Saturday, April 30, 2005

A mish mash

I found a great article/link - the title says it all.
How should I respond when my child says "I hate you"?
More is available for this and other ages:
Your Child's Behavior (Ages 5 to 8)


This is incredibly pro-IVF patient news coverage in The Scotsman. Much was a discussion of sex selection and how absurd that concept is to most people seeking IVF. It also compares different countries' treatment of different IVF parameters.


Off to find a May pole!

Friday, April 29, 2005

Yet again

First it was red.

Then it was purple.

Wednesday, it was brown.

No, it isn't premenstrual sludge.

It is yet again a heated encounter with crayons in the dryer. Twice last year, now this.

Can't really blame the kid if I don't check pockets well enough.

But I wanna.

The deal is, tho, I don't have many clothes. One or two loads about covers it for the clothes I have that I can wear. I have plenty I can't wear, they litter my life, but I really hate buying many bigger girl clothes when the move-up time comes.

The load was almost all of my stuff, not a load of the stuff J is outgrowing and changing seasons on anyway. Besides, he deserves to have crayon clothes, I have begun to believe. Not me.

The event took out my favorite blue shirt. I wore it yesterday anyway while doing the art projects, figuring I had an excuse: painting w/K-ers. Several people gave me sad "Awwwwww" 's, saying, "Look, she got paint on her shirt and ruined it."

No, I left the house that way. On principle.

But what a fucking pain.

As for the undies that got hit... Ha! I don't care and P couldn't care if they had ass-sized holes in the back. He'd appreciate the latter actually. Hmmmmm, maybe I should trim some crayon and spice up the love life? As if...



PS - If this happens to you, don't even try to clean the dryer. Nothing will come out, even using the recommended WD40. It won't come off on your next load of clothes, either, so don't delay doing laundry like I did the first time, worrying that the dryer will ruin even more stuff. Save yourself the hassle and time; just go on out to buy that new wardrobe, yet again.

Monday, April 25, 2005

Too much for me to say much

Just in case you missed it, I could not resist this one, but there's just too much material here. Wal-Mart. Beavis & Butthead. Cousins. Fighting for and exercising rights interstate. Moblie homes. CUDDLE.

Pa. Cousins Try to Overcome Taboo of 'I Do'
To Bypass Ban, Relatives Wed in Md. After Years of Seeking Acceptance


[p.1]
He also knew, even as a mere lad of 14, that this never would be just any romance, because the object of that rapturous gaze happened to be his cousin Eleanor. And not a distant cousin, located somewhere in the far branches of the family tree. Their mothers were sisters. They knew their attraction -- she had felt it, too -- was taboo, and they kept it more or less a secret. That is, until last month, when they decided it was time to marry.
Turned away from the Blair County Courthouse because Pennsylvania law prohibits first-cousin marriages, Donald W. Andrews Sr. and Eleanor Amrhein, 37, crossed into Maryland to wed. Before they could think about a honeymoon, the newlyweds became the butt of jokes on the late-night talk shows.

But their marriage also cast a light on conflicting state laws surrounding the practice, and on such groups as Cousins United to Defeat Discriminating Laws Through Education (C.U.D.D.L.E.) and http://www.cousincouples.com/ , which cite new research to encourage acceptance of such unions.

[p.2]
For Andrews and Amrhein, childbearing was not an issue: They said they did not plan to have any children. Instead, they just want to be together.

They settled down in their blue-and-white mobile home with three dogs, a cat, two guinea pigs named Beavis and Butt-Head, and an iguana that loves to eat kiwi.

Andrews collects disability payments from the government. Amrhein works at the courtesy desk at Wal-Mart.
"I tell people I married her for the health benefits and the Wal-Mart discount card," Andrews said, only half-joking.

[p.3]
Six years ago, he proposed to her at the jewelry case in Wal-Mart after they spied a pair of wedding bands on sale.

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Elaine would be so happy!

I am splitting a gut! I read the headline, below, and immediately thought of an overjoyed Elaine.

Imagine a world where a long gone sitcom character has the staying power to change an industry.... with the power of email assisting and women getting what they asked for.

(For thorough commentary, look to The Well Timed Period.)


