Bee in my bonnet

What pisses me off is that I can carry more than my share of the weight. I can do all I can to keep life running smoothly, while sacrificing things that I want to do. And yet, and yet...what I hear is a criticism of one thing that is so minor and insignificant that it is laughable. Veiled in sarcasm does not make it any less hurtful either. Since I am unable to return the laptop to its upright and locked position, I may elect not to use it for a few days....woe to you.

Favorite 5 - Teenage Angst

I realize it has not been a week, but I am posting anyway. Why? It is my blog!

My 5 Favorite Teenage Angst Movies

Heathers - Best Christian Slater movie and a good look at why high school sucks!
Breakfast Club - The reasons kind of go without saying I think, I was a cross between the rebel and the weird girl with the dandruff.
Donnie Darko - Such a weird and cool movie!
Stand by Me - Stephen King is just awesome and this movie just gets it...all of it.
Some Kind of Wonderful - I could have picked Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink, but I always liked this more. I totally related to Mary Stuart Masterson on so many levels.

Coincidence?

Today I paid $3.89 for a gallon of gas. That is the first time it has been that low in I don't know how long. How strange that it is starting to dip lower as the election looms large in the minds of the American psyche.

If we manage to make it to the election without another war or some major power play by Bush/Cheney to stay in power, it will be a miracle.

Obama! Obama! Obama!

Yes We Can! Yes We Can!

This speech tonight was the most incredible event that I have witnessed. I have always been interested in politics and God knows that I am not lacking for an opinion, but never before have I been galvanized to do all I can to see that this man becomes the next President of the United States of America. I have believed in him, his ideals, his principles, his capacity to change our country, and most of all his ability to lead from pretty much the beginning. But, now I know what Michelle Obama meant when she said that for the first time she is proud of her country. I have always been proud to be an American, but I have not always been proud of those who are in power in our country. Of this man, I am proud. I am more than proud, I am excited about the prospect of what he can do for us, for our children, for the world.

I believe that all the speakers did a good job today, and I especially liked the woman from North Carolina who was a lifelong Republican, but can no longer afford to be...she was great. I thought that Al Gore did a commendable job and truly wish that THAT Al Gore had shown up for the 2000 election! My other favorite part was all the veterans who came out in support and explained why, it was truly moving to see. I think, along with Obama's direct address of his patriotisim, really showed that love of country is not only a Republican belief and that they do not hold the copyright on it.

Here are my favorite quotes from tonight, and the convention overall ~

"Not your typical first lady "let me tell you about my recipes" speech" - Mark Sheilds (this was said about Michelle Obama's speech. I bet he wishes he could pull his foot out of his mouth)

"John McCain said he would follow Bin Laden to the gates of hell, but he won't follow him to the caves where he lives!", "This election has never been about me, it's about you.", "I don't believe that John McCain doesn't care what goes on in the mids of Americans, he just doesn't know", and "In Washington they call it (trickle down profits from the wealthy) an ownership society, what it means is you're on your own...If you are poor pull yourself up by your bootstraps, even if you don't have boots. You are on your own." - Barack Obama

"We must lead by the power of our example, rather than by an example of our power" - Bill Clinton

"Failure is inevitable, but giving up is unforgiveable" - Joe Biden (his mom really)

"I believe in recycling, but that's ridiculous!" - Al Gore (on the subject of McCain using "W"'s policies

So tonight I leave you with this, simply the video of the man who will be elected President in November and a parting request. Regardless of who you support, vote. You do not have the right to complain if you forgo your right to elect.

Convention-itis

I went from being very absorbed with the Olympics to completely immersing myself in the Democratic Convention. I typically watch both conventions as it is a good way to really learn the issues that both candidates feel stongly about and it gives me a good sense of direction that the country would be heading (even though I did not see the current cluster coming from miles away, but who did? Ok, who did this badly? Thanks George!)

So I have spent the past few evenings watching most of the speeches (there are a few that I just have to use as a commercial break as PBS does not provide those normally) listening to pundits rehash every word, and yes, I will admit that at moments I have shed a tear or two. There have been some incredible speeches - Michelle, Ted Kennedy, Hillary, Mark Warner, Bill, John Kerry, and Biden all did wonderful. The Democrats point has been strongly made and I think everyone now knows the mantra for the next 3 months is not just "Yes We Can", but also "McCain is more of the same!"

