Archive for November, 2008

Chewbacca singing Silent Night
Deck the Halls from A Christmas Story
Mr. Heat Miser
I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (original)

Free ring tones from Debbie:

Actually, I downloaded these from Phonezoo.com where you can truly download or make your own ring tones free of charge, no strings attached. I’ve been getting ring tones from there for quite a while and have no complaints.

You know what I hate?

Nov 30th

You know how you’re planning on sleeping and you do your bathroom business, you get a glass of water for your nightstand (maybe you don’t but in AZ you need nearby water) and you don appropriate attire for sleeping. (Someday I’ll live alone and there won’t be any donning) You get in and get the sheet/blanket just so, un-tuck any bunched up material under your ribs, push your hair out of your face, do your stretch-clench-relax exercise with every appendage and close your eyes. Then you empty your mind by either writing the cursive alphabet on a giant whiteboard in your head or replaying your favorite erotic fantasy, sigh deeply and drift slowly off to dreamland . . .

And twhirl dings. Meaning you forgot to mute your computer.
Or twhirl chimes. Meaning the above, plus someone is talking to you and you MUST get up and check.
Or your cell rings or beeps a text message.
Or you can’t remember if you locked the front door.
Or some neighbor kids decide to play outside your bedroom window.
Or another neighbor roars by on a motorcycle.
Or the small airport down the street suddenly reroutes all take-offs over your building.

OR ALL OF THE ABOVE!

I hate that.

It’s a gorram conspiracy.

I’m adding earplugs to my going to sleep routine. I’m printing out a frakking checklist.

I beg your pardon!

Nov 28th

My cousin Gerard posted on my Facebook, “If all you hypocrite Atheists would quit celebrating Christmas, it wouldn’t be so crazy out there at this time of the year. ” in response to a comment I made about the trampling and shoot-outs during Black Friday Christmas shopping.

First I laughed, and then I kinda got a little peeved. Just because sometime in past history various groups appended this day (or series of days) for their own cause it doesn’t mean that the current meaning is only theirs.

Christmas means family and giving and sharing and taking the time to show other people how you feel about them. It’s become the acceptable mass-birthday/Valentines Day/Thanksgiving rolled into one and everyone celebrates at the same time and you get time off work. My little family has managed to celebrate each other without having any religious influence at all.

I have an 8ft inflatable penguin and a 4ft inflatable reindeer outside my apartment and I have lights on the bushes. Because they’re pretty and because it’s the acceptable time of the year to do so. If I felt like doing my tree this year, I’d have that too because it’s a central place to hang memorabilia from my kids’ childhood and a convenient place to gather gifts. And it’s pretty. Santa has become or at least can be secular. Gift-giving is secular.

I don’t feel hypocritical at all. I’m pretty sure every religion has a claim to every part of Christmas decorations and celebrations, but as far as I’m concerned those quaint little stories are past history. Just like Halloween is about dressing up and getting candy, Christmas can be unreligified and available to everyone.

Aftermath

Nov 28th

So yesterday was a bust. My pie was a bit overdone and we got to their house around 11:30 and didn’t eat until almost 3. In the meantime, their 3-year-old had about three absolute screaming fits lasting 30-40 minutes each, then she was clingy and whiny. Poor Kira didn’t get to play with her much, but seemed to have a good time anyway.

I had to bite my tongue more than usual. Seriously. The first screaming fit started when ThatChild starting throwing oranges all over the floor and someone asked her to pick them back up. She went into a spectacular meltdown that finally ended in her room. Now this is how they handle it.

The child’s mother threatens the child with spanking and never follows through. Drives me nuts! Not that spanking is the answer, just whatever you’re going to threaten, frikking follow through. ThatChild gets more out of control, kicking and screaming, and Gammy takes her in her room where she continues to baby her (telling the kid she’s RIGHT and everyone’s MEAN) for another 20 minutes, then brings her back out and cuddles her for a while. The father stands aside and says/does nothing. Which is actually a pattern for said pussy-whipped chronically unemployed father. And they’re expecting another brat soon.

Rinse and repeat every time ThatChild doesn’t get exactly what she wants on command. By the third meltdown, I mentioned that I had no problem spanking her if they wouldn’t mind. ThatChild doesn’t come anywhere near me. She must see my opinion plastered all over my face. Spoiled brat.

Kira on the other hand never Screeched, never had a fit and maybe back-talked twice – when she was tired. To which her father responded with a stern voice and a followed through threat to take a nap. I’m so proud.

I can’t stand bad parenting. Not that I’m any expert, but when your child is out of control and driving everyone batty, chances are you’re not doing much right. I could take my kids out in public as small children and they were pleasant. Of course, I have no control over how they act now.

Anyway, the meal was fantabulous and I napped on the couch while the toddlers napped and some of the adults played Monopoly. I finished off with a piece of my dried-out pie and went home. Peace and quiet!

