Category: Well why not?

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Stop it!

Ok, I normally wouldn’t even waste my breath on this, because I feel like it’s been beaten like a dead horse, but seriously, the child sexual abuse needs to end. Well, all forms of child abuse need to end, but especially that of a sexual nature, since that is what’s been making all these disgusting headlines lately.

 

Let’s see, we’ve had Catholic priests molesting altar boys for, well, ever I guess. Then of course the Jerry Sandusky Penn State bullshit that just makes me want to vomit more each time I hear new details come forth, and now the scandal involving former Red Sox clubhouse manager Donald Fitzpatrick, who’s been dead for 6 years? And there are obviously countless other attacks in between all those that have never and may never come to light, but which are no less horrifying and damaging.

 

Well I have a surprise for you all – I have the answer! And it’s this simple:

 

STOP HAVING SEX WITH CHILDREN!!!!!!

 

Period.

 

The end. I will now step off my soapbox and get back to more entertaining fare.

 

 

 

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Let’s talk about hold music

Shall we? You know, that crap “elevator” music you must endure each time you’re put on hold on the phone. Now riddle me this… WHY on earth must it be so terrible? Always??

 

A few weeks ago while on hold I had to listen to “That’s Just the Way It Is” by Phil Collins, which on its own isn’t too obnoxiously unbearable, but throw it into a never-ending string of mind-numbing shit songs and I was ready to chuck my phone across the room by the end of the first refrain. Then this morning I again found myself on perma-hold, being serenaded by the worst light jazz channel I’ve ever heard.

 

Why do companies think their customers, patients, etc., want to hear note after note after note of horrendous music, when they’re probably already in a bad mood about whatever it is that’s causing them to call in and be stuck on hold in the first place? And who picks this stuff out anyway? I’d like to meet the person who decided that oh yeah, EVERYONE wants to listen to Kenny G for 45 minutes while we ignore their call. I would swiftly kick him/her in the shins and duct tape headphones on them to pump in their nauseating choice of songs.

 

Come on, mix it up a little for us! I don’t know about you guys, but personally, I would LOVE to hear some Snoop Dogg for my “on hold” station. That is my JAM! I would rock the socks off some hold time if I could be rollin’ down the street sippin on gin and juice. Or rockin rough and stuff with my afropuffs – hey rage, rock on wit yo bad self! Yeeeaahh, I could be on hold all day listening to Doggystyle.

 

Seriously, throw us a bone here, on hold music administrators. Like I said, chances are pretty good that we’re going to be pissed off when you finally decide to answer our call in the order in which it was received since we’ve been sitting there so long waiting to either chew you out because some worthless product failed us again or to make an appointment for a procedure that no one in their right mind would enjoy. So it would be in your best interest to not enrage us further by making us want to pluck our eyebrows out with your god-awful music, but maybe try to soften the blow to your eardrums a bit by lightening our mood with a little rock ‘n roll, hip hop, or even some Christmas carols this time of year.

 

But please, for the love of god, PLEASE don’t make me listen to any more Phil Collins. Cuz that’s just not the way it is in my book.

 

 

 

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It’s a start

So of course I wanted to do a whole Thanksgiving weekend recap post with lots of pictures and stuff, but, as usual, I haven’t had a chance to wrangle them all up yet. BUT, I was able to get our Christmas tree last night and begin decorating it, so I’ll just show you that for now instead. A little teaser of our holiday weekend, if you will.

 

Step 1: put the lights on, along with D’s little ornament from Auntie A.

 

 

It’s just a little tree this year, but with the Hawaii trip coming up and all I knew I’d want to take it down before we leave. And the fewer ornaments to mess with because of that, the better.

 

 

So that’s how the festivities of our holiday weekend ended last night. I promise to get the full pictorial post up soon, for we really did have a fantastic long weekend. I hope you all did too!

 

 

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It was a great weekend

So that weekend that was shaping up to be so much fun didn’t disappoint. Starting with girls’ night out on Friday, we had a blast! Unfortunately, I have to admit that this was probably my least favorite of the Twilight movies so far. It just seemed kind of… bland? I guess that would be the best word to describe how I felt when we left the theater. Kind of like wait, what? That was it? That’s all they gave us?! Now if you haven’t seen it yet and are planning to, you might want to skip the next few sentences… Adios… Go on…

 

But those who’ve seen it, are you with me? I mean the wedding scene was pretty and all, but it lasted like 7 seconds. And the wedding night, which we were all so fervently anticipating, was over in about 4 seconds. Come on!! That was the best part of the whole book and you just skimmed over it?? It was actually almost comical. Boo, jerks. And then the rest of the movie kind of dragged. It’s hard to put my finger on, but I was just left with a blah feeling at the end. Oh well, we still had a blast getting together, and now we know they better step up their game for the final movie next year!

 

Saturday we got the Thanksgiving food shopping done, and I can’t wait for that feast! We are so fortunate to be able to put all the food on our table that we need and want, and this year I’m especially thankful to be celebrating the day at home, just our own little family of 3.

 

Then the Packers game yesterday was a great time too. Even this Bears fan does (usually) have fun at Lambeau Field. We left at 7:15 to head up to Green Bay, picking up our friend L along the way. Once there we met up with a group of about a dozen other people for tailgating, including our good friends J and K who live in Minneapolis. It was a very fun day, the Packers won, and we got to spend some time after the game in Curly’s Pub behind the radio sportscasters, since another one of our friends is one of the main personalities. Our table was right behind theirs and overlooked the players’ parking lot, so we got to watch all the Packers getting into their ridiculously pimped out trucks and SUVs to leave. Pretty cool.

