Should I Just Find a New Country?

Dear Americans that do not want Obama talking to their children,

I recently discovered that you are in an uproar over the very idea of President Obama (note, I said president...not Hitler) speaking to your school-aged children. This, in my opinion, is completely ridiculous thing to be up in arms about.

First of all, I want to clarify that President Obama has a very important message for your child, and he is not trying to hide it. He wants to tell them that education is important. That they need to study hard and not complain about learning. To me, these are things children should hear on a daily basis from you. But we all know children sometimes block out such things. So maybe hearing it from someone else will do some good. Especially the President. Remember the days where every kid wanted to grow up to be the President of the United States? It was a high ambition. Perhaps you should be telling them again that it is something to strive for instead of shutting out the very idea of such a man talking to them.

Second of all, have a little faith in the teachers and principals who take care of your children (and their education) on a daily basis. They are not trying to brainwash your kid. If they decide a presidential address is worth spending class time on, then watch them.

You would not have an issue with a child watching a recording of JFK speak about (choose topic at random) in a history class because that's educational. You would trust the teacher to not pick a speech about something inappropriate but instead about something actually important to a well-rounded education. So why do you not trust them to show a speech, meant directly for your children, about the very education that they are there to receive?

Now, I have heard that some people are only upset because they merely want "the option." You want to be able to choose whether or not your child sees this Presidential speech. You don't want to be told "your child must watch this."

In one sense, I appreciate this idea. I don't want the government telling me what to do either. However, I think this is blowing things out of proportion. The government isn't mandating that every child in the country watch this speech or else they'll be hanged. It's simply happening.

Schools, however, are saying children will watch the speech in class. How is this different from a teacher saying a kid must read Romeo and Juliet or must complete x number of science experiments? That's what schools do. They teach and they give students things to do to further their education. Listening to a president speak fits in there, I think.

Of course there are some things that must be regulated. A 13-year-old cannot be forced to watch a rated-R movie for school. They aren't old enough. But this is not a rated-R film. It's a simple message about being the best person you can be.

I don't want to generalize, but I feel many of you are conservatives who for some reason have decided that since Obama is on the opposite side of the political spectrum, everything he has to say is dangerous.

Well, I was on the complete opposite spectrum as Bush, yet, if he wanted to come sit down with my child (even in person) and tell them that education was important, I would welcome it with open arms.

No, I don't want Bush sitting down with my child and talking about gay marriage, but that's not what he asked me to do. He just wants to talk about education. Obama isn't asking to talk to your child about controversial topics. He won't bring up healthcare or the war. He just wants to say "stay in school."

Perhaps if we were brave enough to let our children listen to our President's words directly from his mouth (rather than clips on a biased news program) they'd have a much better understanding of what he believes.

I hope to post about vacation this weekend, but for now a quick something.

I've been swamped at work. But I'm officially moving to the Adult Ed department and have taken over as content lead on my two books. So it's a good busy. Things are delayed but none of it was my fault, so it just meant I didn't need to stay late.

I get really annoyed when I give someone a task that would take me X about of time and they take twice as long. But I shouldn't get annoyed because there's actually no time for me to do it myself, so it's good it's in someone else's court.

Back to school means back to super awful traffic. Seriously, it's been a nightmare. I just have no patience for stop-and-go. Especially when I see people rubber-necking over a fender-bender. It's just not that excited people! Or when people are not courteous. When a long line of cars is trying to merge into stop-and-go traffic, each car lets in one car, then life is happy. Also, if your lane is ending, do not speed up, drive along the shoulder, then cut off multiple people in order to get as far as you possibly can. Just wait your turn and merge politely. Seriously, my week traffic-wise has been unpleasant. 1.5 hours to get home last night. Thank god I'm at home today.

My garden became a jungle while we were on vacation. I was worried it wouldn't rain enough and something would die (well, a lily did, but it was already on its way out). The backyard garden is nuts. I need to get back there and trim some stuff. If you want a pepper plant, strawberry plant, or basil/oregano, please come take some. I think everyone is going to get dried herbs for Christmas :)

While on vacation a group of us had a discussion about a woman's cycle. (turn away now if you don't want to hear this) Some complaining was done about changes (apparently every 5 (or was it 8?) years you change and new symptoms come and go. For example, you may have never had cramps before, then suddenly you hit 30 and you have them. I appear to have inherited period headaches with turning 25. (along with caffeine and thunderstorm headaches-though I've had those before. I should get my head checked).

