Monday, February 22, 2010
Gremlin or Cherub
My little cherub, sitting here quietly, peacefully, watching his Wiggles before we head off to take brother to school. And, yet, lurking behind that peaceful, loving, oh so cute baby face is a GREMLIN! Yes, I admit I have a gremlin. We like to call him baby, but he prefers going by the names of either Star Wars, Luke, or Darth Vader. He must have been in his Darth Vader mode yesterday when he stuffed some unknown object into the Wii, which now no longer works. Ah, yes, me and the Nintendo lady had a good laugh together when I called up telling her that her phone menu doesn't have an option for "two-year old gremlin destroys the Wii." I was happily surprised to hear that they think they can fix it and it will only cost me $50. Now, just wondering what the heck he stuffed in there!!!! Perhaps a lego. We will find out soon enough!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Thoughts of a Not-So-Desperate Housewife
Oh, what has happened to me? Here I was today sitting listening to "Fresh Air" on NPR, driving in my SUV, with my two kids in their car seats in the back, donating money to various causes that make it easy and convenient to do so and not giving a bit of my time or effort to actually change anything outside of my little world that I profess to care about. I am exactly what I railed against only 10, maybe 15 years ago. Does some part of me now feel a little of that "middle class guilt" I never before understood? The "middle class guilt" that I resented as a young "poor" kid, that I thought was demeaning and useless, that I thought led people to donate rhetoric and money, but never their personal time and effort to make it better. Just a minute, let me finish texting "Haiti." OK, done.
Or, maybe it's just that I realize as hard as it was growing up, there are so many in the world that have it so much harder and, so, a lot of the bitterness has dissipated. Perhaps, I now understand just how lucky I am to have been born an American. I never slept on a cement floor in a straw hut, without infrastructure for electricity or water, nor without an opportunity for an education or a way to better my life beyond my parents' place in life. So many in the world lack basic foundations of living, they lack opportunity for class mobility, for education, for so many things. And, they are surrounded by deep, embedded corruption that teaches "take advantage of what and who you can, when you can, because everyone else around you is doing it and if you don't, then there will be nothing left for you or your family." It's an attitude I absolutely abhor, but after living in too many countries where "democracy" is a title bantered about without real meaning, where oligarchy would really be the better description, I do have a slight understanding of why they've given in to it.
Perhaps I get frustrated and feel overwhelmed by my inability to do anything that would actually make a difference or at my lack of desire to do anything except, perhaps, just enjoy my little slice of life in the world for a while. Perhaps I'm just thinking too much. What's that, my turn for Wii Mario Cart? OK, gotta go.
Or, maybe it's just that I realize as hard as it was growing up, there are so many in the world that have it so much harder and, so, a lot of the bitterness has dissipated. Perhaps, I now understand just how lucky I am to have been born an American. I never slept on a cement floor in a straw hut, without infrastructure for electricity or water, nor without an opportunity for an education or a way to better my life beyond my parents' place in life. So many in the world lack basic foundations of living, they lack opportunity for class mobility, for education, for so many things. And, they are surrounded by deep, embedded corruption that teaches "take advantage of what and who you can, when you can, because everyone else around you is doing it and if you don't, then there will be nothing left for you or your family." It's an attitude I absolutely abhor, but after living in too many countries where "democracy" is a title bantered about without real meaning, where oligarchy would really be the better description, I do have a slight understanding of why they've given in to it.
Perhaps I get frustrated and feel overwhelmed by my inability to do anything that would actually make a difference or at my lack of desire to do anything except, perhaps, just enjoy my little slice of life in the world for a while. Perhaps I'm just thinking too much. What's that, my turn for Wii Mario Cart? OK, gotta go.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Random thoughts before falling asleep
Ok, so I now have a blog and therefore should not have to say to hubby, "hey, are you still awake, I just thought of something silly. . ." But, of course, how I will remember these silly things if I do not speak them aloud to hubby the night before. So, here is an example to what he is subjected and now, oh joy, you are too! ;)
If SINKs are "Single Income, No Kids" and DINKs are "Double Income, No Kids" what does that make those of us with kids? If I remove the "N" from SINK and DINK, it doesn't look so good. Wonder if that was intentional? Hmmmm????
Such thoughts, of course, are coming from someone who finally started taking a daily multi-vitamin only after they became available to adults in gummy vitamin form. So, keep that in mind.
If SINKs are "Single Income, No Kids" and DINKs are "Double Income, No Kids" what does that make those of us with kids? If I remove the "N" from SINK and DINK, it doesn't look so good. Wonder if that was intentional? Hmmmm????
Such thoughts, of course, are coming from someone who finally started taking a daily multi-vitamin only after they became available to adults in gummy vitamin form. So, keep that in mind.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Blizzard of 2010
The Blizzard of 2010, Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse, Snoverkill and the names keep pouring in. To us, though, it doesn't matter what you name this storm, this winter season will forever be etched in our memories!
Just as the last bits of snow piled along the side of the road from December's storm were about to melt, we were hit with two major snow storms this last week. The federal government closed, schools closed, metro and bus systems offered limited service if any at all, and piles of snow just kept getting bigger and bigger and BIGGER.
As we venture out we see huge piles of snow along side the roads. The neighborhood roads are still packed with icey layers of snow. The main roads have been salted and cleared, with all the snow pushed to the sides. And, there are some HUGE piles of snow along the roadside. I hate to think what might happen if we had an unseasonably warm day--from frost to flood I fear. Not likely anytime soon, as they are calling for more snow on Monday. Yikes!!! Well, at least we have a taste of what to expect in Sofia. Except, I understand, in Sofia they don't close down schools, businesses and government for any snow and they don't even attempt to clear neighborhood roads EVER! We will see. . . .
Oldest Son is sure he will be telling stories of this snowstorm in years to come. Not very often you get a week off of school because of weather! Thank G-d!
Just as the last bits of snow piled along the side of the road from December's storm were about to melt, we were hit with two major snow storms this last week. The federal government closed, schools closed, metro and bus systems offered limited service if any at all, and piles of snow just kept getting bigger and bigger and BIGGER.
As we venture out we see huge piles of snow along side the roads. The neighborhood roads are still packed with icey layers of snow. The main roads have been salted and cleared, with all the snow pushed to the sides. And, there are some HUGE piles of snow along the roadside. I hate to think what might happen if we had an unseasonably warm day--from frost to flood I fear. Not likely anytime soon, as they are calling for more snow on Monday. Yikes!!! Well, at least we have a taste of what to expect in Sofia. Except, I understand, in Sofia they don't close down schools, businesses and government for any snow and they don't even attempt to clear neighborhood roads EVER! We will see. . . .
Oldest Son is sure he will be telling stories of this snowstorm in years to come. Not very often you get a week off of school because of weather! Thank G-d!
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