Twenty-Five Random Things About Me

I was over at one of my favorite blogs The Melindaville Blog and I just got a kick out of her “Twenty-Five Random Things About Melindaville” that I wanted to do one too! I could relate to so many things she had on her list…so here’s mine:

1. When I was only 2 1/2 years old I ran away from home. I remember it very clearly. I was wearing a diaper, had shoes on already, and I was wearing a turtle neck shirt. That’s all. Anyway, I wanted to find my dad who I loved but no longer lived with me. (My parents divorced when I was about two years old). SO, do you remember way back in the day those zipper up round hat boxes with the single handle? Well, I unzipped it, stuck my teddy bear in there, a couple of diapers and other things I loved, and walked out the door, wearing only a diaper, shirt and shoes. I walked and walked and actually got onto the freeway (in Long Beach California!) and just kept walking. I was picked up by a woman and taken to the police station. I could have been kidnapped! I’m so glad she turned me in.
2. My mother was and still is till this day a heroin addict and prostitute.
3. I very rarely went to school before the age of 9, and then my dad won custody of my sister and I.
4. I am dyslexic
5. When I was 11 I refused to hold my dad’s hand or hug him in public because I feared others would think he was my boyfriend.
6. I once had a dream that I was in heaven talking with God, walking in a gorgeous garden, and all the sudden I saw myself sleeping as I hovered above and realized I wasn’t in my body. I was 13 at the time.
7. When I was six I stole money from my mother to get my ears pierced. I can’t believe they did it without a parent’s permission.
8. I read out loud semi-confidently when I was 25 years old.
9. I absolutely adore a plump, ripe, fresh fig.
10. I have a phone phobia (except with my kids and husband), and I always make the kids answer any calls.
11. I’m a documentary and movie whore….I will do anything for a good flick!
12. I’m a horrible speller.
13. I used to attempt to go to school from K-3rd grade, but would always get sent home either for having no shoes on, or lice in my hair. I exacted my revenge for not letting me participate by heading into the girls bathroom and making wet paper towel bubbles, filling them with soap and smacking them onto the ceiling of the bathroom.
14. When I was five, I stole a whole collection of barbies from a neighbor, because I was pissed off that her mother actually bought them for her AND played with her.
15. My mom taught me the fine art of switching price tags in a store, and I was well on my way to becoming a refined grifter if my dad never rescued me.
16. I always wanted to be a doctor and research scientist so I could come up with a way to hydrate and give proper nourishment to those who are suffering with malnutrition in other countries. Bloated bellies and shoving porridge down a persons throat doesn’t provide what they truly need to thrive.
17. Horses love me. I don’t know why, but they just usually come to me and start licking me and smelling me. Unfortunately I’m allergic to horses, but I just can’t stay away!
18. I get really distracted by people who blink too much.
19. I hate the sound of mixing tuna and mayonnaise
20. I love NPR news but I can’t stand Carl Kasell’s spit sounds when he talks.
21. Crickets find me fascinating. I don’t know why, but when I feel like I’m being watched, all I have to do is look down and there is a cricket looking up at me. They aren’t even afraid when I come near them. Mice do the same thing…I never understood the attraction.
22. I have a love affair with the rain. I love everything about a rainy day…the smell, the wind, the gray skies. There is something so special about how it falls and nourishes everything around us. It figures that I would move to the one place that has 300 days of no rain.
23. I am always fascinated by the uniqueness of people.
24. I don’t like to eat food off of a plate that isn’t white.
25. After my dad won custody of my sister and I, and we lived with him, it took a while to wipe the criminal out of my blood; while in plain clothing one day at the age of 10, I got a coffee can and solicited all the neighbors on the block for money for girl scouts. I have never been a girl scout. I thought it was a good idea at the time, and I collected quite a bit of money. My dad found out and literally kicked my butt all the way home after making me go to each house and return the money and apologize. That set me on the straight and narrow from then to this day.

Well, that’s my list. I just couldn’t resist.

Bald Beauty of the Day

Am I the Only One Confused About Politics?

Am I the only one that is confused about politics? Just when I thought I had seen it all, out comes Bobby Jindal, the Republican governor from Louisiana speaking to the American people as though we were all four years old. Granted, it was late…but come on! Could that little bedtime story be anymore condescending? As I sat there trying to comprehend what he was saying and put some sort sense to his “tall tale,” I couldn’t help but wonder if he was hypnotized by one of his fellow Republicans. He looked like a zombie, yet that wouldn’t be too far from the truth would it? It seems to me like Republicans are the walking dead these days. Oh, and there was something that struck me about his bedtime story speech that I just can’t get out of my head. He said something that I have heard before from other Republicans- “We haven’t even had a chance to read the bill.” OK, maybe I’m a little bit slow, but that bill has been available for them to read! It’s available for EVERYONE to read! As a matter of fact, I quite enjoyed reading one little tiny section of the 680 page bill (which I’m sure has gotten bigger since the last time I read it)…here is what tickled me:

“Page 12 Sec. 1109. Prohibited Uses

None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool.”

Wow! Those are the prohibited uses for funds appropriated. What will we do now? Those aren’t the only things prohibited in the bill, but I had no idea that casinos, aquariums, the zoo, or swimming pools were such a big temptation for misuse of our tax dollars. I could see golf courses being a bone of contention to our represented officials and maybe this is the real reason that Republicans have become the party of “no.”

Well, it’s just a thought anyway. Now that’s not to say that Democrats don’t play golf or go to zoo or anything, but I think something has to be getting under all these Republican skins, and maybe Bobby Jindal was their test pilot for how powerful hypnosis can be in persuading the American tax payer to come over to their side. Other attempts had failed so maybe this is their last resort.

Beyond the speech Bobby gave, it seems to me that he and many others like him haven’t read the bill. Is this an admission of guilt? We all know how important doing something about the economy is, so what are we paying them for? Does this sound right to you? How can they argue about something they haven’t read through? And why would they inject false claims of spending that isn’t even in the bill that they haven’t even read?

