After having moved here from the murder capital of the U.S. I am a bit jaded. A guy came to our house the other day looking to sell a security system. I almost laughed in his face, but that wouldn't have been polite... then today we called the water company because we hadn't had a delivery in quite a while, and they asked where a "safe" place was to leave our water if we weren't here. Seriously? We live in lily white land.
It's really dry here. Dry people, dry land, dry music... I guess coming from a place that is surrounded by water and full of angst to a place surrounded by land and free of angst is an adjustment. My neighbor used to be the lead singer in a band, and he gave me the CD to listen to. The lyrics were so white bread and rhymy- good music, but no soul, no depth, no spontaneity. I'm not knocking it, don't get me wrong, but there is something to be said for a bit of soul and water in your music.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Why I love Iowa
I love this state! For quite a few reasons... first it was 75 today. And like 100 in New Orleans. I was complaining to Elle a few months ago that it was always cold, and I was tired of opening the front door to the cold in the morning, but if the summers are like this, it's worth it! This is so nice- it's like California weather.
Also when you're nursing a baby in public, people are like, "oh how nice. She's nursing." And move on with their lives. They don't look at you like you've just shot their dog, or are pooping in public, or are out to warp their children. The South is so backwards.
Moving On
I was about to call it Turning My Back on the Past. But that's not right. I'm not turning my back on anything, I still have a piece of my heart in New Orleans. However when people ask me how I like Iowa, I have to be honest and say I love it. I really do! We've lived in 5 states now in the past 15 years- Texas, Louisiana, California, South Carolina, Louisiana again, and now Iowa.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Updates
I want to make a few things clear... when I was asking Eric if he thought Justin was ever autistic, he got confused. He said that most people think autism is an incurable problem, a dead end diagnosis.
It's actually a constellation of things- social disconnect, sensory integration issues, delayed speech, stimming (doing the same behavior over and over again), delayed gross or fine motor skills, inflexibility, and labile mood. Physical manifestations are food allergies, gut dysfunction, immune system dysfunction, yeast overgrowth, and sleep disturbances.
Autism is treatable. There are biomedical treatments, homeopathy, physical treatments, OT and speech therapy, detox, chelation, methyl B12, on and on. It is like being hit by a bus. You don't get cured, but you can recover. Kids can recover from autism.
It's actually a constellation of things- social disconnect, sensory integration issues, delayed speech, stimming (doing the same behavior over and over again), delayed gross or fine motor skills, inflexibility, and labile mood. Physical manifestations are food allergies, gut dysfunction, immune system dysfunction, yeast overgrowth, and sleep disturbances.
Autism is treatable. There are biomedical treatments, homeopathy, physical treatments, OT and speech therapy, detox, chelation, methyl B12, on and on. It is like being hit by a bus. You don't get cured, but you can recover. Kids can recover from autism.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Justin's Issues
I know it's been a long time since I wrote about Justin's issues so I am going to try to bring you up to date. We went to speech therapy for 5 or 6 weeks before we moved, with a lady at Ochnser. She was super! Had lots of toys and was able to engage him well. When he was evaluated at 2 yrs 9 months, he tested for speech at a less than two year old level. He did very well in speech but it is hard to say if he progressed a lot because we didn't continue when we got up here (insurance doesn't cover speech unless you've had a stroke here). So I need to look into the state-run program for Iowa.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Swine Flu Info
I was really curious as to why we are freaking out about 190 confirmed cases when there are 300 million people in the U.S. Compared to the average winter flu, that is a drop in the bucket... there is some evidence out there that this virus was produced as a biological weapon, much like the H5N1 virus (avian flu), but that is conjecture at the moment.
Thought you all might find this interesting.
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ne-reality30-2009apr30,0,
Scientists see this flu strain as relatively mild
Genetic data indicate this outbreak won't be as deadly as that of
1918, or even the average winter.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
How to Sell Your House in 90 days or Less
How to sell your house in 90 days or less!
First, buy a house in a demand neighborhood, especially if you plan to move again in 5 years or if you have a short time period to sell when you do move (frequent job transfers, etc). Take your time looking for a house like this. It might cost you more but it will save you in the long run when you have to sell.
If you aren't moving in 5 years or less you can pick a less expensive or desired neighborhood, but be smart. Don't buy the house with termites because it's cheap, or the house next to the paper mill. If you do buy in one of these neighborhoods, be sure you have time when you sell to wait, because the turn around is longer.
First, buy a house in a demand neighborhood, especially if you plan to move again in 5 years or if you have a short time period to sell when you do move (frequent job transfers, etc). Take your time looking for a house like this. It might cost you more but it will save you in the long run when you have to sell.
If you aren't moving in 5 years or less you can pick a less expensive or desired neighborhood, but be smart. Don't buy the house with termites because it's cheap, or the house next to the paper mill. If you do buy in one of these neighborhoods, be sure you have time when you sell to wait, because the turn around is longer.
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