Oh . . . What a Beautiful Morning!

Beautiful Schweitzer Mountain Resort

Give a fish a stick and it will stay out of the water.

My friends keep posting a video on my Facebook wall where a sheep plays and tries to herd its Border Collie buddies.

I thought that would be neat to post on my blog, but there's no "share" availability, so if you're one of my Facebook friends, you can go look at the adorable scenario. 

The video would have been nice for anyone living in the Northwest because they may need a diversion from the beautiful outdoor scenery this morning. 

It's hard to look away from scenes like those above, but we manage. 

Yup, we've got wet, and lots of it. 

All those paranoics who constantly worry that we're not gonna get enough moisture in the Northwest can calm down.  I do feel sad for the folks up at beautiful Schweitzer because this slop is certainly not good for the ski season. 

Anyway, it's raining.  It's Saturday, and, happily, there's a lot of college basketball to keep us focused on the TV if we want it. 

Speaking of TV, I wish this vaccination controversy  would end. It has seemingly turned into one of the big issues for upcoming Presidential candidates and daycare owners. 

As a measles survivor---yes, I had both the three-day and the red measles in my childhood, I would rather concentrate my efforts on worrying about shingles cuz I also had the chickenpox.

I don't remember being too sick with any of the three, but I do remember that we had the measles when Mrs. Bitterich was our babysitter.  My mother had to work at the time down at Sandpoint Cleaners for Eddie Parkins.

Apparently, even with the measles, we found ways to get into trouble with Mrs. Bitterich, so she called my mother and told her to get a new babysitter. 

At least, that's how I remember it.  

Call me Brian Williams if I've distorted any facts, but that was a whole lot longer ago than 2003, so I think my statute of limitations will protect me from having the family launch a full-scale investigation into the Mrs. Bitterich facts.

Okay, back to measles.  Why do I want the issue to end?

I'm sick and tired of watching people give shots on TV.  It's bad enough when, during flu season, they show all those needles poking their way into some poor victims' arms, but now the measles outbreak has caused those TV vaccinations to increase in daily frequency.

The minute I see that gentle swab of cotton with alcohol hit the skin, I look away, hopefully long enough to miss the whole needle prick and stick. 

As one who runs away from needles and who literally had to be tracked down back in the fall of 1969 when I was a first-year teacher to have a needle go into my arm to determine if I had tuberculosis, I cannot emphasize enough how repulsed I get watching anyone administer a shot, even a veterinarian poking a horse. 

So, I have a definite opinion about whether to vaccinate or not.  Go ahead and do it, but please not on television.  And, those of you who keep the controversy going, think of the poor, wussy saps like me who have to suffer so much while the television visuals keep the issue alive and well in our living rooms while we're trying to watch the news.

By the way, I don't watch NBC news, but I do admit turning over from CBS last night to see if Brian was still reporting.  He was.

Interestingly, this morning's Spokesman had an AP article about the Brian Williams case, where a journalism ethics expert from the Poynter Institute was interviewed.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/feb/07/nbc-internal-probe-inquires-anchors-iraq-katrina/

Turned out to be Kelly McBride who wrote for the Spokesman  during the time I was freelancing.  She's also a ZAGS grad. Pretty neat.  More about Kelly:  http://kellymcbride.com/about-kelly/

Guess that's enough babble for this rainy, rainy day.  We'll find our sunshine in other places than outside today, and let's hope the day ends on a really BRIGHT note with the ZAGS taking another victory in San Francisco.  

GO ZAGS!  Stay dry.  Happy Saturday.