I had to smile when I stumbled upon this post at Zen Habits called "5 Powerful Reasons to Drive Slower, and How to Do it."

I used to have quite the lead foot. Everywhere I went, I went in a hurry. And, if you were in front of me and I thought you were driving too slow, I was MAD and I'd usually let you know it by doing all the things that jerky drivers do (tailgating, motioning, yelling, blowing by you at the first chance).

Yes, I did. And, I am ashamed of my former behavior.

Then, I witnessed a serious road rage incident that changed my driving ways forever. The husband and I were driving down to my parents house and there were two trucks in front of us that were obviously engaged in some sort of back-and-forth road-rage thing. I think one cut the other off at some point. At the stop light, the guy in the truck in front got out, came to the truck behind him and was screaming at the other guy and proceeded to punch his windshield so hard that it broke.

I was terrified, even though it wasn't me...because it could've easily been me.

That was about 3 or 4 years ago and I can honestly say that I have never gone back to my wild-driving ways.

I am now the person you think is driving too slow. But, I'm perfectly happy to pull over and let you go by if you have somewhere you need to be fast. If you cut me off, I'll let you (I'll probably even wave). If you are waiting to pull out into traffic, I'll be the one to let you through.

My drives are much more pleasant and calm and, sure, I'm usually late wherever it is that I'm going. But, I arrive there happy and serene...instead of angry and irritated.

And...with gas prices today...my slower driving habits pay off at the pump.

I'll be posting sporadically next week while we're on vacation. Another vacation close to home...but we never lack for things to do here in Erie. Free music and fun things to do can be found from one end of the county to the other.

Here's hoping the weather is better than my last vacation in June when it was...what...50 degrees and raining!

Wheeewww...this vacation stuff is exhausting! We've been on the go, go, go and having all kinds of fun in and around the Erie area.

We went to the Blues & Jazz Fest on Saturday & had a BLAST. It was the first time we'd ever been there, but it won't be the last. How fun! Our running friends were there with a giant tent and a BUFFET (oh...and a few libations, too...hey...why do you think we run!?!). The girls may have a future as an inflatable air band.

I had been working a booth for the paper at the Jazz Fest & was in charge of bringing home the ETN seagull, Seymore. We couldn't resist having a little fun with the BIG guy. Here he is lazing our in our pool on Sunday morning.

Sunday was the big Cass family reunion (and I mean..big). Always fun to catch up with old friends and family!

Monday..it was Freeport Beach for a picnic and afternoon in the sand, surf and....lots and lots and lots of freakin' algea. I'm still trying to get this stuff out of their hair!

Tuesday was Build-A-Bear where i purchased the most expensive stuffed animals I ever bought in my life. ("Excuse me. 50...what? uh...OK...uh, yeah..Visa."). I rationalized it all..see I figure we're saving money on actually traveling anywhere...so...

Tuesday night we FINALLY went for a Pedal Boat ride in Presque Isle Bay. We've tried to do this a few times, but it's always too windy or too hot or too cold. Tuesday was juuuussst right and we had a blast. On the way there, I was lamenting that I should go for a walk & get some exercise, but then...we got in the boat and realized...uh...pedaling through the bay IS exercise! It was fun...but it was a workout!

Then...we were off to the 8 Great Tuesdays concert at Liberty Park where we..once again..met up with our running friends (yes..our friends like to party..and run). Now you know why my kids refer to them as our "runnin' family" (cause we see them more than we do our own family).

Wednesday was Niagara Falls with my parents. At the recommendation of a friend, we went to the Butterfly Consevatory which was WAY cool. OMG...it was just unbelievably cool and worth every one of the $12 it cost to get in (kids were cheaper & kids 5 & under are free ...woohoo!). One word of caution though...if you're not a bug person and get a little freaked out by flying insects..this is not the place for you...they are buzzing all over...landing on you. You will be tempted to swat (which will get you some seriously glaring looks from the "conservation officers" there).

