I've been MIA for a while, but look out, because I'm currently on medical leave for six weeks and I'll have lots of time to post mindless musings. Eight days ago I had a total hysterectomy. Don't worry, this particular post isn't about that; if and when there is one, I'll give a good warning. These are just a few of the views from my sickbed.
Some of the beautiful flowers I received ... and my tiara!
A drawing from my 2-year-old neighbor Zac (it's a rocket ship!)
and it's taped to the bedroom wall
Feline visitors: Bella
Señor Gato Negro
Sometimes they also provide entertainment
Aaron bought this lovely lounger for me. The screened porch is fab in the mornings.
This post will be much less fluffy than previous posts. I don't often get on a soapbox about serious issues, mainly because I want to make sure that I know what I'm talking about before I say anything, and by the time I'm comfortable with that, the moment has passed.
But "the moment" of women's issues is not in danger of passing any time soon. There are some days I can't believe I'm really waking up in 2012, because it feels more like I've gone backward in time. My current focus is the brouhaha in the wake of Rush Limbaugh's comments about Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown law student who testified before a congressional committee as to why contraceptives should be covered by insurance.
First, let me state that while I'm liberal, I do not align myself with any political party. Next, I've heard some Fluke supporters claim that Limbaugh is "picking on a college student." I don't agree with that; Fluke is 30 years old and is a third-year law student. She's an adult and she put herself out there and should expect some criticism. But to be called a slut and a prostitute by a national radio talk show host? Really?
I've heard and read remarks asking why there wasn't this outrage over (and this is just one example) Bill Maher calling Sarah Palin a four letter word that starts with "c." What's the difference, they ask?
Here's the difference. I'm not condoning public name-calling of anyone. But Maher was rude and disrepectful toward one person. Limbaugh was rude and disrespectful toward women in general, implying that women who have sex are sluts. Yeah, yeah, I know that's not what he said, and that's always Limbaugh's defense, but it's clear to me that's what he meant. And yes, he was completely inappropriate in saying of Fluke, "she's having so much sex she can't afford contraception." Newsflash: women don't take birth control pills every time they have sex, and if you think they do, you really need to shut up about this issue.
I'm not saying that birth control should be free (and by "free" I mean available without a copay), but it's completely irresponsible when birth control is not covered by insurance. And let's talk about the fact that birth control pills are often used for reasons other than contraception, which by the way, was the main focus of Fluke's testimony.
A friend of mine recently said that the birth control controversy is really a marketing issue. She suggests that birth control be rebranded as medications that are "effective tools against endometriosis, ovarian cysts, excessive cramping and ovarian cancer, but with a side effect that they prevent pregnancy." Personally, I've been taking birth control for years and the reason has nothing to do with pregnancy prevention. I'm fortunate that my insurance coverage includes contraceptives, so I only pay $10 or so out-of-pocket each month.
I definitely don't want to sound like I'm gender-bashing, but ladies, we need to step up and stop allowing men to dictate our health issues. We need to have a voice in what matters to us. Sandra Fluke has been such a voice and I hope there are many more to come.
To ring in the new year, I got my first tattoo. It started when my niece, Jacqueline, wasn't able to get her second tattoo for her 18th birthday due to the need to spend money on silly things like going to college. So I told her that at Christmas I'd get her one and I'd get one, too. Jackie is an art major, so I told her to come up with some ideas for what would eventually become a permanent part of my body. We didn't have Christmas with my side of the family until New Year's, so on December 31st, the two of us went to get our tattoos.
Since it was New Year's Eve, they were short-staffed so they weren't sure we'd be able to get in that day, but they called us later and we had an appointment for 5:00. Will was our tattoo artist, and yes, I failed to get a good picture of him.
I went first, and it really didn't hurt that much. It burned some and kind of felt like the stim therapy I've gotten at the chiropractor or physical therapy. It took about a half hour and here's the result:
My ink, on the back of my right shoulder. Jackie drew this design for me.
Then it was Jackie's turn. Hers took more like an hour and a half. She didn't design this one but it's totally her style. It's on her right inside forearm and it's what I would call a punked out Alice in Wonderland.
Before coloring
And the finished version:
I don't have any previous tattoo parlor experience, but I was really impressed by Midtown Tattoo. Jackie declared it the best day ever! My mother would disagree, but oh, well... I love my black cat and I love even more that it was designed by my wonderful, talented niece!
