Archive | September, 2009
You Know You’re Having a Bad Day When….
17 Sep
How Bad Was Your Day??
You know you’re having a bad day when you are chastised by both the garbage man and the local Freecycle moderator.
Yep, that’s right. Not only did the garbage man want to complain to my husband about where he left his tree limbs, but it was premeditated: he actually carried a written note and post-it with him, so he could stick it onto our recycle bin. Do you think he stayed up all night thinking about what he was going to say? Did he have to carry it in a special pocket so it wouldn’t get wet? Wow!
And then I apparently posted a “wanted” item on my local Freecycle site (where you can advertise things to give away for free, or things that are wanted) that was against the rules. I had apparently committed a cardinal sin. The local Freecycle Guru Queen (I think she’s known as the moderator) sent me a rather condescending email telling me in CAPITAL letters of my infraction, and told me I was now going to be put on probation – My emails would now have to be reviewed to make sure they were appropriate! (I was mystically transported back to kindergarten.) It was as if I had purposely strained my brain all night, trying to think up a way to advertise inappropriately, just to wreak havoc with the Freecycle group. (When that happens, and that’s all I have to do, you’ll know I’m half brain dead).
Two strikes in one day! You can’t beat that………Or can you???????
But all in all, if this is my example of a bad day, I guess I’m not doing that bad after all!
On the Debate About President Obama’s Speech to Kids…
12 Sep
Well, I was finally able to read the script for the speech that President Obama made to schoolchildren this week. I have to say that his message was a very good one – I thought his speech was very inspirational, and very relevant to the mission of all of us – parents, teachers, and the community alike – which is to help our kids get the education that they need, especially in today’s world. The message to the kids – Don’t give up on yourselves, no matter what.
There was not one political comment in the entire speech, and no mention of healthcare reform. Exactly what was the concern to political conservatives? If someone has the answer, please let me know, because I don’t get it. Was it just the chance that he might try to recruit kids into his political agenda?
And another thing we have to keep in mind when we consider a public official, or anyone for that matter, trying to encourage our kids to do their best and have faith in themselves, is that even though many of us might say our kids don’t need this encouragement from the “outside” – we as parents will handle it – we have to remember that many kids don’t have the advantage of parents who encourage and build self-esteem. What about those kids? Although Obama’s speech was made for all kids, I think he had a special intention to reach those kids who might be falling through the cracks – the ones who especially need the extra inspiration and belief in themselves.
If you haven’t yet read the speech, please do so. My kids weren’t shown the speech in school, but I wish they had been. And I, for one, appreciate Obama for taking the time, and suffering through the criticism and controversy, to try to inspire our young ones. Not to solicit them to be democrats or to support him in healthcare reform, but to be strong in character and determination, and to get their education so that they can be successful and productive members of society. Amen to that. And as he said in ending his speech:
“God bless you, and God bless America.”
On Having Grown Children… MYOB…
10 Sep
It’s great to have gotten through the terrible two’s, the know-it-all teen years, and most of the angst your kids suffered while they were growing up. You now have grown children whom you’re proud of – they have their own problems to deal with, but they’re THEIR problems. Not ours.
And that’s one thing we parents have to learn when dealing with grown children:
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!
Or, in simpler terms:
M Y O B!!!!
(Unless of course they need help, and then they’re usually more than willing, even happy and enthusiastic, to accept handouts and help out of their jams).
Hey – if any of my kids are reading this – DON’T WORRY: it’s not YOU! (It’s the “OTHER” one).
(Note to parents: Kind of like telling each of your kids on the sly that they’re your favorite, but to keep it a secret!).
Kids – gotta love ‘em!!
What Can A Quarter Buy You???…
8 Sep
What Can A Quarter Buy You These Days???
Well, a quarter can buy you two pieces of “penny” candy, one-fourth of a soda (if you’re very lucky), one song on the jukebox (if you can find an older, probably dusty, cafe), and a super-ball from the “gum machine” in the lobby of the Chinese buffet. (Tattoos are now fifty cents).
But not all prices have risen due to inflation: I learned last weekend that a quarter can apparently buy you a HUGE helping of disappointment (but I’m not going into the specifics).
However, another thing I realized though, was that, just like the quarter, disappointment can quickly change its face into positive energy and good luck, as if someone had just flipped a coin, and everything was different after it landed tails up instead of tails down.
