So, Wednesday of this past week was the final day of the school year. And I can't tell you how excited I am for August to be here. Now don't misunderstand, I love my little rabble-rousers. I mean, who else can I teach to rouse rabbles with the best of them, but I am already in need of a break. Somewhere without sun but with peace and quiet. Why no sun you ask? I will only say that the sun and I have a long standing agreement not to interfere with each others daily activities unless is it absolutely necessary. And that is all I'm going to say about that.
One of the popular outings for families such as mine is to take trips to the water (ocean, lake, river, what have you) but that usually involves voluntary exposure to sunlight, so I usually pass on that. That's not to say it won't happen, but those trips will be few and far between. Another option would be to visit family. But that would involve contact with family. With the exception of a few cousins and a very few awesome aunts, I don't want to see any of them any time soon.
Of course, what seems to be the popular thing to do is to send them to every Vacation Bible School imaginable. A lot of parents seem to do this. Good for them I say, but it's not for me. I have no objections of them going to church, don't get me wrong. But I would rather it not be forced upon them like it is so many others. Just my thoughts anyway.
Well, I shall be thinking about ways to keep us entertained and perhaps living until August. That's the goal anyway. If you have any ideas, please share. I am more than willing to hear them.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Hoping the past isn't out of reach
Hello peeps.
There is a convergence of events happening tonight that makes me want to write about what i miss the most: those random moments in life that make the past memorable. You know those moments I speak of. When out of nowhere someone says something random that you just run with and make lifelong references too that no one else seems to understand. On a trip with friends and see something that shall forever be referenced. Those are the moments that stay with us for ever, and I shall share some of them with you now. Hopefully the details aren't too muddled, but I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm too far off the mark.
A little background. I grew up, for the most part, in a small town called Lucedale, Mississippi. It is a small town in George County, about an hour away from anywhere fun. There were no movie theaters, malls or clubs or like. We were a dry county for goodness sakes. That didn't mean we didn't drink, we just had to drive farther for it. But with all this we had to make our own fun. And we got the right mix of people together, fun was had by all. Most of this fun didn't actually happen in Lucedale, but the crew was all home grown.
The biggest club outside of school for youth was of course the church. My church, First Baptist, was divided into two distinct groups: the haves and have nots. These groups weren't all exclusive, but a clear line was drawn. Not to say there was a turf war or the like, but if you didn't know what group you were part of going in, you were soon notified.
For the sake of brevity, i shall limit my story telling to the adventures of the First Baptist Church Youth Choir. There are many more, but these are the most striking as we were able to create the most fun. Those were magical times, and I wouldn't change anything for them.
The best of these involves a musical we were doing called Truthslayers. We prepared months to put on this performance, practicing till we no longer needed our sheet music or a bit of our sanity. My part in the play was the sheriff. I had to arrest of the boys for reasons i no longer remember, but found humorous during the event. I guess i was way into character when i slammed the guilty party into a wall leaving the stage (my apologies John Russel), something that almost broke the seriousness of the play. But we were professionals and had a good laugh about it later. But i digress.
The real fun happened when we went on tour. Yes, you read me right, tour. We went to several different churches performing our art, and made the long bus rides fun with our rowdy and rambunctiousness. I had, during this time period, decided to make a movie about my life up this point with the word waterboy in the title. So, for what seemed to be an eternity, the whole bus was helping me come up with prospective titles for this piece of cinematic history. But Adam Sandler came long and took my title from me. Thank you Adam, for crushing my dreams. However, thanks to love and support of my bus-mates we now have titles such as "Waterboy Jones and the Field House of Doom" "Gone with the Waterboy" and "The Waterboy Strikes Back." To this day I harbor a severe hatred of Mobile, Alabama but think fondly of the one trip when the haves and have nots got together for a common cause other than choir.
There are many more adventures of this group, especially the small group of us have nots that banded together and made this the best time of our teenage years. And you read this, please feel free to add more details. I'm sure I have left something out that is relevent (happens when we get up there, you know).
More stories to come. So stay tuned.