I never understood how each party could toot their own horn about how they have the answers. Both are equally guilty of making sure our country is run straight into the ground. They both want to spend, spend, spend, and yet there is justification on both sides about why their spending ideas are better. Dems want spending on programs that can create jobs, give health care, and improve the safety of our roads…Reps want lots of tax cuts and decreased spending. But it’s not decreased spending…it’s the same damn thing. OK, so we get the tax cuts…for what? So that the tax payer can go out and SPEND IT. What’s the difference? To me, neither party has the magic solution. I certainly don’t have a magic solution, but if I did this is what I would do:

• Find 50 statewide banks that are fiscally responsible, treat their employees well, do not practice predatory lending and have a grasp on risk management when it comes to lending money. After finding this kind of establishment, I would cut flood those banks with money and cut off all the big banks and allow them to go into bankruptcy. Let them figure it out.
• Then I would restructure the tax code and bring it back to a flat tax. Everybody wins with this one.
• Then I would get rid of the IRS and the Federal Reserve. When was the last time this private corporation was investigated?
• Last but not least, I would put a new water filtration device in the Pentagon, White House, Capital and any other watering hole where paranoid public officials gamble with the lives of our troops and others abroad. There must be something in the water that makes them all paranoid, thinking that we are always in “grave danger”…or maybe they just believe everything that is on the TV. I’d stop the war and leave other governments to fight their own battles.

Well that’s what I would do. It’s a simple list, coming from a simple person. You know, the kind that needs to be spoken to like I am in the 1st grade.

Bald Beauty of the Day

Uncertainty Grips My Soul

I have been keeping busy over the last few days making changes to my blog, tending to family needs, and feeling crushed under weight of uncertainty. At times I feel as though I can not breathe, and I find my mind going blank as my soul screams out.

My husband dropped a bomb on me a few days ago and I have been filled with anger and disbelief; expressionless sorrow. He called to tell me that our landlady is going to sell the house that we just moved in to. What? How could this be? Before we signed the lease and moved in, we told her father (who has power of attorney on the property) that our intentions were to stay for a long time because we are not in a position to purchase a home. The house is in need of a lot of TLC, and we were prepared to do the work necessary to make it suitable for Simmi. About two weeks after we moved into the house, the landlady’s father had four massive strokes. He was our advocate, and the one who assured us that we would be able to live here for an extended period of time. Now he is fragile and weak, barely able to speak. He needs physical therapy for his hand skills as well. So what does all this have to do with the uncertainty that grips my soul? Well, the landlady wants to put the house on the market so she can purchase a house for her family. She needs the money from the sale of our home to make that possible. Where do we go now? We just moved in here! There is a part of me that completely understands that she needs to take care of her family, but there is another part of me that feels irrational and wants to make judgements. I want to sympathize with her dilemma, but I feel disappointed that she doesn’t understand what we have been through as a family. To be completely honest, I find it callous of her to call my husband, knowing full well our situation, and tell him that she is selling the house. Is there any compassion in this woman’s heart? We lost everything we owned and we are rebuilding our lives. I feel as though we are being kicked while we are down. My anger is palpable and always close to the surface, making me a walking time bomb for which I am ready to unleash the fury of my sharp tongue and irrational accusations. Her parents live right across the street from us, and yesterday her mom came over to ask if I had an item she could borrow to help her husband work on his hand skills. This is the sweetest and most adorable woman ever. I am really fond of her parents, but as her mother was walking over to my house, I felt this surge of fury well up inside of me. I tried to compose myself, but I know she could see in my eyes that something wasn’t right. I couldn’t even smile when she came to the door, and as she asked me for the item she wanted, I had a half cracked smile of disdain and just kept “um hmming” her. Then I let her know kindly that we didn’t have that particular object, but we used to before we lost everything.

I have all these thoughts that may not be far from the truth, and I hope they are totally wrong. My first thought after my husband broke the news to me was “We are being scammed!” If a landlord doesn’t have the money to make the necessary repairs to a rental they are paying a mortgage on, what is the best way to get it fixed up so you can get the damn thing off your hands by selling it? The answer is offer the renter a reduced rent and some money back each month for making the repairs. If she had no intention of selling right away, then we wouldn’t mind making those repairs. The investment for us is in the health and well being of our family. You can’t put a price tag on that, and there are things definitely more important than money! But why would I go ahead and settle my family into a home that we would have to move out of in six months? Does that make sense to anyone? It makes me rip roaring mad. It messes with the emotional well being of my family as well. It wasn’t enough for them to lose everything, and now we lose this too?

Are there other homes in my area that would be a good alternative to this house? Yes and no. There are homes in this area that are for rent that are WAY better than this house, but they have wall to wall carpeting. We can’t have carpeting because of Simmi’s skin problems. There are however certain types of area rugs that she doesn’t break out from. As I said earlier, we aren’t in a position to purchase a home, so how do we know we won’t be faced with the same situation with the next house we move in to? A friend of mine offered a suggestion to try and get an extended lease. I thought that was a great idea and in the back of my mind, at the same time I’m wondering what if the house were to go into foreclosure?

All of this is maddening at times. The uncertainty of what we should do next grips me and rips at me from the inside out. I need my children to feel secure and settled. Of course they are looking at this very differently…they see it as an opportunity to get the house of their dreams! They are not used to living in such a small house and they would love to see us get a bigger one that is new. Is that possible? Yes, but it comes at the cost of Simmi’s health.

Bald Beauty of the Day

Changes to My Blog

I asked for feedback on my blog and I got some really good suggestions (both public comments and private emails). John Savo recommended that I change the my comment name from “admin” to my name…done.

I added the “Bald Beauty of the Day” to the bottom of my posts, and I now have Comment Luv (which I love) and a “share” button to each post. So what’s on my list next? I don’t want to make too many changes to the blog, and I have grappled over making changes to the home page, but a suggestion that I got from two individuals got me really thinking.

Since the home page isn’t a “traditional” looking blog site, and I have truncating posts, it was suggested that I should think of going to a more “bloggy” type format. As much as I didn’t really like that idea, it made sense to me. With my homepage set the way it is now, it’s difficult to put things in the side bars without making everything look really crammed and “busy,” and I am looking into affiliate sponsors, which left me wondering where the hell I would put them? SO, in the next few days, there will be minor changes to the look of the home page. Basically it will look like this with the featured picture slide where it usually is. I have gone back and forth in my mind about it, so I guess I will wait to see what you all think about the change too.

