so don't ask if you don't want to know
Archive for September, 2011
Planning waaaaaay ahead
Sep 29th
There’s so much I want to do next year and if I want to do it I have to start planning out the finances now.
- There’s The Reason Rally in Washington DC March 24 – giant maybe (Flight/hotel)
- There’s Balticon May 25-28 – absolutely (Flight/Hotel/Con Fees)
- Convergence – just the Skeptrack part – July 5-8. (Con Fees/gas to drive)
- TAM 10 is most likely in July – likely too expensive in Con Fees
- There’s Dragon*Con in late August – if I can convince Calla to go back with me (Flight/Hotel/Fees)
Seriously, Calla? What do you think of going back?
I wish I could just stay at the hotel as a regular guest, that way I could see the people in their costumes and hit the parties. I really have no desire to actually attend any panels or whatever. Maybe visit the dealer’s area – which would require a con badge. Not that Dragon*Con itself is very expensive, it’s the flight and hotel that costs.
It’s all about the benjamins.
Why THIS one?
Sep 21st
People keep giving me this liberal label. Maybe I’m liberal in some things, but as far as I’m concerned, this guy got his day in court, and many chances for a reprieve since. I don’t understand why Troy Davis has gotten everyone in such an uproar. Yes, I’ve read the blogs and stuff. Yes, the average person might think there’s not enough evidence, but he was given a trial. And state and federal courts denied his appeals. It’s been debated over and over!
According to this website, there have been 33 executions in the US this year.
- 13 Black
- 18 White
- 2 Latinos
So no, I don’t think executions in general are racially motivated nor this one in particular. I have no love for Georgia and I’m pretty sure they still have racism issues, but the man had his chances.
Although the murder weapon was not recovered, ballistic evidence presented at trial tied bullets recovered at or near the scene to those at another shooting in which Davis was also charged. Davis was convicted of murder and various lesser charges, including the earlier shooting, and was sentenced to death…
So what causes the uproar? Why THIS guy? Why is THIS execution all over twitter as the end of civilization in America?
I believe in the death penalty. I believe if you’ve done something so reprehensible as killing someone else on purpose, we have no need for you on the planet anymore. Why aren’t more convicted killers put to death? Like Manson should have been executed a long time ago. Why are we taxpayers putting so much money in prisons keeping these killers alive and well?
This is one bandwagon I’ll avoid, thanks.
musta been something i et (TMI)
Sep 20th
This is actually for my records more than anything.
I woke up around 3:30 am (again) with that gurgly feeling in my intestines. You know, that oh-shit-any-moment-my-body-is-gonna-explode feeling?
I got up and prepared: lights on, bucket near the potty, water glass and wet washrag standing by. Last time I had this feeling my body actually DID explode from both ends making a mess everywhere that – living alone – I had to clean up. So I was smart this time.
Except I was a little over-prepared. This time was not as bad as last time. I sure wish I knew what I ate that causes this.
Yesterday I ate cereal as usual and last night I went to Applebees and had a burger and fries. With a frozen lemonade. I seldom have lemonade so maybe it’s that? Is there such thing as a lemon allergy/sensitivity?
Value or worth?
Sep 17th
When I helped Mom go through all the stuff at her house (technically, double-wide mobile home) there were lots of linens she wanted to get rid of too. I lost count of the doilies – some in plastic but some looked old – and matching towel sets, sheets sized for beds she no longer had, etc. Most of these came with the house when they bought it. Hidden among all this cloth was a very pretty quilt in a bag, so I decided I would keep it.
It’s value to me is that it goes with my chocolate sheets perfectly and is lighter than my comforter so perfect for summer nights. I really like it.
So I was watching one of those innumerable auction shows and there was a quilt worth a bit of money. If this quilt ends up being worth a low amount, then I value it as a usable piece of linen. If it’s worth is higher it then becomes a piece of art and I can’t really keep using it as a bed cover, right?
So, does anyone know anything about quilts? This one is definitely hand-sewn and probably a twin size but it works fine on my double bed.
I’m a Grammi again!
Sep 12th
Time to update my tattoo.
Let me start with this: The reason I have not mentioned this publicly is because up until she left the hospital without him, my daughter planned to have the baby adopted. Very few people even knew Ginnie was pregnant. Immediate family and close friends is all. I didn’t even tell my parents until this last trip to Florida – because the baby was to be adopted out.