I am very excited for tomorrow evening and Obama's speech. I know that he will do well, but I am curious as to whether or not he will focus on who he is as a person and allowing the public to get to know him on a more intimate level or if he will keep it more high level. He did a fantastic job of being less formal tonight with the "Rock the house" comment. I am also glad to see that the Hillaratics are finally getting with the program. I mean seriously, why would you vote for McCain because you are made that your candidate did not win the primaries? Their arguments just make no sense. However, both Hillary and Bill, in their impassioned speeches, did an effective job in my opinion of convincing everyone to join together. My favorite quotes have been "that's not a maverick, that's a sidekick" by Mark Warner on McCains voting record, "Keep Going" and "where you in it for me or for....." by Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton pointing out that he was that young and inexperienced, or so they said when he got the nomination, and finally Joe Biden with his Freudian "George McCain" slip.

What has suprised me is that there is all this talk about the bloggers being invited to attend and how that will be a great insight as to what is really going on, but I have not really seen the importance of it yet. (No offense Jason and Craig). I think that it is really because I want more, but the blogging sites are not updated as quickly as I want, so instead of going to my trusty political blogger sources, I end up using the media outlets. Now you bloggers were the change I could believe in, so can you update your blog more frequently and not spend your time drinking cappucino's..."Yes You Can"! (Ammendment - I am not going to cut The Side Track guys slack because they slept in late and well, frankly, I have it on good authority that they are lazy. But thank you J.M. Bell for finally getting some great blogs up about the convention, it is awesome!)

Platinum to the Maximum

There is a show on WE network that I have stumbled across a few times called Platinum Weddings. The whole point to this show seems to be to put very wealthy people who spend over $200K on a wedding on camera to show how great they are, how lovely their wedding is, and to basically make everyone else feel like shit about their own wedding. Personally, I loved our wedding. We made it unique in some ways, managed to make mothers happy, and put on a really good party for all our friends and family who came. When I watch this show and see that the brides ring cost $30K, the dress (sometimes 1 of 3 custom gowns) is about $6K, and then the cost of the food for 650 guests $90K, the entertainment flown in from NYC that is $150K, the horse drawn carriage with a specific type of horse, the crystals everywhere, the jewels for the bride, and on, and on, I want to seriously throw up. That is such a waste. Granted, it is the most important day of your life together, but what are you saying when you spend that much money proving it to the world? Who are you doing it for? I totally understand that these people are wealthy and can afford to do it. What I don't understand is why it is more important for them to spend the money on that, rather than trying to help humanity. Think how many homeless people that money could have helped, how many people it could have feed, how many houses could it have built, how many diseases could it have helped find a cure for?

I will get off my soap box for I understand, as my wise friend John once told me "you can not force your morals or values upon other people and determine their actions by your rules". Instead I will just not support that station or show. Small and insignicant, but important just the same.

Cheetas!

Shane asks us "If you caught your spouse cheating on you, would you forgive them and remain married? What if it had been going on for years? What if they continued after you caught them?"
I have caught D cheating, many, many times. I have even cheated a few times myself. But those damn Oreos, they call to me from deep in their hiding places! They whisper sweet somethings and beg, no plead, "eat me, let me fill you up. You complete me!"

Seriously, interesting questions, way to step up to the plate Shaner! I used to think that there is no way that I would forgive and stay married, but I really think that it depends on the situation. Was there something going on in our marriage that would have lead to this? Who did they cheat on me with? How old are the kids, etc? These would factor into it. To be honest, I think that I would forgive him and remain married. However, I firmly believe that with forgiveness you have to be able to then forget that it happened, or at least NEVER bring it up again. If you agree to forgive, you agree to not hold it over their head. Either way, for a first time I would forgive, but counseling would be mandatory.

A long term affair would be harder for me to move past as at that point it seems the relationship is fundamentally broken. However, people do move past this, but the same rules as above would apply. If my spouse continued to cheat on me, than the marriage would definitely be over, alimony would be paid, the house would be mine, and his clothes would be burned in a pile on the lawn as a reminder to me and a warning to others.

