cords
Current mood: amused

i thought i would update my mp3 player, seeing as how i have not done so in over 2 years. we have a 2 drawer metal file cabinet beside the computer that we are supposed to keep stuff that is useful and needed around the computer. in looking for the cord to connect the player to the computer, this is what i found.
a westell modem
7 phone cords
2 universal power cords
a palm pilot that doesnt' work (back when they were 2 tone screened
the cradle to that palm pilot
4 random power cords to past implements
an outdated nokia cellphone and power cord
2 printer to computer cables
1 printer power cord
4 pieces of cable cord (i thought i had cleared that out)
2 fucked up head phones
4 present implement cords

but no cord for my mp 3 player. dammit.

wtf????? where did this shit come from? i used to always move to spring clean. (or whatever season it was)
we've been in this house 4 years.
strange.

as fucked up and close to my heart as my last post was, i believe this one is even worse. Mom says teacher let classmates vote autistic son out of class
yes that's right. to punish him, a child in kindergarten who has asperger's syndrome was voted out of class, weakest link style. then the teacher had each student say what they did not like about the kid. the kid has not been back to school since. every time his mother takes his sibling to school, he screams when she pulls up to the school.
this is not a suitable form of punishment. children, even moreso than adults are so vulnerable. i understand that a kid with discipline problems is frustrating, but to publicly ridicule him is not only unprofessional, it is downright cruel.
what i want to know is why this teacher has not been fired, or even suspended.
so, i'm taking opinions on this one too.

since i did that last post, i thought i would do a sweetened condensed version of an update, and where, floating among particles, i have been.
i can't even think of the timeline.
i think as of my last post, jonathan was out of work with a broken hand and had surgery on his hand.
and i think i mentioned the 7 acres of land his stepfather gave us. it turns out we probably will not be able to do the http://www.earthship.net/. it is difficult to get financing for this, and with our crappy credit, impossible. i know, it's made out of mainly recycled materials, and yet... we just are not able to bank enough money to do this. (not entirely given up) we do want to at least do passive solar. it will be a while before we can start, as the land is currently rented out of hay production. (well, not the 2 acres of woods, but we can't really build in there.
my brother and his daughter visited and all the kids had loads of fun. first my girls packed their backpacks, planning to go home with them. when i told them it was too far, then olivia decided she was going to stay here. it was cool they had so much fun.
we went to the kinston 5 times in 2 weeks. ouch. kinston is 86 miles away, so that meant a majority of a tank of gas for each trip. fucking gas prices.
we went to the beach.
jonathan went back to work last monday.
my camera is on its last legs.
i planted tomatoes and squash, basil, and jalapenos. for some reason, all my cilantro diappeared. oh well, i'll plant more. my oregano from last year is getting fairly large. anyone need some oregano? my rosemary is coming alogn as well.
i worked an extra shift almost every week while jonathan was out. why do things fall apart while i'm at work?
fuck. i did have more to say, but i can't think.
i have to start posting a little more. my brain is cosntipated from no writing.

a friend sent me a link to an article in the news and observer today. apparently one of my old friends was arrested for sodomy in private. what is wrong with this city? (this world for that matter) i am really just stunned by this. apparently, my friend had someone over, they had sex, then the guy went wacko on him, threatening to disembowel him. my friend called the raliegh police, who arrested them both for sodomy in private. and he had to pay $3000 bail to get out of jail for having sex in his home. does anyone else have issue with this?

and i just thought this was funny... in a painful sort of way.




there's been a lot going on lately. i'll touch down soon and let you guys know more.

