When something happens once you tend to think of it as an anomoly. When it happens again, it's just a coincidence. But when it happens for the fourth or fifth time, IN A ROW! you tend to realize (unless you are dumb as a stump) that it might just be YOU.
Here's my predicament:
Lately, every single book I read, well, I end up hating the ending. Hate. the. ending. All summer long this has happened.
I think that trashy ass 50 shades book jinxed me. And everything I have read since I just have not been happy with the endings.
I decided to read the Game of Thrones series since I have been watching the HBO series. I love watching that and wanted to see how they align with the books. The books are long and in parts, quite tedious. Think Harry Potter long and James Michener tedious and you will have an idea of what I mean. I enjoyed them. And I was just going to read the first two because that's all the seasons they have shown on HBO and I didn't want to get ahead and then be all "yeah, yeah, I know what's coming next" when it next airs. But I didn't do that. I kept reading. Let me just interject here that each of the first two books have been pretty well represented entirely in each of the first two seasons. So I expect to see book 3 in season 3 whenever that comes around again.
Anyhoo, since I am now over 50 and my memory has gone to shit, I figured I would go ahead and read book 3 and maybe I would still be surprised by things in season 3. But book 3 was so exciting that I went ahead and read book 4.
Now, at the end of book 4 there is a little afterward from the author talking about how he was wrapping up the series and it was just too much for one book, so look for book 5 to complete the series since he couldn't fit all these millions of characters in one book, etc, etc.
So, then I couldn't stand it and I got book 5. Supposedly, the very end of the whole series. And let me say here, Thank God I got these on my Kindle! I picked them up and looked at them at B&N one day, and if you called them HUGE! you wouldn't be wrong. These books are each so big they could be referred to as tomes. I could not imagine lugging these dictionary sized books around with me.
Book 5 is going to wrap up all the mysteries for me! It will answer all my questions! I will get to find out what happens to each and every one of the characters I have invested so much time into! (yes, I know that ended that sentence in a preposition. Sue me.)
Didn't happen.
Nope.
Not even a little bit.
Well, except for the ones that were out right killed and then you knew you had been really screwed. That's how I feel when I am given a character that is beloved and I am all wrapped up in their story and BAM! out of the clear blue he/she gets whacked. Seriously? We spent 5 giant books worth of words describing this character's feelings, how he/she grew up, matured and was looking forward to the next part of his/her life and there you are. I never saw that one coming. I didn't even think "well played, I was certainly surprised by that one!" Nope. It was more like "well, out of the top 10 characters in this series of books with casts of thousands, half of the top 10 just were discarded with no other news of their future, demise, or whatever and the other 5? Dead?"
Not loving the wrap-up here, Mr. George R. R. Martin.
I also recently re-read The Thorn Birds for a book club. Didn't really love the ending there, either.
Then I read The Patron Saint of Liars, which was a recent recommendation. This was a great book right up to the ending. Meh. Didn't love the ending.
I just googled the book and it came up as a made-for-tv movie from 1998. Good Lord, how old is this book?
Last night I finished a book that my daughter, the fabulous Rachel Pie, had been wanting me to read. She kept recommending it and one day, about six months ago, we were at Half Price Books and she saw a copy and got me my very own so that I would be sure to read it. It kept getting put to the bottom of the pile so that I could read crap like the 50 shades of craptastic crap and then be disappointed. So I pulled it from the bottom of the pile o'books on my night stand and read it.
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Urrea. The main character is a great-aunt of the author and he spent 20 years of his life researching and writing this book. I loved the book. And yet, I wanted more out of the ending. Was she happy? Did she marry? Did she have children? Did her father live? Where did she live? What happened to all the other people in this book? What happened to the ranch?
I don't want to think I am being unreasonable as a reader. But why bring in all these details and then drop them?
The only book I have read in the last six months that I thought the ending was perfect was Lamb by Christopher Moore. Fabulous book. I picked up another of his on my last trip to Half Price Books. I will let you know what I think of it. And whether the ending disappointed or not.
