Thanksgiving memories...

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. And think about this: Thanksgiving may be the only holiday that is shielded from political correctness. We still give Thanks to a greater being for this past years plentiful bounty we have brought to the table.

My personal history with Thanksgiving has always been a positive experience, even if marked with some sadness. When I was growing up, my parents set a wonderful example of always inviting coworkers (or military personnel since my father was in the Navy) far from home to celebrate with us. Our family had little but it seemed at Thanksgiving, my parents would find a way to have a meal befitting any royal family.

Dad was an incredible cook. Indeed, he did most of the cooking. He teased my mother and called her his "prep chef." During the week of Thanksgiving, I would come home from school to the smell of fresh pumpkin, mincemeat, and apple pies my parents would give away as gifts to our friends and neighbors. On Thursday, you never knew who would show up at our front door. When we lived in San Diego, it was usually Navy men originally from the South that my father would invite over. In Richlands it was my mothers co-workers, many of whom were visiting doctors, nurses, or other medical professionals also far from home. More than once we would actually take meals to the hospital. Neither one of my parents could withstand the thought of a friend (or even foe) going without a Thanksgiving meal.

And maybe this stems from the era they were born. Both of my parents are part of that greatest generation that grew up during the Depression and knew what it was like to go without a meal more than once.

But my fondest Thanksgiving memory is probably my saddest; the last one I had with my father. Parts of that Thanksgiving week of 1982 were a blur. My father, already knowing he was dying, was feeling weak on that day. By the time Saturday rolled around, he was in the ICU. His lungs had quit functioning and his blood gasses were horrible. His hemoglobin was barely above 4.0. He was dying. At that time, I didn't know he had already been told it was just a matter of time before his heart and lungs would give out. I found that fact out a week later when he told me he was going to make it through one more Christmas to spend with me but that was it.

By the end of March of 1983, my father had passed away. But not his tradition of inviting those far from home to celebrate the holidays. My mother insisted on inviting people over. And to me that was just fine; it got my mind off what I missed.

Things are different now. My family is spread apart in a lot of ways. And although my sister lives near my mother, they will spend Thanksgiving apart. Bucky, Ivan, and I are down South enjoying a day together. It doesn't make the day less enjoyable to have fewer people over but I do feel guilty of not keeping up the tradition, especially this year when I do have so much to be thankful for! Financially I have so little but in other ways, I am rich.

So, whomever you worship...either it be God or Mother Earth or even Dr. Seuss...give Thanks for all that you have. For our moments together are fleeting and sweet.

And these are our allies...

I apologize for my poor blogging efforts. The last few weeks have been rather busy. Between work and all other irritants, I find myself with little free time. However, Ivan is visiting and he is a wonderful help.

Today I have two posts. No, not because I am trying to make up for my efforts. But the subject of this first post so angers me I just could not place it with my second more sentimental post.

Read this story from the AP:

Saudis Defend Punishment for Rape Victim

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi judiciary on Tuesday defended a court verdict that sentenced a 19-year-old victim of a gang rape to six months in jail and 200 lashes because she was with an unrelated male when they were attacked.
The Shiite Muslim woman had initially been sentenced to 90 lashes after being convicted of violating Saudi Arabia's rigid Islamic law requiring segregation of the sexes.
But in considering her appeal of the verdict, the Saudi General Court increased the punishment. It also roughly doubled prison sentences for the seven men convicted of raping the woman, Saudi news media said last week.

The reports triggered an international outcry over the Saudis punishing the victim of a terrible crime.
But the Ministry of Justice stood by the verdict Tuesday, saying that "charges were proven" against the woman for having been in a car with a man who was not her relative.
The ministry implied the victim's sentence was increased because she spoke out to the press. "For whoever has an objection on verdicts issued, the system allows an appeal without resorting to the media," said the statement, which was carried on the official Saudi Press Agency.
The attack occurred in 2006. The victim says she was in a car with a male student she used to know trying to retrieve a picture of her. She says two men got into the car and drove them to a secluded area where she was raped by seven men. Her friend also was assaulted.
Justice in Saudi Arabia is administered by a system of religious courts according to the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Judges have wide discretion in punishing criminals, rules of evidence are vague and sometimes no defense lawyer is present. The result, critics say, are sentences left to the whim of judges. A rapist, for instance, could receive anywhere from a light sentence to death.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack avoided directly criticizing the Saudi judiciary over the case, but said the verdict "causes a fair degree of surprise and astonishment."
"It is within the power of the Saudi government to take a look at the verdict and change it," McCormack said.
Canada's minister for women's issues, Jose Verger, has called the sentence "barbaric."
The New York-based Human Rights Watch said the verdict "not only sends victims of sexual violence the message that they should not press charges, but in effect offers protection and impunity to the perpetrators."

