Hanging By a Thread

Open Letter to Toyota {feeling a bit sentimental}

Perhaps I'm feeling a bit nostalgic….but here goes anyway…

Dear Toyota,

Thank you.

I know many people are embarrassed or have mixed feelings about having gone through the minivan-buying rite of passage, but I don't feel that way about it. For me, it coincided with becoming a parent, and that I'm very proud of. July 3^rd will mark our 8^th year of having our 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan and July 11^th marks the 8^th birthday of our first child.

It may sound silly, but that vehicle is an integral part of our family. In fact, a number of significant firsts have occurred in that vehicle. Eight days after making this big purchase, we drove to the hospital through contraction after contraction in our brand new mini. A few days later we strapped our teeny baby into a car seat, got in and drove away from the hospital and into our brand new lives. One week later, we drove to the airport to pick up my mom; she met her very first grandchild there in the middle row of the mini.

Two years later, we drove away from that same hospital with a toddler and another brand new baby strapped into the seats behind us.

We have gone on countless adventures, both near and far, in that vehicle. We've picked up friends and family and luggage from the airport for family reunions and baptisms and birthdays and random visits.

My mom, two aunts, two sons, my old Leonberger, my husband and I once all piled in and took a day trip to Duluth; that was quite an adventure. A few years ago, we drove from the Twin Cities across the state of Wisconsin with the kids and our old giant dog to meet and take home our new giant, a rescued St. Bernard. We take an annual road trip from Minnesota to Texas to see family and friends every summer, with our mini stuffed full of things for stops along the way, at a lake and at the beach.

We've weathered wind, rain, snow and ice in our mini. We feel secure and safe in our vehicle. We trust that we can always pack in everything we need for a trip, a CraigsList run or after a visit to IKEA; and my son's giant hockey bag fits perfectly.

Our mini is more than a mode of transportation; it's our mode of living. It gets us where we need to be.

Yes, it's not so progressive of me to rely on a gas fueled vehicle made by a foreign company, I know. But it's true. We rely on this vehicle every single day.

It's marked with crayons and juice stains and a dent in the rear fender from that time I backed into a pole in a parking garage. There's a hole rubbed into the driver's seat floor mat from where our heels rest. The middle console is filled with snippets of papers with long forgotten notes, an applesauce pouch, a granola bar, some sticky coins, several napkins, a spoon from Dairy Queen, a Norwex cloth or two, and a collection of pens, pencils and crayons from a restaurant.

In the "way back", there's a bag of soccer balls, a bat and glove and a couple of reusable shopping bags and a couple of bag chairs, a sign of summer. The "way back" assortment changes seasonally.

This vehicle holds our lives in it, daily… both figuratively and literally. And for that, Toyota, I thank you for our reliable vehicle from which we conduct our lives.

We joke that this will be our son's first car. They age together, year after year, and as a family that is more concerned with functionality than appearances when it comes to our vehicles {and hopefully other things in our lives too}, it really might be his first car at the age of 16. My parents are still driving their 18 year old Toyota…

Over and out…

Anna

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On Correspondence {An Evolution}

Year 3: Day 2 #SummerRoadTrip {Tips for Getting Out on the Road for Your Very Own #SummerRoadTrip}

News Bulletin: Driving Distracted is Dangerous! {Surely you’ve heard this before…}

Is it boredom? Too busy? Self-importance? Why can't we put our phones down and be present in the moment? This is especially important when sitting in the driver's seat! Being present in a moment could me the difference between life and death…yours or a fellow road mate.

I think I need to issue a renewed challenge to PUT THE PHONE DOWN. Lately, I have been noticing quite a few people on their phones, reading, talking or texting, and driving.

On Wednesday morning, while on Highway 100, traveling through Saint Louis Park, a man weaved over into my lane. I, of course, honked; he jerked back over into his lane. I was near his rear fender. When I advanced and was parallel to the front window, I glanced over. He was looking down at his phone.

Hmmm, he had already gone over into another lane; I had honked; he had corrected; and he was still reading something on his phone! We were not stopped in morning traffic. We were moving along at a pretty good rate of speed, but it was regular, heavy morning traffic. You know, the kind of stop and go, lots of cars on the road kind of traffic where you need to be looking up and paying attention (OK. So, you need to be looking up and paying attention during all traffic scenarios, but you get my point).

Seriously! People, this is dangerous to yourself and to all of those around you on the road and texting/using the internet while driving is illegal! Please STOP! No talking! No texting! No reading emails! Just Drive! 

Need some more info on this topic? Check out my Phone Down! Eyes Up! campaign in these posts.

Oh, and this snowed-in toy truck….can't even see it anymore. There's at least another foot or two of snow on it. Over and out…

Anna

Related articles

Old Dog; New Tricks {It Can Be Done}

5 Things You Should Know {Things to Follow}

An Open Letter to a Smug, Punk-Ass Twerp {AKA Justin Bieber}

Dear Smug, Punk-Ass Twerp, {And I mean that in the kindest way possible}

Wipe that stupid grin off your face! You are looking at some serious charges with your latest shenanigans.

If I were your mom, I would sit you down and have a serious talk with you before it's too late {of course, if I were your mom, we would have had many serious talks by now}.

You, sonny, have been given a gift. While I have no idea what you sing or what you sound like or why girls go wild for you, you must have some kind of talent. But your talent is not the gift. Many people have talent; a large number of people have a great deal more talent than you do {in my opinion}.

The gift is Opportunity. You have been given the opportunity to develop your talent; live your dreams; be a positive role model to look up to; travel the world; have amazing experiences; do things to help others and make a real difference in this world.

And yet, in your youthful, arrogant, ignorance you are squandering this gift. You make scenes everywhere you go; act like you are "somebody" with having done nothing; trash hotel rooms; drink alcohol {may I remind you, you are still a minor}; use drugs; race cars in residential streets; hurl insults and curse words at police officers; and expect to get away with all of it.

But let me tell you something, kid; you better straighten up your act soon! The world quickly tires at the escapades of such spoiled brats. There will always be another rotten, over-entitled teen "star" taking your place as your own star fades away.

If you continue slipping down this slope of over-indulgence and self-destruction your future is clear, but not bright or promising. You are a dime a dozen….so far. You are not special….yet.

So, Biebs, do you want to "be someone?" Do you want to "do something?" Do you want to be remembered for something other than your demise? Do you want to live to see the ripe old age of 30? Well, then GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER NOW!

Many have trod down that path; few have overcome the demons of wealth, of fame, of celebrity. This is your chance; take it or leave it. But don't wait long to decide; the window of redemption will not stay open long and certainly does not give superstar punks VIP treatment.

But take heart, you could still be a legend, regardless of which path you take. In fact, people {and cable TV} like to tell the stories of those poor, misguided, young souls who were eaten up by the world of sex and drugs and rock and roll and spit out as hollow shells of nobodies.

Is it really so hard to choose to do good for others, be a respectable, responsible and talented role model and live the good life of opportunity? For your sake, and your mom's sake, {and for all those screaming, fainting girls looking up to you} I hope you straighten up. And you can start by wiping that punk-ass smile off your baby face.

Over and out…

Anna

5 Things You Should Know {This is Serious!}

I haven't touched on this subject in a while. It's not because I'm not seriously passionate about this topic, but simply because I feel that if I harp on it too much, you'll stop paying attention. I'm a parent…I know how these things work.

But here's the gosh darn truth…your kids are watching you. What are you teaching them about this ultra-important issue? Your child will one day drive on his or her own…the decisions he or she makes will most likely reflect what you have taught by example.

Not a parent? Keep reading…this information applies to anyone with a driver's license.