Sponge Contraceptive Returning to Market


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A contraceptive sponge for women is returning to the U.S. market for the first time in a decade, the manufacturer said on Friday.

The over-the-counter Today Sponge will start reappearing on store shelves this summer, maker Allendale Pharmaceuticals said. The company won the needed government clearance of its production facilities, Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman Susan Cruzan confirmed.

The earlier producer, American Home Products, stopped making the sponge in late 1994 when it encountered manufacturing problems and decided it was too costly to upgrade its plant. American Home Products is now Wyeth .

The sponge was made famous by the television comedy "Seinfeld," when the character Elaine hoarded the devices once they were no longer made. She then used the birth control method only when she deemed a man "spongeworthy."

That episode, and repeated re-runs, raised awareness of the product. Allendale, which bought rights to the Today Sponge in 1998, received daily inquiries and kept an e-mail list of about 9,000 women interested in the sponge's return, said Allendale President and Chief Executive Gene Detroyer.

Took my own advice

and saw not one movie, but two.

One wasn't as good as I'd anticipated, but it was better than the one that I feared would be worse.

Ahhhh, right.

Saw Kung Fu Hustle (89% Fresh) first. It was captivating, but less funny than I expected. The special effects were awesome and it was very entertaining. It is always fun to see a cross-cultural movie (I'm disappointed that I missed Flying Daggers on the big screen) and I loved the Chinese-ness of Hustle - one thing in particular - how old folks can kick butt and be powerful. It is wild and new, as this reviewer said...

"Hatchet fu, shotgun fu, flowerpot fu, harp fu, cobra fu, disco fu, Zen fu, Kubrick fu, Road Runner fu, geezer fu, bullfrog fu. Kung Fu Hustle features every type of fu except déjà fu."

I do wish there had been more dancing. No, seriously.

Even Roger Ebert got it right on the money: like Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton meet Quentin Tarantino and Bugs Bunny.



Saw The Interpretor (61% Fresh, so only 2% from Rotten) second. I know how folks dislike Nic.ole Kid.man, but I don't. I do think she is beautiful, if not too skinny. She can be rather gangly, but it is a cute awkwardness to me. The movie was relatively high speed, lots of twists and implausibilities. It was one that if I caught it on HBO, that I'd figured it'd covered my HBO bill for the month.

It was strange seeing her opposite Sean Penn. I abhor how his hair is dyed, with little gray wisps remaining at the temples. Was the same way in Mystic River and 21 Grams. In fact, I did catch myself during the movie wondering about the dye jobs on these two. It was strange seeing her being so very blonde. And her hair is so thin and lifeless now, a far cry from her beautiful, natural curls.

Further, it was worrisome for me to see Catherine Keener essentially as a prop, spitting out little smart ass phrases. She's great at being the smart ass and I don't believe it is all acting, but she could have offered this flick more than she gave. I was surprised to see how much she's aged. Alas, it happens to the best of us.

She's one of my indie favs (I've already discussed Death to Smoochy - remember I am Smoochy - plus Lovely & Amazing - but her bush wasn't discussed there, even tho the discussing actor Dermot Mulroney is actually her husband - and I haven't discussed how much I loved Living in Oblivion or even Being John Malkovich or also even Box of Moonlight), but I'd hate to see her whither away in main stream projects.




So, a better evening than it started out being.

And b/c I do believe in energies, consider it Karma. Ex called me as I waited between movies. His downstairs (split level, so half the house) flooded. Seems that the washer's pipe broke and it spewed all day, with a couple inches of water inside and enough to soak the back yard, too. He, his pregnant new wife, and my precious J discovered it when they got home from dinner.

Too much mojo, had to throw a little Hustle Fu their way.

Friday, April 22, 2005

Mammaries a go go

To continue on a theme I started several months ago with Nips & sips for your furbabies regarding a puppy, please enjoy this latest installment...


Woman Breastfeeds Tiger Cubs

YANGON (Reuters) - Hla Htay has three hungry infants to feed these days -- a seven-month old baby boy and two Bengal tiger cubs.

Three times a day, the Myanmar housewife goes to the Yangon Zoo where she breastfeeds the hungry black-striped, orange-brown cubs rejected by their natural mother.