So let me get this straight: she gets punished for being raped? This is the 21st century, right? Oh, I am sorry! I guess I just expected that all societies treated women equally and not as pieces of property! That must only be a western philosophy. Count your blessings ladies that we live in western civilization.

Is This Thing On?

My friend Badrose has been persuading me (dare I say nagging?) to compose a blog. Well, here it is. Well, maybe "here it begins" is a better statement.

For the past couple of years, I have been using MySpace to blog and connect with friends. But I find the site too, ugh, and I hate to write this, "young" for my taste. And as for my blogs on myspace, a few people read them and even fewer comment.

One person on this site already knows me, the already mentioned Badrose. Thus I decided to make myself the subject of my first blog. And I have no problem with that since I am my favorite person discuss...well, most of the time.

Hey, I am 40 and never married. Of course I can be selfish. Please don't let it surprise you! And now that I got that out of the way, instead of me composing boring paragraphs about my life, I am going to do the speed dating version of my biography. Bio by numbers. Why numbers? Well I discovered years ago when I was a supervisor that the associates that reported to me seemed to retain matters a lot quicker if I wrote something in either bullet points or numbers; instructions easily get lost in paragraphs (you know, trees/forest concept?). See, I already lost you!

So...all about moi...

1. I have a phobia to those big cement road block things...especially if they are on both sides of the road.
2. I love Virginia Tech. I graduated from VT in 1991. And although I was far from a scholar (school was always a struggle for me because of dyslexia) I am happy and proud to say that I am a Hokie.
3. I love football. My boyfriend thinks I have an indecent obsession with the pigskin. Whatever. I proved him wrong by missing my first opening VT game in years to see his nephew Brian turn 4. However, I did break up with one guy after he said to me (he actually spoke to me during a VT football game) "You yell too loud. You shouldn't like football so much." I told him he looked like Jabba the Hutt and kicked him out of my house.
4. Pasta is soul food.
5. Ditto with potatoes
6. I am a coffee snob.
7. The pizza debate ends now. I have had deep dish Chicago pizza and real New York pizza. New York pizza wins...however...
8. The best dogs are in Chicago. I wish Portillos was closer by!
9. If words are not floating around in my head then music is. Thank you Apple for the IPod. Now I can download whatever, whenever and listen to it without buying a cd that has only 3 good songs.
10. That being said...remember when bands put out great albums? Entire albums you would listen to nonstop? What happened with that?
11. I am short.
12. I am fat...fluffy...or "sturdy" as Paula Dean says. People love to either act as if that is not true or say "hush" but hush you! I love myself the way I am! And my fat saved my life...seriously...
13. I almost died in February of this year. I survived a 4.4 hemoglobin. Going through it, I knew it was bad but when medical professionals look at you and say "You survived? Most people can't survive below a 5?" Well, I blush. My weight kept me alive. For once I couldn't and didn't want to eat. But my wonderful doctors and the love of a good man kept me alive.
14. The older I get the more I realized I had to quit blaming my parents for everything. They tried, they were not perfect, but we all lived and never went to jail...yet!
15. My mother might be a little crazy now but she is an amazing role model. She was a career woman before it was a popular thing. She raised 4 kids, went to night school to become a nurse, and put up with my MIA father.
16. I want ice cream.
17. I love to write.
18. But I hate being forced to write or come up with something funny on the spot.
19. I believe the two party system is bringing down this country and we need a serious change. There is really no difference in who is running congress. Big money still runs everything.
20. My brother is a sports genius. He knows it too.
21. I hate winter.
22. Summer is too hot.
23. I am knicknamed Yoda by some because apparently I am wise...an I am short...and I look fetching in green.
24. Forgiveness is not an option; it is something you have to do to free yourself of pain. No one (or no one moment owns you) unless you let them.
25. I love New York. It energizes me.
26. But when I am away from the South I miss good tea, southern cooking, and good football.
27. I wish BBC America would show BlackAdder reruns again.
28. Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, and anything with wizards, witches, and elves are called fantasy books...not the truth! You don't have to purchase the book or see the movie.
29. The worst thing is a closed mind.
30. I miss my Patty dog. She got me through some of the worst moments of my life. I would like to get another dog one day but please, don't tell me they are replaceable. Would you just replace your child?
