My kid hates taking amoxicilin. And I can't blame him. The stuff is nasty, even with the flavoring they add now. We have had two rounds of taking this vile stuff. And every time he refused, I felt like a terrible parent because the end result was us holding him down and forcing him to take it. I know we aren't the only ones, but it still makes you feel pretty shitty.
And then suddenly, about halfway through this last round, he changed his mind. He started taking it with no complaints, no juice chaser, nothing. I don't understand it. But I am going with it. The mind of a three year old baffles me.
Now to more fun things besides toddler antibiotic torture ...
I have two friends that are single. One is older than me, and one is younger than me. Both are beautiful and smart and funny. I really can't see why they haven't been snapped up. And then one day not long ago, after hearing a horror story from one, I realized what it was. And what they both have in common is the problem.
See, they both have their shit together. They own homes and cars. They have held decent corporate jobs with 401ks. They have lives that they are fully capable of managing without a man to do it for them. Not that they don't want a man ... husband, family, etc. They just aren't gonna put their lives on hold waiting for that to happen.
And that's the problem. Because I have decided that no matter what a man says, he wants a needy, jealous, possibly financially incapable woman to take care of. These two women scare the shit out of them. They are intimidating. They also speak their minds and don't take any bullshit. Most men are just not capable of handling this. Oh, they say they are. And they try to be. But I really think that after a few dates, their brains just can't process it. And so they make up drama and ridiculous stuff just to try to get these two to show them the crazy. And when it doesn't happen? They are at a loss. And so they move on. It's kinda funny actually.
But it's also really pissing me off. Surely there are two sane men in this world that can take on these two women. I believe there has to be. So where are you guys? Hurry up already!
What else is new in the land of Eville? Well, The Minion's new favorite hobby is to shove his finger up his nose (I swear he's got to be touching brain) and loudly proclaim that he is digging for gold. Funny in private. Mortifying in public.
We have an ancient, blind and meaner than ever weenie dog that likes to bite EVERYTHING that gets near her. And another not quite as ancient weenie dog with only one (partially) functioning kidney. The fun never ends in this house. It's a non-stop regimen of medicines, special foods, administering fluids, etc. And every time I turn around someone has peed or pooed somewhere new. The other day I realized that my life had gone from irritation at finding such a mess to just plain old acceptance. And even happiness when they actually use a pee pad. Such is the joy of elderly dog ownership. And yet, I love them more than should even be possible. It's a conundrum.
I've become a firm believer in the karma train, and I am keeping a list of the people that I look forward to seeing it run over. The day can't come soon enough. Partly because I want them to recognize what shitty humans they are. And partly because I am just petty and vindictive enough, and can hold a grudge enough, to want to have my moment to relish their karmic misfortune.
The Minion has several favorite topics of conversation, and one of them is the penis. He will name off all males he knows and inform anyone listening that they have a penis. Generally he's content to say that Mama does not, but when he mentions the dog, he says that she doesn't have one, she has a hole. Which I find equally hilarious and horrifying. Being just enough of a Southern prude to not want to use certain words, I don't really have names for body parts. Especially THOSE parts. So I don't really know what to say to him and I just let it go. I realize eventually we need to have that conversation, but I am going with the ignore it and it doesn't exist method for as long as possible.
Now, I don't claim to be a super religious person, but we do make an effort to go to church every week. We don't always make it, but we are good for usually 3 out of 4 weeks in a month. I do know that I want The Minion to grow up with a church experience, and he can make up his own mind as he gets older. I really like our church.
That being said, I just do not like to go on Christmas and Easter. I realize that there are a lot of people that only go a few times a year, and those are the two big ones. And that makes me want to stay at home. I just don't feel like dealing with those people. Not that I am better than them, or more Christian than them or anything. I just hate the crowd as it is. A veritable crush of people does not add to my enjoyment. I am too worried about occupancy issues and claustrophobia setting in ... and all those lovely flowery perfumes worn in abundance ... to really focus.
And what is it with the bathing in perfume for church? It's like they want Jesus to smell them from Heaven. And considering they way some women douse themselves with the vile stuff, it's possible he might. But I digress.
I like to go to the early service, sit in the back, listen, enjoy and leave. On a holiday that just isn't possible. So, we are probably the only family on the planet that actually avoids church on holidays. Go us.
I suppose that's enough for now. I haven't even ranted about politics, so I should stop before something strikes my fancy. Also, there's a good chance that The Minion is trying to fix a bowl of ice cream all by himself. That won't end well.
It's not easy being evil ... especially when you have some morals
Part mom stuff, part snark and sarcasm. Part relationships. Part random bullshit. Often unintentionally funny. I write stuff, sometimes people actually read it. It's not easy being evil ... especially when you have some morals
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
The post where I get sidetracked about how much politics pisses me off ... that happens a lot
Three year olds are evil in cute little dimpled packages. Maybe not all of them, and maybe not all of the time. But mine sure can be. He's got enough stubborn from both sides ... I am pretty sure we are gonna end up in a Thunderdome type situation before he even starts kindergarten.
As usual, several things have been bugging me lately. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. People who can never be wrong and/or think they know everything about everything. Throw in a little passive-aggressive behaviour, and I just wanna punch someone. The sad thing is that you can't reason with these people. They will NEVER admit they are wrong, even when it is plainly obvious that they are. You can never win because they just don't get it. And that just makes it worse. I try to be a nice person, but I will admit that sometimes I find myself wishing for the Karma truck to run them over. Repeatedly.
2. Politics pisses me off, a lot, so I try to avoid it. But sometimes it filters through. And it continues to amaze me that the conservative right keeps preaching about how we need less government, yet they turn around and propose legislation that takes away womens' rights over control of their own bodies. And now, there is a new one out there that is proposing to make single parent homes child abuse. Seriously? Where do these people come from, and how the hell do the function in today's society? I realize that people with ultra conservative views think that gays are the end of the world. Okay fine - that's your opinion. But since it's mentioned in the Bible, I am pretty sure it's been around for a while. It's not like gay people just appeared last week and started trying to overthrow the world. And all the talk about how children shouldn't be allowed to be adopted by gay people - shouldn't be exposed to that lifestyle. Most gay people come from heterosexual parents. It's not a cult people. *shakes head in disbelief*
And now, single parent homes are child abuse. I was raised by a single mother. As of now, I haven't turned into a serial killing psychopath, so I'd say I turned out all right. Like I said, I get that the conservative right has an opinion that the ideal marriage is between a man and a woman. And the ideal family is a husband, a wife, and children. But that's just not the reality in this world. I can think of someone right off the top of my head who is a single mother. Not by choice. Her husband passed away. It wasn't something she asked for. And last time I checked, her kids were pretty awesome. Yet because she is single, her household would be labeled as abusive. That is just the stupidest thing I have ever heard.
3. On a related topic, politics and people posting stats and things they know nothing about, have not researched, and have no real clue about. I think we can all agree that this country is not exactly at its high point right now. But people seem to forget that our current President didn't create this mess, he inherited it. In some cases, there are issues that have been going on for damn near 20 years. But for some reason, it's only the fault of the current President in office. He's screwed either way - either he caused all this, or he's the worst ever because he hasn't managed to fix everything. This country didn't go off the rails in a mere four years. It's gonna take more than four to fix it. Also, it's a little hard to fix it when you keep trying to bring God into everything. God has no place in politics. They are two separate things.