you know, when i was young, it was a saying that "mama always said if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. these days, i wish people would consider this thought before speaking.
in this age of internet, people have come to the general belief that
1. their opinion matters and
2. that it's okay to slam someone that isn't present
as if it's not enough to say, "i don't agree with this person and here is why." in fact the whys are often lost.
at one time, i didn't even mind these scathing reviews. but now it's so omnipresent that it is nauseating. and it's all or nothing. either slamming a person or gushing over them. i t's like people think they have to take a side, a stance, join a group. but most of the time and as time has passed, it has begun to spill into day to day life. the idea of respect is becoming non-existent in our society. and the worst thing - those most guilty are the ones screaming about the nation's declining morals. what about the nation's declining manners? that is the biggest threat to society as it is.
these days, even saying excuse me is too much for people. i have, more than once, had people bump into me, even knock my kid with a shopping cart, rather than say, "excuse me." and you know the most common time for these occurrences (not that it's not year round) christmas season. the time for love and remembering the birth of christ. (at least for many of these people) the very people speaking of morals, don't even know compassion. they talk of christ and god's judgment, while not comprehending the love and and compassion should extend to the world, not just themselves.
oh yeah, here we are in the age of me.
of course, this is my opinion and just that.
but please consider kindness. try saying excuse me.

been a little out of touch lately. i’m sure you didn’t even know it.
as reported a few weeks ago, jonatha broke his right hand and had to have surgery, and is still out of work. i tried working extra hours, but it seems to take it’s toll on the house. he gets his cast off next wednesday and should start physical therapy then. not much more time out.
iona had her 5th birthday. it lasted almost a week. it’s a tradition around here to stretch birthdays out a few days. when laura was a kid it was easier, as it was only she and i. but this just kind of stretched out 5 days. she got a lot of barbies.
then it was easter. eggs and chocolates, yum. had a nice lunch at my mom’s place.
then, last week, we had to stay in a motel for 4 days while our bathroom floor finally got repaired. now i can actually have someone over and not be concerend they (or myself) might fall through the floor. then landlord has cancer and took many months to make the repair.
so then i’ve worked some extra days. and then laundry.
help i’m sinking!
i need a break. but at least this crap-o-blog made me sleepy. because i am up far too late.
but i really need to do a good blog.
soon.
but now...

well, i don't expect that or anything, but you know, a moment to clean a rooom and complete the task. at this point, for me, that would be quite a task for me and, yes, progress.
last week, from sunday to saturday, i was taking care of a variety of ailments, including, but not limited to, a broken hand, colds, and to put a cap on it all, rotovirus at the end of the week, so yes, puking and diarreah. and, i had to also get the cold mid week. so, it was an adventure, and why my status was that i had turned my home into an infirmary for a few days.
the broken bone, if you don't already know, was jonathan. he had just gotten a new skateboard the day before and was antsy to test it out. he will not be using that new skateboard any time soon. he broke both the wrist and some of the small bones around the wrist. i take him today to the hand specialist to find out what they are going to do, and how long it will take to heal. i took him to 3 appointments last week. and being the right hand, and with him being right handed, i have had to do a bit to help him. it must suck to be him.
i have had several people make comments about him skateboarding "at his age". jesus freaking christ, he's only 30, and i would rather have him skateboarding than acting like an old man. so, in case you were thinking otherwise, i like that he still skateboards. he's done it all his life. i don't think people should just lay down and die just because their numbers have changed.
but any hoo, i don't know why i just said all that. but, it is true.
and everybody is pretty much on the mend, as far as the cold and stomach bugs go. it was a trip, but not that bad.
iona is once again watching the "be prepared" song from the lion king. (the one scar sings, if you've seen it" she watches it over and over. at least she picked the coolest song on the movie, i suppose.
so all in all, i guess i can now get off of here, and make some progress on my housework, because, i tell ya it suffered last week. a lot.
besides, it's time for a 3 year overdue spring cleaning. maybe a yard sale.

jonathan and asia are out of town at a rally race. he called earlier an he talked for an hour and 3 minutes, yes, i said he. i hardly got a word in edgewise.

and it’s true...
Bill Would End Separation of Church and Super Bowl
what’s amazing is that it is even an issue. why do people need to watch football in a "house of worship". i mean, i know that america worships football too, but that in itself is sick to me.
then there is the fact that the owners of the superbowl have threatened churches with legal action if they have planned superbowl showings on large screens. the superbowl claims exclusive rights to all things superbowl.
so, let’s take it to congress and make it a bill that churches have limited rights so that they can watch the superbowl a church. because the superbowl people are greedy.
it’s just really weird to me.
people really should realize that you just don’t need but so much.
i really don’t fit in with the world as it is. then again, i never quite fit in, why would i want to.