Then...we headed for the big falls where we did something I've never done before and rode on the Maid of the Mist to the base of the Canadian waterfalls. It was really cool...and...again..worth the $12 (I think it was $12) and kids ...again...5 & under are free. It was HOT standing in the sun baking in blue plastic, but...we were soon rewarded with some nice cold showers, courtesy of one of the 7 wonders of the world.

We ate at the Rainforest Cafe which is where we blew the most of our vacation wad -- $50 for my meal and one kids meal (oh...and two beers..hey...I run and did I mention that I was traveling with my parents...you'd happily shell out $10 for beers, too).

Today, I dropped the kids off at the sitter (no, I really did!) and I have the afternoon to myself. I was considering doing yardwork, but then...mother nature just opened the skies and said..no...I think you should go the mall, honey. So...I'm off to the mall...to pick up my new PC (yes...finally bit the bullet and ordered one!).

Tonight..it's party time...off to the Block Party with friends.

Not sure what tomorrow holds...but...hopefully, a nap (yeah...right...:-)

Anyone who says there's nothing to do in Erie ought to take a week off with me! :-)

..was a day in PC hell.

I picked up my brand-spanking, swanky, sleek new PC and from the time I got stumped at step No. 2 (out of a grand total of 4 steps) in putting together my new flat-screen monitor, I knew I was in trouble.

I'm no computer idiot (despite the password our I.T. dept. gave me...verrrry funnny, guys) and I had no trouble hooking up my previous PCs and surfing the 'net an hour later. Not so with this one -- mostly because I think I am the last idiot on earth who still subscribes to (and, yes, pays for) AOL (and it's dial-up, at that). Up until last week, I was even paying top dollar for it -- $24 a month. I realized however, that they had lower levels and I called & had it changed to $12 a month.

The reason I hang onto AOL is because I share it with my parents and getting them online themselves would be waaaaayyyyy more work than just forking over the $12 a month. And...frankly, I don't use the internet at home all that much, so dial up didn't bother me.

Now, however, I cannot...for the life of me...get onto AOL without first subscribing to one of the providers that Microsoft wants me to subscribe to (NetZero, Juno, etc.) or biting the bullet and just ordering high-speed internet from Time-Warner or Verizon.

I tried getting one of those free AOL discs that you used to find everywhere...now...they are nowhere to be found. I called AOL...they couldn't help me get on without sending me a disc and that's going to take 15 days. Excuse me? FIFTEEN days. Hello? I'm a sap still paying for your service...better hang onto me -- I'd overnight that sucker if I were you. But, of course, the guy I was talking to barely spoke English so there was no point trying to explain customer service policies.

I decided I'd had enough of AOL and I called Time Warner (Verizon doesn't serve my area) and ordered high speed access.

The funny part...they can't come to install it for 15 days.

:-)

Tuesdays are "I Tried It Tuesdays" where I'll tell you about something I recently tried -- an item, a movie, an activity, etc.

Today's topic: Fishing with children

Why I tried it: Well..because it seemed like it would be a relaxing thing (at least more relaxing that packing up and shuttle-busing our way to the Key West Phest). It always looked relaxing when we'd walk around Bull's Damn (otherwise known at the Eaton Resevoir) in North East. People fishing on the banks there always looked so quiet and happy...sitting in chairs, casting a line...picnicking.

Plus...the girls got fishing poles for their birthdays from my in-laws (at my request, believe it or not) and they were dying to try them out.

Where we went: Lake Pleasant.

What we took: Fishing poles, kids, food, worms (when you live in the sticks, like we do, you can get them at your friendly family-owned neighborhood convenience store), chairs, blanket, magazines (for mommy), tackle box stuff (don't ask me what all that stuff is or what it's used for...amusing the kids in our case), my husband's fishing license.... and, of course, beer (no fishing trip would be complete without it).

What it was like: Well, in case you haven't guessed...it wasn't quite the serene scene I had set in my head. Though..I will give you that the scenery -- with the lake, the clouds and the blue sky -- was simply awe inspiring. We even got to watch Saturday night's big storm roll in ...and that was phenomenal.

But..back to fishing with kids. Uh..well...it involved a lot of tangled fishing lines, severed worms, "Why-I-didn't-catch-anything????" whining, muddy feet, wet girls, trips to the porta john and one little tiny and very unlucky sunfish. (On second thought...he's a lucky fish...cause we were throwing them all back).