Love you mean it
There is a convergence of events happening tonight that makes me want to write about what i miss the most: those random moments in life that make the past memorable. You know those moments I speak of. When out of nowhere someone says something random that you just run with and make lifelong references too that no one else seems to understand. On a trip with friends and see something that shall forever be referenced. Those are the moments that stay with us for ever, and I shall share some of them with you now. Hopefully the details aren't too muddled, but I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm too far off the mark.
A little background. I grew up, for the most part, in a small town called Lucedale, Mississippi. It is a small town in George County, about an hour away from anywhere fun. There were no movie theaters, malls or clubs or like. We were a dry county for goodness sakes. That didn't mean we didn't drink, we just had to drive farther for it. But with all this we had to make our own fun. And we got the right mix of people together, fun was had by all. Most of this fun didn't actually happen in Lucedale, but the crew was all home grown.
The biggest club outside of school for youth was of course the church. My church, First Baptist, was divided into two distinct groups: the haves and have nots. These groups weren't all exclusive, but a clear line was drawn. Not to say there was a turf war or the like, but if you didn't know what group you were part of going in, you were soon notified.
For the sake of brevity, i shall limit my story telling to the adventures of the First Baptist Church Youth Choir. There are many more, but these are the most striking as we were able to create the most fun. Those were magical times, and I wouldn't change anything for them.
The best of these involves a musical we were doing called Truthslayers. We prepared months to put on this performance, practicing till we no longer needed our sheet music or a bit of our sanity. My part in the play was the sheriff. I had to arrest of the boys for reasons i no longer remember, but found humorous during the event. I guess i was way into character when i slammed the guilty party into a wall leaving the stage (my apologies John Russel), something that almost broke the seriousness of the play. But we were professionals and had a good laugh about it later. But i digress.
The real fun happened when we went on tour. Yes, you read me right, tour. We went to several different churches performing our art, and made the long bus rides fun with our rowdy and rambunctiousness. I had, during this time period, decided to make a movie about my life up this point with the word waterboy in the title. So, for what seemed to be an eternity, the whole bus was helping me come up with prospective titles for this piece of cinematic history. But Adam Sandler came long and took my title from me. Thank you Adam, for crushing my dreams. However, thanks to love and support of my bus-mates we now have titles such as "Waterboy Jones and the Field House of Doom" "Gone with the Waterboy" and "The Waterboy Strikes Back." To this day I harbor a severe hatred of Mobile, Alabama but think fondly of the one trip when the haves and have nots got together for a common cause other than choir.
There are many more adventures of this group, especially the small group of us have nots that banded together and made this the best time of our teenage years. And you read this, please feel free to add more details. I'm sure I have left something out that is relevent (happens when we get up there, you know).
More stories to come. So stay tuned.
Love you mean it
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Peeing on cats (and other things you don't intend to do to small furry creatures that share your living space)
So here it is folks, I'm going to talk about peeing on cats. You see, many many years ago before i had kids i had a kitten. Her name was Jaxx. She was a stray found on the side of the road near my house and given to me by my neighbors. She little, wet and shivering. And covered in fleas. I bathed her, dried her, and loved her. Over the next few days I noticed that she was hacking up and lot. Not normal cat hacking mind you. No hair-balls here. But the painful kind that could make a hardened man tear up. I finally took her to vet after seeing this a few times to see what was wrong. My heart almost jumped out of my chest.
It would seem before she came in to my life she had a rough life of her own. Apparently she was hit by some sort of vehicle before and it jumbled her insides up. Her major organs were not where they were supposed to be and if immediate action wasn't taken it was only a matter of time. For those of you who don't know me so well I seem to have a harden exterior. For those who know me very well, the opposite is quite true. When the vet told me this I was devastated. This kitten, whom I had only known for a week or so needed my help and I didn't know if I could give it. The original cost of the procedure would have been close to $600, money I didn't have lying around. But after looking in my eyes and the eyes of that precious kitten, she said she could do it for about half. On top of that, my neighbor said she would go in half with me.
After a few days had come and gone the surgery was a success and she could come home. We picked her up and took her home and immediately began spoiling her. She wasn't supposed to make it this long, but she did. I was so thankful.