the high tomorrow is forcast for 78 degrees - in freaking february. oh well.

we saw a really cool house on invention nation - they call them earthship biotectures. and yes, i agree the name may sound corny, but these places were built on a used tire foundation, and could be totally self sufficient. it had a garden in a sunroom (in the desert, no less) that was irrigated with grey water from the house. what a fantasy to live in the middle of nowhere with a home like that.
so, like you cared about that.
the wind today was amazing.
we really are nothing.
people ought to stand in the wind or the ocean and realize that our petty desires are nothing in the grand scheme of things
wind.
outside

i'm tired.
you know, i planned to babble more, but... no.

that is quite interesting.

you know, i don't buy it. homework does not benefit a kindergartener. i don't even think busy work should be given to older kids. most people do not take their work home, why the hell do they think it is good for the kids.
i personally don't appreciate the stress. i don't appreciate my tax dollars paying for a school to only give my child data but not make sure things are fully understood.
for instance, asia's homework has recently been consisting of write a sentence type questions. write two sentences about what you would do in winter if you were a bear. my issues, aside from this is kindertgarten is the fact that they haven't even really taught the kids to spell. i think to fully learn, that one must fully understand each step before proceding to the next. it's more than knowing data. if one doesn't understand, they have not learned.
i think that it is the schools' responsibility to teach, just as they did when i was a kid. i know this has a lot to do with that asshole gw's "no child (but yours) left behind act", but i cannot buy it.
they are trying to steal childhood from children, occupying them sun up to sun down with busy work. and if that isn't a way to burn a kid out on school and make them hate it, i'll kiss your butt.
if i am having to acutally be the one to teach my child, then what good is school? please somebody explain this to me. why am i not homeschooling. she'd get more, and ultimately understand more.
and with all this focus on kids writing in kindergarten, (despite the fact that studies show that most kids aren't redy for that until they are 7 or so and the same studies also show that despite when a kid learns to write, theys still are all at pretty much the same level by the time they are 10) when are they learning the real foundations of education.
maybe i'm crazy, but i just really don' think school should be so stressfull right off the bat. the way to educate is to get the person being educated to want to be educated. and that cannot be done with constant pressure. have i ever mentioned that now, asia wakes up at night puking at least once every week or so. when i took her to the pediatrician, they said it was acid reflux. very likely due to school, since she never had this problem before. she is 6. this kind of stress should be at least saved for much later years, if not at all.
god damn it. just wanted to share my frustration.

...unless you want to go look at the picasa web albums. heh heh heh.

my beautiful niece olivia

From thanksgiving ...

this is pho-king good vietnamese restaurant


my brother, nelson and i



nelson and chandra (that would be xambuca on my top friends)


and it can’t be said that olivia does not look like nelson (not that anyone tried)


that’s enough photos for now. this takes too long on this old assed computer.
i still have plenty to say, but i’ll save it.




oh wait, maura and forrest

so, it's been a busy couple of months. holidays, trips, etc. last month, i went to california for my best girl's 50th birthday. she thought that it was dinner with a couple of friends, and she showed up to several more people than that, one being myself. our friend lucy, and one of her other friends came up with this idea, and helped get me a ticket out. there were a few tears, etc. but mainly fun.

this is the birthday girl, and one of the co-conspirators that came up with the plan.


birthday girl and her whole foods vegan chocolate cake. no, i did not buy it, nor did i even go into whole foods in monterey.
..>..>..>..>

From maura

and this is lucy, who orchestrated this whole deal.

the day after the party was a great day. we went walking at a county park. beautiful hill, beautiful view. her son forrest, who was like my other kid, went with us. it was really cool to have him there with us. i had jonathan’s video camera, and tried to film him dirt boarding, but i confess, i had a little buzz, and i seeme to have it on pause when i thought it was filming and vice versa... more than once. still, i got a little footage, but we need memory stick for the camera to transfer the files on here, so you only hear of it. i wish i could remember the name of the park.

maura and hank. he’s one cool little pup. yeah, that was him as my profile photo for a few days.