My fundamental rule with relationships has always been that trust is more important than monogomy (credit Savage Garden for putting it so eloquently). If you trust each other, reaffirm these feelings, and COMMUNICATE then an affair is not an issue.

Favorites - Olympics

I have decided to do a new thing as I just do not have enough to blog about sometimes. I have 'started thinking about lists of things that are my favorites; TV Shows, designers, artworks, songs, etc. So once a week, or more, I will post a list of my 5 favorites for a random topic. Feel free to play along. (Soliloquy - it is very possible with me being me and the way my mind works that I will go beyond 5 from time to time. I humbly apologize in advance, chalk it up to my being horrible at math or my inability to self-edit, take your pick).

In honor of the Olympics I am doing my five favorite Summer Olympic Events:

1. Gymnastics - mainly the team event as it has so many more variables, but all gymnastic events are by far the most stressful to watch.
2. Swimming - it was especially fun this year with Phelps.
3. Track - I like all the running events that are sprints, but the steeple chase is awesome also.
4. Equestrian - I have a soft spot for this as this is the event I had the privilege of seeing in LA in 1984, but mainly what I like about it is that men and women, young and old all compete together at the same time.
5. Diving - I particularly like the synchronized diving, but all of it is incredible to watch. There is always that Greg Louganis fear in the back of my head though.

Better left unsaid....

Today should have been a good day. You would think that with getting to spend time with the girls and going to an event in the park that it would have been. Yet, again, I found myself wondering why we can have a great start and first half to our day, only to have it end up with me feeling like I went 4 rounds with a rhinoceros and lost.

Our church had helped organize an event for all the local Christian churches to make themselves more known in the community (believe me, this is hard here in Utah where the first question is always "what ward are you in?") and also to raise money, which is always harder for these churches. Anyway, there were a lot of different local churches, bookstores, Christian schools there selling things and having games for the kids. Missy G had a blast doing the ring tosses, "plinko" game, and the mandatory Catholic Bingo game! We also overdid it on junk food, but had a really great time, despite the heat. After that I took both girls to my moms to cool off a little and feed the baby, then it was to our local library for her weekly 10 books. Once we made it home we all needed to just relax, so we chilled out on the couch and watched Minnesota Cuke cuddling together.

Sounds great right? What a wonderful way to spend time with my kids and what a great mom I am huh? Yeah, until my daughter spills her milk by putting it on her plate to bring to the sink and I get so irritated that I say to her "will you just get lost"! I could die, I could just die. Please tell me that I did not say that to my little girl. Please tell me that I just did not crush her little heart by my horrible words!

I did go right up and apologize to her, while she sat on her bed, crying. "You wish I were gone mommy" she says to me. How do I explain to her that I did not mean it? That having already lost a child, there is no possible way in hell that I would ever want her out of my life. How do I make this right? So there I sit, apologizing to my poor little girl, with her tears falling on my shoulder as I think "she will not remember the fun day, but she will remember this".

I try to tell myself that it was a normal reaction considering that someone replaced my child with a moody 12 year old for this summer. But, I know it wasn't. There are lots of mothers who would never say such a thing to their child. I really feel at this moment that I do not deserve either one of them. I am hoping that the evening spent cuddling and watching a movie together, then reading Dr. Seuss tell we could not take it anymore will make up for it somehow. I really hope with all my heart that through it all she feels the love and focuses on that. God, please let that be what she carries in her heart.

VEEP and My 20 Homes

I am chomping at the bit to know who Obama and McCain are going to pick as their running mates. In some ways it does not make a difference, but in other ways it makes all the difference. Personally I wish that Obama would pick General Wesley Clarke, but I do not think that he will. His name is not being bandied about anymore, so that leaves me in doubt. I no longer believe that John McCain will pick Joe Lieberman, which is too bad as he was probably the only person would could make him look younger. I am hoping that the upcoming conventions and the debates in the fall really blow the field wide open as the close race is just way to stressful.