I had visions of sitting by the lake, thumbing through magazines, sipping a cold drink, snacking and watching my husband teach the girls the fine art of fishing. And, really....I need to stop painting these idyllic pictures in my head because life is not a Rockwell Painting. It is tangled fishing lines and hooks flying and drinks spilled and magazines being blown into the water. And..honestly..it's pretty damn funny.

Would I go again? Oh..yeah..definitely. But, I'm letting go of the serene scene and just accepting it for the messy fun that it really is.

...go ahead...design your own newspaper ....wish for anything you want.

What do you need?

What do you want?

Anything is on the table --
-- you want it to be physically smaller, so it's easier to carry with you?
-- you want an addition with nothing but happy news?
-- you want all the kids' game scores from your school district?

What would (or already does) make the newspaper (particularly the Erie Times-News) indispensable to you?

The best way to get what you want (and trust us....we want to give you what you want) is to say what you want. Just tell it like it is. Say it anonymously if you wish...comment as "Cindy Brady" or "Cap'n Crunch" -- fine with me. I won't be contacting you (unless you want me to).

Your comments will be fodder for ideas for a committee that I am here at the newspaper that is taking a hard look at the Erie Times-News print product.

So, tell me...how can we serve you?

Post a comment below (anonymously if you wish!) or send me an e-mail.

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. A football treat. WSEE has announced that the Steelers vs. Bills exhibition game will be televised tonight at 7:30 p.m. Are you ready for some football? Yes. I . Am. And, if it's still nice out, I'm dragging the TV outside so we can watch the game poolside.

2. Camping. My whole family is going. I'm not. :-) 'nuff said. My idea of camping is a two-story house by the river with two full baths, a kitchen and a pillow-top mattress, not a tent in the woods on a moldy sleeping bag with 30 of my closest in-laws (I love you all, I do...but...I truly hate tent camping). Now...where are my credit cards...mamma needs a few new pairs of shoes.

3. My new PC. Much as I've whined about my Internet woes, I love, love, love my new lightening-fast skinny-screen PC. I was looking at a bunch of photos in Photoshop last night and they opened almost as soon as I clicked on them. My old PC would still be thinking about opening the first photo.

Much as I've been warned about labeling my kids and much as I've tried to avoid it, I find myself doing it anyway. And, a recent interaction with my 7-year-old taught me why it's so dangerous.

I'm not sure I can even explain this without labeling right here -- I have one daughter (the 7-year-old) who has always been more sensitive, shy, pokey and prone to tears and whining. My 5-year-old daughter is a spitfire who is outgoing, scrappy and the first to try/do anything and she rarely cries or whines (though she will drive one to drink with her relentless energy sometimes).

I'll just admit right here that the 7-year-old's whining and pokeyness (is that even a word?) gets on my nerves, and she knows it. She can sense my irritation with her just as plainly as I could always sense my mother's irritation with me (all she has to do is move her jaw or say something a certain way and I knew she was mad...even if she said "no, that's fine"...I knew it wasn't).

I'm not proud of this, but I've told my 7-year-old before -- in moments of mommy frustration in the face of blatant kid ungratefulness -- that "all she does is whine" and that she's "never happy." If you're a parent, you can probably relate. You can spend all day at Waldameer having fun and when it comes time to go home, you are the worst mother in the world. At those times, it's pretty hard not to react.

So, the other night...driving home, she was whining about having to take a bath when we got home...crying...making a mountain out of a molehill (because she loves her baths once she gets in there). We got home & she wouldn't get out of the car. Fine. I took the younger daughter into the house and got her in the bathtub and spent a few minutes collecting myself and practicing my calm-mommy voice before I went out to the car.

I open the door and say "OK, Kel, c'mon, bath time."

"No. I'm not coming in," she said. "I'm going to live in the car because nobody likes me. I'm never happy. And, I whine all the time."

Her words hit me like a brick. She was using the exact words that I had used to put herself down.