Showing posts with label pet peeves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pet peeves. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
I said I wouldn't do it, and then I couldn't help myself
You know those people who carefully analyze and then really think out their decisions based on facts and information BEFORE they figure out which candidate and which issues to support?
Yeah, me neither.
That's because people tend to get all emotional and stupid when it comes to political issues. Much like religious ones. Funny how that happens here in the U.S. of A. since we are suppoed to have this big separation of church and state.
I have plenty of friends who say things like "Oh, I know so-and-so and I are at polar opposites on such-and-such issue, but we just agree to disagree."
Really? How the hell does that work? I am having a really hard time doing this. I don't want to just be all amicable and sweet about people who have their heads up their asses. Get your head out of your ass! Then we can just agree!!!! No need for any disagreement at all.
The upcoming presidential elections (which, by the by, seem to have been going on for the last 100 years. Good Lord, why do they start so soon after the LAST one???) are driving me nuts.
For me, I have narrowed it down to a couple of key issues.
1. Women's rights
2. LGBTQ rights
3. Health care
4. Environment
I have found that I can't care about every. single. thing. they bring up. It just makes my life unmanageable when I have way too many things to deal with. These are my top 4 that I can NOT stand idly by and let these things get trampled. It would just be unacceptable for these top 4 to go by the wayside.
So, this being said, if you and I are at those polar opposites on these issues, I don't think I can talk to you any more. If you, deep in your heart, believe that women are not equal to men and deserving of equal rights, pay and benefits. I, as a woman, don't need you in my life. How could you possibly have my best interest at heart if you don't think I am equal and worthy?
Same goes for the LGBTQ stance. If you don't believe that all of us, and I mean all, not just the hetero ones of us, are entitled to the same bill of rights. I don't need you in my life. If you are supporting candidates, political parties, ideals and platforms that will take away the few hard-won rights that affect the gay community, then why on earth would I want to have this kind of less-than thinking around me? If you can look at my beautiful, caring, precious daughter and see a person who is not-quite-as-deserving as the next person, well then, not only don't I need you, but I won't be missing your bigoted small-minded ass.
I am choosing to surround myself with positivity and people who are loving, kind and generous. Truth be told, since I am on the other side of 50 now, I don't see any reason to have intolerant bullies and bigots in my life. I am suffering no fools, as they say.
I will be living my life in a way that I think God intended, doing for others, loving people less fortunate, and helping where I can. I will be offering money, food, and whatever I can to help the homeless be they people or animals. I am trying to be a living example of a loving, caring extension of my beliefs.
What I won't be doing is trying to take something away from others, I won't be trying to trample your rights and judging you to be less-than. My heart aches at all the meanness and bullshit that has been going on and people getting caught up in the rhetoric and refusing to look at the underlying truths.
I will be cleaning out my actual and virtual friend lists. I just can't read the non-sensical crap coming out on a daily, no, an almost hourly basis any more. And then I will get back to trying to be clever tomorrow.
Yeah, me neither.
That's because people tend to get all emotional and stupid when it comes to political issues. Much like religious ones. Funny how that happens here in the U.S. of A. since we are suppoed to have this big separation of church and state.
I have plenty of friends who say things like "Oh, I know so-and-so and I are at polar opposites on such-and-such issue, but we just agree to disagree."
Really? How the hell does that work? I am having a really hard time doing this. I don't want to just be all amicable and sweet about people who have their heads up their asses. Get your head out of your ass! Then we can just agree!!!! No need for any disagreement at all.
The upcoming presidential elections (which, by the by, seem to have been going on for the last 100 years. Good Lord, why do they start so soon after the LAST one???) are driving me nuts.
For me, I have narrowed it down to a couple of key issues.
1. Women's rights
2. LGBTQ rights
3. Health care
4. Environment
I have found that I can't care about every. single. thing. they bring up. It just makes my life unmanageable when I have way too many things to deal with. These are my top 4 that I can NOT stand idly by and let these things get trampled. It would just be unacceptable for these top 4 to go by the wayside.