You keep ranting about religious freedom, yet you keep wanting to push your agendas, dripping with your own personal religious ideals. So you want your own religious freedom, and for people to have freedom as long as they agree with you, but if they don't, then they are wrong? That doesn't sound like The Constitution I remember learning about in school.
4. Here's the thing ... I said The Pledge every morning for years. I'm not indoctrinated. We had a moment of silence every morning - to do whatever you wanted with it. I'm not fanatical. We had Halloween parties and Christmas parties, and no parents sued because it was offensive. We didn't have to call them Fall Festivals or Holiday Parties. I know there are eleventy million different cultures in this country - that's what's supposed to be cool about it. You have your freedom and rights to celebrate and practice your cultural beliefs. What about America's beliefs? We believe in Halloween. And Christmas. And The Pledge. It worked for generations. What's wrong with it now? Because it might offend someone? That's just ridiculous. If you don't agree with it, don't participate. Do your own thing. Even better, tell your class/neighborhood/coworkers about your way of celebrating and have a multi-cultural accepting moment. But don't complain or sue because you don't agree.
People are afraid to have real opinions, to say what they really think. Because they fear punishment or being looked down upon. How is a society supposed to function when no one can really be themselves? Everyone is so busy making sure that the face they show to the world is conforming, that they forget who they really are. And instead we have a world full of plastic fake people who spout their convictions to the world, but don't even believe them behind closed doors. Public perception, public image is more important that standing up for what you really believe in. Go with the flow, don't make waves, don't question. It's bullshit. And it freaks me out.
The political messages in this country are so jumbled and mixed and confusing, it's hard to even know who stands for what anymore. For most people, it's too much to even try to figure out. They judge off sound bites and video clips that aren't always even in context. It's sad and it's scary. And I want my own country on my own planet.
4. Speaking of which ... I believe it's in Virginia that laws are trying to get passed about adoption agencies being able to deny people based solely on their religious or political views. And these are agencies that do take government funding. Obviously it applies to gay people. But it can apply to anyone. If you have a conservative "Christian" agency, they have every right to turn down couples that are Jewish or Democrats.
So, basically, if I get this right, legislation is trying to pass that won't allow a lot of women the freedom of choice to terminate a pregnancy. Which means potentially unwanted children are forced into the world, on a parent that doesn't want them to begin with. A parent that is most likely on the lower socioeconomic scale. And you don't want to provide government funding to help assist these lower income classes, proposed cuts on social services left and right. So maybe the kid gets taken away and put into the system, or is given up for adoption. And now you are putting crazy restrictions on the people that are allowed to adopt, based solely on the discretionary whim of the adoption agency's personal views/beliefs? Seriously?
Am I getting that right? You would rather an unwanted child be forced into a flawed foster care system, potentially till age 18, rather than allow a qualified and loving family to adopt them, just because they might be Catholic or gay or a single parent? And those children are going to be able to contribute what to society exactly? What kind of "Christian" values are they learning in that situation?
What about all the normal, white, heterosexual couples out there that do horrible things to their kids? Where do they fall in all this? Is it better to let a kid be raised by them than a gay couple? Are you telling me that Josh Powell made a better father because he fit the idealized mold, even though he murdered his entire family?
Yeah, people piss me off.
On totally unrelated subjects, I have sort of a split personality. I am generally antisocial. Don't really like parties or social situations requiring me to mingle and make small talk. Yet, I have already done most of the prep for the family Easter shindig we are hosting this year. I'm talking a good 2-30 people here. It's a big gathering. I have egg decorating stuff and all kinds of little doodads for an Easter egg hunt. I even bought stuff for the kids to do Easter crafts. CRAFTS, people. Genuine crafts. What the hell!?!?!?
And I am excited about it. Which is alternately funny and terrifying. Undoubtedly, when The Minion starts having birthday parties, they will be absolutely amazing because I can plan like a pro. But then I just think about the actual socialization part and it makes my eye twitch. I need a clone. A social setting, small talk making, party attending clone. Then I can plan, make an awesome soiree, and go hide in the bedroom with a book and a cup of coffee, in my pajamas, while the clone does the hard stuff. I think this might be my next project.
I think I've done my part for the day. Time to get off the soapbox and go clean up the chaos of cars, trains and Star Wars figures that now litters my entire kitchen and living room. The Minion has been busy while I've been writing. I'll be back again, no doubt with more stupid shit that pisses me off. And maybe a funny story about the kid.
As usual, several things have been bugging me lately. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. People who can never be wrong and/or think they know everything about everything. Throw in a little passive-aggressive behaviour, and I just wanna punch someone. The sad thing is that you can't reason with these people. They will NEVER admit they are wrong, even when it is plainly obvious that they are. You can never win because they just don't get it. And that just makes it worse. I try to be a nice person, but I will admit that sometimes I find myself wishing for the Karma truck to run them over. Repeatedly.
2. Politics pisses me off, a lot, so I try to avoid it. But sometimes it filters through. And it continues to amaze me that the conservative right keeps preaching about how we need less government, yet they turn around and propose legislation that takes away womens' rights over control of their own bodies. And now, there is a new one out there that is proposing to make single parent homes child abuse. Seriously? Where do these people come from, and how the hell do the function in today's society? I realize that people with ultra conservative views think that gays are the end of the world. Okay fine - that's your opinion. But since it's mentioned in the Bible, I am pretty sure it's been around for a while. It's not like gay people just appeared last week and started trying to overthrow the world. And all the talk about how children shouldn't be allowed to be adopted by gay people - shouldn't be exposed to that lifestyle. Most gay people come from heterosexual parents. It's not a cult people. *shakes head in disbelief*
And now, single parent homes are child abuse. I was raised by a single mother. As of now, I haven't turned into a serial killing psychopath, so I'd say I turned out all right. Like I said, I get that the conservative right has an opinion that the ideal marriage is between a man and a woman. And the ideal family is a husband, a wife, and children. But that's just not the reality in this world. I can think of someone right off the top of my head who is a single mother. Not by choice. Her husband passed away. It wasn't something she asked for. And last time I checked, her kids were pretty awesome. Yet because she is single, her household would be labeled as abusive. That is just the stupidest thing I have ever heard.
3. On a related topic, politics and people posting stats and things they know nothing about, have not researched, and have no real clue about. I think we can all agree that this country is not exactly at its high point right now. But people seem to forget that our current President didn't create this mess, he inherited it. In some cases, there are issues that have been going on for damn near 20 years. But for some reason, it's only the fault of the current President in office. He's screwed either way - either he caused all this, or he's the worst ever because he hasn't managed to fix everything. This country didn't go off the rails in a mere four years. It's gonna take more than four to fix it. Also, it's a little hard to fix it when you keep trying to bring God into everything. God has no place in politics. They are two separate things.
You keep ranting about religious freedom, yet you keep wanting to push your agendas, dripping with your own personal religious ideals. So you want your own religious freedom, and for people to have freedom as long as they agree with you, but if they don't, then they are wrong? That doesn't sound like The Constitution I remember learning about in school.