In other campaign news, I find this article hysterical and this response ad even funnier. I mean seriously, the man wants to be president of the United States and does not know how many homes he owns? Oh yeah, he can Identify with the average American. Now, I seriously do not think the economy is as messed up as the media would like us to believe and how wonderful for the McCains (Cindy) that they can afford to spend $13 million on seven homes. But honestly, the man can not remember? What else is he going to forget (besides the surge timeline, and the difference between the Sunnis and Shiites, that Iraq does not border Pakistan, oh and what this red button is for)?

Random Thoughts

While watching the Olympics the other night I saw a commercial for Botox. The jingle or theme song, and the slogan was "Express Yourself" (not the Madonna version). Now, correct me if I am wrong, but if you have Botox injections how are you going to express yourself? Isn't your face frozen, with fucking poison?

Then, driving home today from a training in Salt Lake I pass a billboard of these fake breasts in a yellow polka dot bikini and the slogan below it says "Why settle for itsy-bitsy?" Seriously people there is more to life than having large breasts. I have said this before but statistically Utah has the highest incidence of plastic surgery and the highest rate of prescription, particularly anti-depressants use. I do not think this is a coincidence. Perhaps if we spent more time praising our young women for all the things they do well and for how incredible they are, rather than on focusing on why they need to get a husband, this would change. I have no hope for this happening anytime soon though.

As I mentioned I had training this week in Salt Lake, it was for Dreamweaver, which was very cool. I am seriously excited now to start using it and see what kind of damage I can do to my site. Anyway, I discovered while driving to this place in west Salt Lake, that even though Utah has made tremendous improvements to our freeway system, some areas still suck. The 2100 S exit off of I-215 and then the 3200 W exit after that are prime examples, as you can see by this lovely graphic.

Both days that I went down I kept getting in the wrong lane to exit as it divides on the off-ramp. So I had to then turn around and back track. On the way home when you enter the on ramp it merges from 2 lanes into 1, with another lane coming in to it from the left, so essentially it is 3 lanes into one. Then you have about 1/4 mile before the right lane is exit only and another 1/4 maybe before another exit only to get onto I-215...while another lane is entering into traffic. It is a big fat mess!! Talk about panic attacks and causing road rage! My favorite part was the asshole in a green Camry that decided that I just was not going fast enough so he rode my ass, only to then be forced to exit as he just could not chill out. He made my day.

So why is it that when women are together, besides going to the bathroom together, we end up choosing to be next to each other in the stalls if we are together, but always put as much distance as possible if we do not know each other? I find this behavior quite comical considering that you never know when you might need someone to "spare a square". From what I gather it is a major faux pas for men to stand next to each other in a urinal if there is the possibility of space between them. Women also sit next to each other in theatres or classrooms, while guys put a space between them (usually). What is up with that?

Something Borrowed

Because Kim is so cool and I want to be like her (besides this just being a fun idea) I am borrowing the idea that she borrowed that the other person borrowed, and so on~

Ten Things I Wish I Could Say to Ten Different People Right Now:

~ I love you
~ I forgive you
~ I hate you
~ Fuck you
~ I am sorry
~ Thank you
~ Who peed in your cheerios?
~ You are so not as cool as you believe yourself to be
~ Seriously, do it yourself
~ You are my hero

Nine Things About Myself:

~ I talk way too much
~ I am a dork
~ For some reason, on every vacation with D I fall down (without even drinking!)
~ I always tilt my head back, it is not because I am a snob (even though I can be that from time to time) it is because of my eyesight
~ I am terrified of snakes
~ For some reason I intimidate people. I have heard that all my life. I think it is because I am pretty closed off, not trusting immediately (you have to earn it), and just do not reveal everything about myself right away. You really have to work at it.
~ I wish I knew how to paint, or draw, or do art of any kind other than appreciate it
~ I doubt myself and my abilities all the time
~ I am very, very competitive

Eight Ways To Win My Heart:

~ Spend time with me and get to know me, make the effort
~ Be open-minded
~ Chocolate covered strawberries
~ Little gifts or notes or simple reminders that you are thinking of me
~ Read Stephen King and like it!
~ Love to travel, especially road trips
~ Have a great sense of humor
~ Be honest, down to earth, and able to laugh at yourself

Seven Things That Cross My Mind a Lot:

~ The upcoming Presidential election
~ What's for dinner
~ My girls, my husband, my mom
~ My dad and his business
~ Buying a house
~ Books I am reading
~ I am so excited for fall!

