reading, writing and running from normalcy since 1993.
Monday, October 27, 2008
2 Lists (I can not resist the list)
I remember seeing this somewhere on the web, unfortunately I don't remember where or I would reference it. But after the day that I have had, it seems especially appropriate to be grateful for the little things.
10 Things that I am grateful for: 1. The health and happiness of my son 2. Friendship. I mean the real thing and not some word people throw around when they need a partner for a social outing 3. Music 4. Stability 5. Shoes (it is so shallow, I know) 6. Knowledge / Books (I am grouping them together for obvious reasons) 7. Things that once belonged to my grandparents or great grandparents (I am emotionally attached to their items) 8. Teaching my son what is really important in life (hint: it has nothing to do with money) 9. My health and happiness 10. Being able to admit my mistakes
10 Things I could do without: 1. Selfishness 2. Time constraints 3. Greediness 4. Dirty dishes 5. Worry 6. Unbalanced hormones (those hot flashes are a BITCH!) 7. Racism 8. Sexism 9. Lack of money to buy shoes 10. My neurosis
Sometime you just want to deliver a good swift kick in the ass
I had hoped to avoid writing about this, but I can't. People keep asking me what I thought about John McCain mentioning autism during last night's debate.
Conventional wisdom says anytime you have the attention of 63 million viewers is a good time to mention autism, however, I just ended up being mad about the whole thing.
I was HORRIFIED when John McCain said Sarah Palin understood autism because she has a child with Down's Syndrome. Ummm, what? That makes NO sense; he is comparing apples and oranges. Let's break that down:
1. Down's Syndrome and autism are different. They are both developmental handicaps, but ultimately nothing alike (Down's Syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality). 2. Sarah Palin has a 5 month old with Down's Syndrome.....she isn't even an expert on THAT yet. Mr. Little Man was diagnosed as autistic 4 years ago and my autism knowledge is barely scratching the surface of all there is to know and learn. 3. Yes, I want a candidate that has an idea of how hard it is to raise an autistic child; and, yes, I want them to realize that autism is becoming an epidemic. And more than anything I want them to do something about it. But Down's Syndrome is not autism, so stop comparing them. You may confuse some people. Or perhaps McCain is confused....I could argue for both. 4. I still can't believe McCain used someone else's handicapped child to further his own standing. So, let's get this straight: you don't want anyone to mention Palin's pregnant teenaged daughter because that's wrong (let's call it "a private family matter"); but parading her 5 month old handicapped child around is OK (lets call it "a strategy to help us get elected")?
As a presidential candidate you have media following you around NON STOP for months. If you wanted to highlight an issue that is important to you (vs. an issue you think is important for you to mention in order to get some more votes) don't throw it into a debate. I cringe to think how the conversation would have gone if Obama or Biden had a developmentally disabled child.
If you don't know someone with autism it's just a matter of time.
My iPod has a love / hate relationship with me. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Like it's owner it is a bit temperamental and if it doesn't feel like working, then fuck you, it won't.
But the thing is lately, my iPod is loving me. It plays the perfect songs for my mood and every now and then it sprinkles in a song as a surprise. Lately I'm "rediscovering" artists that I didn't fall in love with at first listen. Prime example: my new favorite electro pop goddess. No, not Peaches, but Robyn. I've had her on my iPod for over a year, but I can't remember why I didn't love her the first time around.
And yes, I'm gonna give you a couple of videos. First, Cobrastyle. Yeah, a remake of the Teddybears STHLM classic (which most people will recognize since it was HEAVILY used on TV shows and in a couple of movies):
And second, we have the live version of With Every Heartbeat (complete with back-up orchestra, so that it sounds less "electro" and more "pop"):
The iPod has also re-introduced me to bands that had fallen off my radar: Jack's Mannequin being a prime example. I just downloaded the latest EP (In Valleys).....4 songs. All enjoyable. I couldn't find a video of anything from the EP, but I'll at least throw in a video of Dark Blue:
It made me think about what Marvin Gaye would come up with if he were alive today. Or Otis Redding. Or Sam Cooke. I also wonder why there is so much recycled crap on the radio these day (Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy" is a remake....the original is by BC Jean). Are there no more original ideas left?
