in a long time. Have to report that things look like they are back to business, at least in the French Quarter. Of course, this is not news. New Orleans has been up and running for a long time. But it is the first time I have seen it since Katrina. Last night there was all kind of frivolity in the French Qurater. Surprise, Surprise! In addition to the drinking, there was cigar smoke wafting all around. I am not a smoker, but I do like the smell of cigar smoke. Between the signs for karioke, 3 for 1 drinks, gentlemen's club and such, I saw some buy dutch master cigars signs too. I am going to go out tonight again after the meetings, so there will be more fun to have.

A Good Watch Is On My List

I am traveling more these days, and making a little more money (Yay!) so I am thinking about what I need to get that would make my life easier or better. One is a new watch. I have a basic watch that I picked up in an airport a couple of years ago. It is OK, not great. The watch face is getting discolored for some reason. It doesn't float my boat if you know what I mean. I am going to be looking at new watches. Maybe fossil watches, or momentum watches. I am going to have to look online to see what type I want. Would love to have a watch that I can show off!

Getting New Carpeting This Weekend

I am so excited! I am on my last fix-er-up project for my condo at the moment--getting new carpeting. My old carpeting is looking pretty ragged. This new carpeting is a little darker--darker than beige but not brown. I have had beige carpeting for so long, and it always gets nasty looking quickly. Especially with animals in the house. So I think this will hold up better. And my cats are a little older now, so they don't claw at the carpeting so much. I did get a cheaper version however, just in case they do. No sense in spending a lot now and a lot later to redo. This will be fine for right now. Just don't know what I am going to do about my TV in my bedroom and all of the ps3 hdmi cables attached, when they do the carpeting in there. Hate for the TV and wires and such to be unhooked and then have to be reattached. Maybe they know how to deal with it easily. Hope so! I don't want more inconvenience than necessary. And a messed up TV in the bedroom is inconvenienc.e