Here are 5 Things You Should Know about Distracted Driving:

1. Kids are walking to school and waiting at bus stops in the mornings now….you can't always see them very well when the sun is rising, big and bright. It is especially hard to see pedestrians when you are looking at your phone or concentrating on having a conversation with a person on the other end of the line and are also blinded by light.
2. If you see a person texting or otherwise obviously distracted and driving recklessly, please get the license plate number of that vehicle and pull over and call 911. Texting and/or using handheld devices while driving is illegal in many cities and states; reckless, negligent, distracted driving is illegal in every state, regardless of the cause. You could save a lives by taking action.
3. It is NOT efficient use of one's time to make or take calls or text or receive texts or check Facebook or Twitter or email while operating a vehicle. It is dangerous for you, as the driver, for any passengers in your vehicle and all the vehicles around you. Don't be tempted by this pitfall.
4. Be responsible. Not only should you not text or talk on the phone while driving, but you also must not take phone calls or answer texts from people who are driving. If it's clear that the person on the call is driving, simply explain your position by saying something along these lines. "Oh, it sounds like you are on the road right now. I'd be glad to talk to you once you get to your destination or at another time that is convenient to you when you are not driving." If it's clear to you that the person is texting you while on the road, simply do not reply.
5. Would you drink too much alcohol and drive your car? Would you allow your teenager to driver drunk? Would you let your kid bounce around the backseat, as we used to do as kids? Would you drive without your seat belt on?

When we will begin to view distracted driving involving cell phones to be as dangerous as drinking and driving or driving without proper restraints?

There was a time that driving without seat belts or car seats was considered perfectly fine. There was a time that people were not concerned about drinking too much alcohol and getting behind the wheel. Times change. I think distracted driving will eventually be recognized for what it is; too risky to be allowed.

Distracted driving due to cell phone use claims many lives each year. In 2011, 3,331 were killed in automobile accidents due to distracted driving. An additional 387,000 people suffered injuries in accidents due to distracted drivers.

It all happens in a blink of an eye. I have yet to receive a text or Facebook message or voicemail or email or phone call that was anywhere near being as important as my life, my kids' lives or lives of the strangers that share the roadways with me. How about you?

Please join me in my crusade against talking or texting while driving. Phone Down. Eyes Up. It's really very simple. Simple Stop. Over and out…

Anna

Old Dog; New Tricks {It Can Be Done}

Clearing Out the Old

My parents recently cleared out their attic and closets and shelves and packed up and left their house of 18 years to move across the country to MN; only 20 minutes away from our front door. They shed many of their accumulated things before migrating to the North, but they brought with them several large bins of items that belonged to me.

From the looks of things, I never got rid of a Barbie, doll, photo, report card, drawing, book report or school newspaper, not to mention strange odds and ends like a hamburger eraser and a perfect arrowhead that were found in the piles of long forgotten items.

I spent a whole afternoon culling through these bins. I tossed out quite a few items, kept some and shared others with the boys. One thing I found in my walk down memory lane was a bumper sticker. The bumper stick {depicted in the photo above} made me think.

A Change of Law and Habits

It wasn't until September 1, 1985, that we, in Texas, were mandated to buckle up or be ticketed. I was almost 11 years old. That wasn't that long ago {OK, well, it depends on who you ask, but just roll with it for the sake of this argument, alright...}.

It wasn't easy to do in the beginning. We were used to laying across the back seat or even across the floor board with pillows stuffed on either side of the hump; one kid on the seats and one the floor board. That's how my brother and I traveled on long night drives to visit family or take a road trip.

When it was just my mom, my brother and I on a trip, I rode in the front with a pillow on my mom's lap and I would curl up on the seat next to her with my brother sprawled across the back seat.

I can't even imagine that now. The whole scene seems bizarre and reckless!

And yet, just 28 years ago, we needed an ad campaign, including this bumper sticker, to remind us that the law now instructed us to buckle up or be ticketed.

Now, we get in the car, we grab the belt and click it. Our kids have never known the freedom of being unrestrained in the vehicle. From their very first car trips they have been carefully belted and harnessed and safely contained.

Buckling up saves lives and reduces injuries. We now recognize it as the safe thing to do; the responsible thing to do.

A New Way of Thinking

So, here's my thought.

If we, as a nation, can change our ways when it comes to seat belt use, we, as a nation, can also change our frame of mind regarding phone use while driving. Right?

Start today. Look in the rearview mirror {before you start driving}. Repeat after me, "Put away the phone. I don't have to leave that message or answer that call or send that text. I can wait until I stop driving."

Do not tempt yourself to drive with this distraction.

And I'm not just talking about texting. That's already against the law in most places. I'm not talking about using a hands free device while talking and texting, which is required in some states.

I'm talking about doing the right and safest thing for you, your kids and strangers you are driving next to, in front of and behind....I'm talking about putting the phone away and not texting or talking while driving AT ALL.

The Scoop

You can do it. And if you don't have the willpower, enlist the help of your kids. They will surely enjoy enforcing this rule.

It could save a life, and that life could be yours or your child's or someone else's child or mother or brother or dad or grandma. Well, you get the idea.

Want more reasons why you need to take my Phone Down Eyes Up Challenge? Check out all the posts I've written on distracted driving, including the one about when I hit a kid with my car...

Don't know the laws on phone use while driving in your state? Check out this website: Governors Highway Safety Association; GHSA.org. Then, go beyond the law and PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN!

Yeah, I'm serious about this issue. And you should be too! Over and out...

Anna

5 Things You Should Know {New Parent To-Do-ASAP List}

Parents new to the gig can be overwhelmed by the new schedules, new equipment, new roles, etc. Basically, it's like having your world flipped upside down and learning to live on the ceiling. Fortunately, all the newness quickly wears off and mercifully you can't remember what life was before when you merely tread on the floor, rather than the ceiling.

Well, I've got a few more items to add to your to-do lists, along with putting together the bouncy seat, adding baby to your insurance, getting a Social Security number and birth certificate and sending out the birth announcements.

Here are 5 things that new parents (or parents of any age kids if you haven't done these things) should do ASAP:

1. Stop talking/texting/using phone while driving. DO IT NOW! {You'll thank me when you have teen who doesn't text because of your good example...well, honestly, you'll thank me for many reasons, but that's a big one} #PhoneDownEyesUp
2. Make a Last Will & Testament {or update it if you already have one} and be sure all other estate planning documents are in order, considering you have a child(ren) now {Talk to an attorney};
3. Find a reliable babysitter; someone you pay; someone other than a family member {There are services to help you find one. I use www.sittercity.com};
4. Check {with a professional} to be sure that the car seat is installed properly and learn how to do it yourself.
5. Install CO detectors and smoke alarms, check for Radon, especially if in MN or other Radon hotspots, and be sure your hot water heater is set at a safe temperature {Mayo Clinic says safe is below 120 degrees Fahrenheit.}.

This is a manageable list, no? The biggest, most expensive, most time-consuming point on the list is the Will, but it really is something that should be tackled, but maybe after those crazy postpartum hormones settle down a bit. #1 can be done starting this very minute. PLEASE do not use your phone while you are behind the wheel, especially with your wee one on board. Over and out...

Anna

Random Tidbits: On a Rampage {Strong Opinions}

New Rules

I've been juggling a lot with work lately, which means that everything else suffers. So, I've decided to make some rules for myself, and I'm really trying to stick with it.

I'm setting weekly office hours. We're holding weekly family meetings with an agenda, a white board and an Angry Bird (that's a whole other post...stay tuned). I'm standing firm on what I can and cannot add to my overly stuffed schedule...and refusing to feel guilty about saying "No" when I need to.

Unfortunately, one of the things that has taken a backseat to being a priority lately has been writing. So, I'm trying this Random Bits style again...cuz you know I have things to say, but just not much time to get them said!

Bits and Pieces

1. Y'all know how I feel about using your phone and driving, right?! If you don't then read this: I Hit A Child with My Car and all the other Distracted Driving posts I've written. Well, my friend, Trina, a dedicated Phone Down, Eyes Up driver sent me this photo that her friend sent to her. I love it! And there's a lot of truth in this statement...believe it.
   
