Q is for Quit

Don’t you sometimes just want to throw up your arms in the air and say “I quit” in response to seeing yet another idiotic statement. I know I do.  I read stupid comments or stories about why gay people shouldn’t be allowed to get married, why we shouldn’t regulate gun purchases, why students are told stupid, non-scientific statements about birth control, or at any number of conspiracies surrounding the Newtown shootings or stupid jokes about banning bombs or pressure cookers. I can’t tell you how fed up I am at all of this.

For marriage equality – and that is what it is, an equality issue – I guess I just don’t get it. How does another couple’s marriage hurt you in any way. Maybe if we promoted more love in this world then we wouldn’t have the violence that we have.  This is an equal rights issue. If two consenting adults want to get married, why shouldn’t they be able to? The statement that we shouldn’t redefine marriage bothers me a great deal considering marriage has evolved quite a bit over the centuries.

For the gun control issues –  I was looking at my Facebook feed today and saw this posted by a family member.

Below that another family member says in response “You will soon need a permit to purchase a pressure cooker.”

UGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

First – I feel the need to point out that the misspelled “miss spell” – on purpose or not?

Second, someone please tell me what is wrong with background checks? From what I hear, 90% of Americans agree that background checks are acceptable and could potentially stop some incidents from happening. If that even has the slightest potential of being true, shouldn’t we do so? I am so angry with the Senate right now for voting down something that a very clear majority of Americans approve of.

After all we have seat belt laws because it can potentially save lives though it doesn’t always. We regulate the food industry so not everyone has food poisoning but sometimes people do  We require people to go the speed limit to prevent deaths though people routinely don’t follow that one.  I could think of many other examples. The same could be said of background checks. It isn’t perfect but it could help.

The difference between pencils, cars, spoons versus guns is that the purpose of the first three is not to kill, but to write, drive, and eat respectively. Guns ONLY purpose is to kill. This is why this whole guns don’t kill people, people do argument drives me crazy.

And the joke that pressure cookers will need a permit or that bombs will be banned (as I’ve seen another say) is aggravating.  The government does regulate explosives. Just like the above, it may not stop everything but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have those regulations.

For the students that were told that if you use birth control that your parents hate you. I am just speechless on that news story.

And finally, my thoughts and prayers are sent out to the people of West, Texas who suffered a horrible tragedy on Wednesday. This plant had some violations recently too.

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

N is for Not Again and O is for Outlandish

As predicted, I am a bit behind in my posts.

I thought I would put these posts together as they go together in my head.

We have all heard the horrible news about the bombings in Boston at the Boston Marathon. My first reaction was – who does something like this? Why would someone think this was an answer to their problems? Then I heard about the death of an 8-year-old. All of the deaths are horrible, but it just hurts that much more when a child is killed. What did any of those people there do to you? I never get that. The people were there for a celebratory event – they didn’t do anything to provoke this type of hatred.

The N is Not Again because please not again do we have to deal with this type of event. I remember the morning of 9/11 clearly. I remember hearing about the Newtown shootings all too clearly – in fact, that event is always on my mind with my twins being around the same age as the children that were killed so maliciously. I don’t know anybody personally that were hurt doing any of these events but I feel them deeply and I hurt for those who lost someone. I hurt for the children as the moment they left this earth had to be the scariest moment of their lives – of anyone’s lives really. I cannot possibly imagine what it is like to lose a child. I hope I never have to find that out. I don’t understand this world. Sure, I get annoyed at drivers and politicians and co-workers and friends and family members and any number of things, but I certainly wouldn’t do anything purposefully to harm another. No matter how much I may disagree with them.

Then we come to “O” for Outlandish. First, I hear the question asked of Governor Patrick of MA at the news conference the other day asking “Why were the loudspeakers telling people in the audience to be calm moments before the bombs went off? Is this another false flag staged attack to take our civil liberties and promote homeland security while sticking their hands down our pants on the streets?” Wow, really? I don’t get people. Even if the government wanted to take our civil liberties away, I don’t believe for a second that they would kill and maim innocent people just for showing up to a race. People are certainly crazy as evidenced by people sharing conspiracy videos and pictures on Facebook showing the principal of the Newtown school also being killed in Boston (instead of it being human error, it’s a conspiracy!) or videos showing Facebook pages set up before the event offering thoughts and prayers to the victims. I believe on Snopes somewhere they addressed this very issue after the Newtown massacre. People can manipulate dates on things easily.