So, this being said, if you and I are at those polar opposites on these issues, I don't think I can talk to you any more. If you, deep in your heart, believe that women are not equal to men and deserving of equal rights, pay and benefits. I, as a woman, don't need you in my life. How could you possibly have my best interest at heart if you don't think I am equal and worthy?
Same goes for the LGBTQ stance. If you don't believe that all of us, and I mean all, not just the hetero ones of us, are entitled to the same bill of rights. I don't need you in my life. If you are supporting candidates, political parties, ideals and platforms that will take away the few hard-won rights that affect the gay community, then why on earth would I want to have this kind of less-than thinking around me? If you can look at my beautiful, caring, precious daughter and see a person who is not-quite-as-deserving as the next person, well then, not only don't I need you, but I won't be missing your bigoted small-minded ass.
I am choosing to surround myself with positivity and people who are loving, kind and generous. Truth be told, since I am on the other side of 50 now, I don't see any reason to have intolerant bullies and bigots in my life. I am suffering no fools, as they say.
I will be living my life in a way that I think God intended, doing for others, loving people less fortunate, and helping where I can. I will be offering money, food, and whatever I can to help the homeless be they people or animals. I am trying to be a living example of a loving, caring extension of my beliefs.
What I won't be doing is trying to take something away from others, I won't be trying to trample your rights and judging you to be less-than. My heart aches at all the meanness and bullshit that has been going on and people getting caught up in the rhetoric and refusing to look at the underlying truths.
I will be cleaning out my actual and virtual friend lists. I just can't read the non-sensical crap coming out on a daily, no, an almost hourly basis any more. And then I will get back to trying to be clever tomorrow.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Bad Service and Yelp
I have bitched and moaned before about bad service and how customer service in general has just gone in the toilet. People flat out do not give a big hairy rat's ASS about your satisfaction at the end of a business transaction. It's as if they have no inkling of an idea that you may, oh I don't know, ever want to darken their doors again!!
What the hell is up with this trend? It is just getting worse. People don't seem to know how to say please, thank you or come again. And you know I am leading up to something that happened recently, don't you?
Just yesterday I ended up The Cove a local eatery. It's one of those cute little places that sits between a laundromat and a car wash. It has a beer garden, live music in the evenings, lots of beer and is known around here for being a vegetarian friendly, mostly local and organic food kind of place. Really casual and on the funky side. We eat there quite a bit actually. The food is good. It is not great by any means. But it is good and you walk away feeling like you made a healthier choice than many other places you could have gone to.
But yesterday? Not so much.
There's this one chick who works behind the counter taking orders who is just rude, doesn't seem too bright, isn't really with the program you might say. And of course she was there. Now, they have 2 registers but mostly only run with one of them and have people lined up and out the door waiting to place their orders. So that's a problem right there.
Typically, I get salads or burgers. But yesterday I was thinking about the nachos. I have seen plates of nachos being delivered to other tables and they looked good. On the chalk board menu waaaay up in the air above the counter it said "Bean and cheese nachos with avocado dip". (wth is avocado dip? is it guacamole? is it mayonnaise-y?)
So when it was my turn to go to the counter I asked the Rude Chick "What is the avocado dip on the nachos?"
Rude Chick: Oh, it's avocado mixed with sour cream.
Me: That sounds really good.
RC: Yeah, it's got like pico de gallo stuff, tomatoes, onions, cilantro in it too.
Me: No, I better not get that. I don't eat onions.
RC: Oh, you'll like this. It's really good.
Me: No, I don't do onions. But, could I just get . . . .
RC: (interrupting me) No, it is already mixed in. We can't take it out for you. But you should try it. it's really good. You would like onions if you tried this.
Me: No, I wasn't going to ask that. I was going to ask . . .
RC: (interrupting me continually) Here, let me get this. (she walks off and returns with a small cup of the dip stuff) Taste it. and she shoves it across the counter into my face. Here, taste it!
Me: No, thank you. I don't want it. I am trying to tell you that I don't want it.
RC: Well, are you allergic?
Me: Let's just say I don't like them and they don't like me. (looking back at my friends in line, and wondering WTF)
RC: If you would just taste this, you would like it.