31. I believe Global Warming exists...
32. But laugh my ass off at those morons that drive gas guzzeling SUV's with WWF stickers on them. WTF?
33. WTF means "Where's the Fries."
34. I get along with guys better than gals...probably because I love football so much and detest wearing makeup.
35. But I do like to shop every now and then.
36. Did I mention I want ice cream? From Carvel. Vanilla in a waffle cone bowl and chocolate on top.
37. I think I need a room to just think about what I just wrote!
38. Fall is my favorite season.
39. I hate washing dishes.
40. But I love to cook
41. Food is love. You cook for your loved ones with love. If you are not cooking with love, at least serve take out with love!
42. There is nothing more disturbing then going to a football game where there are South Carolina fans and hearing a 5 year old yelling "Go Cocks!" For those who are not football savy, South Carolina is called The Gamecocks.
43. Office Space (the movie) is closer to reality then fiction.
44. I never, ever want to be in middle management again.
45. I live in the South and I HATE NASCAR. What is so exciting about watching a bunch of guys going around and around and around in a circle...really fast?
46. I also love the San Diego Chargers. The ownership of the Chargers are the only cheapos that would actually hire a head football coach who has a record of losing more games than winning...by around a 20 game margin.
47. I miss the days when Volvo's looked like Volvo's and Saab's looked like Saab's. Now every sedan looks like another version of the Honda Accord.
48. The average American can not afford a house and has to live pay check to pay check. Unfortunately our politicians believe that we are not in a recession. Granted, we have high employment. But people are working at jobs that pay less than the jobs they once had. Or they are working two jobs to make ends meet.
49. Something has to change when a majority of college students are graduating with tons of debt and have to start in jobs that do not even come close to paying off loans.
50. I have a lot of friends, a few good friends, and even fewer best friends. There are 3 people on this earth that know me very well.
51. It's important to treat people the way you want to be treated...
52. And never...ever...in a million years become friends with someone who mistreats waiters, waitresses, or anyone that makes less than they do. It speaks volumes of what they actually value...and it's not you as a person or your friendship.
53. I was once a Republican and now I am Independent. I prefer not to be labeled politically. Besides, both parties are corrupt.
54. My Lord of the Rings name is Laughing Baggins. I love LOTR more than Star Wars actually. I named my car "Shadowfax." Ironically my boyfriend named his CRV "Yoda." Hmmm...might be because it's green?
55. I am an uber nerd. I love movies, books, comics, history, the list is forever...like this list!
56. So Pullman doesn't like Lord of the Rings. Bad for him. Tolkien opened the door for fantasy writers. The movie trilogy opened the door for Pullman's movie to be made. Pullman might be an atheist but I like his books...but not as much as I love Tolkien...
57. Or J.K. Rowling! My hero! And hooray...she admits Dumbledore is gay!
58. You know those big sweaters some women wear during the holidays with trees, ornaments, and stuff on them? They scare me.
59. I am Thuper Ceral people! ManBearPig lives!
60. Hopefully New Line and Peter Jackson will finally make up, make love, and agree to make The Hobbit. And if they so decide, then let me play one of the dwarves or a Hobbit. Look, I am the perfect height so you would not have to used forced perspective on me!
61. I have little time for people that are judgemental. Most of my life I have been judged by my size, appearence, or my family's lack of money. I promise not to judge you for going to Hooters Sunday with your husband that you cheat on after church. God Bless.
62. I read a report that said many Americans do not take all of their vacation time. What are you people, idiots? No life is worth losing your health. Take a break. Besides, no company is worth giving your life for. Chances are they will merge with another company in five years and that project you are working on will never matter.
63. For most of my life I disliked children...then I met Ivan...then I met Britney and Brian. I still do not want to hatch kids but those two are just awesome. They bring out the best in me.
64. Brian is Hokie.
65. Britney is quite possibly going to be our president in 40 years.
66. I have the biggest crush in the world on my boyfriend, partner, significant other, whatever you want to call him...but lets just call him Ivan. How I lucked up and met him, I have no clue. He tolerates my independence and knows what to say to reign me in. He's been through hell and survived. He's on dialysis and he's the bravest person I know. Ivan is also a hell of an artist. And if I brag on him too much, well take a get over it pill.
67. The year I was born. A fitting number to end this list upon...