9/12

Yesterday was a day of collective remembrance in our country. It marked a day of horrific losses, the day our lives changed. It was a turning point. Everything gets lumped into two categories, before and after. The day before 9/11, I was worried about finding a job. I spent my time alternating between online job hunting, and playing with my son. We read books, went to the park, watched tv and sang a lot of songs.
For me, Sept 12th was the day it all sunk in. I'd spent the night before wondering what it all meant. How much the world was going to change. Wednesday, we woke up to a new reality. For the first time in my life, I was fearful for our general safety. I was absolutely petrified for my son's future. What kind of world was he going to grow up in, and inherit from us? A world of clashing ideologies, terroristic threats, and fear?
I remember how suddenly patriotism was all the rage. Long before 9/11, we'd taught our son the Pledge of Allegiance. I remember the flags, everywhere. For a few weeks, Americans loved each other and it was good. But soon after, we started blaming countries and groups based on vague information we got from the news. We started hating again. Calling for war and blood. When we couldn't find the people responsible for that terrible day, we went after others, just plain eager to start a fight. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not for or against war, per se. Too long to explain.
All I know is that MOST people simply want to live their lives, and be left alone. Left alone to work, raise children, watch baseball, fall in love, worship their chosen deity and at the end, be able to look back and smile. Really, is that too much to ask? Doesn't everyone on earth deserve that much?
These are my thoughts on 9/11, jumbled as they may be.

4 Things

RLM tagged me - redlotusmama.blogspot.com Visit her awesome page today!

4 things I am passionate about
* Duh - my boys
* Safe Haven Education
* Books
* History

4 books I’ve read and enjoyed
* Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
* The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
* My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
* The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory

4 words/phrases I say often
* Ummmhello?
* Yes dear? (In response to kids calling me)
* Not yours! (To the dog)
* I have nothing to wear!

4 things I want to do before I die
* Complete all pending home improvement projects
* See the bioluminescent lagoons in Puerto Rico
* Get hired by CPD
** See my sons graduate from great colleges, and eventually play with my grandchildren

4 things I’ve learned in life
* Love shouldn't be hard work
* Kids are not mini adults
* Never give a cat a bath
* It's okay to leave people behind (some people deserve it)

4 places I want to see
* My kids rooms, clean
* A bowling alley in Canada
* 7-11 in Hawaii
* Europe

4 people I want to tag
* You!
* You!
* You!
* and YOU!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Belly is always pretending to be a daddy. At my friend's house, he and her little girl adopted a baby doll, and they took turns feeding it and rocking it. At home, he makes elaborate dishes in his pretend kitchen and tells everyone they have to at least try it before saying they don't like it. At the store, he always pretends to put a baby in the cart, and pretends to chase it when it gets away, and picks out things that it likes. Yesterday at the beach, he found a dinosaur egg, and proclaimed it his new baby. He took it on the swings and the slide, and sat it next to him on the way home.
*light bulb*
I told my husband that Belly has a good daddy role model, and that's why he does these things when he's pretending to be a daddy.
That makes me happy :)

And They're Off!

Friday Friday Friday, going grocery shopping and having a nice family dinner. Wait, what's that I see? In back there.... Oh! Hubs schedule changes to nights! No shopping or errands will be done!
Saturday, Saturday what have we got for Saturday? Sleep late then spend the day in pajamas? Going once.... Thank you, young lady up in front! A wedding! Love it when two awesome people get married... to one another, I mean. Even when there's 4 hours to kill between the ceremony and reception.
Sunday, we've got an opening on Sunday.... wait.... a 50th Birthday party!
Going once, going twice.... *bam!* No more time open in the Martinez weekend.
Thanks for coming out folks, drop your auction numbers in the bin on the way out. We'll see you again next weekend, with more chances to keep the Martinez family running like crazy all weekend.

Where is the Outrage?