Me: No. I didn't get to be 50 flipping years old without knowing what I like and don't like. No thank you. (I was trying my best not to blow up on her triflin' ass, but she was making it extremely difficult)
RC: Fine. Do you want beef or chicken on your nachos?
Me: You know what, I don't want any. I am not eating here. (And at this point the white hot rage that comes from the pit of your stomach and moves up had come up and hit the top of my head. And I had had ENOUGH).
And I walked over to my friends and said "Sorry, but I can't eat here. We'll have to meet another time".
And I left.
Yeah, I probably could have handled it better. I could have stood there and demanded to see a manager and held up the line that was going on f o r e v e r. I could have stood my ground and insisted that the Rude Chick not take my order and get someone else. But at that moment I was just so completely over all the business of no one listening to me and taking my words seriously, that I could not imagine dragging this out any further.
But I did get on yelp.com and write a scathing review of the service. My friend, the Mom of the Peach says that I should also call the owners and managers and tell them. I don't know if I care to even bother.
If a place of business doesn't care enough to hire the best possible person to be the Face of the Company to all who walk in, why is it my business to tell them to handle their shit better? Do it right or expect to lose customers. That's it.
And as of right now, they have lost me. I was going there about once every two weeks. And I never went alone. So that's a fair amount of business from one source.
The restaurant business is notorious for being hard to keep your head above water. I have read that most businesses don't last 7 years. It is a tough, very competitive line to be in.
All the more reason it would behoove the owners to make sure, make DAMN SURE that one rude employee who half-asses her job is not ruining their business. Is this not Rule #1 in any business handbook anywhere?
Another thing about this particular restaurant's system that is bad is that the servers tip jar is at the register. How many of the servers get short-changed on the tips due to the interaction with the Rude Chick behind the register? My guess is a whole bunch.
What say you? Should I follow up as a courtesy to the owners or managers of this establishment or just let it lie and not go back?
What the hell is up with this trend? It is just getting worse. People don't seem to know how to say please, thank you or come again. And you know I am leading up to something that happened recently, don't you?
Just yesterday I ended up The Cove a local eatery. It's one of those cute little places that sits between a laundromat and a car wash. It has a beer garden, live music in the evenings, lots of beer and is known around here for being a vegetarian friendly, mostly local and organic food kind of place. Really casual and on the funky side. We eat there quite a bit actually. The food is good. It is not great by any means. But it is good and you walk away feeling like you made a healthier choice than many other places you could have gone to.
But yesterday? Not so much.
There's this one chick who works behind the counter taking orders who is just rude, doesn't seem too bright, isn't really with the program you might say. And of course she was there. Now, they have 2 registers but mostly only run with one of them and have people lined up and out the door waiting to place their orders. So that's a problem right there.
Typically, I get salads or burgers. But yesterday I was thinking about the nachos. I have seen plates of nachos being delivered to other tables and they looked good. On the chalk board menu waaaay up in the air above the counter it said "Bean and cheese nachos with avocado dip". (wth is avocado dip? is it guacamole? is it mayonnaise-y?)
So when it was my turn to go to the counter I asked the Rude Chick "What is the avocado dip on the nachos?"
Rude Chick: Oh, it's avocado mixed with sour cream.
Me: That sounds really good.
RC: Yeah, it's got like pico de gallo stuff, tomatoes, onions, cilantro in it too.
Me: No, I better not get that. I don't eat onions.
RC: Oh, you'll like this. It's really good.
Me: No, I don't do onions. But, could I just get . . . .
RC: (interrupting me) No, it is already mixed in. We can't take it out for you. But you should try it. it's really good. You would like onions if you tried this.
Me: No, I wasn't going to ask that. I was going to ask . . .
RC: (interrupting me continually) Here, let me get this. (she walks off and returns with a small cup of the dip stuff) Taste it. and she shoves it across the counter into my face. Here, taste it!
Me: No, thank you. I don't want it. I am trying to tell you that I don't want it.
RC: Well, are you allergic?
Me: Let's just say I don't like them and they don't like me. (looking back at my friends in line, and wondering WTF)
RC: If you would just taste this, you would like it.