Over the next few weeks she began to grow and get more and more playful. She also got more erratic. Now, I haven't had a lot of experience with cats, but she acted like no cat i have ever seen. And not act like a dog, or pretend she was human. None of that. She was just getting weird. Jaxx would get a running start and headbutt my dishwasher. I would walk down the hall and she would be wrapped up in the beaded curtain swiping at the air. These are things i known no cat to do.
Now, when men live alone and must use the restroom, more often than not they don't close the door. This is for many reasons that I won't go into here, but needless to say, I often didn't. When I lived with roommates, the door would stay closed. When they left, it stayed open. Simple as that. Jaxx, being the curious cat that she is, would often peek in to see what her minion was doing. Usually not an issue till the one time she jumped on the toilet and got herself covered in what I was doing.
Not knowing what to do, and knowing that I couldn't just stop mid-stream, she just stood there. She didn't seem angry, or happy for that matter. She was just confused. So was I. All i could do was finish up, snatch her up and take her to the sink for a detailed cleaning. For this, she was severely displeased. She cried and clawed more than usual. I'm pretty sure we screamed at each other for a while, as an over-protective father does to a pre-teen daughter. Good times were had by all.
Sadly, after only a few months, I had to give her up. The landlords don't allow pets, and really hate cats. So I gave her to someone who would take care of her. I miss her dearly, and hope she hasn't changed a bit.
It would seem before she came in to my life she had a rough life of her own. Apparently she was hit by some sort of vehicle before and it jumbled her insides up. Her major organs were not where they were supposed to be and if immediate action wasn't taken it was only a matter of time. For those of you who don't know me so well I seem to have a harden exterior. For those who know me very well, the opposite is quite true. When the vet told me this I was devastated. This kitten, whom I had only known for a week or so needed my help and I didn't know if I could give it. The original cost of the procedure would have been close to $600, money I didn't have lying around. But after looking in my eyes and the eyes of that precious kitten, she said she could do it for about half. On top of that, my neighbor said she would go in half with me.
After a few days had come and gone the surgery was a success and she could come home. We picked her up and took her home and immediately began spoiling her. She wasn't supposed to make it this long, but she did. I was so thankful.
Over the next few weeks she began to grow and get more and more playful. She also got more erratic. Now, I haven't had a lot of experience with cats, but she acted like no cat i have ever seen. And not act like a dog, or pretend she was human. None of that. She was just getting weird. Jaxx would get a running start and headbutt my dishwasher. I would walk down the hall and she would be wrapped up in the beaded curtain swiping at the air. These are things i known no cat to do.
Now, when men live alone and must use the restroom, more often than not they don't close the door. This is for many reasons that I won't go into here, but needless to say, I often didn't. When I lived with roommates, the door would stay closed. When they left, it stayed open. Simple as that. Jaxx, being the curious cat that she is, would often peek in to see what her minion was doing. Usually not an issue till the one time she jumped on the toilet and got herself covered in what I was doing.
Not knowing what to do, and knowing that I couldn't just stop mid-stream, she just stood there. She didn't seem angry, or happy for that matter. She was just confused. So was I. All i could do was finish up, snatch her up and take her to the sink for a detailed cleaning. For this, she was severely displeased. She cried and clawed more than usual. I'm pretty sure we screamed at each other for a while, as an over-protective father does to a pre-teen daughter. Good times were had by all.
Sadly, after only a few months, I had to give her up. The landlords don't allow pets, and really hate cats. So I gave her to someone who would take care of her. I miss her dearly, and hope she hasn't changed a bit.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
If you are fat and you are happy, clap your hands
Hi gang,
I was planning to use time to tell you a story about peeing on cats, but I'm pushing that aside to discuss an article that was sent to me. The person that sent it to me i like to thing of as my one of my living angels. We have been friends for many years now (well into the double digits, as old as that makes me feel) and I have loved every minute of it. Thank you love, for being the person you are. Talking to you makes my day brighter and I can't thank you enough for being one of my dearest friends.
