Shakopee Valley News - Blog entry - Comments

What's worse, for me, is

Ruth Anne Maddox — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:25:59 -0500

What's worse, for me, is someone pointing out grammatical errors while filling a blog with spelling errors and/or typos.

Did you really choose a coma over ellipses or did you mean comma?

Are you positive you paid attention to your writing when you wrote "Well, absolutely positive he payed attention in grammar class!"

Like you said, ellipses indicate you've left something out. And, speaking of leaving something out, didn't you omit one "T" and add and "M" in omitted?

Finally, what, exactly is "viewer discression?" As Google would ask if you typed in a misspelled word: "Did you mean: discretion?"

OK, that's enough reader abuse for today.

Along with the abuse of the

ReneeF — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:18:28 -0500

Along with the abuse of the two, to & too's is the confusion of there, their and they're and your vs. you're!

Another peeve of mine is the crazy, unnecessary use of apostrophes! Some people seem to think that to make any word a plural they need to add apostrophe - s.

Personally, I find myself using ellipses in email to signify trailing off from a thought without the definity of a period. Not really trying to hide anything - simply indecisive.

So, ndouglas, would he have "payed attention" or "paid attention"? And, did i just make up the word "definity"?

Taking part in the Race for

Ruth Anne Maddox — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:35:56 -0500

Taking part in the Race for the Cure 5K at Mall of America on Mother's Day was quite thing to do -- more than 50,000 people participated.

It actually turned into more of a 10K for us (and probably many others). We parked at the 28th Street Transit Station and walked over to the mall. My husband decided to walk after the online registration ended so we had to trek through the mall to the registration area and back out, then hike over to the start line, do the walk and slog back to the car.

Neighbor Girl got up early and did the run at 7:30 a.m. -- thank goodness I don't run, nor do I get up that early on a Sunday. She then stayed and did the walk with us at 9 a.m. as part of her training for Grandma's half marathon in June.

Having never previously participated in this event, I had been warned that the walk was slow-going. I figured I could power past people if they were moving too slowly in front of me but with a sea of people spread out in front of and behind us, there wasn't a lot of opportunity to make my move (except at the port-a-potty stops that I was able to skip). We did stay to the outside of the group because I tend to get a little claustrophobic so we were able to the curb a couple times to get around strollers and wagons.

A couple times, the emotion of the event overwhelmed me -- like when we found ourselves behind a LOT of people walking in memory of Paula Dean, 1956-2006.

I don't know who she was but I do know that she was important to a lot of people who wore her name on memory placards on their backs. It just hit me as I saw her name on the backs of so many -- "My wife, Paula Dean," "My sister, Paula Dean," "my aunt," "my great aunt" and on and on. Plus, she was only 50 years old!

I couldn't help myself and the tears started streaming down my face. I didn't try to stop them but I didn't really want anyone to see what was happening to me, either. I glanced to my left and caught sight of Neighbor Girl with her mouth pinched in an attempt to fight back her emotions and wetness on her cheeks.

Other groups caused us to cry, as well, because of the pictures and posters and prayers.

I'm not sure how anyone who wasn't directly affected by breast cancer (none in our group has lost anyone -- knock wood) couldn't be affected just by being among these people. I am a better person for having done this walk and I'm glad I took it slow.

Story

Kathy Ghost hunter — Sun, 11 May 2008 13:55:18 -0500

Story Cont..

http://media.putfile.com/woman-asys-in-the-kitchen

http://media.putfile.com/child-saying-mamma

http://media.putfile.com/man-saying-its-mine-now

I had checked in with April and Bob to see how things were going since my visit. They report that April is still grieving, but they have not seen the shadowman again, and have stayed over night at the house a few time and nothing strange had happened.

Kathy~Ghost Hunter
kathy@michael-rennie.com

"Working out" and "fun"

Ruth Anne Maddox — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:18:13 -0500

"Working out" and "fun" don't tend to be good word combinations for me (see entry below).

Ten years ago when I did that marathon because my sister said it would be "fun," I lost eight of my 10 toenails and couldn't bend my knees for two days. Woo hoo! What fun.

On a positive note, I am doing the Race for the Cure on Mother's Day -- that's this Sunday for those of you who haven't sent a card yet. It's only a 5K so I hope to finish with all my toenails intact -- especially since I just got a pedicure this week!

Just when I thought I was

Ruth Anne Maddox — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:09:22 -0500

Just when I thought I was getting the hang of all this water aerobicizing, I went temporarily blind in the deep water.

First of all, we had to share the pool with a group of swimmers doing laps so our class was relegated to the dive well and Lane 6. Thus, the dozen or so class members tended to clump up occasionally -- unlike my non-waterproof mascara.

While doing crunches and V-sits, I splashed myself in the face and caused my mascara (that I meant to take off before class but forgot to) to run into and around my eyes. Not only did I look like a drowning raccoon, but I also couldn't see out of my left eye for awhile as I tried to rinse and rub the molten mascara from it.

I'm not sure, but I think we are nearing the end of this 8-week class. I probably won't miss it too much.

I'm better at walking, usually, but with warmer weather bringing out people who didn't see me walking all winter, I found myself being heckled last night. As each of my dogs propelled me forward by tugging the leashes I had wrapped around each wrist, a couple of comedians sitting on the tailgate of a pickup in a driveway down the street watched as I retrieved pile No. 1 of No. 2 with my little plastic bag.