Six Things I Do Before I Fall Asleep:

~ Read a story to the kids
~ Clean up the kitchen
~ Say goodnight to D (sometimes 2 or 3 times as I remember stuff I had to tell him)
~ Brush my teeth and the typical fluid adjustment
~ Get undressed
~ Read/Watch TV

Five People Who Mean a Lot:

~ D
~ Missy G
~ Feisty Spice
~ Mom
~ Dad

Four Things You’re Wearing Right Now:

~ Rings
~ Earrings
~ Shoes
~ Sweater
~ Smile

Three Songs That You Listen to Often (Currently):

~ All These Things ThatI've Done - The Killers
~ Clair de Lune - Debussey
~ Rush - Big Audio Dynamite

Two Things You Want to Do Before You Die:

~ Learn a foreign language fluently
~ Watch my grandchildren graduate high school

One Confession:

At one point in my life, a very crazy 6 month period where I lost myself and my identity because I was frankly quite tired of who I was, I tried just about every drug out there (not Meth thank God!). I did a lot of partying, drank a lot, and just did things that I am not too proud of. However, it was such a growing experience for me as I was always the one who did not need that and was too responsible. So to move out on my own and have that adventure, really helped me figure out that you can not look for yourself, you have to create it. Thanks to that experience I think I created a pretty cool person.

If I Were Helen Keller....

This week Lisa, our newest member to the PSS forum asked her first question "If you had to choose, would you give up your sight or hearing? Why?"

I would like to say neither, but since I have to answer the question, I would rather lose my hearing. I already know some sign language and have been involved in the deaf culture before. I even thought of becoming an interpreter at one point, but gave it up due to the teacher, therefore, hearing makes more sense for me. I really would have a harder time not seeing, particularly since I am such a control freak about my surroundings and who/what is around or close to me.

Eight is (Not) Enough

I am feeling free to talk at will about the Olympics now that I know that Shane is boycotting. So this will be a very girl perspective on Michael Phelps and his amazing feat of 8 Gold Medals in this Olympics and 16 overall medals (14 gold). Considering that the odds for any athlete of getting a gold medal are pretty slim, this is an unbelievably amazing thing that he has done. I seriously wish I could tell him how proud it makes me off him and how happy I am for him, particularly when I consider that he has probably 2 more Olympics in him with more chances for gold!

Watching him swim, and the reactions of his mom and sisters has brought me to tears with every win. It is so interesting to me how many of the athletes are the product of single mothers. I have to wonder did she get Michael into swimming to save herself some sanity, only to have it become one of the most amazing gifts? Michael seems like such a grounded young man too, every interview and medal ceremony shows him being very sincere and appreciative of the experience and support from everyone. His mom should really be the one with the gold medals for doing such a great job of raising him.

And talking of Michael, those swimmers and their physique...woof! It reminds me of why I dated a few swimmers and divers in my younger days. I am really enjoying that part of the Olympics on so many levels.

Look What the Cat Dragged in!

Last March our cat, Cleopatra Jones (Cleo for short) died after a great life of 17 years. She was a very cool cat, D had her trained to come when he whistled, she could fetch, and she seriously never let D out of her sight for more than 30 seconds (yes, we timed it). Anyway, that left us with just Isis and so we had promised Missy G several years ago that when we lost Cleo, she could get a cat of her own. On 8/9/08 we made good on our promise and she and her dad went down and picked out this cutie.

Missy G named her Isabel, or Izzy for short. She is so far a great little kitten, very affectionate and well behaved. We did have the girl trauma of "she loves me - she hates me" that went on for two days or so.

Intelligent Women = Stupid Husbands?

I saw this the other day and could not believe it. Mr. Limbaugh is an ass (Kudos to Keith for such an awesome piece) and I cannot believe that anyone listens to Rush. I am not in any way condoning Mr. Edwards behavior as I take issue with people who have affairs (if you feel the need, do everyone a favor and leave the relationship first) and two I really take issue with him doing that while his wife is terminally ill, and three I feel so bad for everyone who worked so hard for him while he was running for President, only to have the whole thing blow up in their face. I have lost all respect for Mr. Edwards, which is a shame as I used to really admire him.