Note, this was in a conversation about getting pregnant. Who will be the first in our Outer Banks family to get pregnant? John and I were not voted as number one, I'm too young! haha.

I've been posting random things to my new Wine Blog. I don't know what I want this to be yet. I don't want to seem to be on the Julie and Julia bandwagon too much, but I would like this to be a book of some kind. My life around the wines is not too exciting and I have no 365 day goal. So I was thinking of just writing microfiction around each wine, though so far I have not been inspired. And that brings about the issue of-do I post the pieces on the blog or just collect them for a book. And, do I want it to be about the same character (road tripping?) or will each state/wine have a new character?

I read two books on vacation. The Glassblower of Murano and The Lost Hours. I recommend both.

Also, our 3rd anniversary is fast approaching. I need to come up with something fun to do (though we will likely just end up going out to dinner) and a good gift. I feel way behind as these are usually August tasks-Sept has always been too full of school. But I guess I have the time.

Post Vacation Blues

I'm currently in that sad state that comes when you return from a spectacular vacation. I'm home safe and sound, I'm sort of unpacked and caught up with the internet world, and facing work tomorrow. John and I have spent a lot of time decompressing but that just leads to sadness as there is no beach within walking distance any more.

It was a great trip, more details to come later, but here's a bit of a tease. The Sound, at sunset.

North Carolina Here We Come!

Agenda: Sat-Kohls, drive to "in-laws", pick up diploma (which was being framed), play with Caroline, sleep, Sun-head to Mike's, pack up the trucks, jump on the highway and head south.

So yeah, it's vacation time! As we've done the last two years, we're going to the Outer Banks, NC. There's currently a high surf advisory (thanks Hurricane Bill!) but it should be over by tomorrow night. Here's hoping for lots of sun, beer, and shenanigans. (and no trips to the E.R.)

Depressed

This may get way to personal and be deleted tomorrow when I actually realize that...but I'm feeling blah.

My dysfunctional family is wearing me down. Somehow, from miles away they still get to me. Mainly, life is wearing my mom down and said dysfunctional family is so dysfunctional that she has no support. She pretty much has me, who's across the country, and her best friend, who has a baby and is in grad school. Which doesn't leave a whole lot of love for the mom. And it's just really depressing. Because there's really nothing I can do.

There was a fire at home recently. Everyone was fine, even the dog, but the stove was ruined. It was engulfed in flames one morning. It wasn't even on, it just went wild. The firemen threw it on the back patio, actually. Aside from the microwave, though, nothing else was damaged. It was lucky that the house wasn't at all burnt. But the house was a mess. Mom's health was wonky due to smoke. Smoke also filled the entire house, so the air ducts had to be cleaned. And there was toxic ash got blown like everywhere since the AC had been on, so my family couldn't live there for a week and a half until it was appropriately cleaned.

And none of my family have been there to help.

Some have their opinions, though. Like, they criticize mom since she hasn't bought a new stove yet. I don't know, I wouldn't be buying a new stove is my kitchen was still covered in ash.

Due to their own problems, of course. All of which I am somehow in the middle of, even when I try not to be.

I just got this in an email:
"You have always been opinionated, and while I commend most of them, you have become quite bitter and judgemental toward many things and perhaps being so far away allows you to keep that emotional distance from us all."

Which may be partially true. I am insanely opinionated and I don't think a lot of my family realized this until the last few years, when I grew up and left home, and finally wasn't scared of their approval. So sometimes, when I speak out, I think they're still surprised. I think I probably am bitter to some extent, but to say I have an emotional distance is ridiculous, since all of this drama eats me up constantly. Eh, way to complicated to dissect these remarks.

I forgot

Yesterday I forgot a few things that were annoying me... and still are.

Healthcare reform. Mainly those opposed to it. I decided today that "Republicans should listen to NPR instead of Fox news. The world would be a happier place." I can't begin to say how annoyed I am with this entire situation. I finally figured out my superhero power though, I would like to have the power to kick people out of the country.

NPR's odd necessity to tell me the weather forecast every 10 minutes. In my 1 hour commute I get a weather updates. Totally not necessary.

There was something else but I forgot it again. In new annoyances:

I wrote my aunt an email. My aunt did something like "Mom, Melissa was mean to me." So my grandmother wrote me and email that basically said "Please don't talk to your aunt until you get facts from me first." My aunt pissed me off, I told her she pissed me off. Really not sure why I have to run that past my grandma first. My family is ridiculously childish.