Now, as many of you know I love (some would say obsessed) with the movie "Precious." Well, after reading the article written by Christoper Muther of the Boston Globe, I have more reasons to love the star. I have always liked Mo'Nique (who is also big and beautiful), and I hated her in this movie. Awards well done girl, well done. You earned it. But the star of the article is Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the title character Clarice "Precious" Jones. Gabby, as i will now call her for the sake of simplicity, is just bloody awesome. She also a woman of size, the whole point of the article in question (I will provide the link at the end of the post).
It would seem the CEO of the diet company Acai Supply offered Gabby a years supply of their diet pills (which has not been evaluated by the FDA). The CEO, who was unnamed in the article, went to write in a letter to Gabby “Obesity is a terrible affliction in the United States and we would like to help you rid yourself of this affliction. Life does not have to be this way.’’ I'll admit, being obese (or just overweight) is unhealthy, but who gave this guy the right to make that call for her. It's rather presumptuous of him to think that she is so unhappy with who she is that a year of pills will make her life better. Pills, I remind you, that the FDA doesn't regulate. That's another worrisome note.
In case you are wondering, I have visited the acai berry website in question, and it doesn't a piss poor job of answering anything. If you click on the about us link, it sends you to the top, which is about as informative as a stump. If you click the contact us link, it sends you to the form to order the free trial form. As a matter of fact, if you click on any link that doesn't involve ordering the product, it sends to the form to order the product. Doesn't instill a lot of confidence in the product, especially at the bottom in little writing the disclaimer that the FDA has not evaluated the snake oil they are trying to peddle. I think I'll pass.
Now, as most of you know, I am fat myself. It can be a problem. I often have trouble not only buying cloths that fit, but also look good. Shoes can be problematic if you can't find them wide enough. I have had to take two seats in an airplane before, aways fun in front of people. Thank goodness I didn't have to strip when the airport security took me to the side for a search. That would a tough shame to live down. And some of my friends are larger than usual (i didn't know of a tactful way to say it without insulting my loved ones, please forgive if this angers you) and I'm sure they have had similar problems at time. But you know what? It's my cross to bear. No one should tell me that they will give me pills because I'm fat. I've had the pills before, they made my heart race out of my chest and I'm sure that's not healthy. And some people are just going to be big no matter what they eat or how active they are. Concern is one thing, and is greatly appreciated if honest, but peddling wears just to make a quick buck and get your name out, is rude, arrogant and completely beyond shameful.
But the great thing about the whole situation, she turned them down. Good for you girl, I say. Be big, bold and beautiful. And you want to know something else? She is.
Let the fat be free and enjoy who you are. Only you can.
Thanks all
Here is the great article this stemmed from:
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/fashion/articles/2010/03/18/gabourey_sidibes_weight_makes_some_people_uncomfortable__but_not_her/
And if you are interested, here is the guilty (but rather useless) website:
http://acaisupply.com/
P.S. Unless something else pisses me off, I will post about peeing on cats.
I was planning to use time to tell you a story about peeing on cats, but I'm pushing that aside to discuss an article that was sent to me. The person that sent it to me i like to thing of as my one of my living angels. We have been friends for many years now (well into the double digits, as old as that makes me feel) and I have loved every minute of it. Thank you love, for being the person you are. Talking to you makes my day brighter and I can't thank you enough for being one of my dearest friends.
Now, as many of you know I love (some would say obsessed) with the movie "Precious." Well, after reading the article written by Christoper Muther of the Boston Globe, I have more reasons to love the star. I have always liked Mo'Nique (who is also big and beautiful), and I hated her in this movie. Awards well done girl, well done. You earned it. But the star of the article is Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the title character Clarice "Precious" Jones. Gabby, as i will now call her for the sake of simplicity, is just bloody awesome. She also a woman of size, the whole point of the article in question (I will provide the link at the end of the post).
It would seem the CEO of the diet company Acai Supply offered Gabby a years supply of their diet pills (which has not been evaluated by the FDA). The CEO, who was unnamed in the article, went to write in a letter to Gabby “Obesity is a terrible affliction in the United States and we would like to help you rid yourself of this affliction. Life does not have to be this way.’’ I'll admit, being obese (or just overweight) is unhealthy, but who gave this guy the right to make that call for her. It's rather presumptuous of him to think that she is so unhappy with who she is that a year of pills will make her life better. Pills, I remind you, that the FDA doesn't regulate. That's another worrisome note.