"The cubs are just like my babies," Hla Htay told Fuji TV as one of the baby big cats suckled her breast.
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The zoo says the breastfeeding will stop by the end of April or when the cubs start teething -- whichever comes first.



Wow, I'm relieved! Teeth hurt or so they say.

[ADD'L TIGER UPDATE 4/24/05: Tiger cubs breastfed by Myanmar woman being weaned to powdered milk]


UPDATED:
Dave Berry beat me to one today. What a day for breasts!

And it is yet another species....

The mother who suckles pet monkey

With a picture, to boot.

Part of my desire to have another child is that my obstinate infant would not breastfeed and I honestly felt cheated out of an aspect of mothering I planned on and felt was important (considering allergies especially) for us. I wanted a chance to do it again the way 'it is supposed to be' not hooked to an electric pump draining the boobs for 8 months.

It would be so much easier if I could just find a willing stray pup, cub, or monkey, wouldn't it? I'm gonna start looking and tell Dave Barry first, besides telling you guys.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Thar she went an' dun dun it a'gain

Grandmother stuck in bathtub for five days
The Associated Press

HAMPTON, Va. - A 75-year-old woman who lay trapped in her bathtub for five days toasted her rescue with a Coke and a cigarette.
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It wasn’t the first time Fromal has been stuck in the bathtub, but her family plans to make sure it never happens again by adding railings and a tub chair to the bathroom.



Theyz a bright crew takin' goooood care of her this go 'round.

Meet my new love, Stanley



I just met Stanley this week. He follows me wherever I want to go now. He's going to get quite dusty, but he doesn't mind in the least. He came from Wally World and... What a bargain! $24.97 down to $22 something. Good thing he wasn't labeled as an art supply; then he'd have cost $122!

Now Stanley and I can glide into class effortlessly doing the Pastel Polka.

I've been looking for a while for how to carry my pastels shit. I have a French easel thoughtfully purchased by ex, but I've never used it - too heavy and awkward with too little storage, not appropriate for the watercolors I was doing when I got it and too small for pastels. (I tried to find a way to make it workable, like with this backpack, but at the time I could not see spending $50 for some straps to convert something heavy I didn't like into something heavy to wear on my back.) Been using 2 reinforced tote bags for a while now and reinforcing my nickname of 'the bag lady' with everyone I meet.

You should see the rolling luggage carriers of crap that people unpack in these classes! I try to travel light - yup, you may actually call it being more poor than the next fella, b/c I lust for all those colorful goodies, too.

Seems that lots of folks besides artists like Stanley. He seems to appeal to both the survivalists and the geeks as well. The survivalist guy, detailed-oriented live-er that he is, has many pictures of Stanley in all his incarnations. (Accessories not included, of course.)

As you can tell, Stanley is very limber and versatile.

Fellow wierdos all love him for that: us artists, survivalists, and geeks.

Saturday, April 16, 2005

A change of heart

[Warning - some sappy mothering comments - not by me, of course.]

I really didn't care for her. I really couldn't say why, either.

I've seen her in Titanic, Wacko Minds of the Insanely Kind, Neverland... well, those come to mind anyway. I'm sure there were others.

Each one had a lot of fluff - the best way I can describe it would be "scenery instead of scenes."

I'll admit I rooted against her at the Academy Awards. More than once.

Yesterday I sort of begrudgedly read an interview of her - her the person, her the mother. And except for one 'yeah right' mothering moment (see if you can't pick it out?), she seemed insanely human. Anyone could get snarky about her seeming a bit sappy or defending the wrong other two actresses. However, any famous actress who can candidly admit to having a menstrual cycle (not to mention being round enough to probably not have an eating disorder, thus really actually having a period) is extraordinary. She does give a whole new view to the black dress and I appreciate her candor.

I've brought it down a notch, Bam Man. I'm gonna try to like her next go around.

Although I do not agree with much of the tone of this article, from here on out it's quotes and excerpts from: Kate Win.slet Overshares

It's almost impossible not to like Kate Win.slet, even when she's revealing way more than you'd ever want to know about how actresses get ready for their close-up.

"In the end, I have exactly the same issues and hang-ups as any woman would have going down the red carpet," the British beauty tells Glamour UK. "You know, what if I step on my train and tear my dress? What if I get my period? That's why a back-up black dress is essential. When I read how an actress 'made a statement in black,' I just think, 'Oh, period or fat day.' Sometimes you just don't feel confident enough to wear twinkly yellow taffeta."

