Our city council is expected to vote tonight on an ordinance that would require bicycle riders under 16 years old to wear a helmet or their parent/guardian will be subject to a fine.

You can have the first $25 fine waived if you show a receipt after your ticket is issued that you purchased a helmet. Every fine following the first offense is $50.

I understand the reasoning behind this safety issue. During the summer months you hear about kids getting severely injured (typically brain injuries) from not wearing a helmet while bike riding. But you also hear about moped accidents, skateboard accidents, etc…

My husband and I have joked many times about our son needing a helmet. He manages to hit his head on just about everything. And it happens daily! He always wears a helmet when riding his bicycle. It’s a rule.

Although I am very much in favor of wearing your seatbelt, due to a past experience in which it saved my life and shielded our 23 month old son from injury, I’m not sure if this is a wise use of our police force.

I can think of many other issues they should focus their time and energy on such as the ever-growing drug issues (in particular meth) the area encounters.

What doesn’t make sense to me is why motorcyclists, who travel much faster and are at greater risk of an accident, aren’t required by law to wear a helmet.

I’m also wondering why would there be an age limit for requiring personal responsibility. If the intent of the law is to reduce the risk of injury or death, then why not protect everyone?

The next thing you know our city council will be creating a beach patrol to ticket those who are not wearing sunscreen. Yes, we know it’s proven to save lives from cancer, but when do you draw the line of the government controlling our choices. (Whether they be stupid choices or not.)

Does anyone else’s town have a similar law in effect? I’d love to know your thoughts and I’ll let you know what they decide.

I want to clarify something - I believe that wearing helmets while riding bikes is an excellent idea for ALL ages. I would think the the government (both local & state & national) would look into requiring helmets for motorcyclists as the next logical step in making laws. Our local area is a little behind in these things, which is why it has taken so long to get here.

This post was up for 3 hours and I’ve already had some negative e-mail saying I’m against safety measures that protect kids. Which I am all for. I just saw some humor in it.

Today as I visited our local Wal-Mart grocery in the hood I had to dodge running over shopping carts in the middle of the road. Not one or two…but 8 (yes, I counted!). Seems many of their customers from ‘The Projects‘ next door use them to get their items home and do not return them. What puzzles me is why they are in the street.

I really like this Wal-Mart because it is one of the new smaller ‘neighborhood’ stores. They only carry essentials and grocery type items, so there is less selection. But if I only need a few things like milk and dog food, you can get in and out quickly. No lines. No parking 4 miles away. The downside is that it’s not in the best area, but if you look past the fact I’ve seen fights, police, and people stealing items….it’s not too bad. (Although my husband won’t let me go there alone after dark.)

Instead of returning them, they go to the trouble of taking them half-way back to the store and just leaving them in the street? As you can see one of the carts was flattened by a car. Wonder how the car looks after taking on that metal? Maybe it was that angry tree-hugging man in the matchbox car from the other day at the gas station. He was probably on his way to a protest or something.

I had a dream the other day that the angry man had a bumper sticker on his Hybrid that said: “My other vehicle is a Hummer.” Now that would be funny!

You can win a wireless laser mouse made by Rocketfish (retail $45) at Props & Pans. Winner will be announced Monday so be sure to go over and check it out. I was sent one to review and I must say it is very handy.

There are lots of new reviews up about where kids can eat free & some new blueberry juice, TrueBlue - which is absolutely delicious!

I have a secret to confess. Actually, if you knew me well it wouldn’t be a secret at all. Most of my family and friends have seen me drooling over this man. Some might call it an obsession and others may see it as stalking behavior, but I’d label it downright lust.

I want you to meet the man who reigns over my “Top 5” list (yes, Nate & I do have a top 5 freebie list!). Mr. Brad Ellsworth. Take a moment and just soak in the wholesome goodness this tall, dark and very handsome man radiates.

He was formerly the sheriff of our county (oh yes, in uniform) and last fall won the congressional seat for our district. The highlight of 2006 for me was that his campaign office was downtown and in my building. He was on the 5th floor, I was on the 6th for eight glorious months. My daily needs were met almost daily by seeing him in person. How often do you really get that close to someone in your “Top 5“?

In fact, last November I rode up 5 floors in the elevator with him - A.L.O.N.E.! I called my husband immediately after and confessed that I could have made my move on Mr. Ellsworth right there in the elevator and had my way with him. Of course that fantasy didn’t happen, but it could have.

Mr. Congressman has since moved on to spend more time in Washington, D.C. and the encounters are now few and far between. But thanks to the local news I can still have a daily dose of his hotness every now and then.

It’s so wrong to lust after another man. Most women choose celebrities, but I choose this family man. Maybe because he seems more real and down-to-earth than the untouchable ego’s that grace our movie screens. I did notice he’s accepting applications for Congressional Interns….

Did you know that your hair down there will turn gray? YIKES! I didn’t until a few weeks ago and it’s had me puzzled ever since. You may remember my recent discovery of gray on top of my head. I’ve since learned to deal with my approaching age of 30.

Then I heard about Betty Beauty and they actually sell products to dye your hair (yeah, down there). Recently, there has been some blog discussions on the topic of what to do with that region of your body - here and here (all by Kristen).

I have to say that the idea of making these short and curlies a lighter color does intrigue me.

Seriously, what’s more embarrassing then having friends over and they go into to use your bathroom only to stare down at those lovely black hairs on the floor. Um…..everyone in our household has light colored hair (up top), so they ALL know where they came from. That’s no secret.

I am not a waxer. Never will be. Trim? Yes. Shave? No. But what if you could actually dye them a different color? It’s an easier solution than installing black tile floors with black grout in your bathrooms. Seems like these days there is a solution for everything.

IS YOURS?

This year I gave up Starbucks for Lent. I realize not all religions celebrate this season and not many people choose to “give up” something. For many years I didn’t see the point. How did my giving up something have anything to do with God?

The trick as a kid was to find something I could either sneak when no one was looking or something I wouldn’t miss too much. Most kids were giving up either candy or soft-drinks. In college I once gave up cussing, which lasted all of about 1 day. Our neighbor gave up drinking beer a few years ago, which is his favorite past-time. Although his Lent season was only Monday - Thursday, leaving the weekends open.

Over the past few years I’ve reflected more on the reason we’re asked to surrender something close to us. I’ve tried to think of the things I’m most thankful for and then thought about how my life would be different if I didn’t have them. Finally, I realized that maybe the idea of Lent and giving something up isn’t even about me.

If you look up the word “sacrifice” it is defined as:
to surrender or give up, for the sake of something else

This Lent I choose to surrender my addiction with Starbucks. I don’t even like coffee, but I am in love with their white chocolate mocha. At over $4 a cup, it is a ridiculous purchase. Not to mention loaded with calories.

Besides sacrificing my “want” I also decided to put that $4 in an envelope each time I drove by Starbucks and was tempted to stop. At the end of Lent I will donate that money to a local food pantry. Not only am I giving something up, but I’m giving something back.

I don’t think Lent has to be a religious experience for everyone. Sometimes it can remind you of the difference between wants & needs, that it isn’t always about you and how much you have to be thankful for. You can’t tell me Jesus wouldn’t have loved some Starbucks now and then!

A new media campaign could make a comeback for WWJD - What Would Jesus Drink?