4. Here's the thing ... I said The Pledge every morning for years. I'm not indoctrinated. We had a moment of silence every morning - to do whatever you wanted with it. I'm not fanatical. We had Halloween parties and Christmas parties, and no parents sued because it was offensive. We didn't have to call them Fall Festivals or Holiday Parties. I know there are eleventy million different cultures in this country - that's what's supposed to be cool about it. You have your freedom and rights to celebrate and practice your cultural beliefs. What about America's beliefs? We believe in Halloween. And Christmas. And The Pledge. It worked for generations. What's wrong with it now? Because it might offend someone? That's just ridiculous. If you don't agree with it, don't participate. Do your own thing. Even better, tell your class/neighborhood/coworkers about your way of celebrating and have a multi-cultural accepting moment. But don't complain or sue because you don't agree.
People are afraid to have real opinions, to say what they really think. Because they fear punishment or being looked down upon. How is a society supposed to function when no one can really be themselves? Everyone is so busy making sure that the face they show to the world is conforming, that they forget who they really are. And instead we have a world full of plastic fake people who spout their convictions to the world, but don't even believe them behind closed doors. Public perception, public image is more important that standing up for what you really believe in. Go with the flow, don't make waves, don't question. It's bullshit. And it freaks me out.
The political messages in this country are so jumbled and mixed and confusing, it's hard to even know who stands for what anymore. For most people, it's too much to even try to figure out. They judge off sound bites and video clips that aren't always even in context. It's sad and it's scary. And I want my own country on my own planet.
4. Speaking of which ... I believe it's in Virginia that laws are trying to get passed about adoption agencies being able to deny people based solely on their religious or political views. And these are agencies that do take government funding. Obviously it applies to gay people. But it can apply to anyone. If you have a conservative "Christian" agency, they have every right to turn down couples that are Jewish or Democrats.
So, basically, if I get this right, legislation is trying to pass that won't allow a lot of women the freedom of choice to terminate a pregnancy. Which means potentially unwanted children are forced into the world, on a parent that doesn't want them to begin with. A parent that is most likely on the lower socioeconomic scale. And you don't want to provide government funding to help assist these lower income classes, proposed cuts on social services left and right. So maybe the kid gets taken away and put into the system, or is given up for adoption. And now you are putting crazy restrictions on the people that are allowed to adopt, based solely on the discretionary whim of the adoption agency's personal views/beliefs? Seriously?
Am I getting that right? You would rather an unwanted child be forced into a flawed foster care system, potentially till age 18, rather than allow a qualified and loving family to adopt them, just because they might be Catholic or gay or a single parent? And those children are going to be able to contribute what to society exactly? What kind of "Christian" values are they learning in that situation?
What about all the normal, white, heterosexual couples out there that do horrible things to their kids? Where do they fall in all this? Is it better to let a kid be raised by them than a gay couple? Are you telling me that Josh Powell made a better father because he fit the idealized mold, even though he murdered his entire family?
Yeah, people piss me off.
On totally unrelated subjects, I have sort of a split personality. I am generally antisocial. Don't really like parties or social situations requiring me to mingle and make small talk. Yet, I have already done most of the prep for the family Easter shindig we are hosting this year. I'm talking a good 2-30 people here. It's a big gathering. I have egg decorating stuff and all kinds of little doodads for an Easter egg hunt. I even bought stuff for the kids to do Easter crafts. CRAFTS, people. Genuine crafts. What the hell!?!?!?
And I am excited about it. Which is alternately funny and terrifying. Undoubtedly, when The Minion starts having birthday parties, they will be absolutely amazing because I can plan like a pro. But then I just think about the actual socialization part and it makes my eye twitch. I need a clone. A social setting, small talk making, party attending clone. Then I can plan, make an awesome soiree, and go hide in the bedroom with a book and a cup of coffee, in my pajamas, while the clone does the hard stuff. I think this might be my next project.
I think I've done my part for the day. Time to get off the soapbox and go clean up the chaos of cars, trains and Star Wars figures that now litters my entire kitchen and living room. The Minion has been busy while I've been writing. I'll be back again, no doubt with more stupid shit that pisses me off. And maybe a funny story about the kid.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Musings on attending my 20 year reunion and My Tiny Terror
Look at me ... fulfilling that promise to myself to write more. Now let's hope I can find something to say.
My 20 year high school reunion is this fall, and I just sent in my money the other day. So, apparently I am planning to attend. Which is weird. I mean, why am I really attending?
See ... I never really hung out with my classmates. We had almost 300 in our graduating class. And I was friends with maybe half a dozen, tops. I went to school for one thing - to get the grades and get the hell out. I didn't go to socialize. I didn't do parties. Hell, I didn't even know where the parties were. Not that there was necessarily anything wrong with any of my classmates, I just didn't have time to deal with the whole social scene. I didn't really care. I was on a mission - graduate, get a scholarship, go to college. Total tunnel vision.
And yeah, I was a smart kid. I was in honors and AP classes. And that basically means that I spent most of high school in class with the same 20-30 kids. I didn't really mix with the general population anyway. And also, I was a bitch. I mean, a real class A bitch. To everyone. Needless to say, it wasn't as if any of my classmates were beating down my door to be friends.
So why go to the reunion. I wasn't friends with them then, and I'm really not friends with any of them now. Sure, we comment about stuff on FB, and if I see someone at a restaurant or the grocery store, we exchange pleasant hellos. But that's about it. I'm not having lunch dates or girls nights or any of that with high school chums. So, why am I going again?
I will admit to curiosity. Everyone wants to see how all the others turned out. That's just part of life. And there are a handful of people that I was relatively close to that I wouldn't mind seeing again. But I am not exactly Miss Social. I don't like crowds. I don't like the social chit chat scene. I hate being put on the spot. I am horrible with names.
And now I am starting to have a little bit of panic about the whole thing ... Let's change the subject.
No politics today. I don't have the energy for it.
The Minion got a new full size big boy bed. Apparently he likes it because he slept for about 10 hours last night. And that is a small miracle. Speaking of miracles, I am wishing and hoping we might get one soon because he is sooooo ready for a pre-school or mother's day out program. And I am so ready to put him in one. Just need our financial fairy godmother to wave her magic wand and create the extra funds for it. I love being home with him every day. But it's time for him to start having some serious interaction with other kids. Mama alone just doesn't cut it anymore.
The Minion is also a spoiled rotten terror. I didn't mean for that to happen. In fact, I thought I was doing my best to prevent it. But obviously that didn't work very well. He is usually pretty good in public, but he's getting to the point of realizing that he can cause major embarrassment and potentially get his way if he throws an unholy fit in public. He also knows my mother has no willpower where he's concerned (alright fine - I don't either). Put the two together and you get EVIL in a cute little dimpled package.
Twice in the past four days, we have gone shopping with my mother. And while being hateful and having at least two total meltdown tantrums, he's also managed to acquire the big talking Woody doll, the big Buzz doll, a package of Star Wars figures, a Matchbox space shuttle, three sets of sheets for his bed, two quilted coverlets, and a nightstand to match his new dresser.
And that was with us using restraint. Seriously, he is a power shopper. He "needs" stuff. And he knows how to manipulate to get said stuff. It's scary. He's gonna end up being the dictator of a small island nation if he keeps this up. As long as it's a tropical tax shelter, I am all for that.