Me: No. I didn't get to be 50 flipping years old without knowing what I like and don't like. No thank you. (I was trying my best not to blow up on her triflin' ass, but she was making it extremely difficult)
RC: Fine. Do you want beef or chicken on your nachos?
Me: You know what, I don't want any. I am not eating here. (And at this point the white hot rage that comes from the pit of your stomach and moves up had come up and hit the top of my head. And I had had ENOUGH).
And I walked over to my friends and said "Sorry, but I can't eat here. We'll have to meet another time".
And I left.
Yeah, I probably could have handled it better. I could have stood there and demanded to see a manager and held up the line that was going on f o r e v e r. I could have stood my ground and insisted that the Rude Chick not take my order and get someone else. But at that moment I was just so completely over all the business of no one listening to me and taking my words seriously, that I could not imagine dragging this out any further.
But I did get on yelp.com and write a scathing review of the service. My friend, the Mom of the Peach says that I should also call the owners and managers and tell them. I don't know if I care to even bother.
If a place of business doesn't care enough to hire the best possible person to be the Face of the Company to all who walk in, why is it my business to tell them to handle their shit better? Do it right or expect to lose customers. That's it.
And as of right now, they have lost me. I was going there about once every two weeks. And I never went alone. So that's a fair amount of business from one source.
The restaurant business is notorious for being hard to keep your head above water. I have read that most businesses don't last 7 years. It is a tough, very competitive line to be in.
All the more reason it would behoove the owners to make sure, make DAMN SURE that one rude employee who half-asses her job is not ruining their business. Is this not Rule #1 in any business handbook anywhere?
Another thing about this particular restaurant's system that is bad is that the servers tip jar is at the register. How many of the servers get short-changed on the tips due to the interaction with the Rude Chick behind the register? My guess is a whole bunch.
What say you? Should I follow up as a courtesy to the owners or managers of this establishment or just let it lie and not go back?
Friday, January 27, 2012
Sort of a rant. Or maybe a complaint. You be the judge.
So I go to Hobby Lobby as one does when one is looking to purchase some fabric. I have a love/hate relationship with HL. They carry so many things that I love. They also carry a TON of cheap made in China crap that we need to quit importing. I would love to be able to boycott HL, but I am not there yet. I do put down anything cute I have picked up when I see the ubiquitous Made in China sticker on bottom though.
Anyhoo, I am the fabric department looking for, well, fabric! I needed some black fabric to use as a table covering for an event we are attending as a sponsoring group. So we are using black as our table background so that all our pretty bright colored brochures and things "pop" as all the designers say.
I roamed around and scoped out all the different solid black fabrics and picked out the one I wanted and took it to the big table where they cut it for you. The HL fabric-cutting lady says "How much you need?"
To which I replied "Well, the tables are six feet and I want hang down on each side of 12 to 18 inches. Let's say, 18 inches on each side. So that's another 36 inches, plus the six feet. Cut me a piece of 9 feet, please."
You are never going to believe what she said.
Are you ready?
Here's what she said.
"I can only do yards. How much is that in yards?"
Really?
W T F ???
She works in fabric. She works in fabric cutting said fabric. And she DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO CONVERT FEET TO YARDS!!!
And it was an easy one, too! It wasn't like I said give me 8 5/8 feet and then she would have to break out the calculator that was right next to her.
Holy crap. I can't be an old fart and curmudgeon and blame it on the young whippersnappers and their new-fangled math, because this lady was older than me. She didn't know. And worse, she didn't really seem to give two shits.
Anyhoo, I am the fabric department looking for, well, fabric! I needed some black fabric to use as a table covering for an event we are attending as a sponsoring group. So we are using black as our table background so that all our pretty bright colored brochures and things "pop" as all the designers say.
I roamed around and scoped out all the different solid black fabrics and picked out the one I wanted and took it to the big table where they cut it for you. The HL fabric-cutting lady says "How much you need?"