OK…

On to other things.

I was surfing through Craigslist again for my daily chuckle and I actually thought this little beauty was just too interesting to pass up without writing about it.

So what is it? Well, for $150.00 you could own this “mid-century” beautiful state of the art all-in-one dazzling efficient stove! I thought this was so cool. You can cook, wash your dishes and refrigerate your left-overs all at the same time! How awesome is that? They say it actually works AND it is a whole hell of a lot cleaner than the house it’s dwelling in right now.

Anyway I thought it was blog worthy. Has anyone else ever seen anything like this? If I had a really small apartment, I would probably be a sucker and purchase it, although I would probably need a hazmat suit, a mask and goggles before entering that rat hole! I’d rescue this fine mid-century modern marvel…how about you?

Bald Beauty of the Day

My Husband Cyber Dissed Me!

I’m flustered! I’m aghast, perturbed and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Today, my incredibly sexy man calls me to say hi and see how my day is going and as we are talking, he says the funniest thing to me:

“One of my friends on Face Book loves your website.” At first, I thought “wow, how cool is that!” but then I couldn’t stop blinking and my mind went blank. Why, you may ask? Well, in that moment I realized my own husband dissed me on Face Book! I was silent for a second, and then for two, and he asked me what was wrong. I started grinning and said “What do you mean one of your friends on Face Book loves my website? How long have you been on Face Book?” He starts laughing and said that he told me all about how he signed up and found all his friends…UH, OH NO HE DIDN’T! OOOO! I told him that he said no such thing to me! He knows I’m on Face Book, so I asked him why he didn’t add me as a friend? Now he is laughing wildly, and me…I’m still grinning from ear to ear. I wanted to hear his defense.

Why didn’t he add me? So then I asked him this next question…”Did you add your mom to your friends list?” He paused for a moment and said “My mom is on Face Book?”  Oh, his brothers and ALL his friends from high school and college are on his list (even old girlfriends)…but not me or his mother? What’s up with that? Here is a screen shot after I went to Face Book to look him up:

Nervously he is still laughing and confessing that he has no idea how he could have let this slip by. I told him there was only one thing I could do about such a major slip…exact my revenge on him in my blog!

When I couldn’t hold my laugh in any longer, I let out the most sardonic laugh and he knew in that moment that I was actually going to write about this little “incident.” I razzed him for a while about it and he was relieved that I thought the whole thing was hilarious. I wanted him to stew for a bit, thinking that I was really upset about it, but he couldn’t see my face on the other end of the phone line! I couldn’t stop smiling. It was such an innocent mistake (or was it? hmm? LOL), but I wonder how many wives who’s husbands are away for long periods of time would look at it and wonder if he was trying to hook up with an old flame, or find a nice warm body in his area.

I trust him with all that is in me, and one thing that I know about relationships is that it is important for our mates to maintain good solid friendships. He actually has quite the social life out there in Maryland, going to concerts, hanging out with friends at the bar, meeting up with long time friends and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He was feeling guilty last week because I am all alone out here with no support system, friends or family. Then he asked if I had a problem with him going places and doing things with his friends, I said “Oh hell no, are you kidding me? Someone in this family has to go out and have some fun!”

I adore that man! YUM!

My Interview With Mr. Revell

My delightfully delicious blogging hero Bobby Revell asked me five very interesting questions. I had to really sit and ponder the interview questions because some of what I say may be true and the rest is a bunch of bullshit!

If you want to participate, read the instructions on the bottom of this funky article.

1. You are single in a night club dressed to kill and having fun, but not many guys around. Three equally handsome men ask you to dance: one with no eyes, one wearing a skin tight leopard patterned spandex jumpsuit, and one outwardly bisexual billionaire gothic emo. Which one do you say yes to and why? Would you possibly make out with him? More? Less?
That one is easy! The man in the leopard patterned spandex jumpsuit would be the one for me. Here are my reasons for choosing him over the man with no eyes and the outwardly bisexual billionaire gothic emo:

• How the hell is the man with no eyes supposed to find me? Is he supposed to “feel around?” Nope, not for me, just because he’s blind doesn’t mean he gets a free pass to feel me up to “see me”, I don’t care how handsome he is. I’m sure he’d be good in bed, but I have my sights set on a bigger fish to fry! (no pun intended)
• The outwardly bisexual billionaire gothic emo would have to keep on walking because, no matter how much money he had, would probably end up leaving the night club with his female partner after introducing him to the blind guy! My life is complicated as it is, I don’t need a crying emo banging on my door at 3:00am looking for JoJo! So I’ll pass on the goth…which leads me to the cream of the crop…
• The man in the tight leopard patterned spandex jumpsuit is the end all be all for me. I’d say yes to him, because any man that would show up in a tight spandex jumpsuit must either have a great sense of humor or a few loose screws! If he has a great sense of humor, he’s not going to take himself too seriously, and if he has a few loose screws he isn’t going to take other people too seriously…I win either way with that one! Would I make out with him? Most definitely…shit, I would probably even go back to his place just to see what he would dress me up as and what kind of toys he has to play with.

2. If you could fight one famous person–serious fist fight–who would it be and why It can be someone currently living or someone in history?

If I could have a serious fist fight with one famous person it would be Angelina Jolie! Why? Well, can you imagine the money for charity that would be made off of an event like that? People would order Pay Per View just to see if we get it on AFTER we beat the shit out of each other.

3. What advice would you give to your fifteen-year-old self if you could go back in time?

I wouldn’t go back and give my fifteen year old self any advice, but this is what I would say:

“Angela, you won’t always be introverted, withdrawn and keep to yourself. When you are older, you will find your voice, find the greatest love of your life, have a best friend (my soul sister) you would lay your life down for and you will realize what is really important in the grand scheme of things…your family and other people.”

Then after I tell my young self this, I will be busy trying to calm this 15 year old hyperventilating adolescent girl down, because she just realized that when she is 40 she will be a bald woman!