2. In DC, a Councilmember has introduced a bill to curb cheating. If passed, it would make facilitating cheating on standardized tests illegal. Now I'm certainly against cheating, but what troubles me is that there has to be such laws in place to prevent school personnel from tampering with tests.

   Shouldn't this be a given to teachers and administrators? Perhaps, the better answer is to take a look at why there is such a need to "fix" standardized tests in this district and examine the education resources and funding.

3. Apparently there is overcrowding at the Metro Louisville jail in Kentucky. The solution? Well, USA Today reports that "tech-savvy professionals will use technology and data to study the overcrowding," of course. The pros will be trying to find some possible solutions.

   News Flash! I've got a solution. Use that money to study how to get kids off the streets, keep them safe, educate them, and get them out of the cycle of committing crimes-jail-committing crimes-jail that many of their older siblings, parents, aunts and uncles and friends are in instead of employing "tech-savvy professionals." This is not an engineering/spatial problem; this is societal issue, a human interest story that could have happy ending.

4. Lastly, the total cost of the 2012 elections, from federal to state to local offices, was...hold on to your boots, friends... $7.3 BILLION (according to Politico.com)! WHAT A WASTE! Don't get me started on what that could have been spent on. This amount of money could have made a huge impact on many of the very causes and issues and institutions and families addressed by the candidates running for office. So many could have been greatly benefitted by even a fraction of this money being spent in a positive way. Here are more of my thoughts on the subject of political campaign spending.

The Scoop

Hmmm, it turns out I'm full of opinions this Monday morning. Well, there you have it. Over and out...

Anna

Random Tidbits: Completely Unrelated, Useful/Interesting/Semi-Important/You Fill-in-the-Blank Information

You know when you're driving along and your kid pipes up and says something like, "Mom, whatever happened to that stick that I picked up last summer when we were walking around that lake?" and then a few minutes later says, "For my next birthday {which is something like 8 months away, generally}, can I have a birthday cake that has Transformers, Mickey Mouse and Word Girl on it?" And the whole time you're thinking I have no idea and where are these random thoughts coming from.

Well, that's what this post is like.

I've had very few minutes to write lately, but I have a number of random tidbits knocking around in my head. It happens frequently that I have a random thought, save a clipping or jot down an idea that doesn't warrant an entire post, but is still worth mentioning. Sometimes I let them linger until I might have enough to weave the tidbits into something more, but often they simply unravel and these loose ends rot away tucked in a file or pasted on a "sticky note" on my computer desktop or randomly written in a notebook.

So, I decided I'd piece together a quick, unconnected run-down of these various bits of information; some tips, some interesting points, some important notes, some simple observations.

1. Tightening the Belt. For a while I had an internal struggle with trying to figure out whether the strap should be locked or left loose or did it even matter. Booster seats. There's just not the plethora of information about these "tween" seats; that is, "in between" 5 point harnesses and a seat belt without a special seat. I know some parents just leave it loose. I always tighten the seat belt strap.
   1. For one thing, Darling 2 is apt to fall asleep in a moving vehicle and slump forward or sideways. If the belt is loose, he could slip right out of the seat or be injured if the belt snapped tight in an accident or sudden stop.
   2. I dug around online and surprisingly didn't find any definitive answers. So, I asked a resident expert; whom I happened to run into at my Caribou Coffee. She said either way is fine. If you have a sleeper or wiggler then it's best to lock the belt. But if your child is older and is not prone to moving around and getting out of the belt, then loose is fine.
   3. So, there you have it. I still tighten out of habit and because Darling 2 still likes to fall asleep in the car, but Darling 1 likes to remind me that he doesn't have to be locked in now that we know the answer to this question.
2. Mythbusters – Distracted Driving. Do you know about Mythbusters? It's a fun program that we found on Netflix over Winter Break. They take various statements or "facts" and put them to the test. On one program they ran their own test to see whether talking on the phone while driving is as dangerous as driving drunk, as some studies have reported.
   1. Now they weren't legally drunk, but they were as close to it as possible; with police officers overseeing the experiment.
   2. And they weren't recklessly driving around on the roads with other drivers. They were on a driving course with an instructor.
   3. But the tests and testers were serious and the drivers were blown away by how difficult it was to stay on task and not break laws by missing signs, weaving, etc. while talking on the phone and after a few drinks.
   4. Their conclusion was that it is not a myth. Texting/talking on the phone is just as dangerous as driving drunk (or almost drunk), and they did indeed feel out of control {and it's rare that they don't bust the myth}. There you have it. So, Phone Down; Eyes Up! {TAKE MY CHALLENGE!}
3. Teachers Packing Heat. Some teachers may have decided to take matters into their own hands when it comes to "securing" their classrooms.
   1. In the weeks following the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, according to MotherJones.com, about 600 teachers in some 15 states have signed up for a free firearms training program offered by Buckeye Firearms Association.
   2. MotherJones.com noted that there are only three states in the U.S. that allow concealed weapons in schools: Utah, Kansas and Mississippi.
   3. Now, 600 is a very tiny percentage of the number of teachers in our country, but it's an interesting note.
   4. I'd be curious to know which 15 states those teachers come from; and how many of those 600 are male and how many are female.
   5. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want my kids' teachers packing heat in class.
   6. And on a lighter note, I just pictured Darling 1's amazingly patient, kind and loving kindergarten teacher from last year, with a gun strapped to her hip; now that puts class rules in a very different light.
4. Boo Indeed! Sometimes you miss the ugly, prickly weed when looking for the "Green."
   1. I found a write up for a product called, Bambooee, in MN Parent under Hot Stuff/Go Green. It says this about the products on this page, "Ta-ta, toxins! These products eschew chemicals and/or promote reuse!"
   2. So, the Bambooee is apparently an earth-friendly, sustainable, reusable paper towel. The packaging in the photo says, "Reusable Washable Bleachable." BLEACHABLE? Earth-friendly? No Chemicals? Hmmmm.
   3. Sorry, but why would someone who is choosing to use this product; to be earth friendly, with sustainable, organic products want to or choose to use bleach on this natural, organic, sustainable product?
   4. Bleach is a toxic, harmful chemical, and if you introduce it to your natural, organic, sustainable, bamboo towel, then you're missing the point. I have a better product for you anyway...talk to me {cough, Norwex, cough}
5. Check Your Sources. OK, I am going to expand on this one in another post, but this issue warrants a quick mention here too.
   1. Please check the accuracy and the source of the information you post, Like and share on social media sites. I have noticed an increase in false information and misattributed, made up quotes zipping around on Facebook lately. It's a good rule of thumb to do a quick search to ensure that you are passing good and true information, before you click it out to your hundreds of friends and/or fans.
6. Loose Lips Sink Ships. And along those same lines, not every conversation or thought or situation should be retold or discussed or mentioned on social media sites.
   1. Some things should be left to the imagination; some things should remain confidential; and sometimes "it just wouldn't be prudent" to post every last detail.
   2. So, let your gut instinct be your gauge, but if your gut tells you everything is fair game; then, let's say,
      1. if it's about someone else, especially if you are in any way related or work together;
      2. if it's not nice or puts that person in a bad light;
      3. if there is a contract of any kind involved;
      4. if it sounds like it could be from a red neck reality show
   3. don't post it at all. Instead, call your mom, your spouse, your sibling or best friend and get it off your chest by sharing it with one person rather the 348 of your closest FB friends.

Over and out....

Anna

 

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God is with Us {Always and Everywhere}

5 Things Yo Ass Should Know {Distracted Ridin’}

On a recent late afternoon, Darling 1 and I made our way through early evening traffic. It was stop and go and stop and go. On one of the stops, an SUV behind me caught my attention in my rearview mirror. It appeared that she wasn't stopping.

I still had some room in front of me. I eased forward and pumped my brakes a couple of times to get the driver's attention. She finally came to a hard stop behind me.

