He Didn't Say Anything About Playing Catch

Derek did NOT have a good day yesterday. Bryce started puking in the morning, so he stayed home from school. Derek drove down to the rent house to discover that the fleas are still there (going to have to pay $200 to have it professionally sprayed AND the lady wants to move in on Friday, but they can't spray until Friday AND we still don't have the new carpet installed AND the house needs to be sprayed BEFORE they install the carpet). Derek calls the doctor and makes Bryce an appointment, because he also had a horrible headache and a sore throat.

Sometime that morning, Riley calls to inform Derek that he has hurt himself in football practice and can't lift his arms. Oh yes ... these are the days of our lives. So Derek brings Riley up here with him to take Bryce to the doctor and they then take Riley to the chiropractor - who cracks his bones nine ways to Sunday and tells him that he has ribs out of place. His instructions were to rest and not practice football until Thursday and to come back on Thursday for another adjustment.

Last night I asked Derek if he had given Riley any Tylenol during the day. He had not. I found an Aleve instead and proceeded upstairs to give it to the poor child with the misplaced ribs. As I rounded the corner into the empty bedroom, Derek yelled "THEY ARE OUTSIDE". My first thought was "Is the mothership here to take me home? (preferably to a planet that doesn't have fleas)". "THE BOYS ARE OUTSIDE", he yelled. My next thought was "Those little shits !!!"

Sure enough ... there they were .... standing in the backyard. The kid who has ribs out of place and is supposed to be in bed lying on an ice pack and resting AND the kid who stayed home from school all day puking are outside throwing a football back and forth. I am sure that I had my "mother possessed by demons face" on .... Riley just looked at me and said "He didn't say anything about playing catch".

Derek (in between the laughing) told me, "Just walk away honey ... just walk away"

Ricky's Life

If you have teenagers, please click on the link and read Ricky's story.

http://www.rickyslife.com/

Weekly Challenge - Find Your Direction

I have my moments when I feel lost. There really isn't any other word to describe it. Just a feeling of not being in the right place, yet not knowing how to get to where I am supposed to be. I just read that Derek's best friend from high school (the one who was recently promoted to an Assistant Superintendent job at a huge high school in Texas) is now working on his Doctorate degree. It hit me hard. That should have been me ... that was part of the big plan. Realizing that that will never happen now really hurts, but I am trying really hard to not get upset by it. I have to believe that what has happened to me can be turned around and used for the greater good. So this week, instead of getting down and depressed about the direction my life was supposed to take - I am finding my new direction.

I keep imagining that somebody is going to call me up and offer me a book deal, a job writing articles for magazines, or a reality television show - but how is that ever going to happen if I don't put myself out there. I need to keep working towards my direction and keep talking and writing about the issues that are important to me and maybe my story will make a difference. Here are my "new directions":

- the overprescribing of psychotropic and pain medications

- domestic violence (focus on prevention)

- reforming the criminal justice system so that only the truly dangerous are locked up

(the only thing that prisons teach is how to be a prisoner)

- reforming the Sex Offender Registry so that it is actually useful and does not punish those who do not deserve to be labeled for life (like barely 19 year old who have consensual sex with their almost 16 year old girlfriends)

- life skills taught in schools so that people don't turn to drugs and/or alcohol to numb themselves

What is your "new direction"?

In Honor of Labor Day

A question was asked on one of the forums that I belong to about each person's favorite quote. Somebody posted this one: "Do It Now...You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do".
I love love love it ! I even copied it into Word, changed it to a fabulous font, made it bigger, bolded it, printed it out and taped it to my desk at work.

When I woke up this morning I had a little anxiety and I picked up my depression digging shovel and started hauling that depression dirt. The thoughts were just running through my head "We have so much debt" "I will never get a better job with benefits because of my felony charge" "We are never going to sell the land and pay off that loan" "Our new renters are probably going to turn out to be deadbeats too" ... and on and on and on ... I think it all started when I woke up and realized that I had freaky dreams all night about the cast of Jersey Shore and about cleaning out Christmas decorations from my hoarding parents house. Freaky dreams ... the gift that keeps on giving.

After doing a little bit of web searching and feeling sorry for myself, I remembered the quote and it hit me. I can sit around on my butt all day long, eating and getting fatter OR I can use the day to start writing my new book, finish reading "Eat Pray Love" (I know I am a little late on that one ... let's blame the cast of Jersey Shore for that too), watch Chocolat (part of my torrid love affair with Netflix), work on some letters that I have been meaning to write, finish registering my new website domain, etc.

Picking up the depression hole digging shovel and filling that hole back in ... right now !

Sometimes Boring is Good

The kids are all going to the football game tonight so Derek and I are going to get sandwiches from Subway, watch a movie from Netflix, and basically sit around and NOT listen to children griping about something or asking for money. He just called me to inform me that he has stopped and purchased a box of wine for me ... or as he likes to call it "the keys to the castle" ...... ah .... he is such a romantical guy.

Burning the Ropes That Could Save You

Derek and I were sound asleep when the phone rang last night at nearly midnight. It was a coworker. She proceeds to tell me that her alcoholic boyfriend woke her up, drunk off his ass, waving a gun around and telling her to "get your shit and get out of my house". She then tries to tell me all the details and my only thought was "I really would like to go back to sleep". I know that that probably sounds cruel and uncaring, but I am exhausted by her drama. Just exhausted.

Back at the beginning of the year, he got so drunk that he broke her arm during an argument. She went back to him. They have fight after fight after fight and she always goes back to him. He promises to stop drinking .... never really does .... and she goes back to him. I was in an abusive relationship in high school, I know how it goes ..... but DAMN ! Eventually the people who keep trying to help you just get so tired of all of it and the fact that you are never going to work to make your life better, that they just give up.

I went through some major drama a few years ago with my own prescription drug issues, alcohol, and my court case, which is why I prefer to live my life as drama free as possible. Don't get me wrong - I will help somebody in their tough times, but when does it end? When should it end? Should we continue to help people who refuse to help themselves?

Blogging for Bucks

I don't have sponsors on my blog for a lot of reasons:

1. I have a felony record and if you googled my real name you would probably fall out of your chair and run screaming down the street like you were on fire.

2. I tend to use colorful language from time to time and make not always popular observations about the world and the people in it.

3. I am deathly afraid that if I click on the monetize button that I will only be sponsored by porn sites and THAT is the last thing that I need my name associated with.

4. I like to say that I blog strictly for the enjoyment of sharing my snarky thoughts with the world, however with that being said - if the following companies want to pay me money to advertise on my blog (and hopefully soon to be improved website) then feel free to send me large amounts of cash (actually a check would be preferred - don't want people thinking that I am associated with some drug cartel too). Here are my dream sponsors:

Franzia - because we all know that the best wines come in boxes !!!

Taco Bueno - because they have the Bueno Chilada platter and it is better than you know what on a stick ... or in this case, you know what on a platter !

Any Glitter Company - because my ongoing good deeds will require copious amounts of glitter for my cardboard box in heaven !

Nissan - because all cool chicks drive Nissan Quest minivans !

Skippy Peanut Butter - because the phrase "Damn Jiff" just doesn't sound right (damn Skippy !!)