I had labeled her -- even though I never meant to -- and never flat out said "YOU are a whiner" -- I had labeled her.

I vowed right there that I would never again (God willing) tell her what she is or what she always does. And, it was made clear as day that if I don't have anything nice to say, I shouldn't say it at all -- no matter how frustrated I am or how whiny she is or how ungrateful they are being.

Kids will become what we tell them they are.

From now on, I'm going to try my best to only tell them the good stuff.

I mentioned last week that my husband was taking my kids camping for the weekend with all of his family. I opted to stay home (I tried tent camping...once...it's not for me).

Truth be told, you couldn't have wiped the big smile off my face on Friday when I was looking forward to an entire weekend all to myself...to do what I want, go where I want, sleep in the middle of the bed and eat (or not) whenever I want.

First thing I did (and women, you will understand this completely, right?) -- I went home and cleaned the house from top to bottom. Why? Because it would STAY THAT WAY for three whole days.

I had planned to sleep in on Saturday, but was too excited to sleep and didn't want to waste a minute of my free time. I headed for the early-bird sales at the mall -- which were, actually, pretty disappointing. JCPenney's had kids clothes advertised for buy one get one for a $1. Great...except, of course, that one shirt was $28. Well..yeah...I can do the math and that's $15 a shirt which is still more than I'm going to pay.

Despite being disappointed in the sales, I managed to spend plenty of time and money at the mall by the time I left at 2 p.m.

Spent the rest of the day gardening and reading. I went for a long walk at dinnertime. I ate popcorn for dinner and finished the night in the tub with a cold drink and a good book. I even dragged the TV in there so I could watch the Olympic women's marathon (wow!).

It was about this time that my mom called & left a message on my machine sounding kind of sad and saying something to the effect of, "Oh...hey..I just wondered what you were doing on your lonely weekend."

I laughed out loud.

Seriously? It's going to take a lot more than a day or two to miss my brood.

Sunday was the Hamot 10K...I got there early and stayed as long as I felt like it. Then, I went to Target and wandered around for a couple of hours. Then, I went grocery shopping all by myself and still had time to come home & do some computer work before the kids and husband came home.

Ah...sigh...my vacation at home was over.

Lonely? I suppose that depends on how you look at it.

Looks like they were having plenty of fun without me, too. Here they are with Grandma and her giant candy bar. (Imagine how wired up those kids were after devouring that baby).

All I'm going to say about this is that it's like those folks who thinking hitting a child will make them stop crying.

That's some failed logic, right there.

Smashing a window is a pretty sure way to get the dogs barking for hours on end, Einstein.

Tuesdays are "I Tried It Tuesdays" where I'll tell you about something I recently tried -- an item, a movie, an activity, etc.

Today's topic: Stain Buddy

What it is: Stain remover

Why I tried it: My mother's a big QVC shopper. Seriously, she has the QVC credit card and everything. She saw Stain Buddy on QVC and ordered it for herself. One day, when Kelly was about 3, she dumped an entire bottle of liquid vitamins (brown) on her brand new light gray carpet. I tried to clean it up, but ended up just covering it up with a couple of cute throw rugs (when you can't get it clean, go shopping!). My mother noticed the stain a month or so later and insisted she could get it out with Stain Buddy. I told her it was an old stain and there was no way it was coming out. She wanted to try anyway.

Did it work? I still can't believe it, but it did. It took some elbow grease, but...darn if that stain isn't good and gone...all of it.

How do you use it? On old stains -- and, I'll just admit that by the time I get around to noticing stains at my house, they're usually old and dry -- you just spray the stuff on...give it a few seconds to soak in and rub it in with your fingers. Blot with a clean, white towel and voila -- stain is gone. It can take several applications, but....if you keep working it -- the stain will lift. Remember to test it on your carpet first to be sure it won't discolor it.

How much is it? Currently...two bottles for $20 at the Stain Buddy Web site. .

Would I use it again? Yes, I would...and I do. With two kids in the house, I use it a lot. In fact, I just noticed when cleaning Kelly's room on Friday that she spilled some red nail polish on her carpet (and, covered it up with her cute throw rugs -- like mother, like daughter) and tried Stain Buddy on it. It didn't take it off completely...yet...but with a few more applications, I think it will.