I could see her face; she looked flustered while trying to appear unflustered, as if she meant to stop at the last second. Then, I watched her look back down at something in her hand and smile and then peck a message back, look up, look down and smile again.

This texting conversation kept up for many stops and goes on the crosstown even after she almost ran smack into me.

While stopped, I locked my eyes on her and when she looked up I mouthed, "Put Your Phone Down!" She didn't, but she looked a little shaken that I would dare to say something to her. Eventually, she exited, still pecking away at her phone.

My 6 year old son suggested I make a sign that I can hold up when I see someone texting or talking while driving that says, "PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN!" I think this is not a bad idea, but one that might get me shot.

Regardless, this incident has warranted a list of 5 things "yo ass should know" about driving safely without distraction, especially during this time of year when the streets get slick and the night comes so early:

1. Simply Put Your Phone Down (how many times are you going to make me say it?)
2. Texting while driving is a crime in a number of states and cities; don't break the law;
3. In the areas that it's not a crime to text or talk while driving, it's is a crime to negligently operate a vehicle and/or injure and/or kill a person;
4. Committing such a crime can and will result in a criminal prosecution and imprisonment; and
5. You don't get to use your car or your phone in prison.

So, please don't ruin your life or the life of someone else. Phone Down Eyes UP; it's that simple.

Oh, and an explanation on the change of the title of this series for this week is warranted. Thanks, to Jen from Life with Levi, I came across Gizoogle.net; a websites that parodies any article. Give it a shot. Just put in www.motherlylaw.com or another blog site and see what happens.

Anyway, Gizoogle.net turned 5 Things You Should Know into 5 Things Yo Ass Should Know. This made me and Will laugh; as did many other of the "translations" Gizoogle made in my articles. I thought it would grab your attention and this is a very important issue – TEXTING/TALKING WHILE DRIVING KILLS! Over and out...

Anna

5 Things You Should Know {Distracted Driving Etiquette}

If you stop by here often, you know that I am quite passionate about the topic of distracted driving. And by distracted driving I'm mean anything that takes your eyes and mind off the road.

I do realize that we can't take every distraction away, especially if there are kids riding behind your seat in your vehicle, but there are a number of distractions you can eliminate. Primarily, I'm talking about your cell phone.

Here are my very simple rules of distracted driving etiquette for those bent on using the phone while driving.

1. Get out of the way: Should you decide you simply must answer/make a call, send/receive a text or continue a conversation that started prior to starting your car and driving off, please move to the slower lane of traffic (since you won't be able to keep up with the flow of traffic since your mind is not on the road), then think better of what you are doing and proceed onto the shoulder of the highway and put on your flashing lights, turn into a parking lot and stop your vehicle or get off the phone;
2. Ask first: If you have a guest in your vehicle with you, including your mom, your spouse, your kids, your BFF or anyone else who is living, please ask that person if it's alright with them if you take their lives into your (very dangerous) hands by talking/texting while you drive them around, and then think better of it and don't pick up the phone at all while the vehicle is in D.
3. Be Polite: If you don't want to offend aforementioned BFF or your boss or a client by not answering your phone at all times day or night, while driving or not, then answer it....that is, with an automated message system that alerts the caller that you are safely driving at the moment and will most certainly call back when you have stopped your vehicle....not at a stop sign or red light or while stuck in traffic, but when you reach your destination or pull over and put your car in P.
4. Be Tech Savvy. Get a Smartphone so that you can be contacted by phone, text, Twitter, Facebook, email, Skype, etc. This way you will know if there is a real emergency because your phone will buzz and ding, and ring and vibrate, repeatedly. With this kind of emergency, you should definitely answer the phone...after you have pulled off the road and put your car in P, that is. You certainly wouldn't want to receive shocking news of any kind while operating your vehicle, right?
5. Focus on the Here and Now. Be present in the moment, which does not mean talking and texting to every family member and friend from the time it takes you to drive from home to the nearest Target. This means to relish the silence, if alone in the vehicle, chat with your kids or spouse who are actually riding with you in the vehicle, listen to the radio, maybe even put the window down and let the breeze whip your hair around.

So, what I'm saying is...Phone Down, Eyes Up Saves Lives!

Consider this a challenge from me to you. If you already practice safe driving techniques by not using your phone while operating a vehicle, challenge someone you know to do it too. We are still vulnerable on the roads, if others are driving with distractions! Over and out...

Anna

Why I {Hate} the Ice Cream Truck

That Old Familiar Tune

At first the sound blends into the other sounds in the neighborhood; car engines, kids playing in yards, a mower; birds singing. But the closer it gets, the sound is undeniable; completely recognizable to anyone over 12 months old; the soft, persistent tinkling of a tune.

It brings back childhood memories for most adults; it's synonymous with hot days, sprinklers and summer vacation; it's the ice cream truck.

And I've grown to hate that strained, relentless music; that herald calling all children, everything within earshot to come running with little fistfuls of money; running without care; running for that chance to buy a cold, sweet treat from some stranger slowly, methodically driving up and down the neighborhood streets.

So, call me a wet blanket, a downer, a killjoy or any other name, but ice cream trucks have long left a bad taste in my mouth.

Even as a young child, I can recall hearing the little tune playing, running to get my money, running outside to the street, buying my sweet confection, realizing my brother didn't have enough for his bomb pop, running back to the house, getting more money from my stash, running back out to the ice cream truck and skinning my finger in my haste to get him the money before the truck pulled away from the curb.

Ever since that incident when I was 10.5 years old, I have wondered about the whole concept of ice cream trucks. OK, so I've always been keen on safety issues, but often for good reason. You may recall my article from last October, posted on my birthday, about the day I hit a kid with my car, all because of an ice cream truck. No? Well, then you should definitely read it right after you read this one.

Regulation of the Ice Cream Truck

With my kids now at the age that their first reactions to the strained music teasingly, tantalizingly weaving in and out of proximity is to grab a fist of money and run towards the street I started thinking about the whole Idea of ice cream trucks and the regulations holding them in check.

Here's what I found. Most ice cream trucks are regulated at the local level of government whether by city by their particular ordinances or by the county. Many of the cities and counties have a licensing fee and inspection process. But what surprised me most was that most of the inspection/licensing processes had nothing to do with driving records, criminal records or safety training.

In fact, I found no regulations providing restrictions or guidance on when and where to stop, vehicle speeds or any safety measures for that matter.

Tucson, AZ, requires the drivers to be fingerprinted and Massachusetts requires both a state and local license with a number of restrictions in place. Parts of OH have tightened restrictions and requirements amid concerns of drug dealing along with peddling ice cream treats and ensure the drivers are not sexual predators with past convictions, etc.

I did find a local regulation for Arlington, TX, that gave suggestions for taking care that children didn't walk out into oncoming traffic and requirements that signs warning drivers to watch for children be placed on the front and rear of the vehicle in addition to flashing caution lights, etc. These are standard requirements and warnings, but it's more than some regulations require.

The Scoop

So, what's a parent to do? Be careful and take precautions. Be sure your kids know to NEVER run out into the street, not even when there is ice cream to be had. Be sure your kids understand the dangers, and that kids do get hit and can get killed. I know. I hit a child with my car after the child dashed out from around the ice cream truck without ever looking; without ever stopping.

On a recent late afternoon when all four of us happened to be out in our front yard working on some project, I looked up and saw the ice cream van – as many of them actually are in our neighborhood – slowly driving up our street, miraculously without music playing. But then, he spied our kids in the yard and flipped the switch on. The kids, upon hearing that old, familiar tune, immediately looked up with a grin, began running toward the street. Now, mind you, my kids have never had ice cream bought from a street prowling vendor, and yet this is still their reaction.

I caught the driver's eye and waved him on. He flipped the switch back off and continued trolling the streets for eager kids with money. Over and out...

*Don't worry no ice cream was withheld from the children of the perhaps {overly} cautious parent. We just prefer to get our frozen confections from the nearby Mexican market or the local DQ.