Yeah, yeah, we know, waaaaay too much information, but we'll bet dollars to doughnuts you'll never look at a celebrity in a black dress quite the same way again
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One of her superpowers: the ability to dodge bad press in a single bound. "When you've had kids it seems irrelevant," she explains. "Before I was a mother, if I'd been photographed in a bikini I'd have been mortified. Now I just don't care. So what if I've got cellulite? I've got carrots to puree!"
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"The best part [of the Academy Awards] was seeing Gwy.neth Pal.trow and Ju.lia Ro.berts -- they looked so beautiful, soft and grounded," says Kate. "They didn't look like that before. Being a mother is just the best thing in the world."

Thursday, April 14, 2005

The real parrothead

I've been known to quote Jimmy Buffett a time or two. It's not so much that I am a raving fan, but it's b/c my ex was and I couldn't help but to absorb some through osmosis. I didn't get any Buffett in the divorce, as an example that he's not too central to my tastes. That said, some snippets really spoke to me and I like to share all sorts of snippets that speak to me with each of you.

Today I speak of a different parrothead altogether.

We made it! This evening after J got his brown belt in TKD, I took him to celebrate with a flick. He's out of school tomorrow, so hooey on a late night. We saw The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. (98% Fresh)

Cecily had mentioned it last week, bringing it back to my forebrain.

In my experience, it isn't often that a young kid and parent an truly enjoy a G-rated film together. We also did for Winged Migration (97% fresh, box office over $10M). Seems that documentaries about birds suit us...

... even documentaries demonstrating raw, painful truths about the cycle of life and death.

Visit the film maker and main character's website for these plugs:
To learn more about San Francisco's wild parrot flock, click here. For details regarding Mark Bittner's memoir, "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story with Wings", click here to visit the book's website.
(I must add that the pictures at the sites are beautiful. Look at the book's site and you can see supporting pictures chapter by chapter. Most of these birds are not ones from the movie, so seeing the pictures and reading the captions won't spoil the movie for you.)

These are the places it is now playing. Perhaps one is local to you.

Since it's limited release in mid February, the film has made just under $1M. It would be exceptional for an independent film maker like Judy Irving, who was essentially making a tribute to her birdwatching grandfather, with a small distributer in a limited number of markets to actually be able to make a living creating such a quality piece. It's only in 39 theaters; mega releases from mega studios and mega distributors go into thousands of venues.

As I usually do after we do almost anything, I asked J what his favorite part was. He replied, "Everything." A bit later, I was on the phone with P and gave him J's review. P asked me to ask him, "What part did you hate?," to which J replied, "Nothing."

I am blissfully raising an artsy fartsy son with impeccable taste.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

When shopping bites

On to the location... Is it not only bad enough that it's in the dreaded grocery store?

On to the feelings... I find buying tampons insulting. I purchase these items so that I am prepared each month to never be pregnant again. If that is the case, couldn't the works just politely shut off?

On to the price... Since when are el cheapo Tampax tampons over $6? My environmental self prefers the cardboard, so I don't even go for the expensive ones with the plastic applicators.

On to the bargain... Today at the grocery store, Tampax were on sale from $6.49 down to $3.99. With tears in my heart, I bought 4 boxes. Count 'em: 160 reminders that I'm not pregnant.

And that just covers the next couple months. Old as I am, I still have years to go and lots of dollars pour into a rejected utilization.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

The expert fishers


(click to enlarge)

I took this picture several years ago where we used to live. There had been high waters and the fishing was good. There are at least 11 great blue herons pictured here seeking their catch.

TMI?

I abbreviated the length of my comment over at Babyfruit, b/c I'd have been a comments blog hog.

Bringing a vital issue real to my life right up into pubic, errr, public, she raised a great point about pubic area grooming, feeling rather silly/honest/dirty/pragmatic in the process, I think. She also knew she could get away with it.

I can get away with it, too. To me, it is an source of hilarity. I think for her, too.

