"Save Time...See It My Way!" (or something like it) - Lucy Van Pelt
I wish if I were to ever run for the Presidency that she'd be my running mate. Then again, she'd probably want the job herself. So much for that.
It never fails to amaze me how the claws come out for Presidential campaigns. Heaven forbid this be a dignified and emotionally Vulcan-ish process. It can bring out the best and the worst in people who are running the campaigns. And the candidates get caught up too...
(insert failed rimshot here)
Things like this turn decent, hard-working, singularly intelligent people into stark-raving lunatics, be they blustering neocons or bleeding heart left wingers, all pleading their candidate's case and not even beginning to try and comprehend another's (gasp!) differing point of view. Mainly because they are too busy shoving ideology and dogma down the seemingly unable-to-decide-block's collective gullet. Well, just because I consider myself a political mutt (3/4 Libertarian, 1/4 Democrat who is pro-death penalty and with an "if guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns" outlook on firearms) and have not declared a political affiliation on my voter registration card does NOT mean I am undecided and therefore am in need of your regurgitation of the party line. Pardon me if I don't identify myself in terms of black and white, or red and blue as the case may be. I am not the wishy-washy fencesitter you would like for me to be so you can proselytize and evangelize while fully enraptured on my front porch. Quite frankly, I am sick of it and am so over you. And don't give me that shit about how the First Amendment guarantees you your right to do it. It also guarantees my right to free speech by slamming the door in your face (and with any luck damaging some toes or a nose that got a little too far in the doorway - screw you, you had it coming anyway).
And the internet has only served to exacerbate this even more. I cannot log on to a personal-interest forum of any sort without seeing a thread or five dedicated to the sycophants of the two-party system, and then watch from my PC screen those that were the best of internet friends rip each other to shreds over the fact that one supports the opposite candidate from the other and spews political opinion that is 180 degrees away from the other. Why can't you understand what I'm saying?, Why can't you see what I see, Why can't you just save time and see it my way?
It sickens me. Unfortunately, it's not as easy to tune it out on the internet. Sure I could just turn my machine off or stop frequenting my web favorites, but that's like cutting off your nose to spite your face. There's a proper time, place, and context for these types of things. It's just not in my Yahoo or Myspace groups that pertain to being a mom and commiserating with other moms about 3-year-old tantrums and 8-month-old diaper disaster war stories, or in my Star Wars BB forum, or my e-mail box attached to yet another edition of those utterly addictive LOLcats. And if I felt the need to educate myself on all viable candidates, I would do so myself. You know, without the help of a narrow-minded zealot. No, really, I'm fine, I don't need your assistance to figure this out.
"Read between the lines/criticize the words they're selling/
Think for yourself/and feel the walls/become sand beneath your feet."
- Queensryche, Anybody Listening?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Embracing My Inner Gaming Wench
So, me and B dropped the kids off with Grandma and Grandpa and took a long weekend in Indy, attending GenCon. For those of you unfamiliar with it, GC is the biggest gaming convention in the world. Gaming as in Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and anything else that would appeal to a predominantly (but certainly not exclusive) male audience that isn't, shall we say, athletically and/or socially inclined but very intelligent. In short, a geek. Contrary to popular belief, geeks come in all shapes, sizes, genders, colors, ages, and backgrounds, and are quite friendly once you get to know them. However, the stereotypical socially awkward physically unattractive young man who still lives at home is still quite prevalent.
I decided to start out by easing into things with a couple of seminars that piqued my interest, Gender in Gaming and Women in Gaming. I learned a great deal and was able to share my experiences with those present and it just energized me to the point I decided to take the plunge, going from "the gal that played because her significant other plays" and find my own inner girl geek and open her eyes to what B has known for a long time.
As I hinted at earlier, the main demographic for this kind of thing is male. And strange things can happen when (gasp!) a girl comes to the male-dominated table for the first time, especially if she's not just the GameMaster's Flavor of the Week (these guys actually DATE? Gee who knew?) and actually has an idea of what she's doing. We ladies can be treated with curiosity, annoyance, even downright hostility. It is not too often that the guys will treat a first-time gal at the table with respect and look at her as an equal. But that is changing. Just as the Women's Lib movement started change in the realms of working outside the home and reshaping women's role in society, the winds of change are beginning to blow in the gaming world. At GenCon this year, approximately one in five attendees were of the female gender. I remember a time around 2000 when I used to go to the MTG prerelease tournaments in Indy, with B and our group of hubby and wife friends. Me and the other two gals from our group would be the ONLY women in a sea of about 300 or so guys. And we felt like we were a sideshow act on display with those brave enough to even come up to us (they're pretty timid to begin with) and marvel at our mere presence there.