Anna

Are We There Yet? {Distracted Driving Update}

I just returned from three weeks on the road. My Darlings boys and I struck out late in June Texas bound. We covered 7 states in those 3 weeks and all in all spent 6 days in the car.

That's a lot of miles, which translates to a lot of hours, especially when you've got 2 youngsters that are pre-disposed to becoming stir-crazy, cranksters with teeny, tiny blatters if we don't stop and get out of the car about every two hours.

To fill their time, they got to watch movie after movie while sipping on cold drinks and lazily snacking on their favorite foods and had the option of reading their favorite books, drawing, playing with their toys and gazing out the window at the ever-changing terrain. I, their unpaid driver, got no such break.

I sat behind the wheel of an over-packed minivan, deftly handing out drinks and snacks and settling sibling quarrels without taking my eyes from the road, listening to my Shania Twain for hours on end rather than mindlessly shuffle through the endless small town radio stations throughout the High Plains, and I drank bottles of water to stay alert for the 8 to 11 hours of driving of each leg of the trip.

What I did not do is talk on the phone. I have found these long summer road trips to be the hardest times to not pick up my phone and start dialing. After all, I'm just sitting there hurdling down long, sometimes lonely stretches of highway. I could be making contact with people, checking things off my lists, etc. Instead, my resolve and my kids kept me honest.

I did see some people talking and driving. They weren't hard to spot. Generally, these drivers weren't using cruise control; they weren't going along at an even speed, but rather slowing down and speeding up at various intervals; they weren't focused on the other cars passing them or coming up behind them; but were instead floating along in bubbles of their own conversations.

Using phones while driving is second nature to many, but any habit can be broken. And that is exactly what drivers in some states will have to do in order to avoid paying higher fines and receiving stiffer penalties. But will hitting drivers in the wallet hurt enough to make a difference?

Well, that is exactly what California, New Jersey and Connecticut are hoping to do with new legislation.

Connecticut has increased fines for drivers using handheld phones and/or texting while driving. The fines for the 1st offense went from $100 to $125; $150 to $250 for the 2nd offense; and $200 to $400 for the 3rd offense and any other ensuing citations.

New Jersey has long been more aggressive than many states in attempting to curtail phone use while driving. In its latest attempt, the NJ Senate Law and Public Safety Committee recently approved a measure that would increase penalties for using handheld phones for talking and/or texting while driving involving raising fines and after 3 violations even suspending the offending driver's license.

California's law bans drivers from using handheld devices while operating a vehicle, but the fine, even the proposed increase, is barely a slap on the wrist with the fine being $10 for a 1st offense and $50 for a 2nd offense at this time and raising the penalty by only $10 to $20 dollars more. That will not stop people from talking and texting!

A few other states have new legislation too. At least one is banning handheld devices and texting for the first time. Idaho's no texting law took effect on July 1st as a primary enforcement offense; meaning that an officer needs no other reason to stop a vehicle if texting is suspected.

But do stricter penalties work? Do those who would break the law and continue to use handheld devices and/or text mind paying fines; or will they continue to use their phones at the risk of taking a hit in the wallet?

I'm not sure what the answer is, but I do know this: dying is a very real possibility if you continue to talk and/or text while driving; and death is a very permanent and harsh penalty to pay for such an unimportant and trivial activity.

Over and out...    

Anna

Poor Sense{r} of Judgment: Distracted by Self Preservation

Split Second Decisions

When faced with a decision to do the right thing or run, which would you do? Do you know?

It's easy to judge when you aren't in that situation. It's easy to say you'd never do that and how could she not know. But none of us were there; she alone was there.

And now a group of unbiased citizens have determined as best they could what happened that night and that her actions were criminal.

Lapse in Judgment

I'm talking about Amy Senser, the privileged wife of former Vikings star, Joe Senser.

What is undisputed is that late last summer she was driving her Mercedes-Benz SUV and in the dark of night struck and killed Anousone Phanthavong, a Thai Chef, on an exit ramp on I-94 in Minneapolis. Anousone was putting gas in his stalled car at the time. Senser's vehicle was heavily damaged from the impact, which is also undisputed.

Senser claims she didn't know she hit a person. She maintains she thought she had hit a large pothole or construction barrel or other construction debris in the area.

There are many sketchy details from the time surrounding the accident. She had been on the way to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul to pick up her daughters and their friends from a concert, but she claims she became ill and called her husband and asked him to pick them up instead. She was apparently heading back home at the time of the accident.

Regardless of these facts, disputed or undisputed there remains two families forever altered. One family has lost a loved one forever; a life cut tragically short. The other family is left without a mother or wife at least for a while.

Everyone Loses

No matter how you look at this situation it's sad.

We can't know exactly what happened in those minutes leading to the death of Anousone. We don't know if Senser had been drinking; was heavily medicated due to a sinus infection and migraine; was looking at or using her phone; or simply negligent in operation of her vehicle and selfish in her decision to "save" herself by fleeing the scene.

Senser was found guilty of two counts of criminal vehicular homicide: failing to immediately call for help and leaving the scene of an accident. One of the questions the jury considered was whether a reasonable person would have pulled over to investigate what she had hit and check the damage of her vehicle. They decided that a reasonable person would have done that.

Why didn't Senser stop? Did she have something to hide? Was she intoxicated? We may never know the answers to these questions.

The Scoop

Once again, this case serves as a reminder that we can't be too careful while operating our heavy metal vehicles. It only takes a split second to destroy the lives of others and ourselves.

Senser will be sentenced in July; the convictions call for 4 years in prison. Had she made just a few different decisions on that evening Senser wouldn't have been on that exit ramp or had she simply pulled over and check out what she had hit and called authorities immediately, the outcome could have been very different for everyone.

Life happens in the blink of an eye. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the events of that August evening. Over and out...

Anna

Life is Fragile: An Instant of Distraction {Distracted Driving}

Gone in an Instant

Life is fragile. It's not just a matter of life and death, but also freedom and imprisonment. The life we have can be changed in an instant; in an instant of misjudgment; in an instant of distraction; in an instant of tragedy.

Over the past two years I have discussed distracted driving. I take a hard line stance on the matter; it's no secret. I am more passionate about this issue the more I read, research and write on the subject.

It's difficult not to feel this way when so many lives have been lost, broken and forever changed by another's careless decision. I have mostly focused on distraction by cell phone, but a person can be distracted by passengers in the car, food or drink being consumed, multitasking, an illness, medication taken, etc.

There are two specific cases that have been on my mind most recently. While the accidents occurred in the the last year, the cases have finally made their way to the courtroom.

Youth

When you are young, you live in the here and now. Your life is spread out before you. You have plans right now. You don't dwell on the what ifs and the might have beens. You simply live each moment; and now with technology at our fingertips wherever you go, it's easy to stay connected...always.

Tragic Circumstances

Last fall, sixteen year-old, Rachel Gannon, was driving her car in Platte City, MO, when she swerved into the path of an oncoming car driven by Loretta Larimer. Ms. Larimer had to be cut from her vehicle and later died at the hospital. There was also a 10 year-old girl in the backseat of Loretta's vehicle who was injured in the crash.

Police reports say that Rachel had been looking at her phone and texting when she drove off the road. She then overcorrected, which caused her to swerve into Ms. Larimer's path.

Rachel has been charged with manslaughter and assault and texting while driving. While a date has not been set for trial yet, Rachel will stand trial as an adult. If found guilty of these charges, Rachel could be sentenced up to four years in prison.

While this tragic accident has been very difficult on Ms. Larimer's family, two of her sons have said they don't want to see Rachel go to prison. "Enough lives have been ruined and shattered. We certainly don't want to ruin any young person's life," said John Larimer in an article on KMBC.com

The family would rather see Rachel sentenced to community service; have her out speaking to people about the senseless death of Ms. Larimer and the dangers caused by those who use their phones while driving.