One Ring to Rule Them All

For Mothers Day this year I received something that I have always wanted, a mother's ring.

I am a big ring person, always silver or white gold, and in typical me fashion all of them have a story or meaning behind them. I have thought for a long time that the mother's ring would be the final one as that means that I wear 5 rings all the time, since I simply cannot (read will not) take any of them off. We will see how long the idea of this being the final ring lasts however.

I wanted a ring that was simple and elegant. Since my first two children were born in October (and so was I...woohoo!) I wanted to use the pink tourmaline for my daughter and a blue opal for my son. With our last daughter coming in April, that rounded it out nicely with the diamond (lucky her!) I believe that my husband, as always, did a wonderful job of finding just the right thing.

Update - Photos

Too much text and I finally got my photos off the camera, so here are some photos from July.


This cute dress came from my friend in Ireland and I just love it. She has hardly had the chance to wear it, but I know it will be something that I will never get rid of. Well, maybe if they have girls of their own.



This is Missy G and one of the Painted Horses on 25th Street. This one was her favorite as it was all bejeweled, but it is also cool that it is a Breast Cancer support horse.


Missy G, this is a typical nightly scene as she has to, has to, (HAS TO!) read before she will go to sleep. I love that she is such a reader, but this is just such a funny nightly occurence.




This is the little Feisty Spice giving the octopus and the elephant the what for!

Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This

Feisty Spice's diaper leaked and pee was all over her back, the mat on the floor, and soaked into the carpet.

Went to dinner for a friends birthday and Missy G was not feeling well, so she did not eat. We gave her chicken soup when we got home, which she proceeded to throw up all over the carpet.

While D was cleaning that up with out wet vac, he spilled her remaining milk all over the table and onto the floor (good thing he still had the wet vac out).

In the middle of all this, Feisty Spice has a massive poop explosion in her diaper.

Finally, the topper to the evening was our cat hissing, running away, and hiding from the new kitten that Missy G now has.

Good times at our house, I guess I should not have taken God's name in vain huh? Damnit!

I Remember When

This week Monica asks "what is your earliest childhood memory?"

The first thing I remember I was lying In my bed, I couldn't of been no more than one or two, I remember there's a radio comin' from the room next door and my mother laughed the way some ladies do. (Ok, you got me...credit Paul Simon with that childhood memory).

My earliest memory is of my house in Roy, I was about 3 or 4 and we had this stupid, stupid poodle named Charlie that I hated (the feeling was mutual I think). My memory is of that damn dog growling at me on the floor of our kitchen. (man, you should have seen that floor, black carpet with funky patterns in avocado green, burnt orange, and gold!) I eventually got my revenge about 2 years later when I let him out of the backyard on my way to school and Charlie was never heard from again. Inhumane, I know. I would NEVER do that now, but cut me slack as I was 5 years old! However, this is proof positive that from an early age it was best not to fuck with me.

Strap It

Shane posts a rant the other day about why he is boycotting the Olympics this summer because they are in China and he is totally against them and their horrible human rights record (interestingly, he is not opposed to buying cheap products from a Hell-Mart that were mass produced in a sweat shop by communists...but I digress). Now, like Shane, I LOVE the Olympics, I do not think I have ever missed watching them since I could watch TV and have been fortunate enough to attend two games - the 1984 LA games and the 2002 SLC games. For me the Olympics is about watching these athletes who have worked their whole lives for that one moment. Some of the best moments in sports, at least in my opinion, happen at the Olympics. Because of this, I watch the Olympics so that I can offer my full support. As a supporter of athletes it is my job to be there when situations get sweaty and sticky. To provide that little bit of comfort for when things get rough or hairy. And most of all to offer encouragement when the situation is going nuts.

So to Shane I say, get off your high horse and continue to be the athletic supporter you have always been.