 

The drive back went smoothly and safely, and we got home shortly before 8. It was a long day, and D was already in bed by the time we got home, but she had a lot of fun playing with Grandma. And Daddy had a lot of fun playing with the Packers fans. See…

 

R mugging with St. Vince after the game

 

And now we have a short week before the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Hooray!

 

 

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A mama in the darkness

Tiny hands explore my face as I rock you with your bottle.

The left one grazes my chin and cheek, searching for a strand of hair to twirl. The right one feels my ear and finds my earring. Usually it twists your own hair, but tonight you want mine.

I hope I always remember their touch, their tiny strokes.

Will there be more someday? Right now it is just me and you, and you have all of me.

Your legs dangle off my lap, not kicking about tonight. Calm, ready for bed. You’re getting so big.

Your warm head, fresh from a bath, nestled in the bend of my left elbow. It fits perfectly.

I rock, you drink. It’s early, but you’re tired already and I can tell it’s time.

The snuffles and grunts as you swallow the last milk of the day soon turn into the slow breaths and little snores of your slumber. Sleep comes easily tonight.

I watch you, breathing in every second and trying to etch the memory in my mind for all time.

I smile down at you in the darkness, your eyelids having fluttered shut for the final time for sleep. Tears well up in my eyes, for I know this era is fleeting.

I don’t want it to go.

They say we have to give this up soon, but not tonight. Not now.

You don’t need to be burped anymore, but I put you on my shoulder when the bottle is done anyway. I love when you sleep up there. You fit.

Your little left hand falls to rest on my left shoulder as you turn yourself around, getting comfortable in your dreams. I kiss it, then your cheek as I lay you in your crib. Face down, knees pulled in underneath you, bottom up in the air. Your favorite position.

I love you. Every piece of you. Every fiber of your being and every sparkle of your soul, wherever it may take you. Hopefully not too far away.

I will always love you like this. Forever.

 

This was originally intended to only be a little ode to D, but it just so happens to fit in with a couple writing prompts. So I’m linking up at both Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop and Heather’s Just Write.

 

 

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We have lost our manners

I heard that on the radio the other morning, and I could not agree more. We seriously have lost our manners. “Please.” “Thank you.” “May I?” “Excuse me.” (without being immediately followed by “excuse you” from the other party) Opening and/or holding the door for someone. You know, simple common courtesies that have unfortunately become less-than-common.

 

My sisters and I were raised to use good manners. You say “please” and “thank you”. You address adults by “Mr.” and “Mrs.” You say “excuse me” after you burp or fart. That is, after we were glared at for daring to let out said burp or fart within earshot of others in the first place. You do not chew with your mouth open or talk with your mouth full. You do not rest your elbows on the table while you eat. You write thank you notes after receiving gifts. You look people in the eye when being spoken to. You do NOT talk back, especially in public. You do not lie. And you are overall generally obedient to your parents.

 

And I’m sure this will garner many groans and eye rolls, but for the most part we complied. We were, I think, pretty well-behaved children, and have grown into well-mannered adults. I’m sure my mom can provide plenty of instances to the contrary, but I’m speaking on the whole here. Mom.

 

I’ve noticed so often, though, that kids these days are just shitty. They’re rude, they’re disobedient, they’re immature (yes, even kids can have a certain level of maturity for their age), they’re violent, they’re mean, they’re beyond disrespectful, and they’re just plain jerks.

 

How has this happened? Have manners really become so passé that parents can’t possibly be troubled to instill them in their children? Have we become so technologically advanced, absorbed, and jaded that it’s ridiculous to think we would bother to teach children such basic organic processes as good manners? Just leave it up to the computer or cell phone to do that for us? Is it really that hard? Nope. I don’t think so.

 

And when did this happen? When did it become so taxing to insert an extra word or 2 into your sentences here or there? When did it become uncool to be polite? When did we stop smiling at people as we pass? And god forbid anyone actually nods hello. No! Grumble, grumble, shuffle past. What the? Where are we living?

 

Am I the only one who feels this way? Am I the only one who orders by saying, “May I please have…?”; or says “thank you” to a compliment or good deed; or says “you’re welcome” to another’s “thank you”; or holds the door for someone behind me or someone who needs assistance; or hands someone something they dropped instead of walking by pretending not to see; or actually does try to look people in the eye as I walk by and say “hello”, or maybe just “hey”, but still, it’s better than staring blankly past them like they don’t exist? Am I crazy for doing all these things? I guess it doesn’t really matter if I am, for I’ll still do them. I was taught it’s just what you do. It’s not some big, unusual occurrence, not something that needs to be rewarded with a gold star each day. You just do it.

 

Anyone want to join me on a crusade to re-manner the world? Ok, maybe not the whole world, but at least re-manner our own little corners of it? I fully intend on raising D to use good manners. Nothing would crush me more than to see her growing into one of the foul-mouthed, ill-mannered, bad-tempered little hoodlums I see running around, pissing me off. Because really, that’s not the sign of a truly bad kid. I don’t think kids themselves are inherently rotten. That’s the sign of an extremely poor parenting job.

 

Thank you.