 

Second, I hear the statement/joke about “oh, we better ban bombs now. oh wait” as a comeback from the people who think the government want to ban guns. The government doesn’t want to ban guns – maybe assault rifles because who seriously needs one of those – but that’s all. They want to be able to regulate the gun laws already on the books that the NRA had somehow got politicians to add items to other bills to make it difficult to do so and they want background checks. What is wrong with that? They say that people will continue to be hurt by guns so why bother with any laws, but these laws could potentially prevent some events so shouldn’t we at least try? What is wrong with trying? We tell people to wear their seat belt not because it will save everyone, but because it could potentially save a good number of people. We tell people to drive the speed limit for the same reason. It may not prevent every incident out there, but if it could, I think we should try.

(Note – the above was written in a really hasty, rushed way so it isn’t as coherent as I would like it to be. If I had more time, I’d actually research things a bit more.)

Read Full Post »

L is for Lost

That was the first word that popped into my head so Lost it is.

Lost, the TV show or just feeling lost? Probably both.

I enjoyed the tv show – that show had a way of making me want to learn more. Like if they showed a book, I had to know what it was about and why they would show it on the show.

I also feeling a bit lost – as in, how in the world am I going to get done all I need to get done in a 40 hour work week and at home? How? I don’t even know where to begin. Sigh.

That’s all I have time for today. Maybe I’ll have the M post up on time on Monday, but I’m thinking probably not.

Read Full Post »

I is for Irritation

It seems like a few of my posts have been negative. I guess I’m going through a negative phase or something. I promise tomorrow’s will be more joyful. 😀

Today’s irritation (and well, this irritation is an ongoing one) is my vanpool. Specifically, one of the two couples in my vanpool. They are always forcing people to become drivers of our 12 person van and will say that we shouldn’t let others join the van if they aren’t willing/able to become a driver. I do not want to drive this monstrosity and I had an accident a couple years ago so that might prevent me for doing so for another year, but I went ahead and applied again to see if Metro would accept me. The reason I don’t want to drive it is because it is huge. I can handle a minivan but not a 12 person van and do you really want someone who is uncomfortable driving the thing to actually drive it? I wouldn’t.

Anyway, I’m currently awaiting to see if I’ll be accepted and if I am, I hope that this couple will shut up about it because they are really irritating. If I didn’t live so far from work (28 miles each way), I’d drive myself to work because I really can’t stand this couple. They’ve already forced someone out of our van because of their rudeness.

Alright, onto more happier topics.

Read Full Post »

G is for Good

Every day someone will inevitably ask you ” how are you doing today?” and you’ll probably answer “I’m good” or “I’m fine” because even if that isn’t the case, most people you talk to don’t want to hear how you’re really doing.

Like I’m tired, anxious about work and raising my children, worried about getting my youngest son potty trained and to stay in his bed at night, wondering if I should be making a better effort in finding a better job, I really should call Comcast about our bill, worried about the future might hold for my mom and her cancer treatments, should I do anything for my 4oth this year because it seems like no one really wants to do anything with me anyway, how am I going to finish that book club book and all those other books I have to read (there is no time) and it goes on and on and on. So we just say fine or good because people don’t really want to know. They are just trying to be polite, as are we when we ask.

Read Full Post »

A to Z Challenge – W is for Washington

Washington.  Washington is a beautiful state to live in – well, more so the west coast of it (sorry Easterners!). I was born in Spokane, WA, where my family is today, but I didn’t really grow up there. We moved around a bit because of my dad being in the air force throughout that time (we lived in Alaska, Texas and Florida though I only really remember Texas). We  were briefly in Spokane when I was in first grade and came back when I started high school.

After going to Spokane Falls Community College for 2 years, I transferred to University of Washington. I was hooked. Seattle is beautiful. We have mountains off all around us with Mount Rainier to the south of us. On a clear day, I can see its beauty going across I-90 when going to and from work. We then have the Puget Sound and Lake Washington surrounding us. Just pretty! Then there’s Greenlake to walk around.  I can go on and on about places to see in Seattle (Fremont Troll, Seattle Center with the Space Needle, Woodland Park Zoo, Alki Beach, and our favorite (because it is close to us ), Richmond Beach Park, etc.).

Seattle is known for raining and while it does rain a lot, on a sunny day – it is spectacular to live here. The temperature is just right for me most of the time. Not too much snow and not too much heat. Perfect.

Spokane is nice too – Riverfront Park is really nice. And there are many beautiful places to look at along I-90 (Snoqualmie Falls) and other highways in WA – especially the North Cascades Highway. Then, of course, there is Leavenworth! Then down south is Mount St. Helens (I lived in Spokane at the time of the eruption in 1980 – we had TONS of ash) and Vancouver (just a bridge away from Portland, OR).