Clients going on vacation. 3 files I was scheduled to receive next week and could have gotten done before I left on vacation are now coming the next week. Well the next week I will be gone and the files will therefore have to be late...the question is how late, since I will have other work ready for me when I get back.

I would really like it if my two best friends were in the country right now. A non-bloggable issue has come up and I need to talk! But one's in Israel and one's in Japan. Why?!

Annoyed

I was really annoyed earlier. I feel better now, after my work out, but still.

Grr to people bitching and being sneaky and annoying (long story)
to it being hot
to fruit flies
to pages that are 400 words too long
to Word 2007 and its non-compatible files
to people putting things in 4 docs instead of 1
to those nagging thoughts about wedding dresses
to back pain

I think I let it all get to me at once.

Anyways, I finished Julie and Julia last night. Although I'm not a foodie, I did enjoy this book. It's pretty cute and I could actually picture me and John if I tried such a project. ha! Anyway, there's a lot in it about food, obviously, and sometimes I was kind of "yawn" about that, I'll admit. But the concept of the Project as well as getting into the lives of these characters was fun and entertaining.

I'm still thinking I should wait to see the movie though. I imagine both will be their own thing, but I can't just jump right from one to another.

I've had a hard time figuring out what to read next. I have a pile of books (yay gift cards!) but I keep going "oh, save that for vacation." Not that I'll ever get through the now large vacation pile in one week, but still, I keep doing it. I think I'm going to read Firefly Lane.

In other book news, I discovered something I would probably find interesting, Offbeat Bride. (Don't get any ideas, there are no plans for a wedding around here.) I figure I won't probably be a bride, but if I were, I'm sure things would not be ordinary. And I like when others don't follow the norm either, so this would probably at least entertain me, if not give me unnecessary ideas for my fictional dream wedding.

In other news, John was 5 years old the other day with a new Nerf dart gun. He shot me with it and I was not pleased. It now resides at work, where John and his boss (who has his own gun) somehow get work done whist fighting a Nerf war.

Tomato Basil Soup

What else do you do when your basil plants have grown at exuberant rates but keep on cooking?

Tomatoes simmering on the stove.


Basil ready to go in.


Mmm soup.

Nothing to say

I haven't posted in days because I haven't had anything to say. This is odd to me. So I'm just going to throw a few things out there.

We have our first little peppers finally. They're about the size of my fingernail, but they actually are peppers and not just buds anymore.

I have to do some rearranging in the garden which includes getting rid of some pepper plants, probably going to the in laws (unless you want one!). John made me plant carrots and zucchini and now it's just crowded down there. We still have a strawberry plant in a pot! It's getting wild back there.

I'm currently editing a college text called "Marriage and Family." This sometimes makes me laugh because, well you know how I feel about marriage. But really, I really enjoy this project. Today I got to write a short fictional piece about "hooking up" since the writer didn't include it as she was told.

This particular chapter also talked about When Harry Met Sally and the whole "can men and women be friends" debate. This always spurs interesting conversation. Of course, I think it's totally possible. But it did make me think about an old friend, where sexual attraction did get in the way. So it really depends on the people, I guess.

I made red pepper pesto with the basil from the garden and it was spectacular, especially on roasted red pepper triscuits.

I have been slacking on reading lately, but finally finished "The River Wife." This took place in Missouri, along the Mississippi, so I thought it'd be interesting. But it was really hard to get into. A lot of fun plot stuff happened, but something was off with it. That's probably why it took me so long to finish.

Now I'm reading Julie and Julia. Awhile back I wanted to see the movie since I adore Meryl Streep. Now, I may wait until DVD, just to check it out. The book is actually pretty good so far, but I'm not sure I'll be ready for the movie when I'm finished. I think it'll take away the greatness of the book. They should be separate.

I guess that's why John and I haven't been to the movies much. The two I wanted to see: Harry Potter and My Sister's Keeper, are both books, and I just haven't been motivated to go to this other media yet.

Yes, see, nothing going on in my life...

Crabs!

Yesterday we went over to Kathy and Saureen's for a crab feast!

We got their early since they needed a truck for the table and chairs they retned. That turned into an ordeal, complete with people who were creepy and unhelpful. The boys will never be the same.

As you can see, we love us some crabs!

Saureen and Sameet seasoning the crabs.


Steaming away. "How do you know they're ready?" "When they turn red, you eat."


PJ was not pleased with Victor pounding the heck out of the crab.


Some crabs decided to retain their water.


Craving crabs!