So now I think of my quarter flipping up into the air, where the bright sunlight makes it sparkle and shine, and finally landing at the end of a rainbow. Sounds pretty good, so I’ll take those quarters!!! (And after all – they add up!)
An Interesting Find at the Bookstore: 9-11 Remembered (Comic Book Style)…
5 Sep
Last night, my two kids and I went to one of my favorite places – Half-Priced Books. One of my kids was interested in comics (HPB’s selection of comics is awesome!), and the other kid was interested in books with cool drawings of war and battle (he’s creating his characters for the screenplay he’s writing – at eight years old!). Consequently, I was helping both look for their treasures, looking through the books of “comic book” collections, when I found this 9-11 comic book.
The World’s Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember. 9-11.
(Copyright at 2002 DC Comics)
Two hundred famous comic book creators, artists, and writers put together a two-volume set (this is volume 2), in comic-book form, which depicts some of the stories from 9-11. It appears there are some true stories, and then there are some stories which focus on the meaning of 9-11 and its fallout.
- Section 1 Nightmares
- Section 2 Heroes
- Section 3 Recollections
- Section 4 Unity
- Section 5 Dreams
- Section 6 Reflections
And a quote from the back cover:
“Superman bemoans the fact that he’s ‘Unreal’”
The front cover shows a picture of a myriad of people, mainly rescue workers, with Superman (and Superdog) looking on, their capes blowing in the wind, with the word “WOW” in the dialogue bubble.
In addition, the publishers, DC Comics, donated all proceeds from both volumes to the victims and families of 9-11.
It’s a very, very interesting book – I had no idea that such a book had been created. Well worth checking out, and something to keep for our children when they’re grown and trying to understand and explain to their kids what happened that horrible, surreal day.
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You Can Now Hear Harvey Dunne’s Thoughts on Twitter…
4 Sep
Yes, that’s right. Harvey Dunne now has a twitter account.
He thought it was about time he joined the techno age.
Harvey’s posting thoughts about his life and thoughts about the world. I know Harvey as a very unique and compassionate person. But it took him half a lifetime to learn to love himself, and to not be afraid to love and respect others. To value them for who they are. Regardless of what the rest of the world might think.
And Harvey’s learned for others to accept you, you’ve first got to accept yourself.
If you find his tweets interesting, or heartbreaking, or funny, or inspirational, or something that touches your own life, maybe you’d like to read about his journey in the novel written about him, Is Harvey Dunne?
Let me know what you think!
More On the Miraculous Grape Extraction…
1 Sep
As you probably know, my Dad choked to death last year. In a parking lot. So far from the hospital that he was essentially gone before the paramedics could reach him.
His cause of death has left me craving information about how people choke, and how others might save them. When I heard the news story about local firemen using a tool to save a three-year-old from choking to death on a grape, I had to know more.
As I posted last week, the news editor at our local news radio station sent me the link to the article. A little girl swallowed a grape which got lodged in her windpipe. After eight minutes of EMT’s using the Heimlich and other normal means to remove the grape, they made a last-ditch effort to save her by sticking a suction tool down her throat and sucking the grape out! IT WORKED!
What kind of suction tool was it? I’d never heard of it before. I had to know more!
I sent an email to the Fire Chief in Keller Texas to find out exactly what kind of tool it was, and I was very happy that he responded to my email right away. Apparently, the tool was not meant to assist with choking victims. It was a normal tool that all ambulances carry, used by first-responders to suck saliva and vomit from a victim’s mouth. When nothing else had worked, the paramedics decided to use this tool to try to suck the grape out, and they were successful.
Much to their credit, these brave paramedics decided to do whatever they could to save a little girl’s life. They used their logic and brains and creativity to try something different, in the hopes that it might work. They apparently didn’t concern themselves with any possible legal consequences that might result from their unconventional method. They were just trying to save a three-year-old. And because of their creativity and will to save this child regardless of possible consequences, they were successful. The girl is alive and well, even after eight minutes without oxygen.
Hopefully, we can all learn a lesson from this incident. Sometimes we need to be creative, to think “outside the box”, to be unconcerned with litigious hazards. We need to be brave enough, and logical enough, and creative enough to do what it takes to get the job done. Period.
Thank you fire department in Keller Texas for saving this little girl’s life, and the lives of her family, and for teaching us all a lesson that we can use to make the world a better place!
(Picture from CBS 11 TV)