I'm one of those parents who takes my kids everywhere -- from board meetings to Erie Playhouse performances to concerts on the beach. I believe in exposing them to real life (how are kids going to learn how to behave if you never put them in situations where they can learn?). I'm also really big on dragging them to all kinds of cultural events and anything that does not involve sitting in front of a screen for hours on end (though, yes, we go to the movies).

We heard an advertisement for the upcoming SugarLand concert at the Erie Civic Center (Sat., Oct. 18) in the car last night and I said "Ooohh...who can I get to go to that concert with me...I don't know anyone who loves country music." Kelly -- age 7 -- piped up from the back seat "I LOVE SugarLand, mommy! I want to go!" and then she proceeded to sing along with their hit "All I Wanna Do." "Please, mommy...can I go...please!"

I immediately dismissed it and then...thought, well...wait..... It's a country band that sings about loving their family and God and life. It's not like I want to haul her off to a Kid Rock concert. It's unlikely there will be strippers in cages on the stage at the SugarLand concert. And, it's not a school night.

But, what about the volume...and the drunk people...and the girls dressed like strippers....and the pot smokers who think they're being sly?

Hmmm.....

Wanna weigh in? Post a comment below (anonymously if you like).

I went to a Parent Information Night at my daughters' school last night. The topic was technology and kids. Obviously, keeping our kids safe was a major theme.

The bottom line...get involved and get familiar. Know what they're doing...the sites they're visiting, the people they are talking to, familiarize yourself with sites they all know (MySpace, YouTube, TeenForums, online gaming sites, etc.), learn how to use parental controls, etc.

One of the more interesting sites we learned about is www.familywatchdog.us. Plug in your address and it gives you a list (and photos) of the convicted offenders in your area.

Does this mean these people will prey on your children -- no. But, you should be aware of potential predators who live where your children live, play and go to school.

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. The Olympics. It's fun to actually have something on TV that I want to watch. Such a switch from all the murder, gore and mayhem that typically take over the network airwaves after 9 p.m. I've heard people make fun of the vignettes and the drama the network creates, but I happen to love those. It's the ultimate reality show (and people on this "reality show" actually have talent). From volleyball to rings to track and swimming -- it's all fascinating to me.

2. Tomatoes! Fresh tomatoes from the garden are the best. I've completely neglected my garden. You have to dig through the thigh-high weeds to find the tomatoes, but darn if those tomato plants haven't survived and thrived. I've got a bumper crop -- dare I say better than the years I meticulously weeded and nurtured the garden.

3. Vests. Dressy vests are back in fashion and I'm thrilled. Tailored vests take any button-down dress shirt and dress pants (or skirt) to a whole new professional level. Vests look great on every woman -- accentuating (on some women, creating) an hourglass shape. Curves ARE beautiful. And they are how women are supposed to look...not the whole adolescent-boy-stick-figure the designers would have you believe is sexy). I bought three vests this weekend -- two at JcPenney and one at Kohl's.

I don't have a window in my office, I am mostly surrounded by cinder block. Sometimes that's good (like when it's snowing -- I don't have to look at it all day) and sometimes that's bad (like in the summer when the sun in shining -- I can't soak up the sun).

A friend gave me some sunflower seeds from a small sunflower bush I admired in her yard last fall. She gave me a lot more than I could use, so I spread the sunshine & shared them with co-workers.

One of those co-workers just returned a little of that sunshine to my desk. Check them out. Just looking at them makes me happy (I don't need no stinkin' window). The hand-sized sunflowers are from the bush seeds I gave away...and, then, he added a few more flowers from his garden -- like the little yellow ones at the top and the striped ones at the bottom (and..you can't see them in this photo, but there are some orange sunflower-looking flowers in here, too).

Tuesdays are "I Tried It Tuesdays" where I'll tell you about something I recently tried -- an item, a movie, an activity, etc.