This is a merciful and insightful approach for Ms. Larimer's family to take. I'm not sure if the court will see it their way, but with Ms. Larimer's sons' endorsement, Rachel just might stay out of prison and begin a new life; a life with a new purpose and an important message.

Too Many Stories

One of the tragedies of this story is that there are far too many of them just like this one. The facts may vary a bit; perhaps a whole family was killed; perhaps the distracted texter was the one killed; or maybe all escaped major injury or death, but time after time I see the headlines detailing an accident caused by a texting teen.

While some drivers of all ages do text while driving, statistics show that the age group most likely to text while driving are our youngest, most inexperienced drivers. This is not just a problem for teens and their parents though. This is a problem for all of us.

Those of us with small children must begin teaching them by example now by not using our phones {at all} while we drive. Parents of tweens and teens must be ever vigilant in their plight against distracted driving whether it's caused by too many giggling, rambunctious teens in the vehicle, texting and driving or other distraction for the most inexperienced drivers. And the rest of the community must be supportive of the message that using the cell phone while driving is dangerous and does kill.

The Scoop

This is not just a question of laws; whether there are any and what the law prohibits, but a community response to a real and growing issue among our young drivers. What action are you going take?

The other case involving a driver's misjudgment and apparent distraction is completely different from this one. And I'll tell you about that one tomorrow. Over and out...

Anna

The View from the Passenger’s Seat: Distracted Driving {On a Soapbox}

Dallas Morning Traffic

As we sped along in the Dallas morning traffic, my mom noticed that he seemed to be texting. I was seated directly behind him and couldn't see his phone. She spoke up; prompted by all the information she's absorbed from Motherly Law over the last two years.

She kindly, but firmly explained {our} strict no phone use while driving policy. She told him I'd been on a national panel on distracted driving; I had done research; I'd written articles; and we were serious. He said he wasn't texting. He seemed surprised by our hard line stance. He said he wouldn't use it.

He still answered the phone and then placed a quick call while he drove on the highway. He wasn't even using a hands-free device; not that it matters to me. My rule is NO PHONES while DRIVING...Period. Later, he fussed and fiddled with his GPS mechanism that had stopped working en route to my destination.

I didn't say anything after our first explanation of no phones while driving. All the while I was wrestling with myself as to what to say; what to do. Here I was a passenger in a vehicle where the driver was using his handheld phone, texting or checking email or something that looked like that, messing with his GPS settings, and I felt trapped.

Paying Passenger

Here's the part that really bothered me; I was in a taxi. I was paying this person to drive me. Shouldn't I be able to tell him if I didn't like the way he was driving if he was being reckless or distracted; driving too fast or going out of the way or missing a turn, etc.?

I'm not speaking about legal issues here. Civil and criminal negligence involving a crash and injuries or death are one thing and laws cover those issues. What I'm pondering is while riding as a passenger is it considered rude or overstepping to tell a paid driver whether or not he can use the phone while driving me?

Part of me says absolutely not. I have a right to be safe while in a vehicle regardless of who is driving. In fact, part of me says that I have even more right to tell him how to drive since I'm paying him to drive me. The other part of me doesn't want to anger the stranger driving me by having strict rules regarding his driving habits.

By the by, in the end, I had to use my GPS on my phone to direct him to my destination since his GPS locked up. I felt safer and in control; two things I like.

Federal Government's Crusade

Incidentally, on Thursday the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed guidelines for vehicle manufacturers that would aid in their development of electronic devices and in-vehicle technology; helping to balance what the consumers want with sufficient safety.

These guidelines also suggest disabling a number of the electronic devices available while the vehicle is in motion with exception to passenger devices or those that can't be reached or viewed by the driver, including "visual-manual text messaging, Internet and social media browsing, 10-digit phone dialing, navigation system destination entries by address and displaying more than 30 characters of text unrelated to the driving task."

While these proposed guidelines are voluntary, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a coalition of 12 car and light truck manufacturers, helped craft these guidelines and are not expected to be burdensome to the manufacturers.

If you have an opinion regarding these proposed guidelines published in the Federal Register, the public has 60 days to comment before public hearings are held in D.C., L.A. and Chicago to discuss the proposed guidelines.

U.S. Transportation Sec. LaHood has been on a crusade for the last several years, as have I, to raise awareness to the reckless, needless tragedy of distracted driving. Over 3000 people died in 2010 as a result of distracted driving. President Obama has called for $330 million over 6 years to aid distracted driving awareness programs.

The Scoop

It's my position that while this is an extremely important issue it shouldn't take a single dime to convince drivers to do the right thing; the thing that saves lives; lives that could be theirs or their families' lives. That is, simply put the phone away while driving. Nothing is more important than a life. These are words I have repeated over and over in the last two years, and I stand by them. Words to live {& not die} by: Phone Down, Eyes Up! Enough Said.

Psst! Grab my Phone Down, Eyes Up Button {copy the code under the distracted driving button on the top right column and put it on your blog/website} and check out the links to all my distracted driving posts from the past two years, plus my 2012 Phone Down Eyes Up Challenge. Thanks for your support. Over and out...

Anna

The Decision of a Life or Two or Three: What You Need to Know about Organ Donation

Checking the Box

It's not something I often think about, but every four years I briefly ponder it. It may or may not actually ever affect me, but should something happen to me or my loved ones, it will supply the clear answer to a very pressing question. The answer is a five letter word. What is this word I speak of?

On my driver's license there is a small red-lettered word. It is "Donor." It's been on my driver's license for years now when I had license issued from Texas, then Oklahoma, then Iowa and now Minnesota. It's something that as a young, teenage driver I barely thought about; honestly, the whole I idea of donating my organs was freakish to me back then.

In fact, I did not check the box for the 1^st or 2^nd license issued to me. But as I aged and gained wisdom and life experience I realized the importance of providing the gift of life, if possible.

Saving Lives

The stories are too many and all far too tragic of those who wait on the never-ending lists of organ donation. A few people are able to find matches among friends, family or strangers, but so many depend upon someone else losing a life in order to gain their lives back.

As joyous as it is for one family knowing that a loved one is being given a renewed and sustained life with the help of another's undamaged organ, it's equally devastating for someone else's family because one's gain is another loss. It's a cruel twist of fate. And yet, I imagine it can be comforting knowing that some part of their loved one is still living.

The statistics surrounding organ donation are astounding. Here are a few of them:

• 18 people will die each day waiting for an organ;
• 1 donor can save up to 8 lives;
• An avg. of 79 people receive organ donations each day;
• In 2010, 62% of living donors were women;
• In 2010, 67% of all deceased donors were White, 16% were Black, 13% were Hispanic and 2.3% were Asian

From the U.S. Govt. Information on Organ and Tissue Donation and Transportation website.

Clear Choices

Of course, there are also laws and regulations that control when and how organs can be donated. The Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 2006 made it possible for more people to be donors by allowing more family members to make such a decision when the patient can no longer do so. The RUAGA also explicitly says that no one can revoke the expressed decision to be an organ donor other than the patient. And the RUAGA provides for an organ donor registry through driver's licenses and donor cards in an attempt to increase organ donations.'

However, in doing so, the Act actually creates a conflict of interest. If a person has a donor card/driver's license designating him or her as a donor, but also has a signed directive expressly setting out end-of-life care, the donor card trumps the directive.

Organs must be "kept alive" as long as possible to continue to be viable until a transplant can be accomplished. Therefore, the Act has created this ethical issue regarding life support and "Do Not Resuscitate" orders and other medical care issues.

In 2008, the Commissioners of this Act did add revised wording to this section in an attempt to work out the kinks and resolve this problematic issue.

"Under this revised wording, if there is a conflict between the express wishes for end-of-life care and maintaining the viability of an organ for transplant, the patient-donor and the physician must confer to resolve that conflict. If the patient is incapacitated (a most likely scenario), then a patient's agent, if there is one and if "reasonably available," must resolve the conflict. Otherwise, "another person authorized by law other than" the UAGA will be asked to make that decision."