From maura

forrest and his board


looking down at the monterey bay


and as we spiraled around the hill, we saw the carmel bay. i think they said this was point lobos.


after a wonderful walk, despite my ill-suited shoes, we went to feed maura’s horses.

heh heh heh heh. i'm not saying anything. ;>)

cindy --

[noun]: A person who is constantly high

'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

i'm in monterey hiding out for the big surprise tomorrow. well, in the immediate, we are waiting for our friend chandra to arrive and we are going out to dinner and whatever. (probably be listening to the two of them talk more than anything.)
so far so fun, btw, even if i haven't seen maura yet. (or more importantly, she hasn't seen me.)
today, we ate at pho king for lunch, then we had coffee at bad ass coffee.
chuckle chuckle. later guys.

i had some kind of chest cold for a few days and was out of commision saturday and sunday. fevers kick my ass. luckily, my husband "took over" he was trying his best to clean and keep up dishes. he was getting cranky sunday and as i suspected, he confessed that he was over whelmed at how much he had to do to even tread water with housework. i wonder how long he'll remember that one. hmmmm.
it's been hard to find much time to say anything any more. with asia being in school, it seems my day is to broken up to be anything but hectic anymore. living only a few blocks from this institutional "learning" facility, she is not elgible to ride the bus or anything.
you want to know my latest impression of wake county schools? and nclb? well you're going to hear it.
even when laura was attending the wake county school system, i always felt like if the kid wasn't part of what kept their numbers up, they would prefer them to "go away". rather than try to make the kids want to learn, they just want their numbers. a funny thing on that note is that we got a letter last week and apparently wake county schools have not been meeting the nclb standards in a couple of areas over the last 3 years. meaning not enough students were passing those mandated standardized tests. grrrr. i i really don't have time to go into much now, but these "standards" are for the normals in society.
which brings me to nclb (that's gw's no child left behind act). the idea of no child left behind would be great, if that's really what it achieved. are more kids in poor neighborhoods doing any better? not really. but these "high standards" that are supposed to make all better are really a formula for fucking robot school. why even have school when its whole focus is to make sure the kids pass these standardized tests with no regard to what the kids really know or have learned. if a kid is advanced in learning, too bad they have to step down to standard. and if a kid doesn't learn from their approach, then they just get held back, again with no regard to their ability or any attempt to actually teach them. because in that world, all kids are robots.
jeez. asia is only in kindergarten, and i am already annoyed. annoyed at the expectations and pressures put on children. yes, i know it works for some, but it is wrong that an education system is about numbers rather than the children. as america slips further and further down the ladder, hmmm.
details later, if i feel like it.
so poop.
we already have an xmas tree. anybody local that may be wanting to buy an holiday tree, we always get ours at the little hardware store by the state fair grounds (i think it is called smith hardware). the cheapest trees around and you are supporting a local busines. for example, our tree was only $25 and it is a full tree, about 7 feet. so go there. support local business. fuck corporations.

while i was sick, i was remembering when i had the flu around xmas in 1993. i was still sick xmas eve. every year, laura wrote a note to santa that she put with the cookies and milk she would leave. the note would say some things she wanted. you know what she said she wanted? "i want my mom to fell better." okay, so i am only assuming she meant feel. she never expected too much and was always happy with whatever she got. she was such a sweet child, and those of you that know her may not know, beneath her tough exterior, she's still a sweet giving person. the tough exterior may have been inherited from me.
for many years, she was my only constant and my reason for being. (that being not going of some crazed deep end just for the hell of it. not that i didn't visit quite a few perceived edges, but that's another story) i actually felt guilt telling her at 17 that she was going to have a sibling. i felt like i was cheating her or something because i would be dividing myself. yeah, don't shake your head at me. i get really sentimental and teary when i talk about her. even now. glad we're still fairly close. of course, i have a whole different life now, and it's good too. don't get me wrong. i just wonder, how did i get off on this subject. well, i'm not one to edit so i think i am leaving on this note before i get too personal.
ciao!
he does anyone remember the ciao boots of the 80's? soft leather, looked a little like wrestling boots? hmmm. yeah, i was just leaving.