My house is a wreck. All the baby furniture from his room needs to go to the attic. All the other stuff I have piled up needs to be put up in the attic or find a home somewhere. This house has no storage and it makes me crazy. We also have way too much stuff. Some days I feel like we are one item away from an episode of Hoarders. Then I actually watch an episode of Hoarders, and I realize that it's not that bad. I just need to clean the damn house. And throw out a bunch of stuff. And definitely pack up a bunch of toys to go to the attic. My child has enough toys to fill a day care. It's crazy ridiculous. He's also quick to tell you that they are all "MINE!!!" and refuse to let you get near them, much less box them up. Guess it's time to plan a late night toy purge.
POF asked me the other day if there was a reason I didn't kiss him much any more. And I realized that there really isn't a reason. Except that I have just stopped being a touchy feely kind of girl. Too busy being worried about what's happening with the dogs or the kid to really take the time. I've become the girl who wants to get sex over and done with in the least amount of time possible because there are too many distractions and things that could be happening in the other room. And that's pretty crappy. So I've decided that I am going to make more of an effort to try to be a touchy feely girl again. Kiss my husband more. Try to be in the moment and not spend the whole time wanting it to be over quickly so I can go check and see if a dog peed or the kid woke up.
I used to enjoy a good snuggle on the couch, watching TV. Now I hardly even sit with him on the couch - we are on opposite sides, and I usually fall asleep within 10 minutes of watching anything. If I sit still, I am asleep. Basically, I need to turn my brain off for a few minutes, and just enjoy being with my husband instead of making lists in my head. Bless his heart, he puts up with a lot.
And on that note ... I have storage bins to fill and get to the attic. And dogs to let out. And a dentist appointment to get ready for. I wish I could wiggle my nose and have everything be done.
My 20 year high school reunion is this fall, and I just sent in my money the other day. So, apparently I am planning to attend. Which is weird. I mean, why am I really attending?
See ... I never really hung out with my classmates. We had almost 300 in our graduating class. And I was friends with maybe half a dozen, tops. I went to school for one thing - to get the grades and get the hell out. I didn't go to socialize. I didn't do parties. Hell, I didn't even know where the parties were. Not that there was necessarily anything wrong with any of my classmates, I just didn't have time to deal with the whole social scene. I didn't really care. I was on a mission - graduate, get a scholarship, go to college. Total tunnel vision.
And yeah, I was a smart kid. I was in honors and AP classes. And that basically means that I spent most of high school in class with the same 20-30 kids. I didn't really mix with the general population anyway. And also, I was a bitch. I mean, a real class A bitch. To everyone. Needless to say, it wasn't as if any of my classmates were beating down my door to be friends.
So why go to the reunion. I wasn't friends with them then, and I'm really not friends with any of them now. Sure, we comment about stuff on FB, and if I see someone at a restaurant or the grocery store, we exchange pleasant hellos. But that's about it. I'm not having lunch dates or girls nights or any of that with high school chums. So, why am I going again?
I will admit to curiosity. Everyone wants to see how all the others turned out. That's just part of life. And there are a handful of people that I was relatively close to that I wouldn't mind seeing again. But I am not exactly Miss Social. I don't like crowds. I don't like the social chit chat scene. I hate being put on the spot. I am horrible with names.
And now I am starting to have a little bit of panic about the whole thing ... Let's change the subject.
No politics today. I don't have the energy for it.
The Minion got a new full size big boy bed. Apparently he likes it because he slept for about 10 hours last night. And that is a small miracle. Speaking of miracles, I am wishing and hoping we might get one soon because he is sooooo ready for a pre-school or mother's day out program. And I am so ready to put him in one. Just need our financial fairy godmother to wave her magic wand and create the extra funds for it. I love being home with him every day. But it's time for him to start having some serious interaction with other kids. Mama alone just doesn't cut it anymore.
The Minion is also a spoiled rotten terror. I didn't mean for that to happen. In fact, I thought I was doing my best to prevent it. But obviously that didn't work very well. He is usually pretty good in public, but he's getting to the point of realizing that he can cause major embarrassment and potentially get his way if he throws an unholy fit in public. He also knows my mother has no willpower where he's concerned (alright fine - I don't either). Put the two together and you get EVIL in a cute little dimpled package.
Twice in the past four days, we have gone shopping with my mother. And while being hateful and having at least two total meltdown tantrums, he's also managed to acquire the big talking Woody doll, the big Buzz doll, a package of Star Wars figures, a Matchbox space shuttle, three sets of sheets for his bed, two quilted coverlets, and a nightstand to match his new dresser.
And that was with us using restraint. Seriously, he is a power shopper. He "needs" stuff. And he knows how to manipulate to get said stuff. It's scary. He's gonna end up being the dictator of a small island nation if he keeps this up. As long as it's a tropical tax shelter, I am all for that.
My house is a wreck. All the baby furniture from his room needs to go to the attic. All the other stuff I have piled up needs to be put up in the attic or find a home somewhere. This house has no storage and it makes me crazy. We also have way too much stuff. Some days I feel like we are one item away from an episode of Hoarders. Then I actually watch an episode of Hoarders, and I realize that it's not that bad. I just need to clean the damn house. And throw out a bunch of stuff. And definitely pack up a bunch of toys to go to the attic. My child has enough toys to fill a day care. It's crazy ridiculous. He's also quick to tell you that they are all "MINE!!!" and refuse to let you get near them, much less box them up. Guess it's time to plan a late night toy purge.
POF asked me the other day if there was a reason I didn't kiss him much any more. And I realized that there really isn't a reason. Except that I have just stopped being a touchy feely kind of girl. Too busy being worried about what's happening with the dogs or the kid to really take the time. I've become the girl who wants to get sex over and done with in the least amount of time possible because there are too many distractions and things that could be happening in the other room. And that's pretty crappy. So I've decided that I am going to make more of an effort to try to be a touchy feely girl again. Kiss my husband more. Try to be in the moment and not spend the whole time wanting it to be over quickly so I can go check and see if a dog peed or the kid woke up.
I used to enjoy a good snuggle on the couch, watching TV. Now I hardly even sit with him on the couch - we are on opposite sides, and I usually fall asleep within 10 minutes of watching anything. If I sit still, I am asleep. Basically, I need to turn my brain off for a few minutes, and just enjoy being with my husband instead of making lists in my head. Bless his heart, he puts up with a lot.
And on that note ... I have storage bins to fill and get to the attic. And dogs to let out. And a dentist appointment to get ready for. I wish I could wiggle my nose and have everything be done.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Same meanness, new year
So .... several more months have gone by, and still I haven't written anything. I really need to make more effort. I had a total stranger tell me recently that my writing was a gift and I should use it. Hmmmm. For good or for evil? That part I didn't clarify.
What's new at the Haus of Eville? Well .... The Minion is growing like a little evil weed. He is Star Wars obsessed and knows all the characters. Our house looked like the Star Wars toy aisle exploded on Christmas morning. He's talking up a storm, saying the funniest things that keep us laughing all the time. He has these dimples that are EVIL, and he basically controls the household with his tiny dictator ways. You know, the usual.
And a new year is upon us. The final year of all years, apparently. So, since we have another apocalype approaching (years of Whedon have prepared me for just such an occurrence), I thought I might take a minute to think about the things I have learned this past year, and what evil deeds I can work on in this final year of existence.
