About three months ago the man child decided to become a vegetarian after watching a video on YouTube.  (I hate that freaking site)  The man child who knows everything and doesn't need to take any advice from the old people.  The same one who came storming into the house after school last week, completely panicked because he has dropped 30lbs. off his benchpress weight.  My reply to this?  "What did you think would happen to your muscle mass when you decided to live on peanutbutter sandwiches and lettuce?  Now will you listen to me?"

This provided a very rare situation.  The two of us out together, voluntarily.  It amazes me that everything I've been saying to him was ridiculous until it was repeated  by the chick in the GNC.  It had to be true coming from her.  After all, she had on a fancy nametag and used bigger words than, "No protein, no muscles, dude."

I had fun hanging out with him and running errands.  During one of them, he made a comment about something we were buying and why the woman behind the counter seemed to be more trusting of me than him.  At first I sugarcoated it by saying that it was obviously because I'm an older person, blah blah blah.  He wasn't convinced that was it, so I just admitted that maybe he looked like someone who would shoplift.

He was extremely offended.  I explained that maybe because he was a teenaged boy with an earring, a lip ring, a dark t-shirt with the name of a punk rock band splashed across the front, and shoes with fake fur on them, he might give off the impression of being a little rebellious punk.

He launched into this tirade about how unfair it was to judge him by his appearance.  After all, he's a straight A student who plays football, never breaks curfew, doesn't drink or smoke, or cause trouble of any other kind.

I countered with the statement that obviously it's wrong to judge someone without knowing them first, but to think we all aren't judged by our appearances is ridiculous.  How else are you going to develop an opinion of a total stranger you're going to spend no more than a couple minutes with if not by the impression they give you with their appearance?  A sales clerk in a store isn't going to spend enough time talking with you in order to find out your thoughts and attitudes.  Unfortunately they're left with nothing other than how you look... how you're dressed and possibly whether or not you're a polite person.  It isn't right, but that doesn't keep it from happening.

So I went back to the words he's heard from me so many times I'm sure he has nightmares about them.  I told him that we've allowed him to be his own person with his personal tastes and styles.  We want him to make the statements that are important to him.  But if he feels he's man enough to make bold statements, he has to be adult enough to deal with the fact not everyone is going to understand what he's saying.

That got a grunt and an eyeroll.

Then, not ten minutes later, we pass a kid with the waistband of his jeans almost down to his knees, a nasty baseball cap turned backwards, and untied sneakers with the strings flopping on the floor as he walked.  He was walking all cocky and looked like he'd probably be a little smartass.  Man child makes a comment to that fact, sort off-handedly.  Something about the "tough guy". 

I stopped in the middle of the aisle and just looked at him with my mouth on the floor.  I said, "Did you see what you just did?"  He was obviously confused.  When I pointed out that he had just proven the point of my unwanted, unappreciated lecture, the look that washed over his face will be something I'll remember with great joy for the rest of my life.

The point is, he's learning life's lessons.  Sometimes he even pays attention.  That should make me feel good, but it scares me to death.  He's almost a man.  Soon enough he won't have to ask permission to do things his way.  It's a cold world out there.  Even believing you've done your best just doesn't make a parent feel any better, does it? 

I'm so proud of him.  He's a strong intelligent person.  He has great values and a heart of gold.  He's turned into a confident individual completely comfortable in who he is.  That makes me so happy.  But I know all too well how quickly the world can take your strength, confidence, and individuality and spank your ass with it all.  It's not a hurts so good kind of feeling, either. 

There's no way to protect them from that without convincing them to conform and be what the world wants them to be, is there.  I admit that sometimes a tiny voice in my head whispers the wish that he'd do just that, but I know in my heart how disappointed I'd be if he caved in and became fake.

So what's my plan?  He's thinking about staying home and going to school locally.  How many years can you stay in school, anyway?  How many degrees can one person get in a lifetime?  I'm thinking he should stay right here and find out.

Before I write this, let me say, I'm sorry.  It's just that I need to share the first thing that has made me laugh in days.  Just let me say that the truth is, I may not be registered a Democrat, but if we were sitting and having coffee right now, you'd probably find that I have more than a few Democratic opinions.  There are very few things I disagree with in that party, it's just that those things are so important to me, my convictions will not allow me to align myself with them.  I'm a girl, my emotions are important.  Duh.