With regards to the region, I'm pretty much au naturel, although I will sometimes trim the bottom for nappy hygiene reasons, and sometimes in this (dating) world of anal mind sets and perceived perfection (or doing things at all cost to become closer to that perceived perfection), I was questioned about my au naturel-ness. One guy even recommended I see the flick, below. See, I have no Brazilian. I have no landing strip. I am no shaven maven. I do not resemble a wee little girl. Once again, I an not fashionable. Aw shucks.

I am shaggy (even tho it is all pretty straight) and beautifully so, I believe. I don't trim the edges to give me a pretty triangle.

Due to the interests of ex, I'd tried waxing after my son was born, but that really didn't make sense to me. If you need 2 weeks of (ingrown) growth to prepare for a "procedure" (such a nice way of saying "flaying alive") that only lasts maybe 6 weeks, that means that at least 25% of the time, you are shaggy. Further, there's the post-wax reacclamation waiting period of maybe a week until the stripped and weeping red bumps would go away. What's the point of all the torture?

As for the other primary method of hair removal, I can shave my legs and pits with abandon, but the groin abandons me. Shaving or waxing, it becomes Ingrown City. I've tried lotions and exfoliation to help, but nothing works. It's not really that I want them to work, if you want to know the truth.

I personally find Ingrown City much less attractive than au naturel. And to hell with the rest of the oh so perfect, triangular, and unhirsute world.

Because we all look for personal heroes in the movies, I found mine with Emily Mortimer in Lovely and Amazing. Following are a couple reviews (with my commentary once) and you can definitely tell which one was by the Neanderthal.


Per this review,"Lovely & Amazing" deals frankly with issues of body image and plastic surgery. The film's climactic scene comes when "Notting Hill's" Emily Mortimer asks Mulroney to analyze her body, as she stands naked for nearly six minutes on film.

Emily is an over sensitive actress seeking an honest appraisal of her body. One of the few negative things fellow actor, Dermot, says is when he comments on the size of her bush. Honestly, I swear her bush was bigger than mine and I figured must have had hair extensions in it - and figured that for a couple years now. However, I read review, below, that implied it was all Emily in all her glory! You go, girl!


Emily Mortimer: tired of movies where all the explosiveness comes from special effects?
Try this actress -

Interview a neurotic Hollywood actress, vividly played by Emily Mortimer, stands naked in front of the star (Dermot Mulroney) she has just slept with and asks him to describe what he sees. He bemusedly complies, commenting on the asymmetry of her breasts, the bountifulness of her pubic hair and, worst of all for her, the fullness of her upper arms. Although she has taken control of their fleeting tryst, she has also willingly exposed herself to humiliation--characteristic behavior for this ineffably pretty, tender young woman, who is in such need of love she picks up stray dogs.

GF: After she sleeps with the movie star. Kevin. she asks him to critique her body-- especially the things that embarrass her about it--as she stands naked in front of him. But obviously it's your body that's being described.

EM: Yes, Nicole and I wrote that speech together.

GF: So it was completely tailored to you?

EM: Apart from the line about the big bush, which was always there, though I have to say I did manage to come up with quite a big bush myself. [laughs] So, yeah, apart from that, I had to sit down and tell her all the things I find mortifying about my body.


The Girl Can't Help It
An Interview with Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News
By Aaron Aradillas
Lovely & Amazing is a lovely and amazing movie, with really interesting female characters and stories. A side note about that movie: [regarding] the scene where Emily Mortimer stands naked and vulnerable in front of Dermot Mulroney and asks him to appraise her body--I had a big argument with my colleague Jack Mathews about her bush. Actually, "bush" was his term. I'd say "pubic hair," myself.


I guess he's been seeing too many porn magazines where women shave and trim themselves because that's the style, but he thought Emily had used some prosthetic enhancement on her bush, because it was too wild to be natural. I argued vehemently. That's the way a natural bush looks! I interviewed Emily and the director and asked them, and, forgive my memory, but I'm pretty sure I was right and Jack was wrong. The details escape me now. I tend not to remember the details or the outcome of such an exchange, only that it was really fun that I have a male colleague with whom I can argue these finer points.

Anyway, male critics were, I'm guessing, titillated by seeing a naked woman stand so open to inspection, and women critics loved it because of its daring, its truth, and the poignancy of how women with perfect bodies never feel perfect because they don't allow their actual imperfections to figure into an overall perfection; well, I believe in this, anyway. That it is a collection of the imperfections that make something perfect. In movies, as in men and women.


