Thursday, October 17, 2013

repentance


I was talking with a friend of mine and had a wonderful revelation.

I have always struggled with understanding some things.  Like, how could David be such a SINNER and be called a man after God’s own heart and righteous and yet part of me identifies with that combination.  I always secretly believed that I could sin and still love God and be close to Him.  There are obviously many issues that come along with that like guilt and the sin separating me from God – except that the sin only separates me from God it doesn’t separate God from me.  God never leaves me.  He never forsakes me.  I forsake Him because of my own guilt.  The parable of the prodigal shows me that.  I believe people who say they are homosexual and love God.  I do not find those two things automatically mutually exclusive because if they are people who commit adultery or have sex outside of marriage but have hetero sex are in big trouble.

I’ve always been taught that repentance means to feel sorry for my sin and then turn away from it.  But that is not the Greek/Biblical definition of repentance.  The Greek definition is to turn away, to be changed from it. (http://biblesuite.com/greek/3340.htm)  This sits well with me.  How else could David be a man after God’s own heart and still commit the egregious sins he committed? 

I wonder how much the enemy has kept us from by keeping us focused on our own guilt instead of on following God balls out (if you’ll excuse the expression) failures and all and just keep going after all He is and all He wants for us.  Our guilt stops us in our tracks because we have the idea that God holds it against us when He tells us he doesn’t.  He gives the example of a loving father (not a bad father) to show us who He is.  He gives us the example of the prodigal who wants to go his own way and takes all God has to give and lives the life he thought he wanted to live and finds himself at the bottom only to discover he’s homesick and wants his daddy again.  When he goes home, there is Dad with open arms waiting expectantly to throw a party for his son’s return.  Is that how you feel after you sin and turn back to God?  Or do you still feel like you’re not good enough?  Like you have to “pay” for what you’ve done.  I think we convince ourselves that some payment is due even though perhaps we don’t give a voice to that semi-unconscious belief.

Throw off all that hinders you.
I am becoming renewed.
I am excited!
I can’t wait to hear what else God wants to tell me.

Friday, October 4, 2013

meet the puppies

This is Molly.


Molly is a DIVA and totally in charge.  She is also a cuddler and really (really really) insists on being with you, on you (preferably on your neck) or next to you.  But on you is best.
When she chases her brother around she goes for blood, tail, and, ahem, the nether regions.  Max has learned to run fast, but I worry a little about him sometimes.
Though I'll be stoned for saying I like one dog over the other, Molly is my favorite
(though I still prefer my cats).
 
So far Molly has been named: 
Precious Leia
Madam (something or other from The Wombles)
Girl
and now Molly.
 
 
This is Max.
 
Max is Molly's brother.
He is much calmer in general.  Wants to be a part of things but when it's time to sleep, he goes down by your feet to actually rest where Molly insists on staying on your neck, possibly inhibiting your ability to breath.  Max can roll over, but not yet on cue.  We're working on it.  Max will not go potty outside.  This is the dog that comes back in the house so he can use the pee pads.  (sarcastic smile)
 
Max's names so far have been:
Starbuck
Orinoco (another Wombles reference)
Boy
and now Max.
 
 
Max also has the strangest fur I have ever seen.
Not that you can entirely tell from this photo, but he kind of looks like he's wearing a tutu and has a Flock of Seagulls kind of forward swoosh thing doing on in the front, except Max doesn't get up in the morning and use 2 cans of hairspray to get his hair to become an immovable slide upon which other creatures could play on.
 
I sincerely doubt my ability to keep these dogs on a daily basis.  Usually around the time I'm trying to sleep and the other people in the house refuse to walk the dogs (that would be early morning when I've convinced myself the next 15 minutes of rest will make me feel more refreshed than the previous 6 hours I just spent sleeping.  Don't argue with me, I know how important those 15 minutes are.)  I cannot seem to convince anybody in the house that dogs need to walk (and pee) the moment they wake up -- just like humans!
 
