Since we last talked

Since we last talked, here's what's new:
My mom visited from July 18 - 25th - we ate out, shopped and watched lots of movies

Our only 3 year old a/c broke when it was 115 outside, nice, of course warrenty was up

Ben got braces

Weather cooled off below 100 degrees, while the rest of the country is sweltering

Kelly turned 30 in Costa Rica!

I was the MC at a FIRST Robotics event for Microchip - For Inspiration in Research & Technology is a competition where high school kids build robots and the intention is to inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and inventors, started by Dean Kamen the guy who invented the Segway transporter http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/

Ran into old co-workers from what seems like a previous life as a design engineer at Motorola

Trivia with Ben at BW3s, of course

Finished reading: Beasts of No Nation (interesting), Reading Lolita in Tehran (fascinating given current events), Honeymoon by James Patterson (brainless and fun)

Just started Harvesting the Heart - another my Jodi Piccoult

Planned Parenthood Speaker's Bureau meetings started back up - I'm scheduled to give a talk on healthy relationships and communication to at-risk teens next week

Both of my sisters have interviews for new jobs, Ty as a manager at OSU's Planned Parenthood and Court as a social worker at OSU hospital - GOOD LUCK!!

I really want to see the cheesey movie - John Tucker must Die and the Ricky Bobby movie is tempting too

Most important trivial news item: Prince is getting a divorce and closed down his website

Most important Political Rant: The FDA may FINALLY approve PlanB, over the counter, just like they should have years ago!!
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., charged Tuesday that the
battle over the morning-after pill was an attempt by the White House
to inject politics into science.

Seeking to overcome opposition from the Democrats, Dr. Andrew von
Eschenbach, the Bush administration's choice to head the Food and
Drug Administration, pledged that his decisions would be guided
by "medical ideology," not "political ideology."

But Clinton and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said they would not lift
their "hold" on his nomination. Under Senate rules, any member can
indefinitely block, or hold, a nomination.

The focus of the latest fight was the FDA's sudden turnaround Monday
that would allow the sale to women 18 and older, without
prescription, of the so-called Plan B morning-after pill made by
Duramed, a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals.

Planned Parenthood and other groups have argued that Plan B would
cut unwanted pregnancies that lead to abortions, while conservative
critics claim it would promote promiscuity.

At a Senate Health Committee hearing, Clinton praised von
Eschenbach's qualifications but told him he was caught up in a
debate that "has been turned into a political football and you are
on the field."

"Once we start politicizing the FDA, there is no stopping," said
Clinton, who challenged von Eschenbach's claim that women younger
than 18 might not use Plan B safely.

Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the committee's chairman, pleaded with
colleagues to approve the nomination while the FDA and the
manufacturer work out procedures for the sale of Plan B.

But Clinton and Murray refused to budge until they review any FDA-
Duramed agreement.