Today's topic: Time Warner's Road Runner high speed internet service

What it is: High speed internet service via cable lines

Why I tried it: First...because Time Warner Road Runner is a sponsor of the Erie Marathon -- and that's cool. Second...because it's pretty much my only option where I live (Damn you Verizon and those direct mail pieces you tease me with...I've found someone better!).

Why I tried it #2: I got a new PC and I couldn't even figure out how to get online with a dial-up connection (still waiting for that CD from AOL!).

Why I tried it #3: I found out that you can just buy internet connection and you don't have to have cable TV to get RoadRunner (which is good cause I'm sort of anti-TV).

A friend sent me this e-mail. I'm not big on these touchy-feely kind of e-mails (or any touchy-feely stuff in general), but...this one has some useful advice for living a grateful life. I've been trying to do this for the last year or so...and it works. Remembering to do it (when you're all pissed off) is the hard part.

"If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!"

It's official my baby days are over...my youngest went off to Kindergarten this week.

She has the same teacher that her sister had last year. I e-mailed the teacher about something the other day and she remarked, "Boy, Lauren is definitely not like Kelly."

I laughed out loud.

That's the understatement of the year. Those two are night and day.(That's all I'll say...don't want to label them). But, despite their obvious physical, social and tempermental differences, they actually get along well most of the time. And, for that, I'm truly grateful.

I look at this picture of them -- all full of energy and happiness and hope and I think...I can't wait to see how this all turns out. I can't wait to see who these two become.

And, yet, part of me wants to freeze them in this moment forever.

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. Digital downloads. I had been meaning to pick up Sugarland's latest album (er, CD, er, digital compilation...) Love on the Inside for a while now, but kept forgetting. When I bought tickets for the Sugarland show (I'm taking my 13-year-old niece), it became paramount (I have to know the songs to sing and dance along at the concert!) But...getting to a store, let alone remembering to buy the CD is a challenge for me these days. So... a few click, click, clicking on iTunes and I downloaded the album right from home, put it on my iPod and burn a CD to share with my niece. All for $9.99. And, I didn't have to drive anywhere...or try and get that damn cellophane off the CD.

2. Paddling with friends. No...not paddling friends, paddling with friends. (Remember when school teachers paddled...isn't that just a completely bizarre concept now?). This weekend is our annual friends-and-family canoe trip (dubbed "Boone's Regatta) down the Allegheny River. The canoe rental place drops all of us, the canoes and several coolers full of libations at one end of the river and we take all afternoon getting back. The whole gang is coming this year (8 canoes full) and the forecast looks fantastic with sun and hot temps -- perfect for a day on the river.

3. Cinnamon graham crackers. I have a serious sweet tooth and these babies satisfy for a mere 65 calories for a four-rectangle cracker. I've gotten in the nasty habit of make s'mores in my mouth with these by tossing in a piece of cracker, a couple of chocolate chips and a mini marshmallow (and, yes, it's quite a sight). Don't judge me. :-)

I'm going to scoop myself with this post since I'm doing a story parenting in the digital age in the Oct. issue of Her Times, but I want to tell you about a great parenting resource I found online. Mediawise offers some really great parenting advice and guides on all kinds of media -- from television to internet to video games. (You'll have to register to download the guides).

Be sure to check out their family contracts -- like the "Family Netiquette Plan" and the "Internet Respect Plan."

The bottom line when it comes to parenting in the digital age is to be informed (about ratings, about Web sites kids frequent, about emerging technologies, etc.) and you can become informed at MediaWise.

I know...I know...you don't have time to surf and time to read all this stuff, but ... I urge you to make the time. This is the important stuff -- the dirty dishes can wait and the laundry can sit awhile longer.

The internet, media and new digital technologies have more influence over your child's life that you realize -- it impacts the way they learn, the way they socialize, the way they think, the way they behave ... and much more.

The good news is that there is one thing that has more influence on your child -- you.

So McCain picked a woman for VP. My initial reaction was, "he's a sly old dog," but...that would imply that he picked her only because she's a woman and I certainly don't think that's the case (I hope it's not the case).

Either way -- this will be a historic election.

Either way -- a minority will win.

Either way -- the two most visible leaders in our country will not both be white men.

Either way -- there's something to celebrate.