Barnmaven

Miscellany

I'm bummed because it seems not many hits on the blog for yesterday's post on help for Haiti, even though I FB'd AND twittered it.  I hope its just because people were too busy looking up their own channels of donating or doing something to come here and read my blog.  Its hard to imagine being worried about the ordinary minutiae of life when it seems that hundreds of thousands of people are trapped, injured or dying half a world a way.  It certainly puts things into perspective.

Personally, I could use a little perspective, since this week I've really felt up to my ass in alligators.  Or up to my caboose in crocodiles. Whichever metaphor works for ya.  Work has been a trial, and I often think I need a daily refresher in corporate politics.  I love my job, I really do.  I love my company and I love the people I work with.  I'm very fortunate in this economy to have what I have.  But even the best workplaces come with quicksand and politics and people who do things you don't like.  I've had my nose out of joint all week about something, and  I really just need to get over it and move on.  Monday I seriously felt like punching someone in the face.  I dont' get that way at work too often, and when I do it is not pretty.  I practically have to lock my office door and not answer the phone, otherwise I risk saying something really bad to someone. 

Top that off with the kids and/or dogs keeping me up almost every night this week, I've devolved into a shambling, cross-eyed shadow of my former self.  I've become so absolutely inane that yesterday when I heard what Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson said about Haiti not only did I lose my temper, but I lost the ability to even TYPE.  I started to write something about it last night and the keyboard was all 87jk7hjjkoip*&9uiohjHUYU.  ZJH897hjaghadf.  38or7uzgknjvxjhauio;hgnlkjlKJL:J:HHH:OIIUUJ. 

See?  Inanity.

I don't even know if I can adequately put into words what an assbag douchenozzle I think Rush is.  That man has made millions off of riling up stupid people with stupid opinions.  He's not THAT ntelligent, he doesn't personally adhere to the values he holds up for the rest of the world, but I mostly dislike him because I think he's a bully.  There is always room in any government for opposition to the current status quo. That opposition is right and it is necessary because it helps keep things in balance.  It gives the politicians a gut check, and I'm all for outstanding reporting and fact-finding to help keep our government honest, no matter what party is running the show.  But outright lies and stories that are only meant to widen the difference between the citizens of this country get us absolutely nowhere.  Nowhere. 

I don't even want to talk about how big a difference, RUSH, there is between waiting three days to make commentary on a terrorist attack where no one was even hurt (well, perhaps the would-be attacker singed his testicles a little bit, but come ON) and getting the word right out there while hundreds of thousands of men, women and CHILDREN FOR FUCK'S SAKE are dying, injured, trapped.  Its like discussing the salient differences between peanut butter and oh, I don't know, CARROTS.  And as for Pat Robertson?  Does anybody even WATCH the 700 club anymore?  Apparently they must, since his idiocy made the news.  Either that or someone suffering from terrible insomnia was sitting on the couch flipping channels, they happened upon the Good Mr. Robertson talking about Haiti and thought "Oh, good, he's going to tell me where I can send some donations, I'll stop and listen!" and instead got an earful of complete and utter batshit idiocy.

See, I start to think about it and I'm all adfkjfdal;aerito;knj.uoit548u904tq09ujkcl and I have to keep backtracking to retype the words I've completely misspelled because I WAS SO FURIOUS I COULDN'T EVEN TYPE.  JJujutg89IOJ789t

45qtagjdas890tj.

So there.

People, PLEASE.  Help out our friends in Haiti.

Plague monkey

I wouldn't even be out of bed right now except that I forgot to do something for work that I now need to try and accomplish in my semi-hallucinatory freezing cold/burning hot trying to hold it together state.  Lucky me.  Anyone who touches the keys of my laptop is going to die, its now infected.

Yes, I am the EBOLA MONKEY.

I actually resemble this, today.  I've been sacked out in bed since this morning, after having had zero sleep all night thanks to - well, you probably don't want to know.  And even I, empress of oversharing, think it might be too much information to give you.  Especially if you've eaten recently.  So.

I'm not one of those people who think that every little sniffle is H1N1, though I have had some people suggest that's what my kids had this weekend.  Today I'm not necessarily inclined to disagree.  Whether its the Hiney flu or just a really nasty rotavirus, its odd for me to be experiencing not only the symptoms of a head cold but also an intestinal virus at the same time.  Its too lovely for words.  Really.

I managed nontheless to make sure everyone got off to school and got fed today.  I might be dying, but they'll all survive another day.  Well, maybe the chickens won't.  After I let them out of their pen for the day and as I was walking through the gate into the backyard I heard them all start squawking, and then they suddenly ran past me, scrambling for cover.  I looked back just in time to see a sharp-shinned hawk swoop down and land on top of the coop.  He then floated up to the power lines and sat there, staring at us. 

I love birds of prey.  Of all of the creatures in the wild, they are my most favorite.  And in truth, I couldn't even be mad at him for trying to see if he could score breakfast in my yard.  I made sure the chickens were all well under the house shrubbery, though, before I went inside.  Hope none of them end up as a meal today. 

Note to self...

Don't write blog posts in the morning.  It makes you late for work.

You should always listen to your mother

On the calendar this week is a trip to Atlanta for a vendor conference.  I was invited to speak at a breakout session this year, discussing the software we use and the efficiencies we've gained.  Someone out there actually thinks I *know* what I"m doing - I'm not sure whether to be flattered or horrified.  Someday I'll believe I'm a grownup.  Likely shortly after I receive my first SSI check.  Oh, wait, there won't be any money in the Social Security fund for my age bracket.  Never mind.

So the parents have been back from a train trip across the Great White North (Ok, maybe just Canada, but we like to dramatize).  Dad picked up some mutant germ on the train and spent last week hacking and sounding generally horrid.    By the time we showed up for dinner Mom was choking and coughing too. 

I've never been a germophobe.  I don't suffer from anxiety during flu season and have always believed that the best defense against germs is to expose yourself to as many things as you can as frequently as possible and take your vitamins.  I don't get sick very often, neither do my kids.  Once a year or so I'll get something that prompts me to stay home a day or so - every third or fourth year I will get a doozy of a rotavirus that knocks me on my butt.  I really don't think much about it,  honestly.  I've got bigger concerns than getting sick. 

Which means that instead of turning around at the door and making mom waste her efforts at cooking a meal, we went in and had a nice dinner.  Mom said a few times "You shouldn't have come over" and "Don't hug me!" And being the loving, dutiful daughter, I gave my parents hugs and kisses.  And woke up with a sore throat this morning for my trouble.

Atlanta's going to look very boring from my hotel room bed.

Happy Monday!