Once I was within range, one of them shouted: "That looks like a workout!"

"Some days are better than others," I retorted. "Sometimes it takes them awhile to get into a rhythm."

About an hour later, as I was returning home, the men were still on the tailgate -- of course -- and my puppy decided to try to catch a bird that just flew away from grass level, spinning me around like the Scarecrow trying to find his legs on the Yellow Brick Road.

"Find that rhythm yet?" one of them asked, yucking it up.

"They were walking fine when you weren't watching," was the best I could do as the dogs were using me as a Maypole and wrapping me in their leashes.

I can't quit walking, but maybe I can do it at night when all the neighbors are in their houses...

It sounds like you're having

Melissa Gilman — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:29:09 -0500

It sounds like you're having a lot of fun working out. Is that the key to sticking with exercise?

Melissa Gilman is the editor of Southwest Saturday and Let's Go! Discover fun stuff to do at www.letsgosouthwest.com

Atta boy kidjon! I love a

goldengopher — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:49:15 -0500

Atta boy kidjon! I love a good debate, and I am inclined to be swayed on an issue when there are compelling reasons. More views and more opinions will help keep the discussion going and make this website a fun place to debate.

I have told all my friends I

kidjon — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:27:00 -0500

I have told all my friends I went to high school with in Shakopee about this website as well. I think it has been turned into a great website that is very user friendly. I too have noticed that just a few people express their opinions on this website. I wish there was more participation, because after all, behind the 2nd Ammendment, the 1st Ammendment right to free speech is the most important right we have in this great country. There, was that positive enough for you goldengopher?

Like a refugee from Cuba, I

Ruth Anne Maddox — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:06:21 -0500

Like a refugee from Cuba, I was alone and adrift in my rubber life raft on a dark and stormy night...

OK, so I went to water aerobics alone last night because Neighbor Girl had to take a test for her accounting class -- which meant that I had no one to make fun of in a good-natured way as I dorked along in class.

In fact, I abandoned my car and walked the two miles to class, splashed and thrashed in the pool and then walked home again -- all in all a good workout.

There is one woman in the class who has to be in her 80s and she always gets this dreamy look in her eyes when "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" comes on the CD player that blasts out the music to which we aerobicize.

Sometimes she can't do some of the moves that we're supposed to be doing and she just kind of sways in the water -- which is fine because the instructor reminds us not to push ourselves if something is too uncomfortable. The instructor also says, "Remember to squeeze your abs!" a lot throughout the hour-long class.

At one point in class, we had formed a human chain connected by water noodles and this cute little woman was at the front of our waterbound conga line. As we circled the shallow end of the pool and she was coming toward us (the instructor was somewhere in the middle of the chain) she was smiling so widely that her eyes twinkled as she said, "Is everybody holding in their abs?"

I'll bet this feisty little woman was mischievious as a girl and a young woman and I'm glad I've had a chance to spend some time with her. She's Greek and recently took a trip to Greece and she loves to talk about it. And, she hates that she let her daughter talk her into buying a bathing suit with a skirt! Now I'm wondering what other stories she might have to tell...

Tell all your friends. Every

Ruth Anne Maddox — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:42:05 -0500

Tell all your friends. Every chance I get, I tell people about the Shakopee Valley News Web site.

Not only is there news and information posted on the Web site that might not be in the print edition, but there also is the opportunity to voice an opinion.

If someone mentions the fact that they read a story in the Valley News and liked it, disliked it, agreed with it or disagreed with it, I tell them to tell the Valley News about it. Believe it or not, there are people out there who are interested in what you have to say. And, while those people might disagree with your opinion, they have a chance to say so. I'm all for a healthy debate.

The good and bad thing about

goldengopher — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:23:57 -0500

The good and bad thing about an internet blog is the voice it gives people. Without it, we wouldn't have the pleasure of hearing all the complaints of kidjon.

I enjoy reading all the comments on shakopeenews.com, how can we get more opinions and more people to write in here? It seems only a handful of people actually make comments. I think more comments from more people would spur on discussion. Because obviously if you have someone like kidjon making comments, he/she will cut it off with negativity.

Light rail is a joke. I

kidjon — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:05:02 -0500

Light rail is a joke. I live in Seattle and the liberals shoved a light rail project down our throats. It is now hundreds of millions over budget, it is way behind schedule and the overall package had to be cut back. The lines that are running now make no impact on relieving congestion. It is the same with Portland. Big promises are made in the beginning and none of those promises are ever realized.

If the money they acquired through taxation to fund this light rail, was used for Metro bus service, the whole Puget Sound could have 24 hour a day bus service, with no cost to ride the bus.

With the history of light rail in this country, I still don't know how any additional light rail systems are ever approved. I think it is the liberal mindset of, "Yea, we know every light rail system ever tried in this country has been a failure, but we can make it work in this city with a little extra money and time. We are smarter than the liberals in these other cities".

Liberalism is a mental disorder.

I know that.....I was being

PAT T LAND — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:36:32 -0500

I know that.....I was being sarcastic

he was indeed alittle bit

PAT T LAND — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:31:46 -0500

he was indeed alittle bit before my time, But I do remember seeing him at a wedding dance at the old Carver ballroom when I was a kid.....I think the six Fat Dutchman were playing there also one time. Frankie yankovich was um-pa-pa king....