The Mini Van Soap Box

It’s been a difficult week. The first reason being that I have some strange ailment that even the doctor couldn't exactly pinpoint, so just gave me a heaping of bizarre medications in hopes of killing whatever was currently have a little fiesta in my body. I’m still doing things at about half speed and sound like a patient from the local TB clinic.

The second reason is a bit harder to explain, but I will try to do so, as it may effect what is written on these pages.

Probably about a month ago, my brother in law said in the comment section (paraphrasing) “loving the blogs….laughing my ass off…keep ‘em coming...except for those child neglect posts…”. I could understand that – and do my best to keep it light hearted and good fun. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t still KNOW about the child neglect cases, and all the other ‘cases’ of evil around the world.

Wednesday at around lunch time, a “breaking story” hit the internet, followed by almost every tv station in the country. I’m hoping you’ve seen/heard it – b/c I truly don’t have what it takes to recap it – and honestly – you are better off if you haven't heard it. In a nutshell it involved a three year old girl – a video tape – and the lowest denominator of a human piece of shit in the world. What makes this story different from all the horrible countless ones out there – is they were unsure where the girl was – or who she was . AND there was a picture … a still frame from THE video tape.

I think that’s what did me in. Most of these cases there is no photography – just the words. And sometimes I think it’s easier to set yourself apart from it if you don’t actually SEE it. But there she was on CNN, with a complete vacant look – almost as if she was saying ‘please help me’.

Her face has been burned in my brain for five days now. I haven't closed my eyes once without seeing her, or looked at my own daughter and not thought of this little girl. I have shed more tears for this little nameless girl in five days than when I got laid off from my job many years ago.

There is a ‘somewhat’ good end to the story – and by that I mean the girl has been found “safe”…(we’ll see about that), however the walking excrement hasn’t been found and is “at large”. The police have vowed… “we have long memories – we will not forget about you”. And when they DO find him, I will gladly fly to wherever they need me to cut his balls off with a rusty knife.

The reaction that I had to this has told/taught me a few things about myself over the last few days. Maybe I’m too emotional…Maybe I get attached too easily? Or maybe I’ve just HAD ENOUGH! Whatever the reason may be – I’ve made some decisions.

I’m not going to be a news junkie anymore. If there is something important going on in the world – I need ya’ll to tell me. Maybe that’s the wrong way of going about it – but I think it’s the best way for me to go.

You can never be too safe as a parent – especially these days. The days of “go play outside and come back when it’s dark” are over. We don’t trust anyone – and quite honestly, for good reason. Just recently some daycare workers (I’m unsure of where) thought it was a good idea to shut a baby up b/c he cried so much – so they TAPED the pacifier in his mouth and left him in the bathroom. Another example – a babysitter wanted the baby to stop crying so she submerged his little 18 month old feet in scalding boiling water….

All this effects how I think – how I motivate – and what is constantly entering my head when I slow down. There isn’t a day that my heart does not break for something I CAN’T change, someone I CAN’T help. I have to train myself at night when I get into bed to think of “happy things”, and not convince myself that tomorrow is the day that something truly horrible is going to happen.

So, there it is. I’m done. No more sensational news. No more child neglect stories if I can help it. The weather channel, E! news and “news of the weird” is where I’ll be.

But – to start off the new “no news” me – I would like to introduce to you my child…I don’t often post pictures of her (read all the crap I just wrote as to why)…but I couldn’t pass this one up

The love child of Shawn Cassidy….

We all have our silent (or not so silent) phobias and fears. I, like many people in my family, am not a big fan of flying. At all. I've spoken with some of them about their fears, some came about shortly after 9/11, for some it came after a bad flight. And for some, the fear is so strong that they will not fly at all. My fear came after a short jaunt from Virginia to Florida for my older sisters wedding. I was about 20 or so at the time, and everyone had already gone down for the festivities, but I had to go by myself later, because I couldn't take so much time off of work. I had flown by myself before - and remember not being anxious about it all. However, as I've come to find out - flights to Florida from Virginia are almost always 'a bit bumpy'.