There is a good chance on any given day that these puppies will need a new home.  Any takers?  They have all their shots but are only puppy pad trained (not fully housebroken).     No?  I didn't think so.  I guess I need to keep training them. :)
 
Have I told you how much I love my cats? =^.^=  
 
 
 

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Word of the Week

Because the world is too serious (and because I work in corporate America and I don't necessarily fit in here) I try to add a splash of color and fun to our offices and now I'm sharing that with you.

Feel free to print and share.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

women in the church

We have it all wrong because we don’t understand how Paul wrote and what God means.

Does Jesus condemn woman as filthy and seductive?  Does He say that our speech is not to be heard?

Does Jesus say that women are less than men?  Less morally capable?  Less intelligent?

Well, the Talmud (oral Jewish law, Pharisees were famous for it… adding to THE Law from God)

Nowhere in the OT does God say that women cannot speak in church.

Go ahead and check. J

Apparently the Talmud does say to silence women.  This sounds much more like a Muslim teaching to me and since they are all from the same line, it’s not a stretch that this teaching would be in both systems.

The Talmud clearly affirms the silence of females:
“A woman’s voice is prohibited because it is sexually provocative” (Talmud, Berachot 24a).
“Women are sexually seductive, mentally inferior, socially embarrassing, and spiritually separated from the law of Moses; therefore, let them be silent” (summary of Talmudic sayings).

“It is a shame for a woman to let her voice be heard among men” (Talmud, Tractate Kiddushin).
“The voice of a woman is filthy nakedness” (Talmud, Berachot Kiddushin).

Does this sound like the voice of Jesus?  Do you think this is the kind of thing He said to the woman at the well?  To the adulteress the crowd was trying to stone?  Does it even sound like Paul?  It really doesn’t.  It sounds like man’s heart.  Like his desire to control and rule over things.  Look around the world and where greed and corruption flourish man is in control without being accountable to God.  Without a relationship with the creator of the world who desires an ongoing and intimate relationship with us.  What I really see above is that man’s heart is evil and corruptible if they think that every time a woman opens her mouth it is sexually provocative.  Typically, in our culture it is men who have the stronger sex drive.  I think it interesting that they try to put their own sins upon the woman.

I don’t see the Bible teaching that spiritual gifts are based on what chromosomes you have.  They are not dependent upon the sex of the recipient.  Thus, woman can have the gifts of teaching and pastorship. 

You can read more at THIS BLOG.
(THISis really good too, though I warn my Catholic friends, you will not like what she has to say)

And my new mantra for when people talk about how wives are to submit to their husbands is to reply… and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church, even to the point of laying down their life for them.  That’s the kind of man I will submit to!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

everybody needs a Mom...including Miley

Granted, some more than others.
I have a code with some of my friends and our teen girls... "don't do crack" or "DDC" but we aren't talking about the drug kind.  We mean the fashion I wanna be a plummer when I grow up kind.  It's a nice way to say something in public to get the point across without causing too much embarrassment.

So, seeing the posts about Miley I will share what I heard on the radio (Dennis Miller thank you) on the subject.  He said that the closest we get to a Normal Rockwell image in this entertainment saturated world is this...
A family taking in a concert together and they are sharing the same experience.
Smith_reaction_Miley

Appropriate reactions to what they've seen bring a smile to my heart.

So, what else is out there worth reading about Miley The Sexual Adult?

Here is a particular favorite: 
http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2013/08/10-tips-for-proving-youre-grown-up-for.html

I'm sure there are more!  This girl just needs to and realize all this isn't what is necessary to get to where she's going.  There are much better paths.

My heart is sad for her.



Tuesday, August 27, 2013

miss my son

My son is 15 years old and acting every moment of those 15 years on a daily basis.
 He is A T T I T U D E in spades and it's been quite a difficult summer for me.