Having said that, to wake up to news spots on the upcoming Democratic convention in Colorado directly followed by tornados hitting Colorado, I'm sorry.  I laughed.  I know having a tornado in your state is not funny.  I've had several in the past year or so.  Someone, (Norman, probably) tell me how often a tornado hits Colorado.  Isn't part of it actually in Tornado Alley?  (I'm not giggling, I swear)  Oh and just so you know, even if it had been the Republican convention, I'd have still laughed at the back to back news stories.

Okay, on to more serious things.  Normally I'm extremely intimidated by my lack of spelling ability.  So I second guessed myself on the plural form of "tornado".  When I flipped over to the online Webster, I saw that it's acceptable with or with the "e", and it sort of pissed me off.  Everything is so wishy-washy these days. 

Am I rambling incoherently?  Absolutely.  I had the weekend from hell.  It ended on the upswing, but there were parts that were truly truly the most miserable moments I've had in a very long time.  However, let's just say there's very little in life a hysterical breakdown with a sledge hammer in your hand cannot fix.

The end result?  I have a new working fridge, and the fucker fits into the proper space.

Still no rain or cool air.  Still too hot to sleep at night.  So it should be obvious why I may sound on the verge of needing some couch time and a spot on Oprah.  We have fans, and they keep us cool enough to sleep, but the noise is driving me crazy.

So Monday is starting off with a real bang.  If I can get everyone out of the house without hurting any of them, things will be looking up early!  But let's not get our hopes up just yet.  It's just now time to wake them up.  Let's hope they wake up feeling better than I did.

Cross your dang fingers... for the sake of the children.  Here we go...

I don't post on Saturdays very often, but it's quiet here, and I don't really want to get up and be mobile just yet.  Not that I intend to do very much at all today, anyway.  The central air unit is out on the main floor so it's going to get really miserable here in another couple hours.  Of course, being my air unit, the thing that broke is a factory part and won't be delivered until sometime next week so I have to suffer until then.  And obviously it would happen during a very hot humid stretch of weather.  We're begging for rain while everyone else swims away.  C'est la vie.

I'm watching cartoons.  I still put the tv channel on a cartoon on Saturday mornings.  I can't help myself.  It's hard to find a funny one, though.  These days they're all educational.  I used to think that was a good idea, but now I realize it's just plain boring.  Why can't our kids grow up with Tom and Jerry?

I do have something I have to do today.  I have deadlines.  More personal ones than anything, but if I can't meet these, then my desire to begin to use my craft for occasional profit are pretty much pipe dreams.  You see this square? 

I know the detail isn't very clear in this picture.  It's just so much easier to take the pic with my phone and then email it to myself.

Also, it's not easy to see unless you do this sort of thing, but those are small stitches which means extra work. 

I have nineteen more of those to make... today.  Then I have to get it off in the mail early next week.  I'd like to have it finished and ready to go by Monday.  We'll see if I'm good enough.

I wish the colors were better.  Might have been better if I'd taken the picture in better light.  Pastels are hard to see, but they're very pretty greens and blues on the border rounds.  Maybe once the blanket is finished, I'll post a nice picture of the entire thing.  

That's what I intend to do with my Saturday.  After I figure out what to do about the dying fridge, that is.  Yes, not only is the air conditioning out but so is the fridge.  If I believed in reincarnation, right now I'd be wondering just what kind of evil bitch I was in my former life to deserve all this.  As it stands, if I asked my deacon daddy, he'd say it's because I'm not going to church or praying regularly.  My thoughts?  I think it's just plain ole everyday life and my short attention span that causes me to neglect normal upkeep on things around my house.  Plain and simple.

Either way, I may just blow it all off, pack up the kids, and take them and my crochet bag to the park.  Although I won't do that until this evening.  It's too hot outside during the early afternoon.  The kids would probably end up with heat strokes in this.  The big old dark house doesn't get unbearable, so we'll wait it out until this evening... maybe play in the water or something.

Right now I'm going back to my cartoons and coffee.  Where's an episode of "Pinky and the Brain" when you need it?