4. Make a little story out of this blurb I will give you. You may add to the beginning or the end, or both.

“The friendly technician, who was only moments ago making jokes with me to calm my nerves, was now rushing by me with a large envelope in his hands. He wouldn’t allow his eyes to meet mine on his way by. So yeah, I knew”

Ok, here’s mine:

Early on Monday morning as I was getting ready to interview for the job of a lifetime as the new “Dear Abby” my thoughts kept bringing me back to Saturday night when I left a night club called “The Feel Around” with this guy who asked me to dance. I think his name was Robert, or Bob or Bobby but I can’t for the life remember because I was dazzled by his tight leopard spandex jumpsuit. I don’t know what surprised me more about that night…his wacky personality or my reckless abandon! I’ll spare you the sorted details of what transpired, but needless to say, we took photos. Here he is after we left the night club Saturday night:

As I was thinking about how much fun we had that night, my attention was snatched for a moment by a technician that looked so familiar. I realized that this man was the blind guy from the night club! Even though I was sitting with about 50 other people also applying for the position as “Dear Abby,” I risked my place in line and approached him. Sure enough, it was him! He was a really funny guy and made me feel more at ease about my impending interview.

I was curious about how his night went after I introduced him to this horrid openly bisexual billionaire goth emo, and he told me that the two of them hit it off. I have to admit that I felt bad, but hey, I really liked his girlfriend JoJo and the blind dude was the perfect decoy to snatch her away from the pitiful emo. But I digress…

Finally it’s my turn, and they call my name. The secretary leads me to the boss’s office and to my surprise, guess who is sitting there waiting to interview me? Yup, you guessed it, the billionaire goth emo from Saturday night. My heart started racing and I could feel all the blood rush from my head. Why was I so nervous? Well, I never took JoJo back home and decided to keep her for myself! At that moment I knew there wasn’t a chance in hell that I would get hired. He tried to stay objective, but I could see he was just getting more angry as the interview went on. Here is a picture of the boss…we took this picture Saturday night after we whisked JoJo out the back door.

After the interview was over, I went back out into the waiting area because the ad said that they were hiring on the spot. I sat looking at all the eager applicants vying for the same position when I spotted the blind technician from across the room. Quickly, I rose up out of my seat like my ass was on fire, and rushed over to talk with him. But the friendly technician, who was only moments ago making jokes with me to calm my nerves, was now rushing by me with a large envelope in his hands. He wouldn’t allow his eyes to meet mine on his way by. So yeah, I knew I didn’t get the job.

5. If you were granted one magical wish, what would it be? Please explain.

If I were granted one magical wish, it would be that my grand daughter Simmi would be able to speak and properly express herself. Simmi has a speech disability as well as not being able to properly communicate non-verbally. Most of us go through life taking our ability to speak for granted. We can say yes when we want something and no if we don’t. For some it takes a life time to find their own voice, but what if you can’t even utter words properly, and when you shake your head “no” you really mean “yes?” The simplest of requests go unmet because you can not say you are thirsty or hungry or wet and cold. Your life is a series of misunderstandings to which you become so frustrated. Cognition is not the problem, but neurological signals that are crossed and all mixed up. Yeah, if I had one wish, it would be for her to open up that precious little mouth of hers and tell me what she needs and wants.

If you haven’t done this interview yet and would like to, follow these instructions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Bald Beauty of the Day

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

What is Delonas saying by conjuring up this cartoon? On one hand it looks like he is calling the President a monkey and the police- Republicans, but is that all? Or is he looking at this whole process and viewing the behavior of the Republicans as KKK lynch men? Is he saying something beyond our first assumption and appalled reaction? Maybe he is very clever here…or just an idiot trying to ramp up readership over at the New York Post.

Beyond the obvious racial implications, do you see anything else that he could be saying? If so, please enlighten me. I see something completely different than in this picture and I am wondering if others see the same thing. Think about it and tell me your thoughts.

Bald Beauty of the Day

I Think I’m Getting Pissed Off!

As the Octuplet mom continues to draw heated criticism, I find myself getting a little pissed off! I’m not pissed at her though, and maybe pissed off isn’t the right word. Perturbed, disturbed, peeved, ruffled, and annoyed may be more appropriate to what I’m feeling right now. Again, strangely it isn’t her that has my eyebrows furrowing, it’s the public outcry against her. I guess I’m now some what emotionally involved (sucked in). I feel upset that people can be so uncaring at a time when, regardless of why she knocked herself up, these little ones are going to need to be cared for. I’m disturbed because her publicist had to quit after she and her husband were receiving death threats for helping Nadya Suleman. Why would any one feel it necessary to threaten this mother’s life or the life of her publicist? Death threats? Oh, and I’m supposed to now believe that these people actually have a valid argument for their disdain of Nadya Suleman? How can anyone who would make death threats against her justify such behavior? Are these people serious? Do you think it’s right to be so outraged by another person’s actions that it warrants taking their life? That’s just plain fucked up! I’m sorry, but if you are reading this, and you made death threats against this woman, you are worse than she could ever be! We hear the insults about how she is unstable or needs psychiatric help, but people who make death threats aren’t unstable or need psychiatric help?

Is it really all about money? For those of you who are so messed up over this, do you give to charities?

Do you want to know what is interesting to me?…that when a hurricane or other major catastrophe strikes, people look all concerned, they flood the victims with gifts and/or money, willingly take them into their own homes without knowing a thing about the person they are helping. They blindly give of their good will and resources because another is in need. The person who’s house burns to the ground is shown compassion for their plight and the community rallies to help and to heal.  What was going on behind closed doors BEFORE that house burnt down? Do you go down to the local hospital to find out if all their children are legitimate first, and then they’ll be worthy of your money? Do you make sure they are married, have a good head on their shoulders, have plenty of savings in the bank and did every thing right in their life?

During Katrina we saw so many beautiful people volunteer, but I didn’t see any of them taking a psychological profile and weighing their options of whether to help a particular person or not. No, they reached in and gave a hand. The truth is that we don’t really know anyone, do we. Everyone is so afraid that they will be scammed out of their money, but if it was given out of the goodness of your heart, the law of reciprocity is at work regardless if you’ve been scammed or not. You may think that a natural disaster or a house burning down doesn’t compare to what Ms. Suleman did, but consider that people make choices everyday to live in areas of the country prone to massive fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons and tsunamis. Do you judge them based on the location of their home? They made a choice to live in an area prone to fires, putting their family at risk…do you help? Of course we help! How about tornado ally? Florida? I wonder what kind of life these people lived before catastrophe struck. Can you imagine if their life came under the microscope? “So and so didn’t pay their taxes for a few years, filed for bankruptcy, beats his kids and wife and has lots of parking tickets…na! We aren’t gonna help that family, let them stew because the father made bad choices.” How about the recent power outage due to the ice storm on the east coast? Would someone refuse to take another family in during an ice storm because they found out that the mother had her own enterprising meth lab in the basement of her hovel? Would you turn her kids away if you had a generator, warmth and food?