He just left to go to England.  He flew alone and his grandparents met him on the other end.
I came home early to pick him up and he was not happy.  He was angry and more than anything stressed.  OK, I can appreciate that, but still I'm tired of his mouth.  Having to decide between keeping the lines of communication open and holding the line on the respect I need and desire as his mother.  We finally make it into the care and his stress level increases.  We left the house later than he would have liked (mind you we have a maybe 2 hour drive in bad circumstances ahead of us, but the rest is 10 mins of check in, security clearance and then just waiting around for 2-3 hours with your head leaning on a wall because there's too many people and not enough seats.  joy.

And we want to eat because everyone knows you can't bring food through security.
Eating outside of the airport didn't happen.  We found ourselves there and parking then realized food was initially on the agenda.  UG... I realize I will now have to sign over a kidney as a down payment on 3 day old sandwiches and a drink for the 3 of us.  $25 later with 1 sandwich, 1 drink, 1 pack of crisps and 1 muffin...I find a chair to recover from what I've just spend on "food" for my son.  I have chosen not to partake at this point hopeful that I can wait a little while and then leave him to sort it out.

What's that?  On overhead announcement.  Something about a delay with maintenance and they will give us another update at 7:50 - when the flight was initially scheduled to take off.
Long story short... They start boarding at 7:10 and nobody is listening to anything the gate agents are saying about how to line up and who can line up first etc.  They are all but rushing these few people.   I was actually surprised there was so little respect for those in control of the situation. 

Alex got on OK and I appropriately embarrassed him with photos.  I then asked the gate agent if this flight would actually take off tonight or was there a possibility it would not and how long would I have to wait to find out? I live an hour away and if I'm going to have to come back up, I'd like to know.
His suggestion was to ensure the flight had physically take off.  OK... 20 mins later we had our confirmation and I could make the journey home.

Start next day.  I don't know what's wrong with me.  I am so teary eyed.  I feel like any minute I am going to start crying.  Not the most professional behavior so I tried to keep it in check; which kind of exhausted me,  today, I am a bit weepy and now I've added cranky.

I guess I just miss my son!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

random

I hate traffic.  I used to be kind of chill about it but as my life continues to fill up, I find my patience is wearing thin.  So thin that the idea of picking up and moving to Texas (or some other state where I imagine life is more perfect, a bit slower and ... I guess different) anyway, the idea of picking up and moving someplace with less people becomes very attractive.  I never used to think about this and now I find I'm thinking about it daily.  BUT (of course that was coming) I think I would be the one pushing that decision and I'm not sure I could handle that much on my shoulders -- especially with both my hubby and I working and with the difficult couple of years we've had.  It just doesn't make sense.  That's what makes dreams nice... I'm not committed to it, but knowing that option exists helps.

OMG, my kids are watching Hannah Montana!  They have been so over Miley for years, I'm surprised.  We did love that show!  She was so cute.  It makes me sad that she feels such a need to prove to the world that she's all grown up now and likes to smoke pot and hangs with Snoop Dog (do I even have that rapper right?).  I wish she could have hung in there.  It makes me realize how important it is that we not hang our ideals on people but only on God. 

I have been very anxious all day and I sincerely hate anxiety.  I think I may hate it more than depression, but then, I'm probably better at fighting off depression.  Anxiety is harder for me.  It makes me feel so defeated and I want to run away from myself and distract myself and hide.  What I should do is go "workout" (I say workout like it's a part of my vocabulary, but I assure you it's not.)

OK, I just pinned a bunch of stuff about exercise.  Now I actually feel slightly motivated to do it BUT (yep there's that word again) I would have to get dressed again and put a bra back on.  So when I reason that out a bit I think; seriously... how long does that actually take?  60 seconds?  Maybe 2 minutes?  Am I willing to admit that 2 mins of dressing is the only thing stopping me from a healthier me who feels better and might deal with the anxiety I say I hate so much.

Hmmmm...

Monday, August 12, 2013

puppies are exhausting

We have two new puppies. 
I have now confirmed that I am a cat person.

Don't get me wrong, they are cute and I'm sure once they have all their shots and can be better trained with the whole pee thing it will be much easier.

