Random Tuesday Thoughts: A Constipated Snail

Friday needs to hurry up and get here.

My dad took his class on an extended field trip, so he will be gone for most of this week. I discovered Monday morning that he took the plastic bowls that I always eat breakfast in. And I mean always. (I may be just a little OCD.) I seriously considered having something other than my standard Crispix for breakfast, but the only thing that would have been acceptable would be hot cereal, and I was too lazy to make it. So laziness can be good, when it combats my OCD.

My Spanish teacher taught us the word for constipated. Don't worry, you can hold off on calling Child Protective Services just yet. A student wanted to know, so she told him. Granted, she did then write a story about a constipated snail...

My toilet seat cover has, for the longest time, squeaked. Lately it's been one of those things that just really irritated me and sounded like the loudest noise possible. So I finally made the effort to walk the five feet or so from my bathroom, grab the WD40, and oil it up. Now the lack of sound makes me smile. When was the last time you smiled when you opened the toilet seat cover?

I have a birthday in a little over a month. (Wow, just looked at the date. 30 days. That's soon!) My mom asked me the other day what I wanted for my birthday. And my list is still about two items long. I guess this is a good thing, because it means I won't be drowning in useless stuff. However, it does leave a lot of decisions up to my parents. (Not that I don't trust them or anything.)

Weekly Winners: Not Forgotten

Not forgotten
(Although these people apparently did forget, seeing as I took this yesterday. Half mast!)

I Should Be in the Record Books

This morning I woke up at 9:46. I had overslept by about an hour; I had turned my alarm off instead of hitting the snooze button. This wouldn't be a problem on most days, just a mild inconvience. Today, however, I had a meeting at school with my teachers and counselor and tutor at school, at 10:15. That meant we were supposed to leave a minute before I was awake.

So I was awake, mostly, with contacts in, clothes on, and full purse, in 6 minutes. It took another 3 minutes to grab a granola bar, put shoes on, and get in the car. So yes, I definitely belong in some sort of world record book. Because, nine minutes to wake up and be out the door? Pretty amazing. At least in my book.

The meeting went fine. Nothing earth-shattering, and it seems like all the teachers are pretty willing to work with me, and hand control over to my tutor. Which will make my life a whole lot easier than last year.

I got info on the PSAT, which I am taking in a month. I will not freak out.

I got lucky because my tutor's husband surprised her with a massage for her birthday. It just happens to be at the time we were supposed to meet this afternoon. It's a win-win situation; she gets to have a massage, and I don't have to do work.

Now I'm off to Spanish class. Adios.

Erase Hate

If you have not read The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard, go out and get it and read it. I'll wait.

(Bring a box of tissues.)

The Meaning of Matthew is written by the mom of a man who was murdered because he was gay. It tells Matthew's story, and makes him more than a victim of a hate crime; it makes him a person. It tells of his murder, the time he spent in a coma, his death, the nationwide reaction, and the trials of his two murderers. It is a deeply touching, personal story.

It is very true and honest and open. It does not make Matthew out to be a saint, it makes him a human. It is a wonderful story that makes no effort to mask a mother's grief, yet also talks about how she makes it through. And the most amazing thing is that the family managed to get one good thing out of their son's murder.

They created the Matthew Shepard Foundation. It started when people who had heard about Matthew's murder sent the family money. They used it to create a foundation whose goals are to "erase hate, ensure equality, and put youth first". They team with the Human Rights Campaign as well as other organizations with similar goals.

Reading this book yesterday and this morning actually ties in perfectly with something I've been wanting to say. I didn't know quite how to say it, or whether it would even be worth it, with so many other people saying the same thing. (And now the President.)

But I think it is important to show the church in Florida that intends to burn the Koran (full story here) that it isn't only government officials that don't agree with what they want to do. It is "regular" people like me, who find the act of burning the holy book of any religion or group despicable. The fact that it is Islam's holy book makes the possible ramifications much larger and much more severe.

Countless people from the UN, the US government, Afghanistan, and elsewhere have spoken out strongly against the church and their intent. It puts soldiers' lives at risk who are in Islamic countries, and it will also give the Taliban propoganda to use against the US and to recruit new followers who will be taught that hate and violence are acceptable.

This is morally and ethically wrong, as well as wrong because of the huge and potentially catastrophic consequences for soldiers in the Middle East, attempts to eliminate the Taliban, and relations between the US and Islamic countries, which are already strained, at best.

I was moved by Judy's story, and it encouraged me to speak out against hate. Their message is, in many ways, a simple message.

Strive to have no hate in the world. Work for equality for all people, no matter their sex, race, language, age, medical condition, sexual orientation, faith or belief.

So think about your actions, and how they may be perceived by others. Strive to make your world hate free, so that someday, hopefully soon, our world will be hate free.

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Not-Chocolate Chocolate Sauce

It disturbs me that on the back of the chocolate sauce container, it says it has a real chocolate taste. So then, there can't be any actual chocolate in there, otherwise they wouldn't have to make it taste like chocolate. Huh, sometimes I wish I didn't read labels so carefully.

Despite the radio ad's best efforts to convince me otherwise, I am very doubtful that a beautiful smile will give me a "lifetime of happiness". 

It has been hot here. Not any hotter than it was on any given day for the past two months, but my body seems to be noticing the heat a lot more. I think I've reached my limit with summer (Not the doing nothing part. The hot part. I can never have enough of the doing nothing part.). At least I have good timing. Most people consider fall to have officially started. Labor Day is past, and school has started. Heat, time for you to say your goodbyes. I won't miss you.

I recently seem to be attracting lots of bad books and worse movies. I seem incapable of attracting (see how I don't say choosing, because that would put the responsibility on me) anything good to watch or read. I'm stuck with semi-depressing books about the Iraq War (interesting doesn't make it less depressing), bad, not-funny movies, and summer re-runs on TV. 

I see one speck of hope in the distance; fall means moderately less-bad TV.

Go get your random fix over at The Un Mom's.

Weekly Winners: Pieces and Parts

My week felt pretty crazy and fragmented, so here are some pieces of what my week was like.

Crazy Week

I'm full of random. Maybe one of these days I'll get my random together for Random Tuesday Thoughts. Until then, here I go with my random all by myself.

I can't remember what I wrote last year about school and tutoring. And I'm too lazy to go look. So, quick recap--last year I had a tutor who came to our house and (!) tutored me. Which worked really well. But getting there was a total mess/disaster/failure. It didn't start until the beginning of October.

So this year, I felt so confident going in. Because I'm naive/hopeful/optimistic. Not exactly smooth sailing. My application has been at the tutoring office for three weeks and we were told yesterday that all I need is a note from my doctor. (Beyond the one she's already written.)

Gotta love buraucracy.

Our house was crazy full with people last weekend. A bunch of friends managed to coordinate their lives and so three families from everywhere (including India!) came through for a few days of insane fun.

I had such an amazing time. But I am now suffering for my fun. It was totally worth it, except for the pounding and utter-exhausted-ness.

Everyone left by Monday evening, but it took my body another 24 hours to realize how tired I was. I fell asleep on the surprisingly comfortable (or maybe I was just that tired) wood floor.

Twelve hours of sleep did little to improve my headache or fatigue, so I've been taking it easy for the rest of this week.

I took a break from the couch and taking it easy yesterday to poke my head into the orchid shop. It's so much better than a candy store. And almost impossible to walk out of empty-handed.