What's new at the Haus of Eville? Well .... The Minion is growing like a little evil weed. He is Star Wars obsessed and knows all the characters. Our house looked like the Star Wars toy aisle exploded on Christmas morning. He's talking up a storm, saying the funniest things that keep us laughing all the time. He has these dimples that are EVIL, and he basically controls the household with his tiny dictator ways. You know, the usual.
And a new year is upon us. The final year of all years, apparently. So, since we have another apocalype approaching (years of Whedon have prepared me for just such an occurrence), I thought I might take a minute to think about the things I have learned this past year, and what evil deeds I can work on in this final year of existence.
The most significant thing I guess would be the ending of a 20+ year friendship by Facebook defriending. That was, well, interesting. I mean, for a second I felt like I was about 14 again, and that was just retarded in all kinds of ways. So, I let the friendship go. And you know what I realized? It wasn't really a friendship anymore anyway. I lost nothing from that defriending except the stress and anxiety of dealing with the friendship itself. Yay me.
I realized that basically, we'd remained friends just out of habit. Because we'd been friends since junior high (yes, back then it was junior high - middle school be damned!), and I was so deeply intertwined with her family. I love her family. And I still send her parents cards for birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc. I saw her mom briefly right before Christmas. But that was it, and that was fine. I feel no need to justify my actions or explain my reasons. It was done, moving on, we are both better for it. I don't hate her. Never will. I just don't have a place in my life for her anymore. And truthfully, I don't fit in hers. She doesn't hang with my friends, I never even really met hers. We existed in that shared best friends in high school bubble when together, and that was basically all I had to talk about. I realized recently that she probably thought I was one of those weird people who obsessed about high school and all the people then, and where they were now. And I probably did come across that way. Because, truth is, that's all I had to talk about with her. Sad, but true. So, I had to realize that friendships don't always last forever, and it's okay to let them go.
Now, our 20 year class reunion is coming up this year. And that should make it even more intersting. Will we talk to each other? Will we be nice? Rude? Even care? Truth is, we live in the same town, and have yet to actually run into each other. In almost a year. I am sure we will eventually. And who knows, maybe we've both been at Target at the same time and just not crossed paths. Or maybe she's seen me and gone the other way. It's possible. And when we do inevitably run into each other, it will be interesting to see what happens. But I know that I don't plan to be fake about it, and I am pretty sure she won't either. So either that will mean we make eye contact, say nothing, and pretend we don't know each other, or we will say hey and move on and pretent we don't really know each other. And that's ok.
I also learned that I am one lazy person. I hate exercise. I really, really do. I forced myself into it, and after a while it became a habit, and that was good. Then sickness hit the house for a couple weeks and it all went to hell. We haven't been to the Y in over 2 months. And boy can I tell. The pants that were loose are getting snug again. I want to exercise, my body needs it. Yet, it is so damn hard to make myself get up at the crack of dawn and do it. I know that after I do it once, it will get easier. But that first time is a bitch.
I have two precious pups that are getting old. My sweet boy has a heart condition, so we've known for some time that that makes his time morelimited. But now he's starting kidney failure. Granted, lots of animals can live for years before total kidney failure takes them. But still. It's hard to know when is the right time. Right now he's relatively healthy, we are giving him special food that he loves, and he's on all kids of supplements. But eventually, things won't be so positive and we've got tough decisions to make. I dread it. My baby girl isn't doing much better. She has disk problems in her back that are perpetually aggravated by her death defying jumping stunts. Plus she's almost blind now. And she has arthritis in her back legs. She hobbles. But she's otherwise healthy and seems happy. Again, it's tough to know when to say when. If it's up to me, it's never. I will have little Darth Vader dogs running around. I'm already working on the prototype for their suits.
Also, old dogs equal incontinence. Every time I turn around, one of them is peeing or pooping on something. Pee pads? They laugh at pee pads. They will drop a dinosaur sized poop right NEXT to the pee pad. And then walk through it and track it through half the house. Some days I want to scream and wring their little necks. But I clean it up. And I say a little prayer of thanks that I have had them in my life for over a decade, and ask for just a little bit more time. I love them so much. Yes, they are dogs. But they are MY dogs. And they are my babies. And I can't imagine my life
without them. So there.
dog in a Darth Vader costume. But then I
found this. It's much more hilarious)
Family is a funny thing. I love my family. And POF's family. We are all crazy and unpredictible and unique, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Well .... maybe a few things. But no one's offering, so I guess they stay around. I noticed the other day that we always keep things separate. My mom's side of the family, my dad's side of the family, and POF's family. This year I am toying with having a big party for the Minion's birthday. We had all POF's family here this year for the first time the for Thanksgiving and Christmas and The Minion loved having all his cousins to play with. Doing this would mean smushing my family together with his, and potentially with each other. For basically the first time. That makes me nervous.
I realize that I am very much a compartmental person. Each relationship has a compartment. Some compartments open into others, and some just do not. Ever. Maybe things will be fine, and it's just me and my worries that has kept things separate for so long. Or maybe there will be a brawl and the cops will come. It could go either way I suppose. I'm still thinking about it, still not sure. But I think it could be great if I let it. If I could control all elements. Which, of course, I can't.
It comes down to this ... if I have a big party somewhere, my mother will want to come. And if I do a big party somewhere, that means inviting my dad and that side of the family. I have not had my mother and father together in a room since ... well, since I was a kid. I try to avoid it. I don't want to experience it. But maybe that's just me, and everything would be cool. I don't know. But just thinking about it makes me kinda hyperventilate a little bit. See, last year we had two parties. One for just us (with mom's side of the family), and then one for friends and dad's side of the family. Now I'm throwing POF's family into the mix too. It's chaos. And it makes me itchy. And twitchy. Maybe I need medication.
And now it's time to wrap this up. The Minion has decided that I've spent enough time doing something that does not include, or directly benefit, him. Hopefully it won't take me another 4 months to come back. Maybe 2012: The End of the World is the year I will blog weekly. Or bi-weekly even. You never know. It will be a surpise to me too.
I realize that I am very much a compartmental person. Each relationship has a compartment. Some compartments open into others, and some just do not. Ever. Maybe things will be fine, and it's just me and my worries that has kept things separate for so long. Or maybe there will be a brawl and the cops will come. It could go either way I suppose. I'm still thinking about it, still not sure. But I think it could be great if I let it. If I could control all elements. Which, of course, I can't.
It comes down to this ... if I have a big party somewhere, my mother will want to come. And if I do a big party somewhere, that means inviting my dad and that side of the family. I have not had my mother and father together in a room since ... well, since I was a kid. I try to avoid it. I don't want to experience it. But maybe that's just me, and everything would be cool. I don't know. But just thinking about it makes me kinda hyperventilate a little bit. See, last year we had two parties. One for just us (with mom's side of the family), and then one for friends and dad's side of the family. Now I'm throwing POF's family into the mix too. It's chaos. And it makes me itchy. And twitchy. Maybe I need medication.
And now it's time to wrap this up. The Minion has decided that I've spent enough time doing something that does not include, or directly benefit, him. Hopefully it won't take me another 4 months to come back. Maybe 2012: The End of the World is the year I will blog weekly. Or bi-weekly even. You never know. It will be a surpise to me too.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The post that caused a FB defriending and the end to a friendship that really hadn't been a friendship for many years ... and other bullshit that probably pissed some people off.