Then there's not only the matter of a lack of girl power in the player community. The way that female characters are portrayed is a whole 'nother issue. As much as I can identify with a female character I have created, the only type of woman portrayed in artist illustrations is one with a body that could have leapt off the pages of Playboy or straight out of WWE Monday Night Raw. We ladies understand that yes, it's the nature of the beast if you will, but how's about some variety? How's about some more beefcake to go with the cheesecake? Or a more prominent portrayal of women in full plate armor rather than chainmail bikinis?
Anyhoo, I managed to have a great time at GC with B. There's much more to it than just the games I mentioned. We picked up some new games that are more tilted to the "beer and pretzels" set that we both enjoyed while down there. And I learned more about my own gaming preferences as I opened myself up to what was there. Most importantly, I have a newfound sense of pride in being a girl gamer.
I decided to start out by easing into things with a couple of seminars that piqued my interest, Gender in Gaming and Women in Gaming. I learned a great deal and was able to share my experiences with those present and it just energized me to the point I decided to take the plunge, going from "the gal that played because her significant other plays" and find my own inner girl geek and open her eyes to what B has known for a long time.
As I hinted at earlier, the main demographic for this kind of thing is male. And strange things can happen when (gasp!) a girl comes to the male-dominated table for the first time, especially if she's not just the GameMaster's Flavor of the Week (these guys actually DATE? Gee who knew?) and actually has an idea of what she's doing. We ladies can be treated with curiosity, annoyance, even downright hostility. It is not too often that the guys will treat a first-time gal at the table with respect and look at her as an equal. But that is changing. Just as the Women's Lib movement started change in the realms of working outside the home and reshaping women's role in society, the winds of change are beginning to blow in the gaming world. At GenCon this year, approximately one in five attendees were of the female gender. I remember a time around 2000 when I used to go to the MTG prerelease tournaments in Indy, with B and our group of hubby and wife friends. Me and the other two gals from our group would be the ONLY women in a sea of about 300 or so guys. And we felt like we were a sideshow act on display with those brave enough to even come up to us (they're pretty timid to begin with) and marvel at our mere presence there.
Then there's not only the matter of a lack of girl power in the player community. The way that female characters are portrayed is a whole 'nother issue. As much as I can identify with a female character I have created, the only type of woman portrayed in artist illustrations is one with a body that could have leapt off the pages of Playboy or straight out of WWE Monday Night Raw. We ladies understand that yes, it's the nature of the beast if you will, but how's about some variety? How's about some more beefcake to go with the cheesecake? Or a more prominent portrayal of women in full plate armor rather than chainmail bikinis?
Anyhoo, I managed to have a great time at GC with B. There's much more to it than just the games I mentioned. We picked up some new games that are more tilted to the "beer and pretzels" set that we both enjoyed while down there. And I learned more about my own gaming preferences as I opened myself up to what was there. Most importantly, I have a newfound sense of pride in being a girl gamer.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Good Mamas Go To Heaven, Drama Mamas Go Everywhere
I have enjoyed getting to know the gals in my moms groups, and all of the differing personalities therein. It's probably the most I've ever used that degree in psychology I picked up while on the 10 year plan in college. But the one thing I've noticed is that the gals who have things of interest in their lives, be it some sort of custodial drama or frequent travel or money's tight or great stories of college escapades, those gals have made for some of the absolute funnest times I've had. I certainly hope I've not been a stick in the mud, given my own soap opera of a job sitch. But those whose lives are thankfully very status quo, hangouts are definitely more mellow and low-key. Not that that's a bad thing at all, one most certainly needs some mellow to balance things out. If everyone were the same, that would just make life boring. But I just can't help but size up how us mamas do things, and I realize that I'm a fairly odd duck.
