Rock Salt and Under the Influence of Kids

Yeah, I know, that's a weird title, but listen Arlington and Seattle...The Washington State Department of Transportation is using rock salt on all of its highways in the mountains and foothills. If they didn't we would still not be able to get to town without a snowmobile, along with hundreds of other mountain towns throughout the state. When there is that much snow, the rock salt is diluted during the melting process, and you aren't left with so much sand and rocks to scratch your car and chip your windshield. This snow event is rare, and should be handled as an emergency situation, not a wait and see, what will the salmon think committee hearing, morning-after quarterbacking situation.

Okay, now that I got that off of my back, ever notice how your kids influence your life, and in the long-run give you a beneficial change? Okay, well it's not that deep, but my daughter's influence has really paid off lately. She has begged me to get involved in her nature and conservation field trips, along with the science fair committee and the Community Science Night committee last year. All of this involvement, has really paid off. I used to volunteer a lot in high school, and was really sweating the volunteer portions of my scholarship and entrance applications. Then a friend pointed out all that the science help at the school was a form of community service. Duh - enlightenment.

She also convinced me to see the Twilight movie, and out of that, I stopped teasing her about the books and Hot Topic. I admit, it was kind of a cool movie, but wasn't enough to move me to read a teeny-bopper book series. I guess after you read and understand Michael Crichton in the tenth grade, your interest in emotional angst fades away to worrying that a bacteria could really mutate and infect the population rather quickly. Yesterday, she convinced us to go to the mall (my trip to Joe's was voted down) and I hit the Bath and Body Works semi-annual sale. I got about $50 worth of products for less than $20! Thanks kiddo!

School starts tomorrow. Wish me luck!