Well the saga continues..............
Cody has been unhappy at Waypoint Academy and wanted to transfer to Orchard View adult education credit recovery program. Once he transferred there, he found out at he had to be with a bunch of older people and not anyone close to his age. We then transferred him to Muskegon High School. I found out today that he can't attend Muskegon HIgh because he is considered a Senior already and they can't take seniors halfway through their senior year. In other words, Waypoint has screwed up his credits so bad we may have only one choice. He are transferring him to Mtec to finish up his senior year. He needs 23 credits to graduate, and an average year is around 12 credits. The fact that he has been in HIgh School for 4 years and he is 17 and would in fact be a 2 year senior at the age of 18. This would put him in adult education. If you are confused, stand in line behind me. If you understand, "you are a better man then me Gungadine." Hopefully by the end of the day I will understand a little bit better.

For all of you who have received these emails................
>
>
> I just want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the
> past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of
> recovery.
>
>
>
> I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel or
> have them put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the
> bacteria on the lemon peel.
>
> I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the
> last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.
> I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what
> has happened on it since it was last washed.
>
> I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because
> the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose
> (although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot).
> Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only
> imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.
>
> I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor
> of a public bathroom.
>
> I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about poop in
> the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every
> envelope that needs sealing.
> ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same
> reason.
>
>
> I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny
> Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.
>
> I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive
> the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOLare sending me for
> participating in their special e-mail program.
>
> I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking
> out for me, and St. Theresa's Novena has granted my every wish.
>
> I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant
> freaks with no eyes or feathers.
> I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a
> water buffalo on a hot day.
>
> BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can
> remove toilet stains.
>
> I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the
> car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.
>
> I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these
> products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans.
>
> I no longer use Saran Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.
>
> AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the
> microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face... disfiguring me
> for life.
>
> I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be
> pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.
>
> I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a
> perfume sample and rob me.
>
> I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually
> Al Qaeda in disguise.
>
> I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our
> American troops or the Salvation Army.
>
> I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a
> number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda,
> Singapore, and Uzbekistan .
>
> I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have
> their recipe.
>
> THANKS TO YOU I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown
> African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when
> it bites my butt.
>
> AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in
> the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester
> waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.
>
> I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas
> companies!
>
> I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the brown
> recluse and my hand will fall off.
>
>
> If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70
> minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m.
> tomorrow afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back,
> causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it
> actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's
> ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician . .
>
> Oh, by the way..... A German scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered
> that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with
> their hand on the mouse.
>
> Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.
>

President Obama has come out swinging. He has told lobbies to be prepared for less business. He has told Americans to strap their belts tight and gather together. I hope he is right, but I've heard that rhetoric before.
The other rhetoric that I'm so tiered of hearing are the people who say that he wants socialism. The republicans for years have said, "It's, mine, Ive earned it, and I'm not sharing it." I can understand when non christian people say it, but when I hear christian people say this I get sick to my stomach. A true christian knows that we own nothing, everything is God's and we are the care takers. Also in our care is our fellow man,"What you do unto the least of these my brothers, you do unto me." And for the person who doesn't want to "support the lazy people", don't forget the story of the prodigal son. For the non christian, remember how quickly you would let a poor man go off to war to defend your fortunes. How many poor people died for you to get your materialistic things. It's time we became the America of old. Give us your tiered and weary. Lets give our people affordable health care. If you don't like the Canadian model, improve on it. We are only on this earth for a short time, lets make the best of it. You can't take it with you.

Well, the stratus is home. After the accident, Staffords towing towed it to their yard in North Muskegon. The driver said he was only authorized to bring it to their garage. Then they were closed all weekend, and i couldn't get to the car until Monday($25.00 pr. day storage). Their bill to tow and store the car was $500.00. I asked them to get me a price for the car as scrap, and they said all they could get was $200.00. I paid another $65.00 to have it towed to our house and put it in the garage. This is now my project to put it back on the road. The engine runs fine, and the drive train seems to be in one piece. I have knock out the dent in the roof.
This is what needs to be done to get it back on the road
2001 Dodge Stratus SE coup 2 dr. (6 cyl)

1- Front grill work $173.00
2- Headlights $158.00 each
3- Drivers side front fender $198.00
4- Driver side mirror $69.76
5- Rear window $300.00
6- Oil change
7- Check starter
8- Change plugs
9- Alignment
10- Fix tires
11- Knock out rear driver side fender
12- Check underside and wheel wells and casing
13- Fix inside roof
14- Cover seats
15- Clean insides
16- Paint
The prices are retail prices for new pieces that I have found so far. I will be getting parts from a salvage yard where possible.

...and now for the continuing saga of"As the Stomach Churns."

Last night, Friday night, Cody rolled the Stratus. He was coming home from North Muskegon when he was rear ended and forced off the road. The car went into the medium and flipped about 8 times (maybe more like a roll) Him and his friend were not hurt, but the Stratus is pretty bad. I went to the crash site last night and by looking at the car in the dark, the word "Total" kept coming to mind. Although witness' said that a vehicle rear ended them, they could not give a discription of the vehicle. The officer wrote it down as a hit and run. I believe it was a miracle that no one was hurt. I will try to see it if not today, maybe Monday morning.

As our soap opera continues..........

Liz got her report on her MRI. It looks like she has two bulging discs, and two herniated discs. Her doctor is refering her to a spine specialist. She is still in alot of pain.

Happy New Year

In a few weeks we will have the first black president. It's about time. I really hope this man can turn things around, not because he is black, but because he is not a Bush.( or republican).

The banks and the car companies have been bailed out. They will be sitting fine, and the rest of us can window shop.

Catherine is trying to go back to school at Ross. Should this work out, she will drop to part time and her and Sean will be with us at least 6 more months. Sean is still working at Game Stop.

Lindsey is returning to Mtec to complete her senior year, I hope.

Cody is trying to switch schools before his senior year. He wants to go to Mona shores or Orchard View with school of choice.

Liz had her MRI this week, and we hope to find out soon why she has difficulty walking. Although she has been diagnosed with degenerative arthritis in her spine, the MRI will show the extent of the damage and what,if anything , can be done.

Donald and Akiko are doing fine. He will finish up Hope College this spring and graduate. Akiko is working full time translating.

I just keep moving on. No rest for the wicked.