As if you couldn't already tell from the blog's title, I'm just not an average soccer mom; no McMansion in the burbs, no upwardly mobile six figure income, and I sure as hell cannot afford to send the kids to the Ritz Carlton/Harvard U. daycare while I plan the monthly book club dinner party/charity event for the hubby's professional association. I don't even own a minivan fer christs sake. Nope, I haul my kids around in a red Pontiac Vibe (ok ok so it's a station wagon, sue me) with the Lacuna Coil or Queensryche or White Zombie wafting out of the CD player instead of The Wiggles or Kidz Bop (I'd like to Bop them alright, multiple times over the head with a blunt object...). And I work full-time for a paycheck, as does the hubby. And our home is a small ranch on a slab. And it's MESSY!!!! The maid never made it across the border I'm afraid, all that pesky Border Patrol and such. And the kids go to the cheaper in-home daycare but are loved and nurtured just the same as they would be in the expensive ones. And I am gleeful about all of it.
Viva la difference!!
I also no longer believe in such a thing a "drama free mama." If you claim you have no drama in your life, and that things are hunky-dory, you are lying through those perfectly straightened and laser-whitened teeth of yours. Even if it's just the dog barfing on the berber in the front room, or you forgot to replace the amateur sex film you and hubby shot that was still in the DVD player and hit play thinking it was your kid's Barbie movie, it still counts as drama.
As if you couldn't already tell from the blog's title, I'm just not an average soccer mom; no McMansion in the burbs, no upwardly mobile six figure income, and I sure as hell cannot afford to send the kids to the Ritz Carlton/Harvard U. daycare while I plan the monthly book club dinner party/charity event for the hubby's professional association. I don't even own a minivan fer christs sake. Nope, I haul my kids around in a red Pontiac Vibe (ok ok so it's a station wagon, sue me) with the Lacuna Coil or Queensryche or White Zombie wafting out of the CD player instead of The Wiggles or Kidz Bop (I'd like to Bop them alright, multiple times over the head with a blunt object...). And I work full-time for a paycheck, as does the hubby. And our home is a small ranch on a slab. And it's MESSY!!!! The maid never made it across the border I'm afraid, all that pesky Border Patrol and such. And the kids go to the cheaper in-home daycare but are loved and nurtured just the same as they would be in the expensive ones. And I am gleeful about all of it.
Viva la difference!!
I also no longer believe in such a thing a "drama free mama." If you claim you have no drama in your life, and that things are hunky-dory, you are lying through those perfectly straightened and laser-whitened teeth of yours. Even if it's just the dog barfing on the berber in the front room, or you forgot to replace the amateur sex film you and hubby shot that was still in the DVD player and hit play thinking it was your kid's Barbie movie, it still counts as drama.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Payback's a Bitch and She's Covered in Cheese
So, the whole trying to get G to eat her veggies thing isn't working. Me and B are fairly picky eaters, him moreso than me. He had an infamous run-in with peas when he was about 7. His mom said he couldn't get up from the table til he ate them. He slept at the table that night, peas still untouched. Next morning his mom says, get up it's time for school. "But mom I still didn't finish my peas so I can't leave the table to go to school..." I think there was a spanking involved afterward.
We all happened to go to the grocery store together and talked about them with her. She indicated she would eat veggies if they had shakey cheese (parmesan) on them. GREAT!!! We pick up two cans of it and tons of veggies. I was making S's baby food anyway so it was a good excuse.
Fast forward to last night. Sausage and bell peppers/onions for dinner with a bit of rice. We put a small piece of red bell on G's plate. Put the shakey cheese on it. She takes it to her mouth...and proceeds to suck the cheese off of it while somehow avoiding actually chewing and swallowing the pepper itself. We try everything to get her to digest it. Bribery, removal of privileges, time-outs, you name it. Nope, not happening. Fer cryin' out loud it's not like it's a bitter vegetable. I intentionally picked a sweeter veg so she wouldn't be so stubborn in fighting us. This went on for the better part of an hour. Finally we gave up but told here nothing else for the rest of the night (she got a fruit bar and a bit of milk at bedtime, we're not that heartless just yet).
It drives me nuts to hear about kids not being picky and eating whatever is put in front of them, and happily I might add, and how fucking SMUG their parents are over it. You don't hear them going "Oh we had such a struggle with her not eating her organically grown free range babymicroarugulasprouts." These people obviously don't live with the rest of us regular Joes who have nightly battles at the dinner table over carrots. It took forever for G just to eat frikin mac n cheese, the staple of toddlers everywhere!! She loves fruit, meat, and dairy but oh the travails when a green bean enters her field of vision. And there's nothing we as parents can say about it, because we inflicted the same thing on our moms and their cooking.
