Thoughts For The Day November 7, 2008

November 7, 2008

Election

Well, we have a new president elect.  I wish President Obama luck and success in all he tries to do that is good for this country and its’ people.

I was listening to him discuss the new puppy his family is getting when he described himself as a “mutt.”  At first it seemed humorous, but after a bit it wasn’t so much funny as painful.  I know how difficult it can be for people of mixed race, especially if it is black & white.  They rarely seem to feel like they belong to either race.  It can be a hard and lonely existence. 

It would thrill me to no end to be able to figure out a way for them to identify with allof their cultures.  It makes sense to me.  That’s what I do.  I’m German, Irish, Scotts, French, Canadian, and Asian.  I’m not sure exactly where in Asia, but it showed in my eyes a lot before my face started melting.  My eyes had a very pronounced slant.  And I can’t confirm it yet, but I have a suspicion that there are Native American genes on my father’s side. 

I embrace each and every one of those places and cultures.  Being of more than one nationality, like most people, I pick and choose which things I want to keep about a culture and which I choose not to keep.  I’m each and every one, therefore they all belong to me.  I can do with it what I will. 

I do NOT have to pick only one, because that would be denial.  I am ALL of those things and undoubtedly even more that I’m not aware of.  I am them and they are me.

Sometimes I’m very German, other times I’m a Scot through and through.  I have no problem moving from one to the other.  It seems to be harder for people of black and white mix.  Probably because of racial conflicts that are instilled in peoples’ memory. 

I hope our new president will be able to help people of mixed race to overcome some of that discomfort.  If he can go even a tiny bit in that direction he will have my vote.  (an itty bitty pun there) 

 

Halloween

We had a great time Halloween night.  I was feeling really good so we went to the Fire Fighter’s Burned Childrens Fund haunted house.  It was CREEPY.  It was fun.  It was huge.  It took all night to get everyone in the line through the house and the woods trail.  We bugged out at about 11:30 pm.  It seemed like it had only been a few minutes that we were there. 

MDH dressed up like a scarecrow with a pumpkin head.  That sounds innocuous enough, but it was really disconcerting.  He had this HUGE pumpkin head that he got from Wally World.  He had cut the bottom out, hot glued an orangey-yellow film over the openings and put it over his head.  You really had a hard time keeping your eyes off of him. 

He went onto the woods trail and stood by a tree.  Now, MDH does Tai Chi.  So he was doing this standing exercise to keep from locking his knees and fainting, because he was exhausted from working all night the night before and getting no sleep.  When you came around the corner and saw him, it looked for all the world like he was hanging from the tree.  Everyone thought he was stuffed.  He would wait until about half of each group would go by, then slowly bend into the line and reach his hands out.  Sometimes he would speak, and sometimes not.  I have never heard grown people scream so much like little girls!  After twenty times of seeing it, it still creeped me out in the extreme to go past him.

Princess Bella was stationed at the exit door of the haunted house.  After each group would go through the haunted house, the guides would tell you that now you were going to go on the haunted trail.  You thought everything was over, you descended the back stairs of the house and stepped out onto the porch thinking that you were going to get a moment to gather yourself when BOOM!!!!  Princess Bella would scream at the top of her lungs and start making this God Awful banging.  It made you want to jump out of your skin.  And it didn’t help that she was  the perfect little Cinderella.  It just made the contrast that much more disconcerting.

The Buddha and I were the back guides on the tours.  We followed the groups through the house and trail in order to keep everyone together and to block them from running backwards off course.  It was hilarious and spooky all at the same time.  We had one group of kids that skattered in the very first room.  Before it was over, we had lost three of them.  They demanded to go back to their moms.  It was great.

I went through that house for hours, in fifteen minute intervals.  I walked my every lovin legs off.  It was great.  It took me two days to be able to stand up without groaning like I was 100 years old. 

When we left at 11:30, there were still about 100 people waiting in line to go through and more were still coming.  They were such a success that they opened it again the next night!  THAT rules!

We did the same thing we do every Halloween, we bought all of our favorite candy for the trick or treat bowl.  But we weren’t here to give it to trick or treaters, so we get to eat it all.  I guess that means that I need to learn to love my fluffy figure.  🙂

Accomplishments

MDH got employee of the month at work.  He got a certificate, a paper with his picture on it along with a description of what he did to earn it, and a great big huge re re looking thing to hang on his rear view mirror so that he can park in the Employee of the Month parking space.  I died laughing at the parking thingie.  It’s twice the size of a handicapped card that you hang on your mirror.  He said that he wasn’t going to use it.  I don’t blame him.  I am very proud of him for getting this honor because he deserves it.  Congrats, MDH!

The Buddha and Princess Bella both got honor roll on their report cards.  I’m proud of both of them because I see how hard they work everyday to get good grades.  We had a special dinner when they got their report cards in order to celebrate.  I love it when a plan comes together.

I went grocery shopping.  I know this doesn’t seem like much of an accomplishment.  But……when they rang up my groceries it came to $249 and change.  After all my coupons and discounts and such it was $164 and change.  I really like that.  A guy in the line behind me said that if it didn’t stop taking money off, that they were going to end up having to pay ME for buying groceries.  Kinda made me feel good.

My daughter and son-in-law both have their child support set up.  I’ll start getting it this month.  Considering all of the circumstances, that is one hell of an accomplishment for both of them.  I’m happy and the kids will be too.