To which I replied "Well, the tables are six feet and I want hang down on each side of 12 to 18 inches. Let's say, 18 inches on each side. So that's another 36 inches, plus the six feet. Cut me a piece of 9 feet, please."
You are never going to believe what she said.
Are you ready?
Here's what she said.
"I can only do yards. How much is that in yards?"
Really?
W T F ???
She works in fabric. She works in fabric cutting said fabric. And she DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO CONVERT FEET TO YARDS!!!
And it was an easy one, too! It wasn't like I said give me 8 5/8 feet and then she would have to break out the calculator that was right next to her.
Holy crap. I can't be an old fart and curmudgeon and blame it on the young whippersnappers and their new-fangled math, because this lady was older than me. She didn't know. And worse, she didn't really seem to give two shits.
Friday, December 9, 2011
I'm Lisa Pie and I don't approve of all of these messages
You know that I live in the great state of Texas, right? And you must know that our state foisted that sorry ass Shrub on you as president, and for that I am very sorry. I didn't live here at the time, and never once did I vote for him.
And now? Holy shitballs! This maroon of a governor we have is running around making the Shrub look like the smart one. Is there no one around him who can keep him at home with his mouth shut?
Look at his latest bullshit move:
Now watch some anti-Perry, anti-Christian rebuttal to this:
And last, but certainly not least, here is a message to Rick "the hair-do" Perry from Jesus:
Rick Perry is a wiener. He has a terrible record on women's and children's issues. If you want an in-depth look at what he has done in his political career here in Texas, go to Amazon and buy "Adios MoFo".
I heard the NPR interview with one of the authors and it seems that the publisher threw lots of money their way to write this book when Perry started showing interest in running. Then when he started slipping in the polls, they backed off, so it is only available as an e-book.
A year or so ago at a press conference, a particular reporter just kept pushing at Perry to answer some questions about what he has done to the schools and teachers in our fine state and he kept trying to duck them and not give a straight forward answer. At the end of it, when he thought his mic was off, he looked right at the reporter and said "Adios MoFo".
Nice, right?
So, that's where the book title came from. Give it a read and encourage anyone you know who might actually vote for this twit in a hair-do to also read it.
And now? Holy shitballs! This maroon of a governor we have is running around making the Shrub look like the smart one. Is there no one around him who can keep him at home with his mouth shut?
Look at his latest bullshit move:
Now watch some anti-Perry, anti-Christian rebuttal to this:
And last, but certainly not least, here is a message to Rick "the hair-do" Perry from Jesus:
Rick Perry is a wiener. He has a terrible record on women's and children's issues. If you want an in-depth look at what he has done in his political career here in Texas, go to Amazon and buy "Adios MoFo".
I heard the NPR interview with one of the authors and it seems that the publisher threw lots of money their way to write this book when Perry started showing interest in running. Then when he started slipping in the polls, they backed off, so it is only available as an e-book.
A year or so ago at a press conference, a particular reporter just kept pushing at Perry to answer some questions about what he has done to the schools and teachers in our fine state and he kept trying to duck them and not give a straight forward answer. At the end of it, when he thought his mic was off, he looked right at the reporter and said "Adios MoFo".
Nice, right?
So, that's where the book title came from. Give it a read and encourage anyone you know who might actually vote for this twit in a hair-do to also read it.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Getting political today
I have made it a point to not get political here. I don't really want any dischord in my life or my cyber-life. But I am going to step a bit, just a big toe dipping into this political pool, so please bear with me.
I am a birth doula. I am also a post-partum doula. And I am a massage therapist who specializes in prenatal and infant massage. I am also a mother. And I hope one day to be a grandmother. So you might tend to pigeon-hole me into the group of people who like to call themselves Pro-Life. Who would not want to consider themselves Pro-Life? Are we ever Anti-Life?
Groups have ways of finding innocuous-sounding names to bring in people who might never darken their doors had they really known the group's agenda.
Because of all that mentioned above, I am firmly encamped in the Pro-Choice side of this debate. One thing that is sacred to me as a woman mentoring other women is choice. I tell every. single. one. of my clients over and over again
If you don't know your choices, you have none.