Summer Music Sampler

Favorite songs this summer ~

Viva la Vida by Coldplay
Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis
She Left Me for Jesus by Hayes Carll
Soulmate by Natasha Bedingfield
Mercy by Duffy
Bartender Song by Rehab
Feelin' Alright by Joe Cocker
The Night That I Punched Russell Crowe by Gaelic Storm
Scare Easy by Mudcrutch
Working My Way Back to You by The Spinners
When I Fall by Lizz Wright
After Hours by We Are Scientists
Something Beautiful by Newboys
4 Minutes by Madonna (and Justin Timberlake)

Adoration

I realize that I always am ranting, so here are some things I love ~

Smell of the sidewalk after rain
Smell of the mountains in summer
Sound of crickets chirping
The breeze blowing through my house
Kissing the neck of my baby
Missy G's laugh
The color of D's eyes
Chocolate covered strawberries
Fitting into my skinny jeans
A cold glass of Riesling
My patio at night

Pet Peeves Addendum or Random Irritations

People who believe that saying God damnit, for the love of God, or just God (or variations there of) is taking the Lord's name in vain. IMHO and from what I learned in Sunday School, it is not. Taking it in vain means saying something like "I am harming this goat in the name of God"...yeah, that is wrong. Do you really believe that saying "God" in any form other than prayer or reverent discussion is unholy and damns me to hell? Than what do you scream out in the middle of sex - "gosh"? No? Sinner, sinner, SINNER!

Double standards really piss me off. While on vacation last week in Montana, we stopped on the way home in the lovely little Idaho town of New Meadows for dinner. We ate at this (not so great) BBQ place and shared a patio with a very lively group of people from the East Coast. This table had 8 women and 3 men (and 4 bottles of wine). The waiter for both our tables was not a bad looking fellow and quite friendly, it was obvious he spent a lot of time in the gym and outside. Anyway, after he takes their orders all the girls start talking about who he looks like (Patrick Swayze from his Dirty Dancing days was the conclusion), then they launch into a 40 minute discussion of who are the hottest male celebrities. (In typical "that girl" fashion the winner was George Clooney..yuck!) At the end of their meal, they ask him to lift his shirt up and then all cheer. OK, here is what pisses me off...if that had been a table of 8 men and 3 women, and the men had that discussion about hot women and then asked a girl waitress to show off her assets, let's just say that all those women would have been disgusted and screaming "chauvinist pigs"! So why is it ok for them to treat the waiter like meat (who did not seem to mind it, but that is not the point)?

My last rant for today, before I really get my Irish up, is about a situation here in the town of Syracuse with the football players and some wrestlers from the high school who were involved in a crime spree here last Spring. These boys caused some damage to several business and private individuals, attempted to evade capture, were caught and are now going through the legal system. Fortunately for them they were all still minors. However, the irritating part is that there is talk of still letting them play football, even though they committed these crimes (felonies). WTF people?!? Are you kidding me? Because they are jocks who can throw or catch a damn football, which is obviously the most important part of high school, you do not want to hold them accountable for their actions? So what if they had cheated on a test? Or were doing drugs? Or hey, gang raped some girls? They still would get to play right? And yes, I get that these crimes happened outside of school and all that, but what is the message? I mean, after all, football is why we go to high school. It is the most important part of that time in our lives and what all our tax dollars towards education should go towards. After all, look at what great lessons you learn from high school football (or professional for that matter), if you are good enough and important to them team, you can do whatever, harm whoever, and smoke whatever you want without consequence. Nice, real nice Syracuse.

People who assume that because I live in Utah, one of the most republican and conservative states in the nation, that I must be republican also. I find this thinking not only ignorant, but insulting (Go Obama!) This is one of the few things that I dislike about this state - stereotypes and assumptions.

For the love of money

This week I asked "what 5 material things (so not kids, spouses, money, etc. I am talking about real tangibles) would you not want to live without?"

These are in no particular order, but here you go ~

iPod - Don't ask how I got along without it before hand, all I know is I could not get along without it now.
Trip to Hair Salon - Speaking as a former hair stylist I can say with full conviction that it is absolutely necessary that one have their hair professionally done. For me this means a hair-cut every 6 weeks, a full color at the same time (thanks for all the gray hair mom!), and my brows waxed.
Bra - yup, that is what I said. I could never have survived the whole bra burning thing. So while no other clothes are on here as a must have, my specific brand and make of bra is.
My Rings - Technically this is really 5 things, since that is how many I wear all the time. However, each one means something and each is important to me.
Books - Again I am cheating, I get it...I am a big cheater! I am the kind of person that buys a book and unless it is complete drivel or crap, I hang on to it...forever. I should live in a library.