Max called while I was there and got to talk to Casey too. Not as garbled as his previous phone calls. I gather he’s still in temporary housing in Tikrit and (Army change of plans) his bunch (platoon, section, troop – sorry, I don’t speak Army) is being sent back next week to where he was last time in Kirkuk. It’s only 45 minutes by helicopter, Mom. Helicopter! Now all I see is visions from Blackhawk down.

holiday, max

Rainbow meme

Nov 27th

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Not that kind of rainbow, geesh.

Your rainbow is shaded brown.

What is says about you: You are a deep thinking person. You appreciate the roughness of nature. You feel closer to people when you understand their imperfections.

At least I don’t think it is.

Gullah Gullah Island

Nov 25th

Kira’s favorite TV show is Gullah Gullah Island. No, it’s not new. My kids watched it when they were little, along with Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Elephant Show. Anyway, I’d found it on Noggin in the middle of the night and recorded it for a nostalgic moment with Casey, and Kira LOVED IT! Enthralled. So I’ve been recording them and that’s what she watches the ENTIRE time she’s over here. I think we’ve 15 episodes clogging up my DVR.

If I could find a stuffed Binyah Binyah somewhere (and I have looked on eBay) I’d buy it in an instant.

Anyway, I’ve had this song stuck in my head for the last few days. Kira can almost sing it so we’ve been practicing. It’s so cute.

Slow and steady
easy does it
you don’t have to
run you know
to get to where
you want to go
just take it simple
take it slow

From the show where they act out the Tortoise and the Hare. Adorable! She nods her head in time with the tortoise’s beat.

I guess you have to be there. Maybe I’ll get her to do it on video.

kira

Thanksgiving plans

Nov 25th

I had such a good time last year – except for the tense hour-long almost argument about abortion rights – that we’re all going back this year. Should be fun. Derek doesn’t want anyone to bring anything, but I’m bring pie. And Strongbow.

I like (almost) everyone in that family as long as it’s in short doses. They’re fun and funny and have a good time, but it’s chaos. Chaos upon chaos and a free-for-all with the kids. And I can only take so much tongue biting before I bite it off. The food is excellent, the music is my kind of music and Sherri usually spends most of the time hiding in her room so we get along okay.

Soory, I just don’t like that woman. Serious entitlement issues and a whiny voice. ‘Nuff said.

But it also means I don’t have to do anything for Thanksgiving. If you haven’t realized it by now I’m naturally lazy and I don’t like to cook. I’d go through the motions when the kids were younger and the family intact, but now I’d much rather let someone else do it. I’ll do the dishes.

Everything else is moving along normally. I’ve heard from Max, but the conversations are short and garbled so I don’t know anything specific.

After #evfn (East Valley Friday Night get-together in various places) CJ and her MIL and Crystal and I went to the ComedySpot and had a great time. One of the guys was nasty – as in Roto-Rooter nasty – but CJ’s friend Brian Bradley was hilarious. Excellent day.

Took Kira to a Sarah and Fletcher’s birthday party at BounceU and just about killed myself. Sarah and Fletcher are my friends CJ and Dan’s kids. They’re other podcasters that do a Star Trek couple cast and CJ is the MightyMommy on the Quick and Dirty Network.

My Kind of Christmas Song

Nov 19th

I wish I could take away the hurt

Nov 18th

Your child turns 18 and what do you do? Maybe a party, maybe not. At least a dinner celebration? A gift or two? 18 is a pretty big deal, right?

I gave Ginnie my ring that I’ve had forever. My ring to her – meaningful.
I bought her the t-shirt she really wanted so she’d have at least one present to unwrap.
I paid for and went with her for her first tattoo. Again, what she really wanted.

She wanted to have a meal with her father. She wanted to spend time with him on her birthday. Was he available? No. “Work” and then some other reason (blamed on me) that he couldn’t take the time. He hasn’t bothered to call her since. In today’s mail was a birthday card and $20.

She’s crushed. Not so much about the $20, but because a card pretty much shows her what she means to him.

She told me yesterday that she’s afraid to call him because all he does is bitch about me. You know, he took the same so-called parenting class I did before we divorced. #1 RULE IS DON’T INVOLVE THE KIDS IN YOUR ISSUES!

I can’t believe I spent most of my adult life with this man. If he doesn’t reach out to these kids pretty soon (and do it without trashing me) he’s going to lose them. I don’t think Max gives a damn any more, Casey and Ginnie mostly avoid calling him because of how he talks about me . . . and can’t just get over it all. He’s got a woman living with him! How does SHE put up with this hate and anger?

All I can say to Ginnie is that I love her and someday he’ll be sorry he treated the kids this way. It’s all his choice. I’m not doing anything to make matters worse (though I seem to get blamed for everything anyway) and I’m certainly not going to do anything to help him out. He’s sinking all on his own.

buck, ginnie

Dude, you're so not funny

Nov 17th