So close to home

So we think that we are protected in our little community against rare diseases, but no, this is not the case. Here is the article I copied from 2 news.
"Ten cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in Washington County.
Lisa Starr, a nurse with the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, says all of the cases are in Hurricane Valley and involve children and adults in an extended family.
Washington County School District officials say once they were told about the cases, they notified parents and contacted the small percentage of students who haven't been immunized for the illness.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by bacteria and often spread through sneezing and coughing.
Children can be susceptible to complications such as pneumonia and brain inflammation."
Now get this
The place they are talking about is our little elementary school here in La Verkin. A friend of mine has children that are not immunized and she was told that her kids had to be pulled out of school for at least a month.
And as time goes on, I'm finding more and more kids being taken out of our school either by parent choice (dont want to take any chances) or because they are not immunized. Now an interesting fact I got from the secretary of our little school, we have a higher amount of non-immunized kids than a city school. Hmm.... makes you wonder.

The male perspective

OK, so I decided that the theater committee needed to have a meeting, mostly because Charlie makes a killer dip, but thats beside the point. We decided to get together to talk about next years lineup. So, we have about 5 couples, plus some teens on our committee. So I decide to make this shin dig at my house so we can send the kids downstairs to play the wee and pool, (only in this day and age does that make sense) and the "adults" would have our "Meeting" upstairs. So I decided that this would be a appetizer, and dessert meeting because you know, food makes everything, especially meetings more pleasant, and it gave us another way to get Charlie to bring his dip. Well the first "couple" arrived. No couple, just husband. No problem. Now the second couple arrived, and low and behold, just another husband. Hmmmm. Then the third "couple" arrive and yes, you guessed it, wife is nowhere to be seen. So the last couple is scheduled and the doorbell rings, and I open to see husband number 4 standing there with dip and chips in his hand, I start to laugh and said "you have got to be kidding me" he looks at the chips and pouts slightly and said "What? chips aren't appetizer enough?". I laugh and said, you are just another hubby sans wife. "No, she's getting the kids from the car, what? isn't' this a family thing?" I smiled and smirked, took his chips and dip and invited them in. So we are all sitting in my front room and I bring out the play titles. "Lets see" I said looking over the choices "We have sleeping beauty, Rebbecca of sunny brook farm, another play involving a princess who needs to rescued or kissed or something of that nature" I look around at the mostly male committee members and they in turn are looking at me, each saying (with their eyes, of course) "Really? Thats what we have to choose from?" Then I say, "Ok, what do you guys think?" Usually by now I have the wives saying "aww, that is such a romantic story" or "that is soo sweet" or "Cute" or "adorable" and many words along that vein. But instead I get looks. Then the guys whose chips I apparently insulted, chimes in "What about the Three musketeers, or Robin Hood?" The other guys go from looking slightly lethargic to slightly interested, and start chiming in "Yeah, what about Don Quixote?"
"Sure, Why not?" I answer back, then they started getting all, dare I say, giddy? About what options we could present. So to make a long story even longer, we decided on doing "Don Quixote" as our next play, then "Sleeping Beauty" (I had to put fairy tale in the mix) Then "The Enchanted Attic"
So at the end of this interesting night, I bid farewell to those now chatty, giddy, husbands, as they share ideas.
Now husband with the insulted chips comes up to me and says, "Hey, I think this will be a fun year, and thanks for everything, its nice to have an opinion on the plays"
I say "No problem, its nice to have a male perspective. I'm glad you guys came"
Then as he about to drive away, and the testosterone is finally dissipating from my front room he yells out the window, "Next time I will bring Quiche"

When did they turn a parade from 2mph to 20?

Soo, the Laverkin Community Theater committee was talked into doing the light parade. Alright, I did most of the begging, but the city asked me, what could I say? So, we put together this awesome float, it was a old time front room, with a fireplace, wrapped presents under the tree, a great period couch and chair, rug, etc, etc. All this was meticulously wrapped in miles of x-mas lights and precariously wired to a flatbed trailer. All the participants were dressed up in Dickens like costumes and we were blaring Christmas Rock from the back of the truck, oh and we had a candy canon (the kind that hurtles taffy at unsuspecting children at 50mph). So we get in line at the parade, and I with some other noble mothers decide we are going to "walk" next to the float with some cotton candy to give to the little kiddies at the side of the road. So I was thinking all was cool, got myself squished into this ridiculous lace up, heavy skirt and overlay, (but yes, wore tennis shoes), had my hand full of candy and a smile on my face thinking, aww, this will be fun, but little beknownst to me the people at the head of the parade had different ideas. So, we start and I'm thinking, ok we are walking a little fast, but we just got started, maybe they want to pick it up a bit, it will slow down. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! not only did they NOT slow down, but they picked up the pace. So we go from a mild 2 mph, to a nice power walking speed of 5mph, then to a casual jog at 7mph and then to a "you have got to be kidding" speed where I had to pick my huge costume up, and run next to the float. The poor kids along the route become a blur as I speed past, try to aim my candy at them and wave as I am literately running next to our float. Oh, and I being the ever prepared, had a few layers on under my costume to keep warm even though it was about 60 degrees. This continued on for about 10 blocks, and by now I'm saying to myself "I don't care about staying with the float, I'm slowing down", and watched as our float disappeared down the road. But of course, just as I felt the float was too far away, the float stopped to spray candy out. I thought to myself, "I can catch up, its not too far away" so on my last good lung full of air, and sheer determination to jump on the float, I sprint to the float and as soon as I catch up to jump on....it leaves again. I miss it, so, I am there with my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath, still laced up in this heavy costume, and I watch it leave, it was a sad moment.
So I walked the rest of the way, watching other floats pass me by. When they got to the end of the route, me and some other moms who were running finally found our float. So yeah, safe it say that I will NEVER walk on the side again, next time I AM RIDING ON THE FLOAT!