Section 21 of the RUAGA (2008).

This process must be accomplished as quickly as possible and the medical care of the patient will continue during this time to ensure medical suitability for the organs should they donated. This revised wording would seem to fix the problem, but many states that enacted the 2006 version of the UAGA have not enacted this language. {Note: Not every state has enacted the 2006 version either though.} 

This distinction is relevant only to those who have advance directives in place. If a person hasn't expressed end-of-life care wishes in a signed, notarized document, but has chosen to be a donor those are the wishes that will be honored. If a person has neither an advance directive nor a donor card, the person's agent or person designated in the RUAGA (a spouse, adult siblings, parents, adult children and grandparents) can make the final decision.

This information is not meant to discourage you from choosing to donate, rather I mean to make you aware of the issues surrounding these choices that can be discussed with loved ones, included in any advance directives and resolved before there is a need for an expeditious decision in the midst of emotion. Clarifying one's end-of-life choices is kind and considerate.

The Scoop

I, for one, do have "Donor" on my license and my loved ones know that's my choice. I always think about how I would feel as a mom if one of my boys needed an organ or tissue from a stranger and this was the only way to save his life, then I'd be praying that everyone was choosing to donate. Over and out...

Anna

Expensive Plastic: Tips for Recycling Car Seats {Not Buying/Selling Used}

Finding the One

It took me a while to get it right when it came to car seats for my Darlings. In the last 5.5 years we have had 7 car seats/boosters between our 2 children. I resisted spending the money on a Britax in the beginning. I shouldn't have because in the end I spent more money buying multiple car seats before relinquishing and buying the Britax (s) that I loved.

I learned my lesson. When it comes to car seats and shoes, I should just spend the money and I won't regret it {I'd love to buy my kids cheap shoes, but they both have extra wide feet that just don't fit in cheap shoes}.

But before I learned my lesson I dabbled in less expensive, less cooperative, less comfortable, less ease on the part of the mommy car seats. So, this meant in the end I had more car seats to get rid of too.

Don't Buy/Sell Used

Now, car seats should never be re-used, unless it was first used by your own older child or a close relative or friend and you know exactly what conditions it has had to withstand, how it has been used, whether it was in any kind of accident and how long it has been used. One should not shop for car seats on ebay or craigslist or other online ads site for used items.

You simply can't know the conditions the car seat endured prior to you acquiring the used car seat. Even if it looks like it's in perfect condition, it could have been in a car that was involved in an accident and be damaged or weakened in a way that you can't readily see.

Additionally, car seats should not be used longer than 5 years from the date manufactured, which can be found stamped onto the car seat. After 5 years, the plastic and belts may begin to break down due to extreme temperatures in vehicles, repeated use, etc.

Therefore, a car seat is something that you should neither buy used nor sell used. It's just not wise for either party to do so. There are other baby items that are fine to buy used, but not car seats. Your child is much too precious cargo to gamble with his or her safety while riding in the car.

Disposing of Car Seats

So, how should you dispose of the old or outgrown car seats? A family will at the least likely have an infant seat and an additional base, a rear facing/forward facing child seat or two and a booster seat or two, depending on the number of cars in the family, the number and spacing of children in the family and the family's commute schedule.

When I went to the fire station to have Darling 1's infant seat tested to ensure we had it securely placed and fastened, I distinctly remember the fireman telling me to cut the straps before I put the car seat out with the trash when we were finished using it. And this is what we have done when disposing of the first few.

However, I recently read an article in Parents on recycling car seats. No, I don't mean for you to make a planter out of the seat, although my Darling Boys have been using our old Britax car seats for rocket blaster seats for a while now. What I mean is that there are a number of states with locations, agencies and organizations that will take the seats and recycle the plastic.

Parents magazine mentions a website that actually doesn't list this information, but I found a "list" of sorts that does list recycling information for a number of states. The list is actually a forum of parents weighing in from various cities and states with their area's information, but the information is good and the best, most comprehensive information I could find listed in one place. You can also check with your waste disposal company or city and/or state government offices to find out if your area recycles car seats.

The Scoop

However, again, it's important to remember that if you do put your old car seat/booster seat out on your curb or in your dumpster {in the garbage or to be recycled}, you should cut the straps and/or remove the padding. This will prevent someone from picking it up for their own use. Do this especially if the car seat has been damaged in some way, whether in a car accident or otherwise.

You don't want someone else's child to be injured after using your used car seat. While this is a long shot, there could be liability issues, and unless you are an expert, you may not realize that your seat is too old or is damaged. Over and out...

Anna

Anna the Enforcer: PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN {2012 Distracted Driving Challenge}

A New Job

A few months ago, Darling 1 and I were out running errands. I was pulling out of a parking lot when a car almost backed into my vehicle. I honked, and I stared at the rearview mirrors to get a good look at the driver. That's when I saw it. The driver was too busy talking on the phone to notice that my vehicle was directly behind hers when she started backing up; she was a Distracted Driver.

At this point, she had backed out and was now directly behind me. I slowed down and glared at her via the side mirror and then slowly proceeded to the corner. All the while, Darling 1 was aware what was going on. When I got to the corner, I stopped and intended to turn right. The woman who nearly backed into me intended to turn left; therefore, at the stop sign she was directly next to my car.

I looked straight at her, as she continued chatting away into her handheld phone. She was looking at me when I slowly and firmly said the words, "Put Your Phone Down!" to her through my rolled-up window. She saw me and gave me a completely shocked look. Then, I turned the corner.

At this point, Darling 1 said to me, "I think you need a new job, Mom." I said, "Oh yeah, what kind of job should I have?" to which Darling 1 responded. "I think you should a policeman." And I said, "Why is that?" and he said, "Because you have a big mean voice to tell people what to do."

The Absence of Distracted Driving Laws

I suppose I had sounded like a policeman, saying, "Put Your Phone Down" in a loud, authoritative voice, but it made me laugh. And yet, I am quite good at enforcing laws and rules; and I have always been very authoritative {just ask my brother}. In fact, I'm quite certain I'd do a good job enforcing a no phone use while driving policy.

However, I'm afraid that is one law that will never be passed and enforced. I don't think that we will ever see the day that all cell phones, both handheld and hands free are banned while driving in every state.

We are too connected to our technology; too convinced that we have to multi-task while doing anything and everything. We have persuaded ourselves that we are safe; we are able to focus on the road and the conversation; we are invincible. And lawmakers recognize this fact. It is my personal opinion that lawmakers themselves don't want to be held to such a standard as they race from location to location, meeting to meeting and "need" to use the phone while driving.

{No} Common Sense Safety

For me, this is not about a law. This is about common sense; this is about safety for ourselves, our families and strangers we come in close contact with on roadways. Why should we have to have a law to tell us to do the safe and reasonable thing?

Well, we had to have laws that tell us that we can't exceed certain speeds; we had to have laws that tell us we must wear seatbelts to protect us from injuries if there is an accident; we had to have laws that tell us to securely buckle our babies and young children into car seats and now booster seats; and we had to have laws that tell us that we can't drive while intoxicated. Clearly, we aren't capable of protecting ourselves from danger without laws to regulate our activity.

Interestingly enough, TX Gov. Rick Perry vetoed a bill last summer that would have banned texting in the state of TX. His reason for the veto: a law banning texting while driving would be micromanaging the behavior of adults; something he didn't want to do.

Pardon me if I don't see the difference between banning texting while driving and forcing drivers and passengers to use a seat belt while in the vehicle or limiting the speed of a vehicle or the amount of alcohol in one's bloodstream when it comes to driving. If it's micromanaging, so be it; apparently, that's what we need to be safer drivers.

When it comes to driving a vehicle on public roadways, it's not all about the driver. It's about taking care not to injure, cause harm or damage other people or their property. We must be considerate of the laws, but we must also use common sense in the way we operate our vehicles, weighing a ton or more; for our own sakes and for the sakes of others.