Is Nadya Suleman being used as a scape goat? Is she the next justifiable reason not to give to a person in need? I have been thinking about this for a few days now, wondering to myself why I feel so much empathy towards her, and the only thing that I could come up with is the fact that she is in need, just as my family is in need. Granted, our situations are very different, but the needs are just as great. I see how my children struggle after losing everything that was precious to them, and when our family receives help or donations, their eyes light up filled with surprise and they feel special and thought of.

I want my kids to understand the value of giving to others and when they grow up, to take this dark time in our lives and turn it into something beautiful for another family that may be in need. I never want them to forget what we have been through, or how it feels to have others that may not even know us, gift us in someway, because that leaves an impression upon them and can create a legacy of giving to the next generation. I never want that spark of hope to be extinguished from their hearts and minds. They understand the beauty and satisfaction that comes with giving from the heart, and they never cease to amaze me by the thoughtfulness of their actions towards others. I believe that all children should be allowed to witness the beauty and generosity of a loving community, even if the parent or parents do not lead by example. Should the Suleman children be any different?

Bald Beauty of the Day

Bald Fetishism

I wanted to address a topic that is rather heated in the lives of women who live as Alopecians; the bizarre world of bald fetishists. I have gone to a number of bald fetish sites to see what the fascination is with a bald woman and try to make sense of this odd sexual proclivity. Women shave their heads for a variety of reasons, but as I am discovering, it is about power for a woman. And for every “powerful clean shaven woman” there is an awestruck willing man erect and waiting to be subdued. I wanted to look objectively at this group of participants, because I believe women are just as much apart of the bald fetish world as men are. I wanted to understand exactly what the big “turn on” was and why this particular fetish makes men go nuts and blow their load.

The picture on the left shows two women involved in fantasy roles, one as a dominate and the other as a submissive. For the sake of staying on the conservative side, I am not showing the rest of the picture. The woman being shaved not only has a clothes pin on her tongue, but she is topless with clothes pins pinched to her breasts as well, and from the waist down she is wearing a plaid Catholic school uniform skirt, white knee high socks and shoes. For me, it’s hard to see what the great appeal in this is, or even how it can be a turn on. And then it dawned on me; how long has sex in general been looked at as bad, wrong, sinful, immoral, disgusting, perverted and base? What were you told growing up about sex? How about sex before marriage? Could fetishism just be some deep psychological rebellion against what their parents expressed as acceptable and “right?”  Or is it the acting out of parental hangups about sex, beauty, love and life? As I view this first picture on the left I see a few things at work. I see a woman with a clothes pin pinched on her pieced tongue. Is there something she isn’t supposed to talk about? Her head is being shaved; was vanity and beautiful hair ever an contentious issue in this persons life? This is supposed to be exciting? A turn on? Well, when you were young, did you ever have sex in the house while your parents were home? Did you find it exciting to do something you weren’t supposed to do? Was it a turn on to almost get caught?

Since a bald woman isn’t a regular part of what is “acceptable” in the mainstream media or society, I think this adds to the appeal with fetishists. But what is a fetishist anyway? I believe that a fetishist of any kind needs that object or body part to get off sexually. The list of fetishes are extensive! Smelly feet, defecation, animals, hands, hair color, latex rubber outfits, S&M, size and shape of a woman or man, piercings, tattoos, fantasy incest, angry clown sex, objects…you name it and it has probably already been an active part of someone’s sexual life.

It can be a totally selfish and self serving sexual behavior that cares nothing for the other person. But for every self-serving fetishist, there is an equally self-serving partner…so I think they are kind of made for each other, don’t you? There are women that shave their heads because it’s a turn on to them and they know there is an audience for their brand of sexuality. Does that make it wrong? As objectionable and disgusting, immoral and base as you may feel it is, it’s how these people choose to live their lives and express themselves sexually.

I wonder what will happen if more women decide to make it acceptable to be bald in public and in society. Will it be as much of a turn on to the fetishist? I must clarify something though…I don’t believe if a man feels a bald woman is beautiful, it automatically makes him a bald fetishist. There is beauty to the female form, and when her hair is gone it allows the face, bone structure, eyes, nose, lips and smile to be seen clearly. Hair is no longer a distraction. Some men are actually surprised that they find a bald woman attractive. I would hate for them to feel shame in some way because they find bald women beautiful or sexy.

I have spoken to many women who are bald not by choice but because they are Alopecians. These are women who have lost their hair and now feel preyed upon by bald fetishists. They feel objectified by a fetishist’s advances, and rightly so! These are women who are NOT a part of the bald fetish fringe group and do not wish to be exploited or used to fulfill some strange sexual fantasy of a man who can’t seem to get it up without the assistance of looking at a bald woman. This of course adds to the excitement for the bald fetishist because “they’re advances and compliments aren’t welcome” by the Alopecian woman and this in turn adds to the appeal.

I have had a very good experience being an Alopecian woman, and while there have been some fetishists that have contacted me online, for the most part they have been far and few between. I don’t feel every man that thinks I’m sexy or beautiful is under suspicion of being a fetishist. I accept the compliment and allow my beauty to be acknowledged.

If you are a bald fetishist (male or female or both), leave a comment and let me know what the appeal is for you.

If you are an Alopecian what are your feelings about bald fetishists?

If you are neither but have a ready opinion…tell me what you think!

Bald Beauty of the Day

Two Months in the Land of Enchantment

We have been living in the “Land of Enchantment” for two months now, and I’m ready to venture out into the wilderness. Living in Rio Rancho has allowed me to acclimate to the landscape and it has also afforded me the opportunity to get lost in the wilderness last Saturday.