It's true. It is true about childbirth, about parenting, about making food choices, about budgeting, whatever. If you only know one way, that's what you do. If you only have one viable choice, you go along. Even if there is a niggling little feeling in the back of your heart telling you "there must be another way".
So, today I am here to say that this is absolute bullshit being put out there that funding must be cut to Planned Parenthood. Please go check out Planned Parenthood and see just exactly what kind of work they do. There is so much need for the kind of education they provide, the testing of HIV they do, the pregnancy testing, just everything.
If the Pink Bus is coming to a city near you, please go and support them. Go and find out. Go and educate yourself about the need to educate.
Just don't do nothing while they get their funding slashed and the rights of women get trampled and thrown back to the 1940's.
I work with pregnant teenagers, some who have homes, some who do not. I work with some at the juvenile detention center. And I work with some who believe they are in a committed relationship and have the rose-colored view that everything will be the way they are picturing it in their head as opposed to reality. The numbers of my actual clients who end up staying together with their boyfriend, keeping their babies, and living as a family unit are dismal. This never happens. It does not matter what the ecomonic level of the family is, this is such a ridiculously hard way to start out, that most of these girls can not find their way through it with this dream intact.
What they need is more support from the community. From people like me who have lists and lists of organizations, agencies and such that can provide education, support groups for the young moms and dads, access to birth control so that they can cope with what they have before adding to it.
What they don't need is to be treated like children who have done wrong and now have to be punished. "You made this bed, now you have to lie in it". Really? That's how you want them to approach parenting? As a consequence of being bad? How does that translate to their feelings about this baby? Are you able to love a baby that is a daily reminder of your transgressions and your failings?
It's a thorny issue this one. I just thought I would go ahead and let you know my stance on this. I will be standing outside my closest Planned Parenthood clinic tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. in solidarity with others.
Please do some research and arm yourself with facts. If you don't know your choices, you have none.
I am a birth doula. I am also a post-partum doula. And I am a massage therapist who specializes in prenatal and infant massage. I am also a mother. And I hope one day to be a grandmother. So you might tend to pigeon-hole me into the group of people who like to call themselves Pro-Life. Who would not want to consider themselves Pro-Life? Are we ever Anti-Life?
Groups have ways of finding innocuous-sounding names to bring in people who might never darken their doors had they really known the group's agenda.
Because of all that mentioned above, I am firmly encamped in the Pro-Choice side of this debate. One thing that is sacred to me as a woman mentoring other women is choice. I tell every. single. one. of my clients over and over again
If you don't know your choices, you have none.
It's true. It is true about childbirth, about parenting, about making food choices, about budgeting, whatever. If you only know one way, that's what you do. If you only have one viable choice, you go along. Even if there is a niggling little feeling in the back of your heart telling you "there must be another way".
So, today I am here to say that this is absolute bullshit being put out there that funding must be cut to Planned Parenthood. Please go check out Planned Parenthood and see just exactly what kind of work they do. There is so much need for the kind of education they provide, the testing of HIV they do, the pregnancy testing, just everything.
If the Pink Bus is coming to a city near you, please go and support them. Go and find out. Go and educate yourself about the need to educate.
Just don't do nothing while they get their funding slashed and the rights of women get trampled and thrown back to the 1940's.
I work with pregnant teenagers, some who have homes, some who do not. I work with some at the juvenile detention center. And I work with some who believe they are in a committed relationship and have the rose-colored view that everything will be the way they are picturing it in their head as opposed to reality. The numbers of my actual clients who end up staying together with their boyfriend, keeping their babies, and living as a family unit are dismal. This never happens. It does not matter what the ecomonic level of the family is, this is such a ridiculously hard way to start out, that most of these girls can not find their way through it with this dream intact.
What they need is more support from the community. From people like me who have lists and lists of organizations, agencies and such that can provide education, support groups for the young moms and dads, access to birth control so that they can cope with what they have before adding to it.
What they don't need is to be treated like children who have done wrong and now have to be punished. "You made this bed, now you have to lie in it". Really? That's how you want them to approach parenting? As a consequence of being bad? How does that translate to their feelings about this baby? Are you able to love a baby that is a daily reminder of your transgressions and your failings?