In case you are wondering, I have visited the acai berry website in question, and it doesn't a piss poor job of answering anything. If you click on the about us link, it sends you to the top, which is about as informative as a stump. If you click the contact us link, it sends you to the form to order the free trial form. As a matter of fact, if you click on any link that doesn't involve ordering the product, it sends to the form to order the product. Doesn't instill a lot of confidence in the product, especially at the bottom in little writing the disclaimer that the FDA has not evaluated the snake oil they are trying to peddle. I think I'll pass.
Now, as most of you know, I am fat myself. It can be a problem. I often have trouble not only buying cloths that fit, but also look good. Shoes can be problematic if you can't find them wide enough. I have had to take two seats in an airplane before, aways fun in front of people. Thank goodness I didn't have to strip when the airport security took me to the side for a search. That would a tough shame to live down. And some of my friends are larger than usual (i didn't know of a tactful way to say it without insulting my loved ones, please forgive if this angers you) and I'm sure they have had similar problems at time. But you know what? It's my cross to bear. No one should tell me that they will give me pills because I'm fat. I've had the pills before, they made my heart race out of my chest and I'm sure that's not healthy. And some people are just going to be big no matter what they eat or how active they are. Concern is one thing, and is greatly appreciated if honest, but peddling wears just to make a quick buck and get your name out, is rude, arrogant and completely beyond shameful.
But the great thing about the whole situation, she turned them down. Good for you girl, I say. Be big, bold and beautiful. And you want to know something else? She is.
Let the fat be free and enjoy who you are. Only you can.
Thanks all
Here is the great article this stemmed from:
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/fashion/articles/2010/03/18/gabourey_sidibes_weight_makes_some_people_uncomfortable__but_not_her/
And if you are interested, here is the guilty (but rather useless) website:
http://acaisupply.com/
P.S. Unless something else pisses me off, I will post about peeing on cats.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Oh, The Fighting
With raising three boys, and two of them in their early teens, fighting is common place. It is so common place, in fact, that silence is worrisome. It is not however, unwelcome. But I digress.
What gets me most about the fighting is that is usually over nothing at all. I had forgotten how stupid teens can be, and I say that lovingly. I was stupid when I was growing up. Parts of me are still stupid. Being a teenager means that your hormones are so out of control you don't know whether to sit down or scream at everyone for everything they ever did. It's stupid, petty and obnoxious and I can't wait till they are 30 so they can realize it too. Although by the time the oldest is 30 I'll be in my 40's and will hopefully have them all out of my damn house.
I have tried to convey to them, on many occasions, how stupid their fights are (always in the most tactful screaming voice), but it falls on deaf ears. Am I shocked? NO. Am I saddened? Yes, and I die a little each time when they tell me they understand. I know it is futile, but I have hope. It lies in the deep, dark crevice that used to be my soul.
What gets me most about the fighting is that is usually over nothing at all. I had forgotten how stupid teens can be, and I say that lovingly. I was stupid when I was growing up. Parts of me are still stupid. Being a teenager means that your hormones are so out of control you don't know whether to sit down or scream at everyone for everything they ever did. It's stupid, petty and obnoxious and I can't wait till they are 30 so they can realize it too. Although by the time the oldest is 30 I'll be in my 40's and will hopefully have them all out of my damn house.
I have tried to convey to them, on many occasions, how stupid their fights are (always in the most tactful screaming voice), but it falls on deaf ears. Am I shocked? NO. Am I saddened? Yes, and I die a little each time when they tell me they understand. I know it is futile, but I have hope. It lies in the deep, dark crevice that used to be my soul.
Monday, March 15, 2010
A song
So, I was looking over the last post and thinking what i should have added, edited, deleted and spat at when a song came to my head. You will laugh, but this is a song from the movie Hairspray. It is sung beautifully by Queen Latifah (Dana Owens if you will) and pops into my head with alarming frequency. Because i'm not savvy enough with the technology to post a video or song on here I will do the old fashion copy and paste. I'm sure you can find it on the youtube, but this will be a great start.