Somehow the summer has passed and I haven't written a damn thing. Not that I haven't seen PLENTY to want to write about ... I just haven't actually done it. And then there's the whole what if I write something and then that person sees it and gets mad. I don't really want that to happen for the most part. So I've been quiet. But today I feel like writing. So here goes.
I haven't spoken to a friend of mine in three months now. For a while there we saw each other daily. I love her dearly, but being with her is work. Really hard work. Always worried about what I am saying and how she is going to take it, and oh God what if she takes it the wrong way and gets all wounded and shit. It's taxing. And I can only do that for so long before I just don't give a shit anymore and bail. Wrong? Probably. But there is and has always been drama with her, and sometimes it's either stay away or speak my mind. Speaking my mind has never gone well with her.
Now, in the past three months, there has been drama. I get the general highlights from the whole social network thingy, but honestly I don't really care. I am so over it, I don't even want to know about it. Cause then I'd want to comment. And it's just not worth throwing my two cents in. I have enough of my own shit to worry about. I so do not have time to worry about hers. Will we ever talk again? I assume so. We live in the same city, so there's bound to be that awkward grocery/department store meeting at some point. Am I really that worried about it? No.
I've been to several things lately with my kid. And let me tell you, the lack of parental supervision amazes me. There are not school age kids here. These are kids that are age 2-4. How these parents can go to a bouncy castle type place, playground, swimming pool, etc. and just turn their kid loose without even paying attention to what they are doing or where they are amazes me. They probably think I am the crazy overprotective mother who is attached to her kid's hip. That's fine with me. No way I am letting my kid run loose in a public place with no supervision. Especially when a swimming pool is involved.
I encountered a 4 year old the other day that can only be described as a Mean Girl waiting to happen. Her mother told her to stop doing something, and she actually responded with "You don't tell me what to do!". And the mother dropped the subject and acted like that was just totally normal. And all I could think was that if that had been my kid, I would have jerked her up and busted her ass in front of God and everybody for talking to me like that. Then again, the same mother gave her infant a pen to play with and I had to take the cap away when she almost swallowed it. The mother was more concerned about finding the pen that about the fact that her kid could have died trying to eat part of it. Amazing.
I still try to ignore politics because people have apparently gone insane. I remember a time when the political parties had different agendas but for the most part were pretty close to center and could even agree on stuff. Now it seems like both parties are all extreme to one side or the other and would rather gnaw off an appendage than agree with the other party on anything. And it pisses me off when all these people blame Obama for the crappy state of this country. Like he drove it straight into the shitter himself. Okay fine. Maybe some of the things he's done while in office haven't exactly helped like we hoped, but he inherited this mess, he didn't create it all on his own. The fact that people seem to conveniently forget stuff that has happened in the past just makes me want to scream.
I saw a FB post the other day bitching about Obama that was quoting all these stats about how good it was before he took office. It said something like gas was under $3 a gallon - just this whole list of stats. And I looked at it and was like ?????? That wasn't that long ago, and I remember gas being over $4 a gallon then. It amazed me. Someone actually called this person on it and posted the actual stats for that year. I was so happy to see that. Usually people just repost stuff and don't even pay attention to it. I am all for speaking out about something if you disagree - that's part of what makes up our country. But don't just spout out political nonsense without checking your facts first. Ignorance makes me crazy. And people just get plain stoooopid when it comes to politics. It's not about truth at all. Ugh.
A good friend has been going through some stuff lately, and I've been a sounding board. And as I hear more and more, I get really irritated because I thought this was one of the good guys, and now I am starting to feel like he's a real ass. And I wonder if he's always been a total douchebag and I just didn't see it, or if there's more to it besides what I've been told. I hope that it's the latter. I really hope he gets himself into a better place and starts treating his family better. Everything isn't about you, the world doesn't revolve around you, and you shouldn't deny or approve stuff for you kids just because you did or didn't have it when you were a kid. It's cool if you have issues. Just man up and take responsibility for them. See a doctor, get some medication. Hell, see a therapist and work some shit out. But stop being such a jerk to the people that love you and put up with you on a daily basis. Jeez.
We are trying to get geared up to potty train. The Minion is sorta interested, but kinda not. And I am just dreading it so much that I am not pushing it at all. I just want to wake up and have him potty trained. Since that's not gonna happen, I considered gating him into the kitchen with newspapers all over the floor like a puppy. But I bet that would get me into all kinds of trouble. We have pull-ups and a potty and a potty seat for the big potty. He's just not quite there yet. My goal is to have him trained by age 3, so we've got time.
I asked him the other day if he would like it if Mama had a stroller with a baby in it, and he informed me that HE was the baby. I would like to have another kid next year, so that should be fun. Ah, sibling rivalry.
And on that note, I have to go change a diaper of stinky poop. One of the many joys of motherhood here at the House of Eville.
I haven't spoken to a friend of mine in three months now. For a while there we saw each other daily. I love her dearly, but being with her is work. Really hard work. Always worried about what I am saying and how she is going to take it, and oh God what if she takes it the wrong way and gets all wounded and shit. It's taxing. And I can only do that for so long before I just don't give a shit anymore and bail. Wrong? Probably. But there is and has always been drama with her, and sometimes it's either stay away or speak my mind. Speaking my mind has never gone well with her.
Now, in the past three months, there has been drama. I get the general highlights from the whole social network thingy, but honestly I don't really care. I am so over it, I don't even want to know about it. Cause then I'd want to comment. And it's just not worth throwing my two cents in. I have enough of my own shit to worry about. I so do not have time to worry about hers. Will we ever talk again? I assume so. We live in the same city, so there's bound to be that awkward grocery/department store meeting at some point. Am I really that worried about it? No.
I've been to several things lately with my kid. And let me tell you, the lack of parental supervision amazes me. There are not school age kids here. These are kids that are age 2-4. How these parents can go to a bouncy castle type place, playground, swimming pool, etc. and just turn their kid loose without even paying attention to what they are doing or where they are amazes me. They probably think I am the crazy overprotective mother who is attached to her kid's hip. That's fine with me. No way I am letting my kid run loose in a public place with no supervision. Especially when a swimming pool is involved.
I encountered a 4 year old the other day that can only be described as a Mean Girl waiting to happen. Her mother told her to stop doing something, and she actually responded with "You don't tell me what to do!". And the mother dropped the subject and acted like that was just totally normal. And all I could think was that if that had been my kid, I would have jerked her up and busted her ass in front of God and everybody for talking to me like that. Then again, the same mother gave her infant a pen to play with and I had to take the cap away when she almost swallowed it. The mother was more concerned about finding the pen that about the fact that her kid could have died trying to eat part of it. Amazing.
I still try to ignore politics because people have apparently gone insane. I remember a time when the political parties had different agendas but for the most part were pretty close to center and could even agree on stuff. Now it seems like both parties are all extreme to one side or the other and would rather gnaw off an appendage than agree with the other party on anything. And it pisses me off when all these people blame Obama for the crappy state of this country. Like he drove it straight into the shitter himself. Okay fine. Maybe some of the things he's done while in office haven't exactly helped like we hoped, but he inherited this mess, he didn't create it all on his own. The fact that people seem to conveniently forget stuff that has happened in the past just makes me want to scream.