I have always stayed on major roads, but for some reason I was a little adventurous, and throwing caution to the wind, I thought I would be able to make it back home fairly quickly. I dropped Shoshie off at the library to finish up a project that she had to do for school, and because it was just a ten minute drive, I didn’t bother to pack a diaper bag or supplies. What was supposed to be just a twenty minute drive all together, turned into an hour and ten minute odyssey adventure into the one place I feared to tread. I traveled down a major road and instead of making a left as usual to get home, I reasoned to myself that since the road ran parallel to the one I usually take, I could just drive a bit further and make a left, finding a quicker way to reach my house and bypassing all the traffic of town. Simmi is in her seat, happy as a clam with her pink sunglasses on, jabbering away to music playing on the radio and I am wondering why as I drive, all the sudden the paved road turns to DIRT! We are now traveling on a bumpy dirt road and Simmi’s squeals and laughter from the back seat are making me crack up laughing. The dirt road is graded roughly so every bump can be felt and Simmi thinks she is on some sort of magic ride. She just continues to laugh and laugh, and I join in until I realize that there is no homes, no street signs and no one around for miles! My laughter turns to the sober reality that this isn’t a magic ride and it has the potential to be the ride from hell! Remember I had no diaper bag, no supplies, formula or bottle with me. At that moment I check my cell phone…SHIT! No signal either. Part of me was in a little bit of a panic hoping that the rough terrain I was now on wouldn’t cause a flat tire and strand me out in the middle of the desert. The directional I have in my truck said I was going west and at some point I would need to make a left and travel south for a while. But what road do I take? There were lots of other dirt roads out there but those roads looked so small and treacherous. I decided to just stay on the major dirt road I was on and it felt like I was traveling forever. Then the novelty of the bumpies wore off and that precious little thing in the back seat started to whine. Now I’m even more freaked out, hoping she isn’t going to have a full blown scream fest since it was her nap time and no bottle was available for her. Finally I see a large dirt road and I decide to make a left and travel down that one for what seemed like an eternity. Looking around at the landscape and the location of the Sandia Mountains, I knew that I couldn’t be too far from my intended destination. Sure enough I make another left and now I am sure that I will be ok. Simmi takes a whack at singing and notices that her voice reverberates as she sings. Amused by her new found ability to manipulate the tones of her shaking voice, she giggles and with eyes rolling, she is lulling herself to sleep. Then all the sudden I see the road and realize that we are gonna make it! Five minutes after hitting the paved road we came upon our street…AH! I was so relieved that we made it out of there without breaking down or having a melt down.

The adventure really forced me out of my comfort zone and into a place that is truly Enchanted. Although I was worried about breaking down and also about Simmi having a melt down, I was able to glimpse the beauty of soft hills, evergreens and the wide open sky. It was eerie being out in the middle of nowhere knowing that there was a possibility that we could get stranded. It made my adrenaline rush and my heart race. I kind of liked it! I saw some wildlife out there as well; a road runner and a coyote…GO FIGURE!

Over all, things are going well. The children are adjusting to school and have made friends and Simmi is just her cute adorable self. I am healthy but somewhat depressed without Dom here. We had hoped to have a nice little chunk of money from our tax returns to finish up what needs to be repaired in the house, but we will just break even. My plans for finishing the painting, the floors and other things that need to be redone will now have to wait. That is depressing too! I want to finish the kids rooms and restore to them the things I promised, and now it is going to take that much longer. They are truly fantastic children and even though they don’t like that they have very little in their rooms (not even curtains yet!) they are being very patient. I am such a visual person, and I find that I get depressed having to live in a place that can not even be finished the way that will make this house a home. I know that in time we will accomplish our tasks and fill this home with art, furniture and the things that the kids have lost, but reality sucks sometimes. Other than that, I really can’t complain. We have a roof over our heads, a semi-hypoallergenic home, beds to sleep in, some clothes on our backs and my husband still has his job. I would say with the state of the economy and the hard times that this country is facing, we are doing better than most…and for that I am very grateful!

Bald Beauty of the day:

My Third Month Blogging

February marks my third month of blogging, and I must say that I really love it. I would love some feedback on my blog. Tell me what you like, what you don’t like and how I can make it better. How is my layout? Is there a topic or category you would like to see added?

Because I’m so new to the blogging world, I have read many “how to” blogging sites and they all have theories on what works best when creating a dynamic blog. Some say to focus on one theme others say to have a variety of topics. I just wanted to have a place that I could put my thoughts on whatever amused me. I don’t put all my thoughts down, and there is a lot more to my personality that I guess I leave out. Bottom line is that I hold back a lot, and lately I have been wondering if in someway I am not being totally true to myself by doing so. I can be a down right raunchy and nasty person…there! OK, I said it, I have a real bitchy side and truth be told, I have a sharp tongue and mouth that can make a truck driver blush. Would it be worth it for me to add a little bit of my sauciness to the blog? I guess these are the questions that come up for me every now and again.

The other thing that I have noticed as I have coveted other blogs I love to read, is the amount of comments that they get. I love comments, and I want to hear what you have to say! Let me know you are there and what you are thinking. To me that’s the best part about blogging. Some have been too shy to leave a comment on the blog and have preferred to contact me instead with their comment or to tell me their story. I love that too!

Thanks for reading and making my first three months such a pleasure! I look forward to hearing from everyone.

Eight Baby Outrage

What happens when a single mom with six children decides to have eight more babies all at the same time? You get a very angry and critical group of people trying to peer into the private life of another, making judgments, assuming her motives are impure for having more children and calling her every name in the book.

As I browsed through blogs on this heated topic, I couldn’t help but wonder what this mom is thinking or feeling. I have no judgments on her, nor do I wish to hurl insults at her, I just want to understand what it’s like to now have 14 children? I would love to know her plan of action in taking care of these little ones, and if she wants to have more after this. I want to know how she plans on caring for each of their needs.

The angry mob in the blogosphere have gotten their panties all twisted up in knots over this woman and her 14 children. The biggest objection of course is money. How the hell is she going to afford taking care of all these kids when she apparently filed for bankruptcy, is single and shacked up with her parents. A few of the comments I have read went something like this:

“This woman should have all those children taken from her! Do you know how much she is going to cost the American taxpayer? No doubt she will be on welfare, she shouldn’t be allowed to keep any of those kids.”