But man they are needy.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

fighting the good fight

Depression sucks.
That could be my whole post. Ha
Man, I hit a wall last night and it may have fallen on me because I was completely useless today.  I've been listening to some really good teaching on how God loves us and wants all these good things for us (vs. the typical God is angry with you because you screwed up...again, though I find that most of today's churches actually have a pretty good spin on that so you don't necessarily realize you are feeling condemned).  I was angry and sad and angry and did I mention sad?  I hid in my room all day and grouched at my kids and then realized that this is super self destructive and I have to snap out of it because I do have a job and need to go to work tomorrow. 
Work is usually a good place to be because they keep me busy.
However, the next two months will be a series of events focused on cleaning the office and throwing things away and while I can intellectually appreciate how good that process is, I feel condemned by it and it makes me angry and... frustrated and generally puts me in a bad mood.  So I have to work extra hard to keep myself behaving appropriately.  They generally don't care for people being grouchy.  Especially not me because I'm generally not.

OK, this was a useless post.  I'm going to go back to watching TV now.  Thanks for listening.
Say goodnight Gracie.

Goodnight Gracie.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

bra rant

warning... any men reading this will want to skip this week.

OMG!  There is a spider right next to me!!!!!
OK, now it is outside.  Disaster averted.  Whew.  I didn't even scream!  I'm so proud of myself.


I have been blessed/cursed with a formidable breast size.  I don't know why the makers of such things are so convinced that the only thing I want to wear is black, white, or nude colored bra's.

I go to stores like Lane Bryant and shop their bra's which, I will admit, I've had better success with than other places.  Do you know what bra's I own?  White, nude (I think they try to dress up the color by calling it "sugar"), black.

I recent found the most comfortable bra ever and for someone with a large chest this is on par with a miracle.  Most of the time by lunch I have to start talking myself out of whipping my bra off because it's just not socially acceptable.  They become so uncomfortable (bras that is).  I don't always even make it home before the sigh of relief known by every woman in America escapes from me the moment that bra is off! 

Then I found these Cushion Comfort Bra's and I am barely aware of wearing them!  Some genius added padding all around the under wire so they are way more comfortable and I don't hurt at the end of the day.  This is now the only bra I will wear.  They seem to offer colors, but they don't offer many and they sell out so quickly it's obvious they need to have more inventory on them.  The distributors probably make 5 in my size and they sell out before I even know they are there.  Plus, since they only offer a few in my size, they are never on sale which means I'm stuck paying a boat load of money for all my bras.  I'm a bargain shopper, this irks me.

At the end of the day, I suppose it doesn't "matter" what color bra I'm wearing.  Nobody but me really knows it's there.  But still! 

So my other rant is concerning my daughter.  WHY IS EVERY BRA OUT THERE A PUSH UP BRA?  I mean really?!!  Have we become such a ridiculous culture that even C or D cups are push up now?  and I don't mean lined or support I mean like "hey girls we can increase you by 2 cup sizes with this little baby, come on over and let's crank that chest up to porn star status in a jiffy."  (Do porn stars wear bras?  I guess for a minute they do.  hmmm, you know what I mean.) 

My daughter just wants a pretty bra that doesn't add to what she already has.  Support, coverage, something pretty.  Not a huge list of things needed for an undergarment.  Perhaps the makers of these bras are all overachievers and they can't stop adding features until there is nothing else they can really add.  Maybe the creators of bras actually need a support group to work on their self esteem so they can stop adding more and more and more.  Because sometimes, less is enough.

Sigh...
Maybe I should become a bra designer and then I will realize that the capitalism behind everything makes pleasing everyone a fiscal impossibility.

Any suggestions?
What is your bra rant?

My life, am I actually going to say more isn't more?  I don't think that's ever come out of my mouth before.  Not seriously anyway.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

I'm officially cool

Because I now know:
how to spell shawty (vs. shorty which is the decidedly less cool spelling)
and what it actually means (term of endearment for your "bro" or your necessarily hot/sexy girlfriend.)

you're welcome.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

everything is a pyramid scheme these days


Can I just say -- it's exhausting how many "pyramid" style opportunities are out there.  Everything is a "sign up" program!!