It's a thorny issue this one. I just thought I would go ahead and let you know my stance on this. I will be standing outside my closest Planned Parenthood clinic tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. in solidarity with others.
Please do some research and arm yourself with facts. If you don't know your choices, you have none.
Friday, July 16, 2010
It's Back!
It's back. My lower back has gone out again. It's my back. It appears to be sciatica. I am sorry but this is not fun. Second time in a month.
I am trying my best to treat my back like an extra-special VIP. As if my back had turned into Sean P. Diddy Puffy Combs or something. I would offer to serve it some classy champagne if it would help.
I am taking my homeopathic go-to, Arnica. I am taking naproxen at night. And I am alternating ice and heat. I went yesterday and got a great massage. And I am trying to rest my back all I can. So I am trying to be really on top of things.
Anyhoo, today I got into my bookshelves of complimentary and alternative medicine books to see what else I could be doing. One recommendation was to get lots of potassium, so I will certainly do that. There were some great tips on accupressure points I should be working and other vitamin and supplements. But here is some information I was surprised at:
"Activities that are good for the back include swimming, cycling, walking, and rowing." Rowing? Really? I don't hardly think so.
Then it further states: "Avoid the following activities: Baseball, basketball, football. The quick responses needed for these sports involve sudden twisting and jumping motions." Imagine that. Jumping and twisting motions needed for basketball. What kind of idiots do they think are reading this?
"Bowling. Lifting a heavy weight while bending and twisting puts strain on the back." Does it now?
There were several others listed, one just as stupid as the next. And then we get to the last one.
"Weightlifting. This sport is potentially the most damaging because it places great strain on the lower portion of the spine and back." wtf???
Seriously? If you have purchased this book you are obviously interested in doing the best you can for your body. And if you are now reading the section on sciatica and back pain, what kind of a big dumb ass would you be if you were also indulging in light happy round of weightlifting? I guess you have to prepare for every eventuality when you offer advice.
This is exactly the kind of situation that makes me think about the dumbing-down of the human race. I will go and be grumpy now and look for some potassium, calcium and magnesium rich foods. But I guess I will have to cancel my exciting day of weightlifting, rowing and shooting some hoops. Darn.
I am trying my best to treat my back like an extra-special VIP. As if my back had turned into Sean P. Diddy Puffy Combs or something. I would offer to serve it some classy champagne if it would help.
I am taking my homeopathic go-to, Arnica. I am taking naproxen at night. And I am alternating ice and heat. I went yesterday and got a great massage. And I am trying to rest my back all I can. So I am trying to be really on top of things.
Anyhoo, today I got into my bookshelves of complimentary and alternative medicine books to see what else I could be doing. One recommendation was to get lots of potassium, so I will certainly do that. There were some great tips on accupressure points I should be working and other vitamin and supplements. But here is some information I was surprised at:
"Activities that are good for the back include swimming, cycling, walking, and rowing." Rowing? Really? I don't hardly think so.
Then it further states: "Avoid the following activities: Baseball, basketball, football. The quick responses needed for these sports involve sudden twisting and jumping motions." Imagine that. Jumping and twisting motions needed for basketball. What kind of idiots do they think are reading this?
"Bowling. Lifting a heavy weight while bending and twisting puts strain on the back." Does it now?
There were several others listed, one just as stupid as the next. And then we get to the last one.
"Weightlifting. This sport is potentially the most damaging because it places great strain on the lower portion of the spine and back." wtf???
Seriously? If you have purchased this book you are obviously interested in doing the best you can for your body. And if you are now reading the section on sciatica and back pain, what kind of a big dumb ass would you be if you were also indulging in light happy round of weightlifting? I guess you have to prepare for every eventuality when you offer advice.
This is exactly the kind of situation that makes me think about the dumbing-down of the human race. I will go and be grumpy now and look for some potassium, calcium and magnesium rich foods. But I guess I will have to cancel my exciting day of weightlifting, rowing and shooting some hoops. Darn.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)