Now…the last time I checked, foster care costs taxpayers money too! If she had all 14 children taken from her where do they go? Back to the stork? Should they be euthanize like sickly animals? Where do they go? Up for adoption? Ah, yes, up for adoption. That would be the answer right? And then after all her children are forcefully taken from her, what then? Sterilization? Should all her reproductive rights be taken from her because she had too many children and she was acting “irresponsibly?” I love how every one is paranoid that their freedom to privacy is ebbing away, freaking out that someone is watching them, or listening in on their conversations or even spying on them, but this woman’s life should be made public?

Any logical person can see that a single woman with 14 children is going to have a hard time supporting all of them. It seems inconceivable how she will be able to give each child the proper time and love to raise them, but really…what business is it of ours? Why is everyone outraged? So what she has 14 children and now she allegedly wants to make millions off the whole thing. What’s the problem with that? On one hand people are all bent out of shape because this single woman decided she wanted a lot of children and to top it off she is poor. THEN on the other hand they are equally as twisted in knots because she is looking to make money off her story. The children have been born and now there are 14 lives that hang in the balance. Do you really want to vilify a woman who simply wants to raise a family on her own? Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, she has no money! It looks like she may have a plan though, don’t you think? Why shouldn’t she take a deal and make millions? Good for her! It’s a way to cover the costs of raising all those children isn’t it?

I love how everyone wants to analyse why she decided to do this. They are curious…I’m curious too! But should we assume she is unhinged, deranged, or has a few loose screws upstairs? I personally don’t believe that a person should have that many children all at the same time, but that is just my own personal opinion and since I am not the one involved in her life in any shape or form, why should I get so emotionally heated over the fact that she feels it is quite acceptable to do such a thing? Regardless of her reasoning or her financial situation, there are 14 beautiful children now in this world, and if her desire is to love and care for them and give them all of her unconditionally, I say good for her. She is the one that has to do what is best for them, and I hope that more people will be willing to open up their clinched fists to welcome these precious little ones into the world. Should they suffer the bitter words of an angry and outraged public as they grow because their mother wanted to bring them into this world? What kind of message does that send to these little ones? Does it tell them that they are not as important because their mother was poor and she was unmarried? Will everyone punish her as though she were a criminal and refuse to help her because of the choices she has made? It will be the children that ultimately pay the price for such things, and in the final analysis all judgments will be marked null and void because hypocracy and a lack of charity will make those with like minded opinions worse than their mother could ever be.

Update:

I found out that Nadya has a donation website, and if you’d like to help here is a link:

http://thenadyasulemanfamily.com/

No matter what we may feel personally about Nadya, these little ones are going to need all the help they can get.

Sarah Palin Maddness

I’m not quite sure of what to make of Gov. Sarah Palin. I have tried very hard to stay away from this topic, but I guess I am just one of those bored bloggers that has nothing better to do with my life than to write about her. So here I am writing about the ever so “popular” Sarah Palin. People either love her or they hate her. It’s funny because I don’t love her or hate her. I’m indifferent. I would never in a million years vote for her though, I can tell you that much.

What is the great appeal with her? Is it her looks? She is a beauty to be sure. Great legs, great hair, awesome smile and that “winning” personality. Boy, she should have won me over with her first “you bet’cha.” But in an age where substance is just as important as style, I’m afraid she lost me even before the press catapulted her to the “celebrity status” she now loves to bask in. Do you really believe that she reached that celebrity status on the merit of her work? Uh, no way. It was the clothes purchased for her, her stylist and lots of media coverage that made her what she is. Did anyone really know who she was before John McCain announced her? It was that awful liberal media that went and made her so darn adorable.  Oh…it’s a love-hate relationship she has with the “liberal media” and one that has me scratching my head most of the time saying, “HUH?” Which is it Sarah? Do you love the liberal media or do you hate it? I guess she loves it when they portray her in a positive light, but as soon as she opens her mouth to speak, all the sudden it seems like she is crying that something was taken out of context. Blaming anybody but herself shows incredibly poor judgment when it comes to how all of the media coverage played out. She is not a victim, she is a barracuda remember? I wasn’t aware that barracudas cry on a daily basis that the liberal media just isn’t being fair! Give me a break. How sheepish does she think the American people are? Well, there are actually a lot of sheepish people out there and if you go to the TeamSarah.org and sign up, you can get your fill of people just-like-her! I was in my glory the first day I signed up. I can’t tell you what an eye opening experience it was to read the comments, blogs and discussions. Of course since I joined they made it private so you will have to sign up to view anything. It seems that Team Sarah was getting a lot of negative press coverage from that awful liberal media…particularly The Huffington Post. This social network dedicated to Sarah Palin started crying “foul” the moment the Huffington Post wrote a scathing article about some of the less than savory characters that are members of Team Sarah. They have followed Sarah Palin’s example by claiming that things were taken out of context. It’s quite laughable actually. I am amused at how ostrich like they are, gobbling up every bit of misinformation, half truths and downright lies and then burying their heads in the sand of their network. I don’t know if there is a single fact checker on that network! Some of the crap they have said about President Obama is ridiculous, and they are really walking a fine line with a lot of other stuff they espouse. Of course there is freedom of speech to consider, but that freedom isn’t free folks. There is a cost to be paid every time we open our mouths. Sarah Palin should know that. I find it laughable that Team Sarah needed to beef up their security on their network. They are convinced that people have signed up and decided to be racist or plant inflammatory remarks just so the liberal media could pounce on this social network that borderlines on “Sarah Worship.” One woman even felt that if someone made a movie about Sarah’s life that she would definitely get elected as president. I won’t say that all of the people on Team Sarah are fruit cakes and half wits, because I have witnessed true caring people on there too. It’s a real mixed bag. Some still think the President is a Muslim or that he isn’t a real citizen and they just keep circulating the same old stuff around and around. They have called for silencing negative bloggers and people that spread “nastiness” about Sarah, but why not just keep Team Sarah open for all to see? I guess they don’t want anyone raining on their little parade. They want to stay in their own little comfort zone and then come out for the attack when someone rails against their goddess. They are under the impression that the reason liberals pounce on Sarah so much is because she is a threat to them. I nearly peed my pants laughing so hard when I read that. Delusions of grandeur…that’s all I can say! They want to boycott CNN and advertisers too and the only real news source for most of them is FOX. The whole thing is kind of creepy. I wonder what I will find when I sign up for a social network dedicated to President Obama? I’ll have to start a search and get back to you on that one!