I saw a FB post the other day bitching about Obama that was quoting all these stats about how good it was before he took office. It said something like gas was under $3 a gallon - just this whole list of stats. And I looked at it and was like ?????? That wasn't that long ago, and I remember gas being over $4 a gallon then. It amazed me. Someone actually called this person on it and posted the actual stats for that year. I was so happy to see that. Usually people just repost stuff and don't even pay attention to it. I am all for speaking out about something if you disagree - that's part of what makes up our country. But don't just spout out political nonsense without checking your facts first. Ignorance makes me crazy. And people just get plain stoooopid when it comes to politics. It's not about truth at all. Ugh.
A good friend has been going through some stuff lately, and I've been a sounding board. And as I hear more and more, I get really irritated because I thought this was one of the good guys, and now I am starting to feel like he's a real ass. And I wonder if he's always been a total douchebag and I just didn't see it, or if there's more to it besides what I've been told. I hope that it's the latter. I really hope he gets himself into a better place and starts treating his family better. Everything isn't about you, the world doesn't revolve around you, and you shouldn't deny or approve stuff for you kids just because you did or didn't have it when you were a kid. It's cool if you have issues. Just man up and take responsibility for them. See a doctor, get some medication. Hell, see a therapist and work some shit out. But stop being such a jerk to the people that love you and put up with you on a daily basis. Jeez.
We are trying to get geared up to potty train. The Minion is sorta interested, but kinda not. And I am just dreading it so much that I am not pushing it at all. I just want to wake up and have him potty trained. Since that's not gonna happen, I considered gating him into the kitchen with newspapers all over the floor like a puppy. But I bet that would get me into all kinds of trouble. We have pull-ups and a potty and a potty seat for the big potty. He's just not quite there yet. My goal is to have him trained by age 3, so we've got time.
I asked him the other day if he would like it if Mama had a stroller with a baby in it, and he informed me that HE was the baby. I would like to have another kid next year, so that should be fun. Ah, sibling rivalry.
And on that note, I have to go change a diaper of stinky poop. One of the many joys of motherhood here at the House of Eville.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
It's Cicada time in TN
If you live in my area, you know that it is basically impossible to walk outside these days and hear yourself think. The cicada invasion that happens every 13 years is in full swing, and man, those ugly little buggers are LOUD. The evil weenies love them as a snack though, and that adds yet another level of gross.
If you don't know what a cicada is ... well, bless your innocent little heart. It's like a locust and it had these creapy orange-red eyes. For some reason, most of the ones I keep seeing in my yard have some seriously jacked up wings. I don't know what that's all about, but it sorta makes me feel sorry for the little buggers. I mean, you are basically hibernating for 13 years and then get to crawl out into the world and live for a couple of weeks or so before dying. That's a pitiful little life. And then to have wonky wings so flying isn't even really possible - sorta cruel.
I generally try to avoid them, but they don't really bother me. I am amazed by how loud they are. And they are really ugly. But generally harmless. I did get preoccupied today with checking my river birch tree for signs of them, and got sidetracked with two different 'couples' involved in the breeding process. I admit, I tried to get a good picture. I couldn't because they were up too high and I needed a ladder to get a good angle with the camera. But I made an effort.
They weren't too pleased with the camera being shoved in their little ugly faces. They were all like "can we have some privacy please?" and "stop shoving that big camera at us". And I was all like, "well then stop having creepy bug sex in my favorite tree!". It was not my proudest moment.
The little bug husks laying scattered all over the ground, crunching under your feet as you walk, is also a little bit disturbing. I know it's just empty shells, but I still feel like a mass murderer.
In non bug related news, POF finally shaved off that crazy horrible beard he had going for way too long. I can deal with the big bushy goatee part - I've survived that before. But when the sideburn part started getting so long that it was sticking out like some sort of weird shrub on his face, it was time for it to go. Luckily he realized this on his own, and was shaving it off at midnight last night. Now he looks all young and fresh faced, and if I keep telling him how cute he is, I am sure he will grow it back just to spite me.
The Minion has discovered Micky Mouse, so Mickey's Playhouse has been added to the rotation. He still watched Thomas, but his latest obsession is Cars, specifically Mater. And Nemo. He LOVES Nemo. I am sooooo tired of Nemo. He also likes Chuggington, which he calls 'chuggy train'. And it's so cute, I just love to hear him say it.
He's talking up a storm and running around causing general mayhem at all times. He adores the dogs and had to be fussed at for picking at them all the time. One of these days he's gonna get bitten, I just know it. Still no potty training yet, though we are getting closer.
My fresh faced man just walked in the door, so it's time to leave this and have a little family time before The Minion goes to bed. He's a night owl like his Daddy and usually stays up till 10. Crazy kid.
I will return soon, with a tale of slithery evil and the giant toad that lives in the garage.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
FB observations ... and also, uber religious people and their fake shit pisses me off.
FaceBook is an amazing thing. There are a couple of things I've noticed about the people I live around from FaceBook.
First of all, I live in a relatively small town - a suburb of a city that is still pretty small in itself. I mean, we have an NFL team and a NHL team and all that, but still, we are small time. My high school wasn't huge - I graduated with close to 300 in my class. Nothing to sneeze at, for sure.
Here's the thing. The number of people that went to my high school, and ended up married to people from school ... well, it's freaky. Most of these people didn't even hang out when they were in school. They've connected later in life. It's just strange. Maybe that happens at lots of schools. But it kinda freaks me out. Of course, that could also be because I live just a couple of miles from said school and pass it every day. And see people from school all the damn time - at Walmart, at the grocery store, at the vet, in line at the damn DMV. Weird.
Second thing is the number of people who are just God crazy. Now, don't get me wrong. I have my beliefs and all that. I go to church. But to me, my relationship with God is kinda personal. I have no problem saying that I am thankful or blessed or any of that. And I don't have a problem with the occasional "please say a prayer" deal. But I don't exactly feel the need to quote Bible verses, or post daily about how wonderful God is, blah blah blah.
I know that there are some people out there that really have a passion for their religion. And in a positive way, not in a stockpiling a militia's worth of guns in the basement way. And that's cool. But to me, a lot of the God crazy FaceBook posting seems a little bit too much. A little fake. Cause if there were really that many people out there just totally consumed with Jesus, well, this world wouldn't be such a crappy place. And that pisses me off.
And it gives the people that truly do have a passion a bad rap. For example, my pastor is amazing. His sermons are just so motivating and insightful and fun. He has Passion. And he does some really great stuff in the community, with outreach all over the world. But when you run across enough of the overzealous, trying to make myself look better Jesus lovers, it puts people like my pastor in a bad light. Cause if you don't really know him, you start to question his sincerity. Or the sincerity of anyone like him.
Are they really that into God? Do they really believe that He will take care of all their needs? Or are they just totally blowing smoke up my ass so I don't see what a self-serving, shallow jackass they really are? Smarmy politicians wrap all their little agendas in God fever. If they were really such good Christians, they wouldn't be suggesting half the bullshit they put forth in the first place.
Everyone knows I lean to the left, but I see it on both sides. We need to make cuts, I get that. But what goes first? Funding for education. Funding for social programs. Funding for the elderly and the poor. Really? REALLY? What kind of people does that make us? We want to cut off all avenues of help for the ones that raised us and cared for us as children, and the ones that will someday grow up to lead our country. How is THAT being a good Christian?