Artist: Hairspray the Musical
Album: Musical/Ost
Title: I Know Where I've Been
Artist: Hairspray the Musical
Album: Musical/Ost
Title: I Know Where I've Been
MOTORMOUTH
There's a light
In the darkness
Though the night
Is black as my skin
There's a light
Burning bright
Showing me the way
But i know where i've been
There's a cry
In the distance
It's a voice
That comes from deep within
There's a cry
Asking why
I pray the answer's up ahead
'Cause i know where i've been
There's a road
We've been travelin'
Lost so many on the way
But the riches
Will be plenty
Worth the price we
Had to pay
There's a dream
In the future
There's a struggle
We have yet to win
And there's pride
In my heart
'Cause i know
Where i'm going
And i know where i've been
MOTORMOUTH & ENSEMBLE
There's a road
We must travel
There's a promise
We must make
'Cause the riches
Will be plenty
Worth the risk
And chances that we take
There's a dream
In the future
There's a struggle
We have yet to win
Use that pride
In our hearts
To lift us up
To tomorrow
'Cause just to sit still
Would be a sin
ENSEMBLE
I know it, i know it
I know where i'm going
MOTORMOUTH
And lord knows i know..
Where i've been
MOTORMOUTH & ENSEMBLE
Oh! When we win,
I'll give thanks to my god
'Cause i know where i've been
An Update: Two Years Later
So, many of you were disappointed to see that I haven't blogged in a long, long, long time. So I guess now is the time for a few updates. There aren't that many, but I can get long winded if I like what I'm reading. Skip what you must, I understand. I do the same for you. For sanity sake, I'll list them first, then go into detail. It's easier for me if I do it that way, so I don't get lost. Here it goes.
1) Losing a parent can be the hardest thing to deal with when you deal with too much
2) Raising kids is still a challenge.
3) iPhones are awesome.
4) People, for the most part, still suck.
5) Getting older also sucks.
6) Precious is one of the best movies ever.
1) Losing a parent can be the hardest thing to deal with when you deal with too much
2) Raising kids is still a challenge.
3) iPhones are awesome.
4) People, for the most part, still suck.
5) Getting older also sucks.
6) Precious is one of the best movies ever.
1) A little over a month after my last post my father passed away at the young age of 59. I can't say it was entirely unexpected, as his health had been deteriorating for years, but it was a shock nonetheless. I'm not entirely sure it has entirely sunk in yet, but one never knows these things. Over the few days and weeks after his death I learned one huge lesson which I had neglected to pay attention too for years: I have a huge, wonderful support network of people who care more about me than I ever knew. Many people whom I haven't spoken too in months and years reached out to me with their condolences and to say they were thinking about me. Co-workers sent emails and messages sharing their stories of loss and living with it. My best friends let me talk and talk and talk or just hugged me as I cried in disbelief and sorrow. The ones who showed up at the wake I am especially grateful for, because they saw me at my most vulnerable and helped me smile in the saddest of times. Thank you friends, you know who you are.
As I was dealing with my grief, one of my dearest friends, who had his own loss not long before mine, told me something I will never forget. We live in a fix-it society, but we can't fix death. I really can't go into more detail than that because that statement is meant to sit differently with everyone, at least in my opinion. No one grieves the same, and it's not something we can share intimately, just understandably. That may be a bit confusing to understand, but think on it.
2) This kind of ties into above, but I shall branch out more with this one. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do besides planning a funeral was to tell others about it. Making those calls are never easy, but harder still is telling children. When I came home that night to let them know that Paw Paw was gone, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest and I would never see without blurs again. Being strong for adults is one thing, but it's heart-wrenching when you have to be strong for your own children. Trying to stifle my own tears so they can shed theirs is more work than your nerves should be able to handle. But we do it. We do it with honor. We reassure then everything will be OK, never really knowing if it will or not. Then we put them to bed and cry our eyes out because we had to break their hearts. Parenting is never easy, especially when they aren't yours to begin with. But when they become yours, the hard work and elevated stress levels are the best thing to happen to you.