Now for some total randomness:

Is it me or is there a resemblance between Todd Palin and Joe the Plumber?

My Art Therapy

On February 2nd I wrote a post titled “I Miss My Husband” and a comment was left for me that struck a cord. Here is the comment:

Craigslist Trash or Treasure?

The picture on the left is a crib and dresser I purchased off of Craigslist last week. This is the photo they had posted and the cost for both the crib and dresser was $150.00. Although it had some scratches and wear, it was probably the best thing I have ever purchased on Craigslist. The crib is solid, safe and well made. It was priced right and posted just in the nick of time. I bought a new crib for Simmi when we moved out here, but it was falling apart a few weeks after use and it had gotten to the point where it was very unsafe for Simmi to sleep in. I plan on writing about that whole experience at a later time…for now, I want to rant a little about some of the people that list their stuff on Craigslist.

OK, the crib and dresser was a GREAT deal and I have absolutely no complaints about what we purchased, BUT as I look daily on Craigslist for furniture and other household items, I find myself getting really ticked off by the amount of fruit cakes on there trying to sell their crap as though they had some sort of rare treasure!

I have seen some things listed that I thought were accurately priced and from the pictures they post, I could see them getting away with the amount they were asking, but there are other posts that just piss me off. I’ll give you a few examples and you can tell me if you agree with their pricing:

Brown Leather Couch $250.00

“Brown leather couch with recliners on each end. Middle section folds down to expose cup holders, phone and controls for the built in massage. Call to come see this great couch. Cash only and must be able to haul it yourself.”

They want $250.00 for this thing! I don’t care how much they originally spent on this couch, would you purchase it for $250.00?

OK, this one is “nice” but look at the original price and what they are asking:

“Sofa Sectional Leather Tema Ekornes, sand color with walnut finish, reclining backs, double ottoman with storage and table. Paid $12,305.00 will sell for $4.100.00 cash FIRM.”

Why does this person think you are getting a deal if you buy his $12,305.00 sectional? Just because he was an idiot to purchase such an expensive couch to grace that “lovely” green carpet (not!), doesn’t mean that someone else who, for $4,100.00 could purchase a brand new leather sectional, coffee tables, lamps and a flat screen TV, should buy his crap. Yes, I said crap! Those seats look like the leather seats in “First Class” on an airplane that should not even be taking flights anymore!

How about this one:

“GE large capacity washer, Maytag large capacity Electric dryer $230 Firm for both, Individual sale $160 each”

How old are these units? They look like they are old as dirt! And where the hell is the handle to open the dryer? The washer looks like it’s “newer” than the dryer…they don’t even match. (Not that it’s all that important for them to match as long as they work well). Is this person kidding? Would you spend $230.00 on something that may or may not work? I don’t have a washer or dryer at the moment, but I could call them and tell them I want to test the units, bring over my dirty clothes, do my laundry and leave saying that I’m not interested. (That wouldn’t be a lie, that’s for sure!)

This one was just plain ridiculous:

Bedroom Suite $4,000.00

“This heirloom quality, circa 1950s bedroom set was manufactured by Kling Industries (which company, to my understanding, was subsequently absorbed by Ethan Allen). This substantial, solidly constructed furniture is in very good condition and shows very minimal wear. Made entirely from solid hard rock maple (no plywood, no veneer, no particle board - even the drawers are solid, dovetailed wood), this set consists of two twin beds (headboard, footboard, siderails, and slats), a large dresser (approx. 21.5″D x 54″W x 35″H) with height-adjustable (or completely detachable) wood-framed mirror (approx. 42″x32″), and a large chest (approx. 21.5″D x 37″W x 50″H). The dresser and chest each have a glass top protecting the solid wood surface. Today, a set of comparably made furniture such as this would cost in excess of $10,000. If you are tired of throwing your money away on junk that falls apart in a few years, this is your opportunity to purchase quality for a fraction of its value. I am selling only because we have too much furniture for our present home. The beds are presently not being used; the picture is of the headboard, with the footboard being stylistically similar.”

So let me get this straight, this person is selling circa 1950’s furniture that is solid construction for $4,000.00? Now, I’m not an auctioneer like my friend John Savo, but come on! Are these people really serious?

I can appreciate nice furniture, I really can. But isn’t it a little absurd to list things with a crazy price tag? It’s not new folks! It’s someones old used stuff. Some things are newer and in really good condition, but does that mean that they should inflate the price? How do these people come up with the price in the first place? Do they say to themselves “I bought this couch 30 years ago, and it was worth $500.00 back then…that was a lot of money, so I think I will ask for half of that. Yeah, that’s a good deal $250.00.” Try $50.00 bucks! There are a lot of college students looking for a deal especially if it is still in decent shape. Granted it would be a dated piece of furniture, but far more reasonable than $250.00. Maybe the circa 1950’s set is really worth $4,000.00 being that it’s an antique, but there are better venues for selling these types of items. I love antiques, they have a beautiful craftsmanship not seen in the furniture of today, and I have seen some gorgeous pieces listed on Craigslist that I would never criticize. They are just too lovely, but to me the above listing is just nuts!

Here is an another one:

Comfy, Comfy, Comfy $290.00

“Royal Blue Love Seat. In great condition. Reupolstered within last 6 months. Like new!! Come check it out!”

Here is one more:

This person originally had this retro couch listed for over $200.00 and now it’s free…I wonder why? He can’t even get someone to come and take it for free and re-posted after a “no show.”

I have to admit that there is something intriguing about this crappy piece of furniture, but to attempt to sell it for over $200.00 is pure insanity!

In closing, I know that times are tight for everyone, but lets be realistic about how we price our things! There are people out there that are buying used furniture because they can’t afford new stuff. If you purchased an item that was over priced and not even well made (like most furniture these days) try to be reasonable.

The couple that sold me the crib and dresser did something beyond making a few bucks back on their furniture…they helped to provide a very needy family with a safe crib and beautiful dresser for one very precious little girl. For that, I will be forever grateful!

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