About 9 years ago I started to date McJackass. McJackass was on a pool team and occasionally I'd tag along with him to some of Union County's seedier establishments to play pool. On my first of these visits I sauntered up to the bar and ordered myself a Guinness. The man sitting next to me just stared and eventually he struck up a conversation with me. It turned out he was also on the pool team and he and I just hit it off. By the end of the night we were old friends. He introduced himself as Woody. I told McJackass that if I wasn't dating him Woody could not run fast enough from me.
And over the years our friendship grew. Every year we'd go to sporting events and the Springsteen concert became our summer ritual. Woody was like a little brother even though he was a couple of years older than me. He was an ex-Marine that valued his friends and his family above all else. Giants Stadium seats about 78,000 people and every time we went there we'd bump into 5 or 6 people that he knew. Everyone loved him.
Woody nursed me through 2 break-ups. After my break-up with McJackass I spent a week sleeping on his floor. When I found out I was pregnant I spent a week sleeping on his couch. I hadn't made a decision about what I was going to do and he very patiently and very impartially helped me weigh all my options. When I decided I could raise a child on my own he became my biggest cheerleader.
After my grandparents died he would often show up unannounced and press his bare ass against my glass door. He did immature things to make me laugh. When I complained that I need Mr. Little Man's father to be a functioning adult for the sake of his child he'd point out that I was incorrect because I never needed him before. He also had a talent for reminding me of the things I already knew.
Woody died on Tuesday. He had a stroke and was taken off of life support. Broken hearted does not even remotely begin to describe the way that I am feeling.
I will miss our annual arguments about who will win the Army / Navy game. I will miss discussing the college basketball brackets. I will miss playing fantasy sex camp with him (a story for another time). I will miss karaoke (he was an amazing singer), I will miss his stupid t-shirts and his stupid Marvin the Martian socks. I will even miss my life flashing before my eyes every time I get into a car with him.
I wonder who will now provide the entertainment at my Christmas party. I wonder who will now call my son by his actual given name and plow him full of chocolate when I'm not looking. I wonder who I'll call to come have "hangover breakfast" with me. Who will call me Schmoopie and send me texts with pictures of their conquests? Who will call me when I'm driving home and ask me to stop for a beer?
More than anything I will just miss his friendship, his love of life (and no one lived life to fullest more than he did and for that I am grateful) and his infectious laugh.
In short, no sophmore slump can be seem for miles.
When Rabbit Fur Coat came out I said that Jenny found God. I now realize that she's probably been leaning on him for a long time. The album is a little bit gospel, a little country, a little pop, a little rock.
Stand-outs: Trying My Best To Love You, Bad Man's World, The Next Messiah (clocking in at over 8 minutes...and actually more than 1 song fused together)
Thank God Suede is gone. It annoyed the living crap out of me that he consistently referred to himself in the 3rd person. And yes, I am willing to admit that it took me 2 or 3 episodes to realize he was talking about himself because I didn't know who Suede was.
Stella Barbarella.....AWWW, leatha.
I am generally not a violent person but I need someone (ANYONE!) to make Kenley disappear. That heifer works my last nerve. She is incredibly rude, insolent, childish, and she can not take criticism in any form. She flat out laughs at other designers and then has the nerve to say that Tim "doesn't get her as a designer". I don't want to say "die, bitch, die", but I'll be thinking it.
I can't believe that someone trying to break into an industry would flat out be rude to the people that are the reigning king and queen. I do understand that reality TV can edit in such a way as to make you look like more of an ass than you actually are, but I don't believe this is the case here (although they do have a lot to work with).
Speaking of assholes (I'm still referring to Kenley); shut up Elisabeth:
I loathe this woman, and as much as it pains me to admit it I still have to respect that she gets up every morning and goes to a job where she knows people will ridicule her and call her uneducated and out of touch with reality.
This is everything you ever need to know about me:
I am neurotic to the point of annoyance.
I drink too much coffee.
I read. ALOT.
I have the coolest kid in the universe.