I commented to a coworker how great he’s been looking.  He apparently started running and has just dropped 15 lbs.  I’d like to say without even trying because all women know that men lose weight so much easier than women do.  That whole more red blood cell/lower fat/muscle ratio thing; but then I’ve tried running and I cannot honestly put that in the “not even trying” category!

So I mentioned that I’m looking for something “fun” I might actually stick with, like maybe Zumba because it seems dance related.  So he asked his fiancé and then gave me her website.  Ta da… she does coaching for Beach Body fitness and the website even says…

Sign up to be nagged into working out and eating right or make money nagging others to exercise and eat right!

OK, maybe it didn’t say nagging, but that’s how I feel about it.

btw, did I mention I sell Mary Kay? 

I just signed up for mainly personal use.  I don’t see myself having parties or anything.  I just need others to help me hit that first order so I can get the 50% discount.  I think I’ve been signed up for 2 weeks and I have received over 14 emails.  From the group leader, from MK directly, telling me of different contests (including one where I can earn dishes?? – maybe people have enough makeup so they are branching out ♥).  I had to ask to be removed from the list because I was getting overwhelmed.

My life!!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

where's the webcam? are you watching me??

The conversation on the attached link is disturbingly familiar to my daily attempts to focus on real work.

Except I don't usually have conversations with weasels.  Possibly because I don't own one (live or stuffed).  I do have a little stuffed moose creatively names "Moosey" by my kids and I.  He has been with us for many many years and gets lost for long periods of time and then we find him again and everybody cheers.  We love a good reunion.


If left to my own devices, I will often "come to" and see that I have 25 or more different windows open and have no idea what time it is.  Of course, I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing. :)

Last night I was home with only my son, who was busy playing video games on Xbox Live and making up super annoying voices for some of the characters in the game.  My cats were hiding upstairs because it was so bad.  I sat down with my computer and "poof" 2 hours were gone.  I didn't even turn on the TV which I normally do.  I just went into the Interwebs Land!

http://thebloggess.com/2013/05/me-and-the-internet/


things I cannot unknow:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaphism  I feel ill.  Seriously... pause and think before clicking, this is about ways to torture people.  (from the Weasel's list of unusual ways to die)
I need to find pictures of bunnies with pancakes on their head now.

Oh no... you can die from this???
1410: Martin of Aragon died from a combination of indigestion and
uncontrollable laughing.[23]
Quick, I think I need a doctor!


Going back and reading the comments I'm realizing I am so not alone!!  Half the things people posted I also thought!  Love it!!




 

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

brilliant by day, dud otherwise

Seriously, during my (real) work day I am brilliant.
I have so many ideas I don't have the opportunity to write about because I think the people that give me that paycheck every week might object to my writing a blog post.

I need a way to capture these ideas without taking lots of time away.
Anybody know of a magic memory idea or device?  Some chip I can slip behind my ear that will grab these thoughts and ideas so that I don't keep losing them?

sigh

Sunday, May 19, 2013

1 year ago

Post from last march (on another blog I started and didn't keep up with)

This is the first day of the rest of my life.
OK, every day really is the first day.
Today I am taking a step forward in my faith and in my life.
This past retreat weekend I made some changes.

I realized I stepped away from God for a while.
I've been very discouraged.

Trying to make my marriage and my family work.
Trying to have a marriage that isn't in separate rooms all the time.  Where my husband doesn't want to hide in his man cave but be a part of what's going on. 

Trying to be the person I see inside of me but never seem to produce.

So Lord, here we go.  I can see that while I trust in you, I've still been trying awfully hard to do all this in my own strength.  It needs to be Your strength because I think it's pretty obvious, I haven't done so well.


I had a very difficult 2012.  I had a major crisis of faith that is still playing out a bit, but I've mostly decided that not believing in / following God is a life I am not particularly interested in living.  Though my faith isn't so strong as it was and I do miss that.

