Really?????

Sometimes at work I get bored. So I look at cincinow.com to look at local news. I have to say a lot of times I come across really silly news stories and wonder why they report certain things. Today I came across the most ridiculous news story I have ever seen in my life. I'll be watching it to see how it plays out as well.

Here is what the news is reporting so far:

"PRICE HILL -- An 11-year-old Price Hill boy is facing an aggravated robbery charge for allegedly holding up a young girl with a plastic gun in order to steal her scooter.The victim is also 11 years-old, according to authorities.The alleged crime happened around 6 p.m. Monday on the 4400 block of Rapid Run Road. Cincinnati Police reportedly found the young boy minutes later with both the scooter and the gun, which they say was very believable.Officials say his crime constitutes aggravated robbery because he wanted the girl to think the gun was real."

OK now I'm no rocket scientist but I think 11 is still considered a CHILD. A child that still may play cops and robbers or whatever children play these days. I know my cousins and I had fake guns growing up. I was a tomboy. We'd play hide and go seek with fake guns and play dead if we got shot; we all turned out fine. Whatever this child's intentions are he obviously doesn't know any better, he just reached double digits for shit's sake. Take him home, give his ass a spanking and be on your way. Charges?? Court system?? Really?!?!?! Who the hell comes up with this crap? Because I would like to have a talk with him see if he every played cowboys and Indians growing up. I guess that's ok though because this is different.

People are on sites talking about how he should be ripped from his home and the parents should be thrown in jail. The child should be given to foster care. WHAT?! It was a scooter, a toy gun, and he's 11. Anyone of these people saying these ridiculous things could have the same thing happen to them. Mom could have bought him a toy gun and he could have seen a car jacking on TV. Same damn thing. I absolutely despise people who act "holier than thou." Drives me batty!!!

This is where tax dollars are going, though? To keep toy guns off the street? The kid might be bad but foster care is going to make him worse. He'd be put in a home with no mom and dad and a bunch of other kids who are bad. All for playing cops and robbers, with a water gun. Sounds like no child left behind to me. Sounds like he's going to be our next Harvard law graduate. Our system sucks, way worse than some kids being kids on a Monday evening.

I'm not excusing what the kid did and I'm not denying that he was out of line. I just don't understand how this world got so far gone. When I was a kid if this would have happened they would have returned the scooter and Billy would have gotten a bad ass spanking and would have been sent to bed. Billy would have known from the look on his mamma's face that he better not never ever ever do nothin' like that ever again in his life. End of story. Now we want to throw Billy in foster care, where most likely he'll never have a chance in hell at making anything out of himself. Then you'll wonder why Billy is climbing through your window with a real gun asking for all your valuables.

Working with Aliens

My job is the epitome of unprofessional. This one went out today from a co-worker..

"Lisa, Emily and Katie could you all please split my spreadsheet since Emily already doing Amy. (Sorry)"

I could hear her giggling at her desk because she wrote Emily is doing Amy. She's 55 years old and that was sent to the floor.

I'm all for being silly and having fun in the office, but sending out an e-mail like this to everyone? In my old department you would have gotten in some kind of trouble for being unprofessional. Not here.

I need a new job.

The cartoon below made me laugh because I really think if you told my boss this, she might actually believe it.

Motherland

I've decided that I am going to do everything I can to save up enough money to go to Ireland next year. It's going to be a graduation present to myself. I've always wanted to go but never thought I would be able to anytime soon. I'm not sure why I thought that. Yes it's going to be expensive but as long as I cut back and save money, why can't I? One thing I have been trying to do lately is to stop convincing myself things aren't possible, when they are. They have amazing deals on traveling there right now and I am hopeful that those same opportunities will be offered this time next year.

I can honestly say I want to go on this trip alone. I know that no one will think it's a good idea and that it's dangerous. I really think I would love the continued silence, in one of the most gorgeous places on this planet. Where my father's family came from. What better way to continue healing? I know I would want to visit pub's though and that might be nice to have someone to go with. I just want to be selfish on this trip. I want to do what I want to do, when I want to do it. No bickering, no frustration, nothing. Just silence. With these as my backdrop...