How fortunate I was at that time, and that age, to experience this particular flight by myself. It was more like a roller coaster ride than a flight. About an hour into it - there was pudding and soda dripping from the ceiling of the plane, children clinging to their mothers, rosaries were clutched in the hands of the believers....and 'oh lucky me' - an odd group of CHANTERS sitting behind me. There was no question at the time that I was going to die.

Thankfully, I'm here to type this story today. When we touched down and taxied to our gate - the tears flowing freely from all the passengers (and even some of the crew) we were not ashamed to show - and the hug/death grip that I put on my Aunt who was waiting for me - I'm surprised didn't break her ribs.

So, as I've said - we all have our own little fears. Which brings me to my post for today.

Apparently for 15 year old, Andrei (last name not given at this time) from Urals in Russia is NOT afraid of flying.....AT ALL.

Fleeing from his alcoholic father, and a mother who sides with his father - Andrei ran away from home to a nearby village where his Grandmother lived. Once he got there - he decided to keep going, and hitched his way to the airport.

This is where the story gets really interesting.

Andrei then climbed onto the wing of a Boeing-737 and hung on for an entire 2 hour flight from Perm to Moscow - and survived.

He was found after collapsing on the tarmac at the Moscow airport, his limbs so frozen that they were unable to even remove his jacket.

The Boeing-737 has a cruising speed of roughly 560 miles per hour, and temperatures of almost -60 degrees.......Doctors say it is nothing short of a miracle that this boy survived.

Moscow airport officials at this time are for sure not commenting on this, and have even said "We have no information on this", however Moscow's Air and Water Transport Control Department said this story was true.

Now I've spent enough time at Dulles International Airport to know that it's a fairly busy place. How on earth this kid was able to sneak onto the grounds, climb onto the wing of the plane and not be seen by a soul is pretty weird to me - which is why I seriously debated even writing about this in the first place. However, I did my research this time and have found this story on a few sites (including Yahoo News) and even heard it on the radio on my way home from dropping off at school.

Regardless - even if this holds any truth - my prayers are definitly with this kid as he recovers. I imagine things have to be pretty bad at home to bring someone to hitching a ride on a wing of a plane.

**turns out he was hiding INSIDE the wing of the plane. However, the temperature would still be about the same - however, makes the idea of "clinging" to the wing a little more plausible. A writer that I read often has also found further information that it looks as though there is the possibility that his hands will have to be amputated**

It's a party ya'll - and currently only for one. It's my own private personal pity party.

What I thought started out as allergies - simply because everyone in the world was also having the same problems and complaints, including my husband and child - has turned out to be a full fledged, kick my ass, my head is twelve times too big, can't breathe, cold.

Today is a regularly scheduled day off of work, so while I would usually be busting out the paint cans, joint compound and laser levels, I'm using this day to 'veg'. I still had to get up and take the monster to school this morning, however came straight home and crawled back into bed. I'm surrounded by my only friends at this time - a box of Mucinex DM, Tylenol Sinus, a gallon of water, inhaler, puffs plus, cell phone and, of course, Charlie.









I hate being sick. I can't function. I hate not being able to do the things that I normally do easily - or enjoying the things that I normally find joy in. Things irritate me faster. The sun is too bright - and everything is too loud.

(like I said - Welcome to my pity party)

However, it's times like these, where I am feeling extremely sorry for myself, that I remind myself of a trip my Grandmother took, many years ago, from Seattle to Japan, with two infant children. The 'boat' (and I use that term very loosely) had a strong resemblance to something about the same size as a tug boat. She was violently ill the entire time - had to take care of TWO infants on this trip, and the trip took about 2 MONTHS!

So....there could be worse things.

It doesn't mean that I don't still feel like road kill, but I do know that I could be worse.

I'm glad I have him around to pick up the slack with the kid, and I need to learn to start taking care of myself at the ON SET of getting sick, instead of the other way around.

And I'll end by saying this, this is the first time I've actually turned the tv on for day time programming in a LONG time...And I've just experienced 'The View' for the first time.