Donovan's Toronto Film Fest 2001 Report
by Ryan Donovan
Fortunately, as soon as it seems to be getting ridiculously estrogized, along comes the scene where Brit beaut Mortimer stands completely nude in front of Dermot Mulroney, asking him to critique her body. "Your bush could use a trim," he advises. Viva, testosterone.

Indeed. Draw some blood and we'll find I have more than he does.

Monday, April 11, 2005

My new fav

Got this Yahoo hit today.....

instructions to make a pen1s cake

and am #34 on the list! Wish I knew how, but I could probably wing it, tho. Experience in, errrrr, cake decorating, that I have. I'd have to ask cut or uncut and not mean a cake knife.

To my chagrin, I am #1 on the Yahoo list for sex f1ick for a, believe or not, Thanksgiving post?!? WTF?

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Bear with me

AKA Who cares?

I usta be an editing fool. Guess I still am to a degree, but I especially try to make sure I am "completely" finished with a post before making it public. Although sometimes my posts are novellas (and I'm not apologizing, I just happen to be an observant, detail-oriented, anal, paranoid, bitchy, nit-picking, sarcastic, snarky person who loves the release, the adrenaline rush of getting this shit out of my brain), I honestly do prefer posts right with the the world as well as right with spelling and grammar.

But more than anything, I prefer things out of my head and on to this proverbial paper. This is the most writing I've ever done, particularly b/c I'm not being forced to do it for a grade. I'm proud of that. I also remember some advice on writing that I'd read years ago and I'm trying to follow it - just get it down, worry about structure, edits, spelling etc later. Just get it spewed first. Make it pretty as you finish. That's what spell check is for. (He'd obviously never used Blogger, huh?)

Lately, I haven't had the time or energy to make things as perfect as I can, as my sometimes anal self wants so hard to do. It hasn't been that I haven't noticed the errors as I do a re-read after uploading; I just haven't been motivated enough to tackle Blogger or to tackle my own lack of energy to make stuff right.

Couple things:
1) A dose of lazy sneaked in, perhaps. (Hushed whisper.... she's letting herself go .... tsk, tsk)

2) I have a desire to not have anyone reading me via feeds (like Bloglines) to have to read (skip over?) my re-re-re-re-edit 95 times. That quite honestly is a personal preference based on what I do not desire others to have to suffer through, that which I have suffered through. Consider that one typo courtesy. We know you are capable of better, we snicker at your momentary lapse, but we UNDERSTAND!

I cannot believe how much some people tweak their posts. They could have done 15 add'l quality posts for the time wasted.

For the record, consider this one of 15 from me. (You judge the quality part, not for me to say, quite frankly.)

Hence, that "they're" which exists in my most recent post instead of "their" (gosh I abhor that fuck up) and that silly "I son" that sneaked in instead of "my son," just ignore those blemishes and others. Chalk it up to good time management.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Will she be wanting that, Sir?

AKA Retail Sexism

I usta hate it. I'd go into Home Dep0t to buy wood or supplies for an art project. I'd ask an intelligent question of the salesman. Invariably, he'd turn to my ex husband and to give him the answer. As I was inquiring with a follow up question, the salesman once again would look at my ex to provide the response.

WTF?

Does a woman never venture to buy wood or paint or sandpaper? Are we only capable of composing highly insightful questions? Do you think only our mouths work (don't even go there) and our ears don't?

Once, I remember shocking the shit out of the sales guy by waving my hand in front of his face and telling him, "hey buddy, the supplies are for me," b/c I was the one asking the questions and I was also the one interested in the answers.

No, he didn't start speaking to my chest then, but he did start speaking to me. A little victory.

Similar would happen at the wood shop at the military post locally. Granted, it is usually guys in there, but just b/c I'm a woman does not mean I am not interested in crafting with wood or using the tools. When I went in there to make my son's Thomas the Tank Engine train table (cost about $30 vs. over $200 retail, plus mine collapses brilliantly for storage), you'd have thought I was creating Brunelleschi's Dome. A big issue is that they, the experienced carpenters manning the wood shop, want to just do the projects for the women, not let the women do it for themselves or be given the proper opportunity to learn. That irritated me: female = step in a do it for her.