Friday, May 17, 2013

outrage

The scandals currently rocking our government create outrage in me.
Honestly, Bill Clinton is looking pretty good.  In fact, when I saw this image...

I laughed!

To say that this was not politically motivated -- seriously, how stupid do people think we are?  Or perhaps it isn't stupidity they count on but apathy.  We are so bombarded by information, work, responsibility, opportunity, and entertainment options!  It can be difficult to choose how to spend our time.

I know I struggle with this.  I am a volunteer at heart.  I love to be involved.  To influence, to plan, to help, to organize, to research even.  But all that needs to be balanced with my roll as wife, mother and employee.  Because all the other opportunities available to me are not viable without the other rolls having stability (or at least some semblance of stability).

Our government has made a wrong turn.  I am a small government person.  I think that we as humanity work far better when we are responsible for ourselves and when someone within our society is in need -- the community around them are the ones to come to their aid.  When we take the embarrassment of welfare and such handouts away, we create the opportunity for people to take advantage of the system because it no longer has any accountability to those offering the charity.  I truly believe that the welfare system has a huge role in damaging our culture and our country. 

Note, I am not saying that some kind of welfare system is not needed!  I'm not saying that we should shame people who are unable to work or have "good" reasons for needing help. I believe when we took that responsibility out of the church and the immediate community that individuals live in we created corruption. 

I hate the Nanny state we are creating and wish we could scratch the system that has been empowered and start over.  We could start by removing EVERY SINGLE SPECIAL ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM enjoyed by ANYONE in ANY position of Government.  All of Congress should be on the same health care as the average person.  There should be term limits and nobody should be allowed to make a career out of politics.  It should be a servants role not an elitists role!  I hate the elitism in our government!  they now only listen to people who have money or can further their own careers because we have allowed a system that fosters and I believe encourages that behavior.  We as a people don't hold our representatives accountable. 

How do we fix this?  I'm not even sure we can, but how do we sit back and let one of the greatest countries ever just slip further and further into a pit of selfishness and greed?  How do we not fight for what is right? 

Can't we please care!  Can we give up 1 TV show a week and spend that time being active in our community and being aware of what's going on around us?  Trying to do something to stop this slide?














Thursday, May 16, 2013

Be strong and courageous.

today's prayer:
(OK, it's yesterday's prayer but I missed yesterday so I'm doing this one)

Deuteronomy 30:1
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Pray this verse in your own life. Where is God asking you to go? Be strong and courageous.


What I hear/see:

Strong: 
Make good eating choices.
Resist temptation to eat the wrong things or to not be active.
Not allow myself to get distracted and thus waste my time but allow my time to be used wisely. 
Do something constructive daily on my home -- even when I don't feel like it.

Courageous: 
Believe that with God's help, things can and will change. 
Not give up or allow discouragement to gain a foothold. 
Trust that God will redeem my marriage and home.

I want to start DREAMING and following and praying about those dreams.  I don't think I realized I wasn't dreaming before.  I'm still not "feeling" it like I used to.  I used to be super emotional about things and this time I'm not.  Interesting.


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

celebrating weight loss -- with ice cream

So I joined Weight Watchers again.
I don't really like counting points, but the general idea of weighing in weekly does impact my food choices.

however, stubborn as ever... I weighed in yesterday and learned that I lost .7 lbs (hey... it was a loss so I'm happy.)

I celebrated with chips and hot cheese dip for lunch.
Which sat in my stomach all day and generally made me not feel so great.

Then when I got home, I had ice cream for dinner.  Though in fairness, that's all I had.

Do I know how to celebrate weight loss or what!!!

Perhaps I need to buy a home scale and start weighing daily?  hmmmm

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Signs of wisdom..... if you look deep enough

From an email...
Thanks K

I love stuff like this.  Especially when there is no threat of some level of impending personal doom if I don't share it with 10 people.  (For the record, I automatically delete those.)



























Wednesday, May 8, 2013

why we need friends

At work, I am a square peg.  I don't quite fit in.  I'm too loud, too fun, too -- everything.  I ultimately think that these qualities have a good impact on the work place.
 