But yet, every election year, we get the same speech. Most important things to work for, to support, to see increased ... Education. Social Programs. And we fall for it every time. A slick smile and a good suit and we believe it. Then, elections are over and cuts have to be made. And here we go again. No arts programs for schools - no money. No Head Start programs for at risk neighborhoods - no money. No coverage from Medicare for that life saving medication - no money.
I know abortion is a hot button issue. And I'm not even gonna get into that itself. But the fact is, the government wants to cut abortion funding for the poorest segment of society. In essence, insist that the very people that can least afford to have more children do just that. Then, when they have those children, they have no help because the government has also cut the programs to provide them assistance for food, childcare, health care, etc. It's like here's a punch in the face, with a side of kick to the crotch. Have a nice day.
Not to mention the totally disgusting tactic of threatening to stop military pay if we don't get the budget worked out. These people are doing their jobs. Jobs that put them in danger of DEATH every single damn day in horrible places that none of us would ever want to go to. And you are going to say that they are the first ones that don't get a check?! We have an amendment that protects the paychecks of Congress and the President, but there's no protection for the people that risking their lives to protect that amendment? It just disgusts me. And what about the veterans and the families of the active soldiers? This is their paycheck, their pension. It pays their rent, buys their food, keeps their electricity on. What are they supposed to do?
Okay, fine. It all worked out. Things were resolved and there was no shutdown and people got paid, so drop it. Well, no. For days, a giant segment of this population was in limbo, wondering what they were going to do for days, possibly weeks, without any money. And it was all basically a ploy to get things passed that the politicians wanted passed. How do more people not see how wrong that is?
But wrap it all up in an American flag with a Bible verse over it and America will just eat it up. People are ignorant. They get their information from sound bites on TV and have no idea what the real issues are or what the real fight is about. They get thrown a bunch of religious rhetoric and half-facts and don't bother to find out the truth. It's sad. It's shameful. This is supposed to be the Greatest Country in the World. It's not.
I remember in my high school Latin class, our teacher gave us this handout once that had this description of a country. And as you read it, you thought that it had to be America - first in technology, education, military power, etc. And then as you read further, you realize that it's describing Rome. Before it fell. Before the government collapsed and the country imploded. We are headed for that same fate.
It's not about The People. It's about Money and Big Business. It's backroom deals and hidden agendas. It's scary. And it's frustrating. And I feel helpless to stop it. And that too pisses me off.
(steps off soap box) I need a nap.
First of all, I live in a relatively small town - a suburb of a city that is still pretty small in itself. I mean, we have an NFL team and a NHL team and all that, but still, we are small time. My high school wasn't huge - I graduated with close to 300 in my class. Nothing to sneeze at, for sure.
Here's the thing. The number of people that went to my high school, and ended up married to people from school ... well, it's freaky. Most of these people didn't even hang out when they were in school. They've connected later in life. It's just strange. Maybe that happens at lots of schools. But it kinda freaks me out. Of course, that could also be because I live just a couple of miles from said school and pass it every day. And see people from school all the damn time - at Walmart, at the grocery store, at the vet, in line at the damn DMV. Weird.
Second thing is the number of people who are just God crazy. Now, don't get me wrong. I have my beliefs and all that. I go to church. But to me, my relationship with God is kinda personal. I have no problem saying that I am thankful or blessed or any of that. And I don't have a problem with the occasional "please say a prayer" deal. But I don't exactly feel the need to quote Bible verses, or post daily about how wonderful God is, blah blah blah.
I know that there are some people out there that really have a passion for their religion. And in a positive way, not in a stockpiling a militia's worth of guns in the basement way. And that's cool. But to me, a lot of the God crazy FaceBook posting seems a little bit too much. A little fake. Cause if there were really that many people out there just totally consumed with Jesus, well, this world wouldn't be such a crappy place. And that pisses me off.
And it gives the people that truly do have a passion a bad rap. For example, my pastor is amazing. His sermons are just so motivating and insightful and fun. He has Passion. And he does some really great stuff in the community, with outreach all over the world. But when you run across enough of the overzealous, trying to make myself look better Jesus lovers, it puts people like my pastor in a bad light. Cause if you don't really know him, you start to question his sincerity. Or the sincerity of anyone like him.
Are they really that into God? Do they really believe that He will take care of all their needs? Or are they just totally blowing smoke up my ass so I don't see what a self-serving, shallow jackass they really are? Smarmy politicians wrap all their little agendas in God fever. If they were really such good Christians, they wouldn't be suggesting half the bullshit they put forth in the first place.
Everyone knows I lean to the left, but I see it on both sides. We need to make cuts, I get that. But what goes first? Funding for education. Funding for social programs. Funding for the elderly and the poor. Really? REALLY? What kind of people does that make us? We want to cut off all avenues of help for the ones that raised us and cared for us as children, and the ones that will someday grow up to lead our country. How is THAT being a good Christian?
But yet, every election year, we get the same speech. Most important things to work for, to support, to see increased ... Education. Social Programs. And we fall for it every time. A slick smile and a good suit and we believe it. Then, elections are over and cuts have to be made. And here we go again. No arts programs for schools - no money. No Head Start programs for at risk neighborhoods - no money. No coverage from Medicare for that life saving medication - no money.
I know abortion is a hot button issue. And I'm not even gonna get into that itself. But the fact is, the government wants to cut abortion funding for the poorest segment of society. In essence, insist that the very people that can least afford to have more children do just that. Then, when they have those children, they have no help because the government has also cut the programs to provide them assistance for food, childcare, health care, etc. It's like here's a punch in the face, with a side of kick to the crotch. Have a nice day.
Not to mention the totally disgusting tactic of threatening to stop military pay if we don't get the budget worked out. These people are doing their jobs. Jobs that put them in danger of DEATH every single damn day in horrible places that none of us would ever want to go to. And you are going to say that they are the first ones that don't get a check?! We have an amendment that protects the paychecks of Congress and the President, but there's no protection for the people that risking their lives to protect that amendment? It just disgusts me. And what about the veterans and the families of the active soldiers? This is their paycheck, their pension. It pays their rent, buys their food, keeps their electricity on. What are they supposed to do?
Okay, fine. It all worked out. Things were resolved and there was no shutdown and people got paid, so drop it. Well, no. For days, a giant segment of this population was in limbo, wondering what they were going to do for days, possibly weeks, without any money. And it was all basically a ploy to get things passed that the politicians wanted passed. How do more people not see how wrong that is?
But wrap it all up in an American flag with a Bible verse over it and America will just eat it up. People are ignorant. They get their information from sound bites on TV and have no idea what the real issues are or what the real fight is about. They get thrown a bunch of religious rhetoric and half-facts and don't bother to find out the truth. It's sad. It's shameful. This is supposed to be the Greatest Country in the World. It's not.
I remember in my high school Latin class, our teacher gave us this handout once that had this description of a country. And as you read it, you thought that it had to be America - first in technology, education, military power, etc. And then as you read further, you realize that it's describing Rome. Before it fell. Before the government collapsed and the country imploded. We are headed for that same fate.
It's not about The People. It's about Money and Big Business. It's backroom deals and hidden agendas. It's scary. And it's frustrating. And I feel helpless to stop it. And that too pisses me off.
(steps off soap box) I need a nap.
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