How about you? Have you been to Washington? What beautiful places are there where you live that I absolutely must visit when I come there?

Read Full Post »

A to Z Challenge – S is for Social Media

Social Media. It seems that mostly everyone is on Facebook these days. That site can really suck me in! That and the book sites Netgalley and LibraryThing. If I’m not reading or at work, I’m on Facebook. What sites seem to suck you in?

You can find It’s All About Me on Facebook off to the right!

I’m also on Twitter @heathercim.

You can also find me on Goodreads – Heathercim

See you there!

 

Read Full Post »

A to Z Challenge – April 2012

The challenge is to write a blog started with each letter on each day of the month of April excluding Sundays. We’ll see how I do.

Do you have any suggestions on what I could blog about during this month?

Read Full Post »

Just some topics on my mind

It’s annoying (and sometimes hurtful – depending on the person and topic) when I send an e-mail to someone – whether a person I know or a government agency – and I never get a response though the e-mail is asking for a response and I know they’ve read my message.

I must be tired if I go into the restroom and I nearly fall asleep. Is the famous 2nd trimester burst of energy here yet? I honestly don’t know how much longer I can function like this. I told Jon last night that I can’t do this – I can’t take care of twin toddlers and be pregnant at the same time – it’s too draining. How do others do it? How in the world did Angelina do it? Sure, she probably had help from nannies, but still – she was a mother of 4 already! Trina – how in the world did you do it? You didn’t have nanny help. Any other mothers want to share their stories?

One day at a WW meeting someone mentioned that a certain store was selling Popchips – they were supposed to be healthy for you and they tasted good. Well, the next time I was at that certain store, I bought some and they were the yum! So I wanted to get some more when I ran out and there were no more to be had and they didn’t seem to think they should order more! So sad. I can find a teeny tiny bag at the grocery store, but I liked the bigger bag I got at this store. They must bring back Popchips!

Read Full Post »

Dates and Parks

We started out our weekend by going to a friend’s house after Ben & Ella went to bed (mother-in-law stayed with them). We got there about 9 and left about 10. I was seriously tired and it was way past my bed time but I felt like I hadn’t seen anyone in forever. We actually left the house about the time I go to bed these days.

Saturday, Jon and I went on a lunch date and spent his gift card he got to UVillage on the lunch and some goodies at B&N. I got a couple books, Jon got a CD, and we got our children a book – they love the puzzle pieces that were inside the book – they were big eggs. Great for putting into their mouth and fighting over. Later on that day, we just spent some time playing outside on the deck and on the playset we got for the kids. Benjamin decided to climb up to the slide and go down headfirst. That boy is becoming more daring as he grows older. He is starting to walk and will just let go of whatever he’s holding onto and walk toward someone without them realizing what he’s doing until he falls into their laps. He thinks it is hilarious. He has been great progress in his walking abilities so I don’t think it will be too long before he’ll be walking on his own.

Ella has also learned a new word – outside. She will stand by our french doors and yell loudly with something that sounds like outside. She will bring you her shoes for you to put on her so she can go outside. She will give you her shoes, sit down in your lap and wait for you to put on her shoes. It’s rather cute.

Oh, before Jon and I went on our date, I went over to a certain store while Ben & Ella were napping so I could get some baby stuff, but most importantly, so I could get the 4th book in the Twilight series (it was cheaper at this place than anywhere else I had seen). I walk directly to the books (well, there was a minor stop in the clothing section and I picked up a couple $10 shirts – what a deal!), and went to the endcap thinking that’s where the book would be since it just came out that day. There were none. I thought – there is no way that all 250 copies (I checked) would be gone already, but I couldn’t find them. Turns out – they were over in the “young adult” section. Phew! (I checked this morning and as of this morning, 39 were left at this particular store with more on the way).

Anywho, on Sunday, we decided to not take Ben & Ella to the Blue Angels show this year. Maybe next year, we will take them when Jon’s mom offered to watch the new baby for us (funny that when she said that I had kinda forgotten I was pregnant – I don’t know when it will sink in). Later that day, we did meet some friends at a nearby park and had some fun there. I guess when Jon and Ella were down on one of the baseball fields, Ella thought she would pretend she was Lou Piniella by trying (though Lou succeeded) to pull up 1st base – she got rather frustrated trying to do that. Benjamin walked between Kelly and I – he thought that was great fun.

Read Full Post »