She who is too fond of books

This week Kim asked "Whether it be your top 5 favorites, 5 best (yes, there is a difference), 5 most disappointing, 5 that stayed with you the longest, whatever. Don't forget your explanations for each."

I love reading, that is no surprise I know, so this question was a real tough one for me. Since I can not presume to name the 5 best books, as I would inevitably put my favorites in with it. I am choosing some of the other categories.

5 Favorites
1. The Stand by Stephen King - I have read this book about 10 times and always keep a copy in my car, in case I am stuck somewhere without something to read. I love it because it is the ultimate story in good versus evil.
2. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - This is my favorite book from my childhood, and I still read it from time to time. I enjoy the fantasy of it, the poetry, and the overall message.
3. Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons - This book is about three generations of strong willed Southern women who live together (I can totally relate to the strong willed part) and explore the aspects of their relationship, the world around them, and their place in it. It is also a wonderful in depth look at mother/daughter relationships.
4. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt - This is such a beautifully written memoir, very poignant, and in typical Irish fashion is depressing and humorous at the same time. I love this book as it reminds me of the country, my grandfather, and why I feel so at home around them.
5. Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice - I am a pretty big Anne Rice fan, I loved the vampire chronicles and have read the first 3 particularly over and over. But this book is absolutely amazing. What you need to understand is that she was raised Catholic, became agnostic, if not atheist as an adult, and returned to her faith many years later. Upon doing that she decided to explore the life of Christ and this book is a result. I had my minister read it, and while no one knows exactly what happened, we agree that this book does a nice job of demonstrating what life might have been like for Christ as a child.

5 That Stayed the Longest

1. Most everything by Stephen King - It is too hard to list them all out, but this is why I say most everything. Thanks to It I cannot stand clowns or to park near/walk by/look at water drains, Cujo made me afraid of dogs, Duma Key made me afraid of Florida, Geralds Game made me afraid of handcuffs and rearview mirrors, the list goes on and on. He stays with me because he makes me afraid, but I love him for it.
2. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - This is on my list of favorites too, but I will put it here instead. It stayed with me because I can relate. I can relate to the pain, to the feeling that you are not good enough, to wanting more out of life and yourself, to having friends that have been there forever, I have been all those personalities at different points, but mostly I can relate to being and feeling like a horrible mother, yet realizing through it all that my children are my salvation.
3. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - This was the first book that really helped me understand the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, and taught me what love is.
4. To Kill a Mockingbird byHarper Lee - One of the best books ever written, would be a favorite, but is more appropriate here. This is such a pivotal and relevant work, no matter what time frame.
5. Pride and Prejudice/Emma/Sense and Sensibility, etc. by Jane Austen - OK, so I am a big weepy sap who hates normal romance novels with a passion, but I adore these. Because wuv, twoo wuv will follow you fowevah. Seriously, every girl dreams of a Mr. Darcy/Knightly/Ferras...thank goodness I found mine!

And to borrow from the other Kim, my 5 favorite to read to my children

1. Click, Clack, Moo - I cannot read this book without laughing. The second book, Giggle, Giggle, Quack is pretty great too.
2. Clarence and the Purple Horse - My mom found this on a trip to Death Valley and since then we have filled out the series, but this is still the best one. It is such a great story about friendship and selflessness.
3. The Little Engine That Could - A favorite when I was a kid, and now a favorite of Missy G's. This is such a great story of believing in yourself and never giving up.
4. Is There Really a Human Race - This is by Jamie Lee Curtis, which if you don't have any of hers, you should get them. For me it is a toss up between this one and I Feel Silly. I think I like this one more because it explains to kids in such simple terms that we are one race, one people.
5. The Empty Pot - Not only is this so beautifully illustrated, it is a wonderful story about being honest and having integrity.