So last Wednesday morning (7:51 am) after an almost easy and very quick labor/delivery Ginnie had a perfect baby boy she named Jack. 
I was there to help her, her boyfriend on the other side and his mother standing by. (Yes, I got home from Florida just in time.) He’s beautiful. The adoptive parents came in that night and everything was on track until Ginnie left the hospital without Jack on Friday. Friday night was tough and by Saturday afternoon she had decided to keep him.
My heart breaks for the wonderful couple who planned to adopt him. And… although I think this is the worst decision of her life, I’m resigned that it IS her decision and resolve to be as supportive as I can. Her boyfriend’s family is thrilled (they were against the adoption from the beginning – hence my frustration this whole week with the pressure they were putting on Ginnie and BF) and they have committed to support Ginnie and BF financially until they can do better. For now I’m just waiting to see how this works out.
But like I said, he’s a beautiful baby. Very quiet and content and when he can keep his eyes open he’s paying attention to what’s going on around him. 6 lbs 13 oz and a 9.9 Apgar, as close to perfect as you can get.
This is going to be an interesting ride.
#911whereiwas
Sep 11th
I remember coming out of the shower and Hubby had the TV on in the bedroom and I could hear what sounded like a bad movie. I came out and he was just sitting on the bed watching – very unusual for him. I remember my shock when I realized it was real and live and just stood there watching when the second plane hit. I had to get Ginnie up and ready for school and we had all the TVs on while we finished getting ready.
Would there be school that day? I worked as a Kindergarten aid where she went to school – so we just kept moving. When the plane hit the Pentagon I struggled to remember the layout of the building I had worked in years ago and how bad it could have been had the plane hit on another side. It was NOT on the side where the buses and trains arrived every morning full of people, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
We got to the school and it was so quiet. The parents dropping their kids off were emotional, some had been crying but you could see they were trying to control themselves for the kids, but the kids knew it had been an important morning. No running around, no cheerful kid sounds. Even the littlest kids were walking quietly and standing waiting for the doors of their classrooms to open. They may not have understood the magnitude at 5-6 years old but they knew it was big. Many kids were kept home that day too. We adults really didn’t know what to do but keep moving.
I was immediately sent to my afternoon teacher’s classroom to help her. Her husband was (maybe still is) a flight attendant on a flight coming back from NYC and she had no way of knowing if he was safe or where he was. The news of the plane crashing in a field freaked her out, thinking of the possibility of it all continuing. Soon all planes were grounded or told to land at the nearest airport. She was pregnant and in a panic inside but carried on like a trooper. Staff had been instructed to keep the kids calm and carry on and try not to answer their questions other than the basics. Who knew at that time what the answers were? Would something happen to our school? No, it seems to be just those incidents we knew about before we got to school. Are our parents going to be safe? If they were safe this morning they’re going to be safe when you get home. It’s tough to be reassuring to children when you don’t feel safe yourself.
She and I took turns running to the office (where the only live-TV was allowed) to check for updates and she kept checking her phone for messages. It wasn’t until after lunch that she finally got a call from her husband that he was safe and stuck somewhere in Canada until they let the planes fly again.
The skies were quiet, the kids were quiet, and recesses were pointless as the kids just stood around with big eyes watching to see what the adults were doing. We were all like zombies moving through the day until we could get home and stare at the TV.
So many questions with no answers.
She did what?
Sep 4th
I’ve learned a couple of things about old people after being here almost two weeks:
- You must wave at everyone you pass on the road, and talk to complete strangers like they already know what you’re talking about.
- Gossip (the thing look down upon most of your life) is expected now that you have to seriously watch your friends for dementia and odd behavior.
- There’s a certain fascination with watching “The World’s Dumbest…” ALL DAY LONG.
- They’re always cold. Some are funny, some are crotchety, some are pretty cool but they’re all always freezing.
It’s funny the difference between my Mother’s society and my Father’s. Mom’s life revolves around meals/gossip with friends and TV at home. Dad gets out more, hanging at the American Legion a couple nights a week where there’s decent live music and liquor and his Saturday afternoon poker game. Two different approaches to being this age and they’re only a few months and a few miles apart. He just seems so much younger than Mom.
Someone kill me before I get this old.