Rocky has settled into her house.  I am happy for her but I miss having her here.  I know that she’s only a few feet away but it’s not the same.  She gets more familiar with her surroundings every day. 

So, that’s us.  That’s what’s going on up here on the hill.  That and the leaves are changing.  MDH and I pulled onto the Lane today and a breeze was blowing.  It sent the leaves falling down around us.  It was snowing leaves.  It was a beautiful sight to see and it made a memory that I won’t forget for many years to come. 

I love autumn.

 

PS……Click on the Bloggers Unite badge to the right and read about how you can help.  Then come back here on Novemeber 10th to read my blog post on refugees.  Better yet, write your own and we can read each other’s posts.

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Aimless Wandering Of My Brain

October 14, 2008

Our local convenience stores and gas stations are having a price war.  (Excuse me while I jump for joy)  They are currently down to $2.99 a gallon.  When you consider that my vehicle sucks gasoline like an alkie at an open bar, this is happy news for me.  I hope they continue along these lines because I have been trying to wean my truck off of the stuff and it’s like trying to rehab Robert Downey, Jr.  Not gonna happen!  Any day now I expect to get a call telling me to come pick my truck up from the impound yard because it was found asleep in a stranger’s garage. 

Drew Cary sucks as a replacement for Bob Barker.  I’m not sure anyone would have been able to take Bob’s place smoothly, however, Drew Cary sucks as a replacement for Bob Barker.  I had to say it again because once is simply not enough.

I will be immeasurably happy when the elections are over.  If I see one more campaign add that features a fifteen year old video clip of one of the candidates, taken out of context, I’ll puke.  If they were more evenly matched physically, I’d just love to see them mud wrestle.  It would be far more entertaining than having to dodge all the mud they’re slinging. 

I love sunrises and especially sunsets.  This has nothing to do with anything, but as the title says, I’m rambling.

I love being grown up.  Unlike Princess Bella and The Buddha, I get to stay up as late as I want and play video games!  Yay me!  I got one for my birthday.  I rule and I have mad skillz.  No one can touch me on the game.  This is mainly because I have all day and all night to play and they don’t.  Sucks to be them.  I still rule!  MDH will catch up with me in time, but for right now, I’m da boss.

DeeDee, our momma dog, is in heat.  I let her out the other morning and she ran off for a couple of hours.  The next time I saw her she was running out of the woods from a direction I have never seen her go in.  I believe that she took off and got some “strange.”  *sigh*  This could get ugly.

Tomorrow I get to spend my third day in court at a child support hearing for the kids.  I would rather take the beating.  They never say my name, they never speak to me, yet I have to be there every time.  They would never know it if I didn’t show up.  I would be just my luck that if I didn’t go, that would be the day they decided to call my name.  You would think that after three months it would be settled, but nooooo.  Sheesh!

Strangely enough, being fifty-one is just like being fifty.  Whoda thunk it?

I always over-pack for trips, vacations, etc.  If you have it and you don’t need it, it’s no biggie.  If you need it and don’t have it, it is a biggie.

I wish I could remember to write down my ideas for this blog so that I wouldn’t forget the things I think about that I want to write. No such luck.  If I did write it down, I would forget where I put it, anyway.  The neuropsychologist told me that I needed to use organizational tricks to remember things.  She used pocket sized notebooks as an example.  Yeah, right.  I have about thirty of those floating around here.  I can pick up any one of them and read what I wrote in it, but I cannot for the life of me tell you what any of it means or why I wrote whatever it is.  It’s like reading a dead language. 

I want to learn a dead language.  That way, if I screw it up, who will know?

I sometimes consider having my legs amputated.  They usually work pretty good and there is nothing fatal wrong with them.  But if my legs were gone people wouldn’t look at me so strange when I say I can’t do something that they think I should be able to do.  That “Oh PLEASE!!!!” look would be gone.  That would be nice…….for a minute.  I guess I would rather have my legs and just hope that someday education will win the fight and people won’t be so thoughtless.  That kind of thing always makes me feel bad about myself.  It hurts.

What in the name of all that’s holy could women over the normal age for childbearing be thinking of when they deliberately get pregnant?????  Say a fifty year old woman gets pregnant.  By the time her kid is of age, she will be in her seventies.  Who the hell thinks THAT is a good idea?  On the other hand, I’m prejudiced against the idea only because I’m tired and old and I’m raising kids who feel cheated because I can’t walk through the haunted house with them.  Any of you who feel that you need to get pregnant when you’re over the normal childbearing age, just remember, you aren’t the only person to consider.  Then, when you’re done, you tell me to STFU and mind my own business.  Do what you think is right. 

I have heard and read a bazillion arguments against gay marriage and I have yet to hear a single one that doesn’t end up reading like this: “Two thousand years ago, in a land I’ve never been to, a God that didn’t belong to me told some people that have nothing whatsoever to do with me, in a language that isn’t mine and never will be, that it was a bad idea.  It says so right here in my never altered, never mis-translated, never amended, never changed by human hands, English language, KING JAMES version  Bible.”   However, those same people shave their faces, cut their hair, get divorced, steal, lie, and covet their neighbor’s ass like there’s no tomorrow.  And still there is not one iota of an indication of how gay marriage is going to harm anyone, of how it will adversely effect one single person.  If the only argument against it is a religious based one, it has no place in the laws of this country.  Get over it.

2 Comments | Gay, life, Random, Thoughts, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by thought4food