Feeding Time

"Mother knows breast." ~ Author Unknown

I'm giving up on the template for this darn thing ... for now, anyway. I'm sad to say that I'm soo glad it's Monday -- this weekend was a complete doozy. J and I were at each other's throats for most of it, and nothing we had planned worked out quite as we'd hoped. Ohwell, we'll survive.

Because neither of us wanted to cook last night and it was already too late to eat anywhere decent, we found ourselves at Taco Cabana for dinner. Now, I'm a big fan of Taco C, but the people there never cease to amaze / entertain / scare the living crap out of / surprise me. Depends on the day. And last night was no exception.

Inside was freezing so we decided to sit on the small patio. J went inside to wait on the food, while I absentmindly began wiping dried guacamole off the table. Two young ladies -- maybe in their mid twenties -- were sitting at the next table. One had a boy about seven, the other had a baby in a carrier. I tried to drown out the boy's shouting by staring at the passing cars.

I heard one lady say something about feeding the baby. A few moments later I happened to look over, and noticed she was holding the baby against her with one arm and eating queso with the other. It took me a minute to realize that she wasn't holding a bottle for baby. She was breastfeeding. With no blanket. On the patio. While people were eating at tables all around them.

I must have had a sour look on my face when J came outside with the food. Thankfully, he blocked my view. I just couldn't believe it -- breastfeeding in a restaurant?? Sure, we were at a fast-food joint, but still. Have a little respect for those dining around you. Use a bottle, feed in the car, at least don't sit facing the door to the inside where everyone can see you.

Am I wrong to be disgusted?

The Debate -- My Thoughts

To be completely honest, tonight's Vice Presidential debate is the first debate I've watched in its entirety in years. Okay, ever.*

While I'm still on the fence about who to vote for (no, I don't vote a straight party ticket), I was curious to watch Palin in action. And for the first few minutes all I could picture was Tina Fey as Palin on Saturday Night Live. But in the end I thought Palin did well, the debate was interesting if not a smidge boring, and life tomorrow will go on for both candidates.

It was the commentary from reporters after the debate that ruffled my feathers. Several remarks were made that Palin would appeal to women because she's *gasp* a woman. Sure, I applaud the fact that a woman could potentially become the next Vice President. But I would never vote for her just because she has a vagina.

But I guess that's politics. Some people ignore the real issues and vote for someone because they are male or female, black or white. The answers can't be found in gender or race but in words and experiences.

Wake up. Let's start listening with our ears and not our eyes.


*I hate confrontation and avoid it like the plague ... even when it's on television.

The Dallas Cowboys -- My Two Cents

"Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." ~ Vince Lombardi

It seems everyone has their own opinion of why the Cowboys didn't pull through this year, getting knocked out by the Giants in the first round of the playoffs. And everyone is entitled to their own opinion. BUT, if I have to listen to another accredited journalist carry on about how Jessica Simpson is to blame for the fall of the Cowboy empire, then I'm going to trade in my Journalism degree for one in basket weaving.

Why is everyone resting the loss on the shoulders of Tony Romo anyway? Now, I'm not saying he didn't have a few key mistakes –- but the Cowboys lost as a team. Just as they won as a team prior to the playoffs.

Perhaps if the coaches hadn't been concentrating on interviews elsewhere, they would have been better prepared for the game at hand. Maybe if the Cowboys didn't acquire 11 penalties during the game, they would have been able to gain a few more yards, leading to a few more points on the scoreboard. Or, maybe if the offensive line would've kept the pressure off Romo in the second half, he wouldn't have gone down like a sack of potatoes every 5 seconds. Maybe if Jerry Jones hadn't paraded down the sidelines, shouting sweet nothings in the players' ears, they could have focused their hearts on the game. Maybe Crayton could catch a ball every once in awhile.

My point? Pressure knocked -– and everyone cracked.

The team is still evolving. The Cowboys are in a better place now than two years ago. So why is it that they aren't getting at least a little more credit for what was a pretty damn good season. I think everyone expected this to be Tony Romo's glory season with a fairy tale ending. But that's not how football works. Experience, preparation and cohesion are what work. And now, maybe the Cowboys are finally in a place to achieve that.

Stepping off my blue soapbox ...

Taking the Cow out of "Cowboys Cheerleaders"

Hubby's out of town, so I'm curled up on the couch, watching Chick TV, munching on handfuls of chocolate. Which is great fun until I get warped into watching shows like "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders", a reality show on CMT following the cheerleaders from tryouts to their first game.

I will admit I was enjoying the show. That is until they cut a girl from training camp because she was "fat". This girl weighed less than me, looked great in tiny spandex shorts, had a beautiful face, but neglected to have the washboards abs the coach was looking for.

Extremely frustrating. She was an AMAZING dancer. Even the coach said her technical skills were the best of the group. So why was she cut? I thought the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders were supposed to be great role models. But by cutting the "fat" girl on national television, the coach is sending the message that America would rather watch a so-so dancer with washboard abs, than an elegant and amazing performer with a slightly softer middle.

It's shallow. And disgusting. I thought beauty rested in the overall woman, not just the midsection.