We all happened to go to the grocery store together and talked about them with her. She indicated she would eat veggies if they had shakey cheese (parmesan) on them. GREAT!!! We pick up two cans of it and tons of veggies. I was making S's baby food anyway so it was a good excuse.
Fast forward to last night. Sausage and bell peppers/onions for dinner with a bit of rice. We put a small piece of red bell on G's plate. Put the shakey cheese on it. She takes it to her mouth...and proceeds to suck the cheese off of it while somehow avoiding actually chewing and swallowing the pepper itself. We try everything to get her to digest it. Bribery, removal of privileges, time-outs, you name it. Nope, not happening. Fer cryin' out loud it's not like it's a bitter vegetable. I intentionally picked a sweeter veg so she wouldn't be so stubborn in fighting us. This went on for the better part of an hour. Finally we gave up but told here nothing else for the rest of the night (she got a fruit bar and a bit of milk at bedtime, we're not that heartless just yet).
Of course, when either me or B talk to our moms about this, all they do is smile and laugh. And remind us of how picky we were at that age, and older. Yeah, thanks, whole lotta good you two are for sympathy...sheesh...
It drives me nuts to hear about kids not being picky and eating whatever is put in front of them, and happily I might add, and how fucking SMUG their parents are over it. You don't hear them going "Oh we had such a struggle with her not eating her organically grown free range babymicroarugulasprouts." These people obviously don't live with the rest of us regular Joes who have nightly battles at the dinner table over carrots. It took forever for G just to eat frikin mac n cheese, the staple of toddlers everywhere!! She loves fruit, meat, and dairy but oh the travails when a green bean enters her field of vision. And there's nothing we as parents can say about it, because we inflicted the same thing on our moms and their cooking.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Sex, Motherhood, and Rock-n-Roll
Welcome to the inaugural installment of SMR!! I'm going to try this out and see if this is something I can keep up with. Always wanted to blog but never felt I had much to say so let's throw this on the wall and see if it sticks.
I will do my best to stay on point with the blog title but I'm not making any further promises. Whatever I want to blog about's going here. And I'm not promising to keep on a schedule but I will do my best to post something at least 1-2x a month.
My intro: N, 33 yo, happily married for 10 years to B, and we have 2 girls. G is 3 and S is almost 6 months old. Most likely my blogs will contain them in some shape or form.
Currently my working situation is what I'd always hoped for. I'm working from home full-time for a publishing company. However, that situation is only temporary, as I've been downsized as of last year when the office I was working in shuttered and relocated halfway across the country, and opted to consolidate my duties into another position. So be careful what you wish for, you just might get it! I will most likely bitch about that as well, along with my search for a new employer. Oh yes, I am a heathenous working mom who puts her kids in daycare for someone else to raise. You'll hear about that too.
But what about the sex and rock-n-roll? Well, how do you think I got the kids? LOL
Yep, I'll blog about that stuff too. My musical tastes for the most part run to the more hard rock/metal spectrum (but aren't limited there), and when it comes to S-E-X, just because I'm married with kids doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the occasional trip to the local adult novelty shop to add to my boudoir collection.
Gotta get back to life now so I can get some more fodder for this thing.
I will do my best to stay on point with the blog title but I'm not making any further promises. Whatever I want to blog about's going here. And I'm not promising to keep on a schedule but I will do my best to post something at least 1-2x a month.
My intro: N, 33 yo, happily married for 10 years to B, and we have 2 girls. G is 3 and S is almost 6 months old. Most likely my blogs will contain them in some shape or form.
Currently my working situation is what I'd always hoped for. I'm working from home full-time for a publishing company. However, that situation is only temporary, as I've been downsized as of last year when the office I was working in shuttered and relocated halfway across the country, and opted to consolidate my duties into another position. So be careful what you wish for, you just might get it! I will most likely bitch about that as well, along with my search for a new employer. Oh yes, I am a heathenous working mom who puts her kids in daycare for someone else to raise. You'll hear about that too.
But what about the sex and rock-n-roll? Well, how do you think I got the kids? LOL
Yep, I'll blog about that stuff too. My musical tastes for the most part run to the more hard rock/metal spectrum (but aren't limited there), and when it comes to S-E-X, just because I'm married with kids doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the occasional trip to the local adult novelty shop to add to my boudoir collection.
Gotta get back to life now so I can get some more fodder for this thing.
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