Over a year after making the Thomas table (which took a couple days, so they began to respect me and knew I had the 'me do!" attitude, I went in with a simple project for my new abode her, but project did have some complex angles. The guy, who didn't remember me, just grabbed it and went to town. Irritated me to no end. I'll confess it is b/c it is a HUGE source of PRIDE for me to say I made things myself. About that last project, I say it that I did make it, b/c I designed/installed it and I did have my hands on the machines some, at least.

This sort of scenario repeated itself today. Sort of fulfilling a goal, P followed through on paying for PART (that 'PART' part not expected and more than mildly annoying) of my van's tune up that I knew would cost around $1000. We left his place, picked up J from his night of visitation (more later on that one), and went to Fix Car Place (FCP). They'd done my tires recently and I needed a rotation - all in one stop shopping.

So I tell the guy I need x,x,x done and we'll be back after we get the kid to school. After hearing my list of instructions, the FCP guy proceeds to respond to P about the needs of a tune up. P doesn't say a word, nothing to say. I respond that the check engine light had been on for a year, that I was ripped off by getting half a tune up a year ago (to the tune of $550 - that's how I knew how much a full would cost - FYI, a tune up involves ALL the spark plugs and wires, not just some b/c the old will ruin the new or the not yet bad) - and he responds to P that the check engine light can mean many things. Duh! Do the diagnostic, bonehead. Talk to the chick, too, as she's the one with the answers.

We took J to school (and it was during this drive, P asked if there's always this much traffic - to which I responded that it seemed to be a light day - and I added that, yes, I do this TWICE a week coming from his place in the mornings - to which he asked if I still wanted to come? Hmmmm? Understand, his implication was living together instead - and I did not laugh hysterically, but I could have) , went back down to the FCP. Lo and Behold, it needs a tune up, just like what I ordered. Amazingly, there were problems with 4 out of 6 spark plugs. No wonder I've been so tired, what with using my feet like Fred Flintstone and all. Of course, all questions were asked by me and all responses were directed toward P.

P and I wasted time eating breakfast and browsing a bookstore, had a nice morning and laughed at how many times we'd read each other's minds or responded simultaneously to stuff. I told him about the phenomenon, the sexist (not sexual) [conversation] triangle, if you will, that we experienced at FCP. He understood but had not noticed.

After many hours, we returned even tho we hadn't been called. Two other guys wound up helping me, both then and when it was finally finished. They actually held their conversations with me - not even looking at P or my chest. P said he'd gone in there just to see who they'd be talking to. Shoot, these two guys passed.

It's not all of 'em, but there be some out there a needin' o' some learnin'.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Why are you visiting here?

I'd like to figure out some hits. From the first, I got about 20 in the last 2 days, more before that but my log recycles after every 100 hits. From the second, I've gotten about 10, but more before, too. They start out similarly, but the ISPs are from all over the world.

1)
images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chappaqua.k12.ny.us/dg/Chelsea%2520Clinton.JPG&imgrefurl=http://cricketchurping.blogspot.com/2005_01

The Chelsea one goes to a non-working page that does have a link at the top going to Chelsea. I did use that link once, but I didn't use the picture in my blog. I wonder what has made that picture of her in HS so popular?

2)
images.google.es/imgres?imgurl=http://mirror-uk-th2.gallery.hd.org/_exhibits/natural-science/horseshoe-magnet-red-silver-iron-filings-AHD.jpg&i

This link just goes straight back to Google, so I don't know exactly what magnet it shows. I once discussed doing a kiddie bulletin board on magnetism at school, but I never got to do anything with it, never pictured a magnet.

I can see a hit or two off of such obscure stuff, but this is strange to me.

If you're hitting me b/c of these links, please pipe up and let me know why. I'm just curious!


PS (b/c I'm not finished with the topic) - Chelsea and magnet people, what do you think about an artist who is commercial enough to compromise the essence of art? By this, I definitely include Thomas Kinkade trash, too. He's selling sentimentality, which is very different than cultivating an emotion. He makes his music for money with great success, but it is at a huge cost in my opinion. What do you think?