3) I love my iPhone. Unlike most things that the masses rave about (Twilight Saga, diets, shoes etc) this lived up to the hype. Not that it is 100% effective in everything, it does make life a little easier. At last count I have downloaded and tried over 100 apps, deleting most and keeping the best. I now have a flashlight, a level, an iPod, the periodic table, a light saber and bubble wrap ready to go with me wherever I go. I can easily check email, twitter, facebook, IMDB, and news anywhere I go. It is the best phone I have ever had, and that's all I'm going to say about that.
4) People still suck. I now have more road rage than I need and less tolerance for people not in vehicles. Don't be stupid, it's unbecoming.
5) This past July I turned 30. It's a milestone year. The gray is bolder, the back is sorer and the senior discounts are getting close. Fortunately, most of my friends are right there with me, or will be soon. As for you young folks, sit down and shut up. I can barely hear the TV as it is.
6) As many of you know, I'm a fairly big movie buff. I have more movie knowledge that will get me nowhere in life than I know what to do with. With that being said, Precious is the best movie ever made. It made me tear up. Movies don't make me tear up. They make me laugh. OK, i teared up at Braveheart, but that was long ago.
What this young girl goes through will make anyone cry. Not only was it heartbreaking, but it also believable. Monique, who I always get a chuckle out of watching, made me hate her so much for her part in the horrible treatment of this girl. Oscar well earned. If it doesn't move you in some way, you are inhuman.
Well, it's 4 a.m. and I fear I'm getting incoherent. With proper poking and prodding I will update regularly, if it is your desire.
Love you all,
Jeremy
As I was dealing with my grief, one of my dearest friends, who had his own loss not long before mine, told me something I will never forget. We live in a fix-it society, but we can't fix death. I really can't go into more detail than that because that statement is meant to sit differently with everyone, at least in my opinion. No one grieves the same, and it's not something we can share intimately, just understandably. That may be a bit confusing to understand, but think on it.
2) This kind of ties into above, but I shall branch out more with this one. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do besides planning a funeral was to tell others about it. Making those calls are never easy, but harder still is telling children. When I came home that night to let them know that Paw Paw was gone, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest and I would never see without blurs again. Being strong for adults is one thing, but it's heart-wrenching when you have to be strong for your own children. Trying to stifle my own tears so they can shed theirs is more work than your nerves should be able to handle. But we do it. We do it with honor. We reassure then everything will be OK, never really knowing if it will or not. Then we put them to bed and cry our eyes out because we had to break their hearts. Parenting is never easy, especially when they aren't yours to begin with. But when they become yours, the hard work and elevated stress levels are the best thing to happen to you.
3) I love my iPhone. Unlike most things that the masses rave about (Twilight Saga, diets, shoes etc) this lived up to the hype. Not that it is 100% effective in everything, it does make life a little easier. At last count I have downloaded and tried over 100 apps, deleting most and keeping the best. I now have a flashlight, a level, an iPod, the periodic table, a light saber and bubble wrap ready to go with me wherever I go. I can easily check email, twitter, facebook, IMDB, and news anywhere I go. It is the best phone I have ever had, and that's all I'm going to say about that.
4) People still suck. I now have more road rage than I need and less tolerance for people not in vehicles. Don't be stupid, it's unbecoming.
5) This past July I turned 30. It's a milestone year. The gray is bolder, the back is sorer and the senior discounts are getting close. Fortunately, most of my friends are right there with me, or will be soon. As for you young folks, sit down and shut up. I can barely hear the TV as it is.
6) As many of you know, I'm a fairly big movie buff. I have more movie knowledge that will get me nowhere in life than I know what to do with. With that being said, Precious is the best movie ever made. It made me tear up. Movies don't make me tear up. They make me laugh. OK, i teared up at Braveheart, but that was long ago.
What this young girl goes through will make anyone cry. Not only was it heartbreaking, but it also believable. Monique, who I always get a chuckle out of watching, made me hate her so much for her part in the horrible treatment of this girl. Oscar well earned. If it doesn't move you in some way, you are inhuman.
Well, it's 4 a.m. and I fear I'm getting incoherent. With proper poking and prodding I will update regularly, if it is your desire.
Love you all,
Jeremy
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