Over Labor Day weekend, three children were killed by gun violence in Chicago. Where is the outrage? I don't mean marches and I don't mean vigils. I mean parents and family members who know damn well what's going on. That their child, nephew, uncle or cousin thinks he's a badass with a gun. Yes, I said "he" because the overwhelming majority of gun violence in my city is at the hands of males. Or if they don't know, if it because they choose to look the other way? Do they wash their hands of a problem child (or problem teen, or problem young adult) and then say it's not their problem?
Just as infant abandonments are OUR problem, so is this tide of violence that's sweeping up OUR children here in the city.
Does anyone remember my post about my own ten year old son, crying because he hears about all the shootings, and worrying it could happen to him?
Why are we so quick to shield someone we know to be dangerous? Why do people look the other way until they lose someone they love? Do other school districts keep a yearly tally of how many of their students are killed, as Chicago Public Schools does? How sad.
Sadness can turn into something stronger though. The will to be a part of your community and involve the police, and the community watch groups, and the alderman...... Walk the streets in your own area and see where there's trouble. Is there a certain corner where unquestionables are hanging out? Call the police. See or hear a fight? Call the police. Empty buildings just calling out to kids? Call your alderman, if you don't have one in your area, call your state rep.
Talk to the young people in your family. Be an active part of your children's lives. Let me tell you, if you parents are on you about where you are all the time, you won't have TIME to get involved with this mess. If your parents have stressed to you that every life is sacred and vital, you will be far less likely to pick up a gun and point it at your fellow humans.

Ah yes, another lighthearted and joyous post from yours truly. Where's the outrage? Right here.

Must Be Monday

Due to street cleaning, half of the streets where I'd normally park my car prior to getting on public transportation were blocked off. Now, in Chicago, they don't actually "clean" the streets so much as whip the trash out to the middle of the street, while leaving very large tickets on the cars of those who didn't heed the posted warnings. So I couldn't park anywhere near the train, because there were no less than 842 cars all circling the same 6 blocks, looking for a space.
Drove closer to downtown, tried again at another station. On the way there, I was debating running over the idiot bicycle commuters. I'm all for it, don't get me wrong. But we have bike lanes for a reason, and that reason is to ride IN them. Not weaving in and out of traffic so cars can't go faster than 4 mph while they ease their way back into traffic. I wondered if I bumped one of them, would they just fall over? Or would they end up mashed under my back tire? This morning, I didn't really care. Especially when I saw a bike guy run a red light and run right into the side of a cab. Moron. So I get to another train station and start looking for a place to park. The crafty inhabitants of that neighborhood have decided to make their area a permit-only parking area. WTF! I live in Chicago, I buy a &*^@%@&* city sticker every year, shouldn't that be my damn permit to park here?!
So I park approximately 6 blocks from the Iowa/Illinois border and hike it back to the train station. Now I'm only 2 stops from downtown, so you'd think I'd get there quickly, right? WRONG. The trains are so packed that 2 pass by before I can safely squeeze my way into one. Then when I get off the train and am back on the lovely streets of Chicago, a cop car pulls up in front of McDonald's. A morbidly obese cop gets out of the patrol car and huffs and puffs his way through the 15 feet to the McDonald's entrance and that, my friends, is when I lost it. Are you f'n kidding me?! I was passed over for THAT!? I'm busting my ass just to get to work, and Jabba the Cop is just waddling over to Mickey D's for some breakfast. ARGH! It must me Monday, there's no other explanation for this.... oh, wait. It's Tuesday. Crap. Must be in Bizarro world, the Twilight Zone, or Groundhog Day.

Anyway, we went on a lovely get away this weekend with family. Please enjoy our cheesy vacation pictures below. Yes, those are nuclear power plant cooling towers. No, I did not drink the water around there.

We Cannot Walk Alone

If you're not into politics, or specifically, Barack Obama, feel free to go visit a more lighthearted and funny blog today. And hey, if the nation falls to pieces because of your refusal to take responsibility for electing strong leadership, don't come crying to me.

Never in my adult life (which is admittedly not that long) have I seen such a need for us to stand up and take control of our own futures. This election has the potential to change the course of our country, both at home and our standings abroad. How can you NOT be motivated?! I *love* that in Obama's nomination acceptance speech, he talked about personal responsibility, and how making real, lasting changes will not be easy. He's not giving out lollipops, folks, he's asking us all to work together to make our lives better.

For those of you who no longer believe that things CAN change, remember what Señor Obama said in New Hampshire:

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will
only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We've been
asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against
offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been
anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible
odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't
try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a
simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.

Yes we can.

Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and
prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this
world.

Yes we can.