I don't like it. There are five women now - and not one can get a word in edge wise. And I feel kind of bad for Elizabeth. She's obviously the ONLY conservative in the group - and just gets pounded...by her 'cast mates'. I know we've all heard/read about all the crap about Rosie and Elizabeth - and I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as it used to be - but it's impossible to find any sense in the non-stop talking of five opinionated women.

It's time for next fix of Tylenol Sinus.

I'm not sure if it's because I've been going non-stop for three days combined with the cold/allergy issue I'm having - but today was the hardest day thus far.

We started off on the wrong foot with her up at 4:00 am...(yes - that's 4 AM) wanting to watch Jo Jo's circus. Damn near impossible to explain to an upset three year old that Jo Jo doesn't come on for another THREE HOURS! So, tears and fights ensued. She eventually calmed down and fell back asleep. However, once I'm up ... I find it difficult to go back to sleep. So, I tossed and turned until about 6:00 where I guess I dozed off for a while - just to get up an hour later.

Dressed and off to school - double big gulp and back home to keep painting. Today's task was the master bedroom. Mostly just painting the master bedroom. The former owners hadn't painted it a horrid color by any means - but almost just an absence of color. This sort of dull gray.... I decided to change to 'green tea'. As stated earlier, I don't know why, but what should have been the easiest room to paint (no taping off, no dueling colors) was the hardest to do. I think mostly because our furniture is ENORMOUS - everything has to be moved away from the walls to give me enough space to work. But because they are so big, and so damn heavy - you don't move them that far - and end up only giving yourself about four inches of work space.

Anyway - it's done. I'm ok with it. I like the COLOR better then what was there before - but now I want to replace the bedspread and all the window treatments... :) (all the furniture and the carpet....)

Bedroom Before:









Bedroom After: (i think i like their picture better....)










I doubt I'll be posting any pictures tomorrow - unless ya'll want a picture of the Shell gas station where I'll be getting my emissions done, or the DMV at Fair Oaks mall.

I've got a cousin in town this weekend - so I imagine we'll be doing our fair share of boozing and chatting. There's football on Sunday - and then back to work on Monday.

But most importantly - Survivor starts tonight. Must see t.v. baby!

As I sit here with beer in hand, listening to Canon in D, I am mentally checking things off in my head that have been accomplished - and those that still need attention. I would say all in all - today was a productive day - albeit filled with many words we would not use in front of the spawn - but productive none the less. I'm downstairs painting and I hear a loud "!?X*#^" from the top level.....Ah...He must be installing the new baby gate at the top of the stairs.

I am happy to report that my craft room is done (mostly). To YOU it will be done because I take pictures far enough away that I hope you can't see where I need to touch the paint up. But for the viewing public - the Mama Craft Room is complete, plus sitting room to boot.

The room before we moved in: (these were photos taken before we even bought the house)










(Whoa - Wait....Music change...The Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor isn't very soothing typing music).

And this is what I did today:



















I'm still a bit unsure of my choices. No one can say I'm afraid of color....But it's reminding me a bit of the Argentina National Flag....








Anyway - I'm happy with it, for now. Basements often become "catch all" spaces for the other rooms. You don't like that bookcase anymore...chuck it in the basement, etc. So, I'm having to work with the furniture that is already down there. The coffee table and end tables are too large for that space (I'm in the process of trying to sell them) - and the picture didn't show the large hunter green chaise lounge on the left side of the room (which doesn't really flow with my Argentina Theme).

He got quite a bit done as well - but not the stuff he wanted to. He's eager to strip my PC for parts now that Charlie has arrived, but one thing or another keeps getting in the way.

So, we're down to only two days left. One of those days has already been claimed for "outside" errands. We still have yet to register our cars to our new town, haven't had an oil change in a decade, and the spawn is about two weeks overdue for her shots (oh joy), so Friday is the day for all that. That being said, I have one more day to transform this house into MY house.

So Stay Tuned.....Ah....Suite No. 3 in D..............................................