Grandpa

Paul Whittle

1924-2009

I don't even know where to start with my grandpa. I think the last 15 years of his life he has just been waiting to be reunited with my grandma. In his death I can be happy for him that he will finally get to do that. The last couple years he has been in a nursing home and has had a slight case of dementia. These last couple years with him has been fun. He was always calling everyone sweetie and everyone was his girlfriend. Everyone at the nursing home loved him! A couple of the residents even had crushes on him! Below was last year at Christmas he was showing us his boxing moves before he chowed down on his lunch.

The picture below is from his birthday last year. He and Michelle were giving me a thumbs up for the camera! I absolutely love this picture :o)

Grandpa blowing me a kiss! Every time I said good-bye I would blow a raspberry on his cheek. I have no idea how this tradition started but I had been doing it since I was a little girl.
Giving a wave to the camera.
Today I washed my car for him. He always loved a nice shiny car. I don't care what kind of car it was, if it was nice and clean he liked it. My grandpa always held a soft spot in my heart because I was very attached to my grandma who died when I was only 13. I have countless fond memories of my grandma and grandpa because they always baby sat me as a kid. I used to fake sick when I was in grade school so I could spend the day at my grandparent's house. I remember my grandpa (just as my dad did) telling us stories about monsters trying to scare us until my grandma would come in and save the day. She would always say "Oh, Paul leave those kids alone!"

My grandpa was a great man and lucky him to be with his wonderful wife again. He has lived a long healthy life and I know he's been waiting to go home for some time now. May sound weird but I know he has. I'm sad for him to go as he is my last paternal grandparent but if this thing called heaven is really there I can smile for him.

Love you Grandpa! Say hi to my daddy for me!! :o)

Watching the Dead

I was thinking the other day about watching old home videos. Something that might be really fun and make you laugh as you watch a younger less experienced version of yourself.

I thought about digging out old videos but I have no idea if I would be able to watch my dad on film. Alive. Talking. Laughing. Why does that seem so CREEP-AY to me??? Would I just be torturing myself? Part of me really wants to watch though. Just to remember.

I thought about Bernie Mac. He has a couple children and died at a young age. How do his children cope with that? Do they watch his movies when they miss him?? Listen to his stand-up? Is that a really mean thing to do to yourself?

I guess we'll see. I think I will have to find them and watch, just to remember. I can always press stop.

Bossy

Actual e-mail from my boss to the floor...

"If you would like to bring something in for the party. Amy(<-- me) will be organizing the sign up sheet for the food. She will be taking e-mail request if you do not want to see her."

I don't know why she hates me. I really don't.

Poor Kitty

I had a bad experience last night. I heard something out side hurting a kitty cat. It sounded like it was in pain and my cats were very upset. I tried to stop it but I think I may have been too late. I said a prayer for the kitty face and I hope its ok

Silence

I'm actually quietly and secretly happy about my new predicament. I haven't completely shed myself of a relationship in close to five years. I've always had that weight of trying to love someone who is 10 steps ahead of me. Trying to love a stone wall covered in a barbed wire fence. All of us are different in our own ways but he was far more than just different and he prided himself on this. I always wanted to be the one that this "different" man picked because there were many things that were very special about him. I think I may have been the one that he picked but because this stone wall goes about things in such an odd manner; he is just not the one that I want to pick.

I am however excited to also meet the right one someday. I've been in and out of this "different" relationship so long that I don't even know what to expect from a real one. Sometimes I think about a man that I passed up for my stone wall. Someone who I believe was probably real and true. Who may have been exactly what I was looking for. I try not to pine over it, as all things happen for a reason. I try and remember that if things are meant to be they will. I try to be a bit more spiritual and a lot less hard on myself these days.

So now I have no one to look to. No one to give myself to. Right now that's really ok with me. I love the silence. Last night I actually heard my heart beating. Is that weird? Well I thought it was. I was lying in bed reading and all the sudden I heard what sounded like a heart beat. I had to stop and listen and the sound continued for about 10 seconds. I think it was my heart beat. I'm extremely happy I moved. It's so peaceful and I really couldn't be happier with it. I made the decision not to get cable at this point. Right now pointless ramblings and reality TV cloud my head. I watch a netflix movie here and there and then read my book. Sometimes I draw, and sometimes I just sit.

The silence is healing.

This song makes my heart feel full

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvTwFl6OIAk

It reminds me of sitting on my daddy's couch in the basement while he played his Randy Travis records and a place I'm trying to get to in my life.

I know he'll help me say I told you so.