respublica

By Drew

Katie and Drew left from Lambert on a 7 a.m. plane this morning.  So sad.  The next time we see him, he'll be walking running.

The airport was as crowded as we've ever seen it today.  Even at 6 am, it was jammed with the line to go through security running all the way to the far end of the terminal and back again.  A double line of people and many many children.  

Katie checks to make sure she has her boarding pass and drivers license while Dale and Drew snuggle.

Then I took Drew.

Then Dale took him back

And now they're on the ground in Baltimore, reunited with Charlie....and

Good old Riley.

A visit to a senior care center

Yesterday Katie, Drew and I went to visit our former neighbor who is now in the Collinsville Care Center.  It was a wonderful visit and Drew was involved in everything and everyone.

There they are with sweet Dorothy, Dorothy who was so good to our kids as they were growing up, teaching how to bake cookies and rolls, play cards, talk about school and life. 

Drew was fascinated by what was going on in the hall, who was passing by.

He'd crawl to the doorway of Dorothy's room and look left and right.  He never really went all the way out, but things were sure interesting.  And, staff and residents were interested in him too.  So many stopped to say hi to him with big smiles.  One woman came back with a camera and took a photo.  

There was one resident who must have walked by the door 20 times, she was so entralled with the baby.  Finally she decided to come in and talk to him.

There she is playing peek a boo.  

A great morning.

New Illinois laws for 2012-->The entire list

If you want to know all the new laws, click here.  

New Illinois laws for 2012-->Seat Belts

Beginning January first passengers in the back seat of cars will now be required to wear a seat belt.

The entire list of new laws is here.

New Illinois laws for 2012-->Electronic recycling

There are a lot of them, more than 200.  Here's a look at one which will affect us on a personal level.

1.  It will be illegal to put electronics in the normal trash.    The trash hauler will red flag you if you try to put it in your trash and being caught calls for a first time $25 fine.  All of these will now be required to be recycled and recycled for free, a responsibility being given to the manufacturers.  

Here's the list:  Televisions
Monitors
Printers
Computers ( laptop, notebook, netbook, tablet )
Electronic Keyboards
Facsimile Machines
Videocassette Recorders
Portable Digital Music Players
Digital Video Disc Players
Video Game Consoles
Small Scale Servers
Scanners
Electronic Mice
Digital Converter Boxes
Cable Receivers
Satellite Receivers
Digital Video Disc Recorders

Repopulating elk and killing deer

Two Missouri stories on the over/under population of animals which come complete with irony.

1.  In Town and Country the number of deer roaming through neighborhoods is so high that city officials have hired sharpshooters to come in and kill the deer. This was met with cheers by some residents and anger by others who don't like the idea of rifles being fired in their neighborhoods.  

2.  The state of Missouri has contracted to reintroduce 150 elk to the state hoping to increase the animals which once were plentiful.  Not only have they spent way way more money on this than planned, they've only set 39 elk into the state woodlands.  However, it must be asked, why they thought this was necessary when so often the animals will reproduce until they become a nuisance like the deer.  Town and Country will no sooner be free of deer, but will have elk in their yards.  

So over Iowa

Iowans getting 863 plus campaign phone calls, robo calls, polling calls a day. Hey candidates...you may be loving Iowa and its voters but the rest of us resent the hype and importance given to their results.

Odd animal news of the week

The Chimpanzee who starred in Tarzan movies during the 1930's has died at age 80.  He outlived most of his contemporary chimps as well as all of his former co-stars such as Johnny Weissmuller.  

An employee of a reptile park in Australia dove into a Crocodile pool to rescue a lawnmower which the "unfriendliest croc you'd ever want to meet" dragged into the water.  

A woman visiting the Los Angeles zoo crossed ditches and climbed fences to get into the elephant sanctuary in order to pet the big guys.  Horrified onlookers screamed.  She is now being mentally evaluated.

A second career for a longtime Senator

Arlen Specter, formerly senator from Pennsylvania now has a job as a stand up comedian.

The joke was on him as you may recall.  A longtime republican, he changed his party afflication to democrat the year after Obama was elected and was then defeated in the 2010 democratic primary.  

So much for reading the political tea leaves that told him he'd have a better chance of being re-elected if he was a democrat.  Too many thought Obama's huge win in 08 meant the republicans were through as a viable party.  How'd that insight work out?

CARD troubles

The Collinsville Recreation District has been mired in one controversy after another this past year.  The latest issue was a Monday night meeting in which 3 board members walked out because they believed the meeting may have violated the Open Meetings Act.  

Hopefully things will sort themselves out as 2012 goes on.