I love Thanksgiving for many reasons, including the fact that I was born on Thanksgiving Day. Growing up, I didn't often appreciate that because I was rarely in school for my birthday, and all my friends were off doing their Thanksgiving stuff and it didn't seem like I really got to celebrate. Now I think it's kinda cool, and this year November 23rd is 1) my birthday; 2) Gwensday, the best day of the week that's not a weekend day; and 3) Thanksgiving Eve. Here are some tales about Thanksgivings/Birthdays Past:
When I was born, the story goes, my dad (an avid hunter) convinced the hospital to keep my mom and me there an extra day so he could go out and try to shoot Bambi. Try doing THAT in the age of insurance anarchy. He told that story at our wedding, though not quite as crassly as I just did.
Dad and me
My 21st birthday fell on Thanksgiving Eve. I had finals but my mom picked me up from college and drove me home so I could celebrate with my friends Kim and Cathy. My dad took us out to Duffy's Tavern for my first "official" drink, then he dropped us off in town and we walked all over creation, finally ending up at my house. I seem to recall falling out of the Shelby and tearing my jeans, having a hard time unlocking the door to the house, and Cathy hugging my dog while she sat in front of the toilet. Ah, good times.
Lucky for Cathy, I couldn't find the picture of her with Sugar, but here's the dog.
When Aaron and I got married our parents decided that we should host Thanksgiving dinner, which has worked out pretty well for us. Both sets of parents come to our house, so there's no discussion about whose family "gets us." Over the years, our siblings have gotten married and have families of their own so they're not with us every year, but our niece and two nephews are traditionally with us every single year, which I absolutely love.
All six of the nieces and nephews
I think it was our first Thanksgiving that sparked the great potato water debate. We had boiled the potatoes for mashing and I then drained them, pouring all the water down the sink. My mother and mother-in-law acted like I had done some criminal act because of COURSE I was supposed to save some of the water to make gravy. Now, everyone knows that I'm not the cook in my family, but I swear to this day that I never remember that even from my growing up years. And the next year... I did it again. From then on I stopped touching the potatoes.
For the love of all that is holy, don't drain all the water.
Last year's Thanksgiving was pretty great. We had almost all our family there as well as our neighbors Christin and Martin. Our niece Kate was baptized by my dad right there in our house, and as it turned out, that was my dad's last official act.
Aaron and I are proud to be Kate's godparents.
This year we're changing things up a bit. Being the first holiday without my dad, we wanted to make it a little different so we're going out to Buca di Beppo for our Thanksgiving meal (and yes, they're doing a traditional feast as well as their full menu). We'll probably eventually go back to having it at our house, but I think it will be a fun switch.
And on Thanksgiving Eve, I celebrated my Gwensday birthday with neighbors and friends. Colin made a pumpkin pie pudding shot in my honor:
Recently my mom commented on my use of the word "really" and how it can mean so many different things depending on my tone. Mostly I use it with sarcasm. Today I'm writing about pet peeves, or things that make me go "hmmmmm," or things that make me say "really?"
Disclaimer: it's entirely possible that you commit one or more of the following, and that's OK; I don't hate you. Similarly, I recognize that there are things that I do that many people probably find completely annoying. For example, overuse of the word "dude," as in "Dude, really?" Also, it drives Aaron completely nuts that I put my dirty socks in the laundry inside out. Ponder that for a moment and it may lead you to another thing that pisses you off about me in that I have a husband who does laundry. But I digress...
Right Turn on Red Etiquette (or lack thereof)
Dear driver behind me at the red light, do not honk your horn at me to turn on red. You do not see what I see, and you honking your horn makes me more likely to just wait until the light turns green.
Dear driver on cross street, if I have a green light and I'm stopped in the middle of the intersection, it is NOT so you can turn right on red and bog up the intersection even more.
Dear downtown driver, if you are going to turn right on red, make damn sure that no one is coming. This is especially true if you intend to turn right on red and then immediately move three lanes over to the left.
And while you're at it, pay attention to these signs!
Shopping Carts Strewn All Over Parking Lots
This is mind-boggling to me. If I am capable of taking a shopping cart to my car, I'm certainly capable of getting said cart back to a cart corral. And while there may be a FEW exceptions to this rule, there are not enough exceptions to justify the number of carts I see throughout the Target or Kroger lots.
A Certain Insurance Company's Radio Commercial
...in which a woman's voice identifies herself as a single mom, "so I have to watch every penny." Then we hear Patrick Dempsey's voice saying, "we all do." Really, Mr. Star of Stage and Screen? When's the last time you had to watch every penny?