Sometimes I feel a bit "picked on" because my foibles stand out a bit more than those of the next 10 people.
 
today, I was pulled aside and told to clean my desk "before somebody says something."
Um, but you just said something...
 
So I complained to my friend K.
 
Me:   They told me to clean my desk AGAIN!
K:      again?

Me:   And I look down the aisles at some of the desks here and think REALLY?  I need to clean my desk?!   Why is the standard different for me?  Like I used to get picked on for things I wore and now there's that one girl and she dresses so unprofessional.  Does anybody say anything to her?

K:     That I don't know.

Me:   Oh no, K! I've become one of THEM!!!

K: 




 
Me: 

 
 
 
 
They've gotten under my skin and I'm becoming...
ack...
corporate!
 
K:    Come on... don't be a douche canoe*
(insert very loud 1 note laughter as I catch myself from being "inappropriate" at work)
 
Me:  did you hear that?
OMG...
I totally LOL'd
 
K:  thought so
 
B:  now I'm crying!
oh man!
I applaud your perfection!
 
K:  I try, sometimes I'm on.
 
Me:  OK, all that stress -- gone!
 
K:  YAY!
K:   wait til the day they come to you and say you don't look busy enough because there's nothing on your desk
 
 
*you're welcome!

 
 

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

handicapped bathrooms

So, am I the only one who wonders about the layout of these stalls?  It's like the designers have to have all these things checked off on their list but they don't think about how best to make it work.

I understand the larger stall, I understand the bar and the higher seat.
But seriously?  If I, as a mostly able bodied person, struggle to reach toilet paper that is basically hanging on the ground, how on earth is a handicapped person supposed to be able to easily reach that?  Shouldn't it be higher?  In fact, why are so many of the toilet paper dispensers so low?  I'm not even tall and I find them too low in general. 

Is it because they have to have that bar in there?  But then who decided that the toilet paper had to be super low?  If they are sitting on the higher seat, wouldn't it be easier to reach?

Just wondering.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

teenage romance

I have a beautiful and (mostly) sweet 13 year old girl. 

This has caused me no small angst as a parent as I want to protect her from all the crud out there in the world.  However, the path I have chosen as a parent has been to prepare her for all the crud out there and (hopefully) empower her to be her own person, to stand up for herself, to hold others to a standard of behavior when they are around her.  (I say the path I have chosen because my husband is still very much in the protect her mode.)

The 13 year old boys however kind of freak me out.

I don't know --scratch that, I do know.

BOYS WERE NOT LIKE THIS WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER!!  Boys had nowhere near this kind of confidence or game.  Do they have YouTube video's that teach them how to woo a girl?  I mean, some of the stuff they come up with would work on me.  What is up with this?  

We had one boy over the summer who was upset because we wouldn't allow her to date.  (reasonable, right?!)  He tried to get our daughter to sneak behind our back and then when that didn't work he said he would wait for her.  A 12 year old boy is going to WAIT until they are 18 or maybe 16 and I'm thinking WHAT?

This other boy build up this girl he liked and kept telling my daughter about her until she realized it was her!  Smooth!  Very well done.  

Watch out girls.  That's all I'm saying!  Be careful who you give your heart to.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

strange conversations

conversation with friend:

Do you know what I was thinking about last night?

No.
Or should I say not yet.

Things that smell like the color they are. 
For example:
  My mom gave us a body wash from Bath and Body Works called "Country Chic."  
It was purple.  And I was like, yes, this smells purple. 
Then I thought about the people who do that for a living.

See country chic, I would have thought it should be blue because I associate country with light blue.  I would expect it to smell blue and possibly make me sneeze.

Oh we would be good at that job. 
  Except I wouldn't want to be a professional smeller, all that stuff gives me a headache.

Then she sends me a picture of the bottle (because the visual is obviously important here and you can't smell on IM.)


And I feel duty bound to explain that this is, in fact, blue; not purple.

But apparently it's more puple in person.  She's bringing it in tomorrow to show me.