Phone Down Eyes Up Button

For those of you who are as serious as I am about distracted driving and putting your phone down and your eyes up on the road, I do now have a button that you can copy the code to place it on your website or blog too. You will notice it just to the upper right hand side with my slogan for this campaign; Phone Down Eyes Up. Thanks to my friends at Black Elephant Studios for creating it for me. If you click on the button, you will be taken to my Phone Down Eyes Up post.

I encourage you to spread the word about the dangers of distracted drivers. I see it over and over on the road; drivers chatting on the phone and driving too slowly, weaving in and out of lanes, not paying attention to the rate of traffic, not seeing a stop sign or a red light or failing to see the vehicle directly behind them as they back up.

The Scoop

Remember, I hit a kid with my car, and I wasn't distracted at all. Although, years ago, one evening while driving home from work and talking to my mom about a troubling issue, I drove 30 minutes south of my exit. When I finally became aware that I wasn't focused on my driving, I realized I had no idea where I was. I was, in fact, miles from home. I had not seen any exits or even noticed any of the cars around me; I had simply been on autopilots for miles upon miles.

This frightened me. And it should frighten you too. We should all be frightened at our often low levels of focus on the road. My 2012 challenge to you? You guessed it: Phone Down Eyes Up. Prove to me, to yourself and everyone you come in contact with on the roadways {and I hate to say it, but prove Gov. Rick Perry right too} that we don't need laws to wizen up and be safe about how and when we use our cell phones.

Tomorrow I will be addressing new distracted driving laws for 2012. Oh, and don't forget to grab the distracted driving button. Over and out...

Anna

New Beginnings: State Laws Taking Effect January 1, 2012

Happy New Year

January 1^st....the start of a new year, a day a big sales at retail giants, the first day of a new diet for many and the day a number of new state laws take effect. January is definitely the month of new beginnings and that rings true for many laws too.

While I haven't surveyed every state, I did take a look at some of the new state laws from around the country. I have highlighted the new laws {or absence of pertinent new laws} that have just taken effect that concern parents, kids and/or families.

While you may think this is unimportant information, take a look; there may be a few that concern you and your family. With almost 40,000 new laws going into effect on January 1, 2012, there must be something that affects you or someone you know.

A Few New State Laws

Minnesota

No news laws that pertain to families. {Let it be noted that it was quite an argumentative year in MN.}

Texas

College students attending school in Texas to get a meningitis vaccine. This law is applicable to all state universities, community colleges and junior colleges. TX is the first state mandate this. The students must have had this vaccine within the last 5 years.

Texas homeowners will be protected from aggressive homeowner associations that try to foreclose on homes based on late dues, fees and fines.

New York

Hookahs, water pipes, and shisha (a product made of primarily tobacco and smoked) shall not be sold to minors.

A new law will strengthen DEC's authority to ban products that contain mercury.

Middle class tax cuts will reduce tax rates on middle to their lowest levels in more than 50 years About 4.4 million middle class taxpayers will receive a total of  $690 million in personal income tax relief.

California

Open carrying of guns is banned;

Children under 8 and those who are too small to wear regular seat belts must use a child safety seat or booster seat.

Florida

The federal government will no longer have a hand in control the Florida school meal programs This will allow the state of Florida to use more Florida-grown fresh fruit and vegetables on school menus.

Illinois

Hotels are now required to be equipped with at least one smoke detector within 15 feet of every room that is used for sleeping purposes. (HB 1398/ PA-97-0447)

Allows local school boards to, if federal grants are available, opt in to a full-year pilot plan if a school is on academic watch status for more than 2 years. Schools that opt in must increase their school calendar by 35 days, and requires students attend a minimum of 215 days. This pilot program affects only schools in Sen. James Meeks' district.

Requires criminal background information on an employee that has been obtained by a school district within the last year to be shared, upon request, with any other school district.

Changes legislation to reflect the current criminal penalty for making a false report of child abuse to DCFS, and updates the required posted warning to reflect that a false report is a Class 4 felony violation.

Allows people in divorce situations to use life insurance as a security for child support and maintenance obligations.

Requires all employees of licensed child care facilities who care for newborns and infants to complete training every 3 years on sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and on the safe sleep recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Requires adult passengers in the back seat of a vehicle to wear a seat belt, and also requires those 18 and younger riding in a taxi cab for school-related purposes to wear a seat belt.

Colorado

Coaches must not allow players as young as 11 to continue playing a sport if a head injury is suspected. In order to return to play, the athletics will be required to have medical clearance. Furthermore, coaches in public and private schools and even volunteer coaches of Little League and Pop Warner football are required to take a free annual online training to learn the symptoms to recognize a concussion.

Delaware

Same-sex couples can now enter into a civil union or domestic partnerships, which give them the same state rights and obligations of those who are married.

The Scoop

Does your state have any new laws worth checking out? I'll be touching base regarding distracted driving issues in this New Year on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Over and out...

Anna

For Traci: Drink Responsibly

The Phone Call

On November 12, 1993, I received a gut wrenching phone call in the early morning hours of that Friday. I was a freshman at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, TX, about a 4.5 hour drive from my family. I was living in the dorm that year and was awakened by the phone ringing.

At first I thought it was my alarm going off, but quickly realized it was still dark and much too early for my summons to wake. I was so out-of-sorts from this abrupt awakening that I didn't even have that feeling of foreboding telling me something was terribly wrong.

A Death in the Family

It was my mother on the line; she was crying. It was hard to make out her words, but I soon understood what she was saying. My cousin, Traci, had been killed the night of November 11^th on the way home from dinner with a friend.

The Crash

She was the passenger in the vehicle. My cousin and her friend were traveling on a small rural highway heading back home and another vehicle on a side road pulled out hitting my cousin broadside. My cousin was killed instantly.

Her friend survived the crash albeit with multiple injuries. The woman driving the vehicle was drunk {and I should add that she did survive and without catastrophic injuries}. This was not the first time she had been caught operating a vehicle while drunk. She shouldn't have been on the road. In fact, I believe her license was suspended at the time of this accident. That woman shouldn't have been there that night....but she was and she took the life of a beautiful person.

Loss of Innocence

Traci was one of the best people I have ever known. She was pure, sweet, funny, thoughtful and very bright. She loved her family and it was her purpose in life to be a "window to God's love." She excelled academically, was very involved in her church, the Salutatorian of her high school, won scholarships, graduated with honors with multiple degrees and had just begun her career as a Process Engineer.

Traci's life was cut tragically short at a very young age. Traci had celebrated her 25^th birthday just 17 days prior to this accident. Her life was just beginning. Ironically, my cousin didn't even drink alcohol and yet it was because of the abuse of alcohol {of another} that she was taken from her friends and family.

All of this happened in a split second. My cousin and her friend were probably chatting and laughing as friends do. I pray that Traci never saw or felt the impact that fractured her skull and took her life. Her friend was knocked unconscious on impact and only later realized the full tragedy that had unfolded.

Interestingly, years later, my cousin and Traci's sister, happened to meet a man who had been a 1^st responder to that accident that claimed the life of Traci. He told my cousin that when he arrived that Traci was deceased and was not suffering. He was able to give my cousin details of the crash that comforted her and the family.

The Scoop

This woman who drank too much and climbed into her vehicle behind the wheel that night never intended to take anyone's life. She didn't contemplate whether she would injure someone; shatter lives; and crush families. She was simply selfish and irresponsible.

I can still hear Traci's voice as she tells a funny story and her happy laughter that follows. Traci was always full of optimism and had a sunny disposition. Her death left a gaping hole in our family.

Our family will never be the same. We will always miss her. To know Traci was to know God's love. While her life was short, without doubt I can say that she did achieve her life's goal.

Don't let this happen to you after a few drinks. Call a cab; call a friend; stay the night; don't go out; be responsible. Over and out....

Anna