Yes, McDreamy, I know that's you and I'm not buying it for a second!
Chatter
Anyone who's ever been in a choir rehearsal or a presentation with me knows this well. Yes, I'm the one constantly shushing. It's simple, really. If someone else has the floor, shut up. It's incredibly rude to both the speaker and to the others in the group who just might be trying to listen.
I'm not sure when my addiction began, but it was probably in high school. I had an old black & white television in my bedroom. No cable, just three channels on a good day, and I would often leave it on all night. Of course, those were the days when stations actually signed off late at night, the national anthem played, and the screen turned to fuzz (yes, I'm that old).
It looked something like this.
I also got hooked on soap operas as a kid. I can remember watching "the stories" with my grandmother while she did laundry. Over the years I watched lots of different soaps, but one of my favorites was Days of Our Lives. In college, I can remember a bunch of us gathered in the dorm lobby to watch Pete & Melissa and Mickey & Maggie's double wedding on Valentine's Day, 1986. I probably skipped a class to watch it.
Ah, the 80's.
After college I started my love affair with the VCR, which lasted at least 10 years. At its peak I had two VCRs. I numbered the tapes, and had a corresponding list of what was on each tape, which of course would change since every time I watched something I'd replace it with another show.
And then came the greatest invention in my lifetime: the DVR. Aaron bought one for me for Christmas one year and it changed my life. And then cable companies started incorporating DVRs into their cable boxes. AND I could record two shows at once!
My partial list of recorded shows as of today
Now that the fall season has started, I'm faced with scheduling dilemmas as I try to figure out which shows I should record on the DVR versus which shows I can watch On Demand, all the while trying to keep space free on the DVR. I watch all kinds of shows, but I gravitate toward crime dramas. I finally got on the Criminal Minds train thanks to A&E and Netflix and I'm almost caught up to the present season. I've seen every episode of the original Law & Order and yet I still watch it in syndication on TNT. I also like clever comedies, and I think Modern Family is the funniest show on TV right now. And while I don't keep up with the daytime soaps (the few that are left), I do love a good melodrama, and my current obsession is the new ABC show Revenge. We're only three episodes in but I love this show and can't wait for the next episode.
A couple side notes: Aaron tolerates my addiction but doesn't quite share it. He does enjoy Modern Family, and a couple of his dearly departed favorites were Arrested Development and Northern Exposure.
Also, since I rarely watch anything "live," other than sporting events and awards shows, I don't see many commercials. But this one has become one of my favorites. It's a Volkswagen ad that has recently been resurrected to coincide with the release of the Star Wars on Blu-Ray. This clip is the longer, original version. I love it.
In general, I'm a girly girl. I love clothes and jewelry and makeup and hair products and SHOES. Shopping is like an addiction for me. I'm not really into getting dirty or doing manual labor. However, I'm a big fan of violent movies, I hate the color pink, and I love football. During football season, I can usually be found watching college games all day Saturday, and on Sunday I'm either at home or at a bar watching the Steelers. Aaron could not be happier about this; in fact, it might be why he married me.
Aaron and I have only one team in common, the Pittsburgh Steelers. In college football, he's all about Ohio State, but I refuse to give up my loyalty to Penn State, even though I live in Buckeye country. We generally cheer for each other's teams except when they play head-to-head. On those days we used to purposely go out to watch the game so we'd be less likely to have to call 911. Several years ago, Aaron had this flag made:
Now, we'll watch just about any college football game, no matter who is playing. With the NFL, we used to not pay much attention to other teams, but we managed to make things a little more interesting. Back in the day, before the internet took over our lives, we used to pick all the NFL games against the spread. One of us would write down the matchups and the point spreads from the newspaper, make our picks, then read out loud to the other person so he/she could pick the games. And we always start this process by saying, "home team first."
Over the years we drifted away from this tradition. First, we got involved in picking games online with friends, and later we started playing Fantasy Football (we're in two leagues this year). But we always had fun with our own little contest so last week Aaron suggested we start it up again. We missed week one, but that's OK. And so on Sunday, while we were out for brunch, I got an envelope out of my purse and wrote everything down, getting the spreads from my iPhone (which is my excuse for why one of the games is missing from the list entirely), and then I said those three magical words.... "home team first."
For the record, we only picked four games differently, and Aaron beat me in all four. But have no fear, I'll bounce back!
